Newsvally: April 2019

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

FAA considered grounding some Boeing 737 Max planes last year: source

US regulators considered grounding some Boeing 737 MAX planes last year after learning belatedly of a problem with a system that is now the main suspect in two deadly crashes, a source close to the matter said. Investigators in the Lion Air crash in October and the Ethiopia Airlines disaster in March have zeroed in on the planes' anti-stall system, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. Last year, before the Lion crash, inspectors with the Federal Aviation Administration discovered that the manufacturer had de-activated a signal designed to advise the cockpit crew of a malfunctioning of the MCAS system, the source said.

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Spain election: Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wins as far-Right makes breakthrough

Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez earned his first general election win on Sunday, despite the emergence of a hard-Right party that capitalised on many Spaniards’ fury with the government’s attempt to find common ground with the breakaway region of Catalonia. On high turnout of close to 76 per cent, the Socialist party (PSOE) claimed victory for the first time since 2008 with 123 seats out of 350, although a delicately hung parliament means that forming a government will involve complex negotiations with other forces from the Left and regional parties. With more than 98 per cent of the vote counted, the PSOE was declared winner by Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaá. “We have sent a clear message to Europe and the world: you can beat authoritarianism and involution from the left,” Mr Sánchez said in reference to his victory over his conservative opponents including the anti-immigration, populist force Vox. Vox became the first hard-Right force to gain significant representation in Spain’s parliament since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975 with 24 seats. Santiago Abascal, leader of far right party Vox, addresses supporters outside the party headquarters after the general election in Madrid Credit: AP With the vote on the Right side of the spectrum split three ways, the biggest loser of the night was the main conservative opposition Popular Party (PP), falling to 66 seats, less than half of the 137 seats it achieved when winning the previous election in 2016. The liberal Ciudadanos came close to pipping the PP to second place, with 58 seats. Vox came from a result of 0.2 per cent in 2016 to win 10 per cent, but it had the effect of cannibalising the Right-of-centre vote and helping Mr Sánchez to stretch out his lead. Together, the PP, Ciudadanos and Vox won 43 per cent, one point more than PSOE and Podemos combined. The PP, Ciudadanos were hoping to combine with Vox for a majority to eject Mr Sánchez from power in order to crack down on Catalonia’s separatist leaders by suspending the region’s autonomy. The three parties had accused Mr Sánchez of being a danger to Spanish unity after he used his 10-month-long spell in government before the election to seek a negotiated end to the impasse between Madrid and Catalonia’s regional government. But Vox’s secretary general, Javier Ortega, was exultant over the result. “This is just the beginning,” he told supporters in Madrid’s Margaret Thatcher square. “Every Vox member of Congress is going to be a whirlwind.” The general secretary of VOX, Javier Ortega Smith, is seen during his speech at the Plaza Margaret Thatcher, where the party celebrates the electoral results Credit: Getty Pablo Iglesias, the leader the hard-Left Podemos, offered his party’s 42 seats to “build a leftist government coalition”. But Mr Sánchez will also have to seek support from Basque nationalists and other minority forces, possibly including Catalan pro-independence parties in order to reach a majority. Divisions over how to deal with Catalonia’s bid for independence played out in an ill-tempered campaign with the trial of 10 imprisoned Catalan leaders over their role in the region’s unconstitutional referendum in 2017 rumbling on in the background. Mr Sánchez was described by Vox as “an enemy of the nation” for negotiating with Catalan forces, while PP leader Pablo Casado accused the prime minister of siding with “bloodstained hands” after the government received parliamentary support from Basque party Bildu, regarded as the successor to the political wing of terrorist group Eta. The party leaders clashed in fractious televised debates. Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera described Mr Sánchez as a “disgraceful” prime minister for kneeling before Catalan separatists, while the latter took his Right-wing opponents to task over their Andalucian government’s rollback of assistance for women victims of male violence. Sign up for your essential, twice-daily briefing from The Telegraph with our free Front Page newsletter.

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Extra abdication holidays pose dilemma for hardworking Japanese

For the Emperor's abdication on April 30, Japanese workers are enjoying an unprecedented 10-day holiday as a rash of special days off combine with the traditional "Golden Week" in May. "To be honest, I don't know how to spend the time when we are suddenly given 10 days of holidays," said 31-year-old finance worker Seishu Sato. On the contrary, we'll be super-busy," said Takeru Jo, a 46-year-old pizzeria worker.

