| House Democrats ponder expanding impeachment probe after Sondland 'game changer' testimony Posted: 20 Nov 2019 05:54 PM PST  Gordon Sondland's explosive testimony Wednesday that "everyone was in the loop" on President Trump's efforts to secure an investigation of a political rival prompted rank-and-file Democrats to discuss whether it was time to expand their probe.
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| Russia 'ruined' Ukrainian naval vessels before handing them back, says Ukrainian navy Posted: 21 Nov 2019 07:41 AM PST  Three Ukrainian navy boats seized by Russia a year ago were vandalised before being handed back to Ukraine, the country's navy said. The fast gunboats Nikopol and Berdyansk and the tugboat Tany Kapu were welcomed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and onlookers waving national flags arrived in Ochakiv, a Ukrainian naval port on the Black Sea on Wednesday evening. But Ukraine's navy said the vessels had been stripped bare and left so badly damaged that they had to be towed home by tug. "The Russians ruined them," said Admiral Ihor Voronchenko, the head of the Ukrainian Navy. "They even took the ceiling lights, plug sockets, and lavatories," he said. Mr Zelenskiy, who reviewed the vessels as they returned on Thursday morning, said: "I am very happy that our navy vessels are back where they belong. As promised, we have brought back our sailors and our ships. "Some of the equipment is missing, as well as some weapons. There will be an investigation. We will see all of the details." Russia blocked the Kerch strait with a tanker and deployed fighter jets to stop the three vessels entering the Azov Sea last year Credit: Pavel Rebrov/Reuters Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), which oversees the border service that seized the vessels, denied tampering with the ships and said they had been "handed over to the Ukrainian side in normal condition." The three vessels were boarded by Russian forces after they tried to pass through the Strait of Kerch in November last year. Russia says they illegally violated the Russian border, then impounded the vessels and jailed 24 crew members pending trial. Ukraine described the move as an act of war and a flagrant breach of the treaty that gives the countries joint sovereignty of the only channel between the Black and Azov seas. Mr Zelenskiy said the return of the boats as the latest in a series of small steps "towards peace" ahead of a key summit with Vladimir Putin next month. Mr Zelenskiy inspects the artillery boat Nikopol Credit: Arkhip Vereshchagin/TASS The two presidents will meet in person for the first time in Paris on December 9, at talks brokered by France and Germany that are designed to end the conflict in east Ukraine, which has killed 13,000 people since 2014. In September the ships' crews were released in a prisoner swap that also saw Russia free Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian filmmaker and activist who had been held on trumped-up charges since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The sides have also agreed to pull back troops from key points on the line of contact in eastern Ukraine. The narrow sea way between Crimea and Russia's Taman peninsula is the only passage for ships sailing to and from Ukraine's industrial port of Mariupol, to which the flotilla was bound when it was seized. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and opened a bridge across the strait in 2017 in defiance of Ukrainian objections. Mariupol is a few miles from the frontline where Ukrainian and Russian-directed separatist forces have been fighting a static war for five years.
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| 20 of the Most Beautiful Bridges in the World Posted: 21 Nov 2019 05:00 AM PST |
| Seller of bullets to Las Vegas gunman pleads guilty to ammo licensing offense Posted: 19 Nov 2019 07:33 PM PST  Douglas Haig, 57, of Mesa, Arizona, became the first and only person arrested and charged in connection with the Oct. 1, 2017, massacre, which ended when the gunman, Stephen Paddock, killed himself. Haig told reporters following his arrest early last year that none of the surplus military ammunition he sold to Paddock in September 2017 was ever fired during the killing spree, which ranks as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
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| Cory Booker is right: Joe Biden must be 'high' to oppose legalizing marijuana Posted: 21 Nov 2019 09:51 AM PST  Joe Biden isn't just old-fashioned. He's a stubborn prohibitionist averse to catching up with reality — the inevitability of marijuana legalization.
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| Nearly ¾ of transgender people slain since 2017 killed with guns Posted: 20 Nov 2019 10:19 PM PST  "Transgender violence is a gun violence issue," says Everytown for Gun Safety researcher
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| Obama Warns Technology Has Created a More Splintered World Posted: 21 Nov 2019 12:28 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Former U.S. President Barack Obama warned that technology is creating a more splintered world, fueling the disparities among wealthy and poorer nations, and people within countries."The rise of extreme inequality both within nations and between nations that is being turbocharged by globalization and technology" is one of the biggest risks for young people, Obama said Thursday at Salesforce.com Inc.'s annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. "New technologies have allowed us reach. We have a global market. I can project my voice and you can take your technology to new markets. It has also amplified inequalities."Though his successor Donald Trump has taken presidential use of Twitter to new heights, Obama has long been associated with the tech industry. His 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns were known for their use of the internet and social media to galvanize supporters. Some of Obama's staffers came from Silicon Valley companies, including Alphabet Inc.'s Google, and there's a diaspora of former Obama administration officials who have worked in the tech industry since leaving the White House, including David Plouffe, formerly with Uber Technologies Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.'s top spokesman Jay Carney.Still, the 44th president talked about how the internet has helped divide American politics and society."People remark on the polarization of our politics and rightfully so," Obama said. "People rightfully see challenges like climate change and mass refugees and feel like things are spinning out of control. Behind that, what I see is a sense of anxiety, rootlessness and uncertainty in so many people. Some of that is fed by technology and there's an anger formed by those technologies."Social-media services including Facebook Inc. and Google's YouTube have been accused of fueling polarization with algorithms that show people news and other content that match their preconceived thinking and viewpoints."If you watch Fox News, you live in a different reality than if you read the New York Times. If you follow one rabbit hole on YouTube or the internet, then suddenly things look completely different," Obama said during his conversation with Salesforce co-Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff. "We are siloing ourselves off in ways that are dangerous. I believed, and I still believe the internet can be a powerful tool for us to finally see each other and unify us, but right now it's disappointing."Since leaving the White House in January 2017, Obama has become a fixture on the paid-speaker circuit. Thursday's appearance at Dreamforce is at least Obama's second appearance at a tech event in San Francisco in the last two months. He also spoke at a Splunk Inc. conference in September.To contact the reporter on this story: Nico Grant in San Francisco at ngrant20@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Andrew Pollack, Alistair BarrFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| GOP claim that Trump cares about corruption takes a hit at impeachment hearing Posted: 20 Nov 2019 05:26 PM PST  Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., took issue with a defense of President Trump floated by Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas.
