| Iraqis worry US-Iran tensions are eclipsing their protests Posted: 13 Jan 2020 10:11 PM PST  Young Iraqis who drove mass protests demanding sweeping political reforms are worried that the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which is playing out in part on Iraqi soil, is killing their momentum. No one was seriously injured and Iran was unexpectedly forced to shift gears to manage the fallout from its accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner filled with Iranians.
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| How Seriously Should Trump Take North Korea's 13,000 Artillery Pieces? Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:00 AM PST  Here's what we know.
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| Mexico Doesn’t Know What to Do With Its Presidential Dreamliner Posted: 14 Jan 2020 11:40 AM PST ![Mexico Doesn't Know What to Do With Its Presidential Dreamliner]( "Mexico Doesn't Know What to Do With Its Presidential Dreamliner") (Bloomberg) -- A state-of-the-art $130 million presidential Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner is becoming a headache for the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.Mexico is flying back the luxurious aircraft from California after failing to sell it for over a year, Lopez Obrador said Tuesday in his daily press conference, adding that they are rethinking options to get rid of the plane that he has deemed as too ostentatious.AMLO, as the Mexican president is known, put the Dreamliner on the block right after his inauguration in December 2018, choosing to fly commercial airlines instead to make a point about his frugal government style. The plane was flown to a Boeing hangar in Victorville, where the government has been paying maintenance and rent fees while trying to sell it.A dozen potential bidders surfaced last year but no deal was closed, Jorge Mendoza, chief executive officer of state bank Banobras, which is overseeing the sale process, said at the same conference. The plane has a market value of $130 million, Mendoza said, down from the $219 million that Mexico agreed to pay when it ordered it in 2012.Read More: Mexico Set for Loss on AMLO Sale of $219 Million DreamlinerLopez Obrador said he even offered the plane to U.S. President Donald Trump and agreed to receive goods in exchange, to no avail."We give them the plane, they can pay us in kind. We need X-rays, ambulances, tomographs, laboratories," he said. "We didn't get an answer."The government is now open to renting the plane or splitting ownership among 12 holders, AMLO said, urging Mexicans to make offers for the plane and other aircraft, including helicopters and Gulfstreams, that the government is auctioning. In the meantime, the Air Force will keep the Dreamliner in custody.AMLO has repeatedly criticized the purchase of the plane as too lavish for the leader of a country with millions living in poverty. The president, who has yet to make his first international trip as head of state, also recently argued that the aircraft is too big and expensive for his traveling schedule, given that he can reach most locations in Mexico in less than two hours with commercial flights.\--With assistance from Lorena Rios and Andrea Navarro.To contact the reporter on this story: Cyntia Barrera Diaz in Mexico City at cbarrerad@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| U.S. targets Maduro-backed legislator and allies in fresh Venezuelan sanctions Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:27 AM PST  The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on seven Venezuelan politicians it said led a bid by President Nicolas Maduro to wrest control of the country's congress from U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido. Earlier this month, troops blocked Guaido from entering congress long enough for the Socialist Party to declare allied legislator Luis Parra as head of parliament. Washington blacklisted Parra and six of his allies "who, at the bidding of Maduro, attempted to block the democratic process in Venezuela," U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
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| The unintended consequences of Taiwan standing up to China Posted: 13 Jan 2020 11:43 AM PST  A popular parable attributed to Taoism by Alan Watts goes something like this:A farmer's horse runs away. His neighbor commiserates at his loss, but the farmer demurs: "who knows if it is good or bad?" The neighbor leaves, puzzled how there could be any question.The next day, the horse returns with a new wild horse as its mate. The neighbor congratulates the farmer on his good fortune that a second horse had come into his possession. But the farmer demurs again: "who knows if it is good or bad?"Sure enough, the next day, the farmer's son is thrown from the saddle while breaking the wild horse, and breaks his leg. The neighbor commiserates again on his son's injury, but as expected, the farmer demurs: "who knows if it is good or bad?"And of course, the next day the army marches through to draft all the able-bodied men to go off to war, and the farmer's son is only spared because of his injury.You can take the story for as many turns as you want: any apparently bad news can lead to good fortune, and any apparently good news can lead to bad consequences.I've been thinking about that story apropos of the Taiwanese election.President Tsai Ing-wen's landslide re-election seems like unequivocally good news. Voting took place in the shadow of increasingly overt attempts at intimidation by Beijing, and the months of protesting in Hong Kong that demonstrated as clearly as possible that "one country, two systems" was a hollow promise — particularly when Chinese President Xi Jinping explicitly suggested Hong Kong as the model for Taiwan's future. Xi deserved a strong rebuke to his bullying, and he got one.But that doesn't mean the message will be received as intended. It's all but certain that Beijing will never willingly change their view that Taiwan is a renegade province that must be incorporated into China proper. What is harder to tell is whether Xi's increasingly personalized dictatorship is capable of softening its approach and biding its time, which is the only plausible path to peaceful unification.What are the other possibilities? First, China could redouble its efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and pressure it economically. Taiwan has become quite integrated with the Chinese market over the past two decades, and one of Tsai's main priorities has been to seek alternatives to China for their supply chain. But Beijing could get more aggressive about trying to stymie those efforts, while also forcing Taiwanese firms that continue to do business with the mainland to side with China in America's ongoing trade war.How would Taiwan react to a further tightening of the screws? It's possible that they would reverse course and try to accommodate Beijing — but it's far more likely that they would redouble their own efforts to break out of that isolation. In the context of the great unwinding of America's relationship with China, Taiwan may find opportunities with the United States (and Japan). It's not hard to imagine, though, how China would view such moves, even if they were not accompanied by anything as provocative as a declaration of independence.Finally, there is the threat of war. At present, any military threats Beijing might make are largely idle; it is not clear that they have the capacity to subdue the island militarily. But as China's modernization proceeds, their confidence that they could achieve their military objectives will increase. In the context of deteriorating relations and an ever-stronger independent national identity on the island, it might eventually make sense for Taiwan to risk war while they still have a chance of winning.Ten years ago, it was possible to look at the Taiwanese situation and predict that China would eventually prevail through patience and the sheer preponderance of power. That is harder to believe today, as China has become increasingly threatening, and as its economic miracle has grown increasingly brittle. Ten years ago, it was also possible to look at Sino-American competition as part of a classic power transition, with the challenge being how America would manage China becoming the dominant power of the western Pacific without war. That is also much harder to believe today. As explicit great power competition has re-emerged, Taiwan has become a fault-line state, a place China cannot afford to relinquish lest its own regime lose legitimacy, but that America cannot afford to abandon lest its own position in Asia collapse.Today, we should celebrate Tsai's election as a triumph for democracy in a time when democracy could use some triumphs. But tomorrow, we should remember the many ways in which happy news can turn sour, and far more quickly than we might imagine.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com The Senate is preparing an 'unprecedented crackdown' on Capitol reporters ahead of impeachment Bernie Sanders' appraisal of a woman's 2020 chances isn't shocking. It's conventional wisdom. What happens when women translate the Classics
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| U.S. troops describe 'miraculous' escape at Iraqi base attacked by Iran Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:29 PM PST  Troops at the Iraqi air base that bore the brunt of Iran's first direct missile attack against U.S. forces said they were shocked by its intensity and grateful to emerge unscathed.
