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Escort who claimed Trump secrets 'committed no crimes': lawyer

The lawyer of a Belarussian escort who claimed she had proof of Russian collusion with Donald Trump's election campaign on Wednesday insisted on her innocence after she was released from custody for allegedly coercing women into prostitution. Anastasia Vashukevich, also known as Nastya Rybka, had been expected to speak to the media in Moscow but did not turn up. Vashukevich was arrested at a Moscow airport last week after being deported from Thailand as part of a group convicted of participating in a "sex training course".

Supreme Court Allows Redacted Appeal in Possible Mueller Case

Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible obstruction by President Donald Trump. The dispute apparently marks the first time the Supreme Court has been asked to intervene in the probe. The Supreme Court previously refused to block the daily fines, but the company is still pressing the court to hear an appeal.

The Moon was hit by a meteorite while you were staring at the ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon’ eclipse

Skywatchers had plenty to be excited about this past weekend thanks to a lunar eclipse that was visible from the Americas as well as parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. It got the nickname "Super Blood Wolf Moon" thanks to a combination of labels that may or may not have much meaning, but it was an undeniably cool sight nonetheless. As it turns out, the eclipse was even more special than most observers had noticed, as the Moon was actually struck by a meteorite while everyone was gazing in wonder at its rusty appearance. A new video from astronomer Jose Madiedo, using imagery gathered by the MIDAS impact survey effort, shows the exact moment of impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNvfBCu-jjI In the video you can clearly see a tiny dot flash in the upper left corner of the Moon sphere, appearing for only a fraction of a second before being shrouded in darkness. Some observers who were watching live coverage of the eclipse spotted the brief flash, debating what might have caused it. The MIDAS survey is a Moon-watching that scours video of its surface in the hopes of detecting the tiny flashes associated with meteorite impacts. In this case, MIDAS scored a home run, and it was the first time the system was able to spot an impact during a total lunar eclipse. "In total I spent almost two days without sleeping, including the monitoring time during the eclipse," Madiedo explained to Gizmodo. "I was exhausted when the eclipse ended--but when the automatic detection software notified me of a bright flash, I jumped out of my chair. It was a very exciting moment because I knew such a thing had never been recorded before." The meteorite itself wasn't terribly large, and is estimated to have only been around 22 pounds. Still, its impact was large enough to be spotted by observers as well as the automated MIDAS system, and that's pretty cool.

Correction: Native American March-Videos story

DETROIT (AP) — In stories Jan. 19 and 20 about an encounter between a Native American and a Kentucky student, The Associated Press reported that Indian Country Today said the Native American, Nathan Phillips, was a Vietnam veteran. Military records show that he served in the U.S. Marine Corps but did not serve in Vietnam.

The Justice Department Says It Will Seek to Extradite China's Huawei CFO From Canada

Despite appeals from Beijing to stand down

Alleged US spy received Russian 'state secret' without knowing: lawyer

A former US Marine charged with espionage in Russia was handed a USB drive containing state secrets without knowing what was on the device, his lawyer said Tuesday after a hearing extending his client's custody. Paul Whelan, 48, was taken into custody on December 28 by the Russian FSB security service, which said he was caught "while carrying out an act of espionage".

Death toll in Mexico gasoline pipeline blast climbs to 94: officials

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The number of people who died from a gasoline pipeline explosion in central Mexico last week has risen to 94, government officials said on Tuesday, from 91 reported a day earlier https://reut.rs/2FGojjO. The explosion last Friday occurred as about 800 people in Hidalgo state's Tlahuelilpan district were collecting gasoline that was gushing from a pipeline leak near a major refinery. ...

Who is Juan Guaido? Venezuela opposition leader backed by Trump in bid to depose President Maduro

Juan Guaido, leader of the Venezuelan socialist party Popular Will, has declared himself interim president of the crisis-hit Latin American country. In a move that immediately drew support from US president Donald Trump, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, Mr Guaido is attempting to oust Nicolas Maduro, who was inaugurated for a second six-year term on 10 January after winning a widely-boycotted election in May last year.

