lightblink: February 2018

Wednesday, 28 February 2018

Prison fight caught on camera

A fight broke out in the maximum security section of the Cook County Jail in Illinois. Two inmates were taken to area hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Sixteen inmates were charged with 'mob action.'

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2otC7no

Family Dog Walks Out Of Rubble After 5 People Killed in Tornado, Deadly Floods

Central U.S. through Appalachia experienced gale force winds and heavy rains over the weekend.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2EXyRLC

Doyle Lee Hamm execution: Repeated jabbing of death row inmate in attempted lethal injection amounts to torture, says lawyer

Convicted murderer Doyle Lee Hamm, 61, who has spent more than half his life on death row, was returned to his cell after more than two hours of effort by the execution team. Bernard Harcourt, who has represented Hamm for 28 years, claimed the “botched” execution attempt led to at least 12 puncture wounds from failed needle placements. “It was a gory, botched execution," he said.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2F5PFPR

In free speech case, justices troubled by Fla. man's arrest

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court justices seemed troubled Tuesday by the arrest of a Florida man during a city council meeting in Florida, an arrest he says was retaliation for being an outspoken critic of the city.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2t2l3tv

BLM's Alicia Garza Launches Census Project To Mobilize Black Political Power

Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza has created a new initiative aimed at helping black communities achieve greater political power.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2EXlyqm

Fire breaks out in overhead storage on Chinese aircraft

A fire broke out in the overhead storage of a Chinese passenger jet moments before it was scheduled to take off. Flight attendants and a passenger threw water and juice over a bag in the luggage compartment as it was engulfed in heavy smoke and flames. The fire was thought to have been triggered by a power bank that was being carried in the bag, reports said. The owner was taken away by police for questioning. All the passengers were forced to disembark the Boeing 777 following the fire, which happened while the plane was parked on the tarmac at Guangzhou Airport in southern China. It was scheduled to fly to Shanghai. The passengers and crew were taken to a different aircraft which took off just after 3pm, three hours after the original flight was scheduled to depart. Fire caused by portable charger on China Southern flight in Guangzhou was put out promptly, while passengers were relocated to another plane pic.twitter.com/HYwShVN1t3— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) February 25, 2018 The power charger was not in use when the fire started, Chinese media said. The video of the fire was shared widely on Chinese social media, where many were commenting on why only bottles of water and juice were used to extinguished the flames. “Don’t they have proper fire extinguishers on planes,” said one comment on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. The fire on the aircraft Credit: Weibo However, other observers said the crew reacted to the fire correctly. “Using water is standard operation procedure,” said a Tweet from ChinaAviationReview, which tweets updates on Chinese aviation news. “Water is actually better than… extinguisher in case of lithium battery fire.” Chinese airlines allow lithium batteries to be taken onto aircraft in hand luggage, but they are not allowed to be packed in checked-in luggage. Additional reporting by Christine Wei

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2EQ4fvg

Poll: Most Voters Think The NRA Is Bad For America

Most voters think the National Rifle Association supports policies that are bad for the country, new polling finds, as an increasing share favor stricter gun laws. In a Quinnipiac University National Poll conducted after the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, 51 percent of voters said the NRA supports policies that are bad for the U.S. That’s an uptick from October, when the poll found that 47 percent of respondents thought the NRA supported bad policies.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2HPObHO

Major quake cuts communications, halts oil and gas operations in Papua New Guinea

By Charlotte Greenfield and Sonali Paul WELLINGTON/MELBOURNE (Reuters) - At least one company began evacuating non-essential personnel after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Papua New Guinea's energy-rich interior on Monday, causing landslides, damaging buildings and closing oil and gas operations. The tremor hit in the rugged, heavily forested Southern Highlands about 560 km (350 miles) northwest of the capital, Port Moresby, at around 3.45 a.m. local time (1545 GMT Sunday), according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A spokesman at Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Centre said by telephone the affected area was very remote and the agency could not properly assess damage until communication was re-established.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2Fwq6VQ

NSA chief: Trump 'has not ordered disruption of Russia election meddling'

