| US military training for Saudi students could resume soon Posted: 16 Jan 2020 09:30 AM PST  U.S. training for more than 800 Saudi Arabian military students could be restarted "in the coming days," the Pentagon said Thursday, nearly six weeks after a shooting by one Saudi trainee killed three sailors at a Florida base. The Pentagon had stopped all flight and field training for the approximately 850 Saudi students amid fears that others may have known about or been involved in the shooting at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Jonathan Hoffman, chief spokesman for the Defense Department, said officials probably will have an announcement soon about the training resumption.
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| Aide Accused of Murdering Former Arkansas State Senator Offered ‘Gold’ From Jail for Hit on Ex: Prosecutors Posted: 15 Jan 2020 10:51 AM PST  A woman awaiting trial for allegedly killing a former Arkansas state senator was hit with new charges Tuesday after she promised fellow inmates she would give them "gold and silver" to murder the victim's ex-husband and his new wife, prosecutors said. Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell, who pleaded not guilty to several charges in the June murder of former State Sen. Linda Collins-Smith, was slapped with two counts of soliciting to commit murder and two counts of solicitation to commit tampering with physical evidence in connection with the elaborate plot she allegedly tried to orchestrate from prison.The former campaign staffer for Collins-Smith has been behind bars since June 14—10 days after the 57-year-old Republican was found fatally stabbed and wrapped in a blanket under a tarp at the end of her Pocahontas, Arkansas, driveway. Former Arkansas State Senator's Shooting Death Investigated as 'Homicide'Authorities at the time said O'Donnell was caught on video removing Collins-Smith's home surveillance cameras on May 28, 2019—the last day the politician was seen alive—but have not elaborated on the details of the murder due to a gag order. O'Donnell, 49, faces the death penalty on the original murder charges and is being held without bond in Jackson County. "These newest charges further cement in our minds that the police have arrested the right person. Rebecca O'Donnell's threats are being treated very seriously but have not deterred our faith in what we are committed to: justice for Linda," the family of Collins-Smith said in a Wednesday statement to The Daily Beast. "Thank you all for your continued support, prayers and well wishes."According to several jailhouse informants, O'Donnell allegedly tried to hire two fellow inmates to stage a murder-suicide at the home of the lawmaker's ex, former state Judge Phil Smith, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the Jackson County Circuit Court on Tuesday. During a Nov. 7 interview, one of the inmates told an Arkansas State Police special agent that O'Donnell wanted her to "shoot or hang Mr. Smith" and include a "suicide note" that the 49-year-old had handwritten, the affidavit states. The same inmate was then told to pack a bag to make it seem like his new wife "was in the process of leaving him," the affidavit states.Prosecutors allege O'Donnell told other inmates that "Phil Smith needed to be killed" so that "charges would be dropped off her." In exchange for the hits, the inmates were told they could take a bag of "gold and silver" from Smith's home—which investigators said had been appraised to be worth between $20,000 and $30,000 during his divorce.O'Donnell, in addition to working on Collins-Smith's campaign, had served as a witness in the couple's acrimonious divorce, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.They Were Hired to Murder a Man's Ex-Wife, But Accidentally Killed Her Sister: SheriffThe former campaign staffer also allegedly tried to enlist the inmates to go to Randolph County Jail to blow up her 2005 Honda Civic so she could "destroy any evidence" that could be used in her murder trial because "police had planted stuff in her truck," the affidavit states. On top of that, she allegedly asked two inmates to kill a judge and prosecutor connected to her murder case.The prosecutor, Henry Boyce, was taken off the case in December without citing a reason. "My family's faith in Becky is unwavering. We cannot imagine the evidence will actually substantiate these allegations. The allegations defy believability. I won't even comment on the informant's extensive criminal history but instead will wait to see if the state produces credible evidence at trial," Tim Loggains, O'Donnell's fiancé, said a statement. One inmate told police that while she never considered killing Smith, she was worried "a more gullible" inmate might. The three other inmates who reported O'Donnell also stated they refused the murder requests.Maryland Millionaire Daniel Beckwitt Found Guilty of Murder in 2017 Death of Man Who Helped Dig Bunker TunnelsO'Donnell's defense attorney, Lee Short, denied the allegations in a statement to ABC News, casting doubt on the inmates' credibility, insisting they had an incentive to offer information for a reduced punishment. Short did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast's requests for comment."It's not surprising at all—inmates do it all the time," Short said. "In high-profile cases, especially homicides, people tend to seek opportunities to improve their situations by giving statements against people."Collins-Smith was first elected to the state senate in 2014 but lost her re-election bid in 2018. Prior to her time in the Senate, the lawmaker served in the statehouse of representatives from 2011 to 2013. While she was elected as a Democrat, Collins-Smith switched parties just months after taking office, citing a change in "ideals."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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| US Marine Corps could soon take out enemy ships with Navy missiles Posted: 16 Jan 2020 06:04 AM PST  The Marine Corps could soon be getting the Navy's new Naval Strike Missile for use as a shore battery, according to the Navy's acquisitions chief.
