- PoliticsUSA TODAY
AOC to DHS chief: Border agents shared 'images of my violent rape' in secret Facebook group
After a week fielding racist attacks from President Donald Trump, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioned Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan about the whereabouts of Border Patrol agents who threatened her in a secret Facebook group. The intense and personal line of questioning Thursday happened as McAleenan appeared before the House Oversight and Reform Committee to testify about his role in separating migrant children from their families and worsening conditions at the migrant detention centers along the southern U.S. border. After the group's existence was revealed by a ProPublica report, McAleenan announced DHS was investigating the "disturbing" and "inexcusable" posts.
- WorldReuters
UPDATE 1-U.S. amphibious group patrols Arabian Sea as Iran tensions simmer
At a thumbs-up sign from a sailor, a U.S. Harrier fighter jet takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer in the Arabian Sea as an oil tanker passes, a nautical mile away. The patrol is "standard" but the situation - growing tension between the United States and Iran - is not. "We want to make sure that we assure allies in the region and to ensure freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce," says Colonel Fridrik Fridrikson, commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
- NewsThe Independent
Chappaquiddick 50 years on: The car crash that forever tarnished Ted Kennedy
Heavily favoured to win the Democratic nomination for the presidency, Ted Kennedy looked set to square-off against Republican incumbent Richard Nixon at the 1972 election. A car crash in Chappaquiddick would claim the life of a young female political campaigner and forever tarnish his reputation. On 18 July, 1969, Kennedy, aged 37 at the time, had been attending a party on Chappaquiddick Island, part of the affluent Massachusetts resort Martha's Vineyard.
WorldAFPAustralian detained in China expected to be charged: lawyer
An Australian national who was detained in China on national security grounds is expected to be formally charged, his lawyer said Thursday, amid tensions between Canberra and Beijing. Chinese-Australian author and democracy advocate Yang Jun, whose pen name is Yang Hengjun, was detained in January shortly after making a rare return to China from the United States. The foreign ministry in Beijing said then he was suspected of endangering "China's national security" -- which often implies espionage allegations.
- Lifestylemotorious
Rally Red 1972 Dodge Challenger Shows Off Its Muscles
If you have been in the market for an iconic American muscle car, then you're in luck. GR Auto Gallery is pleased to announce this bold and beautiful 1972 Dodge Challenger up for sale. Dressed in a brilliant Rally Red paint job, the exterior shines at every angle and is in pristine condition.
- WorldAssociated Press
Turkey calls on US to reverse decision on F-35 exclusion
The U.S. decision to exclude Turkey from an American-led fighter jet program goes against the "spirit of alliance," the Turkish government said Thursday, and called on its NATO ally to reverse the decision. In a major break with a longtime ally, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday said Turkey is being kicked out of the F-35 program because it is buying the Russian S-400 air defense system. Washington says the S-400 would compromise the F-35 program and aid Russian intelligence.
- NewsThe National Interest
Marine Corps Tells Rep. Duncan Hunter He Can’t Use Trademarked Corps Material for His Campaign
"It is personally disappointing to Congressman Hunter that he is now being told that he cannot use this motto or image that thousands of Marines like Congressman Hunter, who went to war under this banner, have used for tattoos, coins, and multiple other items of personal sentiment," Harrison told Task & Purpose. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has been told to stop using the Marine Corps' emblem and the 1st Marine Division's motto in his campaign literature, Corps officials confirmed. The Marine Corps Trademark Licensing Office has sent Hunter, a Marine veteran, a cease and desist letter telling him to quit using the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem along with the phrase, "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy," on a fundraising mailer that accuses his political opponent of having links to terrorism, NBC News first reported on Wednesday.
- PoliticsBloomberg
House Vote to Repeal Obamacare Tax Shows Health Care Tension
The House voted overwhelmingly to repeal a tax Wednesday intended to fund the Affordable Care Act, preserving tax breaks for employer-sponsored insurance plans favored by large corporations. In a reversal of the usual partisan roles, Democrats rather than Republicans led the charge to kill a key part of Obamacare. The bill to repeal the levy commonly known as the “Cadillac tax” passed 419-6 with bipartisan support.
