| Republican apologizes for saying Democrats are 'in love with terrorists' Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:30 AM PST  Rep. Doug Collins apologized Friday for saying that Democrats are "in love with terrorists" and mourn more for killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani than they "mourn for our Gold Star families."
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| Russia to Iran: Don’t Admit Guilt—Blame the U.S. Instead Posted: 11 Jan 2020 03:52 PM PST  After initial denials of responsibility, having been confronted with mounting evidence, Iran finally acknowledged that it accidentally shot down the Ukrainian passenger jet earlier this week, killing all 176 people aboard. Following the admission, Iranian protesters have demanded Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei step down. "Commander-in-chief [Khamenei] resign, resign," chanted hundreds of people in front of Tehran's Amir Kabir University on Saturday. Speaking from Tehran, Dorsa Jabbari told Al Jazeera, "There is a lot of anger. Iranians are demanding justice and accountability. Many people including families of the victims are in shock. They do not understand why their government would have lied to them for this long."There is also a lot of anger in Russia, but for an entirely different reason. Yuri Shvytkin, deputy head of the State Duma's Defense Committee, criticized the position of the Iranian authorities, who admitted their responsibility for shooting down the Ukrainian airliner. Shvytkin told Russian radio station Moscow Speaks that the Iranians should have blamed the United States for the incident. He said, "It was a missile strike provoked by the United States, that is, Iran's retaliatory actions were unintentional. It's necessary to condemn both the actions of the United States and the actions of Iran regarding the downed plane. Within the framework of the events that took place, in the turmoil due to insufficient professional actions and hasty decisions regarding the guidance and launch of a missile, it is theoretically possible to allow this."Russian senator Alexei Pushkov echoed the same position, stating: "The United States carry their part of the responsibility for this tragedy," arguing that America creates conditions leading to wars all over the world. Pushkov also took a jab at Ukraine, claiming that whenever Ukraine calls Iran's actions irresponsible, it should be reminded about not closing its airspace for the flight of the Malaysian Boeing MH17. The Russian senator disingenuously complained that Ukraine "is still not admitting its fault" for not closing the Ukrainian airspace, "which is the reason for the crash of the Malaysian Boeing." In reality, Russia—not Ukraine—was proven to be responsible for shooting down the passenger jet over Donbas, killing all 298 on board.Vladimir Dzhabarov, graduate of the FSB Academy, who serves as the first Deputy Chair of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, also laid the responsibility for the downing of the passenger airliner by Iran on the United States of America, blaming the U.S. for "staging a provocation that led to human casualties" that started with the killing of Qassem Soleimani.Some American critics of the U.S. administration have made similar arguments, claiming the shoot-down was the result of an artificial crisis created by President Donald Trump. But the Russians went much, much further.In the run-up to Iran's admission, Russian propagandists were looking to absolve the Iranians of any responsibility. Various theories aired by Kremlin-controlled Russian state television ranged from technological issues to the possibility of a terrorist act. Russia's Federal News Agency (RIA FAN) pushed the boundaries even further, promoting an outlandish conspiracy theory that an American drone shot down the passenger airliner. RIA FAN is a known offshoot of the notorious Russian troll factory known as the Internet Research Agency (IRA), indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller for U.S. election interference. RIA FAN continues to operate various media ventures targeting Americans. After spreading a conspiracy theory that blamed the United States for the downing of the Ukrainian passenger jet, RIA FAN proudly reported what could be considered the outcome of its successful influence operation: "Americans are convinced that the Boeing was shot down by the United States." It's also entirely possible that at least some of the comments allegedly posted by Americans and referenced in the article actually represent the work product of the St. Petersburg troll factory. Before the Iranian government came clean about the tragedy, Kremlin propagandists laid the groundwork of plausible deniability for their allies. Appearing on news talk show 60 Minutes produced by Russian state TV channel Rossiya-24, Dmitry Abzalov, President of the "Center for Strategic Communications," dismissed any possibility that Iranian missiles could have shot down the Ukrainian airliner. He claimed that if any missile launches took place that night, photos and videos of those strikes "would have already been shown on CNN and Fox News." Abzalov claimed that any accusations