| New Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that Democrats have so far failed to seal the deal on impeachment Posted: 06 Dec 2019 01:04 PM PST  A majority of registered voters buy Democrats' central argument for impeachment, but Americans remain too polarized and uncertain about key details to back Trump's removal from office in the kind of numbers that could create real momentum, a new poll shows.
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| 'I Got Tired of Hunting Black and Hispanic People' Posted: 08 Dec 2019 08:55 AM PST  NEW YORK -- At a police station tucked into an end-of-the-line subway terminal in South Brooklyn, the new commander instructed officers to think of white and Asian people as "soft targets" and urged them to instead go after blacks and Latinos for minor offenses like jumping the turnstile, a half-dozen officers said in sworn statements."You are stopping too many Russian and Chinese," one of the officers, Daniel Perez, recalled the commander telling him earlier this decade.Another officer, Aaron Diaz, recalled the same commander saying in 2012, "You should write more black and Hispanic people."The sworn statements, gathered in the last few months as part of a discrimination lawsuit, deal with a period between 2011-15. But they are now emerging publicly at a time when policing in the subway has become a contentious issue, sparking protests over a crackdown on fare evasion and other low-level offenses.The commander, Constantin Tsachas, was in charge of more than 100 officers who patrolled a swath of the subway system in Brooklyn, his first major command. Since then, he has been promoted to the second-in-command of policing the subway system throughout Brooklyn. Along the way, more than half a dozen subordinates claim, he gave them explicit directives about whom to arrest based on race.Those subordinates recently came forward, many for the first time, providing signed affidavits to support a discrimination lawsuit brought by four black and Hispanic police officers.The officers claim they faced retaliation from the New York Police Department because they objected to what they said was a long-standing quota system for arrests and tickets, which they argued mainly affected black and Hispanic New Yorkers.The authorities have deployed hundreds of additional officers to the subways, provoking a debate about overpolicing and the criminalization of poverty. Videos of arrests of young black men and of a woman selling churros in the subway system have gone viral in recent weeks. Demonstrators have taken to the subway system and jumped turnstiles in protest.Six officers said in their affidavits that Tsachas, now a deputy inspector, pressured them to enforce low-level violations against black and Hispanic people, while discouraging them from doing the same to white or Asian people.Tsachas declined to comment when reached by telephone this week, but his union representative said the inspector denied the allegations of misconduct. The Police Department also declined to address the allegations.The department has said in the past that its enforcement of fare evasion is not aimed at black and Hispanic people.More than three years ago, when Tsachas was promoted to his current rank, the police commissioner at the time, William J. Bratton, said that allegations Tsachas pushed quotas were false."I have full faith and support in him," Bratton said. He added that Tsachas had "the requisite skills and comes highly recommended."Most of the people arrested on charges of fare evasion in New York are black or Hispanic, according to data the Police Department has been required to report under local law since 2017.Between October 2017 and June 2019, black and Hispanic people, who account for slightly more than half the population in New York City, made up nearly 73% of those who got a ticket for fare evasion and whose race was recorded. They also made up more than 90% of those who were arrested, rather than given a ticket.Some elected officials have complained about the apparent racial disparity in arrests, saying it may indicate bias on the part of officers or an unofficial policy of racial profiling by the police."The focus of black and brown people, even if other people were doing the same crime, points to what many of us have been saying for a while," the city's public advocate, Jumaane Williams, said. "The same actions lead to different results, unfortunately, depending on where you live and an overlay of what you look like."Enforcement has surged nearly 50% in 2019, as city police officers issued 22,000 more tickets for fare evasion this year compared to 2018, according to Police Department data from Nov. 10.While the affidavits focus on a time period that ended nearly five years ago, they suggest at least one police commander openly pushed racial profiling when making arrests in the subway."I got tired of hunting Black and Hispanic people because of arrest quotas," one former officer, Christopher LaForce, said in his affidavit, explaining his decision to retire in 2015.In the affidavits, the officers said that different enforcement standards applied to different stations across Transit District 34, which spanned stations across South Brooklyn: Brooklyn's Chinatown in Sunset Park; neighborhoods with large Orthodox Jewish communities; a corner of Flatbush that is home to many Caribbean immigrants; and the Russian