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2019-08-31 05:00:38

The Guardian

Ruth Davidson’s decision was personal, but her departure is a loss for all of us

Balancing work and family is still too often an acute problem for women in public life, says Libby Brooks, the Guardian’s Scotland correspondent

I’m racing across the central belt to cover Ruth Davidson’s resignation, a row for missing an important email from my son’s nursery ringing in my ears, when I realise I’ve been reporting on women’s difficulty balancing work and family for what feels like two centuries. No wonder I’m feeling so ruddy tired. It’s the sheer unwieldy intractability of the dilemmas posed. It’s like getting stuck behind a motorhome on a Highland road: the progress is teeth-grindingly slow, you get tired of hearing yourself complain, then suddenly you’re forced to reverse into a ditch. At a press conference in Edinburgh on Thursday, the now former Scottish Conservative leader, who is widely admired for transforming her party’s fortunes north of the border, explained that she was leaving frontline politics because she had been “a poor daughter, sister, partner and friend”, and that the birth of her son last October had caused her to “make a different choice”. Let’s be clear, Davidson did not suggest that women can’t do top jobs and have young children It was impossible not to empathise acutely from the midst of one of those failing-at-everything days familiar to many working women, highlights of which included leaving a valued contact waiting for me in the street in Glasgow because I’d forgotten to cancel our meeting, and not noticing my toddler was having a renegade shit on the bathroom floor because I was checking my phone – for a reply from the newsdesk about my Ruth Davidson coverage, naturally. But Davidson deserves more than a mumly eye roll of commiseration at the brutal pace of politics as she hands over to – probably – yet another middle-aged, middle-class white guy. The former Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander, who stood down from the position following a donations controversy when her children were young, tweeted that she admired Davidson’s candour and recognised her dilemma, noting: “The overwhelming family sacrifices required for serious party leadership only make sense when you harbour no doubts about the prevailing strategic direction.” Davidson was not coy about the political calculation involved in her decision, although it was notable that she did not use what was a dignified and collegiate resignation statement to criticise Boris Johnson’s prorogation plans. She has stated clearly that her decision was motivated by a range of personal and political factors, the precise percentages of which we shall never know, but let’s not gloss over the boring balance stuff in the race to uncover a juicier explanation. And let’s be clear, too, that she did not suggest women can’t do top jobs and have young children. When I interviewed her just before the birth of her son, she was frustrated that the memoir she had written about her struggles with mental ill-health and her insistence that she didn’t want to be prime minister (10 months ago, how fast the landscape shifts these days!) had been conflated, and interpreted as suggesting mental illness precluded sufferers from high office. I’d guess she is feeling the same frustration now. It has long been a beef of mine, that way in which women in public life are held accountable for choices they may not even remember making, their individual fixes or failures extrapolated out to speak for their entire gender. She spoke only for herself when she said she was done with it, for now. For Davidson, it would seem the sharpening of priorities brought about by motherhood no longer tallies with the relentless, terrifyingly capricious environment she has been gamely inhabiting for nearly a decade. And how quickly Scottish politics has changed since the independence referendum of 2014, when Davidson came to prominence, and the ensuing years when female leadership appeared to have become the norm at Holyrood, with Nicola Sturgeon, Johann Lamont then Kezia Dugdale and Davidson sparring across the chamber. Ruth Davidson should have been Tory leader. Instead, she’s on the sidelines | Ian Birrell Read more Sturgeon and Dugdale did much to champion the Women 50/50 campaign for equal representation across Scottish public life, bringing women into politics from council level up, though some worry these quotas just boost the options of middle-class women while failing to address underlying structural inequalities. It’s still a battle to encourage more women into local council politics: the family-unfriendly hours, social media aggression and, in some cases, lack of maternity leave policies, begin their winnowing effect at the foundations of the political pyramid. At national level, Women 50/50 points out that the Scottish Tories are the only party not doing some form of positive action such as twinning or zipping for candidates for the 2021 Holyrood election. And at home there’s an urgent need to bring 50/50 equality to division of household labour between men and women. What has been magnificent about reporting on these recent female leaders, a number of them openly lesbian, is how unremarkable their presence had become. What is painful about the aftermath of Davidson’s resignation is being reminded that in reality they remain the exception. • Libby Brooks is the Guardian’s Scotland correspondent

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/31/ruth-davidson-decision-personal-scottish-tory-leader

LEFT

2019-08-31 05:03:17

The Guardian

Queensland extinguishes native title over Indigenous land to make way for Adani coalmine

Palaszczuk government did not announce decision Wangan and Jagalingou people say makes them trespassers on their own land

Palaszczuk government did not announce decision Wangan and Jagalingou people say makes them trespassers on their own land The Queensland government has extinguished native title over 1,385 hectares of Wangan and Jagalingou country for the proposed Adani coalmine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin - without any public announcement of the decision. The decision could see Wangan and Jagalingou protesters forcibly removed by police from their traditional lands, including lands used for ceremonies. W&J Council leader Adrian Burragubba, and a group of Wangan and Jagalingou representatives, had been calling on the government to rule out transferring their land, arguing they had never given their consent for Adani to occupy their country. In a meeting with government officials Friday, seeking a halt on leases being issued for mine infrastructure, they learned the state government had instead granted Adani exclusive possession freehold title over large swathes of their lands on Thursday, including the area currently occupied for ceremonial purposes. Adani mine would be 'unviable' without $4.4bn in subsidies, report finds Read more “We have been made trespassers on our own country,” Burragubba said. “Our ceremonial grounds, in place for a time of mourning for our lands as Adani begins its destructive processes, are now controlled by billionaire miner Adani. “With insider knowledge that the deal was already done, Adani had engaged Queensland police and threatened us with trespass.” To mine any land under a native title claim, a miner needs an Indigenous land use agreement, essentially a contract that allows the state to extinguish native title. Adani has a ILUA over the land: five of the 12 native claimants have opposed it, but have lost successive legal challenges in court to prevent it. Seven, a majority, of the native title claimants support the Adani mine. Burragubba and a group of supporters set up camp on the land ahead of its legal transfer to Adani. He said they will refuse to leave. He said a notice received by the council said their country “is to be handed over to Adani on 3 August 2019”. The notice also says “Adani will request the assistance of police to remove Mr Burragubba and his supporters from the camp”. Burragubba, whom Adani has bankrupted over costs from legal challenges, said his group would not abandon their protest nor quit their lands. “We will never consent to these decisions and will maintain our defence of country,” he said. “We will be on our homelands to care for our lands and waters, hold ceremonies and uphold the ancient, abiding law of the land.” In a statement, Adani said it had worked closely with the traditional owners of the proposed mine’s site since 2011 “to ensure the customs and wishes of Indigenous people are respected and supported”. Adani has secured four separate ILUA’s with four traditional owner groups, including the Wangan and Jagalingou people. “The ILUA vote for the Wangan and Jagalingou people held in 2016 saw 294 people vote in favour of the Carmichael project proceeding and one vote against,” a spokesperson said. “Adrian Burragubba has taken numerous legal actions against the Carmichael project and the courts have repeatedly said he has no case.” Burragubba lost his final appeal in August. Australian thermal coal exporters warned of falling demand from India Read more Australian governments will give $4.4bn in effective subsidies to Adani’s Carmichael coal project, which would otherwise be “unbankable and unviable”, new analysis reported this week has found. The Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis concluded that the project would benefit from several Australian taxpayer-funded arrangements – including subsidies, favourable deals and tax concessions – over its 30-year project life. It said the project would be further supported by public handouts, tax breaks and special treatment provided to Adani Power, the proposed end-user of the thermal coal in India. “If these subsidies were not being provided, Adani’s Carmichael thermal coalmine would be unbankable and unviable,” the IEEFA report said. In a detailed statement in reply, Adani said the institute was “known for publishing alarmist papers that attempt to discredit the fossil fuel industry” and said the report “attempts to resurrect old and patently false and inaccurate claims suggesting the Carmichael project will only be viable because of a variety of government subsidies”.

Ben Doherty

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/aug/31/queensland-extinguishes-native-title-over-indigenous-land-to-make-way-for-adani-coalmine

LEFT

2019-08-31 05:31:22

CNN

Arkansas woman drowns in a flood after 911 dispatcher scolds her during her final minutes

Debra Stevens was working her normal newspaper delivery route in Fort Smith, Arkansas, when rising flood waters began to overtake her SUV. In a final, panicked 22-minute call, Stevens begged for help from a dispatcher that the Fort Smith Police Department admitted sounded "calloused and uncaring at times."

(CNN) Debra Stevens was working her normal newspaper delivery route in Fort Smith, Arkansas, when rising flood waters began to overtake her SUV. The final, desperate 911 call of the 47-year-old woman who delivered the Southwest Times Record to front doors came at 4:38 on the morning of August 24. It was a panicked 22-minute plea for help with a dispatcher that the Fort Smith Police Department admitted sounded "calloused and uncaring at times." "I have an emergency -- a severe emergency," Stevens told the female dispatcher. "I can't get out and I'm scared to death, ma'am. Can you please help me?" A terrified Stevens told the dispatcher over and over that she was going to die in the rapidly rising water. She wept and asked repeatedly when help would arrive. She didn't know how to swim, she said. She had trouble describing her location. She didn't want to die, she said. "You're not going to die," the dispatcher said in audio released by police this week. "I don't know why you're freaking out... You freaking out is doing nothing but losing your oxygen in there. So calm down." Stevens said water was pouring into her car. It would soon ruin her new phone. "Do you really care about your brand new phone?" the dispatcher asked. "You're over there crying for your life. Who cares about your phone." Stevens said she didn't see the water on the road. She came up on it suddenly. She kept apologizing. The water was starting to reach her chest, she said. She could see people in the distance looking at her. They're probably laughing, she said. "Ma'am, I'm sorry," Stevens cried. Stevens at one point said she needed to vomit. "Well, you're in water, you can throw up," the dispatcher said. "It's not going to matter." Crying uncontrollably, Stevens asked the dispatcher to pray with her. "You go ahead and start off the prayer," the 911 operator said. "Please help and get me out of this water, dear Father," Stevens said. Again, she apologized for sounding rude. But she was afraid. "This will teach you next time don't drive in the water," the dispatcher told her. Stevens insisted she didn't see the flood waters. She's worked her paper route 21 years and never experienced anything like this. "I don't know how you didn't see it. You had to go right over it. The water just didn't appear." About 15 minutes into the call, the dispatcher took other calls. Police said many stranded residents were calling that morning. Stevens continued to weep. The dispatcher tried to describe to firefighters the stranded woman's location. "I'm on the phone with her," she said. "She's freaking out." About 18 minutes into the call, the dispatcher asked a firefighter whether he could see Steven's SUV. "Negative," he said. There was confusion about her location. Stevens cried uncontrollably. "Miss Debbie you're going to have to shut up," the dispatcher said. "Can you honk your horn?" "My horn is dead," Stevens said. "Everything is dead." The water was climbing above the door of her SUV, she said. "Oh, lord help me," she cried. The dispatcher said rescuers were looking for her. "Oh my god, my car is starting to move," Stevens cried. "OK, listen to me, I know," the dispatcher said. "I'm trying to get you help... I know you're scared. Just hold on for me because I've got to take other calls." Stevens starting screaming. She said couldn't breathe. "I'm on the phone with her right now," the dispatcher said to a rescuer. "She is legit freaking out." "I'm going to die," Stevens said. "Miss Debbie, you're breathing just fine because you are screaming at me. So calm down. I know you're scared. Hold on for me." Stevens is not heard again. "Miss Debbie? Miss Debbie?" the dispatcher said. "Oh my God. She sounds like she's under water now." The call ended at 5 a.m. ET Rescuers reached Stevens' SUV some 58 minutes later. They tried unsuccessfully to revive her. Fort Smith police said in a statement that it released the audio recording of the call "with great reluctance" after requests from the media. "The recording contains the audio of a dying person's last moments as well as the interaction between her and the 911 operator," the statement said. "And while the operator's response to this extremely tense and dynamic event sounds calloused and uncaring at times, sincere efforts were being made to locate and save Mrs. Stevens." Stevens' first call during the emergency was to her mother in law, police said. She then dialed 911 from her cell phone. Fort Smith fire and police units were inundated with 911 calls from people stranded in flood waters, the statement said. Stevens' difficulty describing her location and flooding limited the ability of first responders to reach her, the statement said. "I am heartbroken for this tragic loss of life and my prayers are with Debra's family and friends," Police Chief Danny Baker said in a statement. "All of our first responders who attempted to save Mrs. Stevens are distraught over the outcome. For every one of us, saving lives is at the very core of who we are and why we do what we do. When we are unsuccessful, it hurts." The Stevens family did not respond to multiple requests by CNN for comment. Police spokesman Aric Mitchell said the 911 operator had submitted her two weeks notice on August 9. She happened to be working her last shift the morning of the tragedy. "The incident will certainly lead to us looking at policies within our existing Communications Unit but we have not completed a review at this time to make specific determinations," Mitchell said.

Ray Sanchez;Rebekah Riess

www.cnn.com

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/31/us/arkansas-woman-drowns-911-dispatcher/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 05:31:22

CNN

Arkansas woman drowns in a flood after 911 dispatcher scolds her during her final minutes

Debra Stevens was working her normal newspaper delivery route in Fort Smith, Arkansas, when rising flood waters began to overtake her SUV. In a final, panicked 22-minute call, Stevens begged for help from a dispatcher that the Fort Smith Police Department admitted sounded "calloused and uncaring at times."

(CNN) Debra Stevens was working her normal newspaper delivery route in Fort Smith, Arkansas, when rising flood waters began to overtake her SUV. The final, desperate 911 call of the 47-year-old woman who delivered the Southwest Times Record to front doors came at 4:38 on the morning of August 24. It was a panicked 22-minute plea for help with a dispatcher that the Fort Smith Police Department admitted sounded "calloused and uncaring at times." "I have an emergency -- a severe emergency," Stevens told the female dispatcher. "I can't get out and I'm scared to death, ma'am. Can you please help me?" A terrified Stevens told the dispatcher over and over that she was going to die in the rapidly rising water. She wept and asked repeatedly when help would arrive. She didn't know how to swim, she said. She had trouble describing her location. She didn't want to die, she said.

Ray Sanchez;Rebekah Riess

www.cnn.com

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/31/us/arkansas-woman-drowns-911-dispatcher/index.html

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 05:39:00

ABC News

Despite battle with Congress, Trump administration slow-walking $4 billion in aid, including key funds for Ukraine

The U.S. is slow-walking the disbursement of $4 billion in aid to foreign nations.

After standing down in a battle with Congress over $4 billion in foreign assistance cuts, the White House is still slow-walking funds for those same programs in a move that threatens their full implementation, according to two sources. The decision is part of a larger fight over foreign aid between advocates, including senior Republicans and Democrats in Congress and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and fierce critics of it at the White House, led by acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. The details of these caps come as the White House also ordered a review of $250 million of Pentagon funds for Ukraine's military, according to a U.S. official. The Pentagon recommended the aid should continue, but the decision now lies with the White House, the official confirmed. Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images Last Thursday, President Donald Trump stood down on what's called a rescission package that would have canceled about $4 billion of funds from the budget for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development. The White House's Office of Management and Budget, which Mulvaney once led, had ordered a freeze on those programs and pushed for them to be cut and returned to the Treasury. The programs come from 10 areas, including global health, assistance to Europe to counter Russia and China, United Nations peacekeeping operations and countering drug trafficking. Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress demanded that the White House stand down, saying the cuts would harm vital U.S. national security and foreign policies. While the White House agreed, OMB quietly mandated that the State Department keep in place caps on spending for these programs -- allowing the department to spend only 2% of the funds each day. "Within this daily rate constraint, the State Department and USAID are working diligently to comply with all relevant directives by obligating all specified funds by the end of the fiscal year" on Sept. 30, a State Department spokesperson said. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters One source told ABC News there's concern that given the 2% cap, the department won't be able to spend all the money in the next month and could therefore lose it, arguing it would be a way of making the original rescission package happen but without formally notifying Congress. Congress is on recess until Sept. 9, but advocates for U.S. foreign aid hope that lawmakers could enact a mechanism to extend the funding into the next fiscal year and save it. The continued fight over foreign aid has also hit the Pentagon, where the White House put a hold on $250 million of military assistance to Ukraine. That decision also sparked outrage among lawmakers, who said pulling the funding would undermine the country's new president and work to help Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Enough is enough. President Trump should stop worrying about disappointing Vladimir Putin and stand up for U.S. national security priorities," said Sen. Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "We have a responsibility to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and deter Russia from further aggression." Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images The Pentagon has reviewed the funds and concluded that it should continue, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News. But the decision now rests with the White House. A State Department official declined to discuss internal deliberations and deferred questions to the White House. OMB did not respond to requests for comment. Despite the review, officials said the administration's Ukraine policy hasn't changed, pointing to National Security Adviser John Bolton's visit to Kyiv this week. Bolton met President Volodymyr Zelensky, a television star and comedian elected president in April, and reiterated support for him and Ukraine's territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing illegal occupation of Crimea and support for militant groups in eastern Ukraine. The administration has committed more than $1.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine in response to that aggression, including lethal weapons that Trump agreed to provide that his predecessor, President Barack Obama declined to, as well as capabilities to better secure its borders and ensure cooperation with NATO.

Abc News

abcnews.go.com

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/battle-congress-trump-administration-slow-walking-billion-aid/story?id=65294885

CENTER

2019-08-31 05:55:21

BBC

Iran tanker row: US blacklists vessel 'bound for Syria'

The US says the Adrian Darya 1 is being used by Iran to fund "illicit activities" in the region.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The Adrian Darya 1 oil tanker was seized by British authorities but released earlier this month The US Treasury has blacklisted an Iranian tanker it claims is being used to ship oil to Syria. The Adrian Darya 1, previously known as Grace 1, was detained by British authorities in Gibraltar in July after it was suspected of moving oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. It was released earlier this month after Iran gave assurances that it would not discharge its cargo in Syria. The US has since tried, unsuccessfuly, to have the ship detained again. Its initial seizure sparked a diplomatic crisis between the UK and Iran, which saw Iran seize a British-flagged and Swedish-owned oil tanker, the Stena Impero, in the Gulf. In a statement, the US Treasury said the Adrian Darya 1 was being used to transport 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil for the benefit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard - a branch of the country's armed forces that the US has designated a terrorist organisation. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Grace 1: Inside the seized supertanker It insisted that ships like Adrian Darya 1 were being used to sell oil illicitly to fund Iran's "malign activities and propagate terrorism". US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added in a Tweet that America had "reliable information" the vessel was on course to Tartus, a major Syrian port city which is also home to a Russian naval base. He added that it was "a big mistake" to trust any assurances about the ship from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. In earlier talks, Iran said that oil aboard the ship had already been sold, but it did not revealed the identity of the buyer. After the Adrian Darya 1 left Gibraltar last week, it listed the Greek port Kalamata as its final destination. Mr Pompeo threatened sanctions on any country that helped the tanker, and Greece later said it would not "facilitate" its course to Syria. According to publicly available tracking data, the Adrian Darya 1 has changed its final destination to Iskenderun in eastern Turkey, abouit 25 miles (40km) from the Syrian border. But Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that the tanker had changed course several times and insisted that it was heading for Lebanese waters instead.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49533722

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 06:00:42

The Guardian

Instead of school supplies, this year I’m shopping for a bulletproof backpack

After so many school shootings, I’m not worried my kid won’t fit in – I’m praying he won’t be carried out

I have always loved the end of summer’s lazy promise of infinite possibility, the late August back to school buzz of limitless potential. Instead of shopping for school supplies and first day of school outfits, though, I’m online looking at Kevlar hoodies and bulletproof backpacks. This year, I’m not worried my kid won’t fit in – I’m praying he won’t be carried out. After so many school shootings, I’m scared. Scared of what happens when that student who seems a little off or angry or cruel, whose parents don’t notice or take it seriously, whose issues the school is “dealing with”, finds access to a gun. Terrified because I know I can’t protect my child – and the government won’t. Confused because these students need help and not stigma, and it’s oddly the guns who have the stronger lobby. Where to avoid if you don’t want to be shot in America | Arwa Mahdawi Read more Prevention of gun violence depends now on the vigilance of other parents, school administrators and law enforcement. Parents and schools are generally forewarned. School shooters exhibit “behavioral warning signs that caused others to be concerned” 93% of the time, and shooters’ plans are known to others 81% of the time. When schools ignore bullying or overlook troubling or aberrant behavior, they create a dangerous atmosphere that arming teachers, lockdowns and drills can’t later prevent. Parents who ignore warning signs put both their own and other people’s children in danger. Law enforcement is needed before active situations develop. The El Paso killer’s mother called the police to express her concern about her son having an assault weapon. The neighbor who took in the Parkland killer says she called police to express similar concerns. Seventeen states and Washington DC have variations of red flag laws, which allow the removal of guns by judicial order from those deemed a danger to themselves or others. When warnings are heeded and social media sites monitored, would-be killers can be stopped and numerous lives saved. There are no easy answers, particularly given political resistance to gun control legislation, but we certainly we can try. Kids can be encouraged to share information, possibly using anonymous tip lines. Metal detectors and bulletproof doors and bag checks may be widely needed, and occasional assemblies just haven’t been cutting it. Communities can be more involved in creating individualized solutions. Violence is a great equalizer; after shootings in Columbine, Sandy Hook and Parkland, parents in all economic strata recognize no community is safe. If this sways upcoming elections, meaningful legislation could move forward and much of this issue greatly mitigated. It’s troubling that 74% of gun owners say the right to gun ownership is “essential to their own sense of freedom”. Freedom is now predicated on access to weaponry? Obviously your gun is for protection – though research shows it’s actually more likely members of your own household will be shot with that gun than any armed intruder … But you’re different – you will keep your gun safer, never develop mental health issues, your kid would never … Most gun owners believe they can control gun safety in their homes, their risk perception flawed despite statistical evidence. After shootings in Columbine, Sandy Hook and Parkland, parents in all economic strata recognize no community is safe Statistics. Evidence. The more than 100,000 people injured every year in shootings, and more than 36,000 people a year who die as a result of gun violence, a public health crisis according to the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Jama, etc. The second amendment, which doesn’t confer a right to own any gun for sport or protection without limitation – that’s neither its language nor how courts interpret it. The campaign donations senators and other representatives receive from the gun lobby. These facts can no longer be ignored or manipulated. Forty years ago, my back to school was JC Penney’s, Sears or Kmart clothing advertised in shiny newspaper inserts, black-and-white marbled composition books and, if I was lucky, a novelty pen with click tabs of multiple ink colors. I was scared of the “burnouts”: boys with thick chains swinging from the loops of their faded jeans who smoked openly outside school doors, scared of gum chewing tube top-clad cool girls with their Farrah Fawcett feathered, Sun-In blonde hair … and of practically everybody else. The district’s least academic track was nicknamed “pre-jail”, there was a pregnant seventh grader whose belly strained against her overalls as she struggled to decorate our homeroom door with paper flowers, and a tall unsmiling redhead rumored to have joined the Nazi party wore enormous black boots whose stomp echoed in the narrow hallway where he called my best friend “kike” every day as he passed her. But all I feared was that someone would call me fat and everyone would laugh at me and my fatness – never guns, never being killed. Years later, I do worry about the possibility of a shooter at my son’s tiny suburban school, though there are no grappling tweens making out in front of lockers, no lingering smoke smell at its entryway, no older kids in pick up trucks zooming out of its parking lot. In other years, I shook with PTSD at back to school night, flashing back to my tween awkwardness and pain. Now, I sit imagining someone reaching into pocket or purse and shots ricocheting around the small auditorium. Because no matter how good our body armor, none of us are bulletproof, and our most effective weapon remains our vote.

Judi Zirin

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/31/school-shootings-bulletproof-backpacks-kevlar

LEFT

2019-08-31 06:00:44

The Guardian

'I was charged £20,000 for driving my car into the London emissions zone'

A Spanish motorist has been hit with huge penalties for driving in the UK capital

In December, Giancarlo Bonati, a DJ in Ibiza, made the journey by car to London to be with his mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. During three months in the country he drove in and out of London 12 times, although never into the city centre. But in April, without prior warning that fines were building up, he says he was left in a state of shock after receiving 12 letters sent by Transport for London’s debt collection agents, EPC. Sent to his address in Ibiza, they demanded €1,219 each, or €14,637 in total (£13,300) for his 12 drives. He appealed, but the fine went up to £20,000, with about £18,000 going to TfL and £2,000 to EPC. “Of course, when you receive any fine from an official body it is a worry, let alone ones amounting to €22,000,” Bonati said. “It has created a huge amount of stress. The overriding fear was they [EPC] had the power to send debt collectors local to us in Spain and seize goods amounting to the €22,000. Either that, or put a lien on our property – we thought anything was possible.” Bonati contacted Guardian Money in despair. “TfL negated all responsibility for matters relating to foreign-plated vehicles. We were told to deal with EPC directly. We appealed the fines with EPC, which completely ignored them and just increased the fines,” he said. The good news is that after Money contacted TfL this week it cancelled all the fines, a result he says he “can’t quite believe … thank you, we are breathing a huge sigh of relief”. But how could any driver end up with officially sanctioned fines of £20,000 for driving into London 12 times? The answer will strike fear into anyone who owns a large 4x4, or who is bringing their car into the capital from Europe. It also raises questions about the information given to drivers on the TfL website. Bonati’s problem was not the recently introduced ultra low emission zone, which costs £12.50 a day for vehicles entering the central London congestion charge area. Instead, his car allegedly breached the much broader low emission zone (LEZ), which covers Greater London. The LEZ is mostly aimed at articulated lorries and trucks which, if not compliant with the rules, are charged £100 a day. If the vehicle is from outside the UK and not registered with TfL beforehand, the fee is £200 a day. If it is not paid, it jumps to £500, then escalates to £750. On top of that, there are extra fees for the debt collectors. But Bonati was not driving a lorry. He was driving his family car, a 30-year-old petrol-engined Mercedes Benz G300, pictured above. It is very similar to a Land Rover Defender and Land Rover 110 – popular in the British countryside. TfL said some 4x4s are classified as commercial vehicles: “If a 4x4 is classified as a car, it isn’t affected by the LEZ. If the manufacturer and EU classify it as a commercial vehicle, it is. Any vehicle designed to carry goods, or more than nine passengers, is classed as a commercial vehicle (even if only used for recreational purposes) and could be affected by the LEZ.” But Bonati, who acknowledges his car is more suited to Ibiza’s rocky terrain than the streets of London, meticulously checked the TfL website before his trip – which said his car was not liable for the charge. “We had heard of the LEZ and had checked with the relevant TfL website before travelling to London. We did not want to be caught out by any congestion charge-type scenarios. Ironically, this is exactly what ended up happening.” He showed Money screengrabs of the TfL site, which showed he could check by either registration plate, or vehicle type. As the car was foreign-registered, Bonati thought it more sensible to check by type. “We input our vehicle details. It stated: ‘You are not affected by the Low Emission Zone.’ Great! Or so we thought.” If Bonati had clicked the “check by registration plate” button it would have warned him of a £200 daily charge. Intriguingly, the “check by vehicle type” button has been removed from TfL’s site since Bonati first logged on. Also, when Money entered his details early this week, it said he was liable for a charge, but later in the week it said he was not. Helen Chapman, director of licensing, regulation and charging at TfL, said: “We’re sorry to hear of Mr and Ms Bonati’s experiences. Having reviewed the information from the relevant country’s licensing equivalent, we are now satisfied the vehicle is not subject to the LEZ, and we have now cancelled the LEZ charge. We urge people with vehicles registered outside the UK to register their vehicle with us before they travel so its status, including emissions, is confirmed before they travel. This is necessary as we cannot access information from foreign vehicle licensing authorities in the same way we can with UK vehicles registered with the DVLA. And, as in this case, there are occasions when it isn’t clear if a vehicle is affected by the LEZ.” Bonati is still angry he was put through such an emotionally exhausting saga by TfL. “They now appear to have changed the rules and, most importantly, their website, which in future will stop other people falling into this particular trap,” he said. “But why were these fines not internally reviewed, particularly when huge fines were given, particularly when they were imposed around this admittedly grey area of the LEZ?”

Patrick Collinson;Miles Brignall

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/aug/31/i-was-charged-20000-for-driving-my-car-into-the-london-emissions-zone

LEFT

2019-08-31 06:00:46

The Guardian

Thousands expected to join protests against Boris Johnson ‘coup’

Jeremy Corbyn calls on people to hit the streets as more than 80 demonstrations are planned

Jeremy Corbyn calls on people to hit the streets as more than 80 demonstrations are planned Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to the streets across the country on Saturday to protest against Boris Johnson’s move to suspend parliament. Organisers are backing the use of civil disobedience during the wave of protests, in which demonstrators will “resist the parliament shutdown” in dozens of towns and cities. The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, will be among high-profile speakers addressing demonstrators massing outside the gates of Downing Street. Jeremy Corbyn threw his weight behind the protests, saying: “The public outrage at Boris Johnson shutting down democracy has been deafening. People are right to take to the streets – and I encourage everyone to join the demonstrations in London and across the country tomorrow.” One Facebook group for the event, called “Stop the coup, defend democracy”, said: “Boris Johnson is trying to shut down our democracy so that he can deliver on his Brexit agenda. We can’t just rely on the courts or parliamentary process to save the day. We all have a duty to stand up and be counted.” Protests are planned in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, Glasgow and Swansea, among more than 80 planned demonstrations due to take place over the next week. Critics have accused Johnson of trying to circumvent parliamentary democracy to stop MPs blocking a no-deal Brexit. The protests are being organised by a series of groups including Momentum, the grassroots campaign organisation set up to support Corbyn. They are also being backed by the Guardian columnist Owen Jones. Laura Parker, Momentum’s national coordinator, pledged to “shut down the streets”. She said: “We have a barely elected millionaire prime minister who is happy to exploit a loophole in our flawed democracy to force through a Trump-first, no-deal Brexit. He is part of the same tiny, privileged elite which has been hoarding power at the top and eroding our democracy for decades. “There are thousands of people from all over the UK and across the political spectrum who will protest to stop Johnson close the doors on our democracy.” Michael Chessum, a Momentum activist who runs the campaign group Another Europe is Possible, which is also behind the protest, told the Guardian he supported peaceful civil disobedience at the demonstrations. The self-described “hard-left, hard-remain” campaigner said: “I think it’s an essential part of any successful protest movement. Ultimately, a successful protest movement isn’t about asking nicely. Boris Johnson is not amenable to some kind of intellectual conversion, he is out to dismantle democracy to deliver his vision of Brexit.” He added: “When democracy is under threat, people have to take matters into their own hands as well. I think it’s a really nice atmosphere. People are angry, they’re energetic, but they’re also good-natured. It’s a very peaceful atmosphere as well, so I’d anticipate that kind of thing will continue.” Izzy Warren, of the UK Student Climate Network, which is also backing the protests, said: “We need a well-functioning parliament and strong democratic structures to successfully prevent irreversible climate breakdown. Shutting down parliament to force through political agendas is the antithesis to what is needed, and is exactly why young people are furious at the very same politicians failing to take the climate crisis seriously.” Scotland Yard said: “A proportionate policing plan is in place. Any public order incidents will be dealt with appropriately.”

Simon Murphy

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/31/thousands-expected-to-join-protests-against-boris-johnson-coup

LEFT

2019-08-31 06:01:06

The Guardian

Pensions: five reasons to think twice before putting it all in one pot

Combining pensions seems a good idea in theory, but it is best to be cautious

Pensions: five reasons to think twice before putting it all in one pot Experts often say it makes sense for savers to combine all their pensions in one place, so they have a single pot that is easier to manage. But former pensions minister Steve Webb this week issued a warning for consumers to think carefully. He says there were five good reasons to think twice before consolidating small pension pots, and that for some people there is a risk they could end up worse off. On the face of it, it seems obvious that you should combine your various arrangements in one place: it is tidier, there’s only one company or provider to deal with, and so on. Many of us will accumulate a lot of pots over a long working life: it is said the average person will have about 11 different jobs. Throw in the fact that some of those providers will probably change their name, move to a new address or be taken over, and it is easy to see why keeping track of all those different schemes and plans might be a challenge if you keep them separate. Webb, who is now director of policy at life and pensions company Royal London, says: “One of the questions I am asked more often than any other is whether people should combine all of their pensions in one place.” While that can have some advantages, there are also unexpected disadvantages, he says. “Older pension policies may have attractive features which would be lost if transferred, while small pots benefit from certain tax privileges which do not apply to larger ones. As ever, the best approach is to seek impartial advice or guidance.” These are his five reasons to think twice before consolidating small pots: 1 Throwing away enhanced tax-free cash or early retirement options attached to some older pensions Some, especially those taken out before April 2006 – when a great deal of pension tax simplification took effect – allowed members to draw more than 25% of the pot tax free, or to access the pension before age 55. If these are transferred out individually, privileges can be lost. 2 Throwing away valuable guaranteed annuity rates attached to some older pensions When some pensions were sold, they carried a promise that the pot could be turned into a guaranteed income in retirement. Remember Equitable Life? It was the guaranteed annuity rates that were at the heart of its problems. Webb says that, given the collapse in annuity rates in recent years, these guarantees are extremely valuable, but can be lost if transferred into another pension. 3 Paying steep exit penalties While modern pension policies can generally be merged without penalty, savers can sometimes be hit with hefty exit charges if they want to take money out of older policies. Previous reports and surveys have indicated some schemes have charges of 10% or more. So tread carefully here. 4 Missing out on “small pot” privileges for those potentially affected by the lifetime allowance for pension savings The lifetime allowance is a limit on the value of payouts from your pension schemes that can be made without triggering an extra tax charge. It’s currently £1,055,000 – so most people aren’t affected. But if you are, Webb says that “savers are allowed to take up to three pots of under £10,000 without counting against the allowance”. 5 Missing out on “small pot” privileges for those still putting money in If you start taking money from a defined contribution scheme, the amount you can pay in and still get tax relief on, typically plummets from up to £40,000 a year to a fraction of that: £4,000 for the 2019-20 tax year. That is known as the money purchase annual allowance, or MPAA. This won’t normally be triggered if you cash in small pots less than £10,000. “Those who consolidate all their small pots miss out on this,” says Webb.

Rupert Jones

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/aug/31/pensions-five-reasons-to-think-twice-before-putting-it-all-in-one-pot

LEFT

2019-08-31 06:01:10

The Guardian

World's fastest shark added to list of vulnerable species to regulate trade

A record number of countries voted to restrict fishing of mako sharks in an effort to protect the endangered species

A record number of countries voted to restrict fishing of mako sharks in an effort to protect the endangered species A record number of countries have voted to protect the world’s fastest shark from extinction in a move welcomed by conservationists as a “wake up call” for fishing nations who have ignored the endangered species’ decline. In Geneva this week, governments voted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to regulate the international trade in both species of mako shark – long and short fin – in addition to 16 vulnerable species of sharks and rays. Mako sharks, the “cheetahs of the ocean”, can reach speeds of up to 43mph. They are overfished worldwide, but the shortfin mako is considered especially vulnerable in the North Atlantic. EU vessels, mainly Spanish and Portuguese, were responsible for 65% of all reported catches of shortfin makos in the North Atlantic from January to June in 2018, according to the Shark Trust, and have not been subject to any limit on catch. Play Video 0:13 Shortfin mako: the world's fastest shark - video Scientists and conservationists have been sounding the alarm over the important species. This year, the shortfin and longfin mako were classified as endangered and put on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s red list. In June, scientists issued grim warnings that the species was declining faster than previously believed and recommended annual landings of mako in the North Atlantic be reduced from 3000 tonnes to 300, to allow the population to recover. A demand for shark fin soup is one of the driving factors in the shrinking number of sharks in the ocean. The majority of the global trade in sharks, rays and their products, especially fins and meat, is unregulated. Conservation groups said the adoption of the proposal, presented by Mexico and co-sponsored by the EU at the 18th CITES conference, was the first step towards proper management of depleted populations. Luke Warwick, associate director for sharks and rays at the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: “The CITES party governments clearly sought to strengthen efforts to prevent the extinction of mako, guitarfish and wedgefish sharks and rays. Sharks and rays are among the most threatened species on our planet and momentum is clearly building to ensure that these species – which have been around for 400 million years – continue to be around for future generations.” Warwick said the listing will also help ensure that fisheries’ bodies, “that have ignored their management for decades”, will prioritise mako sharks as important predators. While the treaty does not ban trade, it forces countries to track exports of listed sharks and rays and to demonstrate that fishing them will not threaten their long term survival. Sonja Fordham, president of Shark Advocates International, said the move was a “wake up call” for many countries. “These decisions offer the promise of a brighter future for these highly threatened shark and ray species, as international trade has been a major factor in depletion of their slow growing populations. [The] CITES listing can help end unsustainable use of makos, wedgefishes, and giant guitarfishes by prompting improved trade data and much-needed limits on exploitation, while complementing other conservation commitments.” Conservationists urged the EU to immediately implement measures to protect mako and to encourage limits at regional fisheries’ bodies, beginning with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), a body made up of 52 states that governs tuna and tuna-like species including sharks, which meets in November. “Considering that Spain leads the world in mako shark landings, we’re encouraged that the European Union co-sponsored the proposal to list makos under CITES,” said Ali Hood, director of conservation for the Shark Trust. “We urge the EU to underscore this commitment through proposals to immediately ban North Atlantic shortfin mako retention and establish concrete catch limits to ensure mako landings from all other oceans are sustainable. As virtually all fishing countries are CITES parties, we’ll be watching for support for such mako limits at regional fisheries bodies around the world, starting with ICCAT in November.” Shortfin makos produce few young and mature later than other shark species, with females maturing around 18 years of age – a characteristic that makes them vulnerable to overfishing.

Karen Mcveigh

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/31/worlds-fastest-shark-mako-added-to-list-of-vulnerable-species-to-regulate-trade

LEFT

2019-08-31 06:05:23

Breitbart

Climate Change Will Produce ‘Powerful Conflicts’

The U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights warned Friday that climate change will cause serious “harm to Human Rights.”

The U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned Friday that climate change will cause serious “harm to Human Rights” as well as producing “powerful conflicts” among peoples. One year after beginning her mandate, Bachelet said that “climate change has been a reality for a long time,” and in order to address it, nations much “take concrete measures to comply with the Paris Agreements.” “I know that climate change will generate, voluntarily or not, restrictions and harm to people’s rights,” she said in an interview published Friday with the Spanish news agency EFE. “Of course, it is not nature that violates human rights, but when people have to move because of drought, lack of food, or fight for water, powerful conflicts will be generated,” she added. This has had particular repercussions in the Amazon region, the Chilean said, with veiled references to the Bolsonaro government in Brazil. “Governments must listen to civil society because climate change requires behavioral changes and this has to do with the situation in the Amazon,” Bachelet said. “Part of the problems of fires have to do with a set of behaviors of human beings that are harmful to this fantastic area of biodiversity.” “We have seen democratically elected individuals who have begun to weaken the institutions and decrease the participation of civil society,” she said. “Years ago, there was talk of ‘demodura’ (hard democracy) and ‘dictablanda’ (soft dictatorship) when these authoritarian biases were seen,” she said, “but what is new is that it now coincides with other processes such as populisms, nationalisms and anti-multilateralism.” “Citizens no longer consider a democracy that consists in electing their representatives is sufficient — and neither does it seem so to me — and they ask to participate in the decisions that matter to them,” she said. “It is a risk to democracy, peace and security, but also when people are not allowed to participate at a certain level of decision-making, public policies may not address people’s real problems or go in the wrong direction,” she said. “The result is that we will continue in a world full of conflicts and problems in which countries opt for solutions that are not adequate, such as restricting migration,” she said, “when in reality what needs to be done is to solve the underlying problems and discuss them with the people.” The vast majority of countries understand that migration is “a global problem that cannot be solved individually,” Bachelet added, and it is a great mistake for countries “to believe that they can solve the problems themselves with measures that are usually restrictive or regressive.” “There is no measure that can stop a human being who is desperate and wants to improve their living conditions,” she said. Follow @tdwilliamsrome.

Thomas D. Williams

www.breitbart.com

https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2019/08/30/u-n-chief-climate-change-damaging-human-rights-will-produce-powerful-conflicts/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+breitbart+%28Breitbart+News%29

RIGHT

2019-08-31 06:17:19

BBC

Assam NRC: What next for 1.9 million 'stateless' Indians?

