| For Gaetz to raise Hunter Biden's substance abuse is 'the pot calling the kettle black,' Johnson says Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:54 AM PST  The House Judiciary Committee debate over articles of impeachment against President Trump took an ugly turn Thursday when Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., brought up Hunter Biden's past drug use.
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| Britain’s Political Map Changes Color in Ways Few Could Imagine Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:24 PM PST ![Britain's Political Map Changes Color in Ways Few Could Imagine]( "Britain's Political Map Changes Color in Ways Few Could Imagine") (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.Towns in northern England share a history of mining, faded industry and neglect. For generations they also had another thing in common: staunch support for the Labour Party.From Workington on the west coast to Bishop Auckland and Blyth on the east, the dominoes fell as the results from the U.K. election rolled in through the small hours of Friday morning. The U.K.'s tortured efforts to leave the European Union redefined political tribes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives took seats his party has never held before.Johnson declared the victory as "historic." That will be even more apparent in places where most voters have never known a Conservative lawmaker.Workington, where mines and steelworks shut years ago, last voted Conservative in 1976. Back then Britain was in the grip of an economic crisis. It turned back to the red of Labour three years later. On Thursday it voted Conservative by a margin of 10 percentage points.Bishop Auckland, in the mining area south of Newcastle, had never turned Tory blue in more than a century. Elsewhere, Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire elected a Conservative for the first time since the 1930s, as did swathes of the Midlands and Yorkshire. Labour's so-called "Red Wall" had fallen.Many of these former mining and steel towns endured mass unemployment under the Conservative governments of the 1980s. They then voted for Brexit in the 2016 referendum amid a wave of anger at austerity, frustration over immigration and dismay at joblessness and lack of opportunity. Today, they are embracing the Tories in their determination to finally quit the EU. Backing for Brexit also comes with a rejection of the socialist promises of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who now says he will step down.In Scotland, Labour's vote had already collapsed in the wake of the independence referendum in 2014. This time around the pro-independence Scottish National Party took the vast majority of districts again, even in some of the post-industrial regions that Labour had won back in 2017.In that election, the Conservatives planted a giant poster on a dilapidated building near the seafront in Redcar, a town in England's northeast haunted by steelworks that finally collapsed a few years ago. The Tories had never won in Redcar, and failed in 2017 as well. But as people demanded their voice be heard over Brexit, the voters of Redcar did in 2019 as so many did across the north of England: They abandoned Labour -- and embraced Boris Johnson.To contact the reporter on this story: Rodney Jefferson in Edinburgh at r.jefferson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Heather Harris at hharris5@bloomberg.net, Adam Blenford, Alan CrawfordFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Chile: Plane that vanished en route to Antarctica found Posted: 12 Dec 2019 07:37 AM PST  Searchers combing Antarctic seas have recovered parts of a military transport plane and human remains belonging to some of the 38 people aboard who vanished en route to the frozen continent, Chilean officials said Thursday. Air Force Gen. Arturo Merino said at a news conference that based on the condition of the remains, he believed it would be "practically impossible" that any survivors would be pulled from the water alive. An international team of searchers continued the hunt, while officials on shore said they would use DNA analysis to identify the crash victims.
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| Some 1,100 car shoppers said they'd rather buy an electric pickup truck from Ford or GM than Tesla's Cybertruck — but there's a silver lining for Tesla in the survey Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:35 AM PST  Tesla's Cybertruck may have a hard time converting Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado owners, but it might open up a new segment of the pickup market.
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| How North Korea Could Start a War: Test a Nuclear Weapon in the Atmosphere Posted: 13 Dec 2019 12:04 AM PST  Ah, yes, the infamous 'Juche Bird'.
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| Stomach flu outbreak terrorizes school in Washington state, sickening over 100 students, staff Posted: 13 Dec 2019 04:31 AM PST  A number of schools from Seattle Public Schools and Vancouver Public Schools were forced to close to disinfect and clean because of the outbreak.
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| Hong Kong court orders counseling for girl, 13, for burning Chinese flag: RTHK Posted: 13 Dec 2019 07:19 AM PST ![Hong Kong court orders counseling for girl, 13, for burning Chinese flag: RTHK]( "Hong Kong court orders counseling for girl, 13, for burning Chinese flag: RTHK") A Hong Kong court on Friday ordered a 13-year-old girl who burned a Chinese flag at an anti-government protest to undergo group counseling and it put her on probation for a year, local broadcaster RTHK said. The girl, who set fire to the flag at an anti-Beijing rally in September, pleaded guilty to desecrating the flag, RTHK said. Hong Kong has outlawed the desecration of national flags and emblems, crimes that attract jail terms of three years.