enclave around Brighton Beach."Tsachas would get angry if you tried to patrol subway stations in predominantly white or Asian neighborhoods" LaForce said in his affidavit. He added that the commander would redirect officers to stations in neighborhoods with larger black and Hispanic populations.Diaz, who retired from the Police Department last year, described in his affidavit how on one occasion Tsachas seemed irritated at him for having stopped several Asian people for fare evasion and told him he should be issuing tickets to "more black and Hispanic people."At the time, Diaz said, he was assigned to the N Line, which passes through neighborhoods with large numbers of Chinese Americans. He had arrested multiple residents of that neighborhoods for doubling up as they went through the turnstiles, according to his affidavit.Other officers described similar experiences. Some of the officers claimed in affidavits that Tsachas urged his officers to come up with reasons to stop black men, especially those with tattoos, and check them for warrants.Of the six officers, all but one is retired. They are all black or Hispanic. The affidavits were given to The New York Times by one of the four officers who has sued the Police Department, Lt. Edwin Raymond.The allegations in the affidavits were bolstered by a police union official, Corey Grable, who gave a deposition in June in the same lawsuit that recounted his interactions with Tsachas. He recalled Tsachas had once complained about a subordinate who Tsachas said seemed to go for "soft targets."Unsure what that meant, Grable asked if the officer was ticketing old ladies for minor offenses? Tsachas responded: "No, Asian."Grable, who is black, asked, "Would you have been more comfortable if these guys were black or Hispanic?""Yes," Tsachas replied, according to Grable's recollection.Tsachas joined the Police Department in 2001 and patrolled public housing developments in Harlem for five years. He later analyzed crime patterns in Queens and across the city before being transferred to the Transit Bureau. He was a captain in 2011 when he was appointed to command Brooklyn's District 34, a position he held for at least four years.In 2015, he took command of neighboring Transit District 32, where Raymond, who is currently suing him, worked. At the time Raymond held the rank of police officer.Raymond has charged in the lawsuit that Tsachas blocked his promotion by giving him a low evaluation as punishment for not making enough arrests.Raymond, who is now a patrol supervisor in Brooklyn, recorded a conversation in October 2015 in which Tsachas encouraged him to arrest more people and gave an example of the sort of arrest he did not want: a 42-year-old Asian woman with no identification arrested on a charge of fare beating."That's not going to fly," he said, according to the recording, first described in a New York Times Magazine article.Raymond, who still had the rank of police officer at the time, responded that it was unconstitutional to consider race when deciding whom to arrest. Tsachas, a captain at the time, then apologized, saying the comment "didn't come out the way it's supposed to."Raymond said he believed Tsachas should not have been promoted. "It's a spit in the face of communities of color that this man is given more power after being exposed as a bigot," he said.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Indian border officials on lookout for fugitive cosmic guru Posted: 07 Dec 2019 02:17 AM PST  Indian border officials and embassies have issued an alert for a fugitive guru accused of rape, the government said, days after the holy man announced the creation of his own "cosmic" country. Swami Nithyananda -- one of many self-styled Indian "godmen" with thousands of followers and a chequered past -- is wanted by police for alleged rape, sexual abuse, and abduction of children. Earlier this week, he announced online that he has created his own new country -- reportedly off Ecuador's coast -- complete with cabinet, golden passports, and even a department of homeland security.
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| The Pensacola Navy base shooter reportedly used a loophole to buy his gun legally Posted: 07 Dec 2019 07:10 PM PST  The gunman was a Saudi national living in the US as an aviation student. 'Nonimmigrant aliens' are typically barred from buying guns.
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| Lebanon’s journalists suffer abuse, threats covering unrest Posted: 06 Dec 2019 09:49 PM PST  Lebanese journalists are facing threats and wide-ranging harassment in their work — including verbal insults and physical attacks, even death threats — while reporting on nearly 50 days of anti-government protests, despite Lebanon's reputation as a haven for free speech in a troubled region. Local media outlets — some of which represent the sectarian interests protesters are looking to overthrow — are now largely seen as pro- or anti-protests, with some journalists feeling pressured to leave their workplaces over disagreements about media coverage. The deteriorating situation for journalists in Lebanon comes despite its decades-old reputation for being an island of free press in the Arab world.
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| Could Mexico's Version of the Marine Corps Crush the Cartels? Posted: 07 Dec 2019 12:00 PM PST  Could this work?
