| Holocaust education planned after WV jail guard Nazi salute Posted: 31 Dec 2019 08:09 AM PST  West Virginia plans to begin training its corrections department staff about the Holocaust after a photograph of correction officer cadets giving Nazi salutes led to dozens of firings and widespread outrage, officials said Tuesday.
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| Mystery over identity of decades-old headless torso found in cave partially solved – but not how he got there Posted: 01 Jan 2020 10:54 AM PST  The mystery over the identity of a headless torso that was hidden inside a cave for decades has finally been solved – partly.Investigators say the body belongs to Joseph Henry Loveless, an outlaw who murdered his wife with an axe and was not seen after he escaped from jail in 1916.
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| Pete Buttigieg Says He Raised Almost $25 Million in Fourth Quarter Posted: 01 Jan 2020 05:47 AM PST ![Pete Buttigieg Says He Raised Almost $25 Million in Fourth Quarter]( "Pete Buttigieg Says He Raised Almost $25 Million in Fourth Quarter") (Bloomberg) -- Pete Buttigieg's campaign said the presidential candidate raised more than $24.7 million in the fourth quarter, giving the South Bend, Indiana mayor one of the largest war chests among those fighting for the Democratic nomination.Buttigieg's money came from 326,000 donors who gave an average of $33, the campaign said in a statement on Wednesday. His was the first campaign to release fourth-quarter fundraising totals.Relying on a mix of in-person fundraisers and grassroots contributors, Buttigieg took in more than $76 million in 2019. He raised $19.2 million in the third quarter."These figures are even more astounding considering that Pete started this race less then a year ago as an unknown candidate, with just a few staffers and zero dollars in the bank," campaign manager Mike Schmuhl said in a memo.The campaign said its financial haul allowed it to increase its staff nationwide to 500 people. It's opened 65 field offices in early caucus and primary states, including 35 in Iowa, where Buttigieg is narrowly leading in polls, according to an average compiled by RealClearPolitics. He also has 100 organizers in the state.The presidential campaigns are due to file detailed, year-end reports with the Federal Election Commission on Jan. 31. But they often release fund-raising totals early to signal the strength of their support. Buttigieg has been the first candidate to release his numbers in each quarter.To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Allison in Washington DC at ballison14@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Christopher MaloneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Russia’s Hypersonic ICBM Is Operational. So What? Posted: 01 Jan 2020 12:00 AM PST  Moscow might not even need them. Here's why.
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| Giuliani Says He’s Prepared to ‘Do Demonstrations’ at Trump’s Impeachment Trial Posted: 31 Dec 2019 09:01 PM PST  Rudy Giuliani is prepared to do more than just testify at President Trump's upcoming impeachment trial. The former New York City mayor made clear in comments to reporters on Tuesday night that he's ready to pull out all the stops to defend his client—and that apparently includes giving "lectures" and doing "demonstrations." Asked if he would testify at the trial, Giuliani appeared unable to settle on a single, coherent answer. "I would testify, I would, um, do demonstrations. I'd give lectures, I'd give summations. Or, I'd do what I do best, I'd try the case. I'd love to try the case. Well I don't know if anybody would have the courage to give me the case, but, uh, if you give me the case, I will prosecute it as a racketeering case, which I kind of invented anyway," Giuliani said at a New Year's Eve gala at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. He also dodged a question about whether he had any plans for another trip to Ukraine, an activity that has been at the center of the impeachment proceedings against Trump, which center on allegations he abused his power to pressure Ukraine to do him political favors. Giuliani, accused of hijacking American foreign policy to run a dirt-digging mission in Ukraine that would boost Trump domestically, returned from his latest trip earlier this month claiming to have boatloads of evidence to exonerate Trump and incriminate Trump's political foes, including former vice president Joe Biden and many Democrats. So far, however, despite Trump claiming Giuliani would be filing a report with the Justice Department on his Ukraine findings and Giuliani saying he planned to brief the Senate on the matter, his findings have apparently not been embraced as the smoking gun against Democrats that he believed they would be. As The Daily Beast reported earlier this week, some Republican senators have actively avoided Giuliani ahead of the impeachment trial over concerns that his Ukraine findings may be mingled with Russian conspiracy theories. Even Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who first called on Giuliani to share his findings, has urged him to "make sure it's not Russian propaganda." 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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| In California: Blackouts, celeb scandals, crooked cops and wildfires Posted: 01 Jan 2020 03:32 PM PST  We closed out a year and ended a decade. ICYMI, here's a look back at last year's biggest stories from the Golden State
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| Immigration in 2019: Trump restricts asylum and overhauls legal immigration Posted: 31 Dec 2019 03:43 AM PST  2019 was arguably the Trump administration's most successful one in its quest to severely restrict asylum and overhaul the legal immigration system.
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| Switzerland stresses diplomatic safety in Sri Lanka arrest Posted: 01 Jan 2020 01:40 AM PST  The Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka said that the safety of diplomatic missions is the responsibility of the host state, days after a local staffer who complained of being assaulted was released on bail while being investigated for maligning the government. Before her arrest, the Sri Lankan employee had reportedly said she was abducted, held for hours, sexually assaulted and threatened by captors who demanded that she disclose embassy-related information. Sri Lankan authorities have said they investigated her complaint but found no evidence to file charges against anyone.
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| Minister: Texas shooter previously grew irate over cash requests Posted: 31 Dec 2019 09:02 AM PST  The man who opened fire inside a Texas church on Sunday, killing two people before being shot to death, visited the church several other times this year and was given food but got angry when officials refused to give him money, said a minister at the church.
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| 16 inmates killed in bloody two and a half hour prison riot after guns snuck into facility Posted: 01 Jan 2020 09:05 AM PST  At least 16 inmates were killed in a central Mexico prison and five others wounded after a bloody two-and-a-half hour riot.Four guns – believed to have been smuggled in during prison visits on Tuesday, where found at the scene of the violent melee at the Cienguillas state prison in the north-central Zacatecas region.
