| Arms talks spiral into confusion as Russia rejects US claim as 'delusion' Posted: 13 Oct 2020 04:46 PM PDT  Top US negotiator claimed there was 'an agreement in principle' between Trump and Putin US-Russian arms control talks have sunk into confusion when the top American negotiator claimed there was "an agreement in principle" between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, a claim quickly rejected by Moscow as a "delusion".Marshall Billingslea, the US special envoy for arms control, said he had flown to Helsinki on Monday to meet the Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, on the understanding that there could be an imminent breakthrough in discussions on whether to extend the 2010 New Start Treaty which limits the number of deployed strategic warheads on either side, and which expires in February."We believe that there is an agreement in principle at the highest levels of our two government. That's why I cut short my trip to Asia and made a beeline for Helsinki when the Russians called and wanted to sit down" Billingslea told a Washington thinktank, in an apparent suggestion that there had been an informal verbal agreement between Trump and Putin.He added the US condition for extension would be a verified freeze on the complete arsenals of both countries, including non-strategic (short-range or "tactical") warheads.That condition was quickly and emphatically rejected by Moscow. The foreign ministry was quoted by the RIA Novosti agency as calling Billingslea's claim a "delusion" and a "fraud". Ryabkov said a freeze was "unacceptable" adding that Moscow would not approve a New Start treaty extension before the US election on 3 November."If the Americans need to report to their superiors something about which they allegedly agreed with the Russian Federation before their elections, then they will not get it," Ryabkov said.In his remarks Billingslea suggested that Ryabkov might be out of touch with the Russian's leader's wishes."I am hopeful that that sort of gentleman's agreement – that arrangement that we believe has been reached at the highest levels – will ultimately need to percolate down through their system so that my counterpart hopefully will be authorized to negotiate," he told the Heritage Foundation. "We're ready to strike this deal. We could strike it tomorrow in fact, but Moscow's going to have to show the political will to do so as well."The US had previously insisted that China be included in any future arms control negotiations rather than extending the bilateral arrangements in New Start, but Billingslea has dropped that demand in recent weeks, accepting that trilateral talks could be arranged later.Alexandra Bell, a former state department official and now senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said the pre-election urgency followed "literally months of the Trump administration saying there's plenty of time to do this – there's no rush".The Trump administration has been keen to showcase foreign policies achievements before the election, but over the past four years, it has pulled out of three arms control agreements and signed none.James Acton, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said Russia was unlikely to agree to a freeze which affected its non-strategic warheads, a category in which it has a big advantage over the US and Nato."Russia is not going to agree to something that addresses the US's biggest concern on Russia and get nothing in return," Acton said. "If there is a deal to be made. We're going to have to give something to the Russians in return. And most of us think that the price is probably something to do with ballistic missile defense."Senior parliamentarians from across Europe wrote to their US counterparts on Tuesday urging them to support a New Start extension.In the letter, organised by the European Leadership Network, the MPs from 19 countries said: "As officials who strive to protect the health and security of millions of European citizens, we feel distressed by the possibility that New Start may lapse in less than six months."
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| Twitter suspends accounts for posing as Black Trump supporters Posted: 13 Oct 2020 04:37 PM PDT  Company reports spam and platform manipulation by accounts containing identical language Twitter has suspended a network of accounts claiming to be owned by Black supporters of Donald Trump and his re-election campaign due to spam and platform manipulation, it said Tuesday.The company is investigating the activity and may suspend additional similar accounts if they are found to be violating its policies, a spokesperson said.The Washington Post first reported on the investigation, citing more than a dozen accounts using identical, inauthentic language including the phrase: "YES IM BLACK AND IM VOTING FOR TRUMP!!!"A review of some of the suspended accounts shows they often used stolen images to appear real. The accounts sometimes claimed to be owned by military veterans or members of law enforcement.This is not the first time Twitter has had to address a spam operation claiming to be led by Black voters. NBC News also reported spam operations from fake accounts posing as Black Trump supporters in August.Some accounts were able to attract thousands of followers before they were suspended. One tweet, for example, amassed more than 10,000 retweets before it was removed, NBC News found. Another account allegedly used a photo of a veteran who died last month to pose as a Trump supporter.Polls show about 10% of Black voters in the US support Trump. These accounts raised suspicion for their identical language and stock image avatars.Meanwhile, research shows Black Americans have been negatively impacted by misinformation campaigns online in recent months, particularly those focused on spreading misinformation about Covid-19."Black lives are consistently put in danger, and it is incumbent upon community actors, media, government, and tech companies alike to do their part to ensure that timely, local, relevant and redundant public health messages are served to all communities," a study from Harvard's Shorenstein Center found.Twitter rules prohibit using the platform "in a manner intended to artificially amplify or suppress information or engage in behavior that manipulates or disrupts people's experience on Twitter", a Twitter spokesman told the Guardian.The company reports campaigns discovered to be state-backed in its public archive. This month it revealed it had suspended more than 1,500 accounts affiliated with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Thailand and Russia that had sought to spread misinformation. It did not say where it believed the network of people posing as Black Trump supporters originated or whether it was state-backed.Reuters contributed reporting
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| US elections: The African evangelicals praying for Trump to win Posted: 13 Oct 2020 04:22 PM PDT  They see the US president as a defender of religious freedom and their conservative values.