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| Florida's 'Python Bowl' brings hundreds together for one goal: Catching huge snakes Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:50 AM PST  Hundreds of people registered for the Florida Python Challenge to capture invasive snakes in the Everglades in a 10-day event.
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| Harsh weather kills 70 more people in Pakistan, Afghanistan Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:41 AM PST  Severe winter weather has claimed more lives as avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall killed 55 people in Pakistan-administered Kashmir while 15 died in neighboring Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday. The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir was the worst-affected area, with 55 deaths in the past 24 hours, said Waseem Uddin, a spokesman for Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority.
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| Trump reportedly authorized the Soleimani strike 7 months ago, throwing a wrench through his argument that there was an 'imminent threat' Posted: 13 Jan 2020 07:25 AM PST  US officials told NBC that Trump approved a US military strike against Soleimani if Iran killed in American back in June of 2019.
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| 'Clearly He's Not Actually Washing.' Grandma Puts Baby to Work Doing Dishes Because Being a Baby Is Not a Free Ride Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:45 AM PST  Don't all infants wash spoons?
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| World War III Won't Start Over Iran, But It Could Start Thanks To North Korea Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:00 PM PST  Let's not test it.
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| The 11 Most Anticipated Buildings of 2020 Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:52 PM PST |
| U.S. Army green berets admit to stealing $200,000 in counter-terrorism cash Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:58 AM PST ![U.S. Army green berets admit to stealing $200,000 in counter-terrorism cash]( "U.S. Army green berets admit to stealing $200,000 in counter-terrorism cash") Former Sergeant First Class William Chamberlain, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and receiving stolen government property in federal court in North Carolina on Monday after having fought the charges for years, prosecutors said. Four other soldiers, who like Chamberlain were from the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and served in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty in 2014 while Chamberlain planned to defend himself at trial.
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| Biden Leads Democratic Field in Poll of Iowa Caucus Goers Posted: 13 Jan 2020 10:00 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden is on top in Iowa, as more voters say they have "firmly decided" on their choice, according to a Monmouth University poll released Monday.Biden is ahead with 24% support, up 5 points from the same poll in November. Bernie Sanders is in second place with 18%, virtually tied with Pete Buttigieg at 17%, and with Elizabeth Warren at 15%.Biden has been at at the top of most Iowa polls, though Sanders had the lead in a Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom poll released Friday, with 20%. Biden was fourth in that poll, with 15% support, behind Warren and Buttigieg.The Monmouth poll is notable because 43% of respondents said they are "firmly decided" on their top choice, up from 28% in November. Still, that left more than half saying that they were at least open to the possibility of choosing another candidate.The poll of 405 likely caucus goers was conducted Jan. 9-12 and had a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points.In recent weeks, Biden has sought to revive a flagging operation in Iowa, spending more time in the state and outlaying more on online and TV ads ahead of the Feb. 3 caucuses.Biden's front-runner status in the poll could cause him to come under fire from his rivals on Tuesday, as six Democratic candidates meet in Des Moines for the final debate before the caucuses. Along with Warren, Sanders and Buttigieg, he'll also face Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and billionaire activist Tom Steyer.The poll also revealed more about who voters would support as a second choice.Under Iowa caucus rules, supporters of candidates who don't receive at least 15% on the first round have to switch to a viable candidate, so the second picks of supporters could prove important.Warren led for second choice, with 23% saying they would pick her if their first choice didn't make the cut, up from 17% in November. Buttigieg was virtually tied with Sanders at 15% and 14% respectively, while Biden was the second choice of only 10%.But when the question was phrased a different way, Biden came out on top.Pollsters asked likely caucus goers who they would pick if the only viable candidates in their caucus site were the top four. Biden was at 28%, Buttigieg at 25%, Sanders at 24% and Warren at 16%.New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who suspended his campaign Monday, had just 3% support in the Monmouth poll. His departure shrank the field of Democratic contenders to 12.(Michael Bloomberg is also seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)To contact the reporter on this story: Ryan Teague Beckwith in New York at rbeckwith3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Max BerleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| U.S. Tariffs Set to Remain in Place Until After Election Under Trade Deal with China: Report Posted: 14 Jan 2020 12:01 PM PST  The U.S. will keep billions of dollars of tariffs on Chinese goods in place until after the 2020 election as leverage to keep Beijing from violating a phase-one trade deal, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.The $360 billion in scheduled tariffs is slated to be kept in place and only reviewed for potential trimming after the election — a detail that is reportedly not specified in the text of the agreement.The U.S. currently has heavy tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, while China has tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. products."The only non-public component of the agreement is a confidential annex with detailed purchase amounts, which has been previously described," U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Bloomberg in an email. "There are no other oral or written agreements between the U.S. and China on these matters, and there is no agreement for future reduction in tariffs."A deal is expected to be signed in Washington on Wednesday, with the U.S. dropping its designation of China as a currency manipulator ahead of the deal. The two countries have been locked in months of back-and-forth negotiations after a deal was principally agreed to in October.The initial deal included China purchasing $40 to $50 billion worth of American agricultural products, along with agreeing to guidelines on how it manages its currency. It also included a provision that addresses China's history of intellectual property theft, specifically as it pertains to the forced transfer of American technology in exchange for access to the Chinese market. But impending U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods caused Beijing to stall signing the deal.U.S. agriculture and manufacturing have been hit particularly hard by the longstanding trade war, with farmers receiving $30 billion in compensation to offset losses, and manufacturing hitting its lowest level in more than a decade.
