| Sen. Lindsey Graham indicates he may support Trump impeachment if inquiry establishes 'quid pro quo' Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:04 AM PDT  Lindsey Graham did not rule out voting to convict Trump if he is impeached in the House and more evidence against him comes to light.
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| Spain will exhume dictator Francisco Franco's remains on Thursday Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:24 AM PDT  Spain will on Thursday remove the 1.5-tonne slab which has covered the tomb of dictator Francisco Franco for the past 44 years and fly his remains by helicopter away from a state mausoleum, government sources told reporters on Monday. The ruling Socialists have long sought to exhume Franco's remains and turn the Valley of the Fallen complex near the capital Madrid into a memorial to the 500,000 people who were killed during the 1936-39 civil war he unleashed. A crane will lift the slab and, if the original zinc-lined wood coffin is too degraded, the dictator's remains will be transferred into a new coffin, the sources said.
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| Three people hospitalised by chemical leak on board American Airlines plane Posted: 21 Oct 2019 09:24 AM PDT  Three people have been hospitalised after a cleaning product leaked on an American Airlines flight forcing it to make an emergency landing in Dublin. The plane was less than an hour into its flight from London Heathrow to Philadelphia when two crew members fell unconscious due to the powerful smell. Several passengers complained of burning eyes and skin irritation and one traveller was also taken to hospital in Ireland. 287 passengers and 12 Philadelphia-based crew members were on board flight AA729, which had been cleared for take off despite concerns over the leaked liquid. Reports suggest the product was left behind in one of the bathrooms. In audio from the cockpit, the pilot explained that although the product is believed to be non-toxic, the crew required immediate assistance. He said: "We've actually covered the container of the substance. It was a cleaning product that was used at London Heathrow, if you wait a moment I actually have a picture of the container that I have in a plastic bag. "It was spilled and for some reason the container itself was left behind in the aircraft in one of the lavatories and continued to seep into the carpeting and produce what I'm told is not, it is not a toxic substance. "We require paramedics to come on board the airplane and render immediate assistance. We've had two of our flight crew staff made, excuse me, the cabin staff have actually lost consciousness, but I think they're back to a state of consciousness just now and there are general complaints about burning eyes and skin problems." The pilot added that the leaking product was an aircraft interior cleaner made by Callington, a leading specialty chemicals manufacturer. One passenger told The Telegraph the plane had been delayed at Heathrow whilst reports of an "unusual smell" were investigated. He said: "Before take off the captain came on the loudspeaker saying the flight attendants had reported an unusual smell, and the flight was delayed while they investigated. They must've judged it safe because we flew out after, only to be rerouted to Dublin a short time later." @AmericanAir There aren't even chairs, we're not allowed to leave this area where we're penned in like cattle, and we've not been fed by the likes of you since boarding four plus hours ago. You're the worst. pic.twitter.com/PqnelJ2P2u— Philip Ott (@Blasphevism) October 21, 2019 He added that the flight's 287 passengers were "penned in like cattle" at Dublin airport before been taken by bus to stay overnight in a hotel. They have not been told when they can expect onward travel. Another passenger expressed concern for others onboard, calling the incident a "sickness outbreak". Ok, so this hasn't quite gone to plan. Chemical spillage has led to sickness outbreak and an emergency landing in Dublin. firecrewparamedicspolice— Katie Phillips (@KatieHJP) October 21, 2019 A statement released by American Airlines said: "American Airlines flight 729 from London Heathrow to Philadelphia diverted to Dublin due to an odor caused by a spilled cleaning solution in the galley." "The flight landed safely in Dublin at 1:15 p.m. local time, and taxied to the gate." "Medical personnel have met the aircraft to evaluate any crew members or passengers who may need additional assistance." The Telegraph has contacted Callington for comment. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
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| See Photos of 2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:34 PM PDT |
| China Is Building 'The Mother of All Bombs': Report Posted: 21 Oct 2019 07:44 AM PDT  America already has one.
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| Hong Kong leader visits mosque struck by blue water-cannon dye Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:17 AM PDT  Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader and the city's police chief apologised Monday as they visited a mosque that was struck with blue dye from a water cannon during the latest bout of violent protests. The entrance to the Kowloon Mosque, the international hub's largest, was sprayed by a water cannon truck on Sunday, causing anger among both local Muslims and protesters. Police use the dye -- often mixed with an irritant -- as a way to identify protesters but it has frequently left streets and buildings daubed in a garish blue.
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| 'Lost' Road Built by Christ's Executioner Unearthed Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:52 AM PDT  Pontius Pilate likely commissioned the street during or after 31 AD.
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| Nancy Pelosi led a bipartisan delegation to Jordan to talk Middle East peace amid the Syrian crisis Posted: 21 Oct 2019 01:30 PM PDT  Pelosi was joined by other House members in Jordan on Saturday for diplomacy meetings with top officials, including King Abdullah II and his son.
