| Giuliani says he will cooperate with Trump impeachment inquiry — only if the president gives him the green light Posted: 29 Sep 2019 01:14 PM PDT  President Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said Sunday he would cooperate the House impeachment inquiry, but only if directed by his client.
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| Chinese fugitive: Police use drone to find man who had been on the run for 17 years Posted: 30 Sep 2019 10:13 AM PDT  Police in China have managed to arrest a man they'd been hunting for 17 years, thanks to drone technology.
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| Halloween prank: Oklahoma dad freaks out daughter with outrageous Area 51 costume Posted: 30 Sep 2019 07:58 AM PDT  An Oklahoma dad is going viral after his daughter shared a video of his outrageous Halloween prank attempt.
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| Utah woman says bison flipped her into air, broke her ankle Posted: 30 Sep 2019 01:24 PM PDT  Kayleigh Davis was hiking on a trail Friday evening at Antelope Island State Park in Utah chasing the sunset, when she was suddenly, violently, flipped into the air by a bison. When she looked up, the bison was hovering over her. The incident left her with a broken ankle and a gash on her leg.
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| Catholic Archdiocese of New York removes all priests accused of sex abuse, report says Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:29 PM PDT  The archdiocese covers Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, along with parts of New York City and the Hudson Valley.
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| 10 Non-Hybrid Crossovers and SUVs That Get 30 MPG or More Posted: 30 Sep 2019 02:42 PM PDT |
| Nigerian police free 19 women and girls from Lagos 'baby factory': statement Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:33 AM PDT ![Nigerian police free 19 women and girls from Lagos 'baby factory': statement]( "Nigerian police free 19 women and girls from Lagos 'baby factory': statement") Police in Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, have freed 19 women and girls who had mostly been abducted and impregnated by captors planning to sell their babies. The girls and women, aged from 15 to 28, had been brought from all over Nigeria with promises of work, Lagos police said on Monday. "Baby factories", as such premises are widely known, are most common in parts of eastern Nigeria.
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| Al Franken Faces New Sexual Harassment Allegation Posted: 30 Sep 2019 10:12 AM PDT  Al Franken was accused of sexual harassment by an anonymous woman on Monday, the latest in a string of misconduct allegations that forced the former Democratic Minnesota senator's resignation last year.In a piece published by New York magazine's The Cut, the woman, a current "senior staffer at a major progressive organization" came forward on condition of anonymity to accuse Franken groping her at an fundraising event in 2006 for U.S. Senator Patty Murray."At the time of the incident, I think, I'm going to go to law school. All I want to do is run for office in my home state. This created a moment of reflection," she told The Cut. " … It rocked my confidence. As I look back on my career, I am always in deputy roles and support roles."Franken resigned in July 2018 at the behest of Democratic leadership after a conservative talk radio host accused him of forcibly kissing her during a skit performed as part of a 2006 U.S.O tour.The latest allegation comes in the midst of a bit of public comeback for Franken, who on Saturday launched a weekly program on SiriusXM titled "The Al Franken Show."Franken also appeared on Conan last Thursday, during which he claimed "there were no good choices" during his ousting from the Senate in 2017 in the face of multiple sexual misconduct allegations, and said that "people who know me, know I'm not that guy."A July profile in The New Yorker revealed he regretted his decision to resign without due process, and that seven Democratic lawmakers now had qualms in the initial decision to force Franken out.One of the biggest proponents for Franken's resignation was New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand, who dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary last month after struggling to raise poll numbers and donations. A New York Times article noted Gillibrand was "shunned" by many powerful party donors for her stance on Franken.
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| Impeachment whine: Trump thinks Republicans weren't tough on Obama. Believe me, we were. Posted: 30 Sep 2019 10:12 AM PDT  What would Republicans have done to Barack Obama? Everything Democrats are doing to Trump and more. I know because I choreographed the GOP barrage.
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| Iran general says destroying Israel is an 'achievable goal' Posted: 30 Sep 2019 10:18 AM PDT  The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday that destroying Israel has become an "achievable goal" due to his country's technological advances.
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| This is the most popular Halloween candy in the U.S. Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:20 AM PDT  The most popular Halloween candy in America is and oldie but a goodie. And here's a hint: It comes in a ton of chocolatey flavors.
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| Man had his heart shocked 34 times following heart attack: 'I'm still here' Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:23 PM PDT  A 63-year-old man from Ohio who had his heart shocked 34 times is coming forward with his near-death experience to educate others
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| 2 died before political donor's arrest. Some question delay Posted: 30 Sep 2019 10:30 AM PDT  When a dead man was carried out of Ed Buck's apartment two years ago, members of the gay political club he lavished with thousands of dollars in political donations swiftly ousted him. Buck attempted a comeback in early January, less than six months after prosecutors declined to bring charges in the overdose death. Two days after Buck was escorted out of the bash, another gay man was found dead in his West Hollywood apartment — again from a methamphetamine overdose.
