The
Billionaire CEO Who Says He'll Leave The Country If Trump Is Elected
What would media mogul Barry Diller do if Donald Trump is elected president?
"I'll either move out of the country or join the resistance." But he's
convinced he won't have to do either, saying he would take any bet that
Trump will not be elected. "Truly, I'm not moving, and I don't think I'm
joining the resistance," he said in an interview with Bloomberg. Diller
is CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI), the conglomerate of new media businesses
from Match.com to The Daily Beast to HomeAdvisor.com. Forbes estimates
his net worth at $2.5 billion, while it puts Trump's wealth at $4.5 billion.
CNN
VOA VIEW: Diller commited to cover all
bets - we seek to take him up on it - we will update the response.
Carson:
Train Students On What To Do In School Shooting Scenario
GOP presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson
told Fox News Martha MacCallum on Wednesday that students need to be trained
on what to do in the event of a school shooting. You have to train them
how to react in each of the different scenarios as you do teachers. I personally
believe we need to have people in schools who are armed, who are trained,
who can help in this situation, he said. Carson has received criticism
for comments he made Tuesday on Fox & Friends when he said if he
were faced with a gunman, he would fight back and sacrifice himself to
save other potential victims. If a gunman walks up and points a gun at
you and says, What religion are you? That is the ultimate test of your
faith, Fox News Brian Kilmeade said. CNS
News
Feds
Made $124.7B In Improper Payments In 2014; Almost $1 Trillion Over 12
Years
The federal government made an estimated $124.7 billion in improper
payments in fiscal 2014 and has made almost $1 trillion in improper payments
over the past twelve years, U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, head
of the Government Accountability Office, told the Senate Finance Committee
last week. In fiscal year 2014, agencies reported improper payment estimates
totaling $124.7 billion, a significant increasealmost $19 billionfrom
the prior years estimate of $105.8 billion, Dodaro told the committee
in written testimony. The almost $19 billion increase was primarily due
to the Medicare, Medicaid, and Earned Income Tax Credit programs, which
account for over 75 percent of the government-wide improper payment estimate,
he said. CNS
News
VOA VIEW: Most improper Fed payments were
made on Obama's watch.
Obama
Praises Unions, Workers' Rights At White House Summit
President Barack Obama called for higher blue-collar wages and benefits
and promoted collective bargaining on Wednesday, courting workers' unions
as his advancing Pacific Rim trade deal has disenchanted many labor groups.
In a speech to workers, union leaders, lawmakers and employers, Obama supported
the defense of workers' rights and urged workers to band together in an
increasingly technology-driven sharing economy. "I believe when people
attack unions, they're attacking the middle class," Obama told attendees
of the first-ever White House Summit on Worker Voice. Reuters
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Doctors
Without Borders: Kunduz Strike An 'Attack On The Geneva Conventions'
President Barack Obama has personally apologized. But will that be
enough for Doctors Without Borders after a deadly airstrike struck its
hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz? The charity group -- which is also
known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF, and provides medical care in
some of the world's most dangerous places -- is calling the strike an "attack
on the Geneva Conventions" and urging an independent investigation by a
never-before-used international commission. The International Humanitarian
Fact-Finding Commission has been in existence since 1991. It requires a
request by one of the 76 nations that have signed on to it for it to begin
its work. Its job is to investigate whether international humanitarian
law has been violated. CNN
Good
Feelings Toward Catholic Church Up In U.S. Since Pope's Visit
Positive feelings toward the Roman Catholic Church have gone up in
the United States since Pope Francis's first visit to the country, according
to a Pew Research Center survey released on Wednesday. Overall, 28 percent
of U.S. adults surveyed said they had a more positive view of the Catholic
Church because of Pope Francis. The September trip by the head of the world's
approximately 1 billion Catholics included a speech to a joint meeting
of the U.S. Congress. The favorable shift is more pronounced among liberals,
with 39 percent saying they have a more positive view of the Church, compared
with conservatives, at 22 percent. Conservatives were 10 percent more likely
to have a negative view of the Church because of Francis, compared with
liberals at 4 percent. Reuters
Average
American Loses $43 During Each Doctor Visit
How much does a visit to the doctor's office cost? Around $43 in lost
productivity, according to a recent study. The problem is that people waste
a lot of time traveling to and waiting for their doctor. It took people
an average of 37 minutes just to get to their appointment, according to
a study published this summer in the American Journal of Managed Care.