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| Spokane Cop Accused of Sex Assault Finally Loses Pay After More Accusers Come Forward Posted: 13 Dec 2019 10:32 AM PST  A Washington state police officer once told a coworker he would "say exactly what's on my mind, unless I'm on body camera." This week, his boast came back to haunt him. The Spokane Police Department suspended Officer Nathan Nash without pay after a domestic violence victim accused him of assaulting her, and a police investigation found he had turned off his body camera during the event.The investigation began in October, when a domestic violence victim told the police department Nash had sexually assaulted her in a follow-up call to her house. The woman says she called Nash to ask about the location of her evidence photos, according to court documents obtained by KXLY. Nash allegedly asked her to meet in a private place to "go over the bruises on her body" and then pressed her to let him come over before her mother returned. On his way to the woman's apartment, Nash allegedly turned off both his body camera and tracking equipment, resulting in a 36-minute location gap that a police analyst later described as "peculiar." Once inside, the woman says, Nash followed her into her bedroom and directed her to take off her pants and underwear. She told investigators she was confused by the request, but complied because he was a police officer. The woman says Nash then penetrated her with his fingers for 30 seconds to a minute. She says she panicked, but thought it might be what he was supposed to do. Eventually, she says she told Nash "OK, that's enough." She later told investigators the alleged assault was the worst thing that has ever happened" to her.Before leaving, the woman says, he gave her his personal cellphone number. He did not photograph or otherwise document her bruises.When questioned by investigators, Nash blamed the incident on the domestic violence victim, suggesting that she had come on to him and become "embarrassed, mad, or upset," when he ended the sexual contact, according to court documents. He added that the police department's body camera manual was more than 100 pages and "there's no way I'm gonna know all that content." In a statement after Nash's arrest, his personal attorney Rocco Treppiedi said Nash "categorically denies the allegation of sexual assault and any criminal activity." "Ofc. Nash considered the additional evidence she provided, and immediately followed up on the information she provided," Treppiedi said. Nash's attorneys did not respond to The Daily Beast's request for comment.In the weeks after the initial report, two more women came forward with concerns about Nash. One was a second domestic violence victim, who told investigators that Nash had come on to her while he was investigating her complaint in May. During a visit to her home, the woman said, Nash made a point of turning off his bodycam, then gave her his personal cellphone number and said he would respond faster than 911. Over the following weeks, she says he friended her on Facebook and started liking photos of her in lingerie, and sending her "creepy" and "needy" messages. According to court documents, she told investigators she felt he "had a hidden agenda of starting a relationship with her."A police department volunteer also complained about Nash, claiming he had given her his personal number and sent her inappropriate texts, including a Jeopardy-themed message reading, "Things I would like to do to you for $600," and "Answer: what is a naked back rub?""I'm too old to play games, no need in beating around the bush," Nash allegedly wrote in another message. "I just say exactly what's on my mind, unless I'm on body camera."Nash was arrested on Nov. 22 and pleaded not guilty to second- and third-degree rape and official misconduct. His trial is set to begin in February.Nash was originally placed on administrative leave while the investigation progressed. This week, the police department put him on "unpaid lay-off status," meaning he will not work or be paid until the outcome of his case is determined. If he is found not guilty, he will be reinstated while the department investigates whether he violated any department policy, City spokesperson Marlene Feist told local news station KREM."The alleged conduct is completely unacceptable and in absolute conflict with the high standards of the Spokane Police Department," Chief Craig Meidl said in a press release. "Our men and women took an oath to protect and serve the community in which we live. We will not shy away from that oath and it will be upheld."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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| The 10 Best Tech Gadgets of 2019 Posted: 13 Dec 2019 11:58 AM PST |
| Jamal Khashoggi: US spy chief given deadline to name Saudi writer's killers Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:30 PM PST  * Trump ally Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused * Congress gives intelligence chief 30 days to assign responsibilityUS intelligence agencies will be given a month to make a formal declaration on whether the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was responsible for the murder of the Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi.The annual military spending bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), was passed by a large majority in the House of Representatives on Wednesday and is expected to be approved by the Senate next week before being signed into law by Donald Trump.In negotiations before the NDAA's passage, sections stipulating that Khashoggi's murderers be subject to punitive measures were stripped from the bill, on the insistence of the White House – as were clauses that would have cut US support for the Saudi war in Yemen.According to the New York Times, the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, took a leading role in negotiations on behalf of the White House, and was insistent that the punitive clauses on Saudi Arabia should be removed.But the final version of the bill retained language requiring the director of national intelligence (DNI) to present a formal determination within 30 days on who was responsible for the murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October last year.In April, the US barred entry to 16 Saudis for their role in the murder plot, including one of the crown prince's closest aides, Saud al-Qahtani. This week, the state department added the former Saudi consul general in Istanbul, Mohammed al-Otaibi.In a closed-door briefing in December 2018, the CIA director, Gina Haspel, told senators that the agency was convinced the murder had been ordered by the crown prince (colloquially known by his initials MBS)."We know that the intelligence community has assessed with high confidence that MBS bears at least some responsibility for Khashoggi's murder and the cover-up that has followed," Tom Malinowski, the Democratic congressman from New Jersey who drafted the Saudi human rights accountability legislation, told the Guardian. "So if they answer the question, honestly, MBS will be on the list."The congressional demand for a formal declaration, will be a test of the independence of the office of the DNI, since the ousting of Dan Coats from the post in the summer. His former deputy, Joseph Maguire, has been acting in the position since August."I wouldn't be surprised if the White House put some pressure on the director of national intelligence to come to a different conclusion," Malinowski said. "So we'll be watching this with great interest. We do have the advantage of knowing in advance what the intelligence community thinks because they've already told us in a classified setting. So it will be quite striking if they tell us something that is different in response to this."Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA officer and Saudi expert, said that Haspel is likely to have given the agency's assessment of Prince Mohammed's role in the Khashoggi murder in verbal form to the Senate, leaving the intelligence community enough wiggle room to hand over a list of the names of suspects the US has already named, excluding the crown prince."I'm doubtful [the CIA assessment] was conveyed in a written product. More likely it was in answer to questions," Riedel said. He added that obscuring the crown prince's involvement "is going to be a tight line to run, but no doubt this administration will run it".He said that the White House would have found it more "problematic" to convince Coats to issue a determination to Trump's liking."The acting DNI is a fine person, but he's not going to fall on his sword, nor is the director of central intelligence," Riedel said.
