| Congress takes aim at Syrian war crimes, Russian aggression Posted: 17 Dec 2019 08:43 AM PST ![Congress takes aim at Syrian war crimes, Russian aggression]( "Congress takes aim at Syrian war crimes, Russian aggression") Congress on Tuesday ratcheted up pressure on Syria, Russia and China while making it more difficult for the Trump administration to reduce commitments to allies from Europe to Asia. As part of a defense policy bill that passed the Senate, lawmakers will impose sanctions on Syrian troops and others responsible for atrocities committed during Syria's civil war and fund war crimes investigations and prosecutions. The bill also registered strong congressional concern about Russia and China, will bind the U.S. to supporting Ukraine militarily and bar the Trump administration from any move to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea.
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| Double-murderer deported to Germany after decades in US jail Posted: 17 Dec 2019 05:58 AM PST  A German man who has served 33 years in a US prison for a double murder arrived back in Germany on Tuesday, after receiving parole. Officials in the state of Virginia allowed 53-year-old Jens Soering, the son of a diplomat, to be released on parole. "I'm so happy to be in Germany after 33 years in prison in the US," he told journalists in a short statement at Frankfurt Airport.
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| Iran's Rouhani to visit Japan amid heightened tensions with U.S. Posted: 16 Dec 2019 11:53 PM PST  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit Japan on Dec. 20-21 and meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the Asian country, a U.S. ally, looks to resolve Tehran's nuclear impasse with Washington. Japan maintains friendly ties with both the United States and Iran and has previously tried to ease tensions between the two countries, which severed diplomatic relations after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah.
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| Chernobyl At Sea: When A Soviet Submarine Created An Atomic Disaster Posted: 17 Dec 2019 07:24 AM PST  The incident remained a secret until the end of the Cold War.
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| Toronto mass shooting victims sue gun maker Smith & Wesson in $150m lawsuit Posted: 17 Dec 2019 09:40 AM PST  * Two people died and 13 were injured in July 2018 attack * Lawsuit claims company created 'ultra-hazardous product'Victims of a mass shooting in Toronto have launched a class action lawsuit against gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, alleging the company failed to implement key safety features in its weapons that could have prevented the 2018 attack.The suit, the first of its kind in Canada, was filed in Ontario superior court on Monday. Plaintiffs are seeking C$150m in damages from the American company.On the evening of 22 July 2018, Faisal Hussain opened fire on the city's bustling Danforth avenue, killing two people and injuring 13 others. He killed himself following a shootout with police.The weapon used in the attack – an M&P40 semi-automatic pistol – had been stolen from a gun dealer in the province of Saskatchewan.The lead plaintiffs in the case are Skye McLeod and Samantha Price, recent high-school graduates and friends who were celebrating a birthday when Hussain opened fire. As pedestrians ran for cover, Price was hit in the leg and her friend, 18-year-old Reese Fallon, was shot dead. A young child in the area, Julianna Kozis, 10, was also killed.The suit, which has not yet been certified by a judge, alleges Smith & Wesson created an "ultra-hazardous product" and delayed implementing technology that prevents unauthorized users from firing the weapon. The claims within the lawsuit have not been proven in court.Often taking the form fingerprint sensor or a radio-frequency microchip, numerous "smart gun" technologies exist that can prevent unauthorized firing of a weapon. Gun lobby groups in the United States, led by the National Rifle Association, have fought for years against widespread adoption of the safety features."What we have right now, is a technology from the 19th century," said Malcolm Ruby, the lawyer representing victims' families, told the Guardian. "People aren't still using rotary telephones any more. They've moved on. But this is an industry that has refused to modernize."Without the technology in place, the lawsuit claims it was "reasonably foreseeable" people such as Hussain could inflict widespread damage with a stolen weapon.The suit also refers to an agreement between Smith & Wesson and the US government, dating back nearly 20 years, in which the company pledged to make smart gun technology a key feature in new firearm designs – but never did."Despite the agreement, in 2005 the defendant introduced the … model of the handgun used in the Danforth shooting, which failed to include smart gun technology," the lawsuit read.Following a flurry of litigation against American gun manufacturers in the late 1990s, the companies are now largely shielded from claims of negligence in the US. But families of victims in the Sandy Hook shooting won a key victory last month, when the US supreme court allowed a lawsuit against gun maker Remington Arms to go ahead. There are no special protections for the manufacturers in Canada, said Ruby.The lawsuit is open to victims of the shooting who suffered injury while fleeing the gunfire, as well as the families of victims. Smith & Wesson has stated it does not comment on the pending litigation."If you have a product that can harm people – you're obligated to fix that," said Ruby. "And we know these guns have caused widespread harm over the years – and will continue to do so."
