The registered unemployment rate in Chinese cities stood at 3.95 percent at the end of the third quarter, the lowest level since 2008, official data showed.
2017年10月31日星期二
University to mark students on how much they run
A university in Wuhan, Hubei province, recently launched a fitness app to encourage students to exercise, the Paper reported on Wednesday.
Chinese couples cautiously consider dividends of new family planning policy
An increasing number of married Chinese couples are taking advantage of a new family planning policy that came into force after 40 years of strict birth controls to keep the huge population under check. The universal two-child policy, which took effect on January 1, 2016, allows about 90 million more couples to have second babies. ...
Jinan forest aflame with autumn color
An aerial photo reveals a gloriously colorful maple forest in Jinan, East China's Shandong province, Oct 31, 2017.
Alibaba's Jack Ma to star in short kung fu film
Chinese e-commerce tycoon Jack Ma has confirmed he is to make his debut next month in a kung fu film alongside action stars such as Jet Li and Donnie Yen.
NYC terror attack: Halloween horror would have been much worse without top notch NYPD
Editor's note: The following column first appeared in City Journal, a publication of the Manhattan Institute.
The Halloween assault in Lower Manhattan was straight out of the ISIS playbook. Ever since October 2010, when Al Qaeda published the second issue of its online magazine Inspire, jihadi leaders have been urging the faithful to turn ordinary cars and trucks into killing machines to "mow down the enemies of Allah."
On Tuesday in New York, Sayfullo Saipov, 29, a green-card holder from Uzbekistan in Central Asia and resident of Florida, responded to the call.
He drove his rented Home Depot truck from West Houston Street onto a Hudson River Park bike path, one of New York's most beloved amenities. Within ten minutes, eight people were killed and 15 were injured. A note found in the truck, law enforcement officials said, indicated that Saipov committed the attack out of devotion to ISIS.
Saipov might have killed even more people had the NYPD not been the nation's premier counterterrorism force. NYPD officers showed up in force minutes after the attack began, shooting Saipov before he could kill even more New Yorkers.
At a news conference at 1 Police Plaza less than two hours after the deadly attack, John Miller, the New York Police Department's chief of counterterrorism, cited the Islamic State's updated guidance to jihadi aspirants contained in the third November 2016 issue of its own online journal, Rumiya(Rome), as the attacker's probable inspiration. The article encouraged followers to attack "large outdoor conventions and celebrations, pedestrian-congested streets, outdoor markets, festivals, festivals, parades, [and] political rallies." It even specified the ideal type, weight, and speed of a car needed for terror purposes, according to a translation provided by the Counter-Extremism Project.
It seems likely that the killer's original target may have been the famous Greenwich Village Halloween parade, another beloved New York tradition that close to 1 million people typically attend. But the NYPD's overwhelming security presence, and the numerous street closures adjacent to the parade, may have dashed his dreams of an even more memorable massacre.
While the attack investigation is ongoing and details of Saipov's motives and plans are still being gathered, the vehicle assault bore the hallmarks of the attacks that ISIS and other militant jihadi groups have long been promoting. NYPD commissioner James O'Neill said that the terrorist emerged from his rental vehicle after crashing into a school bus screaming a statement that indicated terrorist intent. While the politically attuned O'Neill declined to identify what the attacker shouted, the language in which he was shouting, or his suspected nationality, numerous eye witnesses said that the man, dressed in dark clothing and carrying a pellet gun and a paint-ball gun, was screaming "Allahu Akhbar"—"God is Great" in Arabic.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo pointed out another hallmark of a vehicle assault. The perp, he said, was one of those "lone wolves" who "meant to cause pain and harm and probably death and the resulting terror."
But it takes a pack to raise a lone wolf. Even if Saipov acted alone, he was part of a growing ideological fraternity numbering in the tens of thousands who now inhabit every region of the globe.
Those seeking eternal glory have staged similar attacks in at least a dozen other cities—from Nice to Paris to Barcelona to London to Jerusalem.
Like the attacks in these cities, the Halloween attack in Lower Manhattan was aimed at inflicting maximum carnage. Schools in the area were letting out students shortly after three o'clock when Saipov drove his rented truck off West Houston Street onto the bike path.
There was no shortage of targets. The streets between West Houston and Chambers were crowded with parents picking up their costumed children prepared for an evening of trick-or-treating. Pedestrians and bikers on the Hudson River bike path were stunned and helpless as Saipov careened his weapon through the crowd.
With the collapse of its self-declared "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq, ISIS is on the run. So are its adherents. But as the extremists disperse, the terrorist threat, paradoxically, increases. American and other intelligence agencies have long warned of a likely rise in vehicle and other attacks as the frustrated, furious faithful are forced to reorient their campaign. In May 2017, the U.S. Transportation and Security Agency (TSA) warned truck and bus companies to be on guard for suspicious individuals seeking to rent vehicles.
According to TSA data, Islamist terrorists have carried out more than a dozen vehicular assaults since 2014 that have killed more than 170 people. Such attacks are ever more likely, the TSA memo warned, since "unsophisticated tactics such as vehicle-ramming" are hard to prevent and capable of inflicting "mass casualties if successful."
Saipov might have killed even more people had the NYPD not been the nation's premier counterterrorism force. NYPD officers showed up in force minutes after the attack began, shooting Saipov before he could kill even more New Yorkers.
The NYPD, in fact, was already responding to the vehicular threat long before this type of terror became the focus of federal concern.
At Tuesday's press conference, Miller discussed the department's SHIELD program, which has sent officers to brief some 20,000 businesses in the private sector about the growing terrorist threat post–9/11.
Miller noted that after Rumiya reissued its call for vehicular attacks and suggested an assault on the Thanksgiving Day parade, the NYPD visited over 148 truck rental offices in the metropolitan area asking employees to watch for "suspicious indicators." The police department conducted repeated visits in person and by phone, he said.
Even more essential has been the NYPD's intelligence division, which has long collected information about suspicious individuals. After being heavily, and in many instances unfairly, criticized for allegedly violating civil liberties, Miller's former boss, William Bratton, shut down a particularly controversial program that the intelligence unit had run early in its existence—a so-called "demographic unit" that collected information on the location and activities of Muslims suspected of terrorist intentions.
Another critic was New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who lambasted the NYPD for surveilling New Jersey-based Muslims and asked whether the spying was "borne out of arrogance, or out of paranoia, or out of both." Unconfirmed news reports Tuesday night indicated that Saipov had lived for some time in Paterson, New Jersey.
But the NYPD has not scaled back most of its vital surveillance activities. In fact, New York's Finest, working in tandem with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies that comprise the Joint Terrorism Task Force, have continued collecting information on suspected terrorists living in and visiting the city.
They were unable to prevent the Halloween attack. The so-called "flash-to-bang" trajectory of lone-wolf radicalization is accelerating. An individual intent on mayhem against "soft" targets is the toughest law enforcement terrorist challenge.
Eight people were killed Tuesday. But the toll could have been much higher had the police not responded so quickly and New Yorkers not been so stubbornly resilient.
Concluding his remarks Tuesday, Governor Cuomo issued his own call to arms. "We're not going to let them win," he said. "And if we change our lives, we contort ourselves to them, then they win and we lose."
Three and a half hours after Saipov's wicked rampage, hundreds of thousands of costumed New Yorkers poured into the streets to celebrate Halloween, as planned. Paradoxically, Saipov's perverse mission failed: New Yorkers were not cowed, and he was denied the martyrdom that he was clearly seeking.
Shot in the stomach, Saipov will probably live to be brought to justice, not far from the scene of his heinous crime.
Seth Barron is associate editor of City Journal and project director of the NYC Initiative at the Manhattan Institute.
Dorm room equipped with “black technology” goes viral
A space capsule-like dorm room equipped with "black technology" was featured in GIFs, short video clips without sound, that went viral recently on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter equivalent.
