General news

• Angelina Jolie on travel ban: 'Response should be based on facts, not fear'

  02-02-2017 23:55 via theguardian.com
  
  In an op-ed for the New York Times, the actor and humanitarian criticized Donald Trump’s strict executive order surrounding immigrationAngelina Jolie has spoken out against Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban, criticizing his restrictions as a response based on fear.In an op-ed penned for the New York Times, the actor, director and UN ambassador expressed her anger at the recent decision to limit travellers from certain countries. Continue reading...
  
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• Uber CEO quits Trump's business advisory group

  02-02-2017 23:42 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Heather Somerville and David Shepardson SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick has quit President Donald Trump's business advisory group after coming under criticism for taking part, the company said on Thursday. The CEO of the ride hailing service had been under mounting pressure from activists who oppose the administration's immigration policies, including Uber drivers, many of whom are immigrants themselves.
  
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• A+E buys stake in NWSL, will televise games on Lifetime

  02-02-2017 23:41 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — A+E Networks has bought a stake in the National Women's Soccer League and will broadcast a game each weekend on the Lifetime network.
  
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• Tillerson calls for unity as he takes helm at State Department

  02-02-2017 23:40 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for understanding on his first day at the State Department amid internal dissent over policies of President Donald Trump, which have also antagonized a range of allies. Hundreds of State Department officials greeted the former Exxon Mobil Corp chairman with applause as he entered the building. Loud cheers broke out when Tillerson thanked Acting Secretary of State Tom Shannon for standing in after the departur
  
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• Congress scraps Obama rules on coal mining, guns

  02-02-2017 23:40 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-controlled Congress on Thursday scrapped Obama-era rules on the environment and guns, counting on a new ally in the White House to help reverse years of what the GOP calls excessive regulation.
  
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• Sales soar for Milo book 'Dangerous'; publisher mum on tour

  02-02-2017 23:36 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Sales are soaring for the upcoming book by incendiary right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos but details of his promotional tour — assuming there is one — are a mystery for now.
  
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• May to pledge continued support for EU on Mediterranean migration crisis

  02-02-2017 23:30 via theguardian.com
  
  British PM will also urge leaders at Malta summit to spend more on defence after Donald Trump’s Nato scepticismThe UK will remain a “reliable” partner for the EU in helping to tackle the Mediterranean migration crisis even after Brexit, Theresa May is to tell her fellow European leaders at a summit in Malta on Friday.The prime minister will use the meeting to reassure the remaining 27 EU members that Britain will not step back from such international obligations, Downing Street
  
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• Berkeley chaos spurs questions at birthplace of free speech

  02-02-2017 23:29 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — The chaos at the University of California, Berkeley, was shocking: Protesters set fires, smashed windows, hurled explosives at police and ultimately achieved their goal of canceling an appearance by right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.
  
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• George Clooney to get top French film honour

  02-02-2017 23:23 via news.yahoo.com
  
  France's film academy said Thursday it will confer a top honorary award on US actor George Clooney when it hands out its coveted Cesar awards, the nation's equivalent of the Oscars, on February 24. Previous honorary Cesar winners include Kate Winslet and Quentin Tarantino. The 55-year-old Clooney, who made his breakthrough two decades ago in the TV medical drama ER, has won a slew of top awards including an Oscar for best supporting actor in Syriana in 2006 and a 2013 best picture award as produ
  
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• Seasoned spymaster linked to waterboarding named CIA deputy

  02-02-2017 23:22 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The new deputy director of the CIA is a career spymaster who once ran a CIA prison in Thailand where terror suspects were waterboarded — a harsh interrogation technique President Donald Trump has supported.
  
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• Hearing moved in shooting death of transit guard

  02-02-2017 23:22 via news.yahoo.com
  
  DENVER (AP) — A hearing for a man accused in the point-blank shooting death of a transit guard in downtown Denver has been moved to a different court as police look for a motive for the apparent unprovoked attack.
  
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• Emails: Feds Warned Trump Against Skipping Ethics Vetting

  02-02-2017 23:22 via nbcnews.com
  
  The federal government's ethics watchdog warned the president's transition team last fall about its 'unprecedented' approach to staffing his cabinet.
  