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| Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch went on Fox News to promote his book — and to echo the 'war on Christmas' myth Posted: 17 Dec 2019 11:26 AM PST  Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is the latest victim in the war on Christmas.On Tuesday, Gorsuch appeared on Fox & Friends to promote his recent book — an odd move for a supposedly nonpartisan judge. President Trump's favorite show is known for its solidly conservative agenda, and Gorsuch quickly played into Fox & Friends' hands with the first two words he spoke.When Gorsuch was introduced Tuesday, he pointedly replied with a "Merry Christmas," to which host Ainsley Earhardt responded "I love that you say that." After all, Fox News has been fighting for the right to say that phrase for years as it's drowned out by "Happy Holidays." Gorsuch's choice words soon drew a few critics from the politically correct crowd, prompting Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a certified member of the Merry Christmas militia, to come to his defense.In an attempt to combat "Democrats" who are supposedly "smear[ing] him for wishing Americans a Merry Christmas," Tillis tweeted out a link to a card he's putting together for Gorsuch and his family.> I worked tirelessly to confirm Justice Gorsuch, and I'm not about to let Democrats smear him for wishing Americans a Merry Christmas. That's why I'm putting together a Merry Christmas card to send to Justice Gorsuch and his family – will you add your name? https://t.co/DsPKgbJF0p https://t.co/kYeUEke7gb> > — Thom Tillis (@ThomTillis) December 17, 2019Clicking to Tillis' site reveals a digital Christmas greeting that's reminiscent of a young coder's first web design project. Visitors are welcome to send Gorsuch a Christmas greeting of their own — a system which will absolutely not be abused in any way.More stories from theweek.com How the fall of Elizabeth Warren has shaken up the 2020 race Quentin Tarantino might not make that Star Trek movie after all 6 powerful phrases every parent should use
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| Archaeologists in Greece find 3,500-year-old royal tombs Posted: 17 Dec 2019 11:07 AM PST  American archaeologists have discovered two monumental royal tombs dating from about 3,500 years ago near a major Mycenaean-era palace in Greece's southern Peloponnese region, the Greek culture ministry said Tuesday. A ministry statement said the dome-shaped roofs of both tombs near the Bronze Age palace of Pylos collapsed during antiquity, and the chambers became filled with so much earth and rubble that grave robbers couldn't get in to plunder them. Recovered grave goods from the two tombs included a golden seal ring and a golden amulet of an ancient Egyptian goddess, highlighting Bronze Age trade and cultural links.
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| Giuliani makes astonishing admission he told Trump ambassador would not help him politically, but insists 'that was, like, general gossip' Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:46 AM PST  Rudy Giuliani has explained how he may have convinced Donald Trump to remove a US diplomat who was preventing an investigation into 2020 election candidate Joe Biden.In an astonishing admission, Mr Giuliani, who is the president's personal lawyer, suggested he passed on "gossip" about Marie Yovanovitch, then-US ambassador to Ukraine, to turn Mr Trump against her.
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| Yet another Ring home camera system was broken into, and this time the intruders used it to harass the home's owners Posted: 17 Dec 2019 07:00 AM PST  The woman said the intruder began making offensive remarks, and was able to see her in real time. "... He was tapping into my bedroom camera."
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| 2 Jacksonville, Florida, siblings vanished while playing in their front yard on Sunday Posted: 17 Dec 2019 07:56 AM PST  Braxton, 6, and Bri'ya Williams, 5, were playing in their front yard on Sunday in Jacksonville, Florida when they disappeared.
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| Malaysia to host major summit of Muslim leaders Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:06 AM PST  Malaysia will this week host a summit of Muslim leaders billed as a forum to look at the Islamic world's problems, but it will be closely watched for Middle East power plays and their stance on China's Uighur minority. Leaders from Iran, Turkey, and Qatar will be among hundreds of delegates attending the three-day event set to discuss myriad challenges faced by Muslims. The summit has been pushed by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has long championed greater solidarity among the world's Islamic communities -- and wants to boost his country's standing on the international stage.
