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The 10 most important things in the world right now

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Hello! Here's everything you need to know on Friday.

1. US President Donald Trump has reportedly asked Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman, to replace Nikki Haley as the UN ambassador. Haley abruptly resigned in October and is set to leave by the end of the year.

2. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats will vote for a new party leader. The frontrunners are Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel's protege, and Friedrich Merz, a Merkel rival.

3. Ukraine is urging the west to increase sanctions against Russia. Kiev has accused Moscow of sowing "instability and insecurity" amid heightened tensions near Crimea.

4. France is closing down the Eiffel Tower in preparation for more clashes between protesters and police. "Yellow vest" anti-government protests have raged in the capital for weeks and are expected to continue. 

5. Ridesharing service Lyft officially filed paperwork for an IPO. It's the first major ride-hailing company to officially launch its initial public offering, beating its much larger competitor Uber.

6. India is beefing up its navy to counter China's increasingly powerful fleet. The world's two most populous countries have a long history of conflict.

7. 81 migrant children have been forcibly separated from their parents since June. President Trump issued an executive order that stopped the practice, but it appears to continue. 

8. Denmark's government announced it intends to isolate dozens of "unwanted" migrants on a remote island. The island was once used to house contagious animals for research, and held stables and a crematorium for dead animals.

9. Australia passed laws allowing police to spy on encrypted messages. Tech giants, like Apple, Facebook and Amazon, have criticized the move and say it sets a terrifying precedent for global security. 

10. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are plunging again. Cryptocurrencies haven’t been spared from the selloff in global markets this week.

And finally ...

Who are the "Yellow Vests" protesting across France and rioting in Paris, and what do they want from Macron?

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Beautiful time-lapse videos show how much China has changed over the years


Trump fires off late-night tweetstorm on the eve of a landmark moment in the Russia investigation

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  • President Donald Trump fired off a series of tweets on topics spanning the Russia investigation through border security on Thursday night.
  • Trump's tweets come the night before the special counsel Robert Mueller is expected to submit several important filings related to the Russia probe.
  • Friday is the deadline for Mueller to submit documents outlining former campaign chairman Paul Manafort's "crimes and lies," which include his alleged violations of the plea deal with the special counsel.
  • The special counsel is also expected to submit a sentencing recommendation for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to financial crimes and lying to Congress.

President Donald Trump fired off a series of tweets on topics that ranged from the Russia investigation and border security on Thursday evening, the night before the special counsel Robert Mueller is expected to submit several important filings related to the Russia probe.

Trump fired off two tweets relating to a Fox Business segment with anchor Trish Regan, in which she sought to cast doubt on the FBI's justification for obtaining a FISA warrant to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Regan referenced the infamous Democratic-funded dossier, which was reportedly used as justification for the FISA warrant, and suggested "the FBI was weaponized in order to take down President Donald Trump."

"Is this really America," Trump tweeted, referring to Regan's comments questioning the FISA warrant's legitimacy. "Witch Hunt!"

In another tweet one minute later, Trump revived his go-to attack on the news media.

Trump went on to mention Arizona, which he claimed was "bracing for a massive surge at a NON-WALLED area."

Donald Trump

Trump appeared to be referring to the Customs and Border Patrol's training exercise in Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday, where agents prepared "to deal with the potential of large crowds and assaultive behavior by caravan members, should a situation arise."

Trump also referenced minority leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, who railroaded Trump's plans for a $5 billion down payment on the controversial wall between the US-Mexico border.

"WE WILL NOT LET THEM THROUGH," Trump tweeted. "Big danger. [Rep. Nancy Pelosi] and [Sen. Chuck Schumer] must approve Boarder Security and the Wall!"

Trump's rapid-fire tweets come the night before Mueller's deadline to submit documents outlining former campaign chairman Paul Manafort's "crimes and lies," which includes the alleged violations he made from his plea deal with the special counsel. Manafort pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and one count of conspiracy against the US in September.

The special counsel is also expected to submit its sentencing recommendation for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to financial crimes and lying to Congress.

Mueller's recommendation follows a similar one filed for former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was found to have lied to federal investigators about his contacts with Russian officials.

SEE ALSO: 'SPECIAL WHATEVER': Rudy Giuliani downplays Mueller's latest memo, calls it 'bupkis'

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NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

Trump is losing the trade war with China based on his favorite report card, and it's probably going to keep getting worse

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  • The US trade deficit hit $55.5 billion in October, the highest since October 2008.
  • The increase in the deficit is the result of continued growth in imports, while exports actually fell.
  • The trade deficit with China also hit a record level.
  • One of President Donald Trump's goals for the trade war was to reduce the trade deficit, but the president's own policies are likely in part prompting the widening gap.

Shrinking the US trade deficit has been a key goal of President Donald Trump's trade war.

But the US Census Bureau announced Thursday that the US trade deficit grew to $55.5 billion in the month of October, the highest in exactly 10 years. That was a 1.7% jump from September, as imports rose by 0.2% and exports fell by 0.1%.

Trump has long been focused on the trade deficit as a signal that his administration's tariffs on Chinese goods and metals are working, despite the fact that most economists discount the measure as a sign of effective trade policy.

Looking at the main target of the trade war, China, the trade deficit was similarly dismal. The unadjusted goods trade deficit hit $43.1 billion in October, the highest level ever.

While Trump may not like the results, there are good reasons the trade deficit is expanding. And part of the blame lies in the president's own policies.