'Hero' NYPD cop who shot terror suspect Sayfullo Saipov identified
A young NYPD officer is being hailed as a hero after shooting a suspected terrorist in New York City.
Officer Ryan Nash, 28, shot suspect Sayfullo Saipov in the stomach moments after he allegedly rammed a rented pickup truck into a crowd in Lower Manhattan, the New York Daily News reported.
The attack left at least eight people dead and several others injured in what Mayor Bill de Blasio called a "cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians."
Nash, a five-year veteran of the police force, was outside the nearby Stuyvesant High School reporting to an unfounded call of a nonviolent, emotionally disturbed person before the deadly rampage began, The News reported.
When chaos broke out, Nash rushed to the bloody scene where he successfully subdued the suspect.
NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill commended Nash in a news conference Tuesday evening, saying the young officer "stopped the carnage moments after it began."
A source told Fox News that 29-year-old Saipov was from Uzbekistan and had a green card. He remains hospitalized following the attack.
Teacher who performed sex act on friend's teenage son gets probation
Christine M. Taylor was sentenced to probation. (DuPage County Sheriff's Office)
A former Illinois middle school teacher who allegedly brought in the New Year by performing a sex act on her friend's teenage son was sentenced to probation Monday after entering a plea deal.
Christine M. Taylor, 46, invited her friend and the woman's 16-year-old son to her Naperville home on New Year's Day in 2016, the Chicago Tribune reported.
After having pizza, Taylor allegedly brought the teenage boy to her bedroom where she performed a sex act on him. The teen's mother caught Taylor in the act and called police, according to the website.
Taylor, a former language arts and social studies teacher at Jefferson Junior High School, was sentenced to two years of probation Monday after entering a plea deal.
TEXAS MOM HAD SEX WITH DAUGHTER'S TEEN BOYFRIEND: POLICE
The 46-year-old woman pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice and endangering the health or safety of a child in exchange for having three sexual abuse charges dropped, the Tribune reported.
She also will need to undergo sex offender counseling and is not allowed to contact the victim or his mother.
Xi's thought a practical plan for future
The "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era", which General Secretary Xi Jinping unveiled in his report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Oct 18, was enshrined in the Party's Constitution on Oct 24.
NYC terror suspect Sayfullo Saipov: Who is he?
The man suspected of plowing a truck through a crowded bike lane in New York on Tuesday is 29 years old, from Uzbekistan with a green card, Fox News has confirmed.
Police have identified Sayfullo Saipov as the driver of the rented pickup truck who killed eight people and injured at least 11 more in the attack in near the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.
Saipov drove a rented pickup truck from Home Depot through a crowded bike path for several blocks before finally crashing into a yellow school bus near Chambers and West Street, police said.
After exiting the vehicle, Saipov yelled "Allahu Akbar" and waived around some type of weapon, which authorities believe to be an airsoft gun or a B.B. gun. The suspect was shot twice by police and taken into custody. He remains in the hospital and is expected to survive his wounds.
NYC 'TERROR' ATTACK LEAVES 8 DEAD, SEVERAL INJURED
Evidence found in the truck suggested that Saipov pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, according to reports from the New York Post.
Law enforcement officials reportedly discovered handwritten notes and some type of symbol or picture of the ISIS flag in the truck. The notes they found, written in Arabic, indicated that he pledged his allegiance the terror network.
According to the Associated Press, the suspect is believed to have rented the truck about an hour before the attack.
Authorities discovered that Saipov had a Florida license and he's been connected to an address in the Tampa area. But he was living in New Jersey as recently as this summer and working as an Uber driver, a friend of Saipov told Fox News.
POLITICIANS REACT TO FATAL NYC TRUCK ATTACK IN LOWER MANHATTAN
The friend, Kobiljon Matkarov, said he met Saipov while the two were living in Florida and described him as "very friendly" and "very nice."
Matkarov said he last saw the suspect a few months ago when Saipov picked him up from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Saipov had moved to the area in order to find better work opportunities.
Matkarov told Fox News that he never noticed any unusual behavior from the suspect, let alone the fact that he'd been radicalized and that he was generally a happy-go-lucky person who loved America.
"I know his good side. I know nothing of his bad side," Matkarov said. "He was always happy. He liked the U.S. He loved this country. That's why this is all very confusing."
Uber did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
Fox News' Perry Chiaramonte and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Authorities Move Against Shared Bike 'congestion'
Urban management departments in some cities have impounded many cycles after complaints about blocked sidewalks and random, unregulated parking, as Zhou Wenting reports from Shanghai.
The services should be embraced in the city's development strategy
There have been many discussions about whether bike-sharing companies should contribute toward the cost of managing public spaces. However, before we can talk about this, we have to determine whether the business model should be the pursuit of corporate profit or the provision of a public service.
Bringing cycling back to China to fight pollution and prevent gridlock
I think it's reasonable to expect bike-sharing companies to reimburse the local government because their services raise the cost of traffic management.
In Dalian, all eyes are on the sky
Just before John Donegan-Cross left his native Edinburgh to move to China this fall, his grandmother handed him a guidebook - not about the country, but about its birds.
Researcher dives into Africa's aquaculture development
For many Chinese people, Africa is not only far away, but also strange and wild. He Wang, however, has spent most of the past decade living on the continent.
Nation's papers gain global credibility
China's academic science papers have moved into second place for global citations, behind the United States, according to a report released on Tuesday.
3-D technology helps preserve iconic heritage
HANGZHOU - About 2,000 kilometers from the Yungang Grottoes, a 1,500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site in Shanxi province, a small army of 3-D printers has been working around the clock to save a cultural heritage from oblivion.
Plant acids found in TCM to get scrutiny
The China Food and Drug Administration will conduct risk assessments of drugs that contain potentially dangerous plant acids and may limit or ban their use.
3 jailed by court for lake dumping
Three people were sentenced to jail for polluting Taihu Lake - two for dumping and one for committing fraud - the Gusu District People's Court in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, announced on Tuesday.
From far north to deep south, seniors relax on China's longest rail journey
About 1,000 tourists - mostly seniors - boarded a train on Monday for an eight-day trip from Harbin, in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, to Hainan Island in the very south.
Wuhan launches world-leading quantum network
Wuhan, Hubei province, launched the world's most advanced civilian quantum communication network on Tuesday, and will soon connect all the city's government bodies, financial institutions and other entities to allow the secure transmission of classified information, according to project managers.
Measures introduced to implement National Anthem Law in HK, Macao
Draft bills to make the National Anthem Law part of the Basic Laws of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions were introduced on Tuesday during the ongoing session of China's top legislature.
Pollution curbs set to make skies clearer
More than 130,000 polluting companies in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region have suspended production or shut down amid comprehensive controls to curb air pollution in the autumn and winter, environmental authorities said on Tuesday.
Expert hails bold environment moves
President Xi Jinping's plan to establish an "ecological civilization" is among the best blueprints for green governance, according to James Thornton, a UK-based environmental lawyer and activist.
Medvedev starts China visit, talks with Chinese internet users
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is on an official visit to China from Oct 31 to Nov 2.
Social stability remains 'key task'
Guo Shengkun, the new head of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee under the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Tuesday that the committee must fulfill its duties to maintain social stability and make the public feel more secure.
Democratic group pulls ad targeting Virginia governor hopeful Ed Gillespie's supporters
A television ad depicting supporters of Virginia governor hopeful Ed Gillespie as Confederates who attack minority children has been pulled in the wake of the terror attack in New York City.
The Democratic group Latino Victory Fund removed the controversial ad, which showed a pickup truck driver chasing down minority children, on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
"We knew our ad would ruffle feathers. We held a mirror up to the Republican Party, and they don't like what they see. We have decided to pull our ad at this time," said Cristobal J. Alex, President of the LVF, in a statement on Twitter Tuesday evening.
"Given recent events, we will be placing other powerful ads into rotation that highlight the reasons we need to elect progressive leaders in Virginia."
