From the Trenches World Report
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Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Israeli aircraft hit two Hamas targets in Gaza early on Saturday in response to rocket fire as the worst flare-up of violence since a 2014 war entered a fourth day.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the rocket launch and most such fire since 2014 has been carried out by fringe Islamist groups but Israel holds Hamas responsible for all such attacks. Continue reading “Israel raids hit Gaza as violence flares for fourth day”
Oil prices fell on Friday morning as investors cashed in on a 20-percent rise over the past month, outweighing the impact of crude production cuts in Canada where a huge wildfire has disrupted oil sands operations.
Oil prices were down around one percent in early European trading, with global benchmark Brent prices set for their first weekly loss in five weeks. Continue reading “Oil falls Friday morning as investors cash in on month-long gains”
US crude oil exports reached nearly 508,000 barrels per day in March compared with 374,000 bpd in February, foreign trade data from the US Census Bureau showed.
Exports to Canada were 249,000 bpd while exports to Curacao were 75,000 bpd. Other export destinations include Israel (25,000 bpd), Italy (33,000 bpd), Japan (44,000 bpd), the Marshall Islands (49,000 bpd), the Netherlands (20,000 bpd) and Nicaragua (12,000 bpd). Continue reading “US crude oil exports in March reached 508,000 bpd: US Census Bureau”
The Arizona House of Representatives killed, then resuscitated, one of Speaker David Gowan’s key bills, giving him a comeback win in a Thursday evening vote.
House Bill 2568, which gives developers the authority to levy property taxes on homeowners, is now headed to Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk.
The bill had divided the homebuilder community and drew heavy opposition from cities and towns, which argued it is not in the public’s interest to give unelected boards dominated by developer interests the power to tax people who buy homes in the subdivisions they develop. Continue reading “Arizona House revives and passes bill to allow developers to assess taxes”
Business Insider – by Ben Farmer, The Telegraph
The Royal Navy fired flares to warn of a Spanish patrol boat approaching an American nuclear submarine off Gibraltar.
The fast patrol boat HMS Sabre fired warning shots across the bow of a Guardia Civil vessel as it twice tried to cut across the path of USS Florida during an incursion into Gibraltar’s waters. Continue reading “Royal Navy fires warning shots as Spanish vessel harasses US sub in Gibraltar”
The U.S. government’s latest plan for offsetting the harm to migrating salmon from a series of dams in the Columbia River watershed violates the Endangered Species Act, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.
The ruling in a case stretching back 15 years marks a victory for environmental advocates, the Nez Perce Tribe, anglers and others who sued government agencies over their plan for aiding salmon and steelhead that travel between the Pacific Ocean and the upper reaches of the inland Northwest. Continue reading “Federal court rejects U.S. plan for restoring embattled Northwest salmon”
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A federal judge in Washington on Wednesday ordered that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton may have to testify in a lawsuit related to the private email server she used while secretary of state.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said the parties in the case, the State Department and conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, also struck an agreement about the scope of the testimonies that some of Clinton’s former top aides will give in the case. Continue reading “U.S. judge says Clinton may have to testify in email lawsuit”
Chinese police are patrolling the streets of Italy to protect mainland tourists as part of a groundbreaking program – the first time China has sent officers to Europe to look after visitors there.
But under local law, the officers would have fairly circumscribed powers, according to an expert. Continue reading “Chinese police are now patrolling Italian streets to protect mainland tourists”
The number of illegal immigrant families and unaccomanpied minors apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border has soared in recent months, according to statistics released Wednesday by the federal government.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 27,754 unaccompanied children were taken into custody by border officials during the six months ending March 31 — the first six months of fiscal year 2016. That’s a 78 percent increase from the 15,616 apprehended in the corresponding time frame last year. Continue reading “Number of illegal immigrant families at southern border surging, data shows”
President Barack Obama’s deputies have told the North Carolina Governor that all single-sex public bathrooms — including those in K-12 schools — must be opened to people of both sexes by Monday to prevent “discrimination” against the roughly 1-in-2,400 American adults who say they’re transgender.