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| Death toll in aircraft carrier fire in Russia rises to 2 Posted: 13 Dec 2019 05:35 AM PST  A crew member who went missing during a fire on Russia's only aircraft carrier was found dead Friday, raising the death toll from the blaze to two, the nation's military officials said Friday. The fire on the Admiral Kuznetsov broke out during welding work at a shipyard in the Arctic port of Murmansk on Thursday and spread quickly through the carrier's internal compartments. The military reported two crew members dead, and authorities in Murmansk said 11 other people were injured.
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| Pompeo warns Iran of 'decisive response' if harm in Iraq Posted: 13 Dec 2019 12:58 PM PST  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday warned Iran of a "decisive" response if US interests are harmed in Iraq, after a series of rocket attacks on bases. "We must... use this opportunity to remind Iran's leaders that any attacks by them, or their proxies of any identity, that harm Americans, our allies or our interests will be answered with a decisive US response," Pompeo said in a statement. "Iran must respect the sovereignty of its neighbors and immediately cease its provision of lethal aid and support to third parties in Iraq and throughout the region," he said.
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| In 2030, What Countries Will Have the Most Power Airforces? Posted: 12 Dec 2019 06:30 PM PST  We can tell you.
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| 29 photos show how climate change has ravaged the Arctic in the past decade Posted: 13 Dec 2019 12:14 PM PST  NOAA's Arctic Report Card warns that climate change is transforming the Arctic. These photos show its dire effects on the region so far this decade.
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| Turkey adds former Palestinian politician Dahlan to most wanted list Posted: 13 Dec 2019 04:26 AM PST  Turkey has added exiled Palestinian politician Mohammed Dahlan to its "red list" of most-wanted terrorism suspects, offering a reward of up to 10 million lira ($1.75 million) for information leading to his capture, the Interior Ministry said on Friday. Arrest warrants have been issued for Dahlan on accusations of playing a role in the 2016 attempted coup in Turkey, seeking to change the constitutional order by force, and various spying-related charges, the ministry said in a statement. Dahlan has also recently been an outspoken critic of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
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| Meghan McCain Confronts Tom Steyer: ‘You Bought Your Way’ Onto Debate Stage Posted: 13 Dec 2019 09:30 AM PST  2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer got a warm welcome from every co-host of The View except one on Friday morning. "Mr. Steyer, between you and Mayor Bloomberg, you have now spent $200 million on political ads," Meghan McCain told their guest. "It hasn't really helped you very much in the polls, but you did make it to the next debate stage. I think you bought your way there, and I don't think it's fair that you're there and Cory Booker isn't. Change my mind." After letting out an uncomfortable chuckle, Steyer skirted the question by touting his message about a "broken" government "bought by corporations." When the candidate pointed out that he has been spending time in the early primary states—unlike that other billionaire—McCain shot back, "Cory Booker has too, who doesn't have $200 million." "I'm talking about breaking a corporate stranglehold on our government that is preventing it from acting on anything," Steyer said. "And no one can say that I have been purchased, but I also have 10 years of putting together coalitions like the people in this audience to stand up for our rights and to take on unchecked corporate power that has bought our government." "But it's good you have $100 million to buy Facebook ads to get you on a debate stage," McCain said, interrupting him. "I'm completely unconvinced by this, but we can move on." Later in the segment, after Steyer vowed to help elect whoever the Democratic nominee ends up being and reminded the hosts that he started "one of the biggest grassroots organizations in the United States," McCain came back with, "That doesn't make you a good politician, with all due respect." "Mayor Bloomberg was mayor for three terms, and so if you're going to go the billionaire route," she continued, with a dramatic eye roll, "he's a lot more compelling than you are." Meghan McCain: Greta Thunberg Didn't 'Earn' Person of the YearRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Russia said it was alarmed after the U.S. tested a ground-launched ballistic missile Posted: 13 Dec 2019 07:16 AM PST  Russia said on Friday it was alarmed after the United States tested a ground-launched ballistic missile that would have been banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the RIA news agency reported.
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| California police officer involved in two fatal shootings in one year Posted: 13 Dec 2019 12:05 PM PST  A new report has found that a California police officer was involved in two fatal shootings in just one year, highlighting the deadly results of American police policies that generally allow officers to use deadly force when they deem necessary.In both instances, according to an analysis by the Washington Post, Ceres police officer Ross Bays shot at individuals who had stumbled out of a car and began running away — and experts say that the timing of the shootings should be worrisome, even though both were ultimately ruled justified.