The statement was released just hours after investigators said the suspected driver, identified as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, plowed a rented pickup truck into a crowd in Lower Manhattan. The incident, being treated as a terror attack, left at least eight dead and several others injured.
The ad was released on Monday and was expected to run through Election Day.
Gillespie denounced the ad Tuesday morning in an interview with "Fox & Friends."
"This attack is not just an attack on my supporters, it's an attack on all Virginians. The fact is, whether you disagree with people or not, in Virginia, we respect civil discourse and this is a new low in politics here. It's a sad day," Gillespie said.
In a statement to Fox News, Gillespie's campaign manager called the ad a "desperate smear campaign."
Chinese political advisors study spirit of CPC National Congress
Chinese political advisors Tuesday put their heads together on ways to implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
'Hocus Pocus' remake will be 'cheap' according to Bette Midler
"Hocus Pocus" (Freeform)
Bette Midler is not impressed that the Disney Channel is remaking the Halloween classic "Hocus Pocus."
"I know it's cheap. It's going to be cheap!" the actress, who played Winifred Sanderson in the original film, told People at the Restoration Project's annual Hulaween party.
She added, "I'm not sure what they're going to do with my character. My character is very, very broad and I don't know who they're going to find to play that."
Disney Channel announced in September that it's remaking the 1993 cult classic, which starred Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as witches.
The original movie's director, Kenny Ortega, who directed Disney Channel's biggest hits, "High School Musical" and "Descendants," is not involved in the remake.
This article originally appeared in Page Six.
Top CPC leaders reaffirm mission at Party's birthplace
In July 1921, 13 individuals met and founded the Communist Party of China (CPC) in a brick-and-wood building in the French concession area of Shanghai.
Senior official vows to implement spirit of CPC congress
Guo Shengkun, secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee under the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has called on the country's political and legal staff to study and implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress.
Chinese theses cited 19.4 mln times in past decade
Theses authored by Chinese science and technology researchers published in international publications were cited 19.35 million times in the past 10 years, according to the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China.
Top NPR, New York Times executive accused of lewd sexual harassment is placed on leave
Michael Oreskes in 2007. (REUTERS/Fadi Al-Assaad, File)
The head of National Public Radio's news department was placed on leave Tuesday after he was accused of sexual harassment by two women who claimed he made unwanted advances toward them while he worked at the New York Times nearly 20 years ago.
Both women claimed Michael Oreskes kissed them after they had approached him about working at the Times in the late 1990s, when Oreskes was the paper's Washington bureau chief.
One of the women said that she confronted Oreskes over lunch at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station.
"I looked him in the eye, and I said: 'You kissed me, and it was totally inappropriate. That's not the way I want to get ahead in this business,'" the woman said. "His jaw dropped. He said: 'I was overcome with passion. I couldn't help myself.'"
Jill Abramson, the Times' former executive editor, who was Oreskes' deputy in the Washington bureau at the time, recalled that he also showed special interest in a woman who worked as a news aide.
"If I had to do it again, I would have told him to knock it off," she told the Post. "Maybe confronting him would have somehow stopped him from doing it to another woman."
The allegations against Oreskes were first reported by The Washington Post Tuesday.
When asked if Oreskes' conduct had drawn complaints at the Times, a spokesperson said the paper "takes all allegations of sexual harassment seriously and we are looking into it."
Attempts to reach Oreskes and NPR for comment were unsuccessful.
Both women told the Post that they were motivated to come forward by NPR's coverage of sexual misconduct allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, political journalist Mark Halperin and other men prominent in their industries.
"The idea that he's in charge of that coverage is just so hypocritical to me," one of the women said. "It's sickening. I want to say: 'You owe me ... a public apology.'"
Changes weighed to help farmers keep land rights
China will strengthen its protections of farmers' rights and interests by extending the current round of rural land contracts for another 30 years, if a draft revision of the Rural Land Contracting Law is passed by the nation's top legislature.
Officer: Freddie Gray didn't appear to need medical care
BALTIMORE – A Baltimore police officer involved in arresting a black man who later suffered a fatal injury during a police van ride testified at the driver's disciplinary hearing Tuesday that the man did not show any signs he needed medical care when he was first put into the van.
Officer Edward Nero testified at the hearing for Officer Caesar Goodson, the van driver who could be fired for violating department policies in the case.
"He was not showing any signs of a medical emergency," Nero, a certified emergency medical technician, said of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died about a week after his April 2015 arrest from a fatal spinal cord injury.
The testimony comes as Neil Duke, an attorney for the police department, is arguing before a three-member disciplinary panel that Goodson should be fired, partly for failing in his duty to take Gray to a hospital after he requested medical care.
But Nero testified that people who are arrested often request medical attention to avoid jail.
"It's very common to have that," Nero testified.
Duke is also contending that Goodson, who was acquitted of murder and other charges last year in the criminal case, should be fired for failing to secure the handcuffed and shackled Gray with a safety belt inside the van.
Goodson's lawyers disagree. They say the police department failed to properly disseminate new rules requiring seat belts during prisoner transport. Nero and Officer William Porter both testified Tuesday that they had not been informed of the policy change, which was just days old at the time of the arrest.
Porter testified that he also didn't think Gray had a medical issue, but he thought Gray should be taken to a hospital since Gray's request for care meant that he wouldn't be admitted to the Baltimore Central Intake and Booking Center without getting cleared by a hospital first. However, Porter said he never talked to Goodson about that.
Goodson's lawyers also say Gray wasn't fastened into a seatbelt because police were trying to get away from a crowd that had gathered and because Gray was not cooperative, creating a dangerous situation in one of Baltimore's roughest neighborhoods. But under questioning by Duke, officers have testified that there were no crowds at some of the later stops in the 45-minute drive to a police station, creating opportunities for Gray to be fastened without danger.
The hearing is expected to last into next week.
Six officers were charged in Gray's death. Goodson had faced the most serious charge — murder. Goodson, Nero and Lt. Brian Rice were acquitted at trial last year. After the acquittals, prosecutors dropped the charges against the remaining three officers, Sgt. Alicia White, and officers Garrett Miller and Porter, whose first trial ended in a hung jury.
Draft seeks prison for disrespect to anthem
People who show disrespect to China's national anthem will face prison terms of up to three years if a draft amendment to the Criminal Law is adopted by the top legislature.
Politicians react to fatal NYC truck attack in Lower Manhattan
At least eight people were killed and several were injured after a rental truck tore through a bike path in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday.
The suspect, who reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" after exiting the vehicle, was shot by the New York Police Department and is expected to survive.
The attack is being investigated as terrorism by the FBI and NYPD, Fox News confirms.
Here's what politicians around the U.S. are saying:
"In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person," President Trump tweeted. "Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!"
"We join in mourning the dead, praying for the wounded, thanking first responders, & sending our love to all of NYC," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement on Twitter.
"My heart breaks for #NYC today. Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation," first lady Melania Trump said.
"Thanks NYPD for rapidly responding to tragic situation downtown. Worried & saddened to hear about injuries & loss of life," Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said.
"My heart and prayers are with the people injured and killed in Manhattan today," Rep. Frederica Wilson D-Fla., wrote on her Twitter page.
"My heart is w the people in lower Manhattan. I'm grateful to our brave first responders & wishing all those injured a speedy recovery," Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said.
"Prayers with those killed and injured in NYC and their families," Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., wrote on Twitter.
"Heartbreaking," Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., wrote on Twitter. "Praying for the victims of the tragedy in Lower Manhattan."
"Saddened by the tragedy in NYC. Our prayers are w/the victims, their families & first responders," Vice President Mike Pence tweeted. "Those responsible must be held accountable"
"A horrific act of terror in NYC today. My heart is with the victims and families - I am grateful to the NYPD, FDNY, EMS, NYS police and FBI," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said.
"New Yorkers see this attack for what it is - an attempt to sow fear," former President Bill Clinton tweeted. "We stand against terror as we grieve for the victims and thank the @NYPD."