If the state doesn’t give up Americans’ right to decide who gets to use single-sex bathrooms and school locker rooms by Monday, then the federal government could start blocking the routine federal spending and tax transfers to the state — unless federal courts block the administration’s threat of sex-related harassment. Continue reading “Obama Threatens North Carolina on Bathroom Privacy, Pushes ‘Gender Fluid’ Society”
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If you are a beginner to investing, you might not have given the oil industry a second thought until crude oil prices hit a record low last year. You might have several questions as to why there have been a lot of fluctuations in oil prices in the last 15 years and why they do not correspond to the economic forces like inflation and demand & supply. Continue reading “39 Facts That Will Change Your View on the Oil Industry [Infographic]”
The year 2016 is still on pace to set a record for background checks for gun purchases, according to new data from the FBI.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported on Wednesday that there were 2,145,865 background checks in April. That’s the slowest month so far this year, but it’s a 25% increase from April 2015. Continue reading “New surge in gun background checks reported by FBI”
Breitbart – by Ildefonso Ortiz
MCALLEN, Texas — Members of an American family that were driving to a funeral in Mexico spent 19 days being held captive by a Mexican drug cartel before authorities were able to rescue them. During the rescue, authorities killed one of the captors and arrested two others.
The victims, a man and two women had left the border city of McAllen, Texas, on April 13 on their way to a funeral in the city Valles in the central state of San Luis Potosi, information released by the Tamaulipas government revealed. Continue reading “American Family Kidnapped By Cartel While Driving Through Mexico”
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The deputy commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard said Iranian forces will close the strategic Strait of Hormuz to the United States and its allies if they “threaten” the Islamic Republic, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday.
The comments by Gen. Hossein Salami, carried on state television, follow a long history of both rhetoric and confrontation between Iran and the U.S. over the narrow strait, through which nearly a third of all oil traded by sea passes. Continue reading “Iranian commander threatens to close Strait of Hormuz to US”
TOPEKA, Kan. – A Kansas woman who took her children to perform for occupiers during the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge earlier this year says authorities have removed seven of her children from her home and arrested her for assaulting an officer.
Odalis Sharp, 46, of Auburn was booked into the Shawnee County jail Friday evening for battery of an officer and interfering with a law enforcement officer, jail officials told The Kansas City Star. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday morning. The Shawnee County prosecutor’s office could not be reached for comment. Continue reading “Kansas woman who took her kids to Oregon refuge standoff arrested”
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday suspended his presidential bid for the Republican nomination following a crushing defeat by Donald Trump in the Indiana primary.
Cruz told dismayed supporters the path to victory had been closed.
“I’ve said I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory; tonight I’m sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed,” Cruz told a somber crowd in Indianapolis. Continue reading “Cruz drops out of presidential race following major defeat by Trump in Indiana”
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New York Daily News – by VICTORIA BEKIEMPIS, STEPHEN REX BROWN
For two decades, Sheldon Silver served as one of the most powerful men in New York State. On Tuesday, a judge ordered he serve the next 12 years in prison.
The allegedly adulterous ex-State Assembly Speaker, convicted of twin corruption schemes that earned him $4 million, was slammed by was slammed by Manhattan Federal Court Judge Valerie Caproni as being one of the most corrupt elected officials the state has ever seen. Continue reading “Sheldon Silver sentenced to 12 years for corruption schemes that netted him $4 million”
Connecticut lawmakers have passed legislation to permit law enforcement to confiscate guns and ammunition from anyone accused of domestic abuse. The bill is headed to the desk of Gov. Dannel Malloy and he’s expected to sign it.
Under the legislation, suspects would have 24 hours after being accused to surrender all firearms. Continue reading “Connecticut Governor to Sign Gun Confiscation Bill — Here Are the Key Details”