| Trump urges GOP to 'get tougher and fight' impeachment Posted: 21 Oct 2019 05:17 PM PDT  President Donald Trump called on fellow Republicans on Monday to "get tougher and fight" against the quickly moving House impeachment inquiry as Democrats blocked a GOP bid to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, a leader of the impeachment inquiry. Trump, defending his conduct at a rollicking Cabinet meeting, insisted his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that sparked the impeachment inquiry was entirely unproblematic.
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| U.S. Wins Court Seizure of North Korean Cargo Vessel Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:44 PM PDT ![U.S. Wins Court Seizure of North Korean Cargo Vessel]( "U.S. Wins Court Seizure of North Korean Cargo Vessel") (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. won a court battle to take control of a North Korean cargo ship that had been used to sell coal and import heavy machinery, skirting economic sanctions on the country.Federal prosecutors in New York said Monday that they secured a judgment from U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel awarding the ship, a Handysize bulk carrier known as the "Wise Honest," to the U.S., after the government filed a forfeiture action to seize it this year.The ship was interdicted by Indonesia in international waters last year. North Korea did not contest the legal action in court but protested the seizure to the United Nations, calling the U.S. a "gangster country."U.S. authorities have indicated they may auction the ship. Among those seeking compensation from the proceeds may be the family of Otto Warmbier, who secured an uncontested $500 million judgment against North Korea over the torture and death of their son stemming from his time in custody. The Warmbiers filed a claim against the ship when it was seized but then withdrew it to allow the case to move forward.To contact the reporter on this story: Christian Berthelsen in New York at cberthelsen1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| WikiLeaks founder Assange appears confused at extradition hearing Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:48 AM PDT  WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared confused at a London court hearing on Monday, struggling to recall his name and age in his first public appearance in months as he sought to fight extradition to the United States. Assange, 48, who spent seven years holed up in Ecuador's embassy before he was dragged out in April, faces 18 counts in the United States including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law.
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| Trump 'like a squirrel caught in traffic' during Pentagon meeting: Aide Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:41 AM PDT  In President Trump's first full briefing at the Defense Department, he requested a grand "Victory Day" parade with "vehicles and tanks on Main Street" and down Pennsylvania Avenue, like the "amazing" parade he'd just witnessed in France, Guy Snodgrass, a top aide to then-Defense Secretary James Mattis, recounts in his new book, "Holding the Line." "The Fourth of July is too hot," Trump added.
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| Deep-sea researchers discover second missing Battle of Midway ship Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:45 PM PDT  After the recent discovery of a Japanese aircraft carrier that was destroyed in the 1942 Battle of Midway, researchers combing through the deep seas for lost World War II-era warships have found the remains of another craft.Discovered nearly 5,500-metres below the surface in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, roughly 2,000 kilometres from Pearl Harbour, the carrier Akagi was found by a crew using an autonomous underwater vehicle on Sunday morning.
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| Three people hospitalised by chemical leak on board American Airlines plane Posted: 21 Oct 2019 09:24 AM PDT  Three people have been hospitalised after a cleaning product leaked on an American Airlines flight forcing it to make an emergency landing in Dublin. The plane was less than an hour into its flight from London Heathrow to Philadelphia when two crew members fell unconscious due to the powerful smell. Several passengers complained of burning eyes and skin irritation and one traveller was also taken to hospital in Ireland. 287 passengers and 12 Philadelphia-based crew members were on board flight AA729, which had been cleared for take off despite concerns over the leaked liquid. Reports suggest the product was left behind in one of the bathrooms. In audio from the cockpit, the pilot explained that although the product is believed to be non-toxic, the crew required immediate assistance. He said: "We've actually covered the container of the substance. It was a cleaning product that was used at London Heathrow, if you wait a moment I actually have a picture of the container that I have in a plastic bag. "It was spilled and for some reason the container itself was left behind in the aircraft in one of the lavatories and continued to seep into the carpeting and produce what I'm told is not, it is not a toxic substance. "We require paramedics to come on board the airplane and render immediate assistance. We've had two of our flight crew staff made, excuse me, the cabin staff have actually lost consciousness, but I think they're back to a state of consciousness just now and there are general complaints about burning eyes and skin problems." The pilot added that the leaking product was an aircraft interior cleaner made by Callington, a leading specialty chemicals manufacturer. One passenger told The Telegraph the plane had been delayed at Heathrow whilst reports of an "unusual smell" were investigated. He said: "Before take off the captain came on the loudspeaker saying the flight attendants had reported an unusual smell, and the flight was delayed while they investigated. They must've judged it safe because we flew out after, only to be rerouted to Dublin a short time later." @AmericanAir There aren't even chairs, we're not allowed to leave this area where we're penned in like cattle, and we've not been fed by the likes of you since boarding four plus hours ago. You're the worst. pic.twitter.com/PqnelJ2P2u— Philip Ott (@Blasphevism) October 21, 2019 He added that the flight's 287 passengers were "penned in like cattle" at Dublin airport before been taken by bus to stay overnight in a hotel. They have not been told when they can expect onward travel. Another passenger expressed concern for others onboard, calling the incident a "sickness outbreak". Ok, so this hasn't quite gone to plan. Chemical spillage has led to sickness outbreak and an emergency landing in Dublin. firecrewparamedicspolice— Katie Phillips (@KatieHJP) October 21, 2019 A statement released by American Airlines said: "American Airlines flight 729 from London Heathrow to Philadelphia diverted to Dublin due to an odor caused by a spilled cleaning solution in the galley." "The flight landed safely in Dublin at 1:15 p.m. local time, and taxied to the gate." "Medical personnel have met the aircraft to evaluate any crew members or passengers who may need additional assistance." The Telegraph has contacted Callington for comment. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
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| Bernie Sanders defends Tulsi Gabbard, says claim that she's a Russian asset is 'outrageous' Posted: 21 Oct 2019 04:17 PM PDT  Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are both among the many lawmakers who have come to Tulsi Gabbard's defense.
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| The U.S. Army Has Big Plans to Smash Enemy Drones in a War Posted: 21 Oct 2019 03:56 AM PDT  The U.S. Army is fast-tracking what could be called an entire sphere of counter-drone weapons
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| 'Lost' Road Built by Christ's Executioner Unearthed Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:52 AM PDT  Pontius Pilate likely commissioned the street during or after 31 AD.
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| Nestor heads into Georgia after tornados damage Florida Posted: 21 Oct 2019 05:02 AM PDT  Nestor raced across Georgia as a post-tropical cyclone late Saturday, hours after the former tropical storm spawned a tornado that damaged homes and a school in central Florida while sparing areas of the Florida Panhandle devastated one year earlier by Hurricane Michael. The storm made landfall Saturday on St. Vincent Island, a nature preserve off Florida's northern Gulf Coast in a lightly populated area of the state, the National Hurricane Center said. Nestor was expected to bring 1 to 3 inches of rain to drought-stricken inland areas on its march across a swath of the U.S. Southeast.
