PoliticsYahoo NewsAfter Trump rebuke, Sessions shows up for work, will stay ‘as long as that is appropriate’
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein dodged questions about their future with the Department of Justice following criticisms from President Trump. In an interview with the New York Times published Wednesday evening, Trump said that he would not have appointed Sessions as attorney general if he knew Sessions would recuse himself from the Russia investigation. “We in the Department of Justice will continue every single day to work hard, to serve the national interest, and we wholeheartedly join in the priorities of President Trump,” said Sessions when asked if he had considered resignation.
- PoliticsYahoo View
Trump Finances Part of Russia Investigation
Greg Farrell, investigative reporter for Bloomberg News, talks with Rachel Maddow about Special Counsel Robert Mueller including Donald Trump's personal business and finances as part of the Trump Russia investigation.
NewsReutersIllinois man charged with Chinese scholar kidnapping pleads not guilty
An Illinois man charged with kidnapping a female Chinese scholar who has been missing for more than a month pleaded not guilty during an appearance in a U.S. court on Thursday. Brendt Christensen, 28, is accused of abducting Yingying Zhang, a 26-year-old visiting scholar at the University of Illinois from southeastern China, who disappeared on June 9. Zhang, who had been studying photosynthesis and crop productivity, was last seen when a security camera recorded her getting into a black car that authorities linked to Christensen, according to court records.
WorldAFPGermany cannot scare Turkey with 'threats': Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday told Germany it cannot scare Ankara with threats, in an escalating row over a wave of arrests that prompted Berlin to step up warnings to German tourists and investors. "They (Germany) cannot scare us with these threats, they should know this," Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul. "You (Germany) do not have the power to smear Turkey... or the power to scare us," he added.
- WorldThe Independent
USS Fitzgerald crash that killed seven American sailors 'was navy's own fault'
A deadly crash between a US warship and a Philippine cargo vessel is believed to have been the fault of the US navy, according to CNN citing preliminary investigations into the incident which claimed the lives of seven American sailors. The network said that two officials from the Department of Defence said that there were multiple errors by the crew of the USS Fitzgerald that led to the collision in June. The crash between the Fitzgerald, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and the ACX Crystal on 17 June claimed the lives of seven US sailors.
- NewsAssociated Press
The Latest: California wildfire destroys 50 homes
State fire officials say a huge wildfire in foothills west of Yosemite has now destroyed 50 homes and 49 other structures. The California Department of Forestry and Fire protection confirmed the new destruction near the Gold Rush town of Mariposa late Thursday. The blaze has also damaged 11 homes and five other structures.
- NewsInside Edition
Man Fatally Stabs Dog That Sided With Girlfriend in Arguments: Cops
A Florida man was arrested this week after cops say he stabbed a dog for always taking his girlfriend's side in arguments. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Mike Lado, 26, came home drunk Wednesday morning before getting into an argument with his live-in girlfriend. According to the police report, Lado went into the kitchen and retrieved a knife then stabbed the dog twice as it approached him.
- WorldThe Telegraph
US 'closely tracking' as Chinese navy in the Baltics for war games with Russia
Chinese warships will join Vladimir Putin’s navy in the Baltic Sea on Friday ahead of war games which are being watched closely by Western powers. The drills, which are a sign of both the growing reach of the Chinese military and closer strategic ties between Moscow and Beijing, kick off a busy summer of drills by Russia in eastern Europe which have raised alarm in Washington. China’s most advanced guided-missile destroyers are expected to arrive in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad on Friday before taking to the seas with a Russian flotilla on Monday for exercises that will run until July 31.
- NewsTime
5-Year-Old Girl Fined Nearly $200 for Holding Lemonade Stand
A five-year-old girl who decided to run a lemonade stand in her East London neighborhood was fined nearly $200 for not having a trading permit. In a Thursday article for The Telegraph, the girl’s father, Andre Spicer, described how four police officers approached the stand shortly after his daughter had begun selling her home-made beverage.
- WorldYahoo News Photo Staff
Powerful earthquake hits Greece and Turkey
A 6.7-magnitude undersea quake hit the Greek holiday island of Kos and the Turkish resort of Bodrum on Friday, killing two people and injuring hundreds in areas abuzz with nightlife. The epicenter of the quake was about 10 kilometers (six miles) south of Bodrum, a magnet for holidaymakers, and 16 kilometers east of Kos, the US Geological Survey said. “(There was) this loud rumbling noise and we all ran out… my four friends fell to the ground due to the place shaking so much,” 18-year-old Briton Harriet Longley told AFP from Kos.
- PoliticsYahoo View
Team Trump Makes 'active Effort' to Undercut Mueller Probe
The Washington Post reports Donald Trump is asking about his ability to pardon aides, family members, and himself, and that his lawyers are looking for ways to limit Special Counsel Mueller's investigation.
HealthReuters'No more woe is me': Senator McCain vows quick return to Washington
By Richard Cowan and David Schwartz WASHINGTON/PHOENIX, Ariz. (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John McCain promised on Thursday he would return rapidly to Washington despite his newly diagnosed brain cancer, flashing the fighting spirit that has defined him since he was held in captivity as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. McCain, a veteran senator and former Republican presidential candidate known as a strong and sometimes fiercely independent voice on defense and security issues, was found to have an aggressive form of brain tumor, glioblastoma, after surgery last week for a blood clot above his left eye. The news, issued by his office late on Wednesday, drew a wave of support from across the political spectrum, and raised questions about how long McCain would be absent from the Senate, where Republicans have a narrow majority and are eager to notch up some legislative successes for President Donald Trump.
