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Showing posts from February, 2018

Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Reopens Two Weeks After Shooting

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Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Reopens Two Weeks After Shooting    TIME Gun Control Bills, Including Program to Arm Teachers, Race Through Florida Legislature    New York Times How NY state dems plan on forcing GOP to vote on gun control    New York Post Raise age to serve, vote, buy guns    Newsday Full coverage

Stock Selloff Widens After Powell Boosts Expectations of Rate Rises

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Stock Selloff Widens After Powell Boosts Expectations of Rate Rises    Wall Street Journal Dow falls 299 points after Powell signals Fed will keep raising rates to contain inflation    CNBC Here's What We Learned From Powell's First Fed Chair Testimony    Bloomberg US Fed's new boss Jerome Powell delivers two blows to financial markets    The Australian Financial Review Fed Chair Powell Indicates He'll Keep Bolstering Growth in Public Debut    New York Times Full coverage

Trump says he would have tried to stop Parkland shooter — with his bare hands

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President Trump on Monday criticized the armed sheriff's deputies who reportedly failed to enter Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., during the Feb. 14 mass shooting, suggesting he would have done so even if he didn't have a gun. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-tried-stop-parkland-shooter-bare-hands-175958787.html

Supreme Court hears arguments on power of public employee unions

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The justices will decide whether state government workers who choose not to join a union must still pay a share of union dues to cover the cost of negotiating contracts. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-hears-arguments-power-163909130.html

'It's a lifestyle': Teens at Florida shooting club defend guns

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Reanna Frauens, a lifelong gun enthusiast and a proud member of the Markham Skeet, Trap & Sporting Clays Club, is about the same age as many of the 17 victims killed by a shooter with an assault rifle at a Florida high school about a dozen miles away. "It's a horrible tragedy, but when people start promoting gun control, I am taken aback a little bit because it's a sport, it's a lifestyle, and a lot of people don't realize that," said Frauens, a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the politically powerful gun-rights advocacy group. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/lifestyle-teens-florida-shooting-club-defend-guns-234318674.html

Court Orders Trump To Stop Revoking Dreamers' Protections Without Notice

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WASHINGTON ― The Trump administration has to stop revoking undocumented young people’s deportation protections without due process, a federal judge ruled on Monday. The new order does not affect President Donald Trump’s effort — launched in September but currently on hold because of a separate court ruling — to end the broader Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez issued a preliminary injunction to halt that practice. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/court-orders-trump-stop-revoking-002759587.html

US judge blocks weed-killer warning label in California

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A U.S. judge blocked California from requiring that the popular weed-killer Roundup carry a label stating that it is known to cause cancer, saying the warning is misleading because almost all regulators have concluded there is no evidence that the product's main ingredient is a carcinogen. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-judge-blocks-weed-killer-warning-label-california-182801623.html

Supreme Court Denies Trump Request To Hear Dreamer Lawsuit

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WASHINGTON ― In a major setback for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a lawsuit over the future of an Obama-era program that protects so-called Dreamers from deportation. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-denies-trump-request-145308499.html

Fire breaks out in overhead storage on Chinese aircraft

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A fire broke out in the overhead storage of a Chinese passenger jet moments before it was scheduled to take off. Flight attendants and a passenger threw water and juice over a bag in the luggage compartment as it was engulfed in heavy smoke and flames. The fire was thought to have been triggered by a power bank that was being carried in the bag, reports said. The owner was taken away by police for questioning. All the passengers were forced to disembark the Boeing 777 following the fire, which happened while the plane was parked on the tarmac at Guangzhou Airport in southern China. It was scheduled to fly to Shanghai. The passengers and crew were taken to a different aircraft which took off just after 3pm, three hours after the original flight was scheduled to depart. Fire caused by portable charger on China Southern flight in Guangzhou was put out promptly, while passengers were relocated to another plane pic.twitter.com/HYwShVN1t3— China Xinhua News (@XHN...