The latest list of citizens in Assam state effectively strips 1.9 million people of citizenship.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Four million people were stripped off their citizenship in the draft list last July India has published the final version of a list which effectively strips about 1.9 million people in the north-eastern state of Assam of their citizenship. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a list of people who can prove they came to the state by 24 March 1971, a day before neighbouring Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan. People left off the list will have 120 days to appeal their exclusion. It is unclear what happens next. India says the process is needed to identify illegal Bangladeshi migrants. It has already detained thousands of people suspected of being foreigners in temporary camps which are housed in the state's prisons, but deportation is currently not an option for the country. The process has also sparked criticism of "witch hunts" against Assam's ethnic minorities. A draft version of the list published last year had four million people excluded. What is the registry of citizens? The NRC was created in 1951 to determine who was born in Assam and is therefore Indian, and who might be a migrant from neighbouring Bangladesh. The register has been updated for the first time. Image copyright EPA Image caption The NRC was created in 1951 to determine who was born in the state and is Indian Families in the state have been required to provide documentation to show their lineage, with those who cannot prove their citizenship deemed illegal foreigners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long railed against illegal immigration in India but has made the NRC a priority in recent years. Why is the registry happening in Assam? Assam is one India's most multi-ethnic states. Questions of identity and citizenship have long vexed a vast number of people living there. Among its residents are Bengali and Assamese-speaking Hindus, as well as a medley of tribespeople. A third of the state's 32 million residents are Muslims, the second-highest number after Indian-administered Kashmir. Many of them are descendants of immigrants who settled there under British rule. But illegal migration from neighbouring Bangladesh, which shares a 4,000-km-long border with India, has been a concern there for decades now. The government said in 2016 that an estimated 20 million illegal immigrants were living in India. So have 1.9 million people effectively become stateless? Not quite. Residents excluded from the list can appeal to the specially-formed courts called Foreigners Tribunals, as well as the high court and Supreme Court. However, a potentially long and exhaustive appeals process will mean that India's already overburdened courts will be further clogged, and poor people left out of the list will struggle to raise money to fight their cases. Image copyright AFP Image caption Saheb Ali, 55, from Goalpara district, has not been included in the list If people lose their appeals in higher courts, they could be detained indefinitely. Some 1,000 people declared as foreigners earlier are already lodged in six detention centres located in prisons. Mr Modi's government is also building an exclusive detention centre, which can hold 3,000 detainees. "People whose names are not on the final list are really anxious about what lies ahead. One of the reasons is that the Foreigners Tribunal does not have a good reputation, and many people are worried that they will have to go through this process," Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, author of Assam: The Accord, The Discord, told the BBC. Why have been the courts so controversial? The special courts were first set up in 1964, and since then they have declared more than 100,000 people foreigners. They regularly identify "doubtful voters" or "illegal infiltrators" as foreigners to be deported. But the workings of the specially formed Foreigners Tribunals, which have been hearing the contested cases, have been mired in controversy. There are more than 200 such courts in Assam today, and their numbers are expected to go up to 1,000 by October. (The majority of these tribunals have been set up after the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP came to power in 2014.) The courts have been accused of bias and their workings have often been opaque and riddled with inconsistencies. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Living in limbo: Assam's four million unwanted For one, the burden of proof is on the accused or the alleged foreigner. Second, many families are unable to produce documents due to poor record-keeping, illiteracy or because they lack the money to file a legal claim. People have been declared as foreigners by the courts because of differences in spellings of names or ages in voters rolls, and problems in getting identity documents certified by authorities. Amnesty International has described the work by the special courts as "shoddy and lackadaisical". Journalist Rohini Mohan analysed more than 500 judgements by these courts in one district and found 82% of the people on trial had been declared foreigners. She also found more Muslims had been declared foreigners, and 78% of the orders were delivered without the accused being ever heard - the police said they were "absconding", but Ms Mohan found many of them living in their villages and unaware they were declared foreigners. "The Foreigners Tribunal," she says, "must be made more transparent and accountable." A decorated Indian army veteran, Mohammed Sanaullah spent 11 days in a detention camp in June after being declared a "foreigner", prompting national outrage. Both the citizen's register and the tribunals have also sparked fears of a witch hunt against Assam's ethnic minorities. Have the minorities been targeted? Many say the list has nothing to do with religion, but activists see it as targeting the state's Bengali community, a large portion of whom are Muslims. They also point to the plight of Rohingya Muslims in neighbouring Bangladesh. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The move to make millions of people stateless will probably spark protests However significant numbers of Bengali-speaking Hindus have also been left off the citizenship list, underscoring the communal and ethnic tensions in the state "One of the communities worst affected by the list are the Bengali Hindus. There are as many of them in detention camps as Muslims. This is also the reason just days before NRC is to be published the BJP has changed tack, from taking credit for it to calling it error-ridden. That is because the Bengali Hindus are a strong voter base of the BJP," says Ms Barooah Pisharoty. The human tragedy Fearing possible loss of citizenship and detention after exclusion from the list, scores of Bengali Hindus and Muslims have killed themselves since the process to update the citizen register started in 2015, activists say. And in an echo of US President Donald Trump's policy to separate undocumented parents and children, families have been similarly broken up in Assam. Detainees have complained of poor living conditions and overcrowding in the detention centres. Image copyright Citizens for Justice and Peace Image caption A father and son killed themselves 30 years apart because of doubts over their citizenship One detainee told a rights group after his release that he was taken to a room which had a capacity of 40 people, but was filled with around 120 people. People who have been declared foreigners as well as many inmates have been suffering from depression. Children have also been detained with their parents. Human rights activist Harsh Mander who has visited two detention centres has spoken about a situation of "grave and extensive human distress and suffering". What happens to people who are declared foreigners? The BJP which rules the state, has insisted in the past that illegal Muslim immigrants will be deported. But neighbouring Bangladesh will definitely not accede to such a request. Many believe that India will end up creating the newest cohort of stateless people, raising the spectre of a homegrown crisis that will echo that of the Rohingya people who fled Myanmar for Bangladesh. It is not clear whether the people stripped of their Indian citizenship will be able to access welfare or own property. One possibility is that once they are released, they will be given work permits with some basic rights, but will not be allowed to vote. Read more on the NRC: Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The exclusion of army veteran Mohammad Sanaullah caused outrage Have you been affected by this decision? Please share your experiences by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49520593

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 06:28:26

BBC

Brexit: Dukkan abin da kuke bukatar sani kan ficewar Birtaniya daga Turai

Masani a kan fitar Birtaniya tarayyar Turai

Birtaniya na shirin fitar tarayyar Turai da karfe 23:00 GMT a ranar 31 October 2019. Wadanda suka bin lungu da sako, wannan zai sanar da su a kan abin da ya kamata su sani. Me nene Brexit? Brexit na nufin - fitar Birtaniya - na nufin fitar Birtaniya tarayyar Turai. Me cece tarayyar Turai? Tarayyar Turai kungiya ce ta tattalin arziki da siyasa wanda suka hada kasashe 28. Akwai damar sayayyar kaya da shige da ficen mutane tare da damar zama da aiki a kowacce kasa suka zaba. Birtaniya ta shiga tarayyar a 1973, a lokacin ana kiranta da Gundumar tattalin arziki ta Turai watau (when it was known as the European Economic Community). Idan Birtaniya ta fita a ranar 31 ga watan Agusta, ita za ta zama kasa ta farko wadda za ta fita tarayyar. Me ya sa Birtaniya za ta fita? Zabe na jama'a - zaben raba gardama wanda aka yi a ranar Alhamis 23 ga watan Yunin 2016, domin zabar fitar Birtaniya ko ta tsaya cikin kungiyar. Zabar fitar ya ci da kashi 52% a kan na tsayawa kashi 48%. Mutanen kasa kashi 72% ne suka fito, sama da mutum miliyan 30 suka yi zaben - 1mutum miliyan 7.4 suka zabi a fita. Me ya sa har yanzu ba a fita ba? Hakkin mallakar hoto Getty Images Image caption Theresa May ta rasa rinjaye bayan da ta kira zabe a farkon 2017. An yi shirin fitar Brexit a ranar 29 ga watan Maris din 2019. Kimanin shekara biyu ke nan bayan da Firaiministar lokacin Theresa May ta yi amfani da Article 50 - hanyar fita tarayyar, wanda hakan ne ya haifar da yarjejeniyar fitar. Amma an jinkirta lokacin fitar har sau biyu. Birtaniya da tarayyar Turai sun cimma yarjejeniya a watan Nuwambar 2018 amma 'yan majalisa suka ki amincewa da ita har sau uku. Me cece yarjejeniyar fitar? Yarjejeniyar ta hada da tsayayyiyar yarjejeniyar fita wadda ta bijiro da 'saki' da kuma fita a siyasance a kan hadda huldarsu su biyu za ta kasance a nan gaba. Yarjejeniyar fitar ta hada da kamar haka; hakkin 'yan kadsashen tarayyar a Birtaniya da da turawan Ingila a tarayyar kudaden da Birtaniya za ta biya tarayyar(ana tsammanin za su kai pam biliyan 39) barin shige-da-fice a iyakar Ireland. Me ya sa majalisa ta ki amincewa da yarjejeniyar fitar (Brexit)? Babban lamarin ga mambobin jam'iyya mai mulki da na DUP shi ne barin shige da fice a iyakar Ireland. A yanzu, babu wasu iyakoki ko wasu abubuwan da ka hana iya wuce wurin ga jama'a ko kayayyakitsakanin Kudancin Ireland da jamhuriyar Ireland. Currently, there are no border posts, physical barriers or checks on people or goods crossing the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The backstop is designed to ensure that continues after the UK leaves the EU. Na'urarku na da matsalar sauraren sauti Confused by Brexit jargon? Reality Check unpacks the basics. It comes into effect only if a comprehensive free trade deal is not quickly agreed between the UK and EU. It would keep the UK effectively inside the EU's customs union but with Northern Ireland also conforming to some rules of the single market. Critics say a different status for Northern Ireland could threaten the existence of the United Kingdom and fear that the backstop could become permanent. But supporters say it is necessary to maintain peace in Northern Ireland. Hakkin mallakar hoto Getty Images Image caption Boris Johnson, who replaced Mrs May as prime minister, says there are "abundant" technological solutions to the Irish border question Could the UK leave with no deal? Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants the EU to remove the backstop from the deal. He wants "alternative arrangements" and technological solutions instead. But the EU has so far refused to change the backstop. Mr Johnson has said the UK must leave on 31 October, even if that is without a deal. Hakkin mallakar hoto PA Media Image caption As part of no-deal plans, a section of the M20 would be reserved for lorries in the event of long delays That means the UK will leave the customs union and single market overnight. What are the customs union and the single market? The customs union ensures that all EU countries charge the same taxes on goods coming in from outside. They do not charge taxes on each other's goods. But members cannot strike their own trade deals. The single market enables goods, services, people and money to move between all 28 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, who are members of the European Economic Area. Countries in the single market apply many common rules and standards. A UK company can sell its product (goods) in Portugal as easily as it can in Portsmouth, bring back the cash (capital), offer maintenance (services) and dispatch a repair team (people). Will a no-deal Brexit cause disruption? If the UK leaves the customs union and single market then the EU will start carrying out checks on British goods. This could lead to delays at ports, such as Dover. Some fear that this could lead to traffic bottlenecks, disrupting supply routes and damaging the economy. Mr Johnson has tried to calm such fears by announcing an extra £2.1bn of funding to prepare for a possible no-deal outcome on 31 October. What happens next with Brexit? If nothing else happens, the UK will leave without a deal on 31 October 2019. But the prime minister says he still wants to leave with a deal on that date, and lots of MPs say they will try to stop the UK leaving without one. Stopping a no-deal Brexit became more difficult after Mr Johnson announced he would be suspending Parliament - known as prorogation - for five weeks in September and October. This will cut the number of working days MPs have in Parliament to try and stop it, with critics claiming it is a deliberate ploy by the PM to cut them out. But the government says the move allows them to reset and start work on policies away from Brexit. Could no-deal Brexit be stopped? Most MPs are against a no-deal Brexit - with the leaders of Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party voicing their opposition. One way to prevent a no-deal outcome would be to try to topple the government with a vote of no confidence and replace it with an alternative one that would seek a delay to Brexit, in order to allow a general election or another referendum to take place. The other way is passing a law to force the government to ask the EU for a delay. Some campaigners are also looking into launching a judicial review in the courts to stop Mr Johnson proroguing Parliament. Brexit could also be cancelled completely by MPs, although few have suggested that they would support that, without the need for the EU's agreement. How will a no-deal Brexit affect me? A no-deal Brexit could affect individuals in all sorts of different ways. If the pound falls sharply in response to no deal and there are significant delays at ports, like Dover, it could affect the price and availability of some foods. There are also concerns over potential shortages of medicines, although the government has said much preparation has been done to avoid this. Most economists and business groups believe no deal would lead to economic harm. For example, the Office for Budget Responsibility - which provides independent analysis of the UK's public finances - believes a no-deal Brexit would cause a UK recession. But many Brexit supporters say it is hard to accurately predict what will happen or believe any economic disruption will be short-term and minor. Image caption Almost a third of the UK's food comes from the EU EU citizens in the UK can apply for settled status, allowing them to remain in the country even if there is a no deal. UK expats in the EU are advised to register as residents of the country in which they live. UK citizens travelling to the EU will need to ensure passports are valid for at least six months on 31 October and will require an international driving permit if intending to use a car. European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) will no longer be valid. Pet passports will also no longer be valid. A range of other effects and consequences have been discussed.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/hausa/labarai-49512543

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 06:35:47

The Guardian

Taliban launches 'massive' attack on Kunduz in northern Afghanistan

Assault comes as US continues to seek agreement with insurgent group on ending what is America’s longest war

Assault comes as US continues to seek agreement with insurgent group on ending what is America’s longest war The Taliban have launched a new attack on one of Afghanistan’s largest cities, Kunduz, the government said on Saturday, even as the insurgent group continued negotiations with the US on ending America’s longest war. The militants, who have demanded that all foreign forces leave the country, now control or hold sway over roughly half of the country and are at their strongest since their 2001 defeat by a US-led invasion. Some 20,000 US and Nato forces remain in Afghanistan after formally ending their combat role in 2014. They continue to train and support Afghan forces fighting the Taliban and a local affiliate of the Islamic State group. Presidential spokesman Sediq Seddiqi said Afghan security forces were repelling the attack in some parts of the city, a strategic crossroads with easy access to much of northern Afghanistan as well as the capital, Kabul, about 335 kilometres away. Donald Trump’s ‘peace agreement’ is a betrayal of Afghanistan and its people | Simon Tisdall Read more “As always the Taliban have taken positions in civilian areas,” Seddiqi said on Twitter. The Taliban were in control of the city’s hospital and both sides in the ongoing fighting had casualties, provincial council member Ghulam Rabani Rabani told The Associated Press. He could not give an exact number. The Taliban launched the “massive attack” from several different points around the city overnight, said Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, spokesman for the provincial police chief. “I can confirm that intense gun battles are going on around the city, but the Taliban have not been able to overrun any security checkpoint,” he said. Reinforcements had arrived in the city and Afghan air forces were supporting ground forces, Hussaini said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a Twitter post called the latest attack “large-scale”. With Kabul wedding attack, Isis aims to erode Taliban supremacy Read more The Taliban have continued bloody assaults on civilians and security forces even as their leaders meet with a US peace envoy in Qatar to negotiate an end to nearly 18 years of war. Talks were expected to continue on Saturday. Both sides in recent days have signalled they are close to a deal. The US for its part seeks Taliban guarantees that Afghanistan will no longer be a launching pad for terror attacks such as the September 11, 2001, attack on the US by al-Qaida. The Taliban government had harbored al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Many Afghans worry that an abrupt departure of foreign troops will leave Afghan forces vulnerable and further embolden the Taliban, who already portray a US withdrawal as their victory. The Taliban seized Kunduz, at the heart of a major agricultural region near Tajikistan, for around two weeks in 2015 before withdrawing in the face of a Nato-backed Afghan offensive. The insurgents pushed into the city center a year later, briefly raising their flag before gradually being driven out again.

Associated Press

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/31/taliban-launch-new-attack-kunduz-northern-afghanistan

LEFT

2019-08-31 06:38:00

Politico

The Federalist Society Says It’s Not an Advocacy Organization. We Found Documents Showing Otherwise.

Newly revealed documents show that the society not only has held explicit ideological goals since its infancy in the early 1980s, but sought to apply those ideological goals to legal policy and political issues.

Amanda Hollis-Brusky is an associate professor of politics at Pomona College and author of Ideas With Consequences: The Federalist Society and the Conservative Counterrevolution. Calvin TerBeek is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Chicago. This past March, when the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies held its 37th annual national gathering for conservative law students, the lineup of speakers and panelists included an impressive number of Republican Party and conservative movement stars. All four of the conference’s main panels were chaired by active Republican-appointed federal appeals court judges. Amul Thapar—a protégé of Senator Mitch McConnell who “nearly wouldn’t speak” to his own father upon finding out he had voted for Barack Obama, his father said—directed one panel. Edith Jones, a long-time 5th Circuit judge considered too conservative for the Supreme Court by the George H.W. Bush administration, moderated another. Elizabeth Branch, a recent appointee of President Donald Trump to the 11th Circuit and former senior official in the George W. Bush administration, moderated the third panel, while fellow Trump appointee to the 6th Circuit John B. Nalbandian moderated the fourth. And the “keynote” was a “fireside chat” between former GOP Senator Jon Kyl and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, a fellow Republican. Story Continued Below Despite what appears to be an obvious political valence, the Federalist Society and its high-profile members have long insisted the nonprofit organization does not endorse any political party “or engage in other forms of political advocacy,” as its website says. The society does not deny an ideology—it calls itself a “group of conservatives and libertarians”—but it maintains that it is simply “about ideas,” not legislation, politicians or policy positions. Federalist Society documents that one of us recently unearthed, however, make this position untenable going forward. The documents, made public here for the first time, show that the society not only has held explicit ideological goals since its infancy in the early 1980s, but sought to apply those ideological goals to legal policy and political issues through the group’s roundtables, symposia and conferences. The question of whether the Federalist Society is properly characterized as a “society of ideas” or a political organization has significant ramifications. The Code of Conduct for United States Judges, a set of guidelines administered by the federal judiciary’s Judicial Conference, was revised earlier this year to bar sitting federal judges from participating in conferences and seminars sponsored by groups “generally viewed by the public as having adopted a consistent political or ideological point of view equivalent to the type of partisanship often found in political organizations.” (The Code does not “explicitly” apply to Supreme Court justices, though they have looked to it in the past.) One former federal judge argued that under the new ethics opinion, the Federalist Society is now a “no-go zone for federal judges.” The Society’s president, Eugene Meyer, responded, calling the former jurist’s argument an “absurd and ludicrous” interpretation of the rule, adding that the Federalist Society has said “time and again” that it is nonpartisan and does not take official policy positions. But the newly unearthed documents—a 1984 grant proposal and cover letter, written by Meyer on the Federalist Society’s behalf and now housed in the late Judge Robert Bork’s papers at the Library of Congress—provide evidence that the Federalist Society, in contravention of what the new Code states, in fact “advocates for specific outcomes on legal or political issues.” This suggests that federal judges, by attending Federalist Society events, are transgressing the Code’s new guidelines. Given the importance of active federal judges to the Federalist Society’s long-term goal of reshaping the law, barring them from the society’s events could hamper its continued ability to exert the political influence it has impressively built over decades. The Federalist Society was founded in 1982 as a small law student group with the goal of bringing conservative and libertarian speakers, and their ideas, to law school campuses perceived to be dismissive of these intellectual traditions. After the Federalist Society held its first national symposium at Yale Law School that year—featuring recent Reagan-appointed federal appeals court judges Bork and Antonin Scalia—Federalist Society student groups started popping up on law school campuses around the country. The organization now boasts more than 65,000 members, and most federal judgeships, clerkships and executive branch legal jobs in Republican administrations are effectively off-limits to nonmembers. The Federalist Society’s founders and conservative patrons understood early on that the battle for control of the law would not be won on campuses alone. In the January 1984 grant proposal, Meyer, then the Federalist Society’s executive director, asked the conservative-leaning Smith Richardson Foundation for “seed money” to fund a new entity, a “Lawyers Division.” The central goal, Meyer wrote, was “to build an effective national conservative lawyers organization.” Meyer began the proposal by asserting that an alternative to “an increasingly radicalized bar,” exemplified by the American Bar Association, was now necessary because “lawyers continue to fill key positions in the modern instrumentalities of the welfare state.” The Federalist Society promised the prospective donor that the Lawyers Division would have a “dual purpose.” First, to “an even greater extent than the activities of the student and faculty divisions,” the new division would “educat[e] lawyers on legal developments with ideological connotations and how to deal with them.” The second purpose was “the formation of groups of conservative lawyers in the major centers for the practice of law, who feel comfortable believing in, and advocating, conservative positions.” The division, Meyer wrote, would mimic the style of workshops and seminars hosted by bar associations: “Unlike those events, however, the panels will also have ideological overtones, picking topics where the developments are especially good and should be encouraged, or especially bad and should be stopped.” The proposal offered examples of these workshops. Seattle might focus on the problems posed by “Environmental Regulation”; in New York, “Banking Regulation”; and in Houston, “Employment Discrimination (including the question of whether reverse discrimination is even constitutional).” The proposal also mentioned the Lawyers Division potentially “making its own recommendation for judicial appointments.” Simply put, when the Federalist Society was describing its mission in private to a politically sympathetic donor, it let drop the group’s public-facing fiction that it is merely a debating society for the organic development of ideas. Asked about the document, Meyer wrote in an email to Politico Magazine that the sentences quoted from the proposal “do not even represent the gist of the proposal, let alone the Federalist Society as it has developed in the ensuing years” and that it is “silly” to treat them “as a serious source for what the Society is and does today or how the legal process, judges, and the public should understand what we do.” He reiterated that the society avoids “taking positions on legal or policy issues or engaging in other forms of political advocacy.” But the Lawyers Division of the Federalist Society has grown into precisely the kind of policy-focused, ideological arm that its founders envisioned in that early grant proposal. The majority of presenters at Lawyers Division events—about 60 percent, according to research by one of us—are employed outside the academy, as federal judges, analysts at policy think tanks and interest groups, litigators, government attorneys, and state and federal politicians; they work in fields that deal with real-world policy applications and, as we have witnessed at Federalist Society events, often advocate specific policy outcomes. And from 1982 to 2011, nearly every presenter, moderator and panelist at the society’s national conventions for students and lawyers—its two biggest annual events—would identify as right of center politically, not just ideologically. Federalist Society conferences, symposia and related activities have come to perform important functions for the Republican Party. Through these events, the society provides a forum for federal judges to “audition” for the Supreme Court with the goal of demonstrating they will not “drift” to the left like GOP-nominated Justices Harry Blackmun, David Souter and, to a certain extent, Chief Justice John Roberts. The auditioning function has proved (largely) successful. As has been widely noted, all five the GOP-nominated justices on the Court were active in the society before their nominations. Because membership in the Federalist Society has long been seen as a demonstration of ideological bona fides and a subscription to a package of ideas, prospective federal judges can use the group’s events to signal their fealty to the movement’s legal policy goals. Indeed, there is evidence that judges who are Federalist Society members are significantly more conservative on the bench than unaffiliated GOP nominees. What’s more, as one of us has shown in previous work, Federalist Society events operate as an ideological feedback loop. These meetings allow federal judges both to educate their audience of law students and attorneys and be educated—on settled understandings of conservative and libertarian legal policy (e.g., gun rights and the dangers of the administrative state) and on new or heterodox potential paths (e.g., doing away with birthright citizenship or the budding courtship of natural law and originalism). That is, these gatherings have a disciplining effect on active and potential Republican judges: Conservative judges learn what the society collectively considers to be good decisions that “should be encouraged” and bad decisions that “should be stopped,” as envisioned in the 1984 grant proposal. The Federalist Society does not stand alone in performing these types of service to a political party. It seems clear the revision to the Code of Conduct also applies to the Federalist Society’s liberal analog, the American Constitution Society. Established in 2001 by liberal law professors shocked and scarred by Bush v. Gore, the ACS also routinely hosts liberal federal judges at its conferences; they similarly audition for and are vetted by the liberal legal group. If the new mandate from the Judicial Conference is taken seriously, both the ACS and the Federalist Society should be “no-go zones” for federal judges. But the Federalist Society is clearly the more powerful organization of the two, especially in this current administration. With the addition of the grant proposal to the public record, it’s clear: The Federalist Society is and always has been a political group, meaning active federal judges likely violate the revised Code of Judicial Conduct in attending Federalist Society events. If the new advisory opinion is enforced, one can imagine the society or a federal judge suing on the grounds of free speech and freedom of association. And, as a testament to its success, the Federalist Society might get a sympathetic hearing from the very same judiciary it helped build.

Jack Shafer;Amanda Hollis-Brusky;Calvin Terbeek

www.politico.com

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/31/federalist-society-advocacy-group-227991

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 06:50:21

CNN

Live: Hong Kong's 13th straight weekend of unrest

Hong Kong is protesting for the 13th consecutive week

Unwilling to continue west towards where a large police presence has gathered outside the Chinese government's offices, protesters in central Hong Kong are currently marching in a loop. By banning a planned march, police have left the protesters without a clear direction or destination, resulting in many people setting out by themselves -- and disrupting more roads in the process. A group of three young protesters said they started in Southern Playground in Wan Chai, then marched to Central, and now are walking back. “Sai Ying Pun is blocked and we heard police are blocking all the roads, and some protesters are occupying Causeway Bay but we just follow others," one told CNN. "We see that some are going back to Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. Heard protesters are even in North Point and Fortress Hill but we are not sure."

Cnn'S Helen Regan;Cnn'S Rebecca Wright;Eric Cheung;Cnn'S Alex Stambaugh

www.cnn.com

https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/hong-kong-protests-aug-31-live-intl-hnk/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 06:50:21

CNN

Live: Hong Kong's 13th straight weekend of unrest

Hong Kong is protesting for the 13th consecutive week

Protesters at a rally on August 30, 2019 in Hong Kong. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Today marks the 13th consecutive weekend of mass protests in Hong Kong, and there is no clear end in sight. Here's what you need to know about the pro-democracy movement. What protesters want: The protests started in June over a controversial extradition law, but have now expanded into five demands: Fully withdraw the extradition bill, set up an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality, retract the characterization of protests as "riots," release those arrested at protests, and implement universal suffrage in Hong Kong. Who they are: The movement has seen participants and supporters across all demographics, but those on the front lines are largely young students, teenagers, and millennials. There is no centralized leadership or figureheads within the movement -- they pride themselves on being democratic, leaderless, and flexible. Hundreds of arrests: Police say about 900 people have been arrested since June 9 for a range of offenses, including "taking part in a riot," unlawful assembly, assaulting police officers, resisting arrest and possession of offensive weapons. The youngest person arrested is 12 years old.

Cnn'S Alex Stambaugh;Cnn'S Helen Regan;Cnn'S James Griffiths;Cnn'S Jenni Marsh

www.cnn.com

https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/hong-kong-protests-aug-31-live-intl-hnk/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Most+Recent%29

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 06:50:21

CNN

Live: Hong Kong's 13th straight weekend of unrest

Hong Kong is protesting for the 13th consecutive week

Jerome Cohen, a professor of law at New York University and expert in Chinese legal matters, has weighed in on the arrests of leading Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners ahead of today's march. "The timing of the arrests was evidently inspired by the desire to diminish the possibility of a major demonstration in defiance of the disapproval to hold it. The events that led to the arrest reportedly occurred on June 21. Why on August 30 did the arrests suddenly occur as everyone was preparing to hold the new demonstrations despite the refusal of approval? Not because Joshua et al were leading this Saturday’s preparations but because the authorities wanted to make clear to prospective violators what lies ahead for them if they take part despite non-approval. This is classic deterrence strategy." Read more analysis on Cohen's blog.

Cnn'S James Griffiths;Cnn'S Helen Regan;Cnn'S Alex Stambaugh;Cnn'S Jenni Marsh

www.cnn.com

https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/hong-kong-protests-aug-31-live-intl-hnk/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fedition_asia+%28RSS%3A+CNNi+-+Asia%29

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 06:58:12

Fox News

North Korea berates 'thoughtless' Mike Pompeo, warns hopes for talks fading

A senior North Korean diplomat on Saturday berated U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his comments describing North Korean behavior as "rogue" and warned that Pyongyang's hopes for talks with Washington are fading.

A senior North Korean diplomat on Saturday berated U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his comments describing North Korean behavior as "rogue" and warned that Pyongyang's hopes for talks with Washington are fading. In a statement carried by state media, North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said Pompeo's "thoughtless" comments increased North Korean people's animosity toward Americans and made it harder for working-level nuclear dialogue between the countries to resume. North Korea is extremely sensitive to outside criticism about its authoritarian leadership. It has also repeatedly expressed displeasure about a months-long stalemate in negotiations and ramped up testing of short-range ballistic missiles and rocket artillery in recent weeks in an apparent effort to build bargaining leverage. NORTH KOREA BUILDING WARHEADS TO PENETRATE JAPAN DEFENSES, TOKYO CLAIMS "Our expectations of dialogue with the U.S. are gradually disappearing and we are being pushed to re-examine all the measures we have taken so far," Choe said in the statement, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA. "We are very curious about the background of the American top diplomat's thoughtless remarks and we will watch what calculations he has," she said. "The U.S. had better not put any longer our patience to the test with such remarks irritating us if it doesn't want to have bitter regrets afterward." In a speech to U.S. veterans in Indiana on Tuesday, Pompeo said the Trump administration recognized that "North Korea's rogue behavior could not be ignored" while touting its approach in foreign policy. "Americanism - it means telling the truth about the challenges we face," he said. "Look, this administration didn't pretend that the Islamic Republic of Iran was a responsible actor in the Middle East. We called out China's bad behavior on trade and on national security. We recognized - we recognized that North Korea's rogue behavior could not be ignored." PHOTOS SHOW NORTH KOREA MAY BE BUILDING SUBMARINE CAPABLE OF LAUNCHING NUCLEAR MISSILE, REPORT SAYS Nuclear negotiations have been at a standstill since a February summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam collapsed after the U.S. side rejected North Korean demands for broad sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Since the breakdown in Hanoi, North Korea has repeatedly demanded that Washington remove Pompeo from the nuclear negotiations, accusing him of maintaining a hard-line stance on sanctions and distorting Pyongyang's statements, while avoiding direct criticism of Trump. Trump and Kim met again at the inter-Korean border in June and agreed to resume working-level talks, but there has been no known meeting between the countries since then. Last week, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho called Pompeo a "die-hard toxin of U.S. diplomacy" after he said Washington would maintain strong sanctions on North Korea until the country is denuclearized. KCNA also on Saturday said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit North Korea soon at the invitation of Ri, but did not specify what would be discussed. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP Since initiating diplomacy with Seoul and Washington last year, Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping five times before and after his summits with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, cementing longtime ally Beijing as a major player in the process to resolve the nuclear standoff.

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/world/north-korea-mike-pompeo-peace

RIGHT

2019-08-31 06:58:39

HuffPost

Report: FBI Seized Guns From Ex-Marine Who Allegedly Vowed To 'Slaughter' Antifa

Agents relied on Oregon's "red-flag" law to take proactive measures to head off potential violence, The Oregonian reports.

ASSOCIATED PRESS/Noah Berger Proud Boys protesters and counter-protesters face off earlier this month in Portland, Oregon. The statute allows law enforcement to take proactive action to stop violence before any crime has been committed. Such laws are being advanced in various states as a way to begin to deal more effectively with America’s burgeoning mass shooting toll. Former Marine Shane Kohfield — in a red MAGA hat with a knife strapped to his shoulder at the time — allegedly made the threat on a loudspeaker outside the home of Portland’s mayor in July. Within days agents seized Kohfield’s weapons. They relied on the red flag law that went into effect early this year that allowed them to temporarily take possession of the guns even though Kohfield hadn’t committed a crime, the newspaper reported. The statute allows law enforcement, family members or roommates to petition a judge for an “extreme risk protection order” that bars a targeted individual from gun possession. Phil Lemman, Oregon’s acting deputy state court administrator, said Kohfield surrendered five guns, including an AR-15. Kohfield, who served two tours of duty in Iran, was also taken to a veterans hospital in Portland, where he spent 20 days. He was not charged with a crime — but he was also not allowed to attend the August demonstration staged by the white nationalist Proud Boys, which drew antifa counter-protesters. Kohfield, 32, told The Oregonian that he understands why his guns were taken and why he was transported to a hospital. “I looked unhinged,” he said. “I looked dangerous and have the training to be dangerous,” Kohfield added, but said that he did not intend to hurt anyone. The FBI declined to comment specifically on on Kohfield’s case. “The Portland Joint Terrorism Task Force’s role is to assess, address and mitigate any given threat against the people of Oregon appropriately,” a spokesperson for the bureau’s Portland office told The Oregonian in an email Friday. Sometimes that involves efforts to “divert a person before a significant violent crime occurs.”

Trends Reporter

www.huffpost.com

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/shane-kohfield-oregon-portland-fbi-red-flag-law_n_5d69fc10e4b0cdfe0570583c

LEFT

2019-08-31 07:00:45

The Guardian

'Don't wait': how to talk to teenagers about porn

A generation is growing up with online pornography. What impact is it having on them – and how should parents handle it?

A generation is growing up with online pornography. What impact is it having on them – and how should parents handle it? When Jed first heard from friends about websites where you could see naked women, it sounded too good to be true. So one afternoon, aged 11 and with his mind straying from homework, and while his mother was busy, he typed “boobs” and “sex” into the search bar of the family laptop. “My first reaction was: ‘This is confusing.’ I knew a bit about sex, but there were men doing painful stuff to women,” he recalls. After trying to make sense of what he was seeing, Jed clicked off the page and cleared the browsing history. “But I couldn’t put it out of my mind, so half an hour later, I had another look.” Now, eight years on and in his first year of an engineering course at university, Jed is a member of a generation that has grown up with porn, and estimates he spends five or six hours a week looking at it. Indeed, a 2016 analysis of 1,001 11- to 16-year-olds by Middlesex University for the children’s commissioner and the NSPCC found that at least 56% of boys and 40% of girls had been exposed to online pornography by the age of 16. The study also found that not only are boys more likely to keep seeking it out after they first see it (59%, compared with 25% of girls) but they are more likely to be positive about it. As the government prepares to bring in age verification to help prevent under-18s from accessing pornography so easily, I spoke to children and young people to consider its effect (for space reasons, I’ve only been able to tackle heterosexual pornography, but you may find Lev Rosen’s article on porn and gay teens – published in February this year – useful). If girls are reluctant to do something, you pressure them because you think, ‘Women do it in porn. Why don’t you?’ “It’s normal,” says Jake, 19, echoing many of the boys I spoke to. “If one of my friends hadn’t seen it, I’d consider that weird.” For Jason, a swaggering 17-year-old, porn is a comforting routine, something functional that he wakes up with and winds down to at the end of the day. “It’s stress relief, and less work than girls,” he says. When Samuel’s parents found a list of what they considered to be extreme sexual acts in his browsing history (“Nothing too serious,” Samuel, who is 16, says: “double and triple penetration”) he wasn’t embarrassed. He was annoyed: “I thought, ‘So what? Everyone watches it.’” Tom, 17, says: “We know it’s fake. My mates laugh about it.” “They may be laughing about it,” says Dr Gail Dines, a scholar of pornography and professor emerita of sociology and women’s studies at Wheelock College, Boston, “but they are also masturbating to it. They say they know it’s fake, but what does that mean? You haven’t got one brain that processes fake stuff and one that processes real stuff. You have one brain and one body that’s aroused. If you begin by masturbating to cruel, hardcore, violent porn, studies show that you are not going to grow up wired for intimacy and connection.” Most of the girls I spoke to seemed to be concerned about a loss of intimacy that comes from their male peers’ porn use. Although there are some girls who watch porn, most I speak to are exasperated by the groups of lads accessing it on GCSE field trips or talking in the school cafeteria about videos they’ve seen. Nia is 14, and though she avoids porn, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t felt its influence. Among the boys, she says it’s easy to tell which ones are the heavy users. “They’re the ones who don’t know what to say at parties, and then write sexual comments on your Instagram posts.” Megan, 15, has visited porn sites a few times because she heard about her friends giving blowjobs and thought, “it sounds like a skill you’d better learn how to do. You don’t want to get it wrong.” Ayeesha, 17, talks about how porn warps things. “Boys like to spice it up because ordinary sex is considered boring,” she says. “And girls think having anal sex will make the boys love them.” When Ayeesha had sex, she rated her performance as if through the pornographer’s lens. “The first time I did it, I was thinking, ‘My body looks good.’” When Rhianna, 21, looks back on her teenage sexual relationships, she recalls being asked to replicate scenes her boyfriends had seen on porn. “It wasn’t about what I wanted. It was as if you were some prototype female they got to act out their favourite videos with.” Now she’s older, Rhianna has started to demand sex on her own terms and enjoys porn herself. “As long as it’s not violent, or shows rape, it’s fine for people over 18 to watch. I think it can be fun to use with a partner.” I’d see girls in the street, realise I couldn’t just click a button and see them naked, and get frustrated But it’s impossible not to hear the angst and confusion in the voice of Ciara, a 20-year-old retail trainee, when she says she believes that coercive sex is the price she has to pay for being in a relationship. “Boys all want the things they’ve seen in porn. If you say it hurts, they don’t seem to take it seriously. It’s as if that’s a normal part of the experience.” There is some hope, though: a few of the older boys I speak to seem to be gaining some perspective on the downsides of porn. Henry, 20, decided to wean himself off it when he felt he couldn’t masturbate without it. “You’re entranced by it. Denying myself and forcing myself to use my imagination instead was really tough.” Beyond that, he also started to recognise how it affected his view of women. “I’d see girls in the street and realise I couldn’t just click a button and see them naked. I’d be talking to someone and get frustrated that I couldn’t just make sex happen.” Mitchell, 19, has begun to understand the connection between what he watches and how he behaves. “If girls are reluctant to do something, you pressure them because you think, ‘Lots of women do it in porn. Why don’t you?’” He says he began to feel “like I wasn’t in my own body”. The effects of porn run deep – 53% of boys and 39% of girls in the Middlesex University study saw it as “a realistic depiction” of sex – and even with the anticipated new verification checks, free porn will bubble up in other ways; it is already increasingly appearing on platforms children use from a young age, such as Snapchat and Instagram. Leaving children to find out about porn for themselves is like putting them on a motorway without a driving test: they might find their own way through it, but before they learn to take control, they could harm themselves and others during the process. They need driving lessons from the outset. Below are some places to start . • Names have been changed. Tanith Carey is author of What’s My Child Thinking? Practical Child Psychology for Modern Parents with Dr Angharad Rudkin, published by Dorling Kindersley How to talk to children about online pornography 1 Don’t wait. Start from a young age and, without mentioning porn specifically, make it clear that there are some parts of the internet that are not meant for children. 2 Talk about the difference between making love and “making hate”. As they begin to understand more about sex, explain there is a spectrum, from real life to what takes place on the internet. At the real-life end, there’s the intimate and mutually enjoyable act of making love. And at the other end, there is what Professor Gail Dines describes as “making hate”, which is often what online porn is about. 3 Explain the porn business. It makes money by seizing your attention, which it does by showing the most extreme, often confected, practices – many of which have little to do with reality. Young people tell me that learning how the sex trade works and realising some of the women are abused, underage or sex-trafficked gives them a logical reason to stop watching. 4 Talk about consent. Porn encourages the idea that sex is always available and no one ever says no. Psychologist Lisa Damour suggests that when the time comes for young people to be sexually intimate, we should be coaching them towards mutual and enthusiastic agreement. • For free resources to help you talk to your child about porn, go to the free parenting course at Culture Reframed, culturereframed.org/parents-program If you would like a comment on this piece to be considered for inclusion on Weekend magazine’s letters page in print, please email [email protected], including your name and address (not for publication).

Tanith Carey

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/aug/31/how-to-talk-to-teenagers-about-porn

LEFT

2019-08-31 07:00:46

The Guardian

Family of slain Honduran activist appeal to US court for help in her murder trial

The children of Berta Cáceres want to subpoena bank records to a luxury house purchased by the alleged mastermind of the murder

The children of Berta Cáceres want to subpoena bank records to a luxury house purchased by the alleged mastermind of the murder Family of slain Honduran activist appeal to US court for help in her murder trial The children of murdered Honduran activist Berta Cáceres have applied to a US federal court to subpoena bank records linked to a $1.4m luxury house in Texas purchased by the alleged mastermind of the crime just months after the killing. Cáceres, 44, a winner of the prestigious Goldman prize for environmental defenders, was shot dead at her home by a hired gunmen on 2 March 2016 after a long battle to stop construction of an internationally financed hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque river, which the Lenca people consider sacred. In November 2018, seven men were convicted of carrying out the murder, which the court in Tegucigalpa ruled was ordered by executives of the Agua Zarca dam company Desa because of delays and financial losses linked to protests led by Cáceres. One of the executives identified in court was David Roberto Castillo Mejía, the CEO of Desa. In March 2018 Castillo was indicted as an “intellectual author”, who is alleged to have coordinated with, and provided funds to, the killers. He vehemently denies any involvement. Berta Cáceres: conviction of killers brings some justice, but questions remain Read more Castillo, a US-trained former intelligence officer and former government employee, bought the luxury five-bedroom, five-bathroom detached home in Houston in November 2016, thanks to a $400,000 down-payment and $1.04m mortgage from the Hancock Whitney Bank in Mississippi, Louisiana. The application by Cáceres’ children to subpoena financial details held by the bank has been filed at the southern district court of Mississippi. The application is for foreign legal assistance, and seeks to uncover evidence for use in the Honduran murder trial against Castillo. Lawyers for the Cáceres family argue that the timing of the 5,034-sq-foot real estate purchase and substantial down payment could provide evidence about the financial motive for the murder. The information sought from the bank could also help identify other, yet unknown individuals, involved in the killing, they claim. Cáceres’ children, Laura, Bertita and Salvador Zúñiga Cáceres, are plaintiffs in the case, and under Honduran law they are entitled to instruct lawyers to privately prosecute Castillo for allegedly orchestrating their mother’s killing. “Our clients have the full rights of public prosecutors to present relevant evidence,” said attorney Ralitza Dineva, from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, which filed the application. The application is opposed by Castillo’s wife, Tanya Romero-Baca, a US citizen, on the grounds that it is “almost certainly a bad faith fishing expedition”. “There is no legitimate reason to believe the mortgage file contains evidence relevant to whether David Castillo ‘masterminded’ Ms. Caceres’ murder in Honduras. By contrast, the file surely contains all kinds of information about the Castillos’ assets, business interests, financial holdings, bank accounts, and other sensitive financial information,” wrote Romero-Baca’s lawyers, who did not wish to comment further. 'Time was running out': Honduran activist's last days marked by threats Read more Cáceres’ murder triggered widespread international outrage and demands for justice, in a country where impunity hovers over 95%. Her supporters welcomed last year’s convictions as the first step towards justice, but, have continued to demand prosecution of the powerful people who ordered and paid for the murder. Nine months after the verdict, the seven killers are yet to be sentenced. Castillo’s representatives have lobbied for his release, claiming he is the victim of political persecution. But on Friday, a dossier that implicates Castillo in a pattern of violence, human rights violations, and corruption to benefit companies with which he was associated was published by a coalition of US rights groups including the Due Process of Law Foundation, International Platform against Impunity and Robert F Kennedy Human Rights. The report, Violence, Corruption & Impunity in the Honduran Energy Industry, profiles Castillo’s business ventures, and numerous legal cases which suggest he illegally influenced government contracts and enlisted state security forces’ assistance in committing human rights abuses. Castillo is among 16 people indicted on corruption charges including fraud and using false documents linked to the internationally financed Agua Zarca dam. In that case, known as the Gualcarque fraud, prosecutors allege that Castillo used proxies to create Desa in order to avoid his name appearing as the owner, while negotiating permits and lucrative energy contracts with National Electricity Company (ENEE) – the state energy company he worked for at the time. Castillo denies any wrongdoing. The alleged proxies testified during the indictment proceedings that they were employees of Castillo at his computer company Digicom, where they worked as a driver and computer technician, respectively. In 2009, Castillo was fined after government auditors found that Digicom sold office supplies and computer accessories to the armed forces at inflated prices. Castillo was also sanctioned for having illegally claimed two state salaries, one from the armed forces, the other from ENEE. Commenting on the report, Illinois’ Democratic representative Jesús García, who recently travelled to Central America in a delegation led by speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi, said: “This report implicates Honduran energy companies in the 2016 murder of environmental activist Berta Cáceres and documents systemic corruption and violence facing the Honduran people.” “Congress and international foreign policy leaders must make sure that taxpayer-funded development banks are not financing projects and companies involved in human rights abuses, corruption, or criminal activity.” Earlier this week, a UN business and human rights delegation to Honduras, said: “All too often, companies and investors benefit from corruption and neglect their responsibility to respect human rights.” The dam opposed by Cáceres was among scores of lucrative renewable energy projects sanctioned after a 2009 coup d’état, which went ahead without legally required community consultations and environmental impact studies. Nonetheless, since 2009, the price of electricity in Honduras has risen by 164%.

