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Trump court nominee says he won't be 'intimidated' into withdrawing

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said on Monday he will not step aside after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct decades ago, with President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans showing no signs of relenting in their push for his Senate confirmation. "I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process," Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge nominated by Trump in July for a lifetime job on the top U.S. court, wrote in a letter to the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee, which is overseeing the confirmation process. The allegations, dating to the 1980s, have put in jeopardy Kavanaugh's chances of winning confirmation in a Senate narrowly controlled by Trump's party, with high-stakes congressional elections just weeks away.

New GM-built 'Beast' presidential limo makes Trump debut

The latest version of the heavily armored U.S. presidential limousine known as "The Beast" is making its debut in New York City this week. The custom-built Cadillac produced by General Motors Co appeared for the first time in public on Sunday -- along with an identical version that travels in the motorcade -- when it ferried President Donald Trump around New York ahead of this week's United Nations General Assembly meetings. The previous version of the limo first appeared in January 2009 just before Barack Obama took office.

Senate Republican leader McConnell: Democrats 'trying to destroy' Kavanaugh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday Democrats were "trying to destroy" Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's personal and professional life with "unsubstantiated" sexual assault allegations. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

South Carolinians brace for post-Florence flooding

CHARLESTON, S.C./RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuters) - Thousands of people in and around the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, were bracing on Monday for severe flooding from two rain-gorged rivers as a result of the long-departed Hurricane Florence, and officials were urging residents to evacuate. Floodwaters of 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) are expected to inundate Georgetown and surrounding communities this week as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overrun their banks along the low-lying tidal flats where they converge at Winyah Bay, which flows into the Atlantic. Emergency management officials began sending recorded telephone messages to residents in harm's way over the weekend, and will probably start going door-to-door in the next few days, Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

Hurricane Florence insured losses to range from $2.8 billion to $5 billion: RMS

(Reuters) - Insured losses from Hurricane Florence, which slammed into North Carolina this month, will range from $2.8 billion to $5 billion, said RMS, a risk modeling and analytics firm on Monday.

Dallas police dismiss officer who fatally shot man in his home

The Dallas Police Department on Monday fired a police officer who is facing a manslaughter charge after fatally shooting a man in his apartment that the officer said she mistook for her own home. Officer Amber Guyger had been dismissed after nearly five years on the job for her actions on the night of the shooting earlier in September, Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall said in a statement. Guyger, 30, had been on administrative leave since she fatally shot Botham Jean, 26.

Kavanaugh tells senators he will not withdraw nomination

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday he will not withdraw his nominations because of "false and uncorroborated" sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Cosby's lawyers, psychologist spar in court over 'predator' label

Bill Cosby's lawyers and a state-appointed psychologist argued in court on Monday over whether the disgraced comedian should be deemed a "sexually violent predator" under Pennsylvania law as a two-day sentencing hearing began for Cosby's sexual assault conviction. Cosby, who was found guilty in April, is the first celebrity to face a possible prison sentence since the start of the #MeToo movement, the national reckoning with sexual misconduct that has brought down dozens of powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields. Cosby, 81, built a family-friendly reputation playing the affable Dr. Cliff Huxtable in the 1980s television comedy "The Cosby Show." He was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former administrator at his alma mater Temple University, at his Philadelphia-area home in 2004.

The night a Chinese billionaire was accused of rape in Minnesota

By Koh Gui Qing and Lawrence Delevingne MINNEAPOLIS/NEW YORK (Reuters) - With the Chinese billionaire Richard Liu at her Minneapolis area apartment, a 21-year-old University of Minnesota student sent a WeChat message to a friend in the middle of the night. She wrote that Liu had forced her to have sex with him. “I was not willing,” she wrote in Chinese on the messaging application around 2 a.m. on August 31. “Tomorrow I will think of a way to escape,” she wrote, as she begged the friend not to call police. “He will suppress it,” she wrote, referring to Liu. “You underestimate his power. ...

Wyoming wildfire forces evacuations, closes highway south of Jackson

A wind-blown wildfire that has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes south of the resort town of Jackson, Wyoming, prompted officials on Sunday to close 50 miles of a key highway traveled by tourists to reach Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. The Roosevelt fire has scorched nearly 40,000 acres of drought-parched landscape and destroyed at least four structures, including two dwellings, since erupting Sept. 15 in the Bridger-Teton National Forest about 30 miles south of Jackson. Scores of additional residences were placed on standby for evacuation at a moments notice, according to sheriff's Sergeant Travis Bingham.

Texan who published 3-D guns plans jailed on sex assault charge

Cody Wilson, 30, flew to Taiwan after learning he was under investigation, police said, and was picked up by Taiwanese authorities on Friday after his U.S. passport was annulled. Wilson's attorney, Samy Khalil, said in a statement late on Sunday: "We are glad that Cody is back in Texas again where we can work with him on his case. As the founder of Defense Distributed, Wilson became a notable figure in the U.S. debate over guns after the company posted on the internet the blueprints for plastic guns that can be made with a 3-D printer.

