Canada Makes a Mockery of a Trade Deal
The North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation process began last week. The U.S. released its 17-page platform in July with more than 100 proposals, including to examine “non-tariff barriers that constrain U.S. exports to Nafta countries,” to devise “fair and open conditions for services trade,” and to establish a “timely, effective . transparent” system for trade disputes. Canada has a small list, only 10 proposals.
Source:Wall Street Journal
August 21, 2017 22:18 UTC
A Potential Long-Term Cure For Deadly Peanut Allergies Could Be Around The Corner
Probiotics could be the key to curing children of peanut allergies, and might also point the way to breakthroughs on treating any food allergy at all. Tang’s original research on probiotics and peanut allergies gathered 56 children with peanut allergies and divided them into two groups. Tang’s newest study invited those same children to participate in another study on peanut allergies four years after the original experimental treatment. Experts used to caution parents against introducing peanut allergies in early childhood to avoid a potential reaction, but recent evidence has found that this approach may be inadvertently leading to more allergies. To prevent deadly peanut allergies, researchers now say parents should introduce peanut products as early as four months old if their baby is at a high allergy risk.
Source:Huffington Post
August 21, 2017 22:18 UTC
Headless Torso Of Missing Journalist Kim Wall Found in Denmark, Submarine Inventor Peter Madsen Charged
Peter Madsen told the court that Swedish journalist Kim Wall had died in an accident and he had buried her at sea, changing his earlier statement the he dropped her off alive in Copenhagen. "It is clear that the police, like the media and everybody else, is speculating whether this female body is Kim Wall, but it is way too soon to tell," Copenhagen police spokesman Jens Moller said. Man, so very sad about Kim Wall. Madsen has been charged with the manslaughter of Wall who has been missing since he took her out to sea in his 17-meter submarine on Aug. 10. Madsen, an entrepreneur, artist, submarine builder and aerospace engineer, went before a judge on Saturday for preliminary questioning.
Source:Huffington Post
August 21, 2017 22:18 UTC
All the Light Trump Was Not Supposed to See. But He Peeked.
And then he went straight for it, cocking his head back, turning to his right, toward the object of everyone’s attention. Advertisement Continue reading the main story“Don’t look!” an aide shouted from below. And with that, Mr. Trump had done it once more, on as cosmic a scale as any. Eventually, Mr. Trump covered his eyes, too. He stole another glance skyward, then found something new to look at, something looking back at him.
Source:New York Times
August 21, 2017 22:18 UTC
Pocono Raceway Gives Verizon IndyCar Fans More Than Just A Thrilling Race
Since 1976, I've been back to the track several times, most recently this past Sunday for Verizon IndyCar's 500-miler there. 12 Verizon Chevrolet out-dueling teammate and IndyCar championship points leader Josef Newgarden at the finish, winning by a scant 0.5268 seconds. Mai La ThaiAlso fascinating Sunday was meeting, before the race, Pocono pole-sitter Takuma Sato. "If my Indy 500 victory helps ease some of the that—and there are still plenty of Japanese suffering and homeless—then I am happy." For $500 each, the legend will take fans to upwards of 180 mph in an open-wheel, two-seat Indy car.
Source:Forbes
August 21, 2017 22:07 UTC
Montana Congressman Who Body-Slammed Reporter Must Be Fingerprinted Like Other Perps
WASHINGTON ― A judge in Montana has denied a legal request by Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) to not be fingerprinted and photographed after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a reporter. In a ruling Aug. 17, Gallatin County Justice Court Judge Rick West ordered that Gianforte report to the Gallatin County Detention Center in Bozeman to provide fingerprints and a photograph no later than Sept. 15. The Republican politician was never fingerprinted or photographed, nor arrested and booked. Gianforte was also ordered to appear at a local jail to be photographed and fingerprinted.
Source:Huffington Post
August 21, 2017 22:07 UTC
CNN Launches a Daily News Show for Snapchat
Photo: Getty ImagesCNN is launching a daily news show for Snapchat called “The Update,” the latest reflection of how media companies are stepping up their interest in the mobile messaging platform. If news breaks after the show, CNN might update the running list of news featured on its show and change the cover photo to reflect the update. Once updated, Snapchat will repopulate “The Update” in the subscriber’s feed. The news, curated by editorial and design teams, will appear in a vertical video format. CNN was one of the early partners in Snapchat.
Source:Wall Street Journal
August 21, 2017 21:56 UTC
Trump coverage goes dark as news networks and the nation gather around the eclipse
“Rest assured, if President Trump puts those glasses on, we’ll have it for you live,” MSNBC’s Melvin promised. Mark Wilson / Getty Images President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, took in the eclipse on Monday. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, took in the eclipse on Monday. (Ken Kwok / Los Angeles Times) CAPTION Behind the scenes of the landmark musical's arrival at the Hollywood Pantages on move-in day. Read full "Hamilton" coverage>> Behind the scenes of the landmark musical's arrival at the Hollywood Pantages on move-in day.
