Thailand's lost baby dugong dies from shock, eating plastic

An 8-month-old dugong nurtured by marine experts after it was found lost near a beach in southern Thailand has died of what biologists believe was a combination of shock and ingesting plastic waste, officials said Saturday. The female dugong — a large ocean mammal — was named "Marium" and became a hit in Thailand after images of biologists embracing and feeding her with milk and seagrass spread across social media. Veterinarians and volunteers had set out in canoes to feed Marium up to 15 times a day while also giving her health checks.

Child found dead in hot vehicle at New Jersey train station

Authorities are investigating the death of a young child who was left in a vehicle parked at a commuter train station in New Jersey.

Epstein girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell pictured at burger bar in first public sighting since financier’s death

The “missing” former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein and the woman accused of recruiting young women for him – claims she has strongly denied – has been spotted eating at a fast food restaurant in Los Angeles.In the days since the death of the disgraced financier, accused of sex trafficking young girls, much attention has focused on the whereabouts of socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of the late press baron Robert Maxwell, and Epstein’s longtime confidante. Reports suggested she was living in France or elsewhere in Europe, or even in Massachusetts.The matter now seems to have been at least party cleared up after a tabloid newspaper published a picture of her taken in an unlikely location.“Well, I guess this is the last time I’ll be eating here,” the 57-year-old is said to have remarked after being snapped at an In-N-Out restaurant in Los Angeles, according to the New York Post.The newspaper claimed Ms Maxwell was enjoying a burger, fries and a shake, while she sat reading The Book of Honour: The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives, a 2000 nonfiction bestseller by journalist Ted Gup.While Ms Maxwell has never been charged with any crimes relating to Epstein’s alleged actions in Florida and New York, this week one of his accusers filed a lawsuit against her, alleging she conspired with members of the disgraced financier’s household staff “to make possible and otherwise facilitate the sexual abuse and rape” the alleged victim she said she endured in 2002 at the age of 15.Three years ago, she was sued for defamation by another of Epstein’s alleged victims, Virginia Giuffre, for calling allegations against her “obvious lies”. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. Ms Giuffre had said that she was groomed from the age of 15 by Ms Maxwell and forced to have sex with Epstein and several powerful men, all of whom have denied the allegations.The public sighting of Ms Maxwell comes as two women who said they were recruited 15 years ago to provide massages to Epstein, only to be later sexually molested by him at his Manhattan mansion, filed a $100m (£82.3m) lawsuit against the financier’s estate. The lawsuit filed on Thursday night in Manhattan is at least the second against the estate over the 66-year-old’s alleged misconduct, following his 10 August 10 death of an apparent suicide. Lawyers who represented Epstein did not immediately respond on Friday to requests for comment. The plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, said they now live in Okinawa, Japan, and Baltimore. > Jeffrey Epstein’s gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell spotted at In-N-Out Burger in first photos since his death https://t.co/ZeGqWbvFKx pic.twitter.com/cmJC07v5qm> > — New York Post (@nypost) > > August 15, 2019Prior to his death, Epstein had pleaded not guilty in July to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls from 2002 and 2005. Prosecutors said he recruited and paid girls to give him massages, which became sexual in nature. Attorney general William Barr said the government will continue its investigation into any possible co-conspirators.He has also ordered a probe into how Epstein was able to kill himself, while supposedly being under a routine of close monitoring at the New York jail where he was being held awaiting trial. There has been a flood of conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death since he was found a day after fresh documents about the accusations against him were unsealed by a court. Among those to spread such theories has been Donald Trump, who was once a regular associate of Epstein, and who in 2002 told a magazine he was “a terrific guy”. An autopsy of Epstein found that his neck had been broken in several places, two law enforcement sources said. Epstein had been alone in his cell when he was found hanging there. He had previously been on suicide watch.Additional reporting by Reuters

O'Rourke calls for mandatory gun buyback, licensing

If enacted, anyone who failed to forfeit a banned assault weapon would be fined, O'Rourke saide.

Claims: Migrant children molested in US-funded foster care

This story is part of an ongoing joint investigation between The Associated Press and the PBS series FRONTLINE on the treatment of migrant children, which includes an upcoming film. The boy, now 8, went into a U.S.-funded foster home for migrant children in New York. The foster care programs are aimed at providing migrant children with care while authorities work to connect them with parents, relatives or other sponsors.

