| What happens to the articles of impeachment now? Posted: 19 Dec 2019 02:34 PM PST  What does it mean to withhold articles of impeachment? A trial cannot begin until those articles of impeachment are delivered by the House to the Senate. How are the articles of impeachment transmitted from the House to the Senate? Why are Democrats delaying sending the articles?
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| Film documents Honduran family’s struggle to find asylum in U.S. Posted: 20 Dec 2019 02:38 PM PST  In "Towards the North," viewers get an intimate look into the daily battles of asylum seekers from Central America through the eyes of Nelly and her daughter, Joseline.
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| The Texas ex-police officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson in her own home has been indicted on a murder charge Posted: 20 Dec 2019 12:40 PM PST  Atatiana Jefferson had been playing video games with her nephew on October 12 when the officer, Aaron Dean, shot her through her bedroom window.
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| Everyone ganged up on Pete Buttigieg at the Democratic debate, and these numbers show why that was basically guaranteed Posted: 19 Dec 2019 08:28 PM PST  We're getting closer and closer to votes. At this point, Buttigieg, considered a top-tier candidate, is vulnerable.
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| What crackdown? Migrant smuggling business adapts, thrives Posted: 19 Dec 2019 08:03 AM PST  The heavy-set man swept through a curtain into the reserved area of a nightclub as his bodyguard stood nearby. In the darkness, he agreed to talk about his business: handling the income from smuggling migrants across a 375-mile stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border. The hardening of U.S. and Mexican immigration policies has "complicated" the business because there are more security forces on both sides of the border, but Manuel isn't worried.
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| Great white shark weighing 998 pounds detected on Florida coast twice before the holidays Posted: 19 Dec 2019 08:53 AM PST  A week before Christmas, Ironbound, a 12-foot, 4-inch great white shark, pinged, according to its Ocearch tracker. He weighs a whopping 998 pounds.
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| NZealand to close gun buyback sparked by mosque shootings Posted: 19 Dec 2019 06:16 PM PST  A key element of the ban was a buyback scheme accompanied by an amnesty, giving gun owners a payment and a guarantee of "no questions asked" when they handed in weapons deemed illegal under new laws. "There will be no extension -– anyone prosecuted may lose their firearms licence and could face a penalty of up to five years imprisonment," police said. Gun control advocates say the scheme has succeeded despite opposition from some firearms owners, who they accuse of adopting hardline tactics similar to the US National Rifle Association (NRA).
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| Durham Scrutinizing Former CIA Director Brennan’s Role in Russia Investigation Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:01 AM PST  Federal prosecutor John Durham, tasked with probing the Russia investigation into the Trump 2016 campaign by Attorney General William Barr, is scrutinizing what role former CIA director John Brennan played in the investigation, the New York Times reported Thursday.Durham has requested various documents from the CIA including Brennan's emails and call logs, according to the Times. The prosecutor is looking into what Brennan knew of the Steele dossier, how the dossier was received by the agency, and whether Brennan conferred with former FBI director James Comey regarding it.Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz found that the dossier played a "central and essential" role in the FISA application to surveil Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page. In his report released earlier this month, Horowitz also confirmed that the FBI did not inform the court that the dossier, which some in the CIA believed amounted to an "internet rumor," was commissioned by the Hillary Clinton campaign, and was never independently verified by the bureau.Durham is also trying to discover if Brennan privately contradicted any public testimony he made regarding the Russia investigation.On Wednesday Barr confirmed on Fox News that Durham's investigation was casting a wide net by looking at several aspects of the Russia investigation."He's not just looking at the FBI, he's looking at other agencies, and departments, and also private actors, so it's a much broader investigation," Barr said. Durham "is looking at all the conduct both before and after the election."Durham upgraded the investigation from an administrative review to a criminal probe in October but it's unclear what, if any, criminal acts he's uncovered.
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| The Radical Designs of the Australian Architect Peter Stutchbury Posted: 20 Dec 2019 08:24 AM PST |
| Pelosi's risky strategy to withhold impeachment from Senate roils Washington Posted: 19 Dec 2019 09:38 AM PST  Democrats want to put pressure on Republican senators over the issue of calling witnesses in a Senate impeachment trial, and they are looking to create friction between President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struggled Thursday to explain what her plan is in delaying sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
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| ‘Worst’ of Hong Kong Protests ‘Probably’ Over, Carrie Lam Adviser Says Posted: 19 Dec 2019 07:07 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The worst of Hong Kong's months-long pro-democracy protests might now be over, a top adviser to Hong Kong's leader said, as the city experiences a lull in demonstrations after local elections in late November and ahead of the Christmas holiday.Although occasional, smaller protests are still likely to break out from time to time, large scale confrontations between radical demonstrators and riot police may have tailed off, according to Bernard Chan, convener of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's Executive Council."I actually think the worst is probably over," Chan said in a phone interview Friday. "But I don't think we're going to get rid of all the sporadic types of protests. I don't think it would be over so soon. It may take a little while. But I think the larger scale ones, hopefully, we might not see that -- but who knows."At the same time, Chan said Lam's administration was still unwilling to entertain any of the protesters' additional demands, including calls to hold an independent commission of inquiry into the unrest.Landslide VictoryHong Kong has seen more than six months of increasingly violent protests that began in opposition to a proposed bill allowing extradition to mainland China but expanded to include calls for greater democracy in the former British colony. The unrest has battered the city's economy and led to a steep drop in tourist arrivals and retail sales.In recent months, protesters have thrown petrol bombs and fired arrows at riot cops, who have responded by arresting more than 6,000 protesters and firing more than 10,000 tear gas rounds, as well as using rubber bullets and a water cannon.However, after pro-democracy politicians won a landslide victory against pro-government rivals in recent local elections on Nov. 24, there has been a lull in the scale and frequency of the violence, although there have still been protests."With the district council election outcome, maybe some people will be more willing to say, 'Let's see what the government can do to change things,'" Chan said. "Maybe they're hoping that these newly elected members can do the job, rather than go out into the streets."Big ConfrontationsStill, Chan's comments differ starkly from the predictions of the city's pro-democracy opposition, who said a massive, mostly peaceful march on Dec. 8 -- with an estimated 800,000 people -- show that the movement has staying power and will continue protesting in the new year."We will soldier on," opposition lawmaker Claudia Mo told Bloomberg News earlier this month. "This may last for the generations to come."In December alone, police have fired tear gas at a large crowd marching on the Kowloon side of the city's harbor, while some demonstrators blocked roads and set fire to