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The Democrats' Pointman on Impeachment

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has a tough job in Congress amid Democrat impeachment pleas and Trump allies denying subpoenas.

Missouri: destructive tornado leaves three people dead and severe damage

Series of devastating storms led to multiple tornadoes, leaving people injured and trapped in homes as torrid weather pummels parts of midwest A large and violent tornado has left at least three people dead in Missouri as torrid weather continues to pummel parts of America’s midwest. A series of devastating storms hit the area on Wednesday night leading to multiple tornadoes. The region has already endured days of torrential rain and flooding. The National Weather Service confirmed that the deadly tornado moved over Missouri’s capital, Jefferson City, shortly before midnight. “Across the state, Missouri’s first responders once again responded quickly and with strong coordination as much of the state dealt with extremely dangerous conditions that left people injured, trapped in homes, and tragically led to the death of three people,” Governor Mike Parson said. Authorities said the three were killed in the Golden City area of Barton county, near Missouri’s south-west corner, as the severe weather moved in from Oklahoma, where rescuers struggled to pull people from high water. Kenneth Harris, 86, and his 83-year-old wife, Opal, were found dead about 200 yards from their home, and Betty Berg, 56, was killed and her husband, Mark, seriously injured when their mobile home was destroyed, authorities said. The tornado hit during a week that has seen several days of tornadoes and torrential rains in parts of the southern plains and midwest. No deaths were reported in the capital, but city police officials said about 20 people were rescued by emergency personnel as the tornado caused damage to multiple buildings. Emergency workers reported about two dozen injuries, Williams said, and around 100 people went to shelters. Hospitals reported treating injuries such as cuts and bruises. The weather service reported that a “confirmed, large and destructive tornado” was observed over Jefferson City at 11.43pm local time on Wednesday, moving north-east at 40mph . The capital city has a population of about 40,000 and is located about 130 miles west of St Louis. “It’s a chaotic situation right now,” said Lt David Williams of Jefferson City police. A car is trapped under the fallen metal roof of the Break Time gas station and convenience store in Jefferson City, Missouri. Photograph: David A Lieb/AP The tornado was described as a “wedge”, meaning it was wider than it was tall. According to reports it moved at 40mph at some points, and dispersed debris 13,000ft into the air, including overturning vehicles. The weather service said it had received 22 reports of tornadoes by late Wednesday; some could be duplicate reporting of the same twister. One tornado skirted just a few miles north of Joplin, Missouri, on the eighth anniversary of a catastrophic tornado that killed 161 people in the city. The tornado caused some damage in the town of Carl Junction, about four miles north of the Joplin airport, where several injuries were reported. Storms and torrential rains have ravaged the midwest, from Texas through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. Authorities urged residents of several small towns in Oklahoma and Kansas to leave their homes as rivers and streams rose. Deaths from this week’s storms include a 74-year-old woman found early on Wednesday morning in Iowa. Officials there say she was killed by a possible tornado that damaged a farmstead in Adair county. Missouri authorities said heavy rain was a contributing factor in the deaths of two people in a traffic accident on Tuesday near Springfield. A fourth weather-related death may have occurred in Oklahoma, where the highway patrol said a woman apparently drowned after driving around a barricade on Tuesday near Perkins, about 45 miles north-east of Oklahoma City. The unidentified woman’s body was sent to the state medical examiner’s office to confirm the cause of death. Keli Cain, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma department of emergency management, said she was not yet listed as what would be the state’s first storm-related death. Catastrophic flooding in the area even swept some homes into a river. The Associated Press contributed reporting

Dem. Rep. Accuses DHS Secretary of Choosing to Let Migrant Kids Die: ‘This Is Intentional’

