| India bids to bust citizenship law 'myths' with cartoon Muslims Posted: 22 Dec 2019 11:39 PM PST  India's ruling party launched a video with animated Muslim characters on social media Monday as part of a publicity blitz to try to bust "myths" around a new citizenship law that has sparked deadly protests. The law has stoked concerns that Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government wants to marginalise India's Muslim minority.
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| A 6-year-old girl found a Christmas card with an apparent call for help from a prisoner in China inside. We'll probably never find out if the message was real. Posted: 23 Dec 2019 03:24 AM PST  In the past decade cries for help have been found in products from Kmart, Walmart, Zara, and Tesco. But it's almost impossible to authenticate them.
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| Arizona DHS Agents Paid to Have Sex With Alleged Sex Trafficking Victims They ‘Rescued’ Posted: 23 Dec 2019 04:29 PM PST  At a press conference in September 2018, Department of Homeland Security agents told reporters they had successfully broken up a transnational ring of illegal massage parlors forcing Asian immigrants into sex slavery. What they didn't say, however, is that two of their own agents had paid for sex with the alleged victims.As part of the two-year, $15,000 investigation into the massage parlors, two DHS agents engaged in sex acts with the alleged trafficking victims at least 10 times, according to DHS and local police department investigation reports uncovered by Today's News-Herald. Now the case against the alleged traffickers is unraveling as the federal agents refuse to testify in courts."To solve a crime of victims who were being forced to have sex, the officers decided to have sex with them," Brad Rideout, an attorney for one of the women arrested for money laundering, told The Daily Beast. "There seems to be no limits on their activities and there seems to be no boundaries."Authorities say the trafficking sting started in 2016, when local police received reports of unusual activity at several massage parlors in Lake Havasu City and Bullhead City. By April 2018, the police departments had determined that some of the employees might be victims of human trafficking. That's when they reached out to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) investigation arm for assistance.Weeks later, in a DHS investigation referred to in official documents as "Operation Asian Touch," two DHS agents were sent undercover to visit the parlors. In the investigation reports, the agents describe haggling with their masseuses over hand jobs and asking them to bare their breasts for anywhere from $40 to $120.The agents, known only as "Arturo" and "Sergio," returned to each location as many as four times, according to the investigation reports. The visits generated insights such as "the female was very skinny with small breasts," and "any time the female would say anything she would get really close and whisper." After one visit, the undercover officer reportedly testified he was "80 percent sure" that the woman he had contact with was the target of the investigation. Police raided the massage parlors in September 2018, arresting eight people on charges of sex trafficking, money laundering, and operating a house of prostitution, among other things. In a press conference, deputy special agent Lon Wiegand said the suspects were part of a transnational criminal organization that trafficked women through multiple massage parlors in the area, according to the Mohave Daily News.Wiegand described the women's working conditions as "deplorable" and "unsanitary," and said they had been forced to work seven days a week, for more than 12 hours at a time. The women's only income came from their tips for sexual services, he said, and their movements were "extremely restricted." Investigators said the ring's alleged leader, Amanda Yamauchi, transported workers directly from the Las Vegas airport to the businesses in Mohave County.But the charges against Yamauchi and her alleged partner were dropped last week after the DHS agents refused to testify in her case. The investigation, which Lake Havasu City Police Sgt. Tom Gray told Today's News-Herald took almost 200 hours, has so far resulted in only three convictions—one for prostitution, another for soliciting a prostitute, and a third for attempted pandering. "We just can't produce them," Mohave Deputy County Attorney Kellen Marlow told Today's News-Herald of the DHS agents. "Local law enforcement investigators would be readily available, but federal witnesses are not. And from what I've been told, they're not going to be available to testify any time soon."Rideout filed a motion last month asking for the agents' full names, badge numbers, and any other identifying information necessary to request information on their actions in the investigation. According to the motion, so far the state has provided only reports written by local law enforcement officers involved in the investigation. "It is unclear how an ICE officer having sexual relations with human trafficking victims in Mohave County, Arizona protects the nation from terrorist attack or secures its borders," Rideout wrote.DHS did not respond to The Daily Beast's request for comment. Bullhead City Public Information Officer Emily Fromelt told Today's News-Herald that DHS had conducted its own internal investigation into the agents' activities but did not reveal the outcome.A similar raid on massage parlors in Florida earlier this year—which made headlines after New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft patronized one of the businesses—also resulted in zero trafficking convictions. The investigation into 10 spas in southern Florida was billed by police as a rescue operation for the impoverished immigrant workers. But in April, an assistant state attorney in Palm Beach testified in court that there was "no human trafficking that arises out of this investigation." Some of the women are now being threatened with deportation.Results like these have led sex workers' rights activists to speak out against the raids, which they say do little to help the so-called victims they purport to save."Police like to get in front of TV cameras and state that they conducted a raid and rescued victims and arrested a bunch of men and closed down this sex trafficking operation," said Alex Andrews, the co-founder of sex workers' rights organization SWOP Behind Bars. "But even in these raids where they're targeting the men, they're not having any impact at all on the lives of sex workers or the lives of sex trafficking victims."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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| I never let my daughter sit on Santa's lap. Now she's old enough to tell me that I made the right choice. Posted: 24 Dec 2019 07:47 AM PST  The Santa Claus custom tells kids that it's safe to have physical contact with strangers, and that they should do it even if they don't want to.