Kazakhstan court frees anti-Beijing activist

A rights activist in Kazakhstan who faced seven years imprisonment over his outspoken opposition to neighbouring China was unexpectedly freed Friday as public and international pressure over his case mounted. Serikjan Bilash, whose activism in defence of Muslim and Turkic minorities in Xinjiang earned him global media attention, told AFP he struck a plea bargain with the court that allowed him freedom but will end his activism. "I had to end my activism against China.

Jeffrey Epstein’s Body Claimed by His Brother

Jeenah Moon/ReutersJeffrey Esptein’s body was claimed from the New York City medical examiner’s office by his brother Mark Epstein, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Daily Beast on Friday.The exclusive details come as Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson is preparing to issue a report on Epstein’s autopsy and a final ruling on his cause of death. Officials have previously said Epstein’s death is being investigated as a suicide.Epstein, 66, was found unconcious Aug. 10 in a cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center where he was being held while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. He was pronounced dead about an hour later after being transported to a nearby hospital. Authorities are investigating how the federal prison apparently failed to prevent Epstein’s death. The Man Who Could Inherit Jeffrey Epstein’s MillionsEpstein’s lawyers have said in court papers that Mark Epstein is their client’s only surviving next of kin. The brother, a former artist turned real-estate magnate, raised eyebrows last month when he offered up his Florida condo as collateral for his brother’s bail. While Mark Epstein has denied any connection to his brother’s businesses, at least one of his properties has turned up repeatedly in sex-trafficking lawsuits involving Jeffrey Epstein.It is not immediately clear where Mark Epstein had his brother’s body transferred or if it has been buried. The medical examiner finished the autopsy exam a day after Epstein died.The Only Thing Jeffrey Epstein’s Broken Bone ProvesRead 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.

Tlaib Says She Will Not Visit Grandmother in Israel After Being Treated ‘Like a Criminal’

Representative Rashida Tlaib said she will not visit Israel to visit her grandmother and other Palestinian relatives on the West Bank after being treated "like a criminal" by Israel, which announced Thursday that Tlaib and Representative Ilhan Omar would not be allowed into the country on a planned political visit."Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what she wants for me," the Michigan Democrat said of her grandmother. "It would kill a piece of me. I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in-fighting against racism, oppression & injustice."Israel's interior minister Aryeh Deri announced Friday that the country would sanction Tlaib's humanitarian request for a visit to her grandmother, who is 90, as long as the congresswoman pledges not to promote boycotts against Israel during such a visit.“This could be my last opportunity to see her. I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit,” Tlaib said previously of a potential family visit.Israel on Thursday said the Tlaib and Omar would be barred from entering the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the decision at length, citing the lawmakers' support of the BDS movement as well as their decision not to request meetings with any Israeli officials and the fact that they listed their destination as "Palestine" rather than Israel.A few hours earlier, President Trump had warned the Jewish state against admitting Omar and Tlaib into the country.“It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit,” Trump wrote in a tweet, calling the congresswomen a "disgrace" and stating that, “They hate Israel & all Jewish people.""The decision by Israel to bar her granddaughter, a U.S. Congresswoman, is a sign of weakness b/c the truth of what is happening to Palestinians is frightening," Tlaib wrote Thursday on Twitter along with a photo of her grandmother.

Rep. Omar accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of imposing 'Muslim ban'

Israeli officials bar Omar and Tlaib from entering the country; reaction from Fox News contributor Pastor Robert Jeffress and 2020 Nadler challenger Lindsey Boylan.

Lawsuit challenges California's assault weapons ban

A gun-rights group sued Thursday to block California from enforcing its assault weapons ban, contending it violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms. The lawsuit was the latest among gun advocacy and lobbying groups to challenge California's firearms laws, which are among the strictest in the country, and comes after a recent series of deadly mass shootings nationwide involving military-style rifles. The lawsuit was filed in the same San Diego federal court district where a judge in April tossed out a nearly two-decade-old California ban on sales and purchases of ammunition magazines holding more than 10 bullets.

‘I’m worried’: Allies fear NRA has lost its power in Washington

The NRA might not be able to fight the momentum for change after a pair of mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

