| Trump reportedly authorized the Soleimani strike 7 months ago, throwing a wrench through his argument that there was an 'imminent threat' Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:25 AM PST  US officials told NBC that Trump approved a US military strike against Soleimani if Iran killed in American back in June of 2019.
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| How Seriously Should Trump Take North Korea's 13,000 Artillery Pieces? Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:00 AM PST  Here's what we know.
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| Harsh weather kills 70 more people in Pakistan, Afghanistan Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:41 AM PST  Severe winter weather has claimed more lives as avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall killed 55 people in Pakistan-administered Kashmir while 15 died in neighboring Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday. The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir was the worst-affected area, with 55 deaths in the past 24 hours, said Waseem Uddin, a spokesman for Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority.
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| Mexico Doesn’t Know What to Do With Its Presidential Dreamliner Posted: 14 Jan 2020 11:40 AM PST ![Mexico Doesn't Know What to Do With Its Presidential Dreamliner]( "Mexico Doesn't Know What to Do With Its Presidential Dreamliner") (Bloomberg) -- A state-of-the-art $130 million presidential Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner is becoming a headache for the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.Mexico is flying back the luxurious aircraft from California after failing to sell it for over a year, Lopez Obrador said Tuesday in his daily press conference, adding that they are rethinking options to get rid of the plane that he has deemed as too ostentatious.AMLO, as the Mexican president is known, put the Dreamliner on the block right after his inauguration in December 2018, choosing to fly commercial airlines instead to make a point about his frugal government style. The plane was flown to a Boeing hangar in Victorville, where the government has been paying maintenance and rent fees while trying to sell it.A dozen potential bidders surfaced last year but no deal was closed, Jorge Mendoza, chief executive officer of state bank Banobras, which is overseeing the sale process, said at the same conference. The plane has a market value of $130 million, Mendoza said, down from the $219 million that Mexico agreed to pay when it ordered it in 2012.Read More: Mexico Set for Loss on AMLO Sale of $219 Million DreamlinerLopez Obrador said he even offered the plane to U.S. President Donald Trump and agreed to receive goods in exchange, to no avail."We give them the plane, they can pay us in kind. We need X-rays, ambulances, tomographs, laboratories," he said. "We didn't get an answer."The government is now open to renting the plane or splitting ownership among 12 holders, AMLO said, urging Mexicans to make offers for the plane and other aircraft, including helicopters and Gulfstreams, that the government is auctioning. In the meantime, the Air Force will keep the Dreamliner in custody.AMLO has repeatedly criticized the purchase of the plane as too lavish for the leader of a country with millions living in poverty. The president, who has yet to make his first international trip as head of state, also recently argued that the aircraft is too big and expensive for his traveling schedule, given that he can reach most locations in Mexico in less than two hours with commercial flights.\--With assistance from Lorena Rios and Andrea Navarro.To contact the reporter on this story: Cyntia Barrera Diaz in Mexico City at cbarrerad@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| U.S. targets Maduro-backed legislator and allies in fresh Venezuelan sanctions Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:27 AM PST  The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on seven Venezuelan politicians it said led a bid by President Nicolas Maduro to wrest control of the country's congress from U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido. Earlier this month, troops blocked Guaido from entering congress long enough for the Socialist Party to declare allied legislator Luis Parra as head of parliament. Washington blacklisted Parra and six of his allies "who, at the bidding of Maduro, attempted to block the democratic process in Venezuela," U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
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| The unintended consequences of Taiwan standing up to China Posted: 13 Jan 2020 11:43 AM PST  A popular parable attributed to Taoism by Alan Watts goes something like this:A farmer's horse runs away. His neighbor commiserates at his loss, but the farmer demurs: "who knows if it is good or bad?" The neighbor leaves, puzzled how there could be any question.The next day, the horse returns with a new wild horse as its mate. The neighbor congratulates the farmer on his good fortune that a second horse had come into his possession. But the farmer demurs again: "who knows if it is good or bad?"Sure enough, the next day, the farmer's son is thrown from the saddle while breaking the wild horse, and breaks his leg. The neighbor commiserates again on his son's injury, but as expected, the farmer demurs: "who knows if it is good or bad?"And of course, the next day the army marches through to draft all the able-bodied men to go off to war, and the farmer's son is only spared because of his injury.You can take the story for as many turns as you want: any apparently bad news can lead to good fortune, and any apparently good news can lead to bad consequences.I've been thinking about that story apropos of the Taiwanese election.President Tsai Ing-wen's landslide re-election seems like unequivocally good news. Voting took place in the shadow of increasingly overt attempts at intimidation by Beijing, and the months of protesting in Hong Kong that demonstrated as clearly as possible that "one country, two systems" was a hollow promise — particularly when Chinese President Xi Jinping explicitly suggested Hong Kong as the model for Taiwan's future. Xi deserved a strong rebuke to his bullying, and he got one.But that doesn't mean the message will be received as intended. It's all but certain that Beijing will never willingly change their view that Taiwan is a renegade province that must be incorporated into China proper. What is harder to tell is whether Xi's increasingly personalized dictatorship is capable of softening its approach and biding its time, which is the only plausible path to peaceful unification.What are the other possibilities? First, China could redouble its efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and pressure it economically. Taiwan has become quite integrated with the Chinese market over the past two decades, and one of Tsai's main priorities has been to seek alternatives to China for their supply chain. But Beijing could get more aggressive about trying to stymie those efforts, while also forcing Taiwanese firms that continue to do business with the mainland to side with China in America's ongoing trade war.How would Taiwan react to a further tightening of the screws? It's possible that they would reverse course and try to accommodate Beijing — but it's far more likely that they would redouble their own efforts to break out of that isolation. In the context of the great unwinding of America's relationship with China, Taiwan may find opportunities with the United States (and Japan). It's not hard to imagine, though, how China would view such moves, even if they were not accompanied by anything as provocative as a declaration of independence.Finally, there is the threat of war. At present, any military threats Beijing might make are largely idle; it is not clear that they