a subway. The city also canceled a New Year's Eve fireworks show over security concerns, and there are more pro-democracy protests planned leading up to Christmas.But recent weeks haven't seen a repeat of the type of violence common throughout the summer and well into November, when Hong Kong protesters regularly shut down parts of the city, engaged in running street battles with police, blocked major arterial roads and congregated behind barricades at fortified university campuses across the city."I don't think we expect them to be completely gone, so they will be there, the question is whether there will be any very big scale type of confrontations," Chan said. "Maybe not. Though, we just don't know."To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Karen Leigh, Muneeza NaqviFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iowa Woman Ran Down Teen With Car Because She Was ‘Mexican’: Police Posted: 20 Dec 2019 09:44 AM PST  An Iowa woman has admitted to authorities that she intentionally hit a teenage girl with her car because she was "Mexican," police said Friday.Nicole Marie Poole Franklin, 42, was charged Thursday near Des Moines with attempted murder after allegedly running down a 14-year-old as she walked to Indian Hills Junior High School on Dec. 9 and then fleeing the scene, the Clive Police Department said. Franklin is being held at the Polk County Jail."Franklin told investigators that she ran the girl over because she was, in her words, 'a Mexican,'" Clive Chief of Police Michael Venema said in a Friday press conference."She went on to make a number of derogatory statements about Latinos to the investigators."Suspect in 3 Louisiana Black Church Fires Charged With Hate CrimesAuthorities said at 5 p.m., Franklin drove her 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee onto the sidewalk near the middle school, where the girl was walking "on the way to an activity."Franklin then "ran the girl over" before she allegedly fled the scene. Authorities eventually identified the woman after asking for the public's help, reviewing surveillance video, and speaking to the victim, Venema said. The girl, who has not been identified, suffered "numerous injuries" that were serious, authorities said. After spending several days at a hospital, she was able to return to school a week after the incident, a school representative said Friday.About fifteen minutes later, Franklin was arrested at a Conoco gas station in West Des Moines after allegedly throwing items at an employee and calling several people by a racial slur, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Des Moines Register.Franklin was arrested and charged with assault, operating under the influence, theft and public intoxication, authorities said. After identifying Franklin's vehicle, police interviewed her at the Polk County Jail on Thursday, where she being held for the gas-station assault. During the interview, Venema said, "not only did Franklin admit to being the driver of the car that struck this girl, but also that she had done so intentionally." Franklin then proceeded to admit the incident was racially fueled, he said. American Moms and Kids Massacred in Mexican Ambush That Killed at Least 9"I want to say, in the strongest terms possible, that there is no place in our community—or any other—for this type of hatred and violence," he said. "We are committed to stand by and support this family and work diligently with them to seek justice."The police chief declined to provide further details into Franklin's motive or her police interview because "we still need to prosecute this case," but stated the teen's family was "surprised and shocked" to learn the woman "targeted their daughter and intentionally try to cause harm.""They were appropriately updated," Venema said, adding he was also horrified to hear the hit-and-run was an "intentional act," even after years of working in law enforcement. It is not immediately known if Franklin and the teenage girl previously knew each other.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Elizabeth Warren and her husband are worth an estimated $12 million. Here's a look at the lifestyle, finances, and real-estate portfolio of one of the leading Democratic presidential candidates. Posted: 20 Dec 2019 08:28 AM PST  Warren's wealth is held mostly in retirement accounts and real estate. She and her husband own a house in Massachusetts and a condo in Washington, DC.
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| Death toll in attack on Moscow security officers rises to 2 Posted: 20 Dec 2019 12:46 AM PST  The death toll in the shooting outside the Moscow headquarters of Russia's main security agency has risen to two, officials said Friday as investigators pressed to uncover the assailant's motives. The Investigative Committee, the nation's top state investigative agency, identified the attacker as 39-year-old Yevgeny Manyurov, who lived in Moscow's suburbs. It said Manyurov opened fire Thursday just outside the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, killing one security officer and badly wounding another, who later died in a hospital.
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| U.S. third-quarter growth unrevised at 2.1% Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:36 AM PST  U.S. economic growth nudged up in the third quarter, the government confirmed on Friday, and there are signs the economy more or less maintained the moderate pace of expansion as the year ended, supported by a strong labor market. Despite the unrevised reading, which was in line with economists' expectations, consumer spending was stronger than previously reported. There were also upgrades to business spending on nonresidential structures such as power infrastructure, which limited the drop in overall business investment.
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| 'A very cruel act': At least 15 horses were shot and killed in Kentucky, police say Posted: 20 Dec 2019 04:11 AM PST  Authorities are investigating after at least 15 horses were reportedly found fatally shot Tuesday near a strip mining site in Eastern Kentucky.
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| Gabbard faces heat back home for vote on impeachment Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:53 AM PST  Long-shot presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is facing some heat in her heavily Democratic home state of Hawaii for voting "present" on two articles of impeachment against President Trump.
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| New Jersey Governor Signs Bill Allowing Illegal Immigrants to Get Driver’s Licenses Posted: 20 Dec 2019 07:43 AM PST  New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Thursday signed a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.The bill will allow those living in New Jersey who are unable to prove they are legal residents to obtain permits, "standard" driver's licenses, and "Real ID" cards. The measure was passed by the state legislature this week."Expanding access to driver's licenses is critical for the safety of New Jerseyans and a step toward building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all," the governor said in a statement. "Allowing residents the opportunity to obtain driver's licenses regardless of their immigration status will decrease the number of uninsured drivers and increase safety on our roads."The new type of license for undocumented residents will be available by January, 2021 at the latest. The documentation required to obtain the licenses is yet to be determined, but applicants will have to prove their identity, age, and residency in New Jersey. Applicants will not be allowed to obtain a commercial driver's license or drive school buses.The bill also mandates that New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission must provide translators for applicants who do not speak English.MVC Chief Administrator Sue Fulton said granting driver's license to undocumented immigrants will also help prevent the "break-up of families.""Those who pass our driver testing and meet our strict identity requirements will be able to drive to work, school, doctor's appointments, and other activities, without risking the break-up of their families," she said.The bill makes New Jersey the 14th state to grant driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. New York's law granting the licenses went into effect this week after a legal challenge fell flat.
