| Donald Trump is ‘just wrong’ about the economy, says Nobel Prize-winner Joseph Stiglitz Posted: 29 Jan 2020 12:20 PM PST  In a newly released interview, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz disagreed with Trump's contention that the economy has lifted up working-class Americans.
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| Navy SEAL Promoted After Choking Green Beret to Death Posted: 28 Jan 2020 05:06 PM PST  The U.S. Navy promoted Chief Petty Officer Tony DeDolph four months after he admitted to choking a Green Beret to death. DeDolph—who will be back in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing—was formally charged in November 2018 with felony murder, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, burglary, hazing, and involuntary manslaughter in the strangulation death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Special Forces soldier assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group.Melgar was nearing the end of his deployment when he was killed in the West African nation of Mali in June 2017. He was part of an intelligence operation in Mali supporting counterterrorism efforts against al Qaeda's local affiliate, known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.Days after Melgar was strangled, DeDolph, at the time a petty officer first class, was sent back to his base in Virginia Beach under suspicion of murder. Despite that, DeDolph found himself on the promotion list for chief petty officer in August 2017; he was "frocked"—meaning he began wearing the insignia of the higher rank—on Sept. 15, 2017, according to defense officials. He didn't start drawing chief's pay until December.Slain Green Beret's Widow Speaks: 'I Knew They Were Lying'Three days before DeDolph's promotion, the medical examiner's report was signed. It concluded, based on a June 8, 2017, autopsy at Dover Air Force Base, that Melgar's cause of death was asphyxiation and the manner of death was homicide, according to documents reviewed by The Daily Beast.A defense official familiar with the case said Naval Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as Seal Team 6, didn't flag DeDolph because he was not formally charged or a person of interest in an ongoing investigation. He was a participant in the investigation but no charges were filed until November 2018.Retired Brig. Gen. Donald Bolduc, the former commander of Special Operations Command-Africa, told The Daily Beast this week that he authorized an investigation after he learned of Melgar's death. Bolduc alerted Army Criminal Investigation Command and told commanders in Mali to preserve evidence. He didn't understand why DeDolph was promoted when he returned to his unit in Virginia Beach."It is another failure of leadership," Bolduc said. "I mean senior leadership. It's unfortunate. He should have never been promoted. The investigation was started right away. They whisked them out of there as fast as they could."When asked if he was surprised by the news, Bolduc said no."I'm disappointed," he said. "But not surprised. It's utter bullshit."Navy prosecutor Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Garcia declined to comment on the promotion because DeDolph is part of an ongoing investigation."DeDolph has remained a member of Naval Special Warfare throughout this process," said Navy Capt. Tamara Lawrence, a spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare. "It is paramount that the rights of the service member are protected, thus any additional information regarding this case will not be discussed."Phil Stackhouse, DeDolph's civilian attorney, did not return calls or text messages seeking comment. Melgar's widow, Michelle, declined to comment on the story.DeDolph's case is just one of several high-profile incidents that have exposed issues in the SEAL culture. Members of SEAL Team 7 were expelled from Iraq in 2019 after allegations of drinking and sexual assault. Six SEALs tested positive for cocaine last year. Then there's the case of Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Gallagher, a former member of SEAL Team 7, who faced a court martial for war crimes charges including murder, but was convicted of posing for a picture with a dead body and granted clemency by President Trump in November 2019. Trump Tells Allies He Wants Absolved War Criminals to Campaign for HimSome of the same issues were present in Mali, where there was widespread alcohol use, partying, and prostitutes at the safehouse, according to sources familiar with the investigation. "It was like a frat house," one source said, when asked to describe what the safe house in Bamako was like. In response to the recent incidents, Rear Adm. Collin Green, head of Naval Special Warfare Command, sent a memo last year to his subordinate units declaring the whole SEAL community has a problem."Some of our subordinate formations have failed to maintain good order and discipline and as a result and for good reason, our NSW culture is being questioned," Green wrote in the July 2019 memo. "I don't know yet if we have a culture problem, I do know that we have a good order and discipline problem that must be addressed immediately."Gen. Richard Clarke, the head of Special Operations Command, ordered an ethics review last August following several high-profile incidents. He acknowledged in a memo to service members on Tuesday that "unacceptable conduct" had been allowed to occur as a result of "lack of leadership, discipline and accountability." The 71-page report summing up the ethics review warned of what Clarke described as an emphasis on "force employment and mission accomplishment over the routine activities that ensure leadership, accountability, and discipline."Chief Petty Officer Adam C. Matthews, who was in Mali doing an assessment of the mission there, testified in August he felt it was his duty to haze Melgar—on DeDolph's recommendation—to teach him a lesson after Melgar "ditched" the team in Mali's capital city of Bamako on his way to a party at the French embassy. Investigator of Green Beret's Murder Had Romantic Relationship With Witness, Lawyer SaysDeDolph, Matthews and two Marine Raiders—Gunnery Sgt. Mario Madera-Rodriguez and Staff Sgt. Kevin Maxwell—spent the rest of the night plotting to choke Melgar into unconsciousness, pull his pants down and videotape the incident and then show it to him later to embarrass him. When Melgar became unresponsive, Matthews and DeDolph tried to resuscitate Melgar with CPR and opened a hole in his throat. The SEALS with Sergeant First Class James Morris, Melgar's supervisor, then rushed Melgar to a French medical facility, where he was pronounced dead. At the clinic, DeDolph admitted to an embassy official he choked Melgar, according to NBC News and subsequent reports.Maxwell and Matthews have already pleaded guilty in exchange for plea agreements with prosecutors. Matthews, 33, pleaded guilty to hazing and assault charges and attempts to cover up what happened to Melgar. He was sentenced in May 2019 to one year in military prison. Maxwell, 29, was sentenced to four years of confinement after pleading guilty in connection with Melgar's death in June 2019.DeDolph and Madera-Rodriguez are the last of the four men who carried out the attack to stand trial. Both men are expected to face courts martial this spring. An exact date has not been selected, according to Navy officials.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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| Justices OK immediate Trump crackdown on immigrants' use of public benefits Posted: 28 Jan 2020 05:12 PM PST  The Supreme Court said Monday it will allow the Trump administration to begin enforcing a controversial new policy making it harder for low-income legal immigrants to obtain green cards or visas.