Striking teachers in LA reach tentative settlement with district

Los Angeles public school teachers reached a tentative settlement with school officials Tuesday in order to end a weeklong strike that has affected some 500,000 students. The settlement -- reached after 21 hours of marathon talks that ended early Tuesday -- was set to be voted on by the roughly 30,000 members of the teachers union later in the day and classes are due to resume on Wednesday. "The strike nobody wanted is now behind us," Los Angeles United School District superintendent Austin Beutner said at a joint press conference with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Alex Caputo-Pearl, the president of United Teachers Los Angeles.

Ocasio Cortez: ‘The World is Going to End In Twelve Years If We Don’t Address Climate Change’

“Millennials and people, you know, Gen Z and all these folks that will come after us are looking up and we’re like: ‘The world is gonna end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change and your biggest issue is how are we gonna pay for it?’” Ocasio-Cortez told interviewer Tanehisi Coates at an “MLK Now” event in New York. The timeline Ocasio-Cortez referenced was likely based on a U.N. backed report, released last year, that predicted the consequences of man-made climate change would become irreversible in twelve years if global carbon emissions are not immediately and dramatically reduced.

5 people 'senselessly murdered' after gunman takes hostages in Sebring, Fla., bank

Five people were 'senselessly murdered' after a gunman took hostages in a Florida bank, forced them to the floor and began shooting, authorities said.

Haute couture: the best catwalk beauty looks from day two

Day two of Spring/Summer 2019 Haute Couture fashion week saw some of the biggest houses in the industry get gloriously playful with catwalk hair and makeup. Alexis Mabille ushered in the springtime with kaleidoscopic flower crowns that tumbled down the models' faces for a lesson in surreal romanticism. It was all about the pompadour at Chanel, where the models sported towering vertical hairstyles that added several inches to their height, commanding respect.

Kentucky mother of newborn twins missing since leaving bar with men 3 weeks ago

'If you know anything, we beg you, come forward': A Kentucky family is making an emotional plea to help find a mother of four who vanished.

A century on, Basra's British-era shipyard going strong

Thousands of ships, including former dictator Saddam Hussein's yacht, have passed through the Iraqi shipyard's three docks, where a giant steam engine hauls them out of the water and up the century-old wooden tracks. Mohammed Adnan, who has been operating the huge steam engine for six years now, says it is not easy. "They say they [the British] brought in the wood from Burma... we tried to drill a 1.5 inch nail into it once, we couldn't," said Jassim Hussain Sabour, the shipyard's longest-serving worker.

Kerry, at Davos, sends Trump a one-word message: Resign

The former secretary of state goes after the president in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

US, regional powers recognise Maduro opponent as Venezuela leader

The United States and major South American nations recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim leader Wednesday while the UN urged dialogue in Caracas to avoid "disaster", leaving President Nicolas Maduro increasingly isolated. Major regional players Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina all gave their backing to Guaido's self-proclamation as acting president, which he made in front of crowd of tens of thousands of supporters in the capital Caracas. The European Union called for free elections to restore democracy.

MAGA hat wearing teens spark political, racial debate across US

Former South Carolina congressman Trey Gowdy weighs in on the racial and political divides in the U.S.

Colorado governor works to try to prevent teachers strike

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Wednesday he is seeking to prevent Denver teachers from walking off the job next week after they overwhelmingly voted to strike over pay.

GM Plant Workers Allege Racist Acts Continue Even After Lawsuits

It comes after years of racist language on the assembly line, scrawled slogans and swastikas on the restroom walls and nooses suspended in the workplace, as well as misogyny, according to the lawsuits. “GM downplays this and says it is a few isolated incidents, but it’s not,” said Michelle Vocht, a Michigan lawyer representing eight employees at the plant who are suing GM, alleging a hostile workplace. The company does take the complaints seriously, spokesman David Caldwell said.

Boeing's flying car lifts off in race to revolutionize urban travel

Boeing Co said on Wednesday its flying car prototype hovered briefly in the air during an inaugural test flight, a small but significant step as the world's largest planemaker bids to revolutionize urban transportation and parcel delivery services. Boeing is competing with arch-rival Airbus SE and numerous other firms to introduce small self-flying vehicles capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Boeing's 30-foot-long (9 meter) aircraft - part helicopter, part drone and part fixed-wing plane - lifted a few feet off the ground and made a soft landing after less than a minute of being airborne on Tuesday at an airport in Manassas, Virginia, Boeing said.