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| Michael Bloomberg ‘still looking at’ a presidential run ... but only if Biden is out Posted: 20 Oct 2019 11:00 PM PDT  The former New York mayor's attitude towards wealth is staunchly opposite to Elizabeth Warren's, with whom he's repeatedly clashedMichael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, is teasing a presidential run if former vice-president Joe Biden were to fall back. Photograph: Ritzau Scanpix/ReutersFormer New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is at it again – teasing a presidential run. At 77, he won't even be the oldest in the field, and the billionaire is certainly not short of funding to be able to throw his hat in the ring.Over the past several weeks, he's signaled renewed interest in the democratic nomination, telling friends and associates he's "still looking at" running for president. But he has cautioned he'd only join the race if former vice-president Joe Biden's faltering centrist campaign takes a decisive hit or pulls out early in primary season, according to a report by CNBC.Biden's collapse would likely leave Elizabeth Warren as frontrunner, a liberal candidate with whom he has repeatedly clashed over her anti-corporate policies and fears she will push the party too far to the left and eliminate the chance of a Democratic candidate unseating Donald Trump next year.Bloomberg's disagreements with Warren are stark. In January, when he was considering a run for president, he described Warren's wealth tax proposals in extreme terms ."We shouldn't be embarrassed about our system," he said. "You want to look at a system that's not capitalistic, just take a look at what was perhaps the wealthiest country in the world and now people are starving to death. It's called Venezuela."More recently, at an anti-gun event in Iowa hosted by the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, a group Bloomberg founded and supports, he was again asked about Warren's wealth tax proposals."I just said to Senator Warren on the way out, 'Senator, congratulations, it's a nice talk. But let me just remind you if my company hadn't been successful, we wouldn't be here today, so enough with this stuff'," he said.Bloomberg's attitude to wealth is diametrically opposed to Warren, whose criticisms of the financial sector's excesses are legion. Before he ever ran for New York mayor, his company threw a party in London complete with entertainers – representing avarice – instructed to wave bundles of cash and shout: 'Money, ain't it gorgeous?'Forbes recently put his wealth at $51bn.Bloomberg has previously flirted with presidential ambitions, but he decided not to run in 2016 after concluding he might split the Democratic vote. It is not clear that dynamic has changed, nor whether Democratic primary voters really have the taste for a billionaire candidate. But others see a possible centrist path to the White House."The reality is both parties, Republican and Democrat, are in serious trouble, they are not functioning, and they've gone to extremes," says veteran strategist Hank Sheinkopf. "Could Mike Bloomberg unite the centre of the party and bring people to the center if he can prove he can win? The answer is yes.""Bloomberg has up-top professionals ready if he needs them, and he could assemble an operation in days and go to work. Whether the Democrats like him as centrist or not, they want to win the White House. He provides an extraordinary alternative to losing."People familiar with Bloomberg's thinking says his aims are clear – and they're grouped neatly as gun control, climate change, coal, education and health."He doesn't understand why people don't talk about his five points more. If he happens to mention something about the presidency at a cocktail party and they get talked about more, that's a good thing for him," one source said.Strengthening the rumor mill is Bloomberg's appointment of his former deputy Patti Harris to his company's management committee. Harris has been at the company since 1994. As Bloomberg's deputy during his three terms as New York mayor, Harris was regarded, in personal and political terms, as the keeper of the Bloomberg brand, his personal gate keeper and point person on all strategic and staffing decisions."She's the most important person in his life and director of all his political aspiration," says the source. "If you believe in this line of gossip, putting Harris in to run the company frees him up to run for president. You can argue that he's setting himself up to do something."When Bloomberg was last considering a run, almost exactly a year ago, a Quinnipiac University poll found he had an overall unfavorable rating of 32%, and 19% of Democrats viewed him negatively. Howard Wolfson, a top political advisor, hinted at how much Bloomberg would look to invest in a campaign for president."Mike spent more than $100m in his last mayor's race. Last time I looked, NYC is a fraction of the size of the country as a whole," Wolfson explained, pointing out that he spent at least more than $110m backing Democrats during the 2018 congressional midterm elections.Asked what Bloomberg would spend on his own campaign, Wolfson replied, "Whatever is required."With Biden appearing to be running low on funds, and a Warren or possibly Bernie Sanders candidacy looming, it's not surprising that Bloomberg's interest is again stirring. Last month, Fox Business reported that he still has a team of political advisors on the payroll."I think it's something he wants. He has not been shy about that," a Bloomberg ally told CNBC. "Bloomberg is in if Biden is out," a billionaire friend added.
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| Rioting migrants torch cars, injure policeman at Maltese holding centre Posted: 21 Oct 2019 01:41 AM PDT ![Rioting migrants torch cars, injure policeman at Maltese holding centre]( "Rioting migrants torch cars, injure policeman at Maltese holding centre") Rioting migrants in Malta set at least five staff cars on fire and injured a policeman in their holding centre as they demanded their freedom. The violence broke out Sunday night at a former British army barrack in Hal Far, close to Malta's airport. The migrants took control of part of the compound, but a police spokesman said the situation was brought back under control in the early hours of Monday.
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| There's a reasonable explanation why this mom saw a 'ghost baby' in her sleeping son's crib Posted: 21 Oct 2019 01:38 PM PDT  This mom's 'ghost baby' baby monitor mix-up has us all laughing.
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| Trump 'like a squirrel caught in traffic' during Pentagon meeting: Aide Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:41 AM PDT  In President Trump's first full briefing at the Defense Department, he requested a grand "Victory Day" parade with "vehicles and tanks on Main Street" and down Pennsylvania Avenue, like the "amazing" parade he'd just witnessed in France, Guy Snodgrass, a top aide to then-Defense Secretary James Mattis, recounts in his new book, "Holding the Line." "The Fourth of July is too hot," Trump added.
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| Judge asked to stop student suspension over note about rape Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:47 AM PDT ![Judge asked to stop student suspension over note about rape]( "Judge asked to stop student suspension over note about rape") A high school activist's comment about rape posted on a bathroom mirror represents constitutionally protected free speech — and punishing her would discourage young victims from coming forward, an attorney said Monday. The sticky note that proclaimed "There's a rapist in our school and you know who it is" aimed to call attention to the unaddressed problem of sexual assaults, said Emma Bond from the American Civil Liberties of Maine. U.S. District Judge Lance Walker, who listened to the arguments on Monday, said he'll rule soon on Aela Mansmann's request to intervene to stop a three-day suspension imposed by school administrators.
