Parliament to debate banning Donald Trump from UK

The petition says that because the country has banned entry to people for "hate speech" before, "the same principles should apply to everyone who wishes to enter the UK."

Last week, the UK government released a statement reaffirming that Home Secretary Theresa May has the power to "exclude a non-European Economic Area national from the UK if she considers their presence in the UK to be nonconducive to the public good."

The statement did not clearly state whether her office would apply that criteria to Trump.

"The Home Secretary has said that coming to the UK is a privilege and not a right," the official comment reads. "She will continue to use the powers available to prevent from entering the UK those who seek to harm our society and who do not share our basic values."

After Trump launched his proposal to temporarily halt the immigration of Muslims into the United States, Prime Minister David Cameron called the billionaire "stupid" and "three times a loser."

Trump owns a golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The Trump Organization released a statement specifying its investments and criticizing any possible move to restrict travel.

"Any action to restrict travel would force The Trump Organization to immediately end these and all future investments we are currently contemplating in the United Kingdom. Westminster would send a terrible message to the world that the United Kingdom opposes free speech and has no interest in attracting inward investment," it read.

"This would also alienate the many millions of United States citizens who wholeheartedly support Mr. Trump and have made him the forerunner by far in the 2016 presidential election. Many people now agree with Mr. Trump that there is a serious problem that must be resolved. This can only be achieved if we are willing to discuss these tough issues openly and honestly."

Obama, wiping tears, makes new push to tighten gun rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wiping back tears as he remembered children killed in a mass shooting, President Barack Obama on Tuesday ordered stricter gun rules that he can impose without Congress and urged American voters to reject pro-gun candidates.

Obama made it clear he does not expect gun laws to change during his remaining year in office, but pledged to do what he can to make gun control a theme in the months leading up to the November election to replace him.

In a powerful address in the White House, surrounded by family members of people killed in shootings, Obama's voice rose to a yell as he said the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms needed to be balanced by the right to worship, gather peacefully and live their lives.

Obama has often said his toughest time in office was grappling with the December 2012 massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

"Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad," Obama said, tears rolling down his cheek.

"That changed me, that day," he said, after being introduced by Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son was killed in the shooting. "My hope earnestly has been that it would change the country."

After that tragedy, the Democratic president failed to persuade Congress to toughen U.S. gun laws. He has blamed lawmakers for being in the thrall of the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby group.

Obama, comparing the issue to the great civil rights causes of his time, is set to discuss gun violence again during a live televised town hall on CNN on Thursday, and during his State of the Union address next Tuesday.

Vice President Joe Biden is slated to do a series of television interviews on the topic on Wednesday.

LEGAL CHALLENGES EXPECTED

The U.S. Constitution's 2nd Amendment gives Americans the right to have arms, a right that is fiercely defended.

Obama laid out executive action he is taking to require more gun sellers to get licenses and more gun buyers to undergo background checks.

Under the changes, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is issuing guidelines intended to narrow exceptions to a system that requires sellers to check with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine whether buyers have criminal records, are charged with crimes or have mental health conditions that would bar them from owning a gun.

The proposal is "ripe for abuse" by the government, said Chris Cox, an official with the NRA, in a statement, adding that the group will continue to fight to protect Americans' constitutional rights.

Legal challenges to the changes, which are contained in guidance from the ATF, are expected.

The crucial question in any direct legal challenge will be whether the ATF guidance creates new obligations, or merely clarifies existing law.

The more the Obama administration acts as though the guidance has created a new legal requirement, the more legal trouble it might invite, said Lisa Heinzerling, administrative law professor at Georgetown University.

The stocks of gunmakers Smith & Wesson Holding Corp and Sturm Ruger & Co Inc have climbed since the announcement. On Tuesday, Smith & Wesson ended up 11.1 percent to $25.86 a share and Sturm Ruger closed up 6.8 percent at $65.54.

REPUBLICANS VOW TO FIGHT

Republican leaders were quick to denounce Obama's gun changes, with most Republican candidates for the 2016 presidential race promising to reverse his actions if they win the White House.

Democratic candidates praised the moves.

Reince Priebus, the head of the Republican National Committee, said the changes were "all about burnishing the president’s legacy and boosting Democrat enthusiasm in a presidential election year."

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I know you have missed me after a very long time I am back on blogger to give you guys the news as it breaks all types of news celebrity,political,fashion etc.

Flypocalypse’ hits D.C., New York airports

A major malfunction in the system that routes planes through 160,000 square miles of airspace centered over Washington caused airlines to delay or cancel hundreds of flights nationwide Saturday, and some frustrated passengers won’t reach their destinations until Sunday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was not immediately able to determine what caused the problem.

“The FAA is continuing its root cause analysis to determine what caused the problem and is working closely with the airlines to minimize impacts to travelers,” the FAA said in a statement.

Two airports serving the Washington region were particularly hard hit, with dozens of outbound flights cancelled or delayed. New York area airports also experienced delays, and scores of flights headed to Reagan National Airport and the Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport also were cancelled, stranding passengers overnight at airports across the nation.

“Are we wasting our time being here?” asked Laurence Oster, 40, as he sat and BWI airport with his wife and two young sons, wondering whether their flight to Manchester, N.H. would get off the ground. “You would think, it’s a Saturday—” he snapped his fingers “—it would be a breeze.”

It wasn’t. Their flight was cancelled.

Many passengers complained that authorities had left them in the dark, noting that the FAA posted no information about the problem on Twitter until 4:30 p.m., after it had been fixed.

“The airline was saying, ‘It’s not our fault, it’s the airport,’ and the airport said, ‘it’s not our fault, it’s the FAA, but you go to their Twitter account and they (FAA officials) haven’t said anything about it,” said Ilya Lozovsky, 32, who had been waiting over seven hours at Dulles International Airport for his flight to Alaska for a long-awaited vacation.

Though it caused delays and cancellations up and down the eastern seaboard, the problem was confined to the Washington air traffic control center in Leesburg, Va. For several hours the system which processes flight plans at the center stopped functioning for reasons that are still unclear. Federal authorities said there was no indication that hackers had breeched the system.

The FAA said the system had been restored to service by 4 p.m., but it ultimately is up to the airlines to sort out the mayhem caused to their scheduling.

The Washington facility and other centers dictate routing once airplanes reach an altitude above about 20,000 feet. (One they go below that altitude they are directed to airports by controllers at Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities called TRACONS. For final approaches and takeoffs they are directed from control towers.)

When the Washington Center stopped functioning, the TRACON serving Reagan National and BWI had no one they could hand flights off to as they reached cruising altitude. And East Coast flights — for example, a Miami-New York flight — either were delayed or routed around the airspace controlled by the Washington center.

The disruption, which some on social media dubbed “flypocalypse,” infuriated travellers who normally can count on the system to function on schedule on a Saturday, when thunderstorms usually are the only variable that cause delays or cancellations. Their frustration was exacerbated because the airlines first had no knowledge of what was causing the delays and then weren’t able to say if or when their flights might be able to take off.

The words “cancelled” and “delayed” taunted travelers from departure boards at airports, keeping them from joining family reunions, shipping off to college and heading back home after vacation.