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| Ethiopian Muslims protest after several mosques burned Posted: 24 Dec 2019 04:28 AM PST ![Ethiopian Muslims protest after several mosques burned]( "Ethiopian Muslims protest after several mosques burned") Several thousand Muslims across Ethiopia in recent days have protested the burning of four mosques in the Amhara region. Muslims have called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called the attacks "attempts by extremists to break down our rich history of religious tolerance and coexistence." Recent ethnic-based unrest in some parts of the country has at times taken religious form.
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| Hong Kong police fire tear gas to break up Christmas Eve protest chaos Posted: 23 Dec 2019 07:35 PM PST  Hong Kong riot police fired rounds of tear gas at thousands of protesters, many wearing masks and reindeer horns, after scuffles in shopping malls and in a prime tourist district as pro-democracy rallies escalated into Christmas Eve chaos. Protesters inside the malls threw umbrellas and other objects at police who responded by beating some demonstrators with batons, with one pointing his gun at the crowd, but not firing. Some demonstrators occupied the main roads and blocked traffic outside the malls and nearby luxury hotels in the Tsim Sha Tsui tourist district of Kowloon.
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| Donald Trump spends Christmas Eve railing against impeachment Posted: 24 Dec 2019 10:33 AM PST  * President claims Democrats 'in real doubt' about evidence * Trump tells troops he has yet to buy a present for MelaniaDonald Trump has launched fresh attacks on the congressional architects of his impeachment, even as the standoff intensified between Democrats in the US House and Republicans in the Senate over the president's impending trial, and appeared set to last well into the new year.And on a less grave note, Trump revealed in a video conference with US troops to deliver Christmas greetings that, despite it being the morning of 24 December, he had not yet bought his wife her Christmas present.And as for North Korea's warning of a "Christmas gift" for America amid stalled nuclear weapons talks, Trump said the US would "deal with it".Then he left for his golf course.On Tuesday, Christmas Eve, Trump accused the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, of uncertainty over the articles of impeachment, voted on in Washington last week, that charge the president with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.On Monday House lawyers signaled in court filings that they were mulling an additional article of impeachment against Trump relating to obstruction of justice during the Trump-Russia investigation. They demanded that the former White House counsel Don McGahn testify and requested the release of grand jury material from the investigation.The current articles of impeachment center on Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate the president's US political rivals, chiefly 2020 candidate Joe Biden, in return for crucial US military aid to the former Soviet republic."Everything we're seeing … suggests that they're in real doubt about the evidence they've brought forth so far not being good enough, and are very, very urgently seeking a way to find some more evidence," the president tweeted early on Tuesday.Trump continued: "The only way to make this work is to ... mount some kind of public pressure to demand witnesses, but McConnell has the votes and he can run this trial anyway he wants to."Trump's effort to recapture the conversation came after Pelosi last week triggered a showdown with the Republican Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, by delaying the official delivery of the two impeachment articles from the House to the Senate in an attempt to negotiate terms for the resulting congressional trial. McConnell has already declared that he has no intention of being an "impartial juror".Speaking to reporters in Florida on Tuesday, Trump said of Pelosi: "She's doing a tremendous disservice to the country" and claimed Democrats "had no evidence at all" about presidential misconduct.Other Republicans protested about possible moves for additional articles of impeachment."Democrats are treating impeachment as an open bar tab, tweeted the South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham. "Time to cut them off, take their car keys away (put GOP in control of the House), and end this insanity."Article 1 of the United States constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole power to