Representative Lauren Underwood (D., Ill.) on Wednesday accused the acting Department of Homeland Security secretary of intentionally implementing border-security policies that would lead to the deaths of migrant children.During his appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan was asked to explain why five children have died in federal custody after being apprehended at the southern border since December.“These stories are appalling and yet they keep happening,” Underwood said, referring to the recent migrants deaths, as well as reports of inadequate housing and medical care for migrant children apprehended at the border. “Now Congress just provided half a billion dollars in February to address the humanitarian crisis at the border and will soon provide more. Why do these tragedies keep happening?”McAleenan, who succeeded Kirstjen Nielsen in April, responded that the resources provided by Congress are insufficient to address the record number of asylum seekers, many of whom are women and children, arriving at the border each day.“They're happening because the crisis is exceeding the resources provided. That's why we've asked for more and we've asked for more authority to prevent this crisis from happening in the first place and to prevent the children from being placed at risk,” he said.Underwood, a 32-year-old freshman lawmaker, dismissed McAleenan's claims, suggesting instead that he was implementing policies intended to result in the death of children.“People keep dying, sir. People keep dying. So, this is obviously more than a question of resources,” she said. “Congress has been more than willing to provide the resources and work with you to address the security and humanitarian concerns, but at this point, with five kids that have died, 5,000 separated from their families, I feel like — and the evidence is really clear — that this is intentional. It's a policy choice being made on purpose by this administration and it's cruel and inhumane."“That's an appalling accusation and our men and women fight hard to protect people in our custody every single day,” McAleenan responded.> The acting DHS secretary denies the accusation that migrant deaths are "intentional" policy. pic.twitter.com/7xiThg8IVY> > -- VICE News (@vicenews) May 22, 2019Republicans on the panel reacted forcefully to Underwood's assertion. The ranking Republican on the committee, Representative Mike Rogers (R., Mich.) called for a vote to strike her comments from the record. The vote passed 9-7.“You cannot impugn the character of the witness by stating that he intentionally murders children. That is completely inappropriate and her words should be taken down,” Rogers said during the hearing. “She was very explicit.”“It’s absolutely disheartening to see some radical Democrats stoop so low to say that the Acting DHS Secretary McAleenan is murdering children. McAleenan left the private sector to serve his country after the towers fell on 9/11. This is a sad day for America and the Democrat party,” Representative Mark Green (R., Tenn.) said in a statement provided to National Review.On Monday, 16-year-old Carlos Hernandez Vasquez became the fifth migrant child to die in federal custody in the last six months.Vasquez crossed into the U.S. without his parents and died of the flu at a Border Patrol station in Weslaco, Texas after spending a week in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CPB). His death has drawn scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers, who have pointed out that policy dictates he should have been transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within 72 hours of his apprehension.“Make no mistake: This is a pattern of death. This is an epidemic of death by the Trump administration,” Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. “As I mentioned, nobody had died for ten years. And in the last six months, you've had five deaths.”The Trump administration has for months urged Congress to provide resources for medical care and the construction of housing units that can accommodate the new asylum-seekers arriving at the southern border. The existing detention centers lack the capacity to handle the record influx and were built to accommodate the mostly single men who formerly comprised most of the illegal-migrant population.The administration has also urged Congress to reform the asylum system through legislation in order to limit the number of migrants who must be detained on U.S. soil while their claims are being adjudicated.

China says U.S. needs to fix 'wrong actions' as Huawei ban rattles supply chains

Japanese conglomerate Panasonic Corp joined a growing list of global companies that is disengaging from Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's second-largest seller of smartphones and the largest telecom-gear maker, saying it had stopped shipments of some components. Its move came a day after British chip designer ARM said it had halted relations with Huawei to comply with the U.S. supply blockade, potentially crippling the Chinese firm's ability to make new chips for smartphones. Huawei uses ARM blueprints to design the processors that power its smartphones.

Four more deaths on traffic-jammed Everest

A traffic jam of climbers in the Everest "death zone" was blamed for two of four new deaths reported Friday, heightening concerns that the drive for profits is trumping safety on the world's highest peak. Nepal has issued a record 381 permits costing $11,000 each for the current spring climbing season, bringing in much-needed money for the impoverished Himalayan country. The four latest deaths reported on Friday, taking the toll from a deadly week on the overcrowded peak to eight, include two Indians and a Nepali on the Nepal side and an Austrian on the way down on the northern Tibetan side, officials and expedition organisers said.

Group seeks $100M for woman killed by US border agent

HOUSTON (AP) — Advocates demanded $100 million in damages Thursday on behalf of the family of a 20-year-old Guatemalan woman who was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent last year.

Serial con artist arrested after scamming woman he met on Match.com out of $85,000

A serial con artist was arrested Wednesday after allegedly scamming a Georgiawoman he met on Match

Carson says he had 'difficulty hearing' during viral Oreo testimony, defends HUD proposals

Carson said he "was having difficulty hearing” during the committee testimony that went viral when he appeared to mix up a real estate term and Oreos.

