Stock markets slump as trade war tensions spike

Investors fled stocks for safe-haven assets Friday after being spooked by the latest salvos fired in the global trade war.

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Mueller’s ‘Insufficient Evidence’ Doesn’t Mean What Trump Says It Does

Befitting the former U.S. Marine, it’s thorough, exhaustive in detail, even exasperating in its attention to fine legal arguments and Justice Department policy guidelines. Speaking about it publicly for the first time on Wednesday, Mueller made a point to say that the pages contained his words, carefully chosen. It follows, then, that the report as reiterated by Mueller isn’t easily reduced to catch phrases.

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Trial begins for border activist who helped migrants

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A border activist being tried in a federal court was helping two migrants with water, food and lodging last year and only intended "to provide basic human kindness," his lawyer told jurors Wednesday.

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911 Calls Released in Elizabeth Shelley Case

The 911 calls made after the disappearance of 5-year-old Elizabeth Shelley were released Thursday.

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Alaska Native leaders seek U.S. attorney general's help to fight rural crime

U.S. Attorney General Robert Barr on Wednesday promised Alaska Native leaders he would work to strengthen law enforcement in the state's rural areas hit by alarmingly high rates of violent crime. Native Alaskan leaders say police protection is scarce in their communities. The meeting was held on the day U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller appeared before reporters in Washington at the Department of Justice, which Barr oversees, to discuss his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

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View 2020 Lexus RX Photos

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US and allies set to present ‘evidence’ of Iran attacks in Middle East, as Bolton denies policy rift with Trump

America and its allies in the Middle East are planning to present evidence of Iranian complicity in the attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf to the United Nations Security Council, according to US National Security Advisor John Bolton.Speaking in London before Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK next week, Mr Bolton warned that the “threat was not over” from Iran and that the country “will be held accountable.”“There will be strong response,” to any further acts of violence, he added. He accused Tehran of involvement either directly, or through proxy forces, in carrying out attacks on international shipping, oil pipelines and port facilities in neighbouring countries.Mr Bolton made his charge amid rising tension in the region after the US dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group and B52 bombers and ordered the deployment of additional ground troops.It also comes during continuing friction between the Trump administration and Western allies, including Britain, over the Iran nuclear deal.Mr Bolton claimed in Abu Dhabi, on his way to London, that it was “clear that Iran is behind” the attacks on the tankers and that “naval mines almost certainly from Iran” caused the damage to the ships.Tehran has described the charges as “ludicrous,” with the Foreign Ministry declaring that “Iran’s strategic patience, vigilance (and) defensive prowess will defuse mischievous plots made by Bolton and other warmongers”.Mr Bolton has called for regime change in Tehran on numerous occasions in the past, as the Iranian government of Hassan Rouhani has repeatedly pointed out. President Trump stated earlier this year that the US was not seeking regime change and repeated calls for talks with the leadership in Tehran.Asked by The Independent whether he was at odds with the president on this issue of regime change, Mr Bolton said “before I became national security advisor I said and wrote a lot of things on every subject. I believed what I wrote then and I still do. But I am National Security Advisor, not National Security decision maker.“The policy we are pursuing is not a policy of regime change, that’s a fact and everybody should understand that.”However Mr Bolton went on to accuse Iran of involvement in the tanker assaults, adding that “there is some prospect that evidence of this will be presented to the Security Council next week.”“There are a series of meetings under way on this in Saudi Arabia, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation ... I don’t think there’s anybody who is familiar with the situation in the region and have examined the evidence can come to any other conclusion that these attacks were carried out by Iran and its surrogates.“We are looking at all the evidence and we are looking at it in a responsible and prudent fashion ... We say there is a lot of activity that goes on in that part of the world which is attributable to Iran because of their prior conduct, because of their statements and because of information that comes into our possession which I am not going to discuss further.”Mr Bolton accused Iran of direct and indirect culpability.“When the Houthis use drones or ballistic missiles, they don’t make them, they get them from somewhere.“I think it’s fair to hold Iran accountable even without more information because of the foreseeable consequences of giving such weapons to the Houthis. In terms of attacks on pipelines, it’s possible the Houthis did it, or it came from somewhere else too, more directly from Iran,” he said.The Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group, claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi oil pipeline in mid-May.Differences remained, Mr Bolton acknowledged, between the US and its allies over the Iran nuclear deal. President Trump pulled the US out of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and imposed sweeping sanctions on Iran.The other international signatories --- Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China— as well as the UN and EU insist that Tehran has adhered to its obligations and are attempting to save the agreement which they say has stopped Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.The European Union is putting together a financial programme which seeks to enable businesses to trade with Iran in the face of US sanctions.Mr Bolton held up the possibility that Britain’s position on supporting the programme may change after Brexit. “By definition as an independent country you can make up your own policy - it’s different once you are outside the European Union,” he said.