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| Japan Airlines Is Giving Away 50,000 Free Flights to Tourists. Here's How to Get One Posted: 30 Dec 2019 11:21 PM PST  Tourists flying to Japan with Japan Airlines this summer can win free tickets to a surprise destination in the country
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| 18 Inventions that Changed Our Lives in the 2010s Posted: 31 Dec 2019 08:53 AM PST |
| Can Iran Hope To Stop U.S. Stealth Drones? Posted: 01 Jan 2020 03:30 AM PST  America is increasing its presence in the Middle East.
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| Russia Awaits Venezuela Power Shuffle Before Sending Advisers Posted: 31 Dec 2019 01:38 AM PST ![Russia Awaits Venezuela Power Shuffle Before Sending Advisers]( "Russia Awaits Venezuela Power Shuffle Before Sending Advisers") (Bloomberg) -- Russia is waiting for Venezuela's opposition leader to leave office before despatching economic advisers to help its ally President Nicolas Maduro's crisis-torn government.Juan Guaido, who's sought to challenge Maduro by declaring himself Venezuela's rightful president, is due to step down as head of the National Assembly in early January, though he's lobbying parties in the legislature for re-election.If he fails to renew his term, Russia will step up efforts to help Maduro's officials tackle the economic crisis gripping the oil-rich Latin American nation, Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergey Storchak said in an interview.Storchak, who leads a 12-person team focused on Venezuela at the ministry, said Russian efforts to help ease the crisis had been unsuccessful to date because officials in Caracas were reluctant to implement changes without support from the legislature headed by Guaido.'Main Focus'"I think the situation will start changing mid-January. I hope they will sum up the year, share data with us and we'll decide what specialists should be deployed," Storchak said. "The main focus is on the oil sector. We have suggestions on eradicating administrative distortion, which they allowed to take place during nationalization."While the U.S. and some 50 countries recognized Guaido as head of state in his attempt to push out Maduro, American officials are growing concerned he may lose his post amid a slide in his approval rating to a record low of 38.9% last month.Russian advisers will address the solvency of Venezuela's national currency, its banking sector and social issues, Storchak said."Social security is about targeting. They have this old system that redistributes goods equally," he said. "This has been seen as an element of social justice but in reality it deepened social stratification in the country."Maduro's government is also receiving advice from Turkish and Chinese experts, Storchak said. With Venezuela repaying Moscow under a restructured $3.15 billion debt contract, Russia is "working for itself" by offering help to boost the economy, he said."This is also our political ally," Storchak said. "They think that our ideas can be useful."\--With assistance from Fabiola Zerpa.To contact the reporters on this story: Stepan Kravchenko in Moscow at skravchenko@bloomberg.net;Andrey Biryukov in Moscow at abiryukov5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Gregory L. White at gwhite64@bloomberg.net, Tony Halpin, Andrew LangleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Judge orders Alex Jones to pay $100,000 in Sandy Hook case Posted: 31 Dec 2019 10:43 AM PST  A Texas judge ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $100,000 in another court setback over the Infowars host using his show to promote falsehoods that the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax. Jones is being sued for defamation in Austin, Texas, by the parents of a 6-year-old who was among the 26 people killed in the Newtown, Connecticut, attack. State District Judge Scott Jenkins ruled on Dec. 20 that Jones and his defense team "intentionally disregarded" an earlier order to provide witnesses to attorneys representing a Sandy Hook father who brought the lawsuit, Neil Heslin.
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| Hundreds arrested at huge New Year’s Day rally in Hong Kong Posted: 01 Jan 2020 08:53 AM PST  Police detain 400 and fire teargas as anti-government protests continue into 2020 A huge New Year's Day march in Hong Kong has ended in mass arrests and street clashes as the anti-government movement – now in its eighth month – continued into 2020.Police detained about 400 people on charges including illegal assembly and possession of offensive weapons after the rally on Wednesday, which organisers said was attended by more than a million people. It was one of the largest numbers of arrests in a single day since the unrest began.But the march had begun in a mood of carnival celebration – there were protesters in costumes and families with children and elderly people. Marchers chanted slogans including "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our era".Riot police fired teargas rounds in Wan Chai district after protesters threw objects at officers who had arrested several people for allegedly vandalising a bank.Some protesters retaliated by throwing molotov cocktails at the police, but many in the crowd were caught by surprise as the march was expected to be peaceful and most did not wear protective gear.Police demanded that the protest organisers, the Civil Human Rights Front, immediately call off the demonstration, but large crowds continued to march and police declared that they were taking part in an illegal assembly.As night fell, police used water cannon on crowds in Wan Chai and the financial district of Central. Protesters laid bricks across the main thoroughfare in Central in an attempt to impede the police's advance towards the area.A police statement said protesters had blocked roads with barricades, dug up bricks from pavements and set fires to banks and cash machines.At a late-night press briefing, Senior Supt Ng Lok Chun blamed radical protesters for "hijacking" and disrupting the march and said police had fired teargas because they were surrounded by protesters who were throwing objects at them.There had already been a bleak start to 2020: shortly after revellers counted down to midnight and shouted "Happy new year!", police in the central district of Mong Kok shot teargas at protesters who set off fireworks and set fire to roadblocks.On Tuesday night police deployed water cannon to disperse protesters while armoured vehicles cleared roadblocks. The crowd had gathered outside a metro station where people were leaving flowers to commemorate protesters rumoured to have died during a clash with police four months ago. The government denies that the deaths occurred.The anti-government movement in Hong Kong, sparked by an extradition bill that would have allowed individuals to be sent to China for trial, is showing no signs of abating. Protesters say they will not give up unless the government meets their demands, which include universal suffrage and an independent investigation into police brutality.As of last week, 6,494 people had been arrested since the movement started in June, some as young as 12, according to the police.Many in Hong Kong, including pro-democracy supporters, are weary of the frequent violent confrontations in the movement and are seeking new directions in their attempt to press the government into conceding to their demands.Some are urging fellow Hong Kongers on social media to use economic means to put pressure on the government instead, including joining trade unions so that they can launch strikes and other collective actions more effectively."We want to show our determination to the world that we will not back down on our resistance against an authoritarian regime," said Mary Chin, a former bank employee in her 40s.The Civil Human Rights Front condemned the police's abrupt revocation of its permission for the march, which it estimated was attended by a million people."The government has shown its unwillingness to listen to the voices of the mass and it has infringed on their right to assembly," it said in a statement. "Hong Kongers shall not back down and peace shall not resume with the ongoing police brutality."In his new year address, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, acknowledged that "the situation in Hong Kong has been everybody's concern over the past few months" as he called for "a harmonious and stable environment" for Hong Kong.Sounding relatively conciliatory compared with earlier, more threatening remarks, Xi said in the televised address: "Hong Kong's prosperity and stability is the wish of Hong Kong compatriots and the expectation for the people of the motherland."