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| Trump Touts Falconer’s Benghazi Blood-Sacrifice Conspiracy Theory Posted: 13 Oct 2020 04:08 PM PDT  President Donald Trump backed a budding conspiracy theory on Tuesday that four Americans were killed in the 2012 Benghazi attack to cover up the blood-sacrifice of Navy SEALs and the "fact" that Osama Bin Laden is still alive, marking what is perhaps the president's strangest brush yet with far-right conspiracy theories.Trump's promotion of the new Benghazi conspiracy theory, which is fast gaining traction on the far right, came in the form of a retweet of a QAnon believer pushing the claim. The president's backing helped push the tweet about Benghazi above 14,000 retweets.> Hiden Biden and Obama may have had Seal Team 6 killed! EXPLOSIVE: CIA Whistleblower Exposes Biden's Alleged Role with the Deaths of Seal Team- Claims to have Documented Proof. RETWEET!!! https://t.co/uA6VAjiw35> > — Oscar the Midnight Rider 1111 (@The171111) October 12, 2020The bizarre theory, which is outre even by the standards of the right's usual Benghazi claims, also alleges that Osama Bin Laden's body-double, rather than the terrorist mastermind himself, was killed in 2011.All those claims come from a falconer who says he uncovered secrets about Al-Qaeda, Iran, and U.S. intelligence in his work as a falconer for Middle Eastern power players.Alan Howell Parrot, the subject of a 2010 documentary about his falconry called Feathered Cocaine, has shot to new fame on the right after a video interview with him played over the weekend at the American Priority Conference, a pro-Trump event held at Trump's Miami resort.In the video, Parrot, interviewed by conservative personality Nick Noe and the father of a former Navy SEAL who died in Benghazi, makes a series of bizarre claims alleging collusion between Iran, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton ahead of the attack.Parrot claims that Biden cut a deal with Iran to set up Bin Laden's 2011 death in Pakistan. But when Iran double-crossed the United States and switched in a Bin Laden body double, in Parrot's telling, Biden and Clinton arranged for a Navy SEAL helicopter to be shot down to keep the truth about the raid from getting out— a reference to a real-world helicopter attack in Afghanistan that killed 38 people, including 25 Navy SEALs."Vice President Biden paid with the blood of Seal Team 6," Parrot said in the video. "He spent their blood like currency."Later in the video, Noe claims that the Benghazi compound was attacked to cover up the fact that, supposedly, the missile used in the helicopter attack came from the United States."It's just so wicked," Parrot said in the video, adding that he has "terabytes" of evidence to prove the conspiracy theory to Trump.Ordinarily, this latest iteration of the Benghazi conspiracy theory would remain confined to the wilder parts of the internet.But Trump's endorsement shot it to national prominence, fueling the bizarre allegations about blood sacrifice and Bin Laden body doubles. The tweet Trump reposted linked to an article about Parrot's claims on a little-known website called "DHJH Media," written by blogger Kari Donovan, who describes herself as an "ex-Community Organizer" who writes about "cultural marxism."While Trump apparently considers the new Benghazi conspiracy theory credible enough to retweet to his nearly 90 million followers, even Donovan is backing away from Parrot's claims."I have no proof that the Whistleblower's claim (sic) are true," Donovan tweeted on Tuesday, a few hours after Trump retweeted her story.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| UN humanitarian chief: Sahel is very close to tipping point Posted: 13 Oct 2020 02:12 PM PDT |
| First lady unseen as Trump restarts campaign after COVID-19 Posted: 13 Oct 2020 01:53 PM PDT  President Donald Trump and his wife received their positive COVID-19 tests on the same day. Melania Trump last provided a health update over a week ago after saying her symptoms were mild, and the White House has not indicated when she will make her next public appearance. What role she will play in the campaign's final weeks remains an open question as Trump embarks on a schedule of daily rallies through the Nov. 3 election.
