| Anatomy of a debacle: Biden supporters saw it coming, and it came Posted: 12 Feb 2020 08:00 AM PST  More than a dozen volunteers in New Hampshire told Yahoo News they didn't expect the former vice president to win the primary. Some hoped for second place or at least third. Instead, the onetime frontrunner of the Democratic primary captured less than 9% of the vote. He was fourth in Iowa, now fifth in New Hampshire.
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| Trump says John Kelly has a 'military and legal obligation' to 'keep his mouth shut' Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:17 AM PST  The president criticized John Kelly after remarks from his former chief of staff at an event Wednesday night questioned a number of Trump's decisions.
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| YouTube Removes Clip of Rand Paul Speaking on Senate Floor, Citing Concern He Named Ukraine Whistleblower Posted: 13 Feb 2020 05:08 AM PST  YouTube removed a clip of Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.) speaking on the Senate floor, in which he asked why Chief Justice John Roberts had blocked a question of his, which some have speculated contained the name of the Ukraine whistleblower.Paul told Politico Playbook that the tech platform's decision was "dangerous and politically biased," and denied knowing who the whistleblower was. "Nowhere in my speech did I accuse anyone of being a whistleblower," he stated."It is a chilling and disturbing day in America when giant web companies such as YouTube decide to [censor] speech. Now, even protected speech, such as that of a senator on the Senate floor, can be blocked from getting to the American people," Paul added.YouTube told Politico that the decision was part of a larger effort to purge the name from the platform, and said that the company had already deleted "hundreds of videos and over ten thousand comments that contained the name.""Videos, comments, and other forms of content that mention the leaked whistleblower's name violate YouTube's Community Guidelines and will be removed from YouTube," YouTube spokeswoman Ivy Choi said. She added that uploaders had "the option" to edit the name out of their footage and re-upload.After Roberts — who was tasked with reading aloud questions submitted by senators during the impeachment trial — refused to read Paul's question on January 29, Paul submitted a second question the next day, and left the trial to hold an impromptu press conference after Roberts blocked the question a second time."It's very important whether or not a group of Democratic activists part of the Obama, Biden administration were working together for years looking for an opportunity to impeach the president," Paul said, claiming his question had nothing to do with the whistleblower.> Sen. @RandPaul: "It's very important whether or not a group of Democratic activists part of the Obama, Biden administration were working together for years looking for an opportunity to impeach the president." https://t.co/e0kl6NUKFH pic.twitter.com/TAnetrmc40> > -- The Hill (@thehill) January 30, 2020"I'm the biggest defender of the whistleblower statutes," Paul added, but argued that Democrats "shouldn't be able to use statutes to somehow make a whole part of the discussion over this impeachment go away."
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| Mexico says number of migrants in 'Remain in Mexico' program drops sharply Posted: 12 Feb 2020 08:46 AM PST  Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Wednesday that the number of migrants awaiting the outcome of their U.S. immigration cases in Mexico has fallen from 50,000 to about 2,500.
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| U.S. Denies Flynn’s Claim of ‘Egregious Misconduct’ in Prosecution Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:58 PM PST |
| Latinos gave over $23M in 2019 to Democrats in presidential race Posted: 13 Feb 2020 05:32 AM PST  The lion's share, $8.3 million, went to Bernie Sanders, who leads in Latino contributions in almost every state and city.
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| Attorney general says Oklahoma to resume executions Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:36 AM PST |
| Taiwan mulls countermeasures if Philippines doesn't lift entry ban Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:15 PM PST  Taiwan is considering countermeasures if the Philippines does not lift a ban on Taiwanese citizens visiting the country over fears about the coronavirus, the island's foreign ministry said on Thursday.