On the import side of the ledger:

  • The US economy is stronger, and US consumers' appetite is outpacing the country's ability to produce the goods they want.
  • This means the US needs goods from other countries to satisfy consumer demand, leading to import growth.
  • The increase in demand is in part because of the significant amount of fiscal stimulus injected into the economy by Trump's tax cuts and the massive bipartisan budget deal.
  • Goosing the economy, while helping Trump claim victories on things like a stronger GDP, also means the president's trade report card looks worse.

At the same time, exports are cooling because of retaliatory tariffs on US products:

The trade policy exacerbates the existing issues that were already causing weak export growth, Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, wrote Thursday.

"The stronger dollar and slower growth in China and Europe are hurting exports, and the tariffs are a real problem too; exports of soybeans fell by $0.8 billion to a four-year low, down 43% year-over-year," Shepherson said.

Read more:The US-China trade war might still rage on despite a breakthrough deal between Trump and Xi

Those existing drags on exports — the strong US dollar and slowing economic growth in foreign countries — and the tariffs combine to make the perfect recipe for weakness on that side of the deficit ledger.

"Moderating global momentum, the stronger dollar, and protectionist trade policies will keep weighing on exports in the near-term, while sturdy domestic demand and limited spare capacity keep import growth healthy — further widening the deficit," said Jack McRobie and Gregory Daco, economists at Oxford Economics.

A few things could turn around the deficit situation. If the US economy were to cool off, as many economists expect, it could slow the pace of import growth. At the same time, if Trump is able to strike a trade deal with China, a prospect of which economists and experts are more skeptical, export growth could rebound and close the gap.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

Kevin Hart steps down from hosting the Oscars and apologizes for earlier homophobic tweets

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  • Several days after it was announced that he would host the 2019 Academy Awards, Kevin Hart has decided to step down.
  • In a tweet posted just after midnight on Friday, December 7, the comedian shared his decision to relinquish his hosting duties, after backlash over his past anti-LGBTQ tweets and his initial Instagram responses, which some critics called unsatisfactory.
  • "I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past."

Several days after it was announced that he would host the 2019 Academy Awards, Kevin Hart has decided to step down.

In a tweet posted just after midnight on Friday, December 7, the comedian tweeted his decision to relinquish his hosting duties, which follows backlash against Hart over past anti-LGBTQ tweets, and his initial Instagram responses which some critics called unsatisfactory.

"I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's....this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists,"Hart tweeted. "I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past."

On Tuesday, Hart announced on Instagram that he was hosting the Oscars. Shortly after, Benjamin Lee, an editor at The Guardian, wrote a piece on Wednesday saying, "Hart has a rather vile history of documented homophobia, ranging from offensive stand up clangers to dumb interview statements to puerile tweets to a whole embarrassing film filled with it."

Some of the tweets included using the word "f--" and using "gay" as a pejorative.

"I wonder when Kevin Hart is gonna start deleting all his old tweets 🤔🤔🤔," Lee tweeted.

On Thursday, BuzzFeed News reported that some of the tweets were missing from Hart's feed.

Read more: Kevin Hart deleted his tweets with homophobic slurs after being announced as the next Oscars host.

"Yo if my son comes home & try’s 2 play with my daughters doll house I’m going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice 'stop that’s gay,'" read one of the allegedly deleted tweets.

The backlash against the tweets was swift, and Hart's initial responses on Instagram, which did not include an apology, further exacerbated the angry response.

Stop looking for reasons to be negative...Stop searching for reasons to be angry....I swear I wish you guys could see/feel/understand the mental place that I am in. I am truly happy people....there is nothing that you can do to change that...NOTHING. I work hard on a daily basis to spread positivity to all....with that being said. If u want to search my history or past and anger yourselves with what u find that is fine with me. I’m almost 40 years old and I’m in love with the man that I am becoming. You LIVE and YOU LEARN & YOU GROW & YOU MATURE. I live to Love....Please take your negative energy and put it into something constructive. Please....What’s understood should never have to be said. I LOVE EVERYBODY.....ONCE AGAIN EVERYBODY. If you choose to not believe me then that’s on you....Have a beautiful day

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Dec 6, 2018 at 3:20pm PST on

I know who I am & so do the people closest to me. #LiveLoveLaugh

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Dec 6, 2018 at 7:31pm PST on

Comedian Billy Eichner responded to Hart's Instagrams asking for "a simple, authentic apology showing any bit of understanding or remorse."

After the apology and announcement that Hart would no longer host, Eichner tweeted that he appreciated the gesture. "And apology accepted. That's all."

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NOW WATCH: The science of why human breasts are so big

Former President George H.W. Bush was the first president in nearly 50 years to have a train memorial, and thousands showed up to pay their respects

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  • Nearly a week after his death, former President George H.W. Bush's body traveled via train to its final place of rest in College Station, Texas on Thursday.
  • His casket was loaded aboard 4141 — a locomotive named for the 41st president — which had a car specially outfitted with clear side panels so people could pay their respects to the former commander in chief as the train rolled by, the Associated Press reported.
  • It was the first train memorial procession in nearly 50 years. The last one was for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 49 years ago. The first, the AP reported, was for President Abraham Lincoln.

Nearly a week after his death, former President George H.W. Bush traveled via train to his final place of rest in College Station, Texas.

His casket was loaded aboard 4141 — a locomotive named for the 41st president — which had a car specially outfitted with clear side panels so people could pay their respects to the former commander in chief as the train rolled by, the Associated Press reported.

Thousands of people showed up to do just that — carrying flags and signs or placing coins along the tracks to be flattened by the memorial train.

The train traveled from Houston, where a second memorial service was held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Memorial, where he was interred in the family plot with his wife Barbara Bush and daughter Robin Bush, who died at age 3 of leukemia.

