2019年11月16日星期六

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


House Democrat warns Trump could be reelected despite impeachment inquiry

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 03:07 PM PST

House Democrat warns Trump could be reelected despite impeachment inquiryMichigan Democrat Debbie Dingell thinks Trump could win reelection in 2020.


Marine deserter’s mother names him in fatal shooting

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 12:15 PM PST

Marine deserter's mother names him in fatal shootingThe mother of a wanted Marine told investigators that she saw her son kill her boyfriend, according to a federal criminal complaint. The criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Virginia, on Wednesday shows Vanessa Hanson told a U.S. Marshal that she witnessed Michael Alexander Brown, 22, fatally shoot her boyfriend, Rodney Wilfred Brown, last Saturday at a home in Hardy. The vehicle was later found near Clarendon County, South Carolina, about four hours southwest of Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina, where he had been stationed as a U.S. Marine until leaving his post last month.


Chile police stopped rescue workers helping dying protester: human rights watchdog

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 04:45 PM PST

Chile police stopped rescue workers helping dying protester: human rights watchdogChile's independent human rights watchdog said on Saturday it would file a formal complaint for murder against police officers who allegedly prevented paramedics from attending a heart attack victim amid a protest Friday. Security forces firing tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons made it impossible for rescue workers to properly treat the victim, Chile's publicly-funded National Institute for Human Rights said. Twenty-nine year old Abel Acuna died shortly after at a nearby Santiago hospital.


Rashida Tlaib referred to House Ethics Committee for a potential violation of federal law

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 07:08 AM PST

Rashida Tlaib referred to House Ethics Committee for a potential violation of federal lawThe House Ethics Committee released texts and emails on Thursday that show Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., repeatedly asking her campaign for funds to defray personal costs. The committee's announcement comes after the board of the Office of Congressional Ethics unanimously voted in August to refer Tlaib for a potential violation of federal law.


These are the 10 sports cars that have the best resale value 5 years after purchase

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 08:10 AM PST

These are the 10 sports cars that have the best resale value 5 years after purchaseThe Porsche 911 coupe tops the list, losing only 37.2% of its value over five years, but the others might surprise you.


Penultimate C7 Corvette Being Enshrined At National Corvette Museum

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 10:12 AM PST

Penultimate C7 Corvette Being Enshrined At National Corvette MuseumWhile the last C7 will be in a private collection, this '19 Corvette Stingray will be on display for all to see.The final C7 Corvette rolled off the assembly line on November 14th at around 3:10 pm CT marking the end of the line for the front-engine Corvette before production begins for the all-new, mid-engine C8 'Vette. The final Corvette – a black Z06 – was auctioned off earlier in the year for $2.6 million to a software company CEO, but the second to last Corvette isn't going far. This car will be delivered at and then donated to the National Corvette Museum, which is right across the street from the Corvette's assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.This penultimate C7 was purchased by the NCM's lifetime member and supporter, Ivan Schrodt, who will take delivery of the car on November 20th via Chevy's museum delivery program. Immediately afterward, he will hand the keys over to the museum where this Corvette will be enshrined among all of the other important and significant Corvettes on display. This Corvette will be a permanent fixture at the museum, and it is a fitting send off for the C7 Corvette ahead of the highly anticipated launch of the C8.As for the second to last Corvette, it is painted in Arctic White with a Jet Black and Adrenaline Red interior. This car came in the mid-level 2LT trim level with the upgraded Z51 performance suspension, and it was also equipped with Carbon Fiber and Painted Body Color removable roofs, Carbon Flash exterior trim accents, chrome emblems, red calipers, personalized plate package, brake package, performance exhaust and chrome aluminum wheels. All in, this well-equipped Corvette had a sticker price of just over $70,000, making it quite an impressive donation to the museum.This donation ceremony will take place at the National Corvette Museum on November 20th starting at 2:00 p.m. CT, and the museum has invited the public to attend. More C7 News... * Last C7 Sells For $2.7 Million At Barrett-Jackson Auction * C7 Grand Finale: 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1


Dodge Makes First Appearance in Top 10 of Consumer Reports Reliability Study

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 08:37 AM PST

Dodge Makes First Appearance in Top 10 of Consumer Reports Reliability StudyThe Detroit-based brand moved up 13 places in the Consumer Reports survey thanks to the Challenger and Grand Caravan.


