| 3 things to watch for in Friday's Trump impeachment hearing Posted: 14 Nov 2019 01:27 PM PST  Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, is the next witness in the House impeachment inquiry of President Trump.
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| Virginia police say wanted Marine deserter sought family Posted: 14 Nov 2019 05:13 AM PST  Police in Virginia say the Marine deserter wanted for questioning in a murder case was trying to reach out to a family member when he was spotted. Roanoke Police Chief Tim Jones told a news conference that it's believed Michael Alexander Brown was trying to contact his grandmother when a neighbor saw him early Thursday. The Roanoke Times reports the U.S. Marshals Service learned Sunday night that Brown might be driving a recreational vehicle near Clarendon County, South Carolina, about four hours southwest of Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina, where he had been stationed as a U.S. Marine until leaving his post last month.
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| Protesters blare Christine Blasey Ford testimony and dress up as handmaids outside Kavanaugh speech Posted: 14 Nov 2019 06:16 PM PST  The scene outside the venue where Brett Kavanaugh was scheduled to give the keynote speech included protesters chanting and dressed as handmaids.
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| From shattered glass and broken tents, Lebanese draw resolve Posted: 15 Nov 2019 01:48 AM PST  Lebanon's protesters wield the national flag to show unity. But the shattered remnants of failed attempts to intimidate them symbolize their resolve.
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| Ethics Probe into Rashida Tlaib Extended after Watchdog Finds Evidence of Misuse of Campaign Funds Posted: 15 Nov 2019 06:36 AM PST  The House Ethics Committee released texts and emails on Thursday that show Representative Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) repeatedly asking for campaign for funds to defray personal costs.The committee's announcement comes after the board of the Office of Congressional Ethics unanimously voted in August to refer Tlaib for a potential violation of federal law.Tlaib was paid over $45,000 by her campaign between May and December 2018. While FEC regulations permit a campaign to pay a candidate, it must be for "work performed up through the date of the general election." Checks, emails, and spreadsheets show that Tlaib was paid $17,500 after the November 6, 2018, election. A November 29 email from the campaign's treasurer to Tlaib says that checks are "for the time period through December 31, 2018."Tlaib and her staff refused to interview with the OCE over the payments. The board concludes by recommending that the Ethics Committee subpoena Tlaib to get to the bottom of the matter."Based on the foregoing information, the Board finds that there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Tlaib converted campaign funds from Rashida Tlaib for Congress to personal use or Rep. Tlaib's campaign committee expended funds that were not attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes," the board's recommendation concludes.Over the months of her campaign, Tlaib asked multiple times for campaign funds because she was "struggling financially" and "trying to get out of debt.""So I was thinking the campaign could loan me money, but Ryan said that the committee could actually pay me. I was thinking a one time payment of $5k," she emailed her campaign in April 2018."The Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics jointly decided on September 30, 2019, to extend the Committee's review of the matter in order to gather additional information necessary to complete its review," the Ethics Committee press release reads.Tlaib's lawyers wrote to the Ethics Committee in August arguing that the matter should be dismissed and that "the investigation was unprecedented.""In its findings OCE admits that the salary payments fell within the FEC limit, acknowledges that the timing of the final two payments did not in itself violate FEC rules, and disregards evidence of Representative Tlaib's good faith compliance," Tlaib's letter reads.
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| Vietnam jails music teacher for 'undermining' state Posted: 15 Nov 2019 05:11 AM PST  Vietnam sentenced a music teacher to 11 years in prison on Friday for Facebook posts that allegedly undermined the one-party state, which has been accused of tightening the noose on online dissent. Communist Vietnam has long jailed its critics but has come under fire recently for targeting users on Facebook, a popular forum for activists in the country where all independent media is banned. Nguyen Nang Tinh is the latest activist jailed for his Facebook comments, including posts about police brutality, land rights, and a Taiwanese steel firm that dumped toxic sludge into the ocean, killing masses of fish off the coast of Vietnam.
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| One of Jamal Khashoggi’s close friends said Twitter is the 'only free platform' for many Saudis, but it also may have led to Khashoggi’s brutal murder Posted: 15 Nov 2019 02:12 AM PST  Omar Abdulaziz, a Saudi activist and close friend of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, wrote in an op-ed that Twitter is "crucial" for Saudi freedom.
