NewsAssociated PressO'Rourke, other Dems don't want tent city's contract renewed
Rep. Beto O'Rourke and four other Democratic members of Congress toured a remote tent city in West Texas on Saturday where they said that 2,700 immigrant teens are being held at a cost of roughly $1 million per day. The lawmakers urged the nonprofit running the facility not to renew a federal contract that expires Dec. 31, a longshot request that could effectively shutter the camp. O'Rourke — a Texan who has been mentioned as a potential 2020 presidential candidate after nearly upsetting Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in his deep-red state — was joined by U.S. Sens.
PoliticsReutersTrump hails judge's ruling against Obamacare as 'great'
President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed a court decision against Obamacare as "a great ruling for our country," while a U.S. government official said the decision by a Texas judge would have no immediate impact on health coverage. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday said that Obamacare, known formally as the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), was unconstitutional based on its mandate requiring that people buy health insurance. In a decision that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court, O'Connor sided with a coalition of 20 states that argued requiring people to pay for insurance coverage is illegal because a change in tax law last year eliminated a penalty for not having health insurance.
NewsAssociated PressFlorida tale of infidelity and homicide ends with conviction
Jurors found Denise Williams guilty of three counts including first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for her role in a case that has recalled the plot of the Hollywood film classic "Double Indemnity." The 48-year-old Williams was found guilty after testimony by a key witness, the man who shot her husband Mike Williams on a cold December morning on a large lake west of Tallahassee. Denise Williams, who could spend the rest of her life in prison, is to be sentenced at an unspecified date next year. Mike Williams disappeared nearly 18 years ago to the date of his wife's conviction.
- NewsThe Telegraph
Family complains that Catholic priest used teen's funeral to condemn suicide
The parents of a teenage boy who took his own life have condemned a Catholic priest who questioned whether their son would get to heaven while presiding over his funeral. The Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit expressed regret for the comments and said the Rev Don LaCuesta would not preach at funerals "for the foreseeable future". "We wanted him to celebrate how Maison lived, not how he died," his mother, Linda Hullibarger, told The Detroit Free Press.
- PoliticsBloomberg
Top Democrat Schiff Adds Call for Probe of Trump, Deutsche Bank Links
The incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee joined Democratic colleagues in questioning ties between Deutsche Bank AG and President Donald Trump’s real estate business. Representative Adam Schiff of California said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that any type of compromise needs to be investigated. That could add his panel’s scrutiny to that of Representative Maxine Waters, who’s in line to be chair of the House Financial Services Committee and has also focused on the bank’s connections to Trump.
- LifestyleUSA TODAY
The best weekend holiday deals on Amazon
Holiday shopping is in full swing people! The clock is ticking for the deadlines to order your gifts and still have them under the tree before Christmas. In addition to free shipping until Dec. 18, Amazon has some incredible deals and price drops that make great gifts. If you're still having trouble on what to get your loved ones, we've got plenty of gift guides for everyone from kids to parents to home chefs to fitness fanatics and more.
- U.S.KABC – Los Angeles
Student loans totaling $150M to be forgiven by US Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education plans to cancel about $150 million in student loan debt, which means about 15,000 borrowers will be forgiven.
WorldAFPIraq lays cornerstone to rebuild iconic Mosul mosque
Iraqis on Sunday laid the cornerstone in rebuilding Mosul's Al-Nuri mosque and leaning minaret, national emblems destroyed last year in the ferocious battle against the Islamic State group. The famed 12th century mosque and minaret, dubbed Al-Hadba or "the hunchback," hosted Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's only public appearance as IS chief, when he declared a self-styled "caliphate" after the jihadists swept into Mosul in 2014. The structures were ravaged three years later in the final, most brutal stages of the months-long fight to rid Iraq's second city of IS.
- BusinessHuffPost
Pacific Life Yanks Ads After Tucker Carlson's Dig That Immigrants Make U.S. 'Dirtier'
Prominent insurance company Pacific Life has pulled its commercials from Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program because of his controversial comments that immigrants are making America “dirtier. A company statement posted on Twitter noted: “We strongly disagree with Mr. Carlson’s statements. Our customer base and our workforce reflect the diversity of our great nation, something we take great pride in.
- BusinessThe National Interest
Introducing the Army's New Lethal Sniper Rifle
Task and Purpose, Jared Keller Security, Here's all we know. Despite a brief period of ambiguity wrought by budget-jousting among lawmakers in Congress, the Army’s new and improved sniper rifle is alive and well. Heckler & Koch showed off its M110A1 7.62mm semi-automatic sniper rifle, selected for the Army’s Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS) program on the floor of the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference and exposition in Washington this week, a first up-close-and-personal look at the lightweight rifle.
- LifestyleCar and Driver
Every Photo from Our Drive of the Audi e-tron GT Concept
Developed alongside the Porsche Taycan, Audi's sleek electric coupe is still a long way from reality. From Car and Driver
PoliticsAssociated PressWarren seeks to solidify backing of African Americans
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is seeking to solidify her connection with African-American voters as she prepares to launch a potential presidential campaign amid criticism of her approach to race and identity. The Massachusetts Democrat visited Morgan State University in Baltimore Friday, marking her third trip this year to a historically black college or university. It follows her widely panned October release of a DNA test meant to bolster her claim to Native American heritage.
- WorldReuters
Any decision on Brexit deal will happen in New Year - British trade minister
British trade minister Liam Fox said on Sunday talks with the European Union to secure "assurances" for parliament on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal will take time, with a decision expected in the New Year. quot;The prime minister is giving an update tomorrow, she will be talking to the cabinet on Tuesday, it is very clear that the EU understand what the problem is. And it's a question now, without unpicking the whole of the withdrawal agreement, can we find a mechanism of operating the backstop in a way that actually removes those anxieties," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.