WorldAFPFighting kills 6 Ukraine soldiers in fresh spike of violence
The violence flared several days after a top rebel leader announced a plan to form a new "state" that Kiev warned could put a long-stalled peace plan further in jeopardy. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said rebel shelling killed six servicemen and wounded two more around the insurgents' de-facto capital Donetsk. Across the other side of the front a separatist news agency accused Kiev of wounding three civilians in a bombardment by heavy weaponry.
- U.S.People
Michigan Man Killed Stepdaughter Who Roused Him from Nap
A 25 year old Michigan man has been sentenced to life in prison , after confessing to stabbing his step daughter and burning her body.
- NewsInternational Business Times
Great White Shark Gets Shockingly Close To Paddle Boarders Near California
A great white shark got dangerously close to a pair of paddle boarders while they swam in the ocean. Francesca Nash and her friend Rose Lebow paddled past the shore break when the shark arrived. Nash said she started recording as the shark moved between them.
- NewsInside Edition
Surviving Child Describes Horror of Mother's Alleged Family Stabbing Rampage
Diana Romero, at just 9 years old, endured the unthinkable this month when cops say she witnessed her own mother — Isabel Martinez — fly into a homicidal rage and murder her father and four young siblings. In the documents, obtained by KHOU, investigators said Diana told them the family went to Savannah in the days before the slayings and that her mother and father seemed to be getting along well.
WorldAssociated PressUS bans travel for Americans to NKorea after Warmbier death
American citizens will be barred by the U.S. from traveling to North Korea beginning next month following a prohibition on using U.S. passports to enter the country, the State Department said Friday. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson decided to impose a "geographical travel restriction" on North Korea following the death last month of American university student Otto Warmbier, who fell into a coma while in North Korean custody. The ban also comes amid heightened U.S. concern about Pyongyang's recent advancements in its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
- NewsAOL.com
Tourists at all-inclusive Mexico resort reportedly drugged, woman dies
A family vacation to Mexico ended in tragedy recently after a young woman died at an all-inclusive resort after reportedly being drugged. According to other victims, several resorts in Mexico seem to be serving tainted alcohol to tourists, resulting in sexual assault, injuries and robbery. Several tourists are now sharing their experiences after staying at Iberostar Hotel & Resorts' Paraiso del Mar and other resorts around Cancun and Playa del Carme.
- NewsTime
New York Couple Pleads Guilty to Enslaving Korean Children for 6 Years
The two children — a sister and brother — came to the Untied States from Korea in 2010, according to a statement released by Queens County District Attorney. After a few years, the couple forced both children to work jobs outside their home and turn over all money they made, even though the kids’ parents were sending money to cover their expenses. Park also regularly hit the children, slapped them and kicked them, according to the DA.
NewsAssociated PressVisa issues take spotlight after Burundi teens exit event
The big controversy leading up to the FIRST Global international robotics competition in Washington was whether a team of girls from Afghanistan would be able to participate, after their initial visa applications were denied. As it turned out, the Afghan girls got into the country and competed without incident, though it took direct intervention from President Donald Trump. Instead, it was a team from Burundi that created an immigration-related uproar after it disappeared in what appears to be an effort to avoid returning to their home country.
- BusinessThe Independent
Republicans close to blocking Trump from easing Russia sanctions
In a rare show of defiance, Republicans in Congress are coming close to preventing Donald Trump from being able to roll back sanctions against Russia. The White House has sought to change a bill that would toughen sanctions on Moscow for meddling in the 2016 US election. Despite telling reporters that the White House supports new sanctions on Russia, Marc Short, its legislative director, declared that the bill would set “an unusual precedent of delegating foreign policy to 535 members of Congress.
WorldReutersChina aims to become world leader in AI, challenges U.S. dominance
By Cate Cadell and Adam Jourdan BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has outlined plans to become a world-leader in artificial intelligence by 2025, laying down a challenge to U.S. dominance in the sector amid heightened international tensions over military applications of the technology. China released a national AI development plan late on Thursday, aiming to grow the country's core AI industries to over 150 billion yuan ($22.15 billion) by 2020 and 400 billion yuan ($59.07 billion) by 2025, the State Council said. With this major push into AI, China is looking to rival U.S. market leaders such as Alphabet Inc's Google and Microsoft Corp, as it is keen not to be left behind in a technology that is increasingly key from smart cars to energy.
- WorldForeign Policy Magazine
Iraqi Forces Carry Out Revenge Killings Against ISIS Suspects
An execution site has been discovered in the Iraqi city of Mosul, Human Rights Watch says, citing it as the latest evidence of retribution carried out by government forces after the defeat of Islamic State extremists. International observers found the execution site in western Mosul on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch reported. When international observers, trusted by Human Rights Watch, visited the site, which consists of an empty building taken by Iraqi forces in April, they found 17 male corpses in pools of blood.
BusinessAFP Relax NewsAudi voluntarily recalls up to 850,000 diesel vehicles
German luxury carmaker Audi, a Volkswagen subsidiary, issued a voluntary recall of up to 850,000 diesel vehicles Friday, saying it would help reduce engine emissions. "Audi aims to maintain the future viability of diesel engines for its customers and to make a contribution towards improving air quality," the Bavaria-based manufacturer said in a statement. Vehicles with affected engines would receive a free software upgrade that "will further improve their emissions in real driving conditions beyond the current legal requirements," Audi added.
- ScienceInternational Business Times
Fukushima Robot Finds Nuclear Fuel Debris ‘Hanging Like Icicles’
A robot sent into Fukushima’s defunct nuclear power plant found what could potentially be melted nuclear fuel debris — hanging in the form of “icicles.” The machine was deployed to locate the source of the melted debris and potentially clean it up. Officials from the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the company tasked with decommissioning the power plant, said the objects the robot spotted were inside the interior of reactor three. The icicle-like objects were hanging onto a control rod drive attached to the bottom of a pressure vessel which holds the core, the Japan Times reported Friday.