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| Mark Zuckerberg Has Quietly Recommended Campaign Hires to Pete Buttigieg Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:29 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc. chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has privately recommended several potential hires to Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign, a rare example of direct political involvement from one of tech's most powerful executives.Earlier this year, Zuckerberg sent multiple emails to Mike Schmuhl, Buttigieg's campaign manager, with names of individuals that he might consider hiring, campaign spokesman Chris Meagher confirmed. Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife, also sent multiple emails to Schmuhl with staff recommendations. Ultimately, two of the people recommended were hired.The emails between Zuckerberg and Buttigieg have come to light as Zuckerberg faces unrelenting attacks from politicians from both parties over such issues as misinformation, privacy, election meddling and bias. Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify Wednesday before the House Financial Services Committee on Facebook's impact on the financial services and housing sectors.Zuckerberg used to make political contributions more frequently, including to former and current House speakers Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi in 2014, but he hasn't made any political donations or endorsements to specific candidates in the 2020 election cycle. In June, he gave $5,000 to Facebook's PAC, which contributes to both Democratic and Republican candidates.'Top-Tier Organization'"Since the beginning of the campaign, we've built a top-tier operation with more than 430 staff in South Bend and around the country," Meagher said. "The staffers come from all types of background, and everyone is working hard every day to elect Pete to the White House."A spokesman for the Zuckerberg-Chan family told Bloomberg News that the employees asked the tech mogul and Chan to recommend them."Having seen Mark's visit to South Bend in 2017 and Facebook Live with Mayor Buttigieg, colleagues later asked Mark and Priscilla to connect them with the Buttigieg campaign as they were interested in joining," spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a statement. Zuckerberg visited South Bend, Indiana, in April 2017 as part of his philanthropic work and got a tour from Buttigieg, that Zuckerberg live-streamed.LaBolt didn't answer a follow-up question asking whether Zuckerberg has made similar connections for other candidates.Zuckerberg, asked about the emails on a call with reporters Monday, acknowledged that he and his wife passed along hiring recommendations but said that those actions should not be seen as an endorsement."I think this should probably not be misconstrued as if I'm like deeply involved in trying to support their campaign or something like that," he said.Making IntroductionsIn the emails, Zuckerberg and Chan recommended potential campaign hires, and two of them are now on staff: Eric Mayefsky, senior digital analytics adviser, and Nina Wornhoff, organizing data manager.Mayefsky previously worked as the director of data science at Quora, a 10-year-old question-and-answer startup founded by former Facebook employees. Mayefsky worked at Facebook for almost four years starting in 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile. Wornhoff previously worked as a machine learning engineer at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and in Democratic politics in Indiana, Buttigieg's home state.The communication was initiated by Zuckerberg and Chan, Meagher said. It was sent shortly after Buttigieg officially launched his campaign in mid-April."From the CNN Town hall in March to our launch a month later, we literally got 7,000 resumes," Meagher said. "I think that he (Zuckerberg) thought Eric would be a good staff hire with a lot of experience and same with Nina and Priscilla."Crimson ConnectionZuckerberg, 35, and Buttigieg, 37, overlapped at Harvard, and Buttigieg was friends with two of Zuckerberg's roommates. He was also one of Facebook's first 300 users. But they were only introduced years later by a mutual Harvard friend.The staff recommendations from Zuckerberg are the first evidence of the Facebook CEO actively assisting a presidential campaign. A number of other high-ranking Facebook executives, including David Marcus, the executive leading Facebook's cryptocurrency efforts, Naomi Gleit, one of Facebook's longest-tenured executives, and Chris Cox, former chief product officer who is close friends with Zuckerberg, have donated to Buttigieg.In recent weeks, Democrats have escalated their criticism of Facebook for its refusal to moderate political ads. Elizabeth Warren, in particular, has repeatedly attacked Zuckerberg and Facebook over its decision not to fact check posts or ads shared by politicians. Joe Biden wrote the company on Thursday demanding that an ad paid for by a pro-Donald Trump super-PAC be pulled down for what he said were lies about his Ukrainian-related work as vice president.Silicon ValleyHe's been more apprehensive about breaking up big tech companies than some of his Democratic counterparts, saying the issue of monopolies extends beyond tech. But he's also raised concerns about tech companies having too much power and has floated regulation, including fines and the blocking of new mergers, for Facebook and other big tech companies.Republicans have accused Zuckerberg and Facebook of bias against conservative viewpoints, claiming that Facebook and other social media platforms unfairly suppress their views. Zuckerberg reportedly started to hold private meetings last summer with conservative leaders to hear their concerns.In the past, Facebook embedded staffers with political campaigns to give them guidance on how to best use the social media platform. The 2016 Trump campaign said it greatly benefited from having Facebook staffers on hand. The company announced in 2018 that it would pull back from offering on-site support.Now Zuckerberg needs friends in Washington, where Facebook is under unprecedented attack. His company is being investigated for possible antitrust violations by two federal agencies and Congress. It's also trying to get skeptical regulators and lawmakers on board with its goal of launching a cryptocurrency.But this presidential cycle, Facebook has become one of Democrats' top punching bags. In recent weeks, Warren's campaign has bought ads on Facebook claiming Zuckerberg endorsed Trump, a deliberate falsehood that she used to draw attention to Facebook's policies exempting politicians from fact-checking ads, and corrected later in the advertisement.(Adds new 9th, 10th paragraphs with Zuckerberg comment.)\--With assistance from Bill Allison.To contact the reporters on this story: Tyler Pager in Washington at tpager1@bloomberg.net;Kurt Wagner in San Francisco at kwagner71@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Rioting migrants torch cars, injure policeman at Maltese holding centre Posted: 21 Oct 2019 01:41 AM PDT ![Rioting migrants torch cars, injure policeman at Maltese holding centre]( "Rioting migrants torch cars, injure policeman at Maltese holding centre") Rioting migrants in Malta set at least five staff cars on fire and injured a policeman in their holding centre as they demanded their freedom. The violence broke out Sunday night at a former British army barrack in Hal Far, close to Malta's airport. The migrants took control of part of the compound, but a police spokesman said the situation was brought back under control in the early hours of Monday.
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| Philippine police recommend drug charges against ex-chief Posted: 21 Oct 2019 06:30 AM PDT  Philippine police recommended graft and drug charges against its former chief on Monday over a new scandal that has put President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-narcotics crackdown under the spotlight. The police face allegations some officers are involved in the illegal drugs trade and that they had the protection of former chief Oscar Albayalde. It is the latest controversy to engulf the Philippine police force, which is waging a drug war launched by President Duterte in 2016.