have the capacity to subdue the island militarily. But as China's modernization proceeds, their confidence that they could achieve their military objectives will increase. In the context of deteriorating relations and an ever-stronger independent national identity on the island, it might eventually make sense for Taiwan to risk war while they still have a chance of winning.Ten years ago, it was possible to look at the Taiwanese situation and predict that China would eventually prevail through patience and the sheer preponderance of power. That is harder to believe today, as China has become increasingly threatening, and as its economic miracle has grown increasingly brittle. Ten years ago, it was also possible to look at Sino-American competition as part of a classic power transition, with the challenge being how America would manage China becoming the dominant power of the western Pacific without war. That is also much harder to believe today. As explicit great power competition has re-emerged, Taiwan has become a fault-line state, a place China cannot afford to relinquish lest its own regime lose legitimacy, but that America cannot afford to abandon lest its own position in Asia collapse.Today, we should celebrate Tsai's election as a triumph for democracy in a time when democracy could use some triumphs. But tomorrow, we should remember the many ways in which happy news can turn sour, and far more quickly than we might imagine.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com The Senate is preparing an 'unprecedented crackdown' on Capitol reporters ahead of impeachment Bernie Sanders' appraisal of a woman's 2020 chances isn't shocking. It's conventional wisdom. What happens when women translate the Classics
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| Florida's 'Python Bowl' brings hundreds together for one goal: Catching huge snakes Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:50 AM PST  Hundreds of people registered for the Florida Python Challenge to capture invasive snakes in the Everglades in a 10-day event.
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| How Iranians pivoted from condemning the US to dramatic protests against their own government after officials shot down a commercial plane Posted: 14 Jan 2020 11:02 AM PST  Anti-government tensions have been building since November, and protestors have taken aim at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with Trump's support.
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| 'Clearly He's Not Actually Washing.' Grandma Puts Baby to Work Doing Dishes Because Being a Baby Is Not a Free Ride Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:45 AM PST  Don't all infants wash spoons?
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| World War III Won't Start Over Iran, But It Could Start Thanks To North Korea Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:00 PM PST  Let's not test it.
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| Mueller Witness Nader Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charge Posted: 13 Jan 2020 03:16 PM PST ![Mueller Witness Nader Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charge]( "Mueller Witness Nader Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charge") (Bloomberg) -- George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman whose name appeared 125 times in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from his June arrest for possession of child pornography.Nader also admitted to transporting a 14-year-old boy into the U.S. to have the child engage in criminal sexual activity. He entered his plea Monday before U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, avoiding a trial that had been set for Monday and then postponed until March 2.Nader's plea resolves just one set of criminal allegations against him. Additionally, he was indicted last month in federal court in Washington for his role in a $5.3 million illegal campaign finance scheme. He pleaded not guilty in that case on Dec. 13.In the Alexandria case, Nader pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of transportation of a minor boy for purposes of illegal conduct. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years when sentenced on April 10, though sentences for federal crimes are usually less than the maximum penalties.The plea is part of an agreement Nader struck with prosecutors. The terms of the deal weren't immediately made public.Read More: Mueller Witness Charged in $5.3 Million Campaign Finance SchemeNader reserved the right to appeal the trafficking charge, which dates back to 2000, as beyond the statute of limitations, according to a report by the Associated Press.Nader's attorney, Jonathan Jeffress, didn't immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.A senior adviser to United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, Nader gained notoriety in Mueller's report as the arranger of a clandestine January 2017 meeting in the Seychelles between Trump campaign surrogate Erik Prince and Kirill Dmitriev, who heads a Russian sovereign wealth fund. Prince is the brother of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The report described Dmitriev as closely tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin.Nader had "developed contacts with both U.S. presidential campaigns during the 2016 election and kept Dmitriev abreast of his efforts to do so," the special counsel reported. "According to Nader, Dmitriev said that his and the government of Russia's preference was for candidate Trump to win, and asked Nader to assist him in meeting members of the Trump campaign," though Nader didn't do so until after the election.Read More: Mueller Witness Nader Faces New Child Pornography ChargesNader and seven other people -- including Ahmad "Andy" Khawaja, chief executive officer of the online payment processor Allied Wallet Ltd. -- were charged with making campaign contributions in other people's names, both to disguise the source of those funds and to evade federal limits on political gifts by individuals. Khawaja hasn't answered the charges.A resident of Dubai, Nader has been in federal custody since his June arrest at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The evidence underpinning the initial charges against him was discovered after his arrival on another international flight, at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, in January 2018. Agents then had a warrant to search any electronic device stemming from a matter they said in June was unrelated to child porn.Nader was found to be in possession of three mobile phones, including one with dozens of videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, the FBI said in a June affidavit supporting his arrest warrant.Nader pleaded guilty to similar charges in Virginia in 1991.The case is U.S. v. Nader, 19-cr-201, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria).(Updates with news of plea agreement and with background in second and third sections)To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Harris in federal court in Washington at aharris16@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter JeffreyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Deputy prime minister calls Japan a nation with single race Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:45 AM PST  Japan's deputy prime minister described the country as the only one in the world with a single race, language and 2,000-year-old monarchy, sparking criticism that he was ignoring an indigenous ethnic group and Japanese racial diversity. Taro Aso, who is also finance minister and one of most influential lawmakers in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, has made a series of remarks in the past deemed insensitive and discriminatory. "No other country but this one has lasted for as long as 2,000 years with one language, one ethnic group and one dynasty," Aso said in a speech Monday.