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Disney chief: abortion law would make it difficult to keep filming in Georgia

Bob Iger says many Disney employees would not want to work there if law that bans abortion as early as six weeks takes effectDisney has filmed blockbuster movies such as Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame in Georgia. Photograph: Imagine China/REX/ShutterstockThe chief executive of the Walt Disney Company said Georgia’s new strict abortion law would make it “very difficult” for the media company to keep filming in the state.Walt Disney Co chief executive Bob Iger told Reuters on Wednesday that the law would cause many people to not want to work in the state if it were to go in effect.Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp signed the legislation earlier this month. The law bans abortion once cardiac activity can be detected – which can be as early as six weeks, before many women even realize they are pregnant. The law is due to take effect on 1 January, if it survives court challenges.Disney has filmed blockbuster movies such as Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame in the state. It is one of many film and TV production companies lured to the state by tax credits.The industry is now responsible for more than 92,000 jobs in Georgia, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and some 455 productions were shot in Georgia in 2018, according to the state.Asked if Disney would keep filming in Georgia, Iger said it would be “very difficult to do so” if the abortion law is implemented.“I rather doubt we will,” Iger said in an interview ahead of the dedication for a new Star Wars section at Disneyland. “I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. Right now we are watching it very carefully.”If the law takes effect, “I don’t see how it’s practical for us to continue to shoot there,” he added.Georgia is one of eight states to pass anti-abortion legislation this year in an effort to induce the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 landmark case that established a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy.Although some actors and producers have already said they will no longer work in Georgia because of the abortion law, many of the large production companies have remained publicly silent on the abortion law.On Tuesday, streaming service Netflix said it would “rethink” its film and television production investment in Georgia if the law goes into effect.In the meantime, Netflix will continue production there for now and work with groups that are fighting the law in US courts.

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Bulgaria in first U.S. gas deals buys two LNG cargoes

Bulgaria has agreed to buy U.S. natural gas for the first time, signing a deal for a delivery in the second quarter and another in the third, the country's energy minister said on Friday. Dutch-registered trader Kolmar NL will deliver a 90 million cubic meter (mcm) cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a second of 50 mcm. "The ship carrying LNG from the United States has arrived at the Greek Revithoussa LNG terminal," Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said.

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Riyadh rallies allies against Tehran at Mecca summits

Gulf and Arab allies rallied around Saudi Arabia Friday as it ratcheted up tensions with regional rival Iran after a series of attacks, drawing accusations from Tehran of "sowing division". Tehran, which has strongly denied involvement in any of the attacks, expressed disappointment that Riyadh plans to level the same "baseless accusations" at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) early on Saturday.

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Man charged after Nassau County police find woman, 2 boys with autism, 1 teen in car with 'CALL 911' sign

A man was charged after police say a woman holding a "CALL 911" sign and her three children were found inside his car on Long Island.

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New Mexico town gets death threats after halting crowd-funded border wall

A New Mexico mayor on Thursday said he and his staff received multiple death threats after they briefly halted construction of a crowd-funded, private border wall by a group that then urged supporters to tell the city to "stop playing games," and alleged it was tied to drug cartels. The Florida-based group has raised $23 million via crowd-funding site GoFundMe.com to build private border walls to halt smuggling and a surge in undocumented migrants, after funding for President Donald Trump's promised wall was blocked. Perea described the tactics of We Build the Wall as a "cheap blow," and the American Civil Liberties Union accused it of pursuing a "white Nationalist" agenda.

