2019 GMC Sierra Revealed: Diesel Power and a Carbon-Fiber Bed

The new Sierra has a few tricks all its own.

Donald Trump hints he wants death penalty for drug dealers

Donald Trump has hinted that he wants to see the death penalty for drug dealers. The US president said some other countries use the "ultimate penalty" for such people and it appeared to be effective in reducing the scourge of drugs. Mr Trump was speaking at an "Opioid Summit" at the White House aimed at tackling America's opioid crisis. He said: "If you shoot one person they give you the death penalty. These people (drug dealers) can kill two or three thousand people and nothing happens to them. "The answer is you have to have strength and toughness. Drug dealers and pushers are really doing damage. "Some countries have the tough penalty, the ultimate penalty. And by the way they have much less of a drug problem than we do." Mr Trump is believed to have privately praised Singapore's policy of using the death penalty for drug traffickers. America's war against opioid addiction He is said to like the idea of America having it for major drug dealers, although to accept that such a goal may not be achievable. At the summit the president also encouraged Jeff Sessions, his Attorney General, to pursue litigation against major pharmaceutical companies manufacturing opioids. He said: "Hopefully we can do some litigation against the companies. Some of the states are doing it. I keep saying if the states are doing it why aren't the federal government doing it. So that'll happen, that'll happen."' The rate of death by drug overdose in the US has steadily risen This year an estimated 65,000 Americans will die after overdosing on opioids, whether it be prescription painkillers or illegal street drugs like heroin. That is more than die in car crashes or gun incidents, and more than the number of US soldiers that perished in the Vietnam War. The legal opioid market in America is worth around $15 billion a year. The US has only five per cent of the world's population, but consumes 80 per cent of all prescription painkillers. It has also been flooded with illegal and powerful synthetic opioids from China. The impact of synthetic fentanyl, a version of a drug originally intended for use by cancer patients, has been devastating. It is 50 times stronger than heroin and more than half of overdose victims now have it  in their system. Mr Trump has said the opioids crisis is a top priority for his administration. Last October he declared it a public health emergency and he recently signed a budget agreement that will provide $6 billion over the next two years to fight opioid abuse. 

Police: Boy who shot himself planned attack on school

A seventh-grader who shot and killed himself inside an Ohio middle school restroom last week was planning to shoot others at the school before changing his mind at the last second, a police chief said Thursday.

US accuses Russia of violating nuclear weapons treaty after Putin boasts of 'unstoppable' missile

The US has accused Russia of breaking its treaty obligations after President Vladimir Putin announced a new array of “invincible” nuclear weapons. The US military stands ready to protect the nation, spokeswomen for the State Department and Pentagon asserted as they faced questions about Mr Putin’s declaration that “no anti-missile system – even in the future – has a hope of” stopping Russia’s new nuclear weapons. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Mr Putin confirmed what the US government has long known – that Russia has been developing destabilizing weapons systems for more than a decade, violating its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

Bodycam Video Shows North Carolina Officer Beating Black Man Accused Of Jaywalking

An Asheville, North Carolina, news outlet published disturbing bodycam footage this week showing a white police officer beating a black resident, prompting public apologies from city officials who are continuing to investigate the incident. The graphic video shows officers chasing Johnnie Rush, 33, throwing him to the ground, shocking him with a stun gun and beating him as he cries out in pain and shouts for help. Photos that Rush provided to the Asheville Citizen-Times show his bandaged and swollen head and other injuries.

In exile with Bill Kristol, the Republican resister-in-chief

Bill Kristol is steadily launching an unrelenting assault on his own party's president. You could say he is the clearest and most credible voice of Republican resistance in Washington.

CEO of gunmaker that produced Florida shooter's weapon: 'I share nation's grief'

American Outdoor Brands’ profit fell sharply over the three months ending 31 January, it reported. James Debney, the British-born chief executive of the company that made the rifle used by the gunman in the school shooting in Florida last month, on Thursday said he “shared the nation’s grief” over the massacre. Announcing American Outdoor Brands’ (AOB) latest results, Debney called the shooting, which killed 17 at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, an “incomprehensible loss of life” but said the company would continue to support the right of Americans to carry firearms.

Chipotle shutters Tasty Made burger restaurant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc has closed its Tasty Made hamburger restaurant after it underperformed expectations, the burrito chain said on Thursday, less than two years after its launch.

House Republicans Reportedly Leaked Democratic Senator's Texts To Fox News

Two Senate committee members ― Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), whose texts were leaked, and Sen. Richard M. Burr (R-N.C.), the panel’s chairman ― were “perturbed” by the findings and discussed them with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) last month, the sources told the Times. The senators, whose committee is conducting an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, reportedly relayed to Ryan their concern about the direction of the House panel under the leadership of its chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).

