Zika Virus Might Also Spread Via Oral Sex: French Researchers

 

By Maggie Fox

Zika virus, spread mostly by mosquitoes, might also travel via oral sex, French researchers report.

It's known that sex can spread Zika virus, which can remain in a man's semen for weeks and even months. In an excruciatingly detailed report, a team of researchers at France's INSERM medical institute describe a case they think suggests that oral sex might also spread the virus. 

It started with a woman who got sick in Paris last February. She got the classic Zika rash and muscle aches, and had not been to any Zika-affected areas. But a man she knew had been in Rio and also had a rash.  

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Promising Drugs Stoke Talk of Cancer 'Cures'

 

By Deena Beasley, Reuters

Robert Waag is alive and apparently cancer free more than two years after advanced melanoma reached his lungs, hips and other parts of his body - a feat only recently considered unthinkable for such patients.

Waag, 77, is on the immunotherapy Keytruda, a new type of drug that enlists the body's defenses in the fight. 

The first new immunotherapy drug for cancer was introduced in 2011, so long-term efficacy is unknown. But the approach is showing promise. Before these drugs, the prognosis for most patients with advanced melanoma was a year at best.

In one study of Keytruda, 40 percent of such patients survived at least three years, and 10 percent showed no evidence of cancer. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Editorial: A Drug Epidemic in Black, White and Purple

By Andrea King Collier

Note: This article was originally published on June 2. 

We are all still reeling from the sudden death of music icon Prince on April 21. And once the initial impact of his loss settled in, the inevitable happened. Shade, speculation and revelations of his alleged addiction to opiates and pain medications spread like wildfire.

Today, NBC News reports that Minnesota Medical Examiners confirmed Prince died from an overdose of the powerful painkiller fentanyl.

There is a lot of talk these days about the impact and victims of substance abuse — specifically, pain medications and other opioids, as well as heroin. Today, the conversations are very compassionate and enlightened because the face of addiction is changing.

"We need to see the Prince in all of us. We need to see the vulnerability. We're all vulnerable here," Dr. David Kessler, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told the L.A. Times. "It's a wake-up call for how we view these drugs." 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News 

NATO’s Top Soldier Says Trump Comments Play into Hands of Putin

 

Reuters, 03/06 16:28 CET

By Marius Zaharia

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – NATO’s top military officer, General Petr Pavel, denounced U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday for criticizing the alliance as obsolete and said such comments played to the hands of its opponents.

In unusual criticism of a presidential candidate, Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, said in an interview that Russian “President (Vladimir) Putin and some others may be pleased by this approach”.

“To take such an approach would be a great mistake,” he said.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election, has criticized the decades-old NATO alliance with mainly European nations – a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy – as obsolete and too costly for the United States.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was set up in a different era, Trump has said, when the main threat to the West was the Soviet Union. It was ill-suited to fighting terrorism.

Pavel, a former Czech Republic army chief, said the NATO alliance formed in 1949 was not perfect but it had great potential as well as the chance to be improved.

“Statements like these are not necessarily damaging, but they are not useful,” Pavel said in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s biggest security summit. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: euronews.

Israel ‘Engaging’ with ICC Over Gaza War Crimes Inquiry – Prosecutor

 

Reuters, 03/06 13:44 CET

By Tom Miles

GENEVA (Reuters) – Israel is holding discussions with the International Criminal Court over its investigation into possible war crimes in the 2014 Gaza conflict, the ICC’s prosecutor said.

The disclosure, in an interview with Reuters, would indicate a step-up in Israeli engagement with the Hague-based tribunal and a shift from a policy of non-cooperation with ICC probes of alleged war crimes in Palestinian territories.

An Israeli government source said there was contact with the ICC on procedural issues, but declined to go  into detail.

“Israel has agreed to engage with my office and we are exchanging information,” ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said during a visit to the U.N. in Geneva late on Thursday. She said the ICC was in touch with both sides in the Gaza conflict. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: euronews.

Death Toll Rises to 13 as Floodwaters Begin to Recede

Source: euronews.

Yemen, the Forgotten War – A Special Report

By Mohammed Shaikhibrahim | With ROBERT HACKWILL

Source: euronews.

Israelis and Palestinians Skip Paris Peace Talks

By Catherine Hardy

Source: euronews.

Japanese Boy Found Safe and Well After Six Days Missing in Dense Forest

By Catherine Hardy

Source: euronews.