Russia blasts 'bogus' reports of Syria chemical attack

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Moscow on Monday said reports of an alleged chemical attack on Syria's rebel-held Eastern Ghouta were planted "bogus stories" and insisted armed groups attacked by regime forces there were terrorist allies. "There are already bogus stories in the media that yesterday chlorine was used in Eastern Ghouta, citing an anonymous individual living in the United States," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press-conference. A child died and at least 13 other people suffered breathing difficulties in a village in the Eastern Ghouta region after the suspected chemical attack Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a medic who treated those affected. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-blasts-bogus-reports-syria-chemical-attack-113742537.html

Florida school shooting: Sheriff says armed officer's failure to intervene in Parkland was 'not my responsibility'

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In the wake of the shooting, Donald Trump called for teachers to be armed, saying “gun-adept” teachers, coaches, and other school workers would be able to deter school shooters. Mr Peterson has resigned rather than face suspension and possible dismissal. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel refusing to resign telling @nbc6: “I gave him a gun. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/florida-school-shooting-sheriff-says-125311375.html

More than 150 ICE arrests confirmed across Fresno and Northern California

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ICE confirms that since Sunday there have been 150 arrests across Northern California. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/more-150-ice-arrests-confirmed-021925765.html

The Latest: Obama not planning to attend Graham memorial

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on those paying respects to the Rev. Billy Graham in Charlotte (all times local): from https://www.yahoo.com/news/latest-public-pays-respect-rev-billy-graham-140113385.html

Florida Survivors Defend Sheriff Against Republican Calls To Oust Him

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Students who survived the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, earlier this month don’t blame Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel for missing various red flags in the shooter’s behavior. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/florida-survivors-defend-sheriff-against-151602191.html

Turkey sends special forces into Syria's Afrin for 'new fight'

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Turkey has sent special forces into the Syrian region of Afrin in anticipation of a "new fight" in urban areas in its operation against a Kurdish militia, Ankara said on Monday. Turkey on January 20 started an offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in the western enclave of Afrin. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/turkey-sends-special-forces-syrias-afrin-fight-003710480.html

Xi term limit proposal sparks rare public dissent in China

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BEIJING (AP) — In a rare public expression of dissent in China, a well-known political commentator and a prominent businesswoman have penned open letters urging lawmakers to reject a plan that would allow President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinese-public-figures-decry-proposal-scrap-term-limits-053658036.html

Democrats appear to extend streak with another red/blue flip

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Rachel Maddow reports on the apparently victory of Democrat Linda Belcher in a Kentucky state special election, at least the 37th flip by Democrats of a district that went heavily for Donald Trump in 2016. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-appear-extend-streak-another-155448875.html

Jared Kushner's Security Clearance Has Been Downgraded: Reports

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All other White House aides working on high-level interim clearances also had their access downgraded, according to a memo reportedly sent to staffers on Friday. Earlier that same day, Trump said he would leave it up to his chief of staff, John Kelly, to decide what access Kushner should have. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/jared-kushner-security-clearance-downgraded-205350322.html

Parents talk about 'miracle' of daughter they thought had died in Florida shooting

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Doctors and first responders who treated a student initially thought to have died in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school massacre have spoken of their battle to save the teenager’s life, and her incredible recovery from multiple gunshot wounds. Madeleine Wilford, 17, and her parents also spoke at a Monday press conference at Broward North hospital to praise the ambulance crew, surgeons and medical staff who resuscitated and operated on her, and talked of the “miracle” that allowed her to be discharged barely a week after she was shot in the rampage that killed 14 classmates and three adult teachers. “When they were clearing the rooms, at first sight it was believed Maddy had deceased,” said Lieutenant Laz Ojeda of the Coral Springs fire rescue department, a member of one of the first medical teams to enter the school. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/parents-talk-apos-miracle-apos-195444610.html

In free speech case, justices troubled by Fla. man's arrest

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court justices seemed troubled Tuesday by the arrest of a Florida man during a city council meeting in Florida, an arrest he says was retaliation for being an outspoken critic of the city. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/free-speech-case-justices-troubled-fla-mans-arrest-231709623--politics.html

US judge blocks weed-killer warning label in California

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A U.S. judge blocked California from requiring that the popular weed-killer Roundup carry a label stating that it is known to cause cancer, saying the warning is misleading because almost all regulators have concluded there is no evidence that the product's main ingredient is a carcinogen. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-judge-blocks-weed-killer-warning-label-california-182801623.html

Supreme Court Denies Trump Request To Hear Dreamer Lawsuit

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WASHINGTON ― In a major setback for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a lawsuit over the future of an Obama-era program that protects so-called Dreamers from deportation. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-denies-trump-request-145308499.html