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| Sondland pressed on why Trump has blocked witnesses: 'I wish I could answer' Posted: 20 Nov 2019 02:57 PM PST  Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., took aim at the members of the Trump administration who have refused to testify in the impeachment inquiry.
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| Report: Pompeo telling Republicans he wants to step down, run for Senate Posted: 19 Nov 2019 05:55 PM PST ![Report: Pompeo telling Republicans he wants to step down, run for Senate]( "Report: Pompeo telling Republicans he wants to step down, run for Senate") Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has shared with three prominent Republicans that he wants to resign and run for Senate next year in Kansas, Time reports.The Republicans told Time that Pompeo's original plan was to stay at the State Department until next spring, but because of the House impeachment inquiry, he's thinking about making an early -- and hopefully smooth -- exit. They do not know if Pompeo has discussed any of this with Trump.Pompeo's concern is that the longer he stays in the Trump administration, the more he will be criticized for not defending the current and former diplomats who have testified in the impeachment inquiry, Time reports. Trump loyalists have also accused Pompeo of not showing enough support to the president. Pompeo represented Kansas' 4th Congressional district from 2011 to 2017.More stories from theweek.com First-time nominees lead the pack in Grammy Award nominations Ken Starr on the Sondland testimony: 'It's over' Rudy Giuliani is now demanding an apology from the Republican counsel
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| Another woman accuses Epstein of abuse, sues his estate Posted: 21 Nov 2019 01:48 PM PST  A woman who says she suffered lasting damage from sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein when she was 17 years old sued his estate on Thursday, joining other women who are speaking publicly about pain they have long confronted largely alone. Teala Davies, 34, joined the growing list of women who have sued the wealthy financier who died in August after he was found unresponsive in his jail cell in what a medical examiner labeled a suicide. Davies appeared at a news conference with attorney Gloria Allred, who read a statement from her client that described herself as the "perfect victim" for a predator who took advantage of vulnerable underage teenagers and young women.
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| American Airlines admitted a mid-air accident that knocked out 2 flight crew and forced an emergency landing was not caused by spilled soap Posted: 20 Nov 2019 06:34 AM PST  On October 21 a flight from London to Philadelphia was forced to land in Dublin, Ireland, when two staff members were knocked unconscious.
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| Police shoot man who was 'extremely irate' on tarmac of Las Vegas airport Posted: 21 Nov 2019 12:01 PM PST ![Police shoot man who was 'extremely irate' on tarmac of Las Vegas airport]( "Police shoot man who was 'extremely irate' on tarmac of Las Vegas airport") As a struggle with an irate suspect unfolded on a tarmac between A and B gates at Terminal 1, an officer fired two rounds and struck the man.
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| Pot stocks soar as U.S. House committee clears bill on federal weed legalization Posted: 21 Nov 2019 08:49 AM PST  The bill, which was passed 24 to 10 in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, sent shares of Canopy Growth , Aurora Cannabis , Aphria Inc and Tilray Inc up between 8% and 15%. "We think federal legalization would be a big positive for investor sentiment surrounding cannabis equities, which have been battered by oversupply and a steep price decline for the underlying commodity since becoming legal in Canada," said Garrett Nelson, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research.
