CORENEWS: May 2019

Explainer: China's rare earth supplies could be vital bargaining chip in U.S. trade war

Rare earth elements are used in a wide range of consumer products, from iPhones to electric car motors, as well as military jet engines, satellites and lasers. Rising tensions between the United States and China have sparked concerns that Beijing could use its dominant position as a supplier of rare earths for leverage in the trade war between the two global economic powers. WHAT ARE RARE EARTHS USED IN?

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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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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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White House plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace in chaos after Netanyahu calls new elections

The White House’s hopes of rolling out its Israeli-Palestinian peace plan this year were in chaos yesterday after Benjamin Netanyahu plunged Israel into unexpected new elections. During a meeting with Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top aide on Middle East peace, Mr Netanyahu attempted to downplay the political turmoil in his country as “a little event”. But officials and analysts said the Israeli elections in September were likely to delay the peace plan and could cause it to be shelved altogether. One US official suggested it may now have to have wait until Mr Trump's second term. The Palestinians, who are refusing to engage with the US on the peace plan, delighted in the prospect of its delay. Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian official, said the plan sometimes described as “the Deal of the Century” should now be called “the Deal of Next Century”. The While House deliberately waited until after the Israeli election in April to make any moves on its peace initiative, hoping that a delay would spare Mr Netanyahu any political discomfort during his campaign. Letters from Jerusalem RHS When Mr Netanyahu appeared to easily win a fifth term in office, Mr Kushner and his aides began making moves to roll out the plan in stages later this year. The economic half of the plan was due to be laid out in a summit in Bahrain in June while the more controversial political half would be made public later. However, Mr Netanyahu unexpectedly failed to form a coalition government and instead spent the early hours of Thursday morning forcing through a bill in parliament to hold fresh elections in September. Later in the day, Mr Netanyahu tried to put a brave face on the situation as he met with Mr Kushner at his office in Jerusalem. “Even though we had a little event last night that’s not going to stop us,” Mr Netanyahu said. “We’re going to continue working together.” Special Representative for International Negotiations @jdgreenblatt45, Senior Advisor to U.S. President Jared Kushner and Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook met this afternoon with Prime Minister @Netanyahu at his Jerusalem Residence. pic.twitter.com/BmBMwSLszv— USEmbassyJerusalem (@usembassyjlm) May 30, 2019 Mr Kushner said nothing publicly about what impact the Israeli political chaos would have on his peace plan. Speaking in Washington, Mr Trump said Mr Netanyahu’s failed effort to build a coalition was “too bad”. “They don’t need this, I mean they’ve got enough turmoil over there,” the president said. The US State Department indicated that the Bahrain summit would go ahead as planned on June 25 to try to encourage wealthy Arab states and businessmen to invest in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. But it is not clear when, if ever, the world will see the political half of the plan, which deals with more combustible issues like the future of Jerusalem, Israel’s borders, and the fate of millions of Palestinian refugees. “If chances for the success of the Deal of the Century were severely handicapped before last night, the chaos which will be Israel's lot over the next few months will make it virtually impossible to move forward,” said Shalom Lipner, a former Israeli official now at the Atlantic Council think tank. “If the White House ‘misfires’ and tries to advance prematurely, it risks squandering any opportunity to table a proposal when conditions might be more conducive to progress.” Mr Netanyahu failed to form a coalition before Wednesday's deadline Credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun The timeline of the new elections means that even if Mr Netanyahu wins again he is unlikely to have a government formed until at least November. By then the US presidential election in 2020 will be in full swing and the White House’s attention will likely be more focused on the American Midwest than the Middle East. While Mr Netanyahu was all smiles in front of his American visitors, he did little to mask his fury in the Israeli political realm. His rage was directed at Avigdor Lieberman, his former defence minister who refused to join his government and ultimately caused the coalition talks to fail. “Avigdor Lieberman is now part of the Left,” Mr Netanyahu said. Mr Lieberman shot back that the prime minister’s Likud party was wracked by “hallucinations and schizophrenic reactions” and suggested the party’s leaders needed psychiatric treatment.

