| Barr offers skepticism on Giuliani's offer of info on Bidens Posted: 10 Feb 2020 08:56 AM PST  "We have to be very careful with respect to any information coming from the Ukraine," Barr told reporters on Monday.
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| DNC chair says party will 'absolutely' have a conversation about the future of Iowa's leadoff status Posted: 09 Feb 2020 09:08 AM PST  Iowa might be knocked from its perch next election cycle.Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday the Democratic Party will have a "conversation" about Iowa's role as the first state to vote in the primaries going forward after the 2020 Democratic caucus turned chaotic, suggesting it may move down the lineup in the future.> .@jaketapper: "Is Iowa about to lose their first-in-the-nation caucus status?"> > DNC Chair Tom Perez: "Well, that's the conversation that will absolutely happen after this election cycle" https://t.co/KHdSVpS1Eh CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/xgaGtZlce7> > — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) February 9, 2020But Perez acknowledged there's not much he can do about the state's decision to hold a caucus instead of a primary. "One of the challenges and the reason we didn't do that in our most recent conversation about this is that you need to pass a state law to have a state-run primary," Perez said during his appearance on State of the Union. "There are some states that still have caucuses where I'm not sure the Republican governor would sign the law to have the election."More stories from theweek.com Why Amy Klobuchar would win by subtraction For better pasta sauce, throw away your garlic America needs to stop its natural gas pipeline mania
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| NYPD protesters to mayor: Don't blame us for attacks on Bronx officers Posted: 10 Feb 2020 10:26 AM PST  Criminal justice activists in NYC lashed out at the mayor and police commissioner for linking weekend attacks on officers to recent protests.
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| Philippines moves to shut down top broadcaster Posted: 10 Feb 2020 01:45 AM PST  Philippine government lawyers moved Monday to strip the nation's biggest media group of its operating franchise in what campaigners branded a fresh attack on press freedom under President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte has repeatedly pledged he would stop the broadcast operations of ABS-CBN, which drew his anger during his rise to power in the 2016 presidential election campaign. The solicitor general's petition filed with the nation's top court alleges ABS-CBN violated provisions of its 25-year operating franchise.
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| Latest on the spread of the coronavirus as death toll hits 908 Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:08 AM PST  China's National Health Commission said on Monday that the death toll has risen to 908, as employees began trickling back to offices and factories around China after the government eased some restrictions on work and travel.
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| North Korea’s Secret Coronavirus Crisis is Crazy Scary Posted: 10 Feb 2020 12:41 AM PST  SEOUL–North Korea's not saying a word about deaths or illnesses from the coronavirus, but the disease reportedly has spread across the border from China and is taking a toll in a country with a dismal health care system and scant resources for fighting off the deadly bug.From Lobsters and Steak to Coronavirus: One Couple's Surreal Cruise NightmareOne sure sign of the regime's fears is that it failed to stage a parade in central Pyongyang on Saturday, the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the country's armed forces. Last year, Kim Jong Un himself presided over the procession that displayed the North's latest missiles and other fearsome hardware along with goose-stepping soldiers in serried ranks.This year, nothing about the nation's nuclear warheads, much less the "new strategic weapon" that Kim has vowed to unveil. Rodong Sinmum, the newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party, merely cited the armed forces' supposed success combating "severe and dangerous difficulties"—and said nothing at all about the parade.But reports have filtered out about Kim's subjects falling prey to coronavirus despite the country's decision to seal its 880-mile border with China, most of it along the Yalu River into the Yellow Sea to the west, and its 11-mile border with Russia where the Tumen River flows into the Pacific.Among the first to report fatalities in North Korea, the Seoul-based website Daily NK said five people had died in the critical northwestern city of Sinuiju, on the Yalu River across road and rail bridges from Dandong, which is the largest Chinese city in the region and a key point for commerce with North Korea despite sanctions.Daily NK, which relies on sources inside North Korea that send reports via Chinese mobile phone networks to contacts in China, said authorities had "ordered public health officials in Sinuiju to quickly dispose of the bodies and keep the deaths secret from the public."The victims had crossed the porous Yalu River border despite orders to cut off traffic from China as the disease radiated from the industrial city of Wuhan where the virus originated in December. As of Sunday, more than 700 people had died inside China.One of the first patients in North Korea reportedly was hospitalized in Sinuiju "with symptoms similar to a cold and was given fever reducers and antibiotics," said Daily NK, but the patient died as the fever rose. Two more patients died two days later in another hospital in Sinuiju and another two in a nearby town.North Korea's worries about an epidemic are all the more intense because of its shortage of basic medicine and equipment. As cases mount, authorities are working