Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Supreme Court hears arguments on power of public employee unions

Supreme Court hears arguments on power of public employee unionsThe justices will decide whether state government workers who choose not to join a union must still pay a share of union dues to cover the cost of negotiating contracts.




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Bollywood legend Sridevi mourned by fans in Mumbai

Bollywood legend Sridevi mourned by fans in MumbaiMUMBAI, India (AP) — Thousands of grieving fans gathered in Mumbai on Wednesday to pay respects to Sridevi, the iconic Bollywood actress who drowned accidentally in a Dubai hotel bathtub over the weekend.




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More than 150 ICE arrests confirmed across NorCal

More than 150 ICE arrests confirmed across NorCalDozens of ICE arrests have been reported in Northern California, with many coming out of the Fresno area, according to immigration attorney Hamid Yazdan Panah with the Northern California Rapid Response and Immigrant Defense Network.




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#BackfireTrump Will Tweet Every Gun Death At The President

#BackfireTrump Will Tweet Every Gun Death At The PresidentA new gun-control campaign aims to show President Donald Trump the scale of gun violence via Twitter.




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

These Are The Real-Life Effects Of Trump's Obamacare SabotageSomebody has finally put some numbers on what the Republican effort to undermine Obamacare will mean for everyday Americans.




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

Wisconsin's Top Election Official Resigns After GOP Votes To Oust HimWisconsin’s top election official announced Tuesday that he would step down from his post, ending a confrontation with Republicans who suddenly voted to oust him in retaliation for his work on a government board that investigated Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R). Republicans in the state Senate voted in January not to officially confirm Wisconsin elections administrator Michael Haas to that role, which he’d held since 2016 on an interim basis.




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

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




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FedEx Says It Will Continue Offering NRA Members Discounts

FedEx Says It Will Continue Offering NRA Members DiscountsFedEx will not end its partnership with the National Rifle Association, the company said Monday, even as other companies are heeding calls from activists and severing their ties with the organization. 




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

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




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

Ivanka Trump: 'I Believe My Father' On Sexual Misconduct AllegationsIvanka Trump, daughter and adviser of President Donald Trump, says she sides with her father when it comes to the more than a dozen women who have accused him of sexual misconduct. When asked about the allegations during an interview that aired Monday on NBC’s “Today” show, Ivanka appeared agitated and defended her father. “I think it’s a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when he’s affirmatively stated that there’s no truth to it,” Trump told NBC’s Peter Alexander.




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Trump campaign nixes Kushner title amid legal questions

Trump campaign nixes Kushner title amid legal questionsDuring the White House daily briefing, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that cabinet and senior staff have been briefed on the prohibition of using official titles in political work.




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

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




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

After Saying He'd 'Monitor Every Penny,' Ben Carson's Office Spent $31,000 On Dining SetThe Department of Housing and Urban Development spent more than $31,000 on a new dining set for Secretary Ben Carson’s office last year, according to procurement documents obtained by The New York Times. It was purchased by a staffer in Carson’s office shortly after another HUD employee expressed concerns over a costly redecoration request that would’ve exceeded federal limits. Tuesday’s report also comes as HUD is facing a $6.8 billion cut to its fiscal budget that would affect elderly and poor Americans.




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North Carolina Man Broadcasts His Own Killing On Facebook Live

North Carolina Man Broadcasts His Own Killing On Facebook LiveA man in Wingate, North Carolina live-streamed his own killing on Monday, police said. Prentis Robinson, 55, had been broadcasting a visit to the local police station on Facebook Live when he was shot multiple times on camera. Wingate police confirmed that Robinson captured the shooting on film, reported the Charlotte Observer.




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

Former White House photographer Pete Souza drags Trump over Florida high school shooting commentPresident Donald Trump said on Monday he would have personally run into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to help during the mass shooting earlier this month, even if he was unarmed.




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The Latest: Bill Clinton says he is grateful for Graham

The Latest: Bill Clinton says he is grateful for GrahamCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on mourning for the Rev. Billy Graham (all times local):




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

Trump says he would have tried to stop Parkland shooter — with his bare handsPresident Trump on Monday criticized the armed sheriff's deputies who reportedly failed to enter Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., during the Feb. 14 mass shooting, suggesting he would have done so even if he didn't have a gun.