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| See Photos of 2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:34 PM PDT |
| Petrol bombs thrown in Hong Kong as anger flares over 'triad' attack on protest leader Posted: 20 Oct 2019 08:34 AM PDT  Police and protesters exchanged tear gas and petrol bombs in Hong Kong on Sunday amid anger over an attack on a leading activist by men allegedly linked to triad gangsters. Clashes broke out as tens of thousands took to the streets for an unsanctioned anti-government march, many also defying a face mask ban introduced in a bid to curb the protests. Tensions ran high after Jimmy Sham, the leader the Civil Human Rights Front which called the march, was attacked earlier in the week by a group of men wielding metal poles and hammers. Witnesses said that those responsible for the assault were associated with pro-Beijing triads that have been blamed for previous violence against protesters. On Saturday afternoon, a 19-year-old man was also hospitalised after being stabbed in the abdomen while handing out pro-democracy flyers in Tai Po, a district in northern Hong Kong. Politically motivated attacks and vandalism have been on the rise as the situation continues to escalate in what is now the twentieth consecutive week of protests. Protesters are now vandalising and destroying shops, banks, and businesses associated with mainland China. As moderate, peaceful marchers branched off from the more radical, black-clad frontline protesters near Tsim Sha Tsui police station, violence flared. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon, drenching Hong Kong's biggest mosque with blue dye in what they said was an accident Credit: Kyle Lam/Bloomberg Protesters threw molotov cocktails and set fire to makeshift barricades, while riot police charged with batons and fired volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets. Throughout the afternoon a water cannon truck chased protesters down Nathan Road, one of the city's busiest shopping thoroughfares, leaving it streaked with blue dye from the vehicle's turrets. The dye, used to identify protesters, also contains a painful pepper solution. The entrance to the city's biggest mosque was painted blue when the truck fired at a handful of people outside. Police said hitting the building was an accident. Vivek Mahbubani, a Hong Kong-born comedian, stood with a group of friends on Nathan Road, handing out water and egg tarts to marchers. "People passing by today shared our smiles and instead of feeling worried when passing. They all agreed that we are all Hongkongers," he told The Telegraph. "When I heard about the attack on Jimmy Sham, I was horrified. To think that Hong Kong has become a place where something like this can happen was shocking."
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| Donald Trump calls for public identification of Ukraine whistleblower Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:34 PM PDT  Railing against impeachment, President Trump called for the identification of the whistleblower who accused him of improperly pressuring Ukraine.
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| China Is Building 'The Mother of All Bombs': Report Posted: 21 Oct 2019 07:44 AM PDT  America already has one.
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| Nancy Pelosi led a bipartisan delegation to Jordan to talk Middle East peace amid the Syrian crisis Posted: 21 Oct 2019 01:30 PM PDT  Pelosi was joined by other House members in Jordan on Saturday for diplomacy meetings with top officials, including King Abdullah II and his son.
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| Judge asked to stop student suspension over note about rape Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:47 AM PDT ![Judge asked to stop student suspension over note about rape]( "Judge asked to stop student suspension over note about rape") A high school activist's comment about rape posted on a bathroom mirror represents constitutionally protected free speech — and punishing her would discourage young victims from coming forward, an attorney said Monday. The sticky note that proclaimed "There's a rapist in our school and you know who it is" aimed to call attention to the unaddressed problem of sexual assaults, said Emma Bond from the American Civil Liberties of Maine. U.S. District Judge Lance Walker, who listened to the arguments on Monday, said he'll rule soon on Aela Mansmann's request to intervene to stop a three-day suspension imposed by school administrators.
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| Boris Johnson Still Has a Bazooka at His Disposal Posted: 21 Oct 2019 09:35 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It turned out last week that the key to getting a new Brexit agreement in Brussels wasn't so complicated: Boris Johnson simply gave in on a couple of major negotiating red lines and then declared victory. He'll have a much harder time repeating the trick in Parliament this week.The price of Johnson's concessions to the European Union became clear on Saturday. Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, whose interests were sold out by the British prime minister so he could strike the deal, gave their backing to a parliamentary amendment that vastly complicates Johnson's task. The Letwin amendment, named after the former Conservative lawmaker who drafted it, says the new Brexit deal isn't done until Parliament passes the legislation to implement it.That had two effects. First, it forced Johnson to ask the EU for an extension to the Oct. 31 deadline, as required by a law that he said he'd rather "die in a ditch" than comply with. Second, it has set up another epic battle between the executive and Parliament that will determine whether Britain leaves on Halloween. It might also determine the shape of future U.K.-EU customs arrangements, whether there's a second referendum and even the timing of new elections.The new battlefield is over the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which would turn Johnson's agreement into British law, including things such as controversial new customs arrangements and institutional frameworks, among many others.Unlike the U.K.-EU deal itself (a formal treaty), the withdrawal bill can be amended by Parliament. Given the bitter opposition to Johnson's administration from many lawmakers, expect it to be larded with attempted amendments to tie his hands in implementing the new treaty. The two most important ones being discussed are an amendment from the opposition Labour Party that would seek to keep the U.K. in the EU customs union and one to put the deal to a referendum. Johnson would probably abort the effort rather than submit to either.For those who just got their heads around the "Irish backstop" — the guarantee in former prime minister Theresa May's deal to keep the Irish border fully open — my sympathies. Her backstop would have effectively locked the whole of the U.K. into the EU customs union (anathema to Brexiters), while Johnson's deal effectively does that only for Northern Ireland, to the displeasure of his erstwhile allies in the DUP. There was no wriggling out of May's backstop in a way that satisfied Brexiters without exactly these consequences.The central feature of Johnson's deal is a permanent customs arrangement that leaves Northern Ireland in the U.K.'s customs regime legally but that creates a complex customs system in the Irish Sea between the U.K. mainland and Northern Ireland. The system will require the filling in of detailed customs forms for each good being transported from the mainland to Northern Ireland that might end up in Ireland and the EU. And it creates an entirely untested system by which EU tariffs would be paid for those goods, and then refunded if they didn't go to the EU in the end.And people thought the backstop was a brain twister.This arrangement imposes a new barrier on mainland-Northern Ireland trade, however much Johnson tries to dress it up as a simple matter of box-ticking. As such, it drives a cart and horses through the DUP's one main demand: that Northern Ireland be treated no differently from the rest of Britain. It would be surprising, to put it mildly, if the famously recalcitrant DUP moved at all.Johnson has two strong cards, however. First, momentum. Such is the general exhaustion with Brexit (and fear that further delay will see it never delivered) that his parliamentary support is already greater than any registered for May's deal. The European Research Group of hard-core Brexiters, most of the Conservative moderates he booted out of the party for defying him and some Labour MPs seem to be on board. His deal could squeak through if given the chance.The prime minister had hoped to keep the momentum going with a vote on Monday to show his deal could pass Parliament. But the House of Commons speaker John Bercow disallowed the motion. Tuesday will see the government seek approval from lawmakers for the withdrawal bill — which would be a huge win for Johnson, though not decisive — and an expedited timetable to try to get the legislation passed before the Oct. 31 departure date.If Johnson becomes convinced that the bill won't be approved or that unacceptable amendments will be attached, he would probably play his second card and move to get a general election agreed this week, to be held at the end of November. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn may run out of excuses to deny him a vote, especially once the EU approves Johnson's request for an extension.Another bit of good news for Johnson: Polls suggest that Leave voters express a greater preference for his deal than a no-deal exit, which might just banish his fears of losing support at the ballot box to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party. Things could change once the withdrawal bill gets an airing, but Johnson's election strategy, as I wrote Saturday, is now clear: It's his deal or no deal.Having retreated once in Brussels, the withdrawal bill may be a hill Johnson can't hold either. But once again, he could fall back, this time asking Britain's electorate to arm him for the next battle with a bazooka: a parliamentary majority.To contact the author of this story: Therese Raphael at traphael4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: James Boxell at jboxell@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Therese Raphael writes editorials on European politics and economics for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Spain will exhume dictator Francisco Franco's remains on Thursday Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:24 AM PDT  Spain will on Thursday remove the 1.5-tonne slab which has covered the tomb of dictator Francisco Franco for the past 44 years and fly his remains by helicopter away from a state mausoleum, government sources told reporters on Monday. The ruling Socialists have long sought to exhume Franco's remains and turn the Valley of the Fallen complex near the capital Madrid into a memorial to the 500,000 people who were killed during the 1936-39 civil war he unleashed. A crane will lift the slab and, if the original zinc-lined wood coffin is too degraded, the dictator's remains will be transferred into a new coffin, the sources said.