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| Mexico arrests seven suspects in Mormon family massacre Posted: 30 Dec 2019 11:29 PM PST  Mexican authorities have arrested seven suspects in connection with last month's massacre of nine Mormon women and children in the country's north, the attorney general's office said. A local police chief suspected of links to organized crime was among those taken into custody, according to local media. The victims -- six of them children -- had dual US-Mexican nationality and were shot dead on a rural road in a lawless region known for turf wars between drug cartels fighting over lucrative trafficking routes to the United States.
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| GOP Sen. Collins is open to calling impeachment witnesses Posted: 31 Dec 2019 01:07 PM PST  Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine says she's open to calling witnesses as part of the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, but she says it is "premature" to decide who should be called until senators see the evidence that is presented.
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| Israel Now Has a Second Squadron of Deadly F-35I Stealth Fighters Posted: 01 Jan 2020 10:13 AM PST  The first public photograph has appeared depicting an F-35 stealth fighter in the livery of Israel's second squadron of the radar-evading jets.
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| GOP Senator: President Trump 'Not a Role Model For Young People' Posted: 31 Dec 2019 09:27 AM PST  In an interview with Face The Nation, Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said Trump isn't a good role model for young people
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| India approves third moon mission, months after landing failure Posted: 01 Jan 2020 12:57 AM PST  India has approved its third lunar mission months after its last one failed to successfully land on the moon, its space agency said on Wednesday, the latest effort in its ambitions to become a low-cost space power. The Chandrayaan-3 mission will have a lander and a rover, but not an orbiter, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan told reporters at its headquarters in Bengaluru, according to an official telecast. The Chandrayaan-2 mission in September successfully deployed a lunar orbiter that relays scientific data back to earth, but was unable to place a rover on the lunar surface after a "hard" landing.
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| Illinois governor clears thousands of marijuana convictions Posted: 31 Dec 2019 08:19 PM PST  Illinois' governor granted more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions on Tuesday.
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| Raging wildfires trap 4,000 at Australian town's waterfront Posted: 30 Dec 2019 07:28 PM PST  Wildfires burning across Australia's two most populous states Tuesday trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions and killed at least two people while more property along the country's east coast fell victim to a devastating fire season. About 4,000 residents in the southeastern town of Mallacoota in Victoria state fled toward the water Tuesday morning as winds pushed an emergency-level wildfire toward their homes.
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| Nine Killed as Jakarta Hit by Worst Flooding Since 2013 Posted: 01 Jan 2020 04:28 AM PST ![Nine Killed as Jakarta Hit by Worst Flooding Since 2013]( "Nine Killed as Jakarta Hit by Worst Flooding Since 2013") (Bloomberg) -- Nine people have died as heavy monsoon rains lashed the Indonesian capital and nearby cities since New Year's Eve, triggering the worst flooding in almost seven years.The rains submerged homes and cars and shut one of Jakarta's airports. More than 700 areas in greater Jakarta region suffered from power outages, according to state-run electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara. Commuter trains suspended some operations, said PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia.The Jakarta provincial government is prioritizing the safety of residents and instructed schools and some offices to be prepared in providing shelter as the country's weather agency expects rainfall to continue in the next three days. The death toll was provided by the country's disaster mitigation agency.The Halim Perdanakusuma airport had to shut as the runway was flooded and authorities diverted several flights to Soekarno-Hatta. Many roads in Jakarta were also not passable.President Joko Widodo had instructed government agencies to prioritize rescue and to immediately normalize the operation of strategic public facilities, such as the Halim Perdanakusuma airport, he said on Twitter.In January 2013, more than 30 million residents of the city were affected by flooding that killed dozens of people and inundated areas including the central business district.Indonesia's weather agency, known as BMKG, urged people to store important documents in a safe place and to prepare for power supply backup.(Updates with latest death toll in first paragraph.)\--With assistance from Tassia Sipahutar, Yoga Rusmana, Fathiya Dahrul, Harry Suhartono and Rieka Rahadiana.To contact the reporters on this story: Arys Aditya in Jakarta at aaditya5@bloomberg.net;Eko Listiyorini in Jakarta at elistiyorini@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Thomas Kutty Abraham at tabraham4@bloomberg.net, Colum Murphy, Clarissa BatinoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| An Officer Admitted Making a Racist Threat. He Still Has a Job. Posted: 31 Dec 2019 11:54 AM PST  Michael J. Reynolds, a New York City police officer, landed in Nashville, Tennessee, on a Sunday morning in July 2018, court records show. He and six other men, two of whom he later identified as New York City officers, were on what was supposed to be a three-night bachelor-party junket.About 18 hours later, Reynolds, who is white, kicked in a black woman's door in a drunken rage, threatening her and her sons with a racist slur and obscenities."I'll break every bone in your neck," he said in a rant that included two expletives. He then fled to his nearby Airbnb rental just before police arrived.This month, he was sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years' probation after pleading no contest to four misdemeanors as a result of the episode, court records show.As of Monday, though, he remained an