Xi leads Party oath at historic site
The Communist Party of China's newly elected top leadership, headed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, visited two revolutionary historical sites on Tuesday, underscoring the new leadership's firm belief to stay true to the Party's original aspirations and serve the people.
Trendy liquid nitrogen 'Dragon Breath' dessert hospitalizes 14-year-old girl
A girl who tried the liquid nitrogen-dipped dessert wound up in the hospital with a severely burned thumb. (iStock)
State fairs are known for their crazy dessert offerings, but the most recent trendy dessert is proving to be quite dangerous.
Florida's Pensacola Interstate Fair offers a liquid nitrogen-dipped confection called Dragon Breath.
The sweet treat is a "dessert cereal snack that tastes like Fruit Loops dipped in liquid nitrogen," Today.com reports. The allure is that once you eat it, the customer's "smoke like a dragon."
THE MOST DELICIOUS DEEP-FRIED TREATS FROM THIS YEAR'S STATE FAIRS
The Instagrammable food's smoky effects, however, gave one 14-year-old a severe burn on her thumb after she came into contact with the liquid nitrogen.
Her grandmother had to take the teen to the emergency room to treat the serious injury she sustained from the dessert.
"The ER doctor had to cut [the thumb] open, cut away the dead skin and get the infection out," Tina McArthur told WEARTV. "They said had we not come in and got her finger treated she could have possibly lost her thumb."
Liquid nitrogen has an extremely low temperature, between negative 196 and negative 320 degrees Fahrenheit that can cause severe burns and destruction to skin tissue. If consumed, the liquid nitrogen can cause serious internal complications or fatal asphyxiation caused by the substance displacing oxygen inside the body.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
Danny M.G., who manages the Dragon Breath booth, insists that the product has been tested and is safe for consumption.
However, in the past week, two patrons have reported injuries at the fair from the dessert. Others who have tried the treat posted on social media that eating it was "physically uncomfortable."
A fair spokesperson confirmed to Today.com that Dragon Breath will not be returning in 2018.
Guess you'll just have to stick to funnel cakes and deep-fried Oreos.
Russian trolls and bots disrupting US democracy via Facebook and Twitter
There was the ISIS attack on a chemical plant in southern Louisiana last September. Two months later, an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus occurred in Atlanta on the same day a video began circulating on social media of an unarmed black woman being shot to death by police in the Georgia city.
What all these shocking and disparate stories have in common are two things: they are not true and they all originated from a group of Russian cyber trolls working out of a non-descript office building in St. Petersburg.
In addition, throughout last year's presidential election season, dozens of stories circulated on Twitter, Facebook and other social media attacking Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton about everything from supposedly having poor mental health to allegedly fostering secret ties with Islamic extremists.
With top executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google testifying Tuesday before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Russia's attempts to influence U.S. elections and sow discord across the country via social media, many questions remain about how these Russian trolls operate, the veracity of the so-called news they are spreading and what tech giants in Silicon Valley are doing to combat this scourge.
"We're pretty sure Russia is behind this given that we've seen the building they use, know that they've put hundreds of millions of dollars into this effort and that they have about 200 employees working on this," Philip Howard, a professor of internet studies at the University of Oxford and research director of the Oxford Internet Institute, told Fox News. "The problem combatting them is different with each social media platform."
On the world's most popular social media site, Facebook, Russian trolls use fake names and backgrounds paired with stolen photos to pose as American citizens and spread either false news stories or hacked information.
In one instance, an account under the name of Melvin Reddick of Harrisburg, Pa. last June posted a link to a website called DCLeaks, which displayed material stolen from a number of prominent American political figures. While the information posted on the site appeared to be true, Reddick was an apparition – with no records in Pennsylvania appearing under his name and his photos taken from an unsuspecting Brazilian.
While trolls in Russia have also used individual accounts on Twitter to disseminate false or incendiary news, the more common practice implemented on that platform is so-called bot farming, where a series of up to hundreds and –at times – thousands of automated accounts will send out identical messages seconds apart and in the exact alphabetical order of their made-up names.
On Election Day last year, a group of bots on Twitter blasted out the hashtag #WarAgainstDemocrats more than 1,700 times.
Experts say that while these trolls may use various methods to try and disguise their Russian identities, such as changing their IP addresses, they are easily tracked by their frequent screw-ups (some accidently put their location setting on in Twitter, use credit cards linked to the Russian government or write their posts in Cyrillic).
Preventing them from operating, however, is a different story.
Groups like Hoffman's Oxford Internet Institute say that they can monitor questionable accounts and alert tech companies, but to really make progress – and to openly prove that Russia is behind these attacks – Facebook and Twitter need to be more transparent.
"The only way to see if these accounts are actually Russian is for Facebook and Twitter to be more open and tell us," Hoffman said. "That is why these testimonies are so important."
The testimony from Facebook, obtained before the company went before the Senate, revealed that posts generated by Russia's Internet Research Agency potentially reached as many as 126 million users between January 2015 and August 2017.
Twitter was expected to tell the same subcommittee that it has uncovered and shut down 2,752 accounts linked to the same group, Russia's Internet Research Agency, which is known for promoting pro-Russian government positions.
"Twitter believes that any activity of that kind—regardless of magnitude—is unacceptable, and we agree that we must do better to prevent it," a source familiar with Twitter's testimony, said in an email to Fox News. "State-sanctioned manipulation of elections by sophisticated foreign actors is a new challenge for us—and one that we are determined to meet."
(Twitter)
Despite the more than 2,700 accounts linked to Russia being nearly 14 times larger than the number of accounts Twitter handed over to congressional committees three weeks ago, the company the number of accounts linked to Russia and that were Tweeting election-related content was "small in comparison to the total number of accounts," on the social media site, the person familiar with the testimony said, adding they did not rig the election in favor of President Trump.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee holding the hearing, said in a statement that manipulation of social media by terrorist organizations and foreign governments is "one of the greatest challenges to American democracy" and he wants to make sure the companies are doing everything possible to combat it.
"Clearly, to date, their efforts have been unsuccessful," Graham said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NYC 'terror' attack leaves 8 dead, several injured
At least eight people are dead after a driver barreled into a bike path and crashed a rental pickup truck into a crowd in Lower Manhattan Tuesday afternoon, shouting "Allahu Akbar," law enforcement sources tell Fox News and The Associated Press.
Another 11 people were injured, officials said. The 29-year-old driver, possibly a Middle Eastern man with a beard, was shot by police and taken into custody, law enforcement sources told Fox News. The suspect remains hospitalized.
The NYPD is responding to reports of a shooting in Lower Manhattan Tuesday, a few blocks from the World Trade Center Memorial. (New York Police Department)
Mayor Bill de Blasio, speaking at a press conference Tuesday evening, called the incident "an act of terror."
"This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians," de Blasio said.
Governor Andrew Cuomo referred to the incident as a "lone wolf" attack, and added that at this point in the investigation, there is no evidence to suggest that there was a wider plot.
Around the globe, cities have been on high alert regarding vehicle attacks. The Islamic State has been encouraging its followers to mow down people, and England, France and Germany have all seen deadly vehicle attacks in recent months and years.
FBI officials confirmed to Fox News that they have agents responding to the situation "with NYPD." A bomb squad was also on scene examining a vehicle.
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said in a statement that "DHS and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the American people."
Following the incident in New York, President Trump tweeted "looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!"
Police said the truck entered the bike path on West Street a few blocks from the new World Trade Center -- the site of the deadliest terror attack in U.S. history -- and plowed into several people. The driver jumped out of his rental truck carrying what turned out to be two fake handguns.
The truck also slammed into a short yellow school bus, injuring two adults and two children.
One witness who passed the scene while on the West Side Highway said he saw several people bleeding on the ground and a truck hit several people.