May to Announce Departure Date Friday, FT Says: Brexit Update

Key Developments:May will inform her advisers Friday morning of the day she plans to stand down, the FT reportedMay’s Brexit legislation isn’t listed for debate in the first week of June as promised, but the government says it still hopes to put it to Parliament that weekEU elections are under way. The prime minister will meet with her advisers at 10 a.m. to reveal her decision and will also meet Graham Brady, chairman of the rank and file 1922 Committee, it said. May appeared determined to re-write her Withdrawal Agreement Bill to make it palatable to her party when she met with Home Secretary Sajid Javid, according to a person familiar with the discussion.

'Chaotic situation' as tornado tears through Missouri's capital of Jefferson City

A violent tornado ripped through Jefferson City, Missouri, late Wednesday, leaving many trapped and others injured. More storms are forecast.

62,000 Pounds of Raw Meat Recalled

If you're planning on firing up the grill this Memorial Day weekend, you may want to double check your meat products before you get a very un-festive surprise.

Stealth History: The F-35C Is Now Ready For War If the U.S. Navy Needs It

By 2025, the Navy's aircraft carrier-based air wings will consist of a mix of F-35C, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers electronic attack aircraft, E-2D Hawkeye battle management and control aircraft, MH-60R/S helicopters and Carrier Onboard Delivery logistics aircraft such as the Navy Osprey tiltrotor aircraft variant.As the F-35C becomes officially deemed “operational” and “ready for war," the Navy is adding weapons, sensors and software to the aircraft to expand its attack envelope --- and may even increase the F-35s ability to carry up to 6 air-to-air weapons in its internal weapons bay.Such a configuration, which would increase the stealth fighter’s internal weapons load by two missiles, has been designed and implemented by F-35-maker Lockheed Martin -- as an offering for the Air Force and Navy to consider.“Lockheed Martin has matured design concepts to integrate 6 air-to-air missiles within the internal weapons bays of the F-35A and F-35C variants,” Lockheed Martin spokesman Michael Friedman told Warrior in a written statement.While making a point to emphasize that any decision to increase the weapons capacity of the F-35 would of course need to come from the military services themselves, Lockheed engineers say the new “internally carried” firepower would massive increase attack options -- all while preserving the stealth configuration of the aircraft.

AP Was There: The roots of the 'American Taliban'

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — This story was first published on Dec. 21, 2001, when AP journalist Justin Pritchard reported on the American Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh's journey to the Taliban front lines. We are reprinting the story now to mark Lindh's release after nearly two decades in prison.

Taiwan's TSMC says chip shipments to Huawei not affected by U.S. ban

TSMC, the world's biggest contract chipmaker, said on Thursday its shipments to China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd are not affected by U.S. action aimed at curbing the telecom equipment maker's access to American technology. The comment was made by spokeswoman Elizabeth Sun at the TSMC 2019 Technology Symposium in Taiwan's tech hub of Hsinchu.

Google unveils a fresh new look for Search on mobile devices

Google unveiled a new look and feel today for the way it presents Google Search results on mobile, and the update has been regarded in a few corners now as somewhat News Feed-like.It's easy to see why that's the case, as the search giant's changes include putting emphasis on a website name and favicon above the search results. Whereas the source of results had previously not been so clearly emphasized, which makes the new design for showing results feel a little like scrolling through a feed of posts from publishers and the like."With this new design, a website's branding can be front and center, helping you better understand where the information is coming from and what pages have what you're looking for," explains Google Senior Interaction Designer for Search Jamie Leach in a company blog post today. "The name of the website and its icon appear at the top of the results card to help anchor each result, so you can more easily scan the page of results and decide what to explore next."The post notes that the refreshed look for what's arguably Google's most important product will start showing up to users over the coming days. As part of the changes, Leach continues, when you search for a product or service and Google feels like it's got a relevant, "useful" ad that would be worth including in the results, you'll now see an ad label in bold at the top of a search results card. The web address will also be included, so you can quickly determine where the information you're seeing is coming from.The other important thing to note about the Google Search refresh on mobile is that this also lays the foundation for Google to add more action buttons and information previews to search results cards, with Google wanting you to be able to now do everything from buying movie tickets to playing podcasts right there from within the results. "Our goal with Search always has been to help people quickly and easily find the information that they're looking for," Leach says. "Over the years, the amount and format of information available on the web has changed drastically -- from the proliferation of images and video to the availability of 3D objects you can now view in AR." Which is why the company thought a "visual refresh" of Search on mobile would do a better job of helping people find the information they need and quickly determine where it came from.