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| Disease that killed millions of China's pigs poses global threat Posted: 16 Jan 2020 04:05 AM PST  Soon the dog's handler discovered and confiscated a ham sandwich in the purse of a passenger who had flown on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai. China has lost millions of pigs in outbreaks of the disease, pushing its pork prices to record highs, forcing purchases of costly imports and roiling global meat markets. Bettie is among an expanded team of specially trained beagles at U.S. airports, part of a larger effort to protect the nation's $23 billion pork industry from a disease that has decimated China's hog herd, the world's largest.
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| Supreme Court Not Buying It on Bridgegate Convictions Posted: 15 Jan 2020 11:34 AM PST  It's unclear whether they'll throw the cases out.
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| White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham tells Fox News she won't hold press briefings because reporters just 'want their moment on TV so they can peddle their books Posted: 16 Jan 2020 07:11 AM PST  Press secretary Stephanie Grisham's comments came shortly after her predecessor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced she's releasing a memoir this fall.
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| Camera Captures the Moment a Deer Sheds Its Antlers in the Middle of the Night Posted: 16 Jan 2020 07:21 AM PST  If you blink you might miss it
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| South Korea Should Consult U.S. on North Korea Tours, Envoy Says Posted: 16 Jan 2020 02:21 AM PST ![South Korea Should Consult U.S. on North Korea Tours, Envoy Says]( "South Korea Should Consult U.S. on North Korea Tours, Envoy Says") (Bloomberg) -- South Korea's push to allow for private tourism to North Korea should be discussed with the U.S., said Ambassador Harry Harris, who added the visits are technically possible."Tourism is allowed under sanctions, but what you take with you when you tour, some of those things might not be allowed under those sanctions," the U.S. envoy to South Korea told reporters Thursday after President Moon Jae-in raised the proposal earlier this week. Harris said consultations with a designated U.S. government body should take place to "avoid misunderstandings."Moon said at a news conference in Seoul on Tuesday that individual tourism is not restricted by international sanctions and he's willing to "seek approval from the United Nations for exceptions when it comes to cooperation between South and North Korea."Tourism allows cash-starved North Korea to obtain hard currency and significant flows of money to Kim's regime could undermine President Donald Trump's maximum pressure campaign to squeeze its economy through sanctions.Harris also said that the U.S. has made adjustments in its request for funding from South Korea to host U.S. troops and was looking for Seoul to do the same -- without mentioning any specific figures. His comments came after U.S. and South Korean negotiators failed to reach an agreement at their latest defense cost-sharing talks held in Washington, with the two sides saying there is still a "difference in stances," according to a statement from South Korea's foreign ministry.Their current deal technically expired at the start of the year and the tension over the new terms has raised questions about one of the U.S.'s closest military alliances and a key piece of the Pentagon's strategy for countering North Korea and a rising China. There has been no major change to the U.S. military presence in the country as they two sides meet to discuss a new deal.U.S. Walks Out of Military Cost-Sharing Talks With South KoreaTrump has demanded South Korea contribute about $5 billion for hosting about 28,500 U.S. military personnel, well above the current one-year deal where Seoul pays about $1 billion. The price tag originated with the White House, according to people familiar with the matter, and administration officials justify it by saying it reflects the costs South Korea would incur if it takes operational control of combined U.S.-South Korean forces in the case of a conflict.To contact the reporter on this story: Jihye Lee in Seoul at jlee2352@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Jon Herskovitz, Chris KayFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 10 Home Prep Tips Before Going on Vacation Posted: 16 Jan 2020 11:00 AM PST |
| Bureaucracy to brutality: New evidence reveals IS hierarchy Posted: 16 Jan 2020 11:13 AM PST  Documents compiled by a U.S.-based Syrian rights group reveal how Islamic State militants used one of their most powerful bureaucratic bodies to regulate daily life and impose and execute penalties. The Washington-based Syria Justice and Accountability Center said Thursday that the evidence — documents produced by IS itself — could help identify individuals responsible for atrocities during the militants' four-year reign of terror and lead to criminal prosecutions. The 24-page report, called "Judge, Jury and Executioner," is based on dozens of documents obtained by SJAC from inside Syria and collected by a local activist from abandoned IS offices in Raqqa province, where the militants also had their self-declared capital in a city that carries the same name.
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| Former Philippine police chief will be charged for drug war corruption Posted: 16 Jan 2020 10:25 AM PST  The former chief police enforcer of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs will be charged with corruption for allegedly protecting officers linked to the narcotics trade, the country's justice department said Thursday. Oscar Albayalde resigned in October after serving as Philippine police chief for more than a year, having presided over an anti-narcotics crackdown that left thousands of drug suspects dead.
