rawstory--2020-01-07--Donald Trump’s madman theory could work if he was actually a ‘very stable genius’ — and not a lumber

Donald Trump’s madman theory could work if he was actually a ‘very stable genius’ — and not a lumbering klutz

Whether intentional or a simulation , plenty of despots and strongmen since then have engaged in this “ madman theory , ” too often with terrifying consequences .
More recently , Richard Nixon gave it whirl when confronting the Soviet Union and its satellites , telegraphing an irrational anything-goes approach intended to scare the Kremlin into submission .
Given Nixon ’ s precedent , it makes perfect sense that Donald Trump would take a stab at recycling this dangerously high-stakes foreign policy approach when he knee-jerked his way into nuclear brinksmanship with North Korea in 2017 .
Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Kim Jong-un somehow evolved into several masturbatory summit meetings with the murderous dictator ( I mean Kim , not Trump ) , which ultimately led to nowhere , with Kim calling Trump ’ s bluff and resuming his nuclear program , making Trump look like the impotent sucker he is while embarrassing the United States .
I doubt that was all part of Trump ’ s plan .
Contrary to his desperate spin on the topic , Trump ’ s version of the madman theory failed miserably .
North Korea is nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ungainly experiment in statecraft cosplay .
Kim played the president like a fiddle , diminishing America ’ s moral authority as well as our international street cred .
The lesson ?
If you ’ re an isolated foreign leader who ’ s provoking the United States , Donald Trump will threaten “ fire and fury ” only to back down as soon as you coquettishly smile in his direction , elevating and empowering your leadership by duping the American president into appearing for summits and joint photo ops , and ultimately allowing you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new authority .
Trump never learned that lesson .
Neither he nor his Red Hat disciples are bright enough to grasp that his North Korea gambit was a colossal foreign policy blunder , with negative ramifications not only on the Korean peninsula but around the world .
This lesson-not-learned is precisely why Trump is resurrecting the madman theory with Iran .
Yes , because it worked out so well with North Korea , Trump is defining insanity by repeating the madman theory , this time with Iran , not fully comprehending the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two so-called “ Axis of Evil ” nations .
He ’ s not nearly shrewd enough to realize this will fail again , but in a completely different way .
The madman theory explains Trump ’ s disturbingly sanguine threats since the military killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last week .
Not only has Trump threatened to commit war crimes by suggesting he ’ d authorize military strikes against cultural sites in Iran , he has also tweeted about “ disproportionate ” responses to any further Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most psychotic moments ever , announced that he “ doesn ’ t do exit strategies.
” Talking about repeating mistakes .
Oh , and when asked whether he ’ s concerned about American casualties in the escalation , Trump responded , “ If it happens , it happens.
” In other words , the commander in chief responded to the notion of dead Americans , soldiers and citizens , by basically saying shit happens .
Hell , even Donald Trump Jr. took a break from mutilating and murdering exotic animals to join his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off a machine gun with an emblem from the Crusades carved into the side .
All this screeching by the president has been hamfistedly yanked directly from the madman playbook .
The problem , however , is that Trump is mentally incapable of handling the chaos he ’ s manifesting should Iran ignore his frenetic bellicosity and proceed with its red-flagged threats of war .
It ’ s true that previous commanders in chief , including Barack Obama , have engaged in assassinations against bad actors and enemy leaders alike , but most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least a modest capacity to handle the aftermath , or were surrounded by cooler heads who knew what was appropriate and what was suicide .
There ’ s none of that in the current White House .
It ’ s just Trump — the poseur who once needed three tries to accurately spell “ hereby.
” Not only has Trump alienated and fired most of the alleged “ wise men ” from his administration , but it ’ s an understatement to observe that he simply doesn ’ t possess the aptitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much less the smarts to understand the vast sectarian nuances of the broader Middle East .
We ’ re talking about an incompetent , emotionally unstable reality-show clown who has defended Nazis as “ very fine people , ” traded arms for foreign election interference and reportedly wanted to nuke hurricanes ( which he calls “ water dumps “ ) .
Knowing this , does anyone who ’ s not brainwashed by Fox News seriously believe that the man who wanted to buy Greenland on a whim understands the most basic of concepts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunni , for example ?
Of course not .
I believe him when he says there ’ s no exit strategy in all this .
Indeed , there ’ s no strategy at all , only madness and the wholesale rejection of American values .
As Jonathan Chait wrote in New York magazine , Trump is deliberately adopting the behavior of our enemies , believing that in order to win , he must act like them .
Trump has long dismissed respect for human rights , international law and innocent life as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 campaign , he promised to kill the families of terrorists , steal oil from countries the U.S. invades and restore torture .
“ Don ’ t tell me it doesn ’ t work — torture works , ” Trump said in 2016 .
“ OK , folks ?
Torture — you know , half these guys [ say ] : ‘ Torture doesn ’ t work.
’ Believe me , it works .
OK ?
” But does he understand where this approach will lead us ?
Not a chance in hell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American voters are sufficiently fooled into believing the ensuing chaos is someone else ’ s fault , it ’ s a win for him no matter how large the body count gets .
One thing everyone can agree on : Trump isn ’ t a long-gamer .
He ’ s transactional .
Short-term wins , whether they ’ re actual wins or not , are what interests him .
As far as he ’ s concerned , he ’ ll be out of office and long dead while we ’ re still dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East adventurism .
Iran , ultimately , will be someone else ’ s problem .
This isn ’ t as much about the Soleimani killing as it is about the incompetence of the president who ordered it — it ’ s about what happens next , as well as what happens 10 moves down the line .
Are we really prepared for Trump ’ s handling of the escalation three , four or five attacks and counterattacks from where we are today ?
Not only are we unprepared for the military ramifications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely not prepared for the Shia freelancers who could turn up with car bombs at outdoor markets — suicide bombers at nightclubs and other population centers , on American soil or elsewhere .
How does Trump react to something like that ?
Either he ’ ll chicken out , or he ’ ll react in ways that ’ ll make Dick Cheney ’ s war crimes look like a Marianne Williamson lifestyle brand .
Trump ’ s Iran plot will end badly , if it ends at all .
The madman theory is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leader who ’ s playing such a perilous game — a leader savvy enough to recognize when the madman thing is played out .
But there ’ s no off position on Trump ’ s madman switch .
He ’ s wired to be a slow-on-the-uptake kaiju monster , a generalissimo-style strongman , howling and stomping when he should be thinking and strategizing with experts .
Trump ’ s actions aren ’ t the moves of a “ very stable genius , ” but rather the impulses of a lumbering klutz who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small thinking .
And we ’ re all standing too close to the Trump propeller as its screws loosen .