Fox News' Jake Gibson and Rick Leventhal and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Lower Manhattan attack kills 6, injures 9; suspect in custody
At least six people are dead after a driver barreled into a bike path and crashed a rental pickup truck into a crowd in Lower Manhattan Tuesday afternoon, shouting "Allahu Akbar," law enforcement sources tell Fox News and the Associated Press.
Another nine people were injured, authorities said. Police tweeted that one person has been taken into custody and "no others outstanding."
The NYPD is responding to reports of a shooting in Lower Manhattan Tuesday, a few blocks from the World Trade Center Memorial. (New York Police Department)
FBI officials confirmed to Fox News that they have agents responding to the situation "with NYPD." A bomb squad is also on scene examining a vehicle.
Police and witnesses said a motorist drove onto a busy bike path and hit several people, then got out of his vehicle screaming and firing what appeared to be a gun.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has been briefed on the situation, and is at the scene. The mayor's press secretary tweeted there was "NO active threat."
Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted he has "been briefed with preliminary information on the situation in Lower Manhattan and am heading to the scene."
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said President Trump been briefed on the incident.
One witness who passed the scene while on the West Side Highway said he saw several peple bleeding on the ground and a truck hit several people. Another witness told The Associated Press the truck had collided with a small bus and another vehicle.
A school photographer nearby said he peeked around the corner, where he saw a thin man in a blue track suit running and holding a gun. He claimed he saw a heavier man chasing after him.
Fox News' Jake Gibson and Rick Leventhal and The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The one McDonald's item you should never order, according to an ex-employee
McDonald's employees warn people to never order one item off the menu in particular (iStock)
Reddit users who claim to be McDonald's past and present employees have revealed the menu item you should never order from the fast food restaurant and why.
The fast food chain is a favourite for millions, but these claims may end up leaving a bad taste.
In a thread where restaurant workers were asked to share which menu items people should never order, users who claimed to work for the chain agreed that the Filet-O-Fish was a poor choice.
A Reddit user who said he used to work at McDonald's three year ago said: "I can promise you that filet of fish is not fresh by any stretch of the imagination".
"At McDonald's just say you want a fish filet cooked to order," another user advised.
He then explained that you would have to wait five minutes longer for your order but it will be "worth it compared to the filet that has been in the heated cabinet for hours."
Despite the criticism, one loyal McDonald's customer defended the chain by saying the fish burger is his favourite dish on the menu.
He said: "If you're going to serve me a square piece of fish that tastes the exact same whether I order it in Denver or the south of France, I am under no assumption that it is by any means fresh.
"And I am completely okay with that, it's my go-to comfort food."
The Sun Online has contacted McDonald's for further comment.
Josh Groban tweets from near New York crash, shooting scene
(The Associated Press)
While police responded to a report of gunfire in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday, singer Josh Groban was tweeting from the area after reportedly having to flee with his dog from the sound of gunshots.
The star posted a rather calm photo of his dog with the caption, "Two things get me through my week. My shrink, and meeting friends at the dog park."
Just four minutes later, the star sent a series of follow up messages explaining that he had to run from the sound of shots with his dog.
"Oh my god I just heard gun shots and ran with my dog. Downtown. F---," he said. "I hope everyone's ok. Was half a block from me, didn't see it but heard 8-10 quick rounds fired off. Be safe with your kids out there."
The star then revealed that it was by coincidence that he wasn't even closer to the incident.
"I'm shaking. That's the corner I was supposed to have my coffee but my dog pulled me into the park half a block away 10 min before shooting.
The last tweet from Groban shows the NYPD responding to the scene in a video that he filmed from, what he believes to be, a safe distance.
"Once I got far enough away I took this video of the quick response from our amazing NYPD and NYFD."
The situation is ongoing but early reports indicate that police responded to an incident involving gunfire near West Street and Chambers Street, which is just a few blocks away from the National Sept. 11 Memorial. Other reports say someone drove their vehicle down a bike path, striking some cyclists. It's unclear if there are injuries at this time. The police are reporting that one person is in custody and that no others are outstanding.
Parent barricades self, other person in California classroom
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Authorities say a parent has barricaded himself in a Southern California elementary school classroom with at least one other person.
Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback tells KCAL-TV that the incident at Castle View Elementary School was reported shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Railsback says the other person in the room with the parent is believed to be an adult but it's not known if it is a teacher, another parent or a school staffer.
Railsback says it's not known if the parent has a weapon.
The police spokesman says most of the school has been evacuated and the area where the barricade is occurring has been isolated.
Police respond to shots fired near World Trade Center site
NEW YORK – Police are responding to a report of gunfire a few blocks from the World Trade Center site and memorial, and witnesses say a vehicle drove down a popular bike path and struck pedestrians and cyclists.
The New York Police Department posted on its Twitter feed that one person was in custody Tuesday.
An Associated Press photographer on the scene saw at least one person lying motionless on the Manhattan bike path.
A large number of police vehicles could be seen near a community college and a high school and a few blocks north of the National Sept. 11 Memorial.
It's unclear how many people have been injured or whether anyone was killed.
NYPD responds to reports of shooting near prestigious Lower Manhattan high school
The New York City Police Department is responding to reports of a shooting in Lower Manhattan, a few blocks from the World Trade Center Memorial.
It was not immediately clear how many people were hurt.
Police tweeted that one person has been taken into custody and "no others outstanding."
Witness, according to The Associated Press, told local media that a vehicle drove down a popular bike path and hit pedestrians and people biking.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has been briefed on the situation, according to the mayor's press secretary. He noted there is "NO active threat."
Singer Josh Groban posted video near the scene, noting "the quick response from our amazing NYPD and NYFD."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Man says Mississippi police pointed guns at him, his family
GULFPORT, Miss. – An African-American man says Mississippi police officers swarmed his family's car and pointed guns at him, his wife and four children after a neighbor mistook them for burglars.
Kelvin Fairley and his family live in California but were in Gulfport, Mississippi, to check on a house they are having renovated, WLOX-TV reported. He said someone called police when his family was at the house Sunday, mistakenly believing a break-in had occurred.
After the family left, they were pulled over in traffic. Fairley told the Sun Herald that the responding officers wouldn't tell him why he was stopped. He said officers put him and his wife, Natasha Krikorian, in handcuffs and held the family at gunpoint. A 12-year-old nephew and Fairley's three children — sons who are 12 and 16 and a daughter who's 9 — were in the car.
"I totally think they racially profiled me," Fairley told the newspaper. "They never would even tell me why they stopped me. From the moment they pulled us over, there were six to seven police cars. They immediately had their guns drawn."
Fairley, who is a registered nurse, and Krikorian, who is a psychologist, later went to the Gulfport Police Department to report how officers had treated them. A video shot by Fairley's sister, who went to the police station with them, showed that when Fairley told a white officer what had happened, the officer replied: "Obviously, you don't understand our business." The officer said police have to use caution when approaching possible suspects. After a short exchange, the officer told Fairley to file a written complaint.
Fairley told the TV station that the children were terrified by the traffic stop.
"I'm watching my 9-year-old daughter bawling her eyes out, saying she wanted her daddy," he said.
Gulfport police said the allegation of officer misconduct is under investigation.
NYPD responding to reports of shots fired in Lower Manhattan
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NYPD says one person is in custody following reports of a shooting in Lower Manhattan.New Jersey governor race: Who are Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno?
Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, a Republican, face off during a gubernatorial debate in New Jersey. Murphy leads Guadagno in the polls. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The stakes are high in New Jersey as the state prepares to elect a new governor for the first time in eight years.
Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno -- the state's two top contenders -- are competing to replace Republican Gov. Chris Christie, the only governor to serve two full terms since Tom Kean in the 1980s.
Here's what you need to know about the candidates ahead of the Nov. 7 race.
Phil Murphy, Democrat
Phil Murphy, 60, is a former Goldman Sachs executive and U.S. ambassador to Germany. Prior to serving as ambassador, he was the Democratic National Committee's finance chair.