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| Trump attacks Roger Stone juror — and the Justice Department — on Twitter Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:50 AM PST  President Trump is continuing to involve himself in the Roger Stone case, on Thursday going after a specific juror for alleged bias.Trump, who earlier this week slammed the sentencing recommendation for his longtime adviser only for the Justice Department to change course, in a Thursday tweet suggested the forewoman in the jury that found Stone guilty "had significant bias." He also attacked the Justice Department, sarcastically placing the word "justice" in quotes.> Now it looks like the fore person in the jury, in the Roger Stone case, had significant bias. Add that to everything else, and this is not looking good for the "Justice" Department. @foxandfriends @FoxNews> > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2020Trump's tweet came after Fox News reported on social media activity from juror Tomeka Hart, who ran for Congress as a Democrat in 2012, that Fox wrote "suggested a strong political bias" against President Trump, such as a tweet in which she reportedly described Trump and his supporters as "racist." In a Fox & Friends segment Thursday morning, Fox News' Andrew Napolitano argued Stone is "absolutely entitled to a new trial.""She's entitled to whatever opinions she wants, and she can put whatever she wants on social media, but she can't be a juror in a trial rife with the politics of Donald Trump and Roger Stone," Napolitano also said.Earlier this week, all four prosecutors in the case quit after the Justice Department reversed its sentencing recommendation for Stone, which Trump blasted on Twitter. Trump later congratulated Attorney General William Barr for "taking charge" of the case. The House Judiciary Committee cited these events in a letter to Barr on Wednesday setting testimony for next month, saying they "raise grave questions about your leadership."More stories from theweek.com Hope Hicks is returning to the White House A Bernie Sanders presidency would be remarkably familiar In Twitter rampage, Trump attacks federal judge set to sentence Roger Stone
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| Deadly clash in Syria a vivid reminder of US troops' ill-defined mission Posted: 13 Feb 2020 06:19 AM PST  Since Trump abruptly ended his pact with the Kurds, the US presence in the country's north-east has been stuck in a quagmireAmerican battle trucks stuck in the mud, besieged by angry Kurdish villagers, and the Russian army trying to mediate their escape. After more than five years fighting Isis in northern Syria, it wasn't supposed to end like this.But for US military officials, the scene near the city of Qamishli was a stark reminder of the incongruous end to the war against the terror group and partnership with the ally that had helped them prevail.One man was killed and another injured in the confused incident, which started when a US patrol came under attack near a checkpoint manned by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday.MapIt was a rare direct clash between US and Syrian government forces, but ever since Donald Trump abruptly ended Washington's pact with the Kurds last October, what remains of the US presence in north-eastern Syria has had a difficult time.Without a clearly defined mission of its own, after exposing their allies to an attack from the Turks, and yielding control of the province to the Russians, US troops have more or less stayed out of the fray in the eastern deserts – where oilfields, not the menace of global terror, have become their new reason for staying.When US convoys do come to town, even to once-friendly strongholds like Qamishli, a warm welcome is no longer assured. As armoured columns left the city in October, they were pelted with rocks and fruit. The bases they had occupied in the grinding fight against extremists were taken over by Russian forces within hours of their departure, and the Kurdish leaders who had counted on their patronage found themselves dealing with new sheriffs.Five months since the US pullout, Rojava, as the province is known in northern Syria, has settled into a new routine. The power politics of the US presence has been replaced by a different way of doing things. To some Kurdish officials, the conflict in the north-east has become more of a microcosm of the broader Syrian war than ever; an ascendant Russia, an uninterested US, Syrian loyalists looking for leverage – and the local Kurds caught between the competing ambitions of Ankara and Moscow.With little to offer any more, a US convoy was always likely to face a cold reception – especially if it wandered into a village that