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| Macron’s Second Pick for Top EU Job Survives Parliament Grilling Posted: 14 Nov 2019 09:12 AM PST ![Macron's Second Pick for Top EU Job Survives Parliament Grilling]( "Macron's Second Pick for Top EU Job Survives Parliament Grilling") (Bloomberg) -- Emmanuel Macron's pick for the European Commission was approved by EU lawmakers, saving the French president from a potential embarrassment and bringing Ursula von der Leyen's team a step closer to taking the helm of the bloc's executive arm.After beating back repeated questions about potential conflicts of interest, Thierry Breton got the backing of the EU Parliament's three main political groups. He is now poised to become EU industry commissioner, a position from which he'll have oversight over defense, space and tech policies, as well as of the strengthening of the EU's single market -- a wide and powerful remit that includes some of the most important strategic areas for the next years.Over hours of hearings, a number of European lawmakers grilled Breton, the former chief executive officer of tech company Atos SE, questioning whether he would be able to maintain independence as the overseer of industries in which his former firm plays an important role."I know that some of you might think that because I worked for some of these companies, one day I might give them special treatment," Breton said in an opening statement. "All that will be guiding me is European interest."Breton was picked by Macron to replace Sylvie Goulard who was rejected by lawmakers last month in a bruising setback for the French president. In a declaration of his financial interests, Breton said he sold all of his Atos and Worldline SA shares, and has resigned from all mandates in companies and associations in order to prevent any potential conflict of interests.Technology ChiefLawmakers recognized the former CEO's expertise in the subject matter he would oversee. Before being chosen for the post, Breton led Atos for a decade and previously spent most of his career at computer and telecom companies Bull and France Telecom. He also served as finance minister in the French government from 2005 to 2007 under center-right President Jacques Chirac.While Romania's candidate also got the EU Parliament's backing, Hungary's nominee didn't convince the assembly and will have to answer further questions, in a small setback for incoming commission chief von der Leyen, whose entry into office has already been delayed from the scheduled Nov. 1 date after the three original commissioner nominees from France, Hungary and Romania were rejected.Composed of one representative from each EU member state, the commission is responsible for proposing legislation and enforcing common rules in a vast single market extending from the Arctic circle to the shores of the Middle East. The U.K., which is scheduled to leave the EU in January, refused to nominate a member, forcing the commission to start legal action.The EU Parliament is now scheduled to vote on the confirmation of the EU commission on Nov. 27. A positive outcome will likely allow von der Leyen to take office on Dec. 1, assuming a way is found to waive the U.K's obligation to have a commissioner.To contact the reporters on this story: Natalia Drozdiak in Brussels at ndrozdiak1@bloomberg.net;Viktoria Dendrinou in Brussels at vdendrinou@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Nikos Chrysoloras, Peter ChapmanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| American war veteran who spent several days in ICE detention receives $190k settlement Posted: 14 Nov 2019 07:36 AM PST  A US citizen and military veteran suffering from a mental health condition will reportedly receive $190,000 (£147,988) from a Michigan city after local officials transferred him to ICE detention following an arrest last year.Jilmar Ramos-Gomez, a decorated Marine veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, was arrested while experiencing an episode in which he lost all recollection, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
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| New Jersey seeks $640M from Uber for misclassifying workers Posted: 14 Nov 2019 12:47 PM PST  New Jersey is seeking more than $640 million from Uber in taxes and penalties, saying the ride-hailing company misclassified its drivers as independent contractors. The decision is the latest setback for Uber and other companies in the so-called "gig economy" that rely heavily on contract labor to deliver the services at the heart of their popular apps. New Jersey's labor department told Uber it, along with its subsidiary Rasier, owes $523 million in overdue taxes form the last four years and is also facing fines and interest of $119 million, according to letters from the department that were first reported Thursday by Bloomberg Law.
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| Federal judge rules U.S.-born 'ISIS bride' is not an American citizen Posted: 14 Nov 2019 02:44 PM PST  A federal judge ruled Thursday that 25-year-old Hoda Muthana, who lived in Alabama but left the U.S. in 2014 to join ISIS, is not an American citizen and therefore the country is not required to repatriate her.
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| Santa Clarita students made an active shooter video. Two months later, they took shelter in fear Posted: 14 Nov 2019 06:45 PM PST  A shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita Thursday morning is raising questions about school security measures.
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| Iraq 'will never be the same' after protests: top Shiite cleric Posted: 15 Nov 2019 02:59 AM PST  Iraq will be deeply marked by weeks of demonstrations demanding sweeping reform, its top Shiite cleric said on Friday in some of his strongest remarks yet on the protest movement. In his weekly sermon delivered by a representative in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani piled pressure on authorities to enact sweeping reforms in response to the deadly demonstrations. "If those in power think that they can evade the benefits of real reform by stalling and procrastination, they are delusional," Sistani said.
