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N.Korea's Kim oversees test of new weapon with 'powerful warhead'

North Korea's Kim Jong Un has supervised the test-firing of a new tactical weapon with a "powerful warhead", state media reported Thursday, in the first test of its kind since nuclear negotiations with Washington stalled. The test marks a ratcheting up of tensions weeks after a summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump collapsed without agreement. It also comes after satellite imagery suggested heightened activity at a nuclear test site.

Hackers unleashed 40 million cyberattacks on Ecuador after Julian Assange’s arrest

Julian Assange's arrest at the end of last week by British officials who finally snatched him at the London embassy in Ecuador where he'd been living for years did not, in turns out, put the matter to rest for Ecuadorian officials.Patricio Real, the county's deputy minister for information and communication technologies, told Agence France Presse in an interview that Assange's controversial arrest prompted a massive wave of cyberattacks against the country. They added up to a whopping 40 million attacks and "principally come from the United States, Brazil, Holland, Germany, Romania, France, Austria and the United Kingdom," as well as from South America.Javier Jara, Ecuador's undersecretary of the electronic government department of the telecommunications ministry, added a little more context, telling the news service the attacks were "volumetric" and seemingly focused on overwhelming servers with traffic to render them useless. Those attacks hit the country's foreign ministry, central bank, office of the president, internal revenue service and a number of ministries and universities particularly hard.For the moment, Assange is being housed at London's Belmarsh Prison. The US has requested his extradition to the country to answer for a single charge of hacking a government computer, while Assange supporters fear it could be only a pretext to get him stateside where his legal woes would then quickly mount.On Monday, a federal judge in Virginia unsealed previously secret government documents that are part of the US' case against the Wikileaks founder, with the documents shedding new light on the government's allegations against him.Per a report from The Hill, the original affidavit and criminal complaint against Assange were made public in Virginia federal court for the first time since their filing in 2017. Among other things, those documents include chat logs between Assange and former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.US authorities contend that Assange worked with Manning to crack a password that would provide access to a classified Defense Department network where secret information could then be obtained by the hackers.

After Notre Dame, support for torched black churches swells

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The crowdfunding campaign to raise money for three African American churches gutted by arson in Louisiana began a week ago, but donations surged after flames engulfed the roof of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and the outcry provoked a conversation about the disparate reactions to the tragedies.

Ocasio-Cortez backs boycott of New York Post over cover attacking Ilhan Omar

The freshman Democrat voices her support for a boycott of one of her hometown newspapers.

Pete Buttigieg’s Abortion Extremism Hurts His Religious Appeal

With every passing day, it seems we see yet another piece about South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg’s progressive Christianity. His faith is going to shake the race. He’s going to challenge the GOP monopoly on “God talk.” Here, for example, is the opening paragraph of an NBC News analysis posted yesterday afternoon:> Religious conservatives who have long been a reliable voting bloc for Republicans are grappling with a new challenge in Pete Buttigieg: how to respond to a Democratic presidential candidate who is leaning into the discussion about faith and its role in political life.I’ll agree that there are religious conservatives who are “grappling” with a challenge from Buttigieg, but that challenge is theological and cultural, not political. Buttigieg’s religious arguments have triggered important online debates about the differences between mainline and Evangelical Christianity, about when religious teachings should influence public policy, and about how to interpret the history of the gay-marriage debate.But religious conservatives are not grappling with the key political question — whether any meaningful number of Evangelicals or conservative Catholics would cross the aisle to cast a ballot for Mayor Pete. The reason is simple. Buttigieg is a pro-choice extremist, and no pro-choice extremist will ever meaningfully compete for the conservative Christian vote.In fact, in at least one key way, Buttigieg’s record on abortion is even worse than that of his Democratic peers. He is of course in lockstep agreement with them on support for late-term abortion, and he made that clear last month on Morning Joe:> .@PeteButtigieg explains his support for late-term abortion bills in New York and Virginia: > > ”When we’re talking about some of those situations covered by that law … the involvement of a male government official like me is not helpful.” pic.twitter.com/6lQrLLhwhW> > -- Matthew Schmitz (@matthewschmitz) March 31, 2019But he’s done what many of them have not — he’s actually blocked a crisis-pregnancy center from opening at its chosen location. He not only supports abortion rights, he’s taken action against law-abiding Americans who merely wanted to make the case for life.Last April, Buttigieg vetoed a rezoning plan that would have permitted a crisis-pregnancy center to open next door to a proposed abortion clinic. In his statement justifying the veto, Buttigieg said, “I don’t think it would be responsible to situate two groups, literally right next to each other, in a neighborhood, that have diametrically opposed views on the most divisive social issue of our time.”And so, given the conflict, he chose to privilege the abortion clinic’s location over the pregnancy center. Thankfully, the center found a new location across the street from the proposed clinic — a location that didn’t require a rezoning vote. But that does not excuse or justify Buttigieg’s veto. He favored abortion rights over pro-life speech, and he likely violated the Constitution in doing so.While Buttigieg, to his credit, did not demonize his opponents in the South Bend dispute ( “Many people that I respect and admire and appreciate have very passionate and very opposite views on what is the right thing to do,” he said of the dispute), actions speak louder than words. And this action echoes a dangerous Democratic trend in pro-choice governance: the attack against pro-life pregnancy clinics.Across the United States, progressive legislatures have passed laws aimed at crisis-pregnancy centers, including a California law the Supreme Court struck down just last summer. Buttigieg hasn’t gone as far as California, which actually required pro-life pregnancy centers to promote state-funded free and low-cost abortions. But he had an opportunity to fully respect the constitutional rights of his pro-life opponents, and he chose not to do so.Many young Evangelicals, including young Evangelical activists, are divided over matters such as same-sex marriage. Some believe Obergefell v. Hodges was wrongly decided, others support legal recognition of same-sex marriage so long as the state doesn’t interfere with the church’s ability to define marriage according to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith. Others support same-sex marriage constitutionally and theologically.These same young Christians are often appalled that their older brothers and sisters in the faith have so easily overlooked Donald Trump’s multitude of sins. But they will not support politicians who support legal protections for late-term abortions. They won’t. The will not support politicians who don’t go beyond “respecting” pro-life Americans to also protecting their rights to free speech with the same vigor that they protect the First Amendment rights of pro-choice Americans.In the summer of 2016, I had hours of conversations with anguished Evangelical activists. They did not like Donald Trump. They could not believe the hypocrisy of some pastors defending a man whom they’d condemn if he had a “D” by his name. But they also could not believe that the Democrats wouldn’t compromise at all on abortion, not even in the third trimester. More than one person told me of this issue, “If only they’d moderate a little, I’d consider crossing the aisle. But they won’t, so I can’t.”Those words will still be true in 2020, and while Buttigieg’s lack of overt hostility to pro-life citizens is welcome — and conversations about America’s competing Christian world views are interesting — he has zero appeal to religious conservatives so long as he holds to the Democratic party line on the right of a woman to hire a doctor to kill a viable, living unborn baby. There is nothing to “grapple” with. There is no “challenge.” There are lines that Christian conservatives must not — and will not — cross.

