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Utah teacher forces student to wash off Ash Wednesday cross

A teacher in the predominantly Mormon state of Utah was placed on administrative leave after she forced a Catholic student to wash off the Ash Wednesday cross from his forehead.

William McLeod, 9, had just returned to his school near Salt Lake City after attending Catholic mass when his fourth-grade teacher called the ash marking "inappropriate" and gave him a hand wipe to clean it off in front of his classmates, grandmother Karen Fisher said.

At first William explained that he couldn't remove it because it was important for the beginning of Easter but eventually obliged, Fisher said.

"He went to see the school's psychologist crying," said Fisher. "He was embarrassed."

The incident at Valley View Elementary in Bountiful, Utah, is being taken very seriously and an investigation into whether disciplinary action will be levied against William's teacher has been opened, said Davis School District spokesman Chris Williams. In the meantime, she isn't teaching, he said.

"The actions were unacceptable," Williams said. "No student should ever be asked or required to remove an ash cross from his or her forehead."

The teacher, Moana Patterson, was called into a meeting with the principal about the incident, Williams said. After that meeting, she called Fisher to apologize, he said.

Fisher, who lives with William, said Patterson gave a handwritten note and candy bar to William as an apology.

Patterson didn't immediately return an email seeking comment about the incident.

Williams said he doesn't know Patterson's religious affiliation.

In Utah, Catholics are the minority. The 330,000 Catholics in the state account for about 10 percent of the population, according to Jean Hill at the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints account for about two-thirds of the state. The faith's headquarters are in Salt Lake City.

Mormons celebrate Easter, but don't observe Ash Wednesday, a Christian holy day of prayer and repentance that falls on the first day of Lent, six weeks before Easter. The use of ash is a sign of mortality and has a long history in Christian and Jewish worship.

"We understand that mistakes happen," Hill said in a statement. "The diocese is also very grateful to the young student who used the situation to educate his teacher about a part of his faith and its importance to him."

Fisher said Patterson asked if she could reapply the ashes herself. "I told her that's not how it works," Fisher said.

The school district's director of educational equity, who happens to ordained as a Catholic deacon, came to the school to reapply the ashes, Williams said.

"Learning about one another is one way we build community across religious, political, racial, ethnic and other borders," Hill said.

___

This version of the story clarifies that the Catholic deacon is a member of the school district.

Source: Fox News National

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NASA Space Challenger widow’s home goes up in flames in Texas: report

Cheryl McNair, the widow of NASA Space Challenger astronaut Ronald Erwin McNair, was rescued, along with her cat and some space memorabilia, from a fire at in her home in El Lago, TX early Wednesday morning, reports said.

McNair woke up to smoke alarms and a call from her alarm company around 5 a.m. Wednesday before multiple fire agencies responded to the home in the Clear Lake area, officials told KHOU 11.

NASA’S ‘HISTORIC’ SPACEWALK NO LONGER ALL-FEMALE DUE TO SPACESUIT AVAILABILITY: OFFICIALS

McNair, who once shared the home with her astronaut husband, did not suffer any injuries. Fire officials recovered her cat, Rocket, and some NASA memorabilia.

NASA astronaut and physicist Ronald Erwin McNair died on January 18, 1986, along with six other crew members, when the Space Shuttle Challenger shockingly exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, FL.

NASA Astronaut Dr. Ronald E. McNair (PH.D.) was assigned as a mission specialist and was a crewmember on two Space Shuttle Missions. He first flew on STS 41-B in 1984 where he performed numerous science experiments. On his second flight, STS 51-L, Dr. McNair died on January 28, 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after launch from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

NASA Astronaut Dr. Ronald E. McNair (PH.D.) was assigned as a mission specialist and was a crewmember on two Space Shuttle Missions. He first flew on STS 41-B in 1984 where he performed numerous science experiments. On his second flight, STS 51-L, Dr. McNair died on January 28, 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after launch from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. (NASA)

Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire within 45 minutes, and the house, though still standing, is a significant loss, reported KPRC Channel 2. At one point, the inferno became so intense that firefighters were called out of the home to fight the blaze in defensive mode, officials said.

