| Mayor in Mexico tied to a truck and dragged through streets for ‘failing to fulfill campaign promises’ Posted: 09 Oct 2019 08:28 AM PDT  Angry farmers in Mexico abducted the mayor of their village and dragged him through the streets after claiming he went back on key campaign promises.Police intervened to free Jorge Luis Escandón Hernández, who suffered no major injuries after the ordeal.
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| The Latest: Egypt condemns Turkey operation in north Syria Posted: 09 Oct 2019 09:29 AM PDT  Egypt has condemned Turkey's military operation into northern Syria, calling it an "aggression" against Syria's sovereignty. The statement says Turkey's attack is a "blatant aggression" against Syria's sovereignty. A Syrian war monitor and a Kurdish activist collective say Turkish bombardment of northern Syria has killed at least one member of the Kurdish-led force.
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| A secret Russian assassination squad has proven 'they can get to anyone' in Europe but there's just one problem — they're really sloppy about it Posted: 09 Oct 2019 07:13 AM PDT  Everything you need to know about "Unit 29155".
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| A family found more than half a million dollars in cocaine on the beach during their vacation Posted: 08 Oct 2019 07:55 PM PDT  A man and his family discovered 20 bricks of cocaine while on vacation in South Carolina, estimated to be worth $600,000.
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| Florida man accused of giving beer to an alligator Posted: 08 Oct 2019 05:06 PM PDT  Timothy Kepke and Noah Osborne were arrested Oct. 3. Each was charged with unlawfully taking an alligator, a felony.
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| EU ready to make "major concession" on Brexit deal - The Times newspaper Posted: 09 Oct 2019 01:18 AM PDT ![EU ready to make "major concession" on Brexit deal - The Times newspaper]( "EU ready to make \"major concession\" on Brexit deal - The Times newspaper") The European Union is ready to make a "major concession" on a Brexit deal by offering a mechanism for the Northern Irish assembly to leave a new so-called backstop after a number of years, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday. Talks with the EU to reach an agreement on Britain's departure have hit an impasse over the backstop, an insurance policy to prevent the return to a hard border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland if a future trade deal falls short of keeping the border open. Johnson says he wants to remove what he calls the "undemocratic backstop" and has proposed replacing it by suggesting that Northern Ireland stay under EU regulations, customs checks should be made away from the border, and that Northern Ireland's assembly, Stormont, would have the right to vote on the arrangements.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Dodge Charger Widebody Posted: 09 Oct 2019 08:12 AM PDT |
| China destroys dozens of Uighur cemeteries in drive to 'eradicate' cultural history of Muslims Posted: 09 Oct 2019 08:02 AM PDT  Even in death there is no respite for the Uighurs, one of the world's most persecuted minorities, according to a new investigation that has revealed China is destroying burial grounds where generations of families have been interred. Over the past two years, tombs have been smashed and human bones scattered in dozens of desecrated cemeteries in China's northwest region, research by Agence France Presse and satellite imagery analysts Earthrise Alliance has revealed. While the official explanation for the policy is urban development or the "standardisation" of old graves, overseas Uighurs say the destruction is part of the state's concerted effort to eradicate their ethnic identity and control every aspect of their lives. "This is all part of China's campaign to effectively eradicate any evidence of who we are, to effectively make us like the Han Chinese," said Salih Hudayar, who said the graveyard where his great-grandparents were buried was demolished. "That's why they're destroying all of these historical sites, these cemeteries, to disconnect us from our history, from our fathers and our ancestors," he said. Satellite images received on September 30, 2019 from CNES 2019, distributed by Airbus DS and produced by Earthrise shows a picture from April 24, 2018 (top) showing the Sulanim cemetery (C) in Hotan, Xinjiang province and the same view on August 6, 2019 (bottom) Credit: AFP An estimated one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been rounded up into re-education camps in Xinjiang in the name of combatting religious extremism and separatism. Former detainees interviewed by The Telegraph have recounted horrific torture, being forced to memorise Chinese Communist Party propaganda, and to renounce Islam. Those who are free are intimidated by suffocating surveillance and restrictions, including bans on beards and veils. A further Telegraph investigation in Kashgar, Xinjiang, in June found evidence of widespread intimidation of the local population, whether inside mosques or in family homes, including reports that officials were offering "gifts" of pork, a forbidden food for Muslims. A picture from August 29, 2017 (top) showing a cemetery (C) and the same view on July 5, 2019 with no sign of the facility in Xayar, Xinjiang province Credit: AFP Beijing has long sought to control the resource-rich region of Xinjiang, where decades of government-encouraged migration of the Han – China's ethnic majority – have fuelled resentment among Uighurs. Last year, Uighur exile groups reported that the Chinese authorities were setting up "burial management centres" in a bid to exert control over the most private aspects of their lives. The latest investigation claims that the destruction of existing graveyards has been carried out with little respect for the dead – with AFP journalists discovering human bones discarded at three site and other sites where tombs were reduced to mounds of bricks. Satellite imagery analysed by AFP and Earthrise Alliance, shows that the Chinese government has, since 2014, exhumed and flattened at least 45 Uighur cemeteries - including 30 in the past two years. The Xinjiang government did not respond to a request for comment. This photo taken on September 13, 2019 shows the works of a park in a place where before there was a Uighur cemetery in Kuche in the region of Xinjiang. Credit: AFP The destruction is "not just about religious persecution," said Nurgul Sawut, who has five generations of family buried in Yengisar, southwestern Xinjiang. "It is much deeper than that," said Ms Sawut, who now lives in Australia and last visited Xinjiang in 2016 to attend her father's funeral. "If you destroy that cemetery ... you're uprooting whoever's on that land, whoever's connected to that land," she explained. China has dismissed the escalating global criticism of its treatment of Uighurs, denying there are any human rights issues in the region. This week, the United States said it would curb visas for officials over the alleged abuses and blacklisted 28 Chinese facial recognition and artificial intelligence technology firms that it accuses of being implicated in the repression of the Muslim minority. "This kind of behavior seriously violates the basic norms of international relations, interferes in China's internal affairs, and harms China's interests," said Geng Shuang, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman. "The Chinese side strongly deplores and opposes it."