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| British officials: Tanker on fire in Gulf off Sharjah in UAE Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:00 AM PST ![British officials: Tanker on fire in Gulf off Sharjah in UAE]( "British officials: Tanker on fire in Gulf off Sharjah in UAE") The United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Operations said the fire struck the vessel northwest of Sharjah, an Emirati sheikhdom. Emirati officials said they were working to put out the blaze some 21 miles (34 kilometers) off the coast of Sharjah. The blaze comes amid heightened tensions in the region after the U.S. killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad and Iran fired ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops.
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| An emergency UK flight out of Wuhan has been canceled, leaving 200 Britons and their families stranded in quarantine Posted: 30 Jan 2020 02:30 AM PST  A total of 130 people had been screened for the Wuhan coronavirus in the UK. So far, there have been no confirmed cases.
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| Prowling Lions and Corrupt Officials Block Roads to Africa Trade Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:01 PM PST ![Prowling Lions and Corrupt Officials Block Roads to Africa Trade]( "Prowling Lions and Corrupt Officials Block Roads to Africa Trade") (Bloomberg Markets) -- Nyoni Nsukuzimbi drives his 40-ton Freightliner for just over half a day from Johannesburg to the Beitbridge border post with Zimbabwe. At the frontier town—little more than a gas station and a KFC—he sits in a line for two to three days, in temperatures reaching 104F, waiting for his documents to be processed.That's only the start of a journey Nsukuzimbi makes maybe twice a month. Driving 550 miles farther north gets him to the Chirundu border post on the Zambian frontier. There, starting at a bridge across the Zambezi River, trucks snake back miles into the bush. "There's no water, there's no toilets, there are lions," says the 40-year-old Zimbabwean. He leans out of the Freightliner's cab over the hot asphalt, wearing a white T-shirt and a weary expression. "It's terrible."By the time he gets his load of tiny plastic beads—the kind used in many manufacturing processes—to a factory on the outskirts of Zambia's capital, Lusaka, he's been on the road for as many as 10 days to traverse just 1,000 miles. Nsukuzimbi's trials are typical of truck drivers across Africa, where border bureaucracy, corrupt officials seeking bribes, and a myriad of regulations that vary from country to country have stymied attempts to boost intra-African trade.The continent's leaders say they're acting to change all that. Fifty-three of its 54 nations have signed up to join the QuicktakeAfrican Continental Free Trade Area; only Eritrea, which rivals North Korea in its isolation from the outside world, hasn't. The African Union-led agreement is designed to establish the world's biggest free-trade zone by area, encompassing a combined economy of $2.5 trillion and a market of 1.2 billion people. Agreed in May 2019, the pact is meant to take effect in July and be fully operational by 2030. "The AfCFTA," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his Oct. 7 weekly letter to the nation, "will be a game-changer, both for South Africa and the rest of the continent."It has to be if African economies are ever going to achieve their potential. Africa lags behind other regions in terms of internal trade, with intracontinental commerce accounting for only 15% of total trade, compared with 58% in Asia and more than 70% in Europe. As a result, supermarket shelves in cities such as Luanda, Angola, and Abidjan, Ivory Coast, are lined with goods imported from the countries that once colonized them, Portugal and France.By lowering or eliminating cross-border tariffs on 90% of African-produced goods, the new regulations are supposed to facilitate the movement of capital and people and create a liberalized market for services. "We haven't seen as much institutional will for a large African Union project before," says Kobi Annan, an analyst at Songhai Advisory in Ghana. "The time frame is a little ambitious, but we will get there."President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and other heads of state joined Ramaphosa in hailing the agreement, but a number of the businesspeople who are supposed to benefit from it are skeptical. "Many of these governments depend on that duty income. I don't see how that's ever going to disappear," says Tertius Carstens, the chief executive officer of Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., a South African maker of fruit juices and cereal that's being acquired by PepsiCo Inc. for about $1.7 billion. "Politically it sounds good; practically it's going to be a nightmare to implement, and I expect resistance."Under the rules, small countries such as Malawi, whose central government gets 7.7% of its revenue from taxes on international trade and transactions, will forgo much-needed income, at least initially. By contrast, relatively industrialized nations like Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa will benefit from the outset. "AfCFTA will require huge trade-offs from political leaders," says Ronak Gopaldas, a London-based director at Signal Risk, which advises companies in Africa. "They will need to think beyond short-term election cycles and sovereignty in policymaking."Taking those disparities into account, the AfCFTA may allow poorer countries such as Ethiopia 15 years to comply with the trade regime, whereas South Africa and other more developed nations must do so within five. To further soften the effects on weaker economies, Africa could follow the lead of the European Union, says Axel Pougin de La Maissoneuve, deputy head of the trade and private sector unit in the European Commission's Directorate General for Development and International Cooperation. The EU adopted a redistribution model to offset potential losses by Greece, Portugal, and other countries.There may be structural impediments to the AfCFTA's ambitions. Iron ore, oil, and other raw materials headed for markets such as China make up about half of the continent's exports. "African countries don't produce the goods that are demanded by consumers and businesses in other African countries," says Trudi Hartzenberg, executive director of