Whether intentional or a simulation, plenty of despots and strongmen since then have engaged in this “madman theory,” too often with terrifying consequences. More recently, Richard Nixon gave it whirl when confronting the Soviet Union and its satellites, telegraphing an irrational anything-goes approach intended to scare the Kremlin into submission.
Given Nixon’s precedent, it makes perfect sense that Donald Trump would take a stab at recycling this dangerously high-stakes foreign policy approach when he knee-jerked his way into nuclear brinksmanship with North Korea in 2017. Trump’s “fire and fury” threatgasms directed at Kim Jong-un somehow evolved into several masturbatory summit meetings with the murderous dictator (I mean Kim, not Trump), which ultimately led to nowhere, with Kim calling Trump’s bluff and resuming his nuclear program, making Trump look like the impotent sucker he is while embarrassing the United States. I doubt that was all part of Trump’s plan.
Contrary to his desperate spin on the topic, Trump’s version of the madman theory failed miserably. North Korea is nothing if not emboldened by Trump’s ungainly experiment in statecraft cosplay. Kim played the president like a fiddle, diminishing America’s moral authority as well as our international street cred.
The lesson? If you’re an isolated foreign leader who’s provoking the United States, Donald Trump will threaten “fire and fury” only to back down as soon as you coquettishly smile in his direction, elevating and empowering your leadership by duping the American president into appearing for summits and joint photo ops, and ultimately allowing you to resume the aforementioned provocations with all new authority.
Trump never learned that lesson. Neither he nor his Red Hat disciples are bright enough to grasp that his North Korea gambit was a colossal foreign policy blunder, with negative ramifications not only on the Korean peninsula but around the world. This lesson-not-learned is precisely why Trump is resurrecting the madman theory with Iran.
Yes, because it worked out so well with North Korea, Trump is defining insanity by repeating the madman theory, this time with Iran, not fully comprehending the vast cultural, religious and political differences between the two so-called “Axis of Evil” nations. He’s not nearly shrewd enough to realize this will fail again, but in a completely different way.
The madman theory explains Trump’s disturbingly sanguine threats since the military killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last week. Not only has Trump threatened to commit war crimes by suggesting he’d authorize military strikes against cultural sites in Iran, he has also tweeted about “disproportionate” responses to any further Iranian aggression and, in one of his most psychotic moments ever, announced that he “doesn’t do exit strategies.” Talking about repeating mistakes. Oh, and when asked whether he’s concerned about American casualties in the escalation, Trump responded, “If it happens, it happens.” In other words, the commander in chief responded to the notion of dead Americans, soldiers and citizens, by basically saying shit happens. Hell, even Donald Trump Jr. took a break from mutilating and murdering exotic animals to join his dad in the madman game, showing off a machine gun with an emblem from the Crusades carved into the side.
All this screeching by the president has been hamfistedly yanked directly from the madman playbook. The problem, however, is that Trump is mentally incapable of handling the chaos he’s manifesting should Iran ignore his frenetic bellicosity and proceed with its red-flagged threats of war.
It’s true that previous commanders in chief, including Barack Obama, have engaged in assassinations against bad actors and enemy leaders alike, but most if not all of those presidents displayed at least a modest capacity to handle the aftermath, or were surrounded by cooler heads who knew what was appropriate and what was suicide. There’s none of that in the current White House. It’s just Trump — the poseur who once needed three tries to accurately spell “hereby.”
Not only has Trump alienated and fired most of the alleged “wise men” from his administration, but it’s an understatement to observe that he simply doesn’t possess the aptitude to find Tehran on a map, much less the smarts to understand the vast sectarian nuances of the broader Middle East. We’re talking about an incompetent, emotionally unstable reality-show clown who has defended Nazis as “very fine people,” traded arms for foreign election interference and reportedly wanted to nuke hurricanes (which he calls "water dumps"). Knowing this, does anyone who’s not brainwashed by Fox News seriously believe that the man who wanted to buy Greenland on a whim understands the most basic of concepts here — the differences between Shia and Sunni, for example? Of course not.
I believe him when he says there’s no exit strategy in all this. Indeed, there’s no strategy at all, only madness and the wholesale rejection of American values. As Jonathan Chait wrote in New York magazine, Trump is deliberately adopting the behavior of our enemies, believing that in order to win, he must act like them.
Trump has long dismissed respect for human rights, international law and innocent life as a form of political correctness. During the 2016 campaign, he promised to kill the families of terrorists, steal oil from countries the U.S. invades and restore torture. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t work — torture works,” Trump said in 2016. “OK, folks? Torture — you know, half these guys [say]: ‘Torture doesn’t work.’ Believe me, it works. OK?”
But does he understand where this approach will lead us? Not a chance in hell. As long as 44 percent of American voters are sufficiently fooled into believing the ensuing chaos is someone else’s fault, it’s a win for him no matter how large the body count gets. One thing everyone can agree on: Trump isn’t a long-gamer. He’s transactional. Short-term wins, whether they’re actual wins or not, are what interests him. As far as he’s concerned, he’ll be out of office and long dead while we’re still dealing with the long-term blowback from his making-it-up-as-he-goes Middle East adventurism. Iran, ultimately, will be someone else’s problem.
This isn’t as much about the Soleimani killing as it is about the incompetence of the president who ordered it — it’s about what happens next, as well as what happens 10 moves down the line. Are we really prepared for Trump’s handling of the escalation three, four or five attacks and counterattacks from where we are today? Not only are we unprepared for the military ramifications of all this, we’re definitely not prepared for the Shia freelancers who could turn up with car bombs at outdoor markets — suicide bombers at nightclubs and other population centers, on American soil or elsewhere. How does Trump react to something like that? Either he’ll chicken out, or he’ll react in ways that’ll make Dick Cheney’s war crimes look like a Marianne Williamson lifestyle brand.
Trump’s Iran plot will end badly, if it ends at all.
The madman theory is only as effective as the aptitude of the leader who’s playing such a perilous game — a leader savvy enough to recognize when the madman thing is played out. But there’s no off position on Trump’s madman switch. He’s wired to be a slow-on-the-uptake kaiju monster, a generalissimo-style strongman, howling and stomping when he should be thinking and strategizing with experts. Trump’s actions aren’t the moves of a “very stable genius,” but rather the impulses of a lumbering klutz who talks a big game to mask his small thinking. And we’re all standing too close to the Trump propeller as its screws loosen.


