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Trump, trying to head off testimony, says Bolton would have started 'World War Six'

Trump, trying to head off testimony, says Bolton would have started 'World War Six'

As pressure mounts on senators to allow John Bolton’s testimony in President Trump’s impeachment trial, the president used Twitter to trash ...

Erdogan Warns Russia Risks Split With Turkey on Syria Attack

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/erdogan-warns-russia-risks-split-112245474.html"><img align="left" alt="Erdogan Warns Russia Risks Split With Turkey on Syria Attack" border="0" height="86" src="" title="Erdogan Warns Russia Risks Split With Turkey on Syria Attack" width="130" /></a>(Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced rare recent criticism of Russia for its conduct in Syria, saying his “patience is running out” over the ongoing bombing of opposition Islamist forces in Idlib province.“As of now, Russia is loyal to neither Astana nor Sochi” agreements, Erdogan told reporters on his way back from a visit to African countries, according to Anadolu Agency.He was referring to accords struck by the two countries in recent years to curtail fighting in northern Syria. Russia and Turkey have stepped up their cooperation in the Syrian conflict while finding themselves on opposite sides of other Middle Eastern conflicts, such as the one in Libya.“If we are loyal partners, Russia will make its position clear,” Erdogan said. “Either it will have a different process with Syria, or it will have a different process with Turkey. There’s no other way.”The comments follow reports that Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, have taken control of Ma’arrat al-Nu’man, the biggest town in Idlib province. The strategically important area last changed hands in 2012, Anadolu reported on Wednesday.Russia responded to Erdogan’s comments by saying it’s committed to strictly implementing its obligations on Syria, the state-run Tass news service reported, citing the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.Millions of Syrians fleeing fighting in Syria over the years have headed for Turkey, and officials there have long warned of another major exodus as combat escalates in Idlib.(Updates with Russian Foreign Ministry in sixth paragraph)To contact the reporter on this story: Firat Kozok in Ankara at fkozok@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Onur Ant at oant@bloomberg.net, Mark Williams, Paul AbelskyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
 
 
 
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Erdogan Warns Russia Risks Split With Turkey on Syria Attack

(Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced rare recent criticism of Russia for its conduct in Syria, saying his “patience ...

Mexican Narcos, More Brazen by the Day, Land Coke Plane on a Highway and Shoot a General

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/mexican-narcos-more-brazen-day-093444280.html"><img align="left" alt="Mexican Narcos, More Brazen by the Day, Land Coke Plane on a Highway and Shoot a General" border="0" height="86" src="http://l2.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/9SDT_pdse5XleW6qqDC0Mw--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/thedailybeast.com/dfdf57debcbb194db789d9e47438b3ee" title="Mexican Narcos, More Brazen by the Day, Land Coke Plane on a Highway and Shoot a General" width="130" /></a>CALI, Colombia—Talk about a tough commute. Traffic was backed up for miles early Monday morning in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo after drug traffickers landed a twin engine prop plane on Highway 307, near the resort town of Bacalar.Mexican Police Chief Arrested in Mormon Massacre CaseThe flight—which originated in South America and had been tracked by radar since entering Mexican airspace—touched down at about 4:30 a.m. A task force led by the senior commander of military operations in that state moved out to intercept.When soldiers worked their way through the traffic jam caused by the plane they were met by a light cavalry force consisting of some 50 vehicles belonging to well-armed, ground-based accomplices who had been waiting for the delivery. The sicarios had also cut down roadside trees and signs to create a makeshift runway for the aircraft. By the time the army showed up, the traffickers already were hustling to offload more than a half ton of cocaine.In the pitched battle that followed, Mexican troops came under fire from military-grade weapons, including a high-powered .50 caliber sniper rifle. When the firefight was over the general in charge had been hit, his driver killed, and at least two more soldiers wounded. Two suspects were apprehended nearby. A portion of the contraband cargo, the .50 cal, a few other rifles, and two vehicles also were seized. The pilots and other traffickers, along with an unknown quantity of narcotics, apparently escaped.To make room for more marching powder, the plane had been gutted of all seats save the pilots’. Authorities retrieved 26 individually wrapped packages of cocaine in the raid, altogether weighing some 600 kilograms (1,320 pounds). Given that the average U.S. street price for the drug is about $96 per gram, that makes the captured haul worth some $57,600,000 dollars.Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a rather laconic statement later that day about the “confrontation,” confirming that the raid was indeed led by General José Luis Vásquez Araiza, who heads up the 34th military zone, and that “unfortunately they shot him.” Quintana Roo Governor Carlos Joaquín González took to Twitter to offer his condolences to the soldiers and their families and to praise their “hard work and courage ensuring the security of Quintana Roo.”Boilerplate rhetoric aside, security in Quintana Roo is in relatively short supply of late, as cartels carry out turf wars in areas once safe for tourists. The Associated Press reported six people were killed in drug-related violence over the weekend in the popular beach town of Cancún, farther north on the same highway where the plane landed. This once placid region in southeast Mexico, near the border with Belize, is now part of a major smuggling corridor, which led to Quintana Roo’s murder rate nearly tripling in 2018. Though homicide rates fell slightly in 2019, decapitated and dismembered victims still draw unwelcome attention from the press, stoking fears that the steady stream of foreign visitors, so crucial to the local economy, might be scared away.The image of a drug plane blocking traffic on a national highway in broad daylight has drawn eyeballs throughout the hemisphere. But the incident also highlights just how bold and fearless the cartels have become.    * * *A GRIM NEW STANDARD* * *Most cocaine that enters the United States from South America makes a stopover in Mexico. It comes by land, sea, and air, in shipping containers and submarines and modified planes like the one captured this week. Cocaine production in the Andean nations is soaring, especially in Colombia, which now produces about 70 percent of the global supply. To enhance their profits, Mexican cartels have recently taken to importing raw coca paste and refining it in their own country, so as not to have to pay middlemen to cook it on site. As heroin and marijuana have steadily declined in value, thanks to synthetic opioids and legalization respectively, cocaine remains a more stable and valuable commodity—making the cartels “desperate” to obtain it, according to Robert Bunker, a security analyst with the U.S. Army War College.Why the Drug War Can’t Be Won—Cartel Corruption Goes All the Way to the TopWhat Bunker describes as “the cartels’ increasing brazenness” is also fueled by their growing power, it seems, to get away with just about anything, including colluding with senior Mexican officials. In the last month, U.S. prosecutors have charged two high-level Mexican national police officers with taking millions in bribes.  “They have become so used to operating with such high levels of impunity that this is becoming the new standard of their activities,”  Bunker told The Daily Beast.In reference to the airborne smuggling episode in Quintana Roo, a high-ranking source within one of Mexico’s cartels (who requested anonymity for security reasons) described the operation as daring to the point of being foolhardy.“I am surprised that a group with access to a plane and that amount of cocaine would land on a road instead of a more secure location,” the source said. He also said the tactics were “sloppy” and suggested the lack of “lookouts” and “exit routes” indicated the traffickers might be too cocky for their own good. “There should have been blockades ready in case they were under surveillance,” he said.Bunker said one of the more likely culprits behind the highway-as-tarmac plot is the Jalisco New Generation Cartel [CJNG]. Now one of the nation’s most powerful crime groups, the CJNG has been encroaching on Quintana Roo for the last few years, driving the surge in violence there.Bunker also said the presence of a .50 caliber rifle and other assault weapons is in line with the CJNG’s paramilitary profile. Additionally, one of the two men arrested at the scene was a Jalisco native.“The cartel unit was more than willing to go toe-to-toe with the Mexican armed forces in a tactical engagement,” said Bunker. That’s also in line with CJNG’s aggressive behavior, as the cartel has also shot down army helicopters and attacked military convoys in the past.* * *TROUBLE IN PARADISE* * *Quintana Roo isn’t the only tourist hotspot suffering from new and unusually high levels of violence in Mexico. Once the playground of Hollywood elites, Acapulco is now among the most dangerous cities in the Americas. Tijuana, on the border with California, was the site of a record-breaking 2,518 murders in 2018. Even Mexico City, long thought to be the safe-zone free from organized crime, has been rocked by gun battles among armed groups. Murders in Mexico reached an all-time high last year, with more than 35,500 victims.Part of the spike in killings is due to the cartel world fragmenting, meaning no one group can maintain order and hegemony—what Bunker calls a “Pax Mafiosa”—over its territory.Up until a few years ago, places like Quintana Roo had been relatively exempt from narco violence because government officials and powerful business owners—including wealthy investors from within established criminal organizations—wanted to keep the tourist dollars rolling in. But today’s new breed of next-gen narcos like the CJNG have shown themselves all too willing to challenge that hierarchy. In Quintana Roo, the move of CJNG into tourist safe havens “is slowly changing the ‘off-limits’ rules that once existed,” Bunker said.“These groups do not fear kicking over the old economic interests in Mexico or the power structure that exists behind them.”The cartel insider agreed that the security situation in places like Quintana Roo could continue to worsen.  “The narcos are getting bolder,” he said, “and it isn’t going to get better.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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Mexican Narcos, More Brazen by the Day, Land Coke Plane on a Highway and Shoot a General