After Roger Stone conviction, star witness against him feels 'horrible'

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 11:27 AM PST

After Roger Stone conviction, star witness against him feels 'horrible'Randy Credico told Yahoo News that he was in tears upon learning of the verdict and did not want to see Stone go to jail because of his testimony.


Nicaraguan judge sentences man to 30 years in NY killing

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 11:13 AM PST

Nicaraguan judge sentences man to 30 years in NY killingA Nicaraguan judge sentenced a man to 30 years behind bars in the killing of a young nursing student in upstate New York, a district attorney in the state said Friday. The trial of Orlando Tercero in the 2018 killing of Haley Anderson marked an exceedingly rare legal proceeding in which the defendant was prosecuted under Nicaragua's legal system for a slaying that happened on American soil. Tercero is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Nicaragua.


From 'Anonymous,' key excerpts from inside Trump White House on Putin, Hillary

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 11:10 AM PST

From 'Anonymous,' key excerpts from inside Trump White House on Putin, HillaryKey excerpts from "A Warning," a book by an anonymous senior administration official about President Trump and his administration.


After 50 years, it's past time to bring human LGBTQ+ characters to America's Sesame Street

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 05:45 AM PST

After 50 years, it's past time to bring human LGBTQ+ characters to America's Sesame StreetInternational versions of Sesame Street reflect local audiences. America is ready for gay characters but cancellation is a risk in some countries.


14 of the Best-Designed Hotel Restaurants in the U.S.

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 10:44 AM PST

14 of the Best-Designed Hotel Restaurants in the U.S.


Michael Bloomberg to launch $100 million digital anti-Trump campaign

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 08:18 AM PST

Michael Bloomberg to launch $100 million digital anti-Trump campaignMichael Bloomberg, the billionaire media mogul who continues to weigh a run for the Democratic nomination for president, will launch a $100 million online ad campaign targeting Republican President Donald Trump, an advisor confirmed. Bloomberg has not said whether he will run for president, but has qualified as a candidate to appear on the primary ballots of two states. The online advertisements Bloomberg is funding, which have not yet run but are slated to begin Friday, will target four states: Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.


California school shooter dies with motive a mystery

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 06:54 AM PST

California school shooter dies with motive a mysteryA 16-year-old boy who killed two students and wounded three others at his Southern California high school before turning a gun on himself died Friday without investigators discovering the motive for the attack, authorities said. Nathaniel Tennosuke Berhow, died from a head wound. "It still remains a mystery why," Sheriff Alex Villanueva told a press conference.


Nearly 200 officers search Staten Island marshland for missing NJ woman Stephanie Parze

Posted: 14 Nov 2019 06:50 PM PST

Nearly 200 officers search Staten Island marshland for missing NJ woman Stephanie ParzeSetphanie Parze, 25, of Freehold Township, New Jersey, disappeared on Oct. 30 after returning from an outing with friends to a psychic medium.


S. African asylum-seekers held on trespassing charges

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 07:48 AM PST

S. African asylum-seekers held on trespassing chargesSouth African police detained more than 180 foreign nationals for storming the UN refugee agency in Pretoria, where they had been staging a sit-in protest, police said Saturday. Hundreds of asylum-seekers started camping in front of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on October 8, asking to be relocated to another country after a spate of xenophobic violence in September. Protesters broke into the UNHCR premises on Thursday after they were informed of a court order giving them three days to vacate the site.