had remained avowedly loyal to the Syrian central government throughout the civil war.The hamlet of Khirbet Ammu, just east of Qamishli, was one such place; Syrian flags at its entrance displaying the area's fealty. The Arab village, along with a network of nearby roads and the city's airport, had remained a no-go zone for opponents of Bashar al-Assad. Even neighbouring Kurds are hesitant to enter without good reason.Roads in and around Khirbet Ammu are controlled by Russian and Syrian forces and navigating them has become a fraught proposition.Video from the scene shows US troops surrounded by angry locals, shouting: "What do you want from our country? What is your business here?" Replying in English, a soldier tells the shouting man: "Back off!"Other clips show men firing AK-47 rifles and other small arms.American military officials describe the mission as a "routine patrol" and say they were forced to fire on villagers in self-defence.> This video shows the chaos &shooting at a Syrian checkpoint after an American army convoy arrived in a village near Qamishli. > > In vid, you can see Syrian armed men firing at US vehicles but not clear if U.S. soldiers opened fire earlier. Also visible is Russian vehicle.@akhbar pic.twitter.com/7ZPIsvFd16> > — Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) February 12, 2020In addition to the US truck stuck in the mud, another had a flat tyre. A US fighter jet over flew the village during the clash. Russian troops were credited with calming things.After Trump's sudden withdrawal, a strong pushback from his senior aides and Pentagon chiefs succeeded in keeping about 500 troops and armour near Deir Ezzor in far eastern Syria. The stated reason was to safeguard oilfields."But that was just to get his attention," said one regional official. "The US president doesn't understand much else and they had to speak in his language."Other officials have said keeping a US presence in the region is vital in other ways, especially maintaining some relations with the Kurds – but also to act as a counterweight to Iranian ambitions.Since the US left, a Turkish incursion, led by Arab proxy forces from elsewhere in Syria, has secured two strongholds along the Kurdish border that have raised strident claims of an ethnic re-engineering of the region. Ankara has said it intends to send refugees it has housed throughout the war to live in two zones it has slated for Syrian exiles.Brett McGurk, the former US envoy on Isis who quit over a previous move to withdraw troops – and has remained a strident critic of Trump's Syria policy ever since – suggested the scene in Khirbet Ammu reflected a deepening quagmire for US troops."We have American soldiers with an ill-defined mission in Syria ("protect the oil") after abandoning 3/4 of once stable territory on Trump's orders, now forced to navigate roads controlled by Russian and Syrian regime forces," he wrote on Twitter. "Too much to ask of our brave warriors."
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| The coronavirus has reportedly spread to North Korea. Experts say the country isn't equipped to fight it. Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:39 AM PST  Reports say the novel coronavirus has spread to North Korea. But the isolated country's "crumbling" healthcare system may not be equipped to fight it.
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| U.K. Says Social Media Regulator Will Be Given ‘Teeth’ It Needs Posted: 13 Feb 2020 03:51 AM PST |
| Joe Biden Bombs Big Time on ‘The View’ Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:58 AM PST  They may not agree on much, but the hosts of The View, to a person, have always been on Joe Biden's side. From the moment he officially announced his presidential bid early last year, the hosts vigorously defended him against allegations of inappropriate touching. Meghan McCain vehemently attacked his accusers of executing a "hatchet job." Meanwhile, Whoopi Goldberg pushed back the criticism of his record on race and Joy Behar wondered aloud if Democrats could just "skip the primary" and anoint Biden the nominee. So when Biden appeared Thursday morning on The View following disastrous a fourth-place finish in Iowa and even worse fifth-place showing in New Hampshire, they were seemingly ready to help. Goldberg's first question—"How are you doing?"