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| Francis Currey, one of the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipients, dies at 94 Posted: 08 Oct 2019 10:09 PM PDT ![Francis Currey, one of the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipients, dies at 94]( "Francis Currey, one of the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipients, dies at 94") Francis Currey, one of three living World War II Medal of Honor recipients, died on Tuesday, NEWS10 reports. He was 94.Currey, from Selkirk, New York, joined the U.S. Army at 17, and was a technical sergeant. He was in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, and because he wasn't given proper winter gear, was suffering from frostbite. On Dec. 21, 1944, German tanks approached Currey and his company while they were guarding a bridge crossing. A rifleman, Currey exposed himself to enemy fire as he shot and killed several Germans. During the intense fighting, he also used anti-tank grenades and a bazooka against the Germans, and was able to rescue five Americans who were taking fire inside a building.Currey received the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and Medal of Honor, the highest decoration of valor. In 1998, his likeness was used to create the Medal of Honor G.I. Joe.
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| Trump shifts tone on Turkey in effort to halt Syria invasion Posted: 08 Oct 2019 04:06 PM PDT  In a span of 24 hours, President Donald Trump moved from threatening to obliterate Turkey's economy if it invades Syria to inviting its president to visit the White House. Trump tweeted that while U.S. forces "may be" leaving Syria, the U.S. has not abandoned the Kurds, who stand to be destroyed if Turkey follows through with its planned invasion.
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| During the Vietnam War, Commandos Sunk a U.S. Aircraft Carrier Posted: 09 Oct 2019 12:05 AM PDT  It was a huge blow.
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| Zimbabwe quadruples electricity price as crisis deepens Posted: 09 Oct 2019 08:51 AM PDT  Zimbabwe on Wednesday quadrupled electricity tariffs amid crippling power shortages which have plunged parts of the country into darkness for up to 18 hours as the economy lurches deeper into crisis. Zimbabwe's economy is caught in a major downturn with shortages of fuel, medicine, and currency as well as hyperinflation which has seen many families living on a single meal a day. Citing "the depreciation of the local currency," the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) said the price of electricity would jump to around 162 Zimbabwe cents (11 US cents) per kilowatt hour up from 38 Zimbabwe cents.
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| Youngest person dies from mysterious vaping disease Posted: 09 Oct 2019 12:34 AM PDT  A 17-year-old Bronx boy whose death was disclosed by New York state officials Tuesday is the first teenager in the United States to die of a vaping-related respiratory illness, according to federal and state data.The teenager died Friday after being hospitalised twice in September with a vaping-related illness, becoming the state's first fatality from the mysterious lung disease, according to state health officials.
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| Pastor: I hope Supreme Court agrees LGBTQ people should be free from job discrimination Posted: 07 Oct 2019 12:11 PM PDT  When we talk about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all, there should be no ambiguity in what the word "all" means.
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| Chevy Colorado Will Look a Little Cooler for 2021 Posted: 08 Oct 2019 03:45 PM PDT  All Colorados get different badging and a tweaked front end, and the ZR2 and Z71 off-road models benefit from a new color.
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| US meth lab strikes in Afghanistan killed at least 30 civilians says UN Posted: 09 Oct 2019 02:36 AM PDT  An American blitz on dozens of Taliban drug factories in Western Afghanistan killed at least 30 civilians and may have left dozens more dead, a United Nations report has found. United States aircraft struck more than 60 methamphetamine labs earlier this year during a one-day onslaught to deny Taliban insurgents income from the lucrative drug trade. The raids killed at least 30 civilians according to a UN investigation and may have killed a further 30. The UN also said the raids broke international law because drugs workers are not considered a legitimate military target. American forces in Afghanistan immediately disputed the reports findings, saying they disagreed with the UN's methods, analysis and "narrow definition" of legitimate targets. A spokesman said the labs had been under lengthy surveillance before they were struck and "extraordinary measures" had been taken to avoid killing civilians. Col Sonny Leggett said he was "deeply concerned" by the UN's methods and findings. Taliban insurgents have long been accused of obtaining huge sums from the country's extensive opium trade, as militants tax production and levy protection money. Methamphetamine production has recently been added to the country's drugs business, with UN officials earlier this year warning seizures were growing exponentially. The May 5 raids in Farah and Nimroz province were carried out after "comprehensive intelligence confirmed that all personnel inside of the laboratories were Taliban combatants", the US told investigators. Investigators verified 30 civilians killed and nine injured, including 14 children, but said they were investigating "reliable and credible information" another 30 civilians were also killed, the UN said. The UN in its report contended the drug facilities were owned and operated by criminal groups, so "did not meet the definition of legitimate military objectives under international law." The factories and workers inside "may not be lawfully made the target of attack based on their possible economic or financial contribution to the war effort of a party to a conflict," it concluded. The US, however, insisted the labs were run and owned by the Taliban, who used revenue to "fund ongoing indiscriminate violence against innocent Afghans".