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Dubai police: Bollywood's Sridevi drowned in hotel bathtub

Dubai police: Bollywood's Sridevi drowned in hotel bathtubDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Indian actress Sridevi drowned in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai police said in a statement Monday, though two police officials said she was also under the influence of alcohol at the time.




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Jared Kushner's Security Clearance Has Been Downgraded: Reports

Jared Kushner's Security Clearance Has Been Downgraded: ReportsAll other White House aides working on high-level interim clearances also had their access downgraded, according to a memo reportedly sent to staffers on Friday. Earlier that same day, Trump said he would leave it up to his chief of staff, John Kelly, to decide what access Kushner should have.




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After Russian veto, US and allies condemn Iran over missiles to Yemen

After Russian veto, US and allies condemn Iran over missiles to YemenThe United States and three European allies condemned Iran on Tuesday after the United Nations found Tehran had violated the arms embargo on Yemen by failing to block supplies of missiles and drones to Huthi rebels. Britain, France, Germany and the United States urged Iran to "immediately cease all activities that are inconsistent or would violate" the UN resolution that established the arms embargo in 2015.




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

Bollywood Superstar Sridevi's Death Ruled Accidental Drowning, Police Close InvestigationBollywood superstar Sridevi accidentally drowned in a bathtub after losing consciousness




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UConn gives posthumous admission to school shooting victim

UConn gives posthumous admission to school shooting victimSTORRS, Conn. (AP) — The University of Connecticut has sent a posthumous letter of admission to the family of a student killed in the mass shooting at a Florida high school.




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Poll: Most Voters Think The NRA Is Bad For America

Poll: Most Voters Think The NRA Is Bad For AmericaMost voters think the National Rifle Association supports policies that are bad for the country, new polling finds, as an increasing share favor stricter gun laws. In a Quinnipiac University National Poll conducted after the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, 51 percent of voters said the NRA supports policies that are bad for the U.S. That’s an uptick from October, when the poll found that 47 percent of respondents thought the NRA supported bad policies.




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New top story on Hacker News: The Invention of the Ford V8 Engine (2015) [video]

The Invention of the Ford V8 Engine (2015) [video]
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Former Florida School Resource Officer Defends Response To Parkland Shooting

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




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Meet Four Parkland Teens Demanding Gun Reform Now

Meet Four Parkland Teens Demanding Gun Reform NowAcross social media, in protests, and at town hall meetings, four young women from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School—Delaney Tarr, Samantha Grady, Emma Gonzalez, and Jaclyn Corin—have been raising their voices and organizing for change alongside their classmates to spread the message #NeverAgain. The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School recently launched #WhatIf, a social media campaign to mobilize efforts to change gun legislation and create stricter laws to protect the safety of all Americans.




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

Ivanka Trump: 'I Believe My Father' On Sexual Misconduct AllegationsIvanka Trump, daughter and adviser of President Donald Trump, says she sides with her father when it comes to the more than a dozen women who have accused him of sexual misconduct. When asked about the allegations during an interview that aired Monday on NBC’s “Today” show, Ivanka appeared agitated and defended her father. “I think it’s a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when he’s affirmatively stated that there’s no truth to it,” Trump told NBC’s Peter Alexander.




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Fire breaks out in overhead storage on Chinese aircraft

Fire breaks out in overhead storage on Chinese aircraftA fire broke out in the overhead storage of a Chinese passenger jet moments before it was scheduled to take off. Flight attendants and a passenger threw water and juice over a bag in the luggage compartment as it was engulfed in heavy smoke and flames. The fire was thought to have been triggered by a power bank that was being carried in the bag, reports said. The owner was taken away by police for questioning. All the passengers were forced to disembark the Boeing 777 following the fire, which happened while the plane was parked on the tarmac at Guangzhou Airport in southern China. It was scheduled to fly to Shanghai. The passengers and crew were taken to a different aircraft which took off just after 3pm, three hours after the original flight was scheduled to depart. Fire caused by portable charger on China Southern flight in Guangzhou was put out promptly, while passengers were relocated to another plane pic.twitter.com/HYwShVN1t3— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) February 25, 2018 The power charger was not in use when the fire started, Chinese media said. The video of the fire was shared widely on Chinese social media, where many were commenting on why only bottles of water and juice were used to extinguished the flames. “Don’t they have proper fire extinguishers on planes,” said one comment on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. The fire on the aircraft Credit: Weibo However, other observers said the crew reacted to the fire correctly. “Using water is standard operation procedure,” said a Tweet from ChinaAviationReview, which tweets updates on Chinese aviation news.  “Water is actually better than… extinguisher in case of lithium battery fire.” Chinese airlines allow lithium batteries to be taken onto aircraft in hand luggage, but they are not allowed to be packed in checked-in luggage. Additional reporting by Christine Wei