CALI, Colombia—Talk about a tough commute. Traffic was backed up for miles early Monday morning in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo after d...

Get us out of here, plead foreign students at China virus epicenter

Foreign students stuck in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of a coronavurus outbreak, are launching social media campaigns, making p...

GOP wins handily a closely watched Texas special election

Republicans won handily a closely watched special election Tuesday to keep hold of a suburban Houston district that President Trump won easi...

Biden's campaign is reportedly seeking 'election-night alliances' with candidates who may not survive Iowa

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/bidens-campaign-reportedly-seeking-election-150906191.html"><img align="left" alt="Biden's campaign is reportedly seeking 'election-night alliances' with candidates who may not survive Iowa" border="0" height="86" src="http://l1.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/LD6uACpAmaDzR7N5K02qng--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_week_574/ecfcf4d945a94b3f2123908d2582aa6d" title="Biden's campaign is reportedly seeking 'election-night alliances' with candidates who may not survive Iowa" width="130" /></a>Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign might be a little worried about Iowa.The first caucuses of the 2020 primary season are coming up in just four days, but Biden by no means has a lock on Iowa. So Biden's campaign is reaching out to lower-polling candidates in hopes of striking "election night alliances" to pick up their supporters if they don't make it past the first caucus ballots, Politico reports.Tom Steyer, the billionaire who's sitting at an average of 3.6 percent in the polls, was reportedly one of the targets of Biden's campaign. An aide to Steyer confirmed his campaign was approached by "multiple candidates," per Politico. Biden's team similarly talked with entrepreneur Andrew Yang's staffers, sources said. And three Biden staffers also "tentatively floated" a deal with a strategist for Sen. Amy Klobuchar's (D-Minn.) campaign, The New York Times reported earlier this week. All the campaigns told Politico they'd "rebuffed advances" from other candidates.Biden's second-tier strategy isn't unusual for the Iowa caucuses. The state's system allows people who've supported candidates "who fail to reach 15 percent support in a precinct on the first ballot" to chose someone else for the next ballot, which eventually chooses the state's delegates, Politico writes. Yet it also makes it clear that Biden's campaign knows the Iowa race is far from settled. Read more at Politico.More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi 7 witheringly funny cartoons about the GOP's John Bolton problem
 
 
 
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Biden's campaign is reportedly seeking 'election-night alliances' with candidates who may not survive Iowa

Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign might be a little worried about Iowa.The first caucuses of the 2020 primary season are coming...