Phil Murphy is a former Goldman Sachs executive and U.S. ambassador to Germany. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Murphy was born to a family in Boston who lived "paycheck to paycheck," according to Murphy's campaign website. He graduated from Harvard in 1979 with a degree in economics and later received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Murphy, who is married with four children, has never held elected office. However, the Democrat is the unexpected front-runner in the race partly because of Christie's approval rating, which hit 15 percent in June -- the lowest of any governor in the state's history. Christie's ratings have dropped due to the Bridgegate scandal and his time spent out of state to prepare for the 2016 presidential election, Ross Baker, a professor of American politics at Rutgers University, told Fox News.
As a result, political experts have Murphy favored to win the election.
"Where we stand now, he's the presumptive favorite. The public is looking for someone different," Benjamin Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said.
And the prediction could be right: According to a Fox News poll from Oct. 17, Murphy led his Republican opponent 47 to 33 percent. Additionally, a recent Suffolk University and USA Today poll found that Murphy has a 16-point lead on his opponent.
What's more, the state's changing demographics also increase Murphy's chances of winning, Dworkin said. To give that some context: In 2007, there were 200,000 more registered Democrats in New Jersey than Republicans. By 2017, there were 800,000 more, according to Dworkin.
"The state has become much more democratic since Christie was first elected," he said.
OBAMA RETURNS TO CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN NEW JERSEY, VIRGINIA
The results of the 2016 presidential election may also help Murphy succeed. Some voters who don't agree with the current administration "want to go out there and send a message to Washington -- and this is how they're going to do it," Dworkin said.
The Democratic front-runner has been gobbling up endorsements from elected officials, faith leaders and various organizations. An extensive list of Murphy's endorsements can be found here. But some of the most notable include: Former Vice Presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
Additionally, former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Murphy at a labor union in Paramus on Tuesday -- just two days after his wife and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton showed her support for Murphy at a closed-door fundraiser in Harrison. And former President Barack Obama, who named Murphy to his ambassador position, began campaigning for Murphy on Oct. 19.
During the event on Tuesday, Bill Clinton said Guadagno is "trying to scare the living daylights out of people" to get her base to show up at the polls on Nov. 7., Politico reported. His comment alluded to an immigration ad that Guadagno recently released that said Murphy would have the "backs of deranged murderers."
Murphy is running on a promise to better New Jersey infrastructure, make housing in the state more affordable, tackle the opioid epidemic, crack down on gun violence and open a state-run bank that would be owned by New Jersey taxpayers, among other proposals.
NEW JERSEY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE FRUIT, VEGGIES, TAXES
The bank -- which would be the second of its kind in the U.S. -- would give some state tax money to community banks. The community banks would then give loans to small business owners, infrastructure projects in the state and student loans. The profits would be returned to the people of New Jersey as non-tax revenue.
"Jump starting the economy-- that's his play," Dworkin said. "It's an intriguing idea- but that's it. It's not something that's galvanized voters."
Kim Guadagno, Republican
Political analysts say Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno's ties to Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., are hurting her own gubernatorial aspirations. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Kim Guadagno, 58, served as Christie's lieutenant governor during both terms. Prior to that, she worked as an assistant United States attorney for the District of New Jersey in Newark before accepting the role of assistant attorney general for the State of New Jersey.
Guadagno was born in Waterloo, Iowa, and is the middle of five children. She obtained a political science degree from Ursinus College before graduating in 1983 from the American University College of Law. She is married with three children, according to her campaign website.
Guadagno has repeatedly tried to distance herself from Christie, attempting to "run as her own person," Dworkin said. But her ties to the current governor are hurting her.
Indeed, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 54 percent of New Jersey voters have a negative opinion of her because she served as Christie's lieutenant governor.
DEMS' EFFORTS TO TIE GOP CANDIDATE TO CHRISTIE COULD BACKFIRE
"She's a talented and qualified candidate, but this race is a tremendously uphill battle for her," Dworkin said.
Unlike Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate in Virginia's gubernatorial race this year, Guadagno hasn't been endorsed by President Trump -- possibly hurting her chances of getting ahead.
"She's a talented and qualified candidate, but this race is a tremendously uphill battle for her."
"Trump wants to stay away from the Republican Party in New Jersey right now, which is dragged down by the Christie brand name, and the administration thinks it has a better chance to swing things in Virginia," Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public policy at Princeton University, told NJ.com.
Guadagno is running on the promise to end the opioid epidemic, fix New Jersey transportation, grow jobs in the state, fix pension and health benefits, make the state more military and veteran-friendly, and cut property taxes by as much as $3,000. New Jersey's property taxes are the highest in the nation.
If elected, Guadagno has said she won't run for re-election if she can't lower property taxes in her first term. But only 23 percent of voters believe her promise, according to the Quinnipiac poll.
Overall, both candidates need to encourage New Jerseyans to get out and vote, as most residents are "vaguely aware" of this year's gubernatorial election, said Ross.
Moore gathers with GOP establishment he derided
WASHINGTON – Roy Moore lunched with the Senate Republican establishment he has repeatedly derided.
The Alabama Senate candidate and former jurist joined Vice President Mike Pence and GOP senators at their weekly, closed-door policy luncheon on Tuesday. Republicans, who had mostly favored appointed Sen. Luther Strange, have endorsed Moore as they look ahead to the Dec. 12 special election to fill the seat held for years by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Emerging from the luncheon, Moore faced questions from reporters about past statements on religion and his criticism of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Moore has said Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., should not be allowed to serve in Congress because he's a Muslim. Asked about those comments, Moore declined to comment, saying, "I'll address that later."
Moore's presence in the Senate came as Republicans repeatedly have defended one of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees, Amy Coney Barrett, who has faced questions about whether her Catholicism influences her legal opinion. GOP senators criticized Democrats for that line of questioning and insisted there is no religious test to hold office.
As Republicans have backed Moore, Ellison tweeted on Monday: "Do these folks know they've stood by a Senate candidate who thinks I shouldn't be able to serve in Congress, simply because of my faith?"
A few Republican senators have distanced themselves from Moore's comments.
"Anyone who says a Muslim shouldn't serve in Congress is applying a religious test. That's unconstitutional. That's not right," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.
Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican, has endorsed Moore. He said on Monday that just because he and Moore are both Republicans "doesn't mean you agree 100 percent with what some other office holder or candidate for office feels, so I would disagree with that statement" by Moore.
Moore has been removed from office twice, once for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from Alabama's judicial building and then suspended for insisting probate judges refuse same-sex couples marriage licenses.
McConnell and top Republicans had backed Strange in the September runoff, and a McConnell-aligned PAC invested some $9 million for his candidacy.
Moore used fundraising appeals to blast McConnell, saying "dirty tricks and schemes ... like turning out Democrats to vote for his crony Luther Strange in our Republican primary," and Moore in the Senate "means the END of Mitch McConnell's reign as Majority Leader."
Although Trump backed Strange, Moore easily won the September runoff with the help of former White House adviser Steve Bannon.
Moore told reporters on Tuesday that he spoke to McConnell and it "went well."
Bishop bans Dita Von Teese from stripping inside cathedral for Bette Midler's gala
The Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese, was banned by the Bishop of New York from performing at Bette Midler's famed Hulaween Gala.
Midler had invited Von Teese to perform at this year's Halloween costume event, which took place Monday night at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue, in support of the New York Restoration Project.
But The Right Reverend Andrew M L Dietsche, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, was not pleased to hear of racy Von Teese's slated show and ordered she not be allowed to perform inside his Cathedral Church, which according to its website, is a "house of prayer for all people and a unifying center of intellectual light and leadership."
But Von Teese, who was briefly married to famed satanist Marilyn Manson until 2006, still showed up to support the Hulaween event, posing demurely on the red carpet with former "Hello Dolly" star Midler.
Other guests included Bernadette Peters and Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt, who inexplicably wore a giant jaunty hat with feathers, a disco ball jacket and a string of pink bulbs.