initiate impeachment and the Senate the sole power to try impeachments of the president. A president can be impeached if they are judged to have committed "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" – although the US Constitution does not specify what "high crimes and misdemeanors" are. The formal process starts with the House of Representatives passing articles of impeachment, the equivalent of congressional charges. A simple majority of members need to vote in favour of impeachment for it to pass to the next stage. Democrats currently control the House.The chief justice of the US Supreme Court then presides over proceedings in the Senate. The president is tried, with senators acting as the jury. For the president to be found guilty two-thirds of senators must vote to convict. Republicans currently control the Senate.Two presidents have previously been impeached, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Andrew Johnson in 1868, though neither was removed from office as a result. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before there was a formal vote to impeach him.Martin BelamAt the weekend, Schumer said that emails released on Friday showing that military aid to Ukraine was suspended 90 minutes after Trump demanded "a favor" from Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy only strengthened his party's demands for more documentation.With Congress out of action until early January, there is no sign of a resolution to the impeachment impasse or a date for the trial."We'll find out when we come back in session where we are," McConnell said. . On Monday, he told Fox News the delay in sending the articles to the Senate was "absurd" and predicted Pelosi would back down "sooner or later". He added he had "not ruled out" calling witnesses to the eventual trial.Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, Trump spoke by video link from his Mar-a-Lago resort with US troops stationed around the world, calling them "tremendous warriors". He at first joked that they could decline a pay rise due to them in January, before adding: "You've earned it."When one soldier asked Trump what he had bought first lady Melania Trump for Christmas, the president revealed that he is behind on his shopping."That's a tough question," he said. "I got her a beautiful card … A lot of love. We love our family, and we love each other. We've had a great relationship, hopefully like you do with your spouses." Then he added: "I'm still working on a Christmas present. There's a little time left. Not much, but a little time left."Pool reporters were invited into Mar-a-Lago to watch the video address and ask questions.Trump said Democrats "ought to look back on the last year to see how they've hurt this country". He added: "If you just go by what you see in the papers, it's incredible what's going on. We had dirty cops. We had people spying on my campaign. They did terrible things…it's very sad."This despite the report earlier this month of the Department of Justice watchdog Michael Horowitz that said that despite some serious errors along the way, his principal conclusion was that the FBI's initiation of the Trump-Russia investigation was justified and was not motivated by political bias against Trump, nor involved what the Trump administration has called "illegal spying".And the president said that in the face of any action over Christmas by North Korea, the US would "deal with it very successfully", while joking that maybe any such gift would be "a beautiful vase as opposed to a missile test".Later, for the third day in a row, Trump travelled by presidential motorcade to the nearby Trump International Golf Club.
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| How North Korea Sunk a Warship in 2010 (And Could Have Restarted the Korean War) Posted: 23 Dec 2019 09:00 PM PST  In 2010, North Korea sank a South Korean warship and 40 sailors died tragically. Tensions have risen again.
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| Iraqi protesters' ire at Iran extends to goods boycott Posted: 24 Dec 2019 01:25 AM PST  Anger over Iran's stranglehold on Baghdad's political system has helped propel an unprecedented protest movement -- and now Iraqi activists are hitting the Islamic Republic where it hurts, with a goods boycott. Tehran has held enormous sway over its neighbour since dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled by a US-led invasion in 2003. Using the slogan "let them rot", protesters who have taken to the streets since October 1 to demand wholesale political change are now shunning everything Iranian -- from fruit to sugary drinks.