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| Pirates attacked an Italian ship off the coast of Mexico — the latest sign of a growing criminal industry Posted: 13 Nov 2019 01:25 PM PST  There's big money in stealing fuel in Mexico, and the thieves are willing to go offshore in order to find new targets.
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| Venice hit by another ferocious high tide, flooding city Posted: 15 Nov 2019 01:03 AM PST  An exceptionally high tide hit Venice again on Friday just three days after the city suffered its worst flooding in more than 50 years, leaving squares, shops and hotels once more inundated. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro closed access to the submerged St. Mark's Square and issued an international appeal for funds, warning that the damage caused by this week's floods could rise to one billion euros. Local authorities said the high tide peaked at 154 cm (5.05 ft), slightly below expectations and significantly lower than the 187 cm level reached on Tuesday, which was the second highest tide ever recorded in Venice.
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| Donald Trump and allies launch personal attacks on impeachment witnesses after first public hearing Posted: 14 Nov 2019 11:56 AM PST  Donald Trump has mocked the "blank look" on the faces of two US diplomats who testified in the first public impeachment hearings of his presidency as he shared a string of personal attacks on the witnesses. With the fallout from Wednesday's hearing dominating cable news headlines on Thursday morning, Mr Trump posted a string of messages on Twitter which picked holes in the performance and evidence of the two officials. One tweet shared by Mr Trump saw a Fox News host call Bill Taylor and George Kent, two State Department officials with more than 75 years of public service between them, "no-name diplomats". Another shared a clip from the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off showing a high school girl gossiping about a classmate, effectively likening the two men's evidence to sharing second-hand information – a key Republican attack line. Mr Trump also wrote his own comment about the two men's evidence, poking fun at a response when one Republican congressman asked them to name what the president had done that warranted impeachment. US diplomats George Kent, left, and Bill Taylor being sworn in ahead of the first day of public impeachment hearings Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images "John Ratcliffe asked the two 'star' witnesses, 'where is the impeachable event in that call?'," Mr Trump wrote in one tweet. "Both stared straight ahead with a blank look on their face, remained silent, & were unable to answer the question. That would be the end of a case run by normal people!" The president did not detail Mr Taylor's actual response to the question, where he said it was not his job to "decide about impeachment" but that of US congressmen themselves. The criticisms, which echoed through the Conservative media landscape in the 24 hours after the hearing, appeared to be an attempt to limit the political damage from the hearing. One Rasmussen poll taken after the testimony offered encouraging signs for Mr Trump, with the proportion of respondents approving of the president's job performance rising two points to 48 per cent. Process of impeachment A second day of public testimony will take place on Friday with Marie Yovanovitch, the former Ukraine ambassador ousted after an alleged "smear" campaign by Trump allies including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, taking to the stand. Another eight witnesses will appear across three days next week, including Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union who is accused of being a conduit for Mr Trump's push for an investigation by Ukraine of his political rival Joe Biden. Articles of impeachment against Mr Trump could be voted on as early as mid-December, the next formal step for attempting to remove him from office. What exact articles the Democrats choose remains to be seen. But Nancy Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, where the impeachment inquiry is happening, offered a hint during a press conference yesterday. While insisting the party had not yet decided to propose articles of impeachment, she suggested there was evidence of "bribery". The US constitution names as the ground for impeachment "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors". Ms Pelosi said of Mr Trump's actions towards Ukraine: "The bribe is to grant or withhold military assistance, in return for a public statement of a fake investigation, into the elections. That's bribery." Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House Speaker, announced the launch of an impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump in September Credit: AP Photo/Susan Walsh Away from Mr Trump's Twitter feed, allies were turning up the heat on the witnesses, especially Mr Taylor, the top US diplomat in Ukraine who served in Vietnam and is at the heart of the Democrats' case for impeachment. John Dowd, Mr Trump's former personal lawyer, described Mr Taylor to The New York Times as "a pitiful, ignorant, insubordinate gossip with no trustworthy information". Mark Levin, a conservative talk show host, likened Mr Taylor and Mr Kent during an appearance on Fox News to "two homeless guys" for their performance before the House Intelligence Committee, which is leading the impeachment inquiry. New information has also emerged about the call Mr Trump is alleged to have made to Mr Sondland where he asked for an update on "the investigations", which was revealed in Wednesday's hearing. The Associated Press reported that a second US official in Ukraine overheard the call where Mr Trump is said to have made the comment. The president has said he does not remember the conversation.
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| The U.S. Marine Corps Is Making Big Changes (Thanks to Threats from Russia and China) Posted: 14 Nov 2019 09:00 PM PST  It's no secret that the U.S. Marine Corps is changing in order to better prepare for major warfare with China and Russia. Gen. David Berger, the Marine commandant, is overseeing several studies that could result in the Corps cutting some units and adding others and, in the process, radically changing how and why it functions.