officer, stirring a growing backlash against the New York Police Department. More than 10,000 people signed an online petition demanding his dismissal and supporting the woman whose home he invaded, Conese Halliburton."Michael Reynolds is a violent and dangerous racist who has no business carrying either a badge or a gun," her lawyer, Daniel Horwitz, said via email. "Ms. Halliburton wants the NYPD to fire him immediately so that he can't hurt anyone else."The Police Department said last week that Reynolds was on "modified duty" and that the disciplinary process was awaiting the Nashville case's conclusion. Asked about the matter again Monday, a top department official said the process "was moving forward and questioning will take place imminently."Reynolds, 26, apologized in court for the episode and claimed that he had no memory of it because he had been drinking heavily."I'm sorry," he testified. "I made a mistake. I consumed too much alcohol."Edward Yarbrough, Reynolds' lawyer, said that because of the jail time, "We think his job is in jeopardy." Yarbrough had sought a sentence that could have allowed his client to keep his job and have his record expunged in several years.The case of Reynolds is again focusing scrutiny on the pace of the Police Department's disciplinary process. In a prominent example of how it can drag on, five years passed before Officer Daniel Pantaleo, whose use of a prohibited chokehold contributed to the 2014 death in police custody of Eric Garner, was fired and stripped of his pension benefits in August.The police commissioner has the ultimate say over firings, but police unions typically fight such moves. Officers who are ousted sometimes sue to try to get back their jobs and benefits, as Pantaleo is doing.Reynolds' crimes did not occur in the line of duty, nor did he cause physical injuries. But Halliburton testified that he had done significant psychological damage."My kids want to move," she said at the sentencing Dec. 6. "They don't want to be in that house anymore. We don't have peace. To know that you've been living somewhere all your life, and you don't have that anymore, and where would you go, it's not fair."In court, Halliburton, the prosecutor, the judge and Reynolds' own lawyer all used the same term -- terrorize -- to describe what Reynolds had done to Halliburton's family that night.The episode, some of which, including audio of Reynolds' ranting, was captured by a neighbor's security cameras, began shortly after 2:30 a.m. on July 9, 2018.At the time, Halliburton testified, she was lying in bed talking with her youngest son in her house in Nashville's 12 South section."I could hear, like, someone, like, yelling," she said.Looking out a window, her son saw a man who turned out to be Reynolds in the yard. Halliburton called 911. While she was on the phone, she said, she heard "like a boom, boom, boom.""It sounds like he's trying to come in my house," she recalled telling the 911 operator.Moments later, she said, Reynolds was inside. Her two dogs ran to protect her, barking and biting at his shorts. He tried to fight them off."He just kept coming down the hallway," she said.Halliburton said that her two eldest sons, who were 17 and 20 at the time, tried to stop him from coming any farther into the house. He did not budge."He was in the house for, like, seven, eight minutes," Halliburton testified.It was during this time that security cameras captured Reynolds screaming a racist slur at Halliburton and her family and threatening them with violence.He left, she said, after appearing to comprehend that the police were coming.When officers arrived, she described the intruder to them and suggested they talk to the men staying at the Airbnb two doors away.Before storming into Halliburton's house, Reynolds testified, he and his friends had been drinking in Nashville's Lower Broadway area. He said he did not know how much alcohol he had consumed.The only thing he remembered, he testified, was identifying himself as a police officer when speaking to a Nashville officer who answered Halliburton's call. He said he learned about what he had done from his friends later.Halliburton and two neighbors confronted Reynolds and his friends later that day in the street.Halliburton and the neighbors testified that the men, including Reynolds and a man he identified as a fellow New York City officer, apologized.Reynolds said he had gone into the home by mistake, thinking that it was their rental.But Halliburton and the neighbors also testified that the officers were laughing at the same time, saying that they had "immunity" because they were law enforcement officers.Nashville detectives later tracked down Reynolds, and Halliburton and her sons identified him from a photo array.After being charged with aggravated burglary and assault, he pleaded no contest in September to aggravated criminal trespassing and three counts of assault. He is to report to jail Jan. 15 if he does not appeal his sentence before then.In arguing that Reynolds, a five-year Police Department veteran previously assigned to the 33rd Precinct in Upper Manhattan, deserved jail time, Brian Ewald, the prosecutor, said Reynolds and his friends had tried to "bully their way through this or out of this.""Keep quiet, don't tell anybody a thing and we'll get out of this," Ewald said in describing the men's attitude. "You know, we went, we cut up in another city, what happens in Nashville stays in Nashville, let's get out of town early and live our lives."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Algeria's richest man walks free on time served Posted: 31 Dec 2019 11:44 PM PST  Algeria's richest man Issad Rebrab walked free on time served early Wednesday after a court sentenced him to six months for tax, banking and customs offences. Prosecutors had sought a one-year prison sentence for the 74-year-old head of Algeria's biggest privately owned conglomerate Cevital, who was one of several tycoons arrested in April as part of a sweeping corruption investigation. The probe followed the resignation of president Abdelaziz Bouteflika after weeks of mass protests against his 20-year rule.
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| 'I am one of the undecided': With a month to go, many likely Iowa caucusgoers still unsure Posted: 01 Jan 2020 01:58 PM PST  With a month to go before the Feb. 3 caucuses, some Iowans are just starting to explore their choices. Others like several; can't make up their minds.