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| In new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, most voters agree with Trump's impeachment — but support for his removal falls just short of 50% Posted: 19 Dec 2019 04:20 PM PST  The bottom line is that registered voters favor the House's decision to impeach the president by a 50 percent to 45 percent margin.
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| Philippines' Duterte won't answer to ICC over drugs deaths Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:55 AM PST  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte dared the International Criminal Court on Friday to jail him or hang him over alleged extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs but said he would refuse to cooperate with foreigners if put on trial.
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| Philippine Ex-Politicians Found Guilty In 2009 Massacre Posted: 19 Dec 2019 12:11 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Two senior members of one of southern Philippines' most powerful political clans have been found guilty of the world's single deadliest attack on journalists, 10 years after 58 people, including 32 members of the media, were shot to death and buried in a shallow grave.Nearly 30 suspects, including the two main accused -- former mayor Andal "Datu Unsay" Ampatuan Jr and his brother, Zaldy -- were sentenced by a local court to up to 40 years in prison for having "acted as principals" in the crime, according to a copy of the decision posted on the Supreme Court website. Fifteen others were sentenced to up to 10 years in jail for being accessories to the crime.More than 50 defendants were acquitted, as their alleged involvement in the crime were not proven beyond reasonable doubt, according to the decision. The court also ordered that damages be paid to the victims' families.The Ampatuan brothers pleaded not guilty to the murder charges when the trial began in 2010, with their defense focusing on the supposed lack of evidence directly linking them to the massacre.Prosecutors say the massacre, allegedly carried out by the Ampatuan's private army on a convoy that included opposition politician Esmael Mangudadatu's wife and sisters, was connected to provincial elections.One of the worst incidents of election violence in the Philippines' history, the Nov. 23 2009 massacre followed decades of escalating clan violence, entrenched corruption and political kickbacks. Key members of the Ampatuan family, including Andal Ampatuan Jr and his father, the Maguindanao Governor, Andal Ampatuan Sr, who has since died, were charged and removed from their posts.Clan PoliticsPresident Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said the ruling should be respected, and that the government will work for the protection of journalists. "While the promulgation of judgment in the case is done, the narrative on the protection of media workers is far from over."The guilty verdict will have a "dampening effect" on clan feuds in southern Philippines, said Francisco Lara, sociology lecturer at the University of the Philippines who specializes in political economy of conflict and has written about the Maguindanao massacre. "This is going to be a critical juncture in our history," he said.It will also have an impact on the dynamics between the state and clans, Lara said. "The clans will see that there's a possibility of getting justice from the center, so it weakens them. They will realize that justice can be rendered not just by clans, but by the state."Still, 80 suspects are still at large, and at least 50 of those were close security detail for Andal Ampatuan Jr, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. Since the trial started in 2010, victims' families and media groups have reported harassment and threats, forcing the family of one of the journalist victims to seek asylum abroad."This verdict should prompt the country's political leaders to finally act to end state support for "private armies" and militias that promotes the political warlordism that gave rise to the Ampatuans," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch said in a statement Thursday.(Updates with details on verdict, Duterte statement)To contact the reporters on this story: Ruth Pollard in New Delhi at rpollard2@bloomberg.net;Andreo Calonzo in Manila at acalonzo1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Muneeza NaqviFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Pete Buttigieg endorses corruption Posted: 19 Dec 2019 09:09 PM PST  The 2020 presidential death march, I mean presidential campaign, ground on Thursday night with yet another debate. Despite it being hosted by the snoozefest publications PBS and Politico, it turned out to be the most interesting and substantive debate so far, by a wide margin. There was the longest discussion of climate change we've seen, and some interesting arguments about foreign policy. The most disputatious moment, however, was about campaign finance. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders attacked Pete Buttigieg over his gigantic big-dollar fundraising, and even Andrew Yang and Amy Klobuchar joined in the scrum. (It appears many of the candidates find Buttigieg as obnoxious as the online left does.)In response, Buttigieg endorsed political corruption, arguing that it was good to rake in tens of millions of dollars from American oligarchs. It's a false argument, and a horrible look for a 2020 Democratic candidate.The fight started when Warren criticized Buttigieg over big-dollar fundraising, referencing especially his infamous recent "wine cave" fundraiser with $900-per-bottle wine service. "Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States," she said. Buttigieg responded first with a tu quoque, arguing that because Warren herself is modestly wealthy, she is a hypocrite for refusing corporate outside spending. "This is the problem with issuing purity tests you cannot yourself pass ... If I pledge never to be in the company of a progressive Democratic donor, I couldn't be up here."Buttigieg then went on to argue that taking big checks from the billionaire class is fine, actually: "If you decided to go to [his campaign website] and give the maximum allowable by law, $2,800 would that pollute my campaign because it came from a wealthy person? No, I would be glad to have that support! We need the support from everybody who is committed to helping us defeat Donald Trump."This is risible nonsense that undermines years of progressive organizing. To start with, Warren is a candidate, not a business owner or a special interest lobbyist. Moreover, while she is considerably wealthier than the average American, she is not remotely in the same time zone as the real oligarch class. Buttigieg claimed that Warren has 100 times his wealth. That is just possibly true, as Warren has a quite considerable $8.75 million. But Bill Gates, the world's richest man, has 12,229 times as much wealth as she does. It's ridiculous to suggest that she is in the same category as CEOs and Wall Street bankers — and furthermore, the only reason Buttigieg is so "poor" is because he's young and hence not sitting on decades of fat profits from consulting and lobbying gigs that are assuredly already waiting for him. When he is Warren's age, Buttigieg will unquestionably be rich beyond the dreams of avarice.More importantly, Buttigieg casually skates past reams of evidence and argument about the festering cancer of money in politics. For instance, the Citizens United Supreme Court decision released a flood tide of money into American politics — indeed, as economist Thomas Philippon writes in his book The Great Reversal, there is today fully 50 times as much political campaign spending in the United States as in comparable European countries, and the top 0.01 percent of U.S. donors account for 40 percent of all spending.Are we really to think that wealthy Americans are not getting something for all that money — or that Europe's far more restrictive regulations on political spending have nothing at all to do with their more equal economies? Please.But direct bribery isn't even the major mechanism by which oligarch money bends politics. Instead it is what might be called the economy of influence, which works through campaign cash channels, institutions, jobs, and so on which reward people who toe the billionaire line. Everything is technically deniable and aboveboard — it's just pure coincidence, they say, that the candidates who get the money, and the post-career buckraking and lobbying gigs, are the same ones who will never challenge the power