AOC releases plan on Twitter to address immigration crisis

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday released a plan to address the increasing numbers of migrants crossing the southern border, calling among other things for decriminalizing illegal border crossings.

'Any amount we want': Iran poised to increase uranium enrichment at higher levels

President Hassan Rouhani says Iran will commence higher-level uranium enrichment from July 7 if the impact of U.S. sanctions is not alleviated.

Alaska sees record temperatures in heatwave

An "all-time high" temperature record has been set in the US state of Alaska, despite much of the country sitting in the Arctic circle.Temperatures peaked at 32.22 Celsius (90F) on 4 July at an airport in Anchorage, the state's largest city.National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Clay said Anchorage's average high temperature for US Independence Day is 23.89C (75F).Other local records were set across southern Alaska and come after five weeks of above average temperatures.Shawn King, who has lived his entire life in Anchorage, said he had never seen a stretch of similar hot weather. > The 4thofjuly2019 was one for the books. Several ALL-TIME high temperature records were set at official observation sites throughout Southern Alaska. But that's not all...there were more daily temperature records set too! AKwx ItsHotInAlaska pic.twitter.com/GxcdUaD9ld> > — NWS Anchorage (@NWSAnchorage) > > July 5, 2019The 31-year-old used the occasion to take his daughter, Tessa, fishing for the first time on the dock of Jewel Lake.She insisted on going barefoot."It's too hot for shoes," the four-year-old said.While tourists have been caught out after being told to expect cooler temperatures. Judy Zickmund, who arrived in Anchorage on a cruise, said: "We didn't pack clothes for it".Three other Alaska locations, Kenai, Palmer and King Salmon, set or tied all-time high temperature records. However the statewide record of 37.8C (100F), was set at Fort Yukon in the state's north east region over a century ago.Meteorologists say a "heat dome" over the state is responsible for the latest heatwave, and is set to continue for days as the system moves north.Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the University of Alaska said these exceptionally warm weather events will only become more frequent because of the loss of sea ice and warming in the Arctic Ocean."These kinds of extreme weather events become much more likely in a warming world," Thoman said. "Surface temperatures are above normal everywhere around Alaska. The entire Gulf of Alaska, in the Bering Sea, in the Chukchi Sea south of the ice edge, exceptionally warm waters, warmest on record, and of course record-low sea ice extent for this time of year off the north and northwest coasts of the state."

Biden says having a female vice president would be 'great'

Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden says it would be "great" to have a female vice president, but he won't say whether he'd pick Sen. Kamala Harris for the No. 2 spot if he receives his party's nomination. In an interview aired Friday on CNN, Biden said, "I think it helps having a woman on the ticket." He was asked whether it might be Harris, who confronted him at last week's Democratic presidential debate over his stance on busing in the 1970s. "I think it'd be great to have a female VP," Biden said.

RNC accused of peddling Trump-themed MAGA merchandise on the 4th of July

Critics accuse the Republican National Committee on Thursday of attempting to cash in on the Fourth of July celebrations after it hawked President Trump-themed merchandise via Twitter.

U.S. Still Puzzled Over How to Add Census Citizenship Query

(Bloomberg) -- The Justice Department is still searching for a way to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, with President Donald Trump saying he might issue an executive order after the Supreme Court put his effort on hold.The administration’s uncertainty played out in tweets and court filings on Friday as government lawyers scrambled to meet a federal judge’s afternoon deadline to explain what it was planning to do.“In the event the Commerce Department adopts a new rationale for including the citizenship question on the 2020 Decennial Census consistent with the decisions of the Supreme Court, the government will immediately notify this court so that it can determine whether there is any need for further proceedings,” the U.S. told a federal judge in Maryland, noting both departments have been asked “to reevaluate all available options.Government officials worked through the July 4 holiday in search of a way to insert the citizenship question on the census following a Supreme Court ruling that put the administration’s plan on hold because its rationale for the query was “contrived.” The forms for the once-a-decade headcount must be prepared soon to meet the deadline for 2020.On Tuesday, the administration accepted the Supreme Court’s ruling and said it had begun printing forms without the question. But in a tweet, Trump subsequently ordered the government to re-examine the issue, prompting the Justice Department to seek alternative ways to proceed.Read more: Trump’s Census Question on Trial: QuickTakeThe path forward is anything but clear.On Friday, Trump told reporters he may issue an executive order to add the question to the census, saying that there are “a number of different avenues” for the administration to pursue. “We’re thinking about doing that,” Trump said of executive action. “We can start the printing now and maybe do an addendum after we get a positive decision.”But in their court filing Friday, Justice Department lawyers recognized that new decrees would be challenged, and indicated there was still uncertainty over whether the administration would offer a new rationale for its citizenship question, issue some new order altogether, or take any action at all."This looks like the government’s trying to buy more time," said University of California at Irvine law professor Rick Hasen, an expert on election law who isn’t involved in the case. "They haven’t figured out a new reason yet."‘Tea Leaves’Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, which is representing the plaintiffs in the Maryland case, said government lawyers appear flummoxed.“It seems to me like they‘re trying to read the tea leaves from what Donald Trump is tweeting, just like the rest of us are,” he said.The administration is also boxed in by various court orders. In New York, the federal judge overseeing the case that went to the Supreme Court told lawyers on Friday that he sees no need for a new hearing because rulings blocking the citizenship question remain in place.And in Maryland, U.S. District Judge George Hazel followed up on the government’s filing with a schedule for evidence-gathering that may determine whether a Republican consultant devised the question to give Republicans and white voters more clout.Critics have argued that the citizenship query is an attempt to reduce immigrants’ participation in the survey. They say the administration is seeking to dilute the voting power of states -- whose congressional representation and Electoral College votes are determined by the every-10-year constitutionally mandated census -- with more minority voters.‘Contrived’ ReasonCommerce Secretary Wilbur Ross had said the goal of the question was to help the Justice Department enforce the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voters. But in the final opinion of its term, a divided court said last week Ross’s stated rationale was “contrived” and couldn’t be squared with the evidence about his true motivations. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s liberals in the majority.In comments to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said he respects Roberts but the chief justice “didn’t like” the administration’s arguments and “essentially, he said, ‘Come back.”In its filing in Maryland, the Justice Department said it will file a motion in the Supreme Court seeking instructions on how to proceed if the U.S. finds “a viable path forward."To contact the reporters on this story: Andrew Harris in Washington at aharris16@bloomberg.net;Bob Van Voris in federal court in Manhattan at rvanvoris@bloomberg.net;Justin Sink in Washington at jsink1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Trump asked to declare state of emergency after 7.1 earthquake strikes southern California