“Units arrived within three to four minutes and did find a fully involved house fireball,” authorities told KPRC Channel 2. “There are pictures and plaques that were saved, at the same time there are pictures and plaques that are damaged.”

Steve Howard, who lives in the house directly behind the scene, said he saw the fire first hand.

“The whole house was pretty much engulfed in flames,” Howard told KPRC Channel 2. “She has already had a tough road. It was pretty sad for her to go through another tragedy.”

“She said to keep a lookout for her cat,” Howard said. “She was really concerned for her cat.”

Neighbors arrived to help McNair out of the burning home with some of the items she gathered.

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NASA officials will reportedly visit McNair’s home to examine some of the memorabilia.

“People’s memorabilia is special to them, regardless if it’s national memorabilia or not,” Chief Andrew Gutacker, Seabrook Fire Department, told KHOU 11.

"NASA is just learning about the fire (at the home of Challenger widow Cheryl McNair),” NASA said in released statement. "Our hearts go out to the McNair family. We appreciate the tremendous support and assistance provided by first responders and the community."

Source: Fox News National

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Mating season brings out aggressive alligators across Florida

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TAMPA, Fla. - With April comes the start of alligator mating season, meaning more gators are on the prowl in some unlikely places in Florida and the rest of the coastal South.

Warmer weather also revs up the prehistoric predators’ metabolism, making them more active and aggressive as they hunt for prey and a mate.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says over 7,000 nuisance alligators had to be killed or relocated last year, compared to 6,700 in 2017. Although the chances are slim, only 1 in 3.2 million to be exact, six people on average are attacked by the animals every year.

Areas with the highest removal numbers are in and around central Florida. Tampa topped the list in 2017 with 181 nuisance gators but was topped last year by Sarasota, which tallied 205.

Generally, an alligator may be deemed a nuisance if it is at least four feet in length and residents believe it poses a threat to people, pets or property; the FWC says their removal does not have a significant impact on the state's alligator population.

Nuisance gators larger than four feet are usually sold to alligator farms or harvested if a trapper doesn’t have a special permit to take them alive and gators smaller than four feet are released back into the wild.

State alligator trapper Robb Upthegrove measures a nuisance alligator captured in Tampa, Fla.

State alligator trapper Robb Upthegrove measures a nuisance alligator captured in Tampa, Fla. (Fox News)

Once an endangered species, they're now federally protected, meaning only FWC-contracted trappers can retrieve them after residents report sightings using the Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).

Once reported, the state issues a permit for a trapper to remove a suspicious gator.

State alligator trapper Robb Upthegrove has been handling live alligators for over eight years and receives removal calls around the clock.

“This one here came from a residence in Baum, the larger gator came from a Walmart in Wimauma, the smaller gator came from a lake in Auburndale,” he said as he took inventory of his catches from the past 24 hours.

An estimated 1.3 million alligators now roam the waterways in every one of the Sunshine State’s 67 counties.

“Pretty much any body of water that's going to be in Florida, you might come across an alligator at some point,” said Karina Paner, manager of Croc Encounters Reptile Park & Wildlife Center, which houses dozens of alligators reported as a nuisance and rescued by the center. “All the waterways are connected…a lot of the lakes and ponds in neighborhoods are connected through piping, so they travel through that.”

But Paner reminded residents to keep that in perspective.

“They're not really bothering us as much as we're kind of taking over their space,” she added. “They're not coming out to attack us…they're doing what they've always done even before we were here…”

Paner said while many Floridians have learned to coexist, the threat is always there—especially if people feed them.

“…You are teaching the alligator to lose its natural fear of people and then they start approaching people for food,” she said. “That’s when accidents happen.”

In addition to being illegal, Upthegrove says feeding alligators also hurts trappers’ chances of catching them.

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Sarah Maccollum of Brandon has two kids, but no fence between her home and a pond a few yards away.

“…We’re just a little nervous with the gator being out here and the kids being outside all the time,” she told Fox News.

Her neighbor, Porsche Davis, called the Nuisance Alligator Hotline Wednesday to report a nearly six-foot alligator that had repeatedly been seen near the water’s edge. In a community with dozens of small children and animals, she said she didn’t want to take any chances.

