What Is Mortgage vs. Real Estate?

Real Estate is everything that mortgage needs, although Mortgage and Real estate relate to each other like peanut butter and jelly, In this article, I will give you a quick Mortgage101 and run down on how real estate transactions work.

What is Mortgage?

For the majority of people that buy real estate, the need for a mortgage in order to finance the cost of the property is essential for making real estate ownership a reality. If you have opted to buy a home, apartment, or other property you will probably need to take out a mortgage.

While a mortgage is usually considered to be a loan by many people, it is, in reality, a lien on the property. When the bank maintains a mortgage on a property, it means that the bank can reclaim ownership of the property if the buyer does not make loan payments on time.

A mortgage works in a similar fashion to a car loan. Taking out a mortgage means that the amount loaned out is secured by the property itself. Mortgages also have to be paid in monthly installments so that the principal and interest are covered.

Mortgage loans are typically calculated so that the principle and interest payments are spaced out over a set period of time. The terms are typically between 10 to 30 years for the average mortgage and last until the entire principal has been paid off.

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A mortgage is typically the largest debt that any homeowner will ever have. Before applying for a mortgage, you should have a good idea of what is involved in the application process so that you can be sure that you will be approved. In addition, understanding the terms of a mortgage before you sign a contract is important so that you will know whether or not you can really afford it.

Qualifying for a Mortgage

If you want to be approved for a mortgage, there are a number of criteria that need to be met in order to qualify. The first important point is to make sure that your credit score is good to excellent. At a minimum, you need a credit score of 680 or better.

Some of the other factors that will help you to become qualified include:

* A front-end ratio of 28 percent
* A back-end ratio of 36 percent
* Being employed at the same job for at least two years
* Verification of your earnings and employment
* Thorough documentation of your financial situation
* An appraisal performed by a professional
* Private mortgage insurance (applies in some cases, especially when the amount of the down payment is low).

Mortgage Types

There are several different options when it comes to the type of loan that you want on your property. In addition, only certain types of loans are available to specific individuals. The three main types of mortgages are conventional loans, VA loans, and FHA loans.

Conventional Loans: Conventional loans are offered by private lenders, typically banks. You can not obtain a conventional mortgage from the government. In addition, these types of loans often have strict requirements that mean that you must have good credit. In addition, you must have cash available to cover the down payment, which can be up to 20 percent of the value of the mortgage in order to get approved.

FHA Loans: FHA loans are offered by the Federal Housing Administration. These loans are given out by the government. FHA loans are designed for individuals that can not afford to make a substantial down payment or have other credit issues.

VA Loans: VA loans are guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These loans are only available to military personnel that incisively on duty or are veterans. There are also some qualifications that must be met in order to obtain these loans.

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Real Estate Debt

While mortgages can be helpful for obtaining homeownership, occasionally homeowners run into financial problems.

These problems can be caused by issues such as unsecured debt, credit card debt, loss of employment or other problems. If you have a mortgage, there are options for helping you to pay your mortgage while getting your debt problems under control.

Mortgage Refinancing

Mortgage interest rates have reached the lowest levels in some time. If you want to find some money for paying your other bills, refinancing your mortgage to a lower rate could help. It is important to understand that refinancing does come with fees and it may also extend the length of your mortgage.

Cash-out Refinancing

Cash-out refinancing is available to homeowners that have a significant amount of equity in the property.

After a cash-out refinance you will have cash that you can use to pay other debts. A pitfall of this method is that unsecured debts are now tied to your property and you have compromised the equity in your home.

Home Equity Loans

Home equity loans or second mortgages can be used to pay off other debts. You are eligible if you have equity in your property. You will receive a lump sum of money at a fixed-rate.

Real estate transactions encompass both the buying and selling of property. In order to perform such transactions, decisions must be made regarding the home’s value, the current status of the local real estate market and what terms for buying or selling would be best.

What is Real Estate?

Here Are Some Real Estate Types

Real estate comes in three main types which are resident, investment and residential. Residential real estate refers to the individual properties that are owned for residential purposes. It is the most common form of real estate in the United States.

Commercial real estate refers to properties that are used primarily for business purposes. Investment real estate refers to real estate that the owner buys in order to earn income. The investor is not looking to live or use the property personally. Rather, the property is leased out to another individual, which can help generate income for the property owner.

Real Estate Benefits and Drawbacks

Since real estate transactions are taking place in an ever-changing market, there are some risks associated with owning real estate. These risks include:

* The potential for a decline in property values due to changing market conditions
* Potential liability for any problems that occur on the property
* Risk of going into debt due to mortgages

Although these drawbacks are significant, this has not stopped people from investing in real estate. When things do go well, owning real estate can result in significant financial rewards. Some of the benefits of owning real estate include:

* Short term profits realized upon selling the real estate in a market upswing
* The potential to take out additional loans for other needs while using the owned real estate property as collateral
* The diversification of an investment portfolio

source: usa.inquirer.net

Woman cuts off cheating ex-husband’s genitals, flushes them down the toilet

In an act of vengeance, a woman cut off her ex-husband’s penis and testicles after she discovered that he cheated on her while they were still married.

One Ms. Lee, 58 years old, cut off the genitals of her ex-husband Mr. Chen, 56, in Hukou, Taiwan, on Wednesday, July 24, as reported by The Sun on Friday, July 26. Lee and Chen have divorced less than a month ago. But Chen is financially supported by Lee since he has been unemployed for two years.


After inviting Chen over for sex, Lee cut off his genitals with a sharp pair of scissors, soaked them in acid, then flushed them down the toilet, as per report. He was only left with one centimeter of flesh in his genital area.

The police were alerted when Chen called to report the assault at 8:50 p.m., after he was able to lock himself in the bathroom.

“While the victim had his pants down, the suspect used a pair of scissors to cut off his genitals.” Xinhu Precinct deputy chief Kao Kai-long was quoted as saying.

Lee was said to have exclaimed, “If I can’t have it, no one else can” as she attacked Chen. The authorities were no longer able to recover Chen’s genitals. Meanwhile, Lee was found unconscious in the scene, after she attempted to kill herself with sleeping pills.


The ex-couple is currently being treated at the National Taiwan University Hospital, Zhudong branch. As per report, the doctors would have not been able to attach the man’s genitals even if the authorities found them because it “would have been contaminated with bacteria” by then, and chances of him regaining sexual functions would be “extremely low.”

Police are waiting for the ex-couple to recover before charging and detaining Lee. Hannah Mallorca/JB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Apple’s complete 2020 iPhone lineup to support 5G

MacRumors reported yesterday, July 28, that the highly-reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reason to believe that all 2020 iPhone models will support 5G connectivity.

Though Apple has yet to officially disclose its 5G smartphone plans to the public, notable Apple analyst Kuo wrote in a document to investors that the company is planning for its entire 2020 iPhone portfolio to support 5G connectivity.

It was previously believed that only two out of three phones, the high-end iterations, would support the latest cellular network.

According to Kuo, the purpose behind this change is to ensure that Apple can offer its audience an option that will adequately compete with lower-priced Android smartphones that will support 5G.

He provided two additional reasons as to why Apple would give its lowest-tier model this flagship technology, the company now has more resources to expand this type of technology thanks to its recent acquisition of Intel’s modem chip division, and it would aid in the development of its AR ecosystem.

This year is expected to see the launch of a slew of 5G smartphones including Huawei’s Mate X, Samsung’s S10 and Galaxy Fold, and Motorola’s Moto Z3.

Though Apple will be far from the first company to offer a 5G-supporting device, when it launches next year it will have the most comprehensive product line in the industry. HM/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Is Your Debt ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’?

