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Philosophy Prof Marc Lamparello Arrested Entering St. Patrick’s Cathedral With Gas Cans, Lighter Fuel And Lighters

No one would ever try and burn down a churc–

From Heavy:

Marc Lamparello has been identified as the 37-year-old man who was arrested by NYPD Counterterrorism officers after walking into the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City with two gasoline cans just days after a fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Lamparello was taken into custody without incident at the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York in midtown Manhattan Wednesday night, NBC New York reports.

Lamparello is a Boston College-educated philosophy professor who has been involved in the Catholic Church in the past. According to a bio for a recently published book he wrote, “A native of New Jersey, Marc Lamparello studied philosophy at Boston College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 2004. Marc has been heavily engaged in the study of philosophy from an early age, and is currently working on two other book-length projects, including a witty dialogue on arguments for and against the existence of God, and a series of essays on the epistemology of practical motivation.”

No one was injured and there was no damage to the Neo-Gothic-style cathedral, which has stood as a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church in the heart of Manhattan since 1879. […]

“It’s too early to say that. It’s hard to say what exactly his intentions were,” Deputy Commissioner John Miller said at a briefing when asked if the incident was believed to be terrorism. “But I think the totality of circumstances of an individual walking into an iconic location like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, carrying over four gallons of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid and lighters is something that we would have great concern over. His story is not consistent. So he is in conversation with detectives right now. I think if you add to that the events in the iconic location, the fire of Notre Dame this week and all the publicity around that.” Miller said Lamparello did not mention the Notre Dame fire during his initial interaction with officers.

Nothing to see here, folks!

Incidentally, this video went viral Wednesday on Twitter:

From Fox News:

Newly-surfaced video from Egypt shows a Muslim mob storming a Coptic church, setting cars on fire and then toppling a cross atop the steeple, in a shocking attack that Christians say has been played out dozens of times since the ouster of Mohammad Morsi.

The video, obtained by MidEast Christian News, was shot Aug. 14 from a nearby building overlooking the diocese in the southern Egyptian city of Sohag. In the six-minute video, a crowd, incensed by the eviction of pro-Morsi supporters from camps in Cairo, masses outside the church. Several members of the group scale a wall and attack vehicles in a courtyard, setting several ablaze. The video culminates in the crown exhorting a man high up on the steeple to take down a cross, which he does.

Dozens of Coptic churches were attacked by members and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in the wake of the military’s move against Morsi, who critics say was turning Egypt into an Islamist state. Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 80 million, but Morsi supporters blamed them for his ouster, according to Coptic leaders.

That’s the exact type of incident we’re now being assured never happens ever by the lyin’ media!

Source: InfoWars

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Model Found Dead in Bed After Predicting Own Demise in Eerie Tweet

Natacha Jaitt, a model, socialite and TV presenter who threatened to expose a high-level pedophile ring among Argentina’s elite, was found dead after suffering an apparent drug overdose at a party outside Buenos Aires on Saturday. Months before her death, Jaitt predicted her demise on social media.

Police are looking into the circumstances of the 41-year-old mother of two’s death, with procedures including interviews of five people who had been with her in the hours before she died, as well as checks of the dozen security cameras at the local nightclub where she was found, Buenos Aires Times and Bluradio have reported.

According to local media, Jaitt was found naked in a bed at the Xanadu nightclub on the outskirts of Buenos Aires with cocaine residue in her nostrils, along with traces of LSD and liquor found in her system.

Her death came following an eerie tweet last April where she insisted that she had no plans to off herself and hinted that she may be murdered. “I will not commit suicide. I won’t be bought off or drown in a bath tub, nor will I shoot myself in the head. So, if that happens, IT WASN’T ME. Save this tweet,” she wrote.

The tweet followed allegations by Jaitt that dozens of high-profile Argentinians, including members of local football clubs such as Independiente and River, were involved in a VIP pedophile ring.

She also claimed to have evidence that local celebrities, politicians, religious figures, actors, and television producers were involved in child abuse, trafficking and child prostitution. Jaitt’s remarks on these issues led to a barrage of attacks against her in the final months of her life, including death threats. Local media dismissed her allegations as “unfounded.”