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| US targets Cuba tourism with tighter airline sanctions Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:57 AM PDT  The US moved to further hurt Cuba's vital tourism industry by tightening the ability of the country's airlines to lease aircraft. The US Department of Commerce said it was revoking existing licenses for US companies leasing aircraft to Cuban carriers, and will deny future applications for aircraft leases. The move could make it harder for Cuba to service its rapidly growing tourism sector, a key source of foreign revenue for the poor country.
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| Trump Cheated (Shocker!) on Property Tax; But Will Anyone Go to Jail? Posted: 21 Oct 2019 04:00 AM PDT  Chip SomodevillaProPublica published a piece Wednesday that put the spotlight once again on some questionable financial practices of the Trump Organization, which showed one set of books to banks (inflating value) and another to New York City tax authorities (deflating value).Is this just the usual Trump mendacity, or can prosecutors see this as part of a pattern? And if so, could it be prosecuted? Who would be tagged as the defendant(s)? If not, what more is needed to bring the guilty parties to justice?Before we explore these questions, let's look at the facts. Both versions of them.ProPublica obtained property tax docs for four Trump properties. These docs became public when Trump appealed the tax bills, and the loan records became public when Trump's lenders sold the debt on the properties. Significant discrepancies were unearthed between the tax records and loan records for two of the properties: Trump International Hotel & Tower, on Central Park West, and 40 Wall St.Tax and loan documents for 40 Wall St. showed significant discrepancies in how certain costs such as insurance were reported. Further, Trump representatives reported different occupancy rates to lenders and tax officials: 81 percent to lenders (rising later to 95 percent), and just 59 percent to tax authorities. Rising occupancy rates are valued by lenders because they are indicative of rising income level which is material to securing refinancing, while lower rates, of course, mean lower taxes.Meanwhile, documents for the Trump International Hotel & Tower showed that city tax officials were advised that this property made about $822,000 in 2017 from renting space in the building to other businesses, while loan officials were told that the building made about $1.67 million. ProPublica further notes that Trump appeared not to report income from leasing space for television antennas on tax documents but did report the income on loan docs.Each of the above-noted discrepancies is indicative of potential fraud. But do they represent instances of a prosecutable case?The short answer is: not yet. The discrepancies do reflect a situational ethics approach toward financial obligations and responsibilities. But more evidence will be needed to prosecute anyone should criminal prosecution be considered by the authorities.Who might be prosecuted here? It is unclear just who is responsible for submitting the doctored financial statements to the lending authorities and tax officials. Were the folks who submitted the documents the same folks who prepared them? If so, what were their marching orders? Who directed the Trump Organization officials to tailor the financial statements to minimize property taxes or maximize occupancy rates to obtain loans?Investigators need to home in on the work papers prepared to support the finagled financial statements in order to determine "willful intent," or "mens rea" that James Comey so infamously referenced. Such evidence may well be found at Mazars USA—the Trump Organization accounting firm that is the subject of intensive litigation with regard to subpoenas served by both the U.S. Congress and the Manhattan DA's office.Accountant work papers have been found to be beneficial when uncovering evidence of intent to defraud in case after case of white-collar fraud, specifically tax fraud. In fact, accountant work files and testimony provided critical evidence leading to the conviction of Paul Manafort in the Mueller investigations and prosecutions. It should be noted that tax fraud, bank fraud, and the falsification of business records may result in felony charges that could be contemplated by the Manhattan DA and provide for prison sentences that could lead the convicted defendants to land in Rikers Island for a stretch with the aforementioned Manafort. Evidence of corrupt intent to defraud either a financial institution or a public tax authority is critical to a successful criminal prosecution. The use of a double or triple set of books and records by company officials for fraudulent purposes is a terrific example of overt acts of corrupt intent. But further evidence will be needed here to link all those involved in each of the instances denoted above. Email, texts, voice mail, notes to the file and other evidence of directions to finagle the financial docs are needed. Further forensic analysis of the documents, for example fingerprint analysis, ink chemistry analysis and handwriting analysis are investigative tools available to the prosecutors to tighten the vise and provide the links in the chain of potential targets.Cohen was reportedly debriefed in detail recently by the Manhattan DA's office. His testimony will be needed to outline just who in the Trump Organization was responsible for the preparation of the questionable documents referenced above. Cohen's credibility will clearly be attacked in court by the defendant(s) and will become a question for the jury to grapple with. Cohen provided the Southern District of New York with a prosecutive path for those responsible for cooking the books at the Trump Organization with regard to the reimbursement of "hush money" payments to Cohen. That path is now available to the Manhattan DA. Add Cohen's now corroborated congressional testimony outlining the transactional financial ethics referenced above, used by the Trump team in their shady business dealings and the jury will likely be sitting on the edge of their seats. All the DA needs to do now is fill in some blanks in combination with demonstrating a pattern of fraud over time—the closing argument is shaping up to be very persuasive.The allegation that the Trump Organization appeared not to report income from leasing space for television antennas to tax authorities but did report the income on loan docs revives memories of the landmark New York Times tax fraud series on Fred Trump and Donald Trump's financial shenanigans in the '90s wherein the Times detailed multiple instances of unreported income streams tailored by Fred Trump for the Donald. While the statute of limitations has long expired with regard to the multi-million dollar gift tax evasion schemes entered into by Donald Trump, prosecutors can use evidence of historical frauds to depict a pattern of fraudulent conduct on the part of a defendant no matter how long ago the fraud occurred. It goes to willfulness or corrupt intent exhibited by Individual-1.The Manhattan DA's case against the Trump Organization may appear to be on its surface just a mundane business fraud type of case. But fraudulent documents don't change stories, particularly when there are witnesses available to tie the documents and the corrupt intent together. Add the historical pattern of fraud engaged in by Individual-1 and the Manhattan DA's case appears to be silently moving along like a stealth nuclear submarine under the radar and there are no available defenses available like an Office of Legal Counsel opinion to protect the prospective defendants from a potentially lethal prosecutorial attack.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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| Gun control advocate: Pushing mandatory buybacks will hand victory to the NRA, again Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:00 AM PDT  We can pass significant gun safety laws but not if the 2020 campaign is about confiscating assault weapons. This is not timidity, it's reality.
