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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 5 months

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 4, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JAN 5, 2024

The Democrats on the House Oversight Committee today released a 156-page report showing that when he was in the presidency, Trump received at least $7.8 million from 20 different governments, including those of China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Malaysia, through businesses he owned.

The Democrats brought receipts.

According to the report—and the documents from Trump’s former accounting firm Mazars that are attached to it—the People’s Republic of China and companies substantially controlled by the PRC government paid at least $5,572,548 to Trump-owned properties while Trump was in office; Saudi Arabia paid at least $615,422; Qatar paid at least $465,744; Kuwait paid at least $300,000; India paid at least $282,764; Malaysia paid at least $248,962; Afghanistan paid at least $154,750; the Philippines paid at least $74,810; the United Arab Emirates paid at least $65,225. The list went on and on.

The committee Democrats explained that these payments were likely only a fraction of the actual money exchanged, since they cover only four of more than 500 entities Trump owned at the time. When the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in January 2023, Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-KY) stopped the investigation before Mazars had produced the documents the committee had asked for when Democrats were in charge of it. Those records included documents relating to Russia, South Korea, South Africa, and Brazil.

Trump fought hard against the production of these documents, dragging out the court fight until September 2022. The committee worked on them for just four months before voters put Republicans in charge of the House and the investigation stopped.

These are the first hard numbers that show how foreign governments funneled money to the president while policies involving their countries were in front of him. The report notes, for example, that Trump refused to impose sanctions on Chinese banks that were helping the North Korean government; one of those banks was paying him close to $2 million in rent annually for commercial office space in Trump Tower.

The first article of the U.S. Constitution reads: “[N]o Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States], shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument [that is, salary, fee, or profit], Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

The report also contrasted powerfully with the attempt of Republicans on the Oversight Committee, led by Comer, to argue that Democratic Joe Biden has corruptly profited from the presidency.

In the Washington Post on December 26, 2023, Philip Bump noted that just after voters elected a Republican majority, Comer told the Washington Post that as soon as he was in charge of the Oversight Committee, he would use his power to “determine if this president and this White House are compromised because of the millions of dollars that his family has received from our adversaries in China, Russia and Ukraine.”

For the past year, while he and the committee have made a number of highly misleading statements to make it sound as if there are Biden family businesses involving the president (there are not) and the president was involved in them (he was not), their claims were never backed by any evidence. Bump noted in a piece on December 14, 2023, for example, that Comer told Fox News Channel personality Maria Bartiromo that “the Bidens” have “taken in” more than $24 million. In fact, Bump explained, Biden’s son Hunter and his business partners did receive such payments, but most of the money went to the business partners. About $7.5 million of it went to Hunter Biden. There is no evidence that any of it went to Joe Biden.

All of the committee’s claims have similar reality checks. Jonathan Yerushalmy of The Guardian wrote that after nearly 40,000 pages of bank records and dozens of hours of testimony, “no evidence has emerged that Biden acted corruptly or accepted bribes in his current or previous role.”

Still, the constant hyping of their claims on right-wing media led then–House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to authorize an impeachment inquiry in mid-September, and in mid-December, Republicans in the House formalized the inquiry.

There is more behind the attack on Biden than simply trying to even the score between him and Trump—who remains angry at his impeachments and has demanded Republicans retaliate—or to smear Biden through an “investigation,” which has been a standard technique of the Republicans since the mid-1990s.

Claiming that Biden is as corrupt as Trump undermines faith in our democracy. After all, if everyone is a crook, why does it matter which one is in office? And what makes American democracy any different from the authoritarian systems of Russia or Hungary or Venezuela, where leaders grab what they can for themselves and their followers?

Democracies are different from authoritarian governments because they have laws to prevent the corruption in which it appears Trump engaged. The fact that Republicans refuse to hold their own party members accountable to those laws while smearing their opponents says far more about them than it does about the nature of democracy.

It does, though, highlight that our democracy is in danger.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#corrupt GOP #corruption #letters from an american #heather cox richardson #Emolument

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sampanisland0 · 2 years

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Now You Can Have Your Fbar Extension Completed Safely

For the week on the upside, the South African rand increased 2.7%, the brand new Zealand dollar 2.0%, the Mexican peso 1.1%, the South Korean received 0.6%, the Canadian dollar 0.5%, the Swedish krona 0.5%, and the Singapore dollar 0.3%. For the week on the downside, the British pound declined 1.8%, the euro 0.2%, the Brazilian actual 0.2%, the Australian dollar 0.2%, the Swiss franc 0.1%, and the Japanese yen 0.1%. The Chinese renminbi gained 0.43% versus the dollar this week (up 1.31% y-t-d). Even a 1 billion pound settlement would be ‘a lot of money,’ Brexit Secretary David Davis stated… Once upon a time this was a much tougher process than it is at this time since there weren't issues like a census or accurate maps or even surnames (family names). April 5 - Bloomberg (Rich Miller): “The earnings recession is international -- and that is dangerous news for the world economy and for equity markets. The corporate also will make its ‘best efforts’ to repay the remaining portion of 1 billion yuan of notes…

‘Credit traits in China will continue to have a major impact on Hong Kong’s credit score profile due to shut and tightening economic, monetary and political linkages with the mainland,’ Moody’s said… However, if the Service does file a Notice of Lien, it should give the taxpayer written notice that the Notice of Lien is being filed with five days of the filing and provides the taxpayer a chance to request a set Due Process listening to (a “CDP Hearing”) to contest the filing of the Notice of Lien. ‘We see the financial system as being in a superb place and we’re dedicated to utilizing our tools to maintain it there,’ Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell advised Congress July 10…

The United Arab Emirates and other Center Japanese nations are no longer awash in oil money, putting luxury car manufacturers at risk. May 22 - Reuters (Silvio Cascione and Anthony Boadle): “Brazilian President Michel Temer, facing growing calls for his resignation over a corruption scandal, stated he would not step down even if he was formally indicted by the Supreme Court. May 25 - Reuters (Alonso Soto and Anthony Boadle): “Protesters demanding the resignation of Brazilian President Michel Temer staged running battles with police and set fire to a ministry constructing in Brasilia on Wednesday, prompting the scandal-hit leader to order the army onto the streets. July 24 - Reuters (Babak Dehghanpisheh and Nafisa Eltahir): “The top navy adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated… ‘Today in Greece democracy won,’ Pablo Iglesias, chief of the radical leftist Spanish party Podemos, cheered… Both developments underscore the significance the Communist Party leadership locations on specific outcomes, relatively than the embrace of free markets that Western nations once pressed on China.

The various meetings Republicans held to debate a Senate health care bill have uncovered deep fissures inside the social gathering which might be nearly as large because the differences between Republicans and Democrats. In his fiscal 2018 funds proposal, Trump asked Congress for $3.6 trillion in spending cuts that will imply steep reductions in food stamps, Medicaid medical health insurance funds, incapacity advantages, low-income housing help and block grants that fund meals-on-wheels for the elderly. The Fed’s belongings now total $4.5 trillion, up from lower than $1 trillion a decade in the past. April 7 - Reuters (Robin Harding in Tokyo and Claire Jones): “Japanese officials stepped up their hints of potential intervention to weaken the yen as the currency soared to its highest levels since the Financial institution of Japan fired its second stimulus bazooka in October 2014. However regardless of government warnings of ‘one-sided’ moves, a sign that might often put traders on high alert, the Japanese forex solid higher to commerce at Y107.99 towards the dollar. And, perhaps most urgent, how susceptible is their currency? They've as an alternative repeatedly taken tepid steps to curb various sectoral excesses - actual estate, local authorities debt, inventory market, corporate debt and, of late, shadow banking and insurance coverage.

The Greek folks have shouted out their utter disdain for the status quo - a backdrop that at this time ensures a interval of only higher hardship and social upheaval. The world’s largest currency hoard rose by $10.Three billion to $3.21 trillion last month… Yes, China has an extraordinarily massive international reserve cushion, although holdings have declined $1.Zero TN from June 2014. Most significantly, this giant hoard has allowed authorities to prolong the Bubble and delay the type of harsh measures required to rein in Credit, speculation and now deeply imbedded increase-time psychology. So are we to imagine that Chinese officials can control the inventory market, management their Credit system, control the economy, management the media and “foreign meddling”, control monetary flows, management hypothesis and, as effectively, management the foreign money peg to the dollar?

At this level, nobody is questioning China’s dedication to its foreign money peg. Throw “money” at any drawback, always lots freely out there. that resource Even more alarming, the bloated financial sector continues to balloon, issuing dangerous loans whereas creating new deposit “money”. May 26 - Bloomberg: “For ever yuan that the People’s Bank of China injects into the nation’s monetary system, it’s as much as the banks to determine how far they stretch it in the type of loans to the economy. And the cash is increasingly flowing by means of opaque channels that operate exterior the regulated banking system, leaving China vulnerable to blowups. Retail Money Funds added $1.8bn. Could 21 - Bloomberg (Alfred Liu, Moxy Ying, and Enda Curran): “In 1997, the Asian monetary disaster touched off a six-yr property bust in Hong Kong that shaved more than two-thirds off costs and saddled town with a stagnant financial system and deflation.

And it was the combination of faltering condominium and “hot money” Bubbles that was behind policymakers rolling the dice on the reflationary wonders of the stock market (they saw it work in the U.S.!) It might all come crashing down. Business confidence rose to the best since 1991 this month, whereas manufacturers noticed the fastest growth in six years amid a surge in orders. Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras noticed off a risk from rebels in his ruling coalition and overwhelmingly received the parliamentary vote in Athens on his reform plan. April three - Bloomberg (Rebecca Christie): “Greece might once more face the threat of being pushed into default and out of the euro if its present bailout evaluation drags on into June and July, in keeping with European officials monitoring the slow progress of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s negotiations with creditors.

‘A failure to stabilise the market (and certainly to achieve a notable recovery from current ranges) might result in a crisis of confidence in the heretofore infallible state apparatus.’ … Bernanke additionally stated the BOJ's current coverage framework may be reaching its limits as a result of brief- and long-time period interest charges are near zero, but the necessity for extra easing cannot be dominated out. Wait long enough and market stress is met with whatever determined coverage response it takes at that second. From smog-blanketed towns on the North China Plain to the politically delicate Tibetan capital of Lhasa, small police booths and networks of residents have been arrange block by block to scale back neighbourhood disputes, implement sanitation, reduce crime - and keep an eye on anyone deemed a troublemaker. July 7 - Financial Times (David Oakley): “The international asset administration trade grew to a file measurement last year as equity and bond values rose sharply, helped by hopes of economic restoration and central bank interventions within the markets. In a recent sign of the nerves among investors brought on by Beijing’s campaign this spring to make Chinese markets much less dangerous, the yield on seven-year government bonds rose to 3.79% on Monday, above the yield on each five-yr and 10-12 months bonds.

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newstfionline · 5 years

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Headlines

Trump calls off Iranian strikes, citing likely deaths (Reuters) President Donald Trump said Friday the U.S. was “cocked and loaded” to retaliate against Iran for downing an unmanned American surveillance drone, but he canceled the strikes 10 minutes before they were to be launched after being told 150 people could die. Trump’s tweeted statement was the latest indication that he does not want to escalate the U.S. clash with Tehran, though he didn’t rule out future strikes.

