| How to feel confident that a COVID-19 vaccine is safe Posted: 25 Sep 2020 10:51 AM PDT  Many Americans are questioning the safety and effectiveness of a planned coronavirus vaccine and are wary of a trial and approval process that seems to be moving very quickly. Doctors and public health experts explain how to feel confident about the safety of a COVID-19 vaccine.
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| Florida reopens bars and restaurants with no restrictions Posted: 25 Sep 2020 01:56 PM PDT  Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida was moving into Phase 3 reopening on Friday, lifting all restrictions for restaurants and bars.
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| Wisconsin Republicans tried to stifle a plan for poll workers to collect absentee ballots in parks across Madison Posted: 26 Sep 2020 07:54 AM PDT  Poll workers in Madison, Wisconsin, are expected to allow people to fill out and turn in an absentee ballot at more than 200 parks in the city.
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| Buffalo police no longer have to display their names on badges in a policy change designed to protect officers Posted: 25 Sep 2020 09:23 AM PDT  The Buffalo mayor said that some officers were targeted and threats were made against their families. Now badges will display only a number.
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| Louisville police chief under fire for email saying BLM members should be washing her car Posted: 25 Sep 2020 09:47 AM PDT  Police chief called protesters 'woke' in bitter email to staff last month, causing anger
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| Pakistan PM condemns 'Islamophobic' Charlie Hebdo cartoons Posted: 25 Sep 2020 11:42 AM PDT  Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday condemned the fresh publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed by a French satirical weekly, urging UN efforts against what he called rising Islamophobia.
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| Lindsey Graham begs Sean Hannity's viewers for donations: 'They're killing me money-wise' Posted: 25 Sep 2020 06:46 AM PDT  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appears to be getting desperate as his re-election race gets narrower and narrower.Graham has brought in record-breaking fundraising hauls throughout his race — but Democrat Jaime Harrison has still ended up besting him so far this year. Graham admitted his struggles Thursday night in appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News show, pleading with Hannity's viewers to "help me" because "they're killing me money wise." Hannity then suggested it was famously liberal celebrities who were backing Harrison's campaign, despite the fact that both candidates have gotten a good deal of money from Hollywood, big media companies, and people outside of the state.> Lindsey Graham: I'm getting overwhelmed... help me, they're killing me moneywise. Help me pic.twitter.com/xaY9S6uaYM> > — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 25, 2020Graham made a similar plea on Fox & Friends Thursday morning, leading Harrison to conclude Graham knows "he's going to lose" this election.> Anybody else get the sense that @LindseyGrahamSC just realized he's going to lose on November 3rd? pic.twitter.com/tdLlkdkhI2> > — Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) September 24, 2020As of the most recent Federal Election Commission filings, Harrison has raised $28.6 million to Graham's nearly $30 million. Graham has about $5 million more than Harrison to spend in the last weeks of the race. The latest South Carolina Senate race poll showed Harrison and Graham statistically tied.More stories from theweek.com America is the Holy Roman Empire of the 21st century Wall Street won't let Trump steal the election Lebanon's prime minister-designate resigns after he was unable to form a new cabinet
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| Woman to lead Rochester police after Daniel Prude's death Posted: 26 Sep 2020 09:24 AM PDT |
| Virginia governor and wife test positive for Covid Posted: 25 Sep 2020 09:47 AM PDT  Trump will hold a rally with 4,000 people in the state today, defying Northam's executive order on large gatherings.
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| Yitzhak Rabin memorial: AOC pulls out of event honouring former Israeli leader Posted: 26 Sep 2020 06:16 AM PDT  Memorial due to take place next month
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| A white supremacist gang member was killed during a shootout with police in California Posted: 26 Sep 2020 05:57 AM PDT  Christopher Michael Straub hid and then ambushed deputies after fleeing from a traffic stop, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
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| Cadets among 26 people killed in Ukraine military plane crash Posted: 25 Sep 2020 07:16 PM PDT  A total of 26 people, most of them air cadets, have been killed in a military plane crash in Ukraine. Footage of the crash released by officials on social media showed the smouldering remains of the Antonov-26 transport plane. Most of the dead were students of the Kharkiv National Air Force University, the air force said in a statement. There were 27 people on board, 20 cadets and seven crew. On Saturday, the death toll rose after three more bodies were found under the charred remains of the plane and one of the two survivors died in hospital from extensive burns. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the crash as a "terrible tragedy". "We are urgently creating a commission to investigate all the circumstances and causes of the tragedy," he wrote on Facebook. Mr Zelensky visited the only remaining survivor in a military hospital in Kharkiv, posting a picture of the 20-year-old cadet lying in bed with a bandaged head and right arm. He said the cadet, Vyacheslav Zolochevsky, "came to his senses near the wreckage of the An-26." "The plane was destroyed, there was fire, darkness and bodies all around. One of the guys was burning," he said on Facebook, adding that Zolochevsky rushed to try and save him. The second cadet died in hospital. Doctors said that Mr Zolochevsky suffered a concussion but his life was not in danger.