U.S. Farm Chief Presses EU to Throw Doors Open to American Foods

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/u-farm-chief-presses-eu-123906452.html"><img align="left" alt="U.S. Farm Chief Presses EU to Throw Doors Open to American Foods" border="0" height="86" src="" title="U.S. Farm Chief Presses EU to Throw Doors Open to American Foods" width="130" /></a>(Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signaled that a renewed transatlantic trade truce will require more ambitious European Union efforts to ease imports of American foods.Perdue criticized an idea being pursued by the bloc of a piecemeal accord that would scale back European regulatory barriers to individual American products such as shellfish, saying a U.S. farm-trade deficit with the EU of $10 billion to $12 billion was “unsustainable and unreasonable.”Instead, he said, Europe should reject the “political science of fear” over U.S. farm goods and ease market access for them in general.“We’re looking for real substance,” Perdue said from Rome on Thursday during a conference call with reporters. “It depends on recognizing international standards.”The comments challenge Europe’s better-safe-than-sorry approach to food safety -- a stance that has led to longstanding EU bans on hormone-treated beef and “chlorinated” chicken, and to a slow approval process in Europe for genetically modified foods.The remarks also highlight the obstacles to reviving a July 2018 transatlantic commercial truce. A fraying of that deal in recent months prompted U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen last week to pledge fresh efforts to reach a trade accord, which she said could also include matters related to energy and technology.Any failure could prompt an escalation in tit-for-tat tariffs that began in 2018 when Trump invoked national-security considerations to impose duties on steel and aluminum from Europe.Perdue described talks he held on Monday with EU officials in Brussels as “very productive.” And, while declining to speculate about the elements of any transatlantic farm deal because it is being handled in Washington by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Perdue held out the prospect of results within weeks.To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Stearns in Brussels at jstearns2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Nikos Chrysoloras, Peter ChapmanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
 
 
 
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U.S. Farm Chief Presses EU to Throw Doors Open to American Foods

(Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. U.S. Agriculture Secretary...

New top story on Hacker News: The Rust Compilation Model Calamity

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New top story on Hacker News: Yahoo Groups Archiving Progress

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New top story on Hacker News: GDB Custom Commands: Dynamic Arrays

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Navy SEAL Promoted After Choking Green Beret to Death

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/navy-seal-promoted-choking-green-010610021.html"><img align="left" alt="Navy SEAL Promoted After Choking Green Beret to Death" border="0" height="86" src="http://l.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/PuhcHzrCJjGhcCKmYMg.sw--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/thedailybeast.com/8ebab665a087a72d2eb54026da7ac704" title="Navy SEAL Promoted After Choking Green Beret to Death" width="130" /></a>The U.S. Navy promoted Chief Petty Officer Tony DeDolph four months after he admitted to choking a Green Beret to death. DeDolph—who will be back in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing—was formally charged in November 2018 with felony murder, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, burglary, hazing, and involuntary manslaughter in the strangulation death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Special Forces soldier assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group.Melgar was nearing the end of his deployment when he was killed in the West African nation of Mali in June 2017. He was part of an intelligence operation in Mali supporting counterterrorism efforts against al Qaeda’s local affiliate, known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.Days after Melgar was strangled, DeDolph, at the time a petty officer first class, was sent back to his base in Virginia Beach under suspicion of murder. Despite that, DeDolph found himself on the promotion list for chief petty officer in August 2017; he was “frocked”—meaning he began wearing the insignia of the higher rank—on Sept. 15, 2017, according to defense officials. He didn’t start drawing chief’s pay until December.Slain Green Beret’s Widow Speaks: ‘I Knew They Were Lying’Three days before DeDolph’s promotion, the medical examiner’s report was signed. It concluded, based on a June 8, 2017, autopsy at Dover Air Force Base, that Melgar’s cause of death was asphyxiation and the manner of death was homicide, according to documents reviewed by The Daily Beast.A defense official familiar with the case said Naval Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as Seal Team 6, didn’t flag DeDolph because he was not formally charged or a person of interest in an ongoing investigation. He was a participant in the investigation but no charges were filed until November 2018.Retired Brig. Gen. Donald Bolduc, the former commander of Special Operations Command-Africa, told The Daily Beast this week that he authorized an investigation after he learned of Melgar’s death. Bolduc alerted Army Criminal Investigation Command and told commanders in Mali to preserve evidence. He didn’t understand why DeDolph was promoted when he returned to his unit in Virginia Beach.“It is another failure of leadership,” Bolduc said. “I mean senior leadership. It’s unfortunate. He should have never been promoted. The investigation was started right away. They whisked them out of there as fast as they could.”When asked if he was surprised by the news, Bolduc said no.“I’m disappointed,” he said. “But not surprised. It’s utter bullshit.”Navy prosecutor Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Garcia declined to comment on the promotion because DeDolph is part of an ongoing investigation.“DeDolph has remained a member of Naval Special Warfare throughout this process,” said Navy Capt. Tamara Lawrence, a spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare. “It is paramount that the rights of the service member are protected, thus any additional information regarding this case will not be discussed.”Phil Stackhouse, DeDolph's civilian attorney, did not return calls or text messages seeking comment. Melgar’s widow, Michelle, declined to comment on the story.DeDolph’s case is just one of several high-profile incidents that have exposed issues in the SEAL culture. Members of SEAL Team 7 were expelled from Iraq in 2019 after allegations of drinking and sexual assault. Six SEALs tested positive for cocaine last year. Then there’s the case of Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Gallagher, a former member of SEAL Team 7, who faced a court martial for war crimes charges including murder, but was convicted of posing for a picture with a dead body and granted clemency by President Trump in November 2019. Trump Tells Allies He Wants Absolved War Criminals to Campaign for HimSome of the same issues were present in Mali, where there was widespread alcohol use, partying, and prostitutes at the safehouse, according to sources familiar with the investigation. “It was like a frat house,” one source said, when asked to describe what the safe house in Bamako was like. In response to the recent incidents, Rear Adm. Collin Green, head of Naval Special Warfare Command, sent a memo last year to his subordinate units declaring the whole SEAL community has a problem.“Some of our subordinate formations have failed to maintain good order and discipline and as a result and for good reason, our NSW culture is being questioned,” Green wrote in the July 2019 memo. “I don’t know yet if we have a culture problem, I do know that we have a good order and discipline problem that must be addressed immediately.”Gen. Richard Clarke, the head of Special Operations Command, ordered an ethics review last August following several high-profile incidents. He acknowledged in a memo to service members on Tuesday that “unacceptable conduct” had been allowed to occur as a result of “lack of leadership, discipline and accountability.” The 71-page report summing up the ethics review warned of what Clarke described as an emphasis on “force employment and mission accomplishment over the routine activities that ensure leadership, accountability, and discipline.”Chief Petty Officer Adam C. Matthews, who was in Mali doing an assessment of the mission there, testified in August he felt it was his duty to haze Melgar—on DeDolph’s recommendation—to teach him a lesson after Melgar “ditched” the team in Mali’s capital city of Bamako on his way to a party at the French embassy. Investigator of Green Beret’s Murder Had Romantic Relationship With Witness, Lawyer SaysDeDolph, Matthews and two Marine Raiders—Gunnery Sgt. Mario Madera-Rodriguez and Staff Sgt. Kevin Maxwell—spent the rest of the night plotting to choke Melgar into unconsciousness, pull his pants down and videotape the incident and then show it to him later to embarrass him. When Melgar became unresponsive, Matthews and DeDolph tried to resuscitate Melgar with CPR and opened a hole in his throat. The SEALS with Sergeant First Class James Morris, Melgar’s supervisor, then rushed Melgar to a French medical facility, where he was pronounced dead. At the clinic, DeDolph admitted to an embassy official he choked Melgar, according to NBC News and subsequent reports.Maxwell and Matthews have already pleaded guilty in exchange for plea agreements with prosecutors. Matthews, 33, pleaded guilty to hazing and assault charges and attempts to cover up what happened to Melgar. He was sentenced in May 2019 to one year in military prison. Maxwell, 29, was sentenced to four years of confinement after pleading guilty in connection with Melgar’s death in June 2019.DeDolph and Madera-Rodriguez are the last of the four men who carried out the attack to stand trial. Both men are expected to face courts martial this spring. An exact date has not been selected, according to Navy officials.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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Navy SEAL Promoted After Choking Green Beret to Death