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| White House Taps Cipollone as Senate Lawyer: Impeachment Update Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:54 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The House Judiciary Committee has been debating two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump all day Thursday. The impeachment resolution is H.Res. 755.Here are the latest developments:White House Taps Cipollone as Senate Trial Lawyer (12:40 a.m.)White House Counsel Pat Cipollone will argue on behalf of Trump during a Senate impeachment trial, according to a person familiar with the matter.The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity since the decision had not yet been made public, said the choice was made Thursday.It's not clear if Cipollone will act as sole counsel or as part of a group of lawyers.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Panel Delays Vote on Articles to Friday (11:18 p.m.)The House Judiciary Committee delayed voting on articles of impeachment until Friday morning. Chairman Jerrold Nadler scheduled the panel to return at 10 a.m.House Vote Tentatively Planned on Wednesday (6:01 p.m.)An impeachment vote by the full House is tentatively planned for next Wednesday, according to a Democratic leadership aide.Trump is scheduled to attend a rally that evening in Battle Creek, Michigan.The impeachment vote would come a day after the House votes on bipartisan spending bills, while the House tentatively would vote next Thursday on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, the aide said.Trump Aides Meet McConnell to Discuss Trial (3:54 p.m.)White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland said little as he left a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and White House Counsel Pat Cipillone in McConnell's office to discuss impeachment."We're having good close communication, conversation with Senate Republicans in the event the House goes ahead and actually produces articles of impeachment," Ueland said. "We're going to continue to work closely with Senate Republicans as well as other members of Congress on the questions."He said Trump "did nothing wrong" and that "the process is fatally flawed."Ueland declined repeatedly to say whether the White House wants to call witnesses during a Senate trial.White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Tuesday on Fox News that the White House would like to have "a lot of witnesses."But a number of Senate Republicans say an early consensus is building for a short impeachment trial that could see the GOP-led chamber vote on a likely acquittal of Trump without hearing from any witnesses."It's a part of good, robust, collaborative communications that we're having," Ueland said.Amendment on Hunter Biden, Burisma Rejected (3:40 p.m.)The Judiciary Committee rejected an amendment by Republican Matt Gaetz that would rewrite the abuse of power article to target Joe Biden's son Hunter and his board membership on Burisma Holdings energy company.Gaetz wanted to replace language that said Trump asked Ukraine's president to investigate Joe Biden and the 2016 election. The amendment was defeated on a 17-23 party-line vote.Trump Aides Meet GOP to Discuss Senate Trial (2:56 p.m.)Trump aides Eric Ueland and Pat Cipollone visited Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office at the Capitol to discuss strategy for the Senate trial. Republicans must decide how many defense witnesses the president should present, if any."This is an iterative conversation with our leadership and all members of the Senate Republican Conference," Ueland, White House director of legislative affairs, said with Cipollone, the White House counsel, at his side. "We'll keep having good conversations." -- Billy HouseDemocrats to Have Enough Votes, Leader Says (2:26 p.m.)House Democrats will have enough votes to impeach Trump, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, chairman of the House Democratic caucus and a member of the Judiciary Committee, told reporters during a break in the hearing."The articles of impeachment will pass," Jeffries said. He said he doesn't know how many Democrats will vote no.Earlier Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said House Democratic leaders aren't pushing moderate Democrats to support impeachment of the president but will allow them to vote their consciences. -- Erik WassonGOP Amendment Targets Hunter Biden, Burisma (12:45 p.m.)Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida proposed amending the abuse of power article to revise the description of Trump's request for investigations by Ukraine.Instead of saying the president asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, "a political opponent," and a "discredited theory" that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, Gaetz's amendment would state that Trump sought investigations of Hunter Biden and Burisma Holdings, a Ukraine energy company on whose board Hunter Biden served.Republicans contend Hunter Biden was overpaid and unqualified to serve on the board of Burisma, a company that had been widely known to be corrupt."We have the ability to show that Burisma is corrupt," Gaetz said. "We have the ability to show that Hunter Biden is corrupt. That totally exculpates the president because there is no way in the United States of America that honestly pursuing actual corruption is an impeachable offense."Republican Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin added, "the real malefactor is Hunter Biden."Texas Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee said, "this is about distraction, distraction, distraction" from the allegations against Trump. -- Billy HouseGOP Amendment Rejected by Democrats (12:02 p.m.)The Judiciary Committee rejected, on a 17-23 party-line vote, Republican Jim Jordan's amendment that would have eliminated the first article, which accuses Trump of abusing his power.It was the first vote on an amendment after about three hours of debate. -- Billy HousePelosi Not Pushing for Democrats' Support (11:11 a.m.)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she's not pushing moderate Democrats to support impeachment of the president but is allowing them to vote their consciences.She said she has "no message to them" and told reporters "we're not whipping this legislation.""People have to come to their own decisions," Pelosi said. "I don't say anything to them." -- Daniel FlatleyTrump Tweets That Democrats 'LIE' in Debate (10:48 a.m.)Trump appears to be keeping track of the Judiciary Committee debate, as he made clear in a Twitter posting Thursday morning."Dems Veronica Escobar and Jackson Lee purposely misquoted my call" with Ukraine's president, Trump wrote on Twitter minutes after Escobar and Sheila Jackson Lee, both of Texas, spoke during the committee debate."I said I want you to do us (our Country!) a favor, not me a favor. They know that but decided to LIE in order to make a fraudulent point! Very sad," the president wrote.A rough transcript of the call released by the White House showed that Trump asked the Ukrainian president for a favor and mentioned investigations that weren't part of official U.S. foreign policy.Judiciary Committee Debates Abuse of Power (10:22 a.m.)Republican Jim Jordan proposed an amendment that would eliminate the first article, which accuses Trump of abusing his power."The call transcript shows no quid pro quo" between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during their July 25 call, said Jordan of Ohio. He said there was "no pressure, no pushing, no linkage whatsoever between assistance money and any kind of investigation."The proposed amendment set off a debate over the allegations against Trump and whether they're serious enough to warrant impeachment.Top Judiciary Committee Republican Doug Collins of Georgia said there are "no factual