| Democrats Set Up Senate Trial Strategy Ahead of Impeachment Vote Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:00 AM PST ![Democrats Set Up Senate Trial Strategy Ahead of Impeachment Vote]( "Democrats Set Up Senate Trial Strategy Ahead of Impeachment Vote") (Bloomberg) -- House Democrats are nearing one of the most important decisions in their effort to impeach Donald Trump: Who will bear the historic duty of prosecuting the president in next year's Senate trial.With the House planning to vote Wednesday on two articles of impeachment against the president, Democratic leaders including Speaker Nancy Pelosi must quickly settle on a team of so-called managers to present the case against Trump.Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, who led the House investigation into Trump's dealing with Ukraine, and Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, whose committee drew up the articles of impeachment, are expected to be named by Pelosi to the trial managers team, according to people familiar with the deliberations.The makeup of the team will influence the tone of the trial and, ultimately, help set the impression of the Democratic drive toward impeachment for voters as the 2020 election to determine control of the White House and Congress draws closer.The managers are likely to be formally named Wednesday, the day the lawmakers will vote on the two articles charging Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.Members of the Judiciary Committee have been pushing to draw the impeachment managers exclusively from their panel -- as was done by Republicans in the 1998 impeachment of Democratic President Bill Clinton. But multiple House Democratic officials said the group would include members of Schiff's Intelligence panel.Those selected will effectively become the faces of Trump's impeachment for the Democratic Party and prominent targets for the president and his Republican allies.That is especially true for Schiff. He's been a particular focus of Trump's wrath on Twitter and elsewhere.Trump and some House Republicans have said Schiff should be called as a witness during the Senate trial over his staff's interaction with the government whistle-blower who raised alarms over Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy."The fact that the whistle-blower did have contact with my staff doesn't make me a fact witness," Schiff said on the "Fox News Sunday" program. But he added that some Republican members of Congress, having discussed the withholding of aid to Ukraine with Trump, could be considered witnesses, but during the House investigation, "We didn't seek to call them. We're not seeking to make a circus out of this."Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, initially said he might call Schiff as a witness, but more recently has said he isn't interested in demanding that other lawmakers testify. Fifty-one votes would be needed in the Senate to call any witnesses, and Graham along with other GOP senators have been saying they favor limiting the witness list and bringing the trial to a rapid conclusion."This thing will come to the Senate, and it will die quickly, and I will do everything I can to make it die quickly," Graham told CNN.Impeachment ExperienceAmong those likely to be named to the trial managers team is California Representative Zoe Lofgren. She served on the Judiciary Committee during the Clinton impeachment hearings and was a member of the panel's staff during the proceedings against President Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 before articles of impeachment advanced to the House floor.Also said to be under consideration or having expressed interest are: Representatives Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who serve on Judiciary; Eric Swalwell of California, and Val Demings of Florida, who both serve on Judiciary and Intelligence; Jim Himes of Connecticut, a senior member of Intelligence; and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, who also serves on Intelligence.The roster is expected to be filled out with an eye toward reflecting the diversity of the Democratic House caucus. That includes geographic diversity, though Pelosi and Democratic leaders likely won't name lawmakers from areas where Trump is popular, given the political risk for those members.One person not likely to be on Pelosi's list is Michigan Representative Justin Amash, a Trump critic who left the Republican Party in July and declared himself an independent, according to one of the people.A group of first-term Democratic lawmakers had been lobbying to name Amash to the group, arguing his presence would give impeachment a less partisan gloss. But Amash would be less inclined to hew to any Democratic strategy for managing the trial, making him a potential wild card.Representative Steve Chabot of Ohio, who was a Republican manager during the Clinton trial, said something that anyone in the role would be keenly conscious of is, "a lot of people back home, as well as the nation, are watching."Former Republican Representative Bill McCollum of Florida said he and the other impeachment managers worked quickly to divide up tasks, such as preparing for witness testimony and writing summaries.Neither said they felt any direct political consequences of taking such a prominent role, though Chabot said the Clintons "took great notice on who the impeachment managers were over the years." He said that in his case, they regularly make local appearances on behalf of his Democratic opponents and seemed, in his view, to be trying to "knock him off."In a coincidence of history, Schiff won his California House seat in 2000 by defeating Republican James Rogan, who was a Clinton impeachment manager and was targeted by Democrats for his high-profile and aggressive pursuit of a conviction.Chabot said that while participating in the proceedings was among the most "notable" points of his congressional career, "impeachments in general are low points for our country."Public HearingOn Tuesday, House Democrats have scheduled a public hearing to set the terms for debate on the articles of impeachment and for Wednesday's vote. Any member of the House will be allowed to speak at the session of the Rules Committee, which could go on for several hours.They will have before them a 169-page report released by the Judiciary Committee late Sunday spelling out Democrats' grounds for two articles, arguing that Trump poses "a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office."The impeachment resolution alleges the president abused the power of his office by soliciting Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election and then obstructing Congress during its investigation.The report accuses Trump of using his official powers "to solicit and pressure" Ukraine to launch investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democratic rival, and criticizes the White House's resistance to cooperating with the probe.Committee Republicans filed a separate dissenting report that said "the paltry record on which the majority relies is an affront to the constitutional process of impeachment and will have grave consequences for future presidents."To contact the reporter on this story: Billy House in Washington at bhouse5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Susan Collins to announce reelection plans this week Posted: 17 Dec 2019 10:36 AM PST  The Maine Republican said in an interview she was poised to announce her intentions.