These mini broccoli cheddar soup pies are almost too cute to eat

Welcome to Best Bites, a twice-weekly video series that aims to satisfy your

Kamala Harris presidential campaign attracts more donors in day one than Bernie Sanders’ first 24 hours in 2016

California Senator Kamala Harris has raised over $1.5m with an average donation of $37 per donation during the first 24 hours of her presidential campaign, aides to her campaign say. Ms Harris received the support from over 38,000 donors, topping the 35,000 people who pitched in to prop up Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders when he began is presidential bid in 2016 against Hillary Clinton — but still roughly matching his first day total of $1.5m. “These numbers reveal a campaign powered by the people — an energetic, nationwide movement eager to elect Senator Harris and support her vision of an America that actually works for the people”, Mike Nellis, the campaign’s digital aide, said.

Erdogan and Putin vow closer cooperation on Syria at Moscow talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday vowed to coordinate their actions more closely in Syria. "Cooperation between Russia and Turkey is a touchstone for Syrian peace and stability," Erdogan said in translated comments at a joint press conference after their talks, which lasted around three hours. "We agreed how we'll coordinate our work in the near future," Putin said, calling the talks which included the countries' defence ministers "effective".

Amazon’s rare discount on the only Instant Pot with a built-in sous vide somehow isn’t sold out

Yesterday afternoon we told you about a killer sale that popped up on Amazon. The $160 Instant Pot 8 Qt Aura Pro Multi-Use Programmable Multicooker with Sous Vide is the only multi-use cooker that Instant Pot makes with a built-in sous vide function, and it almost never goes on sale. Thanks to a $32 clippable coupon on Amazon, it dropped to an all-time low of $127.99. Last time this coupon popped up on Amazon it sold out within about an hour, but today we have some terrific news: it's somehow still available! Hurry up and head to the Amazon page now and you'll still find that $32 coupon there. We have no idea how much longer this deal will last though, so you should definitely take advantage as soon as you can. Here are the highlights from the product page: * Please note this item does not have a pressure cooker function. * Aura Pro replaces 11 commonly used kitchen appliances - Sear/Saute, Bake, Slow Cook, Steam, Stew, Sous Vide, Roast, Yogurt, Rice, Multigrain and Keep Warm, your favorite dishes are as easy as pressing a button! * Microprocessor Technology - The microprocessor controls the time and temperature to ensure consistent cooking results. You can customize your settings using the operation keys +/- to adjust cooking time and temperature to achieve your preferred cooking results. * Sear/Saute - Flexible temperature settings makes it perfect for simmering, caramelizing and sauteing vegetables, and searing meat. Temperature ranges from 250~425°F [120~220°C], you can easily adjust the time from 5 minutes to 1 hour, with a default time of 30 minutes. * Bake - Prevents you from heating up your kitchen. Temperature ranges from 250~425°F [120~220°C], you can adjust the time from 10 minutes to 4 hour, with a default time of 1 hour. * Slow Cooker - Two temperature settings High (H) and Low (L) with the ability to set the cooking time from 30 minutes to 24 hours for both temperature levels and a default time of 4 and 6 hours respectively. * Power supply: 120V - 60Hz

North Dakota couple killed by fallen tree in San Diego

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota couple died while vacationing in San Diego when a 75-foot-tall pine tree crashed onto their rental house as they slept, relatives and police said.

Steph Curry Sells North Carolina Home for $1.19 Million

The Golden State Warrior star previously sold his Walnut Creek, California, home in August 2017

The Latest: Los Angeles teachers ratify deal by large margin

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the end of the Los Angeles teachers strike (all times local):

Huge attack shows Taliban strength at outset of talks

The attack, carried out with a captured military Humvee packed with explosives, killed as many as 100 or more soldiers, police and pro government militiamen at a base in Maidan Wardak province west of Kabul. "The Taliban are doing exactly what they want to do and if it goes on like this then one day we will have Maidan Wardak province fall into the hands of Taliban," said Mohammad Akbar Bakhtyari, the deputy chief of the provincial council. Just hours later, the Taliban confirmed that talks aimed at finding a peace deal had resumed with U.S. officials in Qatar, underlining the strategy adopted by the increasingly invigorated insurgents -- an approach their American foes should understand.