'I wanna be dead': Teen obsessed with Columbine posted dark thoughts online

The Florida teenager whose purported fascination with the 1999 Columbine school massacre sparked a massive hunt for her this week appears to have kept an online journal peppered with violent imagery and awash in despair, anger and suicidal thoughts. An online journal written by someone who identified herself as "Sol Pais" - the teenager who authorities said was found dead on Wednesday - included entries that alluded to "plans" that would lead to the author's death, though they did not describe specific threats against others. Pais, 18, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday, authorities said, days after she traveled to Denver from her home in Florida and bought a shotgun ahead of Saturday's 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado.

Porsche Collection Destroyed in Explosion

A large explosion rocked Durham, North Carolina on 10 April 2019, something that sadly claimed the life of one individual and injured 15. The building itself also contained one of America’s largest Porsche collections according to the Charlotte Observer. The rather unassuming red brick building didn’t boast about the treasures within, but video from the Charlotte Observer revealed a huge hole in the roof and the charred remains of what appears to be a 550 Spyder amongst other less identifiable wreckage.

Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke is one of the most influential people of 2019. Emma Thompson calls the 'Game of Thrones' star a powerhouse to watch.

20-year-old college student falls 100 feet off cliff to her death

A 20-year-old college student plummeted 100 feet to her death off a cliffduring a school trip last weekend

Why closing the U.S.-Mexico border would be 'catastrophic' for this Texas city

Trump's threat to seal the border has sent jolts of alarm across the U.S.-Mexico border, but few places feel it more acutely than Laredo, Texas.

North Korea calls for 'immature' Mike Pompeo to be dropped from nuclear talks with US

North Korea has called for US secretary of state Mike Pompeo to be removed from nuclear talks because of his reckless and immature behaviour, according to reports.The official KCNA news agency quoted Kwon Jong Gun, a senior foreign ministry official, as accusing Mr Pompeo of “fabricating stories like a fiction writer.”“Whenever Pompeo pokes his nose in, the talks go wrong without any results even from the point close to success,” Mr Kwon said.“I am afraid that, if Pompeo engages in the talks again, the table will be lousy once again and the talks will become entangled.“Therefore, even in the case of possible resumption of the dialogue with the US, I wish our dialogue counterpart would be not Pompeo but other person who is more careful and mature in communicating with us.”The statement was made shortly after North Korea announced that its supreme leader Kim Jong-un had overseen the testing of a new tactical guided weapon.It was the North’s first weapon’s test since negotiations over nuclear disarmament and US sanctions broke down at the second summit between Mr Kim and US President Donald Trump in February.Last week the North Korean leader announced that he would only consider a third summit if the US brought the “right attitude” to talks and changed its “hostile” policy, including tough sanctions, before the end of the year.On Monday, Mr Pompeo responded by saying that Mr Kim had promised to denuclearise during his first summit with Mr Trump and that officials were trying to “chart a path forward so we can get there.” The North Korean statement by Mr Kwon accused Mr Pompeo of “talking nonsense”.“We cannot be aware of Pompeo’s ulterior motive behind his self-indulgence in reckless remarks; whether he is indeed unable to understand words properly or just pretending on purpose,” said Mr Kwon.“However, it is a very dangerous situation if he really did not grasp the meaning. If his behaviour is intended, I think it is none other than silly calculation to be free from the constraint that the US should make a move until the end of the year, misrepresenting the meaning of our requirement as the finalization of the working level negotiation by the end of the year by help of his talented skill of fabricating stories like a fiction writer.”Mr Pompeo was also accused of “spouting reckless remarks hurting the dignity of our supreme leadership” – believed to be a reference to the secretary of state’s agreement that Mr Kim was a “tyrant”.Additional reporting by agencies

Brit Hume: Democrats are beginning to admit that there's a crisis on the border

Are Democrats dividing on immigration and border security issues? Analysis from Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume.