“Water equals gator in Florida…so that’s a big concern,” she said.

Fellow Brandon resident Linda Haas’ home is feet away from a pond known to have alligators.

“Gators can climb a fence...I have little dogs under five pounds so it would be just an appetizer for them,” she told Fox.

(The state is encouraging residents to call its Alligator Nuisance Hotline if they're concerned about a gator getting too close.)

Since 1988, there have been 18 fatal attacks on humans involving an alligator in Florida and two since 2016, according to the FWC. The two most recent incidents occurred during mating season.

Last June, an alligator killed a 47-year-old South Florida resident, Shizuka Matsuki, while she walked her dogs near a lake in Davie, Fla.

In June 2016, 2-year-old Lane Graves was dragged into the water and killed by an alligator near the shore of a Disney World resort.

The FWC recommends not swimming during dusk or dawn, an alligator’s most active hours, keeping animals on a leash and away from water and keeping a safe distance away from the animal.

“Enjoy them from a distance because we can enjoy them living in Florida,” said Paner. “We can live amongst them.”

Until the season ends in June, Upthegrove said he and other state trappers will continue responding to reports as quickly as they can to help keep the public safe.

Source: Fox News National

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NBA notebook: Grizzlies fire coach, demote GM

NBA: Houston Rockets at Memphis Grizzlies
FILE PHOTO: Mar 20, 2019; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff during the game against the Houston Rockets at FedExForum. Memphis won 126-125. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

April 12, 2019

Speaking to local media around midday Thursday, Memphis Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said he hadn’t talked with team owner Robert Pera yet, but he could make one declaration: Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff would return for a second season. Two hours later, that decision had changed, and several other moves were made.

The Grizzlies fired Bickerstaff and demoted Wallace to a scouting role.

Memphis also named Jason Wexler as team president with “oversight of both business and basketball operations,” the team said in a statement. The Grizzlies promoted Zach Kleiman to executive vice president of basketball operations, with former VP John Hollinger reassigned to a senior advisory position.

“In order to put our team on the path to sustainable success, it was necessary to change our approach to basketball operations,” Pera said in a statement. “I look forward to a reenergized front office and fresh approach to Memphis Grizzlies basketball under new leadership, while retaining the identity and values that have distinguished our team.”

–Sacramento Kings coach Dave Joerger was fired after three seasons, the team announced.

“After evaluating the season, I determined that we need to move in a different direction in order to take us to the next level,” general manager Vlade Divac said.

Joerger led the Kings to a 39-43 record this season, good for ninth place in the NBA’s Western Conference. It was their best record since 2005-06 — the last time they qualified for the playoffs. The Kings started this season at 30-26 and were in the playoff hunt until a 9-17 finish left them nine games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the final postseason spot in the West.

–Larry Drew will not return for a second season as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers after he and the team mutually agreed to part ways.

“Larry and I had a productive discussion about this past season, the future of the franchise and the search process that we will shortly launch regarding the head coaching role,” general manager Koby Altman said in a statement. “Larry respectfully declined to participate in the search process and will not be returning to coach the Cavaliers.”

The Cavs finished 19-63 in 2018-19 as Drew took over after the firing of Tyronn Lue on Oct. 28 following the team’s 0-6 start. Drew was named interim head coach at first before agreeing to a new deal on Nov. 5.

–Cardiologists have cleared Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen to resume full basketball activities, the team announced.

Markkanen, 21, experienced extreme fatigue and an accelerated heart rate during a game in Toronto on March 26. A battery of tests conducted at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore determined that dehydration and nutrient deficiency caused his symptoms.

The 7-footer missed the rest of the regular season, finishing his second campaign with averages of 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in 52 games.

–The Phoenix Suns officially named James Jones as general manager, giving him control over all basketball operations for the team.

The Suns also added Jeff Bower as senior vice president of basketball operations and retained Trevor Bukstein as assistant general manager. Both will report to Jones, the team announced in a statement.

Jones, 38, who played 14 seasons in the league and won three NBA championships, had served as Phoenix’s VP of basketball operations the past two seasons. He shared GM duties this past season with Bukstein.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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France’s Macron to respond to yellow vest economic crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron will be laying out his responses to the yellow vest crisis after three months of a national debate that aimed to encourage ordinary people to propose changes to France's economy and democracy.