- NewsPolitico
Flynn had $4.6M unpaid legal tab, records show
Michael Flynn built up unpaid legal bills of more than $4.6 million during the Trump-Russia investigation before parting ways with his attorneys last month, according to records introduced at a federal court trial this week. Law firm Covington & Burling appears to have billed Flynn about $5 million after he became a client in early 2017, when his lobbying and consulting work came under Justice Department scrutiny. Covington partners Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony initially helped the retired Army lieutenant general and his consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group, navigate a Justice Department inquiry into the firm's work on Turkey-related issues.
- NewsUSA TODAY
Dominican Republic to enhance food and drink inspections after tourist deaths
The Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism is amping up safety measures after the Caribbean vacation destination made headlines for a spate of tourist deaths. Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier García announced Thursday that programs are being implemented immediately throughout the country to strengthen travelers' confidence, according to a press release. Most notably, as some deaths have reportedly happened after tourists have consumed alcohol from hotel mini-bars, the new measures include tightening inspections on food and beverages in tourist destinations.
- WorldReuters
WRAPUP 10-U.S. says Navy ship 'destroyed' Iranian drone in Gulf
The United States said on Thursday that a U.S. Navy ship had "destroyed" an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after the aircraft threatened the vessel, but Iran said it had no information about losing a drone. In the latest episode to stir tensions in the Gulf, U.S. President Donald Trump told an event at the White House that the drone had flown to within 1,000 yards (metres) of the USS Boxer and had ignored "multiple calls to stand down." "This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters.
- NewsMashable
America will roast for 4 days
The National Weather Service (NWS) noted that 20 to 30 high temperature records could fall between the Rockies and the East Coast. There will be little relief even at night: The weather agency expects 123 records for the warmest daily low temperature to be either broken or tied this week. The NWS labeled this excessive heat as "scorching." On Saturday in Washington D.C., the confluence of humidity and air temperatures are forecast to produce a heat index (or feeling) of around 110 F. Meteorologist Michael Ventrice called these forecasted conditions "dangerously hot." Indeed, heat waves kill more Americans than any other weather event.
NewsAFPDaily Mail defends story linking Israel's Barak to Epstein
The popular British tabloid The Daily Mail on Thursday defended a decision to publish photos in the US of one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election rivals entering the mansion of disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2016. Ehud Barak's lawyers wrote to the British company's US-based website on Wednesday demanding it remove Tuesday's story and pay "substantial damages to vindicate his reputation and compensate him". The newspaper's US website ran photos of four young women separately entering Epstein's New York residence around the same time as Barak himself went in.
- WorldThe Telegraph
France turns down citizenship for immigrant nurse because she 'works too much'
France has rejected an immigrant nurse's application for citizenship on the grounds that she was working too many hours a week in breach of the statutory 35-hour week and strict limits on overtime. The nurse, whose name and nationality have not been made public, holds three jobs and averages 59 hours a week, which the authorities said placed her “in violation of regulations on working time in France”. The 35-hour rule introduced under a Socialist government in 2000 gave France one of the world's shortest working weeks, but it has since been loosened and employees may be permitted to work up to 48 hours a week including overtime.
- U.S.WABC – NY
New Jersey officer charged with murder in death of three-month-old daughter
A New Jersey police officer was arrested on Wednesday and charged with the murder of his three-month-old daughter, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.
- NewsAssociated Press
Arrested reporter slams conditions at US detention centers
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A Spanish-language reporter who was recently released from immigration custody said Wednesday he was held for 15 months in detention centers that were plagued by insects and he had to bathe with cold water from water hoses. During a news conference, Manuel Duran discussed what he called inhumane conditions at immigration detention facilities in Louisiana and Alabama. Duran was released from an Alabama facility on bail last week as immigration courts consider his request for asylum.