Parents of Swedish coder held by Ecuador say he is innocent

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The parents of a Swedish programmer suspected of plotting to blackmail Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno over his abandonment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made an anxious plea Tuesday for authorities to release their son.

Notre Dame Cathedral Fire Conspiracy Theories Flourish After Investigators Say There’s No Proof of Terrorism

Stephane De Sakutin/GettyThis story originally appeared in Right Richter, a newsletter by Will Sommer. Subscribe now to see what's happening in right-wing media from the safety of your inbox.Right-wing personalities are pushing conspiracy theories about Monday’s fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, even after French investigators said the case is not being investigated as arson or terrorism. Within minutes of the fire breaking out yesterday, pro-Trump commentators rushed to portray it as a symbol of Western decline. “The West has fallen,” declared Mike Cernovich. Others were eager to suggest, without evidence, that Muslims were behind the fire. Gateway Pundit dredged up a three-year-old terrorist plot to blow up Notre Dame as proof that this fire was caused by terrorists. Fox News anchors had to repeatedly shut down guests who tried to push the idea that the fire was caused by terrorists. QAnon believers produced a wide range of theories, blaming the fire on everyone Michelle Obama to the deep-state to Pope Francis. On Tuesday, French fire investigators said there was no evidence that the fire was caused by arsonists or terrorists. Rather than tamping down the conspiracy theories, though, the French statement has only fueled the idea on the right that terrorists were behind the fire. Instead, they’re treating the announcement as proof that the investigators can’t be trusted. Pardes Seleh, a former Mediaite writer and Ben Shapiro acolyte, has become one of the leading arson truthers. “Lemme put it this way: i'd be very shocked if it was an accident,” Seleh tweeted on Tuesday. “And no, french authorities announcing at the start of an investigation that they're ‘treating it as an accident’ doesn't count. french authorities are incompetent, we'd confirmed that long ago.” Pizzagate promoter Jack Posobiec, now a reporter at the pro-Trump One America News cable channel, also suggested without evidence that the fire investigation was a coverup. “Fastest arson investigation in history,” Posobiec tweeted. The groundwork for the idea that the French investigation can’t be trusted was laid out Monday night by Glenn Beck, who has recently abandoned his attempts to style himself as a lonely voice of reason in the Trump era and gone back to his conspiracy theory roots.Beck claimed that, if the fire was caused by terrorists, the truth would never be revealed. “If this was started by Islamists, I don’t think you’ll find out about it,” Beck said in an appearance on The Blaze. “Because I think it would set the entire country on fire.” Since the French investigators announced the lack of arson evidence, Beck has been joined by several other right-wing figures. Stefan Molyneux, a Canadian YouTube personality, questioned the validity of the fire investigation. So did Emerald Robinson, another reporter at One America News. “Dear media: you are already reporting that Notre Dame has been declared an accident. But the investigation just started,” Robinson tweeted. “And the restorers had already left for the day. And the scaffolding had just gone up with no ‘welding equipment’ there yet. Tell me again how it started?”Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here

Teenage girl 'infatuated' with Columbine school massacre found dead from self-inflicted gunshot

An armed 18-year-old girl "infatuated" with the Columbine school massacre was found dead after fears she was seeking to replicate the shooting 20 years on. Sol Pais, a high school pupil, made threats online and then flew from her home in Miami Beach, Florida to Denver, Colorado, where Columbine is located. She then bought a pump-action shotgun and ammunition and was seen near the school wearing camouflage trousers, black boots and a black T-shirt. Columbine and more than 20 other schools in the Denver area were closed on Wednesday, with 500,000 pupils staying at home as the FBI and police searched for her. She was later found dead from what police called an "apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound" in woodland near a camp ground 60 miles southwest of Denver. Police, including a SWAT team, had flooded into the area after hikers reported seeing a naked woman with a gun running through the woods". An FBI spokesman said: "There is no longer a threat to the community." Police at Columbine high school Credit: AFP On April 20,1999 two heavily armed teenage gunmen -  Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - killed 12 fellow pupils and a teacher before taking their own lives. It set off an era of mass shootings in American schools and other public venues. Police said Pais had "made threats to commit an act of violence" in the Denver area, and had written "deeply disturbed" posts on the internet. She had been "infatuated with the perpetrators of Columbine". She sought advice online on how to buy a gun in Colorado, which she did at a gun shop near Columbine. Local sheriff Jeff Shrader said: "The firearm was purchased legally. I'm sure there will be some ongoing evaluation in that regard." During the massive search police declared her "armed and extremely dangerous". Jared Polis, the Colorado governor, said there had been "a lot of anxiety". Peter Langman, an expert on the psychology of school shooters, said more than 30 other attacks, from California to Germany, have been inspired in some manner by Columbine.