U.S. Cities Brace for Immigration Raids, Say They Will Not Participate (Reuters) U.S. cities expecting to be hit by a wave of immigration raids intended to deport recently arrived families who are in the United States illegally said on Friday they would not cooperate with federal authorities.

Mexico Says National Guard Deployment Is Complete (AP) Mexico has completed its deployment of 6,000 National Guard agents to help control the flow of migrants headed toward the U.S. and filled 650 immigration agency posts to regulate border crossings, the government said Friday.

House Democrats Propose Reinstating Aid to Central America (Reuters) U.S. Democrats in the House of Representatives on Friday proposed reinstating hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras that was cut off by the Trump administration because thousands of their citizens sought asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico.

El Salvador Tells Phone Companies to Block Signals in Jails (AP) El Salvador’s government is demanding that telephone companies completely block cellphone signals inside the country’s prisons, in a bid to stop gang leaders from ordering killings and other crimes from behind bars.

U.N. Rights Chief Bachelet Urges Venezuela to Release Prisoners (Reuters) U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Friday urged Venezuela’s government to release prisoners who were arrested for peacefully protesting, and confirmed that a delegation would remain in the country to monitor the human rights situation.

Summer Solstice: 10,000 Watch Sunrise at Stonehenge (AP) Dancers, musicians and revelers have watched the sun flicker over the horizon at Stonehenge, celebrating the summer solstice at the Neolithic stone circle.

Putin Orders Suspension of Passenger Flights From Russia to Georgia (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin has temporarily banned passenger flights from Russia to Georgia, the Kremlin said on Friday following an outbreak of unrest in Tbilisi triggered by the visit of a Russian lawmaker.

‘I Love Thee, China’ (Reuters) North Korea woos Xi in lavish state visit. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed that strengthening bilateral ties, at a time of “serious and complicated” international affairs, was good for regional peace, North Korean state media said.

Hong Kong Protesters Disperse After Blocking Police HQ (AP) Protesters in Hong Kong ended their overnight siege of police headquarters peacefully Saturday, disappointed that their demands for the territory’s leader to formally withdraw a contentious extradition bill and police to apologize for heavy handed tactics have gone unmet.

3 Workers Dead, 18 Injured in Cambodia Building Collapse (AP) A seven-story building under construction collapsed in Cambodia’s coastal city of Sihanoukville early Saturday, killing three workers and injuring 18, authorities said.

Southeast Asian Leaders Open Summit in Bangkok (Reuters) Southeast Asian leaders opened a two-day summit in Bangkok on Saturday, though it was unclear what progress their 10-country group could make on disputes in the South China Sea and the plight of ethnic Rohingya fleeing Myanmar.

Philippines’ Duterte Accepts China’s Proposal to Jointly Investigate Collision (Reuters) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has accepted China’s proposal to jointly investigate allegations that a Chinese fishing vessel abandoned 22 Filipinos after it sank their boat in the South China Sea, his spokesman said on Saturday.

Indonesia concerned about hardline Islamist ideology in government (Reuters) Indonesia plans to tighten vetting of senior public servants amid fears that hardline Islamist ideology has permeated high levels of government, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and a senior official involved in the plan. Indonesia is officially secular, but there has been a rise in politicians demanding a larger role for Islam in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country. The rise in conservatism was a major test for President Joko Widodo in the April election, with some Islamist groups accusing him of being anti-Islam and throwing their support behind political rivals, including challenger Prabowo Subianto.

U.S. Forces Prepare to Evacuate Contractors From Iraqi Base (Reuters) U.S. forces are preparing to evacuate hundreds of staff working for Lockheed Martin Corp and Sallyport Global from an Iraqi military base where they work as contractors, three Iraqi military sources said on Friday.

UN to Appeal for $1.2 Billion to Help 5 Million Palestinians (AP) The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday he hopes donors will be as generous this year as they were last year after the United States cut all funding for the $1.2 billion program to help some 5 million Palestinians.

Senate Votes to Block Trump’s Arms Sales to Gulf Nations in Bipartisan Rebuke (NYT) The Senate voted to block the sale of billions of dollars of munitions to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, in a sharp and bipartisan rebuke of the Trump administration’s attempt to circumvent Congress to allow the exports by declaring an emergency over Iran. In three back-to-back votes, Republicans joined Democrats to register their growing anger with the administration’s use of emergency power to cut lawmakers out of national security decisions, as well as the White House’s unflagging support for the Saudis despite congressional pressure to punish Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the killing in October of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Mauritanians Vote for New President, but Status Quo Likely to Prevail (Reuters) For the first time since Mauritania’s independence, its citizens voted on Saturday for a successor to a democratically-elected president, though a government insider campaigning on a message of continuity is heavily tipped to win.

#headlines

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brookstonalmanac · 3 years

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Events 7.19

AD 64 – The Great Fire of Rome causes widespread devastation and rages on for six days, destroying half of the city. 484 – Leontius, Roman usurper, is crowned Eastern emperor at Tarsus (modern Turkey). He is recognized in Antioch and makes it his capital. 711 – Umayyad conquest of Hispania: Battle of Guadalete: Umayyad forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by King Roderic. 939 – Battle of Simancas: King Ramiro II of León defeats the Moorish army under Caliph Abd-al-Rahman III near the city of Simancas. 998 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Battle of Apamea: Fatimids defeat a Byzantine army near Apamea. 1333 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Halidon Hill: The English win a decisive victory over the Scots. 1544 – Italian War of 1542–46: The first Siege of Boulogne begins. 1545 – The Tudor warship Mary Rose sinks off Portsmouth; in 1982 the wreck is salvaged in one of the most complex and expensive projects in the history of maritime archaeology. 1553 – The attempt to install Lady Jane Grey as Queen of England collapses after only nine days. 1588 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines: The Spanish Armada is sighted in the English Channel. 1701 – Representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy sign the Nanfan Treaty, ceding a large territory north of the Ohio River to England. 1702 – Great Northern War: A numerically superior Polish-Saxon army of Augustus II the Strong, operating from an advantageous defensive position, is defeated by a Swedish army half its size under the command of King Charles XII in the Battle of Klissow. 1817 – Unsuccessful in his attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Hawaii for the Russian-American Company, Georg Anton Schäffer is forced to admit defeat and leave Kauai. 1821 – Coronation of George IV of the United Kingdom. 1832 – The British Medical Association is founded as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association by Sir Charles Hastings at a meeting in the Board Room of the Worcester Infirmary. 1843 – Brunel's steamship the SS Great Britain is launched, becoming the first ocean-going craft with an iron hull and screw propeller, becoming the largest vessel afloat in the world. 1845 – Great New York City Fire of 1845: The last great fire to affect Manhattan begins early in the morning and is subdued that afternoon. The fire kills four firefighters and 26 civilians and destroys 345 buildings. 1848 – Women's rights: A two-day Women's Rights Convention opens in Seneca Falls, New York. 1863 – American Civil War: Morgan's Raid: At Buffington Island in Ohio, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's raid into the north is mostly thwarted when a large group of his men are captured while trying to escape across the Ohio River. 1864 – Taiping Rebellion: Third Battle of Nanking: The Qing dynasty finally defeats the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: France declares war on Prussia. 1900 – The first line of the Paris Métro opens for operation. 1903 – Maurice Garin wins the first Tour de France. 1916 – World War I: Battle of Fromelles: British and Australian troops attack German trenches as part of the Battle of the Somme. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The CNT and UGT call a general strike in Spain - mobilizing workers' militias against the Nationalist forces. 1940 – World War II: Battle of Cape Spada: The Royal Navy and the Regia Marina clash; the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni sinks, with 121 casualties. 1940 – Field Marshal Ceremony: First occasion in World War II that Adolf Hitler appoints field marshals due to military achievements. 1940 – World War II: Army order 112 forms the Intelligence Corps of the British Army. 1942 – World War II: The Second Happy Time of Hitler's submarines comes to an end, as the increasingly effective American convoy system compels them to return to the central Atlantic. 1943 – World War II: Rome is heavily bombed by more than 500 Allied aircraft, inflicting thousands of casualties. 1947 – Prime Minister of the shadow Burmese government, Bogyoke Aung San and eight others are assassinated. 1947 – Korean politician Lyuh Woon-hyung is assassinated. 1952 – Opening of the Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 1961 – Tunisia imposes a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte; the French would capture the entire town four days later. 1963 – Joe Walker flies a North American X-15 to a record altitude of 106,010 meters (347,800 feet) on X-15 Flight 90. Exceeding an altitude of 100 km, this flight qualifies as a human spaceflight under international convention. 1964 – Vietnam War: At a rally in Saigon, South Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Khánh calls for expanding the war into North Vietnam. 1969 – Chappaquiddick incident: U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy crashes his car into a tidal pond at Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, killing his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. 1972 – Dhofar Rebellion: British SAS units help the Omani government against Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman rebels in the Battle of Mirbat. 1976 – Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal is created. 1977 – The world's first Global Positioning System (GPS) signal was transmitted from Navigation Technology Satellite 2 (NTS-2) and received at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at 12:41 a.m. Eastern time (ET). 1979 – The Sandinista rebels overthrow the government of the Somoza family in Nicaragua. 1979 – The oil tanker SS Atlantic Empress collides with another oil tanker, causing the largest ever ship-borne oil spill. 1980 – Opening of the Summer Olympics in Moscow. 1981 – In a private meeting with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, French President François Mitterrand reveals the existence of the Farewell Dossier, a collection of documents showing the Soviet Union had been stealing American technological research and development. 1982 – In one of the first militant attacks by Hezbollah, David S. Dodge, president of the American University of Beirut, is kidnapped. 1983 – The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT is published. 1985 – The Val di Stava dam collapses killing 268 people in Val di Stava, Italy. 1989 – United Airlines Flight 232 crashes in Sioux City, Iowa killing 111. 1992 – A car bomb kills Judge Paolo Borsellino and five members of his escort. 1997 – The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army resumes a ceasefire to end their 25-year paramilitary campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland. 2012 – Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) capture the city of Kobanî without resistance, starting the Rojava conflict in Northeast Syria. 2014 – Gunmen in Egypt's western desert province of New Valley Governorate attack a military checkpoint, killing at least 21 soldiers. Egypt reportedly declares a state of emergency on its border with Sudan.

#Events

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presssorg · 5 years

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Latest: North Korea, GDP, Employment, Trump vs Iran, Trade War & Border Wall

AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s misfires on Iran, trade and that wall WASHINGTON — In President Donald Trump’s reckoning, an Iran tamed by him no longer cries “death to America,” the border wall with Mexico is proceeding apace, the estate tax has been lifted off the backs of farmers, the remains of U.S. soldiers from North Korea are coming home and China is opening its wallet to the U.S. treasury for the first time in history. These statements range from flatly false to mostly so. Here’s a week of political rhetoric in review: IRAN: TRUMP, speaking about Iranians “screaming ‘death to America”‘ when Barack Obama was in the White House: “They haven’t screamed ‘death to America’ lately.” — Fox News interview Friday. THE FACTS: Yes they have. The death-to-America chant is heard routinely.