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| Report: Social media influencers push voting misinformation Posted: 13 Oct 2020 01:38 PM PDT  Social media influencers, partisan news outlets and even President Donald Trump's son are driving the spread of online misinformation swirling around the U.S. vote, casting doubt on this year's election and prematurely raising suspicions about the accuracy of its results. Legitimate U.S. social media accounts are sharing false claims of voter fraud, misleading photos of ballots being dumped in the trash and stoking fears of violence at the polls on Election Day, according to new research from the Election Integrity Partnership, a group of some of the world's top misinformation researchers. In some cases, those social media accounts are using isolated or old stories and photos about voting mishaps to create widespread concern about the election system, said Kate Starbird, an associate professor of Human-Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington who is part of the research group.
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| Possible safety issue spurs pause of COVID-19 antibody study Posted: 13 Oct 2020 01:36 PM PDT  Independent monitors have paused enrollment in a study testing the COVID-19 antiviral drug remdesivir plus an experimental antibody therapy being developed by Eli Lilly that's similar to a treatment President Donald Trump recently received. Lilly confirmed Tuesday that the study had been paused "out of an abundance of caution" and said safety is its top concern. The experimental drugs are concentrated versions of one or two specific antibodies that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests.
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| NASA's new moonshot rules: No fighting or littering, please Posted: 13 Oct 2020 01:27 PM PDT  The space agency released a set of guidelines Tuesday for its Artemis moon-landing program, based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and other agreements. Founding members include the U.S., Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said he expects more countries to join the effort to put astronauts back on the moon by 2024.
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| AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s distortions on WHO and lockdowns Posted: 13 Oct 2020 12:49 PM PDT  President Donald Trump is claiming the World Health Organization shifted its stance on lockdown measures to control COVID-19 and has now acknowledged he was right to say such restrictions are harmful. Lockdowns are killing countries all over the world. WHITE HOUSE: "Over the weekend, the World Health Organization officially changed their policy and strongly stated that prolonged lockdowns must end because of their significant harms."
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| Documentary about Swedish chef who exposed North Korean arms deals to be sent to UN Posted: 13 Oct 2020 12:25 PM PDT  Denmark and Sweden have said they will raise with the UN claims that North Korea was attempting to skirt sanctions with shady international arms deals after a Danish chef set up an extraordinary TV sting operation. "The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea," which aired on the BBC and Danish, Swedish and Norwegian national television stations on Sunday, tells the story of how Ulrich Larsen spent ten years infiltrating a Scandanavian group sympathetic to the Communisty dictatorship. Together with Jim Latrache-Qvortrup, an actor hired to pose an investor, Mr Larsen visited Pyongyang in 2017 and signed a contract to produce military equipment and stimulant drugs with a representative of a North Korean arms factory, with several government officials present. With the contract signed, he then travelled to meet North Koreans in Uganda to inspect a proposed site for an arms factory on an island in Lake Victoria, and also to Jordon to meet a trader for talks on a sanctions-busting oil deal.
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| Takeaways: Barrett is reticent as Dems focus on health care Posted: 13 Oct 2020 12:04 PM PDT  Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett faced her first day's worth of questions Tuesday from the Senate Judiciary Committee, and it was a calmer affair than other recent confirmation hearings that featured Democratic procedural delays and interruptions from protesters. With public attendance limited by the coronavirus pandemic and Democrats staying focused on a health care message just three weeks ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election, the back and forth was serious, disciplined and mostly uninterrupted — save a few technical glitches from those participating virtually. Barrett repeatedly declined to give her personal views, or to preview how she might rule, on key issues that could become before the court.