Trump says US-China trade deal could include Huawei

President Donald Trump on Thursday for the first time linked a dispute over telecom giant Huawei, which he views as a threat to American security, with a deal to resolve the US-China trade war. "Huawei is something that is very dangerous," Trump told reporters at the White House. The two sides have hardened their stands over Huawei, with the US blacklisting the smartphone and telecommunications company over worries that China uses it as a tool for espionage, while Beijing has accused Washington of "bullying" the firm.

‘India Wins,’ Modi Says as He Surges to Decisive Victory

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has surged to a majority on his own in India’s general election, with his Bharatiya Janata Party establishing a commanding lead in vote counting. "India wins yet again," Modi said in a tweet. BJP supporters have begun celebrating in the streets as the party extended its lead in more than 299 seats -- easily ahead of the 272 seats needed to form government and more than the 282 the party won in 2014.

Rain, flooding expected in U.S. Southern Plains after deadly storms

Weather forecasters on Wednesday expected drenching rains to roll into the storm-ravaged U.S. southern and central states, where thunderstorms and tornadoes killed at least three people and triggered widespread flooding. More than 30 tornadoes struck a swath from Texas to Iowa since Monday, according to the National Weather Service, and residents in at least three Oklahoma riverfront communities were urged to evacuate due to flooding. One person was killed and another was injured when a tornado struck the rural town of Adair, Iowa, about 50 miles (80 km)west of Des Moines, at about 1:30 a.m. local time, the weather service said.

Memphis teen overcomes homelessness to earn $3 million in scholarships, valedictorian honors

Tupac Mosley, 17, received $3 million in scholarships and was recognized as his high school's valedictorian at Raleigh Egypt High School in Memphis.

Two Words That Even an F-22 Doesn't Have the Power to Defeat

The small Raptor force is expensive to operate ($58,000 per flight hour, three times the cost of an F-16), but the fifth-generation stealth aircraft remain the U.S. military’s preferred weapon for countering the latest 4.5-generation jets like the Russian Su-35 or China’s J-20 stealth fighter and J-11D.The F-22 Raptor may be the most elusive fighter ever built. It has a radar-cross section the size of a marble, and if it gets into trouble, it can rocket away traveling up to two-and-a-half times the speed of sound—so fast that the friction from the air would melt its radar-absorbent coatings right off its airframe. But this October, the Air Force discovered that a Raptor with its wings clipped can’t evade the force of nature.(This first appeared late last year.)Tyndall Air Force Base, located on a coastal peninsula across from Panama City, Florida, is a sprawling twenty-nine thousand-acre complex which at the beginning of October housed fifty-five F-22 Raptors of the 325th Fighter Wing—nearly a third of all F-22s built, making it the primary center for Raptor pilot training. It also houses QF-16 jet fighter drones used for Full-Scale Aerial Target tests, T-38 supersonic jet trainers and Mitsubishi Mu-2 twin-engine utility planes used to train AWACS crews in airborne-early warning skills.

CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Confronts Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Trump’s Tantrum

It’s been 73 days since Sarah Huckabee Sanders last held a “daily” White House press briefing. For the most part, she has chosen to bring the Trump administration’s message to Fox News and Fox News only. But on Thursday morning she stepped out of her comfort zone and was quickly reminded what it feels like to be questioned by a real reporter. Sanders’ interview with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on New Day started out all smiles as the two women exchanged pleasantries. But as soon as the host began to dig in on President Trump’s ultimatum to Democrats in Congress that he will not work with them on infrastructure until they stop investigating him, things went south.Alisyn Camerota Loves Doing Journalism at CNN, After Doing the Opposite at Fox News“Congress say they can do two things at once, the Democrats is Congress say this isn't a problem,” Camerota said. “So is the president saying that he cannot do infrastructure while he's being investigated?” “I think it’s a complete lie that Democrats in Congress think they can do two things at once,” Sanders replied. “So far we haven't seen them do anything. Nancy Pelosi has had the majority in the House for months and is yet to accomplish a single thing. They literally haven’t gotten anything done since she took over.” When Camerota pointed out that since January, the House has passed 248 bills and the Senate has passed 161, Sanders laughed it off as insignificant. “I just want to say, it's the president who is saying that he can't do infrastructure while he's being investigated,” Camerota reiterated. “He is the one who walked out of the meeting. So just so that we're clear, he's saying that bridges are not going to be fixed until he's no longer investigated, is that what we hear from the White House?” Instead of answering that question, Sanders stammered a bit as she once again accused Democrats of being “incapable of doing anything other than investigating this president.”“They spend all of their time attacking him and the fact that they would have a meeting an hour before they are set to arrive at the White House where Nancy Pelosi literally accuses the president of a crime and then wants to walk into his office and sit down as if nothing happened, that's just—that's lunacy,” she continued. “That's not even in the realm of possibility. The president absolutely wants to get infrastructure done, he wants to secure our border, he wants to do things that help our veterans, he wants to improve our education system, he wants to do all of those things but Democrats have been unwilling to work with him.”Fox News' Chris Wallace Shuts Down Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Claim About Terrorists Crossing BorderLater, after confirming that Trump’s “merit-based” immigration plan will not prioritize DREAMers, Sanders returned to her attacks on Pelosi for suggesting the president may have committed a crime. “That would be like John telling you that he thought you were stealing from the network and then sitting down in the chair next to you and saying, but no big deal, let's just move forward,” she said, referring to Camerota’s co-host John Berman. “John would never accuse me of something like that,” Camerota said with a smile. “I would hope not,” Sanders added. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Serial cyberstalker could avoid prison again under plea deal