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| Race to save animals on Australia's fire-ravaged 'Galapagos' Posted: 16 Jan 2020 12:36 AM PST  On an island famed as Australia's "Galapagos" for its unique and abundant wildlife, rescuers are racing to save rare animals in a bushfire-ravaged landscape. The charred forest floor on Kangaroo Island is littered with corpses of animals incinerated by the blazes that swept through two weeks ago. Unprecedented fires across swathes of southern and eastern Australia over the past five months have killed an estimated billion animals.
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| Japan minister Koizumi to take paternity leave, aims to be role model Posted: 14 Jan 2020 05:49 PM PST  Japanese environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Wednesday announced he would take paternity leave, as he aims to become a role model for the country's working fathers. Koizumi, son of charismatic former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi and seen as a future leader himself, said he would take about two weeks of leave over three months following the birth of his first child this month. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been trying to encourage more men to take paternity leave, and for businesses to allow a better work-life balance, as part of his "Womenomics" program of bolstering women's employment.
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| Former U.S. Marine: Suleimani’s Killing Is the Apotheosis of American 'Strategy' Posted: 16 Jan 2020 05:06 AM PST  A strategy that has achieved the opposite of its promises is a failure. Before another moment is wasted, Americans need to ask their leaders the same question General David Petraeus plaintively asked at the height of the Iraq War: "Tell me how this ends."
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| Did Russian Prime Minister Medvedev Drop a Grim Hint About Putin’s Latest Power Grab? Posted: 16 Jan 2020 07:14 AM PST  At a celebration of the Russian Orthodox New Year on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev chose a grim message, the sarcasm of which left his audience on edge. But, then, Medvedev probably knew what Wednesday would bring—the resignation of his entire government—and the audience did not.Putin's Power Play: Shuffle the Cabinet But Keep CommandOn national television, the prime minister read at length from Anton Chekhov's story "A Night in the Cemetery," which suggests with ironic wit that celebrating the coming of the New Year is a foolish pursuit, unworthy of a properly functioning mind, since "every coming year is as bad as the previous one," and the newest year is bound to be even worse. Instead of celebrating the New Year, Chekhov wrote—and Medvedev read—one should suffer, cry and attempt suicide. Every new year brings you closer to death, makes you poorer, your bald spots larger and your wife older, he said.Medvedev's sour greetings brought on some awkward laughs and sparse applause from confused Russian bureaucrats in the studio audience, most of whom remained stone-faced. The prime minister seemed nervous and almost dropped his papers at the end of the speech.Then Wednesday dawned, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in his annual state of the nation address proposed a constitutional overhaul. It supposedly is designed to boost the powers of parliament and the cabinet, but more likely is intended to give Putin, 67, a firm grip on the country for many more years, even decades, to come. A few hours later, Medvedev submitted his resignation, and his entire cabinet submitted theirs as well. And while some of them may stay on, Medvedev, who once served a term as Putin's placeholder president, will move to a previously nonexistent post.Putin offered the prime minister slot to Mikhail Mishustin, the head of the Russian Tax Service, who has been described as "the taxman of the future," digitally acquiring receipts of every transaction in Russia within 90 seconds. It's unclear whether Mishustin will be a placeholder technocrat or assume other responsibilities currently known only to Putin. But in his annual address, Putin articulated the need to identify any persons with current or former double citizenships and foreign holdings, eliminating them from government service. Mishustin might become instrumental in such a reshuffling of Russia's power elites, who are perceived to be unpatriotic by maintaining residences or bank accounts abroad. The added pressure will also give Putin further leverage over them. In the past, Putin and Medvedev have choreographed moves that allowed Putin to remain in charge under different titles, swapping places to circumvent term limits.This time around, Medvedev will assume a newly created position as the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council and all current ministers will remain in an acting capacity until a new government is appointed.Meanwhile, the leader of Chechnya in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region, Ramzan Kadyrov has declared himself to be "temporarily incapacitated," relegating his duties to the current prime minister of Chechnya, Muslim Khuchiyev.Putin's sweeping changes are widely interpreted as designed to weaken his successor, reshaping Russia's power structure in order to create additional opportunities for Putin's continued control over the government, even after the conclusion of his fourth presidential term in 2024. Putin proposed amending the Russian constitution to expand the powers of the legislative branch and investing additional powers in the State Council, leading to speculation Putin is contemplating his future return at the helm of a newly empowered Parliament, after the expiration of his current presidential term.Commentary on the Russian president's likely intention to carve out a new position for himself has been skillfully avoided by the Russian state media. Instead, Kremlin-controlled news outlets chose to focus on promised subsidies for families with young children, designed to address Russia's demographic crisis by boosting the birth rate, and the general claim that Putin has, as it were, made Russia great again.On the Russian state television show, The Evening with Vladimir Soloviev, the host proclaimed, "The greatness of the country is indisputably tied to the name of Putin." Soloviev argued that the Russian president "restored respect" towards their country globally. His take was echoed by the State Duma Deputy Chair Irina Yarovaya, who pontificated that Putin, having achieved his foreign policy and national security objectives, could now move on to his domestic agenda. Yarovaya said, "We remember statements by [U.S. President Barack Obama] in 2014—very recently—that Russia is a regional power of minor importance. We remember all of that. We remember how the sanctions started. We remember how we weren't invited to the G8. And today there is a line of world leaders waiting just to talk to our president over the phone…"The sanctions started and Russia was disinvited after it seized and annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, then incited and abetted a separatist war in Ukraine's east. They were intensified after Russia's flagrant interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.Russian state media also highlight Putin's promises of socioeconomic largesse and his prediction that "Russia's economy will grow faster than the global average in 2021." During the last decade, the Russian leader has promised in vain that Russia will become the world's fifth largest economy by 2024. It is currently ranked as the 11th largest economy in the world, with a smaller GDP than that of California. President Putin's current growth prediction is much more modest. It's still not realistic, but such promises had to be made as Russia's declining standards of living have led to political unrest and mass protests.Without providing any direct answers as to his own plans, the Russian leader—who has now been in power for 20 years—created new venues for his continued reign in yet-to-be-revealed future capacities.Amid all the uncertainties, maybe it shouldn't surprise us that Medvedev was reading Chekhov's story about a blind drunk civil servant who stumbles out of a New Year's celebration only to get lost in a graveyard—and then discovers in the morning he was somewhere else entirely.Russia Loves the Impeachment Hearings Because GOP Is Parroting Kremlin PropagandaRead 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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| A man who was put up in a Comfort Inn 'boardroom suite' discovered it was literally a boardroom with a bed Posted: 15 Jan 2020 02:37 PM PST  The stranded traveler shared his amusement on Twitter, where the photo of the "boardroom suite" hotel room went viral.
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| The Best Compact Fitness Equipment Under $300 Posted: 16 Jan 2020 09:56 AM PST |
| UN court to rule next week in Rohingya genocide case Posted: 15 Jan 2020 07:14 AM PST  The United Nations' top court announced Wednesday that it will issue a decision next week on a request to order Myanmar to halt what has been cast as a genocidal campaign against the southeast Asian country's Rohingya Muslim minority. At hearings in December, lawyers representing Gambia showed judges maps, satellite imagery and graphic photos to highlight what they called a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide — including the killing of civilians, raping of women and torching of houses — that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.
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| Australia’s Wildfire Crisis: Key Numbers Behind the Disaster Posted: 15 Jan 2020 03:15 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Australia is in the grip of deadly wildfires burning across the country, triggering an emotive debate about the impact of climate change in the world's driest-inhabited continent. The unprecedented scale of the crisis, and images of terrified tourists sheltering on beaches from the infernos, has shocked many Australians.With the nation only midway through summer and suffering a prolonged drought, authorities fear the death toll will continue to mount as more homes and land are destroyed. Here are some key details of the crisis:How many people have died?Since the fire season began months ago during the southern hemisphere winter, at least 28 people have died. Among the fatalities are volunteer firefighters, including a young man who died when his 10-ton truck was flipped over in what officials have described as a "fire tornado." Australia's worst wildfires came in 2009 when the Black Saturday blazes left 180 people dead.How big an area has burned?Massive tracts of land have burned. Almost 12 million hectares (30 million acres) have been destroyed -- that's almost the size of England. In New South Wales state alone, more than 5.2 million hectares of forest and bush has been destroyed, while more than 1.4 million hectares has been burned in Victoria. The fires are so large they are generating their own weather systems and causing dry lightning strikes that in turn ignite more. One blaze northwest of Sydney, the Gospers Mountain fire, has destroyed about 512,000 hectares -- about seven times the size of Singapore.The scale of the blazes dwarfs the California wildfires in 2018, which destroyed about 1.7 million acres, and about 260,000 acres in 2019.How many homes have been destroyed?Some 2,600 homes have been destroyed, mostly in New South Wales. Scores of rural towns have been impacted, including the community of Balmoral about 150 kilometers southwest of Sydney, which was largely destroyed before Christmas.What's the economic impact?The near-term cost is mounting. Toxic smoke shrouding Canberra has shuttered businesses and government departments and forced national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd. to cancel flights. The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2020 that brings in an estimated A$290 million, has seen qualification games disrupted due to the smoke. Economists estimate the wildfires and associated drought could cut up to half a percentage point off GDP growth as agriculture, tourism and sentiment take a hit.How has wildlife been affected?The University of Sydney estimates that 800 million animals have been killed by the bushfires in New South Wales alone since September and one billion have died nationally. The "highly conservative figure" includes mammals, birds and reptiles killed either directly by the fires, or later due to loss of food and habitat. The fires have raised concerns in particular about koalas, with authorities saying as much as 30% of their habitat in some areas had been destroyed. Images of the marsupials drinking water from bottles after being rescued have gone viral on social media.How can I help?Donations are flooding in to help with the relief effort, led by wealthy philanthropists, companies, investment banks and a string of celebrities. Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Foundation has pledged A$70 million. Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer James Gorman, who is Australian, is pitching in A$1 million, while pledges have come in from stars such as Elton John, Chris Hemsworth, Bette Midler and Nicole Kidman.\--With assistance from Jason Scott.To contact the reporter on this story: Edward Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Edward Johnson at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net, Jason ScottFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Mexico said latest migrant caravan won't pass - Guatemala president Posted: 15 Jan 2020 11:27 AM PST  Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told the Guatemalan government that a caravan of migrants heading towards the United States from Honduras would not be allowed to enter Mexico, new Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei said on Wednesday. "Today in the conversation with foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard we asked about that caravan," Giammattei said after meeting the Mexican minister.