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| Justice Department seeks immediate ban on WeChat in US Posted: 25 Sep 2020 04:59 AM PDT  The Justice Department is seeking an immediate ban on downloads of WeChat in Apple and Google app stores, saying the Chinese-owned messaging service is a threat to the security of the United States. Last week the U.S. Commerce Department moved to ban WeChat from U.S. app stores but on Saturday, Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in California agreed to delay U.S. restrictions, saying they would affect users' First Amendment rights. In a filing Friday, the Justice Department asked Beeler to allow for an immediate ban while the case works its way through court.
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| Proud Boys rally has Portland in state of emergency Posted: 26 Sep 2020 04:05 AM PDT  Governor Kate Brown on Friday declared a weekend state of emergency for Oregon's biggest city, saying "white supremacist groups" were traveling from out of state to attend an event the Proud Boys say was organized to "end domestic terrorism." Local and state leaders said in a letter to the community that many participants have openly discussed tactical operations and military-style formations and planned to cause chaos and violence while claiming to be acting in support of police. "The event poses a physical danger to Portland residents, as clearly shown by the organizers' long track record of assaults, confrontations, and threats against elected officials and the citizenry of Portland," the letter said.
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| Mexican farmers revolt over sending water to US during drought Posted: 25 Sep 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Country has one month to deliver outstanding 289m cubic metres and ensure water for 14 major cities and growersMexican farmers in the drought-stricken state of Chihuahua are pitted against riot squads from the national guard in an increasingly violent standoff over their government's decision to ship scarce water supplies to the United States.The confrontation has already led to bloodshed: earlier this month, a woman was shot dead and her husband was wounded after guardsmen opened fire on farmers wielding sticks and stones.The Mexican government, meanwhile, has accused protesters of being backed by opposition politicians and sabotaging La Boquilla dam, which holds some of the water it wants to send north.The standoff in Chihuahua underscores the severity of water shortages as the climate crisis provokes more severe droughts and puts agriculture under strain.It has also raised questions about why Mexico's nationalist president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has put such a priority on repaying water debts to the US rather than going to bat for Mexican farmers."In all the history of Chihuahua, the army has never been sent to take the dams," said Mario Mata Carrasco, a federal lawmaker from Chihuahua. "Instead of fighting organised crime and narcotics traffickers, they're fighting our farmers."Disputes over water are nothing new on the high plains of Chihuahua state, where rainfall is becoming increasingly irregular. Neither is sending water to the US, which is required under the terms of a 1944 treaty.But the unrest has grown amid US demands that Mexico meets its five-year quota and completes the transfer of more than 100bn gallons by 24 October.Local farmers insist any shortfall on that quota can be repaid in the future, and argue that water held behind Mexican dams – for which they have concessions – has never been part of the agreement."When the government comes to steal our property, we don't have any other option but to defend it," said Raymundo Soto, a spokesman for the farmers. "The international water treaty clearly establishes alternatives for resolving these problems."Under the treaty, Mexico sends water from rivers in the Rio Grande basin to the United States, which in turn sends Mexico water in the Colorado River, further to the west.The treaty was negotiated when Mexico and the US were second world war allies and "is very favourable to Mexico", tweeted Lorenzo Meyer, a Mexican historian and commentator. "Not fulfilling our treaty obligations would be ending an agreement that would be impossible to improve upon."Both US and Mexican officials say water is flowing from Chihuahua to make up the deficit. But time is running out: Mexico still has to transfer almost a year's worth of water to meet the deadline.Mexico's president, commonly known as Amlo, insists Mexico will comply with the treaty. He also revealed that Texas' governor, Greg Abbott, had expressed