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| Centuries of Christian anti-Semitism led to Holocaust, landmark Church of England report concludes Posted: 20 Nov 2019 04:01 PM PST  Centuries of Christian anti-Semitism led to the Holocaust, a landmark Church of England report has concluded. In a foreword to the report, published today, the Archbishop of Canterbury said that Christians cannot challenge and reflect on the past honestly, "until we have felt the cruelty of our history". The document, which has been three years in the making, was prepared by the Church's Faith and Order Commission and entitled: God's Unfailing World: Theological and practical perspectives on Christian-Jewish relations. It urges Christians to not only be repentant for the "sins of the past" against Jews, but also to challenge active attitudes and stereotypes. It also marks the first time that the Church of England has made an authoritative statement on the subject of anti-Semitism. The new "tool for teaching" on Christian-Jewish relations acknowledges that Christian theology played a part in the "stereotyping and persecution fo Jewish people which ultimately led to the Holocaust". 17 haunting Holocaust memorials "Conscious of the participation of Christians over the centuries in stereotyping, persecution and violence directed against Jewish people, and how this contributed to the Holocaust, Christians today should be sensitive to Jewish fears," the report said. It added that, for centuries, Christian attitudes towards Judaism have provided a "fertile seed-bed for murderous anti-Semitism", and noted that a similar hatred of Jews continues to exist today within political discourse by "pro-Palestinian advocates". Despite the Commission's report being released ahead of an imminent General Election, the report's authors would not be drawn on the anti-Semitism crisis which continues blight the Labour party. Jewish MP's including Louise Ellman and Luciana Berger have quit the Labour party after accusing leader Jeremy Corbyn of failing to stamp out anti-Semitism within the party. It also suggested that popular hymns which are interpreted in a way to "convey the teaching of contempt" of Jews for killing Jesus should be banned and "no longer be sung in public worship". The report offered the example of Charles Wesley's well-known hymn, 'Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending': "Every eye shall now behold him/ Robed in dreadful majesty;/ Those who set at nought and sold him,/ Pierced and nailed him to the tree,/ Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,/ Shall the true Messiah see." "It is possible to read lines 3-6 and imagine they are about the Jewish people as collectively guilty of crucifying the Messiah," the report notes, "who when he comes again in power and glory recognise - too late? - the terrible crime they have committed. Holocaust Survivors | The stories of those who escaped from Nazi clutches "Understood in that way, they convey the 'teaching of contempt' which the Church of England now rejects. If that were the only way to read them, they should no longer be sung in public worship." The report concluded: "Christians have been guilty of promoting and fostering negative stereotypes of Jewish people that have contributed to grave suffering and injustice. They therefore have a duty to be alert to the continuation of such stereotyping and to resist it." Six million Jews were systematically killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Throughout World War II, Nazi Germany killed around five million other 'untermenschen' - a the term for those the Nazis deemed as 'undesireable' or 'sub-human'. These included victims from Romani communities, disabled and homosexual people and those of other nationalities and religions. The number of Nazi victims is often disputed by Holocaust deniers. In 2016 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, likened anti-Semitism to a "virus", adding that "it is a shameful truth that, through its theological teachings, the church, which should have offered an antidote, compounded the spread of this virus". Poll - Anti Semitism 17/11 "The fact that antisemitism has infected the body of the Church is something of which we as Christians must be deeply repentant," he added. In an afterword published by the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis - which the Church of England describes as "honest and challenging" - he welcomed the "kinship" and "profound friendship" between Christainity and Judaism. However he also criticised the report, saying he has a "substantial misgiving" on the question of evangelism. "Namely, that it does not reject the efforts of those Christians, however many they may number, who, as part of their faithful mission, dedicate themselves to the purposeful and specific targeting of Jews for conversion to Christianity." The Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth, chair of the Faith and Order Commission, said: "Assumptions about Judaism and Jewish people, past and present, colour Christian approaches to preaching, teaching, evangelism, catechesis, worship, devotion and art, whether or not Chirsian communities are conscious of their Jewish neighbours, near and far; testing out those assumptions and exploring them theologically is therefore a challenge that pertains to the whole Church. "That challenge is also, however, a previous opportunity… We are convinced that the Christian-Jewish relationship is a gift of God to the Church, which is to be received with care, respect and gratitude, so that we may learn more fully about God's purposes for us and all the world."
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| Yes, America Is Using Stealth Drones to Spy on Iran Posted: 21 Nov 2019 03:30 AM PST  It is very likely.
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| Full coverage: Trump impeachment hearings — Day 5 Posted: 21 Nov 2019 05:24 AM PST  Public hearings in the Trump impeachment inquiry continued on Capitol Hill Thursday, with Fiona Hill and David Holmes testifying in an open session.
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| Pelosi, White House Fail to Seal USMCA Deal in Crucial Meeting Posted: 21 Nov 2019 11:37 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer made progress on but failed to seal a deal Thursday on the stalled U.S. Mexico Canada free trade agreement, increasing the likelihood the deal won't get a vote in Congress this year.Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, the top negotiator on the pact, said he will continue talks with Lighthizer through next week when the House is in recess to maintain momentum on the final changes Democrats are seeking. He said it is still possible to vote on the deal this year."The conversation was spirited and it was candid," Neal told reporters after the meeting. "The toughest issues in bargaining are always the last ones." Neal said of five remaining disagreements, progress was made on three.Pelosi before the meeting cautioned that even once a deal is reached, it will still take time to write the necessary legislation and go through the steps required for a vote. She was noncommittal when asked about holding a House vote before the end of the year."We've made progress," Pelosi said as she left the meeting with Lighthizer. "I think we are narrowing our differences."Passing the trade deal is President Donald Trump's top legislative priority and would deliver to him a much-needed political win as he faces an impeachment inquiry in the House and heads into a re-election campaign next year. At the same time, it would allow Democrats to show they are capable of legislating even as they are investigating the Trump administration.Political PressureDemocrats from rural swing districts are especially eager to have the deal done. Farmers have faced steep economic losses this year due to Trump's trade war with China, although the president claims that those headwinds are in fact due to the stalled USMCA.All House members will be up for re-election in 2020, and Democrats who won Republican-leaning districts are under pressure to deliver legislation with enough bipartisan support to become law. Pelosi is keenly aware that preserving her majority depends on these members.Pelosi before the meeting said she is "eager to get this done," although she said she won't agree to a superficial deal without stronger enforcement. She