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| What you need to know about Ohio drop box restrictions Posted: 13 Oct 2020 11:50 AM PDT  How many drop boxes can each Ohio county set up for collecting absentee ballots cast in the November presidential election, and where can they be located? A flurry of sometimes conflicting court rulings on Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose's directive restricting the boxes to one per county, combined with steps LaRose has taken attempting to clarify the issue, have made it more confusing. A: The first directive, issued on Aug. 12, prohibited installing drop boxes "at any other location other than the board of elections."
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| Cuba is elected to the U.N. Human Rights Council despite increased government repression Posted: 13 Oct 2020 11:12 AM PDT  The United Nations General Assembly elected Cuba on Tuesday as a member of the Human Rights Council despite protests by activists and civil society organizations that have denounced multiple human-rights violations committed by the Cuban regime.
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| Barrett cites 'Ginsburg rule' that Ginsburg didn't follow Posted: 13 Oct 2020 10:27 AM PDT  Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett invoked Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at her Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday in refusing to discuss her view of gay rights and the Constitution. It's become a standard response by Republican high court nominees to recite Ginsburg's words from her own confirmation hearing. Ginsburg, who died last month, did utter those words 27 years ago, saying "A judge sworn to decide impartially can offer no forecasts, no hints for that would show not only disregard for the specifics of the particular case, it would display disdain for the entire judicial process."
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| Trump Seals Kim Jong Un Bromance with Shoutout Despite Mega-Missile Show Posted: 13 Oct 2020 10:20 AM PDT  SEOUL—Let the missiles fall where they may, President Trump is still smitten by North Korea's Kim Jong Un.Trump, who famously said he and Kim "fell in love" in their summit in Singapore in June 2018, proclaimed Kim "100 percent sharp" at a campaign rally in Florida this week. It was part of a dig against the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, saying "We have someone running who is not 100 percent."Trump's shout out to Kim among a pantheon of dictatorial leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping was his first mention of the North Korean potentate since he showed off what purports to be his biggest missile yet. Whether the missile was real or a make-believe mock-up was not clear, but the image of an 11-axle vehicle transporting it past Kim and an array of military and civilian leaders was definitely the highlight of a weekend parade of military might in Pyongyang.How Kim Jong Un 'Played' Donald TrumpTrump, however, was not alarmed. "Whatever happened to the war we were supposed to be in with Kim Jong-un?" he asked.No doubt about it, Trump's love for Kim is not one-sided.In the aftermath of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of his ruling Workers' Party, the impression was that Kim would still like nothing better than to see his man in the White House hold on to his job for another four years.How else could Kim be sure of building on his three meetings with Trump even though, as the display of that giant missile and a lot of other hardware made clear, he's giving up nothing, including his nuclear warheads? "I think he will be willing to do a quick deal with Trump if he wins in November," said Victor Cha, a veteran of the White House staff during the George W. Bush presidency and now a professor at Georgetown.So doing, Cha reasoned, Kim and Trump could "pick up the pieces from Hanoi"—an allusion to their failed second summit in the Vietnam capital in February 2019 that collapsed when Trump cut off the talks after Kim balked at concessions on nukes."Trump might even throw in some U.S. troops," said Cha, meaning Trump might talk about withdrawing some of the 28,500 U.S. troops in Korea as part of the deal. "He hates having them on the peninsula," Cha noted, and he could use their withdrawal "as leverage" against South Korea in negotiating for a vast increase in the amount the South pays for the cost of U.S. bases and troops.With the goal of a deal still within reach if Trump wins, Kim is refraining from ordering nuclear or missile tests. While North Korean scientists and engineers are presumably still fabricating missiles and nukes, Kim has not ordered a nuclear test since September 2017. The North's last missile test was two months later.Despite his emotional thanks for "the devotion" of his soldiers "on the anti-epidemic front" and for "removing the aftereffects of natural disasters," including typhoons, Kim left no doubt his regime had "never intended to carry out its line of equal development of the nuclear program and the economy," said Robert Collins, who has spent decades analyzing intelligence for the U.S. command here. "It has always been nukes first, economy somewhere well behind."Where Is Kim Yo Jong? Kim Jong Un's Sister Goes Missing From Big Party MeetingKim's core message was that he could destroy his enemies if he had to. "Our war deterrent is being developed not for aiming at others," he said, but "in order to defend ourselves." That message was clearly intended to show a certain