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U.S. garlic growers profit from trade war as most farmers struggle

Unlike millions of other U.S. farmers, garlic growers are profiting from the trade war with China and have cheered President Donald Trump's latest economic attack accordingly. Sales of California-grown garlic are now increasing after decades of losing ground to cheaper Chinese imports. Sales are poised to get even better as Chinese garlic faces even higher tariffs, with no end to the trade war in sight.

With shelters at 'max' California border agents drop migrants at bus station

U.S. Border Patrol in the El Centro area of southern California said it began to drop migrants off at San Bernardino's Greyhound Station on Wednesday after it ran out of room to hold them. "It was a decision that was made because they couldn’t take any more families and obviously we cannot keep them in custody for much longer because we are at capacity," said Miguel Garcia, acting assistant chief patrol agent. Apprehensions of migrant families in California's El Centro sector rose 383 percent in the seven months through April from a year earlier as record numbers of mainly Central Americans crossed the border, Border Patrol data shows.

Rural Iowans ponder Trump alternatives as China trade war drags on

The world's two largest economies have been locked in a 10-month trade war that has roiled global supply chains and rattled financial markets. U.S. farmers, who helped carry Trump to his surprise 2016 election win, have been among the hardest-hit as China has imposed tariffs on imports of U.S. agricultural products, including soybeans, pork and grain sorghum in response to U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. Now, increasing frustrations over the prolonged dispute are prompting some rural residents in Iowa, home of the first presidential nominating contest in February, to consider candidates other than President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Supreme Court gives Merck another shot to avoid Fosamax lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday gave Merck & Co a new opportunity to avoid lawsuits accusing the company of failing to properly warn patients of debilitating thigh-bone fractures from taking its osteoporosis drug Fosamax, throwing out a lower court decision that had revived the litigation. The nine justices unanimously directed the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision to let the lawsuits proceed even though the Food and Drug Administration had rebuffed Merck when the company sought to add a warning to Fosamax's label about fracture risk.

White House does not need a 'strongman,' Hickenlooper says in 2020 policy speech

"I think history clearly demonstrates that when you have a so-called strongman - a dictator - you don't have rule of law," Hickenlooper said when asked at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs if that was a better approach to foreign policy than multilateralism.

U.S. Supreme Court sides with Native American elk hunter

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of a Native American elk hunter, citing an 1868 treaty between his tribe and the U.S. government as it revived his legal challenge to a conviction for hunting out of season in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. It found that the treaty, which gave tribe members hunting rights on "unoccupied" lands, is still in force even though it was signed before Wyoming became a U.S. state in 1890. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, who has a record of backing tribal rights, sided with the court's four liberals, with the other four conservative justices in dissent.

Missouri governor expected to sign eight-week abortion ban into law

Missouri's Republican governor could sign a law as early as this week banning most abortions in the Midwestern state after the eighth week of pregnancy, part of a wave of restrictions aimed at driving a challenge of abortion to the U.S. Supreme Court. Republican Governor Mike Parson told reporters on Friday he planned to sign the bill, which was approved by the Republican-controlled state legislature last week and would enact one of the United States' most restrictive bans. The state is one of eight where Republican-controlled legislatures this year have passed new restrictions on abortion.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Iraqi man's torture-related deportation challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a bid to avoid deportation by a Christian Iraqi immigrant who argued he would be tortured if sent back to his home country for a drug conviction after more than three decades in the United States. The justices declined to hear an appeal by Amir Shabo, who was detained in 2017 during a sweep targeting hundreds of Iraqi immigrants who had prior criminal convictions and had been ordered deported as part of by President Donald Trump's push to intensify immigration enforcement. Shabo, 51, had challenged a lower court ruling that went against him.

U.S. Supreme Court takes no action in Indiana abortion cases

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday took no action on appeals seeking to revive two restrictive Republican-backed abortion laws from Indiana, even as debate rages over a new measure in Alabama that would prohibit the procedure almost entirely. Neither Indiana case was on the list of appeals on which the court acted on Monday morning. If the nine-justice court takes up either case, it would give the conservative majority an opportunity to chip away at the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide and recognized a right under the U.S. Constitution for women to terminate pregnancies.

Billionaire pledges to pay off Morehouse students’ debt

Video footage of Smith's remarks show mouths falling agape before students rise to their feet to cheer and applaud as the pledge is made. "This is my class, 2019, and my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans," Smith said during his speech, pointing towards hundreds of students dressed in black robes and mortarboards.

Kamala Harris proposes equal pay measure to close gender gap

Harris' proposal aims to shift the burden from workers, who now must prove pay discrimination by employers, to corporations, which would have to show they eliminated pay disparities between men and women doing work of equal value. In 2017, full-time, year-round working women earned 80% of what male counterparts earned, the U.S. Census Bureau says, and minority women earned even less. At a college rally in Los Angeles on Sunday, Harris decried the pay gap between men and women.