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| The U.S. Army Has Big Plans to Smash Enemy Drones in a War Posted: 21 Oct 2019 03:56 AM PDT  The U.S. Army is fast-tracking what could be called an entire sphere of counter-drone weapons
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| Petrol bombs thrown in Hong Kong as anger flares over 'triad' attack on protest leader Posted: 20 Oct 2019 08:34 AM PDT  Police and protesters exchanged tear gas and petrol bombs in Hong Kong on Sunday amid anger over an attack on a leading activist by men allegedly linked to triad gangsters. Clashes broke out as tens of thousands took to the streets for an unsanctioned anti-government march, many also defying a face mask ban introduced in a bid to curb the protests. Tensions ran high after Jimmy Sham, the leader the Civil Human Rights Front which called the march, was attacked earlier in the week by a group of men wielding metal poles and hammers. Witnesses said that those responsible for the assault were associated with pro-Beijing triads that have been blamed for previous violence against protesters. On Saturday afternoon, a 19-year-old man was also hospitalised after being stabbed in the abdomen while handing out pro-democracy flyers in Tai Po, a district in northern Hong Kong. Politically motivated attacks and vandalism have been on the rise as the situation continues to escalate in what is now the twentieth consecutive week of protests. Protesters are now vandalising and destroying shops, banks, and businesses associated with mainland China. As moderate, peaceful marchers branched off from the more radical, black-clad frontline protesters near Tsim Sha Tsui police station, violence flared. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon, drenching Hong Kong's biggest mosque with blue dye in what they said was an accident Credit: Kyle Lam/Bloomberg Protesters threw molotov cocktails and set fire to makeshift barricades, while riot police charged with batons and fired volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets. Throughout the afternoon a water cannon truck chased protesters down Nathan Road, one of the city's busiest shopping thoroughfares, leaving it streaked with blue dye from the vehicle's turrets. The dye, used to identify protesters, also contains a painful pepper solution. The entrance to the city's biggest mosque was painted blue when the truck fired at a handful of people outside. Police said hitting the building was an accident. Vivek Mahbubani, a Hong Kong-born comedian, stood with a group of friends on Nathan Road, handing out water and egg tarts to marchers. "People passing by today shared our smiles and instead of feeling worried when passing. They all agreed that we are all Hongkongers," he told The Telegraph. "When I heard about the attack on Jimmy Sham, I was horrified. To think that Hong Kong has become a place where something like this can happen was shocking."
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| Philippine police recommend drug charges against ex-chief Posted: 21 Oct 2019 06:30 AM PDT  Philippine police recommended graft and drug charges against its former chief on Monday over a new scandal that has put President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-narcotics crackdown under the spotlight. The police face allegations some officers are involved in the illegal drugs trade and that they had the protection of former chief Oscar Albayalde. It is the latest controversy to engulf the Philippine police force, which is waging a drug war launched by President Duterte in 2016.
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| Potatoes Thrown at American Troops As They Depart Northeastern City in Syria Posted: 21 Oct 2019 05:00 AM PDT  The scene encapsulated the Kurds' feelings of betrayal
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| Democrats are lining up to take Elijah Cummings' Oversight Committee chairmanship Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:43 PM PDT ![Democrats are lining up to take Elijah Cummings' Oversight Committee chairmanship]( "Democrats are lining up to take Elijah Cummings' Oversight Committee chairmanship") There's a long line of Democrats ready to take up one helm of the impeachment probe.House Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) died last week after longstanding health problems, leaving open his spot at one of the committees investigating President Trump. Talks of his replacement have been quiet out of respect for Cummings, but a handful of Democrats have said they're looking to take the position, The Washington Post reports.Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) is the most senior Democrat on the oversight committee and is currently serving as its active chair. She briefly told the Post on Friday she's looking to become the full-time chair, but wouldn't expand on her goals due to how recently Cummings had died. She'll likely campaign for the role based on past legislative wins like the permanent 9/11 victims' compensation fund.Reps. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) and Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), both on the committee, are also reportedly looking to take up Cummings' gavel, two people familiar with their plans tell the Post. They declined to comment, but have both "been noticeably more involved in the impeachment probe than Maloney," the Post writes. Also in the running is Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), the third-highest ranking Democrat on the panel who some members of the Congressional Black Caucus are attempting to get into the role, people familiar with background discussions tell the Post. Washington, D.C., Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who is the second-highest ranking Democrat, will try for the role if Maloney opts out, people familiar with her plans say.Cummings will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, followed by a Friday funeral at his longtime Baltimore church.
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| Trump Cheated (Shocker!) on Property Tax; But Will Anyone Go to Jail? Posted: 21 Oct 2019 04:00 AM PDT  Chip SomodevillaProPublica published a piece Wednesday that put the spotlight once again on some questionable financial practices of the Trump Organization, which showed one set of books to banks (inflating value) and another to New York City tax authorities (deflating value).Is this just the usual Trump mendacity, or can prosecutors see this as part of a pattern? And if so, could it be prosecuted? Who would be tagged as the defendant(s)? If not, what more is needed to bring the guilty parties to justice?Before we explore these questions, let's look at the facts. Both versions of them.ProPublica obtained property tax docs for four Trump properties. These docs became public when Trump appealed the tax bills, and the loan records became public when Trump's lenders sold the debt on the properties. Significant discrepancies were unearthed between the tax records and loan records for two of the properties: Trump International Hotel & Tower, on Central Park West, and 40 Wall St.Tax and loan documents for 40 Wall St. showed significant discrepancies in how certain costs such as insurance were reported. Further, Trump representatives reported different occupancy rates to lenders and tax officials: 81 percent to lenders (rising later to 95 percent), and just 59 percent to tax authorities. Rising occupancy rates are valued by lenders because they are indicative of rising income level which is material to securing refinancing, while lower rates, of course, mean lower taxes.Meanwhile, documents for the Trump International Hotel & Tower showed that city tax officials were advised that this property made about $822,000 in 2017 from renting space in the building to other businesses, while loan officials were told that the building made about $1.67 million. ProPublica further notes that Trump appeared not to report income from leasing space for television antennas on tax documents but did report the income on loan docs.Each of the above-noted discrepancies is indicative of potential fraud. But do they represent instances of a prosecutable case?The short answer is: not yet. The discrepancies do reflect a situational ethics approach toward financial obligations and responsibilities. But more evidence will be needed to prosecute anyone should criminal prosecution be considered by