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| Peru to deport tourists for allegedly damaging, defecating at Machu Picchu Posted: 14 Jan 2020 03:01 PM PST ![Peru to deport tourists for allegedly damaging, defecating at Machu Picchu]( "Peru to deport tourists for allegedly damaging, defecating at Machu Picchu") Peruvian police said on Tuesday they would deport five tourists and prosecute another after they allegedly damaged stonework and defecated among the ruins at Machu Picchu, an Incan citadel that is one of South America's most renowned tourist attractions. Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site visited by more than one million tourists a year. The mysterious, centuries-old stonework has long intrigued visitors, but a spike in tourism has raised concerns about damage to the delicate site.
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| Australia's bushfires are producing so much smoke that NASA expects it to travel all the way around the world and return to Australia Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:46 AM PST  NASA said the smoke from the fires devastating Australia had already traveled "halfway around Earth" last week, reaching South America.
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| Iran announces arrests in 'painful and unforgivable' downing of Ukrainian passenger jet Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:55 AM PST  Iran's judiciary announced Tuesday that "extensive investigations have taken place and some individuals are arrested" in connection with last Wednesday's rocket attack on a Ukrainian International Airlines flight leaving Tehran. Iran's Revolutionary Guard admitted Saturday that it had accidentally shot down the plane, killing all 176 people on board, after mistaking it for a U.S. missile. Iranians have been in the streets protesting the government's initial cover-up. The majority of passengers on the plane were Iranian and Canadian.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested in a televised speech that "the judiciary should form a special court with a ranking judge and dozens of experts," because after this "painful and unforgivable" mistake, "the entire the world will be watching this court." Rouhani said the military's acceptance of responsibility was "a first good step," but "the responsibility falls on more than just one person" and those found culpable "should be punished."More stories from theweek.com The Senate is preparing an 'unprecedented crackdown' on Capitol reporters ahead of impeachment Bernie Sanders' appraisal of a woman's 2020 chances isn't shocking. It's conventional wisdom. What happens when women translate the Classics
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| Pompeo says Iraqi leaders privately want US troops Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:07 PM PST  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged Monday that Iraqi leaders have told him privately they support the US troop presence, despite public appeals for them to leave. The Iraqi parliament last week voted to rescind the invitation to foreign troops after a US strike at the Baghdad airport killed a top general from Iran, which also has wide influence in the country.
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| FIRE! The Zumwalt-Class Stealth Destroyer Is Getting a Big Redesign Posted: 12 Jan 2020 07:00 PM PST  The old concept already costed $22 billion.
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| Body of missing Ohio teen found in neighbor’s chimney 'appears to be an accident,' police say Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:01 PM PST  The body of Harley Dilly was found in the chimney of a vacant house, and his death appeared to be accidental, Port Clinton police said.
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| Austrian BASE jumper rescued from side of Thai cliff Posted: 13 Jan 2020 05:14 AM PST  An Austrian BASE jumper was rescued in southern Thailand on Monday after being stuck for hours almost 200 meters (yards) above the ground when his parachute became snagged on the rocky side of a cliff. Nearby residents of Phattalung province spotted 28-year-old Johannes Grasser dangling by his parachute cords at about 8:30 a.m. BASE jumping stands for building, antenna, span and earth — the four common objects from which such jumpers launch their descent.