An Iranian navy boat tries to stop the fire of an oil tanker after it was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, June 13, 2019. Tasnim News Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D5E81AD00 The chant, “marg bar Amreeka” in Farsi, dates back even before Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Once used by communists, it was popularized by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the revolution’s figurehead and Iran’s first supreme leader after the U.S. Embassy takeover by militants. It remains a staple of hard-line demonstrations, meetings with current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, official ceremonies, parliamentary sessions and main Friday prayer services in Tehran and across the country. Some masters of ceremonies ask audiences to tone it down. But it was heard, for example, from the crowd this month when Khamenei exhorted thousands to stand up against U.S. “bullying.” In one variation, a demonstrator at Tehran’s Quds rally last month held a sign with three versions of the slogan: “Death to America” in Farsi, “Death to America” in Arabic,” “Down with U.S.A.” in English. —— WAGES and TAXES TRUMP: “Wages are growing, and they are growing at the fastest rate for — this is something so wonderful — for blue-collar workers. The biggest percentage increase — blue-collar workers.” — remarks Tuesday in Council Bluffs, Iowa. THE FACTS: He’s claiming credit for a trend of rising wages for lower-income blue-collar workers that predates his presidency. Some of the gains also reflect higher minimum wages passed at the state and local level; the Trump administration opposes an increase to the federal minimum wage. With the unemployment rate at 3.6%, the lowest since December 1969, employers are struggling to fill jobs. Despite all the talk of robots and automation, thousands of restaurants, warehouses, and retail stores still need workers. They are offering higher wages and have pushed up pay for the lowest-paid one-quarter of workers more quickly than for everyone else since 2015. In April, the poorest 25% saw their paychecks increase 4.4% from a year earlier, compared with 3.1% for the richest one-quarter. Those gains are not necessarily flowing to the “blue collar” workers Trump cited. Instead, when measured by industry, wages are rising more quickly for lower-paid service workers. Hourly pay for retail workers has risen 4.1% in the past year and 3.8% for hotel and restaurant employees. Manufacturing workers — the blue collars — have seen pay rise just 2.2% and construction workers, 3.2%. —— TRUMP: “And to keep your family farms and ranches in the family, we eliminated the estate tax, also known as the ‘death tax,’ on the small farms and ranches and other businesses. That was a big one. … People were having a farm, they loved their children, and they want to leave it to their children. … And the estate tax was so much, the children would have to go out and borrow a lot of money from unfriendly bankers, in many cases. And they’d end up losing the farm, and it was a horrible situation.” — remarks in Council Bluffs. THE FACTS: There still is an estate tax. More small farms may be off the hook for it as a result of changes by the Republican-controlled Congress in 2017 but very few farms or small businesses were subject to the tax even before that happened. Congress increased the tax exemption — temporarily — so fewer people will be subject to those taxes. Previously, any assets from estates valued at more than $5.49 million, or nearly $11 million for couples, were subject to the estate tax in 2017. The new law doubled that minimum for 2018 to $11.2 million, or $22.4 million for couples. For 2019, the minimums rose to $11.4 million, or $22.8 million for couples. Those increased minimums will expire at the end of 2025. According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, only about 80 small farms and closely held businesses were subject to the estate tax in 2017. Those estates represent about 1 per cent of all taxable estate tax returns. —— NORTH KOREA TRUMP: “I think we’re going to do very well with North Korea over a period of time. I’m in no rush. … Our remains are coming back; you saw the beautiful ceremony in Hawaii with Mike Pence. We’re getting the remains back.” — joint news conference Wednesday with Poland’s president. THE FACTS: The U.S. is not currently getting additional remains of American service members killed during the Korean War. With U.S.-North Korea relations souring, the Pentagon said last month it had suspended its efforts to arrange negotiations this year on recovering additional remains of American service members. The Pentagon said it hoped to reach agreement for recovery operations in 2020. The Defence POW-MIA Accounting Agency said it has had no communication with North Korean authorities since the Vietnam summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in February. That meeting focused on the North’s nuclear weapons and followed a June 2018 summit where Kim committed to permitting a resumption of U.S. remains recovery; that effort had been suspended by the U.S. in 2005. The agency said it had “reached the point where we can no longer effectively plan, co-ordinate, and conduct field operations” with the North during this budget year, which ends Sept. 30. Last summer, in line with the first Trump-Kim summit in June, the North turned over 55 boxes of what it said were the remains of an undetermined number of U.S service members killed in the North during the 1950-53 war. So far, six Americans have been identified from the 55 boxes. U.S. officials have said the North has suggested in recent years that it holds perhaps 200 sets of American war remains. Thousands more are unrecovered from battlefields and former POW camps. The Pentagon estimates that about 5,300 Americans were lost in North Korea. —— BORDER WALL TRUMP: “We’re building a wall … And by next year, at the end of the year, we’re going to have close to 500 miles of wall.” — remarks Tuesday at the Republican Party of Iowa annual dinner. TRUMP: “We’re going to have close to 500 miles of wall built by the end of next year. That’s a lot. And we’re moving along very rapidly. We won the big court case, as you know, the other day. And that was a big victory for us.” — remarks Monday with Indianapolis 500 champions. THE FACTS: He’s being overly optimistic. It’s unclear how Trump arrives at 500 miles (800 km), but he would have to prevail in legal challenges to his declaration of a national emergency or get Congress to cough up more money to get anywhere close. Those are big assumptions. And by far the majority of the wall he’s talking about is replacement barrier, not new miles of construction. So far, the administration has awarded contracts for 247 miles (395 km) of wall construction, but more than half comes from Defence Department money available under Trump’s Feb. 15 emergency declaration. On May 24, a federal judge in California who was appointed by Obama blocked Trump from building key sections of the wall with that money. In a separate case, a federal judge in the nation’s capital who was appointed by Trump sided with the administration, but that ruling has no effect while the California injunction is in place. Even if Trump prevails in court, all but 17 miles (27 km) of his awarded contracts replace existing barriers. The White House says it has identified up to $8.1 billion in potential money under the national emergency, mostly from the Defence Department. Customs and Border Protection officials say the administration wants Congress to finance 206 miles (330 km) next year. The chances of the Democratic-controlled House backing that are between slim and none. —— TRADE TRUMP: “Right now, we’re getting 25% on $250 billion worth of goods. That’s a lot of money that’s pouring into our treasury. We’ve never gotten 10 cents from China. Now we’re getting a lot of money from China.” — remarks Monday. TRUMP: “We’re taking in, right now, billions and billions of dollars in tariffs, and they’re subsidizing product.” — remarks Tuesday in Council Bluffs. THE FACTS: He’s incorrect. The tariffs he’s raised on imports from China are primarily if not entirely a tax on U.S. consumers and businesses, not a source of significant revenue coming into the country. A study in March by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University and Princeton University, before the latest escalation, found that the public and U.S. companies were paying $3 billion a month in higher taxes from the trade dispute with China, suffering $1.4 billion a month in lost efficiency and absorbing the entire impact. It’s also false that the U.S. never collected a dime in tariffs before he took action. Tariffs on goods from China are not remotely new. They are simply higher in some cases than they were before. Tariffs go back to the beginning of the U.S. and were once a leading source of revenue for the government. Not in modern times. They equate to less than 1% of federal spending. —— TRUMP: “Look, without tariffs, we would be captive to every country, and we have been for many years. That’s why we have an $800 billion trading deficit for years. We lose a fortune with virtually every country. They take advantage of us in every way possible.” — CNBC interview Monday. THE FACTS: Trump isn’t telling the whole story about trade deficits. When he refers to $800 billion trade gaps, he’s only talking about the deficit in goods such as cars and aircraft. He leaves out services — such as banking, tourism and education — in which the U.S. runs substantial trade surpluses that partially offset persistent deficits in goods. The goods and services deficit peaked at $762 billion in 2006. Last year, the United States ran a record $887 billion deficit in goods and a $260 billion surplus in services, which added up to an overall deficit of more than $627 billion. The U.S. does tend to run trade deficits with most other major economies. But there are exceptions, such as Canada (a nearly $4 billion surplus last year), Singapore ($18 billion) and Britain ($19 billion). Mainstream economists reject Trump’s argument that the deficits arise from other countries taking advantage of the United States. They see the trade gaps as the result of an economic reality that probably won’t bend to tariffs and other changes in trade policy: Americans buy more than they produce, and imports fill the gap. U.S. exports are also hurt by the American dollar’s status as the world’s currency. The dollar is usually in high demand because it is used in so many global transactions. That means the dollar is persistently strong, raising prices of U.S. products and putting American companies at a disadvantage in foreign markets. —— TRUMP: “You know, France charges us a lot for the wine and yet we charge them little for French wine. So the wineries come to me and they say — the California guys, they come to me: ‘Sir, we are paying a lot of money to put our products into France and you’re letting – meaning, this country is allowing this French wine which is great, we have great wine, too, allowing it to come in for nothing. It is not fair.”‘ — interview Monday with CNBC. THE FACTS: Trump, who’s been in the wine business, is technically wrong about France applying tariffs. The European Union does. He’s right about a disparity in wine duties. Tariffs vary by alcohol content and other factors. A bottle of white American wine with 13 per cent alcohol content imported into the EU carries a customs duty of 10 euro cents (just over 11 U.S. cents). A bottle of white wine from the EU exported to the United States has a customs duty of 5 U.S. cents. The gap in duties is narrower for red wine with an alcohol content of 14.5 per cent. Bulk wines are another story. The U.S. tariff is double the EU one, a break for American producers because bulk wine represents 25% of the volume of U.S. wine coming into the EU, according to the French wine exporter federation. The value of wine imported by France has jumped 200% over a decade. Americans are the top consumers of French wine exports. —— RUSSIA INVESTIGATION TRUMP, on special counsel Robert Mueller’s report: “The Mueller report spoke. … It said, ‘No collusion and no obstruction and no nothing.’ And, in fact, it said we actually rebuffed your friends from Russia; that we actually pushed them back — we rebuffed them.” — remarks Wednesday in Oval Office. THE FACTS: He’s wrong to repeat the claim that the Mueller report found no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign; it’s also false that his campaign in 2016 denied all access to Russians. Nor did the special counsel’s report exonerate Trump on the question of whether he obstructed justice. Mueller’s two-year investigation and other scrutiny revealed a multitude of meetings with Russians. Among them: Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer who had promised dirt on Clinton. On collusion, Mueller said he did not assess whether that occurred because it is not a legal term. He looked into a potential criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign and said the investigation did not collect sufficient evidence to establish criminal charges on that front. Mueller noted some Trump campaign officials had declined to testify under the Fifth Amendment or had provided false or incomplete testimony, making it difficult to get a complete picture of what happened during the 2016 campaign. The special counsel wrote that he “cannot rule out the possibility” that unavailable information could have cast a different light on the investigation’s findings. In an interview broadcast Wednesday with ABC News, Trump said if a foreign power offered dirt on his 2020 opponent, he’d be open to accepting it and that he’d have no obligation to call in the FBI. “I think I’d want to hear it,” Trump said. “There’s nothing wrong with listening.” —— REPUBLICAN SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, Judiciary Committee chairman, in response to Trump’s comments that he’d be open to accepting political dirt from foreign adversaries like Russia: “The outrage some of my Democratic colleagues are raising about President Trump’s comments will hopefully be met with equal outrage that their own party hired a foreign national to do opposition research on President Trump’s campaign.” — tweet Thursday. THE FACTS: Graham is making an unequal comparison. He seeks to turn the tables on Democrats by pointing to their use of a dossier of anti-Trump research produced by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer, that was financed by the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Graham also insists on “equal outrage” over Democrats using that information from a former intelligence officer of Britain, an ally with a history of shared intelligence with the U.S. That’s a different story from a foreign adversary such as Russia, which the Mueller report concluded had engaged in “sweeping and systematic” interference in the 2016 presidential election. Moreover, Steele was hired as a private citizen, though one with intelligence contacts. The Mueller report found multiple contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, and the report said it established that “the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.” Trump and his GOP allies typically point to the Steele dossier as the basis for the Russia probe. But the FBI’s investigation began months before it received the dossier. —— TRUMP: “The Democrats were very unhappy with the Mueller report. So now they’re trying to do a do-over or a redo. And we’re not doing that. We gave them everything. We were the most transparent presidency in history.” — Oval Office remarks Wednesday. THE FACTS: It’s highly dubious to say Trump was fully co-operative in the Russia investigation. Trump declined to sit for an interview with Mueller’s team, gave written answers that investigators described as “inadequate” and “incomplete,” said more than 30 times that he could not remember something he was asked about in writing, and — according to the report — tried to get aides to fire Mueller or otherwise shut or limit the inquiry. In the end, the Mueller report found no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia but left open the question of whether Trump obstructed justice. According to the report, Mueller’s team declined to make a prosecutorial judgment on whether to charge partly because of a Justice Department legal opinion that said sitting presidents shouldn’t be indicted. The report instead factually laid out instances in which Trump might have obstructed justice, specifically leaving it open for Congress to take up the matter. —— FEDERAL RESERVE TRUMP: “We have people on the Fed that really weren’t, you know, they’re not my people, but they certainly didn’t listen to me because they made a big mistake.” — CNBC interview. THE FACTS: Actually, most of the members on the Fed’s Board of Governors owe their jobs to Trump. In addition to choosing Jerome Powell, a Republican whom Obama had named to the Fed board, to be chairman, Trump has filled three other vacancies on the board in his first two years in office. Lael Brainard is the only Democrat on the board. There are still two vacancies on the seven-member board. Trump had earlier intended to nominate two political allies — Herman Cain and Stephen Moore — but both later withdrew in the face of sharp opposition from critics. —— AUTOMAKERS TRUMP: “Tariffs are a great negotiating tool, a great revenue producer and, most importantly, a powerful way to get … companies to come to the U.S.A., and to get companies that have left us for other lands to come back home. We stupidly lost 30% of our auto business to Mexico.” — tweets Tuesday. TRUMP: “They took 30% of our automobile companies. They moved into Mexico. All of the people got fired.” — interview Monday with CNBC. THE FACTS: He’s incorrect that Mexico took 30% of the U.S. automobile business in the years since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994. In 2017, 14% of the vehicles sold in the U.S. were imported from Mexico, according to the Center for Automotive Research, a think-tank in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Parts imported from Mexico exceed 30%. —— TRUMP: “If the Tariffs went on at the higher level, they would all come back.” — tweet Tuesday. TRUMP: “What will happen is the companies will move into the United States, back where they came from. … They would all move back if they had to pay a 25% tax or tariff.” — interview Monday with CNBC. THE FACTS: He’s wrong to assume that auto companies in Mexico would immediately move back to the U.S. if there were a 25% tariff on Mexican-made vehicles and parts. It takes three years or four years minimum to plan, equip and build an auto assembly plant, so there would be little immediate impact on production or jobs. Auto and parts makers are global companies, and they would also look to countries without tariffs as a place to move their factories. The companies could also just wait until after the 2020 election, hoping that if Trump is defeated, the next president would get rid of the tariffs. “They’re not going to invest in duplicative capacity in response to short-term policy incentives,” said Kristen Dziczek, a vice-president at the Center for Automotive Research. It is possible that some production could be shifted back to the United States. General Motors, for instance, makes about 39% of its full-size pickup trucks at a factory in Silao, Mexico, mainly light-duty versions, according to analysts at Morningstar. If the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on assembled automobiles, GM could shift some production to a factory in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that also makes light-duty pickups. But there are limits. That plant already is running on three shifts and is almost near its maximum capacity. Tariffs on Mexico probably would cost auto jobs in the U.S., too, because Mexico would almost certainly retaliate with tariffs of its own. Tariffs on both sides would raise prices of vehicles, because automakers probably would pass the charges onto their customers. Industry experts say higher prices would cause more buyers to shift into the used-vehicle market, cutting into new-vehicle sales. Tariffs could be higher than 25% because parts go back and forth across the border multiple times in a highly integrated supply chain. Vehicles built in Mexico get 20% to 30% of their parts from the U.S., so the tariffs would drive up prices there. That would hit lower-income people hard because automakers produce many lower-priced new vehicles in Mexico to take advantage of cheaper labour. About 62% of U.S. vehicle and parts exports go to Canada and Mexico, according to the Center for Automotive Research. Tariffs would add $1,300 to $4,500 to the price of vehicles based just on the cost of parts, the centre estimated. —— Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Christopher Rugaber, Martin Crutsinger and Paul Wiseman in Washington, Elliot Spagat in San Diego, Tom Krisher in Detroit and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. —— Find AP Fact Check http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow https://twitter.com/APFactCheck EDITOR’S NOTE — A look at the veracity of claims by political figures Published at Sat, 15 Jun 2019 11:57:41 +0000 Read the full article

