Louisiana abortion law: Fury as Democratic governor says he will sign bill banning terminations into law

Louisiana lawmakers have passed a strict new abortion ban which will stop some women from having the procedure before they even know they are pregnant.In a 79-23 vote on Wednesday, the Louisiana House gave final passage to a bill barring abortion once there is a detectable fetal heartbeat, as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.The state joins Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio, which have all passed similar “heartbeat” bills this year.Missouri politicians also approved an eight-week ban on abortion and Alabama has gone even further, outlawing virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest. None of the bans have taken effect, and all are expected to face legal challenges.Louisiana Democratic governor John Bel Edwards supports the ban and intends to sign it into law despite opposition from national party leaders who say such laws are attacks on women.He said in a statement after the ban’s passage: “I know there are many who feel just as strongly as I do on abortion and disagree with me – and I respect their opinions.“As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone.”Abortion opponents are pushing new restrictions on the procedure in the hope a case will make its way to the high court, and two new conservative justices appointed by US president Donald Trump could help overturn the US Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe V Wade decision that legalised abortion nationally.Louisiana’s prohibition would only take hold if neighbouring Mississippi’s law is upheld by a federal appeals court. A federal judge temporarily blocked that Mississippi law on Friday.Abortion rights activists said Louisiana’s bill would effectively eliminate abortion as an option before many women realise they are pregnant, calling the proposal unconstitutional.The legislation includes an exception from the abortion ban to prevent a pregnant woman’s death or “a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” – or if the pregnancy is deemed “medically futile”.However it does not include an exception for a pregnancy caused by rape or incest.A doctor who violates the prohibition under the bill could face a prison sentence of up to two years, as well as having their medical licence revoked.Although similar abortion bans have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats nationwide, Louisiana’s proposal won wide bipartisan support and was sponsored by a Democrat from the north-west corner of the state, Senator John Milkovich.Support from Mr Edwards, who is running for re-election this autumn against two Republicans, is expected to help shore up his position with some voters in his conservative home state, even if it puts him at odds with national Democratic Party leaders and donors.The ban is one of several bills that Louisiana politicians are advancing to add new restrictions on abortion.Another bill nearing the governor’s desk would limit where medication-induced abortions can be performed to the state’s three licensed abortion clinics.Reacting to the news Mr Edwards was poised to sign the bill, Allison Galbraith, second vice chair of Maryland Democratic Party, said: “We keep a big tent, but I’ve no room for being so incompetent or spineless that you don’t get or don’t care what these bills do.”Adam Best, an activist and co-host of The Left podcast, tweeted: “Democrats are the party of civil rights and social justice. Being pro-choice is non-negotiable. “You can’t have DINOs like John Bel Edwards making draconian abortion laws. Should be zero tolerance for Dems like that.”Krishan Patel, who described himself as a progressive Democrat from Irvine on his Twitter profile, said: “If John Bel Edwards wants to make the government force a girl violently raped by her own father to carry that pregnancy out to term and give birth, then he does not deserve any Democratic support.”Leana Wen, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, added that the law would “devastate the health and well-being of women and families”.While Jacob Taber tweeted: “The Democratic Party has no room for misogynists who want to police women’s bodies.”The chief executive of Walt Disney said it would be “very difficult” for the media company to keep filming in Georgia if a new abortion law takes effect.Bob Iger said the law would mean many people would not want to work in the US state.Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp signed the legislation earlier this month. The law bans abortion once cardiac activity can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks.If it survives court challenges, the law is due to take effect on 1 January.Disney has shot blockbuster films such as Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame in the state.Netflix has also warned it would “rethink” its film and television production investment in Georgia if the law goes into effect.Agencies contributed to this report.

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New top story on Hacker News: ‘This could ruin us’: A class-action suit imperils California freelancers

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Pork Producers, Corn Growers Urge Trump to Drop Mexico Tariffs

The president said Thursday that 5% duties could be placed on all imports from Mexico on June 10, rising in increments to 25% in October unless Mexico halts the flow of immigrants heading to the U.S. border. “We appeal to President Trump to reconsider plans to open a new trade dispute with Mexico,” David Herring, president of the National Pork Producers Council and a hog farmer from Lillington, North Carolina, said Friday in an emailed statement.

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Trump Tariffs on Mexico Irk Key Republican Allies in Congress

The president’s announcement Thursday surprised many Republicans who hoped to focus on passing a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada known as the USMCA. Trump said he will impose a 5% tariff on all imports from Mexico -- ramping up 5 percentage points every month until hitting 25% in October -- unless Mexico takes "decisive measures" to stem migrants entering the U.S.