rawstory--2020-01-07--Rand Paul blasts Suleimani killing as a threat to national security: ‘There will be an escalation’

On Fox News Tuesday , Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) , usually a staunch ally of President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ that killed Iranian military leader Qassim Suleimani , warning that it will endanger American national @ @ @ @ @ States closer to war with Iran .
“ If you ’ re asking yourself , @ @ @ @ @ America , I think there ’ s much more likely to be attacks now with @ @ @ @ @ Paul , who is known for a noninterventionist streak that cuts against his party on @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But you also have to ask , if anybody thinks there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ work , how it ’ s going to work when you kill the major general @ @ @ @ @ I think what we ’ ve done is taken diplomacy off the table , and @ @ @ @ @ military escalation , ” added Paul .
“ It ’ s unknown how much military @ @ @ @ @ there will be an escalation .
”

Trained in political science and the law, he has no formal education in disaster preparedness or response. And prior to his current role, he never held a full-time job dedicated to emergency management.
Instead, his main qualification was being chief of staff to then-mayor Alan Arakawa. But in that role, he told Civil Beat Tuesday, he assisted during emergency operations. And he said he participated in online FEMA trainings and workshops throughout the years.
In 2017, Andaya beat out 40 other applicants for the job, Maui Now reported at the time.
As the mayor’s administration was coming to a close, a panel of government officials – which said it was independent of the mayor – chose Andaya for the civil service role.
Civil Beat reviewed Andaya’s experience after historic Lahaina was swallowed by an inferno last week, killing scores of residents and visitors who never saw it coming.
The Maui Emergency Management Agency had the authority to issue siren warnings that might have alerted people. After Andaya’s agency decided not to sound them, many survivors reported they only became aware of the fire when they saw and smelled smoke.
Andaya said sounding the sirens wasn’t an option officials considered because they’re “mainly used for tsunamis.” That’s why they’re mostly located on the coast, he said.
But the state’s own website says the sirens are useful for many kinds of emergencies.
“The all-hazard siren system can be used for a variety of both natural and human-caused events; including tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, hazardous material incidents, and more,” the site states.
Andaya wasn’t on the island when the fires started, and he hasn’t made any appearances at press conferences since the disaster occurred.
Asked about Andaya’s resume, David Hafner, a retired telecommunications planner for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, questioned whether his relative inexperience affected his agency’s performance in a crisis.
“It’s a good ol’ boy network,” Hafner said. “This time it cost lives.”
Hafner said it’s “absolutely essential” for emergency management leaders to have experience in the field so they make the right decisions both before and after disasters strike.
Not having it, he said, “can lead to grave mistakes in judgment.”
Andaya’s hiring came at a time when Hawaii’s counties had just taken on increased responsibility for disaster response, according to Hafner. State emergency management officials used to be the designated authority to respond to emergencies, he said, but an update to the law in 2014 put the counties in the driver’s seat.
Asked about Andaya’s LinkedIn resume, Colin Moore, a political scientist at the University of Hawaii, said he was shocked by the emergency administrator’s lack of relevant experience. He said the public is owed an explanation.
“It’s a legitimate question to ask why the person leading the county emergency services agency has no clear background in fire, police, public health, the usual emergency services backgrounds,” he said.
“Having that on-the-ground experience, you develop the instincts and the connections to be able to perform a job like this. And if you just have general government experience, there is just no opportunity to have that kind of on-the-ground knowledge that often is really useful in a crisis.”
Andaya said as a former member of the mayor’s cabinet, he was qualified for the job.
“Whenever there was an activation in the emergency operations center, we were involved,” he said. “To say that I have no experience or no background in emergency management is not correct.”
‘Political Influence’ A Concern
Andaya, 52, is from Maui and graduated from HP Baldwin High School.
He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Hawaii Manoa. He also has a law degree from the UH Richardson School of Law, although he never became a licensed attorney, according to the Hawaii State Bar Association’s online database.
He began his career clerking for Maui Judge Artemio Baxa. He then worked for the law office of Lynn Araki-Regan, an attorney who is the wife of Arakawa’s managing director, Keith Regan.
When Andaya vacated his position as chief of staff, it was filled by Araki-Regan, who was by then the county budget director. Regan said he had no involvement in Andaya’s hiring.
From the early 2000s onward, Andaya has held leadership positions in Maui’s Department of Housing and Human Concerns and worked as the assistant to the chancellor of UH’s Maui College, according to his LinkedIn resume. He is married to Rowena Dagdag-Andaya, a former elementary school teacher who served as Maui’s public works director and now works in Maui’s Office on Aging.
Andaya was Arakawa’s chief of staff from 2011 through 2017. That year, the mayor appointed him acting administrator of MEMA, and he became permanent by the end of that year.
In contrast, Honolulu’s emergency management director, Hiro Toiya, has technical training in emergency response, worked for years as a preparedness planner for the Hawaii health department and rose up the ranks of Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management. He worked there for more than seven years before becoming the director.
Asked how he stood out among a pool of 40 job candidates, Andaya said Maui doesn’t have a lot of emergency management professionals to begin with. He noted that he had to take an exam and based on his score was determined to be a finalist.
“You would have to question the civil service process if you can believe that politics was involved,” he said. “This is something that my predecessors have to go through as well.”
Before Andaya was hired, there were concerns in Maui’s political scene that the county was considering someone who wasn’t qualified.
“In the past, this position has sometimes been filled by individuals without the proper emergency response background.”
Former Maui County Council Chairman Mike White
In July 2017, the chair of the Maui County Council at the time, Mike White, took the unusual step of writing a Maui News column warning that the job of emergency management was too important to be “subject to political influence.”
“In the past, this position has sometimes been filled by individuals without the proper emergency response background,” White wrote.
“The administration must search for well-qualified candidates who can make a seamless transition in leading our Emergency Management Agency. The stakes are too high and our community has grown to a point where emergency coordination has become quite sophisticated in its implementation.”
In his column, White praised the outgoing emergency management chief, Anna Foust, who had previously worked for years leading the Maui branch of the Red Cross. White emphasized her expertise.
“During her tenure, she used her emergency response experience and training to help guide the county to keep citizens safe during hurricane warnings and watches, flooding events and tsunami warnings,” White wrote.
Civil Beat wasn’t able to reach White for comment.
Panel Of Specialists Chose Andaya
On Tuesday, Arakawa’s former managing director, Keith Regan, said that politics was not a factor in Andaya’s hiring. Asked why Andaya was the best candidate, Regan said he didn’t know because he wasn’t on the hiring committee. But he was adamant there was “zero” political influence in the process.
“This was a straightforward civil service process,” said Regan, who is now the state comptroller.
When Regan ran for Maui County Council in 2015, Andaya was his campaign manager. This year, Andaya wrote a letter of support of Regan’s nomination to state comptroller.
Regan noted that the hiring panel included numerous experts in the field. Maui Now identified them at the time as then-Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu; then-Maui Fire Chief Jeff Murray; Elton Ushio, administrator of the Kauai Emergency Management Agency; and Vern Miyagi, then-administrator of the Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency.
At the time, Ushio was quoted by Maui Now as saying Andaya’s “proven leadership abilities, executive level experience, and impressive knowledge of emergency management” made him a great fit for the job. Murray cited Andaya’s familiarity with government processes, his “institutional knowledge of the various emergency incidents” in recent years, and his then-recent work as acting leader of the department.
“These are not people that, you know, are just political people,” Regan said. “They’re people who understand emergency management and are going to make the right choice for the community.”
In a statement, former HI-EMA director Miyagi said the public’s focus should be on working together on response and recovery.
“Herman Andaya and his staff at MEMA are really good people,” he said. “They carried Maui successfully through numerous hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.”
He said the public should wait for the attorney general’s investigation before drawing conclusions.
Civil Beat left messages with the other hiring committee members on Tuesday, but they were not returned. Former mayor Arakawa also did not respond to a request for comment.
“Herman is a very skilled, experienced, knowledgeable, professional individual,” Regan said. “I trust that is making the right decisions … There is no question in my mind that he cares about that community, and he’s going to do everything he can to keep that community safe.”