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| Kim Jong Un Rings in a Thoroughly Nuclear New Year Posted: 01 Jan 2020 03:56 AM PST  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is taking the gloves off, setting up a year that will likely include several missile tests and other demonstrations of military capability. The bout of diplomacy that began with the Trump administration and the South Korean government in early 2018 has been moribund for some time, but we now have the best indication from Pyongyang that the door on this chapter of rapprochement is shut.Unusually, Kim Jong Un's yearly New Year's Day Address, taking after his grandfather's annual January 1 speeches, appears to have been set aside this year in favor of a 4,300 word report, presented officially to the fifth plenum of the 7th Central Committee of the Korean Workers' Party. Mike Pompeo Grilled on CBS: You're Not 'Alarmed' by North Korea News?The document marks the culmination of several months of a strategic rethink that began earlier this year after the spectacular collapse of U.S.-North Korea talks in Hanoi, Vietnam.One can say a lot in 4,300 words—and Kim Jong Un does. Optimists, including perhaps President Donald Trump, who already has called Kim a "man of his word," may choose to ignore the sharp statements that indicate a dangerous turn in Pyongyang's policy. But in Kim's report the bottom line on talks with the United States is one of frustration, dejection, and defiance. As explicit as ever, Kim ruled out the notion of diplomacy with the United States on disarmament, likening his nuclear force to his country's "dignity" and categorically rejected the notion that this could be traded for a "brilliant transformation," apparently alluding to the kind of proposition put forth days earlier by President Trump's national security adviser, Robert C. O'Brien. If only Kim would give up nuclear weapons, O'Brien said, it would open up "a glorious path for the people of North Korea, where they can become like South Korea, and be a very prosperous, very wealthy country."Kim has other plans. As laid out in the plenum report, he sees the key to keeping his nuclear weapons and winning relief from economic sanctions that have constrained North Korea's economy as more nukes, better missiles, and thus more leverage. Kim said that there was no sense in North Korea adhering to a now nearly two-year-long moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile testing "any longer," setting up a new round of testing to showcase qualitative advancements in North Korean capabilities.On economic sanctions, Kim delivered disappointing news to the Workers' Party. Where in 2012, shortly after taking the reins of power from his father, Kim had said that he would never let North Korean people "tighten their belts again," the plenum work report said that North Korea would have to hunker down and work hard to achieve "self prosperity even though we tighten our belts."Economic hard times aren't new for Pyongyang, but Kim is resetting expectations. In 2017, there were lofty expectations that North Korea's so-called "treasured sword"—what it poetically calls its own nuclear forces—would be the key to unlocking economic prosperity.* * *HOW DID WE GET HERE?* * *Back in April 2018, at the third plenum, Kim announced a series of unilateral measures relating to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs—measures that were not presented in terms of a response to diplomacy with the United States. That plenum took place days before Kim's first summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and after Trump had already accepted the prospect of meeting the North Korean leader face-to-face.Kim announced that because North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles was completed, testing was no longer necessary. The justification for the steps was thus technical, even if exaggerated. Those moratoria, however, were quickly treated as currency in negotiations, with Pyongyang emphasizing them as "denuclearization steps" that merited reward in the form of sanctions relief. Though unwritten in any agreement, North Korea's moratoria were met with a U.S.-South Korea "freeze" on large joint military exercises. Originally a solution favored by China and Russia in 2017, this "dual freeze" was the basis of reducing tensions that had soared in 2017.This was the message that Kim Jong Un reiterated during his 2019 New Year's Day Address, where the message to the United States was that North Korea had taken steps toward deescalating tensions and now it was Washington's turn to reciprocate. The outcome of the truncated Hanoi summit in February made it clear the United States was not ready to offer sanctions relief.And so, in April 2019, at the fourth plenum, Kim put in place his now famous end-of-year deadline for 2019, giving the United States one last chance to conduct a policy review and come around on the issue of granting North Korea partial sanctions relief for partial "steps" on denuclearization. That change in heart never came; the final U.S.-North Korea working-level talks of any significance that took place in October 2019 were a final forum for Pyongyang's negotiators to figuratively flip the table on what they considered to be an unacceptable package of U.S. proposals. From then on, North Korea's state propaganda apparatus was less than subtle as it indicated a dramatic shift was brewing. From Kim Jong Un's two jaunts to Mount Paektu on a white horse to a series of year-end statements warning the United States of the impending deadline, including the now infamous "Christmas gift" promise, Pyongyang made it apparent that the door was quickly closing for a deal—if it hadn't shut already.China and Russia, Kim's two closest great power partners, appear to have made noise at the United Nations Security Council in the final days of 2019 on economic sanctions relief in an attempt to perhaps stay Kim's hand from his itchy missile-testing finger, but the plenum report suggests that whatever path North Korea will chart ahead will be of its own determination. Beijing and Moscow's sensitivities are unlikely to cap North Korea's appetite for risk.* * *THE ROAD AHEAD* * *What lies ahead will become known soon enough. Kim has promised a "shocking actual action," suggesting that he'll look to issue a wake-up call to Washington with a new demonstration of military capability as he sought to do in 2017 with his Fourth of July test of an intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM). Given that North Korea thrice tested ICBMs on a shortened, or "lofted," trajectory into the Sea of Japan in 2017, something else is likely in the works to fit the bill for a "shocking" demonstration. Kim has hinted at a "new strategic weapon," too, reiterating language from a statement released by North Korea's Academy of Defense Science after a December rocket engine test. He said such a weapon would be witnessed by the world "in the near future."North Korea could demonstrate a bigger ICBM; a more capable ICBM (i.e., with multiple warheads or complex missile defense penetration aids); an ICBM using solid propellants, which could be launched more quickly than its 2017 systems; a more exotic weapon altogether, like a spin on the abortive Soviet Fractional Orbital Bombardment System; or look to conduct a nuclear test again—perhaps atmospheric instead of underground. (Such a threat was put on the table in September 2017 was never formally stricken.) A new satellite launch could accompany a more explicitly militarized demonstration of capability, too. There are many options and Pyongyang is now technically adept enough and evidently risk-acceptant enough that none should be surprises. But Kim, by his own admission, is looking to shock the world.Optimists might selectively point to parts of Kim's plenum report that suggest the door to diplomacy remains open, but North Korea is not about to walk through that door anytime soon. 2019 was a reality check for Pyongyang, allowing it to test whether its nuclear capabilities were sufficient to win it respect as an equal at the negotiating table with the United States. The Hanoi summit demonstrated that whatever leverage it had acquired with its nuclear weapons and missile testing campaign through 2019 was insufficient to wake the United States up to the fact that North Korea was a nuclear power in its own right.Fundamentally, what hasn't changed is that North Korea is still not disarming or is not about to kowtow to American sanctions pressure. Just as every missile test in 2015, 2016, and 2017 was laying the groundwork for an eventual turn to diplomacy—if and only when North Korea became ready—so too will whatever demonstrations lie ahead in 2020 lay the foundation for the eventual next round of U.S.-North Korea engagement. In the meantime, we should expect a 2020 full of brinkmanship as Pyongyang continues to hone the blade of its "treasured sword."Weakened and Unstable Trump Gives Korea the JittersRead 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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| Uber, Postmates sue to block California gig worker law, claiming it's unconstitutional Posted: 30 Dec 2019 06:13 PM PST  In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court on Monday, the companies and two app-based drivers said the law, which would make it harder for gig economy companies to qualify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees, was irrational, vague and incoherent. The office of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement on Monday it was reviewing the complaint. The law was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in September and has garnered national attention, largely owing to the size of California's workforce and the state's leadership role in establishing policies that are frequently adopted by other states.