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| Alaska Supreme Court to hear youths' climate change lawsuit Posted: 09 Oct 2019 06:58 AM PDT  The Alaska Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit that claims state policy on fossil fuels is harming the constitutional right of young Alaskans to a safe climate. Sixteen Alaska youths in 2017 sued the state, claiming that human-caused greenhouse gas emission leading to climate change is creating long-term, dangerous health effects. The lawsuit takes aim at a state statute that says it's the policy of Alaska to promote fossil fuels, said Andrew Welle of Oregon-based Our Children's Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting natural systems for present and future generations.
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| Russia's Missiles Can't Take the Heat (Seriously) Posted: 08 Oct 2019 09:05 PM PDT  They don't work like they're supposed to in the scorching Middle East.
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| The meeting that will decide Trump's fate Posted: 09 Oct 2019 02:55 AM PDT ![The meeting that will decide Trump's fate]( "The meeting that will decide Trump's fate") The fate of President Trump will be decided at a meeting just after he is impeached by the House of Representatives and just before the Senate trial gets underway.That's when 53 Republican senators will gather to discuss how they will vote. The decision won't made by individual lawmakers consulting their consciences on the floor of the Senate but in conversation and most likely bitter, acrimonious debate behind closed doors. These leading members of the Republican Party will be deciding not only whether they will vote to remove a president from office for the first time in American history, but also whether they will vote to do so to the president who stands at the head of their own party. That would be a truly momentous deed in the life of the country.Until now, the possibility of this happening has appeared utterly fanciful. Some members of the Democratic Party's "resistance" to Trump and a handful of center-right Never Trump writers have demanded impeachment from the very start of the administration. But most politicos and pundits have been dubious. As soon as Trump clinched the Republican nomination in the spring of 2016, the party began falling into line behind him. When he shocked nearly everyone by defeating Hillary Clinton, that was the end to any organized opposition. There have been stray critics here and there, but no sign of collective defiance. In that context, the idea that 20 or more Republican senators would vote to eject the Republican president from office has seemed unimaginable.It may still be. But something has changed. On top of the ever-present, barely concealed disgust for the president that many senators carry around with them nearly every day has been added the appalling spectacle of the commander in chief leaning on the president of Ukraine to produce dirt on his domestic political rival like a two-bit mob boss from Coney Island. That many of those senators treated stories of similarly treasonous behavior as farfetched when they were documented in the Mueller report only made it worse -- as has the fact that Trump seems to be so proud of his actions that he's subsequently repeated them, live on camera, with China, explicitly asking its dictatorial government to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden as well.Many Republican office holders, at least outside of the House, are repulsed. And they're not the only ones. Over the past two weeks, polls have shown a rapid and dramatic swing in favor of impeachment and even conviction and removal from office. As one would predict, support is highest among Democrats, though independents have also warmed to the idea. Republicans remain opposed, but there has been movement there as well. It might not yet be likely, but it no longer seems ridiculous to imagine support for Trump crumbling in the Senate.Just in the past couple of days, the president has made his situation even more precarious by announcing a badly planned and executed withdrawal of American troops from parts of Syria where they have been protecting the Kurds, working to ensure the defeat of remaining ISIS fighters, and checking Iranian influence in the region. Several senators, including some Trump loyalists, were livid, denouncing the move as a betrayal of our allies and a victory for Iran and Russia. Now, instead of merely worrying that Trump is shredding basic norms of democratic governance, they also need to contemplate the possibility of him seriously harming the country geopolitically.Assuming impeachment goes forward in the House -- and given the White House's latest petulant expression of defiance, it's hard to imagine it stalling out -- there will be a vote at which nearly every Democrat and maybe a handful of Republicans will opt to send the matter on to the Senate. That's when a meeting of GOP senators will be organized and convened in a discreet location.There are 53 Republicans in the Senate. If every Democrat and two independents in the chamber vote to convict and remove Trump from office (a total of 47), achieving that goal (with a two-thirds supermajority vote of 67) will require 20 of those Republicans to turn on the president. (Joe Manchin [D-W.V.] and maybe one or two other conservative Democrats might plausibly vote to acquit Trump, requiring even more than 20 Republicans to join the vote in favor of conviction and removal.) At the meeting, senators will discuss the good of the country, but they will almost certainly be even more preoccupied with the good of the party (which some will say amounts to the same thing).Removing the president would obviously infuriate Trump's most passionate supporters. The best way for the party to insulate itself electorally from that fury would be for those senators facing re-election in 2020 -- there are 23 of them -- to be let off the hook and encouraged to vote for acquittal if that's what will help them win their states.That will leave 30 senators whose seats are safe until 2022 or 2024. If the party decides to turn on the president, 20 or so out of those 30 will be the ones to enact it. The bulk of the meeting will involve those 30 people hashing out what they will do, and precisely who will do it. The meeting won't come to an end until a resolution has been reached about whether or not to dump Trump and bet that President Mike Pence (perhaps with running mate Nikki Haley by his side) will have a greater chance than Trump of defeating Biden or Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in November 2020. The hope will be that by 2022 and beyond, all will be forgotten and forgiven by the Republican base.When voting begins at the conclusion of the Senate trial, the outcome will already be known to the Republicans in the room. Either no Republicans will turn on Trump -- or a fatal number will. There will be no surprises, no wasted votes for conviction and removal, no senators taking a noble stand uncertain of the final tally. (The only one who might possibly vote to convict and remove knowing its futility is Sen. Mitt Romney, a morally scrupulous Mormon who is very popular in his home state of Utah -- and isn't up for re-election until 2024.)We can't yet know the outcome of such a meeting. But we can know that there will be such a meeting. And that Trump's fate will hang in the balance.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.