Trump may pardon military men accused or convicted of war crimes: New York Times

U.S. President Donald Trump has asked for files to be prepared on pardoning several U.S. military members accused of or convicted of war crimes, including one slated to stand trial on charges of shooting unarmed civilians while in Iraq, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Trump requested the immediate preparation of paperwork needed, indicating he is considering pardons for the men around Memorial Day on May 27, the report said, citing two unnamed U.S. officials. Assembling pardon files normally takes months, but the Justice Department has pressed for the work to be completed before that holiday weekend, one of the officials said.

Suspect arrested in Detroit murder that sparked serial killer fears

Detroit Police Chief James Craig told reporters at an impromptu afternoon news conference that minutes earlier detectives had taken the suspect, James Quill Cockerham, into custody in the death of 26-year-old Elizabeth Candice Nichole Laird. "I appreciate our friends in the media for really dispelling a horrible rumor that was circulating across the city that there was a serial killer and that he had dumped five bodies in dumpsters across the city," Craig said.

Bernie Sanders proposes U.S. education overhaul in appeal to black voters

Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders unveiled an education policy proposal on Saturday designed to pump billions of dollars into the public schools system, in a bid to appeal to black voters who shunned the U.S. senator during his previous presidential run. The 10-point plan Sanders detailed in a speech in South Carolina aims to end racial disparities in the public education system. America's education policy debate has long been steeped in discussions of race and racial discrimination.

U.S. embassy issues Indonesia security alert ahead of election results

The U.S. embassy in Jakarta has issued a security alert ahead of election results due on Wednesday, as Indonesian authorities have arrested nearly 30 suspected militants, including some who police say are able to detonate bombs using Wi-Fi networks. The embassy advised U.S. citizens to avoid areas where large demonstrations may occur in Jakarta, and in other cities including Surabaya in East Java and Medan in North Sumatra, in a statement that was dated on Friday, May 17. Indonesian authorities have said they are heightening security ahead of May 22, when the official result of last month's presidential election will be announced.

Migrant families being flown to San Diego from Texas in U.S. border crisis

Hundreds of detainees from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in Texas and elsewhere are being flown to San Diego for processing beginning on Friday, the agency said. This is making it difficult to process and release family units within 20 days of their arrival at a detention center, as required by law, the CBP said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year declared the immigration influx a national emergency, which allowed him to circumvent Congress to redirect more than $6 billion in funding to start building the border wall that he campaigned on in the 2016 presidential election.

Nearly 180 former Ohio State University students claim sexual abuse by doctor

Dr. Richard Strauss was accused of abusing at least 177 male students when he worked as a physician for the university's athletic department and the student health center from 1978 to 1998, the report said, detailing the findings of a year-long independent investigation. Staff members knew of the abuse as early as 1979, but complaints were never elevated to administrators and senior officials of the athletics or student health departments until 1996. At that time, the school suspended and ultimately removed Strauss after a "very limited investigation" into a student's claim that the doctor fondled him during an exam, the report said.

Former 'slave' in New York sex cult says founder ordered naked meetings

The former "slave," Lauren Salzman, told jurors in federal court in Brooklyn that the group's leader, Keith Raniere, would preside over the meetings fully clothed. When he was unable to attend the meetings in person, the women would take a naked photo and text it to him - making sure he could see where they had been branded with his initials, Salzman said. "We were to look uniform and happy," said Salzman, 42.

Detroit police deny 'serial killer' rumors sparked by woman's murder

The whispers apparently stem from the murder of 26-year-old Elizabeth Candice Nichole Laird, whose body was found in a dumpster outside an apartment building on the city's east side on Wednesday. "There is false information circulating on social media that there is a serial killer at large in downtown Detroit, and that five to six female victims have been found in dumpsters prior to the May 15 homicide ... and that Detroit Police have failed to communicate this information to the public," police officials said on Facebook.

As Fed seeks policy advice, officials visit a struggling New Jersey city

CAMDEN, N.J./PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Two top Federal Reserve officials went to Camden, New Jersey, on Friday, taking a different reading of the pulse of the U.S. economy by visiting what is by one measure the country's lowest-income city, as the central bank seeks advice on how to do a better job. Patrick Harker, president of the Philadelphia Fed, and Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida spent the morning in Camden, which squats in the shadows of Philadelphia's downtown skyscrapers but has the lowest median household income among U.S. cities. The dichotomy of Philadelphia's gleaming office buildings and destitute people on the streets of nearby Camden underlines the limits of Fed policy, even as most policymakers see the central bank's dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment as having been met.