A top national security official told lawmakers on Tuesday he had not been directed by Donald Trump to disrupt Russian efforts to meddle in US elections, and that Vladimir Putin had come to the conclusion there was “little price to pay” for such actions.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2FaBzwg

US deputy branded a 'coward' breaks silence, defends actions

Now, after nearly two weeks of opprobrium, the sheriff's deputy accused of failing to take action during the Florida high school shooting is fighting back. Scot Peterson, 54, broke his silence on Monday and defended his conduct during the shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 14 students and three adult staff members dead. "Let there be no mistake, Mr. Peterson wishes that he could have prevented the untimely passing of the 17 victims on that day, and his heart goes out to the families of the victims," his attorney, Joseph DiRuzzo III, said in a statement.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2CLpDMy

So That Baby Definitely Wasn't Crying On 'Walking Dead,' Right?

By all accounts, the most recent episode of “Walking Dead” was tragic (RIP Carl). In the Season 8 midseason premiere on Sunday, Carl enjoyed a touching moment with his sister Judith (Chloe and Sophia Garcia-Frizzi), saying goodbye before his inevitable death from a zombie bite.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2EYbphm

The Latest: Obama not planning to attend Graham memorial

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Latest on those paying respects to the Rev. Billy Graham in Charlotte (all times local):

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2EUL9Ep

Oakland mayor warns residents of ICE immigration raids

Escalating California’s resistance to federal immigration enforcement, Oakland’s mayor has warned residents that she believes an operation was imminent. “I am sharing this information publicly not to panic our residents but to protect them,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a press release, citing her “moral obligation” and directing people to immigration law resources. “I know that Oakland is a city of law-abiding immigrants and families who deserve to live free from the constant threat of arrest and deportation,” she added, saying immigration authorities have “used activity rumors in the past as a tactic to create fear”.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2Conyu3

No Jail For Texas Teen Who Lied About Being Raped By 3 Black Men

On Thursday, 19-year-old Breana Harmon of Pottsboro pleaded guilty to four felony charges of tampering with physical evidence and government documents in relation to false reports of kidnapping and sexual assault. “She’s very remorseful for what she did and what she said, and that’s why she decided to plead guilty,” Harmon’s attorney Bob Jarvis told the Sherman Herald Democrat. On March 8, 2017, Harmon was reported missing to the Denison Police Department after witnesses noticed the door to her vehicle was open with personal items, including a phone and keys, scattered on the ground.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2t0lmoC

After Unsuspecting Mom Is Crushed in Central Park, How to Spot a Troublesome Tree

Anne Monoky is still in a neck brace after the incident six months ago.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2FbFI3q

N Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories' - BBC News

BBC News

N Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories'
BBC News
The US carried out missile strikes on a Syrian air base in response but President Bashar al-Assad maintained the incident was faked. Suspected chlorine gas attacks have been recently reported in Syria, including on Sunday in the Eastern Ghouta, a ...

and more »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2ovHSkO

Sean Hannity Unrivaled As Fox News Cruises To Big February Ratings Win - Forbes

Forbes

Sean Hannity Unrivaled As Fox News Cruises To Big February Ratings Win
Forbes
Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity crushed the cable news competition in February, finishing first with an average audience of 3.3 million total viewers. February marked Hannity's fifth straight month as the unrivaled King of Cable News, maintaining a ...

and more »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2F4b2h7

Iowa named best state in America by US News - USA TODAY

USA TODAY

Iowa named best state in America by US News
USA TODAY
This is the second year U.S. News has ranked states. According to this year's report, the rankings show how each of the 50 U.S. states perform in 77 metrics across eight categories. Those categories include health care, education, economy ...

and more »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2EXTKWU

Hope Hicks' limited testimony divides House Intelligence Committee - CBS News

CBS News

Hope Hicks' limited testimony divides House Intelligence Committee
CBS News
News · Latest · Video · US · World · Politics · Entertainment · Health · MoneyWatch · SciTech · Crime · Sports. Shows. CBS Evening News · CBS This Morning · 48 Hours · 60 Minutes · Sunday Morning · Face The Nation · Video · CBSN · Watch Live · CBSN ...
Trump-Russia: Communication director Hope Hicks testifies to CongressBBC News

all 162 news articles »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2F2BuHV