It was the first train memorial procession in nearly 50 years. The last one was for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 49 years ago. The first, the AP reported, was for President Abraham Lincoln.

The former commander in chief died on November 30, 2018 at age 94. His casket lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, and a service — attended by every living president— was held in the National Cathedral on Wednesday.

A join services honor guard carries casket of former President George H.W. Bush onto train which carried him to College Station, Texas.

Following the Houston service for former President George H.W. Bush, he was taken via train to College Station, Texas.



Firefighters pay their respects as the train rolls by.

Thousands lined up along the tracks to pay their respects to the former president, who died at age 94 on November 30, 2018.



Thousands of people showed up to pay their respects to former President George H.W. Bush, who died on Friday, November 30.

Crowds held signs and waved flags along the tracks.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 things you need to know in markets today

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Good morning! Here's what you need to know in markets on Friday.

Eiffel Tower

1. President Donald Trump did not know about plans to arrest a top executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei in Canada, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, in an apparent attempt to stop the incident from impeding crucial trade talks with Beijing.

2.It's nonfarm payrolls day.US companies likely maintained a solid pace of hiring in November while increasing wages for workers, suggesting the economy remains strong enough for the Federal Reserve to continue raising interest rates in 2019. A survey economists estimates that payrolls increased by 200,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate is forecast steady at near a 49-year low of 3.7%.

3. US President Donald Trump has reportedly asked Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman, to replace Nikki Haley as the UN ambassador. Haley abruptly resigned in October and is set to leave by the end of the year.

4. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’sChristian Democrats will vote for a new party leader.The frontrunners are Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel’s protege, and Friedrich Merz, a Merkel rival.

5. France is closing down the Eiffel Tower in preparation for more clashes between protesters and police. “Yellow vest” anti-government protests have raged in the capital for weeks and are expected to continue. French President Emmanuel Macron will address France on the movement early next week. 

6. Ridesharing service Lyft officially filed paperwork for an IPO. It’s the first major ride-hailing company to officially launch its initial public offering, beating its much larger competitor Uber.

7. 81 migrant children have been forcibly separated from their parents since June. President Trump issued an executive order that stopped the practice, but it appears to continue.

8. Denmark’s government announced it intends to isolate dozens of “unwanted” migrants on a remote island. The island was once used to house contagious animals for research, and held stables and a crematorium for dead animals.

9. Australia passed laws allowing police to spy on encrypted messages. Tech giants, like Apple, Facebook and Amazon, have criticised the move and say it sets a terrifying precedent for global security.

10. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are plunging again. Cryptocurrencies haven’t been spared from the selloff in global markets this week.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Harvard scientists think this interstellar object might be an alien spacecraft

10 things in tech you need to know today

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Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Friday.

  1. China is demanding the release of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who was detained in Canada at the request of US authorities. China says that Meng had been arrested without explanation and that could be a "violation of her human rights."
  2. Lyft on Thursday said it had filed a confidential draft registration statement with regulators to go public, with the expectation that it will float in 2019.It's a big step in what's largely considered to be a race to go public between Lyft and its much larger rival Uber, which is also considering an IPO next year.
  3. Elon Musk's tunnelling firm, Boring Company, will hold a product launch on December 18 that will involve more than just a hole in the ground. Musk revealed that beyond just the tunnel, the company will showcase its autonomous transport cars and "ground to car" elevators.
  4. Millions of British mobile users were left without service on Thursday thanks to an outage at mobile network O2. The outage was caused by an expired Ericsson software certificate used by European telcos.
  5. The Trump administration is meeting Thursday with top tech executives to discuss innovation and the future of jobs. Chief executive officers expected to participate include Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, Qualcomm's Steven Mollenkopf and Oracle's Safra Catz.
  6. Asian ride-hailing firm Grab has invested around $100 million in SoftBank-backed hotel startup Oyo, according to The Economic Times. The cash was part of Oyo's ongoing $1 billion funding round.
  7. Google has denied a claim that it didn't tell its contract workers about the active shooter that attacked YouTube's headquarters in April. But one current TVC who worked at a different Google office told Business Insider that she first found out about the shooting on social media about two hours after the incident occurred.
  8. FCC chairman Ajit Pai has admitted to Russian interference in the US net neutrality debate. About half a million comments sent to the agency about the debate came from Russian addresses.
  9. "Fortnite" maker Epic Games is taking on the world's biggest players in digital gaming with a new storefront called the Epic Games Store. Epic is offering an attractive incentive to game makers and publishers: an 88% share of profits, which undercuts the industry standard 70-30 split by 18%.
  10. Starting on Thursday, the latest Apple Watch models will be able to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) reading, a kind of heart-rate reading that doctors can use to diagnose heart conditions. The Watch can also now notify you if your heart rate may be irregular, a condition known as atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Have an Amazon Alexa device? Now you can hear 10 Things in Tech each morning. Just search for "Business Insider" in your Alexa's flash briefing settings.

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NOW WATCH: USB-C was supposed to be a universal connector — but it still has a lot of problems

10 things in tech you need to know today

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Ajit Pai mug

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Friday.

