Clinton knocks Trump for proposing cuts to US diplomacy

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, slowly emerging from post-election seclusion, slammed President Donald Trump Friday for proposing budget cuts to US diplomacy and foreign aid, calling it a "grave mistake."

"We are seeing signals of a shift that truly alarms us all," the former Democratic presidential candidate told hundreds of students at Georgetown University in Washington.

"This administration`s proposed cuts in international health, development and diplomacy would be a blow to women and children and a grave mistake for our country," said the Democrat, who ran the State Department from 2009 to 2013.

Trump wants to slash the US diplomatic budget by 28 percent, although Congress will have the final say.

Clinton also pointed to the rise in the number of global refugees, and warned it is "not just somebody else`s problem."

"I am pleading that our government will continue its leadership role on behalf of peace in the world," she said, "because the world must continue this work with or without US involvement."

Clinton said today`s "complex and interconnected world" requires continued American leadership on multiple fronts, not merely a focus on one or two priorities.

"Will we be left behind or will we continue to lead the way?" she asked.

Clinton was at Georgetown to present awards in her name to four Colombians who helped advance the role of women in peace and security.

The former candidate and first lady received a warm welcome from the students, who chanted "Hillary! Hillary!" as she took the stage.

The 69-year-old former candidate offered a few jabs about the extraordinary 2016 presidential race, drawing extended applause when she said, "Here I go again, talking about research, evidence and facts."

She also mocked the phrase of a Trump advisor when she said stereotypes about women "belongs to the alternative reality."

After her bitter defeat last November, Clinton largely disappeared from public view. When she took a selfie with someone she bumped into while walking in the woods outside her Chappaqua, New York home, the photograph went viral.

In the months since, she has emerged to attend Broadway shows, where she has received ovations and adulation from supporters.

She has also begun delivering speeches, including an address Tuesday at a businesswomen`s conference in San Francisco where she criticized the shortage of women in Trump`s inner circle, and pledged to keep speaking out about issues that matter.

"I am thrilled to be out of the woods, in the company of so many inspiring women," she said. "And there`s no place I`d rather be than here with you -- other than the White House."

White House says US must accept political reality in Syria

The White House said on Friday that the United States must accept the political reality that the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is up to the Syrian people and the U.S. focus in the region must be on defeating Islamic State militants.

"With respect to Assad, there is a political reality that we have to accept in terms of where we are right now. We lost a lot of opportunity the last administration with respect to Assad," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told a news briefing.

"We need to focus on now defeating ISIS," he said, using an acronym for the group. "The United States has profound priorities in Syria and Iraq and we`ve made it clear that counterterrorism, particularly the defeat of ISIS, is foremost among those priorities."

Spacewalkers successfully connect adapter for commercial crew flights

Two astronauts wandered outside the confines of the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, accomplishing their tasks of installing communications adapter and shields on the station module.
Expedition 50 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson of NASA, who concluded their spacewalk at 2:33 p.m. EDT, successfully reconnected cables and electrical connections on the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3.

PMA-3 will provide the pressurized interface between the station and the second of two international docking adapters to be delivered to the complex to support the dockings of US commercial crew spacecraft in the future.

During the spacewalk, which lasted just over seven hours, Kimbrough and Whitson also installed a different shield around the base of the PMA-3 adapter for micrometeoroid protection.

Having completed her eighth spacewalk, Whitson now holds the record for the most spacewalks and accumulated time spacewalking by a female astronaut.

Spacewalkers have now spent a total of 1,243 hours and 42 minutes outside the station during 199 spacewalks in support of assembly and maintenance of the orbiting laboratory, said NASA.

Scotland makes formal request to UK for independence vote

The Scottish government on Friday formally notified British Prime Minister Theresa May of its request for a second referendum on independence, deepening a crisis sparked by the Brexit vote.

"I am... writing to begin early discussions between our governments to agree an Order under section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998 that would enable a referendum to be legislated for by the Scottish Parliament," First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote in a letter to May.

Donald Trump predicts 'very difficult' summit with China's Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump today predicted that his first summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping next week would be a "very difficult" one as the US can no longer afford job losses and massive trade deficits with the Communist trading giant.

Given that the United States has a massive trade deficit with China, American companies must be prepared to look at other alternatives, Trump tweeted ahead of his meeting with Xi at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on April 6 and 7.

This would be the first meeting between the two leaders in what many argue is the most important bilateral relationship in the world.

"The meeting next week with China will be a very difficult one in that we can no longer have massive trade deficits and job losses," Trump said.

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that Trump looks forward to meeting President Xi and exchanging views on each other's respective priorities and to chart a way forward for bilateral ties.

"They will discuss the issues of mutual concern, including North Korea, trade, and regional security," he said.

Trump has said in recent weeks that North Korea is one of the biggest security challenges he faces as president and has called on China to rein in Pyongyang, which US officials believe is preparing for another nuclear test.

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea and China's continued building of man-made islands are also likely to be raised.

Noting that Trump has spoken to Xi, also General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China, over the phone a few times, Spicer said this was an opportunity for the President to develop a relationship in person with his Chinese counterpart.

"But we have big problems, and -- I mean, everything from the South China Sea, to trade, to North Korea. There are big issues of national and economic security that need to get addressed, and I think there's going to be a lot on the table when it comes to that over the two days that they will talk," Spicer said in response to a question.