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| Three members of British family die 'after drowning in swimming pool' at their Spanish hotel Posted: 24 Dec 2019 10:43 AM PST  Three members of the same British family have died at a hotel in the Costa Del Sol, according to reports. It is understood a nine-year-old girl got into difficulties in a swimming pool at Club La Costa World and her older brother and their father jumped into the water to save her. Police divers have been inspecting the pool's pump amid fears that it may have played a role in the incident. Well-placed sources described the girl and her father as British and 53-years-old but said the boy, a 16-year-old, was travelling on an American passport. The children's mother is understood to have been one of the people who raised the alarm and is thought to have been interviewed by investigators. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are offering assistance to a British woman following an incident in Spain." The sprawling holiday resort overlooks the Mediterranean and is just a short drive from Fuengirola. One insider close to the ongoing probe said: "The girl's brother and then the father jumped into the water when they saw she was in difficulties. All three have died. "An investigation is ongoing so it is too early to say what has happened but specialist Civil Guard divers were mobilised after the gravity of what had occurred became apparent and one of the things they have looked at is the pool pump." Tanya Aamer, 23, a holidaymaker from Birmingham who is staying at the resort, told the PA news agency she saw "bodies covered in white sheets" by the side of the pool, and could hear "a woman crying aloud". "The atmosphere as I was walking past is indescribable," Ms Aamer said. "Obviously we've never been in that situation before so we just began walking slowly in a slight state of confusion as to what we're witnessing and eventually when we got to the bottom it was just silent, no talking or anything." A statement from resort operator Club La Costa World said: "Management at Club La Costa World resort would like to offer its heartfelt condolences to the family affected by the loss of three family members on 24th December 2019. "The guests were found unresponsive in one of the resort's pools. First response teams and emergency services attended and administered first aid. "The management are assisting the authorities fully with their investigation into the deaths. "We would like to thank our first response team and the emergency services for their quick and appropriate responses, and our staff for the continuing support of the family at this difficult time." The resort where the three deaths occurred is the same one where a nine-year-old British girl died in February after suffering a severe allergic reaction to an ice-cream. Habiba Chishti, from Halifax, was staying with her family at the resort and went into anaphylactic shock there although she had eaten her treat at a nearby shopping centre. An inquest held at Halifax Town Hall in May heard she was allergic to eggs and nuts with local reports at the time saying it was believed it was the sauce on the ice-cream that contained the ingredients that killed her. The bodies of the three family members have been transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Malaga. Post-mortem examinations are expected to take place on Wednesday.
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| U.S. considers proposals to reduce troop strength in West Africa Posted: 24 Dec 2019 06:57 AM PST  Defense Secretary Mark Esper is considering proposals to significantly reduce the number of U.S. forces in West Africa, The New York Times reports, citing officials familiar with the matter.The options on the table reportedly include a total pullout, as well as the abandoning of a new $110 million drone base in Niger. The deliberations are part of the first phase of a review of U.S. military deployments around the world. A decision on West Africa troop strength is expected in January, and a similar move in Latin America reportedly could come next.The U.S. also is expected to follow through with drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Trump took office in 2017 vowing to wrap up "endless wars." About 200,000 American service members are stationed abroad currently.More stories from theweek.com How a 'legislative terrorist' conquered the Republican Party Queen Elizabeth acknowledges 2019 was a 'bumpy' year Bernie Sanders and the socialist Christmas spirit
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| Uniqlo's robots have already replaced 90% of its human workers at its flagship warehouse, now they've cracked the difficult task of folding T-shirts Posted: 24 Dec 2019 03:07 AM PST  Uniqlo's parent company has partnered with a Japanese startup that develops industrial robots to create a two-armed robot.
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| Russia's most advanced fighter jet crashes, pilot survives Posted: 24 Dec 2019 04:08 AM PST  Russian officials say a top-of-the-line fighter jet has crashed on a training mission but that its pilot bailed out safely. Russia's United Aircraft Corporation said in a statement Tuesday that the Su-57 fighter came down during a training flight near Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the country's far east. The Su-57, which made its maiden flight in 2010, is Russia's most advanced fighter plane.
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| British teen who died on school trip to New York City named by police Posted: 24 Dec 2019 07:44 AM PST  U.S. authorities have named the British schoolgirl who died last week on a trip to New York City. The New York Police Department identified the 17-year-old student as Anastasia Uglow, according to Bristol Live.