underpinnings for impeachment." GOP member Debbie Lesko of Arizona called the inquiry a "one-sided sham.""This president isn't even accused of a crime," said Steve Chabot, an Ohio Republican, unlike former President Bill Clinton, who was accused of perjury for lying to a grand jury about his affair with a White House intern.Democrat Eric Swalwell of California responded that the Constitution doesn't require allegations of a crime to support impeachment charges. In addition, he said, Trump's conduct overlaps with two statutory crimes: bribery and honest services fraud."The president was caught red-handed trying to pressure a foreign government to target an American citizen, said Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York. -- Billy HouseJudiciary Committee Nearing Historic Vote (9:03 a.m.)The Judiciary Committee opened its meeting Thursday to debate and vote on amendments to the two articles of impeachment.At the end of the day's hearing, lawmakers will be asked to vote on sending the articles to the House floor for debate and vote next week on whether to impeach the president for only the third time in U.S. history. -- Billy HouseCommittee to Debate Amendments to Articles (7 a.m.)The Judiciary Committee plans to resume considering the impeachment resolution at 9 a.m. Thursday with members being allowed to offer amendments to the two articles alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress by the president.Most, if not all, of the proposed amendments are likely to come from Republicans, and the vote -- probably later in the day -- is almost guaranteed to be strictly along party lines.Each committee member gave an opening statement Wednesday night, most of which echoed the partisan positions that have taken hold since the Ukraine investigation began. At the end of the hearing on Thursday they will be asked to vote separately on each count. House leaders haven't yet said what day next week the full House will be asked to vote. -- Billy HouseCatch Up on Impeachment CoverageKey EventsThe House impeachment resolution is here. The Intelligence Committee Democrats' impeachment report is here.House Democrats proposed an impeachment resolution that accuses Trump of abusing the power of his office and keeping Congress from exercising its duty as a check on the executive branch. Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said his panel will prepare the resolution for a vote by the full House, probably next week.Gordon Sondland's transcript is here and here; Kurt Volker's transcript is here and here. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch's transcript is here and here; the transcript of Michael McKinley, former senior adviser to the secretary of State, is here. The transcript of Holmes, a Foreign Service officer in Kyiv, is here.The transcript of William Taylor, the top U.S. envoy to Ukraine, is here and here. State Department official George Kent's testimony is here and here. Testimony by Alexander Vindman can be found here, and the Fiona Hill transcript is here. Laura Cooper's transcript is here; Christopher Anderson's is here and Catherine Croft's is here. Jennifer Williams' transcript is here and Timothy Morrison's is here. The Philip Reeker transcript is here. Mark Sandy's is here.\--With assistance from Daniel Flatley, Erik Wasson, Steven T. Dennis and Laura Litvan.To contact the reporters on this story: Billy House in Washington at bhouse5@bloomberg.net;Jordan Fabian in Washington at jfabian6@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The 25 Best Adventure Games Posted: 12 Dec 2019 06:00 AM PST |
| As California thins forests to limit fire risk, some resist Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:39 PM PST  Buzzing chainsaws are interrupted by the frequent crash of breaking branches as crews fell towering trees and clear tangled brush in the densely forested Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. With California's increasingly warm, dry and overgrown landscape, wildfire has become a perpetual danger. State lawmakers committed more than $200 million annually to fire prevention efforts and Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend even more, motivated by infernos such as one last year that killed 85 people in Paradise, California, some who died in their cars while trying to flee.
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| Taiwan Still Has a Giant World War II-Era Artillery Gun (Pointed at China) Posted: 13 Dec 2019 12:49 AM PST  Could it fight?
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| The US and NATO are preparing for Russia to go after troops in the field and at home Posted: 13 Dec 2019 07:43 AM PST  NATO is designed for air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace operations, but on the fringes of those, hybrid activity poses a new kind of challenge.
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| Republican congressman publicly identifies purported whistleblower Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:52 PM PST  On Wednesday, Rep. Louie Gohmert publicly named a person some Republicans and allies of President Trump claim is the alleged whistleblower who first brought the Trump-Ukraine scandal to light.
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| Revolution 101: For hardened teens of Hong Kong protests, violence is one way forward Posted: 13 Dec 2019 04:03 AM PST  Fiona's rebellion against the People's Republic of China began slowly in the summer months, spreading across her 16-year-old life like a fever dream. With each slap up against the police, each scramble down the subway stairs to avoid arrest as tear gas ate at their eyes, they hardened.
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| Dem Leaders Expect a Group of Swing-State Lawmakers to Defect on Impeachment Vote Posted: 12 Dec 2019 06:10 AM PST  House Democrats are worried that the caucus could lose six or more moderate votes on impeachment, according to multiple officials who spoke anonymously to the Washington Post.When the House voted to formalize impeachment on October 31, all but two Democrats — Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Collin C. Peterson of Michigan — voted with House leadership. Amidst concerns from moderates, who on Monday considered reviving a proposal to censure President Trump rather than impeach him, the fate of the impeachment vote is a bit less certain.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could afford to lose 17 votes and still prevail with the vote, which will likely get the approval of former Republican Justin Amash. But House leadership is not whipping votes to ensure success, despite Pelosi saying in July that "censure is nice, but it is not commensurate with the violations of the Constitution should we decide [impeachment is] the way to go.""This is one of those issues where members have to come to their own conclusions; it's just too consequential," Daniel Kildee (D., Mich.), a deputy whip, said. "I think this is one of those votes where people are going to be remembered for a long time for how they voted on it."Moderates who initially voiced support for impeachment have been worried over polling which shows that support for impeachment has largely flatlined after the public hearings, the Post reports. Republican efforts to reclaim the House in 2020 have zeroed in on impeachment to target vulnerable districts, with the White House joining in in October.On Tuesday, freshman Representative Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.) — who represents a district which voted for Trump in 2016 — said she was "undecided" on the vote, despite signing a September op-ed in support of impeachment. Slotkin was heckled by constituents during a town hall in October for her impeachment defense, and said Wednesday that "the phones are ringing off the hook" from people on both sides of the issue.