Four dead in Iran fuel protest after government hikes pump prices up to 300 per cent

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:55 AM PST

Four dead in Iran fuel protest after government hikes pump prices up to 300 per centFour people were left dead in Iran following clashes between riot police and protesters in several Iranian cities after the government raised the price of petrol by up to 300 per cent. The deaths occurred in separate incidents in the southern cities of Sirjan, Behbahan and Shiraz, while video footage showed protestors had attacked a military barracks used by the regime's feared Bajis militias in Tehran, setting it on fire. Thousands of angry motorists parked their vehicles on major thoroughfares and highways in protest at the price hikes, urging others to stop and "join the national anti-regime movement" as they drove by. Iran's chief public prosecutor, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, called the protestors "saboteurs" and warned they would face "severe punishment" if arrested. He has also alleged that foreign powers were behind the protests. At a glance | Key players in Tehran But in a sign of that the Rouhani government's increasing political isolation over the decision, a leading establishment cleric Grand ayatollah Golpaygani called for the decision to be reversed, describing it as "a matter of great regret" and "deplorable". Video footage from the city of Shiraz showed protesters over-running a police station and setting banks on fire, while chanting "death to the dictator" against Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's Interior Minister Abdulreza Rahmani Fazli announced the sudden 300 percent increase in the price of gasoline last Friday, saying that it was a decision by the country's High Council for Economic Coordination. The aim was to generate revenue for the central government, which has lost billions of dollars of income from recently reimposed international sanctions on oil exports. Fuel for unrest: a huge petrol price rise triggered protests across Iran Credit: REX "The decision to raise the price of gasoline is aimed at creating social justice for more than 60 million Iranians, in particular the very low income families, fight fuel smuggling, reduce the amount of subsidies and strengthening our economic power," the minister said. The government has also cut petrol subsidies to thousands of poor people in a nation where many families make a living as informal taxi drivers.  Despite the subsidy cuts and price-rises, fuel in Iran still remains among the cheapest in the world thanks to the country having the fourth-largest oil reserves. A highway is blocked by vehicles as protests block the roads following fuel price increase in Tehran, Iran, 16 November 2019. Credit: REX Iran affairs expert Dr. Reza Taghizadeh, formerly of Glasgow University, says the public reaction to the price rise has been inevitable, given the dire economic conditions of the country. "It appears that the common element of these protests is exactly the same as what we are currently witnessing in Iraq, Lebanon and Chile and that is general poverty and the failure of their governments to provide the basic needs of populations. "Although the trigger force in Iran is the rise of price of gasoline, the protests in more than 37 major cities are political and against a system of government that is corrupt, undemocratic and resists change", he said.


Here's everything we know about Mina Chang, who rapidly rose from a self-described singer to a State Department official with a dubious résumé

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 01:39 PM PST

Here's everything we know about Mina Chang, who rapidly rose from a self-described singer to a State Department official with a dubious résuméA closer look at her history reveals the Trump official may have misrepresented her work history and educational background.


Hannity Predicts Marie Yovanovitch Will Cry ‘on Cue’ at Hearing

Posted: 14 Nov 2019 07:49 PM PST

Hannity Predicts Marie Yovanovitch Will Cry 'on Cue' at HearingOn the eve of Friday's open impeachment hearing featuring former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, Fox News host Sean Hannity suggested Yovanovitch may look to create more drama by crying "on cue" throughout the proceedings.During his show-opening monologue on Thursday, Hannity once again took aim at Yovanovitch over her testimony last month that she was told someone at the State Department "would place a call to Mr. Hannity" to get to the bottom of media attacks against her last spring. Yovanovitch, prior to being removed from her post, was targeted by Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others after conservative columnist John Solomon reported a claim by former top Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko that Yovanovitch gave him a "do not prosecute" list. Lutsenko has since retracted that claim. "Well, you remember, she's the one that suggested that yours truly somehow played a role in her dismissal," Hannity declared. "I will remind her that is a lie and a complete fabrication."The pro-Trump host went on to insist that his show only mentioned her name "in passing" and in "one report," all while warning Yovanovitch and others that he might sue them if they don't "stop spreading bogus rumors and smears about" him. "Stop the hearsay," Hannity exclaimed right before he decided to spread some hearsay."By the way, one other point on this," the conservative primetime star huffed. "I would say apparently she cried and the Democrats are apparently hoping she will cry again tomorrow. OK. Does that mean like on cue?"Hannity isn't the only right-wing media figure to push the misogynistic notion that a female diplomat might purposely turn on the waterworks to sway lawmakers and viewers at home.During a broadcast earlier this week, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said Democrats are having Yovanovitch testify early in the open hearings because "it's said she cried during her deposition" and "they want somebody in tears under oath describing what Trump has done."The Federalist's Sean Davis, meanwhile, took to Twitter to tell his followers not to "be surprised if Yovanovitch, who was fired in May, pulls a [Christine] Blasey Ford and cries on camera for effect."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.


