Starting from Sept 1, first grade pupils in primary schools across the country will use the same textbooks. Breaking tradition, students will first learn some Chinese characters, and later learn the Chinese phonetic alphabet.
2017年8月31日星期四
Intellectual property used as collateral for loans
Altogether 267 enterprises in Shanghai's Pudong district have benefited from a novel policy that allows them to apply for loans from banks using patents, trademarks, and copyrights as collateral, Shanghai Pudong New District Intellectual Property said on Thursday.
BILLIONS FOR TEXAS President Trump reportedly pressing Congress for Harvey relief funds
President Trump is requesting that nearly $6 billion be made available for the Harvey recovery process.
The administration urged Congress on Thursday to approve and provide $5.95 billion for the initial response and recovery efforts related to the devastating hurricane affecting parts of Texas and Louisiana, Axios reported.
A senior administration official told the website that White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney will be calling Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill this week, asking them for their support on the funding plan.
The official added that the Trump administration believes the requested amount will be more than enough to support hurricane recovery efforts until year's end.
If approved by Congress, $5.5 billion would go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for its disaster relief operations and $450 million to the Small Business Administration to assist affected businesses.
To access the funding, the U.S. debt limit would have to be increased – a move that would aim at lowering the risk of default, Bloomberg Politics reported.
A separate official told the news site that the White House was looking to extend the limit long enough to move back the threat of default until Congress is able to draft a budget for the full federal fiscal year.
Trump has expressed his desire to move swiftly on recovery efforts and rebuild damaged areas in Houston and southeast Texas. Some Democrats have said that the area could need more than $150 billion in federal aid. The initial request is expected to be a down payment on a larger federal aid package, the Washington Post reported.
The news came on the same day that President Trump pledged $1 million of his personal money to aid victims of Hurricane Harvey in both Texas and Louisiana.
"The president is pledging a million dollars of personal money to help," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Thursday.
Sanders said the president asked that she "check with" reporters for "suggestions" on groups and organizations that would be "best and most effective in providing aid."
The press secretary was asked whether Trump would pay the $1 million from his personal funds, or from the Trump Organization.
"I know the president said he was going to give — I don't know the legal part of exactly that, but he said his personal money," Sanders answered. "So I assume that comes directly from him."
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed reporting to this story.
Perry Chiaramonte is a reporter for FoxNews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @perrych
China's Inner Mongolia sees record coal reserves
HOHHOT, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China's leading coal producer, on Friday reported that its total proved coal reserves surpassed one trillion tonnes as of the end of 2016. ...
China's Inner Mongolia sees record coal reserves
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China's leading coal producer, on Friday reported that its total proved coal reserves surpassed one trillion tonnes as of the end of 2016.
Panda live streams need to be supervised: experts
Live streaming sites have turned giant pandas into online celebrities and promoted panda-related industries. However, experts point out the industrialization might disturb giant pandas. ...
Anti-dumping probe into US rubber not countermove to Section 301 investigation: Ministry of Commerce
China's recent anti-dumping investigation into hydrogenated butyl rubber from the United Sates, the European Union, and Singapore is not a countermove to the Section 301 investigation initiated by the U.S., according to China's Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng. ...
Chinese university, international top publisher to co-establish academic journal
The global publishing company John Wiley & Sons Inc recently signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with a Chinese university to co-establish InfoMat (Information Material), the subordinate academic journal of its top journal, Advanced Materials, Xinhua News Agency reported on Aug. 30. ...
SECURITY THREAT? US alerted to seizure of Uranium mine in Africa
An Al Qaeda affiliate has seized control of uranium mines in Africa with the intent of supplying the material to Iran, according to a diplomatic letter from a top Somali official appealing to the U.S. for "immediate military assistance."
The letter, reviewed by Fox News, was addressed to U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Stephen Schwartz. Somalia's Ambassador to the U.S. Ahmed Awad confirmed to Fox News on Thursday that the letter "has indeed been issued" by Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Garaad Omar, whose signature is on the document.
The Aug. 11-dated letter delivered an urgent warning to the U.S. that the al-Shabaab terror network has linked up with the regional ISIS faction and is "capturing territory" in the central part of the country.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL LETTER
'Every day that passes without intervention provides America's enemies with additional material for nuclear weapons.'
"This issue can be summed up in a single word: uranium," the letter said. "Al-Shabaab forces have captured critical surface exposed uranium deposits in the Galmudug region and are strip mining triuranium octoxide for transport to Iran."
For the Trump administration, the warning represents yet another potential security threat, as the U.S. government simultaneously grapples with a nuclear standoff with North Korea, the prospect of a stalemate in Afghanistan and ISIS activity across the Middle East and North Africa.
But the letter said "now is not the time to look away," urging the U.S. ambassador to consider the request for intelligence and military assistance.
"Only the United States has the capacity to identify and smash Al-Shabaab elements operating within our country. The time for surgical strikes and limited engagement has passed, as Somalia's problems have metastasized into the World's problems," the letter said. "Every day that passes without intervention provides America's enemies with additional material for nuclear weapons. There can be no doubt that global stability is at stake."
The State Department would not comment on the diplomatic letter, but did not dispute its authenticity and referred Fox News to the government of Somalia. Iran was supposed to pull back on its nuclear program under the terms of the agreement struck with the Obama administration.
Catherine Herridge is an award-winning Chief Intelligence correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) based in Washington, D.C. She covers intelligence, the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security. Herridge joined FNC in 1996 as a London-based correspondent.
Jake Gibson is a producer working at the Fox News Washington bureau who covers politics, law enforcement and intelligence issues.
Russian consulate in San Francisco denounces US "unfriendly decision" to order its closure
Russia's Consulate General in San Francisco, a city on the US West Coast, issued a statement Thursday to denounce the US State Department order earlier in the day to close it down. ...
Shanghai sets up China's 1st flight base for drones
The first test-flight base for civilian drones opened in Shanghai on Thursday, according to the East China Regional Administration of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
Free trade zones on agenda for BRICS
In their upcoming summit, BRICS countries are expected to discuss using free trade zones as an early, practical step toward fulfilling their goal of enhancing regional trade and investment, experts at high-level government think tanks said on Thursday. ...
China, Tajikistan agree to forge comprehensive strategic partnership
Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) greets President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon during a welcome ceremony before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Aug 31, 2017.
Pedal power puts student on right track
After cycling 4,300 kilometers in 22 days, Lin Jinmin finally reached his destination, Qiqihar Medical University in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.
China, Tajikistan upgrade relations, boost cooperation
Beijing and Dushanbe sign 13 documents to enhance cooperation in such areas as agriculture, energy, finance and infrastructure.
Chinese yuan rises in global oil markets as Saudi seeks funding in RMB
Saudi Arabia is willing to consider funding itself in Chinese yuan, a senior Riyadh official said last week as the global oil markets are witnessing a rise of China and its currency. ...
Arctic sea route strengthens Sino-Europe trade bonds
Tianjian, a multi-function cargo ship, loaded with over 36,000 tonnes of machinery, set off from east China's Lianyungang Thursday. ...
'I AM GRATEFUL' Spicer writes last email to WH staff as he departs
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced his resignation on July 21 but notably said that he would continue to serve in the White House through August. As the end of the month approached on Thursday, Spicer sent a final email to White House staff, noting that his role working for President Trump had been the "honor of a lifetime."
"I especially want to thank the President and the First Lady for their support during my tenure and for giving me this opportunity. Walking into the White House every day is a privilege that few in our country experience and I am grateful for it," Spicer wrote.
FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, FROM BANNON TO COMEY
Spicer, who sparred frequently with the media, credited the support he had during his time behind the podium in the White House briefing room.
"I would not have been able to [do] my job without the amazing team the President has assembled, especially the dedicated members of the communications, digital and press teams," Spicer said. "I also am eternally grateful to the countless additional staffers who support the White House daily -- including the service members of White House Military Office, the Secret Service, the Residence Staff, and so many other talented individuals."
He added, "As I sign off this email address for a final time, I want to say thanks. I am proud to have worked with each and every one of you."
Spicer resigned following the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci as the White House's communications director -- but Scaramucci would last only 10 days in the role before being removed on the recommendation of newly installed Chief of Staff John Kelly.