Jeffrey Epstein investigators remain puzzled by his apparent suicide days later

Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide in a New York City jail cell has left federal investigators with more questions than answers about how the accused child sex trafficker managed to seemingly escape facing justice one final time. The federal Bureau of Prisons has attempted to understand in recent days how Epstein managed to take his own life at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre, despite guards being assigned to check his cell every 30 minutes. Officials are also working to learn why Epstein’s cellmate was moved out of their cell the day before the disgraced financier was found unresponsive on Saturday morning and later pronounced dead. Attorney General William Barr has described “serious irregularities” at the prison where Epstein was held and reports have suggested the guards watching over him fell asleep for about three hours at the time of his death. But the Justice Department has not released additional details about the missteps that led to his death before he was set to stand trial over new trafficking and conspiracy charges. The department’s Inspector General has launched an investigation into the death, along with the FBI. The lack of details has led to an emergence of unfounded conspiracy theories alleging Epstein was killed by the “deep state,” or that the multi-millionaire fled to a secretive island and was replaced by a body-double. Those claims were given a megaphone by the White House when Donald Trump retweeted posts on Twitter suggesting there was a link between Epstein’s death and Bill Clinton. Still, investigators remained focused on discovering the most rudimentary facts surrounding his apparent suicide, CNN reported on Friday.That includes a question of whether a prison staff member first found Epstein unresponsive while delivering breakfast to the prisoners, or if someone was already providing aid when he was discovered. The Bureau also wants to know whether the guards documented their checks during the time of Epstein’s death, the outlet reported, and whether there is surveillance footage from inside the jail that matches those logs.There are other confounding factors to Epstein’s death that may add fuel to the fire of conspiracy theories that has already been stoked by the president, including that his cellmate was moved out of their shared space a day before his death. He had also reportedly been found unresponsive weeks earlier after an apparent suicide attempt and was placed on suicide watch. The New York Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released its comprehensive autopsy results, and did not return requests for comment.However, Epstein was no longer on suicide watch at the time of his death, according to officials. The Bureau reportedly believed he had faked the initial suicide attempt.Members of Congress have requested details into the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein’s death and provided the department with a deadline of next week.

Afghan palace emerges from ruins as centenary nears

Inside an imposing building in Kabul, a team of welders hastily fuse a sweeping metal bannister to a grand staircase. With questions looming over Afghanistan's future and a possible deal between the US and the Taliban imminent, the war-torn nation is this month hoping to briefly celebrate its past -- and Darulaman will be the centrepiece. Work at the famed palace must be completed by August 19, the date marking 100 years of Afghan independence from Britain, when President Ashraf Ghani will inaugurate the newly renovated structure.

View Photos of the 2020 Drako GTE

Store clerk found guilty of murder for chasing, fatally shooting teen who stole $2 drink

The former convenience store employee was accused of gunning down a teenager that stole a beer from a Tennessee convenience store.

Sister of officer who died by suicide Wednesday says NYPD is 'broken'

The NYPD is well aware of this mental health emergency, as nine of its officers have died by suicide since January. But Eileen Echeverria, whose brother's was the most recent death, said something is "broken" inside the department.

Shocked Israel would ban Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar? Don't be

