- WorldNational Review
U.S. Sending 1,500 More Troops to Middle East amid Iran Tensions
President Trump announced Friday that the U.S. will send about 1,500 more troops to the Middle East to play a “mostly protective” role, amid escalating tensions with Iran. About 1,000 troops will be sent to the region and close to 600 will have their deployments in the Middle East extended, according to the director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Rear Admiral Michael Gilday.
NewsAssociated PressAP Was There: The roots of the 'American Taliban'
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — This story was first published on Dec. 21, 2001, when AP journalist Justin Pritchard reported on the American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh's journey to the Taliban front lines. We are reprinting the story now to mark Lindh's release after nearly two decades in prison.
- NewsThe Independent
Republicans encourage nationwide support for Alabama abortion ban, document reveals
A document containing approved Republican talking points regarding Alabama's near-total abortion ban has been uncovered. Entitled “Messaging in the Minority,” the document was produced on Wednesday by the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of House Republicans, and obtained by Vice News. It offers “messaging guidance” on the GOP's anti-abortion platform, and is labelled as “strictly OFF-THE-RECORD.” Vice News did not say how the document was obtained.
PoliticsYahoo NewsThe 'AOC primary': Can Warren steal the prized endorsement away from Bernie?
For progressive presidential candidates in 2020, there is perhaps no greater prize than earning the endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The 29-year-old freshman phenom, who has helped guide her party to the left with platforms like the Green New Deal and has built a social media following dwarfing that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has not chosen a candidate in the huge field seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. “I will support whoever the Democratic nominee is,” Ocasio-Cortez told Yahoo News' “Skullduggery” podcast last month, but she singled out Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for praise.
NewsAFPTornados kill three in central US, damage Missouri state capital
Three people were killed in the small town of Golden City, Missouri, officials said, while the midwestern state's capital Jefferson City was struck by what the National Weather Service called a "large and destructive" tornado Wednesday night. The tornado caused significant damage, trapping people in buildings and homes, and knocking down power lines and trees. Rescue workers were checking door-to-door for survivors Thursday, some 20 people were injured and treated at hospitals overnight, and more injuries were expected, officials said.
- NewsAssociated Press
Hawaii woman missing for 2 weeks rescued from Maui forest
A Hawaii woman has been found alive in a forest on Maui island after going missing more than two weeks ago. Amanda Eller was found injured in the Makawao Forest Reserve, the Maui News reported Friday. Family spokeswoman Sarah Haynes confirmed she spoke with Eller's father John.
WorldReutersIndian PM's close ally, Amit Shah, helped craft winning election strategy
Shah, who has long been Modi's backroom strategist, helped run one of India's most divisive election campaigns over the past six weeks to rouse the Bharatiya Janata Party's nationalist base and overcome the loss of key state elections in December. "There is no doubt that Modi is India's most popular leader and national figure. Shah has done that to near perfection." Vote-counting trends suggest Modi's ruling alliance could win an even bigger parliamentary majority than in 2014, showing that the BJP not only held the northern heartland but made huge gains in the east, a political strategy that Shah launched.
- BusinessBloomberg
Almost 40% of Americans Would Struggle to Cover a $400 Emergency
The Fed’s 2018 report on the economic well-being of households, published Thursday, indicated “most measures” of well-being and financial resilience “were similar to, or slightly better than, those in 2017.” The slight improvement coincided with a decline in the average unemployment rate to 3.9% last year, from 4.3% in 2017. The statistic, which was a bit better than in the 2017 report, has become a favorite rejoinder to U.S. President Donald Trump’s boasts about a strong economy among Democratic politicians, including 2020 presidential candidate Kamala Harris, the U.S. senator from California. “Relatively small, unexpected expenses, such as a car repair or replacing a broken appliance, can be a hardship for many families without adequate savings,” the report said.
- BusinessBGR News
Amazon is blowing out renewed MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models, today only
If you've got Touch Bars on the brain but you've been unwilling to cough up the extra cash to get one, today is your lucky day. Amazon is running a one-day Gold Box deal on renewed MacBook Pro with Touch Bar models, and the prices are crazy. This product has been tested and certified to work and look like new, with minimal to no signs of wear, by a manufacturer or specialized third-party seller approved by Amazon.
PoliticsFOX News VideosPresident Trump defends decision to declassify Russian probe documents
Trump promises to show Americans how what he calls the 'Russia hoax' got started; Kevin Corke reports from the White House.