#APFactCheck #borderwall #iran #northkorea #russianinvestigation #tankers #tradewar

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ebenpink · 5 years

Photo

World News Briefs -- January 31, 2019 (Evening Edition) http://bit.ly/2G05RTr

Reuters: Senate rebukes Trump, advances measure on Syria troops WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a rebuke of President Donald Trump, the Republican-led U.S. Senate advanced largely symbolic legislation on Thursday opposing plans for any abrupt withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan. The Senate voted 68-23 in favor of a non-binding amendment, drafted by Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying it was the sense of the Senate that Islamic militant groups in both countries continue to pose a “serious threat” to the United States. Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Lebanon factions form government, ending nine-month deadlock. Bipartisan US senators press Trump for strategy to protect Syrian Kurds. US wants three allies to help protect Kurds from Turkey - Report. US lawmakers renew fight with Trump over Saudi Arabia, Yemen. Six Arab foreign ministers meet in Jordan 'to align policy'. Saudi Arabia: Corruption crackdown 'ends with $106bn recovered'. Saudi Arabia ends major anti-corruption campaign. Netanyahu challenger leaps in polls after maiden speech. Iran welcomes new EU trade entity as 'first step'. Iran to mark 40th anniversary of revolution. Israel's giant offshore gas field gets platform jacket.

ASIA

Xi’s tough talk on Taiwan backfires, as Tsai support surges. Trump plans to meet Xi after US-China talks end with no deal. Pompeo says team heading to Asia for 2nd Trump-Kim summit. Trump to say when, where he’ll hold 2nd North Korean summit. Afghan forces lose ground as peace efforts continue: Report. Report: Afghan forces still shrinking, security gaps growing. Myanmar rebel groups consider alliance against government. Getting warmer: Mike Pompeo says a Kim summit is on the books for late February - and it will take place somewhere in Asia. A map showing Taiwan and China as separate countries rattled some nerves from behind China's Great Firewall. China's factory activity shrinks as slowdown worries rise. India unemployment rate highest in 45 years: Report. 437 Bangkok schools closed due to smog.

AFRICA

Zimbabwe’s teachers unions to strike next week over pay. Sudan police fire tear gas as protesters launch new rallies. Sudan's Omar al-Bashir mocks 'Facebook protesters'. Sudan's army says it will 'not allow state to fall' amid protests. 'Raped by soldiers': Zimbabwean women live in fear. UN sets course towards easing CAR arms embargo. Detained Cameroon opposition head accused of rebellion. Algeria PM's party backs Bouteflika for fifth term. Death toll at 52 after migrant boats sink off Djibouti.

EUROPE

U.S. to announce suspension of compliance with nuclear pact: officials. Russia says 'no progress' on nuclear treaty ahead of deadline. Italy slides into recession as eurozone struggles. Italy in recession amid sluggish eurozone. INSTEX: Europe sets up transactions channel with Iran. UK, France and Germany create payments system to trade with Iran. EU parliament recognises Venezuela's Guaido as interim president. French MPs condemn 'authoritarian' plans to curtail gilets jaunes protests. 'Trauma packs' being stockpiled in UK over fears of no-deal Brexit.

AMERICAS

Trump, Pelosi stances on wall suggest deal will be difficult. Pelosi: No wall money in U.S. border deal talks. Trump: More troops going to border but wall would be 'much easier'. Trump: China trade talks going well, will meet Xi in near future. Venezuelans take to streets in walkout to push Maduro out. Venezuela's Guaidó urging west to keep up pressure, says Hunt. Venezuela crisis: Juan Guaidó says family has been threatened. Venezuela detains foreign journalists amid crackdown on protests. Canada withdraws half of its embassy staff from Cuba after another mystery illness. Polar vortex claims eight lives as US cold snap continues.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

US military says airstrike kills 24 al-Shabab extremists in central Somalia. In former IS bastion, displaced Syrians clamour to go home. The story of a US raid on al-Qaeda in Yemen.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

S&P 500 index delivers biggest monthly gain since 2015. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin upbeat after first day of US-China trade war talks in Washington. US, China lead race for artificial intelligence patents: UN. Oil prices extend rise as OPEC cuts tighten supply. from War News Updates http://bit.ly/2HGKKqU via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Blogger

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dragnews · 6 years

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Kim Jong-un, Federal Reserve, Raccoon: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.”

That was President Trump upon his return from Singapore. In Pyongyang, the state-controlled media also celebrated the meeting’s outcome, declaring that Kim Jong-un had won major concessions. But the contours of the agreement the two leaders reached remain vague, and open to divergent interpretations.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in Seoul to meet with South Korean officials, said that the Trump administration hoped to complete “major disarmament” of North Korea within the next 2½ years.

On the latest episode of our podcast “The Daily,” we discuss North Korea with our Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof.

2. The U.S., Mexico and Canada will host the 2026 World Cup, North America’s first since 1994. Their successful joint proposal promised record crowds and revenues, and $11 billion in profits for FIFA, soccer’s governing body. Above, officials from the three countries.

And this year’s World Cup starts Thursday in Russia. For updates and analysis delivered to your inbox twice a week, sign up for our Offsides newsletter. And to receive direct messages from Times journalists on the ground in Russia, sign up for World Cup Messenger.

____

Lawmakers will consider a hard-line measure that emphasizes border security and a somewhat more moderate compromise measure, yet to be finalized. But whether either bill can pass is very much in doubt.

____

4. The world’s worst humanitarian crisis may get even more grim.

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded Yemen’s main Red Sea port, disrupting a major pipeline for food and goods in the war-torn country. The attack seems aimed at tipping the balance in the long-running fight against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, but could put millions at risk of starvation.

The U.S. has backed the Saudi-led coalition, but an increasing number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress are criticizing America’s role in the conflict.

____

5. Comcast announced an offer worth $65 billion for the bulk of 21st Century Fox’s businesses, setting up a showdown with the Walt Disney Company for Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

The all-cash bid by Comcast, the largest cable company in the U.S., came a day after a federal judge approved a merger between AT&T and Time Warner. Comcast executives had awaited the decision in that case before mounting their bid.

6. In other financial news, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, and signaled it would raise rates two more times this year.

Jerome Powell, the Fed chairman, above, said the economy had strengthened significantly since the financial crisis and was approaching a “normal” level where monetary policy may no longer be needed to either encourage or discourage economic activity.