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| Austrian BASE jumper rescued from side of Thai cliff Posted: 13 Jan 2020 05:14 AM PST  An Austrian BASE jumper was rescued in southern Thailand on Monday after being stuck for hours almost 200 meters (yards) above the ground when his parachute became snagged on the rocky side of a cliff. Nearby residents of Phattalung province spotted 28-year-old Johannes Grasser dangling by his parachute cords at about 8:30 a.m. BASE jumping stands for building, antenna, span and earth — the four common objects from which such jumpers launch their descent.
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| How Iranians pivoted from condemning the US to dramatic protests against their own government after officials shot down a commercial plane Posted: 14 Jan 2020 11:02 AM PST  Anti-government tensions have been building since November, and protestors have taken aim at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with Trump's support.
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| Taal Volcano in the Philippines Has a History of Deadly Eruptions. Here's What Could Happen Next Posted: 14 Jan 2020 03:09 AM PST  The eruption sending a plume ash and steam half a mile into the sky on Tuesday
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| FIRE! The Zumwalt-Class Stealth Destroyer Is Getting a Big Redesign Posted: 12 Jan 2020 07:00 PM PST  The old concept already costed $22 billion.
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| Body of missing Ohio teen found in neighbor’s chimney 'appears to be an accident,' police say Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:01 PM PST  The body of Harley Dilly was found in the chimney of a vacant house, and his death appeared to be accidental, Port Clinton police said.
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| Pompeo says Iraqi leaders privately want US troops Posted: 13 Jan 2020 01:07 PM PST  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged Monday that Iraqi leaders have told him privately they support the US troop presence, despite public appeals for them to leave. The Iraqi parliament last week voted to rescind the invitation to foreign troops after a US strike at the Baghdad airport killed a top general from Iran, which also has wide influence in the country.
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| Deputy prime minister calls Japan a nation with single race Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:45 AM PST  Japan's deputy prime minister described the country as the only one in the world with a single race, language and 2,000-year-old monarchy, sparking criticism that he was ignoring an indigenous ethnic group and Japanese racial diversity. Taro Aso, who is also finance minister and one of most influential lawmakers in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, has made a series of remarks in the past deemed insensitive and discriminatory. "No other country but this one has lasted for as long as 2,000 years with one language, one ethnic group and one dynasty," Aso said in a speech Monday.
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| Senate Readies War Powers Bill to Limit Trump’s Iran Options Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:45 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The Senate is moving closer to a rebuke of Donald Trump over Iran, as Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said he has enough Republican votes to pass a resolution limiting the president's ability to carry out a military attack against that country without congressional authorization.The move reflects bipartisan dissatisfaction over the administration's varying justifications for the drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, including a briefing last week that one GOP senator called insulting.Kaine said Tuesday he has 51 "declared votes" for a revised version of his war powers resolution. He said GOP senators Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Susan Collins and Todd Young will support his measure.Two of these Republicans -- Lee and Paul -- said last week they would support Kaine's effort after they blasted Trump administration officials including Secretary of State Michael Pompeo over the classified briefing. Lee said it was the worst briefing he'd ever received on military matters.Kaine told reporters Tuesday that he was approached by Republicans after that meeting with Trump administration officials turned tense."In conversations with Republican colleagues, especially after the briefing last week, they were discouraged that the attitude that was being communicated to us was that Congress is an annoyance" and they only wanted to provide "morsels of information," Kaine said.Lower-level officials from the departments of State and Defense will provide another classified briefing Wednesday to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Briefers include Brian Hook, the special representative for Iran, and David Schenker, the assistant secretary of state for the Middle East.Revised ResolutionThe Senate Foreign Relations Committee has led some of the only efforts from Republican lawmakers to push back on Trump's policy priorities in the last three years. The panel has introduced resolutions to prevent the Trump administration from selling arms to Saudi Arabia and continuing to back the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.Trump vetoed those measures, and Congress failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to override his veto. If the Kaine resolution passes the Senate, it will have to be adopted by the House before going to the president. Trump would probably veto it.The House already adopted a similar resolution that only got three Republican votes in the Democratic-led chamber. That bill was introduced under a slightly different procedure that wouldn't need Trump's signature but would likely face a challenge in court.Kaine's resolution would order the president to cease any hostilities against Iran, its government or its military without express authorization from Congress. The measure includes changes requested by Republicans who were frustrated by last week's briefing."After that they came to me and we have been able to make amendments that earned the support first of Senators Lee and Paul, but now the support also of Senators Young and Collins," Kaine said.The revised version of the bill did not attract the support of Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, who said in a statement that the resolution sends the wrong message to Iran during a time of heightened tensions in the region."This resolution would undermine our deterrent capability and send the wrong message to Iran," Romney said. "As it is currently drafted, this resolution would tie the president's hands in responding to further potential Iranian aggression."Also on Tuesday, a group of eight Democratic senators wrote to acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire asking for a briefing about claims by Trump and other administration officials that Soleimani was planning imminent attacks on U.S. embassies before he was killed earlier this month."There was no mention of any of this classified evidence during the all-senators briefing last Wednesday," said the senators, led by Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut.Majority SupportYoung said earlier Tuesday he informed the Trump administration that he plans to support Kaine's resolution after it was revised to remove some language he said was too political."The members of the administration with whom I spoke, who are important advisers to the president on issues of national security, were comfortable with my principled position," Young said.Collins said in a statement that the revised Kaine resolution doesn't prevent the president from defending U.S. forces abroad while reasserting Congress's "constitutional role.""Congress cannot be sidelined on these important decisions," Collins said. "Only the legislative branch may declare war or commit our armed forces to a sustained military conflict with Iran."Kaine said the resolution is eligible for floor consideration next Tuesday though it could get a vote earlier if a deal is reached with leadership. Kaine said that under Senate rules the measure can get an expedited vote and only needs a simple majority to pass.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was also optimistic that it has enough support to pass."We believe we will get 51 votes," Schumer told reporters Tuesday. "We believe this resolution is the right way to go."Kaine said he expects the Senate to be able to act on the resolution even though Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the chamber plans to begin Trump's impeachment trial on Tuesday. Schumer said senators will "work out the timing."(Updates with lawmaker comment beginning in the 13th paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Daniel Flatley in Washington at dflatley1@bloomberg.net;Laura Litvan in Washington at llitvan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Anna Edgerton, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Australia's bushfires are producing so much smoke that NASA expects it to travel all the way around the world and return to Australia Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:46 AM PST  NASA said the smoke from the fires devastating Australia had already traveled "halfway around Earth" last week, reaching South America.