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| Elizabeth Warren demands billionaire Michael Bloomberg release accusers from NDAs Posted: 16 Dec 2019 07:41 PM PST  Michael Bloomberg has been under scrutiny after he was accused of creating a hostile work environment for women in his company in the 1990s.
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| Malaysia to host major summit of Muslim leaders Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:06 AM PST  Malaysia will this week host a summit of Muslim leaders billed as a forum to look at the Islamic world's problems, but it will be closely watched for Middle East power plays and their stance on China's Uighur minority. Leaders from Iran, Turkey, and Qatar will be among hundreds of delegates attending the three-day event set to discuss myriad challenges faced by Muslims. The summit has been pushed by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has long championed greater solidarity among the world's Islamic communities -- and wants to boost his country's standing on the international stage.
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| Chernobyl At Sea: When A Soviet Submarine Created An Atomic Disaster Posted: 17 Dec 2019 07:24 AM PST  The incident remained a secret until the end of the Cold War.
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| Toronto mass shooting victims sue gun maker Smith & Wesson in $150m lawsuit Posted: 17 Dec 2019 09:40 AM PST  * Two people died and 13 were injured in July 2018 attack * Lawsuit claims company created 'ultra-hazardous product'Victims of a mass shooting in Toronto have launched a class action lawsuit against gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson, alleging the company failed to implement key safety features in its weapons that could have prevented the 2018 attack.The suit, the first of its kind in Canada, was filed in Ontario superior court on Monday. Plaintiffs are seeking C$150m in damages from the American company.On the evening of 22 July 2018, Faisal Hussain opened fire on the city's bustling Danforth avenue, killing two people and injuring 13 others. He killed himself following a shootout with police.The weapon used in the attack – an M&P40 semi-automatic pistol – had been stolen from a gun dealer in the province of Saskatchewan.The lead plaintiffs in the case are Skye McLeod and Samantha Price, recent high-school graduates and friends who were celebrating a birthday when Hussain opened fire. As pedestrians ran for cover, Price was hit in the leg and her friend, 18-year-old Reese Fallon, was shot dead. A young child in the area, Julianna Kozis, 10, was also killed.The suit, which has not yet been certified by a judge, alleges Smith & Wesson created an "ultra-hazardous product" and delayed implementing technology that prevents unauthorized users from firing the weapon. The claims within the lawsuit have not been proven in court.Often taking the form fingerprint sensor or a radio-frequency microchip, numerous "smart gun" technologies exist that can prevent unauthorized firing of a weapon. Gun lobby groups in the United States, led by the National Rifle Association, have fought for years against widespread adoption of the safety features."What we have right now, is a technology from the 19th century," said Malcolm Ruby, the lawyer representing victims' families, told the Guardian. "People aren't still using rotary telephones any more. They've moved on. But this is an industry that has refused to modernize."Without the technology in place, the lawsuit claims it was "reasonably foreseeable" people such as Hussain could inflict widespread damage with a stolen weapon.The suit also refers to an agreement between Smith & Wesson and the US government, dating back nearly 20 years, in which the company pledged to make smart gun technology a key feature in new firearm designs – but never did."Despite the agreement, in 2005 the defendant introduced the … model of the handgun used in the Danforth shooting, which failed to include smart gun technology," the lawsuit read.Following a flurry of litigation against American gun manufacturers in the late 1990s, the companies are now largely shielded from claims of negligence in the US. But families of victims in the Sandy Hook shooting won a key victory last month, when the US supreme court allowed a lawsuit against gun maker Remington Arms to go ahead. There are no special protections for the manufacturers in Canada, said Ruby.The lawsuit is open to victims of the shooting who suffered injury while fleeing the gunfire, as well as the families of victims. Smith & Wesson has stated it does not comment on the pending litigation."If you have a product that can harm people – you're obligated to fix that," said Ruby. "And we know these guns have caused widespread harm over the years – and will continue to do so."
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| Trump complains about inability to prosecute Schiff, says they 'handle things' differently in Guatemala Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:21 PM PST  Shortly after his scathing impeachment protest letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was publicized Tuesday, President Trump addressed his displeasure with the proceedings in person.While meeting with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales at the White House, Trump called the House's impeachment proceedings a "total sham" and, as he often does, saved some personal criticism for House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Trump accused Schiff of falsely attributing a statement to him and then complained about how "House immunity" protected the congressman from prosecution."In Guatemala they handle things...much tougher than that," Trump said with Morales seated beside him.It's not exactly clear what Trump was implying with the comment -- or how much he knows about Guatemala's judicial system -- but he certainly thinks Schiff should face some form of punishment.> Trump suggests Adam Schiff should face severe punishment for paraphrasing his Zelensky call during a hearing: "In Guatemala they handle things much tougher than that." pic.twitter.com/bUMrsKJpyv> > -- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 17, 2019As for himself? In case you were still wondering, Trump won't be taking any responsibility for the creation of the impeachment saga. > Q: "Do you take any responsibility for the fact that you are about to be impeached?" > > President Trump: "No. I don't take any. Zero, to put it mildly." pic.twitter.com/yMwdtzNIuy> > -- CSPAN (@cspan) December 17, 2019More stories from theweek.com How the fall of Elizabeth Warren has shaken up the 2020 race Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort hospitalized 6 powerful phrases every parent should use
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| Archaeologists in Greece find 3,500-year-old royal tombs Posted: 17 Dec 2019 11:07 AM PST  American archaeologists have discovered two monumental royal tombs dating from about 3,500 years ago near a major Mycenaean-era palace in Greece's southern Peloponnese region, the Greek culture ministry said Tuesday. A ministry statement said the dome-shaped roofs of both tombs near the Bronze Age palace of Pylos collapsed during antiquity, and the chambers became filled with so much earth and rubble that grave robbers couldn't get in to plunder them. Recovered grave goods from the two tombs included a golden seal ring and a golden amulet of an ancient Egyptian goddess, highlighting Bronze Age trade and cultural links.