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| William Taylor laughs at GOP question if Giuliani channel was 'as outlandish as it could be' Posted: 13 Nov 2019 12:15 PM PST  Republican counsel Steve Castor came to Wednesday's impeachment hearing with a curious line of questioning: could something extremely unusual have, theoretically, been even more unusual?Castor, the lawyer who questioned diplomat William Taylor on behalf of House Republicans during the public impeachment hearing, asked about what Taylor had previously described as a "confusing and unusual arrangement for making U.S. policy toward Ukraine" in the Trump administration, with there being a secondary, "highly irregular" channel including Rudy Giuliani operating outside of formal diplomatic processes.But Castor's apparent defense of this irregular channel is that it could have, in theory, been more irregular."In fairness, this irregular channel of diplomacy, it's not as outlandish as it could be," Castor said to Taylor. "Is that correct?"Taylor laughed at this question while agreeing that, well, sure, it "could be" more outlandish. But the line of questioning didn't go quite as Castor likely planned. After Castor tried to get Taylor to say that U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland's involvement in the secondary channel also was "certainly not outlandish," Taylor didn't exactly agree, responding that it's "a little unusual for the U.S. ambassador to the EU to play a role in Ukraine policy.""Okay," Castor said, making one more attempt by asking, "It might be irregular, but it's certainly not outlandish." This time, a seemingly baffled but amused Taylor just smiled. > "This irregular channel of diplomacy is not as outlandish as it could be, is that correct?" GOP counsel asks William Taylor. > > Taylor agrees, but adds, "It's a little unusual for the US ambassador to EU to play a role in Ukraine policy." https://t.co/YHsiIaIXhs pic.twitter.com/Vp6mO6PhvF> > -- ABC News (@ABC) November 13, 2019More stories from theweek.com The coming death of just about every rock legend The president has already confessed to his crimes Why are 2020 Democrats so weird?
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| Sanders, AOC to Introduce Over $100 Billion Plan to Make Public Housing Environmentally Friendly Posted: 14 Nov 2019 10:14 AM PST  Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) plan to introduce legislation on Thursday that makes public housing more energy efficient, at a cost of over $100 billion.The plan, dubbed the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, will call for renovation of public housing units to install community gardens and organic grocery stores along with on-site childcare services, according to the Washington Post. Data for Progress, a progressive think tank, has estimated the cost of the program at between $119-$172 billion over the next decade."Importantly, the working people who have been most impacted by decades of disinvestment in public housing will be empowered to lead this effort and share in the economic prosperity that it generates for our country," Sanders said in a statement. Ocasio-Cortez said the legislation will "train and mobilize the workforce to decarbonize the public housing stock."In February of this year, Ocasio-Cortez released with Senator Ed Markey (D., Mass.) the "Green New Deal" plan to reduce carbon emissions across the U.S. to net zero within ten years and to eliminate completely the fossil fuel industry within the same time frame. The plan was widely pilloried by conservatives as well as many Democrats for being impractical."The green dream or whatever they call it," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at the time, "nobody knows what it is, but they're for it, right?""It is difficult to take this unrealistic manifesto seriously, but the economic and social devastation it would cause if it moves forward is serious and real," said Terry O'Sullivan, the president of the Laborers' International Union of North America, when the plan was released.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Morgan Plus 4 Posted: 14 Nov 2019 11:13 AM PST |
| The Latest: Israel resumes strikes on Gaza after rocket fire Posted: 13 Nov 2019 09:39 PM PST  Israel says it has resumed strikes on targets linked to the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza after it fired a number of rockets into Israel. The truce had ended two days of fighting ignited by Israel's targeted killing of one of the Iran-backed militant group's top Gaza commanders.
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| Tempers flare over rebuilding of Notre-Dame spire Posted: 14 Nov 2019 03:14 AM PST  The French army general charged with overseeing the rebuilding of Paris' fire-mangled Notre-Dame, has caused astonishment by publicly telling the cathedral's chief architect to "shut his mouth" in a sign of tension over the monument's future look. General Jean-Louis Georgelin and chief architect Philippe Villeneuve are at odds over whether to replace the cathedral's spire -- which was toppled in the April 15 blaze -- with an exact replica, or mix things up with a modern twist.
