corpus
stringclasses 1
value | doc_id
stringclasses 1
value | sent_id
int64 1.04M
132M
| eg_id
int64 0
0
| index
stringclasses 1
value | text
stringlengths 79
99.4k
| text_w_pairs
float64 | seq_label
int64 0
0
| pair_label
int64 -1
-1
| context
float64 | num_sents
int64 1
1.31k
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,342,987 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Our selection of some of the most striking news photographs taken around the world this week.
Image copyright Boris Horvat / AFP Image caption A visitor takes shelter from the heat under the Umbrella Sky Project installation by Portuguese artist Patricia Cunha in Aix-en-Provence. France reached its record temperature - 45.8C (114.4F) - amid a heatwave in Europe.
Image copyright Stefan Rousseau / PA Image caption Prime Minister Theresa May shakes hands with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the 2019 G20 summit in Osaka. During the meeting, Mrs May told Mr Putin that Russia must end its "irresponsible and destabilising activity".
Image copyright Chris Jackson / Reuters Image caption The Duchess of Cambridge hugs a girl at a photography workshop with Action for Children in Kingston-upon-Thames.
Image copyright Kevin Lamarque / Reuters Image caption Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at the G20 summit in Osaka. Earlier in the week, she was filmed shaking at an official event for the second time in eight days - raising concerns for her health. A spokesman said Mrs Merkel was fine.
Image copyright Massimo Pinca / Reuters Image caption Controlled explosions demolish what remains of the Morandi bridge in Genoa, Italy, almost one year after a section of the viaduct collapsed, killing 43 people.
Image copyright Spencer Platt / Getty Images Image caption Some of the people who were at the Stonewall Inn on the night the historic New York gay bar was raided by police in 1969 gather for a photo on the 50th anniversary of the riots, which many people consider the birth of the modern gay rights movement in America.
Image copyright Ranita Roy / Reuters Image caption A Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) steam train, which runs on a two-foot gauge railway line, passes by a market in Ghum, India. Built in 1879, the 88km (48 miles) line, now part of a Unesco World Heritage Site, once transported tea from the foothills of the mountains.
Image copyright Philippe Wojazer / Reuters Image caption A member of France's BMX team shows off their skills at Place de la Concorde in Paris. The plaza has been turned into an Olympic park ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.
Image copyright Thilo Schmuelgen / Reuters Image caption Hundreds of climate change protesters gather at Garzweiler coal mine in western Germany before breaking into the mine and marching through it, which police said was dangerous. Germany has vowed to go carbon neutral by 2050, but activists say this is not soon enough.
Image copyright Jim Dyson / Getty Images Image caption Festival-goers gather near a statue by artist Paul Insect at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton. With temperatures expected to reach 28C (82F), the festival is giving away free sun lotion and water.
Image copyright G20 HANDOUT/EPA Image caption Partners and wives of the G20 leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May's husband Philip. They assembled at a temple in Kyoto, Japan, during the country's first hosting of the G20 summit.
All photographs belong to the copyright holders as marked. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 22 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,316,898 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Montana state auditor and insurance commissioner Matt Rosendale announced Friday the first drop in health insurance rates on Montana’s health insurance exchange.
Rosendale spokesman Kyle Schmauch said Friday that Montana managed to lower health insurance premiums through a reinsurance program, which Montana Democrat governor and 2020 presidential candidate Steve Bullock initially opposed in 2017.
“This is the very first time we’ve seen this,” said Schmauch. “All the insurers on average have premiums that are going down. When was the last time you heard about health insurance premiums going anywhere but up?”
He continued, “The reason why is because we finally got put into place a new type of program that is a financial backstop for the insurance companies that Commissioner Rosendale has been trying to get established since he became State Auditor.”
Rosendale’s victory in securing lower health insurance rates for Montana serves as another instance of Republicans offering dynamic solutions that will lower costs for average citizens. President Donald Trump has promised that Republicans will become the party of health care.
“In the years since then we have seen numerous other states with more competent governors get on board and create their own reinsurance programs,” he said. “We finally talked the governor into it and he signed the reinsurance bill in the 2019 session, and now we are seeing the results of lower health insurance rates from all three carriers.”
Rosendale announced earlier in June that he will run for Montana’s at-large congressional seat to put Montanans and America first.
“My commitment to give back to Montana has never been stronger. I’m running for the U.S. House to serve and work for the people of Montana. I pledge to always listen, represent our values, and protect our Montana way of life,” Rosendale said when he announced his candidacy for Congress.
Rosendale’s campaign released its first campaign ad on Monday entitled, “Working for Montana,” which captured the Montana Republican’s work to give Montanans lower healthcare costs, cut spending, while never taking a pay raise while in office.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana proposed a 14.1 average premium decrease for the roughly 20,000 people it covers, while PacificSource proposed a 13.4 decrease for the 11,500 Montanans it covers, while the Montana Health Co-op proposed an eight percent decrease for its 20,700 members. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 13 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,301,637 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Queen last attended the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament in 2016
The Queen is to address the Scottish Parliament as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations.
The ceremony will take place almost two decades to the day since the parliament officially assumed its legal powers.
The Queen, who will be accompanied by Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay, will formally address MSPs in the Parliament's Debating Chamber.
The ceremony will also feature performances celebrating the best of Scottish music and culture.
Young people who were born on the day the devolved parliament was convened on 1 July 1999 - will also join the events.
The so-called "1 July babies" were an integral part of the 10th anniversary celebrations in 2009.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Queen sat next to First Minister Donald Dewar at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999
The parliament was reconvened two years after Scotland voted overwhelmingly for devolution in a referendum in 1997.
It initially sat at the General Assembly in Edinburgh before moving to its £431m purpose-built home at Holyrood in 2004.
The Queen was last in the landmark building in July 2016, marking the opening of the fifth session of the parliament.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Queen travelled in a horse-drawn carriage on the day the parliament was opened in 1999
During the parliament's initial opening ceremony a specially-commissioned mace was unveiled in public for the first time - a gift from the Queen recognising the parliament's authority.
It will form part of the 20th anniversary celebrations.
The Mace and the Crown of Scotland will be carried into the debating chamber ahead of the Queen's address to MSPs.
Image copyright WPA Pool Image caption The Queen met First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the opening of the fifth sessions of the parliament in July 2016
Her address will be followed by speeches from the party leaders, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
She is the sixth person to hold the office since 1999. The first person to become first minister was Donald Dewar, who died after less than two years in the post.
Following the ceremonial proceedings in the debating chamber, the Queen and Prince Charles will attend a reception in the main hall. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 16 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,061,084 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | OSAKA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set for a high-stakes meeting in Japan on Saturday that could salvage trade talks or plunge the world’s two largest economies into a deeper trade war.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping meet business leaders at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
The dispute has already cost companies in both countries billions of dollars, disrupted global manufacturing and supply lines, and roiled global markets.
Trump said he would be sitting down with Xi, the first meeting between the two leaders in seven months, around noon on Saturday (0300 GMT) in Osaka, where they would discuss a dispute over Huawei Technologies Co [HWT.UL] and trade, among other topics.
Trump said the two had seen each other on Friday evening at a dinner of Group of 20 leaders. “A lot was accomplished actually last night,” he said.
“The relationship is very good with China. As to whether or not we can make a deal, time will tell. But the relationship itself is really great.”
The U.S. president, however, has said he would extend tariffs to cover almost all imports from China into the United States if there was no progress from the meeting on wide-ranging U.S. demands for economic reforms.
China’s Global Times, a widely read newspaper published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, said on Saturday the world had to “contain capricious U.S. actions,” pointing to examples like Trump withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.
“The world needs to rein in the U.S., although it’s difficult,” the paper said in an editorial. “The problem is that many countries have misgivings in expressing their opposition to U.S. bullying tactics out of fear for U.S. power, or hope to profit from the U.S. stirring up the global order through opportunism.”
The trade war and signs of a global economic slowdown have overshadowed the two-day G20 summit.
The leaders of the big economies will agree on Saturday to accelerate reforms to the World Trade Organization but stop short of calling for the need to resist protectionism in their closing communique, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper said.
The best outcome from the Trump-Xi talks would be a resumption of trade negotiations, Marc Short, the chief of staff for U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, told reporters at the White House on Friday.
The United States says China has been stealing U.S. intellectual property for years, forces U.S. companies to share trade secrets as a condition for doing business in China, and subsidizes state-owned firms so they can dominate both domestic and international business.
China says the United States is making unreasonable demands and must also make concessions.
“We feel the U.S. side is exerting extreme pressure,” a Chinese diplomat told Reuters on Friday on condition of anonymity. “It is raising many demands but doesn’t want to make concessions.”
The dispute escalated when talks collapsed in May after Washington accused Beijing of reneging on reform pledges. Trump raised tariffs to 25% from 10% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, and China retaliated with levies on U.S. imports.
As relations between the two countries have soured, the dispute has spread beyond trade. The U.S. administration has declared Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei a security threat, effectively banning U.S. companies from doing business with it.
U.S. officials have also put pressure on other governments worldwide to drop Huawei from plans for fifth generation, or 5G, network development.
Trump has suggested easing U.S. restrictions on Huawei could be a factor in a trade deal with Xi.
China has demanded the U.S. drop the restrictions, and said Huawei presents no security threat.
Several G20 leaders warned on the first day of the summit on Friday that growing Sino-U.S. trade friction was threatening global growth.
“The trade relations between China and the United States are difficult, they are contributing to the slowdown of the global economy,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told a news conference. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 26 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 59,530,929 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | "We are relieved to have this last-minute reprieve, which means patients can continue accessing safe, legal abortion at Planned Parenthood in St. Louis for the time being," said Dr. Colleen McNicholas, an OB-GYN at Reproductive Health Services at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, in a statement. "This has been a week-to-week fight for our patients and every Missourian who needs access to abortion care." | null | 0 | -1 | null | 2 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,278,193 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright Barcroft Media
Japan is about to resume catching whales for profit, in defiance of international criticism.
Its last commercial hunt was in 1986, but Japan has never really stopped whaling - it has been conducting instead what it says are research missions which catch hundreds of whales annually.
But Japan has now withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which banned hunting, and will send out its first whaling fleet this July.
Isn't whaling banned?
Whales were brought to the brink of extinction by hunting in the 19th and early 20th Century. By the 1960s, more efficient catch methods and giant factory ships made it obvious that whale hunting could not go unchecked.
So in 1986, all IWC members agreed to a hunting moratorium to allow whale numbers to recover.
Conservationists were happy but whaling countries - like Japan, Norway and Iceland - assumed the moratorium would be temporary until everyone could agree on sustainable quotas. Instead it became a quasi-permanent ban.
Image copyright AFP Image caption There is a long history to anti-whaling protests
But there were exceptions in the moratorium, allowing indigenous groups to carry out subsistence whaling, and allowing whaling for scientific purposes.
Tokyo put that latter clause to full use. Since 1987, Japan has killed between 200 and 1,200 whales each year, saying this was to monitor stocks to establish sustainable quotas.
Critics say this was just a cover so Japan could hunt whales for food, as the meat from the whales killed for research usually did end up for sale.
Why is Japan restarting whaling now?
In 2018 Japan tried one last time to convince the IWC to allow whaling under sustainable quotas, but failed. So it left the body, effective July 2019.
The fisheries ministry told the BBC it would start issuing permits for hunts on 1 July. "But the starting date is subject to decisions of the whalers, weather and other conditions."
Whaling is a small industry in Japan, employing around 300 people. About five vessels are expected to set sail in July.
The whaling "will be conducted within Japan's territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone", Hideki Moronuki of the Japanese fishing ministry told the BBC.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Japan has killed several hundred whales each year under its research programme
This means Japan will no longer hunt whales in the Arctic, as it did under its earlier research programme.
Like other whaling nations, Japan argues hunting and eating whales are part of its culture. A number of coastal communities in Japan have indeed hunted whales for centuries but consumption only became widespread after World War Two when other food was scarce.
From the late 1940s to the mid-1960s whale was the single biggest source of meat in Japan but since become a niche product again.
Is Japan's plan legal?
"Within its 12 mile coastal waters, Japan can do whatever it wants," Donald Rothwell, professor of international law at the Australian National University, told the BBC.
Beyond that, in its 200 miles (322km) exclusive economic zone and of course the high seas, the country is bound by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Article 65 of said convention mandates that "states shall co-operate with a view to the conservation" of whales and "shall in particular work through the appropriate international organizations for their conservation, management and study".
Image copyright Getty Images/De Agostini Picture Library Image caption Traditional whaling often resulted in a drawn-out death for the animal
Having left the IWC, Japan is no longer part of any such international organisation and that "directly raises questions issues whether or not Japan would be consistent with the convention," Mr Rothwell explains.
It's not clear if any country would try to bring Japan to court over this - in its defence, Japan might argue that for years it did try to co-operate within the IWC without any results.
Even if there were to be a ruling or injunction against Tokyo, there'd be no mechanism to enforce it.
What environmental impact will Japan's whaling have?
The ministry will allow for the hunting of three species: minke, Bryde's and sei whales.
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, minke and Bryde's whale are not endangered. Sei whale are classified as endangered but their numbers are increasing.
So in terms of numbers, Japan's commercial whaling will have only a minimal impact.
In fact, some defenders of whaling argue that whale meat has a smaller carbon footprint than pork or beef.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Is eating whale meat more ethical than commercially farmed pork or chicken?
Conservationist groups like Greenpeace or Sea Shepherd remain critical of Japan's resumption of whaling but say there are no concrete plans yet to tackle the country over this.
Japan "is out of step with the international community", Sam Annesley, executive director at Greenpeace Japan, said in a statement, urging Tokyo to abandon its hunting plans.
Besides the question of stock sustainability, a key argument against the hunt is that harpooning whales leads to a slow and painful death.
Modern hunting methods, though, aim to kill whales instantly and it backers say the near-global anti-whaling sentiment is deeply hypocritical., compared to, say, industrial meat production.
But even if Japan does defy the criticism and stick with whaling, there's a good chance the contentious issue will gradually die down by itself.
Japanese demand for whale meat has long been on the decline and the industry is already being subsidised. Eventually, commercial whaling might be undone by simple arithmetic. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 46 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 59,610,255 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | It was not immediately clear what the agenda, if any, would be for the potential third Trump-Kim meeting. Trump predicted that, "If he's there we'll see each other for two minutes." But such a meeting would present a valuable propaganda victory for Kim, who along with his family, has long been denied the recognition they sought on the international stage. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 3 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,294,079 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) became on Friday the 115th sponsor for Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s (D-WA) Medicare for All, meaning that nearly half of the House Democrat caucus backs the single-payer healthcare legislation.
Rep. Jayapal thanked Carbajal for cosponsoring her Medicare for All legislation, making the California Democrat the 115th congressman to back single-payer health care. Since Democrats have 235 members in the House, this would mean that nearly half of Democrats support Medicare for All.
YES! 115 co-sponsors of #MedicareforAll! Thank you so much to @RepCarbajal for fighting to ensure health care as a human right in the United States! pic.twitter.com/a27NpUF7xq — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) June 28, 2019
Carbajal’s backing of Medicare for All arises as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) admitted Thursday night during the Democrat presidential debate that the middle class will have to pay more in taxes to pay for Medicare for All and free state college tuition.
Despite the bill’s popularity in the House Democrat caucus, Medicare for All could have staggering implications for America’s large health insurance industry.
Rep. Jayapal admitted in May that roughly one million health insurance workers could get “displaced” under her Medicare for All legislation.
“There a lot of people who work in the private insurance industry, we have thought very carefully about how we take care of those folks, because we think they are very important. And so, there’s about a million people that we think will get displaced if Medicare for All happens.”
Medicare for All’s impact on the private insurance market has served as a difficult issue for 2020 Democrat presidential candidates.
On Friday, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) flip-flopped again on whether her Medicare for All plan would eliminate private health insurance. Harris raised her hand during the debate Thursday night, suggesting that she would back a move to eliminate private health insurance in favor of Medicare for All.
Harris cautioned that, under her Medicare for All plan, health insurance would technically still exist as supplemental coverage.
“That’s certainly what I heard. I’m in support of Medicare for all. And under Medicare for all, private care would exist as supplemental coverage,” Harris claimed.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 19 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 1,431,472 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lady Gaga electrified thousands of revelers who gathered in New York on Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the LGBTQ rights movement, exhorting the crowd to honor the past by using its “power” to extend and defend a half-century of progress.
Her warm-up speech and a subsequent rally, part of a series of World Pride events in New York this week, commemorated the so-called Stonewall uprising of June 28, 1969.
Early that morning, patrons of a Greenwich Village gay bar called the Stonewall Inn rose up in defiance of police harassment, triggering days of rioting. Their resistance gave birth to the national and global movement for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other queer people.
Lady Gaga, a Grammy Award-winner whose signature song “Born This Way” has become an LGBTQ anthem, fired up the crowd, which began gathering in the park and public square outside the Stonewall hours earlier.
Appearing with a rainbow-colored jacket and thigh-high boots, she declared that Stonewall was the moment when LGBTQ people said “enough is enough.”
“I may not, to some people, be considered a part of this community, even though I like girls sometimes. I would never degrade the fight you have endured,” she told the cheering crowd. “You have the power. You are so, so powerful, and I hope you feel that power today.”
Later the rally alternated between political speeches and block-party gaiety. Musical performances and rhythmic dancing rattled windows in the low-slung neighborhood. Drag queens sang ‘80s hits like “I’m So Excited” in between speeches by activists from countries such as Uganda and Chechnya.
U.S. politicians including presidential hopefuls Kirsten Gillibrand, one of New York state’s two U.S. senators, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also took the stage ahead of what organizers are calling the largest gay pride parade in history set for Sunday, when some 150,000 marchers and 4 million spectators are expected.
Actor and singer Lady Gaga speaks to the crowd outside New York's historic Stonewall Inn as revelers began World Pride weekend in New York City, June 28, 2019. REUTERS TV
In between featured speakers, impromptu rallies formed and dispersed outside the bar, with people waving homemade signs such as “Closets are for Clothes!” and “Gay Liberation Front,” paying homage to the radical group that formed immediately after Stonewall.
“Get laid, get drunk, and have a party,” said Martha Shelley, one of the Gay Liberation Front founders. “And then go home, roll up your sleeves, and fight.”
While the anniversary has a celebratory air, activists see the occasion as a way to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s record, which many consider hostile to LGBTQ people. They also want to highlight the still-precarious position of LGBTQ people in many parts of the world.
Police raided the Stonewall, a Mafia-owned gay bar, ostensibly to crack down on organized crime. But their mistreatment of the patrons, part of a pattern of abuse against LGBTQ people, touched off the uprising.
While celebrating 50 years of progress, many LGBTQ activists are sounding the alarm about Trump administration initiatives, including a ban on transgender people in the military, cuts in HIV/AIDS research and support for so-called religious freedom initiatives that eliminate LGBTQ protections.
The White House claims Trump has long advocated LGBTQ equality, noting that he has backed a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality.
“President Trump has never considered LGBT Americans second-class citizens,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.
The message has been lost on many LGBTQ people, as the Trump administration opposes extending anti-discrimination protection to gay or transgender workers under federal employment law, a legal issue currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, with a ruling due within a year.
Slideshow (10 Images)
In nearby Washington Square Park, some 500 pro-transgender activists staged a Trans Day of Action, where some held up “Black trans lives matter” signs, lamenting that 10 transgender people have been murdered in the United States in 2019 after 26 were killed in 2018 and 29 in 2017, according to the LGBTQ advocacy right Human Rights Campaign.
“Trump has really proliferated this hate towards us,” said Qweenb. Amor, 30, a trans Latina. “It’s something we’re going to have to face every single day for the next 20 years, despite who wins the next election because these people who put Trump in power are people we have to work with every day of our lives.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 27 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 113,909,334 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Florida felons will have to pay court-ordered financial obligations if they want their voting rights restored under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday. The legislation requires those with felony convictions to pay court fees and fines to be eligible to vote.
During the spring legislative session, Democrats argued that such a restriction goes against the spirit of the constitutional amendment voters passed in November. Amendment 4, which restores voting rights for felons other than convicted murderers and sex offenders, was approved with 64.5 percent of the vote.
The language in that amendment said felons must complete their sentences. Republicans interpreted that to include restitution, court costs, fines and fees imposed by a judge at sentencing. DeSantis echoed that interpretation in a memo that accompanied the new law.
"Senate Bill 7066 enumerates a uniform list of crimes that fall into the excluded categories and confirms that the amendment does not apply to a felon who has failed to complete all the terms of his sentence," DeSantis wrote.
Democrats said that creates a hurdle that voters didn't intend when they approved the amendment. They also argued the original intent of the felon voting ban was to repress the minority vote, because minorities historically have been disproportionately convicted of felonies.
The American Civil Liberties Union has supported the restoration of voting right for felons and says it will now sue the state over the newly signed law.
"Losing the right to vote—a basic right of citizenship—is one of the many collateral consequences triggered by a felony conviction, and an unjust obstacle to returning citizens' full participation after they complete their sentence," the organization said in a statement. "We are bringing this lawsuit on behalf of ten Floridians, all of whom have achieved a great deal since their conviction."
The bill's signing has already caught the attention of 2020 Democratic candidates. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts on Friday slammed the legislation, calling it "Jim Crow-era nonsense." "My democracy plan would re-enfranchise those who have served their time and left prison," Warren said in a tweet.
The bill does allow other pathways for felons to have financial obligations forgiven beyond simply paying them. Among the options would be to have a victim forgive the repayment of restitution or to have a judge convert financial obligations to community service. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 19 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 113,874,130 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | A federal judge on Friday set disgraced Theranos' founder Elizabeth Holmes' fraud trial to start in July 2020. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines.
Holmes has been charged with felony conspiracy and fraud for allegedly misleading investors, corporate partners and patients with claims about her allegedly revolutionary blood testing equipment, CBS San Francisco reports.
She and Sunny Balwani, her former boyfriend and Theranos president, were indicted by a grand jury on 11 criminal counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The pair also could face fines totaling $2.75 million each.
Holmes was 19 years old when she dropped out of Stanford University to start Theranos with the aim to revolutionize blood testing. She claimed her technology could take a pin-prick of blood from the finger and perform hundreds of laboratory tests. At its height, Theranos was worth nearly $10 billion. Investors included power brokers such as Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State George P. Shultz and President Trump's first defense secretary, James Mattis.
Holmes was considered a visionary along the lines of Steve Jobs and she emulated his style, wearing only a black turtleneck and black pants in public. She was the youngest, self-made female billionaire in the world, according to "60 Minutes."
But it was all a fraud. A former Theranos employee told Norah O'Donnell on "60 Minutes" that the "revolutionary technology," named Edison, never really worked. Other former employees alleged that some blood samples returned contradictory and inconclusive results when retested and that Holmes lied to Walgreens when she told them Edison was ready to use on patients, leading to a partnership that planned to put the device in every store.
Holmes and Balwani signed up both Safeway and Walgreens into agreements to use Theranos testing equipment inside clinics within their stores.
Balwani, 53, of Atherton, was employed at Theranos from September of 2009 through 2016. At times during that period, Balwani worked in several capacities, including as a member of the company's board of directors, as its president and as its chief operating officer.
According to the indictment, Holmes and Balwani used advertisements and solicitations to encourage and induce doctors and patients to use Theranos's blood testing laboratory services, even though the defendants allegedly knew Theranos was not capable of consistently producing accurate and reliable results for certain blood tests.
The tests performed on Theranos technology, in addition, were likely to contain inaccurate and unreliable results.
The indictment alleges that the defendants used a combination of direct communications, marketing materials, statements to the media, financial statements, models and other information to defraud potential investors.
Specifically, the defendants claimed that Theranos said it developed a revolutionary and proprietary analyzer known by various names, including as the TSPU, Edison or minilab.
The defendants claimed the analyzer was able to perform a full range of clinical tests using small blood samples drawn from a finger stick and that the analyzer could produce results that were more accurate and reliable than those yielded by conventional methods — all at a faster speed than previously possible.
The indictment further alleges that Holmes and Balwani knew that many of their representations about the analyzer were false.
The defendants allegedly represented to investors that Theranos had a profitable and revenue-generating business relationship with the United States Department of Defense and that Theranos's technology had deployed to the battlefield — a claim that was false.
"She deceived everyone. Everyone," O'Donnell told "60 Minutes Overtime." "She had hundreds of employees from MIT, from Harvard, from Apple. The smartest people in Silicon Valley went to work for her. They believed in her. It was not just the media. It was the people who gave her $900 million dollars. I mean, there were a lot of prominent, very smart people who bought into the myth of Elizabeth Holmes."
As O'Donnell reported on "60 Minutes," nearly every media outlet, including CBS News, bought into the Theranos myth.
The Securities and Exchange Commission brought civil fraud charges against Holmes and Balwani. Holmes settled with the SEC, agreeing to pay $500,000 in fines and penalties. Balwani is fighting the charges. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 36 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,349,849 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | There were zero mentions of anything related to former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, his investigation, impeachment, or obstruction of justice at the second Democrat debate on Thursday evening.
It was significant given Democrat lawmakers’ desire to keep the investigation alive through hearings and investigations, and despite the amount of time Democrats have spent on the issue over the last several years.
Just this week, the chairmen of the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees announced they had subpoenaed Mueller to testify on July 17.
Number of times these words were mentioned at the debate last night: Mueller 0
Special Counsel 0
Impeach/Impeachment 0
Obstruction of Justice 0 — Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) June 28, 2019
At the same time, House leadership has tried to tamp down the issue of impeachment, since polls show that most American voters do not support impeaching Trump or beginning impeachment proceedings now.
Yet if the candidates had been asked about the topic of impeachment, it might have been a defining moment given the differing stances among the major candidates.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has not yet endorsed beginning impeachment proceedings, while nearly every other top tier candidate has expressed their support for it, according to a recent examination by Breitbart News.