Former Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was announced as Spicer's replacement.
Fox News' Serafin Gomez contributed to this report.
"Red Notice" fugitive returns to China
Liu Changkai, one of China's most wanted fugitives, has returned to China and turned himself in to the police, according to the anti-corruption authority. ...
Smiling pig becomes online celebrity
A smiling pig has become China's newest online celebrity after a photograph showing it being saved from flooding in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region went viral online recently.
China targets farm waste as a 'clean' power source
China will pay farmers to turn animal poo into fertiliser and power, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday, as Beijing cracks down on agricultural pollution that has for years leaked into rivers and lakes, angering Chinese residents.
I think most parts of Japan are pretty safe
At 6:02 am on Tuesday, I was suddenly woken by my phone vibrating rapidly. Weak sunlight filtered through the curtains. I didn't immediately realize what was happening, but a siren was wailing and my first thought was that an earthquake had occurred. Small quakes occur constantly in this area.
Preparing talents for life outside China
Personal safety and security combat simulation drills are essential components of a weeklong training course for students in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, who will soon leave to study overseas.
Experts offer safety tips for students overseas
A new school year is beginning in the United States, and as recently arrived international students adjust to the campus environment, security experts are offering tips to help them stay safe.
Shaanxi: Needy students shouldn't waste money
A circular issued on Tuesday by education authorities in Shaanxi province quickly attracted public attention as it laid down guidelines for judging whether college students come "from poor families" - a precondition for financial aid.
Facial recognition IDs 25 suspects at Qingdao beer fest
Twenty-five wanted criminals hoping to quaff a few brews at the Qingdao International Beer Festival were recognized by the local police bureau's facial recognition system and detained.
Rare native fish bred, tagged and released in Tibet
Fishery scientists have released tagged fish into a river for the first time in the Tibet autonomous region so they can better monitor the population of three rare species.
Former regulatory vice-chairman probed
The former vice-chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Yao Gang, is under investigation for taking bribes, the Supreme People's Procuratorate announced on Thursday.
Beijing warns on peninsula woes: Not 'at our doorstep'
Ministries say talks are more powerful than arms, urge all sides to negotiate
China, UK team up on avian diseases
Chinese and British researchers are collaborating to combat the spread of avian diseases.
Quake victims settle into newly built homes
People who lost their homes in a May earthquake in Tashkurgan Tajik autonomous county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, have started to move into the new earthquake-resistant homes.
Xiongan developer filling key positions
Xiongan New Area in Hebei province sent out invitations across the country on Thursday to attract professional and technical leaders for its newly founded construction company, the first such practice since the central leadership unveiled the blueprint of the area in April.
Spread of resistant bacteria reduced
The spread of major multidrug-resistant bacteria has been controlled at medical institutions in China, according to Xiao Yonghong, a top health adviser and a professor of infectious diseases.
Xi Jinping's seven quotes about life
President Xi Jinping has shared his thinking about the country and life on many occasions. Here're some extracts we collected for you to inspire you.
U.S. orders closure of Russian consulate in San Francisco
The United States has ordered Russia to close its consulate in San Francisco, the U.S. State Department said Thursday, in response to Moscow's demand that the size of U.S. diplomatic staff in Russia be reduced. ...
FACES OF HARVEY: Texans from all walks of life forge ahead to bring relief
In the aftermath of Harvey, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told his state that a new normal would have to be built.
Health experts, for instance, have warned that sewage in the floodwater could make people sick and that mosquito populations could explode in the coming weeks because stagnant water offers abundant breeding grounds.
Altogether, more than 1,000 homes in Texas were destroyed and close to 50,000 damaged, and over 32,000 people were in shelters across the state, emergency officials reported. About 10,000 more National Guard troops are being deployed to Texas, bringing the total to 24,000, Abbott said.
In the midst of a dramatically changing landscape in Texas since Harvey, officials, first responders, and volunteers nevertheless are forging ahead to bring relief to every kind of suffering thought imaginable.
The officials
Abbott sets the Texas agenda in his deep-red state using a measured, lawyerly demeanor, but last week he uncharacteristically seized the spotlight as Harvey was nearing his state's Gulf Coast.
The Republican governor warned presciently of what is happening now: floods still rising and the kind of water rescues as dangerous to victims as first responders. He said last week that Houston residents "should strongly consider evacuating" even if not told to do so by local officials: "You have the power and the ability to avoid being stuck into a search and rescue situation."
The confirmed death toll from Harvey stood at 31 Thursday afternoon, though it is expected to rise.
The people most likely to be found dead are the elderly, the sick and the people who were isolated from others — along with folks who didn't have the means or wherewithal to flee. Sometimes it's a matter of having the strength to wade through flood waters a few blocks to safety, or to pull up onto a roof.
The locals
Annette Fuller of Houston took a video when she began fearing for her life on Sunday. She was on the second floor of a neighbor's home along with the residents of three other houses, including five children, as water rose and hit waist level on the first floor. "We called 911 and it rang and rang and rang and rang," Fuller said Monday after the water receded and she managed to return safely to her single-story home.
"There's just no agency in the world that could handle Harvey," she said. "However, none of us were warned that 911 might not work. It was very frightening."
Fuller's two daughters, who live in Austin and Dallas, posted her video to Facebook after their mother texted it to them, and the post went viral.
"Social media, in some ways, is more powerful than the government agencies," Fuller said.
Nearby, Patrick Tobias stood at the edge of the road, wide eyes watching the muddy water flow like a river down what was once his community's Main Street.
The 53-year-old welder approached a boat being loaded into the water, and asked for a ride to his apartment to retrieve heart medications and family belongings. Tobias lumbered into the boat and it buzzed down the street, navigating the currents at the community's main intersection, with streetlights and signs sticking out of the water.
"Make a right here," Tobias said, and the boat passed more submerged cars, coming to a stop in his apartment's parking lot.
Tobias waded through waist-high water and climbed the steps up to his apartment, which he hadn't seen since evacuating. Inside, it smelled of rotten food. The living room was filled with left-behind inflatable toys that were blown up to protect his wife and daughter as the floodwaters rose.
Tobias walked into his bedroom and found his medication, and loaded keepsakes and belongings into a massive garbage bag. He hiked it onto his shoulder like Santa Claus and waded back to the boat.
A neighbor came out onto his stairwell across the way, wearing a bathrobe and looking shaken. He stared blankly at Tobias. He went back inside, not answering calls to him asking if he needed help.
Tobias grew quiet. When he did speak, his voice cracked:
"Where do we go from here?"
The first responders
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In an image that went viral online, Houston Police SWAT Officer Daryl Hudeck carried a Houston mom and her sleeping baby through knee-deep floodwaters in southwest Houston. (AP)
Harvey is being called the first hurricane to go viral in the digital age.
Houston Police SWAT Officer Daryl Hudeck, in baseball cap and fatigues, was pictured carrying a Houston mom and her sleeping baby through knee-deep floodwaters water covering Interstate 610 in southwest Houston. By Monday, the image of the first responder quickly had become a heroic symbol of the storm and rescue efforts, featured across the web and many front pages.
The woman, Catherine Pham, and her child, little Aiden Pham — 13 months old — were rescued along with the baby's father from their home in the city's Meyerland section, where water reached many roofs.
Families have provided comfort for first responders. Houston Police tweeted a video showing one officer's daughter serenading him on his birthday.
Meanwhile, from a base a thousand miles away from Houston, the 178th Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard is working from an office to make a huge impact on the ground, according to Fox 45.
Like first responders for the digital age, a team of six analysts are using maps and satellite images to help search and rescue crews find safe areas to set up command centers throughout the region — specifically looking for golf courses and parks that didn't flood.
They're also searching for damaged areas that need the most attention — or anything they can find to help the literal first responders in Texas.
"They are down there doing their thing," Ohio Air National Guard Col. Rebecca O'Conner said, "and anything we can do outside of that disaster zone helps free up those people that are on the ground trying to do those rescue efforts."
Now that skies are clearing up in Houston, crews plan to start analyzing damage from airplanes and guiding crews to the worst hit areas. The mission continues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chinese premier congratulates new Kyrgyz PM
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday congratulated Sapar Isakov on his new role as Kyrgyz prime minister. ...