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| UPDATE 9-'Very intimidating' - Trump launches Twitter attack on witness during impeachment testimony Posted: 15 Nov 2019 07:28 AM PST  President Donald Trump launched a Twitter attack on a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine on Friday while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing in Congress, in an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation. Marie Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, was explaining to the second day of televised impeachment hearings how she fought corruption in Ukraine and how the Trump administration pulled her back to Washington abruptly earlier this year. Democrats say her removal was aimed at clearing the way for Trump allies to persuade Ukraine to launch corruption investigations into Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
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| Judge calls USC dad a 'thief,' gives longest prison sentence so far in college admissions scandal Posted: 13 Nov 2019 04:52 PM PST  Toby MacFarlane, a California real estate executive, received six months for his actions in the college admissions scandal. It's the longest so far.
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| How Baghdadi Used Religion to Sell the Islamic State's Twisted Tribe Posted: 14 Nov 2019 01:30 AM PST  The Islamic State's caliphate was never widely recognized among the global Muslim community and no longer has significant territory. But the Islamic State still uses the history of the caliphate to push their claims.
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| Ugandan Opposition Leader Bobi Wine Says He Worries About His Safety 'Every Day' at TIME 100 Next Event Posted: 14 Nov 2019 04:10 PM PST  Wine has said he plans to run for president in Uganda in 2021.
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| Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings Faces House Ethics Investigation of Relationship with Top Staffer Posted: 14 Nov 2019 03:29 PM PST  Representative Alcee Hastings (D., Fla.) is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over his relationship with a top staffer, according to a Thursday press release from the Committee."The Committee is aware of public allegations arising out of Representative Alcee Hastings' personal relationship with an individual employed in his congressional office," read the statement. "On May 14, 2019, the Committee . . . began an investigation regarding the allegations."While the announcement does not name the staffer, it is almost certainly Patricia Williams, Hastings's district-office director and long-time partner, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Williams is Hastings's highest-paid staffer and has worked in his office since 1993."As they continue to conduct their work, I stand ready to fully cooperate with their inquiry," Hastings said in a statement in response to the Committee's announcement.Hastings was indicted on bribery charges in 1981 stemming from actions he allegedly took while he served as a federal judge. During that case, he was represented by Williams. He was acquitted in court, but was impeached and convicted in Congress, marking the sixth time in history that the Senate authorized the removal of a federal judge.Williams has since been disbarred for numerous ethics violations.
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| American teacher's death in D.R. is being investigated Thursday as a murder Posted: 14 Nov 2019 06:30 AM PST  An American teacher's death in the Dominican Republic was being investigated Thursday as a murder. Police said they found Patricia Anton deceased in her apartment in Puerto Plata, on the country's northern coast, with her hands and feet bound.
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| Bolivia interim leader recognises Guaido as legitimate Venezuelan leader as balance shifts Posted: 14 Nov 2019 09:44 AM PST  Interim president Jeanine Anez moved Thursday to consolidate power in deeply polarized Bolivia, winning recognition from the United States and immediately shifting the country's foreign policy on erstwhile ally Venezuela. Anez was expected to complete her government line-up, having named new military chiefs and half of her proposed 20-member cabinet - including Defense Minister Fernando Lopez Julio - the night before. "We have come to pacify the country," Lopez Julio said in a speech at the military college in La Paz. "Above all, we will have to have faith in God," he said, highlighting the conservative Christian emphasis of the new government after Anez had set the tone by brandishing a bible when she assumed office on Tuesday. Anez swore herself in as president on Tuesday after Morales fled the country, fearing for his safety amid deadly protests. Evo Morales supporters march in La Paz on Thursday Credit: Natacha Pisarenko/AP Unrest erupted when he was accused of rigging the results of October 20 polls to gain re-election for a fourth term. Normal business resumed in the main cities after weeks of deadly protests, but schools and universities remained shut due to the continued threat of demonstrations. Many gas stations remained closed because of a lack of supplies. Nearly a month of protests have left 10 people dead and nearly 400 injured. Morales supporters launched fresh protests Thursday, marching toward government headquarters in La Paz. Riot police had clashed with hundreds of Morales supporters the night before during a demonstration against Anez, who Morales accused of carrying out a "coup." Morales has kept up attacks on the new government via Twitter from his exile in Mexico. Anez told reporters Thursday that new Foreign Minister Karen Longari would "make representations" to Mexico to insist that Morales be held to the terms of his political asylum. Morales's Movement for Socialism (MAS) party on Thursday accused her of "continuing to incite violence" in the country, which has been in turmoil since Morales's contested re-election. She wasn't helped by her Interior Minister Arturo Murillo, who announced the government would "hunt down" a former Morales minister, Juan Ramon Quintana, accused of masterminding opposition to Anez. Quintana "is an animal that feeds of blood," said Murillo, while Anez has publicly insisted there would be no persecution of Morales's inner circle. The 52-year-old interim leader gave the first indication of her government's foreign policy on Thursday, recognizing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as his country's president, a key shift of alliance in the volatile region. The announcement removes one of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's main allies as he fends off efforts to oust him amid a deadly economic and political crisis. - Break with Maduro - Anez's decision signals a significant break from socialist leader Morales's position on Maduro. Her government decided to formally recognize Guaido "from this moment on," Communications Minister Roxana Lizarraga told reporters. In Venezuela, Maduro's opponents have branded him a dictator for clinging to office as the country's crisis has worsened over recent years. Guaido has declared himself Venezuela's rightful president. He has gained the recognition of 50 countries, including the United States, but has so far failed to dislodge Maduro.