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Trump would be 'in handcuffs' if not president, says Democrat Warren

Democratic White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that if Donald Trump were not protected by his presidential status, he would be "in handcuffs and indicted" for obstructing the investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference. The progressive US senator from Massachusetts, one of the leading Democrats for the party's 2020 nomination, was the first presidential candidate to speak out in favor of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump. Warren had called for an impeachment inquiry the day after the April 18 publication of special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report on Moscow's election interference.

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New Mexico town gets death threats after halting crowd-funded border wall

A New Mexico mayor on Thursday said he and his staff received multiple death threats after they briefly halted construction of a crowd-funded, private border wall by a group that then urged supporters to tell the city to "stop playing games," and alleged it was tied to drug cartels. The Florida-based group has raised $23 million via crowd-funding site GoFundMe.com to build private border walls to halt smuggling and a surge in undocumented migrants, after funding for President Donald Trump's promised wall was blocked. Perea described the tactics of We Build the Wall as a "cheap blow," and the American Civil Liberties Union accused it of pursuing a "white Nationalist" agenda.

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Man charged after Nassau County police find woman, 2 boys with autism, 1 teen in car with 'CALL 911' sign

A man was charged after police say a woman holding a "CALL 911" sign and her three children were found inside his car on Long Island.

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Escalating Iran crisis looks a lot like the path US took to Iraq war

The U.S. went to war in Iraq in 2003 based on flawed intelligence supported by hawkish policy makers. Is it doomed to repeat the error with Iran?

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Disney says it won't make any more films in Georgia if draconian abortion laws come into force in the US state

Disney's chief executive has warned Georgia that the company's film and TV productions are likely to abandon the state if its controversial abortion bill becomes law. Bob Iger said it would be "very difficult" for the entertainment giant to continue working in the state if the so-called "heartbeat bill", which outlaws terminations from as early as six weeks, comes into force. The Walt Disney Company has shot some of its biggest films in the US state, including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame. Speaking to Reuters, Iger said: "If it becomes law, it'll be very difficult. "I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. "Right now we are watching it very carefully." Sen John Milkovich speaks outside the State Capitol in Louisiana where the House passed Milkovich's 'fetal heartbeat' bill Georgia has been dubbed the "Hollywood of the South" after it lured production companies with favourable tax laws. The state offers a tax credit that has lured many film and TV productions. The industry is responsible for more than 92,000 jobs in Georgia, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and some 455 productions were shot in Georgia in 2018, according to the state. However, its proposed abortion laws have caused fury across the industry, with leading stars lining up to condemn the bill. Netflix has also warned it could pull out of the state. Georgia's bill bans abortions in cases where a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks. It is due to come into effect on January 1 2020, although campaigners have already said they will fight it in the courts. It came as last night Louisiana on Wednesday also passed a bill banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, becoming the seventh state to do so. The bans are expected to be blocked in lower courts, but supporters plan to appeal such decisions until they reach the Supreme Court.

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Florida Gov. DeSantis meets with Netanyahu in Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, calling the embattled Israeli prime minister a "strong leader" on the governor's final day of a trade mission to Israel.

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US national spelling bee crowns eight co-champions after running out of challenging words

A superhuman group of adolescents broke the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, with eight contestants crowned co-champions after the competition said it was running out of challenging words.It was a stunning result, coming just after midnight, for the 92nd annual event, which has had six two-way ties but had never experienced such a logjam at the top.After the 17th round, Jacques Bailly, the event’s pronouncer, announced that any of the eight remaining contestants who made it through three more words would share in the prize.“We do have plenty of words remaining in our list, but we’ll soon run out of words that will challenge you,” Mr Bailly told the contestants at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Centre in National Harbour, Maryland.He added: “We’re throwing the dictionary at you. And so far, you are showing this dictionary who is boss.”None of the contestants faltered. They each got their own moment of triumph as they correctly spelled their words in the 20th round, then patiently sat back in their seats as the following contestants had their moments. They supported each other with high-fives and hugs, and each placed a hand on a single trophy.The champions were, along with the final words they spelled:Rishik Gandhasri, 13, of San Jose, California: auslaut.Erin Howard, 14, of Huntsville, Alabama: erysipelas.Saketh Sundar, 13, of Clarksville, Maryland: bougainvillea.Shruthika Padhy, 13, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey: aiguillette.Sohum Sukhatankar, 13, of Dallas: pendeloque.Abhijay Kodali, 12, of Flower Mound, Texas: palama.Christopher Serrao, 13, of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey: cernuous.Rohan Raja, 13, of Irving, Texas: odylic.The competition normally offers a $50,000 (£39,610) prize to the champion. Instead of splitting it eight ways, all eight contestants will receive $50,000 and their own trophies.There have been marathon spelling bees before — the 2017 event went 36 rounds, with two spellers battling it out after the 17th round — but the competition has never hosted such a large group of spellers who could not be defeated.The field is typically winnowed down to fewer than four by the 16th round.This year, the ninth-place finisher, 13-year-old Simone Kaplan of Davie, Florida, was thwarted in the 15th round.From that point on, the contestants correctly spelled 47 straight words.Already nervous, they started showing signs of fatigue as the competition stretched on past its expected window.At the beginning of the 17th round, Rishik had a question for Mr Bailly.“Out of curiosity, would you happen to know what time it is?” he asked. It was 11:18 pm.It was one of several moments of levity from a group of students who appeared largely unfazed by the pressure, with their parents in the audience often looking more unsettled.Rohan prompted laughter in the 17th round as he recoiled at his errant pronunciation of “Gaeltacht.”“Oh God,” he said, “I sound like I vomited.”The New York Times

