White House news

• Tests find drugs, alcohol in blood of Paris airport attacker

  19-03-2017 23:56
  
  PARIS (AP) — Blood tests determined Sunday that a suspected Islamic extremist consumed drugs and alcohol before a frenzied spree of violence that ended when he took a soldier hostage at Paris' Orly Airport and was shot dead by her fellow patrolmen.
  
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• Tillerson lauds China-US contacts in meeting with leader Xi

  19-03-2017 23:52
  
  BEIJING (AP) — The United States is looking forward to the first meeting between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday, on the final day of a swing through Asia dominated by concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
  
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• Man arrested after claiming bomb at White House gates: police report

  19-03-2017 23:46
  
  A 29-year-old man who was arrested near the White House late on Saturday falsely told the U.S. Secret Service he had a bomb, according to a police report released on Sunday.Sean Patrick Keoughan of Roanoke, Virginia, was arrested after he pulled up to the security checkpoint near the White House just after 11 p.m. on Saturday in a stolen 2017 Chevrolet Impala.Keoughan told the Secret Service: "There’s a bomb in the trunk” while holding something in his right hand, the police report s
  
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• Brazil says exports safe despite rotten meat scandal

  19-03-2017 23:43
  
  Brasília (AFP) - Brazil tried to reassure the world Sunday that its huge meat industry poses no threat -- with President Michel Temer even inviting ambassadors to a steak dinner -- despite allegations that corrupt exporters sold tainted products.Temer smiled as he inviteddiplomats to a traditional Brazilian meat restaurant called a churrascaria, saying "if you accept the invitation we will be very happy." Nineteen of the 33 envoys who met with him accepted the offer.The scare started Frid
  
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• French airport attacker 'had drunk and taken drugs'

  19-03-2017 23:38
  
  The man shot dead at Paris's Orly airport after attacking a soldier was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time, a judicial source said Sunday.Investigators are still trying to understand what motivated Saturday's assault by 39-year-old Ziyed Ben Belgacem, which led to a major security scare and the temporary closure of the capital's second-busiest airport.Ben Belgacem's father had insisted earlier Sunday that his son was "not a terrorist" and that his actions were caused by drink a
  
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• Brazil reassures foreign countries after meat scandal

  19-03-2017 23:24
  
  RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's president met Sunday with dozens of ambassadors from countries that import Brazilian meat, seeking to minimize damage from a corruption probe that alleges meatpackers bribed inspectors to keep rotten meat on the market.
  
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• Trump: Kim Jong Un ‘acting very, very badly’

  19-03-2017 23:01
  
  President Trump reiterated on Sunday that he believes North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un, are misbehaving with their nuclear provocations.
  
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• Abe, Merkel call for open markets

  19-03-2017 23:00
  
  German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a staunch joint defence of free trade Sunday, as the United States pushes towards greater protectionism."We want free and open markets," Merkel said in a speech in Hanover, a day before the world's biggest computer trade fair, CeBIT, kicks off in the central German city.The event is partnered with Japan this year.
  
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• Tourism to food, Buddhist Thailand hunts halal gold

  19-03-2017 22:44
  
  From hotels with segregated swimming pools to jelly made from seaweed instead of pig bones, Buddhist Thailand is chasing halal gold as it welcomes Muslim visitors and touts its wares to the Islamic world.Inside the cavernous dining hall of the five-star Al Meroz hotel in a Muslim suburb of Bangkok, an elderly man with a wispy beard recites verses of the Koran as a nervous-looking groom awaits the arrival of his bride.The ceremony is one of dozens of marriages held over the last few months at the
  
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• SpaceX Capsule Returns To Earth

  19-03-2017 22:40
  
  The Dragon capsule was carrying more than 3,600 pounds of cargo back to Earth, some of which will be transported immediately to NASA scientists for study.
  
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• More rain looms as Peru struggles with disastrous floods

  19-03-2017 22:06
  
  Peruvians struggled on Sunday to cope with avalanches, mudslides and extensive flash flooding caused by torrential downpours, and forecasters predicted still more rain ahead, prolonging the country's woes.It has been a bad year for flooding in Peru, and the toll including from the latest dangerous weather now stands at 75 since January, the government said.The National Emergency Operations Center said 99,475 Peruvians had lost everything since the beginning of the year, while 626,928 had suffere
  
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• The Latest: Judge rejects request to clarify travel order

  19-03-2017 22:05
  
  HONOLULU (AP) — The Latest on a lawsuit filed in Hawaii over the Trump administration's revised travel ban (all times local):
  
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• What Judge Gorsuch (and the rest of us) can expect at his confirmation hearing

  19-03-2017 22:02
  
  A whole 13 months after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia left a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the Senate will hold confirmation hearings starting on Monday to probe the judge nominated to replace him.“It’s a fascinating process because clearly he has strengths in intellect and articulateness that make him an appealing candidate,” Mr. Blumenthal told The New York Times.
  