impatience over Mexico falling behind in its water deliveries.Amlo has repeatedly alleged that big pecan farmers, backed by political interests, are behind the protests."They've been doing their best to get us into a conflict with the United States," Amlo recently told reporters. "It's all a plan to take electoral advantage of the situation."Mexico has fallen behind in its water payments for the current five-year cycle – and not for the first time, farmers say. They argue that Mexico can postpone payment in drought conditions – something Mexican and US officials say is off the table because Mexico was in deficit at the end of the last cycle in 2015.As of 24 September, the country had met roughly 86% of its treaty obligations, according to Roberto Velasco Álvarez, Mexican undersecretary for North America.Mexico now has a month to deliver the outstanding 289m cubic metres and ensure water for 14 major cities and growers in the lower parts of the Rio Grande, said Velasco."There are concerns for other water users, especially urban users," he said, adding: "Chihuahua is illegally retaining water in its dams."But farmers say they have already been forced to adjust to a drier environment by reducing planting. Meanwhile, the drilling of illegal wells is rampant.Many in Chihuahua fear that they may soon see a replay of a severe mid-1990s drought which forced many farmers to migrate, said Jesús Valenciano, a member of the legislature."They went illegally to the United States – and never returned," he recalled. "People don't want this to happen again. That's why there's such a conflict."
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| Apple is temporarily scrapping its controversial 30% App Store fee for Facebook's new online events feature Posted: 25 Sep 2020 09:49 AM PDT  Apple is letting Facebook temporarily process payments for its online events feature, meaning event hosts won't be subject to Apple's fee.
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| Jewish teens say life on TikTok comes with anti-Semitism Posted: 25 Sep 2020 09:08 AM PDT  Regardless of content, Jewish teens say they are bombarded. "It definitely affects me. It gets to me."
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| Louisville protesters faced off with an extremist militia on the 2nd day of unrest following no charges for the police involved in Breonna Taylor's killing Posted: 25 Sep 2020 10:40 AM PDT  Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter were met with counter-protesters including an armed extremist anti-government group.
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| China prepares to declare victory in global vaccine race - and assures the world theirs is safe Posted: 25 Sep 2020 01:46 AM PDT  In a sterile corridor lined with laboratories, scientists in hazmat suits drop liquid into small vials with pipettes. Then trays of test-tubes are sealed and packaged into boxes - ready for distribution. This sprawling new facility in south Beijing is already producing thousands of doses per day of a coronavirus vaccine developed by SinoVac, which the Chinese pharmaceutical firm says will be rolled-out across the world early next year. Sinovac is one of four Chinese vaccines in last-stage human trials, a higher number than any other nation in the world. Also in the leading pack are a handful of final stage vaccines being developed in countries including the UK and US. "Our goal is to provide the vaccine to the world, including the US, EU and others," CEO Yin Weidong said this week, though it remains to be seen if the company can win approval in Western countries with tough regulatory processes. Beijing appears to be on the cusp of declaring success in the global vaccine race after having already claimed victory in the "people's war" against the coronavirus. It would be a bold move for China, underscoring its advancing scientific prowess, and one that could help the government deflect global anger against its pandemic cover-up.
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| Virginia governor, wife test positive for coronavirus Posted: 25 Sep 2020 07:07 AM PDT  Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that he and his wife have both tested positive for the coronavirus, though he said he is showing no symptoms. The Democrat, the country's only governor who is also a doctor, has previously been criticized by some Republican lawmakers who say his restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the viru s are too stringent. "We are grateful for your thoughts and support, but the best thing you can do for us — and most importantly, for your fellow Virginians — is to take this seriously," Northam said.