'Yellow vest' Libya protesters say France backs Tripoli assault

Dozens of "yellow vest" protesters rallied Tuesday in the Libyan capital to denounce what they said was France's support for military strongman Khalifa Haftar who has launched an offensive on Tripoli. The demonstrators donned yellow vests in a nod to the jackets worn by anti-government protesters who have been rallying across France since November. "France must stop backing the rebel Haftar," read one sign held up by the demonstrators gathered in central Tripoli's Algiers Square.

Qualcomm shares soar on surprise settlement with Apple of long legal dispute

The settlement also incorporates a six-year patent licence and a payment from Apple to Qualcomm, but the companies did not disclose the amount. Because Qualcomm is already shipping 5G chips while Apple supplier Intel Corp is still developing them, the deal gives Apple an opportunity to catch the iPhone up to Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and other manufacturers whose phones already work on the faster networks.

Trump news: President 'doesn't regret' tweeting 9/11 video about Ilhan Omar, as first 2020 Republican challenger emerges

President Trump has pledged his support to the people of France after the iconic Notre Dame cathedral suffered a devastating fire last night. On Twitter, the president noted it was “horrible” to watch the scenes from Paris, and suggested “flying water tankers could be used to put it out.” It was confirmed this morning that the fire had been entirely extinguished.The White House said it will offer France “assistance in the rehabilitation of this irreplaceable symbol of Western civilization.”“The United States stands with French citizens, the city of Paris, and the millions of visitors from around the world who have sought solace in that iconic structure,” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.Closer to home, Trump is also facing his first Republican challenger for the 2020 presidential election in the form of Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, although is it deemed unlikely that anyone will seize the party’s nomination from the incumbent.“I really think if we have six more years of the same stuff we’ve had out of the White House the last two years that would be a political tragedy, and I would fear for the Republic,” Mr Weld told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday. “I would be ashamed of myself if I didn’t raise my hand and run.It was also announced late yesterday that the Mueller report into Russian interference in the 2020 presidential election, and any links to the Trump campaign, would be released in a redacted form to the public this Thursday.The president also defended his attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar despite an onslaught of death threats the Muslim congresswoman received recently.In an interview with a local news station in Minnesota, Mr Trump continued to disparage Ms Omar. “It’s unfortunate,” he said. “She’s got a way about her that’s very, very bad, I think, for our country. I think she’s extremely unpatriotic and extremely disrespectful to our country.”Read The Independent’s updates as they happened below.Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load

Instagram accounts of Iran Guards commanders blocked

The Instagram accounts of several Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders have been blocked, the Tabnak news website reported Tuesday, with the photo-sharing website saying it was complying with US sanctions. The United States announced on April 8 that it has placed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological army of the Islamic republic, on their list of "foreign terrorist organisations". Tabnak, a site close to Iranian conservatives, said Instagram blocked the accounts of Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, Major General Mohammad Bagheri and Major General Ghassem Soleimani.

Suspect in attack on boy at Mall of America held on $2M bail

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man accused of throwing a 5-year-old boy from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America said little Tuesday during his first court appearance but appeared lucid and followed the court's directions.

Pledges Reach Almost $1 Billion To Rebuild Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral

As authorities assess the damage to Paris' Notre-Dame, companies and individuals pledge hundreds of millions of dollars for restoration

Parents Accuse D.C. Synagogue of Enabling ‘Systemic, Regular’ Sexual Abuse of Preschoolers

GettyA group of parents are suing a prominent Washington D.C. synagogue, alleging one preschool teacher sexually abused eight toddlers for more than two years and the school ignored the warning signs.The 239-page civil lawsuit, filed anonymously by eight parents in Superior Court for the District of Columbia on Monday evening, alleged that the toddlers between the ages of two and four, “were subject to systemic and regular sexual abuse on school property” by an assistant teacher at the Washington Hebrew Congregation.The alleged abuser, Jordan Silverman, joined the preschool in 2016 after a career as a Vermont photographer. Although Silverman is not named as defendant in the lawsuit, he is named for the alleged “grievous, demeaning and damaging forms of sexual abuse.”“On what we believe was a daily basis, Silverman would remove a small group of children, maybe two or three children at a time, and he would take them to remote locations both inside and outside the building,” Michael Dolce, who is representing the families, told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. “We believed that is where he abused the children. He was able, and sometimes encouraged, to be alone with these children, despite it being a direct violation of D.C.’s ‘two-deep’ policy.”The Reform Jewish synagogue and its director of early-childhood education, Deborah “DJ” Schneider Jensen, are the focus of the complaint, which claimed the administration failed to “protect children from a known and avoidable risk of sexual abuse.”The lawsuit also noted that the preschool teacher was given the opportunity to be alone with students despite city regulations that state “at least two adults must be present with toddlers in licensed child development centers.” “Silverman was hired to teach and care for children despite having no professional background in teaching or providing child care,” the complaint stated, additionally claiming the school failed to properly train staff on ways to reduce the opportunity for child sexual abuse and to recognize the warning signs. About a month after starting at Washington Hebrew, teachers and parents allegedly reported Silverman’s inappropriate behavior to Jensen, which included being “late returning children when he had been alone with them and was not reachable or responsive to efforts by co-workers to locate him and the children.” The congregation and Jensen allegedly ignored these claims, sometimes even defending Silverman. In one instance, when one parent raised concerns about possible abuse, Jensen allegedly said he had a “‘sick mind’ and insisted that Silverman would not abuse a child” despite increasing amounts of reports that preschoolers were “behaving abnormally” after spending time with the assistant teacher. “Ms. Jensen was given countless opportunities to protect these children and instead, she never investigated any claim against Silverman, never restricted his access to children, and never even reported the claims to city officials,” Dolce said. The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia confirmed to The Daily Beast on Tuesday a police investigation into alleged child sexual abuse at the school is ongoing after the school reported a preschooler claimed to have been abused last August. Police could confirm whether Silverman was a suspect, citing the “ongoing investigation.”“In August 2018, Washington Hebrew Congregation immediately reported the allegations to D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPDC) and Child Protective Services as soon as we learned of them,” Amy Rotenberg, a spokesperson for the congregation told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. “Since that moment and for the past eight months we have continually and fully cooperated with the ongoing criminal investigation.”Silverman, who was fired from the school last August, could not be immediately reached for comment. The families are suing for an unspecified amount of damages, claiming the school’s negligence has left a lifetime of emotional distress, medical costs, and therapy for the children. To maintain the integrity of the police investigation and protect the children, the lawsuit did not go into detail about the alleged abuse. “At the end of the day, this man performed horrible and significant sex crimes against small children and the people that were supposed to protect them turned a blind eye,” Dolce said. “Silverman is only one part of this horrible story.”As of Tuesday morning, the Washington Hebrew Congregation have offered “no apology and no medication” to any of the alleged victims, Dolce added.  Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here