Macron will announce a series of measures in a televised speech to the nation Monday evening and will provide further details in a news conference on Wednesday.

The French leader is expected to respond to protesters' concerns over the loss of purchasing power with possible tax cuts and measures to help retirees and single parents.

The yellow vest movement, prompted by a fuel tax hike in November, has expanded into a broader revolt against Macron's policies, which protesters see as favoring the rich and big businesses.

Source: Fox News World

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Mueller team denies leaking Roger Stone indictment to CNN

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team on Friday denied allegations from former Trump adviser Roger Stone that his indictment was leaked to CNN before it was unsealed last month.

“The Special Counsel’s Office is aware of no information indicating that reporters were given any advance knowledge of a possible indictment from the Special Counsel’s office,” the filing states.

Stone’s legal team had filed a motion in federal court claiming his indictment had been leaked after CNN was the only network to stake out Stone's Fort Lauderdale home when he was arrested before dawn last month. CNN later aired video of the arrest that showed a team of FBI agents with guns banging on Stone’s door and demanding that he come outside.

FBI'S SHOW OF FORCE IN ROGER STONE ARREST SPURS CRITICISM OF MUELLER TACTICS

The arrest operation drew scrutiny from President Trump, who questioned on Twitter, “who alerted CNN to be there?”

CNN has denied being tipped off to the arrest, claiming they knew to be there because of “good reporting.” If that is the case, reporters have noted CNN was remarkably lucky in guessing when Stone might be arrested.

“CNN’s ability to capture the arrest of Roger Stone was the result of determined reporting and interpreting clues revealed in the course of events. That’s called journalism,” CNN said.

The filing from Mueller’s team accuses Stone of suggesting “without evidence” that prosecutors publicly released the indictment before the arrest to allow news media to witness Stone’s arrest, claiming the indictment was not “publicly released until after the defendant was arrested.”

JUDGE RIPS INTO ROGER STONE, BARS HIM FROM SPEAKING PUBLICLY ON CASE

The 24-page indictment against the former Trump adviser alleges that Stone worked to obstruct the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election by making false statements to the committee, denying he had records sought by the committee and persuading a witness to provide false testimony. Stone has pleaded not guilty.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Spanish prosecutor to investigate Catalonia leader for disobedience

FILE PHOTO: Catalan Regional President Quim Torra is seen ahead of a rally of Catalan separatist organisations, in Madrid
FILE PHOTO: Catalan Regional President Quim Torra is seen ahead of a rally of Catalan separatist organisations, in Madrid, Spain March 16, 2019. REUTERS/Juan Medina

March 27, 2019

MADRID (Reuters) – The prosecutor in the north eastern region of Catalonia said on Wednesday it will investigate the Catalonia leader Quim Torra for disobedience over his failure to remove pro-independence symbols on regional government buildings.

Spain’s electoral committee ordered Torra to remove the symbols – put up for regional politicians on trial for their part in a 2017 independence referendum – which it claims are political propaganda ahead of the April 28 election.

Torra could be removed from office for up to two years if found guilty of failing to obey the order to remove objects such as pro-independence flags and yellow ribbons from government buildings in the time frame stated by the committee.

(Reporting by Jose Elias Rodriguez; Writing by Paul Day)

Source: OANN

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Representatives of Russian Transneft, Ukranian Ukrtransnafta, Polish Pern and Belarusian Belneftekhim gather to hold talks on fixing tainted oil supplies to Europe, in Minsk
Representatives of Russian Transneft, Ukranian Ukrtransnafta, Polish Pern and Belarusian Belneftekhim gather to hold talks on fixing tainted oil supplies to Europe, in Minsk, Belarus April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko

April 26, 2019

By Katya Golubkova and Andrei Makhovsky

MOSCOW/MINSK (Reuters) – Russia is confident it can soon resolve a problem of polluted Russian oil contaminating a major pipeline serving Europe and affecting supplies as far west as Germany, a senior official said on Friday at talks with importers about the issue.

Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin did not give a precise timeframe but Moscow has previously said it would pump clean oil to the border with Belarus from April 29, seeking to end a crisis hitting the world’s second-largest crude exporter.