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| ‘Why Bother?’: Pelosi Suggests Biden Skip Presidential Debates Posted: 25 Sep 2020 02:13 PM PDT  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday defended her previous suggestion that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden should not debate President Trump, claiming the president has "no fidelity to fact or truth."Ahead of the first presidential debate next week, Pelosi doubled down during an appearance on "Morning on CBS" on comments she made last month that the former vice president should skip the debates so they don't become "an exercise in skullduggery."When asked if she still believed Biden should sit out the three presidential debates on September 29, October 15, and October 22, she said "Oh, I do.""Not that I don't think he'll be excellent," she continued. "I just think that the president has no fidelity to fact or truth and, actually in his comments the last few days, no fidelity to the Constitution of the United States.""He and his henchmen are a danger, with their comments, are a danger to our democracy," Pelosi added. "So I don't want to give him - I mean, why bother? He doesn't tell the truth."Last month Pelosi said she "wouldn't legitimize a conversation with [President Trump], nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States," though she acknowledged that the Biden campaign, who has rejected the California Democrat's suggestion, felt differently."As long as the commission continues down the straight and narrow as they have, I'm going to debate him," Biden said. "I'm going to be a fact-check on the floor while I'm debating him."Biden said Wednesday that he would begin to prepare "heavily" for the first debate, which will be hosted by Fox News's Chris Wallace in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday.
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| Kremlin says EU move not to recognise Lukashenko amounts to meddling in Belarus Posted: 25 Sep 2020 04:09 AM PDT  Russia said on Friday that the European Union's decision not to recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus contradicted international law and amounted to indirect meddling in the country. Lukashenko, in power since 1994, was inaugurated on Wednesday in a secretive ceremony after weeks of huge protests. Russia is a close ally of Belarus and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the move not to recognise him would complicate the EU's dialogue with Belarus, but not affect Belarusian ties with Moscow.
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| Ron Paul hospitalized after apparently suffering medical emergency during livestream Posted: 25 Sep 2020 12:08 PM PDT  Former Rep. Ron Paul says he's "doing fine" after being hospitalized in Texas.After alarming video emerged on Friday showing Paul starting to slur his words as he spoke during a livestream, Fox News reported that the former congressman was hospitalized for "precautionary" reasons. Fox News' Harris Faulkner also reported that Paul is "lucid and optimistic" at the hospital, according to the Washington Examiner.A picture that was soon posted to Paul's Twitter account showed him giving a thumbs up at the hospital, while a message from the former congressman said, "I am doing fine. Thank you for your concern." His son, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), also tweeted, "Thank God, Dad is doing well. Thank you for all your prayers today."> Message from Ron Paul: "I am doing fine. Thank you for your concern." pic.twitter.com/aALmLn8xIj> > — Ron Paul (@RonPaul) September 25, 2020Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was among those who had quickly wished Paul well on Twitter following the livestream, tweeting, "For many decades, he has been an extraordinary warrior for liberty. May God's healing hand be upon Dr. Paul, and may God's peace and grace be upon the entire family."More stories from theweek.com America is the Holy Roman Empire of the 21st century Wall Street won't let Trump steal the election Lebanon's prime minister-designate resigns after he was unable to form a new cabinet
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| Three men are accused of creating 'man cave' under Grand Central station Posted: 25 Sep 2020 11:02 AM PDT  Three railroad workers have been suspended for turning a storage room under New York's Grand Central Terminal into an unauthorized "man cave" with a television, a refrigerator, a microwave and a futon couch, officials said Thursday.
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| Trump advisor diagnosed with head cancer following leave of absence Posted: 24 Sep 2020 03:06 PM PDT  Michael Caputo has been diagnosed with metastatic head and neck cancer, spokesperson says
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| Marine Lance Corporal Apprehended, Charged with Armed Robbery After Fleeing Camp Lejeune Posted: 25 Sep 2020 07:47 PM PDT  Lance Cpl. Shawn M. Miller was last seen around 6 p.m. Thursday in Jacksonville, the town outside Lejeune.
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| California braces for power shutoffs and warm, windy weekend Posted: 25 Sep 2020 07:47 AM PDT  Firefighters and officials at California's largest utility company braced for hot, dry and windy weather in northern and central areas of the state this weekend that may fan the flames of several major wildfires or ignite new ones. Pacific Gas & Electric warned Friday it may cut power from Sunday morning to Monday, potentially affecting 97,000 customers in 16 counties, during which forecasters said a ridge of high pressure will raise temperatures and generate gusts flowing from the interior to the coast. PG&E initially warned that approximately 21,000 customers in three counties would lose power beginning Saturday evening but expanded the potential shutoff when the forecast changed.
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| Top Senate Judiciary Democrat Feinstein says she doesn't 'have the power' to block Trump's Supreme Court nominee Posted: 25 Sep 2020 03:38 AM PDT  Sen. Dianne Feinstein called it 'deeply concerning' if a Supreme Court nominee is confirmed before a new president is inaugurated.
