Special News and Updated: June 2018

Saturday, 30 June 2018

The young Austrian leader sharing power with the far right

Is Sebastian Kurz getting too close to the far right as he pursues a hardline migrant policy?

from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2tRYncH

Reality Check: Are butterflies getting rarer?

It's often said that butterflies are dying out in the UK, but do the statistics back this up?

from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2IAbJ2F

Fortnite: A fortnight in my 40s in Battle Royale

A lapsed gamer is challenged to spend a fortnight playing Fortnite to understand its appeal.

from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2Myy5nq

Doug Ford: Brother of notorious Rob Ford takes over Ontario

The province's new premier, a businessman and politician, had been called Canada's Donald Trump.

from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2z2aw4O

Little hope ahead of polls in Mexico's Sinaloa state

Mexicans will be voting in general elections on Sunday against a backdrop of record levels of violence.

from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2lHky1B

Democrats gear up for a fierce and probably losing fight against Trump’s court pick, whoever it is

Trump’s opponents see little likelihood of blocking the president’s eventual nominee. But liberal groups are huddling to draw up battle plans anyway.

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Trump: Will pick a SCOTUS nominee ‘that’s going to be there for 40 years’

The short list contains all appeals court judges, including Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, Brett Kavanaugh of Maryland, and Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania.

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'Oh God': Melania Trump's horror at being shown picture of young boy left at US border

The Customs and Border Patrol agency (CPD) said that it was the only drink he had and carried no food. Mrs Trump was shown pictures of the boy during a visit to a CPD facility in Tucson, Arizona. In a call to CPD, a spokesperson for the border patrol confirmed to The Independent that the child was no longer in their custody, but would not release where he had been transferred, citing personal protection.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2IC4TK2

Rep. Jim Jordan and Rod Rosenstein face off in fiery hearing on Capitol Hill

In one remarkably tense exchange, Rosenstein sparred with Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who accused the deputy attorney general of “hiding” information from Congress.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2IAGzZ1

Gaza teen dies after being hit on Israel border: ministry

A Palestinian teenager died on Thursday after being hit by Israeli tank fire on the Gaza border, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry said. Abdel Fattah Abu Azoum, 17, was hit in the head earlier on Thursday near Rafah in southern Gaza, the ministry said. The Israeli army said he and a companion were seeking to breach the border.

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Passenger Tossed From Flight in Dispute With Flight Attendant Over Airplane Mode in Indiana

Robyn Rodgers, of New York, took to Instagram to discuss the incident.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2KzcHOg

Justice for Junior: 7 suspects appear in court in murder of innocent Bronx teen

Seven of the eight suspects arrested in the brutal murder of a 15-year-old boy in the Bronx made their first court appearances Wednesday, as thousands of mourners gathered to bid a final farewell to the boy affectionately known as Junior.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2N8gLXv

Capital Gazette Leaves Its Editorial Section Blank Day After Shooting

Instead of its regular slate of commentary, The Capital Gazette left its

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Senate battles over timing of vote on President Trump’s SCOTUS nominee

Republicans are planning to hold a confirmation vote before the midterm elections, refusing Democrats’ demands for a delay.

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Fox News Regular Bruce Turkel Quits Over Immigration Coverage

Bruce Turkel, a Miami advertising executive who had been a frequent guest on

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2KfMNDc

Protesters Block Expressway After Officer Who Shot Antwon Rose Granted Bail

Protesters shut down a portion of the Tri-Boro Expressway outside Pittsburgh

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Here's What Could Happen to Roe v. Wade and Abortion Rights After Justice Kennedy's Retirement

"There’s every reason to believe that Roe v. Wade is on the chopping block"

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Bali volcano erupts: Thousands of tourists stranded as ash closes airport