The extent to which the Israeli government has designated opposition to its policies as not just illegitimate but also illegal is now plain to see‘Throughout the hallways of US officialdom and among the mainstream pundits, many have reacted to the barring of Omar and Tlaib with outrage and shock.’ Photograph: Erin Scott/ReutersAnyone paying attention to the politics of Israel-Palestine could sense this was coming. It was was only a matter of time before a prominent American politician was blocked from entering Israel on political grounds, and now that moment has arrived. After being goaded by Donald Trump, the Israeli government announced on Thursday that they would deny the US representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib entry to the country.This move didn’t come out of nowhere. The Israeli government passed a law in 2017 barring supporters of the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement from entering the country. After Omar and Tlaib, who have expressed support for the BDS movement at various points, entered office, the question loomed about whether Israel would refuse to let them in.That this was even a question reflects the extent to which the Israeli government has designated opposition to its policies as not just illegitimate but also illegal. And though it did seem that Benjamin Netanyahu initially wanted to avoid creating a diplomatic spectacle – the Israeli ambassador to the US, Ron Dermer, said in July that Omar and Tlaib would be permitted entry – a combination of pressure from the US president and domestic political considerations appear to have led him to decide otherwise.For Trump, who tweeted that allowing Omar and Tlaib in would be “a show of great weakness” by Israel and that the two Democratic congresswomen “hate Israel & all Jewish people”, this is part of his 2020 re-election strategy.Trump and the Republicans have made it explicit that they intend to continue demonizing Omar and Tlaib with the goal of tarnishing the Democratic party’s image and peeling away Jewish voters. In this instance, that strategy, always unlikely to succeed, appears to have backfired. Not only have Democratic politicians across the board condemned the Israeli government’s decision, but so has the powerful pro-Israel lobby American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), as well as some Republicans, including Marco Rubio. It seems Netanyahu may not have anticipated the breadth of the backlash, and it is still possible that he might reverse the decision.However, for Netanyahu, also facing a difficult re-election campaign and multiple corruption investigations, denying entry to Omar and Tlaib is an opportunity to refocus attention away from his own scandals and shortcomings and to strike his favorite pose as “protector of Israel” against its external enemies. Several members of Netanyahu’s current cabinet are under criminal investigations as well, and it is perhaps not a coincidence that the decision to bar Omar and Tlaib came on the same day as the announcement of possible graft charges against the interior minister, Aryeh Deri, who signed off on the denial of entry decision. In Israel, as elsewhere, ethnocracy and kleptocracy go hand-in-hand.Throughout the hallways of US officialdom and among the mainstream pundits, many have reacted to the barring of Omar and Tlaib with outrage and shock. But there is nothing exceptional about the Israeli government’s decision, which should be an object lesson about contemporary Israel for those who either haven’t been paying attention or have preferred to avert their eyes from the reality on the ground.Israel criminalized not only support for the BDS movement but also boycotts of settlements years ago. Netanyahu and his successive administrations have turned human rights NGOs into villains. “Leftist” has become an epithet, used interchangeably or alongside “traitor”; Arabs, Muslims and, especially, Palestinians are considered first and foremost enemies and treated as such.The designation of two progressive, Muslim American congresswomen – one of whom is black, the other Palestinian – who support BDS as threats is entirely consistent with the Israeli government’s delegitimization of dissent and its routine use of the rhetoric of security to justify punitive measures and violence against populations it deems undeserving of basic rights: Palestinians, African asylum seekers, and even Ethiopian Israeli citizens. By attempting to enter Israel-Palestine on their own, without the imprimatur of the pro-Israel establishment, Omar and Tlaib demanded to be treated as equal to their rightwing peers. The Israeli government refused to do so.But there is more to Omar and Tlaib’s denial of entry than that. Tlaib is Palestinian; her parents were born in Palestine, and her grandmother still lives there. That Israel could bar her unilaterally from visiting her family’s home – despite her status as a member of Congress – reflects the gross injustice of Israel’s border regime and should dispel any residual illusions that what exists in Israel-Palestine is anything other than a one-state regime with a hierarchy of rights and privileged based on ethno-religious identity. And, sadly, Tlaib’s situation here is not exceptional either. Israel routinely denies Palestinians living in the diaspora the chance even to visit their families and ancestral homes while Jews from anywhere in the world can become Israeli citizens with full rights. If the pro-Israel right had hoped that the decision to bar Omar and Tlaib would shield Israel from threats to its legitimacy, the practical effect could very well be the opposite.It is clear, from their widespread condemnation of the decision, that the pro-Israel establishment would have much preferred if Omar and Tlaib’s visit to Israel had passed without incident – that they would have liked to have avoided Israel appearing so obviously in the wrong. But the tactically savvy pro-Israel groups, those that fret about keeping support for Israel a bipartisan issue, no longer possess the same power they once did. Today, the Trump administration’s Mideast policy is determined by an alliance of the religious, pro-settler Jewish right and Christian evangelicals.Such an alliance has little need for bipartisanship, which for the Jewish right entails compromises – like lip service to two-state solution – that they are unwilling to make. Instead, for this newly empowered Jewish right, the entire land of Israel is God’s exclusive gift to the Jewish people, the conflict is a zero-sum struggle that only one side can win, and any criticism of Israel is illegitimate and antisemitic. The US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is a representative of this ideological tendency and has played a major role in shaping the Trump administration’s position. In a statement regarding the decision to bar Omar and Tlaib, Friedman called BDS “no less than economic warfare” designed to “ultimately destroy the Jewish state”.The great irony of all this, of course, is that the Israeli government and the pro-Israel right have given the flagging BDS movement the gift of free publicity and renewed relevance. Supporters of BDS argue that Israel must face consequences for its systematic denial of Palestinians’ basic rights and that external pressure is required to democratize the current undemocratic one-state reality in Israel-Palestine. It was already hard to argue otherwise; now, it will be a little bit harder. * Joshua Leifer is an associate editor at Dissent. Previously, he worked at +972 magazine and was based in Jerusalem

Calls to boycott 'Mulan' are trending after the star of Disney's live-action remake backed the Hong Kong police in the city's chaotic protests

Liu Yifei, who is Chinese-American, backed police in a post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, leading people to speak out against her movie.

3-year-old girl found alone in boat, man’s body discovered nearby, Texas cops say

Texas authorities found a man’s body after searching for a missing father whose little girl was found sleeping alone in a boat on Lake Granbury on Friday.