Last month, Jaitt accused film director Pablo Yotich and a friend of his of raping her.
Jaitt’s brother and her lawyer believe Natacha may have been murdered, with the brother claiming that despite an earlier drug problem, she could not have consumed cocaine on the night of her death, since she knew that the drug could react dangerously to medications she was taking.

Police have not ruled out foul play, but said that Jaitt’s body “showed no signs of violence.”


Owen Benjamin breaks down the 2019 Oscar nominations, winners, and frivolous festivities while comparing Hollywood’s corrupt, narcissistic industry to the archetypes of selfish, bloodthirsty vampires.

Source: InfoWars

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Machine-learning on the rise in financial services: Refinitiv

FILE PHOTO: A chart is displayed behind a trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) shortly after the opening bell in New York
FILE PHOTO: A chart is displayed behind a trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) shortly after the opening bell in New York, U.S., March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo

April 9, 2019

By Saikat Chatterjee

LONDON (Reuters) – The use of machine-learning has picked up across the financial services industry, although problems such as data quality continue to dog its progress, a study by Refinitiv has found.

In a report, Refinitiv, the financial data provider, said more than 90 percent of the organizations it surveyed had either deployed machine-learning in multiple areas of the organization or have made a start in some pockets.

Machine-learning refers to the use of algorithms and statistical models in financial markets without using human directions and instead relies on patterns to make choices.

While the initial driver of such technologies was the automation of repetitive tasks, the survey found that the top applications were in the areas of risk avoidance, generating trading and investment ideas and analyzing performance.

Conducted via 447 telephone interviews of senior executives and data-science practitioners across various financial services firms, the survey also found the quality of data as the primary barrier to machine-learning adoption.

Machine-learning has long been the mainstay of deep-pocketed hedge funds, which have combined complex algorithmic strategies with financial data to make big bets on markets.

But with the growing use of cloud computing and the constant pressure on banks to reduce costs, machine-learning techniques have seen a greater acceptance among banks.

“Thanks to parallel computing and cloud computing, we are seeing the playing field being slowly leveled in terms of machine-learning strategies,” said Tim Baker, global head of applied innovation at Refinitiv.

The survey also found foreign exchange ranked a distant fourth in terms of structured data by asset class with stocks, fixed income and derivatives the top three.

Foreign exchange markets with a myriad trading platforms and opaque over-the-counter trading format was a particular problem area for data scientists when it came to applying machine-learning strategies.

“Standing in the way of machine-learning adoption in the FX market is a potent combination of data science, engineering and technology management problems,” said Matthew Hodgson, CEO and founder of Mosaic Smart Data, a data analytics company.

(Reporting by Saikat Chatterjee; Editing by David Evans)

Source: OANN

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Casket company's building erupts in 9-alarm fire; nearby residents return to homes hours later

East Boston residents began returning to their homes late Friday, several hours after a 9-alarm fire consumed the headquarters of the New England Casket Company.

The fire was first reported around 3 p.m., with fire officials believing it began near a furnace used to dry wood for the business, according to reports.

"There was a sprinkler system, but the fire was above the sprinkler system," Boston Fire Department Commissioner Joseph Finn told Boston's WCVB-TV. "Our initial problems and why we are still here is the water supply, and this is because it just happens to be the end of the water supply for East Boston."

BOSTON FIRE CREWS BATTLE FLAMES IN CHARLESTOWN MARINA; 2 BOATS SINK, OFFICIALS SAY

Fire officials said as many as 100 firefighters from Boston and neighboring Chelsea attacked the blaze from multiple angles. The bulk of the fire was knocked down by around 10:30 p.m., they said.

"This is the biggest fire, for me, that I've seen as the mayor of this city," Mayor Marty Walsh told the station. "I'm just grateful that no one's hurt."

"This is the biggest fire, for me, that I've seen as the mayor of this city. I'm just grateful that no one's hurt."

— Marty Walsh, mayor of Boston

However, two police officers who were working in the area were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, while two Boston firefighters were taken for exhaustion and one Chelsea firefighter was transported with a leg injury, according to WCVB.