against Iran were "nothing more than a provocation" by the United States and the Iranian government's willingness to turn over the "black boxes" to the Ukrainian authorities represented further proof of Iran's total innocence.During the state TV show 60 Minutes, Russian military expert Igor Korotchenko claimed that allegations by the Ukrainian authorities that the Russian-made Tor missile system was used to target the jet were nothing more than "Russophobia" by the Ukrainian "scoundrels." Korotchenko is an editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, founder and director of the Center for the Analysis of the World Arms Trade and a Member of the Public Council under the Russian Ministry of Defense. He falsely claimed that Russian Tor systems "simply don't exist near the [Tehran] airport." "There were no Tor systems in the area of the catastrophe," he claimed, asserting that statements pinning the blame on the Iranians using Russian Tor systems represented "info-wars" launched by the competitors of Russian arms dealers.Korotchenko proceeded to accuse Ukraine—which lost 11 of its citizens in the downed airliner —of not being trustworthy, disingenuously complaining that it never admitted "to shooting down the Malaysian Boeing MH-17,"despite the overwhelming evidence proving Russia's responsibility for that incident. He demanded that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky "punish and fire" his administration officials who alleged that the Ukrainian airliner was shot down by the Iranian military using Russian-made Tor systems—allegations that have now proved accurate.Hosts and panelists of 60 Minutes breathlessly accused Ukraine of irresponsibly "spreading conspiracy theories." Igor Morozov, Deputy Chair of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, complained that allegations about Iran's use of the Russian-made Tor missile systems to shoot down the Ukrainian airliner were merely fabrications, the result of "Russophobia" and ongoing "info-wars" against Russia. Arguably, no one knows more about info-wars than the Kremlin, whose tactics often include the dissemination of outlandish conspiracy theories. The Iranian government seemingly caught Russian propagandists off-guard by opting finally to tell the truth. 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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| Boy kills teacher, self in Mexico school shooting Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:28 PM PST  Torreón (Mexico) (AFP) - An 11-year-old boy shot and killed his teacher Friday at a school in northern Mexico and wounded six other people before killing himself, authorities said. As shocked Mexicans searched for explanations for the school shooting -- a rare event for the country -- officials said they were investigating a possible link to the Columbine High School massacre in the US in 1999. Panicked parents rushed to the private elementary school, the Colegio Cervantes, in Torreon as officials evacuated the trim brick building and police and soldiers put it on lockdown.
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| Thousands of Australians are calling for their prime minster's resignation. He's vowed to keep exporting coal, despite the link between fires and climate change. Posted: 10 Jan 2020 09:30 AM PST  Since September, 25 million acres of Australia have caught fire. The resulting smoke plume stretches 1.3 billion acres.
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| IS claims Pakistan mosque bombing as death toll rises to 15 Posted: 11 Jan 2020 01:41 AM PST  Pakistani officials raised the death toll from a mosque bombing in the country's southwest to 15 people on Saturday, as the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. It killed a senior police officer and 13 others. Quetta police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said another victim of the mosque bombing died of serious wounds in the city hospital raising the death toll to 15.
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| Alphabet's chief legal officer is leaving the company after a series of scandals involving allegations of sexual misconduct Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:29 AM PST  David Drummond, who headed legal affairs at Google's parent company, is leaving after a widely publicized blog post accused him of emotional abuse.
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| Former Abe Aide Dismisses Ghosn’s Allegations of Japan Plot Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:19 AM PST |
| Bernie Sanders in Trump's crosshairs in wake of Iran crisis Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:36 AM PST  The Iran crisis collided with the Democratic presidential race this week as Sen. Bernie Sanders and President Trump battled over the circumstances of the U.S. strike that killed a prominent Iranian general.
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| Russian ship 'aggressively approached' a US destroyer in North Arabian Sea, Navy says Posted: 10 Jan 2020 12:02 PM PST  A Russian Navy ship "aggressively approached" a US destroyer conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Sea Thursday, the Navy said.