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| Indonesia Muslim groups deny China lobbying sways views on Uighurs Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:36 AM PST ![Indonesia Muslim groups deny China lobbying sways views on Uighurs]( "Indonesia Muslim groups deny China lobbying sways views on Uighurs") Indonesia's biggest Muslim groups have denied that lobbying by Beijing, including tours facilitated by China in Xinjiang, had influenced their stance on the treatment of the region's Muslim Uighur minority. The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions in Xinjiang as part of what Beijing calls an anti-terrorism campaign.
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| Report: US to send asylum seekers to Honduras, blocking them from making a claim in America Posted: 17 Dec 2019 06:28 AM PST  A migration deal will allow immigration authorities to send asylum seekers to Honduras and prevent them from reapplying in the U.S., a report says.
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| Why Giving Israel Spare American B-52 Bombers Is A Terrible Idea Posted: 16 Dec 2019 03:30 PM PST  A great way to drag America into conflict.
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| Finland’s Millennial PM Warned of Baby Boomer Threat to Finances Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:03 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The world's youngest prime minister needs to act quickly to tackle one of Europe's fastest-aging populations.Finland's central bank said on Tuesday that the burden on public finances, as more people head for retirement, is unsustainable and requires a political response. The warning comes just days after 34-year-old Prime Minister Sanna Marin took office.The so-called sustainability gap -- which measures the difference between spending and income -- has widened to 4.7% relative to gross domestic product, from about 3% a year ago, the Bank of Finland said in a report on Tuesday. The biggest contributors to the increase are cooling growth, higher government borrowing and political stalling over health and welfare reform.According to the European Commission, the sustainability gap poses a significant risk to the long-term health of public finances when it exceeds 6%, while a reading of under 2% denotes low risk."One factor currently weighing on the long-term outlook for the public finances is the fact that the baby-boom generation has reached retirement age," the central bank said. "This has increased public pension expenditure, and over the next few years it will also lead to a more rapid increase in expenditure on health care and long-term care of the elderly."Like much of Europe, Finland needs to come to grips with the growing pressures of an aging and shrinking population. In the Nordic nation's case, the issue assumes even greater importance because of its generous welfare state, relatively low immigration and the constraints of euro membership.While recent governments have taken action to address the problem, more needs to be done, said the central bank, which has been issuing similar warnings since the start of the decade.The new government of Sanna Marin, the world's youngest prime minister, has confirmed previous plans to raise the employment rate to 75% of the working-age people, from about 72% now. According to Governor Olli Rehn, the objective is "well-justified.""More determined action should, however, be taken to strengthen the public finances and the prerequisites for employment," he said.The central bank on Tuesday also cut its growth forecasts for the euro area's northernmost economy, to 0.9% in 2020 and 1.1% in 2021. Its previous forecasts pointed to growth rates of 1.5% and 1.3% respectively.(Adds central bank quote in fourth paragraph)To contact the reporter on this story: Kati Pohjanpalo in Helsinki at kpohjanpalo@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tasneem Hanfi Brögger at tbrogger@bloomberg.net, Nick RigilloFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Supreme Court upholds homeless people's right to sleep on public property outdoors Posted: 16 Dec 2019 12:50 PM PST  The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a ruling that said homeless people have a constitutional right to sleep on public property outdoors if no other shelter is available to them. The justices without comment on Monday turned away an appeal by Boise, Idaho, which said the federal appeals court ruling would leave cities "powerless" to address residents' health and safety concerns.
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| Joe Biden coldly rains on Trump's happy-poll parade Posted: 16 Dec 2019 08:54 PM PST  President Trump had a good poll on Monday: In a USA Today/Suffolk University survey, he leads all his potential Democratic rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden by 3 percentage points, just inside the poll's ±3 point margin of error. But that's not the poll Trump highlighted on Twitter Monday afternoon — in fact, it's not quite clear what poll he was tweeting about that has his approval rating at 51 percent, or even above 50 percent. Biden either found that elusive poll or just decided he might just as well make up a number, too.> This same poll has you losing to me by 7 points. https://t.co/cbwKoCbW7b> > — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 16, 2019Biden does lead Trump by 7 points in a new Fox News poll, but Trump's overall approval rating in that survey is 45 percent, with 53 percent disapproving of his job performance. In the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Biden leads Trump by 6.2 percentage points and Trump's average approval rating is 44 percent, 8.8 points underwater.In any case, point made, point won. The USA Today/Suffolk poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters Dec. 10-14.More stories from theweek.com How the fall of Elizabeth Warren has shaken up the 2020 race Quentin Tarantino might not make that Star Trek movie after all 6 powerful phrases every parent should use
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| Switzerland slams embassy employee's Sri Lanka detention Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:23 AM PST ![Switzerland slams embassy employee's Sri Lanka detention]( "Switzerland slams embassy employee's Sri Lanka detention") The Swiss foreign ministry has criticized a lack of due process in the detention of a Swiss Embassy employee in Sri Lanka who said she was abducted, sexually assaulted and threatened by captors who demanded that she disclose embassy-related information. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it has criticized a 30-hour interrogation by police of the employee, Gania Banister Francis, over three days despite her being in poor health. A Sri Lankan court on Monday ordered Francis' detention pending charges of allegedly making statements causing disaffection toward the government and fabricating evidence.
