- NewsBloomberg
Giuliani Ally Parnas Got $1 Million From Russia, U.S. Says
Rudy Giuliani's associate Lev Parnas got $1 million from an account in Russia in September, a month before he was charged with conspiring to funnel foreign money into U.S. political campaigns, according to U.S. prosecutors who asked a judge to jail him for understating his income and assets. The majority of that money appears to have been used on personal expenses and to purchase a home,” prosecutors said in a court filing Wednesday. Parnas failed to disclose the payment to the government, prosecutors said.
- WorldReuters
U.S. tells U.N. it is ready to be flexible in North Korea talks, warns against provocations
The United States is ready "to simultaneously take concrete steps" toward a deal aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs, but the Security Council must be prepared to respond to any provocations, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Wednesday. The 15-member Security Council met on Wednesday at the request of the United States as concerns grow internationally that North Korea could resume nuclear or long-range missile testing - suspended since 2017 - because denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled. "We remain ready to take actions in parallel, and to simultaneously take concrete steps toward this agreement.
- NewsAssociated Press
Oink oink, cha-ching: $3 million found in barrels of pork
Barrels of raw pork shoulder were riding fat in a tractor trailer pulled over by North Carolina deputies. Approximately $3 million in cash was recovered from the barrels Saturday, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Tuesday. The driver of the tractor trailer was accused of failing to maintain his lane and impeding the flow of traffic on Interstate 85.
- WorldThe Guardian
Nude portrait of Emiliano Zapata in high heels sparks fury in Mexico
A new portrait of Emiliano Zapata has caused a firestorm of outrage for its portrayal of the Mexican revolutionary hero striking a seductive pose – clad only in a pink sombrero and high heels. Furious campesinos stormed one of the country's most renowned art museums on Thursday to demand the removal of the painting, part of a new exhibition titled Zapata after Zapata that seeks to present alternative views of the Mexican revolution. The small painting by Fabián Cháirez depicts a naked Zapata, astride a white horse.
- WorldBusiness Insider
At least 8 people are dead after a New Zealand volcano erupted. Experts say the disaster was not predictable, despite warning signs.
Hagen Hopkins/Getty At least eight people are dead, nine are missing, and more than 30 are injured after one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes erupted on Monday. Over the last month, New Zealand's geological monitoring agency had raised the volcanic-alert level on White Island, where the eruption occurred. But according to experts, a blast like this one can't be easily predicted, since it was driven by steam, not magma.
- CelebrityCBS News
Elizabeth Smart's dad describes kids' reaction to him coming out as gay
In our exclusive interview, Smart reveals how difficult it was to come out as gay to his family and friends – and how it's affected his relationship with his children. "The thing about it is I never looked at myself as being gay. I know this sounds crazy," Smart told "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King.
- PoliticsThe Daily Beast
Pro-Trump Network OAN Tried to Get This Ukrainian Millionaire a Visa Before His Arrest
Before catching the eye of German law enforcement, former Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleksandr Onyshchenko drew attention from the conservative TV channel One America News. Before his arrest, though, the Trump-friendly media outlet tried to help him get a visa to travel to the U.S. The effort, which has not been previously reported, was part of a push by OAN to unearth information on Burisma Holdings, the energy company that retained Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President and current Trump rival Joe Biden.
- NewsThe National Interest
Why the Marines Love Their LAV-25 "Destroyers"
Key point: The LAV-25 has served in many conflicts and proven its usefulness. The LAV-25, the U.S. Marine Corps' main armored reconnaissance vehicle, has its origins in an effort to develop a new, highly mobile strike force for the Middle East. Fast, lightly armored and armed with a Bushmaster chain gun, the LAV acts as the marines' cavalry, scouting ahead of other friendly forces and seeking out the enemy.
- HealthINSIDER
A woman caught her boyfriend cheating when his Fitbit activity spiked at 4 a.m.
Last week, a woman tweeted that she once caught a boyfriend cheating when his Fitbit recorded a 4 a.m. spike in physical activity. Sex can indeed raise your heart rate, burn calories, and show up on fitness tracking devicees, according to an exercise science expert. NFL Reporter Jane Slater went viral last week after sharing her story of fitness gift-giving gone wrong.
- NewsBloomberg
U.S. Backs Leniency for Gates, Citing ‘Extraordinary’ Help
Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates deserves leniency for his “extraordinary assistance” with offshoots of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, the government told a judge just days before his sentencing. Prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday that they don't oppose Gates's request for probation. They also said that Gates deserved praise for standing up to powerful people and weathering “intense media scrutiny.
- PoliticsReuters
Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page sues Justice Department over media disclosures
Former FBI attorney Lisa Page, who came under fire from President Donald Trump and other Republicans for sending text messages that disparaged Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, on Tuesday sued her former employer over what she called "unlawful disclosure of information about her to the media." Page, in a lawsuit filed against the FBI and the Department of Justice in federal court in Washington, D.C., alleges violations of a 1974 law known as the Privacy Act. Page alleged that her rights were violated in December 2017 when government officials invited journalists to view politically charged text message conversations with FBI agent Peter Strzok.
WorldAFPRussian court sentences 11 for Saint Petersburg bombing
A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced 11 people to terms including life in prison after finding them guilty of a deadly bomb attack on the Saint Petersburg metro in 2017. Abror Azimov, a 29-year-old from Kyrgyzstan, was sentenced by a military court in Russia's second biggest city to life in prison for organising and participating in a terrorist group. The bomb blast in April 2017 killed 15 people in the Saint Petersburg metro and wounded dozens more.