BRICS: Towards New Horizons of Strategic Partnership: Putin
The 9th BRICS Summit will be held in Xiamen, China, on September 4 and 5. I consider it important in this regard to present Russia's approaches to cooperation within the framework of this large and respected association and to share my views on the future of our further cooperation. ...
CPC expected to convene 19th National Congress on Oct. 18
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is expected to convene on Oct. 18 in Beijing. ...
'DANGEROUS STORM' Hurricane Irma now a Category 3 in Atlantic
Hurricane Irma strengthened Thursday into a Category 3 storm with 115 mph sustained winds and is forecast to be an "extremely dangerous" storm for the next several days, according to the National Hurricane Center.
In its 5 p.m. ET advisory, the NHC said the storm was located over the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, about 720 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, moving west-northwest at 12 mph.
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The forecast track of Hurricane Irma. (MyFoxHurricane.com.)
"Fluctuations in strength, both up and down, are possible, but Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane for several days," the advisory read.
Earlier in the day, the weather service said Irma is expected to be "an extremely dangerous hurricane for the next several days," and is forecast to become a category 4 storm east of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean by next week.
TRACK THE STORM AT MYFOXHURRICANE.COM
Fox News Senior Meterologist Janice Dean said Thursday it's still too early to tell whether Irma will pass well north of the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico, or have direct impacts there by next Wednesday or Thursday.
TROPICAL STORM HARVEY REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: EERIE SILENCE, NEIGHBORS PITCHING IN
"What we do know is that it will be an exceptionally strong hurricane, and all interest across the Lesser Antilles/Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and the U.S -- both Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast -- need to monitor Irma's path," Dean said.
Any impacts to the U.S., if any, would be a full 10 to 11 days away, according to Dean. Forecaster should have a better idea by next week where the storm is going, once Irma moves father across the Atlantic.
The storm does not pose an immediate threat to land and there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, the hurricane center said.
HARVEY HEROISM: CITIZENS STEP UP TO HELP OTHERS DURING DEADLY STORM
Irma is the ninth named storm of the year, and comes a week after Harvey devastated Texas with record amounts of rain.
Earlier this month, forecasters said the Atlantic hurricane season would be "above-normal," with 14 to 19 named storms ahead of the peak season.
An average Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, produces 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes, according to the NOAA.
CPC sets Oct 18 for congress
The 19th Communist Party of China National Congress will convene in Beijing on Oct 18.
Ten photos from across China: Aug 25-30
Soldiers help with the relief work after Typhoon Hato struck Macao, Aug 25, 2017.
CLARKE RESIGNS Milwaukee County sheriff steps down; future unclear
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, one of the highest-profile members of law enforcement to emerge as a vocal supporter of President Trump, resigned from his position on Thursday.
County Clerk George Christenson said that he received a resignation letter from Clarke but that no reason for the move was provided.
Clarke issued a "retirement statement" to local media hours after his resignation was announced. "After almost forty years serving the great people of Milwaukee County, I have chosen to retire to pursue other opportunities," Clarke wrote. "I will have news about my next steps in the very near future."
In June, Clarke announced that he had rescinded his acceptance of a Homeland Security post. That followed an initial acceptance of a job as assistant secretary in DHS's Office of Public Engagement. Clarke was supposed to serve as a liaison between DHS and state and local law enforcement.
Clarke, a tough-on-crime conservative Democrat, had built a following among conservatives with his provocative social media presence and for his support of President Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign. He also spoke at the Republican National Convention last summer. But he later was accused of plagiarism in his master's thesis at the Naval Postgraduate School.
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Trump and Clarke at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center in August 2016. (Reuters)
Clarke denied the report in which it was claimed that he failed to properly attribute his sources at least 47 times in his 2013 thesis, titled "Making U.S. security and privacy rights compatible."
In an email to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Clarke wrote, "only someone with a political agenda would say this is plagiarism."
He also drew criticism for conditions in his jails. A mentally ill inmate allegedly died after being deprived of water as punishment, prosecutors said.
Some Wisconsin conservatives had encouraged Clarke to challenge U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, but he repeatedly rejected their overtures.
Clarke recently published a memoir, "Cop Under Fire."
There was no immediate word on a replacement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FUGITIVE ALMOST BAIT Shark creeps near man trying to elude cops
A North Carolina man allegedly attempted to elude police on Wednesday by diving into the ocean and swimming away -- but unknowingly he was just feet away from a shark while trying the brazen escape.
Zachary Kingsbury, 20, was pulled over for a traffic stop just before 5 p.m. in Surf City, according to WECT.
He allegedly tried to escape when officers spotted illegal contraband inside the vehicle and asked him to exit the car. Kingsbury jumped into the ocean and began swimming away, leading to an hours-long standoff, officials said.
[embedded content]Within an hour, Kingsbury was reportedly 4,000 feet from the shore, and the Surf City Police Department launched a drone to track the escapee.
"At that point, the operation became a rescue operation," police said in a statement.
But as police were trying to save Kingsbury, they noticed a shark swimming near the man, drone footage showed.
Police were able to nab Kingsbury about 7:45 p.m., according to the Charlotte Observer.
"I would've drowned after 10 minutes...dude's an animal," a witness wrote in a Facebook post.
Kingsbury was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, and possession of marijuana of up to a half an ounce.
PRESIDENTIAL HELP Trump pledging $1 million to aid Harvey victims
President Trump has pledged $1 million of his personal money to aid victims of Hurricane Harvey in both Texas and Louisiana, the White House said Thursday.
"The president is pledging a million dollars of personal money to help," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters in the press briefing Thursday.
Sanders said that the president asked that she "check with" reporters for "suggestions" on groups and organizations that would be "best and most effective in providing aid."
Sanders was asked whether Trump would pay the $1 million from his personal funds, or from the Trump Organization.
"I know the president said he was going to give—I don't know the legal part of exactly that, but he said his personal money," Sanders answered. "So I assume that comes directly from him."
The president and First Lady Melania Trump traveled to Texas on Tuesday to visit with first responders and officials, and will travel again to Texas and also to Louisiana on Saturday. Sanders told reporters that the "specific cities" they will visit are being finalized.
"As of right now, there are tentative plans to be in the Houston area and possibly Lake Charles," Sanders said, noting that could change due to "varying conditions."
The briefing began with remarks from White House Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert, who said that an estimated 100,000 homes have been affected.
"The president and the team here has been working around the clock to support recovery," Bossert said. "We're seeing deployed assets from a lot of states—28 search and rescue teams, and task forces from 16 states sending support to Texas."
Moments after the briefing finished, Trump tweeted, thanking "heroes" in Texas.
"THANK YOU to all of the incredible HEROES in Texas. America is with you! #TexasStrong"
Brooke Singman is a Politics Reporter for Fox News. Follow her on Twitter at @brookefoxnews.
'I GRABBED AN AX' Boyfriend saves woman from home invader: cops
A Florida student who reportedly left class to rob a woman inside her home met his match when he was pinned to the ground by the woman's ax-wielding boyfriend, police said.
Alex McMaster told Fox 13 he woke up in his Pinellas Park home Wednesday morning to the sounds of his girlfriend screaming at the front door. When he went downstairs he saw 17-year-old Matthew Cleveland punching and choking Christina Robles, authorities said.
McMaster said he then punched the teen and slammed him to the ground.
"I held him there a minute 'till he calmed down," McMaster told FOX13. "Then I grabbed an ax that I had and held it above him and told him to follow my commands -- or I could do something else to him."
"Then I grabbed an ax that I had and held it above him and told him to follow my commands -- or I could do something else to him."
McMaster said Cleveland then confessed to a robbery attempt and revealed he forced his way into the home after asking McMaster's 33-year-old girlfriend where a park was located.
"I asked him what he was doing. He said he was trying to get money off her," McMaster said. "He said he would have hurt her."
TENNESSEE WOMAN BEATS HOME INVASION SUSPECT WITH BASEBALL BAT
Cleveland, a senior at a local school for teens with behavioral issues, had left morning classes apparently to attempt the home invasion, police told FOX13.
Cleveland was charged with home invasion robbery, felony battery by strangulation and two counts of simple battery, WPTV reports.