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| In Slap at Trump, Cuomo Vetoes U.S. Judges Performing Weddings Posted: 23 Dec 2019 10:13 AM PST ![In Slap at Trump, Cuomo Vetoes U.S. Judges Performing Weddings]( "In Slap at Trump, Cuomo Vetoes U.S. Judges Performing Weddings") (Bloomberg) -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have allowed federal judges to perform wedding ceremonies because many of them are President Donald Trump's appointees."I cannot in good conscience support legislation that would authorize such actions by federal judges who are appointed by this federal administration," Cuomo, a Democrat, said Friday as he vetoed the bill, which passed the Democratic-controlled legislature overwhelmingly. "President Trump does not embody who we are as New Yorkers. The cornerstones that built our great state are diversity, tolerance and inclusion."State Senator Liz Krueger, a progressive Manhattan Democrat who sponsored the bill, said the legislature gave the governor authority to perform wedding ceremonies four years ago, and granted similar powers to lawmakers two years ago."Marriage is inclusive, equal, and open to all who want it," she said after the veto. "So when it was suggested to me that we expand it to federal judges, I thought, 'Why not? The more the merrier!'"The bill passed the state Assembly, 148 to 2, and the state Senate 61 to 1."It's hard to imagine a more petty, small action from a sitting governor," Nick Langworthy, the state Republican Party chairman, said in a statement.Cuomo, who refrained from criticizing Trump early in the president's term, has traded hostile exchanges with him in the past two years.In October, when Trump moved his formal residence to Florida from New York, Cuomo responded with a terse, "Good riddance." He has supported legal moves in his administration and by Attorney General Letitia James to investigate Trump's state tax payments, and he signed a bill in June allowing the state to release Trump's state tax returns to the U.S. Congress.Trump, in declaring his Florida residence, said in a tweet, "Unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state."(Updates with comment from Republican state chairman in 6th paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Henry Goldman in New York at hgoldman@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Flynn McRoberts at fmcroberts1@bloomberg.net, Bob Ivry, Larry ReibsteinFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Study Finds Immigration Will Shift Electoral College in Favor of Democrats Posted: 23 Dec 2019 09:15 PM PST  As the 2020 census approaches, the Center for Immigration Studies conducted the study to predict what the Electoral College map will look like after the counting is done.
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| World's tallest geyser breaks eruption record, stunning Yellowstone visitors, scientists Posted: 24 Dec 2019 03:39 PM PST  Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park blew past its yearly eruption record in 2019, shooting up water 47 times, indicating an active period.
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| A 22-year-old was convicted after trying to blackmail Apple for $100,000 of iTunes cards Posted: 23 Dec 2019 03:48 AM PST  In 2017 Kerem Albayrak claimed he would publish the account details of 319 million iCloud accounts if his ransom demands weren't met.
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| US national security adviser warns UK about China's Huawei: 'They are just going to steal wholesale state secrets' Posted: 24 Dec 2019 08:04 AM PST  The US has urged Britain not to allow China's Huawei into its 5G telecommunications networks, claiming it would "steal wholesale state secrets".Robert O'Brien, the US national security adviser, said the the presence of the telecoms giant would represent a direct threat to Britain's domestic and foreign intelligence agencies – MI5 and M16.
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| California Sees Lowest Population Growth in Over a Century as Citizens Migrate to Other States Posted: 23 Dec 2019 11:57 AM PST  In recent months, California recorded its lowest level of population growth in over a century, according to data from the state's Department of Finance.The data showed a 0.35% growth rate in the state's population from July 1, 2018 through July 1, 2019. That rate is even lower than the 0.57% growth rate recorded for the same period from 2017 to 2018, the two lowest growth rates in the state since 1900.Moreover, while growth from birth rates and legal immigration continue to swell the population, citizens are leaving the state in large numbers for other parts of the U.S."This [is] the first time since the 2010 Census that California had more people leaving the state than moving in from abroad or other states," the report read. Negative domestic migration and lower birthrates together contributed to the slow population growth. One of the most prominent factors pushing people out of the state is the high price of housing."For some years after the Great Recession housing crunch, California was losing domestic migrants — but not as much as it could have," said William Frey, a senior demographer at the Brookings Institution, in comments to the Los Angeles Times. "Now that's starting to push up again." Frey added that residents are mostly settling in Western states including Oregon, Nevada, Texas, and Arizona, seeking a lower cost of living and in some cases the absence of an income tax."The outmigration is in places where housing prices are high and therefore immigration is not being able to counter that," Frey said. California has "lost its luster a little bit…it's kind of a stunner to see that California is losing migrants. The land of dreams and the gold rush and all that, now turned the other direction."A study by the Times and UC Berkeley released in November revealed that over half of registered voters in California are considering leaving the state. Around 40 percent of those considering moving are conservative, while only 14 percent are liberal.California is struggling with a burgeoning homeless population, with over 60,000 homeless in Los Angeles county alone. In October the state saw a string of wildfires that forced utility company PG&E to institute preemptive blackouts to around two million customers, to avoid sparking fires from power lines.
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| Newspaper publishes secret report on former W.Va. bishop Posted: 24 Dec 2019 10:04 AM PST ![Newspaper publishes secret report on former W.Va. bishop]( "Newspaper publishes secret report on former W.Va. bishop") A newspaper has published a secret church report about a former West Virginia bishop ousted for alleged sexual and financial misconduct that details how he allegedly groomed and inappropriately touched young men. The Washington Post reports law enforcement does not have a copy of the report, which officials said could aid in their investigation into former bishop Michael Bransfield. Bransfield is also accused of spending church funds on dining out, liquor, personal travel and luxury items, as well as personal gifts to fellow bishops and cardinals in the U.S. and Vatican.
