GOP Senator Offers The Craziest Theory For Why Trump Didn’t Stand Up To Putin

WASHINGTON ― Democrats say the only logical explanation for Donald Trump’s stunning refusal to call out Vladimir Putin for his country’s meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election is the possibility that the Russian president has some sort of compromising information on the U.S. president. “The reality is,” Rounds continued, expounding on his theory of Trump as a fourth-dimensional chess master, “‘I know you did it, you know you did it, and you know that I know that you did it.’ So to me, Mr. Putin tried to tell the whopper with a straight face and President Trump basically laid out, ‘You wanna play that game?

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  Kelly lobbied Republicans to rebuke Trump after Putin press conference: report

  The Hill
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  White House reveals range of topics for Trump-Putin meeting

  CNN

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.

Deadly Ferguson Fire Threatens Yosemite National Park Communities

A wildfire near Yosemite National Park is expected to grow worse in the coming days as firefighters go up against blaze-fueling weather conditions. “Due to the steep, rugged terrain, the volatility of the vegetation, the hazard trees, the mortality, firefighters are just simply not able to fight this fire directly,” U.S. Forest Service fire behavior analyst Taro Pusina explained in an update Monday morning. Visibility and air quality in Yosemite continue to be affected by smoke from the Ferguson Fire burning in the Sierra National Forest.

Thai cave rescue: Boys and football coach tried to dig their way out and will be ordained as monks in diver tribute

Happy and healthy, the 12 members and coach of the Wild Boars football team showed off their ball skills to a clapping crowd before revealing for the first time the gripping inside details of their Thai cave rescue drama. The boys, aged 11-16, and their coach, Ekapol Chanthawong, 25, spoke of the "miracle" moment when British divers discovered them cowering in the dark after ten days and described how they had clawed at the walls of the cave with rocks in a desperate attempt to escape. Speaking at a press conference, in a room oddly decked out like a football field, in the town of Chiang Rai, the boys also paid a moving tribute to Saman Kunan, 38, the former Thai Navy Seal who died during the rescue, and confirmed they would become novice monks in his honour.

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  One of the Thai soccer team boys described the moment the first cave rescuer found them

  Business Insider
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  The rescued Thai soccer team dug a 16-foot-deep hole inside the cave wall, despite not having anything to eat

  San Francisco Chronicle

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.

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".

Tale of sex, deception emerges about suspected Russian agent

A 29-year-old gun-rights activist suspected of being a covert Russian agent was likely in contact with Kremlin operatives while living in the United States, prosecutors said Wednesday in court papers that also accused her of using sex and deception to forge influential connections. The woman, Maria Butina, was observed by the FBI dining privately with a Russian diplomat suspected of being an intelligence operative in the weeks before the envoy's departure from the U.S. last March, prosecutors say. The allegations, made in court filings aimed at persuading a judge to keep Butina in custody, add to the portrait of a Russian woman who the Justice Department says worked covertly to establish back-channel lines of communication to the Kremlin and infiltrate U.S. political organizations, including the National Rifle Association, and gather intelligence for a senior Russian official to whom she reported.

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  ‘She was like a novelty’: How alleged Russian agent Maria Butina gained access to elite conservative circles

  Washington Post
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  Judge orders alleged Russian agent jailed pending trial

  Reuters

Indonesian authorities burn carcasses of hundreds of crocodiles

By Jessica Damiana JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian authorities have burned the carcasses of nearly 300 crocodiles slaughtered by villagers retaliating for the death of a man attacked by a reptile from a breeding farm, a government official said on Tuesday. After the victim's burial, an angry mob armed with knives, hammers and clubs burst into the farm area and bludgeoned to death 292 of the protected reptiles. "The dead crocodiles have been burned and buried around the farming area," Basar Manullang, a conservation official in the province of West Papua, said in a text message.

On Fox, Putin compares murdering rivals with Kennedy, King assassinations

Sometimes it feels as though Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are reading from the same script. Hours after a widely criticized news conference with the U.S. president, Russia’s leader gave an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, during which he was

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.