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has struck southern California, cracking roads, triggering building fires and causing a number of injuries. The quake, which followed a 6.4 magnitude foreshock on 4 July, was the biggest the region has suffered in 20 years and was felt as far away as Mexico and Las Vegas after it struck on Friday evening.It was centred about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles near the town of Ridgecrest in the Mojave Desert \- as was the Independence Day tremor - and was followed by a series of aftershocks, which seismologists warned could last for days, or even weeks.The area in and around Ridgecrest, already trying to recover from Thursday's foreshock, took the brunt of damage. Several thousand people were without power, and there were reports of cracked buildings. Mark Ghillarducci, director of the California Office of Emergency Services, said there were "significant reports of structure fires, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas line breaks throughout the city". He also said there was a report of a building collapse in tiny Trona and that there could be even more serious damage to the region that will not be known until first light on Saturday. There were reports of trailers burning at a mobile home and State Route 178 in Kern County was closed by a rockslide and roadway damage. Kern County fire chief David Witt said there had been a lot of ambulance calls but no reported fatalities. > We’re having dinner at the highest building in the Coachella valley... EarthquakeLA Aftershock pic.twitter.com/VDvTQ9XmcK> > — mcgregor (@jeffreymcgregor) > > July 6, 2019For the second time in as many days, Ridgecrest Regional Hospital wheeled patients out of the building, some still hooked to IVs, CNN reported. In downtown Los Angeles, 150 miles away, offices in skyscrapers rolled and rocked for at least 30 seconds. Andrew Lippman, who lives in suburban South Pasadena, was sitting outside and reading the paper when Friday's quake hit and calculated it lasted 45 seconds. "I could see power lines swaying," he said. Disneyland in Orange County and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita closed their rides. An NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas was stopped after the quake. Speakers over the court at the Thomas & Mack Center continued swaying more than 10 minutes after the quake.The quake rattled Dodger Stadium in the fourth inning of the team's game against the San Diego Padres, when Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Enrique Hernandez was batting. It did not appear to affect him or Padres pitcher Eric Lauer. However, it was obvious to viewers of the SportsNet LA broadcast when the TV picture bounced up and down. Some fans in the upper deck appeared to leave their seats and move to a concourse at the top of the stadium. There is about a 1-in-10 chance that another 7.0 magnitude quake could hit within the next week, said Lucy Jones, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology and a former science adviser at the US Geological Survey. The chance of a 5.0 magnitude quake "is approaching certainty", she added, with aftershocks from the main quake potentially continuing for years.However, the quake was unlikely to affect fault lines outside of the area, she said, noting that the gigantic San Andreas Fault was far away. "These earthquakes are related," Ms Jones said, adding that the new quake probably ruptured along about 25 miles of fault line and was part of a continuing sequence. Governor Gavin Newsom activated the state Office of Emergency Services operations centre "to its highest level" and announced he had requested president Donald Trump issue an emergency declaration so the state could receive federal aid. The city of Los Angeles is planning to reduce the threshold for public notifications by its earthquake early warning app, but officials say it was in the works before southern California's initial earthquake on Thursday. The ShakeAlert LA app was designed to notify users of magnitudes of 5.0 or greater and when a separate intensity scale predicts potentially damaging shaking. Robert de Groot of the US Geological Survey says lowering the magnitude to 4.5 was already being worked on and had been discussed with LA as recently as Wednesday.Additional reporting by AP