of the oligarch class. Eventually oligarchs don't even have to ask; ambitious young strivers internalize the values they must hold to become rich. (This is how you create Mayor Petes in the laboratory.)Indeed, Buttigieg is following a well-trodden path of centrist Democratic sellouts before him. He has already reportedly dropped more ambitious reforms like packing the Supreme Court or getting rid of the Electoral College on the advice of the big money, and his attacks on left-wing policy are being heard loud and clear. As Matt Stoller explains, "You say we want to do the same thing as the progressive with the idea, that there is no difference in values. Then you come up with this pedantic disagreement which basically tells the elites that you won't do it."There are a few billionaires who claim to be progressive. But even they tend to be reactionary on questions of taxes and regulation, for the obvious reason that those threaten their gargantuan dragon hoards. That is why Sanders (alone among Democratic 2020 candidates) has refused all donations from billionaires — to send a signal that he is really serious about taking on their power. It's part of a general campaign to break the billionaire stranglehold over the political system. Buttigieg's message that he will take oligarch money while simultaneously attacking the universal benefits and high taxes oligarchs hate, by contrast, speaks for itself. He's been bought and sold.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com Rise of Skywalker dominates box office despite devastating reviews George Conway has a savage new nickname for post-impeachment Trump Watch the absurdly slow crash of 2 mammoth cruise ships
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| Nurses defend Ohio doctor charged in deaths at hospital Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:35 AM PST ![Nurses defend Ohio doctor charged in deaths at hospital]( "Nurses defend Ohio doctor charged in deaths at hospital") Ten former colleagues of an Ohio hospital doctor who pleaded not guilty to murder in 25 patients' deaths are coming to his defense in a new lawsuit. The action was brought Thursday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court by nine nurses and a pharmacist once employed by Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, NBC News reported. In it, the former employees argue that the hospital wrongfully terminated and defamed Dr. William Husel.
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| Erdogan says Turkey will retaliate against possible U.S. sanctions Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:50 AM PST  Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Friday that Ankara would retaliate against potential U.S. sanctions over its purchase of Russian defense systems and a natural gas pipeline. U.S. Congress has moved to impose sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of S-400 defense systems from Russia and related to Russia's TurkStream pipeline, which will carry Russian gas to Turkey. Asked about the various sanctions against Ankara, Erdogan repeated that the S-400 deal was already completed.
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| 9 Stylish Bar Carts to Keep the Party Moving and Grooving Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST |
| The mystery of MH370 remains more than 5 years later — here are all the theories, dead ends, and unanswered questions from the most bizarre airline disaster of the century Posted: 20 Dec 2019 04:47 AM PST  Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared in 2014 with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Mystery has swirled since.
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| British Aircraft Carriers Could Soon Be Sailing In The U.S. Navy Posted: 19 Dec 2019 10:00 PM PST  Britain needs cash.
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| Is impeachment destined to 'die quickly' in the Senate? Posted: 19 Dec 2019 05:55 AM PST  Now that the House has voted to impeach President Trump, the matter moves to the Senate for a trial. Is a quick acquittal inevitable or could a longer process be on the horizon?
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| Brendan Dassey of 'Making a Murderer' won't be getting a pardon, says Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:10 AM PST  Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said in a letter on Friday that Brendan Dassey, who was featured on Netflix's "Making a Murderer," will not be pardoned.
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| Video shows final moments before toddler's fatal cruise ship fall Posted: 20 Dec 2019 01:33 PM PST  Security footage of toddler Chloe Wiegand's death on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship is a major part in two pending court cases.
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| Democrats Aim Strong Words Against China Over Hong Kong, Uighurs Posted: 19 Dec 2019 07:58 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidates took aim at China on Thursday, with Joe Biden saying that ethnic Uighur Muslims are being kept in "concentration camps" and calling for sanctions against the world's second-largest economy.During the party's debate in Los Angeles, several of the seven 2020 contenders on stage challenged Beijing over its treatment of Muslim minority populations in its western Xinjiang region and its handling of protests in Hong Kong."We have to make it clear: This is as far as you go China," said Biden, who served as vice president under Barack Obama.China is looming large as a topic in the 2020 campaign. President Donald Trump just reached an interim deal with Beijing that would avoid a further escalation for now of the countries' almost two-year trade war. Yet analysts are skeptical that much more progress can be made entering the U.S. election year, and the Democratic contenders on Thursday highlighted human-rights questions that have inflamed tensions with the U.S.Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said the U.S. and its allies should look to isolate China if it did anything against Hong Kong protesters akin to the 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square.'Frenemy'"If they perpetrate a repeat of anything like Tiananmen Square, when it comes to Hong Kong, they will be isolated from the free world, and we will lead that isolation diplomatically and economically," Buttigieg said. He added that all options should be on the table, including social and economic tools like a possible boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.Billionaire investor Tom Steyer said the U.S. should form a coalition to "push back" on China but added that America shouldn't be trying to be the "world's policeman." Instead, China should be treated as a "frenemy," he said.Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang, noting that he has family in Hong Kong, said the rivalry between the U.S. and China is one that "we have to win." He said the Chinese are already way ahead of the U.S. on technology, while adding that authorities banned face masks in Hong Kong because they interfere with artificial intelligence that uses facial recognition to identify protesters.Hong Kong protesters have largely ignored the mask ban, which a court voided last month. The local government is appealing the decision.(Michael Bloomberg is also seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, but didn't take part in the debate. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)To contact the reporter on this story: Rachel Adams-Heard in Houston at radamsheard@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Shepard at mshepard7@bloomberg.net, ;Simon Casey at scasey4@bloomberg.net, Daniel Ten KateFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Spain rocked by rulings that renew questions over Catalonia Posted: 19 Dec 2019 01:29 AM PST  Spain was thrown into turmoil on Thursday by court rulings that could undermine Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's hopes of forming a new government and force fresh elections in the region of Catalonia. In a potentially stinging reversal for Spanish justice authorities, the European Union's top court ruled that a former Catalán official serving a prison sentence for his role in a banned independence referendum two years ago had the right to parliamentary immunity when he was on trial. A court in Spain, meanwhile, found that Catalonia's current president, Quim Torra, is unfit to hold office for 18 months for disobeying the country's electoral board, a decision likely to lead to more elections in a region riven by protests.