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| By jumping bail, fugitive Ghosn burns bridges to Japan Posted: 01 Jan 2020 12:28 AM PST  By jumping bail, former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who had long insisted on his innocence, has now committed a clear crime and can never return to Japan without going to jail. "So he now has burnt his bridges to Japan," Stephen Givens, a lawyer and expert on Japan's legal and corporate systems, said Wednesday. How exactly Ghosn fled surveillance in Japan and popped up in Lebanon, or who might have directed the dramatic escape, remains unclear.
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| Financial tug-of-war emerges over fire victims' settlement Posted: 31 Dec 2019 11:00 PM PST  A financial tug-of-war is emerging over the $13.5 billion that the nation's largest utility has agreed to pay to victims of recent California wildfires, as government agencies jockey for more than half the money to cover the costs of their response to the catastrophes. Pacific Gas & Electric declared bankruptcy nearly a year ago as it faced about $36 billion in claims from people who lost family members, homes and businesses in devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018. PG&E settled with the insurers for $11 billion.
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| Medical Student Arrested, Held Without Bail After Alleged Attempt to Smuggle Cancer Research to China Posted: 31 Dec 2019 07:27 AM PST  Research specimens were found in a sock in Zaosong Zheng's suitcase, bound for China
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| Erdogan, Istanbul rival lock horns over 'crazy canal' Posted: 31 Dec 2019 08:21 PM PST  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's dream project of building a canal in Istanbul to rival those at Suez and Panama has turned into a political showdown with the city's new mayor. Ekrem Imamoglu, who won a shock victory for the opposition in 2019 to become mayor of Turkey's largest city, says the 75 billion lira ($12.6 billion) canal is wasteful, environmentally destructive and could even increase the earthquake risk. "Canal Istanbul is a criminal project," he tweeted in December as he launched an "Either Canal or Istanbul" campaign and withdrew from a construction protocol signed by the previous mayor.
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| Israel Is Using Lasers to Shoot Down Flaming Kites (and Explosive Condoms) Posted: 31 Dec 2019 04:55 AM PST  Kites, balloons and even inflated condoms, launched across the Gaza border into southern Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian groups, have become a major problem for the Israeli military. A solution has arrived.
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| Iran’s supreme leader attacks Trump on Twitter after US president’s furious New Year tirade Posted: 01 Jan 2020 03:29 AM PST  Iran's highest political and religious authority went after Donald Trump on the president's favourite medium on Wednesday, hurling insults as Washington and Tehran squared off over the storming of the American embassy in Baghdad."That guy has tweeted that we see Iran responsible for the events in Baghdad and we will respond to Iran," said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's English-language Twitter account, translating similar statements posted to his Persian-language account, as he retweeted Mr Trump's accusations.
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| Cold War Between Biden and Mayor Pete Suddenly Burns Hot Posted: 01 Jan 2020 02:26 AM PST  If there was ever a Biden-Buttigieg cold war, it just got hot. For months, former Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg have avoided any major direct confrontation during the sporadic gloves-off skirmishes of the Democratic primary. Biden, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Buttigieg, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, have each sought to make cogent commander-in-chief cases on the campaign trail—hardly ever at each other's expense. But with just over a month until caucusing commences, the unpredictability of the political cycle has turned the notion of an inevitable winner upside down, with two of the leading contenders—a 77-year-old established politician and a 37-year-old Beltway neophyte—now on a collision course over one of their most powerful shared interests. The two men have markedly different approaches to highlighting contrasts with their rivals. Biden, who has reliably topped national polls since launching his campaign in April, tends to employ a simple approach: Stay (mostly) out of the fray; attack (mostly) only when attacked; and try, with varying degrees of success, to stick to the script.Biden Sneers at Millennials, and Vice VersaButtigieg, whose final term as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, officially ends at noon on Wednesday, prefers the opposite. When Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) hesitated for weeks to release financial details of her health care proposal, for example, the mayor made sure to note that resistance during a televised debate in front of millions of viewers. When Warren hit back in a subsequent event for Buttigieg's frequent appearance at high-dollar fundraisers, he reminded viewers she's the "wealthy person"—not him. Now, with the two moderate Democrats just three percentage points away from each other in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two early voting states that tee off the nominating contest in mere weeks, Buttigieg has gone on a rare offensive against Biden. The mayor has criticized the former senator's Iraq War vote—a favorite line of attack from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who was opposed to the effort—and changed his tone on Biden's son Hunter, who has been the subject of a coordinated misinformation campaign from President Donald Trump. "As I've said before, I don't think it's a smart strategy because those who have gone after the VP on the Democratic side have not lived politically to tell about it," Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist familiar with Biden's early state operation in the South, told The Daily Beast. One person directly familiar with Biden's thinking framed it more broadly. "The closer you get to voting, the more pot shots you take," the insider said. "He's seen his numbers go down. We've seen this with [Sen. Kamala] Harris up and down, Warren up and down, and Buttigieg. Campaigns and candidates at some point kind of can't help themselves."The insider's comments were made in reference to Buttigieg calling the Iraq War the "worst foreign policy decision made by the United States in my lifetime" in an interview with Iowa Public Television on Sunday. "I certainly respect the vice president, but this is an example of why