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| Frustrated Australian climate activist juggles school and a lawsuit Posted: 24 Sep 2020 11:37 PM PDT  Australian school student Ambrose Hayes, 15, rode on a protest barge in Sydney Harbour on Friday holding a huge yellow banner demanding "No Gas" as part of a global climate rally calling for greater action from world leaders. Hayes protest is part of some 500 climate events planned across Australia as part of "Fridays for Future" movement that was made famous by Swedish student Greta Thunberg. The students argue the Environment Minister Susan Ley has a duty of care to protect them from climate change and the expansion of Whitehaven Coal's Vickery coal mine in New South Wales state will contribute to climate change and endanger their future.
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| Kenosha shooter's defense painting him as 'American patriot' Posted: 24 Sep 2020 12:22 PM PDT  Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who shot to death two Kenosha, Wis., protesters, is being portrayed as a patriot by his attorneys.
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| CNN’s Brianna Keilar Fires Back at Tucker Carlson and Kayleigh McEnany Posted: 25 Sep 2020 01:20 PM PDT  CNN's Brianna Keilar spent more than 10 minutes of her broadcast on Friday dismantling the smears she has received from both Fox News and the Trump White House this week."Yesterday, White House Press Secretary implied that I am responsible for two police officers being shot in Louisville," the anchor began. "She is lying to Americans again, and I'll address that in a moment. But first, I'm not the Brianna that the White House should be focused on right now. Breonna Taylor is."After recapping for viewers the devastating details of that police shooting, which left the 26-year-old EMT from Kentucky dead without any of the three officers being held responsible, Keilar said, "The White House wants us talking about racism and the justice system because they use it as a springboard to scare Americans about looting, aided by Fox News running episodes of violence on an incessant loop, that their hearts and minds won't be able to look past the fear to see injustice."> "I'm not the Brianna that the White House should be focused on right now. Breonna Taylor is." > @brikeilarCNN responds to Press Sec. Kayleigh McEnany's remarks about her. pic.twitter.com/dR40GxR4u7> > — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) September 25, 2020This brought her back to the lies that McEnany told about her from the White House press room on Thursday. The press secretary attacked Keilar for calling into question the Kentucky attorney general's assertion that "mob justice is not justice." But as the CNN anchor explained, she was highlighting in her comments his "purposeful use of that Trump talking point" equating Joe Biden supporters with the so-called "mob" of protesters."That's an appalling statement from Brianna Keilar at CNN," McEnany said. "Hours later, after this comment was made on CNN, two police officers were shot. This is not justice."Kayleigh McEnany Grilled on Trump's Sudden Embrace of Mail-In VotingKeilar proceeded to connect the dots between Tucker Carlson, who she said first took her words "out of context" on his Fox News show earlier in the week, and McEnany who brought them into her official White House press conference."Tucker Carlson, whose own company argues that his show is so full of it that viewers shouldn't be expected to believe what he tells them," Keilar said, referring to the recent defamation lawsuit that Fox News won by arguing that "given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer 'arrives with an appropriate amount of skepticism' about the statements he makes.""Any reasonable viewer," she repeated. "But not Kayleigh McEnany. The press secretary left no doubt that Fox News primetime shows are just a propaganda arm for this administration."Tucker Carlson Argues That Breonna Taylor and George Floyd Had It ComingResponding directly to McEnany's claims, Keilar said, "At no time did I suggest that violence is justice, and I can't believe I even have to explain that. But the alternative is letting someone like Kayleigh McEnany misquote and manipulate what you say. McEnany, who repeatedly lies to the American people."After playing a series of clips in which the press secretary delivered obvious lies about President Donald Trump and the coronavirus to reporters and the public, Keilar cut to video footage of the president "repeatedly encouraging violence" against journalists and others."That is not real leadership," she said. "Real leadership is calm. Real leadership is steady in moments of crisis. It is not hysterical. It is not exploitive. It is not dishonest."CNN's Brianna Keilar Comes at Trump Campaign's Mercedes Schlapp for Falsely Smearing Her Military HusbandRead 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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| India's Biggest Slum Successfully Contained COVID-19. But Can Its Residents Survive the Economic Collapse? Posted: 25 Sep 2020 08:05 AM PDT  Jayanti Keshav Parmar, a tailor who lives in Dharavi, a bustling informal settlement of nearly 1 million low-income residents packed into a one-square-mile area in Mumbai, has been stuck at home since March 25 when the Indian government declared a stringent lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. Out of work for over five months, he has not been able to pay the $80 monthly rent on his compact home in Dharavi since March. Dharavi, often called Asia's largest slum, is a hyper-dense network of brick homes and small-scale enterprises that sprawl in the shadow of shiny new skyscrapers in the heart of India's financial capital.