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US judge blocks weed-killer warning label in California

US judge blocks weed-killer warning label in CaliforniaSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A U.S. judge blocked California from requiring that the popular weed-killer Roundup carry a label stating that it is known to cause cancer, saying the warning is misleading because almost all regulators have concluded there is no evidence that the product's main ingredient is a carcinogen.




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Trump campaign nixes Kushner title amid legal questions

Trump campaign nixes Kushner title amid legal questionsDuring the White House daily briefing, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that cabinet and senior staff have been briefed on the prohibition of using official titles in political work.




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Oakland mayor warns residents of ICE immigration raids

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




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Bollywood star Sridevi Kapoor 'accidentally drowned in hotel bath' 

Bollywood star Sridevi Kapoor 'accidentally drowned in hotel bath' Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub in Dubai on Saturday, her postmortem report said on Monday. The Dubai government's media office tweeted that the postmortem analysis of the 54-year old actress, who used only her first name, revealed that she had died due to ‘drowning in her hotel apartment's bathtub following loss of consciousness’. The case has been handed over to the Dubai Public Prosecutor for further investigation, to try and determine the exact circumstances leading to the actresses’ death.   Earlier, it was reported that Sridevi, who was known by her first name, had died of a cardiac arrest in her hotel in Dubai where she was attending her nephew's wedding.   She was found unconscious in her bathtub in her suite at Dubai’s Emirates Towers hotel and rushed to hospital where she was declared dead on arrival. The much loved actress was mourned across India  Credit: AFP Dubai’s Gulf News, however, alleged that the glamourous Bollywood star, who acted in 300 films in five different Indian languages, was under the ‘influence of alcohol’ and had fallen into the bathtub and drowned. But the Dubai authorities did not confirm this, nor did it tweet the results of a possible toxicology test they might have conducted on the actress to determine alcohol intake. According to news reports from Dubai the latest revelations in Sridevi’s postmortem report could result in a delay in repatriating her body to Mumbai for cremation according to Hindu rites. Although expected home on Monday on a specially chartered flight, her body has instead been sent for embalming.   Meanwhile, thousands of Sridevi’s fans had gathered outside her Mumbai house to pay their last respects before her funeral. Sridevi began her acting career at the age of four in southern India and spent the next five decades playing mostly lead roles in films, a large number of which became box office hits. Her last and 300th movie ‘Mom’ was released in 2017. She married Bollywood film producer Boney Kapoor in 1996 and they had two daughters.   




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Saudi King Shakes Up Military and Security Leadership


By BEN HUBBARD from NYT World http://ift.tt/2otNonP

U.N. Links North Korea to Syria’s Chemical Weapons Program


By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ from NYT World http://ift.tt/2EUjVcT

No Bail Hearings for Detained Immigrants, Supreme Court Rules


By ADAM LIPTAK from NYT U.S. http://ift.tt/2FAF9xH

Jared Kushner’s Security Clearance Downgraded


By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and KATIE ROGERS from NYT U.S. http://ift.tt/2oAObmk

Ben Carson’s HUD, Planning Cuts, Spends $31,000 on Dining Set for His Office


By GLENN THRUSH from NYT U.S. http://ift.tt/2BUa0p6

How Tiny Red Dots Took Over Your Life


By JOHN HERRMAN from NYT Magazine http://ift.tt/2t0rgGf

Harper Lee’s Will, Unsealed, Adds Only More Mystery to Her Life


By SERGE F. KOVALESKI and ALEXANDRA ALTER from NYT Books http://ift.tt/2FAZ5As

Stephen Colbert Doesn’t Think Trump Would Have ‘Run’ Into Florida School


By GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO from NYT Arts http://ift.tt/2EV84iU