The issue arose in the debate the evening before, however. Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) said he would support pursuing charges against Trump after he leaves office, joining Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) in that stance. Former Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) said he would follow House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)’s lead. She has called for further investigations before beginning impeachment proceedings.
Mueller’s investigation concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to charge anyone related to Trump’s campaign with conspiracy with Russia — despite it being the main purpose of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mueller’s investigations.
Mueller also did not recommend charging anyone with obstruction, although he said his investigation did not exonerate Trump either. Attorney General William Barr said he and then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein concluded there was no obstruction of justice. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 13 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,881,637 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | A new iteration of Donald Trump’s racist and fallacious “birtherism” attack on former President Barack Obama is suddenly surging on social media, this time against Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).
The apparently bot-aided onslaught is claiming the senator doesn’t represent U.S. blacks because her father was born in Jamaica. Harris, an American of both Jamaican and Indian descent, was born in Oakland, California.
Donald Trump Jr. retweeted the original attack but later deleted it. Meanwhile, the president’s former campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson tried to discredit Harris another way, indicating she is not African enough to run as a minority presidential candidate. She tweeted that “while Obama is actually African-American — Harris is not,” even though people of African descent have lived in Jamaica for centuries.
Screen shot/Donald Trump Jr. tweet
The slam appeared Thursday night shortly after the Democratic presidential debate, where Harris had powerfully raised her own experiences being bused as a child in California to battle school desegregation
The attack appeared to be launched by a self-described “black activist” identifying himself as “Ali Alexander” on an unverified Twitter account. He claimed in a video and tweet that Harris cannot represent the black experience in America because she has “no ancestors who suffered American Slavery, the Civil War, nor Jim Crow.”
Alexander is actually a far-right political operative and conspiracy theorist Ali Akbar, or Ali Abdul Razaq Akbar, whom Politico profiled last year as an “increasingly prominent pro-Trump supporter.” On the eve of the 2016 election, Robert Mercer donated $60,000 to a PAC that Alexander advises, Politico reported.
Akbar, posing as Alexander, boasted that his tweets “went viral.” In fact, his message was nearly instantaneously picked up word for word and disseminated by several Twitter accounts that have been identified as bots, BuzzFeed reported.
Social media researcher Caroline Orr pointed out that the original tweet also drew in other attacks falsely claiming Harris wasn’t born in the U.S.
A lot of suspect accounts are pushing the “Kamala Harris is not Black” narrative tonight. It’s everywhere and it has all the signs of being a coordinated/artificial operation. #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/DTeB2qWJnm — Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) June 28, 2019
Yup. The troll farms are fired up and active. — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) June 28, 2019
These claims about Harris echo the right-wing lie against Obama — pitched repeatedly by Trump — that the first black U.S. president was born in Africa and had no legal right to be an American president. Similarly, Alexander is saying Harris has no right to represent black people in the U.S. because her father was foreign-born.
Harris has experienced similar attacks questioning her race, her racial experiences and her citizenship. In an interview early this year, Harris said: “This is the same thing they did to Barack, this is not new to us.” She added that “powerful voices” are “trying to sow hate and division among us. We need to recognize when we’re being played.”
Harris aide Lily Adams ripped Donald Trump Jr.’s retweet of Alexander’s attack to The New York Times on Friday. “This is the same type of racist attack his father used to attack Barack Obama,” she said. “It didn’t work then and it won’t work now.”
Many Twitter users defended Harris and raised suspicions that this latest attack is a taste of coming election manipulation aided again by Russians and bots.
She was black when they were bussing her. — Jesus Tortilla (@JesusTortilla) June 28, 2019
Well I’m African American and when I talk to my Jamaican American brothers and sisters we all say Black. Because as Black Americans the racists don’t stop to ask distinction. So leave my sister alone racists! SMDH 😡 — 👄Jennifer👄 (@happywife669) June 28, 2019
Too black.
Not black enough.
Yeah, we've heard this before. — Dr Penny Dunster 🌊 (@THP1640) June 28, 2019
Funny, last I was there there were plenty of "blacks" living in Jamaica. — Cookie Vargas (@MsCCookieVargas) June 28, 2019
Suppressing the African-American voter turnout seems to be a core GOP strategy. This seems to be a be a part of this strategy. Attempts to dampen the enthusiasm black voters may have on Ms Harris. — MaKin (@KiarKini) June 28, 2019
Now that we know what's happening it's become clear what Trump's allies the Russians did in 2016. — Tedderman (@Tedderman1) June 28, 2019
Moscow is busy... — JimCarlson💙 (@darts89119) June 28, 2019
"Russia, if you're listening," we see you. — Kelvin (@Troubeerdourks) June 28, 2019
Donny jr retweeted one of them, so he is in the bot network... — Viva (@vivapdx) June 28, 2019
Consider it as a positive sign. Harris is starting to scare some folks. — Larry Zyontz (@lzyontz) June 28, 2019
Next, they are going to claim #Harris2020 was born in Norway. pic.twitter.com/oisQ9JNHq4 — Elastigirl Persists 🌊🇺🇲 (@ElastigirlVotes) June 28, 2019
Here’s Harris’ response earlier this year to accusations that she’s not “black enough.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 37 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 39,166,353 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | The problem will finally be rectified next month, although Blind Citizens Australia raised it about three years ago
NDIS sent letters to vision-impaired and blind people in format they could not read
It seems like an obvious thing for a national disability program: don’t send letters to blind Australians in a format they cannot read.
But since the national disability insurance scheme began its rollout, blind and vision impaired participants have received vital correspondence – such as their support plans – in the form of regular letters, or as PDFs that do not accomodate a screen reader.
“The plans were simply being sent to people through the MyGov portal as a secure PDF file,” the acting chief executive at Blind Citizens Australia, Rikki Chaplin, told Guardian Australia.
“Screen readers cannot read secure PDF files so some people were receiving print copies of plans, and they were braille readers. Naturally, they can’t read those.”
NDIS fraud allegations surge as 25 operators kicked off scheme Read more
The problem is particularly severe for those who self-manage their support plans.
A key tenet of the NDIS is that it is intended to help participants with their independence; yet Chaplin said people were waiting from a “few months to a year” to get an accessible version of their plan.
“By that time the plan [might] have expired,” he said. “They might have gone through it with the support co-ordinator, but if you’re self-managing a plan you need to be able to look at how much money you’ve got left.”
In July, the National Disability Insurance Agency will roll out new measures, which Blind Citizens Australia believes will fix the problem. The agency will introduce an automated system so people can receive correspondence in their preferred format, be that large font, audio, e-text or braille.
Chaplin was disappointed the NDIA had taken so long to respond to their concerns.
“We first raised this probably around three years ago,” he said.
“We do find it very disappointing that we’ve had to fight this long for the agency whose job it is to take care of the needs of people with disability to understand what we feel is a very basic, fundamental concept.
“While we’re disappointed, we do have to congratulate them for coming to the table.”
The NDIA had also introduced measures this year to improve the accessibility of its website.
The website maintains an A rating from the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, set by the World Wide Web Consortium.
An NDIA spokeswoman said the agency was committed to ensuring “information is accessible, and delivered to NDIS participants in their preferred format”.
“As a result of consultation with participants, their families and carers, the NDIA will begin testing an automated process for requesting alternative formats,” she said.
The improved access for blind and visioned impaired people came as the federal government struck an important deal with the states and territories on Friday, under which the NDIS will fund disability-related health needs, including for swallowing and respiratory issues, and continence aids.
The NDIA had been reluctant – or refused – to finance the health aids, which it had said were not its responsibility. Guardian Australia reported this month that a crucial ruling at the administrative appeals tribunal had cast doubt on the agency’s ability to refuse to finance the aids in question.
The federal NDIS minister, Stuart Robert, was reportedly offering a $90m-a-year federal funding support package to the states. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 20 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,329,188 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Harris claimed Friday she misinterpreted a question during Thursday evening’s 2020 Democrat presidential debate about abolishing private health insurance. The California Democrat raised her hand when candidates where asked if their plans would “abolish their private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan.”
A partial transcript is as follows:
KATE BOLDUAN: Harris raised her hand last night to the question when asked by NBC “would you abolish private insurance in favor of a government-run plan?” She now says that the question that she was answering was about her own insurance. But Lily, we know that same question was a big moment the night before and it was clear then that the question was about abolishing all private insurance. Did she really not understand?
LILY ADAMS: I think when Lester said that it was there private insurance, she did mean to take that as her plan. I will just tell you that I don’t think she was parsing her words in the debate. I’m telling you what the transcript says. I’d be happy to look at it again. But I think she was clear. She’s been on a bill for a long time now, Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All bill, that obviously preserves the options of supplemental private insurance for folks that need it. The conversations that she’s hearing with voters is “Am I going to be able to see my doctor?” 91 percent of doctors are in Medicare. I think that this is a place where maybe this is a conversation going on in the Washington bubbles a little outside of the step of what we’re hearing in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.
BOLDUAN: Just because 90 percent of doctors, except Medicare right now, does not mean that they will forever, especially if the entire health care system is overhauled. On the most basic level, this is something like the third go-around of her having to clarify and facing questions on where is your position on Medicare for All where is the line and where do you stand. Is that not a problem?
ADAMS: I don’t think so. She’s been very clear. In fact, there’s a whole bill that she’s signed on to. That is her plan. Folks can go and read it, reporters can go and read it. What the political reporters try to do is make this into a box-checking exercise. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 21 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,328,594 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Providing free health care for all illegal aliens living in the United States could cost American taxpayers an additional $660 billion every decade in expenses.
This week, half of the 24 Democrats running for their party’s presidential nomination confirmed that their healthcare plans would provide free health care to all illegal aliens at the expense of American taxpayers — including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
Center for Immigration Studies Director of Research Steven Camarotta told Breitbart News that only rough estimates are available for what health care for illegal aliens will cost American taxpayers, and though a comprehensive study has yet to be conducted on this specific issue, taxpayers can expect to pay a “significant” amount.
“If we offered Medicaid for illegal immigrants, it is possible the costs could be over tens of billions of dollars,” Camarotta said. “However, it would depend on eligibility criteria as well as how many illegal immigrants actually sign up for program once it was offered. So while the actual costs are uncertain, the size would be significant for taxpayers.”
Every 2020 Democrat in Second Debate Supports Taxpayer-Funded Healthcare for Illegal Alienshttps://t.co/VKcCmSZqFp — John Binder 👽 (@JxhnBinder) June 28, 2019
A reasonable estimate of health care for each illegal alien, Camarotta said, is about $3,000 — about half the average $6,600 that it currently costs annually for each Medicaid recipient. This assumes that a number of illegal aliens already have health insurance through employers and are afforded free health care today when they arrive to emergency rooms.
Based on this estimate, should the full 22 million illegal aliens be living in the U.S. that Yale University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have estimated there to be, providing health care for the total illegal population could cost American taxpayers about $66 billion a year.
Over a decade, based on the Yale estimate of the illegal population and assuming all sign up for free health care, this would cost American taxpayers about $660 billion.
Even if there are only 11 million illegal aliens living in the U.S., as the Pew Research Center and other analysts routinely estimate, American taxpayers would still have to pay a yearly bill of $33 billion a year to provide them all with free, subsidized health care.
Should only half of the illegal population get health care, it would cost American taxpayers about $16.5 billion a year — almost the price of what it currently costs taxpayers to provide subsidized health care to illegal aliens.
Today, Americans are forced to subsidize about $18.5 billion worth of yearly medical costs for illegal aliens living in the U.S., according to estimates by Chris Conover, formerly of the Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research at Duke University.
Nearly every Democrat running for their party’s presidential nomination has endorsed having American taxpayers pay for free health care for illegal aliens. Those who have endorsed the plan include Biden, Sanders, Gillibrand, Buttigieg, and Harris, along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), author Marianne Williamson, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), entrepreneur Andrew Yang, and Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO).
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 17 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,336,483 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | The bishop of El Paso, Texas, personally escorted a group of seven Latin American migrants who had previously been denied asylum in the United States across the border into the U.S. on Thursday, reports say.
Bishop Mark Seitz accompanied a Cuban, a young man from El Salvador, and a family of five back across the bridge from Ciudad Juarez to the United States.
Seitz told the online Catholic site Crux that the 9-year-old daughter of the family took his hand as they crossed the bridge, where these individuals “who never should have been returned in the first place” were met by border officials.
Despite an exchange of “tense” words, the migrants were eventually all allowed entry back into the United States.
Before embarking on the walk across the bridge from Mexico, Bishop Seitz offered an impassioned denunciation of the U.S. government’s immigration policies.
“A government and society which view fleeing children and families as threats; a government which treats children in U.S. custody worse than animals; a government and society who turn their backs on pregnant mothers, babies and families and make them wait in Ciudad Juarez without a thought to the crushing consequences on this challenged city … This government and this society are not well,” Seitz told the crowd that had gathered.
“We suffer from a life-threatening case of hardening of the heart. In a day when we prefer to think that prejudice and intolerance are problems of the past, we have found a new acceptable group to treat as less than human, to look down upon and to fear. And should they speak another language or are brown or black, well, it is that much easier to stigmatize them,” he said.
Seitz said the policies reflected a “heart-sick government and society” in an apparent call for open borders to the United States.
“Would we rather they die on the banks of the Rio Grande than trouble us with their presence?” he asked.
“We Americans need our hearts checked. Our hearts have grown too cold and too hard and that bodes ill for the health of our nation,” he said.
On Wednesday, Bishop Seitz said he intended to make a public demonstration at the border to shine a light on the “devastating consequences of inhumane border policies.”
The Remain in Mexico program requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico where “inhumane and unsafe conditions” often prevail, Crux noted.
Curiously, in his speech, Bishop Seitz did not comment on how to improve the inhumane conditions for migrants in Mexico but limited his remarks to criticizing the United States.
“Every day the U.S. is sending up to 300 asylum seekers to one of the most dangerous places in Mexico with nothing and no one to help them,” he said. “This deserves our attention and all our efforts to change this ill-thought policy.”
The United States currently takes in an average of a million legal immigrants every year, the largest number of migrants received into any nation in the world by almost two to one over the next largest. The number of immigrants currently living in the country is approaching 45 million, more than three times as many as there were in 1980.
Follow @tdwilliamsrome. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 19 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,869,741 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | President Donald Trump is trying to set up a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after he leaves the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
In a Saturday morning tweet from the annual meeting of world leaders, Trump extended an invitation to Kim to meet at the Korean Peninsula’s demilitarized zone and shake hands, noting that he would be in Seoul by the evening ahead of a meeting with President Moon Jae-in.
“If Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello,” he wrote from Japan.
Trump was scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday before flying to South Korea.
After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon). While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2019
Later Saturday, Trump suggested that his invitation to the dictator was a spur-of-the-moment decision and said he put out the “feeler” to strengthen his already-warm friendship with Kim.
“I just thought of it this morning,” he told reporters in Japan, The Washington Post reported.
“I just put out a feeler because I don’t know where he is right now. He may not be in North Korea,” Trump also said, according to CNN. “I said if Chairman Kim would want to meet, I’ll be at the border. We seem to get along really well. That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. For the stupid people who say, ‘Oh, he gets along,’ it’s good to get along.”
Trump suggested the meeting with Kim could be as short as two minutes if it were to take place.
“I let him know, and we’ll see,” he said. “We’ll see each other for two minutes. That’s all we can. But that will be fine.”
Trump describes his tweet suggesting a DMZ meeting with Kim Jong-un as a spontaneous idea. "I just thought of it this morning." — Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) June 28, 2019
Despite Trump’s offer, a senior Trump administration official told the Post that there were no plans for Trump to meet with Kim on his way to Seoul.
“The President is there to see President Moon,” said the official, whom the Post did not identify because the individual was not authorized to speak to reporters.
“Of course, they’re going to talk about North Korea and they’re going to talk about the U.S.-South Korea alliance,” the official added. “But, you know, they’ve got a lot of ground to cover in two days. And then he’s coming back to D.C.”
Trump and Kim have become increasingly close, often publicly praising one another, despite failed nuclear negotiations earlier this year.
Just last week, North Korean state-run media claimed that Trump sent Kim a personal letter, described in the report as “excellent.”
Trump had also said last week that he received a “very personal, very warm, very nice letter” from Kim earlier this month and added that North Korea had “tremendous potential” under Kim’s leadership. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 25 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,327,827 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | KABUL — In a secret visit to Afghanistan Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscored the administration’s commitment to peace and rebuked Iran for it’s “destabilizing” influence here and around the world.
Asked if he could provide specific examples of Iran’s escalation of involvement to undermine peace in Afghanistan, Mr. Pompeo said he “can’t share a lot more.”
But he blasted the regime in Tehran for sowing violence and discord around the world.
“For more than 40 years, Iran has engaged in terror around the world,” he said. “They continue to be the largest destabilizing force throughout.
Furthermore, Mr. Pompeo said, Iran should welcome peace and stability in a country with which it shares a border more than 500 miles long.
“It is not in Iran’s best interest to undermine the peace process,” he said. “I would hope that they would see that it is in every regional players’ best interest that this peace process move forward.”
“After 18 years, this is something that makes no sense for all of the countries in the region.”
Mr. Pompeo said he had not heard Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s latest attack on the Trump administration, saying that the White House is “afflicted by mental retardation.”
But he called the remarks immature and childlike.
As for Iran’s declaration that diplomacy is dead after heightened economic sanctions placed by the Trump Administration, Mr. Pompeo said that will do nothing to deter the Trump Administration’s commitment to maximum economic pressure on Tehran.
• Contact Charles Hurt at [email protected] or on Twitter @charleshurt. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 9 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,337,752 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright Reuters
US President Donald Trump has spontaneously invited North Korea leader Kim Jong-un to meet him at the fortified frontier that divides North and South Korea.
Mr Trump is due to visit South Korea after the G20 summit in Japan.
He arrives in Seoul on Saturday for a two-day trip aimed at rescuing foundering denuclearisation talks with North Korea.
In a tweet, Mr Trump unexpectedly mooted a meeting with Mr Kim.
Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon). While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2019 Report
Speaking at the G20 summit in Osaka, Mr Trump clarified his tweet, telling reporters he decided on Saturday morning to "put out a feeler" to Mr Kim.
"If he's there, we'll see each other for two minutes and that's fine," he said in comments to reporters at the start of a working breakfast with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.
It remains unclear whether officials with Mr Trump were briefed in advance about his overture to the North Korean leader.
Mr Trump attempted to make a surprise visit to the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in November 2017, but was forced to abandon the plans due to bad weather.
Relations between North Korea and the US have soured since Mr Trump and Mr Kim met in Hanoi, Vietnam in February.
Their second summit ended without agreement on North Korea's progress towards denuclearisation.
The US has insisted North Korea give up its nuclear programme while Pyongyang has demanded sanctions relief.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption US President Donald Trump meeting Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit
However in recent months Mr Trump has spoken warmly about Mr Kim.
Last week, he sent the North Korean leader a personal letter, whose content Mr Kim praised as "excellent".
Earlier this month he told reporters that North Korea under Mr Kim's leadership had "tremendous potential".
And in May during a visit to Japan Mr Trump described Mr Kim as a "very smart guy" and said he expected "a lot of good things" to come out of North Korea. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 17 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 55,374,598 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Civil rights group sue Florida over 'poll tax' law to restore felon voter rights
The lawsuit claims the new law violates the prohibition against poll taxes enshrined in the 24th Amendment. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 1 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 55,217,581 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Civil rights groups sue Florida over 'poll tax' law to restore felon voter rights
The lawsuit claims the new law violates the prohibition against poll taxes enshrined in the 24th Amendment. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 1 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,366,647 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright AFP Image caption Abiy Ahmed has changed Ethiopia - but ethnic conflicts have spread
After launching the most ambitious reforms in his country's history Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, is under threat. The murder of his army chief of staff amid an alleged coup attempt in the Amhara region has highlighted the vulnerability of the reform process. The BBC's Africa Editor, Fergal Keane, analyses the challenge facing the continent's youngest leader.
Just a few weeks ago, Abiy Ahmed was riding high and feted across Africa as a reformer.
He had released political prisoners, appointed women to more than half of his cabinet posts, persuaded a noted dissident to head the country's election board, and staged an historic rapprochement with neighbouring Eritrea after decades of conflict.
When I met him in December last year he was brimming with confidence, even telling me that the world should look to Ethiopia "to see how people can live together in peace."
Millions at risk
Now after an alleged coup attempt against the Amhara regional government which killed his army chief of staff and close ally, General Seare Mekonnen, Mr Abiy's position and the future of his reforms look much less secure.
The alleged instigator of the coup was shot dead and a wave of arrests followed. But nobody with any knowledge of Ethiopia believes this is the end of the matter.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption The head of the Amhara region was killed, along with two officials
With nearly 2.5 million people displaced by ethnic violence and deep divisions within the ruling EPRDF coalition, Mr Abiy is acutely vulnerable.
He is to some extent a victim of his own reformist zeal.
Ethiopia is made up of nine different self-governing ethnic regions.
Ethnic nationalism was kept ruthlessly in check under the Marxist Dergue regime and during the two decades of EPRDF rule that followed. The opening of the political space under Mr Abiy has lifted a lid on ethnic tensions.
Ethiopia's system of ethnic federalism was always going to be vulnerable to politicians playing on atavistic sentiments.
And the speed of Mr Abiy's reforms has unsettled the four party coalition that makes up the ruling party. There is acute alienation among Tigrayans who comprise just 6% of the population but dominated the previous government.
'We want you to leave'
In Oromia and Amhara - the two most populous states - smaller parties have emerged appealing to crude ethnic sentiment. The man suspected to have masterminded the Amhara coup attempt was also accused of recruiting an ethnic militia.
In the Somali ethnic region I visited a refugee camp that was host to some of the 700,000 people who had fled ethnic clashes with their Oromo neighbours. Think of the scale of those numbers and the individual suffering involved.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Millions of people have been internally displaced following ethnic conflicts
I recall the words of an elderly woman who had travelled for weeks to reach the camp.
"We were living in peace but the Oromos living in that area said: 'Your numbers along with other Ethiopians is growing and we want you to leave'. Then conflict started afterwards and they slaughtered our men and killed our children, and that is why we came here looking for peace."
Having reported on ethnic conflict in Europe, Asia and Africa I found her words chillingly familiar.
The experience of Ethiopia under Mr Abiy underlines the old truism that the most vulnerable moment for any authoritarian state is when it starts to reform. Under dictatorship ethnic hatred does not vanish. It simply gets driven underground.
The examples throughout history are numerous. Consider the case of the former Yugoslavia which descended into a series of savage civil wars after the end of Joseph Broz Tito's long reign.
But Yugoslavia did not descend into civil war simply because of so-called "ancient hatreds". It took unscrupulous leaders - notably Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Franjo Tudjman of Croatia - to create the horrors of ethnic cleansing in late 20th Century Europe.
You may also be interested in:
Mr Abiy is not of the same ilk. His broad vision is progressive and inclusive.
But I recall a conversation with one of his critics in Tigray, Getachew Reda: "Abiy is a very driven, very ambitious man. He symbolizes the kind of ambition, the kind of courage to storm the heavens that youth would represent, but he also represents the kind of tendency to gloss over things, the kind of tendency to try to telescope decades into months, years… to rush things."
Ethiopia's prime minister now needs to move carefully. The wave of arrests that followed the attempted coup - more than 250 people are in custody - runs the risk of deepening resentment in Amhara.
The blockage of the internet in recent weeks may have been intended to frustrate the mobilising capacity of his enemies, it felt very far from the open government Mr Abiy promised. The country is awash with rumour and speculation.
Key facts: Abiy Ahmed
Image copyright Getty Images
Born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother on 15 August 1976
Speaks fluent Afan Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya and English
Joined the armed struggle against the Marxist Derg regime in 1990
Served as a UN peacekeeper in Rwanda in 1995
Entered politics in 2010
Briefly served as minister of science and technology in 2016
Became prime minister in April 2018
Elections are due next year but already senior officials are doubting whether they can go ahead. Last year's local elections were postponed because of unrest.
I met the head of the election board, Birtukan Mideksa in Addis Ababa last December when there was still optimism about polls. She is a former dissident invited home from exile by Mr Abiy.
"To have, like, a former opposition leader, former dissident, to lead an institution with, you know, significant independence of action, you know, it means a lot," she told me.
"So, of course, it needs a lot of collaboration, to institutionalize democracy, and have meaningful election and free media on, you know, independent institutions. But I'm very hopeful we will do differently this time around."
Now she is warning that elections may have to be delayed, telling Reuters news agency that if "the security of the country is not going to improve, we can't tell voters to go and vote".
Yet cancelling elections is likely to increase polarization. The balance between security and freedom could not be harder to achieve.
Mr Abiy's great challenge is to build a coalition for change across the ethnic groups. That will take persuasion.
It will demand restraint. And it will require balancing of groups and interests in government. Besides his abundant youthful energy Abiy Ahmed is going to need more of the wisdom of age. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 55 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,168,491 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption DR Congo soldiers escort healthcare workers
Health teams responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo say their efforts are being severely hampered by attacks on medical staff.
The virus has spread mainly in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, areas occupied by rebel and militia groups and where the government has a limited presence.
"The mistrust and violent attacks against the Ebola response [teams] show no signs of abating," says the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.
So where have these attacks taken place and why are health professionals being targeted?
The World Health Organization (WHO) tracks attacks on health workers and healthcare facilities.
This year, DR Congo experienced the most with 174, compared with 41 in Afghanistan and 35 in Syria.
These include attacks on medical centres, health workers, patients and transportation.
Attacks on healthcare in DR Congo in 2019
The WHO says five deaths have been recorded this year, with 51 injuries sustained.
Threats and attacks vary from the throwing of stones at health workers to medical buildings being attacked and burnt down.
Why are Ebola workers being attacked?
There is evidence of a lack of trust among local populations with regard to the advice provided about the Ebola outbreak and the intentions of the foreign aid workers.
A 2018 study published in the Lancet medical journal says "belief in misinformation was widespread" concerning the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu.