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• Amazon profit jumps while revenue misses mark

  02-02-2017 23:20 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Amazon reported on Thursday that profit in the final three months of last year leapt, but saw shares sink as revenue for the tech giant fell shy of expectations. While revenue rose to $43.7 billion from $35.7 billion in a similar year-over-year comparison, Wall Street had expected Amazon to take in more cash during the key holiday shopping season. Amazon shares were down more than four percent to $804.75 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings report.
  
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• The Trump presidency on Feb. 2 at 5:15 p.m. EST

  02-02-2017 23:17 via news.yahoo.com
  
  (Reuters) - Highlights of the day for U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday: IRAN The United States is expected to impose sanctions on multiple Iranian entities as early as Friday following Tehran's recent ballistic missile test but in a way that will not violate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, sources say. AUSTRALIA The White House says Trump is "extremely upset" with an agreement with Australia to accept refugees but will honor it. RELIGION Trump, who is strongly backed by evang
  
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• Trump rattles world leaders as Cabinet tries to soften tone

  02-02-2017 23:14 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's spats with U.S. allies as close as Mexico and as unlikely as Australia are leaving his new secretary of state and others in his Cabinet to clean up a lot of potential damage. It's a good-cop, bad-cop dynamic that could define America's foreign policy for the next four years.
  
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• Super Bowl Advertisers Walk Tightrope in Era of Trump

  02-02-2017 23:14 via nbcnews.com
  
  Even when ads aren't overtly partisan, they can still kick up controversy.
  
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• 'Queen of Chess' abandons Gibraltar match to protest pairing

  02-02-2017 23:14 via news.yahoo.com
  
  MADRID (AP) — The world's top female chess player has given up her last game to protest being paired against mostly female players at a major tournament where male contestants outnumbered them.
  
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• Snapchat parent Snap to raise up to $3 bn in IPO

  02-02-2017 23:13 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The parent of the fast-growing social network Snapchat filed public documents for a share offering Thursday, seeking to raise up to $3 billion. California-based Snap Inc., which had earlier filed confidential documents for an initial public offering, was expected to be one of the biggest tech company market debuts in recent years with a valuation likely to top $20 billion. In documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Snap said it took in $404 million in revenue last year but l
  
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• Judge discharges bankruptcy after 50 Cent pays $22 million

  02-02-2017 23:13 via news.yahoo.com
  
  HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A federal judge has discharged rapper 50 Cent's bankruptcy case after he paid more than $22 million.
  
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• Sotomayor mentions Gorsuch obliquely in NYC college speech

  02-02-2017 23:12 via news.yahoo.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor didn't answer questions about Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the court during a speech in New York City on Thursday, although she did refer obliquely to him when she noted that "the current nominee is 49 years old" and could serve 30 years or more.
  
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• North Dakota lawmakers mull 'cultural competency training'

  02-02-2017 23:11 via news.yahoo.com
  
  BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — When North Dakota lawmakers return to the state Capitol every other year for session, they attend workshops on everything from legislative procedures to using their state-issued computers and cellphones. An American Indian lawmaker wants to add "cultural competency training" to that list.
  
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• U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Blames Russia for new violence in eastern Ukraine

  02-02-2017 23:10 via news.yahoo.com
  
  U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, blamed Russia on Thursday for the recent surge of violence in eastern Ukraine and warned Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia will not be lifted until Moscow returns Crimea to Kiev. "I consider it unfortunate on the occasion of my first appearance here I must condemn the aggressive actions of Russia," Haley said, making her first public remarks inside the Security Council since being sworn in as the United States' representative to the Unit
  
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• Dylann Roof's mental state revealed in court records

  02-02-2017 23:09 via news.yahoo.com
  
  CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Documents unsealed in federal court reveal new details about the mental health of convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof, including a psychiatrist's finding that his disorders make it hard for him to focus, interact with others or express emotion.
  
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• Drought-easing California snow heaviest in 22 years

  02-02-2017 23:08 via news.yahoo.com
  
  PHILLIPS STATION, Calif. (AP) — Clambering through a snowy meadow with drifts up to the tree branches, California's water managers measured the state's vital Sierra Nevada snowpack Thursday at a drought-busting and welcome 173 percent of average.
  