The Bishop didn't respond to requests for comment. Von Teese told Page Six, "While I'm disappointed not to be performing as planned at this wonderful event, I respect the Bishop's decision to ban burlesque in a functioning church!"
This article originally appeared on Page Six.
Woman's ex-boyfriend charged in arson that killed her 3 sons
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The ex-boyfriend of a woman whose three sons were killed in a house fire has been charged with homicide and arson.
Preston Bonnett, of Wilkes-Barre, is accused of setting the fire at the home in Laflin last week that killed the three brothers. Bonnett, who was arraigned on Monday, vehemently denied the charges and insisted he's innocent.
"They need to do better police work and find out who really did it," Bonnett said.
Erik Dupree, 16, Devon Major, 12, and Ezekiel Major, 7, died in Wednesday's fire. The older boys died of smoke inhalation, while the youngest boy was resuscitated and was flown to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia but died Saturday.
Investigators said Bonnett, who was arraigned on two counts of criminal homicide and three counts of arson, could face another count of criminal homicide after an autopsy is completed on the youngest boy.
Court records show Bonnett is the ex-boyfriend of the children's mother and briefly lived at the home before they had a falling out and she kicked him out.
According to a police affidavit, the children's mother, Susan Major, had gone out on the night of the fire to attend a work-related event, leaving the children at home.
Major told police that a week before the fire she had security cameras, hidden inside Minions characters from the "Despicable Me" movies, installed at her home because she was concerned for her family's safety, according the Citizen's Voice .
Bonnett was previously arrested on an existing warrant for unrelated charges.
The night of the fire, Erik Dupree called 911 about half an hour after his mother had left to report Bonnett was on the back porch, according to the affidavit. Dupree asked police to hurry, saying Bonnett and his mother hadn't been getting along and Bonnett was not supposed to be there, police said.
Man charged after mother's remains found in Chicago lagoon
ELGIN, Ill. – Murder charges have been filed against a man whose mother's dismembered remains are believed to have been found in a Chicago park lagoon, police said Tuesday.
Brian Peck, 55, of the Chicago suburb of Elgin, faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death, Elgin police said. He was scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Tuesday afternoon in Cook County court in Rolling Meadows.
Police said Peck called authorities Friday afternoon and said his mother, Gail Peck, 76, went for a walk with her dog and the dog returned home without her. That prompted an hours-long search that included officers on foot, a drone, helicopter and all-terrain vehicles.
On Saturday, two duffel bags containing human remains were discovered in a lagoon at Chicago's Lincoln Park after a fisherman found one of the bags. Chicago police said a dive team found the second bag.
Elgin police said Tuesday that investigators have evidence the body is Gail Peck. They also are doing DNA testing, which isn't complete, but police have enough evidence to charge Brian Peck, deputy chief Bill Wolf said.
The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports that DuPage County records show Gail Peck filed an order of protection against her son in March 2016. She told police they argued about loud music he was playing and he twice put her in a chokehold and said he was going to kill her.
Court records show Brian Peck pleaded guilty in June 2016 to domestic battery causing bodily harm and received a 100-day jail sentence.
Man accused of killing officer wants lie-detector test
ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida man accused of killing a police officer and his pregnant ex-girlfriend told a judge he wants to take a lie-detector test.
The Orlando Sentinel reports Markeith Loyd made the request Tuesday at the end of a routine hearing.
Loyd faces multiple charges including first-degree murder in the deaths of 24-year-old Sade Dixon last December and 42-year-old Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton in January. Authorities say Loyd fatally shot Clayton when she approached him outside a Walmart store.
Chief Judge Frederick Lauten told Loyd he should speak to his lawyers about taking a lie-detector test. Polygraph tests are admissible in Florida courts if all parties agree to their submission as evidence.
If convicted, Loyd could receive the death penalty.
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Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://ift.tt/YKm0h2
Dolphins LB Kiko Alonso won't be suspended for hit on Ravens' Joe Flacco
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- The NFL says Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso won't be suspended for his hit that sidelined Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco with a concussion.
Flacco was hurt in the Ravens' 40-0 victory Thursday when he slid and was then hit in the head by Alonso, who received a penalty for unnecessary roughness. Alonso said the high hit was unintentional, but angry Ravens players said he should have been ejected for a dirty play .
Miami coach Adam Gase defended Alonso, saying Flacco was trying to run for a first down before he slid.
Flacco missed the rest of the game. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said there's a good chance Flacco will return to play Sunday at Tennessee.
Alonso still faces a possible fine.
3 Dartmouth professors subjects of state attorney general 'sexual misconduct' probe
Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. (Dartmouth College)
The New Hampshire state attorney general said Tuesday he is probing allegations of sexual misconduct against three Dartmouth professors.
The announcement came a week after Dartmouth said it was investigating potential "serious misconduct" against the three educators without clarification.
Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said his investigation is based on information provided by the Ivy League school.
"This office has engaged in a dialogue with Dartmouth College and we have learned from the College that it has received allegations of sexual misconduct," MacDonald said.
The three professors are Todd Heatherton, Bill Kelley and Paul Whalen according to officials. They are members of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the Hanover school.
"It is important to remember that investigations are ongoing, with no official findings yet produced," Dartmouth president Phil Hanlon said in an email Tuesday to the campus community. "However, we take these allegations very seriously and are pursuing our own independent investigations in coordination with law enforcement officials."
Heatherton and his colleagues did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.
Last week, a local attorney told the Valley News in West Lebanon that Heatherton was cooperating with Dartmouth's investigation.
The Latest: Russia to host Syria talks on Nov. 18
BEIRUT – The Latest on developments in Syria (all times local):
9 p.m.
Russia says it will host Syrian talks next month aimed at reaching a political settlement.
Alexander Lavrentyev, the head of Russia's delegation at the talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, said the so-called Congress of National Dialogue will be held in Sochi on Nov. 18.
Lavrentyev said Tuesday in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that the gathering should bring together representatives of various opposition factions. He said they could discuss efforts to draft a new constitution and prepare parliamentary and presidential elections under U.N. monitoring.
Lavrentyev urged the armed opposition to attend the forum in Sochi and "take part in searching for ways of political settlement."
Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar al-Ja'afari said his government is ready to participate.
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6 p.m.
The Russian military says that one of its submarines has launched cruise missiles at the Islamic State group in eastern Syria.
The Defense Ministry said that the Veliky Novgorod submarine on Tuesday launched three cruise missiles at IS facilities in the province of Deir el-Zour.
It said in a statement the missiles destroyed IS command facilities, fortified positions and an ammunition depot near the town of Abu-Kemal. The ministry said that it was the fourth time in two months that the submarine fired missiles at IS positions in Syria.
The Russian military has backed the Syrian army offensive in eastern Syria with intensive airstrikes and cruise missile launches
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1:09 p.m.
Syrian activists say at least four children have been killed when government shelling hit their school in a rebel-held town outside the capital Damascus.
The Ghouta Media Center and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say a shell landed Tuesday at the gate of a school in Jisreen, a town in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus. The shelling killed five, including four children, and left many injured.
Residents of the Eastern Ghouta suburbs have been living under a suffocating government blockade amid intense bombings. The violence and siege have continued even though the suburbs are part of a de-escalation agreement guaranteed by Syrian government backers Russia and Iran.
On Monday, the United Nations said it reached thousands of the suburbs residents for the first time in over a month.
Vermont clown accused of cocaine possession, sleeping in stranger's bedroom, cops say
Sean Barber was arrested early Sunday. (Vermont State Police)
A Vermont man dressed as a clown was arrested Sunday after he was found sleeping in a stranger's home and in possession of cocaine, cops said.
Vermont State Police said in a news release they were called around 3:30 a.m. to the home in Marlboro, located just outside Brattleboro, where a teenager found an unknown man sleeping in an upstairs bedroom.