One in four respondents believed in the statement that Ebola does not exist, with an even higher proportion saying the Ebola outbreak was fabricated for financial gains, or to destabilise the region.
"There's already been civil unrest in the region and that's exacerbated when a foreign response comes into an area that's heavily guarded," says Lara Salahi, an author who has written about responses to Ebola outbreaks.
In North Kivu, community-based militia groups called Mai-Mai, have been behind some of the attacks against health centres and workers.
Another militia group, the Allied Defence Forces (Ugandan rebels operating within DRC) have also been accused of causing widespread disruption to medical units.
There have also been a series of attacks by other unidentified groups on Ebola response centres.
In one incident, family members assaulted health workers who were overseeing the burial of their relative last month.
International aid agencies have acknowledged their failure to gain the trust of local populations and, given the highly insecure environment, the level of community mistrust is understandable.
"What we know is that the actors of the Ebola response -- MSF included -- have failed to gain the trust of a significant part of the population," said Meinie Nicolai, MSF's director general in February.
The MSF says in an atmosphere where rumours and misinformation are widespread, people can be hesitant about accepting help and taking action to tackle the virus.
Read more from Reality Check
Send us your questions
Follow us on Twitter | null | 0 | -1 | null | 22 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,140,397 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright Reuters
Bidders for the beleaguered British Steel have until the end of Sunday to put in offers for all or part of the firm.
About 10 bids are expected for the business, which was put into compulsory liquidation in May, directly threatening 5,000 jobs and endangering 20,000 in the supply chain.
Should a buyer not be found, the firm would be wound up.
However, any further bids received next week could be considered.
Why was British Steel liquidated?
British Steel has been facing a tough global steel market, especially in competition to China, but it attributed its current woes to Brexit and tension between the US and China.
It said it struggled with the weak pound, which took a dive after the Brexit referendum.
It was also hit by an EU decision to suspend access to free carbon permits until a Brexit withdrawal deal can be hammered out.
British Steel was given a £100m loan from the government to pay off an EU carbon bill in April.
But the firm was placed in compulsory liquidation in May after a breakdown in rescue talks between the government and former owner Greybull Capital, which was seeking a further loan of up to £75m.
Image copyright Getty Images
The role of Greybull in the collapse of British Steel has also been questioned.
In May, British Steel, its shareholders and the government decided they could not or would not support the business.
As a consequence, the company was not in a position to pay for an administration.
The government's Official Receiver then took control of British Steel as part of the liquidation process, and started looking for a buyer or buyers.
Who is bidding?
The firms have all signed non-disclosure agreements as part of their bids.
However, a number of firms are understood to have put in offers for all or part of the business.
Former owner Greybull Capital, India's JSW Group, and Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance are understood to be among the interested parties.
What will happen if no bids are accepted?
If a buyer or buyers can't be found, the company will be wound up and the workers made redundant.
However, the Unite union called for the government to step in and buy British Steel if bids are unsuccessful.
Image copyright Getty Images
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said:
"Should a responsible buyer for the whole of the company not be found then we would urge the government to bring the steelmaker under public control.
"Steel is a foundation industry and British Steel is a central pillar of UK manufacturing, sustaining communities and thousands of jobs."
Could nationalisation be on the cards?
The government is concerned that full nationalisation could breach EU state aid rules.
However, one potential option could be the government taking a stake in partnership with a private sector firm or firms, a source said.
But the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy said its focus was on finding a buyer.
Business Secretary Greg Clark has been meeting suitors for the firm, it said, as well as management, trade unions, local politicians, and supply chain and industry representatives.
"We are working tirelessly to secure a future for British Steel," it added.
What happens next?
Sunday's deadline is part of an ongoing process of finding a buyer for British Steel.
It should let the Official Receiver draw up a shortlist of firms that are interested in taking over, or taking a stake in, British Steel.
However, it could be several weeks before a buyer or buyers are announced.
What about British Steel staff?
The uncertainty continues for about 5,000 British Steel employees.
Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire, with its giant British Steel plant, is heavily reliant on the firm. There are 3,000 employees in the town.
There are a further 800 workers on Teesside and in north-eastern England.
The rest are in France, the Netherlands and various sales offices round the world.
Their wages have been picked up by the government since the firm was put into liquidation. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 40 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,353,989 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | OSAKA, Japan — America was stumped.
She needed a fresh pair of eyes.
Along came Donald Trump.
“If Japan is attacked,” he complained on the eve of his visit here, “We will fight World War III. We will go in and protect them with our lives and with our treasure.”
“But if we’re attacked, Japan doesn’t have to help us,” he told Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Channel. “They can watch it on a Sony television.”
In Washington, a “gaffe” is when a politician accidentally says what he means.
In the State Department, this is called a “diplomatic crisis.”
But, in fact, Mr. Trump’s statement is a perfectly shrewd observation. Obviously, for 70 years now, America has been committed to the 1951 U.S.-Japan security treaty that put the United States on the hook for Japanese security.
It is worth remembering how we got there.
Ten years before that treaty was signed, the United States was desperately trying to mind her own business when Japanese fighter planes attacked Pearl Harbor. The ensuing war was one that the U.S. neither sought, started nor wanted.
This, of course, followed Germany’s assault on the world — and humanity.
Over the next four years, America spent $4 trillion in today’s dollars and lost more than 400,000 troops putting down the global assault launched by Japan and Germany.
No hard feelings now, of course, but these are the facts.
Once she got done cleaning up that whole mess, America spent billions and billions more helping to rebuild Germany and Japan so that they might join the civilized world and stop, you know, attacking foreign countries for no reason and sending train car loads of innocent people to die in gas chambers.
To be sure, fighting that scourge and rebuilding those countries was in the best interest of American and the entire world. But nobody benefited from American generosity, forgiveness, and largesse more than Japan and Germany.
Today, Japan and Germany are the third and fourth largest economies in the world.
In 1951, Japan was still digging out of the rubble we had turned them into. But they still could not be trusted with a military. They were the first to acknowledge that. So we agreed to protect them with our great military.
Today, Japan enjoys not just a robust economy — thanks to the United States and victorious allied countries — but also a powerful military.
So why is it that we still have a treaty that puts the United States on the hook for defending Japan while Tokyo does not have to lift a finger if the United States is invaded? It is a pretty good question.
We could really use their help on our southern border today.
[email protected]; @charleshurt | null | 0 | -1 | null | 27 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 59,502,639 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | “These giant corporations, they just run everything. They call the shots in Washington. They roll over their own employees. They roll over their customers. They roll over the communities they’re located in,” she said. “We need more power in the hands of workers. Unions built America’s middle class.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 7 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,342,744 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Former Vice President Joe Biden supported a constitutional amendment to prevent busing to achieve school desegregation.
Biden, who is under fire for praising segregationists, was asked about the divisive issue and if he would support a constitutional amendment to resolve it during an interview with National Public Radio in 1975.
“That would clearly do it,” he said. “We are trying to figure out whether or not we can come up with an innovative piece of legislation which would limit the remedy and I don’t honestly don’t know whether we can come up with something constitutional.”
Biden, at the time a first-term Senator from Delaware, said a constitutional amendment was attractive because it presented an opportunity to “eliminate” busing without running afoul of the Supreme Court or the U.S. Constitution.
“If we can’t I will not in an attempt to eliminate busing violate the Constitution,” he continued. “I won’t do that. The only way if I’m going to go at it, I’m going to go at it through a constitutional amendment if it can’t be done through a piece of legislation.”
In another portion of the interview, Biden claimed liberals favored busing, not for practical reasons, but because those associated with opposing it were racists and segregationists.
“I think that part of the reason why much of this has not developed, much of the change has not developed, is because it has been an issue that has been in the hands of the racist,” he said. “We liberals have out-of-hand rejected it because, if George Wallace is for it, it must be bad.”
“And so we haven’t really looked at it,” Biden continued. “Now there’s a confluence of streams. There is academic ferment against it — not majority, but academic ferment against it. There are young blacks and young white leaders against it.”
A year after the interview, Biden supported a law to prohibit federal funds from being used to transport students beyond the school closest to their homes. The law was authored by then-Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), who was once a member of the Ku Klux Klan and had unsuccessfully filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On Thursday, Biden’s record on busing was front and center during the first Democrat presidential debate when Sen. Kamala Harris confronted the former vice president on the topic.
“There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bussed to school every day. That little girl was me,” Harris said. “So I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats. We have to take it seriously.”
Biden attempted to defend himself, claiming Harris had mischaracterized his position. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 18 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,679,165 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | (CNN) The Trump administration has agreed to delay a nationwide rule that would allow health care workers to deny services for religious reasons, according to a news release by the San Francisco city attorney.
The rule was set to take effect on July 22, but after Dennis J. Herrera, the city attorney of San Francisco, filed a lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the rule from taking effect, the US Department of Health and Human Services agreed to delay it until at least November 22, the news release says.
"Faced with the law, the Trump administration blinked," Herrera said. "We have won this battle -- and it was an important one -- but the fight is not over. The Trump administration is trying to systematically limit access to critical medical care for women, the LGBTQ community, and other vulnerable patients. We're not going to let that happen. We will continue to stand up for what's right. Hospitals are no place to put personal beliefs above patient care. Refusing treatment to vulnerable patients should not leave anyone with a clear conscience."
Herrera filed a legal challenge against the administration after the rule was announced in May.
Read More | null | 0 | -1 | null | 11 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,875,908 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of people converged Friday on the Stonewall Inn for the 50th anniversary of the rebellion that catalyzed a movement for LGBTQ liberation, marking the milestone with celebrity performances, speeches and personal reflections.
People from New York and afar came to take photos and share in the legacy of the gay bar where patrons resisted a police raid, sparking protests and longer-term organizing that made the cause considerably more visible.
“Fifty years ago, people stood up for their rights, and look where we’re at now. We’ve got flags all over the city,” said Richard Walker, 58, an airline worker from New York. “I’m getting goosebumps just really thinking about it.”
With the modern incarnation of the Stonewall Inn as the focal point, the day’s celebrations included music, speeches and an evening rally. Lady Gaga, Whoopi Goldberg, Alicia Keys, drag performers and other artists at the advocacy organization Pride Live’s Stonewall Day Concert addressed a crowd that stretched for blocks on a nearly 90-degree afternoon.
“This community has fought and continued to fight a war of acceptance, a war of tolerance,” Lady Gaga said. “You are the definition of courage.”
Robert Beaird traveled from Dallas to attend the Stonewall anniversary events a couple of years after coming out in his 50s.
“I just kind of hid who I was for my whole life, and then within the last two years, I’ve been going through this kind of cathartic experience of accepting myself,” said Beaird, 53, who had been married and fathered children. “Just to be here with all these people is pretty amazing.”
Jocelyn Burrell isn’t gay, but she made her way to the Stonewall Inn because she was struck by how welcoming it was when she stopped in there years ago, and she feels a sense of common cause with its place in history.
“Just like we fought — black people fought — for civil rights, I feel I should support other people who fight for civil rights,” she said.
On Friday evening, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joined a grassroots rally in front of Stonewall Inn, saying “Happy Pride, everybody!” to thousands of cheering people including activists, organizers and politicians. The Democratic mayor called those who were arrested in 1969 “brave,” setting the stage for future LGBTQ rights.
In the crowd was Emma Gonzalez, who survived last year’s high school massacre in Parkland, Florida, and is a bisexual gun-control advocate. Also there was Barbara Poma, owner of the Pulse gay nightclub in Coral Springs, Florida, the scene of one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.
Friday’s events were kicking off a big weekend of Pride festivities in New York and elsewhere. In New York, Sunday’s huge WorldPride parade — and an alternative march intended as a less corporate commemoration of Stonewall — also will swing past the bar.
Cities around the world began celebrating Pride on Friday. Participants in a march in the Philippines went by the presidential palace in Manila, waving placards as they marked the 25th year since the first such gathering.
The Stonewall Inn is now a landmark and part of the Stonewall National Monument, but in 1969, it was part of a gay scene that was known, yet not open. At the time, showing same-sex affection or dressing in a way deemed gender-inappropriate could get people arrested, and bars had lost liquor licenses for serving LGBTQ customers.
The police raid on the bar began early the morning of June 28, 1969. The nightspot was unlicensed, and the officers had been assigned to stop any illegal alcohol sales.
Patrons and people who converged on the bar on Christopher Street resisted , hurling objects and at points scuffling with the officers.
Protests followed over several more days. A year later, LGBTQ New Yorkers marked the anniversary of the riot with the Christopher Street Liberation Day March. Thousands proudly paraded through a city where, at the time, LGBTQ people were largely expected to stay in the shadows.
The Stonewall Inn itself closed not long after the raid. The current Stonewall Inn dates to the early 1990s.
“We understand we’re the innkeepers of history,” said current co-owner Stacy Lentz. “We really feel like the fire that started at Stonewall in 1969 is not done. The battleground has just shifted.”
___
Associated Press videojournalist Ted Shaffrey contributed to this report. Find complete AP Stonewall anniversary coverage here: https://apnews.com/Stonewallat50 | null | 0 | -1 | null | 33 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,827,690 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | (CNN) A federal judge in California blocked the Trump administration on Friday from using $2.5 billion in federal funds for a border wall in portions of California and New Mexico.
According to a news release from California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the US District Court for Northern California ruled in favor of a challenge to President Donald Trump's attempt to move billions from the Defense Department budget toward building a border wall in El Centro, California, and New Mexico. Trump's move was done as part of his national emergency declaration in February.
Becerra celebrated the ruling, which he said permanently stops the administration from proceeding with construction on the wall.
"These rulings critically stop President Trump's illegal money grab to divert $2.5 billion of unauthorized funding for his pet project," Becerra said. "All President Trump has succeeded in building is a constitutional crisis, threatening immediate harm to our state. President Trump said he didn't have to do this and that he would be unsuccessful in court. Today we proved that statement true."
This is a breaking story and will be updated. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 9 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,713,614 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Murmansk, Russia (CNN) Next month, a floating nuclear power plant called the Akademik Lomonosov will be towed via the Northern Sea Route to its final destination in the Far East, after almost two decades in construction.
It's part of Russia's ambition to bring electric power to a mineral-rich region . The 144-meter (472 feet) long platform painted in the colors of the Russian flag is going to float next to a small Arctic port town of Pevek, some 4,000 miles away from Moscow. It will supply electricity to settlements and companies extracting hydrocarbons and precious stones in the Chukotka region.
A larger agenda is at work too: aiding President Vladimir Putin's ambitious Arctic expansion plans, which have raised geopolitical concerns in the United States.
The Admiral Lomonosov will be the northernmost operating nuclear plant in the world, and it's key to plans to develop the region economically. About 2 million Russians reside near the Arctic coast in villages and towns similar to Pevek, settlements that are often reachable only by plane or ship, if the weather permits. But they generate as much as 20% of country's GDP and are key for Russian plans to tap into the hidden Arctic riches of oil and gas as Siberian reserves diminish.
In theory, floating nuclear power plants could help supply energy to remote areas without long-term commitments -- or requiring large investments into conventional power stations on mostly uninhabitable land.
But the concept of a nuclear reactor stationed in the Arctic Sea has drawn criticism from environmentalists. The Lomonosov platform was dubbed "Chernobyl on Ice" or "floating Chernobyl" by Greenpeace even before the public's revived interest in the 1986 catastrophe thanks in large part to the HBO TV series of the same name.
Rosatom, the state company in charge of Russia's nuclear projects, has been fighting against this nickname, saying such criticism is ill founded.
View outside of Akademik Lomonosov's main deck.
"It's totally not justified to compare these two projects. These are baseless claims, just the way the reactors themselves operate work is different," said Vladimir Iriminku, Lomonosov's chief engineer for environmental protection. "Of course, what happened in Chernobyl cannot happen again.... And as it's going to be stationed in the Arctic waters, it will be cooling down constantly, and there is no lack of cold water."
The idea itself is not new -- the US Army used a small nuclear reactor installed on a ship in the Panama Canal for almost a decade in the 1960s. For civil purposes, an American energy company PSE&G commissioned a floating plant to be stationed off the coast of New Jersey , but the project was halted in the 1970s due to public opposition and environmental concerns
Russia's civilian nuclear industry also faced public questions following the Chernobyl catastrophe, which shaped concerns about "the peaceful atom" for decades to follow. Construction of dozens of nuclear plants stopped, affecting not only massive Chernobyl-scale projects but also slowing down the use of low-power reactors like the one in what would become the floating station (The Chernobyl plant produced up to 4,000 megawatts. Lomonosov has two reactors producing 35 megawatts each).
The control center of the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear platform.
"These reactors were initially to be used within city limits, but unfortunately the Chernobyl incident hindered that," said Iriminku. "Our citizens, especially if they are not technically savvy, don't really understand the nuclear energy and that these stations are built differently, so it's almost impossible to explain that to them."
The explosion at Chernobyl directly caused around 31 deaths, but millions of people were exposed to dangerous radiation levels.
The final death toll as a result of long-term radiation exposure is much disputed. Although the UN predicted up to 9,000 related cancer deaths back in 2005, Greenpeace later estimated up to 200,000 fatalities, taking further health problems connected to the disaster into account.
Modern Russia hasn't seen anything close to Chernobyl though. Russia, a major oil and gas producer, also operates several nuclear power stations. The state atomic energy corporation Rosatom has long maintained that its industrial record is one of reliability and safety, and that its reactors have been modernized and upgraded.
But rather than summoning the specter of Chernobyl, some nuclear watchdogs are drawing parallels to the 2011 accident at Fukushima in Japan , with the images of its waterlogged reactors still fresh in the public memory. The Russian plant's main benefits -- mobility and ability to work in remote regions -- complicate some crucial security procedures, from routine disposal of the nuclear fuel to rescue operations in the event the platform is hit by a massive wave.
A worker finishes construction inside the platform's facilities.
But project engineers say they've learned the lessons of Fukushima.
"This rig can't be torn out of moorings, even with a 9-point tsunami, and we've even considered that if it does go inland, there is a backup system that can keep the reactor cooling for 24 hours without an electricity supply," said Dmitry Alekseenko, deputy director of the Lomonosov plant.
However, experts of Bellona, an NGO monitoring nuclear projects and environmental impacts, say 24 hours might not be enough to prevent a disaster should a tsunami land the rig among towns with two active nuclear reactors aboard
Akademik Lomonosov rests in St. Petersburg before it was brought to Murmansk to be filled with nuclear fuel.
And then there is the question of cost. Some Russian officials have questioned the floating reactor complex's price tag of an estimated $450 million, saying it would need to enter serial production to be economically viable. Rosatom has been working to attract clients from Asia, Africa and South America to purchase next iterations of Akademik Lomonosov, but has yet to announce any deals.
The last Russian nuclear project of a comparable scale was completed in 2007, when the "50 Years of Victory" nuclear-powered icebreaker finally sailed after sitting in the docks since 1989. Now, after more than 20 years of arguments, changes of contractors and economic crises, Russian engineers can finally take pride in launching the world's only nuclear floating rig. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 40 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 2,273,436 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | SYDNEY (Reuters) - Authorities in Vanuatu have arrested six Chinese nationals following Chinese complaints they were operating an internet scam from the Pacific island, media reported on Saturday.
Chinese law enforcement officials arrived in Vanuatu shortly before the late Thursday raid in which the six were detained, and helped identify the premises in the capital, Port Vila, from where they were suspected of running the scam, the Vanuatu Daily Post reported.
Reuters was unable to confirm the report or contact Vanuatu police on Saturday. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some or all of the group are reported to hold dual citizenship in China and Vanuatu.
The arrests come at a time of concern in some quarters about growing Chinese influence in the Pacific.
The United States and its ally, Australia, are particularly wary of Chinese diplomatic and economic inroads in the region.
In April, Vanuatu and China denied media reports that China wanted to build a permanent military base in the island nation.
In May, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the visiting prime minister of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai, that China was not seeking a sphere of influence in the Pacific. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 9 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,884,056 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on Friday blasted former President Jimmy Carter for challenging the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s presidency because of Kremlin interference in the 2016 election.
Flake, who announced his retirement from the Senate in 2017 after half-hearted and ineffective opposition to some presidential policies, tweeted that challenging Trump’s right to be in the White House was “awful.” Twitter foes had a difficult time swallowing the flip-flopping Republican’s self-righteousness.
This is an awful thing for one American President to say about another. Argue that he shouldn't be reelected, sure, but don't say that he wasn't legitimately elected.https://t.co/jRjGdH6n9Q — Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) June 28, 2019
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation found that Russia waged a “sweeping and systematic” influence campaign during the 2016 presidential election with the goal of electing Trump, who still failed to win the popular vote.
“There’s no doubt that the Russians did interfere in the election,” Carter said Friday at the Carter Center’s retreat in Virginia. “I think the interference ... if fully investigated would show that Trump actually didn’t win the election in 2016 .... He was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.”
Asked if he thought Trump was an “illegitimate president,” Carter responded: “Based on what I just said, which I can’t retract.”
Flake’s foes on Twitter weren’t too broken up about his offended sensibilities.
Real Presidents don’t like illegitimate ones. — alex oddie (@alexoddie) June 28, 2019
Ummm Jeff -what about eight years of #Birtherism — Sharon Dennis (@sddphoto) June 29, 2019
Have u seen what trump says about Obama — Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) June 28, 2019
The truth never mattered much to you, did it, Flake? — Peter Merlin Cane (@PeterMerlinCane) June 28, 2019
*sigh* sit this one out, Jeff. Just like you sat out anything involving integrity in the Senate. — yvette nicole brown (@YNB) June 28, 2019
You’ve just asked President Carter to keep silent and pretend he believes something he knows isn’t true. That might work in #CorruptGOP Land, but it won’t work on #JimmyCarter. — #MommyJones (@abracadabraNY) June 28, 2019
Not everyone likes you Jeff. Hell, I don't. but if Jimmy Carter, a former President wants to tell it like it is, then back the hell up.
He has no fear of you or anyone else. He's a national treasure.
You on the other hand are not. — @SaysDana (@SaysDana) June 28, 2019
Jimmy is trying to save the country. What are you doing to help? Head buried in sand. Must be hard to breathe down there. — Susan R Schwaiger (@SchwaigerSusan) June 29, 2019
have you read the Mueller report? — Another Space Cowboy (@AnitherSpace) June 28, 2019
Um, Jimmy Carter merely spoke the truth. He truly wasn’t legitimately elected. Don’t come for Jimmy Carter. — Ashlee Willis (@ashlee__willis) June 29, 2019 | null | 0 | -1 | null | 28 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,348,000 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | New York City officials declared a climate emergency Wednesday by passing legislation calling for a nationwide response to combat the so-called “climate crises.”
“The United States of America has disproportionately contributed to the climate emergency and has repeatedly obstructed global efforts to transition toward a green economy, and thus bears an extraordinary responsibility to rapidly address these existential threats,” the legislation states.
The declaration makes it the largest city in the nation to dedicate itself to combatting climate change. It is one of more than 650 cities around the world that have made a similar call to action. Sydney, Australia, and London, England, are the most recent to declare a worldwide environmental emergency.
“By declaring a climate emergency, New York City signals that it understands the urgency of climate change, which threatens to unleash catastrophic environmental consequences in the decades ahead unless rapid action is taken by governments around the world,” wrote Joe McCarthy of Global Citizen.
However, Patrick Moore, Greenpeace co-founder and former president of Greenpeace Canada, told Breitbart News in March that the climate change narrative was a “hoax” and the reason he left the movement.
Moore said Greenpeace environmentalists began seeing humans as “enemies of the Earth” and relied on misinformation when it came to science.
He said:
Greenpeace was just going off into this sensationalism and misinformation, and using fear to get people to send them money — fear that the world was coming to an end, which we hear repeated over and over and over again now with this final declaration by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that we have 12 years left until the end of the world. The fact is, people have been saying that since the beginning of time, and it never has and it never people, but they get away with it.
The new legislation states that the earth is already “too hot for safety, as attested by increased and intensifying wildfires, floods, rising seas, diseases, droughts and extreme weather.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 10 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 39,029,783 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | US president ignores media questions about murder of Jamal Khashoggi in meeting with Saudi crown prince at G20
Donald Trump has praised Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying he was doing a “spectacular job” as the pair met on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
“You have done a spectacular job,” Trump told the powerful crown prince on Saturday, calling him “a friend of mine”.
The young royal has faced international pressure after the US-based dissident Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul last year.
MSNBC (@MSNBC) JUST IN: President Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman at G-20 in Japan, calls him "a friend of mine" and says that he's done "really a spectacular job" and that it's a "great honor" to meet with him. pic.twitter.com/cKvZ8qWFQc
But Trump ignored questions from the media about whether he would raise the journalist’s death during his working breakfast with the prince.
Riyadh has hit back against claims that prince Mohammed bears responsibility in the murder of Khashoggi, who was killed and dismembered in what Saudi authorities have described as a rogue operation.
A UN expert report has said that the “execution of Mr Khashoggi was the responsibility of the state of Saudi Arabia”, and that the crown prince must have been aware of attempts to cover up the crime after the fact, including a forensic cleaning of the consulate.
Jamal Khashoggi warned Moroccan journalist before his arrest, says wife Read more
The report urged a formal criminal investigation into the case.
But Saudi prosecutors say all those to blame are already on trial, citing proceedings against 11 unnamed individuals in the kingdom.
Five of those face the death penalty in the trial, which has been held secretly, with only a handful of diplomats allowed to attend.
Trump also said he appreciated Saudi Arabia’s purchase of US military equipment, praising the crown prince for working to open up the country with economic and social reforms. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 11 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,118,219 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | CLOSE
Left to right, President Donald Trump, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and China President Xi Jinping attend a meeting at the G20 Summit on Friday. (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images)
OSAKA, Japan – President Donald Trump sat down with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday, seeking to re-start talks for a new agreement that could end the trade war between the world's two largest economies.
"We're totally open to it ... I think this could be a very productive meeting," Trump told XI as they began their meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in this ancient Japanese port city.