Only hours before women marched through many U.S. cities in January, Christopher Cleary set off a manhunt when he posted a Facebook message threatening to kill "as many girls as I see" in retaliation for years of romantic rejection. Cleary, 27, called himself a virgin who never had a girlfriend, stoking fears of another deadly rampage by a man blaming women for his problems. When police tracked his cellphone and arrested the Colorado resident at a McDonald's restaurant in Provo, Utah, Cleary said he had been upset and wasn't thinking clearly.

This is the first time Apple’s iPhone 11 model numbers have been spotted in public

Try as Apple might, the company simply can't keep details about upcoming iPhone models from leaking out months ahead of time. While most leaks tend to come from the supply chain, sometimes we're able to glean information about Apple's next-gen iPhone lineup from legal filings Apple is obligated to make in certain jurisdictions.To the latter point, it was discovered that Apple recently registered eleven new iPhone models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database, and it's the first time Apple's new iPhone 11 model numbers have ever been spotted in a public database. The new registrations (via MySmartPrice) have the following model numbers: A2111, A2160, A2161, A2215, A2216, A2217, A2218, A2219, A2220, A2221, and A2223.While the registration certainly doesn't tell us anything about what features we can expect to see out of Apple's forthcoming iPhone lineup, it seemingly corroborates reports which relay that Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup, much like last year, will consist of three distinct models. Hardly a surprise, we've been hearing for months that Apple this September will release successors to the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max.Feature-wise, the entry-level "iPhone 11R" will boast a dual-lens camera scheme while the successors to the iPhone XS and XS Max will reportedly boast a triple-lens camera design. The triple lens camera option is particularly intriguing as it will offer users improved zoom capabilities, ultra wide-angle shots, crisper photos, and more. As for other camera details, there have been reports that the two rear cameras on the iPhone 11 Max will boast 10-megapixel and 14-megapixel sensors.Aesthetically, Apple's iPhone 11 release will offer up a familiar design, with the lone difference being a conspicuous camera bump on the rear that will house a flash and three camera sensors. The final iPhone 11 design remains to be seen, but there's a good chance it's going to look a lot like this.There are also reports that Apple's iPhone 11 lineup will include bilateral charging, a feature that should allow the iPhone to charge other Apple devices such as AirPods. Battery life on the iPhone 11 line is also said to be improved, and we can naturally expect some distinct speed improvements with the anticipated A13 chip.Size wise, Apple's iPhone 11 models will be the same as what we saw this year, which is to say that the entry-level device will boast a 6.1-inch LCD display while the two premium models will feature 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED displays, respectively. Unfortunately, there's no indication that we're going to see Apple introduce a next-gen iPhone SE 2 anytime this year.If all goes according to plan, we can expect Apple to introduce its new iPhone 11 lineup sometime this September at the company's annual special media event.

Modi vows 'inclusive' India after landslide election win

Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed an "inclusive" future for all Indians on Thursday after a landslide election victory that crushed the Gandhi dynasty's comeback hopes once again. Together we will build a strong and inclusive India. India wins yet again!," Modi tweeted as delirious supporters of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated nationwide.

