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July 14, 2019 at 9:23 am
The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Friday to block U.S. President Donald Trump from militarily striking Iran.
The measure was added by a vote of 251-170 to a $733 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would prohibit the Trump administration from utilizing any taxpayer funds for military action “in or against” the regime unless the president gets explicit authorization from Congress, although it would not prevent Trump from retaliating if Iran were to strike on the United States.
The Senate rejected such a provision last month.
The NDAA passed 220-197.
Additionally, the House NDAA “would, for example, reverse Trump’s ban on transgender personnel serving in the military and enact a one-year ban on the sale of air-to-ground m...
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July 14, 2019 at 9:21 am
White House hopeful Julián Castro called for the end of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Saturday ahead of a suspected operation to deport thousands of migrant families.
“I’ve said that instead of breaking up families, we should break up ICE,” the former Housing and Urban Development secretary said at the Netroots Nation conference in Philadelphia.
The comments come a day before the reported start of an ICE operation in several major cities across the country that would deport thousands of families living in the U.S. without documentation.
Read more at The Hill.
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July 14, 2019 at 9:20 am
Former U.S. Vice President and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said on Thursday that if elected, the United States would re-enter the 2015 Iran nuclear deal when the regime “returns to compliance.”
“If Tehran returns to compliance with the deal, I’d rejoin the agreement,” he said in a foreign-policy address in New York. “The historic Iran nuclear deal we negotiated blocked Iran from gaining nuclear weapons, with inspectors on the ground—international inspectors confirming that the agreement was being kept. Yet Trump cast it aside prompting Iran to restart its nuclear program, become more provocative, and raising the risk of another disastrous war in the region.”
He said that he would use “hard-nosed diplomacy” a...
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July 14, 2019 at 9:18 am
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt sat down with i24NEWS’ senior Washington correspondent Dan Raviv to discuss his proposed future Mideast peace plan following an economic summit held in Bahrain earlier this month.
When asked at what point the long-awaited political component of the plan will be revealed, Greenblatt told Raviv it is “unclear”.
“President Trump has to make a decision,” said Greenblatt. “It’s either going to be a pre-election post-election, pre-government post-government, we haven’t made a decision yet.”
“We understand completely that there is no such thing as an economic peace, but there is no such thing as a political agreement without a very strong economic plan,” said Greenblatt. ...
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July 14, 2019 at 9:16 am
US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) condemned the House Foreign Affairs Committee for considering a resolution condemning the anti-Israel BDS movement.
The resolution seeks “to silence opposition of Israel’s blatantly racist policies that demonize both Palestinians & Ethiopians. Our 1st Amd. right to free speech allows boycott of inhumane policies. This bill is unconstitutional,” tweeted the freshman congresswoman.
The resolution currently has 336 co-sponsors. It was introduced by Reps. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Ann Wagner (R-Mo.).
Tlaib is not on the Foreign Affairs Committee, unlike fellow freshman Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota. They both support BDS, which “is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, ju...
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July 14, 2019 at 4:52 am
Local authorities have advised motorists to take Route 1 via the Arazim Tunnel or Route 443.
Planning on driving to Jerusalem over the next three years or so? Better leave a little extra time.Beginning 10 a.m. on Sunday until sometime in 2022, Shazar Boulevard, a major artery at the entrance to Jerusalem from Route 1, will be blocked to all private vehicles, as part of the second stage of the Jerusalem Gateway Project, a plan to turn area into one of the country’s leading business hubs.
Some 40 traffic officers will be on hand Sunday to direct motorists to alternative routes, including Herzl Avenue, Yirmiyahu Street and Yitzhak Rabin Boulevard, which has been widened ahead of the closure. Public transportation will continue along Shazar as usual, unaffected by the constructi...
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July 14, 2019 at 4:49 am
One consequence of New York City's Saturday night blackout: It shined a bright spotlight on the tensions between two prominent Democrats, the city's mayor and the state's governor.
As more than 70,000 customers -- plus countless tourists and other visitors -- dealt with the loss of electricity attributed to a transformer fire, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomoblasted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was in Iowa campaigning for president when the massive blackout hit Manhattan.
