Louisville

China, Iran foreign ministers meet amid Middle East tensions

BEIJING (AP) — Iran's foreign minister praised his country's relations with China during talks with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing amid heightened tensions and efforts by Tehran to keep its world markets open following the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

Trump Revs Up the Battle Over Immigration

“Democrats are proposing open-borders, lower wages, and frankly, lawless chaos. We are proposing an immigration plan that puts the jobs, wages, and safety of American workers first,” said President Donald Trump, Thursday afternoon in the White House rose garden. The administration’s newest proposal, a compromise agreement between Senior Advisor (and presidential son-in-law) Jared Kushner and Senior Advisor Stephen Miller.“I think that Kushner and his team did a very good job at bringing together many key areas of President Trump’s immigration proposals from the campaign as well as concerns from the special interest groups and various Senators. The timing is a little strange given the crisis at the border, but he’s been working on this for months,” said Ryan Girdusky, a correspondent for One America News.

Nearly 180 former Ohio State University students claim sexual abuse by doctor

Dr. Richard Strauss was accused of abusing at least 177 male students when he worked as a physician for the university's athletic department and the student health center from 1978 to 1998, the report said, detailing the findings of a year-long independent investigation. Staff members knew of the abuse as early as 1979, but complaints were never elevated to administrators and senior officials of the athletics or student health departments until 1996. At that time, the school suspended and ultimately removed Strauss after a "very limited investigation" into a student's claim that the doctor fondled him during an exam, the report said.

Former House Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's impact on the 2020 race

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez takes veiled swipe at former Vice President Joe Biden over climate change.

How Architect I.M. Pei Achieved Greatness By Forever Testing and Challenging Himself

Famed architect I.M. Pei designed some of the greatest buildings across the globe in his more than half century career.

Vineyard Vines arrives at Target on Saturday. How to shop the limited-edition collaboration

Set your alarm clock if you're interested in shopping Target's latest designer collaboration, Vineyard Vines. The new collection goes on sale May 18.

Boeing acknowledges flaw in 737 MAX simulator software

Boeing acknowledged Saturday it had to correct flaws in its 737 MAX flight simulator software used to train pilots, after two deadly crashes involving the aircraft that killed 346 people. "Boeing has made corrections to the 737 MAX simulator software and has provided additional information to device operators to ensure that the simulator experience is representative across different flight conditions," it said in a statement. Its statement marked the first time Boeing acknowledged there was a design flaw in software linked to the 737 MAX, whose MCAS anti-stall software has been blamed in large part for the Ethiopian Airlines tragedy.

NYC's Bill De Blasio Trades Criticism at Home for Curiosity in Iowa

(Bloomberg) -- New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stepped away from the criticism in his hometown to engage curiosity in Iowa, making his first stop as a presidential candidate in the middle of farm country to demonstrate his interest in agricultural issues and take shots at President Donald Trump.

Here Is Russia's Plan to Build a Fleet of Su-57 Stealth Fighters

The Su-57 is coming—76 of them over the next decade, to be exact.Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at a Kremlin meeting that the Russian Defense Ministry plans to procure 76 Su-57 fifth-generation fighters by 2028, himself acknowledging that these new quantities dwarf previous Russian defense ministry estimates: "The 2028 arms program stipulated the purchase of 16 such jets… In the nearest future we will sign a package contract to supply 76 such jets equipped with modern weapons of destruction and provided with the necessary land infrastructure."The announcement defies the western defense analysis consensus, which concluded that the Su-57 will not enter production until the late 2020’s. Even then, it was alleged that Russia lacks the industrial output to churn out Su-57 fighters in militarily meaningful numbers.If the Kremlin’s new forecast proves to be accurate, what accounts for this drastic output increase?

White House 2020 hopefuls turn to foreign policy, slam Trump on Iran

The relationship between Washington and Tehran has become increasingly strained in recent weeks, raising concerns about a potential U.S.-Iran conflict. Trump and hawkish foreign policy advisers like national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo want Tehran to give up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Trump has tightened economic sanctions against Iran, aimed at forcing its leaders into negotiations.