At least 70 arrested in Hong Kong after storming of parliament

Police arrested at least 70 people as a crackdown begins against the scores of protesters who turned to the streets over the last month to voice frustrations against city leaders. Charges against those individuals - some as young as 14 - included possession of weapons, unlawful assembly, assaulting police, criminal damage, forcible entry and disorderly conduct in a public place. Thirteen arrests have been linked to demonstrations on July 1, the most aggressive demonstrations to date, that ended with a few hundred people storming the city’s parliament. Only one of those individuals arrested, however, is alleged to be directly linked to the seizure of the government building. The arrests kick off a crackdown that could last for years. Activists like Joshua Wong, a key figure in the 2014 Umbrella Movement that rocked Hong Kong, have been in and out of prison. Mr Wong, 22, was just freed in a surprise release this June. China has urged Hong Kong authorities to prosecute the “criminals” involved in the protests. But unlike past protests in the city, the recent demonstrations have lacked a central organising force - instead several groups have rallied the masses. That means there aren’t specific individuals police can go after and send a symbolic message to quell unrest. Joshua Wong's release from prison has seen him return to the fray Beijing says unrest in Hong Kong as being “hyped by Western forces,” issuing yet another direct warning on Thursday to the UK – specifically naming Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and referring to Boris Johnson, both in the race to become the next prime minister – to stop commenting on its former colony. “In the past few days, Mr Hunt has been mistakenly commenting on Hong Kong, and now it seems that a new person has taken over to continue lecturing on the same issues,” said Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry. “If some actors in the UK obstinately make the same mistake over and over again, we will have to discuss.” “Hunt inflamed Hong Kong’s situation, which only ruins his and the UK’s image. He sabotaged China-UK relations for his personal political interests,” warned an editorial in the Global Times, a Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece. “Hunt is selfish and has poor logic. The UK’s diplomacy toward China will pay for his behaviour.” Some lawmakers worry that the arrests will lead to more violent demonstrations. “I am terribly worried that a massive kind of round-up of protesters could trigger very negative sentiment on the part of the young, “ said Claudia Mo, a pro-democratic member of the Legislative Council. “Things could get worse.” Clean-up efforts continued Thursday – rubbish bins were hauled in to clear the debris and city workers brushed over slogans painted by protesters. A small group went on a hunger strike, while others offered free hugs to boost morale after at least three people committed suicide in protest over the last two weeks.

Trump faults rain, teleprompter for flub about 'airports' during American Revolution

Trump said a teleprompter mishap led to his much-mocked July Fourth flub in which he talked about defending airports during the American Revolution

Harris's $100 Billion Plan Aims to Help Black Families Buy Homes

(Bloomberg) -- Taking aim at the racial wealth gap in the U.S., Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris proposed a $100 billion program to help black families and individuals buy homes.Speaking at the Essence Festival in New Orleans on Saturday, Harris said the program would help with down payments and other costs associated with purchasing homes.The program, she estimated, would help 4 million families who live or rent in historically red-lined areas, or those where loans are often refused because borrowers are seen as poor financial risks.“We must right the wrong, and after generations of discrimination give black families a real shot at home-ownership -- historically one of the most powerful drivers of wealth,” Harris said.The program, which would be administrated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, would give grants of up to $25,000 to families with incomes of up to $100,000, or as much as $125,000 in high-income communities. Harris said the plan would, over time, reduce the wealth gap between black and white families by one-third.Rising in PollsHer campaign cited research from Demos, a progressive public policy group, showing that less than 50% of black households own their home while 75% of white ones do.Rising in the polls after her breakout debate performance in late June, Harris is seeking to dislodge Democratic front-runner Joe Biden and is especially trying to make inroads with black voters, a crucial constituency for Democrats and a voting bloc where Biden has deep support.Harris’ plan comes after Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, another Democratic candidate, announced a plan in March to provide grants to first-time homebuyers in formerly red-lined and low-income neighborhoods.Harris has previously laid out proposals to offer relief for renters and working families.To contact the reporter on this story: Tyler Pager in New Orleans at tpager1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Ros Krasny, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Realistic new renders give us our closest look yet at Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+

Samsung on Friday morning announced that the company expects its second-quarter operating profit to plummet by a gut-wrenching 56% on-year to $5.6 billion. To make matters even worse, that figure includes a one-time payment from Apple of nearly $700 million because it failed to meet its minimum commitment for iPhone OLED displays. Samsung's chip business had been booming and the Galaxy S10 series was supposed to be a huge help to its slumping smartphone division. And yet the first full quarter of Galaxy S10 sales turned out to be a dismal one, and the company's Galaxy Fold debacle certainly didn't help either. Considering the Galaxy Note series has never sold anywhere near as well as the Galaxy S series, we're not sure how much of a boost the upcoming new Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ will be for Samsung's bottom line. What we are sure of, however, is that Samsung's soon-to-be-released Galaxy Note 10 series is shaping up to be its most impressive new smartphone series yet. And now, thanks to a new set of leaked images shared by an insider, we just got our closest look yet at both upcoming new Galaxy Note 10 phones. When Samsung saw that Apple was planning to release a new "entry-level" iPhone model alongside its flagship iPhones in 2018, the company was quick to copy the strategy. While overall Galaxy S10 sales didn't do much to help Samsung's plummeting profit in Q2 this year, word on the street is that the less expensive Galaxy S10e has been the best-selling Galaxy S10 model ever since the S10 series was first released back in March. With that in mind, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Samsung is using the same strategy next month when it launches the new Galaxy Note 10 series. High-end smartphones have gotten so expensive that companies like Apple and Samsung now have to dial back some of the features in order to offer stripped-down versions that are at least somewhat affordable. So instead of just releasing one new Galaxy Note phone in 2019 like Samsung has done in previous years, the company plans to release an "entry-level" Galaxy Note 10 and a high-end Galaxy Note 10+. Now, model upcoming new models have been shown in great detail thanks to a fresh leak. Twitter user Sudhanshu Ambhore is somewhat new on the scene, but he has already been the source of several smartphone leaks that ended up being accurate. On Friday, he posted newly leaked renders of both the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. https://twitter.com/Sudhanshu1414/status/1147002935143854082 https://twitter.com/Sudhanshu1414/status/1147001883577315328 Here's a closer look at the Galaxy Note 10: And here's the Galaxy Note 10+: Both models might look the same at first glance, but you can tell them apart by the back of each phone. The Galaxy Note 10 has an LED flash next to its new triple-lens rear camera, while the Galaxy Note 10+ has a fourth TOF sensor and one other sensor in addition to the LED flash. The plus version of the Note 10 is also expected to have a larger display. The new Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ will both be unveiled during a press conference in New York on August 7th, and they're expected to go on sale in the weeks that follow.