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| People's Views of China Are Mixed, According to Global Study Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:08 PM PDT ![People's Views of China Are Mixed, According to Global Study]( "People's Views of China Are Mixed, According to Global Study") The People's Republic of China celebrates its 70th anniversary on Tuesday, and the views of the country by people around the world are mixed, according to new research by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. Negative views of China have turned most sharply turned negative in North America, Western Europe and across the Asia-Pacific, while positive views of the East Asian giant were recorded in Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, according to the report, released on Monday. Overall, a median of 41% in a total of 32 countries included in the Pew Global Attitudes survey expressed a favorable opinion of China, while a median of 37% said they had an unfavorable opinion.
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| Russia has hidden the details of a handful of nuclear accidents since the 1950s — here's what we know about them Posted: 29 Sep 2019 06:23 AM PDT  In addition to Chernobyl, Russia has tried to hide the details of other nuclear incidents, including an explosion that killed seven people in August.
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| Rudy Giuliani: Ukraine sources detail attempt to construct case against Biden Posted: 28 Sep 2019 10:00 PM PDT  * Source: prosecutor may have fed Trump ally altered information * Robert Reich: Trump can do more damage than NixonRudy Giuliani speaks to members of the media at the White House in 2018. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty ImagesIn the explosive whistleblower complaint released this week, in which an intelligence official sounds the alarm over Donald Trump's effort to solicit the help of Ukraine in his bid for re-election, one name is repeated: Rudy Giuliani.The former New York mayor appears in flashing lights at the top of the document. In the second paragraph, the anonymous whistleblower says: "The president's personal lawyer, Mr Rudolph Giuliani, is a central figure in this effort."The author goes on to refer to Giuliani 31 times, painting a picture of a lawyer who in the service of his old friend and now personal client – Trump – set himself up as a virtual state within a state. Giuliani is accused of circumventing national security protocols as he scurried between Washington and Kyiv carrying private orders from the president, many of dubious legality.That the man who was hailed as a national hero, "America's mayor", in the wake of 9/11 should now find himself accused of undermining national security amid a billowing impeachment scandal is extraordinary in itself. Even more astonishing is that so many of the details of the Ukraine connection have been put into the public domain by Giuliani himself.He has been so willing to speak openly on cable TV and social media about his dealings with top Ukrainian officials seeking dirt on the leading Democratic presidential candidate, former vice-president Joe Biden, that he has deepened Trump's legal peril almost on a daily basis.On 25 July, US president Donald Trump called Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. During the course of the call he reportedly asked the Ukrainian leader eight times to investigate former US vice-president Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter. It is additionally reported that Trump ordered his staff to withhold nearly $400m in aid to Ukraine days before the call took place. Biden is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination and take on Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Trump confirmed he discussed the Bidens with Zelenskiy, and accused the pair – without offering any evidence – of corruption.A US intelligence community whistleblower filed a report after becoming alarmed at Trump's behaviour in the matter. The White House refused to release the substance of the whistleblower complaint, setting up a confrontation with Congress over the release of information. Complaints of this nature are usually reported to Congress within seven days.Trump's personal lawyer, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, has admitted asking the Ukrainians to investigate the Bidens. It is illegal for a political campaign to accept a "thing of value" from a foreign government. Democrats say an investigation into a political opponent – for which Trump appears to have been pushing – would amount to a thing of value.On Thursday, Giuliani posted a tweet that extended the crisis from the White House to the state department. In the tweet, he reproduced a July text message from Kurt Volker, then US special representative to Ukraine, introducing Giuliani to a key adviser of the Ukrainian president.The chilling undertone of the tweet was unmistakable: if I'm going down, you're going down with me.Giuliani's overseas consulting work in eastern Europe stretches back to the mid-2000s. But his prominence in Ukraine grew after Trump's 2016 victory, when he parlayed his close relationship with the president into security contracts and speaking appearances.By his own account, Giuliani's fixation with Ukraine began last November when, he told Fox News, he was approached by a "very significant distinguished investigator". He has not named the investigator, though the whistleblower's complaint and other sources have illuminated close ties between the former mayor, Yuriy Lutsenko, who until last month was Ukraine's chief prosecutor, and Lutsenko's predecessor, Viktor Shokin.As the complaint sets out, Giuliani met Lutsenko at least twice: in New York in January and in Warsaw the following month. The timing of those encounters could be important in the rapidly unfolding impeachment inquiry in Washington, as they came at a key moment for Lutsenko.The prosecutor was facing growing criticism in Kyiv over stalled investigations into corruption. In November 2018, when Giuliani says he began to focus on the country, Lutsenko offered to resign after a young anti-corruption activist, Kateryna Handziuk, died from a sulphuric acid attack.Lutsenko stayed in office. But the Guardian has learned that he began seeking a lifeline to the US, in the hope it might save him as difficulties back home intensified.That lifeline was Giuliani."