years in Washington is not always the same thing as judgment," Buttigieg said. Buttigieg, who unlike Sanders did not say the vote was disqualifying, is unlikely to make Biden's Iraq War stance a focus of his offensive strategy but rather one data point in a larger thread of contrast among multiple contenders. Indeed, the Buttigieg campaign is more keen to double down on the previous line of contrast that's he's been discussing publicly for months: that "Washington experience" isn't the only type of relevant work history necessary to become president and that judgment is informed by many different personal and professional paths. That theme is so well known that one campaign adviser affiliated with a separate rival candidate acknowledged strategizing around Buttigieg's potential to bring up his military experience at some point on the debate stage."He had telegraphed this was going to be his set," the source said.In an interview on Monday, the mayor also weighed in on an issue that has infuriated Team Biden for months: his son Hunter Biden's work in Ukraine. When asked by the Associated Press how Buttigieg would have handled a hypothetical politically delicate situation similar to Biden's, he said he would have taken a different approach."I would not have wanted to see that happen," Buttigieg said, in reference to Hunter serving on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company while his father served as vice president. A moment later, Buttigieg reiterated previous remarks that the line of questioning is nothing more than a distraction. "At the same time, again, I think this is being used to divert attention from what's really at stake in the impeachment process. There's been no allegation, let alone finding of any kind of wrongdoing," he said. Still, Buttigieg's criticism is a change in posture for the Indiana Democrat, who has defended the former vice president's son in the face of an onslaught of harassment from Trump.In an October appearance on CNN's State of the Union, Buttigieg lauded Hunter Biden's decision to step down from the board of a Chinese private equity company, citing it as an improvement on the Trump administration's embrace of nepotism."I think it demonstrates the difference in standards relative to the White House," Buttigieg said at the time. "I mean, here you have Hunter Biden stepping down from a position in order to make sure, even though there's been no accusation of wrongdoing, doing something just to make sure there's not even the appearance of a conflict of interest. While, in the White House, the president of the United States is a walking conflict of interest."That same month, Buttigieg dodged a question from the Washington Examiner about whether he would allow his own child to serve on the board of a foreign company, calling the issue a "shiny object" intended to divide the Democratic Party and deflect from the president's own actions."One thing that is really important right now is to deny this president [the opportunity] to change the subject, and the subject is that the president confessed on national television to an abuse of power," Buttigieg said at the time. "Let's deal with that and not get caught in the shiny objects he's going to throw out."The change of tone now matches the frenetic nature of the Democratic primary cycle, multiple campaign insiders and outside strategists said, when several candidates all competing for momentum in the first few early voting states throw out new lines of contrast in an effort to maximize attention.This week's remarks were not the first time Buttigieg signaled differences with Biden over foreign policy. In June, The Daily Beast reported early signs of the mayor quietly moving in on one of Biden's top issues: America's standing on the world stage. During competing campaign events on the same day, both Democrats used the word "existential" when discussing matters of national security, both arguing that the fundamental principle of democracy was under attack by Trump and highlighting parts of their own records to put the country back on track. Mayor Pete Buttigieg Quietly Moves in on Joe Biden's Top IssueSpokespeople from Biden's and Buttigieg's campaigns declined to comment on the record for this story. But as the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus approaches, Democratic strategists eagerly gamed out the polling implications of reigniting such contrasts again now. "A well-run campaign, which we have every reason to believe Buttigieg's is, wouldn't be attacking Biden unless their internal data showed it was necessary," one Democratic strategist said. "Likewise, they would only use a message that quantitative or qualitative data showed had a chance at success."The latest Real Clear Politics polling average reveals a hefty gap between Biden and Buttigieg's standing nationally. The former vice president has a commanding 20-point lead over Buttigieg, earing 28.4 percent of support to the mayor's 8.2 percent. In the early states, the space between the two aspirants is much narrower. In Iowa, where Buttigieg has surged in recent months, he tops polling averages at 22 percent. But Biden, who has focused the majority of his campaign strategy on winning more diverse areas, including South Carolina, is just behind Buttigieg at 18.8 percent, following an eight-day, 18-county bus tour there. In New Hampshire, it's a similar story. Buttigieg is approximately three points ahead of Biden there, earning 17.7 percent of support to the former vice president's 14.3 percent. Both of them trail Sanders, with 19 percent."I think Pete is worried he will lose voters to Biden," Liz Mair, a veteran Republican campaign operative, said simply. Still, other seasoned political hands offered a more optimistic end result for Buttigieg, who one former top campaign aide to Hillary Clinton said "isn't afraid to go on offense," suggesting that's a strategic advantage in a matchup against Trump. "The difference between what we are seeing from him and have seen from others in the past is that if he isn't the nominee, he will be at the front of the line to unite the party," the former Clinton aide said.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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| A daring escape: Ex-Nissan chief flees Japan ahead of trial Posted: 30 Dec 2019 07:39 PM PST  Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origin and holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian passports, disclosed his location in a statement through his representatives but did not say how he managed to get out of Japan, where he had been under surveillance. "I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan's legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold," the statement said. Speaking anonymously, prosecutors in Japan told Japanese media they did not know how Ghosn got out.