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| Scotland’s Sturgeon to Request Right to Hold Independence Vote Posted: 17 Dec 2019 06:41 AM PST ![Scotland's Sturgeon to Request Right to Hold Independence Vote]( "Scotland's Sturgeon to Request Right to Hold Independence Vote") (Bloomberg) -- Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon reiterated her plan to demand the right to hold another independence referendum.Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh that she will submit a so-called Section 30 request for the transfer of power with the aim of holding a referendum in 2020. After her Scottish National Party won 48 of the 59 seats in Scotland in last week's election, Sturgeon has said she has the mandate for another vote on breaking away from the rest of the U.K. in the wake of Brexit. "This is a watershed moment for Scotland," Sturgeon told lawmakers in Edinburgh on Tuesday. "So this week I will take the next steps to secure Scotland's right to choose."The election set up a renewed standoff over the future of the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he won't allow another vote and that Scotland should stand by the result of the last referendum in 2014, when Scots chose 55% to 45% to remain in the U.K. Sturgeon says it's undemocratic to deny permission because of Scotland's rejection of Brexit.Sturgeon's semi-autonomous government sent a Section 30 demand in March 2017 following the U.K.s decision to trigger the process of leaving the European Union.To contact the reporter on this story: Alastair Reed in Edinburgh at areed12@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Rodney Jefferson at r.jefferson@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Biden saying he'd only serve one term would be an Election Day risk with little reward, new Insider poll shows Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:23 PM PST  Former Vice President Joe Biden would seemingly risk losing much more than he'd gain from announcing his intention to serve one term.
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| Indonesia Muslim groups deny China lobbying sways views on Uighurs Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:36 AM PST ![Indonesia Muslim groups deny China lobbying sways views on Uighurs]( "Indonesia Muslim groups deny China lobbying sways views on Uighurs") Indonesia's biggest Muslim groups have denied that lobbying by Beijing, including tours facilitated by China in Xinjiang, had influenced their stance on the treatment of the region's Muslim Uighur minority. The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions in Xinjiang as part of what Beijing calls an anti-terrorism campaign.
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| Double-murderer deported to Germany after decades in US jail Posted: 17 Dec 2019 05:58 AM PST  A German man who has served 33 years in a US prison for a double murder arrived back in Germany on Tuesday, after receiving parole. Officials in the state of Virginia allowed 53-year-old Jens Soering, the son of a diplomat, to be released on parole. "I'm so happy to be in Germany after 33 years in prison in the US," he told journalists in a short statement at Frankfurt Airport.
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| Why Giving Israel Spare American B-52 Bombers Is A Terrible Idea Posted: 16 Dec 2019 03:30 PM PST  A great way to drag America into conflict.
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| Xbox to call 2020 Xbox 'Xbox', in line with company tradition Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:42 AM PST  Microsoft's gaming division appears ready to bring a renewed focus to its brand name, Xbox, for the recently revealed Xbox Series X console or consoles. Previously known as Project Scarlett, before being reintroduced as Xbox Series X this December, Microsoft's video games division Xbox appears set on using the term "Xbox" to refer to its Holiday 2020 console. Will that lead legions of gift-giving shoppers to mistakenly purchase the original 2001 Xbox?