the Tralac Trade Law Center in Stellenbosch, South Africa.Trust and tension over illicit activity are also obstacles. Beginning in August, Nigeria shut its land borders to halt a surge in the smuggling of rice and other foodstuffs. In September, South Africa drew continentwide opprobrium after a recurrence of the anti-immigrant riots that have periodically rocked the nation. This could hinder the AfCFTA's provisions for the free movement of people.Considering all of these roadblocks, a skeptic would be forgiven for giving the AfCFTA little chance of success. And yet there are already at least eight trade communities up and running on the continent. While these are mostly regional groupings, some countries belong to more than one bloc, creating overlap. The AfCFTA won't immediately replace these regional blocs; rather, it's designed to harmonize standards and rules, easing trade between them, and to eventually consolidate the smaller associations under the continentwide agreement.The benefits of the comprehensive agreement are plain to see. It could, for example, limit the sort of unilateral stumbling blocks Pioneer Foods' Carstens had to deal with in 2019: Zimbabwe insisted that all duties be paid in U.S. dollars; Ghana and Kenya demanded that shippers purchase special stickers from government officials to affix to all packaging to prevent smuggling.The African Export-Import Bank estimates intra-African trade could increase by 52% during the first year after the pact is implemented and more than double during the first decade. The AfCFTA represents a "new pan-Africanism" and is "a pragmatic realization" that African countries need to unite to achieve better deals with trading partners, says Carlos Lopes, the former executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and one of the architects of the agreement.From his closer-to-the-ground vantage point, Olisaemeka Anieze also sees possible benefits. He's relocating from South Africa, where he sold secondhand clothes, to his home country of Nigeria, where he wants to farm fish and possibly export them to neighboring countries. "God willing," he says, "if the free-trade agreement comes through, Africa can hold its own."In the meantime, there are those roads. About 80% of African trade travels over them, according to Tralac. The World Bank estimates the poor state of highways and other infrastructure cuts productivity by as much as 40%.If the AfCFTA can trim the red tape, at least driving the roads will be more bearable, says David Myende, 38, a South African trucker resting after crossing the border post into South Africa on the way back from delivering a load to the Zambian mining town of Ndola. "The trip is short, the borders are long," he says. "They're really long when you're laden, and customs officers can keep you waiting up to four or five days to clear your goods." —With Pauline Bax and René VollgraaffSguazzin is a senior writer and Naidoo is a reporter at Bloomberg News in Johannesburg. Latham covers government affairs in Harare.To contact the authors of this story: Antony Sguazzin in Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.netPrinesha Naidoo in Johannesburg at pnaidoo7@bloomberg.netBrian Latham in Sandton, Johannesburg at blatham@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Stryker McGuire at smcguire12@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Q4 GDP: US economy grows by a better than expected 2.1%, but personal consumption growth slows Posted: 30 Jan 2020 05:30 AM PST  The Bureau of Economic Analysis released the fourth-quarter U.S. GDP reported Thursday.
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| A Costco sample stand worker turned away a kid wearing a face mask because she thought he was 'from China' and could give her coronavirus Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:41 PM PST  "One thing that is in the back of my mind is that someone Asian is being judged in public right now," Cabanilla said.
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| So Long, Spitzer, You Were a Good Telescope and Friend Posted: 30 Jan 2020 07:41 AM PST |
| Michael Flynn now claims he was pressured into saying he lied to the FBI Posted: 29 Jan 2020 04:35 PM PST  Michael Flynn, President Trump's first national security adviser, is now telling a court he lied about lying.In 2017, Flynn admitted to lying to the FBI about the nature of his conversations with then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak. Flynn briefly cooperated with federal prosecutors, but then fired his legal team and hired new attorneys who accused prosecutors of misconduct. His lawyers are now trying to get the charges against Flynn dismissed, and in a new legal filing submitted Wednesday, Flynn said he only pleaded guilty because he was being pressured by his previous legal team and prosecutors."In truth, I never lied," he said. "My guilty plea has rankled me throughout this process and while I allowed myself to succumb to the threats from the government to save my family, I believe that I was grossly misled about what really happened."Earlier this month, prosecutors recommended he serve up to six months in prison, after originally recommending leniency. On Wednesday, prosecutors wrote in a filing that should the judge reject Flynn's plea withdrawal, the government would accept him being sentenced to probation. Flynn is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27.More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi 7 witheringly funny cartoons about the GOP's John Bolton problem
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| Yemen's Houthis say they fired at Aramco, other Saudi targets Posted: 29 Jan 2020 05:36 AM PST ![Yemen's Houthis say they fired at Aramco, other Saudi targets]( "Yemen's Houthis say they fired at Aramco, other Saudi targets") Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Wednesday it had fired rocket and drone strikes at Saudi targets including Aramco oil facilities, the group's first claim of such attacks since it offered to halt them four months ago. Few details were given of the precise nature and timing of the attacks, and there was no immediate confirmation from the Saudi authorities of any strikes. In comments reported by Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria said more than 15 "operations" had been carried out in the past week inside Saudi Arabia in retaliation for an escalation in air strikes.
