Tuesday, September 10, 2019

U.S. charges FEMA official in Puerto Rico for taking bribes after Hurricane Maria

U.S. charges FEMA official in Puerto Rico for taking bribes after Hurricane MariaThe U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday announced corruption charges against a senior government official and a contractor who oversaw the rebuilding of Puerto Rico's electrical grid after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. In a 15-count indictment, U.S. prosecutors allege that Ahsha Tribble, who oversaw the Federal Emergency Management Agency's efforts to restore electrical power after the hurricane, accepted helicopter rides, hotel rooms and other bribes from Donald Ellison, who was then president of Cobra Acquisitions LLC, which was contracted to do the work. In return, Tribble pressured FEMA and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to steer work to Ellison's firm, prosecutors said.




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McConnell Said No to Money for Miners, Yes to Russian-Backed Plant

McConnell Said No to Money for Miners, Yes to Russian-Backed PlantPhoto Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/GettySenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last month blocked a measure that would have used Treasury Department funds marked for Appalachian development to help pay for coal miners’ health care and pensions in his home state of Kentucky. But just a few months earlier, McConnell successfully steered near-identical Treasury funds for Appalachia to bankroll a Kentucky aluminum plant connected to an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Democrats on Capitol Hill have raised concerns for months about McConnell’s connection to the aluminum plant. It’s one of several reasons why McConnell’s political opponents have tried to stick him with the nickname “Moscow Mitch.” But what’s gone largely unnoticed as the sobriquet has become a social media trending topic is how McConnell worked to keep money out of coal miners’ hands—even as he maneuvered to steer federal funds to the Russian-linked plant.The scrutiny started in January, when McConnell voted to lift sanctions on Rusal, a Russian aluminum company formerly headed by Putin ally Oleg Deripaska, despite several of his Republican colleagues defecting and voting no. Rusal’s de-listing caused an uproar among Democrats on Capitol Hill who viewed the deal the Treasury Department put together with Rusal as too lenient. Dems Move to Block Trump From Lifting Sanctions on Russian Oligarch Oleg DeripaskaThen, in April, the focus turned to McConnell. Just weeks after the Treasury Department announced the official de-listing of Rusal, the company announced a $200 million investment in the Braidy Industries aluminum plant in the northeastern part of Kentucky. Democrats raised questions about how much McConnell knew about Rusal’s investment plan before he voted for sanctions relief. Rusal is the only outside investor in the plant. In a statement to The Daily Beast, a Braidy Industries spokesperson said the company has never lobbied members of Congress on sanctions issues and began working with law firm Akin Gump in May 2019 for “general government relations representation.” The spokesperson also said no employee or director of the company has ever spoken to McConnell about Rusal.But McConnell’s connection to the Rusal-Braidy aluminum plant is deeper than previously understood. At the same time Rusal was lobbying the Trump administration to get off the U.S. sanctions list, McConnell was advocating for federal funds to be diverted to help with construction of the Braidy plant in Kentucky. Since 2016 the federal government has given states in Appalachia millions of dollars from the Treasury Department to help clean up and reform abandoned coal mining land, and to assist in economic and community development in those areas. McConnell and other Kentucky lawmakers, including Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY), have advocated that the state continue to receive that federal funding given the impact of coal companies’ bankruptcies. Two companies, EastPark Industrial and Ashland Alliance, applied for $7 million from the pot of federal money from the Kentucky state government in November 2017 for general sewer and road repair on 204 acres of land. The application also included infrastructure improvements.In October 2018, McConnell, Rogers, and Kentucky officials announced that EastPark and Ashland would get $4 million. Then, in March 2019, the applicants confirmed that the $4 million would not go to funding general repairs but would instead go prepping for construction on the aluminum plant.