Trump tax returns: Judge rules major banks can hand over president's financial documents

A judge has ruled that Deutsche Bank and Capital One can hand over Donald Trump’s financial documents in response to congressional subpoenas.US District Court Judge Edgardo Ramos rejected a request by Mr Trump and his family to block subpoenas issued by Democrats on the House Financial Services and Intelligence committees on Wednesday, striking a blow to the president’s longstanding attempt to keep his financial records secret from the American public.The subpoenas are seeking years of documents, including tax returns and evidence of suspicious activity. In the case of Deutsche Bank, which has lent Mr Trump’s real estate company millions of dollars, the subpoenas are also seeking any internal communications regarding Trump and his ties to foreign individuals.Capital One is home to one of Mr Trump’s personal accounts. In August 2017, Mr Trump wrote a $35,000 cheque to Michael Cohen from this account. That money was linked to the president’s attempt to pay off Stormy Daniels, the porn star who alleged that she had an affair with Mr Trump before he took office. Last month, the president and his children sued both Deutsche Bank and Capital One to block the subpoenas, claiming they were “too broad.”Deutsche Bank told CNBC on Wednesday following the judge’s ruling that they would not fight his order. Capital One has not yet responded to the ruling.Judge Ramos’s ruling follows a decision by a different federal judge on Monday, which concluded that the House Oversight Committee could subpoena Trump records held by the accounting firm Mazars USA. Mr Trump is appealing this decision.This morning, Mr Trump abruptly left a scheduled meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to enter the White House Rose Garden, where he told reporters that he refused to work with Democrats until they "get these phony investigations over with".

The Latest: Tornadoes move through southwest Missouri towns

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Latest on storm damage in the Southern Plains and Midwest (all times local):

Teen arrested in attack on off-duty firefighter defending elderly couple on Upper East Side

The 17-year-old suspect told reporters that he was "defending his friend." He's charged with second-degree assault.

The 'AOC primary': Can Warren steal the prized endorsement away from Bernie?

While the Democratic star says she'll support whoever wins her party's nomination, she's leaning toward two candidates.

Toyota Yaris Recalled Because Airbags Might Not Deploy in a Crash

Toyota is recalling 43,221 of its 2015 to 2017 Yaris hatchbacks because faulty wiring might prevent side and curtain airbags from deploying in a crash, according to the National Highway Traffic S...

Chip designer ARM halts work with Huawei after U.S. ban

Huawei, in common with Apple Inc and chipmakers such as Qualcomm, uses ARM blueprints to design the processors that power its smartphones. "ARM is complying with the latest restrictions set forth by the U.S. government and is having ongoing conversations with the appropriate U.S. government agencies to ensure we remain compliant," an ARM spokesman said in a statement. "ARM values its relationship with our longtime partner HiSilicon (Huawei's chip arm) and we are hopeful for a swift resolution on this matter." Huawei said it valued its close relationships with its partners, but it recognized the pressure some of them are under "as a result of politically motivated decisions".

Galaxy S10 update delivers improvements to Night mode, but it still can’t touch Google’s Night Sight

The Night Sight shooting mode Google introduced this past November has been nothing short of a game-changer. Relying on advanced software techniques, Night Sight mode allows Pixel users to take incredibly detailed photographs in low-light environments. The feature has rightfully been categorized as "magic" and has prompted a number of competing handset manufacturers to step up their game.While it remains to be seen if Apple's next-gen iPhone lineup incorporates improved low-light photography, Samsung didn't waste any time jumping into the mix. With the launch of the Galaxy S10, Samsung included a "Bright Night" feature that was far from a legitimate rival to Google's Night Sight mode. Still, Samsung kept at it and last month released a Night Mode option to the S10 via a software update.While the new Night Mode was a distinct improvement, it wasn't without its own fair share of shortcomings. The good news, though, is that the most recent update from Samsung brings even more improvements to the table.Sammobile already had a chance to play around with the new update and their findings are quite encouraging.> Having the option to use Night mode with the ultra-wide camera is perhaps the most useful addition with the new update. The ultra-wide camera has a narrower aperture (F2.2) than the primary camera (F1.5), so it's unable to capture as much light by default and has higher noise. Night mode shots with the ultra-wide lens still have plenty of noise, but you get brighter and slightly more detailed shots that were not possible before.> > ...> > Night mode in general has been improved as well. There's lower noise in Night mode photos. The phone now keeps the shutter open longer than it did previously, although that also introduces blur in pictures taken in very tough low-light conditions unless you hold the phone really, really steady. In regular low-light scenes, however, the final scene is noticeably cleaner in some situations.Sammobile also posted a number of comparison shots that illustrate some of the subtle improvements afforded by the latest software update. The differences aren't necessarily mind-blowing, but the latest software update definitely serves up much crisper shots than the previous iteration.The bad news is that the latest update is currently available in Switzerland exclusively, but should be rolling out to other geographic locations over the next few weeks. The site, though, notes that users in the U.S. might have to wait a bit longer for the update given how slow carriers have been to push out existing updates.