When a robot writes your news, what happens to democracy? - CNN

CNN

When a robot writes your news, what happens to democracy?
CNN
Stories might be presented in brief, for readers who like to peruse the news, or in-depth, for those who like to delve into details. It may even have actionable links to online stores selling essential supplies for those in the flood zone or social ...

and more »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2EXTyXG

Ryan Seacrest fights sexual misconduct claims as fellow ABC star calls for him to skip the Oscars - Fox News

Fox News

Ryan Seacrest fights sexual misconduct claims as fellow ABC star calls for him to skip the Oscars
Fox News
Hardy accused the ABC star of grinding his erect penis against her while he was only wearing underwear, groping her vagina and slapping her so hard on the bottom that she suffered for hours from a large, visible welt. ABC does not appear to be looking ...

and more »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2F1TqlT

Sean Hannity as Edward R. Murrow? Fox News opinion hosts style their shows as 'actual journalism.' - Washington Post

Washington Post

Sean Hannity as Edward R. Murrow? Fox News opinion hosts style their shows as 'actual journalism.'
Washington Post
Sean Hannity got a very high compliment Monday night. Carter Page, a former Donald Trump campaign adviser surveilled by the FBI for suspected ties to Russia, likened Hannity to a journalism icon. “You have been the Edward R. Murrow of this whole ...

and more »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2ovu3CU

Syrian government bombing of Eastern Ghouta continues, despite Russian pause - ABC News

ABC News

Syrian government bombing of Eastern Ghouta continues, despite Russian pause
ABC News
"No one dares to leave from here out of fear of revenge and out of fear of being detained [by the Syrian government]," one resident of Eastern Ghouta's largest town Douma, who asked not to be named out of security concerns, told ABC News. She said ...

and more »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2F1sHps

Takata airbag scandal: Australia recalls 2.3 million cars - BBC News

BBC News

Takata airbag scandal: Australia recalls 2.3 million cars
BBC News
The Australian government has ordered a compulsory recall of 2.3 million cars due to faulty Takata airbags. Exploding airbags have been linked to at least 23 deaths worldwide, including one in Australia, the government said. The move adds to a global ...

and more »

from news - Google News http://ift.tt/2osW1iD

FOX NEWS: National forecast for Monday, February 26

National forecast for Monday, February 26

Janice Dean has your FoxCast.

FOX NEWS: Major rain system traveling across the country

Major rain system traveling across the country

Adam Klotz has the forecast.

FOX NEWS: National forecast for Thursday, February 22

National forecast for Thursday, February 22

Janice Dean has your FoxCast.

FOX NEWS: Dust storm covers Australia town in film of orange

Dust storm covers Australia town in film of orange

A huge dust storm, complete with 60 mph winds hits Charleville in Queensland, Australia and deposits a film of orange dust over the town.

FOX NEWS: National forecast for Wednesday, February 21

National forecast for Wednesday, February 21

Janice Dean has your FoxCast.

FOX NEWS: National forecast for Tuesday, February 20

National forecast for Tuesday, February 20

Janice Dean has your FoxCast.

FOX NEWS: National forecast for Wednesday, February 14

National forecast for Wednesday, February 14

Janice Dean has your FoxCast.

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Letter opened at Virginia's Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall triggers hazmat situation; 11 fall ill

02/27/18 6:27 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Judge accused of bias by Trump rules against challenge to border wall

02/27/18 5:03 PM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Trump names Brad Parscale as campaign manager for 2020 re-election bid

02/27/18 11:15 AM

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert

President Trump strikes deal with Boeing for new Air Force One planes

02/27/18 9:22 AM

'The left is creating a crisis': conservative activists respond to Florida shooting

CPAC – the annual conference for conservative activists, which is sponsored by the NRA – occurred less than two weeks after the Parkland school shooting. The Guardian spoke with attendees including Sebastian Gorka, Katie Hopkins and Mark Burns about gun ownership, Parkland conspiracy theories and policy reform in the wake of the massacre

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2GOnmTa

Robert Mueller drops many charges against ex-Trump aide cooperating in Russia inquiry

Special counsel in Russia investigation drops almost two dozen fraud charges against former Paul Manafort associate Rick Gates

Trump-Russia investigation: the key questions answered

The special counsel investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin has dropped nearly two dozen criminal fraud charges against a key witness who has agreed to cooperate in the investigation.

