U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday called for Congress to fix a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that he says impedes law enforcement officers' ability to keep career criminals out of communities. Sessions spoke to a crowd of law enforcement officers and politicians Wednesday morning at the Little Rock office of Cody Hiland, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. In the afternoon, Sessions participated in a discussion on school safety at the Lake Hamilton School District in Pearcy. The 2015 Supreme Court ruling, that the definition of a violent felon in the Armed Career Criminal Act of 1984 is too vague, led to hundreds of offenders being re-categorized as nonviolent -- particularly those charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sessions, however, said the law's real consequence was to release violent offenders back into the community. Sessions' appearance in Little Rock came just hours before Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, … [Read more...] about Sessions visits state, aims to fix U.S. offenders law
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Two Turks U.S. targets over pastor
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. will impose sanctions on two Turkish officials over a detained American pastor who is being tried on espionage and terror-related charges, the White House announced Wednesday. President Donald Trump warned last week that he might impose sanctions against Turkey, a key NATO ally, for its treatment of Andrew Craig Brunson in a case that has strained U.S.-Turkish relations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his government won't back down and was willing to "go its own way" if the U.S. imposes sanctions. White House spokesman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the sanctions would target Turkey's justice and interior ministers, whose agencies she said were responsible for the pastor's arrest and detention. "We've seen no evidence that Pastor Brunson has done anything wrong, and we believe he is a victim of unfair and unjust attention by the government of Turkey," Sanders said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Turkish government refused to release Brunson … [Read more...] about Two Turks U.S. targets over pastor
Korean War remains reach U.S.
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- More than 60 years after the last shot in the Korean War, the U.S. military flew home Wednesday what is believed to be the remains of more than 50 servicemen after the first such handover by North Korea in more than a decade. After a solemn ceremony at the U.S. military's Osan Air Base in South Korea, 55 boxes of remains draped in the United Nations flag were taken to a U.S. military plane, which then flew them to Hawaii where U.S. Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a ceremony upon their arrival. "Whosoever emerges from these aircraft today begins a new season of hope for the families of our missing fallen," Pence said. "Hope that those who are lost will yet be found. Hope that after so many years of questions, they will have closure." Each container was accompanied by one Marine, one sailor, one soldier and one airman. They set the caskets gently on risers lined up inside the hangar as Pence stood watching with his hand over his heart. Adm. Phil Davidson, … [Read more...] about Korean War remains reach U.S.
China urges U.S. to return to reason on trade
BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Thursday urged the United States to return to reason after the Trump administration sought to ratchet up pressure for trade concessions by proposing a higher 25-percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. FILE PHOTO: Shipping containers, including one labelled "China Shipping," are stacked at the Paul W. Conley Container Terminal in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump directed the increase from a previously proposed 10 percent duty because China has refused to meet U.S. demands and has imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Trump’s threats of higher tariffs weighed on China’s financial markets. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated at a regular news briefing that the United States’ efforts at “blackmail” would fail. “We would advise the … [Read more...] about China urges U.S. to return to reason on trade
U.S.-China trade dispute hitting German companies
BERLIN (Reuters) - The escalating trade conflict between the United States and China is hitting German companies doing business in both countries, a survey by the DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce showed on Thursday. China has warned the United States it would hit back if the Trump administration takes further steps hindering trade as Washington considers slapping a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. The proposal would increase the potential tariff rate from 10 percent the U.S. administration had initially put forward on July 10 for that wave of duties in a bid to pressure Beijing into making trade concessions, a source familiar with the plan said on Tuesday. The U.S. tariffs target thousands of Chinese imports, including food products, chemicals, steel and aluminium and consumer goods ranging from dog food, furniture and carpets to car tires, bicycles, and baseball gloves and beauty products. The DIHK said a survey among its members doing business in China … [Read more...] about U.S.-China trade dispute hitting German companies