  1. China is demanding the release of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who was detained in Canada at the request of US authorities. China says that Meng had been arrested without explanation and that could be a "violation of her human rights."
  2. Lyft on Thursday said it had filed a confidential draft registration statement with regulators to go public, with the expectation that it will float in 2019.It's a big step in what's largely considered to be a race to go public between Lyft and its much larger rival Uber, which is also considering an IPO next year.
  3. Elon Musk's tunnelling firm, Boring Company, will hold a product launch on December 18 that will involve more than just a hole in the ground. Musk revealed that beyond just the tunnel, the company will showcase its autonomous transport cars and "ground to car" elevators.
  4. Millions of British mobile users were left without service on Thursday thanks to an outage at mobile network O2. The outage was caused by an expired Ericsson software certificate used by European telcos.
  5. The Trump administration is meeting Thursday with top tech executives to discuss innovation and the future of jobs. Chief executive officers expected to participate include Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, Qualcomm's Steven Mollenkopf and Oracle's Safra Catz.
  6. Asian ride-hailing firm Grab has invested around $100 million in SoftBank-backed hotel startup Oyo, according to The Economic Times. The cash was part of Oyo's ongoing $1 billion funding round.
  7. Google has denied a claim that it didn't tell its contract workers about the active shooter that attacked YouTube's headquarters in April. But one current TVC who worked at a different Google office told Business Insider that she first found out about the shooting on social media about two hours after the incident occurred.
  8. FCC chairman Ajit Pai has admitted to Russian interference in the US net neutrality debate. About half a million comments sent to the agency about the debate came from Russian addresses.
  9. "Fortnite" maker Epic Games is taking on the world's biggest players in digital gaming with a new storefront called the Epic Games Store. Epic is offering an attractive incentive to game makers and publishers: an 88% share of profits, which undercuts the industry standard 70-30 split by 18%.
  10. Starting on Thursday, the latest Apple Watch models will be able to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) reading, a kind of heart-rate reading that doctors can use to diagnose heart conditions. The Watch can also now notify you if your heart rate may be irregular, a condition known as atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Have an Amazon Alexa device? Now you can hear 10 Things in Tech each morning. Just search for "Business Insider" in your Alexa's flash briefing settings.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I tried cooking an entire Thanksgiving dinner using Google Home Hub and found there are two major flaws with it


Business Insider is hiring a paid fellow in London to write about tech

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Business Insider is hiring a paid fellow to write about tech from its London office. The fellowship starts immediately and will run for six months. The successful candidate will work full-time (40 hours a week).

As a fellow, you can expect to be covering the world's biggest companies (think Apple, Google, and Facebook), the hottest startups, and the latest gadgets.

We are looking for someone:

  • With excellent writing skills, who can work quickly and independently
  • Who knows how to create and package stories in an exciting way with an original angle and eye for attention-grabbing images
  • Who has a sound knowledge of the tech industry
  • Who is hungry to go above and beyond to find agenda-setting scoops
  • Who is ready to write a mix of articles, including short posts, photo-based stories, and reported features

As a fellow at Business Insider, there is no getting coffee, filing, or making copies.

Apply here with a CV and cover letter telling us why you should be a tech fellow at Business Insider, if this sounds like your dream job.

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NOW WATCH: Why Harvard scientists think this interstellar object might be an alien spacecraft

London at Christmas is an Instagrammer's dream, and there are 9 shots every influencer has

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  • London looks its finest at Christmastime, thanks to endless twinkling lights and elaborate festive displays.
  • The most beautiful decorations, of course, make for brilliant Instagram content, and influencers love them.
  • There are certain scenes, however, that you've probably seen all over your feed multiple times.

There's nowhere like London at Christmas, a city which runs solely on mince pies and mulled wine for the whole of December.

While the streets may be horrendously packed with seasonal shoppers, there's one consolation which makes venturing out bearable: the Christmas lights and decorations.

Thanks to Instagram, an increasing number of shops and restaurants are pushing the boat out with their festive displays in the hope of enticing influencers to swing by for a Christmas selfie.

See more:An elite dating app with 1.3 million members says it never accepts anyone who posts a 'duck face mirror selfie'

Needless to say, there are certain spots around the city that you're probably already bored of seeing on your Instagram feed (yet also somehow want to visit and get a snap for yourself).

Here are the nine shots of Christmas in London that nearly every Instagram influencer has taken this year.

1. Something in Covent Garden

Covent Garden's decorations offer a veritable feast for the gram — one trip to the area can provide influencers with content for days.

There's the "infinity chamber" mirrored tunnel light installation (above), which was basically designed for selfies...

...The car piled high with presents...

Instagram Embed:
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...The reindeer...

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...And the mistletoe-topped, ribbon-bedecked, Christmas tree photo spot.

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//instagram.com/p/Bq60vpygG6i/embed
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2. The wrapped-up toilets at Sketch

The bathrooms in quirky central London restaurant Sketch are an Instagram fave all year round thanks to their fun egg-shaped cubicles.

Instagram Embed:
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Now, the iconic toilets' have had a Christmas makeover, and Instagram fiends just can't get enough.

 



3. The entrance to Annabel's

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The luxury Mayfair private members' club has pulled out all the stops with its incredible outdoor display, featuring a gigantic Christmas tree festooned with twinkly lights, presents, and giant candy canes. Even better, you don't even need to step inside to get the photo.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There is a 'real danger' the UK's security will be put at risk by Theresa May's Brexit deal

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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May attends a news conference after an extraordinary EU leaders summit to finalise and formalise the Brexit agreement in Brussels, Belgium November 25, 2018

  • There is a "real danger" that the UK's security could be seriously damaged by Theresa May's proposed Brexit plans, said a committee of MPs.
  • The Home Affairs committee said the prime minister's proposed deal is "seriously lacking" in detail on security, customs and border arrangements.
  • Yvette Cooper MP, chair of the committee, told Theresa May to stop being "complacent" about security arrangements after Brexit.
  • "The Government isn’t being open about the implications of this deal. Continued police and security cooperation is in everyone’s interest, but there is far too much complacency," she said.
  • With Tuesday's crunch vote on Brexit fast-approaching, it still looks very likely that MPs will reject May's deal.