[Lutsenko] strongly needed some political ally, he believed that Giuliani could convey specific messages to Trump, and he created this message to become more interesting to the American establishment," said a law enforcement source familiar with the Giuliani-Lutsenko connection.That Giuliani might have been fed information by Ukraine's then top prosecutor that was adulterated to make it more appealing to Trump is a startling potential twist in the developing scandal.According to the Guardian's source, Lutsenko appeared in conversation with Giuliani to have invented a "don't prosecute" list he claimed was given to him by the then US ambassador to Kyiv, Marie Yovanovitch – news of which apparently made its way up to Trump.Yovanovitch was abruptly removed in May after Giuliani pressed for changes in the embassy. Giuliani has since claimed without evidence that the "don't prosecute" list was part of a liberal anti-Trump conspiracy that included Yovanovitch and was bankrolled by the philanthropist George Soros.The US state department has dismissed the claim as an "outright fabrication". 'Very helpful to my client'Ukraine's main attraction for Giuliani was the hope it might provide valuable damaging intelligence on Biden, who launched his presidential bid in April. Both Giuliani and Trump have grown increasingly excited by a conspiracy theory that in 2016 Biden pressurized Ukraine to fire its then chief prosecutor, Shokin.Under this theory, Biden wanted Shokin out because he was investigating the vice-president's son, Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of a major Ukrainian gas company, Burisma. Several attempts to fact check the story that Biden acted corruptly to protect his son have found it to be false.Here too, there is a suggestion that Lutsenko may have intentionally misrepresented the Burisma investigation to Giuliani, raising doubts about Hunter Biden's activities, as a ruse to catch the attention of Trump."Mr Biden and his son were never the subjects of this investigation," the Guardian was told by the source with knowledge of Lutsenko's ties to the New York lawyer.Lutsenko later changed his tune, and told the Washington Post this week Hunter Biden had done nothing wrong."From the perspective of Ukrainian legislation, he did not violate anything," the former prosecutor said.Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky meet in New York. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty ImagesAs the Ukraine affair has deepened, the extent of Guiliani's efforts to put flesh on the bones of his anti-Biden conspiracy theory has become clear. In addition to his meetings with Lutsenko, he made contact with a further four former Ukrainian prosecutors, including a Skype call to Shokin.Those efforts reached fever pitch in May when Giuliani laid plans to visit the president-elect, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Serhiy Leshchenko, a journalist and former member of parliament who advised Zelenskiy during his campaign, said he believed Giuliani was urgently trying to meet the president-elect before his 20 May inauguration, after which their interaction could be restricted by protocol.We know what Giuliani wanted to talk to Zelenskiy about because Giuliani, true to form, told us. In an interview with the New York Times on 9 May, he said he wanted to encourage the new government to investigate the Bidens, saying "that information will be very, very helpful to my client".The backlash to his announced plan to engage with Ukraine for Trump's political benefit was so intense that he cancelled the May visit. He diverted instead to Spain, where he met Andriy Yermak – he now claims at the instigation of the state department.What did Giuliani say to Yermak, a top adviser to the new Ukrainian government?"Just investigate the darn things," he said, referring to the Bidens and other matters beneficial to Trump's re-election hopes.It is a sign of Giuliani's imperviousness to public condemnation – some would say to reason – that he continues to dig himself and his client deeper into a hole. It could have serious consequences for them both.Leshchenko believes Giuliani is in peril too."He was involved in international politics and trying to blackmail the Ukrainian government," he said. "It should be a cause for an investigation."
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| Trump impeachment T-shirts? Grow up, Rep. Tlaib. Removing a president is serious business. Posted: 29 Sep 2019 04:44 AM PDT  If Donald Trump is her tutor on tactics, Rashida Tlaib is doing it wrong. Neither of them serve Americans well by appealing to their coarser appetites.
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| Meghan Markle wears the chicest Everlane slingbacks while on royal tour Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:29 AM PDT  Unlike Meghan's go-to pair of Manolo Blahnik heels that cost over $600, these Everlane flat will only set you back $155.
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| Ivanka Trump called 'fraud' by 'Star Wars' actor Mark Hamill after tweeting photo of son as Stormtrooper: 'You're a real jerk' Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:59 AM PDT  The First Daughter of the United States received criticism from Luke Skywalker after posting a family photo on social media.
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| Why the Middle East Fears Iran's Missiles (To a Point) Posted: 28 Sep 2019 08:00 PM PDT  Iran has a history of unveiling wonder weapons that aren't so wonderful, such as "advanced" jet fighters that are actually copies of 1970s U.S. aircraft. While Iran can build missiles, their newest models seem more bravado than fact.