Bill Cosby's 'beloved and beautiful' daughter Ensa has died, aged 44

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Bill Cosby's daughter has died at the age of 44, just a month before he's due to face a retrial on rape charges. According to TMZ, Ensa Cosby passed away on Friday in Massachusetts where the family has a home. Cosby's spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, said that Ensa's death was the result of kidney disease. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/bill-cosby-apos-apos-beloved-215532321.html

After Saying He'd 'Monitor Every Penny,' Ben Carson's Office Spent $31,000 On Dining Set

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development spent more than $31,000 on a new dining set for Secretary Ben Carson’s office last year, according to procurement documents obtained by The New York Times. It was purchased by a staffer in Carson’s office shortly after another HUD employee expressed concerns over a costly redecoration request that would’ve exceeded federal limits. Tuesday’s report also comes as HUD is facing a $6.8 billion cut to its fiscal budget that would affect elderly and poor Americans. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/saying-apos-d-apos-monitor-015256552.html

US deputy branded a 'coward' breaks silence, defends actions

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Now, after nearly two weeks of opprobrium, the sheriff's deputy accused of failing to take action during the Florida high school shooting is fighting back. Scot Peterson, 54, broke his silence on Monday and defended his conduct during the shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 14 students and three adult staff members dead. "Let there be no mistake, Mr. Peterson wishes that he could have prevented the untimely passing of the 17 victims on that day, and his heart goes out to the families of the victims," his attorney, Joseph DiRuzzo III, said in a statement. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-deputy-branded-coward-breaks-silence-defends-actions-180012017.html

Melania Trump: Adults Should 'Take The Lead' In Encouraging Positive Social Media Habits

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First lady Melania Trump, whose husband routinely attacks and insults people online, said Monday that adults should “take the lead” in helping children develop positive social media habits. ″It is important that as adults we take the lead and the responsibility in helping our children manage the many issues they are facing today,” Trump said. First lady Melania Trump: “I have been heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/melania-trump-adults-apos-lead-192023478.html

Supreme Court hears arguments on power of public employee unions

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The justices will decide whether state government workers who choose not to join a union must still pay a share of union dues to cover the cost of negotiating contracts. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-hears-arguments-power-163909130.html

Bollywood legend Sridevi mourned by fans in Mumbai

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MUMBAI, India (AP) — Thousands of grieving fans gathered in Mumbai on Wednesday to pay respects to Sridevi, the iconic Bollywood actress who drowned accidentally in a Dubai hotel bathtub over the weekend. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/sridevi-mourned-bollywood-fans-outside-mumbai-home-054725154.html

More than 150 ICE arrests confirmed across NorCal

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Dozens of ICE arrests have been reported in Northern California, with many coming out of the Fresno area, according to immigration attorney Hamid Yazdan Panah with the Northern California Rapid Response and Immigrant Defense Network. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/more-150-ice-arrests-confirmed-015752265.html

#BackfireTrump Will Tweet Every Gun Death At The President

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A new gun-control campaign aims to show President Donald Trump the scale of gun violence via Twitter. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/backfiretrump-tweet-every-gun-death-173041810.html

These Are The Real-Life Effects Of Trump's Obamacare Sabotage

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Somebody has finally put some numbers on what the Republican effort to undermine Obamacare will mean for everyday Americans. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/real-life-effects-trump-apos-172627925.html

Wisconsin's Top Election Official Resigns After GOP Votes To Oust Him

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Wisconsin’s top election official announced Tuesday that he would step down from his post, ending a confrontation with Republicans who suddenly voted to oust him in retaliation for his work on a government board that investigated Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R). Republicans in the state Senate voted in January not to officially confirm Wisconsin elections administrator Michael Haas to that role, which he’d held since 2016 on an interim basis. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/wisconsin-apos-top-election-official-213944152.html

Monica Lewinsky says MeToo has made her rethink whether she could consent to relationship with Bill Clinton