As for McMaster, he said he was fortunate the ax was nearby during the attack.
"Someone comes into your house, you don't expect to see that," McMaster said. "Everyone says what they are gonna do but you don't think until the person is standing there."
MORE HARVEY HARDSHIPS AHEAD? Scams abound to steal donations for disaster victims at their worst
Harvey's floodwaters are beginning to recede in Houston and the devastating storm is finally loosening its grip on the Gulf Coast, but many dangers and hardships still loom for drenched residents in Texas and Louisiana.
Thousands still remain in shelters across the region, awaiting news of when they can return to their devastated homes and neighborhoods. A series of explosions at a chemical plant and the threat of toxic waste and crude oil seeping into floodwaters have sparked health concerns. State and federal officials are working overtime to get airports, railways and highways up and running at pre-Harvey levels.
And then there are the scams.
Targeting both Harvey victims and those looking to donate to relief efforts, scam artists are using the storm – and people's sense of charity – the swindle thousands of dollars from unwitting targets. In order to prevent any more victims, Fox News has compiled a list of some of the more popular scams and how to avoid them:
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Homes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Flood Insurance Scams: Numerous homeowners and renters throughout Texas and Louisiana are getting robocalls that inform them that their flood premiums are overdue. To make sure they're covered for any damage from Harvey, the automated calls say, policy holders must pay immediately or risk losing it all. "Don't do it," the Federal Trade Commission noted in a warning about the scams. "Your reports help the FTC and other law enforcement agencies bring scam artists to justice and put an end to unfair and misleading business practices."
Instead, the FTC advises that anyone concerned about their flood premiums call their insurance agent because he or she could be the same person who also handles your flood insurance policy.
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James Hennessy, a Red Cross mental health volunteer from Tallahassee, Florida, takes a photo of Old Jefferson Highway which he was hoping to cross to reach Baton Rouge in Prairieville, La. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)
Charity Scams: With Americans across the country donating millions of dollars to charities providing relief efforts to victims of Harvey, it should come as no surprise that criminals looking to make a quick buck will prey on those with a benevolent heart. There have been numerous reports of people receiving phone calls, text messages, emails or posts on their social media accounts that ask for money for Harvey relief efforts. While there are a number of legitimate organizations that are helping collect money for Harvey victims -- the American Red Cross, Direct Relief and Catholic Charities are just a few of the biggest -- it is sometimes hard to determine which charity is real and which is a scam.
The FTC has posted a charity checklist for donors to follow so they don't get bamboozled. Among their recommendations are checking with the National Association of State Charity Officials to see if the group contacting you is registered, never sending a cash donation and being wary of groups that spring up too suddenly in response to current events and natural disaster. Another great way to find a legitimate charity is to visit Charity Navigator's Hurricane Harvey page, which has compiled a list of highly-rated organizations responding in the aftermath.
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Phishing Scams: Hard to avoid and even harder to trace, email phishing scams have become the con of choice for hackers looking to rip-off altruistic Americans. These crooks send out messages via email or social media with links that promise to help you aid Harvey victims. Instead these links send you to bogus websites that can pinch your login and credit card information, infect computers with malware and even steal your identity.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) issued a warning Monday that noted these phishing scams have cropped up before during previous natural disasters and warning donors to be on the lookout. "[R]emain vigilant for malicious cyber activity seeking to capitalize on interest in Hurricane Harvey," the advisory read. "Emails requesting donations from duplicitous charitable organizations commonly appear after major natural disasters."
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Crowdfunding Scams: Over the last few years, crowdfunding has become one of the most popular ways for everybody from cancer patients to new businesses to raise money, with sites like GoFundMe and Kickstarter leading the pack. But they could also be used by criminals as a way to bilk people donating to a cause, only to keep the money for themselves. To help prevent their site from being abused by phonies, GoFundMe briefed officials in Texas and Louisiana on the steps the company was taking to ensure all of the funds raised on their site go to the right place.
"We are hoping for the best, planning for the worst, and we will stay in close touch with all organizers and beneficiaries to ensure the resources get to people in need as soon as possible," the company wrote in a post on Medium. "When all's said and done, what matters most to us is that you are protected and those who need help get the help they deserve."
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Four thousand U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank. (REUTERS/Rick Wilking)
Copycat Scams: Similar to the phishing scams, these ploys use a name or URL that closely resembles that of well-known charitable organizations in order to trick people into thinking it is a real group. The FTC warns donors to double-check any URLs as most websites of legitimate charities end in .org instead of .com. Also another red flag is groups asking for money transfers as most legitimate organizations don't solicit these types of donations.
JUMPED THE GUN? Sens: Comey wrote Clinton 'exoneration' before talks
Then-FBI Director James Comey began drafting a statement exonerating Hillary Clinton in the investigation into her private email use before interviewing key witnesses, including Clinton herself, two Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Thursday.
"Conclusion first, fact-gathering second—that's no way to run an investigation," Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote in a letter this week to the FBI. "The FBI should be held to a higher standard than that, especially in a matter of such great public interest and controversy."
Grassley and Graham said they learned about Comey's draft "exoneration statement" after reviewing transcripts of interviews with top Comey aides.
"According to the unredacted portions of the transcripts, it appears that in April or early May of 2016, Mr. Comey had already decided he would issue a statement exonerating Secretary Clinton," the senators said.
They added, "That was long before FBI agents finished their work. Mr. Comey even circulated an early draft statement to select members of senior FBI leadership. The outcome of an investigation should not be prejudged while FBI agents are still hard at work trying to gather the facts."
Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, was investigated by the FBI for using a private email address and server to handle classified information while serving as secretary of state.
In July 2016, Comey famously called Clinton's email arrangement "extremely careless" though he decided against recommending criminal charges.
In a news release Thursday, the senators said Comey began drafting a statement in April or May 2016, which was before the FBI interviewed 17 key witnesses, including Clinton herself and other top aides.
The statement preceded the FBI entering into an immunity agreement with top Clinton aides with Cheryl Mills and Heather Samuelson.
FBI SHUTS DOWN REQUEST FOR FILES ON HILLARY CLINTON BY CITING LACK OF PUBLIC INTEREST
The transcripts are from interviews conducted by the Office of Special Counsel, which interviewed James Rybicki, Comey's chief of staff, and Trisha Anderson, the principal deputy general counsel of national security and cyberlaw, the senators said.
"It is unclear whether the FBI agents actually investigating the case were aware that Mr. Comey had already decided on the investigation's outcome while their work was ongoing," the senators wrote.
In the Wednesday letter to FBI Director Chris Wray, the two senators said they have requested all records relating to the drafting of the statement.
Comey was fired as FBI director by President Trump in May amid tensions over the Russia investigation.
Fox News' Jason Donner contributed to this report.
DITCHING DACA Trump to announce end to Obama-era 'Dreamer' plan
President Trump, as early as Friday, is expected to announce plans to end the Obama administration program that gave a deportation reprieve to hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants, a senior administration official told Fox News.
Trump promised to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, during the presidential campaign -- but since taking office had left the door open to preserving parts of it.
According to the official, Trump is expected to announce the program's end but will allow so-called "dreamers" currently in the program to stay in the U.S. until their work permits expire – which, for some, could be as long as two years.
The program, also known as DACA, was formed through executive order by then-President Barack Obama in 2012 and allows for certain people who came to the U.S. illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation.
Recipients are able to request "consideration of deferred action" for a period of two years which is subject to renewal.
WHAT IS DACA AND WHY WOULD TRUMP DISMANTLE IT?
The plan to allow DACA to lapse already has buy-in from conservative groups that want the president to end the program.
"Our position has been that President Trump should allow DACA to lapse," Ira Mehlman from the Federation for American Immigration Reform told Fox News. "As people's two-year deferments and work authorization expire they should not be renewed."
In an interview with ABC News this spring, the president earlier suggested he might not entirely do away with DACA.
"They shouldn't be very worried," Trump said of the young people in the program. "I do have a big heart."
Fox News' John Roberts, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY As Texas unites in show of humanity, thugs swoop in to scam flood victims
In the midst of deadly Tropical Storm Harvey's assault on Texas, people stepped up to help those trapped by rising floodwaters and shut out from basic necessities, with heroes forming human chains, delivering pizzas on kayaks and engaging in dramatic rescues.