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| Sacked Hong Kong Cathay staff decry 'Cultural Revolution' purge Posted: 30 Sep 2019 01:33 AM PDT  Former Cathay Pacific staff who say they were fired for supporting Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters accused bosses on Monday of carrying out a "Cultural revolution" style political purge. The Hong Kong-based airline has had a torrid few weeks after Chinese state media and authorities blasted the company because some of its 27,000 employees had taken part in -- or were sympathetic to -- anti-government protesters. China's aviation regulator barred staff supporting protests from working on flights to the mainland or traveling through its airspace, setting off chaos inside the company as it frantically tried to win back Beijing's favour.
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| Judge Allows Cop to Use ‘Castle Doctrine’ Defense in Trial for Mistaken Apartment Killing Posted: 30 Sep 2019 02:23 PM PDT  The jury in the trial of Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer who is charged with murdering her neighbor in his apartment, can consider the "Castle Doctrine" as part of Guyger's defense, Judge Tammy Kemp ruled Monday, hours before final deliberations in the murder trial.The Castle Doctrine, which was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2007, "presumes that the use of force is reasonable and necessary when someone is unlawfully and with force entering or attempting to enter your occupied home, car, or place of business, or when someone is committing or trying to commit a crime against you."Guyger, who shot and killed Jean in his own apartment on Sept. 6, 2018, was initially charged with manslaughter, but the district attorney's office subsequently reviewed the case and indicted her on murder charges, with the implication that the shooting could not be considered manslaughter because Guyger admitted it was intentional.The shift also allowed for Guyger's defense to center its argument on the basis of "a mistake of fact," as Guyger — who was returning from a 14-hour shift — claims she accidentally took Jean's apartment to be her own, and mistakenly thought he was an intruder. Now, if jurors apply the Castle Doctrine, Guyger may walk free."If a jury believes she was telling truth that she was mistaken, that is an excuse under Texas law," defense attorney Brad Lollar told The Dallas Morning News last year in the buildup to the indictment. "By filing a manslaughter charge instead of murder, law enforcement is depriving her of defenses she would have under a murder charge."The judge also announced in the meeting with lawyers on both sides that the jury would be allowed to consider manslaughter in any potential sentencing of Guyger.
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| Gut microbes can get you drunk and damage your liver Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:23 AM PDT  In 2016, a woman who had a blood alcohol level four times the legal limit was acquitted of her DUI charge after it was discovered that she had an extremely rare condition called "auto-brewery syndrome." People with this syndrome carry microbes in their intestines that produce abnormally high levels of alcohol, which they produce when they break down sugars and carbohydrates. While auto-brewery syndrome is an extreme example, it makes one wonder: Could intestinal microbes be influencing other health or behavioral traits? Jing Yuan at the Capital Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing published a new study in Cell Metabolism showing that an intestinal microbe may cause fatty liver disease by producing high levels of alcohol.
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| Coal States Urge Trump Administration to Tackle Plant Closures Posted: 30 Sep 2019 02:58 PM PDT ![Coal States Urge Trump Administration to Tackle Plant Closures]( "Coal States Urge Trump Administration to Tackle Plant Closures") (Bloomberg) -- Six coal states are pressing the Trump administration to wrap up an almost two-year inquiry into whether coal and nuclear plant retirements are threatening the electric grid.In letters to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which overseas U.S. power markets, utility commissioners from Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming warned that plant closures are accelerating and "bringing increased attention to grid resilience and fuel security."The appeal comes almost two years after the commission rejected a Trump administration bid to bail out money-losing coal plants, dismissing the proposal as unlawful. But the agency left the door open to future action, by opening an inquiry into whether regulatory changes are needed to keep the lights on. More than 200 comments have been filed with the commission since then, and more than a dozen coal-fired power plants have been decommissioned.Now the states hardest hit by coal's decline are asking the energy commission to finalize its review of the electric grid and, again, consider imposing market rules that could curb the closure of fossil-fuel generation.They may find a sympathetic ear in commission Chairman Neil Chatterjee, a Kentucky Republican and a longstanding champion of the coal industry who has faced criticism for pushing an ill-fated proposal to curb coal retirements by paying generators for having fuel on-site. Chatterjee has since said that the independent agency can't put its thumb on the scale to favor any one source.Chatterjee said he would address the issue of grid resilience this fall and, on Oct. 21, will co-host a University of Kentucky energy forum in the heart of coal country. Speakers include Bob Murray, the chief executive officer of coal producer Murray Energy Corp., who has repeatedly called on the Trump administration to take steps to revive the domestic coal industry.The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, which represents coal producers, said it was time for the agency to take action to "help address concerns over grid resilience as a result of the continued retirement of fuel-secure coal units across the country."To contact the reporters on this story: Stephen Cunningham in Washington at scunningha10@bloomberg.net;Ari Natter in Washington at anatter5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Marino at dmarino4@bloomberg.net, Catherine Traywick, Reg GaleFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Leonardo DiCaprio reacts to Trump's 'insulting' tweet to Greta Thunberg at 2019 Global Citizen Festival Posted: 29 Sep 2019 11:09 AM PDT  Leonardo DiCaprio defended Greta Thunberg in front of 60,000 people during NYC's 2019 Global Citizen's Festival.