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How the 2016 Debates Are Still Haunting Democrats

Democrats are trying to avoid the missteps of the 2016 primary debates — a goal that has proven elusive as more candidates have announced.

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Stone Was Like ‘Uncle Roger,’ Miller Testifies to Grand Jury

Prosecutors focused their examination on Miller’s relationship with Stone and Stone’s connection to WikiLeaks founder Assange, Miller’s attorney Paul Kamenar told reporters after the proceeding. Stone was indicted by the grand jury in January on charges of lying to Congress about communications with Assange, obstruction and witness tampering.

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Auto industry dented by latest Trump tariffs

President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on Mexico will affect myriad industries, but few are as exposed as automakers. Shares of several major automakers and auto suppliers dived five percent or more following Trump's announcement Thursday night that the United States would impose a five percent tariff on all Mexican imports on June 10, explicitly linking the trade action to a demand that Mexico crack down on illegal immigration. The White House intends to gradually raise the tariff level until it hits 25 percent on October 1, a levy that "could cripple the industry and cause major uncertainty," said a note from Deutsche Bank.

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Jussie Smollett: Possible deal was in the works a month before charges dropped, documents show

New documents on the Jussie Smollett case show that prosecutors told Chicago police detectives that a possible deal with the actor was in the works a month before charges against him were dropped.Smollett was charged in March with 16 counts alleging he lied to police when reporting he'd been the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in January. Police contend the black and openly gay actor allegedly staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity.Prosecutors dropped charges on 26 March without Smollett admitting guilt. Then Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson expressed outrage over the prosecutors' decision. Smollett has maintained his innocence. The approximately 460 pages of new documents show that detectives investigating Smollett's allegations were told by Cook County prosecutors a deal with the Empire actor could include a $10,000 fine and community service. The detectives did not pass the information to superiors. "They didn't pass it on because they didn't know it (the case) was going to be handled the way it was," said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. In the documents released on Thursday, detectives note the Chicago Police Department was informed by the Cook County State's Attorney's office on 28 February that they could no longer investigate the crime. Smollett was indicted on 7 March. The lead investigators in the case met with Assistant State's Attorney Risa Lanier, who informed detectives "that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service". The detectives closed the case at that point because an arrest was made and the alleged offender was being prosecuted, according to Guglielmi.It was the attorneys for Smollett who announced charges alleging he lied to police about attack had been dropped. At the time, Johnson said he learned of the deal prosecutors made with Smollett when the deal was announced by lawyers, adding he didn't think justice was being served. However, he didn't directly criticise prosecutors."My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the state's attorney," Johnson said. "That's what we did. I stand behind the detectives' investigation." The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association said the dismissal of the charges was "an affront to prosecutors across the state" as well as police, victims of hate crimes and the county as a whole.The city of Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating. The city claims about two dozen detectives and officers investigated the entertainer's report that he was attacked, resulting in a "substantial number of overtime hours."Additional reporting by agencies

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Judge considering Missouri abortion clinic license case

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A judge is deciding whether to ensure Missouri's only abortion clinic can keep its license past Friday, the latest development in a decades-long push by abortion opponents to get states to enact strict rules on the procedure.

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Barr: Counter-intelligence Probe of Trump Campaign Crossed ‘Serious Red Line’

Attorney General William Barr said Friday that the FBI's counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign "crossed" a "serious red line" and should be "carefully looked at.""The use of foreign intelligence capabilities and counterintelligence capabilities against an American political campaign to me is unprecedented and it's a serious red line that's been crossed," Barr said in an interview with CBS.The attorney general is currently investigating the origins of the probe to determine whether the U.S. intelligence community's surveillance of the Trump campaign was warranted. He has expressed skepticism about the explanations for some of the investigative actions taken.During testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee last month, Barr stated that "spying did occur" on the Trump campaign, angering Democratic lawmakers."I guess it's become a dirty word somehow," Barr told CBS. "I think there is nothing wrong with spying. The question is always whether it is authorized by law.""There were counterintelligence activities undertaken against the Trump campaign, And I'm not saying there was not a basis for it, that it was legitimate, but I want to see what that basis was and make sure it was legitimate," he added.The New York Times reported that the FBI sent an undercover agent posing as a research assistant to ask former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos whether the campaign was working with Russia. Papadopoulos was told by a Maltese professor in early 2016 that Russia had damaging information on Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, but said he told the undercover agent he had “nothing to do with Russia.”"Republics have fallen because of Praetorian Guard mentality where government officials get very arrogant, they identify the national interest with their own political preferences, and they feel that anyone who has a different opinion, you know, is somehow an enemy of the state," Barr remarked. "That can easily translate into essentially supervening the will of the majority and getting your own way as a government official."FBI director Chris Wray said earlier this month that he had seen no evidence that the FBI illegally spied on the Trump campaign.