Nina Lakhani

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/31/berta-caceres-murder-trial-subpoena-david-castillo

LEFT

2019-08-31 07:00:48

The Guardian

A ‘Brexit bonanza’ for UK fishing? That’s a fishy tale with an unhappy ending

With confusion over what will happen to fishing laws, British fishers dependant on the EU market could be wiped out, says John Lichfield, a journalist based in France

One man’s fish is another man’s poisson. Not for much longer, it seems. French fishermen are growing alarmed. They fear a no-deal Brexit will exclude them from “British” waters where they have fished for centuries. The same applies to fishers from Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. More surprisingly (to some), fears of a cliff-edge Brexit are also sending waves of panic through parts of the UK fishing industry. Changes in quotas demand patient negotiation, not instant abrogation of centuries-old rights. No negotiation has started After years of one-sided propaganda – “our fish”, “plundering Europeans”, “a sea of opportunity” – a more complicated picture of European fishing benefits and losses is finally breaking the surface. The nets of the UK and its maritime neighbours have been inextricably tangled for centuries. Cutting them apart will be calamitous for some European fleets – especially for boats from Brittany, Normandy and the Pas de Calais. It will also be disastrous for locally important and ecologically sustainable parts of the British industry. Fisheries (0.12% of the UK economy) have been a powerful symbol for Brexiteers. They may now become one of the starkest examples of the folly of no deal. British shellfish sales to the EU (mostly France and Spain) are worth £430m a year – more than a quarter of all UK fish exports by value. They are vital to small-scale fishermen in Scotland and the West Country. They will be devastated overnight if the UK loses paper-free access to the EU single market. The promised instant bonanza for longer-distance British fishing fleets has also drifted into a fog bank. With just over two months remaining before a potential no-deal B-Day, utter confusion reigns in Whitehall on what will happen to fishing law and fishing rights on 1 November. Will EU boats be excluded immediately, as the Brexit party and its acolyte Fishing for Leave stridently insist? Who will enforce the new rules or lack of rules when the Royal Navy has only 12 protection vessels to cover a sea area three times the size of the UK? Will British boats be able to fish whatever and wherever they want to fish? One fishing industry leader said: “The word is that, if no deal happens, EU quotas will probably be maintained until the end of the year and maybe longer. But on what legal basis? And what happens then? After 10 years of government cuts, the civil service no longer has the manpower or institutional knowledge to sort out stuff like this.” A myth has been propagated by Brexiteers. There is a single “British fishing industry” which will benefit from reclaiming the “60/70/80% of British fish” caught by EU boats. No, there isn’t. There are competing interests. English v Scottish; deep-sea fishing v inshore fishing; industrial v family-scale boats; fishers v processors. Some of the most vibrant, locally important and ecologically respectful parts of the UK industry have nothing to gain and everything to lose from Brexit. They depend on shellfish, lobsters, crabs and langoustines (crayfish) that are quota-free or are overwhelmingly allocated to the UK. More than 80% is sold to the continent (mostly Spain and France). This trade has grown large because of the border-free EU single market. Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘Other British fishermen, wound up by the xenophobic rhetoric of Fishing for Leave, will expect to claim their off-shore “bonanza” immediately.’ Photograph: Robin Millard/AFP/Getty Images Post-Brexit, trucks arriving in France with fish caught by scores of small boats will have to supply scores of “origin” and “health” documents – one for each boat and each catch. Traders will have to find UK local inspectors in working hours to verify the origin of the seafood and vets to certify its quality. Little planning has been done in the UK to make any of that possible. The highly perishable trade will add to, and suffer from, the chaos in cross-Channel trade forecast by the leaked government Yellowhammer document. Add to the bouillabaisse the action likely to be taken by justifiably angry French fishermen … Justifiably? We are encouraged to believe that it was the EU that first allowed foreign boats to fish in British waters (the exclusive economic zone of up to 200 miles). It wasn’t. The common fisheries policy, first established in 1983, enshrined historic fishing rights. The quotas were based on 1970s catches but the fishing pattern went back for decades and in some cases centuries. Olivier Leprêtre, the president of the northern France fisheries committee, says: “Fishermen have always followed the fish. At the start of the last century, my great grandfather fished in the Thames estuary.” He and other French fishermen’s leaders are threatening to block UK fish imports if they lose all access to British waters on 1 November. They are not planning to blockade Channel ports but they will stop British fish from leaving the Calais area. International law will, arguably, be on their side. When it becomes an independent “coastal state”, the UK is obliged by the UN law of the sea to negotiate conservation and access deals with its neighbours. A case can be made for changes in the EU quota patterns and extra quotas for British boats. A fairer share for inshore (under 12 metre) boats is long overdue. But such changes demand patient negotiation not confrontation or instant abrogation of centuries-old rights. No negotiation has yet started. When they do, they may last many months. In the meantime, several large British boats, dependent on EU-agreed quotas in Norwegian waters, will have to suspend fishing if EU law lapses in the UK on 31 October. Other British fishermen, wound up by the xenophobic rhetoric of Fishing for Leave, will expect to claim their off-shore “bonanza” immediately. Since no new quotas have been drawn up, they look likely to be disappointed – and very angry. Just how much extra fish might there eventually be for the British fleet? UK boats catch just 40% of the tonnage of fish caught in British waters but they already catch more than 60% by value. French and German boats take a lot of saithe (a relative of the cod) which UK consumers don’t like. Much of the fish caught by Danish boats is so-called industrial species (sprats and horse mackerel) which go to feed pigs. Horse mackerel and chips, anyone? Overall, the UK imports 70% of the fish we eat and exports 80% of what we catch. The UK already has most of the quotas for haddock and generous quotas for cod (which is anyway growing scarce once again). For British boats to catch what EU boats now catch – the so-called “sea of opportunity” – would demand radical changes in British eating habits and/or fish processing and exporting industries. Neither can happen overnight. Where would we wish to export much of the promised El Dorado of fish? To the European Union. Stop eating fish. It’s the only way to save the life in our seas | George Monbiot Read more In the immediate wake of a no-deal Brexit, British fishermen may end up with the worst of all worlds. They will face calamitous delays and bureaucracy on overnight fish sales to the continent. The government will be obliged by international law to delay distribution of quotas while it enters lengthy talks with the EU27 and the Norwegians. One British inshore fishing industry leader said: “If Brexit happens, there will, eventually, be a few people who make a lot of money. But they will probably be the big-scale skippers and industrial-scale companies who are already rich. I don’t see much for struggling coastal communities or smaller fishermen. Those who depend on the EU market could be wiped out.” Conclusion. You can win a political argument with lies and myths. Governing or negotiating with them is as useful as fishing without nets. • John Lichfield is a journalist based in France

John Lichfield

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/31/myth-brexit-bonanza-uk-fishing-exposed-no-deal

LEFT

2019-08-31 07:00:59

The Guardian

Hong Kong braced for weekend of protests despite cancellation of march

After 13 weeks of defiance, the movement faces a watershed amid wave of arrests and growing violence

Hong Kong has braced for another weekend of mass protests as demonstrators prepared to defy a police ban and mark the anniversary of a decision by Beijing to limit democratic reforms in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Activists were planning protests in locations across the city on Saturday even after organisers of a major march planned for the afternoon cancelled the event, following a wave of arrests of prominent pro-democracy activists and lawmakers on Friday. Wave of arrests in new push by Hong Kong police to thwart protests Read more Thousands of demonstrators marched in the commercial district of Wan Chai, following parts of the original route of the now cancelled march, and bringing traffic to a standstill. Demonstrators shouted: “Fight for Hong Kong, stand with Hong Kong!” and “Liberate Hong Kong!” Others directed traffic, to allow cars to pass. Earlier in the day hundreds of demonstrators, many of them middle-aged and older people with families, filled a sports stadium in Wan Chai where they sang, “Sing alleluia to the Lord”. Some held posters featuring Hong Kong’s leader, chief executive Carrie Lam, with a bloodied eye – a reference to a protester who was blinded in one eye in recent weeks as clashes with police have grown more violent. Hong Kong has entered its 13th straight weekend of protests, originally triggered by a bill that would allow extradition to China. Local authorities, backed by Beijing appear to be taking a new tact, moving from mass arrests to also detaining high-profile pro-democracy figures and hinting that a draconian emergency law could be enacted, giving the government sweeping powers to crack down on demonstrators. Protesters said they were worried but not intimidated. “If we don’t stand up now, it’s going to be too late,” said Simon Chang, one of the protesters in Wan Chai. “I’m absolutely worried, but… it is necessary for us to stand up and speak out against the government despite the chance that we are going to get arrested.” Demonstrators have also called for a “shopping day” in the commercial district of Causeway Bay, to get around the police ban on demonstrations. Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), the organiser of the now cancelled march, called on residents to turn on their cell phone torches and yell slogans of the protest movement at 8:31pm local time. The Guardian view on Hong Kong: what next? | Editorial Read more On Saturday, dozens of police vans were deployed around China’s representative office where the planned march was set to end. A wall of water barricades has been erected around the perimeter of the building. A metro station near the Chinese liaison office was shut because of “public events [were] likely,” according to Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and several public facilities closed early. Observers see this weekend as a potential watershed for the movement as tensions escalate and confrontations grow more violent. Observers believe Beijing is anxious to stop the protests before 1 October, which marks 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic, a politically important anniversary. Earlier in the day, a reddit-like forum called LIHKG, which protesters use to organise, said it had suffered a series of DDOS attacks. Police said that an off-duty male officer was attacked by three men with a knife on Friday evening. Earlier in the week, CHRF’s convener and another protester who helped organise a major march last month, were attacked by men wielding rods, baseball bats, and knives. According to recent reports, Beijing has ordered Lam not to concede to any of the protesters’ demands, including more politically feasible ones like the permanent withdrawal of the extradition bill, which officials have already announced dead, or an independent inquiry into police behaviour toward protesters. Chan said he believed Beijing was holding Lam back because meeting any demands would “create a feeling that we are able to do something against the government”. He said: “And they don’t want this sentiment to spread.” Saturday marks five years since China handed down a proposal to introduce democratic elections in Hong Kong, as laid out in the basic law, Hong Kong’s mini constitution, and promised by previous leaders. China’s proposal allowed for popular election of Hong Kong’s leader, the chief executive, but only among candidates chosen by an election committee dominated by pro-Beijing members. The proposal kicked off two months of pro-democracy protests that paralysed parts of the city in the fall of 2014, known as the “umbrella movement. The demonstrations this summer have now lasted longer than the umbrella movement, surprising both protesters and residents with its momentum. Few are confident that the situation will end peacefully. Another protester in Wan Chai, who asked only to give her English name, Joanna, said: “We just try our best to stand up, and see what happens. We can’t predict anything because the government is unpredictable. It makes no sense.”

Lily Kuo;Erin Hale

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/31/hong-kong-braced-for-weekend-of-protests-despite-cancellation-of-march

LEFT

2019-08-31 07:06:32

BBC

NI faced highest cuts to school spending in UK, says IFS

NI has seen an 11% cut in spending per pupil since 2009, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Image copyright Getty/gpointstudio Northern Ireland has faced the highest school spending cuts per pupil in the UK over the past decade. That is according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), one of the UK's leading economic research institutes. Northern Ireland has seen an 11% cut in real-terms school spending per pupil since 2009, new IFS analysis suggests. That compares to cuts of 8% in England, cuts of 6% in Wales and cuts of 2% in Scotland. However, on Friday the Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced billions of extra money for English schools over the next three years. BBC News NI understands that due to the Barnett formula, that is also likely to mean some extra money for education in Northern Ireland. '£500m extra for education in NI' However, when contacted by BBC News NI, Downing Street said that more details of any extra education funding for Northern Ireland were unlikely to be revealed until Chancellor Sajid Javid announces his spending review. The DUP leader Arlene Foster said, though, said that the Boris Johnson's announcement would lead to £500m extra for education in Northern Ireland over three years. "I have already spoken with the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson who has confirmed that there will be a Barnett consequential for Northern Ireland of £500m," she said. "This is a much-needed boost for education resource funding over the three years starting from 2020/21," she added. The IFS figures and analysis are contained in its latest report on education spending in England, which was published before the prime minister's funding announcement. The IFS also looked at school spending across the UK over the past decade. Image copyright Getty Images "Across the whole period, school spending per pupil is consistently highest in Scotland and lowest in Northern Ireland," the IFS report said. "In England, a largely constant budget in real terms translated into cuts in spending per pupil as a result of population growth." "In Northern Ireland, the total budget fell in real terms, meaning that population growth led to even larger cuts in spending per pupil." The IFS also said that pupils in Northern Ireland received the lowest education spending per head in the UK in 2018-19. "Total school spending per pupil was about £6,600 in Scotland in 2018-19." "This is £600 higher than spending per pupil in England (£6,000), with spending per pupil in Wales £200 lower at £5,800." "Spending per pupil was lowest in Northern Ireland, at £5,500 per pupil." The IFS analysis reflects other recent studies of school funding in Northern Ireland, including by the Northern Ireland Audit Office. In July, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee also said that a lack of funding was having a devastating impact on schools.

Robbie Meredith;Bbc News Ni Education Correspondent

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-49530825

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 07:28:13

BBC

APC postpone Bayelsa governorship primaries, to happun for September

Di 2019 Bayelsa Governorship Primaries of di All Progressives Congress wey suppose hold on Saturday 31 August don get new dates.

Image copyright Getty Images Di 2019 Bayelsa Governorship Primaries of di All Progressives Congress wey suppose hold on Saturday 31 August don get new dates. E go now hold on two days - 3 September and 4 September, according to di party National Working Committee (NWC). Di National Publicity Secretary of di party, Lanre Issa-Onilu announce di new dates for di APC twitter handle. For earlier statement wey secretary of di Bayelsa APC Governorship Primary Election Committee, Emmanuel Ochega sign, di committee get to postpone di party primary sake of two orders from courts of same level, wey one dey tok one tin and anoda dey tok anoda tin. Di statement go on to assure party members and aspirants say di 2019 Bayelsa APC Governorship Primary Election go hold within di time frame wey di Independent National Electoral Commission INEC give. Na six aspirants dey contest di primaries and dem include di immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Oil surveillance contractor, David Lyon, one former Commissioner for di State, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, one businessman Preye Aganaba and two women, former Commissioner of Police, Mrs Diseye Nsirim Poweigha and Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Etebu.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-49526590

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 07:30:42

The Guardian

Reporting on Hong Kong: 'What will happen to this wonderful city?'

The Guardian journalists who worked on the ground and from afar to report on the unrest in Hong Kong explain the particular challenges this story has presented

Lily Kuo, the Guardian’s Beijing bureau chief The Hong Kong protests have been one of the most important stories I’ve covered this year. The outpouring from the public, the polarisation of society and the difficult situation Beijing finds itself in have been unprecedented. The series of demonstrations began with the goal of withdrawing an extradition bill proposed by the Hong Kong government. If enacted, the bill would allow local authorities to detain and extradite people who are wanted in territories that Hong Kong does not have extradition agreements with, including mainland China and Taiwan. The goal of the protesters has since evolved beyond this original aim. It’s a story that deserves all the focus and energy we can give. Yet now, we are three months in and I don’t think anyone, even the protesters, expected this to go on so long. For me, one challenge has been making sure we stay alert and fresh – that we don’t burn out. On big protest days, it’s not uncommon for us to work more than 13 hours. That could be a combination of attending a march, following protesters who have splintered off to other locations, then witnessing clashes with riot police that inevitably end in teargas, rubber bullets, beatings or, most recently, real guns being pulled out. Because the protests have taken many forms, from road blockades to peaceful marches, the range of feelings while covering them has also been wide. Some moments have felt surreal, peaceful and contemplative; others chaotic and disorienting. The protests have been one of the few times in my career that I have been so clearly identified as a journalist – we wear hi-vis vests and helmets with the word: PRESS. In the same way that the protesters and police have their uniforms, this traffic warden-like outfit also feels like one. Sometimes people try to give me food or water. Once, during an especially long day, a woman washing her hands next to me in a bathroom patted me on the shoulder and said: jia you – “add oil” or “keep going”. When I ask protesters why they are still coming to the streets, some say they don’t want to see Hong Kong turned into another Chinese city. They cite the detention of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, activists imprisoned for years on trumped up charges, or the plan for a nationwide “social credit system”, which they see as the culmination of a digital police state. Because I’ve spent the last year reporting on many of these issues, this answer often makes the deepest impression on me. Emma Graham-Harrison covered many of the earliest protests, including a vigil for a man who had fallen to his death after unfurling a protest banner, which was a turning point for many protesters. She profiled Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, who has been a major target of the protests and is seen as a puppet of Beijing. She has followed Beijing’s increasingly ominous warnings to Hong Kong and the possibility of a military intervention. Helen Davidson, a reporter for Guardian Australia, captured protesters’ voices in one of the first major protests on 12 June. Before the protests kicked off, she reported on the details of the extradition law, shedding much-needed light on why the bill prompted such widespread anger. Davidson, along with other reporters in Australia such as Naaman Zhou and Ben Smee, have covered pro-Hong Kong protests there – some of which have resulted in clashes with mainland Chinese students. From London and Hong Kong, Ben Quinn and I profiled a group of protesters launching an aggressive awareness campaign in the UK through social media and newspaper ad buys. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Riot police outside the British consulate in Hong Kong during a protest on 24 August. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP Tania Branigan, the Guardian’s foreign leader writer, who spent seven years as China correspondent As China correspondent of the Guardian for seven years, I found reporting in Hong Kong was a breeze compared with working on the mainland – people were so ready to talk. When the “umbrella movement” erupted in 2014, protesters happily identified themselves in full. Some offered themselves on loan as interpreters. Others sought out reporters to have their say. What followed the movement – including the jailing of protest leaders and the disqualification of elected legislators – has made people much more cautious this time. Attacks on protesters and sackings for participation in demonstrations have added to concerns. Even at approved protests, people are increasingly likely to at least cover their faces with masks (often adding sunglasses, hats and so on) and to take precautions such as using burner phones and single tickets rather than travel cards. People are more hesitant about talking, even anonymously. Yet others are still eager to speak to foreign media, seeing international attention as crucial to the prospects of their cause. (And, of course, reporting in Hong Kong is still incomparably more straightforward than on the mainland.) Unlike five years ago, this is a leaderless movement. What’s striking is not only its scale and persistence, and the variation and escalation in tactics, but the degree of unity that it has maintained over two-and-a-half months. Even when they disagree over what actions to take, in particular the growing use of force, participants refuse to distance themselves from each other. What also unifies them is that no one pretends to know where this is heading. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, is seen by protesters as a puppet of Beijing. Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP Verna Yu, freelance writer based in Hong Kong Three months ago, no one would have expected Hong Kong, an Asian financial hub, to plunge into a prolonged and unprecedented political crisis. Having covered the anti-extradition movement from the first protest on 9 June, I have been touched by the palpable sense of solidarity in numerous rallies and marches. From marching in massive downpours to standing for hours under the sweltering sun in extreme humidity, one cannot help but feel moved by the protesters who remain orderly and polite to one another. I am also impressed by the wide support for this movement. Among those I have interviewed are students, teachers, businessmen, flight attendants, architects and lawyers, construction workers and drivers. And they are from a broad age range, from young parents holding babies to grandmothers in their 80s who remember why they escaped communist China decades ago. But they are united by one thing: an overwhelming desire to defend Hong Kong’s core values and their existing rights. But at the same time, as the movement escalates and some protesters adopt increasingly violent tactics, and dozens get beaten and arrested every week, I am also gripped by a perpetual state of anxiety. What will happen to these young radicals who see themselves as “death fighters” struggling for Hong Kong’s future? What will happen to this wonderful city where I grew up? “Tell our story to the world” many have told me over the past 12 weeks, as they handed me biscuits and drinks, and offered me a hand to get up and down barriers and roadblocks. Their words sounded eerily similar to what Beijing residents told Hong Kong and foreign reporters during the Tiananmen crackdown 30 years ago. Just that this time, it is the Hongkongers who are fighting for their rights and freedom, even though they know there is little hope ahead of them. “Hong Kong is dying anyway, so we might as well make a last struggle before we die,” many have said. I feel humbled by their trust in me.

Lily Kuo;Verna Yu;Tania Branigan

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2019/aug/31/hong-kong-protests-reporting-inside-guardian

LEFT

2019-08-31 07:38:22

Politico

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Justin Myers, CEO of For Our Future Super PAC

Myers will be in Jamaica with friends and his wife for his birthday.

PLAYBOOK BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Justin Myers, CEO of For Our Future Super PAC How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “In Jamaica with many of my friends and my wife, whose birthday is three days apart from mine.” How did you get your start in politics? “During my summer break from teaching history in a public high school, I was connected by friends to former New York City Council Speaker Gifford Miller’s campaign for mayor. I became a super volunteer in his race. He lost the election, but I found my calling.” Story Continued Below What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading now or you’ve recently finished? And why? “The Washington Post profiled neighbors and community activists in Tennessee who formed a human chain to protect a father and son from being rounded up by ICE agents. I was inspired by the power of community banding together and organizing to fight back against harmful deportations that tear families apart.” What’s a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “The alarmingly low number of African American male educators in public schools. The willingness of some elected officials to cut after-school, summer jobs and music and arts programs that are vital to communities in need. If we do not find a remedy to these alarming trends, underserved communities will continue to struggle.” How’s the Trump presidency going? “Horrifically. Trump has opened up deep wounds in this country. He’s torn apart our nation in ways that I never thought possible in a post-Obama world.” What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I was an avid comic book and sports card and memorabilia collector. I still have my personal collection intact! As I came from a working-class family, I worked through college as a DJ and a barber, while also working in the student career center. This article tagged under: Playbook Birthday of the Day

Politico Staff

www.politico.com

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/31/birthday-of-the-day-justin-myers-ceo-of-for-our-future-super-pac-1479249

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 07:46:00

NBC News

Woman tosses Molotov cocktail into Florida citizenship office

A woman threw a lit Molotov cocktail into the lobby of a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer in Oakland Park, Florida. There were no injuries.

Woman tosses Molotov cocktail into Florida citizenship office There were no injuries and the fuse disconnected from the bottle and didn't ignite, according to a report sent to administration officials.

Associated Press

www.nbcnews.com

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-tosses-molotov-cocktail-florida-citizenship-office-n1048581?cid=public-rss_20190831

CENTER

2019-08-31 07:46:34

HuffPost

Tweeters Make Same Chilling Point About Jack Dorsey's Account Being Compromised

"All of this doesn’t make me feel great for when Trump’s Twitter account is inevitably hacked and it starts World War III," one person warned.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s account was compromised on Friday and many people on the social media platform issued the same chilling warning. They speculated what could happen if President Donald Trump’s account was compromised in a similar manner. Some cautioned it could lead to World War III or nuclear war with China and Russia. Trump’s Twitter account was, of course, temporarily deactivated for 11 minutes in November 2017 by an employee on his last day in work. Dorsey’s account spewed out a series of anti-Semitic messages and racist slurs on Friday afternoon. Twitter secured the account within around an hour and blamed the incident on a “security oversight” by a mobile phone company. It did nothing to dampen fears online, however: If @jack can be hacked, we're all doomed ... — James A. Gagliano (@JamesAGagliano) August 30, 2019 If Jack Dorsey can be hacked, someone could hack President Trump’s account, threaten nuclear war with Russia and China, and our adversaries may believe it and act upon it because it’s not necessarily out of character for Trump to announce a nuclear first strike on Twitter. Yikes. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) August 30, 2019 And what if the president’s Twitter was hacked and they didn’t post jokes? If Jack’s account can get hacked, they all can.https://t.co/9b2UjZSf0D — J. Grygiel 🏳️‍🌈🇺🇸 (@jmgrygiel) August 30, 2019 twitter has very real security questions to answer — if Jack’s account can get hacked, what’s to say @realDonaldTrump can’t be hacked to FAR greater consequences? — j.d. durkin (@jiveDurkey) August 30, 2019 All of this doesn’t make me feel great for when Trump’s Twitter account is inevitably hacked and it starts World War III. Quite literally. — M.G. Siegler (@mgsiegler) August 30, 2019 So if somebody succeeds in hacking @realDonaldTrump's account they could: - crash the markets (and make $$ on some insider trading) - start an international incident, maybe even a war - god knows what else. Great website ya got here, @jack. — Laura Packard (@lpackard) August 30, 2019 People are asking “Well if Jack be hacked why not Trump.” And this WH’s security practices are so bad that clearly yes he can. But moreover, Trump himself is a security vulnerability. https://t.co/aUWYZK4qdd — Jason Goldman (@goldman) August 30, 2019 Somebody hacked the CEO of Twitter's account. Fortunately, it's not like the president of the United States has an account on here where he makes global policies and can destabilize markets, so the lack of security on the platform shouldn't trouble us too much. https://t.co/FonbleKdbF — (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) August 30, 2019 Jack filed a report and got an email back saying there were no violations of the Twitter Rules. — Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) August 30, 2019 the highest levels of twitter security spring into action pic.twitter.com/w15UMeW5Yc — Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) August 30, 2019

Reporter

www.huffpost.com

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jack-dorsey-twitter-account-fears-trump_n_5d6a1e6fe4b01108044f6f7a

LEFT

2019-08-31 07:59:00

NBC News

India leaves nearly two million people off citizens' list

Nearly 2 million people have been left off a list of citizens released on Saturday in India's northeastern state of Assam in an exercise that critics said targeted the region's Muslim minority.

Assam is in a state of high alert and additional security forces have been deployed in anticipation of possible violence following the publication of the list. BIJU BORO / AFP - Getty Images

www.nbcnews.com

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/india-leaves-nearly-two-million-people-citizens-list-n1048591?cid=public-rss_20190902

CENTER

2019-08-31 08:19:41

Fox News

Bradley Blakeman: Labor unions and members should support Republicans - Dems take workers for granted

This Labor Day weekend, it's time to reflect on the inroads the GOP has made with union leadership. President Trump's trade deal with Canada and Mexico advances collective bargaining rights and supports higher-paying jobs.

This Labor Day weekend it's important to not only honor our workforce but also pledge to protect and grow it. Republicans are doing just that, and deserve the support of more union members as a result. Labor unions and their members need to work with Republicans on issues they agree on. For too long, union support has been taken for granted by Democrats. Many Democrats believe union members have nowhere else to go. I believe union leaders should be pushing back, letting Democrats know that in 2020 and beyond they will be looking elsewhere for candidates to support in federal, state and local elections. BERNIE SANDERS CALLS FOR DOUBLING UNION MEMBERSHIP, SCRAPPING ‘RIGHT TO WORK’ LAWS Today unions represent one out of 10 workers in this country. America was built and maintained in large part by skilled union labor and this should continue. Republicans have an opportunity to expand the support they receive from union leadership and members, building on inroads the party made when President Trump was elected. The GOP has a lot to offer and should make a concerted effort to win union backing. The party has a solid labor record to run on. Unions exist to provide good-paying jobs, benefits and protections for workers. That's exactly what Republican leaders subscribe to as well. CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER President Trump has been good for labor on important issues like jobs, trade, national security and health care, to name a few. Trump negotiated, and Republicans have supported, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Unfortunately, this trade agreements is being blocked by Democrats who refuse to take it up in the House. One of Trump’s key objectives in the renegotiation was to ensure that the USMCA benefits American workers. The U.S., Mexico and Canada have agreed to place strong labor obligations in the core of the trade agreement and make them fully enforceable. Included is a requirement that Mexico commit to specific legislative actions that provide for the effective recognition of collective bargaining rights. The agreement requires the parties to legally adopt and practice labor rights recognized by the International Labor Organization. President Trump has been good for labor on important issues like jobs, trade, national security and health care, to name a few. In addition, the revamped USMCA includes provisions aimed at prohibiting the importation of goods produced by forced labor, addresses violence against workers exercising their labor rights, and ensures that migrant workers are protected under labor laws. To support higher-paying North American jobs, the deal contains new trade rules requiring that 40 percent to 45 percent of car components be made by workers earning at least $16 an hour. Many Democrats running for president in 2020 are vowing to end the private delivery of health care as we know it. They seek “Medicare-for-all," which would effectively curb the ability of unions to bargain for health care on behalf of workers – one of the greatest benefits organized labor can offer. Who needs a union if the government is the only game in town for benefits? Government benefits are a floor and a ceiling. Republicans seek to protect the delivery, availability and affordability of a robust national private health care system to complement the government’s obligation to provide Medicaid and Medicare for some. Unions should support this. Republicans also are working hard to prevent the off-shoring of American jobs, in hopes of preserving good-paying union jobs. Recently American Airlines announced plans to repair its aircraft in foreign countries, raising concerns that those significantly lower-paid workers may not be skilled enough to adhere to vital safety standards. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP We cannot allow profits to get in the way of security and jobs. I do not want less-skilled foreign laborers to “fix” my airliner. You can't pull over at 40,000 feet if a repair is defective. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM BRADLEY BLAKEMAN

Bradley Blakeman;Bradley A. Blakeman Is A Principal At The Group Consultants;An Adjunct Professor Of Public Policy;International Affairs At Georgetown University;A Former Member Of President George W. Bush S Senior Staff;A Former President Of Freedom Watch.

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/bradley-blakeman-time-for-organized-labor-to-back-the-gop

RIGHT

2019-08-31 08:20:57

CNN

South Carolina's governor has declared a state of emergency

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order Saturday declaring a state of emergency, telling residents of his state to prepare for possible impacts by Hurricane Dorian, according to a news release from McMaster's office.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster discusses rising floodwaters from Hurricane Florence in 2018 in Wallace. Sean Rayford/Getty Images South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order Saturday declaring a state of emergency, telling residents of his state to prepare for possible impacts by Hurricane Dorian, according to a news release from McMaster's office. "The executive order enables all state agencies to coordinate resources and sets into effect the State Emergency Operations Plan," the release said. McMaster wrote on Twitter that authorities are "working around the clock to be ready, if necessary." "We encourage all South Carolinians who may be impacted by Hurricane Dorian to be vigilant and prepare now -- there is no reason for delay."

Cnn'S Jason Hanna;Cnn'S Melissa Alonso;Cnn'S Dave Hennen

www.cnn.com

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/hurricane-dorian-saturday/h_a2f0f23ffa94ce5df72048e13b804c69?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 08:22:31

Fox News

Hong Kong protesters defy ban to clash with police, hit with tear gas, water cannon

A large fire blazed across a main street in Hong Kong on Saturday night, as protesters made a wall out of barricades and set it afire. Hundreds of protesters gathered behind the fire, many pointing laser beams that streaked the night sky above them. Earlier, the protesters threw objects and gasoline bombs over barriers set up at government headquarters. Police on the other side responded with tear gas and blue-colored water fired from a water cannon. The protesters retreated when police arrived on the street to clear them from the area, but reassembled and built the wall and set the fire on Hennessey Road in the city's Wan Chai district. Police had yet to confront them while the fire blazed. A march to mark the fifth anniversary of China's decision against fully democratic elections in Hong Kong was not permitted by police, but protesters took to the streets anyway in the 13th straight weekend of demonstrations. HONG KONG POLICE ARREST AT LEAST 3 PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS The mostly young, black-shirted protesters took over roads and major intersections in shopping districts as they rallied and marched. Police erected additional barriers and brought out two water cannon trucks near the Chinese government office and deployed at various locations in riot gear. While others marched back and forth elsewhere in the city, a large crowd wearing helmets and gas masks gathered outside the city government building. Some approached barriers that had been set up to keep protesters away and appeared to throw objects at the police on the other side. Others shone laser lights at the officers. Police fired tear gas from the other side of the barriers, then brought out a water cannon truck that fired regular water and then colored water at the protesters, staining them and nearby journalists and leaving blue puddles in the street. HONG KONG PROTEST ESCALATION: TEAR GAS, WATER CANNONS AND A POLICE OFFICER FIRING A WARNING SHOT The standoff continued for some time, but protesters started moving back as word spread that police were headed in their direction. A few front-line protesters hurled gasoline bombs at the officers in formation, but there were no major clashes as police cleared the area. Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said Hong Kong citizens would keep fighting for their rights and freedoms despite the arrests of several prominent activists and lawmakers in the past two days, including activist Joshua Wong. The protests were sparked by a now-shelved extradition bill. Protesters are demanding its full withdrawal, democratic elections and an investigation into alleged police brutality in what have been pitched battles with hard-line demonstrators. "I do believe the government deliberately arrested several leaders of the democratic camp to try to threaten Hong Kong people not to come out to fight against the evil law," Lam said at what was advertised as a Christian march earlier in the day. About 1,000 people marched to a Methodist church and police headquarters. They alternated between singing hymns and chanting the slogans of the pro-democracy movement. An online flyer for the demonstration called it a "prayer for sinners" and featured images of a Christian cross and embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who had proposed the extradition bill. BRITISH HONG KONG CONSULATE EMPLOYEE RELEASED FROM DETENTION AS PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT Authorities rejected an application from the Civil Human Rights Front, the organizer of pro-democracy marches that have drawn upward of a million people this summer, for a march to the Chinese government office. Police said that while previous marches have started peacefully, they have increasingly degenerated into violence in the end. The standing committee of China's legislature ruled on Aug. 31, 2014, that Hong Kong residents could elect their leader directly, but that the candidates would have to be approved by a nominating committee. The decision failed to satisfy democracy advocates in the city and led to the 79-day long Occupy Central protests that fall, in which demonstrators camped out on major streets in the financial district and other parts of Hong Kong. The participants in the religious march Saturday were peaceful and mostly older than the younger protesters who have led this summer's movement and, in some cases, blocked streets and battled police with bricks, sticks and gasoline bombs Religious meetings do not require police approval, though authorities said late Friday that organizers of a procession with more than 30 people must notify police. The government shut down streets and subway service near the Chinese government's office, about 3 miles west of the religious march. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP "A public event is expected on Hong Kong Island this afternoon which may cause severe disruptions," police said. "Text messages have been sent to alert members of the public to mind their personal safety."

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/world/hong-kong-protesters-defy-ban-police-clash

RIGHT

2019-08-31 08:24:00

NBC News

Taliban forces attack Afghan city amid peace talks with U.S.

Taliban officials say they captured the Afghan city of Kunduz on Saturday, even as peace talks continue with the United States to end Washington's involvement in the more than 17-year-long war.

Taliban forces attack Afghan city amid peace talks with U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. had good negotiations going on with the Islamist group but had not yet reached a deal on on U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Mushtaq Yusufzai;Mushtaq Yusufzai Is A Journalist Based In Peshawar;Linda Givetash;Linda Givetash Is A Reporter Based In London. She Previously Worked For The Canadian Press In Vancouver;Nation Media In Uganda.

www.nbcnews.com

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/taliban-attack-afghan-city-amid-peace-talks-u-s-n1048586?cid=public-rss_20190901

CENTER

2019-08-31 08:40:10

The Guardian

Javid: relationship with PM is 'fantastic' despite aide's sacking

Chancellor refuses to discuss No 10’s sacking of his media adviser or his opinion of Dominic Cummings

Chancellor refuses to discuss No 10’s sacking of his media adviser or his opinion of Dominic Cummings Sajid Javid repeatedly refused to discuss the sacking of his media adviser by Boris Johnson’s top strategist and insisted he had a “fantastic” relationship with the prime minister. The Guardian reported that the chancellor met Johnson on Friday to demand an explanation over the reasons for Sonia Khan being dismissed on the spot without his knowledge. Khan was escorted from No 10 by an armed police officer following a meeting with Johnson’s strategist, Dominic Cummings, after being accused of being dishonest about her contact with the former chancellor Philip Hammond and one of his ex-advisers. Quick guide Who's who - Boris Johnson's controversial backroom team Show Hide Boris Johnson's new backroom team in Downing Street is littered with ex-staff from Vote Leave, supports of controversial lobbying groups like the TaxPayers’ Alliance, and those with links to Lynton Crosby and Mark Textor's C|T Group Dominic Cummings Special advisor to the prime minister Boris Johnson and chief of staff in all but name, Cummings was campaign director of Vote Leave. He had previously campaigned against Britain joining the Euro, and worked for Iain Duncan Smith as director of strategy at the Conservatives, and for Michael Gove as a special advisor in the department of education. Isaac Levido A Lynton Crosby protege, Australian Levido has been hired into Conservative party headquarters as director of politics and campaigning. He has previously worked in Washington for the Republicans, and contributed to the Tory campaigns in 2015 and 2017. Earlier this year he worked on the Liberal party’s surprise election success in Australia, where the party’s Facebook videos were watched at triple the rate of the Labor opposition videos during the election campaign. Lee Cain Head of communications for Johnson and responsible for determining the Conservative government’s message in public. He was the head of broadcast for the Vote Leave campaign and had government jobs, including at No 10, before joining Johnson at the Foreign Office. His most public role, though, was dressing up as a chicken in 2010 to heckle Tory politicians. Rob Oxley Press secretary at Downing Street, Oxley has previously served as an advisor to Home Secretary Priti Patel, and worked alongside Cain as press officer for the Vote Leave campaign. Oliver Lewis Now the Johnson government’s Brexit policy adviser, Lewis was Research Director at Vote Leave. Munira Mirza Heading up Johnson's policy unit, Mirza was his deputy mayor for arts in London for eight years. She has links to a circle of former Revolutionary Communist Party supporters who wrote for Living Marxism, before morphing into libertarian provocateurs involved with Spiked online magazine. She co-founded of the Manifesto Club, a pressure group challenging the “erosion of public freedoms”. Chloe Westley A digital adviser to the administration, Westley worked at both Vote Leave and the TaxPayers’ Alliance. She found fame on Twitter as @LowTaxChloe making videos attempting to mock attempting to mock Corbynite socialism. She was involved in Turning Point, a student pressure group dedicated to “free markets, limited government and personal responsibility” which drew attention when at one of its launch events American conservative Candace Owens appeared to praise HItler’s approach to making Germany great. Westley herself has praised the work of far-right, anti-Islam politician Anne Marie Waters. Ross Kempsell Former Guido Fawkes chief reporter and Talkradio political editor Kempsell has joined Johnson’s team as a special adviser focused on reform of Whitehall and the public sector just weeks after his interview with the prime minister during his leadership campaign prompted Johnson to rattle off an anecdote about making and painting cardboard buses as a hobby. He also was the interviewer when Johnson promised Brexit would be carried out “do or die” by 31 October. Danny Kruger Has moved from being the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s expert adviser on charities to the role of political secretary. He stood down as a Tory candidate in 2005 after causing controversy by saying he thought there should be a “period of creative destruction in the public services”. He argues that cannabis should be decriminalised. Blair Gibbs Previously a senior adviser to both Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, Gibbs is another former TaxPayers’ Alliance staffer entering No 10 as a policy expert. He is also in favour of decriminalisation, joining the administration from a policy role at the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis. In an interview with the BBC’s Today programme, Javid said suggestions that Downing Street was not allowing him enough authority over the Treasury is “a picture painted by government’s opponents”. He also insisted it was his decision to cancel his first major speech on the economy 24 hours before he had been due to deliver it in Birmingham this week after the announcement of the Queen’s speech was leaked. Khan is the fourth young woman in a month to be axed from the prime minister’s network of advisers and senior staffers, leaving Javid without a media adviser before Wednesday’s spending review, where he will lay out details of a £14bn allocation for schools and new police funding. 'Culture of fear' claims as Javid confronts PM over adviser's sacking Read more Javid told the Today programme: “I’m not going to discuss any personnel issues, it wouldn’t be appropriate. “The relationship is fantastic with the prime minister. Before he was prime minister, he is someone I got on with incredibly well. “It’s a real privilege to work with him, to work closely so well on people’s priorities.” On his relationship with Cummings, Javid replied: “I’m not going to discuss personnel relationships. The prime minister is my boss and we work together, along with other cabinet colleagues, to deliver, so I am not here to talk about particular individuals that are advisers in Downing Street.” He added: “If you look at the moment the new government was formed, how much of activity and focus has taken place. “FE today, yesterday was schools, record investment in NHS and 20 new hospitals being modernised as well as getting us a deal from Brussels, that only happens when the government is working well together. “That is what you see not just between me and the PM but across the board.” The former home secretary was more willing to discuss the reasons for cancelling his speech on Tuesday after Downing Street, rather than the Treasury, announced a proposed cut to fuel duty that had been briefed to the Sunday newspapers. The one-year spending review, called a spending round, which had been due to take place later this year, is fast-tracked to take place on Wednesday – the day after MPs return to parliament – fuelling speculation the government could be planning an early general election. Javid said: “That was my decision not to have the speech, by then we worked out that for some reason there was a leak around the Queen’s speech announcement. “It wouldn’t be sensible to make a big economic speech when clearly there wouldn’t have been focus on that, there would have been focus on the Queen’s speech. It was right that decision was made. I am happy with that. “Sometimes people read too much into this and deliberately twist things that don’t exist.” Javid also backed the decision to suspend parliament in the run-up to the Brexit deadline at the end of October. He said: “It is quite usual this time of year; parliament goes into what’s called a conference recess and it doesn’t usually sit for some time in September and early October. It’s right because we are focusing on the people’s priorities.”

Nadeem Badshah;Marina Hyde;Sajid Javid

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/31/javid-relationship-with-pm-is-fantastic-despite-aides-sacking

LEFT

2019-08-31 08:41:22

BBC

Muckamore Abbey Hospital: Timeline of abuse allegations

BBC News NI looks back at how the saga of alleged maltreatment of vulnerable patients unfolded.

Image caption The hospital provides treatment for people with severe learning disabilities and mental health needs News that CCTV footage has revealed 1,500 crimes on one ward of Muckamore Abbey Hospital has renewed concerns over alleged ill-treatment of patients. The hospital, on the outskirts of Antrim, is run by the Belfast Health Trust It provides facilities for adults with severe learning disabilities and mental health needs. Over the past number of years, claims of alleged maltreatment of the hospital's vulnerable patients have emerged. This is how the saga has unfolded so far. November 2017 Allegations of ill treatment at Muckamore began to surface. It was revealed four staff members had been suspended and the BBC reported that the allegations "centred on the care of at least two patients". The trust said an incident had come to light several months earlier. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it was working with the trust on an investigation into the allegations. Image caption In July last year, the trust said it had suspended a further nine staff and ordered a review of archived CCTV footage July 2018 The Irish News reported details of CCTV footage allegedly showing ill treatment of patients. The trust apologised "unreservedly" to patients and families and confirmed that a further nine members of staff had been suspended. "As part of the ongoing investigation and a review of archived CCTV footage, a further number of past incidents have been brought to our attention in the past week," it said. Image caption There are 80 patients and 500 members of staff at Muckamore Abbey Hospital August 2018 The BBC reported that five vulnerable patients were assaulted by staff at Muckamore Abbey Hospital between 2014 and 2017. When asked if anyone had been disciplined over the five assaults, confirmed to have taken place between 2014 and 2017, a trust spokesperson said it could not comment further as there was an ongoing investigation. In response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request sent by BBC News NI, the trust confirmed that in hospital between 2014 and 2017 there had been more than 50 reported assaults on patients by staff, with five investigated and substantiated. Image copyright Belfast Trust Image caption The seclusion room used to contain patients at Muckamore was described by a patient's mother as "a dark dungeon" December 2018 A catalogue of abuse and neglect is at Muckamore Abbey is revealed in a report that charts a series of catastrophic failings at the hospital. By this stage, 13 members of the nursing staff had been suspended and two senior nursing managers were on long-term sick leave The review, A Way to Go, was commissioned by the Belfast Trust to examine safeguarding at the hospital between 2012 and 2017. Among its findings were that patients' lives had been compromised; staff did not follow safeguarding protocols and that CCTV footage showed patients being harmed by staff. The review also found that a seclusion room in the hospital was not monitored. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Muckamore seclusion room was 'a dark dungeon' Later in December,the BBC spoke to the mother of a severely-disabled Muckamore patient, who described the seclusion room her son was placed in as "a dark dungeon". CCTV footage from the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) showed her son being punched in the stomach by a nurse. The footage, taken over a three-month period, also showed patients being pulled, hit, punched, flicked and verbally abused by nursing staff. The Belfast Trust said the seclusion room was still used in emergencies, but its use was being reviewed. Parents told the BBC they wanted to see a public inquiry. In an interview with BBC News NI, director of nursing Brenda Creaney admitted there had been a delay before the health trust began its investigation. Image caption Detectives have been watching more than 300,000 hours of CCTV footage from the hospital January 2019 The chair of Northern Ireland's biggest review into mental health services told BBC News NI the allegations emerging from Muckamore could be "the tip of the iceberg". Prof Roy McClelland, who led the 2007 Bamford Review, said it was not just a matter of "bad apples in a barrel". February 2019 In a BBC interview, the chief executive of the Belfast Health Trust, Martin Dillon said "the buck rests with me". "Some of the care failings in Muckamore are a source of shame, but my primary focus is on putting things right," he said. August 2019 Northern Ireland's health regulator took action against the Belfast Trust over standards of care at Muckamore. Three enforcement notices were issued by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) over staffing and nurse provision, adult safeguarding and patient finances. In a statement to the BBC, the trust said it was trying to develop a model of care "receptive to the changing needs of patients". Later in August, police investigating the abuse allegations said CCTV footage has revealed 1,500 crimes on one ward at Muckamore. The incidents happened in the psychiatric intensive care unit over the course of six months in 2017-18. Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster, Det Ch Insp Jill Duffie said police were examining a series of "very traumatic events" seen in more than 300,000 hours of footage.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-49498971

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 08:57:19

Fox News

Labor nominee Eugene Scalia touted for expertise and experience, but faces stiff Dem opposition

President Trump this week formally announced his intention to nominate Eugene Scalia as Labor secretary – with the White House pointing to the pick as one that brings both expertise as well as direct experience of the department to the job. But Democrats are threatening to oppose a pick they fear could be a deregulating powerhouse.