feverishly to contain a disease that, if unchecked, could undermine Kim's grip over his 25 million people, most of whom live in poverty worsened by hunger."Because health conditions and health care in North Korea are so bad," said Bruce Bennett, long-time analyst at the Rand Corporation, "they cannot allow the replication process to develop without severe intervention"—that is, they have to take drastic steps to keep the virus from spreading fast.The country has just streamlined a headquarters to coordinate operations, Rodong Sinmun reported, marshaling 30,000 workers to combat the epidemic.The Coronavirus Whistleblower Died a Martyr for Free Speech in ChinaBesides blocking international traffic, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported the headquarters had ordered tests for everyone entering the capital city of Pyongyang by road and for anyone who had traveled outside the country. Foreigners working in Pyongyang, including those with diplomatic missions or non-governmental organizations, were banned temporarily from venturing outside for shopping. Even so, with hospitals and clinics largely bereft of needed supplies other than those serving the elite in the capital and elsewhere, a certain desperation was evident in the state media. Rodong Sinmun warned that "the fate" of the country was at stake, according to Yonhap, the South Korean news agency."North Korea lacks a vaccine or medical abilities," said Bennett,"so they have to act by preventing the disease from coming into North Korea." The point is to "rapidly contain any leakage—exactly what they are trying to do by preventing people-to-people contacts."That's virtually impossible, however, as long as people move illicitly across the border, carrying on low-level commerce in the need to survive a decrepit system. JoongAng Ilbo, a leading South Korean newspaper, cited anonymous source saying that a woman had been diagnosed in the capital and that all those with whom she had had contact had been quarantined.Unlike in China, North Korea officially has denied any cases while attempting to get people to cooperate in stopping the spread of the disease. JoongAng Ilbo quoted a North Korean health official, Song In Bom, as having called on North Korean TV for "civil awareness" and unity in dealing with the disease while assuring his audience there had so far been no cases."I believe absolutely nothing of what I'm hearing from Pyongyang," said Evans Revere, a former senior U.S. diplomat who specializes in North Korean issues."It simply defies credibility that a country with a grossly inadequate public health infrastructure and a malnourished population, a country that depends on China for some 90 percent of its trade, and a country that had until recently opened itself up to a major influx of Chinese tourists in order to earn foreign exchange has avoided having a lot of victims," said Revere. "The total closure of the border and other measures Pyongyang has taken reflect a real sense of emergency in the North about the threat."In fact, he went on, "I can't help but think it may also reflect panic if the number of patients is growing."Indeed, "the coronavirus arguably poses a unique threat to North Korea," wrote Victor Cha and Marie DuMond of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington in an article in Beyond Parallel, which is published by CSIS."The regime's relative isolation from the international community hinders the widespread penetration of many diseases from abroad," they wrote, but "the porous nature of the border with China and frequent travel is a clear vector for the virus' transmission." Thus, "If there are reports of the virus inside of North Korea, we should expect that the virus would spread rapidly given the state's inability to contain a pandemic."By now, it may be too late for North Korea to stamp out all signs of the disease."Several suspected coronavirus infections have occurred in North Korea even though it shut all its borders," said Chosun Ilbo, South Korea's biggest-selling newspaper, citing anonymous sources. "The infections most likely spread through porous parts of the border with China that see plenty of smuggling and other clandestine traffic," said the paper, reporting suspected cases among those "engaged in smuggling between the North and China." "Bottom line," said Steve Tharp, who's been analyzing North Korean affairs as both an army officer and civilian expert for many years here, "the coronavirus has tightened up sanctions enforcement more than any other measure over the years because the North Koreans are actually self-enforcing the sanctions, against their will, through the tight closing of their borders in order to save the regime from being wiped out by this human pandemic coming."North Korean leaders, said Tharp, "understand very well that this pandemic would rip through their population and be much more dangerous in North Korea than other places because of their inadequate medical infrastructure and the low resistance disease of the general population after so many years of surviving under near-starvation conditions."