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| Michael Bloomberg ‘still looking at’ a presidential run ... but only if Biden is out Posted: 20 Oct 2019 11:00 PM PDT  The former New York mayor's attitude towards wealth is staunchly opposite to Elizabeth Warren's, with whom he's repeatedly clashedMichael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, is teasing a presidential run if former vice-president Joe Biden were to fall back. Photograph: Ritzau Scanpix/ReutersFormer New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is at it again – teasing a presidential run. At 77, he won't even be the oldest in the field, and the billionaire is certainly not short of funding to be able to throw his hat in the ring.Over the past several weeks, he's signaled renewed interest in the democratic nomination, telling friends and associates he's "still looking at" running for president. But he has cautioned he'd only join the race if former vice-president Joe Biden's faltering centrist campaign takes a decisive hit or pulls out early in primary season, according to a report by CNBC.Biden's collapse would likely leave Elizabeth Warren as frontrunner, a liberal candidate with whom he has repeatedly clashed over her anti-corporate policies and fears she will push the party too far to the left and eliminate the chance of a Democratic candidate unseating Donald Trump next year.Bloomberg's disagreements with Warren are stark. In January, when he was considering a run for president, he described Warren's wealth tax proposals in extreme terms ."We shouldn't be embarrassed about our system," he said. "You want to look at a system that's not capitalistic, just take a look at what was perhaps the wealthiest country in the world and now people are starving to death. It's called Venezuela."More recently, at an anti-gun event in Iowa hosted by the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, a group Bloomberg founded and supports, he was again asked about Warren's wealth tax proposals."I just said to Senator Warren on the way out, 'Senator, congratulations, it's a nice talk. But let me just remind you if my company hadn't been successful, we wouldn't be here today, so enough with this stuff'," he said.Bloomberg's attitude to wealth is diametrically opposed to Warren, whose criticisms of the financial sector's excesses are legion. Before he ever ran for New York mayor, his company threw a party in London complete with entertainers – representing avarice – instructed to wave bundles of cash and shout: 'Money, ain't it gorgeous?'Forbes recently put his wealth at $51bn.Bloomberg has previously flirted with presidential ambitions, but he decided not to run in 2016 after concluding he might split the Democratic vote. It is not clear that dynamic has changed, nor whether Democratic primary voters really have the taste for a billionaire candidate. But others see a possible centrist path to the White House."The reality is both parties, Republican and Democrat, are in serious trouble, they are not functioning, and they've gone to extremes," says veteran strategist Hank Sheinkopf. "Could Mike Bloomberg unite the centre of the party and bring people to the center if he can prove he can win? The answer is yes.""Bloomberg has up-top professionals ready if he needs them, and he could assemble an operation in days and go to work. Whether the Democrats like him as centrist or not, they want to win the White House. He provides an extraordinary alternative to losing."People familiar with Bloomberg's thinking says his aims are clear – and they're grouped neatly as gun control, climate change, coal, education and health."He doesn't understand why people don't talk about his five points more. If he happens to mention something about the presidency at a cocktail party and they get talked about more, that's a good thing for him," one source said.Strengthening the rumor mill is Bloomberg's appointment of his former deputy Patti Harris to his company's management committee. Harris has been at the company since 1994. As Bloomberg's deputy during his three terms as New York mayor, Harris was regarded, in personal and political terms, as the keeper of the Bloomberg brand, his personal gate keeper and point person on all strategic and staffing decisions."She's the most important person in his life and director of all his political aspiration," says the source. "If you believe in this line of gossip, putting Harris in to run the company frees him up to run for president. You can argue that he's setting himself up to do something."When Bloomberg was last considering a run, almost exactly a year ago, a Quinnipiac University poll found he had an overall unfavorable rating of 32%, and 19% of Democrats viewed him negatively. Howard Wolfson, a top political advisor, hinted at how much Bloomberg would look to invest in a campaign for president."Mike spent more than $100m in his last mayor's race. Last time I looked, NYC is a fraction of the size of the country as a whole," Wolfson explained, pointing out that he spent at least more than $110m backing Democrats during the 2018 congressional midterm elections.Asked what Bloomberg would spend on his own campaign, Wolfson replied, "Whatever is required."With Biden appearing to be running low on funds, and a Warren or possibly Bernie Sanders candidacy looming, it's not surprising that Bloomberg's interest is again stirring. Last month, Fox Business reported that he still has a team of political advisors on the payroll."I think it's something he wants. He has not been shy about that," a Bloomberg ally told CNBC. "Bloomberg is in if Biden is out," a billionaire friend added.
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| There's a reasonable explanation why this mom saw a 'ghost baby' in her sleeping son's crib Posted: 21 Oct 2019 01:38 PM PDT  This mom's 'ghost baby' baby monitor mix-up has us all laughing.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Ford Ranger Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:32 PM PDT |
| The Latest: Union official: Fired guard getting job back Posted: 21 Oct 2019 04:21 PM PDT  A union official says a black security guard is getting his job back at a Wisconsin school after he was fired for repeating a racial slur while telling a student not to use it. Doug Keillor, executive director of Madison Teachers Inc., said Monday that the union was contacted by school officials saying interim Superintendent Jane Belmore decided to rescind last week's firing of Marlon Anderson. Keillor says Anderson will be on paid leave as he works with the district on a transition plan back to the school.
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| Pete Buttigieg 2020 campaign hired staff recommended by Mark Zuckerberg Posted: 21 Oct 2019 09:44 AM PDT  Pete Buttigieg reportedly gave jobs to two staffers who were referred to his 2020 presidential campaign by Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook founder's wife Priscilla Chan.The Democratic hopeful hired Eric Mayefsky and Nina Wornhoff to serve as his campaign's senior digital analytics adviser and organising data manager after Mr Zuckerberg and Ms Chan passed on their CVs.
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| Apology accepted, Hong Kong's Muslims lament water cannon staining mosque Posted: 21 Oct 2019 03:21 AM PDT ![Apology accepted, Hong Kong's Muslims lament water cannon staining mosque]( "Apology accepted, Hong Kong's Muslims lament water cannon staining mosque") Municipal workers scrubbed away noxious blue dye from the steps of Hong Kong's biggest mosque on Monday, while Muslim worshippers expressed frustration over police firing a water cannon outside the mosque during a large anti-government march. Senior police officers visited the Kowloon mosque to explain it was hit accidentally during Sunday's clashes with demonstrators, and Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam met with community leaders on Monday to apologise. "It was unnecessary to drag this place of worship into this conflict between the government and the people," Arabi Mohideen, 60, said after attending dawn prayers at the mosque in the bustling Tsim Sha Tsui district.