All of the employees who were working inside the casket factory evacuated safely, Finn said, but the business is a total loss.

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Some area residents were evacuated to a nearby school because of the heavy smoke.

The regional transit system also reported that the Blue Line subway was suspended between the Orient Heights and Wonderland stops with shuttle buses replacing train service.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Source: Fox News National

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Mayor Pete Picks a Fight With Pence – and the 1st Amendment

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As the world’s Christians celebrate Holy Week, people of faith in America who subscribe to the centuries-old understanding of marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman increasingly find themselves maligned in the public square, even if their beliefs only apply to their private lives.  In this regard, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is leading a new, very public assault upon religious tolerance, and in doing so attacks the very foundation of the First Amendment. 

Buttigieg recently declared to a fawning Ellen DeGeneres on her show that “I’m not interested in feuding with the vice president.”  This curious statement ignores the fact that a “feud” requires at least two sides in conflict, and this contrived Pete vs. Mike struggle involves only the mayor lobbing verbal volleys at Vice President Pence. In addition, for someone supposedly uninterested in a fight, Buttigieg’s nonstop litany of lamentations aimed at Pence’s Christian principles suggests otherwise. 

For example, the openly gay mayor recently lectured that “the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand, [is] that if you have a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”  Quite apart from fomenting a “quarrel,” Pence has in fact displayed total respect and even deference toward Buttigieg. After the mayor publicly disclosed his sexuality in 2015, then-Gov. Pence responded: “I hold Mayor Buttigieg in the highest personal regard. … I see him as a dedicated public servant and a patriot.”

Why, then, does Buttigieg insist on targeting Pence?  For one, President Trump presents a difficult target on this issue.  Despite the left’s insistence on Trump’s supposed bigotry, he is the first candidate elevated to the presidency who favored same-sex marriage, something even Barack Obama and both Clintons vehemently opposed when they first ran for the White House. 

But the larger consequence of the mayor’s disparagement reveals a deliberate assault on the First Amendment and its guarantee to protect faith communities from political interference.  The secular humanists that dominate the Democratic Party and mainstream media posit that the First Amendment primarily seeks to guard government, which they deem sacred, from corruption by faith groups, particularly traditional Christian churches.  But the origin and history of the Bill of Rights reveals that the greatest actual danger involves politicians using the temporal power of the government to abuse religious liberty and coerce beliefs and practices.  As such, our Founders wisely protected churches (and other religious organizations) from the insidious intrusions of the state.

In total disrespect for this independence, Mayor Buttigieg employs his presidential campaign as a bid to wholly remake historic Christianity in his vision. The Gospel according to Pete.  He boldly asserts that his gay marriage “has made me a better man. And, yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God.” What an odd pronouncement from a candidate seeking to serve as our non-sectarian commander-in-chief.  His campaign statements on homosexuality would fit perfectly within the well-worn theological debates among modern Christian denominations.  For example, progressives of the Episcopalian variety sharply disagree with observant Catholics, whose catechism  preaches that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. … Under no circumstances can they be approved.”

The point here is not the internecine disagreements among churches on this issue, but rather the rationale for Buttigieg to invade this non-political realm of church doctrine.  After all, gay marriage is already enshrined in law, protected by courts, and widely accepted in American society.  So, it seems the only logical motivation for this intrusion is an intention to use the power of politics, including the brunt force of the law, to impugn the deeply held beliefs of Christians like Mike Pence regarding marriage. 

To be sure, Buttigieg finds groveling praise among cultural and media elites for this allegedly brave position.  For example, prominent donors now include such A-listers as actress/singer Mandy Moore, first daughter Caroline Kennedy, and scion of the Fox media empire James Murdoch. Mainstream media figures have suddenly forsaken their crush on Beto O’Rourke and now race to embrace the new crown prince of wokeness.  USA Today columnist Kirsten Powers proclaimed that “Mayor Pete preaches grace toward political foes,” apparently unaware of his obsession with criticizing Pence.  She also pronounced him “countercultural,” as if his positioning as a gay liberal somehow swims against the stream of the 2019 zeitgeist.  Agreeing with every single relativist tenet of Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and university faculty lounges hardly qualifies as “countercultural.”

