Trump denies he betrayed the Kurds: 'We never gave a commitment'

Under fire from critics who have accused him of betraying the Kurds who fought alongside U.S. forces against ISIS in northern Syria, President Trump defended his decision Monday to pull troops from the region. We're working with the Kurds,” Trump told reporters ahead of a Cabinet meeting at the White House. We have a good relationship with the Kurds, but we never agreed to, you know, protect the Kurds.

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  Trump says 'small' number of US troops remain in Syria

  AFP
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  U.S. soldiers who fought alongside Kurds blast Trump's Syria retreat

  Reuters

Buttigieg, surging in Iowa, has a plan to win it all. Here it is.

Reminder: There are 105 days until the Iowa caucuses and 379 days until the 2020 election. It happened to Kamala Harris during the summer. Now it's starting to happen to South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who was widely proclaimed one of the “winners” of last week's Democratic primary debate in Westerville, Ohio.

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  Paleologos on the Poll: Buttigieg gets an Iowa boost on strength of his debate performance

  USA TODAY
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  Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg surging as moderate alternative to Joe Biden in Iowa poll

  The Telegraph

Three people hospitalised by chemical leak on board American Airlines plane

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.

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  American Airlines flight diverted after 'chemical spillage' leaves two crew members unconscious

  Yahoo News UK
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  A chemical spill on an American Airlines flight knocked 2 crew members out and forced the plane into an emergency landing

  Business Insider

Hong Kong leader visits mosque struck by blue water-cannon dye

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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  Water cannon sprays mosque entrance in Hong Kong

  Good Morning America
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  Hong Kong government pledges more aid to battered city, no end in sight to unrest

  Reuters

The U.S. Army Has Big Plans to Smash Enemy Drones in a War

Defenders under drone attack from medium and large drones need to recognize that the attacking platform can be poised to launch missiles or find targets for long-range ground based missiles, air assets or even approaching forces. Modern technology enables drones to use high-resolution sensors and targeting systems to both find and attack targets at very long ranges, thus compounding the threat. Drones can increasingly operate with less and less human intervention and be programmed to enter enemy airspace, crossing into well-defended areas with decreased risk.

'Lost' Road Built by Christ's Executioner Unearthed

Archaeologists have unearthed a "lost" road in Jerusalem that was likely constructed by Pontius Pilate, the Roman who presided over the trial and execution of Jesus Christ. Archaeologists have unearthed a road that was likely built in 31 AD by Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect who oversaw the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The ornately constructed road in Jerusalem stretches for about 2,000 feet, and is approximately 26 feet wide, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University.

Trump blames Constitution's ‘phony Emoluments Clause’ for G-7 debacle

President Trump on Monday defended the initial decision to host next year's G-7 summit at his golf resort near Miami, dismissing concerns that he would have personally profited from the event and deriding “this phony Emoluments Clause” in the Constitution. On Saturday, Trump abruptly reversed the plan — announced just two days earlier by his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney — to hold the next Group of Seven world leaders' meeting at Trump National Doral. “I would have given it for nothing,” Trump said before a Cabinet meeting Monday.

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  Acting White House chief of staff under fire after Ukraine comments

  CBS News Videos
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  Grifter President Decides Hosting G-7 at His Own Resort is Too Blatant a Grift, Even for Him

  Rolling Stone

Presidential hopeful Warren rallies with Chicago teachers as strike enters fourth day

Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, rallied with striking Chicago teachers on Tuesday, expressing support for the union's demands as the country's third-largest school system entered a fourth day of canceled classes. Warren, a Massachusetts senator and former teacher, joined a crowd of hundreds of teachers and parents outside an elementary school to back the Chicago teachers' demands for more resources, and promised to boost funding for U.S. public schools if elected president in 2020. "I'm here to stand with every one of the people who stand for our children every day," Warren said to thunderous applause and cheers.