“It’s been a long day and it’s still going on,” said Magdalene Ruiz, who woke up at 4 a.m. in London to head back to West Virginia via Dulles. “It’s really killing us.”

Dulles International Airport was the least affected of the three big Washington region airports. Although Dulles, by early evening, had seen 154 inbound and outbound flights delayed, only 5 percent had been cancelled. By contrast, about 25 percent of inbound and outbound flights were cancelled at Reagan National and BWI.

The FAA worked with airlines to keep some flights in and out of the region’s airports in operation. It achieved that by keeping the flights below 20,000 feet and having TRACON controllers hand off directly to another TRACON rather than to the Washington Center.

“I’m doubtful it’s actually going to get out,” said Gabriella Stefano, 19, as she stared at a monitor in Terminal B in BWI, hoping to learn whether a 6 p.m. flight would take her to Atlanta.

She and her mother said they booked an additional flight to Atlanta at 6 a.m. Sunday in case Saturday’s flight was cancelled. The Clemson University sophomore needed to make it back to school before classes start on Wednesday.

If both flights fell through, “we’re just going to drive the nine hours,” she said. “I mean, what can you do?”

Arlington resident Leslie Aun was stuck on a plane in Chicago for two hours, trying to get home after a trip to Montana.

“Delayed, delayed, delayed,” Aun said. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, am I ever going to get home?”

Aun said it wasn’t clear what was happening until about an hour into her delay.

“The gate guy finally stood up and really talked to us and told us about what happened,” Aun said. “My sense was that the airlines weren’t entirely sure. They were calling the pilots and asking the pilots for updates. Pilots were calling the air traffic controllers.”

Sharon Fisher’s 11:15 a.m. flight to Grand Rapids, Mich., had boarded at BWI and was backing away from the gate when the cancellation announcement came from the cockpit, she said.

“I think if we had left five minutes beforehand, it would have been okay,” she said.

Fisher, 64, rescheduled her Southwest flight for 9:25 p.m. Saturday. Instead of landing in Grand Rapids, she said she is flying to Detroit, where a friend has offered to pick her up and drive her the rest of the way.

“I just kind of roll with the punches,” she said.

Brian Norment reported he had to sit on the runway in Fort Walton, Florida for two hours before he was told the earliest flight he could take back to National Airport wouldn’t be until Monday morning. He said he planned to make the 14-hour drive back to the D.C. area instead.

Anya Shah grilled a Southwest Airlines representative at Reagan National on Saturday afternoon, as she waited in line to re-book her cancelled flight to Nashville.

“I’m fired if I don’t get there by 10 o’clock tomorrow,” she told the agent. She received sympathy but no guarantees. Flights had already been almost fully booked before the delays Saturday, and with so many flights canceled, it wasn’t a sure thing that she could get on a later flight today.

Shah stayed in a re-booking line and kept trying to call reservation phone lines but a recording told her there was a 60-minute wait for a callback.

At BWI, as a Southwest flight bound for Nashville boarded, the gate agent thanked the passengers for their patience. As he began to close the door after a seven hour delay, they applauded.

Amy Ellis Nutt, Dan Balz, Will Greenberg, Anne Kenderdine, Elizabeth Koh and Patricia Sullivan contributed to this report.

Breaking down Brady's incendiary filing in federal Deflategate case

Tom Brady vs. NFL: Is there a settlement that would please both sides?

On SI Now, Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann shares why he thinks neither the NFL nor Tom Brady are going to settle anytime soon and what a settlement could look like if there is one.

There comes a point in any litigation when there is no turning back, when no settlement can be reached. It’s the moment when both sides are resigned to taking their chances with the judge or jury. Until then, they often wage all-out war. IfTom Brady and Roger Goodell fail to reach a settlement in their case, Friday will probably be remembered as the day when the point of no return was crossed and when the gloves truly came off.

In a seething memorandum filed to U.S. District Judge Richard Berman Friday night, attorneys for Brady ridiculed Goodell as incompetent and dishonest. They also expanded earlier arguments that the NFL’s procedure for reviewing Brady’s alleged involvement in a purported ball deflation scheme in the 2015 AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts violated federal law.

On SI Now, Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann shares why he thinks neither the NFL nor Tom Brady are going to settle anytime soon and what a settlement could look like if there is one.

There comes a point in any litigation when there is no turning back, when no settlement can be reached. It’s the moment when both sides are resigned to taking their chances with the judge or jury. Until then, they often wage all-out war. IfTom Brady and Roger Goodell fail to reach a settlement in their case, Friday will probably be remembered as the day when the point of no return was crossed and when the gloves truly came off.

In a seething memorandum filed to U.S. District Judge Richard Berman Friday night, attorneys for Brady ridiculed Goodell as incompetent and dishonest. They also expanded earlier arguments that the NFL’s procedure for reviewing Brady’s alleged involvement in a purported ball deflation scheme in the 2015 AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts violated federal law.

• MMQB: Takeaways from Brady and Goodell's day in court

In a later filing Friday night, the NFL responded by asserting that questions about evidence concerning Brady’s alleged involvement are completely irrelevant under the law. The league also insists that Goodell enjoyed ample facts to conclude that Brady—whom Goodell only a week ago called “a great young man”—had “personal involvement in a tampering scheme.”

Here are my five legal takeaways from the clashing filings:

1. This was personal

While all of Brady’s legal filings to date have been critical of Goodell, the one filed on Friday appears uniquely aimed at Goodell. Its tone is especially harsh and its rhetoric is most unforgiving.
Among the many accusations leveled at Goodell in its filing, Brady’s legal team mocks Goodell’s July 28, 2015 memorandum upholding Brady’s four-game suspension as “a propaganda piece written for public consumption, at a time when the NFL believed the transcript would be sealed from public view, to validate a multi-million-dollar ‘independent’ investigation.” This is extraordinary language for any legal filing, let alone one about the commissioner of the NFL.

To advance this dismissive characterization of Goodell, Brady (through NFLPA attorneys) takes direct aim at Goodell’s assertion that Brady “destroyed” his phone. Brady highlights that Goodell “never acknowledged that Brady had turned over all of his emails and all of his phone bills.” Brady, in other words, hopes that Judge Berman—as well as Goodell’s bosses, the 32 NFL owners, and thousands of NFL players and millions of fans—view Goodell as simply not believable. If Judge Berman concludes that Goodell lied in his arbitration award (the memorandum upholding Brady’s suspension), the judge would be more likely to vacate it.

2. No matter what happens from here, Brady’s filing on Friday was damaging to Goodell

Even if Judge Berman ultimately sides with the NFL, the harm inflicted upon Goodell’s reputation from Deflategate has been severe and perhaps irreversible. Many have questioned Goodell’s judgment in going to court against one of the league’s most popular players, particularly in a case built on questionable evidence. With Friday’s filing, that same player appears determined to use the legal system to directly undermine Goodell’s credibility.

To be sure, Deflategate is unlikely to cost Goodell his job. The NFL is making more money than ever. But it would not be surprising if some owners openly wonder how the commissioner could have let this bizarre controversy get to where it is currently at: a disaster.