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| India blows up luxury high-rises over environmental violations Posted: 11 Jan 2020 03:02 AM PST  Two luxury waterfront high-rises in southern India were reduced to rubble in controlled explosions Saturday in a rare example of authorities getting tough on builders who break environmental rules. The 19-floor H2O Holy Faith complex of 90 flats -- overlooking Kerala state's famous lush backwaters -- was the first to go down, collapsing in just a matter of few seconds. A thick grey cloud of dust and debris cascaded down after officials detonated explosives drilled into the walls of the building, which had been occupied for several years until the Supreme Court ruled last May that it was constructed in violation of coastal regulations.
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| Stomach illness outbreak at Yosemite prompts major clean-up Posted: 10 Jan 2020 03:34 PM PST  Federal health officials are inspecting Yosemite National Park's food service areas after at least a dozen people have fallen ill with stomach issues. The National Park Service and the U.S. Public Health Service told the San Francisco Chronicle they launched an investigation after employees and visitors reported the problems this month. Park officials said those who had gotten sick are getting better or already recovered.
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| A severe winter storm is ripping through the US, killing 9 and cancelling more than 1,500 flights Posted: 11 Jan 2020 01:43 PM PST  Hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, and hail have pelted states in the south, while snow storms, wind, and ice have hit northern states.
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| George Conway's anti-Trump group releases new ad calling out evangelical Christians Posted: 10 Jan 2020 07:47 AM PST  A group of Republicans opposed to President Trump is calling out one of his most reliable voting blocs: evangelical Christians.
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| Japan seeks Interpol wanted notice for wife of ex Nissan boss Posted: 10 Jan 2020 08:57 PM PST  Japanese authorities have requested the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) for an Interpol wanted notice for the wife of former Nissan Motor boss Carols Ghosn, local media reported on Saturday. If the notice is issued for his wife, Carole, the couple's travel chances outside of Lebanon may be restricted, Mainichi newspaper said. Interpol has already issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn.
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| Mexico Is Doing the U.S.'s 'Dirty Work,' Say Researchers as Border Apprehensions Decline for 7th Month in a Row Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:03 PM PST  Apprehensions at the border have declined for the 7th month, according to CBP data released Thursday. The reasons why are complicated
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| White House spokesman criticized after claiming Obama killed Muammar al-Gaddafi Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:40 PM PST  Twitter users were quick to criticize Hogan Gidley, a White House spokesman, after he claimed that Obama killed Muammar al-Gaddafi.
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| China reports first death from mystery pneumonia outbreak Posted: 10 Jan 2020 09:43 PM PST  China on Saturday reported the first death from a virus believed to be from the same family as the SARS pathogen that killed hundreds in China and Hong Kong more than a decade ago. Forty-one people with pneumonia-like symptoms have so far been diagnosed with the new type of coronavirus in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where it was first confirmed, with one of the victims dying, the city's health commission said on its website. The commission did not specify when the death occurred or give further details on the patient other than to say the bulk of those diagnosed worked at a Wuhan seafood market that was closed January 1 following the outbreak.
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| U.S. military tried to take out another Iranian leader, but failed Posted: 10 Jan 2020 12:38 PM PST  The U.S. military tried, but failed, to take out another senior Iranian commander on the same day that an American airstrike killed a Revolutionary Guard commander, U.S. officials said Friday.
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| MIT warns foreign students of possible visits from ICE Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:17 AM PST |
| Death From Above: The Air Force's Fearsome AC-130 Gunship Is Getting Upgrades Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:00 AM PST  And America's enemies are running.
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| Sanders Leads Presidential Field in Poll of Iowa Democrats Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:17 PM PST |
| Mom says she was attacked by daughter’s bullies outside California high school Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:33 AM PST  One student has been arrested for battery with serious bodily injury.