“Ashland Alliance and EastPark will only be applying the $4 million to the Braidy Site preparation,” wrote Ashland Alliance president Tim Gibbs in an email from March 2019 reviewed by The Daily Beast. “The $4 million in AML funds will enable Braidy to complete the $14 million total investment to stabilize the site for high precision manufacturing.”It is not clear when talks between Braidy Industries and Rusal began, but two sources with direct knowledge of the $4 million payout said McConnell went to bat for the applicants during the internal review process and was instrumental in helping them secure the federal funding.As site cleanup for the aluminum plant began, McConnell blocked a bill sponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) that would have doled out federal money to help fund miners’ pensions. Every year the Treasury Department collects fees from coal companies based on how much coal they produce in their plants. Those fees are then doled out to the Department of the Interior in part for the purpose of cleaning up land that houses abandoned mines and for economic development and restoration of coal communities suffering from energy company bankruptcies. Manchin wanted to take the excess money from that fund and use it to secure coal miner pensions and health care plans. McConnell blocked the measure, claiming he wanted a more permanent fix to multiemployer pensions. “There are amendments that benefit Americans and West Virginians that are being blocked by one person: Mitch McConnell,” Manchin said in a statement at the time. “He is the sole person that is blocking a vote on my amendment to… secure coal miners’ health care and pensions, even though it has bipartisan support and would better the lives of every West Virginian, Kentuckian and American.”Making matters even more contentious was the fact that the majority leader helped steer $4 million in very similar federal funding for the Braidy aluminum plant construction. The $4 million came out of a $90 million allocation from the Treasury Department to the Department of the Interior to help three Appalachian states cope with the impact of a declining coal industry. The Department of the Interior did not respond to a request for comment.In a statement, McConnell’s office defended his decisions.“Leader McConnell has long been and will continue to be a strong supporter of Kentucky coal miners and their families. He has met with numerous Kentucky miners about important issues including the challenges facing their pension plan,” a spokesperson said. “Sen. McConnell is concerned about the challenges facing a number of multiemployer pension plans, including UMWA’s pension, and he believes it is best addressed through a broader bipartisan and bicameral pension reform effort.” But some coal miners in Kentucky are threatening to throw their support behind McConnell’s main 2020 opponent, Amy McGrath, if the majority leader fails to pass legislation that would help secure their pensions. Thousands of miners in Kentucky rely on the monthly $600 check to pay the bills and to buy groceries for their families. “We’re not ever going to quit until they give us what we’ve earned. We’re not going to quit until we get it,” said Dwayne Thompson, a 72-year-old former Peabody Energy coal miner from Kentucky. “I hope Senator McConnell gets that. If he supports us, we will support him.”The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the national mining union, has for years called on McConnell and other lawmakers to pass legislation that would help mitigate the fallout of the increasing number of energy company bankruptcies and the closure of hundreds of mines. In 1974, Congress passed a law that established minimum standards for pension plans in private industry. That same year UMWA negotiated its pension plan with coal mining companies. But with the demise of the coal industry, the fund is running out of money. It’s expected to be insolvent by 2022.Behind closed doors, two sources with direct knowledge say, McConnell has privately promised miners a more permanent fix to the pension issue, but even national coal mining leaders are skeptical that the Senate majority leader and his colleagues in Congress will help in the short term.“Coal miners understand something—when people tell us ‘we’re going to pass legislation’… we don’t believe it,” said Cecil Roberts, president of the UWMA, at a recent speech in Washington. “Anyone who understands how Congress works knows that that’s a fight.”Several miners who spoke to The Daily Beast said they felt McConnell had blocked the funding for pensions because some of the union members had decided to support his 2014 election opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes. Others, though, were wary of going too far in their condemnation of the majority leader, saying that at the end of the day, McConnell was their best shot at ensuring they could continue providing for their families. (In 2017 McConnell helped push forward a bipartisan spending bill that included a permanent extension of health care benefits to thousands of coal miners.) On Friday two miners featured in an attack add by McGrath said they were not told their images would be used for a political campaign and demanded that McGrath stop airing them.“We thank Mr. McConnell for what he did to help on our health care, but now he needs to finish the job and do something about our pensions,” said Bob Cox, a 73-year-old former miner who serves as the president of a local UMWA chapter. “It’s a day to day concern for a lot of the older people I live with. They’re not well and they don’t need the extra worry that it brings on. If anything goes wrong, we won’t last as long as we thought we would.”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.