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• Canadian wins $1M global teacher prize for work with Inuit

  19-03-2017 21:44
  
  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Canadian school teacher who encourages hope and acts of kindness in an isolated corner of Quebec won a $1 million prize Sunday in what has become one of the most high-profile awards for teaching excellence.
  
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• Photos of the day - March 19, 2017

  19-03-2017 21:32
  
  A boy rides his bike past destroyed cars and houses in a neighborhood recently liberated by Iraqi security forces on the western side of Mosul, Iraq; a baboon looks at the road in Amboseli National Park, Kenya; a woman places flowers on a train wagon at the old train station in Thessaloniki, Greece, to mark the 74th anniversary of the roundup and deportation of its Jews to Nazi extermination camps during World War II. These are some of the photos of the day. (AP/EPA/Getty/Reuters)
  
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• This fiery video captures Mount Etna's magical oozing lava

  19-03-2017 21:31
  
  Italy's Mount Etna is still fired up. The Sicilian volcano has been spewing lava and belching ash on and off for nearly three months now. After the latest eruption on March 16, fiery-hot lava began flowing down the volcano's slopes. The video shown above captures the flow only two days later.SEE ALSO: Watch this Mexican volcano blow some serious smokeBut as Mount Etna reminded visitors, lava is best viewed from afar. The brilliant red lava recently caused an explosion when it hit snow on the mou
  
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• Intel documents offer no evidence of spying on Trump Tower

  19-03-2017 21:28
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The top two lawmakers on the House intelligence committee said Sunday that documents the Justice Department and FBI delivered late last week offered no evidence that the Obama administration had wiretapped Trump Tower, but the panel's ranking Democrat says the material offers circumstantial evidence that American citizens colluded with Russians in Moscow's efforts to interfere in the presidential election.
  
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• Jimmy Breslin, chronicler of wise guys and underdogs, dies

  19-03-2017 21:22
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Breslin scored one of his best-remembered interviews with President John F. Kennedy's grave-digger and once drove straight into a riot where he was beaten to his underwear.
  
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• Syrian Presidential Palace Bombarded

  19-03-2017 21:16
  
  Rebels launched a surprise assault ahead of peace talks set to begin Thursday in Geneva.
  
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• Principal Pushes 5th Grader With Autism An Entire 5K Race

  19-03-2017 21:11
  
  The 5th grader's twin brother also ran alongside him.
  
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• Germany says Erdogan has 'gone too far' with Nazi jibe

  19-03-2017 21:00
  
  Germany angrily warned Turkey on Sunday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had gone too far after he accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of using "Nazi measures" in an escalating diplomatic feud.Turkey and the European Union are locked in an explosive crisis that threatens to jeopardise Ankara's bid to join the bloc, as tensions rise ahead of an April 16 referendum on expanding Erdogan's powers.The row erupted after authorities in Germany and other EU states refused to allow some Turkish ministers
  
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• Earth just had its second-warmest February on record

  19-03-2017 20:27
  
  As the saying goes: Another month, another disconcerting report from top U.S. climate agencies. Last month was Earth's second-hottest February on record since at least 1880, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently reported.  At the same time, the extent of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctica hit record monthly lows.SEE ALSO: Here’s why it's so frickin’ hot right nowIn February 2017, the average global temperature was 1.76 degrees Fahrenheit
  
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• Clashes in Syria capital after surprise rebel assault

  19-03-2017 20:23
  
  Heavy clashes rocked eastern districts of the Syrian capital on Sunday as rebels and jihadists tried to fight their way into the city centre in a surprise assault on government forces.The attack comes just days before a fresh round of UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva aiming at ending Syria's six-year war.Rebels and government forces agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities in December, but fighting has continued across much of the country, including in the capital.
  
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• Cat exhibition in Bishkek

  19-03-2017 20:14
  
  Cats breeders and owners from Kyrgyzstan gathered in Bishkek to present their feline pets. (Getty)
  
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• Will Steve King’s immigrant comments keep wary tourists out of Iowa?