Hybrids vs. Plug-In Hybrids

Here are the differences between these two types of complex automobiles and the pros and cons of each.

Turkey's ruling party wants Istanbul election voided, redone

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey's ruling party on Tuesday asked that a recent municipal election it lost in Istanbul be invalidated, as partial vote recounts in the city and the fight for the country's commercial hub continued.

Apple and Qualcomm reach unlikely settlement agreement

In a seemingly unlikely turn of events, Apple and Qualcomm earlier today settled their ongoing legal dispute, according to a press release from both companies. The settlement comes just one day after a jury was selected to decide upon what was sure to be a blockbuster anti-trust trial that would have likely dragged on for quite some time.Per the press release, both companies agreed to "dismiss all litigation" in all jurisdictions across the globe. Further, the settlement agreement "includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm," though a specific figure was not disclosed. And lastly, both companies "reached a six-year license agreement, effective as of April 1, 2019, including a two-year option to extend, and a multiyear chipset supply agreement."If you recall, the core of the dispute between the two tech behemoths centered on iPhone royalty payments. Whereas Qualcomm wanted to charge Apple a royalty rate based on the overall cost of each device sold, Apple maintained that this approach was unfair.In a statement on the matter from two years ago, Apple explained its position as follows:> For many years Qualcomm has unfairly insisted on charging royalties for technologies they have nothing to do with. The more Apple innovates with unique features such as TouchID, advanced displays, and cameras, to name just a few, the more money Qualcomm collects for no reason and the more expensive it becomes for Apple to fund these innovations. Qualcomm built its business on older, legacy, standards but reinforces its dominance through exclusionary tactics and excessive royalties. Despite being just one of over a dozen companies who contributed to basic cellular standards, Qualcomm insists on charging Apple at least five times more in payments than all the other cellular patent licensors we have agreements with combined.The ramifications for the settlement are momentous in light of the impending roll out of 5G and Qualcomm's status as the foremost supplier of 5G modems. While it's no big revelation that Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup will not include support for 5G, there have been rumblings that Intel might struggle to meet 5G modem production at the scale Apple needs. In short, Apple's negotiating position wasn't necessarily as strong as it may have seemed initially. With Apple and Qualcomm no reaching a settlement agreement, there should now be no doubt that Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup will boast support for 5G networking technologies.

Ocasio-Cortez admits bungling the Green New Deal rollout

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the biggest mistake she's made in her first months as a freshman congresswoman was how the rollout of the so-called Green New Deal was handled.

How much did the Mueller report cost?