The markets had been widely expecting the move, and reaction among investors was muted.

7. “It’s weird to be moving into this building. I used to work here.”

That was Karleen Smith, who was referring to the Macy’s at the Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va. Like so many mall stores across the country, the Macy’s shut down a while back.

And now the vacant space is being used as a temporary homeless shelter, with 60 beds for families and single people without a place to live, in a city with a scarcity of affordable housing.

8. In much of the country, the stereotype that boys do better than girls at math isn’t true — on average, they perform about the same, at least through the eighth grade. (Above, a classroom in Stockport, Ohio.)

But there’s a notable exception: school districts that are mostly rich, white and suburban. That’s according to a new study from Stanford researchers, one of the most comprehensive looks at the gender gap in test scores at the school district level.

There’s no easy explanation; a variety of factors most likely account for the disparity. And girls continue to outperform boys in reading in school districts across the U.S., regardless of income.

____

9. The late-night hosts had their hands full trying to make sense of the budding camaraderie between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.

“The two leaders did seem to hit it off,” James Corden quipped. “In fact, Trump liked Kim so much, he’s said he’s going to let him decide the next presidential election. Makes a nice change.”

And we’re looking forward to Wednesday’s episode of “The Late Show.” Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, and Anthony Scaramucci, the president’s short-lived communications director, will sit down with Stephen Colbert. They’ll surely be asked about reports that an agent has been pitching a talk show starring them to cable networks.

____

10. Finally, a raccoon on the loose captivated the nation.

It all started when maintenance workers at an office tower in downtown St. Paul, Minn., found the raccoon curled up on a ledge on Tuesday afternoon. After it was roused, the creature took off — and scaled the side of the building. An audience gathered on the street below — and on Twitter — to watch the hourslong attempt to stop it. While some cheered for the animal, others warned that they were vicious.

“Do not be fooled by their attempts to be cute,” one user wrote. “This building climbing scheme was just part of their nefarious plot to take over the world. Stay vigilant!”

Officials managed to bait and trap the raccoon, and they released it into the wild.

Have a great night.

____

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

The post Kim Jong-un, Federal Reserve, Raccoon: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing appeared first on World The News.

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newestbalance · 6 years

Text

Kim Jong-un, Federal Reserve, Raccoon: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in Seoul to meet with South Korean officials, said that the Trump administration hoped to complete “major disarmament” of North Korea within the next 2½ years.

On the latest episode of our podcast “The Daily,” we discuss North Korea with our Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof.

____

4. The world’s worst humanitarian crisis may get even more grim.

The U.S. has backed the Saudi-led coalition, but an increasing number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress are criticizing America’s role in the conflict.

____

5. Comcast announced an offer worth $65 billion for the bulk of 21st Century Fox’s businesses, setting up a showdown with the Walt Disney Company for Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

6. In other financial news, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, and signaled it would raise rates two more times this year.

The markets had been widely expecting the move, and reaction among investors was muted.

7. “It’s weird to be moving into this building. I used to work here.”

That was Karleen Smith, who was referring to the Macy’s at the Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va. Like so many mall stores across the country, the Macy’s shut down a while back.

And now the vacant space is being used as a temporary homeless shelter, with 60 beds for families and single people without a place to live, in a city with a scarcity of affordable housing.

There’s no easy explanation; a variety of factors most likely account for the disparity. And girls continue to outperform boys in reading in school districts across the U.S., regardless of income.

____

9. The late-night hosts had their hands full trying to make sense of the budding camaraderie between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.

____

10. Finally, a raccoon on the loose captivated the nation.

“Do not be fooled by their attempts to be cute,” one user wrote. “This building climbing scheme was just part of their nefarious plot to take over the world. Stay vigilant!”

Officials managed to bait and trap the raccoon, and they released it into the wild.

Have a great night.

____

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

The post Kim Jong-un, Federal Reserve, Raccoon: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing appeared first on World The News.

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cleopatrarps · 6 years

Text

Kim Jong-un, Federal Reserve, Raccoon: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in Seoul to meet with South Korean officials, said that the Trump administration hoped to complete “major disarmament” of North Korea within the next 2½ years.

On the latest episode of our podcast “The Daily,” we discuss North Korea with our Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof.

____

4. The world’s worst humanitarian crisis may get even more grim.

The U.S. has backed the Saudi-led coalition, but an increasing number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress are criticizing America’s role in the conflict.

____

5. Comcast announced an offer worth $65 billion for the bulk of 21st Century Fox’s businesses, setting up a showdown with the Walt Disney Company for Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

6. In other financial news, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, and signaled it would raise rates two more times this year.

The markets had been widely expecting the move, and reaction among investors was muted.

7. “It’s weird to be moving into this building. I used to work here.”

That was Karleen Smith, who was referring to the Macy’s at the Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va. Like so many mall stores across the country, the Macy’s shut down a while back.

And now the vacant space is being used as a temporary homeless shelter, with 60 beds for families and single people without a place to live, in a city with a scarcity of affordable housing.

There’s no easy explanation; a variety of factors most likely account for the disparity. And girls continue to outperform boys in reading in school districts across the U.S., regardless of income.

____

9. The late-night hosts had their hands full trying to make sense of the budding camaraderie between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.

____

10. Finally, a raccoon on the loose captivated the nation.

“Do not be fooled by their attempts to be cute,” one user wrote. “This building climbing scheme was just part of their nefarious plot to take over the world. Stay vigilant!”

Officials managed to bait and trap the raccoon, and they released it into the wild.

Have a great night.

____

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

The post Kim Jong-un, Federal Reserve, Raccoon: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2JHon17 via News of World

#Daily World News #Daily Entertainment #Daily Sports #Today News #World The News

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party-hard-or-die · 6 years

Text

Kim Jong-un, Federal Reserve, Raccoon: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in Seoul to meet with South Korean officials, said that the Trump administration hoped to complete “major disarmament” of North Korea within the next 2½ years.

On the latest episode of our podcast “The Daily,” we discuss North Korea with our Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof.

____

4. The world’s worst humanitarian crisis may get even more grim.

The U.S. has backed the Saudi-led coalition, but an increasing number of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress are criticizing America’s role in the conflict.

____

5. Comcast announced an offer worth $65 billion for the bulk of 21st Century Fox’s businesses, setting up a showdown with the Walt Disney Company for Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

6. In other financial news, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, and signaled it would raise rates two more times this year.

The markets had been widely expecting the move, and reaction among investors was muted.

7. “It’s weird to be moving into this building. I used to work here.”

That was Karleen Smith, who was referring to the Macy’s at the Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Va. Like so many mall stores across the country, the Macy’s shut down a while back.

And now the vacant space is being used as a temporary homeless shelter, with 60 beds for families and single people without a place to live, in a city with a scarcity of affordable housing.

There’s no easy explanation; a variety of factors most likely account for the disparity. And girls continue to outperform boys in reading in school districts across the U.S., regardless of income.

____

9. The late-night hosts had their hands full trying to make sense of the budding camaraderie between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.

____

10. Finally, a raccoon on the loose captivated the nation.

“Do not be fooled by their attempts to be cute,” one user wrote. “This building climbing scheme was just part of their nefarious plot to take over the world. Stay vigilant!”

Officials managed to bait and trap the raccoon, and they released it into the wild.

Have a great night.

____

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

The post Kim Jong-un, Federal Reserve, Raccoon: Your Wednesday Evening Briefing appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2JHon17 via Breaking News

#News Headlines #News Update #Sports Update #Business Update #World The News

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dansmindbloguniverse-blog · 6 years

Text

Lesson 15, Task 1: Where do I live?

I live in the border city to the united states and the most Southern part of Canada, Windsor. I have researched the demographics of Windsor including the distribution of ethnicity, sex and age today and in the past. I have critically analyzed the challenges presented by the demographics in my community and how we have accommodated these challenges.

Windsor’s current population is 217,188. The whole metropolitan area is 329, 144 which on a relative scale, is a small population compared to Toronto as it is about an eighth of the population of Toronto. Windsor is renowned as a very multicultural city which constantly welcomes new immigrants. As of 2017, according to statistics Canada, a survey of the percentage of immigrants in 2017 said that 27.8% of Windsor’s population is immigrants. Approximately 72% of Windsor residents are caucasian and of the Canadian nationality. The second highest ethnicity is the Arabs which is no where near as big as the percentage of white people: 7.4%. Windsor’s population consists of 4.9% African Americans. There is 5.9% of Southern Asians. South Asia consists of India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. From my personal experience, I would argue that most of this 5.9% are from India. I am manager at my work, and I am responsible for helping with the hiring process. We have an add on Indeed and I receive all the applications. I can say that 90% of the applicants are Indian. However, perhaps many of these students are simply international students and do not have Canadian residency which means Demographic Group, 2018 Group Population % of Pop. White 156,380 72.0% Arab 16,115 7.4% Black 10,675 4.9% South Asian 9,640 4.4% Chinese 7,340 3.4% Filipino 2,960 1.4% First Nations 2,705 1.2% Latin American 2,670 1.2% Métis 2,490 1.1% Korean 315 0.1% Japanese 110 0% Sex: 48.8 male 51.2 female

Age: 0-14 16% 15-29 19.2% 30-44 17% 45-59 22% 60-74 17% 75+ 8% they wouldn’t be considered in this percentage. 4.9% of Windsor’s population are Asians (Chinese, Philippines, or Korean, or Vietnamese), 1.2% are First Nations, and 1.2% are Latinos. The current Sex distribution in Windsor is almost even, however there are relatively slightly more females than males. Our population is currently 48.8% males and 51.2% females. The age distribution is fairly evenly distributed with the highest age group being 22%, which is the age group 45-59 years of age. This is probably the most populated age group because it is the baby boomers. My parents fall under this age category. The remainder of the age group distribution is shown to the left.

The following diagrams are from 1991, In Canada. On the chart on the left, it shows the percentage of immigrants in cities in Canada, in 1991. Windsor appears to be a bit higher then the average which approximately 20% immigrants. Comparing this with the current results, today, Windsor’s percentage of immigrants is 28%. Hence, the immigrant population in Windsor grew since 1991. This shows that Windsor is continuing to welcome more cultures, hence it is increasingly becoming more ethnically diverse. Furthermore, The second graph below shows distribution of ethnicities in Canada, in 1991. This information is general to all of Canada, hence it will not be specific to Windsor (there was no such data on Windsor alone). At the time, the African American population was only 0.8% in Canada Referring back to the results I collected at the beginning, there are now 4.9% of African Americans living in Windsor. Hence, the population of African Americans has increased since 1991. It appears that the percentage of Latin Americans also increased, as well as the amount of arabs and asians. The percentage of Aboriginals (First nation, Métis, Inuit) has also increased. This makes sense because more and more Aboriginals may want to live in Canada to benefit from the advantages that the Canadian Government offers for them now (such as free education, tax exemptions or extra funding).

These historical age pyramids show how the age distribution in Ontario has evolved since 1851, to 1964, to 1995. These statistics were found on Statistics Canada. In 1851, there were less people in general but relatively slightly more youth. The chart to the right shows the product of the baby boom in 1964. The baby boom was between 1946-1964. The chart shows the youth population being significantly larger. This was because practically all families decided to have babies after the second world war since America’s victory created a great economic boom, allowing families to find work and be most were financially capable of starting a family. The baby boom followed into the later years, always continuing to be the age group with the largest distribution. Shown on the 1995 chart, the baby boomers are now in their mid 30’s and 40’s. There also seems to have been no drastic difference between males and females, in any of the charts. Hence the ratio of females to males has always been fairly even. Just like today, there seems to be slightly more females then males however not by a significant amount.