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| Trump reportedly worked with 2 'off the books' lawyers to pressure Ukraine Posted: 29 Sep 2019 01:15 PM PDT  "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace said that top U.S. officials confirmed President Trump was working with more than one personal lawyer "off the books" to pressure Ukrainian officials for damaging information on former Vice President Joe Biden.
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| Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over deadly cross-border shelling in disputed Kashmir Posted: 30 Sep 2019 05:42 AM PDT ![Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over deadly cross-border shelling in disputed Kashmir]( "Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over deadly cross-border shelling in disputed Kashmir") ISLAMABAD/MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan's government on Monday summoned India's top diplomat in the country over accusations of deadly shelling by India in its portion of the disputed region of Kashmir, as tensions run high between the nuclear-armed rival nations. A 60-year old woman and 13-year old boy were killed and three wounded in shelling over the Line of Control (LOC), near the informal border with India, on Saturday and Sunday, Pakistan's foreign ministry said. "The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," said Pakistan's foreign ministry statement, adding that its spokesman had summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to condemn the incident.
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| Chinese ambassador: We are doing our part to combat the opioid crisis Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:00 AM PDT  China wants to do what it can to make sure an end to this issue is reached. We must emphasize though, that this problem is not ultimately our own.
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| USA TODAY's Harrison Hill tells migrant stories through portraits Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:09 AM PDT  Harrison Hill, a photographer for USA TODAY, documented the migrant crisis outside LA immigration court for USA TODAY's project "The Migrants."
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| Canada, US seek to reduce dependency on China for rare earth minerals Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:18 AM PDT  Canada is in talks with the United States to seek ways for both to reduce their dependance on China for rare earth elements, key minerals for high-tech products, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday.
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| Four 'extremely dangerous' prisoners escape after overpowering guards Posted: 30 Sep 2019 01:07 AM PDT  Four prisoners who are considered "extremely dangerous" escaped from a county jail in Ohio early Sunday morning after overpowering two guards, authorities said.The inmates used a homemade weapon known as a shank and stole the keys to a corrections officer's vehicle, which was used in the first part of their escape from Gallia County Jail, Sheriff Matt Champlin said at a news conference.
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| Guess Who Might Want to Purchase Russia's Powerful Armata Tank? Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:00 AM PDT  There are several potential customers.
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| Ronan Farrow's book has NBC News 'bracing for bombshells' about Matt Lauer: report Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:01 AM PDT  Journalist Ronan Farrow is gearing up for the release of his highly-anticipated new book, 'Catch and Kill,' with new claims about Matt Lauer's misconduct.
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| ‘We’ve been taken hostage’: African migrants stranded in Mexico after Trump's crackdown Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:00 AM PDT  Hundreds of migrants from Africa are stuck in Tapachula because of Mexico's willingness to bow to Trump and stem the flow of migrants African migrants protest outside the Siglo XXI migrants detention center, demanding Mexican authorities to speed up visas that would enable them to cross Mexico to the US. Photograph: Isaac Guzman/AFP/Getty ImagesNeh knew she was taking a risk when she got involved with English-language activists in mostly-Francophone Cameroon.She had no way of know that her decision would eventually force her to flee her country, fly halfway across the world and then set out on a 4,000-mile trek through dense jungle and across seven borders – only to leave her stranded in southern Mexico, where her hopes of finding safety in the US were blocked by the Mexican government's efforts to placate Donald Trump's anti-migrant rage."It is just too much," sobbed Neh,at a protest camp set up by migrants from across Africa outside the main immigration offices in the sweltering southern city of Tapachula. "We thought our suffering was almost over. And now we're stuck here, treated like the lowest citizens on earth."Not that long ago, Neh worked as a microfinance officer and lived with her husband and three children in a small town in the West of Cameroon. Earlier this year, she joined a group campaigning for anglophone independence. She insists her activism was peaceful and that she never supported rebel groups, but amid spiralling violence, she was arrested, beaten, and raped by soldiers. One night, an officer took her from her cell and told her to start running. She imagined she was about to die – but instead she ran into the arms of her husband who had paid a bribe for her freedom.Hustled into hiding, Neh was then put on a plane to Quito where she joined the growing number of migrants from around the world using Ecuador as the jumping off point for the passage north. mapThe harrowing journey requires crossing the the lawless jungles of Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, where migrants risk wild animals, raging rivers and predatory robbers .For seven days, the 37-year-old hauled herself up and down mountain slopes, hanging on tree roots. Crossing a river, she was almost swept away by the current; an insect bite paralyzed her arm. And each day, her group passed the bloated and half-eaten corpses of others who had died on the same trail.The next stage of her odyssey was more straightforward. With the help of bribes and official paperwork, Neh travelled by bus across Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. She began to dream of a new life in the US, reunited with the three children she had left behind.And then, in Mexico, everything ground to an halt. She joined hundreds of migrants from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Eritrea, Mauritania, and a smattering of other African countries who are stuck in Tapachula because of Mexico's willingness to bow to Trump and stem the flow of migrants.Until recently, African migrants were waved through Mexico by immigration officials who had no interest in stopping them. Photograph: Isaac Guzman/AFP/Getty ImagesTrump's main target has always Central Americans who account for most of the migrant flow through Mexico. But the crackdown has caught up travelers from all around the world.Their situation has only been exacerbated by US policies. Earlier this month the US supreme court ruled that the US authorities could deny asylum to anybody who passed through another country to get there.Meanwhile, US officials have pressured Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to accept asylum seekers from third countries, even though they are among the most dangerous countries in the world. "We have been taken hostage. We want our freedom," said José Pelé Messa, a TV presenter who fled the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010 – first for Angola, and then Brazil, which he had left earlier this year when the security situation there made life untenable.Around him, the inhabitants of the protest camp were gearing up for another day of boredom, under the watchful eye of a group of National Guard officers in riot gear.Railings were draped with blankets and clothes sodden in the previous night's downpour. Migrants – grouped by nationality or language – pored over documents in Spanish that they couldn't read or scanned their phones for news from home. A pregnant woman prepared soup on a small wooden burner outside her tent. A couple of toddlers were using discarded plastic bottles as drums.Pelé gestured at the desultory scene: "I took my children through the jungle for this? I'm a corpse. I just haven't started rotting yet."Until recently, African migrants were waved through Mexico by immigration officials who had no interest in stopping them.But after Trump's threat of trade tariffs in May, Mexico's government scrambled to clamp down: flooding the south of the country with law enforcement, and stepping up cooperation with the US policy of sending asylum seekers back into northern Mexico while their cases are processed.For migrants from countries in Africa, who are much harder to repatriate, it has meant being kept in limbo. Photograph: Isaac Guzman/AFP/Getty ImagesFor Central Americans trying to get through southern Mexico the crackdown has brought more raids, record numbers of deportations, and greater vulnerability to criminal attacks as they are pushed into less visible routes.For migrants from countries in Africa, who are much harder to repatriate, it has meant being kept in limbo.Previously, Mexican immigration authorities had typically issued African migrants with documents ordering them to sort out their status or leave the country within 21 days. Now these documents, which had previously served as de facto transit visas, order them to leave by the southern border. "Mexico is using us as an instrument of politics to please Donald Trump," said Serge, 21, who also fled the conflict in Cameroon. "This is creating a lot of anger among us."Frustration in the camp has bubbled over several times, leading to some scuffles with the authorities. This weekend a small group of desperate Africa temporarily blocked a car carrying Filippo Grandi, the head of UNHCR who was visiting Tapachula. One pregnant woman threw herself in front of the car's wheels crying and pleading for help.Migrants are particularly angered by the perception that they are being coerced into applying for asylum in Mexico – where few feel safe and almost none want to stay."Mexico is playing games with us," said a 36-year-old engineer from Eritrea who identified himself as Mr Testahiwet. "This is the way to get to America and we want to go to America. Mexico is the wrong place to ask for asylum."Some are so desperate they have begun looking for ways to get through Mexico undetected – though their skin colour and their lack of Spanish makes this hard to do.One recent dawn, at a major crossing point on the Suchiate river, not far from Tapachula, around 10 Cameroonians clambered onto a raft made of huge inner tubes and headed towards the Guatemalan side. The migrants sat in a glum and nervous silence as they were punted across, and then piled into cars with blackened windows, presumably driven by people smugglers who had promised to get them through Mexico by another route.Back at the camp, Kelly, another English-speaking refugee from Cameroon, said she hadn't been able to speak to her children for weeks. Back home, she had been a physics teacher, but she fled her job and her home when the rebels enforced a school boycott on pain of death."You leave when you can't take it anymore. You start running, and you keep running until you can stop," she said. "We are not looking for greener pastures – we are looking for safety."
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| As Gwyneth Paltrow celebrates her 47th birthday, here's a look at her massive net worth Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:53 AM PDT  The Academy Award-winning actress and founder of Goop turns 47 this month. Here's a look back at her career and the wealth she's amassed.
