Maduro says U.S. seeks to destroy Venezuela state-backed food program

• Business
• 2019-05-23 23:41:29Z

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday accused the United States of seeking to destroy a food aid program that the government of the crisis-stricken OPEC nation says feeds some 6 million families. Washington is preparing sanctions and criminal charges against Venezuelan officials and others suspected of using the food program to launder money for the Maduro government, sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The measures against the program, known in Venezuela by its Spanish acronym CLAP, are expected to be enacted within the next 90 days, according to the sources, who asked not to be identified.

Trump demands legal immigrants reimburse the government for welfare programs

• Business
• 2019-05-23 22:25:16Z

Trump signed a memorandum requiring the sponsors of legal immigrants to reimburse the government for any safety net programs they benefit from.

Trump says 'dangerous' Huawei could be included in U.S.-China trade deal

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 22:01:15Z

President Donald Trump said on Thursday U.S. complaints against Huawei Technologies Co Ltd might be resolved within the framework of a U.S.-China trade deal, while at the same time calling the Chinese telecommunications giant "very dangerous." Washington last week effectively banned U.S. firms from doing business with Huawei, the world's largest telecoms network gear maker, citing national security concerns. "You look at what they've done from a security standpoint, from a military standpoint, it's very dangerous," Trump said in remarks at the White House.

Toddler has a message for 'Aladdin' princess Jasmine: 'You don't need a boy to see the whole world!'

• Entertainment
• 2019-05-23 20:42:46Z

4-year-old Madison Jade thinks princesses don't need a prince to rescue them because they can rescue themselves.

Trump's $16 Billion Farmer Trade Aid Package Leaves Few Happy

• Business
• 2019-05-23 20:36:24Z

The Trump administration unveiled its latest package Thursday to help farmers hurt by the trade war with China, including $14.5 billion in market facilitation payments directly to producers and $1.4 billion in government purchases to be distributed through school lunch programs and local food banks.

Trump says U.S. to keep close eye on 'American Taliban' Lindh after release

• US
• 2019-05-23 20:35:00Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States would be closely watching John Walker Lindh, the American captured in Afghanistan in 2001 fighting for the Taliban, after his release from prison.

Luckin Coffee Burns Investors in 43% Plunge From High After IPO

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 19:28:45Z

Shares of Xiamen, China-based Luckin Coffee soared as much as 53% to $25.96 on May 17, their first day of trading in the U.S. Of this year's initial public offerings that raised at least $500 million, Luckin's 13% decline from its offering price of $17 per share makes the coffee retailer the second-worst performing stock, behind only Lyft Inc., which is down 20% since its offering price of $72 in late-March. Hedgeye analyst Howard Penney is among the market watchers fooled by the Luckin.

Numerous reports consistent with Syria chemical exposure but no definite conclusion yet: U.S.

• World
• 2019-05-23 19:05:09Z

The United States has received numerous reports that appear consistent with chemical exposure after an attack by Syrian government forces in northwest Syria, but it has made no definitive conclusion as to whether they used chemical weapons, the State Department said on Thursday. "We do have numerous

Judge Orders That Jussie Smollett's Case File Be Unsealed

• Entertainment
• 2019-05-23 18:30:50Z

A Chicago judge ordered that Smollett's case file be unsealed Thursday, making the records available to the public."State's Attorney Foxx is pleased to be able to provide the public with even greater transparency in this matter than was previously possible because of the sealing order," the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said in a statement to TheWrap.  "A review of the documents is currently underway and the State's Attorney's Office will release the documents related to this case through a FOIA production by June 3, 2019."The charges against Smollett included an accusation that the "Empire" actor staged a racist and homophobic attack on himself and arranged for two brothers to...

House passes bill to help workers with retirement savings

• Business
• 2019-05-23 18:08:59Z

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday to promote retirement security by making it easier for small businesses and other companies to offer retirement plans.

Pentagon confirms it is weighing sending more troops to Middle East

• Science
• 2019-05-23 18:06:07Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Thursday confirmed that the Pentagon was considering sending additional U.S. troops to the Middle East as one of the ways to bolster protection for American forces there, amid tensions with Iran. "What we're looking at is: Are there things that we can do to enhance force protection in the Middle East?" Shanahan said. "It may involve sending additional troops." But Shanahan, in remarks to reporters outside the Pentagon, dismissed reports suggesting specific numbers of troops were being considered at this point. ...

Teen arrested in attack on off-duty firefighter defending elderly couple on Upper East Side

• World/Europe
• 2019-05-23 17:57:39Z

The 17-year-old suspect told reporters that he was "defending his friend." He's charged with second-degree assault.