The Indonesian tourist island of Bali closed its international airport on Friday, stranding thousands of travellers, as the Mount Agung volcano gushed an 8,200-feet column of ash and smoke. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said nearly 450 flights were cancelled, affecting some 75,000 people. The regional Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin, Australia, said winds would carry the ash southwest toward Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island. Volcanic ash is a potentially deadly threat to aircraft that can cause engines to "flame out." The volcano began belching ash and smoke on Thursday and several airlines cancelled inbound and outbound flights scheduled for the evening. "We hadn’t a place to stay for the night so we had to find something else, just took a taxi and stayed at a random hostel," said a stranded German backpacker who identified herself as Louisa. "We hoped we could leave this morning, but the airport is closed," she said. Mount Agung - Bali Two small airports, at Banyuwangi and Jember in eastern Java, also closed because of the ash threat. Agung’s alert level has not been raised and an exclusion zone around the crater remains at 2.5 miles. The disaster agency said the closure of Bali’s airport was in effect until 7 pm. Australia’s national airline Qantas said in a statement that it’s "currently not safe" to operate Bali flights. A flight information board shows cancelled flights at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali Credit: AP It said it was monitoring advice from the ash advisory centre and its own pilots and meteorologists would decide when flights can resume. Australian visitor Rod Bird came early to the airport only to be told his flight back to Perth had been cancelled for the second time. An earlier flight on AirAsia was called off before the airport was shuttered early Friday morning. "They told us the volcano is going off so they rebooked us for this morning and we got here at 5:00 am only to be turned away again. So we've had two cancelled flights," Bird told AFP. "Well it's Bali, these things happen and we are fine with it. We just miss the kids," he added. Tourists rest as Ngurah Rai International Airport is closed due to the eruption of Mount Agung in Bali Credit: AP The volcano, about 45 miles northeast of Bali’s tourist hotspot of Kuta, last had a major eruption in 1963, killing about 1,100 people. It had a dramatic increase in activity last year, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, but had quietened by early this year. Authorities lowered its alert status from the highest level in February. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 250 million people, sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes.

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Israel will not accept any Syrian refugees on its territory: defense minister

By Ori Lewis JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will not allow any Syrian refugees to enter its territory but will continue to provide them with humanitarian aid, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Friday. More than 120,000 people in southwestern Syria have been forced to flee since the Syrian government launched an offensive to recover an area bordering Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from rebels, a monitoring group said. The Israeli military said an increased number of Syrian civilians had been spotted in refugee camps on the Syrian side of the Golan over the past few days, and that it had overnight sent aid supplies at four locations "to Syrians fleeing hostilities".

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I Call BS On Needing $1 Million To Retire (And Other Bad Retirement 'Rules')

Ann Brenoff's "On The Fly" is a column about navigating growing older ― and a

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“Hard to believe it’s over”: The last days of an American dairy farm

Since 1970, more than 90 perfect of all U.S. dairy farms have closed due to low milk prices and industry restructuring. Recently, a corporate decision by Walmart led to the shutdown of a three-generation family-run dairy farm in Kentucky.

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Obama Chides GOP Values: 'A Fundamental Contrast Of How We View The World'

Former President Barack Obama returned to the public eye Thursday with a swipe

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Romaine lettuce outbreak tied to tainted irrigation canal

NEW YORK (AP) — Tainted irrigation water appears to be the source of a national food poisoning outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, health officials said Thursday.

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Somebody bought $1 million worth of toys for local kids as Toys 'R' Us closed for good