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| US voting rights: Republicans to purge over 500,000 voters in two key 2020 states, after judge rulings Posted: 17 Dec 2019 08:37 AM PST  Republicans are set to purge more than 500,000 voters from the books in two potentially key 2020 states, with court victories in both Georgia and Wisconsin favouring right-wing groups.The measures would see voter purges of nearly 234,000 voters in Wisconsin, and around 300,000 in Georgia. If the efforts are successful, the purges would amount to around 7 per cent and 4 per cent of those states' electorates, respectively.
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| California 'Tool-Box Killer' Lawrence Bittaker dies in prison at 79 Posted: 16 Dec 2019 01:13 PM PST  Bittaker, who was sentenced to death in 1981, died at the age of 79 at San Quentin State Prison on Friday, the California Department of Corrections said. Although there are 729 condemned inmates on California's death row, the state has not executed a prisoner since 2006, when a federal judge declared its lethal injection protocol unconstitutional. In March, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order suspending executions, saying he was deeply troubled by the possibility that an innocent person could be put to death.
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| Russian state TV airs Giuliani interview after he spreads Ukraine conspiracy theories Posted: 16 Dec 2019 02:15 PM PST  Russian state-run TV has aired Rudy Giuliani's interview with OAN, a pro-Trump news channel, in which he promoted widely debunked conspiracy theories to undermine the impeachment inquiry into the president.
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| Finger-wagging Muslim women become Indian protest symbols Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:31 AM PST  A group of Muslim women who formed a barricade around a male student being attacked by baton-swinging police have become symbols of the protests currently gripping India. In a video that has gone viral, the four young women rush to surround the young man as police in riot gear thrash at him with six-foot (two-metre) bamboo sticks known as "lathi". The protests, which raged for another day on Tuesday, follow the passing by parliament last week of legislation making it easier for people from three neighbouring countries to get Indian citizenship.
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| In 1968, North Korean Commandos Launched a Raid into South Korea Posted: 17 Dec 2019 11:07 AM PST  How did it end?
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| Greta Thunberg clapped back at Deutsche Bahn after it appeared to accuse her of staging a picture of her sitting on the floor of an 'overcrowded' train Posted: 16 Dec 2019 02:39 AM PST  The 16-year-old Thunberg was traveling home from Madrid by train after attending the UN climate conference.
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| Schumer says not allowing witnesses at impeachment trial would amount to 'a cover-up' Posted: 16 Dec 2019 07:56 PM PST  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is preparing to negotiate with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) over the impeachment trial for President Trump, and he's making one thing clear: he wants to hear from witnesses.On Sunday, Schumer sent McConnell a letter informing him that Senate Democrats want four officials who refused to participate in the House impeachment inquiry to testify during the trial: acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Mulvaney aide Robert Blair, and Office of Management and Budget official Michael Duffey. In a Monday press conference, Schumer once again stated how important it is to have the witnesses appear."The Senate and millions across the country are asking, what is the president hiding?" Schumer said. "Why doesn't he want the facts to come out?" Trials, he continued, "have witnesses. That's what trials are all about." Live testimony is "the best way to go," Schumer said, and for the trial to be fair, senators must "get all the facts. ... So to engage in a trial without the facts coming out is to engage in a cover-up. To conduct a trial without the facts is saying we're afraid. There is no reason on God's green Earth why they shouldn't be called and testify unless you're afraid of what they might say."When asked late Monday about calling witnesses, McConnell said he and Schumer will "be getting together, and we'll have more to say on that tomorrow."More stories from theweek.com How the fall of Elizabeth Warren has shaken up the 2020 race Quentin Tarantino might not make that Star Trek movie after all 6 powerful phrases every parent should use
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| Baby Yoda Is Fine, But These 10 Other Star Wars Babies Are Better Posted: 17 Dec 2019 07:13 AM PST |
| Chinese leader Xi visits gambling hub Macau as nearby Hong Kong seethes Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:30 PM PST  China's President Xi Jinping begins a three-day visit to the gambling hub of Macau on Wednesday to mark the 20th anniversary of its handover to China, with security tight as protests rock nearby Hong Kong. Xi's visit to the former Portuguese colony, where he is expected to announce a slew of supportive policies, is widely seen as a reward for Macau's stability and loyalty, unlike the former British colony of Hong Kong, which has been rocked by anti-government protests for six months. Xi is expected to announce measures for Macau aimed at diversifying its casino-dependent economy into a financial center, including a new yuan-denominated stock exchange.