Rhode Island Prison Officer Resigns After ICE Protesters Allege He Drove a Truck Into Them

'It was a shocking escalation of violence,' says a witness

Client says Arizona massage therapist's 'cuddling' session turned sexual

A Phoenix woman's complaint says a "cuddling" session with a massage therapist turned sexual.

Iran tanker in limbo off Gibraltar as US issues warrant

A last-minute US warrant to seize an Iranian oil tanker preparing to leave Gibraltar after weeks of detention cast doubt over its departure on Saturday, prolonging a diplomatic spat between Tehran, London and Washington. The US Justice Department alleged the ship was part of a scheme "to unlawfully access the US financial system to support illicit shipments to Syria from Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organisation. There was no comment from Britain or Gibraltar, its overseas territory.

Colorado OKs electric car requirement to fight air pollution

Colorado tightened its air quality regulations on Friday, requiring that at least 5% of the vehicles sold in the state by 2023 emit zero pollution. The state Air Quality Control Commission, which passed the rule on an 8-1 vote, said the requirement applies to auto manufacturers, not buyers. It's intended to boost the number of electric vehicles in a state struggling to control ozone pollution in its most heavily populated area.

U.S. Rep. Tlaib rejects West Bank visit, citing Israel's 'oppressive conditions'

WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. congresswoman Rashida Tlaib on Friday rejected an offer by Israel to let her travel to the West Bank, the latest twist in a dispute drawing Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu together against U.S. Democrats ahead of elections in both countries. Tlaib, a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives who has been critical of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians, said she would not visit her family there because the Israeli government had imposed "oppressive conditions" to humiliate her.

China police exercises across from Hong Kong seen as threat

Members of China's paramilitary People's Armed Police marched and practiced crowd control tactics at a sports complex in Shenzhen across from Hong Kong on Friday, in what some interpreted as a threat against pro-democracy protesters in the semiautonomous territory. A stadium security guard said "it wasn't clear" when the paramilitary police would leave the grounds.

Trump, Netanyahu relationship erodes core values of U.S.-Israeli bond: Today's talker

Netanyahu barred Reps. Omar and Talib from entering Israel after Trump urged him. This was a mistake for Israel.

Epstein death: Broken neck bones in autopsy raise questions about apparent suicide of accused sex trafficker

Jeffrey Epstein had suffered broken bones in his neck of a kind more commonly seen in deaths by strangulation than suicides, according to reports.The disgraced 66-year-old financier was found hanging in his cell at a federal prison in New York on Saturday while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.His death was described as an “apparent suicide” by attorney general William Barr, who criticised “serious irregularities” at the jail.Authorities have not yet released details of the autopsy, but The Washington Post claimed on Thursday that it discovered “multiple breaks in his neck bones”, including the hyoid bone.While the injury to the hyoid can occur in suicides by hanging, particularly in older people, it raises further questions about the circumstances of the multi-millionaire’s death.“If, hypothetically, the hyoid bone is broken, that would generally raise questions about strangulation, but it is not definitive and does not exclude suicidal hanging,” Jonathan Arden, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, told the Post.The case has already attracted several conspiracy theories, including one promoted by president Donald Trump on Twitter.It has also caused outrage among Epstein’s victims and their representatives, who had hoped that Epstein’s trial next year would produce the justice they thought he had long evaded.The office of New York City’s chief medical examiner Barbara Sampson, which has not commented on the findings of the autopsy, is said to be seeking further information about Epstein’s condition in the hours before his death.Epstein had previously been placed on suicide watch after being found unconscious on the floor of his cell with marks on his neck last month.However he was not under that regime at the time of his death and guards had not checked on him for up to three hours before he was found hanging at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in lower Manhattan.Epstein, who once counted Mr Trump and former president Bill Clinton as friends, died a day after new legal documents, unsealed by a court, provided more details about the young girls he was said to have abused over several decades.Several investigations are being carried out into the circumstances, including a “psychological reconstruction” and an “after action” review by the prison, as well as probes by the FBI and US Department of Justice’s inspector general.

I've treated suicidal prisoners — Jeffrey Epstein's death is a medical, security disgrace

No matter what happened in Jeffrey Epstein's cell, medial personnel and prison authorities clearly failed in their duty to monitor and treat him.