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.

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

Prime Day Fashion Deals No One Will Know You Bought On Amazon

If you were looking for some mega deals on top fashion brands this Prime Day, you may find yourself a smidge disappointed. This year’s Prime Day fashion deals do include deep discounts, but the biggest price dips are on Prime-exclusive brands.You’ll find

Thai cave boys speak of 'miracle' rescue after hospital discharge

Twelve Thai boys and their football coach who were rescued by divers after being trapped in a flooded cave for over two weeks spoke publicly Wednesday of their incredible ordeal. Appearing at a press conference beamed worldwide, the "Wild Boars" team members appeared healthy and happy despite the nine days they spent in the dark before being found by an international rescue team and extracted days later. A packed crowd greeted the youngsters after they were discharged from hospital in Chiang Rai, and watched as they played with footballs on a small makeshift pitch before taking their seats.

Israel places new limitations on cargo crossing into Gaza

Israel placed new restrictions on its only cargo crossing with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in response to continued Hamas hostilities, even after it agreed to a cease-fire ending 24 hours of intense fighting. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel will cease transferring gas and fuel through the Kerem Shalom crossing until Sunday but will allow food and essential medication to cross. Lieberman also said Israel was tightening its naval blockade to limit Palestinians from sailing beyond three nautical miles off Gaza's coast.

Mnuchin says U.S. to consider waivers on Iran sanctions

By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States in certain cases will consider waivers for countries that need more time to wind down imports of oil from Iran as it seeks to avoid disrupting global oil markets while reimposing sanctions against Tehran, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. "We want people to reduce oil purchases to zero, but in certain cases if people can't do that overnight, we'll consider exceptions," Mnuchin told reporters on Friday, clarifying some U.S. officials' comments that there would be no exemptions.

Under fire, Trump says he 'misspoke' about Russian interference in U.S. election

Facing withering criticism over Monday’s deferential joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, President Trump asserted Tuesday that he misspoke when he said that Russia had not interfered with the U.S. presidential election. “Let me begin by saying that once again, full faith and support for America’s intelligence agencies.

Elon Musk Apologizes For Calling Thailand Cave Rescue Diver A 'Pedo'

Elon Musk apologized to the British cave diver who was the subject of a slew of insults following last week’s rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a Thai cave. Musk said his comments against Vernon Unsworth, which included the use of the term “pedo,

Suspected Texas Serial Killer Jose Rodriguez Taken Into Custody

Houston police have arrested Jose Gilberto Rodriguez, whom they suspect of killing at least three people in four days. Rodriguez, 46, has been charged with two counts of capital murder and is being held without bond. Officials said Rodriguez will most likely be charged with additional crimes after evidence analysis from other crime scenes returns.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Open Exhibit Honoring Nelson Mandela's Life

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have met with those closest to Nelson Mandela as they opened an exhibition honoring the anti-apartheid hero ahead of what would have been his 100th birthday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle toured the retrospective at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in London Tuesday, one day before the centenary of Mandela’s birth. The couple spoke with Mandela’s granddaughter, Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela, and with Andrew Mlangeni, who stood accused of sabotaging the then-apartheid government in 1938, Kensington Palace said.

How This Former Landscaper Raised His Low Credit Score From 550 To 800

Sam Price, now 44, can trace his credit problems back to college. Price said that when he got his hands on his first credit card, the limit was only about $500 ― hardly enough to get in any real trouble. A few years after college, Price dug himself into about $15,000 in credit card debt.

Singapore Airlines named world's best airline 2018: Skytrax

Meanwhile, the world airline awards are based on the results of a year-long, online poll which collected 20.36 million survey entries at www.worldairlinesurvey.com. The poll covered 335 airlines, and respondents represented 100 nationalities.

8 Best Automotive Deals On Amazon Prime Day

From Forza Motorsport 7 to a new Segway, these are the best deals this Prime Day.