All You Need to Know About the Universal Basic Income

 

By Chris Harris

Switzerland will become the first country to hold a national vote on whether to introduce a Universal Basic Income (UBI).

Here we explain what UBI is and look at the cases for and against the initiative. 

What is universal basic income?

At present, state benefits are paid to people on an individual basis, often according to what their existing income is.

There are various UBI models, but the general idea is that states pay a sum of money to individuals, regardless of how much they are already earning.

The official wording of the Swiss initiative does not specify how much the UBI would be, however supporters have suggested a sum of 2,500 Swiss francs (2,259 euros) for adults and 625 (564 euros) for children. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: euronews.

Cameron Urges Voters Not to ‘Roll the Dice’ By Backing Brexit

Source: euronews.

Venezuelans Protest as the Country Suffers Hyperinflation, Power Cuts, and “Food Shortages”

Source: euronews.

President Obama Delivers Air Force Academy Commencement Address

 

President Obama delivers the commencement address to the 2016 graduating class at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

State Department: 2015 Country Reports on Terrorism

 

State Department Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Justin Siberell speaks to reporters about the release of the annual congressionally-mandated State Department terrorism report. 

Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner then holds his daily press briefing. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

Hillary Clinton National Security Policy Address (Full Video)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton delivers a speech in San Diego, California laying out her national security vision for keeping Americans safe at home and continuing to play a leading role on the world stage. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

Paul Ryan Endorses Donald Trump

WASHINGTON — In an unceremonious op-ed in his local paper, Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.) ended his dithering on the presumptive GOP presidential nominee and said he would vote for Donald Trump in November.

Ryan, who had been holding out on endorsing Trump, said the focus of his conversations with the real estate mogul were on the House’s policy agenda.

“Through these conversations, I feel confident he would help us turn the ideas in this agenda into laws to help improve people’s lives,” Ryan writes, 666 words into an 806-word op-ed in the GazetteXtra. “That’s why I’ll be voting for him this fall.” 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Huffington Post

Republican Governor Refuses To Endorse Donald Trump

 

By Laura Barron-Lopez

WASHINGTON — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says he’s not planning to endorse Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump — and it doesn’t look he’ll change his mind anytime soon.

In a Wednesday interview with The Detroit News, the Republican governor said he has bigger issues to deal with, namely the ongoing water crisis in Flint, which left thousands without clean drinking water. 

“I’ve stayed out of the whole thing, and I’m going to continue to,” Snyder told The Detroit News Editorial Board. “I’ve got important things I want to work on in Michigan.”

While Snyder refused to endorse Trump, he didn’t say he wouldn’t vote for him. He added that his focus is on re-electing Republicans to the Michigan House of Representatives. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Huffington Post

David French: 6 Facts on the Man #NeverTrump Wants to Run for President

 

By Katie LaPotin

This was originally published on June 1, 2016. 

After weeks of speculation, National Review writer David French was revealed on Tuesday as the man #NeverTrump supporters, including Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, hope will be their savior in this year’s presidential election.

So, who exactly is David French? 

Click here for the full article.

Source: Independent Journal

43% of Americans Have a Tough Message for Hillary on Her Emails as the DOJ Weighs Decision

By Kelsey Rupp

This article was originally published on June 1, 2016. 

Just days after the State Department released its critical audit of her private email server, a new poll shows voters are split on how Clinton should proceed if she is indicted.

In a poll of 1,000 likely U.S. voters released by Rasmussen Reports Tuesday, 43% said Clinton should “immediately stop campaigning” if she is “charged with a felony” in connection to the investigation of her e-mail.

But she’s got some breathing room.

Half of those surveyed think the former Secretary of State should continue running until a court weighs in on her guilt or innocence.

Democrats are the most supportive of Clinton, with 71% believe Clinton should keep running regardless if she is indicted. Only 30% of Republicans and 46% of unaffiliated voters agree. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: Independent Journal

President Obama Delivers Remarks on the Economy

The President delivered remarks at Concord Community High School highlighting the economic progress that Elkhart and America has made, the economic challenges that remain, and the decisions that face Americans in communities like Elkhart.

2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service

UCLA Gunman Mainak Sarkar Had Kill 'List,' May Have Killed Minnesota Woman: LAPD

By Elizabeth Chuck and Andrew Blankstein

The former UCLA doctoral student who killed a professor in an apparent murder-suicide had a "kill list" that included the name of a woman found dead in Minnesota, as well as another UCLA instructor, the Los Angeles police chief said.