“I can count the number of times I leave the state basically on my fingers,” Cuomo told CNN, responding to a question about the importance of the mayor being in New York during an emergency.
"Mayors are important. And situations like this come up, you know. ...
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July 14, 2019 at 4:45 am
Electricity was restored to thousands of customers in New York City on Saturday evening after an outage that knocked out traffic lights, stalled elevators and limited subway service.
Just before midnight, Con Edison CEO John McAvoy said in a news conference that all 73,000 customers affected by the outage in Midtown Manhattan and the Upper West Side had power restored. At its peak, the outage affected an area from 71st Street south to 42nd Street and east from the West Side Highway to Fifth Avenue.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo added that although service was restored some traffic lights remained out and New Yorkers should stay indoors for their safety.
"We would not encourage New Yorkers to go out if you don’t have to go out," he added, callin...
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July 13, 2019 at 11:27 pm
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Friday to add billions of dollars to a dwindling compensation fund for 9/11 workers, in legislation honoring a former New York City police detective who had beseeched Congress to take care of those sick or dying after laboring in toxic debris sites.
The House voted 402 to 12 in favor of the legislation, which was amended days ago to honor Luis Alvarez, a New York Police Department first responder who told lawmakers on June 11: “You all said you would never forget. Well, I’m here to make sure that you don’t.”
He died less than three weeks later.
The legislation, which was supported by all House Democrats and almost all Republicans, now moves to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said he a...
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July 13, 2019 at 11:26 pm
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Days after tensions with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi boiled over publicly, several House Democrats sent a message to Washington: We’re not backing down.
Three members of the “squad” — the cadre of liberal freshman lawmakers who are struggling with their party’s more centrist members over impeachment, immigration and other issues — defended their approach Saturday while appearing on a panel at the annual Netroots conference. All are young women of color, a fact not lost on supporters who have bridled at the criticism thrown their way.
“We never need to ask for permission or wait for an invitation to lead,” Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota said when asked what she would say to women of color who are frustrated or hurt by ...
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July 13, 2019 at 11:22 pm
Facebook may be close to putting a Federal Trade Commission investigation behind it. But it faces a variety of other probes in Europe and the U.S., some of which could present it with even bigger headaches.
While the $5 billion fine from the FTC, which Facebook has been expecting, is by far the largest the agency has levied on a technology company, the real worries for Facebook — and its investors and the companies that use it to advertise on its service — are the other restrictions and government oversight that might come with it. This goes for the other investigations as well, which span the globe from the European Union, Germany, and Belgium to New York, Canada and elsewhere.
“This fine signals that regulators are ratcheting up the pressure,” said Dim...
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July 13, 2019 at 11:02 pm
The head of Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah said Friday that US ally Israel would not be “spared” if a war broke out between the United States and Iran.
“The first to bomb Israel would be Iran”, Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview broadcast on Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television.
“Iran is able to bombard Israel with ferocity and force.”
But “Iran will not start a war, and I don’t think that the United States will go to war against Iran”, he added. “When the Americans understand that this war could wipe out Israel, they will reconsider. Our collective responsibility in the region is to work towards preventing an American war on Iran.”
Read more at i24NEWS.
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July 13, 2019 at 11:01 pm
As Bnei Yisroel continue through the midbar on their way to Eretz Yisroel, we are shown in vivid clarity, the face of evil. Moshe requests permission from Edom to pass through their land (Chukas, 20:14) He pleads, recalling how they had just come out from the suffering of Mitzrayim, but the king of Edom refuses them passage. (20:18) Moshe then promises to be paying customers for any water or vines they would consume along the way. The King reiterates his contempt by responding to this pledge with a threat to wage war if Bnei Yisroel dare tread on his land. Such hatred that they would not even sell us food and water nor let us traverse the boundary highway. Not only do we not want you in our land, we don’t want your commerce, we don’t want you...
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July 13, 2019 at 10:51 pm
ADELAIDE, Australia — Nuts have always been viewed as a healthy snack and great source of protein, but new research suggests that a steady, hardy diet of nuts can also sustain mental sharpness and cognition as we age.