—had Biden making excuses for his poor performance on the trail from the start. "I'm doing fine, I'm doing well," Biden said, a bit unconvincingly. "You know, we had the first two rounds, made up about two percent of the public. I'm heading south now where I feel good." As Behar jumped in with, "and all white people, right?" Biden pointed out the 99% of African-American and Latino voters haven't cast their ballots yet.The former vice president insisted that he's still the candidate best suited to "beat Trump," but hardly showed the type of energy and vigor needed to do so. At one point, unprompted, he brought up Rush Limbaugh's recent homophobic comments against his Democratic rival. But what could have been a powerful moment defending Pete Buttigieg turned into an awkward trail-off that went nowhere. "Pete and I are competitors but this guy has honor, he has courage, he's smart as hell," he said, "and as we used to say in Claymont, Delaware he ain't a—I won't get into it. I shouldn't say it." "We get it, we understand," Goldberg said as the other co-hosts laughed nervously. Did they really?Jimmy Kimmel Rips Trump for Honoring Rush Limbaugh During State of the UnionBiden seemed dejected as he swerved from downplaying his losses to criticizing Trump, sometimes within the same sentence. Aside from Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, the biggest threat to Biden's candidacy could be Michael Bloomberg, who has the financial resources to take his campaign as far as he wants it to go. Biden said he looked forward to debating Bloomberg on "everything from redlining to stop-and-frisk," but when Sunny Hostin teed him up to take down the former New York mayor over his recently unearthed comments about the latter policy, Biden whiffed. "Well look, um," Biden said, breaking out into an incongruous laugh. "Why are you laughing?" Behar asked. "I'm laughing because, it's amazing how every single thing I've said for the last 40 years has come up and I've answered them all," he replied. "And we're just now getting to the place where we're looking at other people's records." But instead of taking on stop-and-frisk and Bloomberg directly, Biden took a hard left turn and started talking about gun violence. "You send your kid to school and you gotta duck and run down the hall zig zag," he said. "I've been there with all those families in Parkland and those families up in Connecticut." Next, he pivoted to talk about how "today, on the streets of the United States of America, African-Americans and minorities are being gunned down as if it were a massacre every day. And we're not talking about it. Nobody talks about it. We've got to eliminate assault weapons." Sure, it was a valid argument. But if any of that had anything to do with Bloomberg or stop and frisk, Biden failed miserably to make it clear. He was only saved by Goldberg's abrupt throw to a commercial break. Things improved mildly when they returned with Biden seeming to gain a bit more confidence and energy as they went along. The crowd seemed to be on his side. He was at his best when McCain brought up her father, who died of the same brain cancer that killed Biden's son Beau. Biden ended the appearance with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, by his side, explaining why he decided to run against Trump in the first place. And why there's a good chance he could stay in the race longer than some pundits expect him to. "Beau should be the guy running for president," he said. "But you know, you can't stand by and let a guy like Trump, who's the antithesis of everything we have stood for in our family and this country, you can't let it happen." Every morning he said he gets up and hopes that his son is "proud" of him—"because he made me promise we would not walk away, and we're not walking away." There is no doubt that Biden is in this campaign for the right reasons. But if this was the best he could do to get his campaign back on track after the dual disasters in Iowa and New Hampshire, it's hard to see how it's going to be enough. Alec Baldwin and 'The View' Clash With Meghan McCain Over Rush Limbaugh HonorRead 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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| 'There will be dad and mum': Putin rules out Russia legalizing gay marriage Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:07 AM PST  President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia would not legalize gay marriage as long as he was in the Kremlin. During his two decades in power, Putin has closely aligned himself with the Orthodox Church and sought to distance Russia from liberal Western values, including attitudes toward homosexuality and gender fluidity.
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| The Democrats Plan to Take Over Health Care (Medicare For All Or Not) Posted: 12 Feb 2020 04:41 PM PST  Public option proposals would create a government health plan to compete directly against private health plans. Yet, the economic and political dynamics of a public option would still lead to a single government-controlled health care system.