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• U.S. Republicans wrestle with effort to gut Obamacare

  02-02-2017 23:07 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. Congress struggled on Thursday with their efforts to dismantle the Obamacare healthcare law, with conservatives urging haste while some lawmakers said the task was turning out to be more of a repair job than a repeal. Two influential conservatives in the House of Representatives, worried that the process of scrapping Obamacare was getting bogged down, said the repeal measure that the Republican-majority Congress passed last year sh
  
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• 6 killed in Ukraine; Putin says Ukraine seeking US support

  02-02-2017 23:07 via news.yahoo.com
  
  AVDIIVKA, Ukraine (AP) — Salvos of artillery shook eastern Ukraine on Thursday, the fifth day of escalated fighting between government troops and Russia-backed separatist rebels. Two Ukrainian troops were killed overnight and 10 others wounded, the government said, while rebels said one of their fighters was killed.
  
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• Yemen raid could bolster anti-US anger

  02-02-2017 23:04 via cnn.com
  
  The US Special Forces raid in central Yemen on January 29 is further evidence of two things: al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) remains a formidable, resilient enemy -- and is more deeply entrenched in Yemen's tribal society than ever.
  
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• Yemen raid: Al Qaeda remains formidable

  02-02-2017 23:04 via cnn.com
  
  The US Special Forces raid in central Yemen on January 29 is further evidence of two things: al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) remains a formidable, resilient enemy -- and is more deeply entrenched in Yemen's tribal society than ever.
  
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• Special Forces raid: What went wrong?

  02-02-2017 23:04 via cnn.com
  
  The US Special Forces raid in central Yemen on January 29 is further evidence of two things: al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) remains a formidable, resilient enemy -- and is more deeply entrenched in Yemen's tribal society than ever.
  
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• Democrats in a vise over Trump's Supreme Court pick

  02-02-2017 23:04 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court has put Senate Democrats in a vise.
  
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• Cameroon stun Ghana to reach Cup of Nations final

  02-02-2017 22:57 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Michael Ngadeu and Christian Bassogog both netted in the second half as Cameroon beat Ghana 2-0 in Franceville on Thursday to reach the Africa Cup of Nations final. A finely-poised tie remained goalless until the 72nd minute, when Ghana goalkeeper Razak Brimah failed to deal with a free-kick into his area and John Boye's weak defensive header merely served as an assist for Ngadeu to control and fire home. Bassogog then broke away to clinch the win and spark wild celebrations as Hugo Broos's side
  
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• The Latest: Uber CEO quits Trump business council

  02-02-2017 22:54 via news.yahoo.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times EST):
  
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• Trump's 'sanctuary city' order splits red and blue states

  02-02-2017 22:53 via news.yahoo.com
  
  SALEM, Ore. (AP) — President Donald Trump's promised crackdown on "sanctuary cities" has triggered divergent actions from blue and red states, revealing the deep national divide on immigration as some move to follow his order and others break with the U.S. government to protect immigrants in the country illegally.
  
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• Opinion: China preparing to test Trump?

  02-02-2017 22:50 via cnn.com
  
  Major geopolitical crises have a way of greeting US presidents soon after taking office. Nazi Germany's withdrawal from the League of Nations in 1933, the Soviet-led construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 -- all were among the most daunting tests of US foreign policy in the past century, and all came less than a year into the tenures of new US administrations.
  
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• Jennifer Harris: China preparing to test Trump?

  02-02-2017 22:50 via cnn.com
  
  Major geopolitical crises have a way of greeting US presidents soon after taking office. Nazi Germany's withdrawal from the League of Nations in 1933, the Soviet-led construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 -- all were among the most daunting tests of US foreign policy in the past century, and all came less than a year into the tenures of new US administrations.
  
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• China preparing to test Trump?

  02-02-2017 22:50 via cnn.com
  
  Major geopolitical crises have a way of greeting US presidents soon after taking office. Nazi Germany's withdrawal from the League of Nations in 1933, the Soviet-led construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 -- all were among the most daunting tests of US foreign policy in the past century, and all came less than a year into the tenures of new US administrations.
  
