- NewsHuffPost
James Alex Fields Jr. Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder Of Heather Heyer
Neo-Nazi James Alex Fields Jr. was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for killing Heather Heyer in a vehicular attack in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year. A jury sentenced Fields to one life term for the murder, along with 419 years for another nine charges, according to NBC Washington. The 21-year-old extremist, who is associated with the hate group Vanguard America, was charged with first-degree murder and nine other felonies after he intentionally rammed his vehicle into anti-racist counterprotesters following the “Unite the Right” rally on Aug. 12, 2017, killing one and injuring dozens more.
- PoliticsHuffPost
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Paul Ryan Called 'Genius' While I'm 'Fraud'
Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Monday attacked what she called a double standard that has greeted her election to Congress “with suspicion” of “being a fraud.”Referring to a Vox article detailing the failed legacy of retiring House Speaker
- WorldReuters
Gunman kills at least two in French Christmas market and flees
A gunman on a security watchlist killed at least two people and wounded at least 11 others near the picturesque Christmas market in the historic French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday evening before fleeing. With France still on high alert after a wave of attacks commissioned or inspired by Islamic State militants since early 2015, the counter-terrorism prosecutor opened an investigation. Amid fast-moving, confusing scenes it was not clear if the suspect, identified by police as Strasbourg-born Chekatt Cherif, 29, had been cornered by commandos or had slipped the dragnet.
WorldAssociated PressMexico leader says he talked with Trump about migrants, jobs
Mexico's leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he spoke by telephone Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump about migration and job creation. The issue came to the fore last month when a caravan of about 7,000 migrants arrived in the border city of Tijuana and some attempted to enter the United States. "In respectful and friendly terms, we spoke about the migration issue and the possibility of implementing a joint program of development and job creation in Central America and our country," Lopez Obrador wrote in his Twitter account.
WorldAssociated PressUS military identifies 5 dead in warplanes crash off Japan
The U.S. military has identified five Marines who were declared dead after their refueling plane collided with a fighter jet last week off Japan's southern coast. Search and recovery operations have ended after finding only one survivor, who was aboard the fighter jet. The five crew members identified Wednesday were on a KC-130 Hercules refueling aircraft that collided with an F/A-18 Hornet during regular training.
NewsReutersInsurance claims for latest California wildfires top $9 billion
Insurance claims from the recent spate of California wildfires, including one ranked as the most deadly and destructive in state history, have topped $9 billion and are expected to grow, the state insurance commissioner reported on Wednesday. The Camp Fire, which erupted on Nov. 8 and quickly incinerated most of the Sierra foothills town of Paradise, about 175 miles (280 km) north of San Francisco, has accounted for the bulk of the claims, just over $7 billion of the total. That fire destroyed more than 18,500 structures, including nearly 14,000 homes, in and around Paradise, and killed 86 people, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s Sprawling Hancock Park Home Officially Hit the Market at $13.795 Million
Just over two years after they purchased their sprawling 1928 Spanish Colonial home from Friends creator Marta Kauffman, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are putting it back on the market—but not without some notable upgrades and improvements, which they detailed to AD last year. The designer couple, who have a young daughter, Poppy, originally bought the Hancock Park home from Kauffman for around $8 million in late 2016 and now have the 8,500-square-foot residence on the market for a substantially higher $13.795 million.
- SportsCar and Driver
Detailed Photos of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 6.2L
Chevy's largest-displacement gas V-8 provides real muscle for its full-size pickup. From Car and Driver
- WorldThe Telegraph
Former Canadian diplomat detained in China amid tensions over arrest of Huawei executive
A former Canadian diplomat has been arrested in China, amid tensions over the recent detention of a Chinese telecom executive in Vancouver. "We have been in direct contact with the Chinese diplomats and representatives," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale on Tuesday confirmed the detention of Michael Kovrig.
- NewsHuffPost
Love Triangle, Not Alligators, Caused Florida Man's Death, Confessed Killer Testifies
A Florida man testified this week about fatally shooting his best friend ― who was long suspected of falling victim to alligators ― because he was having an affair with the friend’s wife. Brian Winchester told a courtroom in Tallahassee that he killed his best friend, Mike Williams, in 2000 and hid his body because he was having an extramarital relationship with Denise Williams, who is now on trial for first-degree murder, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. Winchester’s remarks came as the prosecution presented its case against Williams on Wednesday, the second day of testimony.
WorldAFPKhashoggi, other persecuted journalists named Time 'Person of the Year'
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in October at his country's Istanbul consulate, was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" Tuesday, an honor he shared with other persecuted journalists dubbed as "guardians" of the truth. Among those named with Khashoggi were Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo -- currently imprisoned in Myanmar -- and the staff of the Capital Gazette in the US city of Annapolis, including five members killed in a June shooting. US President Donald Trump, the 2016 "Person of the Year," was the bookmakers' favorite this year but in the end was runner-up.
NewsUSA TODAYCharges dropped against mother after police rip 1-year-old son from her arms in video
Prosecutors dropped charges Tuesday against a woman whose 1-year-old son was ripped from her arms by police days earlier at a Brooklyn food stamp office. Jazmine Headley, 23, remained held at a Rikers Island facility, online records showed, following a dispute Friday with security officers that led to her violent arrest. Video published to Facebook shows Headley clutching her infant child on tiled floor as four officers try to forcefully yank the baby out of her arms.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Trump meeting with Pelosi and Schumer descends into chaos as president threatens to shut government over border
An Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump and senior Democrats rapidly escalated into anger and disagreement after the president threatened to shut the government if he did not receive funding for a border wall. In dramatic scenes that may have been partly staged to appeal to their respective supporters, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer repeatedly clashed with Mr Trump over his insistence that border security could only be guaranteed by building such a wall. “I will be the one to shut [the government] down,” said Mr Trump, as vice president Mike Pence sat in silence and watched the encounter.