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| Plot Emerged to Fix Venezuela Without Maduro or Guaido Posted: 08 Dec 2019 04:47 AM PST ![Plot Emerged to Fix Venezuela Without Maduro or Guaido]( "Plot Emerged to Fix Venezuela Without Maduro or Guaido") (Bloomberg) -- The standoff in Venezuela briefly took a new twist, according to a report from the Spanish newspaper ABC.People close to both President Nicolas Maduro and his rival Juan Guaido plotted to push both men aside and end the nation's crisis with the rule of a temporary junta, the newspaper reported without citing where it got the information.The article didn't cite sources by name, nor was it completely clear how deeply embedded the plan was before it was discovered and fell apart. But the story suggests a strong desire within the camps of both men to end the standoff between Maduro and Guaido almost a year old. Guaido, the National Assembly president, has been recognized by more than 50 countries, including the U.S., as Venezuela's leader.Third WayThe ABC story suggested a third way, which the paper reported was born out of talks between emissaries of high-ranking Venezuelan officials with opposition leaders, in four countries between April and October this year, after huge rallies demanding Maduro's exit.The key figure appears to be Humberto Calderon Berti, then the designated ambassador to Colombia who Guaido dismissed last month. He was the main Guaido negotiator in the talks with the emissaries for Venezuelan officials who defied Maduro.At some point in the talks, the paper said, Calderon Berti was approached to head a "transitional junta" -- a small group of powerful men who would lead the nation for 18 months. The paper said that an agreement was drafted by August, with the document outlining the political changes to oust Maduro, sideline Guaido and install the junta sent around to the key players.The Venezuelan officials who sent emissaries for the secret talks included president of the National Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello, one of Venezuela's most powerful men with strong ties to the military, Supreme Court President Maikel Moreno and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.The negotiations were complex, involving the reconciliation of various factions within the army and voiding the May 2018 presidential elections Maduro is widely seen as winning only by fraud.Temporary JuntaThe paper cites discussions in which a Cabello emissary, army captain Carlos Aguilera Borjas, suggests that Calderon Berti head the temporary junta. The paper says that Maduro's regime discovered the talks, which then came to an end.Calderon Berti told ABC newspaper that he met with Aguilera Borjas and others. But these meetings were part of his diplomatic duties and had nothing to do with a plot to form a junta, Calderon Berti said.Guaido's representatives declined to comment on the ABC report, while the Maduro government didn't respond to requests to do so.To contact the reporter on this story: Jose Orozco in Mexico City at jorozco8@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ney Hayashi at ncruz4@bloomberg.net, Ian Fisher, Matthew G. MillerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Pearl Harbor veteran interred on sunken ship Posted: 07 Dec 2019 09:19 PM PST  With speeches and salutes, veterans and officials on Saturday commemorated the 78th anniversary of the 1941 sneak attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor, which brought a previously reluctant United States into World War II. A ceremony in Hawaii honoring survivors was attended by US Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and Washington's ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris. It was held within sight of the sunken USS Arizona, which was bombed in the opening moments of the attack that killed more than 2,400 Americans.
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| GOP lawmaker says 'out-of-the-box strategy' could give Trump an 'advantage' in impeachment hearings Posted: 08 Dec 2019 09:28 AM PST  Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, on Sunday said it would play to the "president's advantage" to have his top administration officials in an "out-of-the-box strategy" testify in the upcoming impeachment hearings.
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| 50 Great Gadget and Gear Gifts for the Holidays Posted: 06 Dec 2019 10:29 AM PST |
| If Bernie Sanders is stuck in D.C. for an impeachment trial, AOC could campaign for him Posted: 06 Dec 2019 11:31 AM PST  A prolonged impeachment trial in the Senate would sideline as many as five Democratic presidential hopefuls in the run-up to the first votes in the 2020 race. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez could play a key role for the Vermont senator.
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| New Jersey journalist re-arrested in Nigeria after brief glimpse of freedom Posted: 07 Dec 2019 12:13 PM PST  Omoyele Sowore, imprisoned in his home country of Nigeria since August, has been freed from government custody, but still has to stand trial.
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| A Uighur Dutch woman admitted to leaking secret Chinese cables on Muslim oppression. She's going public to stop China's death threats. Posted: 08 Dec 2019 07:35 AM PST  Asiye Abdulaheb told the Dutch De Volkskrant newspaper that she had a role in disseminating the explosive internal documents on Xinjiang.
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| TV reporter smacked on bottom during live broadcast: ‘You violated, objectified and embarrassed me’ Posted: 08 Dec 2019 02:38 AM PST  A TV reporter said she was left "violated" and "embarrassed" after being smacked on the bottom during a live broadcast.Alex Bozarjian, of WSAV News, was reporting roadside from a 10km race in Savannah, Georgia, when a male participant ran up behind and struck her.
