BREAKING NEWS
Families of service members killed during Afghanistan withdrawal criticize Biden at GOP convention
Read full article: Families of service members killed during Afghanistan withdrawal criticize Biden at GOP conventionRelatives of some of the 13 American service members killed during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention.
A house with best views of British Open is up for sale. It's in the middle of the Royal Troon course
Read full article: A house with best views of British Open is up for sale. It's in the middle of the Royal Troon courseRoyal Troon has some unique aspects but maybe most curious is the private house that sits in the middle of the championship course and has views of five holes for the British Open starting Thursday.
Northern Ireland prosecutor says UK soldiers involved in Bloody Sunday won't face perjury charges
Read full article: Northern Ireland prosecutor says UK soldiers involved in Bloody Sunday won't face perjury chargesProsecutors say 15 former British soldiers won’t face charges for perjury at an inquiry into Bloody Sunday, one of the deadliest days of the decades-long Northern Ireland conflict.
Always wanted a lighthouse? US is giving some away, selling others at auction
Read full article: Always wanted a lighthouse? US is giving some away, selling others at auctionTen lighthouses that for generations have stood like sentinels along America’s shorelines protecting mariners from peril and guiding them to safety are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government.
Trial highlights: 'We were invited' and a quick defense
Read full article: Trial highlights: 'We were invited' and a quick defenseThey bolstered their case with accounts from the rioters themselves, some of whom said they were acting on Trump's orders. The former president's defense team insists Trump's speech near the White House was protected under the First Amendment. And they argue he shouldn't be on trial in the Senate because he is no longer in office — an argument Democrats reject. To underscore their point, Democrats showed videos using rioters own words. Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said he expects the defense will wrap up in less than a day.
Trump to skip Biden swearing-in — Biden's fine with that
Read full article: Trump to skip Biden swearing-in — Biden's fine with thatBiden said he was just fine with that, calling it “one of the few things we have ever agreed on." “Donald Trump doesn’t want to be in Washington as the second-fiddle loser standing on stage with Joe Biden,” he said. “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump said in a tweet. White House counsel Pat Cipollone has repeatedly warned Trump that he could be deemed responsible for inciting Wednesday’s violence. On Capitol Hill, Democrats laid plans to impeach Trump a second time, with articles of impeachment expected to be introduced on Monday.
Trump finally faces reality — amid talk of early ouster
Read full article: Trump finally faces reality — amid talk of early ousterWASHINGTON – With 13 days left in his term, President Donald Trump finally bent to reality Thursday amid growing talk of trying to force him out early, acknowledging he’ll peacefully leave after Congress affirmed his defeat. Trump led off a video from the White House by condemning the violence carried out in his name a day earlier at the Capitol. Deprived of that social media lifeblood, Trump remained silent and ensconced in the executive mansion until Thursday evening. Staff-level discussions on the matter took place across multiple departments and even in parts of the White House, according to two people briefed on the talks. Few aides had any sense of the president’s plans, with some wondering if Trump would largely remain out of sight until he left the White House.
Dictionary companies choose same word of the year: pandemic
Read full article: Dictionary companies choose same word of the year: pandemicIn this Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, photo taken through a camera lens the word "pandemic" in seen in a dictionary in Washington. Dictionary.com declared pandemic its 2020 word of the year. For the first time, two dictionary companies on Monday — Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com — declared the same word as their tops: pandemic. “Often the big news story has a technical word that’s associated with it and in this case, the word pandemic is not just technical but has become general. The word pandemic dates to the mid-1600s, used broadly for “universal” and more specifically to disease in a medical text in the 1660s, he said.
‘Pandemic’ picked as 2020 word of the year by Dictionary.com
Read full article: ‘Pandemic’ picked as 2020 word of the year by Dictionary.comOver time, we were pandemic baking and pandemic dating and rescuing pandemic puppies from shelters. All of which led Dictionary.com on Monday to declare “pandemic” its 2020 word of the year. For about half the year, it was in the top 10% of all our lookups.”Another dictionary, Merriam-Webster, also selected pandemic as its word of the year earlier Monday. Kelly said pandemic beat out routine lookups usually intended to sort more mundane matters, such as the differences between “to, two and too.”“That's significant,” Kelly emphasized. The pandemic as an event created a new language for a new normal.”Lexicographers often factor out routine lookups when evaluating word trends.
Dictionary.com picks 'pandemic' as its 2020 word of the year
Read full article: Dictionary.com picks 'pandemic' as its 2020 word of the yearOver time, we were pandemic baking and pandemic dating and rescuing pandemic puppies from shelters. All of which led Dictionary.com on Monday to declare “pandemic” its 2020 word of the year. For about half the year, it was in the top 10% of all our lookups.”Another dictionary, Merriam-Webster, also selected pandemic as its word of the year earlier Monday. Kelly said pandemic beat out routine lookups usually intended to sort more mundane matters, such as the differences between “to, two and too.”“That's significant,” Kelly emphasized. The pandemic as an event created a new language for a new normal.”Lexicographers often factor out routine lookups when evaluating word trends.