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| Pelosi's impeachment endgame Posted: 23 Dec 2019 05:58 AM PST  Don't worry, America. There will be an impeachment trial for President Trump in the U.S. Senate — and it will happen sooner rather than later.Yes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is spending the holidays hoarding the articles of impeachment and refusing to formally transmit them to the Senate. She is instead using them as leverage to pressure Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) into adopting rules that gives Democrats a chance to call witnesses like acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Advisor John Bolton."As long as it takes," House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told CNN last week. "Even if he (McConnell) doesn't come around to committing to a fair trial, keep those articles here."That won't work for long, though, and Pelosi surely knows it.For one thing, McConnell is unique among politicians in resisting pressure to do anything he doesn't want to do. The man who denied a Supreme Court confirmation hearing to Merrick Garland isn't going to get stressed or offer concessions to Pelosi because Democrats try to pressure him on impeachment. The trial will be held how he wants it held, and Pelosi — who has demonstrated she knows how to use power better than just about anybody else in Washington — understands that.It's also unlikely that Pelosi herself really wants to drag out the process. Remember: She was the original architect of the quick and narrow approach to Trump's impeachment, overseeing a process that wrapped up in just a few short months, and which was restricted to just two charges against the president."How much drama can the American people handle?" she asked The Atlantic in October. "Where does the law of diminishing returns set in? Where is the value added not worth the time?"Pelosi is anything but fickle, so we can expect that logic to guide her thinking still. The holidays are a natural time to take a break from impeachment proceedings anyway — this delay isn't really a delay, because everybody in Congress is headed back to their districts — but you can expect Pelosi will allow the process to move forward shortly after Congress returns from its winter break.That isn't to say Pelosi's strategy is a failure. No, she won't get the witnesses that Democrats want, but the short delay allows her to highlight the Senate GOP's determination to acquit Trump on the impeachment charges, no matter what the evidence shows. McConnell will get the trial he wants, but Pelosi has ensured Republicans will pay a cost for doing so.That approach will result in Trump keeping the Oval Office, though — at least until the 2020 election. Once the Senate trial ends, what should Democrats in Congress do next?They can keep on investigating Trump's malfeasance — there is surely much more to be found and understood — and presenting their findings to the public. But they should understand that the impeachment of President Trump is a one-shot deal, and that there will be no second bite at the apple. If Americans cannot handle a drawn-out impeachment process, they also will not tolerate repeated impeachment attempts. This is it. Which means, as my David Faris wrote last week, that American voters will ultimately judge Trump's political fate and "decide how they wish to see the next several decades of American history unfold."Give Pelosi credit, though, for her mastery of this impeachment process. It started when she wanted it to start, and not a moment before. It has taken as long as she wanted, and not a moment longer. And even if the process does not directly product Trump's removal from office, Pelosi and House Democrats have succeeded at ensuring there is a black mark on his official record. But the time has come to move forward. Pelosi's impeachment delay won't last long.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com How a 'legislative terrorist' conquered the Republican Party Queen Elizabeth acknowledges 2019 was a 'bumpy' year Bernie Sanders and the socialist Christmas spirit
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| Could Russia's S-500 Air Defense System Be A Real F-35 'Silver Bullet'? Posted: 23 Dec 2019 03:13 AM PST  It was recently tested in Syria.
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| Hong Kong marks Christmas Eve with mall clashes and tear gas Posted: 24 Dec 2019 09:04 AM PST  Hong Kong marked Christmas Eve with tear gas, petrol bombs and mall clashes on Tuesday night as battles between democracy activists and riot police swept through a major shopping district. Thousands of black-clad protesters -- some wearing Santa hats and reindeer antlers -- took to the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, a usually bustling tourist district. Clashes soon erupted, with riot police firing multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse protesters throughout the evening, including outside the famous Peninsula Hotel.
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| Two strong quakes shake central Colombia, no damage reported Posted: 24 Dec 2019 11:34 AM PST  Two strong earthquakes, of magnitude 6.2 and magnitude 5.7, struck central Colombia on Tuesday, the Colombian Geological Service said, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries or major damage. The epicenters were located about 150 km (93 miles) south of the capital Bogota in the central province of Meta, and were very shallow, which would have amplified their effects.