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| Doorbell Cam Captures Chilling Audio of Kobe Bryant’s Crash Posted: 29 Jan 2020 08:48 AM PST  Chilling audio of Kobe Bryant's helicopter coming down in California was captured by a doorbell cam. Local resident Ronna Leavitt has provided the 43-second clip to investigators in which the Sikorsky S-76B chopper can be heard flying above her housing complex in Calabasas before it crashes with a thud into the surrounding hillside and the recording falls silent. Leavitt told ABC7 that the helicopter had flown above her housing complex and performed a U-turn before it crashed into the hillside, killing Bryant and eight others, including his daughter Gianna.Meanwhile, crash investigators have said that the chopper did not have a terrain awareness and warning system that could have provided critical information to the pilot about the mountainous area.The Federal Aviation Administration recommends the equipment on new choppers, and The Wall Street Journal quoted industry estimates of retrofitting the system at between $25,000 and $40,000. The helicopter was also not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder, according to reports.Federal investigators said the helicopter lost communications with air-traffic controllers when it climbed to 2,300 feet as the pilot attempted to avoid a cloud layer. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said the helicopter then began a descending left turn and crashed into the hills of Calabasas at roughly 1,085 feet above sea level. The chopper was descending at more than 2,000 feet a minute in the moments before impact."Preliminary information is that the helicopter was in one piece when it impacted the terrain," a spokesperson told the Journal. "This is a pretty steep descent at high speed."Bill English, an investigator-in-charge with the NTSB, said, "It's important to realize that there's not one hill. It's a ravine with undulating terrain, so the small outcropping that had the main impact in it, the main impact was about 20 to 30 feet from the top of that small hill. But there are actually other higher hills surrounding it."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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| 2 sickened by cleaning solution in drinks at Nebraska bar Posted: 30 Jan 2020 06:47 AM PST ![2 sickened by cleaning solution in drinks at Nebraska bar]( "2 sickened by cleaning solution in drinks at Nebraska bar") Two customers at a movie theater bar in Nebraska were treated at a hospital after they were served cleaning solution in their drinks apparently by accident. The women, ages 45 and 51, took sips and soon began to feel burning sensations in their throats and stomachs Tuesday at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in the Omaha suburb of La Vista, said La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten. A server experienced similar symptoms after tasting the drinks and was treated at a hospital as well.
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| Biden Says He's Getting Old—So His VP Should Be 'Capable of Immediately Being a President' Posted: 29 Jan 2020 05:03 AM PST  'I'm an old guy,' Biden admitted.
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| GOP Rep. Doug Collins launched a Senate bid and the Republican Party was not thrilled Posted: 29 Jan 2020 11:41 AM PST  Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., announced his Senate bid Wednesday, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee was far from pleased.
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| 11 Beautiful Examples of When Historic and Modern Architecture Come Together Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:50 AM PST |
| Trump impeachment: Key GOP senators show some cards as questioning starts Posted: 29 Jan 2020 11:39 AM PST  Senators – including three key Republicans – began peppering House Democrats and Donald Trump's legal team with question in his impeachment trial about the president's motives towards Ukraine and the bar the prosecution's case must clear to remove him from office.The three GOP politicians, who will have a major say in the shape of the trial, after another day of questioning showed some of their cards right off the bat, with one of Mr Trump's attorneys telling them the premise of their query should lead them to acquit the president.
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| Man convicted of trying to steal 1215 Magna Carta from UK cathedral Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:27 AM PST  A man who tried steal an original copy of the 1215 Magna Carta, considered to be one of the most important documents in the history of democracy, from an English cathedral was found guilty on Thursday of criminal damage and attempted theft. Mark Royden, 47, had denied smashing a glass box housing the priceless manuscript in Salisbury cathedral in southern England in 2018. Salisbury Crown Court heard he had set off a fire alarm in the cathedral cloisters before stunning visitors by hitting the glass case with a hammer, causing three holes in it and damage estimated at 14,000 pounds ($18,400).
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| Remain in Mexico: 80% of migrants in Trump policy are victims of violence Posted: 29 Jan 2020 03:51 PM PST  Asylum seekers sent to Mexico to wait US court hearings under Trump scheme routinely targeted for abduction, survey findsA staggering 80% of asylum seekers sent to Mexico to await US court hearings report being victims of violence, according a survey by Doctors Without Borders (MSF).In one month – September – three-quarters of asylum seekers seen by MSF physicians in Nuevo Laredo reported having been kidnapped for ransom, according to the figures released on Wednesday.Some 44% of MSF patients also reported having been victims of violence in the week leading up to their consultations.Wednesday marked the first anniversary of a scheme officially known as Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), under which migrants seeking asylum in the United States are sent to Mexico to wait as their cases wind their way through US courts.Under the scheme, also known as "remain in Mexico", more than 57,000 non-Mexican asylum seekers have been sent to wait in cities along the border – many of which have been plagued by drug-war violence for years.Migrants – who stand out because of their appearance and accents – are routinely targeted for abduction outside migration offices and bus terminals, and held until relatives back home wire ransom payments to the kidnappers."The US continues to send asylum seekers back into danger and into the hands of the cartels that control the migration routes in Mexico," said Sergio Martín, MSF general coordinator in Mexico."The Mexican government lacks the ability to provide the most minimum of conditions for thousands of people who are being sent to its territory," he said.Migrants are at risk along the entire border, "but mainly in places like Nuevo Laredo, where there is serious violence – and migrants are 'merchandise' for organised crime," Martín said.Nuevo Laredo is considered so insecure that the US government has issued a Level 4: "Do not travel" alert to its citizens for the city and surrounding state of Tamaulipas – the same as war-torn countries like Syria and Afghanistan.The Cartel del Noreste – an offshoot of the blood thirsty Zetas cartel – "operates a sophisticated kidnapping business that targets asylum seekers – many of whom are women and children – who enter the city," said Stephanie Leutert, director of the Mexico Security Initiative at the Strauss Center at the University of Texas."The kidnappers charge several thousand dollars for each kidnapped asylum seeker and operate with almost complete impunity."The Mexican government promised to provide asylum seekers with shelter, work permits and access to health services, but observers say many of the migrants have been left to fend for themselves.On Wednesday, the US department of homeland security announced that the scheme would be expanded to include Brazilians. Brazilian arrivals at the border have tripled in the past year.