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| The Reason Why China Refuses to Use Nuclear Weapons First in a War Posted: 13 Jan 2020 09:00 AM PST  Is No First Use a good idea?
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| Why Andrew Yang Has Endured While Traditional Democratic Candidates Have Not Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:27 AM PST  At one point, nearly 30 men and women had entered the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. As of this week, only a dozen of them remain. Among those who have exited the contest are three sitting U.S. senators, five current or former U.S. representatives, and three governors. Among those still standing is an entrepreneur whom nobody in the political world had ever heard of until early last year: Andrew Yang, the only non-politician left in the race aside from Tom Steyer, the billionaire hedge-fund manager bankrolling his own campaign.Why has Yang succeeded where so many more-experienced Democrats failed? In a sea of candidates whose rhetoric offers only familiar, talking-point-laden jargon, Yang sticks out like a sore thumb, and that's to his advantage. He built his campaign from the bottom up, starting with no political experience or name recognition to speak of and rising from there chiefly by embracing his status as a little-known outsider.Likely because he faced a stiff challenge in gaining any public attention at all, Yang began his campaign willing to go anywhere and talk to anyone, and he remains that way even after having outlasted half the field. His first chance in the spotlight came last February, when he joined Joe Rogan's immensely popular podcast for a two-hour chat.This was a preview of things to come for Yang. Embodying one of his slogans, "Not Left, Not Right, Forward," he hasn't shied away from granting access to conservative outlets. He did a lengthy interview on The Ben Shapiro Show last April and, later that month, gave a lengthy interview to National Review. As I noted in the resulting profile, my conversation with him gave me an immediate sense of why his campaign was already resonating with voters, especially younger ones who had never before been interested in politics:> Talking to Yang is like talking to your undergraduate economics professor in office hours as he tries to find a way to communicate with students who were too bored to pay attention the first time he explained something in class. He thinks he gets it, and he wants you to get it, too.In other words, Yang is unconventional, and that's the secret to his success. He talks like a person, not a politician, and he talks to voters as if they're people, not potential votes.Just this morning, for instance, amid the brewing spat between Senators Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), Yang tweeted, "Watching this Elizabeth – Bernie dynamic is upsetting. We have big problems to solve and both want to solve them. I'm sure that's where they would want our attention focused too."While other Democratic campaigns likely would be paralyzed with indecision at the sight of two front-runners dragging each other into the mud — either remaining cautiously silent or gaming out a detailed strategy for a precisely worded, carefully evasive comment that might redound to the benefit of their own polling numbers — Yang just says what he thinks.The core of his platform, the "Freedom Dividend" — a universal basic income of $1,000 per month for every American adult — is an excellent example of how Yang's routine willingness to flout customary political tactics has contributed to his rise. When Yang announced during the September debate that his campaign would give away $1,000 per month for a year to ten American families, he was met with audible laughter from several contenders on stage, including California senator Kamala Harris. Four months later, Harris is out of the race, and Yang is still standing.Yang's ability to come across as less programmed than his opponents is apparent in nearly everything he does. Last month, for instance, he announced that anyone who donated any amount to his campaign would be entered for a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles to see the newest Star Wars movie with Yang after the debate. "Yes I am that candidate," he acknowledged in the tweet, followed by a smiley face and a thumbs-up emoji.What I wrote in my profile of Yang last April is still true: He won't be the Democratic nominee. But several of the things he told me at the time have been proven true as well:> "Most Americans are still going to be finding out about me when they watch these debates," he goes on. "They're going to see me. They're going to Google me. They'll be like, 'Who's that guy?'" He pauses to chuckle at his own comment. "Then the more people dig into my vision for the country, the better I'm going to do."Given that he's managed to stick around longer than many veteran politicians whose campaigns were boosted by constant media acclaim, it seems that Yang was right.
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| Peru to deport tourists for allegedly damaging, defecating at Machu Picchu Posted: 14 Jan 2020 03:01 PM PST ![Peru to deport tourists for allegedly damaging, defecating at Machu Picchu]( "Peru to deport tourists for allegedly damaging, defecating at Machu Picchu") Peruvian police said on Tuesday they would deport five tourists and prosecute another after they allegedly damaged stonework and defecated among the ruins at Machu Picchu, an Incan citadel that is one of South America's most renowned tourist attractions. Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site visited by more than one million tourists a year. The mysterious, centuries-old stonework has long intrigued visitors, but a spike in tourism has raised concerns about damage to the delicate site.