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Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Corey Ballentine, "Avengers: Endgame" and more of the weekend's top news.

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Spain's Socialists, short of majority, weigh partners for forming government

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces a choice between a complex alliance with fellow leftists Podemos or joining forces across the political divide with the center-right Ciudadanos. The Socialists won 123 seats in Sunday's election, up from 84 in the outgoing parliament as they saw off the challenge from the right, which was splintered by the rise of the far-right Vox. With nearly all the votes counted, the Socialists together with the far-left Podemos were 11 seats short of a majority in the 350-seat parliament.

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The Latest: Pence says Lugar was 'leader on the world stage'

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on the death of former Sen. Richard Lugar (all times local):

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Trump Lashes Out after Firefighters’ Union Endorses Biden

President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden traded barbs on Monday after a firefighters' union endorsed Biden, becoming the first major labor group to back a candidate in the 2020 race.The International Association of Fire Fighters announced its decision in a video message that described Biden as an advocate for the middle class."Joe's a lot like our firefighters. He's a problem solver who cares deeply about America and committed to making our country better. He's one of the staunchest advocates for working families," said Harold Schaitberger, the IAFF's general president. "He knows that a strong middle class means a strong America, and we know, as president, he will stand up for all the patriotic Americans who want nothing more than to earn a decent wage, send their kids to college, have affordable health care and a decent and secure retirement."> BREAKING NEWS: The International Association of Fire Fighters endorses @joebiden for President of the United States. https://t.co/yewUm8wMGd> > -- IAFF (@IAFFNewsDesk) April 29, 2019Biden said on Twitter that he "couldn't be more proud" to have the union's backing. "Unions built the middle class in this country -- and as President, I'll fight to strengthen them and grow the backbone of this country," he wrote.Later Monday, Trump attacked Biden and the IAFF on Twitter, accusing the union of charging exorbitant dues and claiming that its members would rather support him than Biden.> I’ll never get the support of Dues Crazy union leadership, those people who rip-off their membership with ridiculously high dues, medical and other expenses while being paid a fortune. But the members love Trump. They look at our record economy, tax & reg cuts, military etc. WIN!> > -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 29, 2019Biden responded by tweeting that he is "sick" of Trump "badmouthing unions."> I'm sick of this President badmouthing unions. Labor built the middle class in this country. Minimum wage, overtime pay, the 40-hour week: they exist for all of us because unions fought for those rights. We need a President who honors them and their work.> > -- Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 29, 2019Biden has long had the support of organized labor and has strong ties to unions. He is formally launching his campaign Monday with a rally in Pittsburgh at the union hall of Teamsters Local 249.

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Experts: Human error may be cause of Seattle crane collapse

SEATTLE (AP) — Human error may have caused a crane collapse that killed four people and injured four others in Seattle over the weekend, experts said Monday.

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End of an era: Japan's emperor kicks off abdication rites

Draped in ornate golden-brown robes and wearing a towering black hat, Japan's Emperor Akihito on Tuesday kicked off ceremonies for his abdication, the first in 200 years for the world's oldest monarchy. Akihito is handing over the Chrysanthemum Throne to his eldest son, 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, in a series of solemn rituals that also usher in the new imperial era named "Reiwa" -- meaning beautiful harmony -- that will last throughout the new monarch's reign. As crowds began to gather early Tuesday in drizzle outside the sumptuous Imperial Palace in central Tokyo, Akihito performed a ritual to "report" his abdication to his ancestors and the Shinto gods at several "sanctuaries".

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Biden takes aim at Trump during 2020 campaign kickoff rally in Pittsburgh

Biden looking to court vote of union workers; reaction and analysis from the 'Special Report' all-star panel.

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Historian Ron Chernow Used Past Presidents to Call for Civility at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

"Civility has been an essential lubricant in our democratic culture"

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Brexit Bulletin: Looming Defeats

Talks between Theresa May and the opposition Labour Party on breaking the Brexit impasse continue this week, with Conservative Party Chairman Brandon Lewis saying Sunday that there’s still time for Parliament to settle on a deal before the U.K. participates in EU elections on May 23. For its part, Labour insists it’s not “dragging its heels” in the talks and that the government has refused to budge on any of its red lines, the party’s business spokeswoman Rebecca Long-Bailey said on Sky News on Sunday. Long-Bailey also hinted that Labour would be prepared to back a Brexit deal even if it comes without a commitment to a new public vote.