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| Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma, China's richest man, pledged $14.5 million to fight the coronavirus Posted: 30 Jan 2020 03:58 AM PST  The money will be donated through Ma's charitable foundation, which will use it to help medical research efforts and disease prevention.
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| EU: Russia, China use 'digital war' to undermine democracies Posted: 30 Jan 2020 06:01 AM PST ![EU: Russia, China use 'digital war' to undermine democracies]( "EU: Russia, China use 'digital war' to undermine democracies") Russia and China are waging a "digital war" with fake news and disinformation to undermine democracy in Europe, and the European Union must develop tools to fight back, a top EU official said Thursday. European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova, who leads efforts to preserve democratic principles across the bloc, said the two countries have "weaponized information" and won't back down until Europe stands up to them. "There are specific external actors, namely Russia and increasingly China, that are actively using disinformation and related interference tactics to undermine European democracy," Jourova told a conference of disinformation experts and policymakers in Brussels.
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| These 5 Submarines Could Destroy The World In 30 Minutes Posted: 28 Jan 2020 05:30 PM PST  And there isn't any way to stop them.
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| Boris Johnson Plans Law for Control of U.K. Fisheries After Brexit Posted: 28 Jan 2020 04:01 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. Boris Johnson's government plans to reclaim control over British fisheries with a law allowing the U.K. to decide who can fish in its waters and on what terms.The legislation to be published Wednesday will end current automatic rights for European Union vessels to fish in British waters, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in an emailed statement. Under the proposal, the U.K. will leave the EU's Common Fisheries Policy at the end of December -- after an 11-month post-Brexit implementation period has ended."This new Fisheries Bill takes back control of our waters, enabling the U.K. to create a sustainable, profitable fishing industry for our coastal communities, whilst securing the long term health of British fisheries," Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said. "Leaving the EU's failed Common Fisheries Policy is one of the most important benefits of Brexit. It means we can create a fairer system which will allow marine habitats to thrive, with new powers to support our fishing sector."Fisheries are shaping up to be one of the flash points of the U.K.'s forthcoming talks to shape its future relationship with the European Union: currently EU vessels catch more fish in British waters than British vessels do, and the EU has said any trade deal it strikes with the U.K. must be underpinned by a fisheries agreement. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Monday suggested that if the U.K. wants access to EU markets for its financial services, it might have to allow EU fishermen to trawl British waters.Read more - What Brexit Will and Won't Change on Jan. 31: QuickTake"What happens in these things is trade-offs, you know, for example, the United Kingdom has a very strong position on fisheries," he told the BBC. "You may have to make concessions in areas like fishing in order for us, in order to get concessions from us in areas like financial services."The U.K.'s fishing industry has been in decline for decades and is relatively small -- with a catch valued at just under 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) a year. At the same time, it was championed by Brexiteers during the 2016 referendum on EU membership, and some of the areas that voted most strongly to leave the EU were coastal towns once known for their fishing fleets. One of the most bizarre moments of the referendum campaign saw U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage and rock star Bob Geldof trade insults from rival flotillas along London's River Thames.The legislation to be published Wednesday will include the following provisions:EU vessels' automatic right to fish in U.K. waters will end.Foreign boats will need U.K. licenses and will have to follow British rules.Plans will be made for every fish stock to ensure sustainable fishing.The U.K. will take into account climate change impacts on its fisheries.Fisheries plans will recognize that many fish stocks are "shared stocks" requiring negotiation with other coastal states to ensure sustainable catches.To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| A woman who had embryos frozen before cancer treatment is barred from using them since she got divorced Posted: 28 Jan 2020 10:22 AM PST  An Arizona court ruled that because the ex-husband does not want his ex-wife to have his biological children, the embryos must be donated.
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| Trump, trying to head off testimony, says Bolton would have started 'World War Six' Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:37 AM PST  As pressure mounts on senators to allow John Bolton's testimony in President Trump's impeachment trial, the president used Twitter to trash his former national security adviser.
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| No hot meals, blankets, magazines as airlines step up fight on virus Posted: 28 Jan 2020 11:07 PM PST  Passengers on some flights to China will have to make do without hot meals, blankets and newspapers, as airlines step up measures to protect crew and travellers from a new virus that has killed more than 130 in the country. Seeking to contain the spread of the coronavirus by reducing personal contact, Taiwan's China Airlines said it was encouraging passengers to bring their own drinks bottles and would limit re-usable items by replacing them with disposables. The airline and its regional arm Mandarin Airlines stopped from Monday serving hot meals and have replaced tablecloths and napkins with paper towels on cross-strait and Hong Kong flights.
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| GOP wins handily a closely watched Texas special election Posted: 29 Jan 2020 11:36 AM PST  Republicans won handily a closely watched special election Tuesday to keep hold of a suburban Houston district that President Trump won easily four years ago, fending off a national blitz by Democrats in a Texas legislative race.
