Clinton: False Stories on Facebook Helped Trump Win Election

Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said hoaxes and false news stories on Facebook contributed to her loss in last year’s U.S. presidential election, adding to a list of factors she blames for her defeat. The former Democratic candidate said earlier this month that interference by Russian hackers and then-FBI director James Comey helped tip the election…

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European Commission Chief Upbraids Trump on Climate Stance

The European Commission president on Wednesday said that it was the “duty of Europe” to stand up to the U.S. if President Donald Trump decided to pull his country out of the Paris climate change accord. Jean-Claude Juncker said that “the Americans can’t just get out of the agreement,” adding that “it takes three to…

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A Guide to Global Warming, Paris Pact and the US Role

If President Donald Trump pulls the United States out of the international agreement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, what could that mean for the Earth? Here’s a guide to what’s in the Paris agreement, what’s going on with global warming, and what might happen if the rest of the world keeps fighting man-made climate change…

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Vietnam to Sign Deals for Up to $17B in US Goods, Services

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Tuesday that he would sign deals for U.S. goods and services worth $15 billion to $17 billion during his visit to Washington, mainly for high-technology products and for services. “Vietnam will increase the import of high technologies and services from the United States, and on the occasion of…

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Mexico to Review Rules of Origin to Help NAFTA Renegotiation

Mexico’s foreign minister says the country is “inevitably” set to review rules of origin when renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, giving a boost to President Donald Trump’s manufacturing push. Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray said Tuesday at an event in Miami that NAFTA has allowed Mexican industry to enter the U.S. market with…

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Man Probing Ivanka Trump Brands in China Arrested; Two Others Missing

A man investigating working conditions at a Chinese company that produces Ivanka Trump-brand shoes has been arrested and two others are missing, the arrested man’s wife and an advocacy group said Tuesday. Hua Haifeng was accused of illegal surveillance, according to his wife, Deng Guilian, who said the police called her Tuesday afternoon. Deng said…

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Brazil’s Labor Reform Vote in Senate Put Off Until Next Week

The Brazilian government decided on Tuesday to wait until next week to put a bill modernizing labor laws to a vote in the Senate Economic Affairs Committee, its leader in the upper chamber, Senator Romero Jucá, said. Speaking earlier at an investment forum in Sao Paulo, Budget and Planning Minister Dyogo Oliveira said the bill…

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Haley Represents Another Side of ‘America First’ Policy

Nikki Haley crouched low in the trailer of an 18-wheeler, taping up a box of lentils and wheat for besieged Syrians, her hands-on diplomacy a world apart from the gleaming new NATO headquarters where President Donald Trump was debuting his “America First” doctrine overseas. Haley, Trump’s U.N. ambassador, had started the day in Turkey’s capital,…

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Iowa’s Republican Senators: Health Care Law Repeal Unlikely

Lowering expectations, Iowa’s two Republican senators say the long-promised repeal of “Obamacare” is unlikely, and any final agreement with the Republican-controlled House is uncertain. The comments Tuesday by Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst come as the Republican-controlled Senate moves forward on its work to dismantle the 2010 health care bill while facing conflicting demands…

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Nigeria’s Senate Passes Bill to Crackdown on Money Laundering

Nigerian lawmakers passed a bill aimed at cracking down on money laundering by urging foreign countries where currency crooks are hiding to cooperate in prosecuting them, a senior official said on Tuesday. According to the bill, Nigeria may ask any country where a money launderer is hiding to help it prosecute the offender, or prosecute…

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DC Roundup: Trump on Russia, McCain on Russia, WH Staffer Resigns

Developments in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday include President Donald Trump sending a series of early morning tweets that Russia must be laughing at the U.S. over investigations, longtime Republican Senator John McCain calling Russia a bigger challenge than Islamic State; the U.S. successfully testing a missile defense system, and the White House communications director resigns:…

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Trump Frustrated by ‘Fake News’ That Overlooks His Accomplishments

White House spokesman Sean Spicer abruptly walked out of his press briefing Tuesday as journalists shouted questions after him, highlighting the increasingly adversarial relationship between the Trump administration and the reporters who cover it. After a testy 20-minute question-and-answer session, Spicer told the jam-packed White House briefing room that President Donald Trump was frustrated with…

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US High Court Will Hear Ohio’s Bid to Revive Voter Purge Policy

