McAllen

Bid to keep U.S. sanctions on Russia's Rusal fails in Senate

Senators voted 57-42 to end debate on the measure, as 11 of Trump's fellow Republicans broke from party leaders to join Democrats in favor of the resolution, amid questions about Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. To keep the administration from lifting the sanctions, the measure must pass both the House and Senate and muster the two-thirds majority needed in both chambers to override an expected Trump veto. Many members of Congress have been questioning the U.S. Treasury Department's decision in December to ease sanctions imposed in April on the core businesses of Deripaska - Rusal, its parent, En+ , and power firm EuroSibEnergo - watering down the toughest penalties imposed on Russian entities since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

911 callers say Jayme Closs should get $50K reward for rescuing herself

The Wisconsin couple who called 911 to report that Jayme Closs had been found think that Closs herself is more deserving of the $50,000 reward money.

PHOTOS: Kenya's security forces kill gunmen in deadly Nairobi hotel attack

Militants stormed an upscale Nairobi hotel compound, killing at least 14 people and forcing hundreds of others to make terrifying escapes, the government said Wednesday.

Ford forecasts $112 mn Q4 loss amid restructuring costs

Ford said Wednesday it expected to post a $112 million loss in the fourth quarter of 2018 as the automaker implements a massive restructuring in the United States and Europe. For the full year, Ford will post a net profit of $3.7 billion, less than half the 2017 result. Adjusted earnings per share are expected to be $1.30 across the year, right at the lower end of its $1.30-1.50 estimate in October.

Tulsi Gabbard apologizes, again, for past antigay views

A week after announcing her presidential candidacy, the representative from Hawaii releases a video apology.

In third year, U.S. women's marches turn to 2020 elections

Millions of people took part in the women's marches in Washington and other cities in the United States and abroad on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after the Republican president was sworn in. Vanessa Wruble, a co-founder of the original Women's March on Washington who left to start March On, a separate grassroots coalition, said the movement has evolved from being a reaction to Trump's presidency. Women's March, a national nonprofit organization that evolved from the initial Washington march, is using its #WomensWave marches in Washington and elsewhere on Saturday to roll out a 10-part policy platform that includes raising the federal minimum wage and protecting reproductive rights.

How to Avoid Common Car-Seat Installation Mistakes

A toddler, still strapped into a car safety seat, survived a fall out of a moving vehicle this week on a Minnesota road—providing a chilling reminder of the importance of proper car seat installa...

American anchor for Iranian TV is arrested on visit to US

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A prominent American anchorwoman on Iranian state television has been arrested by the FBI during a visit to the U.S., the broadcaster reported Wednesday, and her son said she was being held in a prison, apparently as a material witness.

California storms: At least five people killed after heavy rain and snow cause devastation

At least five people have died in severe rain and snowstorms that blanketed parts of California with at least five feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains this week, besides triggering flooding and mudslides, officials said. Forecasters expect the bitter weather to push eastwards into the Rockies and US Midwest through the weekend, while the California Highway Patrol said rain-slicked highways led to two fatal accidents that killed four people. A family of three, including a one-year-old baby, died in El Dorado County on Tuesday, after their car spun across a rain-soaked freeway to hit another car, the San Francisco Chronicle said.

This Quiet Mueller Cooperator Has a Key Role in Trump Probe

Rick Gates, who spent about a decade working for Kremlin-backed political players in Ukraine, served as Donald Trump’s deputy campaign manager for four months and then became the campaign’s liaison to the Republican National Committee. Weeks later, he appears to have met with Mnuchin and Barrack again for an appointment marked as personal on the Treasury secretary’s calendar.

Aeromexico ad campaign trolls anti-Mexican sentiment in US with DNA discounts

Mexican airline Aeromexico is offering DNA discounts to U.S. travelers based on their percentage of Mexican heritage.