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| Boris Johnson Revives No-Deal Brexit Threat With Change to Law Posted: 17 Dec 2019 02:01 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.Boris Johnson will change the law to ensure the Brexit transition phase is not extended, setting up a new cliff-edge for a no-deal split with the European Union at the end of next year. The pound erased all its gains made since last Thursday's general election.The U.K. prime minister wants to deliver his election promise to ratify a new free-trade agreement with the bloc before the bridging period maintaining the status quo runs out on Dec. 31, 2020.EU leaders have warned it's highly unlikely negotiators can complete the kind of deal Johnson wants, which he's modeled on Canada's agreement with the EU that took seven years to finalize, ahead of the deadline. Sabine Weyand, director general for trade at the European Commission, said Tuesday Johnson's intention to prevent any delay would require the EU to prepare for a potential "cliff-edge situation" if a trade agreement can't be reached.But U.K. Cabinet minister Michael Gove rejected the idea that the U.K. will leave the EU's trade orbit without a new deal in place, saying the bloc has promised to conclude the negotiations by the end of 2020. "We are going to make sure we get this deal done in time," he told the BBC.Read more: EU Warns of Brexit Cliff as Johnson Rules Out Longer TransitionJohnson's gambit is the latest sign of intent as he seeks to force through Britain's divorce from the 28-nation bloc without further delay. After winning a big majority in last week's general election, the prime minister now has the power to do as he pleases on Brexit, without fear Parliament will thwart his plans.His move also suggests he's trying to apply pressure to EU negotiators to make concessions in trade talks by enshrining the threat of a no-deal crash into law. "We've seen before how deadlines can concentrate minds," Gove said.Johnson will start by putting the divorce part of the Brexit deal to a vote, potentially as soon as Friday. Once MPs have ratified that, the U.K. will leave the EU by Jan. 31.The planned legislation will include legal text to prevent the government extending the transition period and delaying the day Britain stops being subject to EU laws, even if no new trade terms have been secured in time, an official said.Deadlines, ContinuityThe law would potentially force the U.K. out of the EU without a new deal in place, threatening tariffs and disruption to trade. In a research note, JP Morgan economist Malcolm Barr put the chance of a no-deal Brexit at 25%, "a number we regard as uncomfortably high."As well as ministers being blocked from extending the transition period, the House of Commons will not get a vote on the issue, another official said.When ministers were trying to get support for the Brexit deal before the election, they agreed to give Members of Parliament a vote on whether a longer transition period would be needed. But the government's new majority means such compromises aren't necessary, the official said.Other concessions granted to try to smooth Johnson's deal through Parliament in October, including protections for workers rights and a promise to give MPs a say over talks with the EU, will also be scrapped, the Times newspaper reported, without saying where it got the information.Johnson's plan to give priority to delivering Brexit was also reflected in appointments to his cabinet, announced Monday evening, which put the emphasis on continuity as he seeks to minimize disruption before the Jan. 31 deadline.Nicky Morgan, who had announced she was standing down as an MP before the election, has been handed a seat in the unelected House of Lords so she can stay on as culture secretary. In the only other senior appointment Monday evening, Simon Hart became Welsh Secretary in a move forced on Johnson after the resignation of Alun Cairns from the post in November.Other key positions in the cabinet, including the posts of chancellor of the exchequer, home secretary and foreign secretary, are expected to remain unchanged.As well as providing stability in the run-up to Brexit, Johnson, who plans a wider reshuffle of his top team after the deadline at the end of next month, will have Morgan by his side to advise on the role of China's Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd in U.K. telecommunications, a thorny issue as Britain seeks trade deals with the rest of the world after leaving the EU.