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  Teacher strike at Passages Charter School in Edgewater on North Side begins Tuesday

  WLS – Chicago
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  CPS state playoff chances in jeopardy amid continuing teachers strike

  WLS – Chicago

View Photos of the 2020 GMC Acadia AT4

GMC's revised Acadia AT4 mid-size SUV benefits more from the lineup's updates than it does from its rugged visage. From Car and Driver

Bernie Sanders says Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will work in his administration if he's president

After freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez officially endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president at a Queens, N.Y. rally on Saturday, the Vermont progressive said he wants Ocasio-Cortez to work in his White House Sanders was asked in a joint interview with CBS News if he would consider Ocasio-Cortez to be his running mate. The congresswoman answered for him as both laughed: "I think I'm too young for that." "There you go, she's answered," Sanders added.

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  Former Sanders Surrogate Lucy Flores Endorses Elizabeth Warren

  HuffPost
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  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Democratic Primary Challenger Jessica Cisneros

  HuffPost

Philippine police recommend drug charges against ex-chief

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.

This Is the Robot Tank Russia Used in Syria

Key point: Moscow's new tank was supposed to be a leap forward, but it has a lot of problems. In May 2018, the Russian military revealed it had combat-tested its Uran-9 robot tank in Syria. The diminutive remote-control tank is noted for its formidable gun and missile armament.

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  Meet the S-8OFP: The Anti-Tank Rocket Russia Has Tested in Syria

  The National Interest
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  These 5 Countries Might Want to Buy Russia's New Deadly Armata Tank

  The National Interest

Trump 'like a squirrel caught in traffic' during Pentagon meeting: Aide

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.

Mark Levin: ‘Hasn’t Even Been a Hint of Scandal’ in Trump’s Presidency

Right-wing talker and Fox News host Mark Levin hilariously claimed this week that President Donald Trump, who is currently embroiled in an impeachment inquiry for allegedly pressuring a foreign leader to dig up dirt on a political rival, hasn't even had a “hint of scandal” during his time in the White House. “And they kept the [John] Kennedy stuff hidden for decades, they kept the [Lyndon] Johnson stuff hidden for decades, they kept the FDR stuff hidden for decades, and his affairs and so forth,” the conservative commentator added, implying that Obama/Biden had skeletons in their closets.

Gun control advocate: Pushing mandatory buybacks will hand victory to the NRA, again

He wanted not only to ban the sale of new assault weapons but also to impose a mandatory government buyback of the assault weapons already in private hands. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California support that idea as well.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito ascends Chrysanthemum Throne

The enthronement ceremony is the high point of several succession rituals that began in May when Naruhito inherited the throne after the abdication of Akihito, his father. Naruhito leads the world's oldest hereditary monarchy, which historians say goes back 1,500 years. The short ceremony, which some critics say was largely meant to allow Abe's ultra-conservative government to win public support, was marked by extraordinary contrasts — from the rhythmic shuffle of dozens of court dignitaries' long, stiff, antiquated robes as they brushed over mats leading to the throne room, to the thunder of cannon salutes reverberating through the palace.

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  Japanese Emperor Naruhito pledges to fulfil duty at enthronement ceremony

  Reuters
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  Japan's New Emperor Is Declaring His Enthronement on Tuesday. Here's What to Know

  Time

U.S. EPA set to release fuel economy revisions by year-end

The Trump Administration's revised final fuel economy standards for U.S. vehicles should be released by the end of the year, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler said on Tuesday. Wheeler said the final proposal will not be look "exactly like" the original one announced in August 2018 to freeze fuel efficiency standards at 2020 levels through 2026. Work is continuing on revisions to the vehicle efficiency and emissions standards, which are overseen by EPA and the Department of Transportation, he said.

Michael Bloomberg ‘still looking at’ a presidential run ... but only if Biden is out

Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is at it again – teasing a presidential run. 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. 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.

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  Buttigieg, surging in Iowa, has a plan to win it all. Here it is.

  Yahoo News
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  Amy Klobuchar says her moderate approach makes her the only candidate who can beat Trump in 2020

  CBS News Videos

US targets Cuba tourism with tighter airline sanctions

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.