Are student loans good debt that can open the door to a career or an insurmountable burden? Is all credit card debt a sign of reckless spending, or can it be a smart way to cover an expense? In general, no form of debt is inherently “good” or “bad.” What makes it good or bad is how it fits into your overall financial picture.

Good debt is manageable within your budget and can help you achieve your goals. On the flip side, bad debt is unaffordable and can overwhelm your finances.

Ask yourself these questions to determine if you’re dealing with good or bad debt. Then see how you can manage it.

WHAT LED TO THE DEBT?

The reason you took on debt can help you determine whether it’s helpful or harmful.

“Any debt that is taken on because people don’t have any kind of choice means they are starting out in a place of disadvantage,” says Ida Rademacher, a vice president of nonprofit think tank Aspen Institute. “That can create a spiral that can prevent people from being resilient.”

Conversely, Rademacher says, “the more helpful forms of debt can help people to become more resilient.” Student loans, for example, may enable a career that offers a high salary, making you more financially sound.

Think about whether you incurred the debt:

TO ACHIEVE A LONG-TERM GOAL: Student loans and auto loans can fit into this category. These debts can help you move ahead in life, so long as you don’t take on too much.

OUT OF CONVENIENCE: These are debts you incur to make other aspects of your life easier, such as when you have a big one-time expense and don’t want to deplete your savings. They can be benign if they’re helping you manage your overall financial picture.

DUE TO AN EMERGENCY: Desperation debt can be dangerous. A need for cash in a hurry can leave you with limited options and result in high-interest costs.

BOTTOM LINE: Debt taken to achieve a goal or out of convenience can be useful as long as you have a plan for paying it off. To avoid desperation debt, build an emergency fund. A 2016 report from public policy think tank Urban Institute found that savings as small as $250 can help consumers avoid missed bills and even eviction.

IS YOUR DEBT AFFORDABLE?

Comparing your debt load with your gross income can be a helpful tool for seeing if it’s manageable or becoming too large to tackle on your own. Leaving aside mortgages and student loans, since they’re generally more manageable forms of debt, here are some guidelines to consider:

DEBT LOAD UP TO 15% OF INCOME: This amount is likely affordable but is worth addressing. If you’re carrying a moderate credit card balance, for example, paying it off can free up cash and save on interest.

DEBT LOAD FROM 16% TO 39% OF INCOME: Debts in this range get increasingly difficult to pay off. You may be able to make them more affordable by reducing interest or payments, such as with a balance transfer credit card or a personal loan. If you can’t qualify for one of those, you could explore a debt management plan with a nonprofit credit counselor.

DEBT LOAD OF 40% OR MORE OF INCOME: Debt loads this high can be insurmountable. Use the free consultations offered by many nonprofit credit counselors and bankruptcy attorneys to see if debt relief might be right for you.

BOTTOM LINE: Know how your debt compares with your income and use that perspective to understand which approach is the most logical.

HOW IS YOUR DEBT AFFECTING YOUR LIFE?

Think about how debt is impacting your life overall, says Thomas Nitzsche, media manager at nonprofit credit counseling agency Money Management International.

“If your debt is something that is hanging over your head and you’re worried about it constantly, that’s something you should address,” he says. Any debt that affects your mental health or significantly diminishes your quality of life is bad debt.

Nitzsche advises taking an honest look at your situation and making a plan to resolve debt through a payoff approach like debt snowball — focusing on your smallest debts first — or by seeking debt relief. “Realize how uncomfortable you are with your debt and that it’s in your power to make changes.”

BOTTOM LINE: Debt doesn’t have to rule your life. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take the first steps to resolve your obligations.

source: usa.inquirer.net

American 16-year-old becomes solo Fortnite champ, winning $3M

NEW YORK — American Kyle Giersdorf, alias “Bugha,” became the first Fortnite world champion in the solo division, winning $3 million at age 16.

Originally from Pennsylvania, the young gamer took the lead in the first of six games and never looked back.

“It’s insane,” the young millionaire said after the final Sunday.

Aside from the second of six games, Bugha was remarkably consistent despite playing in the first world cup final, with millions of dollars on the line, in the Arthur Ashe stadium, where the US Open tennis tournament takes place.

“This morning he was worriless, energetic, having fun to make sure he wasn’t stressed at all,” his best friend Colin Bradley told AFP after the final.

In the game, users are dropped onto an island where they must search for weapons and other resources while eliminating other players — all while trying to stay alive.

A sense of placement, a talent for building, brilliant in close combat and foolproof cold blood — Bugha had it all in the final.

“He’s one of the smartest players. He knows when to attack, when not to attack, to stay high ground. He’s a strategic player,” Bradley said.US, internet, gaming, eSports, Fortnite, champion

Having a high position is often a decisive advantage, especially in the closing stages of the game, making it easier to shoot other players.

Epic Games — Fortnite’s creators — have spent a whopping $100 million on the inaugural event, including staging 10 weeks of qualifying culminating in this weekend’s tournament.

Every competitor is guaranteed to leave the competition with $50,000, making them the envy of the schoolyard when they return home.

On Saturday, gamers using the pseudonyms “Nyhrox” and “aqua” became the first Fortnite world champions in the duo division, winning $1.5 million each.

Fortnite, which is free to play, has 250 million users worldwide.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Dengue outbreak in Bangladesh: Hospitals struggling

DHAKA — Last Sunday, when Shahjadi Akter’s five-year-old daughter began running a fever, she rushed the child to Dhaka Medical College Hospital from her Hosni Dalan house. Doctors there diagnosed her with dengue, but could not admit her due to a lack of beds.

They told Shahjadi that since the infection was at an initial stage, it could be treated at home.

That, however, was not the case as the situation took a turn for the worse.

Five-year-old Alia’s condition deteriorated and she was rushed back to DMCH around 2:00am on Friday. Again, there were no beds available.

Left with little choice, Shahjadi spent the next five hours going to three different hospitals — Mitford Hospital, Icddrb, and Dhaka Shishu Hospital — with her daughter in tow. Unfortunately, she got the same response.

As a last-ditch effort, she took Alia to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (ShSMC) around 7:00am. Doctors there were initially reluctant to take her in, but seeing Alia’s blood pressure dropping fast, they finally admitted her.


“I could manage a place on the walkway of the hospital. Alia is doing better now,” Shahjadi told The Daily Star yesterday.

Alia’s predicament sums up the grim picture of how medical centers in the capital (Dhaka) are struggling to accommodate a growing number of dengue patients.

This year, hospitals have seen a record number of dengue patients, unmatched in the past 18 years.

A total of 10,528 people have been infected with the mosquito-borne disease till July 27. Last year, the total number was 10,148, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The number of dengue patients exceeded the 10,000 mark only twice in the last 18 years: in 2018 and this year, according to a DGHS report. The previous highest was 6,232 in 2002.

Meanwhile, authorities of different hospitals in the capital said at least 30 dengue patients have died so far. But the DGHS maintains that only eight have died of the disease.

Explaining the disparity in the number of deaths, Prof Dr Meerjady Sa-brina Flora, director of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and also the head of death review committee of the government, said after a patient dies, they collect information, as well as blood samples, of the deceased to confirm the cause of the death. Only after getting all those, they can declare whether it was dengue-related or not.

Director of Shishu Hospital Prof Syed Shafi Ahmed said 87 children were taking treatment in the hospital, and they were given free dengue tests and treatment to 25 to 40 patients every day at the outdoor.

Around 400 patients have so far taken dengue treatment at the 664-bed hospital since March.

“Round the year we have a shortage of seats due to the large number of patients, but even then we have kept 87 seats in the hospital for dengue patients,” he said.

Shafi said they did not allow patients to stay on the floor as it was difficult to manage.