The charts above show the current age distribution in Ontario, as well as the one that Statistics Canada has estimated for 2036 (18 years from now). Our population is exponentially growing and people are predicting that the world will end if the population continues to multiply at this rate. Canada’s population growth rate is 1.2% per year which means the world population will reach eight billion by 2024. Overpopulation is an issue that must be addressed because the world only has a limited amount of resources and the resources are already not evenly distributed around the world (the proof is that there are both extremely rich and extremely poor). Hence, my community works towards solving this issue through science. Many universities and scientists are working towards developing genetic modification which can duplicate seeds or resources. This scientific research is done in my community, as I have communicated with local Windsor University students who are studying food technology and chemical engineering, chemistry, biology, and food related sciences. Hopefully technology will develop a solution to the demographic disaster of overpopulation.

The demographics in my community cause unique conflicts to arise such as cultural conflicts, issues of unemployment, ageing population, large young population and poverty. Thankfully, Windsor is a very liberal based community and provides support for these issues. There is often language barriers with multicultural immigrants and since Windsor is so diversely filled with ethnic backgrounds. This means that many of the immigrants will not be able to speak english, meaning we wont be able to understand them and they wont be able to understand us. I personally work at a door to door job and I find that many people I come in contact with are from Europe the Middle East, or Asia. And they do not understand me well. What the government does to accommodate this language barrier issue is to offer English classes for immigrants. This allows them to contribute to the economy and to get jobs. They will have much more opportunity to find jobs if they have proficiency in our mother language: English.

Our liberal government is constantly changing and attempting to improve human rights. This is why immigrants have rights to have financial support from the government. Canada is always accepting more immigrants, especially now since we have Justin Trudeau as our prime minister. All the immigrants that republican Trump is sending back out of the USA, Trudeau proudly welcomes into liberal Canada. More immigrants in my community also means there are more people looking for work. Often these immigrants do not have very much money or education either. In Windsor, many of them may settle for a job in the automotive industry. Windsor is known as the “Motor City,” and many people work in factories and in the labour industry, all contributing to the fabrication of cars for companies like Ford or Chrysler. My community also has a law where a certain percentage of non-white people need to be hired for every job. My mom works within the school board and the school board must always hire a certain number of African Americans. This is to ensure that there is no discrimination in the hiring process. There is never a set number, the number depends on the distribution of ethnicities within the town. For instance in Windsor, with a 4.9% population of African Americans, this would mean that 4.9% of people hired must be African Americans. If an organization is not following this law, a lawsuit can be filed. The same goes for other ethnicities. This ensures that everyone with different ethnicities can equally be involved in society and can contribute to the economy.

Financial support from the government is of course not only for immigrants but for our own Canadians as well. Many people are jobless in my community. There are also many other organizations for people without jobs, such as Ontario works, welfare, and disability checks, which help the members of my community that are not capable of being in the working field. However, welfare is payed by the working middle class people who pay high taxes to make a living for those who are lazy. Often many people especially tax payers look down upon people who benefit from welfare. Welfare should only be for those who can not work, not for those who chose not to work. Thankfully, my community has organizations that encourages people who are eligible, to contribute to the economy. I was once jobless and thanks to organizations like the Unemployment Help Centre, I was able to be trained for the working field and to be found a job.

Since there are slightly more women than men this means that more women need jobs. Social changes have allowed for women to become more powerful in the job industry. These changes include: women gaining the right to vote in the 1930’s; the period of second-wave feminism in the 1960’s; the equal pay act was passed in 1963; the equal rights amendment was passed in 1972; in the 1970’s women began entering the workforce. Women went from not having the right to education, to flourishing in the academic and working world today. My community encourages young women to succeed. For instance, there are not as many female engineers in the engineering program at the University of Windsor, hence there was a presentation at my school that explained that they were looking for more women to join the program. They were offering scholarships for the engineering program, and the only criteria to apply was being a women! This encourages women in my community to take on roles that initially were only dedicated to men. Furthermore, there are many job fairs dedicated to women only. There was one at my school about a month ago. These fairs have stands with employers that meet with young women and describe the job to the girls as well as recruit them.

We have a large young population which means more government funding is being spent on our youth such as OSAP (which is university funding for children that do not have the financial means to pay for education tuition), many children are also offered bursaries. I have been part of a small business grant program where the government funded me three grand to help me start my own company. The Canadian government and the City of Windsor wants youth

We have a large population of senior citizens, and the baby boomers are approximately in their 50’s today. Hence they will soon become our population of elderly. Since the baby boomers are the largest age group in my community, my community must prepare to help the elderly. The city of Windsor built a brand new nursing home right near my house. My community does this to prepare for the growing number of elderly. It is predicted, shown on the chart to the left, by Statistics Canada, that the senior population may eventually exceed the population of children. This is because of the great health care that we have in Canada as well as Canada pension. People live longer because they are provided with good health care throughout their lives and good pensions. Some argue that a growing number of elderly is not good, because now more money from tax payers will go to the elderly, instead of going towards youth. However, overall, I believe that my community should support the elderly. They have contributed to the community all their lives, and it is time that we give back. My mother has worked all her life and it is important for me to know that she will have health care, a good pension and good support from the government as she ages, because she deserves it, after a long life of hard work.

We also have a growing number of aboriginals. Aboriginals have a back story. I have a friend that is native and he explained to me that he gets university for free, simply for being Aboriginal. Aboriginals were the first inhabitants of Canada before the European settlers invaded them. Once Europeans invaded Canada, 60% of Aboriginals eventually died. This is why today, my community gives benefits to the small amount of Aboriginals left in the community. They fought very hard to acquire these well deserved rights.

It is also safe to say that in some ways, Windsor is a cultural mosaic. Religions are very powerful, they are more powerful than the law. For instance, Muslims are allowed by law to wear their religious attire to cover their faces. Whereas the law says that you are not allowed to be masked. A masked individual who hides his face will often be seen as an intruder/burglar/dangerous person. However, the law has been adjusted to allow Islamic individuals to mask themselves for their religion. This is only one example of how my community allows people to maintain their cultures despite the Americanized society. This can be a good thing, since it encourages individuality and embraces culture, however, it can cause conflict because some people may argue that it is a threat to our safety. What if these Muslims are terrorists and are hiding weapons under their religious attire. ex. Canada is a very democratic country that encourages freedom of speech. However, the more freedom we have to speak our minds, the more conflicting opinions there will be, which will create more debate. The more debate, the less decisions being made. This is why some people prefer more dictatorship styled governments where there is less freedom of speech/ less rights, but less time spent on debating, hence more things being achieved. This is a whole debate on its own. However, many people voted for Donald Trump, because he was leaning more towards the melting pot style society. He intends to reduce terrorism and that the best way to do so, is to create rules that must be followed that are cohesive to the American society. For instance, he does not support The question is, what is more important: the right to religion and freedom of speech, or our safety as a nation.

My community has changed in that there are more immigrants and ethnic diversity, more youth, more elderly, more women in the work force, more people and less resources. My community has faced many issues because of the changes in the demographics, and has enforced many solutions to maintain a well rounded community.

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brookstonalmanac · 4 years

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Events 7.19

AD 64 – The Great Fire of Rome causes widespread devastation and rages on for six days, destroying half of the city. 484 – Leontius, Roman usurper, is crowned Eastern emperor at Tarsus (modern Turkey). He is recognized in Antioch and makes it his capital. 711 – Umayyad conquest of Hispania: Battle of Guadalete: Umayyad forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by King Roderic. 939 – Battle of Simancas: King Ramiro II of León defeats the Moorish army under Caliph Abd-al-Rahman III near the city of Simancas. 998 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Battle of Apamea: Fatimids defeat a Byzantine army near Apamea. 1333 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Halidon Hill: The English win a decisive victory over the Scots. 1544 – Italian War of 1542–46: The first Siege of Boulogne begins. 1545 – The Tudor warship Mary Rose sinks off Portsmouth; in 1982 the wreck is salvaged in one of the most complex and expensive projects in the history of maritime archaeology. 1553 – Lady Jane Grey is replaced by Mary I of England as Queen of England after only nine days on the throne. 1588 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines: The Spanish Armada is sighted in the English Channel. 1701 – Representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy sign the Nanfan Treaty, ceding a large territory north of the Ohio River to England. 1702 – Great Northern War: A numerically superior Polish-Saxon army of Augustus II the Strong, operating from an advantageous defensive position, is defeated by a Swedish army half its size under the command of King Charles XII in the Battle of Klissow. 1817 – Unsuccessful in his attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Hawaii for the Russian-American Company, Georg Anton Schäffer is forced to admit defeat and leave Kauai. 1821 – Coronation of George IV of the United Kingdom. 1832 – The British Medical Association is founded as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association by Sir Charles Hastings at a meeting in the Board Room of the Worcester Infirmary. 1843 – Brunel's steamship the SS Great Britain is launched, becoming the first ocean-going craft with an iron hull and screw propeller, becoming the largest vessel afloat in the world. 1845 – Great New York City Fire of 1845: The last great fire to affect Manhattan begins early in the morning and is subdued that afternoon. The fire kills four firefighters and 26 civilians and destroys 345 buildings. 1848 – Women's rights: A two-day Women's Rights Convention opens in Seneca Falls, New York. 1863 – American Civil War: Morgan's Raid: At Buffington Island in Ohio, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's raid into the north is mostly thwarted when a large group of his men are captured while trying to escape across the Ohio River. 1864 – Taiping Rebellion: Third Battle of Nanking: The Qing dynasty finally defeats the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. 1870 – Franco-Prussian War: France declares war on Prussia. 1900 – The first line of the Paris Métro opens for operation. 1903 – Maurice Garin wins the first Tour de France. 1916 – World War I: Battle of Fromelles: British and Australian troops attack German trenches as part of the Battle of the Somme. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The CNT and UGT call a general strike in Spain - mobilizing workers' militias against the Nationalist forces. 1940 – World War II: Battle of Cape Spada: The Royal Navy and the Regia Marina clash; the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni sinks, with 121 casualties. 1940 – Field Marshal Ceremony: First occasion in World War II that Adolf Hitler appoints field marshals due to military achievements. 1940 – World War II: Army order 112 forms the Intelligence Corps of the British Army. 1942 – World War II: The Second Happy Time of Hitler's submarines comes to an end, as the increasingly effective American convoy system compels them to return to the central Atlantic. 1943 – World War II: Rome is heavily bombed by more than 500 Allied aircraft, inflicting thousands of casualties. 1947 – Prime Minister of the shadow Burmese government, Bogyoke Aung San and eight others are assassinated. 1947 – Korean politician Lyuh Woon-hyung is assassinated. 1952 – Opening of the Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 1961 – Tunisia imposes a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte; the French would capture the entire town four days later. 1963 – Joe Walker flies a North American X-15 to a record altitude of 106,010 meters (347,800 feet) on X-15 Flight 90. Exceeding an altitude of 100 km, this flight qualifies as a human spaceflight under international convention. 1964 – Vietnam War: At a rally in Saigon, South Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Khánh calls for expanding the war into North Vietnam. 1969 – Chappaquiddick incident: U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy crashes his car into a tidal pond at Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, killing his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. 1972 – Dhofar Rebellion: British SAS units help the Omani government against Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman rebels in the Battle of Mirbat. 1976 – Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal is created. 1977 – The world's first Global Positioning System (GPS) signal was transmitted from Navigation Technology Satellite 2 (NTS-2) and received at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at 12:41 a.m. Eastern time (ET). 1979 – The Sandinista rebels overthrow the government of the Somoza family in Nicaragua. 1979 – The oil tanker SS Atlantic Empress collides with another oil tanker, causing the largest ever ship-borne oil spill. 1980 – Opening of the Summer Olympics in Moscow. 1981 – In a private meeting with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, French President François Mitterrand reveals the existence of the Farewell Dossier, a collection of documents showing the Soviet Union had been stealing American technological research and development. 1982 – In one of the first militant attacks by Hezbollah, David S. Dodge, president of the American University of Beirut, is kidnapped. 1983 – The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT is published. 1985 – The Val di Stava dam collapses killing 268 people in Val di Stava, Italy. 1989 – United Airlines Flight 232 crashes in Sioux City, Iowa killing 111. 1992 – A car bomb kills Judge Paolo Borsellino and five members of his escort. 1997 – The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army resumes a ceasefire to end their 25-year paramilitary campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland. 2014 – Gunmen in Egypt's western desert province of New Valley Governorate attack a military checkpoint, killing at least 21 soldiers. Egypt reportedly declares a state of emergency on its border with Sudan.