A kind samaritan made the closure of Toys 'R' Us a little easier for the children of North Carolina who don't wanna grow up. The future youth of America will never know the overwhelming feeling of joy while running through the aisles of the giant toy chain. After filing for bankruptcy in September, more than 700 Toys 'R' Us stores will be closing for good on Friday. SEE ALSO: Please enjoy this wonderful dog frolicking through a homemade ball pit An anonymous person purchased $1 million worth of toys from a Toys 'R' Us in Raleigh, North Carolina, local outlet CBS 17 reports. The toys will reportedly be donated to local children, according to employees who work at the store. Instead of opening the store one last time on Friday, employees spent the day packing up boxes and putting them on a truck for the generous person. Customers looking to get some last minute deals were greeted with locked doors, though some didn't seem to mind upon hearing the news. “Oh, that’s so nice. I’m happy to hear that,” Erin Sampson told CBS 17. “That’s great. I’d like to know who it is,” said Danyel Smith. It's unclear when or how the purchased toys will be distributed to the kids. WATCH: Calling all sci-fi fans, this is what it's like to be a show editor on "The Orville"

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Turkey condemns Syria regime's 'inhuman' assault on Daraa

Turkey on Friday condemned regime attacks on rebel-held towns in southern Syria as "inhuman", calling on Damascus' allies to stop the offensive that has killed dozens of civilians. With Russia's help, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's army has battered Daraa province for over a week with air strikes, rocket fire and crude barrel bombs. Thursday was the bloodiest day yet after dozens of strikes identified as Russian killed 25 civilians, mostly in the town of Al-Mseifra, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

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Revellers battle it out with wine in Spain

Revellers poured buckets of wine over each other in northern Spain on Friday in an annual wine battle in the country’s Rioja producing-region. La Batalla de Vino is held each June in the town of Haro on the feast of St Peter, an event organizers say draws thousands of people. On Friday, participants soaked each other with buckets and toy spray guns, turning their clothes a shade of purple. (AP)

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XXXTentacion Prepared Will, Leaving Everything to Family and Claiming He Has No Children

The rapper was shot dead on June 18 in an apparent robbery.

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Amazon Wants You to Start a Business As a Package Delivery Driver

It's promising financial and logistical support

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More Americans Evacuated From China Over Mysterious Ailments

By STEVEN LEE MYERS from NYT World https://ift.tt/2tOJjN5

Miguel Andujar Gives Yankees a Boost Against the Red Sox. And in the Trade Market?

By BILLY WITZ from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2NbGwGz

Mets Lose to a Marlins Pitcher Making His First Start

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2tFLAuJ

How to Clean Those Pesky Summer Stains

By JOLIE KERR from NYT Smarter Living https://ift.tt/2yVqE7Q

What’s on TV Saturday: ‘It’ and ‘Liquid Science’

By GABE COHN from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2Kw7JSl

Love and Pride in Alabama: A Photo Album

By REBECCA LIEBERMAN and ANNIE FLANAGAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2lLf0Di

A Place by a Lake or in the Woods: the Canada Letter

By IAN AUSTEN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2KA38Ss

3 Black U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Make Lynching a Federal Hate Crime

By SANDRA E. GARCIA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2yY1Jka

Prankster Calls the President, and the White House Puts Him Right Through

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2tPGSda

Here Are the Biggest Stories in American Politics This Week

By EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2yWV2i9

Quotation of the Day: A Black Soldier Achieves a Dream That the Army Denied, Until Now

By Unknown Author from NYT Today’s Paper https://ift.tt/2KmjWNF

Red Sox Fine-Tune Their Roster for a Visit With the Yankees

By TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2KC3isu

Next Task for Vegas Golden Knights: Attract Free Agents

By MATT RYBALTOWSKI from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2Nanikx

Larry Nassar Is Indicted on Sexual Assault Charges in Texas

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2lISY47

Corrections: June 30, 2018

By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections https://ift.tt/2KA5NLW

At the Capital Gazette, the Death of a Reporter’s Reporter

By LAURA LIPPMAN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2KCQH8N

Will Mexico Get Its Donald?

