European Politicians Alarmed By Trump's 'Ridiculous' Russia Stance

WASHINGTON ― European lawmakers say President Donald Trump’s stunning news conference on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to other countries with democratic political systems similarly targeted for interference by Moscow that they cannot count on the U.S. to stand with them. During Trump’s news conference with Putin in Helsinki, Trump refused to confront Putin over Russia’s meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election or to even directly acknowledge it occurred, despite the repeated findings of his own administration’s intelligence officials.

Ohio death row inmate Robert Van Hook scheduled to be executed on Wednesday

Death row inmate Robert Van Hook is set to be executed on Wednesday for the brutal slaying of a gay man he met at an Ohio bar over three decades ago. Court records show that after spending a few hours together at the establishment, Van Hook accompanied Self back to his apartment. Van Hook was convicted of murder on July 30, 1985, and sentenced to death on Aug. 8 of the same year, Cincinnati.com reports.

Judge Orders Government To Temporarily Stop Deporting Reunited Families

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Monday to temporarily stop the deportation of families for at least a week after reuniting them. The Trump administration is currently in the process of reuniting about 2,500 children with the parents it separated them from at the border, many of them under a zero tolerance policy cracking down on illegal border crossings.

Chinese woman 'detained' after tossing ink on Xi poster: activists

A woman who live-streamed herself throwing ink onto a picture of Chinese President Xi Jinping has been detained, according to activists who accuse authorities of suppressing speech to protect a "cult of personality" around the country's leader. The US-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) activist network said authorities have also taken the woman's father and a Chinese artist into custody after they sought to publicise her plight on social media. The woman, who has been identified by activists as 28-year-old Dong Yaoqiong, went live on Twitter on July 4 in a video in which she accused the ruling Communist Party of employing "oppressive brain control".

Papa John's Founder Accuses Media Agency Of Extorting Him Over Racial Slur

Last week, Papa John’s founder John Schnatter apologized for using a racial slur in a conference call in May. Then, he resigned as chairman of the company’s board Wednesday. Although Schnatter has apologized for using the N-word during a call between Papa John’s executives and marketing agency Laundry Service, he is now accusing that company of attempting to extort $6 million from the pizza company. “They tried to extort us and we held firm and they took what I said and ran to Forbes,” Schnatter told Louisville station WLKY.

Mike Pompeo rejects EU appeal for exemptions in sanctions against Iran

Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, has rejected a high-level appeal from the EU for exemptions from sanctions against Iran, throwing into doubt billions of euros worth of trade. Mr Pompeo added that the US will not ease the sanctions until it sees a “tangible, demonstrable and sustained shift’’ in Iran’s policies.

Obama speech to mark 100 years since Mandela's birth

Former US president Barack Obama will deliver a speech to a crowd of 15,000 people in South Africa on Tuesday as the centrepiece of celebrations marking 100 years since Nelson Mandela's birth. Obama has made relatively few public appearances since leaving the White House in 2017, but he has often credited Mandela for being one of the great inspirations in his life. Mandela, who died in 2013, remains a global icon for his long struggle against white-minority apartheid rule and for his message of peace and reconciliation after being freed following 27 years in prison.

Chicago protests continue after police shooting of Harith Augustus

A community activist who has pushed for more police transparency said Monday that he’s asked Chicago police for the body camera footage from all the officers at the scene where one of them fatally shot a black man over the weekend. William Calloway said a brief video released by police showing the view from one officer’s body camera does not answer crucial questions, starting with the reasons the officers approached 37-year-old Harith Augustus on Saturday afternoon just before he was shot. Calloway also said that a police spokesman’s explanation that the Augustus was “exhibiting characteristics of an armed person” does not justify stopping someone in a city and state where it is legal to carry a concealed weapon.

Photo: Kīlauea volcano's lava forms new land off Hawaii's coast

The ongoing Kīlauea volcano eruptions in Hawaii have led to the formation of a tiny, new piece of land made of lava on the Fissure 8 ocean entry's northernmost part, according to the United States Geological Survey's Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO). The HVO announced on Friday that during a morning overflight, its field crew observed that the land formation oozed lava similar to the lava that oozed from the broad flow front along the coastline. The land formation, which was initially considered to be an island, is estimated to be a few meters off the shore and about 6-9 meters (20-30 feet) in diameter, the HVO reported.

NRA-linked Russian aide arrested, charged as foreign agent

A Russian gun-rights activist who developed close relations with leaders of the National Rifle Association as well as conservative activists working with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was arraigned Monday on charges she conspired to influence American politics on behalf of the Russian government. Maria Butina, 29, who founded the Russian gun group “The Right to Bear Arms” and worked as the executive assistant to a top official of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, was arrested Sunday by the FBI in Washington, D.C., where she had been living. The charges allege that she visited the United States in 2015 and 2016 for the purposes of acting “as an agent” of the Russia, according to a criminal complaint released by the U.S. Justice Department on Monday afternoon, a few hours after President Trump and Russian President Putin met in Helsinki.

At Least 23 Injured In Hawaii After Lava From Kilauea Volcano Hits Tour Boat

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a call around 6 a.m. that crew members and passengers were injured after a “basketball-sized” scrap of lava tore through a tour boat’s roof, county officials told Hawaii News Now. Four of the injured were transported by ambulance to Hilo Medical Center, the local outlet reported. A spokesman from the DLNR told HuffPost that 13 people received hospital treatment, though the Hawaii Fire Department reported a total of 23 injured.