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| Blackburn Proposes Bill to Ban Funding for States that Give Drivers’ Licenses to Illegal Immigrants Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:39 AM PST  Senator Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) announced on a conference call Wednesday that she was proposing a bill to block grant funding from the Department of Justice for local law enforcement in states with sanctuary policies that allow illegal immigrants to receive drivers' licenses."When I look at the situation we have with immigration here in our country, I say let's leave the system in better shape than we found it, because it's a broken system," Blackburn said. She echoed the passing of the Real ID Act after 9/11 as rationale for additional measures."Now, states are beginning to really get back to where they were before 9-11, that they are going to provide these," Blackburn stated. "And we think it is important to file legislation that would prohibit these sanctuary entities and these entities that are refusing to comply with federal immigration law, to prohibit them from receiving taxpayer dollars through the grant programs over at DOJ."The "Stop Greenlighting Drivers' Licenses for Illegal Immigrants" Act is co-sponsored by Kevin Kramer (R., N.D.), Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), Joni Ertz (R., Iowa), Kelly Loeffler (R., Ga.), Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.V.), and Mike Rounds (R.,S.D.), while Representative Ken Buck (R., Colo.) will carry the bill in the House of Representatives.The bill would ban federal funding through the DOJ's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants for local law enforcement in the 13 states and the District of Columbia which currently allow illegal immigrants to receive state-issued drivers' licenses. On Tuesday, the Virginia legislature passed two different bills that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses in the state.A similar measure was proposed by Justice Department under then-attorney general Jeff Sessions in 2017 to combat sanctuary policies, but federal judges in Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, and New York all subsequently ruled against the Trump administration.The Tennessee Republican's announcement comes after attorney general William Barr said Monday that the Trump administration was beginning to heavily crack down on sanctuary jurisdictions for "unconstitutionally interfering" with federal immigration enforcement."When we are talking about sanctuary cities, we are talking about policies that are designed to allow criminal aliens to escape," Barr stated. "These policies are not about people who came to our country illegally but have otherwise been peaceful and productive members of society. Their express purpose is to shelter aliens whom local law enforcement has already arrested for other crimes. This is neither lawful nor sensible."Blackburn confirmed that she had made the Department of Homeland Security aware of the legislation, but did not elaborate as to any coordination with the Trump administration on the proposing of the bill.New York governor Andrew Cuomo revealed Wednesday that his state was partially backing down after the Trump administration responded to New York's "Green Light" law — which gave illegal immigrants drivers' licenses and blocked DHS from accessing state DMV records — by announcing that New Yorkers would be barred from federal fast-travel programs.
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| AMLO Sells $80 Million of Raffle Tickets to Mexico’s Super Rich Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:38 AM PST |
| Trump news – live: President rages against Mike Bloomberg, as rival warns US ‘descending into authoritarianism’ Posted: 13 Feb 2020 05:29 AM PST  Donald Trump has been accused of spearheading a "descent into authoritarianism" by 2020 Democratic contender Elizabeth Warren after admitting he asked his attorney general William Barr to intervene in the sentencing of Republican political trickster Roger Stone and refusing to rule out pardoning him.Mr Barr has agreed to appear before the House Judiciary Committee next month to explain himself after chairman Jerrold Nadler wrote to him to express concern over his politicisation of the Justice Department at the president's behest since taking office. "He's an enabler," commented Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer. "That's a kind word."
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| Vietnam quarantines area with 10,000 residents over coronavirus Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:37 PM PST  Villages in Vietnam with 10,000 people close to the nation's capital were placed under quarantine on Thursday after six cases of the deadly new coronavirus were discovered there, authorities said. The locking down of the commune of Son Loi, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Hanoi, is the first mass quarantine outside of China since the virus emerged from a central Chinese city late last year. "As of February 13, 2020, we will urgently implement the task of isolation and quarantine of the epidemic area in Son Loi commune," said a health ministry statement.
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| Pakistan jails cleric wanted by US, India for Mumbai attacks Posted: 12 Feb 2020 04:20 AM PST  A Pakistani court on Wednesday handed down a five-year prison term to a radical cleric for terrorism financing. Hafiz Saaed is wanted by Washington and New Delhi for his alleged role in the bloody 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people in neighboring India. The Pakistani court was not trying the cleric in connection with that attack, but on charges that his charity organizations, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat, are fronts for funding the militant group that he founded, Lashkar-e-Taiba.
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| Libya reopens Tripoli's Mitiga airport after hours of closure Posted: 13 Feb 2020 06:34 AM PST |
| Think The U.S. Army Is Powerful? By 2027 It Will Be Even Deadlier Posted: 11 Feb 2020 07:00 PM PST  Thanks to this first-of-its-kind attack missile.