Buttigieg undoubtedly brings impressive capabilities to the race.  As a military veteran and Rhodes scholar from the Midwest, he can far outsell Democratic establishment coastal dullards like Cory Booker or Elizabeth Warren. On the other hand, his political accomplishments as mayor of a troubled city of 100,000 people suggest that his next logical ascension in politics should be, perhaps, to the House of Representatives. Most worrisome, his insistence on castigating the millennia-old, deeply held religious convictions of millions of Americans conveys a dangerous contempt for the First Amendment, which then exposes traditional Christianity to the whims of the law.  If Mayor Pete wishes to become a theologian and delve into the intricacies of Biblical sexual ethics, he would undoubtedly find success as chairperson of Interdenominational Intersectional Inclusion at the Yale Divinity School.  But if he wishes to be president of our republic, then he must respect our Bill of Rights and stop using his political perch to reprimand American Christians who happen to disagree with him on doctrine.

Steve Cortes is a contributor to RealClearPolitics and a CNN  political commentator. His Twitter handle is @CortesSteve.

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Dispute over pro-police ‘Blue Lives Matter’ flag results in $100G settlement for county employee who sued

A county in Oregon has agreed to pay a former employee a $100,000 settlement after she sued the county for racial discrimination because a co-worker had posted a “Blue Lives Matter” flag in an office in support of local police.

The former employee, Karimah Guion-Pledgure, had worked as a corrections technician for the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice since 2011 but agreed to drop her lawsuit and resign as part of the settlement, the Portland Mercury reported, although she will be permitted to apply for another county job.

TODD STARNES: UC DAVIS STUDENTS PROTEST PHOTO OF SLAIN POLICE OFFICER HOLDING BLUE LIVES MATTER FLAG

In her lawsuit, Guion-Pledgure alleged that other county employees had retaliated against her after she complained that the pro-police flag was offensive, the report said.

The plaintiff, a black woman, contended that the phrase “Blue Lives Matter” had co-opted the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” and thus denigrated and diluted the original term.

According to the Mercury, the woman who sued originally protested the flag by displaying photos of people of color who had been killed by police officers. Department managers then asked her to remove the photos but she refused because the pro-police flag was allowed to stay in place.

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A county spokeswoman, Jessica Morkert-Shibley, said county officials were working on policy revisions intended to avoid such disputes in the future, the Oregonian reported.

The plaintiff had originally sought $420,000 in her lawsuit, the newspaper reported.

Source: Fox News National

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Rahul Gandhi files election candidacy from India’s south in bid to stop Modi

Rahul Gandhi, President of India's main opposition Congress party, and his sister a leader of Congress party Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, wave to their supporters after Rahul filed his nomination papers for the general election, in Wayanad
Rahul Gandhi, President of India's main opposition Congress party, and his sister a leader of Congress party Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, wave to their supporters after Rahul filed his nomination papers for the general election, in Wayanad in the southern state of Kerala, India, April 4, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

April 4, 2019

By Subrat Patnaik

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi filed his papers on Thursday to run for parliament from a southern constituency, aiming to strengthen his Congress party’s prospects in a region where the ruling Hindu nationalists have a limited presence.

Although surveys show Congress is trailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the elections that begin next Thursday, the race is tightening.

Gandhi, the fourth generation of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for much of its history since independence from Britain in 1947, picked Wayanad in Kerala as his second constituency, in addition to the family borough in the north.

“I am here to send a message that south India is important,” he told reporters as thousands of party members lined the streets of the small town in welcome.

Modi’s BJP has its core base of voters in India’s north and west, playing second fiddle to regional parties across the south, except for Karnataka, home to the technology hub of Bangalore.

But the party has been trying build its presence in the region, especially Kerala, where the Congress and a communist party are the main players, and where Gandhi is looking to galvanize party workers through his candidacy.

He was accompanied by his sister, the charismatic Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who plunged into active politics in January in another move Congress hopes will add momentum to its campaign.

Gandhi said his candidacy emphasized the unity of India and contrasted with the Hindu-first vision of the nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh that Modi was tied to.