Trump celebrates US might, avoids politics in rousing July 4 speech

President Donald Trump sang the praises of the US military and American heroes of the past two and a half centuries Thursday, skirting politics in a rousing Independence Day speech in Washington. "What a great country," Trump exclaimed in an address saturated with patriotism and exceptionalism, after critics accused him of hijacking the annual celebration. Combat aircraft, including the rarely-seen B2 stealth bomber, flew overhead as Trump scrolled through myriad events of US history, from groundbreaking inventions to battlefield victories.

Hundreds of aftershocks follow Ridgecrest earthquake, California's strongest in 20 years

The Fourth of July California earthquake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks rumbling near Ridgecrest, the epicenter for the magnitude 6.4 quake

U.N. nuclear watchdog's board to meet on Iran at request of U.S

The United States has called an emergency meeting of the U.N. atomic watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors to discuss Iran, the U.S. mission to the agency said on Friday, after Tehran breached its 2015 nuclear deal with major powers. Any country on the board can call a meeting, and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in a note to member states that the meeting would be held next Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. (1230 GMT) after the IAEA this week said Iran had exceeded the maximum stock of enriched uranium allowed under the deal.

Sneaky: America's F-22 Stealth Fighter Snuck up on an Iranian F-4 Phantom

It was a close call.Back in 2013, Pentagon press secretary George Little said that an Iranian air force F-4 Phantom combat plane attempted to intercept a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone flying through international airspace near Iran.As we reported back then, one of the two F-4 Phantom jets — in service in Iran since the Shah — came to about 16 miles from the Predator, but broke off pursuit after two American planes escorting the drone broadcast a warning message.It was a close call.The March 2013 episode happened only a few months after a two Sukhoi Su-25 attack planes operated by the Pasdaran (the informal name of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards) attempted to shoot down an American MQ-1 flying a routine surveillance flight in international airspace some 16 miles off Iran.After this attempted interception, the Pentagon decided to escort drones involved in reconnaissance missions with fighter jets: either F-18 Hornets embarked on the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, currently in the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility, or F-22 Raptors like those deployed to Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates.

Trump blames rain and teleprompter for his July 4 speech gaffe

President Trump on Friday blamed inclement weather and a malfunctioning teleprompter for his odd riff on air travel during the American Revolution.

China locks down Xinjiang a decade after deadly ethnic riots

A decade after deadly riots tore through his hometown, Kamilane Abudushalamu still vividly recalls the violence that left him an exile. On July 5, 2009, Abudushalamu was hiding with his father on the 10th floor of an office tower in Urumqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang region that is home to the Turkic Uighur ethnic minority. Hours later, when he and his father stepped out to sprint home, he saw crowds of Uighurs stabbing Han Chinese in front of a middle school.

Biden would name a teacher as education secretary, wouldn't appoint his wife

"So the press doesn’t get confused, I promise I’m not going to appoint my wife," Biden said.

7.1 SoCal earthquake 1 of 12 7.0 earthquakes in California history

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck near Ridgecrest Friday was one of only 12 earthquakes in California since 1857 that measured over 7.0.

Trump news: President’s ‘embarrassing mess’ parade speech widely mocked, amid arrests over July 4 fights between MAGA fans and left-wing activists

Donald Trump delivered his controversial ”Salute to America” address in Washington, DC, on Thursday amid hammering summer storms, his speech managing to avoid partisan politics but marred by an extraordinary gaffe in which he claimed the 1775 revolutionary army “took over the airports”.The president also promised to “plant a US flag on Mars” and encouraged young Americans to sign up for military service, despite receiving no fewer than five deferments himself preventing him from serving in the Vietnam War.While the event featured the Air Force flypast and spectacular fireworks display Mr Trump had promised, it was also defined by an unseemly brawl breaking out between protesters and members of the alt-right militant group Proud Boys after the former set fire to the stars-and-stripes in front of the White House.The president meanwhile saidon Friday he may issue an executive order over his 2020 Census demands. The US Constitution specifically assigns the job of overseeing the census to Congress, limiting the authority of the president over it, which could complicate an effort to add the question via presidential missive.“We’re working on a lot of things including an executive order,” Mr Trump told reporters outside the White House as he left for his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.In a court filing in response to a Maryland-based federal judge’s deadline, the Department of Justice indicated it has not yet come up with a new legal rationale for adding the question after being blocked in the Supreme Court on 27 June.US District Judge George Hazel said on Wednesday that if the administration did not reach a decision he would press ahead with considering allegations based on newly discovered evidence that the decision to add the question was motivated by racial bias.The Justice Department said in its court filing it objects to the case moving forward.Critics have called the citizenship question a Republican ploy to scare immigrants into not participating and engineer a population undercount in Democratic-leaning areas with high immigrant populations. They say that officials lied about their motivations for adding the question and that the move would help Trump’s fellow Republicans gain seats in the US House of Representatives and state legislatures when new electoral district boundaries are drawn.Mr Trump on Friday said the “number one” reason for adding the question was for the drawing of electoral districts, which is not the legal reason the administration gave for adding it.He and his supporters say it makes sense to know how many non-citizens are living in the country. His hard-line policies on immigration have punctuated his presidency and 2020 re-election campaign.Additional reporting by Reuters. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load

Powerful Southern California quake, second in two days, causes damage, injuries

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook Southern California on Friday, triggering fires, buckling part of a highway, damaging buildings but causing few reported injuries despite striking with eight times more force than the initial quake in the same area a day earlier. It was followed by at least 16 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or above, the USGS said, which also warned of a 50 percent or better chance of another magnitude 6 quake in the days ahead.