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| Summit showcases Russia's growing Africa clout Posted: 21 Oct 2019 01:38 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin opens Russia's first ever summit with dozens of African leaders on Wednesday as Moscow seeks to vie for influence on the continent with the West and China. The Russian leader called the two-day event "unprecedented" as the Black Sea resort of Sochi prepared to host over 3,000 business representatives and other delegates. Putin contrasted Russia's approach to cooperation with Africa to what he called the West's desire to "pressure, frighten and blackmail" African leaders in order to "reap superprofits".
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| Poll: Majority of Mexicans say organized crime stronger than government after El Chapo’s son released Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:41 AM PDT  A majority of Mexicans see organized crime as more powerful than the Mexican government after government forces capitulated to drug-cartel strongmen and released the son of the former cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán, known as "El Chapo."
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| Will Germany Choose America's F-15EX as Its New Fighter? Posted: 19 Oct 2019 10:30 PM PDT  Or the F-35?
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| Mulvaney’s Ukraine Story Undercut by Trump’s Former Diplomat to the Country Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:09 AM PDT  Win McNamee/GettyIn his eye-popping press conference last week, White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said that the Trump administration withheld military aide from Ukraine in part to secure cooperation with a Justice Department investigation into the origins of Robert Mueller's Russia probe. But a former top U.S. envoy to Ukraine has said the DOJ never actually asked the White House for that help. Mulvaney has since tried to walk back his claim, saying the administration only held up military aid to Ukraine because of the country's corruption and because other countries weren't giving more aid as well. But the fact that his initial version of events differed so far from the testimony of another main player in the Ukraine saga highlights the White House's struggle to defend itself.During his congressional deposition earlier this month, former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that the Trump administration's Department of Justice never officially asked Ukrainian law enforcement for help probing 2016 election interference or the company where Hunter Biden was a board member, according to sources familiar with what Volker said. Trump himself asked Ukraine's president to scrutinize that company, Burisma, according to a memorandum of their conversation. But Volker has said that to his knowledge the Justice Department never officially made its own ask. A DOJ spokesperson and a lawyer for Volker both declined to comment for this story. Mick Mulvaney Melts Down Under Brutal Grilling By Fox's Chris WallaceVolker said the topics of Burisma and election interference came up as he, Rudy Giuliani, and European Union Amb. Gordon Sondland worked with a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a statement about U.S.-Ukraine relations. Zelensky wanted to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House after having recently been inaugurated, and Volker and Sondland also wanted Trump and Zelensky to meet. But Giuliani––Trump's personal lawyer and close outside advisor––said the Ukrainians should first release a public statement on corruption. And he wanted it to mention two things: alleged Ukraine meddling in the 2016 election and Burisma. The Zelensky aide, Andrey Yermak, wanted to know if the U.S. Justice Department had officially asked Ukraine for help on those two matters. Volker told Congress that he reached out to Bruce Swartz, a senior DOJ official who deals with international issues, but that he didn't hear back. He said that he was later told that DOJ made no such official request. The Ukrainians and Volker ultimately agreed that it was best not to release a statement, in part because the DOJ hadn't officially asked them for help on 2016 interference or Burisma. Volker has said that, at the time, he was not aware that Trump had directly asked Zelensky about the Bidens. Mick Mulvaney Admits Trump's Quid Pro Quo on Ukraine: 'Get Over It'The narrative of events appears to counter Mulvaney's Thursday press conference, during which the acting chief of staff said that the administration temporarily withheld military aid from the Ukrainians for three reasons. "Three issues for that," he said. "The corruption in the country, whether or not other countries were participating in the support of the Ukraine, and whether or not they were cooperating in an ongoing investigation with our Department of Justice. That's completely legitimate." The Justice Department pushed back against Mulvaney's comments shortly after his press conference on Thursday. "If the White House was withholding aid in regards to the cooperation of any investigation at the Department of Justice, that's news to us," one senior DOJ official told reporters. And on Sunday, Mulvaney insisted he never actually said there were three issues for holding up aid. "Again, that's not what I said, that's what people said I said," Mulvaney said. "Here's what I said… there were two reasons that we held up the aid."Volker's testimony is consistent with the DOJ statement, and goes further––indicating that, as far as one of America's top envoys to Ukraine knew, the Justice Department under the Trump administration never officially asked the Ukrainians for help probing Burisma and 2016 election interference. But while DOJ may not have made the ask, the president himself certainly did. On their July 25 phone call, Trump pushed Zelensky to talk with Giuliani about the removal of a Ukrainian prosecutor who had scrutinized Burisma. "I will ask him [Giuliani] to call you along with the Attorney General," Trump told Zelensky, according to the White House's memo on their call. "I will have Mr. Giuliani give you a call and I am also going to have Attorney General Barr call and we will get to the bottom of it," Trump added. Volker has maintained that he did not know Trump offered to have Barr and Giuliani call Zelensky until the public knew. If Volker's understanding of the issue is accurate, then the DOJ did not officially follow up with Ukraine's Ministry of Justice regarding Burisma and 2016. According to The Wall Street Journal, the DOJ has said Trump didn't ask Barr to reach out to Kyiv––despite telling Zelensky he would do so.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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| Ozone hole shrinks to smallest size on record, and it's not related to global warming Posted: 21 Oct 2019 10:25 AM PDT ![Ozone hole shrinks to smallest size on record, and it's not related to global warming]( "Ozone hole shrinks to smallest size on record, and it's not related to global warming") Thanks to unusually warm temperatures high above Antarctica this month, the ozone hole shrank to its smallest size on record, scientists reported.
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| Ex-model says Jean-Luc Brunel, model agent and Jeffrey Epstein's friend, spiked her drink and raped her Posted: 20 Oct 2019 08:33 AM PDT  The fashion industry veteran is currently facing allegations of sexual assault and harassment from several former models.
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| Lonely Planet releases their picks for top destinations to visit in 2020 Posted: 21 Oct 2019 11:06 AM PDT ![Lonely Planet releases their picks for top destinations to visit in 2020]( "Lonely Planet releases their picks for top destinations to visit in 2020") A kingdom that has pledged to become completely organic by next year and the city that will toast the centenary anniversary of the world's most important classical music festival are among the top destinations to visit in 2020, as chosen by the tastemakers of travel guide Lonely Planet.