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| Taiwan expels Chinese tourist for damaging 'Lennon Wall' Posted: 08 Oct 2019 08:01 PM PDT  Taiwan has expelled a Chinese tourist for damaging a "Lennon Wall" that was put up in support of Hong Kong's democracy movement, a move likely to irk Beijing. Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have put up Lennon Walls, covered with colourful sticky notes, posters and slogans, across the city, and they have been set up in Taiwan too -- mostly at university campuses. There has been widespread support in Taiwan for the unprecedented protests that have shaken semi-autonomous Hong Kong for four months, but Beijing supporters have targeted rallies and installations backing the movement.
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| Israel unveils the remains of 5,000-year-old city Posted: 08 Oct 2019 01:25 PM PDT  Israeli archaeologists on Sunday unveiled the remains of a 5,000-year-old city they said was one of the biggest from its era in the region, including fortifications, a ritual temple and a cemetery.
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| We worked for the UAW. Amid corruption allegations, the union needs a fresh start. Posted: 09 Oct 2019 04:00 AM PDT  With nearly 50,000 UAW members out on the GM picket lines, this may not seem a good time to speak up. But this is the moment UAW can start over.
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| Nobel prize winner laments lack of money for young physicists Posted: 09 Oct 2019 06:53 AM PDT  Swiss scientist Michel Mayor, who shared the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics, said on Wednesday he was concerned about how hard is it for young physicists to make a living from their science work. "For young people doing science it is always a problem to find a permanent position, and some of them are extremely good," Mayor said in an interview with Reuters Television at an event near Madrid. While there is financial support for some top researchers, such as himself, many young scientists do not have enough resources to develop their own careers, he said.
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| View 2020 BMW M8 Gran Coupe Photos Posted: 08 Oct 2019 04:01 PM PDT |
| The Latest: PG&E says massive power outage is 'last resort' Posted: 08 Oct 2019 07:58 PM PDT  Pacific Gas & Electric is defending its decision to shut off power to potentially millions of Californians to prevent deadly wildfires. PG&E wildfire safety expert Sumeet Singh says Tuesday night that the company's decision to cut electricity to customers in 34 Northern and Central California counties is "a last resort" in the face of an unprecedented and sweeping wildfire risk from hot, dry weather and gusty winds. Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier said residents should be outraged by the largest preventive outage in state history.
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| The Russian Navy is Building New (Heavily Armed) Nuclear-Powered Submarines Posted: 08 Oct 2019 01:10 PM PDT  How should NATO respond? Would the same old Cold War tactics work?
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| Elizabeth Warren Dismisses Biden Corruption Allegations: ‘What Happened In Ukraine Is About Donald Trump’ Posted: 09 Oct 2019 06:48 AM PDT  Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) has brushed off allegations that fellow democratic presidential primary candidate Joe Biden leveraged his power as vice president to further his son's business interests in Ukraine.When pressed about the allegations in a Friday interview, Warren told the Wall Street Journal, "I know that everyone wants to try to drag in other people. But what happened with Ukraine is about Donald Trump."Joe Biden's son Hunter sat on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings from 2014 to early 2019. Burisma was the subject of an ongoing corruption investigation by then Ukrainian prosecutor general Victor Shokin.However, Shokin himself was also accused of corruption. In 2016, Joe Biden, then vice president, pressured Ukraine to fire Shokin at the behest of U.S. and European Union officials. President Trump and his private lawyer Rudy Giuliani have alleged a conflict of interest regarding Joe and Hunter Biden.Joe Biden has aggressively denied any wrongdoing when questioned about his and his son's actions in Ukraine on the campaign trail.Warren, while refusing to attack Biden, has made promises to root out corruption in Washington a centerpiece of her campaign.Trump, meanwhile, became the subject of an impeachment inquiry by House Democrats after it emerged that he urged the current Ukrainian President to investigate the Bidens' alleged corruption. Democrats have alleged Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine to pressure the country to conduct an investigation that would damage his political rival.Warren had called to begin impeachment proceedings on President Trump in April of this year, even before Trump pushed Ukraine to look into the Bidens.
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| Russia warns against actions that 'inhibit peace process' in Syria Posted: 08 Oct 2019 10:30 AM PDT  Russia's security council said on Tuesday it was important to avoid hindering the peace process in Syria, following discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The influential council discussed the creation of a constitutional committee in the country and "remarked that at this stage everyone should avoid any actions that can inhibit the peace process in Syria," he said. Peskov said earlier Tuesday that Russia "is following very closely how the situation is developing" and was not informed about the withdrawal of the United States from the region -- something that has sparked fears of a Turkish attack on Kurdish forces.