#Events

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newstfionline · 6 years

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Headlines

U.S., EU to Expel More Than 100 Russian Diplomats Over UK Nerve Attack (Reuters) The United States said on Monday it would expel 60 Russian diplomats, joining governments across Europe in punishing the Kremlin for a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain that they have blamed on Moscow.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Deny Giving Missiles to Houthis (Reuters) Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied on Tuesday Saudi accusations that Tehran has provided the Houthi movement in Yemen with ballistic capabilities, a day after a Houthi missile hit the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Israeli Ex-Spymasters Warn Country Is ‘Critically Ill’ Under Netanyahu (Reuters) Six former Israeli spymasters accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday of jeopardizing the country’s future as it prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its founding next month.

Uzbekistan Offers to Host Talks Between Afghan Government and Taliban (Reuters) Uzbekistan offered on Tuesday to host peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, a move that could make Tashkent a player in settling the decades-long conflict in the neighboring country.

Thousands Leave Ghouta in Surrender of Enclave to Syrian Government (Reuters) Some 7,000 people departed eastern Ghouta for Syrian rebel territory near the Turkish border on Tuesday under a deal arranged by Russia to surrender the enclave to the Syrian government, Russian state media and a war monitor said.

Pakistan Defends Nuclear Safety Record After U.S. Sanctions Companies (Reuters) Pakistan has defended its record on nuclear safety after the United States sanctioned seven Pakistani companies over alleged links to the nuclear trade, saying the suspicions over the companies should not be used to discredit it.

Turkey Says Kills 11 Kurdish Militants, Two Turkish Soldiers Killed (Reuters) Turkey’s military killed 11 Kurdish militants in its southern Hatay province bordering Syria overnight, the governor’s office said on Tuesday, and the army said two of its soldiers were killed in a blast in Syria’s Afrin region.

Republicans Press for F-35 Fighter Jet Sale to Taiwan (Reuters) Two senior U.S. Republican senators asked the Trump administration on Monday to allow the sale of Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 fighter jets to Taiwan, saying it would help it “remain a democracy” in the face of threats from China.

Train Believed Carrying North Korean Delegation Leaves Beijing (Reuters) A train believed to be carrying a senior North Korean delegation left the Chinese capital on Tuesday following a dramatic whirlwind visit that some reports said included the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un.

Bangladesh Sees Little Foreign Funds for Rohingya Refugee Island (Reuters) Bangladesh is not expecting much help from foreign donors as it forges ahead with plans to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees to an uninhabited island, an undertaking that does not yet have a timeline, a state minister said in an interview.

Media Watchdog: 2 Indian Reporters Killed in Attacks (AP) Two Indian journalists have been killed in separate hit-and-run incidents that rights groups and their families describe as deliberate attacks.

Roads Blocked in Catalonia in Protest at Leader’s Detention (AP) Catalonia’s transit authorities say demonstrators have blocked motorways and roads in the northeastern Spanish region, amid sustained protests over the detention of the former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont.

Bahrain, UAE Say Qatari Jets Interfering With Their Flights (AP) Authorities in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are again accusing Qatari military jets of interfering with their flights, the latest accusations amid the Arab countries’ boycott of Doha over a diplomatic dispute.

Egypt Holds 2nd Day of Presidential Election; Outcome Known (AP) Egyptians were voting Tuesday on the second day of a lackluster election that President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is virtually certain to win after all serious rivals were either arrested or intimidated into dropping out of the race ahead of balloting.

Drone Nearly Hits Plane Landing in New Zealand From Japan (AP) Air New Zealand said Tuesday that a drone came within meters of a flight descending into Auckland Airport from Tokyo, putting the safety of 278 passengers and crew at risk.

#headlines

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usnewsaggregator-blog · 7 years

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What's Dangerous About Donald Trump's Foreign Policy?

New Post has been published on https://usnewsaggregator.com/whats-dangerous-about-donald-trumps-foreign-policy/

What's Dangerous About Donald Trump's Foreign Policy?

When critics argue that Donald Trump is an exceptionally reckless commander in chief, they tend to highlight how the American president deviates from the norm.

By issuing “diplomatic pronouncements” on Twitter and pronouncing actual diplomats irrelevant, Hillary Clinton says, Trump poses “a clear and present danger to our country and to the world.” Trump, the Republican Senator Bob Corker warns, acts “like he’s on a reality show” and “doesn’t realize that we could be heading towards World War III with the kinds of comments that he’s making” about foreign policy, which should be left “to the professionals.” “We are concerned that the president of the United States is so unstable, is so volatile, has a decision-making process that is so quixotic, that he might order a nuclear-weapons strike [against North Korea] that is wildly out of step with U.S. national-security interests,” Corker’s Democratic colleague Chris Murphy recently cautioned during a Senate hearing. In the same hearing, a former Defense Department official testified that he “would be very worried about a miscalculation based on the continuing use of [Trump’s] Twitter account with regard to North Korea.”

Trump, Murphy told me not long ago, “has shown an enthusiasm for military force against North Korea in his Twitter account that is extraordinary.”

But if danger is crudely measured by how many people die in military conflicts as the result of a president’s policies, the dangers posed by Trump’s atypical behavior remain hypothetical at the moment. Leaving aside his genuinely unprecedented moves in trade and diplomacy, the wars that Trump is currently commanding were initiated by his predecessors. He has not (yet) started new conflicts with foes like Iran or North Korea or radically transformed existing ones. When it comes to the real use of military force, rather than the tweeted kind, Trump has acted rather like a “normal” U.S. president—only more so, as he’s escalated some conflicts he inherited. And yet it’s his abnormal actions, which so far haven’t killed anyone, that seem to scare his detractors most.

This intense focus on the discontinuities in Trump’s handling of foreign policy has eclipsed debate over the continuities; ruptures in style often obscure the enduring substance of problematic policies. When, for instance, four U.S. special-operations soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger, the political circus surrounding Trump’s calls to the soldiers’ families sucked up most of the attention—not the wisdom of continuing the Obama-era policy of sustaining so many low-grade, far-flung counterterrorism campaigns that Congress can’t keep track of them all.

Likewise, in more aggressively prosecuting the Obama administration’s battle against jihadist groups, the Trump administration has helped uproot ISIS from its last strongholds in Syria and Iraq, crippling the world’s most notorious terrorist group and thereby saving an unknowable number of lives in the United States and around the world. As a consequence, however, civilians and U.S. troops in the region are dying in greater numbers. The political scientist Micah Zenko noted this summer that “in Iraq and Syria, at least 55 percent of all civilians killed by airstrikes since the air war began in August 2014 have died under Mr. Trump’s watch.” (U.S. military officials argue that they have taken great care to conduct the most “precise air campaign in the history of warfare” and that ultimately the best way to protect civilians is to defeat the terrorists holding them hostage.)

When The New York Times recently reported that the U.S.-led coalition’s airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq are inadvertently killing civilians at a much higher rate than the coalition claims, no one went on television or held hearings in Congress to denounce Donald Trump as dangerous. Nor was there much of an outcry in the United States this past summer when civilian casualties mounted as the United States and its allies went on the offensive against the Islamic State, or this past spring when more than 100 civilians perished as a result of a U.S. bombing in the Iraqi city of Mosul. The alarms that sounded after Trump’s threat to unleash “fire and fury” on North Korea have largely stayed silent as innocent Syrians and Iraqis have fallen victim to American firepower.

In August, after Trump announced a plan to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, as Barack Obama and George W. Bush had done before him, Zenko pointed to a jump in Afghanistan of “70 percent more civilian casualties from American airstrikes in the first six months of 2017 than in the first half of 2016.” And he emphasized the risks of “standard operating procedure in Washington,” asserting that Trump was accelerating trends that predated his presidency. “Mr. Trump proudly proclaimed … that ‘we are killing’ terrorists. He has certainly tried. Every country the United States was bombing when he entered office has seen a sharp increase in the number of bombs dropped since Inauguration Day. But he is also killing unacceptably high numbers of civilians,” Zenko wrote. “Rather than committing to block the pathways by which individuals adopt jihadist ideologies and become attracted to terrorist groups, policy makers of both parties try the same military policies over and over.”

Trump, of course, has been in office for less than a year. The consequences of what he’s done thus far haven’t yet come into focus. He is indeed taking big risks with his subversive approach to international affairs. His freewheeling war of words with Kim Jong Un could morph into an actual war on the Korean peninsula, whether by choice or by accident. The ways in which he has enfeebled the State Department, left vacant ambassadorships across Asia and the Middle East, and publicly humiliated his secretary of state—all while stressing America’s military power—could make conflict more likely in the world’s most volatile regions.

But it’s also worth keeping in mind that more traditional approaches to foreign policy carry their own grave hazards. Consider the worst foreign-policy blunders of the two men who preceded Trump.

Bush secured support from the government bureaucracy, the public, and Congress for the invasion of Iraq, which went on to spark a war that has killed an estimated 200,000-plus people to date (mostly civilians), contributed to the emergence of ISIS, and effectively dissolved a country.

Obama obtained the backing of U.S. allies and the UN Security Council for a NATO military mission to protect Libyan civilians from a threatened massacre by Muammar al-Qaddafi during the Arab Spring. Perhaps that move saved countless civilian lives—we don’t know. But we do know what happened next: Qaddafi was killed, the rebels and their NATO partners triumphed, and Libya collapsed in part because the United States and its UN and European allies neglected the land they had helped liberate. Today Libya stands in political and economic ruin, deprived of basic governance, riven by fighting between rival militias, and hospitable to human smugglers and jihadist groups. Obama has cited the lack of international follow-up to the Libya intervention as the worst mistake of his presidency. Privately, as The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg reported, Obama labeled Libya a “shit show.”