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| Former Cop of the Year in Florida Disciplined for Humiliating Teen During Arrest Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:40 AM PST  A Florida cop once named patrol officer of the year has been disciplined after body-camera footage showed him taunting a teenager during a May arrest, authorities said.Orlando Police Officer Jonathan Mills allegedly intended to "taunt, belittle, humiliate and even incite a person to do violence" while assisting in the May 10 arrest of three teenagers accused of loitering outside a liquor store, according to an internal report obtained by The Orlando Sentinel.Mills, who was named 2018 patrol officer of the year for being "the most proactive member of his squad," was disciplined for his behavior, which is "not representative of the high standards of the professional conduct expected from members of the Orlando Police Department," Mike Stanley, an Internal Affairs investigator, said in the report.Nouman Raja, Former Florida Cop, Found Guilty for Murdering Corey JonesOn May 10, Mills detained the three young men—two 19-year-olds and a 17-year-old—after another officer stopped them outside a liquor store in Parramore for loitering.According to the report, body-cam footage shows Mills grabbing the hands of one of the teenagers during the arrest and commenting about his "soft hands.""These soft hands have been through something," Mills told the teen, according to the video. "You have no marks on your knuckles, you've never been in a fight."Mills then saw another teen talking on his cellphone, at which point he grabbed it and tossed it to the ground, Stanley said in his report."I hope he runs," Mills then said to another one of the teenagers.The teenagers were then "detained and seated on the ground in a position of disadvantage" that did not serve a purpose, the report states.In an interview with Internal Affairs, Mills claimed he grabbed the teen's hands to break "the cycle of whatever he's thinking about." The report, however, notes the officer didn't remove a screwdriver that was within the teen's reach—calling into question whether Mills thought the young suspect "posed an immediate threat" as he originally claimed. The report also says that Mills' comment about hoping the teen would run "serves to discredit" the officer's account. The internal investigation was launched after the mother of one of the 19-year-olds filed a police complaint.Florida Cops Under Fire for Violent Incidents With Black WomenMills was accused by the mother, who is black, of racial bias. She said the officer spoke to her "in an angry and abrupt manner" when she asked why her son was being detained. She also claimed Mills refused to answer questions about the arrest and said she was treated differently than a white woman who arrived at the scene.Mills denied the allegations, and the report concluded that the body-cam footage does not provide sufficient evidence to support her claims. The officer also denied treating the teenagers unfairly, writing in his incident report that the trio was "yelling at the officers and causing a disturbance."While the teens were arrested for violating a disorderly conduct ordinance, prosecutors later dropped charges against both of the 19-year-olds. Additional details regarding the third teen were not immediately available because he is a minor. An Orlando Police spokesman said the police chief "is not worried" about the report's findings and the decision to keep Mills on the force, stating that "discipline is also intended as a corrective measure" and that disciplinary actions were taken. It's unclear what precise measures the department took against the officer.Cops: NYPD Officer Ordered Hit on Estranged Husband, Boyfriend's Kid"Chief Rolón believes Ofc. Mills will conduct himself professionally going forward," the spokesperson said.Mills has previously faced excessive force lawsuits that were settled by the city and was given a verbal reprimand after he was accused of making a racist comment to a woman during a traffic stop in March 2016. "That hairdo is sad," Mills allegedly told the woman. "You've got to get your hair done, girl."Despite the lawsuits, the report states Mills made more than 100 arrests and confiscated numerous guns and drugs in 2018, prompting members of his squad to "consider him a leader...motivating and assisting them," the report said.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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| 29 bodies unearthed from Mexican mass grave Posted: 14 Jan 2020 09:54 AM PST  The bodies of at least 29 people have been unearthed from a mass grave on a property outside Mexico's western city of Guadalajara, local authorities said Monday. The grim site was discovered in Jalisco -- a state hard-hit by violence linked to organized crime, and the same area where authorities have found a total of 80 bodies since November. The local prosecutor's office said that four of the dead had been partially identified and corresponded with open missing persons investigations.
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| Zimbabwe's president meets visiting Chinese foreign minister Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:09 AM PST  Zimbabwe's president Emmerson Mnangagwa praised his country's relations with China on Monday, after meeting the Asian giant's foreign minister Wang Yi, who was visiting as part of an African tour to promote China's economic and political interests on the continent. No details of major investment deals were announced, although Vice President Constantino Chiwenga on Sunday asked Wang to support projects submitted to him by Zimbabwe.
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| Get the Vibrant Look of This Southern California Residence Posted: 14 Jan 2020 05:00 AM PST |
| Under siege, are Iran’s rulers likely to do more than survive? Posted: 14 Jan 2020 09:16 AM PST ![Under siege, are Iran's rulers likely to do more than survive?]( "Under siege, are Iran's rulers likely to do more than survive?") After Tehran shot down the Ukrainian airliner and covered it up, the stunning admission sent outraged Iranians back into the streets.