Harvey dumped more than 50 inches of rain in the Houston area, causing "unprecedented" flooding that left residents stranded in their homes and vehicles. Amid the chaos, stories of inspiring and selfless interactions have made waves.
However, while many citizens heard the call for help, others tried to profit from the tragedy through scams, price gouging and fraud. The Texas Attorney General's Office said it received about 600 complaints as of Tuesday, adding the "number is rising," according to the San Antonio Express. Officials warned about fake fundraisers being shared and urged people to only donate to established organizations.
Several people also reported seeing skyrocketing prices for essential items, including gas and water. Best Buy apologized earlier this week after attempting to sell cases of water for $42.96 when other packages were priced at $29.98.
But it's the stories of heroism and compassion that have mostly dominated the aftermath of Harvey.
Forming a human chain
On Sunday, several people at an apartment complex were captured in a video forming a human chain to rescue a woman who went into labor during the storm. An email was sent to residents in the apartment complex to help the expecting mother as they waited for emergency responders to arrive, KTRK reported.
When the Houston Fire Department showed up, residents formed a human chain to safely escort the woman into a truck.
"Moments like these are incredibly precious and remind me of all the good in the world," Molly Akers, who posted video of the incident, wrote on Facebook.
Several other photos of people forming human chains to rescue people stuck in cars surfaced on Tuesday.
Police officer rescues
Photos of rescues by police officers and officials have also been posted on social media.
Houston and Harris County police officers worked around-the-clock to respond to thousands of 911 calls for rescues. The Harris County Sheriff's Office posted a photo of a deputy carrying two children through waist-deep floodwaters as rain poured down.
"HCSO deputies are out in the Blackhorse subdivision still working high water rescues. #Harvey" HCSO tweeted.
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Houston Police SWAT officer Daryl Hudeck carries Catherine Pham and her 13-month-old son Aiden after rescuing them from their home surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Sunday (AP)
SWAT team member Daryl Hudeck was also pictured carrying a Houston mom and her sleeping baby through floodwaters.
Police have also posted several photos of citizens stepping in to help. An HCSO picture showed several men pushing a person's vehicle through the flood and onto higher ground. The department encouraged others to step in and do the same.
Seniors rescued in flooded nursing home
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Residents of the La Vita Bella nursing home in Dickinson, Texas, sit in waist-deep flood waters caused by Hurricane Harvey. (Trudy Lampson via AP) (Trudy Lampson)
A viral photo of senior citizens sitting in waist-deep water on Sunday caught the nation's attention and demonstrated how serious the flooding was -- and how many people needed help. Officials arrived at the scene hours later, airlifting 15 residents from the assisted living home
"We were air-lifting grandmothers and grandfathers," Dickinson emergency management coordinator David Popoff told Galveston County Daily News.
Pizza Hut sending foods to flood victims
Pizza Hut has been one of numerous businesses to do its part in helping flood victims. Employees at a Pizza Hut in Oak Lake used kayaks to deliver hot pies to families trapped in their homes.
"When I heard there were families in need, I knew we needed to act fast," Shayda Habib told KPRC. "I called my husband and asked him to gather up kayaks and meet me at the restaurant."
The pizza chain posted a photo on its Twitter account with the caption: "THANK YOU to our Oak Lake Pizza Hut team for their out-of-the-car response to deliver hot pizzas all day to the community they serve."
CONFEDERATE FIGHT Wasserman Schultz leads effort to remove statues
If U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., gets her way, the names of three Confederate generals will be removed from street signs in Hollywood, Fla., and the statue of a Confederate general representing Florida will be removed from the National Statuary Hall in Washington.
Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee who resigned from the post in July 2016 amid allegations that she favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders for the party's 2016 presidential nomination, has asked local leaders in Hollywood to remove the names of Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood from city streets.
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U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., speaks in Las Vegas, Oct. 13, 2015. (Getty Images)
Hollywood officials gave preliminary approval in a 5-2 vote in July.
Supporters of the plan say the city should not honor Confederate officers because they fought to preserve slavery. Opponents say the generals served the South honorably and removing their names would be erasing history.
Wasserman Schultz's district includes Hollywood, as well as other parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
In Washington, the congresswoman and the other 10 Democrats in Florida's congressional delegation have been trying to get a statue of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith removed from the National Statuary Hall.
The Florida Democrats have called on the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee to hold a one-day special session on the matter, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
The request was made in a letter to Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other leading Florida Republicans, the newspaper reported.
"We must denounce symbols of white supremacy and stand up for love and compassion — not just with our words, but with our deeds," the letter reads. "No family visiting our nation's Capitol should have to explain to their child that the statue representing our state honors someone who fought for a philosophy built on hatred, inequality and oppression."
Each state is allowed to display two statues in the hall. Florida's other statue is of inventor John Gorrie.
Bills have already been introduced in Tallahassee to have the Smith statue replaced by one of Mary McLeod Bethune, a daughter of freed slaves who became an educator and founder of what became Bethune-Cookman University.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.
2017年8月30日星期三
Historic temple all set for its 30-meter move
The main pavilion of Shanghai's Jade Buddha Temple will be shifted 30 meters northward on September 2, 2017.
INSULT TO INJURY: Fake DHS agents ordering victims to evacuate so their homes can get robbed, feds warn
Officials issued a warning Wednesday after disturbing reports surfaced of people impersonating Homeland Security special agents and telling residents to evacuate in order to rob their homes in the wake of devastating flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey.
The city of Houston said people should ask anyone knocking on their doors for official badges and credentials with their name and organization. The city's statement also noted that, during Harvey relief efforts, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not conducting immigration enforcement operations in the area.
Officials for Homeland Security Investigations said there were "disturbing reports" that some people were pretending to be HSI special agents, knocking on doors and telling residents to evacuate -- and then robbing their homes once they are empty.
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Interstate highway 45 is submerged from the effects of Hurricane Harvey seen during widespread flooding in Houston, Texas, U.S. August 27, 2017. (REUTERS/Richard Carson)
"Real HSI officials wear badges that are labeled 'special agent,' which members of the public can ask to see and verify," read a statement provided to Fox News. "ICE officers with Enforcement and Removal Operations also wear badges labeled with ERO Officer. They also carry credentials with their name and organization."
"Members of the public who receive such visitors should ask to see these properly labeled badges, and their credentials."
The storm has killed at least 23 people, according to officials in the area. Rescue crews found several more bodies Wednesday as floodwaters across much of the city started to recede.
HSI officials also said in their statement their officers and special agents would be conducting hurricane relief operations with other local law enforcement agencies.
Related stories...
ICE said Wednesday it is not undertaking immigration enforcement operations in storm-affected areas.
The agency said it had assigned about 150 employees from around the country to help with disaster relief efforts in Houston, and it is prepared to send more employees if needed.
There are 139 agents and officers from Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, El Paso, Houston, Washington, New York, San Diego and Tampa on scene, according to ICE. The agents are on 25-member teams that answer to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Fox News' Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DRAMATIC RESCUE Family, dog pulled to safety on live television
Fox News correspondent Trace Gallagher rode along on a rescue helicopter plucking families out of submerged homes in Beaumont, Texas.
Gallagher watched as volunteers and National Guardsmen flew over villages that had turned into lakes along the Louisiana border.
He watched as a family was brought aboard one by one, including the family dog.
"What a job," Gallagher said of the rescuers.
Watch more above, and the dog's rescue below.
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Reports: Capital best city for innovation
Beijing narrowly beat Shanghai as China's most ideal city for scientific research and innovation this year, while central and central-western provinces are catching up fast.
CAHOOTS WITH CLINTON? Judge tosses case against DNC but allegations live on
A federal judge in Florida has thrown out a class-action lawsuit led by Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters who accused the Democratic National Committee of "being in cahoots" with Hillary Clinton -- but only after the DNC's legal team argued they had no obligation to adhere to a fair nominating process.
While the case is dead for now, it's also bolstered critics who say the DNC had a bias in favor of Clinton last year.
According to court documents, DNC attorney Bruce Spiva argued in the case that the party has broad discretion in how they pick their nominee.