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| China Faces Stepped-Up Calls to Slash Trade-Distorting Subsidies Posted: 14 Jan 2020 05:42 AM PST ![China Faces Stepped-Up Calls to Slash Trade-Distorting Subsidies]( "China Faces Stepped-Up Calls to Slash Trade-Distorting Subsidies") (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. China came under greater international pressure to reduce industrial subsidies after the U.S., Europe and Japan agreed to push for stronger World Trade Organization rules against market-distorting government aid.The top trade officials of the U.S., the European Union and Japan struck a deal on Tuesday in Washington to expand the kinds of subsidies prohibited by the WTO. The announcement came on the eve of a planned signing ceremony at the White House for phase one of a U.S.-China trade deal, which doesn't address Beijing's support for domestic companies that compete internationally.The subsidies accord -- a breakthrough after years of deliberations -- targets Chinese practices that have been a source of growing tensions between China and the rest of the world including the U.S., the EU and Japan.This "is an important step toward addressing some of the fundamental issues distorting global trade," EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said in a statement. The accord "is also a symbol of a constructive strategic collaboration between three major players."Trade TruceThe joint initiative may signal a path for de-escalating international commercial tensions triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war against China, curbs on imports from the EU and assault on the WTO system.The Trump administration is gearing up for negotiations with China on a second-phase trade accord following the initial deal due to be signed on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the EU is scrambling to bolster the multilateral trade order underpinned by the WTO by seeking to address U.S. concerns.Under the agreement among the U.S., the EU and Japan, the list of subsidies unconditionally outlawed by the Geneva-based WTO would be broadened to cover:unlimited guaranteesaid to ailing businesses that have no credible restructuring plansupport for companies unable to obtain long-term financing or investment from independent commercial sources operating in industries in overcapacitysome direct forgiveness of debtIn addition, the deal would make it harder for countries to justify a range of other types of subsidies by reversing the burden of proof. The subsidizing nation would have to show that the aid in question has no serious negative trade effects.Broader SupportIf ultimately enacted, the agreement could represent the most significant upgrade of the global trade rulebook in more than a decade.Currently, about 64% of global exports must compete with subsidized rivals, according to researchers at the Global Trade Alert, which tracks global subsidies. In 2017, that trade would have been worth $11.3 trillion.Ultimately, the U.S., EU and Japan want to win support for their deal among a group of like-minded WTO members so it can become a wider agreement. That would allow members to sidestep a WTO requirement that all accords must be made by a consensus among its 164 members.A key question is how to win over China.Since 2001, China's steel production capacity has grown by more than 500% and now accounts for more than half of global output of the metal, the U.S. said during a 2019 WTO meeting in Geneva. In the aluminum sector, four of the world's top five recipients of government support are Chinese companies, according to a 2019 OECD report.Trump administration officials have pledged to tackle the issue in phase two of their trade talks with Beijing.\--With assistance from Shawn Donnan.To contact the reporters on this story: Bryce Baschuk in Geneva at bbaschuk2@bloomberg.net;Nikos Chrysoloras in Brussels at nchrysoloras@bloomberg.net;Jonathan Stearns in Washington at jstearns2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Murray at brmurray@bloomberg.net, ;Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, ;Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Zoe SchneeweissFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Ex-U.S. Treasury employee pleads guilty to leaks linked to Russia probe Posted: 13 Jan 2020 02:17 PM PST ![Ex-U.S. Treasury employee pleads guilty to leaks linked to Russia probe]( "Ex-U.S. Treasury employee pleads guilty to leaks linked to Russia probe") A former U.S. Treasury Department employee on Monday pleaded guilty to leaking confidential documents relating to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and others to a reporter from digital media company BuzzFeed. Natalie May Edwards, who was a senior adviser in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), entered her plea to a single conspiracy charge before U.S. District Judge Gregory Woods in Manhattan. Edwards, 41, admitted that she disclosed so-called suspicious activity reports, which are submitted by banks to alert law enforcement to potentially illegal transactions, to a reporter without authorization using an encrypted messaging program.
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| Get the Vibrant Look of This Southern California Residence Posted: 14 Jan 2020 05:00 AM PST |
| Taal Volcano in the Philippines Has a History of Deadly Eruptions. Here's What Could Happen Next Posted: 14 Jan 2020 03:09 AM PST  The eruption sending a plume ash and steam half a mile into the sky on Tuesday
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| Destroying China's South China Sea Island Bases In a War Might Not Be So Easy Posted: 13 Jan 2020 05:55 AM PST  Expert: "Effectively neutralizing China's bases would require hundreds of missiles, emptying the magazines of valuable U.S. platforms that don't have ordnance to spare."
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| Man caught a 350-pound fish believed to be at least 50 years old Posted: 13 Jan 2020 11:43 AM PST  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently posted a photo on Facebook of a 350-pound Warsaw grouper that a man caught off the coast at the end of December.
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| In separation of church and state, which institution is being protected? Posted: 14 Jan 2020 08:46 AM PST  Quebec has banned some public workers from displaying religious symbols on the job, prompting debate over what needs more protection, church or state.