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| 'Joe's Jokers': Meet Some of the Best Marine Aces of World War II Posted: 16 Jan 2020 12:15 AM PST  VMF-115 compiled an amazing combat record with Medal of Honor recipient Joe Foss at the helm.
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| Peru to deport tourists over Machu Picchu damage Posted: 15 Jan 2020 12:23 PM PST  Five tourists arrested for damaging Peru's iconic Machu Picchu site will be deported to Bolivia later on Wednesday, police said. A sixth was released from custody and ordered to remain in Machu Picchu pending trial after paying bail of $910. The six tourists -- four men and two women -- were arrested for damaging Peru's "cultural heritage" after being found in a restricted area of the Temple of the Sun on Sunday.
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| Egypt and Ethiopia reach deal on Nile 'mega dam' that brought threats of war Posted: 16 Jan 2020 09:35 AM PST  Egypt and Ethiopia have struck a preliminary deal to end a row over the construction of a giant dam on the Nile, potentially averting a war between two of Africa's biggest military powers. Following talks in Washington brokered by the US government, Egypt agreed in principle to drop its opposition to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam after receiving assurances that its water supply would not be threatened. The breakthrough follows years of recrimination, with both countries periodically resorting to threats of war ever since Ethiopia announced plans to build the dam in 2011. With 95 percent of its population living in the Nile Valley, Egypt has always been acutely sensitive about the flow of a river on which it has depended for its very existence since the dawn of civilisation 5,000 years ago. The world's longest river is the source of nine-tenths of Egypt's fresh water. Arguing that it was granted ultimate control of the Nile under safeguards implemented by Britain in 1929, Egypt says the Renaissance Dam — which will be the world seventh largest on completion — could cause vital downstream reservoirs to dry up. Ethiopia, in whose highlands the Blue Nile rises before meeting the White Nile in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, argues that the dam will transform the lives of its 110m people, providing many of them with electricity for the first time and allowing the country to industrialise. Hopes for a resolution to the crisis were raised last year after Ethiopia, which had previously resisted international mediation, agreed to US involvement after Egypt's president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, made a personal appeal to Donald Trump, his US counterpart. Mr Trump instructed the US treasury department to work with the World Bank to find a solution. Following talks in Washington, officials from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan agreed to allow the dam, which has largely been completed, to be filled in stages every July and August, the Ethiopian rainy season, so long as the impact on downstream reservoirs is monitored. "The subsequent stages of filling will be done according to a mechanism to be agreed," the US treasury department said in a statement. A final deal could be signed at the end of the month, although analysts warn that differences between Egypt and Ethiopia remain, particularly over how long it should take to fill the dam's reservoir, which will be the size of Buckinghamshire. Sudan has sided with Ethiopia in the row, believing the dam will help regulate the flow of the Blue Nile and reduce downstream flooding.
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| Trump tweets in all caps that he 'JUST GOT IMPEACHED FOR MAKING A PERFECT PHONE CALL!' Posted: 16 Jan 2020 01:51 PM PST  The call was part of a broad effort from Trump and his allies to push Ukraine to start investigations that would help his 2020 reelection campaign.
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| Universities, Colleges Where Students Are Eager to Enroll Posted: 16 Jan 2020 06:29 AM PST ![Universities, Colleges Where Students Are Eager to Enroll]( "Universities, Colleges Where Students Are Eager to Enroll") As students apply to their dream schools, acceptance is almost too good to pass up.