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| Nancy Pelosi lost the impeachment standoff Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:11 PM PST  After nearly a month of dithering, Nancy Pelosi is finally accepting defeat in her standoff with Mitch McConnell over impeachment. Despite insisting as recently as Thursday that she would wait to transmit the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate until she was confident that the trial in the upper chamber would proceed on terms favorable to her party, she quietly backed down on Friday morning. Her letter to Democratic colleagues in the House announced that the articles would be sent next week even though McConnell has made it clear that none of her demands — testimony from additional witnesses, for example — would be honored or even considered.Is anyone actually surprised by this outcome? How likely was it that Pelosi was ever going to change McConnell's mind? All of the leverage has been on his side from the beginning. He would be the one to decide how the trial would proceed, when it would begin, and how long it would last. Having to surrender the fate of judicial proceedings to the opposing party was how this was always fated to end.Was a delay actually in her party's interest? It could be argued that she hoped to persuade a handful of Republican senators to insist upon subpoenas for witnesses and documents. This did not happen, nor was it ever very likely. By the time Pelosi acknowledged that McConnell had the upper hand, Senate Democrats had been publicly begging her to surrender for days. "I think the speaker should send the articles regardless," Senator Chris Coons (Del.) said on Tuesday. "I think the time has passed."It is worth pointing out that Pelosi's letter arrived amid McConnell's decision to sign on to a resolution introduced by Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri that would have dismissed the articles of impeachment 25 days after their adoption on the grounds that they had not been transmitted. It is unclear exactly what the constitutional implications of such a move would have been, but one thing that is clear is that it would have added many months of legal wrangling to the impeachment process. Forget about having presidential candidates in Washington when they should be in New Hampshire or South Carolina — a Supreme Court case over the constitutionality of a Senate dismissal of impeachment articles may well have dragged on into the summer, during which time Trump (and many constitutional scholars) could have argued that impeachment had never taken place. Could this possibly have forced her hand? We may never know.Which brings us back to the mystery that has been at the center of Trump's impeachment since the beginning. Why did Pelosi, a sober-minded, no-nonsense centrist who declared over and over again that impeachment was not worth pursuing, finally change her mind? Why did she wait to do so until last October, at which point it would have been obvious that the process would overlap with this year's caucuses and primaries? Why did she agree to draft and adopt articles of impeachment before she had secured the testimony of all the witnesses she and her members considered relevant? And why, finally, did she seem to have no coherent response prepared for the not exactly remote contingency in which McConnell refused to give her and her Senate colleagues the sort of trial they wanted? To quote an eminent anti-Boomer philosopher: "No thought was put into this."Though it is difficult to see what motivated Pelosi, especially in her decision to stall the inevitable handover of the process to the Senate, it is hard not to imagine that she had some sort of plan in mind. It just doesn't seem to have been a very good one.More stories from theweek.com Trump reportedly admitted impeachment played a big role in his Soleimani decision Rush's Neil Peart dies at age 67 Donald Trump is behaving like the guiltiest man alive
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| Israel frees two as 'goodwill' for return of soldier's remains from Syria Posted: 09 Jan 2020 10:10 PM PST |
| Hundreds mourn reporters shot dead after covering Iraq protests Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:50 PM PST  Hundreds of Iraqis on Saturday mourned two reporters shot dead the previous evening in the country's southern city of Basra, where they had been covering months of anti-government protests. Ahmad Abdessamad, a 37-year-old correspondent for local television station Al-Dijla, and his cameraman Safaa Ghali, 26, were killed late Friday, the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory (JFO) said.
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| The 9 Things You Need in Your Car This Winter Posted: 11 Jan 2020 12:00 PM PST |
| Mother charged with murder after 11-month-old son drowns in bathtub Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:52 PM PST  The mother told authorities she left the baby unattended in a tub while she stepped out for a cigarette and "some me time," according to a warrant.
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| Jewish neighborhoods in NYC to get 100 new security cameras Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:19 PM PST |
| World War III: This Is What Would Happen If North Korea Nuked Tokyo Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:13 AM PST  Tokyo is the largest urban area on the planet.
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| German Chancellor urges all parties to back Iran nuclear deal Posted: 11 Jan 2020 09:04 AM PST  German chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday repeated a call for all parties to respect the Iranian nuclear accord, despite Iran's decision to intensify its enrichment of uranium and moves by the United States to impose economic sanctions. Under a deal brokered in 2015, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, to restrict its nuclear program.