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Riyadh rallies allies against Tehran at Mecca summits

Gulf and Arab allies rallied around Saudi Arabia Friday as it ratcheted up tensions with regional rival Iran after a series of attacks, drawing accusations from Tehran of "sowing division". Tehran, which has strongly denied involvement in any of the attacks, expressed disappointment that Riyadh plans to level the same "baseless accusations" at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) early on Saturday.

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9 Cool Things We Learned Driving the Spectre Land Rover Defender

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Police confirm missing Utah girl's body has been found

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A body found after a five-day search is that of a 5-year-old girl taken from her home and killed by her uncle, Utah police confirmed on Thursday.

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Showdown over Missouri abortion clinic postponed as governor weighs in

Gov. Mike Parson said court intervention in the fight over whether to renew the license of Missouri's lone abortion provider would be "reckless."

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Amit Shah: Modi's enforcer emerges from behind India's throne

As the battle-hardened drill sergeant for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah has long been considered India's second most-powerful person, and his appointment Friday as home minister elevates his position to leader-in-waiting. While Modi is the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party's people person, firing up rallies and mastering Twitter, Shah has for years made sure that Modi's orders are carried out to the letter while turning the world's biggest political party into the undisputed force across the nation of 1.3 billion people. Shah's piercing stare and strongarm tactics have made him a feared and respected figure in the Hindu nationalist party -- opposition parties and critics call him "ruthless" -- a status only increased by his role masterminding the BJP's second straight landslide election victory this month as the party president.

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New top story on Hacker News: Capture the Flag: the emergence of complex cooperative agents

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Does the news reflect what we die from?
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New top story on Hacker News: A map of the US where city names are replaced by most Wikipedia’ed resident

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How the Raptors Won Game 1 Over the Warriors

By BENJAMIN HOFFMAN and MARC STEIN from NYT Sports https://nyti.ms/2Z3LTNb

I’m a Veteran Without PTSD. I Used to Think Something Was Wrong With Me.

By MELISSA THOMAS from NYT Magazine https://nyti.ms/2IcRzgL

The Bond Market Is Trying to Tell Us Something (Worry)

By MATT PHILLIPS and STEPHEN GROCER from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2XfF6zo

French Rock Star’s Instagram Defeats His Widow in Inheritance Battle

By PALKO KARASZ from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2KcFHy7

Navy Destroyer John McCain Hidden During Trump’s Japan Visit

By MAGGIE HABERMAN and HELENE COOPER from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2I5Rc7T

The Bond Market Is Giving Ominous Warnings About the Global Economy

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Robert De Niro: Robert Mueller, We Need to Hear More

By ROBERT DE NIRO from NYT Opinion https://nyti.ms/2Wa6aDH

Worry About Facebook. Rip Your Hair Out in Screaming Terror About Fox News.

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Michael Wolff’s ‘Draft Indictment’ of Trump Doesn’t Exist, Says Mueller’s Office

Reuters / Brendan McDermidA spokesman for Robert Mueller has emphatically denied a claim from Fire and Fury author Michael Wolff that the special counsel drew up a three-count obstruction-of-justice indictment against Donald Trump before deciding to ditch it.The unverified allegation is made in Wolff’s new book, Siege: Trump Under Fire, which is due to be published next week. It’s the sequel to Fire and Fury, which infuriated the president for its claims about the dysfunctional inner workings of his White House.The Guardian obtained a copy of the new book and reports that Wolff states his findings about Mueller’s supposed draft indictment are “based on internal documents given to me by sources close to the Office of the Special Counsel.” The newspaper writes that it’s seen the documents.However, Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, told The Guardian: “The documents that you’ve described do not exist.”Wolff claims the draft listing the president’s alleged abuses was written under the title “United States of America against Donald J. Trump, Defendant,” and it sat on Mueller’s desk for a year before being discarded.The Guardian reports the first of the three counts charged the president with corruptly influencing, obstructing, or impeding a pending proceeding before a department or agency. The second count is said to have charged the president with tampering with a witness, victim, or informant, while the third allegedly charged Trump with retaliating against a witness.According to Wolff, Mueller’s team drew up both the three-count indictment of Trump as well as a supporting draft memorandum of law opposing any motion from Congress or the White House that sought to dismiss it.The memo quoted by Wolff says: “The Impeachment Judgment Clause, which applies equally to all civil officers including the president… takes for granted… that an officer may be subject to indictment and prosecution before impeachment. If it did not, the clause would be creating, for civil officers, precisely the immunity the Framers rejected.”Wolff writes that Mueller agonized for a long time over whether to charge the president before ultimately deciding he could not move to prosecute a sitting president.Wolff's conclusion reads: “Bob Mueller threw up his hands. Surprisingly, he found himself in agreement with the greater White House: Donald Trump was the president, and, for better or for worse, what you saw was what you got—and what the country voted for.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Pence calls on US Supreme Court to take up 'selective' abortion

Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday waded into the growing debate in the United States about the hot-button issue of abortion, urging the Supreme Court to bar "selective" abortions based on sex, race or potential disability of the fetus. The comments by Pence, a devout Christian who signed anti-abortion bills while serving as governor of Indiana, coincide with moves by Republican-led legislatures in several states to restrict access to the procedure. Opponents of abortion are seeking to eventually challenge the 1973 US Supreme Court ruling in the case of Roe vs Wade, which made abortion legal nationwide.

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Arkansas River communities preparing for historic flood

The US Army Corps of Engineers, city, state, federal officials, residents, among many others coming together to help each other during flooding.

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Serbia places forces on alert after Kosovo police operation in Serb-populated north

At least 19 people were arrested and a Russian U.N. official detained in the operation. Five police and six Serb civilians were wounded in fighting, Kosovan official said. The incidents signaled rising tensions in four Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo, parts of which remain largely outside control of Pristina and pledge allegiance to Belgrade.

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Venezuela talks in Norway must focus on Maduro departure: US

Talks in Norway between Venezuela's government and the US-backed opposition should focus only on President Nicolas Maduro's removal, Washington said Tuesday. "We note the talks in Norway. As we have repeatedly stated, the United States believes the only thing to negotiate with Nicolas Maduro is the conditions of his departure," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told reporters.

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Kamala Harris targets abortion bans with ‘Reproductive Rights Act,’ focusing on constitutionality behind restrictions

Kamala Harris has unveiled a new proposal targeting state abortion bans amid a wave of new restrictions being passed across the country. The 2020 presidential hopeful’s “Reproductive Rights Act” would shift the burden from abortion providers to states attempting to pass bans by forcing them to prove the constitutionality behind the restrictive measures. If a state is unable to do so, they will not receive a pre-clearance requirement from the California Democrat’s Justice Department, which would be needed to enact the state’s law, according to a fact sheet provided by the senator’s campaign. The policy leans on an example created by a core special provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, known as Section 5, which barred nine states from implementing new voting laws with federal approval due to their discriminatory track records.Ms Harris, a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, said in a statement announcing her new proposal: “A woman’s constitutional right to an abortion is under attack. Today I announced a plan as president to block these dangerous and deadly state laws before they take effect.” She has frequently spoken about women’s rights and reproductive health care access along the campaign trail, saying during an interview last week, “I will always fight for a woman's right to make whatever decision she believes is in the best interest of her and her family and the government should not be in the business of taking those decisions away from women."The policy proposal arrives as states like Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia and Mississippi all have passed restrictions against abortions in recent months. The bills have sparked days of nationwide protests and backlash from legal experts, who say the restrictions do not hold constitutional merit. For example, Alabama’s law is arguably the most restrictive in the country, limiting abortion access once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This typically occurs just six weeks into a pregnancy, at a time when most people are unaware they are with a child. Those restrictions fly in the face of the Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade, which determined abortion access was a constitutional right. However, Republican politicians voting for the abortion bans fully acknowledge the end game with passing legally ambiguous bills: to challenge that exact decision and have the Supreme Court review the constitutionality of abortions once again. "Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v Wade was handed down in 1973,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement when signing the new law. “The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the US Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.”The Reproductive Rights Act is just one of several policy proposals Ms Harris has launched in recent weeks ahead of the first Democratic presidential primaries. The senator has also unveiled an equal pay policy that would force companies to reveal their gaps in wages among different genders — and face major fines for not paying employees equally — as well as a federal investment in teacher’s wages.

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Israel to hold election rerun after coalition deadlock

Israel's parliament voted early Thursday to hold new elections only months after April polls in an unprecedented move provoked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to remain in power despite failing to form a coalition. The vote was prompted by Netanyahu's failure to reach a coalition deal even though his Likud party, along with its right-wing and religious allies, won a majority of 65 of 120 seats in the April 9 elections. In a matter of weeks, Netanyahu has shifted from victory celebrations to tense, behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure his long tenure in power continues, eventually opting for new elections.

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Democrats need to get past impeachment jitters. It's not 1998 and Trump is no Clinton.