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Disney says it won't make any more films in Georgia if draconian abortion laws come into force in the US state

Disney's chief executive has warned Georgia that the company's film and TV productions are likely to abandon the state if its controversial abortion bill becomes law. Bob Iger said it would be "very difficult" for the entertainment giant to continue working in the state if the so-called "heartbeat bill", which outlaws terminations from as early as six weeks, comes into force. The Walt Disney Company has shot some of its biggest films in the US state, including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame. Speaking to Reuters, Iger said: "If it becomes law, it'll be very difficult. "I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. "Right now we are watching it very carefully." Sen John Milkovich speaks outside the State Capitol in Louisiana where the House passed Milkovich's 'fetal heartbeat' bill Georgia has been dubbed the "Hollywood of the South" after it lured production companies with favourable tax laws. The state offers a tax credit that has lured many film and TV productions. The industry is responsible for more than 92,000 jobs in Georgia, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and some 455 productions were shot in Georgia in 2018, according to the state. However, its proposed abortion laws have caused fury across the industry, with leading stars lining up to condemn the bill. Netflix has also warned it could pull out of the state. Georgia's bill bans abortions in cases where a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks. It is due to come into effect on January 1 2020, although campaigners have already said they will fight it in the courts. It came as last night Louisiana on Wednesday also passed a bill banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, becoming the seventh state to do so. The bans are expected to be blocked in lower courts, but supporters plan to appeal such decisions until they reach the Supreme Court.

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Florida Gov. DeSantis meets with Netanyahu in Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, calling the embattled Israeli prime minister a "strong leader" on the governor's final day of a trade mission to Israel.

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Pork Producers, Corn Growers Urge Trump to Drop Mexico Tariffs

The president said Thursday that 5% duties could be placed on all imports from Mexico on June 10, rising in increments to 25% in October unless Mexico halts the flow of immigrants heading to the U.S. border. “We appeal to President Trump to reconsider plans to open a new trade dispute with Mexico,” David Herring, president of the National Pork Producers Council and a hog farmer from Lillington, North Carolina, said Friday in an emailed statement.

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How the 2016 Debates Are Still Haunting Democrats

Democrats are trying to avoid the missteps of the 2016 primary debates — a goal that has proven elusive as more candidates have announced.

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Amit Shah: Modi's enforcer emerges from behind India's throne

As the battle-hardened drill sergeant for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah has long been considered India's second most-powerful person, and his appointment Friday as home minister elevates his position to leader-in-waiting. While Modi is the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party's people person, firing up rallies and mastering Twitter, Shah has for years made sure that Modi's orders are carried out to the letter while turning the world's biggest political party into the undisputed force across the nation of 1.3 billion people. Shah's piercing stare and strongarm tactics have made him a feared and respected figure in the Hindu nationalist party -- opposition parties and critics call him "ruthless" -- a status only increased by his role masterminding the BJP's second straight landslide election victory this month as the party president.

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Jussie Smollett: Possible deal was in the works a month before charges dropped, documents show

New documents on the Jussie Smollett case show that prosecutors told Chicago police detectives that a possible deal with the actor was in the works a month before charges against him were dropped.Smollett was charged in March with 16 counts alleging he lied to police when reporting he'd been the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in January. Police contend the black and openly gay actor allegedly staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity.Prosecutors dropped charges on 26 March without Smollett admitting guilt. Then Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson expressed outrage over the prosecutors' decision. Smollett has maintained his innocence. The approximately 460 pages of new documents show that detectives investigating Smollett's allegations were told by Cook County prosecutors a deal with the Empire actor could include a $10,000 fine and community service. The detectives did not pass the information to superiors. "They didn't pass it on because they didn't know it (the case) was going to be handled the way it was," said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. In the documents released on Thursday, detectives note the Chicago Police Department was informed by the Cook County State's Attorney's office on 28 February that they could no longer investigate the crime. Smollett was indicted on 7 March. The lead investigators in the case met with Assistant State's Attorney Risa Lanier, who informed detectives "that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service". The detectives closed the case at that point because an arrest was made and the alleged offender was being prosecuted, according to Guglielmi.It was the attorneys for Smollett who announced charges alleging he lied to police about attack had been dropped. At the time, Johnson said he learned of the deal prosecutors made with Smollett when the deal was announced by lawyers, adding he didn't think justice was being served. However, he didn't directly criticise prosecutors."My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the state's attorney," Johnson said. "That's what we did. I stand behind the detectives' investigation." The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association said the dismissal of the charges was "an affront to prosecutors across the state" as well as police, victims of hate crimes and the county as a whole.The city of Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating. The city claims about two dozen detectives and officers investigated the entertainer's report that he was attacked, resulting in a "substantial number of overtime hours."Additional reporting by agencies

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Stone Was Like ‘Uncle Roger,’ Miller Testifies to Grand Jury

Prosecutors focused their examination on Miller’s relationship with Stone and Stone’s connection to WikiLeaks founder Assange, Miller’s attorney Paul Kamenar told reporters after the proceeding. Stone was indicted by the grand jury in January on charges of lying to Congress about communications with Assange, obstruction and witness tampering.