the authorities.Who might be prosecuted here? It is unclear just who is responsible for submitting the doctored financial statements to the lending authorities and tax officials. Were the folks who submitted the documents the same folks who prepared them? If so, what were their marching orders? Who directed the Trump Organization officials to tailor the financial statements to minimize property taxes or maximize occupancy rates to obtain loans?Investigators need to home in on the work papers prepared to support the finagled financial statements in order to determine "willful intent," or "mens rea" that James Comey so infamously referenced. Such evidence may well be found at Mazars USA—the Trump Organization accounting firm that is the subject of intensive litigation with regard to subpoenas served by both the U.S. Congress and the Manhattan DA's office.Accountant work papers have been found to be beneficial when uncovering evidence of intent to defraud in case after case of white-collar fraud, specifically tax fraud. In fact, accountant work files and testimony provided critical evidence leading to the conviction of Paul Manafort in the Mueller investigations and prosecutions. It should be noted that tax fraud, bank fraud, and the falsification of business records may result in felony charges that could be contemplated by the Manhattan DA and provide for prison sentences that could lead the convicted defendants to land in Rikers Island for a stretch with the aforementioned Manafort. Evidence of corrupt intent to defraud either a financial institution or a public tax authority is critical to a successful criminal prosecution. The use of a double or triple set of books and records by company officials for fraudulent purposes is a terrific example of overt acts of corrupt intent. But further evidence will be needed here to link all those involved in each of the instances denoted above. Email, texts, voice mail, notes to the file and other evidence of directions to finagle the financial docs are needed. Further forensic analysis of the documents, for example fingerprint analysis, ink chemistry analysis and handwriting analysis are investigative tools available to the prosecutors to tighten the vise and provide the links in the chain of potential targets.Cohen was reportedly debriefed in detail recently by the Manhattan DA's office. His testimony will be needed to outline just who in the Trump Organization was responsible for the preparation of the questionable documents referenced above. Cohen's credibility will clearly be attacked in court by the defendant(s) and will become a question for the jury to grapple with. Cohen provided the Southern District of New York with a prosecutive path for those responsible for cooking the books at the Trump Organization with regard to the reimbursement of "hush money" payments to Cohen. That path is now available to the Manhattan DA. Add Cohen's now corroborated congressional testimony outlining the transactional financial ethics referenced above, used by the Trump team in their shady business dealings and the jury will likely be sitting on the edge of their seats. All the DA needs to do now is fill in some blanks in combination with demonstrating a pattern of fraud over time—the closing argument is shaping up to be very persuasive.The allegation that the Trump Organization appeared not to report income from leasing space for television antennas to tax authorities but did report the income on loan docs revives memories of the landmark New York Times tax fraud series on Fred Trump and Donald Trump's financial shenanigans in the '90s wherein the Times detailed multiple instances of unreported income streams tailored by Fred Trump for the Donald. While the statute of limitations has long expired with regard to the multi-million dollar gift tax evasion schemes entered into by Donald Trump, prosecutors can use evidence of historical frauds to depict a pattern of fraudulent conduct on the part of a defendant no matter how long ago the fraud occurred. It goes to willfulness or corrupt intent exhibited by Individual-1.The Manhattan DA's case against the Trump Organization may appear to be on its surface just a mundane business fraud type of case. But fraudulent documents don't change stories, particularly when there are witnesses available to tie the documents and the corrupt intent together. Add the historical pattern of fraud engaged in by Individual-1 and the Manhattan DA's case appears to be silently moving along like a stealth nuclear submarine under the radar and there are no available defenses available like an Office of Legal Counsel opinion to protect the prospective defendants from a potentially lethal prosecutorial attack.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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| The Orionid meteor shower is coming Monday night Posted: 20 Oct 2019 12:53 PM PDT  Keep your eyes to the night sky Monday night: You might get a peek at the Orionid meteor shower.
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| Ex-model says Jean-Luc Brunel, model agent and Jeffrey Epstein's friend, spiked her drink and raped her Posted: 20 Oct 2019 08:33 AM PDT  The fashion industry veteran is currently facing allegations of sexual assault and harassment from several former models.
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| Nestor heads into Georgia after tornados damage Florida Posted: 21 Oct 2019 05:02 AM PDT  Nestor raced across Georgia as a post-tropical cyclone late Saturday, hours after the former tropical storm spawned a tornado that damaged homes and a school in central Florida while sparing areas of the Florida Panhandle devastated one year earlier by Hurricane Michael. The storm made landfall Saturday on St. Vincent Island, a nature preserve off Florida's northern Gulf Coast in a lightly populated area of the state, the National Hurricane Center said. Nestor was expected to bring 1 to 3 inches of rain to drought-stricken inland areas on its march across a swath of the U.S. Southeast.
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| Will Germany Choose America's F-15EX as Its New Fighter? Posted: 19 Oct 2019 10:30 PM PDT  Or the F-35?
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| Trump cites ‘phony Emoluments Clause’ for G-7 controversy Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:19 PM PDT  At a Cabinet meeting, President Trump blamed the "phony Emoluments Clause" in the U.S. Constitution for the controversy over his decision to have the G-7 summit at his resort in Doral, Fla.
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| Thousands protest against Bangladesh police after deadly shootings Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:52 AM PDT  Thousands protested against police across Bangladesh on Monday, a day after at least four people died when officers fired on a crowd in one of the country's deadliest religious riots to date. Some 20,000 Muslims called for the execution of a young Hindu man on Bhola island Sunday for writing Facebook messages that allegedly defamed the Prophet Mohammed, with police saying they opened fire after rocks were thrown at officers. Mob attacks over online posts perceived to be blasphemous have emerged as a major headache for security forces in Bangladesh, where Muslims make up some 90 percent of the country's 168 million people.
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| U.S. House defeats Republican bid to censure Schiff in impeachment probe Posted: 21 Oct 2019 04:14 PM PDT ![U.S. House defeats Republican bid to censure Schiff in impeachment probe]( "U.S. House defeats Republican bid to censure Schiff in impeachment probe") Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday blocked a Republican effort to censure House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff over statements he has made related to an impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump. Republicans accused Schiff of misleading the public by, among other things, saying he did not know the identity of a whistleblower who reported that Trump pressured Ukraine's newly elected president to investigate a U.S. political rival, Democrat Joe Biden who is running for president. Since 1832, 23 House members have been censured, which requires them to stand before their fellow legislators while the House speaker or presiding officer reads aloud the censure resolution as a form of public rebuke.