Robert Mueller's report is expected to be made public on Thursday, and while parts of it are expected to remain under wraps, some elements of the probe are known to the public – including its cost.From the day the special counsel was appointed and throughout his 22-month investigation, his office has released statements of expenditures every few months detailing its spendings.Three such statements are currently available, with a fourth one likely coming soon.Based on the published statements, plus an estimate of what is to come in the fourth statement, it appears likely that the Mueller investigation itself will have cost around $17m.The special counsel’s office also reported Department of Justice spending that supported its activities, stating that it wasn’t legally required to do so and that those expenditures would have occurred regardless of whether or not the special counsel’s office was conducting an investigation. If those additional expenditures are taken into account, the final estimate for the cost of the Mueller investigation reaches around $31m.Mr Mueller’s office filed its first expense report for the period of 17 May, 2017 (when Mr Mueller was first appointed as special counsel) to 30 September, 2017. The special counsel’s expenses for that period came to roughly $3.2m, with an additional $3.5m in DOJ expenditures, amounting to $6.7m in total.The second expense report covers the period from 1 October, 2017 to 31 March, 2018 and includes costs of $4.5m with an additional $5.5 in DOJ expenditures, meaning about $10m total.The third expense report is dated 1 April, 2018 to 30 September, 2018, and states that Mr Mueller’s office spent $4.5m, with approximately $4m of additional DOJ spendings, for a total of about $8.5m.This means that the special counsel’s office has reported a total of about $12.2m in spendings without the DOJ expenditures, and $25.2m if DOJ expenditures are taken into account.While the fourth and final expense report has yet to be published, it is possible to make an estimate based on the three reports that have already been filed.The fourth report will cover a period of six months (between September 2018 and March 2019). Based on the previous three reports, will likely feature expenses of between $4m and $5m for the special counsel’s office, meaning a conservative total estimate of $16m to $17m. If the DOJ components are included at a projection of approximately $5m, the previous total of $25.2 jumps to about $30m or $31m. This is below figures previously touted by Donald Trump, who in a November 2018 tweet claimed the probe had cost $40m.Mr Mueller’s report found no evidence that Mr Trump’s campaign ”conspired or coordinated” with Russian officials to influence the 2016 election, according to a letter authored by Attorney General William Barr.The special counsel initially submitted his findings to Mr Barr Barr, who in March released a four-page summary. Mr Mueller said in a passage from the report quoted by Mr Barr that there was no evidence that Trump “was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference”, but he reached no conclusion on whether Mr Trump obstructed justice. Mr Mueller neither accused Mr Trump of obstruction of justice in trying to impede the investigation nor exonerated him of obstruction, according to Mr Barr’s summary. The Justice Department expects to make a redacted version of Mr Mueller's report on the Russia investigation public on Thursday morning. The redacted report would be sent to Congress and also made available to the public, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said on Monday. Additional reporting by agencies

India acts against Tiktok app over pornography concerns

The Indian government on Tuesday ordered tech giants Google and Apple to take down the Chinese-owned Tiktok video app after a court expressed concerns over the spread of pornographic material, sources told AFP. Tiktok has already been banned in neighbouring Bangladesh and hit with an enormous fine in the United States for illegally collecting information from children. The app, which claims to have 500 million users worldwide with more than 120 million in India, has been fighting the effort to shut it down after a high court in Chennai called for the ban on April 3.

Gov. Newsom in San Bernardino pledges more support for homeless crisis

During a stop in San Bernardino, Gov. Gavin Newsom discussed his plans to add more money to the fight against homelessness.

After Notre Dame fire, GoFundMe raised more than $1 million for burned black churches

Prominent figures urged people not to forget to donate to the St. Landry Parish churches as money poured in for Notre Dame.

Syria, Iran say US is waging 'economic terrorism'

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria and Iran said Tuesday the United States is waging "economic terrorism" against countries that have different opinions and should pursue its aims through diplomacy instead.

2020 Nissan GT-R Adds Track-Ready Upgrades and 50th Anniversary Edition

Godzilla loses weight, learns new tricks, and turns 50.

EU Takes Aim at Trump's Heartland With Tariff-Retaliation Plan

The European Union published its preliminary list of U.S. goods being targeted in a $12 billion plan for retaliatory tariffs over subsidies to Boeing Co., with a focus on farm products from areas that help form President Donald Trump’s political base. The European Commission began a public consultation over the American products ranging from ketchup and nuts to video-game consoles and bicycle pedals. The World Trade Organization will ultimately decide the level of damages the EU can seek, with a verdict possible toward the end of this year or in early 2020.

NTSB investigates American Airlines flight tipped by wind at JFK Airport

Federal safety officials are investigating an American Airlines flight in which the plane tipped in a strong wind and a wingtip clipped a runway marker during takeoff last week from New York's Kennedy Airport.

Indonesia president declares poll win as rival does too, complaining of fraud

At a separate news conference just minutes after Widodo declared victory, Prabowo appeared defiant and said his team had evidence of cheating and claimed to have won 62 percent of the popular vote based on internal polling. In 2014, Prabowo had also claimed victory on election day, before contesting the results at the Constitutional Court, which confirmed Widodo's win. A spokesman for Praboow said he would take his complaint to the Constitutional Court if the Election Commission confirmed Widodo's victory.

Netanyahu formally named next Israeli PM

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday formally handed Benjamin Netanyahu his letter of appointment to start building a coalition government following last week's general election. In a televised ceremony, Rivlin told Netanyahu that in consultations with all parties elected to the incoming 120-seat parliament, "65 MPs recommended you". Rivlin had sounded out delegations from political parties on Monday and Tuesday.

Jussie Smollett purposely misled police by saying assailants were white, lawsuit alleges

"Empire” actor Jussie Smollett purposely attempted to mislead police by falsely describing the men who he said attacked him on a cold January night as white men, the city of Chicago claimed in a civil lawsuit filed Thursday.

Is This Bank Chasing Away Conservatives?