President Trump this week formally announced his intention to nominate Eugene Scalia as Labor secretary, with the White House saying he has both legal expertise and hands-on experience at the department. But Democrats are threatening to oppose the nomination, fearing a pick who could become a powerful deregulator. "Eugene Scalia is the president's pick to lead the Department of Labor because of his deep expertise and ability to defend the American worker,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere told Fox News. “He is one of the most respected labor and employment lawyers in the country, and we expect the Senate to act quickly on his nomination.” TRUMP TO NOMINATE GENE SCALIA, SON OF LATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA, FOR SECRETARY OF LABOR Scalia, a son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, brings a wealth of experience to the role as a longtime labor, employment and regulatory lawyer, and a former solicitor in the Labor Department during the George W. Bush administration. He is also a senior fellow of the Administrative Conference of the United States -- an agency that recommends to Congress and the executive branch ways to improve agency procedures. Trump described Scalia as having led “a life of great success in the legal and labor field.” But Democrats are pointing to Scalia's record as well, claiming the nominee would turn the department in a pro-corporation direction and aggressively seek to cut regulations protecting workers. “President Trump is missing an opportunity to nominate a fighter for workers, like a union member, to be America’s next Labor Secretary,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in July. “Instead, President Trump has again chosen someone who has proven to put corporate interests over those of worker rights. Workers and union members who believed candidate Trump when he campaigned as pro-worker should feel betrayed.” “Eugene Scalia spent his career putting giant corporations over American workers,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said when his nomination was first announced. “This should concern anyone who believes that the Department of Labor should protect workers’ rights – not corporate interests. The Senate must reject his nomination for Secretary of Labor.” Scalia spent much of the Obama years opposing government regulations on behalf of businesses – putting him in line with the broad philosophical brushstrokes of the Trump administration, which has sought to slash regulation across multiple cabinet departments. During Scalia's confirmation to the Labor Department in 2001, Democrats expressed similar concerns then, focusing on his opposition to a Clinton-era rule to protect workers from repetitive stress injuries – known as the ergonomics rule. The Wall Street Journal reports that as a partner of the corporate law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, he spent much of his time representing the financial-services industry in challenging regulations associated with the Obama-era Dodd-Frank law – he has called the 2010 law an important statute but added that “when the government believes it’s handling a particularly important issue, there can be a tendency to overreach.” But a source familiar with the nomination told Fox News that Scalia’s record was “pro-worker and entirely even-handed when it came to labor unions,” saying he “has never been a business lawyer out to defeat the union movement" and has shown respect for a workers’ right to unionize. The source listed examples in which Scalia had fought for workers when he was part of the department he now seeks to lead. One notable case was settled in 2002, when the Labor Department won a $10 million settlement with a poultry factory after the company refused to pay workers for time spent putting on and taking off safety gear – a process known as “donning and doffing.” While the Clinton administration began the action, it was settled during the Bush administration, with Scalia authorizing the litigation. A New York Times story at the time quoted Scalia as estimating that workers spent eight minutes a day dressing and undressing – approximately $500 a year in unpaid work. The settlement found that the company should pay workers for the dressing and undressing and it won affected workers $1,000 each in back pay. The United Food and Commercial Workers union called the settlement “a step in the right direction for fair pay for some of the nation’s most underpaid workers.” Similarly, the source pointed to Scalia’s role in ending a West Coast ports dispute the same year between the companies that owned the ports and unions. The source said Scalia gained a reputation during that fight for “not playing favorites, not coming in blaming the company, not coming in and blaming the union, but just trying to get a resolution." The New York Times reported that union leaders praised Scalia's approach of proposing a contract extension “because it showed that the administration was seeking to heed union concerns and avoid invoking the Taft-Hartley Act.” President Bush did eventually invoke the act after companies rejected the extension. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When his confirmation hearing is held in coming months, Scalia is likely to face questions from Democrats on his work as a private lawyer, particularly in undoing an Obama rule to put tougher requirements on professionals advising retirement savers and defending companies such as Boeing, SeaWorld and Wal-Mart. However, with a firm Republican hold on the Senate and no visible GOP opposition to his nomination, Scalia's chances for confirmation seem solid. While Democrats may fear whether Scalia will push for greater deregulation, for many Republicans that is a plus. “Gene Scalia is an outstanding lawyer who has vigorously defended the Constitution over a long career in government and private practice,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said in a statement when the pick was announced. “I’m confident he’ll be a champion for working Americans against red tape and burdensome regulation as Labor Secretary.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Adam Shaw

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/labor-nominee-eugene-scalia-expertise-dem-opposition?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29

RIGHT

2019-08-31 09:00:42

The Guardian

MPs can push no deal, but it’s civil servants who will have to make it work

Brexiters are relying on the brilliance of a Whitehall they disparage to mitigate the damage their dreams would cause, says Gus O’Donnell, a former head of the civil service

Try to imagine what life is like now in the civil service. You have spent the summer explaining to your family and friends that holidays have been put off so you can work on no-deal planning – you need to understand and manage the customs issues, supply chains and other business requirements, plus readiness to ensure smooth running at our ports. In addition you have been told to prepare a spending review, a budget and a programme for the next session of parliament to be announced in the Queen’s speech. And, of course, some of you are working on getting a deal so we can leave the EU in an orderly fashion. Brexit crisis damaging civil service morale, say insiders Read more My guess is that you have been thinking creatively about how to resolve the backstop issue but must have been disheartened to hear that many ERG members now say that even this will not be enough to gain their support. They want other changes that may be even harder to get approval for from the EU. For some of them – and clearly Nigel Farage is in this camp – the only acceptable Brexit is a no-deal version. My message to my former colleagues is one of thanks for all this work and a reminder that it is their number one job to implement the government’s programme, having advised on its merits and accepted whatever decisions are made. We are very fortunate in having an excellent civil service that is highly regarded around the world, but its capacity is being severely tested by Brexit, which is a much bigger problem than anything I had to deal with. Some have suggested that the civil service should down tools and resist the instructions of ministers: when exactly does speaking truth to power mean that you say “No, Minister”? Obviously, the first instance is when the proposals are illegal. You don’t implement the programme to kill the firstborn as part of a drive to reduce the cost of nursery provision. Sometimes there are proposals of questionable legality, for example something that might be seen to restrict an individual’s freedom, or favour one company over another. In such cases you need to advise ministers that it will be for the courts to decide if this is appropriate, and until then you tread carefully. Then there are government plans that are a terrible waste of public money. In these cases permanent secretaries have the power to request a direction. This can then be examined by parliament through the Public Accounts Committee. All permanent secretaries will be facing some tough choices about seeking directives on issues related to Brexit. Many have already done so. This is not about the government’s policy of leaving the EU itself – but whether it is pursuing that policy in a way that represents value for taxpayers’ money. In my experience, there are always grey areas: in a country with no written constitution, that is inevitable. A great strength of our political system is that parliament provides a check and balance on the executive. For highly controversial issues such as going to war, or indeed leaving the EU, this is crucial, and why it is so dangerous to attempt to bypass parliament. Imposing anything against the explicit wishes of the elected parliament could be seriously destabilising to our system of government, based as it is on the ultimate sovereignty of parliament. However, such action is not obviously “a constitutional outrage” – as some have claimed – while the courts can decide whether it is legal. Regardless, it is extremely hard to justify proroguing parliament for so long when it is just coming back from a lengthy recess and faces a very demanding workload. Our constitutional conventions are undoubtedly being severely tested It is for parliament to sort out these issues, not the civil service. If parliament’s actions or inaction lead to a no-deal Brexit, it is the civil service’s job to make no deal as successful as possible. I have every confidence it would do so with professionalism and integrity. One of the ironies of a potential no-deal Brexit is that the hardliners who advocate it are also relying on the brilliance of a civil service they have so enjoyed disparaging to mitigate the damage that would be caused by their no-deal dreams. Since the parliamentary wrangling over Brexit began, many have wondered how resilient our constitutional arrangements will prove. Since the prorogation announcement, senior government ministers have been at pains to stress how robust the constitution is. Only time will tell if they are right. But our constitutional conventions are undoubtedly being severely tested. Alongside the Queen, the one institution that is unambiguously living up to its constitutional responsibilities is the civil service. It is in all our interests that this continues. • Gus O’Donnell was Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service from 2005 to 2011

Gus O'Donnell;John Harris

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/31/mps-no-deal-civil-servants-brexiters-whitehall

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2019-08-31 09:00:44

The Guardian

Boiling point: in Tucson, not everyone is equal in the face of heat

As summers get more intense, people who work outdoors, those on a low income and the elderly face imminent peril

As summers get more intense, people who work outdoors, those on a low income and the elderly face imminent peril To live in Tucson is to be exposed. The Arizona city unfolds beneath four mountain ranges and a gaping sky, welcoming relentless sunlight. Anything here can be sun-bleached – billboards, garden hoses, family photos near windows, laundry left out to dry. Most of the year it’s a dry heat, and sweat evaporates off skin faster than it’s produced. Summertime is different. In monsoon season, heat and humidity steadily increase until a storm breaks. There is no other release. Heat cannot exit from the body, creating a claustrophobic feeling inside the skin. Sweat becomes a vital sign – its absence indicates heatstroke. How US cities are scrambling to protect people from extreme heat Read more Not all Tucsonans stand equal in the face of heat. If you’re lucky enough to have an office job and a robust air conditioning system, your discomfort will be limited to the walk through a parking lot. But as summers get more intense, people who work outdoors, those on a low income and the elderly face imminent peril. John Soland, a salesman at a cooler parts store, sees people come in for parts and for shelter. “We had a guy that passed away under a tree in front of Walgreens from the heat just a couple weeks ago,” he says. “I saw him every day. I’d hand him cups of water. He just laid down and passed away.” The independent climate research organization recently labeled Tucson the “harbinger” of dangerous increases in heat and humidity; since 1970 the city has seen the second largest increase of days that feel over 100F (37C). By 2050, Tucson is projected to feel like 105F (40C) or higher for more than a third of the year. While many Tucsonans have adapted to increasingly hot summers, the materials of our homes and comfort have not. Air conditioning units, evaporative coolers and roofs are breaking down faster than ever before. Even so, the city is growing as people get priced out of California. For the thousands of registered contractors in Tucson, business is booming. To cash in, these technicians endure hours of exposure every day. At 4.30am, the sky is dark over Tucson. Leaving town on the highway, darkness stretches out between drivers and twinkling civilization. One pair of lights edges against the engulfing black of Pusch Ridge, a granite leviathan on the north side of town. The headlights belong to Taylor Law, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician, on his way to replace a condenser. He starts his days early – 3am – in a race against soaring temperatures. Around 5am, Law arrives at the upscale planned community of Saddle Brooke, where he is greeted by white hairs in neon, walking their dogs. At 28, Law has spent most of his adult years outside. He’s white, but his skin is nut brown. “Only the hands and the face, though,” he says. “My wife loves the sunglasses tan.” He wears a blue cotton T-shirt with sleeves to his wrists to protect him from the sun and sips from the jumbo Hydro Flask his wife got him. Other technicians keep icy coolers in the backs of their vans and drink Gatorade or Pedialyte to keep their electrolytes up. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A city of Tucson worker covering himself from the sun while working outside. Photograph: Cassidy Araiza/The Guardian Law likes his job, and is good at it, but hopes to one day move into sales. When asked about his goals, he replies: “I want to work less and make more money.” On a later job, he takes a short break to admire a client’s massive truck and daydream about a toy hauler. “Working in these better-off areas, I can see what is possible. The closer I am to money, the more likely it’ll be that I get there,” he says. He pulls into the driveway and turns off the van’s frigid air conditioning before unloading heavy equipment next to the condenser he will replace – a five-hour operation he can trim down to three with good planning. At 6am, the temperature breaks 80F (26C). The birds and mosquitoes have joined Law in the side yard. He looks like the world’s sweatiest orthodontist, working delicately with a thin nozzle of fire. Two pale elderly women pull their golf cart into the garage across the street. They cast a look in Law’s direction like they’re happy to be heading indoors, then close the curtains. “Maintenance out here is crucial,” Law says of his work. “You have extreme heat out here, which beats these units up. But, on top of the extreme heat, you have a lot of run time on these systems. Even keeping your thermostat at 80, your system is going to be running a lot during this time of year.” Extra runtime means systems are apt to break down when Tucsonans rely on them most. Proactive measures help some Tucsonans avoid that uncomfortable position, but can cost hundreds of dollars a year. Instead, many Tucsonans nurse their systems along, replacing or repairing parts as necessary. Then, the resourceful go to parts stores. Customers fill the parking lot at Arizona Maintenance, waiting for Aribal Benitez to open shop. Some have spent the night with broken evaporative coolers and could not sleep. The sooner they can get the parts they need, the more time they have to work against the rapidly increasing heat. His cash register features monuments to Tucsonans’ endurance: pumps covered in mineral deposits like hoary stalagmites, cooler pads transformed into blocks of concrete, each caked with mineral debris that slowed the evaporative cooler until it stopped. The buildup is evidence that these homeowners endured years of discomfort before replacing a part that costs about $20. Benitez sees other homeowners go without cooling until June to keep electric bills down. “Tucson is a biweekly town,” he explains. Since many wage workers get paid every other week, his store sees more business on payday. Many customers have lived in Tucson for all or most of their lives, as has a contractor named Scooby, who sources metal roofing supplies directly from Benitez’s factory. Scooby is in a rush to get back out. “When you work outside, every minute that goes by, it gets hotter,” says Benitez. Facebook Twitter Pinterest View from Gates Pass in Tucson on 26 August. Photograph: Cassidy Araiza/The Guardian By 11am, what little shelter workers had outside is gone. “You wear a hat, make sure you cover your face,” says Jesus Vasquez, a client who started working on roofs this summer. If he didn’t wear a cowl over his neck up to his sunglasses, the sun reflecting off the roof would burn his face until it peeled. “We usually tend to wear steel-toed boots. With regular shoes, the bottom starts legitimately melting.” He reveals the bottom of his sneaker. The yellow rubber melted through, forming a ridge where his sole poked out. “But this job is good. There are ups and downs. Cloudy days are the ups,” he says. In the middle of the day, shade is hard to come by. He has hidden underneath a vent for shelter. If he pushes himself too hard, he could fall off a roof. At the same time, if he turns down a job, there are thousands of other contractors in the city. “If they don’t show up, someone else is gonna show up,” says Benitez as he pulls on his gloves. From 1.30 to 4pm, the roof is around 120F (50C). “For this job, you have to be unconscious,” says Benitez. “If you’re conscious, you won’t do this job.” Though heat deaths most impact the elderly and those without homes, heat disproportionately impacts the quality of life in low-income areas. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gregg Garfin: ‘Someone born in the 1960s is probably turning on that AC earlier and keeping it on later than their parents did.’ Photograph: Cassidy Araiza/The Guardian “If you lay an extreme heat map over a map of low income areas, it’s the same map,” says Regina Romero, the only major party candidate for mayor of Tucson. These areas suffer from the same urban heat island effect that causes the rising number of heat deaths in Phoenix, where fewer trees and larger swaths of impermeable ground prime areas for heat absorption. In these neighborhoods especially, Tucsonans lean on public spaces like libraries as shelter from the heat. Gregg Garfin, an associate professor of climate, natural resources and policy at the University of Arizona, points out that heat islands cause night temperatures to rise even faster than daytime ones, and leave less time for Tucsonans’ homes and bodies to recover. “This translates into increased energy use,” he says. “Someone born in the 1960s is probably turning on that AC earlier and keeping it on later than their parents did.” Though heat islands affect specific areas, climate issues such as water conservation and electric transit options mobilize voters across Tucson. “The mayor and city council have been working hard to incentivize water conservation,” says Romero. “This is nibbling around the edges of the problem. “My vision is to make sure that we have not just a livable community, but a thriving, climate-resilient community,” Romero adds. “That we’re investing in climate action; so that we are on our way to planting a million trees by 2030.” Romero envisions a walkable Tucson with reliable, affordable, electric transit options “so that people want to use our transit system”. “Tucsonans need to believe that this investment is for their quality of life,” she says. At noon in Tucson, the world is eerily still. No people walk on the streets. No cars drive on the road. The chirping birds have returned to nest. The flurries of rabbits have curled up in their warrens. The only movement comes from the hawk circling above, and the slow drift of clouds. The circulatory system is frantically bailing heat from the body. If Law pauses from his work, he might notice the heartbeat surging under every inch of his skin. Instead, he pushes silently through. “I’m the type of person to just grunt through pain. I don’t know how to slow down,” he says. This attitude has caused him advanced back problems that his insurance won’t cover. “It got to the point where I couldn’t tie my shoes.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Tucson landscape during sunset. Photograph: Cassidy Araiza/The Guardian At 3pm, he climbs down the ladder for the last time. He collapses the ladder and heaves it over his shoulder, up onto the roof of his van, and drives away. When the sun goes down, the city can finally relax. Temperatures start to cool in mid-August, when the monsoon breaks and rain pours down. The night after a rain is almost comfortable. Law drives to a date with his pregnant wife, one of the last before their son arrives. The windy roads are unlit and everything is quiet. His car windows are open; the air conditioner is off.

Ellice Lueders

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/31/tucson-heat-inequality-summer

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2019-08-31 09:00:48

The Guardian

‘I thought psychologists were for crazy people’: can therapy help refugees?

Their journeys over, many asylum seekers in Europe find themselves struggling with mental health problems. Seven people – and the therapists working with them – share their stories

For Muntaser, it’s the memory of militiamen raiding his village in Darfur. For Ahmad, who fled Afghanistan as a child, it’s the terrible vision of his father murdering his mother and sister. Abdul saw his home city devastated by Saudi bombs. Hundreds of thousands of migrants have crossed deserts, the snows of the Alps, or Balkan forests carrying the weight of similarly traumatic events, to find a new life in an increasingly inhospitable Europe. Once they get there – if they do – how do they begin to process the painful experiences that prompted their journeys? Depression, PTSD, anxiety, self-harming, insomnia and panic attacks are among the growing mental health issues faced by asylum seekers who find themselves trapped in fear and uncertainty in Europe. In camps on the outskirts of major cities, or in safe houses, or on the pavements of European capitals, a million people await their destiny. Aid groups such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have been forced to step in to provide psychiatric care for this population of often highly disturbed people. Where do you start? Gordana Maksimovic, a psychologist with MSF in Belgrade, says that a large part of her role is listening to people’s stories and offering them a human response. “Torture works by isolating you from others,” she says. “The only way to help is to reconnect on a human level and bring people back to society, where they belong. To reduce stigma by saying that they are not abnormal – but that what has happened to them is.” ‘When they learned of my sex change at the university, I was sacked’ Moona, 33, left Iran in 2018 and now lives in a safe house in Belgrade, Serbia Moona was thrilled when her wife told her she was expecting a baby – and decided in that moment never to hide her true identity from her child. Though she had dreamed of being pregnant herself, Moona was not yet able to be the woman she is today; she was then living as a male Iranian university professor, married to her cousin. After learning of the pregnancy, she decided to transition, “because I wanted to be a true mother to my child, rather than a false father”. Moona was born and raised in a small town in western Iran. “I remember once asking my mother if I could wear makeup before attending a wedding,” she says. “She told me that my father would kill both of us if I did. That’s when I understood the danger of expressing my true self in public, and decided to follow the strict rules of society.” Instead she threw herself into her education. On the advice of her family, and a doctor to whom she expressed her gender identity, she married, but after four years decided to transition. Iran forbids homosexuality, but it does allow citizens to undergo state-funded gender affirmation surgery. At the beginning of 2015, tired of living as a man, Moona signed up. Soon after, she fell in love with a man and remarried. It cost her dearly, however, as her ex-wife – who refused to allow her to see her daughter – threatened to expose her. “When they learned of my sex change at work, I was sacked,” Moona says. “A few nights later, my father came and told me that my brother would kill me if I didn’t leave. So in August 2018 I made it to Serbia on a fake British passport that a smuggler had given me. At the border I was kept in detention with 24 men in the same small room without any protection – they wanted to force me to return home.” Today Moona lives in Belgrade, and suffers from panic and anxiety attacks, far from both her daughter and the man she loves. She has been granted asylum and offered resettlement in France, but is waiting for details. Meanwhile, she lives in a safe house for vulnerable people. A few months ago she began undergoing therapy at the MSF clinic. “Therapy is helping me – we meet regularly. But things are changing very slowly. I’m lonely and homesick, and feel out of control of my life.” She, too, likes to paint, and hopes to exhibit her work. “In a normal world, my choice would have granted me happiness. But taking possession of my sexuality has cost me everything I had.” ‘Every day I live with the terror of seeing my father’s face in the mirror’ Ahmad, 16, fled Afghanistan aged seven and now lives in a migrants’ camp in Belgrade Ahmad says he will never forget the crazed look in his father’s eyes. Sent into a rage by Ahmad’s sister’s choice to marry a man of whom he didn’t approve, his father stabbed her in front of the whole family. When their mother tried to intervene, she was killed, too. The young Ahmad, then just seven years old, looked on paralysed with horror. He had no choice but to flee his village. “My uncle said that if I stayed, my father would have also killed me,” he says. “He paid a smuggler to take me to Iran.” For two hours he was locked in the boot of a car speeding along the bumpy roads of Afghanistan. When he reached Iran, he became one of more than 2 million asylum seekers in the country – 800,000 of them children. Like many Afghan migrants, Ahmad found himself homeless, and lived on the streets for two years. “I was eating from the garbage. I got by begging for money,” he says. At 10, Ahmad began working illegally for a construction company; after an injury on site, he chose to leave and head to Turkey. His journey continued for another year, passing through Istanbul before moving on to Bulgaria, where he experienced terrible cruelty and abuse. “There is no respect for migrants in Bulgaria,” he says. “In the camps, minors are victims of sexual violence and the police don’t care. I witnessed the rape of a boy. If you were alone, you became an easy target. I was sexually harassed a few times.” In 2018 he arrived in Belgrade, where scars on his body caught the attention of Serbian volunteers, who urged him to go to the MSF clinic in the city. “Those wounds were self-inflicted,” Ahmad says. “I was depressed, suicidal, and I began self-harming. I tried to end my life a few times. I felt alone.” Ahmad now lives in a safe house for young people, and sees a psychologist regularly. He spends most of his days with his friend Mohammed, a fellow Afghan who was his travelling companion during the arduous journey from Bulgaria to Serbia. Therapists say their close friendship has helped them to share their ordeal. Ahmad’s first asylum request has been rejected. He says he didn’t have the courage to reveal what he describes now as “the incident”: witnessing his father murder his mother and sister. “I hid this story from the authorities because I felt ashamed. But every day I live with the terror of seeing the reflection of his face in the mirror.” According to Maksimovic, who works with Ahmad and other young migrants, this is a common problem. “Minors who have experienced the worst trauma are often denied refugee status, because they feel too ashamed to report the abuses they have experienced.” Memories continue to torment Ahmad, but he is starting to feel better. He attends school and goes to an art class in the afternoons; he spends much of his time in Belgrade, drawing the faces of the migrants he meets in the clinic. His dream is to exhibit in the city’s galleries. ‘I’m a grownup now. I have to make it on my own’ Aazar, 16, was separated from his father after they left Iran in 2018 and now lives in a migrants’ camp in Belgrade At just 16, Aazar’s hair has begun to turn grey. “They say it is because of stress,” he says. “I’ve been through a lot – too much. My head is still dealing with many of the things I’ve seen.” Aazar and his father, a doctor, left Iran in 2018. “My father paid a smuggler in Turkey, and after that we tried to reach Croatia from Bosnia. But it was a disaster.” Every year, thousands of asylum seekers who have been captured by police while attempting to cross the border into the EU are brutally beaten before being sent back. Migrants call it The Game. “One day, as we were running through the forest in Bosnia, the police caught me. My father made it. The smuggler promised my dad he would have me brought back to him in a few days. But he never answered my father’s calls.” Father and son have not seen each other since. Aazar ended up in Belgrade, where he makes hamburgers in a burger van for €350 a month. “My father made it to Belgium,” Aazar says. “Lucky him! The funny thing is he doesn’t have a job, so I send him money – around €150 a month. At the end of the month I have no money left.” His shift ends around midnight and, often too tired to return home to the camp, he spends many nights on the banks of the Danube and in parks, sleeping in playgrounds. He sometimes struggles to control his anger. “It’s tough,” he says. “But I’m a grownup now. I have to make it on my own.” “Minors like Aazar are experiencing a developmental crisis and a life crisis at the same time,” Maksimovic tells me. “Imagine having teenage issues while facing this journey. Everything from the noise at night in the camps to border violence worsens their situation.” Some children enter local schools, but the contrast with their peers can make adjusting harder. “Schools are good tools of integration, but at the same time these kids see their peers with families, living a more fortunate life, which reminds them that they are disadvantaged.” Aazar’s dream is to reach Belgium and reunite with his father; this will bring him stability, but take him away from the treatment he is currently getting from Maksimovic. “The most frustrating part of our job is that I start therapy with a migrant and then, suddenly, he disappears to continue his journey,” she says. “But it’s even more frustrating when you think about the thousands of people out there who suffer and never even make it to a clinic.” ‘I want to return to my studies, to think about something else’ Maha, 23, fled from Syria and has lived in Greece for 18 months with her three children At 23, Maha is sure of one thing: she may have escaped the bloody conflict that has engulfed her country but, 18 months after reaching Europe, she is still captive to it. “I feel as if I am living the war all over again, although this time it is a war that is fought within the four walls of my apartment, a psychological war that inhabits my mind.” She could write a book about the suffering of refugees, says the bubbly mother of three. “Actually, when I get the time, when my mind quietens a bit, that is what I have decided to do.” A former volunteer nurse, Maha arrived in Greece ahead of her husband, Hussein. She tried and failed nine times to cross the land border from Turkey. Each time the refugees with whom she was travelling were pushed and beaten back by frontier guards. “They hit us, kicked us and even took the pacifier out of my baby’s mouth,” she says. “But we kept saying, ‘We’re not going to give up trying. There’s freedom there, we’ll be back.’” It is that resilience that Melanie Vasilopoulou and her fellow psychologists try to nurture when treating asylum seekers in Athens. Flashbacks, hallucinations and PTSD are among the most common symptoms seen by Vasilopoulou. This is all accentuated by the long waits asylum seekers are subjected to by Greece’s overwhelmed asylum service. “It’s the limbo, this endless state of waiting for asylum claims to be processed that breaks people,” she says. “I tell them to focus on their resilience, not on their problems. After all, we’re talking about incredibly strong people who have done so much to get here.” For Maha, whose youngest child is five months old, the process of acquiring the right paperwork has been relatively easy – because she’s Syrian. But although a recognised refugee, she still lacks the travel documents that would enable her to leave Greece and visit her three siblings, who left Idlib in 2014 and are scattered across Europe. Depression has given way to a growing sense of displacement. “I feel so lonely, so cut off,” she sighs. “I want so much to return to my studies so I can think about something else. I live in an apartment 12 metro stops from the city centre. I hardly ever see Hussein, because he doesn’t have papers and so lives somewhere else. All we do is eat and sleep, and worry.” She has been seeing Vasilopoulou since November. “I tell Melanie all my problems. I don’t have anyone else and she is like my friend. Greece is beautiful, but it is a poor country. I don’t feel I can have any dreams here. It’s not where I want to be.” Interview by Helena Smith ‘I was smuggled for four days across the desert’ Abdul, 26, left Yemen in 2016 and now lives in a migrants’ camp near Brussels Abdul hasn’t been able to sleep deeply since 11 February 2016, when Saudi bombing raids in Sana’a, Yemen, forced him to leave his country and his family. Three years later, his journey in search of a new life is ongoing. Now living on the periphery of Brussels, he suffers from panic attacks and insomnia. “I’ve lost the desire to be around people,” he says. “I just don’t see any future here. You think your life couldn’t get worse, but it actually does.” Abdul’s extraordinary journey took him from Yemen to Malaysia (one of the few countries where Yemenis can work without a visa), then to Sudan and Armenia, where he spent a year in a UNHCR camp. He moved on, stopping in Mali and paying a human trafficker to take him across the desert to Morocco. “The desert was a death sentence if you attempted the crossing yourself. They smuggled us for four days in the desert and I reached Melilla.” He was finally in Europe – a migrants’ camp in the tiny Spanish city on the north coast of Africa. “The camp was made for 100 people, but at the time contained 1,000. You cannot breathe there. There were fights every day, and the police humiliated the migrants.” He wanted to head for the UK, to get help from the Yemeni community in London. “But the traffickers asked for £15,000 to reach London. That’s why I chose Belgium.” He was first transferred to Madrid by the Spanish government, and then in March 2018 got to the migrant camp on the outskirts of Brussels with a trafficker. It was here that he was offered therapy by MSF, who carried out a medical checkup at the camp. Abdul now travels once a week to the city to meet a therapist. “With therapy, things started to get a little better, but I still feel this isn’t my home.” The therapy sessions are of limited value while the rest of his life is so chaotic; because the rooms in the camp are crowded and noisy, Abdul prefers to spend most of his time in the city, walking the streets. Hélène Duvivier, mental health activity manager for MSF in Brussels, sees many common symptoms among the migrants she works with: “Loss of hope, isolation, intense sadness, and a lack of will to do anything towards meeting their goal – because they feel they have lost that goal.” Abdul, who studied engineering in Yemen, and would like to continue his studies, has had one request to stay in Belgium rejected already. While he prepares to reapply, all he can do is walk the streets, and wait for something to change. ‘I want people to know that, in spite of everything, there is hope’ Muntaser, 30, left South Sudan in 2016 and now lives on the streets in Belgium Muntaser was 13 when he first saw the militiamen in his village in Darfur. “They confiscated all of our possessions, weapons, knives,” he says. “I remember children and women being killed in front of me.” A member of one of the majority African ethnic groups, his family were among the victims of genocide perpetrated by the Janjaweed, a group of Arab militiamen. Financed by the Sudanese government, they were responsible for the deaths of 200,000 to 400,000 people, in a war that began in 2003. Aged 26, Muntaser was held in prison and tortured, after being accused of supporting opposition forces. “I was a farmer, and during the conflict I helped collect food in my village which was distributed among the villages plundered by the Janjaweed,” he says. Months later, he was released on condition that he collaborate as a spy. “Obviously, I didn’t agree. With that refusal began my flight.” In March 2016, Muntaser left Sudan, crossed the desert and arrived in Sabha, Libya. He had gone from one disaster to another. “The country was unstable. Things worsened when fighting broke out between the militias and the Libyan National Army. If they captured you, they accused you of having joined one group or the other. I found myself in a similar situation to the one I had left.” After some months, Muntaser boarded a dinghy bound for Sicily and then headed for the Alps. Now he is stuck in Belgium – unable to afford a clandestine route to London, where there is a big South Sudanese community that could help him find a job. When it gets really cold, he spends the night at a local family’s home, arranged through a community initiative to find migrants a bed. The rest of the time, he is homeless; his wife and two daughters are still in Darfur. “We’d all like to live a better life in Europe,” he says, “but when we got here, things are not as we had hoped. We live in fear, and all these things make our lives more stressful and unhappy.” He has been suffering from flashbacks. “I see the children who were killed in front of me in Darfur. In this state of despair, I have considered hurting myself.” The therapy he attends at an MSF clinic has begun to help; today Muntaser works as a volunteer, helping new arrivals settle in Belgium. “At first it felt strange to go to a psychologist,” he says. “In my mind, that is the doctor for crazy people.” But he now encourages others to seek similar help. Overcoming this hurdle is part of the battle for the MSF therapists: “There is a big stigmatisation of psychologists,” says Maksimovic. “Sometimes the clinic is the first time a migrant has heard of therapy.” “I feel bad for my friends who are not getting any help here in Belgium,” says Muntaser. “I want them to know that despite everything, there is still hope.” ‘The intelligence service arrested two fellow communists. They were after me next’ Arghavan, 46, an Iranian mother and divorcee, has sought political asylum in Greece It was political conviction that brought Arghavan to Greece. The Iranian had never wanted to make the journey to “such a different world”, but when the regime’s crackdown on communists intensified she was left with little choice. “I’d already experienced prison – I knew what it was like to be tortured. I was very scared,” she says, her eyes fixed on the floor of a room in the Athens office of MSF. “In Iran it’s illegal to be a communist. They had arrested my leader and mentor. The intelligence service was after me next.” For the 46-year-old, escape meant survival but also the beginning of “a desire to move forward”. Almost three years later, afflicted by health problems, unable to leave Athens and struggling to survive on a UN stipend of €150 a month, she feels more marooned than ever. The instincts that once prompted the political activist to board a train from Tehran to Tabriz, take a car to the border city of Bazargan and trek, with the aid of smugglers, into Turkey have been replaced by feelings of helplessness. Arghavan’s days are spent walking her dog, visiting an MSF doctor for the diabetes she has developed and attending monthly counselling sessions. It is not a life she ever envisaged. “I wanted to be what I am, an atheist and a feminist, and all of that I found in communism,” says the former driving instructor, who has a hammer and sickle tattooed above her left wrist. “Today I feel like a mouse in a trap.” Like many, Arghavan never intended to stay in Greece. Her destination was the UK, and until her arrival on Samos, the eastern Aegean island opposite Turkey, that is where she thought she was heading. “I had my son, Hamed, with me because he didn’t want me to make the journey alone. We paid smugglers to get to England but they lied, again and again.” Samos meant seven months of detainment in a desperately overcrowded camp. It was another two years before the asylum process began, a drill in mastering the art of patience. “The only thing I have learned is to be patient,” she says, apologising as she begins to weep. “I’ve no idea when my application will be ready. So many months have passed.” Fears of her asylum request being rejected have been compounded by the other thing that dominates her life: Yasmin, the 18-year-old daughter she was forced to leave behind. Meanwhile Hamed, 28, made his way to Germany as a stowaway on a truck over a year ago. Around 70,000 refugees are now in Greece, with the vast majority slated to remain in the country, given the closure of borders elsewhere. “I want to move forward. If the regime were to change I’d go back to Iran, but that’s not an option. I suffer every day here, but I also have a dream – to go to Germany to be with my son.” Interview by Helena Smith • If you would like a comment on this piece to be considered for inclusion on Weekend magazine’s letters page in print, please email [email protected], including your name and address (not for publication).

Lorenzo Tondo

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/31/can-therapy-help-refugees-seven-share-their-stories-lorenzo-tondo

LEFT

2019-08-31 09:03:32

Reuters

12 dead, 50 injured in chemical factory blast in western India

At least 12 people were killed and around 50 injured after a series of explosions at a chemical factory in the western Indian state of Maharashtra on Saturday, hospital officials and police said.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed and around 50 injured after a series of explosions at a chemical factory in the western Indian state of Maharashtra on Saturday, hospital officials and police said. An official at Shirpur’s sub-district hospital in Dhule district said that 12 people had died in the explosion. “There are around 37 injured admitted here, and we have transferred another 12 patients,” D.N. Wagh told Reuters. The first explosion at the factory took place around 9.30 a.m. (0400 GMT), police officer Sanjay Ahire said. Videos from the incident on local news channels showed thick black smoke billowing out of the factory. “There was a 200 liter chemical barrel that exploded first, then the fire spread to other parts of the factory and there were more blasts,” Ahire said.

Reuters Editorial;Min Read

www.reuters.com

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-factory-blast/12-dead-50-injured-in-chemical-factory-blast-in-western-india-idUSKCN1VL08K?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29

CENTER

2019-08-31 09:04:23

Fox News

Sally Pipes: This Labor Day, celebrate America's job creators as well as our workforce

What better way to mark the 125th anniversary of Labor Day than to celebrate the pursuit of profit as well as the dignity of work?

.Ask Americans what Labor Day means, and they'll likely say it marks the end of summer. One last chance to wear white and go for a swim before the pool is drained. But as its name suggests, Labor Day was established to celebrate labor –- organized labor, to be more specific. The idea for the holiday is often attributed to Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor – the precursor to today's AFL-CIO. McGuire proposed establishing a holiday to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.” BRADLEY BLAKEMAN: LABOR UNIONS AND MEMBERS SHOULD SUPPORT REPUBLICANS – DEMS TAKE WORKERS FOR GRANTED He has a point. So today, let's honor the people responsible for that grandeur – namely, the profit-seeking entrepreneurs and business people who make our economy hum. Since its inception, Labor Day has steadily shifted away from the more radical side of the labor movement. When President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day a national holiday in 1894, it was the result of the AFL's lobbying efforts. The union spent years working to make Labor Day a more moderate and popular alternative to May Day, which had become synonymous with radicalism and riots. This year marks the 125th anniversary of Labor Day becoming a national holiday. What better way to mark the occasion than by embracing the holiday's moderate roots – and celebrating the pursuit of profit, alongside the dignity of work? After all, profit allows businesses to create and sustain the jobs that Labor Day celebrates. Consider that in 2018, corporate profits rose 7.8 percent, compared to 3.2 percent in 2017. Last year, companies added about 200,000 jobs per month, up from 179,000 in 2017. This past April, average hourly earnings were 3.2 percent higher than the year before. Unemployment hit a 50-year low the following month. American workers are better off when companies are thriving. A steady stream of profits is far more effective at delivering wage growth, job security, and employee satisfaction than even the toughest union negotiator. Since the mid-20th century, wage growth has helped propel Americans into higher income brackets. In fact, the middle class is actually shrinking, because an increasing number of people are making too much money to be considered middle class anymore. Despite this progress, businesses leaders are reluctant to embrace the role that profit-seeking plays in improving society. People like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are apologizing for their success and calling for higher taxes. Just last month, nearly 200 CEOs from the Business Roundtable resolved that companies should focus more on helping society and less on generating profits for shareholders. Businesses can most effectively serve workers and society by making money. Profit is patriotic. Consider the impact the Great Recessions had on workers. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR OPINION NEWSLETTER Employers laid off about 1.5 million workers in 2008 as companies declared bankruptcy and shut down. Unsurprisingly, a Gallup poll conducted the next year found that 31 percent of workers were worried about getting laid off. Close to 60 percent thought it was unlikely they would be able to find "a job as good as the one they had" if they were laid off, according to a 2010 poll. Compare that to 2016, when the recession had ended and business was booming. Only 19 percent of workers were worried about getting laid off, according to Gallup. Over 60 percent thought it was likely that they could find a good job if they were. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Similarly, a 2017 Pew poll found that half of workers thought "there were plenty of jobs available in their community," up from just 10 percent in 2010. American workers are better off when companies are thriving. A steady stream of profits is far more effective at delivering wage growth, job security and employee satisfaction than even the toughest union negotiator. This Labor Day, let's celebrate the pursuit of profit alongside workers. There's plenty of room at the barbecue. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY SALLY PIPES

Sally Pipes

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/sally-pipes-this-labor-day-celebrate-americas-job-creators

RIGHT

2019-08-31 09:17:03

Politico

North Korea berates Pompeo, says hopes for talks fading

A senior North Korean diplomat on Saturday berated Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his comments describing North Korean behavior as “rogue” and warned that Pyongyang’s hopes for talks with Washington are fading.

North Korea says hopes for further talks with the U.S. are fading. | Handout/Dong-A Ilbo via Getty Images FOREIGN POLICY North Korea berates Pompeo, says hopes for talks fading SEOUL, South Korea — A senior North Korean diplomat on Saturday berated Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his comments describing North Korean behavior as “rogue” and warned that Pyongyang’s hopes for talks with Washington are fading. In a statement carried by state media, North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said Pompeo’s “thoughtless” comments increased North Korean people’s animosity toward Americans and made it harder for working-level nuclear dialogue between the countries to resume. Story Continued Below North Korea is extremely sensitive to outside criticism about its authoritarian leadership. It has also repeatedly expressed displeasure about a months-long stalemate in negotiations and ramped up testing of short-range ballistic missiles and rocket artillery in recent weeks in an apparent effort to build bargaining leverage. “Our expectations of dialogue with the U.S. are gradually disappearing and we are being pushed to re-examine all the measures we have taken so far,” Choe said in the statement, carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA. “We are very curious about the background of the American top diplomat’s thoughtless remarks and we will watch what calculations he has,” she said. “The U.S. had better not put any longer our patience to the test with such remarks irritating us if it doesn’t want to have bitter regrets afterward.” In a speech to U.S. veterans in Indiana on Tuesday, Pompeo said the Trump administration recognized that “North Korea’s rogue behavior could not be ignored” while touting its approach in foreign policy. “Americanism - it means telling the truth about the challenges we face,” he said. “Look, this administration didn’t pretend that the Islamic Republic of Iran was a responsible actor in the Middle East. We called out China’s bad behavior on trade and on national security. We recognized - we recognized that North Korea’s rogue behavior could not be ignored.” Nuclear negotiations have been at a standstill since a February summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam collapsed after the U.S. side rejected North Korean demands for broad sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Since the breakdown in Hanoi, North Korea has repeatedly demanded that Washington remove Pompeo from the nuclear negotiations, accusing him of maintaining a hard-line stance on sanctions and distorting Pyongyang’s statements, while avoiding direct criticism of Trump. Trump and Kim met again at the inter-Korean border in June and agreed to resume working-level talks, but there has been no known meeting between the countries since then. Last week, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho called Pompeo a “die-hard toxin of U.S. diplomacy” after he said Washington would maintain strong sanctions on North Korea until the country is denuclearized. KCNA also on Saturday said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit North Korea soon at the invitation of Ri, but did not specify what would be discussed. Since initiating diplomacy with Seoul and Washington last year, Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping five times before and after his summits with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, cementing longtime ally Beijing as a major player in the process to resolve the nuclear standoff. This article tagged under: North Korea

Associated Press

www.politico.com

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/31/north-korea-pompeo-talks-1479251

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 09:42:30

Reuters

Hong Kong police use tear gas to try to disperse protests

Hong Kong police fired rounds of tear gas on Saturday outside the local headquarters of the China People's Liberation Army to try to disperse anti-government protesters.

(Reuters) - Hong Kong police fired rounds of tear gas on Saturday outside the local headquarters of the China People’s Liberation Army to try to disperse anti-government protesters. Editing by Nick Macfie

Reuters Editorial;Min Read

www.reuters.com

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-gas/hong-kong-police-use-tear-gas-to-try-to-disperse-protests-idUSKCN1VL09V

CENTER

2019-08-31 09:47:35

Fox News

Photo tweeted by Trump of Iranian launch failure was from intel briefing: report

A photograph tweeted by President Trump of a failed rocket launch in Tehran was reportedly from an intelligence briefing and not meant for public view – even as Trump said he had the right to put out the photograph.