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| Mark Zuckerberg Has Quietly Recommended Campaign Hires to Pete Buttigieg Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:29 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has privately recommended several potential hires to Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign, a rare example of direct political involvement from one of tech's most powerful executives.Earlier this year, Zuckerberg sent multiple emails to Mike Schmuhl, Buttigieg's campaign manager, with names of individuals that he might consider hiring, campaign spokesman Chris Meagher confirmed. Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife, also sent multiple emails to Schmuhl with staff recommendations. Ultimately, two of the people recommended were hired.The emails between Zuckerberg and Buttigieg have come to light as Zuckerberg faces unrelenting attacks from politicians from both parties over such issues as misinformation, privacy, election meddling and bias. Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee on Facebook's impact on the financial services and housing sectors.Zuckerberg used to make political contributions more frequently, including to former and current House speakers Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi in 2014, but he hasn't made any political donations or endorsements to specific candidates in the 2020 election cycle. In June, he gave $5,000 to Facebook's PAC, which contributes to both Democratic and Republican candidates.'Top-Tier Organization'"Since the beginning of the campaign, we've built a top-tier operation with more than 430 staff in South Bend and around the country," Meagher said. "The staffers come from all types of background, and everyone is working hard every day to elect Pete to the White House."A spokesman for the Zuckerberg-Chan family told Bloomberg News that the employees asked the tech mogul and Chan to recommend them."Having seen Mark's visit to South Bend in 2017 and Facebook Live with Mayor Buttigieg, colleagues later asked Mark and Priscilla to connect them with the Buttigieg campaign as they were interested in joining," spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a statement. Zuckerberg visited South Bend, Indiana, in April 2017 as part of his philanthropic work and got a tour from Buttigieg, that Zuckerberg live-streamed.LaBolt didn't answer a follow-up question asking whether Zuckerberg has made similar connections for other candidates.Zuckerberg, asked about the emails on a call with reporters Monday, acknowledged that he and his wife passed along hiring recommendations but said that those actions should not be seen as an endorsement."I think this should probably not be misconstrued as if I'm like deeply involved in trying to support their campaign or something like that," he said.Making IntroductionsIn the emails, Zuckerberg and Chan recommended potential campaign hires, and two of them are now on staff: Eric Mayefsky, senior digital analytics adviser, and Nina Wornhoff, organizing data manager.Mayefsky previously worked as the director of data science at Quora, a 10-year-old question-and-answer startup founded by former Facebook employees. Mayefsky worked at Facebook for almost four years starting in 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile. Wornhoff previously worked as a machine learning engineer at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and in Democratic politics in Indiana, Buttigieg's home state.The communication was initiated by Zuckerberg and Chan, Meagher said. It was sent shortly after Buttigieg officially launched his campaign in mid-April."From the CNN Town hall in March to our launch a month later, we literally got 7,000 resumes," Meagher said. "I think that he (Zuckerberg) thought Eric would be a good staff hire with a lot of experience and same with Nina and Priscilla."Crimson ConnectionZuckerberg, 35, and Buttigieg, 37, overlapped at Harvard, and Buttigieg was friends with two of Zuckerberg's roommates. He was also one of Facebook's first 300 users. But they were only introduced years later by a mutual Harvard friend.The staff recommendations from Zuckerberg are the first evidence of the Facebook CEO actively assisting a presidential campaign. A number of other high-ranking Facebook executives, including David Marcus, the executive leading Facebook's cryptocurrency efforts, Naomi Gleit, one of Facebook's longest-tenured executives, and Chris Cox, former chief product officer who is close friends with Zuckerberg, have donated to Buttigieg.In recent weeks, Democrats have escalated their criticism of Facebook for its refusal to moderate political ads. Elizabeth Warren, in particular, has repeatedly attacked Zuckerberg and Facebook over its decision not to fact check posts or ads shared by politicians. Joe Biden wrote the company on Thursday demanding that an ad paid for by a pro-Donald Trump super-PAC be pulled down for what he said were lies about his Ukrainian-related work as vice president.Silicon ValleyHe's been more apprehensive about breaking up big tech companies than some of his Democratic counterparts, saying the issue of monopolies extends beyond tech. But he's also raised concerns about tech companies having too much power and has floated regulation, including fines and the blocking of new mergers, for Facebook and other big tech companies.Republicans have accused Zuckerberg and Facebook of bias against conservative viewpoints, claiming that Facebook and other social media platforms unfairly suppress their views. Zuckerberg reportedly started to hold private meetings last summer with conservative leaders to hear their concerns.In the past, Facebook embedded staffers with political campaigns to give them guidance on how to best use the social media platform. The 2016 Trump campaign said it greatly benefited from having Facebook staffers on hand. The company announced in 2018 that it would pull back from offering on-site support.Now Zuckerberg needs friends in Washington, where Facebook is under unprecedented attack. His company is being investigated for possible antitrust violations by two federal agencies and Congress. It's also trying to get skeptical regulators and lawmakers on board with its goal of launching a cryptocurrency.But this presidential cycle, Facebook has become one of Democrats' top punching bags. In recent weeks, Warren's campaign has bought ads on Facebook claiming Zuckerberg endorsed Trump, a deliberate falsehood that she used to draw attention to Facebook's policies exempting politicians from fact-checking ads, and corrected later in the advertisement.(Adds new 9th, 10th paragraphs with Zuckerberg comment.)\--With assistance from Bill Allison.To contact the reporters on this story: Tyler Pager in Washington at tpager1@bloomberg.net;Kurt Wagner in San Francisco at kwagner71@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Gun control advocate: Pushing mandatory buybacks will hand victory to the NRA, again Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:00 AM PDT  We can pass significant gun safety laws but not if the 2020 campaign is about confiscating assault weapons. This is not timidity, it's reality.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Ford Ranger Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:32 PM PDT |
| Ozone hole shrinks to smallest size on record, and it's not related to global warming Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:25 AM PDT ![Ozone hole shrinks to smallest size on record, and it's not related to global warming]( "Ozone hole shrinks to smallest size on record, and it's not related to global warming") Thanks to unusually warm temperatures high above Antarctica this month, the ozone hole shrank to its smallest size on record, scientists reported.