There are a lot of big things that the US needs to accomplish with China, and it will work on them, he said.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang underlined the need to see the big picture while fostering mutual interests in trade relations.

"The market dictates that interests between our two countries are structured so that you will always have me and I will always have you," he told a regular briefing.

"Both sides should work together to make the cake of mutual interest bigger and not simply seek fairer distribution," he said.

China-US trade in goods amounted to USD 519.6 billion in 2016. China has a large share in the bilateral trade with its exports to the US amounting to over USD 400 billion.

Despite Trump's fiery attacks on the campaign trail -- accusing China of "raping" the US economy and stealing millions of American jobs, among other things -- his administration has taken a relatively hands-off approach in dealing with Beijing so far, CNN commented.

Trump has not followed through on campaign promises to label China a "currency manipulator" on day one of his presidency or to impose steep tariffs on all Chinese imports.

He also endorsed the "One China" policy on Taiwan, which has governed the fragile relations between the US, China and Taiwan for decades, after questioning its legitimacy shortly after his election.

10 Totally Cool Dorm Rooms

For many students, it's stressful to leave home and move into a tiny dorm room with a roommate they've only just met. That's why it's important to decorate your small living space with all the comforts of home, which is what these innovative college students have done.

This is nicer than my house. Damn it.

Somebody likes "The Office." A lot.

Perfect for students with lofty ambitions.

Complete with underbed lair.

Just don't fall out of bed...

Meanwhile, at the school of engineering....

Photo overload! This room makes my ADD kick in.

I want to go to there.

A girl lives here. I'd bet money on it.

Gah!

The fruits and vegetables that may cause leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, brain, bone, breast, ovarian, prostate, testicular and liver cancers.

You may find yourself wondering if you should be buying organic fruits and vegetables instead of conventional ones. The first thing is to understand the differences between organic and conventional produce – the amount of pesticides used. 

Did you know that nearly 1.7 million people  are diagnosed with cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. A cancer epidemic is at all time high, and evidence is growing ever stronger that pesticide exposure is a key contributor to this. In February 2009, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry published a study that found that children who live in homes where their parents use pesticides are twice as likely to develop brain cancer versus those that live in residences in which no pesticides are used.

Chronic health consequences may occur years after even minimal exposure to pesticides we ingest through our food and water. A July 2007 study conducted by researchers at the Public Health Institute, the California Department of Health Services, and the UC Berkeley School of Public Health found a sixfold increase in risk factor for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for children of women who were exposed to organochlorine pesticides.

Studies have found that pesticides are extremely toxic to children. There is now vital scientific evidence that the human brain is not fully formed until the age of 12, which means that exposure to  pesticides can crucially impact the development of the central nervous system.

Why Choose Organic

Several studies have found that organic foods  contain higher levels of antioxidants and certain micronutrients, such as vitamin C, zinc and iron. One study discovered that organically grown berries contained 58% more antioxidants and up to 52% higher amounts of vitamin C . Organic fruits and vegetables tend to produce more antioxidants that serve as their own protective compounds, rather relying on chemical pesticide sprays to protect themselves.

Non-organic fruits and vegetables pesticide residue:

1. Strawberries – 45 pesticide residues
2. Apples – 47 pesticide residues
3. Nectarines – 33 pesticide residues
4. Peaches – 62 pesticide residues
5. Celery – 64 pesticide residues
6. Grapes – 56 pesticide residues
7. Cherries – 42 pesticide residues
8. Spinach – 54 pesticide residues
9. Tomatoes – 35 pesticide residues
10. Sweet bell peppers – 53 pesticide residues
11. Cherry tomatoes – 69 pesticide residues
12. Cucumbers – 86 pesticide residues
13. Snap peas  – 78 pesticide residues
14. Blueberries – 52 pesticide residues
15. Potatoes – 35 pesticide residues
16. Hot peppers – 75 pesticide residues
17. Lettuce – 52 pesticide residues
18. Kale/Collard greens – 55 pesticide residues/45 pesticide residues
19. Blueberries imported – not differentiated on PAN, see blueberries above
20. Green beans – 44 pesticide residues
21. Plums – 44 pesticide residues
22. Pears – 40 pesticide residues
23. Raspberries – not noted on PAN
24. Carrots – 26 pesticide residues
25. Winter squash – 64 pesticide residues
26. Tangerines – 14 pesticide residues
27. Summer squash – 40 pesticide residues
28. Snap peas (domestic on EWG) – 78 pesticide residues (domestic or imported not noted on PAN)
29. Green onions – 31 pesticide residues
30. Bananas – 11 pesticide residues
31. Oranges – 12 pesticide residues
32. Watermelon – 26 pesticide residues
33. Broccoli – 33 pesticide residues
34. Sweet potatoes – 19 pesticide residue
35. Mushrooms – 11 pesticide residues
36. Cauliflower – 15 pesticide residues
37. Cantaloupe – 17 pesticide residues
38. Grapefruit – 11 pesticide residues
39. Honeydew melon – not listed in PAN
40. Eggplant – 18 pesticide residues
41. Kiwi – not listed
42. Papaya – 7 pesticide residues
43. Mangos – 11 pesticide residues
44. Asparagus – 9 pesticide residues
45. Onions – not listed
46. Sweet frozen peas – 12 pesticide residues
47. Cabbage – 11 pesticide residues
48. Pineapple – 6 pesticide residues
49. Sweetcorn – 3 pesticide residues
50. Avocados – 1 pesticide residue