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| The Rich Really Do Pay Lower Taxes than You Posted: 08 Oct 2019 12:24 PM PDT  Almost a decade ago, Warren Buffett made a claim that would become famous. He said that he paid a lower tax rate than his secretary, thanks to the many loopholes and deductions that benefit the wealthy.His claim sparked a debate about the fairness of the tax system. In the end, the expert consensus was that, whatever Buffett's specific situation, most wealthy Americans did not actually pay a lower tax rate than the middle class. "Is it the norm?" fact-checking outfit PolitiFact asked. "No."Time for an update: It's the norm now.For the first time on record, the 400 wealthiest Americans last year paid a lower total tax rate -- spanning federal, state and local taxes -- than any other income group, according to newly released data.The overall tax rate on the richest 400 households last year was only 23%, meaning that their combined tax payments equaled less than one quarter of their total income. That was down from 70% in 1950 and 47% in 1980.For middle-class and poor families, the picture is different. Federal income taxes have also declined modestly, but these families haven't benefited much, if at all, from the decline in the corporate tax or estate tax. And they now pay more in payroll taxes (which finance Medicare and Social Security) than in the past. Overall, their taxes have remained fairly flat.The combined result is that over the last 75 years the U.S. tax system has become radically less progressive.The data here come from the most important book on government policy that I've read in a long time -- called "The Triumph of Injustice," to be released next week. The authors are Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, both professors at the University of California, Berkeley, who have done pathbreaking work on taxes. Saez has won the award that goes to the top academic economist under age 40, and Zucman was recently profiled on the cover of BusinessWeek magazine as "the wealth detective."They have constructed a historical database that shows how much households at different points along the income spectrum have paid in taxes going back to 1913, when the federal income tax began. The story they tell is maddening -- and yet ultimately energizing."Many people have the view that nothing can be done," Zucman told me. "Our case is, 'No, that's wrong. Look at history.' " As they write in the book: "Societies can choose whatever level of tax progressivity they want." When the United States has raised tax rates on the wealthy and made rigorous efforts to collect taxes, it has succeeded in doing so. And it can succeed again.Saez and Zucman portray the history of U.S. taxes as a struggle between people who want to tax the rich and those who want to protect the fortunes of the rich. The story starts in the 17th century, when northern colonies created more progressive tax systems than Europe had. Massachusetts even enacted a wealth tax, which covered land, ships, jewelry livestock and more.The southern colonies, by contrast, were hostile to taxation. Southern plantation owners worried that taxes could undermine slavery, as historian Robin Einhorn has explained, and made sure to keep tax rates low and tax collection ineffective. (The hostility to taxes ultimately hampered the Confederacy's ability to raise money and fight the Civil War.)By the middle of the 20th century, the high-tax advocates had prevailed. The United States had arguably the world's most progressive tax code, with a top income-tax rate of 91% and a corporate tax rate above 50%.But the second half of the 20th century was mostly a victory for the low-tax side. Companies found ways to take more deductions and dodge taxes. Politicians cut every tax that fell mostly on the wealthy: high-end income taxes, investment taxes, the estate tax and the corporate tax. The justification for doing so was usually that the economy as a whole would benefit.The justification turned out to be wrong. The U.S. economy has not fared better when tax rates are lower. Lower taxes on the wealthy instead end up benefiting the wealthy, not society as a whole. The great decline in high-end taxation has happened over the same period that economic growth has been disappointing and middle-class income growth even worse.That's the maddening part of the story. The energizing part are the solutions that Saez and Zucman propose. They call for a set of policies that would raise the overall tax rate on the wealthiest Americans to about 60% (still not as high as in 1950). Doing so would bring in about $750 billion a year, or 4% of GDP, enough to pay for universal pre-K, an infrastructure program, medical research, clean energy and more. Those are the kinds of policies that really do lift economic growth.One crucial part of the agenda is a minimum global corporate tax of at least 25%. A company would have to pay the tax on its U.S. operations even if it set up headquarters in Ireland or Bermuda. Saez and Zucman also favor a wealth tax; Elizabeth Warren's version is based on their work. And they call for the creation of a Public Protection Bureau, to help the IRS crack down on tax dodging.I already know what the critics will say about these arguments -- that the rich will always figure out a way to avoid taxes. That's simply not the case. True, they will always be able to avoid some taxes. But history shows that serious attempts to collect more taxes usually succeed.Ask yourself this: If efforts to tax the superrich were really doomed to fail, why would so many of the superrich be fighting so hard to defeat those efforts?This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| In-N-Out owner explains why fast-food chain prints Bible verses on food packaging Posted: 08 Oct 2019 07:16 AM PDT  Lynsi Snyder, the owner of fast food chain In-N-Out, explained in an interview why it prints Bible verses on its cups and French fry containers.