A camera phone that puts Samsung and Apple to shame now has 5G, too – but it’s banned in the US

Verizon just launched the Galaxy S10 5G, but Samsung is hardly the only company putting out 5G smartphones this year. International carriers have also started rolling out 5G networks and compatible smartphones, and UK carriers are the latest ones to prepare for their 5G launches. However, one of the first phones to deliver 5G experiences in Britain is a device that you'll have a hard time scoring in the States, even if you just want the older 4G version. That's because it's made by Huawei, the Chinese company the US government has just targeted with additional punitive measures.When it launched the Mate 20 series last fall, Huawei came out with a few features that were not available on any other Android handsets at the time. The Mate 20 Pro was the flagship version of the three Mate 20 phones, and Huawei also launched a regular Mate 20 as well as a Mate 20 X model geared toward gaming. The latter has just received 5G support, and it's available in the UK for £999 unlocked. That's £200 more than the 4G model.Huawei unveiled the 5G version of the Mate 20 X in London on Friday, reports 9to5Google, and it's exactly what you expect -- a 5G version of the device that Huawei launched as a gaming phone last year.The phone packs the same huge 7.2-inch FullView display, Kirin 980 chip, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and class-leading triple-lens main camera as the 4G version. But the phone has a smaller battery (4,200 mAh vs. 5,000 mAh) and lacks the 3.5mm headphone jack the 4G version has. You still get fast 40W battery charging on the 5G model, though. That's probably because of all the extra internal space occupied by the 5G components, including a Balong 5000 5G chip and the 5G antennas.The Mate 20 X 5G is obviously still a flagship device by all accounts and will work on all local carriers in Britain, including EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone. The Mate 20 X 5G is the first Huawei 5G phone to launch this year, but it should be followed somewhat closely by the foldable Mate X the company unveiled earlier this year.

Death row inmate dies 1 day after fellow inmate's execution

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee death row inmate died in prison on Friday, less than three months before his scheduled execution and less than a day after a fellow inmate was executed .

Thousands expected to protest Alabama abortion law

Thousands of demonstrators prepared to take to the streets around the southern US state of Alabama on Sunday to rally against one of the nation's most restrictive bans on abortions in decades. Women's reproductive rights defenders will gather in the capital, Montgomery, and in Birmingham, Anniston and Huntsville, to denounce the "Alabama Human Life Protection Act," or HB314, which virtually outlaws terminations. Alabama passed a law last week that prohibits all abortions -- even in cases of incest and rape -- unless there is a risk of death for the mother.

OPEC+ Has More Work to Do Because Inventories Are Rising, Minister Says

“The job is not complete,” Al Mazrouei told reporters in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. Saudi Arabia, Russia and other oil producers in a global coalition are meeting in Jeddah this weekend to consider whether they’ll need to continue keeping supplies restrained during the second half of the year.

Glock 31 Gun: All You Need To Know About this Powerful Pistol

In the early 1990s, a handful of calibers emerged to challenge the nine-millimeter as the dominant semi-automatic handgun round. One of these, the .357 Sig, is the caliber of choice for the Glock 31 pistol. The Glock 31 is the company’s offering for those into high velocity or long distance handgun shooting. The G31 also comes with a large magazine capacity, making it an excellent self-defense or duty sidearm.The now infamous 1986 FBI Miami shootout was a watershed moment in the history of law enforcement. Eight FBI agents armed with pistols and shotguns engaged two bank robbers armed with superior weapons. Over the course of the gun battle, which saw the federal agents pinned down by suppressive fire from a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle, two agents were killed and another five wounded. The two bank robbers were hit multiple times by incoming fire but were both able to continue shooting, contributing to the very high law enforcement casualty rate.In the aftermath of the shootout, the FBI and other government agencies began the search for a new, more powerful handgun round. Nine-millimeter and .38 Special proved ineffective at stopping the robbers, while .357 Magnum was a revolver cartridge that limited the user’s carrying capacity to six rounds at a time. Law enforcement wanted a powerful round that could be carried in large quantities.