rawstory--2020-01-07--Trump starts his 2020 reelection bid in a historically big hole: FiveThirtyEight

President Donald Trump enters 2020 as the most unpopular president to seek reelection since former President Gerald Ford .
According to a new analysis of opinion polls by FiveThirtyEight elections analyst Nathaniel Rakich , Trump enters 2020 with an approval rating of just 42.6 percent , which is the lowest approval rating for an incumbent entering an election year since Ford entered 1976 with an approval rating of 39.3 percent .
Ford went on to lose his reelection bid to former President Jimmy Carter even though his approval rating had risen by election day to 43.6 percent , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the start of the year .
This doesn ’ t mean Trump is doomed , however .
Former President Barack Obama entered 2012 with a similarly uninspiring approval rating of just 45.7 percent , but saw it rise to 49.5 percent by election day .
“ Trump ’ s current approval rating doesn ’ t sound a clear signal one way or the other on the question of his reelection — but it does maybe hint that he starts off the new year at a disadvantage , ” Rakich concludes .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include in his analysis is Trump ’ s disapproval rating , which at the moment is higher than any other president at this point in their terms .
Looking at FiveThirtyEight ’ s historical charts , Trump ’ s current disapproval of 53 percent is higher than the disapproval rating either Ford or Obama ever reached in their first terms .
What ’ s more , Trump ’ s disapproval rating has been above 50 percent after his first two months in office , which makes him unprecedentedly unpopular in modern times .


rawstory--2020-01-07--Pentagon staffer initially told Congress Iraq exit letter was fake: report

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rawstory--2020-01-07--Indian court orders bus rapists hanged on January 22

An Indian court Tuesday ordered the execution on January 22 of four men convicted of the infamous 2012 gang rape and murder of a Delhi university student .
Six people were originally charged with taking part in the brutal attack aboard a city bus , but one was released after a brief detention as a juvenile , while another committed suicide while awaiting trial .
On Tuesday Delhi court judge Satish Kumar issued a warrant ordering the four on death row to be executed on January 22 at 7:00 am .
The condemned men still have one avenue of appeal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Indian president for mercy .
Jyoti Singh , 23 , was attacked in December 2012 while returning home after visiting the cinema with a male friend .
Her assailants took turns to rape and violate her with a metal rod as the bus drove around the capital , before dumping her and the beaten-up friend in a roadside ditch .
Singh died of her injuries nearly a fortnight after the attack — in Singapore , where she had been flown for specialist treatment .
Tens of thousands of Indians took to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to a major overhaul of laws surrounding sexual assault .
It also spawned an award-winning documentary as well as a Netflix series .
Singh ’ s family said they were pleased with the ruling .
“ This judgement will reinstate women ’ s faith in the judiciary , ” Jyoti ’ s mother Asha Devi told journalists .
Her father Badrinath Singh described it as a “ good decision for the entire country ” .
“ But our struggle will continue for many other daughters who are in a similar situation across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media reports say Tihar prison , where the four are incarcerated , recently held a dummy execution to test the gallows .


rawstory--2020-01-07--US forces on high alert as military braces for possible drone strikes from Iran: report

U.S. forces throughout the Middle East have been placed on high alert for possible drone strikes from Iran — which @ @ @ @ @ own military equipment .
Tensions have escalated between the two countries after President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ Iranian general Qassim Suleimani , and troops and air-defense missile batteries have been warned against @ @ @ @ @ attack , reported CNN .
Forces had already been on high alert for several days @ @ @ @ @ was escalated Monday night , according to two U.S. officials .
National security adviser Robert @ @ @ @ @ morning that the U.S. intelligence showed Suleimani was helping to plot attacks on American diplomats @ @ @ @ @ .
U.S. intelligence also showed that Iran has been moving drones and ballistic missiles over @ @ @ @ @


rawstory--2020-01-07--Trump says Mark Zuckerberg told him he is ‘number one’ on Facebook