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| Michigan state senator apologizes for comments to female reporter Posted: 15 Jan 2020 12:23 PM PST  A Michigan lawmaker apologized Wednesday a day after telling a young female reporter that a group of high school boys could "have a lot of fun" with her.
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| Navy removes commander of San Diego-based destroyer Decatur Posted: 16 Jan 2020 02:27 PM PST ![Navy removes commander of San Diego-based destroyer Decatur]( "Navy removes commander of San Diego-based destroyer Decatur") The commanding officer of the San Diego-based destroyer Decatur has been removed from command, the Navy announced Thursday. Cmdr. John "Bob" Bowen was relieved of his duties due to a "loss of confidence in his ability to command," according to a Navy statement obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Navy Capt. Dan Cobain, the commander of Destroyer Squadron 21, ordered the move, the statement said.
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| Hong Kong Leader Says China Could Treat City the Same After 2047 Posted: 15 Jan 2020 08:16 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong's leader said China could continue guaranteeing the city its separate freedoms under the "one country, two systems" principle after it expires in 2047."My view is that, as long as we insist on the 'one country, two systems' principle, with the in-depth implementation of the principle and ample understanding, which fits the interests of Hong Kong citizens, then there is sufficient reason to believe that 'one country, two systems' will be practiced smoothly in the long term, and will not be changed after 2047," Chief Executive Carrie Lam told lawmakers at a question-and-answer session at the city's Legislative Council on Thursday.The comments are some of Lam's most detailed statements on the long-term political future of the former British colony, which was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 on the promise that Beijing would leave its capitalist economy and political freedoms untouched for 50 years. They echoed those made by China's government in recent years.During a 2017 visit to the financial hub marking the anniversary of its handover, President Xi Jinping said he hoped for the "smooth and long-term successful practice" of "one country, two systems," according to Hong Kong's pro-China newspaper Wen Wei Po.Uncertain FutureAnxiety and fear about Hong Kong's political future under an increasingly authoritarian administration in Beijing have fueled seven months of violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, initially triggered by since-scrapped legislation over extraditions to the mainland.Once the 50-year time period expires in 2047, China is under no obligation to continue permitting Hong Kong to keep separate freedoms -- including a free media and the right to protest -- that make the city distinct from the mainland. Protesters and pro-democracy lawmakers have frequently accused China of undermining the promises the country's leaders made to Britain before the handover in 1997 and envision a bleak future beyond 2047, in which Hong Kong is treated like any other Chinese city.Some pro-establishment lawmakers have argued that violent protests in favor of greater democracy are likely to make Beijing feel threatened, and less likely to continue guaranteeing Hong Kong's separate freedoms after 2047.Luo Huining, the new director of China's Liaison Office in the city, said Wednesday that Hong Kong's people should place their hope in "one country, two systems."If the system is implemented well, "Hong Kong will win development opportunities and earn room for growth," he said. If it isn't, "there will be non-stop conflicts and chaos."To contact the reporters on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.net;Natalie Lung in Hong Kong at flung6@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen Leigh, Adrian KennedyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Australian tourism industry seeks urgent help as cost of bushfires grows Posted: 15 Jan 2020 04:45 PM PST  Australia's peak tourism body estimated the country's bushfire crisis has so far cost the industry almost A$1 billion ($690 million) and called for urgent help from the government to lure back visitors. Industry bosses were due to meet with Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham later on Thursday as storms and heavy rain brought some respite from months of fierce bushfires across Australia's east coast. "People have basically stopped travel," Simon Westaway, executive director of Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC), told Reuters.