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MALEAH DAVIS: Remains found in bag amid search for girl in Arkansas

After a revelation in the disappearance of the 4-year-old, Quanell X has told ABC13 a body was located during the search for the girl in Arkansas

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Barr: Counter-intelligence Probe of Trump Campaign Crossed ‘Serious Red Line’

Attorney General William Barr said Friday that the FBI's counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign "crossed" a "serious red line" and should be "carefully looked at.""The use of foreign intelligence capabilities and counterintelligence capabilities against an American political campaign to me is unprecedented and it's a serious red line that's been crossed," Barr said in an interview with CBS.The attorney general is currently investigating the origins of the probe to determine whether the U.S. intelligence community's surveillance of the Trump campaign was warranted. He has expressed skepticism about the explanations for some of the investigative actions taken.During testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee last month, Barr stated that "spying did occur" on the Trump campaign, angering Democratic lawmakers."I guess it's become a dirty word somehow," Barr told CBS. "I think there is nothing wrong with spying. The question is always whether it is authorized by law.""There were counterintelligence activities undertaken against the Trump campaign, And I'm not saying there was not a basis for it, that it was legitimate, but I want to see what that basis was and make sure it was legitimate," he added.The New York Times reported that the FBI sent an undercover agent posing as a research assistant to ask former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos whether the campaign was working with Russia. Papadopoulos was told by a Maltese professor in early 2016 that Russia had damaging information on Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, but said he told the undercover agent he had “nothing to do with Russia.”"Republics have fallen because of Praetorian Guard mentality where government officials get very arrogant, they identify the national interest with their own political preferences, and they feel that anyone who has a different opinion, you know, is somehow an enemy of the state," Barr remarked. "That can easily translate into essentially supervening the will of the majority and getting your own way as a government official."FBI director Chris Wray said earlier this month that he had seen no evidence that the FBI illegally spied on the Trump campaign.

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Showdown over Missouri abortion clinic postponed as governor weighs in

Gov. Mike Parson said court intervention in the fight over whether to renew the license of Missouri's lone abortion provider would be "reckless."

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Trump Tariffs on Mexico Irk Key Republican Allies in Congress

The president’s announcement Thursday surprised many Republicans who hoped to focus on passing a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada known as the USMCA. Trump said he will impose a 5% tariff on all imports from Mexico -- ramping up 5 percentage points every month until hitting 25% in October -- unless Mexico takes "decisive measures" to stem migrants entering the U.S.

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The Latest: Group behind private border wall has more plans

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (AP) — The latest on the crowd-funded barrier built on the U.S.-Mexico Border (all times local):

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Ex-NBA Star Scottie Pippen Names 5-Year-Old in Lawsuit Over Home Damages

Phillip Faraone/GettyFormer Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen has named a 5-year-old girl in a lawsuit over alleged damage to his Florida mansion, claiming she ruined his pad by “defacing” it with crayons and markers.The former basketball player had initially filed the lawsuit against lawyer-turned-comedian Lindsay Glazer and her husband, Jacob Woloshin, in 2018, but amended it this week to include the couple’s young daughter. In court documents, Pippen accused Glazer and Woloshin of a “failure as parents” for supposedly allowing their child to “deface certain elements of the property with markers, crayons, and/or cause damage of similar nature” while they rented his six-bedroom, nine-bathroom mansion.The lawsuit alleges that damages totaled nearly $110,000 and seeks compensation “in excess of $15,000,” excluding legal fees, costs, and interest. In addition to the child’s alleged “defacing” of the property with crayons and markers, Pippen has also accused the couple of “neglecting the care of the home,” “causing the home to become infected with insects,” allowing pets to urinate in the home, and “literally stealing personal household items,” among other things. Glazer, who last year jokingly set up a GoFundMe page to “replace [Pippen’s] missing knife set” and raised over $700 for charity, laughed off the latest allegations. “All jokes aside, who would have ever thought that Dennis Rodman would be strengthening relations with North Korea, and Scottie ‘no tippin’ Pippen would be the crazy one suing little girls?” Glazer told the New Times Broward Palm Beach.“With all of the publicity this ridiculous case was getting, we thought it good to use it as an opportunity to raise funds for the Fisher House Foundation, which assists military and veteran's families,” the comedian told the New Times about the fundraising page.According to The Sun-Sentinel, Pippen was ordered to pay $13,190 more in taxes on the home the same year he sued Glazer. Pippen misidentified the home as his primary residence when he was actually renting the home out, which makes him ineligible for a tax break.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Democratic Louisiana governor signs six week abortion into law