forbearance while Kim considers whether or when to order more nuclear and missile tests."Most important, it laid the foundation for continued blackmail diplomacy with the South and the U.S.," said David Maxwell, retired army colonel, now senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. While trying "to coerce the South to make concessions" despite its alliance with the U.S., the message was also to show "patience with the U.S." in order to "continue its political warfare strategy after the November election" no matter whether Trump or Biden wins."Kim clearly knows that this is a sensitive time in Washington, in the middle of a presidential election campaign," said Shim Jae-hoon, long-time contributor to Yale Global. "He fully appreciates Trump's unpredictable behavior so much so that he wants to avoid upsetting him at this time. Kim wants to avoid making his nuclear weapons a major campaign issue."If North Korea appears largely overlooked in the current campaign, however, it's got to emerge as a major issue afterward. And if Biden wins, he could be expected to order a whole new review process that would eradicate whatever special relationship Trump thinks he has formed with Kim.Brian McKeon, former deputy undersecretary of defense, now advising Biden on foreign policy, indicated a go-slow approach that Kim's not going to like.The Biden administration, McKeon said in an interview with Yonhap, the South Korean news agency, would work with "our treaty allies in Japan and Seoul" along with China, North Korea's lone ally and benefactor, "toward what we think is a common goal that everyone shares—denuclearized North Korea and ensuring peace and prosperity in the region."As for asking South Korea to agree to a vast increase in payment for U.S. bases and troops, as Trump has demanded, McKeon indicated the U.S. would be far more flexible. "We would approach those negotiations in an objective manner and not use them as a cudgel against our ally," he was quoted as saying.South Korea's ambassador to the U.S., Lee Soo-hyuck, agreed there would be huge differences between Trump and Biden on North Korea. Biden appointees, including some from the Obama years, would likely conduct "low-level reviews," he said, "with the president giving his approval rather than employing a top-down approach."Regardless, Lee Sung-yoon at the Fletcher School of Tufts University believes another test of an intercontinental ballistic missile is going to happen—and a deal to end the nuclear program is out of the question."For Kim to behave and disarm would be to relegate himself to his true status as a cruel dictator presiding over a small, poor and backward kingdom," said Lee. "As Trump pretends the North Korean nuclear threat is over," he argued, "Kim is showing the world who's the boss."Might a Biden victory be all that Kim needs to resume testing? "If Biden wins," said Victor Cha at Georgetown. "I think North Korea will start provocations because they would want to signal that strategic patience will not be tolerated."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Trips by Trump, Biden illustrate calculations on voting map Posted: 13 Oct 2020 10:19 AM PDT  With Election Day just three weeks away, President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden concentrated Tuesday on battleground states both see as critical to clinching an Electoral College victory, tailoring their travel to best motivate voters who could cast potentially decisive ballots. While Trump visited Pennsylvania, Biden hit Florida to court seniors, betting that a voting bloc that buoyed Trump four years ago has become disenchanted with the White House's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. It was Biden's third visit to the state in a month, after making targeted appeals to other communities, including veterans and Latinos.
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| End Sars protest: Nigeria police to free all protesters Posted: 13 Oct 2020 10:15 AM PDT  The police chief says he has also ordered officers to stop using force against demonstrators.
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| AP FACT CHECK: Sen. Graham and Biden on Obamacare, Barrett Posted: 13 Oct 2020 09:49 AM PDT  The senator leading Supreme Court confirmation hearings Tuesday launched into revisionist history on "Obamacare," implying it was designed to help Democratic states like California, New York and Massachusetts while doling out less to states like his, South Carolina. In doing so, Sen. Lindsey Graham skipped over the fact that health insurance is generally more expensive in places with a high cost of living. Also, South Carolina is among 12 conservative states that have not adopted the law's Medicaid expansion, a big source of federal subsidies.
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| Saudi Arabia presides over G-20 interfaith forum Posted: 13 Oct 2020 09:24 AM PDT |
| Cut cable shuts down Virginia voter portal; lawsuit filed Posted: 13 Oct 2020 09:05 AM PDT  An accidentally severed fiber optic cable that shut down Virginia's online voter registration system for several hours Tuesday, the last day to register before the November general election, has prompted a lawsuit from a civil rights organization. Six hours later, the Department of Elections issued a statement saying the portal was back online. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit Tuesday night saying voter registration must be extended for 48 hours and that the state should make "a significant effort" to tell the public about the change.