"We could have voluntarily decided that, 'Look, we're going to go into back rooms like they used to and smoke cigars and pick the candidate that way.' … They could have. ... And it would drag the Court well into party politics, internal party politics to answer those questions," he said, according to a transcript of an April 25 hearing, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The case, in which Sanders supporters sought a refund and other recourse, was dismissed Friday.
Judge William Zloch, in granting the defendants' motion, said in a 28-page opinion that the plaintiffs -- including Sanders' supporters who donated to the DNC -- failed to show "concrete injury … traceable to the DNC and its former chair," as a result of their candidate losing the nomination to Clinton.
FEDS ARREST IT STAFFER FOR WASSERMAN SCHULTZ TRYING TO LEAVE COUNTRY
The 35-page case, filed last summer, is based largely on published quotes from then-Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and hacked DNC emails that suggest she and her staff sought to undermine Sanders, a Vermont independent who joined the party to run for president in 2016.
While none of the hundreds of emails were specifically cited in the suit, published emails show DNC efforts to limit the number of primary debates -- seen as a bid to help Clinton -- and possible attack strategies on Sanders.
They were made public at the start of the 2016 Democratic National Convention last July, which forced Wasserman Schultz, of Florida, to resign.
One of the quotes cited in the case was Wasserman Schultz, a co-defendant with the DNC in the case, telling Politico in 2015, as potential candidates were emerging: "I count both Secretary Clinton and Vice President Biden as dear friends, but no matter who comprises our field of candidates it's my job to run a neutral primary process and that's what I am committed to doing."
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ UNDER PRESSURE TO TESTIFY ON EX-IT AIDE
Lawyers in the case cited parts of the DNC's charter and bylaws, which state the DNC chairperson "shall exercise impartiality and evenhanded-ness as between presidential candidates and campaigns" and ensure the same for the group's staff and national officers. But Zloch wrote in his opinion that the DNC viewed this commitment as "a mere political promise -- political rhetoric that is not enforceable" in the federal courts.
"If you had a charity where somebody said, 'Hey, I'm going take this money and use it for a specific purpose, X, and they pocketed it and stole the money, of course that's different," Spiva had argued.
"But here you have a party that's saying, 'We are going to, you know, choose our standard bearer, and we're going to follow these general rules of the road, which we are voluntarily deciding."
Spiva, a lawyer with the Washington, D.C., firm Perkins Coie, did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment.
"This case, in short, involves allegations that the Democratic National Committee was in cahoots with the Clinton campaign and sought to tip the scales in her favor in the Democratic primary," Zloch wrote, in dismissing the case.
He also dismissed the case on other legal grounds, including one related to where some of the plaintiffs live, saying federal courts have only "limited jurisdiction."
Elizabeth Lee Beck, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told Fox News that she must consult with other members of the legal to team before deciding on a possible next step.
"I try to see the silver lining," she said. "Like all lawyers, you do the best you can."
DRAWING FIRE Politico cartoon insults Harvey victims, critics say
Politico's staff cartoonist was heavily criticized Wednesday for a drawing that appeared to mock victims of Tropical Storm Harvey as hypocrites who opposed the federal government despite depending upon it for their survival.
The drawing by Matt Wuerker depicted a Texan in a ten-gallon hat and a Confederate flag shirt being airlifted from a flooded home bearing a sign saying "secede." The man praises his rescuers as "Angels! Sent by God" before one of them corrects him: "Er, actually Coast Guard ... sent by the government."
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Politico tweeted the cartoon Wednesday afternoon before deleting it as the backlash rolled in. (Twitter/Matt Wuerker)
Politico posted the cartoon from its main Twitter account Wednesday afternoon, but later deleted the tweet as the backlash rolled in.
Washington Examiner writer Becket Adams called the cartoon "the grossest thing online this week" and "so ill-advised."
Many of the responses called it an unfair characterization of Texans, Christians, and residents of Houston and Harris County, where the worst of the flooding took place.
Several Twitter users pointed out that Harris County voted heavily Democratic in the 2016 presidential election.
Wuerker himself took to Twitter to defend his cartoon, saying he meant to mock the Texas secessionist movement and not all Harvey victims. Responding to criticism that the cartoon looked like a swipe at people of faith, Wuerker responded "Guess I should have made that big Secede sign on the house bigger still."
Space firm launches R&D on hyperloop
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, one of the nation's major space contractors, announced that it has launched research and development into a futuristic ultrafast transport system popularly known as a hyperloop, in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Wednesday.
Reforms advanced to remove innovation barriers
China will step up reform to support innovation by removing barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation.
HARVEY'S DEATH TOLL CLIMBS 23rd body found as Houston-area floodwaters start to recede
Crews in Texas have found the bodies of 23 victims of Harvey's wrath, and warned on Wednesday that the number of dead would almost certainly soar as water levels across much of the Houston area start to recede.
Authorities say a married couple who drove their pickup truck into Harvey's floodwaters drowned after the current from a nearby creek swept them away.
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Evacuees sit in the bleachers at the Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur. (AP)
Fort Bend County Sheriff's Maj. Chad Norvell says the couple was on the phone with 911 asking for help when the line went silent. When officers found the truck, it was completely submerged.
They lived in a rural area of the county southwest of Houston and they were headed to a relative's house nearby.
The announcement of the couple's death comes after Beaumont police said a woman's body turned up Wednesday morning -- but did not release her name or the possible circumstances that led to her death.
She would be at least the second person to have died in Beaumont this week. Crews found a shivering 3-year-old clinging to the body of her drowned mother in a rain-swollen canal Tuesday after the woman tried to carry her child to safety.
In addition, officials in Harris County made a grim announcement: They were investigating 17 more deaths as potentially Harvey-related, and would conduct autopsies to determine the causes.
Montgomery County Sheriff's Capt. Bryan Carlisle said one body was found around a barricade and in standing water on Monday, while another victim tried to swim across a flooded road.
The Daily Mail reported that two volunteer rescuers were killed when their motorboat was electrocuted by submerged power lines in Greens Bayou, and two other rescuers were missing. A fifth volunteer and two journalists survived but were forced to cling to trees and branches for about 18 hours, according to the website.
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Michael Saghian walks across the living room of his home damaged by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. ( (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
"We were hanging on for dear life," photojournalist Ruaridh Connellan said. "The water smelled putrid, like stagnant sewage, mixed with everything else," reporter Alan Butterfield added.
Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to avoid driving into flooded waters, cautioning that the "worst is not yet over."
"It is imperative that we do everything possible to protect the lives and safety of people across the state of Texas as we continue to face the aftermath of this storm," he said.
He said the Texas National Guard has activated 14,000 in addition to 10,000 troops from other states to help in the ongoing recovery efforts throughout the state.
In Houston, officers located a submerged van in which six members of a family were traveling when it was swept off a bridge and into a storm-ravaged bayou.
In neighboring Louisiana, where forecasters feared Harvey's torrential rains would cause massive flooding, the governor said "things are not as bad as had been forecasted."
"We've fared much better than we feared, but our neighbors are still taking it on the chin," Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a news conference.
A levee has breached near Gueydan, La., and the National Guard is working in the area to address the issue, according to Edwards.
As of Wednesday afternoon, about 330 people were being sheltered in the Lake Charles-area, including some from Texas.
Earlier on Wednesday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said federal government agencies would help those affected for as long as needed.
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Michael Saghian carries a roll of bubble wrap and a box of sandwiches for workers helping remove items damaged by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey from his home Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
"We expect a many-year recovery in Texas and the federal government is in this for the long haul," Duke said. "We will help the people of Texas for as long as they need."
She added: "This particular storm was unprecedented in terms of volume, of rain, and that's what we're focusing on now."
NATION'S LARGEST OIL REFINERY IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS SHUT DOWN
Duke said while officials were monitoring the situation in Louisiana, the focus remained on the greater Houston area, which saw more than 50 inches of rain after Harvey made landfall Saturday.
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A deer stands in the driveway of a house as it escapes high flooding water from the San Jacinto River following Hurricane Harvey in Conroe, Texas, U.S., August 29, 2017. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)
"Catastrophic flooding is likely to persist days after the rain stops," she added.
With at least 13,000 rescued in the Houston area and surrounding cities and counties, more people were still trying to escape from their inundated homes.