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| Three Democrats end their 2020 bids in about 12 hours. Here's why it matters Posted: 13 Feb 2020 06:41 AM PST  For the first time in almost a year, the Democratic presidential race is at only eight candidates.
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| Reports: Trump donor accused of spying on Yovanovitch hands 'everything' to Congress Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:18 PM PST  A donor to President Trump who was accused of "stalking" the former ambassador to Ukraine at the behest of Rudy Giuliani's associates has provided documents to Congress as it opens its investigation into the ousting of Marie Yovanovitch, a crucial witness in the president's impeachment.
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| McConnell Urges Defeat of Measure Limiting Trump’s Iran Options Posted: 11 Feb 2020 12:59 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged senators to reject a measure that would restrict President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against Iran without congressional authorization.A small group of Republicans have joined with Democrats to rein in the president after expressing frustration with the administration's justification for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.The resolution, which the Senate will take up this week, "would severely limit the U.S. military's operations flexibility to defend itself against threats posed by Iran," McConnell said Tuesday on the Senate floor. He called the Jan. 3 attack on Soleimani a "limited yet decisive precision strike" that eliminated a growing threat to U.S. personnel.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters he expects the war-powers legislation to pass the Senate, which he said will send a strong message to the administration."The president will veto it, but it sends a shot across his bow that the majority of the Senate and the majority of the House do not want the president waging war without congressional approval," Schumer, a New York Democrat, said.Four Republican senators are co-sponsoring the resolution with Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine. It would bar U.S. troops from engaging in hostilities against Iran or any part of its government or military, unless Congress declared war or specifically authorized the use of military force."This is not about bucking the president," Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, said Monday. "This about making sure the process works as the Constitution requires."The GOP support, along with the 47 Democrats, will provide the 51 votes needed for the Senate to pass the resolution. The House passed a similar measure in January but would need to pass Kaine's resolution for the legislation to go to Trump's desk. The president is likely to veto it, and the Senate lacks the votes for an override."We're likely to start the debate on Wednesday afternoon," Kaine said. "We'll probably have it done by Thursday."Trump ordered the drone strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad. Some lawmakers, especially Democrats, have said the White House repeatedly shifted its justification for the strike.Drawing Partisan LinesIn his remarks, McConnell worked to draw partisan lines in advance of the debate.After Soleimani's killing, "Washington Democrats immediately suggested President Trump was leading us into World War III," the majority leader said. He said the resolution is a "blunt and clumsy" measure and asked whether it's wise to "let a power like Iran push us around" with China and Russia watching.McConnell also asked whether Democrats agree with leading Democratic presidential contenders who have said Trump erred in his action.The Senate measure, S.J.Res. 68, includes changes sought by Republicans who were frustrated by a classified briefing in January by Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and other administration officials. Lee said it was the worst briefing he'd ever received on military matters.Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky, Todd Young of Indiana and Susan Collins of Maine are also co-sponsoring the Senate measure.Paul said he's not aware of any other Republicans who would vote for the measure. Some who might support it in the "abstract" may not want to go against Trump, he said.Presidential Contenders"The unfortunate part of this is that if you ask people in the abstract, 'Should we have a vote in Congress before we go to war,' you might have 20 Republicans say yes," Paul said. "Because it's perceived as being against a Republican president, a lot less do.""A lot of people won't vote for it even if they might under either a Democrat president or in the abstract; that's what limits our numbers," Paul said.With four Democratic senators -- Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Michael Bennet of Colorado -- in New Hampshire for the presidential primary Tuesday, holding the vote late Wednesday or Thursday would give them time to return to Washington.The House resolution similar to Kaine's is sponsored by Representative Elissa Slot kin, a Michigan Democrat and a former CIA analyst.The House also has passed other bills related to the Soleimani operation, including two in January from Representatives Ro Khanna and Barbara Lee, both of California, that would defund military action against Iran not authorized by Congress. It also would repeal a 2002 authorization for the use of military force that the administration has cited as part of its justification for the strike on Soleimani.(Adds Schumer and Paul comments starting in fourth paragraph)To contact the reporters on this story: Daniel Flatley in Washington at dflatley1@bloomberg.net;Laura Litvan in Washington at llitvan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie AsséoFor 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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| Soviet spy hailed by Russia for 'saving Krakow' dies at 103 Posted: 12 Feb 2020 04:37 PM PST  Russia on Thursday announced the death at 103 of veteran Soviet spy Alexei Botyan, whom it hailed as a hero for "saving" the Polish city of Krakow from the Nazis, although Poland disputes Moscow's version of events. Russia's SVR military intelligence agency said Botyan, who lived in Moscow, had died after turning 103 on Monday.
