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HANOI, Vietnam — The United States is rescinding a decades-old ban on sales of lethal military equipment to Vietnam, President Obama announced at a news conference in Hanoi on Monday, ending one of the last legal vestiges of the Vietnam War. “The decision to lift the ban was not based on China or any other considerations,” he said, with the Vietnamese president, Tran Dai Quang, standing stiffly by his side. “It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving toward normalization with Vietnam.”

We’ve been expecting this news for a while and now it’s official. The bench trial for Baltimore Police Officer Edward Nero – he of the Freddie Gray case – has come to a close and Nero was found not guilty on all charges. NBC News has the breaking story with ongoing updates One of the six officers charged in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray was found not guilty on all counts in Baltimore on Monday.Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams cleared Officer Edward Nero of charges of assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.Nero, 30, was one of two...

With a media blitz, the Islamic State has set its sights on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula as the next shot at expanding its empire and establishing a base from which to attack neighboring Israel.

HERSHEY, Pa. — A Pennsylvania amusement park that is a popular attraction for families with children has announced that its internal policies allow visitors and employees to use the restroom that correlates with their “gender identity.” Hersheypark officials released a statement on Friday outlining that its restroom accommodations have already been in place and will continue. “We recognize that the more perspectives we have within our company, the more welcoming we are to all those who visit and seek employment here,” said Public Relations Manager Kathy Burrows. “In fact, our company has four core values, one of which is ‘respectful...

In this year of political rage, one aspect that baffles me somewhat is the absolute, electrified, apoplectic, blurred-vision hatred of Hillary Clinton. Nor do I get the similar outrage expressed about President Barack Obama, who in Comment Section World makes Donald Trump look like a lovable Disney character. I can only ascribe this Rage Against the Clinton Machine to misogyny. Yeah. I said it (send enraged emails to my boss, Dan Morain at dmorain@sacbee.com). Looking back on political figures, I can truly say that there are only a handful of people I could really get vein-popping angry about. â–ª Sarah...

ROANOKE, Va., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Likely presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are tied in Virginia with each garnering the support of 38 percent of likely voters, according to The Roanoke College Poll. While only 11 percent of likely voters said they are undecided, another 11 percent said they would vote for someone else and 2 percent stated they would not vote if Clinton and Trump were their only choices. Both candidates are significantly "under water" with regard to favorable/unfavorable opinions. The Roanoke College Poll interviewed 610 likely voters in Virginia between May 9 and May 17...

The Clinton Foundation, which has done a number of good works over the past 15 years, would appear to present an inherent conflict of interest should Mrs. Clinton become president, and possibly does even now with her as a candidate. Mrs. Clinton has suggested that if she is elected, the foundation — which collects contributions from wealthy interests, including foreign governments — would continue basically as is. “If Bill seeks to raise large sums of money from donors who also have an interest in U.S. policy, the public will rightly question whether the grants affected United States foreign policy,” said...

Officially, the top world leaders who gather Thursday at the Group of 7 summit meeting will talk about shared concerns, like global trade or the Islamic State. But their private discussions are likely to cover a topic that is not on the agenda: Donald J. Trump. President Obama now hears questions in his meetings with world leaders about whether Mr. Trump has a realistic shot at becoming president. For months, Mr. Obama has answered those questions with an emphatic “no.” But this week’s summit meeting in Japan is the first among major allies since Mr. Trump moved decisively toward securing...

Trump Now Leading In National Poll Averages Ricardo R. Galvan Sunday, May 22, 2016 Despite claims by the media that Trump would likely lose the election against Hillary (while absurdly claiming that John Kasich performed the best in a head on fight with Clinton), the RCP average of national polls now gives Trump a slight edge. The Hill reports: Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has overtaken Democratic front-runnerHillary Clinton in an average of head-to-head national polls, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls.Trump leads Clinton by 0.2 percentage points, 43.4 percent to 43.2 percent in the average, overtaking the...

According to the interior ministry's final count of votes cast at polling-stations (in German), Mr Hofer took 51.9% to 48.1% for Mr Van der Bellen. But ORF public TV's projection (in German), which is usually considered reliable, has both men on 50%.