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| The Wuhan coronavirus has officially spread to every region in China Posted: 30 Jan 2020 02:57 AM PST  Health officials have confirmed a case of the coronavirus in the frontier region of Tibet — the last of China's 34 regions to see an infection.
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| White supremacist appeals death penalty in church massacre Posted: 28 Jan 2020 02:56 PM PST ![White supremacist appeals death penalty in church massacre]( "White supremacist appeals death penalty in church massacre") White supremacist Dylann Roof on Tuesday appealed his federal convictions and death sentence in the 2015 massacre of nine black church members in South Carolina, arguing that he was mentally ill when he represented himself at his capital trial. In a 321-page legal brief filed with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Roof's lawyers ask the court to review 20 issues, including errors they say were made by the judge and prosecutors that "tainted" his sentencing. Roof's appellate lawyers said Roof had been diagnosed with "schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, autism, anxiety, and depression," but that he "jettisoned" his experienced trial attorneys to stop them from preventing evidence of his mental illness to jurors.
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| This Picture Is North Korea, China, Iran and Russia's Worst Military Nightmare Posted: 28 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST  Imagine 52 F-35s coming at you.
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| Mexican butterfly activist found dead Posted: 30 Jan 2020 01:24 AM PST  The body of an environmental activist who fought to protect the famed monarch butterfly has been found in a well two weeks after he went missing, officials say.Homero Gomez Gonzalez, 50, was reported missing on 14 January amid fears he had been targeted by criminal gangs and illegal loggers in the central Mexican state of Michoacan.
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| Mistrust Hampers Hong Kong’s Battle to Hold Back China Virus Posted: 29 Jan 2020 05:16 PM PST ![Mistrust Hampers Hong Kong's Battle to Hold Back China Virus]( "Mistrust Hampers Hong Kong's Battle to Hold Back China Virus") (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong was always going to face a huge challenge holding back a disease outbreak raging in mainland China. Deep mistrust built up over seven months of protests in the city is making that task even harder.As new cases of a deadly new corona virus mounted this week, Chief Executive Carrie Lam was forced to cancel plans to turn a newly built housing estate into a quarantine facility after protesters set fire to the lobby. She's denied rumors that the government was blocking shipments of surgical masks and found her efforts to dramatically curtail visits by mainlanders panned by health workers, as well as lawmakers.The outbreak left Lam facing a strikingly similar situation to one of her predecessors, Tung Chee-hwa, who in 2003 found himself grappling with an uprising against China-backed national security legislation and an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome that ended up killing almost 300 people in Hong Kong. Tung later resigned -- something Lam has so far refused to do, despite having even lower poll numbers.The current coronavirus scare threatens to erode what little support Lam has, as people worried about their safety join activists seeking more political freedom in the former British colony. Health sector employees and medical professionals say they have enrolled 15,000 people in a union and are threatening to strike Monday, unless the government meets demands including suspending all entries via the mainland."What made our medical staff angry was that the government is not doing enough to prevent the virus from spreading and we could die because of that," said Ivan Law, vice chairman of the union, the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance. "It's our job to look after patients. We're letting the government know that they have their job to protect Hong Kong people."As of Wednesday, Hong Kong had confirmed at least 10 cases of the new strain of coronavirus first identified last month in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. That's compared with more than 7,700 on the mainland as of Thursday morning -- a number exceeding the reported cases during the SARS epidemic -- while at least 170 people have died from the disease.Hong Kong's case tally is expected to rise. More than 50 million mainland residents visited last year, thanks to a series of programs and projects backed by the Communist Party in Beijing, such as a bridge to neighboring Zhuhai and the former Portuguese colony of Macau, including several initiated after the SARS outbreak.The virus scare has thrown Hong Kong back into a state of siege, just as the pitched battles between police and protesters that gripped the Asian financial center for much of last year began to calm down. Bankers and other office workers have been ordered to work from home while residents strip food from grocery store shelves and line up for scarce supplies of face masks and hand sanitizer.The mask shortage has prompted unflattering comparisons between Hong Kong and Macau, which said it had secured 20 million masks for its population of fewer than 700,000 people. The world's largest gaming hub also acted more quickly to curb travelers from Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province.Hong Kong's government said in a statement Thursday that a sufficient supply of equipment for health protection was of "paramount importance" and that it was working "proactively" to increase the supply of masks, including sourcing them globally. Still, it cautioned that the supply of available surgical masks would be tight for the near future.Even lawmakers from Hong Kong's largest pro-Beijing party broke ranks with Lam, advocating during a meeting Tuesday to seal off the border, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported. They also urged the government to release the number of Hong Kong visitors from Hubei.'Last Nail'Lam pushed back against the idea of a total border closure at a news conference to announce the measures. "If we close the border and do not let anyone coming in and out of Hong Kong, the impact will be far-reaching," she said Tuesday, without elaborating."What the Hong Kong government has done is to allow political considerations to prevail over scientific data," said Alan Leong, a former leader of the opposition Civic Party who ran for chief executive in 2007. "This is inexcusable -- the last nail on Carrie Lam's coffin."Even before the outbreak, Lam's approval rating hovered near record lows. Residents pegged her performance at 21.5 on a 100-point scale, compared with a low of 36.2 for Tung, according to a Hong Kong Public Opinion Program survey released earlier this month."The only consideration of the HKSAR Government in dealing with the novel coronavirus infection