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Nancy Pelosi says White House is 'crying out for impeachment'
* House speaker urges family to intervene over Trump’s wellbeing * Pelosi: ‘Maybe he wants a leave of absence’The Democratic speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said the White House was “crying out for impeachment” and called on Thursday for Donald Trump’s family to intervene in the president’s wellbeing “for the good of the country” after an extraordinary 24 hours in Washington.The dramatic statements came one day after Trump stormed out of a meeting in the Oval Office with Pelosi and the Democratic Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, about infrastructure legislation, after three minutes, and then held a hastily called press conference to say he wouldn’t work with Democrats until they stop investigating him.At her own press conference on Thursday morning, Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives in Congress, suggested of the president: “Maybe he wants to take a leave of absence.”She said she was not pushing for impeachment despite describing the president’s actions – in relation to Russian interference in the 2016 election and attempts at obstruction of justice, as detailed in the recent report by special counsel Robert Mueller – as impeachable.The Trump administration, led by the White House, had aggressively resisted demands – including subpoenas – from leading congressional Democrats for the government to hand over the full, unredacted Mueller report and for related witnesses to testify on Capitol Hill.“I think impeachment is a very divisive place for us to go in the country,” Pelosi said.However, she repeatedly expressed concern for the president’s wellbeing, which she said reflected a broader concern about the wellbeing of the United States itself. Asked if she was concerned about Trump, she said: “I am.”And she added: “I pray for the president of the United States. I wish that his family or his administration or staff would have an intervention for the good of the country.”The 25th amendment allows the president to be replaced if the vice-president and a majority of his cabinet decide he is incapable of discharging his duties.Before her weekly press conference, Pelosi told colleagues at a meeting on Thursday morning in Washington that Trump’s actions were “villainous”, according to NBC News.The situation blew up the day before when, shortly before Pelosi and Schumer were due to meet with Trump at the White House for negotiations on legislation to fund new infrastructure, Pelosi accused the president of a “cover-up”.The charge stemmed from Trump repeatedly attempting to block congressional committees from investigating him further, following Mueller’s inquiry into Russia’s election meddling in the US, allegations of improper contacts between the Trump election campaign and Moscow, and potential obstruction of justice by the president.Trump then stalked out of the Wednesday meeting in the Oval Office, straight into the adjacent Rose Garden where, from a podium adorned with signs saying “No collusion, no obstruction” the president slammed his opposition and refused to work with them further in the current circumstances.“I don’t do cover-ups,” he said.Then on Thursday morning, before Pelosi’s press conference, the White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said “it’s insane” to think infrastructure talks could continue after Pelosi had accused Trump of a cover-up.Sanders later added that: “It’s real simple, you can’t go down two tracks,” referring to working on bipartisan legislation at the same time as the Democrats are pushing for deeper investigations into Trump’s actions, while leveling powerful accusations. Schumer said on the MSNBC TV channel that Trump is “an erratic, helter-skelter, get-nothing-done” leader.Robert Mueller’s report resulting from his almost-two year investigation was made public, with certain sensitive parts redacted, in April.While Trump claimed “total exoneration”, the special counsel found 10 episodes in which Trump’s own actions may have amounted to obstruction of justice, detailing several instances in which the president’s demands to interfere with the investigation were blocked by his aides. And in a separate instance, it was found there were additional efforts by the Trump campaign before the election to obscure its contacts with Russian figures.The report separately examined the repeated contacts between the Trump campaign and individuals with ties to the Russian government. While Mueller did not find evidence of a criminal conspiracy, investigators made clear the Trump campaign was “receptive” to offers of assistance from the Russians.Democrats are requesting and in some cases issuing subpoenas for documents, and demanding witnesses, including Mueller, testify on Capitol Hill.Mueller is said to be resisting a public hearing, while the attorney general, William Barr, and former White House counsel Don McGahn have failed to turn up for scheduled hearings in front of the House judiciary committee in recent weeks.Sign up for the US morning briefing
NewsAFP Relax NewsAcross US, women have unequal access to abortion
While abortion is legal nationwide, Americans have unequal access to the procedure, depending on their location in the United States and how much they are able to spend. The disparities are great indeed, from the more than 150 abortion clinics available in the most populous state of California, to only one in states like Mississippi in the South or Missouri in the Midwest. State laws also vary widely on other matters like speed limits for drivers and marriage age requirements, but the Supreme Court has set a "minimum standard throughout the entire country," noted Meg Penrose, of the Texas A&M School of Law.
- PoliticsThe Daily Beast
Trump Justice Department Crosses New Line, Charges Assange With Publishing U.S. Secrets
In a stunning escalation of the Trump administration's war on the press, the Justice Department has indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for revealing government secrets under the Espionage Act. The charges invoke broad provisions of the Espionage Act that make it a crime to disclose or retain any defense information knowing it “could be used to injure” the U.S. The act has no exception for reporters or publishers, but prior administrations have balked at invoking the law against journalists for fear of colliding with the First Amendment.
NewsAssociated PressBodies in submerged Missouri vehicle bring storm toll to 9
The bodies of a man and a woman were discovered Friday in a submerged vehicle near the Mississippi River in Missouri, bringing the death toll to nine from storms that have ravaged the central U.S. this week and threaten major flooding through the holiday weekend. John Reinhardt, 20, and Caitlin Frangel, 19, both of Hazelwood, Missouri, were reported missing May 15. Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dallas Thompson said an autopsy determined they both drowned.