When police arrived, they allegedly found Sean J. Barber, 43, of Wilmington, Vt. in the home, "intoxicated and sleeping in an upstairs bedroom."
The 43-year-old was found in be in possession of cocaine, according to cops.
Barber was arrested and charged with unlawful trespass and possession of cocaine. He was ordered held at the Southern State Correctional Facility, and has a Dec. 5 court date.
'House of Cards' production suspended following Kevin Spacey sexual harassment accusation
'House of Cards' ending amid Kevin Spacey scandal
Netlfix has pulled the plug on their hit show 'House of Cards' amid allegations its star Kevin Spacey made sexual advances toward actor Anthony Rapp when he was only 14 years old. Netflix says the currently filming sixth season will be the last.
Production of "House of Cards" has been suspended following a sexual harassment allegation against star Kevin Spacey.
"[Media Rights Capital] and Netflix have decided to suspend production on 'House of Cards' season six, until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew."
Netflix announced on Monday that the show's sixth season will be its last. Fox News learned the decision to end the show was made months ago, before the allegation against Spacey was made public.
The news comes following a report from Buzzfeed News in which actor Anthony Rapp alleged Spacey, then 26, made a sexual advance on him when he was 14 years old.
Two uncles convicted of raping 10-year-old niece in India
Two uncles of a 10-year-old Indian girl who gave birth to a baby in August have been convicted of her rape. (Reuters)
Two uncles in India were convicted of raping their 10-year-old niece, who sparked national headlines after seeking an abortion for the baby she conceived with one of the men.
A fast-track court case found the two uncles guilty of raping their niece, who gave birth in August, on Tuesday. One trial took a month while the other uncle was convicted in 18 days, the BBC reported.
Sentencing is set for Thursday.
The harrowing case of the 10-year-old girl captured headlines both in India and around the world for several weeks.
SECOND UNCLE ARRESTED IN 10-YEAR-OLD INDIAN GIRL'S RAPE CASE
The girl's parents discovered she was pregnant in mid-July when she complained of a stomach ache.
At 30-weeks pregnant, a local church in Chandigarh turned down her plea for an abortion, saying her pregnancy was too advanced. A doctors' panel advised a medical termination would be "too risky."
The Supreme Court in India also refused to allow an abortion, citing similar reasons.
The baby was eventually given to child welfare authorities and put up for adoption.
According to police, the girl said she had been raped several times in the past seven months by one of her uncles, who is in his 40s.
While the man initially denied the charges, he later admitted to the allegations, police said.
INDIAN MAN ACCUSED OF RAPING 10-YEAR-OLD IS NOT HER BABY'S FATHER, TESTS SHOW
However, a DNA test last month proved he was not the baby's father and police were forced to search for a different suspect.
In September, the man's younger brother was arrested after the girl told police he had also abused her. DNA tests proved he was the baby's biological father.
India's law only allows abortions for women who are fewer than 20 weeks pregnant. Some exceptions have arisen for women who've said they were raped.
In May, another 10-year-old girl, who claimed her stepfather raped her, was allowed to abort her baby. In September, a 13-year-old girl who was 32 weeks pregnant was also granted an abortion.
Derrick Mason, Ex-NFL player, charged with felony domestic assault
Derrick Mason was arrested and charged with felony aggravated domestic assault and misdemeanor vandalism. (Metro Nashville Police Department via AP)
Derrick Mason, a wide receiver who played 15 seasons in the NFL, turned himself in to Metro Nashville Police on Monday on charges of felony aggravated domestic assault and misdemeanor vandalism.
A woman, 43, told detectives Monday that Mason, also 43, grabbed her by the neck and hit her in the stomach when she told him she no longer wanted to be in a relationship with him, police said in a press release.
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Detectives noted the woman had bruising on her right upper arm, a red mark on her neck and a scratch on top of her hand. Officials also observed a hole in a door.
"While defensively trying to protect herself, she snatched his beaded bracelets off of his wrist as he was grabbing her by the arms, which explained the beads throughout the location," the arrest affidavit stated. "During the altercation, she stated that she was slapped with an open hand."
Mason, started his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans and played with the team from 1997 to 2004. During his time with the Titans, he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2000 and 2003. He then played for the Baltimore Ravens, and split 12 games between the New York Jets and Houston Texans during his final season in 2011.
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After retiring from the NFL, Mason worked in Nashville as a radio host for 102.5 The Game, a sports station, NBC Sports reported.
The radio station released a statement saying Mason would be taking Tuesday off from work to "deal with this matter."
Mason was released after posting the $12,500 bond Tuesday morning. The former football player was slated to appear in court Monday, The Tennessean reported. It was not clear if Mason had an attorney.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Ford Focus RS 'Drift Stick' handbrake won't stop the fun
If you can't get the Ford Focus RS to drift, it is now officially on you.
The all-wheel-drive car already features a "Drift Mode" that directs power to the rear and loses up the stability and traction control to let it spin the tires and do powerslides and donuts when you slam the throttle, but now there's an easy way to get sideways by using the brakes, instead.
Ford is introducing a "Drift Stick" electronic handbrake at the SEMA show that cuts power to the rear wheels and locks them up with a light pull on a large, vertical rally car-style handbrake lever that attaches to the conventional one in the center console. If you've seen one of Ford Racing driver Ken Block's "Gymkhana" videos, you'll recognize the look and the effect the stick has, although Block's cars use a more complicated hydraulic setup.
The $999 kit doesn't require any major modifications to the car and is easily removable, according to Ford. Installing it doesn't void the Focus RS warranty, but it is not meant to be used on public roads.
Gunman wanted in deadly University of Utah shooting also sought in Colorado homicide
A gunman suspected of shooting and killing a University of Utah student Monday night is wanted in Colorado for another murder, police revealed Tuesday, as they continue a dragnet for the suspected killer.
Austin Boutain, 24, allegedly shot and killed ChenWei Guo, an international student at the university, during an attempted carjacking at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, officials said. University of Utah police chief Dale Brophy said at a news conference on Tuesday that Boutain and his wife, Kathleen Boutain, are also wanted in Golden, Colo. for an unrelated homicide that happened last week.
Police are hunting for Boutain who shot and killed a person during an attempted carjacking, police said. (AP)
Kathleen Boutain was booked into Salt Lake County Jail for unrelated drug and theft charges. She was treated for unknown injuries after Monday night's incident.
Police received a call just after 8 p.m. from Boutain's wife saying her husband assaulted her while they were camping in Red Butte Canyon, prompting an hours-long lockdown on the University of Utah's campus. When officers arrived, they received a separate call about a shooting. Guo was found shot dead inside the car. Police launched a search through the foothills above Red Butte Garden, deploying armored vehicles and sniper teams in the area.
"It's going to be a tough search," Salt Lake City chief Mike Brown said.
Brown added authorities located Boutain's camp site where they found a rifle and ammunition cans. He believes the couple had been staying there for the last day or two. Police initially released details of a pickup truck with a Colorado license plate, but now believe Boutain is not in possession of the vehicle.
Boutain has several tattoos, including a teardrop and a cross tattoo on his face, and others on his neck and arm. He was wearing all black clothing at the time of the murder. Brown reiterated Boutain is considered "armed and dangerous."
Police are looking for Austin Boutain, 24, who allegedly shot and killed a university student Monday night. (Salt Lake City Police Department)
Guo, who was from China, was a pre-computer science major and worked as a peer adviser at the school's International Student and Scholar Services Office, the university's president, David W. Pershing, said in a statement, according to FOX13. Pershing described the shooting as a "senseless and random act of violence." The school's dean said students described Guo as "outgoing charming, creative and smart" and very engaged in the university.
Pershing added the university is working to bring Guo's family to Utah.
University officials issued an alert on campus around 9 p.m. saying: "Shots fired. Red Butte Canyon. Shelter in Place." The lockdown was lifted six hours later, but classes were canceled on Halloween. Facilities and services will be open on campus, police said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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