U.S. Beer Industry Blames Trump Tariffs for 40,000 Job Losses

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 17:57:27Z

A report by two trade groups showed U.S. beer-industry jobs dropped 40,000 since 2016 as metal tariffs boosted aluminum-can costs, leading to a drop in investment. The biennial study by the Beer Institute and National Beer Wholesalers Association said direct, indirect and induced jobs fell to 2.19 million

GOP Reps Urge Pennsylvania Governor to Deploy National Guard to Address Border Crisis

• Business
• 2019-05-23 17:45:12Z

A group of Pennsylvania lawmakers led by Representative John Joyce (R., Pa.) sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf Thursday urging him to dispatch the commonwealth's National Guard units to help address the overwhelming influx of asylum seekers arriving at the southern border.Joyce and his fellow Republican lawmakers were moved to write the letter after hearing Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan testify Wednesday about the extent of the crisis at the border and the need for increased manpower to address it."Our country is currently facing a security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border. In April, more than 109,000 undocumented immigrants crossed the border....

U.S. home sales, manufacturing stumble; job market resilient

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 17:30:57Z

Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell from near an 11-1/2-year high in April as prices rebounded and manufacturing activity hit its lowest level in almost a decade in May, suggesting a sharp slowdown in economic growth was underway. Labor market strength should support the economy, which is cooling as last year's massive stimulus from the Trump administration's tax cuts and spending increases fades. The mixed reports followed data last week showing a decline in retail sales and industrial production in April, which prompted economists to cut second-quarter growth estimates.

Bank CEO charged in Manafort bribery scheme to get Trump administration post

• US
• 2019-05-23 16:20:40Z

Stephen Calk, who was chairman and CEO of Federal Savings Bank though is now on a leave of absence, was charged by federal prosecutors in New York with one count of financial institution bribery, which carries a maximum prison term of 30 years. Calk's name repeatedly came up during Manafort's 2018 financial fraud trial in Virginia, with prosecutors saying he approved $16 million in loans for Manafort in exchange for help securing a senior federal post under Trump.

U.S. FAA meets with air regulators on fate of Boeing 737 MAX

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 15:59:54Z

The Federal Aviation Administration is meeting with international air regulators from around the world on Thursday to determine what is needed to return the grounded Boeing Co 737 MAX to return it to service. The agency will summarize the status of three major ongoing reviews of the 737 MAX and give

The ACLU attorney who fights to reunite migrant families

• World
• 2019-05-23 15:40:16Z

Lee Gelernt is deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's national Immigrants' Rights Project. As the lead attorney on efforts to reunite migrant families separated by the Trump administration and in blocking the first version of the Muslim travel ban, he's a familiar face in court. Mr. Gelernt is based at the ACLU's office in New York.

Game of Thrones' Richard Madden admits he was "totally surprised" by how it ended

• Entertainment
• 2019-05-23 15:34:00Z

Even though he hasn't actually seen it...

'Game of Thrones' writer reveals one character was originally going to live

• Entertainment
• 2019-05-23 15:32:21Z

Game of Thrones writer reveals one character was originally going to live

Sanders, other U.S. Democratic 2020 candidates back workers in dispute with McDonald's

• US
• 2019-05-23 15:25:47Z

Sanders, one of the two dozen Democrats running for the Democratic presidential nomination, held a virtual town hall, taking questions from McDonald's workers in Dallas who protested the company's annual shareholders' meeting. "You guys are being exploited," Sanders, speaking from Washington, told the workers. McDonald's is under fire from activist groups for failing to protect workers from sexual harassment and violence.

Another 31 Tons of Beef Recalled Due to E. Coli Fears

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 15:19:21Z

Another 31 Tons of Beef Recalled Due to E. Coli Fears

Rep. Ilhan Omar's abortion stance attacked by HUD Secretary Ben Carson after 'sleep' insult

• Business
• 2019-05-23 15:01:59Z

HUD Secretary Ben Carson told Rep. Ilhan Omar in a tweet that he cares "about all people, even those she doesn't recognize as having a right to life."

Lowe's and Home Depot Have Excellent Memorial Day Sales This Weekend. Here Are the Best Deals

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 14:47:53Z

There are discounts of nearly 50% on mulch, furniture, and more.

U.S. Charges Banker Stephen Calk Over Request for Trump Job

• Business
• 2019-05-23 14:42:26Z

Stephen Calk was appointed to a post as economic adviser to Donald Trump's campaign in summer 2016, days after his bank approved a $9.5 million loan, federal prosecutors in New York said. Months later, after Trump was elected president, Calk was recommended for a position in the Trump administration while loans worth more than $6 million were awaiting approval at Calk's bank, they said. A former U.S. Army helicopter pilot, Calk, 54, faces a single count of financial institution bribery in an indictment unsealed Thursday.

Tesla deliveries set to top record in second quarter: Musk email

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 14:18:00Z

Musk's email, widely posted on social media and authenticated for Reuters by a source familiar with the matter, also said the company had on average produced 900 Model 3 cars per day this week, bringing it closer to a target of 7,000 per week. Demand for the Model 3 sedan and Tesla's other cars

Teenage activists demand climate action on eve of global school strike

• Business
• 2019-05-23 14:14:44Z

With coordinators expecting more than a million youths to join protests in at least 110 countries, students inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg are demanding politicians and business leaders act quickly to curb greenhouse gas emissions. "We seem to have this amazing capability of forgetting horrible things and going on with our daily lives, but adults need to start acting," said Helena Marschall, 16, who is coordinating a strike in the German financial capital Frankfurt. "If we don't act now we will soon reach crucial tipping points of our climate system, meaning after that there's no way out anymore," Marschall said, taking a break from lobbying Deutsche Bank...