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| University police officer placed on leave after dragging female student down steps Posted: 25 Sep 2020 03:39 PM PDT  Incident described by university leaders as 'disturbing' and investigation launched
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| Air Force Begins Live-Fire Testing on New Helicopter, Jolly Green II Posted: 25 Sep 2020 01:33 PM PDT  The Air Force's new HH-60W combat rescue helicopter, known as the "Jolly Green II," has begun live-fire ground testing.
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| Utah family sues police, claiming 'gratuitous violence' Posted: 25 Sep 2020 05:57 PM PDT  The family of a Utah man who was shot at nearly 30 times and killed as he ran from police filed a lawsuit Friday against Salt Lake City and its police department. The family of Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal family allege the officers engaged in "gratuitous violence" by shooting at him between 27 and 29 times after he was already on the ground and incapacitated. "Despite the family's attempts to negotiate, it is apparent that the SLCPD and the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office (are) not interested in real reform," the family's attorneys wrote in a statement.
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| Fact check: 'Kingdom of God' comment by SCOTUS contender Amy Coney Barrett lacks context in meme Posted: 25 Sep 2020 08:01 AM PDT  A 2006 remark about the "Kingdom of God" is missing context in a meme that also falsely attributes views on ending separation of church and state.
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| Taiwan's armed forces strain in undeclared war of attrition with China Posted: 25 Sep 2020 10:59 PM PDT  Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visited a low-key but critical maintenance base for fighter jet engines on Saturday, offering encouragement as the Chinese-claimed island's armed forces strain in the face of repeated Chinese air force incursions. This month alone, China's drills have included its jets crossing the mid-line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait and exercising near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea. Beijing regards Taiwan as a wayward province and has never renounced the use of force to bring the democratic island under its control.
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| #RepublicofThailand trends after parliament rejects protesters demands for constitutional reform Posted: 25 Sep 2020 01:10 AM PDT  The hashtag RepublicofThailand trended on Twitter in Thailand on Friday after parliament voted to push back the question of changing the constitution as protesters have demanded. During more than two months of anti-government protests, some protest leaders have said they seek constitutional reforms to reduce the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's monarchy but that they were not seeking to abolish it. The republican hashtag, in English rather than Thai, had been used in more than 730,000 Tweets and was the top trending hashtag in Thailand on Friday morning, according to Twitter. The Royal Palace did not comment and has made no response to requests for comment on the protests or the demands for royal reform. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said he had not seen the hashtag and declined to comment on it but said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was listening to all sides on the issue of the constitution. "There are those who want to amend the constitution and others who don't," he said. Parliament, dominated by supporters of the government, voted on Thursday to delay making a decision on whether it will amend the constitution.
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| Prestigious private New York City preschools face closure as parents rethink school, city life Posted: 25 Sep 2020 04:54 AM PDT  As 4-year-old children wrestle with online learning, parents are asking, "Why should I be spending this money?" said one education consultant.