“There is a feeling in south India that the way the government, RSS and Narendra Modi are working… many people in the country feel that their culture, language and history are under attack,” he added.

Kerala has a significant population of Muslims and Christians in a predominantly Hindu India. Muslims form nearly 27 percent of the state’s population of about 33.4 million, and Christians roughly 18 percent, census figures show.

Congress has accused Modi and aligned right wing groups of pursuing a partisan agenda of attacking Muslims and changing school textbooks in efforts to shape the national identity to reflect their view, that India is a nation of, and for, Hindus.

The BJP denies bias against Muslims, but says it opposes appeasement of any community. Muslims account for 14 percent of India’s population of more than 1.2 billion, which is almost 80 percent Hindu, census data shows.

Gandhi is also running from Amethi, in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, which sent his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to parliament, as well as his grandmother Indira Gandhi, another former prime minister.

Indian election rules allow candidates to run for more than one seat in parliament. But the BJP was quick to attack Gandhi for running in two constituencies, saying he was not sure he would win.

However, Modi himself ran from two constituencies in the 2014 election, Varanasi in the north and Vadodara in his western home state of Gujarat, carrying both.

(Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in New Delhi; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Clarence Fernandez)

Source: OANN

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Police secure the area where the body of a woman was discovered near the village of Orounta
Police secure the area where the body of a woman was discovered near the village of Orounta, Cyprus, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Stefanos Kouratzis

April 26, 2019

NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cypriot police searched on Friday for more victims of a suspected serial killer, in a case which has shocked the Mediterranean island and exposed the authorities to charges of “criminal indifference” because the dead women were foreigners.

The main opposition party, the left-wing AKEL, called for the resignation of Cyprus’s justice minister and police chief.

Police were combing three different locations west of the capital Nicosia for victims of the suspected killer, a 35-year-old army officer who has been in detention for a week.

The bodies of three women, including two thought to be from the Philippines, have been recovered. Police sources said the suspect had indicated the location of the third body, found on Thursday, and had said the person was “either Indian or Nepali”.

Police said they were searching for a further four people, including two children, based on the suspect’s testimony.

“These women came here to earn a living, to help their families. They lived away from their families. And the earth swallowed them, nobody was interested,” AKEL lawmaker Irene Charalambides told Reuters.

“This killer will be judged by the court but the other big question is the criminal indifference shown by the others when the reports first surfaced. I believe, as does my party, that the justice minister and the police chief should resign. They are irrevocably exposed.”

Police have said they will investigate any perceived shortcomings in their handling of the case.

One person who did attempt to alert the authorities over the disappearances, a 70-year-old Cypriot citizen, said his motives were questioned by police.

The bodies of the two Filipino women reported missing in May and August 2018 were found in an abandoned mine shaft this month. Police discovered the body of the third woman at an army firing range about 14 km (9 miles) from the mine shaft.

Police are now searching for the six-year-old daughter of the first victim found, a Romanian mother who disappeared with her eight-year-old child in 2016, and a woman from the Phillipines who vanished in Dec. 2017.

The suspect has not been publicly named, in line with Cypriot legal practice.

A public vigil for the missing was planned later on Friday.

(Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Source: OANN

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An employee looks up at goods at the Miniclipper Logistics warehouse in Leighton Buzzard
FILE PHOTO: An employee looks up at goods at the Miniclipper Logistics warehouse in Leighton Buzzard, Britain December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

April 26, 2019

LONDON, April 26 – British factories stockpiled raw materials and goods ahead of Brexit at the fastest pace since records began in the 1950s, and they were increasingly downbeat about their prospects, a survey showed on Friday.

The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) quarterly survey of the manufacturing industry showed expectations for export orders in the next three months fell to their lowest level since mid-2009, when Britain was reeling from the global financial crisis.

The record pace of stockpiling recorded by the CBI was mirrored by the closely-watched IHS Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index published earlier this month.

(Reporting by Andy Bruce, editing by David Milliken)

Source: OANN

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the opening ceremony for the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the opening ceremony for the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo

April 26, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Fewer than half of Malaysians approve of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, an opinion poll showed on Friday, as concerns over rising costs and racial matters plague his administration nearly a year after taking office.