They then only received 20 minutes of face-to-face time with their physician
less than the 64 minutes they spent filling out forms and sitting in
the waiting room, possibly reading old issues of "Cat Fancy" and "Highlights"
magazine. MSNBC
President
Obama To Relax In Rancho Santa Fe
Word has it that President Barack Obama, whose itinerary includes private
visits with families of mass shooting victims at Umpqua Community College
in Oregon tomorrow, will quietly visit Rancho Santa Fe Saturday night through
Monday evening. It will be an unofficial visit, for R&R golf, maybe?
with his family over the Columbus Day holiday. No word on where the president
might stay, but my money would be on Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa. After
being the honored guest at a private fundraising event last year at the
La Jolla home of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs and his wife, Joan, perhaps
Obama will visit the 45-acre resort property purchased in 2010 by their
four sons and investors Jeffrey Essakow and Doug Carlson. San
Diego Union
VOA VIEW: Obama should not be called Mr.
President - he is Mr. Vacation.
Calling
Protesters In Chile Dumb, Pope Francis Sets Off Uproar
Many watched in disbelief: There he was, Pope Francis, calling people
in Osorno, a city in southern Chile, dumb for protesting against a bishop
accused of being complicit in clerical sexual abuse. The Osorno community
is suffering because its dumb, Francis told a group of tourists on St.
Peters Square, because it has let its head be filled with what politicians
say, judging a bishop without any proof. Dont be led by the nose by
the leftists who orchestrated all of this, the pope said. Kansas
City Star
Feds
Bust Suspected South Florida Fentanyl Importer As Deaths Soar
Federal agents have busted a Miramar man who they say was part of an
international ring that used the Internet and U.S. mail to import a so-called
synthetic heroin called fentanyl that is sweeping Florida and killing hundreds
of users. The arrest of Aldolphe Joseph, 34, comes as law-enforcement agencies
are working to stem the pipeline of synthetic drugs from China, which has
helped fuel a spike in fentanyl-related deaths. Newly released statistics
from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show that deaths caused
by fentanyl overdoses statewide last year jumped a staggering 114 percent.
From Molly to flakka to fentanyl, the wave of synthetic drugs from overseas
has become a top priority for South Florida law enforcement and public
health officials, as chronicled in the recent Miami Herald series Pipeline
China. Miami
Herald
VW's
Top US Executive Learned Of Emissions Issues In 2014
Volkswagen's top U.S.-based executive is expected to testify before
Congress Thursday that he first learned in 2014 of emissions problems with
the German automaker's four-cylinder diesel cars. But in prepared remarks
posted Wednesday, Volkswagen Group of America CEO Michael Horn doesn't
directly address when he was first told his company had developed on-board
computer software designed to deceive emissions tests. Horn is scheduled
to testify before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee
on Oversight and Investigations, which was provided an advance copy of
the executive's written testimony. It will be the first appearance on Capitol
Hill by Horn, a German and veteran VW manager who took over the reins of
the brand's American subsidiary last year. SF
Gate
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Israeli
Ministers Barred From Jerusalem Site
A Palestinian stabbed a Jewish seminary student in Jerusalem on Thursday
as the Israeli prime minister barred all Cabinet ministers and lawmakers
from visiting a sensitive holy site in the Old City in an effort to calm
tensions that have gripped the country for weeks. According to police spokeswoman
Luba Samri, a Palestinian teenager stabbed the 25-year-old Israeli in the
neck, wounding him seriously, before police apprehended the attacker. It
was the latest act of Palestinian violence in a week in which bloody attacks
killed four Israelis and injured several others. Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's move to try and calm the situation appeared to put the Israeli
leader on a collision course with hard-liners within his own governing
coalition. They have been putting intense pressure on Netanyahu to respond
to the surge in violence with a tough crackdown and increased settlement
activity. Atlanta
Journal
US
Commerce Secretary: Ending Embargo Of Cuba Will Take Time
U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker wrapped up her visit to Cuba
on Wednesday by saying both sides need to learn more about each other as
they work to improve relations and cautioning that it will take time to
end the American embargo. She reiterated that President Barack Obama wants
to see an end to the U.S. trade embargo against the communist-ruled island.