WTA roundup: Pliskova snaps Osaka streak for title

Fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova handed U.S. Open champ Naomi Osaka a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to claim the title at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. It ended the third-seeded Osaka's 10-match victory streak, dating back to the start of the U.S. Open. The title is the 11th of Pliskova's career and her fifth straight triumph in a final.

Accuser of Trump's Supreme Court nominee to testify on Thursday

The agreement came a week after Christine Blasey Ford went public with her allegation against the conservative federal appeals court judge, endangering his confirmation by the Republican-led Senate to a lifetime job on the top U.S. court. There are, however, unresolved procedural and logistical issues, Ford's lawyers said, including whether the Judiciary Committee's Republican senators, who are all male, or staff attorneys would question her. Ford's lawyers said "various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions." Kavanaugh, who has called the allegation "completely false," also has agreed to testify at the hearing planned for 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) on Thursday.

Danger remains even as flood waters recede in Hurricane Florence's aftermath

Much of the region remained under heavy flooding, including one area 40 miles (64 km) north-northwest of Wilmington where waters were still five feet (1.5 meters) above flood status, according to the National Weather Service. Large sections of rivers near the coast won't start cresting until at least early in the week, maybe later," said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the NWS's Weather Prediction Center "All that water is going to take a good while to recede," he said. It'll be a slow drop." The storm dumped 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain on the Wilmington area, temporarily cutting off the historic coastal city that lies along the Cape Fear River.

Texan who published 3-D guns plans jailed on sex assault charge

Cody Wilson, 30, flew to Taiwan after learning he was under investigation, police said, and was picked up by Taiwanese authorities on Friday after his U.S. passport was annulled. It was unclear whether Wilson had a criminal defense lawyer. As the founder of Defense Distributed, Wilson became a notable figure in the U.S. debate over guns after the company posted on the internet the blueprints for plastic guns that can be made with a 3-D printer.

Cosby sentencing is new milestone for #MeToo movement

The sentencing will show how #MeToo has altered the way the U.S. reckons with sexual misconduct by powerful men.

Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh's accuser tentatively agrees to testify on Thursday: media

The agreement is in the works for California professor Christine Blasey Ford to possibly testify on Thursday, but details have yet to be finalized, CNN and other media reported late on Saturday. The report said that her lawyers will talk again on Sunday with Senate officials. U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley had set a Saturday afternoon deadline for Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assaulting her at a high school party 36 years ago, to decide whether and how she will testify.

Trump lawyer Giuliani says Iran's government will be overthrown

Rudy Giuliani said that U.S. sanctions on Iran are leading to economic pain that could lead to a "successful revolution."

Trump administration moves to restrict immigrants who use public benefits

U.S. immigration law has long required officials to exclude a person likely to become a "public charge" from permanent residence.

Carolina communities race to beat dangerous flooding from Florence

Communities in North and South Carolina faced rising floods more than a week after the arrival of Hurricane Florence.

Kavanaugh accuser agrees to testify in Senate hearing

A woman who has accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault has agreed to testify before a Senate panel, her lawyers said on Saturday. The Senate Judiciary Committee had delayed a vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation after California professor Christine Blasey Ford's allegations emerged last week, and her lawyers and committee staff were negotiating the conditions of her testimony. "Dr. Ford accepts the committee's request to provide her first-hand knowledge of Brett Kavanaugh's sexual misconduct next week," Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, Ford's attorneys, said in a statement.

Ex-White House aide revises Flynn sanctions conversation account: report

An ex-White House official has revised a previous statement by telling investigators that former national security adviser Michael Flynn may have referred to sanctions when they discussed his calls with a former Russian envoy, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. K.T. McFarland's statement revised an earlier assertion to FBI agents that sanctions on Russia did not come up when she spoke to Flynn in December 2016 about his calls with Sergey Kislyak when he was the Russian ambassador to the United States, the newspaper said, quoting unidentified people familiar with the matter. Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia and is cooperating in the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Senate Judiciary aide resigns amid sexual harassment allegation: NBC

An adviser responding to an allegation against Kavanaugh resigned amid a misconduct complaint against him, NBC reports.

Senate's Grassley sets Saturday deadline for Kavanaugh accuser: NY Times

Sen. Chuck Grassley sets a Saturday afternoon deadline for Christine Blasey Ford to decide if and how she will testify.