(Updates with Weyand comment in third paragraph)\--With assistance from Kitty Donaldson.To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Ross in London at tross54@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Congress Finally Agrees to Cover ‘Sonic Attack’ Victims’ Medical Bills Posted: 16 Dec 2019 02:17 PM PST  Over 40 U.S. government officials and family members who suffered mysterious brain injuries during their service overseas will finally receive guaranteed, long-term medical care thanks to a deal included in Congress' year-end spending bill.In 2018, U.S. officials serving at embassies in Cuba and China began to report strange sensations of sound and pressure, causing symptoms consistent with traumatic brain injury. Who or what caused the sickness remains unconfirmed, despite efforts from the CIA, FBI, and other branches of the Trump administration to figure it out. The governments of those countries have denied any involvement in what became known as the "sonic attacks." Did These Computer Scientists Solve the Cuban 'Sonic Attack'?Many of the Americans affected were medically evacuated back to the U.S., and though they were designated by the administration as victims of a "hostile action" while serving abroad, a number of them struggled to secure long-term medical care and other benefits due to the uncertain circumstances of the illnesses. In a 60 Minutes piece on the situation in March, Commerce Department official Robyn Garfield—who suffered symptoms in China—said he did not have access to paid leave because his injury was classified as "pre-existing" and that his medical bills wouldn't be covered beyond one year.In February, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who wrote and advocated for the spending bill provision, told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a letter that his agency's "perplexing response" to the issue had put some victims in limbo—particularly those who had served in China. "All others who experienced the onset of their symptoms in China were deemed to have an 'unconfirmed' condition, leaving these individuals and their families without an adequate explanation or support," wrote Shaheen. "The group from China in particular is increasingly feeling isolated and left behind by their colleagues and leadership at the State Department."Lawmakers had come to a bipartisan agreement on the provision before it hit a snag. The New York Times reported last week that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) opposed it. A spokesperson for Jordan told The Daily Beast that the congressman was concerned the proposal "gives broad permanent authority" to multiple federal agencies to provide "additional benefits for undefined injuries and an indefinite amount of time."In addition to providing long-term care, the language in Congress' bill also entitles victims to pursue workers' compensation for missing work due to illness. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Counterfactual: A Nazi Invasion of Britain? (Hitler Wins World War II?) Posted: 17 Dec 2019 02:53 AM PST  Learn the true story of Operation Sea Lion.
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| Tokyo court rules on high-profile journalist rape case Posted: 17 Dec 2019 02:11 PM PST  A Tokyo court will Wednesday rule on a damages lawsuit by journalist Shiori Ito, who has accused a former TV anchor with close ties to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of rape. Ito, 30, is seeking 11 million yen ($100,000) in compensation from former reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi, claiming he raped her after inviting her to dinner to discuss a job opportunity in 2015. The case has made headlines in Japan and abroad, as it is rare for rape victims to report the crime to the police -- according to a 2017 government survey, only four percent of women come forward.
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| U.S. plans to buy 22 aging fighter jets from Switzerland Posted: 16 Dec 2019 08:13 AM PST  The U.S. is expected to buy 22 aging fighter jets from Switzerland, a country that's struggling to modernize its own air force. U.S. Navy representatives and the Swiss defense procurement agency discussed the deal in July, an agency spokesman said on Sunday. The contract is expected to be signed once U.S. lawmakers approve the fiscal 2020 defense budget, he said.
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| A Brief History of Tiny Nuclear Reactors Posted: 16 Dec 2019 02:32 PM PST  From America's smallest nuke sub to Russia's floating power plant.
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| Removed statues of Forrest, Davis given to Confederate group Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:15 PM PST  A Tennessee nonprofit group has handed over statues of Confederate leaders Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, two years after they were removed from public parks in Memphis, officials said Tuesday. The statues of Forrest and Davis have been given to Forrest's descendants and the Sons of Confederate Veterans "to display them as they wish," City of Memphis legal officer Bruce McMullen said.