Apple boss Tim Cook attacks 'shadow economy' of data in call for new privacy law

Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook has called for the US to introduce a national privacy law, attacking a “shadow economy” in which people’s personal data is bought and sold without their knowledge. Mr Cook said companies should have to collect as little data as possible and make it easy for people to delete the information that is held about them. It is the latest attempt from Apple to position itself as the steward of consumers’ privacy, and to draw a line between itself and companies such as Facebook and Google. Mr Cook said that people need to “win back their right to privacy” and that companies that sell data should have to register with the Federal Trade Commission, the US consumer watchdog. “I and others are calling on the US Congress to pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation - a landmark package of reforms that protect and empower the consumer,” Mr Cook wrote in Time Magazine. He singled out “data brokers”, companies that purchase, bundle up and sell data on individuals, such as credit reference agencies, saying that most people were unaware of how companies transact in their data. “Right now, all of these secondary markets for your information exist in a shadow economy that’s largely unchecked. Let’s be clear: you never signed up for that,” Mr Cook wrote. The US does not have a national equivalent to the UK’s Data Protection Act or the European privacy legislation, GDPR. Facebook, Amazon and Google have all said they would support a law, but failed to put forward any concrete proposals. Mr Cook said companies should aim to minimise the amount of data they collect and make it easier for people to delete or correct it. Mr Cook has played up Apple’s privacy credentials in recent months, as sales of its iPhones stumble and as Google and Facebook have been embroiled in repeated data controversies. Its privacy commitment has come under scrutiny, since Apple receives billions of dollars a year from Google to be the default search engine on the iPhone. Mr Cook has defended the deal, saying the company has built in controls to limit how much users can be tracked.

Russia, US in war of words over arms treaty

Russia on Wednesday accused Washington of being uncooperative on efforts to save a crucial arms control treaty, only to be accused by the US of dishonesty. Tensions have raged for months over the fate of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty (INF) signed in 1987 by then US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. US President Donald Trump has promised to walk away from the agreement and President Vladimir Putin threatened a new arms race, saying Europe would be its main victim.

Oxford University suspends funding from China's Huawei

The University of Oxford said on Thursday it has stopped accepting funding from China's Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL], the leading global supplier of telecoms network equipment, after scrutiny over the company's relationship with China’s government. "Oxford University decided on January 8 this year that it will not pursue new funding opportunities with Huawei Technologies Co Ltd or its related group companies at present," the university said in a statement. "The decision has been taken in the light of public concerns raised in recent months surrounding UK partnerships with Huawei.

Steve King faces increasing pressure to resign after 'white supremacy' remarks

Rep. Steve King’s base of support, including in his home state of Iowa, continues to erode after comments he made appearing to praise white supremacy were published in the New York Times. Des Moines is not located in King’s district.

Foods you may want to avoid during a government shutdown

Inspections of these foods may get sketchy as the government shutdown continues.

Kenya police detain nine in connection with deadly hotel attack

Kenyan detectives have arrested nine suspects in connection with a Somali militant attack on a Nairobi hotel and office complex that killed 21 people, police said on Friday, indicating the search for possible accomplices in the raid is gathering pace. President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Wednesday evening that a 20-hour siege had ended with security forces killing five militants who had stormed the hotel complex, forcing hundreds of people into terrifying escapes. "The detectives are looking for a woman suspected to have ferried weapons from Kiunga through the port city of Mombasa to Nairobi," a police official who did not wish to be named said, referring to a region near the Somali border.

Pelosi tells Trump to postpone State of the Union over record-long government shutdown

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has asked Donald Trump to postpone his annual State of the Union address amid a government shutdown now into its 26th day. The move could deny the president the grandeur of the annual platform, which he is likely to use to criticise Ms Pelosi and Democrats over the shutdown. Democrats have said they will not sanction $5.7bn (£4.4bn) funding for Mr Trump’s proposed border wall which the president has made a central demand for reopening the government.

Illinois parents get 25 years in death of boy, 6, who weighed 17 pounds when he died

An Illinois father and stepmother will spend decades in prison in the starvation death of their 6-year-old son, who authorities say weighed just 17 pounds when he died.

More snow! Airlines expand change fees as new storms approach

Airlines are waiving change fees as two more winter storms are set to move across the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast from Thursday into the weekend.

Goldman Sachs, Bank of America rock earnings

Goldman Sachs reported better-than-expected profits on Wednesday despite higher legal costs as it works through the 1MDB scandal, while Bank of America's earnings were lifted by higher interest rates. Goldman reported mixed operational performance across its trading, investing and lending businesses, while Bank of America saw its profits triple compared to a year earlier. Goldman Chief Executive David Solomon described conditions in the real economy as "quite robust," echoing other bank executives who downplayed as exaggerated the economic worries that have roiled markets in recent weeks.