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| Body of slain doctor returns home to Japan from Afghanistan Posted: 08 Dec 2019 01:26 AM PST  The body of a Japanese doctor killed in a roadside shooting in Afghanistan arrived back home Sunday, with government officials on hand to lead a brief ceremony of mourning at Tokyo's Narita International Airport. Tetsu Nakamura was killed last week, along with five Afghans who had been traveling with him. Keisuke Suzuki, Japan's state minister of foreign affairs, joined other officials in bowing their heads in prayer after laying flowers by the coffin, draped in white, in a solemn ceremony in honor of Nakamura at the airport.
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| North Korea says US denuclearization talks 'out of negotiation table' Posted: 07 Dec 2019 09:31 AM PST  North Korea on Saturday said denuclearization talks with the United States were "out of the negotiation table," while slamming European UN Security Council members who had recently denounced its "provocative" ballistic missile launches. The statement from North Korea's ambassador to the UN Kim Song came after Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom on Wednesday condemned North Korea's "continued testing of ballistic missiles," and called for strict enforcement of sanctions against Pyongyang.
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| Judge blocks Trump's favorite construction company from building private border wall Posted: 06 Dec 2019 06:16 PM PST  A federal judge in McAllen, Texas, has temporarily blocked a plan for a construction firm favored by President Trump to build a privately funded segment of border wall along the banks of the Rio Grande River.
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| American soldiers banned from Italian main street after vicious brawl Posted: 08 Dec 2019 08:08 AM PST  Around 2,000 US Army soldiers have been banned from one of the main streets in the Italian city of Vicenza after a brawl between soldiers and locals. The temporary ban, which affects members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in the city, involves the quaint via Contra' Pescherie Vecchie, where two young Vicenza men say they were surrounded and beaten by several soldiers after a verbal exchange just outside a popular watering hole for off duty combat paratroopers. "This is not my face. I was not like this before," Riccardo Passaro, 21, told La Repubblica from the hospital where he is recovering from reconstructive facial surgery after his jaw was shattered. City authorities are studying CCTV images to identify the culprits of the latest violent episode, which prompted Mayor Francesco Rucco to request special restrictive measures from the base commander. Col. Kenneth Burgess issued a memo warning that personnel caught entering the restricted zone during the 45-day ban faced disciplinary sanctions. "It is a decree without precedent in Vicenza and for this we thank the American authorities," Mayor Rucco said. The US military presence in Vicenza has been expanding for the last decade, with construction of the large Del Din annex north of the historic Ederle garrison to help lodge US Africa Command and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, which conducts contingency response and NATO ally training in Europe. Vicenza's 113,000 inhabitants now intermingle, mostly peacefully, with more than 12,000 Americans, including military family members and employees of the two bases bookending the city. But an uptick in problems related to heavy drinking, violence and public disorder since the expansion has exasperated locals. In 2014, several rape investigations and a car crash in the city centre involving three pedestrians made headlines. In 2016 and 2017 there were bloody brawls involving injuries and property damage. And in 2018, police intervened 550 times in violent incidents involving Americans, prompting new joint night patrols this year by U.S. military police and Italian Carabinieri.