The president wants to see the embargo lifted, but the president realizes
it will take time, she said, alluding to the fact that many Republican
lawmakers and some Democrats oppose lifting the embargo at this stage.
Charlotte
Observer
Congress
Growing Skeptical Of Health Guidelines
The quality of the evidence supporting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
the influential nutritional advice from the federal government, came under
steady attack at a Congressional hearing Wednesday, with representatives
complaining that the credibility of the national advice has been eroded
by shifts in science. Salt? Saturated fat? Eggs? Meat? Opinions about each
of these were aired as members of Congress directed their skepticism at
the two cabinet secretaries who oversee the development of the nutritional
guidelines, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack. Charlotte
Observer
Senate
OKs Massive Defense Bill Under Veto Threat
Congress on Wednesday sent President Barack Obama a sweeping $612 billion
defense policy bill that he has threatened to veto over an ongoing battle
between Democrats and Republicans over government spending. The Senate
voted to approve the measure 70 to 27. If Obama vetoes the defense bill,
it would be only the fifth time that has happened in the past half-century.
The bipartisan measure is a rarity in Washington; it has become law every
year for more than 50 years. The House passed the bill last week, 269 to
151, with enough Democratic votes to sustain a presidential veto. Fox
News
VOA VIEW: Obama needs to spanked with
a veto override.
Rubio
Again Defends Missing Senate Votes
Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday again dismissed criticism about missing
votes in the United States Senate. "When I miss a vote or two in Washington,
it's not because I'm on vacation, it's because I'm running for president,"
he told NBC News while speaking to reporters after a campaign event at
Dynamic Network Services, an Internet services company in Manchester. "In
my four and a half years there, I've been deeply frustrated by the lack
of progress on any major issue and we're not going to make progress unless
we have the right person in the White House." MSNBC
McCain:
U.S. Must Do More To Protect Iranian Dissident Group
The head of the Senate Armed Services Committee says the U.S. is not
doing enough to help relocate from Iraq members of controversial Iranian
dissident group that has a record of providing Washington with useful
intelligence on Irans clandestine nuclear activities. During a committee
hearing Wednesday, Sen. John McCain said successive U.S. administrations
have broken their promise to protect members of the Peoples Mujahedin
of Iran known in U.S. national security circles as Mujahedin-e-Khalq,
or MEK. Washington
Times
YOU can speak out and be heard by having your own "Column" - Visit the "Public Opinion" Section above.
Anonymous
Donors Send Millions To Pro-Rubio Group
Voters are beginning to learn about Republican presidential hopeful
Marco Rubio. What they're not learning, however, is who is paying to promote
his candidacy.
The Florida senator is benefiting in unprecedented ways from a nonprofit
group funded by anonymous donors. While other presidential candidates also
have ties to secret-money groups, the Rubio arrangement is the boldest.
Every pro-Rubio television commercial so far in the early primary states
of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina has been paid for not by his
campaign or even by a super PAC that identifies its donors, but instead
by a nonprofit called Conservative Solutions Project. It's also sending
Rubio-boosting mail to voters in those same states. Tampa
Tribune
Clinton
Seeks Crackdown For Those Breaking Wall Street Rules
Hillary Rodham Clinton wants to crack down on bad behavior by Wall
Street by punishing individual investors, financial managers and traders
for misconduct, saying they will be "prosecuted and imprisoned." Bankers
who violate the law would face the possibility of tougher criminal penalties,
according to a summary of Clinton's plan released Wednesday night by her
campaign. They also would be banned from future employment in the financial
industry and could find their compensation penalized as part of a government
settlement. Her proposals came just days before the first Democratic presidential
debate with her primary rivals. Liberal Democrats have spent months calling
on Clinton to take a more aggressive approach to regulating Wall Street.
In recent weeks, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has gained ground against
her in early primary states with a populist economic message that vows
to take on the "billionaires." Tampa
Tribune
Obamas
Refugee Resettlement Plan Could Stir Battle With States
The Obama administration's pledge to absorb thousands more Syrian and
other refugees could run headlong into resistance from state and local
officials worried about whether their communities can handle the influx.