Teen Had Semi-Automatic Rifle and 100 Rounds of Ammunition Outside High School, Police Say

"Whatever we prevented, the outcome was going to be bad"

U.S. evangelist Graham 'followed Jesus all the way to heaven,' son says

U.S. evangelist Billy Graham, who preached to millions and counselled presidents in his 70-year career, was remembered as a man who loved his family and the Bible at a funeral on Friday attended by President Donald Trump in Graham's native North Carolina. About 2,300 people gathered beneath a canvas tent emblematic of Graham's 1949 Los Angeles revival that marked his breakthrough as a religious leader. Graham, who died on Feb. 21 at age 99, lay in honour at the U.S. Capitol this week in recognition of a clergyman who became the first noted evangelist to take his message to the Soviet bloc when its communist regimes were hostile to organised religion.

Hand Grenades and Gang Violence Rattle Sweden’s Middle Class

By ELLEN BARRY and CHRISTINA ANDERSON from NYT World http://ift.tt/2tgUUYi

China pledges friendship with Taiwan amid tensions over U.S. bill

BEIJING (Reuters) - China wants to deepen friendship with Taiwan, the ruling Communist Party's fourth-ranked leader said on Saturday, a day after state media warned China could go to war over Taiwan if a U.S. bill promoting closer ties with the island becomes law.

from Reuters: World News http://ift.tt/2FgPocW

Delta To Georgia Lawmakers: 'Our Values Are Not For Sale'

The CEO of Delta Air Lines on Friday declared his company’s “values are not for sale” after Georgia lawmakers retaliated against the airline for cutting ties with the National Rifle Association in the wake of last month’s Florida school shooting. Bastian explained the decision to employees a day after Georgia lawmakers passed a tax bill that effectively punishes the airline for rescinding the discount for NRA members to travel to the group’s annual meeting.

U.S. approves possible sale of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine

The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Javelin anti-tank missiles and launch units to Ukraine at an estimated cost of $47 million, the Pentagon said on Thursday. The United States said in December it would provide Ukraine with defensive weapons. Since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine and Russia have been at loggerheads over a war in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces that has killed more than 10,000 people in three years.

Ben Carson cancels order for $31,000 dining set amid ethics controversy

Ben Carson, the US secretary for housing and urban development (Hud), has scrapped an order for a $31,000 dining set for his Washington office amid a growing ethics controversy. The decision, first reported by CNN, followed a promise from Carson of “full disclosure” over his use of public funds to buy expensive furniture, in his first public remarks since the Guardian revealed a senior Hud official’s allegation that she was demoted for refusing to break a legal spending limit on redecoration.

Bizarre behavior by Georgia teacher preceded gun scare

ATLANTA (AP) — When a north Georgia high school teacher was charged this week with firing a gunshot from inside a barricaded classroom and setting off a frantic lockdown and evacuation, it was not his first troubling encounter with police.

Trump trades Twitter jabs with 'Alex' Baldwin

President Trump lashed out at Alec Baldwin in a typo-ridden tweet early Friday morning about the actor's recent assertion that he is tired of playing Trump on NBC's "Saturday Night Live.."

19-Year-Old Arrested After Parents Found Shot Dead At Central Michigan University

Police arrested a 19-year-old man just after midnight Saturday, hours after his parents were found fatally shot in a Central Michigan University dorm building Friday morning. The shooting occurred at 8:30 a.m. Friday at Campbell Hall dorm on the Mount Pleasant, Michigan, campus. James Eric Davis Jr. was taken into custody after “well over 100 police officers” from multiple agencies were a part of a search for the suspect, who had been considered armed and dangerous, the Mount Pleasant Police Department said in a statement.

John Kelly Jokes 'God Punished Me' By Making Him Trump's Chief Of Staff

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly may be having second thoughts about his decision to work in the Trump administration, based on comments he made on Thursday. Kelly was speaking at an event marking the 15th anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security, which he led for six months before replacing former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Kelly seemed to miss the days when he was merely protecting the United States and not dealing with the repercussions of every Trump tweet.

Putin debuts animation of Russia striking Florida with nuclear missiles

President Vladimir Putin made a new claim that Russia's nuclear capabilities could reach the coast of Florida.