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| Democrats Must Not Have an All-White Debate—and the White Candidates Should Say So Posted: 07 Dec 2019 02:15 AM PST  The news that Senator Kamala Harris has dropped out of the race highlights the fact that the Democratic field is growing less diverse with each passing month. It's now reached the point where a field that showed such promising diversity at first has been whittled down essentially to four people with first-tier status, and they're all white. There is diversity within than foursome--a gay man, a Jewish man, a woman. But in a party so dependent on voters of color, this is striking--and not in a good way. Of course, there is nothing wrong with Democrats selecting a white presidential candidate to represent the party. But that should be up to the voters, and not the DNC by means of their debate inclusion practices.Those candidates can, however strike a blow for diversity. They should band together and threaten to boycott the December Democratic debate unless the DNC and media partners agree to not exclude candidates who have shown measurable public support before the voting begins. That includes, at the very least, Cory Booker and Julian Castro, and could also include Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard, who have managed to make the most recent debate stage despite long odds.Although Harris had qualified for the December debate, her exit could create an unacceptable scenario on December 19 when the candidates gather in Los Angeles. Booker and Castro's exclusion, coupled with the probable exclusion of other candidates of color including Yang and Gabbard, means the December debate could very well include only six candidates, all of them white. (Booker, Castro, Yang, and Gabbard have all hit the fundraising threshold, but not the polling one.)Kamala Harris Quits 2020 Race: 'She Didn't Know What She Was About'Democrats and the DNC should be asking themselves if they really want to eliminate all the candidates of color before the first states even get to vote. And the leading candidates, all of whom are white, should do something about it.There is precedent for the top-tier candidates banding together to protect the integrity of the debate process. Back in January 2016, NBC News, as a DNC debate sponsor, tried to bar former governor Martin O'Malley from its debate, citing his poor polling numbers compared to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. While it was apparent that O'Malley's campaign was going nowhere, it was obvious to any objective observer that eliminating him was a choice for voters in Iowa and the other primary states to make—not NBC News.On January 8, 2016 shortly after noon, Sanders tweeted that O'Malley should be allowed on the next debate stage. Literally one minute later, the Clinton campaign tweeted out similar support for O'Malley's inclusion. And a few hours later, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz tweeted that the DNC was also demanding that NBC News include O'Malley.This joint public pressure ensured O'Malley's inclusion. It turned out to be his final debate, but it was the voters, and not outside organizations, who chose O'Malley's fate.Dear Debate Moderators, You Are Working Up Democrats About the Wrong IssueNow, it is the DNC itself that is the culprit of such unfair practices. The party has established criteria for the December debate, which will mean that Booker and Castro could both be possibly excluded from the stage.Booker and Castro have been able to organically secure more than 200,000 unique donors each, and both have shown measurable poll support, especially with African-Americans and Latinos respectively. Excluding these two candidates of color, who represent crucial aspects of the Democratic base, from debates before Iowa could be a mistake with lasting implications for the party and country.I personally like some of these candidates, such as Booker and Castro, while I am not fond of Gabbard. But whether I like them isn't the point. It is not my place nor anyone else's place to deny a candidate an equal opportunity to make their case.Maybe there is an argument to be made for a smaller debate stage at some point, but the DNC has set up criteria that allows a billionaire to buy his spot while excluding serious candidates with a following and something to say.And while we're on the subject of Tom Steyer, he has spent $47 million of his own money in what amounts to a scam. Since he needs donors only to meet the DNC's bizarre debate criteria, he has essentially purchased his donor base, through tactics such as selling $1 swag with free shipping—usually items worth far more than $1—that has nothing to do with him or his presidential campaign. Why should he be allowed to "sell" a button about climate change or opposing Donald Trump for $1 and use that as some kind of indicia of popular support? He has also blanketed early states with enough TV ads and fancy mail to get his name identification up to the point that just enough people might utter it to a pollster because they recognize it.Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg is eschewing debates thus far, but with his $52 billion in net worth it's not hard to imagine clever ways for him to meet future DNC debate thresholds.A debate stage that lets a white billionaire like Steyer buy his spot but excludes substantive candidates of color like Booker and Castro is neither democratic nor representative of the Democratic Party.As a person of color, I hope the DNC and the frontrunners are listening. It isn't the DNC's place to eliminate viable candidates before voters are allowed a say. I hope Biden, Sanders, Warren, and others will step up to tell the DNC that the Democratic Party is stronger when all viable candidates are allowed to be heard.David de la Fuente is a senior political analyst at Third Way.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Russia's Su-57 Would Be A Game-Changer If It Wasn't So Expensive Posted: 07 Dec 2019 07:00 AM PST  Moscow can't afford it.
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| The US Navy sailor who gunned down 2 people at a Hawaii base was reportedly unhappy and in anger management Posted: 06 Dec 2019 10:43 AM PST  The sailor who fatally shot 2 people Wednesday was in anger management, raising questions about why he was serving as armed sentry.
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| 'I felt like I was going to die': A harrowing look into CIA torture from the eyes of a detainee Posted: 07 Dec 2019 10:27 AM PST  A CIA detainee's drawings detail the brutal reach of torture. They are part of a new Seton Hall report called "How America Tortures."
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| Lebanese-born donor of Hitler items welcomed in Israel Posted: 08 Dec 2019 07:27 AM PST  Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday welcomed a Lebanese-born Swiss real estate mogul who purchased Nazi memorabilia at a German auction and is donating the items to Israel. Chatila, a Lebanese Christian who has lived in Switzerland for decades, paid some 600,000 euros ($660,000) for the items at the Munich auction last month, intending to destroy them after reading of Jewish groups' objections to the sale. Among the items he bought were Adolf Hitler's top hat, a silver-plated edition of Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and a typewriter used by the dictator's secretary.