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| Boeing's former CEO, who was fired over the 737 Max crisis, got no severance pay but left with $62 million Boeing says he was 'contractually entitled' to Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:37 PM PST  Boeings former CEO received 'the benefits to which he was contractually entitled and he did not receive any severance pay or a 2019 annual bonus.'
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| Australian Bushfires and Heat Are Killing Flying Foxes by the Thousands Posted: 11 Jan 2020 02:15 AM PST  Bushfires fueled by climate change that are raging across eastern Australia have burned millions of acres, destroyed thousands of buildings, and killed 25 people. But there are other victims: Australia's endangered flying foxes. These furry, doe-eyed, puppy-size migratory bats have died by the thousands in the fires and in the months of extreme heat that preceded the blazes. While the bushfires have affected billions of animals and killed potentially millions of them, the flying foxes are uniquely vulnerable. Above a certain temperature, they can simply drop dead from the trees where they roost. Stressed adult bats that survive the heat often abandon their pups —a death sentence for the helpless babies. Fires have destroyed millions of the trees the fruit-eating bats rely on. Despite desperate rescue efforts, as many as a fifth of Australia's flying foxes have died in just a few months. And with the southern continent's hot, dry summer in full flow and bushfires likely to continue, many more bats could perish.Owing to runaway global warming, this season's extraordinary temperatures and fires could become the new normal. In that case, flying foxes are almost certainly doomed to extinction. "They're the canaries in the coal mine for climate change," Evan Quartermain, head of programs for the Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society International, told The Daily Beast.Australia's wildlife rescuers are panicking, but the country's climate change-denying national leaders definitely aren't. "This ecological nightmare should be sounding very loud alarm bells in the halls of parliament, but it's not," Lou Bonomi, a rescuer with the Fly By Night Bat Clinic in Melbourne, told The Daily Beast. Seven species of flying fox call Australia home. Three are classified as "vulnerable" or "endangered" by Australia's Ministry of the Environment. Prior to the heat and fires, hunting and deforestation were the biggest threats. Two species, the gray-headed flying fox and the spectacled flying fox, live in large numbers in the eastern bushfire zone and have suffered the most in recent months.As recently as early 2019, there were around 700,000 gray-headed flying foxes and around 100,000 spectacled flying foxes in eastern Australia, according to government surveys. Then the temperatures rose and fires broke out. 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record in Australia, according to government statistics. The annual bushfire season that began in late 2019 also has broken records. Nearly 26 million acres have burned so far. That's seven million more acres than burned in the Amazon's own catastrophic fires last year. Flying foxes suffer potentially fatal heat stress at temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. "We have about 30 of us who will prepare to head out if we see the forecast is going to be 40 degrees Celsius or higher," Bonomi said. "You can imagine our dread when we had forecasts of 44 and 43 degrees both in two weeks."Rescuers try to cool down the bats by gently spraying them with water. It's easier said than done. There are hundreds of flying-fox colonies. Some are nearly a mile across and number tens of thousands of bats roosting high in the trees. "We walk up and down with firefighting backpacks filled with water and quietly try to cool them," Bonomi said. "They are so stressed and so flighty that you really have to go easy doing this, despite what your instinct tells you to do. Go too close or move in too soon and the bats will take flight. This can kill them as they're already so hot and exhausted. Sometimes it's just too late, you reach them and they will drop dead at your feet." "Some of the younger ones you can offer water for them to lap, cool them down and keep offering water," Bonomi added, "but honestly, you spend half an hour with one little one and in the meantime 20 around you die." Bonomi said 20 percent of the flying foxes in the biggest nearby colony have died in recent months. Conservationists are still tallying up the countrywide bat death toll. It could be in the tens of thousands in a total population that was already in decline owing to hunting and habitat destruction. Rescue groups and animal hospitals have taken in thousands of abandoned pups for rehabilitation. Humane Society International is helping to supply rehabilitators with food for the pups. Fly By Night Bat Clinic is experimenting with sprinklers that could help keep colonies cool. Both groups are raising money for rescuers and rehabilitators.But