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Barr confirms Justice Department is reviewing Giuliani's Ukraine info Posted: 10 Feb 2020 09:55 AM PST  The dirt President Trump's personal lawyer is digging up in Ukraine is making its way to the Justice Department, Attorney General William Barr confirmed Monday.Rudy Giuliani's operation, which has targeted Trump's domestic political rivals like former Vice President Joe Biden, was at the center of the impeachment saga, and it doesn't sound like it's going anywhere. Barr said Giuliani, or anyone else for that matter, is free to provide the department with relevant information, and he and his staff have "an obligation" to leave the door open.That said, the attorney general appears to be looking at the info skeptically. "There are a lot of agendas in Ukraine, there are a lot of cross currents, and we can't take anything we receive from Ukraine at face value," Barr said, per CNN. "For that reason we had established an intake process in the field so that any information coming in about Ukraine could be carefully scrutinized by the department and its intelligence community partners."There have been past reports that the department has tried to distance itself from Giuliani since he became the subject of a separate investigation, but that seemingly hasn't held up in this case. > In the past, Justice officials have sought to distance the department and Barr from Giuliani since it became clear in recent months that the former mayor is the subject of an investigation by Manhattan federal prosecutors. https://t.co/kKrDu45jNy> > -- Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 10, 2020More stories from theweek.com Trump floats death penalty for drug dealers — a big twist from his criminal justice push Iran's missile attack reportedly left more than 100 troops with traumatic brain injury For better pasta sauce, throw away your garlic
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| Michael Bloomberg Unveils Plan for ‘Broken’ Immigration System Posted: 10 Feb 2020 03:30 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Michael Bloomberg proposed an immigration plan similar to proposals from his moderate Democratic presidential rivals that includes reversing President Donald Trump's policies, creating a path to U.S. citizenship for undocumented residents and allowing "place-based" visas.Bloomberg's plan contains many of the same elements as those offered by Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg. They include rescinding Trump's travel ban, ending family separations at the border, protecting so-called dreamers -- young adults who were brought illegally to the U.S. as children -- as well as increasing the cap on resettling refugees and updating the asylum process.The former New York mayor does not go as far as progressive rivals Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who would decriminalize migration. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News."Immigration doesn't threaten America, it strengthens America," Bloomberg said in a statement Monday. "America doesn't need more of Trump's fear mongering -- what we need is a modern immigration system that honors our history and readies us for the future."Bloomberg would expand temporary worker visas to address labor shortages and allow certain localities to petition for "place-based" immigrant visas to meet economic or social needs in their communities. He would also allow more opportunities for foreign-born doctors, nurses and other health professionals to address the shortage of health-care workers in under-served areas.Biden's plan also envisions creating a new visa category to allow cities and counties to petition for higher levels of immigrants to support their needs if employers can certify there are available jobs. Buttigieg proposes a "local Community Renewal" visa targeted toward counties that have lost workers during the past decade and struggling smaller cities requesting immigrants with specific experience.Bloomberg previously released an agenda targeting Latino voters that includes elements of his proposed changes to the immigration system.To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Niquette in Columbus at mniquette@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Michael Shepard, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| This endangered wolf traveled nearly 9,000 miles to find love. She was found dead. Posted: 10 Feb 2020 10:45 AM PST  The gray wolf that was found dead, known as OR-54, was protected by California and Oregon law and by the federal Endangered Species Act.
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| A US Army drill sergeant is suspended after a profanity-laced shoving match with a recruit in Georgia Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:48 PM PST  Video shows a US Army drill sergeant hitting a recruit after he used profanity. Now the drill sergeant is suspended.
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| 'Under Siege': desperate Mexico region uses guns, children to fend off cartels Posted: 10 Feb 2020 06:49 AM PST  Unable to send their children to school and too afraid to step out of their enclave of 16 mountain villages in the violence-plagued southwestern Guerrero state, residents say they have been left with little choice. "They do this to prepare themselves to defend the family, their siblings and defend the village," said Sanchez Luna, a corn farmer in a rugged region which five years ago formed a self-defense "community police" militia to protect itself. The move by the villagers to offer arms training to school-age children shocked the nation and made global headlines last month after local media broadcast images of children as young as 6-years-old toting guns and showing off military maneuvers.
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| WHO warns overseas virus spread may be 'tip of the iceberg' Posted: 10 Feb 2020 01:31 AM PST  The head of the World Health Organization has warned that confirmed cases of coronavirus being transmitted by people who have never travelled to China could be the "tip of the iceberg". Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's remarks come as members of a WHO-led "international expert mission" flew to China on Monday to help coordinate a response to the outbreak that has so far infected more than 40,000 people and killed 908 in the country. "There've been some concerning instances of onward #2019nCoV spread from people with no travel history to (China)," Tedros tweeted Sunday, using the virus's provisional scientific name.
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| Does China's J-11 Fighter Jet Have Russian SU-27 "DNA"? Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:00 PM PST  We think so.