A court filing on Tuesday showed that prosecutors working for Robert Mueller dropped some charges against Rick Gates, a former aide to the Trump campaign who previously worked as a lobbyist for pro-Russian interests, just days after he was indicted for participating in a conspiracy to hide millions of dollars in fees he was paid for lobbying work and evade US taxes.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2EWOuD3

'We got Bannoned': Trump aide Hope Hicks frustrates House panel on Russia

Communications director refuses to answer some questions
House intelligence committee is investigating Trump-Russian links

A member of the House intelligence committee said “We got Bannoned” on Tuesday, after a closed-door interview with Hope Hicks, a key aide to Donald Trump, as part of the panel’s Russia investigation.

Bloomberg reported that Denny Heck, a Washington Democrat, invoked Bannon, Trump’s former campaign manager and White House strategist, who refused to answer some questions in front of the panel.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2FzttuY

Could this 'military guy' Democrat find a magic formula to win back blue-collar voters?

Richard Ojeda is part of a wave of Democrats who have the ability to connect with working class white voters in districts where Trump won by double digits

When Richard Ojeda first comes into view, he barrels down the hallway like a bowling ball and with barely a pleasantry exchanged, he’s already on the attack.

“I’m fit’na light a fire today!” are nearly the first words out of the West Virginia state senator’s mouth. He’s animated about a state supreme court justice accused of bilking taxpayers with a lavish office redesign, including a $32,000 couch. “You’re gonna see how I roll, just wait.”

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2GO5t6M

Monica Lewinsky says Bill Clinton affair was ‘gross abuse of power’

Former intern says she suffered from PTSD after relationship and praises #MeToo movement

The former White House intern Monica Lewinsky has said the affair that led to impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton was not sexual assault, but “constituted a gross abuse of power”.

Writing in the March issue of Vanity Fair, Lewinsky also said she was in awe of the sheer courage of women who have been confronting entrenched beliefs and institutions.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2HPCNeV

Trump names Brad Parscale to manage 2020 re-election campaign

Parscale, an ally of Jared Kushner, worked for the Trump Organization and was the Trump campaign’s digital director in 2016

Donald Trump has named former digital adviser Brad Parscale as campaign manager of his 2020 re-election campaign.

In a statement, the Trump campaign said Parscale will lead “advanced planning” for the 2020 effort, and that the campaign will also be engaged in the 2018 midterm elections, which are shaping up to be a challenging environment for Republicans.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2FzWjvg

Bernie Sanders' son running for Congress in New Hampshire

Levi Sanders is joining seven other Democrats and three Republicans in the race for the 1st congressional district

Bernie Sanders’ son says he is running for Congress in New Hampshire.

Levi Sanders is joining seven other Democrats and three Republicans in the race for the 1st congressional district. Democratic representative Carol Shea-Porter is stepping down after her term ends.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2Crpe5W

'I was high as hell': Flea, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, attacks prescription of OxyContin

The musician wrote about his drug addiction in Time magazine, and argued ‘it’s hard to beat temptation’ when doctors prescribe opioids

Flea, the bassist in Red Hot Chili Peppers, has laid bare his struggles with addiction, and attacked the prescription of the controversial opioid painkiller OxyContin.

Flea, born Michael Balzary, wrote the revelations in an opinion piece for Time magazine called The Temptation of Drugs is a Bitch. In it he says he started smoking weed aged 11, before he “proceeded to snort, shoot, pop, smoke, drop and dragon chase my way through my teens and 20s.” He added that he had some “close calls” with death as a result of his drug-taking, which he “cut out forever” in 1993, aged 30.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2CMDcel

Pregnancy is a life experience I’d rather avoid. That doesn’t mean I’m selfish | Arwa Mahdawi

Society still frowns on women who don’t want to go through having children – despite the immense toll it can take on them. Why?