The U.S. Navy promoted Chief Petty Officer Tony DeDolph four months after he admitted to choking a Green Beret to death. DeDolph—who will be...

Biden Says He's Getting Old—So His VP Should Be 'Capable of Immediately Being a President'

'I'm an old guy,' Biden admitted. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/316mHIb

Trial Date Set for Jeffrey Epstein Jail Guards

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/trial-date-set-jeffrey-epstein-210043637.html"><img align="left" alt="Trial Date Set for Jeffrey Epstein Jail Guards" border="0" height="86" src="http://l2.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/lvnIaWMAj4CeGouDOzPlRw--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/thedailybeast.com/6579ef55000a9f240937c6965e8f32d3" title="Trial Date Set for Jeffrey Epstein Jail Guards" width="130" /></a>Two Manhattan jail guards charged with falsifying records after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell will face trial in June, a federal judge ruled Thursday.Tova Noel, 31, and Michael Thomas, 41, who worked inside Metropolitan Correctional Center’s (MCC) Special Housing Unit, are accused of failing to conduct mandated checks on inmates in the hours before the multi-millionaire sex-offender killed himself in August 2019. Both corrections officers have pleaded not guilty.In Manhattan federal court on Thursday, defense lawyers asked to delay the trial until October—a request U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres promptly denied. Torres set a trial date for June 22, despite the protestations of Noel’s lawyer, Jason Foy, who said the schedule would interfere with his family vacation. The defense attorneys also requested a later date because of what they described as “voluminous” discovery materials, including some they said they hadn’t received. “It’s necessary,” Foy told the court. “This isn’t about us laying back and taking our time.”Thomas’ attorney, Montell Figgins, added, “It took the federal government 90 days to investigate … it’s going to take us more than 90 days to do the same amount of work.”Indictment Against Jail Guards Reveals News Details From Jeffrey Epstein’s Final HoursFiggins also told Judge Torres he’d likely file a motion to dismiss the indictment due to selective prosecution, and that he needed to obtain a report from the Department of Justice’s Inspector General which, along with the FBI and Bureau of Prisons, was tasked with investigating Epstein’s death in a federal facility.Prosecutors had argued against delaying the trial—previously slated for April—which they said will last a week. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Lonergan said the facts in the criminal case only relate to a 14-hour period of time. “This is a very focused, single-incident indictment,” Lonergan said, adding that broader working conditions at MCC were “just not relevant.”Foy disagreed, saying MCC’s environs and alleged failures in security measures “are directly related” to his client’s case. (Both guards were working overtime shifts, and the union representing the officers told The Daily Beast that MCC is constantly understaffed, forcing some guards to work “mandatory overtime” shifts totaling 16 to 18 hours.)After Thursday’s court appearance, Figgins told reporters that the feds “want to put my client in jail for the same conduct that’s happening with other officers on a daily basis.” He said Thomas is on leave without pay pending an administrative hearing.He said his selective prosecution defense will center around the fact that other corrections officers within the Bureau of Prisons system, outside of the Epstein case, have also fallen short with required checks but without criminal consequences.The Bureau of Prisons allowed guards to work nearly 24 hours straight, creating a system where guards could fall asleep on the job, Figgins claimed; guards might end a shift only to be told they couldn’t go home for another eight hours because of staff shortages. “How can they allow that type of work to go on and not expect something like that [Epstein’s death] to happen?” he said.“Now when a billionaire dies, they want to make [Noel and Thomas] a scapegoat,” Figgins continued. He pointed out Noel and Thomas weren’t the only officers working the night before Epstein died; a lieutenant had to sign off on paperwork for their rounds, and a control room held other guards, too. “Why are these the only people charged?” Figgins asked.Last November, federal prosecutors charged Noel and Thomas each with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. Noel is also charged with five counts of making false records, while Thomas was slapped with three counts of making false records. According to prosecutors, the corrections officers face five years in prison for each count of the charges.Prosecutors say the guards never conducted their mandated checks on inmates, including Epstein, on the night he hanged himself. “Instead, for substantial portions of their shifts, Noel and Thomas sat at their desk, browsed the internet, and moved around the common area of the SHU [Special Housing Unit],” the indictment alleged. “To conceal their failure to perform their duties, Noel and Thomas repeatedly signed false certifications attesting to having conducted multiple counts of inmates when, in truth and in fact, they never conducted such counts.”Epstein was found dead in his cell around 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 10—one month after he was arrested for trafficking minor girls. He’d previously attempted to hang himself on July 23, officials said, but was taken off suicide watch after 24 hours. He was under psychological observation until July 30.  Later in August, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said a jail psychologist removed Epstein from suicide watch. In a letter to the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Boyd said “a doctoral-level psychologist” had “determined that a suicide watch was no longer warranted.”According to the indictment, no SHU guards conducted counts from about 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 until Epstein’s body was discovered the next morning. Both Noel and Thomas had been working overtime shifts the day Epstein died. A cellmate of the multi-millionaire had been transferred out of MCC on Aug. 9, and “despite the MCC’s psychological staff’s direction that Epstein have a cellmate, no new cellmate was assigned to Epstein's cell,” the indictment stated.Noel worked a shift from 4 p.m. on Aug. 9 to 8 a.m. on Aug. 10, while Thomas started his shift at 12 a.m. on Aug. 10. They were the only corrections officers on duty in the Special Housing Unit from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Aug. 10, prosecutors say.The guards were collectively responsible for two prisoner checks on Aug. 9, at 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., as well as three checks on Aug. 10, at 12 a.m., 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.When a supervisor who’d just gotten to work responded to an alarm that went off in MCC at 6:33 a.m. on Aug. 10, Noel allegedly announced, “Epstein hung himself.” Noel was said to admit later, “We did not complete the 3 a.m. nor the 5 a.m. rounds.”“We messed up,” Thomas allegedly told a supervisor. “I messed up, she’s not to blame, we didn’t do any rounds.”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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Trial Date Set for Jeffrey Epstein Jail Guards