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| Castro says he needs $800,000 in 10 days or campaign is over Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:29 PM PDT  Former Obama administration housing secretary Julián Castro said Monday that he'd drop out of the presidential race if he doesn't raise $800,000 in 10 days — following the lead of rival Cory Booker, who rode a similar plea to a recent uptick in donations. Last month, Booker, a New Jersey senator, made a similar request and raised $2.1 million in just 10 days , after a number of his opponents and other elected officials rallied around him and encouraged people to donate. Castro has the 165,000 donors the Democratic National Committee is requiring to qualify for the next debate but hasn't met a polling threshold showing at least 3% support in four party-approved polls.
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| Why Russia's Navy Is Becoming a Smaller, Regional Force Posted: 21 Oct 2019 05:44 AM PDT  (But is still deadly.)
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| Japan's Uniqlo pulls ad after South Korean fury Posted: 21 Oct 2019 03:52 AM PDT  Japanese retail giant Uniqlo has pulled a commercial featuring a 98-year-old US fashion figure from South Korean screens, it said on Monday (Oct 21) after it was accused of whitewashing colonial history. South Korea and Japan are both United States allies, democracies and market economies faced with an overbearing China and nuclear-armed North Korea, but their relationship is deeply strained by the legacy of Tokyo's 20th-century expansionism. The latest example is an advert for Uniqlo fleeces showing elderly fashion celebrity Iris Apfel chatting with designer Kheris Rogers, 85 years her junior. The last line has the white-haired Apfel, asked how she used to dress as a teenager, innocuously responding: "Oh my God. I can't remember that far back." But Uniqlo's Korean arm subtitled its version of the ad slightly differently, reading: "I can't remember things that happened more than 80 years ago." Iris Apfel Credit: Rex That would put the moment as 1939, towards the end of Japan's brutal colonial rule over the Korean peninsula, where the period is still bitterly resented, and some South Koreans reacted furiously. "A nation that forgets history has no future. We can't forget what happened 80 years ago that Uniqlo made fun of," commented one Internet user on Naver, the country's largest portal. The phrase "Uniqlo, comfort women", in reference to women forced to become sex slaves to Japanese troops during World War II, was among the most searched terms on Naver at the weekend, and demonstrators protested outside Uniqlo shops on Monday. Seoul and Tokyo are currently locked in a bitter trade and diplomatic row stemming from historical disputes, and South Korean consumers have mounted boycotts of Japanese products. South Korean protesters denounce Uniqlo Credit: AFP/YONHAP Uniqlo - which has 186 stores in South Korea - has itself been one of the highest-profile targets, while Japanese carmakers' sales dropped nearly 60 per cent year on year in September. The company denied the allegations in a statement, saying the text was altered to highlight the age gap between the individuals and show that its fleeces were for people "across generations". "The ad had no intention whatsoever to imply anything" about colonial rule, a Uniqlo representative told AFP on Monday, adding the firm had withdrawn the ad in an effort at damage control. Analysts said the controversy demonstrated the politicisation of the neighbours' complex history. The reaction was excessive, said Mr Kim Sung-han, a former foreign affairs vice-minister who teaches at Korea University, involving a "jump in logic" that "assumes everything Uniqlo does is political as a Japanese company". "I don't see how her remark could be linked to the comfort women issue," he added. "This is overly sensitive."
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| US targets Cuba tourism with tighter airline sanctions Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:57 AM PDT  The US moved to further hurt Cuba's vital tourism industry by tightening the ability of the country's airlines to lease aircraft. The US Department of Commerce said it was revoking existing licenses for US companies leasing aircraft to Cuban carriers, and will deny future applications for aircraft leases. The move could make it harder for Cuba to service its rapidly growing tourism sector, a key source of foreign revenue for the poor country.
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| Apology accepted, Hong Kong's Muslims lament water cannon staining mosque Posted: 21 Oct 2019 03:21 AM PDT ![Apology accepted, Hong Kong's Muslims lament water cannon staining mosque]( "Apology accepted, Hong Kong's Muslims lament water cannon staining mosque") Municipal workers scrubbed away noxious blue dye from the steps of Hong Kong's biggest mosque on Monday, while Muslim worshippers expressed frustration over police firing a water cannon outside the mosque during a large anti-government march. Senior police officers visited the Kowloon mosque to explain it was hit accidentally during Sunday's clashes with demonstrators, and Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam met with community leaders on Monday to apologise. "It was unnecessary to drag this place of worship into this conflict between the government and the people," Arabi Mohideen, 60, said after attending dawn prayers at the mosque in the bustling Tsim Sha Tsui district.
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| MAGA supporter accused of spraying anti-Trump protesters with bear repellent Posted: 21 Oct 2019 09:07 AM PDT  A man wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat has been charged with a felony after misting protesters in Southern California with bear repellant.The man, David Nicholas Dempsey, was a part of about a dozen right-wing demonstrators who pushed against anti-Trump protesters on Sunday, near Santa Monica Pier.