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| Nunes Urges Schiff to Accept the IG’s Findings on FBI FISA Abuses: ‘You Are in Need of Rehabilitation’ Posted: 16 Dec 2019 06:47 AM PST  Ranking House Intelligence Committee Republican Devin Nunes rebuked committee chairman Adam Schiff in a Sunday letter, telling Schiff he is "in need of rehabilitation" if he is to fully accept the Justice Department's inspector general report detailing the FISA abuses committed by the FBI during their Russia probe."After publishing false conclusions of such enormity on a topic directly within this committee's oversight responsibilities, it is clear you are in need of rehabilitation, and I hope this letter will serve as the first step in that vital process," Nunes wrote in a Sunday letter.After originally dismissing Nunes's concerns about the warrant process, Schiff admitted that the FBI committed significant errors in its application to the FISA court to surveil Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page."FBI and DOJ officials did not 'abuse' the [FISA] process, omit material information, or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign," Schiff wrote in a memo last year, adding a claim that the warrant applications "made only narrow use of information from Steele's sources."However, the inspector general's report documented 17 "significant errors and omissions" in the process and said the FBI failed to inform the FISA court about the partisan origins of the Steele dossier, which they also failed to independently corroborate.On Sunday, Schiff said he "certainly accepts" that "the inspector general found things that we didn't know 2 years ago."Nunes commended Schiff for that acknowledgement, calling it "a valuable first step—a baby step, but a step nonetheless—in your rehabilitation.""As part of your rehabilitation, it's crucial that you admit you have a problem—you are hijacking the Intelligence Committee for political purposes while excusing and covering up intelligence agency abuses," Nunes wrote. "Rehabilitation will be a long, arduous process."The intelligence committee held an impeachment hearing last week and the lower chamber is expected to hold a full House vote this week to impeach President Trump over accusations that he engaged in a quid pro quo involving temporarily withheld U.S. military aid to Ukraine. Trump is accused of witholding the aid to coerce Ukrainian officials to announce the opening of a corruption investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
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| The 25 Best Sandbox Games Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:37 PM PST |
| Zambia Wants U.S. Ambassador Out for Defending Gay Couple Posted: 15 Dec 2019 11:12 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu wants the U.S. ambassador to leave the country after the diplomat criticized the African state for sentencing a gay couple to 15 years behind bars for having a consensual relationship."We have complained officially to the American government, and we are waiting for their response because we don't want such people in our midst," Lungu said Sunday in comments broadcast on state-owned ZNBC TV. "We want him gone."U.S. Ambassador Daniel Foote said last month that he was "personally horrified" after the high court sentenced the two men and called on the government to reconsider laws that punish minority groups. The move was particularly disturbing as "government officials can steal millions of public dollars without prosecution," Foote said.The U.S. provides $500 million in aid to Zambia yearly, according to Foote."We are saying no to homosexuality," Lungu said in comments broadcast by Sky News earlier this month. "When you are tying it to aid, if that is how you are going to bring your aid, then I'm afraid the west can leave us alone in our poverty. And we'll continue scrounging and struggling."The State Department didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.Read More: U.S. Rebukes Zambia for Jailing Two Men for Homosexuality(Updates with envoy's comments from third paragraph)To contact the reporters on this story: Taonga Clifford Mitimingi in Lusaka at tmitimingi@bloomberg.net;Matthew Hill in Maputo at mhill58@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sebastian Tong at stong41@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura, Eric OmbokFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Joe Biden coldly rains on Trump's happy-poll parade Posted: 16 Dec 2019 08:54 PM PST  President Trump had a good poll on Monday: In a USA Today/Suffolk University survey, he leads all his potential Democratic rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden by 3 percentage points, just inside the poll's ±3 point margin of error. But that's not the poll Trump highlighted on Twitter Monday afternoon — in fact, it's not quite clear what poll he was tweeting about that has his approval rating at 51 percent, or even above 50 percent. Biden either found that elusive poll or just decided he might just as well make up a number, too.> This same poll has you losing to me by 7 points. https://t.co/cbwKoCbW7b> > — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 16, 2019Biden does lead Trump by 7 points in a new Fox News poll, but Trump's overall approval rating in that survey is 45 percent, with 53 percent disapproving of his job performance. In the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Biden leads Trump by 6.2 percentage points and Trump's average approval rating is 44 percent, 8.8 points underwater.In any case, point made, point won. The USA Today/Suffolk poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters Dec. 10-14.More stories from theweek.com How the fall of Elizabeth Warren has shaken up the 2020 race Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort hospitalized 6 powerful phrases every parent should use
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| Supreme Court upholds homeless people's right to sleep on public property outdoors Posted: 16 Dec 2019 12:50 PM PST  The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a ruling that said homeless people have a constitutional right to sleep on public property outdoors if no other shelter is available to them. The justices without comment on Monday turned away an appeal by Boise, Idaho, which said the federal appeals court ruling would leave cities "powerless" to address residents' health and safety concerns.
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| Malaysia's Najib ordered killing of Mongolian model, says former bodyguard Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:13 AM PST  A Malaysian police officer on death row for the 2006 slaying of a Mongolian model has accused former prime minister Najib Razak of ordering him to kill the woman, according to media reports and the policeman's lawyer. Azilah Hadri and another police officer, who were serving on Najib's security detail at the time of the murder, were sentenced to death in 2015 for killing 28-year-old Altantuya Shaariibuu. Najib, who lost a general election last year and is also facing charges of corruption on a massive scale, has denied knowing the woman, but the question of who ordered the killing has never been answered.
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| In 1968, North Korean Commandos Launched a Raid into South Korea Posted: 17 Dec 2019 11:07 AM PST  How did it end?
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| Greta Thunberg clapped back at Deutsche Bahn after it appeared to accuse her of staging a picture of her sitting on the floor of an 'overcrowded' train Posted: 16 Dec 2019 02:39 AM PST  The 16-year-old Thunberg was traveling home from Madrid by train after attending the UN climate conference.
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| US wants explanation for Turkey threat to close two bases Posted: 16 Dec 2019 08:25 PM PST  US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday he wants an explanation from Ankara over threats to close two strategic military bases used by the United States in Turkey. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday threatened to close the Incirlik and Kurecik bases while speaking to a pro-government television channel. The two bases sit on Turkey's southwest coast, near the border with Syria.