is public health -- public health underpinned by very strong scientific and expert advice. There is no other factor involved," a government spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement from Lam's office late Wednesday.Economic WoesSeven months of anti-government protests triggered by Lam's unsuccessful efforts to pass a law allowing extraditions to the mainland have already pushed Hong Kong's economy into recession. The outbreak is likely to deal a further blow to the all-important retail sales and tourism from mainland visitors. The benchmark Heng Seng Index is flirting with a 15-month low.The crisis reminded many in the city of the SARS outbreak, which battered the city's massive property market and helped fuel suspicion of encroachment by mainland Chinese. Back then, the government's solution to Hong Kong's economic woes was to open Hong Kong up to individual travelers from the mainland, a move that Beijing's critics have long seen as part of effort to erode the local identity.Now, Lam is battling against the perception that she's putting those visits over residents' safety."Hong Kong people fear Carrie Lam doesn't have the health of the people as her top priority, but rather political considerations and the wishes of her masters in China," said Emily Lau, a former leader of the Democratic Party who served on the Legislative Council for more than two decades. "During the SARS outbreak in 2003, hundreds of people died and the level of trust in the government was low, but now the confidence and trust in Carrie Lam's government is zero."(Updates with statement from Carrie Lam's office in 15th paragraph)\--With assistance from Fion Li, Kiuyan Wong, Lulu Yilun Chen, Natalie Lung and Rebecca Choong Wilkins.To contact the reporters on this story: Alfred Liu in Hong Kong at aliu226@bloomberg.net;Shelly Banjo in Hong Kong at sbanjo@bloomberg.net;Annie Lee in Hong Kong at olee42@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Clinton Refuses to be Served Tulsi Gabbard’s Defamation Lawsuit Posted: 30 Jan 2020 06:02 AM PST  Hillary Clinton has twice refused to see a process server attempting to convey Representative Tulsi Gabbard's (D., Hawaii) defamation lawsuit against her, Gabbard's lawyer told the New York Post on Wednesday."I find it rather unbelievable that Hillary Clinton is so intimidated by Tulsi Gabbard that she won't accept service of process," attorney Brian Dunne said. "But I guess here we are."According to Dunne, the server first visited Clinton's home in Westchester, N.Y. to deliver the lawsuit but was refused entry by secret service agents. The agents told the server to contact Clinton lawyer David Kendall, but Kendall told the server on Wednesday that he would be unable to accept the lawsuit for the former presidential candidate.Clinton had suggested in an October podcast that Gabbard was being "groomed" by Russia to run for president, and further termed the congresswoman "the favorite of the Russians." In response, Gabbard sued Clinton for defamation. on January 22."If Hillary Clinton and her allies can successfully destroy my reputation — even though I'm a war veteran and a sitting member of Congress — then they can do it to anybody," Gabbard wrote in a statement announcing the lawsuit. "I will not allow this blatant effort to intimidate me and other patriotic Americans into silence go unchallenged."Gabbard is in the midst of a long-shot presidential bid. She is currently polling at leass than one percent nationally, according to a RealClearPolitics average. In October, Gabbard said she would not run for reelection to Congress and was "fully committed" to her presidential bid.
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| Giuliani Swipes Back at John Bolton: He’s a Swamp Character, Backstabber, and an Atomic Bomb Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:58 AM PST  Rudy Giuliani has launched an unhinged attack on John Bolton, calling the former national security adviser a "backstabber" and a "swamp character" for turning on President Trump and publicly accusing him of tying the hold on military aid for Ukraine to an investigation of the Biden family.Bolton has become Trumpworld's public enemy No. 1 after it was revealed, in a leaked excerpt of his book first reported by The New York Times, that he alleges the president personally told him that he wanted to continue to withhold nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine until officials there pursued investigations into his political rivals.Giuliani has admitted investigating, on Trump's direction, unfounded corruption allegations against the Bidens. But, in a CBS News interview broadcast Wednesday morning, Trump's personal attorney insisted he never once discussed Ukrainian military aid with the president, and said Bolton never confronted him about his controversial work in Ukraine."[Bolton] never said to me, 'I've got a problem with what you are doing in Ukraine,'" said Giuliani. "Never once, never winked, never sent me a little note... That's classic backstabber. So I feel I got a swamp character here. I find his testimony about the president pretty close to incredible."The beef between Giuliani and Bolton is long-standing. During congressional testimony in November, former White House aide Fiona Hill claimed Bolton often complained to his colleagues about Giuliani's work, and his alleged efforts to force out then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Hill testified that Bolton compared Giuliani to "a hand grenade that was going to blow everyone up."Top Ukraine Official: I Trusted Bolton More Than AnyoneIn the CBS News interview, Giuliani criticized Bolton for not bringing up his problems in person, responding: "If he came up to me and said, 'Rudy, you're a grenade that'll blow up,' and he shows his face, I would say: 'I would never have the opportunity, 'cause you're an atomic bomb.'"Giuliani went on to say that he first found out about the hold on Ukraine's aid from media reports, claiming that the president never told him directly that he wanted to withhold aid to win a Biden investigation. "Never ever discussed military aid with the president, with regard to Ukraine," he said.Giuliani reportedly added that would be happy to testify in the Senate impeachment trial— if he gets clearance from the White House.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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| A woman says she and her daughters were moved from business class on Thai Airways because they were 'too big' Posted: 29 Jan 2020 04:22 AM PST  Huhana Iripa said she and her daughters were forced to sit in economy on a flight from Bangkok to Auckland after paying for seats in business class.
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| 'Health insurance is great, but groceries are necessary too': Dave Chappelle champions Andrew Yang's Universal Basic Income at Iowa appearance Posted: 29 Jan 2020 08:32 AM PST  Chappelle was traveling in Iowa to express support for Yang's "Freedom Dividend" plan as a method of restoring choice in people's lives.