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View 2020 Lexus RX Photos

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Motorola just unveiled the $499 Moto Z4 with 2-day battery life and upgradeable 5G

The cat was let out of the bag a little early regarding Motorola's new Moto Z4, the $499 handset the company officially unveiled this morning -- and which Amazon mistakenly sold to a user two days before we were supposed to, er, know it existed. Nevertheless, it's here now -- or, rather, it will be soon, as it hits Verizon in the US two weeks from today. In keeping with past Z flagships, Verizon has got the exclusive stateside, and as with the announcement of the Moto Z3 as the world's first "5G-upgradeable" smartphone, the Z4 will likewise be upgradeable to 5G via the company's "Moto Mod" component once 5G networks are available in your area.Among the highlights of this newest addition to Moto's Z series: it will run Android 9 Pie out of the box and sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 octa-core processor. You'll have 4GB of memory and 128 GB of internal storage, with up to 512 GB of expandable storage via microSD. The device also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor and promises a battery life of "up to 2 days."Movies, games, and photos should look stunning on the 6.4-inch Max Vision OLED display that stretches from edge to edge and offers a screen-to-body ratio of 85%. The massive 3600 mAh battery here is also the largest ever on a Moto Z. Additionally, the device is equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack and the company's largest-ever 48-megapixel rear camera sensor that uses new Quad Pixel technology to capture high-quality 12 MP images.The Z4's rear camera also includes 4x better light sensitivity, in addition to optical image stabilization plus AI-guided portrait lighting, AR stickers, live filters, support for Google Lens and much more. Motorola specifically touts Night Vision, which is included in the rear camera software and layers together eight separate frames taken with different exposure values. After performing some dynamic noise reduction and sharpening, the result is an image with enhanced detail and more accurate colors even in situations with challenging lighting.Verizon will start selling the Z4 in Flash Gray on June 13, and in Frost White later this summer, for $499. It will be available for $20.83 for 24 months on a Verizon Device Payment plan, but for a limited time if you switch to Verizon or add a new line and get a Z4 you can pay $10 for 24 months, an overall savings of more than $200.Existing Verizon customers can upgrade to a Z4 and save $100 when they buy a new phone on a Verizon Device Payment plan. Starting June 6, meanwhile, a universally unlocked version of the Z4 will be available for $499 bundled with the Moto 360 camera Mod at Best Buy, B&H Photo and at Amazon, with pre-sales starting today.

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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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Trump backs Boris Johnson; calls Duchess of Sussex 'nasty'

US president backs Tory in leadership run and reacts to criticism by duchess

Donald Trump has backed Boris Johnson to be the next prime minister, in an interview with the Sun in which he also called Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, “nasty”.

The president, speaking to the British newspaper before he visits the UK on Monday, expressed support for the former foreign secretary in his bid to replace Theresa May, saying: “I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent.”

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from The Guardian http://bit.ly/2WhU7UY

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez returns to bartending to promote fair wages

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took lunch orders, served pizza and rocked the cocktail shaker on Friday to promote increased wages for restaurant servers and other tipped workers.

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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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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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Auto industry dented by latest Trump tariffs

President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on Mexico will affect myriad industries, but few are as exposed as automakers. Shares of several major automakers and auto suppliers dived five percent or more following Trump's announcement Thursday night that the United States would impose a five percent tariff on all Mexican imports on June 10, explicitly linking the trade action to a demand that Mexico crack down on illegal immigration. The White House intends to gradually raise the tariff level until it hits 25 percent on October 1, a levy that "could cripple the industry and cause major uncertainty," said a note from Deutsche Bank.

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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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Judge considering Missouri abortion clinic license case

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A judge is deciding whether to ensure Missouri's only abortion clinic can keep its license past Friday, the latest development in a decades-long push by abortion opponents to get states to enact strict rules on the procedure.

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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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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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Trump: I was 'not informed' about order to move John McCain warship during Japan trip

Trump's comments come after the White House reportedly requested that the USS John S. McCain be "out of sight" during Trump's visit to Japan.

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Police confirm missing Utah girl's body has been found

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A body found after a five-day search is that of a 5-year-old girl taken from her home and killed by her uncle, Utah police confirmed on Thursday.