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| U.S. Supreme Court tosses challenge to Republican-drawn Michigan electoral maps Posted: 21 Oct 2019 06:54 AM PDT ![U.S. Supreme Court tosses challenge to Republican-drawn Michigan electoral maps]( "U.S. Supreme Court tosses challenge to Republican-drawn Michigan electoral maps") The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday threw out a challenge to Republican-drawn electoral districts in Michigan that Democrats said were illegally configured to dilute their voting power, an action taken in the aftermath of major rulings by the justices in June prohibiting federal courts from hearing such claims. The Supreme Court's action voided an order in April by a three-judge panel to rework 34 districts in the state legislature and U.S. House of Representatives whose boundaries were crafted purely to advantage Republicans, a practice known as partisan gerrymandering. In a blow to election reformers, the justices found that federal courts have no role to play in reining in electoral map manipulation by politicians aimed at entrenching one party in power.
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| Japan's Uniqlo pulls ad after South Korean fury Posted: 20 Oct 2019 10:24 PM PDT  Japanese retail giant Uniqlo has pulled a commercial featuring a 98-year-old US fashion figure from South Korean screens, it said Monday after it was accused of whitewashing colonial history. South Korea and Japan are both US allies, democracies and market economies faced with an overbearing China and nuclear-armed North Korea, but their relationship is deeply strained by the legacy of Tokyo's 20th-century expansionism. The latest example is an advert for Uniqlo fleeces showing elderly fashion celebrity Iris Apfel chatting with designer Kheris Rogers, 85 years her junior.
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| Democrats are lining up to take Elijah Cummings' Oversight Committee chairmanship Posted: 21 Oct 2019 12:43 PM PDT ![Democrats are lining up to take Elijah Cummings' Oversight Committee chairmanship]( "Democrats are lining up to take Elijah Cummings' Oversight Committee chairmanship") There's a long line of Democrats ready to take up one helm of the impeachment probe.House Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) died last week after longstanding health problems, leaving open his spot at one of the committees investigating President Trump. Talks of his replacement have been quiet out of respect for Cummings, but a handful of Democrats have said they're looking to take the position, The Washington Post reports.Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) is the most senior Democrat on the oversight committee and is currently serving as its active chair. She briefly told the Post on Friday she's looking to become the full-time chair, but wouldn't expand on her goals due to how recently Cummings had died. She'll likely campaign for the role based on past legislative wins like the permanent 9/11 victims' compensation fund.Reps. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) and Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), both on the committee, are also reportedly looking to take up Cummings' gavel, two people familiar with their plans tell the Post. They declined to comment, but have both "been noticeably more involved in the impeachment probe than Maloney," the Post writes. Also in the running is Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), the third-highest ranking Democrat on the panel who some members of the Congressional Black Caucus are attempting to get into the role, people familiar with background discussions tell the Post. Washington, D.C., Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who is the second-highest ranking Democrat, will try for the role if Maloney opts out, people familiar with her plans say.Cummings will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, followed by a Friday funeral at his longtime Baltimore church.
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| Why Russia's Navy Is Becoming a Smaller, Regional Force Posted: 21 Oct 2019 05:44 AM PDT  (But is still deadly.)
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| Rand Paul: There Are GOP Senators More Loyal to Deep State Than Trump Posted: 21 Oct 2019 06:53 PM PDT  Fox NewsSen. Rand Paul (R-KY) took aim at several unnamed Republican senators on Monday night, telling Fox News' Tucker Carlson that many of his GOP colleagues are more loyal to the so-called "Deep State" than to the president while criticizing Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for not doing more to investigate Democrats.Noting at the top of his primetime Fox News broadcast that Graham promised to use his chairmanship of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee to get to the bottom of the Russia investigation, Carlson groused that the South Carolina lawmaker hadn't made any progress exposing the "bureaucratic coup" against President Donald Trump."So far, Graham's tenure has been defined by total inaction," Carlson grumbled. "He has subpoenaed neither [former Deputy FBI Director Andrew] McCabe nor [ex-Deputy Attorney General Rod] Rosenstein, nor has he launched an investigation. Now his inaction extends to the Ukraine saga."Paul, meanwhile, claimed that he has urged Graham both publicly and privately to open up investigations and bring in people such as former CIA Director John Brennan and former British counterintelligence officer Christopher Steele to testify about the origins of the Russia probe."So everything the Democrats have accused President Trump of doing, you know, investigating a political rival with a foreign country, all those same questions should be asked of the Democrats," Paul exclaimed. "Did they do that to Trump?"Carlson wanted to know why Graham hasn't moved on opening a Senate investigation into this, prompting Paul to say that the South Carolina lawmaker needs to exercise his power."We've been waiting a long time on this," Paul continued. "Some people, I'm not going to say Senator Graham, but there are other Republican senators up here whose allegiance is more to the Deep State than it is to the president. I do think Senator Graham does like the president and wants to get to the bottom of it, but a lot of us want to see it get started. We want to see subpoenas."The Fox News host went on to complain that Graham hasn't looked into the FBI raid on Trump associate Roger Stone's house, implying that then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller tipped off CNN ahead of time. (CNN has contended that this is untrue.) "He needs to use his clout, and only he can do it," Paul replied.Carlson would then ask Paul if Graham's neoconservative views on foreign policy have caused him to possibly slow-walk the investigations, wondering if Graham's disagreements with Trump on Syria are affecting his decisions."There is an establishment in foreign policy and also in the intelligence community," Paul noted. "The intelligence community truly is the Deep State."The Kentucky senator concluded that he and Graham have had disagreements in the past over FISA warrants, adding that Graham wants to continue having them issued in private."There may be a concern that if we look at the intelligence Deep State, that as we find out things, some of their power may diminish," He said.Carlson, meanwhile, wasn't the only pro-Trump Fox personality who railed against Graham—typically a reliable supporter of the president—on Monday night. During his Fox Business broadcast, Lou Dobbs called Graham an "embarrassment" who hasn't "lifted a finger" to help Trump.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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| We've already seen 780 anti-Semitic incidents this year and it's 'horrifying,' group says Posted: 21 Oct 2019 08:58 AM PDT  At least 12 white supremacists have been arrested for their roles in attacks or plots against the Jewish community in the United States.