'Scared to death': 7.1 earthquake follows 6.4, leaving Ridgecrest residents fearful, resilient

A California earthquake of a magnitude 7.1 followed the previous day's 6.4, leaving Ridgecrest residents fearing whether another Big One could hit.

China says briefed by U.S. on latest Trump-Kim meeting

China has received a briefing from the United States on the latest meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, China's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, in a call between two senior diplomats.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2NCFebN

Trump dismisses fears his tanks will damage Lincoln Memorial during Salute to America parade

Donald Trump has reportedly dismissed concerns that tanks and other military vehicles on display as part of his Independence Day parade could damage the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial. At least two M1A1 Abrams tanks and two Bradley armoured carriers will be moved to the heart of Washington for the US president's "Salute to America" .The National Park Service will reportedly divert nearly $2.5m to cover the cost of the event, which Mr Trump described as “the show of a lifetime”.But aides allegedly warned Mr Trump that driving tanks near the Lincoln memorial would “tear up the streets” on its grounds, which are not designed to hold the weight of a vehicle that exceeds 60 tons. Each M1A1 Abrams tank weighs 63 tons. "There were many long conversations with the boss about this," one former senior administration official told the Washington Post.Another defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that many top military officials were not aware that the president definitely wanted tanks involved in the parade until last week.The two M1A1 Abrams tanks were shipped to Washington from Fort Stewart in Georgia over the weekend, via freight train, along with other armoured vehicles.National Park Service officials also reportedly remain concerned about the damage the tanks could cause to the grounds of the memorial.It comes after the government spent $30.7m to refurbish the memorial under the Obama administration in 2017.On the day before the parade, Army Colonel Sunset Belinsky told CBS News that residents of the capital city "will see the vehicles move through their neighbourhoods, but should not panic".As well as tanks, Mr Trump's 4 July celebration will feature a military jet flyover, an extended fireworks show and speech by the president at the Lincoln Memorial.Ahead of the event, Mr Trump tweeted: “Our July 4th Salute to America at the Lincoln Memorial is looking to be really big. It will be the show of a lifetime!”The last time a US president gave a speech in Washington on 4 July was in 1951 when Harry Truman spoke on the Washington Monument to mark the 175th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.This year’s event will be open to the public free of charge, apart from a ticketed area for VIPs in front of the Lincoln Memorial.However, Donald Trump’s aides fear an embarrassingly small crowd may turn out to the event, according to a report.He has also been criticised over the probable cost of the event, which is expected to run into the millions.But he dismissed these complaints in a tweet on Wednesday, writing: “The cost of our great Salute to America tomorrow will be very little compared to what it is worth. We own the planes, we have the pilots, the airport is right next door (Andrews), all we need is the fuel. We own the tanks and all. Fireworks are donated by two of the greats. Nice!”

Southern California rocked by strongest quake in two decades

Southern California was rocked by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake Thursday morning, the US Geological Survey said, with authorities warning that the temblor, the largest in two decades, might not be the day's last. The shallow quake struck in the vast desert region of the Searles Valley in San Bernardino County just six miles (10 kilometers) from the town of Ridgecrest at 10:33 a.m. (17:33 GMT), but was felt 160 miles away in Los Angeles and even as far as Las Vegas in the neighboring state of Nevada. Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones told a press conference that residents "will continue having a lot of aftershocks," adding that dozens had already occurred and that some may be as strong as magnitude five.

Australian student released from North Korea says he's 'very good'

SYDNEY/TOKYO (Reuters) - An Australian student who was detained in North Korea was freed and safely left the country on Thursday, arriving in Tokyo via Beijing later the same day after Swedish officials helped broker his release. Alek Sigley, 29, who was studying in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, had been missing since June 25.

Biden Returns to Campaign Trail With Strong Defense of Obamacare

(Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden returned to the campaign trail Wednesday with a defense of the Affordable Care Act, consciously drawing a contrast with other Democratic presidential hopefuls after spending weeks focused almost exclusively on President Donald Trump.“I fundamentally disagree with anyone who says scrap Obamacare,” the former vice president told voters in Waterloo, Iowa, at his first public appearance since last Thursday’s primary debate. “I’m against any Republican who wants to scrap it, I’m against any Democrat who wants to scrap it.”Biden’s comments touched on a divide within the Democratic Party that was on view during both nights of last week’s debates in Miami – over whether to end the existing private insurance system that covers millions of Americans and replace it with Medicare for All.“I’m going to be very blunt with you: it’s going to be a debate among us all in this race,” he said, adding that there are “a lot of good people running.”The opponents closest to Biden in the polls – Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Kamala Harris of California and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren – back Medicare for All, which would eventually include the elimination of private insurance that remains popular with many voters.Biden has not yet rolled out his full health care plan, but suggested Wednesday that he would favor a hybrid public-private system that could help the uninsured get coverage.“We can’t start over. There’s no time to start over in my view,” he said. “Building on what we’ve got, not starting over. Allowing people to keep their employer-based insurance or their private insurance or any insurance they have if they want. But if they don’t, allowing them the ability to buy into a public option, a health care plan like Medicare.”He pointed out that many presidents before Barack Obama had tried to pass a health care bill and not succeeded. “We have to finish the job and make health care a right not a privilege,” he said. Biden’s shift to a more direct comparison with other candidates for the Democratic nomination comes after he stumbled last week when facing an attack from Harris on his opposition to federally mandated busing to desegregate schools during the 1970s and has since seen his poll numbers drop.A Quinnipiac national poll released Tuesday found Biden slipping to 22%, just 2 percentage points ahead of Harris at 20%. Warren was next with 14% then Sanders with 13%. A CNN national poll found Biden slipping 10 percentage points in one month — to 22%. Behind him was Harris with 17%, 9 percentage points higher than in CNN’s previous poll, and Warren with 15%, an 8-percentage-point gain, and Sanders with 14%, a 4-percentage-point drop.Biden’s campaign said Wednesday that it raised $21.5 million in the second quarter, second to Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, who took in $24.8 million.Biden’s team was quick to note that he entered the race on April 25, nearly a month into the quarter, meaning that he took in more per day than any other candidate. Sanders said that his campaign raised $18 million during the second quarter. Harris and Warren have not yet disclosed their fundraising totals.On Thursday, Biden plans to march in a July 4 parade in Independence, Iowa, and to take in an Iowa Cubs game in Des Moines, the state capital.(Updates with additional quote, in eighth paragraph. An earlier version corrected the day that Biden spoke, in sixth paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Epstein in Washington at jepstein32@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, John Harney, Max BerleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Fox News Anchor Julie Banderas Thinks It’s Illegal to Burn the American Flag