said approving a deal with no mechanism to back it up, would just be "NAFTA with sugar on top."Pelosi said that even if the administration agrees to changes sought by Democrats, the House may not have enough time to write and vote on the legislation before the end of December. Neal said a vote is still possible this year.Any verbal agreement would still need to be drafted into legislation, evaluated for its budget impact and considered in committee, she said. Changes in the text of the agreement would also need to approved by Mexico and Canada.Republicans and the business community have increased pressure on Pelosi as they grow more concerned that pushing the vote into an election year will make it less likely to happen."She's always close to allowing a vote. Her conference is always almost there," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said of Pelosi on the Senate floor Wednesday. "But we've been almost there for months and months with no outcome in sight. Lots of talk; zero results."To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Cory Booker goes after Biden on marijuana — and lands Biden in a string of gaffes Posted: 20 Nov 2019 08:20 PM PST ![Cory Booker goes after Biden on marijuana — and lands Biden in a string of gaffes]( "Cory Booker goes after Biden on marijuana — and lands Biden in a string of gaffes") Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has a wake- and bake-up call for former Vice President Joe Biden.A few days ago, Biden set himself apart from the rest of the top 2020 Democrats by calling marijuana a "gateway drug" and saying "legalization is a mistake." Booker brought that comment up in Wednesday's Democratic primary debate, saying while he has "a lot of respect" for Biden, when he heard that remark, he "thought you might have been high when you said it."> "I have a lot of respect for the vice president...this week I hear him literally say that 'I don't think we should legalize marijuana.' I thought you might have been high when you said it," Sen. Cory Booker said to Joe Biden. DemDebate pic.twitter.com/bzbVRlD2wP> > -- CNBC (@CNBC) November 21, 2019After his well-timed zing, Booker explained why he had a problem with Biden's remark. "Marijuana in our country is already legal for privileged people," he said, pointing out how black and brown people are disproportionately hurt by current drug policies.Biden immediately got heated -- and slipped into a string of slips of the tongue. He clarified that he does support decriminalizing marijuana as part of his presidential platform, and that no one should be in jail for pot possession. And then he pivoted to how that ties to his support from black voters, saying he "come[s] out of the black community" before quickly adding "in terms of my support." And then he declared he had the endorsement of the "the only African American woman that had ever been elected to the United States Senate" -- with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) standing just a few feet away.More stories from theweek.com Republicans are throwing Rudy Giuliani under the bus Lindsey Graham seems to be gearing up for an impeachment trial Schiff outlines 'the difference between Nixon and Trump' in fiery impeachment closing statement
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| The Latest: 2 airmen died while landing at Oklahoma base Posted: 21 Nov 2019 02:53 PM PST ![The Latest: 2 airmen died while landing at Oklahoma base]( "The Latest: 2 airmen died while landing at Oklahoma base") The Latest on the crash of two Air Force training jets in northwest Oklahoma that killed two airmen. An Air Force base commander says two U.S. airmen were killed in an accident involving two jets during the landing phase of a training exercise in northwestern Oklahoma. Addressing a news conference Thursday afternoon, Vance Air Force Base Col. Corey Simmons declined to identify the two aboard the T-38 Talon who died around 9 a.m.. He says two other airmen aboard an identical jet involved in the crash are uninjured.
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| Reeling progressives meet behind closed doors after 'Medicare for All' barrage Posted: 20 Nov 2019 09:45 AM PST  "Medicare for All" has taken a beating lately. Its two biggest proponents in the presidential field, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have come under sustained attack from centrist Democrats over the issue. The health care industry is spending millions to sow opposition.
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| Ukraine protesters demand no 'capitulation' to Russia Posted: 21 Nov 2019 12:47 PM PST  Thousands of Ukrainians demonstrated in Kiev on Thursday to demand no "capitulation" to Moscow as President Volodymyr Zelensky prepares for a December summit meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The pair are due to meet for the first time since Zelensky's election last April at French-hosted December 9 quadripartite talks which French and German leaders Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel will also attend.
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| Mexicans sue Walmart over Texas shooting that left victims on both sides of border Posted: 20 Nov 2019 05:27 PM PST  Ten Mexican citizens have sued Walmart over the shooting at a store in the U.S. border town of El Paso, Texas, that killed eight Mexicans and left eight more injured, saying that Walmart did not do enough to protect its customers, Mexico said on Wednesday. The suspected gunman told police he was targeting "Mexicans" in the August shooting, which killed 22 people in total.
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| US woman could be forced to register as a sex offender after appearing topless in front of step-children Posted: 21 Nov 2019 12:32 PM PST  An American woman could be forced to register as a sex offender after appearing topless in front of her step-children in her own home. Tilli Buchanan, from Utah, was charged with three counts of misdemeanour lewdness involving a child after appearing topless along with the children's father in their home last year. Ms Buchanan's lawyers are contesting the charge, arguing it is unfair to treat men and women differently for baring her chest. She said she and her husband were working in their garage in late 2017 or early 2018 and removed their shirts to prevent them from getting dusty. She told the court that when the children, aged nine and 13, entered the garage she "explained she considers herself a feminist and wanted to make a point that everybody should be fine with walking around their house or elsewhere with skin showing". "It was in the privacy of my own home. My husband was right next to me in the same exact manner that I was, and he's not being prosecuted," she said after the court hearing. The charge occurred after child welfare officials began an investigation involving the children on an unrelated matter and the children's mother reported the incident to authorities because she was "alarmed." If convicted, Ms Buchanan could be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Her husband was not charged. Ms Buchanan's lawyers appeared in court on Tuesday to ask a judge to overturn the charges, arguing that they are unconstitutional. The lawyers cited a previous court ruling that overturned a Colorado ban on women going topless in public. However the prosecution said that in the US, nudity is commonly understood to include women's breasts. The judge in the case, Kara Pettit, declined to rule immediately on the case, saying it was "too important of an issue". A ruling is expected in the next few months.
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| 'Don't let them in': Arrests made as hundreds protest Ann Coulter speech at UC Berkeley Posted: 21 Nov 2019 03:34 AM PST  Coulter was invited to the California university by the Berkeley College Republicans for a speech about immigration called 'Adios, America.'
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| Trump erupts over ‘human scum’ impeachment investigators in rambling series of false and misleading tweets Posted: 21 Nov 2019 08:29 AM PST  Donald Trump has erupted over the ongoing impeachment inquiry in a series of false and misleading tweets in which he accused investigators of being "human scum"."Corrupt politician Adam Schiff's lies are growing by the day," the US president tweeted on Thursday morning.