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U.S. measles outbreak hits 'completely avoidable' 25-year-high: officials

The number of measles cases in the United States has reached a 25-year peak, propelled by the spread of misinformation about the vaccine that can prevent the disease, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 704 cases as of April 26, a 1.3 percent increase since the most recent tally of 695 reported on Wednesday. The vast majority of cases have occurred in children who have not received the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which confers immunity to the disease, officials said.

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FAA considered grounding some Boeing 737 Max planes last year: source

US regulators considered grounding some Boeing 737 MAX planes last year after learning of a problem with a system that is now the main suspect in two deadly crashes, a source close to the matter said. Investigators in the Lion Air crash in October off the coast of Indonesia and the Ethiopia Airlines disaster in March have zeroed in on the planes' anti-stall system, called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. Last year, inspectors with the Federal Aviation Administration discovered Boeing de-activated a signal designed to advise the cockpit crew of a malfunctioning of the MCAS system, the source said.

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Five Things to Know About the Modern Japanese Monarchy

The country will swear in its 126th emperor on Wednesday

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East Sri Lanka on edge after Easter bombers linked to region

KALMUNAI, Sri Lanka (AP) — Suicide bombings at a militants' safe house have shaken the simple homes of this east Sri Lankan town as well as the rest of this idyllic coast, as the investigation into the Islamic State-claimed Easter bombings has spread here.

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Poway Synagogue Vigil Erupts Into Debate About Trump, Anti-Semitism

REUTERS/John GastaldoPOWAY, California—An intense political debate broke out at a candlelight vigil on Sunday for the dead and wounded of Chabad of Poway synagogue, where mourners argued whether it was a lack of gun control, or a lack of political self-control, that led to this terrorist attack.A 19-year-old nursing student who penned a virulently racist manifesto is accused of opening fire on the congregation the day before, killing congregant Lori Kaye, who died when she stepped between the gunman and Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, effectively taking a bullet for her spiritual leader. Authorities say they are investigating the attack as a hate crime.Hundreds gathered in Valle Verde Park, less than a mile from the attack, including Janith Seidel, who came to the vigil to pay her respects to Kaye. and to question the absurdity of the senseless act. “I knew Lori. Everyone knew Lori,” Seidel told The Daily Beast. “She was just such a big volunteer. If you ever were involved, if you ever came to the shul, if you ever came to the Chabad at all, you knew Lori.”Seidel, who was not at the synagogue when Earnest opened fire, questioned why–yet again–anyone was allowed access to a semi-automatic weapon. “We need to license every gun,” she said. “Like a car.”A few feet away, a trio of attendees huddled together, locked in a tense conversation about the root of the problem that shattered their community. “Thank God we had a Jew with a gun,” Dorina Feygin, an older woman said, referring to the off-duty Border Patrol agent who is credited with helping chase the gunman away. “Thank God for a Jew with a gun.” (The agent said he recently rediscovered his Jewish roots.)Feygin, who emigrated from Ukraine, came to the vigil from Mt. Carmel, California, where she is a member of the local Chabad there. Feygin, a self-described Donald Trump voter, seemed to believe that anti-Semitism does not come from the right wing, but from the left. “It’s not right-white nationalism. It’s left,” she claimed. “Fascism is a socialist ideology. I’m from the Soviet Union. I should know the signs. Fascism and socialism are the same sides of a different coin.”Mary Marshall and Steve Gould, members of the Beth Israel Congregation from Carmel Valley who were standing near Feygin, disagreed. “Trump is feeding white nationalism in this country,” Marshall said. “No, he’s not,” Feygin shot back. “Of course, he is,” Gould responded. As the crowd around the trio started to interject with heated opinions, Marshall ended the dispute. “This is not the time for this,” she said. “We do not need it today. We have a very big difference of opinion. We shouldn’t talk about it right now.”Earlier in the day, Rabbi Goldstein talked at length about how he had received a phone call from President Trump. “He was so comforting. He brought amazing consolation,” he said. “I had a 15 minute conversation. He spoke to me like a friend. Like a colleague. He spoke to me like he felt for me, for my anguish and pain. We spoke about why is there so much anti-Semitism, and what we can do to change that.”During his conversation, Goldstein told Trump about his proposed solution to curb gun violence. His idea was not increased gun control, stricter background checks, or improved mental health and counseling services. Instead, Goldstein proposed implementing a moment of prayer in the school system.“I told him about how I thought we should have a moment of silence in our public schools,” he said. “It used to be that in our public schools, children would be required to pray every morning. And then, they stopped that.”Near the end of the service, a woman spontaneously took the microphone and was quickly booed off of the stage. Calling herself Janice, she claimed the rabbi, who she referred to as a “strict Jew,” was “good with money.” She suggested that Earnest might not have attacked the Chabad if he only had “Jesus in his heart.”“This is about Poway,” she said. “It’s about curing the depression in the schools. If this boy had Jesus in his heart, he wouldn't have had a gun.” When the audience began to yell ”she’s done,” Janice was quickly ushered away from the podium and the crowd returned to the difficult task of trying to understand their grief.Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The Latest: Islamic State leader says attack was revenge