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| Why Andrew Yang Has Endured While Traditional Democratic Candidates Have Not Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:27 AM PST  At one point, nearly 30 men and women had entered the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. As of this week, only a dozen of them remain. Among those who have exited the contest are three sitting U.S. senators, five current or former U.S. representatives, and three governors. Among those still standing is an entrepreneur whom nobody in the political world had ever heard of until early last year: Andrew Yang, the only non-politician left in the race aside from Tom Steyer, the billionaire hedge-fund manager bankrolling his own campaign.Why has Yang succeeded where so many more-experienced Democrats failed? In a sea of candidates whose rhetoric offers only familiar, talking-point-laden jargon, Yang sticks out like a sore thumb, and that's to his advantage. He built his campaign from the bottom up, starting with no political experience or name recognition to speak of and rising from there chiefly by embracing his status as a little-known outsider.Likely because he faced a stiff challenge in gaining any public attention at all, Yang began his campaign willing to go anywhere and talk to anyone, and he remains that way even after having outlasted half the field. His first chance in the spotlight came last February, when he joined Joe Rogan's immensely popular podcast for a two-hour chat.This was a preview of things to come for Yang. Embodying one of his slogans, "Not Left, Not Right, Forward," he hasn't shied away from granting access to conservative outlets. He did a lengthy interview on The Ben Shapiro Show last April and, later that month, gave a lengthy interview to National Review. As I noted in the resulting profile, my conversation with him gave me an immediate sense of why his campaign was already resonating with voters, especially younger ones who had never before been interested in politics:> Talking to Yang is like talking to your undergraduate economics professor in office hours as he tries to find a way to communicate with students who were too bored to pay attention the first time he explained something in class. He thinks he gets it, and he wants you to get it, too.In other words, Yang is unconventional, and that's the secret to his success. He talks like a person, not a politician, and he talks to voters as if they're people, not potential votes.Just this morning, for instance, amid the brewing spat between Senators Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), Yang tweeted, "Watching this Elizabeth – Bernie dynamic is upsetting. We have big problems to solve and both want to solve them. I'm sure that's where they would want our attention focused too."While other Democratic campaigns likely would be paralyzed with indecision at the sight of two front-runners dragging each other into the mud — either remaining cautiously silent or gaming out a detailed strategy for a precisely worded, carefully evasive comment that might redound to the benefit of their own polling numbers — Yang just says what he thinks.The core of his platform, the "Freedom Dividend" — a universal basic income of $1,000 per month for every American adult — is an excellent example of how Yang's routine willingness to flout customary political tactics has contributed to his rise. When Yang announced during the September debate that his campaign would give away $1,000 per month for a year to ten American families, he was met with audible laughter from several contenders on stage, including California senator Kamala Harris. Four months later, Harris is out of the race, and Yang is still standing.Yang's ability to come across as less programmed than his opponents is apparent in nearly everything he does. Last month, for instance, he announced that anyone who donated any amount to his campaign would be entered for a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles to see the newest Star Wars movie with Yang after the debate. "Yes I am that candidate," he acknowledged in the tweet, followed by a smiley face and a thumbs-up emoji.What I wrote in my profile of Yang last April is still true: He won't be the Democratic nominee. But several of the things he told me at the time have been proven true as well:> "Most Americans are still going to be finding out about me when they watch these debates," he goes on. "They're going to see me. They're going to Google me. They'll be like, 'Who's that guy?'" He pauses to chuckle at his own comment. "Then the more people dig into my vision for the country, the better I'm going to do."Given that he's managed to stick around longer than many veteran politicians whose campaigns were boosted by constant media acclaim, it seems that Yang was right.
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| U.S. Army green berets admit to stealing $200,000 in counter-terrorism cash Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:58 AM PST ![U.S. Army green berets admit to stealing $200,000 in counter-terrorism cash]( "U.S. Army green berets admit to stealing $200,000 in counter-terrorism cash") Former Sergeant First Class William Chamberlain, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and receiving stolen government property in federal court in North Carolina on Monday after having fought the charges for years, prosecutors said. Four other soldiers, who like Chamberlain were from the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and served in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty in 2014 while Chamberlain planned to defend himself at trial.
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| James Murdoch Slams Fox News and News Corp Over Climate-Change Denial Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:40 AM PST  In a long-simmering rift between factions of the Murdoch family over climate change, Rupert's younger son, James, and his activist wife, Kathryn, are attacking the climate denialism promoted by News Corporation, the global media group, and also by the Fox News Channel overseen by James' older brother, Lachlan."Kathryn and James' views on climate are well established and their frustration with some of the News Corp and Fox coverage of the topic is also well known," a spokesperson for the couple exclusively told The Daily Beast as wildfires rage in Australia."They are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among the news outlets in Australia given obvious evidence to the contrary." The extraordinary public rebuke from Kathryn and James—who is the CEO of Lupa Systems, a private investment company he founded—comes as Australia has been ravaged by the worst fires seen in decades. The blazes have claimed 27 lives and destroyed thousands of properties across multiple states, with an estimated 1 billion animals feared dead. News Corp Australia dominates the country's media landscape, publishing more than 140 newspapers and employing 3,000 journalists in print, broadcast, and online.Blame Rupert Murdoch for Trump Calling Journalists 'Enemies of the People'What Rupert Wrought: The 10 Scariest Bits From the NYT's Murdoch OpusOne longtime News Corp executive, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, described the comments by James, who continues to sit on the board of News Corporation, and Kathryn as an intentional attack on Lachlan and Rupert. "They are pissing inside the tent and that's unusual. It's evidence of how high tensions are within the family over climate change. The majority of people who work here agree with James. We are hoping this may be the tipping point," the exec said.Critics say Murdoch's Australian newspapers and his television networks have continued to publish stories and opinion pieces that dismiss widely accepted science about climate change.On Nov. 24, as fires were already burning in Australia, News Corp columnist Chris Kenny wrote in The Australian newspaper, "Hysterical efforts to blame the fires on climate change continue, even though we have always faced this threat and always will."A day later, News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt wrote in The Herald Sun: "Let's assume you're silly enough to think global warming is causing worse bushfires around the world. (In fact a recent NASA study found that the area burned by fire has dropped 24 percent over 18 years.)