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| U.S. Spy Agencies Tracking Russian Hack of Biden-Linked Burisma Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:40 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- U.S. spy agencies are tracking a Russian hacking attack against a Ukrainian gas company linked to the impeachment of President Donald Trump, including whether it was done to find damaging information on former Vice President Joe Biden's family, according to a senior U.S. official.The U.S. is reviewing evidence of the hack at Burisma Holdings first disclosed by researchers at security company Area 1, according to Shelby Pierson, the election threats executive for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.When asked whether there are concerns the attack by Russian intelligence was done to find derogatory information on Biden which could then be used to undermine his presidential campaign, Pierson said intelligence officials are examining that possibility. The vice president's son, Hunter, was once on the company's board."We try to keep a very open mind as to why intelligence services would be pursuing this information which could of course include the scenarios that you outlined," Pierson said Tuesday on the sidelines of an election security conference in Washington."Before we even jump to a conclusion of intent we're always looking for what are those compromises," she said. "Let's just not forget that some of this can be for reconnaissance purposes or for other applications that have nothing to do with a messaging campaign."On Bidens and Ukraine, Wild Claims With Little Basis: QuickTakePierson later said in an interview with MSNBC that "we've long talked about the Russians as a threat so we certainly are tracking that."Russian officials have long denied that they meddle in foreign elections.Researchers at Area 1, which is run by a former National Security Agency official, said Russian hackers sent phishing emails to subsidiaries of Burisma to try to penetrate the Ukrainian energy company.The email accounts of Burisma employees were accessed, but it's unclear how that was used or what material may have been gained, according to the company's report released on the hack released Monday.Read More: Russian Hackers Attacked Burisma in Midst of Impeachment InquiryHunter Biden was on Burisma's board from 2014 until last year. Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has peddled a discredited theory that the elder Biden, when he was vice president, derailed an investigation into Burisma to protect his son.In a July 25 telephone call, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to "look into" allegations of wrongdoing by Biden. The call triggered an impeachment inquiry, which began in September and is expected to lead to the president's trial in the U.S. Senate starting next week.Hackers for the Russian intelligence agency GRU began attacking Burisma as early as November, according to Area 1. The operation was still active when Area 1 published its report on Monday, said Oren Falkowitz, the company's chief executive officer.Pelosi ResponseTracking election interference operations by the GRU "is a top priority" for the U.S., Pierson told MSNBC. "We are certainly tracking all of the threat vectors that are active in this landscape as we move into the heyday of election season, not only for the primaries but certainly for the main Election Day in November," she said.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Area 1 report showed the need to bolster election security heading into this year's presidential race."The alarming reports that the Russian government is continuing to interfere in our elections to benefit the president and to undermine our democracy highlight the urgent need for action," Pelosi said in a statement on Tuesday. The email phishing tactics used by the GRU to infiltrate Burisma were "similar, if not identical" to methods applied in 2016 to attack Democrats, including the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, said Falkowitz. If those tools are still working, they're likely to be used again to attack state election systems and campaigns in 2020, he said."Hacking is a lazy man's sport; it's a matter of finding the path to least resistance," said Falkowitz. "The reason they're still using the same methods is because they work. Hackers don't have to do anything different if they're successful."To contact the reporters on this story: Chris Strohm in Washington at cstrohm1@bloomberg.net;Kartikay Mehrotra in San Francisco at kmehrotra2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Kevin WhitelawFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Destroying China's South China Sea Island Bases In a War Might Not Be So Easy Posted: 13 Jan 2020 05:55 AM PST  Expert: "Effectively neutralizing China's bases would require hundreds of missiles, emptying the magazines of valuable U.S. platforms that don't have ordnance to spare."
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| El Salvador's top Anglican bishop urges U.S. to not deport son Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:34 PM PST  The top Anglican bishop of El Salvador has urged the United States not to deport his son back to the troubled Central American nation, fearing brutal gangs who have threatened to murder the 34-year-old for refusing to work for them. Bishop David Alvarado said his son, Josue Alvarado, hopes to be granted asylum in the United States or Canada. "If he returns, the gangs will go after him again," Bishop Alvarado said.
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| James Murdoch Slams Fox News and News Corp Over Climate-Change Denial Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:40 AM PST  In a long-simmering rift between factions of the Murdoch family over climate change, Rupert's younger son, James, and his activist wife, Kathryn, are attacking the climate denialism promoted by News Corporation, the global media group, and also by the Fox News Channel overseen by James' older brother, Lachlan."Kathryn and James' views on climate are well established and their frustration with some of the News Corp and Fox coverage of the topic is also well known," a spokesperson for the couple exclusively told The Daily Beast as wildfires rage in Australia."They are particularly disappointed with the ongoing denial among the news outlets in Australia given obvious evidence to the contrary." The extraordinary public rebuke from Kathryn and James—who is the CEO of Lupa Systems, a private investment company he founded—comes as Australia has been ravaged by the worst fires seen in decades. The blazes have claimed 27 lives and destroyed thousands of properties across multiple states, with an estimated 1 billion animals feared dead. News Corp Australia dominates the country's media landscape, publishing more than 140 newspapers and employing 3,000 journalists in print, broadcast, and online.Blame Rupert Murdoch for Trump Calling Journalists 'Enemies of the People'What Rupert Wrought: The 10 Scariest Bits From the NYT's Murdoch OpusOne longtime News Corp executive, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, described the comments by James, who continues to sit on the board of News Corporation, and Kathryn as an intentional attack on Lachlan and Rupert. "They are pissing inside the tent and that's unusual. It's evidence of how high tensions are within the family over climate change. The majority of people who work here agree with James. We are hoping this may be the tipping point," the exec said.Critics say Murdoch's Australian newspapers and his television networks have continued to publish stories and opinion pieces that dismiss widely accepted science about climate change.On Nov. 24, as fires were already burning in Australia, News Corp columnist Chris Kenny wrote in The Australian newspaper, "Hysterical efforts to blame the fires on climate change continue, even though we have always faced this threat and always will."A day later, News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt wrote in The Herald Sun: "Let's assume you're silly enough to think global warming is causing worse bushfires around the world. (In fact a recent NASA study found that the area burned by fire has dropped 24 percent over 18 years.)