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| Here’s how many bombs the US plans to buy in the next year Posted: 10 Feb 2020 03:46 PM PST  The U.S. is slowing down its procurement of weapons that are used in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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| Vindman dismissal spurs Chuck Schumer to request all 74 inspectors general look into potential whistleblower retaliation Posted: 10 Feb 2020 08:03 AM PST  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to have a word with all 74 of the United States' 74 inspectors general.In a letter sent Monday, Schumer requested the inspectors general "take immediate action to investigate any and all instances of retaliation against anyone who has made, or in the future makes, protected disclosures of presidential misconduct to Congress or inspectors general."Schumer's call for investigations was inspired by Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman's dismissal from his post at the National Security Council last week, months after he provided damaging testimony against President Trump during the House's impeachment inquiry. Schumer clearly sees Vindman's firing as an act of revenge by the White House, and said he wants to make sure witnesses and whistleblowers, whose rights are protected by law, don't face professional or personal consequences for disclosing information about the president."Regrettably, these rights are now being challenged like never before, creating a chilling effect among those who, in previous administrations, may have come forward to expose abuses of power," Schumer wrote. "If this chilling effect persists, it will inhibit our ability to hold public officials and institutions accountable and it will irreparably harm the ability of Congress to fulfill its constitutional oversight responsibilities." > Here's the letter: pic.twitter.com/35jC4rMW3U> > -- Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 10, 2020More stories from theweek.com Trump floats death penalty for drug dealers — a big twist from his criminal justice push Iran's missile attack reportedly left more than 100 troops with traumatic brain injury For better pasta sauce, throw away your garlic
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| Bernie Sanders Tops U.S. Poll; Bloomberg Overtakes Warren in Third Spot Posted: 10 Feb 2020 02:46 PM PST |
| Justice Department brings new suits over sanctuary policies Posted: 10 Feb 2020 03:39 PM PST  The Justice Department ratcheted up legal pressure Monday on local governments over their "sanctuary" policies that hinder federal immigration officers, bringing two new lawsuits and launching a coordinated messaging campaign to highlight an election-year priority of President Donald Trump. Declaring that law enforcement officers are being "put in harm's way by these ideologically driven policies," Attorney General William Barr said that the Trump administration suing the state of New Jersey and the county that is home to Seattle over sanctuary immigration policies — municipalities that offer protections to immigrants in the U.S. illegally. The Justice Department says New Jersey is violating federal law by prohibiting state and local law enforcement from sharing information about inmates who are in the U.S. illegally.
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| Husband tracks down alleged hit-and-run driver who killed wife Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:29 AM PST  A Southern California man who made it his mission to track down the hit-and-run driver who killed his wife and mother of their eight children led police to an 85-year-old suspect, who was arrested, authorities said.
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| Iranians feel strain of turmoil and sanctions Posted: 10 Feb 2020 05:23 AM PST  On a crisp winter's day the snow glistens on the mountains above Tehran, but the mood is as heavy as the pall of pollution that often shrouds Iran's capital. "The quality of life isn't good at all -- we have pollution, angry people, high prices," she said, pointing also to a "huge class gap" and Iran's deepening "isolation". Iran's economy has been battered since US President Donald Trump in 2018 abandoned an international nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions and a "maximum pressure" campaign.
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| 42,763 coronavirus cases may be 'tip of the iceberg' as death toll passes 1,000 Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:18 PM PST  Chinese health officials said 97 more deaths were reported Sunday, a spike after days of decline, that put the global toll at 910.
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| Factbox: Latest on coronavirus spreading in China and beyond Posted: 09 Feb 2020 08:42 PM PST  * China's National Health Commission (NHC) said on Monday the death toll rose to 908, as employees began trickling back to offices and factories around China after the government eased some restrictions on work and travel. * Across mainland China, there were 3,062 new confirmed infections as of Sunday, bringing the total number so far to 40,171. * WHO said on Monday the number of cases outside China could be just "the tip of the iceberg" as detection of a small number of cases may indicate more widespread transmission in other countries.
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| Rip B-1 Bomber: The Air Force Wants a Shiny New B-21 Instead Posted: 10 Feb 2020 02:00 PM PST  A good idea?