Tea seller's son becomes India's Hindu nationalist hero

• World/Europe
• 2019-05-23 14:07:21Z

Master communicator and battle-hardened political scrapper, Narendra Modi fought his way off the streets to become one of India's most popular and polarising prime ministers. There is no middle ground between admirers and adversaries of the 68-year-old, who is on target to become the first leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win two five-year terms. After helping his father run a railway station tea stall in the small Gujarat town of Vadnagar, Modi ran away as a teenager to devote his life to politics.

The 2020 Cadillac CT5-V Officially Debuts May 30

• World/Asia
• 2019-05-23 14:04:00Z

Could the 500-plus-hp Blackwing V-8 make its way under the hood of Cadillac's newest sports sedan?

14 Garage Organization Ideas That'll Give You Back Your Parking Spot

• World/Latin America
• 2019-05-23 14:00:00Z

Chimpanzees spotted cracking open tortoises for meat

• Science
• 2019-05-23 13:46:51Z

BERLIN (AP) - Scientists have observed wild chimpanzees tucking into an unusual snack: tortoises, whose hard shells they crack against tree trunks before scooping out the meat.

After Netflix Price Hike, T-Mobile Customers Will Have to Pay More or Downgrade

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 13:05:21Z

After Netflix Price Hike, T-Mobile Customers Will Have to Pay More or Downgrade

China calls out U.S. 'wrong actions' as Huawei ban rattles supply chains

• Business
• 2019-05-23 11:46:58Z

China said the United States needs to correct its "wrong actions" for trade talks to continue after it blacklisted Huawei, a blow that has rippled through global supply chains and battered tech shares as investors fear a technology cold war. Japanese conglomerate Panasonic Corp joined the growing list of global companies which have said they are disengaging from Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's second-largest seller of smartphones and the largest telecom-gear maker, saying it had stopped shipments of some components. Its move came a day after British chip designer ARM said it had halted relations with Huawei to comply with the U.S. supply blockade, potentially crippling the...

UN agency for Palestinians rejects US call to dismantle it

• World/Latin America
• 2019-05-23 11:41:23Z

The head of the United Nations organisation for Palestinian refugees on Thursday rejected a US call to dismantle the agency, saying it cannot be blamed for stalled peace efforts. UNRWA's commissioner general Pierre Krahenbuhl rebuffed the criticism from US envoy Jason Greenblatt during a visit to the Gaza Strip. "I unreservedly reject the accompanying narrative that suggests that somehow UNRWA is to blame for the continuation of the refugee-hood of Palestine refugees, of their growing numbers and their growing needs," he said in response to a question about Greenblatt's comments.

Pompeo slams release of "American Taliban" as unconscionable: Fox

• US
• 2019-05-23 11:28:22Z

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the pending release on Thursday of John Walker Lindh, the American captured in 2001 fighting for the Taliban, and said he believed the decision needed to be reviewed. "Unexplainable and unconscionable," Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News. Pompeo said Lindh "still is threatening the United states of America, still committed to the very jihad that he engaged in that killed a great American and a great CIA officer.

Amazon Is Working on a Device That Can Read Human Emotions

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 10:56:57Z

The wrist-worn gadget is described as a health and wellness product in internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg. Designed to work with a smartphone app, the device has microphones paired with software that can discern the wearer's emotional state from the sound of his or her voice, according to the

This Group of People Is Most Likely to Retire Broke

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 10:45:00Z

Some people are less likely than others to reach their retirement goals.

Tesla Plunges as Analyst Delivery Warning Adds to Week of Losses

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 10:29:38Z

Loup Ventures co-founder Gene Munster wrote in a note that Tesla will probably miss its 2019 delivery target range as sales shrink in China amid a trade war between the two countries. The analyst cut his estimate for Tesla's full-year global car sales by about 10% to 310,000 vehicles, versus the minimum

China says trade talks can't continue unless US addresses its 'wrong actions'

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 09:42:37Z

A Ministry of Commerce spokesperson does not single out any U.S. action, but it's been a tense couple of weeks for the trade war.

China says lodged solemn representations with U.S. over Huawei

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 09:14:58Z

China said on Thursday it had lodged solemn representations with the United States after it escalated a trade war between the two countries by placing Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on a blacklist for U.S. suppliers. No further trade talks between top Chinese and U.S. negotiators

Stocks Slump, Dollar Rises as Trade Worries Deepen: Markets Wrap

• Business/Economy
• 2019-05-23 08:44:14Z

S&P 500 futures pointed to a big drop at the New York open after China's flagship People's Daily published two commentaries assailing American moves to curb Chinese companies. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was dragged lower by automakers after an EU official said the U.S. was unlikely to start trade talks