HM Nazmul Ahsan, associate professor at ShSMC, said that considering the present dengue situation, they do not refuse any dengue patients despite having a capacity to handle only 60 patients.

Many patients are taking treatment at the hospital’s veranda and walkways, he said.

In DMCH, of the 800 beds in its medicine wards, 561 were occupied by dengue patients yesterday morning. The number was around 200 last week. At least 233 dengue patients were admitted to the hospital yesterday.

Dengue-related deaths

In Narayanganj, a man died of dengue on July 11 in the city’s Isdair.

His father Kaykobad Siddiqui said his son Sawon Kabir Salehin, 38, was diagnosed with dengue on July 11 and died in Islamia Heart Centre in Narayanganj.

Elsewhere, a first year student of Jahangirnagar University died of dengue yesterday, while she was on her way to Chattogram Medical College from Cox’s Bazar.

The victim U Khein Nu, a first year student of Pharmacy department, hailed from Cox’s Bazar.

Dengue outside capital

According to the DGHS, 373 people have been infected with dengue outside the capital since January.

Of them, 72 are in Dhaka division, 142 in Chattogram division, 71 in Khulna division, 40 in Rajshahi division, 35 in Barishal division and 13 in Sylhet division.

Most of the hospitals outside Dhaka, however, are struggling to diagnose dengue patients due to a lack of NS1 kits, which are used to do the diagnosis at the initial stage.

Saiful Ferdous, deputy director of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, said they did not have the kits, but they were using the old method to diagnose patients.

Akhterul Islam, deputy director of Chattogram Medical College Hospital, said other than the blood separation machine, the hospital did not have any facility for dengue diagnosis.


“We can provide treatment to patients already diagnosed with dengue, but cannot diagnose a new patient. The tests have to be done elsewhere,” he said.

Bandarban civil surgeon Aung Shwe Prue Marma said no dengue pa-tient was detected in the district so far. Besides, the district had no laboratory for diagnosing the virus, he added.

Talking about the doctors dealing with dengue patients outside the capital, DGHS officials said the physicians did not have the NS1 kit to diagnose dengue instantly.

IEDCR’s Flora said they were yet to provide dengue diagnosing kits as the number of cases outside Dhaka was still comparatively very low.

The NS1 antigen test (nonstructural protein 1), is a test for dengue, introduced in 2006, which allows for rapid detection of the disease on the first day of fever, as antibodies appear some five or more days later.

DSCC fines building-owners for spreading infection 

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) yesterday fined eight owners of under-construction buildings Tk 2.70 lakh as they found Aedes mosquito larva at the structures.

The mobile court visited 78 under construction buildings and found Aedes mosquito larva in eight of them.

Executive Magistrate of DSCC Mizanur Rahman said they fined them under section 269 of the penal code-1860, which has a provision for awarding six months’ imprisonment and fine or both for anyone who “unlawfully or negligently does any act which is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life.”

Dengue guidelines issued

The government yesterday issued a statement to raise awareness of the steps needed to stop the spread of dengue and the measures to protect themselves from being infected by the mosquito-borne disease.

Dengue peaks in the monsoon (April-October) season. Be alert during this period, a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID) said.

It further said, “The carrier of the dengue fever, Aedes mosquito, breeds in clear water”, adding that one must not let water accumulate around their office, house or in neighboring areas. It suggested changing accumulated water in containers every three days.

“Aedes mosquito usually bites during the day. Cover your body, as much as possible, with your clothing to protect yourself from possible mosquito bites,” the release added.

“Use mosquito nets even while sleeping in the day time,” it advised.

Dengue-affected persons have been advised to identify it by not only the symptoms of fever, headache, muscular pain or red skin rash, as lately it has been observed that there are some exceptions, the release noted.

It advised dengue patients from taking any other medicine except paracetamol. The patient should be given plenty of fluids, it said, requesting a dengue test at the first sign of a fever.

It cautioned patients that even after remission of fever, one can have severe complications due to dengue.

Information ministry media cell

The information ministry introduced a media cell to provide necessary information to make people aware of the necessary guidelines about dengue treatment through both print and electronic media.

It would also give out information regarding flood, relief and shelter and spread awareness over the recent child kidnapping rumors.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Kyler Murray already turning heads at Cardinals camp

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Kyler Murray took off around the left end of the line, made a quick cut and raced through the secondary for a big gain, drawing a rising roar from the fans who watched it unfold right below them.

OK, so it was one run during a training camp practice. Murray wasn’t allowed to be hit, wasn’t even wearing pads.

Even so, the burst and bolt was what the Cardinals and their fans had hoped to see from the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.

The next step is doing it against NFL teams intent on squashing Arizona’s diminutive quarterback.

After an offseason of seeing what Murray can do firsthand, Cardinals players have no doubt the show he put on at Oklahoma will continue in the pros.

“He’s been really impressive, on and off the field,” Cardinals receiver Trent Sherfield said Saturday before Arizona’s first practice in pads.


The Cardinals were so enamored of Murray’s skills, they used the top pick in this year’s draft to take the reigning Heisman Trophy winner despite using the No. 10 overall pick last year on Josh Rosen, who was traded to Miami.

They saw Murray as a generational talent, a game-changing quarterback who would be a perfect fit for new coach Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive experiment in the desert.

Other teams have implemented versions of the Air Raid-style offenses that have been so successful at the college level, but none has gone all-in with it as Kingsbury is attempting.

Murray will be the key to making it work.

Though undersized for an NFL quarterback at 5-foot-10, he’s a pinpoint passer who can avoid long-armed defensive lineman by changing arm angles, similar to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. He’s an adept passer on the run and can use his agility to escape oncoming pass rushers, a la Seattle’s Russell Wilson.

Murray also has the speed to turn an innocuous scramble into a game-changing touchdown run, as Michael Vick did in his prime.

Whether Murray can live up to those lofty comparisons remains to be seen. He hasn’t been hit in practice, much less in a game, nor has he seen the speed and ferocity of a live NFL game.

He does have confidence. Lots of it.

Not the hollow, chest-puffing, look-at-me type of confidence. The type of confidence that comes with being successful at every level he’s played; winning a Heisman Trophy after one year as a starter; becoming the first person drafted in the top 10 of the NFL and Major League Baseball drafts.

“When you look in his eyes, there’s nothing timid about him,” Cardinals veteran receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. “He looks confident, he looks ready to go and that’s a great sign for a young quarterback.”

Murray also has a pair of advantages over other would-be rookie starting quarterbacks.

The first is Kingsbury’s system.

Though new to the NFL, Murray knows it inside out. Oklahoma ran a similar offensive system as Kingsbury did at Texas Tech and Murray did pretty well with it, racking up more than 5,300 combined yards and 53 touchdowns.

Murray also knows the terminology, putting him ahead of Arizona’s veteran players, at least during the offseason.

“It’s helped me a lot, coming in and being more comfortable,” Murray said. “If I was to go anywhere else, play for another guy, have to learn a whole new system, a whole new offense, it would be a lot hard, obviously. For me coming into this system, Day 1 and through rookie minicamp, I’m probably more comfortable than any other quarterback out there.” 



Murray also enters the season as Arizona’s undisputed starter. No quarterback battle, no waiting his turn behind a veteran.

The downside could be immediately throwing a rookie into the NFL fire, but the upside is he has no distractions during camp, no questions about his role. He’s also had the support of his teammates from the day he first stepped on the practice field, further bolstering his confidence.

“Everybody in this locker room knows he’s going to be here,” Fitzgerald said. “First pick overall, guys understand, it’s going to be his show. You want to be a part of it? Get on board.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Impeachment unsettled as Democrats enter post-Mueller moment

WASHINGTON — Midway through the first year of their House majority, Democrats have yet to vote to impeach President Donald Trump. And maybe they never will.