Two Manhattan jail guards charged with falsifying records after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell will face trial in June, a federa...

US hits Iran with new sanctions, keeps some waivers in place

The Trump administration said Thursday that it will continue — at least for now — its policy of not sanctioning foreign companies that work ...

Trump, trying to head off testimony, says Bolton would have started 'World War Six'

As pressure mounts on senators to allow John Bolton’s testimony in President Trump’s impeachment trial, the president used Twitter to trash ...

So Long, Spitzer, You Were a Good Telescope and Friend

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/37GjeCn

Get us out of here, plead foreign students at China virus epicenter

Foreign students stuck in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of a coronavurus outbreak, are launching social media campaigns, making p...

Biden's campaign is reportedly seeking 'election-night alliances' with candidates who may not survive Iowa

Biden's campaign is reportedly seeking 'election-night alliances' with candidates who may not survive Iowa

Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign might be a little worried about Iowa.The first caucuses of the 2020 primary season are coming...

HS2: Government review 'advises against cancelling' project

The review, seen by the BBC, advises against cancelling the high speed rail scheme. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/36J70aM

Nicaragua: Six indigenous people reportedly killed in attack

The Mayagna group has been involved in disputes with new settlers searching for land and resources. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2t...

The Papers: Will Brexit hail a 'new dawn' or a 'small island'?

The papers mark the day the UK leaves the EU - "Brexit day" - with a mixture of optimism and regret. from BBC News - Home https:...

Fox News Breaking News Alert

Fox News Breaking News Alert PROGRAMMING ALERT: Sen. Rand Paul talks impeachment fight on 'The Story,' 7 pm ET 01/30/20 3:52 PM

Amazon Christmas sales soar as rivals struggle

Sales were up 20% over the festive season in sharp contrast to weakness at other retailers. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Ubwifk

Police find mom of 2 missing kids in Hawaii with husband

Police say a mother of two missing kids has been found in Hawaii along with her new husband, but there’s still no sign of the children in th...

Doorbell Cam Captures Chilling Audio of Kobe Bryant’s Crash

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/doorbell-cam-captures-chilling-audio-121714390.html"><img align="left" alt="Doorbell Cam Captures Chilling Audio of Kobe Bryant’s Crash" border="0" height="86" src="http://l2.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/1Jw8TyNBtUEJa3HZ4COxSg--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/thedailybeast.com/e2fca0c95ccd10a2f808bc0b83d6a8a3" title="Doorbell Cam Captures Chilling Audio of Kobe Bryant’s Crash" width="130" /></a>Chilling audio of Kobe Bryant’s helicopter coming down in California was captured by a doorbell cam.  Local resident Ronna Leavitt has provided the 43-second clip to investigators in which the Sikorsky S-76B chopper can be heard flying above her housing complex in Calabasas before it crashes with a thud into the surrounding hillside and the recording falls silent. Leavitt told ABC7 that the helicopter had flown above her housing complex and performed a U-turn before it crashed into the hillside, killing Bryant and eight others, including his daughter Gianna.Meanwhile, crash investigators have said that the chopper did not have a terrain awareness and warning system that could have provided critical information to the pilot about the mountainous area.The Federal Aviation Administration recommends the equipment on new choppers, and The Wall Street Journal quoted industry estimates of retrofitting the system at between $25,000 and $40,000. The helicopter was also not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder, according to reports.Federal investigators said the helicopter lost communications with air-traffic controllers when it climbed to 2,300 feet as the pilot attempted to avoid a cloud layer. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said the helicopter then began a descending left turn and crashed into the hills of Calabasas at roughly 1,085 feet above sea level. The chopper was descending at more than 2,000 feet a minute in the moments before impact.“Preliminary information is that the helicopter was in one piece when it impacted the terrain,” a spokesperson told the Journal. “This is a pretty steep descent at high speed.”Bill English, an investigator-in-charge with the NTSB, said, “It’s important to realize that there’s not one hill. It’s a ravine with undulating terrain, so the small outcropping that had the main impact in it, the main impact was about 20 to 30 feet from the top of that small hill. But there are actually other higher hills surrounding it.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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Doorbell Cam Captures Chilling Audio of Kobe Bryant’s Crash

Chilling audio of Kobe Bryant’s helicopter coming down in California was captured by a doorbell cam. Local resident Ronna Leavitt has provi...