… True, the world has warmed slightly as it rebounds from the little ice age that stretched from 1300 to around 1870, but can we cool it on this panic? In that time of warming, life expectancy has shot up, world grain crops have set new records, and the death rate from extreme weather has been slashed by 99 percent."On Jan. 6 on Fox News, contributor Raymond Arroyo—speaking on The Ingraham Angle about Golden Globes winners warning about climate following the Australian fires—said, "They just arrested 12 people in Australia for those fires and they were blaming it on climate change. Wrong again!"Two nights later, host Laura Ingraham referred to it as a "climate-change flameout" and said that "celebrities in the media have been pressing the narrative that the wildfires in Australia are caused by climate change" while again hosting Arroyo, who added: "This is incomplete reporting, Laura. Though Australia has had the highest temperatures on record—the driest season ever—it's not correct to say climate change caused these wildfires."Other Murdoch family members were less forthcoming to share their views of News Corp's coverage of climate change. When contacted by The Daily Beast, Elisabeth Murdoch hung up after being quizzed on the issue. In 2011, News Corp bought Elisabeth's TV production company, Shine Group, for $673 million.Wendi Deng, the mother of Murdoch's two youngest daughters, Chloe and Grace—and who divorced Rupert in 2013—told The Daily Beast, "I can't talk about this," when reached by phone. Prudence Murdoch, Rupert's first child, who resides in Australia, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. On Wednesday, The Daily Beast contacted a representative for Lachlan and Rupert requesting comment on James' statement and asked about both men's position on climate change but received no response. The Beast followed up with a query asking if Lachlan or Rupert planned on donating money to bushfire relief efforts.Late Thursday, it was announced Lachlan and his wife, Sarah, had pledged $1.4 million (A$2 million) to bushfire recovery efforts. Lachlan and Sarah recently splashed out $150 million on a mansion in Bel Air, California, the second most expensive residential property sale in the United States.On Monday, News Corp announced that it will donate $3.5 million (A$5 million) to bushfire relief. Rupert, whose net worth is estimated by Bloomberg News to be in excess of $7 billion, and his wife, Jerry Hall, pledged $1.4 million (A$2 million)."It is clear that confronting the bushfire disaster in Australia requires both an immediate response and an ongoing investment in rebuilding the lives and livelihoods of those most affected by the fires across the country," Rupert said in a statement. James and Kathryn have long been passionate about the environment and have both spoken publicly in the past about the dangers of climate change. In 2008, Kathryn joined the Clinton Climate Initiative and later served on the board of the Environmental Defense Fund. In 2014, the couple founded the Quadrivium Foundation, an organization that invests in a range of programs tackling issues that include electoral interference and climate change. "There hasn't been a Republican answer on climate change," Kathryn told The New York Times. "There's just been denial and walking away from the problem. There needs to be one."Rupert Murdoch Attacks Scientology Because It Once Courted His Son LachlanThe couple have also donated to the Anti-Defamation League, Unite America, and to Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign.After 21st Century Fox was sold to Disney for $71 billion last year, James used his $2 billion windfall from the sale to found Lupa Systems, a tech and media investment company that has thus far acquired stakes in Vice Media, the Tribeca Film Festival, and a comic-book publisher. Last year he told The New Yorker, "There are views I really disagree with on Fox." His father was forced to address the climate issue at News Corp's annual general meeting in New York in November, following a question delivered via proxy from Australian shareholder activist Stephen Mayne. The questioner asked, "What do you believe is the global role of News Corp in the geopolitical climate? If you do believe in climate change, Mr. Mayne is interested to hear why News Corp gives climate deniers like Andrew Bolt and Terry McCrann so much airtime in Australia?""There are no climate-change deniers around, I can assure you," Murdoch Senior responded while also touting that the company had "reduced our global carbon footprint by 25 percent, six years ahead of schedule."In an interview with The Daily Beast, Mayne, a longtime Murdoch critic, said there were numerous examples of News Corp journalists and commentators who promote climate denialism in print and on air. "Within the Australian division, there are individuals who are obsessed with climate-change denialism such as Andrew Bolt and Terry McCrann, both of whom are 30-year veterans of the company and are close to Rupert and Lachlan. The failure here is a failure to intervene to withdraw the green light for unhinged denialism within the Australian division," he said."It entirely comes down to Rupert and Lachlan. They are equally conservative and fully on board with everything from Fox News to climate-change denialism."According to an account published by The New York Times, Lachlan was impressed by the way Bolt aggressively questioned Al Gore after he presented a slideshow on climate change at a News Corp retreat in California in 2006. "Clearly, James was the one who persuaded his father in 2007 to embrace climate-change action, but his father doesn't actually believe it and nor does Lachlan," Mayne added."There's been a long-term rivalry and disagreements between Lachlan and James, and Lachlan has won in a sense as he's stayed and he's a chip off the old block like his climate-denying dad," he said.Last week, a News Corp staffer based in Australia, Emily Townsend, sent a damning all-staff email addressed to News Corp Australia Executive Chairman Michael Miller. "I have been severely impacted by the coverage of News Corp publications in relation to the fires, in particular the misinformation campaign that has tried to divert attention away from the real issue which is climate change to rather focus on arson (including misrepresenting facts)," she wrote."I find it unconscionable to continue working for this company, knowing I am contributing to the spread of climate-change denial and lies. The reporting I have witnessed in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, and Herald Sun is not only irresponsible, but dangerous and damaging to our communities and beautiful planet that needs us more than ever to acknowledge the destruction we have caused and start doing something about it." The email was quickly deleted from News Corp employees' inboxes.In response, Miller defended the companies' coverage. "News Corp stands by its coverage of the bushfires. The dedication and professionalism of our journalists and photographers have kept the community—particularly those Australians affected directly—informed and supported."We respect Ms. Townsend's right to hold her views, but we do not agree with them."Our coverage has recognized that Australia