I have been a Chase Bank customer for years. Who knows how much longer it’ll be? Will the company’s thought police come for me next? How about you? If you are a non-leftist who does business with the financial giant owned by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., you need to ask questions and get answers.On Tuesday, investigative journalist James O’Keefe and his Project Veritas team released a disturbing new video on the runaround that Chase officials gave Texas conservative entrepreneur Enrique Tarrio about his canceled account. Big business may very well be enabling America’s very own version of the Chinese social-credit system in which political dissent is flagged, shunned, punished, and eradicated.First, some background:Tarrio is a young, peaceful, Afro-Cuban freethinker and chairman of the Proud Boys organization. In February 2019, the Texas Trump supporter received a letter from Chase Bank informing him that “after careful consideration,” the financial institution could “no longer support” his banking account. The notice followed a hit piece against minorities who support the president by The Daily Beast, a reliable echo chamber for the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center smear machine.Tarrio was subsequently kicked off Chase’s payment processor, which he used to sell patriotic and pro-Trump T-shirts. Next, he was deplatformed from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Airbnb, FirstData, Square, Stripe, and PayPal before losing his bank accounts. When I asked on Twitter in February why we can’t have just one financial institution that doesn’t cave to social-justice warriors, the official Chase Twitter account tweeted me back:“Hi Michelle, this article is inaccurate. We did not close his personal account. We do not close accounts based on political affiliation.”I pointed out that Chase’s letter clearly stated that the company had closed his account. “So if not for political reasons,” I asked, “why, ‘after careful consideration,’ did you close his account?” The social-media manager of Chase’s corporate Twitter account, previously so eager to spill the tea, replied: “For privacy reasons, we can’t say more.”Thanks to Project Veritas, we now know more. Undercover audio and video exposed how: * One Chase employee blamed “clerical” issues for Tarrio’s account cancellation. * Another stated: “I see nothing that indicates any reason why the account should be closed. I don’t see any outstanding transactions or anything ridiculous.” * Another explained: “Chase is not involved with any like, you know, alt-right people or anything.” Those with “no moral character” are people that “the bank usually doesn’t get involved with in any business relationships, period.” * Several repeated a company line in Tarrio’s mysterious file: “Decision is not reversible.”Others who received Chase shutdown notices so far in 2019: conservative Rebel Media contributor Martina Markota and U.S. Army combat vet and vocal Trump supporter Joe Biggs. Were Markota’s and Biggs’s removals “clerical” errors or unfounded, or were they based on an ideological litmus test disguised as a “moral character” assessment?More questions arise:How exactly is J.P. Morgan Chase’s $500,000 donation last year to the SPLC left-wing operatives being put to use?Why did the company embrace a known defamation racket whose stated mission is to “destroy” its political enemies on the right?What comment does Chase have now that SPLC’s top leaders have been purged amid internal accusations of intolerance and discrimination within the walls of the notorious Poverty Palace?Does Chase keep tabs on high-profile conservative customers’ political speech on social-media platforms?Is Chase operating from the same playbook as Paypal, which is booting off conservatives in consultation with the SPLC? One of its most recent victims: Luke Rohlfing, a young reporter for BigLeaguePolitics.com, who had exposed how the payment processor was allowing Open Borders Inc. heavyweight Pueblo Sin Fronteras to raise money for illegal-immigrant caravans conspiring to break our immigration laws -- even though Paypal’s own terms of service state clearly that users may not engage in any activities that “violate any law, statute, ordinance, or regulation.”Tarrio warns of the speech-squelching pattern emerging across Silicon Valley and on Wall Street: “First we get silenced on social media, then Paypal, then I get debanked. It’s a very dangerous trend.”As for Chase Bank, I sent all my questions to chief communications officer Patricia Wexler, who challenged the authenticity of one of the employees recorded by Veritas (O’Keefe showed proof of the Chase New York media relations number dialed and had audio of the employee identifying himself as a Chase rep) and ignored the substance of the report.Evasion and denial are surefire ways to lose business. Is it Chase Bank or Chase Away Bank? Inquiring customers would like to know.© 2019 Creators.comEditor's Note: This article has been emended since its initial posting.

How One Man’s Deleted Tweet Launched a Worldwide Notre Dame Conspiracy Theory

Nicolas Liponne/GettyAs politician Christopher J. Hale watched the Notre Dame cathedral burn on Monday from Washington, D.C., he heard from a Jesuit friend in Europe who claimed that the blaze had been deliberately set. Hale, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in Tennessee last year and writes opinion columns for Time Magazine, tweeted his friend’s claim to his few thousand followers."A Jesuit friend in Paris who works in NotreDame told me cathedral staff said the fire was intentionally set,” Hale wrote.Hale quickly tweeted that his friend had “zero evidence” for the claim beyond a purported conversation with cathedral staff, and he deleted the original tweet minutes later.But it only took those few minutes for his tweet to become a core piece of proof for right-wing conspiracy theorists who are convinced, without any actual evidence, that the fire was set by terrorists. With one tweet, Hale became sucked into a right-wing media machine eager to both rile up its audience and earn more traffic on social media.“In retrospect, I absolutely never should have tweeted it in the first place,” Hale told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. “I don’t think I had the foresight about how much the worst parts of the internet will grasp for straws in their conspiracy theories.” Before he deleted the post, Hale’s post caught the eye of Jack Posobiec, a former promoter of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory who now works as a reporter at pro-Trump cable channel One America News. Posobiec highlighted Hale’s claim that the fire had been deliberate to his own followers, which number more than 450,000. Suddenly, Hale saw Twitter users across the world citing his tweet as proof that fire was committed by terrorists. “I almost immediately said I was deleting the tweet,” Hale told The Daily Beast. “It was clear to me, though, that any record of the tweet was going to be weaponized very quickly.” Hale’s tweet has become one of the most cited pieces of evidence for Notre Dame conspiracy theorists, even after French investigators said Tuesday that they found no evidence of arson and even though Hale was thousands of miles away from the fire when he sent his tweet. Screenshots of Hale’s deleted tweet spread across Twitter. InfoWars wrote an entire article based on Hale’s tweet, citing it a headline as proof that the fire was “deliberately set.” Far-right activist Pamela Geller highlighted Hale’s tweet on her blog in a post entitled “Notre Dame Cathedral Inferno “Intentionally Set.’” Geller’s post spread on social media, earning hundreds of retweets on her Twitter account alone. Other right-wing blogs, including The American Mirror and talk radio host Michael Savage’s site, also picked up and portrayed Hale’s unintentional error as fact.  “The tweet itself did not mention Islam whatsoever,” Hale said. “But immediately it was right-wing provocateurs, Islamophobes, who used it.”A day later, Hale’s Twitter interactions are filled with people who see the deletion of his tweet as proof of a cover-up.‘Should I use the Obama, ‘It’s a teachable moment?’” Hale said. “The big thing I would say is the weaponization of Twitter has evolved in such a way that no errant word, particularly in the midst of a crisis, is warranted.”Read more at The Daily Beast.