Xi called the talks a potential turning point in the U.S.-Chinese relationship, and told Trump that their two countries "benefit from cooperation and lose in confrontation. Cooperation and dialogue are better than friction and confrontation."
Hours before his meeting with the Chinese leader, Trump and his aides expressed guarded optimism that the two nations – the largest economies in the world – could at least resume negotiations that broke off in May.
In the meantime, Trump said he is prepared to put more tariffs on Chinese goods if the Xi meeting doesn't work out well. The Chinese said they are prepared to do much the same thing to American products.
"As to whether or not we can make a deal, time will tell," Trump told reporters.
Noting that he saw Xi at a G-20 event Friday, Trump said "the relationship itself is really good," and that he and the Chinese president "have a very good friendship, a very, very good friendship.”
For months, the two countries have taken turns hitting each other with tariffs, raising prices for producers and consumers and slowing growth worldwide.
More: Trump's own brand of diplomacy is on display at G-20. How will it fare with Valdimir Putin, Xi Jinping?
More: Trump arrives in Japan for G-20. What to expect from meetings with China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Putin
According to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, tariffs set in 2018 "imposed an annual cost of $419 for the typical household."
The latest Trump-Xi meeting takes place more than a month after U.S. and Chinese negotiators broke off trade talks, each side accusing the other of seeking to change the details at the last minute.
Now Trump and Xi hope to at least revive serious negotiations on a new arrangement between the global economic giants.
In remarks at the top of his meeting with Trump, Xi traced the up-and-down nature of the U.S.-Chinese relationship that he said began when an American table tennis team visited China for matches in 1971.
"That marked the beginning of what we now know as ping-pong diplomacy," Trump said.
Trump cited more recent history, saying the U.S. and China were on the verge of a deal little more than a month ago, but then "something happened."
"It would be historic if we could do a trade deal," Trump said.
Throughout his presidential campaign and into his presidency, Trump has repeatedly accused China of taking advantage of, even "raping," the United States with its trade policies.
The United States wants China to change some of its trade policies, particularly its demands that companies give up technology and trade secrets if they are to do business in the Middle Kingdom.
Xi, meanwhile, is making demands of his own. For one thing, he wants Trump to end his administration's ban on sale of U.S. parts to Huawei Technologies Co., the Chinese telecommunications giant.
In the hours before meeting with Xi, Trump said he is willing to talk about new arrangements for Huawei, and added that "we'll be discussing a lot of things."
In the run-up to the meeting, Chinese officials also said they want Trump to postpone the prospect of more tariffs for at least six months as talks continue. The United States is also seeking relief from Chinese tariffs.
More: Donald Trump invites Kim Jong Un to meet him at Korea border
Trade isn't the only item on the Trump-Xi agenda. There's also North Korea.
Xi is expected to pitch a plan to revive U.S. negotiations with North Korea over the fate of its nuclear weapons programs.
After the end of the G-20 summit Saturday, Trump will travel to Seoul to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in – and possibly North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Hours before the Xi meeting, Trump tweeted out an invitation to Kim to meet him at the Demilitarized Zone during his visit to Seoul.
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/28/donald-trump-xi-jinping-hold-make-break-trade-meeting/1592712001/ | null | 0 | -1 | null | 34 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 39,135,369 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | The federal education minister wants to take the state’s initiative nationwide but not everyone’s buying the argument
At lunch time, Mia* and her friends talk to each other. The year 11 student at the Newtown High School of Performing Arts uses her phone mostly to message friends. She has a tracker on her device to monitor her time on social media, which she limits to 30 minutes a day.
Sometimes in class, she will use her phone to take a picture of notes or instructions on the board. But during lunch at school, she chats with her friends.
“No one’s really on their phones,” she says. “Sometimes you’ll see people on their phones at lunch, but usually in a group of people, they’re talking to each other.”
Her father, Peter*, describes Mia’s phone use as “quite frequent”. But he is sanguine about its impact on her generally. “They do interact a lot through the phone, but I don’t see it as taking away from other interactions,” he says. “I don’t think her social skills suffer from using phones or social media. It’s just a tool, and not necessarily a worse tool than other ways of communicating.”
You can't enforce a ban on mobile phones in the classroom – we should teach kids to hate them instead | Van Badham Read more
Peter’s confidence, however, is not widely shared.
Following this week’s announcement of a ban on mobile phones in Victorian state schools, effective 2020, the federal education minister, Dan Tehan, met his state counterparts in Melbourne on Friday to push for a nationwide block.
A study by Monash University has found that 80% of Australians support a ban.
“When I talk to parents and teachers, the overwhelming majority want action on banning mobile phones in the classroom,” the minister said in a statement. “They see mobile phones as a distraction from learning and are also worried about cyberbullying and other inappropriate uses.”
The picture painted by Tehan is one echoed by educators around the country. The Australian Education Union’s Victorian branch, which provided tentative support for the state ban, describes smartphones as a facilitator of cyberbullying and a “major distraction”, affecting academic performance.
Taking a device out of the classroom is not going to stop cyberbullying, Neil Selwyn
The Australian Secondary Principals Association (ASPA) president, Andrew Pierpoint, says principals constantly report that students are sitting in playgrounds busy on their phones and not speaking to one another.
Newington College, a private boys school in Sydney’s inner west, banned phones last year. Its headmaster, Michael Parker, says he has had frequent conversations with teachers in previous schools who were concerned about the ubiquity of smartphones and the impossibility of monitoring their use.
After instituting the ban at Newington, he says, staff noticed an immediate increase in students’ engagement with each other.
A decade ago, says Parker, the noise around smartphones was very positive. But things have changed following more research into the dopamine surges released by social media activity, and greater understanding about the development of adolescent brains.
Victoria to ban mobile phones in all state primary and secondary schools Read more
Parker says it is important that teenagers spend their formative years engaging in discussion, kicking a ball around, free from the constraints and distraction of phones and social media.
He acknowledges that the problem of smartphone misuse is not limited to young people, but says adults have a duty of care to limit their potential misuse.
Pasi Sahlberg, a professor of education policy at Sydney’s University of New South Wales, has attributed the decline in academic performance of students globally to rise in smartphone usage. While there is no research yet to substantiate that claim, he says there is a wealth of evidence to show that smartphones have a significant negative impact on wellbeing.
Adults ‘suffer the same disease’
However, he is not in favour of a blanket ban. “We have a broader problem in society,” he says. “We adults are patronising kids when we suffer the same disease … It’s almost like an alcoholic saying: ‘Everyone else has to stop drinking, but not me’.” This hypocrisy doesn’t wash with students, he says.
He wants a more collaborative approach in setting the parameters on phone use in schools. “I trust young people much more than adults on this issue,” he says.
Neil Selwyn, an education professor at Monash University, says that while bans are in place in France and Ontario, Canada, there is no way of knowing at this stage whether a state or country-wide ban will have any impact on cyberbullying, academic performance or students’ wellbeing.
A study from mental health non-profit organisation Headspace found this week that 53% of teenagers had experienced some form of cyberbullying.
“There are lots of concerns about cyberbullying, about students not paying attention. These are genuine problems. But phones are a kind of easy fix. It’s much easier to ban devices rather than tackle the root causes of a behaviour like bullying,” Selwyn says.
“Clearly, taking a device out of the classroom is not going to stop cyberbullying, because most cyberbullying takes place outside school hours and off school premises anyway. In some ways, it’s a symbolic act.”
Selwyn says that if he wanted to tackle cyberbullying, he would work with a class of students with their phones, discussing respectful communications and alerting them to triggers. “You can’t do that without the devices,” he says.
“A lot of the discussion is about schools which have banned it, which are predominantly middle class, well-resourced schools. A ban might work brilliantly for them, but it might not work so well for a school in a different situation,” he says.
Call for national mobile phone ban in public schools to face resistance Read more
Pierpoint says decisions on smartphone policy need to respond to individual school communities. “Principals should be given the autonomy, working with their community and their P&C or P&F association, to work out what’s right for their community. For example, in a rural, remote and Indigenous community, the outcome of that conversation could be completely different to that in a large metropolitan school.”
At Mia’s school, there are no explicit rules about mobile use. “It depends on the teacher,” she says. “But they expect you not to use it in class, so most people don’t really use it.”
She doesn’t favour a ban on phones, saying it reflects a misreading of young people. “Some politicians don’t really understand that most high school kids do want to learn. Especially in year 11, we’re gearing up towards the HSC, we actually do want to learn. We’re not just using our phones in class. We’d rather get good grades.”
* Names have been changed to protect identities | null | 0 | -1 | null | 51 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 115,953,219 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Just a week before the Fourth of July, police in Southern California busted an illegal dealer with 2 1/2 tons of fireworks.
The Long Beach Police Department said they seized about 5,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from someone who was planning to sell them in the region.
"Know what ILLEGAL fireworks will get you? A ride to our City Jail," the police department tweeted. They also shared a video of the truck full of the illegal explosives.
Know what ILLEGAL fireworks will get you? A ride to our City Jail 💥=🚔 @LBPDDetectives arrested a suspect who thought about selling these in #LongBeach, appox. 5,000 lbs of illegal fireworks were seized. #LBPD pic.twitter.com/dn0mlLg6zo — Long Beach PD (CA) (@LBPD) June 28, 2019
The Long Beach police tweeted back on June 15 they had seized a comparatively paltry 200 pounds of fireworks, as well.
All fireworks are illegal in Los Angeles County.
Long Beach Police Department
"The County of Los Angeles Fire Code, Title 32, Section 5601.3 states that it is illegal to store, manufacture, sell, use, or handle ALL FORMS of fireworks without a valid permit in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County," according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The crime is a misdemeanor, but could be punishable by up to a year in prison or a $50,000 fine if convicted, according to California law.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission just held its annual fireworks safety demonstration on the National Mall in Washington on Wednesday.
"Last year, there were five reports of fireworks-related deaths involving victims ranging from ages 19 to 49," said CPSC acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle on Wednesday. "All of the deaths were associated with re-loadable aerial devices which can be either be a commercial or professional fireworks."
There were 9,100 emergency room visits in 2018 due to fireworks-related injuries, with 6,200 occurring between June 22 and July 22, according to the CPSC. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 16 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 55,323,674 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Attorney General Xavier Becerra, from right, discusses a 2016 voter-approved ballot initiative that will require Californians to undergo criminal background checks every time they buy ammunition starting July 1 as Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, looks on during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., on June 25, 2019.
Rich Pedroncelli / AP file | null | 0 | -1 | null | 3 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,339,253 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Former Vice President Joe Biden spoke to activists at Jessie Jackson’s Rainbow/Push Coalition on Friday, delivering a lengthy speech defending his civil rights record after Sen. Kamala Harris highlighted his opposition to public busing during Thursday’s debate.
“I heard and I listened to and I respect Senator Harris,” Joe Biden said. “But we all know that 30 seconds and 60 seconds on a debate exchange can’t do justice to a lifetime committed to civil rights.”
Biden argued that he “never ever” opposed voluntary public busing but did not mention working with segregationists to block federally mandated public busing and even described the practice as “asinine.”
Biden’s tone was defensive, but he did not apologize for his past.
“I’ve always been in favor of using federal authorities to overcome state initiated segregation,” he said, pointing to his eventual efforts to block the Gurney amendment.
Biden listed several ways that he had defended the civil rights movement, including his work with former President Barack Obama.
“My president gets much too little credit for all that he did, he was one of the great president’s of the United States of America and I’m tired of hearing about what he didn’t do,” Biden said as the audience cheered.
Biden’s appearance at Jackson’s meeting was not on his campaign schedule, and it was a surprise to see him embrace the controversial activist.
Jackson did not have a warm relationship with President Barack Obama, especially after Jackson was caught on Fox News talking about wanting to “cut his nuts off.”
Biden said that Americans had to stop viewing black teenagers as “gang bangers.”
“We’ve got to recognize that kid wearing a hoodie maybe will be the next poet laureate and not a gang banger,” he said.
Biden took the stage with his granddaughter Finnegan Biden and spent several minutes prior to his speech talking about the importance of women and daughters.
“When the daughter is about 12 1/2 years old, you put this little butterfly to bed and you kiss her goodnight and the next morning there’s a snake in the bed,” he said, describing all of the demands of a growing teenager.
He also raised the alarm of what was happening to America under Trump, blaming him for the Charlottesville protests and claiming that Trump failed to condemn white supremacists.
“Folks, we’re in a position now, where the American people have seen the very dark side of America, every generation is saying ‘Enough,'” Biden said. “We have a chance, a real chance, we have a chance if we stand up and remember who we are.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 13 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 113,858,022 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | President Trump met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday while they were in Osaka, Japan, calling the crown prince a "friend of mine." Mr. Trump called bin Salman "a man who has really done things in the last 5 years in terms of opening of Saudi Arabia."
Mr. Trump did not answer questions about Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. An independent U.N. human rights expert investigating Khashoggi's death said earlier this month there is "credible evidence" linking bin Salman's to the murder. Bin Salman has denied any involvement.
Mr. Trump on Saturday praised bin Salman for doing a "speculator job" and said they've had meetings on "trade, and economic development and on the military."
"As you know, Saudi Arabia is a big purchaser of American products of American products and especially of America military equipment," Mr. Trump said. "We make the best in the world by far. And we appreciate that they do. They create at least a million jobs are created by the purchases made by Saudi Arabia, so we're very happy to be with you. Great honor. Thank you all very much for being here."
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a working breakfast meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. KEVIN LAMARQUE / REUTERS
According to the White House, the pair had a "productive meeting" where they discussed "Saudi Arabia's critical role in ensuring stability in the Middle East and global oil markets, the growing threat from Iran, increased trade and investments between the two countries, and the importance of human rights issues."
The meeting with bin Salman comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Mr. Trump has long praised bin Salman, and on Friday, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Mr. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser "met often" with bin Salman.
Bin Salman stood between him and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, leader of the host country, in a group photo. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 17 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,457,132 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Life in “The Last Frontier” may be harsher than a lot of Americans realize.
Attorney General William Barr on Friday declared a public-safety emergency in Alaska so the Justice Department could allocate more than $10 million toward fighting violent crime in some of the state’s rural communities.
In many areas, getting timely law enforcement responses to sexual assaults, child abuse and other violent crimes can be difficult.
ALASKA SUPREME COURT RULES STATE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY LAW CALLED UNCONSTITUTIONAL
A 2013 federal report said that at least 75 Alaska Native communities had no law enforcement officers. Tribes have lacked authority to establish police forces since the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act took effect, Reuters reported.
Because of Alaska’s immense size (663,268 square miles) it can sometimes take hours for state troopers to reach a village from which a crime is reported.
Tribal leaders have told authorities that victims of sexual assault sometimes need to take boats or planes to reach medical facilities in more populated areas, the Associated Press reported.
Barr visited Alaska in late May to get a sense of the problems Alaskans have been dealing with.
AG BARR TAKES MILITARY TRANSPORT PLANE WITH HELP OF ALASKA NATIONAL GUARD
“In May, when I visited Alaska, I witnessed firsthand the complex, unique, and dire law enforcement challenges the state of Alaska and its remote Alaska Native communities are facing,” Barr said in a Justice Department statement. “With this emergency declaration, I am directing resources where they are needed most and needed immediately, to support the local law enforcement response in Alaska Native communities, whose people are dealing with extremely high rates of violence.”
Barr and other officials visited the communities of Galena, Bethel and Napaskiak on May 31, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
Alaskan members of Congress said they were pleased by the attention Barr was directing toward their state.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
U.S. Rep. Don Young, an Alaska Republican who lives in Fort Yukon, a small community above the Arctic Circle, said he was glad Barr released the money.
"I'm cautioning people, though, because money just doesn't solve the problem," the 86-year-old Young said Friday. "There should be recognition that this problem can only be solved by support by the communities themselves."
The Associated Press contributed to this story. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 15 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,343,563 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Sen. Kamala Harris’s (D-CA) national spokesperson said on Thursday evening that Harris even supports “busing for school integration right now.”
When a national politics reporter at New York Times asked Ian Sams, Harris’s national press secretary, if Harris supported busing to integrate schools today, he replied: “Yes.”
yes — Ian Sams (@IanSams) June 28, 2019
Astead Herndon, the Times’ national politics reporter, said on Friday that Harris’s campaign declined to elaborate further when asked about specifics.
So make of this what you will! pic.twitter.com/geiibA3EWg — Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) June 28, 2019
Harris, in need of a moment to revive her floundering campaign, called out former Vice President Joe Biden during Thursday’s debate for his past opposition to school busing, telling the former vice president that she was bused to a school in Northern California. Harris also said that though she did not believe Biden is “racist,” “it was hurtful” to hear him “talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on segregation of race in this country.”
“And it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose bussing,” Harris told Biden in what was the night’s signature moment. “And you know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bussed to school every day. And that little girl was me. So, I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among democrats. We have to take it seriously. We have to act swiftly.”
Biden, on the defensive and unprepared for lines of attack that candidates had telegraphed weeks in advance, claimed he “did not oppose busing in America” despite numerous comments on the record in which he staunchly opposed the practice:
HARRIS: –But, Vice President Biden do you agree today–do you agree today that you were wrong to oppose busing in America then? BIDEN: No. HARRIS: Do you agree? BIDEN: I did not oppose bussing in America. What I opposed is bussing ordered by the Department of Education. That’s what I opposed. I did not oppose– HARRIS: –Well, there was a failure of–of states to–to integrate– BIDEN: –No, but– HARRIS: –Public schools in America. I was part of the second class to integrate, Berkley, California Public Schools almost two decades after Brown v. Board of Education. BIDEN: Because your city council made that decision. It was a local decision. HARRIS: So, that’s where the federal government must step in. BIDEN: The–the federal government must– HARRIS: –That’s why we have the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. That’s why we need to pass the Equality Act. That’s why we need to pass the ERA because there are–
As Breitbart News has noted, though Biden keeps insisting that he never opposed voluntary busing, he told a Delaware newspaper in 1975 that he had always opposed the practice because “it’s an asinine concept.” He even said he thought busing would set the civil rights movement back and the “only recourse to eliminate busing may be a constitutional amendment.” Biden also insisted that “the real problem” with busing is that “you take people who aren’t racist, people who are good citizens, who believe in equal education and opportunity, and you stunt their children’s intellectual growth by busing them to an inferior school . . . and you’re going to fill them with hatred.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 23 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 1,436,728 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | OSAKA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was open to a potentially “historic” trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as they began talks that could ease tensions or plunge the world’s two largest economies into a deeper trade war.
The dispute has already cost companies in both countries billions of dollars, disrupted global manufacturing and supply lines, and roiled global markets.
Trump and Xi were meeting on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Osaka, western Japan, where the trade feud including a dispute over Huawei Technologies Co has raised concerns about its threat to global growth.
“I actually think that we were very close and ... that something happened where it slipped a little bit, and now we’re getting a little bit closer,” Trump told Xi as the cameras rolled at the start of the closely-watched talks.
“But it would be historic if we could do a fair trade deal.
“We’re totally open to it, and I know you’re totally open to it.” He gave no details of what a deal would entail.
The U.S. president has said he would extend existing tariffs to cover almost all imports from China into the United States if there was no progress from the meeting on wide-ranging U.S. demands for economic reforms.
Xi told Trump he was ready to exchange views on fundamental issues and stressed the need for dialogue over confrontation.
“Forty years on, enormous change has taken place in the international situation and China-U.S. relations, but one basic fact remains unchanged. China and the United States both benefit from cooperation and lose in confrontation,” Xi said.
“Cooperation and dialogue are better than friction and confrontation,” he added.
“Today I’m prepared to exchange views with you on the fundamental issues concerning the growth of China-U.S. relations, so as to set the direction for our relationship in the period to come and to advance the China-U.S. relationship based on coordination, cooperation and stability,” Xi said.
China’s Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, said earlier on Saturday the world had to “contain capricious U.S. actions”, pointing to examples like Trump withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.
“The world needs to rein in the U.S., although it’s difficult,” the paper said in an editorial.
“The problem is that many countries have misgivings in expressing their opposition to U.S. bullying tactics out of fear for U.S. power, or hope to profit from the U.S. stirring up the global order through opportunism.”
DIFFICULT TRADE RELATIONS
The leaders of the big economies will agree on Saturday to accelerate reforms to the World Trade Organization but stop short of calling for the need to resist protectionism in their closing communique, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper said.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The best outcome from the Trump-Xi talks would be a resumption of trade negotiations, Marc Short, the chief of staff for U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, told reporters at the White House on Friday.
The United States says China has been stealing U.S. intellectual property for years, forces U.S. companies to share trade secrets as a condition for doing business in China, and subsidizes state-owned firms so they can dominate both domestic and international business.
China says the United States is making unreasonable demands and must also make concessions.
“We feel the U.S. side is exerting extreme pressure,” a Chinese diplomat told Reuters on Friday on condition of anonymity. “It is raising many demands but doesn’t want to make concessions.”
The dispute escalated when talks collapsed in May after Washington accused Beijing of reneging on reform pledges. Trump raised tariffs to 25% from 10% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, and China retaliated with levies on U.S. imports.
As relations between the two countries have soured, the dispute has spread beyond trade. The U.S. administration has declared Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei a security threat, effectively banning U.S. companies from doing business with it.
U.S. officials have also put pressure on other governments worldwide to drop Huawei from plans for fifth generation, or 5G, network development.
Trump has suggested easing U.S. restrictions on Huawei could be a factor in a trade deal with Xi.
China has demanded the U.S. drop the restrictions, and said Huawei presents no security threat.
Slideshow (5 Images)
Several G20 leaders warned on the first day of the summit on Friday that growing Sino-U.S. trade friction was threatening global growth.
“The trade relations between China and the United States are difficult, they are contributing to the slowdown of the global economy,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told a news conference. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 29 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,313,724 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | "Every day, we send a disgraceful signal around the world, that this is what the present US government stands for, and that is torture and kidnapping of little children, separation from their parents and deprivation of those who are incarcerated." pic.twitter.com/izYcwWA6Uj
A partial transcript is as follows:
JON MEACHAM: I’m interested, Mr. President, in your views on what’s happening at the U.S.-Mexican border with the family separation and your reaction to what we’re seeing now there and what you think ordinary Americans can do about it.
FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER: Every day, we send a disgraceful signal around the world that this is what the present United States government stands for, and that is torture and kidnapping of little children, separation from their parents and deprivation of those who are incarcerated. There are thousands of unknown children that are still incarcerated that hasn’t been revealed by the government itself.
I think what ICE is doing, under the orders of the president, is a disgrace to the United States, and I hope it will soon be ended. Maybe not until the 2020 election. I’m not sure, but either that or before, I hope, it will end as we change presidents.
MEACHAM: Would it be basic political activism that you would advise people worried about it? Just get in and try to change the president?
FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER: I think if everyone in the United States would take the same position that the court and Senate do and promote human rights to the basic measurement of how governments are performing, that would be the best thing to do. What we do is apply human rights in the finest and most precise way we can and the most fulfilling way we can comply with the Universal Declaration as it’s humanly possible.
If you apply the basic human rights status to every incident what happens in international diplomacy and in everyday life, that would be the best thing for the United States to do. I hope all Americans will take this on. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 13 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,494,566 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | President Trump in a press conference Saturday said he doesn’t plan to add new tariffs on Chinese imports but he won’t be lifting the existing tariffs.
The president spoke from Osaka, Japan, where he met with several world leaders, including China's President Xi Jinping, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
TRUMP-XI MEETING AT G-20 'WENT BETTER THAN EXPECTED,' US PRESIDENT SAYS
“These meetings have been great,” he told reporters. He said his meeting with Xi "went better than expected" and that U.S. negotiators would “start where they left off with China.”
“Trump also said he “may or may not see Kim Jong Un” when he makes his next stop, in South Korea to visit that nation's President Moon Jae-in. He told Fox News he would “feel very comfortable” stepping into North Korea if the meeting with Kim became possible, but he wasn't concerned if it couldn't happen.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He also said he had “a great discussion” with Putin and hopes the U.S. will do more trade with Russia in the future. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 6 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 1,635,467 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | SAN LUIS TALPA, El Salvador (Reuters) - Days after she lost her small daughter and husband to the treacherous currents of the Rio Grande, Tania Vanessa Avalos, 23, arrived back in El Salvador to await her family’s return — in coffins.
Tania Avalos, wife of Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez, a migrant who drowned in the Rio Grande river with his daughter Valeria during their journey to the U.S., attends a news conference as she arrives at Monsenor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas
Oscar Martinez, 25, and, Angie Valeria, just shy of 2 years old, died on June 23 as they were attempting to cross the river between Mexico and the United States.
A photo of the two drowned migrants caught them face-down in the reeds of the river’s trash-strewn shore. The little girl, in red tights swollen by a water-logged diaper, is entwined in her father’s T-shirt, a small arm stretched across his neck as if in a final embrace.
Martinez had apparently pulled his T-shirt over his daughter to improvise a baby carrier.
The lacerating image spread virally, and became a lightning rod in the charged U.S. political discussion of President Donald Trump’s hard-line policies against asylum seekers and other migrants.
Democratic Party candidates for president brought it up in their first debate on Wednesday.
Avalos, who escaped the strong current that dragged her family down, returned home to bury them. The bodies are due to arrive on Sunday after repatriation by land from Mexico, the Salvadoran government said.
Avalos declined to speak to the media after arriving in El Salvador, accompanied by Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Mauricio Cabrera.
Cabrera urged Salvadorans not to undertake the perilous trip to the United States without documents.
“Do not jeopardize your lives and those of your children,” Cabrera said. “Do not trust people traffickers who only seek their own profit and who often fail to fulfill the promises they make.”
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, compared the photo to that of a three-year-old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea and whose body washed ashore on a beach in Turkey in 2015.
That image also sparked a public outcry about the desperate plight of asylum-seekers and the political challenges of welcoming them to safer shores. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 15 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,773,930 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | (CNN) Natividad Quinto Crisóstomo was dreaming of reuniting with her husband in Arkansas when she died in an irrigation canal near the United States-Mexico border fence .