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1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 In Calypso Coral Will Wow You

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 In Calypso Coral Will Wow YouIt’s one of only 2,172 built with this paint and trim.Duffy’s Classic Cars is pleased to announce this outstanding 1970 Boss 302 Mustang for your consideration. This vehicle arrived at them from a “real Ford guy” that spent far more on this great Mach 1 than it is selling for today. It’s finished in highly desirable Diamond Calypso Coral paint with a blackout hood (code 1). This one is one of only 2,172 models built with this paint and trim configuration. This stunning Boss 302 has had some incredible upgrades done to it and will steal the spotlight no matter where you go. It’s bound to impress at your local car show or cruise night, and turn heads on the road.This ’70 Mustang Boss 302 is one of the finer rotisserie-restored examples you’ll find in the country today. The quality of the work and materials is superb and you can tell that great attention to detail was paid. This bad boy is powered by a numbers-matching Boss 302 4V small-block engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Pop the hood at your next event and stun the crowd with its detailed engine bay with a VIN stamped Boss 302 V8 engine and drag pack oil cooler. It’s also equipped with a traction lok differential, correct Holley carb, a 3.50 ratio standard axle, smooth wide ratio shifter, and pedal ease power disc brakes. This Boss 302 still has the smog control and rev limiter in place as well. All of the power makes a tantalizing sound via the performance-tuned dual-exhaust system.The whole ride sits on Magnum 500 wheels with center caps wrapped in an excellent set of matched BFGoodrich RWL radial P225/60R15 tires. The interior features black Clarion-knit hi-back bucket seats (code BA) with the correct steering wheel. It also includes the Safety Guard Package with seat belts, a padded dashboard, and sun visors. This example also falls within the Visibility Group with dual-color keyed outside sport mirrors. The cabin includes an AM push-button radio and a 120-mph speedometer. This stunning Coral beauty boasts an optional fiberglass rear deck spoiler and window slats to add to its aggressive look. Even the trunk is impressive and clean, complete with a space-saver spare tire, jack, and mat. The current asking price is set at $74,950, and you can make an offer on the car right here.  Read More: * Check Out Robert Downey Jr’s 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 * True Z-Code 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Is A Rare Find




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Chinese State-Run Paper Singles Out Navarro for Trade ‘Lies’

Chinese State-Run Paper Singles Out Navarro for Trade ‘Lies’(Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. The Chinese Communist Party’s flagship newspaper took aim at one of Washington’s most prominent China hawks, calling recent comments by Peter Navarro unconstructive “lies” that hinder the progress of trade talks.Navarro, an adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, repeated accusations he’s previously termed China’s “seven deadly sins” during a Sunday interview with Yahoo Finance -- including alleged cyberattacks, forced technology transfers and currency manipulation. He also said China is taking on the “full burden” of U.S. tariffs on its products.“All these preposterous comments are not constructive at all, and go against the larger direction of the two sides taking real action to create favorable conditions for the negotiations,” Beijing’s state-run People’s Daily wrote in a commentary Tuesday. Navarro intended to “throw cold water on international markets,” it said.Those “irresponsible” comments should stop, and the U.S. should show “sincerity” and “action” to create condition for the negotiations, the paper said.China and the U.S. will hold face-to-face trade negotiations in Washington in the coming weeks, after a deterioration in relations last month left global investors reeling amid increasing evidence the conflict is harming both nations. The U.S. Agriculture Department’s undersecretary for trade, Ted McKinney, also used provocative language on Monday, calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a “communist zealot."“It is important for both China and the United States to grasp the opportunity of stabilizing bilateral trade and economic ties,” the People’s Daily commentary said, adding that the two countries should work together in the direction set by their leaders.To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Miao Han in Beijing at mhan22@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeffrey Black at jblack25@bloomberg.net, Sharon Chen, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.




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Britain summons Iranian ambassador over tanker