- WorldThe Guardian
Outrage after Colombia riot police force young woman into unmarked car
Outrage has erupted in Colombia after a young woman participating in anti-government protests was grabbed by riot police in body armour, forced into an unmarked vehicle and driven away. Video of the incident showed the woman sobbing and screaming “Help! The police have kidnapped me!
- WorldAssociated Press
New Zealand volcano vents steam, death toll now at 16
New Zealand medical staff were continuing to work around the clock Thursday treating severely burned survivors of a volcanic eruption as police announced two more victims had died in hospitals, bringing the death toll to 16. The enormity of the task facing doctors in burn units around the country became clear when Dr. Peter Watson, a chief medical officer, said at a press conference that they had needed to order extra skin from American skin banks. Most of those who survived the eruption at White Island on Monday suffered burns, and 28 patients remain hospitalized, including 23 in critical condition.
- BusinessBusiness Insider
Boeing removed a feature that protects its 787 planes during lightning strikes as a cost-cutting measure, even after FAA experts objected
SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images) Boeing removed a feature that protects its 787 planes during lightning strikes even after Federal Aviation Administration experts objected, The Seattle Times reported. The FAA approved the change after Boeing appealed its rejection, which had said Boeing could not sufficiently prove that the fuel tank would not ignite. The FAA's decision will today be scrutinized by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in light of its oversight of Boeing's 737 Max planes, which was involved in two fatal crashes.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Republicans believe white people experience same level of racism as black people, report says
Researchers have punctured right-wing claims that a wave of "racism against white people" has coincided with efforts to prevent discrimination against blacks. A study published in Nature Human Behaviour compared perceptions of racial discrimination in "societies that supposedly favour non-white people" and found that white people consistently experienced far less discrimination than black people, despite the influence of far-right groups and increasingly polarised political views that have argued civil rights progress has eliminated rights for others. Authors compared perceptions of racial discrimination with actual reported discrimination experiences throughout the US to determine the veracity of those claims.
PoliticsYahoo News VideoHouse passes defense bill, parental leave for federal workers
The House on Wednesday passed its annual defense policy measure, which combined a $738 billion Pentagon price tag with legislation to provide federal employees with 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
- EntertainmentArchitectural Digest
The Real Locations That Inspired 13 Famous Paintings
From Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhône to Pablo Picasso's Au Lapin Agile Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
- WorldThe National Interest
Deadliest Weapon After a Nuclear Bomb: Meet Russia's TOS-1 MLRS 'Buratino'
Key point: Buratino is a unique Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS) that has seen action in global hotspots like Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq and Syria. The TOS-1 Buratino is a unique Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS) that has seen action in global hotspots like Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq and Syria. Like the enormous 240-millimeter 2S4 self-propelled mortar, the TOS-1's specialty is obliterating heavily fortified positions.
- StylePopular Mechanics
The Best Trimmers for Keeping Your Facial Hair Under Control
Shave well, look good. From Popular Mechanics
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
Democratic Rep. Van Drew to vote against Trump impeachment, says others could join him
Democratic Rep. Jeff Van Drew said Wednesday that he will vote against articles of impeachment that outline the case for President Trump's removal from office, becoming the first Democrat to publicly say he will not vote with his colleagues. Van Drew, a Democrat who represents a district in New Jersey that favored Trump by five points in 2016, has been a vocal opponent to the impeachment effort examining whether Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump denies the allegations and has called the inquiry a "hoax."
- WorldReuters
French PM defies unions with pension overhaul, they pledge more strikes
France's prime minister said on Wednesday its people should work two years longer to get a full pension, drawing a hostile response from trade unions who said they would step up strike action to force an about-turn. In a speech that followed days of protests and industrial action, Edouard Philippe outlined an overhaul of France's byzantine pension system that he said would be fairer and plug a gaping deficit in the pension budget. The legal retirement age would remain at 62, Philippe said, but workers would be encouraged to work until 64 through a system of bonuses and discounts.
- BusinessBloomberg
Buttigieg Says McKinsey Clients Included Blue Cross, Best Buy
Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday released the names of clients that he worked for as a consultant at McKinsey & Co., a list that includes Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan, the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Defense. Buttigieg, who has risen to the top tier of candidates in the Democratic primary, had come under fire from Democratic rivals, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, for not giving voters a full picture of his private sector experience. He made public the names one day after the firm released him from a nondisclosure agreement.In his three years at the firm from 2007 to 2010, Buttigieg also worked for Loblaw Cos.
- NewsAssociated Press
Charges dropped, brothers move to sue NYC for hemp-pot mixup
The bust was a bust, and it could end up costing New York City some serious green. A day after prosecutors dropped criminal charges in a case spotlighting confusion over hemp, marijuana and conflicting laws, the Brooklyn brothers caught in the chaos took the first step toward suing the city and the police department. Oren and Ronen Levy filed notices of claim Wednesday, saying the “nightmare” ordeal that began with Ronen's Nov. 2 arrest and the seizure of 106 pounds (48 kilograms) of hemp plants tarnished their reputations and threatened their livelihoods selling CBD, the extract showing up lately in everything candy to coffee.
- NewsBusiness Insider
The architect of Mexico's war on cartels was just arrested in Texas and accused of drug trafficking and taking bribes
Genaro Garcia Luna, who was Mexico's public-security secretary between 2006 and 2012, was arrested in Texas on Monday. Garcia Luna, the architect of Mexico's campaign against organized crime in the late 2000s, is the latest Mexican official accused of corruption and involvement in drug trafficking. A former high-ranking Mexican security official who led the country's crackdown on organized crime in the mid-2000s was arrested in the US on Monday and been charged with conspiracy to import and distribute drugs and making false statements.