Trump gets update from aides on Afghan peace plan with troop pullout possible

President Donald Trump was briefed on Friday by top national security advisers on the status of negotiations with the Taliban on a U.S. troop pullout from Afghanistan and the potential for a political settlement between the warring sides.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2Hbj9eC

Brother of Afghan Taliban leader killed in Pakistan mosque blast

QUETTA, Pakistan/KABUL (Reuters) - The brother of the leader of the Afghan Taliban was among at least four people killed in a bomb blast at a mosque in Pakistan on Friday, two Taliban sources told Reuters, an attack that could affect efforts to end the Afghan war. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast which took place as the Taliban and the United States are in the final stages of talks on an agreement that would see America withdraw its troops from neighboring Afghanistan. The imam of the mosque, 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the southwestern city of Quetta, was among those killed, police said.

Dozens of US teens hospitalized with lung disease after vaping

US health officials are investigating the cases of dozens of people, mainly teens, who were hospitalized with severe lung injuries in recent weeks after vaping, though the precise cause of their illnesses remains a mystery. Health departments in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin have issued statements describing cases involving patients who exhibited coughs, shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue, symptoms that led them to hospitals where they had to be intubated. Officials in the three states, which have reported at least 30 confirmed cases and 22 under investigation, said it was too early to say whether the illnesses were connected, but were working with each other and the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention to investigate further.

Jeffrey Epstein kept painting of Bill Clinton in drag at his house

Jeffrey Epstein kept a bizarre painting of Bill Clinton on prominent display in his New York townhouse, it was reported on Thursday. Epstein’s $77 million (£63.5m) home in the Upper East Side – the largest private home in the City, with 40 rooms over seven floors – was described by the young girls he allegedly abused as being full of surreal and intimidating art. Among the most unusual of works is an oil painting of Mr Clinton, dressed in a blue dress similar to the infamous one worn by Monica Lewinsky, and wearing red stilettos. Mr Clinton is shown lounging in a chair in the Oval Office, and leering at the camera. The painting was spotted by a visitor to the house in October 2012. Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan town house The art work, dubbed Parsing Bill, was painted and sold by a New York-based Australian artist named Petrina Ryan-Kleid. The two men were friends in the 2000s, with Mr Clinton taking four trips on Epstein’s private jet as part of his work with the Clinton Foundation. These trips, accompanied once by actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker, sparked a surge of interest in the mysterious Gatsby-esque Epstein. “Jeffrey is both a highly successful financier and a committed philanthropist with a keen sense of global markets and an in-depth knowledge of 21st-century science,” said Mr Clinton, through a spokesman, in 2002. “I especially appreciated his insights and generosity during the recent trip to Africa to work on democratisation, empowering the poor, citizen service and combating HIV/Aids.” Mr Clinton also met the financier at his New York home, although he never visited Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, waterfront home in Florida or his private island in the Caribbean. Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump, pictured at Mar-a-Lago in 1997 The pair appeared to grow apart, however, and were not seen together in Epstein’s later years, after he was charged by police in Florida in 2005 for prostitution of a minor. A spokesman for Mr Clinton said after Epstein’s July 6 arrest that the former president was completely unaware of Epstein’s “terrible crimes” and hasn’t spoken to the ultrawealthy sex offender in “well over a decade”.   Some speculated that Epstein’s decision to hang the ghoulish painting was in response to his being “dumped” by his former friend. Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photo taken for the NY Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry Epstein was known for his eyebrow-raising tastes in furnishings. A life-size female doll, hanging from a chandelier, greeted his guests as they arrived. At the bottom of the staircase is a chess board, with each of its customized figurines modelled after one of his staffers and “dressed suggestively,” a visitor told The New York Times. The entrance hall as decorated with “row upon row of individually framed eyeballs, imported from England,” Vanity Fair reported in 2003. The same article described how Epstein kept a stuffed black poodle in his study, placed on top of a grand piano. “I want people to think what it means to stuff a dog,” Epstein told the magazine.

House Democrats Set to Move on New Gun Control Legislation

(Bloomberg) -- House Democrats announced Friday that the Judiciary Committee will cut short its six-week August recess to begin work on a flurry of gun control bills in response to deadly mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.The massacres of 31 people in El Paso and Dayton reignited the debate on gun laws, though it’s unclear how far Senate Republicans are willing to go even with President Donald Trump saying he’s open to expanding background checks and so-called red flag laws to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous people.“There is more that we can and must do to address the gun violence epidemic,” committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said in a statement. “I call on my Senate colleagues to join us in this effort by swiftly passing gun safety bills the House has already passed and also by acting on the additional bills we will be considering.”At the top of the committee agenda is a measure (H.R. 1186) to restrict the sale and importation of large capacity ammunition magazines such as those used in several mass shootings. Other bills are aimed at preventing gun ownership by those convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes and against those who have a protection order issued against them.The list doesn’t include an assault weapons ban. The committee will examine that issue at a separate Sept. 25 hearing. The now-expired assault weapons ban, passed in 1994, caused massive political fallout for Democrats, contributing to their loss of the House that year.The House has already passed a bill to increase background checks and Senate Republicans and the Trump administration have shown some openness to considering some version of that bill.At a rally Thursday night in New Hampshire, Trump focused on keeping weapons away from “deranged and dangerous people” while adding that, “We will always uphold the right to self defense and we will always uphold the Second Amendment.”To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Police break up fight between passengers on Delta flight after 6-hour delay at JFK Airport