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| Bremmer Says U.S.-China Trade War Getting ‘Considerably Worse’ Posted: 30 Sep 2019 07:29 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. The U.S.-China trade war is getting "considerably worse" and comments at the United Nations General Assembly suggest no end in sight, according to Ian Bremmer, the New York-based president of Eurasia Group.Chinese officials will be patient, hoping to maintain the status quo while making no serious attempts at a breakthrough deal until after the 2020 U.S. election, Bremmer wrote in an email summarizing his UN meetings. He said China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi's combative tone suggests a much deeper divide between the world's two largest economies than six months ago."The two sides are digging in and it's gotten considerably worse in the past weeks," Bremmer said.On Friday, Wang hit back at President Donald Trump's trade policies, warning that protectionism could plunge the world into a recession just as negotiators from both countries prepare to meet in Washington next month. The Trump administration played down a Bloomberg report the same day that the White House was weighing limits on U.S. portfolio flows into China.Here are some of Bremmer's other key takeaways from UN week:A top White House adviser said Trump wants to reduce trade tensions with the Europeans because "it's going to get tougher with China"Meantime, there will be a stronger push to complete bilateral deals with Japan (which is close) and India (just getting started)Risk of U.S. escalation with Iran following recent attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil export capabilities was "definitively put to bed"Expect more volatile behavior from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is "sliding Toward the end of his rule"There's "palpable frustration" from the Trump administration on Venezuela, although some signs that Cubans (facing pressure from U.S. sanctions) will return to political negotiationsThe "alliance for multilateralism," a gathering led by the German and French governments, is the broadest effort yet to counterbalance the growing schism between the U.S. and ChinaTrump impeachment proceedings will occupy virtually all of the U.S. political coverage for the rest of 2019, yet there's "virtually no chance" it gets Republican support in the SenateImpeachment will probably increase voter turnout, a negative for TrumpProceedings will also hurt former Vice President Joe Biden's candidacy and benefit Senator Elizabeth WarrenIncreasing odds of U.S. constitutional crisis with tinges of Watergate and Bush/Gore 2000To contact the reporter on this story: Ben Bartenstein in New York at bbartenstei3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Carolina Wilson at cwilson166@bloomberg.net, Alec D.B. McCabeFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The Ukrainian orphan accused of being an adult was located living with another family in Indiana Posted: 30 Sep 2019 03:15 PM PDT  As the case makes its way to court, plenty of questions remain about Natalia Barnett, the orphan at the center of an adoption scandal.
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| Elon Musk unveils new Mars rocket prototype, expects missions in months Posted: 29 Sep 2019 10:27 AM PDT  Musk showed a crowd of space enthusiasts and reporters at SpaceX's rocket development site late on Saturday in the remote village of Boca Chica, Texas, animations of Starship landing on the moon and Mars and predicted that the rocket's first orbital flight could come in the next six months, followed by missions to space with humans aboard the next year. "This is basically the holy grail of space," Musk said, standing between a towering, newly assembled Starship rocket and Falcon 1 — the company's first vehicle whose debut orbital mission was celebrated by SpaceX 11 years ago.
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| Iran on track to open new oil terminal outside Gulf Posted: 30 Sep 2019 07:12 AM PDT  Iran said on Monday that it is on track to create a new oil terminal on the Sea of Oman that would open a new export route for its crude and allow tankers to bypass the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The National Iranian Oil Company signed a contract worth around $52 million Monday with three local companies to supply 50 pumps for the pipeline project, according to the Iranian oil ministry's Shana website. The pipeline will run from Bushehr province on the Gulf to Bandar-e-Jask on the Sea of Oman, on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz.
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| A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a burglar, then went back to sleep, police say Posted: 30 Sep 2019 07:46 AM PDT ![A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a burglar, then went back to sleep, police say]( "A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a burglar, then went back to sleep, police say") A 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a suspected burglar outside his home, authorities said, and went back to sleep before calling police.
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| The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claim to have killed 500 Saudi-led coalition troops and captured thousands more in major victory Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:45 AM PDT  If true, the Houthi victory would mark another major setback for Saudi Arabia in the wake of the recent drone and missile attacks on its oil sites.
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| Bernie Sanders follows up 'wealth tax' proposal with new 'income inequality tax' Posted: 30 Sep 2019 05:26 AM PDT ![Bernie Sanders follows up 'wealth tax' proposal with new 'income inequality tax']( "Bernie Sanders follows up 'wealth tax' proposal with new 'income inequality tax'") After rolling out his "wealth tax" plan, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is out with another new proposal for what he's calling an "income inequality tax."The 2020 Democrat announced a proposal Monday to increase the corporate tax rate on large companies whose top-earning employee makes more than 50 times what their median employee earns, The Washington Post reports. The average S&P 500 company CEO makes 287 times more than their median employee, Vox reports.This corporate tax rate increase would apply to companies with more than $100 million in yearly revenue, with the increase starting at 0.5 percentage points and rising depending on how large the gap is. If the top employee earns more than 500 times more than the median employee, the rate increase would be 5 percent. The corporate tax rate is currently 21 percent.Sanders in an interview with the Post said it's "bad policy" for CEOs to be "making 500 or 1,000 times more than the median income worker," saying this tax would apply to "the most egregious examples." The progressive think tank that worked with Sanders' campaign on the plan described it to Vox as a "sin tax."In his announcement, Sanders calls out specific companies whose CEO makes at least 50 times more than the median worker, including Walmart, Home Depot, and Nike.This announcement comes after Sanders last week announced his "wealth tax" proposal, which went further than a similar proposal from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Under his plan, net worth above $32 million would be hit with a one percent yearly tax, which would increase up to eight percent for net worth above $10 billion, The New York Times reports. In an interview with the Times, Sanders said, "I don't think that billionaires should exist."