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed Louisiana’s abortion ban into law, making the southern state the fifth to enact a law prohibiting abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically as early as six weeks, which is before most women know they’re pregnant. Alabama’s law, which bans abortions from the moment of conception, surpasses these states in severity. But like that law, Louisiana’s new ban does not contain any exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest.Governor Edwards is the first Democrat to back one of the many attempts to overturn Roe v Wade with deliberately unconstitutional language currently sweeping the US. Like all the bans, it will not take effect immediately, and abortion remains legal and accessible in Louisiana for now. However, restrictive laws already in place, which work around the Supreme Court decision to make abortion difficult to access, leave the state in an already precarious position. Mr Edwards has been open about his stance against abortion rights throughout his career, and was clear that he would sign the bill when it reached him. Though differing on abortion rights from most of his party, he was still supported by the Democratic National Committee. In a statement celebrating his election in November 2015, then-DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote: “John Bel Edwards’ commitment to expanding quality health care to hundreds of thousands of Louisianans … is a message that Democrats all across the country can run on and win with in 2016.”The bill was also sponsored by a Democrat, state senator John Milkovich. Nola.com reports that Louisiana legislators overwhelmingly supported the ban, with a 79-23 House vote and 31-5 Senate vote.A tweet from Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which covers Louisiana, called Thursday “a dark day in Louisiana’s history”.“But as our supporters showed today,” the tweet said, “we will never stop fighting these attacks on our reproductive rights and freedoms. Louisianans deserve better.”

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Dangerous tornado touches down in Kansas City; severe weather moves east into Missouri

A dangerous tornado touched down on the western edge of Kansas City, Kansas, forcing local residents to take shelter.

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Navy official confirms White House requested USS McCain be kept away during Trump visit

U.S. Navy officials tell Fox News that all ships were in their normal configuration during the president's visit; national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports.

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The Updated Tesla Model S Could Crib Model 3 Content

Tesla's largest all-electric hatchback will reportedly have an extended driving range and a simpler cabin design.

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Trump planning 'dramatic' policy statement on border

President Donald Trump said he is planning to make a major statement on US immigration policy on Thursday or Friday, amid continuing frustration over thousands of migrants pouring over the border with Mexico. "I'm going to be making a statement, probably tomorrow but maybe today," Trump told reporters. Trump accused Democrats in Congress of not supporting legislation to end what he called "ridiculous" US policy on asylum seekers.

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Body believed to be missing Utah girl is found

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A body believed to be a missing 5-year-old Utah girl was found Wednesday less than a block from her home, bringing a wide-ranging search to a grim close five days after the child was taken from her home and killed by her uncle, police said.

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The mysterious SpaceX Crew Dragon explosion is still being investigated

SpaceX has been on a real hot streak as of late, with many successful missions and firsts, like the successful docking of its Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. A small speed bump in that otherwise smooth road came in late April when a test of the Crew Dragon resulted in an explosion and total loss of the spacecraft.Details regarding the accident have been hard to come by, and SpaceX waited quite a while before even acknowledging that it had lost the Crew Dragon in the incident. Several weeks have now passed and, despite a small info dump that came over a week after the explosion, the investigation into why the craft detonated remains ongoing.As SpaceNews reports, a presentation on Wednesday to a committee of the NASA Advisory Council offered a few more details on the explosion and the ongoing investigation.The error or glitch that caused the explosion is still being referred to as "an anomaly," which doesn't tell us anything about the reason the spacecraft self-destructed, but NASA's Kathy Lueders did offer some insight into the chain of events that immediately followed the incident."I will tell you that the team did a great job," Lueders explained. "The team followed the mishap plan beautifully. All the notifications were made. The SpaceX folks did a tremendous job."The Crew Dragon Demo-1 spacecraft, which was the one that suffered the anomaly, was being tested on a static platform when the incident occurred. The SpaceX team was testing its thrusters, including those that would be used for an in-flight abort to push the capsule away from its rocket if a failure or other serious issue was detected in the midst of a launch.NASA says SpaceX is conducting the investigation into the vehicle failure alongside a team of NASA's own investigators, and that the findings of the investigation shouldn't be rushed. However, both NASA and SpaceX will need to ensure the investigation is wrapped up before the Crew Dragon program can push forward and eventually send crewed missions into space.

