| Ex-US Treasury worker pleads guilty in Russia probe leak Posted: 13 Jan 2020 02:04 PM PST |
| AOC’s Reelection Campaign Keeps Half of All Donations to ‘Working-Class Champions’ PAC Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:48 AM PST  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's creation of a new progressive PAC to "elect working-class champions who have lived the hardships we seek to eliminate" funnels half of every donation to her own campaign.After accusing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee of "blacklisting" progressive candidates and refusing to pay $250,000 in dues to the organization, Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) framed the "Courage to Change" PAC as a progressive alternative to the DCCC."We are pushing the envelope in DC by rewarding those who reject lobbyist money, fight for working families,& welcome newcomers," she wrote on Twitter, making no mention of the fact that half of all donations go to her own campaign.> The rumors are true. Today we're announcing the Courage to Change PAC - and we need your help.> > We are pushing the envelope in DC by rewarding those who reject lobbyist money, fight for working families,& welcome newcomers.> > Change takes courage. Let's go: https://t.co/F01JmYaR7w> > -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 11, 2020Her campaign echoed the message. "We're paving a different path," it wrote in its first fundraising email. "The DCCC has been an entrenched tool in a system that blocks working-class candidates from running for office, and protects out of touch incumbents."The PAC's website says its goal is to "elect working-class champions who have lived the hardships we seek to eliminate — people who have experienced racial, economic, environmental, or social injustice firsthand."In fine print, it notes that donations will be split evenly between Ocasio-Cortez and the PAC's war chest, while an additional option allows for one to change the allocation, but not eliminate it.The Washington Post reported that as of Sunday afternoon, the PAC raised more than $107,000 from over 7,300 contributions since its launch on Saturday, potentially bringing in over $50,000 to Ocasio-Cortez's own campaign."There is a robust infrastructure set up to maintain and defend the Democratic majority, and to support moderate Democrats, and often that infrastructure is running against progressives in blue districts," said campaign spokesman Corbin Trent. "So what we're looking to do is to make sure that progressive candidates and incumbents have the support that they need to back policies that are going to improve the lives of everyday Americans."Ocasio-Cortez's campaign raised nearly $150,000 over the weekend, according to data it provided to the Post.In the third quarter, Ocasio-Cortez raked in over $1.4 million, the most of any Democrat in the House.
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| U.S. confirms 'avoidable' death of Egyptian-American Kassem in custody Posted: 13 Jan 2020 02:36 PM PST |
| Girl dead, boy missing after wave sweeps family out to sea on Oregon coast Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:08 AM PST |
| Death row inmate requests execution by firing squad instead of lethal injection Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:04 AM PST  A man on death row has filed a lawsuit in an effort to have himself executed by firing squad, rather than lethal injection.Michael Wade Nance, who shot and killed a man during a botched bank robbery in 1993, is due to be killed shortly.
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| Iran denies 'cover-up' as anger mounts over downed airliner Posted: 13 Jan 2020 02:00 PM PST  Iran denied a "cover-up" Monday after taking days to reveal an airliner was accidentally shot down last week, a disaster that sparked demonstrations and calls for a fully transparent investigation. The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 was brought down by a missile shortly after taking off Wednesday from Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board. Videos on social networks on Monday purported to show protests occurring in Iran for a third consecutive day, including at Tehran's Sharif University, with demonstrators apparently shouting slogans against the Islamic republic.
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| Potent winter storm turns deadly as it wreaks havoc across the Middle East Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:49 AM PST  An Afghan man removes snow from his shelter in Kabul, Afghanistan January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani A deadly winter storm brought severe impacts to millions of people from parts of the Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan beginning late last week and through the weekend.At least 54 people were killed by the combination of heavy snowfall, brutal cold and severe flooding in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to the Associated Press (AP).The storm got underway on Thursday with scattered showers and a few thunderstorms from eastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and far northern Oman into southern Iran.The heaviest rain arrived across the UAE, far northern Oman and southeastern Iran late on Friday and continued into Saturday.> dubairain tried all the ways to Sharjah Airport. Couldn't make it! pic.twitter.com/dJhOKWp1y4> > -- Onur Yalcin (@Onrylcn33) January 11, 2020Widespread rainfall totals reached between 25-75 mm (1-3 inches) from Thursday to Sunday across the Middle East.Dubai, UAE, reported 60 mm (2.35 inches) and Muscat, Oman, reported 42 mm (1.64 inches).This magnitude of rainfall caused severe flooding and widespread travel disruptions.Locations from Doha to Dubai and Muscat typically average 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) of rainfall for an entire year.Across the Persian Gulf, torrential rainfall caused flooding chaos and also resulted in at least one death, according to Iran Front Page.More than 1,000 people were rescued amid the flooding which has left some towns completely isolated due to inundated roadways.The worst flooding occurred in Sistan-Baluchestan province where 186 mm (7.32 inches) was reported. The yearly average total rainfall is only 119 mm (4.69 inches).CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPLocally heavy rainfall also spread across the lower elevations of Afghanistan and southwestern Pakistan through the end of the weekend causing significant flooding. In this Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, photo, people walk on a road during heavy snow fall in Quetta, capital of Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province. Much of the damage was caused in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province where Imran Zarkon, the head of provincial disaster management authority, said 14 people were killed in the past 24 hours because of collapsed roofs amid winter's unusual snowfall, which also blocked highways and disrupted normal life. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt) This storm also produced heavy snow across higher elevations from Iran into Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.At least 30 deaths have been reported in Pakistan due to the flooding and heavy snowfall.Eleven people died in Punjab province due to flooding while at least 16 people were killed in snow-related events across the country as many locations reported more than 30 cm (12 inches) of heavy wet snow which caused roofs to collapse.Multiple avalanches were also reported in northern Pakistan. The threat for avalanches will remain high into the middle of the week. People sit around a fire to warm themselves after a heavy snowfall in Quetta, capital of Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. Severe winter weather has struck parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, with heavy snowfall, rains and flash floods that left more than 40 dead, officials said Monday as authorities struggled to clear and reopen highways and evacuate people to safer places. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt) Severe cold weather is also a concern across Pakistan and Afghanistan.As of Saturday, frigid cold ushered into the area has been blamed for four deaths in Ghazni, Afghanistan.At least 24 totals deaths have been confirmed due to the winter storm in Afghanistan. The government added that 131 homes had been destroyed due to flooding in southern parts of the country, according to the AP.Improved weather is forecast for the region on Tuesday before another storm targets parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan with rain and snowfall late this week.
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| Here's Why George Patton Sent American Bombers To Attack A Hawaiian Volcano Posted: 12 Jan 2020 04:00 AM PST  A crazy plan.
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| Supreme Court rejects appeal in texting suicide case Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:05 AM PST  The Supreme Court on Monday left in place the conviction of a Massachusetts woman who sent her boyfriend text messages urging him to kill himself. Michelle Carter is serving a 15-month sentence after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 death of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III. A judge determined that Carter, who was 17, caused the death of the 18-year-old Roy when she ordered him in a phone call to get back in his carbon monoxide-filled truck that he'd parked in a Kmart parking lot. The phone call wasn't recorded, but the judge relied on a text Carter sent her friend in which she said she told Roy to get back in.
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| Senior police officer arrested in Kashmir on suspicion of aiding militants Posted: 12 Jan 2020 06:21 AM PST |
| Man rescued in Alaskan wilderness more than 20 days after fire destroys home, kills dog Posted: 12 Jan 2020 10:51 AM PST  Tyson Steele, 30, survived more than 20 days in the Alaskan wilderness after a devastating fire burned down his cabin and killed his beloved dog.
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| Former Cuban judge launches broadside against its government for imprisoning thousands on dubious charges Posted: 13 Jan 2020 10:03 AM PST  A former top judge from Cuba has taken the unprecedented step of joining a campaign to highlight the government's imprisonment of thousands of citizens on dubious charges. Edel González made an emotional appeal to Havana alongside campaigners in Madrid as they published documents that suggest around 11,000 people are in jail for "antisocial conduct." "I don't want to see blood on the streets of Cuba. I want peace but I am very afraid about the future," Mr González said in front of an audience including politicians from the Spanish and European parliaments. It is thought to be the first time a high-ranking member of Cuba's judiciary has spoken out in such a public way. Alongside Mr González, Javier Larrondo, a campaigner against the Cuban government who leads an organisation called Prisoners Defenders, revealed internal judiciary documents that show the country has the highest proportion of its population in the world behind bars, with a total of more than 90,000 inmates. According to the documents seen by The Telegraph around 11,000 Cubans are currently in jail because they have been deemed to have shown "antisocial conduct". This procedure does not require any specific offence to have been committed, and the conviction rate in highly summary trials is 99.5 per cent, according to the papers. "We believe hundreds or thousands of these 'antisocial' convicts are political prisoners," said Mr Larrondo, adding to the 126 Cuban political prisoners his NGO recognises officially. Mr González said most of those convicted in such procedures are individuals who have connections with criminal circles, but he believes they should have the right to a proper defence. The 41-year-old Mr González was a rising star of Cuba's judiciary until he was stripped of his post in 2018, accused of a series of what he calls trumped-up minor misdemeanours. He told the Telegraph he was fired because he found contradictions in cases brought against people considered undesirable by the regime on "an uncomfortable number of occasions". "I am expecting to return to Cuba, and I see no reason why I shouldn't as I am simply voicing the opinions I have heard from thousands of people," said Mr González, choking back tears as he said that his wife had urged him not to speak out. The office of the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, Spanish politician Josep Borrell, told The Telegraph it took note of Mr González's initiative. Cuba's international press centre was approached for comment.