LONDON — It will be "near-impossible" for Theresa May to agree a security treaty with the EU by the time Britain leaves, meaning there is now a "real danger" the UK's security will be damaged, MPs have warned,

The Home Affairs committee of MPs warned that the political declaration which forms part of May's proposed deal is "seriously lacking" in detail on security, customs and border arrangements.

"The political declaration is seriously lacking in detail and provides insufficient clarity about both the future security partnership and future arrangements at the border," the report states.

It adds: "There is a real danger that the UK’s position will be weakened in the future partnership."

While the withdrawal agreement which covers UK-EU divorce issues like budget payments and EU citizens' rights is highly detailed, the political declaration on the future relationship is vaguer and not legally binding, leading to concerns that key issues like security have been overlooked.

In particular, MPs highlighted the fact that May had secured no long-term access to criminal databases after the UK exits the EU. It said the loss of such capabilities would make the country less safe. Member states rely heavily upon EU information-sharing agencies such as Europol, the Schengen Information System, and the European Arrest Warrant to enforce domestic security and policing arrangements.

The committee also said there was a "significant risk" that the planned transition — which would end in December 2020 — will expire before the UK agrees new security arrangements with the EU, leaving a dangerous window in which the UK's security was weakened.

While May's proposed deal contains a so-called "backstop" emergency measure to avoid the emergence of a hard border on the island of Ireland, there is no similar provision for security arrangements. 

Based on the evidence it received from Home Office officials and others, the report concludes that it would be "near-impossible" to get a full new security treaty in place before December 2020, especially because the deal would need to be fully ratified by all 27 EU member states.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chair of the committee, told Theresa May's government to stop being "complacent" and said that its plans for future security cooperation with the EU should be laid clearly before parliament.

"We are worried about the prospect of a security downgrade as a result of this deal," said Cooper.

"It doesn’t include the key criminal databases that the police and border force check 500 million times a year to keep us safe.

"Nor is there a security backstop to make sure that the transition arrangements don’t run out before a new security treaty can be implemented.

"The Government isn’t being open about the implications of this deal. Continued police and security cooperation is in everyone’s interest, but there is far too much complacency," she said.

The warning comes as ministers head out to the UK regions to sell Theresa May's Brexit plan, with Tuesday's crunch vote approaching. The deal still appears very likely to be rejected by parliament, with over 100 MPs so far having publicly opposed the deal. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Lindsey Graham once warned there would be 'holy hell to pay' if Trump fired Jeff Sessions

The City of London is raising the odds that Brexit won't actually happen

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  • Both JPMorgan and Nomura now see the prospect of staying in the EU as having around a 40% chance.
  • This week has seen the European Court of Justice say that the UK should be able to unilaterally withdraw from leaving the EU.
  • That, and a parliamentary amendment that gives British lawmakers more say in the deal should Prime Minister May's deal fail, have raised the likelihood of staying in the EU.

A rising of tide of City of London analysts now see an increased likelihood of the UK deciding not to leave the European Union after all, and simply cancelling Brexit.

JPMorgan's Malcolm Barr now puts the odds of scrapping Brexit at 40%, a sharp spike from 20% odds he had previously put on the scenario. Japanese banking giant Nomura now also sees more probability of the UK staying in the EU, it now puts odds at 40%.

The outlook has shifted because of an eventful week, where the law chief of Europe's highest court advised that the UK should be able to reverse Brexit. The European Court of Justice on Tuesday proposed that Article 50 — the legal mechanism which kickstarted Brexit — allows the "unilateral revocation" of the UK's intention to withdraw from the EU.

In a note on Wednesday, JPMorgan's Barr cited the European Court of Justice proposal when he shifted the bank's matrix of Brexit outcomes. Previously, the bank's odds of various outcomes went like this: A so-called "no deal"— 20%; orderly Brexit (i.e. Brexit with a deal) — 60%; and staying in the EU — 20%. (They're now at 10%, 50% and 40%, respectively.)

Read more: The UK economy could slump 8% into the worst recession since WWII after a no deal Brexit, Bank of England warns

"One of the issues about a second referendum has, in our view, always been the need for an Article 50 extension and potential EU involvement in the design of that referendum," Barr wrote in the report. "The UK now appears to have the option of revoking unilaterally and taking a period of time of its own choosing to decide what happens next."

Here's more from JPMorgan's note (emphasis ours):

Within the "no Brexit" scenarios, a unilateral revocation on the UK’s part looks more likely to us than a joint UK-EU decision to extend the Article 50 negotiating period and thereby keep the existing clock running. And a second referendum strikes us as rather more likely than a general election to be driving a decision to revoke. Hence, within that 40% "no Brexit" possibility, we see a 25% chance of a revocation to facilitate a second referendum, and a 15% chance that it is to facilitate a general election.

When raising its odds, Nomura cited the amendment passed by Parliament on Tuesday, which allows MPs to take control of Brexit if May’s deal is voted down, as expected, next week.

"The probabilities have changed," Nomura wrote on Wednesday, partly because of the amendment. It carries huge political weight and would be very difficult for the government to ignore.

"If the government loses the meaningful vote, then MPs will be able to add, and vote on, amendments instructing the government as to what to do next, Nomura said. "Parliament will do what it can to avoid Hard Brexit," it said, and the amendment "makes it easier to do."