Report: US knew of problems family separation would cause
Read full article: Report: US knew of problems family separation would causeDocuments in the report suggest Health and Human Services officials weren't told by the Department of Homeland Security why shelters were receiving more children taken from their parents in late 2017. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee released the report Thursday with emails obtained from government agencies. The report outlines discussions since the start of the Trump administration of family separation as a law enforcement tactic. Documents in the new report suggest CBP did not communicate with HHS about why shelters were receiving more separated children. The email notes “the increase in referrals” of children unaccompanied by a parent “resulting from separation of children from parents.” White sent McAleenan a chart of all the children HHS had received.
No more UK soldiers to be charged over Bloody Sunday deaths
Read full article: No more UK soldiers to be charged over Bloody Sunday deathsFILE - In this Tuesday, June, 15, 2010 file photo, relatives and families march to the Guildhall for a preview of the Saville report into the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings, in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Prosecutors announced on Tuesday Sept. 29, 2020, that no more British Army veterans will be charged over the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings of 13 civil rights protesters in Londonderry. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)LONDON – No more British Army veterans will be charged over the 1972 “Bloody Sunday” killings of 13 civil rights protesters in Londonderry, prosecutors in Northern Ireland said Tuesday. Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service upheld an earlier decision not to prosecute 15 soldiers investigated over Bloody Sunday, one of the deadliest days in Northern Ireland’s decades of violence. British soldiers committed more than 300 of the nearly 3,700 slayings during four decades of Northern Ireland strife, but rarely have been charged with murder.
It's 'now or never' for ex-Trump aides weighing speaking out
Read full article: It's 'now or never' for ex-Trump aides weighing speaking out“People need to understand how dangerous a moment we are in.”There are plenty of others weighing the same decision. But Mattis and Coats, like former White House chief of staff John Kelly and former national security adviser H.R. The White House punched back with an aggressive attack campaign aimed at discrediting her through a barrage of statements, interviews and denunciations from the lectern in the White House briefing room. “The White House knows if they show this is a very costly thing to do they will scare people from going forward," he said. He added that while more people are still considering coming forward, the White House tactics have worked to some extent — dissuading one senior official who had been on the cusp of speaking out.
HUD secretary's notes show he's upset with WH appointments
Read full article: HUD secretary's notes show he's upset with WH appointmentsIn a reference to the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Carson's notes said: “I am not happy with the way PPO is handling my agency.” The office, run by John McEntee, makes political appointments to federal agency positions. “I like John and respect what he is doing, however I am sensing a severe (illegible) of trust,” Carson’s notes said. There was no immediate comment from the White House or Carson's office. McEntee's appointment to head the personnel office has been controversial. McEntee, 30, returned to the White House in early 2019 after being tapped to lead the White House Presidential Personnel Office, an influential posting that coordinates the screening and hiring of thousands of federal government workers.
Biden slams Trump over alleged comments mocking US war dead
Read full article: Biden slams Trump over alleged comments mocking US war deadWASHINGTON Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has declared President Donald Trump unfit for the presidency, delivering an impassioned reaction to a report that Trump who never served in uniform allegedly mocked American war dead. It could have been a guy like John Kelly, Trump told reporters, saying his former top aide was unable to handle the pressure of this job." As he spoke, Biden grew angry, raising his voice to rebut Trumps alleged comments that Marines who died in battle were suckers for getting killed. Returning to Washington from a Thursday visit to Pennsylvania, Trump told reporters that the Atlantic report was a disgraceful situation by a terrible magazine.I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes, Trump told the reporters, gathered on the tarmac in the dark. His allies quickly seized on the reported comments in hopes they could drive a wedge between military families and veterans and Trump.
Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as 'losers,' 'suckers'
Read full article: Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as 'losers,' 'suckers'Staffers from the National Security Council and the Secret Service told Trump that rainy weather made helicopter travel to the cemetery risky, but they could drive there. In another conversation on the trip, The Atlantic said, Trump referred to the 1,800 Marines who died in the World War I battle of Belleau Wood as suckers for getting killed. "President Trump holds the military in the highest regard. That vote shattered what few partisan loyalties bound the two men, and Trump has continued to attack McCain for that vote, even posthumously. Bush as a loser because he was shot down by the Japanese as a Navy pilot in World War II.
Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as 'losers,' 'suckers'
Read full article: Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as 'losers,' 'suckers'Staffers from the National Security Council and the Secret Service told Trump that rainy weather made helicopter travel to the cemetery risky, but they could drive there. In another conversation on the trip, The Atlantic said, Trump referred to the 1,800 Marines who died in the World War I battle of Belleau Wood as suckers for getting killed. Trump also reiterated the White House explanation of why he didn't visit the cemetery. That vote shattered what few partisan loyalties bound the two men, and Trump has continued to attack McCain for that vote, even posthumously. Bush as a loser because he was shot down by the Japanese as a Navy pilot in World War II.
'Do something:' Harris' rapid rise driven by call to action
Read full article: 'Do something:' Harris' rapid rise driven by call to actionShe faced questions familiar to women in politics, particularly women of color, about her ambition. Harris faced both the scrutiny of her personal life and the resistance to her rise as she raced past rivals from more well-connected families. Years later, when she ran for California attorney general and needed support beyond her liberal home base, Harris tempered her stance on capital punishment. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women," Harris wrote of her mother. At Howard, Harris joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nations oldest sorority for Black women.
'Do something:' Harris' rapid rise driven by call to action
Read full article: 'Do something:' Harris' rapid rise driven by call to actionShe faced questions familiar to women in politics, particularly women of color, about her ambition. Harris faced both the scrutiny of her personal life and the resistance to her rise as she raced past rivals from more well-connected families. Years later, when she ran for California attorney general and needed support beyond her liberal home base, Harris tempered her stance on capital punishment. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as Black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud Black women," Harris wrote of her mother. At Howard, Harris joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nations oldest sorority for Black women.
2020 Watch: Trump navigates chaos after his Oklahoma rally
Read full article: 2020 Watch: Trump navigates chaos after his Oklahoma rallyPresident Donald Trump points during his campaign rally at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, June 20, 2020. The political world was genuinely surprised to see thousands of empty seats at Trump's comeback rally in Oklahoma over the weekend. And perhaps more importantly, the finger-pointing inside Trump's campaign will intensify ahead of a possible staff shakeup. ___2020 Watch runs every Monday and provides a look at the week ahead in the 2020 election. ___Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game.
Facing electoral headwinds, Trump brings back 2016 team
Read full article: Facing electoral headwinds, Trump brings back 2016 teamNEW YORK As anyone who has ever heard him speak knows, President Donald Trump loves to relive 2016. Our latest staff additions are making Team Trump even stronger and solidify Brads leadership.In the last week, the Trump campaign hired Jason Miller, communications director in 2016, to focus on strategy and coordinate between the campaign and the White House. And some of Trumps 2016 team never left: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the presidents daughter and son-in-law, are senior advisers. Kellyanne Conway, the presidents final 2016 campaign manager, remains a senior White House counselor. That includes Bannon, who remains supportive of Trump after a messy exit from the White House, and Keith Schiller, Trumps longtime security man.
Kelly told Trump: Don't hire a 'yes man' or 'you will be impeached'
Read full article: Kelly told Trump: Don't hire a 'yes man' or 'you will be impeached'WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former White House chief of staff John Kelly said that before he left the White House last year, he warned President Donald Trump not to hire a replacement who wouldn't tell him the truth or that he would be impeached, the Washington Examiner reported Saturday. "I said, whatever you do and we were still in the process of trying to find someone to take my place I said whatever you do, don't hire a 'yes man,' someone who won't tell you the truth don't do that," Kelly said. Trump weighed in Saturday on Kelly's interview with the Washington Examiner, saying in a statement to CNN, "John Kelly never said that, he never said anything like that. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham added, "I worked with John Kelly, and he was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great President." Kelly also suggested that the Trump administration could have averted the current probe into the president, the Examiner reported.
Fast food drive-thrus rated on speed
Read full article: Fast food drive-thrus rated on speedA newly-released Drive-Thru Performance Study from QSR Magazine (QSR stands for Quick Service Restaurants) reveals the restaurants with the slowest and fastest average drive-thru times. Chick-fil-A was the slowest in the study, with an average drive-thru time of 322.98 seconds -- almost five and a half minutes. How do you accurately measure a drive-thru wait? Now, pokey drive-thru service isn't necessarily the product of slow workers or inefficient routines. CNN has reached out to Chick-fil-A, the restaurant with the slowest wait times, by phone for comment.
Source: Trump often unprepared for foreign leader calls
Read full article: Source: Trump often unprepared for foreign leader callsThese days, only around four officials are typically listening to foreign leaders calls, including the national security adviser, the National Security Council director and deputy director for that region. The practice excludes unofficial calls Trump makes on his personal cellphone. During the first year months of Trump's presidency, foreign leaders were often caught off-guard by these phone calls and the President's style. "He would go on random tangents about the Mueller investigation with foreign leaders ... it was unnecessary and unhelpful," the source said. "And sometimes he just wouldn't have his facts straight and he would really rattle some of the foreign leaders with whom he spoke."