Fox News anchor Julie Banderas is apparently unaware of Texas v. Johnson. Towards the end of a discussion on the seemingly never-ending Nike/Betsy Ross flag controversy during Friday’s broadcast of chat-fest Outnumbered, the conversation shifted to the arrest of two men who burned an American flag outside the White House on July 4.“There was a video of somebody who stopped burning of the protest—I think it was yesterday—with his hands,” co-host Carley Shimkus said. “It means a lot to a lot of people.”Banderas, meanwhile, noted that two people were arrested after the protest before adding a bit of commentary.“And it’s a crime to burn the American flag,” she declared. “That’s how much we respect our American flag.”While it is true that two men were arrested following the flag-burning, the U.S. Secret Service noted that one person was arrested for “felony assault on a police officer and malicious burning.” As they pointed out, while the burning of the American flag is not illegal, the burning occurred outside the parameters of the protesters’ permit issued by the National Parks Service.Ironically, one of the men arrested was Gregory “Joey” Johnson, who was the defendant in the landmark Texas v. Johnson Supreme Court case in 1989 that ruled flag-burning was protected speech under the First Amendment, invalidating then-current laws on the book prohibiting flag desecration.Despite tossing out this explicit falsehood, she went unchallenged by her colleagues, including guest host Dean Cain, who bragged during the broadcast that he majored in history.Later in the day, filling in for Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, Banderas introduced a segment on Johnson's arrest by noting that "it is not technically illegal to burn a flag due to free speech and the Constitution." She did not, however, mention how she had incorrectly labeled flag-burning a crime earlier that afternoon. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

All of the Military Hardware at Washington's 4th of July Event

“Salute to America” will include fly-bys from fighter jets and a tank display.

Hong Kong mothers march in support of anti-extradition students

Thousands of mothers marched in Hong Kong on Friday in support of students who have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest against an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has asked to meet students in the Chinese-ruled city as she tries to fend off pressure after a month of protests over a proposed law that has plunged the Chinese-ruled city into turmoil. Protesters stormed Hong Kong's legislature on Monday, the 22nd anniversary of the former British colony's return to China.

'Rushing for the exits': Rival Afghans meet in Doha

Rival Afghans will meet Sunday in Doha for a fresh round of talks mediated by Qatar and Germany, as the US eyes peace with the Taliban within three months. The first such encounter in Moscow was heralded as a breakthrough but many sensitive issues including women's rights, foreign military withdrawal, Al-Qaeda and power sharing with the Taliban remain unresolved. Two experts spoke to AFP about their expectations for the talks which follow a week of direct negotiations between the US and the Taliban also in Doha.

Wimbledon player fined $56,100 for 'lack of effort'

With Wimbledon competitors wrapping up their first week of play, the conceptwinning the title and taking home their allotted prize money is becoming moreand more of a reality

'Real Housewives' star Meghan King Edmonds reveals son has 'irreversible brain damage'

"Real Housewives" star and mother of three Meghan King Edmonds started off by writing that she always knew something was wrong with 1-year-old son Hart.

Harris clarifies stance on federally mandated school busing

Sen. Kamala Harris on Thursday clarified her position on federally mandated school busing, saying it's only necessary in cases where local governments are actively opposing integration. Harris said that in the 1960s and '70s, institutions "were literally working against integration of our schools." That's why she supported busing then, she said, but now thinks it should just be a "tool" available to local governments and school districts to address segregation. "Today it is very rare that we require the courts or the federal government to intervene," Harris told reporters Thursday before a campaign event in Indianola, Iowa.

This Is the Devastating Aftermath of an Airstrike That Killed 53 Migrants at a Libyan Detention Center

These photographs capture the devastation of the airstrike in Libya on Wednesday, that left at least 53 dead and 130 injured.

What Was That Secret Russian Sub Doing Before It Caught Fire?