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| Democrats Seek Insider Trading Probe After ‘Trump Chaos’ Article Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:09 PM PDT ![Democrats Seek Insider Trading Probe After 'Trump Chaos' Article]( "Democrats Seek Insider Trading Probe After 'Trump Chaos' Article") (Bloomberg) -- Democratic lawmakers are increasingly demanding that U.S. authorities investigate allegations raised in a recent magazine article that traders might be using non-public government information to reap huge illegal profits, even as the exchange where the transactions purportedly took place called the story "patently false."In a Monday letter, 14 Democratic senators urged the heads of the Justice Department, FBI, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission to probe "disturbing reports of suspicious trading in our futures and equities markets" described in a Vanity Fair piece. The magazine referred to the transactions as "Trump Chaos Trades."Since the story's publication, the suggestion that White House leaks could be a factor in futures traders making billions of dollars from well-timed bets ahead of major geopolitical announcements has fueled endless chatter from Washington to Wall Street. Still, the article has been met with widespread skepticism from the financial industry.CME Group Inc., the world's biggest futures exchange, has dismissed the claims, arguing that the trades highlighted in the story couldn't have been based on inside information because too many market participants were involved. The article describes five big transactions in S&P 500 e-mini futures from June 28 to Sept. 13, ranging from 55,000 to 420,000 contracts."As it relates to the Vanity Fair article published on October 17, 2019, regarding activities in the E-mini S&P futures contract, the allegations about the trading activity are patently false," CME said in an Oct. 18 statement.In Monday's letter, Democrats said they wanted federal authorities "to investigate immediately whether any rules, laws or regulations were violated." The lawmakers added that "if any wrongdoing is uncovered, we demand that you swiftly hold violators accountable to the fullest extent possible."Spokesmen for the SEC and Justice Department declined to comment, while spokesmen for the FBI and CFTC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.The wagers cited by Vanity Fair were made shortly before market-moving news -- three times involving the U.S.-China trade war, once involving the bombing of Saudi oil fields and once involving Hong Kong politics. Thanks to market reactions, the magazine said, people involved in the transactions could've booked gains of between $82.5 million on the smallest to $1.8 billion on the biggest.The story's author, William D. Cohan, has said that finance professionals with decades of experience alerted him to the trades. Cohan, a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist, has said that factors other than illegal buying-and-selling could explain the transactions and that he doesn't know whether any nefarious activity actually occurred.Earlier Monday, Angus King, an independent Maine senator who caucuses with the Democrats, also called on the SEC to investigate. Last week, Democratic Representatives Ted Lieu and Kathleen Rice requested a federal investigation into the timing around sales of e-mini futures contracts before significant geopolitical events or statements from Trump.\--With assistance from Nick Baker.To contact the reporters on this story: Ben Bain in Washington at bbain2@bloomberg.net;Matt Robinson in New York at mrobinson55@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jesse Westbrook at jwestbrook1@bloomberg.net, Gregory MottFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Severe storms, isolated tornadoes to rattle Deep South early this week Posted: 20 Oct 2019 02:50 AM PDT  Severe thunderstorms, including a few tornadoes, tore through the southern Plains Sunday night, but the storms will still pack a punch farther east in the central United States into Monday evening.The necessary ingredients for thunderstorm development came together Sunday night as a cold front collided with the warm, moist air in place across the southern Plains.Thunderstorms exploded from southern Kansas to central Texas late Sunday evening and expanded as they moved eastward later Sunday night.The storms congealed into a powerful line of thunderstorms, or squall line, as the night progressed. The squall line persisted into the first thing Monday morning, but has morphed into a swath of heavy, gusty thunderstorms during the midday hours. "The main threats from the storms into Monday evening will be from blinding downpours and strong wind gusts but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled-out," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Edwards.Cities in the path of the storms include Nashville, Tennessee; London, Kentucky; Columbus, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Galveston, Texas; and Huntsville, Alabama.Just after 9 p.m. CDT, a confirmed tornado caused damage near Dallas, Texas. About half an hour later, over 50,000 customers were without power in Dallas County, Texas, according to PowerOutage.US.As the storms rolled through Memphis, Tennessee, at the start of Monday, damaging winds and a tornado warning prompted evacuations of airline passengers who had boarded planes. Delays followed as many passengers had to pass through security checkpoints again.It is a good idea to keep cell phones charged with the volume turned up and severe weather alerts enabled. This will allow you to be notified if a severe thunderstorm or tornado is heading for your community before you wake up.Straight-line wind gusts up to an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 55 mph can toss around loose outdoor items, such as lightweight furniture or fall decorations, that are not brought inside or secured beforehand.Tree damage and sporadic power outages can also occur in such winds.The thunderstorms will move along at a quick enough pace across the Tennessee Valley to limit concerns for flash flooding. However, storms near the Gulf coast will move at a slower pace and have a greater potential to cause flash flooding.As the storms continue to advance, people in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Montgomery, Alabama; Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans could be hit with disruptive weather later Monday afternoon. Strong storms may even survive the trip into Atlanta Monday evening.Although the threat for tornadoes will be less on Monday than what it was on Sunday night, there is the still the potential for an isolated. The tornado could be wrapped in rain and difficult to spot.Drier, cooler air will sweep in from west to east across the South behind the thunderstorms, aiding any cleanup operations that may be needed. Download the free AccuWeather app to see the latest forecast and advisories for your region. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| What next after Boris Johnson denied vote on Brexit deal? Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:21 AM PDT  Britain's long and winding path out of the European Union has taken another twist — into another potential dead end. The U.K. is due to leave the EU in 10 days, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been stymied twice in 48 hours in his attempt to get Parliament to approve his divorce deal. As it stands, Britain will cease to be a member of the EU at midnight Brussels time (11 p.m. London time) on Oct. 31.
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| Poll: Majority of Mexicans say organized crime stronger than government after El Chapo’s son released Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:41 AM PDT  A majority of Mexicans see organized crime as more powerful than the Mexican government after government forces capitulated to drug-cartel strongmen and released the son of the former cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán, known as "El Chapo."
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| Does the U.S. Navy Have Too Many Admirals? Posted: 20 Oct 2019 07:00 PM PDT  Today, there are more Admirals than during both World Wars. Problem?
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| China's top diplomat says 'confident' of investment deal with EU Posted: 21 Oct 2019 09:59 AM PDT  China's foreign minister said Monday that he was confident of a investment deal being clinched with the European Union, while pressing for talks "as soon as possible" on a free trade accord. China is engaged in a long-running tariff war with US President Donald Trump, which has started to take a toll on its economic growth.
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| Putin steps up drive for clout in Africa with broadside against West Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:03 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin stepped up Russia's push for influence in Africa days before he hosts a summit with African leaders, saying on Monday that Moscow could offer help without strings attached unlike what he cast as the exploitative West. The Kremlin has said it expects 47 African leaders to converge on the Black Sea city of Sochi for the Oct. 23-24 event, Moscow's first Russia-Africa summit and part of an ambitious push for influence and business in Africa. For Moscow, the prize is greater political influence on a continent with 54 United Nations member states, sprawling mineral wealth, and potentially lucrative markets for Russian-manufactured weapons.