A photograph tweeted by President Trump of a failed rocket launch in Tehran was reportedly from an intelligence briefing and not meant for public view – even as Trump said he had the right to put out the photograph. Trump appeared to taunt the Iranian regime Friday when he sent Iran his “best wishes and good luck” in figuring out what went wrong with an explosion this week at a space center. IRAN STILL VIOLATING 2015 NUCLEAR DEAL, UN WATCHDOG FINDS “The United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident during final launch preparations for the Safir SLV Launch at Semnan Launch Site One in Iran. I wish Iran best wishes and good luck in determining what happened at Site One.” The U.S. claims such launches violate a U.N. Security Council resolution barring Iran from engaging in activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied the claims. Trump also included a photograph showing a black plume of smoke and the charred remains of a rocket. The photo appeared to be a once-classified image from intelligence agencies. Analysts told The Associated Press that the black rectangle in the upper-left-hand of the photo covered up the classification. Analysts suggested the photo may have been taken by an American spy satellite passing over the area. A U.S. defense official told CNBC that the image was included in a Friday intelligence briefing, and experts told the outlet it was never meant for public view. Late Friday, however, Trump told reporters that he had every right to share the photo with the public. "We had a photo and I released it, which I have the absolute right to do," Trump said. The tweeted photo appeared to get under the skin of the Iranians. Iran's Information and Communications Technology Minister Mohammad Jawvad Azari Jahromi quickly responded with a tweet showing himself next to the satellite -- Nahid-1 -- that was supposed to be launched at the space center. "Me & Nahid I right now, Good Morning Donald Trump!" he wrote in English. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal last year, while a report from the U.N. atomic watchdog published this week found that Iran continues to stockpile low-enriched uranium beyond the limits outlined in the 2015 deal. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Adam Shaw

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-tweet-iran-intel-briefing

RIGHT

2019-08-31 09:52:22

BBC

Daddy Freeze: 'Kátàkárà ni owó orí gbígbà lórí ọmọbìnrin jẹ́'

Daddy Freeze ní òun kò ní gba owó orí lórí àwọn ọmọbìnrin òun nítorí kò bá ìlànà kristẹni mu.

View this post on Instagram No daughter of mine would be bought or sold like a commodity. - Bride price is biblical, yes, but NOT christian! It’s not everything that is biblical that is christian. - No where was any christian mandated to pay bride price and since we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ), neither male nor female. So unless groom price is introduced as well, let’s do away with a tradition that that in many places indicates that a woman has been bought and if she wants to leave the marriage she must leave the children of the marriage behind, absolute, ridiculous buffoonery and utter nonsense! - A clear biblical example of where murder was a ‘bride price’ as David killed 200 men and cut their penises just to marry Saul’s daughter. - ◄ 1 Samuel 18:27 ► New International Version David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/yoruba/afrika-49533852

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 10:00:06

Los Angeles Times

Letters to the Editor: How the language of justice is dehumanizing and counterproductive

A proposal in San Francisco to swap out language like "convict" or "felon" for "previously incarcerated person" puts its justice system on the right track.

To the editor: As someone who works with victims of crime, I believe that the use of person-first language is absolutely essential. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors calling for the adoption of language guidelines in the city’s justice system is a step in the right direction. Language plays a critical role in the criminal justice system, especially when working with people who are incarcerated and people who have experienced trauma. For example, the system may label an individual as either an “offender” or a “victim,” but this is a false dichotomy. More often than not, an individual who commits an illegal act will also have experienced past trauma, and using person-first language humanizes and empowers that individual. Less interchangeable language such as “individuals with trauma histories,” “individuals who have been criminally charged” or “people who have survived a crime” is more accurate. As the proposal states, “people-first language places the individual before the criminal record by using neutral, objective, and non-pejorative language.” Criminal justice reform is best implemented when programs and policies are authentic and centered on the community it is aiming to serve. It’s time we use language that most accurately and respectfully represents our communities. Advertisement Mai Fernandez, Arlington, Va. The writer is executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime.

www.latimes.com

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-29/people-first-language-criminal-justice

LEFT

2019-08-31 10:00:07

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: L.A. might ban the homeless from sleeping near schools or parks. Where will they go?

A new proposal before the City Council would set so many restrictions on where homeless people can sleep at night that they may not be able to find anyplace.

For more than a decade, the c ity of Los Angeles has been required by a court settlement to let homeless people sleep overnight on the sidewalks because it cannot supply enough housing for them. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals underlined that point last year in a case involving the city of Boise, Idaho, declaring that prosecuting homeless people for sleeping on public property when there was no available shelter was cruel and unusual punishment. In a footnote to the ruling, however, the court also said that cities might be able to set some restrictions on when, where and how people slept outside. Seizing on that caveat, the City Council Committee on Homelessness and Poverty proposed to make certain areas of the city essentially off-limits to homeless individuals. Although the committee’s chairman, Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, presented the proposed revision of the city’s loitering ordinance as an attempt to comply with the Boise decision and balance the needs of the homeless with public safety, it would impose a host of new restrictions that could make it much more difficult for homeless people to find places to sleep. Under the proposed revisions, a person could not sit, lie or sleep within 500 feet of a park, school or daycare center. Also barred would be bike paths, underpasses and bridges that the council designates as a school route, and crowded public sidewalks near large venues. Homeless people would be prohibited from sitting or lying near any of the following facilities if they opened after Jan. 1, 2018: shelters, storage facilities, homeless service centers and “safe parking” lots for people who sleep in their vehicles. Also, there would be no sitting or lying within 10 feet of a driveway or entrance. It’s not outrageous for the city to want to set reasonable rules that balance the rights of the homeless with the need to keep L.A. clean, livable and appealing to other residents. It’s reasonable to expect homeless encampments not to block entire sidewalks or entrances. This page supported the city’s decision to ban sleeping on the street in areas where new shelters had been built to accommodate the homeless people in the neighborhood. Advertisement But this proposal would make it impermissible for homeless people to sleep in swaths of the city, and it would almost certainly cause mass confusion over where homeless people could sleep. How would a homeless person even know if he or she were 500 feet from a daycare center or on a school route? And how can the city pass a prohibition on resting 500 feet from a park when public parks are open to everyone? Could you sit or lie in the park but not outside the park? And would all of this be enforced around the clock? City officials don’t know yet. The city could make it so difficult to find a place to sleep or sit that it could end up doing the very thing that the 9th Circuit said a city cannot do: criminalize being homeless. Carol Sobel, an attorney and advocate for homeless people, estimated that by the time you measure 500 feet from various parks and daycare centers, a third of the Skid Row neighborhood could be off-limits under the restrictions. What the proposal will not do is make homeless people magically disappear. People will either stay where they’ve been camping in violation of the new laws and risk getting cited by police, or move on — often to streets that don’t have parks, schools or daycare centers nearby. With the long-promised housing the city is supposed to be building for the homeless still waiting to be completed, they have nowhere else to go. These restrictions imply that homeless people are so dangerous that they can’t be anywhere near a school or a daycare center. But that contradicts the message city leaders have been sending at public meetings, where they try to persuade communities to accept supportive housing developments and shelters by sharing stories of long-suffering homeless people who thrived once they got into housing. Council members know that while there are, no doubt, dangerous people among the homeless, the vast majority are not mentally ill or substance-addicted or violent criminals. Demonizing them doesn’t help anybody. Advertisement Of course, no one should have to walk down city sidewalks strewn with trash and stained with human feces. No one should have to live on those sidewalks, either. If officials want to make the city more livable for the homeless and non-homeless alike, they should put out trash receptacles for homeless people to use and offer more access to toilets and mobile showers. And, ultimately, the city must have more supportive housing and more shelters. The City Council, which is expected to discuss the restrictions soon, has struggled for years to strike the right balance between the needs of homeless people and the rights of the city’s residents and businesses. We get it — Angelenos are tired of this crisis and are eager to see some progress. This proposal, however, isn’t the answer.

The Times Editorial Board

www.latimes.com

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-30/where-can-homeless-people-sleep-in-la

LEFT

2019-08-31 10:00:08

Los Angeles Times

Letters to the Editor: A union is blocking cheap, clean energy for L.A. That's a shame

The IBEW Local 18's blocking of a DWP contract for cheap solar energy does not help the cause of unions.

To the editor: As a lifelong supporter of employee rights and a 30-year union member, I was greatly disappointed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18’s decision to oppose the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Eland solar project that, for 25 years, would lock in a price of less than 2 cents per kilowatt hour for clean electricity and an additional 1.3 cents per kWh for battery storage. This is a record low price that gas-fired plants can’t compete with. Plus, we can’t predict gas costs in 2045, the last year California law allows natural gas to be used for electricity generation. A recent Gallup poll found that 64% of Americans approve of unions, one of the highest levels of support since 1970. As a union supporter, I am saddened that the IBEW is jeopardizing such goodwill by being on the wrong side of history. Tom Hazelleaf, Seal Beach Advertisement .. To the editor: The DWP’s Intermountain Power Plant conversion from coal to natural gas should be celebrated as an achievement in carbon reduction goals. In 2006, this 1,640-megawatt coal plant emitted 16 million tons of carbon dioxide. The proposed 840-megawatt natural gas replacement could result in an estimated 80% reduction in hourly carbon dioxide emissions. This flexible gas-fired power plant will likely run fewer hours than the coal-fired facility it will replace, further reducing emissions. Electric grids need generating resources that can quickly react to changes in load and loss of energy resources (like wind or solar). While a 100% renewable electric system is a worthy goal, we will likely need agile natural gas power plants to maintain California’s grid resiliency when renewable energy is not available. Advertisement Flexible natural gas power plants are basically a grid insurance policy, running fewer hours each year as California approaches its renewable energy objectives. Bob Hoffman, Redondo Beach The writer is an energy consultant.

www.latimes.com

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-29/dwp-solar-energy-ibew-union

LEFT

2019-08-31 10:00:16

Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Bret Stephens and David Karpf: A pox on both their beds

David Karpf's "bedbug" tweet targeting Bret Stephens wasn't a harmless joke, readers say; it was the kind of name-calling that ought to be beneath a professor.

The latest trivial battle between left and right pits a liberal college professor against a well-known conservative columnist at the New York Times. If you guessed that most of our letters would side with the professor, you’d be wrong. I’m talking about the dustup on Twitter (where else?) between the New York Times’ Bret Stephens and George Washington University professor David Karpf, who called Stephens a “bedbug” on Twitter. Stephens responded with an e-mail to Karpf and his boss; Karpf then wrote an op-ed article in the L.A. Times accusing the columnist of abusing his power. Karpf did not get much sympathy from our letter writers. Anne Chomyn of Altadena does not like name-calling: Advertisement Karpf took umbrage at the fact that Stephens copied the college provost on an email inviting Karpf to call him a bedbug to his face. Karpf accused Stephens of unfairly wielding his power as a columnist for the New York Times to make trouble for Karpf. Well, it turns out this is working out well for the professor, who has since written an op-ed article for the L.A. Times, had an essay published in Esquire, been interviewed by Slate and National Public Radio, and been the focus of multiple articles online. Karpf glosses over the insult, calling it a “tame joke.” It was name-calling, the worst form of argument, and a type of tweet that should be beneath a digital media expert. Linda Bradshaw Carpenter of Los Angeles didn’t want to read about this spat in the L.A. Times: Advertisement Why would The Times find it relevant to publish anything about some tiff between two guys that I am sure most of us readers couldn’t care less about? Their email and Twitter feud should have vanished quickly, but you had to publish something on it. There really must not be any positive news or accomplishments of consequence right now for this to get your attention. The world is a really big place; get out of your own way and go find more positive things to write about. Calabasas resident Gilbert Skoop is sympathetic to Stephens: I find Karpf’s op-ed article to be self-serving hogwash. I too am not a fan of Stephens, going back to his days at the Wall Street Journal, but in this instance I find him more credible than Karpf. His email to him was intended to counter the stupid invective posted frequently on Twitter by people like Karpf, who expect to be protected by something like anonymity. Stephens invited Karpf to his home, to meet his family and then to call him a bedbug to his face. Obviously, this was something Karpf could not do. It’s far easier to insult by Twitter than face to face. Civility was exactly what Stephens’ email was about. It’s a shame that Karpf and others like him who use social media do not understand the meaning of civility.

www.latimes.com

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-30/bret-stephens-david-karpf-readers

LEFT

2019-08-31 10:00:43

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: In a civilized society, not even the most vicious crimes justify a death sentence

Anthony Avalos, 10, was tortured for more than a week before he died last year. But his alleged tormentors do not deserve the death penalty.

It is soul-bruising to contemplate the torture that 10-year-old Anthony Avalos endured in his Lancaster home for more than a week before dying last year. Whippings with a looped cord and belt. Repeatedly held upside down then dropped on his head. Getting slammed into pieces of furniture and against the floor. Hot sauce poured on his face and mouth. The road map of the abuse stretched from head to toe on his small malnourished body — bruises, abrasions, scabs and cuts visible on the outside. Traumatic brain injury and soft tissue damage on the inside. All allegedly perpetrated by his mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva. If ever a set of circumstances called for the death penalty, this would be it. Few were surprised when Los Angeles County prosecutors said Wednesday that if the couple is convicted of the torture-murder, the jury will be asked to recommend a death sentence. Such cases try our convictions. In Pittsburgh, authorities say they, too, will seek the death penalty against Robert D. Bowers, the anti-Semite accused of murdering 11 people during a rampage last October at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Dylann Roof has already been sentenced to death for murdering nine African American worshipers at a Charleston, S.C., church in a sick effort to foment a race war. Prosecutors are also seeking the death penalty for Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. — the alleged Golden State Killer serial rapist and killer — if he is convicted of any of the 13 slayings of which he is accused. Advertisement All of these crimes were horrific acts. Yet, to execute the perpetrators would be wrong. As a system, capital punishment is irredeemably broken. There have been too many proven cases of prosecutorial misconduct, mistaken witnesses — some intentionally, some not — and bad science that have led to the convictions of innocent people to have faith that others will not be wrongfully convicted and executed in the future. Further, application of the death penalty falls disproportionately on the poor and minorities, a deadly continuation of the division that afflicts society as a whole. There isn’t even consistency in the decision to seek the death penalty, which requires a judgment call by prosecutors, so that a crime that draws a death sentence in Riverside County might not in Los Angeles County. That is the definition of arbitrary. But let’s set aside that clear evidence of a broken system and return to the death of young Anthony. A mere child beaten and abused so badly and so often that it killed him. Such an atrocity tears at the heart and stirs a primal rage and a demand that justice — a life for a life — be done. But succumbing to that impulse is not justice. It is revenge. It is a formalized, state-sanctioned version of barbaric blood feuds, with a prosecutor, a robed judge and a panel of jurors meting out the punishment. Advertisement We must move beyond this, as most of the rest of the world has already done. We try to dress up executions as acceptable by using lethal drugs rather than supposedly more brutal methods. Yet, over the past year, three condemned men in Tennessee have opted for the electric chair out of fear that the state’s injection protocol would be more painful. And they had good cause — a number of people strapped into gurneys in other death chambers complained of excruciating burning sensations as they were killed with lethal injections. Some writhed in visible pain, according to witnesses. There is no humane way to kill another human being. We hear arguments that the condemned get what they deserve, that their suffering is minimal compared to that of their victims, that justice must be served and families must have closure. But it is barbaric to use violence as punishment. It is darkly absurd to, on the one hand, consider it a serious crime for someone to kill a fellow human being, and then turn around and kill that person. We don’t rob robbers; we don’t rape rapists; we shouldn’t kill killers. Executions don’t send a message of deterrence. They embrace the very act we as a society purportedly abhor, the killing of another, and reflect a savage culture of violence and vengeance.

The Times Editorial Board

www.latimes.com

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-30/avalos-lancaster-mother-boyfriend-death-penalty-tree-of-life-dylann-roof-golden-state-killer

LEFT

2019-08-31 10:00:50

Los Angeles Times

Editorial: Islamic State's presence in Afghanistan isn't a reason to stop talking to the Taliban

Peace talks in Afghanistan could make it easier to defeat Islamic State

Once-unthinkable negotiations between the United States and representatives of the Taliban have been making progress and could soon result in an agreement paving the way for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. But anticipation over a possible breakthrough has been clouded by a concern that, even if the Taliban agrees not to provide a haven for international terrorists, an Afghan affiliate of Islamic State would continue to pose such a threat. The rise of the group, known as Islamic State-Khorasan Province, has given opponents of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan what looks like a potent argument: If Islamic State’s savagery in Syria and Iraq justified military action by the U.S. even in the judgment of the intervention-averse Barack Obama, why doesn’t the group’s presence in Afghanistan counsel against withdrawing U.S. forces? That’s a simplistic reading of the situation. The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, which the United Nations estimates at between 2,500 and 4,000 fighters, is undoubtedly a problem. The group has engaged in violent attacks, including a horrific suicide bombing at a wedding celebration in Kabul in August that killed more than 60 people. There is also a real possibility that if the Taliban lays down its arms, some disaffected members of that movement will defect to Islamic State-Khorasan. But the threat posed by Islamic State in Afghanistan doesn’t discredit the negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban or the idea of a significant reduction in the 14,000 U.S. troops now operating in Afghanistan as trainers and advisors for Afghan forces and also in a counter-terrorism role. In fact, if an agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban leads to a political agreement between the Taliban and the U.S.-supported government in Kabul, it might actually be easier to suppress Islamic State. Advertisement President Trump has committed more than his share of foreign-policy blunders, but his decision to engage the Taliban in talks was a responsible one. It also was a reversal of position. In a speech in August 2017, Trump suggested that a political settlement involving the Taliban was a remote possibility, conceivable only after an “effective military effort” against the Taliban. Trump allowed the Pentagon to send 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan. Two years later, the security situation remains dire and the Taliban controls significant portions of the country. Rather than wait for conditions to improve, Trump and Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo dispatched Zalmay Khalilzad, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and a native of that country, to hold talks with Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar. Reportedly those talks are aiming at an agreement in which the Taliban would promise not to allow Al Qaeda or other militant groups to operate in Afghanistan. In exchange, the U.S. and its allies would significantly reduce their forces. (Trump has indicated that he plans to reduce the number of troops to 8,600 even without an agreement.) It was because the Taliban government had provided a haven for Al Qaeda that the U.S. attacked and later deployed troops to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The agreement isn’t a done deal, and even if the U.S. and the Taliban come to terms, it’s unclear whether the Taliban will be willing to negotiate in good faith with the Afghan government in Kabul — an absolute necessity, obviously, if a durable peace is to be established. There are also concerns that Trump might be tempted to withdraw all U.S. forces prematurely in order to bolster his chances of reelection next year. Pentagon officials have told Congress that even if an agreement with the Taliban is reached, threats from Al Qaeda, Islamic State and other militants will require the U.S., the Afghan government and the international community to maintain a “robust” counter-terrorism capability for the foreseeable future. (On Thursday, Trump said vaguely: “We’re going to keep a presence there.”) Advertisement Bringing peace to Afghanistan obviously will be difficult. Still, the current negotiations offer the possibility of an end to the civil war and the departure of most if not all U.S. forces after 18 frustrating, costly, bloody years of involvement . As for Islamic State, it has clashed with the Taliban in the past. Khalilzad has argued that accelerating the peace process with the Taliban will put Afghanistan in a “much stronger position” to defeat Islamic State. We won’t know if he is correct unless these negotiations continue.

The Times Editorial Board

www.latimes.com

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-30/islamic-state-afghanistan-taliban

LEFT

2019-08-31 10:00:51

The Guardian

Do the Brazil Amazon fires justify environmental interventionism?

All the reasons that support the project of humanitarian intervention apply with equal, if not greater force, in the case of the environment

The horrific destruction of the Amazon rainforest under Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, raises a pressing question for the world community: do the prerogatives of sovereignty entitle a nation to destroy resources within its territorial control, when this destruction has global environmental consequences? The answer delivered by France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, at the G7 summit is an emphatic no. It is time for the international community to build on Macron’s lead and to recognize a right to environmental intervention patterned on the notion of humanitarian intervention. For centuries, the international community treated sovereignty as an absolute shield against intervention in a state’s domestic affairs. International law insisted that a nation’s treatment of its own citizens and legal subjects was not a matter of international legal concern. The ideology of sovereignty authorized a nation to treat – and mistreat – its people as it saw fit. Fires are devouring the Amazon. And Jair Bolsonaro is to blame | David Miranda Read more Nuremberg shattered this understanding. At Nuremberg, the allies recognized that a sovereign’s systematic destruction of its own people was a matter of international concern and constituted an international crime. The Nuremberg understanding gave birth to the idea that the world community need not stand by idly when a nation commits atrocities against its own inhabitants. Many human rights activists today speak not simply of a right to intervene but of an affirmative obligation to do so. Activists understand that massive human rights abuses – crimes against humanity and genocide – never remain entirely local, even when committed exclusively within a state’s borders. These atrocities inevitably create refugee problems that spill over into other nations, creating larger international crises. All the reasons that support the project of humanitarian intervention apply with equal, if not greater force, in the case of the environment. Massive environmental crimes, such as those presently unfolding in the Amazon, necessarily have a spill-over effect, as the degradation of the rainforest will do grave, and arguably irreversible, damage to our planet’s climate. The degradation of the rainforest will do grave, and arguably irreversible, damage to our planet’s climate Admittedly, the concept of humanitarian intervention is not uncontroversial, especially as it is understood to authorize the threat or actual use of military force to put an end to massive human rights abuses. The doctrine can be manipulated to justify military intervention for less than humanitarian grounds. But the 2001 report on the Responsibility to Protect, prepared by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, offers a sound template for a workable practice of environmental intervention. The idea is that when a state fails to protect its own inhabitants, either by omission or commission, the international national community must take responsibility – not, in the first instance, by deploying military force, but through strong non-military means, such as trade sanctions and economic boycotts. All this can and should be applied to circumstances in which a nation fails to protect an environment the defense of which is a matter of global concern. Macron deserves credit for highlighting at the G7 summit Brazil’s environmental crimes. The $20m in emergency funds pledged by the G7 to fight the thousands of fires presently burning will hardly solve the problem. Far more promising was Macron’s threat to scuttle a trade deal with South American countries unless Bolsonaro acts in decisive fashion to stop the burning. In delivering this threat, Macron recognized that the responsibility to protect the environment is a matter of global concern and not a prerogative of a reprobate sovereign.

Lawrence Douglas

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/31/brazil-amazon-fires-justify-environmental-interventionism

LEFT

2019-08-31 10:03:20

BBC

Sajid Javid pledges £400m further education funding

Sajid Javid promises to invest in education for 16 to 19-year-olds, ahead of the spending review.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The Chancellor visits a further education college in Bristol Chancellor Sajid Javid says 16 to 19-year-olds in further education will receive an extra £400m in funding next year to help give young people "a brighter future". He made the pledge in an article in the Guardian ahead of Wednesday's spending review. Mr Javid vowed to treat colleges "with the seriousness they deserve". It comes after the Government announced billions of pounds in extra funding for schools over the next three years. The director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, welcomed Mr Javid's funding boost pledge. "To see the school announcements of yesterday followed up by some significant further education spending announcement, I'd say was quite welcome," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "We hear a lot about schools. We hear a lot about universities but it's actually the further education sector which has had the biggest cuts since 2010." The £400m sum will help fund new technical and vocational qualifications as well as "more expensive" courses such as science, engineering and mathematics, said Mr Javid. "I want this investment to start to end the snobbishness in some quarters about the quality and importance of a vocational education," he added. "It was an FE college that equipped me with the qualifications needed to pursue my ambitions. "We'll make a strong statement in backing it at next week's spending round and I'll continue to look at what more we can do to help, just as my FE college opened my horizons and set me on my way."

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/education-49534720

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 10:13:27

BBC

Scotland's papers: Brexit challenge and 'sectarian' riots

The court battles over Brexit and the riot which marred a demonstration in Glasgow make the front pages.

Image caption The pledge to give schools billions in extra funding is the lead in the i weekend. The £14bn promise, which will also mean more money for Scotland, raises the prospects of a snap election after similar spending promises for the police and the NHS, according to the paper.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-49534598

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 10:21:54

Reuters

ECB's De Cos sees risks to euro growth, says Brexit a major concern

The balance of euro zone growth risks is clearly tilted to the downside, European Central Bank policymaker Pablo Hernandez de Cos said on Saturday, citing a disorderly Brexit as a key risk and acknowledging the ECB's shortcomings in meeting its inflation goals.

MADRID, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The balance of euro zone growth risks is clearly tilted to the downside, European Central Bank policymaker Pablo Hernandez de Cos said on Saturday, citing a disorderly Brexit as a key risk and acknowledging the ECB’s shortcomings in meeting its inflation goals. De Cos said in a speech in La Granda in northern Spain that Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union “remains a focus of first-order uncertainty for the global economy and, especially, for the rest of the EU. “The most recent events, including the decision to suspend the activity of the British Parliament by the new prime minister until mid-October, have increased the likelihood that markets are giving to a hard Brexit,” De Cos said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he will suspend parliament from mid-September to mid-October ahead of an Oct. 31 Brexit deadline, raising the stakes in the country’s deepest political crisis in decades. De Cos also mentioned the political situation in Italy, doubts about the intensity of China’s economic slowdown, and vulnerabilities in emerging economies such as Turkey and Argentina as risk factors. He added that protectionist measures were among the greatest threats to global activity, in a reference to the trade war between the United States and China. The euro zone barely grew in the second quarter and Germany, the bloc’s power house, may already be in recession as a global trade war, China’s slowdown and Brexit uncertainty reduce export demand and sap confidence in the manufacturing sector. De Cos said the slide in recent months in the global services sector purchasing managers’ index, which had previously been more robust indicated a growing risk of a slowdown in global activity, De Cos said. ECB policymakers are concerned about weak growth, and the minutes of their July 25 meeting showed options on the table include a combination of rate cuts, asset purchases, changes in the guidance on interest rates and possibly support for banks. De Cos said there was a possibility that low or even negative interest rates may have an adverse effect on financial stability and banks. “It is necessary to closely monitor this issue to determine whether measures that mitigate the adverse effects of low rates on the intermediation capacity of the banking system are necessary,” De Cos said. He also noted that inflation has persistently undershot the ECB’s target of below but close to 2%. In August, euro zone inflation remained low at 1.0%. “You cannot consider that observed or projected levels of inflation (...) are compatible with the ECB mandate,” he said. (Reporting By Jesús Aguado; editing by Andrei Khaplip and Hugh Lawson)

Reuters Editorial;Min Read

www.reuters.com

https://www.reuters.com/article/ecb-policy-de-cos/ecbs-de-cos-sees-risks-to-euro-growth-says-brexit-a-major-concern-idUSL5N25R08D

CENTER

2019-08-31 10:22:22

BBC

Khalid Sheikh Mohammad: Trial for '9/11 master planer' don get date

Twenty years afta di 11 September 2001 attack wey happen for di US, dem don set trial date for di main pesin behind di gbege, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Image copyright Getty Images Image example Khalid Sheikh Mohammad was first captured in Pakistan in 2003 Twenty years afta di 11 September 2001 attack wey happen for di US, dem don set trial date for di main pesin behind di gbege, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Dem go try Mohammed and four oda men for one military court for Guatanamo Bay starting from 11 January, 2021. Di men dey charged wit war crime, terrorism and kill-kill of about 3,000 pipo. Na di first time wey di five men go appear for trial after di katakata wey burst for for New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. If dey find dem guilty, di group go face death penalty. Image copyright Getty Images Image example The five men are being held at a US military base in Cuba, where they will also be tried Dem catch Khalid Sheikh Mohammed for Pakistan for 2003, come transfer am to Guantánamo base for Cuba wia dem later nack charge ontop im head. Authorities arrest di oda men of di group between 2002 - 2003. Di CIA don also interrogate di four other men, Walid Bin Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Ammar al-Baluchi and Mustapha al-Hawsawi for network of overseas prisons before dem pass dem give di US Military.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-49526592

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 10:23:56

Politico

POLITICO Playbook: Bracing for Dorian

POLITICO Playbook: Bracing for Dorian Presented by President Donald Trump canceled his trip to Poland to monitor Hurricane Dorian. | Alex Wong/Getty Images DRIVING THE DAY THE LATEST ON DORIAN … AP: “Fierce Category 4 Dorian strengthens en route to Bahamas,” by Adriana Gomez Licon and Ellis Rua in Miami: “Hurricane Dorian has gained fearsome new muscle as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm, bearing down on the northwestern Bahamas early Saturday en route to Florida’s east coast. “Millions of people in Florida, along with the state’s Walt Disney World and President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, are in the potential crosshairs of the hurricane. Forecasters say Dorian, which had top sustained winds of 145 mph Saturday morning, will threaten the Florida peninsula late Monday or early Tuesday. “But the National Hurricane Center in Miami cautioned that its meteorologists remain uncertain whether Dorian would make a devastating direct strike on the state’s east coast or inflict a glancing blow. Some of the more reliable computer models predicted a late turn northward that would have Dorian hug the Florida coast. ‘There is hope,’ Weather Underground meteorology director Jeff Masters said.” AP -- THE WEATHER CHANNEL: “Hurricane Dorian's Track Shifts But Florida Still at Risk; Growing Threat For Georgia and the Carolinas” ON THE GROUND: MIAMI HERALD: “Shutters, sandbags and evacuation plans: Hutchinson Island prepares for Hurricane Dorian” PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP canceled his trip to Poland to monitor Hurricane Dorian. This morning he traveled to Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. Trump’s official schedule said he will receive a hurricane briefing at 4 p.m. at Camp David. Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor Peter Brown joined the president at Camp David to provide regular updates on the status of Dorian. ICYMI: “Trump says he's OK with acting FEMA chief as Hurricane Dorian bears down,” by Evan Semones: “Hurricane Dorian is forecast to make landfall in Florida without a Senate-confirmed FEMA administrator to oversee relief efforts — and President Donald Trump says he’s OK with that. ‘Acting gives you great flexibility that you don't have with permanent,’ Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday before departing to Camp David, where he said he will be closely monitoring the storm. “‘When I like people, I make them permanent, but I can leave acting for a long period of time.’” Deputy FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor is serving as acting administrator of the federal emergency agency after former head Brock Long resigned following a controversy over his personal use of government vehicles. Dorian would be the first hurricane Gaynor has overseen.” POLITICO THE STORM is also impacting work in Washington. The House Judiciary Committee delayed a meeting to discuss gun control legislation on Sept. 4. They decided not to because several members of the panel are from Florida, according to Matthew Choi. More on the delay SCOOP – DANIEL LIPPMAN: “Trump’s personal assistant fired after comments about Ivanka, Tiffany”: “Madeleine Westerhout, who left her White House job suddenly on Thursday as President Trump’s personal assistant, was fired after bragging to reporters that she had a better relationship with Trump than his own daughters, Ivanka and Tiffany Trump, and that the president did not like being in pictures with Tiffany because he perceived her as overweight. ... “The critical comments happened at an off-the-record dinner, according to two people familiar with the matter, that Westerhout and deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley held earlier this month with reporters who were covering Trump’s vacation at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. ... At some point, Gidley left the restaurant for a television interview on Fox News. During that time — around 45 minutes to an hour — Westerhout made the comments to the reporters.” POLITICO -- @realDonaldTrump at 8:52 a.m.: “While Madeleine Westerhout has a fully enforceable confidentiality agreement, she is a very good person and I don’t think there would ever be reason to use it. She called me yesterday to apologize, had a bad night. I fully understood and forgave her! I love Tiffany, doing great!” … 8:58 a.m.: “...Yes, I am currently suing various people for violating their confidentiality agreements. Disgusting and foul mouthed Omarosa is one. I gave her every break, despite the fact that she was despised by everyone, and she went for some cheap money from a book. Numerous others also!” -- JUST WONDERING: What was the president’s personal secretary doing at a dinner with White House reporters? A BIT MORE ON NC-9 … WE’VE POINTED OUT periodically that, for a period of time, the DCCC seemed to be sitting out the special election between Dan McCready, their candidate, and Dan Bishop. The NRCC and CLF had piles of cash on the board, and the DCCC did not. WELL NOW, the spending is basically even. As of Friday, Dems had $2.3 million on the board, and Rs had $2.5 million. McCready is far outspending Bishop with campaign dollars, though. Good Saturday morning. A message from Chevron: Chevron is investing in emerging technologies with a $100 million commitment to its Future Energy Fund. Learn more. THE LATEST ON NORTH KOREA -- “North Korea Says Hope of More U.S. Talks Is ‘Disappearing’,” by NYT’s Choe Sang-Hun in Seoul, South Korea: “North Korea said on Saturday that its expectations for more dialogue with the Trump administration were ‘gradually disappearing,’ and threatened to reconsider its conciliatory gestures toward the United States, potentially including its moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. “The warning was contained in a statement issued by First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, which accused Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of blocking efforts to restart dialogue. Ms. Choe was the second senior North Korean official in a week to attack Mr. Pompeo, this time over a speech on Tuesday in which he said the administration had ‘recognized North Korea’s rogue behavior could not be ignored.’ “That remark ‘made the opening of the expected D.P.R.K.-U.S. working-level negotiations more difficult,’ Ms. Choe said, using the abbreviation of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. ‘Our expectations of dialogue with the U.S. are gradually disappearing, and we are being pushed to re-examine all the measures we have taken so far.’” NYT MORE FROM MATTIS -- CBS NEWS’ DAVID MARTIN scored the first TV interview with former Defense Secretary JIM MATTIS that will air tomorrow on CBS Sunday Morning. “I will not speak ill of a sitting president. I’m not going to do it,” Mattis told Martin, in a clip the network released early. Mattis also said he has not spoken to Trump since he resigned in December 2018. -- MATTIS ON TRUMP: “He’s an unusual president, our president is,” Mattis said. “And I think that especially with the – just the rabid nature of politics today we’ve got to be careful. We could tear this country apart.” REMEMBER HIM? -- “Bolton sidelined from Afghanistan policy as his standing with Trump falters,” by WaPo’s John Hudson and Josh Dawsey: As the president’s top aides prepared for a high-stakes meeting on the future of Afghanistan earlier this month, one senior official was not on the original invite list: national security adviser John Bolton. “The attendance of the top security aide would normally be critical, but the omission was no mistake, senior U.S. officials said. Bolton, who has long advocated an expansive military presence around the world, has become a staunch internal foe of an emerging peace deal aimed at ending America’s longest war, the officials said. “His opposition to the diplomatic effort in Afghanistan has irritated President Trump, these officials said, and led aides to leave the National Security Council out of sensitive discussions about the agreement.” WaPo -- “Trump shares potentially revealing image of Iranian launch site on Twitter,” by WaPo’s Shane Harris and Anne Gearan TRADE WARS -- MEGAN CASELLA in Blackstone, Va.: “Why these Democrats want to make a trade deal with Trump”: “Rep. Abigail Spanberger squinted into the August sun as the farmer beside her laid out how his profits on corn and soybeans are sinking — and how he believes passing President Donald Trump’s new North American trade agreement could help. “Spanberger and other moderate freshman Democrats who flipped Republican districts to hand their party the majority in 2018 could be key to getting a vote on the U.S.-Mexico Canada Agreement this year. And even though that would give Trump a policy victory heading into the 2020 election, members of this group are beginning to put increasing pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the measure to the floor as they head back from a summer recess spent talking to impatient constituents. “‘If we’re not seeing progress, if we’re not seeing the implementation documents by October, I think that’s a serious, serious problem,’ Spanberger told POLITICO at the tail end of a two-day swing through her district’s rural areas, where she heard from farmers pleading for relief from trade policies that have gutted their profits.” POLITICO -- “Latest Trump tariffs could hit consumers with higher prices,” by AP’s Paul Wiseman and Anne D’Innocenzio THE INVESTIGATIONS -- “Longtime lobbyist and former congressman Vin Weber resigns from consulting firm,” by WaPo’s Tom Hamburger: “Vin Weber, the former Minnesota congressman who has provided guidance to Republican presidential candidates and corporate executives, resigned his position Friday as a partner in a prominent consulting firm amid ongoing questions about lobbying work he did for Ukrainian interests. “In a letter to the chief executive of Mercury LLC, where he has worked since 2011, Weber wrote that continued attention on his Ukrainian work ‘has become a distraction for me and for the important work that Mercury is doing.’ Weber said he will ‘focus my time and energy on protecting my reputation.’ “Weber’s activities have been under scrutiny by federal prosecutors in New York investigating whether he and others complied with laws requiring those working for a foreign country or political party to register with the Justice Department.” WaPo PLAYBOOK READS PHOTO DU JOUR: Hurricane Dorian gaining strength as it tracks towards the Florida coast on Friday. | NOAA via Getty Images FROM 30,000 FEET -- “How a Tax Break to Help Poor Communities Became a Bonanza for the Rich,” by NYT’s Jesse Drucker and Eric Lipton in New Orleans: “President Trump has portrayed America’s cities as wastelands, ravaged by crime and homelessness, infested by rats. But the Trump administration’s signature plan to lift them — a multibillion-dollar tax break that is supposed to help low-income areas — has fueled a wave of developments financed by and built for the wealthiest Americans. “Among the early beneficiaries of the tax incentive are billionaire financiers like Leon Cooperman and business magnates like Sidney Kohl — and Mr. Trump’s family members and advisers. Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey; Richard LeFrak, a New York real estate titan who is close to the president; Anthony Scaramucci, a former White House aide who recently had a falling out with Mr. Trump; and the family of Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, all are looking to profit from what is shaping up to be a once-in-a-generation bonanza for elite investors.” NYT THE LATEST IN HONG KONG -- “Hong Kong protesters build wall, set fire on a main street,” by AP’s Ken Moritsugu in Hong Kong: “A large fire blazed across a main street in Hong Kong on Saturday night, as protesters made a wall out of barricades and set it afire. Hundreds of protesters gathered behind the fire, many pointing laser beams that streaked the night sky above them. “Earlier, the protesters threw objects and gasoline bombs over barriers set up at government headquarters. Police on the other side responded with tear gas and blue-colored water fired from a water cannon. The protesters retreated when police arrived on the street to clear them from the area, but reassembled and built the wall and set the fire on Hennessey Road in the city’s Wan Chai district. Police had yet to confront them while the fire blazed.” AP POLITICO EU: “Protests across the UK over parliament suspension,” by Jillian Deutsch POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION -- “DeVos tightens rules for forgiving student loans,” by Michael Stratford: “Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday finalized rules that make it more difficult for federal student loan borrowers to cancel their debt on the grounds that their college defrauded them, scaling back an Obama-era policy aimed at abuses by for-profit colleges. “The rules, which the Trump administration weighed for more than a year, set a more stringent standard for when the Education Department will wipe out the debt of borrowers who claim they were misled or deceived by their respective colleges. “The overhaul of the rules — called ‘borrower defense to repayment’ — is a response to conservative criticism that the current federal standards, set by the Obama administration, are too lenient and expensive for taxpayers. The Obama-era rules were written following the collapse of for-profit college company Corinthian Colleges in 2015, when tens of thousands of former students flooded the Education Department with requests for loan forgiveness.” POLITICO WAPO’S PEGGY MCGLONE: “What happened when Trump visited the African American History Museum, according to its founding director,”: “In his upcoming memoir, newly appointed Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III describes the private tour he gave President Trump of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, recalling that Trump’s reaction to the Dutch role in the global slave trade was, ‘You know, they love me in the Netherlands.’ “Shortly before Trump took office in 2017, his administration asked to visit the newly opened museum, according to Bunch’s upcoming memoir, ‘A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama and Trump.’ Bunch was the museum’s founding director from 2005 until June, when he became the Smithsonian’s secretary.” WaPo A message from Chevron: Our future energy fund invests in emerging technology companies that develop EV charging networks, novel battery technology, and direct capture of carbon dioxide from the air. We’re exploring how to make energy more affordable, more reliable, and ever cleaner. Learn more. CLICKER – “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker -- 14 keepers GREAT HOLIDAY WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman (@dlippman): -- “The Last of the Ayn Rand Acolytes,” by Alexander Sammon in TNR: “This year’s Objectivist Conference revealed that her cult of hyper-capitalism has a major recruiting problem: All the young people want to be socialists!” TNR -- “The Message of Measles,” by the New Yorker’s Nick Paumgarten: “As public-health officials confront the largest outbreak in the U.S. in decades, they’ve been fighting as much against dangerous ideas as they have against the disease.” New Yorker -- “Greenland’s Rare-Earth Minerals Make It Trump’s Treasure Island,” by Kiliii Yuyan and David Stringer in Bloomberg Businessweek: “The country’s hostile wilderness becomes a new front in the trade war.” Bloomberg Businessweek -- “‘Trump’ ‘SoHo’ ‘Hotel,’” by Emily Flouton in Tinhouse – per Longreads.com’s description: “A writer remembers her time bartending at Trump SoHo hotel, which wasn’t technically in SoHo, wasn’t a hotel for zoning reasons, and didn’t belong to Donald Trump. This story came from the last page of the last issue of Tin House magazine.” Tinhouse -- “Can We Survive Extreme Heat?” by Jeff Goodell in Rolling Stone: “Humans have never lived on a planet this hot, and we’re totally unprepared for what’s to come.” RS -- “The air conditioning trap: how cold air is heating the world,” by Stephen Buranyi in The Guardian: “The warmer it gets, the more we use air conditioning. The more we use air conditioning, the warmer it gets. Is there any way out of this trap?” The Guardian (hat tip: Longform.org) -- “How Julián Castro Got Drowned Out,” by David Freedlander in Rye, N.H. in POLITICO Magazine: “He’s a young, Latino, former mayor with serious policy proposals on all the big issues. But he’s barely polling at 1 percent. What went wrong?” POLITICO Magazine -- “‘We Didn’t Cause the Crisis’: David Sackler Pleads his Case on the Opioid Epidemic,” by Bethany McLean in Vanity Fair’s August issue: “OxyContin made the Sackler family billions—but now, after 400,000 opioid deaths, it’s made them near-pariahs, their philanthropy rejected. Citing ‘vitriolic hyperbole’ and ‘endless castigation,’ David Sackler tells his story for the first time.” VF -- “Kim Jong-un’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year,” by Nicholas Eberstadt in the NYT: “For perhaps the first time, America seems to be outmaneuvering Team North Korea.” NYT -- “Justin Trudeau: the rise and fall of a political brand,” by Ashifa Kassam in The Guardian: “Thanks to his clever use of social media, he was dubbed the first prime minister of the Instagram age – but after four years in power, cracks in his image have started to show.” Guardian (h/t Sunday Long Read) -- “Two Sisters and the Terrorist Who Came Between Them,” by Jessica Roy in Elle – per Longreads.com’s description: “How does a woman from Arkansas, a woman who used to wear makeup and take selfies and wear flip-flops, end up dragged across the border into a war zone by her fun-loving husband? How do you grow up in the United States of America, surrounded by Walmarts and happy hours and swimming holes, and end up living in Syria under a terrorist group?” Elle PLAYBOOKERS Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected]. SPOTTED: California Gov. Gavin Newsom at the Beverly Hilton bar Thursday. … Nigel Farage at the rooftop bar of the Graduate Hotel in Charlottesville, Va., on Friday night. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE: Brad Bishop, deputy director of government communications and former OMB press secretary, is leaving the White House to become deputy assistant secretary of strategic communications at HUD. TRANSITIONS -- Daria Dawson is joining PL+US Action as director of political affairs. She previously was director of strategic engagement for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. … Michael Marinaccio is joining Republican data firm Data Trust as COO. He is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce and NRSC alum and most recently was CEO of Magnitude Consulting. ENGAGED -- J.J. Alexander, a principal at Chisholm Search Capital and former Marine Corps captain, and Kinsey Farren, a nurse at Georgetown University Hospital, got engaged outside of the Clarendon Metro on Aug. 24. Pic … Another pic -- Jesselyn Cook, a reporter at HuffPost, got engaged to Kyle Gager, who works in bar management and hospitality. He proposed while they were on a hike in Isle of Skye, Scotland. Pic … More pics BIRTHWEEK (was Friday): Tom Countryman, chairman of the Arms Control Association (h/t Ben Chang) … Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko turned 65 BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Justin Myers, CEO of For Our Future Super PAC. A trend that he thinks deserves more attention: “The alarmingly low number of African American male educators in public schools. The willingness of some elected officials to cut after-school, summer jobs and music and arts programs that are vital to communities in need. If we do not find a remedy to these alarming trends, underserved communities will continue to struggle.” Playbook Plus Q&A BIRTHDAYS: Tommy Vietor, co-host of “Pod Save America,” host of “Pod Save the World” and founder of Crooked Media … Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) is 57 … Brian Johnson, a principal at the Vogel Group … Ryan Stanton of Rio Tinto … Hillary DeParde ... Lauren Fine, communications director for House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) … former Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) is 43 ... NYT’s Patrick Healy and Tom Kaplan ... POLITICO’s Paul Demko … Kim Hefling … Ed Goeas, president and CEO of the Tarrance Group, is 67 ... Lenny Stern ... POLITICO Europe’s Mathilde Ciocci ... Ryan Ellis ... Mattie Duppler, president and founder of Forward Strategies ... Targeted Victory’s Alex Schriver … … Leland Vittert of Fox News … Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is 34 … Christopher Dickey, Paris-based foreign editor for The Daily Beast … Rachel Oliver (h/t husband Jack) … Paul Garrahan ... Scott Shalett ... Jennifer Shutt … Meghan Barr ... Nick Horowitz ... Justin Meyers ... Ramzi Nemo ... Jordan Ball ... Kaylin Minton ... Sam Merchant ... Brian Garcia ... Lori Stith ... Tim Marchman … Wes Foster ... Neil Alpert ... Bennett Resnik of Cardinal Infrastructure ... Elizabeth Pemmerl ... Elizabeth Whitehouse … Kent Klein … Jill Rackmill ... Beth Roberts ... John Leary ... Liz Kurantowicz … Karisa Johnson … Barb Helmick … Philip Smucker THE SHOWS by Matt Mackowiak, filing from Austin: -- NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Acting FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor … Julián Castro. Panel: Andrea Mitchell, Jeh Johnson, Shawna Thomas and Danielle Pletka. -- ABC’s “This Week”: Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan … Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Panel: Matthew Dowd, Rick Klein, Mary Jordan and Asma Khalid. -- CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan … Brock Long … Beto O’Rourke … Sergio Martín. Panel: David Nakamura, Salena Zito, Sahil Kapur and Shane Harris. -- “Fox News Sunday”: Richard Trumka … acting FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor … Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). Panel: Brit Hume, Donna Brazile, Kristen Soltis Anderson and Charles Lane … “Power Player of the Week” segment with Hall of Fame baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. -- Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures”: Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) … Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) … Christian Whiton. Panel: Brad Blakeman and Dave Brown (substitute anchor: Fox News’ Mike Emanuel). -- Fox News’ “MediaBuzz”: Molly Hemingway … Susan Ferrechio … Richard Fowler … Frank Luntz … Charlie Gasparino. -- CNN’s “Inside Politics”: Panel: Margaret Talev, Michael Shear, Laura Barrón-López and Molly Ball (substitute anchor: CNN’s Manu Raju). -- CNN’s “State of the Union”: Acting FEMA administrator Peter Gaynor … Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) ... Beto O’Rourke. Panel: Rick Santorum, Xochitl Hinojosa, Mia Love and Wajahat Ali (substitute anchor: CNN’s Dana Bash). -- CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS”: Special episode: “State of Hate: The Explosion of White Supremacy” with Anne Applebaum, Heidi Beirich, Kathleen Belew,Eric Foner and Randall Kennedy. -- CNN’s “Reliable Sources”: Brian Karem and Ted Boutrous … Panel: Elaina Plott, Julia Ioffe and David Zurawik … Jeffrey Goldberg … Dahlia Lithwick. -- Univision’s “Al Punto”: Albert Martinez … Gary, Mariela and Jonathan Sanchez … Greta Martinez … Lydia Cacho … Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). -- C-SPAN: “The Communicators”: Duminda Wijesekera … “Newsmakers”: Priorities USA chairman Guy Cecil, questioned by AP’s Juana Summers and Axios’ Alayna Treene … “Q&A”: The University of Pennsylvania’s Amy Wax). -- MSNBC’s “Kasie DC”: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) … Craig Fugate … Jared Moskowitz … John Hudson … Betsy Woodruff … Jon Ward … Maria Hinojosa … Noah Rothman … Susan Del Percio (substitute anchor: MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki). -- Washington Times’ “Mack on Politics” weekly politics podcast with Matt Mackowiak (download on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify or Stitcher or listen at MackOnPoliticsPodcast.com : author Annie Jacobsen. Follow us on Twitter Anna Palmer @apalmerdc Jake Sherman @JakeSherman Follow Us

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UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 10:46:00

NBC News

Hong Kong police fire tear gas, water cannon as latest protests turn violent

Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannons on Saturday, while protesters launched Molotov cocktails as anti-government demonstrations turned violent.