A $1.4 Trillion India Spending Push Tops Modi 2.0 Agenda

The Bharatiya Janata Party pledged cash handouts to farmers, $1.44 trillion to build roads, railways and other infrastructure, a boost to manufacturing, and a doubling in exports. Consumer spending has taken a knock as a crisis among shadow banks curbed lending. The government has already widened its budget deficit target for the year through March 2020 to 3.4% of gross domestic product.

Pentagon to present Trump with plans to send 10,000 extra troops to Middle East

The Pentagon expected on Thursday to present the White House with plans to send up to 10,000 extra troops to the Middle East to bolster forces against potential threats from Iran, officials said.The morning meeting between defence chiefs and Trump administration officials comes as tensions continue to simmer with Tehran.Any move to deploy more forces would signal a shift for Donald Trump, who has repeatedly emphasised the need to reduce the US presence in the region. It’s unclear whether the White House might approve all or some of the requested forces.Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press the possible surge is not in response to any new threat from Iran.They said troops would be defensive forces and discussions include additional Patriot missile systems, more ships and increased efforts to monitor Iranian activities.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Mr Trump was currently evaluating the forces required in the region “every day”. He told Fox News: “We’re evaluating the risks, making sure that we have it right.”US officials have provided few details about possible Iranian threats but indicated missiles have been taken off the boats near Iran’s shore.Sending more troops could also raise questions on Capitol Hill. During closed briefings for the House and Senate on Tuesday, defence leaders told congressional officials the US doesn’t want to go to war with Iran and wants to de-escalate the situation.Mr Pompeo and the acting secretary of defence Patrick Shanahan have insisted the US was only seeking to deter, not provoke, Iran – despite Mr Trump’s posting a series of hostile tweets over the past week. On Sunday the president tweeted: “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again.”In early May, the US accelerated the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East and sent four B-52 bomber aircraft to the region. The Pentagon also decided to move a Patriot air-defence missile battery to an undisclosed country in the area.The Trump administration has evacuated nonessential personnel from Iraq, amid unspecified threats the administration said are linked to Iranian-backed militias in the country.> If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!> > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) > > May 19, 2019On Sunday, a rocket was fired into Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, landing less than a mile from the sprawling US Embassy. There were no injuries and no group claimed responsibility, but the rocket was believed to have been fired from east Baghdad, home to Iran-backed Shiite militias.Some Democrats say Mr Trump is responsible for drawing Iran’s anger. Last year he abruptly pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal, negotiated during the Obama administration to prevent Iran from nuclear weapons production.The president also has re-imposed sanctions that have hurt Tehran’s economy, and designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation.The tensions with Iran comes as the US military revealed it sent two Navy ships through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, angering China at a time of fraught relations between the world’s two biggest economies.

The Latest: Runaway barges cause 'minimal' damage to dam

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on severe weather moving across the central United States (all times local):

Trump Justice Department Crosses New Line, Charges Assange With Publishing U.S. Secrets