The Chevrolet Silverado Four-Cylinder Gets Worse Fuel Economy Than the V-8 in Our Test

Here's more proof that downsizing and turbocharging have their limits.

Tom Brady Fans: This Meal Delivery Program Lets You Eat Just Like Your Favorite QB

GOAT quarterback skills not included.

Supreme Court allows Trump's partial ban on transgender troops in military to take effect

The Supreme Court will allow Trump's partial ban on transgender people serving in the military to take effect while court challenges continue.

Frustrated British MPs try to take control of Brexit

British MPs frustrated with Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit strategy are seeking to force a new approach, which could include delaying Britain's exit from the EU and holding a second referendum. The House of Commons rejected May's withdrawal deal last week, leaving Britain on course to exit the EU on March 29 with no deal. The government introduced a parliamentary motion late Monday setting the stage for the discussions, and groups of MPs have already begun proposing amendments.

Government shutdown: Syrian refugee’s falafel shop giving free meals to furloughed workers in Tennessee

A Syrian refugee is expressing his support and love for the United States by offering free food to anyone affected by the government shutdown at his falafel shop in Tennessee. Yassin Terou, who immigrated to the country from Syria in 2011, said he wanted to help his community during the trying times of the partial government shutdown.

Extreme Temperatures Have Frozen Parts of Niagara Falls

Extreme Temperatures Have Frozen Parts of Niagara Falls

Malaysia Police Seek 1MDB Deal Documents From Goldman's Lawyer

Police have raided Rahmat Lim & Partners, the law firm that represented Goldman in the deals, on Thursday morning to search for the documents, The Edge newspaper reported, citing a person it didn’t identify. Saiful Azly Kamaruddin, acting director for the police’s commercial crime investigation department, confirmed the raid. Representatives for Rahmat Lim & Partners couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

Swedish teen takes climate activism to jet-setters in Davos

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — There aren't many people who spend 32 hours on a train to get to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos and plan to sleep in a tent.

Car bomb kills one, injures 14 in Syria: state media

A car bomb detonated in the government-held Syrian city of Latakia on Tuesday, killing one person and wounding 14, Syrian state media reported. State news agency SANA cited the head of the Latakia health department as saying a "terrorist explosion" had killed one civilian and wounded 14. Latakia, located on the Mediterranean coast, has stayed in government hands throughout Syria's eight years of civil war, avoiding the fighting that caused massive damage and casualties in most other major cities.

Emiliano Sala: Rescuers give up hope of finding missing footballer alive as experts claim the plane was downed by ice