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| Maxine Waters Claims Trump Agreed to Lift Sanctions in Exchange for Putin’s Election Help, Admits She ‘Doesn’t Have the Facts to Prove It’ Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:31 PM PST  Representative Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) on Monday said she still believes that President Trump conspired with Russian President Vladimir Putin to win the 2016 elections despite lacking any evidence to support her claim.While it is has been widely established that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 election on Trump's behalf, special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation yielded no evidence that President Trump or anyone on his campaign coordinated with the Russians."I believe, even though I don't have the facts to prove it, I believe that Putin wanted to lift the sanctions [against Russia]," Waters told CNN's Erin Burnett on Tuesday. "He's always wanted to lift these sanctions that were placed on him because of his interfering with, and incursion into Crimea.""And so I believe that they wanted to elect President Trump and Trump—I will always believe this—that he agreed that if he got elected that he would lift those sanctions," Waters continued. "He would like to do it; he's not been able to do it, but when [Republicans] talk about, 'we're just making things up' and he talks about this as a 'witch hunt,' there are too many facts."Waters has a history of controversial statements regarding Trump and the extreme threat he poses to the country. In 2018 Waters publicly called on anti-Trump protesters to "harass" Trump supporters in response to the President's immigration policies."If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere," Waters told protesters. The next day she said protesters will "absolutely harass them [administration officials] until they decide that they're going to tell the President, 'No, I can't hang with you.'"In an October CNN interview, the Representative said Trump should be in "solitary confinement.""Impeachment is not good enough for Trump," Waters said. "He needs to be imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement.""But for now," she added, "impeachment is the imperative."President Trump is currently the subject of an impeachment push by House Democrats due to his conduct regarding Ukraine. The House will likely vote to approve two articles of impeachment, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress respectively, by the end of this week.
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| Dealmakers Will Test Johnson’s Open-Market Cred Posted: 16 Dec 2019 12:56 AM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The U.K.'s election of a right-wing, pro-market government with a thumping majority would certainly seem like a green light to foreign companies wanting to buy London-listed rivals. But the new political climate for takeovers may be hazier than it seems.Boris Johnson's administration is still only four months old, so it's hard to know precisely how it would approach a sizable, serious, fully funded foreign takeover bid. The old chestnuts that surface now and again include an attempt on the big drugmakers, AstraZeneca Plc or GlaxoSmithKline Plc, a tilt by Exxon Mobil Corp. for BP Plc, or even a U.S. bid for BAE Systems Plc, despite the government having a veto via a "golden share."A proposal to take over these particular British icons would be controversial, and each has its strategic and financial obstacles (AstraZeneca is expensive; oil companies are trying to get away from oil, not buy more). Yet getting the political calculation right may prove even trickier.Although Johnson hasn't made the same protectionist noises as his predecessor, Theresa May, the U.K. has been taking a more interventionist stance on M&A lately. It's now the norm for bidders in sensitive sectors to accept restrictions on how they'll manage the assets they acquire, as seen most recently with the private-equity-led deals for defense contractor Cobham Plc and satellite operator Inmarsat Plc. The Competition and Markets Authority, the U.K.'s trustbuster, is getting tougher too. Witness its examination of Amazon.com Inc.'s minority stake in food-delivery group Deliveroo, even though the e-commerce giant would not have control.The question is whether the current level of scrutiny is where it peaks.Johnson is in a bind. The extra seats that delivered his majority were secured by votes potentially "lent," to use the premier's own phrase, from supporters of the opposition Labour Party, including those in Britain's industrial heartlands. Johnson won't want to alienate these voters by hastily endorsing deals that could threaten U.K. jobs or deliver prized national assets to foreign owners. Despite the Conservative Party's longstanding laissez-faire approach to markets, the nationalist undercurrent remains strong in British politics.On the other hand, if the bearish analyses of Brexit's impact prove true, the U.K. economy is in for a difficult time in the years ahead. Johnson will want to attract foreign investment, and flat resistance to any overseas bid would surely be a deterrent to the international business audience. Potential U.S. bidders may judge that Johnson will also want to keep President Donald Trump happy if he is to secure the wide-ranging free-trade deal he campaigned on.Johnson, then, will be torn between his new Labour supporters and global business. Predicting where he'll side isn't easy. But when push comes to shove, and with the next election years away, it seems likely that he'd follow the money. Logic suggests that deal-hungry CEOs will now feel more confident testing Britain's open-market credentials.To contact the author of this story: Chris Hughes at chughes89@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Timothy Lavin at tlavin1@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Chris Hughes is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals. He previously worked for Reuters Breakingviews, as well as the Financial Times and the Independent newspaper.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The Moment China Saved North Korea From Extinction Posted: 17 Dec 2019 05:57 AM PST  The Korean War, and history, turned.
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| Iran sentences 3 labor activists to five-year prison terms Posted: 17 Dec 2019 02:55 AM PST ![Iran sentences 3 labor activists to five-year prison terms]( "Iran sentences 3 labor activists to five-year prison terms") Iran sentenced two labor activists in the country's south to five-year prison term each for taking part in a January protest over several months of owed back pay, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported Tuesday. The two activists arrested in January — Esmail Bakhshi and Mohammad Khanifar — are sugar mill workers. Another labor activist from Khuzestan, Sepideh Gholian, was arrested during a demonstration there in support of a workers' strike in October 2018.