I recently conducted a very scientific study in the pub with some straight male friends. “Have you ever wanted to experience pregnancy?” I asked. The answer was an emphatic “absolutely not”. In the interests of methodological rigorousness, I rephrased my question. “Do you ever feel sad you aren’t able to experience what it’s like to grow a human inside you?” Again, 100% of respondents answered with some variation of, “Hell, no.”

My investigations were prompted by a scientific study published in the journal Human Reproduction. The official title of the study is Parity Associated With Telomere Length Among US Reproductive-Age Women, but a more accurate title would be Yet More Evidence That Pregnancy Is Torture. Not only does pregnancy mess with your hormones, it appears to mess up your DNA; giving birth may add the equivalent of 11 years to a woman’s biological age.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2FBTHgG

America's unions could be dismantled. Progressives must unite now | Tom Steyer

It is time to raise our unified voice for a positive agenda that puts the American people ahead of corporate profits

During the March on Washington in 1963, Dr Martin Luther King Jr spoke about “the fierce urgency of now”, underscoring the immediate and pressing need to take strong and immediate action to advance civil rights. It couldn’t wait. Today, communities across the country find themselves in a similar moment, fighting politicians who are hellbent on enacting Donald Trump’s noxious agenda of inequality and injustice.

The most recent incarnation: a supreme court case, Janus v AFSCME Council 31, intent on stripping away the rights of working people to join together in their unions, an attack on a basic American right.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2sYS1ed

Why we're psychologically hardwired to blame the victim

We want the world to be fair: the good will be rewarded, the evil punished. As a result, we blame the victims of misfortune

Outclassed: The Secret Life of Inequality is our column about class. Read all articles here

“Why I stayed” is the title of the blog entry.

In it, Jennifer Willoughby, the ex-wife of former White House staff secretary Rob Porter, lists abuses she says she endured, including being called a “fucking bitch”, and being physically prevented from leaving the house.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2HRo3wb

I was assaulted by a director. Now I'm giving up sex | Sarah Doyle

My assault is not the worst thing that has happened to me but it has made me confront my understanding of desire

#MeToo has kicked up the dust of some collective sexual pain. Sexuality itself is at battle. The French backlash against the semantically sinister #BalanceTonPorc (Call out your pig) fears a wave of puritanism, which has sparked some nods and some outrage. The movement continues its nuanced conversation.

I was assaulted by a Hollywood director and, in the wake of Weinstein, I have put in an incident report with LAPD. NYPD and Beverly Hills PD have since opened up an investigation against my abuser. Since reporting the assault, I have become part of a group of women who banded together on Twitter. We have met several times on either conference calls or meet-ups in LA streamed to others in other parts of the country, to further our mission for a safer society for women.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2GLF8Gt

LeBron James unsurprised by illegal payment claims around 'corrupt' NCAA

Cleveland Cavaliers star chose to skip college for NBA
Says colleges benefit more from players from amateur system

As college basketball finds itself mired in scandal, with allegations of illegal payments to student athletes flying around, one man who famously skipped the collegiate system has had his say.

LeBron James opted to go straight to the NBA after high school and said he wasn’t surprised to hear of the claims and had withering words for college sports’ governing body, the NCAA. “Kids getting paid is nothing new under the sun,” the three-time NBA champion told ESPN. “The NCAA is corrupt, we know that. Sorry, it’s going to make headlines, but it’s corrupt.”

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2EXHVQs

NFL seeks $2m from Cowboys owner Jones after clashes over Elliott and Goodell

Jones wanted to derail NFL commissioner’s extension talks
Dallas team owner also fought suspension of star running back

The NFL is exploring options to get more than $2m in reimbursement for legal fees from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over his threat to derail Commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract extension, as well as court costs for running back Ezekiel Elliott’s fight to avoid a six-game suspension, said a person with knowledge of the situation.

Many NFL owners were consulted on seeking restitution, including members of the finance committee, according to AP’s source. Some of the finance committee members are on the compensation committee that was at the center of what became a legal back-and-forth over Goodell’s deal.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2BT1Ygc

Mark Cuban: NBA's populist billionaire hit hard as scandal envelops Mavericks

As allegations of sexual harassment and violence at the franchise, the Mavs owner appears to be either complicit or incompetent

This was how Mark Cuban fared last week: fined a colossal sum for being too honest, the day after a report of grotesque behaviour at his basketball team drew questions about his potential role in what amounts to a long-running sexual harassment cover-up.