By BRET STEPHENS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2N8e0W6

Dave Eggers: A Cultural Vacuum in Trump’s White House

By DAVE EGGERS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2IETLfl

Funeral Is Held for Firefighter Killed by Ground Zero Toxins

By BENJAMIN MUELLER from NYT New York https://ift.tt/2lLfnOi

Reason to Bow

By CAITLIN LOVINGER from NYT Crosswords & Games https://ift.tt/2MAcuuT

AI to help tackle fake news in Mexican election

The smart software will help media groups debunk fake news and respond to reports of violence.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2N9tWrr

Floating robot Cimon sent to International Space Station

The ball-shaped robot that can move around in zero gravity blasts off to the International Space Station.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2KBqDed

Fake bookings hit Singapore's Ryde Technologies

Ryde Technologies says 2,000 "phantom bookings" have cost its drivers thousands of dollars.

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Tesco trials shopping without tills

The retailer is testing whether shoppers can buy products using an app, rather than visiting a till.

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Legal bid to throw out US sex trafficking law

The US law is hitting the people it was supposed to protect, argue digital rights campaigners.

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Ticketmaster 'warned of hack attack in April by Monzo'

Digital bank Monzo claims it warned Ticketmaster that data had been compromised three months ago.

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Elon Musk accused of stealing farting unicorn image

Technology entrepreneur engages in a fresh Twitter argument over pottery of a mythical animal.

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Fortnite Playground mode quickly taken offline

The new mode, called Playground, let players practise their skills in the popular video game Fortnite.

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Facebook and Google use 'dark patterns' around privacy settings, report says

Consumer watchdog the Norwegian Consumer Council says the firms give users "an illusion of control".

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2IzLCZP

Amazon deal shakes healthcare sector

Shares in healthcare companies slide as the online retail giant expands into the sector.

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'Dancing baby' YouTube copyright case settled after 11 years

The clip of baby Holden, now aged 12, has been viewed more than 1.9 million times.

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Dr Dre hit with $25m bill for Beats headphones

The rapper and his business partner Jimmy Iovine lose a case over headphone royalties.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2ICczMa

Queer Eye host backs viewers on Netflix subtitle change

Hearing-impaired users complain the streaming service is editing and censoring speech in captions.

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Fortnite: A fortnight in my 40s in Battle Royale

A lapsed gamer is challenged to spend a fortnight playing Fortnite to understand its appeal.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2Myy5nq

UN Rejects Samaritan's Purse VP to Head Top Migration Agency

For only the second time in its 67-year- history, an American will not be leading the UN's top migration agency. The lack of US leadership will likely affect American clout and influence on migration policy around the world.

from CBNNews.com https://ift.tt/2IAEgF7

LGBT Christians? Mohler Says Revoice Conference Weakens Gospel by Affirming Gay Lifestyle

A Christian conference focusing on homosexuality is stirring conversation and controversy in the faith community.

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'They Ended Up Pointing a Gun at My Two Little Sisters': Sex Trafficking Survivor's Shocking Life as a Slave

Chi Braley shares her story of rape and sex trafficking, and how she finally got free.

from CBNNews.com https://ift.tt/2tAQo4e

Churches Slapped with Shocking New Taxes: Here's What You Can Do to Stop It

Churches and non-profit organizations are calling for repeal of a provision in the GOP's tax cuts law that would force ministries to file federal tax returns, and in some cases pay taxes.

from CBNNews.com https://ift.tt/2N9u8Xx

New top story on Hacker News: Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say

Instead of ‘finding your passion,’ try developing it, Stanford scholars say
43 by mengledowl | 5 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Wind, solar farms produce 10% of US power in the first four months of 2018

Wind, solar farms produce 10% of US power in the first four months of 2018
37 by toomuchtodo | 1 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Show your projects in motion with animated GIFs

Show your projects in motion with animated GIFs
15 by guessmyname | 6 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Extracting Super Mario Bros levels with Python

Extracting Super Mario Bros levels with Python
84 by yeahdef | 6 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Huygens: Scalable, Fine-grained Clock Synchronization [pdf]

Huygens: Scalable, Fine-grained Clock Synchronization [pdf]
46 by otterley | 7 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Taking Another Person’s Perspective Doesn’t Help You Understand Them