Hong Kong police fire tear gas, water cannon as latest protests turn violent Fears of clashes were running high ahead of the demonstrations, aimed at marking the fifth anniversary of a decision by China to curtail democratic reforms in the former British colony.

Linda Givetash;Linda Givetash Is A Reporter Based In London. She Previously Worked For The Canadian Press In Vancouver;Nation Media In Uganda.

www.nbcnews.com

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hong-kong-police-fire-tear-gas-water-cannon-protests-turn-n1048596?cid=public-rss_20190901

CENTER

2019-08-31 10:46:06

CNN

Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament set to spark Brexit protests

View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN.com.

The legal action launched by businesswoman Gina Miller against the suspension of Parliament has garnered the support of former prime minister John Major, deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party Tom Watson and Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson. Miller, an anti-Brexit campaigner who orchestrated the successful campaign to ensure a parliamentary vote on any Brexit deal, told the BBC that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was "hijacking the Queen's prerogative power." Gina Miller orchestrated the successful campaign to ensure a parliamentary vote on any Brexit deal. In an extraordinary move, Major -- who led the country from 1990 to 1997 -- joined the legal action on Friday. Labour's Watson then said he would also join the battle, because "the rights and freedoms of our citizens have been vandalized." Lib Dem leader Swinson came on board too, to prevent the "authoritarian power grab" of Johnson.

www.cnn.com

https://www.cnn.com/uk/live-news/brexit-challenges-protests-intl-gbr/index.html

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 10:46:06

CNN

Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament sparks Brexit protests

View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN.com.

Corbyn speaking in Glasgow on Saturday. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott has also addressed crowds at the London rally. She told them the party's leader Jeremy Corbyn had sent his support for the demonstration -- but Corbyn doesn't appear to be there in person. "We are here outside 10 Downing Street trying to get Boris Johnson's attention, but let me tell you, before too long Jeremy Corbyn will be in 10 Downing Street and Boris will be gone," Abbott told attendees, the Press Association reported. She then tried to start a call-and-response with the crowd, rallying them with a cry of "What Do We Want to Do?" But instead of the approved response -- "Stop the Coup!" -- many in the crowd shouted "Where is Jeremy?" per PA. Corbyn has been taking part in an anti-prorogation event on Saturday, though, as he readies for the return of Parliament on Tuesday. He said in a speech in Glasgow: "We will do absolutely everything we can to prevent a no-deal Brexit and the Prime Minister taking us into the hands of Donald Trump and a trade deal with the USA." "That is the real agenda of the Prime Minister ... there is a lot of work being done in preparation for next Tuesday," he added. The Labour leader has already made clear that he plans to help efforts to legislate against Johnson's suspension of Parliament in the coming week.

Cnn S Arnaud Siad In London

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https://www.cnn.com/uk/live-news/brexit-challenges-protests-intl-gbr/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 10:59:05

Politico

Trump stresses legal actions over confidentiality in wake of Westerhout firing

Trump's 2016 campaign team, transition team and political appointees are typically expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

President Donald Trump. | Alex Wong/Getty Images white house Trump stresses legal actions over confidentiality in wake of Westerhout firing President Donald Trump on Saturday stressed his ongoing legal battles to keep details of his administration's inner workings from emerging in books and press reports following the firing of his personal assistant. "Yes, I am currently suing various people for violating their confidentiality agreements. Disgusting and foul mouthed Omarosa is one. I gave her every break, despite the fact that she was despised by everyone, and she went for some cheap money from a book. Numerous others also!" Trump wrote on Twitter. Story Continued Below Trump's attack on his former White House adviser, Omarosa Manigault Newman, followed the firing of his personal assistant, Madeleine Westerhout, who was let go Thusday for revealing to reporters details of her relationship with Trump and his daughters. Trump also appeared to rebut a report by the New York Times stating that Westerhout did not sign a non-disclosure agreement. "While Madeleine Westerhout has a fully enforceable confidentiality agreement, she is a very good person and I don’t think there would ever be reason to use it. She called me yesterday to apologize, had a bad night. I fully understood and forgave her! I love Tiffany, doing great!" Trump wrote. POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. Trump's 2016 campaign team, transition team and political appointees are typically expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement, even if the legal foundations of such agreements are murky. Trump Organization employees would also be routinely required to sign such agreements. NDAs are not typically signed by federal workers as they’re thought to be public servants who are not beholden to any individual, which would include White House staff. Any agreement is therefore not easily enforceable. Omarosa claimed she refused to sign "that draconian NDA" during her tenure at the White House following the release of a tell-all book, although she stated she signed two non-disclosure agreements during Trump's presidential campaign and her time on "The Apprentice” in 2003. Following her acrimonious firing, Omarosa also released audio of conversations recorded at the White House.

Christian Vasquez

www.politico.com

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/31/trump-westerhout-non-disclosure-1479250

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 10:59:48

BBC

Bat-friendly street lights for Worcestershire crossing

The LED lights are the first of their kind in the UK, the local authority says.

Image copyright Worcestershire County Council Image caption Similar lighting schemes are already in place in the Netherlands, Worcestershire County Council said Bat-friendly street lights are to be installed on a crossing in Worcestershire. There will be about 60m of the glowing red lights on the A4440, near to Warndon Wood, from September. Worcestershire County Council said the area was a "corridor" for bats and it wanted to support the local wildlife. It believes they are the first bat-friendly street lights in the UK and that they would also assist pedestrians walking in the area. Research has shown some species of bats avoid areas lit by white lights, which could lead them to use longer and less safe routes. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Some bats avoid flying in areas illuminated by white lights, research has found The council said similar lighting schemes in the Netherlands had proved successful, helping to preserve bat species and other nocturnal wildlife, and councillor Ken Pollock said the crossing was a "sensible" opportunity to support bats. "The adapted lighting may look a little different at first, but we'd like to assure those using the area at night that the colour of the lights has been through stringent testing and adheres to all safety checks," he said. Visibility for drivers and pedestrians is not affected by the red light and the scheme is fully compliant with the required standards, the council added. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-49534621

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 11:00:48

The Guardian

Struggling Sri Lankans yearn for a strongman to lure back lost tourists

The Easter Sunday terrorist attacks all but destroyed the island’s tourism industry. In the southern city of Galle, locals now seek their own Trump or Modi

The Easter Sunday terrorist attacks all but destroyed the island’s tourism industry. In the southern city of Galle, locals now seek their own Trump or Modi Asiri Kumara stands on Koggala Beach with a fishing rod in his hand forlornly staring at the Indian Ocean waves. Despite his best efforts, there has been little to catch, and that’s not because of the monsoon rains that have been lashing southern parts of Sri Lanka for the past month. What Kumara is hoping to catch does not come out of the turbid water, though; instead it arrives from distant parts of the world in cars and coaches. The 40-year-old former farmer makes a living giving tourists a glimpse of the Sri Lanka they want to see. For £10 a time, he and four friends jump on to vertical wooden poles erected at the water’s edge and pretend to be stilt fishermen, acting out an ancient tradition for visitors to capture on cameras and phones. Lately however, the bountiful tide of tourists that once flooded in to watch Kumara and his colleagues in their role play has dried to a trickle. “Most days we are lucky if just one group turns up. For three months we had nobody and spent the day sitting around playing cards. There were initially seven of us but things got so bad that two of the men left because they needed to earn money for their families,” said Kumara. “Before the Easter attacks, we could easily make £100 a day between us.” It is almost 5pm and Kumara, who has been in place since sunrise, laments that it has been another disappointing day. A group of Chinese tourists arrived, paying a bit more than the standard fee so that they could climb on to the stilts to be photographed. As they clung nervously to them, a larger group of Europeans descended and manically took pictures without paying anything. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Asanka Mara, who dives off the rampart of a fort for tourists, hasn’t had a customer in four months. Photograph: Vivek Chaudhary/The Observer Things are little better for many of the millions of Sri Lankans who depend on tourism both directly and indirectly, particularly along its lush southern coast, which is the centre of the industry. Like their compatriots, they awoke on a bright Easter Sunday morning to the horrors of a series of attacks by Islamist militants, who killed 253 people including 42 foreign nationals in churches and hotels across the country. The tourist trade, a cornerstone of the nation’s economy and its third-largest foreign exchange earner, was decimated overnight. The wider economy was also hit: growth was reported at zero in the aftermath of the attacks following a slump in business activity and investor confidence. Standing on the ramparts of Galle Fort, Asanka Mara is one of three men known as the “Crazy Jumpers”. For £15, they would impress tourists by leaping off the 16th-century fortress in the picturesque port city into the waters of the Indian Ocean below. “We haven’t had a single customer in four months,” he said. “I still turn up, hoping that the tourists will return one day, but the other two guys don’t even bother coming. Our lives have been ruined and things are very difficult. I love jumping – it’s all I want to do – but I may have to give it up altogether and go and get another job.” Following the attacks, an estimated 80% of hotel bookings were cancelled, and despite the best efforts of the industry, which has slashed hotel and airline charges, things have improved very little. Tourist arrivals were down 57% year on year for June, and down 71% for May, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nanda Gunawardana, director of the Induwara Sea Turtle Conservation Project, is spending his own money to feed the animals. Photograph: Vivek Chaudhary/The Observer Even the nation’s wildlife has been affected. At the Induwara Sea Turtle Conservation Project near Galle work to rehabilitate injured animals and return them to the ocean is grinding to a halt. The organisation relies for its funding on tourists, who pay £2.50 each to visit, but since the attacks it has seen only two. Nanda Gunawardana, project director, said: “I’ve had to lay off staff and have been paying out of my own pocket to ensure that the turtles can be fed. We require 25kg of fish a day. We are just about surviving but if it continues like this, we’ll have to close.” Following the end of the brutal 26-year civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for an independent state for Tamils, who make up 11% of the population, hopes were high that the country had turned a corner. Investment, mainly from China, flooded in, large new infrastructure projects were completed and tourism boomed. Last year, 2.3 million tourists visited the country. The end of the war in May 2009 came at a heavy cost. The United Nations claims that some 45,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed during its final few months, while the number of deaths and disappearances in the course of the overall conflict is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Despite this and a political crisis that led to the dissolution of parliament last year, optimism for a brighter future endured, particularly among the Sinhalese community, who make up almost three-quarters of the 22 million population. But it came crashing down in the rubble of the Easter attacks. Many Sri Lankans are now looking across the water to India – where Narendra Modi, the prime minister, has forged a reputation as a strong-arm nationalist – and to populist, firebrand leaders across the globe. The clamour has been reinforced by claims of weak leadership by the government which ignored intelligence reports it received two weeks before the Easter attacks. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Empty sunbeds at Unawatuna beach in Galle. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters The island nation’s hopes of finding a Sinhalese Modi or Donald Trump lie with Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a controversial frontrunner for presidential elections taking place later this year. As wartime defence minister, he is believed to have directly overseen the police and military, which have been accused by the UN, human rights groups and Sri Lanka’s own investigative agencies of crimes including torture, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings both during the Tamil conflict and after it ended. Gotabya, as he is popularly known, who is the brother of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, also faces two lawsuits in the US for human rights abuses. Rajesh Venugopal of the London School of Economics, a Sri Lanka expert who has just written a book called Nationalism, Development and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka, said: “The Easter attacks changed the country’s political sphere. It’s clear that there’s a call for a Modi-type figure. “Gotabya fits the bill perfectly. He’s a nationalist and an authoritarian who brought the war against the Tamil Tigers t “But he has blood on his hands and when it comes to war crimes, the buck stops with him. Sadly, this has not damaged his credentials with many Sinhalese Sri Lankans but actually helped him.o an end with a no-nonsense approach.” The popular demand for strong-arm leadership was also underlined in August with the controversial appointment of Major-General Shavendra Silva as the new head of Sri Lanka’s army. A UN panel has accused the army division he led of extrajudicial killings of unarmed Tamil Tiger rebels during the final stages of the war, systematic torture of people in custody and the shelling of a hospital. He has denied the accusations. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Normally bustling beaches are empty. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters The appointment was criticised by the United States, the UN and Tamil political and civil groups. With Sri Lanka struggling to get back on its feet, a new ethnic fault line has also emerged with the Muslim community, which makes up just over 7% of the population. Following the Easter attacks, suspicion of them is high and many claim that they are being vilified and persecuted by the Buddhist majority. More historical issues with the Tamil community have also not been resolved. Venugopal said: “Gotabya is going to tap into Sinhalese nationalism because he is not going to get the Muslim or Tamil vote. Political devolution that was promised to the Tamils has not been delivered, while a new dimension has emerged with the Muslims. I’m confident that tourism and the economy will recover but ethnic relations will remain fraught.” As discussion rages about what type of leader Sri Lanka needs, for Kumara it is a simple case of having somebody who can bring the tourists back so that he can get back to be playing at being something he’s not. “I just like being a pretend stilt fisherman,” he said. “It makes everybody happy and I get to earn some decent money. Whoever can do this for me will get my vote.”

Vivek Chaudhary

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/31/sri-lanka-empty-day-resort-with-no-tourists-easter-sunday-terror-attacks

LEFT

2019-08-31 11:05:44

The Guardian

School’s back - but some parents can’t keep up with the cost of branded uniforms

Academies are copying the expensive clothing of private schools, and families are turning to charities as costs soar to £250 per child

Academies are copying the expensive clothing of private schools, and families are turning to charities as costs soar to £250 per child Charities and community groups aiming to lower the cost of buying school uniforms for low-income families say they cannot keep pace with rocketing demand, as parents struggle to afford essential items for their children in the run-up to the start of the new school year. The popularity of groups offering free donations and secondhand school uniforms for swap has risen sharply this year and organisers say they have been inundated with thousands of requests for items over the past six weeks, with one parent volunteer receiving 93 requests in a single day last week. The charity School-Home Support, which provides grants to families unable to buy essential items for their school-age children, has seen applications for help with the cost of uniforms and shoes rise by 90% over the past year. “Last year, we were spending the most on beds, bedding, furniture and other essential household items. Now we get the most requests for school uniforms and shoes,” said its CEO, Jaine Stannard. Part of the problem, say charities and volunteers, is increasing use by schools of branded clothes, which are more expensive than standard uniforms. Kirsty Powell, a mother of four who recently set up a Facebook school uniform donation group in Stratford-upon-Avon, said academies were increasingly trying to copy the uniforms of private schools with expensive blazers and heavily branded PE kits. “If you send your child to a private school, you might expect to pay those costs. But these are state schools,” she said. Powell’s group, which she runs with two other volunteers, collects uniform donations for 31 local schools and has received more than 200 requests since mid-July alone. Jane Malcolm, CEO of Level Trust, a charity in Luton for local children living in poverty, said she had seen similar problems with a shift to branded uniform – “which means you can only get it from certain expensive suppliers”. Malcolm started collecting school uniform donations two years ago, and said requests from parents had doubled over the past year. She had even started a “naughty list” of state schools that had changed their affordable school uniform to one that could easily cost £250 per child, not including shoes or coats, she said. Campaigners are critical of the government’s failure to act on a 2015 promise to make it a legal requirement for schools to make value for money the main consideration when setting uniform policies. Mark Russell, chief executive of the Children’s Society, said it was “shameful”. “This simple change would prevent thousands of parents having to cut back on essentials or get into debt just to buy their children’s school uniforms,” he added. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, families can apply for statutory support with the cost of school uniforms but in England it is up to individual councils and schools to decide whether to make help available. An annual survey of school governors and trustees, to be published next week by the National Governance Association, is expected to show a drop in the number of schools offering families assistance with the purchase of uniforms. “Given that two-thirds of governors say that their school does not have enough funding to support pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, we believe that the reduction in support for purchasing uniforms is largely a result of the severe funding constraints that schools are currently facing,” said Emma Knights, the NGA’s chief executive. When a child moves schools – which a lot of deprived families do regularly because it's not up to them where they get housed – they're expected to have a particular branded uniform Emma Martin, charity worker Joyce Tetteh, one of the parents being helped by School-Home Support this year, said she had had sleepless nights after calculating she would need to spend £465 on school uniforms by September. Tetteh, who lives in east London on benefits of £245 a week, has four school-age children. “I took medication to cope,” she said, adding that she had been about to cut back on food before the charity’s “life-saving” intervention. “I was really worried,” she said. “I thought I had no options.” Freema Chambers, a mother of three who set up the Facebook group Community School Clothing Scheme two years ago after running out of money to buy her son school trousers, said she had seen requests from parents “at least double, maybe triple” over the past 12 months. The scheme had handed out more than 4,000 items of school uniform, worth about £40,000 to local families, in Sunderland and the north-east since schools closed in July, she said. “Parents come to us distressed,” she said. “Schools are insisting that, for example, you buy trousers with the school logo on, which are nearly double the price of normal school trousers.” Vulnerable families are faced with terrible choices as a result: “It’s awful knowing that, if I can’t help a parent get hold of a particular item of school uniform, they are going to have to go without fuel or food in order to buy it.” Kate France, founder of the Uniform Exchange charity in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, said she had also seen requests double over the past year. More than 800 families have received uniform donations through the scheme this year. Another charity, Bromley Brighter Beginnings in south London, works with medical professionals, teachers and social workers to provide families with items they need. Its founder, Emma Martin, said she had received so many referrals requesting school uniforms for children this year that the charity had launched a campaign to attract more donations. “More people are struggling financially now, because of austerity. But when a child moves schools – which a lot of deprived families do regularly because it’s not up to them where they get housed – they’re expected to have a particular branded uniform.” Martin said uniforms in her area could cost as much as £400. “It’s expensive and unnecessary. I don’t think there’s any need for schools to put that much pressure on families.” Last November, Kristina Murphy, a mother of two, started collecting donations of school uniform for local families in Birmingham via her Facebook group Rubery Schools Community Swop Shop. After sitting on exclusion panels as a school governor she had noticed that, often, a pupil’s spiralling bad behaviour was triggered by reprimands for not wearing the right uniform or having their PE kit. “It made me reflect: what if you don’t have those items and you’re coming to school anxious you’re going to get into trouble? That could make a vulnerable child quite aggressive and emotive.” These children may then act as if they don’t care about the uniform as a defence mechanism, so that no one will find out their parents cannot afford it, she said. “They’re embarrassed.”Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, said: “The prime minister has been clear that we will increase minimum levels of per pupil funding in primary and secondary schools to level up education funding across the country. No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to or attend a school of their choice. Our guidance is clear: schools should prioritise cost when setting uniform policies, including making sure uniforms are available at different outlets, and keeping compulsory branded items to a minimum.”

Donna Ferguson

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/aug/31/schools-back-parents-cant-keep-up-with-cost-of-branded-uniforms

LEFT

2019-08-31 11:06:17

The Guardian

Man dies in Birmingham street after hit-and-run

West Midlands police ask people who witnessed incident in Handsworth to come forward

West Midlands police ask people who witnessed incident in Handsworth to come forward A pedestrian who died after being found injured in a city street is believed to have been knocked down by a hit-and-run driver, police have said. The victim, whose family are being supported by specialist officers, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident in Handsworth, Birmingham, at about 4am on Saturday. Police were called to Soho Road at the junction with Thornhill Road, where the man was found with serious head injuries, consistent with being hit by a vehicle. West Midlands police said officers believe the man was hit by a passing car, which left the scene. DS Paul Hughes, from the serious collision investigation unit, said: “We are in the early stages of our investigation and our thoughts are with the family of this man at this very tragic time. “I am asking for anyone who saw what happened to get in touch with us as soon as possible. Perhaps you saw the lead-up to the collision, or the aftermath. We are keen to hear from anyone who has information.” Anyone with information to assist the inquiry is urged to contact the serious collision investigation unit or call 101. Crimestoppers can also be contacted, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Pa Media

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/31/birmingham-hit-and-run-man-dies

LEFT

2019-08-31 11:11:29

Reuters

Italy's court rules in favour of Vivendi in Mediaset restructuring row-sources

An Italian court ruled in favour of a petition filed by French media giant Vivendi to vote against a Mediaset reorganisation plan at the Italian group's upcoming shareholders' meeting, two sources said on Saturday.

MILAN, Aug 31 (Reuters) - An Italian court ruled in favour of a petition filed by French media giant Vivendi to vote against a Mediaset reorganisation plan at the Italian group’s upcoming shareholders’ meeting, two sources said on Saturday. The ruling only applies to the 9.9% stake Vivendi directly holds in Mediaset, the sources said, not enough to block Mediaset’s reorganisation blueprint. Vivendi has been a hostile Mediaset shareholder since the tycoons who control them, Vincent Bollore and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, fell out in 2016 over an aborted pay TV deal. They have been in a legal war ever since.

Reuters Editorial;Min Read

www.reuters.com

https://www.reuters.com/article/vivendi-mediaset-agm/italys-court-rules-in-favour-of-vivendi-in-mediaset-restructuring-row-sources-idUSL5N25Q5LX

CENTER

2019-08-31 11:24:23

The Guardian

How Warren surged past Sanders - and how he fought back

In the nomination race, the senators from Massachusetts and Vermont are dominant. Many expect both to pass Joe Biden

In the nomination race, the senators from Massachusetts and Vermont are dominant. Many expect both to pass Joe Biden Among the what ifs and what might have beens of politics in America there is Ready for Warren, a group that urged Elizabeth Warren to run for president in 2016. Washington's great mystery: Trump’s affinity for Putin and populists baffles experts Read more “If I’m being quite frank, I’m upset that she didn’t and haven’t really forgiven her,” said Dave Handy, a political organiser who was part of that effort. “We could have avoided a lot of trouble if she had just had the courage to run.” Handy threw in his lot with Bernie Sanders instead. “Even though progressives like myself begged her, Liz refused to run and this whole apparatus that Bernie now has – that I’m a part of and many progressives and now many democratic socialists are a part of – could have been hers. And we could have avoided the whole ‘Bernie bro’ myth that’s been carved out.” Activists such as Handy illustrate divided loyalties and an exquisite dilemma for progressives as Democrats choose their nominee to take on Donald Trump in 2020. Polls show Sanders and Warren running almost neck and neck behind the centrist Joe Biden, begging the question: to avoid splitting the vote, should one drop out and endorse the other? With both candidates drawing bigger crowds than a former vice-president who seems increasingly gaffe-prone and vulnerable, there is no sign of it happening any time soon. Indeed, some on the left believe Sanders and Warren are poised to push Biden into third and go head to head. Warren and Bernie have been dominating the debate; I feel like the Biden campaign is very much on the defensive Charles Chamberlain Cenk Uygur, host and founder of the online news show The Young Turks, wrote in the Washington Post this week: “While Warren and Sanders draw thousands, his audiences are far smaller. His campaign is gasping for breath, and we’re only in August. The Biden fade has begun. I’m not sure he will even be in the race by Iowa.” Uygur added: “This race now isn’t between Warren and Biden; it’s between Warren and Sanders. And for progressives, that’s a dream come true.” ‘Elizabeth Warren Is Completely Serious’ Sanders, a senator from Vermont who at 77 is the oldest candidate in the field, no longer has the element of surprise he enjoyed against Hillary Clinton in 2016. He continues to promise free tuition at public universities, a $15-an-hour minimum wage and universal healthcare. He still has a peerless network of small-dollar donors and continues to generate enthusiasm at rallies. Warren, a 70-year-old senator from Massachusetts and longtime critic of Wall Street, has enjoyed a slow but inexorable surge. She has promised to “fight” – one of her favourite words – a rigged system and has released detailed policy proposals on everything from breaking up tech companies to implementing a “wealth tax” on the rich. Her populist economic message has struck a chord, drawing big crowds – 15,000 in Seattle, 12,000 in St Paul, Minnesota – and positive media buzz. “The Very Real Possibility of President Elizabeth Warren” was Rolling Stone’s headline; “Slowly and Persistently, Elizabeth Warren Is On the Rise” declared New York Magazine; “Elizabeth Warren Is Completely Serious” trumpeted a profile in the New York Times. Charles Chamberlain, chair of the progressive group Democracy for America, said: “She’s the big winner of the last eight months. We’ve seen her steadily climb among our members. It’s a well run, well executed campaign, clearly engaging with voters. But Bernie Sanders has also been campaigning hard – it’s been ‘steady as she goes’. “Warren and Bernie have been dominating the debate; I feel like the Biden campaign is very much on the defensive when it comes to policy. The rallies for Biden are eerily reminiscent of the lacklustre campaign of Hillary Clinton. Warren and Bernie are going to event after event and just getting bigger.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Joe Biden listens to a question from a representative of Moms Demand Action, a pro-gun control group, in South Carolina. Photograph: Sean Rayford/Getty Images Chamberlain shares the view that Biden will fade. “I think this is going to come down to a Democratic primary with Warren and Bernie at the top,” he said. “Neither should drop out. They need to fight this to the end, even if that means going to a convention where deals have to be made.” Who would win such a fight remains a matter of conjecture. Sanders won his first national union endorsement this week from the 35,000-member United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America. But most unions remain on the fence. Liberal groups are also split. In June Warren led a MoveOn survey with the support of 38% of members, followed by Sanders with 17%. In July, Sanders topped a Democracy for America poll with 32%, followed by Warren on 26%. In both cases, Warren had gained ground. Indeed, she has gathered momentum nationally, overcoming controversy about her dubious claims of Native American ancestry, while Sanders has arguably hit a ceiling. There is a perception, at least, that she is gaining at his expense. Michael Steele, a former Republican National Committee chair now a political analyst for the MSNBC network, said: “You’ve seen, in the rise of Elizabeth Warren, the Bernie Sanders voter falling off of Bernie, finding a better, younger fort to to dock their ship to, if you will. They don’t think that they are losing a step with Elizabeth; in fact, they are probably gaining a few more steps because she checked a number of other boxes for them – in terms of being a woman, for example. If both campaigns feel that they have traction, you won’t have an incentive there for either one of them to drop out John Zogby “We’ve seen that in the numbers, how she’s eclipsed him and now passed him in the polling, where in some polls she’s a lot closer to Joe Biden than Bernie was in the past.” This week Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York became the sixth Democrat to drop out of the race since July. Steele does not expect Sanders or Warren to throw in the towel any time soon. “If both campaigns feel that they have traction and they’re polling relatively close to each other, you won’t have an incentive there for either one of them to drop out. They’re both raising money, they’re both organising on the ground. “I think they’re going to be fairly competitive with each other until one separates clearly from the other. That has not happened yet. If I’m Elizabeth Warren, I’m not going to cede that ground to Bernie Sanders, and if I’m Bernie Sanders I’m certainly not going to cede ground to her that I established going back to 2016.” ‘Bearer of the torch’ Imagined as a Venn diagram, there is common ground between Warren and Sanders voters but each has their own distinct base. A survey by the Pew Research Center this month found that about seven in 10 of Warren’s supporters are white, compared to about half of Sanders’ backers. Warren’s supporters are substantially more likely to have a college degree compared with supporters of Biden and Sanders. John Zogby, a pollster and author, said: “Because of progressive ideology there is some sort of overlap, but they are different. Warren picks up support among women that ordinarily Sanders would not get, including former Clinton supporters who regard her as the bearer of the torch to get a woman elected. “To assume that if one drops out, he or she would back the other is too facile. If Warren dropped out, she would probably consider that she had some leverage in the mainstream of the party and a chance to run again in the future, so would most likely endorse a mainstream figure like Biden.” The senators have differences in style and substance. Warren embraces the term “capitalist” and is seen by some as less disruptive to corporate interests; Sanders characterises himself as a “democratic socialist” and offers fewer policy specifics. Warren refused to appear on Fox News; Sanders held a town hall on the network. Warren has just taken her 50,000th campaign selfie with supporters who wait in long lines; Sanders retains a curmudgeonly persona and showed little appetite for small talk at the recent Iowa state fair. But when the duo, who remain fast friends, appeared together in the second debate in Detroit, distinctions appeared insignificant as they joined forces to fend off centrists on their support of policies such as Medicare for All, which would extend the existing government-run health insurance programme to all Americans, largely eliminating a role for private insurance. Trouble in paradise: Trump attacks Fox News – and Fox News hits back Read more In the end, however, even if the progressive dream comes true, there is bound to be disappointment and compromise for someone. Handy, 31, the former Ready for Warren activist, said: “In terms of the entire political spectrum, I would much prefer a Warren administration to a [Kamala] Harris administration or a second term of Trump. But that said, it just won’t go far enough. “What this country needs now more than ever is what we had post-world war two with the building of the American middle class and FDR’s incredible social reform. That is what a Sanders administration will do, and my fear is that a Warren administration will not go far enough in addressing income inequality, in addressing criminal justice reform, in addressing our climate, in addressing all of these problems.”

David Smith

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/31/elizabeth-warren-bernie-sanders-joe-biden-democratic-presidential-nomination

LEFT

2019-08-31 11:27:05

BBC

Londonderry: Man in his 20s shot in the leg

Police say masked men attempted to fire several shots at the victim but the gun jammed.

Image copyright Google Image caption The shooting happened at the victim's home in Mimosa Court in Derry A man in his 20s has been shot in the leg by masked men in Londonderry. The shooting happened at the victim's home in Mimosa Court in the Gobnascale area at about 22:50 BST on Friday. The police said three masked men entered the house, armed with a gun and a hammer. The man was taken to hospital for treatment but his injuries are not believed to be life threatening, the PSNI added. A woman who was also in the house at the time was unharmed. 'Investigating attacks thoroughly' Det Insp Peter McKenna said the gunman tried to fire a number of shots but it was reported that the gun had jammed and the suspects then fled. "This was a savage and brutal attack on a young man in his home, carried out by faceless cowards," said Det Insp McKenna. "Nothing gives these people the right to violate the human rights of others, and their actions should be condemned by all." He added that it was the third paramilitary-style attack in Derry within a 48-hour period but that police do not believe the attacks are linked. "I want to reassure the community we are investigating each of these attacks thoroughly and would call on anyone who has information, which can help us indentify those involved, to pick up the phone and tell us what you think you know."

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-49534974

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 11:40:50

BBC

Clashes after Irish Unity march and counter protest in Glasgow

Riot police, mounted officers, a helicopter and dog units were called in following an Irish Unity march and counter protest in Glasgow.

Video Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon has condemned violence that broke out at an Irish Unity march in Glasgow as "utterly unacceptable". Riot police, mounted officers, a helicopter and dog units were called in when the march in Govan was met by hundreds of counter protesters. Glasgow City Council condemned "morons intent on bringing mayhem to the streets" and said it wanted fewer marches in the city. Read the full story here.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-49535450/clashes-after-irish-unity-march-and-counter-protest-in-glasgow

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 11:41:05

Breitbart

Omar's Call for UN Takeover of Border Undermined by Child Rape Record

Ilhan Omar wants the UN to take control of the U.S.-Mexico border to handle migrants "humanely" -- despite its long record of abuse scandals.

Democrat left-winger Ilhan Omar wants the United Nations to take control of the U.S.-Mexico border to handle migrants “humanely” — despite its long record of child abuse scandals. “We should do what any other country does, by dealing with this situation in a serious way,” Rep. Omar insisted at a public meeting in Minnesota– but the Somalia-born ‘Squad’ member was not advocating building a wall or adopting a robust policy of turning illegal migrants away, as sovereignist governments in Hungary and Italy have done, drastically reducing not only migrant numbers, but also migrant deaths. Instead, she demanded an outside entity take control of the situation, demanding: “[W]e have to bring in the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees – an agency that has the expertise and the training to handle massive flows of refugees humanely.” The current UN High Commissioner for Refugees is Filippo Grandi, an unelected career bureaucrat who has previously claimed “There is no migration/refugee crisis in Europe” and issued thinly-veiled attacks on President Trump’s border policy, saying “Let’s stop shouting about invasion, crisis, threats and walls”. However, despite Grandi’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration — shared by the leadership of sister UN agencies such as the International Organization for Migration (IoM), which believes mass migration is “inevitable, necessary, and desirable” — Rep. Omar’s apparent belief in the UN’s ability to handle crises more “humanely” than American agencies is undercut by its long and troubling history of abuse scandals in areas falling under its purview, with the sexual exploitation of children standing out as a particular problem. UN Peacekeepers Accused of Underage Rape In Central Africa http://t.co/ku7Ktg0y9o pic.twitter.com/1qh20BFwsC — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 20, 2015 As long ago as 2007, UN officials admitted that over 300 civilians, police, and military personnel on UN peacekeeping duties had been investigated for sexual misconduct over a three-year period, with an internal report revealing that an additional 91 of the UN’s own staffers had been accused of rape, sexual assault, having sex with minors, offering jobs in exchange for sex, and other malfeasances. This admission followed a separate BBC investigation which had unveiled systematic abuse by UN peacekeepers in Liberia, who had been demanding sex from teenage refugees in exchange for food, and cases in the Congo and South Sudan involving a UN logistics expert who was making pornographic videos and caught on the verge of raping a 12-year-old during a police raid, and UN peacekeepers from Bangladesh regularly exploiting children despite complaints to superior officers, among other scandals. Even earlier, in the 1990s, mainstream media reports lamented that “The history of the UN peacekeeping operation in Bosnia is replete with stories of rape, vandalism and other abuses of the war-weary local population.” Victims of rape by UN peacekeepers banished from families for having mixed-race children. https://t.co/TCkmWTzoud https://t.co/S3TxgVTJ46 — The Associated Press (@AP) September 21, 2017 Unfortunately, scandals of this nature involving the United Nations are not confined to previous decades — despite the U.S. government’s efforts to have offenders prosecuted, which have been resisted by the so-called international community. For example, Breitbart News reported on allegations of rape by UN peacekeepers in South Sudan in April 2018, just months after the publication of a report on how “the United Nations ha[d] allowed sexual harassment and assault to flourish in its offices around the world, with accusers ignored and perpetrators free to act with impunity” in January. In July 2017, Breitbart News reported at length on “child rape crimes committed by UN staff and peacekeepers over at least the last two decades” — and how the international organisation was using “legal and sovereign immunity claims to prevent prosecution”. The same year, the Associated Press reported that the Congo, home to the UN’s largest peackeeping force, held the “record for rape [and] child abuse” — with approximately 700 complaints against its personnel over twelve years — and that “victims of car accidents involving UN vehicles are more likely to receive compensation than victims of rape.” And in 2016, Breitbart News reported on “a mass rape of women and girls in a United Nations camp for the displaced… in full view of UN peacekeepers, who did nothing to prevent the attacks” — suggesting that even where UN personnel may not be actively involved in abuse scandals, they are often unwilling (or, at best, unable) to combat them. It is unclear why Rep. Omar believes children on the U.S.-Mexico border — who are occasionally separated from those claiming to be their parents in large part to ensure they are not being trafficked for sexual exploitation — would be safer in UN hands, given this track record. Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @JackBMontgomery

Jack Montgomery

www.breitbart.com

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/08/31/omars-call-un-takeover-of-mexico-border-undermined-history-child-rape-scandals/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+breitbart+%28Breitbart+News%29

RIGHT

2019-08-31 11:41:59

BBC

Redcar dispersal order to tackle 'youth' troublemakers

The order covering the centre of Redcar is issued days after a police officer was punched.

Image caption Police said the order was made because of "predominantly youth and alcohol-related" trouble Youngsters gathering in a Teesside town face being ordered to move on after police imposed a dispersal order days after an officer was punched. The order for central Redcar allows police and community support officers to force troublemakers to leave the area. Anyone failing to leave, or who returns, could be arrested, Redcar Town Neighbourhood Policing Team said. It will be in place until 16:00 BST on Sunday. Police said the order was intended to protect residents, shoppers and workers from "predominantly youth and alcohol-related" trouble. A police officer suffered minor injuries on Tuesday when he was punched in the face and neck on Aske Road. Cleveland Police had been responding to a report of a disturbance involving a group of youths causing criminal damage. A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of assault and using threatening or abusive words likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-49535170

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 11:42:13

BBC

Govan clashes: Sturgeon condemns 'sectarian' disorder in Glasgow

The first minister hits out after riot police were called to clashes at an Irish Unity march in Govan.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Roads were blocked as a result of the demonstrations Nicola Sturgeon has condemned "sectarian disruption" at a march in Glasgow as "utterly unacceptable". Riot police, a helicopter and dog units were called in when an Irish Unity march in Govan was met by hundreds of "disruptive" counter demonstrators. Roads were blocked in what police described as "significant disorder" on Friday evening. Glasgow City Council said it planned to stop "morons intent on bringing mayhem to the streets of our city". Two men, aged 37 and 21, have been arrested and charged following the incident. Police Scotland has said it will undertake a "thorough and robust" review of the events. Image copyright @JohnAitken90 The Irish Unity march, led by the James Connolly Republican Flute Band, was planned to start at 18:30 in Elder Park, Govan, but was met by a counter demonstration of "several hundred people" from loyalist groups at about 19:00. Govan Road was blocked by officers and the Govan subway station was closed for a short period. Witnesses reported the use of smoke bombs. Skip Twitter post by @NicolaSturgeon What happened in Govan last night was utterly unacceptable. My thanks to @policescotland for their response. I welcome Glasgow City Council’s commitment to review the procedures around marches. Peaceful protest is a part of our democracy - violent and sectarian disruption is not. https://t.co/nOdNt0FNBq — Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 31, 2019 Report The first minister described the scenes as "utterly unacceptable" Ms Sturgeon continued: "Peaceful protest is a part of our democracy - violent and sectarian disruption is not". Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf, whose Glasgow Pollok constituency was where the march started, tweeted praise for the Police Scotland response and said it was "utterly depressing to see this divisive thuggery on our streets". Image copyright @JohnAitken90 Both MSPs welcomed a promised review by Glasgow City Council of its procedures on marches and parades. The council tweeted a statement saying: "The council is clear that the law expects it to facilitate public processions; including those that some people oppose or find offensive. "However, this cannot continue to be at the expense of the overwhelming majority of Glaswegians, who want nothing to do with these marches, or counter-protests. "The city needs and wants fewer marches. We are prepared to consider any action that will protect communities from morons intent on bringing mayhem to the streets of our city". Image copyright @JustShelbyMay Ch Supt Mark Hargreaves said: "Police Scotland has a duty to facilitate processions and any peaceful protest, but this kind of behaviour by persons demonstrating against the parade is utterly unacceptable. "It is extremely disappointing to see people acting in this fashion, causing fear and alarm to members of the public as well as putting many people at risk. "Police Scotland will undertake a thorough and robust enquiry, and take any necessary action against those found to have been causing disruption."

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-49534599

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 11:47:30

BBC

Sinn Féin's vice president Michelle O'Neill faces challenge from John O'Dowd

Current vice-president Michelle O'Neill says she welcomes "debate" and will stand for re-election.

Image caption John O'Dowd is a former education minister Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd is to challenge Michelle O'Neill's position as vice president of the party. In a tweet on Saturday, he confirmed he would be seeking nominations ahead of the party's annual election for leadership roles. This will take place in November at the party's ard fheis (annual conference). Mrs O'Neill confirmed she would be seeking re-election and said she welcomed "democratic debate and choice". She added that the party is "fully focused on the threat of Brexit" and she is "fully committed to this work". Image caption Michelle O'Neill has been vice president or deputy leader of Sinn Féin since 2017 Mr O'Dowd is a former Stormont education minister and the party's Upper Bann MLA. Mrs O'Neill was given her first leadership position by the party in 2017 when she took over from Martin McGuinness who stepped down due to illness. She was announced as Sinn Féin's new "leader in the north" on 23 January that year, two months before the death of Mr McGuinness. The following year, she was the only candidate nominated to replace Mary Lou McDonald as vice-president of Sinn Féin. Mrs McDonald was elected as party president, replacing Gerry Adams who stepped down after 35 years. Image copyright Pacemaker Image caption Michelle O'Neill took over from a terminally ill Martin McGuinness in January 2017 Mr O'Dowd briefly filled in as deputy first minister in 2011, when Mr McGuinness ran as a candidate in the Irish presidential elections. If he wins the nomination he would take the position of deputy first minister in a future Stormont executive. Mr O'Dowd tweeted: "I can confirm I will be seeking nominations for leas uachtarán (vice president) of Sinn Féin as we approach the Ard Fheis and the annual election of party leadership. "I look forward to the debate across the party and island."