The House recessed Friday for a six-week summer break without opening impeachment proceedings, the Democrats no closer to taking a vote than they were when they swept to power at the start of the year, a searing blow to liberals in the aftermath of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s halting testimony on Capitol Hill.


Yet, the House Judiciary Committee filed a fresh lawsuit Friday, its lawyers arguing they need documents from the Trump administration as they pursue questions of impeachment. It mentions the word impeachment 76 times.

The committee chairman, Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, said his panel is pressing ahead with investigating the president, with or without a formal House vote.

“I think too much has been made of the phrase impeachment inquiry,” Nadler said Friday.

“We are using our full Article I powers to investigate the conduct of the president and to consider what remedies there are,” he said, referring to the Constitution. “Among other things we will consider are obviously recommending articles of impeachment.”

The action underscores the tensions among a House majority that’s trying to have it both ways, preserving the idea of impeachment while avoiding a potentially risky vote.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi brushed back criticism that she’s “running out the clock,” as about 100 Democrats in the 435-member House favor opening an impeachment inquiry, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

“We will proceed when we have what we need to proceed, not one day sooner,” Pelosi said Friday during her weekly news conference.

“Everybody has the liberty and the luxury to espouse their own position,” she said, “and to criticize me for trying to go down the path in the most determined positive way.”

Pelosi said she has “no complaints” against those pushing for impeachment. Their advocacy, she said, “only gives me leverage.”

With the House unable, or unwilling, to impeach Trump, it intensifies the pressure on the party to figure out how to defeat the president in the 2020 election.

House Democrats capped their 200th day in the majority with a long list of bills — on raising the minimum wage, strengthening immigration protections — that give voters a view of how their party would govern in the White House. An outside group started running ads, including on Fox News this week, to promote their agenda.

“These people are clowns,” Trump said Friday in remarks at the White House. “The Democrats are clowns.”

As if to shore up the left flank, Pelosi met earlier Friday with liberal firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in an apparent easing of tensions with the “squad” of newcomers as they pursue shared goals.

Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesman called it a “very positive and productive meeting about progressive priorities.”

Pelosi said, “What we’re advocating for is a progressive agenda for our country.”

Yet no sooner had Pelosi stepped away from the podium than members of the Judiciary Committee stepped up to declare they were essentially well on their way to impeachment proceedings.

“This is an impeachment investigation,” said Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., “whether we should recommend articles of impeachment to our caucus.”

Freshmen Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said, “I think especially as folks go home, my hope is that, in addition to talking about all the important kitchen table things that we all came here to work on, that there is an honest discussion within our own communities about whether we can continue to tolerate a lawless president.”

Asked whether he favored impeachment, Nadler took a long pause. 



“We may decide to recommend articles of impeachment at some point, we may not, it remains to be seen,” Nadler said.

The committee’s court filing Friday was an effort to obtain secret grand jury material underlying Mueller’s report.

The court petition is among a half-dozen legal actions the House is taking against the Trump administration as part of Pelosi’s step-by-step strategy of building a case against the president. The Democrats contend that Trump is obstructing Congress’s constitutional ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch by withholding documents and preventing witnesses from testifying.

Democrats, including Pelosi, often note that the third article of impeachment against Richard Nixon was his obstruction of Congress.

Next week, Nadler is expected to file a lawsuit to try to enforce a subpoena against Donald McGahn, the former White House counsel and a key Mueller witness. It challenges the administration’s claim that its former employees have “absolute immunity” from testifying before Congress.

So in some ways the House is well on its way to impeachment without having to vote on it, as it conducts investigations and files lawsuits to build its case.

“Impeachment isn’t a binary thing that you either are or you aren’t,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa.

“What we’ve been saying and what we’ve been doing is starting a process where we’re engaging in an investigation to see if we should recommend articles of impeachment,” she said. “It’s a process. We started it some months ago in some ways.”

Catering to centrist Democrats, the dozens of lawmakers who helped secure the House majority, the strategy protects those who come from districts where Trump is popular and may not want to have to take a vote on impeachment. Yet it infuriates the liberal flank, the core of the party’s activists.

After Mueller testified, Pelosi assembled Democrats behind closed doors and offered the path forward. 



Pelosi told them that if they wanted to come out publicly in favor of impeachment, to do it in a way that did not make it a moral imperative. The next morning, she delivered a similar message, telling lawmakers to say what they want about impeachment, but to do it in way that doesn’t challenge other Democrats’ views.

The comments were relayed by three people familiar with the private meetings. They were unauthorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Some Democrats grumbled that the investigations were becoming “endless,” according to one of the people.

But others say Democrats were elected to the House in large part because voters want them to stand up to Trump. If they don’t, they say their majority faces potential blowback in 2020.

“I think the ramifications are simply that we will have the ball and we fumbled it,” said Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn. “I think we need to do the appropriate thing regardless of the outcome.”

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Woman served cold fries fires gun, arrested after car chase

A woman was arrested for reportedly firing a gun inside a fast food restaurant in Georgia, United States, after receiving cold fries.

Lillian Tarver left the restaurant with her order but came back, claiming the fries served to her were cold, last Tuesday, July 16.

The manager of the McDonald’s branch was replacing Tarver’s fries when one of the employees, Lynn Watson, got into a verbal argument with the woman, as per CBS-affiliate WTOC on Monday, July 22.

While Tarver was arguing with the employee, she threw a drink at Watson and the manager. Tarver then went behind the counter and into the kitchen where she got into a brawl with Watson.

“We were physically fighting because I had to grab her because she was putting up a set like this, and I had to seize my moment when I knew I could. When she bent down, I grabbed her hair and just started slinging her across the floor,” Watson told WTOC in an interview.

After the fight, Tarver left the restaurant to go to her car. She then returned with a gun in her hands, which she used to fire a shot into the kitchen floor.


As per report, the incident ended when Tarver left the establishment after receiving a refund from the store’s owner.

Police arrived at the scene after Tarver had already left the location. Garden City Police Department Detective Roberto Rodriguez told USA Today in a separate report on July 23, that an officer saw her leave the restaurant in a car “at a high rate of speed.”

When authorities caught up with her and asked her to pull over, she initially refused. Tarver surrendered after a “10- to 15-minute” chase, Rodriguez said in the report. He also stated that no one was injured during the incident.

Police then booked Tarver into the Chatham County Jail where she is being held without bond. She also faces charges of aggravated assault, armed robbery and fleeing police, among nine other charges, as per the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. Ryan Arcadio/JB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

China tells India: Let’s fight together against Trump’s unilateralism, protectionism

NEW DELHI — China says it values India’s concerns on the bilateral trade imbalance between the two Asian giants and is willing to discuss new approaches to address the issue, and has asked New Delhi to join Beijing in its fight against “unilateralism and protectionism” amidst a bruising trade war with the United States.

India for long has been pressing China to open its pharmaceutical market for Indian pharma exports to address the yawning trade deficit which last year according to Chinese figures, crossed US$ 57 billion in a $ 95.5 billion trade.

China’s new Ambassador to India Sun Weidong said: “China highly values India’s concerns on trade imbalance. But I have to point out that we have never deliberately pursued a trade surplus against India.”

China for its part, Sun said, has taken measures to increase import of rice and sugar and accelerated the process of review and approvals of Indian pharmaceuticals and agricultural goods.

He said latest figures show that China’s imports of Indian goods grew by 15 per cent and more Indian goods have found their way to the Chinese market.

India’s export of agricultural goods to China last year actually doubled, he said. “According to the statistics in the first half this year, India’s trade deficit against China is down by five per cent. So, I am convinced that with the concerted efforts the issue of trade imbalance between India and China will be gradually addressed,” he said.