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| U.S.-China Trade Deal Would Spare Tariffs on Holiday Toys and Games Posted: 12 Dec 2019 08:55 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. A possible truce in the U.S.-China trade war would offer a pre-holidays reprieve to companies like Apple Inc., Walmart Inc. and Hasbro Inc. that had been at risk of new tariffs on about $160 billion of Chinese-made consumer goods.With President Donald Trump agreeing to the first phase of a trade deal with China, according to people familiar with the matter, the U.S. will not impose duties scheduled to take effect on Sunday. The Trump administration has yet to make an official announcement.As the U.S. enters an election year, companies should have little reason to worry the threat of additional tariffs will reappear in 2020, according to Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group."Trump does not have a lot more ammunition in the run-up to elections to hit the Chinese on U.S. consumer durables," Bremmer said in a Bloomberg Television interview. "Nobody believes we're likely to see much escalation on the trade front from Trump toward the Chinese."The proposed tariffs would have included popular items such as Made-in-China smartphones, tablets and laptops, and therefore would have delivered "a major gut punch" to Apple and semiconductor makers, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives.The Dec. 15 tariffs would have also included a 10% duty on toys imported from China, a change that would have especially penalized Hasbro, which produces nearly 70% of its goods in the country. China's exports of traditional toys to the U.S. last year totaled $7.2 billion, according to data from the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association, which organizes the China Toy Expo.Retailers like Walmart would have also been hit by the December tariffs, which the U.S. would have applied to footwear and apparel that had escaped earlier rounds of tariffs.To be sure, the two parties in the trade war are still far from a final peace deal. The U.S. already imposed a 15% import duty in September on the majority of Chinese-made shoes and clothing, providing more incentive for companies to move their sourcing to lower-cost alternatives such as Vietnam and Cambodia.The new truce won't change that trend, according to Catherine Lim, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst."The ongoing shift away from China could continue to accelerate into next year even if an initial phase one deal is reached between the two countries," she wrote in a report published Dec. 12.To contact the reporter on this story: Bruce Einhorn in Hong Kong at beinhorn1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Emma O'Brien at eobrien6@bloomberg.net, Jeff Sutherland, Lisa DuFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The Tiny, Simple Nuclear Reactor That Could Change Energy Posted: 13 Dec 2019 03:31 PM PST  The next step in nuclear power is 1/100th the size of today's reactors.
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| George P. Bush says GOP can't let 'racist' episodes slide Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:28 PM PST  Republican George P. Bush, the only member of the Bush dynasty still in public office, condemned Thursday recurring episodes of what he described as racist or hateful rhetoric within the Texas GOP, and ripped what he called false accusations fanned by his Hispanic heritage. Bush, Texas' land commissioner, first denounced a white GOP state legislator who suggested "Asian" challengers on the ballot in 2020 were motivated by race.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wholeheartedly embraced the UK Labour Party hours before they suffered a massive defeat Posted: 13 Dec 2019 06:49 AM PST  Ocasio-Cortez reposted a campaign video from UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, noting its overlap with her own message. Corbyn then lost, badly.
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| Eagle v octopus: Canadians rescue bird locked in battle with giant mollusc Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:17 AM PST  Employees at a fish farm in Vancouver intervened when an eagle tried to eat a large octopus, resulting in a battleA bald eagle on Canada's west coast has learned that its eyes may be bigger than its stomach after it was nearly drowned by an octopus it tried to eat.After hearing shrieks coming from the water on the north-western tip of Vancouver Island, employees at a fish farm investigating the noises happened upon a bird and cephalopod locked in battle.The octopus, which had turned a deep crimson, had wound its tentacles tightly around the eagle, which was floating helplessly at the surface."At first we just watched and we didn't know if we should interfere because, you know, it's Mother Nature," said John Ilett, an employee at Mowi West Canada, told CTV News.But realizing the eagle was likely to drown, the crew ultimately decided to intervene.Ilett maneuvered a pike pole in the water to pull the octopus over to the boat. The crew managed to haul both aboard, disentangling the bird from the strong tentacles, before tossing the octopus back into the water."That was amazing. Look at the size of this [expletive]," said one worker as the octopus hovered briefly at the surface."Holy [expletive]," another worker adds as the crew laughs in disbelief.Workers said the octopus was the largest theyhad ever encountered, and probably measured more than four and a half feet across.But much larger individuals lurk in the deeps: octopuses in the region – including the giant Pacific octopus – can grow to more than 25ft in diameter.After the eagle was pried from its grasp, the octopus dove back into the depths, its colours subtly shifting from reddish to brown.The shaken eagle perched warily on a nearby log before flying off."It was a very cool situation," said Ilett. "I've been out here 20 years and that's one of the coolest things I've ever seen."
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| Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:46 PM PST ![Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines]( "Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines") If successful, Washington would become the seventh U.S. state to ban assault weapons, which it defines as semi-automatic rifles with at least one military feature, and the ninth to limit the capacity of ammunition magazines. "We should be making it harder for those who want to inflict mass violence and destruction upon innocent people," Governor Jay Inslee said in announcing the gun-control push.
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| ‘Move to Canada’ searches spike after Tories win general election Posted: 13 Dec 2019 06:08 AM PST  Online searches for 'move to Canada' surged 49-fold in the wake of the Conservative's general election victory, according to data from Google.People seemingly unhappy with the prospect of another five years of Tory rule began searching for alternative countries as soon as the exit poll results were published on Thursday evening.
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| Murderer becomes 22nd person executed in US this year Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:08 PM PST  A Texas man who killed a prison officer was executed late Wednesday, bringing to 22 the number of people put to death in the US this year. Travis Runnels, 46, was pronounced dead at 7:26 pm (0126 GMT), the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said, after a lethal injection at Huntsville prison north of Houston. Runnels made no final statement, the department said.