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| 'Inequality in a nutshell': AOC says the Dow's record high is meaningless for many Americans Posted: 13 Jan 2020 03:34 PM PST  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued in a tweet on Saturday that a record high for the Dow Jones industrial average underlined the problem of stagnant U.S. wages and the wealth gap between investors and salaried workers.
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| Trump's argument for killing Soleimani is falling apart, and the president is being accused of telling Fox News more about the assassination than Congress Posted: 13 Jan 2020 03:35 AM PST  President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran threatened four US embassies, but top officials don't seem so sure.
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| Does China or America Have Better Missiles in the South China Sea? Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:00 AM PST  A new arms race?
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| Human Rights Watch Boss Says He Was Barred From Hong Kong Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:31 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The executive director of campaign group Human Rights Watch said Sunday that he was prevented from entering Hong Kong, where he intended to release a report critical of the Chinese government.Kenneth Roth said in a video posted on Twitter that he had planned to hold a news conference Wednesday to release the rights group's annual world report."I had hoped to spotlight Beijing's deepening assault on international efforts to uphold human rights," Roth said in a statement. "The refusal to let me enter Hong Kong vividly illustrates the problem."Roth added that Hong Kong officials told him repeatedly that they were barring him for immigration reasons. The Hong Kong Immigration Department said Monday that it doesn't comment on individual cases, but considers "all relevant factors and circumstances of the case before deciding whether the entry should be allowed or not."Last month, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country would impose unspecified "sanctions" against Human Rights Watch and several other U.S.-based pro-democracy organizations. Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, said on Monday that "allowing or not allowing the entry of certain people is China's sovereign right.""A lot of facts and evidence has proven that this NGO has supported the anti-China radicals in Hong Kong through various means," Geng told reporters. "They have a major responsibility for the chaos in Hong Kong. This NGO should be punished and should pay the price."Increased ScrutinyThe city's government has occasionally denied entry to public figures in recent years, mostly to human rights campaigners, journalists or politicians who have criticized China.Last year, Hong Kong denied entry to Dan Garrett, an author who had earlier testified on Hong Kong before the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, as well as former Philippine Foreign minister Albert del Rosario, who has been critical of Beijing's claims in the South China Sea.In 2018, Hong Kong also turned back Financial Times journalist Victor Mallet, who had been denied a visa renewal over an event he hosted at the city's Foreign Correspondents' Club, and a year earlier denied entry to British human rights campaigner Benedict Rogers.With Journalist's Ouster, China Draws New Red Line for Hong KongGroups like Human Rights Watch have increased scrutiny of Hong Kong during seven months of pro-democracy protests that have led to regular violent clashes between demonstrators and police. The protests continued Sunday, as thousands of people gathered in a square in Hong Kong's city center for a peaceful afternoon rally under the gaze of riot police who kept their distance from the event while patrolling the area.China has bristled at accusations that authorities have used excessive force in containing the protests and has rejected international criticism, accusing foreign governments like the U.S. of meddling in its domestic affairs.(Updates with foreign ministry statement in fifth paragraph)\--With assistance from James Amott.To contact the reporters on this story: William Shaw in London at wshaw20@bloomberg.net;Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Chris KayFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump Admin Walks Back Anti-MEK Memo Posted: 13 Jan 2020 04:07 PM PST  At whiplash speed, the State Department is walking back an order barring American diplomats from meeting with controversial Iranian dissident groups—including one close with Trump World allies and previously designated as a terror group, the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK). The initial memo, greenlit by a career State Department employee, angered Congressional Iran hawks. And the Department's move to change its guidance has drawn cheers from them. The first memo, first reported by Bloomberg and reviewed by The Daily Beast, included sober warnings against meeting with the MEK, pointing to its terrorist past and saying most everyday Iranians have a low view of the group. The memo also warned about interactions with the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, highlighting its attacks on Iranian military targets; and directed diplomats to get permission from State Department headquarters before meeting with members of an Azeri separatist group. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent out the memo on January 7, and it cautioned that meetings with these groups could undermine U.S. efforts to reach a deal with Tehran. Joey Hood, a senior career State Department official, approved the memo, according to the document The Daily Beast reviewed. But now, the memo is being overridden. The Daily Beast obtained a cable, sent to U.S. diplomats Sunday night, superseding the week-old directive. "Posts should welcome opportunities to meet with and learn from members of the Iranian diaspora community," said the cable, which explicitly noted it "supersedes" the January 7 missive. "After 40 years of repression and violence at the hands of the Ayatollahs, the Iranian people's pride in their history has not diminished nor has their resolve to celebrate it in the face of the Islamic republic's abuses." Rudy Giuliani Calls Former Iranian Terrorists 'My People'The cable went on to say that U.S. diplomats should consider hosting members of the diaspora for "Persian cultural events," while noting that "not all Iranian opposition groups' interests and objectives align with U.S. policy priorities." "While it is up to the Iranian people to determine the future course of their nation, the United States will continue to stand with them and echo their calls for justice and accountability," the cable said.While the new memo did not mention MEK or the other groups, it said diplomats should simply "use good judgement when receiving invitations or meeting with opposition groups" and should raise questions and concerns with senior State officials––an apparent revocation of the order that they only take such meetings with Foggy Bottom's explicit approval. State Department spokespersons did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the cable.Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani—who the MEK hired to help it get off the U.S. list of foreign terrorist groups and who recently called the group "my MEK people"—welcomed the reversal. "[The MEK] is very supportive of a free…Iraq. It's run by a great woman who is committed to ending suppression of women and in a non-nuclear Iran," the president's personal lawyer messaged The Daily Beast. "They were of great assistance to us during [the] Iraq invasion and are supported by a very non-partisan group of American former and present public officials."The MEK is close with several other hawkish Trumpworld figures, including retired Gen. Jack Keane and former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Giuliani's longtime friend and former law partner, is a pro bono adviser to the group's political wing. The group has a controversial past. For, among other things, its alleged role in assassinating three U.S. Army officers and three more civilian contractors, the MEK found itself on the American government's official list of foreign terrorist organizations. It's also been accused of acting as a death squad for the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. A 2009 Rand Corporation paper described the MEK's "near-religious devotion to [its leaders], public self-deprecation sessions, mandatory divorce, celibacy, enforced separation from family and friends, and gender segregation." The group and its allies vehemently deny all these charges. The fast-paced walk-back came after the initial State Department memo drew ire from Congressional Iran hawks. One noted that the memo went out to diplomats just days after a U.S. strike killed Soleimani, and as senior political officials at the State Department were presumably bracing for Tehran's retaliation. "It's a pretty significant 180 for State," said Christian Whiton, formerly a senior advisor to the Department under Presidents Trump and George W. Bush. "Even if it's worded diplomatically, it's not that common to have something issued and then rescinded almost immediately. And I think it just goes to show that the original statement was something done at a junior level that didn't have support or buy-in from senior political officials."It was the second time in recent months that Hood, the career official who greenlit the memo, angered Hill hawks. In Congressional testimony on December 4, he had a tense exchange with Sen. Ted Cruz about funding for the Lebanese government and whether that money went to Hezbollah. A transcript of the hearing indicates that Hood laughed in response to a question from Cruz; the episode left raw nerves. "They're undermining the president's policy when nobody's watching," said a Hill staffer for member pushing for a tougher policy toward Iran. Others, meanwhile, pointed to the reversal as the latest struggle by the Trump administration to clearly explain its stance on conflict with Iran. A Congressional staffer working on Iran policy and who favored the reversal noted that it comes as the administration has sent mixed messages on the legal basis for the Soleimani strike and the number of U.S. embassies threatened by Iranian-allied Shiite militias. "I think there's a lot of fog of war-type messages that have come out," said the staffer, who spoke anonymously to discuss the sensitive matter. "I think there's still a lot of fog of war."The State Department reversal, as reflected in the cable, comes as Pompeo and other U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper, have struggled to publicly articulate the U.S.' next steps after killing Soleimani and to reconcile their accounts of the intelligence that precipitated that strike.For years, the Trump administration had maintained a campaign of "maximum pressure," leveling crippling sanctions on Iran's economy in an effort to re-open talks with Tehran on a nuclear deal. Since the Soleimani strike, Trump administration officials have struggled to define the administration's Iran policy. Some have said the maximum pressure campaign always included a military option. Others say the U.S. has long communicated to the Iranians that if Tehran killed Americans, there would be military consequences.Now, it seems, the State Department is shifting its thinking on how to approach Iran on a diplomatic level following the Soleimani strike. In the hours immediately following the assasination, U.S. officials, in an attempt to de-escalate, described the hit as a warning and insisted that America was still interested in working with Iran on conversations about the nuclear deal. The U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook appeared on BBC World, saying that killing Soleimani was designed to "advance the cause of peace." Sunday's cable, meanwhile, will cheer Iran hawks––and frustrate Obama administration alums."There are at least two problems with this reversal," said Jarrett Blanc, a former Obama administration official who worked on Iran policy. "The first is that the policy is wrong. U.S. diplomats should not be meeting with MEK or its affiliates. They represent a dangerous cult. We should avoid all the mistakes of the Iraq war including being hoodwinked by purported diaspora opposition with no links at home. The second problem is that it reflects the total incompetence and chaos of this administration's policy making —to send out an instruction and less than a week later countermand it. They just don't know what they are doing."For years in the United States, lobbyists and advocates for the MEK have operated an aggressive, sustained, and successful campaign to have the group removed from the State Department's terror list, a move that was finalized in the Obama era. The organization's stateside backers also include Democratic figures such as retired Gen. Wesley Clark and Howard Dean, as well as attorneys Victoria Toensing and Joseph diGenova, two informal legal advisers to Trump.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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| 12 People Shot, 5 Killed in Single Day of Shootings in Baltimore Posted: 13 Jan 2020 03:19 PM PST  The shootings happened throughout the day, and in locations across the city.