AMPARA, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Latest on the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka (all times local):

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Two U.S. Navy warships sail through strategic Taiwan Strait

The voyage risks further raising tensions with China but will likely be viewed by self-ruled Taiwan as a sign of support from the Trump administration amid growing friction between Taipei and Beijing. Taiwan is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which also include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and China's increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom-of-navigation patrols. "The ships' transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, said in a statement.

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From Heisei to Reiwa: how Japan changed under Emperor Akihito

Japan marks the end of an era with Tuesday's abdication of Emperor Akihito, and the outgoing monarch leaves behind a much-changed country. Crown Prince Naruhito will inherit a Japan vastly different from that of the start of his father's reign, when the country was in the grip of an economic bubble and on the verge of a tech revolution. Japan's shrinking population is among the country's most pressing social and economic issues.

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Deadly Seattle crane collapse was likely caused by human error, experts say

Human error may be to blame for the Seattle crane collapse on Saturday that killed four people and injured another four, experts said based on videos.

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UN chief demands that the world step up to stamp out hatred

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres demanded Monday that the world "step up to stamp out anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, persecution of Christians and all other forms of racism, xenophobia, discrimination and incitement."

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Her 'final good deed': Woman hailed as hero after taking bullets to protect rabbi during synagogue shooting

The woman killed during Saturday’s San Diego synagogue shooting stepped in front of the bullets aimed at her longtime friend and rabbi, friends said.

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Officials: Parents of suspect among 7 killed in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The man suspected of killing his parents and five other people in two rural Tennessee homes stole the car of one of the victims and was wearing a blood-stained T-shirt when he was seen, telling acquaintances the stain was just chocolate, according to authorities and court documents.

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Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders Stake Out Ideological Poles of Democratic Race

Biden is an establishment Democrat with a long record of bipartisan deals ranging from budget accords this decade to a now-maligned 1994 crime bill. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, was an early adopter of ideas including single payer health insurance and a $15 federal minimum wage, that have rapidly gained traction in the progressive base. For the moment, Biden, 76, and Sanders, 77, lead the pack in virtually every poll, buoyed by strong name recognition.

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Poway Synagogue Shooting Suspect’s Parents Call Him ‘Evil’

via FacebookPOWAY, California—The parents of John Earnest, who allegedly opened fire on a synagogue Saturday, called their son evil on Monday.“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible attack on the Chabad of Poway synagogue,” the family said in a statement released through an attorney. “But our sadness pales in comparison to the grief and anguish our son has caused for so many innocent people. He has killed and injured the faithful who were gathered in a sacred place on a sacred day. To our great shame, he is now part of the history of evil that has been perpetrated on Jewish people for centuries.” On Saturday morning, Earnest entered Chabad of Poway with an assault-style rifle and allegedly opened fire, killing one woman and wounding three others, including a rabbi. Twenty minutes before the attack, Earnest published a virulently anti-Semitic manifesto repeating centuries’ old libels against Jews as justification for murdering them. The message said he idolized Brenton Tarrant, the alleged Christchurch mosque attacker, and Robert Bowers, who allegedly murdered 11 Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Earnest also approvingly cited Adolf Hitler. Twenty minutes after posting the message, he entered Chabad of Poway with an assault-style rifle and allegedly opened fire, killing one woman and wounding three others, including a rabbi. Earnest was chased out of the synagogue by an Army veteran and fled in a vehicle. Soon after, he called 911 and told authorities where to find him on a highway, according to authorities. He will be arraigned Wednesday morning in San Diego County court, one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder.Earnest, 19, grew up in a middle-class neighborhood not far from Poway. He was an honors student and accomplished pianist at Mt. Carmel High School, where his father, also named John, works as a teacher. Earnest’s father also served as board president of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Escondido, where the family attended church weekly. Gerrit Groenewold, a member of the church, told The Daily Beast on Sunday that Earnest was the quietest of his family, so quiet that Groenewold grew concerned. “I noticed that he was quiet and just wanted to have contact,” he said. “It’s not good if someone is that quiet. He needs to be part of the community, to let them know what is going on.”Earnest was not known to law enforcement prior to the attack, authorities said, and has no known ties to white supremacist groups.Read more at The Daily Beast.