In photos: The top 10 most visited national parks in the US of 2017

US accuses Russia of violating nuclear weapons treaty after Putin boasts of 'unstoppable' missile

The US has accused Russia of breaking its treaty obligations after President Vladimir Putin announced a new array of “invincible” nuclear weapons. The US military stands ready to protect the nation, spokeswomen for the State Department and Pentagon asserted as they faced questions about Mr Putin’s declaration that “no anti-missile system – even in the future – has a hope of” stopping Russia’s new nuclear weapons. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Mr Putin confirmed what the US government has long known – that Russia has been developing destabilizing weapons systems for more than a decade, violating its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

The Latest: Teacher waives court hearing in school gun scare

ATLANTA (AP) — The Latest on a high school teacher accused of firing a gunshot in his classroom in north Georgia (all times local):

Joshua Tree Case: 3 Children Allegedly Found Living in a Box in the California Desert

Mona Kirk, 51, and Daniel Panico, 73, were arrested in Joshua Tree National Park Wednesday.

Puerto Rico power grid snaps, nearly 1 million in the dark

Puerto Rico's power grid broke down again on Thursday, leaving some 800,000 customers without power, as the US Caribbean possession struggles to recover five months after Hurricane Maria slammed the island. Justo Gonzalez, head of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), said that one of the island's main transmission lines was out of service. The government-owned utility has 1.5 customers out of a population of 3.5 million -- not counting the 500,000 Puerto Ricans who left since Maria struck on September 20, 2017.

Hunter College files eviction lawsuit against dropout who refuses to move out of dorm room

A college has been forced to take legal action after a former student has refused to move out of her dorm room for two years. Lisa S Palmer, 32, enrolled in classes at Hunter College in New York to pursue a geography major in 2016 - but dropped out of classes shortly after moving into the dorms. According to an eviction lawsuit filed by the school, the former student refuses to move out of Room E579 in the college’s co-ed dormitory, located on 25th street - and has ignored numerous notices informing her her occupancy has been terminated.

West Virginia Teacher Strike Heads Into Uncharted Territory

The statewide strike by teachers and other school workers in West Virginia stretched into its second week on Thursday, as protesters filled the state Capitol for a sixth straight workday with no clear end to the work stoppage in sight. The standoff between workers and legislators appeared all but resolved just two days earlier, when Republican Gov. Jim Justice announced a deal with union leaders to hike pay for teachers and state employees. In a remarkable turn, workers bucked union leadership and vowed to return to the picket lines, carrying out what amounted to a wildcat strike. Schools in all 55 counties stayed closed on Thursday, a day Justice had expected everyone to return to work after a one-day “cooling off” period on Wednesday.

'Pretty Much Everyone On The Plane Threw Up' On Gut-Wrenching Landing

The tweet sent out by the National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center suggests the experience for the passengers and crew of United Flight 3833 from Charlottesville, Virginia, was miserable. More than 4,500 U.S. flights had been canceled as of Friday mid-afternoon, according to FlightAware.com. Most of those cancellations were along the East Coast from Maine to Virginia, the area currently being affected by a nor’easter, according to The Washington Post.

Sheriff: Indiana deputy shot during pursuit won't survive

LEBANON, Ind. (AP) — A central Indiana sheriff's deputy who was shot in the head while chasing three suspects won't survive and was on life support for donation of his organs, authorities said Friday.

Massive Anti-Gun Rally Bumped From National Mall For Talent Show

The National Park Service has refused a permit for the March for Our Lives anti-gun rally at the National Mall in Washington so that part of the space can be used instead for a student talent show. Organizers of the March 24 protest are now seeking a permit to use Pennsylvania Avenue on a route that would take them from the Capitol to Trump International Hotel, NBC-4 reported. The massive anti-gun rally, spearheaded by survivors of the Feb. 14 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people, is expected to draw 500,000 marchers.

Police search for suspected gunman after two people shot dead on Central Michigan University campus

Two people have been killed after shots were fired at Central Michigan University, according to university police. Local authorities said a suspect is still at large and have urged everyone on campus - which is located in Mount Pleasant - to take shelter. Lt. Larry Klaus said surveillance video suggests he fled on foot after the 8: 30am shooting at Campbell Hall residence.

Democrat reiterates doubts about Jared Kushner's loyalty to the U.S.

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said he was “absolutely” impugning Jared Kushner’s patriotism when he tweeted Wednesday that “we don’t know where his loyalties lie” — whether to America or “bailing out his and his family’s debts.”

28-year-old student tries to derail next German government

BERLIN (AP) — The young rebel behind a political campaign that could cause turmoil across Europe looks like a typical German university student — he's usually in sneakers, jeans and a hoodie, has soft features, short blond hair and an overall polite demeanor.

Teen Had Semi-Automatic Rifle and 100 Rounds of Ammunition Outside High School, Police Say

"Whatever we prevented, the outcome was going to be bad"

2019 Jaguar I-Pace: The Electric Jag Is Finally Here

With 394 horsepower, 240 miles of range, and sultry looks, there's a lot to like.