Britain summons Iranian ambassador over tankerBritain has accused Tehran of an "unacceptable" breach of international norms after it apparently broke a promise that an oil tanker detained off Gibraltar this summer would not deliver oil to Syria.  Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, summoned the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday afternoon following reports that the Adrian Darya 1, which was at the centre of a diplomatic crisis after being seized by Royal Marines in July,  had delivered a cargo of crude oil to the Syrian port of Tartus. Britain says Iran repeatedly gave assurances that the ship would not deliver oil to any EU-sanctioned entity in Syria or elsewhere before it was released last month.   Mr Raab said: “Iran has shown complete disregard for its own assurances over Adrian Darya 1. “This sale of oil to Assad’s brutal regime is part of a pattern of behaviour by the Government of Iran designed to disrupt regional security. This includes illegally supplying weapons to Houthi insurgents in Yemen, support for Hezbollah terrorists and most recently its attempts to hijack commercial ships passing through the Gulf.” “We want Iran to come in from the cold but the only way to do that is to keep its word and comply with the rules-based international system.” The Adrian Darya 1, known as the Grace 1 until it was renamed by its owners last month, was seized by Gibraltar authorities and Royal Marine Commandos acting on intelligence that it was bound for Syria on July 4.  Iran tensions | Read more Britain and Gibraltar said the move was to enforce European Union sanctions that forbid the supply of oil to the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator.  It was released in August after a court in Gibraltar accepted assurances that the vessel would not breach the sanctions, and rejected a last-minute US bid to have it impounded.  But the vessel spent several days meandering near the Syrian coast and turned off its transponder before apparently making its delivery last week. John Bolton, the US national security adviser, on Friday alleged that the tanker had arrived at the Syrian port of Tartus. Satellite photographs obtained by the AP on Tuesday showed the vessel remained moored near the port. The tanker was impounded for six weeks in Gibraltar Credit: REUTERS/Jon Nazca  The Foreign Office said the delivery was an "unacceptable violation of international norms" and that Britain would raise the issue at the United Nations later this month. The seizure of the Adrian Darya sparked a diplomatic crisis that raised fears of a return to the 1980s "tanker wars" in the Persian Gulf.  Iran condemned the move as an act of "piracy" and accused Britain of acting at the behest of the United States, which is trying to cripple Iranian oil exports as part of a policy of economic "maximum pressure" against Tehran.  In what appeared to be a tit-for-tat move, Iranian commandos seized the  Stena Impero, a British flagged tanker sailing in the Persian Gulf on the pretext of violating international maritime rules in mid-July. Iran continues to hold the British vessel. The Iranian foreign ministry said on the weekend that the ship could soon be released as legal proceedings are concluded. The Royal Navy has deployed three warships to the region to protect British shipping.




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Shoot them? Hang them? - Filipino heavyweights hanker for death penalty return

Shoot them? Hang them? - Filipino heavyweights hanker for death penalty returnIf he gets his way, Filipino senator and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao would have drug criminals executed by firing squad. It comes at the behest of President Rodrigo Duterte, the popular, self-styled "punisher", notorious for his crackdowns on crime, and a war on drugs that has killed thousands of mostly poor, urban Filipinos. Pacquiao, a staunch Duterte loyalist and the only boxer to win world titles in eight divisions, believes executions are the best deterrent for big drug syndicates.




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Woman, 73, charged with killing her 82-year-old neighbor with brick at a home for seniors

Woman, 73, charged with killing her 82-year-old neighbor with brick at a home for seniorsChun Yong Oh is charged with first and second degree murder for the death of Hwa Cha Pak, her neighbor at a home for senior citizens in Maryland.




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Bolton's rootin', tootin' exit: Today's Toon

Bolton's rootin', tootin' exit: Today's ToonWant to keep up with USA TODAY's editorial cartoons? Bookmark this page. We'll update it frequently.




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Guatemala deploys 2,000 troops after deadly attack on soldiers

Guatemala deploys 2,000 troops after deadly attack on soldiersHundreds of Guatemalan soldiers were deployed on Monday to an area near the border with Honduras and Mexico, home to long-standing social conflicts, in a bid to improve security after three soldiers were gunned down by suspected drug runners. Defense Minister Luis Miguel Ralda told reporters that 2,000 soldiers had been sent as part of the mission following a declaration of emergency powers granted by the Congress two days ago. Guatemala's army said last week a group of suspected drug traffickers ambushed a patrol of nine soldiers in Izabal province who were sent to detain an aircraft allegedly transporting drugs.




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Break-In at Trump’s Golf Course, and Taylor Swift’s Mansion


By BY SARAH MASLIN NIR from NYT New York https://ift.tt/2ZPhbLz

What John Bolton’s Ouster Says About Donald Trump


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Trump Eyes Crackdown on Homelessness as Aides Visit California


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Who Could Replace John Bolton?


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2020 Vision Monday: State by state, Warren is getting closer to the Democratic nomination

2020 Vision Monday: State by state, Warren is getting closer to the Democratic nominationElizabeth Warren has steadily ticked up in national surveys since the start of May, more than doubling her polling average, from 8 percent to 18, over that period of time. Everyone else has slipped.




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CIA slams CNN, rejects report on Russian spy extraction

CIA slams CNN, rejects report on Russian spy extractionCNN reported that the CIA pulled a source from Russia in 2017, in part out of concern that the Trump administration had mishandled classified intelligence; chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge reports from Washington.