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| European Gas Prices Fall as Ukraine, Russia Deal Averts Crisis Posted: 31 Dec 2019 03:33 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- European gas and power prices extended declines after a last-gasp accord between Russia and Ukraine on natural gas flows averted a winter supply crisis.The two former Soviet allies late on Monday signed all agreements needed for flows to Gazprom PJSC's main markets in the west to continue for the next five years. Steady shipments from Europe's dominant supplier, coupled with record amounts of liquefied natural gas this year, mean that a glut of the fuel won't end anytime soon."There's no more transit risk," said Thierry Bros, an associate at Harvard University's Davis Center for Russian & Eurasian Studies. "We are in a world with a lot of LNG and piped gas and the Russians want to keep their market share in Europe."Benchmark Dutch gas prices dropped 0.7%, taking their record annual plunge to 44%. German power traded at its lowest level since May 2018.Natural gas flows are a key feature in the fraught relationship between Russia and Ukraine and getting a final deal done before the end of the year will appease energy traders across Europe. Supplies to the region have been cut twice during in the past 13 years at times of peak demand because of financial and political disputes between the two neighboring countries."After five days of non-stop bilateral talks in Vienna, final decisions have been taken and final agreements reached," Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexey Miller said in an emailed statement, adding that the package of agreements ensures that Russia ships gas via Ukraine beyond Dec. 31. The current transit deal expires on Jan. 1.QuickTake: How Russia and Ukraine Averted a European Gas CrisisDespite tense political relations, Ukraine remains the main export route for Russia's gas to Europe. The nation will earn at least $7 billion from the transit deal in the next five years, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a statement.The deal is a "good and important signal" for European supply security, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.For the European Union, which is targeting an unprecedented shift to a green economy, the accord means uninterrupted flows of a fuel that is less polluting than other fossil fuels such as coal or oil, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said in an interview."Gas is considered as a very important transitional fuel. For the coming years it will play a very important role in our strive to be a carbon-neutral economy by the mid-century," he said.Russia has been the EU's biggest, and often cheapest, energy supplier with Gazprom providing about 37% of region's fuel last year.Gazprom is seeking to reduce its reliance on Ukraine's Soviet-era pipeline network to ship its gas and is building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea directly to Germany. Work on that link, which had been planned to be completed this year, halted this month because of U.S. sanctions on the company laying it.Eastern European nations have been strongly opposed to Nord Stream 2 as it could allow Gazprom to cut off their supply while continuing to supply its main markets in western Europe."The imposition of the U.S. sanctions related to Nord Stream 2 project" facilitated the negotiations, said Andriy Kobolyev, the chief executive officer of Ukrainian national gas company Naftogaz JSC.The agreement built on the framework deal reached earlier in December with the help of European Union officials. The two nations have met all the pre-conditions outlined in that accord, including mutual legal issues, they said."The Ukrainian gas transportation system will be filled and that means energy security and welfare" for our citizens, Zelenskiy said.However, Naftogaz is not dropping its claims against Russia regarding its assets seized in the Crimea Peninsula annexed in 2014, the Ukrainian company said.The first bilateral talks between Zelenskiy and Russia's Vladimir Putin earlier this month added impetus to get the deals done. The leaders met during the so-called Normandy peace talks with France and Germany about the military conflict in eastern Ukraine. That meeting also accelerated the process of a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and two breakaway regions supported by the Kremlin.The Russian gas producer has paid Ukraine's gas company Naftogaz $2.9 billion, as awarded by a Stockholm arbitration court in 2018. In return, Naftogaz withdrew its $12.2 billion legal claim relating to transit. At the same time, the Ukrainian government approved an "amicable agreement" with Gazprom on canceling an antitrust claim that has reached about $7.2 billion.Legal ClaimsBoth companies have agreed not to start any new gas lawsuits against each other related to the current contract and to cancel all their current legal claims not subject to court rulings.Ukraine will reserve a pipeline capacity of 65 billion cubic meters for Russian gas next year and 40 billion cubic meters a year in 2021-2024, according to the protocol. These are the minimum volumes, while the actual transit can be higher, Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with RBC. There is also a "pump or pay" clause that ensures Ukrainian income, Naftogaz Chief Commercial Officer Yuriy Vitrenko said.Last year Gazprom sent 87 billion cubic meters via Ukraine, just shy of all the annual demand in Germany, Europe's biggest user of the fuel.The companies also agreed to consider transit through 2034. An extension may be on the same terms as the five-year deal, according to Ukraine's Energy Ministry.The package of the gas agreements does not include a deal on direct Russian gas supplies to Ukraine."Naftogaz noted Gazprom's interest in resuming gas supply to Ukraine" based on prices at the NetConnect Germany gas hub, the Ukrainian company said, confirming an earlier statement from the Russian producer.\--With assistance from Olga Tanas, Vanessa Dezem, Ewa Krukowska and Volodymyr Verbyany.To contact the reporters on this story: Dina Khrennikova in Moscow at dkhrennikova@bloomberg.net;Daryna Krasnolutska in Kyiv at dkrasnolutsk@bloomberg.net;Mathew Carr in London at m.carr@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: James Herron at jherron9@bloomberg.net, Lars Paulsson, John DeaneFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Jury awards $4 million to Disney Cruise worker Posted: 31 Dec 2019 01:07 PM PST  A Florida jury has decided that a Disney Cruise Line worker deserves $4 million from the company based on her claim that she got inadequate medical care from ship doctors after she was hit by a car during a port of call.
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| Hanukkah candles burn in Iraqi Kurdistan Posted: 01 Jan 2020 08:23 AM PST  Al-Qosh (Irak) (AFP) - In the glow of the nine-candled menorah, with kippa skullcaps on their heads and tallit prayer shawls around their shoulders, a small association is working to revive Hanukkah in Iraq. The country has been nearly emptied of its Jewish community amid regional conflicts and violence within its borders, but this year, the town of Al-Qosh hosted its first Hanukkah celebrations. Al-Qosh is a majority Christian town around 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Mosul, the former self-proclaimed "capital" of the Islamic State group (IS) in Iraq.
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