Marriott is rolling out a brand new rewards program -- Here's everything you need to know

When you're a frequent traveler, it's almost self-sabotage to not join some

‘Blood Moon’ lunar eclipse next week will be the last in Britain for 10 years

The Moon will turn red next week as Britain experiences its last total lunar eclipse for 10 years. The eclipse will happen in the early morning of Monday January 21 when the Moon start to darken at 2.35am with full eclipse beginning at 4.40am. It will be free of the Earth’s shadow by 7.49am. It  is the last chance for UK observers to see a total lunar eclipse in its entirety until 2029. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes exactly between the Sun and the Moon creating a shadow which stops solar rays reaching the lunar surface. Spectators can expect the Moon to begin to darken slowly before turning red as it becomes completely caught in Earth’s shade. Sometimes the eclipsed Moon is a deep red colour, almost disappearing from view, and sometimes it can be quite bright. Next weeks Super Blood Wolf Moon will be the last for a decade  Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe January’s full Moon is also known as a ‘wolf moon’, a name deriving from Native American Tribes who said wolves would howl outside villages during full moons at the beginning of the year. And the eclipse will occur when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth - making it a supermoon, so it will appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter. In Britain the Moon will be above the horizon throughout the eclipse, though from the extreme southeast of England the Sun will have risen as it comes to an end. The red effect is due to Earth’s atmosphere. Without an atmosphere the Moon would appear black or even totally invisible when it was within Earth’s shadow. But because Earth’s atmosphere extends about 50 miles up, during a total eclipse, although the Moon is in shadow, there is a ring around our planet through which the Sun’s rays still pass. Unlike the other wavelengths the Sun's red light is scattered much less by air allowing it to travel through the atmosphere where other colours are lost. Finally it is bent by a process of refraction as it leaves the atmosphere on the opposite side, channelling it on to the Moon’s surface. Lunar eclipses always happen at a full Moon as this is when it moves behind the Earth and into line with the Earth and Sun but most of the time no eclipse takes place because the e Moon's orbit is slightly tilted so it normally passes a little above or below the Earth’s shadow.

Trump missile defense review calls North Korea 'extraordinary threat'

The open acknowledgment in the Missile Defense Review of U.S. plans to counter Russian and Chinese technological advances likely will alarm those nations. It marked a departure from the approach taken by Republican Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, to tamp down concerns by major nuclear powers about expanding U.S. missile defenses. "Our goal is simple: To ensure we can detect and destroy any missile launched against the United States - anywhere, anytime, anyplace," Trump said at the Pentagon.

Father of Jake Patterson has a letter for Jayme Closs' family

The father of Jake Patterson says he has a letter for Jayme Closs' family. Patterson is accused of kidnapping Jayme, 13, and killing her parents.

Mike Pence amends claim that 'ISIS has been defeated' following deadly attack on U.S. troops

The same day that ISIS fighters in Syria claimed responsibility for a deadly bomb attack, Vice President Mike Pence echoed the president's assessment that the group had been vanquished.

The Latest: Falling tree kills 1 as storm lashes California

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on California storms (all times local):

Tunnel through an Australian mountain? No problem, says Elon Musk

Australia could become a test ground for another of Elon Musk's massive infrastructure projects after the maverick billionaire tweeted a "bargain" price to build a tunnel through a mountain to solve Sydney's traffic woes. Musk in 2017 made a Twitter pitch -- and followed through with the offer -- to build what was the world's biggest battery in an Australian state to solve its severe energy crisis. The entrepreneur behind electric carmaker Tesla has most recently turned his sights on tackling city traffic via low-cost tunnels created by his Boring Company, and in December unveiled a sample project near Los Angeles.

Japan Tobacco ratchets up smokeless war with new products

Despite commanding 60 percent of the local cigarette market, Japan Tobacco has been caught on the wrong side of the rising popularity of heat-not-burn (HNB) alternatives and has lagged in the category in its own backyard versus the Marlboro maker. Philip Morris in 2014 started selling its IQOS HNB device in Japan, which has emerged as a fertile test ground for vaping products since e-cigarettes using nicotine-laced liquid are not allowed under the country's pharmaceutical regulation. Japan Tobacco managed to roll out its vaping product, Ploom TECH, only by 2017 after repeated production delays.