… True, the world has warmed slightly as it rebounds from the little ice age that stretched from 1300 to around 1870, but can we cool it on this panic? In that time of warming, life expectancy has shot up, world grain crops have set new records, and the death rate from extreme weather has been slashed by 99 percent."On Jan. 6 on Fox News, contributor Raymond Arroyo—speaking on The Ingraham Angle about Golden Globes winners warning about climate following the Australian fires—said, "They just arrested 12 people in Australia for those fires and they were blaming it on climate change. Wrong again!"Two nights later, host Laura Ingraham referred to it as a "climate-change flameout" and said that "celebrities in the media have been pressing the narrative that the wildfires in Australia are caused by climate change" while again hosting Arroyo, who added: "This is incomplete reporting, Laura. Though Australia has had the highest temperatures on record—the driest season ever—it's not correct to say climate change caused these wildfires."Other Murdoch family members were less forthcoming to share their views of News Corp's coverage of climate change. When contacted by The Daily Beast, Elisabeth Murdoch hung up after being quizzed on the issue. In 2011, News Corp bought Elisabeth's TV production company, Shine Group, for $673 million.Wendi Deng, the mother of Murdoch's two youngest daughters, Chloe and Grace—and who divorced Rupert in 2013—told The Daily Beast, "I can't talk about this," when reached by phone. Prudence Murdoch, Rupert's first child, who resides in Australia, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. On Wednesday, The Daily Beast contacted a representative for Lachlan and Rupert requesting comment on James' statement and asked about both men's position on climate change but received no response. The Beast followed up with a query asking if Lachlan or Rupert planned on donating money to bushfire relief efforts.Late Thursday, it was announced Lachlan and his wife, Sarah, had pledged $1.4 million (A$2 million) to bushfire recovery efforts. Lachlan and Sarah recently splashed out $150 million on a mansion in Bel Air, California, the second most expensive residential property sale in the United States.On Monday, News Corp announced that it will donate $3.5 million (A$5 million) to bushfire relief. Rupert, whose net worth is estimated by Bloomberg News to be in excess of $7 billion, and his wife, Jerry Hall, pledged $1.4 million (A$2 million)."It is clear that confronting the bushfire disaster in Australia requires both an immediate response and an ongoing investment in rebuilding the lives and livelihoods of those most affected by the fires across the country," Rupert said in a statement. James and Kathryn have long been passionate about the environment and have both spoken publicly in the past about the dangers of climate change. In 2008, Kathryn joined the Clinton Climate Initiative and later served on the board of the Environmental Defense Fund. In 2014, the couple founded the Quadrivium Foundation, an organization that invests in a range of programs tackling issues that include electoral interference and climate change. "There hasn't been a Republican answer on climate change," Kathryn told The New York Times. "There's just been denial and walking away from the problem. There needs to be one."Rupert Murdoch Attacks Scientology Because It Once Courted His Son LachlanThe couple have also donated to the Anti-Defamation League, Unite America, and to Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign.After 21st Century Fox was sold to Disney for $71 billion last year, James used his $2 billion windfall from the sale to found Lupa Systems, a tech and media investment company that has thus far acquired stakes in Vice Media, the Tribeca Film Festival, and a comic-book publisher. Last year he told The New Yorker, "There are views I really disagree with on Fox." His father was forced to address the climate issue at News Corp's annual general meeting in New York in November, following a question delivered via proxy from Australian shareholder activist Stephen Mayne. The questioner asked, "What do you believe is the global role of News Corp in the geopolitical climate? If you do believe in climate change, Mr. Mayne is interested to hear why News Corp gives climate deniers like Andrew Bolt and Terry McCrann so much airtime in Australia?""There are no climate-change deniers around, I can assure you," Murdoch Senior responded while also touting that the company had "reduced our global carbon footprint by 25 percent, six years ahead of schedule."In an interview with The Daily Beast, Mayne, a longtime Murdoch critic, said there were numerous examples of News Corp journalists and commentators who promote climate denialism in print and on air. "Within the Australian division, there are individuals who are obsessed with climate-change denialism such as Andrew Bolt and Terry McCrann, both of whom are 30-year veterans of the company and are close to Rupert and Lachlan. The failure here is a failure to intervene to withdraw the green light for unhinged denialism within the Australian division," he said."It entirely comes down to Rupert and Lachlan. They are equally conservative and fully on board with everything from Fox News to climate-change denialism."According to an account published by The New York Times, Lachlan was impressed by the way Bolt aggressively questioned Al Gore after he presented a slideshow on climate change at a News Corp retreat in California in 2006. "Clearly, James was the one who persuaded his father in 2007 to embrace climate-change action, but his father doesn't actually believe it and nor does Lachlan," Mayne added."There's been a long-term rivalry and disagreements between Lachlan and James, and Lachlan has won in a sense as he's stayed and he's a chip off the old block like his climate-denying dad," he said.Last week, a News Corp staffer based in Australia, Emily Townsend, sent a damning all-staff email addressed to News Corp Australia Executive Chairman Michael Miller. "I have been severely impacted by the coverage of News Corp publications in relation to the fires, in particular the misinformation campaign that has tried to divert attention away from the real issue which is climate change to rather focus on arson (including misrepresenting facts)," she wrote."I find it unconscionable to continue working for this company, knowing I am contributing to the spread of climate-change denial and lies. The reporting I have witnessed in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, and Herald Sun is not only irresponsible, but dangerous and damaging to our communities and beautiful planet that needs us more than ever to acknowledge the destruction we have caused and start doing something about it." The email was quickly deleted from News Corp employees' inboxes.In response, Miller defended the companies' coverage. "News Corp stands by its coverage of the bushfires. The dedication and professionalism of our journalists and photographers have kept the community—particularly those Australians affected directly—informed and supported."We respect Ms. Townsend's right to hold her views, but we do not agree with them."Our coverage has recognized that Australia is having a serious conversation about climate change and how to respond to it. However, it has also reflected there are a variety of views and opinions about the current fire crisis."A rep for News Corp didn't respond to James and Kathryn's remarks. A rep for Fox News declined to comment. Mayne believes News Corp stands at a moment of reckoning, but it may be too late to correct course. "We haven't had this situation before of a massive disaster with the company being internationally slammed for climate denialism and a key family member calling out the appalling coverage in Australia," he said. "They are so all into a 'do nothing' position that they will look stupid if they pivot. It ultimately comes down to the family—it's an internal dispute within the family. Rupert hates giving in to the left."On Saturday, The Australian, the company's national masthead, printed an editorial defending the paper's coverage and lashing out at competitors who have questioned its editorial stance. "In our coverage, The Australian's journalists report facts about how to tackle bushfires and about how to deal with the impact of climate change. Second, we host debates reflecting the political division that exists in Australia about how to address climate change without destroying our economy," the editorial stated."However, our factual account of bushfires, climate change, and the remedies, as well as our editorial commentary on these issues, have been willfully and ineptly misrepresented by The New York Times and Guardian Australia as climate denial."—with additional reporting by Justin BaragonaRead 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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| Sheriff: 4 dead in Florida home, 1 person in custody Posted: 14 Jan 2020 04:38 AM PST ![Sheriff: 4 dead in Florida home, 1 person in custody]( "Sheriff: 4 dead in Florida home, 1 person in custody") Four bodies were found inside a central Florida home and sheriff's officials said they have one person in custody. Osceola County Sheriff's officials released few details about the investigation Monday. "All parties involved with this investigation are accounted for," Sheriff Russ Gibson said during a brief news conference.