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| Rescuers free entangled humpback whale off California coast Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:35 PM PST  A rescue team helped free a young humpback whale that was tangled in fishing gear south of San Francisco days after a fisherman first spotted it, a conservation group said Tuesday. The team in a small inflatable boat in Monterey Bay attached five large, hot-pink buoys to the fishing line to slow down the whale and keep it near the surface Friday, said Peggy Stap, founder and executive director of Marine Life Studies, a Northern California conservation group. The whale was spotted again two days later, but conservation groups and the Coast Guard couldn't find it after an all-day search.
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| Harry Dunn: Dominic Raab calls for US diplomat’s wife to return to UK if she is charged Posted: 17 Dec 2019 10:43 AM PST  The foreign secretary has called for an American woman accused of killing a British teenager in a car crash to return to the UK if she is charged.Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence officer, fled back to her home country after claiming intelligence immunity following the crash in August.
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| Russia Spread Disinformation Related to Yovanovitch and Steele Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:16 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- A Russian-linked operation aimed at dividing Western allies spread disinformation on social media for three years on such topics as the "Steele dossier" and the performance of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, according to a new report.Hundreds of accounts on multiple internet platforms amplified 44 narratives in at least six languages over the course of the effort, which targeted relationships between the U.S. and U.K, as well as the U.S. and Germany, among other Western allies, according to a report released Tuesday by Graphika, a company that uses artificial intelligence to map and analyze information on social media.Two of the false narratives focused on American political controversies, "the smear campaign" against Yovanovitch in 2019 and "the dossier of claims against U.S. President Donald Trump in early 2017," Ben Nimmo, the head of investigations at Graphika, wrote in the report. Yovanovitch, who was removed from her post in May, testified in the U.S. House Intelligence Committee's impeachment investigation hearings against Trump. The dossier was part of the false story that U.K. intelligence officials interfered in the 2016 election, according to the report."It looks like this operation leverages U.S. political stories to cause trouble between America and its allies," Nimmo said.Still, Graphika's research concluded "none of these stories gained significant traction. This operation struggled to place its content in front of real users, perhaps in part because of the measures it took to hide the true identity of its operators, such as the use of single-use burner accounts."The disinformation effort ran from October 2016 to October 2019 and was part of a broader, Russian-based operation known as "Secondary Infektion," according to Graphika. Facebook Inc. and Reddit have previously removed accounts related to the operation.The report comes after Russia spread disinformation ahead of the U.K. election last week and American intelligence agencies have warned that foreign actors will seek to influence voter perceptions ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.Starting in October, accounts related to Secondary Infektion amplified leaked trade documents in the run-up to the Dec. 12 U.K. election. Nimmo wrote that the U.K. element of the operation appeared to be the only narrative among the disinformation stories in the report that gained significant traction on social media."All the earlier stories were based on forgeries," he wrote. "Some were carefully crafted, others were laughably inept, but all were false. Almost all these stories fell flat. By contrast, the leak of genuine U.K. trade documents was one of the headline moments of the U.K. election campaign and made the news well beyond British shores."The disinformation campaign also touched on a topic of special interest to Russia. "A cluster of articles spread alarming rumors about the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, games from which Russia had been banned for doping," according to the report.To contact the reporter on this story: Alyza Sebenius in Washington at asebenius@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew Martin at amartin146@bloomberg.net, Andrew Pollack, Sara FordenFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump writes blistering letter to House accusing leaders of 'war on democracy' Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:19 PM PST  Letter is a thinly veiled attempt to redirect back impeachment inquiry's findings he abused power and obstructed Congress * Trump impeachment – live newsDonald Trump has accused Democratic leaders in the House of declaring "open war on American democracy", on the eve of a historic vote that is likely to make him only the third president in US history to be impeached.Trump issued the incendiary accusation in an intemperately-worded letter sent to the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, on Tuesday.Over six pages packed with scathing criticism, the president charges the architects of the impeachment process with violating their oaths of office, breaking their allegiance to the constitution and cheapening what he calls "the very ugly word, impeachment!"The president's claim that the impeachment process declares "open war" on democracy is a thinly veiled attempt to redirect back at his opponents accusations that he abused his power and obstructed Congress.A consistent Democratic line has been that the president violated his position in pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival, the former vice-president Joe Biden.Trump's letter rehashes several of his favorite talking points, regurgitated profusely on his Twitter feed.He claims his phone conversations with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, were "perfect" and repeats a debunked conspiracy theory that Biden had forced the ousting of a Ukrainian prosecutor in order to stymie an investigation into corruption at an energy company that employed his son Hunter.Most colorfully, Trump accuses Pelosi of having contracted "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and of viewing "democracy as your enemy!"The letter finishes on a grandiose flourish, saying it was composed "for the purpose of history"."One hundred years from now, when people look back at this affair, I want them to understand it … so that it can never happen to another president again."The letter was delivered hours after Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, who will control an impeachment trial should the House vote as expected on Wednesday to bring formal charges against Trump, rebuffed a Democratic request to call new witnesses and dismissed the process as a "sloppy … fishing expedition".The majority leader took to the floor of the Senate on Tuesday to underline what he has already made clear – his disdain for the impeachment process.