• Tom Brady denied ever deflating footballs at appeal hearing

Worse yet for Goodell, if the parties do not settle and Judge Berman issues an order, the loser of it will likely appeal. This would set off an appellate process that could take months if not longer. If Goodell believes the Brady matter will go away by being firm against Brady, Goodell may be sorely disappointed.

3. Judge Berman’s unexpected interest in the facts is a focal point in both sides’ briefs

In the court hearing conducted this past Wednesday, Judge Berman surprised most observers by demonstrating significant curiosity in the underlying evidence relating to Brady and slightly under-inflated footballs. The main reason for this surprise is that Judge Berman’s role is to review an arbitration award, not to conduct a trial. In such a review, judges are expected to accord high deference to the arbitrator’s findings of facts. Moreover, should he issue an order vacating or upholding Brady’s suspension, Judge Berman would base his decision primarily on how the NFL applied Article 46 of the collective bargaining agreement—not on whether Brady “did it.” Judge Berman’s interest in the facts was also surprising given that the NFL and NFLPA agreed that no discovery (which would entail each side sharing new information with one another) would be part of the judge’s review.

In its filing Friday night, the NFL indirectly reminded Judge Berman that his interest in the facts could be misplaced. Most notably, the league asserted that Goodell’s factual conclusions about Brady “may not be disturbed” under federal law. The NFL stressed that an arbitrator’s factual findings are accorded “extreme deference” under the law, meaning that Judge Berman should only explore questions about evidence with the highest form of reverence for Goodell’s fact-finding. The league even went so far to cite the U.S. Supreme Court case MLBPA v. Steve Garvey to conclude that federal judges can’t vacate arbitration awards “despite allegations that the [award] rests on factual errors.” In other words, from the NFL’s perspective, whatever concerns Judge Berman may have about the lack of direct evidence linking Brady to a ball deflation scheme should not be grounds for the judge to overrule Goodell.

Brady’s legal team clearly anticipated the NFL raising the issue of deference for Goodell’s fact-finding. In Brady’s brief, his attorneys tell Judge Berman that, “the point here is not that the Court needs to decide any disputes issues of fact.” Instead, Brady’s team explains, Judge Berman should conclude that, “the Award itself [Goodell upholding Brady’s suspension] evidences a clearly biased agenda—not an effort at fairness and consistency.” Still, Brady’s team used its brief to remind the judge of negative facts for the NFL. This was especially evident when Brady’s side bolded a quote from Wells in which Wells admitted that analysis of halftime PSI measurements was based on “uncertain” information.

• MMQB: Patriots prepare for season in shadow of Deflategate

In some ways, the attorneys for both sides are intentionally talking past each other when it comes to the issue of “facts.” Brady’s team wants Judge Berman to view Goodell’s fact-finding not as a question of evidence but as a question of process. From Brady's perspective, the absence of direct evidence is in fact a question of process, since Goodell would have misapplied Article 46 by punishing him without regard for “fairness and consistency.” In contrast, from the NFL’s perspective, the absence of direct evidence is irrelevant since Goodell is to be accorded “extreme deference.” To further this point, the league cites various forms of circumstantial evidence purportedly implicating Brady. This includes the “sudden spike in communications between Jastremski and Brady following the AFC Championship Game” and the supposed “evidence of McNally’s demands for cash, clothing and autographed items from Brady, some of which Brady provided.”

How will Judge Berman view these competing arguments about the legal significance of evidence? We’ll find out on Wednesday, which is when the parties are next scheduled to meet in court.

4. Brady team hammers home argument that rationale for his punishment has changed

One of Brady’s core arguments centered on unlawful process is that the NFL’s rationale for punishing Brady has changed without notice or explanation.

Originally, the Wells Report cited a theory that it was “more probable than not” that Brady had “general awareness” in an alleged ball deflation supposedly carried out by Jastremski and McNally. Subsequent declarations by NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent and Goodell, however, expressed far more certainty in Brady’s wrongdoing—despite the uncertain source of that increased certainty. Now the NFL portrays Brady as involved in a conspiratorial scheme, implying that he played an active role in it. Separately, the NFL has not explained what portion of the four-game suspension is based on Brady’s alleged uncooperativeness in not turning over all electronic records when initially requested.

The NFL’s brief categorically rejects this argument, stressing that “in no sense did the Commissioner depart from the original basis” for Brady’s discipline. The NFL, moreover, emphasizes that Judge Berman is obligated to provide high deference to Goodell’s interpretation of Brady’s fault. Taking a shot at the NFLPA, the NFL also referenced how “much of [Goodell’s] evidence—including the forensic analysis that revealed that Brady had destroyed his phone—came from the Union itself ... the Union cannot seriously contend that the Commissioner exceeded his authority by considering the evidence it proffered.”

5. Will witnesses testify in court next Wednesday?

In yet another surprising twist, ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported on Friday that the NFL and NFLPA might call witnesses to testify before Judge Berman next Wednesday. If this proves true, it would constitute a highly irregular development in a federal court review of an arbitration award—particularly a review where the parties have agreed that the available evidence for Judge Berman would only include the record used by Goodell. It’s not clear who the witnesses would be, but two who do not meet the criteria agreed by both parties are Patriots assistants Jim McNally and John Jastremski. Neither testified in the Brady appeal. Also, neither Brady nor Goodell are expected to be in court next Wednesday, which signals that they are unlikely to testify.

• Tom Brady returns to Patriots, plays in preseason game

Ted Wells would be one person who would meet the limited criteria to testify in court. He testified in Brady’s appeal and obviously has played a key role in the NFL’s review of Brady. Wells, however, could invoke the attorney-client privilege if called to testify before Judge Berman, just as he did during Brady’s hearing before Goodell on June 23, 2015. To be sure, Wells invoking the attorney-client privilege before Judge Berman would further undermine the NFL’s earlier characterization that Wells conducted an “independent” investigation. NFL attorneys, however, now insist that because Article 46 does not obligate the NFL to provide an accused player with an independent investigation, Wells’ independence is irrelevant under the law. As I explained last week, Judge Berman might reject such an argument under an estoppel rationale. Judge Berman could reason that the NFL should be prohibited from assuring Brady of Wells' independence and then, in a subsequent attempt to gain a legal advantage, insist that those assurances carry no legal consequence.

Michael McCann is a Massachusetts attorney and the founding director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. In the fall 2015 semester, he will teach an undergraduate course at UNH titled “Deflategate.” McCann is also the distinguished visiting Hall of Fame Professor of Law at Mississippi College School of Law.

Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and the Trumpcopter descend on the Iowa State Fair

DES MOINES -- All of the forces that have unexpectedly made this presidential contest epically memorable, and often entertaining, collided at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday.

Donald Trump, the television personality turned GOP presidential contender, in what may be a state fair first, arrived in a helicopter. And just in case that isn't enough to impress Iowans, the colorful billionaire is allowing local children to go up for a free ride while he checks out the fair's famed cow carved out of butter.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, also made an appearance at the fair on Saturday, with an entourage of security, staffers and a swarm of reporters shouting questions. And rounding out the presidential hopefuls roster on Saturday is U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is also running for the Democratic nominee and has been quickly climbing in early polls and attracting massive crowds at rallies.