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| Volcano erupts on ecologically sensitive Galapagos island Posted: 14 Jan 2020 12:19 AM PST  A volcano erupted on an uninhabited island in the Galapagos, Ecuadorian authorities said, spewing lava on the ecologically sensitive environment. La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina island, one of the youngest in the archipelago, began erupting Sunday evening, Galapagos National Park (PNG) officials said in a statement. Before the eruption, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 was felt, according to the local Ecuadorian Geophysical Institute, followed by 29 aftershocks.
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| Flight lands in Honolulu over the weekend because of a dead passenger Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:19 AM PST  An Air Canada flight bound for Australia diverted to Honolulu over the weekend because of a dead passenger. Passenger Christopher Woodgate, 38, was pronounced dead when the flight landed in Honolulu on Saturday, said Kira Paiva-Kimura, an administrative services officer for the Honolulu medical examiner's office. An autopsy will be conducted.
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| How demise of Iranian nuclear deal rekindles Israel’s dilemma Posted: 13 Jan 2020 09:09 AM PST ![How demise of Iranian nuclear deal rekindles Israel's dilemma]( "How demise of Iranian nuclear deal rekindles Israel's dilemma") Prime Minister Netanyahu campaigned hard against the Iran nuclear deal. Now it's gone, and Israel's options are limited. Is this what he wanted?
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| Will Iran Protests Put Leadership at Risk? Posted: 13 Jan 2020 03:07 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more.Iran has swiftly cracked down on protests that sprouted over its coverup of the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger jet. Within Iran, people feel angry at their rulers, who lied for days about what really happened.Coming on the back of disquiet at home over Iran's perilous economic state, the news has eaten away at the national unity that briefly surfaced after the U.S. killed a senior Iranian general in an airstrike.There have been clashes between protesters and riot police, with chants denigrating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and calls to rid the country of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.But that does not mean the leadership is in immediate peril — it's already faced months of protests. While the plane crash points to weaknesses in its much-vaunted military elite, the rulers control many of the key institutions in Iranian society.Parliamentary elections due next month will be telling. The influential Guardian Council has already vetted candidates, with a view to shifting power away from moderates in the administration. That may help conservative parties secure control of the legislature, signaling a harder line ahead of a presidential vote next year.That suggests a country turning ever further in on itself, with little tolerance for dissent. If the protests continue, talk is likely to shift again to whether we're witnessing the start of a "Persian Spring."Global HeadlinesLoosening grip | Xi Jinping's goal of bringing Taiwan under his control moved further out of his grasp as the island re-elected a president who's vowed to defend its sovereignty, drawing accusations of cheating and voter intimidation from Beijing. Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide victory over China-friendly opposition challenger Han Kuo-yu to clinch a second term in elections Saturday.Impeachment leverage lost | Three years of political and legal drama, investigations and standoffs will reach a more intensive stage this week if, as anticipated, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi transmits the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate. Once she does so, the leverage will be with the president and Republicans. Look for Pelosi to name the House managers who'll serve as the prosecutors in the Senate's trial.Peace moves | Intense Russian and Turkish pressure to halt the nine-month war in oil-rich Libya is expected to result in the signing of a truce today between Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar in Moscow. Turkey and Russia, which back rival sides in the North African nation, exerted their leverage to end the conflict, starting with a fragile cease-fire that took hold on Saturday night.Union watershed | The French government's decision to drop its push for a higher retirement age may prove enough to secure the rest of its pension reform and turn the tide on strikes that have hampered transport networks for more than a month. The shift could also dent the influence of unions that have led much of the opposition to French governments for decades.Wooing women | Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, who has seen her national lead dwindle on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, is turning back to voters she once appeared to have secured: women. It's an attempt to restore the formula that had Warren neck-and-neck with front-runner Joe Biden just three months ago, Gregory Korte and Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou report.The government is "concerned" about a report that Russia may be attempting to undermine Biden's presidential campaign, Trump National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said yesterday.What to WatchThe U.S. and China are set Wednesday to sign the first phase of a trade agreement that includes Chinese commitments to respect American intellectual property and not manipulate its currency, as well as a U.S. expectation for $200 billion in new purchases. Democratic presidential candidates debate tomorrow in Des Moines, Iowa. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he's chosen a date for a general election to be held soon but won't reveal it yet. Xi will travel to Myanmar on Friday for the first state visit to the country by a Chinese president in 19 years. President Vladimir Putin gives his annual state-of-the-nation speech to Russia's Federal Assembly on Wednesday, as he deals with tensions with the U.S. over nuclear weapons and tries to boost stagnant economic growth at home.Congratulations to reader Werner Koch, who came up with the correct answer to Friday's quiz question, naming Glasgow Caledonian University as the western university where Iranian President Hassan Rouhani studied. Tell us how we're doing or what we're missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally ... An erupting volcano south of the Philippine capital that's triggered some 75 earthquakes and spewed "ballistic fragments" has sparked a mass evacuation and suspended trade in the nation's financial markets. Manila's airport has closed, affecting regional travel. Officials warned this morning a "hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days." The Philippines sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire," subjecting it to earthquakes and volcanoes. \--With assistance from Ben Sills and Anthony Halpin.To contact the author of this story: Rosalind Mathieson in London at rmathieson3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Kathleen Hunter at khunter9@bloomberg.net, Karl MaierFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The North Korean Army's 105th Armored Division: Kim's Secret Weapon? Posted: 14 Jan 2020 05:10 AM PST  Kim has more dangerous tools than nukes at his disposal.
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| U.S. Navy: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Budget (and More Boats) Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:16 AM PST  The Navy wants to grow the fleet by 62 ships in 10 years. It probably won't happen.
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