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| DOJ Is Investigating Comey’s Role in Leak of Classified Document during Clinton-Email Probe Posted: 16 Jan 2020 03:04 PM PST  Department of Justice prosecutors reportedly are investigating the possibility that former FBI director James Comey leaked a classified Russian intelligence document to the media during the investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails, according to a Thursday report from the New York Times.Per the Times, the investigation is centered around two 2017 articles from the Times and the Washington Post describing the Russian document, which played a key role in Comey's unilateral decision to announce in July 2016 that the FBI would not pursue charges against Clinton for using a private email server to conduct official business during her time as secretary of state.The document, which Dutch intelligence shared with the U.S., includes an analysis of an email exchange between Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), who was then chairing the Democratic National Committee, and Leonard Bernardo, an official with the Soros-backed non-profit Open Society Foundations. Wasserman Schultz assures Bernardo in the email that then–attorney general Loretta Lynch would make sure Clinton wasn't charged in the email probe.Both Bernardo and Wasserman Schultz have denied ever having the exchange, and the FBI's assessment claimed that the document was a fake and part of a Russian disinformation campaign.Department of Justice inspector general Michael Horowitz said in a review of Comey's actions over the Clinton probe — and its subsequent reopening in October 2016 — that the former FBI director had a "troubling lack of any direct, substantive communication" with Lynch over his decisions.Both 2017 articles cite Comey's private concern that if Lynch had announced no charges for Clinton, the Russians could have released the document to cast doubt on whether the investigation was ethical. They also cite Comey's decision not to tell Lynch that he was declining to charge Clinton as a way of protecting the FBI's political independence.Investigators are examining whether Comey's personal lawyer, Daniel Richman, gave the Russian document to reporters. Richman played a key role in a different, confirmed leak that Comey orchestrated to hand over memos of his private encounters with President Trump in the early days of the Trump administration."I asked a friend of mine to share the content of the memo with a reporter," Comey testified to Congress in June 2017. "I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel."In August, Horowitz found that Comey violated policy and set a "dangerous example" for the rank-and-file by retaining and leaking the memos. Horowitz referred Comey for potential prosecution over the matter, but the DOJ declined to prosecute.Comey has long taken criticism for his handling of the Clinton investigation from Republicans and President Trump, who suggested in December that Comey could get jail time.> So now Comey's admitting he was wrong. Wow, but he's only doing so because he got caught red handed. He was actually caught a long time ago. So what are the consequences for his unlawful conduct. Could it be years in jail? Where are the apologies to me and others, Jim?> > -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2019
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| Woman who poisoned husband with eyedrops sentenced to 25 years in prison Posted: 16 Jan 2020 02:41 PM PST  A woman accused of poisoning her husband to death with eye drops then burning his will has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.South Carolina woman Lana Clayton pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter more than a year after she had spiked her husband's water with Visine until he collapsed inside the couple's multi-million-dollar home on 21 July 2018.
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| "Send me a 50k check": College admissions scam emails released Posted: 15 Jan 2020 08:37 PM PST  Emails reveal that the children of Loughlin and Giannulli were flagged by their high school counselors who said they knew the two were not on the crew team.
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| U.S. intelligence chiefs reportedly want to scrap their public global threat testimony to avoid angering Trump Posted: 16 Jan 2020 05:06 AM PST  The U.S. director of national intelligence and the heads of the CIA, FBI, NSA, and other intelligence agencies testify each year on the global threats facing the U.S., with a part of the hearing in public and the other part behind closed doors. This year, Politico reports, "the U.S. intelligence community is trying to persuade House and Senate lawmakers to drop the public portion" of the Worldwide Threat briefing so agency chiefs can't "be seen on-camera as disagreeing with the president on big issues such as Iran, Russia, or North Korea," as happened last year, provoking "an angry outburst" from President Trump.Lawmakers, especially in the Senate, are expected to reject the request, so far broached only through staff-level channels. The intelligence community has rejected the House Intelligence Committee's invitation for public global threats testimony for the past two years, and "a third refusal could cause tensions between the two sides to boil over," Politico says. On the other hand, at the Senate's hearing last year, the agency chiefs presented intelligence on ISIS, Iran, and North Korea's nuclear ambitions that didn't mesh with Trump's statements, and Trump "blistered them on Twitter" as "passive" and "naive.""Trump later claimed his top intelligence chiefs, including then-DNI Dan Coats and CIA Director Gina Haspel, told him that they had been misquoted in the press — even though their remarks had been broadcast and the video footage was publicly available," Politico recalls. Coats stepped down in August and the current DNI, Joseph Maguire, has been doing the job for five months in an acting capacity. You can read more at Politico.More stories from theweek.com Ukraine gives Trump the corruption investigation he asked for Mitch McConnell should recuse himself Trump declares major disaster in Puerto Rico
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| Meet The Focke-Wult FW-190 Fighter: World War II's Best Fighter Aircraft Posted: 15 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST  Created by a brilliant, German aircraft designer.
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| AOC is sounding the alarm about the rise of facial recognition: 'This is some real-life "Black Mirror" stuff' Posted: 16 Jan 2020 06:57 AM PST  When facial recognition is implemented, the software makes it easy for corporations or governments to identify people and track their movements.
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| Officials block villagers as quakes shake Philippine volcano Posted: 15 Jan 2020 08:21 PM PST  A Philippine volcano that erupted last weekend belched smaller plumes of ash but shuddered frequently with earthquakes Thursday, prompting authorities to block access to nearby towns due to fears of a bigger eruption. A crater lake and nearby river on the Taal volcano dried up in signs of its continued restiveness, and officials have warned people against speculating that the five-day eruption is waning. "We have a seeming lull, but, again, as we emphasized earlier, there is something different happening beneath the volcano," Ma.