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FAA considered grounding some Boeing 737 Max planes last year: source

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Barr threatens to skip House hearing on Mueller report over format dispute

Attorney general has expressed objections to House judiciary committee’s questioning format, according to Democratic aide The US attorney general, William Barr, is scheduled to testify before the House judiciary panel, chaired by the Democrats, on Thursday. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters The Department of Justice (DoJ) has informed the powerful House of Representatives judiciary committee that the attorney general, William Barr, may not attend a Thursday hearing to review special counsel Robert Mueller’s report of the Trump-Russia investigation. Barr has expressed objections over the panel’s questioning format, according to a senior Democratic committee aide. The department has balked at the panel’s plans to allow committee counsels from both sides to question Barr after the traditional round of questioning by members of Congress who sit on the committee, which is currently chaired by the Democrats because they control the House. Justice officials also told the committee they opposed committee chairman Jerry Nadler’s plan to go into closed session if members want to discuss redacted portions of Mueller’s report. That’s also according to the aide, who requested anonymity to discuss the confidential communications with the justice department. Barr is scheduled to testify on Wednesday before the Senate judiciary committee, which is chaired by the Republicans, the party in control of the Senate, and to the House panel on Thursday. The redacted Mueller report was made public just over a week ago. While it concluded there was not enough evidence to charge members of the Trump campaign with criminal conspiracy between the organisation and Russia, it also determined there was a lot of contact, and that Russia conclusively interfered in the 2016 election. Democrats the following day issued a subpoena for the un-redacted version. The report also found that it could not exonerate the president on the question of obstruction of justice and if Mueller could he would have done so, while also stating the investigation would not reach a conclusion on whether there had been criminal obstruction. The DoJ has deemed that a sitting president cannot be indicted. Congress is now conducting further inquiries and a number of other criminal investigations are ongoing, including by federal prosecutors in New York, against the president, though the nature of most of the investigations has not been made public. This article was amended on 29 April, to reflect that the Mueller report concluded there was not sufficient evidence to bring charges of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, and that the investigation would not reach a conclusion on whether there had been criminal obstruction.

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U.S. envoy signed North Korea document to pay for Warmbier's care: Bolton

The United States signed a document agreeing to pay North Korea for the care of American Otto Warmbier but never paid the $2 million Pyongyang demanded, White House national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday. Bolton, who said he was not part of the administration at the time, confirmed newspaper reports that North Korea demanded the money before Warmbier was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. Asked whether U.S. envoy Joseph Yun signed the document when he went to retrieve Warmbier, Bolton told "Fox News Sunday" in an interview: "That is what I am told, yes." He said no payment was made.

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United Airlines is covering up cameras on seat backs amid privacy backlash

United Airlines is covering up all the cameras on the back of customers' seats amid backlash about privacy.

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Sean Spicer: Trump has 'insurmountable edge' in key battleground states

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer lays out how Republicans are going to compete against Democrats in 2020.

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US consumer spending jumps in March; inflation remains tame

American consumer spending leapt last month to post the biggest gain in 10 years, recovering from a weak start to 2019, while inflation remained tame, according to government data released Monday. The strong finish to the third quarter comes a day before the Federal Reserve is due to meet, with markets overwhelmingly expecting the central bank to leave interest rates untouched. The latest figures confirm the picture of steady economic growth in the first quarter that were released Friday in the Commerce Department's GDP report.