Sorokin was speaking at talks with officials from Belarus, Poland and Ukraine in Minsk on the issue. Belarus said the issue had cost it $100 million, while analysts say alternative supply routes for refiners cannot fully fill the gap.

Poland, Germany, Ukraine and Slovakia have suspended imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Halting those supplies has knock-on effects further along the network.

The problem arose last week when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with high levels of organic chloride used to boost oil output but which must be separated before shipment as it can destroy refining equipment.

Russia’s Energy Ministry said pipeline monopoly Transneft and other Russian companies had a plan to mitigate the effects of the contaminated oil. It did not give details.

Russian officials have said contaminated oil has already been pumped into storage in Russia and Friday’s talks would focus on how to partially withdraw the tainted crude from the Druzhba pipeline running via other countries.

The suspension cuts off a major supply route for Polish refineries owned by Poland’s PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos, as well as plants in Germany owned by Total, Shell, Eni and Rosneft.

Some refiners have outlined plans for alternative supplies, but analysts say other routes cannot meet the shortfall.

OIL PRICES

Ukraine’s Ukrtransnafta suspended the transit of oil through the pipeline on Thursday, closing supplies via Druzhba’s southern route to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

The pipeline issue, which has supported global oil prices, lifted Russian Urals crude differentials to an all-time high on Thursday.

With pipeline supplies to Europe shut, Russia faces a challenge of how to divert about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) that was meant to be shipped through the network to other destinations at the time when export capacity is at its limits.

State-run Russian Railways held talks with energy firms on using up to 5,000 rail tankers to transport crude, RIA news agency reported on Friday.

Concerns about the quality of Urals crude also caused delays in loadings at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga, when buyers refused to lift cargoes, resulting in a brief shutdown of the port on Wednesday and Thursday. An Ust-Luga official and traders said on Friday loadings had resumed.

Russian loading plans indicate it aims to boost Urals exports in May before the expiry of a deal on output cuts agreed with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, Reuters calculations and Energy Ministry data show.

The provisional loading plan for Russia’s Baltic Sea ports and Novorossiisk in May show exports rising to 10.7 million tonnes, the highest level in half a decade.

Minsk estimated its loss from lower oil product exports due to contaminated Russian oil at around $100 million, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported on Thursday, citing Belarusian state oil company Belneftekhim.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, in charge of government energy policy, said this week that those found responsible for contaminating the oil could be fined. He did not provide names.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko in WARSAW, Sandor Peto in BUDAPEST, Jason Hovet in PRAGUE, Matthias Williams and Natalia Zinets in KIEV, Katya Golubkova, Olesya Astakhova, Gleb Gorodyankin, Olga Yagova and Maxim Rodionov in MOSCOW, Andrei Makhovsky in MINSK; writing by Katya Golubkova; editing by Michael Perry and Edmund Blair)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO - A worker sits on a ship carrying containers at Mundra Port in the western Indian state of Gujarat
FILE PHOTO: A worker sits on a ship carrying containers at Mundra Port in the western Indian state of Gujarat April 1, 2014. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – India has once again delayed the implementation of higher tariffs on some goods imported from the United States to May 15, a government official said on Friday.

The new tariff structure was to come into force from May 2, the spokeswoman said without citing reasons for the delay.

Angered by Washington’s refusal to exempt it from new steel and aluminum tariffs, New Delhi decided in June last year to raise the import tax from Aug. 4 on some U.S. products including almonds, walnuts and apples.

But since then, New Delhi has repeatedly delayed the implementation of the new tariff.

Trade friction between India and the U.S. has escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans earlier this year to end preferential trade treatment for India that allows duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its exports to the United States.

In a further blow, U.S. on Monday demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers which allowed Iran’s eight biggest buyers including India to continue importing limited volumes.

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar in New Delhi and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Raissa Kasolowsky)

Source: OANN

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One of Joe Biden’s newly-hired senior advisers has seemingly had a very recent change of heart.

Symone Sanders, a prominent Democratic strategist and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., staffer in 2016, was announced as one of the big-name members of Team Biden on Thursday.