> When people look back at this affair, I want them to understand it … so it can never happen to another president again> > Donald TrumpSwatting aside a suggestion from Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, that senior White House officials should be called to testify, he scathingly said: "So now the Senate Democratic leader would apparently like our chamber to do House Democrats' homework for them. And he wants to volunteer the Senate's time and energy on a fishing expedition."He added: "From everything we can tell, House Democrats' slapdash impeachment inquiry has failed to come anywhere near – anywhere near – the bar for impeaching a duly elected president, let alone removing him for the first time in American history."McConnell's pugnacious response came on the eve of a historic vote in the House that is all but certain to pass two articles of impeachment against Trump. According to a count by the Associated Press on Tuesday, Pelosi had enough votes in favor, despite some speculation on how centrist Democrats and those from Republican-leaning districts would vote.The first accuses the president of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden. The second charges him with obstructing Congress by blocking the appearance of key administration figures at impeachment hearings.> We will have votes on whether these people should testify ... and the American people will be watching.> > Chuck SchumerThe vote would make Trump only the third president to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. The charges would then be sent to the Republican-controlled Senate for trial, setting up a much more challenging constitutional bar: no president has ever been convicted and removed from office, Richard Nixon having resigned in 1974 before a vote on articles of impeachment.McConnell's outburst came in reply to a letter from Schumer that outlined how he thought a trial should be conducted. Schumer said four new witnesses should be called, including John Bolton, the national security adviser fired by Trump in September, and the acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney.Both Bolton and Mulvaney have first-hand knowledge of events relating to Trump's interaction with the Ukraine government. Neither complied with requests to testify during House intelligence committee hearings that laid out evidence against the president.McConnell's refusal to entertain the idea of calling extra witnesses falls in step with the Republican strategy of dealing with impeachment by largely shunning it in a hyper-partisan display.Other key Republicans, including the Trump loyalist Lindsey Graham, have said they have made their minds up about the verdict they will deliver even though they are given the role under the constitution of impartial jurors.In his own Senate floor speech criticizing McConnell, Schumer said: "We will have votes on whether these people should testify and whether these documents should be made public ... and the American people will be watching."He added: "Senators who oppose this plan will have to explain why less evidence is better than more evidence."The Democrat also cited a new poll that showed a significant majority of Americans believe Trump should allow his advisers to testify in a Senate trial.According to the Washington Post/ABC News poll, seven in 10 Americans say Trump should allow his aides to testify and six in 10 expect a fair Senate trial.However, the public remains sharply divided on the question of whether Trump should be removed. The poll found that 49% support removal, compared with 46% who oppose it.On Tuesday, a succession of moderate Democrats representing districts Trump won in 2016 announced that they would vote for impeachment.Trump also faced rebuke by more than 700 leading American historians who signed an open letter which said he should be removed."It is our considered judgment," the historians wrote, "that if President Trump's misconduct does not rise to the level of impeachment, then virtually nothing does."
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| Counterfactual: A Nazi Invasion of Britain? (Hitler Wins World War II?) Posted: 17 Dec 2019 02:53 AM PST  Learn the true story of Operation Sea Lion.
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| 2 Jacksonville, Florida, siblings vanished while playing in their front yard on Sunday Posted: 17 Dec 2019 07:56 AM PST  Braxton, 6, and Bri'ya Williams, 5, were playing in their front yard on Sunday in Jacksonville, Florida when they disappeared.
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| ‘Translating for myself’: Ann Scott Tyson on seeing China from the inside (audio) Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:04 AM PST  How do you learn the language of a place? Ann's expansive vocabulary, not just of words but of patterns of behavior and habits of thought, has allowed her to share a nuanced narrative about one of the world's most influential countries.
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| New Zealand IDs 2 bodies not found after volcano eruption Posted: 16 Dec 2019 09:00 PM PST  Police said Tuesday that an Australian teenager and a New Zealand tour guide are the two people presumed dead but whose bodies have not been found after last week's volcanic eruption on New Zealand's White Island that killed 18 people. New Zealand police said the bodies of Winona Langford, 17, of Sydney and New Zealander Hayden Marshall-Inman, 40, have yet to be accounted for. Authorities believe both bodies are in the waters around White Island, but harsh conditions Tuesday forced an abandonment of the search for the second straight day.