Portugal says all 29 dead in bus crash were German

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — All the 29 people killed in a tour bus crash on Portugal's Madeira Island were German, Portugal's foreign ministry confirmed Thursday.

Trump's new Cuba crackdown puts US at odds with Canada and Europe

US will allow lawsuits against firms using property nationalised by the revolution, cap remittances and restrict ‘non-family’ travelThe US national security adviser, John Bolton, addresses the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association in Coral Gables, Florida, on the 58th anniversary of the failed 1961 invasion of Cuba on Wednesday. Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/APDonald Trump has taken another step towards reversing Barack Obama’s historic rapprochement with Cuba with a measure that earned swift criticism from allies in Canada and Europe.The US announced on Wednesday that it would enable lawsuits against foreign companies that use properties nationalised by the communist government after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution.The policy shift, which could draw hundreds of thousands of legal claims worth tens of billion of dollars, aims to put pressure on Cuba at a moment when the US is demanding an end to Havana’s support for Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicolás Maduro.Sign up for the US morning briefingIt was condemned by Cuba as “an attack on international law” and by Canada and the European Union as “regrettable”, since their companies have significant investments in hotels, distilleries, tobacco factories and other properties on the island.Title III of the Helms-Burton Act had been fully waived by every president over the past 23 years due to concerns from the international community and fears that it could overwhelm US courts with lawsuits.But Trump, who has made a habit of breaking from his predecessors, gave the go-ahead for it to be activated. Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, said that, for the first time, US citizens will be able to bring lawsuits against individuals trafficking in property that was confiscated by the Cuban regime.Pompeo accused the Obama administration of playing a “game of footsy with the Castros’ junta” which did not deter it from targeting human rights activists. “Detente with the regime has failed,” the secretary told reporters.The issue has come to a head now as the US argues that Cuba’s security and intelligence support is crucial to Maduro’s grip on power amid Venezuela’s economic and political crisis.Pompeo added: “Cuba’s behaviour in the western hemisphere undermines the security and stability of countries throughout the region, which directly threatens United States national security interests. The Cuban regime has for years exported its tactics of intimidation, repression and violence.“They’ve exported this to Venezuela in direct support of the former Maduro regime. Cuban military intelligence and state security services today keep Maduro in power.”The decision represents a blow to Cuba’s efforts to draw foreign investment. The foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, retorted on Twitter: “I strongly reject the announcement of State Secretary Pompeo. This is an attack on international law and the sovereignty of Cuba and third states. Aggressive escalation of USA against Cuba will fail.”Numerous foreign companies have invested in Cuba since Obama eased restrictions. A joint EU-Canada statement said the US move was “regrettable” and will have an “important impact on legitimate EU and Canadian economic operators in Cuba”.James Williams, president of the pressure group Engage Cuba said: “President Trump is doing this for one reason, and one reason only: to appease fringe hardliners in South Florida ahead of the 2020 election. The only way to get property claimants what they deserve is through diplomatic negotiations, which President Trump just threw off the table.”On Wednesday Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, also announced a series of new sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela, including a new cap on the amount of money that families in the US can send to relatives in Cuba.Remittances from the United States have surged since Obama started easing restrictions on them in 2009, becoming an important part of the Cuban economy and fueling the growth of the private sector by providing startup capital.He also said the United States would also further restrict “non-family” travel by Americans to Cuba, though he offered no details.In a speech to an association of veterans of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, Bolton said the US was adding five names linked to Cuba’s military and intelligence services to its sanctions blacklist. “Under this administration, we don’t throw dictators lifelines,” Bolton said in Miami. “We take them away.”Associated Press contributed to this report

The 2020 Hyundai Venue Will Fight Nissan's Kicks in the Entry-Level Crossover Space

Hyundai's new entry-level crossover blends appealing looks with the right equipment to chase Nissan's Kicks.

Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi is one of the most influential people of 2019. Hillary Clinton writes about the first female Speaker of the House's return to power.

Anti-gay protesters shout about Sodom and Gomorrah at Pete Buttigieg rally in Iowa

"The good news is, the condition of my soul is in the hands of God, but the Iowa caucuses are up to you," Buttigieg responded, pointing at the crowd.