U.S. airlines score win as Congress drops 'reasonable fee' rules

The U.S. airline industry scored a win on Saturday as bipartisan congressional legislation dropped plans to mandate "reasonable and proportional" baggage and change fees, but included other new passenger protections. After weeks of negotiations, a 1,200-page bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was unveiled early Saturday that would require the FAA to set minimum dimensions for passenger seats -- including legroom and width -- and prohibits airlines from involuntarily removing passengers from flights after they’ve cleared the boarding gate. In April 2017, video went viral on social media of 69-year-old passenger David Dao being dragged from a United Airlines flight at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport after he refused to give up his seat to make room for crew members.

Ordering opioids online? Mail carrier may also deliver handcuffs

He looked like a regular mail carrier, dropping off an unremarkable package at an upscale New York City apartment tower, but neither the man nor the package were quite what they seemed. The mail carrier was really a federal agent, conducting a so-called controlled delivery, a tactic the U.S. government employs to help stem the flow of heroin, prescription painkillers and other opioids fueling the nation's epidemic of fatal overdoses. Drug-filled packages with misleading labels have become a common sight at John F. Kennedy International Airport's (JFK) sprawling mail-sorting hangars, a front line in the battle against opioids.

Senate candidates Cruz, O'Rourke square off in fractious debate

At Southern Methodist University in Dallas, the two battled over hot-button issues such as immigration, gun rights and trade. O'Rourke frequently complained that Cruz was misrepresenting his positions -- at one point accusing the incumbent Republican of "slander." The candidates sparred as well over the embattled Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, who faces allegations that he assaulted a woman, Christine Blasey Ford, while both were in high school. Cruz urged Ford to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Cruz is a member, next week.

U.S. backs protecting Yellowstone’s northern gateway from mining

  The recommendation to withdraw 30,370 acres of the Custer Gallatin National Forest from mineral development comes after two large gold-mining operations were proposed near Yellowstone, sparking opposition from conservationists and local businesses in an area known as Paradise Valley. The Forest Service recommendation to protect the acreage for an additional two decades must be formally approved by U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to go into effect.

Trump questions Kavanaugh's accuser, says opponents want to 'destroy' Supreme Court nominee

After days of restrained comments on the allegations by California professor Christine Blasey Ford, Trump took to Twitter to question her account of what happened between her and Kavanaugh at a party in 1982 when they were in high school. The tweets came as a Republican-controlled U.S. Senate committee struggled on how to proceed with Kavanaugh's nomination. The Senate Judiciary Committee had delayed a vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation after Ford's allegations emerged last week, and her lawyers and committee staff are negotiating how and when she will testify.

United Airlines pilots resist contract changes over regional routes

President of the U.S. No. 3 carrier, Scott Kirby, has called for changes to the so-called "scope clause" which sets guidelines on the size of planes that can be operated by regional feeder carriers, among other things. A scope clause restricts planes heavier than 86,000 pounds (39,000 kg) with more than 76 seats from regional routes, where pilots are generally paid less than their mainline counterparts. "We are holding the line," said Todd Insler, chairman of the unit of the Air Line Pilots Association that represents United pilots.

Keystone XL pipeline route would not harm environment: State Department

The U.S. State Department on Friday issued an environmental assessment of a revised route for the Keystone XL crude pipeline that concluded it would not harm water or wildlife, clearing a hurdle for the project that has been pending for a decade. "Prompt cleanup response would likely be capable of remediating the contaminated soils before the hazardous release reaches groundwater depth," the review said. Last month a federal judge in Montana had ordered the State Department to conduct the review of a revised route of the project to take into account new information relevant to a permit it issued for the pipeline last year.

FCC chairman ramps up defense of net neutrality repeal

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has this month also criticized California's legislature for approving a state measure to guarantee open internet access and said "bad behavior" on the part of internet service providers (ISPs) could be prevented by the FCC's new transparency requirements. The FCC voted 3-2 in December to reverse the Obama era rules that barred internet service providers from blocking or throttling traffic or offering paid fast lanes, also known as paid prioritization. FCC repeal of the 2015 net neutrality rules was a win for ISPs Comcast Corp, AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc, whose practices faced significant government oversight.

PayPal ends business dealings with Alex Jones's Infowars

The move makes PayPal the latest tech company to take action against Jones, a deeply controversial right-wing radio talk-show host who has suggested that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax, among other sensational claims. "We've made a decision to end our relationship with Infowars websites, including PrisonPlanet," a PayPal spokesman said.

Three infants, two adults stabbed at New York City daycare center

A female worker stabbed three babies, two of whom are less than a month old, at a home-based daycare center in New York City on Friday before slashing her own wrists and being taken into custody, police said. The unidentified woman, age 52, who also stabbed two adults in the predawn incident in the borough of Queens, was in stable condition, Juanita Holmes, assistant chief of patrol for the New York City Police Department, said at a news conference. The woman also stabbed a 31-year-old man, believed to be the father of one of the children, and a woman at the overnight nursery in Flushing, known as Mei Xin Care.