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| Trump's actions worse than Nixon's - and Democrats must impeach him immediately, George Bush's former ethics lawyer warns Posted: 20 Oct 2019 05:25 AM PDT  Donald Trump's multiple abuses of office are more serious than those even of Richard Nixon, and Democrats must trigger their effort to impeach him before the end of the year, a former top Republican administration lawyer has claimed.Richard Painter, who served as an ethics lawyer to the administration of George W Bush but who quit the party after it moved sharply to the right, claims Mr Trump's offences are unique even when considered against the many misdeeds of his predecessors.
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| The FBI says at least 3 American tourists died of natural causes in the Dominican Republic, not tainted alcohol Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:18 AM PDT  This year saw a spate of tourist deaths that sparked fears over tainted alcohol or other mysterious conditions before the investigation was launched.
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| Elizabeth Warren Unveils $800 Billion Plan to Reshape U.S. Public Education Posted: 21 Oct 2019 03:47 PM PDT ![Elizabeth Warren Unveils $800 Billion Plan to Reshape U.S. Public Education]( "Elizabeth Warren Unveils $800 Billion Plan to Reshape U.S. Public Education") (Bloomberg) -- Senator Elizabeth Warren unveiled an $800 billion plan to fund her progressive proposal for reshaping U.S. public education and disclosed that her signature wealth tax will pay for school and child-care initiatives -- in effect transferring the cost of raising a child from birth to college to America's richest families.Warren would quadruple U.S. federal funding for public schools over 10 years, to $450 billion, and add $200 billion for students with disabilities. The spending includes $100 billion in "Excellence Grants" over a decade -- the equivalent of $1 million for every U.S. school -- and $50 billion to improve buildings and other infrastructure."The vastly unequal state of public school facilities is unacceptable and a threat to public education," Warren wrote in a Medium post Monday. "We cannot legitimately call our schools 'public' when some students have state-of-the-art classrooms and others do not even have consistent running water. The federal government must step in."Warren has been a long-time supporter of teachers, and on the campaign trail, she regularly recounts her job as a special-education teacher early in her career. She's also been vocal in her criticism of Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump's education secretary -- a billionaire and advocate of charter schools and taxpayer-funded school vouchers. Warren is expected to join striking teachers in Chicago on Tuesday.Wealth TaxTo pay for her plan, the Warren campaign said the allocation from her proposed wealth tax will shift. The campaign estimates the tax will raise about $2.75 trillion over a decade. From that, Warren would cover her $1.07 trillion universal child-care plan, the cancellation of $640 billion of student debt, $610 billion for free-college tuition and now $800 billion for K-12 education.The total cost of all of Warren's proposals comes to $3.12 trillion, which is about $370 billion more than what the wealth tax would raise.But the Warren campaign points to an analysis from Moody's Analytics that estimates the program cost for her universal child-care plan would drop from $1.07 trillion to $707 billion when priced according to "dynamic scoring." That's an alternative way of calculating costs that takes into account the hypothetical economic growth benefits generated by the program over time. Democrats have long excoriated Republicans for using dynamic scoring, including in calculations of the costs of the 2001 tax cuts under President George W. Bush and other policies.If her plan for a 2% tax on fortunes above $50 million is enacted, the 75,000 richest U.S. families would be paying the costs of raising and schooling every American child."Is it more important to leave two cents with the top one-tenth of 1% in this country or to ask them to pitch in their fair share so that we can make an investment in an entire generation of young people?" Warren told students at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday. "That's why I'm running for president. I believe in you."The tax reallocation means her $100 billion opioids plan, $7 billion small-business equity fund and $20 billion election security and administration investment -- previously funded from the wealth tax -- will be covered by closing the "stepped-up basis" loophole in the tax on inherited assets, which will raise more than $100 billion over 10 years, the campaign said.Student DataBesides her vow to bar Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google from collecting student data to market products, Warren would ban the sharing, storing and sale of data with information identifying individual students to block educational technology companies and for-profit schools from selling their data to corporations. She would also tighten restrictions for companies that lobby school systems that receive federal funding.Warren also would ban for-profit charter schools and halt federal funding to expand such schools, which she said have been an "abject failure." She would toughen accountability requirements, direct the Internal Revenue Service to investigate any non-profit schools that break the law and expand enforcement of Justice Department whistle-blower actions for schools that commit fraud against taxpayers.The Massachusetts senator said she'd use some of the $450 billion in funding in her plan to increase teacher pay. She promised to replace DeVos with a former teacher and give public employees such as teachers more negotiating power while making it easier for them to join a union.Warren's vision for schools, outlined in a 17-page document released Monday, includes eliminating high-stakes standardized tests, ending zero-tolerance discipline policies and canceling student meal debt while boosting federal funding for free breakfasts and lunches, including meals over weekends and holidays for students who need it.(Adds Warren to join striking teachers in Chicago in fourth paragraph. An earlier version of this article corrected cost of child care proposal to $1.07 trillion in seventh paragraph.)\--With assistance from Laura Davison.To contact the reporter on this story: Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou in Washington at megkolfopoul@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Mark NiquetteFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Lonely Planet releases their picks for top destinations to visit in 2020 Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:06 AM PDT ![Lonely Planet releases their picks for top destinations to visit in 2020]( "Lonely Planet releases their picks for top destinations to visit in 2020") A kingdom that has pledged to become completely organic by next year and the city that will toast the centenary anniversary of the world's most important classical music festival are among the top destinations to visit in 2020, as chosen by the tastemakers of travel guide Lonely Planet.
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| Florida Senate considers fate of sheriff removed by governor Posted: 21 Oct 2019 04:23 PM PDT  The tragedy of the Parkland school massacre framed a developing political drama Monday in Florida's capital, as the state Senate began considering whether to reinstate a county sheriff over the objections of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Just days after taking office in January, DeSantis suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, faulting the lawman's handling of the Feb. 14, 2018, shootings that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. If the Republican majority Senate sides with DeSantis it would be rejecting the recommendation of an official it appointed to investigate the suspension.
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