Federal officials announced last month they plan to take in at least 10,000
refugees from Syria over the next year, and a total of 100,000 refugees
from around the world by 2017 -- up from 70,000. While Republicans on Capitol
Hill have raised concerns about whether refugees from Syria will be adequately
screened for terror ties, local officials are worried simply about whether
they have the resources to take them. Fox
News
VOA VIEW: Obama's plan must be stopped.
House
Defeats Attempt To Dismantle Benghazi Committee
U.S. representatives beat back an attempt Wednesday to disband the
House Select Committee on Benghazi, as Republicans quashed the latest push
from Democrats to try to discredit the panel ahead of a hearing later this
month featuring former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Rep.
Louise Slaughter, New York Democrat and ranking member of the House Rules
Committee, had introduced the privileged resolution, which cited recent
comments Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy made about the work of the committee
and Mrs. Clintons sagging poll numbers. Washington
Times
The
Real Reason U.S. Drug Prices Are So High
Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli became the latest poster
boy for Wall Street greed when he jacked up the price of an HIV drug more
than 4,000 percent to $750 a pill. But the former hedge fund manager's
behavior is far from unique. Dramatic price hikes on existing drugs, or
astoundingly high rates for new ones, are common practice in the United
States. The pharmaceutical industry defends the price spikes as a means
of funding research to develop new drugs. But a close look at the finances
of more than a dozen public drug companies illustrates research and development
expenses are routinely smaller than company overheads, including marketing
costs. And often after-tax profits still greatly exceed those R&D expenses
that the companies say are so high. CBS
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Officials
Investigate Petting Zoo At County Fair After 2 Children Sickened With E.
Coli
A petting zoo and animal barns at a Maine county fair are being investigated
after two children who visited the fair were infected with E. coli, health
officials said. The Maine branch of the Centers of Disease Control and
Prevention has launched a probe into the cases and is currently focusing
on the children's visits to the petting zoo and animal barns at the Oxford
County Fair, officials said. "Maine CDC is working with the State Veterinarian
and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to investigate
the fact that each child attended the Oxford Fair and visited the animal
barns and petting zoo," a CDC spokesman said in a statement. ABC
Volkswagen
Executives in the Hot Seat on Capitol Hill
The top U.S. official for Volkswagen will appear before a congressional
panel this week and is expected to apologize for the company's emissions
violations. Michael Horn, Volkswagen Group of Americas president and CEO,
will answer questions Thursday from lawmakers about the automaker's software
that cheated U.S. emissions tests. "We have broken the trust of our customers,
dealerships, and employees, as well as the public and regulators," Horn
will say, according to his testimony. "We are determined to make things
right." ABC
Carson
Would Beat Clinton, Biden, Sanders In Ohio, Pennsylvania
No president has won the general election since 1960 without carrying
two out of those three swing states. Hillary Clinton is still leading the
Democratic presidential primary in three key swing statesFlorida, Ohio,
and Pennsylvaniabut a new poll suggests she may have more to worry about
than whether Vice President Joe Biden enters the race: Neurosurgeon Ben
Carson could potentially pose a threat to the entire Democratic field.
If the election were held today and Carson were the Republican nominee,
he would beat Clinton, Biden, and Senator Bernie Sanders in the battleground
states of Ohio and Pennsylvania and also best Sanders, a Vermont independent,
in Florida, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.1 No president
has won the general election since 1960 without carrying two out of those
three swing states. Bloomberg
House
Conservatives Oppose McCarthy, Search For Alternative
The House's most hard-edged conservatives are anxious to derail Majority
Leader Kevin McCarthy's bid to become speaker, but they're outnumbered
and their chosen candidate lacks support. That leaves the Californian the
heavy favorite when Republicans pick their candidate to replace John Boehner
on Thursday. Members of the House Freedom Caucus announced Wednesday that
the group of several dozen rebellious conservatives would support longshot
Republican Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida for speaker. But with McCarthy
expected to win Thursday's vote anyway, many were looking ahead to Oct.
29, when the full House formally elects the next speaker. Philadelphia
Inquirer
Second
Company Turns Over Hillary Email Data To FBI
The FBIs investigation into Hillary Rodham Clintons server has extended
to a second computer data company to recover her deleted e-mails. Datto
Inc., of Norwalk, Conn., was hired by Clinton in 2013 to provide a private
cloud backup of her personal server and now is cooperating with the FBI
to turn over any remaining data, the McClatchy News Service reports. Datto
said in a statement that with the consent of our client and their end
user, and consistent with our policies regarding data privacy [on Tuesday],
Datto delivered to the FBI a hardware device containing all backed-up data
[related to Clinton]. The company that maintained Clintons personal e-mail
operation, Platte River Networks in Denver, already turned over its server
to the FBI. NY
Post
VOA VIEW: More emails, more lies.