The Iowa State Fair is already a bit of a spectacle itself, as summed up in this slogan: "Nothing compares." More than a million people attend each year to inspect hundreds of farm animals, listen to live music, ride the Ferris wheel, play games on the midway, have a couple beers or eat several days worth of calories in one meal. The food is a hallmark of the state fair, and this year there are nearly 200 booths competing to take fried delicacies -- especially fried food on a stick, with bonus points for the inclusion of bacon -- to new culinary heights. Menus include deep-fried nacho balls, bacon-wrapped smokies on a stick, deep-fried Twinkies, a double-bacon corn dog, pumpkin-spice funnel cake and something ominously called an "Ultimate Bacon Brisket Bomb." (Note to readers: It's okay to feel like you need an antacid after just reading that sentence.)
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Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and the Trumpcopter descend on the Iowa State Fair

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By Jenna Johnson and Philip Bump August 15 at 3:52 PM   

Clinton, State Fair-ing. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

This story has been updated.

DES MOINES -- All of the forces that have unexpectedly made this presidential contest epically memorable, and often entertaining, collided at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday.

Donald Trump, the television personality turned GOP presidential contender, in what may be a state fair first, arrived in a helicopter. And just in case that isn't enough to impress Iowans, the colorful billionaire is allowing local children to go up for a free ride while he checks out the fair's famed cow carved out of butter.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, also made an appearance at the fair on Saturday, with an entourage of security, staffers and a swarm of reporters shouting questions. And rounding out the presidential hopefuls roster on Saturday is U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is also running for the Democratic nominee and has been quickly climbing in early polls and attracting massive crowds at rallies.

The Iowa State Fair is already a bit of a spectacle itself, as summed up in this slogan: "Nothing compares." More than a million people attend each year to inspect hundreds of farm animals, listen to live music, ride the Ferris wheel, play games on the midway, have a couple beers or eat several days worth of calories in one meal. The food is a hallmark of the state fair, and this year there are nearly 200 booths competing to take fried delicacies -- especially fried food on a stick, with bonus points for the inclusion of bacon -- to new culinary heights. Menus include deep-fried nacho balls, bacon-wrapped smokies on a stick, deep-fried Twinkies, a double-bacon corn dog, pumpkin-spice funnel cake and something ominously called an "Ultimate Bacon Brisket Bomb." (Note to readers: It's okay to feel like you need an antacid after just reading that sentence.)

On Saturday, the Democratic and Republican front-runners made the pilgrimage to Des Moines.

Jerry Lynch lucked into the best possible shift volunteering to man the Gammon Barn at the Iowa State Fair. For most of his 8 a.m. to noon shift, he could stand on the porch outside, watching the press mill around waiting for the arrival of Hillary Clinton. With Secret Service at the entrance ramp to the barn, there wasn't much else to do.

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Lynch breeds Hereford cows at a farm in eastern Iowa and is a retired middle school guidance counselor. He's not a stranger to state politics, though; he serves on the central committee in Dubuque County. But he hadn't made up his mind who to support yet, first because it's "damn early" and second because the Democratic National Committee asked him to participate in a group trying to figure out how to bolster turnout for the caucus. (Perhaps thanks to so many other Democrats having already made up their minds about who to support.)

After a few minutes, the unexpected: someone less interested in politics and more interested in his barn arrived. "Hey," Lynch exclaimed,"someone wants to see the Hereford barn!"

Clinton arrived at the fair just after 11 a.m., accompanied by former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, who just endorsed her. Clinton shook hands with a few of the fairgoers who waited in the sun for an hour to see her, and then stepped back to wave at the others. Before addressing a swarm of reporters, she and Harkin stopped to chat with a young boy watching the spectacle with his white and brown calf.

"I'm deeply honored to have Tom's support," Clinton told the dozens of reporters who gathered for a rare opportunity to ask her questions."

A couple dozen Iowan children and their parents gathered at a baseball field near the state fair grounds and excitedly waited for the arrival of Donald Trump and his helicopter. The campaign had been promised to take as many of them as possible up for rides to see the state fair from the air. As the sound of helicopter blades became louder, the Iowan children who were randomly selected for this Willy-Wonka-like opportunity -- a chopper ride with a presidential candidate who they've likely only seen on TV -- ran out of the shade to watch his descent.

The helicopter lowered toward the parking lot next to a baseball field near the fair grounds, throwing up leaves and dirt at the swarm of waiting reporters. The door opened and out he came, sporting a red baseball cap with the message "Make America Great Again" and bright white shoes that likely wouldn't do well in the cow barn.

Trump made his way toward a fence separating him from a horde of reporters and declared: "It's a great honor to be here."

Then he looked around for his backdrop: "Where are the children? Get them over here. That's great."

When asked by a reporter why he had staged this spectacle, Trump said: "I love children. I love Iowa, great place. I've really developed a relationship with it. And it's an amazing place."

There were also a few super fans who stealthily tracked down the helicopter's precise landing spot. Two women brought along a blanket decorated with Trump's face and slogan.

One of those fans: Joe McNeley, 54, who said he used to be a Democrat but hasn't voted in a presidential election in years. McNeley said he loves Trump, and wants to see him become president.

"Since the Bush years, I haven't been interested in putting anyone in power," said McNeley, who lives in Ankeny, just outside of Des Moines. "Mr. Trump -- he's not in the political realm. He speaks his mind and he's not afraid."

Trump turned back to the young fans behind him, many wearing campaign shirts they had received that day. Some were the children of friends of campaign staffers, others the kids of the ballfield's board of directors.

"I love my kids," Trump said. "Come here. Does anyone want to take a ride? It's nice, right? ... Who wants to go first? We're going to have some fun... They're going to have a great time. It's a great experience."

As a reporter tried to ask Trump about comments he'd made yesterday about rival GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush, Trump cut him off from finishing the question and let everyone know, at length, what he thought about Bush "Jeb Bush is a puppet to his donors, there's no question about that. And he's got lobbyists. I know them... And, you know, he made statements over the last couple of days that are incredible, trying to justify the war in Iraq -- I can't be justified."

He called Bush's "skin in the game" comment "one of the dumbest things I've ever heard" and likely an attempt by Bush to protect his brother "because I understand psychology."

Trump then took questions from reporters -- often devolving into his usual rants about the loss of jobs to other countries, the need to be fiercely protective of the U.S., the greatness of the wall he will build on the southern border and the need to, as his hat says, make America great again. If he ran into Clinton at the fair, what would he say? "I would say hello." For Clinton, the fair was also a test of her retail-politics skills, another chance to push back at the image critics and rivals have painted of an impersonal and aloof politician who is unable to connect with voters. Her campaign has largely focused on placing her in settings with small groups of voters, although she did attend a Fourth of July parade in New Hampshire last month -- only to have her appearance overshadowed by hecklers and outrage over her staffers using a rope to keep reporters away from the candidate.