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| Finland’s Millennial PM Warned of Baby Boomer Threat to Finances Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:03 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The world's youngest prime minister needs to act quickly to tackle one of Europe's fastest-aging populations.Finland's central bank said on Tuesday that the burden on public finances, as more people head for retirement, is unsustainable and requires a political response. The warning comes just days after 34-year-old Prime Minister Sanna Marin took office.The so-called sustainability gap -- which measures the difference between spending and income -- has widened to 4.7% relative to gross domestic product, from about 3% a year ago, the Bank of Finland said in a report on Tuesday. The biggest contributors to the increase are cooling growth, higher government borrowing and political stalling over health and welfare reform.According to the European Commission, the sustainability gap poses a significant risk to the long-term health of public finances when it exceeds 6%, while a reading of under 2% denotes low risk."One factor currently weighing on the long-term outlook for the public finances is the fact that the baby-boom generation has reached retirement age," the central bank said. "This has increased public pension expenditure, and over the next few years it will also lead to a more rapid increase in expenditure on health care and long-term care of the elderly."Like much of Europe, Finland needs to come to grips with the growing pressures of an aging and shrinking population. In the Nordic nation's case, the issue assumes even greater importance because of its generous welfare state, relatively low immigration and the constraints of euro membership.While recent governments have taken action to address the problem, more needs to be done, said the central bank, which has been issuing similar warnings since the start of the decade.The new government of Sanna Marin, the world's youngest prime minister, has confirmed previous plans to raise the employment rate to 75% of the working-age people, from about 72% now. According to Governor Olli Rehn, the objective is "well-justified.""More determined action should, however, be taken to strengthen the public finances and the prerequisites for employment," he said.The central bank on Tuesday also cut its growth forecasts for the euro area's northernmost economy, to 0.9% in 2020 and 1.1% in 2021. Its previous forecasts pointed to growth rates of 1.5% and 1.3% respectively.(Adds central bank quote in fourth paragraph)To contact the reporter on this story: Kati Pohjanpalo in Helsinki at kpohjanpalo@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tasneem Hanfi Brögger at tbrogger@bloomberg.net, Nick RigilloFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Maxine Waters Claims Trump Agreed to Lift Sanctions in Exchange for Putin’s Election Help, Admits She ‘Doesn’t Have the Facts to Prove It’ Posted: 17 Dec 2019 12:31 PM PST  Representative Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) on Monday said she still believes that President Trump conspired with Russian President Vladimir Putin to win the 2016 elections despite lacking any evidence to support her claim.While it is has been widely established that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 election on Trump's behalf, special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation yielded no evidence that President Trump or anyone on his campaign coordinated with the Russians."I believe, even though I don't have the facts to prove it, I believe that Putin wanted to lift the sanctions [against Russia]," Waters told CNN's Erin Burnett on Tuesday. "He's always wanted to lift these sanctions that were placed on him because of his interfering with, and incursion into Crimea.""And so I believe that they wanted to elect President Trump and Trump—I will always believe this—that he agreed that if he got elected that he would lift those sanctions," Waters continued. "He would like to do it; he's not been able to do it, but when [Republicans] talk about, 'we're just making things up' and he talks about this as a 'witch hunt,' there are too many facts."Waters has a history of controversial statements regarding Trump and the extreme threat he poses to the country. In 2018 Waters publicly called on anti-Trump protesters to "harass" Trump supporters in response to the President's immigration policies."If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere," Waters told protesters. The next day she said protesters will "absolutely harass them [administration officials] until they decide that they're going to tell the President, 'No, I can't hang with you.'"In an October CNN interview, the Representative said Trump should be in "solitary confinement.""Impeachment is not good enough for Trump," Waters said. "He needs to be imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement.""But for now," she added, "impeachment is the imperative."President Trump is currently the subject of an impeachment push by House Democrats due to his conduct regarding Ukraine. The House will likely vote to approve two articles of impeachment, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress respectively, by the end of this week.
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| Iran's Rouhani to visit Japan amid heightened tensions with U.S. Posted: 16 Dec 2019 11:53 PM PST  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit Japan on Dec. 20-21 and meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the Asian country, a U.S. ally, looks to resolve Tehran's nuclear impasse with Washington. Japan maintains friendly ties with both the United States and Iran and has previously tried to ease tensions between the two countries, which severed diplomatic relations after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah.
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| NYPD Looking Into Whether Teen’s Kidnapping Was Staged Posted: 17 Dec 2019 08:49 AM PST  A New York City teenager who was dragged into a car by four masked men in front of her terrified mother on a Bronx street Monday night has been found safe, authorities said. Karol Sanchez, 16, and her mother were walking down Eagle Avenue near East 156th Street at around 11:20 p.m. with their umbrellas up when a beige sedan stopped next to them, the New York Police Department said. In a grainy black-and-white surveillance video released by authorities on Tuesday, two men can be seen jumping out of the car, grabbing Sanchez, and dragging her into the vehicle before speeding away. The 36-year-old mother was allegedly knocked down by the duo as she tried to hold onto her daughter's dark blue jacket. "The vehicle, also occupied by two additional unknown males, then fled east bound," according to an NYPD statement. "The mother, left at the scene, was not injured and refused medical attention."The teenager was found in the Bronx Tuesday afternoon—hours after an Amber Alert was issued—"safe and unharmed," authorities said. The details of what happened remained unclear. Sanchez was dropped off near where she was kidnapped about a mile east of Yankee Stadium and walked up to her relative's apartment building, according to ABC7. A senior law enforcement official told The Daily Beast the Monday night incident appears to have been staged. Among the theories investigators are looking into is the possibility that Sanchez's mother wanted to take her back to her native Honduras but the teen did not want to go, a second senior law enforcement official said. The four men still remain at large and the investigation is ongoing. Jake Patterson Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping Jayme Closs, Killing Her ParentsPolice issued an Amber Alert Tuesday morning for Sanchez, who was described as approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall with short black hair and brown eyes. "To Karol Sanchez's family and loved ones, know that the NYPD will not rest until she's found—and her kidnappers are brought to justice," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted.Jake Patterson Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping Jayme Closs, Killing Her ParentsAuthorities also asked for information from possible witnesses. The suspects were described as four men who appeared to be in their 20s and were wearing "dark clothing." Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| 'Change is happening': Gun violence research could be funded by Congress for first time in 20 years Posted: 17 Dec 2019 03:31 PM PST  The House is expected to vote Tuesday on a bipartisan spending bill that would appropriate funding for gun violence research to the NIH and CDC.