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| 6 more horses found shot and killed in Kentucky after gruesome discovery last week Posted: 23 Dec 2019 08:58 AM PST  A Kentucky animal rescue group said the horses were killed during the same shooting that killed at least 15 other horses along U.S. 23.
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| 2-hour flight turned into a 36-hour ordeal with detour and unscheduled stop Posted: 23 Dec 2019 08:37 AM PST  What was supposed to be a two-hour domestic flight turned into a nightmare, 36-hour international journey for Air Canada passengers.
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| Boeing saved its new Starliner spaceship from disaster. Here's how the mission unfolded and what it could mean for NASA astronauts. Posted: 24 Dec 2019 12:33 PM PST  Boeing's first CST-100 Starliner mission safely landed on December 22. But a critical error cut short its mission and put the vehicle in danger.
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| Ex-sheriff's lieutenant gets life terms for child sex abuse Posted: 23 Dec 2019 08:16 AM PST ![Ex-sheriff's lieutenant gets life terms for child sex abuse]( "Ex-sheriff's lieutenant gets life terms for child sex abuse") A former southwest Missouri sheriff's lieutenant has been sentenced to six consecutive life terms for sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl. Greene County Judge David Jones said during sentencing Friday that he hopes 68-year-old David Hastings never leaves prison, the Springfield News-Leader reported. Assistant Greene County Prosecutor Stephanie Wan said Hastings groomed the victim before sexually abusing her for more than a year.
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| Ben Carson calls reparations for slavery "unworkable" Posted: 23 Dec 2019 01:20 AM PST  In an interview, the Housing and Urban Development Secretary spoke out about the impeachment of President Trump and the concept of reparations for slavery.
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| Tulsi Gabbard, encouraged by Trump, may seek spoiler role Posted: 24 Dec 2019 12:34 PM PST  Tulsi Gabbard, the House member from Hawaii who is running for president, may mount a third-party White House bid that could have a major impact on the 2020 election. One person who is welcoming that prospect is President Trump.
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| Beware, Russia and China: The U.S. Military Is Testing a New Ballistic Missile Posted: 22 Dec 2019 11:53 PM PST  The Pentagon fired-off a new prototype conventionally-configured, ground-launched ballistic missile as part of a broader effort to increase medium-range attack options and further fortify deterrence efforts.
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| New Boeing 737 MAX documents show 'very disturbing' employee concerns: U.S. House aide Posted: 24 Dec 2019 09:56 AM PST  Boeing Co documents under review by a U.S. congressional panel appear to point to a "very disturbing" picture of commentary from the planemaker's employees over the grounded 737 MAX aircraft, a congressional aide said on Tuesday. The documents were submitted to the House of Representatives transportation infrastructure committee and the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, the same day Boeing announced the firing of chief executive Dennis Muilenburg amid a crisis over the handling of the aftermath of two fatal crashes. The best-selling 737 MAX has been grounded since March.
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| Vietnam seizes two tonnes of ivory and pangolin scales Posted: 23 Dec 2019 11:17 PM PST  Vietnam seized more than two tonnes of ivory tusks and pangolin scales hidden inside wooden boxes shipped from Nigeria, state media reported Tuesday. The bust comes at the end of a year of big wildlife seizures destined for communist Vietnam, a hotbed of the illicit but lucrative trade in animal parts from elephants, pangolins, tigers and rhinos. Authorities in northern Hai Phong city found 330 kilograms (730 pounds) of ivory and 1.7 tonnes of pangolin scales after checking three container shipments from Nigeria, according to Hai Quan Online, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam's customs department.
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| China Surpasses the U.S. in Wealth of Top 10% Posted: 24 Dec 2019 10:31 AM PST ![China Surpasses the U.S. in Wealth of Top 10%]( "China Surpasses the U.S. in Wealth of Top 10%") Despite an economic slowdown and facing increased tariffs from a trade war with the United States, China has surpassed America in having the highest number of residents in the top 10% of the world's wealth. "However, inequality has risen considerably since the year 2000," say the authors of the 10th edition of the Credit Suisse wealth report.
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| One of the US Army's mascots — a Cold War-era M48 Patton tank — got fixed up just in time for the holidays Posted: 24 Dec 2019 09:50 AM PST  A Cold War-era M48 Patton tank that's been a monument for the US Third Army and US Army Central underwent restoration at Fort Knox this fall.