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| North Korea's new massive missiles 'not much more of a threat,' Gen. Jack Keane says Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:30 AM PDT |
| Barrett hearing turns to discussion of few high court cases Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:22 AM PDT  Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Tuesday quickly turned to discussion of a few notable high court cases, including key decisions on abortion and gun rights. Barrett was nominated by President Donald Trump to take the seat vacated by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18. GOP senators are moving swiftly on the nomination because they want her on the bench in time for Election Day, Nov. 3.
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| From a poor childhood to the opera stage—this tenor's amazing journey Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:19 AM PDT  "I swear to you, I never dreamed that all these things would happen in my life, because I come from a very humble place," the tenor and U.N. goodwill ambassador said.
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| From a poor childhood to the opera stage—this tenor's amazing journey Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:19 AM PDT  "I swear to you, I never dreamed that all these things would happen in my life, because I come from a very humble place," the tenor and U.N. goodwill ambassador said.
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| The Latest: Biden criticizes Trump for misleading Fauci ad Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:16 AM PDT  Democrat Joe Biden is criticizing President Donald Trump for a campaign ad that wrongly suggests that Dr. Anthony Fauci is in the president's corner. Making his second stop in Broward County, Florida, on Tuesday, Biden blasted Trump for "quoting Dr. Fauci out of context" after the president spent months downplaying the COVID-19 threat. Biden told hundreds of supporters at a drive-in rally in Miramar that "we are so much better than this."
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| UK's Johnson, EU's Von der Leyen to discuss Brexit on Wednesday Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:14 AM PDT |
| Despite virus fears, Texas sends most voters to the polls Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:08 AM PDT  Early voting began Tuesday with long lines in Texas, one of the few places in the U.S. not allowing widespread mail balloting during the pandemic, and Jill Biden rallied supporters across the red state that Democrats are no longer writing off. Texas is one of just five states that did not dramatically expand mail-in voting this year because of COVID-19. Both the virus and Texas' high stakes in November were front-of-mind in Jill Biden's first stop, the border city of El Paso, where Abbott has deployed more nurses and medical equipment as cases and hospitalizations climb.
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| Supreme Court halts census in latest twist of 2020 count Posted: 13 Oct 2020 08:00 AM PDT  The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration can stop census field operations early, ending a lawsuit that warned the truncated schedule will lead to minorities being undercounted in the crucial once-a-decade head count. The Supreme Court justices' ruling came as the nation's largest association of statisticians, and even the bureau's own census takers and partners, have been raising questions about the quality of the data being gathered — numbers that are used to determine how much federal funding is allotted to states and localities, and how many congressional seats each states gets. At issue was a request by the Trump administration that the Supreme Court suspend a lower court's order extending the 2020 census through the end of October following delays caused by the pandemic.
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| EU has "serious concerns" about UK implementation of Brexit treaty Posted: 13 Oct 2020 07:43 AM PDT |
| NASA moon-landing tech hitches ride to space on Bezos rocket Posted: 13 Oct 2020 07:43 AM PDT  Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space company launched a New Shepard rocket for a seventh time from a remote corner of Texas on Tuesday, testing new lunar-landing technology for NASA that could help put astronauts back on the moon. NASA's navigation equipment for future moon landings was located on the booster. The sensors and computer — tested during the booster's descent and touchdown — will hitch another suborbital ride with Blue Origin.
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| WRAPUP 2 -EU pushes UK to budge at "critical stage" in Brexit talks Posted: 13 Oct 2020 07:05 AM PDT |
| Sudan’s premier sacks provincial governor after protests Posted: 13 Oct 2020 07:02 AM PDT |
| The Latest: Day 2 of Barrett confirmation hearings wraps Posted: 13 Oct 2020 06:01 AM PDT  The second day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is finished after nearly 12 hours. GOP senators are moving at a breakneck pace to confirm Barrett ahead of the Nov. 3 election. President Donald Trump nominated her just days after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Sept. 18.
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| Palestinian premier: 'God help us' if Trump wins re-election Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:48 AM PDT  The Palestinian prime minister said Tuesday it will be disastrous for his people and the world at large if President Donald Trump wins re-election next month. Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the last four years of the Trump administration have greatly harmed the Palestinians. "If we are going to live another four years with President Trump, God help us, God help you and God help the whole world," Shtayyeh said Tuesday, repeating comments he made a day earlier in a remote meeting with European lawmakers.