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| Saudi concert stabbing suspect took orders from al Qaeda in Yemen: state TV Posted: 19 Dec 2019 03:20 AM PST ![Saudi concert stabbing suspect took orders from al Qaeda in Yemen: state TV]( "Saudi concert stabbing suspect took orders from al Qaeda in Yemen: state TV") A man arrested for stabbing three performers at a live show in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh last month was operating under orders from al Qaeda in Yemen, state television said on Thursday without citing evidence. The Nov. 11 attack occurred at King Abdullah Park, one of several venues hosting a months-long entertainment festival as part of government efforts to open up Saudi society and diversify its economy away from oil. It sparked fears of a potentially violent backlash in the ultra-conservative Muslim country against social reforms implemented by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including ending bans on women driving, gender segregation and public entertainment.
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| Hundreds of Chinese held in Philippine online gaming crackdown Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:32 AM PST  The Philippines said Friday it has detained hundreds of Chinese workers in a continuing crackdown against unlicensed online gaming businesses catering to mainland customers. A total of 342 Chinese without working visas were arrested on Thursday in a raid of a Manila-based POGO outfit operating without a permit from the gaming regulator, according to the immigration service. "We had reason to suspect that the company is a front for illegal cyber activities and investment scams," Fortunato Manahan, intelligence chief of the immigration service, said in a statement.
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| A floating nuclear power plant that activists dubbed 'Chernobyl on ice' has started producing electricity in Russia. Here's what it looks like. Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:01 AM PST  The plant sailed 3,100 miles to a remote area in northern Russia in the fall. But environmentalists say floating nuclear plants are risky.
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| The Upgraded AC-130 Is the Ultimate Gunship Posted: 19 Dec 2019 06:30 PM PST  ISIS already knows how deadly the gunship is.
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| Trump impeachment: Nancy Pelosi glares at applauding Democrats after historic vote Posted: 19 Dec 2019 09:57 AM PST  Nancy Pelosi's stern warning to Democratic members of Congress who cheered for Donald Trump's impeachment has gone viral, as she appeared to whip members of her party in real-time while voting was under way to support the president's removal from office.The House Speaker had reportedly ordered representatives to couch their reactions to the affirmative votes, but that didn't stop several representatives from applauding the vote.
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| Trump's food stamp cuts begin soon – and black Americans to be hardest hit Posted: 19 Dec 2019 09:15 AM PST  New work requirements are set to throw 700,000 people off Snap benefits, with African Americans to be particularly hard hitAs Kyle Waide visited the Atlanta community food bank recently, where he is CEO, he ran into a woman who had recently lost her administrative job at a university. She was looking for work, she told him, but it was hard to find. She was struggling to get by.Though she had food stamp benefits, she still needed to visit Waide's food bank until she landed a new job, she added, because she had a home and a child to pay for. With her job gone, she said, she needed all the extra help she could get to feed her family.Thousands in Atlanta like her are already struggling to make ends meet, even before the Trump administration scales back benefits to low-income Americans to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (Snap) as food stamps are known. Approximately 700,000 Americans will soon lose their benefits as the government tightens the regulations around stable work requirements for recipients, stretching the already scarce resources of the communities that Waide's operation helps.Those communities are often African American, raising the prospect that Trump's move will put extra stress on minority families. Approximately one in three households using Snap benefits are African American. In general, African American households are more likely to experience food insecurity, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In 2016, Snap helped more than 13 million African American households put food on the table, according to data from the US agriculture department's fiscal year 2016 Snap Households Characteristic data.Waide stresses the importance of Snap even as his food bank provides more than 63m meals to more than 750,000 Georgians annually. Snap, he says, provides 12 times the amount of assistance that food banks do nationwide."[Snap] is a very important source of nutrition for families, kids and seniors in our community," he says. Annually, the food bank helps 10,000 residents of the state enroll for or renew Snap benefits.Alex Camardelle, senior policy analyst at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, says many of the 100,000 Georgians who are thought to be affected by the coming change will be African American."We're concerned that high levels of unemployment in certain areas of the state, despite an overall improvement in the unemployment numbers, is going to disproportionately impact black Georgians," he says.Black Georgians, he adds, have an unemployment rate in the state that could be triple that of white residents, often because of additional barriers they face, like where they live, access to transportation and the difficulty of finding a job in a mandated period of time.Waide echoes the sentiment. "Poverty and hunger disproportionately affect people of color. These are going to be low-income folks in rural communities who are economically vulnerable by definition," he said. "When they can't eat, they can't get over other hurdles."Rural households experience more struggle with food security, according to the Food Research and Action Center, compared with households in metro areas. Food insecurity is also twice as high among African American households compared with white households, in rural communities or not.The average Georgian on Snap benefits remains approximately eight months before cycling out of the program as they get back to some sort of stability, Waide explains, just as the program intends. The myth of anyone perpetually staying on government benefits just is not true, he says.When the change to the work requirement takes place in April next year, Waide is confident the food bank will see a high demand to try to make up for the shortfall.Last year, he points out, his food bank stepped in when a government shutdown left thousands of federal workers in Atlanta without pay."We mobilized our network and donors to distribute hundreds of thousands of meals. And we'll do the same here, this time," he said.