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| Greece's Parthenon temple has had the wrong name for centuries, new research by archeologists claims Posted: 17 Dec 2019 09:17 AM PST  Sitting on top of the Acropolis, the Parthenon is one of the most dazzling buildings from antiquity, but for 2,000 years we have been getting its name wrong, according to new research. Dutch scholars claim that the name "Parthenon" – popularised in the Roman period - originally belonged to an entirely different building, not the vast stone temple that looms over Athens and attracts millions of tourists a year. The real Parthenon was in fact an ancient Greek treasury which contained offerings to the goddess Athena, according to the research by Utrecht University. Today known as the Erechtheion, it is located about 100 yards from the main temple on the Acropolis, the massive rocky escarpment that rises from central Athens. Rather than being known as the Parthenon, the big temple should be known by its original ancient Greek name, the tongue-twisting Hekatompedon. Lightning over the Parthenon Credit: Getty "That means 'the hundred-foot temple' and the main room of the big temple was indeed exactly 100 feet long," Janric van Rookhuijzen, the archeologist behind the research, told The Telegraph. He acknowledges that Hekatompedon, which is mentioned in archives dating back 2,500 years, does not exactly roll off the tongue. A more user-friendly name would be "The Great Temple of Athena." "Hekatompedon is a difficult name to pronounce. That may be part of the reason that Parthenon caught on – it was much more catchy," he said. Dr van Rookhuijzen says his research, based on a study of archeological data and ancient texts, did not go down very well initially with Greek archeologists. "My Greek friends and colleagues were of course very suspicious – who is this Dutch guy saying the name should be changed? But they're now saying there is some merit to the theory I have put forward." Parthenon means "house of virgins" and the smaller temple is indeed decorated with stone caryatids, sculpted female figures which act as pillars, holding up the roof. Devoted to the ancient cult of Athena, it would have housed a treasury containing precious objects associated with the goddess, including musical instruments and swords from Persia. "Where the scientific community is concerned, Van Rookhuijzen's insight will cause a minor seismic shift," said Josine Blok, professor emeritus of ancient cultures at Utrecht University. "Not only will the names need to be adjusted, this changes our image of the cult of the goddess Athena and the Acropolis as a whole." Ineke Sluiter, professor of Greek language and literature at Leiden University, said: "This study demonstrates the permanent importance of never blindly trusting that the commonly-held wisdom is actually true." A detail from the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum Credit: Getty The research has been published in the American Journal of Archaeology and the Dutch edition of National Geographic Magazine. An icon of ancient Greek culture, the Parthenon and its marbles have been a bone of contention between Greece and Britain for 200 years, ever since Lord Elgin brought some of the friezes back to London. They are held by the British Museum, which has resisted Greek demands that they be permanently returned to Athens. Last month Xi Jinping, China's president, pledged his support for the Greek campaign to recover the marbles. "Not only do I agree with the return of the Parthenon sculptures but you will also have our support, as we too have our own [artefacts] of Chinese culture outside the country and are trying to get them home," he said during a two-day visit to Athens.
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| Mayor: Schools official who called Jews 'brutes' should quit Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:27 PM PST  A New Jersey mayor on Tuesday said a school board member should quit over comments she made about the shooting at a kosher market referring to Jews as "brutes" and questioning whether the attackers had a point to make in attacking Jews. A message seeking comment was left with Paige. Board of Education President Sudhan Thomas said in an emailed statement that Paige does not reflect the views of the board and doesn't speak for it.
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| The 25 Best Sandbox Games Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:37 PM PST |
| Judge rejects claims by Trump ex-adviser Flynn of FBI misconduct Posted: 16 Dec 2019 02:12 PM PST  A U.S. judge on Monday flatly rejected a last-ditch bid by President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn to get the criminal charge to which he already pleaded guilty dropped, brushing aside his claims of misconduct by prosecutors and the FBI. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered Flynn to appear for sentencing on Jan. 28, concluding that the retired Army lieutenant general had failed to prove a "single" violation by the prosecution or FBI officials for withholding evidence that could exonerate him. Sullivan's 92-page ruling represented a major blow to Flynn, who has tried to backpedal since pleading guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his conversations with then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
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