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| I took 3 Delta flights in one day after finally getting elite status to see if it's really worth having — here's what I discovered Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:23 AM PST  Elite status is a sought-after prize for frequent flyers, so I took a day trip to find out if loyalty pays off. Three upgrades later, I had my answer.
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| Man convicted in parking lot shooting attacked in prison Posted: 13 Feb 2020 07:32 AM PST |
| 'Everyone is guessing' about coronavirus economic impacts, say experts Posted: 11 Feb 2020 10:21 PM PST  BOSTON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The coronavirus that spread from a seafood market in Wuhan, China to infect tens of thousands has shuttered businesses, grounded flights and killed over 1,000 people so far, mostly in China. As the world's second-largest economy struggles to get back to work after an extended Lunar New Year holiday, analysts and bankers have been revisiting their estimates of the economic impact of the virus. Most believe China faces a short but sharper economic shock than originally thought, one that will be felt around the world.
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| Coronavirus: Big jump in new cases, deaths declared as diagnosis method tweaked Posted: 13 Feb 2020 03:42 AM PST  Another new 14,840 cases were reported in Hubei on Thursday, up from 2,015 new cases reported across mainland China a day earlier.
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| This Cruise Ship Has the Highest COVID-19 Infection Rate in the World Posted: 13 Feb 2020 01:31 AM PST  Passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, docked at Japan's Yokohama Bay, are halfway through their 14-day quarantine
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| Campaigns slam new debate rules, as DNC changes make way for Bloomberg to be on stage Posted: 13 Feb 2020 09:04 AM PST  There will no longer be a donor threshold, one the criteria that prevented Bloomberg from making onto the Iowa debate stage.
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| What caused Warren’s campaign collapse? Posted: 13 Feb 2020 08:28 AM PST  At one point, Elizabeth Warren looked like she may be the frontrunner in the Democratic primary. Now her campaign appears to be on life support. What happened?