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Tankers almost certainly damaged by Iranian naval mines, John Bolton says

John Bolton, the US national security advisor, has publicly accused Iranian forces armed with naval mines of carrying out an attack on oil tankers earlier this month.  Speaking in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mr Bolton said Iran “almost certainly” used mines in the sabotage attack which damaged two oil tankers and two smaller ships at the Emirati port of Fujairah.   “There is no doubt in anybody’s mind in Washington who is responsible for this and I think it’s important that the leadership in Iran know that we know,” he said.  But Mr Bolton also adopted a softer tone than in the past, saying the US was not planning military action in response to the Fujairah attack.  However, he warned and Iran its proxy groups that “that these kind of activities risk a very strong response from the Americans.” Mr Bolton also said Iran had unsuccessfully tried to carry out an attack at the Saudi port of Yanbu but gave no further details.  Persian gulf sabotage attacks Iran denied responsibility and said Mr Bolton’s accusations were “ridiculous”.   Western officials have long suspected that Iran was behind the May 12 sabotage attack in the UAE, which damaged a Saudi and a Norwegian oil tanker, but Mr Bolton’s comments about naval mines are the first time a possible method has been revealed.  The UAE is continuing to lead an international investigation into the sabotage and has not formally accused any state of responsibility.  Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, said the “road is not closed” for negotiations between the US and Iran if Washington agrees to lift crippling sanctions and return to the negotiating table.  Mr Trump pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear agreement last year and imposed sanctions designed to completely choke off Iran’s oil exports. The president has repeatedly expressed his hope that Iran would stop supporting militant groups across the Middle East and enter negotiations with the US. “I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon,” he said last week. The US has been building up its forces in the Middle East since early May, when Mr Bolton announced that an American aircraft carrier and bomber squadron was being sent to the region in response to Iranian threats. While Mr Bolton has taken a consistently hard line on both Iran and North Korea, Donald Trump has publicly distanced himself from his aide’s hawkish approach.

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Showdown over Missouri abortion clinic postponed as governor weighs in

Gov. Mike Parson said court intervention in the fight over whether to renew the license of Missouri's lone abortion provider would be "reckless."

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SpaceX's Starlink Satellites Put on a Celestial Show Over the Netherlands

But stargazers worry more satellites could hinder our views of the night sky.

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Trump says he 'can’t imagine the courts allowing' him to be impeached

President Trump renewed his assertion that Robert Mueller’s report exonerated him of wrongdoing, claiming that the special counsel "would have brought charges" if he could, and adding that he “can’t imagine the courts allowing” him to be impeached.

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Is the Syrian regime about to retake Idlib?

Syria's regime has increased its deadly bombardment of Idlib in recent weeks, but analysts say that is unlikely to signal an all-out offensive on the jihadist bastion. Eight years into Syria's civil war, the government has notched up a series of victories against rebels and jihadists, and controls around 60 percent of the country. Two regions largely remain beyond its control: a Kurdish-held swathe of the northeast and a northwestern region controlled by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

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Tour boat sinking revives memories of SKorea ferry disaster

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The sinking of a boat carrying South Korean tourists in Hungary is touching a nerve in South Korea, where many are still traumatized over a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly students. The grief is compounded by claims by some South Korean tour agents and travelers that there were past safety issues on the Danube River where the accident happened.

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Ethiopian pilot pleaded for training after Lion Air Boeing 737 Max crash

Just days after a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max nosedived in Indonesia, an Ethiopian Airlines pilot began pleading with his bosses for more training on the Max.

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FOX NEWS: Baltimore's mayor blames NSA for ransomware attack that cripple city's computer networks

Baltimore's mayor blames NSA for ransomware attack that cripple city's computer networks



Mayor Jack Young says the ransomware is a spinoff of a cyberweapon that hackers stole it from the NSA in a 2017 breach; Gillian Turner reports from Baltimore.

via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/30UTdMJ

FOX NEWS: New app tracks data trackers on your mobile device

New app tracks data trackers on your mobile device



It may come as a surprise that there are dozens of trackers running on your iPhone, delivering the data they gather throughout the day and night.

via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2W4hMDo

FOX NEWS: Navy wants 350 billion social media posts for epic research project

Navy wants 350 billion social media posts for epic research project



The U.S. Navy wants to amass 350 billion social media posts for a massive data archive that will provide new insight into how people communicate online.