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| Iraqis protest to defy 'slaughter' in Baghdad as drone hits cleric's home Posted: 07 Dec 2019 11:49 AM PST  Thousands attended angry protests in Baghdad and southern Iraq Saturday, grieving but defiant after 20 of them were killed in an attack the previous day that demonstrators described as "slaughter". The dramatic developments have threatened to derail the anti-government rallies rocking Iraq since October, the largest and deadliest grassroots movement in decades. Late Friday, at least 20 protesters were killed or sustained wounds that later proved fatal, while dozens more were injured, when unidentified gunmen attacked a large building where protesters had camped out for weeks, medics said.
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| Video shows people scaling US border wall in seconds - despite Trump insisting it 'can't be climbed' Posted: 06 Dec 2019 12:47 PM PST  Donald Trump has praised construction of newly constructed wall along the US-Mexico border, which the president has insisted "can't be climbed".But a viral video has proved that the wall can easily be scaled with a ladder.
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| How Each U.K. Election Outcome Could Impact the Stock Market Posted: 06 Dec 2019 09:00 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Want the lowdown on European markets? In your inbox before the open, every day. Sign up here.Anything is still possible for next week's U.K. election, but one outcome would suit many stock investors better than most."For equities, the best result is a decent Conservative majority," said Kim Catechis, head of investment strategy at Martin Currie, an affiliate of Legg Mason Inc., managing about $17 billion.A decisive victory for Boris Johnson would see domestic shares outperform, according to Catechis, who wrote in a report this week that such a scenario would lead to increased fiscal stimulus, reduced uncertainty and falling risk premiums. Optimism that the Tories will win a majority in next week's vote has led to sterling's longest winning streak since June.By contrast, a Labour majority would clearly be the worst outcome for stocks, said Rupert Thompson, head of research at 1.9 billion-pound ($2.5 billion) fund manager Kingswood, particularly for sectors such as utilities and transport that have most to lose from Jeremy Corbyn's nationalization plans.For those betting on a rally, it's as well that the Conservatives are ahead in the polls. However, these have been wrong before and even if they prove accurate, a likely rise in the pound following an outright Tory win would be sure to weigh on international companies that earn large proportions of their revenue outside the U.K.Here's a look at how each possible election outcome might affect U.K. stocks.Conservative MajorityAs Catechis notes, a Conservative majority would likely boost risk appetite. Cyclical stocks whose earnings are tied to economic prosperity would probably see the biggest benefit, such as banks, real estate and retail.However, given many stocks from those sectors rallied over the past few months as no-deal Brexit risk receded, the upside might be contained.Take home-builders, for example, one of the sectors most impacted by economic uncertainty stemming from Brexit. Liberum analysts Charlie Campbell and Marcus Cole cautioned in a note on Thursday that the market has already priced in a 10%-15% improvement in profits in expectation of a calmer political outlook.Labour MajorityA Labour majority is by far the least desirable outcome for stocks, said Kingswood's Thompson, noting Corbyn's "radical" nationalization plans for industries including water, the railways and BT Group Plc's Openreach broadband infrastructure unit.Those policies would "clearly hit particular segments of the market hard," as the businesses would probably be purchased at below market price, Thompson wrote in a November report. Utilities such as SSE Plc and postal operator Royal Mail Plc are among stocks that may have most to lose.But it's not just Labour's plans on public ownership that have sections of the market worried. Corbyn has also vowed to roll back tax cuts seen under the Conservatives and to force larger companies to hand equity stakes to staff, while introducing a levy on overseas companies buying housing in Britain.Conservative MinorityIn the event of a hung parliament -- as was the case in 2017 -- the impact on equities is less straightforward.Were Johnson able to stay in office by forming a coalition, but without explicit support for his Brexit plan from the partnering party, domestic-focused sectors such as housebuilders and retailers would likely fall due to the potential for a no-deal Brexit to return to the table, according to Colm Harney, a U.K. equity analyst at asset manager Sarasin & Partners.By contrast, domestic U.K. stocks might respond positively should the Conservatives team up with a remain-backing party like the Liberal Democrats and agree to a second Brexit referendum, given the potential combination of Conservative policies and an abandonment of the divorce, Harney said in emailed comments.Labour MinorityWhile the immediate stock market reaction to a Labour minority would likely be negative, the make-up of the government would determine the longer-term reaction, according to Harney."A broad alliance, including the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, would be the most positive outcome, as the smaller parties would likely block the most economically damaging Labour proposals," he said. Such a scenario might benefit stocks such as Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and Lloyds Banking Group Plc.Labour teaming up with just one party, such as the SNP, to form a coalition government could be negative for stocks, however, if it looked like Corbyn might be able to implement large proportions of his manifesto, Harney added.To contact the reporter on this story: Joe Easton in London at jeaston7@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Beth Mellor at bmellor@bloomberg.net, Paul JarvisFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Polyamorous 20-year-old is dating 4 men while pregnant with her first child Posted: 07 Dec 2019 07:18 AM PST  Tory Ojeda is a 20-year-old woman from Jacksonville, Fla., who is in a polyamorous relationship with four men. She is now expecting her first child with one of her partners. Ojeda told Barcroft Media that while the baby is biologically one of her partner's, the five of them plan on raising the child together as a family.