But Sanders, who has also served as a CNN contributor, is seen in resurfaced footage from November 2016 expressing her opposition to a white person leading her party after Donald Trump’s election.

“In my opinion, we don’t need white people leading the Democratic party right now,” Sanders told host Brianna Keilar during a discussion on Howard Dean potentially becoming DNC chairman.

BIDEN HIRES FORMER BERNIE SANDERS’ SPOKESPERSON AS SENIOR ADVISER

“The Democratic party is diverse, and it should be reflected as so in leadership and throughout the staff, at the highest levels. From the vice chairs to the secretaries all the way down to the people working in the offices at the DNC,” she said.

Sanders wrapped up her remarks by saying: “I want to hear more from everybody. I want to hear from the millennials and the brown folks.”

Footage of the interview was resurfaced by RealClearPolitics.

After news of her hiring broke on Thursday, Sanders backed her new boss on Twitter.

TRUMP ASSESSES 2020 DEMS; TAKES SWIPES AT BIDEN, SANDERS; DISMISSES HARRIS, O’ROURKE; SAYS HE’S ROOTING FOR BUTTIGIEG

“@JoeBiden & @DrBiden are a class act. Over the course of this campaign, Vice President Biden is going to make his case to the American ppl. He won’t always be perfect, but I believe he will get it right,” she wrote.

The hiring of Sanders has been viewed as another indication of the expected tough fight that Biden and Sanders are in for as the two frontrunners battle a deep Democratic field.

While Sanders himself didn’t torch Biden as he jumped into the race, it’s clear that many of his progressive supporters view the former vice president as a threat.

Biden’s entry into the race – at least in the early going – sets up a battle between himself and Sanders, who thanks to his fierce fight with eventual nominee Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic nomination, enjoys name ID on the level of the former vice president.

BIDEN VOWS THAT ‘AMERICA IS COMING BACK,’ SPARKING ‘MAGA’ COMPARISONS

Justice Democrats — who also called Biden “out-of-touch” – is an increasingly influential group among the left of the party. They’ve championed progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York as well as Sanders. The group was founded by members of Sanders 2016 presidential campaign.

Biden has pushed back against the perception that he’s a moderate in a party that’s increasingly moving to the left. Earlier this month he described himself as an “Obama-Biden Democrat.”

And Biden said he’d stack his record against “anybody who has run or who is running now or who will run.”

Former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile – a Fox News contributor – highlighted that “Joe Biden can occupy his own lane in large part because he’s earned it. He’s earned the right to call himself whatever.”

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But she emphasized that “elections are not about the past, they’re about the future…I do believe he has the right ingredients. The question is can he find enough people to help him stir the pot.”

Fox News Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, who is facing increased calls for her immediate resignation, remains in poor health and is not “lucid” enough to decide whether to step down, her attorney told reporters late Thursday.

Steve Silverman, speaking outside one of Pugh’s residences which was raided by the FBI and IRS earlier in the day, said the embattled city leader could make a decision as early as next week.

“She is leaning toward making the best decision in the best interest in the citizens of Baltimore City,” he said, adding that Pugh has “several options” to consider.

“She just needs to be physically and mentally sound and lucid enough to make appropriate decisions.”

BALTIMORE MAYOR CATHERINE PUGH, ON LEAVE AMID BOOK PROBE, HAS HOMES AND CITY HALL OFFICE RAIDED BY FEDS

Silverman said Pugh met with a doctor at home Thursday and plans to do so again Friday, the Baltimore Sun reported.

In the latest image-tarnishing scandal for struggling Baltimore, the first-term Democratic mayor faces accusations that she used children’s book deals to cover up kickbacks for favorable treatment as a state lawmaker and city leader that earned her roughly $800,000 over several years.

BALTIMORE’S ACTING MAYOR SAYS HE ‘WOULD HATE TO SEE’ EMBATTLED MAYOR RETURN AFTER BOOK SCANDALS

As a state senator, 69-year-old Pugh sold $500,000 worth of her self-published “Healthy Holly” illustrated paperbacks to the University of Maryland Medical System, a major state employer whose board she sat on for nearly 20 years.