Chief Charlie Beck told the KTLA television station that a victim was found shot to death in Minnesota after authorities found information in Mainak Sarkar's home that led them to her.

"That person was shot," Beck said. "The connection is very strong. We still have to do the various ballistic tests ... but it's very strong." 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Solicitor General Don Verrilli to Vacate Post

Statement by President Obama

For five years, Solicitor General Don Verrilli has fought in our nation’s highest court for a better future, winning landmark cases that moved America forward. 

Thanks to his efforts, 20 million more Americans now know the security of quality, affordable health care; we’re combating discrimination so that more women and minorities can own their piece of the American Dream; we’ve reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that immigrants are treated fairly; and our children will now grow up in a country where everyone has the freedom to marry the person they love. 

Don has been a dedicated public servant who has helped our nation live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all. I am grateful for his trusted counsel and friendship. And I wish Don and his family all the best in what comes next, including, hopefully, a well-deserved vacation. 

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary 

Note: More information on Mr. Verrilli's career and departure is available in this USA Today article.

Should You Be Paying Estimated Tax?

 
The NYS Tax Department reports that nearly 467,000 individual taxpayers made a total of about $10.4 billion in estimated tax payments from April 1, 2015, through the end of March 2016.

Should you be making estimated tax payments too? You may need to pay estimated tax to avoid penalties and interest charges if you: are self-employed (a consultant, entrepreneur, freelance worker, small business owner, etc.) and don’t have any or enough tax withheld from your income; receive a big salary boost, bonus, commission, or other cash windfall, or experience some other significant change in your financial circumstances; or receive taxable income not subject to withholding, such as pension or annuity income, capital gains, interest or dividend income, rental income, or if you’re subject to the State’s Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax. 

“I encourage freelance or other independent workers, who may be unaware of their quarterly responsibility to pay estimated tax, to visit our estimated tax webpage to learn more,” said Commissioner Jerry Boone.

The deadline for the next quarterly estimated tax payment is June 15, 2016.

The easiest way to meet this tax obligation is to create an Online Services account so you can estimate the tax you owe, pay electronically, and check your balance. You can also review your payment history, which can help you avoid a common income tax filing error: reporting the wrong amount of estimated tax paid for the year.

If you don’t make required estimated tax payments, you could face underpayment penalties and interest charges. For more, see NYS Tax Department’s Interest and penalties page and the IRS’s Penalty for Underpayment of Estimated Tax.

Related resources:

IRS Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax.

Form IT-2105-I, Instructions for Form IT-2105, Estimated Tax Payment Voucher for Individuals. 

Form IT-2105.9-I, Instructions for Form IT-2105.9, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals and Fiduciaries. 

Source: The New York City Department of Taxation and Finance

California Primary Preview

 

Los Angeles Times political writer Evan Halper talks about the upcoming California primary election and the endorsement by Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA) of Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination for the sake of party unity. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations

 

Texas Fair Trade Coalition State Director Bob Cash discusses his view that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been bad for American and Mexican workers, as well the U.S. and Mexican economies. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

NY Attorney General Says Trump University Was ‘Straight Up Fraud’

 

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Thursday took aim at the now-defunct Trump University, which has been accused of being a scam.

“In New York, we have laws against business fraud, we have laws against consumer fraud,” Schneiderman said in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America.” “We have a law against running an illegal, unlicensed university. This never was a university. The fraud started with the name of the organization, and you can’t just go around saying this is the George Stephanopoulos Law Firm/Hospital/University without actually qualifying and registering, so it was really a fraud from beginning to end.”

Trump University, an unaccredited non-profit launched by presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in 2005, offered courses in real estate and investment. Documents unsealed by a federal judge earlier this week pertaining to a lawsuit against the venture revealed how its salespeople were told to deliberately mislead potential customers, manipulate their emotions and ignore their concerns about parting ways with, in some cases, tens of thousands of dollars. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Huffington Post

Trailblazers in Black History: Diana Ross and the Supremes

Source: BIO

New Documents Show Cuomo Administration Resistance to EPA Warnings on Hoosick Falls

 

By Scott Waldman

ALBANY— While the Cuomo administration has been extensively criticized for its slow reaction to the unfolding Hoosick Falls water pollution crisis, a new trove of emails and meeting notes shows how top state Department of Health officials actively dismissed the Obama administration’s increasingly dire warnings and recommended safe consumption levels.