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FOX NEWS: Baltimore seeks federal aid to pay for damage caused by crippling ransomware attack

Baltimore seeks federal aid to pay for damage caused by crippling ransomware attack



Residents are still unable to pay city water bills, tickets, taxes and close real estate deals online, prompting city employees to work 12-hour shifts in order to conduct all day-to-day city business; Gillian Turner reports from Baltimore.

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FOX NEWS: US military building ‘missile-killing’ lasers that it will mount onto jets

US military building ‘missile-killing’ lasers that it will mount onto jets



Anti-missile lasers could soon be attached to U.S. fighter jets after a successful ground test.

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FOX NEWS: Military sealift may need more help to get combat vehicles to Europe

Military sealift may need more help to get combat vehicles to Europe



As the Pentagon accelerates its pivot toward great power competition and moves beyond 15 years of counterinsurgency, the US military continues to build up forces, increase training and conduct exercises with regional allies in both the European and Pacific theaters.  

via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2QELttG

FOX NEWS: Facebook ignores Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi amid growing backlash over doctored video

Facebook ignores Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi amid growing backlash over doctored video



Facebook is standing by its refusal to take down a doctored video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi amid a growing backlash from Democrats. 

via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2I98xgb

Trump's national security adviser John Bolton arrives in UAE for talks

Trump's national security adviser John Bolton arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday ahead of talks scheduled for Wednesday, he said in tweet, amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. "Just landed in the UAE. Looking forward to meeting with our Emirati allies tomorrow to discuss important and timely regional security matters," Bolton posted on Twitter.

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Huawei reviewing ties with FedEx after two packers were 'diverted to America'

Huawei is reviewing its relationship with FedEx after it claimed two of its packages were "diverted to America", amid rising tensions between the Chinese technology company and the US government.  Donald Trump's administration has repeatedly warned that Huawei's equipment could be used for spying by China, and earlier this month the US president signed an executive order which effectively banned the company from America's 5G network. Huawei has maintained it is independent of the Chinese state and has now accused American courier FedEx of diverting its packages to the US, despite the fact they were travelling between Asian addresses. The company said that FedEx diverted two parcels sent from Japan and addressed to its offices in China, instead sending them to the US, and attempted to divert two more packages sent from Vietnam to offices elsewhere in Asia.   Huawei provided images of FedEx tracking records to Reuters, but the news agency said it has not yet verified their authenticity. Huawei said one package originating in Vietnam was received by Friday, and the other was on its way. FedEx said the packages were “misrouted in error” Credit: AP The four packages did not contain any technology, but important commercial documents, according to Huawei. Joe Kelly, a spokesman for the technology giant, said: “The recent experiences where important commercial documents sent via FedEx were not delivered to their destination, and instead were either diverted to, or were requested to be diverted to, FedEx in the United States, undermines our confidence”. “We will now have to review our logistics and document delivery support requirements as a direct result of these incidents,” he added.   Maury Donahue, a spokeswoman for FedEx, said that the packages were “misrouted in error” and insisted that it was not at the request of any other party. “This is an isolated issue limited to a very small number of packages,” said FedEx. “We are aware of all shipments at issue and are working directly with our customers to return the packages to their possession.” FedEx's China office on Tuesday issued an apology on its Chinese social media account for the “mishandling” of Huawei's packages and insisted there was no “external pressure” to divert them.

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At Least 8 Tornadoes Have Been Reported Every Day for the Last 12 Days

After several quiet years, the past couple of weeks have seen an explosion of tornado activity with no end to the pattern in sight.

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Where's Joe? Biden taking it slow in early campaign days

While Democratic presidential hopefuls barnstorm through early voting states, the party's frontrunner for the nomination, Joe Biden, is working at a different pace altogether, rolling out his 2020 campaign in limited stages and to moderate numbers of voters. Despite Biden's sluggish start, President Donald Trump is already fixating on the former vice president as his main rival in next year's election, going so far as to invoke North Korea's dictator in tweets criticizing Biden. Biden didn't refer to the debacle during a teachers' union town hall that lasted more than an hour Tuesday in Houston, Texas, his first public campaign event in 10 days.

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