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| Kremlin’s World War III Propaganda Meltdown Shows Putin Is Cornered Posted: 25 Sep 2020 09:25 PM PDT  MOSCOW—Russia these days may look frightening to Americans, who hear often of election meddling and poisoning among other ill deeds. But consider for a moment the view from the other side of the divide, or at least the view presented to Russians by their television sets.The looming potential for World War III has become a regular topic on Russian state propaganda shows. Night after night, Vladimir Soloviev, who is often described as the Kremlin's top propagandist, condemns the West's "economically suffocating" strategy of imposing sanctions and suggest war is the logical outcome.The conclusion reached by Soloviev and his like-minded panel of guests is that the country's politicians and titans of business should break all ties with the West, including communicating with their relatives. A long history of grievances spills out; Soloviev says the conflict between Russia and the West started in the 13th century: "They believe we are barbarians and they are civilized, so they have a right to point out to us how we should live and behave."Trump Followed Russian Media's Lead on SCOTUS PredictionThe show, which is broadcast nightly on state channel 1, heats up quickly. This week, Sergei Kurginyan, a pro-Kremlin political expert close to the secret services, accused the West of tearing Russia apart by creating a fifth column in the Far East, where thousands of Russians have been marching in anti-Putin rallies for two months. Putin's nemesis Alexei Navalny was out East bolstering the opposition rallies when he was poisoned with a deadly nerve agent.Kurginyan has been consistently criticizing the Russian elite for pursuing naïve dreams about becoming part of European society: "Our elites have grown together with Europe through family connections, children, grandchildren. But in the current situation they will have to tear these connections apart. That will be terribly painful but you will have to do that," he said.A popular newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda announced in plain language on Friday that: "The world is under a threat of the Third World War over the Russian COVID-19 vaccine." The paper claimed the European Union and the U.S. were furious about Russia selling millions of doses of its vaccines to Brazil and Africa.The Russian nationalist publication Tsargrad also carried an overheated headline on Friday, claiming an invented military victory: "NATO Exercises Failed: Russian Ships Scared Americans and Ukrainians Away."What has caused this latest storm of anti-Western propaganda?This week, the U.S. imposed new commercial restrictions on Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the oligarch known as "Putin's chef." The companies operated by Prigozhin, one of Putin's most trusted lieutenants, are linked to the Wagner mercenary army and troll farms responsible for U.S. election interference. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also suggested this week that the order to poison Navalny came from senior Russian officials, the pressure grows on Putin to explain the poisoning or face yet more sanctions. Both the European Union and Britain are also preparing sanctions against Putin's partner in Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, after a violent crackdown on the opposition and a fraudulent election. The age-old theme of a "conflict of civilizations" between East and West has been resurfacing on state media outlets. This undercurrent is at the core of the West's issues with Russia, the propaganda outlets insist.If the West continues to punish Vladimir Putin's allies with economic sanctions and block Russian movement around the world, they say, Moscow will come up with a new strategy building on alliances with other Western antagonists. "We have not sent forces to Ukraine, to Kyiv only for the sake of our relations with Europe. By the new strategy we would deploy the forces and surely our allies in Turkey and China would respect us for such a strong decision," prominent Kremlin-aligned political analyst Sergey Markov tells The Daily Beast.Russian Media Is Rooting for Civil War in America: 'The Worse, the Better'The propaganda outlets portray Putin and his allies withdrawing from the world, as if in a besieged castle, to isolate and defend themselves.Russia's ability to respond in kind with sanctions is limited. A few weeks ago, the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov imposed sanctions against Pompeo after the U.S. State Department sanctioned members of his family. But this was widely seen as little more than a joke since Pompeo has no property or bank accounts in Chechnya. Still, the story made the Russian-speaking news. Olga Skobeyeva, a host of one of the more popular political talk shows, 60 Minutes, praised Kadyrov's "cool" sanctions.Germany and France are demanding that the Kremlin investigate last month's poisoning of Navalny with the Soviet-era chemical weapon Novichok. But the last two decades of Russian history show how strongly Putin resists any demand imposed by the West. Instead, they are ramping up the propaganda. "They say, 'Oh, you once again want to tear us apart, here is our answer to you.' And Putin comes out with a speech about the most powerful hypersonic weapon," a commentator on independent Rain TV, Pavel Lobkov, told The Daily Beast.Last weekend, on Russia's Day of the Gunsmith—an obscure holiday which is usually ignored—Putin went on television to discuss Russia's latest nuclear weapons. They can reach anywhere in the world, he said. The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles can wipe out a territory the size of Texas or France, viewers were told. Putin blamed the U.S. for the withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic-Missile treaty back in 2002. "We had to create these weapons in response to the U.S. deploying a strategic missile defense system, which in the future would be able to actually neutralize, nullify our entire nuclear potential," Putin said.On Friday, Putin asked the White House for a truce on the "information war," which is laughable since Western intelligence agencies say the Kremlin has already been targeting the 2020 presidential election. Nonetheless, Markov explains that Moscow is expecting incoming rhetorical fire during the height of the American election season: "Russian intelligence has informed Vladimir Putin earlier this year of rough attacks on him personally coming up," he said. "That might happen during the U.S. elections, the conflict might enter a hot phase, so it is time to buy canned food."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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