WorldAssociated PressSuspicious optics said to have exposed Israeli raid in Gaza
A month after a heavy round of Israel-Hamas fighting, the undercover Israeli operation that sparked the battle remains clouded in mystery. The Israeli army has kept mum, while Hamas officials aren't talking while they investigate. With each side protective of its secrets, and possibly keen to spread disinformation, the full story may never be known.
BusinessReutersChinese state media urges Canada to defy U.S., free Huawei exec
SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Canada should distance itself from U.S. "hegemonism" and grant unconditional freedom to Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of China's Huawei detained in Vancouver on Washington's request, state-owned tabloid Global Times said in a Thursday editorial. Meng, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, has been accused by U.S. prosecutors of misleading banks about transactions linked to Iran, putting the banks at risk of violating sanctions. The United States needs to make a formal extradition request within 60 days of her arrest, which a Canadian judge will weigh to determine whether the case against Meng is strong enough.
- BusinessKTLA - Los Angeles
Family of Unarmed Man Shot and Killed by Walgreens Security Guard Seeks $525M in Lawsuit
Loved ones of a 21-year-old man shot and killed by a Walgreens security guard have filed a lawsuit against the company.
WorldReutersLebanon's Aoun says Israeli anti-tunnel action no risk to peace
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday he saw no risk to peace from an operation by Israel's military to disable cross-border tunnels it says were dug into its territory by Hezbollah guerrillas. Israel says Hezbollah, Lebanon's most powerful armed group, dug the tunnels with the aim of launching attacks into Israel with backing from its regional sponsor Iran. Hezbollah has yet to comment.
NewsAssociated PressLawmaker arrested for child cruelty says he spanked daughter
A California lawmaker arrested on suspicion of child cruelty said Wednesday the allegation stemmed from spanking his 7-year-old daughter. Democratic Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula said he spanked his daughter Sunday night and it's a punishment tool he rarely uses, the Fresno Bee newspaper reported . "Everyone who knows us in the community and has seen us in the community knows that I'm a loving father," Arambula said while standing next to his wife, Elizabeth.
- NewsHuffPost
Fiance Of Missing Colorado Mom Is Cooperating With Police, Lawyer Says
The fiance of a Colorado mother missing since Thanksgiving is praying for her safe return and is cooperating with the police investigation into her disappearance, his lawyer said Wednesday. Patrick Frazee has been voluntarily helping investigators in the Thanksgiving Day disappearance of flight instructor Kelsey Berreth, 29, Colorado Springs lawyer Jeremy Loew said in a statement emailed to HuffPost. Police on Tuesday released surveillance footage taken on Nov. 22 that shows Berreth shopping with her 1-year-old daughter at a Safeway in Woodland Park, some 20 miles northwest of Colorado Springs ― the last confirmed sighting.
WorldAFPWashington says observation posts in place on Syria-Turkey border
The Pentagon announced Tuesday that American observation posts in northern Syria, meant to prevent altercations between the Turkish army and US-supported Kurdish militia, have been erected, despite Ankara's request to scrap the move. US support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) has strained relations with Turkey, which fears the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region on its southern border. "At the direction of Secretary (James) Mattis, the US established observation posts in the northeast Syria border region to address the security concerns of our NATO ally Turkey," Department of Defense spokesman Rob Manning said.
NewsUSA TODAYTwo nuns accused of stealing thousands of dollars, gambling in Las Vegas
Two nuns have been accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from a Catholic school to help fund trips to Las Vegas, according to local reports. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles said the nuns working at St. James Catholic School in Torrance, California, may have taken as much as $500,000 in tuition, fees and donations, reports KABC-TV. The money was allegedly used on travel and gambling.
- PoliticsBloomberg
Senate Votes Thursday on Yemen Measure Aimed at Punishing Saudis
Earlier Wednesday, the House voted to block members from forcing that chamber to vote on the Yemen resolution this month. Without action in both chambers by year’s end, it will be up to lawmakers to restart the entire debate when their new session starts in January. The House action means the only rebuke of Saudi Arabia with a realistic chance of passing the House and Senate this year is a separate non-binding resolution condemning Prince Mohammed as being responsible for Khashoggi’s death.
NewsThe IndependentFBI investigating alleged neo-Nazi white supremacist attack on black DJ
The FBI is joining a hate crimes investigation into an attack on a black DJ, allegedly carried out by self-confessed members of a neo-Nazi skinhead group. Eight individuals have been arrested as part of the investigation launched by the Snohomish County Sheriff's office in Washington state, and the FBI. Among those arrested was Travis Condor, a former soldier from Pittsburgh who in 2010 was sentenced to 90 days in jail for beating a homeless man with a baseball bat in Cincinnati.
- WorldThe National Interest
Sanctions Will Harm Only the Iranian Regime, Not the Iranian People
Many critics have suggested that new American pressure is harmful to both the people and the regime, perhaps sending many Iranians into the arms of the mullahs in protest. In reality, the protests and strikes in Iran’s cities have made it clear that the people recognize their economic hardships are rooted in the self-serving priorities of the mullahs, not international pressures. The enemy is right here,” protesters are chanting.
WorldReutersIndian girl seeks father's arrest over broken promise to build lavatory
Millions of Indians do not have access to sanitation and open defecation is a problem, even in developed, industrial states. The girl, E. Hanifa Zaara, didn't want to go out in the open and won a promise from her father to build a lavatory indoors, said police officer A. Valarmathi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been pushing a campaign to build 100 million toilets over five years but the drive has not covered large parts of the country.