Daniel Leal-Olivas/GettyIn a stunning escalation of the Trump administration’s war on the press, the Justice Department has indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for revealing government secrets under the Espionage Act. It’s the first time a publisher has been charged under the World War I-era law.The indictment charges Assange with 16 counts of receiving or disclosing material leaked by then-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2009 and 2010. The charges invoke broad provisions of the Espionage Act that make it a crime to disclose or retain any defense information knowing it “could be used to injure” the U.S. The act has no exception for reporters or publishers, but prior administrations have balked at invoking the law against journalists for fear of colliding with the First Amendment. The Justice Department immediately sought to draw a distinction between Assange and the press in a briefing for reporters announcing the new indictment.“The department takes seriously the role of journalists in our democracy and we thank you for it,” said John Demers, head of the department’s National Security Division. “It has not and never has been the department’s policy to target them for reporting. But Julian Assange is no journalist.” Demers cited WikiLeaks’ publication of the names of U.S. government sources, saying it endangered people in China, Iran, and Syria.WikiLeaks on Twitter called the prosecution “the end of national security journalism and the First Amendment.”Assange is currently serving an 11-month sentence in the U.K. for jumping bail in a Swedish rape investigation, while the U.S. pushes its request to extradite him to the United States on computer hacking charges revealed in April. He was kicked out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London that month after taking refuge there from authorities for seven years. The leaked documents comprised 250,000 State Department cables, 90,000 Army field reports from Afghanistan and 400,000 from Iraq, and 800 detainee assessment briefs from Guantanamo Bay. Assange released most of that material without redaction, and the new indictment claims that the U.S. sources identified in the leaks were put in harm’s way as a result. “By publishing these documents without redacting the human sources’ names or other identifying information, Assange created a grave and imminent risk that the innocent people he named would suffer serious physical harm and/or arbitrary detention,” the indictment alleges. He is also charged with two counts of conspiracy for allegedly working with Manning to violate the Espionage Act and the anti-hacking Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The FBI and federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia, first began investigating Assange in 2010 and amassed a wealth of internal WikiLeaks chats and documents from informants and subpoenas. But the Obama administration was reluctant to indict Assange. A former senior Justice Department official told The Daily Beast last month that the Trump administration saw Assange’s case as a way to pursue its war on leaks. “There was renewed interest under the new administration to revisit issues of what qualifies as the media and to look back at the Assange case,” said Mary McCord, who was acting head of DOJ’s National Security Division. Despite the barrage of leaks in the years following the Manning disclosures, there were signs as early as 2017 that the Justice Department was still focused on the leaks that first put WikiLeaks on the map. A witness at the grand jury proceedings that produced Thursday’s indictment told The Daily Beast that prosecutors were specifically probing Assange’s reluctance to redact his leaks for any reason.“They showed me chat logs in which I was arguing vehemently with him about releasing documents that would leave people vulnerable and put people’s lives at risk,” said David House, a former WikiLeaks volunteer, in an interview last March. “That was the only thing they put in front of my face that made me think, ‘This may be what they’re going after him for.’”No U.S. sources are known to have come to harm as a result of the leaks, likely in part because of a massive remediation effort launched in the weeks before Assange published the material. The indictment takes pains to distinguish WikiLeaks from conventional journalism outfits in other ways as well, quoting Assange’s own description of his site as an “intelligence agency of the people” and lingering on Assange’s chats with Manning in which he encouraged and guided the soldier in the leaking. It also claims Manning deliberately sought out military secrets that were listed on a “most wanted leaks” section on WikiLeaks’ website.None of this is strictly relevant to the Espionage Act. If the Justice Department included these details to make the Assange prosecution more palatable to journalists and free speech advocates, it’s not working.  “Any government use of the Espionage Act to criminalize the receipt and publication of classified information poses a dire threat to journalists,” said Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in a statement.  “This is an extraordinary escalation of the Trump administration’s attacks on journalism, and a direct assault on the First Amendment,” said the ACLU’s Ben Wizner. “It establishes a dangerous precedent that can be used to target all news organizations that hold the government accountable by publishing its secrets.”How Assange Could Beat the U.S. and Stay Out of JailRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. 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Deadly strike hits Syria market as Damascus battles jihadists

Maaret al-Numan (Syria) (AFP) - Syrian government air strikes killed 23 civilians, including a dozen people at a busy market, as fierce fighting raged for the jihadist-held northwest, a war monitor said on Wednesday. Regime forces battled to repel a jihadist counteroffensive around the town of Kafr Nabuda that has left 87 combatants dead since Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance, led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, controls a large part of Idlib province as well as adjacent slivers of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces.

U.S. judge says Qualcomm violated antitrust law; appeal planned, shares plunge

The decision issued late Tuesday night by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, caused Qualcomm shares to plunge 11 percent on Wednesday. "Qualcomm's licensing practices have strangled competition" in parts of the chip market for years, harming rivals, smartphone makers, and consumers, Koh wrote in a 233-page decision. Qualcomm said it will immediately ask Koh to put her decision on hold, and also seek a quick appeal to the federal appeals court in California.

McAleenan: We need to address issue of families crossing the border

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Tearful Theresa May Quits as Brexit Breaks Her Premiership

An emotional Theresa May announced she will quit as Britain’s prime minister after admitting she had failed to deliver the one task that defined her time in office -- taking the country out of the European Union. May said Britain now needs a new prime minister to take over and try to complete the task that has defeated her. The result will shape the direction of Brexit and all options -- from leaving with no deal to canceling the divorce -- are now back on the table.

Pelosi: Trump is 'crying out' for impeachment but House Democrats are not on that path for now

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