Several other candidates have already made their requisite pilgrimage to the state fair this year. Bush strayed from his strict Paleo diet on Friday, eating a pork chop and deep-fried Snickers bar (both on a stick, of course) and downing a beer well before lunchtime. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) and his wife sampled some pork on Thursday morning. That afternoon, former Democratic senator from Virginia Jim Webb schmoozed with a George Washington doppelganger and former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley (D) posed for selfies in front of the butter cow.

As Trump's comments continued, hitting 15 minutes and continuing on, the children behind him became restless. The mogul stopped taking questions, posed for a photo with all of the children and then started loading people onto the helicopter: "It's a beautiful machine, isn't it?"

The helicopter ride was brief, just a few minutes in the air and a quick circle of the fairgrounds. Trump left his chopper at the ball field so other kids could get a turn. He hopped into a gold cart and headed to the fair.

Iowa's status as home to the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest has made its the state fair a rite of passage for those who dream of becoming the next president. But it's also a political obstacle course that has tripped up many prior candidates. In that laid-back atmosphere -- and with a stomach roiling from consuming who-knows-what -- it's easy to get too casual, too flippant, too funny, too trusting of reporters with cameras. With time have come these lessons: Don't wear a suit. Don't order the corn dog -- and if you do, don't jam it straight into your mouth. Don't cut the line to see the butter cow. Don't get grease stains all over your shirt. And don't say things like: "Corporations are people." Sanders was "a scary person."

"He's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Steve said. "Once he gets into office, he's going to change."

Near where Sanders was meeting people, another argument broke out. Keith Hora was arguing against socialism, despite being on Medicare, which he referred to as "socialized medicine."

He didn't agree with Steve, though. "There's a difference between communism and socialism," he said.

As Sanders's voice boomed from the tiny soapbox stage with his call for "political revolution," a swarm of onlookers stopped in their tracks to listen, making the main-course of the fair nearly impossible to cross for roughly 15 minutes. For those trying to get through so they could exit the fair -- or buy a root beer float, super-sized corn dog or Dutch letter at stands just beyond the soapbox -- there were occasionally screams of "Move!" As he spoke, Sanders, one of the race's least wealthy candidates, spotted Trump's helicopter hovering above. "I apologize -- we left the helicopter at home. I forgot to bring it," he said.

Trump and Clinton had already opted out of appearing at the soapbox, a beloved state fair tradition: an opportunity for presidential hopefuls to share their vision for the future of the nation with fair-goers -- and get mercilessly heckled. The risk is high. After all, the soapbox is where former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in 2011 made the "corporations are people" comment, a damaging gaffe that followed him to the election. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) took the soapbox challenge as he visited the fair on Friday and was endlessly pelted with questionsabout the legacy of the two former presidents in his family and the Iraq war.

Clinton drew pre-visit criticism for not partaking in the tradition. Trump -- who is often more than eager to answer questions -- said he was skipping the soapbox because of an ongoing feud with the Register: "I don't do that because that paper was, in my opinion, not relevant," he told reporters Saturday.

Flight delays persist as F.A.A. resumes operations

The Federal Aviation Administration said it resumed operations Saturday afternoon after an automation problem at an air traffic control center in Leesburg, Va., halted flights across the country. Airlines also started to resume services, but delays and cancellations still remain. The FAA is working with airlines to return to normal operations, and the agency expects to lift any remaining traffic management programs by 4 p.m. EST, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in a statement.

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Flight delays persist as F.A.A. resumes operationsTyler Pager, USA TODAY2 minutes agoFacebookTwitterGoogle Plusmore

The Federal Aviation Administration said it resumed operations Saturday afternoon after an automation problem at an air traffic control center in Leesburg, Va., halted flights across the country. Airlines also started to resume services, but delays and cancellations still remain.

The FAA is working with airlines to return to normal operations, and the agency expects to lift any remaining traffic management programs by 4 p.m. EST, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in a statement.

Jacquelyn Martin, AP

A man walks past people standing in line at Washington's Reagan National more

"The FAA is continuing its root cause analysis to determine what caused the problem and is working closely with the airlines to minimize impacts to travelers," she said.

Flights in and out of New York and Washington, D.C., area airports were affected by the technical problem.
Reagan Airport @Reagan_Airport

Update: @FAANews is beginning to resume flight operations. Passengers should check w/their airline for info about their specific flight.

The AP reported the automation problem stemmed from the En Route Automation Modernization computer system, known as ERAM, which the FAA installed at 20 high-altitude traffic control centers. The installation was completed earlier this year behind schedule, according to the AP.

The Baltimore airport tweeted Saturday afternoon that a computer outage was keeping arrivals and departures at Reagan, Dulles International Airport and its own airport at a minimum.

Representatives from Southwest Airlines said the outage was also causing delays and cancellations at Richmond International Airport, Norfolk International Airport and Raleigh Durham International Airport. The airline said the large amount of delays could impact flights around the country as well.

As of 2 p.m. EST, Southwest said fewer than 200 of its flights were canceled due to the automation problem.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5's Full Soundtrack Revealed

Posted on The Ride Channel (via Alt Press), the 32-song soundtrack includes songs from bands like Anti-Flag and Royal Blood, as well as artists like Skrillex and Atmosphere.

Unfortunately, Goldfinger's "Superman" isn't there.

"I've always been proud of our video game soundtracks, and #THPS5 is no exception," Tony Hawk himself said on Twitter.

Pro Skater 5 Soundtrack:
Anti-Flag – "Stars and Stripes"Atmosphere – "Southsiders"Black Pistol Fire – "Hipster Shakes"Bully – "Milkman"Cloud Nothings – "I'm Not Part of Me"Cold Cave – "A Little Death to Laugh"Connie Price and the Keystones – "International Hustler"Crass Mammoth – "All 149"Deaf Poets – "Degenerate Mind"Death - "Keep on Knocking"Death From Above 1979 – "Virgins"Deer Mother – "When the Wolves Come Out"Doomtree – "Mini Brute"Fake P - "Rorschach"Family Force 5 – "Raised by Wolves"Four Year Strong – "Go Down in History"Harlan - "Moment to Myself"Hundred Visions - "Our Ritual"Hungry Hands - "Highline" by Hungry HandsIcon for Hire – "Cynics & Critics"Killer Be Killed – "Wings of Feather and Wax"New Politics – "Everywhere I Go"Plague Vendor – "Black Sap Scriptures"Ratt Black - "Skate Rock"Ratatat – "Cream on Chrome"Royal Blood – "Little Monster"The Schitzophonics - "Rat Trap"State Champs – "Secrets"Temples – "Shelter Song"The Orwells – "Who Needs You"The Sheds – "Bad Things Are Bad"Yogi and Skrillex (feat. Pusha T, Moody Good, and TrollFace) – "Burial"

Pro Skater 5 is due out for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on September 29, with Xbox 360 and PS3 versions coming on November 10. The current-gen versions will be the only ones to offer the "seamless" online multiplayer mode that allows for 20 players to skate together at the same time.

Giuliana Rancic Opens the Doors of Her Gorgeous Brownstone With Bill Rancic

This brownstone was meant for living! Former E! News host Giuliana Rancic and her husband, the first Apprentice winner, Bill Rancic, opened the doors to their gorgeous Chicago brownstone to Traditional Home magazine in its September 2015 issue.