  19-03-2017 20:03
  
  A travel boycott of Iowa could have serious economic impact on the state, which takes in around $8 billion a year in tourism revenue, according to state officials.Last week, staffers grappled with an unwieldy influx of correspondence following Representative King's retweet of a post endorsing Geert Wilders, a controversial, far-right candidate for Dutch prime minister who came in second place during a Wednesday election."We’re in a politically charged environment," Shawna Lode, the to
  
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• Neil deGrasse Tyson unleashes hot fire on Trump in angry tweetstorm

  19-03-2017 20:00
  
  Neil deGrasse Tyson took a break from sharing science facts and nerdy dad jokes on Sunday to blast Donald Trump in a raging tweetstorm. SEE ALSO: Maybe the GOP will finally get to kill Big Bird after allSpecifically, Tyson targeted Trump's proposed slashing of federal funding for programs that support the arts, education, and the EPA, which has long been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. The fastest way to Make a America Weak Again: Cut science funds to our agencies that s
  
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• In an Israeli warehouse, clues about Jesus' life and death

  19-03-2017 19:51
  
  BEIT SHEMESH, Israel (AP) — In a cavernous warehouse where Israel stores its archaeological treasures, an ancient burial box is inscribed with the name of Jesus.
  
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• Pressure builds on Trump to back off wiretap accusations

  19-03-2017 19:50
  
  By Emily Stephenson and Caren BohanWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers from both parties said on Sunday they had seen no proof to support the claim by Republican President Donald Trump that his predecessor Barack Obama had wiretapped him last year, adding pressure on Trump to explain or back off his repeated assertion.Several Republicans last week urged Trump to apologize for the allegations he made in a series of tweets on March 4."I don't know the basis for President Trump's assertion," U.S.
  
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• French Socialist draws crowd, says victory still possible

  19-03-2017 19:12
  
  PARIS (AP) — The Socialist candidate for the French presidency and his far-left rival have a big obstacle blocking their route to the presidential Elysee Palace: each other.
  
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• SpaceX capsule returns space station science to Earth

  19-03-2017 19:04
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A SpaceX capsule is back on Earth with a full load of space station science samples.
  
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• Macron holds edge in French election race ahead of first debate

  19-03-2017 18:56
  
  Emmanuel Macron remains favorite to win France's turbulent presidential election race, a poll showed on Sunday, on the eve of a first televised debate which could allow embattled conservative Francois Fillon to get back in contention.Macron, a former economy minister running as an independent centrist, would lead first-round voting with 26.5 percent, just ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen on 26 percent, before beating her 64-36 in the run-off, according to the Odoxa poll.Fillon scored 19 p
  
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• Correction: Radioactive Lab-Indictment story

  19-03-2017 18:50
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In a story March 17 about a Kansas man accused of tainting a lab with radioactive waste, The Associated Press misstated the name of an organization he founded. Ahmed el-Sherif founded the American Muslim Council of Greater Kansas City. The words "Kansas City" were mistakenly left off in the original story.
  
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• Federal court gives students chance to parry with judges

  19-03-2017 18:25
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Arguing a case before a panel of federal appeals-court judges can be daunting even for experienced lawyers. Their clients often have much at stake, and the judges can be relentless, interrupting with questions to point out weaknesses and even occasionally to scold.
  
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• Top Dem on House intel panel hopes Comey ends ‘wild goose chase’ over Trump wiretap claims

  19-03-2017 18:14
  
  The leaders of the House Intelligence Committee continue to say they have seen no proof of President Trump’s explosive, evidence-free claim that former President Barack Obama ordered the wiretapping of Trump Tower before the 2016 presidential election.“Was there a physical wiretap of Trump Tower?
  
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• Meals on Wheels receives massive donations following proposed budget cut. Will it matter?

  19-03-2017 18:12
  
  Following Thursday’s White House budget proposal release, Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit organization that delivers food to elderly isolated or disabled citizens received more than $100,000 in donations over a two-day period.The surge in contributions came after last week’s release of the White House budget proposal which includes a 17.9 percent cut for in federal funding for the Department of Health and Human Services, which according to Meals on Wheels, provides most of the organizat
  
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• Teacher from Canadian Arctic wins global prize in Dubai

  19-03-2017 18:08
  
  A Canadian who teaches at a school in a fly-in only village in the Arctic won a $1-million Global Teacher Prize at a ceremony in Dubai on Sunday.Maggie MacDonnell, praised for "changing the lives of her students and transforming her community", was among 10 finalists chosen from 20,000 nominations and applications from 179 countries.MacDonnell said she has witnessed over 10 suicides.
  