Jayne Mccormack;Bbc News Ni Political Reporter

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-49534762

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 12:00:03

HuffPost

Sometimes Treating Pain Is As Important As Treating Disease

Why 'palliative care' can make such a difference, and why so few people get it.

Amy Berman of New York City had been living with inflammatory breast cancer for about five years when, during a ride on the Q train one day in 2014, she noticed a pain in her back. Berman is a registered nurse and, at first, she thought it was a fracture. The cancer had already metastasized to her bones, she knew, making them more susceptible to breakage. But X-rays and testing revealed a different problem. The metastasis had reached the center of her spine, causing pain that would soon get worse. Berman’s oncologist recommended the standard course of radiation therapy with multiple doses. Although it would likely “turn off” the pain, she learned, it would also cause weeks of severe side effects, including nausea, loss of appetite, skin burning and fatigue. At that point, Berman consulted a palliative care specialist, which is something relatively few patients in her situation do because they don’t know the option exists, their insurance won’t pay for it or they can’t find a provider. For Berman, it made a big difference. Palliative care focuses on the management of pain and symptoms, as well as the quality of life, rather than trying to treat the disease itself. Ideally, palliative care involves a team of doctors, nurses and social workers, all of whom work together and in coordination with the patients and their families. In this case, the palliative specialist proposed an alternative: a one-time, larger dose of similarly targeted radiation that Canadian doctors had found equally effective, with far fewer side effects. Her oncologist in New York agreed to try it, and the treatment worked even better than expected. Courtesy of Amy Berman Amy Berman (second from left) recently visited Norway and even got a reindeer ride. She credits palliative care with her ability to keep working and traveling, despite a diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer nine years ago. Nausea, fatigue, skin damage ― Berman had none of those problems. “I’m peaches and cream, with blue eyes, so if anybody is going to see a radiation burn, it’s me,” Berman, who is 59, said in a recent interview with HuffPost. “But I had no redness. It wasn’t even pink.” The very next day, Berman was on the Acela train from her home in New York to Washington, D.C., for a work trip she had planned weeks before. “I felt great,” she said. It’s Not Just For ‘End Of Life’ Berman’s experience is a case study in the ability of palliative care to transform the lives of people with serious, life-threatening conditions. And although many people think of palliative care as synonymous with hospice care, which is for the end of life, Berman’s story shows why it is not simply or even mostly for people whose diseases have run their courses and who face imminent death. Palliative care is also for people who would still benefit from disease-altering and curative treatments, as well as people living with chronic conditions like Parkinson’s, congestive heart failure or dementia. And it appears to work really well, with clear, well-documented benefits, both for individual patients and for society. People who get palliative care are more likely to stay productive, whether at work or at home, and they are less likely to end up in the emergency room. That can show up as tangible, quantifiable savings for whoever is paying medical bills: In one 2016 peer-reviewed study, researchers found savings of thousands of dollars a month, producing a positive return on investment of 4.2% to 6.6%. The knowledge and skills required are (still) not taught in undergraduate and graduate medical and nursing education. Diane Meier, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care Numbers like that help explain why Interest in palliative care has exploded in the last few decades. Today, roughly 75% of U.S. hospitals have a palliative care program. In 2000, less than 25% did. But even that rapid growth isn’t keeping up with the demand, especially with a population that is both getting older and, thanks to more advanced treatments, increasingly living for many years with debilitating or terminal conditions. Palliative care is more difficult to find outside of hospital settings, even though one of its main goals is to help patients living at home and to keep them away from emergency rooms. It is also less available in certain parts of the country, particularly the south. As many as 40 million Americans live in places with limited or no palliative care options outside of hospitals, according to a 2017 study. Making palliative care more widely available is among the bigger challenges facing the U.S. health care system today. It requires more commitment from care providers and policymakers, including the ones in Washington. With New Cures, Medicine Lost Interest In Comfort “Palliative” comes from the Latin word “palliare,” to cloak. And in some respects, palliative care harks back to medicine’s pre-technological origins, when healers weren’t actually that good at healing. Unable to cure, they had to focus on comfort. Development of anesthesia, sterile surgical techniques and antibiotics changed all of that, so medicine was able to treat illness and injury more successfully. But in the process, medical professionals started paying less attention to pain management and other quality-of-life issues. Among the pioneers who pushed back against that trend was a Canadian physician, Balfour Mount. In 1974, he created a “palliative care service” at a Montreal hospital, modeled in part on what he’d seen in hospice care, in order to alleviate the physical and emotional trauma of cancer patients there. The name stuck, and in 1990, the World Health Organization recognized palliative care as a separate medical specialty. Since then, palliative care has attracted interest and investment from a variety of independent sources, including philanthropies such as The John A. Hartford Foundation, where Berman is a senior program officer. (The foundation focuses on care for older adults; she had been working there even before the cancer diagnosis.) Employers and private insurers increasingly include palliative care as part of their health benefits, while the U.S. medical establishment now includes organizations like the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, which represents doctors, nurses and other professionals who are part of palliative care teams. But even now, many of the people who would benefit from palliative care don’t get it. One reason is the common misperception that palliative care is only for the end of life, a notion that insurers can reinforce by the way they structure benefits. Sometimes Patients Face A ‘Terrible Choice’ Medicare is a perfect example. Its hospice benefit will pay for precisely the sort of team-oriented approach that is ideal for palliative care. But to get the benefit, Medicare beneficiaries must first relinquish their right to further disease treatment. “It is literally an either/or paper you sign,” Diane Meier, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, told HuffPost. “It’s like signing your own death certificate, and nobody wants to do that. … My colleagues call it ‘the terrible choice.’” “Families, parents and clinicians do not like to self-label as dying,” she explained. “The either-or concept keeps people away from the care they need and drives them to the only place that has to take them in a crisis: 911, emergency department, hospital.” Palliative care is the best friend of the seriously ill. Amy Berman, senior program officer at The John A. Hartford Foundation Some private plans already cover coordinated palliative care as a concurrent option for people who are still getting disease treatment. Meier would like that to become the rule, not the exception, for private plans and for Medicare, too ― although the ideal, she said, would be a financing system that moved away from fee-for-service altogether. If governments and insurers simply paid providers to look after their patients’ health, whatever that took, then the providers could more easily integrate palliative care into their practices. “Let’s say I’m a heart patient,” Meier explained. “I should be able to get palliative care and consultation and support at the same time I am seeing my cardiologist.” Today’s Problems Will Get Worse Tomorrow Another, more basic reason why many people don’t get palliative care is that it’s hard to find providers. The American Board of Medical Specialties has recognized palliative care as a subspecialty since 2006. To get certification, physicians must go through residency in family medicine, psychiatry or some other form of primary care and then complete a one-year fellowship on palliative care specifically. Today just 7,000 actively practicing physicians have gone through that training, according to the American Academy of Palliative Care and Hospice Medicine. That is not enough to meet demand right now, to say nothing of the future. The ratio of palliative care specialists to patients will actually decline for the next 25 years, according to one recent study that appeared in the journal Health Affairs, and it will never come back to the current level unless there are more training slots and more people to fill them. And it’s not just the lack of physician specialists making palliative care hard to get. A family doctor or, say, an oncology nurse with even a little palliative care training is more likely to be attentive to pain management and family issues ― and to know when consultation with a specialist is necessary. But medical schools, nursing schools and teaching hospitals haven’t done a great job of integrating palliative care into their standard curricula. “The knowledge and skills required are (still) not taught in undergraduate and graduate medical and nursing education,” Meier said. “Requirements for accreditation for these schools have essentially not changed for decades despite the radical changes in population needs.” A National Strategy Comes Into Focus More training slots and more promotion of palliative care by leaders of the medical establishment would help, experts say. So would national standards for palliative care programs, just to make sure they offer a full range of services that patients need, and new payment schemes to support those programs. Even seemingly small things, like guaranteeing 24-hour access to the palliative care team, can make a big difference. A major reason many patients with debilitating or terminal diseases end up in emergency rooms is that they encounter medication or symptom problems after business hours or on weekends. To help reach these goals, Meier, Berman and several colleagues in 2017 called for a “National Strategy on Palliative Care.” The model would be the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, which brought together government and private-sector leaders in order to reorganize and improve care for those conditions. Among the recommendations likely to emerge from such a strategy is getting health insurers to pay for palliative care, directly or indirectly, and training more providers. Both would cost more money in the short run, which is why advocates spend so much time talking up the studies that show the investment can save money in the long run. This is also why they highlight stories like Berman’s, which show what a difference good palliative care can make. “Palliative care is the best friend of the seriously ill,” she said. “They help me live a great life, even with Stage 4 cancer.”

Senior National Correspondent

www.huffpost.com

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/palliative-care-policy_n_5d4da5c4e4b0820e0af51284

LEFT

2019-08-31 12:00:57

Los Angeles Times

Newsletter: Bedbugs and thin-skinned columnists. Why?

The commentariat spent much of the week focused on a petty spat between the New York Times' Bret Stephens and a professor.

Good morning. I’m Paul Thornton, and it is Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. Let’s take a look back at the week in Opinion. File this under “Fiddling While Earth Burns” (which seems to be something of a running theme nowadays): A George Washington University professor tweets a borderline dad joke about New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, who emails the professor and invites him to say “bedbug” to his face, and internet upheaval ensues. The president weighs in. National news interviews are granted. Think pieces are published. I’m leading off a newsletter with it. And on the L.A. Times’ Op-Ed page, the offending tweeter, David Karpf, writes a piece casting himself as the victim because Stephens supposedly misused his power by copying Karpf’s boss on his email, indicating he expected the professor to be punished. Karpf writes that the enduring lesson here “is about power — how we build it, how we deploy it, and how we use it responsibly,” but perhaps the most important takeaway comes from this assurance near the end of his piece: “This story will be forgotten in a week.” Now, turning our attention to matters what will not soon be forgotten (I hope)... Advertisement L.A. can have extremely cheap, clean energy — if a DWP workers’ union lets us. This is almost too good to be true: The city was poised to strike a deal to use solar energy at the rock-bottom price of 2 cents per kilowatt hour for the next 25 years (slightly higher rates would cover battery storage). But the Department of Water and Power’s largest union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, objected, so for now we’re stuck with more expensive fossil-fuel energy. That’s outrageous. L.A. Times In 2016, 4.5 million votes in California were effectively erased, and not because of fraud. We’ve all heard by now that Hillary Clinton won California by more than 4 million votes, and somehow that’s an argument for keeping the electoral college. But what about the 4.5 million people here who voted for Trump? Or for that matter, the millions in Texas who preferred Clinton? Their votes were essentially erased by the electoral college. New York Times Reclassifying all “gig economy” workers could destroy newspapers. Last month, the L.A. Times editorial board faulted Assembly Bill 5 for trying to force companies like Uber and Lyft to give their drivers full-time worker benefits. The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board is a little more full-throated in its opposition: The bill, it says, would put many publishers out of business by forcing them to treat their delivery contractors as employees. Sacramento Bee Has Trump’s cheese finally slid off his cracker? Professional opinion writers, conservatives included, are warning that the president’s behavior has crossed the threshold from controversial to “not normal conduct for a well-adjusted adult.” But Jonah Goldberg has another explanation: Trump’s Trumpiness is becoming more obvious as his situation grows more precarious. L.A. Times Advertisement How Republicans can “own the libs” on gun control: GOP strategist Scott Jennings encourages Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bolster the national background check database, pass a “red-flag” law and call for a resolution condemning gun violence by both white nationalists and (no, really) antifa troublemakers. L.A. Times Reach me: [email protected]

Letters Editor;Paul Thornton Is The Los Angeles Times;Letters Editor.

www.latimes.com

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-30/newsletter-bedbugs-and-thin-skinned-columnists-why

LEFT

2019-08-31 12:06:52

Fox News

Taliban launch 'massive attack' on northern Afghanistan city, government says

The Taliban have launched a major attack in the northern Afghanistan city of Kunduz, the government said on Saturday, igniting gun battles with security forces, as America's longest war continues.

The Taliban have launched a major attack on the northern Afghanistan city of Kunduz, igniting gunbattles with security forces, government officials said Saturday. The "massive attack" was launched from several points throughout the city overnight, according to Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, a spokesman for the provincial police chief. “I can confirm that intense gunbattles are going on around the city, but the Taliban have not been able to overrun any security checkpoint,” he said. GREEN BERET FROM IDAHO ID'D AS 3RD US SOLDIER KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN IN UNDER TWO WEEKS Afghan officials say 60 Taliban fighters have been killed in the assault. The bodies of three civilians and two security force members were taken to a hospital and at least 80 civilians were wounded, including women and children, according to provincial health director Esanullah Fazeli. Nine of the victims were wounded as a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a major intersection in the city, following a push by Afghan security forces to move the Taliban toward the outskirts, said provincial council member Ghulam Rabani Rabani. The Taliban also took control of several positions in civilian areas, including a hospital, although officials say Kunduz was still in government control. Electricity and most telephone communications have been cut in the strategic city, located about 200 miles north of the capital, Kabul. In response to the attack, government airstrikes have limited the insurgents, but they have yet to be driven from their positions. TALIBAN SAY AGREEMENT ON US TROOP WITHDRAWAL IN AFGHANISTAN IS CLOSE "The city is completely empty, shops are locked, people aren't moving, and light and heavy weapons can be heard in several parts," a local resident, identified as Khaluddin, told Reuters. The fighting occurs as peace talks were scheduled to continue Saturday in Qatar, with their leaders and U.S. officials in the process of attempting to end the 18-year war. Reports signaled they were close to reaching an agreement in recent days. The Taliban control or influence roughly half of Afghanistan and are reportedly at their strongest since the U.S. invaded in 2001. The United States ended its combat role in 2014, although 20,000 U.S. and NATO forces remain in the country. They still train and support Afghan troops fighting the Taliban, who fear if the U.S. leaves, it will make them vulnerable. Insurgent groups are continuing to negotiate with the U.S. and have demanded that all foreign forces leave the country. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Taliban have captured Kunduz twice since 2015.

David Aaro;David Aaro Is A Freelance Reporter At Fox News Digital Based In New York City.

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/world/taliban-launch-attack-afghanistan

RIGHT

2019-08-31 12:07:01

CNN

India chemical factory explosion kills 12 people

At least 12 people were killed and a further 58 injured after an explosion at a chemical factory in western India Saturday.

(CNN) At least 12 people were killed and a further 58 injured after an explosion at a chemical factory in western India Saturday. The resulting fire at the factory in Dhule district, in the state of Maharashtra , has now been contained, while a search operation is ongoing, police told CNN. Six people were initially believed to have been killed, but more bodies were found during the search operation, while some injured people died at hospital. Sanjay Ahire, a senior police official, told CNN: "From our initial investigation it appears a boiler exploded which led to a massive fire in the factory." Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state government will provide compensation of 500,000 Indian rupees each (about $7,000) to the families of the deceased. Read More

Sugam Pokharel;Emily Dixon

www.cnn.com

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/31/india/india-dhule-chemical-factory-explosion-intl/index.html

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 12:08:23

BBC

Hong Kong: Blue-dyed water fired at protesters by police

Police fired blue-dyed water and fired teargas at protesters as violence once again hit the city.

Video Hong Kong police used water cannon to fire blue-coloured water at protesters who defied a police ban and marched through the city. An event to mark five years since Beijing ruled out fully democratic elections was banned by officials and called off by organisers. Read more: Hong Kong anti-government protests

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-49536000/hong-kong-blue-dyed-water-fired-at-protesters-by-police

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 12:08:43

BBC

Parliament suspension: Protests taking place across UK

Rallies are expected in UK towns and cities over Boris Johnson's plan to suspend Parliament.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Protests were held following the Government's prorogation announcement on Wednesday Demonstrations are taking place across the UK against Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament in the run-up to Brexit. Organisers are hoping tens of thousands of people will take to the streets after a series of demonstrations on Friday evening. Protests are underway in towns and cities across Britain. The decision to prorogue Parliament prompted an angry backlash from MPs and opponents of a no-deal Brexit. When Parliament is suspended, no debates and votes are held. This is different to "dissolving" Parliament - where all MPs give up their seats to campaign in a general election. If this prorogation happens as expected, it will see Parliament closed for 23 working days. Critics view the length and timing of the prorogation - coming just weeks before the Brexit deadline on 31 October - as controversial. Chancellor Sajid Javid, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, defended the prime minister's move. He said: "It's quite usual this time of year for Parliament to go in to a recess. It's perfectly correct and appropriate to prorogue Parliament. "I think it's absolutely right that this prime minister and his government get the chance to set up their agenda." Protests in towns and cities Journalist and activist Owen Jones, who will speak at the London protest, said: "This is about defending democracy. "We have an unelected prime minister shutting down the elected representatives of the British public who are supposed to be scrutinising the biggest upheaval since the end of the war. "I think people who voted Remain or Leave should take to the streets today - no one voted for a no-deal Brexit. "There will be Remainers [at the protests] but I've had Leavers get in touch with me and tell me they will be marching, too." As well as outside Downing Street, protests are being planned in more than 30 towns and cities, including Edinburgh, Belfast, Cambridge, Exeter, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. Image copyright EPA Image caption As well as outside Downing Street, protests are being planned in more than 30 towns and cities Image copyright Reuters Image caption By late morning at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, small crowds had gathered - one of three protests abroad Named "Stop the Coup", the protests are organised by anti-Brexit campaign group Another Europe is Possible. The group also says there are protests planned in Amsterdam, Berlin and the Latvian capital Riga. The Jo Cox Foundation, which was set up in the wake of the Labour MP's murder in 2016, warned that anger over Brexit "should not spill over into something more dangerous". Meanwhile, a petition against the prime minister's plan to suspend Parliament has received more than a million signatures. And on Friday, former Tory Prime Minister Sir John Major announced he will join forces with anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller to oppose the decision to suspend Parliament in the courts. He believes Mr Johnson's move to suspend Parliament is aimed at preventing MPs from opposing a no-deal Brexit. The prime minister has dismissed suggestions that suspending Parliament is motivated by a desire to force through a no deal, calling them "completely untrue". Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "The idea this is some kind of constitutional outrage is nonsense."

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49534940

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 12:11:17

The Guardian

Thousands protest against Boris Johnson's parliament shutdown

Crowds march, wave banners and chant ‘stop the coup’ in cities across UK

Tens of thousands of demonstrators are taking to the streets across Britain and outside the gates of Downing Street in protest against Boris Johnson’s move to suspend parliament. Crowds brandished banners pledging to “defend democracy”, chanted “stop the coup” and waved EU flags in London in a bid to resist the parliament shutdown. Demonstrators are massing at protests in dozens of locations around the country including Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Brighton, Swansea, Bristol and Liverpool. Boris Johnson is trashing the democracy fought for with the blood of our ancestors | Owen Jones Read more One Facebook group for the capital’s protest event, called “Stop the coup, defend democracy”, said: “Boris Johnson is trying to shut down our democracy so that he can deliver on his Brexit agenda. We can’t just rely on the courts or parliamentary process to save the day. We all have a duty to stand up and be counted.” Organisers have backed the use of peaceful civil disobedience at the protests. It comes after critics have accused the prime minister of trying to circumvent parliamentary democracy to stop MPs blocking a no-deal Brexit. The protests are being organised by a series of groups including Momentum, the grassroots campaign organisation set up to support Corbyn. They are also being backed by the Guardian columnist Owen Jones. In London, crowds chanted outside the gates of Downing Street and waved homemade placards. Laura Parker, Momentum’s national coordinator, told the crowd from a nearby stage: “This is our democracy and we will not let an unelected prime minister manage this power grab. “He wants to shut the system down and hide … We know where you live, Mr Johnson.” Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, also took to the stage to deliver a message from Jeremy Corbyn, saying that he “100% supports this demonstration” and would soon be in No 10 as prime minister. But some members of the crowd began to chant “where is Jeremy?” before others drowned them out by shouting “stop the coup”. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Maureen Loney, Linda Abbott and Alan Costar. Photograph: Simon Murphy Alan Costar, 65, Linda Abbott, 69 and Maureen Loney, 73, arrived earlier in the day, brandishing banners and flags to convey their opposition to the suspension of parliament. The trio of retired teachers carried an EU flag as well as placards reading “defend democracy” and “remain, reform, revolt”. Loney, who has a Slovakian son-in-law, said: “I feel that prorogation is cutting off our legs for any form of protest and the legs of parliament. I think that Boris Johnson is trying to hold Europe to ransom. “What they actually should be doing is someone with a brain needs to stand up and say: ‘Sorry folks, we actually got it wrong.’ It [leaving the EU] isn’t the best thing for the country, it never was.” Costar, who is half-German, added: “I have a dual-national grand-daughter and I’m here for her. She’s two-and-a-half. “My daughter has already done a master’s in Germany, effectively for free rather than for £18,000. There are so many advantages for young people. This is about the fourth of fifth time I’ve been up here to protest at various stages as it’s gone closer and closer to the edge. “Boris has completely miscalculated if he thinks the German government will cave on its principles for a few car exports. He doesn’t understand German post-war history.” Linda Abbott, who is Loney’s sister, said: “The reason that I’m here is that I really do feel that enough is enough.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tish Mantripp and Luke Hallows. Photograph: Simon Murphy Tish Mantripp was joined by her boyfriend, Luke Hallows carrying a homemade placard depicting Donald Trump as Dr Evil from the Austin Powers movies and Johnson as the fictional villain’s sidekick Mini-Me. Mantripp, from Buckingham, said she made her sign on Saturday morning after dreaming up the idea. Asked about suspending parliament, she said: “It’s fucking nuts. It’s just ridiculous. It’s really underhand I think. Obviously, I voted remain but even so every MP has been voted in to represent constituencies and I just feel it’s shutting down any voice. It’s just Boris Johnson becoming a bit of a dictator. It just seems like bully boy tactics.” Hallows, from Brighton, said his placard showing the prime minister as “Chuck Boris” was made from a discarded beer box last night. He said: “With Brexit, everything that’s going to happen is going to happen, but there are certain ways to do it. Deciding your going to shut everything down isn’t the way to do it.” Steve Ferguson, from Bournemouth, was at the protest with his partner, Carly. The pair, calling for the defence of democracy, were wearing customised T-shirts depicting Johnson as a clown. Ferguson, whose T-shirt quotes the Manic Street Preachers’ lyrics “if you tolerate this then your children will be next”, said: “We have come here today to show that we are unsatisfied, discontented with the way Boris Johnson is taking over parliament, closing it down. I think that he’s using it just so he can force his no-deal Brexit through. That’s not the democratic way of doing things.” Carly, whose T-shirt displayed Johnson as a clown with the message “worst BJ ever”, said: “We’ve got teenagers just going into work and you worry for them.” Scotland Yard said: “A proportionate policing plan is in place. Any public order incidents will be dealt with appropriately.”

Simon Murphy;John Crace

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/31/thousands-protest-against-boris-johnson-parliament-shutdown-uk-brexit

LEFT

2019-08-31 12:12:33

BBC

Hong Kong protests: Demonstrators defy ban on march

Police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds as thousands of people take to the streets.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Blue-dyed water fired at protesters by Hong Kong police Hong Kong police have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds of protesters who defied a police ban and marched through the city. Demonstrators lit fires and attacked the parliament building as thousands joined the march. An event to mark five years since Beijing ruled out fully democratic elections was banned by officials and called off by organisers. On Friday, several key pro-democracy activists and lawmakers were arrested. The protest movement grew out of rallies against a controversial extradition bill - now suspended - which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. It has since become a broader pro-democracy movement in which clashes have grown more violent. What happened on Saturday? Protesters took to the streets in the Wan Chai district, many joining a Christian march, while others demonstrated in the Causeway Bay shopping district in the pouring rain. Many carried umbrellas and wore face masks. In the 13th weekend of protests, demonstrators - chanting "stand with Hong Kong" and "fight for freedom" - gathered outside government offices and the city's parliament, known as the Legislative Council. In the Admiralty district, some protesters threw fire bombs towards officers. Police had erected barriers around key buildings and road blocks, and fired tear gas and jets of blue-dyed water from the water cannon. The coloured liquid is traditionally used to make it easier for police to identify protesters. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Police fired tear gas as an attempt to disperse the crowds Eric, a 22-year-old student, told Reuters news agency: "Telling us not to protest is like telling us not to breathe. I feel it's my duty to fight for democracy. Maybe we win, maybe we lose, but we fight." The recent demonstrations have been characterised as leaderless. On Friday police had appealed to members of the public to cut ties with "violent protesters" and had warned people not to take part in the banned march. Who was arrested? During a 24-hour police crackdown, at least three activists - including prominent 23-year-old campaigner Joshua Wong - and three lawmakers were detained. Mr Wong, who first rose to prominence as the poster boy of a protest movement that swept Hong Kong in 2014, was released on bail after being charged over the protests which have rocked the territory since June. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Wong said: "Organising protests, having assembly on street is the fundamental right of [the] Hong Kong people... People will still gather on [the] street and urge President Xi [Jinping] and Beijing [that] it's time to listen to people's voice." Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow vow to continue protests after their release on bail Hong Kong is part of China, but enjoys "special freedoms". Those are set to expire in 2047, and many in Hong Kong do not want to become "another Chinese city". Beijing has repeatedly condemned the protesters and described their actions as "close to terrorism". The protests have frequently escalated into violence between police and activists, with injuries on both sides. Activists are increasingly concerned that China might use military force to intervene. On Thursday, Beijing moved a new batch of troops into Hong Kong, a move Chinese state media described as a routine annual rotation. A guide to the Hong Kong protests

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49534439

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 12:19:29

HuffPost

Over 40 People Have Been Arrested As Potential Mass Shooters Since El Paso

Tips about potential acts of mass killings have spiked, and law enforcement appears to be paying close attention to threats.

In the four weeks since a 21-year-old alleged white nationalist was charged in the slaughter of 22 people inside a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, law enforcement authorities have arrested more than 40 people as potential mass shooters — an average of more than one per day. A HuffPost survey of these arrests likely didn’t capture every one, but it offers a snapshot of the types of cases that law enforcement officials face in a country with easy access to weapons capable of killing a lot of people quickly. The cases range from allegations of vague social media threats from juveniles that set parents on edge to well-developed plots from people who had access to weapons and appeared to authorities to have been planning a mass murder. There were roughly a dozen cases involving right-wing ideology. There were at least a dozen alleged threats against schools. There were half a dozen cases involving alleged threats against Walmarts. In the wake of El Paso, law enforcement is clearly paying very close attention to threats of mass violence. Our review of court filings reveals that federal law enforcement officials, after El Paso, took investigative steps against a few defendants who had been already been on their radar. And some of those arrested were inspired by the El Paso attack, according to authorities. The public is paying closer attention as well, as evidenced by the spike in tips to the FBI after that Aug. 3 massacre. “In the first week in August, the FBI saw an increase in tips submitted to the National Threat Operations Center,” the bureau said in a statement, referring to the FBI component that operates 1-800-Call-FBI and sorts through information submitted to tips.fbi.gov. “Such increases are often observed after major incidents. As always, the FBI encourages the public to remain vigilant and report any and all suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.” In a statement after the El Paso attack, the FBI said it “remains concerned that U.S.-based domestic violent extremists could become inspired by these and previous high-profile attacks to engage in similar acts of violence.” That concern was emphasized in a call with the FBI leaders and state and local partners just after the mass shootings in El Paso and, a day later, in Dayton, Ohio, according to the bureau. A number of the alleged threats, if carried out, would have qualified as instances of domestic terrorism. A top FBI official told reporters this year that domestic terrorism cases were “challenging” for the bureau. The disparate handling of right-wing and Islamic terrorism has set off a debate over the need for a domestic terrorism law, and one prominent lawmaker has introduced such legislation, which has already raised objections from civil liberties advocates. As of late July, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate committee that the FBI had already been involved in 100 domestic terrorism-related arrests in the first three-quarters of the 2019 fiscal year, which began in October 2018. The rapid pace of new cases suggests that the number of domestic terrorism-related cases in the 2019 fiscal year could outpace the 2017 and 2018 fiscal year figures. Bureau officials said they’ll use any tool they can to take out a potential threat, and a review of the cases suggests the FBI was involved in a number of cases that resulted in local charges. “It may not be evident in the face of the crime or who’s involved working it that it’s a domestic terrorism suspect who was arrested,” an FBI official previously said. “We use anything [in federal law] we can that fits, that’s appropriate.” The case of Thomas Bolin illustrates the challenge these cases pose for the FBI. Bolin, a 22-year-old from New York, moderated a white supremacist forum. He was arrested by the FBI after allegedly discussing an attack with his cousin. He posted a photo of himself wearing a mask and holding a gun, then lied to the FBI about his weapon. Bolin was given a sentence, for lying to the FBI, of time served after spending about three months behind bars and was released early last month. The challenge in finding an applicable federal charge, in part, could help explain why less than a quarter of the arrests surveyed by HuffPost in the past four weeks resulted in federal charges. The First Week After El Paso Back in February, FBI agents in Anchorage noticed that a user who went by “ArmyOfChrist” on the web forum iFunny was discussing “supporting mass shooting” and the “assault and/or targeting of Planned Parenthood.” At one point, ArmyOfChrist wrote, “In conclusion, shoot every federal agent on sight.” Subpoenas indicated that a Gmail account associated with the iFunny account was registered to 18-year-old Justin Olsen. The case was reassigned to the FBI’s Youngstown, Ohio, field office on Aug. 2, the day before the El Paso attack. On Aug 7, according to an FBI affidavit, agents found about 10,000 rounds of ammunition, camouflage clothing and camouflaged backpacks, along with about 15 rifles and 10 semiautomatic pistols. Olsen faces a charge of threatening to assault a federal law enforcement officer. Daniel Waters, a 22-year-old from Illinois, was arrested for alleged domestic battery on Aug. 7 after a dispute with his mother, according to court records. He was soon charged by state authorities with a felony count of unlawful possession of explosive material. Law enforcement officials, according to a news release, found a “diatribe written by Waters which describes starting a militia and their operations.” Lombard’s police chief thanked the FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for its assistance in the case. Conor Climo, 23, of Las Vegas, an alleged white supremacist who worked as a security guard, first came under FBI scrutiny in April 2019. According to an Aug. 9 affidavit from an FBI special agent who works on the Las Vegas Joint Terrorism Task Force and investigates domestic terrorism and racially motivated violent extremism, an FBI source began interacting with Climo in an encrypted online chat in May. By mid-July, Climo was allegedly telling an undercover FBI employee posing as an associate of the National Socialist Movement about his plans to attack a Las Vegas synagogue. Several weeks went by, then El Paso happened. Days later, on Aug. 8, the FBI executed a search warrant on Climo’s residence, seizing items they say Climo intended to use to construct a bomb. He faces a federal count of possession of an unregistered firearm for the bomb materials. On Aug. 8, 20-year-old Dmitry Andreychenko walked into a Walmart in Springfield, Missouri. He allegedly wore body armor and carried a loaded rifle, 100 rounds of ammunition and a handgun. Scared customers at the store called police, who arrived quickly and arrested Andreychenko. “I wanted to know if that Walmart honored the Second Amendment,” he allegedly explained to police. “His intent was not to cause peace or comfort to anybody that was in the business here,” Springfield Police Lt. Mike Lucas told journalists at the scene. “In fact, he’s lucky he’s alive still, to be honest.” Police in Weslaco, Texas, with assistance from the FBI, arrested an unidentified 13-year-old male on Aug. 8 after the teen posted a threat to Instagram targeting a local Walmart. The juvenile was brought to police by his mother. Rumors of the threat caused the Walmart to temporarily close. The teen was charged with a felony count of making a terroristic threat. Richard Clayton allegedly posted an alarming message to Facebook just four days after the El Paso shooting. “3 more days of probation left then I get my AR-15 back,” Clayton, a 26-year-old from Winter Park, Florida, allegedly wrote. “Don’t go to Walmart next week.” The FBI received a tip about the post, which it passed on to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Authorities arrested Clayton on Aug. 9. According to a police affidavit, Clayton repeatedly asked an arresting officer if he was Hispanic. “They are what is wrong with this country,” he said. “They come in and are ruining everything.” Clayton is now charged with intimidation through a written threat to kill or do bodily harm, a state-level offense. The affidavit also revealed a series of white supremacist messages Clayton allegedly posted to Facebook. Police stated he posted a swastika to the social media platform in September 2018 and earlier that year wrote: “Imagine for a moment that we’ve established our ethnostate, physically removed all the commies and degenerates, and white birth rates are back in the positives. Who would there be left to make fun of?” Anthony Reed, 33, was arrested on Aug. 9 after telling a Walmart employee he’d bring a weapon to the store if the remote control car he was buying malfunctioned police said. “I’m serious about my money,” Reed allegedly told the employee. “If I get home and this is broken, I’m going to snap and come back here with a gun.” Reed was charged with a state felony count of making a false report of using a firearm in a violent manner. According to the police report, Reed could be a sovereign citizen, a type of anti-government extremist who believes they are not subject to U.S., state and local laws. The Second Week Police in Harlingen, Texas, arrested Jose Luis Gonzalez Jr. on Aug. 10 after he allegedly posted a threat to Facebook targeting a local Walmart. “Harlingen Walmart will be shot up on August 11,” he allegedly wrote. Gonzalez was charged with making a terroristic threat. Jeffrey Hanson, a 53-year-old from Connecticut, was arrested on Aug. 10 after allegedly implying a threat of gun violence at a New Haven Puerto Rican festival. Police said Hanson wrote on Facebook that the festival was the reason “we need 30 round magazines.” The FBI assisted with the case. Hanson was charged by state authorities with second-degree breach of peace. Police in Lake Worth, Florida, arrested 28-year-old Miranda Perez on Aug. 11 for allegedly threatening in a Facebook chat with a friend to shoot up a local school. A police report stated that Perez told her friend during a video chat that “she was going to Facebook friend Zachary Cruz because she likes ‘violent things.’” Cruz is the brother of Nikolas Cruz, the 20-year-old charged with the deadly 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Palm Beach County Corrections Miranda Perez “I’m thinking of doing a school shooting at Barton [Elementary School],” Perez allegedly wrote to the same friend over Facebook messenger. Perez was reportedly upset her children were being sent to the school. She was charged with making a written threat to commit bodily injury. Authorities in Lamar County, Mississippi, arrested an unidentified 17-year-old male on Aug. 11 after he allegedly posted a threat to shoot up Oak Grove High School. Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel said his office received a tip about the threat and an arrest was made a short time later. The teen allegedly posted a photo of a weapon, but an investigation determined he did not have access to that weapon. He’s facing a state charge of making terroristic threats. Nathan Clark, 25, was arrested in Charles Town, West Virginia, on Aug. 12 after someone alerted authorities to posts Clark allegedly made online threatening to kill people. Jefferson County Sheriff Nathan Clark “He was posting that he was a ticking time bomb that had already been diffused, that had already been lit and if necessary was going to kill people and was going to hurt people,” Jefferson County Sheriff Pete Dougherty told WDVM. Authorities confiscated several PVC pipes and pistols at Clark’s home. He was charged with making terroristic threats. Scott Greiner, a 57-year-old Kentucky man, came onto the radar of federal authorities after he allegedly told two representatives of a medical contractor over the phone that he was going to turn his local Veterans Affairs medical center into another El Paso, or give it “an El Paso welcome with one or two M-16 rifles.” In the call, Greiner reportedly “expressed empathy and understanding to those who have committed mass shootings,” according to an affidavit from an FBI special agent. Greiner, in an interview on Aug. 13, denied making a threat but admitted he was angry with the VA and told a customer service representative, “You don’t want to have this be another El Paso incident.” Greiner was charged with a federal offense of knowingly transmitting a threat to injure another person via interstate commerce. Greiner made his initial court appearance on Aug. 20 and was assigned a court-appointed attorney. Federal prosecutors requested his pretrial detention. An unidentified 15-year-old girl in Albert Lea, Minnesota, was arrested on Aug. 13 after allegedly posting a threat on social media to “shoot up” her high school. “She did indicate to us that she didn’t think it was going to be taken seriously and she had no intent,” Sgt. Steve Charboneau told KIMT. Still, the teen now faces felony charges of making threats of violence. Brian Thomas Keck, 35, was arrested after allegedly threatening to attack a military recruiting center. Police say Keck called the Army recruiting center in Tempe, Arizona, on Aug.13 and threatened to “blow up the recruiting station.” Keck has been charged with communicating a terrorist threat and was held in Tempe City Jail. Brandon Wagshol, a 22-year-old from Connecticut, was arrested on Aug. 15 and charged with four state charges of illegal possession of large-capacity magazines after a joint investigation that began after an FBI tip. Authorities said he had expressed interest in committing a mass shooting. TPM reported that Wagshol “left a trail of virulently racist and anti-trans postings online. Among his reported tweets were statements like: “I support transgenders’ rights to be some of the first in the gas chambers” and “I hate niggers.” Police in Fresno, California, arrested an unidentified 15-year-old girl on Aug. 15 after she allegedly made a threat against her high school. The teen is accused of posting a photo to Snapchat of a Walmart display case with rifles inside it. “Don’t come to school tomorrow,” she reportedly wrote. She was charged with making a terrorist threat. Police in Tupelo, Mississippi, announced the arrest of two unidentified juveniles for allegedly threatening two schools in the area. They are accused of making the threats in a series of text messages sent on Aug. 15, leading to Tupelo Middle and Pierce Street Elementary schools to go on partial lockdown. “These two juveniles are being charged with making careless threats against an educational facility, which is a new state statute,” Pontotoc Police Chief Randy Tutor said at a press conference. An unidentified 14-year-old male in Tempe, Arizona, was arrested on Aug. 15 after posting a threat to social media targeting schools, local police said. He faces charges of interfering with an educational institution and an additional charge of using an electronic device to terrify, intimidate or harass. Authorities arrested a 19-year-old Chicago man on Aug. 16 after he allegedly posted threats to kill people at an area Planned Parenthood. Farhan Sheikh faces federal charges of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. According to an FBI affidavit, Sheikh posted messages to the web forum iFunny on Aug. 13 in which he stated: “I am done with my state and thier bullshit abortion laws and allowing innocrnt kids to be slaughtered for the so called ‘womans right’ bullshit. I’ve seen nothing but whores go out of their way to get an abortion, but no more.” According to the criminal complaint, Sheikh wrote that he would go to the Planned Parenthood on Aug. 23 and “proceed to slaughter and murder any doctor, patient, or visitor I see in the area and I will not back down. consider this a warning for anyone visiting…” Sheikh also allegedly referenced Justin Olsen in the messages, the 18-year-old Ohio man arrested earlier this month after he also allegedly posted messages to iFunny threatening a Planned Parenthood. “They arrested armyofchrist for no reason but suppressing us and our freedoms” Sheikh wrote, referring to Olsen’s iFunny account name. “I will do the same to these fucking whores who think it’s ‘freedom’ to murder an innocent life. Come after me you degenerate government puppets, stop me if you can…” Authorities arrested an unidentified 15-year-old male in Ormond Beach, Florida, on Aug. 16 after the teen allegedly posted a message to Discord, a video game app, that he was going to shoot up his school. “I Dalton Banhart,” the teen allegedly wrote, using his online name, “vow to bring my fathers m15 to school and kill 7 people at a minimum.” Another Discord user tipped off the FBI about the threat. The bureau, in turn, alerted the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, which arrested the teen. The sheriff’s office released a video of the arrest, which shows the teen’s mother pleading that her son is “just a little boy” who didn’t do anything wrong. One of the arresting officers responds that the teen “has hands and feet” and “can grab your gun and do something.” He adds: “This is the world we live in.” The teen is charged with a felony count of threatening to discharge a destructive device. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida also arrested 25-year-old Tristan Scott Wix on Aug. 16 after he allegedly sent text messages about a plot to commit a mass shooting. “a good 100 kills would be nice. I already have a location (laughing cry face emoji) is that bad?” Wix allegedly wrote. Volusia County Sheriff's Office Tristan Scott Wix “When you look at this kid’s background, he is the profile of a shooter,” Sheriff Michael Chitwood told CNN after the arrest. “He lost his job, he lost his girlfriend, he’s depressed, he’s got the ammunition and he wants to become known for being the most prolific killer in American history.” There was no evidence of FBI involvement in the arrest. Thomas Matthew McVicker, a 38-year-old truck driver who allegedly threatened to attack a church in Memphis, Tennessee, was arrested in Indiana on Aug. 16. An FBI affidavit states that the bureau received a tip on Aug. 12 that McVicker had texted a friend that he was “thinking about shooting a church up” but was afraid of how it would affect his family. McVicker texted that someone was putting “spiritual snakes and spiders” in his bed at night and that evil “entities” in his body were torturing him. McVicker’s mother told authorities that he was under treatment for schizophrenia, owned a weapon, and sometimes used cocaine and methamphetamine. McVicker allegedly indicated that he was going to “shoot up” a church in Memphis on Aug. 22, and his employer told authorities that McVicker had requested that day off. He faces a federal charge of interstate transmission of threat to injure. The Third Week James Patrick Reardon, a 20-year-old white nationalist who attended the violent alt-right protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, was arrested on Aug. 17 for threats against a Jewish community center in Youngstown, Ohio. Reardon faced state charges of telecommunications harassment and aggravated menacing for a July 11 video posted to Instagram that appeared to show him firing a rifle. The FBI was involved in his case, and federal prosecutors announced a federal count of transmitting threatening communications via interstate commerce against Reardon on Aug. 29. An FBI affidavit stated that authorities found “an MP-40 sub-machine gun...; an AR-15 assault rifle; numerous Nazi World War II propaganda posters; a rifle bayonet; a Hitler Youth Knife; and vintage U.S. military equipment” in his basement. Reardon allegedly told authorities that he met James Alex Fields Jr., the neo-Nazi who killed Heather Heyer, at the 2017 rally in Charlottesville but claimed he was “turned-off by the positions espoused at the rally” despite his possession of a neo-Nazi shield. Police arrested a 33-year-old Iraq War veteran, Arnold Holmes, in Reed City, Michigan, on Aug. 18 shortly after finding threatening videos Holmes allegedly posted online. Police said that Holmes expressed “potential threatening feelings” against area hospitals, military police, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Ferris State University, where Holmes reportedly once studied. The former Marine is charged with posting terroristic threats and use of a computer to commit a felony. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of illegal use of a telecommunication device. Family members say Holmes served two tours in Iraq and has struggled with mental health issues ever since. On Aug. 19, the FBI arrested Eric Lin, a neo-Nazi and supporter of President Donald Trump, for allegedly posting messages about the “extermination” of Latinos. In late July, the Miami Police Department contacted the FBI about vile messages a Miami-Dade County resident was receiving on Facebook, according to an FBI affidavit. The recipient of the messages showed the FBI more than 150 pages of printed-out messages that contained threats and “pro-Hitler and anti-Hispanic statements,” including a call for the “extermination” of all Hispanics. The woman worked at a restaurant and believed the messages were coming from a frequent customer. On Aug. 8, a few days after the El Paso shooting, the FBI subpoenaed Facebook for information on the accounts that had been harassing the victim. “I will stop at Nothing until you, your family, your friends, your entire WORTHLESS LATIN RACE IS RACIALLY EXTERMINATED,” he allegedly wrote.“Should I decide to kill all you spics no power on earth is going to stop me,” said another. “I’m cool calm calculating and methodical. I will be carrying a Rifle hand gun and SS my honor is called loyalty dagger.” The threatening messages apparently continued after the El Paso attack. “I look forward to committing a ‘Genocide,’” he allegedly wrote on Aug. 8, adding that “the Time will come when Miami will burn to the ground [and] every Latin Man be lined up against a Wall and shot and every Latin Woman Raped or Cut to pieces.” Lin has been charged with interstate transmission of threatening communications. Police in Maui, Hawaii, arrested 18-year-old Nainoa Gazman Figueroa on Aug. 19 after being alerted to a threatening tweet Figueroa allegedly posted. “Feelin horny might shoot up a school idk yet,” the teen allegedly wrote. Police said Figueroa told them he posted the tweet because he “thought it was funny.” He now faces charges of making terroristic threats. Daniel Nazarchuk, 37, was arrested in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Aug. 19 for “threatening to blow up various local and federal governmental entities,” the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Pennington County Sheriff's Office Daniel Nazarchuk Nazarchuk also allegedly posted video of himself throwing rocks and damaging the windshield of a sheriff’s vehicle. Police in Long Beach, California, arrested 37-year-old Rodolfo Montoya on Aug. 20 for allegedly planning a mass shooting at his workplace. Montoya, who works as a cook at a hotel, was allegedly upset about a human resources issue. A co-worker tipped off police about a threat Montoya had made. Police said in a news release that they searched Montoya’s home, where “multiple firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and tactical gear were seized, including high-capacity magazines and an assault rifle, which are illegal to possess in California.” Police Chief Robert Luna told reporters that “Montoya had clear plans, intent and the means to carry out an act of violence that may have resulted in a mass-casualty incident.” According to the district attorney’s office, Montoya faces two charges of making criminal threats, one charge of illegal possession of an assault rifle (a Colt AR-15) and one charge of dissuading a witness. Federal authorities arrested Jacob Cooper on Aug. 21 after the 20-year-old allegedly posted threats targeting a Washington, D.C., Planned Parenthood office. According to an affidavit, Cooper made the threats on the web forum iFunny on Aug. 13. “Make sure you tell them about how I plan to shoot up a planned parenthood facility in Washington D.C., on August 19th at 3pm,” one of the posts stated. “If you are a member of the FBI, CIA, whatever, and are on my profile I will trace your IP address and kill you if the opportunity arises,” he allegedly wrote in another. “And I am dead serious about this. I’ll do it with ricin, a bomb, or .308.” Cooper was arrested in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he lives. He’s charged with a federal count of transmitting a threat to injure another. Brian Groner, 26, was arrested by police in Jefferson, Missouri, on Aug. 22 after making threatening statements on social media. Groner allegedly edited his Facebook bio to read: “Your Next Mass shooter. Columbine won’t have shit on me.” In 1999, two students at Columbine High School in Colorado shot and killed 13 of their classmates. “The Columbine shooters were lame because they only killed 12 people,” Groner allegedly told police during an interview. “I could do better and kill more than 12.” Groner is charged with first-degree terroristic threatening. Two 13-year-old male students from Alaska were arrested by the Juneau Police Department on Aug. 22 after law enforcement received a report that they were talking about bringing guns to school and shooting people. They each face a state felony charge of terroristic threatening in the second degree. Authorities in Maine, working with the FBI, arrested 25-year-old Jeremy Hugh Rogers on Aug. 22. Rogers, who faces state charges of terrorizing, terrorizing with a weapon and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, allegedly sent video messages on Facebook threatening to target a Walmart, which led the store to shut down. Maryland State Police arrested 26-year-old Brian Knight of Newark on Aug. 23 after he allegedly assaulted people, damaged property and threatened mass violence at the food distribution warehouse where he worked. Police in Montana charged Austin Jace Fugleberg, a 26-year-old homeless man, with felony intimidation for allegedly making a threat of a mass shooting in communications with his social worker. Fugleberg, who apparently had mental health issues and indicated he was intoxicated at the time of his comments, had mentioned to another person that he was targeting the Ravalli County Fair, according to prosecutors. Fugleberg allegedly made the threats around Aug. 16, was hospitalized and later arrested on Aug. 24. Police in Cocoa Beach, Florida, arrested 40-year-old Joseph Lee McKinney on Aug. 24 for threatening a mass shooting at a hotel. McKinney, who is from Texas, stayed at a hotel in the area, according to a police affidavit, and was so upset with his stay there that he threatened a mass shooting. “Try to be decent to other human beings because some of us are heavily armed and mentally ill and are on the verge of snapping and wouldn’t it be a shame if they stapled active shooter style in your hotel!” McKinney allegedly wrote in a review of the hotel posted to TripAdvisor. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Joseph Lee McKinney In an interview with police, according to the affidavit, McKinney claimed he was just angry and never intended to shoot up the hotel. He’s charged with written threats to kill, do bodily injury or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism. Randy Jason Szymanski, 35, was arrested by police in Wildwood, Florida, on Aug. 26 after allegedly posting a threatening message on Facebook. “Hey Ocala Federal Bureau of Investigation I’m gonna bomb a Sun Trans Bus,” Szymanski allegedly wrote. After his arrest, he told police the post was a “joke.” Szymanski, who has a criminal history of violence against women, now faces a felony charge of intimidation. Police in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, arrested 19-year-old Mathew Conner on Aug. 26 after the student allegedly made threats to attack his high school. Conner allegedly sent anonymous messages to the police department about the attack. “The threat basically stated that if Mathew Conner wasn’t expelled from school, then the school was going to be blown up and kill everyone inside,” Bartlesville Police Sgt Daniel Elkins told KOTV-TV in Tulsa. After his arrest, Conner allegedly told police the threat was simply a ploy to get expelled from school. “He basically said he didn’t enjoy school. Didn’t like being there,” said Elkins. “He was very remorseful; I don’t think he realized the severity of what he was doing.” Conner is facing charges of making terroristic threats. The Fourth Week Duval County School Police arrested an unnamed student in Jacksonville, Florida, on Aug. 27 for allegedly making a threat against the school on social media. Paul Steber, a 19-year-old from Massachusetts who was studying at High Point University in North Carolina, was arrested on Aug. 27 after authorities alleged he plotted a mass shooting.