all these measures are short-term fixes to a long-term problem. Barring a global green-energy revolution, atmospheric carbon is likely to increase and temperatures will spike even higher. If you think 2019 and 2020 have been bad for bats, try to imagine 2021. Or 2030, for that matter. "Given that extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense under climate change, the long-term prospects of the species must be considered as of serious concern," Justin Welbergen, associate professor of animal ecology at Western Sydney University and president of the Australasian Bat Society, told The Daily Beast.The federal government under Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reacted with a veritable shrug. The Department of the Environment declined to comment for this story. "We have a conservative government of climate skeptics, who prioritize wealth, big business and non-renewable energy sources that are ruining us faster than we can fix," Bonomi explained. "While our beautiful country burns, our prime minister holidays. While entire species literally collapse around us, the government is investing in coal-mining and logging our old growth forests.""If governments at all levels don't do everything they can to make Australia's nature more resilient to climate change, I don't think flying foxes, and in turn us humans, will stand a chance," Quartermain said.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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| Threat of U.S.-Iran War Eases, For Now: Weekend Reads Posted: 11 Jan 2020 05:00 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.The U.S. and Iran shied away from a full-scale conflict following the drone attack ordered by President Donald Trump that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Tehran's retaliatory strike against U.S. bases in Iraq. In a dramatic reversal, Tehran revealed that its forces shot down a Ukrainian jetliner they mistook for a threat during the hostilities.Elsewhere, Taiwanese voters cast ballots today as the world's only Chinese-speaking democracy faces pressure to pick sides in a global power struggle between the U.S. and China.Dig deeper into these and other topics and click here for Bloomberg's most compelling political images from the past week.Iran's Response Doesn't Mean Trump Dodged All-Out WarIran's immediate response to the killing of Soleimani — a Jan. 7 missile attack on joint U.S.-Iraqi military bases that caused no deaths or injuries — seemed symbolic. But as Peter Coy explains, that doesn't mean it won't strike again. Iran Strike Renews Fight Over Who Has Say on U.S. WarCongress is once again trying to reassert its constitutional role in declaring war. It's done so only 11 times since 1798, but U.S. armed forces have been sent into battle abroad hundreds of times. But as Daniel Flatley and John O'Neil explain, previous efforts haven't accomplished much. U.S.-Iran Exchange of Fire Turns Iraq Into Proxy BattlefieldThe tit-for-tat attacks by U.S. and Iran threaten to turn Iraq into a battlefield for an open conflict between a deeply connected neighbor and the world's military superpower. Marc Champion, Khalid Al Ansary and Caroline Alexander report.Taiwan Votes, With U.S.-China Power Struggle on the BallotAs Taiwanese voters go to the polls, the self-ruled island's complex relationship with China is the main political fissure. Samson Ellis and Cindy Wang explain that the expected victory of President Tsai Ing-wen would likely mean four more years of no talks between the two sides on one of the region's main potential flashpoints. Kuwaiti Cash Fuels a Surge of Misleading U.S. Media CoverageA fake protest, a journalist who may not exist, and $11,500 in payments to U.S. opinion writers — Zachary Mider, Ben Elgin and Joe Light reveal how Kuwaiti cash is fueling misleading media coverage in the U.S.Macron and Orban Are Now Best of Frenemies for a New EuropeHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's unlikely alliance with French President Emmanuel Macron may be helping to force the European Union to change its ways, Zoltan Simon and Helene Fouquet report. Fear Haunts Muslims at Center of India's Violent ProtestsProtests against a citizenship law that discriminates on religious grounds have swept India, with the worst violence concentrated in its most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. Shruti Srivastava and Upmanyu Trivedi explain that Muslim citizens say they're living in fear of further police retaliation.Nigeria Faces Challenges of Politicking, Rising Debt in 2020The battle to replace Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari after he completes his second and final four-year term in 2023 is heating up, placing further pressure on an already strained economy. Anthony Osae-Brown and Tope Alake report. Everyone I Know Is Depressed and Medicated: Life in CaracasAlex Vasquez writes about how residents of the Venezuelan capital cope with an epidemic of depression in a land of total disarray. Australia's Vast Wildfires Foretold in 2007 UN Climate WarningMore than a dozen