Read more: Brexit is now such a headache that the UK is 'uninvestable,' according to one of Wall Street's best respected research houses

To be clear, both JPMorgan and Nomura both continue to see the Brexit outcome with the highest likelihood being the UK leaving on the terms, or very close to the terms, of May's current deal, both placing that probability at 50%.

Betting markets are also swaying towards the UK remaining in the EU, with betting exchange Smarkets saying its customers now see about a 53% chance of the UK not leaving the EU by March next year.

Financial advisory firm deVere Group said people are less certain: "Nothing is currently priced in because of the enormous question marks hanging over the many different outcomes," said Nigel Green, founder and chief executive of deVere.

SEE ALSO: UBS: A UK recession and pound-dollar parity are on the horizon, and Brexit risks are rising 'literally' by the minute

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China says the US is acting like a 'despicable rogue' over the arrest of Huawei's CFO

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Meng Wanzhou

  • Chinese state media outles have attacked Washington over the arrest Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzho.
  • China Daily said the arrest was part of a US plan to stifle Huawei's growth, while the Global Times said Washington was acting like a "despicable rogue."
  • The US has reached out to allies in the past to warn against Huawei, claiming it poses a national security risk.

Chinese media has launched a stinging attack on the US following the arrest of Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada on Saturday.

Meng was arrested on December 1 and faces extradition to the US. On the same day, President Trump sat down with President Xi Jinping in Argentina to discuss the countries' ongoing trade war. White House officials told Reuters Trump did not know about the extradition request.

An editorial in the state-run China Daily said the arrest was part of an effort by the US to stifle Huawei's growth, saying it was "undoubtedly true and proven is the US is trying to do whatever it can to contain Huawei's expansion in the world simply because the company is the point man for China's competitive technology companies."

Global Times, also state-run, said Washington is "resorting to a despicable rogue's approach as it cannot stop Huawei's 5G advance in the market."

"With the arrest, the US is sending signals to the international community that it is targeting Huawei," The Gobal Times added.

Read more:Britain's spy chief joined the US in sounding the alarm on the Chinese company that sells more phones than Apple

The US has led the charge against Huawei, reaching out to allies to convince them that its technology poses a national security threat. Australia and New Zealand have rejected bids from Huawei to set up its 5G networks in their countries on these grounds.

On Wednesday, Japan also announced that it will ban government purchases of Huawei and ZTE's equipment.

The Chinese government demanded Meng's release on Thursday, claiming she was arrested without an explanation of the charge in potential violation of her human rights. According to reports from The Globe and Mail and South China Morning Post, Meng was arrested on suspicion of violating trade sanctions on Iran.

Huawei said in a statement:

"Recently, our corporate CFO, Ms. Meng Wanzhou, was provisionally detained by the Canadian Authorities on behalf of the United States of America, which seeks the extradition of Ms. Meng Wanzhou to face unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York, when she was transferring flights in Canada.

"The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng. The company believes the Canadian and US legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion.

"Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU. "

SEE ALSO: Here's everything you need to know about Huawei, the Chinese tech giant whose founder's daughter was arrested and which could spark an all-out trade war

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NOW WATCH: Here's why virtual reality still hasn't taken off, despite being around for nearly 2 decades

Logan Paul is buying a theory that YouTube is censoring him — but YouTube said it isn't true

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Logan Paul

  • YouTuber Logan Paul has given credibility to a theory that the video site is censoring videos that mention him.
  • Fellow YouTuber Keemstar claims that videos tagged "Logan Paul" receive fewer views, but gain more traction when the tags are removed.
  • YouTube said it doesn't downrank videos based on specific creators or words.
  • Paul is still the 10th richest YouTuber, according to Forbes, netting a reported $14.5 million in 2018.

Popular and controversial YouTuber Logan Paul has joined the ranks of vloggers claiming that the video site is censoring content.

Paul appeared to buy into a theory put forward on Wednesday by fellow YouTuber Daniel "Keemstar" Keem, who suggested that YouTube was deliberately downranking videos tagged "Logan Paul."

Keemstar, who runs a gossipy, YouTube-focused news channel called DramaAlert, claimed that he posted a video featuring the words "Logan Paul" in the title and tags, and that it received fewer views than normal. The video, he claimed, did better once Paul's name was removed.

Paul wrote in reply: "i hate to say this & i mean i REALLY hate to say this but i think these are facts, pls love me again @YouTube."

Here's the exchange on Twitter:

 

YouTube said the site doesn't downrank videos based on specific creators or words.

And there are reasons to take Keemstar's claims with a pinch of salt.

He has proven to be an unreliable source in the past. In 2016, he falsely accused an elderly online gamer of being a paedophile. Despite a retraction from Keemstar, the elderly gamer received death threats and online harassment thanks to the false accusation.

Read more: KSI and Logan Paul probably generated up to $11 million with their YouTube boxing match

And YouTube rarely, if ever, "censors" individuals' channels without publicly flagging it. The company openly disclosed that it was terminating conspiracy channel InfoWars, for example.

And while YouTube has punished Logan Paul in the past due to his controversial content, it has been open in explaining why.

Paul made headlines at the beginning of this year for posting a video of himself wandering through a so-called "suicide forest" in Japan and stumbling across a dead body.

YouTube dropped him from its preferred ads programme, which gives advertisers access to the top YouTube channels, and delayed the release of his Originals film on the video site. It switched ads back on in February. The site also temporarily suspended Paul because of his continued "pattern of behaviour" in his videos, such as tasering dead rats, and published its decision on Twitter.

None of the above actually got him booted from the site, and Paul's Originals film — a sci-fi movie — appeared on his channel in October this year.