He’s either complicit or incompetent: two very off-brand prospects for a man who has burnished a reputation as an entrepreneur-savant and an American dream embodiment, bartender to self-made billionaire. Of course, he wrote a self-help book. It was called How to Win at the Sport of Business - If I Can Do It, You Can Do It.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2CJD6Ex

Five years ago Stephen Curry's 54-point game helped redefine the NBA

LeBron James is this era’s best player, but the Warriors guard has become its defining one. In February 2013, we saw a glimpse of the league’s future

Whatever debate once existed has long since been put to rest: the NBA is a three-point league. Teams are hoisting them at a higher rate than ever before – 28.9 attempts per game, at the latest tally. If the season’s trends hold, the Houston Rockets will become the first team in history to take more threes than twos, but they surely will not be the last. Everywhere you look are players willing to hoist it, with the analytics to back them up.

If you were trying to pinpoint the start of this spacious, audacious, and wildly entertaining era of professional basketball, you could do worse than 27 February 2013. In a contest that evening between the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden, the Warriors’ 24-year-old point guard, Stephen Curry, hit 11 of 13 shots from behind the arc en route to a 54-point performance. Statistically, the game wasn’t really all that different from the half-dozen or so similar outbursts that crop up every season, when a gifted player becomes unstoppable for a couple hours, and it didn’t end up perfectly, with the Warriors losing by four. But to revisit it now, five years later, is to see something singular: a statement of purpose for a different sport.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2EY2rQX

US housing department to spend $165,000 on own furniture as it faces $6.8bn budget cut

Spending is in addition to $31,000 dining set for Ben Carson’s office
Proposed budget cuts would affect poor and homeless Americans

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (Hud) has agreed to spend $165,000 on “lounge furniture” for its Washington headquarters, in addition to a $31,000 dining set purchased for housing secretary Ben Carson’s office.

The revelations on Tuesday of Carson’s expensive decor spending come as Donald Trump’s administration has proposed a cut of $6.8bn to Hud’s annual budget, or roughly 14% of its total spending, which would lead to reductions in programs aimed at poor and homeless Americans.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2F0MV2T

What gun control proposals are being considered – and will they succeed?

Efforts to ban bump stocks, improve background checks and arm teachers are among ideas officials have recently floated

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2F8AeGo

US official: I was demoted for rejecting Ben Carson's costly office revamp

Exclusive: Senior housing officer says she was replaced by a Trump appointee and told ‘$5,000 will not even buy a decent chair’

A senior career official in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development has alleged that she was demoted and replaced with a Donald Trump appointee after refusing to break the law by funding an expensive redecoration of Ben Carson’s office.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2CJCUVP

Federal Reserve chairman tells Congress US economy 'remains strong'

Jerome Powell indicates gradual increase in interest rates this year
New chairman avoids controversy in first congressional testimony

The US economy “remains strong”, the Federal Reserve chairman, Jerome Powell, told Congress on Tuesday as he signaled the central bank is on course to carry on gradually increasing interest rates in the coming months.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2FalkzC

Hawk or dove? Bitcoin is forcing central banks to take sides | Howard Davies

Love them or hate them it seems cryptocurrencies and the blockchain are too big to ignore

A few days ago, President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela announced that his government had launched the petro, a new state-sponsored cryptocurrency. He claimed that $735m (£529m) worth of the new currency had already been sold, though observers are sceptical, unless state entities have been obliged to buy them. Even they will find it hard to do so, however, as the technology platform on which the petro will be traded has not yet been confirmed.

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2COLJOg

Putin concludes 'no price to pay’ for Russia cyber attacks, says NSA chief – video

Adm Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, tells lawmakers that Putin has concluded that Russia can pursue digital warfare against the US with impunity

NSA chief: Trump ‘has not ordered disruption of Russia election meddling’

Continue reading...

from US news | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2oAZ1IZ