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| Bloomberg creeps into 3rd place in new national poll Posted: 10 Feb 2020 11:43 AM PST  Quinnipiac University released a new national poll Monday and it's a doozy.Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took his first lead among Democratic presidential candidates in the poll, grabbing 25 percent support from those surveyed, while the usual frontrunner, former Vice President Joe Biden, dropped nine points. He's still in second place, but billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg looks like he's encroaching on Biden's turf, jumping up eight points which puts him in third place and just two behind the vice president. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) comes right behind Bloomberg.> New Quinnipiac poll of Dems nationally shows Sanders overtaking Biden big time:> > Sanders 25 > Biden 17 > Bloomberg 15 (!) > Warren 14 > Buttigieg 10 > Klobuchar 4https://t.co/gltmlDDstw> > — Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) February 10, 2020One of the keys to Bloomberg's rise and Biden's dip appears to be their standing among those surveyed who identify as a moderate or conservative Democrat. Biden generally held a wide lead in the category, per Quinnipiac, but Bloomberg trails him by just 1 percentage point now, 22 to 21.In other news, Quinnipiac has Sanders, Biden, Bloomberg, Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg all leading President Trump head to head, despite only Klobuchar and Buttigieg carrying favorable ratings.Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,519 registered voters, including 665 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, across the United States over the phone between Feb. 5-9. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points overall and 3.8 percentage points among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Check out the full poll here.More stories from theweek.com Trump floats death penalty for drug dealers — a big twist from his criminal justice push Iran's missile attack reportedly left more than 100 troops with traumatic brain injury For better pasta sauce, throw away your garlic
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| What's Next for Ireland After Its Seismic Election Result Posted: 10 Feb 2020 09:34 AM PST  Irish nationalist party Sinn Féin won the most votes in Ireland's elections over the weekend. Here's what the election results mean for Ireland.
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| 'Soon we will all be infected': Indian crew on quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship pleads for help as coronavirus cases spike Posted: 10 Feb 2020 11:33 AM PST  Indian crew members shared a video on Facebook, begging their government to rescue all 160 of them. They are afraid of "who will be next."
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| Gunman dead, 2 officers hurt in shooting at Arkansas Walmart Posted: 10 Feb 2020 09:03 AM PST  Two police officers were wounded and a gunman was killed Monday morning in an exchange of gunfire at a Walmart store in eastern Arkansas, authorities said. The officers responded to the Forrest City Walmart after someone called police to report a man who was making threats and was "kind of talking out of his head," Lee said at a news conference Monday afternoon. Arkansas State Police Spokesman Bill Sadler said local authorities have identified the suspect as Bobby Joe Gibbs, 40, of Forrest City, though the state crime lab has yet not confirmed his identity.
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| How Iran's millennials are grappling with crippling sanctions Posted: 10 Feb 2020 05:56 AM PST  In early January, after tensions between Iran and the United States escalated to the brink of war, President Donald Trump announced a detente of sorts, stating, "The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it." It may have sounded like a conciliatory gesture, but the Trump administration went on to levy additional economic sanctions against the country only two days later. As someone who has studied the lives of Iran's working classes, I know just how damaging economic warfare has been. It's hit young Iranians, who comprise a large portion of the population, particularly hard. High rates of inflation – on the order of 38.6% over the past 12 months – and a youth unemployment rate of 28.6% have drastically reduced their ability to purchase basic goods and feel any semblance of financial security.Over the past 12 years, I've studied various groups of lower-class young people and their families in their homes, neighborhoods and workplaces, in shops, and in parks. I've also interviewed 44 youth between the ages of 15 and 29 who have been sidelined to the socioeconomic margins. I wanted to know how they cope with prolonged insecurity and the constant threat of crisis.Interestingly – and despite what you might see on the news – many don't react by rebelling against authority or by regularly taking to the streets. A central observation from my research and forthcoming book has been that, when faced with conditions of uncertainty, the young people I spoke with simply sought respect, acceptance and support from their communities. Life becomes a quest not for revolution, riches or vengeance, but for dignity. A highly conformist cultureThe desire for status and dignity is an integral part of Iranian society. Most of the poor, younger city dwellers I studied try to achieve this through both their conduct and their dress. They want to be seen as classy, diligent and moral. In communities that value prestige and look down on poverty, this becomes their ticket to a better life.So in an attempt to conceal their