Democrat 2020 hopefuls eye coveted Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsement

She is the great young hope of America’s Left-wing, an articulate and impassioned progressive whose policies have gained traction and Twitter feed is followed by four million.  Now Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 29-year-old first-time congressman from New York, is seeing her newfound political clout manifest in a new way – a race for her endorsement.  With two dozen Democrats seeking their party’s presidential nomination, the support of Ms Ocasio-Cortez is being seen as a way to win over the young, energised voters who will help shape the race.  Chief among the contenders are Bernie Sanders, the independent 77-year-old senator from Vermont, and Elizabeth Warren, the former academic now representing Massachusetts in the Senate.  Both have made tacit acknowledgement of Ms Ocasio-Cortez’s influence in public in recent weeks – whether for policy reasons, or for political gain, or both.  Earlier this month, Mr Sanders appeared alongside Ms Ocasio-Cortez at an office table where they discussed the importance of reducing credit card interest rates.  At the end of the 25-minute video, shared on social media and viewed by more than half a million people, the pair patted each other on the back warmly and smiled.  Last month, Mr Warren wrote a 180-word ode to Ms Ocasio-Cortez for Time Magazine when the latter was named in its top 100 most influential people.  “A year ago, she was taking orders across a bar. Today, millions are taking cues from her,” Ms Warren wrote of the congresswoman’s remarkable political rise. “And she’s just getting started.” Those two are not the only Democratic hopefuls vying for an endorsement, it appears. Politico reported that both senator Kirsten Gillibrand and former housing and urban development secretary Julian Castro have made “overtures”.  There is no reason a person should pay more than 15% interest in the United States. It’s common sense - in fact, we had these Usury laws until the 70s. It’s a debt trap for working people + it has to end.https://t.co/sO0p5NF7WR— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) May 9, 2019 The enthusiasm is understandable. The Democratic Party’s progressive base appears fired up for change and many candidates hoping to win the right to take on Donald Trump are leaning its way.  Government-funded health care for all, a $15 minimum wage and bold action on climate change have been widely adopted by the field ahead of the first debate in June and the first primary vote next February.  Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who last year shocked the political establishment by ousting a 10-term Democrat in her own party to take his seat, has become the progressive movement’s most recognisable star.  That was underscored this week as Joe Biden, the former US vice president who is polling top and running on a centrist ticket, was forced to defend his climate change stance after Ms Ocasio-Cortez dismissed it as “middle of the road".  Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic senator for Massachusetts, has developed a reputation for standing up to Wall Street Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall Mr Sanders is best placed to win the endorsement race. Ms Ocasio-Cortez worked on his 2016 presidential campaign, identifies like him as a democratic socialist and shares many of the same policy beliefs.  Ms Warren has also laid out a left-wing platform taking on Wall Street and redistributing wealth but makes clear she remains a believer in capitalism.  Asked recently about an endorsement by a CNN reporter, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said: “What I would like to see in a presidential candidate is one that has a coherent worldview and logic from which all these policy proposals are coming forward. "I think senator Sanders has that. I also think senator Warren has that.” And, the questioner followed up, would she consider endorsing Mr Biden? Ms Ocasio-Cortez turned and walked away without a definitive answer.

Wynn and MGM in talks about sale of Encore Boston casino

Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International said in a joint statement they've engaged in conversations about the potential sale of Encore Boston Harbor. This comes as Wynn is about to open the $2.6 billion Everett, Massachusetts, casino. The companies say the talks won't delay the Everett opening scheduled for next month.