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Man arrested after knives found at school desk of only male heir to Japanese imperial throne

Japanese police on Monday arrested a 56-year-old man in connection with two paring knives found at the school desk of Prince Hisahito, grandson of Emperor Akihito, local media reported. The incident comes as authorities were beefing up security ahead of the popular emperor's abdication on Tuesday after a 30-year reign, the first monarch to relinquish the throne of the world's oldest imperial family for two centuries. Akihito's eldest son, 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, will take the throne on Wednesday in a series of ceremonies. Hisahito is the son of Naruhito's younger brother and the last eligible male heir. Japan's centuries-old succession would be broken if Hisahito does not have a male child as the Imperial Household Law, in place since 1947, does not allow women to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. Japan's Imperial family The suspect, identified as Kaoru Hasegawa, was arrested on suspicion of illegally entering the premises of the junior high school the 12-year-old prince attends on Friday, public broadcaster NHK and other news reports said. His motive was not immediately clear. NHK said police officials were questioning him and suspected he placed the knives at the desk, while Nippon Television said he admitted the allegations. A police spokesman declined to comment. Hisahito, who began attending the school this month, was not in the classroom when the knives are believed to have been left. There were no reports of any injuries or damage at the school, while police did not find any threatening note related to the case. Security camera footage showed a man with a helmet trespassing on the school grounds at around noon, they said. Police had been searching for the middle-aged man who was dressed as a construction worker. Threats to the imperial family are relatively rare. In 1975, Akihito was almost hit by a Molotov cocktail in Okinawa, a major World War II battlefield where there was strong anti-emperor sentiment.

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Ocasio-Cortez fires back at Kellyanne Conway for slamming her response to Sri Lanka attacks

Ocasio-Cortez called the series of bombings in Sri Lanka, which death toll has risen to 290, “horrifying.” “The Sri Lanka massacre was horrifying.

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US stocks tread water ahead of more earnings, Fed

Wall Street was flat but holding near record levels just after the open on Monday as investors awaited a fresh set of corporate earnings during week loaded with economic data. Markets were also absorbing an upbeat report on consumer spending for March, which showed a big jump at the end of the first quarter. The data come as the Federal Reserve is due to begin its latest-two day policy meeting on Tuesday but is overwhelmingly expected to leave interest rates untouched.

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Washington's Woeful Maduro Miscalculation

When Washington recognized Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s rightful president, Trump administration officials clearly hoped that incumbent Nicolas Maduro’s grip on power would not last long. There were reasons for such optimism. The socialist regime’s corruption and grotesque economic mismanagement had reached crisis levels. Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, had transformed Venezuela from one of Latin America’s most prosperous countries into a poverty-stricken horror marked by runaway inflation and severe shortages even of the most basic consumer necessities. Venezuela was the latest exhibit in the museum of socialist calamities. Maduro’s popularity had plunged, and his implementation of ever more autocratic measures to suppress opponents did not help his situation.

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FOREX-Dollar rally stalls underlining slowdown fears

A rally in the dollar faltered on Monday with strong U.S. data doing little to lift the currency or convince investors that a slowdown in activity is over. The greenback traded in a narrow range as Japan kicked off a week of holidays, typically a period of thin liquidity that can prompt spikes in volatility. A Federal Reserve policy meeting, Brexit negotiations and a raft of global data including on U.S. core inflation and payrolls could each be the trigger for big currency swings this week.

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Job post seeking 'preferably Caucasian' applicants removed

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A northern Virginia tech staffing company has apologized after an online job posting sought "preferably Caucasian" applicants.

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Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Corey Ballentine, "Avengers: Endgame" and more of the weekend's top news.

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The Best Compact Cars of 2019, Ranked from Worst to Best

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Synagogue Shooting Suspect Was a Piano-Playing Nursing Student From Religious Family With a Racist Secret