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| Biden addresses idea of high court packing: 'I'm not a fan' Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:46 AM PDT  Joe Biden says he is "not a fan" of adding seats to the Supreme Court, after weeks of avoiding questions about the idea that's been pushed by progressives and used by Republicans to attack him. Biden argued that the focus should remain on President Donald Trump and Republicans' efforts to push through Amy Coney Barrett as a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the Nov. 3 election. "That's the court-packing the public should be focused on," he said.
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| Angela Merkel warns EU to get ready for no deal ahead of Boris Johnson's Brexit deadline Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:34 AM PDT  Angela Merkel warned the EU must get ready for UK trade negotiations to fail as Boris Johnson told ministers the UK should have "no fear" over a no deal Brexit if his October 15 deadline is missed on Thursday. The Prime Minister told his Cabinet he believed a deal could still be done by Thursday's European Council summit in two days' time but that was ruled out by Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator. Mr Johnson will speak to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Wednesday after being briefed on whether a free trade agreement is in sight by David Frost, his chief negotiator. Mrs Merkel said the EU wanted to secure the trade deal and appeared to urge other member states to compromise in a speech to a Brussels-based EU institution. "Unfortunately we have to prepare for the event there will be no agreement," the German Chancellor said, "We also have to take into account the reality; an agreement has to be in the interests of both parties, in British interests as well as the interests of the 27 member European Union." In Luxembourg, Mr Barnier told Europe Ministers that not enough progress had been made on fisheries, the level playing field or enforcement to get the deal done by the summit. He made it clear he expects negotiations to continue beyond Mr Johnson's deadline until the end of the month. EU diplomats said that Mr Barnier had their' "full support". UK government sources claimed Michel Barnier was to blame if the deadline was missed. They accused him of being unable to marshall the 27 member states behind necessary compromises in sectors such as fishing, where France has vowed to show "no weakness". "The EU will continue to work for a fair deal in the coming days and weeks," Michel Barnier tweeted. "There is some movement here and there, but it is not sufficient by far and no tunnel in sight," an EU diplomat said. The "tunnel" is Brussels jargon for secret intense talks to clinch a deal. "Level playing field, fisheries and enforcement measures remain the key controversial issues," the diplomat said. "The EU have been using the old playbook in which they thought running down the clock would work against the UK," a British government source said. "But in fact all these tactics have achieved is to get us to the middle of October with lots of work that could have been done left undone."
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| New Research Finds No Deal Brexit Could Cost Britain $174 Billion a Year Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:29 AM PDT |
| Yemen officials say man has killed 12 in family dispute Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:26 AM PDT |
| Shipping Needs Tighter Limits on Greenhouse-Gas Emissions Posted: 13 Oct 2020 05:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Shipping emits a much greater share of greenhouse-gas emissions than you might think — more than a million tons annually, nearly 3% of the global total, and rising steadily.The problem is soluble — but work to solve it has been outrageously slow. Any further delay is unacceptable. A strong international push joined by governments, banks, businesses, ports and the shipping industry itself is needed right now to clean up the sector.Why has so little been done? One big reason is that the more than 50,000 ships that carry freight internationally, hauling 90% of the world's cargo and emitting as much carbon dioxide as Germany, operate largely beyond the scope of any country's emissions limits. The United Nations' International Maritime Organization, the world's shipping regulator, sets goals, but progress requires action by national governments. Many have close ties with the shipping business and would prefer to avoid strict new rules. This needs to change. Ports and businesses also need to take action, collectively and individually.In 2018 the IMO set a target of reducing greenhouse gases from shipping at least 50% by 2050. And starting this year, ships are required to scrub most of the sulfur out of their emissions, or use cleaner-burning fuels. These moves were much too timid. If the world is to avoid warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, the goal must be much more ambitious. Over the next few years, the IMO is expected to dial up its goals for decarbonization. This work needs to accelerate, with governments following through promptly.Cleaner ocean transport is eminently possible: Improvements in shipping technology, more efficient operations, and use of clean power could almost eliminate shipping emissions by 2035, according to an OECD study.The faster ships travel, the more fuel they use — so the most immediate way to improve energy efficiency is get them to slow down. Lowering speed by 10% can cut fuel use for the voyage nearly 20%.Another strategy has been to use lower-carbon natural gas, though this has