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| Taiwan Probes Security Lapse Allowing Chinese to Enter Illegally Posted: 11 Dec 2019 07:53 PM PST ![Taiwan Probes Security Lapse Allowing Chinese to Enter Illegally]( "Taiwan Probes Security Lapse Allowing Chinese to Enter Illegally") (Bloomberg) -- Taiwanese authorities believe thousands of mainland Chinese, including government officials, may have illegally entered Taiwan over the past two years, highlighting a security risk to the island ahead of a national election.More than 5,000 Chinese citizens are suspected of entering Taiwan illegally between 2017 and 2019, Taipei District Prosecutors Office spokeswoman Chen Yu-ping said by phone. Many of the arrivals are believed to have been government officials, according to the Taipei-based Central News Agency.Taiwanese prosecutors are now investigating 20 travel agencies and 10 civic associations for assisting Chinese nationals to travel to Taiwan under false pretenses, CNA reported Wednesday.The travel agencies were suspected of passing the personal details of prospective mainland visitors along to local associations, who in turn issue invitations allowing visitors to secure travel permits from Taiwan's immigration authorities.The investigation into the possible national security lapse comes a month before Taiwanese voters head to the polls to elect their president. President Tsai Ing-wen, who has received a boost in the polls amid anti-China protests in Hong Kong, is up against Han Kuo-yu, of the more Beijing-friendly Kuomintang, in January's vote.Since Tsai came to power in 2016, Beijing has ratcheted up the diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan in an attempt to force her to accept its negotiating framework that both sides are part of "one China." Tsai, whose Democratic Progressive Party supports independence, has refused to do so.To contact the reporters on this story: Samson Ellis in Taipei at sellis29@bloomberg.net;Adela Lin in Taipei at alin95@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Iain MarlowFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Heavy, gusty storms to rattle Florida, Georgia into Friday night Posted: 13 Dec 2019 09:21 AM PST  While an outbreak of severe weather is not anticipated, storms capable of producing strong gusts and flash flooding will pester parts of the southeastern United States into Friday night.The thunderstorms are part of a large and strengthening storm that is producing an expanding swath of heavy rain in the eastern third of the nation. The risk is greatest from the central part of the Florida Peninsula to southeastern Georgia and the immediate coast of South Carolina. The risk also extends westward over part of the Florida Panhandle as well.People in this area should keep an eye on the weather. Heavy, gusty thunderstorms can briefly become severe with high winds, small hail and perhaps an isolated tornado. A satellite image showing precipitation over the southeastern U.S. on Friday, December 13, 2019, around midday. (AccuWeather) What adds to the threat is the likelihood of storms developing after dark Friday.By Saturday, dry air is forecast to sweep from west to east across the region and end the thunderstorm threat.Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Sen. Mitch McConnell files for seventh term in Kentucky Posted: 13 Dec 2019 02:03 PM PST  Touting his leadership role as an asset for Middle America, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed for reelection Friday as the Kentucky Republican seeks a seventh term next year. McConnell, the longest-serving U.S. senator in Kentucky history, has tied himself closely to President Donald Trump as he prepares to defend himself against a host of Democrats wanting to unseat him. "What I do is look out for Middle America and, in particular, my favorite state in Middle America — Kentucky," McConnell told reporters at the state Capitol.
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| US soldiers and airmen helped clean up Venice after the historic city was hit by the worst flooding in 53 years Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:15 PM PST  Fifteen airmen, 14 soldiers, and three military family members and civilians helped Venetians clean up after the flood.
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| Ocasio-Cortez condemns 'white supremacist sympathizer' Tucker Carlson Posted: 12 Dec 2019 08:04 AM PST  Top Democrat says host's Fox News show an 'hour-long production of unmitigated racism' after racist and xenophobic debateDemocratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has condemned Fox News and Tucker Carlson, calling the TV host a "white supremacist sympathizer" and saying his show represents an "hour-long production of unmitigated racism".The comments came following a segment on Carlson's show in which he and his guest, City Journal editor Seth Barron, commented on footage of an unremarkable amount of trash on the streets of Ocasio-Cortez's New York City district and blamed it on immigrants, whom Barron said had "occupied" the district and made it "one of the least American districts in the country".Carlson asked: "How can we take seriously anything she says about the environment when this is her congressional district? She should be ashamed of this."Using racist and xenophobic tropes, Barron responded that "her district is actually one of the least American districts in the country, and by that, I don't mean that it's not part of America, but it's occupied by relatively few American citizens."He went on: "The way they inhabit housing there is such that they live in a lot of illegal spaces like basements, and many people live there, so they wind up producing a lot of garbage that the landlords don't want thrown out normally. Hence, you wind up with a lot of garbage on the streets. You have illegal food vendors pouring their pig grease in the gutters."It was unclear where he was getting this information from.Carlson and his guests, much like the president, frequently imply that immigrants are making the country "poorer and dirtier".Carlson has called the idea of white supremacy in America a hoax.On Wednesday night on Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez shared video of the segment and wrote: "I go back and forth on whether to go on Fox News."She said: "The main reason I haven't is squaring the fact that the ad revenue from it bankrolls a white supremacist sympathizer to broadcast an hour-long production of unmitigated racism, without any accountability whatsoever."She added: "'Immigrants are dirty' is a lazy, tired, racist trope."Barron later apologized on Twitter, saying he had not done "justice to a complicated issue" of crowded housing conditions.
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| Pirates release three oil tanker crew kidnapped off Togo Posted: 13 Dec 2019 05:44 AM PST  A fourth hostage, a Filipino, died from illness during captivity, European Products Carriers Ltd added.