FEMA administrator Brock Long said more than 230 shelters are operating in Texas, housing more than 30,000 people.
"We're also calling on other states through emergency management assistance compacts," he said. "We're still in lifesaving, life sustaining mode."
He added: "Shelters are obviously not ideal and unfortunately people are going to be there for quite some time."
"The water levels are going down. And that's for the first time in several days," said Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District.
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In this photo provided by Beulah Johnson, evacuees sit in the bleachers at the Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur, Texas, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, after floodwaters caused by Tropical Storm Harvey inundated the facility overnight. (Beulah Johnson via AP)
However, some neighborhoods were still in danger as a levee along Cypress Creek in the northern part of the country could fail and swamp a subdivision where some residents ignored a mandatory evacuation order.
The water in two reservoirs that protect downtown Houston from flooding was likely to crest Wednesday at levels slightly below those that were forecast, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Texas community of Port Arthur found itself increasingly isolated Wednesday as Harvey's rains flooded most major roads out of the city and swamped a shelter for victims fleeing the storm that ravaged the Houston area.
The crisis deepened in the coastal city after Harvey rolled ashore overnight for the second time in six days, this time hitting southwestern Louisiana on the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The city's mayor, Derrick Freeman, urged residents to get to higher ground and to avoid becoming trapped in attics.
"The city is underwater right now but we are coming!" he wrote on Facebook.
NEW ORLEANS BRACES FOR POSSIBLE HARVEY FLOODING AMID PUMP FAILURES
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Homes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Spring, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
On Wednesday, officials at the Pentagon said the U.S. Navy is moving the USS Kearsarge and USS Oak Hill to the area to assist, which are expected to arrive next week. The U.S. Coast Guard has 35 helicopters and 6 fixed-wing aircraft conducting missions, in addition to 92 shallow-water rescue boats conducting block-by-block search and rescue efforts.
Over 3,600 people have been rescued by air and shallow-water boats, according to Coast Guard officials.
In Louisiana, forecasters warned of potential tornadoes forming in northeast part of the state and across southern and central portions of Mississippi.
Forecasters initially warned Harvey could creep as far east as Mississippi by Thursday, meaning New Orleans, where Hurricane Katrina unleashed its full wrath in 2005, would be in its path. Harvey is now expected to exit Louisiana over the northeast corner of the state, affecting Shreveport.
Harvey hit Texas as a Category 4 storm late Friday night packing 130 mph winds. It made a second landfall about three hours later before it was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. After the winds dropped below 73 mph, it was downgraded to a tropical storm.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DUMPING ON DOSSIER Trump lawyer shuts down 'totally false' allegations
One of the key figures named in the unverified anti-Trump dossier has delivered a point-by-point rebuttal shooting down more than a dozen allegations contained in its pages.
Fox News obtained a letter to the House Intelligence Committee sent Aug. 14 by the attorney representing Michael Cohen, who has served as President Trump's personal attorney. In it, he discredits the 35-page dossier, noting that without the "sensational allegations" contained in the document, Cohen "would not be involved" in the committee's Russia probe.
"We have not uncovered a single document that would in any way corroborate the Dossier's allegations regarding Mr. Cohen, nor do we believe that any such document exists," Cohen's attorney, Stephen Ryan, wrote in the letter.
Cohen's name has been in headlines this week after an email surfaced in which he wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary about a possible "Trump Tower" in Moscow.
The dossier is a separate issue, and is known more for the salacious and unfounded allegations made against Trump. But Cohen was also named, and the letter said he "vehemently denies" all allegations, calling them "totally false." The letter noted that based on Cohen's "proffered responses" to the allegations, they did not believe an interview or testimony with the committee was "warranted."
The first allegation Ryan rejected was that Cohen had "secret meeting/s with Kremlin officials in August 2016" in Prague, stating that Cohen had "never traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, as evidenced by his passport" and "did not participate in meetings with Kremlin officials in Prague in August 2016." When the dossier was first published by Buzzfeed in January, Cohen tweeted "I have never been to Prague in my life. #fakenews."
Ryan went on to deny allegations that Cohen had traveled to Moscow to meet with "officials from the PA Legal Department" in August 2016 to "clean up the mess" of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's "corrupt relationship with pro-Russian Yanukovych regime in Ukraine and Trump foreign policy advisor, Carter Page's secret meetings in Moscow with senior regime figures in July 2016."
Ryan denied allegations that Cohen played "a key role in the secret Trump campaign/Kremlin relationship," and said he was "not aware" of any such "fictitious relationship."
"Mr. Cohen has never 'engaged with Russians' in an attempt to conceal or suppress information about Paul Manafort, Carter Page, or anyone else," Ryan wrote.
The dossier also alleged that Cohen's wife was of Russian descent and that her father was a "leading property developer in Moscow." Ryan denied the "implication" of the statement as "both offensive and patently absurd," stating that Cohen's wife was from Ukraine and moved to the United States when she was five years old, and that his father in law is not a leading developer in Moscow, "nor does he own a dacha in Russia."
RUSSIAN ATTORNEY RIPS ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER AS 'CHEAP GOSSIP,' AMID QUESTIONS OVER ORIGIN
"Mr. Cohen is not aware of any impropriety relating to Mr. Trump's 'relationship' with Russia, nor is he aware of Mr. Trump having any improper political relationship with officials of the Russian Federation," Ryan said.
The dossier has gotten renewed attention ever since a Senate witness testified last month that the company involved in commissioning the dossier, Fusion GPS, was at the same time working with a Russian attorney on what he called a "smear campaign" against him.
Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital, testified that Natalia Veselnitskaya hired Fusion GPS in that effort. Veselnitskaya is the same attorney who brokered a meeting at Trump Tower with Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort in June 2016.
FIRM WORKED ON TRUMP DOSSIER WHILE FIGHTING SANCTIONS FOR PUTIN-TIED FAMILY, KEY WITNESS SAYS
In an email to Fox News last week, Veselnitskaya acknowledged that Fusion GPS was hired by "our lawyers" from law firm Baker Hostetler to look into Browder's background and connections with allegations against her client, but distanced herself from the dossier.
"When I read some parts of this 'dossier' in the media I laughed," Veselnitskaya told Fox News. "What kind of idiots does one have to take Americans for to think they can believe that stupid and incompetent [and] absurd [dossier]?"
She went onto slam the dossier as "cheap gossip" and "tall tales."
Fusion GPS acknowelegded the timeline matched, but said the two were "separate" projects.
Co-founder of Fusion GPS Glenn Simpson met with Senate Judiciary Committee staff behind closed doors on Capitol Hill for hours last week to give a transcribed interview. Fusion GPS told Fox News they turned over "more than 40,000 documents" to the committee for their investigation, but a committee spokesperson told Fox News that nearly 7,500 pages were blank.
Donald Trump Jr. is expected to meet with that same committee next month.
Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report.
Brooke Singman is a Politics Reporter for Fox News. Follow her on Twitter at @brookefoxnews.
KIM'S TORTURE CAMPS Starving prisoners look like 'walking skeletons': US
The leaders of North Korea's horrific prison camps encourage guards to beat prisoners to death and induce starvation, to the point prisoners appear as "walking skeletons," "dwarfs" and "cripples" in rags, a U.S. State Department fact sheet revealed.
The report highlighted details gathered from six prison camps, some of which housed as many as 50,000 prisoners, mostly detained for political offenses. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights prepared the information published Friday detailing a prisoners' daily struggle to even obtain a decent meal at the camps.
"Induced starvation is common among prisoners, who are driven to catch and eat rodents, frogs and snakes," the report said.
DEFECTORS FROM NORTH KOREA DESCRIBE CONCENTRATION CAMP, DAILY LIFE
A former camp guard, identified as Ahn Myong-chol, said inmates appeared like "walking skeletons, 'dwarfs,' and 'cripples' in rags," and about 1,500 to 2,000 of them would die of malnutrition yearly. Food is scarce in the rogue nation, with an estimated 70 percent of the population -- about 18 million people -- going hungry, the United Nations reported.
"The number of deaths from beating prisoners was so high that at one point, the guards were encouraged to be less violent."