The 19-year-old from the Mexican state of Michoacán is among the nearly dozen people who have drowned in El Paso-area canals this month as the region deals with an influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border. Only 11 canal drownings were reported in 2018 alone, said Enrique Aguilar, a spokesperson for the El Paso County Fire Department.
The rise of drownings in West Texas canals is another example of the perilous journey migrants take to get to the US. Earlier this week, the image of a Salvadoran father and his 23-month-old daughter who drowned as they were crossing from Mexico into Texas near Brownsville renewed the debate over border policy.
On Wednesday, the body of Quinto Crisóstomo was discovered floating in a canal that runs parallel to the Rio Grande near Clint, Texas, a spokesman with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said.
Quinto Crisóstomo had traveled more than 1,000 miles north after leaving her 2-year-old daughter with her husband's family in central Mexico. Despite her parent's disapproval, she joined a group of her husband's relatives on the trip to the US, Jose Luis Gutierrez Perez, head of the secretary of migrant rights in the state of Michoacán, told CNN.
At least seven other people, including a preschool-aged girl, have been found dead in canals and water tunnels in the past three weeks.
While authorities have not released the names or nationalities of most of the victims, water officials and migrant rights advocates believe most of them were migrants.
Many of the deaths were reported in irrigation canals that run parallel to the border fence and the river that divides the US and Mexico, said Jesus Reyes, the general manager for El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1, the agency that maintains and operates the canals.
It's hard for residents to come near the canal, Reyes said, because the canal system is far away from roadways and surrounded by multiple fences on both sides.
"But if you come over the (border) fence, you are right there within a foot of the canal," Reyes said.
If a person falls into the canal, there's no way anyone other than border patrol agents or water commission employees can reach them.
Three men were found dead in a canal in El Paso, Texas, near the US-Mexico border on June 10.
Canals look calm but have strong currents
The drownings have been linked the recent release of water at the nearby Elephant Butte Reservoir that began on June 1. Before the water was released, the irrigation canals in the region were carrying only a few inches of water.
Water was originally scheduled be released into the irrigation system in March, but it was delayed until more snowmelt made its way from Colorado, Reyes said. The system distributes water to local farmers and two water treatment plants over the summer until September.
In the past weeks, water levels at the canals have risen from a few inches to 4 to 8 feet deep, officials said.
"Sometimes it doesn't look as deep, so accidents happen. You could be walking, then it drops down 5 to 6 feet," said Enrique Aguilar, a spokesperson for the El Paso County Fire Department.
"There are strong currents, it looks calm on the top, but under the water there are strong currents and inclines," he added.
The rise of deaths has authorities in both sides of the border scrambling to reach migrants and discourage them from going near canals or waterways.
In Ciudad Juárez, local officials began broadcasting a video this week to warn migrants about how dangerous the region's canals are.
"If you are not alive, there's no future or dream to reach," the video says.
Amigo migrante, no te cruces por el Río Bravo.
- Sin vida, no hay futuro ni sueño que alcanzar. pic.twitter.com/fg2iLin8QS — Ciudad Juárez (@MunicipioJuarez) June 26, 2019
Ports of entry along the border have long been overwhelmed by the surging asylum claims, according to Customs and Border Protection officials. Migrant advocates say the recent policy changes to toughen the US asylum process are pushing more migrants to risk crossing in more dangerous areas. They have also warned that the number of deaths at the border will increase.
In Ciudad Juárez, the city's human rights director, Rogelio Pinal Castellanos, said his staff has been working around the clock to accommodate thousands of migrants awaiting in the Mexican border city. But despite their efforts, some still choose to enter the US illegally, he said.
As of Tuesday, more than 5,000 migrants were waiting in Ciudad Juárez as their asylum cases are decided, Pinal Castellanos said.
'They are just getting desperate of waiting'
Fernando Garcia, executive director of Border Network for Human Rights, said the number of drownings is "extraordinary" and is a reminder of the dangerous journey that migrants decide to take out of desperation.
"In Mexico, they don't have any community connections. They don't have jobs, they don't have attorneys," Garcia said. "They are trying to sneak into the US because they are just getting desperate of waiting in Mexico because they are hearing their court hearings are happening in months."
Last week, a Guatemalan woman and her child were rescued from a canal near downtown El Paso by US Army soldiers and Border Patrol agents. The woman and her child were struggling in the swift water and had submerged completely when a soldier jumped into the water and another "used his shirt as a makeshift lifeline," US Customs and Border Protection said.
The pair was rescued with no injuries, CBP said.
Drownings and water rescues have been reported not only in El Paso area but also near other ports of entry. In Eagle Pass, a 13-year-old Honduran boy was unconscious and not breathing when Border Patrol agents pulled him from the Rio Grande and resuscitated him earlier this week. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 44 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 55,163,756 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | “We were very close but something happened where it slipped a little bit,” he said, referring to the breakdown in talks in early May that prompted an escalation of tariffs, with the threat of more to come. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 1 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,454,415 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | President Trump was far across the globe Saturday at the G-20 Summit in Japan but he had plenty to say about the race for the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination.
During a news conference at the conclusion of the global event -- where Trump met with the leaders of China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, among others -- the president mocked Joe Biden over his fiery exchange with Sen. Kamala Harris on the issue of race during Thursday's Democratic debate in Miami.
"This wasn’t Winston Churchill we are dealing with,” Trump said about Biden, adding that he thought Harris received “too much credit" for her debate performance.
“I thought that she was given too much credit. He didn't do well, certainly, and maybe the facts were not necessarily on his side,” Trump said. “I think she was given too much credit for what she did, wasn't that outstanding and probably he was hit harder than he should have been hit."
“I think she was given too much credit for what she did, wasn't that outstanding and probably he was hit harder than he should have been hit.” — President Trump
'THE VIEW' PUMMELS BIDEN OVER HIS EXCHANGE WITH HARRIS: MAYBE HE COULD BE HER VP
Trump later reiterated that Harris was given “far too much credit” and went on to mock Biden for his response.
“I think she was given far too much credit for what she did, it was so out of the can, what she said, it was right out of the box and I thought that he didn’t respond great, this wasn’t Winston Churchill we are dealing with,” he said.
"I think she was given far too much credit for what she did, it was so out of the can, what she said, it was right out of the box and I thought that he didn’t respond great, this wasn’t Winston Churchill we are dealing with." — President Trump
Harris' sluggish campaign got a huge boost following Thursday's debate after the U.S. senator from California attacked Biden over his opposition to federal busing and touted his work with avowed segregationists in the U.S.
“I also believe — and it is personal — and it was actually very hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country,” Harris said.
“You worked with them to oppose busing,” Harris added, referring to efforts to limit orders for school desegregation by busing. In an emotional moment, she told her own story of being bused as a little girl in California.
HARRIS CAPITALIZES ON BREAKOUT DEBATE PERFORMANCE, AS BIDEN DEFENDS RECORD ON RACE
Biden defended himself, saying Harris' comments about his record were a “mischaracterization of my position across the board,” and that he “did not praise racists.”
Trump was cautious during the news conference when asked whether Harris would be a tough opponent in the 2020 general election, saying “You never know who's gonna be tough.”
“One day you think he's gonna be tough, turns out to be not much,” he continued, recalling his 2016 election campaign where he had to beat numerous candidates in the Republican primary.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“All their lives they wanted to be politicians, I never thought being a politician until about two days before I decided to run, a little before that,” he said.
“You look at some of them, they’re very talented, you look at their resumes it’s great … sometimes the ones I thought will be the toughest were not the toughest at all.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 15 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,328,289 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Top donors to Robert “Beto” O’Rourke hopped on a post-debate call Thursday with advice on how to improve after poor debate performance reviews.
Beto O’Rourke’s lead fundraiser organized the call that included the candidate’s top donors and bundlers, according to CNBC. Louis Susman put together plans the day before the debate to hold the call the day after.
People with direct knowledge of the matter told the outlet talk on the call centered around O’Rourke’s debate performance compared to the nine other 2020 candidates on stage. The discussion was said to be mixed, with some giving positive reviews while others offered advice on how to improve his performance.
The report noted public criticism of O’Rourke for poor debate performance and questions from media pundits on whether O’Rourke would leave the race and run again for U.S. Senate. CNN personality Van Jones suggested the debate may have been O’Rourke’s “last hurrah,” according to the report.
One donor who was on the call and spoke anonymously with CNBC called O’Rourke “a much larger threat than I even thought this early in the race,” but admitted, “the platform last night was clearly out of his comfort zone.” He said the changes O’Rourke needs to make are “purely stylistic.”
O’Rourke supporter and faithful Democrat donor Robert Wolf told the outlet that Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Julian Castro were the three winners out of ten presidential hopefuls in Wednesday nights’ debate that included O’Rourke. He would not comment on O’Rourke’s performance.
Campaign spokesman Chris Evans told the outlet the campaign is proud of O’Rourke’s debate performance.
Susman, the organizer of the call, served as a top bundler for then-candidate Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.
Michelle Moons is a reporter for Breitbart News — follow on Twitter @MichelleDiana and Facebook. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 12 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 39,036,296 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | State government’s new road safety office is likely to implement some measures for country roads
The Victorian government is setting up a new road safety office amid a spiralling number of fatalities this year but there are doubts about whether lawmakers have the political courage to cut speed limits.
The state’s road fatality tally stands at 153 this year, compared with 100 at this time last year. It had a record low number of road deaths in 2018.
In August, officials from VicRoads and the Department of Transport will merge under the new Road Safety Victoria office. VicRoads chief executive Robyn Seymour will head the new body.
Death toll on Queensland's roads reaches 13 after horror week Read more
The state’s road safety minister, Jaala Pulford, said Victoria had a proud history of being a world leader in road safety.
“Ms Seymour began her career counselling those affected by road trauma, so she knows firsthand the devastating impact it has and why we need to do everything we can to make our roads safer,” she said.
The problem of road deaths on country roads is likely to be a big focus of the new organisation.
Figures from the Transport Accident Commission show there have been 93 deaths on rural Victorian roads this year, compared with 52 at this time last year.
Centre for Accident Research and Safety expert Narelle Haworth said rural roads should ideally have 80km/h speed limits unless they were built with specific safety features to merit a higher limit.
Improving the roads costs money, bringing speed limits down costs votes. Narelle Haworth
“Realistically there isn’t enough money to upgrade them to a good level quickly. If your road infrastructure isn’t good, you’ve got to bring down the speed limit,” she said.
The chance of dying on a rural road in Australia was three times more than on urban roads, and law enforcement was more difficult because of low volumes and resources, she said.
“We shouldn’t look at [100km/h] as the default. 100 should only be if the road is good enough,” Haworth said.
She said high speed limits were safe only if the roads had centre and side barriers, a good surface and alignment.
“But if you have got roads with one lane in each direction, with nothing to prevent a head-on crash, nothing to prevent running into a tree … 100km/h is way beyond what a vehicle can protect us in a crash.”
Haworth acknowledged that cutting speed limits would upset rural residents and could prove unpopular, but said drivers were failing to understand the extent to which speed increased safety risks.
Volvo to install cameras in new cars to reduce road deaths Read more
“Improving the roads costs money, bringing speed limits down costs votes, and that is fundamentally why it isn’t being done,” she said.
“Maybe the first step is perhaps bringing the limits down on roads that aren’t sealed. That one’s probably less politically problematic.”
The Victorian government launched a campaign to highlight the dangers of drivers being distracted by mobile phone use, after a summit in May.
Haworth said that while driver education measures were important, there was a limit to their effectiveness.
“Realistically whatever you’re doing, whatever is going wrong that leads to a crash occurring, the slower you are travelling at the time – the less hurt you’re going to be,” she said. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 23 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 55,033,348 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | But in his decision, Gilliam asserted that he’d seen these same arguments before and that they were no more convincing when they were repeated without additional meaningful evidence. He had issued a preliminary ruling against the administration in May. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 2 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 55,183,162 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | But in his ruling Gilliam asserted that he’d seen these same arguments before and that they were no more convincing when they were repeated without additional meaningful evidence. He had issued a preliminary ruling against the administration in May. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 2 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,491,529 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Video
Mr Trump was commenting on a tweet in which he said he would like to shake Mr Kim’s hand at the demilitarised zone (DMZ) dividing North and South Korea.
Mr Trump is due to visit South Korea after he finishes at the G20 summit in Japan. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 2 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 38,950,017 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Officials say local affiliate Abu Sayyaf was likely behind blast that targeted elite army unit
Five people including three soldiers were killed in a bombing targeting an elite army unit in the Philippines’s restive south, which Islamic State claimed was a suicide attack, authorities and experts said.
The military said the kidnap-for-ransom group and Isis-affiliate Abu Sayyaf was likely behind the midday blast on the island of Jolo on Friday, which also left nine other soldiers wounded.
Isis claimed the bombing was the work of two suicide attackers, according to tweets from Rita Katz, the director of SITE Intelligence Group which monitors jihadist activities worldwide.
Twin explosions kill 20 people at Philippines cathedral Read more
The Philippines has renewed its campaign against the militants on Jolo this year after a suspected suicide bomber struck the island’s Roman Catholic cathedral in January, killing 21 people.
The country is home to numerous armed groups, several of which are linked to the decades-old insurgency aiming to create a Muslim homeland in the Christian-majority nation’s deep south.
Friday’s blast blew the roof off the sentry gate of the military camp and blackened its concrete walls, according to photographs of the aftermath of the attack shown on local television.
Three members of the military unit were killed and nine others were wounded, while two civilians – a motor tricycle driver and a woman street vendor – also died in the attack, army spokesman Colonel Ramon Zagala said.
'The fight is not over': fears of Isis resurgence in Philippines Read more
“This attack is meant to disrupt the intensified security operations and our operational tempo following (a) series of recent operational gains in the area,” Zagala said in a separate statement.
The authorities could not say what kind of explosives were used.
Abu Sayyaf was active in the Philippines years before linking up with Isis, and has supported its violent activities with kidnapping.
The group has held hostages over the course of years and negotiated ransoms, but has also shown a willingness to kill its captives. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 11 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 38,998,563 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | How long until the climate crisis causes irreversible damage?
Ewoenam Tetteh and Faith Otasowie, both 15, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
You are obviously both smart and thoughtful kids, so I will be blunt and tell you that climate change is already causing big changes in our world. You can see this in the melting of the ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctica, in the rising temperatures in cities around the world, in the changes in how much rain we get, and, perhaps most importantly, in the extinction of many plants and animals that are not able to adapt.
One of the most important ideas to grasp about climate change is that it is not a future event: it is happening now, in real time, and those changes will only accelerate in the coming years and decades unless we radically reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we release into the atmosphere (mostly from burning fossil fuels). That’s why we must take action now.
When a particular kind of frog becomes extinct because it cannot adapt to our rapidly warming world, it is lost for ever
Are the changes we are seeing irreversible? That depends on how you think about it. For example, scientists know that ice sheets have come and gone many times in our planet’s history, driven mostly by slight wobbles in the Earth’s orbit that change the amount of sunlight hitting the planet (other factors, such as the eruption of volcanoes, have also played a role). So the ice sheets we are losing today will, in all likelihood, grow back some time in the distant future. But we’re talking millions of years.
On the other hand, when a particular kind of frog becomes extinct because it cannot adapt to our rapidly warming world, it is lost for ever. We humans are pretty smart and capable creatures, so I don’t worry that we’ll figure out ways to adapt. And maybe we’ll even figure out ways to make it a better world.
But it will be a whole lot easier – for us and for every living thing on the planet – if we take action now to minimise those changes, both today and in the future. I really like the world we live in, and I’m sure you do, too. It is a beautiful place. Let’s fight to keep it that way.
• Jeff Goodell, author of The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, And The Remaking Of The Civilized World
Which animal farts are the worst for the environment? Shark, cow, otter or something else?
Sasha Dutta, eight, London
Scientists have published a surprising amount of work relating to animal farts and our climate. It has been hypothesised that large dinosaurs (the sauropods) may have changed the Earth’s climate with their farts. Sharks are rarely seen farting. But like sheep and goats, cows are a type of ruminant – that is, they have four stomachs. This means a lot of methane, one of the gases that causes the worst warming. One cow can produce up to 200kg of methane a year. Most of it is released as burps, but some certainly escapes out of the rear end, too! Because humans eat so much beef and milk, there are an awful lot of cows in the world, and their burping and farting causes a sizable contribution to our greenhouse gas emissions, making up nearly a third of all emissions from agriculture, by some estimates. This certainly makes them a strong contender for the animal with the farts that do the most damage to the planet (even if their burps are worse).
• Dani Rabaiotti, environmental scientist and co-author of True or Poo?, Quercus, £8.99
Why don’t many politicians address the climate crisis and give us ways to help?
Georgia Robinson, 15, Poole, Dorset
Well, the good news is that nearly all politicians in this country accept that climate change is happening and that it’s caused by human activities; almost all political parties have now accepted that we face a climate emergency. This is an amazing change from just a few years ago, and it’s happened because of people like the climate strikers.
But declaring an emergency and being prepared to take the necessary steps to address it are not the same thing, and politicians – especially those in government – don’t match their words with actions. For example, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, was championing the expansion of Heathrow airport at exactly the same time as apparently agreeing that there’s a climate crisis – in spite of the fact that air travel is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
One of the problems is that most politicians won’t accept that we need a very different economic model, one that recognises that continuous growth isn’t possible on a planet with limited resources. We need to change our idea of what success looks like, so that instead of being obsessed by money, we measure human wellbeing and the health of our natural environment.
The role of young people in keeping up the pressure is vital – your generation is making a real difference
There are also vested interests in maintaining the status quo. Too many powerful corporations benefit from the way things are now, and many give large donations to political parties, asking politicians to resist taking action.
The good news is that ideas such as the Green New Deal are getting more support, as people recognise that investment in a green economy provides decent jobs and a better quality of life, as well as a more secure future. The role of young people in keeping up the pressure is vital – your generation is making a real difference. But we don’t have much time.
• Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, was elected as the UK’s first Green MP in 2010
If someone doesn’t believe in the climate crisis, what can I do to help them see it?
Olivia Liddell, 14, Hemel Hempstead, Herts
People who don’t see climate change can be frustrating because the scientific facts are so clear. But, as you’ve probably discovered, facts don’t always help people see the reality. If anything, bombarding people with facts makes them more sceptical and argumentative. So, what else can you do? Here are three things.
First, it’s really important to acknowledge the other person’s good nature, and to identify common ground and shared values – areas where you have agreement. Just because someone doesn’t believe in climate change, it doesn’t make them a bad person. You probably both care about things like family and other people. Affirming shared values reduces the feeling of being attacked; being argumentative rarely succeeds.
Second, invite people to think about their legacy – how their grandchildren and future generations will react to their actions (or inactions). If they are willing to acknowledge even a small chance that climate change is real, don’t they want to be on the right side of the argument?
Finally, be really clear that climate change matters to you, that you are personally worried about it, and that you are asking them to help address it because you are scared. Friends, family and others are much more willing to help when they realise something is important to someone they love, even when they may disagree about the facts.
How can we use technology to stop the climate crisis?
Daisy Furmston and Chloe Nolan, both 14, Hemel Hempstead | null | 0 | -1 | null | 56 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,683,142 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Fahrettin Altun/Twitter
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has touted the "strategic partnership" between Turkey and the US, after US President Donald Trump suggested he is open to withholding sanctions on Turkey.
"There are many steps we need to take within the defense industry area. But more importantly we have a strategic partnership, and this strategic partnership also encourages us to create a solidarity across many areas. And I have full belief that our solidarity will continue throughout the strategic partnership, thank you," Erdogan said to Trump through a translator.
US officials have warned Turkey that it would not be allowed to buy the F-35 stealth jet if it goes ahead with the missile system purchase because the US believes the Russian system is incompatible with the F-35 jet -- and has argued that Moscow could use it to gather intelligence on the aircraft.
Before meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier at the G20, Erdogan said delivery of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system to Turkey is proceeding without delay and there has been no setback in the deal with Moscow. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 6 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,442,943 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | President Trump fired back at former President Jimmy Carter’s suggestion that he’s illegitimate president, saying Carter is “the forgotten president” who’s not only “trashed” by his own party but also remembered only as being “terrible” for the country.
Trump addressed the comments made by Carter during a news conference Saturday following the G-20 summit in Japan, saying that although Carter is “a nice man, he was a terrible president,” before noting that “he’s a Democrat and it’s a typical talking point.”
He added that Carter is “loyal to the Democrats” but “as everybody now understands, I won not because of Russia, not because of anybody but myself.”
JIMMY CARTER SAYS INVESTIGATION WOULD SHOW TRUMP DIDN'T WIN 2016 ELECTION: HE'S IN OFFICE 'BECAUSE RUSSIANS INTERFERED'
“He's a nice man, he was a terrible president. He’s a Democrat and it’s a typical talking point.” — President Trump
Carter said Friday at a Virginia forum that “I think a full investigation would show that Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016.”
“He lost the election, and he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf," he added. When asked if Trump was “illegitimate president,” Carter responded saying “Basically, what I just said, which I can’t retract.”
Trump said during the news conference that he “campaigned better, smarter, hotter than Hillary Clinton. I went to Wisconsin, I went to Michigan the night of the vote.”
"I won Michigan, I won Wisconsin, I won Pennsylvania, I won states that traditionally haven’t been won by Republicans for many years,” he continued. “This had nothing to do with anybody but the fact that I worked harder and much smarter than Hillary Clinton did.”
AS G-20 CONCLUDES, TRUMP TELLS REPORTERS HE 'MAY OR MAY NOT' MEET WITH KIM IN NORTH KOREA
The president added that he was “surprised” Carter made such comments but he also “felt bad” for him as he’s been attacked even by his own party.
“He’s been trashed within his own party, he’s been badly trashed. I felt bad for him because you look over the years, his party has virtually … he’s like the forgotten president,” Trump said. “And I understand why they say that.”
“He’s been trashed within his own party, he’s been badly trashed ... he’s like the forgotten president." — President Trump
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“He was not a good president. Looked at what happened with Iran – that was a disaster. What Iran did to him, they tied him in knots. The reason Ronald Reagan probably became president.”
The 94-year-old Carter recently returned to public activities after undergoing surgery for a broken hip. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 13 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,297,513 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | The U.S. and China will resume trade talks following a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese dictator Xi Jinping.
“We had a very good meeting with President Xi of China,” Trump said following an 80 minute meeting with Xi Saturday morning in Japan. “Excellent, I would say excellent.”
Trump added that the trade talks are “right back on track.”
The U.S. agreed not to raise additional tariffs on China while the talks resume, according to Chinese officials. But the U.S. has not agreed to take down the tariffs already in place, something China had been saying was a precondition for further talks.
It is not clear if China made any new concessions to win the promise that the U.S. would hold off on further tariff hikes.
China’s official Xinhua News Agency said the two nations had agreed to restart trade talks on the basis of “equality and mutual respect.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 6 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,869,321 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | The Federal Emergency Management Agency chief who stepped down early this year after a federal probe determined he had misspent public funds on personal travel has reimbursed taxpayers for less than 2% of the costs, Politico reported Friday.
Long had a tumultuous tenure as head of FEMA. He was sharply criticized especially for his abysmal handling of the emergency in Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria.
“Between Puerto Rico, Texas and the California wildfires, you don’t have to look very far to find better ways FEMA could have spent $150,000,” Austin Evers, executive director of the watchdog American Oversight, said in a statement to Politico.
It was American Oversight that first obtained a copy of Long’s personal check through a public records request.
The DHS inspector general concluded that Long’s unauthorized use of the vehicles cost taxpayers $94,000 in salaries, $55,000 in travel expenses and $2,000 in vehicle costs. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 6 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 115,872,251 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | During a wide-ranging press conference that lasted just over an hour at the conclusion of the G-20 summit, President Donald Trump said he just may step across into North Korean territory when he visits the DMZ Sunday, and he hopes Kim Jong Un will meet him there.
"I understand we may be meeting with Chairman Kim," Trump said. "I said while I'm there I'll shake his hand. We get along. There's been no nuclear tests."
He added, "We won't call it a summit. We will call it a handshake. It could happen. He would like to do it and I wouldn't mind doing it at all. I am visiting the DMZ."
He didn't hesitate when asked about potentially stepping into North Korean territory: "Sure, I feel very comfortable doing that. I would have no problem."
When asked if it would be a bad thing if Kim Jong Un doesn't show up after Trump invited him via Twitter, Trump replied, "Everybody is going to say, 'He was stood up by Chairman Kim.'"
"He follows me on Twitter," Trump added.
Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool Photo via AP
The president was asked about everything from the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and possible involvement by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman -- Trump defended the crown prince for arrests the country had made -- to progress between the U.S. and China on trade and the controversy surrounding Huawei -- saying the U.S. blackout of the tech company would be among the final issues hammered out in the deal.
Trump was also asked about his thoughts on the week's Democratic debate, including his opinion on federally mandated busing, which led to a very heated exchange Thursday night between presidential contenders Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris.
"I think if if Vice President Biden had answered the question somewhat differently it would have been a lot different result because they really did hit him hard on that one," Trump said. "But it certainly is a primary method of getting people to schools, it relates to everything we're doing and you'll be hearing about it and over the next couple of months."
Without being very forthcoming, Trump said he'll have a policy announcement to make in the next four weeks on the issue that will be "interesting" and "surprising" to a lot of people.
He also said he believed Harris got "too much credit" for her performance, and that Biden didn't do as poorly as people thought.
"I think she was given too much credit for what she did," Trump said. "[Biden] was hit harder than he should have been hit."
When asked if Harris would make a tough opponent for him in his reelection bid, Trump demurred though, saying, "You never know who is going to be tough. ... I think she was given too much credit."
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Trump also told reporters that he was invited to Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"He did invite me to Russia for the defeat of Nazis. Russia lost, he said 25 million people, I have heard 50 million people. But he said yesterday that Russia fighting the Nazis, they lost 25 million people," Trump said. "I said that we would get back. But we will give it very serious consideration."