Best Tech Deals in May 2019

Amazon Deals | Walmart Deals | Apple Deals | TV Deals | Gaming Deals | Laptop DealsMemorial Day sales are on the horizon which is great news if you're bargain hunting for the latest gadgets. Big retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are already discounting everything from smart home devices to game consoles. And with the imminent arrival of Amazon Prime Day 2019, soon we'll be gathering the best Amazon Prime Day deals. In the meantime, here are some of the best tech deals we're seeing right now. Looking for a kid-friendly tablet or two for your upcoming family vacation? When you preorder the All-New Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet  for $99.99, you'll get a free pair of Toy Story Headphones (a $22 value).  Even better, you can preorder All-New Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet (2-Pack) for $149.95. Priced at $99.99 apiece, this bundle saves you $50 off the price of buying them separately. The new Fire 7 Kids Edition tablet sports a case that twice as rugged as the previous model. What's more, it features a built-in kickstand.  If you're shopping for an affordable GPS running watch, Amazon has the Garmin Forerunner 35 on sale for $119.99 ($50 off). With built-in GPS and 24/7 heart rate monitoring, this watch helps you track and meet your daily health and fitness goals. Other noteworthy deals include: Amazon Hardware DealsAmazon is currently offering many of its proprietary devices at discounted pricing. * All-New Fire 7 Tablet w/ $10 Appstore Credit for $49.99 ($10 off) [NEW] * All-New Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet w/ Toy Story Headphones  for $99.99 ($22 off, preorder) [NEW] * All-New Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet (2-Pack) for $149.95 ($50 off, preorder) [NEW * Echo Connect for $24.49 ($11 off) * Fire TV Stick for $24.99 ($15 off, Prime Members Only)  * Fire TV Stick 4K for $34.99 ($15 off, Prime Members Only)  * Echo Input for $19.99 ($15 off)  * Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker (3-Pack) for $70 ($80 off) * Echo Spot Smart Alarm Clock (2-Pack) for $219.98 ($40 off)  * Echo Dot Kids Edition + Fire HD 8 Kids Edition for $149.98 ($50 off) * Echo Dot Kids Edition + Fire 7 Kids Edition for $129.98 ($40 off) * Ring Video Doorbell 2 w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($49 off) * Ring Spotlight Wireless Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($49 off)  * Ring Spotlight Wired Cam Wired w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($50 off) * Ring Stick-Up Wireless Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $179.99 ($50 off)  * Ring Stick-Up Wired Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $179.99 ($50 off)  * Ring Floodlight Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $249 ($50 off)  * Ring Smart Lighting Spotlights (2-pack) for $99.99 ($30 off)  Top Tech Deals Right Now * Kenmore Smart Air Conditioner (12,000 BTUs) for $409.99 ($80 off) [NEW] * Honeywell Portable Air Conditioner (10,000 BTUs) for $349 ($101 off) [NEW] * Apple Smart Battery Case for $102 ($27 off)  * Amazon Echo Show w/ Echo Dot and Smart Bulb Bundle for $229.99 ($65 off) * Lenovo Flex 14 2-in-1 Laptop for $579.99 ($70 off) * Apple AirPods 2nd Gen (Back-order) for $139.99 ($19 off) * Apple iPad 9.7-inch 128GB for $329 ($100 off) * Apple iPad Air 2019 (Wi-Fi, 64GB) for $479 ($20 off)  * Apple 9.7-inch iPad for $249 ($81 off) * Microsoft Surface Go for $399 ($100 off)  * Acer Aspire 3 Laptop for $400 ($99 off) TV Deals * LG 65-inch 4K UHD Smart TV for $599.99 ($600 off) [NEW] * Toshiba 55-inch 4K UHD Smart TV for $299.99 ($150 off) [NEW] * Vizio 55-inch P-Series 4K HDR Smart TV for $598 ($200 off)  * Vizio 65-inch M-Series 4K HDR Smart TV for $649.99 ($350 off)  * Sharp 65-inch 4K Smart TV for $449.99 ($250 off)  * Sony 70-Inch 4K UHD Smart TV for $1,098 ($500 off) * TCL 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart TV for $329.99 ($270 off)  * Samsung 49-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $797.99 ($202 off)  * Samsung 55-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $1,098 ($100 off)  Tech Under $50 * SansDisk 64GB Ultra USB Flash Drive for $9.99 ($5 off via coupon, "513SAZ12") * Spotify Premium Membership for $0.99 ($27 off, ends 6/30)  * Echo Connect for $24.49 ($11 off) * Echo Input for $19.99 ($15 off)  * Logitech M705 Marathon Wireless Mouse for $24.99 ($25 off)  * Redragon K552 LED Gaming Keyboard for $34.99 ($25 off)  * Anker 7-in-1 USB C Hub for $40 ($30 off)  Smartwatch Deals * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 42mm, Renewed) for $209 ($100 off)  * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 38mm) for $199 ($80 off)  * Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro w/ $125 GC for $199.99 ($125 off)  * Garmin Forerunner 935 for $409 ($91 off) * Garmin Fenix 5S Plus for $599.99 ($200 off) also at Best Buy  * Garmin Fenix 5X Plus for $649.99 ($150 off) also at Best Buy  * Garmin Fenix 5 for $349.99 ($150 off) also at Best Buy Phones * Google Pixel 3 64GB (Clearly White) for $679.99 ($119 off)  * Google Pixel 3 XL 64GB for $699 ($200 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 64GB Unlocked (Just Black) for $720 ($179 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 128GB Unlocked for $779 ($221 off)  * Apple iPhone SE Unlocked for $249 ($100 off) * Samsung Galaxy S9 Unlocked 64GB for $478.99 ($121 off)  * Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Unlocked 128GB for $689 ($311 off)  Cameras * Arlo Smart Wi-fi Baby Monitor Camera for $131 ($69 off) [PRICE DROP] * Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Camera for $498 ($150 off)  * Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera w /15-45mm Lens for $599 ($300 off)  * Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera w/ 18-55mm VR Lens for $396.95 ($103 off)  * Canon PowerShot SX530 Digital Camera for $229 ($150 off) Games and Consoles * Spyro Crash Remastered Bundle for PS4 for $34.99 ($25 off) [NEW] * MS Xbox One X 1TB Console for $367.95 ($131 off) [NEW] * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch for $50 ($10 off) * MS Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Creators Bundle for $214 ($86 off)  * Mortal Kombat 11 for Xbox One or (Switch) for $50 ($10 off) * Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4 for $35 ($25 off) also at Amazon  * Call of Duty: Black Ops for PS4 for $29.99 ($25 off)  * WWE 2K19 Deluxe Edition for $39.99 ($50 off)  * Kingdom Hearts 3 for PS4 for $29.99 ($30 off)  * Kingdom Heart 3 for Xbox One for $29.99 ($30 off)  * Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS4 for $34.99 ($25 off)