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| 'Shouldn't have to marry a sugar daddy': Teachers, outraged over pay, rally in Florida capital Posted: 13 Jan 2020 03:21 PM PST  Florida is 26th in the nation for starting pay for teachers. Teachers rallied in Tallahassee Monday over their salaries and money for schools.
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| ‘Moderate’ Michael Bloomberg Is an Authoritarian Nightmare Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:33 PM PST  While discussing the Texas church shooting last week, Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg said that we "just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place.""It may be true — I wasn't there; I don't know the facts — that somebody in the congregation had their own gun and killed the person who murdered two other people, but it's the job of law enforcement to have guns and to decide when to shoot," Bloomberg said in Montgomery, Ala., on December 30, as reported by Conservative Review. "You just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place."Bloomberg is, of course, correct. Although the shooting at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement tragically took two lives, it could have been much worse had an armed, trained volunteer security guard not been there to shoot the gunman dead before he could do even greater damage.This incident was about as clear an example as you could get for how maintaining our Second Amendment rights can save lives — and, therefore, it might seem like a pretty odd thing to reference when you're arguing against gun rights. The Second Amendment, after all, worked in this case; people are alive because of it, and Bloomberg is going to say that he wished the situation had been different?It's truly shocking in terms of stupidity — but it's also par for the Michael Bloomberg course. It's hardly surprising for Bloomberg to have expressed such an unyielding stance on gun rights; he's been doing so for years.What's more, the right to self-defense is far from the only individual right that Bloomberg has a history of disrespecting. In fact, despite the fact that he's somehow managed to brand himself as a moderate choice, Michael Bloomberg's record is actually that of an authoritarian nightmare.Throughout his career, Bloomberg has repeatedly shown blatant disrespect for individual rights and civil liberties. The first thing that comes to mind is probably the way he tried to micromanage New Yorkers' food choices during his time as mayor. His most famous effort in this area, of course, was his failed attempt to protect us from drinking too much soda — but it wasn't the only one. During his time as mayor, he also launched a campaign called the "National Salt Reduction Initiative," reportedly even going so far as to compare the common ingredient to "asbestos."Bloomberg also has a pretty dismal record when it comes to allowing Americans the freedom to make their own decisions about marijuana use. In fact, according to CNN's DJ Judd, Bloomberg referred just last year to marijuana legalization as "perhaps the stupidest thing we've ever done." Now, to be fair, Bloomberg has (only) recently "evolved" on this issue: Last month, a campaign spokesman said that Bloomberg now "believes in decriminalization and doesn't believe the federal government should interfere with states that have already legalized" and that "no one should have their life ruined by getting arrested for possession." But this is, quite simply, too little too late. The conversation, after all, has progressed — with one of Bloomberg's primary opponents, Pete Buttigieg, openly professing a truly pro-freedom, pro-individual rights stance: Decriminalize them all.What's more, I actually find it astounding that Bloomberg's campaign spokesman would even have the balls to complain about people having their lives "ruined by getting arrested for possession." Bloomberg was, after all, a long-standing supporter of "stop and frisk" — which directly led to thousands of people being arrested for marijuana possession — and he remained one even as the truly totalitarian impacts of the policy were being reported. In fact, at the beginning of last year, he was still defending it. Of course, much like his stance on marijuana, his position on this issue has also conveniently "evolved" with his pursuit of the presidency; he apologized for the practice a couple of months ago.This is also, frankly, too little too late. For one thing, you'd have to be pretty stupid not to notice how his stances on these issues have conveniently just happened to "change" just in time for his presidential run. What's more, his "apology" does nothing to change the damage that stop-and-frisk has already done: People who got roughed up by police for no reason still live with that trauma, and people who were arrested for victimless crimes still had to live with those consequences.Worse, Bloomberg's support of stop-and-frisk isn't the only example of him demonstrating a complete disregard for the Fourth Amendment. No — he's also supported the secret surveillance of U.S. citizens. Under his mayorship, the NYPD was secretly spying on Muslim Americans, and Bloomberg defended it as being necessary to "keep this country safe." The truth? The NYPD has since admitted that the program did not lead to discovering even a single terrorism plot. For this one, Bloomberg has yet to apologize.With several members of the Democratic party (including multiple Democratic candidates) openly promoting socialist policies, a businessman like Bloomberg might seem like a nice choice. But as bad as a socialist president would be for the country (and it would be bad), I can't say that I see an established authoritarian as a great choice, either — our individual rights and civil liberties are too important.