British officials: Tanker on fire in Gulf off Sharjah in UAE

The United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations said the fire struck the vessel northwest of Sharjah, an Emirati sheikhdom. Emirati officials...

Authorities find longest Southwest border smuggling tunnel

U.S. authorities on Wednesday announced the discovery of the longest smuggling tunnel ever found on the Southwest border, stretching more th...

'It's hysteria': Asian students at Arizona State University say they're being treated differently after a case of the Wuhan coronavirus was confirmed there

A case of the coronavirus was confirmed at Arizona State University on Sunday, and Asian students have felt backlash ever since. from Ya...

Bolton, who may hold impeachment bombshell, has a history of settling scores

John Bolton has many times before been at the center of a maelstrom that is in good part of his own making. And each time, he has somehow em...

U.N. says offices in Geneva, Vienna targeted by 'well-resourced' cyberattack last year

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Japan confirms virus in man who had not been to China

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/japan-confirms-virus-man-had-not-china-101308697.html"><img align="left" alt="Japan confirms virus in man who had not been to China" border="0" height="86" src="http://l.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/xkF8_QecOXliDtEzpiGZvw--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/54a1b1c669d0c46dbaf9ddc94cf90d8299f3e61b.jpg" title="Japan confirms virus in man who had not been to China" width="130" /></a>Japanese authorities said Tuesday a man with no recent travel to China has contracted the novel strain of coronavirus -- apparently after driving tourists visiting from Wuhan, where a deadly outbreak began. The man in his sixties from Nara in western Japan drove two groups of Wuhan tourists earlier in January and was hospitalised on Saturday with flu-like symptoms, the health ministry said. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the country had confirmed two new cases, bringing the total so far in Japan to six.
 
 
 
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Japan confirms virus in man who had not been to China

Japanese authorities said Tuesday a man with no recent travel to China has contracted the novel strain of coronavirus -- apparently after dr...

'Who mentored you?' Retired US Army general slams Mike Pompeo and his West Point graduating class

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has come under intense fire in recent days. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/...

As Coronavirus Spreads, Warren Unveils Disease-Prevention Plan

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-spreads-warren-unveils-disease-140036614.html"><img align="left" alt="As  Coronavirus Spreads, Warren Unveils Disease-Prevention Plan" border="0" height="86" src="" title="As  Coronavirus Spreads, Warren Unveils Disease-Prevention Plan" width="130" /></a>(Bloomberg) -- The coronavirus has been in the news for only a few weeks, but Elizabeth Warren already has a plan to fight it.With Hong Kong announcing restrictions on travel from mainland China as part of an effort to contain the SARS-like virus that has claimed more than 100 lives, Warren released a proposal Tuesday morning aimed at containing and treating infectious diseases.“Diseases like coronavirus remind us why we need robust international institutions, strong investments in public health, and a government that is prepared to jump into action at a moment’s notice,” she wrote in a Medium post announcing the plan.Warren criticized President Donald Trump’s response to the outbreak, calling it “a mess.” and assailed the administration’s proposed funding cuts for feeral health agencies.She said her administration would prioritize developing a universal flu vaccine and replenish funding for the Public Health Emergency Fund, with the goal of speeding outbreak response. She proposed restoring an Obama-era White House position for health security that Trump eliminated in 2018. Warren also cited outbreaks as a reason to move towards Medicare For All, a policy proposal that she has espoused, saying it would give infected people access necessary care.This post is part of  Campaign Update, our live coverage from the 2020 campaign trail.To contact the author of this story: Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou in Washington at megkolfopoul@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Kathleen HunterFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
 
 
 
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As Coronavirus Spreads, Warren Unveils Disease-Prevention Plan

(Bloomberg) -- The coronavirus has been in the news for only a few weeks, but Elizabeth Warren already has a plan to fight it.With Hong Kong...

Trumpworld torn over running against Bernie

Some advisers are salivating over running against a socialist. Others say they need to be careful what they wish for. from Yahoo News - ...

U.S. evacuees from China placed under 72-hour 'hold' at California military base

Nearly 200 American citizens airlifted from China in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak arrived on Wednesday at a U.S. military base in California, where they will remain isolated for at least 72 hours of medical evaluation, public health officials said.
<div class="feedflare"><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=uml7flO3k6g:3lFAI0l9PuU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=uml7flO3k6g:3lFAI0l9PuU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?i=uml7flO3k6g:3lFAI0l9PuU:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=uml7flO3k6g:3lFAI0l9PuU:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?i=uml7flO3k6g:3lFAI0l9PuU:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a></div>
<img alt="" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Reuters/domesticNews/~4/uml7flO3k6g" width="1" /> 
 
from Reuters: U.S. https://ift.tt/2tPHLXb

U.S. evacuees from China placed under 72-hour 'hold' at California military base

Nearly 200 American citizens airlifted from China in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak arrived on Wednesday at a U.S. military base in C...