poverty, they'll spend their limited income on the latest trends so they can attain a "modern" appearance, from having the latest smartphones to wearing brand-name shoes and shirts – or at least knockoffs. In order to avoid being seen as lazy or delinquent, the young people I interviewed work diligently and avoid being associated with petty criminals, like drug dealers. Even though there's rarely enough work to go around, they get creative. They work in the informal economy as shop apprentices, street vendors and seamstresses. Those who can't find work take up unpaid work babysitting for family members or helping with a family business in an effort to appear hardworking. By doing this, they can assume a moral high ground – regardless of how little money they're actually making. As one local, middle-aged woman told me, "There's something wrong with a kid who doesn't work."These young men and women are adhering to a set of values prized by their communities and promoted by society through billboards, national television and official speeches. The result is a relatively stable social order – and a youth culture that's highly conformist.This might come as a surprise to some, since some Western media outlets sometimes fixate on acts of rebellion.In reality, deviance – especially among the lower classes – is rare. Many simply can't afford the consequences of being shunned by those around them. Rewards don't need to be materialThe quest for dignity is only part of the story. Like many young people around the world, most youth in Iran have dreams of a better future. But for those dealing with daily economic hardship, there's a chasm between their goals and what's possible. "I wanted to get my bachelor's degree and have a job where I sat behind a desk," said Babak, a street vendor, "but I had to drop out of ninth grade in order to meet my family's expenses."That gap may never be fully breached. But many young Iranians I met still feel as if it's possible to – in the words of a mechanic's apprentice – "bring themselves up."The young people I interviewed do this not by trying to game the system, but by following the rules: diligence, self-sufficiency, a smart appearance, and moral and sexual cleanliness. For this, communities reward them with jobs, small promotions, or even just more deference. The material benefits might be minimal, but people nonetheless feel validated and included in the broader fabric of the nation. In other contexts, researchers have found that "looking the part" – performing what's deemed to be attractive to society – matters to people's life prospects. The youth I knew in Iran do the same. They might not fully escape poverty, but they can escape stigma. To them, that matters. The limits of virtueOf course, not everyone in Iran can maintain an appearance of industry, class and virtue.There are young people who are desperately poor, who can't even scrape together enough money for a new pair of shoes. There are drug addicts. There are young women who have been outed as prostitutes. Focused on only helping those they deem "deserving," communities do little to lift up people who have fallen through the cracks. Friends and acquaintances are unwilling to recommend them for jobs, neighbors avoid connecting with them, families view them with shame. It can all seem a bit Darwinian, with those deemed unfit becoming social pariahs. And yet, there are many youth who persevere, who believe that living by the rules, day in and day out, is the right way to live. As Ibrahim, a laborer, emphasized, "I try to live in a good way. If people remember you as good, this is reason to be proud." To youth like Ibrahim, living a worthy life means not simply accumulating material goods, but staying true to a moral code. In the face of rising prices, dwindling jobs, and few prospects for socioeconomic change, the routines of daily life create space for those who have suffered most under the weight of suffocating sanctions to breathe – and, in many cases, grow. [ Like what you've read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversation's daily newsletter. ]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * How the US repeatedly failed to support reform movements in Iran * What does the Trump administration want from Iran?Manata Hashemi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| Antarctica's new record high temperature: Is it climate change? Posted: 10 Feb 2020 11:14 AM PST  Antarctica made worldwide news when one location – an Argentine research base – set a record high temperature for the continent of 64.9 degrees.
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| China says Huawei is the victim of a 'witch hunt' as it warns European countries not to freeze the company out of their 5G networks Posted: 10 Feb 2020 03:51 AM PST  China's ambassador to the UK says Conservative Party politicians opposing Huawei's involvement in Britain's 5G network are conducting a "witch hunt."
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| White House abandons wildlife board criticized as pro-hunting Posted: 10 Feb 2020 09:12 AM PST  The Trump administration has quietly abandoned a wildlife advisory board that animal rights groups said was illegally stacked with politically connected donors and hunting enthusiasts, and designed to promote trophy hunting. In a Friday night court filing, the U.S. Department of Justice said the International Wildlife Conservation Council "ceased to exist" on Dec. 21, 2019, when its two-year charter expired. Ryan Zinke, who had been Interior Secretary, created the board in November 2017, saying it would advise on the benefits of recreational hunting, including "boosting economies" and creating hundreds of jobs to enhance wildlife conservation.