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| Plea for New Zealand to house fire-threatened koalas Posted: 12 Jan 2020 05:45 PM PST  Thousands of people have signed a petition for koalas to be introduced to New Zealand to escape Australia's devastating bush fires, but the proposal has been given the thumbs down by officials. A group calling itself the Koala Relocation Society said koalas were "functionally extinct in Australia" but could thrive in New Zealand which has nearly 30,000 hectares planted in eucalypts. There have been estimates of up to a billion koalas and other animals affected by the fires raging across Australia and there are concerns about how the survivors will cope given the loss of vegetation.
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| Trump a dangerous, irresponsible narcissist who bombed Soleimani to distract from impeachment, Canadian CEO says Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:05 AM PST  Donald Trump's decision to assassinate Qassem Soleimani was rooted in the US president's narcissism and designed to distract voters from his impeachment, a furious Canadian corporate leader has said.Michael McCain, the chief executive of meatpacking firm Maple Leaf Foods, said one of his employees had lost his wife and 11-year-old son in the downing of a Ukrainian Airlines passenger jet on 8 January, following "a needless, irresponsible series of events" instigated by Mr Trump.
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| Experts made safe two WWII bombs in Germany Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:50 AM PST  Two World War II-era bombs were made safe in the western German city of Dortmund after about 14,000 people were evacuated, the city said Sunday. Officials there warned on Saturday that unexploded bombs dropped by Allied forces during the war might be buried in four sites in a heavily populated part of the city center.
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| Zimbabwe's president meets visiting Chinese foreign minister Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:09 AM PST  Zimbabwe's president Emmerson Mnangagwa praised his country's relations with China on Monday, after meeting the Asian giant's foreign minister Wang Yi, who was visiting as part of an African tour to promote China's economic and political interests on the continent. No details of major investment deals were announced, although Vice President Constantino Chiwenga on Sunday asked Wang to support projects submitted to him by Zimbabwe.
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| 30 Bathroom Storage Solutions to Satisfy Your Inner Neat Freak Posted: 13 Jan 2020 08:05 AM PST |
| U.S. Sanctions Venezuela’s Parra Over National Assembly Rift Posted: 13 Jan 2020 11:37 AM PST |
| The Trump administration is warning allies to stay away from Huawei — but not everyone's listening Posted: 13 Jan 2020 05:38 AM PST  The US has been lobbying allies like the UK and Germany to reject Huawei's 5G technology with mixed success.
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| Here’s 5 things you should know about the US Navy’s plans for big autonomous missile boats Posted: 13 Jan 2020 03:14 PM PST  Here's everything you need to know about the Navy's effort to field a large unmanned surface vessel and what's ahead in 2020.
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| Iran agrees de-escalation 'only solution' to solve crisis with US Posted: 12 Jan 2020 09:07 PM PST  Iran has signalled it favours a de-escalation after 10 days of heightened tensions with the United States during which both sides fired missiles and Tehran accidentally shot down a passenger aircraft. Security was stepped up in Iran's capital Sunday after a vigil the previous night for those killed in the air disaster turned into an angry protest and police temporarily arrested the British ambassador for being there. US President Donald Trump warned Iran against harming demonstrators and against a repeat of a deadly crackdown against rallies in November sparked by a fuel price hike.
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| Tom Steyer had a rough endorsement interview with The New York Times Posted: 13 Jan 2020 10:05 AM PST  There are many ways to describe Tom Steyer's interview with The New York Times — the same interview every presidential candidate is going through in hopes of receiving the paper's 2020 endorsement. And with the billionaire ending his interview admittedly "upset," well, "rough" might just be an understatement.Steyer, the oft-donor to Democratic politicians, starts the interview on a less-than-perfect note. He's asked about "policy breakdowns that have led to there still being Americans who are hungry today," and meets it with an "um." It's an admittedly tough question, and Steyer says he'll start by discussing "where people are living" before stumbling to "young people." He eventually recovers to discuss the charitable program he built with his wife.Things get a little snippy when Steyer is asked if "running for president is the best use of your wealth?," given that the money he's planning to spend on his campaign could fund an estimated five Senate campaigns. "As I'm sure you know since you work for The New York Times and have done your research," Steyer testily begins before describing his voter registration effort NextGen America.By the end of the interview, Steyer is admittedly "upset" after being asked what he'll likely "fail at as president." He says he's trying to "make sure I keep my temper" and "keep my self-discipline because otherwise I'm going to get very mad," but then calls the Times a "fancy newspaper" that talks to "fancy people," suggesting it's out of touch with what's happening "around this country." Steyer then declares "I'm not sitting here just running my mouth," and the interview ends before the Times can even ask about his tie.More stories from theweek.com More sources are confirming Sanders told Warren a woman can't be president, saying they heard it directly from Warren Bernie Sanders fires back on CNN report saying he told Elizabeth Warren a woman can't be president: 'Ludicrous' White House expects Republican senators to join Democrats in vote to call impeachment witnesses
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| North Korea's Military Is Huge, And It Would Be A Nightmare For America To Fight Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:28 AM PST  So let's try talking.