The survey, conducted in March by independent pollster Merdeka Center, showed that only 46 percent of voters surveyed were satisfied with Mahathir, a sharp drop from the 71 percent approval rating he received in August 2018.

Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan coalition won a stunning election victory in May 2018, ending the previous government’s more than 60-year rule.

But his administration has since been criticized for failing to deliver on promised reforms and protecting the rights of majority ethnic Malay Muslims.

Of 1,204 survey respondents, 46 percent felt that the “country was headed in the wrong direction”, up from 24 percent in August 2018, the Merdeka Center said in a statement. Just 39 percent said they approved of the ruling government.

High living costs remained the top most concern among Malaysians, with just 40 percent satisfied with the government’s management of the economy, the survey showed.

It also showed mixed responses to Pakatan Harapan’s proposed reforms.

Some 69 percent opposed plans to abolish the death penalty, while respondents were sharply divided over proposals to lower the minimum voting age to 18, or to implement a sugar tax.

“In our opinion, the results appear to indicate a public that favors the status quo, and thus requires a robust and coordinated advocacy efforts in order to garner their acceptance of new measures,” Merdeka Center said.

The survey also found 23 percent of Malaysians were concerned over ethnic and religious matters.

Some groups representing Malays have expressed fear that affirmative-action policies favoring them in business, education and housing could be taken away and criticized the appointments of non-Muslims to key government posts.

Last November, the government reversed its pledge to ratify a UN convention against racial discrimination, after a backlash from Malay groups.

Earlier this month, Pakatan Harapan suffered its third successive loss in local elections since taking power, which has been seen as a further sign of waning public support.

Despite the decline, most Malaysians – 67 percent – agreed that Mahathir’s government should be given more time to fulfill its election promises, Merdeka Center said.

This included a majority of Malay voters who were largely more critical of the new administration, it added.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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The German share price index DAX graph at the stock exchange in Frankfurt
The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Staff

April 26, 2019

By Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh

(Reuters) – European shares slipped on Friday after losses in heavyweight banks and Glencore outweighed gains in healthcare and auto stocks, while investors remained on the sidelines ahead of U.S. economic data for the first quarter.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.1 percent by 0935 GMT, eyeing a modest loss at the end of a holiday-shortened week. Banks-heavy Italian and Spanish indices were laggards.

The banking index fell for a fourth day, at the end of a heavy earnings week for lenders.

Britain’s Royal Bank of Scotland tumbled after posting lower first quarter profit, hurt by intensifying competition and Brexit uncertainty, while its investment bank also registered poor returns.

Weakness in investment banking also dented Deutsche Bank’s quarterly trading revenue and sent its shares lower a day after the German bank abandoned merger talks with smaller rival Commerzbank.

“The current interest rate environment makes it challenging for banks to make proper earnings because of their intermediary function,” said Teeuwe Mevissen, senior market economist eurozone, at Rabobank.

Since the start of April, all country indexes were on pace to rise between 1.8 percent and 3.4 percent, their fourth month of gains, while Germany was strongly outperforming with 6 percent growth.

“For now the current sentiment is very cautious as markets wait for the first estimates of the U.S. GDP growth which could see a surprise,” Mevissen said.

U.S. economic data for the first-quarter is due at 1230 GMT. Growth worries outside the United States resurfaced this week after South Korea’s economy unexpectedly contracted at the start of the year and weak German business sentiment data for April also disappointed.

Among the biggest drags on the benchmark index in Europe were the basic resources sector and the oil and gas sector, weighed down by Britain’s Glencore and France’s Total, respectively.

Glencore dropped after reports that U.S authorities were investigating whether the company and its subsidiaries violated certain provisions of the commodity exchange act.

Energy major Total said its net profit for the first three months of the year fell compared with a year ago due to volatile oil prices and debt costs.

Chip stocks in the region including Siltronic, Ams and STMicroelectronics lost more than 1 percent after Intel Corp reduced its full-year revenue forecast, adding to concerns that an industry-wide slowdown could persist until the end of 2019.

Meanwhile, healthcare, which is also seen as a defensive sector, was a bright spot. It was helped by French drugmaker Sanofi after it returned to growth with higher profits and revenues for the first-quarter.

Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES led media stocks higher after it maintained its full-year outlook on the back of the company’s Networks division.

Automakers in the region rose 0.4 percent, led by Valeo’s 6 percent jump as the French parts maker said its performance would improve in the second half of the year.

Continental AG advanced after it backed its outlook for the year despite reporting a fall in first-quarter earnings.

Renault rose more than 3 percent as it clung to full-year targets and pursues merger talks with its Japanese partner Nissan.

(Reporting by Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Gareth Jones and Elaine Hardcastle)

Source: OANN

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U.S. President Donald Trump hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to his audience as he hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

April 26, 2019

By Jan Wolfe and Richard Cowan

(Reuters) – The “i word” – impeachment – is swirling around the U.S. Congress since the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted Russia report, which painted a picture of lies, threats and confusion in Donald Trump’s White House.

Some Democrats say trying to remove Trump from office would be a waste of time because his fellow Republicans still have majority control of the Senate. Other Democrats argue they have a moral obligation at least to try to impeach, even though Mueller did not charge Trump with conspiring with Russia in the 2016 U.S. election or with obstruction of justice.

Whether or not the Democrats decide to go down this risky path, here is how the impeachment process works.

WHAT ARE GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENT?

The U.S. Constitution says the president can be removed from office by Congress for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Exactly what that means is unclear.

Before he became president in 1974, replacing Republican Richard Nixon who resigned over the Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford said: “An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.”

Frank Bowman, a University of Missouri law professor and author of a forthcoming book on the history of impeachment, said Congress could look beyond criminal laws in defining “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Historically, it can encompass corruption and other abuses, including trying to obstruct judicial proceedings.

HOW DOES IMPEACHMENT PLAY OUT?

The term impeachment is often interpreted as simply removing a president from office, but that is not strictly accurate.

Impeachment technically refers to the 435-member House of Representatives approving formal charges against a president.

The House effectively acts as accuser – voting on whether to bring specific charges. An impeachment resolution, known as “articles of impeachment,” is like an indictment in a criminal case. A simple majority vote is needed in the House to impeach.

The Senate then conducts a trial. House members act as the prosecutors, with senators as the jurors. The chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court presides over the trial. A two-thirds majority vote is required in the 100-member Senate to convict and remove a president from office.

No president has ever been removed from office as a direct result of an impeachment and conviction by Congress.

Nixon quit in 1974 rather than face impeachment. Presidents Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 were impeached by the House, but both stayed in office after the Senate acquitted them.

Obstruction of justice was one charge against Clinton, who faced allegations of lying under oath about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Obstruction was also included in the articles of impeachment against Nixon.

CAN THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURN?

No.

Trump said on Twitter on Wednesday that he would ask the Supreme Court to intervene if Democrats tried to impeach him. But America’s founders explicitly rejected making a Senate conviction appealable to the federal judiciary, Bowman said.

“They quite plainly decided this is a political process and it is ultimately a political judgment,” Bowman said.

“So when Trump suggests there is any judicial remedy for impeachment, he is just wrong.”

PROOF OF WRONGDOING?

In a typical criminal court case, jurors are told to convict only if there is “proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” a fairly stringent standard.

Impeachment proceedings are different. The House and Senate “can decide on whatever burden of proof they want,” Bowman said. “There is no agreement on what the burden should be.”

PARTY BREAKDOWN IN CONGRESS?

Right now, there are 235 Democrats, 197 Republicans and three vacancies in the House. As a result, the Democratic majority could vote to impeach Trump without any Republican votes.

In 1998, when Republicans had a House majority, the chamber voted largely along party lines to impeach Clinton, a Democrat.

The Senate now has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents who usually vote with Democrats. Conviction and removal of a president would requires 67 votes. So that means for Trump to be impeached, at least 20 Republicans and all the Democrats and independents would have to vote against him.

WHO BECOMES PRESIDENT IF TRUMP IS REMOVED?

A Senate conviction removing Trump from office would elevate Vice President Mike Pence to the presidency to fill out Trump’s term, which ends on Jan. 20, 2021.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)

Source: OANN

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