California utility in big 2015 gas leak had failed to probe leaks for decades

Because Southern California Gas, a unit of Sempra Energy, had failed to investigate and analyze leaks since the 1970s, the consequences of such corrosion were not understood, leading to the 2015 incident, the report found. The report was commissioned by two state regulatory agencies, the California Public Utilities Commission and the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, and conducted by a third party, Blade Energy Partners. More than 60 casing leaks occurred since the 1970s at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility and were not investigated, the report found.

Illinois governor eyes $41.5 billion plan to rebuild state's infrastructure

Illinois would spend $41.5 billion over six years to rebuild roads, bridges, schools and other facilities that have fallen into "dire shape," under a preliminary plan floated by Governor J.B. Pritzker on Friday. The Democratic governor's plan, which was distributed to lawmakers and seen by Reuters, would be funded in part with $17.8 billion of bonds even as Illinois pays the biggest yield penalty among states to sell debt. A huge $133.5 billion unfunded pension liability and chronic structural budget deficits have helped push Illinois' credit ratings down to a notch or two above the junk level.

Nearly 180 former Ohio State University students claim sexual abuse by doctor

Dr. Richard Strauss was accused of abusing at least 177 male students when he worked as a physician for the university's athletic department and the student health center from 1978 to 1998, the report said, detailing the findings of a year-long independent investigation. Staff members knew of the abuse as early as 1979, but complaints were never elevated to administrators and senior officials of the athletics or student health departments until 1996. At that time, the school suspended and ultimately removed Strauss after a "very limited investigation" into a student's claim that the doctor fondled him during an exam, the report said.

Detroit police deny 'serial killer' rumors sparked by woman's murder

The whispers apparently stem from the murder of 26-year-old Elizabeth Candice Nichole Laird, whose body was found in a dumpster outside an apartment building on the city's east side on Wednesday. "There is false information circulating on social media that there is a serial killer at large in downtown Detroit, and that five to six female victims have been found in dumpsters prior to the May 15 homicide ... and that Detroit Police have failed to communicate this information to the public," police officials said on Facebook.

Former 'slave' in New York sex cult says founder ordered naked meetings

The former "slave," Lauren Salzman, told jurors in federal court in Brooklyn that the group's leader, Keith Raniere, would preside over the meetings fully clothed. When he was unable to attend the meetings in person, the women would take a naked photo and text it to him - making sure he could see where they had been branded with his initials, Salzman said. "We were to look uniform and happy," said Salzman, 42.

Second U.S. appeals court rules Trump cannot end protections for 'Dreamers'

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, said in its ruling that the 2017 rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program violated administrative law because the policy change was not adequately explained. The ruling reversed a decision by a federal court in Maryland, and sent the case back for further proceedings. Republican Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, began DACA in 2012.

Architect I.M. Pei dies at age 102: New York Times

Pei, whose portfolio included a controversial renovation of Paris' Louvre Museum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, died overnight, his son Chien Chung Pei told the newspaper. Ieoh Ming Pei, the son of a prominent banker in China, left his homeland in 1935, moving to the United States and studying architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. The Louvre, parts of which date to the 12th century, proved to be Pei's most controversial work, starting with the fact that he was not French.

Alabama boycott builds as states retaliate against abortion law

A day after the southern state passed the country's most restrictive abortion law, Maryland's Democratic Comptroller Peter Franchot said he would advise his state's $52 billion pension fund to divest from Alabama, and urged other states to follow suit. Colorado's Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold called for a boycott of Alabama and urged the Election Center, an organization that trains election officials from across the country, to move out of the state. The hashtag #BoycottAlabama gained momentum online, with activists calling for boycotts of products ranging from Mercedes-Benz cars to broiler chickens that are produced in Alabama.

U.S. Speaker Pelosi opens door to more funds for border migrant crisis

Pelosi was not talking about money for the border wall Trump wants, which Democrats oppose. Republican Trump on May 1 requested $4.5 billion for programs that house, feed, transport and oversee record numbers of Central American families seeking asylum and straining capacity at migrant shelters in border cities. Democrats initially questioned whether the administration was seeking more funding to expand the detention of migrants entering the United States illegally.

Missouri Senate passes bill to ban abortions after eight weeks

The vote came a day after Alabama's governor signed into law the country's most restrictive abortion bill, outlawing nearly all abortions, absent a medical emergency. The Missouri bill now goes back to the state House of Representatives, where it originated, for final legislative action. The Alabama and Missouri measures, along with similar legislation proposed in more than a dozen other states, represent the latest efforts by political conservatives to challenge Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy.

Judge orders former U.S. soldier and WikiLeaks source Manning back to jail

A U.S. judge on Thursday found former U.S. soldier and WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning in contempt of court for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury and ordered her back to jail, a law enforcement official said. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga also ruled that if Manning does not comply with the grand jury subpoena after 30 days she will be fined $500 a day, the official said.