APA fire broke out on a secretive Russian research submarine on Monday, killing 14 people and potentially slowing Russia’s efforts to develop new undersea weaponry.Flames roared through the nuclear-powered Project 1083 Losharik submarine apparently while the vessel was near its home port of Severomorsk on Russia’s Arctic coast. Among the crew who died in the accident are at least seven senior officers, two of whom had received the Hero of Russia award, the equivalent of the United States’ Medal of Honor.  Russian President Vladimir Putin described Losharik’s burning as a “big loss.” “This is not a regular vessel, you and I know this,” Putin told reporters. Fishermen told SeverPost, a Murmansk news agency, they observed Losharik surfacing near Kildin Island in the Barents Sea around 9:30 p.m. local time on Monday. “It came out of the water, all of it,” one fisherman said. “I’d never seen anything like that before,” the fisherman added. “There were people running, rushing on the deck.” “Fire is the biggest nightmare for sailors serving on submarines,” Alexander Golts, an independent military analyst, told The Daily Beast. “Anything could cause a fire. A short circuit, somebody’s negligence—anything.”The Losharik fire is Russia’s worst submarine disaster since 2008, when a fire-suppression system malfunctioned on the Russian navy attack submarine Nerpa, asphyxiating 20 people as the vessel underwent trials in the Sea of Japan. Eight years earlier in 2000, the missile submarine Kursk suffered an explosion and sank in the Barents Sea, killing 118 people. The Kursk’s sinking and Putin’s slowness to respond were major scandals in Russia.Nerpa and Kursk were fleet submarines with front-line military missions. Losharik by contrast is a deep-diving research vessel that belongs to the Kremlin’s Directorate of Deepwater Research. Losharik’s roughly 200-foot-long hull consists of seven titanium compartments that protect the vessel from the high pressure of extreme depths. Norman Polmar, a submarine expert and naval adviser to top U.S. government officials, estimated Losharik can dive as deep as 20,000 feet. Fleet submarines, including the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class vessels, typically dive no deeper than 600 or 700 feet.Since launching in 2003, Losharik has undertaken some dangerous missions of national importance. In 2012 the submarine and an accompanying vessel drilled to a depth of almost two miles on the Arctic seabed in order to retrieve soil samples and identify the outer limits of Russia’s continental shelf.Many of the vessel’s other duties are shrouded in mystery, but could involve trials of new sensors and weaponry. “It’s a very useful submarine,” Polmar said. Research submarines such as Losharik arguably are more important than ever for Russia’s strategic plans. The Russian navy for years clung to its position as one of the world’s most powerful fleets largely by refurbishing Cold War-vintage surface warships. But those ships and their support infrastructure are becoming harder to maintain. In October 2018 a fire broke out aboard PD-50, a 38-year-old floating drydock that at the time was cradling Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia’s sole aircraft carrier. PD-50 sank, damaging the carrier and killing two workers.Russia’s Biggest Warship Steams to SyriaWith no cheap or easy way to replace PD-50, the Kremlin is considering decommissioning the aging, unreliable Admiral Kuznetsov as part of a wider cull of Cold War-vintage vessels. To replace the old surface ships, Moscow has leaned on its historical strength as a builder of submarines. Putin’s government in recent years has accelerated production of new subs while also developing high-tech new weapons to arm the vessels. Russia plans to maintain a fleet of around 50 modern submarines, roughly matching the U.S. Navy’s own undersea strength. Russia’s submarine build-up includes the 574-foot-long Moscow, which is part-science vessel, part-spy ship, part-commando transport, and part-“mothership” for mini-subs and drones. Russia also is developing “Status-6,” an undersea drone that packs a radiological warhead that could contaminate vast stretches of enemy coast.It’s unclear what Losharik was doing when the fire broke out. The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to questions The Daily Beast sent via email. Michael Kofman, a Russia expert with the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., said the fire was probably the result of “a demonstration gone awry, perhaps of some new technology.”“You will note the casualty list includes seven captains first rank, on a submarine that would at most have one such officer serving,” Kofman noted. “This was an extraordinary crew of top elite captains,” Golts told The Daily Beast. “Whoever put them together on that vessel gave these captains a complicated task, which required their expertise and experience in oceanographic research.”Submariners are folk heroes in Russia. It’s not for nothing that the Russian public “is locked on the accident,” according to Pavel Podvig, an independent expert on the Russian military. Orthodox churches in the Russian port cities of Murmansk and Severomorsk on Wednesday held memorial services for the victims of the fire.Perhaps fearing another scandal like the Kursk sinking, Putin swiftly responded to the Losharik incident. On Tuesday he canceled a planned event and summoned Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss the fire.The damage and loss of life could have been much worse, Shoigu claimed. The defense minister told reporters the crew heroically saved the life of a civilian aboard Losharik and closed hatches to prevent the flames from spreading. It’s unclear how much damage Losharik sustained and whether, or how quickly, the Kremlin could restore the vessel. The fire at least has stymied Russia’s undersea ambitions, according to Pavel Luzin, a professor of political science at Perm University in Russia. “Definitely, Russia temporarily lost one of its most advanced naval capabilities that is aimed at maintaining Russia’s strategic operations.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Jussie Smollett news: 'Empire' actor's attorneys argue for Chicago lawsuit to be moved to federal court

Jussie Smollett wants the lawsuit that the city of Chicago filed against him moved from state court to federal court.

Former Guard commander says Iran should seize a UK tanker

Iran should consider seizing a British oil tanker in response to authorities detaining an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar, a former leader of the Islamic Republic's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Friday. The striking comment by Mohsen Rezaei came amid heightened tensions over Iran's unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, an accord that the U.S. withdrew from last year. In recent days, Iran has broken through the limit the nuclear deal imposed on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium and plans on Sunday to boost its enrichment.