"We have such a rich social life in Chicago," Giuliana told the mag of the midwestern city. "That just wasn’t the case in Los Angeles—it seemed like one giant office with great weather."

Her husband, who was born and raised in the Windy City, echoed G's sentiments. "This city has everything to offer, including a community of people with strong Midwestern values," the entrepreneur gushed. "We knew the family who lived here before, and they put a great vibe in this house that we hope to continue. We’ve always had one foot here, and now we have two. Finally, we’re home."

Indeed, after 14 years in front of the camera, Giuliana signed off from her E! News hosting duties this past Monday, Aug. 10. "And on this note...it's a wrap. Fourteen years of memories at one show," the Fashion Police co-host wrote on Instagram, alongside a pic of Bill giving her a huge hug on set. "Fifty more years of memories to be made with my soulmate. Let's do this @billrancic!!!!!"

In their next journey together, the reality stars -- married since 2007 and parents to 3-year-old son Duke -- enlisted the help of interior designer Lonni Paul to help redesign their 19th century home. Paul brought in aesthetics that mimicked the power couple's jetsetting lifestyles.

"I used blue in California to tribute the water," Paul -- who designed their home in L.A.'s Brentwood neighborhood -- told Traditional Home in its latest issue. "But in this rowhouse, which doesn’t allow light to pour in from either side, the blue functioned as a tool to create light and airiness that wouldn’t read heavy and dull when the sky turned cold and gray."

Paul also worked in the couple's impressive collection of artwork, featuring pieces by both emerging and established artists. In the couple's breakfast room, a painting of a limo by Adam McEwen hangs over the seating area.

When I began collecting, it was suggested to me that I start with artists from my generation,” Giuliana said of the piece. “In my youth, the limousine represented wealth and status. It was chic to pull up in a stretch limo. Now, the limousine is somewhat archaic, and high-profile event transportation happens in a black SUV.”

The couple's spaces reflect their everyday lifestyles. “We debated between glass or mirror fronts on the cabinets,” she said of the master bedroom. “But I don’t keep pieces that I don’t wear. I edit my things often, and knew that the cabinets would be visually organized.”

STARS AND SCARS

RON WHITE KIM KARDASHIAN FOR PRESIDENT

Blue Collar comedian Ron White has no problem cracking truckstop jokes about whose butt should be ensconced in the Oval Office.  

We spotted White out in Beverly Hills and the "Drunk In Public" jokester told us that Kim Kardashian has his vote for president ... ridiculous, right? 

RIHANNA, LEWIS HAMILTON TOGETHER AGAIN

It's getting clearer by the day ... Lewis Hamilton is one lucky dude, because all signs point to a relationship withRihanna.

The race car driver and Riri were partying at Griffin nightclub Friday, in NYC's Meatpacking District.

It seems it's all on the QT, because they arrived separately.  But they've been at the same place in enough towns and countries lately to fuel rumors.

They were both at 1OAK in NYC Tuesday, and partying in Barbados last week.

But the theory has holes ... after leaving Griffin, Rihanna and Akon's brother Boo went to breakfast together.

L.A. COPS 'Straight Outta Compton 'PUTS US AT RISK

Many LAPD cops are pissed at the release of "Straight Outta Compton" ... because they feel the movie fuels hatred of police and compromises their safety.

The cops we spoke with share one sentiment ... the movie portrays the LAPD officers as "beating machines" ... brutalizing innocent citizens in the inner city.

Former L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine, who was himself an LAPD cop and headed up the Police Protective League, tells us, "It's a terrible time to release a movie like this. It adds fuel to the fire for hating cops."

The cops we spoke with are bitter, especially because they say they've spent a lot of time and energy creating bonds in areas where police abuse was once prevalent.

Some of the officers specifically blame Universal, saying the studio is putting profits above the safety of the officers who make L.A. safe.

And all of the officers say the timing is awful, given what's going on across the country. If Universal was determined to release the movie, the cops we spoke with say they should have waited. 

Courtesy:TMZ

Cubans stunned by John Jerry's speech

The sight was so unlikely that some Cubans could scarcely believe it: a US secretary of state lecturing their Communist government about democracy and human rights on state television.

As the US flag was raised at America's embassy in Havana for the first time in 54 years, John Kerry called for a "genuine democracy" in Cuba and his comments were broadcast across the country in full, translated accurately into Spanish so everyone could understand.

Cubans should be free to choose their own leaders, Kerry said, telling the government to respect international norms of human rights.

Cuba's government hit back by criticising the United States' own record on rights, but it did let its people hear Kerry.

Even so, many doubt it will lead to major changes.

"It would be great if everything said were actually accomplished. We'll see if it's more than just talk," said Leyania Martinez, 44, a neighbour of the US embassy who watched the ceremony on television.

US-Cuban relations took a dramatic turn in December when Cuban President Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama announced an end to decades of hostility.

Since then, Obama has eased restrictions on travel and trade, believing engagement with Cuba will do more to encourage personal freedoms on the island than Cold War-era rhetoric and a economic embargo.

Cuban dissidents believe Obama is making a real attempt at change but that Castro will hold firm, refusing to loosen the Communist Party's hold on power.

"No, nothing is going to change because the US government shows good intentions but the Cuban regime doesn't, in fact everything to the contrary," said Jose Daniel Ferrer, leader of the largest dissident group, the Patriotic Union of Cuba.

Like other dissidents, he was not invited to the flag-raising ceremony but he did meet with Kerry at the US embassy residence.

Despite his scepticism, Ferrer was struck by the image of Kerry's message broadcast on tightly controlled Cuban television.

"Yes, that's positive for the cause," he said.

A few hundred Cubans and tourists braved the intense August heat and tight security around the embassy to watch the US flag go up while a US Army band played the national anthem.

Others watched it all at home or at work.

Cubans are generally pleased with the rapprochement between Havana and Washington but hold mixed opinions about the extent to which it might improve their lives.

Many hope an influx of American tourists and businesses will perk up the Cuban economy, though for now the US trade embargo of Cuban remains in place and the economy is weak.

"With a salary, I can't sustain myself. I just want to be able to earn enough money to live, not even to be rich or anything," said Isabel Valencia, 44, who has her own pastry business in Havana and has stayed in Cuba while most of her family has moved to the United States.

In the eastern city of Camaguey, Anaida Morales stumbled upon broadcasts of the fanfare, and said it was a popular topic of conversation while walking the streets.

"The Cuban government needs to act accordingly and be a little more flexible so the population can see more benefits," Morales said.

While some Cubans wondered about their own government, others doubted the United States was ready to change and said it had little credibility on human rights issues.

"The US wants to show that they practice 'real' democracy. But who has committed more atrocities in the world than the United States? Who has invaded all of the countries of Latin America, including Cuba? The United States," said Melanio Martinez, 79.

Both the US and Cuban governments say there will be many obstacles and disputes ahead. Castro, who has made modest market-style reforms since taking over from his elder brother Fidel Castro in 2008, has made clear he has no intention of allowing rapid political changes.

Felix Lopez, a locksmith from Havana, leaned on the security gate outside the embassy to get a view of the ceremony. He openly wondered how much more progress he might see.