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| The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act Is Back Posted: 10 Feb 2020 03:30 AM PST  On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would require doctors to provide medical care to infants who survive attempted abortion procedures.The bill was in the spotlight exactly one year ago, after Virginia governor Ralph Northam suggested that, at least in some circumstances, mothers and doctors should be able to deny medical care to newborns who were meant to have been aborted. Immediately after those comments, Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.), the lead sponsor of the born-alive bill, reintroduced his legislation."We're not talking about some euphemism," Sasse said at the time on the Senate floor. "We're not talking about a clump of cells. We're talking about a little baby girl who's been born and is on a table in a hospital or a medical facility, and then a decision or a debate would be had about whether or not you could kill that little baby."Here is what the born-alive bill does:• creates criminal penalties for doctors who allow a newborn to die because they failed to provide medical care after the infant survived an attempted abortion procedure• mandates that a child born alive in an abortion clinic be transported to a hospital for further care• requires health-care practitioners to report any violations of the law• institutes penalties for intentionally killing a newborn, including fines and up to five years' imprisonment• grants the woman on whom the abortion is performed civil cause of action against the abortionist and protection from prosecution if her child is not cared for after birthEven though none of these provisions restricts abortion, after several weeks of debate, 44 Democratic senators voted to block the legislation, using a number of inaccurate arguments and disregarding the bill's text."The effort to force a vote on this new bill with no public hearing or consideration by the committees that oversee health issues or the Judiciary Committee is also notable," said Senator Tim Kaine (D., Va.) in February 2019, in a statement announcing his vote against the bill. "A committee hearing is the normal way to make the case that legislation is needed. The desire to avoid a public hearing suggests that the sponsors are aware that the bill is unjustified and unnecessary."The hearing this Tuesday, with testimony from several witnesses both for and against the legislation, will feature many of the same arguments that surfaced last time the bill was considered.Most Democrats who opposed the legislation last time around claimed that it is redundant or unnecessary. "We have laws against infanticide in this country," Senator Patty Murray (D., Wash.) said last year on the Senate floor when she rejected Sasse's request for unanimous consent to the legislation. "This is a gross misinterpretation of the actual language of the bill that is being asked to be considered, and therefore I object."But in fact, there is no existing federal law that requires doctors to provide medical care for infants who survive an abortion procedure. The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (BAIPA) of 2002 established that the terms "person," "human being," "child," and "individual" in federal law include every infant born alive, even after an abortion; it instituted no penalties for physicians who neglect to care for such infants.As of 2014, only 26 states mandated care for infants born alive after an attempted abortion — and those state laws can, of course, be changed. The Reproductive Health Act enacted in New York last year, for example, explicitly repealed a statute that had extended all the protections of state laws to children born alive during an abortion.Opponents of the born-alive bill have also argued that these sorts of cases never happen and that infants never survive attempted abortions. But they do. Reports from several states indicate that, while abortion survivors are rare, they do exist. Melissa Ohden and Gianna Jessen are two specific examples, and this recent ad showcases several more.Or consider the gruesome case of former abortionist Kermit Gosnell, who is currently serving life in prison in part for illegally modifying late-term-abortion procedures, delivering live infants, and using scissors to sever their spinal columns. There is no federal law prohibiting that practice.During the Senate debate over the born-alive legislation, a number of Democrats argued that the bill is "anti-abortion" and that it would place the government between doctors and their patients, preventing medical professionals from giving the best possible care."It makes no sense for Washington politicians who know nothing about these individual circumstances to say they know better than the doctors, patients, the family," said Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) at the time. "The bill is solely meant to intimidate doctors and restrict patients' access to care and has nothing, nothing, nothing to do with protecting children."But the bill doesn't specify any particular type of medical care at all, nor does it place any restrictions on when or whether an abortion may be performed. It requires only that doctors give "the same degree" of care to abortion survivors that "any other child born alive at the same gestational age" would receive if delivered at that stage of pregnancy.Last year's fight over the bill featured most media outlets parroting the claims of Democratic lawmakers, disregarding the bill's text, and insisting that Republicans were "weaponizing abortion" to paint Democrats as radical. If Democrats continue to reject this commonsense legislation, it won't take any work from Republicans to reveal how extreme they really are.
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| First 24-hour news channel "by and for" African Americans set to launch during Black History Month Posted: 10 Feb 2020 10:22 AM PST  The Black News Channel, founded by a former Republican congressman, will try to win the growing Black cable news audience. Concerns about who's running the network have raised the question: Can it succeed?
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| He sank Biden’s presidential chances 30 years ago. Now he’s hoping to send him to the White House Posted: 09 Feb 2020 09:08 AM PST  In the autumn of 1987, Frank Fahey found himself in the crosshairs of Joe Biden, then a young senator from Delaware who unleashed an angry outburst at a small event early in his first run for president.At a home in western New Hampshire, Fahey figured he would ask a question about a brewing scandal for the future vice president about his academic record, but the stress of Biden's first presidential run – which was already beleaguered by claims that he had plagiarised a speech on the campaign trail – seemed to get the better of him.