Ben
Carson Would Be A 'Real Black President,' Rupert Murdoch Tweets
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is drawing criticism for implying that President
Obama is not a real black president in a tweet Wednesday night intended
to praise GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson. Ben and Candy Carson terrific,
the owner of Fox News wrote. What about a real black President who can
properly address the racial divide? And much else. Many on Twitter took
issue with Murdochs choice of words. Murdoch has been a vocal Carson booster
and has posted several supportive tweets about the candidate. Murdoch,
84, started his media empire with a chain of Australian newspapers. It
has grown to include 21st Century Fox (which is now run by his son, James),
Britains BSkyB, Dow Jones, The New York Post, Harper Collins and a 30%
stake in Hulu, to name a few. USA
Today
Medicare
Part B Premiums To Rise 52% For 7 Million Enrollees
For seven in 10 Medicare beneficiaries 2016 will be much like 2015.
They will pay $104.90 per month for their Medicare Part B premium just
as they did in 2015. But 2016 might not be anything like 2015 for some
30% of Medicare beneficiaries roughly 7 million or so Americans. Thats
because premiums for individuals could increase a jaw-dropping 52% to $159.30
per month ($318.60 for married couples). And for individuals whose incomes
exceed certain thresholds, premiums could rise to anywhere from $223.00
per month up to $509.80 (or $446 to $1,019.60 for married couples), depending
on their incomes. What gives? Blame the hold harmless provision in the
law that addresses cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for Social Security
benefits. USA
Today
Clinton
E-Mails Were Vulnerable To Hackers, Tech Firm Warned
A technology subcontractor that has worked on Hillary Rodham Clintons
e-mail setup expressed concerns over the summer that the system was inadequately
protected and vulnerable to hackers, a company official said Wednesday.
But the concerns were rebuffed by the company managing the Clinton account,
Platte River Networks, which said it had been instructed by the FBI not
to make changes. The FBI has been reviewing the security of the e-mail
system. The subcontractor, Datto, which specializes in backing up data,
had not been aware that it was handling Clinton e-mails until media reports
in August noted Platte River Networks involvement with the controversy
surrounding the former secretary of states e-mails. Washington
Post
VOA VIEW: Hillary jeopardized national
security.
Jose
Andres Hits Back At Trump Over Restaurant Deal
Washington-based celebrity chef Jose Andres isnt bringing a whisk
to a knife fight. In court documents filed late Wednesday, the top toque
says real estate mogul-turned GOP candidate Donald Trump is the one to
blame for the bust-up of a deal in which Andres was to open the flagship
restaurant in Trumps redevelopment of the Old Post Office Pavilion into
a luxury hotel complex. Andres, a native of Spain who recently became a
U.S. citizen, backed out of the plan in August after Trump made some unsavory
comments about illegal Mexican immigrants. Trump promptly slapped the chef
with a $10 million breach-of-contract suit. But in the documents filed
with the D.C. Superior Court, Andres and his company, ThinkFoodGroup, contend
that Trumps comments themselves constituted the initial breach of the
contract and so Trump has no one to blame but himself. Washington
Post
California
Wants Renewable Energy For Half Its Power By 2030
Gov. Jerry Brown dramatically increased California's climate-change
goals, committing the state to use renewable energy for half its electricity
and make existing buildings twice as energy-efficient in just 15 years.
Brown tried for an even stronger measure that also would have enforced
a 50 percent drop in petroleum use by 2030, but was defeated by oil interests.