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| South Sudan Leaders to Resolve Issues After Forming Government Posted: 16 Jan 2020 05:41 AM PST ![South Sudan Leaders to Resolve Issues After Forming Government]( "South Sudan Leaders to Resolve Issues After Forming Government") (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Next Africa newsletter and follow Bloomberg Africa on TwitterSouth Sudan's government and the opposition agreed to form a unified administration by Feb. 22 and to work on unresolved issues thereafter, according to mediator South African Deputy President David Mabuza."It's quite comforting to note that the level of readiness to form the government of national unity by all the parties is at an acceptable level," Mabuza told reporters in the South Sudan capital, Juba, on Thursday. "The parties are even committed to form the government of national unity before that date."Contentious topics that have been holding up the drawn-out peace process are security arrangements during a three-year transition period and the demarcation of states. Arbitration on the number of states will continue for 90 days after the unity government is in place, Mabuza said.The U.S. said in November that it was re-evaluating its relationship with South Sudan over what it said was the inability of President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar to achieve a "basic demonstration of political will" for their people.To contact the reporter on this story: Okech Francis in Juba at fokech@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura, Hilton ShoneFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Biden Says He Would Consider Beto O’Rourke, Julian Castro as Potential Running Mates Posted: 16 Jan 2020 01:17 PM PST  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would consider former 2020 contenders Beto O'Rourke and Julián Castro as running mates or members of his Cabinet should he get the party's nomination."I would consider either or both of them. I've spoken to each of them," Biden told the Dallas Morning News. "My plea to both of them is that they stay engaged. They are talented, talented people."O'Rourke made headlines during the 2018 congressional elections when the former Texas congressman nearly ousted conservative Senator Ted Cruz in the deep-red state. He garnered early attention after launching his presidential bid but suspended his campaign in November after being outshone by Biden and other candidates.Castro served with Biden in the Obama administration as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He dropped his 2020 bid earlier this month after a year of campaigning and endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren.Biden said in August that he would prefer to choose a woman or a person of color as his running mate. He also remarked on Tuesday that he would consider Senator Kamala Harris, who dropped out of the presidential race early last month, for "anything that she would be interested in," including as his running mate."Whomever I pick, preferably it will be someone who was of color and/or a different gender, but I'm not making that commitment until I know that the person I'm dealing with I can completely and thoroughly trust as authentic and on the same page," the former vice president said.As a former presidential running mate himself to President Barack Obama, Biden said the main quality he would prioritize in a potential vice president is being "simpatico" with his values.Obama "knew that he and I had the same value set and the same political disposition as what we should do, and he knew if I ever had any doubt, I would come back to him," Biden said last year.Biden currently leads in polling among Democratic 2020 candidates at 27 percent, with Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren behind him, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls.
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| Homeless Moms Forcibly Evicted From Vacant Oakland House Highlight Area's Affordable Housing Crisis Posted: 15 Jan 2020 11:37 AM PST  Oakland's mayor called their protest 'a courageous act of civil disobedience'
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| Texas carries out first US execution of 2020 Posted: 15 Jan 2020 05:40 PM PST  Texas on Wednesday carried out the first execution of the year in the United States, putting to death by lethal injection a man convicted of killing his wife 15 years ago because she wanted a divorce. John Gardner, 64, was sentenced to death in 2006 for killing his fifth wife, who had left him after multiple incidents of physical violence and filed for divorce. Tammy Gardner died two days later.
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| Trump threatened UK with 25% car tariffs unless it agreed to accuse Iran of breaking nuclear deal Posted: 16 Jan 2020 05:42 AM PST  Donald Trump threatened the UK with a 25 per cent tariff on its cars unless the British government officially accused Iran of breaking the 2015 nuclear deal, it has been reported.The secret threat last week, first reported by The Washington Post, which cited unnamed European officials, would have seen the tariff imposed on all European automobile imports to the US unless Britain, France and Germany agreed to the ultimatum.
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| Newly revealed Giuliani letter destroys Trump Ukraine defense Posted: 15 Jan 2020 04:19 AM PST  The House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday made public a trove of previously unreleased documents that dramatically raise the stakes of the impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
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| These Are the Crazy High-Tech Weapons America Would Fight World War III With Posted: 16 Jan 2020 11:59 AM PST  Better to deter than to actually fight.
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| South Africa’s Ramaphosa Won’t Attend WEF Meetings in Davos Posted: 16 Jan 2020 08:25 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Next Africa newsletter and follow Bloomberg Africa on TwitterSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa won't attend next week's World Economic Forum in Davos to deal with issues in the government and ruling African National Congress.Ramaphosa has "taken this decision to give attention to pressing domestic priorities" and preparations for a ruling party and cabinet meeting, the Presidency said in a statement on its website. He also won't attend a U.K.-Africa Investment Summit in London on Monday.South Africa will be represented in Davos and London by government and civil society representatives led by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor.To contact the reporter on this story: Rene Vollgraaff in Johannesburg at rvollgraaff@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Andre Janse van VuurenFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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