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Hasty rollout of Trump immigration policy has 'broken' border courts

Hasty rollout of Trump immigration policy has 'broken' border courtsAfter waiting two months in Mexico to press her case for U.S. asylum, the 20-year-old student from Nicaragua arrived at the border near Tijuana three hours before the critical hearing was scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m. "We kept asking what was going on, but they wouldn't tell us anything," said Katia, who asked to be identified by her first name only for fear of jeopardizing her immigration case. Bashir Ghazialam, a lawyer paid for by Katia's aunt in the United States, convinced the judge to reschedule her case because of the transportation snafu.




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A deadly mosquito-borne illness kills a third of the people it infects, and it's spreading. Here's what we know about the states affected.

A deadly mosquito-borne illness kills a third of the people it infects, and it's spreading. Here's what we know about the states affected.Eastern equine encephalitis has no cure. If it reaches the brain, it can cause permanent damage in survivors.




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Gun Sales Jump 15.5 Percent in August as Dems Renew Push for Regulations

Gun Sales Jump 15.5 Percent in August as Dems Renew Push for RegulationsBackground checks for gun sales, concealed-carry permits, and security spiked in August as congressional Democrats renewed their push for expanded gun control in the wake of several mass shootings.The National Instant Criminal Background Check System recorded a 15.5 percent uptick in background checks last month, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.The jump in gun sales appears to have been spurred by a desire to secure self-protection amid an epidemic of mass shootings in the U.S., before Congress potentially approves stricter gun-control measures such as an assault-weapons ban, universal background checks, or limits on ammunition.The NSSF also pointed out that some states saw a particularly steep jump in background checks last month, with Alabama's NSSF-adjusted number jumping over 100 percent from August of last year, and Minnesota's number increasing 68.9 percent.Gun sales also spiked in August of last year, just before the midterm congressional elections, and even more starkly in August 2016, before the last presidential election.House speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Monday that there will be "hell to pay" if the Republican-controlled Senate fails to pass a universal-background-check bill, which would require checks for private gun sales, including purchases made over the Internet and at gun shows. The bill has already passed the House."We are not taking no for an answer. We are not going away," she said.“It is totally up to them, and it is on their shoulders. They can’t escape that responsibility,” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer added.Renewed enthusiasm for gun-control measures comes after two back-to-back shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio killed 32 and left the nation shaken last month.




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Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders would stand to benefit from the most from Andrew Yang dropping out of the 2020 presidential race

Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders would stand to benefit from the most from Andrew Yang dropping out of the 2020 presidential raceIf Andrew Yang's candidacy doesn't end up staying viable through the first few primary contests, his sizable base of supporters will be up for grabs.




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A couple accidentally got $120,000 from the bank. Then they were arrested for spending it

A couple accidentally got $120,000 from the bank. Then they were arrested for spending itThe couple from Montoursville, Pennsylvania, allegedly purchased a car, paid their bills and handed the money out to friends, police said.




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Venezuela starts military exercises along Colombia border

Venezuela starts military exercises along Colombia borderPresident Nicolás Maduro launched extended military exercises along Venezuela's border with Colombia on Tuesday, drawing Washington's attention amid rising friction between the South American neighbors. Maduro has come under mounting pressure from Colombia and the United States, which are among more than 50 nations that back opposition politician Juan Guaidó's bid to oust the socialist president. Tensions spiked recently when Colombia and Venezuela accused each other of harboring hostile armed groups within their borders that are trying to overthrow the neighboring government.




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U.S. charges FEMA official in Puerto Rico for taking bribes after Hurricane Maria

U.S. charges FEMA official in Puerto Rico for taking bribes after Hurricane MariaThe U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday announced corruption charges against a senior government official and a contractor who oversaw the rebuilding of Puerto Rico's electrical grid after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. In a 15-count indictment, U.S. prosecutors allege that Ahsha Tribble, who oversaw the Federal Emergency Management Agency's efforts to restore electrical power after the hurricane, accepted helicopter rides, hotel rooms and other bribes from Donald Ellison, who was then president of Cobra Acquisitions LLC, which was contracted to do the work. In return, Tribble pressured FEMA and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to steer work to Ellison's firm, prosecutors said.




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Guardian identified for small child found wandering Sunday morning by Fort Myers police

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