If Democrats think Trump committed impeachable acts, launch the process and stop assuming it will be a political loser. That misreads history.

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New top story on Hacker News: Exponential economist meets finite physicist

Exponential economist meets finite physicist
92 by chepaslaaa | 91 comments

Supreme Court avoids abortion question, upholds fetal burial measure

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sent a mixed message on abortion, refusing to consider reinstating Indiana's ban on abortions performed because of fetal disability or the sex or race of the fetus while upholding the state's requirement that fetal remains be buried or cremated after the procedure is done. Both provisions were part of a Republican-backed 2016 law signed by Vice President Mike Pence when he was Indiana's governor. The action by the justices comes at a time when numerous Republican-governed states including Alabama are approving restrictive abortion laws that the Supreme Court may be called upon to rule on in the future.

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'Seek shelter immediately!': Texas braces as tornadoes continue assault on nation

A two-week roar of tornadoes that has ravaged much of the Midwest descended on Kansas on Tuesday. Texas could be next.

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Mueller speaks: Today's Toon

Want to keep up with USA TODAY's editorial cartoons? Bookmark this page. We'll update it frequently.

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Kamala Harris wants some states to get preclearance before passing abortion laws

Harris wants Congress to pass legislation requiring some states to seek DOJ preclearance before instituting new laws impacting abortion rights.

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Everest deaths blamed on budget firms and influx of inexperienced climbers

An American mountaineer has become the 11th person in two weeks to die on Mount Everest as Sherpas and tour operators alike blame an influx of inexperienced climbers and budget tour operators for the spike in fatalities. Christopher John Kulish, 61, from Colorado, did not show any sign of distress when summiting the world’s highest mountain on Monday morning but died suddenly after descending. With a record number of climbers permitted to climb Everest this year, bottle necks have also contributed to greater exhaustion and in some instances, death. The death toll this season is the highest since 2015. The Nepalese government granted permission for 381 mountaineers to scale Everest from the southern side this spring season. Roughly 130 others will attempt to summit from the northern side in Tibet. Only around 5,000 people have climbed Everest since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first scaled the 8,848m peak in 1953.  With a permit costing $11,000 (£8,675) to scale the mountain the increase in numbers has been attributed to the Nepalese government making money to support its economy which has been hampered by political unrest and the devastating 2015 earthquake. Is it time to ban Western travellers - and their egos - from Mount Everest? Adventure tourism also plays a vital part in financially supporting the inhabitants of remote communities in north-east Nepal. However, in permitting more summits the government has allowed dozens of local budget climbing companies to emerge who charge cheaper prices but cut corners on safety. Climbing Everest with a premium, international firm can cost up to $100,000 (£78,900) while some cut-price local mountaineers charge only a quarter of this fee. The Nepalese government has for the first time said it may reduce the number of permits given to climbers next year. A government spokesperson told the Telegraph: "There are no such plans for now but there is possibility of doing so."   “The biggest factor is that many inexperienced climbers are booking with low budget, local operators, who are not providing adequate support such as guide services, oxygen, medicines and leadership to ensure the climbers can ascend and descend safely,” said Garrett Madison, an American mountaineer specialising in Everest summits. Mr Madison led 29 people to a busy summit on May 23 where climbers say a bottleneck at the top caused people to wait for around 45 minutes in the perilous "death zone". A major clean-up operation ended with the recovery of 10,000 kilograms of rubbish and four dead bodies Credit:  NARENDRA SHRESTHA/EPA-EFE/REX While the government says it implements background checks on prospective climbers, such as only allowing those to climb with experience of a summit over 6,000m, it has been accused of turning a blind eye to those who don’t meet criteria. “I wouldn’t say that people who sign up for Everest aren’t fully prepared as they practice for years but all who are currently attempting the summit are not professional mountaineers,” said Krishma Poudel, the Manager at Peak Promotions, a company that has organised expeditions for over 25 years. Her comments were echoed by Temba Tsheri Sherpa, who leads summits at Asia Voyage. “The largest number of climbers dying this season is because they have run out of oxygen… there are too many commercial expeditions where you pay less but get less of a service and less experienced guides,” he said. “A lot of climbers don’t have enough experience and they think the climbing is easy.”  "If you want to maintain safety, the first thing is to minimise [the numbers] of climbers," Mr Tsheri Sherpa added. The Nepalese government told the Telegraph that it didn’t want to speculate on the cause of the recent spike in deaths. However, it said there was a possibility that they would reduce the number of permits given to climbers next year.  Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. Are you an avid mountaineer? What motivates you to climb the world's tallest peaks? We want to hear from you in the comments section below.

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Chicago native climbs Mount Everest, witnesses traffic jam aftermath

For a brief time, Alex Pancoe stood on top of the world over 29,000 feet high at the summit of Mt. Everest.