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| After 50 years, it's past time to bring human LGBTQ+ characters to America's Sesame Street Posted: 15 Nov 2019 05:45 AM PST  International versions of Sesame Street reflect local audiences. America is ready for gay characters but cancellation is a risk in some countries.
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| 'Come back tomorrow': battling for asylum in South Africa Posted: 15 Nov 2019 02:30 AM PST  Therese Walu's eyes welled up as she recalled the last time she shared dinner with her whole family, 19 years ago, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With nothing but the clothes on her back, Walu started a perilous 10-year journey that would eventually take her more than 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles), to South Africa's capital Pretoria. "The only thing they ever gave us is a (temporary) paper of asylum," said Walu, who has been battling for refugee status since 2010.
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| See Photos of the 2020 Nissan Titan Posted: 15 Nov 2019 06:02 AM PST |
| 'He essentially added an article of impeachment in real-time': Trump criticised by Fox News and Ken Starr for attacking Yovanovitch during hearing Posted: 15 Nov 2019 08:52 AM PST  Donald Trump's tweets attacking Marie Yovanovitch during her powerful testimony before the House impeachment inquiry has turned into a lightning rod of the hearings — and even some prominent conservative sources have slammed the president's comments.The tweet was highlighted by House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, who asked Ms Yovanovitch what she thought of him saying that "everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad", before attacking her decades of experience.
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| Colorado officers who shot black teenager won’t be charged Posted: 13 Nov 2019 04:43 PM PST  A grand jury found that two Colorado police officers were justified in killing a black teenager who was shot multiple times in the back during a foot chase, the district attorney said Wednesday. As a result, no criminal charges will be filed against the officers involved in the Aug. 3 death of De'Von Bailey in Colorado Springs, KRDO reported, citing El Paso County District Attorney Dan May. Bailey, 19, was shot three times in the back and once in the arm.
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| Probe: State Department Punished Staffer Over Iranian Heritage, Politics Posted: 13 Nov 2019 03:15 PM PST  GettyA long-awaited State Department watchdog report will find that the Trump administration's point man on Iran, among other officials, retaliated against an agency employee in part because of her Iranian-American background, two knowledgeable sources told The Daily Beast.The Daily Beast has previously reported that the State Department inspector general's office was prepared to suggest disciplinary action for Brian Hook for political retaliation against employees in his policy planning office, including a career department official and Iran expert, Sahar Nowrouzzadeh. But the inspector general's report, set for release on Thursday in between the first two public hearings in the impeachment of the president, found that top State Department officials, including Hook, retaliated against Nowrouzzadeh in part because she is Iranian. Politico first reported the finding.The allegation derives from a cache of emails that show officials within Hook's policy planning office and other departments talking about Nowrouzzadeh's background ahead of the premature end of her detail to the prestigious office. Some of those emails, previously reported by The Daily Beast, described Nowrouzzadeh as being among "Obama/Clinton loyalists not at all supportive of President Trump's agenda." And one official falsely suggests that Nowrouzzadeh was born in Iran.He's Trump's Point Man on Iran—and Under InvestigationHook has vociferously denied retaliating in 2017 against Nowrouzzadeh based on her heritage. The inspector general report, released Thursday, acknowledges that it "did not identify emails or other documents in which Mr. Hook suggested that he was personally motivated to end the detail because of [Nowrouzzadeh's] perceived political opinions, perceived place of birth, or similar issues, and no witnesses made such statements." Department Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl disagreed with the inspector general's findings, writing that it "ignore[d] the compelling evidence provided by Brian Hook that his personnel decision in this matter was actually made prior to any of the non-merit factors being brought to his attention, and that the decision was made for entirely professional and lawful reasons."However, the inspector general said it did not find Hook's alternative rationales for ending Nowrouzzadeh's detail early to be "a convincing explanation." It called his "acquiescence" to the campaign to remove Nowrouzzadeh—a campaign that bought up her heritage and her perceived politics as a factor—"inappropriate." Taking action against an employee for reasons not having to do with merit, it continues as a blanket statement, strikes "at the heart" of the career service."Regardless of whether Mr. Hook personally shared the opinions and motivations expressed by Ms. Haller [Julia Haller, then the department liaison to the White House] and others, the comments about [Nowrouzzadeh] in the articles and emails circulated within the Office of the Secretary suggest that improper factors likely influenced the requests to end her detail and his acquiescence to those requests," the report concludes.After the report's release, Nowrouzzadeh commented in a statement: "It is my hope that the Inspector General's findings pertaining to my case help prompt action that will guard against any further such misconduct by members of this or any future administration. For nearly 15 years, I've been proud to serve our country, across Republican and Democratic administrations. I continue to strongly