Sandy Huffaker/AFP/GettyPOWAY, California—Nineteen-year-old nursing student John T. Earnest, who was charged with murder Sunday as the lone gunman in the deadly Poway Synagogue shooting, played piano for hours a day and earned a 4.31 grade point average. His father was a church elder whom neighbors called “the sweetest man.”But somewhere on his path, Earnest took a terrible turn, claiming Adolf Hitler as an idol and writing what appears to be his own rambling manifesto that Jews “deserved nothing but hell.” He wanted to be the one to, as he put it, “Send. Them. There.”Police say someone purporting to be him posted the anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, white supremacist “manifesto”—which eerily mirrored the Q&A; style that Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant used in his own pre-massacre diatribe—about 20 minutes before he walked into the Poway synagogue with an AR-15 style assault rifle and started shooting—killing one woman and injuring three others—before the gun malfunctioned and he was chased out by an armed security guard.Earnest was arrested by police a few minutes after the shooting as he fled, called 911, and told them where to find him off an exit on a California highway, authorities said. As an officer approached, he exited his vehicle, raised his hands, and surrendered. A rifle was recovered from the car. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.In his online posting, Earnest championed the likes of Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh six months ago, Tarrant, who killed 50 people in a New Zealand mosque in March; and Hitler.He used mainstream social media like Twitter and the fringe message boards 8Chan in what has become a proven way for terrorist groups and lone wolves alike to ensure that propaganda is disseminated to both those looking for it and those who are not. He posted the original screed on Pastebin.com and Mediafire.com, and linked to them on 8Chan. Like Tarrant, he promised to live-stream his killing spree, which he evidently failed to pull off. Facebook immediately removed the profile link he intended to use, but had somehow not seen the warning signs when he created the page.Sheriff William Gore of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said during a press conference late Sunday that authorities were carrying out searches in the suspect’s home and “looking into digital evidence and checking the authenticity of an online manifesto.” If it is validated as authentic, the student, who was previously unknown to police, found footing in the usual tenets of hate and the now all-too-familiar desire for infamy. Zach Keele, pastor of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, where Earnest’s father was an elder, or officer of the church, confirmed that he was part of the parish. “So John T. Earnest is a member here,” he told The Daily Beast. “We completely deplore what he did. That is not part of our practices, our teachings in any way. Our hearts, our prayers, our tears go out to the victims, to all those wonderful neighbors at the synagogue.”Keele said Earnest had never appeared to be the sort of person who would carry out this sort of an attack. “This is a complete surprise,” he said.In a service at the church on Sunday, Keele delivered a sermon on betrayal and forgiveness, offering condolences to the victims–but also to Earnest’s family. “We pray, Lord, for those who are hurting, and we pray for the victims of that synagogue,” Keele told the crowd of 50 or so parishioners. “We deeply mourn that this evil came out from us. We do not understand it, oh Lord, and we pray that you would forgive us for any such shortcoming, for any good deeds we left undone. We pray, Lord, that you will be with the Earnest family.”Speaking to his congregation after the service, Keele said he had spoken with Earnest’s parents the night before. They had spent the night huddled in their other son’s apartment close to the beach while their own house was searched by SWAT teams, he said. Earnest’s father plans to release a statement Monday morning through an attorney. “It’s a good statement,” Keele said. “They have good family support.”The minister added that Earnest must “suffer the full punishment of the law.” Still, he hopes he will “recant his hatred.” Keele plans to visit the young man in prison, if convicted, he said. After the service, Gerrit Groenewold, a board member at the Orthodox Presbyterian Church who happens to be the father of the girlfriend of one of Earnest’s brothers, told The Daily Beast that he had noticed Earnest had seemed quiet, and often tried to reach out to the young man, but with little luck. “I have tried to talk to John several times, but he is very silent and very reclusive. I noticed that he was quiet and just wanted to have contact... The other [members of his family] are not nearly as quiet,” he said. “It’s not good if someone is that quiet. He needs to be part of the community, to let them know what is going on.”Earnest also claimed responsibility for an attempted arson attack last month on Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque in Escondido, about nine miles from Poway, Security cameras at the mosque caught a suspect breaking a lock and pouring liquid on a side door but had failed to identify the person. Gore said investigators are now looking his “possible involvement in the arson and vandalism of mosque.”In a comment that was left after the synagogue shooting, someone asks, “How does a child of such privilege go so horribly wrong? Where does this hatred come from?”Late Saturday afternoon, California State University San Marcos president Karen S. Haynes confirmed that Earnest had been enrolled at the its nursing school.“We are dismayed and disheartened that the alleged shooter—now in custody—is a CSUSM student. CSUSM is working collaboratively with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department to assist and gain more information,” Haynes said in a statement. “We are heartbroken by this tragedy, which was motivated by hate and anti-Semitism.”A man who identified himself as Earnest’s grandfather expressed shock at his grandson’s role in the deadly shooting on Saturday.“He did what?” the man told The Daily Beast when reached by phone. “That is out of whack. My heart is sinking into my chest. I’m going to hang up now.” By Saturday evening, police had barricaded the streets leading to the cul-de-sac in Rancho Peñasquitos, a hilly, middle-class suburb of San Diego about seven miles from the synagogue where Earnest lives with his family. More than three dozen law enforcement officers, including FBI agents, ATF agents, and cops, were at the scene. Eyewitnesses told The Daily Beast that the family left their home under police escort hours earlier. Around 9 p.m. local time, law enforcement had secured a search warrant to enter Earnest’s house, which may well confirm the authenticity of his hate-filled screed and could possibly uncover how far he was willing to act on his hate. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here