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• Dollar edges up, stocks stall as Trump's comments offset data

  02-02-2017 22:46 via news.yahoo.com
  
  The dollar rebounded from its weakest level against six major rivals since mid-November on Thursday, while world equity markets were mixed as investor concerns about the Trump administration's aggressive posture offset strong data on the world economy. U.S. stocks closed marginally lower as investors turned their focus to President Donald Trump's priorities. In a meeting with lawmakers, Trump said he would like to speed up talks to either renegotiate or replace the North American Free Trade Agre
  
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• Hundreds of Yemeni Americans slam Trump travel ban

  02-02-2017 22:45 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Hundreds of Yemeni Americans braved the winter chill in New York on Thursday to demonstrate against President Donald Trump's travel ban, closing bodega stores in protest. "Most of the stores closed today," he told AFP in reference to the Yemeni-owned bodega stores dotted across New York's five boroughs.
  
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• Exclusive: U.S. expected to impose fresh sanctions on Iranian entities - sources

  02-02-2017 22:40 via news.yahoo.com
  
  By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is expected to impose sanctions on multiple Iranian entities as early as Friday following Tehran's recent ballistic missile test, but in a way that will not violate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said about eight Iranian entities were to be sanctioned, or "designated" in U.S. legal jargon, for terrorism-related activities and about 17 for ba
  
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• Yemeni-Americans shut hundreds of shops in NY City to protest travel ban

  02-02-2017 22:38 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Hundreds of New York City bodegas, grocery stores and restaurants owned by Yemeni Americans closed for hours on Thursday in protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration policies, organizers said. Loyal patrons who rely on the stores for staples of daily life had to look elsewhere for lunch after more than 1,000 locations shut their doors from noon to 8 p.m. in a move coordinated by groups including the Muslim Community Network and the Yemeni American Community. Bodega, a Spanish wor
  
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• AP Sources: Bettman, Fehr, Bach to meet on NHL and Olympics

  02-02-2017 22:38 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Two people familiar with the gathering say key decision-makers are meeting Friday regarding the NHL's participation in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.
  
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• Sources: US planning more sanctions against Iran

  02-02-2017 22:35 via cnn.com
  
  The White House is expected to impose additional sanctions on Iranian entities under existing executive orders that predate President Donald Trump, according to sources familiar with the move.
  
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• Report: The deadliest place to be an environmental activist

  02-02-2017 22:34 via cnn.com
  
  A scathing report by environmental watchdog Global Witness names Honduras the "deadliest place to defend the planet" and links the country's business and political elite to brutal acts of human rights abuses.
  
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• Deadliest place to be environmental activist

  02-02-2017 22:34 via cnn.com
  
  A scathing report by environmental watchdog Global Witness names Honduras the "deadliest place to defend the planet" and links the country's business and political elite to brutal acts of human rights abuses.
  
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• Trump lashes both friend and foe as Tillerson signs in

  02-02-2017 22:32 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Trump alleged that many countries are "really terribly taking advantage of us" and accused Australia of trying to foist more than a thousand "illegal immigrants" on the United States. Almost two weeks into his administration, Trump is doing nothing to lower the temperature of international concern about his belligerent entry onto the world stage. The 64-year-old Texan oilman, who left the chief executive's suite at ExxonMobil to come to Foggy Bottom, was greeted on arrival at the State Departmen
  
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• Chipotle's profit down sharply as it works on recovery

  02-02-2017 22:31 via news.yahoo.com
  
  Chipotle reported a sharply lower quarterly profit from a year ago as it spends on promotional efforts to recover from a series of food scares. Sales still haven't bounced back, and were down 4.8 percent ...
  
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• AFCON: Cameroon shocks Ghana

  02-02-2017 22:28 via cnn.com
  
  For years, Ghana's Black Stars have been Africa's nearly men.
  
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• Iran dismisses Trump, vows more missile tests

  02-02-2017 22:06 via cnn.com
  
  Iran promised to "vigorously" continue its missile activity Thursday and would not bow to threats from the United States.
  
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• Stern: Being president is detrimental to Trump's mental health

  02-02-2017 21:58 via money.cnn.com
  
  Howard Stern said on his program Thursday that Trump will hate being president and the role will be detrimental to his mental health.
  
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• McCain basks in Trump tormentor role

  02-02-2017 21:42 via cnn.com
  
  John McCain seems to be relishing a new role in the Senate: one of President Donald Trump's leading trolls, going whether fellow Republican senators dare not go in public.
  
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