Senior Reporter;Senior Justice Reporter

www.huffpost.com

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mass-shooting-plot-arrests-el-paso_n_5d66d1eae4b063c341f9f2da

LEFT

2019-08-31 12:22:29

Fox News

Asylum-seeker arrested in France knife attack that left 1 dead, 9 wounded

A knife attack at a public transit station in eastern France Saturday has left one person dead and five others injured, according to reports.

A knife attack at a public transit station in eastern France Saturday left a 19-year-old dead and at least nine others injured, three of whom are in critical condition, authorities said Saturday. The attack happened around 4:30 p.m. at the Laurent-Bonnevay metro station in the town of Villeurbanne, near Lyon, France Televisions reported. The detained suspect is a 33-year-old Afghan citizen who had applied for asylum in France, police told the Associated Press. Fox News has learned that the suspect was not previously known to police Two French officials told the AP the attack did not appear to be terrorism-related, and the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office had not yet been asked to participate in the investigation. PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN KILLED IN DOUBLE STABBING AT BUS STOP; SUSPECT IN CUSTODY A manhunt was initially launched for a second attacker but police later determined that the detained man was the main suspect, two officials said. Police are still looking for possible accomplices. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP The suspect provided contradictory information to the police and it was unclear if the 19-year-old victim knew the attacker, according to officials. The motive for the attack was not clear. "I am extremely shocked by the attack that has just occurred in the Lyon area during which one person died and several others [were] injured, some seriously," Lyon Mayor Gerard Collomb tweeted. France remains on high alert after several deadly Islamic extremist attacks in 2015 and 2016.

Robert Gearty

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/world/eastern-france-knife-attack-villeurbanne

RIGHT

2019-08-31 12:23:29

BBC

Channel migrants: Searches on Kent coast as eight held

The coastguard is looking for a "number" of boats off the coast of Kent.

Image copyright Stephen Ray Image caption Eight men were detained by police after landing on the Kent coast Searches are under way for several dinghies in the English Channel after eight migrants were detained on the Kent coast. An operation is ongoing in response to a "number of incidents", the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. Eight men were passed to immigration officers after being held by police in Kingsdown at about 08:00 BST. A dinghy carrying 13 men was also returned to Calais earlier after it was spotted by a French navy helicopter. More than 1,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats this year, with at least 270 in August alone. Image copyright Premar Manche Image caption A French navy helicopter spotted 13 men in a dinghy off the coast of Calais at about 04:30 BST Paramedics have been sent to the scene in Kent. HM Coastguard added: "We have sent Folkestone and Deal Coastguard Rescue Teams to assist." Home Secretary Priti Patel met her French counterpart Christophe Castaner in Paris on Thursday to discuss a joint response to the rise in crossings. The pair agreed to develop an "enhanced action plan" to stop vessels leaving the French coast. Police said on Thursday the body of a migrant who fell from a boat off the coast of Ramsgate on 9 August has been found, while the body of an Iraqi migrant, who is believed to have drowned while trying to swim to the UK, was found at a wind farm off the coast of Belgium on 23 August. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-49535690

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 12:26:00

Breitbart

Tear Gas and Petrol Bombs as Hong Kongers Defy Regime Protest Ban

(AFP) -- Police fired water cannon and tear gas to clear Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters from outside the city's parliament on Saturday, as demonstrators defied a ban on rallying and the arrests of leading activists to take to the streets for a 13th straight weekend.

(AFP) — Police fired water cannon and tear gas to clear Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters from outside the city’s parliament on Saturday, as demonstrators defied a ban on rallying and the arrests of leading activists to take to the streets for a 13th straight weekend. Police had banned the demonstration on security grounds, then organisers had cancelled it, after last weekend saw some of the most violent clashes in months of political turmoil. But large crowds, many in their signature black T-shirts and under a colourful canopy of umbrellas, snaked through Hong Kong island anyway, blocking roads and chanting “reclaim Hong Kong, revolution of our times”. Chaos engulfed the financial heart of the city, with hardcore protesters throwing rocks, starting fires and shining laser pens at a rank of police behind a barricade at the city parliament known as the Legislative Council (LegCo). Police fired a water cannon and rounds of tear gas to disperse protesters, who hit back with a barrage of molotov cocktails that left fires burning. As dusk drew in, protesters smashed through the barrier outside the parliament building, but were repelled by tear gas and jets of blue-coloured liquid fired from the water cannon. Local media reported the colour spray aimed to make it easier to identify suspects. The LegCo was stormed on July 1 — the 22nd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule. Earlier on Saturday protesters marched by the official residence of Hong Kong’s embattled Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam, who is the focal point of anger after trying to pass a bill which would have allowed extradition to China. “I’m prepared for the consequences of coming out,” said one protestor, who gave his name as Jay, adding “Hong Kongers have the right to assembly.” Opposition to the extradition bill — now suspended but not permanently withdrawn — has brought much of Hong Kong to the streets. The protests have expanded into a wider pro-democracy call and a rejection of attempts by Beijing to curtail the freedoms of the semi-autonomous territory. Protesters were in defiant mood throughout Saturday, which marked the fifth anniversary of Beijing’s rejection of a call for universal suffrage for Hong Kong that sparked the 79-day “Umbrella Movement” in 2014. “I’m not afraid to come out here today,” said another 25-year-old protester who gave his surname as Ng. Many protesters are determined not to let the new movement fizzle out as the Umbrella protests did. “It’s ‘now or never’ for Hong Kong,” said a 33-year-old accountant who gave her surname as Wong. “I’m a mother-of-two. They didn’t come today but their grandmother did. We’re defending the right of assembly for the next generation in Hong Kong.” At least five high-profile activists and three lawmakers were arrested on Friday in a sweep aimed at defanging Saturday’s rally. Rights groups say the tactics are cribbed directly from Beijing’s protest playbook. Two of the Umbrella Movement’s leaders, Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow were among those arrested, charged and bailed for “inciting others to take part in unauthorised assembly”. The European Union’s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said the developments were “extremely worrying”, while US President Donald Trump said his economic pressure on China was forcing Beijing to take a more moderate line in Hong Kong. Protesters sidestep ban In an attempt to sidestep Saturday’s protest ban, crowds earlier carried Christian crosses and sang “Hallelujah” in religious gatherings — which do not require the same stringent permission from authorities. The demonstrators, who have earned a reputation for their creativity and unpredictability, also called for “mass shopping trips” in the city centre. On Saturday morning, LIHKG, the Reddit-like forum used by protesters to communicate, reported via Twitter that its app had suffered the “largest attack it has ever seen”. Police on Friday confirmed three lawmakers — and a district councillor — had been arrested over their alleged actions in previous protests, but denied the sweep was timed specifically to weaken the weekend’s protests. More than 900 people have been arrested since June in connection to protests. Hong Kong’s crisis-hit government has refused to back down over the protests, which have seen millions march peacefully through the streets but also hardcore groups of radical protesters hurl bricks and petrol bombs at police armed with tear gas and rubber bullets. The violence has damaged Hong Kong’s reputation for stability and prosperity. China has responded with a campaign of intimidation. State media on Friday reported that fresh military anti-riot drills were held across the border in Shenzhen. burs-apj/kaf

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https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/08/31/tear-gas-petrol-bombs-hong-kongers-defy-regime-protest-ban/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+breitbart+%28Breitbart+News%29

RIGHT

2019-08-31 12:31:53

Fox News

Rick Scott urges Floridians to take Dorian seriously: 'This is about your survival'

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., urged his state's residents to evacuate if needed before Hurricane Dorian hit, noting how the storm could quickly change course and entail large storm surges as it made its way up the east coast.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., urged his state's residents to evacuate if needed before Hurricane Dorian hit, noting how the storm could quickly change course and entail large storm surges as it made its way up the east coast. "Everybody's got to take this very seriously. This is about your survival -- your life," Scott said while appearing on "Your World." Scott, who previously served as Florida's governor, had years of experience leading the state through Hurricanes. "You have got to take care of yourself -- get your water, get your food. You can download the FEMA app," he said referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. HURRICANE DORIAN NEARS CATEGORY 5 WITH 150 MPH WINDS, TRUMP WARNS IT COULD BE ONE OF THE 'STRONGEST' STORMS IN DECADES He told Fox News host Neil Cavuto that Floridians may have a tendency to downplay the danger posed by storms since they had already survived past hurricanes. "Here's what you don't realize in these storms -- everybody says 'oh, I've gone through a category 2, oh, I've gone through a category 3.' What you don't think about is this storm surge and the amount of rain," he said before citing the impacts of Hurricane Michael last year. "What we saw in Michael -- up in the pan handle -- is the number of people that lost their lives because they said, 'oh, it's only a category 1 or a category 2.'" That Hurricane, Scott said, got "bigger fast" and produced a 9-ft. storm surge. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to the National Hurricane Center, Dorian strengthened to a category 4 storm before landfall. The group announced on Saturday that Dorian shifted its course towards Georgia and the Carolinas -- although it would likely still hit Florida in some form. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents to maintain at least a week's worth of food, water, and medicine before the storm hits the sunshine state. "It is imperative that all Floridians and their families take Hurricane Dorian seriously," said DeSantis.

Sam Dorman;Sam Dorman Is A Reporter With Fox News. You Can Follow Him On Facebook

www.foxnews.com

https://www.foxnews.com/media/rick-scott-florida-dorian-survival

RIGHT

2019-08-31 12:35:33

BBC

Peterborough fire: Five teens released over Whirlpool HQ blaze

The huge blaze destroyed 52 lorry trailers when it engulfed the site on Thursday night.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The trailers contained spare parts for washing machines and fridges Five teenagers arrested on suspicion of arson after a huge blaze at the Whirlpool HQ in Peterborough have been released, police have said. Almost £2m of damage was caused as 52 lorry trailers were destroyed in the fire on Thursday evening. Cambridgeshire Police arrested five males on Friday. A 15-year-old has been freed on police bail until late next month, while three boys aged 16, and a man, 19, have been released under investigation. Police said their inquiries were continuing. Image copyright Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Image caption The fire gutted 52 lorry trailers Explosions could be heard during the blaze at the Shrewsbury Avenue site, while huge pillars of black smoke could be seen rising from the site. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue group commander Karl Bowden said the loud bangs reported were tyres on the trailers "popping off the rims" in the heat. The trailers contained parts for washing machines and fridges, he said. Image copyright Cambridgeshire Police Image caption Explosions were caused by lorry tyres popping off their rims Image copyright Terry-Harris.com Image caption Eight crews from four counties tackled the blaze Firefighters from Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk were involved in tackling the blaze. Whirlpool said no-one was injured and no buildings on the site were damaged. The blaze started in an area where heavy goods vehicles were parked, it said. A fire service spokeswoman said firefighters had returned to the site on Saturday to check for hot spots and would visit again on Sunday. Image copyright Cambridgeshire Police Image caption About £2m of damage was caused by the fire Whirlpool, which owns the brand Hotpoint, has its UK headquarters at the Peterborough site. About 1,000 of its 2,500 UK workforce are based there.

www.bbc.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-49535363

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 12:39:00

NBC News

Trump faces more 2020 danger if Democrat scores upset in N. Carolina special election

The final unresolved House race of 2018 is set to conclude Sept. 10, when Democratic Marine Corps veteran Dan McCready faces off against Republican state Sen. Dan Bishop.

Trump faces more 2020 danger if Democrat scores upset in N. Carolina special election Analysis: The closely watched Sept. 10 vote will fill a House seat that is vacant after last year's results were invalidated due to election fraud.

David Wasserman;House Editor For The Cook Political Report;Is An Nbc News Contributor;Senior Analyst With The Nbc Election Unit.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-faces-more-2020-danger-if-democrat-scores-upset-n-n1047226?cid=public-rss_20190904

CENTER

2019-08-31 12:41:33

The Guardian

Two arrested after riot following Irish unity march in Glasgow

Riot police, mounted officers and a helicopter were used to quell disorder in Govan

Riot police, mounted officers and a helicopter were used to quell disorder in Govan Two arrested after riot following Irish unity march in Glasgow Two people have been arrested after a protest against an Irish unity march sparked a riot in Glasgow. Riot police, mounted officers, a force helicopter and dog units were used to quell “significant disorder” in Govan on Friday. Officers said the planned march, organised by the James Connolly Republican Flute Band, was met by hundreds of “disruptive” counter-demonstrators at about 7pm. The force said this led to significant disorder around Govan Road, which was blocked by officers. Nicola Sturgeon condemned the incident. The first minister tweeted: “What happened in Govan last night was utterly unacceptable. My thanks to Police Scotland for their response. “I welcome Glasgow city council’s commitment to review the procedures around marches. Peaceful protest is a part of our democracy – violent and sectarian disruption is not.” Witnesses reported smoke bombs being used. Glasgow city council advised of the road block in a traffic bulletin. Govan subway station was also closed due to the incident, but has since reopened. Once the road reopened at about 9.45pm, a few police vehicles remained in the area, including riot vans. Debris and what appeared to be makeshift barriers could be seen at the side of the road. In a statement on Friday, Glasgow city council described the disorder as “unacceptable”. On Saturday, police arrested two men - aged 37 and 21 - after the alleged public disorder. The justice secretary, Humza Yousaf, said: “Last night’s scenes in Glasgow were totally unacceptable. I have spoken to the leader of Glasgow city council this morning and welcome the council’s strong statement of intent. I reiterated that the Scottish government stands ready to support the council in any way we can. “We will take the necessary actions to keep our streets safe from the sectarian thuggery we witnessed last night. Scotland is a diverse, multicultural and tolerant society and any form of violent disorder is completely and utterly unacceptable to the Scottish government and the vast majority of Scots.”

Pa Media

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/31/glasgow-two-arrested-riot-irish-unity-march

LEFT

2019-08-31 12:43:45

BBC

Thousands protest against Boris Johnson's plans to suspend Parliament.

Crowds fill Whitehall in central London to protest against Boris Johnson's plans to suspend Parliament.

Video Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in cities including Leeds, York and Belfast to protest against Boris Johnson's plans to suspend Parliament. In London, Whitehall has been brought to a standstill, with protesters chanting "Boris Johnson, shame on you". The prime minister's decision to prorogue Parliament prompted an angry backlash from MPs and opponents of a no-deal Brexit.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-49536312/thousands-protest-against-boris-johnson-s-plans-to-suspend-parliament

UNDEFINED

2019-08-31 12:51:16

Reuters

Thousands of Russians rally to demand free elections

Thousands of Russians took to the streets of central Moscow on Saturday to demand free elections to the capital's city legislature on Sept. 8, defying a ban which has been enforced with violent detentions during previous protests.

People attend a rally to demand authorities allow opposition candidates to run in the upcoming local election and release protesters, who were detained during recent demonstrations, in Moscow, Russia August 31, 2019. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva MOSCOW (Reuters) - Thousands of Russians took to the streets of central Moscow on Saturday to demand free elections to the capital’s city legislature on Sept. 8, defying a ban which has been enforced with violent detentions during previous protests. Weeks of demonstrations over elections for the city legislature have turned into the biggest sustained protest movement in Russia since 2011-2013, when protesters took to the streets against perceived electoral fraud. Chanting “Russia will be free!” and “This is our city!”, up to 2,000 protesters marched through one of Moscow’s thoroughfares. The demonstrators have been demanding that opposition-minded candidates be allowed to stand in the election after they were prevented from being put on the ballot. Protesters are now also calling for the release of activists detained over earlier rallies. “If we stop going out (and protesting) there will be no hope left at all,” said protester Alexandra Rossius, 23. “We must show the authorities we are not just going to give up and accept the fact that innocent people are being jailed and elections are being stolen.” Artyom, a 16-year-old school student, said it was “indignation and fear” that brought him to the rally. “I do not want ... to have my legs broken, to be killed, to be thrown in prison,” he said. “The authorities are refusing to compromise, they have started dispersing people, throwing them in jail. I think this is unacceptable.” Saturday’s protest, the last before the vote, was smaller than some of the previous ones attended by tens of thousands of people. During the first hour of the rally, police made no attempt to detain protesters but asked them through loudspeakers to disperse.

Reuters Editorial;Min Read

www.reuters.com

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-protests/thousands-of-russians-rally-to-demand-free-elections-idUSKCN1VL0DQ

CENTER

2019-08-31 12:54:27

Fox News

Kay Coles James: Our colleges need to cultivate critical thinking, scrap radical left conformity

It’s no secret that colleges have been bastions of liberalism for years, but with the rising acceptance of socialism and “social justice” in America, campuses have become ground zero for truly radical socialist indoctrination.

Back-to-school on America’s college campuses can be an exciting time for parents and students alike. But if your college freshman comes home for Thanksgiving Break and you no longer recognize the person you dropped off just three months prior, that excitement may turn to shock, or even anger. Sure, Tommy might have learned some valuable concepts in chemistry, literature, and history. But he may also have learned identity politics, that most people are racist, and to blame America for most of the world’s problems – from “climate change” to wars to depleting too many natural resources. Perhaps you’ll hear him telling his friends how he now hates capitalism and how we would all fare better under socialism. It’s no secret that colleges have been bastions of liberalism for years, but with the rising acceptance of socialism and “social justice” in America, campuses have become ground zero for truly radical socialist indoctrination. HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS STARS PENALIZED FOR HAVING ‘WRONG’ FAITH, SCORE RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION Even the best of parents who taught their kids to be critical thinkers can be shocked when those kids come home after months of leftist programming. Some young people are able to resist the pressure to conform, but others can’t. For many students, college can mean that they’re the targets of speech codes, bullying by other students, and intimidation by professors. Many times, campus administrators just stand by silently, or worse, enforce the radicalism. It’s healthy for students to be challenged at college and be exposed to new ideas. What’s not healthy is to be berated, intimidated, or coerced into adopting an ideology that goes against their very core principles. Recently, a friend of mine accompanied her son to freshman orientation at a state university. During the orientation, she and other parents grew increasingly uncomfortable as several campus speakers got up and introduced themselves not only by their names and titles but also by the pronouns that they preferred to be called. She noticed that the new students’ nametags also listed their preferred pronouns. This was an effort to accommodate those students who were transgender, undecided about their gender, or “fluid” between genders. For many students, college can mean that they’re the targets of speech codes, bullying by other students, and intimidation by professors. She was so shocked by what she saw that she wrote an article about it to try to warn other parents. She made it clear that she wasn’t casting aspersions on transgendered people and felt compassion for those with gender dysphoria. Rather, she was calling out university officials for pushing what they knew was a highly charged issue on an entire new class of students. In response, the far-left began assailing her and her son with hateful and violent threats, posted her son’s name and photo on social media, and threatened to bully him on campus. CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER Recent polling by the Knight Foundation shows that more than two-thirds of college students – including both Democratic- and Republican-leaning students – say the campus climate prevents them from expressing their true opinions for fear of offending their classmates. This polling reinforces what many people already knew: that it’s a minority on campus, enabled by faculty and administrators, who are creating this environment for everyone else. The polling also shows that, despite the fact that so many students feel they can’t speak up, 46 percent are still inclined to eliminate free speech on campus in favor of promoting an “inclusive and welcoming society.” That’s a frightening statistic. Contrary to the claims of the far-left, that doesn’t promote an open-minded learning environment, but rather conformity to the most radical tenets of leftism. Going to college has such an incredible impact on our children’s futures that each time I found out I was pregnant, it was one of the things I prayed for on behalf of my children. I prayed that they would attend colleges that could help them open the doors to knowledge, grow as people, and prepare for fulfilling careers. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Even back then, I didn’t understand the degree of influence someone’s choice of college would have in his or her life. Over 40 years later, in today’s society, that influence is even more dramatic. That’s why we can’t just sit on our hands and let this indoctrination and bullying continue. As parents and taxpayers who are turning our kids over to these schools and paying the lion’s share of college costs, it’s incumbent upon us to contact our legislators and school administrators and demand better of these institutions – not only for the benefit of our students and their education, but for the very future of our civil society. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM KAY COLES JAMES

Kay Coles James;Kay Coles James Is The President Of The Heritage Foundation.

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https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/kay-coles-james-college-critical-thinking-radical-left

RIGHT

2019-08-31 12:58:41

HuffPost

Fierce Category 4 Dorian Strengthens En Route To Bahamas

Millions of people in Florida, from Walt Disney World to Trump's Mar-a-Lago, are in the potential crosshairs of the hurricane.

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Dorian has gained fearsome new muscle as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm, bearing down on the northwestern Bahamas early Saturday en route to Florida’s east coast. Millions of people in Florida, along with the state’s Walt Disney World and President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, are in the potential crosshairs of the hurricane. Forecasters say Dorian, which had top sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) Saturday morning, will threaten the Florida peninsula late Monday or early Tuesday. But the National Hurricane Center in Miami cautioned that its meteorologists remain uncertain whether Dorian would make a devastating direct strike on the state’s east coast or inflict a glancing blow. Some of the more reliable computer models predicted a late turn northward that would have Dorian hug the Florida coast. “There is hope,” Weather Underground meteorology director Jeff Masters said. However, the risk may be increasing elsewhere. The National Hurricane Center’s advisory released at 8 a.m. Saturday EDT warned the possibility of “strong winds and life-threatening storm surge” is increasing along Georgia and South Carolina’s coasts. The faint hope of dodging Dorian’s fury came Friday, even as the storm ratcheted up from a menacing Category 3 hurricane to an even more dangerous Category 4. That raised fears Dorian could become the most powerful hurricane to hit Florida’s east coast in nearly 30 years. National Hurricane Center projections showed Dorian hitting roughly near Fort Pierce, some 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Mar-a-Lago, then running along the coastline as it moved north. But forecasters cautioned that the storm’s track remains still highly uncertain and even a small deviation could put Dorian offshore — or well inland. Trump has declared a state of emergency in Florida and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster-relief efforts. He told reporters that “Mar-a-Lago can handle itself” and that he is more worried about Florida. “This is big and is growing, and it still has some time to get worse,” Julio Vasquez said at a Miami fast-food joint next to a gas station that had run out of fuel. “No one knows what can really happen. This is serious.” As Dorian closed in, Labor Day weekend plans were upended. Major airlines began allowing travelers to change their reservations without fees. The big cruise lines began rerouting their ships. Disney World and Orlando’s other resorts found themselves in the storm’s projected path. Still, with Dorian days away and its track uncertain, Disney and other major resorts held off announcing any closings, and Florida authorities ordered no immediate mass evacuations. “Sometimes if you evacuate too soon, you may evacuate into the path of the storm if it changes,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. But some counties announced mandatory evacuations ahead of time on Friday. Brevard County and Martin County officials said residents of barrier islands, mobile homes and low-lying areas would be under a mandatory evacuation order beginning Sunday morning. The Brevard County order includes the Kennedy Space Center. Indian River County officials said they will recommend residents of its barrier island voluntarily evacuate once hurricane warnings are issued. Homeowners and businesses rushed to cover their windows with plywood. Supermarkets ran out of bottled water, and long lines formed at gas stations, with some fuel shortages reported. At a Publix supermarket in Cocoa Beach, Ed Ciecirski of the customer service department said the pharmacy was extra busy with people rushing to fill prescriptions. The grocery was rationing bottled water and had run out of dry ice. “It’s hairy,” he said. Early Saturday, Dorian was centered 445 miles (715 kilometers) east of West Palm Beach. It was moving northwest at 12 mph (17 kph). Forecasters warned that its slow movement means Florida could face a prolonged wallop of wind, storm surge and torrential rain. Coastal areas of the southeastern United States could get 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain, with 18 inches (46 centimeters) in some places, triggering life-threatening flash floods, the hurricane center said. Also imperiled were the Bahamas, where canned food and bottled water were disappearing quickly from shelves and the sound of hammering echoed across the islands as people boarded up their homes. Dorian was expected to hit the northwestern part of the Bahamas by Sunday with the potential for life-threatening storm surge that could raise water levels 15 feet (5 meters) above normal. “Do not be foolish and try to brave out this hurricane,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said. “The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life.” ___ Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein and Michael Balsamo in Washington; Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Marcia Dunn in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Freida Frisaro and Marcus Lim in Miami; Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; and Bobby Caina Calvan in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this report.

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https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hurricane-dorian-category-four-florida-bahamas_n_5d6a6cf6e4b0cdfe0570c40f

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2019-08-31 13:00:30

Fox News

House Dem demands sanctions on Chinese pharma for role in fentanyl crisis: 'Making a profit off of killing Americans'

Rep. Max Rose, D-N.Y., called on the United States to penalize Chinese pharmaceutical companies for their role in supplying massive amounts of fentanyl that ultimately took American lives.

Rep. Max Rose, D-N.Y., called on the United States to penalize Chinese pharmaceutical companies for their role in supplying massive amounts of fentanyl that ultimately took American lives. "It's time that we show these Chinese pharmaceutical companies -- that are making a profit off of killing Americans -- that there are significant consequences to that," Rose said during "Your World" on Saturday. Rose, co-sponsor of the Fentanyl Sanctions Act, also praised President Trump's focus on the issue and claimed the United States had "zero doubt" that China was behind fentanyl trafficking. "90 percent of the fentanyl coming into the country right now -- fentanyl that's killing our kids across the country -- is coming directly from China," he told Fox News host Neil Cavuto. FREE BEACON EDITOR IN CHIEF: TRUMP IS ASKING CHINA TO 'PAY A PRICE' IT CAN'T AFFORD He added that while the rest comes from Mexico, the original source is China. "We have got to put sanctions on these Chinese pharmaceutical companies that are still willingly shipping fentanyl onto our shores," he said -- adding that he didn't believe China's word that it was trying to combat the trafficking. Rose called for an on-site lab at John F. Kennedy airport in New York so that personnel could more easily screen for fentanyl. LOS ANGELES ANGELS PITCHER TYLER SKAGGS DIED OF ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE: CORONER Rose's comments came amid an ongoing opioid epidemic that the president sought to address partially through trade with China. Earlier in August, Trump specifically ordered all carriers -- like Fed Ex and UPS -- to search for and refuse fentanyl deliveries from China. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Fentanyl kills 100,000 Americans a year," Trump tweeted. "President Xi said this would stop - it didn’t. Our Economy, because of our gains in the last 2 1/2 years, is MUCH larger than that of China. We will keep it that way!"

Sam Dorman;Sam Dorman Is A Reporter With Fox News. You Can Follow Him On Facebook

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https://www.foxnews.com/media/max-rose-china-fentanyl-killing-americans

RIGHT

2019-08-31 13:00:48

The Guardian

Houston: Islamic group hosts Sanders and Castro and braces for rightwing rally

In Texas, the Islamic Society of North America’s annual convention expects anti-fascist counter-protests

In Houston, an annual Islamic convention hosting presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Julian Castro is bracing for an armed far-right protest and a counter-demonstration. 'Tip of the iceberg': what a Nazi salute video says about Orange county Read more Billed as one of the largest yearly events held by Muslim American advocacy groups, on Friday night the 56th Islamic Society of North America (Isna) convention featured an appearance by Daily Show host Trevor Noah. Castro and Sanders are slated to take the stage for one-on-one presidential forums on Saturday. Organizers estimated around 30,000 people would attend the three-day convention, held in the George R Brown Convention Center and focused on American Muslim empowerment. “We are really happy [Castro and Sanders] are coming in to address our community,” Lubabah Abdullah, an Isna board member, told the Guardian. “We’ve recently realized the Muslim community has a strong voting bloc, if we do go out and register and actually show up to vote.” Abdullah, also executive director of the Council for American Islamic Relations’ (Cair) Houston chapter, added that organizers have worked closely with local and federal law enforcement to ensure everyone’s safety. “Unfortunately [anti-Muslim sentiment] has become the norm … and unfortunately we’ve seen a dramatic rise in hate crimes and Islamophobia,” Abdullah said. Liza Acevedo, the deputy press secretary for Castro’s campaign, said American Muslims “play a critical role in shaping our nation’s culture, economy and political process”. “At a time when our president continually scapegoats and vilifies the Islamic faith for political gain, candidates should show up and speak directly to these communities about their plans to support them in the years ahead,” Acevedo said. In the weeks leading up to the convention, the far-right, anti-Muslim Texas Patriot Network and local radio host James “Doc” Greene called for a demonstration against what it claimed was evidence of collusion between “leftists” and the “Muslim Brotherhood”, according to a now-defunct Facebook page. Informing participants that the “Texans Against Radical Islam” protest was “open carry”, the Facebook page described the Isna convention as a “terrorist fundraiser” and stated: “Texans will stand against this tyranny”. On his show last Friday, Greene called on supporters to attend Saturday’s rally. “We want to go down there and preach the love of Jesus to these Muslims because they have no plan of salvation,” he said. At the time of publication, Texas Patriot Network had not replied to requests for comment through its website and Facebook page. Rightwing groups have targeted Isna for years, apparently owing to its inclusion as an unindicted co-conspirator in the widely criticized Holy Land Five case in 2007. A US district court judge later ruled the government violated the rights of Isna and other Muslim groups. In response to Saturday’s planned anti-Muslim rally, a coalition of civil rights groups, anti-racist organizations and anti-fascist activists announced a counter-protest. The coalition included the Houston Socialist Movement (HSM), the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Familias Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en la Lucha (Fiel), among others. The counter-demonstrators had obtained a sound permit and hoped to “outshout” their counterparts, said David Michael Smith of the HSM. “This is nothing but racism and religious bigotry on the part of the fascists,” Smith told the Guardian. “Beyond that, we don’t think fascists should have a platform … so we’d like to basically drive them off the streets on Saturday.” A Houston police spokesperson said the department was aware of the dueling demonstrations but could not provide an estimate of how many people were expected to attend. “HPD is there to ensure citizens are able to express and exercise their constitutional rights,” the spokesperson said. “We are there to ensure that it is a safe environment, and we staff accordingly to ensure the safety of everyone involved.” Last year, the Texas Patriot Network and Doc Greene called for a similar protest against Isna’s annual convention, also held in Houston. Around two dozen far-right demonstrators came out, although they were conclusively outnumbered by anti-racist protesters. Leaked chat logs from that rally revealed that rightwing protesters identified potential targets for assault, among them Smith and other counter-demonstrators, Houston Press reported earlier this week. ‘People are afraid’ In the 2018 midterm elections, Muslim Americans in four key states – Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia – showed up to the ballot box at a rate of 25% higher than the 2014 midterms, according to a study by the advocacy group Emgage. After coming to office in January 2017, the Trump administration introduced a travel ban targeting mostly Muslim-majority countries, slashed the number of refugees admitted to the US to an all-time low of 30,000 per year, and drummed up the threat of “unknown Middle Easterners” attempting to cross the southern border. John Esposito, director of Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative, a research project focusing on Islamophobia, said Trump’s policies and rhetoric “play into an idea of a white nation” while demonising Muslims, immigrants, refugees and others. “People are afraid to go to a mosque or a meeting of a major Muslim organization,” he said, adding: “The most dangerous part is when you’ve got the president of the United States … engaging in this kind of [violent rhetoric].” In late July, the California-based Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (CSHE) found hate crimes have swelled by 9% in 30 large US cities. In addition to 75 hate crimes targeting Muslims during the first half of 2019, Cair recorded at least 759 anti-Muslim bias incidents, a pace expected to reach a 22% increase this year over 2014. In Houston, the Isna organizers and participants hope the demonstrations pass without incident. “We are cautiously optimistic that it will be a great and safe environment for us and our families and our children, who are coming from all over the US and Canada,” said Cair-Houston’s Lubabah Abdullah.

Patrick Strickland In Houston

www.theguardian.com

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/31/houston-islamic-society-sanders-castro-far-right

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2019-08-31 13:01:00

HuffPost

Donald Trump Calls Fox News' Sean Hannity A ‘Shoe' And People Put The Boot In

Trump also called himself "your favorite President" in a tweet that amusingly backfired.

Has anyone noticed that the top shows on @foxnews and cable ratings are those that are Fair (or great) to your favorite President, me! Congratulations to @seanhannity for being the number one shoe on Cable Television!

Reporter

www.huffpost.com

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-sean-hannity-shoe_n_5d6a60afe4b01108044fba14

LEFT

2019-08-31 13:10:02

Fox News

GOP shifts focus to House Dem 'squad' in campaign attacks

Move over, Nancy Pelosi. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the "squad" of freshmen women of color are emerging as new stars of Republican attacks against Democrats running for Congress.

Move over, Nancy Pelosi. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the "squad" of freshmen women of color are emerging as new stars of Republican attacks against Democrats running for Congress. The tone is being set from the top as President Donald Trump bashes the four squad members with a strategy Republicans are quick to mimic, modeled on his own rise to the White House. Trump set a new standard in 2016, making some Republicans uneasy, by taunting rivals and branding them with exaggerated nicknames intended to make them unelectable. The GOP is embracing the tactic for 2020. AOC ACCUSED OF SOVIET-STYLE PROPAGANDA WITH GREEN NEW DEAL ART SERIES A first test will be a Sept. 10 special election in North Carolina, the state where Trump sparked the "send her back!" rally chant. The Trump-endorsed Republican, Dan Bishop, is portraying Marine veteran Dan McCready and other Democrats as "crazies," ''clowns" and "socialist." "These crazy liberal clowns ... They're not funny," Bishop says in one ad that features images of McCready, Pelosi and squad members to a soundtrack of circus music. "They're downright scary." Yet it remains to be seen whether this line of attack will work. For years, Republicans relied on attacks depicting Pelosi, the House speaker, as an out-of-touch San Francisco liberal as they tried to snap GOP voters to attention. But singling out a new generation of female leaders is risky when Republicans are trying to prevent an exodus of suburban women and independent voters. The attacks are especially fraught because two of the women — Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. — are the first Muslim women elected to Congress, part of the historic freshmen class with more women and minorities than ever. The other two members of the self-described squad are Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. Michael Fauntroy, an associate professor of political science at Howard University, said Republicans down the ballot are taking Trump's cue with thinly veiled attacks on race and religion. "Beating up on Pelosi isn't such a big deal because she's been around forever," he said. "This 'squad' is perceived as a new threat and it's this perfect collection of religion, race and policy position, all tied up in a neat little bow, if you will." It's not just the North Carolina election where Republican candidates are running against the squad. A Minnesota Republican warned voters off the squad and its home-state representative, Omar, who wears a headscarf, as he launched his campaign to unseat Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. And Republican strategists are trying to link other Democrats to the group's liberal agenda by branding it "socialist," even if the candidates have not signed on to the Green New Deal, Medicare for All and other liberal proposals favored by the four freshmen lawmakers. "We will make every Democrat own de facto Speaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's socialist agenda," said Bob Salera, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "And if a member isn't for it, what are they doing to stop it?" Republican strategists believe the squad, like Pelosi, will provide a powerful focal point for attacks. Ocasio-Cortez is a recognizable name among voters — higher than some presidential candidates — and not all favorable, they say. The Congressional Leadership Fund, the main outside group aligned with House Republicans, is calling out freshmen Democratic lawmakers they say are "as woke" as Ocasio-Cortez and "palling around" with the New Yorker widely known as AOC. The NRCC routinely assigns Democratic candidates Trump-style nicknames. What Republicans don't want is a repeat of the Trump rally last month in Greenville, N.C., when the president endorsed Bishop on stage but also went after the women one by one, sparking chants of "send her back!" when he got to Omar, who is a Somali refugee. All are U.S. citizens. "It's no longer a dog whistle, it's a bullhorn," said Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for Justice Democrats, a group backing the squad. Republicans acknowledge the risk of taking the rhetoric too far and are trying to keep the barbs focused on policy rather than personalities. They target their liberal policies and criticism of Israel, particularly its treatment of Palestinians. AOC NARRATES VIDEO FROM FUTURE IN WHICH HER 'GREEN NEW DEAL' SAVES US FROM ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE One Republican strategist said the GOP only expects to use the message in about 13 key House districts where Trump easily won in 2016, rather than more competitive suburban districts that have been trending toward Democrats in recent elections. The strategist was granted anonymity to discuss the internal deliberations. Ann Gibson, 74-year-old retiree from suburban Charlotte, said Trump's focus on the first-year Democratic women is part of a larger tendency of constantly looking for enemies. "I think he's a sexist and racist and I think he needs somebody to rage at and that's this squad," said Gibson, a registered Democrat who voted early for McCready. "Everything that he stands for is just, I'm tired. I'm tired of him, I'm tired of the stuff that goes on every day. ... Just the whole thing." But Republican Denise Shirhall, 65, said she didn't like the squad's directness or the Democratic establishment's tolerance of the women, which she attributed to their being members of minority groups — "because they're Muslim, this and that." "They're running amok," Shirhall said outside an early voting site in the Charlotte suburb of Matthews. "If they were my kids, I'd pop their hand." Both parties now say the North Carolina contest is a toss-up. In a district Trump swept in 2016, the tight race is raising questions about whether the attacks will resonate during the 2020 presidential campaign. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump, who's making a return visit to North Carolina on the eve of the election, shows few signs of changing course, tweeting that McCready "likes the 'Squad' more than North Carolina." Pelosi, who appears with cameos in the GOP ads, frequently expresses pride at the more than 130,000 attack ads run against her in 2018. Despite those ads, Democrats won control of the House and she regained the speaker's gavel after six years of GOP rule. Ocasio-Cortez appears to be taking a similar approach, finding humor in the broadsides against her. "I love everything about this GOP attack ad," she tweeted about one ad labeled "shallow thoughts" that shows her discussing climate change. Republicans, she ribbed, are "paying for ads that spread & explain our policy positions."

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-shifts-focus-to-house-dem-squad-in-campaign-attacks

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