A fight broke out during that time, prompting one crew member to come over the intercom to announce the situation was not safe for passengers or the crew.

US lawmaker barred by Israel calls move 'chilling' insult

House Democrat Ilhan Omar called Israel's decision Thursday to ban her from visiting the country "chilling," saying it was an "insult to democratic values" to deny entry to sitting members of the US Congress. "It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu, under pressure from President (Donald) Trump, would deny entry to representatives of the US government," Omar, who is Muslim, said in a sharply worded statement.

2 victims in Dayton hit by police bullets; shooter had drugs in system

The Dayton shooter had cocaine, alcohol, and Xanax in his system, according to Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger.

North Korea 'fires missiles off coast' and says talks with 'impudent' South are over

North Korea issued a stinging snub to Seoul on Friday, vowing that peace talks were over as it launched its sixth missile test in a month. Pyongyang fired at least two short-range ballistic missiles at 8am, in a now familiar display of frustration at the lack of progress with the US over its nuclear weapons programme and the failure to lift harsh economic sanctions. But it also stepped up its angry rhetoric against South Korea for its participation in joint military drills this month with the US, slamming Moon Jae-in, the South Korean president, as “impudent.” The warning that inter-Korean talks are over will come as a blow to Mr Moon, who has devoted his presidency to pursuing peace with the North and appeared to have developed a warm rapport with Kim Jong-un, the North’s leader, meeting him on several occasions since April 2018. “We have nothing to talk any more with the South Korean authorities nor have any idea to sit with them again,” Pyongyang said in a statement issued by its ruling party. The rebuke included an unusually personal attack on Mr Moon for buying two advanced F-35A stealth fighter jets and US drone technology. “He often calls for peace. Then is he going to make an excuse that the drones and fighters being purchased from the US are just for spreading agrochemicals and for circus fights?” said the statement. It suggested the South Korean leader was terrified of the North’s military might. “He used to get shocked into fright even at the sound of a sporting gun in the north,” said the statement’s official English version, although Jeongmin Kim, a journalist with NK News, revealed the original Korean as “He c**ps himself even when there’s just a sporting gun shot from the North.” The colourful put-down came just one day after Mr Moon had used his speech to mark the 74th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan’s 1910-1945 rule to call for the rekindling of peace talks with Pyongyang. Mr Moon vowed to realise unification between North and South by 2045 and to host a joint Seoul-Pyongyang Olympics in 2032. On Friday, Seoul’s unification ministry expressed “deep regret” over North Korea’s verbal attack on Mr Moon and urged it to maintain a spirit of mutual respect. South Korea’s presidential office also called on North Korea to halt the launches of projectiles, expressing concern that the tests could escalate military tensions on the peninsula, reported Yonhap. Friday’s two short-range missiles involved ballistic technology and flew around 142 miles to an altitude of 18 miles. They were believed to be similar to missiles fired in previous weeks. The latest launch comes during a diplomatic stalemate between the US and North Korea over how to deal with Pyongyang’s nuclear and long-range missiles programme. Washington has repeatedly expressed hope it can revive talks in the near future.

Judges rule migrant children must get soap and bedding, reject govt appeal

Detained migrant children must be given soap, dry clothes and clean bedding, US federal judges ruled Thursday, dismissing an appeal by the Trump administration. The ruling by three judges at San Francisco's federal appeals court follows reports of severe overcrowding and disease-ridden cells at US detention centers. A surge of Central American migrants has overwhelmed US immigration services, leading to multi-pronged controversial efforts by US President Donald Trump's administration to stem the flow, resulting in court challenges.

Cathay Pacific CEO resigns after Beijing pressure

The CEO of Cathay Pacific Airways, one of Hong Kong's most prominent companies, resigned Friday following pressure by Beijing on the carrier over participation by some of its employees in anti-government protests. Rupert Hogg became the highest-profile corporate casualty of official Chinese pressure on foreign and Hong Kong companies to support the ruling Communist Party's position against the protesters.