Jun Heo, who was just a teenager when he was sent to one of the camps, previously told Fox News he would be beaten black and blue and tortured constantly. Cries and screams were a constant backdrop and prisoners were forced to perform hard labor for 14 hours straight.
Ahn echoed the reports of brutal beatings, saying he and other guards were encouraged to view the prisoners as sub-human, and strike them repeatedly as punishment, according to the report.
"The number of deaths from beating prisoners was so high that at one point, the guards were encouraged to be less violent," the report stated.
Prisoners were assigned to intensive labor such as coal mining and cement making, and they often died due to work-related accidents. An unconfirmed report also indicated a nuclear test site was being constructed in a prison, the State Department said.
NORTH KOREA FIRING SQUAD CARRIES OUT PUBLIC EXECUTIONS IN SCHOOL YARDS, REPORT SAYS
North Korea has been known to imprison its citizens for so-called crimes that include speaking badly about the regime and its leader, Kim Jong Un, distributing South Korean media or stealing rice or livestock. A report released by the The Transnational Justice Working Group in Seoul in July also uncovered public executions carried out on "criminals" in schoolyards and fish markets in an attempt to instill an "atmosphere of fear" among the citizens.
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Otto Warmbier died after he was returned to the U.S. by North Korea with a severe brain injury. (Reuters)
The brutalities of the regime's prison camps made international news earlier this year when American student Otto Warmbier, who was held by North Korea for more than a year, returned to the U.S. in a coma. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly stealing a political poster from a hotel in Pyongyang.
Warmbier died after suffering severe brain damage. North Korea denied cruelly treating or torturing Warmbier during his time in its prisons, claiming Pyongyang was the "biggest victim" in the incident.
MISSION: IRONMAN Marine veteran injured in Iraq seeks world record
Former Marine Sgt. Michael Mendoza understands first-hand how the power of staying active can play into benefiting mental health for the men and women returning home from overseas deployments.
The 38-year-old was a sniper in Iraq when a grenade blew up in front of him, extensively injuring both of his lungs, collapsing his diaphragm and damaging his stomach and small intestines.
It took nearly a year for him to recover physically after his 2006 injury -- and has taken a good part of the past decade to overcome many of the mental and emotional effects that followed.
"When I was injured, I kept to myself a lot, withdrew from my friends and family," Mendoza told Fox News on Tuesday. "There are still family I don't speak to and I needed to go through that."
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Former Marine Sgt. Michael Mendoza on deployment in Iraq. (Courtesy of Michael Mendoza)
A track athlete in high school, Mendoza eventually picked up running and in the process of meeting other athletes and veterans it all "began to click."
"It all started clicking. I started to become outdoorsy. I started feeling really good," he said. "Recovery through sport and recreation – that's my goal, my mission."
After running his first full Ironman last year, Mendoza wanted another challenge: to break the Guinness World Record for most long-distance triathlons completed in a single year. He also wanted to break the record for most Ironman Ironman 70.3 – or Half Ironman – triathlons in a year.
One record stands at 23, the other at 18. He hopes to run 26 – unless he decides to add another one in there.
"In December I was sitting on the couch and I told my wife I wanted to break the record … she said 'You're crazy,'" Mendoza recalled. "[I said] that if I put my mind to it I could do it."
Mendoza's first Ironman 70.3 was March 19 in Arizona. Since then, he has run about four a month.
This past weekend he ran No. 18 in Maine and will tackle No. 19 at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Sept. 10 as an Ironman Ambassador.
"I don't have a break," he said. "It's almost like an addiction -- a good addiction."
He added: "I never give up. I push myself every race."
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Former Marine Sgt. Michael Mendoza and his wife, Kelly, when he received the Silver Star. (Courtesy of Michael Mendoza)
The Ironman 70.3 consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a half-marathon (13.2 miles). In the 70.3 Ironman rankings, Mendoza sits in 11th place overall worldwide in his age group, and 6th in the United States.
The Chicago-native said he is running for two reasons: to capture the world record and to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund, which he said helped him and his family tremendously after he was injured.
"They flew my wife and son to my bedside, put them up in the Fisher House. That really helped me, emotionally and mentally. Had they not been there, I could have gone down a different path. So Semper Fi is very close to my heart."
Semper Fi is an organization that helps injured and recovering service members.
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Former Marine Sgt. Michael Mendoza and former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus during a ceremony awarded Mendoza the Navy Cross in January 2017. (Courtesy of Michael Mendoza)
Mendoza has raised nearly $20,000 since starting the journey. The goal is to reach $25,000 by the time he runs his final race in Mexico during Veterans Day weekend.
Mendoza, whose Silver Star was upgraded this year to the Navy Cross – the second-highest military decoration awarded for valor in combat – said that while he has been away from home pretty much every weekend since the spring, the journey has strengthened his relationships to family and friends.
"I have such a great support system," he said. "My wife knows it's only temporary … my son and daughter, they push me to race harder every week."
His main motivation, however, are the men and women who return from overseas – many injured both physically and mentally. Many of whom are close friends.
"My buddy lost his eyesight, my other buddy lost both his legs," he said. "They have their challenges and [it's why] I don't want to give up."
Lucia I. Suarez Sang is a Reporter for FoxNews.com.
Follow her on Twitter @luciasuarezsang
ANTIFA APOLOGIST Dartmouth faculty stand with prof lauding violence
More than 100 Dartmouth College faculty members rushed to support a controversial fellow professor who repeatedly justified Antifa's violent tactics -- despite the Dartmouth president's condemnation of the professor's support for the so-called anti-fascist group.
Mark Bray, the author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook" and visiting professor at the Gender Research Institute at Dartmouth, appeared in dozens of television interviews after the Antifa movement gained national traction following deadly clashes in Charlottesville, Va. earlier in August. Bray supported Antifa's violence, dubbing it "self-defense" and a "legitimate response" to what he termed white supremacist and neo-Nazi violence.
WHY SHOULD ANYONE CONDEMN WHITE NATIONALISTS IF THE LEFT WON'T CONDEMN ANTIFA?
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Demonstrator Joey Gibson, second from left, is chased by anti-fascists during a free speech rally on Aug. 27. (AP)
"I think that a lot of people recognize that, when pushed, self-defense is a legitimate response to white supremacy and neo-Nazi violence," Bray said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Aug. 20.
"The lesson of history is you need to take it with the utmost seriousness before it's too late," Bray continued, adding that demonstrations are necessary to tell neo-Nazis and white supremacists "You can't make this normal."
A day after the controversial interview, Dartmouth President Philip Hanlon, troubled by Bray's support of the violent Antifa protests, condemned the professor's comments, Valley News reported.
"As an institution, we condemn anything but civil discourse in the exchange of opinions and ideas," Hanlon said on Aug. 21. "Dartmouth embraces free speech and open inquiry in all matters, and all on our campus enjoy the freedom to speak, write, listen and debate in pursuit of better learning and understanding; however, the endorsement of violence in any form is contrary to Dartmouth values."
ANTIFA VIOLENCE BRINGS NO OUTRAGE FROM DEMS, AFTER DIRE WARNINGS ABOUT RIGHT-WING VIOLENCE
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Demonstrators clash during a free speech rally on Aug. 27. (AP)
Bray and more than 100 university faculty members took issue with Hanlon's condemnation and accused him of limiting free speech, Valley News reported.
"The importance of being able to organize for self defense if necessary as a last resort has to be on the table when we think of how to confront neo-Nazis and white supremacists," Bray said on Vermont Public Radio last week.
On Tuesday, a letter filed by Bray supporters claimed Bray's comments didn't violate Dartmouth's free speech and academic freedom policies and Hanlon had read a "distorted" version of the professor's comments.
"Professor Bray was exposed to violent threats, without so much as a basic effort even to warn him that the College intended to endorse the mischaracterization of his position and the implied attack on his scholarly standing by making clear he had no institutional support," the letter read.
The letter requests the statement be removed. Bray told The Associated Press he appreciates the letter.
Members of the Antifa movement allegedly attacked peaceful protesters over the weekend in Berkeley. The group of more than 100 hooded protesters, with shields emblazoned with the words "no hate" and flags identifying themselves as anarchists, busted through police lines, avoiding security checks by officers to take away possible weapons. More than a dozen people were arrested in the melee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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