“China and India have various channels for dialogue to talk about issues like trade imbalance. We are willing to discuss and find new approaches to address the trade imbalances with our Indian friends,” he said.

Sun also asked India to join China in the fight against unilateralism and protectionism, a reference to US President Donald Trump’s policy using tariffs as a weapon to assert his America first policy.

Trump kicked off a trade war with China last year by slapping 25 per cent duties on more than $ 250 billion of Chinese imports, demanding Beijing to reduce massive trade deficit which climbed to over $ 539 billion.

There has been a trade friction between India and the US on several issue. India wants foreign companies to store data locally and announced a review of the rules around e-commerce, moves that alarmed U.S. technology and financial giants.

Without directly referring to China’s current trade war with the US and India’s trade frictions with America, Sun said: “We are facing unprecedented challenge that is unseen in a century”. “We are both faced with the challenges from unilateralism and protectionism. So, we have to resolutely defend the multilateralism and economic globalization and stand against unilateralism and protectionism,” he said.

Without directly referring to concerns in India over China’s big push into South Asia with huge investments in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Sun referred to Beijing’s proposal in the past for a China-India Plus approach to address the issues involving these countries.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Jack Falahee ‘humbled’ to play ‘fearlessly gay’ role

The crime-drama series “How to Get Away with Murder” is about to end with its upcoming sixth season, and one of its stars is feeling a bittersweet tang due to that recent announcement.

“While it saddened me to learn this news, I can’t help but reflect on what an incredible journey this has been,” said Jack Falahee, who plays gay law student Connor Walsh, on Instagram. “This show changed my life both professionally and personally, providing me with opportunities I’d never dreamed of and introducing me to some of the greatest friends in my life.”


The 30-year-old straight actor, who previously appeared in the shows “The Carrie Diaries” and “Twisted,” elaborated further on his educational experience with “HTGAWM.”

“It taught me about work ethic, dedication, love, friendship and, above all else, it taught me a lot about myself. I feel beyond blessed that I’ve been given the past several years to work alongside an incredible crew.”

With his stint as the initially promiscuous and guilt-ridden character nearly at an end, Falahee said, “I’m humbled that I’ve had the opportunity to play Connor Walsh. Playing a fearlessly, openly gay man has taught me about the LGBTQIA+ community and opened my eyes to how much visibility and representation matters. Connor taught me that love is love, and it can conquer anything.”

The series, about Connor, his mentor (Viola Davis) and other students’ involvement in the cover-ups of different deaths, offered season-long mysteries that usually unraveled in finale episodes.


“I’m really excited to start filming next week, and I can’t wait for you all to come along with us on one last ride,” he said. —OLIVER PULUMBARIT

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Pacquiao captures WBA super welterweight crown after split decision over Thurman

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao knocked down Keith Thurman in the first round and persevered for an exciting split-decision victory Saturday night, adding a third straight win to his career resurgence after turning 40 years old.

Pacquiao (62-7-2) dropped his previously unbeaten opponent with a combination late in the first round, and the Pac-Man dominated the opening rounds with a combination of flair and power that recalled the incredible prime of the only eight-division champion in boxing history.

Thurman (29-1) showed remarkable tenacity in rallying through the middle rounds, repeatedly testing Pacquiao’s chin with big shots. Neither fighter managed another knockdown, but they pushed relentlessly in front of a sellout crowd at the MGM Grand Garden that repeatedly chanted the Filipino senator’s name from the moment he reached the ring.

“It was fun,” Pacquiao said. “My opponent is a good fighter and boxer. He was strong. … I think he did his best, and I did my best. I think we made the fans happy tonight because it was a good fight.”

Two judges scored the bout 115-112 for Pacquiao, while Glenn Feldman scored it 114-113 for Thurman. The Associated Press also scored it 115-112 for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao appeared to be declining as recently as two years ago, when he lost a listless decision to Jeff Horn. But while his political career flourished, Pacquiao returned to the ring a year ago and put together solid back-to-back victories over Lucas Matthysse and Adrien Broner.

Thurman represented another major step up in competition to rejoin the welterweight elite — and Pacquiao bolted out of the gate to show he was worthy of this matchup between two fighters who owned versions of the WBA welterweight title.

Both fighters started quickly with a series of good-looking exchanges, but Pacquiao changed the bout in an instant. He moved forward to land a left to the body and a right hook that sent Thurman to the canvas with 25 seconds left in the first round.

Thurman got up comfortably while the ecstatic crowd roared, but Pacquiao kept up his superior work for the next two rounds, repeatedly rocking Thurman with a variety of shots. Even when Thurman put together a solid fifth round, he was stunned several times in the final minute and left with blood on his face.

But Thurman gathered himself and soundly beat Pacquiao through the middle rounds, forcing Pacquiao to show off his durable chin. Pacquiao reversed the momentum in the 10th with a series of big shots, including a punch to the body that sent Thurman stumbling away in obvious pain.

Both fighters pushed to the final bell and embraced.

“I knew it was close,” Thurman said. “He had the momentum because he got the knockdown in Round 1. … I wish I had a little bit more output to go toe to toe. My conditioning, my output was just behind Manny Pacquiao’s tonight. Tonight was a blessing and a lesson.”

Thurman called for a rematch, and the crowd vocally approved.

Nearly 25 years after a 16-year-old Pacquiao stepped onto the scales for his pro debut with rocks in his pockets just to make the 105-pound minimum weight, the 40-year-old politician showed he could have several years left in his day job.

Thurman had been eager to retire Pacquiao, but he couldn’t hurt the ageless wonder.

Thurman has held a version of the WBA 147-pound title for six years, but he had fought just once since March 2017, when he edged Danny Garcia to earn two welterweight belts. He sat out the next 22 months with injuries, and he looked rusty and tentative at times in his comeback victory over Josesito Lopez last January.

But Thurman embraced his guaranteed $2.5 million payday and the chance to take on Pacquiao, and he pumped up the promotion with a series of bold statements about Pacquiao’s age, ability and motivation. He even managed to irk the normally placid Pacquiao, who acknowledged that even his mother hadn’t liked Thurman’s trash talk.

Before the bout, Floyd Mayweather got into the ring before the bout to wish both fighters good luck. The retired superstar watched intently from the crowd in the same arena where he beat an injured Pacquiao four years ago. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, has said he hopes Mayweather will come out of rematch for a rematch with Pacquiao.

On the undercard, Cuban welterweight Yordenis Ugás battered previously unbeaten Omar Figueroa Jr. for a decision victory featuring three identical 119-107 scorecards. Caleb Plant also defended his IBF super middleweight title with a dominant third-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Mike Lee.

source: sports.inquirer.net

50 years ago, humanity’s first steps on another world

WASHINGTON — Fifty years ago on Saturday, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans in history to set foot on the moon, an event watched on television by half a billion people.

Their lunar module, named “Eagle,” touched down at 2018 GMT (4:18pm ET) on July 20, 1969.


A little over six hours later, at 0256 GMT, Armstrong placed his left foot on the lunar surface, declaring: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

NASA has been in overdrive for several weeks to mark the anniversary, with exhibits and events nationwide but most notably at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida and the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

On Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence is due to deliver a speech from the Kennedy Space Center, from where Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins, the third crew member took off. All three men were born in 1930.

Pence sent shockwaves through the industry in his last major space speech in March, when he advanced the deadline to return humans to the moon by four years, from 2028 to 2024.


It is within this charged context, with President Donald Trump publicly questioning NASA’s plans to return to the moon to test technology for Mars, that the U.S. is celebrating the anniversary of the epoch-making Apollo 11 mission.

