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October 20, 2019

First Line News Articles for Sunday, October 20 2019

Top Stories

UK and EU strike new Brexit deal in last-ditch talks

Negotiators from the U.K. and EU reached a draft Brexit deal in 11th-hour talks Thursday, although there are serious doubts that the agreement will be approved by U.K. lawmakers back in Westminster.

Energy Secretary Perry says he is resigning by year’s end

Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced Thursday that he will leave his job by the end of the year, saying that under President Donald Trump the nation is nearing energy independence.

White House chief of staff ties Ukraine aid money to 2016 Russia probe

White House chief of staff ties Ukraine aid money to 2016 Russia probe

US, Turkey reach agreement on Syria, but differ over whether it’s a ceasefire or pause in operations

The U.S. and Turkey reached an agreement on Thursday to halt Turkish operations against Syrian Kurdish forces the U.S. once backed in what President Donald Trump heralded as “a great day for civilization,” but critics condemned as a capitulation to Turkish demands.

LDS News

BYU unveils Lego model of Brigham Young Academy built by employee

When it came time to pick which material the BYU Store’s scaled model of the old Brigham Young Academy would be built from, its director knew there was no medium more classic than Lego bricks.

Share of Americans with no religious affiliation growing, LDS hold steady

The portion of Americans with no religious affiliation is rising significantly, in tandem with a sharp drop in the percentage that identifies as Christians, according to new data from the Pew Research Center.

Church opposes proposed Utah licensing rule that bans conversion therapy. Here’s why

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints again denounced abusive forms of conversion therapy on Tuesday but also announced its opposition to the proposed Utah licensing rule that would ban those therapies, calling it too broad and ambiguous.

This Latter-day Saint has won 55 awards in pickleball, but for him it’s not just a sport — it’s a missionary tool

Dick Johnson, a member of the Boise North Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has earned the title of Pickleball Rocks Player of the Year for 2018. Johnson, who has won about 55 pickleball tournament medals, including three medals at the 2019 National State Games of America this summer, is 79 years old and does not plan to slow down.

Latter-day Saint pioneer from Pakistan attends first general conference, reconnects with mentor in Utah visit

The 189th Semiannual General Conference was a sacred occasion for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and many traveled from far and wide to experience the event together.

National

Chinese diplomats must notify their moves in US

Chinese diplomats in the US will have to notify American authorities before holding any meetings with US officials.

NOAA calls for mild winter but one with big mood swings

Don’t expect a particularly harsh winter, but a volatile one. That’s the essence of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s winter outlook, released Thursday.

Five companies said to be in talks over $22 billion opioid settlement

Five makers and distributors of opioid painkillers are in discussions with state attorneys general over a potential settlement worth about $22 billion in cash, and more in drugs and services, according to people familiar with the situation.

Scalise defends vote for Syria resolution, discusses contentious White House meeting

U.S. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise has been one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest defenders and closest allies, but the Louisiana Republican bucked that reputation when he voted for a bipartisan resolution rebuking Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria.

Elijah Cummings dead at 68

Rep. Elijah Cummings, the powerful House Democrat who represented Baltimore for more than two decades and was a vocal critic of President Trump, died early Thursday after battling health problems, his office and family said.

Senate fails to override Trump veto over emergency declaration

The Senate on Thursday failed to override President Trump veto of a resolution that would have ended the emergency declaration intended to help build the border wall.

Unprecedented movement detected on California earthquake fault capable of 8.0 temblor

A major California fault capable of producing a magnitude 8 earthquake has begun moving for the first time on record, a result of this year’s Ridgecrest earthquake sequence destabilizing nearby faults, Caltech scientists say in a new study released in the journal Science on Thursday.

‘Bomb cyclone’ leaves hundreds of thousands without power in Northeast, winds up to 88 mph

In Boston, winds gusted at 70 mph at Logan International Airport early Thursday, and a gust of 88 mph was recorded at Yarmouth on Cape Cod.’

House Foreign Affairs leaders introduce Turkey sanctions bill

The bipartisan leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee have officially introduced their bill to sanction Turkey over its invasion of northern Syria.

Testimony from GOP diplomat complicates Trump defense

House Democrats seized on Thursday’s testimony from a top U.S. diplomat as evidence that President Trump and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani acted inappropriately in their contacts with Ukraine.

World

U.S. confirms tariffs on $7.5 billion in EU goods will take effect Friday

The U.S. trade representative’s office confirmed late Thursday that tariffs on $7.5 billion of European goods will take effect Friday

China says US must cancel new tariffs for ultimate trade deal

China emphasized Thursday that the U.S. must remove tariffs in order for the two countries to reach a final agreement on trade, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said.

Venezuela wins seat on UN Human Rights Council

Venezuela has won a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, despite widespread criticism of its poor human rights record.

Russia says it is starting to resume U.S. cyber cooperation: TASS

Russia and the United States are gradually starting to resume cooperation on cyber security, TASS news agency cited the head of Russia’s FSB Federal Security Service as saying on Thursday.

Two Americans held in China accused of illegally moving people across country borders

Two American citizens have been detained in China on “bogus” charges of illegally moving people across country borders — and they could end up imprisoned there “for the next few months or years,” a U.S.-based educational organization is warning.

Woman lost in Australian wilderness rescued after desperate SOS message in the sand

After being lost in the wilderness for three days, an Australian woman was rescued after the SOS message she scrawled in the sand was spotted on a surveillance camera.

Pompeo lands in Israel for meet with Netanyahu, talks on Syria

Shortly after negotiating truce with Erdogan, US secretary of state flies in to reassure Jerusalem on withdrawal of US forces from Syrian Kurdistan

Business

T-Mobile’s Sprint merger officially approved by FCC

The US Federal Communications Commission has voted to approve T-Mobile’s $26.5 billion merger with Sprint

Southwest Airlines removes Boeing 737 Max from schedule until February

Southwest Airlines on Thursday took the Boeing 737 Max out of its schedules until Feb. 8, later than any U.S. airline, as the low-cost carrier called the timeline for the plane’s return to service “still uncertain.”

Science

Egypt says archaeologists uncovered 20 ancient coffins

Egypt’s government described it as one of the “biggest and most important” discoveries in recent years.

Health

‘Completely disturbing’: Suicide rate among children and young people skyrockets since 2007

The suicide rate among teenagers and young adults spiked in the decade between 2007 and 2017, jumping more than 50%.

95 percent of baby foods tested contain toxic metals, new report says

Only nine of the 168 baby foods tested weren’t found to contain arsenic, lead, cadmium or mercury.

Vaping illnesses continue to rise, with no cause in sight

While most victims reported vaping THC, some said they vaped only nicotine. At least one of those people has died.

Economy

Mortgage rates rise sharply on positive developments surrounding Brexit and China

A potential Brexit deal as well as progress in the trade talks with China caused a sharp rise in mortgage rates this week, continuing a volatile period for home loan rates.

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