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| Police bust multi-billion pound drug smuggling gang after 50 tonnes of product are brought into the UK Posted: 08 Oct 2019 11:37 AM PDT  Britain's biggest ever drug smuggling gang has been smashed after billions of pounds worth of narcotics was brought into the UK, the National Crime Agency believes. Officers arrested 13 men aged between 24 and 59 on Tuesday across the country in dawn raids. The NCA seized 351 kilos of cocaine, 92 kilos of heroin, 250 kilos of cannabis and 1,850 kilos of hemp/hashish, with a total street value of more than £38 million, in three consignments in September 2018. Investigators believe more than 50 tonnes of drugs worth billions of pounds were imported from the Netherlands, between February 2017 and October 2018, hidden in lorries carrying vegetables and juice. Jayne Lloyd, NCA Regional Head of Investigations, said: "We suspect these men were involved in an industrial-scale operation - the biggest ever uncovered in the UK - bringing in tonnes of deadly drugs that were distributed to crime groups throughout the country. "By working closely with partners here and overseas, in particular the Dutch National Police, we believe we have dismantled a well-established drug supply route." The gang are believed to have imported billions of pounds worth of drugs Credit: AFP The arrests were made in London, Manchester, Stockport, St Helens, Warrington, Bolton, Dewsbury, and Leeds. Four men and two women from the Netherlands, who were arrested in April this year as part of the same investigation, are awaiting extradition to the UK. "We have got the top people in the group," said Ms Lloyd. "We believe it's probably the biggest conspiracy that's been seen in the UK." Investigators believe the arrests have disrupted the flow of drugs into the UK to be sold on by "county lines" gangs, who often use children as dealers. "Taking out this suspected organised crime group... will make, hopefully, a huge impact in relation to protecting the public and the economy," said Ms Lloyd. "You can see from where they've been arrested that the potential was that significant amounts of drugs coming into the UK would go to various areas in the UK. "We would be looking at vulnerable individuals who would then supply the commodity on behalf of other organised crime groups." The investigation is linked to an earlier NCA operation where 13 people were jailed after the seizure of more than 100kg of heroin in 2015.
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| Elon Musk paid convicted fraudster to spread false paedophile claims about British cave rescue hero, court documents allege Posted: 08 Oct 2019 09:33 AM PDT  Elon Musk paid a convicted fraudster to smear a British diving hero who he baselessly called a paedophile, according to court documents.The billionaire technology entrepreneur allegedly orchestrated a "malicious, false, and anonymous leak campaign" in a bid to trash the reputation of Vernon Unsworth, who helped to rescue a schoolboy football team trapped in a cave in Thailand last year.
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| Ethiopia says Egypt trying to maintain "colonial era" grip over Nile Posted: 08 Oct 2019 07:43 AM PDT ![Ethiopia says Egypt trying to maintain "colonial era" grip over Nile]( "Ethiopia says Egypt trying to maintain \"colonial era\" grip over Nile") Ethiopia has accused Egypt of trying to maintain its grip over the waters of the Nile with a proposal it says would imperil a giant hydropower dam under construction on Ethiopia's Blue Nile, in a growing diplomatic spat. The comments highlight the difficulties finding a compromise between the two countries over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
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| 12 Power Strips and Surge Protectors to Keep You Organized and Powered Up Posted: 08 Oct 2019 10:37 AM PDT |
| More dead wild elephants found at Thai waterfall; toll at 11 Posted: 08 Oct 2019 02:30 AM PDT  Wildlife officials in Thailand said Tuesday they have discovered the carcasses of five more wild elephants downstream from a waterfall where the bodies of six other elephants were found last weekend. The carcasses were discovered by a drone being used to investigate how the first six elephants plunged to their deaths at the Haew Narok — Ravine of Hell — waterfall in Khao Yai National Park in northeastern Thailand, said Sompote Maneerat, spokesman for the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
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| Trump reportedly told GOP allies that he's worried an impeachment will ruin his résumé Posted: 07 Oct 2019 11:00 AM PDT  President Trump reportedly told his close allies and confidants that he's worried about how an impeachment will look on his résumé.
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| Syria Wanted a Nuclear Bomb, but in 2007 Israel's Air Force Destroyed Their Reactor Posted: 08 Oct 2019 12:50 AM PDT  And this is the story of how they did it.
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| US restricts visas for Chinese officials over internment of Muslim minorities Posted: 08 Oct 2019 03:36 PM PDT  * More than 1 million Uighurs and other minorities detained * Move is seen as victory for Pompeo and Pence over MnuchinParamilitary policemen stand in formation as they take part in an anti-terrorism oath-taking rally, in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, in 2017. Photograph: China Stringer Network/ReutersThe US has imposed visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist party officials accused of being involved in the mass internment of more than a million Uighurs and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang province.The restrictions, announced by the state department on Tuesday, come a day after the US commerce department imposed export restrictions on US companies preventing them from selling their products – particularly face recognition and other surveillance technology – to 28 Chinese entities, including the Public Security Bureau and firms involved in surveillance in Xinjiang."China has forcibly detained over one million Muslims in a brutal, systematic campaign to erase religion and culture in Xinjiang. China must end its draconian surveillance and repression, release all those arbitrarily detained, and cease its coercion of Chinese Muslims abroad, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said in a statement.The US punitive measures mark the first time China has been held to account internationally for its programme of mass incarceration and persecution of religious minorities.The sanctions prompted a furious response from Beijing's embassy in Washington, which said that the US was using "the excuse of human rights" to interfere in the China's internal affairs.In a string of tweets the embassy said the move "seriously violates the basic norms governing international relations, interferes in China's internal affairs and undermines China's interests".The embassy said: "The counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures in Xinjiang are aimed to eradicate the breeding soil of extremism and terrorism. They are in line with Chinese laws and international practices, and are supported by all 25 million people of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang."Inside the administration, the sanctions mark a victory for Pompeo, Vice-President Mike Pence, the administration's ambassador at large for international religious freedom, Sam Brownback, and the new deputy national security adviser, Matthew Pottinger, over the treasury secretary, Stephen Mnuchin.Mnuchin reportedly argued against sanctions that would further derail difficult trade talks. News of the sanctions drove stock prices lower on the assumption that it would make a trade deal less likely.Donald Trump himself has sought to avoid direct criticism of the Chinese government for its treatment of the country's Muslims, as well as its attempts to crush pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, so as to avoid a breakdown in his personal relations with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.At a meeting on religious freedom last month at the start of the UN general assembly, scheduled at the same time as a global climate action summit, Trump gave the keynote speech but did not mention China or the events in Xinjiang, leaving it to Pence, Pompeo and Brownback.The fact that these long-planned measures have been taken may reflect Trump's awareness of his reliance on the religious wing of the Republican party for his re-election bid next year.The state department announcement did not name the Chinese officials that had been targeted, but officials had previously pointed to the Xinjiang party secretary, Chen Quanguo, a member of the politburo.