Comey tears into Bar for 'slimming his own department'

Reaction to Comey's remarks from former independent counsel Sol Wisenberg and national security attorney Bradley Moss.

Austrian president calls for September poll in wake of scandal

Austria's president on Sunday called for fresh elections in September after a corruption scandal embroiling the far-right brought down the coalition government in spectacular fashion. Just days before key EU elections, Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache was forced to resign in disgrace Saturday following explosive revelations from a hidden camera sting. Conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz -- whose 18-month coalition with Strache's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) had been held up as a European model -- reacted by pulling the plug on their union.

Let Me Tell You About the Worst Submarine of All Time

For the Worst Submarine of All Time, I go further and nominate an entire silent service: the undersea arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).There are many candidates for this dubious honor. After all, submarining has been around for well over a century now. Many ships render honorable but unexceptional service. Standouts emerge, generally in times of strife, as do “floating coffins” and plain old hard-luck ships.And there are some that subtract value from the nation’s effort to reach its strategic and political aims. This is the unpardonable sin.The idea of ships that could submerge has been around since antiquity. Combat submersibles date to the Turtle, a hand-propelled contraption built to smite Royal Navy ships from beneath during the War of American Independence. But subs really became a going concern during the fin de siècle age, when propulsion technologies such as batteries, electric motors, and internal-combustion engines came to maturity around the same time.Combining these technologies yielded the diesel-electric propulsion plant, a hybrid affair that enabled subs to run silent, run deep on quiet electric motors when submerged and run on diesels and recharge batteries while cruising the surface. At the direction of First Sea Lord Jacky Fisher, the Royal Navy ordered five rudimentary boats designed by John Phillip Holland in 1900, and the age of modern undersea warfare was on.

Voters in Switzerland approve stronger gun control laws by nearly two-thirds despite resistance

Switzerland's public broadcaster said more than 63% of voters nationwide agreed to align with European Union firearms rules adopted two years ago.

The V-8 Engine Has No Future at Genesis

The next-generation G80 sedan will go no higher than a V-6, and the G90's Tau V-8 will eventually be phased out.

Target is selling a giant unicorn float that will hold up to 6 people

Ever wanted to lay out on the water at the beach in a giant unicorn float withfive of your friends? Sure you have! And this summer, it's happening

'Heartbeat bills' reveal extremist anti-abortion view that values unborn over women

The anti-abortion movement pays lip service to caring for women, but there is only one thing they care about: the unborn. I care about all lives.