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| Syracuse Students Flee Campus Rocked by Racist Incidents Posted: 20 Nov 2019 07:10 AM PST  Sam GelfandSYRACUSE, New York—A string of racist and anti-Semitic incidents at Syracuse University has ratcheted up tensions to the point that more and more students are fleeing campus before the Thanksgiving break."I've simply had enough. I'm exhausted from all of the hate going on at campus," senior Mason Horodyski told The Daily Beast on Tuesday night.The upstate New York school has been reeling from 11 reports of racist graffiti and harassment in two weeks—which prompted widespread student protests, a tongue-lashing for administrators from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and a $1 million commitment for campus change.In the twilight hours of Monday, the manifesto written by the Christchurch mosque shooter was posted to a Syracuse discussion forum and hours later allegedly AirDropped to students' phones in the university library. Many students took this as an implied threat of violence.One freshman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the manifesto incident was the tipping point for her. "I was very shocked. I don't feel safe right now," she said as she frantically stuffed garbage bags filled with clothes into the trunk of a white Mercedes-Benz SUV. Students pack to leave Syracuse UniversitySam GelfandThe university's Department of Public Safety has stressed there is "no appearance of a direct threat," but students who are leaving early all say the same thing: They don't feel safe."Everybody was already pretty tense going into the week, just with everything that's going on," said Ford Hatchett, a resident assistant in the Brewster, Boland, and Brockway residence hall complex, known to students as BBB. Tension morphed into fear on Tuesday. Cries to cancel classes emanated from every corner of campus. A police car was parked outside BBB."As I'm walking into BBB, there's several girls with suitcases that are walking out," said Will Scott, a student sports reporter who visited BBB. "I'm like, 'Where are y'all going; what's up?' And one of the girls was extremely rattled and said, 'Someone just threatened to shoot up BBB.'"The rumor was based on a screenshot of a conversation between two students that had begun circulating among the student body. Although the threat was quickly debunked by DPS officers, the damage was done.Cuomo Blasts Syracuse U Leadership After White-Supremacist Manifesto Allegedly AirDropped to Students"In those two to three minutes, students had already gotten a hold of it," Hatchett said. "We started getting panicked messages from students, who again, want to know, 'Are we on lockdown?' 'Do we need to evacuate?' 'I called my mom, she wants me to get on a flight, like, right away.' So it was almost mass panic there for a good hour and a half before we finally figured out that everything was calm and safe."There wasn't any concern that there was an active shooter in the building, but there was a concern that it would be happening sometime today. At that point, a lot of people just wanted to get as far away from here as they could."I kid you not, within five minutes, I saw some people walking out with suitcases. They had suitcases in their hands and they were bookin' it for the door."A couple of them booked flights today," Hatchett said. "I have a couple students who booked hotel rooms in the area and are staying there because they didn't feel safe in the dorms. And I know of other students who are driving home tonight."Hatchett oversees 36 students on his floor. Twelve of them left Tuesday night. All of them cited the unfounded threat as the reason, he said."They all felt a little on-edge," Hatchett explained, "but no one had taken the action to go home or get a hotel until today's threats. I don't think anyone has ever heard of one-third of a floor getting out of here a couple days early."Freshman Victoria Ghillani said she wants to leave "as soon as I possibly can." "This just shouldn't be happening," she said.Syracuse students wait for rides to take them off campusSam GelfandMinutes after Ghillani went upstairs to gather her belongings, Jenna Klein dragged her black suitcase across the lobby. The 18-year-old freshman, backpack slung over one shoulder, said shooting fears—even though they were unfounded—pushed her over the edge."With everything happening on campus, I don't really feel safe here. It's just that shootings have happened so much, and…" she trailed off.Syracuse University has adopted a business-as-usual stance. Several schools and colleges informed students Tuesday morning via email that classes would not be canceled by the administration—though by afternoon most had relented and declared that absences this week would be excused.Students who have stayed behind are on high alert. While Hatchett spoke to The Daily Beast on Tuesday evening, a student listening to an emergency dispatch claimed he heard reports of shots fired at nearby Sadler Hall. They realized they were mistaken a few minutes later, but not before a handful of people received frantic texts to shelter in place.Hatchett, a senior, said he wasn't concerned about his safety but he could not blame freshmen for being jittery in the current climate."They did what was best for them, and I'm glad everybody got out of here safe," he said.Syracuse University Offers $50,000 Reward for Information About Racist Incidents on CampusRead more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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| Pompeo planning to resign over Trump, report claims Posted: 20 Nov 2019 04:43 AM PST  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reportedly told three prominent Republicans that he is planning to resign from the White House to run for a Senate seat.
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| Democrat Deval Patrick had to cancel one of his first campaign events — because no one showed up Posted: 20 Nov 2019 07:31 PM PST ![Democrat Deval Patrick had to cancel one of his first campaign events — because no one showed up]( "Democrat Deval Patrick had to cancel one of his first campaign events — because no one showed up") As Democratic presidential candidates addressed a national audience at the fifth 2020 primary debate, one candidate couldn't even find a single person to talk to.Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick made a late entry into the 2020 race last week after expressing some dissatisfaction with the current field. But as his empty visit to Morehouse College on Wednesday showed, not everyone believes it's his time.Patrick was supposed to make one of his first campaign stops at the historically black college in Atlanta on Wednesday, not far from where the upper echelons of the Democratic field were debating. But as CNN reports, once Patrick got there and found out he wouldn't have much of an audience, he canceled the talk.> Governor @DevalPatrick was supposed to have an event at Morehouse College tonight. An organizer with the college who planned the event told CNN that Patrick cancelled the event when he arrived and learned that he would not have an audience. (Note, two people came, not pictured) pic.twitter.com/CzNjWYcWKJ> > -- Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) November 21, 2019Patrick has said he's aware his late run is like a "Hail Mary from two stadiums over," and he's apparently decided there's no point in even leaving the locker room if no one's there to watch.More stories from theweek.com Republicans are throwing Rudy Giuliani under the bus Lindsey Graham seems to be gearing up for an impeachment trial Schiff outlines 'the difference between Nixon and Trump' in fiery impeachment closing statement
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| Google's Tour Builder Is a Great New Way to Make Your Friends Hate You Posted: 21 Nov 2019 12:18 PM PST |
| A Lack of Money Will Stop Russia from Building More Stealth Fighters Posted: 20 Nov 2019 01:00 PM PST  Or at least enough more to make a big difference.