Israel to allow barred US lawmaker for 'humanitarian' West Bank visit

Israel said Friday it will allow barred US congresswoman Rashida Tlaib who is of Palestinian origin to visit her elderly grandmother in the occupied West Bank, following a pledge she would respect its conditions. The decision taken by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri came a day after a controversial Israeli announcement that it would bar a planned weekend visit by Tlaib and fellow Muslim congresswoman Ilhan Omar over their support of a boycott of the Jewish state for its treatment of the Palestinians. The decision to allow a "humanitarian visit" followed a pledge in a letter from the lawmaker to "respect conditions imposed by Israel", the ministry said in a statement.

5 people shot in Philadelphia's Logan section, police say

Philadelphia police are investigating a shooting that left at least five people shot in the city's Logan section on Thursday afternoon.

Ghislaine Maxwell spotted out in public for the first time since 2016

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was spotted in Los Angeles on Monday, photographed reading a book on the history of the CIA at a popular fast food restaurant. The 57-year-old's whereabouts have been the subject of intense attention since the unsealing last week of court documents alleging she played a key role in assisting Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of young girls. That attention has only heightened with Epstein's death on Saturday, in jail awaiting trial. Two days after her former lover's death she was seen in the Hollywood Hills area of LA, sitting outside with her dog, at a branch of In-N-Out Burger. She posed for a photograph when a man, described by The New York Post as being a regular at the chain, recognised her.  Ghislaine Maxwell, photographed in 2010 at a gala in New York, was a familiar face on the party circuit until she left the city in 2016 “He’s at In-N-Out every single day,” a source told the paper.  “He went up to her and asked, ‘Are you who I think you are?’  "She replied, ‘Yes, I am.'” Miss Maxwell then reportedly told an onlooker: “Well, I guess this is the last time I’ll be eating here!” The source said that Miss Maxwell was reading a book called The Book of Honor: The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives and seemed resigned to having her picture taken. “She was perfectly friendly, very lovely,” the source said. Miss Maxwell has not been pictured in public since 2016, when she sold her mansion in New York City and disappeared from view. Asked how the photographer knew who Miss Maxwell was, the source said: “If you’ve had the TV on, you know who she is, how could you miss her?” Donald Trump and his then-girlfriend Melania Knauss, pictured with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2000 Miss Maxwell was reported on Wednesday to have been spending time at a secluded mansion in Manchester-By-The-Sea, in Massachusetts. The owner of the house, Scott Borgerson, said on Wednesday that she was not at his home, and denied that the pair were dating. Miss Maxwell was never seen at the property. On Thursday the New York Post published the photograph, taken three days previously. It was unclear whether she remained in the city or had moved on. Miss Maxwell has never been charged with any crime, and has always denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's sexual abuses. However, prosecutors in New York and lawyers for the accusers are said to be keen to speak to her for questioning, as the conspiracy case into Epstein's network continues. Protesters outside court in New York on July 8 - the day Epstein was charged William Barr, the US attorney general, said he was “livid” at Epstein’s suicide, and issued a blunt warning to his associates. "Let me assure you that this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein,” he said. “Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice and they will get it.” Geoffrey Berman, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was overseeing the charges Epstein faced when he died, added that his team’s “investigation of the conduct charged in the Indictment – which included a conspiracy count – remains ongoing.”

‘I’m worried’: Allies fear NRA has lost its power in Washington

The NRA might not be able to fight the momentum for change after a pair of mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

X-Ray Scans Uncover da Vinci's Hidden Painting in All Its Glory

The breakthrough confirm's Leonardo's legacy: "Always adjusting, always seeking more."

After El Paso shooting, Mexican Americans can no longer be ambivalent minority

We think of ourselves as both an immigrant ethnic group and a racially oppressed minority. After El Paso, that is a luxury we can't afford.

Cathay CEO resigns amid Hong Kong protest blowback as more rallies planned

The boss of Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific Airways quit on Friday, the highest-profile corporate casualty of unrest roiling the former British colony, after Beijing targeted the airline over staff involvement in mass protests. Demonstrators say they are fighting the erosion of the "one country, two systems" arrangement that has enshrined some autonomy for Hong Kong since China took it back from Britain in 1997. Several thousand protesters gathered peacefully at a downtown park on Friday for the "Stand with Hong Kong, Power to the People" rally, which had received police permission.

Impacts of new immigration policy

Evelyn Rusli and Angela Sutherland, co-founders of Yumi, discuss their families' immigration stories, and how this new immigration policy with affect people who are on public assistance.