"They say it will happen over the long term, but if the term is really long, I'm not going to see it. I'm 65 years old," Lopez said. "This is a population of seniors. Both sides need to hurry up because every day there is greater need."

New fire erupts in China chemical warehouse site

A new fire erupted Saturday amid fresh explosions at the site of this week's deadly chemical warehouse blasts in the northeastern Chinese port of Tianjin, sending plumes of smoke into the air.

The flames were visible starting at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday and several small explosions also were heard. The latest blaze occurred shortly after local authorities announced Friday that the fire had been "basically extinguished."

Residents living near the site of Wednesday night's large warehouse explosions received an order to evacuate due to concerns about chemical pollutants in the air, the official Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

Xinhua said the evacuation order affected residents living within a 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) radius of the site, although it later denied on Twitter that the government had issued the order.

The news agency said specialized anti-chemical warfare soldiers also entered the core area of the blast sites on Saturday to search for possible survivors and investigate the causes of the explosions.

It said the exact content of the containers at the warehouse, which is licensed to store dangerous chemicals, remains unknown.

But it added that Gao Huaiyou, deputy head of the Tianjin administrative bureau of work safety, told reporters that sodium cyanide may have been one of the chemicals being stored.

The task of identifying the content is complicated by the fact that the containers were not open and some were not even registered, Xinhua reported, citing Gao.

The death toll from the explosions currently stands at 85, while 25 people are listed as critically injured and 33 in serious condition. 

Europe migrant crisis: Dozens die in hold of Libya boat

The accounts of Mueller's ordeal were first reported by British newspaper The Independent and later confirmed by her family to the Associated Press and ABC News.

Mueller, 26, from Prescott, Ariz., was taken captive in Syria in August 2013 while leaving a Spanish Doctors without Borders hospital in Aleppo.

Al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed "caliph" of the Islamic State, brought her "live and in person" to the home of Abu Sayyaf, a Tunisian in charge of oil and gas revenue for the group, counter-terrorism officials have told ABC News over the past several months.

The details of Mueller's treatment were initially reported by several Yazidi girls who were held at the house, including a 14-year-old and her sister who managed to escape in August 2014, The Independent reported. The teen's version has been corroborated by U.S. officials.

The Yazidi teen eventually made her way to Iraqi Kurdistan, where she talked to U.S. commandos in November 2014, the Associated Press reported. Intelligence agencies corroborated her account and American officials passed it on to Mueller's parents in June.

Some 320 others were rescued when the vessel was intercepted off Libya.

The dead were found in the fishing boat's hold. It is thought they died after inhaling fumes from the engine, the rescue vessel's captain said.

European officials say the plight of migrants, almost 250,000 of whom have crossed by boat to the continent this year, is "beyond urgent".

So far this year, more than 2,000 migrants have died trying to cross the sea to Europe, the UN says.

The BBC's James Reynolds in Rome says it has become the world's most dangerous migrant journey.

Distressing

The fishing boat was apparently taking on water when it was spotted about 21 nautical miles (39km) off the Libyan coast and south of the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said about 320 people had been rescued but "they are still counting the victims". Those rescued included about 10 women, as well as children.

The commander of the naval vessel involved in the rescue said his officers had encountered distressing scenes when they boarded the fishing boat.

They found dead bodies in the hold floating in water, fuel and human excrement, Massimo Tozzi said.

In other developments in the eastern Mediterranean:

Coastguards on the Greek island of Kos said they rescued more than 200 people in several small boats on Saturday, Reuters reportedA ferry sent to Kos to be a floating registration and accommodation centre for 2,500 refugees was not yet operational 24 hours after arriving.

Officials: ISIL leader sexually assaulted American hostage

Kayla Mueller, an American aid worker who died in February while being held by the Islamic State, was repeatedly raped during captivity by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the terror group's leader, according to counter-terrorism officials and Mueller's family. The accounts of Mueller's ordeal were first reported by British newspaper The Independent and later confirmed by her family to the Associated Press and ABC News.

Mueller, 26, from Prescott, Ariz., was taken captive in Syria in August 2013 while leaving a Spanish Doctors without Borders hospital in Aleppo.

Al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed "caliph" of the Islamic State, brought her "live and in person" to the home of Abu Sayyaf, a Tunisian in charge of oil and gas revenue for the group, counter-terrorism officials have told ABC News over the past several months.

The details of Mueller's treatment were initially reported by several Yazidi girls who were held at the house, including a 14-year-old and her sister who managed to escape in August 2014, The Independent reported. The teen's version has been corroborated by U.S. officials.

The Yazidi teen eventually made her way to Iraqi Kurdistan, where she talked to U.S. commandos in November 2014, the Associated Press reported. Intelligence agencies corroborated her account and American officials passed it on to Mueller's parents in June.

Additional information came from Abu Sayyaf's wife, Umm Sayyaf, who was captured in May by U.S. Special Forces.  Abu Sayyaf was killed in the raid, which also yielded a treasure trove of intelligence about the terror group.

According to the accounts by the Yazidi girls, many Yazidi women passed through the Sayyaf house on the way to being given as "presents" to Islamic State fighters. They said rape was a "reward" for military victories. The girls also told interrogators that Umm Sayyaf organized the sex trade.

During lengthy American interrogation in Iraq, Umm Sayyaf confirmed al-Baghdadi had "owned" Kayla, the Muellers said they were told by American officials. Last week the White House announced that Umm Sayyaf would be prosecuted in Kurdish Iraq and would be “held accountable for her crimes.”

"They told us that he married her, and we all understand what that means," Carl Mueller, Kayla's father, told the AP on Friday, which would have been his daughter's 27th birthday.

Her mother, Marsha Mueller, added, "Kayla did not marry this man. He took her to his room and he abused her and she came back crying."

Afterward, Mueller, who had learned some Arabic while in captivity, would tell her fellow captives — sometimes tearfully — what had happened, the AP reported.

"Kayla tried to protect these young girls," her mother said. "She was like a mother figure to them."

When the teenage Yazidi girl escaped with her sister, she asked Mueller to accompany her, the parents were told, but Kayla refused, worrying that her obvious Western appearance would lead to their capture.

The Islamic State claimed Mueller was killed in February in a Jordanian air strike near Raqqah, the group's self-declared capital in Syria. U.S. officials confirmed the death but not the circumstances.

Italy: At least 40 migrants dead at sea, 320 others rescued

ROME (AP) — At least 40 migrants died Saturday in the hold of an overcrowded smuggling boat in the Mediterranean Sea north of Libya, apparently killed by fuel fumes, and some 320 others on the same boat were saved by the Italian navy, the rescue ship's commander said. Migrants by the tens of thousands are braving the perilous journey across the Mediterranean this year, hoping to reach Europe and be granted asylum. They are fleeing war, persecution and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

"The dead were found in the hold," Cmdr. Massimo Tosi, speaking from the navy ship Cigala Fulgosi while the rescue was still ongoing. Asked by RaiNews24 how the migrants died, Tosi said "it appears to be from inhaling exhaust fumes."

"They are still counting the victims," Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told reporters.

Tosi said the survivors included 45 women and three children.