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| Billionaire Michael Bloomberg files paperwork to run for U.S. president Posted: 21 Nov 2019 10:30 AM PST  Billionaire Michael Bloomberg filed paperwork on Thursday with the Federal Election Commission to run for U.S. president as a Democrat, the latest sign that the former New York City Mayor is joining the crowded nominating contest. The filing allows Bloomberg to raise money in a bid for the White House, but an aide said on Thursday that no final decision on whether he will run has been made. Bloomberg, 77, has signaled that he plans a late-entry in the Democratic primary, suggesting he feels the field of nearly 20 candidates is vulnerable.
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| Fearful wait for justice a decade after Philippine massacre Posted: 20 Nov 2019 10:23 PM PST  A decade after 58 people were killed in the Philippines' worst political massacre, none of the alleged masterminds have been convicted yet, leaving families fearful that justice may never come. "We are afraid for the life of the prosecutor or even our judge," said Mary Grace Morales, whose sister and husband were among 32 journalists killed in the attack, making it one of world's deadliest on media workers. Ampatuan family leaders, who ruled the impoverished southern province of Maguindanao, are charged with organising the mass killing in a bid to quash an election challenge from a rival clan.
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| Climate activist’s remarks downplaying Holocaust spark anger Posted: 20 Nov 2019 01:22 PM PST  A prominent British climate change activist sparked anger Wednesday after appearing to downplay the Holocaust in an interview with a German newspaper. Roger Hallam, who co-founded the activist group Extinction Rebellion, told the German newspaper Die Zeit that the Nazis' murder of 6 million Jews was merely one of many genocides.
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| Maloney hammers Sondland on changing testimony — and extracts key concession Posted: 20 Nov 2019 01:52 PM PST  Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney chastised Gordon Sondland during the U.S. ambassador to the European Union's testimony Wednesday.
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| Laura Loomer’s ‘Nonsensical’ Lawsuit Killed by Judge Posted: 21 Nov 2019 10:43 AM PST  Stephanie Keith/GettyFar-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer lost a lawsuit against a Muslim-rights organization this week after a judge ruled that her entire case was "to put it mildly, nonsensical."Loomer was a prominent anti-Muslim internet personality until she was banned from most major social media platforms beginning last year. Since then, she has launched a congressional bid, which she acknowledged in a campaign email was at least partially a ploy to have her social media accounts restored. She also filed a lawsuit against the Council on American-Islamic Relations earlier this year, accusing the civil rights group of plotting to take down her Twitter account.Many of her claims in that lawsuit originated from a prank by leftist Twitter users who quickly confessed to the stunt. That didn't stop Loomer from pursuing the lawsuit to its doomed end on Wednesday.Twitter banned Loomer in November 2018, after years of anti-Muslim posts. (She is also banned from Uber, Lyft, Venmo, GoFundMe, PayPal, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms for similar infractions.) But Loomer, who has promoted a number of conspiracy theories (she made her first headlines attempting to accuse her university of supporting ISIS) soon latched onto an elaborate explanation for her ban.Republican Lawmakers on Being Photographed With Laura Loomer: We Don't Know HerShe tried to overturn the ban by handcuffing herself to the door of Twitter's New York City offices. Twitter remained unmoved, but the stunt attracted the attention of Twitter users Nathan Bernard and Chris Gillen, who decided to pose as Twitter employees, Right Wing Watch first reported. Beginning in December, the pair sent Loomer messages claiming Twitter had met with CAIR representatives shortly before her ban.The pair said Loomer did not seek to authenticate any of their claims, including a ridiculous forged calendar they sent her, which appeared to show Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey scheduling two-and-a-half consecutive hours of meditation time every work day. "We couldn't have done it dumber," Gillen told Right Wing Watch in January. "We couldn't have been less careful. It's so obviously bullshit."The pranksters also shared audio of a phone call in which Loomer accused Dorsey of "taking money from all these Muslims and implementing Sharia law."Loomer passed the allegation to the Wall Street Journal, which implied that CAIR was among "outside groups and individuals [that] had privately lobbied Twitter executives to remove her from the site in late November." A series of right-wing news sites picked up the story, accusing CAIR and Twitter of conspiring against Loomer.Although Bernard and Gillen came clean about the stunt in January, Loomer continued to press the conspiracy theory in court. In April, she filed suit against CAIR, accusing it of "tortious interference with an advantageous business relationship" between herself and Twitter.Anti-Muslim Activist Laura Loomer to Run for CongressThat argument had a fatal flaw: Loomer had no business relationship with Twitter, a judge ruled on Wednesday."[E]ven accepting as true Plaintiffs' proposition that Defendant reported Loomer's account and convinced Twitter to ban Loomer, doing so does not create a cause of action for tortious interference with a business relationship," the judge wrote in a dismissal. "Plaintiffs' suggestion that the mere reporting of a Twitter user—however insistent such reporting may be—is sufficient to constitute tortious interference in a business relationship between Twitter and the targeted user is, to put it mildly, nonsensical."In other words, tweeting isn't a job, and getting banned isn't the same as getting fired.If Loomer wants to find the culprit behind her ban, she can look in the mirror, CAIR said after the Wednesday dismissal."We are pleased the court recognized that Loomer's complaint against CAIR was baseless," CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri said in a statement. "Her own pattern of anti-Muslim rhetoric is what caused Twitter and at least eight other internet platforms to ban her, not any actions by CAIR."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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| The Latest: Israeli PM Netanyahu rejects indictment Posted: 21 Nov 2019 07:18 AM PST  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected his indictment on an array of corruption charges, saying the country is witnessing an "attempted coup" against him. Netanyahu was unable to form a government following unprecedented back-to-back elections this year, in part because of his legal woes, and a third vote could be held within months. Israel's attorney general says the indictment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a "heavy-hearted decision" based solely on professional considerations.