The Force of Decency Awakens


By PAUL KRUGMAN from NYT Opinion http://ift.tt/2BUcHHt

A Glimpse Into the World of Lebanon’s 1 Percent


By SARA ARIDI from NYT Lens http://ift.tt/2BQvT8I

Trump’s Tax Cuts in Hand, Companies Spend More on Themselves Than on Wages


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New top story on Hacker News: New Story (nonprofit S15) Is Hiring Impact Data Analyst

New Story (nonprofit S15) Is Hiring Impact Data Analyst
1 by Matth3wMarshall | 0 comments

New top story on Hacker News: The Impact of Zoning on Housing Affordability (2002)

The Impact of Zoning on Housing Affordability (2002)
96 by krausejj | 87 comments

Florida Survivors Defend Sheriff Against Republican Calls To Oust Him

Florida Survivors Defend Sheriff Against Republican Calls To Oust HimStudents who survived the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, earlier this month don’t blame Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel for missing various red flags in the shooter’s behavior.




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CDC doctor's disappearance: Parents share chilling last text message from missing son

CDC doctor's disappearance: Parents share chilling last text message from missing sonThe parents of missing doctor Timothy Cunningham shared the last text message they received from their son before his disappearance two weeks ago. Cunningham, a highly regarded epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, went missing after he left work mid-day on Feb. 12, complaining of feeling ill. After Cunningham, 35, failed to report to work or contact his family over the next two days, his parents, Terrell and Tia-Juana Cunningham, drove down to Georgia from their house in Maryland to check on their son.




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Democrats appear to extend streak with another red/blue flip

Democrats appear to extend streak with another red/blue flipRachel Maddow reports on the apparently victory of Democrat Linda Belcher in a Kentucky state special election, at least the 37th flip by Democrats of a district that went heavily for Donald Trump in 2016.




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No Jail For Texas Teen Who Lied About Being Raped By 3 Black Men

No Jail For Texas Teen Who Lied About Being Raped By 3 Black MenOn Thursday, 19-year-old Breana Harmon of Pottsboro pleaded guilty to four felony charges of tampering with physical evidence and government documents in relation to false reports of kidnapping and sexual assault. “She’s very remorseful for what she did and what she said, and that’s why she decided to plead guilty,” Harmon’s attorney Bob Jarvis told the Sherman Herald Democrat. On March 8, 2017, Harmon was reported missing to the Denison Police Department after witnesses noticed the door to her vehicle was open with personal items, including a phone and keys, scattered on the ground.




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

Trump says he would have tried to stop Parkland shooter — with his bare handsPresident Trump on Monday criticized the armed sheriff's deputies who reportedly failed to enter Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., during the Feb. 14 mass shooting, suggesting he would have done so even if he didn't have a gun.




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Supreme Court hears arguments on power of public employee unions

Supreme Court hears arguments on power of public employee unionsThe justices will decide whether state government workers who choose not to join a union must still pay a share of union dues to cover the cost of negotiating contracts.




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West Virginia Governor Tells Striking Teachers To Get Back In The Classroom

West Virginia Governor Tells Striking Teachers To Get Back In The ClassroomWest Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) told his state’s striking teachers they “need to be back in the classroom” as he spoke at a series of town halls on Monday. Speaking and taking questions in Wheeling, Martinsburg and Morgantown throughout the day, Justice urged the state’s educators to end their strike Tuesday and promised he’d establish a task force in the next seven to 10 days to look into some of their concerns. The comments come days after Justice faced criticisms that he’s missing in action at the state Capitol. His administration has denied a Freedom of Information Act request to view his calendars and appointment books.




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ICE officials say Oakland mayor put lives at risk

ICE officials say Oakland mayor put lives at riskHead of ICE's enforcement and removal blasts Mayor Libby Schaaf's decision to announce raids; Claudia Cowan rides along with federal immigration agents trying to enforce the law.




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