‘World in my window’

Collins, 88, has remained the more active of the surviving Apollo veterans, and frequently shares lyrical recollections of the mission.

Speaking at a Washington event on Thursday, he said that while the Moon itself was breathtaking seen up close, it was the view of Earth that has stayed with him and shaped his perspective.

“When we rolled out and looked at (the Moon), oh, it was an awesome sphere,” he said.


“The sun was behind it, so it was illuminated by a rim of gold which made the strangest appearances of the craters and crater pits, the contrast between the whiter than white and darker than dark.”

As magnificent as that view was, it was “nothing compared to this other window out there,” Collins continued.

“Out there was this little pea about the size of your thumbnail at arm’s length: blue, white, very shiny, you get the blue of the oceans, white of the clouds, streaks of rust we call continents, such a beautiful gorgeous tiny thing, nestled into this black velvet of the rest of the universe.”

While Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were on the surface, ex-fighter pilot Collins remained in lunar orbit where he was in touch with ground control, providing them updates on his position.

“I said to Mission control, ‘Hey, Houston, I’ve got the world in my window.’

Cold War victory

By placing men on the moon, the U.S. achieved the ultimate victory in the space race after losing the initial heats to the Soviet Union, which was first to put a satellite and then a man in space.

The undertaking, announced by president John F. Kennedy in 1961 and partly spurred by the Bay of Pigs crisis, involved enormous spending rivaled in scope only by the construction of the Panama Canal and the Manhattan Project.

It was a resounding achievement not just from a technical perspective but also diplomatic, as the two superpowers jostled for global prestige in the Cold War.

Trump has relaunched the race to re-conquer the moon — this time with the first woman — and to journey onwards to the Red Planet.

But the deadlines — 2024 and 2033 respectively — appear unrealistic and have caused turbulence within the space agency.  /muf

source: technology.inquirer.net

MLB roundup: Leake takes perfect game to 9th as Mariners beat Angels 10-0

SEATTLE  — Mike Leake of the Seattle Mariners lost his bid to pitch a perfect game on a leadoff single in the ninth inning by rookie Luis Rengifo, then finished off the Los Angeles Angels for a 10-0 win Friday night.

A week after the worst start of his career, Leake almost achieved baseball immortality.


The Angels hadn’t come close to a hit and Leake hadn’t gone to a three-ball count before Rengifo grounded a clean hit to right field on Leake’s 79th pitch.

The fans gave Leake a standing ovation and he quickly waved to acknowledge their cheers.

After a walk, Leake (8-8) retired the next three batters for a one-hitter, striking out Mike Trout on a full-count pitch to end it. Leake fanned six overall and walked one.

Leake’s second career shutout came exactly a week after he was tagged by the Angels in his previous start, giving up seven runs on eight hits and a walk while getting just two outs. The Angels pitched a combined no-hitter that night in Anaheim while the entire club wore jerseys honoring late teammate Tyler Skaggs.


Daniel Vogelbach hit two homers and drove in six runs as Seattle stopped a six-game losing streak.

BRAVES 4, NATIONALS 3

ATLANTA— Josh Donaldson’s bases-loaded single off Fernando Rodney in the ninth inning lifted Atlanta over Washington after Luke Jackson allowed a tying, two-run homer to Victor Robles in the top half.

Ronald Acuña Jr., who had three hits, led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk off Rodney (0-3) and took second on Dansby Swanson’s single. Freddie Freeman walked on four pitches, loading the bases.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez brought in left fielder Juan Soto as a fifth infielder, including three on the left side against the right-handed hitting Donaldson.

Donaldson hit a 2-0 pitch over Robles to center-field warning track, and the Braves boosted their NL East lead to 6½ games over the second-place Nationals. Atlanta had lost its previous five home games against Washington.

YANKEES 8, ROCKIES 2

NEW YORK — Edwin Encarnación hit a go-ahead grand slam, a trio of ex-Rockies beat up on their former team and New York defeated Colorado.

Encarnación lined his 12th career slam in the third inning off Kyle Freeland, and first-year Yankees DJ LeMahieu, Adam Ottavino and Mike Tauchman poured it on in their first games against their old club. LeMahieu had two hits and two RBIs, Ottavino struck out the side in a perfect relief inning and Tauchman had a career-high three hits, a stolen base and threw out a runner at home plate from left field.

Aaron Judge added a two-run homer, and J.A. Happ (8-5) struck out eight while pitching two-run ball over five innings for the Yankees. New York came from behind to win for a fourth straight game and improved to a major league-best 63-33 — 30 games over .500 for the first time this season. The Yankees lead second-place Tampa Bay by a season-high nine games in the AL East.

ASTROS 4, RANGERS 3

HOUSTON — Justin Verlander struck out 12 in six solid innings, four Houston players hit solo home runs and the Astros held on to beat Texas.

Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez led off the third inning with consecutive home runs to extend Houston’s lead to 4-0. Altuve hit his homer to left-center field, and Bregman sent his to left on the next pitch before Alvarez hit a 474-foot monster shot into the second deck in right field.

It was the first time the Astros had hit three straight homers since June, 20, 2018, against Tampa Bay.

Yuli Gurriel led off the second with a solo shot to left. 



Verlander (12-4) allowed two runs and eight hits. The right-hander struck out at least 11 for the fourth time this season.

ATHLETICS 5, TWINS 3

MINNEAPOLIS — Marcus Semien led off the game with a home run and later tripled and doubled as Oakland kept rolling, topping Minnesota on a sweltering night.

The temperature at first pitch was 94 degrees on a humid, muggy evening. It was tied for the second-hottest start in Target Field’s 10-year history, trailing only a 97-degree reading on July 16, 2012.

Khris Davis hit a pair of RBI singles as the A’s won for the 20th time in 26 games. The AL Central-leading Twins have lost four of five.

Chris Bassitt (7-4) allowed two earned runs in five innings. Liam Hendriks earned his seventh save by retiring the final five batters.

DODGERS 2, MARLINS 1

LOS ANGELES — Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched seven strong innings and combined with Kenta Maeda and Kenley Jansen to help Los Angeles beat Miami.

Playing at Dodger Stadium for the first time since the All-Star break, the NL West leaders turned a Miami error into the go-ahead run in the sixth.

Ryu (11-2), who started for the National League in the All-Star game, gave up one run on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. 



Maeda took over for Ryu in the eighth, his first relief appearance this season. Maeda is expected to return to the rotation, but he was used out of the bullpen this time after a 35-pitch, rain-shortened start Wednesday at Philadelphia.

GIANTS 1, METS 0, 10 INNINGS.

SAN FRANCISCO — Alex Dickerson raced home from first on a botched fly ball to shallow left field with two outs in the 10th inning and San Francisco won its season-high seventh straight game.

On a night dominated by starting pitchers Jacob deGrom of New York and Tyler Beede of San Francisco, it took a misplay in the field to score the only run of the game. Pablo Sandoval hit a fly ball off Jacob Rhame (0-1) that looked like it would be a routine out to end the inning. But left fielder Dominic Smith came in and misplayed the ball for an error, perhaps distracted by shortstop Amed Rosario.

Dickerson never stopped running and scored when cutoff man Todd Frazier’s throw home was off target, sending the Giants pouring out of the dugout in celebration. The victory lifted the Giants’ record to 49-49, the first time they have been at .500 since the start of the season.

Sam Dyson (4-1) pitched a perfect 10th for the win.

DIAMONDBACKS 10, BREWERS 7

PHOENIX— Christian Walker hit a two-run homer to cap the first natural cycle in Arizona’s history, lifting the Diamondbacks over Milwaukee.