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• U.S. Republicans working on Medicaid, tax credit changes: Ryan

  19-03-2017 18:01
  
  U.S. House Republicans are working on changes to their healthcare overhaul bill that would implement a work requirement for the Medicaid program for the poor, as well as boost tax credits for older, lower income people, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Sunday."We think we should be offering more assistance than the bill currently does," for lower-income people age 50 to 64, Ryan said of the tax credits for health insurance that are proposed in the legislation.Speaking on the "Fox News Sunday
  
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• Pulitzer-winning New York columnist Jimmy Breslin dies at 88

  19-03-2017 17:59
  
  Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin, a self-described “street reporter” who chronicled New York City life for decades and won acclaim for his coverage of the "Son of Sam" serial killings, died on Sunday morning at age 88.Breslin died at his home on Manhattan's West Side, said Michael Daly, a friend and a columnist at the New York Daily News, one of several newspapers where Breslin worked in his decades-long career.Breslin was believed to be 86 at the time of his
  
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• Israeli archaeologists shine light on life in time of Christ

  19-03-2017 17:43
  
  The Israel Antiquities Authority on Sunday offered a rare glimpse into its storerooms, where staff said recent archaeological discoveries have cast new light on life at the time of Christ.The event was organised ahead of the upcoming Christian holiday of Easter, which marks the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion.Among finds from the first century AD discovered around Jerusalem and the Galilee, where the Bible says Jesus lived and preached, are vases, cooking utensils, a wine press,
  
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• Abbas to meet Egyptian leader ahead of Trump talks

  19-03-2017 17:40
  
  Mahmud Abbas will meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Monday with ties strained between them and ahead of the Palestinian leader's talks with Donald Trump in Washington.The Palestinian president is to meet Trump at the White House for the first time in early April, a Palestinian official said on condition of anonymity.An Arab League summit is also set for March 29 in Jordan, and Abbas's discussions with Sisi are likely to touch on the meeting.
  
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• German Social Democrat Schulz chosen to challenge Merkel

  19-03-2017 17:31
  
  Martin Schulz on Sunday officially became Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief rival atGermany's September general election, leading the leftwing challenge to unseat arguably the world's most powerful woman.The bearded Social Democrat, already credited with giving his ailing party a strong shot in the arm, was unanimously elected SPD leader and standard bearer at a one-day congress in Berlin.In a speech to the SPD rank and file, the 61-year-old attempted to harness this momentum against Merkel, whos
  
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• Smoothly but warily, U.S. and China stick to script in Tillerson visit

  19-03-2017 17:25
  
  By Yeganeh Torbati and Ben BlanchardBEIJING (Reuters) - Despite a long list of potential pitfalls, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to China, the first by a senior member of the Trump administration, passed off relatively smoothly although there were no tangible gains to show.On the positive side, there was none of the awkwardness of the kind seen in Washington as President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held the first summit meeting between two of the West's bigge
  
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• Germany's SPD endorses Schulz as leader and Merkel challenger

  19-03-2017 17:10
  
  By Michelle MartinBERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) on Sunday formally endorsed former European Parliament President Martin Schulz as their leader and challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in what is set to be a tightly contested national election in September.The SPD has undergone a revival since nominating Schulz in late January, gaining around 10 points in opinion polls and signing up thousands of new members as the 61-year-old focuses his campaign on social justice."The SP
  
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• Saffron growers look to get a foothold in the US

  19-03-2017 17:09
  
  BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — As spring crocus blooms approach, some growers have visions of a fall-flowering crocus that produces saffron, the world's most valuable spice.
  
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• This Week Fast Forward 3.19.2017

  19-03-2017 17:03
  
  Speed through the highlights from the latest "This Week."
  
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• How are Americans reacting to the GOP health care bill?

  19-03-2017 16:50
  
  ABC News' David Wright spoke to people in Florida about their thoughts on the future of health care in the United States.
  
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• Rep. Schiff On Trump Campaign-Russia Connections: “There Was Circumstantial Evidence of Collusion”

  19-03-2017 16:33
  
  On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rep. Adam Schiff — the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee — defended his committee’s investigation, saying: "At the outset of the investigation, there was circumstantial evidence of collusion.
  
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• North Korea Says It Has Tested New ‘High-Thrust’ Rocket Engine

  19-03-2017 16:31
  
  State-run media KCNA said that the rocket engine would help the country's plans to launch satellites, but the isolated regime has also in the past conducted nuclear tests and has said it is preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile.
  
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• Wife Pleas For Husband, 50, To Return 15-Year-Old He Allegedly Kidnapped As Search Continues

  19-03-2017 16:22
  
  They have been missing since Monday.
  
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• Three US soldiers wounded in Afghan 'insider attack'

  19-03-2017 16:03
  
  Three American troops were wounded Sunday when an Afghan soldier opened fire in southern Helmand province, officials said, in the first known "insider attack" on international forces this year.No insurgent group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack in Camp Antonik in Washer district, which highlights long-simmering tensions between Afghan and foreign forces."Three US soldiers were wounded this afternoon when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them at a base in Helmand province.
  
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