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Monica Lewinsky says that her perspective on the scandal that consumed her life and the United States in the late 1990s has continued to shift in light of the #MeToo movement, and she now is not sure that she could have consented to a relationship with former President Bill Clinton while she was a White House intern. In an essay in Vanity Fair, Ms Lewinsky described that evolution — which, in some respects, she describes as a life-long struggle for peace — and how the stories of brave women coming forward in recent months to tell their stories of sexual assault, harassment, or the misuse of power has made her rethink the affair she had with the President of the United States more than 20 years ago. Ms Lewinsky does not cede her agency in the matter — she has long said that the relationship was consensual, that she was a willing participant. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/monica-lewinsky-evolves-metoo-m-144300290.html

Former White House photographer Pete Souza drags Trump over Florida high school shooting comment

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President Donald Trump said on Monday he would have personally run into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to help during the mass shooting earlier this month, even if he was unarmed. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-white-house-photographer-pete-185241658.html

The Latest: Bill Clinton says he is grateful for Graham

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on mourning for the Rev. Billy Graham (all times local): from https://www.yahoo.com/news/latest-bill-clinton-pays-respects-billy-graham-165522770--politics.html

FedEx Says It Will Continue Offering NRA Members Discounts

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FedEx will not end its partnership with the National Rifle Association, the company said Monday, even as other companies are heeding calls from activists and severing their ties with the organization.  from https://www.yahoo.com/news/fedex-says-continue-offering-nra-232121188.html

Parents talk about 'miracle' of daughter they thought had died in Florida shooting

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Doctors and first responders who treated a student initially thought to have died in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school massacre have spoken of their battle to save the teenager’s life, and her incredible recovery from multiple gunshot wounds. Madeleine Wilford, 17, and her parents also spoke at a Monday press conference at Broward North hospital to praise the ambulance crew, surgeons and medical staff who resuscitated and operated on her, and talked of the “miracle” that allowed her to be discharged barely a week after she was shot in the rampage that killed 14 classmates and three adult teachers. “When they were clearing the rooms, at first sight it was believed Maddy had deceased,” said Lieutenant Laz Ojeda of the Coral Springs fire rescue department, a member of one of the first medical teams to enter the school. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/parents-talk-apos-miracle-apos-195444610.html

Dubai police: Bollywood's Sridevi drowned in hotel bathtub

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Indian actress Sridevi drowned in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai police said in a statement Monday, though two police officials said she was also under the influence of alcohol at the time. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/dubai-police-bollywoods-sridevi-drowned-hotel-bathtub-130542350.html

US deputy branded a 'coward' breaks silence, defends actions

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Now, after nearly two weeks of opprobrium, the sheriff's deputy accused of failing to take action during the Florida high school shooting is fighting back. Scot Peterson, 54, broke his silence on Monday and defended his conduct during the shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 14 students and three adult staff members dead. "Let there be no mistake, Mr. Peterson wishes that he could have prevented the untimely passing of the 17 victims on that day, and his heart goes out to the families of the victims," his attorney, Joseph DiRuzzo III, said in a statement. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-deputy-branded-coward-breaks-silence-defends-actions-180012017.html

After Saying He'd 'Monitor Every Penny,' Ben Carson's Office Spent $31,000 On Dining Set

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development spent more than $31,000 on a new dining set for Secretary Ben Carson’s office last year, according to procurement documents obtained by The New York Times. It was purchased by a staffer in Carson’s office shortly after another HUD employee expressed concerns over a costly redecoration request that would’ve exceeded federal limits. Tuesday’s report also comes as HUD is facing a $6.8 billion cut to its fiscal budget that would affect elderly and poor Americans. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/saying-apos-d-apos-monitor-015256552.html

UConn gives posthumous admission to school shooting victim

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STORRS, Conn. (AP) — The University of Connecticut has sent a posthumous letter of admission to the family of a student killed in the mass shooting at a Florida high school. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/uconn-gives-posthumous-admission-school-shooting-victim-172710098.html

Bollywood Superstar Sridevi's Death Ruled Accidental Drowning, Police Close Investigation

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Bollywood superstar Sridevi accidentally drowned in a bathtub after losing consciousness from https://www.yahoo.com/news/bollywood-superstar-sridevi-apos-death-154115147.html