- WorldBloomberg
May's Team Pushes Back at Second Vote Reports: Brexit Update
As Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to face lawmakers in Parliament on Monday, her team pushed back on reports that cabinet ministers have been working on the possibility of a second referendum on leaving the European Union. Unreasonable People’ Blocking Deal: Ireland (12:45 p.m. Unreasonable people” in the U.K. are blocking the Brexit withdrawal agreement from passing, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Sunday.
- NewsAccuWeather
Photos: Snow, freezing rain from Storm Deirdre causes disruptions across UK
Storm Deirdre caused travel hazards, power outages and disruptions this weekend across the United Kingdom. Winds have gusted over 70 mph (110 km/h) at Pembrey Sands in southern Wales. "Leeds and Bradford endured an extended period of freezing rain from the midday to the afternoon hours of Saturday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Inside the threatened Kurdish proto-state that holds the keys to defeating Isil
While a few government buildings and statues of President Assad remain, Qamishli and the surrounding areas are now firmly under the control of the Democratic Union Party (PYD). Mahmoud is a proud supporter of the PYD, but still he declines to give his full name to the Telegraph for fear of reprisal should the regime one day return. Assad has repeatedly promised to retake every inch of Syria, including the third currently in Kurdish hands.
WorldAFPPowerful blast at Japan restaurant injures 42
A powerful blast ripped through a restaurant in northern Japan late Sunday, injuring 42 people, starting fires that took hours to bring under control and leading several neighbouring buildings to collapse, officials and reports said. Images from the scene showed large flames and plumes of smoke rising in the night air after the blast in the northern city of Sapporo. A police official for the Hokkaido region told AFP "there are 42 injuries" but no one was killed.
- PoliticsConsumer Reports
What the New Court Ruling Striking Down the ACA Means for Your Health Insurance
The ruling will have no immediate impact on the health insurance markets and is expected to have a long legal road ahead. Still, the timing couldn’t be more confusing for the millions of people who buy their own health insurance on the exchanges created by the ACA, commonly referred to as Obamacare. Saturday (midnight PST) is the last day to choose a health insurance plan for 2019, and there is usually a surge of signups as the deadline nears.
NewsAssociated PressFor sale: Restored home of Salem witch trials refugee
A once-run-down historic home that stands where a woman accused of witchcraft during the 1692 Salem witch trials settled after she was spared the noose is on the market after an extensive renovation project. The home in Framingham, Massachusetts, known as the Peter and Sarah Clayes House, hit the market Thursday with an asking price of $975,000. Annie Murphy, executive director of the Framingham History Center and a member of the trust formed to save the structure that had fallen into disrepair, is confident someone who appreciates history will snap up the property.
- WorldHuffPost
Rocco The Cheeky Parrot Keeps Using Amazon's Alexa To Order Snacks
Thankfully the device’s parental lock system prevented the clever boy from actually purchasing any items ― which included strawberries, ice cream and even a kettle. Owner Marion Wischnewski told The Times she took the parrot in after he was removed from a sanctuary operated by the UK’s National Animal Welfare Trust for swearing too much. Rocco, who was taught to curse by a previous owner, is evidently loving his new home, interacting with Alexa up to 40 times a day and mastering countless household sounds.
PoliticsAssociated PressThe Latest: Cohen says Trump knew payments were wrong
President Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer says Trump directed him to buy the silence of two women during the 2016 campaign because he was concerned their stories of alleged affairs with him "would affect the election." He says Trump knew the payments were wrong. Cohen says that "of course" Trump knew it was wrong to make the hush-money payments, but he did not provide any specific evidence or detail in the interview. The White House is dismissing Cohen's accusations.
WorldReutersChina's Xi declares an 'overwhelming victory' over graft: state media
Chinese President Xi Jinping has declared an "overwhelming victory" in his fight against graft within the ruling Chinese Communist Party, while still vowing that the campaign to weed out deep-seated corruption will continue, state media reported. Xi has pledged to wage war on graft until corruption of all kinds has been expunged at all levels of the Communist Party, from high-level "tigers" to low-level "flies". He proclaimed during a twice-a-decade meeting of the top party leadership in October 2017 that his fight against graft had achieved "overwhelming momentum".
- WorldBloomberg
South Africa's ANC Postpones Party Election List Conference
The conference would be rescheduled to Jan. 4-5 from this weekend to accommodate the North West province, which hadn’t submitted its nominations, ANC acting spokesman Dakota Legeote said by phone. The conference had been delayed because of deep divisions within the party and allegations by some members of manipulation of the lists, City Press reported on Sunday. South Africa is due to hold national and provincial elections in 2019, likely in May. The country has a proportional representation system in which lawmakers are chosen according to where they sit on nomination lists.
- CelebrityAutoClassics
Inside Polo Storico - where classic Lamborghinis are reborn
Lamborghini remains an automotive marque with unique credentials in a technologically-driven world. Blending the hot-blooded Latin traditions of innovation and passion, you needn't delve deep within Lamborghini's current stable for exotic materials and advanced all-wheel-drive systems. The Bolognese-based engineers are acutely aware that Lamborghini must look to the future for continuing success, yet the company directors have never ignored Ferruccio Lamborghini's heritage.
- WorldReuters
Turkey would consider working with Assad if he won a democratic Syrian election
Turkey and other world powers would consider working with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he won a democratic election, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a conference in Qatar on Sunday. Turkey supported the opposition to Assad in the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011 and continues to support rebel fighters who control part of northwest Syria. A year ago Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan described Assad as a terrorist and said it was impossible for Syrian peace efforts to continue with him.