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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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Call Of Duty 2019 Is Modern Warfare - What We Learned Visiting Infinity Ward - GameSpot

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Wirecutter's best deals: Apple's Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro drops to $80 - Engadget

Wirecutter's best deals: Apple's Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro drops to $80 Engadget
The 11-inch iPad Pro is the best high-end tablet you can buy, and it's $125 off at Walmart right now Business Insider
Apple’s latest iPad is back down to its lowest price of 2019 BGR
Cooksie is *bam-bam* iGlad all over: Folk are actually buying Apple's fondleslabs again The Register
80% Off iPad Cases on Amazon Forbes
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Chicago police release hundreds of pages of documents related to Smollett investigation - Fox 32 Chicago

Chicago police release hundreds of pages of documents related to Smollett investigation Fox 32 Chicago
Chicago police release batch of Jussie Smollett case documents Fox News
New Information After Chicago Police Release Hundreds Of Documents In Jussie Smollett Investigation CBS Chicago
Read the Jussie Smollett investigation file Chicago Sun-Times
Police Were Told Deal Was in Works with Jussie Smollett Snopes.com
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Katy Perry Shares Video for New Song “Never Really Over”: Watch - Pitchfork

Katy Perry Shares Video for New Song “Never Really Over”: Watch Pitchfork
Katy Perry gets matching tattoo with fans ahead of ‘Never Really Over’ release Fox News
First look at Katy Perry's new music video for 'Never Really Over' l GMA Good Morning America
Katy Perry Drops Long-Awaited New Song & Video ‘Never Really Over’ & Fans Are Obsessed Hollywood Life
Inside Katy Perry's 'Never Really Over' Fan Event -- Tattoos, Fire Alarms and New Music! Entertainment Tonight
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Young girl who was struck by foul ball at Astros game recovering in hospital - ABC News

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D'Antoni breaks off contract talks with Rockets - ESPN

D'Antoni breaks off contract talks with Rockets ESPN
Should the Rockets actually trade James Harden? ClutchPoints
Chris Paul is no longer a great player – Max Kellerman | First Take ESPN
Is the Rockets' entire roster available via trade? KPRC Click2Houston
Daryl Morey reacts to trade rumors surrounding Rockets ClutchPoints
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Pirates' Clay Holmes: Pitch that hit Reds' Eugenio Suarez was an accident - TribLIVE

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Documents Suggest Prosecutors Quickly Changed Mind on Jussie Smollett Case

By JULIA JACOBS from NYT Arts https://nyti.ms/2wqywdF

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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JetBlue is selling $54 flights today

Until midnight tonight, JetBlue is helping you plan your getaways ahead withits appropriately-titled ‘Type A’ sale

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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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Hong Kong Rejects U.S. Warning on Ship Breaching Iran Sanctions

The city’s government has “strictly” implemented United Nations Security Council sanctions, which don’t impose “any restrictions on the export of petroleum from Iran,” a spokesperson for Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said on Wednesday in response to a question about the U.S. warning. “Certain countries may impose unilateral sanctions against certain places on the basis of their own considerations,” they said.

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MSNBC analyst Jason Johnson: Mnuchin 'basically' said 'I hate black people' with Harriet Tubman decision

MSNBC analyst Jason Johnson took shots at both Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, essentially calling Carson sexist and Mnuchin racist, after both came under fire by Rep. Ayanna Presley last week. Johnson took a shot at Mnuchin for postponing the release of a $20 bill design featuring Underground Railroad and anti-slavery icon Harriet Tubman.

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Illinois House Passes Bill Repealing Partial-Birth-Abortion Ban

The Illinois House on Tuesday passed a bill that would repeal the state's previous partial-birth-abortion ban and require that insurance providers cover contraception and abortion services.The Reproductive Health Act, which passed 64–50, removes virtually all restrictions on late-term abortions and the penalties currently imposed on doctors who perform them. The legislation must now receive majority support in the state Senate before it can be signed into law.The bill's proponents have argued that the legislation codifies existing practice and is necessary in light of the recent passage of restrictive abortion laws in a number of Republican-controlled states, as well as the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which many pro-choice activists are concerned might overturn Roe v. Wade.“RHA codifies our existing practices and -- and this is critical -- treats abortion care just like any other health care, because it is,” said the bill's sponsor, state representative Kelly Cassidy (D., Chicago). “Make no mistake, it doesn't end here. Since Roe was decided in 1973, our opponents have fought to impede access to care and these efforts have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable population.”Illinois Republican party chairman Tim Schneider said the legislation was reflective of the Democratic party's recent embrace of abortion extremism.“In just a few short years, the Democrat party in Illinois went from advocating ‘safe, legal and rare’ to abortion on-demand, at any time, for any reason, and funded by taxpayers,” he said in a statement. “This is not the typical pro-life vs. pro-choice debate I have been accustomed to in my lifetime. The RHA goes much further.”Six states have passed increased restrictions on abortions in recent weeks.Alabama governor Kay Ivey signed the nation's most restrictive abortion law earlier this month, effectively banning the practice entirely, including in cases of rape and incest. Ivey admitted that the law is likely unenforceable but argued it was important step toward overturning Roe V. Wade via the courts.Georgia governor Brian Kemp also recently signed a law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which usually occurs around six weeks. And the last remaining abortion clinic in Missouri is about to be shuttered by state authorities who have refused to renew its license as they prepare to implement similarly restrictive legislation.