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| Man dresses as mother to take driving test after she failed three times Posted: 13 Dec 2019 03:23 AM PST  A man has been arrested for attempting to take a driving test on his mother's behalf – by dressing like her in a bold attempt to fool examiners.Heitor Márcio Schiave, 43, wore a stuffed bra, floral top, long skirt, earrings, and a handbag to impersonate his mother at the State Department of Traffic in Novo Mutum Parana, in the Brazilian Amazon.
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| Taliban fighters hit with a series of airstrikes after failed attempt to breach Bagram Air Base Posted: 12 Dec 2019 06:38 AM PST  A series of airstrikes were called in following a failed attempt by the Taliban to breach Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, on Wednesday, according to a Resolute Support spokesman.
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| South Africa’s Worst Polluter Eskom Wants Emission Exemptions Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:28 AM PST ![South Africa's Worst Polluter Eskom Wants Emission Exemptions]( "South Africa's Worst Polluter Eskom Wants Emission Exemptions") (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Next Africa newsletter and follow Bloomberg Africa on TwitterEskom Holdings SOC Ltd., South Africa's biggest polluter, has asked for additional emission exemptions at two of its biggest plants, a request that will increase environmental protests against the state-owned utility at a time when it's already being slammed for rolling power cuts.Eskom, which is struggling to meets its costs and has 454 billion rand ($31 billion) in debt, has applied to the environment ministry to delay complying with sulfur dioxide emission limits at its Medupi coal-fired plant by five years. It's also seeking permission not to install emission reduction equipment at its Matimba plant at all, saying it's not cost-effective.Emissions of particulate matter, which cause respiratory disease, are already at a 20-year high since equipment at the utility's Kendal plant was damaged during a strike. While independent studies allege that Eskom's pollution kills about 2,000 people a year, the company puts the number at 320. Environmentalists have taken the government to court over its failure to rein in emissions from the utility."The exemptions sought by Eskom for just these two power plants would cause an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 premature deaths over the remaining life of the plants, a health burden and economic burden that far exceeds the costs of the equipment required to comply with the standards," said Finland-based Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst for the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.Acid RainIn addition to respiratory problems, sulfur dioxide has been linked to low birth weight and causes acid rain.With a combined capacity of more than 8,700 megawatts, or about a fifth of current total capacity, Medupi and Matimba are crucial to Eskom. The company operates 15 coal-fired plants, with many of them nearing their de-commissioning dates. As a result of that and inadequate maintenance, South Africa has this week been hit by record power cuts that have prompted public anger and an apology from President Cyril Ramaphosa.The Centre for Environmental Rights says Eskom's applications are illegal as these had to be made by the end of March 2019."This is Eskom's fifth application to delay compliance with national air pollution laws that primarily exist to protect people's health, children in particular," said Timothy Lloyd, an attorney at the Centre for Environmental Rights. "We dispute the lawfulness of this belated application for weaker emission limits."While Eskom planned to cut sulfur dioxide emissions at its 228-billion-rand Medupi plant from 2025, it's now asked the ministry to postpone that to 2030. Installation at Medupi of flue-gas desulfurization equipment, which reduces sulfur-dioxide emissions, at a cost of 38 billion rand has yet to begin and will only be completed by 2030, said Bryan McCourt, the manager of Eskom's Air Quality Centre of Excellence.Air QualityThe delays are due to issues with construction and project management, he said. Medupi was initially scheduled to be completed by 2015 at about at third of its current projected cost of about $15 billion. In its application, Eskom also seeks exemptions on emissions of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter at Matimba, citing a lack of money and water availability issues. McCourt said fitting Matimba with a flue-gas desulfurization plant wouldn't considerably improve air quality.Instead of complying with the government's planned limit of 1,000 milligrams of the pollutant per normal cubic meter, already double an earlier plan and significantly higher than limits in India and China, Eskom wants to increase its current limit of 3,500 milligrams per normal cubic meter at Medupi to 4,000 milligrams. At Matimba, it wants a limit of 4,000 milligrams at a plant that's scheduled to close between 2038 and 2042. The exemption would last until decommissioning.If the permission is not granted the plants could be forced to close, according to regulations.McCourt said Eskom got permission from the ministry to submit the application by the end of November. Albi Modise, a spokesman for the ministry, didn't answer a call to his mobile phone.In addition to sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, Eskom accounts for about two-fifths of South Africa's greenhouse gas emissions. South African is the world's 14th largest emitter of the gases, matching the U.K., which has an economy eight times the size.(Adds Medupi cost in 10th paragraph)\--With assistance from Hilton Shone.To contact the reporter on this story: Antony Sguazzin in Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: John McCorry at jmccorry@bloomberg.net, Pauline Bax, Hilton ShoneFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| South Carolina megachurch volunteer convicted of sexually abusing kids as young as 3 Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:37 PM PST  The trial lasted only two days.
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| UN can't confirm weapons used in Saudi attacks were Iranian Posted: 13 Dec 2019 11:43 AM PST ![UN can't confirm weapons used in Saudi attacks were Iranian]( "UN can't confirm weapons used in Saudi attacks were Iranian") The U.N. chief said in a report to the council obtained Friday by The Associated Press that the U.N. also can't confirm that the missiles and drones were transferred from Iran "in a manner inconsistent" with the Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six key countries. The United States has blamed Iran for the attacks.
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| Russia Got Its Hands On A U.S. Tomahawk Missile In Syria (And Plans To Counter Them) Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:00 PM PST  Sometimes missiles fail to explode.
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