Trump commits new offence which could lead to impeachment in the middle of his own impeachment hearing

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 11:28 AM PST

Trump commits new offence which could lead to impeachment in the middle of his own impeachment hearingIt should not, perhaps, be surprising in the extraordinary state of affairs of Trumpworld that in the middle of his impeachment proceedings the president would tweet something which could lead to a further article of impeachment.The tweet disproves Mr Trump's claim that he was ignoring the hearings which he had claimed would go nowhere, and attacked using his usual terms against investigations into his conduct – a "worst ever witch-hunt", "totally fake" and so on.


North Korea calls Joe Biden a 'rabid dog' that 'must be beaten to death'

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 03:42 PM PST

North Korea calls Joe Biden a 'rabid dog' that 'must be beaten to death'North Korea launched a visceral diatribe against Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, calling the former vice president a "rabid dog."


Man kills wife, three young sons in San Diego home: police

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 03:44 PM PST

Man kills wife, three young sons in San Diego home: policeThree other boys, ages 5, 9 and 11, were taken to a hospital where two of them died, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said during a news conference. "When the officers arrived on the scene, they were able to look into one of the windows and see a small child inside covered in blood," San Diego Police Lieutenant Matt Dobbs said.


Australia intel chair blocked from China after criticising Beijing

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 08:43 PM PST

Australia intel chair blocked from China after criticising BeijingAustralia's parliamentary intelligence committee head, who has previously criticised Beijing, said he had been blocked from entering China due to his "frankness about the Chinese Communist Party". Andrew Hastie warned several months ago that the world's approach to containing China's rise resembles the "catastrophic failure" to prevent the advance of Nazi Germany. Hastie, along with fellow government politician James Paterson, had planned to travel to China for a study tour next month but both have been banned from entering the country.


Here's everyone who has been charged and convicted in the Russia probe so far

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 09:54 AM PST

Here's everyone who has been charged and convicted in the Russia probe so farRoger Stone was convicted on November 15, 2019, on seven counts pertaining to the Mueller investigation.


Chicago teachers approve 'historic' contract that ended 11-day strike

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 06:20 AM PST

Chicago teachers approve 'historic' contract that ended 11-day strikeThe Chicago Teachers Union voted Friday to accept a contract deal that ended an 11-day strike in the third-largest school district last month.


No More Air: How An Entire Chinese Submarine Crew Died a Tragic Death in 2003

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST

No More Air: How An Entire Chinese Submarine Crew Died a Tragic Death in 2003A cruel death.


Kellyanne Conway confronts CNN anchor after he says ‘I know there are issues with your marriage’

Posted: 14 Nov 2019 11:11 PM PST

Kellyanne Conway confronts CNN anchor after he says 'I know there are issues with your marriage'Donald Trump's adviser and frequent spokesperson Kellyanne Conway has confronted a senior CNN anchor after he suggested there were "issues" with her marriage to a prominent critic of the president.In an an interview with Ms Conway, who frequently speaks on behalf of the administration, veteran journalist and presenter Wolf Blitzer played clips from a rival channel from the day before, in which her husband was seen criticising Mr Trump.


UPDATE 2-Texas court halts execution of man convicted of killing 19-year-old lover

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 03:24 PM PST

UPDATE 2-Texas court halts execution of man convicted of killing 19-year-old loverThe Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday halted the execution of Rodney Reed, who was convicted of killing his 19-year-old lover in 1996, as recent calls for his exoneration and a fresh look at his case got more intense. Nearly 3 million people have signed an online petition on the website Freerodneyreed.com, while Republican and Democrats alike along with several high-profile celebrities have spoken out against Reed's impending execution, which had been scheduled for next week. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stayed the execution and sent the case back to trial court, ruling that Reed's lawyers had met legal requirements for a re-examination by a lower court on whether or not prosecutors presented false testimony, suppressed evidence and on Reed's assertion that he is innocent, according to the ruling.