Trump-Graham power nexus flows through Franklin

WASHINGTON (AP) — The preacher and the president, seated side-by-side in the lit-for-television Capitol Rotunda, leaned a few inches closer. The Rev. Franklin Graham whispered something to President Donald Trump, who listened as he kept his eyes on the pine casket at the center of the room.

Joshua Tree Case: 3 Children Allegedly Found Living in a Box in the California Desert

Mona Kirk, 51, and Daniel Panico, 73, were arrested in Joshua Tree National Park Wednesday.

Canadian Outdoor Retailer Drops Products From U.S. Company That Makes Guns

A major Canadian outdoor retail chain said Thursday it will stop selling products from a U.S. company that manufactures guns and ammunition. Mountain Equipment Co-op, known as MEC, said it would stop carrying products from Vista Outdoor, a sprawling outdoor sports and recreation company that manufactures gun products, including assault-style rifles. MEC, based in Vancouver, sells neither firearms nor ammunition, but said it would quit selling five brands owned by Vista, including CamelBak, Bollé and Bushnell, in an effort to distance itself from the U.S. gun-maker.

U.S. Allies Threaten Retaliation Over Trump's Tariffs Announcement

Many of America’s top trade partners bristled at the news that President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs of 10 percent on aluminum and 25 percent on steel imports next week. Trump announced the new measures during a meeting with industry executives at the White House Thursday. Canada called the tariffs “unacceptable” and “inappropriate,” saying it hoped to receive an exemption from the policy, though the president plans to offer zero exemptions, according to The New York Times.

White House Preparing for Mcmaster Exit as Early as Next Month

The White House is preparing to replace H.R. McMaster as national security adviser as early as next month in a move orchestrated by chief of staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis, five people familiar with the discussions tell NBC News.

Bodycam Video Shows North Carolina Officer Beating Black Man Accused Of Jaywalking

An Asheville, North Carolina, news outlet published disturbing bodycam footage this week showing a white police officer beating a black resident, prompting public apologies from city officials who are continuing to investigate the incident. The graphic video shows officers chasing Johnnie Rush, 33, throwing him to the ground, shocking him with a stun gun and beating him as he cries out in pain and shouts for help. Photos that Rush provided to the Asheville Citizen-Times show his bandaged and swollen head and other injuries.

Mudslide threat prompts mandatory-evacuation order for 30,000 in Southern California

The threat of deadly mudslides from an impending Pacific storm prompted authorities on Thursday to order mandatory evacuations for some 30,000 people living adjacent to fire-scarred foothills and mountain slopes along California's Santa Barbara coast. The evacuation was put into effect in the same general area where torrential rains on Jan. 9 unleashed cascades of mud, boulders and other debris that killed 21 people, injured dozens of others and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes. The bulk of the devastation occurred in the affluent hillside community of Montecito, 85 miles (137 km) northwest of Los Angeles, in a region where vast swaths of the coastal landscape were stripped of vegetation by huge wildfires in December.

New Tax Law Benefiting Shareholders More Than Workers So Far

WASHINGTON ― Since President Donald Trump signed the Republican tax bill in December, hundreds of retail companies have announced employee bonuses totaling more than $3 billion, which Republicans have said proves them right that the new law benefits regular Americans. According to several estimates, firms have announced roughly $200 billion worth of stock buybacks this year, inflating the value of company shares by reducing their supply. “Stock buybacks are windfalls that drive up the value of investment portfolios for CEOs and high-flyers,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said in a Senate floor speech this week.

U.S. issues alert after tourist ferry explosion in Mexico

A blast last month on a tourist ferry in the Mexican beach resort of Playa del Carmen was caused by "an explosive device" that injured passengers, including U.S. tourists, the U.S. embassy in Mexico said on Thursday. A security alert posted on the embassy's website warned American citizens to exercise caution and said Mexican authorities continued to investigate the blast. Two more explosive devices were found attached to another ferry on the island of Cozumel on Thursday, local media reported, saying marine troops had secured the scene.

'Pretty Much Everyone On The Plane Threw Up' On Gut-Wrenching Landing

The tweet sent out by the National Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center suggests the experience for the passengers and crew of United Flight 3833 from Charlottesville, Virginia, was miserable. More than 4,500 U.S. flights had been canceled as of Friday mid-afternoon, according to FlightAware.com. Most of those cancellations were along the East Coast from Maine to Virginia, the area currently being affected by a nor’easter, according to The Washington Post.

Mueller appears to be working on Trump Russia collusion question

Rep. Adam Schiff talks with Rachel Maddow about indications that special counsel Robert Mueller is preparing to engage the matter of the Russian hacking of Democratic e-mails and the central question of Trump campaign collusion with Russia.