Meanwhile, Forbes has just ranked Logan Paul 10th on its annual list of the wealthiest YouTubers, pegging his 2018 earnings at $14.8 million, mostly thanks to merchandise purchases from fans. It was an increase on his earnings of $12.5 million in 2017. 

SEE ALSO: Controversial YouTuber Logan Paul is tanking on views and new subscribers

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Ryan Reynolds is turning one of the scariest stories on Reddit into a horror movie

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  • The subreddit r/nosleep is a place to read original horror stories. 
  • A popular story "The Patient Who Nearly Drove Me Out Of Medicine" was clearly enjoyed by Ryan Reynolds.
  • It is set to be made into a film with Twentieth Century Fox.
  • Author Jasper DeWitt is thrilled with the project.

This week, Variety broke the news that Ryan Reynolds is working with Twentieth Century Fox and writer Jasper DeWitt to recreate a spooky story from the subreddit r/nosleep.

The subreddit is known as a place for authors to post their original horror stories. Some of the stories have been so popular, authors go on to publish versions of them in books, like Dathan Auerbach's "Penpal."

The story Reynolds is helping bring to the big screen is called "The Patient Who Nearly Drove Me Out of Medicine," which was published by author Jasper DeWitt two years ago in a nine-part series.

The plot centers around a psychiatric doctor and a patient known as "Joe" who he's trying to help. Joe was committed in a hospital for over twenty years, despite never getting a diagnosis, and is known as a patient "so intractable that no one bothered to read his file anymore."

According to Variety, no actors or director have joined the project yet.

On social media, people are excited about the film adaptation, although they know it'll be unsettling.

On Twitter, DeWitt said he was "thrilled" to be working on the film with Reynolds. He told Mashable how the collaboration came about.

"My manager texted me," he said. "I know that sounds mundane, but it really was that simple. I may have scared some people with the loud noise of happiness and triumph I made, reading that."

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Jeff Bezos was ridiculed by 'South Park' as a giant-brained, telepathic super villain

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Jeff Bezos South Park

  • "South Park" poked fun at Amazon on Wednesday, portraying Jeff Bezos as a sinister, giant-headed supervillain.
  • The episode also satirised reports of working conditions at Amazon's warehouses.

Amazon was the subject of a "South Park" roasting on Wednesday, which portrayed CEO Jeff Bezos as a giant-brained, telepathic supervillain.

The episode, titled "Unfulfilled" after Amazon's fulfilment centers (the name it gives its warehouses), satirised reports of Amazon's working conditions, as Butters' father works inside a warehouse.

At one point a montage showed him working to "Sixteen Tonnes," a song about working in a coal mine made famous by Tennesee Ernie Ford in the 1950s.

Bezos appears as a supervillain with an enormous head who communicates telepathically. He intimidates the mayor, threatening repercussions after the town's Amazon workers go on strike.

Amazon's working conditions have been called into question by numerous reports, and on Wednesday 24 warehouse workers in New Jersey were hospitalised when an automated machine punctured a 9-ounce can of bear spray.

Do you work at Amazon? Got a tip? Contact this reporter via email at ihamilton@businessinsider.com. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: Amazon got a hostile welcome from a New York labor union, which savaged its working conditions as 'deadly and dehumanizing'

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Venezuela is coming to get its $550 million of gold at the Bank of England

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gold bars

  • Reports say that Venezuelan officials are in London to meet with senior Bank of England staff over gold repatriation.
  • Venezuela is seeking to take back 16.5 tons of gold reserves currently held in the Bank of England's vaults.
  • Venezuelan finance minister Simon Zerpa, and central bank governor Calixto Ortega Sanchez are reportedly set to meet Bank of England Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden on Friday.
  • Britain's central bank is seeking "clarity" before returning the metal.

Senior officials for the Venezuelan government have reportedly travelled to London for crunch talks with the Bank of England as they seek to repatriate more than $500 million of gold back to Caracas.

The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early November approached the Bank of England about removing roughly 16.5 tons of gold — worth in the region of $550 million — from the central bank's vaults and returning it to South America. Emerging market nations frequently store gold reserves in foreign central banks.

At the time the request was first reported, Reuters said that the Bank of England had "sought to clarify" Venezuela's intentions in taking back its gold. It now appears that officials, including Venezuelan finance minister Simon Zerpa, and central bank governor Calixto Ortega Sanchez, have come to London to provide further clarity, according to Reuters.

City AM reports that Bank of England Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden will attend a meeting with the officials, but that it is unclear if Governor Mark Carney will be in attendance. Reuters reported that it was "not immediately evident" if any meeting would actually take place.

The Bank of England declined to comment.

Read more: Venezuela's inflation rate just hit 830,000% — and is likely to keep rising

The expected meeting has drawn criticism from British politicians, with Conservative MP reportedly writing to Carney and Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, asking the pair to call off any contact with Venezuelan officials.

"Were such a meeting to take place it would pose a significant reputational risk to the Bank and may be in violation of US Treasury-imposed sanctions," Lewer wrote in a letter, reported by City AM.

Venezuela has in recent years been a major seller of gold, and this year alone it has sold about 26 tons, worth close to $900 million, to Turkey. In the past four years, Venezuela's gold reserves have decreased to about 175 tons from about 400 tons, Reuters reported, citing statistics from the country's central bank.

Venezuela has been selling its sizeable gold reserves, built up under Hugo Chavez, to try to address the economic crisis plaguing the country. Hyperinflation of goods means everyday items are unaffordable for many Venezuelans, and poverty and violence are widespread.