Trump also blasted Jimmy Carter, after being asked about the former president seemingly calling Trump an illegitimate president on Friday.
"There's no doubt that the Russians did interfere in the election. And I think the interference, although not yet quantified, if fully investigated would show that Trump didn't actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election and he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf," Carter said at the Carter Center's retreat in Leesburg, Virginia.
Trump didn't take too kindly to the criticism.
"Isn't it crazy? Jimmy Carter, look, he is a nice man, he was a terrible president. He is a Democrat and it is a typical talking point. He is loyal to the Democrats and I guess he should be. But as everybody understands I won not because of Russia, not because of anybody but myself," Trump said.
Susan Walsh/AP
On Friday, Trump seemed to be joking as he told Putin not to meddle in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The two sat for a meeting -- their first since the release of the Mueller report.
He defended his performance on Saturday, but again seemed to side with Putin's denial of meddling over the evidence outlined in the Mueller report.
"You have to take a look at the words. I did say it. We had a discussion. We had a great discussion. Vladimir Putin and myself, a tremendous discussion," Trump said. "I could see some real positive things, I did discuss it a little after that." | null | 0 | -1 | null | 50 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,449,993 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called "repugnant" an incident in which an employee at a restaurant in the city allegedly spat on Eric Trump, and urged city residents to show civility.
“Civility matters," Democrat Lori Lightfoot said at a news conference Thursday. "We may not agree and, in my case, I don’t agree with a lot of the things that President Trump stands for. Our values are different. But you cross the line when you assault someone."
“Civility matters. We may not agree and, in my case, I don’t agree with a lot of the things that President Trump stands for. Our values are different. But you cross the line when you assault someone.” — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
ERIC TRUMP SAYS CHICAGO RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE SPIT ON HIM: REPORT
“You absolutely cross the line when you intentionally target someone for that kind of treatment. No one deserves that. No one,” she continued.
“This is America. People have a right to have their views, no matter if we agree with them or not. But we cannot countenance people who go out of their way to express themselves in such a repugnant fashion.”
She went on to praise President Trump’s third child as “very gracious” for not pressing charges against the waitress accused in the attack.
“Mr. Trump decided he wasn’t going to press charges, which I think was very gracious of him under the circumstances. This isn’t about politics,” she said. “This is about civility. And we have to have that in our city.”
"Mr. Trump decided he wasn’t going to press charges, which I think was very gracious of him under the circumstances." — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
GOFUNDME PAGE RAISING MONEY FOR RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE WHO ALLEGEDLY SPAT ON ERIC TRUMP
The president’s son was reportedly confronted by a female server at Aviary in Chicago. The Chicago Police Department and the Secret Service were involved in the investigation.
The Alinea Group, which owns the high-end cocktail bar, called the incident "unfortunate" and told Fox News their human-resources team had "placed her on leave" as they looked into the matter.
"No customer should ever be spit upon. We have not yet spoken with the employee but our HR team has, in the meantime, placed her on leave," the Alinea Group told Fox News.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
A GoFundMe page was launched for the alleged perpetrator, but as of Saturday morning, the crowdfunding campaign, which attracted at least $4,000 in 10 hours, was deleted.
Fox News’ Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 26 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,564,904 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright Reuters Image caption Sea-Watch 3 captain Carola Rackete entered port with 40 migrants on board
The captain of a migrant rescue ship has been arrested at the Italian port of Lampedusa after a two-week stand-off with police at sea.
Carola Rackete's vessel, Sea-Watch 3, was carrying dozens of African migrants rescued off the coast of Libya.
The Italian authorities had banned it from docking, but the vessel entered the port late on Friday night.
Italy's far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini is taking a tough line against migrant rescue ships.
Ms Rackete's decision to enter the port without permission brought an end to a prolonged stalemate with Italy's coastguard.
The 31-year-old German was filmed being led away by police in handcuffs.
She was arrested for "resisting a war ship" that would not allow her access to the port, according to Italian state broadcaster RAI.
The vessel had rescued 53 migrants off the coast of Libya on 12 June. Italian authorities had already taken in 13 of them for health reasons.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Carola Rackete, the 31-year-old Sea-Watch 3 captain, is escorted off the ship by police
At the G20 summit in Japan on Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said several EU countries had agreed to take in the 40 remaining migrants on board the ship.
In the meantime, it is not clear what Italian authorities intend to do with them.
Mr Salvini wants clarity on "numbers, timelines and means" before he allows them off the ship, interior ministry sources told AFP news agency.
He previously said the migrants could only disembark if they headed straight to the Netherlands, where the Sea-Watch 3 is registered, or to Germany.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The Sea-Watch 3 had been prevented from docking in Italy
For two weeks, Sea-Watch 3 was unable to come ashore after picking up the stricken migrants drifting in an inflatable raft in the Mediterranean Sea.
Ms Rackete said Sea-Watch had tried to co-operate with the authorities, engaging with Italy, Germany, Malta and France and opening contacts with the European Commission.
However, after two weeks in limbo, Sea-Watch, a German charity, said the boat was forced to enter Italian waters since there was no other option left to ensure the migrants' safety.
"It's been almost 60h since we declared a state of emergency. No one listened. No one took responsibility. Once more it's up to us, to Cpt. #CarolaRackete and her crew, to bringing the 40 people to safety," Sea-Watch said on Twitter. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 21 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,664,563 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | A banner showing pictures of (L-R) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump in Seoul, on June 29. Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been one of the most enthusiastic proponents for peace between the US and North Korea.
He is currently attending the G20 alongside other world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, who earlier today tweeted out an invitation to North Korea's Kim Jong Un to meet him in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas.
It's not known whether Moon was aware of Trump's invitation before it was issued, but the South Korean Blue House confirmed that Trump had brought it up with Moon on Saturday morning.
Walking up to Moon in the G20 coffee lounge, Trump asked, "Have you seen my tweet?"
Moon said, "Yes." According to the Blue House, Trump then gave Moon a thumbs-up and said "Let's try together."
North Korea said in a statement on state media KCNA that it had seen the tweet but had not received an official proposal. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 8 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 55,204,770 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Trump says U.S. will hold off on new China tariffs as trade talks restart
Trump cast his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in Osaka as a success. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 1 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 55,333,696 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | U.S., China restart trade talks as Trump and Xi meet
China said the United States had agreed to hold off on a new round of threatened tariffs on Chinese imports. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 1 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 113,865,571 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Alan Cumming talks "Instinct" and Pride 2019
Actor Alan Cumming plays Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a former CIA operative and college professor who consults for the NYPD on the CBS show “Instinct.” Cumming is also an executive producer of the show. He joins “CBS This Morning” to discuss what drew him to the role and what the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots means to him. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 2 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 39,037,113 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | A third of Britain’s self-employed have no provision for retirement – here’s how they can fix that
There have never been more self-employed workers in the labour force, enjoying the flexibility and freedom this can bring. But many who work for themselves are at risk of an uncertain old age – or in some cases even poverty – because they are putting nothing aside for their retirement.
When the priority is building your business, it is all too easy to push pensions aside. But the oversight could prove disastrous.
Figures show that more than 60% of self-employed workers are not saving in a pension or long-term savings. (This compares with about 30% of employees.)
Alarmingly, three in 10 self-employed people are saving nothing and have little or no safety net should they find themselves unable to work or if their business started to struggle. This is according to research by investment company Fidelity.
Financial adviser Chris Wordsworth at investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown says: “With no auto-enrolment into a pension scheme or compulsion to save as employees have, it is not surprising that this aspect of finances is so often overlooked by the self-employed.
“The problem comes if you never get around to thinking about it. The longer you leave it, the less time you have to save and allow those savings to grow. The biggest message is to do something now, however small, and get into the habit of saving something each month.”
The numbers of self-employed workers have soared in recent years. There were about 3.3 million in 2001, according to the Office for National Statistics, but this had grown to just under 5 million by the end of 2018. More people, particularly those with caring responsibilities at home, are choosing to work for themselves so they can be more flexible and have a better work-life balance.
Among this growing cohort is 39-year-old Kirstie Broughton from Essex. She worked as an events manager for a City firm for 15 years before leaving to have her daughter Amelia, now 16 months old. She is in the process of setting up a business offering private antenatal classes and services. She hopes being self-employed will give her greater flexibility now she is a working mum.
The business, Blossom and Bloom Baby Services, is in its infancy and, as she is not yet earning anything from it, she says she is unable to save in a pension. But like many others, this is something she worries about.
“I can’t save right now as I’m still getting the business off the ground,” says Broughton.
“It will take about five years to pay off the money I’ve used for training courses and the business set-up costs. But after that, all being well, I will look to start saving, possibly in an Isa to begin with.
“I know pension saving is important – there just isn’t the cash in the budget at the moment.”
Wordsworth says all self-employed workers should aim to have a decent personal cash reserve before they start any long-term or pension saving. “It’s important to have a pot of easy access savings to call on, particularly for those with a variable income, who may have lean months or times with less work coming in,” he says.
With this in place, it is then advisable to look at different types of income protection insurance so you and your family are covered should the worst happen. Employees will typically have sick pay and other protection if they cannot work or are made redundant. By contrast, the self-employed do not, and any state help is likely to be minimal.
When it comes to retirement saving and getting a plan in place, Wordsworth’s advice is “keep it simple”. He adds: “It may be that you want to keep the money aside in a cash Isa throughout the year and then decide before the end of the tax year what to do with it – whether that’s moving it into an investment Isa for long-term growth, or a self-invested personal pension [Sipp].”
Rebecca Robertson, an independent adviser with Evolution Financial Planning in Southend, Essex, says people should not be put off by the jargon. A Sipp is just a way of saving in long-term investment funds. “Of course, the main benefit of pension saving over Isas or other savings accounts is that you get the government’s tax boost on top of your own saving.”
For example, if you put £80 into a pension and you are a basic-rate taxpayer, the government will boost this through tax relief to £100. Higher-rate taxpayers can claim further money back through tax relief in their annual tax return.
One alternative might be the new lifetime Isa, which also pays a government bonus on long-term saving. But you must be under the age of 40 to be eligible.
Robertson says: “There are lots of options and it can feel daunting. But there’s also help and advice out there if you need it. Now with digital or robo-advice, you can get good guidance about the best steps at a reasonable cost.
“The worse thing is to do nothing out of fear or confusion.”
If you have old occupational or personal pension plans, now might be the time to review how they fit into your wider retirement savings and whether they are in the best place. But tread with caution and seek expert independent advice. Many occupational schemes have hidden benefits, for example, or the transfer value will not represent good value for money, so you will need to weigh up your options.
“Many self-employed people say they will sell their business, and that will fund their retirement,” Robertson says. “But this is a high-risk strategy. Some businesses could be difficult to sell, they may be worth less than you think, and the selling process can take many years. I am concerned if this is someone’s sole retirement savings plan.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 45 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 38,997,452 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | After legislators fled the state, rightwing groups pledged their support and protesters demonstrated outside the state house
Oregon politics has been thrown into chaos for more than a week after Republican legislators fled the state and took refuge in neighboring Idaho. As police were ordered to bring them home, rightwing militia groups vowed to defend them, raising the prospect of violent confrontation.
The issue that sparked the disorder in the Pacific Northwest state: climate crisis.
The Republican senators were responding to an incremental, market-based, cap-and-trade plan aimed at curbing climate crisis. But, when faced with the climate bill, Republicans pulled their senators out of the state, and denied the Senate a quorum.
Earlier in the session, they did the same thing when faced with a bill raising taxes for education, and Democrats broke the deadlock by abandoning bills intended to limit exemptions to vaccination and introduce gun control measures.
Oregon senator walkout: 'patriot' groups vow to protect Republicans who fled state Read more
But this time, Democrats looked set to call their bluff, triggering a sometimes shocking escalation in rhetoric as police were asked to bring the fleeing senators to heel. Senator Brian Boquist – a former special forces officer and the owner of a business that reportedly deployed “paramilitary force” in overseas conflicts – hinted he would violently resist arrest.
Boquist told reporters: “Send bachelors and come heavily armed. I’m not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon. It’s just that simple.”
Faced with the effort to stop the climate crisis bill, several armed rightwing groups said they would defend them. On Thursday, a convoy of logging trucks blocked the streets of the state capital, Salem, while hundreds of protesters – some sporting the insignia of patriot movement groups – demonstrated outside the state house against the climate crisis bill, despite the fact it was no longer even on the table.
Having killed the climate crisis bill, the Republican senators now say they are set to return to their jobs on Saturday. “Our mission was to kill cap-and-trade,” said senator Herman Baertschiger “And that’s what we did.”
Rightwing patriot movement groups have, along with many Republicans, long expressed disbelief in human-induced global heating, and have sometimes embraced conspiracy-minded beliefs about environmental measures.
The so-called “Agenda 21” conspiracy theory – which holds that there is a UN-driven plot to undermine US sovereignty, and exert “full spectrum dominance” over a submissive population – is heavily discussed on the websites of groups such as the Oath Keepers.
Some observers also saw the protest as evidence of a widening divide that exists in Oregon, and other western states, between urban liberals and rural conservatives – a miniature version of the national split between red states and blue.
But it also pointed to the mainstreaming of patriot movement groups as a part of Oregon’s conservative coalition. This has led to accusations by many that the local Republican party has become dangerously extreme and even courts “an armed wing”.
Joe Lowndes, a political scientist at the University of Oregon who researches rightwing politics, said: “If the Oregon Republican party were a European political party it would be an authoritarian far-right party. It really has that character, that extraordinary truculence,” he said.
White House physicist sought aid of rightwing thinktank to challenge climate science Read more
During the standoff over climate crisis, Lowndes said, Republicans “were essentially gloating about having an armed wing of the party. That’s when you cut into the structure of constitutional democracy”.
He says that climate crisis politics represents a “sweet spot” for Republicans in Oregon. “There’s a distinct way that Republicans can use rightwing populism around that issue, bringing in farmers and loggers while you’re doing the work of wealthy interests,” Lowndes said.
Senate Republicans did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The situation has led some to warn that conservatives elsewhere in the US may be similarly obstructive in the difficult but urgent efforts to address the climate crisis and may seek to adopt similar tactics.
“Unlike Vegas, what happens in Oregon doesn’t stay in Oregon,” said Eric Ward, executive director of the Western States Center, a progressive nonprofit.
He added: “It should be a warning and a wake up call to the rest of the nation that, even when a governance system exists, even if you have a supermajority, that democratic practice itself is still vulnerable to being undermined, and that’s what we’re seeing.”
Citing the presence of often-armed patriot movement groups, and the unwillingness of Republicans to draw “a clear moral line” around such groups, Ward said: “If we were in Afghanistan, if we were in Iraq, if we were in Sudan, if we were in the former Yugoslavia, and this was taking place, we would call it a political crisis, and we would call it a threat to democratic practice.”
Others have observed an emerging nationwide pattern among conservatives of stretching or disregarding the norms that have previously helped political systems to function.
Joseph Fishkin, a law professor at the University of Texas, co-wrote an article on the practice of “constitutional hardball” whereby such groups take extreme actions to violate previously existing norms.
“This would be an example of the kind of escalation that qualifies as constitutional hardball,” he said.
A spokesperson for the senate Democrats admitted: “We are in uncharted territory, but we are taking a long-term view and will not be deterred from passing significant climate action legislation,” adding that Democrats may change quorum rules to prevent future deadlocks.
Such a long-term view may be at odds with the pressing nature of the climate crisis – and the current political crisis in the state.
Ward was adamant that Democrats needed to do more.
“Our leaders need to actually stand up and lead and not cower, not appear to be hiding. Representative democracy is worth fighting for. Having resilient and sustainable communities is worth fighting for,” he said. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 36 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 38,924,995 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | “I could have shot you in front of your fucking kids.”
That’s what a Phoenix police officer told Iesha Harper, an African American woman arrested with her husband after their four-year-old daughter was accused of stealing a doll from a Family Dollar store. The cop tried to rip Harper’s one-year-old toddler from her arms, after she refused his order to put the baby on the ground. The video of the incident depicts Harper begging the officer to stop pointing his gun at her children.
In the San Francisco Bay area, the police pumped 55 bullets into the body of Willie McCoy, a 22-year-old aspiring rapper. McCoy had been sleeping in his car at a Vallejo, California, Taco Bell parking lot when the cops confronted him. Six officers surrounded his car, guns pointed. They observed a firearm near McCoy’s lap and one officer said, “If he reaches for it, you know what to do.” The police cam video shows McCoy apparently waking up and lifting his arm to scratch his shoulder, and then the cops unloading their weapons. The 55 bullets were fired in fewer than four seconds.
To end racial disparities in policing, we must look beyond the data | Jennifer Eberhardt Read more
There comes a point when you have to ask why. Why would any human being treat another human being in this way? The most persuasive explanation for these viral videos of US cops wilding out: they don’t think of blacks as human beings. They think they are more like apes. It’s a fact proven by social scientists, and the best way of understanding how the police could treat anybody with such disdain.
Scholars have gathered considerable evidence that many people subconsciously associate black people with apes. The “dehumanization thesis” is supported by several studies in which people connect images of gorillas and monkeys to African Americans.
The Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt received a MacArthur “genius” award for her work on this topic. In one experiment she found that people were more likely to identify blurry images of apes after they had been subliminally exposed to black faces rather than white faces. In another study, Eberhardt showed subjects a video of the police beating a man with a baton. The man was face down so you couldn’t see his race. When the subjects were primed with words like “gorilla” and “ape” they were more likely to say the force was justified when they learned the suspect was black.
Scholars have gathered considerable evidence that many people subconsciously associate black people with apes
The dehumanization thesis explains how cops could end up killing Willie McCoy, after they had been called to do a “welfare check” on him by concerned bystanders who observed the young man sleeping in his car. The response by the Vallejo police seems more like an ambush than legitimate law enforcement activity. When officers believe that a suspect has a gun, they are taught to cover, conceal and communicate. This reduces the risk of harm to them, and the suspect. What police are not supposed to do is exactly what the Vallejo cops did: roll up on the suspect, knowingly expose themselves to possible fire, and then use that as an excuse to kill him.
Eberhardt has also found patterns of dehumanization in the way that cops talk to black people. Studying videos of police traffic stops in Oakland, California, she found that cops were more likely to address white motorists as “sir” and “ma’am”, and apologize to them, while blacks were more frequently called “dude” or “bro” and ordered to keep their hands off the wheel. This effect was consistent regardless of the reason for, or location of, the traffic stop.
The Phoenix cops used much harsher language than “bro”. In addition to claiming the four-year-old girl had stolen the doll from the bargain store, cops accused her father, Dravon Ames, of stealing underwear, then throwing it out the window when he saw police following him. Ames denies he took the underwear – but even if he did, the police response was indefensibly over the top.
Cops stopped his car and approached with guns drawn. One officer told Ames, “I’m going to fucking put a cap in your fucking head.” The police pushed Ames to the ground and kicked in his leg. Ames and his fiancée Iesha Harper were arrested, handcuffed in front of their children, driven to the police station, and eventually released without being charged with any crimes.
None of these people – Willie McCoy in Vallejo, and Iesha Harper and Dravon Ames in Phoenix – posed any threat to the police. It turns out that doesn’t matter. What happens when cops treat people in ways that are literally inhumane? Usually nothing. The police most often get away with it.
An investigation of the killing of McCoy found that the 55 shots fired at McCoy – who had been sleeping when first accosted by the cops – was “reasonable and necessary”. In Phoenix, after the video of the arrest of Evans and Ames caused a public outcry, the city’s mayor said the situation was “beyond upsetting”. But Phoenix police chief Jeri Williams, who leads a force that has the highest rate of police shootings in the US, told a meeting of outraged citizens: “Real change doesn’t start with our police department. Real change starts with our community.” This “blame the victims” mentality is typical of official reactions to police abuse of black and brown people.
The Los Angeles police used to have an informal code – NHI – for calls to African American neighborhoods. NHI stood for “No Human Involved”. Eberhardt’s work suggests that this wasn’t just a racist joke, but an actual reflection of these officers’ perceptions of black people.
If there’s any good news, it’s that police departments can be trained in techniques which, even if they don’t remove bias from officers, at least reduce the impact of that bias on citizens. Police are most likely to react rashly when they have to make quick decisions in stressful situations. Establishing protocols for those kinds of situations keeps community members safer. For example, Eberhardt, the Stanford psychologist, worked with police in Oakland to change their practices for chasing suspects. The number of officer-involved shootings decreased substantially.
Of course, police aren’t the only people who associate black folks with monkeys. The comedian Roseanne Barr lost her television show after tweeting that an African American woman looked like the offspring of “Planet of the Apes”. But in the US, where cops are literally licensed to kill, this kind of bias in law enforcement officers threatens the lives and dignity of millions of African Americans.
It is extremely depressing that in 2019 we still need to persuade people of the essential humanity of black Americans. But until the police learn that lesson, we should expect more cases of cops treating black people like subhumans. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 56 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 38,932,101 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Labour is to push for a national law to ensure that new policy decisions are gauged against people’s future health and wellbeing, with an ambitious idea modelled on similar schemes already in place in Wales and New Zealand.
The proposed Future Generations Wellbeing Act for England, to be unveiled on Saturday by the shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, would mandate measures such as a “health equality audit” of all government decisions, and put a new duty on local health services to reduce health inequalities.
Other elements of the proposed act, which the party plans to consult upon, would ensure health measures were linked to environmental and climate emergency goals, and to recognise the NHS as what is called an “economic anchor” in communities.
In 2015, the Labour government in Wales introduced its own Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, which requires decisions to be measured against a range of long-term outcomes, including public health, the environment and social cohesion.
While that law has faced criticism for a perceived lack of efficacy in challenging decisions, it was seen as playing a part in the Welsh government’s decision to scrap plans for a new section of the M4 motorway near Newport.
In New Zealand, the Labour government of Jacinda Ardern said it would plan future national budgets around the concept of wellbeing. The first of these, published in late May, included billions of dollars for mental health services and child poverty as well as record investment in measures to tackle family violence.
Ashworth, who will announce the plan for the new English law at the Fabian Society’s conference in London, said there was a broad background to the idea. “The context is all sort of things happening in health, like life expectancy going backwards, health inequalities getting wider, infant mortality rates getting worse for three years in a row. We basically need a new approach,” he said.
“If you judge things by wellbeing it can lead to some pretty radical outcomes, or at least different ones to those you expect. It’s not just rhetorical. And we need something like this at a Westminster level.”
In his speech, Ashworth was also due to announce a plan to commit almost £27m to a programme intended to help provide children in deprived areas with fresh fruit and vegetables.
The scheme – called Healthy Start – already exists, but Labour said figures show the number of women and children eligible to receive vouchers under it has fallen by 20% in four years.
Ashworth was to say in his speech: “We will focus determinedly on improving the health and wellbeing of every child, ensuring children have access to nutritious food not just in schools but also by expanding Healthy Start. Labour will ensure the poorest children receive the milk, fruit and vegetables they need.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 16 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 38,891,833 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Health advocates and the FDA say the extent of contamination of the cancer-causing material in cosmetics remains unknown, with no laws requiring testing
Claire’s Stores Inc, an international accessories and cosmetics retailer tailored to kids and teens, has a motto: “We make memories”.
But its customers may have been alarmed after asbestos, a cancer-causing material that can stay in the body for many years, was found in several of Claire’s makeup products in the US.
On 6 June, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert warning people to stop using a Claire’s Jojo Siwa Makeup Set, as well as a contouring palette sold by Beauty Plus Global because the products had tested positive for asbestos.
Both companies had issued a voluntary recall of the products at the end of May.
The June warning came just two months after the FDA flagged three other Claire’s products – an eye shadow, compact powder and contour palette – for asbestos. The agency issued a safety warning on 5 March for consumers after, it said, Claire’s initially refused to recall the products in question.
“Claire’s stands behind the safety of our products,” the company said in an emailed statement to the Guardian on Friday. “All our cosmetic products are reviewed by two cosmetic safety assessors and undergo rigorous analysis and assessment before reaching consumers.” The company also began replacing talc with a cosmetic-grade mica in all its products last year.
Claire’s isn’t the only tween company with an asbestos problem on its hands. The FDA’s March warning also confirmed a product called Just Shine Shimmer Powder, sold by youth-focused retailer Justice, also tested positive for asbestos. Justice had recalled the asbestos-tainted product, along with seven other suspect items, in 2017 after product testing commissioned by a North Carolina news outlet found asbestos and heavy metals.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Environmental health advocates say a lack of regulation in the cosmetics industry is the real culprit. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo
Why does asbestos keep turning up in kids’ makeup?
Asbestos is a group of six minerals that occur naturally in the earth. It is often in close proximity to deposits of talc, which is ground into talcum powder to make a range of cosmetics and personal care products, like baby powder, blush, eye shadow, foundation and more. During mining, talc can be contaminated with asbestos, which can then potentially end up in consumer products.
Firms say they have strong quality controls to identify it.
Environmental health advocates say a lack of stronger regulation in the cosmetics industry is the real issue. “It is appalling that it’s perfectly legal to sell kids makeup in this country contaminated with asbestos – a known human carcinogen,” Janet Nudelman, director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, said via email. “I don’t know what’s worse – asbestos in kids’ products or the fact that the FDA can’t do anything about it.”
There are no laws in the United States that require manufacturers to test the safety of cosmetics ingredients before going to market. The FDA oversees cosmetics and personal care products, but has limited authority over manufacturers. The agency cannot force companies to recall products found to be dangerous, and companies are not required to share safety information with the FDA.
Asbestos is only banned for certain uses in the United States. The EPA is currently doing a risk evaluation on asbestos under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Cosmetics contamination is not an area the EPA is currently looking at under the TSCA evaluation.
US cosmetics are full of chemicals banned by Europe – why? Read more
Health advocates and the FDA say the extent of asbestos contamination in cosmetics remains unknown. While recent reports have been focused on children’s cosmetics, asbestos could potentially be present in any product with talc.