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‘I Felt Invisible’: Rescued Maui Hiker Recalls Fight for Survival While Lost for 17 Days in Jungle

SARAH HAYNES - FINDAMANDAAmanda Eller, the 35-year-old Maui hiker who survived in the jungle for 17 days before her miraculous rescue last week, said she started to lose hope after seeing 20 helicopters pass by without seeing her.“Standing on that rock, I felt invisible,” she told reporters at a Tuesday press conference, adding that she wrote S.O.S. on rocks and spread out her clothing to help rescuers find her.“You lose hope,” Eller added. “As the sun starts to go down you’re like, ‘Another night alone. How am I gonna stay warm? How am I gonna stay alive?’”Ultimately, she said it was willpower, meditation, and her “intuition” that sustained her throughout the harrowing ordeal.“I never felt alone, and I never felt fearful. It was an opportunity to overcome fear of everything,” she said. “At some point halfway into the days I was there, I came to a place of acceptance. There’s a reason I have to stay alive.”Amanda Eller, Missing Maui Yoga Instructor, Ate Berries and Drank From Waterfalls to SurviveEller’s family reported her missing when she didn’t answer her phone after going on a hike on May 8. Her white SUV was found in the Makawao Forest Reserve parking lot with her cellphone and wallet inside.She told reporters that she just meant to go on a “little jog,” and left her GPS-equipped phone behind because she thought it wasn’t necessary. “I should have had a cellphone with me,” Ellis, who described herself as usually being an “over-preparer,” said. “There’s a reason we carry them all the time.”“Maui is a huge jungle. It’s like a needle in a haystack out there,” she added.In addition to eating plants and drinking from waterfalls, Eller said she would sometimes find a “nice-looking boar den” to stay in and keep her warm. She said the boars were “everywhere” she wandered, and she followed their paths to find other dens.Eller also said that a key part of her survival was maintaining her mental strength. She said she told herself that being lost was a “part of [her] path” and her “journey” that she needed to embrace. To mentally sustain herself, she said she sat under a tree and meditated.After hiking through the brush, Eller said she eventually reached a spot between two waterfalls and felt stuck—but said she knew she should stay there to be rescued. One day later, a helicopter pilot that had been hired by her family spotted her, and a group of volunteers picked her up from the deep ravine.The Maui Fire Department had suspended its search for Eller after several days, and she told reporters that she ultimately felt “more heart” from the volunteers that tirelessly searched and eventually found her. “What I ask is that this be taken more seriously, that missing people be taken more seriously,” she said. “On a state level, we are able to expand those policies so that we know that our tribe is taken care of.”Eller also said she knows the family of another missing hiker, Noah Mina, who hasn’t been heard from since he set off to hike the Kapilau Ridge Trail in the West Maui Forest Reserve in Wailuku on May 20. The same rescue team that found Eller has also been searching for Mina.“Maui is small, I know they’re amazing people. My heart reaches out to his family and him,” she said, before sending out a prayer for Mina. “I hope this is taken more seriously than my search… Let’s show up for Noah.”Now safe with her family, Eller said she was looking forward to helping her physical-therapy patients heal and “get back to [her] life.”“I’m so grateful to be alive,” she said. “Grateful for every breath, grateful for everything.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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.

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Pope says he would confront Trump directly on border wall

In a wide-ranging television interview with Mexico's Televisa aired on Tuesday, the pope also shrugged off criticism from ultra-conservative Roman Catholics who call him a heretic. Francis, who has clashed with Trump before on migration issues, discussed the situation at the U.S.-Mexican border with veteran Vatican reporter Valentina Alazraki, who is Mexican. "I don't know what's happening with this new culture of defending territories by building walls.

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The Latest: Tornadoes reported in northeastern Texas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on the powerful storms battering parts of the U.S. (all times local):

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Huawei reviewing ties with FedEx after two packers were 'diverted to America'

Huawei is reviewing its relationship with FedEx after it claimed two of its packages were "diverted to America", amid rising tensions between the Chinese technology company and the US government.  Donald Trump's administration has repeatedly warned that Huawei's equipment could be used for spying by China, and earlier this month the US president signed an executive order which effectively banned the company from America's 5G network. Huawei has maintained it is independent of the Chinese state and has now accused American courier FedEx of diverting its packages to the US, despite the fact they were travelling between Asian addresses. The company said that FedEx diverted two parcels sent from Japan and addressed to its offices in China, instead sending them to the US, and attempted to divert two more packages sent from Vietnam to offices elsewhere in Asia.   Huawei provided images of FedEx tracking records to Reuters, but the news agency said it has not yet verified their authenticity. Huawei said one package originating in Vietnam was received by Friday, and the other was on its way. FedEx said the packages were “misrouted in error” Credit: AP The four packages did not contain any technology, but important commercial documents, according to Huawei. Joe Kelly, a spokesman for the technology giant, said: “The recent experiences where important commercial documents sent via FedEx were not delivered to their destination, and instead were either diverted to, or were requested to be diverted to, FedEx in the United States, undermines our confidence”. “We will now have to review our logistics and document delivery support requirements as a direct result of these incidents,” he added.   Maury Donahue, a spokeswoman for FedEx, said that the packages were “misrouted in error” and insisted that it was not at the request of any other party. “This is an isolated issue limited to a very small number of packages,” said FedEx. “We are aware of all shipments at issue and are working directly with our customers to return the packages to their possession.” FedEx's China office on Tuesday issued an apology on its Chinese social media account for the “mishandling” of Huawei's packages and insisted there was no “external pressure” to divert them.