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday took up the latest in a series of voting rights cases, agreeing to hear Ohio’s bid to revive the Republican-led state’s policy of purging people from voter registration lists if they do not regularly cast ballots. Civil liberties advocates who challenged Ohio’s policy said it illegally erased voters from…

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Thailand Economy Back on Track But in Slow Lane

The Thai economy, under the military’s stewardship for the past three years, is again witnessing steady growth but lags behind regional competitors as uncertainties remain, keeping foreign investors at bay. The World Bank and United Nations (UN) say the Thai economy is in a slow growth lane compared to regional rivals, with a projection of over…

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Trump: Germany Not Adequately Contributing to NATO

U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his accusation that Germany does not pay its fair share of dues in NATO on Twitter, three days after a meeting with the country’s leader that the White House said went well. “They pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will…

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Zimbabwe Tobacco is Booming, but Farmers Growing it Are Not

Farmer Simon Kahari recently sold tobacco worth more than $6,000 at an auction in Zimbabwe, a small fortune reflecting the golden leaf’s resurgence in this southern African country. Yet because of Zimbabwe’s dire economic problems he ended up sleeping in an auction house toilet that night, hungry and wondering if and when he would be…

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White House Communications Director Resigns

White House communications director Mike Dubke has resigned after only three months on the job. Dubke told POLITICO newspaper that he submitted his resignation on May 18, which was accepted by President Donald Trump, but offered to stay on the job through Trump’s recently completed overseas trip. No reason was given for the move. …

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DC Roundup: Memorial Day Events, Trump ‘Confidence’ in Kushner, Merkel on Ties

Developments over the weekend concerning President Donald Trump include holding his first Memorial Day events, saying he has “total confidence” in his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, regarding the ongoing Russia investigation, speaking out against a hate crime against Muslims in Portland, Oregon, as well as a spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying she remains committed…

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Chicago Startup Founded by Military Veterans ‘Cultivating Peace’ in Afghanistan

At Café Bar-Ba-Reeba on Chicago’s north side, there is one key ingredient that could make or break Executive Chef Matt Holmes’ menu. “We feature it in our paeallas, which are our signature dish here at Café Bar Ba Reeba, as well as use it in a dessert and some other dishes as well, so its…

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Border Closure Hurts Afghan-Pakistan Produce Trade

Cross-border fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan has suspended trade worth millions of dollars and stranded hundreds of trucks loaded with fruits and vegetables at the border, where the produce stands to spoil in the rising heat. Pakistan had temporarily closed the Chaman border crossing, across from Afghanistan’s Spin boldak, after a frontier skirmish earlier this…

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Trump Says Has ‘Total Confidence’ in Son-in-law, Key Adviser Kushner

U.S. President Donald Trump is defending Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, who news reports say attempted to establish a back-channel communications link to Russian officials in the weeks before Trump assumed power in January. “Jared is doing a great job for the country,” Trump told The New York Times late…

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McCain: Russia, Putin ‘Greatest Challenge We Have’

U.S. Senator John McCain said Monday he views Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, as the “greatest challenge we have,” even more so than that posed by the Islamic State group. Speaking during a visit to Australia, McCain told the Australian Broadcasting Company Russia has tried to “destroy the very fundamental of democracy” with efforts…

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Help or Hindrance? Trump’s Effect on Midterm Elections

Congressional investigations have long timelines. House Republicans do not.   Two-hundred and thirty-nine House Republicans are facing down a November 2018 mid-term election, which will determine whether they get to keep their jobs. They have to weigh the merits – and the costs – of supporting President Donald Trump.   On the face of it,…

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India’s Limits on Selling Cattle Could Hurt Industry, Diets

A new ban imposed by India’s government on the sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter to protect animals considered holy by many Hindus is drawing widespread protests from state governments and animal-related industries. Many state governments criticized the ban as a blow to beef and leather exports that will leave hundreds of thousands jobless…

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DC Roundup: Trump Returns From Europe, G-7 Climate Talks, Russia Probe

Developments over the weekend concerning President Donald Trump include his discussions with the Group of Seven over climate change, trade and North Korea, as well as his return to turmoil in Washington; while fallout from G-7 meeting leaves Merkel saying Europe can’t count on U.S. or Britain; and North Korea tests another missile: Europe Left Uneasy by…

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