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| Top US Marine says young troops should not be blamed for using TikTok, responsibility is with senior leaders Posted: 07 Dec 2019 03:09 PM PST  "That's not their fault. That's on us," the Marine Corps commandant said of concerns over the app, adding, "I don't blame them for that."
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| Saudis distance themselves from US naval base shooter Posted: 06 Dec 2019 04:40 PM PST  Saudi Arabia sought to distance itself Saturday from a student who carried out a fatal shooting at an American naval base, as it seeks to repair its image of being an exporter of Islamic extremism. The Saudi military trainee reportedly condemned the US as a "nation of evil" before going on a rampage Friday at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, killing three people and wounding eight. The shooting marks a setback in the kingdom's efforts to shrug off its longstanding reputation for promoting religious extremism after the September 11, 2001 attacks in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis.
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| Nadler says committee vote on impeachment possible this week Posted: 08 Dec 2019 07:49 AM PST  Speeding toward impeachment, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Sunday he expects a committee vote soon on charges against President Donald Trump that will focus on abuse of power on Ukraine in a bid to get an unfair advantage in U.S. elections and obstruction in the congressional inquiry. "We'll bring articles of impeachment presumably before the committee at some point later in the week," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., instructed the committee to write articles of impeachment — formal charges — against Trump for pressuring Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic rival.
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| World's oceans are losing oxygen at a dangerous rate, study says Posted: 07 Dec 2019 03:29 AM PST  Scientists warn that ocean deoxygenation will have widespread global effects on marine ecosystems and the people that rely on them.
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| Desperate Syrian Kurds who fled Turkish incursion head home to uncertainty Posted: 08 Dec 2019 07:57 AM PST  Hundreds of Syrian Kurds have returned home from Iraq over recent weeks despite fears for their safety, amid complaints that thousands have been 'imprisoned' in refugee camps with little access to food, healthcare and work. Over the past month, around 100 people have been voluntarily returning each week from camps in Iraq after fleeing northern Syria at the start of a Turkish offensive in October designed to force out Kurdish forces. With winter setting in and resources dwindling, the numbers are likely to grow. Despite an official ceasefire, violence has continued in northeast Syria. The forced withdrawal of Kurdish forces has allowed the return of the Assad regime to some areas, with many fearing it may carry out revenge attacks on its opponents. Human Rights Watch has also accused Turkish-backed forces of human rights abuses against the local population in the so-called 'safe zone' declared by the Turkish government. Some 17,000 Kurds have sought refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan since the early days of the operation. Thousands have fled a Turkish-led offensive that has led to accusations of ethnic cleansing against Kurds in northern Syria Credit: Anadolu Bardarash Camp, which is home to 9,500 newly displaced Syrian Kurds, is under strict security protocols. People are only allowed to step foot outside of the camp if they have a relative already living in the region who will sponsor them and are not allowed to return once they have left. Unable to leave the camp to work, food is scarce and many have turned to selling their blankets and mattresses. Amid growing despair, a young man set himself on fire a few weeks ago, later dying of his burns. A second man is said to have tried the same last week - he was already doused in kerosene when he was saved by intervention from others in the camp. Those without any family in living locally are left with two unfavourable choices. They can stay inside the relatively small camp or return to uncertainty in Syria. "I'd rather die with dignity on my own land than die of hunger," one man said, on the bus to take him back to Syria. He was one of the few daring to try and get back to his home in Darbasiyah on the Turkish border. Most are trying to get back to al Hasakah, wanting to settle just outside of the 'safe zone'. For 52-year-old diabetic Mayasa, the lack of anything more than very basic healthcare is forcing her to go back to Syria. "We are really scared for her. Our areas are still not that safe and the situation could turn at any minute," her son said, explaining that the doctor at the camp would not refer her to a hospital. According to USAID, 117,000 of the 200,000 displaced since