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| Design of AR-15 could derail charges tied to popular rifle Posted: 13 Jan 2020 10:10 AM PST  A subtle design feature of the AR-15 rifle has raised a technical legal question that is derailing cases against people who are charged with illegally buying and selling the gun's parts or building the weapon. For decades, the federal government has treated a mechanism called the lower receiver as the essential piece of the semiautomatic rifle, which has been used in some of the nation's deadliest mass shootings. Federal law enforcement officials, who have long been concerned about the discrepancy, are increasingly worried that it could hinder some criminal prosecutions and undermine firearms regulations nationwide.
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| U.S. troops describe 'miraculous' escape at Iraqi base attacked by Iran Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:29 PM PST  Troops at the Iraqi air base that bore the brunt of Iran's first direct missile attack against U.S. forces said they were shocked by its intensity and grateful to emerge unscathed.
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| Exclusive: India urges boycott of Malaysian palm oil after diplomatic row – sources Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:54 AM PST  Indian palm oil importers have effectively stopped all purchases from top supplier Malaysia after the government privately urged them to boycott its product following a diplomatic spat, industry and government sources said. The warning, issued last week, comes almost in parallel with New Delhi's move to restrict imports of refined palm oil and palmolein after Malaysia's Prime Minister criticised India's actions in Kashmir and its new citizenship law. Consequently, Indian importers were not buying any crude or refined palm oil from Malaysia, at least five industry sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
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| Iraq in Talks to Purchase Russian Missile Defense System amid Soleimani Fallout Posted: 13 Jan 2020 10:06 AM PST  The Iraqi ambassador to Iran said on Monday that the country is in negotiations to purchase the Russian S-300 missile defense system.Iraq has sought to purchase such a system from Russia since 2017, but has been held back by pressure from the U.S. Turkey has purchased the S-400 system from Russia, a move that caused considerable tension between the country and the Trump administration."It's possible that Iraq will buy the [S-300] system," said Iraq's ambassador Saad Jawad Qandil, adding that it was part of a push to diversify the country's military.The killing of Soleimani "clearly shows the need for Iraq to improve its air defenses," said Igor Kurushchenko, a member of the Russian defense ministry general council, in comments to The National, a Dubai-based outlet. "Iraq must be able to protect itself from missiles fired from the US and Iran."The negotiations continue after the U.S. airstrike at Baghdad International Airport on January 2 that killed senior Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. The strike came just days after Soleimani orchestrated a violent riot outside the American embassy in Baghdad and, according to administration officials, was timed to prevent an "imminent attack" on U.S. forces in the region.In response to the strike, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has repeatedly called for U.S. forces to leave the country. The U.S. State Department has dismissed Mahdi's proposal.The Iraqi Parliament passed a non-binding resolution on January 5 calling for all foreign troops to leave Iraq, but almost half of the body's lawmakers didn't show up to the vote, including representatives of Sunni Arab and Kurdish voters.The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, signed by President Trump in 2017, allows the U.S. to impose sanctions on countries that complete "significant transaction[s]" with Russian defense bodies. Iraq is currently bound by a strategic agreement to the U.S. that allows the American military to maintain a significant presence in the country.
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| The True Aim of the Gun Sanctuary Movement Posted: 13 Jan 2020 05:30 AM PST |
| China's latest move in its Uighur crackdown is forcing Muslims to redecorate their homes to make them look more Chinese Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:16 AM PST  The US estimates China has up to three million Uighur people in internment camps camps, where those who left speak of torture and medical experiments.
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| Trudeau cites US ratcheting up tensions with Iran in plane's downing Posted: 13 Jan 2020 04:10 PM PST  Victims of an Iran-downed jetliner would still be alive if not for a recent escalation of tensions partly triggered by the United States, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday. "I think if there were no tensions, if there was no escalation recently in the region, those Canadians would be right now home with their families," Trudeau said in an interview with Global television, according to a transcript shared with other media. Long-standing US-Iran tensions have soared since January 3 when missiles fired from a US drone killed a top Iranian commander, Qasem Soleimani, near Baghdad's airport.