AT&T says it was perfectly legal to sell user location data, but stopped anyway

AT&T came under fire in the last year or so -- as did rival carriers Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile -- when press reports surfaced about the practice of carriers selling location data about its users. The Federal Communications Commission opened an investigation, and the carriers promised to drop the practice.Meanwhile, a new letter made public from AT&T actually defends the behavior it got called to the carpet on, saying the company stayed within legal bounds -- but that, fine, we went ahead and stopped the practice anyway.In the letter to FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, AT&T defends the practice of making customer location data available to aggregators in some scenarios that it says are perfectly legitimate. "There can be real, and potentially life-saving, benefits," the carrier writes, "when a towing company receives the location of a stranded motorist who does not know the nearest mile marker; or a son or daughter uses a medical alert device to locate an injured elderly parent; or a bank uses location information to thwart fraud and identify theft."Highlighting those emergency use cases is actually an important point. AT&T explains in the letter that it hasn't violated federal law because the data it's made available to third parties unbeknownst to the user is data that's known as A-GPS. That's a kind of data gathered for use in emergency situations as well as when GPS is needed, like when your Uber ride is trying to find you by your phone signal. That's different from a kind of data the FCC doesn't allow to be sold and data that's housed in what's known as the NEAD (which stands for National Emergency Address Database), which AT&T says is much more specific that A-GPS is.Thus, the AT&T letter continues, media reports "regarding the legal requirements associated with A-GPS,' are inaccurate and misplaced." The company also stresses that it ended the practice of selling user location data to aggregators and other third parties in March.A piece from The Verge on Friday, however, notes that while AT&T may be "technically correct" by saying it hasn't violated FCC rules, the sale of location data may still constitute a violation of Section 222 of the Communications Act of 1934.

U.S. Treasury's Mnuchin defies House subpoena for Trump's tax returns

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday that he would not meet a congressional demand for six years of President Donald Trump's tax returns, all but guaranteeing a federal court battle with Congress over the records. "We are unable to provide the requested information," Mnuchin said in a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, who subpoenaed Trump's individual and business returns a week ago and set a 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) Friday deadline for their delivery. ...

Attorney General Barr not satisfied with early answers he's getting on allegations of Trump campaign spying

New revelations from Attorney General William Barr about the investigation into how the Russia probe started; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'

Once again, Iraq caught up in tensions between US and Iran

BAGHDAD (AP) — When U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sat down with Iraqi officials in Baghdad last week as tensions mounted between America and Iran, he delivered a nuanced message: If you're not going to stand with us, stand aside.

Brexit compromise talks collapse after six weeks

Britain's Labour opposition pulled the plug Friday on six weeks of Brexit compromise talks with Prime Minister Theresa May, blaming her evaporating authority as her premiership nears its death throes. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said the gaps between them could not be bridged -- and he had no confidence that her successor would stick to any bargain they might have reached. The discussions have "gone as far as they can," Corbyn said in a letter to May.

U.S.-China Feud Widens, Europe Populists Buoyant

U.S.-China relations hit a new low this week after President Donald Trump’s administration slapped new tariffs on imports from China and targeted its biggest technology company, Huawei Technologies. Elsewhere, residents in the Iranian capital, Tehran, worry more about feeding their families than the rumors of war with the U.S., and populists hoped to score unprecedented gains in next week's elections to the European Parliament.Read about those topics and more in this edition of Weekend Reads, and click here for some of Bloomberg’s most compelling political images from the past seven days. China Vows ‘People’s War’ as Trade Fight Takes Nationalist TurnAs China’s state media ratchets up the rhetoric in the deepening trade dispute with the U.S., Peter Coy reports on how Trump’s tariffs on China will place a heavier burden on America’s poor and working class.

BMW X1 Recalled Because It Doesn’t Meet Federal Safety Standards

BMW is recalling 106,182 of its 2016 to 2019 X1 SUVs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the event of a crash where an occupant’s head contacts the B-pillar, the ...

JetBlue switching to Pepsi from Coca-Cola

JetBlue customers, be prepared for a major shake-up when you order a soda on your next flight.