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| Elizabeth Warren Unveils $800 Billion Plan to Reshape U.S. Public Education Posted: 21 Oct 2019 03:47 PM PDT ![Elizabeth Warren Unveils $800 Billion Plan to Reshape U.S. Public Education]( "Elizabeth Warren Unveils $800 Billion Plan to Reshape U.S. Public Education") (Bloomberg) -- Senator Elizabeth Warren unveiled an $800 billion plan to fund her progressive proposal for reshaping U.S. public education and disclosed that her signature wealth tax will pay for school and child-care initiatives -- in effect transferring the cost of raising a child from birth to college to America's richest families.Warren would quadruple U.S. federal funding for public schools over 10 years, to $450 billion, and add $200 billion for students with disabilities. The spending includes $100 billion in "Excellence Grants" over a decade -- the equivalent of $1 million for every U.S. school -- and $50 billion to improve buildings and other infrastructure."The vastly unequal state of public school facilities is unacceptable and a threat to public education," Warren wrote in a Medium post Monday. "We cannot legitimately call our schools 'public' when some students have state-of-the-art classrooms and others do not even have consistent running water. The federal government must step in."Warren has been a long-time supporter of teachers, and on the campaign trail, she regularly recounts her job as a special-education teacher early in her career. She's also been vocal in her criticism of Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump's education secretary -- a billionaire and advocate of charter schools and taxpayer-funded school vouchers. Warren is expected to join striking teachers in Chicago on Tuesday.Wealth TaxTo pay for her plan, the Warren campaign said the allocation from her proposed wealth tax will shift. The campaign estimates the tax will raise about $2.75 trillion over a decade. From that, Warren would cover her $1.07 trillion universal child-care plan, the cancellation of $640 billion of student debt, $610 billion for free-college tuition and now $800 billion for K-12 education.The total cost of all of Warren's proposals comes to $3.12 trillion, which is about $370 billion more than what the wealth tax would raise.But the Warren campaign points to an analysis from Moody's Analytics that estimates the program cost for her universal child-care plan would drop from $1.07 trillion to $707 billion when priced according to "dynamic scoring." That's an alternative way of calculating costs that takes into account the hypothetical economic growth benefits generated by the program over time. Democrats have long excoriated Republicans for using dynamic scoring, including in calculations of the costs of the 2001 tax cuts under President George W. Bush and other policies.If her plan for a 2% tax on fortunes above $50 million is enacted, the 75,000 richest U.S. families would be paying the costs of raising and schooling every American child."Is it more important to leave two cents with the top one-tenth of 1% in this country or to ask them to pitch in their fair share so that we can make an investment in an entire generation of young people?" Warren told students at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday. "That's why I'm running for president. I believe in you."The tax reallocation means her $100 billion opioids plan, $7 billion small-business equity fund and $20 billion election security and administration investment -- previously funded from the wealth tax -- will be covered by closing the "stepped-up basis" loophole in the tax on inherited assets, which will raise more than $100 billion over 10 years, the campaign said.Student DataBesides her vow to bar Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google from collecting student data to market products, Warren would ban the sharing, storing and sale of data with information identifying individual students to block educational technology companies and for-profit schools from selling their data to corporations. She would also tighten restrictions for companies that lobby school systems that receive federal funding.Warren also would ban for-profit charter schools and halt federal funding to expand such schools, which she said have been an "abject failure." She would toughen accountability requirements, direct the Internal Revenue Service to investigate any non-profit schools that break the law and expand enforcement of Justice Department whistle-blower actions for schools that commit fraud against taxpayers.The Massachusetts senator said she'd use some of the $450 billion in funding in her plan to increase teacher pay. She promised to replace DeVos with a former teacher and give public employees such as teachers more negotiating power while making it easier for them to join a union.Warren's vision for schools, outlined in a 17-page document released Monday, includes eliminating high-stakes standardized tests, ending zero-tolerance discipline policies and canceling student meal debt while boosting federal funding for free breakfasts and lunches, including meals over weekends and holidays for students who need it.(Adds Warren to join striking teachers in Chicago in fourth paragraph. An earlier version of this article corrected cost of child care proposal to $1.07 trillion in seventh paragraph.)\--With assistance from Laura Davison.To contact the reporter on this story: Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou in Washington at megkolfopoul@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Mark NiquetteFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Artist sues over Missouri's 'Indian-made' law Posted: 21 Oct 2019 07:57 AM PDT ![Artist sues over Missouri's 'Indian-made' law]( "Artist sues over Missouri's 'Indian-made' law") Peggy Fontenot alleges that the law is a violation of her First Amendment right to free speech. The lawsuit over the Missouri law, which was passed last year, was filed in August in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Fontenot previously sued over a similar law in Oklahoma and won.
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| Thousands protest against Bangladesh police after deadly shootings Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:52 AM PDT  Thousands protested against police across Bangladesh on Monday, a day after at least four people died when officers fired on a crowd in one of the country's deadliest religious riots to date. Some 20,000 Muslims called for the execution of a young Hindu man on Bhola island Sunday for writing Facebook messages that allegedly defamed the Prophet Mohammed, with police saying they opened fire after rocks were thrown at officers. Mob attacks over online posts perceived to be blasphemous have emerged as a major headache for security forces in Bangladesh, where Muslims make up some 90 percent of the country's 168 million people.
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| China asks WTO for $2.4 billion sanctions against U.S. in latest clash Posted: 21 Oct 2019 02:17 AM PDT  China is seeking $2.4 billion in retaliatory sanctions against the United States for failing to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling in a case that highlights White House complaints about the global trade body. The WTO's Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) will review the case which dates back to the Obama-era on Oct. 28, a document published on Monday showed. WTO appeals judges said in July the United States did not fully comply with a trade body ruling about tariffs it put on Chinese solar panels, wind towers, and steel cylinders.
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| Harry Dunn's parents snub meeting with police chief 'because he will not answer questions about son's death' Posted: 21 Oct 2019 09:41 AM PDT  The parents of Harry Dunn have refused to meet with the chief of Northamptonshire Police because they say he will not answer key questions about their son's death. Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn were due to meet with Chief Constable Nick Adderley on Wednesday but cancelled because they felt he was only able to offer condolences rather than solutions. Harry, 19, was killed when his motorbike collided with a car near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August. Anne Sacoolas, the wife of an American diplomat has admitted to driving on the wrong side of the road and hitting the teenager but returned to the US after the incident and has refused to come back to the UK to face a full police investigation, leaving the Dunn family angry. A statement released by the family's spokesperson Radd Siegler said: "It is with sadness and regret that Harry Dunn's parents have cancelled a meeting with the Northants Chief scheduled for this Wednesday. Harry Dunn died in August but the driver of the car that hit him has not returned to the UK to face questioning Credit: Facebook "When it became clear that his intention was merely to offer his condolences some eight weeks on from the tragedy, instead of answering a series of key questions put to him over the weekend, they felt both theirs and the Chief's time were better spent elsewhere. "The time for condolences has long since passed and the answers to the many questions about Anne Sacoolas' departure and next steps are long overdue! "Every moment that passes without those answers only compounds the family's pain and misery. Totally unacceptable! "The FCO and Northants police have both told the family that the ball is firmly in the other's court. "The left hand does not appear to be talking to the right hand and in the meantime they appear to have little or no concern or understanding of the impact that is having. Enough!" The Foreign Secretary said the case of Mr Dunn had been raised at "every level" of the US administration, including with Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State. In a statement to the House of Commons on Monday night, he said a review would be launched by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office into diplomatic immunity at RAF Croughton. Ms Sacoolas was granted protection from prosecution by the US embassy through her husband and refused a request by the FCO to waive the immunity. Mr Raab said: "I have already commissioned a review of the immunity arrangements of US personnel and their families at the Croughton annex, holding privileges and immunities under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. "As this case has demonstrated, I do not believe the current arrangements are right and the review will look at how we can make sure the arrangements at Croughton cannot be used in this way again."
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