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| University of Kansas will close Confucius Institute Posted: 17 Dec 2019 01:49 PM PST ![University of Kansas will close Confucius Institute]( "University of Kansas will close Confucius Institute") The University of Kansas plans to close its Confucius Institute in January, in part because federal funding for universities that host the China-linked facilities has been reduced. An email distributed Monday to faculty and staff from University of Kansas interim Provost Carl Lejuez said the school believes strong engagement with China is critical to U.S. higher education, The Lawrence Journal-World reported. "However, a Confucius Institute is not a necessary component for KU to productively engage with China, support collaborative faculty research, and prepare students," Lejuez wrote.
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| Dealmakers Will Test Johnson’s Open-Market Cred Posted: 16 Dec 2019 12:56 AM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The U.K.'s election of a right-wing, pro-market government with a thumping majority would certainly seem like a green light to foreign companies wanting to buy London-listed rivals. But the new political climate for takeovers may be hazier than it seems.Boris Johnson's administration is still only four months old, so it's hard to know precisely how it would approach a sizable, serious, fully funded foreign takeover bid. The old chestnuts that surface now and again include an attempt on the big drugmakers, AstraZeneca Plc or GlaxoSmithKline Plc, a tilt by Exxon Mobil Corp. for BP Plc, or even a U.S. bid for BAE Systems Plc, despite the government having a veto via a "golden share."A proposal to take over these particular British icons would be controversial, and each has its strategic and financial obstacles (AstraZeneca is expensive; oil companies are trying to get away from oil, not buy more). Yet getting the political calculation right may prove even trickier.Although Johnson hasn't made the same protectionist noises as his predecessor, Theresa May, the U.K. has been taking a more interventionist stance on M&A lately. It's now the norm for bidders in sensitive sectors to accept restrictions on how they'll manage the assets they acquire, as seen most recently with the private-equity-led deals for defense contractor Cobham Plc and satellite operator Inmarsat Plc. The Competition and Markets Authority, the U.K.'s trustbuster, is getting tougher too. Witness its examination of Amazon.com Inc.'s minority stake in food-delivery group Deliveroo, even though the e-commerce giant would not have control.The question is whether the current level of scrutiny is where it peaks.Johnson is in a bind. The extra seats that delivered his majority were secured by votes potentially "lent," to use the premier's own phrase, from supporters of the opposition Labour Party, including those in Britain's industrial heartlands. Johnson won't want to alienate these voters by hastily endorsing deals that could threaten U.K. jobs or deliver prized national assets to foreign owners. Despite the Conservative Party's longstanding laissez-faire approach to markets, the nationalist undercurrent remains strong in British politics.On the other hand, if the bearish analyses of Brexit's impact prove true, the U.K. economy is in for a difficult time in the years ahead. Johnson will want to attract foreign investment, and flat resistance to any overseas bid would surely be a deterrent to the international business audience. Potential U.S. bidders may judge that Johnson will also want to keep President Donald Trump happy if he is to secure the wide-ranging free-trade deal he campaigned on.Johnson, then, will be torn between his new Labour supporters and global business. Predicting where he'll side isn't easy. But when push comes to shove, and with the next election years away, it seems likely that he'd follow the money. Logic suggests that deal-hungry CEOs will now feel more confident testing Britain's open-market credentials.To contact the author of this story: Chris Hughes at chughes89@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Timothy Lavin at tlavin1@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Chris Hughes is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals. He previously worked for Reuters Breakingviews, as well as the Financial Times and the Independent newspaper.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch went on Fox News to promote his book — and to echo the 'war on Christmas' myth Posted: 17 Dec 2019 11:26 AM PST  Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is the latest victim in the war on Christmas.On Tuesday, Gorsuch appeared on Fox & Friends to promote his recent book — an odd move for a supposedly nonpartisan judge. President Trump's favorite show is known for its solidly conservative agenda, and Gorsuch quickly played into Fox & Friends' hands with the first two words he spoke.When Gorsuch was introduced Tuesday, he pointedly replied with a "Merry Christmas," to which host Ainsley Earhardt responded "I love that you say that." After all, Fox News has been fighting for the right to say that phrase for years as it's drowned out by "Happy Holidays." Gorsuch's choice words soon drew a few critics from the politically correct crowd, prompting Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a certified member of the Merry Christmas militia, to come to his defense.In an attempt to combat "Democrats" who are supposedly "smear[ing] him for wishing Americans a Merry Christmas," Tillis tweeted out a link to a card he's putting together for Gorsuch and his family.> I worked tirelessly to confirm Justice Gorsuch, and I'm not about to let Democrats smear him for wishing Americans a Merry Christmas. That's why I'm putting together a Merry Christmas card to send to Justice Gorsuch and his family – will you add your name? https://t.co/DsPKgbJF0p https://t.co/kYeUEke7gb> > — Thom Tillis (@ThomTillis) December 17, 2019Clicking to Tillis' site reveals a digital Christmas greeting that's reminiscent of a young coder's first web design project. Visitors are welcome to send Gorsuch a Christmas greeting of their own — a system which will absolutely not be abused in any way.More stories from theweek.com How the fall of Elizabeth Warren has shaken up the 2020 race Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort hospitalized 6 powerful phrases every parent should use
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