The Cuomo administration resisted sounding a public alarm even though federal regulators warned senior health department officials that people in Hoosick Falls should be alerted they were drinking water that contained dangerous levels of a chemical linked to cancer and other serious health problems, according to documents recently obtained by POLITICO New York through a Freedom of Information Request. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: Politico

Indiana Man Charged With Three Gruesome Murders in Four-Day 'Purge'

Payday Loans: Feds Propose New Rules to End 'Debt Trap'

 

By Herb Weisbaum

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed new rules on Thursday designed to end what it calls "payday debt traps" by requiring lenders to make sure a borrower can repay that loan before approving it.

The new rules would cover a variety of small-dollar loans marketed to financially vulnerable consumers, such as payday loans, auto title loans (where the vehicle is used as collateral), high-cost installment and open-ended loans.

CFPB director Richard Cordray acknowledged that people who live from paycheck to paycheck may need a loan to cover unexpected expenses or a drop in income, but he said the credit products marketed to these consumers should help them, not hurt them. 

"Too many borrowers seeking a short-term cash fix are saddled with loans they cannot afford and sink into long-term debt," Cordray said in a statement. "It's much like getting into a taxi just to ride across town and finding yourself stuck in a ruinously expensive cross-country journey. By putting in place mainstream, common-sense lending standards, our proposal would prevent lenders from succeeding by setting up borrowers to fail."  

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

First Read's Morning Clips: Close in California

 

OFF TO THE RACES: It's close in California

It's close in California. From one of us(!) about our new NBC News/WSJ/Marist poll: "Hillary Clinton is clinging to a narrow two-point lead over Bernie Sanders in California ahead of the state's June 7 primary, according to results from a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll. Clinton gets support from 49 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in the state, while Sanders gets 47 percent, which is within the survey's statistical margin of error."

And a new Field Poll also shows a tight race, 45 percent for Clinton to 43 percent for Sanders.

People aren't sure how much Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are worth, but most don't think Trump is worth the $10 billion he claims, a new Morning Consult survey shows.

And most voters don't trust either candidate's campaign promises, Quinnipiac finds.

 

The Wall Street Journal: Millennial Voters Reveal Potential Inroads for GOP. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Donald Trump Attacks Hillary Clinton: She Has 'No Natural Talent'

NBC/WSJ Polling Shows Clinton With Foreign Policy Advantage

 

By Carrie Dann

Hillary Clinton will paint Donald Trump as "fundamentally unfit" for the job of commander-in-chief in a speech Thursday, calling Trump's views on foreign policy dangerous and uninformed.

And the former secretary of state's foreign policy attacks may be hitting Trump where it hurts, if recent polling is correct.

While Trump enjoys big polling advantages over Clinton when it comes to economic issues and shaking up the status quo, Clinton performs much better against her GOP rival on questions of international affairs. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News

Ex-Wrestler Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka Ruled Incompetent to Stand Trial

 

By The Associated Press

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Pro wrestling star Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka is mentally incompetent to stand trial in the death of his girlfriend more than three decades ago, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Lehigh County Judge Kelly Banach ruled from the bench after a four-day hearing on whether Snuka should face trial on murder and manslaughter charges. Snuka, 73, took the stand last month and often seemed confused as he was questioned by the judge.

"I don't believe he's faking it," Banach said Wednesday.

Snuka, a native of Fiji who lives in Waterford Township, New Jersey, was charged last year in the death of 23-year-old Nancy Argentino, whose body was found in their Whitehall Township hotel room. Snuka pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. His mental fitness will be re-evaluated in six months. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: NBC News 

Note: Kevin Amerman, one of the lead reporters who investigated and wrote about the case, appeared on The G-Man Interviews in late 2015 to provide details. He also talked about a document that was discovered in a warehouse by fellow reporter Adam Clark, which proved crucial in the case and the district attorney's decision to file charges against Snuka. 

You can view the episode here. 

France to Take in 400 Refugees a Month from Greece – Minister

 

Reuters, 02/06 16:00 CET

PARIS (Reuters) – France plans to take in 400 refugees a month from Greece under a European Union plan for distributing asylum seekers, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Thursday, substantially increasing its intake.

The announcement came as Prime Minister Manuel Valls was in Athens to offer reassurances that Paris would live up to its commitments to take in 32,000 additional asylum seekers over the next two years. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: euronews.