President Donald Trump boasted Monday that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told him at dinner he is “ number one ” on the global social media platform .
“ I had dinner with Mark Zuckerberg the other day and he said ‘ I ’ d like to congratulate you… you are number one on Facebook , ' ” Trump said .
The president , speaking in a live interview with right-wing radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh , did not specify when the dinner happened .
A spokesman for Facebook said the last such dinner took place in October .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his messaging , which depends on bypassing much of the professional news media , which he accuses of bias against him .
Trump , who has nearly 70 million followers on Twitter , told Limbaugh that without the platform , “ I think we ’ d be lost.
” “ We wouldn ’ t be able to get the truth out , ” he said .
US social media platforms have come under criticism for enabling misinformation and fake news in the build-up to the 2020 presidential election .
Trump himself has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ untrue statements and conspiracy theories .
Both those platforms have responded by saying they will not attempt to weed out lies from politicians because their statements fall under the category of “ newsworthy ” content .
Trump is number one on Facebook in terms of political ad spending , leading to accusations that the company is unduly influenced by the Republican .
At the October dinner at the White House , Trump and Zuckerberg were reportedly joined by Facebook board member Peter Thiel .
After , Democratic presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump .


rawstory--2020-01-07--Trump’s real estate empire has been a security risk since Day 1 — now it’s a major target for Iran

The killing of Iranian general Qassim Suleimani has placed a bullseye on President Donald Trump ’ s properties around the world — especially his signature midtown Manhattan tower .
The president recently changed his address from Trump Tower to Mar-A-Lago , but the Fifth Avenue residential building remains the center of his family ’ s real estate empire — and a major target should Iran carry through its threat to retaliate for the assassination , reported The Daily Beast .
“ Why hit the White House when you can hit the center of the Earth ?
” one U.S. intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s his pride and joy.
” Hesameddin Ashena , an adviser to Iranian president Hassan Rouhani , tweeted out a link to a Forbes magazine list of Trump properties — which suggested they could be targeted as Trump threatens Iran ’ s cultural sites .
“ I declare to the whole world that if the world wants to stand up to our religion , we will stand up against their whole world , ” Ashena tweeted in Persian , quoting Ayatollah Khomeini .
The U.S. intelligence official told The Daily Beast that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon , and he suspects that could involve the deaths of 100 Americans , a U.S. ambassador or a traveling U.S. senator , or they could possibly take some hostages as revenge .
But the president ’ s properties around the world have presented an unprecedented risk since his election , and those could prove both easy and appealing targets as Iran seek to avenge Suleimani ’ s killing .


rawstory--2020-01-07--More than one billion animals killed in Australia wildfires called a ‘very conservative’ estimate

As Australia ’ s catastrophic wildfires rage on with no end in sight , University of Sydney ecologist Chris Dickman said the number of animals killed in the blazes has topped one billion—a horrifying figure that the scientist described as a “ very conservative ” estimate .
Dickman told HuffPost late Monday that the original estimate of nearly 500 million animals killed was based solely on figures from the state of New South Wales ( NSW ) and excluded groups of animals that have been devastated by the wildfires , which have scorched 18 million acres of land , destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 25 people .
“ It ’ s our climate impact and our obsession with coal that is helping wage war on our own country.
” —Stuart Blanch , World Wildlife Fund Australia “ The original figure—the 480 million—was based on mammals , birds , and reptiles for which we do have densities , and that figure now is a little bit out of date , ” Dickman said .
“ It ’ s over 800 million given the extent of the fires now—in New South Wales alone.
” When animals such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in the total , Dickman said , “ without any doubt at all ” the death toll has exceeded a billion .
“ Over a billion would be a very conservative figure , ” the ecologist said .
Stuart Blanch , scientist with World Wildlife Fund Australia , agreed with Dickman ’ s assessment of over a billion animals lost to the fires .
“ It ’ s our climate impact and our obsession with coal that is helping wage war on our own country , ” Blanch said in an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia , fueled by record heat driven by the global climate crisis , have put several endangered species in Australia at risk of total extinction .
“ Critically endangered species , including the southern corroboree frog and mountain pygmy-possum , could be wiped out as fires ravage crucial habitat in Victoria ’ s Alpine National Park and New South Wales ’ neighboring Kosciuszko National Park , ” HuffPost reported .
“ Threatened species , such as the glossy black cockatoo , spotted-tail quoll , and long-footed potoroo ( both small marsupials ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in large parts of their range.
” Janine Green , a volunteer at WIRES Wildlife Rescue , told CNN Tuesday that it will be extremely difficult for animal populations to recover in the aftermath of the fires .
“ They ’ re not coping , and now they ’ ve got no grass , no water , no habitat , ” Green said .
“ Who knows if they can breed after this ?
We ’ ve never seen anything like this before .
”


rawstory--2020-01-07--Former CIA analyst accuses Trump of making America a ‘rogue state’ in scathing reprimand of Suleiman

Former CIA analyst accuses Trump of making America a ‘rogue state’ in scathing reprimand of Suleimani killing

Paul Pillar , a former intelligence analyst who worked at the CIA for 25 years , has written a scathing rebuke of President Donald Trump ’ s decision to kill Iranian general Qassim Suleimani , which he said was leading to dangerous escalation in the Middle East .
In an essay published on the website Responsible Statecraft , Pillar pegs the current tensions between the United States and Iran directly on Trump ’ s decision to pull out of the nuclear arms control deal that had been crafted between the Obama administration and Iran .
“ It is clear what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place : the Trump administration ’ s reneging in 2018 on the multilateral agreement that restricted Iran ’ s nuclear program — despite Iran ’ s full compliance with that agreement — and the administration ’ s escalation into unrestricted economic warfare against Iran , ” he writes .
“ Before that departure , Iran was not attacking tankers and Saudi oil facilities , militias in Iraq were not engaging in clashes with U.S. forces , and there was no spiral.
” Pillar also worries that Trump ’ s decision to assassinate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lawlessness in which countries target rival countries ’ leadership for assassinations with reckless abandon .
“ A great nation , as the United States has been throughout its history , sets and observes high standards of international behavior , ” he concludes .
“ It does so confident that its strength and character will enable it to protect and advance its interests effectively without stooping to lower standards and doing the sorts of things that rogue states and terrorists do .
By acting like a rogue , Trump has diminished America ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .


rawstory--2020-01-07--Trump is no Hitler — and his GOP enablers are the bigger problem