The Diamondbacks broke open the game with six runs in the third inning against Jhoulys Chacin (3-10), punctuated by hitting a single, double, triple and home run in four straight at-bats.

Arizona’s Eduardo Escobar homered and had a run-scoring triple, and All-Star Ketel Marte had two RBIs for a career-high 60.

Archie Bradley (3-4) allowed a hit in 1 1/3 innings and Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer, his majors-leading 35th, and Lorenzo Cain hit a solo shot for the Brewers, who scored three runs in the seventh inning to pull within 10-7.

WHITE SOX 9, RAYS 2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Leury García had four hits, including three doubles, Reynaldo López won for the first time in six starts and Chicago stopped a seven-game losing streak by beating slumping Tampa Bay.

García became the first White Sox player to have three doubles in a game since Adam Eaton against Minnesota on Aug. 2, 2014.

López (5-8) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts. He had been 0-2 with a 5.34 ERA since beating Kansas City on June 9.

Tampa Bay dropped a season-high nine games behind the AL East-leading Yankees after arriving about 3:30 a.m. following a doubleheader loss in New York. The Rays have dropped behind Cleveland and Oakland for the two AL wild-card spots. The Rays held an eight-game lead over the third-place team in the wild-card race at the start of play on June 11 but have lost 20 of 35 since.

Rays rookie Brendan McKay (1-1) lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his fourth start, allowing six runs — five earned — and nine hits as his ERA doubled from 1.69 to 3.72.

ORIOLES 11, RED SOX 2

BALTIMORE— Anthony Santander and Keon Broxton homered off David Price, and Baltimore got six solid innings from rookie right-hander John Means in a rout of Boston. 



Price (7-3) allowed six runs, eight hits and a walk in four innings to take his first loss in 13 starts since April 27. The left-hander was 8-0 at Camden Yards and 16-5 lifetime against the Orioles before turning in a surprisingly ineffective performance in 96-degree heat against the team with the worst record in the big leagues.

Sam Travis homered for the Red Sox, who had won 14 of their previous 16 road games.

Boston leadoff hitter Mookie Betts had his streak of scoring in 13 straight games come to an end, one short of breaking the franchise record he now shares with Ted Williams (1946).

Means (8-5), the Orioles’ lone representative on the AL All-Star team, gave up two runs and four hits.

CARDINALS 12, REDS 11

CINCINNATI  — Jose Martinez homered and singled during a 10-run rally in the sixth inning and St. Louis overcame a seven-run deficit for a wild win over Cincinnati.

Down 7-0, the Cardinals put together their biggest inning of the season on the way to their sixth win in seven games.

Jesse Winker hit a two-out, two-run single in the ninth off Cardinals closer Carlos Martinez. But Joey Votto grounded out with runners at the corners to give Martinez his seventh save.

Journeyman catcher Ryan Lavarnway hit two homers, doubled and drove in a career-high six runs for Cincinnati in his first game in the majors this season.

BLUE JAYS 12, TIGERS 1

DETROIT — Marcus Stroman breezed through seven scoreless innings, and Toronto batted around in both the fourth and the sixth on its way to a rout of Detroit.

Teoscar Hernandez homered for Toronto, which scored four runs in the fourth and five in the sixth, sending 10 batters to the plate in each inning. The Tigers lost for the 26th time in their last 29 home games. That does not include a May 19 game in which Detroit was also losing when the contest was suspended.

Stroman (6-10) allowed six hits. The All-Star right-hander struck out five with no walks in what was his first career start at Detroit.

Jordan Zimmermann (0-7) is now winless in his last 16 starts.

PHILLIES 6, PIRATES 1

PITTSBURGH — Bryce Harper’s go-ahead RBI single was one of 15 hits Philadelphia used to beat Pittsburgh.

Harper hit a seventh-inning single off Pirates reliever Richard Rodríguez (3-4) that scored pinch-hitter Brad Miller to give the Phillies their first lead of the game.

Rookie outfielder Adam Haseley added a solo homer to start the scoring and a run-scoring double to cap it for the Phillies. The rally made a winner of Juan Nicasio (2-3), who pitched one-third of an inning in relief of starter Jake Arrieta.

INDIANS 10, ROYALS 5

CLEVELAND — Rookie Oscar Mercado went 5 for 5 and drove in two runs as Cleveland won its sixth straight game, beating Kansas City. 



Mercado had an RBI double in the third inning and a run-scoring single in the sixth. He also scored twice.

Mercado is batting .423 (11 for 26) with three home runs and eight RBIs over the last eight games. He was called up from Triple-A Columbus on May 14 and became the 12th Indians rookie since 1913 to have at least five hits in a game.

Shane Bieber (9-3), making his second start since being named MVP of the All-Star Game held at Progressive Field, allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

CUBS 6, PADRES 5

CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo hit a grand slam and Chicago overcame an early home run by Manny Machado to beat San Diego.

Javier Báez also homered for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who have won six of seven since the All-Star break.

Josh Naylor tied the score 5-5 in the eighth inning against Pedro Strop (2-3) with his first career pinch homer, but the Cubs went back ahead in the bottom half.

Anthony Rizzo singled off Craig Stammen (6-5), rookie shortstop Fernandez Tatis Jr. threw Addison Russell’s grounder into center field for an error, Jason Heyward was intentionally walked and David Bote hit a grounder to third. Machado threw home for a forceout and catcher Francisco Mejia threw to first, even though he didn’t have a play on Bote. The ball hit off the glove of first baseman Eric Hosmer and bounced into short right field as Rizzo scored on Hosmer’s error.

source: sports.inquirer.net

U.S. law says ‘Go back to where you came from’ counts as discrimination

WASHINGTON, DC –According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency charged with enforcing laws prohibiting workplace discrimination, cites “go back to where you came from” as a remark that may constitute unlawful harassment based on national origin.

President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came” after the lawmakers, all four American citizens, criticized him. Three of the four women were born in the U.S., and one came from Somalia as a child.

The tweet ignited a firestorm in Washington and caused the House to quickly show support for the women by passing a resolution Tuesday condemning the tweets.

The EEOC specifically cites the phrase “Go back to where you came from” as the type of language that could violate anti-discrimination employment laws in certain circumstances. The phrase is nearly identical to what Trump wrote in his tweets about the congresswomen: “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

On Monday, a day after Trump made his tweets, the EEOC tweeted about how an employee can submit a charge of discrimination, prompting some Twitter users to link the President’s tweets to the regulations.

“Ethnic slurs and other verbal or physical conduct because of nationality are illegal if they are severe or pervasive and create an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment, interfere with work performance, or negatively affect job opportunities,” the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states in a passage on its website.

“Examples of potentially unlawful conduct include insults, taunting, or ethnic epithets, such as making fun of a person’s foreign accent or comments like, ‘Go back to where you came from,’ whether made by supervisors or by co-workers,” the passage reads.

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, wrote in a tweet that the agency “cites ‘go back to where you came from’ as a classic form of discrimination that violates civil rights,” CNN reported.

“The President’s bigoted words are so contrary to who we are as a country that we literally have laws against them,” Kaine wrote in the tweet.

Sunny Hostin, a co-host on ABC’s “The View,” wrote in a tweet on Tuesday that “the ‘Go back where you came from’ trope is ‘potentially unlawful conduct’ if uttered by supervisors or co-workers. Just in case people are wondering if it’s ‘racist’,” CNN reported.

The EEOC says on its website that if an individual believes they have been discriminated against at work based on their identity — including their national origin — they can file a “charge of discrimination” with the agency, which “is a signed statement asserting that an employer, union or labor organization engaged in employment discrimination” and requests the agency “to take remedial action.”

source: usa.inquirer.net

Man shouting ‘You die’ kills 33 at Japan anime studio

TOKYO  — A man screaming “You die!” burst into an animation studio in Kyoto, doused it with a flammable liquid and set it on fire Thursday, killing 33 people in an attack that shocked the country and brought an outpouring of grief from anime fans.