He called that a short-term setback, and insisted that the world needs
to wean itself off fossil fuels as quickly as possible. "What has been
the source of our prosperity now becomes the source of our ultimate destruction,
if we don't get off it. And that is so difficult," Brown said at a signing
ceremony Wednesday at the hilltop Griffith Observatory, overlooking the
haze of downtown Los Angeles. Houston
Chronicle
Chaffetz,
Webster Challenge McCarthy For House Speaker
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is the front-runner in the race
to become the next speaker, but he faces two Republican opponents who are
trying to draw some of his support. Four-term Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah
and three-term Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida both say they can bring a
needed fresh perspective to GOP leadership, unlike McCarthy, who has served
as majority leader under Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Boehner is resigning
at the end of the month and has endorsed McCarthy in Thursday's race in
the GOP caucus to pick a nominee. After the caucus picks its candidate,
the full House will elect a speaker Oct. 29. Chaffetz is the brash 48-year-old
chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where
he has launched high-profile investigations of the Secret Service, Planned
Parenthood and other issues. Houston
Chronicle
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Donald
Trump, Hillary Clinton Still Lead In Three Key Swing States
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton still lead in the swing states of
Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania with Clinton's support eroding a bit, according
to a new Quinnipiac University survey. In Florida, 28 percent of GOP voters
say they would vote for Trump, up 5 percentage points from August. Retired
neurosurgeon Ben Carson comes in second, with 16 percent. And only 12 percent
of Florida Republicans would back their own former governor, Jeb Bush,
for president. Trump also leads among Republicans in Ohio with just under
a quarter of the vote. Again, Carson comes in second place and the state's
current governor, John Kasich, would receive 13 percent of the GOP primary
vote. CBS
Amazon
Said To Weigh Creating A Live Online Television Service
Amazon.com Inc. is exploring the creation of a live online TV service
and has reached out to major media companies including CBS Corp. and Comcast
Corp.s NBCUniversal to express interest in carrying their channels, according
to people familiar with the matter. Amazons deliberations are preliminary,
said the individuals, who asked not be identified discussing ongoing negotiations.
A live service would expand the online retailers investment in video entertainment
and bring it into direct competition with pay-TV providers like Comcast
and AT&T Inc. Other companies are offering or experimenting with Internet-delivered
TV services, including Sony Corp., Dish Network Corp. and Apple Inc. Bloomberg
Harry
Reid Files Suit Against Exercise Companies Over Eye Injury
Less than a year after suffering an eye injury while exercising with
an elastic band, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid is suing the three exercise companies
that manufacture the TheraBand that snapped and lacerated his face for
negligence. Reid and his personal attorney, James M. Morgan, filed a complaint
in the Clark Country District Court to take action against Hygenic Intangible
Property Holding Company, the Hygenic Corporation and Performace Health
LLC. The complaint, first reported by the Las Vegas Law Blog, alleges that
Reid, 75, suffered damages exceeding $50,000 and that the companies were
responsible for manufacturing a defective product. The complaint says
that the TheraBand broke or slipped out of Mr. Reids hand, causing him
to spin around and strike his face on a cabinet. It goes on to allege
that the defendants knew or had constructive knowledge that TheraBands
were dangerous for use by the elderly and that the accident occurred
solely as a result of the carelessness, recklessness, negligence and culpable
conduct of defendants." Las
Vegas Sun
GOP
Hopefuls Donald Trump And Marco Rubio Take Over The Strip
The Entertainment Capital of the World is all about political power
this week. GOP presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Marco Rubio bring
their showbiz connections to the Strip seeking to get voter support, as
Nevada becomes the third state in the Union to hold its early Republican
caucus voting Feb. 23. The Democratic caucus is three days earlier on Feb.
20. There will be 34 Republican delegates and 33 Democratic delegates who
represent precinct-level voters at respective national conventions to select
the party nominee. Las
Vegas Sun
Weight
Loss Surgery Linked To Suicide, Self-Harm
Weight loss surgery patients are at increased risk for self-harm and
suicide within the first three years after having a bariatric procedure,
according to a new study.
Previous research has shown therapy before and after surgery should
be recommended for some patients because of the proportion of morbidly
obese people with depression or other issues related to their weight. "Even
if you remove the burden of weight, you don't remove the burden of disease,"
Dr. John M. Morton, president of the American Society for Metabolic and
Bariatric Surgery, told the L.A. Times. "Some of the psychological issues
might still be there." UPI
Draft
Biden Super PAC Releases First Ad
Draft Biden, a super PAC dedicated to convincing Joe Biden to run for
president, released an emotional ad online Wednesday featuring the vice
president talking about his family. The 90-second clip is titled "My Redemption"
and juxtaposes Biden's 2015 address at a Yale commencement ceremony with
images of him and his family.