“We have absolutely no idea how often asbestos is found in cosmetics containing talc,” said Nudelman, who is also director of program and policy of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, a science-based policy and advocacy group. She advised consumers to avoid using products with talc unless it is known to be asbestos-free, and warned that no talc products should be used in the pelvic area because of links to ovarian cancer.
In 2009 the FDA sampled 38 cosmetics products and found no traces of asbestos. “Nonetheless, these results indicate that any talc-containing product could contain asbestos if not adequately sourced with quality controls to assure that the talc is asbestos-free,” an FDA spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“Because FDA law is so outdated, it leaves it to the general public and NGOs and individual moms to be scrutinizing these products,” said Liz Hitchcock, acting director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, an advocacy group focused on toxic chemicals.
The FDA said it does not have the capability to test for asbestos on its own and is reliant on outside labs. The agency was prompted to investigate products sold by Claire’s and Justice after media reports on asbestos findings, including a lab analysis commissioned by the mother of a six year-old in Rhode Island.
Pretty hurts: are chemicals in beauty products making us ill? Read more
The rules for FDA’s authority over cosmetics products, laid out in the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetics Act, have not been updated since 1938, a fact mentioned by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Susan Mayne, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, in a statement on the March asbestos findings.
“To significantly shift the safety paradigm of cosmetics in the US, we would need to work with stakeholders, including Congress, to modernize the outdated regulatory framework that the FDA has been operating under for more than 80 years when it comes to cosmetics,” the statement read.
Asked by the Guardian if US customers concerned about asbestos exposure should avoid products containing talc, the FDA said in a statement: “The FDA’s findings are specific to the products tested and do not signify the presence of asbestos in any other products on the market.
“In a 2009 survey, conducted for the FDA, 38 samples were tested and did not show any evidence of asbestos. A broad range of products were tested including eye shadow, blush, foundation, face and body powders.
“Nonetheless, these results indicate that any talc-containing product could contain asbestos if not adequately sourced with quality controls to assure that the talc is asbestos-free.
“Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that their cosmetics are safe, which includes ensuring that the source of their talc and finished product is asbestos-free.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 43 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 39,087,981 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | On a recent sunny evening, residents of Chicago’s 33rd ward packed a small office on the city’s north-west side to meet their new alderman: democratic socialist Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez.
She had narrowly defeated her opponent, an incumbent from one of Chicago’s most prominent political families, to become one of six democratic socialists on the 50-member city council. It was a remarkable showing in America’s third-largest city that paralleled the rise of socialist political figures nationally, such as the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Four in 10 Americans prefer socialism to capitalism, poll finds Read more
Now Rodriguez-Sanchez was opening her ward office to the community for the first time.
She was looking to introduce herself, but also – it seemed – to set the tone for her tenure as alderman, to model the kind of systemic change she had promised in her campaign. And, now making up more than 10% of the incoming city council, the socialist bloc would also potentially wield considerable influence.
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates ran on a vow to upend a Chicago political establishment they said had not served everyone equally and challenge the infamous machine-style politics that have dominated Chicago for generations. They promised a more representative, responsive government – one that acts as a “power line”, Rodriguez-Sanchez likes to say – from the institutions of power to the grassroots movements in the neighborhoods. Now, it was time to show what that looked like in action.
About a hundred people crowded into the office, a small space on a corner of busy Irving Park Road, where a nearby storefront still displayed a sign bearing the name of her incumbent opponent: Deb Mell. It was ostensibly a political event – one in which the new alderman would introduce herself and her staff, and attendees could bring issues to her attention – but it had the feel of a neighborhood barbecue or community gathering.
Neighbors caught up over plates of homemade food while kids played and ate popsicles. Rodriguez-Sanchez had wanted the office to have the feel of a community oasis, a public forum where “neighbors” – she prefers the word over “constituents” – can share their concerns. It had been a long road to get here – a close campaign and runoff and now learning to navigate the city’s corridors of power.
“It’s been a lot,” she said. But it seemed it was all ready to pay off.
“I’m Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez,” she said, standing on a chair, flanked by her young staff. “And I’m your new alderman.
“We’re really excited to serve you.
Rodriguez-Sanchez’s unlikely win here in April came as part of a broader reform election that lifted Lori Lightfoot to be Chicago’s first black woman and gay mayor with a progressive message of change.
But the wins by the DSA candidates seemed to represent an even more radical vision, one that reflected a constituency skeptical of even Lightfoot’s progressive bona fides. Rodriguez-Sanchez, Daniel La Spata, Jeanette Taylor, Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Andre Vasquez all won seats on the 50-member city council. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who had previously been the council’s lone democratic socialist, won re-election to retain the 35th ward seat he has held since 2015.
There are differences in philosophy and approach even among the small DSA caucus, but the candidates were united in calls for government transparency, progressive approaches to education, housing and labor, and social justice. That so many DSA candidates won, said Lucie Macias, co-chair of the Chicago DSA chapter, represented “small victories against the machine”.
“People were saying, ‘We’re done with the old way of Chicago politics and we’re looking for a transformative change,’” said Macias.
It’s difficult to overstate the significance of those wins. The socialist label has long been used as a slur in mainstream US politics, an epithet that Republicans frequently leveled against Barack Obama. Donald Trump often invokes it to rile his base up against Democrats and appears likely to make it a mainstay of his 2020 campaign.
“America will never be a socialist country, ever,” Trump said at a Florida rally on 18 June that officially launched his re-election bid.
But the ideology has gained traction in the Trump era, both in response to the president’s push to the right and as a new political generation asserts itself; one that came of age in the shadow of recession, trapped under mountains of student debt, on the wrong end of rising income inequality and staring down a future less promising than that of the previous generation.
Sanders tapped into those frustrations during his insurgent run for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. He came up short to Hillary Clinton, but his movement bore fruit in 2018 as young, self-identified democratic socialists like Ocasio-Cortez won national office in the midterm elections and powered a Democratic takeover of the US House of Representatives.
The mainstream success of Sanders, who is again running for president, and Ocasio-Cortez, who has become one of the most recognizable faces of the Democratic party, has seen the DSA recruit more than 60,000 members across the US, opening chapters in once unlikely places like North Dakota and Montana and Iowa.
“There’s an opening for these ideas now,” said Rodriguez-Sanchez.
Rodriguez-Sanchez and the other DSA candidates who won in Chicago had an upwards climb to win their seats, facing off against more established, more connected, more monied opponents.
“We really had a challenging battle to get here,” said Vasquez, a community organizer and former rapper who defeated incumbent Patrick O’Connor, who had served the 40th ward for close to 40 years. “We were taking on a giant of the council.”
“I can’t even describe how much it meant [to win],” Vasquez added.
Rodriguez-Sanchez had a much narrow | null | 0 | -1 | null | 39 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,872,418 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Kevin Lamarque / Reuters President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan on Saturday.
OSAKA (Reuters) - The U.S. and China have agreed to restart trade talks and Washington will not level new tariffs on Chinese exports, China’s official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday. President Donald Trump said trade talks were “back on track.”
Saturday’s high-stakes meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was being closely watched in hopes that it would ease tension rather than plunge the world’s two biggest economies into a deeper trade war.
The dispute has already cost companies in both countries billions of dollars, disrupted global manufacturing and supply lines, and roiled markets.
“The U.S. side said it would not add new tariffs on Chinese exports,” Xinhua said in a brief report, adding that negotiators of both countries would discuss specific issues, but gave no details.
Trump told reporters he had an excellent meeting with the Chinese leader and that talks were “back on track.” The two met in Japan’s western city of Osaka, on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
“We had a very good meeting with President Xi of China — excellent, I would say excellent, as good as it was going to be,” Trump said. “We discussed a lot of things and we’re right back on track and we’ll see what happens.”
Ahead of the meeting, Trump had said a fair trade deal would be “historic,” but gave no details.
The trade dispute, which includes a feud over Huawei Technologies has fanned fears it could threaten global growth.
“The trade relations between China and the United States are difficult, they are contributing to the slowdown of the global economy,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Friday, the summit’s first day.
Trump had threatened to extend existing tariffs to cover almost all imports from China into the U.S. if the meeting brought no progress on wide-ranging U.S. demands for economic reforms.
At the start of Saturday’s talks, Xi told Trump he was ready to exchange views on fundamental issues and stressed the need for dialogue rather than confrontation. “Cooperation and dialogue are better than friction and confrontation,” he said.
The G20 leaders will agree on Saturday to accelerate reforms of the World Trade Organization, but stop short of calling for the need to resist protectionism in their closing communique, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper said.
The U.S. says China has been stealing U.S. intellectual property for years, forces U.S. firms to share trade secrets as a condition for doing business in China, and subsidizes state-owned firms to dominate industries.
China has said the United States is making unreasonable demands and must also make concessions.
The dispute escalated when talks collapsed in May after Washington accused Beijing of reneging on reform pledges. Trump raised tariffs to 25% from 10% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, and China retaliated with levies on U.S. imports.
As ties have soured, the dispute has spread beyond trade. The U.S. administration has declared Chinese telecoms giant Huawei a security threat, effectively banning U.S. companies from doing business with it. American officials have also pressed other governments to drop Huawei from plans to develop fifth generation, or 5G, networks.
Trump has suggested easing U.S. restrictions on Huawei could be a factor in a trade deal with Xi. China has demanded the U.S. drop the curbs, saying Huawei presents no security threat.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton in Osaka; Additional reporting by Koh Gui Qing in New York, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Leika Kihara in Osaka; Writing by Simon Webb and Linda Sieg; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Clarence Fernandez.) | null | 0 | -1 | null | 24 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 113,907,328 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Israel, Hamas air strikes leave deadly aftermath
A cease-fire may have been reached in Gaza, but Charlie D'Agata reports that a trail of death and destruction has been left behind in the wake of the ongoing missile airstrikes between Israel and Hamas. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 1 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 113,904,759 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Cease-fire in Gaza: Still holding on
In the first 24-hours after eight days of continuous attacks, the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas has passed. A truce is now being negotiated to make sure the cease-fire lasts. Charlie D'agata reports. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 3 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,387,922 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image caption Simon Byrne, 56, is set to take over the top job in the PSNI
The new chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) starts his role on Monday at a time of huge challenge.
Simon Byrne, 56, is taking over from Sir George Hamilton, who has retired after five years as Northern Ireland's top police officer.
Two decades into the peace process, the job is still one of the most demanding in UK policing.
Mr Byrne, the third English officer to lead the PSNI, faces a range of issues the minute he walks through the door of its Belfast headquarters.
Here are five of the most pressing.
Legacy
About 60 detectives are looking into approximately 1,200 deaths linked to the Troubles.
Internally, these investigations are seen as a drain on resources and the PSNI supports handing the cases over to a new, independent Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) as suggested under the 2014 Stormont House Agreement.
The delay in advancing things frustrated Sir George. Mr Byrne, provided he does not think differently, will want to see action.
Catholic recruitment
The PSNI's handling of legacy issues has contributed to growing nationalist discontent with policing, leading to problems in attracting Catholic recruits.
Image copyright Pacemaker Image caption Sir George Hamilton retired this month after 34 years of policing - five of which he spent as head of the PSNI
Some 32% of officers are Catholic, which is not representative of Northern Ireland society. There is a risk that figure may soon dip.
With the PSNI set to recruit about 500 officers this year, can Mr Byrne improve outreach quickly?
Dissident threat
MI5 has had the lead role in counter-terrorism in Northern Ireland for 12 years, but works in close partnership with the PSNI.
Mr Byrne arrives with the New IRA, a dissident republican group, still posing a significant threat.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Lyra McKee was observing rioting in Londonderry's Creggan estate when she was shot
Last month, it planted a bomb under the car of an off-duty officer, demonstrating that despite the public backlash it faced after murdering Lyra McKee, it is still intent on using violence.
Ms McKee was shot dead while observing rioting in Londonderry's Creggan estate in April.
Brexit
A bit like legacy, Brexit is a huge issue, but it is in the political sphere and outside the PSNI's control.
Sir George said he spent part of every day since the EU referendum looking at contingency planning. It will be no different with Mr Byrne at the helm, with a 31 October deadline looming and the continuing chance of a hard border as and when the UK leaves the EU.
A no-deal Brexit could bring unique policing challenges, as any border infrastructure would potentially have to be protected from dissident republican attack.
Modernisation
It is almost 20 years since policing in Northern Ireland was reformed and the PSNI came into being after a review by former Conservative Party politician Chris Patten.
A stock-take is needed and a new modernisation agenda set; the police estate, IT systems, even its vehicle fleet might all be looked at.
But with £150m having been sliced off the PSNI's near £1bn budget in recent years, Mr Byrne may have to oversee changes, with finances as tight as ever. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 24 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 79,072,438 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Bill Scher is a contributing editor to Politico Magazine, and co-host of the Bloggingheads.tv show “The DMZ.”
The explosive exchange between Kamala Harris and Joe Biden is what the June debates will be remembered for, and it may even help determine whether either candidate wins the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. But the two-night debate, the first of the 2020 presidential campaign, also sharpened an intraparty divide that is far more important for how the next Democratic president governs.
The 2020 Democratic primary has become a war between two visions of American politics. There’s the view that any compromise with Republicans is a fool’s game, and then there’s the Joe Biden view, that bipartisanship and civility are necessary because that’s how Washington works.
Story Continued Below
On Wednesday night, Elizabeth Warren took one side, shrugging off the prospect of a Republican-led Senate with a pledge to give no quarter and “fight” on. The next night, Biden cited his ability to work with Mitch McConnell, the Republican obstructionist-in-chief during the Obama presidency, to raise taxes, only to hear Sen. Michael Bennet trash Biden’s work on the 2012 tax deal as an abject surrender to the Republican Party.
Biden has been attacked, understandably, for naming segregationists among the people he’s practiced “civility” with. The brutal rejoinder he suffered at the hands of Harris during Thursday night’s debate may even unravel his presidential bid. But should that happen, his political case for bipartisanship should not go down with his candidacy. Progressives ignore the case for bipartisanship at their peril: During the Obama administration, bipartisanship actually worked.
You don’t hear this much these days. A foundational myth has set in, among moderate Democrats as well as progressive activists, that Mitch McConnell’s relentless obstructionism throttled the Obama administration completely and enabled the rise of Donald Trump. But this potted history leaves out a lot of chapters—the actual bipartisan accomplishments that Biden can rightly point to from his service under President Barack Obama.
“The Obama administration?!” most Democrats will splutter. “Those exasperating eight years of relentless Republican obstructionism? When the debt ceiling was taken hostage, when the government was shut down in hopes of destroying the Affordable Care Act, when Merrick Garland’s seat was stolen?” Yes.
The paradoxical truth of the Obama presidency is that even though McConnell was engaged in extreme obstructionism, nearly every one of Obama’s legislative achievements passed with Republican votes. Conversely, the Trump administration’s general disdain for bipartisanship has left it with a wispy legislative record and a shaky argument for reelection. As Democrats debate how their party should govern, they should get their own recent history right.
***
Beyond his misguided callback to the 1970s, on the campaign trail, Biden has pointed to his successful effort to win the support of three Republicans for Obama’s first major act: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an enormous blast of Keynesian stimulus that arrested the 2008 stock market crash and began the economy’s slow but steady recovery. But this example does not impress the post-Obama skeptics of bipartisanship.
New York magazine’s Jonathan Chait, a moderate known for scrapping with left-wingers, sees the Recovery Act as evidence of bipartisanship’s futility: “Those three Republicans faced such intense backlash from the right that one of them, Arlen Specter, was driven out of the party altogether, and the other two, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, subsequently refused to support any health care bill on any terms. The aftermath of the success was such that it could never be repeated.” Crooked Media’s Brian Beutler, a reliable progressive voice, argues that if a Biden-like Democratic president who campaigned on bipartisanship actually tried to follow through, the president’s supporters would be “demoralized” and his or her presidency would “stagnate.”
Yet Biden actually undersells the case for bipartisanship, as experienced by the Obama administration he served in. Wall Street reform, the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” criminal justice reform, food safety regulations, and ratification of an arms control treatywith Russia all cleared Congress in the first two years of the Obama presidency with Republican votes—and could not have passed the Senate without those votes. (The Affordable Care Act was the one big exception, clearing Congress during a brief window when Democrats had 60 Senate votes.) Despite Chait’s assertion, the post-stimulus backlash against Republican moderates didn’t prevent future GOP cooperation with Obama.
Most of these bills required compromises to win Republican votes, and those compromises have long chafed the left. The three Republicans who backed the stimulus forced Democrats to shave about $100 billion off the estimated cost, prompting cries from progressives that the final bill was too small because it fell short of $1 trillion, leading to a longer, weaker economic recovery that could have been avoided with a larger stimulus. Specter, who had long battled cancer, also insisted that $10 billion in stimulus money go toward the National Institutes of Health. Likewise, when progressive populist Sen. Russ Feingold rejected the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform bill because it failed to break up big banks, Obama and Senate Democrats were forced to appease Republican Sen. Scott Brown and secure the bill’s 60th vote by stripping out $19 billion in proposed fees on financial institutions that would have affected some firms, and donors, from his home state of Massachusetts.
Such sausage-making might be unseemly. But this is the kind of transactional bipartisanship that can still be pursued in Washington, even in polarized times, because it hinges on self-interest, which never goes out of style.
Besides, what was the alternative? To refuse a compromise over the stimulus risked not having a stimulus at all, which would have led to a deep economic depression that, beyond creating widespread and unnecessary suffering, would have likely sidelined the rest of Obama’s domestic agenda and destroyed any chance of a second term. And while the conservative backlash to the stimulus was intense, to give up on further bipartisanship in the name of uncompromising progressivism would have meant giving up on additional progressive reforms, and the entire Obama presidency.
The antibipartisan contingent among Democrats also views the two tax deals of Obama’s first term, orchestrated by Biden and McConnell, as evidence of weak-kneed capitulation. In Thursday’s debate, Bennet deemed the final tax compromise as “a complete victory for the Tea Party” and a “great deal for Mitch McConnell” because it “extended almost all those Bush tax cuts permanently.” That’s a misleading characterization that ignores how those tax deals helped the economy and saved Obama’s then-uncertain presidency.
The 2010 deal, forged the month after Republicans took the House in the Tea Party-powered midterm elections, featured a two-year extension of the George W. Bush tax cuts that were due to expire, in exchange for a 13-month extension of long-term unemployment insurance in the aftermath of the 2008 crash. The only reason the Bush tax cuts were on a timer is that the bipartisan coalition that enacted them ignored Bush’s repeated pleas to make them permanent, out of fear of exploding the long-term deficit. But to let them expire at the end of 2010 meant an abrupt increase in taxes—on the wealthy and the middle class—when the economic recovery was fragile.
Nevertheless, keeping the Bush tax cuts in place was treated as a betrayal. Bernie Sanders elevated his profile with an eight-hour Senate floor speech lambasting the deal. (“His Twitter account picked up 4,000 new followers,” marveled POLITICO at the time.) New York Times columnist Paul Krugman feared the deal meant the Bush tax cuts would keep getting extended in perpetuity, and counseled Democrats to let the Bush tax cuts expire and try to affix blame on the Republican “blackmailers.”
Yet the Biden-McConnell deal proved both economically and politically wise for Obama. More tax cuts and unemployment insurance amounted to a second stimulus, of approximately $300 billion, to the still-weak economy. During the first two quarters of 2012, Obama’s reelection year, the annualized rate of growth in gross domestic product (the only GDP growth numbers known before Election Day) didn’t crack 2 percent. Swap that extra shot of Keynes with a dose of austerity—in the form of a tax hike—and there could have been a double-dip recession right before the election. Presidents typically get the blame for recessions, so trying to finger Republicans for recalcitrance probably would have backfired.
Instead, Obama won a second term, and he strengthened his hand for the next round of tax talks. At the end of 2012, the negotiations centered on how rich you had to be to keep benefiting from Bush’s reduced tax rates; Obama campaigned on extending the tax cuts only for married couples earning less than $250,000 and individuals less than $200,000. McConnell’s initial counter was an income threshold of $750,000. With Biden leading the negotiation, they met roughly halfway, making the tax cuts permanent for the first $450,000 of income for couples and $400,000 for individuals.
Biden’s dealing once again attracted complaints, fed by disgruntled aides of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who had been negotiating with McConnell until Biden swooped in. According to a New Republic account soon after the deal was struck, Reid’s offer to McConnell, a $450,000 threshold for couples and $360,000 for individuals, wasn’t all that different than Biden’s.
A recent account by Ryan Grim in the Intercept differs somewhat, saying that in his negotiations with Reid, McConnell preliminarily “agreed to let rates on people making more than $250,000 per year go back up, if to slightly lower levels to pre-Bush,” McConnell aides push back slightly, saying in Grim’s words that “McConnell had not firmly conceded anything, and that negotiations weren’t finalized.”
What’s consistent in both accounts, and confirmed by Reid himself in Grim’s story, is that Reid didn’t want a quick deal. He wanted to go over the “fiscal cliff,” letting the Bush tax cuts expire for everyone, in hopes that would shift the dialogue from whose taxes should be raised to whose taxes should be cut.
Maybe that would have produced a more progressive result. But that’s a big if. It also could have led to no deal at all, meaning the Bush tax cuts would have expired for everyone, violating Obama’s campaign pledge to prevent a middle-class tax hike during what was still a tenuous economic recovery and likely leaving Democrats to shoulder the blame.
Ever since that 2012 deal, the left and right have grabbed the statistic that 82 percent of the original Bush tax cuts remained in place—the left to grouse, the right to crow. In Grim’s report, so did an anonymous Republican operative. Just as Bennet has claimed McConnell got everything he wanted out of the deal, so did an anonymous Republican operative in Grim’s report.
That’s nonsense. Much of what remained from the Bush tax package after the compromise was geared to the middle class. In 2001, President George W. Bush stated as his key principle of his tax cut, “No one should pay more than a third of the money they earn in federal income taxes”—a goal designed to benefit the rich, since the middle-class already paid a rate lower than that. Bush settled for a top rate of 35 percent. The Biden-McConnell deal bumped that up to almost 40 percent, a rate that doesn’t include the Medicare tax surcharges targeting the wealthy that were part of the Affordable Care Act. After the deal, a New York Times headline reported that the tax code “May Be the Most Progressive Since 1979.” That’s not what McConnell or any Republican wanted, and that's why tax reform favoring the wealthy was a top priority of the highly partisan Republican agenda after Trump’s 2016 victory.
Trump’s record of bipartisanship is horrible, but it’s not quite nonexistent. The “First Step” criminal justice reform bill, for example, was passed in December on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. That was after Democrats, including now-presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker, worked with the Trump administration to find common ground, proving that bipartisanship is still possible even in Trump’s Washington.
It’s true that bipartisanship has been more the exception than the rule in both the Obama and Trump presidencies. But string enough exceptions together, and you have yourself a successful presidency. Obama did that, and so far at least, Trump hasn’t.
The next president, if it is a Democrat, of course won’t face the exact same Congress as Obama did, but Washington will almost certainly still be a polarized place. A Democratic supermajority reaching or even approaching 60 votes in the next Senate is essentially impossible. Democrats now hold 47 Senate seats and need to net three more to claim a majority under a Democratic president. But only three Republican-held Senate seats on the ballot in 2020 are considered competitive right now. A few more states may be put into play, but almost surely not 10 more. In all likelihood, the next president will face a closely divided Senate.
The solution proposed by Warren and other Democratic “hyperpartisans” is to abolish the legislative filibuster and grease the path for ambitious progressive legislation. However, a closely divided Senate complicates that strategy. A narrow Democratic majority may retain enough institutionalists who won’t readily join an effort to use extraordinary parliamentary procedures for scuttling senatorial minority rights, even under pressure from a president with a mandate for drastic reforms. One such potential institutionalist: Bennet, who, despite his disparagement of McConnell, says that his greatest political regret is voting to abolish the filibuster for executive-branch nominees.
And junking the legislative filibuster is a nonstarter if a Democratic president faces a Republican-led Senate. The next president would either have to try to find some common ground with McConnell, or fight him nonstop and hope for a good midterm election. Warren, asked during Wednesday night’s debate how she would handle a Senate Majority Leader McConnell, suggested her plan would be the latter. “Short of a Democratic majority in the Senate, you better understand the fight still goes on,” she said. But a two-year fight without much significant legislation is not a great record to run on for your first midterm. Ask Trump about that.
Obama did turn to executive action in his second term, when the fruits of bipartisanship dwindled because Republicans took control of the House. Obama’s second-term achievements are therefore more partisan than the legislation passed in his first term—and they’ve been less enduring. Much of what Obama tried to accomplish through the executive branch, such as his climate protection plan and his legalization of more than 3 million undocumented immigrant parents, was blocked by the courts or repealed by the subsequent Congress. One notable exception is the “DACA” program that allows children of the undocumented to legally stay and work, a program that has stuck around only by the grace of temporary judicial orders. Without a bipartisan consensus that can sustain support through multiple presidencies, such programs will remain on tenuous ground.
Yes, Republicans have been extremely difficult for Democrats to work with. No, Biden can’t count on Republicans having a change of heart after a Trump defeat (though we should not assume that Republicans wouldn’t change at all after an electoral thrashing). But bipartisanship has happened—however infrequently, begrudgingly, and painstakingly—even during two of the most polarizing presidencies in modern American history, because the legislative math required it.
Biden is not the only presidential candidate who can argue she or he can be effective at practicing bipartisanship, and because two-thirds of Democrats say they prefer politicians who “make compromises with people they disagree with” over those who “stick to their positions,” more candidates may want to tout their compromising skills. Booker, during the Wednesday debate, took pride in his bipartisan triumph of criminal justice reform. The Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked Sen. Amy Klobuchar the most effective Democratic senator of the 115th Congress, in part because of her bipartisan outreach. Gov. Steve Bullock and former Gov. John Hickenlooper regularly cite their home state experiences constructively working with Republicans. But as a member of the Obama administration, Biden is the candidate best-positioned to counter the flawed notion that the pursuit of bipartisanship was Obama’s greatest weakness.