years ago, a United Nations report forecast that the proliferation of greenhouse gases threatened to increase the frequency of extreme fire danger days in south-east Australia. As Edward Johnson writes, that prediction appears to be coming true, with blazes charring a combined area twice the size of Switzerland and continuing to burn.And finally ... The Catholic Church can no longer cover up cases of sexual abuse by its priests, as growing public awareness escalates the pace of lawsuits. But as Josh Saul explains, besieged church leaders are looking to a new option: bankruptcy. It's an attractive solution because it provides a controlled process for settling a large number of lawsuits while holding on to as many assets as possible. \--With assistance from Kathleen Hunter.To contact the author of this story: Karl Maier in Rome at kmaier2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Joe Biden holds a commanding lead among black voters, new poll shows Posted: 11 Jan 2020 10:22 AM PST  In one of the most extensive studies so far on the views of the 2020 presidential race among black voters conducted by The Washington Post and non-partisan research firm, Ipsos, former Vice President Joe Biden is holding on to a commanding lead over the rest of the Democratic field.Biden picked up 48 percent of the vote in the survey, which amounts to a whopping 28 point lead over the next candidate in line, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Voters referenced Biden's experience and ability to take on President Trump head to head as some of the reasons he's garnered their support to date. In the South, which could be a key region for picking up delegates in the primaries, Biden's doing even better at 53 percent.> NEW: WaPo/Ipsos poll of black Democratic voters> > Biden 48% > Sanders 20% > Warren 9% > Bloomberg 4% > Booker 4% > Yang 3% > Buttigieg 2% > Steyer 2%> > (769 Black Dem registered voters, MoE: +/- 4 points) https://t.co/SpI6PfAIj4> > — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) January 11, 2020The notable exception to Biden's dominance is age. Black voters between 18 and 34 support Sanders at 42 percent, thanks to his policies on housing and student debt, for example, per the Post. Still, Biden remains in second place among the demographic with 30 percent. > This is part of @JoeBiden's big weaknesses with younger voters: "Though Biden leads his rivals by more than 2 to 1 overall, he trails Sanders by 42 percent to 30 percent among black Democrats ages 18 to 34."> > — Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) January 11, 2020The Post-Ipsos survey was conducted online between Jan. 2-8 from a sample of 769 Democratic-leaning black voters. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points. Read more at The Washington Post.More stories from theweek.com 5 royally funny cartoons about Harry and Meghan's exit Trump is setting up a massive nuclear crisis with Iran The ground game takes center stage in Ravens-Titans clash
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| A viral photo of a tiger and her 5 cubs shows how the species is bouncing back from extinction Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:43 PM PST  India's wild tiger population is finally on the rise. An Indian Forest Service officer recently shared an inspiring photo of a tiger with five cubs.
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| Gun case delayed for man cleared of San Francisco pier death Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:32 PM PST  A federal judge on Friday delayed a gun possession trial against a Mexican man who was acquitted of killing a woman on a San Francisco pier in a case that became a national flashpoint, saying he has questions about the man's mental competency. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria postponed a trial expected to start next week until a psychiatrist evaluates Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate. "It appears that Garcia-Zarate may not understand the charges against him, and it's possible that he's not currently taking any medication for his apparent mental illness," Chhabria wrote in his ruling.
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| This Is How the U.S. Navy Hunts Nuclear-Armed Chinese Submarines Posted: 10 Jan 2020 11:13 AM PST  From the sky!
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| China's Communist Party expels ex-chairman of China Development Bank Posted: 10 Jan 2020 09:34 PM PST  A former chairman of the China Development Bank, Hu Huaibang, has been expelled from the country's ruling Communist Party for serious violations of discipline, the party's graft watchdog said on Saturday. An investigation found that Hu had "lost his ideals and convictions" and had committed violations such as using his post to illegally benefit others, abusing his power, and allowing his family members to "complain about property", said the statement by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). The CCDI also said it would seize his illegal income and transfer his case to the judicial bodies.