Conducted at the University of South Australia, the study found that consuming more than 10 grams of nuts per day led to improved mental functioning and thinking, and better memory and reasoning. The study consisted of 4,822 Chinese adults aged 55 or older.
“Population aging is one of the most substantial challenges of the twenty-first century. Not only are people living longer, but as they age, they require additional health support which is placing unprecedented pressure on aged-care and health services,” head researcher Dr. Ming Li commen...
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July 13, 2019 at 10:41 pm
Walmart is jumping Amazon, launching a summer sale just one day ahead of Prime Day, the e-commerce behemoth’s biggest sale of the year.
The biggest retailer in the world’s sale starts on Sunday and lasts through Wednesday, offering -- similar to Amazon -- free two-day shipping orders over $35. Prime Day, meanwhile, begins Monday and last through Tuesday.
Like Amazon, just about everything will be on sale at Walmart, from gaming devices to smart home gadgets.
Prime Day, which is when members of the subscription service can find special deals on the company’s website and in Whole Foods store, first began in 2015. It’s turned into a massive shopping event since then.
Last year, Amazon said its Prime Day was the “biggest in history”, as prime member...
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July 13, 2019 at 10:36 pm
London - The suspect behind the leak of confidential memos from Britain’s Washington ambassador, which sparked a major diplomatic rift with the United States, has been identified, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.
Last week, Britain’s Mail on Sunday newspaper published memos from Kim Darroch in which he described Donald Trump’s administration as “inept” and “dysfunctional”, prompting an angry response from the U.S. president and causing the envoy to announce his resignation.
British officials have launched an inquiry to find the person responsible for the leak and counter-terrorism police said on Friday they had launched a criminal investigation.
According to the Sunday Times, which cited unnamed government sources, a suspect had been identif...
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July 13, 2019 at 10:32 pm
BALTIMORE — Raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are set to happen this weekend in Baltimore, but public officials in Baltimore City said they're doing what they can to push back.
While the ICE action is expected to begin Sunday in Baltimore and nine other major cities across the country, Baltimore leaders said they will not assist ICE.
"We stand as one. It's one Baltimore, and we're going to stand together," said Councilwoman Shannon Sneed.
In front of Baltimore City Hall, immigrants and faith and community leaders stood united Friday and said they'll fight back against President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
City lawmakers are reaffirming that Baltimore is "a welcoming city."
"We will not, in our city, help ICE, in an...
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July 13, 2019 at 10:27 pm
Newark, NJ - United Airlines expects to cancel more than 8,000 flights through October because of the grounding of its Boeing 737 Max planes.
United said Friday that it is dropping its 14 Max jets from the schedule until Nov. 3 — a month longer than previously planned.
The airline has used spare planes to cover flights that it planned to fly with the Max. Still, cancellations are rising because United was counting on receiving more Max jets this year, but Boeing suspended deliveries in March.
Chicago-based United said that without the planes, it will cancel 40 to 45 flights a day this month, about 60 a day in August, roughly 70 a day in September and 95 a day in October.
Southwest Airlines, which has 34 Max jets — more than any other carrier — does not expect the plan...
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July 13, 2019 at 10:26 pm
Beirut - The leader of Hezbollah said on Friday that Washington was seeking to open channels of communication despite ramping up sanctions against the Iran-backed movement’s officials.
U.S. President Donald “Trump’s administration is seeking to open channels of communication to Hezbollah in Lebanon through mediators. ... These are the American pragmatists,” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview with Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV without elaborating.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. State Department on the assertion.
New sanctions this week marked the first time the United States has targeted lawmakers of the heavily-armed Shi’ite Hezbollah, which is part of Lebanon’s coalition government.
The U.S. Treasury added three Hezbollah fig...
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July 13, 2019 at 10:24 pm
Manhattan, NY - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed a state agency to conduct an investigation into a blackout that left a large portion of Manhattan without electricity.
Cuomo said in a statement that although no injuries have been reported “the fact that it happened at all is unacceptable,” and the Department of Public Service will investigate the blackout.
Officials with Con Edison are expecting power to be restored to customers on the Upper West Side by midnight, Cuomo said.
The New York City Fire Department said a transformer fire started at West 64th Street and West End Avenue knocked out power to 45,000 customers.