Baltimore police officers stand outside the house of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Pugh and also in City Hall. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Baltimore police officers stand outside the house of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Pugh and also in City Hall. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

UMMS reportedly paid Pugh for 100,000 copies of her books between 2011 and 2018 with the stated intention of distributing the books to schools and day care centers. But some 50,000 copies remain unaccounted for and officials are probing if they were even printed.

Pugh also made $300,000 in bulk sales to other customers including health carriers that did business with the city of Baltimore.

BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL CALLS ON EMBATTLED MAYOR CATHERINE PUGH TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY

The politically isolated Pugh slipped out of sight on April 1 after a hastily organized press conference where she called her no-contract book deals a “regrettable mistake.” That same day, Maryland’s governor called on the state prosecutor to investigate allegations of “self-dealing.”

Pugh took an indefinite leave of absence, citing her health deteriorating intensely after a bout with pneumonia.

Federal agents arrive at the Maryland Center for Adult Training in Baltimore. MD, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall, as well as the office of her lawyer and the home of a top aide.

Federal agents arrive at the Maryland Center for Adult Training in Baltimore. MD, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall, as well as the office of her lawyer and the home of a top aide. (Loyd Fox/Baltimore Sun via AP)

On Thursday morning, agents with the FBI and IRS searched her two Baltimore homes, her City Hall offices, and a nonprofit organization she once led. The home of at least one of Pugh’s aides was also scoured.

Silverman said federal agents also served a subpoena at his law firm, retrieving Pugh’s original financial records. They did not seek any attorney-client privileged communications, he said.

Pugh’s attorney said she was “emotionally extremely distraught” following the searches by FBI and IRS agents.

“There was nothing incriminating that came out of her home,” Silverman said.

UMMS spokesman Michael Schwartzberg told reporters that the medical system received a grand jury witness subpoena seeking documents and information related to Pugh.

Other probes against Pugh include a review by the city ethics board and the Maryland Insurance Administration.

BALTIMORE MAYOR’S $500G DEAL FOR ‘HEALTHY HOLLY’ CHILDREN’S BOOKS DRAWS SCRUTINY

In recent weeks, the calls for Pugh’s resignation have intensified with the strongest voice coming from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who did not mince words after Thursday’s early morning raids.

“Now more than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership. Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust,” he said. “She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service agents search the home of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall.

Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service agents search the home of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh in Baltimore, MD., Thursday, April 25, 2019. Agents with the FBI and IRS are gathering evidence inside the two homes of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and in City Hall. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun via AP)

Many of her fellow Democrats, including those on Baltimore’s demoralized City Council and state lawmakers, are also insisting that Pugh put the citizens’ interests above any attempt to preserve her political career.

City Council member Brandon Scott called the Thursday raids “an embarrassment to the city.”

However, only a conviction can trigger a mayor’s removal from office, according to the city solicitor. Baltimore’s mayor-friendly City Charter currently provides no options for ousting its executive.

Six of Pugh’s staffers joined her on paid leave earlier this month; three of them were fired this week by the acting mayor.

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Pugh came to office in late 2016 after edging out ex-Mayor Sheila Dixon, who had spent much of her tenure fighting corruption charges before being forced to depart office in 2010 as part of a plea deal connected to the misappropriation of about $500 in gift cards meant for needy families.

She would certainly face a bruising 2020 Democratic primary if she were to return and run for reelection. Veteran City Council leader Bernard “Jack” Young, who is serving as acting mayor, said as she went on leave that he would merely be a placeholder. But this week, before the raids, he said “it could be devastating for her” if she tried to return.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations has blasted the United State and the European Union for imposing sanctions on his country, describing them as “economic terrorism.”

Bashar Ja’afari made his comments Friday in the Kazakh capital of Astana where Russia, Turkey and Iran held a new round of talks with the Syrian government and the opposition on steps to bring peace to the country.

His comments came as government-held parts of Syria are witnessing widespread fuel shortages that are largely the result of Western sanctions on Syria and its key ally Iran.

Ja’afari says: “This is economic terrorism that is escalating through unilateral economic measures.”

A final statement issued at the end of Astana’s 12th round rejected President Donald Trump’s formal recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights.

Source: Fox News World

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