Comparisons of Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler are becoming more relevant as the president responds to further revelations of his priorities and his impeachment .
Despite the protestations of some analysts who claim the contrast has no value , it is worth considering any historical antecedents that might give us insight into the current distressing political climate .
The two leaders ’ tactics and personalities have been reported and analyzed over the last few years with fascinating similarities .
For example ; Trump ’ s first wife , Ivana , revealed he kept a collection of Hitler ’ s speeches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hitler biographer and scholar , Ron Rosenbaum , claims the president continues to use Mein Kamph as a playbook .
Trump ’ s inflammatory rhetoric and scapegoating certainly emulates the infamous German leader .
However , most of the Trump-Hitler comparisons have been made without consideration of how the facilitators of dangerous leaders are central to understanding any parallels .
As Washington ’ s climate becomes dramatically polarized , the behavior of Trump ’ s allies reflect an abhorrent historical pattern .
Impending disaster looms as facts are dismissed and personal attacks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his defenders .
We relentlessly hear the details in daily news reports ; outright lies and fabrications have become so prevalent there is a growing tolerance to the climate of dysfunction .
If we consider the larger picture , a blind and immoral political frenzy has seized the United States , similar in some ways to pre-war Nazi Germany .
The rise of one of the most destructive dictators in world history was promoted and tolerated in a similar atmosphere .
There are , of course , some clear differences .
Though within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of domestic neo-Nazis and some supporters in the military , the president is incapable of exercising the kind of brutal authority that Hitler used to gain full control .
He has succeeded in putting refugees in camps , but Trump has not been able to round up his perceived enemies and have them silenced .
His hostility towards the press has yielded some violence , though much to his frustration , media continues to report on his worst offenses .
Although he intimidates witnesses and detractors , Trump has not succeeded in creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigators or distract a majority of the public from his ridiculous behavior .
He imagines being all-powerful , but the president will not have the Capitol burned as Hitler torched the Reichstag .
Trump has so far failed in his ability to control the country with the efficiency of the German führer .
The degree of Trump ’ s success has been achieved only because of the leverage he has on political cronies .
Trump is no Hitler , and his acolytes are at a loss , lacking a truly powerful leader .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whether repeating Trump ’ s angry excuses or remaining silent , many members of the party of Lincoln feign their innocence in allowing the unfolding constitutional crisis .
How they manage to do so in the face of articles of impeachment and very specific constitutional violations will be telling .
But the overt posturing of those compromised by self-serving loyalty and blatant hypocrisy is a symptom of political cowardice , thus making any change in position unlikely .
The collaborators who claim they are behind the president are watching the bizarre show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wind blows with the public to best protect their own interests .
They are not fools , thus like the president , they willingly put personal interests before the country ’ s .
What degree of insanity and illegality will be needed before they admit the president deserves removal from office ?
Consider if both the Senate and the House were now controlled by Republicans , would there be any remnant of balance of power ?
And how much control would be granted to Mr. Trump ?
Perhaps Congress would tolerate a declaration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their powers to the president ’ s cabinet .
Could it happen here ?
Hitler ’ s corporate and political supporters assisted in the collapse of Germany ’ s constitutional democracy in 1933 , although a similar coup is very unlikely in the United States .
Trump may have a narcissistic personality disorder and erupt with vitriolic diatribes like Hitler , but his minions have given their loyalty to a self-absorbed , self-incriminating president who is driving the country towards chaos .
They have fallen for the tactics of a charlatan who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force on the planet .
The president ’ s continuing egomaniacal diplomatic decisions have initiated distress among some in his party .
However , Republican defenders have not dared to admit the obvious : Trump ’ s betrayal of US international interests and his illegal seizure of foreign affairs for personal gain are part of the same outrageous , subversive behavior , establishing without doubt that he is impeachable .
This bizarre and divisive epoch has exposed moral failings in government of the highest order .
Investigations and judicial rulings must further unfold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s legacy .
Yet the empowerment granted by his protectors has already initiated a collapse of constitutional order and degradation of government .
We witness a repeating pattern that echoes through centuries : the enablers of ruinous tyrants light fires that eventually consume them .
Some will recognize their catastrophic failures only in retrospect .
David Marks is an investigative reporter and veteran documentary filmmaker , having produced a number of films for PBS and the BBC , including Nazi Gold , questioning the neutrality of Switzerland in WWII .


rawstory--2020-01-07--‘The people of this region want US out’: More than 40 Iranian mourners killed at Suleimani funeral p

‘The people of this region want US out’: More than 40 Iranian mourners killed at Suleimani funeral procession

International tensions continue to build as mourning turns to tragedy in Iran where millions have marched to honor the slain military leader .
The ire aimed at President Donald Trump and the United States only grew on Tuesday after dozens of mourners were killed and more than 200 more injured when a stampede broke out at the massive funeral procession for Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani , who the U.S. assassinated with a bombing last week in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad .
Iranian media reported that at least 40 people were killed in Soleimani ’ s hometown of Kerman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honor and mourn the slain military leader .
“ Unfortunately as a result of the stampede , some of our compatriots have been injured and some have been killed during the funeral processions , ” Pir-Hossein Koulivand , the head of Iran ’ s emergency medical services , told state television .
According to Press TV , millions of mourners carried Soleimani ’ s body from the city ’ s Azadi Square to his final resting place in what is called the martyrs ’ cemetery .
With reports indicating the burial of Soleimani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the funeral procession , CNN Tuesday morning aired a new interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif , who said that Trump ’ s assassination of Soleimani and other Iranian officials would have grave consequences for the United States .
Zarif added that America ’ s day of military occupation in the Middle East are numbered .
The killing of Soleimani and others , said Zarif , was “ an act of aggression against Iran , and it amounts to an armed attack against Iran , and we will respond .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected the idea that Trump has made the U.S. more secure by taking this action .
“ That ’ s the price for arrogance , for ignorance , for lack of respect , ” he said .
“ Their days in our region are numbered , not because anybody will take any action against him but because they are not welcome.
” “ The United States , ” he continued , “ has to wake up to the reality that the people of this region are enraged .
That the people of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States has been in in this region for many years and has not brought itself or the region any security .
We leave it at that .
”


rawstory--2020-01-07--Andrew Napolitano schools very confused Fox & Friends host about how impeachment works

While discussing the process of conducting an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the Senate , Earhardt questioned whether Trump would be in his rights to simply have all charges against him dropped if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) kept stalling on sending over articles of impeachment against him .
“ When a prosecutor brings a case against someone and then refuses to try it , can ’ t that person constitutionally dismiss the charges ?
” she asked .
“ There is no prosecutor and no case being brought , ” Napolitano replied .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Earhardt asked .
Napolitano then told Earhardt that impeachment is a political process and not a legal process , so the traditional rules don ’ t necessarily apply .
“ So is that a no ?
” she asked .
“ I can ’ t answer it yes-or-no !
” Napolitano said .
“ Ms .
Pelosi is trying to influence the rules of the Senate by refusing to surrender the articles of impeachment until the senators agree to live testimony.
” Napolitano then said that former national security adviser John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shot in the arm on Monday when he announced that he is prepared to testify in the Senate trial .