the start of the offensive have returned, though it is believed the majority are Arabs rather than Kurds. While the number of Kurds who have returned so far is believed to be relatively low, dozens of people told the Daily Telegraph that they fear they will soon have no choice but to return. Like many young men, 27-year-old Walat, escaped military conscription in 2013 and is wanted by the regime. He said that if conditions don't improve in the coming weeks he will be forced to go back. "The regime is everywhere in Kurdish areas now," he said, referring to a Russian-brokered deal that saw the SDF allow Assad regime troops into its territory - for the first time in five years - to help fight the Turkish offensive. "For me, especially as a Kurd, there is no safety for me in Syria, but at least I might be able to work." he said. While over 5,500 people have been given clearance to leave the camps in KRI, the process is slow, with many citing it as one of the main reasons they are going back to Syria.
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| Obergefell: Supreme Court, lawmakers have more to do to prevent anti-LGBTQ discrimination Posted: 08 Dec 2019 02:00 AM PST  Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect — and that means ensuring no one faces unfair treatment because of their LGBTQ+ identity.
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| 3 Guard members killed in Minnesota Black Hawk crash identified Posted: 07 Dec 2019 10:09 AM PST  Killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 James A. Rogers Jr., age 28; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles P. Nord, 30; and Sgt. Kort M. Plantenberg, 28.
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| The 25 Best Tower Defense Games Posted: 08 Dec 2019 06:00 AM PST |
| Unrelenting transport chaos as French strike bites Posted: 08 Dec 2019 09:46 AM PST  French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and senior cabinet ministers were due to meet late Sunday to discuss the government's proposed pensions reforms as public transport in France was crippled for a fourth day running in protest. The country's powerful labour unions, who claim the reforms will force many to work longer for a smaller retirement payout, began their protest on Thursday with the mass strike stranding commuters, closing schools and hitting tourism. On the first day, some 800,000 people took to the streets in protest at the plan to introduce a single, points-based pension scheme for workers in all economic sectors.
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| The LA Times joined the growing group of major papers calling for Trump's impeachment Posted: 07 Dec 2019 10:45 AM PST  Several major newspapers have publicly called for Trump's impeachment while criticizing his efforts to stonewall the impeachment inquiry.
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| Israeli aircraft strike Hamas sites in Gaza after 3 rockets Posted: 07 Dec 2019 11:42 AM PST ![Israeli aircraft strike Hamas sites in Gaza after 3 rockets]( "Israeli aircraft strike Hamas sites in Gaza after 3 rockets") Israeli aircraft bombed several militants' sites in Gaza early Sunday, hours after three rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave toward southern Israel. On Saturday evening, Israel announced that its air defenses, known as "Iron Dome," intercepted two of three missiles coming from Gaza. Later, it said all three rockets had been shot down.
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| Indian rape victim dies in hospital after being set ablaze Posted: 06 Dec 2019 06:52 PM PST ![Indian rape victim dies in hospital after being set ablaze]( "Indian rape victim dies in hospital after being set ablaze") A 23-year-old rape victim died in a hospital in the Indian capital two days after she was set on fire by a gang of men, including her alleged rapist, Reuters partner ANI reported on Saturday. The woman was on her way to board a train in Unnao district of northern Uttar Pradesh state to attend a court hearing when she was doused with kerosene and set on fire on Thursday, according to the police. Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state and has become notorious for its poor record regarding crimes against women, with more than 4,200 cases of rape reported there in 2017 - the highest in the country.
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| AOC calls out Trump after news that Amazon plans to hire 1,500 employees in New York City Posted: 07 Dec 2019 02:07 PM PST  Following reports that Amazon plans to open a new office in New York City, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted that the Trump administration "should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families."
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| Is Russia's New Anti-Tank Weapon Aimed at the Army's M1 Abrams? Posted: 07 Dec 2019 12:42 PM PST  Maybe, but Russia has its own problem.
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