Ex-actress says Weinstein promised her movie deal in exchange for threesome

An actress-turned-costume designer told jurors in the Weinstein rape trial on Wednesday the former Hollywood producer promised her a movie deal if she had three-way sex with him and his assistant.
<div class="feedflare"><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=bf9wXZiD7ys:_0xrBz2mi8Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=bf9wXZiD7ys:_0xrBz2mi8Q:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?i=bf9wXZiD7ys:_0xrBz2mi8Q:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=bf9wXZiD7ys:_0xrBz2mi8Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?i=bf9wXZiD7ys:_0xrBz2mi8Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a></div>
<img alt="" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Reuters/domesticNews/~4/bf9wXZiD7ys" width="1" /> 
 
from Reuters: U.S. https://ift.tt/36EAG9d

Ex-actress says Weinstein promised her movie deal in exchange for threesome

An actress-turned-costume designer told jurors in the Weinstein rape trial on Wednesday the former Hollywood producer promised her a movie d...

Chesapeake Energy reports oil well fire in Texas

Chesapeake Energy said emergency personnel are responding to an oil well fire at one of its drill sites in Texas. from Reuters: U.S. ht...

Ukraine part of Bolton manuscript should not be classified: lawyer

Former national security adviser John Bolton and his lawyer do not believe any information in a chapter on Ukraine in Bolton's book manuscript should be considered classified, the lawyer wrote last week in a letter to the White House.
<div class="feedflare"><a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=XohV1UBRVOw:Ysa4oXV80UM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=XohV1UBRVOw:Ysa4oXV80UM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?i=XohV1UBRVOw:Ysa4oXV80UM:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?a=XohV1UBRVOw:Ysa4oXV80UM:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Reuters/domesticNews?i=XohV1UBRVOw:Ysa4oXV80UM:F7zBnMyn0Lo" /></a></div>
<img alt="" height="1" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Reuters/domesticNews/~4/XohV1UBRVOw" width="1" /> 
 
from Reuters: U.S. https://ift.tt/2uFeQoP

Ukraine part of Bolton manuscript should not be classified: lawyer

Former national security adviser John Bolton and his lawyer do not believe any information in a chapter on Ukraine in Bolton's book manu...

HS2: Chancellor Sajid Javid 'backs project' ahead of crucial meeting

It is understood the chancellor will tell Boris Johnson he supports the London to Birmingham rail link. from BBC News - Home https://ift.t...

Wonga borrowers 'to get 4.3% of compensation claims'

Claimants against the payday lender have been told they will receive little in compensation. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/38R0OiE

The papers: ITV anchor quits and HS2 'to get green light'

The papers focus on HS2's future, why an ITV newsreader is stepping down, and job cuts at BBC News. from BBC News - Home https://ift.t...

Roman Polanski 'French Oscar' nomination sparks outrage

The 86-year-old has been wanted in the US for decades over the statutory rape of a 13-year-old. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2RBHw...

New top story on Hacker News: Facebook to Pay $550M to Settle Facial Recognition Suit

Facebook to Pay $550M to Settle Facial Recognition Suit 9 by i_am_not_elon | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Self_update: In-place updates for Rust executables

Self_update: In-place updates for Rust executables 5 by adamnemecek | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Wonga borrowers 'to get 4.3% of compensation claims'

Claimants against the payday lender have been told they will receive little in compensation. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/38R0O...

HS2: Chancellor Sajid Javid 'backs project' ahead of crucial meeting

It is understood the chancellor will tell Boris Johnson he supports the London to Birmingham rail link. from BBC News - Business https://i...

In wake of Bolton book news, White House allies say Trump lawyers bungled defense

Reports that John Bolton had written a firsthand account of President Trump’s direct involvement in withholding aid to Ukraine has left some...

Fotis Dulos, who is accused of killing his wife, is in critical condition after an apparent suicide attempt

Farmington Police found Fotis Dulos unresponsive while conducting a welfare check Tuesday, after he failed to show up for a court date. ...

Remains of 2 US troops recovered from Afghanistan crash site

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/official-remains-2-us-troops-145616835.html"><img align="left" alt="Remains of 2 US troops recovered from Afghanistan crash site" border="0" height="86" src="http://l1.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/FFf03H801YOyuOkVt7uHbg--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/ap.org/7ba71f87bfef9220440b26f9f2919774" title="Remains of 2 US troops recovered from Afghanistan crash site" width="130" /></a>U.S. forces on Tuesday recovered the remains of two American service members killed in the crash of an Air Force plane in Afghanistan, the U.S. military command in Kabul said. The statement from Kabul said the cause of the crash is under investigation, but there are no indications that it was downed by enemy fire. Monday's plane crash there is not expected to derail U.S.-Taliban peace talks if the crash investigation determines, as expected, that it was not the result of hostile action.
 
 
 
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Remains of 2 US troops recovered from Afghanistan crash site

U.S. forces on Tuesday recovered the remains of two American service members killed in the crash of an Air Force plane in Afghanistan, the U...

The USS Ford is in the Atlantic for first-of-its-kind aircraft testing — here's what the Navy is learning about its new carrier

Four kinds of Navy aircraft are getting their first go-round on takeoff and landing systems that only the USS Gerald R. Ford has. from Y...

Trump lawyer Sekulow says Bolton book manuscript 'inadmissable' – live Trump impeachment trial updates

Impeachment “is not a game of leaks and unsourced manuscripts. That is politics unfortunately,” said Sekulow. from Yahoo News - Latest N...