After being elected to the Senate in 1972, Biden's wife and young daughter
were killed in a car crash and his sons, Hunter and Beau, badly injured.
Beau ultimately died of cancer earlier this year. UPI
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White
House 'Deeply Concerned' By Escalating Tensions In Jerusalem
The White House is monitoring an increased tempo of violence in Jerusalem
and the West Bank with a growing sense of alarm, a senior administration
official told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. Four separate attacks gripped
the country on Wednesday alone, following a series of stabbings and shootings
of Israelis over the past week. "We are deeply concerned about recent violence
and escalating tensions in the West Bank and Jerusalem," the senior official
said, "and we condemn in the strongest terms violence against Israeli and
Palestinian civilians." "We call upon all parties to take affirmative steps
to restore calm, and refrain from actions and rhetoric that would further
escalate tensions," the official continued. Jerusalem
Post
Russian
Missiles 'Hit IS In Syria From Caspian Sea'
Russia says it has launched rocket strikes on Islamic State group targets
in Syria from warships in the Caspian Sea - about 1,500km (930 miles) away.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said four warships fired 26 sea-based cruise
missiles at 11 targets, destroying them and causing no civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, Syrian ground troops have launched an offensive under Russian
air cover, Syrian officials say. Russia denies claims that its week of
strikes have mainly hit non-IS targets. The Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights reported "the most intense fighting in months" in Hama and Idlib
provinces. The clashes followed a wave of Russian air strikes in the same
areas, it said. BBC
California
Bans Paparazzi From Flying Drones On Private Property
California has put limits on flying drones, in an effort to stop paparazzi
photographers from snapping photos of celebrities from afar. The law expands
the state's definition of invasion of privacy to include sending a drone
over private property to make a recording or take photos. Singer Miley
Cyrus filmed a paparazzi drone flying above her home last year. Governor
Jerry Brown signed the bill on Tuesday, but has rejected other recently
proposed drone regulations. Another bill would have made flying drones
over wildfires illegal. Drones have been blamed for interfering with recent
fire-fighting efforts as the state has experienced massive wildfires. BBC
JFK:
Declassified Documents Reveal A Cunning And Cagey President
John F Kennedys secret talks with Soviet intelligence, surreptitious
tape recordings and girlfriend system create a new portrait of a cunning
and cagey JFK, according to a historian who has researched a treasure trove
of recently released recordings and papers of the late president. Drawing
on documents and tape recordings recently declassified, historian Timothy
Naftali told a meeting at New York University on Tuesday night that Kennedys
wife Jacqueline and brother Robert censored and edited the presidents
legacy, cultivating the mystique of a charismatic leader who continues
to baffle and fascinate Americans of all stripes and creeds. Guardian
Bill
Clinton On The Late Show: Trump Interesting But I Support 'Val The Singer'
Bill Clinton has refused to take credit or blame for Republican
frontrunner Donald Trumps White House bid, while calling the mercurial
real-estate mogul the most interesting character out there. Appearing
on Stephen Colberts Late Show on Tuesday, the host asked Clinton to set
the record straight about a private phone conversation that took place
between the former president and the would-be president in the weeks before
Trump declared his candidacy and subsequently upended the 2016 race. Guardian
UN
Launches Nelson Mandela Rules On Improving Treatment Of Prisoners
The United Nations today launched the Revised Standard Minimum Rules
for the Treatment of Prisoners, dubbed the Nelson Mandela Rules, which
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed as a great step forward but also
drew attention to three areas that could be strengthened from a human rights
perspective. The Secretary-General welcomes the revised rules and progress
made, said Ivan imonovi?, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights,
who represented the UN chief at the high-level presentation at UN Headquarters
of the revised Rules, named after the late South African President who
spent years in prison. South Africa also chaired the Expert group in the
revision of the Standard Minimum Rules. UN
News
Ban
Welcomes Election Of Chief Of UN-Backed Climate Panel Ahead Of Paris Conference
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the
election of Lee Hoesung of the Republic of Korea as Chairman of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Mr. Hoesung will guide the Panels work
of assessing the science related to climate change. He looks forward to
the IPCCs new leadership at this critical moment when governments are
preparing for the global climate change conference in Paris later this
year, and extends his congratulations to Mr. Lee, said a statement issued
yesterday by his spokesperson in New York. UN
News
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