Taking Another Person’s Perspective Doesn’t Help You Understand Them
38 by dnetesn | 15 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Data Structures Reference

Data Structures Reference
146 by typpo | 40 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Readme-Driven Development (2010)

Readme-Driven Development (2010)
147 by js2 | 40 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Darpa invests $100M in a silicon compiler

Darpa invests $100M in a silicon compiler
278 by adapteva | 185 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: EFF Sues to Invalidate FOSTA, an Unconstitutional Internet Censorship Law

EFF Sues to Invalidate FOSTA, an Unconstitutional Internet Censorship Law
187 by DiabloD3 | 21 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: How a Chinese businessman became the largest supplier of pyrotechnics in the US

How a Chinese businessman became the largest supplier of pyrotechnics in the US
90 by acdanger | 35 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Against privacy defeatism: why browsers can still stop fingerprinting

Against privacy defeatism: why browsers can still stop fingerprinting
205 by randomwalker | 68 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Massive Comcast Outage Hits the US

Massive Comcast Outage Hits the US
265 by crazysane | 207 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: An Easier Way to Build Alexa Skills Using Python

An Easier Way to Build Alexa Skills Using Python
147 by happy-go-lucky | 34 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: From Boy Geniuses to Mad Scientists: Americans and Science (2017)

From Boy Geniuses to Mad Scientists: Americans and Science (2017)
39 by tintinnabula | 13 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA

I'm Scott Aaronson, quantum computing/computational complexity researcher. AMA
541 by ScottAaronson | 281 comments on Hacker News.
Hey HN, We recently recorded a podcast (https://ift.tt/2Mwp3Hz) where I discussed my research, AI, and advice for nerds in general or people who want careers in science. We covered many but not all of the questions submitted over the internet so AMA!

New top story on Hacker News: Show HN: The Program – A fictional podcast inspired by Hacker News stories

Show HN: The Program – A fictional podcast inspired by Hacker News stories
138 by I-M-S | 49 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Eight low-tech ways to keep cool in a heatwave (2013)

Eight low-tech ways to keep cool in a heatwave (2013)
100 by vanilla-almond | 126 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up

Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up
608 by xuki | 510 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: There's no limit to longevity, says study that revives human lifespan debate

There's no limit to longevity, says study that revives human lifespan debate
155 by mrfusion | 81 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Debugging data flows in reactive programs

Debugging data flows in reactive programs
5 by nuriaion | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Breaking LTE on Layer Two

Breaking LTE on Layer Two
129 by pedro84 | 20 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Show HN: A raytracer to shade topographic maps in R, Part 2

Show HN: A raytracer to shade topographic maps in R, Part 2
39 by tylermw | 2 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Reverse Engineering for Beginners

Reverse Engineering for Beginners
164 by jacquesm | 11 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Ask HN: What's the best way to handle internal tech support?

Ask HN: What's the best way to handle internal tech support?
3 by underyx | 3 comments on Hacker News.
My company has around 1000 CS reps and 200 engineers. The CS reps very often need to ask the engineers questions, report bugs heard about from customers, etc. Us engineers also get bug reports about the internal tools we've developed for CS. Currently, all this is handled via a simple Slack channel. This is actually great, since there's no bureaucratic cost to getting in touch, unlike with a proper ticketing system, and having actual public conversations is the fastest way to resolve issues. But of course, we started seeing inefficiencies in other aspects. The same questions keep being asked over and over again. There's an FAQ linked in the channel topic and it's automatically posted in the channel every 12 hours, but it's still not enough, we still get tons of questions that could be self-solved without engineers' intervention. So, that made me curious, how are other companies handling this? Could we somehow maybe auto-respond to Slack messages with the correct answer with some bot, or just come up with something that actually makes people check the FAQs before posting? Or is there some way better solution to replace all this?