encourage Americans of all backgrounds, including those of Iranian heritage, to consider public service to our nation and to not be discouraged by these findings."The State Department IG's office has for months held onto its report for final review before sending it to Capitol Hill. Two individuals with knowledge of the report's drafting told The Daily Beast that the report was originally due for public release sometime over the summer. The IG's office picked up the investigation into Hook and other State Department officials for their perceived political retaliations after multiple whistleblowers approached lawmakers on the Hill about their experiences working on the policy planning team under Hook.The release of the report comes at a time when the State Department is under the microscope by investigators on Capitol Hill looking into how officials in Foggy Bottom worked to convince Ukraine to open up specific investigations in exchange for a presidential White House visit and the delivery of U.S. military aid. And multiple impeachment witnesses have criticized Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's treatment of career diplomats. The details provided in the inspector general's report about Hook can only serve to further undermine the department's credibility in the way it conducts foreign policy. In a different case, however, the inspector general did not find political retaliation. Ian Moss, a State Department official who served in the office for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility during the Obama administration, began the Trump administration on a detail to the White House's National Security Council. Moss' performance evaluations were consistently laudatory. By the time Moss returned to State later in 2017, he entered an atmosphere where chief deputies to then-Secretary Rex Tillerson were assessing the department's political leanings based in part on officials' association with Obama administration priorities— such as closing Guantanamo. Moss found himself reassigned to the Freedom-of-Information Act office, from which he launched a retaliation claim first reported by CNN. State IG Set to Recommend Discipline for Trump's Top Iran HandAmong the evidence the inspector general collected is an email between Kirstjen Nielsen, then the deputy White House chief of staff, discussing Moss with Tillerson's chief of staff, Margaret Peterlin. The email chain concludes with an exhortation to continue the conversation over the phone. Yet the inspector general stopped short of assessing that Moss was the victim of political reprisal. Moss, formerly a U.S. Marine, told The Daily Beast the inspector general's findings in his case are a "pathetic whitewash." "While they were targeting experienced career officials on account of their ethnicities and on account of perceived political affiliation, they were hiring C-list YouTubers and wine bloggers," Moss said. "It is hard to find evidence when you don't even bother to interview witnesses and deliberately choose not to follow glaring leads. [State Department Inspector General Steve] Linick has no honor." Moss put the saga of political retaliation at the State Department in the context of Trump's impeachment. Over a half-dozen witnesses from the State Department, NSC, and elsewhere in the government have told the House impeachment inquiry about a shadow foreign policy to Ukraine run by Rudy Giuliani, Ukraine special envoy Kurt Volker, and Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. Those witnesses, typically career or long-experienced diplomats, have said this shadow effort was designed to benefit Trump rather than the United States and routed around those most expert in Ukraine because of their perceived disloyalty. Moss considers his and others' experience in 2017 to have been a harbinger of the apparently highly parochial shadow initiative. "This is what happens when you let nefarious behavior go unchecked," he told The Daily Beast. Over the summer the State Department hired the Iranian-American woman who publicly advocates for the ousting of the government in Tehran to work with Hook and other senior officials.Mora Namdar, an Iranian-American lawyer from Texas, is working with top department officials, including Brian Hook, the administration's special representative on Iran. She is also working on a controversial project to build a U.S. pavilion at the World's Fair in Dubai in 2020.This is the second team to take on the task of raising $60 million for the event. The first team disbanded this spring when several individuals on the board quit because of internal mismanagement and allegations of influence-peddling by leadership. One of the managers, Alan Dunn, is also the CEO of IP3, the firm attempting to push forward a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia. Dunn used his position on the team to advance the interests of his firm, The Daily Beast reported in August.Namdar's law school brief from 2011 mimics that of the current Trump administration's policies on Iran, including the need for economic sanctions, increased pressure on Tehran to scale back its nuclear program, and directly targeting Iranian officials by freezing their assets. But she says the U.S. should go one step further."It is logical to ascertain that it would be in the best interest of not only the Iranian people but the United States to support regime change in Iran," Namdar wrote.Namdar went on to say that "encouraging the United States to stay out of the internal conflict with the Iranian elections… can now be seen as poor advice."The department first took notice of Namdar during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Dallas this spring, when he met with members of the Iranian-American diaspora in a roundtable session, according to two State Department officials. Namdar was pictured sitting next to Pompeo during that event.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Rather Than Retiring, The Storied B-52 Is Getting Upgraded. Here's Why Posted: 14 Nov 2019 06:30 PM PST  The Air Force isn't done with it yet.