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| CEOs, Lawmakers Sound Alarm on Heightened Canadian Rail Protests Posted: 13 Feb 2020 10:16 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Escalating protests against a Canadian natural gas pipeline are putting rail shipments of grain, propane, lumber and consumer goods in jeopardy and prompting consternation among executives and lawmakers.Demonstrators are blocking rail lines and other key infrastructure to support parts of the Wet'suwet'en Nation, an indigenous group that opposes the construction of TC Energy Corp.'s planned C$6.6 billion ($5 billion) Coastal GasLink project. The pipeline would carry natural gas from Western Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia, where the gas will be turned into LNG for export.A blockade on a rail line to the port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, has halted grain shipments to a port where 1,400 cars are unloaded each week, said Greg Northey, a spokesman for industry group Pulse Canada. Cenovus Energy Inc., which ships a significant portion of its crude oil production via rail, said the protests pose a serious threat to the country's economy."There is a significant risk, not just to my business, but to the Canadian economy if these protests continue to shut down ports and shut down rail," Cenovus Chief Executive Officer Alexander Pourbaix said Wednesday in an interview. The company shipped about 120,000 barrels of crude a day via rail in January, executives said on a call.The intensifying protests are "of concern," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who added that his administration will be engaging with ministers to look at next possible steps. "We recognize the important democratic right, and we will always defend it, of peaceful protest," Trudeau said to reporters in Dakar, Senegal. "We are also a country with a rule of law, and we need to make sure those laws are respected."In a separate statement issued Wednesday, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said "there is time for all parties to engage in open and respectful dialog to ensure this situation is resolved peacefully, and we strongly urge these parties to do so."Rail NetworksOn Tuesday, Canadian National Railway Co. said in a statement it will have to shut down "significant" parts of its network because of the protests.Blockades near Belleville, Ontario, and between Prince George and Prince Rupert in B.C., have already disrupted passenger traffic as well as shipments of grain, propane, lumber and consumer goods, according to CN."It's not just passenger trains that are impacted by these blockades, it's all Canadian supply-chains," CN Rail CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest said in the statement.At least three Eastern Canadian refineries that have been supplied by CN's rail network have been cut off from crude-by-rail shipments on the system. The refineries account for about a third of the country's refining capacity and include Irving Oil Corp.'s Saint John plant in New Brunswick, Canada's biggest, Valero Energy Corp.'s Quebec City refinery and Suncor Energy Inc.'s Montreal plant. Valero and Irving didn't respond to emails seeking comment."We are closely monitoring the situation and are currently exploring alternate methods of distribution and have put measures in place to manage inventory," a Suncor spokeswoman said. "We continue to take steps to mitigate any potential impacts."The Western Canadian oil patch has grown increasingly reliant on rail to get crude, Canada's biggest export, to refiners as far away as the U.S. Gulf Coast.CN expects to be shipping 250,000 barrels a day by the end of the first quarter, up from 180,000 barrels a day in September, the company said last month. It shipped 36,000 carloads in the fourth quarter -- the most in the company's history.Canadian oil prices weakened Wednesday amid the disruption with Western Canadian Select's discount to benchmark futures widening $1.10 to $16.85 a barrel. Prices were also pressured by a refinery fire in Louisiana.The company transports more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually across a rail network of about 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America.Other organizations have weighed in:The Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions said protest blockades will cause "serious unintended consequences for farmers" and the entire agriculture industry."Even a disruption of only a few days will cause a massive backlog with economic losses that are ultimately borne by farmers."The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said it is "deeply concerned about the damage to the Canadian economy""A rail disruption of this magnitude constitutes an emergency for the Canadian economy."Political MinefieldCanada's oil and gas industry has been the target of a rising protest movement, including opposition to the Trans Mountain and Keystone XL conduit projects. The demonstrations are creating a political minefield for Trudeau as he tries to plot a way forward for an industry plagued with bottlenecks while fulfilling his promise to reduce Canada's carbon emissions.Trudeau's government bought the Trans Mountain project in 2018 as a way to get Canada's crude to tidewater and faces another stark decision in the weeks ahead on whether to approve Teck Resources Ltd.'s C$20 billion Frontier oil-sands mine.KKR & Co. and Alberta Investment Management Corp. agreed to buy a 65% stake in the Coastal GasLink project in a deal expected to close in June.(Adds Suncor comment in 11th paragraph)\--With assistance from Stephen Wicary, Chris Fournier and James Attwood.To contact the reporters on this story: Divya Balji in Toronto at dbalji1@bloomberg.net;Kevin Orland in Calgary at korland@bloomberg.net;Robert Tuttle in Calgary at rtuttle@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Kyung Bok Cho at kcho7@bloomberg.net, David Marino, Carlos CaminadaFor 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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| Suit: District wrong to punish students over racist posts Posted: 12 Feb 2020 09:07 AM PST  Four students in a southeastern Michigan town sued their school district over discipline they received in the wake of racist social media posts directed at black students. The white students, who were not identified, were among those added to a private group on Snapchat, according to the lawsuit.
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