BusinessAFPChinese carriers seek compensation for Boeing 737 Max groundings
China's official airline association said Friday it will help 13 member carriers seek compensation from Boeing for losses already approaching $580 million due to the grounding of the 737 MAX 8. "As time passes by, related losses will further increase," the China Air Transport Association said in a statement. On March 11, China became the first country to ground the 737 MAX, a day after a deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airways Boeing 737 MAX that killed all 157 people on board.
- BusinessCar and Driver
View Photos of the 2019 Opel Corsa-e
View Photos of the 2019 Opel Corsa-eFrom Car and Driver
WorldReutersU.S. troop move to Middle East dangerous for international peace: Iran's Zarif
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that the U.S. decision to deploy more troops to the Middle East in response to the perceived threat from Iran was "extremely dangerous" for peace. The United States said it was sending 1,500 troops to region in what it called an effort to bolster defenses against Tehran, and it accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards of direct responsibility for attacks on tankers this month. quot;The Americans have made such allegations to justify their hostile policies and to raise tensions in the Persian Gulf," Zarif told state news agency IRNA.
LifestyleUSA TODAYIs the stock market closed for Memorial Day?
U.S. stocks markets are closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day. Foreign financial markets will be open. The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will resume normal trading hours on Tuesday.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Facebook accused of leaving 'broken children' in wake of its commercial aims, abuse inquiry hears
Facebook has been accused of leaving 'broken children' as collateral damage in the wake of their commercial aims, the child sex abuse inquiry has heard. Barrister William Chapman, representing the victims of abuse at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), said social media companies were not preventing paedophiles reaching children as it was “contrary to their business model” and that their apps needed to be “fundamentally redesigned”. Police also warned that tech firms were going ahead with plans to encrypt more features "in the certain knowledge" it would lead to more children being abused.
PoliticsYahoo NewsGeorge Conway mocks Trump on ‘cover-ups’ by tweeting Stormy Daniels payment check
Prominent Trump critic George Conway on Thursday posted a picture of President Trump's $35,000 check to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, along with a quote from Trump's Wednesday press conference: “I don't do cover-ups. Cohen has testified that the check was partial reimbursement for the $130,000 he paid actress Stormy Daniels as hush money to cover up a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump. The money changed hands shortly before the 2016 election and was part of the evidence in Cohen's plea deal with federal prosecutors that resulted in his prison sentence.
WorldBloombergMay to Announce Departure Date Friday, FT Says: Brexit Update
Key Developments:May will inform her advisers Friday morning of the day she plans to stand down, the FT reportedMay’s Brexit legislation isn’t listed for debate in the first week of June as promised, but the government says it still hopes to put it to Parliament that weekEU elections are under way. The prime minister will meet with her advisers at 10 a.m. to reveal her decision and will also meet Graham Brady, chairman of the rank and file 1922 Committee, it said. May appeared determined to re-write her Withdrawal Agreement Bill to make it palatable to her party when she met with Home Secretary Sajid Javid, according to a person familiar with the discussion.
- NewsTime
Oregon State Student Dies After Falling 100 Feet While Taking Photos at Scenic Lookout
A student at Oregon State University died on Sunday after falling 100 feet from a scenic lookout on the Oregon coast, authorities said. Michelle Casey, 21, was taking pictures of the popular coastal viewpoint near the city of Manzanita when she lost her balance and slipped off the steep edge, KPTV reported. Her boyfriend told deputies that she landed in a tree, which stopped her from falling into the Pacific Ocean, the sheriff's office said in a statement on Monday.
- LifestyleCar and Driver
14 Garage Organization Ideas That'll Give You Back Your Parking Spot
It's so strangely soothing to see everything this organized in the garage.From Car and Driver
NewsAssociated PressThe Latest: Runaway barges cause 'minimal' damage to dam
Army engineers say two runaway barges did "minimal" damage when they struck an Arkansas River dam. The barges, filled with 1,500 tons of fertilizer, swept down the flood-swollen river and hit the Webbers Falls Lock and Dam about noon Thursday and sank. Town officials in the riverfront town of Webbers Falls had warned residents to flee for fear such a collision would catastrophically breach the dam and flood the town.
WorldAFPTea seller's son becomes India's Hindu nationalist hero
Master communicator and battle-hardened political scrapper, Narendra Modi fought his way off the streets to become one of India's most popular and polarising prime ministers. There is no middle ground between admirers and adversaries of the 68-year-old, who is on target to become the first leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win two five-year terms. After helping his father run a railway station tea stall in the small Gujarat town of Vadnagar, Modi ran away as a teenager to devote his life to politics.