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Sears buyer Eddie Lampert wants to avoid up to $43M in severance pay from bankruptcy

The investor who bought Sears' assets out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy is now trying to back out of an agreement to pay severance to laid-off workers.

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PHOTOS: Tornadoes rip through Ohio and Oklahoma

A tornado pulverized buildings around Dayton, Ohio, early on Tuesday, injuring at least 35 people.

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Everest deaths blamed on budget firms and influx of inexperienced climbers

An American mountaineer has become the 11th person in two weeks to die on Mount Everest as Sherpas and tour operators alike blame an influx of inexperienced climbers and budget tour operators for the spike in fatalities. Christopher John Kulish, 61, from Colorado, did not show any sign of distress when summiting the world’s highest mountain on Monday morning but died suddenly after descending. With a record number of climbers permitted to climb Everest this year, bottle necks have also contributed to greater exhaustion and in some instances, death. The death toll this season is the highest since 2015. The Nepalese government granted permission for 381 mountaineers to scale Everest from the southern side this spring season. Roughly 130 others will attempt to summit from the northern side in Tibet. Only around 5,000 people have climbed Everest since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first scaled the 8,848m peak in 1953. With a permit costing $11,000 (£8,675) to scale the mountain the increase in numbers has been attributed to the Nepalese government making money to support its economy which has been hampered by political unrest and the devastating 2015 earthquake. Is it time to ban Western travellers - and their egos - from Mount Everest? Adventure tourism also plays a vital part in financially supporting the inhabitants of remote communities in north-east Nepal. However, in permitting more summits the government has allowed dozens of local budget climbing companies to emerge who charge cheaper prices but cut corners on safety. Climbing Everest with a premium, international firm can cost up to $100,000 (£78,900) while some cut-price local mountaineers charge only a quarter of this fee. The Nepalese government has for the first time said it may reduce the number of permits given to climbers next year. A government spokesperson told the Telegraph: "There are no such plans for now but there is possibility of doing so." “The biggest factor is that many inexperienced climbers are booking with low budget, local operators, who are not providing adequate support such as guide services, oxygen, medicines and leadership to ensure the climbers can ascend and descend safely,” said Garrett Madison, an American mountaineer specialising in Everest summits. Mr Madison led 29 people to a busy summit on May 23 where climbers say a bottleneck at the top caused people to wait for around 45 minutes in the perilous "death zone". A major clean-up operation ended with the recovery of 10,000 kilograms of rubbish and four dead bodies Credit: NARENDRA SHRESTHA/EPA-EFE/REX While the government says it implements background checks on prospective climbers, such as only allowing those to climb with experience of a summit over 6,000m, it has been accused of turning a blind eye to those who don’t meet criteria. “I wouldn’t say that people who sign up for Everest aren’t fully prepared as they practice for years but all who are currently attempting the summit are not professional mountaineers,” said Krishma Poudel, the Manager at Peak Promotions, a company that has organised expeditions for over 25 years. Her comments were echoed by Temba Tsheri Sherpa, who leads summits at Asia Voyage. “The largest number of climbers dying this season is because they have run out of oxygen… there are too many commercial expeditions where you pay less but get less of a service and less experienced guides,” he said. “A lot of climbers don’t have enough experience and they think the climbing is easy.” "If you want to maintain safety, the first thing is to minimise [the numbers] of climbers," Mr Tsheri Sherpa added. The Nepalese government told the Telegraph that it didn’t want to speculate on the cause of the recent spike in deaths. However, it said there was a possibility that they would reduce the number of permits given to climbers next year. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. Are you an avid mountaineer? What motivates you to climb the world's tallest peaks? We want to hear from you in the comments section below.