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| Iowa man sentenced to 16 years for setting LGBTQ flag on fire Posted: 19 Dec 2019 04:40 PM PST  Police said Adolfo Martinez stole a pride banner hanging at Ames United Church of Christ and burned it outside the Dangerous Curves Gentleman's Club.
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| Mysterious Bags of Cash Trigger Major Hong Kong Protest Arrests Posted: 19 Dec 2019 10:17 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Glancing at bags of cash stuffed to the brim earlier this month, Gary Fan simply wanted someone to remove them from an office in Hong Kong used by his political party.The former pro-democracy lawmaker had collected HK$2.7 million ($345,000) during an anti-government protest the day before, and was waiting for someone to pick it up from a mysterious group known as Spark Alliance that helps bail protesters out of jail. The next day, a person whom he knew and trusted came to collect the cash, even though Fan says he doesn't know who exactly is behind the group or where the money ends up."We just work by an honor system now, trusting them with a good cause," Fan said in a Dec. 11 interview, adding that Spark Alliance has "earned credibility with real work" like getting legal assistance for protesters. Still, he said, "I absolutely agree there should be more disclosure, transparency and accountability when you take money from the public."On Thursday evening, police announced the arrests of four people connected with Spark Alliance for suspected money laundering, the first cases brought over financing the demonstrations after six months of protests against China's tightening grip over Hong Kong. Authorities froze HK$70 million of bank deposits and personal insurance products linked to the fund, while also seizing HK$130,000 in cash."The police attempted, through false statements, to distort the work of Spark Alliance as money laundering for malicious uses," the group said in a statement on Facebook. "Spark Alliance condemns this kind of defamatory action."The crackdown deals a major blow to demonstrators as they face ever-mounting legal bills, with more than 6,000 people arrested since June. Spark Alliance, one of the largest crowd-funding campaigns supporting the protests, plays a crucial behind-the-scenes role -- often sending anonymous representatives to bail protesters out of jail in the middle of the night.The latest arrests risk deterring Hong Kong's professional class from giving more cash, potentially curbing a substantial source of funds that have helped sustain the protests longer than anyone had expected. They also show the limits of the leaderless movement's ability to manage tens of millions of dollars with little oversight outside of a formal financial system.Funds bankrolling the protests have collectively raised at least HK$254 million ($33 million) since June, with 70% coming from just two groups, Spark Alliance and the 612 Humanitarian Fund, according to a tally based on disclosures from the groups and an analysis of publicly available documents. That figure doesn't reflect all the money raised related to the protests, only the funds Bloomberg News could verify.The $33 million alone amounts to a third of the money the city has spent in overtime pay to 11,000 police officers since June, and would be able to purchase some 300,000 gas masks. But the largest costs faced by protesters are legal fees that may stretch out for years.Nearly 1,000 people have been charged for offenses like rioting, which carries a jail sentence of as much as a decade, according to police. The 612 Fund says it can cost up to HK$1.8 million per person for a 60-day legal defense, and many trials last far longer. Some proceedings related to Hong Kong's 2014 Occupy protests are still ongoing.Among dozens of groups, Spark Alliance is one of the most secretive: Even some donors and lawyers who assist the group say they don't know who runs it, while the bank account listed on its website belongs to a firm that owns a pest control company. A person who picked up Spark Alliance's hotline last week said the number was only for protester requests. The group didn't respond to requests for comment via Facebook, Whatsapp or Telegram.'We Need Protection'"Spark is probably less transparent but people tend to believe them," said Jason, a protester in his 30s who asked to be identified by his English name. He said he memorized the group's phone number and called the group after he was arrested in August. Seven hours later, two lawyers helped arrange HK$4,000 in bail money."Everyone knows the cost to fight for this movement and not everyone can afford lawyer fees," he said. "We need protection."Over the past few months he's raised half a million dollars for Spark Alliance and other charities through the sale of Hong Kong-themed figurines, including a miniature Carrie Lam and a masked protester. Asked on Thursday night if he would still give the money to Spark Alliance, Jason said he wanted more information on the arrests.Even before the police action on Thursday, many of the bankers, accountants and other Hong Kong professionals who give money in lieu of battling authorities in the streets were concerned about retribution for supporting the protests. While lawyers say it would be difficult to prove a donor violated any laws, people fear that reporting mechanisms in place to deter terrorist financing and anti-money laundering could still end up flagging contributions to authorities.HSBC Holdings Plc last month said it shut down Spark Alliance's bank account after it "spotted activity differing from the stated purpose of the company account."HSBC decided to close the account, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. Freezing it would entail locking up millions in funds raised to support the protesters. After closing the account, the bank returned more than HK$50 million in checks to people affiliated with Spark Alliance, one of the people said. It's unclear whether the group has found another bank since the checks haven't been cashed and the account owner hasn't provided relevant information, they said.Why Hong Kong Is Still Protesting and Where It May Go: QuickTake"HSBC never takes the decision to suspend or close any account lightly," spokeswoman Maggie Cheung said, while declining to comment on specific details. On Friday, the bank said its decision to close the account was unrelated to the "current Hong Kong situation," without elaborating.Spark Alliance's Facebook page lists the account holder as Prime Management Service Ltd. According to Hong Kong's companies registry, the only business in active operation with that name is wholly owned by company director Tony Wong, who also runs a pest control company, according to LinkedIn. Reached on Dec. 11 through a mobile phone number listed in the registry, Wong said he "did not know these things" and hung up when asked why Prime Management Service lent the use of its bank account to Spark Alliance.Spark Alliance said on Nov. 18 it would cease accepting money via bank transfers after HSBC closed its account. Instead, it said it would sell gift cards through its website. Since then, a stream of supporters have posted photos of their gift card receipts on Facebook. Transactions are processed by Paypal and Stripe, but it's unclear where the funds go from there. On Friday, its website appeared to be stripped of all previous information and a donation function.'Encourage Teenagers'Earlier this month, the Hong Kong government referred requests for comment to the police, which had declined to comment. On Thursday, police said Spark Alliance claimed to help arrested protesters but instead bought personal insurance products."We do not exclude the possibility that the fund is used as a reward to encourage teenagers to come out and join in the civil unrest," Acting Senior Superintendent Chan Wai-kei told reporters. Police didn't disclose the names of those arrested.The shadowy nature of financing for the protests has helped China's government and state-run media outlets push a narrative that the demonstrations are being financed by the U.S. and other foreign powers. Beijing threatened sanctions this month against U.S.