Michael Bennet Understands Exactly What's Gone Wrong in America

Zach Gibson/GettyAs frightening as this historical moment is in so many ways, it’s hopeful in one respect. We may finally be at a point when a majority of people are ready to ditch supply-side economics. The economy is doing very well right now, so it seems in one sense a counterintuitive argument. But Americans are increasingly recognizing that even this good economy is mostly good for the top 10 percent, especially the top 1 and .1 percent; and that if you live in one of these 50 counties or hundreds of others like them where the unemployment rates are more than twice the national average and the poverty rates are above 25 percent, the economy doesn’t feel that great at all.There’s a story for the Democrats to tell here. A story of a country where prosperity was once broadly shared, because politicians of both parties in those days agreed that investments in ourselves and our future were good, and that there was an inextricable link between democracy and broadly shared prosperity. I wrote about this link recently in the Times, and they tell me it did gangbusters traffic, not because it was Shakespeare but because it’s a subject people care about devoutly and want to hear public figures address.Enter Colorado Senator Michael Bennet. One morning a while back I’d dropped the kid off at school and I tuned in to Morning Joe. I heard a voice saying: “Trump is not the cause of our problems. The cause of our problems is 40 years of economic immobility for 90 percent of the American people. Stagnant wages over that period of time. Periods when we had economic growth, but for most Americans, those were periods of recession. We have to fix that. It’s going to take us a generation to do it.”Oh my God. Naturally I thought this person was brilliant, because he was talking exactly the way I write. As the segment ended I heard them say thank you, senator, but they didn’t say a name. I emailed a guy I know who works on the show and asked. Yep, he wrote, that was Michael Bennet.Shortly thereafter, Bennet, a former schools superintendent, got a prostate cancer diagnosis. Today he declares himself “miraculously cured,” and makes sure to tell a visitor that the cost of his cure was $55,000, of which he had to pay only $1,800. “It made me realize just how insane it would be to get the same diagnosis without insurance,” he said. “Or not to get the diagnosis at all because you didn’t have a primary care doctor because you didn’t have insurance.”Now, Bennet—the brother as it happens of New York Times editorial page editor James Bennet, the only one-t Bennets I’ve ever heard of—is running for president. Is he likely to win? No. Woke lefties write him off as too moderate, because he is not for Medicare for All and because he says things about how he still thinks it’s possible to find reasonable Republicans in the Senate to work with. But however you feel about his proposals, whether you’re center or left, you must listen to his analysis of the problem, because he is exactly correct, and he’s saying it better and more clearly than anyone else running.So I sat down with him last week in his Capitol building hideaway office (complete with foosball table!) between votes. Unlike most pols, who stay focused on the moment, his perspective is relentlessly historical. “Maybe,” he mused, “we’re finally at the end of the Reagan era. Maybe there are things we can do together as a country to improve the economic condition of all of us.”This is why he’s running, he tells me—to say these things: “I didn’t think this was getting the articulation it deserves among the people who were running… I thought it was important to give voice to this and see what would happen.”To that end, most of our interview was him showing me a PowerPoint presentation—“this’ll be the first time I’ve walked anybody through his,” he says—that he and his staff assembled to tell the story of the inequality and stagnation of the last 40 years for the vast majority of the population. Slide 1, Wages for most Americans have been flat for decades; Slide 2, The rich are getting richer; Slide 4, The building blocks of the middle class are out of reach; Slide 12, America is no longer leading the world in investment. He goes into much deeper detail in an upcoming book, The Land of Flickering Lights: Restoring America in an Age of Broken Politics. It’s a campaign book, yes, but it’s a smart and substantive one. As much as this sort of thing excites me, I’m unfortunately not confident it’s going to get the hearing it deserves. He’s not bombastic. He’s no moralist. He did say one thing in particular during our chat that really caught my ear and may catch others’: “Since 2001, we’ve spent $5 trillion on tax cuts, almost all of which has gone to the richest people in the country, and we’ve spent $5.6 trillion on wars in the Middle East. So that’s $11 or $12 trillion we haven’t spent addressing any of the issues we could have addressed.” If his rhetoric were a pop song, that’s the line that strikes me as the hook. That, plus the fact that he says he wants to take on Big Pharma, which I think is a great issue.So we’ll see what happens. The one thing he said that I really disagreed with and challenged him on was that if he were president and the Democrats took control of the Senate, he would not ditch the filibuster. I said: So you’d pass nothing. He has no illusions about Mitch McConnell (“ruthless,” “immune to give-and-take unless he’s taking everything”), but he still thinks a few Republicans could be pressured or persuaded to vote with him. OK, good luck with that.But that’s hypothetical. What’s real is his analysis of the recent economic history of this country. As they said in a movie that came out back when the supply-side era started, nobody does it better.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.

Grumpy Cat, whose scowl launched a million memes, dies age 7

Despite care from top professionals, Grumpy died on Tuesday from complications after a recent urinary tract infection, the family said on Twitter. Grumpy, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, became an internet sensation after her owner Tabatha Bundesen posted a picture of her scowl six years ago. "Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world - even when times were tough," the family said.