rawstory--2020-01-07--Asians are good at math? Why dressing up racism as a compliment just doesn’t add up

The narrative that “ Asians are good at math ” is pervasive in the United States .
Young children are aware of it .
College students ’ academic performance can be affected by it .
And Asian American presidential candidate Andrew Yang has made his mathematical aptitude a feature of his campaign .
On the surface , the “ Asians are good at math ” narrative sounds like a compliment .
After all , what ’ s wrong with saying that someone is good at something ?
But as I explain in a recent article , there are two problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And second , it is racist .
I ’ m an experienced teacher and researcher of STEM education .
Research tells us that racism is a part of students ’ classroom experiences in these subjects .
If we don ’ t understand how racism works – even in supposedly “ neutral ” areas like STEM – we might unintentionally recycle racist ideas .
As with many racial stereotypes , people are genuinely curious whether the “ Asians are good at math ” narrative could be true .
There are videos on YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Don ’ t test scores prove the narrative ?
In fact , they don ’ t .
On international exams , it ’ s true that Asian countries are among the top performers in math .
But it ’ s also true that other Asian nations rank 38th , 46th , 59th and 63rd .
Interestingly , those top performers also lead in reading – but there isn ’ t a narrative that “ Asians are good at literature.
” Domestically , it ’ s the same story .
Research shows considerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic groups in the U.S .
If all Asian people were innately gifted in math , we shouldn ’ t see this kind of variation .
A better explanation has to do with education policy and federal immigration laws .
Countries that invest in teacher education and high-quality curriculum do better on international tests .
In the U.S. , the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act gave preference to STEM professionals from Asia .
That policy affected my own parents , who were able to immigrate to the U.S. under that law , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors .
So if it ’ s not true , why do we say it ?
Today , Asians are often seen as the “ model minority ” – hardworking , academically talented and professionally successful – but it wasn ’ t always that way .
In the 18th century , Asian people were classified as “ mongoloids , ” a racist term based on the pseudoscience of craniometry .
Whereas “ caucasoids ” ( white people ) were deemed full human beings with superior intellect , all people of color were considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a new image of Asian people was born : national threat .
Chinese immigrants were seen as an economic threat to white American workers , and Japan became a military threat during World War II .
Asian people in the U.S. continue to experience racism even today .
In fact , the “ model minority ” idea has always been a way to pit Asian people against supposedly “ nonmodel ” groups – in other words , non-Asians of color .
The implication is : If Asians can do it , why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Asians are good at math ” narrative is false , it still has a real impact on people ’ s lives .
Like the “ model minority ” myth , it falsely positions non-Asians of color as mathematically inferior .
It can also be a source of pressure for Asian students .
But the real impact of the “ Asians are good at math ” narrative goes deeper .
Take , for example , a scene from an episode of the long-running adult cartoon “ Family Guy.
” The main character @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a math exam .
As the shot pans over other students , each take out a calculator from their pocket .
Peter pulls out a boy with Asian features , prods him with a pencil and says : “ Do math !
” This might seem funny at first , but the underlying message is clear : Asian people aren ’ t seen as human beings ; they are calculating machines .
Asians are literally objectified , seen as capable of doing things at a speed and scale that “ normal ” people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words , they are dehumanized .
Calculators are capable of only procedural tasks , not creativity .
For Asian people , this implies that while they can succeed in the technical STEM subjects , the humanities and creative arts aren ’ t for them .
Part of what ’ s going on has to do with how society understands “ good at math.
” Math is widely considered to be among the hardest subjects to learn .
Those that can do it are often seen as “ nerds.
” Movies about mathematicians like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Imitation Game ” usually portray them as antisocial .
Mathematicians might be considered brilliant , but they aren ’ t seen as “ normal.
” Usually we think about dehumanization in terms of intellectual deficit .
For example , Americans in the 21st century still associate African American people with apes , a racist trope .
What ’ s happening with Asian people is different but still harmful .
They become hyperintelligent robots .
We all can play a role in resisting this false narrative .
Teachers can help by monitoring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students .
Do they treat them like calculators – only giving them rote procedural tasks – or do Asian students get to show their creativity and to present ideas in front of the class ?
To help teachers track biases , my research team has developed a free web app called EQUIP .
Most people easily recognize overtly racist behavior and language .
But I believe we also need to learn how to spot racism in its more subtle forms .
The next time you hear someone say “ Asians are good at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as a joke – hear it as racism .
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rawstory--2020-01-07--America’s love affair with the single-family house is cooling, but it won’t be a quick breakup