Thirty-six others were injured, some of them critically, in a blaze that sent people scrambling up the stairs toward the roof in a desperate — and futile — attempt to escape what proved to be Japan’s deadliest fire in nearly two decades. Others emerged bleeding, blackened and barefoot.

The suspect, identified only a 41-year-old man who did not work for the studio, was injured and taken to a hospital. Police gave no details on the motive, but a witness told Japanese TV that the attacker angrily complained that something of his had been stolen, possibly by the company.

Most of the victims were employees of Kyoto Animation, which does work on movies and TV productions but is best known for its mega-hit stories featuring high school girls. The tales are so popular that fans make pilgrimages to some of the places depicted.

The blaze started in the three-story building in Japan’s ancient capital after the attacker sprayed an unidentified liquid accelerant, police and fire officials said.

“There was an explosion, then I heard people shouting, some asking for help,” a witness told TBS TV. “Black smoke was rising from windows on upper floors. Ten there was a man struggling to crawl out of the window.”


Japanese media reported the fire might have been set near the front door, forcing people to find other ways out.

The building has a spiral staircase that may have allowed flames and smoke to rise quickly to the top floor, NHK noted. Fire expert Yuji Hasemi at Waseda University told NHK that paper drawings and other documents in the studio also may have contributed to the fire’s rapid spread.

Firefighters found 33 bodies, 20 of them on the third floor and some on the stairs to the roof, where they had apparently collapsed, Kyoto fire official Kazuhiro Hayashi said. Two were found dead on the first floor, 11 others on the second floor, he said.

A witness who saw the attacker being approached by police told Japanese media that the man admitted spreading gasoline and setting the fire with a lighter. She told NHK public television that the man had burns on his arms and legs and complained that something had been stolen from him.

She told Kyodo News that his hair got singed and his legs were exposed because his jeans were burned below the knees.

“He sounded he had a grudge against the society, and he was talking angrily to the policemen, too, though he was struggling with pain,” she told Kyodo News. “He also sounded he had a grudge against Kyoto Animation.”

NHK footage also showed sharp knives police had collected from the scene, though it was not clear if they belonged to the attacker.

Survivors said he was screaming “You die!” as he dumped the liquid, according to Japanese media. They said some of the survivors got splashed with the liquid.

Kyoto Animation, better known as KyoAni, was founded in 1981 as an animation and comic book production studio, and its hits include “Lucky Star” of 2008, “K-On!” in 2011 and “Haruhi Suzumiya” in 2009.

The company does not have a major presence outside Japan, though it was hired to do secondary animation work on a 1998 “Pokemon” feature that appeared in U.S. theaters and a “Winnie the Pooh” video.

“My heart is in extreme pain. Why on earth did such violence have to be used?” company president Hideaki Hatta said. Hatta said the company had received anonymous death threats by email in the past, but he did not link them to Thursday’s attack.

Anime fans expressed anger, prayed and mourned the victims on social media. A cloud-funding site was set up to help the company rebuild.

Fire officials said more than 70 people were in the building at the time.

The death toll exceeded that of a 2016 attack by a man who stabbed and killed 19 people at a nursing home in Tokyo.

A fire in 2001 in Tokyo’s congested Kabukicho entertainment district killed 44 people in the country’s worst known case of arson in modern times. Police never announced an arrest in the setting of the blaze, though five people were convicted of negligence.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Asian stocks follow Wall Street lower on trade war fears

BEIJING – Asian stock markets on Thursday followed Wall Street lower after President Donald Trump reignited trade fears by saying he could impose more tariffs on Chinese imports.

Benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney all declined. Oil rebounded from the previous day’s losses.

Trump alarmed investors by saying he had $325 billion of Chinese imports available for additional tariffs “if we want.” That shook markets that had been reassured by Trump’s agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping in June to hold off on new trade penalties while they resume negotiations.

The Chinese government warned tariff hikes would “create a new obstacle” in talks on ending their bruising fight over Beijing’s technology ambitions.

Trump’s comment “cast a dark cloud over lingering concerns on trade talk progress,” said Mizuho bank analysts in a report.

The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.6% to 2,913.49 and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 tumbled 1.6% to 21,128.12. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng retreated 0.4% to 28,465.17 and Seoul’s Kospi was 0.2% lower at 2,066.94.


Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 shed 0.3% to 6,655.60 and Taiwan and Southeast Asian markets also retreated. New Zealand gained.

On Wall Street, stocks extended their losses into a second day as railroad operator CSX had its biggest drop in 11 years, pulling other industrial companies down with it. CSX plunged 10.3% after saying it expects this year’s revenue to decline as much as 2%, after previously saying it expected growth.

Banks fell as investors worried lower interest rates will hurt profits. Investors expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates for the first time in a decade at their next policy meeting in two weeks.

Corporate earnings reports are getting into full swing this week, and investors have been mostly cautious in their assessments of them. Earnings are still expected to decline for S&P 500 companies in the second quarter.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude gained 1 cent to $56.79 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 84 cents on Wednesday to close at $56.78. Brent crude, used to price international oils, advanced 17 cents to $63.83 in London. It lost 69 cents the previous session to $63.66.

CURRENCY: The dollar declined to 107.73 yen from Wednesday’s 107.97 yen. The euro gained to $1.1239 from $1.1226./gsg

source: business.inquirer.net

First batch of 5G phones get quality certification in China

BEIJING — The battle over 5G smartphones has intensified in China, with the first batch of eight 5G phone models having obtained the quality certificate needed to hit the market.

Huawei Technologies Co’s four 5G models, including Mate 20X 5G and Mate X 5G, have obtained China Compulsory Certification, according to the website of the China Quality Certification Centre.

Other smartphone vendors Oppo, Vivo, ZTE and One Plus also each have one 5G model that secured the certificate.

It is worth noting that Xiaomi, Samsung and Lenovo failed to make their way into the first batch. Xiaomi said on Wednesday that it will apply to conduct quality tests next week in accordance with its product launch schedule.

Smartphones in China need to acquire three licenses before they are allowed to be sold to the public. The licenses include China Compulsory Certification, a license to allow smartphones to get connected to the 5G network, and Radio Type Approval Certification.

Oppo said on Wednesday that its Oppo Reno 5G model has already secured all of the three licenses and the phone will be available in the China market in the third quarter of this year.

Tang Hai, chief 5G scientist at Oppo, said obtaining the licenses proves that the quality and the performance of Oppo’s 5G smartphone is recognised by industry regulators. The company’s Reno 5G has already been available in Switzerland since May.

Huawei announced in June that its Mate 20X 5G had obtained the country’s first license to allow terminal telecommunication equipment to enter the 5G network in China. The company is scheduled to release the phone on its home turf on July 26.

On Wednesday, the IMT-2020(5G) Promotion Group, an organisation affiliated with the country’s top industry regulator to boost the development of the superfast technology, said Huawei’s self-developed 5G chip has already passed the tests of all networks.

Qin Fei, general manager of Vivo’s telecom research institute, said the company’s 5G smartphone will hit the streets in August and the testing speed of its model has reached one gigabit per second.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance, said this year will only see a very small number of 5G smartphones sold, but companies are all trying to have the first-mover advantage to appeal to consumers.

According to a report by market research company Counterpoint, global 5G smartphone shipments are expected to reach 108.2 million units in 2021, up an estimated 255 per cent year-on-year.

source: technology.inquirer.net