Most recently, its drive to repatriate gold has been related to sanctions announced by the US aimed at disrupting the South American country's gold exports.

President Donald Trump in November signed an executive order to bar US persons from dealing with entities and people involved with "corrupt or deceptive" gold sales from Venezuela.

A report from the International Monetary Fund in July said Venezuela's economy was expected to contract by about 18% this year, while inflation was forecast to reach a whopping 1 million percent.

SEE ALSO: Venezuela really wants its $550 million worth of gold back from the Bank of England

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Today could be a huge day for the Russia probe, as Mueller drops more documents on Cohen and Manafort, and James Comey testifies to Congress

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Robert Mueller

  • Friday December 7 will reveal new information on the Russia probe as Special Council Robert Mueller faces deadlines to publish new documents from his investigation.
  • Mueller is expected to submit important filings about former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
  • Former FBI Director James Comey will also testify today about the FBI's handling of the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
  • Comey, seen as a key witness into whether Trump attempted to obstruct the probe, has negotiated a deal that lets him speak publicly about the interview straight away.

Friday could prove a huge day for the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, as deadlines arrive for Special Council Robert Mueller to drops more documents on two former Trump allies.

At the same time, former FBI Director James Comey is scheduled to testify in front of Congress in a closed-door interview he has nonetheless secured permission to speak about in public.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is expected to submit several important filings related to the Russia probe to meet a deadline on Friday December 7.

The documents detail the cooperation of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and what his team describes as lies told to them by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, which led to the collapse of his plea deal.

Mueller is expected to submit his sentencing recommendation for Cohen, who pleaded guilty in November to financial crimes and lying to Congress about a Russian real estate project Trump pursued during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump maintains that Cohen is lying.

Michael Cohen guilty pleaRead More:Trump fires off late-night tweetstorm on the eve of a landmark moment in the Russia investigation

The team will also disclose what they say are the "crimes and lies" of Manafort. They claim he lied to the FBI and Mueller's office, which led to the cancellation of his plea deal.

Mueller has not yet disclosed what Manafort allegedly lied about, but said in November that he lied "on a variety of subject matters" and would provide further information in a later filing.

The Wall Street Journal reported in November that Mueller believes Manafort lied about his lobbying income and meeting with a Russian-Ukrainian political operative

It is possible, however, that Mueller's filings will be heavily redacted, as was the case with Mueller's sentencing memo for former national security adviser Michael Flynn released on Tuesday.

Read More: Mueller filing reveals Michael Flynn interviewed with investigators 19 times, recommends no jail time

Trump continues to lash out at the investigation. He fired off a series of tweets on Thursday night, referring to the probe as a "Witch Hunt!", a term he has used often.

Trump has previously also falsely accused Mueller of coercing people to "flip and lie" and said that he might pardon Manafort.

As well as the Mueller filing, more information may come out against Trump on Friday as Comey testifies to the House Judiciary Committee. The testimony will take place in private, but, under a deal struck with the committee, Comey will be free to speak about the questioning after the interview. A transcript will also be released. 

Comey is discussing the FBI's handling of the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 elections, as well as the FBI’s investigations into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

Comey, who was fired by Trump in May 2017, is at the center of investigations into whether Trump attempted to obstruct the special counsel investigation.

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10 ways people ruined nature in 2018

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Colorado National Monument graffiti

  • People aren't always kind to nature, especially when traveling.
  • Headlines are often filled with people badly damaging nature and the environment. This year was no different. 
  • In 2018, people chucked ancient dinosaur tracks into a reservoir in Utah, poached almost 90 elephants in Africa, and knocked over an ancient rock formation. 

It's no secret that people aren't always appreciative of their surroundings. Whether up in the air or traveling abroad, people have done some horrible things to their environment. 

When it comes to nature, this rings especially true. This year people have made headlines by vandalizing, destroying, or tampering with some of the world's most gorgeous natural environments. 

From defacing a national monument to shattering a rock formation millions of years in the making, here's how people have damaged nature in 2018.  

A group of tourists pushed a rock formation that dates back millions of years off a cliff in England.

The Brimham Rocks is a National Trust site in North Yorkshire, England, and the rocks there have been shaped by wind, rain, and ice for millions of years. But that didn't stop a group of teenagers from pushing one of the 320 million-year-old formations over a cliff this June, destroying the monument. 

"They went at it for quite a while to get the momentum to push it off. So there was definitely intent there," Catherine Barber, a ranger at the Brimham Rocks, told CBC. "It's a great shame because that stone's been there and has been rocked by many visitors over hundreds of years, and it's just a shame now that it will [no longer] be there for the people to come in and try."



Another group of tourists damaged a 40 million-year-old land formation in China.

In August, four Chinese tourists entered an ancient landform in a geopark in China called Zhangye Danxia. They posted a video when they broke into a roped off area and damaged most of the surroundings.

In the video, you can see the tourists walking on red and yellow sand while also digging their feet into it.  The bottom layers of the landform were created 40 to 100 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, according to the South China Morning Post, and the top layers are a result of erosion, estimated to have been formed 200,000 to 400,000 years ago.

But in the video, one of them casually brags, "I destroyed a 6,000-year-old [formation." Only two were arrested for the crime. 



In Utah, dinosaur tracks that date back millions of years were destroyed.

About 200 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed through northeastern Utah and the only thing they left behind are footprints, which people can visit at the Red Fleet State Park. But this year, the park staff has reported that a number of people have dislodged the tracks and thrown them into the reservoir nearby. The Washington Post reports that at least 10 footprints have vanished from the site this year. No one has been charged with the crimes, but under Utah law, it is considered a felony. 



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