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| Singapore ‘Repatriates’ Hongkonger Who Held Political Meeting Posted: 20 Nov 2019 07:14 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- A Hong Kong resident living in Singapore has been "repatriated" home after organizing an illegal gathering of mostly ethnic Chinese last month to talk about the ongoing protests, according to local media reports.Restaurant owner Alex Yeung, along with a 55-year-old former Hong Kong resident, were issued a "stern warning" over what was said to be a gathering of about 10 people sharing their views of the escalating protests, which is an offense under the Public Order Act. Yeung, who has a Youtube channel of largely pro-Beijing content was further instructed he would not be allowed to enter Singapore again without permission from the authorities."Singapore has always been clear that foreigners should not advocate their political causes in Singapore, through public assemblies, and other prohibited means," the Singapore Police Force told Channel News Asia late on Wednesday.Speaking from Singapore's Changi Airport on Thursday morning ahead of his flight, Yeung said he was now free to go where he pleased and thanked Singapore for upholding the rule of law.Illegal Gatherings"The Singapore Police Force has made no indictment against me. I am warned to refrain from any criminal conduct in the future under their discretion," he said in a video posted to YouTube. "Singapore is a very civilized country with very good security."In 2017, Singapore revoked the permanent residency of prominent academic and China expert Huang Jing after he allegedly used his position to covertly advance the agenda of an unnamed foreign country at Singapore's expense.Hong Kong has been gripped for days by the standoff at the city's Polytechnic University, where hard-core protesters remain surrounded by police. The unrest began in June with largely peaceful marches against legislation allowing extraditions to mainland China and have since mushroomed into a broader push for demands including an independent probe into police violence and the ability to nominate and elect city leaders.Speaking to reporters on Monday, Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing warned a similar situation could "easily happen" in his country if the government is complacent. Under restrictive laws, cause-related gatherings are illegal without a police permit and participants are subject to fines without it.\--With assistance from Chester Yung.To contact the reporter on this story: Philip J. Heijmans in Singapore at pheijmans1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Muneeza NaqviFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 'The Entire System Is Designed to Suppress Us.' What the Chinese Surveillance State Means for the Rest of the World Posted: 21 Nov 2019 03:39 AM PST  China—projected to have one CCTV camera for every two people by 2022—is a harbinger of what society looks like with surveillance unchecked.
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| This Means War: Yes, Russia's Su-35 Can Take on the F-15 or F-16 Posted: 20 Nov 2019 09:30 PM PST  What would happen?
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| Arizona border activist found not guilty of hiding migrants Posted: 20 Nov 2019 02:54 PM PST  An Arizona jury on Wednesday found a human rights activist not guilty of harboring two migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, after the U.S. government prosecuted him for giving them food, water and shelter in the desert. The Tucson jury took just over two hours to decide that Scott Warren, 37, a geography professor, provided the men with legal humanitarian aid in January 2018 and did not deliberately conceal them from U.S. Border Patrol. A previous jury was unable to decide whether he broke the law by letting the men stay in a building near Ajo, Arizona, to recover from a two-day trek.
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| Iran's Guards praise 'timely' action against protesters Posted: 21 Nov 2019 01:48 AM PST  Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday praised the armed forces for taking "timely" action against "rioters" and said calm had returned after days of unrest sparked by a hike in petrol prices. Motorists blocked highways in Tehran before the unrest spread to cities and towns across the country, with petrol pumps torched, police stations attacked and shops looted. "Incidents, big and small, caused by the rise in petrol price took place in (a little) less than 100 cities across Iran," said a statement on the Guards' official website Sepahnews.com.
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| Trump's 'no quid pro quo' defense takes yet another hit Posted: 21 Nov 2019 08:53 AM PST ![Trump's 'no quid pro quo' defense takes yet another hit]( "Trump's 'no quid pro quo' defense takes yet another hit") Thursday's impeachment witnesses have so far only added to the quid pro quo case against President Trump.Former National Security Council adviser on Russia Fiona Hill and diplomat in Ukraine David Holmes testified in a public impeachment hearing Thursday. And just like their foreign service colleagues before them, they provided further evidence that Trump set out conditionals for Ukraine to receive aid and a White House meeting, spelling out the quid pro quo he has so far denied.In his testimony, Holmes described a call he overheard between U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland and Trump, in which he heard Trump's "loud and recognizable" voice ask Sondland if Ukraine would start an unnamed investigation. He later said he thought Ukraine, upon realizing its aid from the U.S. hadn't arrived yet, would've "drawn that conclusion" that the aid was conditioned upon starting the investigation.Hill provided more than just assumptions, testifying that Sondland told her that a White House meeting for Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was dependent on him launching the investigations -- and specifically saying Sondland was referring to the Bidens. > Fiona Hill says Amb. Gordon Sondland told her that he "had an agreement with chief of staff Mulvaney that in return for investigations, this [White House] meeting gets scheduled." > > "He said the investigations and Burisma." https://t.co/Q5w6PVVxew pic.twitter.com/6rOZBiuWKt> > -- ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 21, 2019More stories from theweek.com Republicans are throwing Rudy Giuliani under the bus Lindsey Graham seems to be gearing up for an impeachment trial Schiff outlines 'the difference between Nixon and Trump' in fiery impeachment closing statement
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| Schiff gives fiery closing on Day 3 of public hearings Posted: 19 Nov 2019 05:56 PM PST  After nearly 12 hours of testimony, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff concluded Day 3 of public impeachment inquiry hearings with impassioned remarks.