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| Residents of NW Syria flee new government offensive Posted: 23 Dec 2019 07:28 AM PST  Syrian government forces pressed ahead Monday with a new military assault on the country's last rebel stronghold that began last week, an offensive that has set off a mass exodus of civilians fleeing to safer areas near the Turkish border. Under the cover of airstrikes and heavy shelling, Syrian troops have been pushing into the northwestern province of Idlib toward a major rebel-held town, Maaret al-Numan. The town sits on a key highway linking the capital Damascus with the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest.
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| Let's declare a cease-fire in the 'war on Christmas' Posted: 24 Dec 2019 03:38 PM PST  Instead of embracing the season for its glorious diversity of human beliefs, we splinter into factions that quarrel over who "owns" the holidays.
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| Trump invites disgraced Navy SEAL who posed with a dead ISIS captive he was accused of murdering to Mar-a-Lago Posted: 23 Dec 2019 07:20 AM PST  Gallagher was acquitted in July of murdering a teenage ISIS captive in Iraq in 2017, but convicted of posing for a photo with the captive's dead body.
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| Former Democratic Hawaii governor calls on Tulsi Gabbard to resign from Congress amid presidential campaign Posted: 24 Dec 2019 10:32 AM PST  Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie said that Gabbard's "present" vote on impeachment articles "had nothing to do with representing the people of Hawaii."
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| Russia Wants "A Sixth-Generation Strategic Bomber" By 2040 Posted: 24 Dec 2019 05:39 AM PST  Moscow talks big, but will it actually come to pass?
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| No more US sniffer dogs to Egypt, Jordan after deaths Posted: 23 Dec 2019 01:03 PM PST  The United States has temporarily stopped sending bomb detecting sniffer dogs to Jordan and Egypt after several of the animals died due to what US officials say was lack of care. "Any death of a canine in the field is an extremely sad event and we will take every measure possible to prevent this from happening in the future," a US State Department official told reporters on Monday. The State Department's own independent Office of Inspector General (OIG) began looking into the well-being of the animals after reports of canine mistreatment surfaced in mid-2017.
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| Alan Dershowitz Accuses The New Yorker of Working With Neo-Nazis Posted: 23 Dec 2019 07:58 PM PST  Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz derailed a Fox News segment on Monday evening when he claimed The New Yorker's editor relies on "neo-Nazi sources" and "makes up facts." Dershowitz, who has become one of President Donald Trump's fiercest media defenders, was initially brought on Fox News' Hannity to discuss the latest developments in the president's impeachment. The famed attorney, however, quickly became distracted when guest host Dan Bongino played a clip of New Yorker editor David Remnick."You showed David Remnick before saying, 'The world is coming to an end,'" Dershowitz said. "I have to comment about that because David Remnick is the problem today. He is the poster child for what is wrong with the media. He makes up facts."Dershowitz went on to claim that Remnick made up a story about Dershowitz's family that he got from a "neo-Nazi Holocaust denial website" and that Remnick "never sent it to a fact-checker to check and published it as fact."The New Yorker article the one-time Jeffrey Epstein lawyer is referring to is a lengthy and unflattering profile, posted online in late July, that revealed Dershowitz has argued the age of consent should be 15 and that he's obsessed with men "wrongfully accused" of rape."The New Yorker has the lowest ratio of credibility to apparent credibility of any media in the country," Dershowitz added. "Nobody should take anything that The New Yorker says under David Remnick's leadership seriously. He just makes up facts and uses neo-Nazi sources to source his facts."This isn't the first time Dershowitz has made such an accusation about the magazine. Twelve days before The New Yorker published its profile of him, he wrote an op-ed for far-right website Newsmax complaining that The New Yorker was about to publish a "hit piece" against him and that the writer admitted to using an anti-Semitic site "as the original source for claiming in her article that I abused my first wife and 'stripped' her of custody of my two sons." (A spokesperson for The New Yorker previously denied to Vox that the website Dershowitz cited played any part in its story's sourcing.)The article in question highlights Dershowitz's acrimonious divorce proceedings, which includes initial findings from the judge that Dershowitz "negatively affected the plaintiff's health to the extent that she required medical treatment and briefly some psychiatric therapy." Eventually, after reviewing tape recordings of the separated couple's phone conversations that featured Dershowitz's first wife speaking to him in "the most disparaging terms," the judge awarded Dershowitz custody of the children.At the end of the Fox News segment, fellow guest Joe Concha quipped that he would like to see Dershowitz and Remnick "in an alleyway somewhere," prompting Dershowitz to say he'd love to debate the editor on TV to "expose him as the fraud he is and the careless fact-checker that he is."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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