-based groups like the National Endowment for Democracy, which donated $686,000 to Hong Kong nonprofits in 2019. The group called China's accusations "categorically false."On the ground in Hong Kong, fundraising tactics have been hotly debated among protesters as legal costs increase. Some have criticized Spark Alliance for a lack of transparency and others have denounced the 612 Humanitarian Fund -- the other main financing arm of the protests -- for hoarding cash.Named after the date in June when demonstrations escalated, the 612 fund appears to be the polar opposite of Spark Alliance. It discloses audited financial statements online and requires protesters to give real names for legal aid. The fund has 19 employees and trustees include well-known local figures like singer Denise Ho, Cardinal Joseph Zen, and barrister Margaret Ng.The vastly different management styles of Spark Alliance and 612 fund mirror divergent tactics in the wider protest movement, which has sought to avoid the splintering factions that have hurt previous democracy crusades in Hong Kong. One side caters to front-line protesters who use anonymity and violence to pressure authorities, while the other supports the pro-democracy movement's goals within traditional legal bounds.The 612 fund has been chided in online forums for deploying only 24% of the money it raised while asking protesters to first apply for legal aid from the city. Other critics see the 612 fund as part of an older political establishment in Hong Kong that has failed the younger generation of democracy advocates, and they believe Spark Alliance is closer to protesters in the trenches."The younger generation doesn't trust in any institutions, not even those that advocate for democracy," said Patrick Poon, a researcher at Amnesty International in Hong Kong. "It's an irrational decision to trust in a group believed to be closer to the people on the ground even if they don't know who is behind the fund."Ng, a 612 fund trustee, said the group is supported by "members of the public that are incensed by what is being done by police and government.""The movement is ongoing and we are using the funds for the stated purpose of humanitarian aid," she said. "We don't have any obligation to spend all the money immediately."For protesters like Ventus Lau, a 26-year-old activist who has been arrested twice during the protests, the debate over financing risks undercutting the wider aims of the movement. Many demonstrators head to the front lines due to the confidence that others will help them financially if they are arrested, he said."It has been our core value that there is no division in this movement," he said. "Not only Spark, whenever there is any criticism, we feel we should not be criticizing anyone else -- at least until final victory."Lau was first arrested in August for unlawful assembly at a demonstration he helped organize that later turned violent. He was detained for 46 hours before a 612 fund representative showed up with HK$5,000 ($640) in bail money. A couple of weeks later, he was arrested again for his suspected role in the July 1 storming of Hong Kong's Legislative Council building.Lau said his lawyer plans to apply to the 612 fund to pay for his defense, which could span years and cost hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. The funds raised so far have helped protesters but won't be enough to cover all of their legal expenses, he said."We take a lot of risks when we go to protests and some people can't take that risk, so they donate money," Lau said. "When they watch the news they feel guilty or powerless and feel a heavy duty to do something, so they will trust anyone."The biggest funds sprung into action when the anti-extradition bill protests erupted in June and police started arresting demonstrators en masse. Alongside them grew a separate network, largely online, to pay for things like helmets, masks, food vouchers and other front-line supplies. It's trickier to tally those donations since they're arranged through messaging apps or dropped off at demonstrations. These items don't cost much --a petrol bomb costs about $10 -- but are often discarded to avoid arrest.For many young demonstrators, the funds are an essential lifeline. Peter To, a 22-year-old front-line protester, said he lost his job after joining too many work strikes and now has no income."If I didn't have this help, I'd be in real trouble and wouldn't have money to eat," he said.The methods for supporting protesters have become increasingly sophisticated, with message apps like Telegram supporting case management systems. Earlier this month, a poster who said she was 16 years old asked for HK$1,500 from a group with 4,000 subscribers called "Want Rice, I Pay," saying her parents wouldn't support her after she was caught sneaking off to demonstrations. Hours after the group's administrator issued her case no. 73, she was matched with a donor.A 19-year-old student surnamed Ling, who regularly goes to the front lines, described the crucial role played by what she refers to as an online "parent" who pays for safe houses to sleep in after protests. "Police will follow protesters back home and arrest them," she said.Donors say the need for more financial support is only going to grow larger, especially for the hundreds of protesters who face mounting legal costs. Ms. Leung, a banker in her 30s who donates $600 a month to groups including 612 and Spark Alliance, said the lack of transparency around some funds didn't bother her."It's not a lot of money and I'm happy as long as I can help people in need," she said, requesting that she only be identified by her surname for fear of reprisals. "The movement wouldn't have lasted this long if people didn't give support."Fan, the former pro-democracy lawmaker, collected bags of cash for Spark Alliance at a rally with government approval convened by Civil Human Rights Front, which has held six major marches since June. Vice-convener Eric Lai said each one costs more than HK$250,000 to put on, excluding insurance fees, with excess money directed to the 612 Fund.After the arrests connected to Spark on Thursday night, Fan directed his ire at the authorities."I am more concerned of how the police and government to suppress the movement more than how Spark Alliance handled the funds," he said. "I am worried those in need for legal aid and in jail would lose one major form of help."(Updates with HSBC statement.)\--With assistance from Shawna Kwan, Blake Schmidt, Josie Wong, Aaron Mc Nicholas, Natalie Lung and Justin Chin.To contact the reporters on this story: Shelly Banjo in Hong Kong at sbanjo@bloomberg.net;Alfred Liu in Hong Kong at aliu226@bloomberg.net;Kiuyan Wong in Hong Kong at kwong739@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Jonas BergmanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Official: Gun sanctuary resolutions have 'no legal effect' Posted: 20 Dec 2019 12:35 PM PST  Resolutions passed by local governments declaring themselves "Second Amendment Sanctuaries" have "no legal effect," Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said Friday. Since Democrats won majorities in the state Senate and House of Delegates in November, more than 100 cities, towns and counties have passed such resolutions, vowing to oppose any new gun laws they believe violate the Second Amendment. On Friday, Herring issued an advisory opinion on the resolutions.