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| No, Betsy DeVos is not going to jail Posted: 08 Oct 2019 09:28 PM PDT  A judge said to Betsy DeVos' department: "I am not sending anyone to jail yet, but it's good to know that I have that ability." The internet exploded.
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| China warns Apple against 'reckless' support of HK protesters Posted: 08 Oct 2019 09:01 PM PDT  China's state media accused Apple Wednesday of supporting pro-democracy protesters, warning the US tech giant would suffer consequences for its "unwise and reckless" decision, in an echo of campaigns against other Western firms. An opinion piece in the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, highlighted a transport app available on Apple's store that it alleged helped protesters identify police in Hong Kong. "Apple's approval for the app obviously helps rioters," the article said.
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| What Tariffs? American-Made Whiskeys for Single Malt Scotch Fans Posted: 09 Oct 2019 02:05 AM PDT ![What Tariffs? American-Made Whiskeys for Single Malt Scotch Fans]( "What Tariffs? American-Made Whiskeys for Single Malt Scotch Fans") (Bloomberg) -- On Oct. 3 the U.S. announced it will impose tariffs on European Union goods, including hefty 25% duties on single malt Irish and Scotch whiskies. Although blended varieties from both countries, such as segment leader Jameson, will remain unscathed, fans of single malt Scotch—meaning whisky made at a single distillery in Scotland—can expect to see substantial price hikes passed along.The lengthy list of targeted products also includes Parmesan, pecorino, and Swiss cheeses, among many others; wines from certain EU countries produced with less than 14% alcohol by volume, such as Sancerre or Muscadet; liqueurs and cordials from Germany, Italy, Spain, or Britain, such as Aperol, Campari, or amaretto; and olives from a wide range of countries, including France's Picholine and Spain's Castelvetrano varieties.While blended Scotch outsells single malts in the U.S. by a wide margin, prestigious single malts sell for higher prices: In 2018 single malt exports to the U.S. accounted for 33% of sales by value, representing $463 million, according to the Scotch Whisky Association, a trade group representing Scotland's whisky distilleries. "The tariff will undoubtedly damage the Scotch Whisky sector," Karen Betts, chief executive officer of the SWA, said in a statement on the group's website. "The U.S. is our largest and most valuable single market, and over £1 billion [$1.2 billion] of Scotch Whisky was exported there last year."How might this play out on the shelf? Consider, for example, Glenfiddich 12-year-old, imported by Pernod Ricard SA, with a suggested retail price of $40. Assuming all costs are passed to the consumer, a 25% tariff would push that to $50—and some retailers might jack it up even higher if single malt Scotch is perceived as scarce. Many single malts, particularly older and rare bottlings, sell for much more than the manufacturer's suggested retail price.Luckily, plenty of American-made whiskeys can help scratch that itch for single malt Scotch.Single Malt CharacteristicsThe first thing is to look for a whiskey made primarily, if not exclusively, from malted barley (as opposed to corn, rye, or other grains) and aged in a cask that formerly held bourbon."Single malt whisky out of Scotland fundamentally is made out of barley, by law," says Matt Hofmann, co-founder and managing director of Westland Distillery, a Seattle-based single malt producer that takes some cues from Scottish whisky-making traditions. Barley yields a spirit that's "lighter and more delicate compared to bourbon," he says. "It's a little more refined."Next, the spirit should be distilled using a pot still, "so they retain some flavor," Hofmann says. And finally, the barrel: As Scottish distillers do, the whiskey should be aged in an ex-bourbon cask, not a new barrel, lending subtle vanilla tones from the wood and gentle tannins. (A fresh barrel would double down on both vanilla and puckery tannins.) "If you could try to sum up a general Scottish single malt, there's always a nice background of cereal note, then you've also got some caramel-vanilla notes that come from the use of old bourbon casks, and usually also some dried fruit," he says. In addition, a number of Scottish single malts also rely on ex-sherry casks, which add notes of darker dried fruit such as figs or dates. And of course, some producers smoke the barley over peat, which provides distinctive smoky tones.Is it possible to find a homegrown bottle that incorporates these characteristics? Absolutely—though Hofmann also counsels Scotch lovers to take this opportunity to try something new."If the tariff's got you down, there are whiskeys that will be a little bit more traditionally styled out of American single malt," he says. "But there are also a lot more innovative ones that will help you discover new things at the same time."Here are seven American-made whiskeys that should appeal to fans of single malt Scotch:American Single Malt Whiskey Buying GuideCedar Ridge Single Malt Whiskey (Iowa)Distilled near Cedar Rapids, it's reminiscent of a lightly peated Speysider and has a 100% malted barley mash bill. Aged five years, it's fragrant with apple blossom freshness and just a hint of vanilla, finishing with a wispy, smoky exhale. 