If Trump’s aggressive dealings with Kim Jong Un are making war between two nuclear-weapons states significantly more likely, it’s hard to overstate the risks of that approach; millions could die in such a conflict. But in evaluating the Trump administration’s policy on North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program, it’s also important to keep the aggression in perspective. While it’s astounding and unsettling to see the president of the United States call North Korea’s leader “short and fat,” no one died in the making of that tweet. Thae Yong Ho, one of the highest-ranking officials ever to defect from North Korea, recently told me that he thinks past American presidents were too “gentle” with North Korean leaders and Trump’s unpredictable tactics are actually keeping North Korea’s provocations in check. Han Sung Joo, a former South Korean foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, told me that Trump’s tough rhetoric, which he interpreted as the president “expressing his views at the moment” rather than the “result of serious strategic thinking,” has succeeded in pressuring China to do “a little more” to isolate North Korea.

The Trump administration “has handled things in a … measured and firm way that will prevent North Korea from miscalculating,” Han argued. “I do not know if it is wise to push North Korea to the extent they feel they have to react in a non-peaceful way. But North Korea has shown some degree of restraint as far as deeds are concerned, although their rhetoric has also been quite blustery.”

“The most important thing is not to make the situation worse,” he continued. “We can’t expect to resolve the problem in a short period of time. But we have to patiently work on it while all the time maintaining deterrence and defense capabilities, and that the United States [under Trump] has done.”

“So far,” Han noted, “the present U.S. administration hasn’t really made any major mistakes.”

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studentofrhetoric-blog · 7 years

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Tuesday, February 14th, 2017

International News:

--- "WASHINGTON Multiple Russian military aircraft came close to a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea on Feb. 10, incidents considered "unsafe and unprofessional," a U.S. official said on Tuesday. The Russian Defense Ministry said no such incidents had occurred. "There were no incidents of any kind on Feb. 10, related to flights by Russian military jets in the Black Sea near the U.S. Navy destroyer Porter," Russian news agencies cited a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, as saying. But Captain Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for U.S. European Command, cited three separate incidents involving Russian aircraft and the USS Porter. One involved two Russian Su-24 jets, another a separate Su-24, and the third a larger IL-38. "USS Porter queried all aircraft and received no response," Hernandez said. "Such incidents are concerning because they can result in accident or miscalculation," he added."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-military-idUSKBN15T2MU

--- "The U.S. government strongly believes that North Korean agents murdered the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Malaysia, U.S. government sources said on Tuesday. American authorities have not yet determined exactly how Kim Jong Nam was killed, according to two sources, who did not provide specific evidence to support the U.S. government's view. A South Korean government source also had said that Kim Jong Nam had been murdered in Malaysia. He did not provide further details. South Korea's foreign ministry said it could not confirm the reports, and the country's intelligence agency could not immediately be reached for comment. In Washington, there was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Trump administration, which faces a stiff challenge from a defiant North Korea over its nuclear arms program and the test of a ballistic missile last weekend. Kim Jong Nam was known to spend a significant amount of his time outside North Korea and had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state. If confirmed as an assassination, it would the latest in a string of killings over the decades at home and abroad meant to silence those perceived by North Korea's leaders as threats to their authority, one of the U.S. sources said on condition of anonymity."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-malaysia-kim-idUSKBN15T1DN

Domestic & International News:

--- "DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The head of the United Nations' atomic agency said Tuesday the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to be in touch with him or others about their criticism of the Iran nuclear deal. Yukiya Amano, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told The Associated Press that his organization was "in constant touch" with the U.S., but had yet to hear from the new administration on their concerns. "I'm expecting to have direct contact with the new administration very soon," Amano said. Trump has signaled he wants to take a harder line on Iran than his predecessor Barack Obama, for whom the deal reached between Iran and world powers was a major foreign policy achievement."

Source: https://www.apnews.com/30562b5100a444838aee1996129358ca/AP-Interview:-Trump-yet-to-call-UN-atomic-chief-on-Iran-deal

--- "Russia has deployed a new cruise missile despite complaints by U.S. officials that it violates an arms control treaty banning ground-based U.S. and Russian intermediate-range missiles, a senior Trump administration official said on Tuesday.Russia had secretly deployed the ground-launched SSC-8 cruise missile that Moscow has been developing and testing for several years, despite U.S. complaints that it violated sections of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, the official said, confirming a story first reported by the New York Times. “We know that this is an old issue. The Russians have been building and testing these things in violation of the INF treaty going back to the Obama administration,” the official told Reuters, asking to remain anonymous to speak freely. "The issue now is the things are deployed and it’s an even greater violation of the INF treaty,” the official added. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Times story."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-missiles-idUSKBN15T2CS

--- "U.S. President Donald Trump supports the goal of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, even if it does not involve the two-state solution, a senior White House official said on Tuesday. Speaking a day before Trump holds a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the official said peace was the ultimate goal. "Whether that comes in the form of a two–state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else," the official said, adding that Trump would not try to "dictate" a solution. Failure by a U.S. president to explicitly back a two-state solution would upend decades of U.S. policy embraced by Republican and Democratic administrations. It has long been the bedrock U.S. position for resolving the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has been at the core of international peace efforts."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-israel-idUSKBN15U04I

--- "Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing four current and former U.S. officials. U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said, according to the Times. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election, the newspaper said. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said they had seen no evidence of such cooperation so far, it said. However, the intercepts alarmed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about Russian President Vladimir Putin."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKBN15U0BK

--- "U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear he expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine and reduce violence in Ukraine, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday. "President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea," Spicer said at a daily news briefing. "At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia.""

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-ukraine-idUSKBN15T2IY

Russian Response (Wednesday):

"Russia said on Wednesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine or discuss the matter with foreign partners after the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump expected the annexed Black Sea peninsula to be returned. Moscow says an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kiev. Ukraine says the referendum was a sham held at gunpoint after Russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula, that Russia-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by people power, and that Moscow should return Crimea. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing on Wednesday."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-ukraine-idUSKBN15U0U0

Domestic News:

--- "OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A Republican Oklahoma lawmaker who defended his description of pregnant women as "hosts" won approval Tuesday for his bill that would require women seeking an abortion to first receive written consent from the father. The state House Public Health Committee voted 5-2 in favor of the bill by Rep. Justin Humphrey, despite Humphrey's own concession that it might be unconstitutional. It now proceeds to the full House, where it's likely to pass if granted a hearing...The bill would require women seeking an abortion to provide the name of the father and would prohibit her from going through with it without his written informed consent. It also would allow the father to demand that a paternity test be performed and would provide exceptions in cases where the woman is the victim of rape or incest or if the pregnancy would endanger her life."

Source: https://www.apnews.com/d548d0eaeeb1472e864cecf09a285625/Oklahoma-lawmaker-defends-pregnant-women-are-'hosts'-comment

--- "INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump's pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid advised Vice President Mike Pence on health care issues while he was Indiana's governor, a post she maintained amid a web of business arrangements — including one that ethics experts say conflicted with her public duties. A review by The Associated Press found Seema Verma and her small Indianapolis-based firm made millions through consulting agreements with at least nine states while also working under contract for Hewlett Packard. The company holds a financial stake in the health care policies Verma's consulting work helped shape in Indiana and elsewhere...Legal and ethics experts contacted by AP say Verma's work for Hewlett, and offshoot HP Enterprises, raised questions about where her loyalties lay — to the company, or to state taxpayers."

Source: https://www.apnews.com/e4f03763a32a4f40b418a1133ec20f64/Pick-for-Medicare-post-faces-questions-on-Indiana-contracts

--- "U.S. Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy plans to step down next month, the agency said on Tuesday, two years after he took charge of the agency following high-profile security lapses by the service responsible for protecting the president. "Congratulations Dir Clancy on your retirement! The men & women of the @SecretService are grateful for your 29 years of service & leadership," the Secret Service said on Twitter. Clancy will leave on March 4, an agency spokesman said. Clancy's departure means that President Donald Trump will be able to select his own security chief. The Secret Service has almost 7,000 employees and is charged with protecting the president and his family as well as combating counterfeiting."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-secretservice-idUSKBN15T2J0

--- "U.S. immigration authorities have detained a 23-year-old Mexican man who was brought to the United States illegally as a child and given a work permit during the Obama administration, according to a lawsuit challenging the detention in Seattle federal court. The man's lawyers say this could be the first time under U.S. President Donald Trump that a person covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, has been taken into immigration custody...Ramirez, who has no criminal record according to court papers filed in his case, was taken into custody last week at his father's home in Seattle by ICE officers. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-arrest-exclusiv-idUSKBN15T307

--- "The White House should consider disciplinary action against presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway for appearing to violate government ethics rules by publicly endorsing Ivanka Trump products, the Office of Government Ethics wrote in a letter made public on Tuesday. The letter, dated Monday and addressed to a White House ethics official, asked President Donald Trump's administration to investigate the incident and gave it two weeks to provide its findings and detail any disciplinary steps taken...Federal ethics rules prohibit executive branch employees from using their positions to endorse products."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-nordstrom-idUSKBN15T2M7

--- "The Federal Reserve will likely need to raise interest rates at an upcoming meeting, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said on Tuesday, although she flagged considerable uncertainty over economic policy under the Trump administration. Yellen said delaying rate increases could leave the Fed's policymaking committee behind the curve and eventually lead it to hike rates quickly, which she said could cause a recession. "Waiting too long to remove accommodation would be unwise," Yellen told the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, citing the central bank's expectations the job market will tighten further and that inflation would rise to 2 percent. "At our upcoming meetings, the committee will evaluate whether employment and inflation are continuing to evolve in line with these expectations, in which case a further adjustment of the federal funds rate would likely be appropriate.""

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-yellen-testimony-idUSKBN15T1ZY

--- "Parts of California damaged by recent storms, including the areas around the damaged Oroville Dam, will receive federal disaster assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Tuesday. Federal aid will be sent to three counties near Lake Oroville, where the tallest earthen dam in the United States suffered damage last week and over the weekend, prompting the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people. Funds will also be sent to other parts of California inundated with rains over the past month."

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/california-dam-relief-idINKBN15U04W

--- "WASHINGTON (AP) — House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz wants to know more about the security measures at Mar-a-Lago, which President Donald Trump calls the "Winter White House." The Utah Republican asked White House chief of staff Reince Priebus to describe the security protocols in place to protect sensitive information while the president is at the Palm Beach, Florida, resort that he owns and has visited two weekends in a row. Chaffetz's letter to Priebus, dated Tuesday, comes after news reports described a Saturday powwow between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after North Korea launched a missile. The leaders were at a terrace restaurant that was in full view — and earshot — of Mar-a-Lago members. White House spokesman Sean Spicer reiterated Tuesday what he'd said earlier about Trump not receiving or reviewing any classified material at the dinner table. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that was also his understanding. The Oversight leader wants to be briefed on whether security protocols were followed that weekend, what documents were reviewed in common areas and whether any classified information was discussed. Chaffetz is also asking Priebus for an "explanation about whether and how the guests, employees, and residents at Mar-a-Lago are vetted in order to ensure that they are not foreign agents or spies on behalf of a foreign government." Priebus is asked to provide the information to the Oversight Committee by Feb. 28."

Source: https://www.apnews.com/5f5bb06bcef045e495cc920aa5b8bcfd/Just-how-secure-is-Mar-a-Lago,-House-Oversight-chairman-asks

#international affairs #domestic affairs #trump administration #source: reuters #source: ap

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