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| U.S. Navy bans TikTok from government-issued mobile devices Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:31 PM PST  A bulletin issued by the Navy on Tuesday showed up on a Facebook page serving military members, saying users of government issued mobile devices who had TikTok and did not remove the app would be blocked from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet. The Navy would not describe in detail what dangers the app presents, but Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland said in a statement the order was part of an effort to "address existing and emerging threats". TikTok did not return a request for comment.
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| Can the US Navy make lemonade out of LCS lemons? Posted: 20 Dec 2019 06:31 AM PST  As more littoral combat ships join the fleet, questions linger about how the vessel type will fit into a fight with China.
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| A woman who gets $500 a month, no strings attached, reveals what it's like to be one of the few people in the US to get a basic income Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:40 AM PST  A 61-year-old resident of Stockton, California, says her basic income helps pay for medical expenses. She's also saving up to visit her sick sister.
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| The F-35 Is Just Getting Started: New Weapons Are Coming To America's Premier Stealth Jet Posted: 19 Dec 2019 07:00 PM PST  The weapons, now in development for several years, will build upon the existing arsenal of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons now operating on the F-35.
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| Trump news: Republicans turn on president for suggesting dead congressman is in hell as Pelosi reveals shock decision on impeachment articles Posted: 19 Dec 2019 03:57 PM PST  Donald Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives, making him just the third president in American history to receive such a rebuke.The House, voting largely upon party lines, charged him on Wednesday night after hours of debate with abusing the power of his office in attempting to extort a political favour from Ukraine and obstructing the subsequent congressional investigation into his conduct. Just as votes were cast, Mr Trump began a rally of his in Michigan, where he mocked the proceedings against him, and the Democrats behind the effort.
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| This Is What It Looks Like When Octopuses Attack Posted: 19 Dec 2019 12:37 PM PST |
| Muslim leadership council criticizes Muslim summit in Malaysia Posted: 19 Dec 2019 12:24 PM PST  The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday mounted a veiled attack on a Muslim summit in Malaysia shunned by Saudi Arabia, saying such gatherings would weaken Islam. Leaders of Muslim nations, including Saudi rivals Iran, Turkey and Qatar, will attend the summit this week in Kuala Lumpur, which analysts say is aimed at rivaling the OIC, a 57-member pan-Islamic body headquartered in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
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| That’s What a Good Presidential Debate Looks Like Posted: 19 Dec 2019 10:06 PM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The big winners in the latest Democratic debate were coherence and sanity. With only seven candidates on stage, and a mostly strong performance from the Politico/PBS panel of journalists, this was a contest that really worked in terms of sparking good discussions on policy and allowing confrontations between the candidates that were their choice, not the result of moderators picking fights.I suspect the five plausible nominees on the platform — Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren — all feel that they did what they came to do. As usual, it's anyone's guess what Democrats watching, especially in Iowa and New Hampshire, believe. And, as usual, how the debate will affect anything (if at all) will be determined in large part by how the media interpret what happened and which clips get the most mileage. For Klobuchar, the candidate with the most on the line, being one of seven certainly appeared to help. At the very least, she was easy to notice — second among the candidates with just under 20 minutes of speaking time, narrowly trailing Sanders and edging Buttigieg and Warren.For voters who are just tuning in, even those who say they have a favorite candidate already, Klobuchar very much seemed like one of the handful of possible choices — and for someone at around 3% in the national polls, that's the best she can hope for. She's good at these debates, and this time she had a chance to show it.Most notably, when the first big fight of the night broke out between Buttigieg and Warren, Klobuchar (at least as I saw it) won decisively by being the peacemaker and then pivoting to a policy point. On the other hand, I'm not sure how well her subsequent attack on Buttigieg went over; she praised the legislative successes she and the others have had in Congress compared to his lack of similar experience. (Congress-loving political scientists in my Twitter feed enjoyed it, but there aren't too many Congress-lovers among Democratic voters or any other larger group, as far as I can tell). Again, what effect that will have on the polls and on Democratic Party actors is hard to predict.That goes for all of them. Buttigieg, who has surged in Iowa polls, took the most attacks. Warren had several strong moments, as she normally does. What does all of that mean to Buttigieg's momentum and Warren's recent dip? Wait for the polls. Sanders did what he always does, which at this point shouldn't change anyone's mind.Biden? As several people have pointed out, he didn't receive much in the way of direct attacks, and only once, with Sanders over health care, did he really engage in a heated squabble. Biden leads in the national polls, and is within range of the lead in Iowa and New Hampshire. He has a solid lead in high-profile endorsements.The former vice president didn't talk as much as the others, leading only outsiders Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer, but unlike previous debates, he avoided trademark gaffes, awkward moments, and outdated references (at least, I didn't notice any). It's not clear how strong his lead really is, but if all he needs to do is not mess up, he certainly achieved that. Whether anyone was paying attention the week before Christmas and the day after Donald Trump was impeached is an open question. If Democrats tuned in, the discussion of policy by candidates comfortable talking about any number of issues, and doing so without insulting recently dead members of Congress, was probably a welcome change. It was also a contrast with the largely repetitive and rarely eloquent House consideration of impeachment. That likely makes it even harder for the eight candidates who didn't receive invitations this time to qualify for the next one. This was, however, the last debate where short-term effects for the leading candidates won't really matter much. (Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg Opinion parent company Bloomberg L.P., is also seeking the nomination.) The next debate, on Jan. 14, will have the Iowa caucuses right around the corner Feb. 3. Democratic voters, at least those in the early states, will be paying attention. And soon afterward, there won't be seven candidates still running, whether they're on the stage or not.To contact the author of this story: Jonathan Bernstein at jbernstein62@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Patrick McDowell at pmcdowell10@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University and wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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