Mitt Romney says it's 'increasingly likely' more GOP senators will vote for witnesses after Bolton revelations

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/mitt-romney-says-increasingly-likely-160600293.html"><img align="left" alt="Mitt Romney says it's 'increasingly likely' more GOP senators will vote for witnesses after Bolton revelations" border="0" height="86" src="http://l.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/wH5lkpNSrdQmxAjhd7D3LQ--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_week_574/e2517480707e897ac3b09ae8197b5d4b" title="Mitt Romney says it's 'increasingly likely' more GOP senators will vote for witnesses after Bolton revelations" width="130" /></a>The chances of former National Security Adviser John Bolton testifying in the Senate impeachment trial are seemingly increasing.Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Monday that, having spoken to other Republican lawmakers, it's "increasingly likely" more of them will vote to call Bolton to the witness stand now that revelations from his forthcoming book about Trump's alleged Ukraine quid pro quo were leaked to the public. Romney and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) have maintained they'd like to hear from Bolton throughout the process. Collins reiterated that sentiment Monday, saying the Bolton leaks strengthen her stance on the matter and that she's working with Romney and Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to bring in witnesses.> My statement on Bolton developments. pic.twitter.com/3M59J7suts> > — Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) January 27, 2020Those four have long been considered the best bets to go against the grain in the trial, but it now looks like other party members are willing to discuss the matter.Don't expect everyone to jump ship, though. Axios reports that party leadership and the White House will continue to resist witnesses to prevent the "floodgates" from opening. One top aide told Axios that if Bolton's testimony were to implicate Trump, calls for acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "will intensify." Read more at Axios.More stories from theweek.com John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi It's 2020 and women are exhausted All the president's turncoats
 
 
 
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Mitt Romney says it's 'increasingly likely' more GOP senators will vote for witnesses after Bolton revelations

The chances of former National Security Adviser John Bolton testifying in the Senate impeachment trial are seemingly increasing.Sen. Mitt Ro...

Idaho Nurse Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Helping Cover Up Kelsey Berreth’s Murder

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/idaho-nurse-sentenced-3-years-200142025.html"><img align="left" alt="Idaho Nurse Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Helping Cover Up Kelsey Berreth’s Murder" border="0" height="86" src="http://l2.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/OTFfJYwlPAzOKenNCQi1jw--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/thedailybeast.com/ea6e214dd482be61f6226529e666eefc" title="Idaho Nurse Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Helping Cover Up Kelsey Berreth’s Murder" width="130" /></a>A former Idaho nurse was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday for helping Patrick Frazee cover up the murder of his fiancée last Thanksgiving.Krystal Lee, 33, was sentenced after pleading guilty in February to evidence tampering and testifying against Frazee, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, who was convicted of killing 29-year-old Kelsey Berreth.“I know that saying sorry is not good enough,” she told a packed Teller County courtroom on Tuesday, before receiving the maximum sentence. “And I don’t even know what the right word would be to describe the remorse that I feel.”Patrick Frazee Convicted of Murdering His Missing Fiancée With a Baseball Bat, Burning Her BodyFrazee, a 33-year-old cattle rancher, was convicted in November on all six charges against him for the slaying and disappearance of Berreth and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 156 years. Berreth, a flight instructor at Doss Aviation, was last seen at a Safeway grocery store near her Woodland Park, Colorado, home on Nov. 22, 2018. Prosecutors say later that day, Frazee fatally beat his would-be wife, with whom he shared a child, with a baseball bat before burning her body and the murder weapon at his family’s ranch. The cattle rancher then enlisted the help of Lee, his secret girlfriend, to clean up the crime scene, Lee said.During her emotional two-day testimony, Lee described her troubled relationship with Frazee—which began as an affair several years ago while she was married and included a secret abortion. While the nurse has denied participating in Berreth’s murder, she later admitted she witnessed him burn the evidence of his crime.“She shouldn’t have received the plea deal that she did,” Berreth’s parents, Darrell and Cheryl, wrote in a letter read aloud in court Tuesday, according to The Denver Post. “She was an active participant in the murder. The only thing she didn’t do was swing the bat.”‘Calculating Manipulator’ Patrick Frazee Murdered Kelsey Berreth With Help From Secret Girlfriend: ProsecutorsLee recounted that in 2018, Frazee asked her three times to kill Berreth on his behalf, claiming she was abusing their 1-year-old daughter and needed to be stopped. The nurse said while she initially agreed to help, she backed out before each murder attempt. “His little girl is being abused,” Lee testified. “I understand if it was wrong. I didn’t know what to do so I didn’t make correct decisions.”Prosecutors said when Lee failed to help Frazee murder Berreth, the “cold, calculating manipulator” took matters into his own hands. Afterward, Lee said Frazee told her: “I need your help, and I need your help now. You have a mess to clean up.”Lee said during their frantic clean up of Berreth’s apartment, Frazee told her to “get the candles wiped up, get the bathroom done, and wipe up the footprints,” and threatened to kill her if she failed to do a sufficient job. Kelsey Berreth Murder Suspect’s Secret Ex: He ‘Told Me to Take Care of the Problem’“He asked me if I got it done. I told him the best that I could do. He said ‘You better hope you did, because your life depends on it,’” she said during the trial, according to The Gazette.After the Nov. 24 cleanup, she said the two went to Frazee’s ranch, where the 33-year-old set Berreth’s body on fire, along with several trash bags. To further trick authorities, Lee said she took Berreth’s cellphone to Idaho—nearly 800 miles away from the missing mom’s home in Woodland Park—for the signal to ping before burning it. 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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Idaho Nurse Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Helping Cover Up Kelsey Berreth’s Murder

A former Idaho nurse was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday for helping Patrick Frazee cover up the murder of his fiancée last Th...

Venezuelan police capture fugitive Colombian senator who fled via dentist's office

<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/venezuelan-police-capture-fugitive-colombian-163237049.html"><img align="left" alt="Venezuelan police capture fugitive Colombian senator who fled via dentist's office" border="0" height="86" src="" title="Venezuelan police capture fugitive Colombian senator who fled via dentist's office" width="130" /></a>Venezuelan special police detained a fugitive Colombian former senator who had illegally crossed the border, the force's chief said, four months after she escaped custody by climbing out of her dentist's office in Bogota. Aida Merlano, a former Conservative senator who was imprisoned last year for vote buying, made her theatrical escape in October, lowering herself with a rope and fleeing on the back of a delivery motorcycle. Jose Dominguez, head of Venezuela's FAES Special Action Force, wrote on his Instagram account late on Monday that officers detained her in the city of Maracaibo, capital of western Zulia state by the Colombian border.
 
 
 
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Venezuelan police capture fugitive Colombian senator who fled via dentist's office

Venezuelan special police detained a fugitive Colombian former senator who had illegally crossed the border, the force's chief said, fou...