Even so, Biden might not be best positioned for anything if he can’t recover from the debate drubbing he took from Harris. But Harris appeared to recognize she shouldn’t attack Biden's belief in bipartisanship when she said, “I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground.” And she has been reluctant to join Warren’s push for abolishing the legislative filibuster, calling herself “conflicted” on the subject. If her debate performance catapults her into the top tier, she should consider further distinguishing herself from Warren and Sanders by stressing the importance of common ground to effectively govern in the Obama mold.
Democrats should not separate their love of Obama from how Obama governed. Obama may not have succeeded in ending our corrosive political polarization, but neither he did surrender to it. That’s a legacy all Democrats should be proud of defending, even if they never served as Obama’s vice president.
This article tagged under: Joe Biden
Politics
2020 | null | 0 | -1 | null | 113 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 79,064,113 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Getty Images Washington And The World For the World’s Autocrats, June Was a Rare Bad Month Around the world, democracy has had a resurgence. Now are U.S. voters willing to step up?
Frida Ghitis writes about world affairs. She is a contributing columnist for the Washington Post, a regular contributor to CNN.com and a weekly columnist at World Politics Review.
Amid the rapid rise of strongman governments in one country after another, and the slow collapse of democratic values in some of the globe’s biggest powers, there’s a bit of good news: June was an absolutely terrible month for autocrats.
The past few weeks have dealt unaccustomed blows to men who are used to winning crushing victories against their foes, and against the spirit of openness in their nations. After more than a decade of global autocratic drift, the strongman leaders of China, Russia, and Turkey all suffered the near-simultaneous reverses.
Story Continued Below
It’s much too early to call this a turning point, but with the world in the midst of what Freedom House calls a “consistent and ominous” pattern of democracy in retreat, the events of the past month offer a ray of hope that autocracies’ built-in weaknesses, including politically driven economic decision-making, along with the human reaction to political repression, can gradually chip away at closely held power.
The most powerful Chinese leader in decades, President Xi Jinping, saw plans to advance Beijing’s creeping control of Hong Kong face a ferocious popular pushback unlike any since the United Kingdom handed over the territory to China in 1997.
Hong Kong residents turned out in staggering numbers—2 million by organizers’ count—to protest an extradition bill that would have allowed authorities to transfer suspects to China’s notoriously politicized judicial system. Demonstrators demanded that Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, withdraw the proposed legislation. The memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre, whose anniversary was June 4, and Xi’s ongoing repression of Chinese Uighurs, cast the stakes in sharp relief: Political protests can be life-threatening, but allowing Beijing to start plucking suspects out of Hong Kong risked smothering political freedoms.
Those freedoms are supposed to be guaranteed under the 1997 handover agreement. But Beijing has been steadily capturing the levers of power. So, it was a harsh blow to Xi when protesters forced Lam, known by some as Xi’s puppet, to back down.
Xi has been watching from the sidelines, but the protests are coming to him. When he arrived in Osaka for the G-20 meeting, Hong Kong activists were already there. They want world leaders to raise their concerns during the summit meetings. China categorically refuses to discuss the topic.
Xi may get some sympathy from another autocrat in attendance in Osaka, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Like Xi, Putin is not used to seeing the public challenge him and emerge victorious. But he, too, experienced a dose of anger from his own people.
When security forces arrested an investigative reporter and manufactured phony drug charges against him, Russians reacted with fury. Putin has largely managed to suppress independent media, and many journalists critical of the government have died under mysterious circumstances. So the arrest of Ivan Golunov, a reporter for the Latvia-based Meduza covering political corruption and organized crime, wasn’t surprising—but the reaction was. His detention seemed to strike a nerve, to drop a last straw on the mountain of frustrations. Normally acquiescent business publications splashed a headline across their front pages, “We are all Golunov,” while protesters, at great personal risk, surrounded police headquarters demanding his release. Incredibly, Golunov was let go, all charges dropped.
It was a stunning reversal for the government, perhaps a sign that Putin is growing nervous. Things are not going so well. The nationalist fervor that followed his annexation of Crimea has cooled. Polls show that large numbers of Russians no longer trust him, especially now that the economy is stagnant. When he held his annual televised call-in show, a question somehow got through producers, flashing on television screens across the country. “Only one question,” it read, “When will you go away?”
If Putin and Xi are not used to losing, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has possibly even less experience with defeat. But Erdogan, who has been steadily dismantling Turkish democracy—like Putin, leveraging his popularity to rewrite the rules and take control of powerful institutions--just suffered a devastating blow to his support.
It all started in March, when Turkey held municipal elections. Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, AKP, lost in the country’s biggest cities. When Erdogan saw that his handpicked choice to lead Istanbul had lost by a thin margin — just 13,000 votes — he claimed the results were fraudulent. He easily persuaded the subservient electoral commission to cancel the results.
Istanbul is not only the country’s largest, most important city. It is also where Erdogan was born and rose to power, eventually becoming the most powerful Turkish leader in a century. But not unlike the situation with Putin, Erdogan’s assault on democratic institutions, his near-obliteration of critical media, and his increasingly authoritarian rule became much more troubling to millions after the economy stopped growing. The president’s brazen refusal to accept their first vote for mayor angered the people of Istanbul.
When the revote was held last weekend, the opposition candidate, Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People’s Party, CHP, won a landslide victory over the president’s man. It was a humiliating outcome for the president. Thousands who had voted AKP the first time switched, giving Imamoglu a margin of more than 800,000 votes. For the first time in 25 years, Erdogan’s home town is not in the hands of his political party. And now several of Erdogan’s former allies say they will form their own parties to challenge the AKP. Turks called it an “earthquake.” A besieged opposition paper declared optimistically, that “one-man rule,” had been “thrashed.”
So now what? Democracy activists in Hong Kong and mainland China, in Russia and Turkey, know that the victories of the past few weeks are no guarantee of ultimate success. Strongmen tend to be ruthless and canny; challenging them is dangerous and difficult. And yet, those who have just managed to succeed are daring to hope that they’re seeing tipping point—and that they can reverse the tide of democracy’s retreat.
Americans, too, are facing a kind of tipping point—one that will have reverberations in all these countries. Normally, this would be a good moment for Washington and its democratic allies to use their leverage in support of pro-democracy movements—and indeed, the U.S. Congress is doing so, introducing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which calls for U.S. sanctions if Beijing curtails Hong Kong’s freedoms. The ultimate fate of the bill may depend on what happens to bilateral relations, now hinging on trade negotiations.
But the support of the United States for global democracy is less clear under the current administration than it has been for some time. This is something voters could have a say in—and, if they don’t, the week’s good news could prove to be a mere bump along the road to further erosion of democracy. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 57 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,063,404 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright Prof Yemi Osinbajo/Twitter
Nigeria vice president Yemi Osinbajo say no be him dey supervise di Ruga settlement establishment unlike wetin tori pipo dey report.
Inside statement oga Osinbajo say na di National Livestock Transformation Plan na wey state govnors bin approve under di National Economic Council na im im be chairman.
According to am di Ruga initiative dey different from di National Livestock Transformation Plan.
Tori pipo bin report di general secretary of di Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria tok say, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo office n aim dey help di herdsmen create Ruga settlement for different parts of di kontri.
But according to di statement, di National Livestock Transformation Plan na programme wey dem go first start wit seven states, den afta dem go add six oda states.
"Inside all of dis di federal goment no go force any state goment to give im land," na so im tok. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 6 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 18,410,364 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | I believe Busola Dakolo.
Every word she uttered.
There are many layers of power, politics, manipulation and crime woven through her brave revelations.
I expect that Pastor Biodun will go to jail or whatever the equivalent of that is in Nigeria now. pic.twitter.com/0t2rpqF0pH | null | 0 | -1 | null | 5 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,176,385 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | CLOSE President Trump declared a national emergency to free up funding for his border wall between the U.S and Mexico. But declaring a national emergency isn’t new -- in fact, the use of emergency powers is older than the country itself. USA TODAY, Just the FAQs
OAKLAND, Calif. — A federal judge on Friday prohibited President Donald Trump from tapping $2.5 billion in military funding to build high-priority segments of his prized border wall in California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. in Oakland acted in two lawsuits filed by California and by activists who contended that the money transfer was unlawful and that building the wall would pose environmental threats.
“All President Trump has succeeded in building is a constitutional crisis, threatening immediate harm to our state,” said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who led a 20-state coalition of attorneys general in one lawsuit.
The decisions are in line with Gilliam’s ruling last month that blocked work from beginning on two of the highest-priority projects – one spanning 46 miles (74 kilometers) in New Mexico and another covering 5 miles (8 kilometers) in Yuma, Arizona.
But the fight is far from over. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to take up the same issue of using military money next week.
Related: 'There was and is no national emergency': ACLU sues Trump over order for border wall
Is Trump's border wall being built?: Here are the facts
At issue is Trump’s February declaration of a national emergency so that he could divert $6.7 billion from military and other sources to begin construction of the wall, which could have begun as early as Monday.
Trump declared the emergency after losing a fight with the Democratic-led House that led to a 35-day government shutdown.
The president identified $3.6 billion from military construction funds, $2.5 billion from Defense Department counterdrug activities and $600 million from the Treasury Department’s asset forfeiture fund.
The judge Friday didn’t rule on funding from the military construction and Treasury budgets.
In the second suit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition, the judge determined that the use of the $2.5 billion for two sectors of the wall was unlawful, although he rejected environmental arguments that wall construction would threaten species such as bighorn sheep.
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/28/trump-border-wall-funding-federal-judge/1604750001/ | null | 0 | -1 | null | 15 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,869,652 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | US President Donald Trump told reporters at his G20 press conference that he was hopeful of meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his forthcoming trip to the DMZ -- the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas.
After Trump leaves Osaka, he'll be heading to South Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in.
This morning, the US leader tweeted an invitation to Kim that he would like to meet him and "shake hands" at the DMZ during his visit.
"Kim Jong Un was very receptive," Trump told the press. "He responded, so we'll see." | null | 0 | -1 | null | 5 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,883,222 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Veteran journalist Dan Rather on Friday lamented how American foreign policy has, under President Donald Trump, “become incoherent and amateurish.”
The former CBS news anchor told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that Trump’s conduct while meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, was “deeply strange, at least borderline bizarre.”
Rather also criticized Trump’s praise at the summit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for doing a “spectacular job” and his tweeted offer to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at the Korean Peninsula’s demilitarized zone for a handshake.
“History is watching through all this,” Rather warned, later adding: “The president is praising almost any autocrat he can find.”
Check out the clip here:
“History is watching through all this,” @DanRather says after President Trump praised Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman after cozying up to Putin and saying he’d meet Kim Jong Un.
“The President is praising almost any autocrat he can find.” https://t.co/jEcW69fVBd pic.twitter.com/xdRpFgzSnt — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) June 29, 2019 | null | 0 | -1 | null | 3 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 38,922,102 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez enters a boardroom at her constituency office in Queens, New York, after a short delay which, a political aide hopes, hasn’t been caused by a constituent waylaying her in the corridor. (“They can get really excited to meet her.”) Greta Thunberg is in her home in Sweden, her father testing the technology for the video link while the teenager waits in the background. The activists have never met nor spoken but, as two of the most visible climate campaigners in the world, they are keenly aware of each other.
Thunberg, now 16, catapulted to fame last year for skipping school every Friday to stand outside the Swedish parliament, protesting against political inaction over the climate crisis and sparking an international movement, the school strike for climate, in which millions of other children followed suit. Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district is, at 29, the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress, whose election over a well-funded incumbent in 2018 was a huge upset to politics-as-usual. She has been in office for less than a year, which seems extraordinary given the amount of coverage she has generated. In February, Ocasio-Cortez submitted the Green New Deal to the US House of Representatives, calling for, among other things, the achievement of “net-zero” greenhouse gases within a decade and “a full transition off fossil fuels”, as well as retrofitting all buildings in the US to meet new energy efficient standards.
The Green New Deal, while garnering support from Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar, was mocked by speaker Nancy Pelosi (“the green dream or whatever they call it”), and defeated in the Senate by Republicans. Like Thunberg, however, Ocasio-Cortez gives every appearance of being galvanised by opposition, and has the kind of energy that has won her 4.41 million Twitter followers and makes establishment politicians in her path very nervous.
In the course of their conversation, Ocasio-Cortez and Thunberg discuss what it is like to be dismissed for their age, how depressed we should be about the future, and what tactics, as an activist, really work. Ocasio-Cortez speaks with her customary snap and brilliance that, held up against the general waffle of political discourse, seems startlingly direct. Thunberg, meanwhile, is phenomenally articulate, well-informed and self-assured, holding her own in conversation with an elected official nearly twice her age and speaking in deliberate, thoughtful English. They are, in some ways, as different as two campaigners can get – the politician working the system with Washington polish, and the teenager in her socks and leggings, working from her bedroom to reach the rest of the world. There is something very moving about the conversation between these young women, a sense of generational rise that, as we know from every precedent from the Renaissance onwards, has the power to ignite movements and change history.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez It’s such an honour to meet you!
Greta Thunberg You, too!
People say, 'Don’t politicise young people.' It’s almost a taboo. I find it very condescending
AOC Thank you. I’m so excited to be having this conversation. I remember first hearing your speech a few months ago – I was hanging out with a friend in Harlem, who said, “Have you listened to this young woman?” And I heard your speech and was thrilled, because here in the United States, even when I was running, people were saying there’s no need to convey this kind of urgency [about the climate], and it’s radical, and it’s unnecessary. To hear you articulate the belief that I’ve had as well is so exciting and validating. So I wanted to thank you for your work and your advocacy.
GT Thank you so much for standing up and offering hope to so many people, even here in Sweden.
AOC One of the things I’m interested in hearing from you is that often people say, “Don’t politicise young people.” It’s almost a taboo. That to have someone as young as you coming out in favour of political positions is manipulative or wrong. I find it very condescending, as though, especially in this day and age with the access to information we have, you can’t form your own opinions and advocate for yourself. I’m interested in how you approach that – if anyone brings that up with you?
GT That happens all the time. That’s basically all I hear. The most common criticism I get is that I’m being manipulated and you shouldn’t use children in political ways, because that is abuse, and I can’t think for myself and so on. And I think that is so annoying! I’m also allowed to have a say – why shouldn’t I be able to form my own opinion and try to change people’s minds?
But I’m sure you hear that a lot, too; that you’re too young and too inexperienced. When I see all the hate you receive for that, I honestly can’t believe how you manage to stay so strong.
AOC I think the thing that people sometimes don’t realise is that here in the United States, because of the gap between the rich and the poor, people really identify Wall Street as a very potent political force. With our rules, politicians are allowed to accept campaign contributions on a level that is probably beyond what happens in other parts of the world.
But what people don’t recognise is how strong the fossil fuel lobby is. The Koch brothers in the US have essentially purchased the entire Republican party, but people forget they made their money off oil and gas. That is where their fortune comes from. And I think that’s what we’re up against. So the severity of the pushback indicates the power that we are challenging. You can look at that with despair, or you can look at it with hope. That’s how strong we are: we’re so strong that we’re able to take this on credibly and actually build a movement against it. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 44 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 39,048,971 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | As vegan activism boosts awareness of animal welfare issues, more dairy farms let calves stay with their mothers. But is this really any better for the cows?
Rise of ethical milk: 'Mums ask when cows and their calves are separated'
Rise of ethical milk: 'Mums ask when cows and their calves are separated'
A field of cows with suckling calves may sound like a normal rural scene. In fact, the view at David Finlay’s farm on the Dumfries and Galloway coast is a sight you’d be unlikely to see on any other dairy farm in the UK.
Almost all calves are separated from cows within hours or days of birth on dairy farms. This allows farmers to sell the milk that the calves would otherwise drink.
But it is a reality of dairy farming that jars with animal welfare campaigners and consumers, and one of the sector’s three biggest emotive issues, along with giving cows | null | 0 | -1 | null | 7 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 1,291,762 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a news conference at the final day of the the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
OSAKA (Reuters) - Group of 20 leaders have clearly confirmed the need for a free, fair and non-discriminatory trade policy, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Saturday, suggesting that members have agreed to the wording to be included in their communique.
Speaking after chairing the two-day G20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, Abe said the leaders also found common ground on climate change despite “big differences” in the members’ views.
“The global economy continues to face downside risks as trade tensions persist,” Abe told a news conference.
“The G20 leaders agreed on the need for member countries to spearhead strong global economic growth”, while standing ready to take further action if needed, he said.
Abe also said he had told U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that it was extremely important to engage in constructive discussion to solve their trade tensions.
The United States and China have agreed to restart trade talks and Washington will not level new tariffs on Chinese exports, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported, as Trump said the talks were “back on track”.
“The G20 agreed on fundamental principles backing a free trade system, which is to ensure free, fair, non-discriminatory trade,” as well as open markets and a level playing field for all nations, Abe said. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 8 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 2,515,453 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) speaks during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019. Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool via REUTERS
OSAKA (Reuters) - Group of 20 leaders stopped short of denouncing protectionism, instead calling for the need to realize a “free, fair, non-discriminatory” trade environment in a communique issued after their two-day meeting in Osaka, western Japan, on Saturday.
The communique also warned that global economic growth remains low and risks were tilted to the downside, as trade and geopolitical tensions have “intensified.”
“We strive to realise a free, fair, nondiscriminatory, transparent, predictable and stable trade and investment environment, and to keep our markets open,” the communique said. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 3 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,688,478 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | US President Donald Trump is moving between criticizing the US trade relationship with other countries and praising the current state of the economy.
The US leader said that he'd had meetings with many leaders, as well as some trade negotiations.
"We spent a lot of time with a lot of countries. Japan, we're negotiating with them because they send us millions of cars and we send them wheat," he said.
But Trump said that the US economy was booming, claiming that "a lot of activity" was coming back to the United States.
"We're the hottest show in town ... One thing that virtually every leader I deal with said was 'congratulations'," he said.
"We have the lowest unemployment numbers, best numbers." | null | 0 | -1 | null | 7 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 17,904,334 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Trump had threatened to impose $300bn in additional tariffs on Chinese imports
The United States and China have agreed to resume trade negotiations, easing a protracted row that has fuelled a global economic slowdown.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached the agreement on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan.
Mr Trump said the talks had been "excellent".
He had threatened to impose an additional $300bn (£236bn) in tariffs on Chinese imports.
US and China - the world's two largest economies - have been fighting a damaging trade war over the past year.
Mr Trump accused China of stealing their intellectual property and forcing US firms to share trade secrets in order to do business in China.
China, in turn, said the US's demands for business reform were unreasonable.
The feud escalated in the months leading up to the summit, after talks between the two countries collapsed in May.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Who really pays in a tariff war?
Speaking after his meeting with Mr Xi at the summit, the US president said negotiations were "back on track".
"We had a very good meeting with President Xi of China, excellent, I would say excellent, as good as it was going to be," Mr Trump told reporters. "We discussed a lot of things and we're right back on track and we'll see what happens."
At the start of the talks on Saturday, Mr Xi said: "Co-operation and dialogue are better than friction and confrontation."
China's official state news agency Xinhua said the US had agreed not to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports. The US side has not commented on this. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 15 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 1,168,584 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | ANKARA, June 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan that he wanted the issue over Ankara’s procurement of air defence systems to be resolved without damaging bilateral ties, the Turkish presidency said.
Turkey and the United States have been at odds over Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 defence systems, a move Washington has warned would trigger U.S. sanctions. Turkey has so far dismissed the warnings and said it would not turn back from the deal.
In a statement following talks between Erdogan and Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan had voiced concerns about U.S. actions that may harm the strategic partnership between the two NATO allies. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 4 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,868,142 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | The Washington Post editorial board on Friday used an op-ed to call out President Donald Trump for the jokes he shared with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
The newspaper board’s article ― titled “Rather than defend democracy, Trump jokes with Putin” ― noted how Trump “kissed off the concerns” about Russian interference in American elections as he joked with Putin about meddling.
It also described Trump and Putin’s shared attack on the media as “an unctuous display of his personal strongman impulses in front of a Russian president who leads a system that imprisons, persecutes and kills journalists and dissidents who become too curious or critical.”
“This is no time to joke,” the board warned.
It continued:
“Today’s generation of autocrats and tyrants cynically uses the trappings of democracy while subverting freedom from within. The U.S. president should stand as a guardian against this threat, but instead Mr. Trump inexplicably cedes the field to Mr. Putin.”
To conclude, the board said America needs “at this critical juncture” to “lead the world in showing why a free people, a free press, and the freedom to speak, worship, assemble and travel are not and never will be obsolete.”
“Mr. Trump is not capable of playing that role,” it added. “But hopefully a new president will be.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 7 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 3,335,096 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | France's President Emmanuel Macron reaches out to shake hands with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, next to Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, during a news conference at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday a draft trade deal reached between the European Union and the Mercosur group of South American countries was a “good agreement” that met key French demands.
The accord protected European geographical origin certification for food products, he said during a news conference at the end of a summit of the G20 nations in Japan.
Macron welcomed Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s commitment to the Paris climate agreement, saying this helped maintain support for the accord among the G20 nations with the exception of the United States. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 4 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,803,298 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | US President Donald Trump said he would visit North Korea, adding he would feel "very comfortable."
Trump told reporters at his G20 press conference that he would feel happy to set foot in North Korea when he visits the DMZ Sunday.
"Sure I would," Trump said when asked whether he would step foot into the country.
"I feel very comfortable doing that. I would have no problem," he said.
No sitting US president has ever visited North Korea.
Trump added that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un followed his Twitter.
Earlier this morning Trump tweeted an open invitation to Kim to meet him in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 8 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 2,516,556 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | U.S. President Donald Trump holds a news conference on the final day of the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
OSAKA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed on Saturday that the United States would refrain from raising levies on Chinese imports for now while China would buy more U.S. agricultural products.
“We’re holding back on tariffs and they’re going to buy farm products,” Trump told a news conference after a two-day summit of the Group of 20 in Osaka, western Japan.
The day’s truce by the world’s two biggest economies offered some relief to gathered leaders of the big economies, as the year-long trade war has cost companies billions, snarled global manufacturing and supply chains and worried financial markets. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 4 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 131,676,176 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | US President Donald Trump said that US companies can again sell products to Chinese technology giant Huawei after an effective ban in May.
Trump clarified his comments earlier in the press conference, saying after his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping he would allow Huawei to once again buy US products.
"US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei... there's no great, national emergency problem," Trump told reporters.
The US Commerce Department formally added Huawei to the list of companies the US government considers to be undermining America's interests in May.
Experts said that Huawei would be crippled by the effective ban, which would stop them buying advanced US chips over security concerns. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 5 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 4,945,594 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | US President Donald Trump said that US companies can again sell products to Chinese technology giant Huawei after an effective ban in May.
Trump clarified his comments earlier in the press conference, saying after his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping he would allow Huawei to once again buy US products.
"US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei... there's no great, national emergency problem," Trump told reporters.
The US Commerce Department formally added Huawei to the list of companies the US government considers to be undermining America's interests in May.
Experts said that Huawei would be crippled by the effective ban, which would stop them buying advanced US chips over security concerns. | null | 0 | -1 | null | 5 |
polusa | 2019_1_test.csv | 39,152,632 | 0 | 2019_1_test.csv0 53010215
1 59549287
2 59633617
3 52963105
4 18321756
...
162989 4829910
162990 4889401
162991 4884295
162992 4760206
162993 4533244
Name: id, Length: 162994, dtype: int64 | Theresa May has raised concerns about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the humanitarian cost of the conflict in Yemen during a face-to-face meeting with the Saudi crown prince at the G20 summit in Osaka.
The prime minister held a bilateral meeting with Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday at what will be May’s final global summit before she steps down in July.
A senior government official said May had called for an open and transparent legal process in the case of the Saudi journalist who was murdered in Istanbul – and underlined the importance of the relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia.
“On accountability for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the PM said the legal process needed to be open and transparent,” the senior official said, adding that the pair had “concluded by agreeing on the importance of the relationship” and of “regional stability”.
Has Saudi Arabia got away with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi? – podcast Read more
Khashoggi was brutally murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October last year. Riyadh has claimed the attack was a “rogue operation,” and has put several people on trial behind closed doors. But a report by a UN special rapporteur recently found that Khashoggi had been “the victim of a deliberate, premeditated execution, an extrajudicial killing for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible”.
On the conflict in Yemen, the official said: “The PM reiterated the need to keep working on finding a political solution to end the conflict, which is causing significant humanitarian suffering.”
UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia were ruled to be illegal by the court of appeal earlier this month because of the government’s failure to assess the potential humanitarian impact of the weapons’ use in Yemen.
Delivering the judgment, Sir Terence Etherton, the master of the rolls, said ministers had “made no concluded assessments of whether the Saudi-led coalition had committed violations of international humanitarian law in the past, or during the Yemen conflict, and made no attempt to do so”.
The UN has called the conflict in Yemen the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, estimating in February that 17,700 civilians had died, and 3.3 million people remained displaced.
The international trade secretary, Liam Fox, has said the government will appeal against the ruling.
May’s demeanour as she met the crown prince did not appear as frosty as it did when she met Vladimir Putin on Friday, when she upbraided him over the Salisbury poisoning, calling it a “truly despicable act”.
Play Video 0:30 Theresa May shares frosty handshake with Vladimir Putin – video
May also told the Russian president she would continue to defend liberal values, after he gave an interview to the Financial Times in which he claimed liberalism was “obsolete” and made light of the poisoning of the Russian former spy Sergei Skripal in the UK.
Putin said: “Listen, all this fuss about spies and counterspies, it is not worth serious interstate relations. This [Skripal] spy story, as we say, it is not worth five kopeks. Or even £5, for that matter.” | null | 0 | -1 | null | 17 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.