Demi Moore Destroys Bruce Willis In Surprise Roast Appearance

Demi Moore made a surprise appearance at the taping of a Comedy Central roast for ex-husband Bruce Willis ― and she killed. Moore was not on the roster and caught the “Die Hard” icon completely unaware at The Hollywood Palladium on Saturday, according to reports. “I look at our marriage like ‘The Sixth Sense,’” Moore said at the podium, per Deadline.

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  The 8 Most Memorable Moments From Comedy Central’s Bruce Willis Roast

  Vulture
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  Bruce Willis Defiantly Declares 'Die Hard' Not A Christmas Movie

  HuffPost

Future Lexus F Models Could Be Hybrids, Possibly For New GT Model

With six hybrid models currently on offer, Lexus already offers customers plenty of options for those that want an electrified vehicle. “One solution could be a pure F GT car, which could be a hybrid with an electric motor and a strong engine, giving a different kind of drive feel.

Amazon Prime Day Vacuum Deals That Don't Suck

Buying a new vacuum cleaner doesn’t necessarily sit at the top of the list for fun things to do, but getting a brand new vacuum for more than 30 percent off feels like a downright party. While everyone is looking for the best Instant Pot deals to devour

Israel hits Hamas posts in response to arson kites

An Israeli aircraft hit two Hamas posts in the Gaza Strip on Monday in response to balloons carrying firebombs over the border fence to burn Israeli farmland, the army said. The strikes signalled a tougher Israeli response to the hundreds of balloons and kites carrying firebombs that have been launched from the blockaded Gaza Strip since April. Gazan security sources and residents said the strikes occurred in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and caused no injuries.

Anger over 'callous' Magufuli remarks on prisoners

Amnesty International on Monday slammed Tanzanian President John Magufuli for ordering that prisoners be made to work "day and night" and be kicked if lazy. "All people deprived of their liberty must be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person," Amina Hersi, Amnesty International's East Africa campaigner told AFP. "President Magufuli's statement that lazy inmates should be 'kicked' is not only callous but if implemented would amount to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment," she added.

Trump says he sees 'no reason' why Russia would want to interfere in 2016 US election

Donald Trump has said he sees no reason why Russia would have wanted to interfere in the 2016 election - the latest incident of the US president appearing not to want to criticise Moscow. The US intelligence community concluded prior to voters going to the polls in November 2016 that Russia was trying to interfere in behalf of Mr Trump. In December 2016, Barack Obama expelled 35 US diplomats in retaliation for their alleged actions.

CVS Employees Fired After Calling Cops On Black Woman Over A Coupon

Two employees at a CVS store in Chicago are out of a job after one of them called the police on a black woman who presented a coupon they suspected was fraudulent. Video capturing the tense scene on Friday night shows a white store employee visibly shaking while he appears to be on the phone with police. The customer, Camilla Hudson, can be heard giving her name and promising to wait for responding officers.

Mandalay Bay Owner Sues Las Vegas Shooting Victims

An attorney representing some of the victims of the Oct. 1 shooting massacre in Las Vegas slammed Mandalay Bay’s owner for suing them. MGM Resorts International, the parent company of Mandalay Bay, is suing more than 1,000 victims to pre-empt liability claims, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Monday. MGM Resorts International said in federal lawsuits filed Thursday and Friday that it cannot be held liable for casualties from the attack, which left 58 people dead and hundreds of others injured when Stephen Paddock opened fire from his 32nd-floor Mandalay Bay suite on the crowd at a Route 91 Harvest concert across the street last year.

Obama visits father's native Kenya to open youth center

Former US president Barack Obama paid a visit to his extended family in Kenya Monday, on his first trip to the country since 2015 during which he will open a youth center. Obama arrived in his father’s native Kenya on Sunday, where he paid courtesy calls on President Uhuru Kenyatta and main opposition leader Raila Odinga. On Monday he flew to the west of the country, where under extremely tight security he paid a visit to the home of his step-grandmother Sarah Obama in the village of Kogelo, an AFP reporter said.

These 6 Stores Are Having Mega Sales To Compete With Prime Day 2018

Unless you’ve taken a digital detox in the last week, you probably know that Amazon Prime Day just kicked off, bringing with it highly anticipated deals on everything from Instant Pots and TVs, to clothes, shoes and, yes, even sex toys. Though it’s a

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  Amazon Prime Day: Deals on Amazon Echos, Kindles, Alexa-Enabled Devices, and More

  Fatherly
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  Everything You Need To Know About Amazon Prime Day This Year

  House Beautiful

Aston Martin Takes to the Skies with Volante Vision Concept

Despite carrying both Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce branding, the Volante Vision concept is not a flying car and is notably lacking wheels. Rather, the Volante Vision, freshly unveiled at the Farnborough air show in the U.K., is a concept for a vertical-takeoff three-seater micro aircraft. Aston has provided the design for this stylish mini aircraft, while Cranfield University and Rolls-Royce (the aeronautical company, which is now unrelated to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars) have done the engineering.

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  Aston Martin’s Volante Vision is a luxurious flying taxi

  Engadget
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  Even Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce have designed flying taxis

  Autoblog

Muslim candidates run in record numbers but face backlash

When Tahirah Amatul-Wadud heard about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning upset over U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in New York's Democratic primary last month, the first-time candidate saw parallels with her own longshot campaign for Congress in western Massachusetts. "We could barely stay on top of the residual love," said Amatul-Wadud, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal's lone challenger in the state's Sept. 4 Democratic primary. From Congress to state legislatures and school boards, Muslim Americans spurred to action by the anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric of President Donald Trump and his supporters are running for elected offices in numbers not seen since before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, say Muslim groups and political observers.