Former Florida School Resource Officer Defends Response To Parkland Shooting

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The former school resource officer who resigned after failing to confront a gunman earlier this month at the Florida high school where he was assigned is defending his response to the deadly mass shooting. Scot Peterson said he was following training he had received as a Broward County sheriff’s deputy when he decided to remain outside, despite being armed, during the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, according to a statement released Monday by his attorney. “The allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue,” Joseph A. DiRuzzo III, Peterson’s attorney, wrote in the statement. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-florida-school-officer-defends-214532250.html

Ivanka Trump: 'I Believe My Father' On Sexual Misconduct Allegations

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Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser of President Donald Trump, says she sides with her father when it comes to the more than a dozen women who have accused him of sexual misconduct. When asked about the allegations during an interview that aired Monday on NBC’s “Today” show, Ivanka appeared agitated and defended her father. “I think it’s a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when he’s affirmatively stated that there’s no truth to it,” Trump told NBC’s Peter Alexander. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/ivanka-trump-apos-believe-father-143943165.html

Ex-presidents, friends, family pay respects to Billy Graham

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton first saw the late Rev. Billy Graham as a boy when a Sunday School teacher brought him to a football stadium for a crusade. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/ex-presidents-friends-family-pay-respects-billy-graham-180744002.html

Fire breaks out in overhead storage on Chinese aircraft

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A fire broke out in the overhead storage of a Chinese passenger jet moments before it was scheduled to take off. Flight attendants and a passenger threw water and juice over a bag in the luggage compartment as it was engulfed in heavy smoke and flames. The fire was thought to have been triggered by a power bank that was being carried in the bag, reports said. The owner was taken away by police for questioning. All the passengers were forced to disembark the Boeing 777 following the fire, which happened while the plane was parked on the tarmac at Guangzhou Airport in southern China. It was scheduled to fly to Shanghai. The passengers and crew were taken to a different aircraft which took off just after 3pm, three hours after the original flight was scheduled to depart. Fire caused by portable charger on China Southern flight in Guangzhou was put out promptly, while passengers were relocated to another plane pic.twitter.com/HYwShVN1t3— China Xinhua News (@XHN...

US judge blocks weed-killer warning label in California

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A U.S. judge blocked California from requiring that the popular weed-killer Roundup carry a label stating that it is known to cause cancer, saying the warning is misleading because almost all regulators have concluded there is no evidence that the product's main ingredient is a carcinogen. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-judge-blocks-weed-killer-warning-label-california-182801623.html

Oakland mayor warns residents of ICE immigration raids

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Escalating California’s resistance to federal immigration enforcement, Oakland’s mayor has warned residents that she believes an operation was imminent. “I am sharing this information publicly not to panic our residents but to protect them,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a press release, citing her “moral obligation” and directing people to immigration law resources. “I know that Oakland is a city of law-abiding immigrants and families who deserve to live free from the constant threat of arrest and deportation,” she added, saying immigration authorities have “used activity rumors in the past as a tactic to create fear”. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/oakland-mayor-warns-residents-ice-212029775.html

Bollywood star Sridevi Kapoor 'accidentally drowned in hotel bath' 

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Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub in Dubai on Saturday, her postmortem report said on Monday. The Dubai government's media office tweeted that the postmortem analysis of the 54-year old actress, who used only her first name, revealed that she had died due to ‘drowning in her hotel apartment's bathtub following loss of consciousness’. The case has been handed over to the Dubai Public Prosecutor for further investigation, to try and determine the exact circumstances leading to the actresses’ death.   Earlier, it was reported that Sridevi, who was known by her first name, had died of a cardiac arrest in her hotel in Dubai where she was attending her nephew's wedding.   She was found unconscious in her bathtub in her suite at Dubai’s Emirates Towers hotel and rushed to hospital where she was declared dead on arrival. The much loved actress was mourned across India  Credit: AFP Dubai’s Gulf News, however, alleged that the glamo...

Meet Four Parkland Teens Demanding Gun Reform Now

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Across social media, in protests, and at town hall meetings, four young women from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School—Delaney Tarr, Samantha Grady, Emma Gonzalez, and Jaclyn Corin—have been raising their voices and organizing for change alongside their classmates to spread the message #NeverAgain. The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School recently launched #WhatIf, a social media campaign to mobilize efforts to change gun legislation and create stricter laws to protect the safety of all Americans. from https://www.yahoo.com/news/meet-four-parkland-teens-demanding-155000493.html