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| AP Exclusive: DOJ would take halted executions to high court Posted: 21 Nov 2019 05:47 AM PST  Attorney General William Barr told The Associated Press on Thursday that he would take the Trump administration's bid to restart federal executions after a 16-year hiatus to the Supreme Court if necessary. Barr's comments came hours after a district court judge temporarily blocked the administration's plans to start executions next month. The administration is appealing the decision, and Barr said he would take the case to the high court if Thursday's ruling stands.
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| Fox News' take on Sondland's testimony: nothing to see here Posted: 20 Nov 2019 11:47 AM PST  Sondland's impeachment testimony prompted the conservative channel to put forth the limpest text possibleFox News broadcasts as Gordon Sondland testifies in the public hearing in the impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump on Wednesday. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesAn ostrich, according to common parlance, sticks its head in the sand when threatened. When Gordon Sondland gave his damning testimony on Wednesday, Fox News arguably adopted a similar strategy.As the US ambassador to the European Union told the House that he and others "followed the president's orders" in pressuring Ukraine, CNN and elsewhere quickly changed their chyrons to reflect his revelations.Over on Fox News, Sondland's admission prompted the conservative channel – which is not normally associated with banality – to put forth the limpest text possible."House intelligence committee members question Ambassador Sondland in public hearing," was the text banner, or chyron, on Fox News, as Sondland confirmed that Giuliani stipulated a quid pro quo between US aid to Ukraine and an investigation into Burisma and the 2016 elections.Fox News largely stuck diligently to that language for almost two hours, as Sondland went on to add that Giuliani "was expressing the desires of the president of the United States".When the channel did change its text, it presented a rather different take from other media. At 11am, as CNN was chyroning: "Sondland: Giuliani pushed for 'quid pro quo' with Ukraine, as 'desired by Trump'." Other channels had similar wording.Not Fox News, however. It opted for the rather more mundane, and very much more exonerating, "Sondland: Trump never told me directly that the aid was conditioned on the meetings."The Fox News website followed a similar playbook, as CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy pointed out.> Meanwhile, this is how Fox's "straight news" website is presenting the news to its viewers pic.twitter.com/ztNT2gSLpQ> > — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) November 20, 2019At about 11am, the hearing broke for a short recess.It was finally an opportunity for Fox News hosts and reporters to put forward a defense of Trump, one that the channel clearly was struggling to mount through onscreen text. They couldn't."This, listen, on its face, is very damaging to some of the arguments the GOP has been making," said Bret Baier, host of Special Report with Bret Baier.Baier noted that the testimony was particularly damaging given Trump had, not long ago, called Sondland "a really good man and a great American". As Baier spoke there was a heavy sigh in the background.embedChris Wallace, a relative centrist host on Fox News, noted that Sondland "certainly makes it clear that in the direct conversations he had with the president he saw a conditionality" between an Ukraine investigation and the release of aid.Next, Fox News wheeled out Ken Starr, best known as the lawyer whose investigation led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Starr has consistently been a critic of the impeachment hearings, but he could not muster a defense."We've gotten closer to the president," Starr said. "It doesn't look good for the president, substantively."Starr did add, that the president "may have covered himself by saying no quid pro quo" – Sondland testified Trump told him that, but that was the one bright light in Starr's take."I think the articles of impeachment are being drawn up if they haven't already been drawn up," Starr continued.
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| Vietnam to Extend Retirement Age by 2 Years for Men, 5 Years for Women Posted: 20 Nov 2019 09:41 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Explore what's moving the global economy in the new season of the Stephanomics podcast. Subscribe via Apple Podcast, Spotify or Pocket Cast.Vietnam will gradually extend the retirement age for men by two years and for women by five years over the next decade as part of the government's amendment to its Labor Code.Men can work until 62 by 2028 and women until 60 by 2035 from the current retirement age of 60 for males and 55 for females, the government said on its website.Under the amendments approved by the National Assembly on Wednesday, the retirement age will increase by 3 months annually for men and by 4 months each year for women starting 2021. The changes were made as Vietnam's population is maturing at a faster pace than some of its peers.The nation's elderly citizens are expected to double to 14% of the population in about 17 years and the country could become an aged society in 2035, according to a statement of the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the World Bank in August. It took Singapore 22 years and Thailand 20 years to reach the threshold for a country's population to be considered aged.The number of people joining Vietnam's work force has dropped by more than half to about 400,000 each year from an average of 1 million in the past, local newspaper Tuoi Tre reported citing Bui Sy Loi from the committee on social affairs of the National Assembly.\--With assistance from Thuy Ong.To contact the reporter on this story: Mai Ngoc Chau in Ho Chi Minh City at cmai9@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Clarissa Batino at cbatino@bloomberg.net, Ruth PollardFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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