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| Husband accused of killing Jennifer Dulos in dire condition Posted: 29 Jan 2020 06:30 AM PST  Fotis Dulos, who had been facing the threat of having his bond revoked, was taken to a New York hospital for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning after being found unresponsive Tuesday inside a vehicle in the garage of his house in suburban Hartford. "Candidly, his medical condition is dire," defense attorney Norm Pattis told reporters after a court hearing Wednesday in Stamford related to the bond for Dulos. Connecticut State Police detectives went to the home in Farmington on Wednesday afternoon with a search warrant.
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| This Picture Might Be How China Starts World War III Posted: 30 Jan 2020 02:51 AM PST  A barrage of anti-ship missiles moving at Mach 20?
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| Iraq says joint operations with US-led coalition resume Posted: 30 Jan 2020 09:33 AM PST ![Iraq says joint operations with US-led coalition resume]( "Iraq says joint operations with US-led coalition resume") Joint military operations with the U.S.-led coalition to counter the Islamic State group have resumed after a nearly three-week pause, an Iraqi military statement said Thursday. The pause came amid heightened tensions after a Washington-led airstrike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. The statement said joint operations had resumed in light of the continued threat posed by IS.
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| Medicare for All Could Grow Economy -- Or Cause Financial Havoc Posted: 29 Jan 2020 09:01 PM PST ![Medicare for All Could Grow Economy -- Or Cause Financial Havoc]( "Medicare for All Could Grow Economy -- Or Cause Financial Havoc") (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' Medicare-for-All plan could expand the economy or shrink it by nearly a quarter -- it all depends on how it is paid for, according to new analysis.If Sanders were to fund his universal health plan with premiums individuals pay to the government, the economy could grow by about 0.2% by 2060, according to estimates from the Penn Wharton Budget Model. Cut out dental and long-term care from the services covered and that figure increases to 12% gross domestic product growth thanks to overhead savings.But, lawmakers beware: Medicare for All financing could also result in a decidedly different economic future. Paying for the program with a payroll tax increase could decrease GDP by 15% by 2060, the report said. If Congress didn't come up with any offsets and financed the spending with debt, economic growth would contract by 24% over the next four decades.In all likelihood Sanders, or any Democrat pushing for universal health care, is likely to make more than just a single change to the tax code to finance it. But the calculations demonstrate that the funding source can have significant consequences on how the economy reacts.A premium-based funding stream is more predictable because people can't avoid paying when they stop working, for example.The spread is one of the widest that Kent Smetters, faculty director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, said he has ever modeled."The choices that you make now can seem subtle, but they can have dramatic long-term impacts," he said. "Normally, we get excited about a quarter of a percent change to GDP."This presents a predicament -- and a warning -- for Sanders, who has so far been relatively quiet about how he plans to pay for universal health care. The premium-based funding is relatively unprogressive because everyone pays a similar amount. And some of the tax-the-rich funding mechanisms that Sanders has floated -- such as a wealth tax and tax hikes on the wealthy -- could have even more adverse effects than a payroll tax, Smetters said.The budget model assumes that there would be subsidies for low-income individuals who couldn't afford the premiums, but most middle income people and high earners would pay the same fee for health care under a premium system.Sanders has espoused universal health care for years, but hasn't ever outlined a specific plan to pay for it. He released a list of options in 2017 that included several tax hikes, such as a wealth tax, income tax rate increases and premiums split by employees and employers.The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimated that under premium financing, each worker would pay the same fee, regradless of health status, age or wage. Workers who couldn't afford the premiums would have those costs absorbed by Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.Using payroll tax financing, the modelers assumed the tax rate does not depend on age or health risk profile. It's naturally progressive because higher-income workers would pay more in taxes than those earning less.One thing didn't change based on the financing source: health improvements were almost the same under all the options. Those include an increased life expectancy of about two years and a 3% larger population.(Disclaimer: Michael Bloomberg is also seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)To contact the reporter on this story: Laura Davison in Washington at ldavison4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Max Berley, Magan CraneFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 'Getting a little squirrely': Americans stuck in Wuhan are bored, hungry for coronavirus info Posted: 29 Jan 2020 02:44 PM PST  Amid the coronavirus outbreak, hundreds of Americans were unable to secure a seat on a flight out of Wuhan or chose to stay behind with family.
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| 'Game over!' Trump likely to be acquitted as impeachment trial draws to a close Posted: 30 Jan 2020 06:11 AM PST  After all that, it all could be over sometime on Friday.Donald Trump appears to be on a metaphorical bullet train to acquittal on charges of abusing the power of the presidency and unjustly stonewalling Congress. And one of his once most unlikely of allies, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is the conductor.
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| Aiming to go green, German cabinet backs coal exit by 2038 Posted: 29 Jan 2020 01:36 AM PST  The German cabinet on Wednesday backed plans to exit coal as an energy source by 2038 as part of efforts by Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition to protect the climate and restore its green credentials. The government is spurring a shift toward renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power with exits from nuclear power by 2022 and coal-fueled power sources by 2038. "This is not just an exit from coal, it's an entry into renewable energy," Environment Minister Svenja Schulze told reporters.
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| Mayor banned from Trump rally after asking campaign to cover costs of event: Report Posted: 30 Jan 2020 04:18 AM PST  President Trump's "Keep America Great" rally on Tuesday for his 2020 reelection bid welcomed thousands of people to a seaside town in New Jersey — except for the city's mayor.
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