Rescuers searching for the £15 million Cardiff City footballer, Emiliano Sala, admitted they had given up hope last night, amid fears that his single engine aircraft had crashed into the English channel after the propeller became blocked with ice. The Argentinian born striker sent a message to relatives shortly before taking off expressing fears over the state of the 25-year-old aircraft, It has also emerged that the pilot, Dave Ibbotson, 60, had to abort three attempted takeoffs and had joked with friends that he was a "bit rusty" in the days before the doomed flight. The Piper PA-46 Malibu left Nantes airport in north west France at around 7.15pm on Monday evening and was on route to Cardiff, where Sala was looking forward to joining up with his new teammates. Just after an hour into the flight the pilot asked air traffic control to reduce altitude from 5,000 ft to 2,300 feet. But a short time later the Guernsey coastguard was alerted after the aircraft disappeared from radar screens. David Ibbotson was thought to be the pilot of the aircraft Aviation experts suggested the privately chartered single-engine aircraft should not have been risking the flight in the icy conditions. Alastair Rosenschein, a former pilot, said: "It's already a fairly risky crossing to do in a single engine aircraft, especially in winter and definitely at night. There are icing problems too. It's a strange thing to do though to go and fly over water with one engine at night in winter because if your engine goes you're going in the water". Mystery continued to surround who the owner of the £100 per hour aircraft was, with Cardiff City insisting Sala had rejected their offer of a commercial flight, in favour of sorting out his own arrangements. A source at the club said they had launched an investigation to find out why their record breaking signing had gambled with his life on the "risky" Channel crossing. Neil Warnock took his players on a sombre first training session since the tragedy on Wednesday. Players and staff were described by one source as feeling "absolutely terrible" and "in the dark" about the circumstances of Sala's flight arrangements. Sala, who had been in prolific goal scoring form for Nantes in recent months, had been a dream signing for the club. Willie McKay, a well-known agent, was reported to have played a part in negotiating the club's record-breaking deal, but he told The Telegraph he had nothing to do with Sala's flight. He told The Telegraph: "I have had family members ringing me about this and it's just not true. None of it." Fans have left scarves and flowers at the Cardiff City stadium  The aircraft, which was built in 1984, is registered in the United States rather than Britain through a company based in Norfolk. The firm, Southern Aircraft Consultancy, charges owners around £500 pounds per year to register their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Authority, which means it is harder for the owners to be identified. Three years ago the Piper aircraft, which can carry six passengers, was delivered to the UK from Spain by a British pilot called, David Henderson. Emiliano Sala timeline He told the BBC at the time of the dangers of flying single engine aircraft over water. He said: "One of the problems we can encounter is that ice can build up on the surfaces of the aircraft, on the propeller and on the wings and if is gets too great then ultimately the aeroplane would stop flying and the only way in most of the aeroplanes we fly of getting rid of ice is to descend into warmer air and the ice will dissipate." Missing light aircraft over the English Channel Guernsey Police said rescue workers had launched three aircraft and one helicopter in a bid to find the missing plane. The aircraft scanned 280 sq miles of a target area after reviewing tidal and weather information, while coastal areas around Alderney and off-lying rocks and islands were also examined. But the search was called off on Wednesday evening with local police saying they would take a decision whether to resume the search on Thursday morning. However experienced rescuers warned there was "no hope" of finding the missing pair. A tearful Horacio Sala, father of the footballer, speaks during an interview outside his home in Progreso, Argentina Credit: AP Photo/Mauricio Garin John Fitzgerald, Chief officer of Channel Islands Air Search, said "even the most fit person" would only last a few hours in the water. Mr Fitzgerald said: "Sadly, I really don't think, personally, there is any hope. At this time of year the conditions out there are pretty horrendous if you are actually in the water." Sala had taken flown in the aircraft from Cardiff to Nantes on Saturday evening after finalising his move to the Premier League club. He had wanted to say goodbye to friends and former colleagues at the French club before embarking on his new career at Cardiff. But he had told friends he was worried about the return flight because the outbound trip had been "bumpy". Mr Ibbotson, a highly experienced pilot, from the village of Crowle near Scunthorpe, had joked with friends on social media that he was a "a bit rusty with the ILS", thought to be a reference to the aircraft's Instrument Landing System. Shortly before take off, Sala also sent a WhatsApp voice message to family saying he was "so scared". Media in Argentina reported he said: "I'm on a plane that looks like it's going to fall apart."

Ocasio-Cortez, other progressives land spots on powerful committee poised to investigate Trump

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib were among the outspoken progressive appointments to the influential Oversight and Reform committee, which is poised to investigate Trump under new Democrat leadership.

Blue Origin to make 10th flight test of space tourist rocket

Blue Origin, the rocket company headed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is poised to launch the 10th test flight of its unmanned New Shepard rocket on Wednesday as it competes with Virgin Galactic to become the first to carry tourists on brief visits to space. Virgin Galactic, headed by British billionaire Richard Branson, is also working on a vessel of its own to carry tourists to space. On December 13, 2018, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, flew higher than it ever had before, surpassing what the US Air Force considers the boundary of space, and marking the first manned flight to space from US soil since 2011.

Three dead from separate avalanches in Colorado and New Mexico

Two deaths have been confirmed in the US after two separate avalanches in Colorado and New Mexico trapped skiers in crushing snow this week and last. Authorities in Aspen, Colorado confirmed the most recent death on Monday, which happened to be the same day that relatives of a New Mexico avalanche victim announced their loss. A second victim of the New Mexico avalanche had already been reported.

This Kid Asked Each Car Company to Send Him A Decal. They Sent a Lot More Than That.

Way to go, car companies.