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| ‘Every day I was praying’: Detroit dad deported after 30 years returns home to US Posted: 10 Jan 2020 07:03 PM PST  Jorge Garcia was deported on Jan. 15, 2018, and was stuck in Mexico for almost two years, separated from his family in Michigan.
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| Storm cancels over 1,000 flights in Chicago and triggers flooding along lakeshore Posted: 11 Jan 2020 11:38 AM PST  A potent storm traversing the eastern half of the country has produced flooding rain, deadly tornadoes and travel-halting ice and snow and its impacts are far from over.Chicago wasn't immune from the storm's impacts as winds increased Friday night into early Saturday, gusting as high as 50 mph.On Saturday morning, the storm caused flight delays as long as four and a half hours at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to FlightAware.Delays escalated later in the day to more than six hours long, with over 1,000 cancellations from O'Hare alone.> HAPPENING NOW: More than 950 flights cancelled at O'Hare International Airport. Right now there is a ground stop at O'Hare for inbound flights due to ice. weatherwatch winterstorm chicagoweather @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/B5cGE4oFp8> > -- Vi Nguyen (@ViNguyen) January 11, 2020Such delays had a ripple effect across the country, including in cities that managed to escape effects from the storm. However, gusty winds are likely to spread across states from New York to Florida through Saturday night, which may add to the delays and cancellations.In addition to impeding air travel, the severe winds affected motorists along the lakeshore as well.Winds blowing southwestward across the southern part of Lake Michigan funneled the water over the beaches and through towns along the shore. Northeasterly winds off of Lake Michigan triggered flooding in the Chicago area on Saturday, leaving one golf course underwater (Photo/@EricAllixRogers) Locations such as Rogers Park and Evanston were reportedly underwater as intense waves moved onshore.Radio station WBBM reported that parts of Lake Shore Drive and South Shore Drive were closed due to high water and flooding.> Serious and damaging surf in Rogers Park from lakemichigan this morning. Storm surge is insane. Flooding in Evanston as well. weather Chicago pic.twitter.com/KLE7a0AvDr> > -- Bo Rodda (@b0rodda) January 11, 2020Much of the Lake Michigan shoreline was underwater Saturday.The wind even produced large waves, as high 20 feet, which continued pound the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan through the afternoon on Saturday.> Birchwood Ave at Lake Michigan. The rocks on the left used to rise above Jarvis Beach. The beaches are all gone now. pic.twitter.com/rk06Tztmq0> > -- Bogochicaguense (@litwicki) January 11, 2020The Chicago Transit Authority reported several delays and reroutes of bus services as well as branches of the Blue, Red, Yellow and Green lines on Saturday morning, citing debris on the tracks.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPAs the storm pulls away into Sunday, winds are expected to lessen, and waters are likely to recede.In addition to the winds, periods of heavy rain spread across Illinois Friday night and Saturday. Cities such as Carbondale, Effingham and Cami all reported more than 3.5 inches of rain by midday on Saturday.Locations away from the lake saw accumulating ice and snow, including Rockford, Illinois which reported two periods of steady freezing drizzle during the storm.The Department of Streets and Sanitation said they had over 200 snow vehicles out to respond to the winter weather reported across Chicago.Other than a brief period of snow possible Sunday night, dry weather is expected for Chicagoland through early in the week for those cleaning up after the storm.Flooding was also reported around lower Michigan on Saturday along the Interstate 94 corridor, including around Kalamazoo.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Iraq's prime minister told the US to start making plans to withdraw its troops from the country Posted: 10 Jan 2020 06:10 AM PST  Iraq's prime minister told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the US should send delegates to Iraq to "prepare a mechanism" for a US troop withdrawal.
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| Japan Orders Deployment of Navy Destroyer to Middle East Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:22 AM PST |
| The 7 Coolest Automotive Technologies Unveiled at CES Posted: 10 Jan 2020 09:01 AM PST |
| Sean Hannity issues phone number threat to Republicans Posted: 11 Jan 2020 08:52 AM PST  Fox News host Sean Hannity on Friday threatened to give out phone numbers as he warned Republican senators against allowing witnesses to be called during President Trump's Senate impeachment trial.
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