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Spain's knife-edge election is a bellwether for the next European Parliament

According to Vox, Spain’s new hard-Right force, today’s general elections are about the survival of Spain as a national entity. Most European observers, however, will be looking to see how strongly Spain’s forces of moderation can survive the first real assault of Right-wing, anti-immigration and slightly Eurosceptical populism the country has experienced. With no elections due this year in any of Europe’s biggest nations, all eyes are today on Spain as a bellwether for next month’s European Parliament poll, in which populist movements are expected to make a bigger impact than ever. Spain, despite its political fragmentation that has brought about this, its third election in less than four years, has been making solid economic progress in the past half-decade, while also putting order in its public finances. With unemployment still close to 15 per cent, the economy might have been expected to feature prominently in the campaign. But instead Spaniards have been beaten around the head with the strategic importance of the country’s first general election since the Catalan regional government’s unconstitutional referendum and declaration of independence in 2017. Despite the fact that his Socialist party (PSOE) minority government fell because Catalan pro-independence parties withdrew their confidence and supply support, the incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been accused of betraying Spain for trying to launch a negotiation process with Catalonia’s leaders. The main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) and liberal Ciudadanos have been joined in rage at Mr Sánchez’s search for a Catalan compromise by Vox, which polled just 0.2 per cent in 2016, but is expected to surge into Congress today with around a tenth of the seats. Spanish politics has been split into two blocs by the Catalan issue, with Mr Sánchez and his PSOE’s only hope of a stable coalition partner lying in the hard-Left Podemos. Ciudadanos and PSOE have previously sought coalition deals together, but the polarisation over Catalonia is such that the liberal party’s leader, Albert Rivera, prefers to look to Vox for support. According to polling, it is very possible that neither bloc will make it over the line. The PSOE-Podemos alliance could seek to woo pragmatic Basque nationalists, but Mr Sánchez will hope not to have to rely on Catalan parties again. While a Left-wing government could serve to take the sting out of the Catalan independence movement, the PP, Ciudadanos and Vox have competed to take the strongest line against separatism. All three back a prolonged suspension of Catalonia’s autonomy, plus measures to either ban or limit the political freedom of pro-independence parties. A third scenario is political stasis from an impossible hung parliament. This may not be the last general election in Spain this year.

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Man arrested over knives at Japan prince's school desk: media

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Beats' first truly wireless earbuds to launch May 10

Over the weekend, Apple's Beats headphones division announced that pre-ordering for their fitness-oriented AirPods competitor will open May 3, with the earbuds hitting shelves on May 10. While the Powerbeats Pro are powered by the same Apple H1 chip used in the second-gen AirPods and likewise support "Hey Siri," they offer nearly double the listening time at nine hours on a single charge instead of just five. The earbuds come in four colors and will put owners back $249.99, $50 more than the latest AirPods.

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Here's What Happens After Russia or China Sink a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

An attack that sank a carrier with significant casualties, on the other hand, might well result in demands for vengeance, the specific circumstances of the attack notwithstanding. This could put U.S. policymakers in the awkward position of needing to escalate, without being able to use some of the most lethal military options in their toolkit.Since the 1950s, the supercarrier has been the most visible representation of U.S. military power and maritime hegemony. Although supercarriers have participated in nearly every military conflict since the commissioning of USS Forrestal in 1955, no carrier has come under determined attack from a capable opponent. In part, this is because supercarriers are very difficult to attack, but the symbolic grandeur of the massive ships also plays a role; no one wants to know what the United States might do if one of its carriers came under attack.(This first appeared several months ago.)What would happen if a foe attacked a United States Navy (USN) aircraft carrier during a conflict? How would the United States react, and how would it respond?Circumstances:

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Adidas is dropping more 'Avengers' sneakers

These designs are super sick.

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US STOCKS-Futures edge lower ahead of inflation data

In yet another busy week for earnings, about 160 S&P 500 companies, including Google-parent Alphabet Inc and Apple Inc, are due to report their quarterly reports. An inflation report from the Commerce Department is expected to show personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index for March to have risen 0.7% from 0.1% in February.

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