Al-Qaeda Hotel Attack Kills 21, Shaking Kenya Economy Pillar

Using hand grenades, automatic rifles and a suicide-bomber, the militants stormed 14 Riverside in Nairobi on Tuesday afternoon, a venue popular with business travelers and Kenya’s elites and home to offices of companies including Pernod Ricard SA and Dow Chemical East Africa Ltd. That precipitated an 18-hour siege around the DusitD2 hotel, which President Uhuru Kenyatta said ended about 9 a.m. Wednesday with the attackers dead. Somalia-based al-Shabaab took responsibility for the assault, the latest in a recent wave of jihadist strikes across Africa, including in Nigeria and Mali, which a loose coalition of African, Western and United Nation troops are struggling to stop. It’s al-Shabaab’s first significant assault in Kenya since it killed 147 people at a northeastern university in April 2015 and echoed a September 2013 attack on Nairobi’s Westgate mall that left 67 dead and rocked the tourism industry.

The 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Gets More Angular Styling and a Big New Screen

Minor changes are coming to Hyundai's hybrid Ioniq hatchback.

Southwest Airlines flights canceled, delayed due to computer issue in Baltimore

A data connectivity issue with Southwest Airlines phones and computer systems Tuesday resulted in delayed flights to and from BWI.

Turkish prosecutor seeks extradition of NBA's Kanter over Gulen links: Anadolu

Turkish prosecutors are seeking the extradition of New York Knicks center Enes Kanter over his links to the U.S.-based cleric accused of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016, state-owned Anadolu news agency said. Kanter, a vocal critic of President Tayyip Erdogan, was indicted by a Turkish court last year over alleged membership of an "armed terrorist group" after being contacted repeatedly by people close to Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen. Anadolu said on Tuesday prosecutors had sought the issue of a "red notice" for Kanter, an Interpol request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition.

'Gingers unite!': Prince Harry bonds with 4-year-old redhead

Prince Harry got a big surprise on Monday when a 4-year-old red-head presented him with a special sign. 

Trump-Cohen allegations - LIVE: President told 'impeachment soon begins' over bombshell report he ordered lawyer to lie to Congress

Donald Trump ordered former lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about his plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, according to explosive new claims. With the US president still mired in deadlock over the government shutdown, the new allegations relating to Cohen – sentenced to three years in prison in December – have prompted calls for his resignation or impeachment. Cohen is set to testify before a congressional panel of the House of Representatives on 7 February about his role as Mr Trump’s right-hand man, following FBI special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the president’s alleged ties to Russia.

Falling tree kills man as storm lashes California

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A falling tree killed a man in Oakland on Wednesday as a powerful storm lashed Northern California with high winds and rain, authorities said.

Democrats are divided over whether or not there should be funding for a border wall

Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Matt Cartwright says that investing in new technology to stop drugs from coming through ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border should take priority over funding for a border wall.

UK PM May reaches out to rivals in Brexit deadlock

May said she was "disappointed" by Corbyn's decision and stressed that "our door remains open". Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party (SNP) said his party would only participate if she were prepared to consider delaying Brexit, ruling out a "no deal" and the option of holding a second referendum. The prime minister is working to the tightest-possible deadline as Britain prepares to leave the bloc that for half a century defined its economic and political relations with the rest of the world.

BMW unveils 2020 7 Series sedan with controversial redesign

While the interior design and mechanics haven't significantly changed in the latest version of the BMW 7 Series, the exterior received a serious facelift that is leaving some fans confused and a few disappointed. BMW officially unveiled the latest 7 Series luxury sedan Wednesday with a redesign that the company says gives it a "confident presence" while some onlookers are giving it a mediocre review. The focal point of the new design is the inflated, trademark 7 Series kidney grille placed on a two-inch taller front end which has grown about 40 percent since the last generation, an expansion that already hasn't been welcomed very warmly.

On Day 28, no sign of end to U.S. partial government shutdown

The Democratic-led House of Representatives has left town for a three-day weekend, returning late on Tuesday. The Senate was expected to reconvene on Friday, but its exact plans were unsettled. The Republican-controlled Senate, toeing Trump's line on the wall, has not acted on any of several shutdown-ending bills approved in recent days by the House, all lacking wall funding.

Sears chairman prevails in bankruptcy auction for retailer with $5.2 bln bid- sources

Lampert's bid, boosted from an earlier $5 billion offer, prevailed after weeks of back-and-forth deliberations that culminated in an auction.

Michael Cohen offered Liberty University CIO $50,000 to rig two online polls for Trump, report says

Liberty University's CIO said Michael Cohen offered him $50,000 to rig two online polls in Trump's favor, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

California storm moving out after battering state for 3 days

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The storm that pummeled much of California for three days began moving east Thursday after causing at least six deaths, forcing wildfire victims threatened by floods to flee their homes and plunging nearly 300,000 utility customers into darkness.