Cold Brew’s Insidious Hegemony

Soon, many parts of the United States will be unbearably hot. Texans and Arizonans will be able to bake cookies on their car dashboards; the garbage on the streets of New York will be especially pungent; Washington will not only figuratively be a swamp. And all across America, coffee consumers will turn their backs on traditional coffee in favor of a more “refreshing” vehicle for caffeine: cold brew.As conservatives, we are inherently skeptical of any change of language norms that seeks to warp the objective meaning of words, and so we defend terms such as “man and woman,” “traditional marriage,” and now, we must defend “coffee.” “Coffee” is defined as a hot beverage made by steeping coffee in boiling water. Cold brew is made by soaking beans overnight, and the drink relies on time instead of heat to extract the flavor. The major disqualifying factor is that it's cold.Starbucks’s imperial command over coffee is greatly responsible for this Orwellian redefinition. Its ubiquitous mermaid logo may read “Starbucks Coffee,” but the corporate café caliphate makes most of its profit from drinks sugary enough to induce a diabetic coma in a small mammal. Even more sinister is that Starbucks expanded into Milan in 2018, irreverently flexing its muscle at coffee purists who turn up their noses while its ostentatious drinks conquer the international beverage forum, marginalizing and undermining traditional coffee.Smaller coffee shops have followed in Starbucks’s footsteps. Today, “Let’s go out for coffee!” seems like an innocent request from a coworker or friend, and it should suggest that the order will include a cup of boiled water that was brewed with coffee beans — whether it’s a single shot of espresso or a cup of café americano, made with a French press or Moka Express. But too often, they mean something else. In the summer, they mean cold brew.One New York City coffee-store owner told the New York Times in 2017 that in the summer, 65 percent of the “coffee” he sells is iced — every other part of the year, 75 percent of the “coffee” sold is hot. Iced coffee itself is a cousin of cold brew, but with nearly all of hot coffee's features except the most significant one: heat. It's brewed the same way, and then cooled. But demand for cold brew specifically is increasing, unsurprisingly, among my generation: Millennials. A habit of subversive behavior among Millennials has driven us to attack all of our civilization’s most sacred institutions, including coffee — the backbone of American productivity.As cold brew’s popularity metastasizes, usurping coffee for several months of the year, will we forget our proud national heritage? Cold brew requires patience and planning: One must make a prediction of business the next day in order to estimate how much to make the night before. This is a clear break from our proud tradition of urgency. While the harvesting and roasting of good coffee beans surely requires patience, has prepared coffee ever been associated with anything other than the quick satiation of a morning addiction, or the rush to meet a deadline? Like bread, coffee is a staple for good reason: One needs only five minutes, a heat source, a filtration method, and the beans. It’s dependable and democratic.Coffee has even provoked constitutional debate. Would we have considered tort reform within the framework of the Seventh Amendment had it not been for 1994’s infamous hot-coffee lawsuit, Liebeck v. McDonald’s?To those who will, during the summer months, abandon the beverage that gives many of us our will to live in the mornings, I ask just one concession to coffee purists: Drink your cold brew, but please, don’t call it “coffee.”

Australian PM heads to church, football after 'miracle' election win

Morrison's Liberal-led conservative coalition has won or is leading in 76 seats, the number needed to form a majority government, according to the Australian Electoral Commission. A jubilant Morrison hugged community members after an early Sunday service at the Horizon Church in Sydney's southern suburbs, from where he was first elected to parliament in 2007. The result drew comparisons with Republican Donald Trump's victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

US: Iran military could misidentify airliners amid tension

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Commercial airliners flying over the Persian Gulf risk being targeted by "miscalculation or misidentification" from the Iranian military amid heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic and the U.S., American diplomats warned Saturday, even as both Washington and Tehran say they don't seek war.

Turkey says to produce S-500s with Russia after S-400 missile deal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said Turkey and Russia would jointly produce S-500 defence systems after Ankara's controversial purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Moscow. Turkey's push to buy the S-400s has further strained already tense relations with the United States which has repeatedly warned Ankara of the risks including sanctions as a result of the purchase. "There is absolutely no question of (Turkey) taking a step back from the S-400s purchase.

Huawei will not bow to US pressure: founder

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is ready to deal with Washington's crackdown and will reduce its reliance on US components, its founder told Japanese media. President Donald Trump effectively barred Huawei from the US market on Wednesday and added it to a list which would restrict US sales to the firm amid an escalating trade war with Beijing. "We have already been preparing for this," Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei told a group of Japanese journalists Saturday in his first interview since Trump's move.

Genesis Intends to Build the Essentia Concept as an EV, and It May Be Powered by Hydrogen

The premium brand doesn't want the concept from last year's show circuit to fade away.