When rescuers stepped aboard, the bodies of migrants were "lying in water, fuel, human excrement" in the hold, Tosi said, adding that among the survivors, "women were crying for their husbands (and) their children who died in the crossing."

Prior to Saturday's disaster, at least 2,100 migrants died at sea this year trying to make the crossing from the shores of Libya, where human traffickers are based, to Italy. Migration organizations say the Libya-to-Italy crossing is by far the deadliest. The exact toll of dead will never be known, as some boats are believed by authorities to have gone down at sea without rescuers being aware of them.

The number of migrants trying to reach Europe by sea is on track to hit a record this year, according to the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration.

Greece has reported 134,988 arrivals from Turkey this year, the group said, while Italy recorded more than 100,000 migrants rescued at sea by mid-August. Along with other migrants landing in Spain and Malta, that makes over 243,000 people crossing so far this year — compared to 219,000 for all of 2014.

ELECTIONS 2016 Clinton, Sanders let passion take flight at wing ding

CLEAR LAKE, Ia. – In a high-energy showdown, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both gave impassioned speeches at the Iowa Wing Ding, growing hoarse at times as they teed off on their GOP rivals, forcefully declared that black lives matter, and argued they'd be the best fighters for economic and social justice. Now we know that most of the attention these days is on a certain flamboyant front-runner," Clinton said, referring to billionaire businessman and TV star Donald Trump, the new leader in the GOP race in Iowa. "Don't let the circus distract you. If you look at their policies, most of the other candidates are just Trump without the pizzazz or the hair."

Sanders, a Vermont U.S. senator, blasted his colleagues for forgetting about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and for appearing "hellbent to get us into other wars."

A stream of people in the sold-out audience of 2,100 exited before the speeches by two other contenders — former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee — both of whom sit at the bottom of polling in Iowa, which kicks off the nation's presidential voting.

Clinton got the warmest response of the quartet at the multicounty fundraiser, which has been held for 12 years at the historic Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.

In her teleprompter-aided speech, Clinton spent considerable energy shredding Republicans, sometimes with her hand balled in a fist. She said Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio brags about wanting to deny victims of rape and incest access to abortion, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and all of the GOP candidates want to strip federal funding from abortion provider Planned Parenthood.

I know some people think, 'There she goes again with the women's issues,' " she said. "If calling for equal pay is playing the gender card, then deal me in."

That brought chants of "HILL-A-RY. HILL-A-RY."

Clinton went on: "If Republicans think they're going to win this election by demeaning or dividing women, then they're the ones not playing with a full deck."

Sanders also elicited standing ovations, jabbing a finger in the air as he made his points.

"Nobody will fight harder than I will to end racism in America and to reform our broken criminal justice system," he said.

Another hit: "Health care is a right, not a privilege."

And: "No Keystone pipeline."

And: "I voted against the war in Iraq."

The crowd broke into a chorus of "BER-NIE. BER-NIE."

Clinton mixed battle-cry fierceness with humor.

Referring to a new Snapchat account, she said: "I love it. Those messages disappear all by themselves."

Clinton has been dogged for months by news coverage of her unorthodox use of a private email server to conduct official business as U.S. secretary of state. The FBI is now investigating, zeroing in on emails that contained highly classified information.

Clinton argued that the attention isn't about emails or servers. "It's about politics." She said she provided her home-based server to the Justice Department.

"But here's what I won't do. I won't get down in the mud with them. I won't play politics with national security or dishonor the memory of those who we lost (in the Benghazi tragedy). I won't pretend that this is anything other than what it is, the same old partisan games we've seen so many times before, so I don't care how many super PACs and Republicans pile on. I've been fighting for families and underdogs my entire life, and I'm not going to start now."

Clinton at one point had a coughing spell, which she blamed on talking too much. She drank some water, then continued, her voice ragged for a bit. "You guys have been revving me up so much," she said.

After her speech, Clinton sat with the crowd; Sanders left the building.

O'Malley was equally impassioned, but his remarks didn't cause the audience to jump to their feet as frequently as for the first two speakers. Clinton trumpeted the news that popular Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin had endorsed her. O'Malley countered that by revealing that former Iowa U.S. Rep. Berkley Bedell is "supporting me in this tough race."

O'Malley, who knows he's an underdog, tried to encroach on Clinton and Sanders' territory by arguing that with his history of accomplishments as a former big city mayor and Maryland governor, people can trust him to get things done.

"You and I are part of a living, self-creating mystery called the United States of America," said O'Malley, who also used a teleprompter to guide him through his prepared remarks.

But the American dream is in jeopardy, he said.

"What have we come to as a nation when you can get pulled over for a broken taillight in our country, but if you wreck the nation's economy you are untouchable," O'Malley said, to big applause.

Chafee was the final speaker. So many people made for the exits, gabbing as they went, that those who remained seated tried to shush them.

One of Chafee's best applause lines came when he railed against Bush for his Iraq remarks in Davenport on Thursday.

"Jeb said Iraq was secure in 2009, and he said mission accomplished, and he said taking out Saddam Hussein turned out to be a pretty good deal. What kind of neo-con Kool-Aid is this man drinking?"

Iraq was "a chaotic mess as a result of his brother's actions," he said, referring to President George W. Bush.

The wing ding, where the main dishes are mild or spicy chicken wings, has blossomed from a tri-county event into a big deal that raises cash for 23 counties, said Randy Black, event chairman.

El Niño Could Be Among Strongest on Record, Raising Risk of Floods

The phenomenon known as El Niño is brewing in the Pacific Ocean — and it could be one of the strongest on record, raising the risk of floods and mudslides this winter in Southern California, forecasters said Thursday.

It won't produce enough rain to end the historic drought in California, they said.

Still, it could rival the most powerful El Niño since records were first kept in 1950, experts from the government's Climate Prediction Center said. That was during the winter of 1997-98, when Southern California was drenched with twice its normal rainfall.

El Niño, an occasional warming of the Pacific waters around the equator, can change weather patterns around the world. In the United States, it usually means heavier than normal winter rain in California and much of the South and East.

It also generally suppresses hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean — and this has been an extremely quiet Atlantic hurricane season. There have been three tropical storms and not a single hurricane.

This year's ocean warming could make for what some climatologists are calling a Super El Niño. One went so far as to tell the Los Angeles Times that it "has the potential of being the Godzilla El Niño." And a NOAA blogger cheekilysuggested naming it Bruce Lee.

Scientists have already recorded unusual warmth in the zone of Pacific Ocean in question, and it could reach 2 degrees Celsius above normal. That has only happened three times in 65 years — in 1997-98, 1982-83 and 1972-73.

The forecasters said they are expecting a wetter than normal winter in the South and along the East Coast to southern New England. Temperatures are expected to run above average from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes and below average in the Southwest and Southeast.

Exactly how big a dent El Niño makes in the California drought will depend on the vagaries of day-to-day weather this winter.

But it won't be enough. Kevin Werner, director of Western climate services for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told reporters that would take something wetter than the wettest year on record.

"At this point there's no cause for rejoicing that El Nino's here to save the day," said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "It's a serious situation, and the word still needs to be 'conserve.' The drought is not ending anytime soon."