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Landmark US opioid trial begins in Oklahoma

The first civil trial that could end up holding a drug company responsible for the US opioid epidemic began Tuesday in Oklahoma, in a landmark case that might impact thousands of others like it. The bench trial pits the state of Oklahoma against Johnson & Johnson. Two other drug companies named in the lawsuit settled ahead of the trial.

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College student pleads guilty to sneaking into Mar-a-Lago

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A college student pleaded guilty Tuesday to sneaking into Mar-a-Lago during President Donald Trump's Thanksgiving visit in a manner similar to how a Chinese national gained admission four months later.

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Today’s best deals: $7.22 Alexa smart plugs, $199 Apple Watch, $30 Fire TV Stick, 55″ 4K TV for $330, more

Today's daily deals roundup is a doozy, and it all starts with a deal that gets you top-selling Alexa and Google enabled smart plugs for just $7.22 a piece when you buy a 4-pack and use the promo code KYSCVKIE at checkout. Other highlights from Wednesday's roundup include AirPods 2 for just $139.99, SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSD cards for only $12.58 each, Fire TV Stick for $29.99 instead of $40, Fire TV Stick 4K for $39.99 instead of $50, a crazy Apple Watch Series 3 sale with prices as low as $199, a massive $80 discount on renewed Sony WH1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (this deal will sell out soon, but you can also buy them new and get a free 20,000 mAh portable charger) Eufy Lumos smart LED bulbs for $11.99 each, a gorgeous 55-inch 4K TV with built-in Fire TV for just $329.99, $40 off our favorite Instant Pot, and more. See all of today's top deals below.

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Democrats toughen qualifying standards for third presidential debate

Seeking to cull its crowded 2020 presidential field, the Democratic Party will make it tougher for candidates to qualify for a third debate scheduled for September. The party will require contenders to meet both a higher polling standard and a larger fundraising target, the Democratic National Committee said on Wednesday. In the first two debates, scheduled for June and July, contenders have to meet just one of the two criteria, leaving open the possibility that as many as 20 of the 24 announced Democratic candidates could be on stage.

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Boris Johnson faces court hearing for Brexit 'lies'

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to become Britain's next prime minister, must attend court over allegations that he knowingly lied during the Brexit referendum campaign, a judge announced Wednesday. Johnson, the former foreign secretary, will be summoned to appear before a court over allegations of misconduct in public office, judge Margot Coleman said in a written decision, without specifying the date. The case is over the claim that Britain sends Â£350 million ($440 million, 400 million euros) a week to the European Union.

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Indiana abortion: Mike Pence 'commends' Supreme Court for upholding foetal burial law

Vice President Mike Pence has commended the Supreme Court for upholding a part of an Indiana law requiring the burial of foetal remains after abortions.Now he's encouraging the court to review state laws that restrict when and why an abortion can be performed, and says he hopes that "legal protections against discrimination based on sex, race, or disability will someday be extended to unborn Americans."Mr Pence signed the burial measure into law in 2016, when he was governor of Indiana.On Tuesday, the Supreme Court upheld a requirement that foetal remains must be buried or cremated after abortion.But it blocked an Indiana law barring abortions based on a foetus' sex, race or disability, prompting Mr Pence to cite Justice Clarence Thomas's position on the ruling in his hopes that Supreme Court will return to the decision.Justice Thomas joined the court in declining to review Indiana's law, but issued a 20-page statement in line with the vice president's, in which he agreed that the ruling is constitutional but condemned its practical application.He accused those who use abortion procedures, as well as birth control, of practising "eugenics.""Given the potential for abortion to become a tool of eugenic manipulation, the Court will soon need to confront the constitutionality of laws like Indiana’s," he wrote. "But because further percolation may assist our review of this issue of first impression, I join the Court in declining to take up the issue now."The Indiana law first came to the Supreme Court's docket in January, and the early summer decision marks a lengthy period of internal strife over it. Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said they would have declined to take up both aspects of the law, including the burials. Abortions rights advocates have condemned the burial law.“Today the court let another unwarranted restriction on abortion stand. While this ruling is limited, the law is part of a larger trend of state laws designed to stigmatize and drive abortion care out of reach," Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, said in a statement.

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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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