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| As we enter the fourth year of the Trump era, let's remember: this is still not normal Posted: 13 Jan 2020 02:30 AM PST  Trump hopes that his dangerous, self-serving actions will be normalized by sheer force and volume. We must push back After three years of dangerously and unnecessarily escalating tensions with Iran, Donald Trump rang in the new year by creating a crisis that almost started a war with Iran – and still very well could.As we enter the fourth year of Trump's presidency, it is more necessary than ever to remind ourselves daily: this is not normal.The list of despicable domestic actions by Trump that must not be normalized is long – from the policy separating migrant children from their parents and detaining them in cages to the president's call for his critics to be investigated or jailed.And while Trump's foreign policy in 2017 and 2018 was shocking – including regular praise for dictators Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un, for instance – 2019 was the year that Congress and the American people finally had enough. The Ukraine scandal made crystal clear Trump's unprecedented and dangerous assault on national security norms and led to his impeachment. But the extortion of Ukraine for personal gain was far from the only national security norm that Trump attacked in 2019.In 2019, Robert Mueller's report outlined in extensive detail how Trump's 2016 campaign asked for and received Russia's help in attacking his campaign opponent. While the story of Trump's collusion with Russia has gone on so long that it can sometimes seem to have faded into the background of the national consciousness, the 448-page Mueller report should be treated every day like the bombshell it is – the story of how Trump worked with a foreign power to win an election.In 2019, the American people also learned that Trump's attempts to get foreign help to further his political interests extend beyond Russia. In addition to Ukraine, Trump also asked China to help smear his political rival.In 2019, Trump also attempted to circumvent Congress to fund his border wall by taking money from the military and sending US troops – who are not supposed to be deployed on US soil – to the border.In 2019, Trump's administration formally began the process to remove the US from the Paris climate agreement. Unless we get our act together, humanity will look back on America's withdrawal from this global effort as unforgivable. This is not normal: while climate is too often treated in Washington like a policy disagreement, Trump's actions must be seen for the shocking disregard of reality that they reflect. One of the president's top priorities should be tackling the existential threat of climate change, not denying its existence and adopting policies that will make it worse.In 2019, in both Afghanistan and Syria, off-the-cuff interventions by Trump shattered delicate, hard-fought progress and undermined national security. In the 18th year of America's war in Afghanistan, and after months of talks, the president blew up a potential deal with the Taliban in a moment of haste. And in Syria, after years of American troops fighting side by side with Kurdish partners against Isis, Trump gave the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the green light attack the Kurds as American forces abandoned them.And while it almost seems like a joke, in 2019 the president of the United States cancelled a trip to visit a US treaty ally – Denmark – because the country would not sell him Greenland.Trump also continued to attack people because of their race, ethnicity and religion in ways that erode the very model of America as a welcoming, tolerant and diverse society. He told members of Congress (who of course are Americans) to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came". He repeatedly accused people of being antisemitic and questioned their national loyalties because they do not blindly support the dangerous policies of the Israeli government. And he encouraged the Israeli government to prevent two members of Congress from visiting Israel. The list goes on.None of this is normal. These actions go far beyond policy disagreements. They are not only disturbing and unbecoming the office of the president – they undermine the democratic values America embodies, and damage America's national security.Trump hopes that his offensive and dangerous actions are normalized by the sheer force and volume of them. He obfuscates, gaslights and lies – in his three years in office has made more than 15,000 false or misleading claims, according to the Washington Post.As 2020 begins and Trump teeters on the edge of starting a war with Iran, it is a stark reminder that America no longer knows what it's like not to be at war – roughly a quarter of Americans have only been alive while America has been fighting a war. This should not be normal – but sadly America has already begun to treat it like it is.We may not be able to dedicate the same level of outrage or oversight to every single one of Trump's despicable actions. But we cannot allow them to be seen as normal, and we must push back on them all.
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| Lebanon’s Air Force to arm newly refurbished AB 212 helicopters Posted: 13 Jan 2020 08:34 AM PST  The Lebanese Air Force has refurbished an Agusta-Bell AB 212 helicopter as part of a proof of concept, and will now begin a five-year project to revive the fleet with five operational helicopters.
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| Lawyers ask Georgia panel to spare condemned man's life Posted: 13 Jan 2020 08:30 AM PST  Lawyers for a Georgia man set to be executed this week want the state parole board to convert his sentence to life without the possibility of parole, arguing that's what the jury would have chosen if given the chance. Jimmy Fletcher Meders, 58, was convicted of murder and sentenced to die for the October 1987 killing of convenience store clerk Don Anderson in coastal Glynn County. The board is the only authority in Georgia that can commute a death sentence.
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| Forget Midway: The Battle Of Saipan Sealed Japan's World War II Fate Posted: 12 Jan 2020 07:30 AM PST  "Hell is upon us."
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| Microsoft CEO Nadella says saddened by India's citizenship law: BuzzFeed Posted: 13 Jan 2020 02:16 PM PST  "I think what is happening is sad, primarily as sort of someone who grew up there... I think it's just bad," Nadella told https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pranavdixit/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-harshly-criticizes-indian-law BuzzFeed at a Microsoft event in Manhattan. Nadella grew up in Hyderabad, a technology hub in India that is home to the biggest Microsoft research and development center outside of the United States.
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| Wisconsin judge holds officials in contempt for defying voter purge Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:39 AM PST  A Wisconsin judge found the state's elections commission and its members in contempt after he ordered the state in December to immediately remove 209,000 voters from its rolls.
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