China targets one of Asia's biggest meth cartel: deputy drug tsar

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 12:57 PM PST

China targets one of Asia's biggest meth cartel: deputy drug tsarChinese drug police are working with Mekong countries to strike at the heart of a mega-rich meth syndicate, a senior Beijing drugs tsar said, as the region targets top-level drug traffickers instead of street dealers. In large part responsible for the dramatic shift to synthetic drugs is a mega-cartel known as "Sam Gor", which UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) believes is Asia's biggest crime syndicate led by a Chinese-born Canadian citizen named Tse Chi Lop. China is now stepping up efforts with Mekong countries -- Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam -- to take down Sam Gor in a "joint operation", said an official from China's National Narcotics Control Commission.


Man who shot, wounded school bus driver sentenced to prison

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 02:11 PM PST

Man who shot, wounded school bus driver sentenced to prisonA Minnesota man who shot and wounded a school bus driver on a Minneapolis freeway during a snowstorm has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Thirty-two-year-old Kenneth Lilly, of St. Paul, pleaded guilty in August to first-degree assault for the February attack that left Thomas Benson deaf in one ear and unable to continue working as a bus driver due to nerve damage in his hand. Lilly was sentenced Friday to 86 months.


70-Year-Old Man Dies in Hong Kong Protests as Xi Jinping Calls for an End to the Unrest

Posted: 14 Nov 2019 07:33 PM PST

70-Year-Old Man Dies in Hong Kong Protests as Xi Jinping Calls for an End to the UnrestChina's leader, issued his toughest comments yet about the ongoing protests


How China Is Learning From Russia's War In Syria

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 10:30 AM PST

How China Is Learning From Russia's War In SyriaBeijing has long watched other power's modern military interventions.


‘No discipline. No plan. No strategy.’: Sen. Kamala Harris campaign in meltdown

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 12:47 PM PST

'No discipline. No plan. No strategy.': Sen. Kamala Harris campaign in meltdownAs Sen. Kamala Harris crisscrosses the country trying to revive her sputtering presidential bid, aides at her fast-shrinking headquarters are deep into the finger-pointing stages. And much of the blame is being placed on campaign manager Juan Rodriguez.


Russia Loves the Impeachment Hearings Because GOP Is Parroting Kremlin Propaganda

