Heavy Smoke from SF Russian Consulate Chimney as Moscow Fears Search by US

Russia's Foreign Ministry said that U.S. law enforcement officials intend to search its San Francisco consulate and some diplomatic residences, and it complained the U.S. demands were posing a "direct threat" to its citizens. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement posted September 1 that unnamed U.S. agencies plan to conduct the search on September 2, following the State Department's announcement this week ordering the consulate and two other trade annexes in New York and Washington closed.

Workers clear out of Russian consulate in San Francisco

Acrid, black smoke was seen pouring from a chimney at the Russian consulate in San Francisco and workers began hauling boxes out of the stately building in a historic area of the city Friday, a day after the Trump administration ordered its closure amid escalating tensions between the United States and Russia. The order to leave the consulate and an official diplomatic residence in San Francisco - home to a longstanding community of Russian emigres and technology workers - escalated an already tense diplomatic standoff between Washington and Moscow, even for those who have long monitored activities inside the closely monitored building.

Wasserman Schultz leads efforts to remove Confederate names, statue

If U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., gets her way, the names of three Confederate generals will be removed from street signs in Hollywood, Fla., and the statue of a Confederate general representing Florida will be removed from the National Statuary Hall in Washington. Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee who resigned from the post in July 2016 amid allegations that she favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders for the party's 2016 presidential nomination, has asked local leaders in Hollywood to remove the names of Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood from city streets.

Melania Trump loses the stilettos after Twitter ridicule

AUGUST 29: U.S. President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump prior to their Marine One departure from the White House August 29, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump was traveling to Texas to observe the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Bay Area Chamber taps congressional chief of staff as next CEO

The Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has named a congressional chief of staff as its next chief executive officer. Ryan Tarrant, 39, was selected as the organization's next president and CEO Friday, Aug. 25. He replaces Ryan Carley, who resigned from the position in May after two years on the job.

Trinidad and Tobago a hub for illegal immigrants – report

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - The Global Detention Project, an international group based in Switzerland, says Trinidad and Tobago is a hub for an alarming number of illegal immigrants. In its online report, Global Detention Project says there are currently 100,000 undocumented migrants living in the twin island republic .

Neo-Nazis

Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events In the days since white nationalists marched in Charlottesville and President Trump asserted that some "very fine people" walked shoulder-to-shoulder with them, corporate CEOs have issued statements of protest and bolted from White House panels. Artists fled the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and three of the five Kennedy Center Honors recipients said they might skip the traditional White House pre-gala reception, prompting the president and first lady to cancel it.

Rand Paul protests Trump’s Afghanistan troop increase

A leader of the GOP's non-interventionist wing says it's a "terrible idea" to send any more American troops to Afghanistan. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky issued a statement ahead of a prime-time address by President Donald Trump to unveil his updated Afghanistan policy.

US Embassy in Russia stops issuing tourist visas for 8 days

In a step that could affect hundreds of thousands of Russian tourists, the U.S. Embassy in Russia said Monday it would suspend issuing nonimmigrant visas for eight days from Wednesday in response to the Russian decision to cap embassy staff. The embassy made the decision after the Russian Foreign Ministry ordered a cap on the number of U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia, it said in a statement, adding that it would resume issuing visas in Moscow on Sept.

U.S. Embassy in Russia suspends issuing nonimmigrant visas

The embassy made the decision after the Russian Foreign Ministry ordered a cap on the number of U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia. U.S. Embassy in Russia suspends issuing nonimmigrant visas The embassy made the decision after the Russian Foreign Ministry ordered a cap on the number of U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia.

Crude oil opens new vistas in India-US relationship

Washington: The first shipment of American crude oil is likely to reach India in the last week of September, opening new vistas in the Indo-US ties. With this India, the world's third-largest oil importer, joins Asian countries like South Korea, Japan and China to buy American crude after production cuts by OPEC drove up prices of Middle East heavy-sour crude, or grades with a high sulphur content.

Pence praises Argentina’s economic reforms

Vice President Mike Pence is praising Argentine President Mauricio Macri's "bold reform agenda" during a visit to that country, calling Macri's efforts to transform Argentina's economy an "inspiration." Days after local primary elections that were seen as a boost for Macri's pro-business agenda, Pence said Argentina should serve as a model for the region.

Toby Keith’s Put-in-Bay concert requires more than mainland preparation

The Put-in-Bay Airport, seen in the lower-right corner of this photo, will host Toby Keith and four other country bands on Thursday, Aug. 31. The Put-in-Bay Airport, seen in the lower-right corner of this photo, will host Toby Keith and four other country bands on Thursday, Aug. 31. PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio - Ohio's party island will be transformed into a country-music mecca later this month, in what local officials are calling the single most complicated event in recent Put-in-Bay history. Country star Toby Keith headlines a five-act show, dubbed Bash on the Bay , on Thursday, Aug. 31, in an event that involves: * Transporting by ferry two dozen semi-trucks, 10 tour buses, 15 food trucks and more, in the hours before the show.

Syrian grandma in travel ban flap arriving in Hawaii

Wafa Yahia is scheduled to arrive at Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport this evening on a flight from San Francisco in a 28-hour journey that started in Lebanon. The Syrian grandmother at the center of Hawaii's lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's travel ban on people from six mostly Muslim countries is expected to arrive in Honolulu today.