- WorldBloomberg
China Is Drafting Urgent Plan to Resolve Hong Kong Chaos, SCMP Says
Chinese officials in charge of Hong Kong affairs are working on an urgent strategy to solve the city's political chaos and have ruled out the use of military force, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the discussions. They will soon present top leaders in Beijing with both an immediate plan to handle the mass protests and a longer-term strategy that could result in China overhauling its management of the former British colony, the newspaper said, without elaborating on a date. Beijing maintains that the crisis is best left for Hong Kong authorities to resolve and doesn't want to get directly involved, according to the report.
- LifestyleDelish
Your Kids Won't Have Any Room For Candy After These Halloween Dinner Ideas
Halloween fun should go way beyond just candy. From Delish
- CelebrityUSA TODAY
'Not what your mom sent you:' Teen takes legendary senior photos in a bathrobe
When Tiffany Clark, owner of Chaos and Clark Photography, went to pick up her cousin for his senior photo session, she wasn't expecting anything crazy. Evan Dennison got in the car wearing sweatpants and carrying a bag. Clark asked him where his clothes were. Dennison assured her they were in his bag and he would change once they got to their location.
- PoliticsPolitico
After census debacle, White House to knock out senior Commerce official
The White House is pushing a top aide to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross out of the Trump administration, the first round of house-cleaning after the 2020 census debacle and clashes over tech policy. In recent months, Commerce policy director Earl Comstock has angered Trump's acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, White House lawyers, members of the National Security Council and officials at the National Economic Council, according to five current and former administration officials.
- BusinessReuters
Pakistan lost $50 million from airspace restrictions: minister
Pakistan's aviation minister on Thursday said that his country suffered loses of over eight billion rupees ($50 million) from airspace restrictions imposed since February which affected hundreds of commercial and cargo flights. Pakistan closed its airspace after an attack by a Pakistan-based militant group in Indian-controlled Kashmir led to clashes between the nuclear-armed powers, adding flight time for passengers and fuel costs for airlines. “Over eight billion rupees worth of losses have been suffered by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority,” Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Pakistan's aviation minister told a press conference in Karachi.
WorldAFP'You had the Nobel Prize?' Trump learns of Yazidi activist Murad
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared unfamiliar with the work and cause of Nobel laureate Nadia Murad as she pleaded with him to help the Yazidis of Iraq. Murad, one of thousands of women and girls from the ancient faith abducted by the Islamic State group as they overran swathes of Iraq in 2014, joined a group of survivors of religious persecution who met Trump in the Oval Office on the sidelines of a major meeting at the State Department. After Murad explained how her mother and six brothers were killed and that 3,000 Yazidis remained missing, Trump said, "And you had the Nobel Prize?
- BusinessThe National Interest
Why the Air Force's F-15 EX Fighter Would Get Crushed by Russia In a War
David Axe Technology, Europe A problem? While an F-35 can carry 22,000 pounds of munitions to a ceiling of 50,000 feet and a distance of 670 miles at a top speed of Mach 1.6, the F-15EX can haul 29,500 pounds of weapons as high as 60,000 feet and as far as 1,100 miles at a top speed of Mach 2.5. The debate continues over the Pentagon's proposal to buy new F-15EX Eagle fighters from Boeing to complement Lockheed Martin-made F-35 stealth fighters.
- WorldAssociated Press
7,800 police in Philippines punished for deadly drug raids
Thousands of Philippine police officers have received administrative punishments with more than 2,000 dismissed for wrongdoings during raids where drug suspects were killed under the president's crackdown, officials said Thursday. Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael Banaag told a news conference that 14,724 police were investigated for their involvement in police drug operations that led to deaths from July 2016 until last April. A tally presented by Banaag showed that 2,367 police officers have been fired, 4,100 suspended while the rest were reprimanded, demoted, had their salaries forfeited or deprived of certain privileges.
- LifestyleCar and Driver
The 2020 Chevy Corvette C8 Will Start at Less Than $60,000
Mark Reuss announced that the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 will start at under $60,000 when it goes on sale late this year. During the launch event of the all-new Chevy Corvette earlier tonight, Mark Reuss announced that the mid-engined supercar will start at less than $60,000 when it goes on sale in late 2019.