is having a serious conversation about climate change and how to respond to it. However, it has also reflected there are a variety of views and opinions about the current fire crisis."A rep for News Corp didn't respond to James and Kathryn's remarks. A rep for Fox News declined to comment. Mayne believes News Corp stands at a moment of reckoning, but it may be too late to correct course. "We haven't had this situation before of a massive disaster with the company being internationally slammed for climate denialism and a key family member calling out the appalling coverage in Australia," he said. "They are so all into a 'do nothing' position that they will look stupid if they pivot. It ultimately comes down to the family—it's an internal dispute within the family. Rupert hates giving in to the left."On Saturday, The Australian, the company's national masthead, printed an editorial defending the paper's coverage and lashing out at competitors who have questioned its editorial stance. "In our coverage, The Australian's journalists report facts about how to tackle bushfires and about how to deal with the impact of climate change. Second, we host debates reflecting the political division that exists in Australia about how to address climate change without destroying our economy," the editorial stated."However, our factual account of bushfires, climate change, and the remedies, as well as our editorial commentary on these issues, have been willfully and ineptly misrepresented by The New York Times and Guardian Australia as climate denial."—with additional reporting by Justin BaragonaRead 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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| How Libya Became the Ultimate Proxy Conflict Posted: 14 Jan 2020 03:06 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.Once again, a U.S.-backed toppling of a longstanding dictator has led to a power vacuum and widespread violence that's been exploited by a revolving door of militant groups.The scenario that unfolded in Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion is replaying in Libya, where warring factions are battling for control of the capital, Tripoli.The conflict has killed more than 2,000 people, forced tens of thousands to flee and opened up the oil-rich country to traffickers of African migrants to Europe. It's been a mess since NATO helped oust dictator Moammar Qaddafi in 2011.The latest attempt to secure a negotiated end to the war — by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides — failed when military commander Khalifa Haftar left Moscow yesterday without signing a deal.It comes at a delicate moment for mainly Muslim areas of north and west Africa. Fighters allied to Islamic State and al-Qaeda are moving through Libya to carry out attacks in a wide area.French and UN forces have been unable to stem the tide. With anti-French sentiment growing, President Emmanuel Macron yesterday coaxed West African leaders into publicly backing his nation's intervention.But as long as the fighting in Libya continues, militants there can use it as a staging post to spread violence across ever greater swathes of Africa.Global HeadlinesIowa debate | The stage will be smaller, the spotlight brighter and the stakes higher for the seventh Democratic presidential debate tonight in Des Moines — the last before the Iowa caucuses next month. Six candidates — Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Tom Steyer and Amy Klobuchar — will gather for a televised event that comes amid growing rifts between and within the party's moderate and progressive flanks.Cory Booker announced yesterday he was ending his campaign, vowing in a text message to supporters to "never abandon my faith in what we can accomplish when we join together."Making nice | Donald Trump's administration has lifted its designation of China as a currency cheat, saying the nation has made "enforceable commitments" not to devalue the yuan and has agreed to publish exchange-rate information. It follows a bruising three years of tit-for-tat tariffs and comes as the U.S. and China are set to sign a phase-one trade agreement tomorrow that's expected to include a commitment from Beijing to respect American intellectual property.Chinese President Xi Jinping is exuding confidence on the eve of the trade deal signing.Trial prep | With his impeachment trial expected to begin next week, Trump has yet to settle on either his defense strategy or the team that will represent him in the Senate. The president has sent conflicting signals about key aspects of the trial, including how long it should last and whether witnesses should testify, Jordan Fabian and Josh Wingrove report. The House is likely to vote tomorrow on impeachment managers named by Speaker Nancy Pelosi.Huawei decision | Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted his government will let Chinese tech giant Huawei supply some equipment for the U.K.'s 5G broadband networks, even in the face of strong pressure for a ban from the U.S. While Washington says intelligence-sharing could be at risk, British officials argue there's nothing the U.S. knows about the company that Britain does not. Despite Trump's backlisting, Huawei broke into the top 10 recipients of U.S. patents last year, helping propel China to the fourth spot. Rivals circling | Angela Merkel is batting away the next generation of German conservatives as they vie for the spotlight toward the end of her long chancellorship. But despite speculation she might be forced out early — this time by Markus Soeder, the head of her Bavarian sister party — Merkel is holding firm, and recent polls suggest she's still the most popular politician after 14 years in power, Patrick Donahue and Arne Delfs report.What to WatchIran has arrested a number of people allegedly linked to the Jan. 8 downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet, and the country's president called on the judiciary to form a special court and fully investigate the disaster. Johnson faces his first battle of Brexit's next stage, after the European Commission warned that a trade deal this year must include a fisheries accord. The European Union's new trade chief, Phil Hogan, will be in Washington for the next three days and is due to meet U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and other officials amid frayed ties.Tell us how we're doing or what we're missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally ... The former chairman of one of China's bad banks has confessed to taking millions of yuan in bribes which he kept in metal cabinets in a Beijing apartment he nicknamed "the supermarket." Such revelations are becoming more commonplace as President Xi tightens his grip on power, broadening his seven-year corruption crackdown into the nation's boardrooms. \--With assistance from Rosalind Mathieson and Samer Al-Atrush.To contact the author of this story: Karl Maier in Rome at kmaier2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Kathleen HunterFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump news – live: President shares disturbing Iran tweets amid fresh Soleimani killing details, after claiming impeachment articles should be ‘dismissed outright’ Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:09 AM PST  Donald Trump has retweeted what appears to be an image of a dead body and a meme of senior Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer dressed as Muslims as he continues to lash out over the Iran crisis and his upcoming Senate impeachment trial.The president reportedly first approved the assassination of Quds commander Qassem Soleimani back in June 2019, according to a new report, further clouding the administration's claim that it faced an "imminent threat" against four of its embassies in the Middle East from the late general.