Former House Speaker and potential/rumored pick for Trump running mate, Newt Gingrich, speaks with Fox News Channel's Maria Bartiromo about his general election predictions. He forecasts that by November, the race will no longer be close, and that Trump will win by "a suprisingly big number" like Ronald Reagan did in 1980. NEWT GINGRICH: I don't think these polls signal a close race by November. I think if you look at the trend line, it signals that Trump will probably consolodate support while Hillary Clinton continues to stagnate. And the odds are pretty good Trump will win just like Reagan...

Donald Trump's gun policies are "not just way out there" but "dangerous" and would make America less safe, Hillary Clinton said Saturday. "This is someone running to be president of the United States of America — a country facing a gun violence epidemic — and he's talking about more guns in our schools, he's talking about more hatred and division in our streets," the likely Democratic presidential nominee said of her presumptive Republican rival. "That's no way to keep us safe." ...

It is the first time Trump has vaulted over Clinton in the poll and shows the advancement of the New York businessman over the past six months.

A new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows a close contest in presidential election preferences, with Republicans lining up behind Donald Trump as their party’s presumptive nominee while the continued Democratic race is keeping Hillary Clinton’s side more unsettled. From the poll Trump leads: Men: Trump 56-34% Independents: Trump 48-35% No degree: Trump 52-38% Whites: Trump 57-33%

REDMOND, Ore. — B.J. Soper took aim with his AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and fired a dozen shots at a human silhouette target. Soper’s wife and their 16-year-old daughter practiced drawing pistols. Then Soper helped his 4-year-old daughter, in pink sneakers and a ponytail, work on her marksmanship with a .22-caliber rifle. Deep in the heart of a vast U.S. military training ground, surrounded by spent shotgun shells and juniper trees blasted to shreds, the Central Oregon Constitutional Guard was conducting its weekly firearms training. “The intent is to be able to work together and defend ourselves if we need to,”...

There’s a whole lot of good news and ‘splodey head angst in the latest ABC/Washington Post national poll (full pdf below). The poll sample size of 1005 includes a mix of 33% Democrat, 27% Republican and 35% Independent. Democrats over sampled by eight points, (D+8).However, even with the sample skew (D+8) Donald Trump still beats Hillary Clinton 46% to 44%, and Trump is crushing Clinton with Independent voters 48% to 35%.In addition to the overwhelming 13 point polling lead among independent voters, the same poll shows that 20% of Bernie Sanders supporters will vote for Donald Trump.

She should have been able to finally savor shattering that “highest, hardest glass ceiling” — the one she gloried in putting 18 million cracks in last time around — when she attends her convention in Philadelphia in July. Instead, she is reduced to stomping her feet on CNN, asserting her dominance in a contest that has left her looking anything but dominant. Once more attempting to shake off the old socialist dude hammering her with a sickle ...

In denying his application for a concealed-carry permit, Oceanport Police Chief Daniel W. Barcus said Russell was unable to demonstrate “justifiable need” because there had been no specific attacks or threats made directly on him. To legally carry concealed firearms in New Jersey, residents have to apply to their local police for a permit demonstrating such a need. But critics of the state’s strict gun laws say this results in very few people other than acting and retired law enforcement officials getting approval for such permits.

Why Hillary Clinton is sinking faster than the Titanic By Wayne Allyn Root Published May 20, 2016 FoxNews.com I’ve predicted publicly for a year now that Hillary Clinton,   although a prohibitive favorite, still may never become the Democratic Party’s nominee.  ...barely squeaked by in Kentucky. Bernie has now won 11 of the last 14 primaries and caucuses.  I ask Democrats, is this your nominee? The winner of your presidential nomination has lost just shy of 80 percent of her races coming down the homestretch.   Call me crazy but don't presumptive nominees usually win about 80 percent of their races? This has...

Data from the final moments before EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed into the Mediterranean suggest an "internal explosion" tore through the right side of the aircraft, a pilot said last night. Investigators trying to determine whether the A320 was brought down by terrorism or a technical fault are poring over a series of warnings indicating smoke filled the cabin shortly before it disappeared from radar. French authorities confirmed that smoke detectors went off aboard the flight a few minutes before it crashed but said it was not clear what caused the smoke or fire. A commercial pilot with a major European...