Posted: 16 Nov 2019 02:21 AM PST

Russia Loves the Impeachment Hearings Because GOP Is Parroting Kremlin PropagandaPhoto Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily BeastAs Russia's state media watch impeachment proceedings against U.S. President Donald J. Trump they're loving what they see. They don't think the man they brag about getting elected is in much danger. They listen in delight as Republicans parrot conspiracy theories first launched by  Russians. And they gloat about the way Trump removed U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, because they blame her for promoting democratic "color revolutions" that weakened Moscow's hold on the former Soviet empire. Best of all, from the Kremlin's point of view, they see Trump pushing Ukraine back into the Russian fold.Republicans Thought Yovanovitch Would Be a Pushover. She Beat Them Up InsteadSo while the historical impeachment inquiry, after two days of public hearings, has been deemed by some pundits to lack "pizzazz," the Kremlin is  having a ball. Instead of disseminating their usual conspiracy theories, the Russians watch gleefully as the Republicans do that for them. From the long-debunked "Crowdstrike" cyber plot positioning Ukraine as the fall guy for what undoubtedly was Russian interference in the 2016 elections, to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories centering around Jewish financier and philanthropist George Soros, rivers of Russian dezinformatsiya are flowing down from the President of the United States and the GOP, through the impeachment hearings, to Trump's cult-like devotees. The Kremlin also enjoys the Trump-GOP treatment of the Mueller report as a colossal hoax, or even a joke, letting Russian President Vladimir Putin off the hook, and putting him in a position to make light of the whole matter.During a public appearance for Russian Energy Week, Putin "jokingly" promised to interfere in the upcoming presidential elections in the United States. Speaking at the Paris Peace Forum, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pledged to "solve the problem" of the American elections in 2020. When President Trump pulled a news report out of his pocket at his Louisiana rally featuring the picture of Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko denying there was a quid pro quo of security assistance for an investigation of Joe Biden and his son, Olga Skabeeva, the host of Russian state television news show 60 Minutes, complained with sharp irony: "When we—here in Russia—were electing Trump, we were certain that to express his gratitude, he would carry a picture of Putin in his pocket." This desensitizing mirth mirrors Trump's infamous public dare: "Russia, if you're listening," but treating a serious matter as a joke does not diminish its real gravity.Russian experts and state media propagandists constantly reiterate that President Trump cannot and will not be impeached, because the Republicans are controlling the Senate. On 60 Minutes, Skabeeva mockingly told some sacrificial Ukrainian panelists: "We appointed Trump and you can't unseat him." Leading Russian state media outlets repeatedly publicize the name of the alleged whistleblower. State TV channel Rossiya-1 smeared Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch as a Soros-linked architect of post-Soviet color revolutions. The co-host of 60 Minutes, Evgeny Popov, warned Ukraine of the threat if faces if it does not cooperate with Trump's demands: "If Trump gets re-elected, and you don't investigate Biden... [Ukraine] won't get anything from America. Not a thing."The Kremlin is eager to help Trump, in fact, because his presidency has proven to be exceedingly beneficial for the Kremlin—having brought chaos into American politics, undermined trust in democratic institutions, weakened transatlantic alliances, delivered Syria into the hands of Putin, Syria's Bashar al-Assad and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, thereby elevating the international image of Russia as a global force to be reckoned with. State Dept. Aide Says He Overheard Sondland Tell Trump Ukraine President Would Do 'Anything'The ongoing impeachment inquiry is a twofold gift for the Kremlin. On the one hand, President Trump and the Republican Party are doing Putin's work by assailing U.S. intelligence agencies, career diplomats and institutions. On the other hand, the impeachment inquiry revealed an unprecedented rift between the United States and Ukraine—America's strategic partner that enjoyed decades of strong bipartisan support.Witnesses in the impeachment inquiry laid bare President Trump's reported indifference toward Ukraine's plight of deterring Russian aggression—treating this fledgling democracy as a mere tool for his personal needs, while disregarding national interests of the United States. The statement of State Department aide David Holmes revealed a candid assessment by Gordon D. Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, who surmised that President Trump couldn't care less about Ukraine or its war with Russia. Holmes wrote in his opening statement that—according to Ambassador Sondland—President Trump "did not give a s--t about Ukraine," concerning himself instead with "big stuff" that could benefit him personally, "like the Biden investigation."In stark contrast to Trump's ambivalence, Putin hungers after the restoration of Russia's control and influence over Ukraine. As the late Zbigniew Brzezinski once said, "Without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be a Eurasian empire." During National Security Council staffer Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman's deposition in the ongoing impeachment probe, he reaffirmed a geopolitical reality that none of Russia's post-Soviet neighbors are of greater significance than Ukraine. Putin could not possibly envision a sweeter gift than Ukraine falling away from the West into the welcoming—albeit bloodied—hands of the Kremlin. Popov on 60 Minutes urged all Ukrainians to "finally sober up and understand that the only country willing to lovingly cover Ukraine with its nuclear shield is Russia." (Note that when the Soviet empire collapsed, Ukraine was left with a substantial nuclear arsenal which it gave up in exchange for an agreement with Russia that its territorial integrity would remain inviolable—an agreement Putin trampled on when he annexed Crimea and launched the war in eastern Ukraine.)During a press conference at the BRICS Summit (an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on Thursday,  Putin told Ukrainians: "Don't look for happiness overseas, don't look across the oceans... but make deals with your neighbors."Using the treasure trove of documents released during the impeachment inquiry, Russia's master propagandists are weaponizing the information to demoralize the Ukrainians. State TV hosts, experts and talking heads are browbeating visiting Ukrainian guests and audiences by painting a picture where the West is merely using Ukraine for its own ends—predicting Trump will soon abandon the country just as he did America's Kurdish allies in Syria. There is a common thread permeating the Russian media blitz: Ukraine is all alone and has nowhere left to turn, except to Russia."Everyone is laughing at you," scoffed Skabeeva, addressing a Ukrainian panelist on 60 Minutes. Maksim Yusin, the editor of international politics at the leading Russian business daily Kommersant exclaimed, "Ukraine is toxic, everyone will want to avoid it now."  When Ukrainian panelist Alexander Goncharov said that his country is relying on the support of Republicans, the hosts and other panelists broke out in uproarious laughter. "Listen to Rand Paul," said the co-host of 60 Minutes, playing the clip of the Kentucky senator bluntly stating: "I wouldn't give them anything." The Kremlin is poised to reap more rewards from the presidency of Donald Trump—and suddenly, Ukraine seems to be within reach.Appearing on the Russian state TV program, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, analyst Dmitry Drobnitsky said that Trump is fulfilling the dreams of anti-American strategists by withdrawing U.S. forces from the Middle East and retreating to domestic affairs. Drobnitsky predicted: "If Trump manages "to defeat his enemies and gets re-elected, he will start doing whatever he wants—and the world will see 'Trump unchained.' He will fulfill all of his promises." The host, Vladimir Soloviev, threw in another prediction: "And after that, his daughter will become the next president." The Kremlin sees another trump card in its future.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.