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| The Reason Why China Refuses to Use Nuclear Weapons First in a War Posted: 13 Jan 2020 09:00 AM PST  Is No First Use a good idea?
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| A man got locked inside a 24 Hour Fitness and his confused selfies are going viral: 'Doesn't the name suggest they stay open 24 hours?' Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:53 AM PST  Not all 24 Hour Fitness gyms are open 24 hours. A Utah man learned this the hard way when he got locked inside and had to be rescued by local police.
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| 29 bodies unearthed from Mexican mass grave Posted: 14 Jan 2020 09:54 AM PST  The bodies of at least 29 people have been unearthed from a mass grave on a property outside Mexico's western city of Guadalajara, local authorities said Monday. The grim site was discovered in Jalisco -- a state hard-hit by violence linked to organized crime, and the same area where authorities have found a total of 80 bodies since November. The local prosecutor's office said that four of the dead had been partially identified and corresponded with open missing persons investigations.
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| Witness recalls panic after children swept to sea in Oregon Posted: 13 Jan 2020 12:53 PM PST  Joanne Cornelius had just finished taking photos of the breathtaking waves and extreme high tide outside her home on the Oregon coast when a frantic woman pounded on her window and asked her to call 911. The boy's body has not been found, and the U.S. Coast Guard has stopped searching for him. The father, Jeremy Stiles, 47, survived and is recovering from hypothermia at a hospital.
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| El Salvador's top Anglican bishop urges U.S. to not deport son Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:34 PM PST  The top Anglican bishop of El Salvador has urged the United States not to deport his son back to the troubled Central American nation, fearing brutal gangs who have threatened to murder the 34-year-old for refusing to work for them. Bishop David Alvarado said his son, Josue Alvarado, hopes to be granted asylum in the United States or Canada. "If he returns, the gangs will go after him again," Bishop Alvarado said.
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| I Want to Ride This Whale Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:32 PM PST  At last, the beastly Airbus BelugaXL has hit the skies. Let's take a closer look at the absolute unit.
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| U.K. Standoff Over Scottish Independence Rumbles On With Brexit Posted: 14 Jan 2020 04:45 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- As the U.K. prepares to put more than three years of uncertainty behind it when it leaves the European Union this month, a standoff over the country's constitutional future only looks more intractable.On Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon's demand to hold another independence referendum in the wake of Brexit. Sturgeon responded by saying that his position was "not politically sustainable" and that her government in Edinburgh would continue to agitate for a vote.Scotland wants to remain in the EU and Sturgeon's Scottish National Party won 48 out of 59 districts in Scotland at last month's election, a result she said reinforced her mandate to give Scots the chance to choose their own path. In a letter Johnson refused to transfer the power to hold the vote, saying that Scotland already opted to stay in the U.K. in a 2014 referendum that all parties had agreed was a "once in a generation" event."The people of Scotland will get the right to decide our own future in an independence referendum," Sturgeon said. "The Westminster union cannot be sustained without consent. Democracy will prevail. The only question is how long it will take the Tories and the rest of the Westminster establishment to accept that inevitability."The tension between Scotland and England, which came together to form Great Britain in 1707, is set to rumble on as Johnson seeks a quick trade deal with the EU and Sturgeon heads toward a Scottish Parliamentary election next year determined to put the issue of full autonomy back to the people.The problem for Johnson is that the question over Scotland isn't going to go away anytime soon, though his emphatic election victory in December means he can afford to play the long game. For Sturgeon, the challenge is to maintain pressure on the U.K. government in London after ruling out anything other than a legal, internationally recognized referendum.To contact the reporter on this story: Rodney Jefferson in Edinburgh at r.jefferson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Alex MoralesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, face fresh criticism after royal crisis summit Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:57 AM PST  Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, faced fresh criticism on Tuesday in the wake an emergency royal summit to discuss their withdrawal from frontline royal duties. British newspapers raked over Monday's meeting at which Queen Elizabeth II agreed to allow them to split their time between Canada and the U.K.
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| Under siege, are Iran’s rulers likely to do more than survive? Posted: 14 Jan 2020 09:16 AM PST ![Under siege, are Iran's rulers likely to do more than survive?]( "Under siege, are Iran's rulers likely to do more than survive?") After Tehran shot down the Ukrainian airliner and covered it up, the stunning admission sent outraged Iranians back into the streets.
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| The North Korean Army's 105th Armored Division: Kim's Secret Weapon? Posted: 14 Jan 2020 05:10 AM PST  Kim has more dangerous tools than nukes at his disposal.
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| Hardline Hindus protest huge Indian Jesus statue Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:16 AM PST  Hundreds of Hindu activists affiliated to India's ruling party rallied on Monday to protest a planned Jesus statue that will rival Rio de Janeiro's Christ The Redeemer for size. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long been accused of intolerance towards other religions and of wanting to remould officially secular India as a Hindu nation, which it denies. The protests in the southern state of Karnataka were led by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP's hardline parent organisation, and others clutching saffron flags as around 1,000 police stood by.
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