Source:Los Angeles Times
August 21, 2017 21:56 UTC
Eclipse, Spain, Singapore: Your Monday Evening Briefing
The attack — paired with a second that killed a 15th person — added to fears of vehicular attacks elsewhere. Finally, the eclipse was a rare thrill, but it’s not the only celestial happening you can see from Earth. _____The Evening Briefing by Email Get a nightly rundown of the day's top stories delivered to your inbox every Monday through Friday. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a.m. Sundays.
Source:New York Times
August 21, 2017 21:49 UTC
U.S. war costs in Afghanistan: Into the trillions by some estimates
One current estimate pegs the conflict's total cost at $841 billion. Cordesman, who served as a consultant to the Departments of State and Defense during the Afghan and Iraq wars, says that figure includes Trump's budget request for next year. Related from CNN: Afghanistan: 16 years, thousands dead and no clear end in sightOther estimates place the 16-year cost in the trillions of dollars because they measure a broader range of factors. For instance, Neta Crawford, a co-director of the Cost of Wars Project at Brown University, has estimated that total war spending in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2001 is approaching $5 trillion. But even that higher figure leaves out some key expenses, such as the future costs of interest Americans will owe for the money borrowed to finance the war in Afghanistan.
Source:CNN
August 21, 2017 21:45 UTC
U.S. Steps Up Actions on Chinese Firms Aiding North Korea
U.S. federal prosecutors are preparing new actions targeting Chinese firms that officials say are critical financial conduits for North Korea’s government, according to people familiar with the matter, an effort that could provide muscle to the Trump administration’s plans to rein in Pyongyang’s weapons program. The Washington U.S. attorney’s office in May obtained warrants to freeze funds of Chinese firms that were processed through...
Source:Wall Street Journal
August 21, 2017 21:45 UTC
VA seeks to funnel more nursing home money to rural areas
Rural areas are often bypassed under the agency's existing guidelines for awarding grants for veterans' homes, Shulkin told reporters after touring VA facilities and meeting with veterans in Helena. Montana veterans and lawmakers have been seeking funding for about a decade to build a veterans' home for the southwestern part of the state. Veterans complain that VA nursing facilities in some parts of Montana are located hundreds of miles away from their homes and families. The VA now sets its priority list by looking at veteran demographics and the need for beds, making it difficult for some rural areas to compete, VA officials said. The agency plans to propose regulation changes by year's end to ensure some of the money goes specifically to rural areas.
Source:ABC News
August 21, 2017 21:39 UTC
Jeff Flake Draws Trump’s Ire, Complicating His Re-Election Bid
PHOENIX—Donald Trump’s impulse to punch back at Republicans who challenge him is dividing the party in Arizona and threatening the 2018 re-election of Sen. Jeff Flake, one of the party’s most vulnerable incumbents. Mr. Flake opposes Mr. Trump’s trade and border-wall plans, has criticized the president’s remarks about protests over a Confederate statue in Virginia, and wrote a book that alluded to “impulse-control problems” and...
Source:Wall Street Journal
August 21, 2017 21:33 UTC
Identity Thieves Hijack Cellphone Accounts to Go After Virtual Currency
But a particularly concentrated wave of attacks has hit those with the most obviously valuable online accounts: virtual currency fanatics like Mr. Burniske. Most victims of these attacks in the virtual currency community have not wanted to acknowledge it publicly for fear of provoking their adversaries. The attackers appear to be focusing on anyone who talks on social media about owning virtual currencies or anyone who is known to invest in virtual currency companies, such as venture capitalists. And virtual currency transactions are designed to be irreversible. Many email providers and financial firms require customers to tie their online accounts to phone numbers, to verify their identity.
Source:New York Times
August 21, 2017 21:33 UTC
Trump's expected Afghanistan strategy: What he may hope to accomplish
After almost 16 years, the Taliban now controls more territory than it did when the US first entered Afghanistan. Alyssa Ayres, a senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, says that Trump's expected focus on "terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan" will be crucial. "The Afghan Special Forces have been singled out as the crown jewel -- more disciplined, efficient, effective than any other unit of the Afghan forces, but they've been over extended and overused," Kugelman said. JUST WATCHED US troops in Afghanistan: A history Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH US troops in Afghanistan: A history 01:27Pentagon officials estimate the special forces and commandos perform 70% of offensive operations. Extra troops would also enable commanders to give those advisers more force protection, which would allow them to spend more time embedded with Afghan troops.
Source:CNN
August 21, 2017 21:33 UTC