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| Voter registration error risks deportation and criminal charges for immigrants Posted: 10 Feb 2020 01:40 PM PST  A handful of immigrants could face deportation or criminal charges, after a mistake in Illinois' automatic voter registration system allowed of hundreds of people who identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens to register. Sixteen cast ballots.
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| Death penalty sought in Georgia case of 2 buried children Posted: 10 Feb 2020 09:02 AM PST |
| Sorry, Donald Trump: Nancy Pelosi Didn't Kill Civility In Politics Posted: 09 Feb 2020 07:08 AM PST  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tears up her copy of President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech.
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| A KFC food worker in China was infected with the coronavirus, despite efforts to curb spreading with contactless delivery and thousands of store closures Posted: 09 Feb 2020 08:40 AM PST  Yum China, the parent company of KFC in China, has already closed multiple stores to curb further spreading of the deadly disease.
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| Angela Merkel's hand-picked successor steps down in Germany amid split in ruling party Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:39 AM PST  Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the head of Germany's ruling Christian Democratic Union party and Chancellor Angela Merkel's designated successor to lead Germany, unexpectedly stepped down as party leader Monday and said she won't seek the chancellorship in next year's election. Kramp-Karrenbauer, a CDU moderate in Merkel's mold, will remain defense minister and stay on as party general secretary until the CDU choose her replacement this summer.Kramp-Karrenbauer's departure is seen as tied to a fracture in the party thrown into relief in regional elections last week in the eastern state of Thuringia. Some local CDU lawmakers, bucking the national party, voted with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to elect a far-left leader, who then resigned to rid his election of the stain of AfD involvement. Voting with extremist parties like the AfD is taboo in Germany, and any shift to the right in the CDU would alienate the party's junior coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats.Potential successors to Kramp-Karrenbauer include Health Minister Jens Spahn and North Rhine-Westphalia Gov. Armin Laschet, both seen as moderates. Also in the running is Friedrich Merz, a CDU veteran sidelined by Merkel before she became chancellor 15 years ago, who is positioning himself to the party's right. Merkel's spokesman said Kramp-Karrenbauer's departure did not have Merkel reconsidering her decision to not seek a fifth term.More stories from theweek.com Trump floats death penalty for drug dealers — a big twist from his criminal justice push Iran's missile attack reportedly left more than 100 troops with traumatic brain injury For better pasta sauce, throw away your garlic
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| How a New Hampshire family spent Andrew Yang's 'Freedom Dividend' Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:14 AM PST  A New Hampshire family that received a $1,000-a-month "freedom dividend" for a year from the campaign of Democratic presidential contender Andrew Yang spent most of the money on college bills - but also on an improv class for the unemployed dad. Chuck Fassi had lost his job as a manager for a company servicing chemical dispensing equipment when his family got the first check in January 2019.
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| F-15EX is a boon to Boeing, but it might not break the international fighter market Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:00 PM PST  Is the F-15EX ready for the competitive international field?
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| Klobuchar surge in New Hampshire could reshuffle Democratic White House race Posted: 10 Feb 2020 04:40 PM PST  U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar's poll numbers are rising, her crowds are building and she says it is finally her time. Voters in New Hampshire will decide on Tuesday if she is right. Klobuchar, a moderate U.S. senator from Minnesota who has been stuck in the middle of the crowded Democratic presidential pack, rose to third place in New Hampshire in a pair of opinion polls released on Monday, the day before the state's vital primary.
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| E.Guinea leader's son fined 30mn euros, suspended jail confirmed Posted: 10 Feb 2020 06:28 AM PST  The son of Equatorial Guinea's leader was handed a 30-million-euro fine by a Paris court Monday on top of a suspended jail term for using public money to fund a jet-set lifestyle in Europe. Teodorin Obiang, the son of Equatorial Guinea's leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema, had been convicted in 2017 of embezzlement. Obiang, who is also vice president, challenged the penalty only to have the Paris appeals court return a heavier sentence on Monday by removing the suspended provision from the fine.
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| Texas officer charged with manslaughter in fatal shooting Posted: 10 Feb 2020 02:18 PM PST  A Central Texas police officer was charged Monday with manslaughter for the fatal shooting of an unarmed man during a traffic stop, officials said. Temple Officer Carmen DeCruz was charged with the second-degree felony in the Dec. 2 shooting of Michael Dean, Bell County District Attorney Henry Garza said in a statement. If convicted of the charge, DeCruz could face two to 20 years in prison.
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