40% ABV; $49Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey (Washington) Seattle's Copperworks Distilling turns out plenty of excellent whiskeys and gins, and maybe it's not a coincidence that the city shares a climate notably similar to that of Scotland. While the releases change year to year—incredibly detailed spec sheets are available for the current release (click on the "production specifications link") and all past releases—it's reliably made with 100% malted barley and tends to mix fruity and vanilla tones. Release 022 was aged for a minimum of 29 months in new American oak. 53% ABV; $60Hillrock Single Malt Whiskey (New York)This field-to-flask distillery in the Hudson Valley was pioneered by late whiskey maker Dave Pickerell. Using grain grown on the Hillrock Estate, the 100% malted barley whiskey is bold and flavorful, smoked on-site over Scottish peat for deep campfire, toffee, and smoky, leathery tones. It's aged for approximately six years. 43% ABV; $125 Low Gap 3-Year Blended Whiskey (California)While this Ukiah distiller in Mendocino County north of San Francisco is best known for its brandies, this mellow blend of malted corn and malted barley (here, "blended" refers to the grains; it's still a single distillery, single malt whiskey) is aged in pedigreed former Van Winkle barrels as well as new Missouri oak. It's richer and more butterscotch-y compared with traditional Scotch but retains hints of fresh apple, white flowers, and baking spice. 46% ABV; $75St. George Baller Single Malt Whiskey (California) Across the San Francisco Bay in Alameda, St. George also makes a more traditional single malt, and it's also very good. But the limited-edition Baller version, finished in barrels that previously held umeshu (Japanese plum wine), is so over-the-top delicious that we recommend you get both—if you can—and try them side by side. Master distiller Lance Winters describes Baller as "a California take on the Japanese spin on Scotch whisky." 47% ABV; $65Swift Single Malt Texas Whiskey (Texas)Made in Texas from 100% Scottish malted barley and finished in oloroso sherry barrels, this single malt offers plenty of orchard fruit and vanilla notes, plus a lightly charred fade. Swift also makes a version finished in ex-Sauternes barrels, which layers on mellow honeylike flavor. All the brand's whiskey is aged two to three years. 43% ABV; $50Westland Sherry Wood American Single Malt Whiskey (Washington) For those who love sherry-finished single malt Scotch, this is the next best thing. Made from 100% malted barley, specifically it's a "five-malt barley bill, which consists of Washington Select Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Extra Special Malt, Pale Chocolate Malt, and Brown Malt," says the distiller. It's then aged in ex-sherry casks for at least 36 months, imbuing tempting hints of dried apricot, custardy vanilla, and chamomile. Peated Scotch fans will also want to seek out Westland's annual Peat Week bottling. 46% ABV; $80To contact the author of this story: Kara Newman in at kara@karanewman.comTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Justin Ocean at jocean1@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 2-Ethiopian Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Dakar, no casualties Posted: 08 Oct 2019 10:37 AM PDT ![UPDATE 2-Ethiopian Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Dakar, no casualties]( "UPDATE 2-Ethiopian Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Dakar, no casualties") An Ethiopian Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing minutes after taking off in Senegal on Tuesday because an engine had caught fire, an airport spokesman said. None of the 90 passengers or crew were injured, spokesman Tidiane Tamba told Reuters. The airline confirmed on Twitter that its Boeing 767 aircraft had to land unexpectedly at Senegal's Blaise Diagne International Airport near the capital Dakar because of "a technical problem" without providing more detail on the cause.
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| Suit says feds using immigration marriage interviews as trap Posted: 08 Oct 2019 10:35 AM PDT  Alyse and Elmer Sanchez were thrilled when they survived their "green card" interview, a crucial step in obtaining lawful status in the United States. Moments later, Elmer was in shackles, detained pending deportation to his native Honduras, leaving her alone with their two little boys. "We feel it was a trap, a trick, to get us there," Alyse said.
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| Victor the eagle's bird's eye view of the Alps raises climate change awareness Posted: 09 Oct 2019 07:13 AM PDT  Victor, a nine-year old white-tailed eagle, set off this week on a mission to raise awareness of climate change in the Alps, which have already been hard hit by the rise in global temperatures. Equipped with a 360-degree camera mounted on his back, Victor soared above Mont Blanc and was set to take in five countries in five days, filming some of the world's most spectacular scenery. Victor is part of the Alpine Eagle Race project, which aims to raise awareness of melting glaciers and other effects of global warming through the combined eyes of the eagle, a photographer and a scientist.
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| This One Problem Makes Russia's Stealth Drone Not Very Stealthy Posted: 08 Oct 2019 02:00 PM PDT  It's engine is too big and oddly-shaped.
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