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| White House hopefuls are missing Senate votes — and nobody cares Posted: 15 Nov 2019 09:24 AM PST  Bernie Sanders came to the Capitol on Thursday, when the Senate considered a judicial nominee bitterly opposed by liberals. "I am running for president," Sanders responded when asked why he hadn't voted. The Vermont independent, in fact, hasn't voted in the Senate since July.
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| There have been more mass shootings than days in 2019 Posted: 15 Nov 2019 01:36 AM PST  There have been more than more than 365 mass shootings so far this year
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| French tourist killed taking selfie at Thai waterfall Posted: 14 Nov 2019 08:58 PM PST  A French tourist has died after falling from a waterfall while trying to take a selfie in Thailand, police said Friday. The accident happened Thursday afternoon on the tropical island of Koh Samui, whose palm-fringed, white-sand beaches are a magnet for both backpackers and high-end tourists. The 33-year-old man fell from Na Mueang 2 waterfall, the same spot where a Spanish tourist died in a fall in July, Lieutenant Phuvadol Viriyavarangkul of the island's tourist police told AFP.
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| South Korean, Chinese students face off over Hong Kong protests Posted: 15 Nov 2019 03:09 AM PST ![South Korean, Chinese students face off over Hong Kong protests]( "South Korean, Chinese students face off over Hong Kong protests") Kim Ji-mun, a 23-year-old South Korean university student, had just put up a banner on campus with his friends in support of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests when a group of Chinese students tried to take it down. The encounter at Hanyang University in Seoul led to a seven-hour confrontation, he said, with the Koreans trying to protect their hand-written poster bearing the message "We join the democracy movement in Hong Kong", and the other side jeering, throwing things and chanting "One China". Kim said the Chinese students mocked the South Koreans in the Wednesday altercation, suggesting they had been paid to back Hong Kong, and making that point by throwing coins at them.
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| California School Shooting Leaves At Least Two Dead, Suspect in Critical Condition Posted: 14 Nov 2019 01:49 PM PST  A student opened fire on classmates at the Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California on Thursday morning, killing at least two students and wounding another three before shooting himself.The student, who has not been identified, is in custody and is being treated at a local hospital where he is in grave condition, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. The suspect turned 16 on Thursday, which means he was ineligible to purchase or possess a hand gun under California law.The two victims who were killed were ages 14 and 16. The suspect's motive has not yet been determined."The only thing I saw was this figure, I just saw a figure with a gun," Gerardo Alvarez, a 15-year-old sophomore, told the Wall Street Journal. "It was just a pistol but I don't know what kind."A White House spokesman said President Trump was monitoring the situation.Kent Wegener, a captain with the L.A. Sheriff's Department, told reporters at a news conference that the weapon used was a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun.L.A. Sheriff Undersecretary Tim Murakami wrote on Twitter that police were interviewing every student at the high school in order to conduct a thorough investigation."Rumors that [the] suspect may have posted threats on social media…will be investigated," Murakami added. "If you ever learn of posted threats please notify us ASAP. It will result in an immediate investigation.""Our hearts go out to the families of those affected by this terrible incident," read a statement from the William S. Hart Union High School District, of which Saugus High School is a part. "Words are insufficient in times such as these."
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| The Latest: Officer says Miranda failure was a mistake Posted: 13 Nov 2019 02:15 PM PST  A police officer who obtained a confession from the suspect in the disappearance and death of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts says she made an honest mistake by initially failing to read him his legal rights. Officer Pamela Romero testified Wednesday that she tried to read Cristhian Bahena Rivera his Miranda warnings from memory during the Aug. 20, 2018, interrogation. After several more hours of questioning, Rivera led police officers to a cornfield where they discovered Tibbetts' body underneath a stack of leaves and stalks.
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| This Is Why Russia Wanted A 1,000 Foot Long Aircraft Carrier (More Like Supercarrier) Posted: 15 Nov 2019 01:16 AM PST  In the 1980s.
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