Suspected gunman, 16, in California high school shooting dies in hospital

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 01:54 AM PST

Suspected gunman, 16, in California high school shooting dies in hospitalThe boy was carrying out a deliberate plan when he shot five students at his California high school, then turned the gun on himself, a local sheriff said on Friday, but authorities said they had no clues about what sparked the bloodshed. Two of the other five students who were shot in the Thursday morning attack at the school in Santa Clarita died of their wounds. "We did not find any manifesto, any diary that spelled it out," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a briefing.


Pro-Life Investigators Found Guilty in Lawsuit After Filming Planned Parenthood Execs Discussing Sale of Fetal Body Parts

Posted: 15 Nov 2019 03:33 PM PST

Pro-Life Investigators Found Guilty in Lawsuit After Filming Planned Parenthood Execs Discussing Sale of Fetal Body PartsA San Fransisco district court on Friday found pro-life activists guilty in a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood after the activists surreptitiously filmed executives of the abortion group discussing the sale of fetal body parts.A ten person federal jury convicted activists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt of the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, breach of contract and trespass and violation of state and federal recording laws in Maryland, California and Florida. Planned Parenthood will be awarded $870,000 in punitive damages.Daleiden and Merritt released videos in 2015 of Planned Parenthood executives as well as footage from the 2014 National Abortion Federation conference, which they obtained while posing as researchers for a fake fetal tissue research company they called Biomax.In the videos, abortion industry players could be seen admitting to illegally altering abortion procedures in order to provide fresher, more intact fetal parts, as well as haggling with the investigators over prices. The investigators have also accused Planned Parenthood of illegally profiting off the sale of fetal tissue for medical research, using their footage as evidence.The verdict set "a dangerous precedent for citizen journalism and First Amendment civil rights across the country, sending a message that speaking truth and facts to criticize the powerful is no longer protected by our institutions," read a statement from CMP.Planned Parenthood has consistently denied any activities portrayed in the videos were illegal, and have accused CMP of deceptively editing the footage."The jury has spoken loud and clear," said Planned Parenthood attorney Rhonda Trotter after the verdict. "Those who violate the law in an effort to limit access to reproductive rights and health care will be held accountable."The trial made headlines in September when California obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Forrest Smith, who has administered thousands of abortions, testified on behalf of the CMP activists."There's no question in my mind that at least some of these fetuses were live births," Smith told the court while describing the abortion procedures elaborated by Planned Parenthood executives in the CMP footage.


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