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Iran 'almost certainly' behind ship attacks off UAE: Bolton

US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Wednesday that Iran was almost certainly behind oil tanker attacks that sent Gulf tensions soaring -- an accusation Tehran dismissed as "laughable". The new war of words came on the eve of emergency Arab and Gulf summits called by Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia to discuss the standoff and ways to isolate Tehran. Speaker during a visit to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, Bolton said that additional US forces were sent to the Middle East as a "deterrent" and that Washington's response will be prudent.

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China's Latest Trade Threat Could Actually Turn Out To Be A Huge Opportunity For the US

Reports of Chinese threats to escalate its trade dispute with the Trump administration to include rare earth minerals has, once again, shined a spotlight on U.S. dependency for elements used in hundreds of hi-tech products and military equipment.“China is letting the U.S. know that it has leverage,” said Dan McGroarty, head of the American Resources Policy Network (ARPN), which advocates for mineral exploration.McGroarty said reported Chinese threats to play the “rare earths card” could galvanize support for legislation or further executive actions to ameliorate U.S. mineral dependence. “The irony, and that is an understatement, is that the U.S. has rare earth deposits capable of meeting national security needs, and ending the reliance on China,” McGroarty said. “With China saber-rattling on the rare earths, this could be the time for a strong U.S. response.”America’s rare earth mineral dependence is a long-standing issue. Starting in the 1990s, China began ramping up its rare earth production, dumping tons of low-priced minerals on the global market and driving U.S. miners out of business.Now, U.S. rare earth mineral production is virtually non-existent and China controls roughly 90 percent of global trade. The U.S. gets about 80% of its rare earth minerals from China.

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‘Large and Extremely Dangerous’: Kansas Tornado Leaves a Dozen Injured

Kyle Rivas/GettyA swift-moving tornado that tore through eastern Kansas late Tuesday has left at least a dozen people injured and more than 13,000 without power.Large amounts of debris, including toppled trees, live wires and leveled homes have left some parts of the city of Lawrence completely impassable, police said. Photos circulating on Twitter Tuesday night showed wrecked cars, soiled furniture, tattered clothes and wooden beams scattered across lawns and city streets.  As of midnight on Tuesday, there were no reported fatalities, though videos of close-calls with one twister believed to be a mile-wide flooded social media. For residents in many areas of eastern Kansas and western Missouri, the night was one of wailing sirens and debris “falling from the sky,” as the National Weather Service repeatedly warned. On Twitter, the agency frantically sought to keep up with multiple reports of tornadoes and ominously listed all the areas in the path of a “large and extremely dangerous tornado” that at one point was heading straight for Kansas City. In many areas, residents were told exactly how many minutes they’d have to take shelter. “If you live in LINWOOD, KS TAKE SHELTER NOW! The tornado will be there within the next 5 minutes!” the NWS tweeted. Linwood Mayor Brian Christenson later told CNN dozens of homes outside of Lawrence were “all gone.” Authorities were still working to survey the damage on Tuesday night, and Christenson said he’d seen entire roofs torn off homes in certain areas. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the reported injuries in Lawrence were caused by the twister. “We know some have gone to Lawrence Memorial Hospital and we do know that some have been taken to other area hospitals,” Sgt. Kristen Channel told The Kansas City Star, noting that they could not say the exact number or how severe they were. Lawrence Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Janice Early also told The Star that the medical center had received 12 patients with tornado-related injuries. The number of tornado warnings rocketed in the last 24 hours, including in the Dayton, Ohio area where a deadly twister killed one man. The Lawrence storm is also one of more than a dozen reports of tornadoes Tuesday evening in what could be a record-breaking streak. More than 500 reports of tornadoes were received by the National Weather Service in the last 30 days, according to The Weather Channel, making it the longest, most active period for tornadoes in the U.S. in eight years. The service also reportedly ordered local TV stations in Kansas City to use “the strongest language you can” to warn residents of the incoming tornado late Tuesday.The East Coast was also pummeled by storms late Tuesday, with the NWS confirming a twister in eastern Pennsylvania and issuing a tornado warning for northern New Jersey and parts of New York City. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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