led to higher emissions of methane, which is especially bad for the climate. Instead, shipping needs to switch to advanced biofuels and zero-carbon fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, now being developed.Ships made of lighter materials with slender hulls, air-lubrication technology, advanced propellers and other innovative features use significantly less fuel — especially compared with the oldest bulk carriers and tankers, which are only minimally streamlined. New wind technologies are in the works, including designs for both soft and rigid sails, wingsails, towing kites, rotating cylinders and wind turbines — some combined with solar cells and paired with batteries. It's essential to get started right away replacing old ships with more efficient. Ships typically last 20 to 30 years, so it will take time to overturn the entire global fleet.Governments can help by recognizing their responsibility to regulate ships traveling from port to port within their borders. This traffic accounts for 30% of all shipping emissions, according to the IMO. The commitments that countries made under the Paris climate agreement demand that they regulate these emissions. They can and should do so with low-carbon fuel standards, speed limits, investments in advanced shipping technology and other efforts.The European Parliament is considering including shipping emissions in the EU carbon market starting next year, which would require shippers to pay for the carbon pollution they produce. This is a good idea that Europe should embrace — and a good model for other countries and the IMO alike.Banks and other businesses can play a crucial role, as well. Some banks already incorporate emissions targets in their financing of new ships, and disclose the carbon intensity of their shipping portfolios. Companies whose goods and materials travel by water can express their preference for cleaner ships by signing contracts now to send freight on the first zero-emissions vessels. Ports can help lower emissions by reducing ships' waiting time, supplying clean electricity so they can turn off their engines while docked, extending discount prices and other incentives for energy efficiency, and preparing the storage tanks and other infrastructure that will be needed to supply low- and zero-emissions fuel.Shipping-company executives have already accepted their responsibility to clean up sulfur, particulates and other harmful pollutants in ship exhaust; they are coming to recognize the need to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and the IMO is taking some steps to get them moving. But the efforts shouldn't stop there. All who participate in and depend on world trade have a stake, and should do what they can to speed this disgracefully overdue transition.Editorials are written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| AP-NORC poll: New angst for caregivers in time of COVID-19 Posted: 13 Oct 2020 04:59 AM PDT  The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds that 17% of Americans say they are providing ongoing caregiving, part of an informal volunteer corps. About 1 in 10 caregivers has begun since the virus outbreak, and about half of those say they are providing care specifically because of the pandemic. For Chad Reese, of Canton, Ohio, caregiving has coincided with the pandemic.
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| WWII jungle fighting unit approved for congressional medal Posted: 13 Oct 2020 04:41 AM PDT  The soldiers spent months behind enemy lines, marching hundreds of miles through the tangled jungles and steep mountains of Burma as they battled hunger and disease between firefights with Japanese forces during their secret mission. In February 1944, the American jungle fighting unit nicknamed Merrill's Marauders set out to capture a Japanese-held airfield and open an Allied supply route between India and China. Starting with 3,000 soldiers, the Marauders completed their mission five months later with barely 200 men still in the fight.
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| Bipartisan Christian group forms super PAC to oppose Trump Posted: 13 Oct 2020 04:00 AM PDT  A group of prominent Christians from both sides of the aisle, including a past faith adviser to former President Barack Obama, is forming a political action committee designed to chip away at Christian support for President Donald Trump in the final weeks of the 2020 campaign. Dubbed Not Our Faith, the new super PAC plans to roll out six-figure TV and digital ads focused on Christian voters — particularly the evangelical and Catholic voters who helped power Trump to victory in 2016. Its first digital ad, set to run in Michigan and Pennsylvania, takes sharp aim at Trump's claim to a foothold with Christians.
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| EU unity on Brexit strong, working for a fair deal, Barnier says Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:48 AM PDT |
| Judge probing Beirut blast receives FBI's investigation Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:38 AM PDT |
| The tale of Algeria's stolen cannon and France's cockerel Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:37 AM PDT  Hopes grow that a gigantic weapon stolen after the invasion of Algiers in 1830 may soon be returned.
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| Global Advanced Process Control Industry Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:37 AM PDT |
| Chronic Diseases Tend To Lead To Kidney Failure, Thus An Increase Drives The Dialysis Devices And Equipment Market Posted: 13 Oct 2020 03:00 AM PDT |
| Global Agricultural Enzymes Industry Posted: 13 Oct 2020 02:17 AM PDT |