Alaska: temperatures rival Miami amid 'unprecedented' heatwave

Anchorage’s weather station recorded 90F on Thursday, breaking the previous record high of 85FA brush fire burns in South Anchorage, Alaska, on 2 July. Photograph: Loren Holmes/APAlaska’s temperatures soared to new highs on the Fourth of July as the state bisected by the Arctic Circle endures a heatwave that has shattered records in some cities. On Thursday afternoon, Anchorage’s official weather station recorded a temperature of 90F, breaking the previous record high of 85F, and rivaling temperatures in Miami.Under the conditions, Anchorage canceled its fireworks display. “This is unprecedented,” Anchorage’s mayor, Ethan Berkowitz, told the New York Times. “I tease people that Anchorage is the coolest city in the country – and climatically that is true – but right now we are seeing record heat.”The whole state is enduring a heatwave. This June was the warmest on record, with an average temperature of 60.5F – 5.3 degrees above average, according to the National Weather Service Anchorage – and the 16th consecutive month in which average temperatures have ranged above normal.“All 30 days in June had above-average temperatures,” the service noted. June was also the driest on record, with 0.06in of rain, making the state’s forestry vulnerable to wildfires.The Alaska state fire marshal’s office banned the sale and use of fireworks in certain areas, including Fairbanks.

Survivors of strike on Libyan migrant centre say they were made to work in weapons factory

Migrants who survived the deadly airstrike on a Libyan detention center said Thursday they had been conscripted by a local militia to work in an adjacent weapons workshop and were shot at as they tried to flee. The decision to store weapons at the facility in Tajoura, to the east of Tripoli, may have made it a target for the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), which is at war with an array of militias allied with a weak, UN-recognised government in the capital. The Tripoli government has blamed Wednesday's pre-dawn strike, which killed at least 53 migrants and wounded more than 130, on the LNA and its foreign backers. The LNA, led by General Khalifa Haftar, says it targeted a nearby militia position but denies striking the hangar where the migrants were being held. Gen Haftar, whose forces control much of eastern and southern Libya, has received aid from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Russia. The UN said on Thursday it had information that Libyan guards shot at refugees and migrants trying to flee from the air strikes. "There are reports that following the first impact, some refugees and migrants were fired upon by guards as they tried to escape," a report released by the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. A satellite view of the migrant center near Tajoura before the air strikes Credit: DIGITALGLOBE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX /SATELLITE IMAGE ©2019 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES The UN and aid groups have blamed the tragedy in part on the European Union's policy of partnering with Libyan militias to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean Sea to seek a better life in Europe. Critics of the policy say it leaves migrants at the mercy of brutal traffickers or confined in detention facilities near the front lines that often lack adequate food and water. Interior Minister Fathi Ali Bashagha said the Tripoli government was considering closing all detention centres for migrants and releasing the inmates. Around 6,000 migrants, most from elsewhere in Africa, are being held in Libya's detention centers after being intercepted by the EU-funded coast guard. Libya detention centre In Tajoura, hundreds of migrants are held in several hangars next to what appears to be a weapon cache. Two migrants told The Associated Press that for months they were sent day and night to the workshop inside the detention center. "We clean the anti-aircraft guns. I saw a large amount of rockets and missiles too," said a young migrant who has been held at Tajoura for nearly two years. Another migrant recounted a nearly two-year odyssey in which he fled war in his native country and was passed from one trafficker to another until he reached the Libyan coast. He boarded a boat that was intercepted by the coast guard, which later transferred him to Tajoura, where he was wounded in Wednesday's airstrike. "I fled from the war to come to this hell of Libya," he said. "My days are dark."

Joe Biden says that he wasn't prepared for Kamala Harris' criticism on segregation and busing

Biden on CNN said he "wasn't prepared" for Harris' criticism during the debate. He added that his past positions were taken "out of context."

First charges against Hong Kong anti-government protester

A Hong Kong street artist was charged on Friday with assaulting a police officer and criminal damage, the first prosecution against an anti-government protester since the city was rocked by unprecedented demonstrations. Sparked by a law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, the city has witnessed three huge peaceful rallies as well as civil disobedience and violence from a hard core of younger protesters who have besieged the police headquarters and on Monday stormed the city's parliament. Authorities have vowed to hunt those behind the unrest that has plunged the semi-autonomous city's Beijing-backed government into crisis.

The Ford GT Mk II Is a $1.2 Million Track-Only Monster with 700 HP

Only 45 units of this racing-inspired track-only supercar will be built, at a cost of $1.2 million each.

Media bash Trump's 'Salute to America' parade

Democrats hit Trump over 4th of July celebration; reaction from Trump 2020 campaign national press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and former Schumer aide Chris Hahn.

Chinese police arrest man who allegedly poured water over Baidu CEO's head

Chinese authorities have detained a man in connection with an investigation of an incident in which a man poured a bottle of water over Robin Li, chief executive of Chinese search giant Baidu Inc, at a conference, police said on Thursday. Li was making a keynote address on Wednesday at the opening of an annual Baidu event to promote its advances in artificial intelligence (AI), when a man approached the stage and emptied a bottle of water over Li's head. Baidu alerted police about the incident, Beijing police said.

UPDATE 1-Europe trade channel with Iran close to 1st deal in days - France

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday he hoped a special trade channel set up with Iran would complete a first, limited transaction in the coming days. Set up by France, Britain and Germany, Instex is a barter trade mechanism that aims to avoid direct financial transfers by offsetting balances between importers and exporters on the European side. The mechanism is aimed at making it possible for trade between European Union members and Iran to continue in the face of stiff U.S sanctions since Washington quit a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers last year.

China says existing U.S. tariffs must be removed for a trade deal

Existing U.S. tariffs will have to be removed if there is to be a trade deal between Beijing and Washington, China's commerce ministry said on Thursday. The leaders of the two countries agreed last weekend to relaunch trade talks that had stalled in May after U.S. officials accused China of pulling back from commitments made in the text of a pact negotiators had said was nearly finished. Trade teams from both countries are in contact, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng told a regular media briefing.