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| Hurricane Lorenzo now a Category 5 Posted: 29 Sep 2019 07:08 AM PDT  Lorenzo is the northernmost and easternmost recorded Category 5 hurricane on record.
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| QAnon Disciple Allegedly Vandalized Catholic Church With Crowbar While Ranting About Human Trafficking Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:44 PM PDT  A believer in the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theory allegedly vandalized a prominent Catholic church in Arizona last week in what appears to be the latest violent incident involving a disciple of the conspiracy theory.QAnon believers base their worldview around anonymous clues posted online by an anonymous character named "Q." The clues, which echo the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory, posit that President Donald Trump and the U.S. military are engaged in an elaborate covert war with a global pedophile cabal made up of top Democrats, financiers, and Hollywood elites. Timothy Larson, 41, was charged with aggravated criminal damage, burglary, and other charges after the Wednesday attack on Sedona's Church of the Holy Cross, according to the Red Rock News. Footage posted to social media by witnesses show a man who Sedona police say is Larson smashing candles and altar displays with a crowbar. Larson also allegedly spray-painted "EVIL" on the ground outside the popular tourist attraction, which is built into a red rock mountain butte.The church vandalism, which occurred in front of a number of visitors, appears to be the latest instance of violence involving a QAnon believer. Two QAnon fans have been charged with murder in cases apparently prompted by the conspiracy theory, including the slaying of the head of the Gambino crime family. In June 2018, an armed QAnon believer in an improvised armored truck allegedly shut down a bridge near the Hoover Dam to protest after a Q prediction failed to come true. The FBI has warned that QAnon could potentially inspire domestic terrorism.As the Sedona vandal left the church, he warned onlookers that "the Catholic church supports human trafficking" and told them to "not support Satanists." Many QAnon disciples think, without evidence, that the Catholic Church is part of the supposed global child-trafficking conspiracy in cahoots with Democratic Party leaders.Before leaving the church, Larson left behind business cards emblazoned with a large "Q," according to police. He also posted to Twitter pictures of the cards, which declares him to be a "badass patriot" and a "human trafficking investigator"—both phrases popular with QAnon fans. Larson allegedly had a large knife and a katana-style sword on him when he was arrested.The alleged vandal appeared to acknowledge the attack on Twitter after it happened, posting about the church in a tweet that declared "QAnon Mission Success." Larson attached what appeared to be a video of him hitting a tether ball with an American flag, with the acronym "MAGA"—a reference to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan—prominently displayed. Larson prolifically posted about QAnon on Twitter in the lead-up to the vandalism, tweeting the day before the attack that he was working for "Team Q." In October 2018, he wrote that QAnon "was a major part of my self-actualization." And in an August 2018 tweet, he called for investigations of some of the most bizarre QAnon claims—including the idea that the nonexistent global cabal communicates by XBox game chat—and listed astrological signs of various liberal Trump critics and media personalities.Larson was arrested a few hours following the incident after a store clerk called 911. Before his arrest, Larson had purportedly told the clerk he was "investigating human trafficking."Sedona police did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Larson couldn't be reached by The Daily Beast. Despite the growing number of violent incidents attached to QAnon, the Trump administration invited a number of the conspiracy theory's promoters to the White House in July for the "Social Media Summit." In August, a warm-up speaker at a Trump rally used a QAnon slogan during his speech, although he later claimed he didn't mean it as a signal to QAnon fans. 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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| Homeless subway singer who mesmerized with beautiful singing voice is identified Posted: 30 Sep 2019 02:17 PM PDT  A homeless woman who captivated the world with her angelic singing voice last week has been identified.
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| China's Guangzhou rides economic change but keeps traditions Posted: 30 Sep 2019 04:07 AM PDT  China's southern city of Guangzhou is at the heart of plans to link a cluster of cities in the Pearl River Delta, including Hong Kong and Macau, into a Greater Bay Area rivaling Silicon Valley and Greater Tokyo as an economic hub by 2035. Sprawling over 56,000 sq km (21,600 sq miles) with a population of more than 70 million, the Greater Bay Area is the centerpiece of a drive by China's ruling Communist Party to establish a hub of advanced manufacturing and technology.
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