For decades land use regulation across the U.S. has emphasized single-family houses on large lots .
This approach has priced many people out of the quintessential American dream : homeownership .
It also has promoted suburban sprawl – a pattern of low-density , car-dependent development that has dominated growth at the edges of urban areas since the end of World War II .
Now , however , Americans may be starting to question the desirability of a private house .
In the past year , the Minneapolis City Council and the state of Oregon have voted to allow duplexes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where currently only single-family homes currently are allowed .
Democratic lawmakers in Virginia , who recently won control of their state ’ s legislature , are seeking to enact similar legislation .
And several Democratic presidential candidates have included changes to zoning laws in their housing policies .
Headlines have predicted a housing revolution .
But based on our research , we believe that while attitudes about suburban life may be evolving , the transition away from single-family zoning will be slow and difficult .
Elected officials are rethinking single-family zoning because some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost too much , are wasteful and can isolate people from their communities .
Many researchers have shown that single-family zoning promotes discrimination and exclusion .
Our research focuses on its environmental impacts .
Dozens of studies have shown that sprawl is energy-intensive , mainly for transportation ; consumes too much land ; degrades air and water quality ; reduces species diversity ; and contributes to climate change .
We have examined how Oregon ’ s land use policy affects residential density and Oregon ’ s housing affordability crisis .
Oregonians are known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They hate density because they value privacy and space .
But they also hate sprawl because it consumes valuable agricultural land .
In short , Oregon would seem to be the ideal starting point for policies curbing single-family zoning .
One of its 19 statewide land use planning goals , which were adopted in the early 1970s , addresses housing and requires cities to include many housing types .
But exclusive single-family neighborhoods still dominate Oregon ’ s landscape today .
In the early 1970s , in what came to be named “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” some states started taking back authority over zoning that they had ceded to cities and towns .
In 1973 , Oregon created “ urban growth boundaries ” – a line of demarcation between urban and rural land uses – around each of its cities , along with other measures to contain growth and prevent sprawl .
Our research shows that this approach has helped contain urban growth and promote more efficient land use .
Single-family density in urban growth boundaries , as measured by single-family housing units per acre , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Statewide , single-family density increased 22 % from 1993 to 2012 .
Still , sprawl exists inside urban growth boundaries .
We have found that land exclusively zoned for single-family homes can hold only a maximum of eight to ten units per acre .
And as demand for houses exceeds supply , lower-income families are pushed into cheaper areas far from their work .
Up for Growth , a national coalition that advocates for denser development , estimates that only 89 housing units were built in Oregon for every 100 households formed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , housing is getting more expensive .
A 2019 Harvard study concluded that the supply of low-cost rental units ( under US $ 800 per month ) in Oregon decreased by 44 % between 1990 and 2017 .
Today 63 % of Oregon ’ s housing is stand-alone houses or detached single-family units .
These issues aren ’ t limited to Oregon .
According to the Harvard Joint Center on Housing , 47 % of renter households nationwide are paying more than 30 % of their income in housing costs .
And new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates .
Between 2000 and 2015 , the U.S. underproduced 7.3 million units of housing , meaning that families across the country are struggling to find housing that is affordable and available .
This shortage spanned 22 states and the District of Columbia .
Public officials are recognizing that allowing only single-family houses also creates equity problems .
Single-family zoning segregated neighborhoods after World War II by excluding African American families , who could not afford to buy single-family homes , from middle-class white neighborhoods .
Today demand for smaller , connected houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – within walking distance of services is increasing .
People like living this way , but as architect and urban designer Daniel Parolek has shown , regulatory barriers deter builders from producing more of these types of housing , which he calls the “ missing middle.
” As Parolek points out , many of the diverse housing types that are common in older neighborhoods , such as duplexes and triplexes , are illegal under most current zoning codes .
All of these factors helped drive Minneapolis and Oregon to move away from single-family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But for all of the attention that these actions have received , we predict that they will have modest impact .
Housing markets are complex and are affected by much more than zoning .
One key question is whether costs will decline if policymakers encourage construction of diverse “ missing middle ” dwelling types .
But this does not mean that changing zoning policies is misguided .
Promoting construction of broader ranges of housing creates more vibrant neighborhoods , reduces conversion of farm and forest land for suburban development , reduces infrastructure costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all .
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Robert Parker , Co-Director , Institute for Policy Research and Engagement , University of Oregon and Rebecca Lewis , Associate Professor of Planning , Public Policy and Management , University of Oregon This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
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rawstory--2020-01-07--CEOs make more in first week of January than average salary – pay ratios are the solution

The typical FTSE 100 CEO will have earned as much as the average UK worker earns in a year by 5pm on January 6 2020 – £29,559 for 33 hours of work , according to data compiled by the High Pay Centre think tank .
By the close of the year , the same CEO would have earned £3.46 million – roughly 117 times the average wage in the UK .
This is a staggering differential .
If you believe that excessive executive pay is a problem , this statistic illustrates the point perfectly .
These figures even represent a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is due more to shrinkage in overall CEO pay than increases at the bottom .
And UK CEO pay actually pales in comparison to their counterparts in the US , where levels topped US $ 14.5m ( £11.5m ) , representing a 287-1 differential with the average worker .
Contrast this to just 40 years ago when the average CEO was paid 18 times the average salary .
Still a handsome amount – arguably more than enough to reflect their levels of responsibility , skills and status .
With inequality a serious problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its pay ratio legislation and give average salaries a boost .
How we got here In 1982 the chairmen of some of the largest UK companies got together to map out a way to ratchet up executive pay .
They reasoned that this was necessary to make UK CEO positions more competitive internationally .
Recognising the inherent barriers to such a bold move , the group suggested that the most acceptable way to achieve this would be a wholesale adoption of the “ pay for performance ” approach , which had already begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the minutes of their meeting , it was suggested that “ any higher remuneration would need to be visibly linked to performance and achievement , if it is to be socially and politically acceptable ” .
The group believed this approach would “ persuade employees at large British firms to accept more moderate settlements ” ( lower pay ) .
What followed was a huge shift in the way British executives were compensated , with more and more aspects of pay becoming performance based .
Instead of increasing salaries , companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even more importantly , there was a shift in focus to serve shareholders , underpinned by the idea that this would benefit the company and “ greed is good ” .
This led to a company ’ s share price becoming its primary measure of growth and success .
So , as firm productivity and profitability increased , executive pay grew .
But nobody else , apart from CEOs , enjoyed a similar rise in their fortunes .
In fact , ordinary wages have not only failed to mimic the growth in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have seen the differential between CEO and average pay widen substantially .
In fact , figures show that ordinary wages have failed to keep pace with inflation and workers effectively earn less today , in real economic terms , than they did before the financial crisis .
Wages have been reduced by globalisation , rapid automation and the subsequent loss of worker bargaining power .
While this has enhanced the efficiency and profitability of big and successful firms , workers have not benefited in terms of what they are paid .
The vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on wider social concerns of growing inequality and the idea that modern companies enrich top executives at the expense of everyone else .
CEOs of the largest public companies , usually fall within the top 1 % of the income wealth and income scales .
The British government introduced a law in 2018 requiring listed companies to publish their ratio of CEO to median pay .
This is a step forward in reducing the gap .
As well as making the issue transparent , it can give rise to public outrage which encourages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their employees .
A much further and more controversial step would be introducing upper limits for executive pay .
Instead of targeting the amount executives are allowed to earn , these limits could focus on setting an appropriate gap between CEO pay and the lowest wage within the firm .
So , for instance , a mandated pay limit of 50:1 would ensure the no CEO could not earn more than 50 times the lowest wage in the firm .
This is not without precedent .
The Israeli government passed a law in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay at no more than 35 times the salary of the lowest earner .
Firms can pay their CEOs more than this but will be taxed doubly for the privilege .
The move followed public outrage over inequality and excessive CEO pay .
Switzerland has also considered pay ratios , although a referendum on setting them at 12:1 was rejected in 2013 .
The underpinning objective of any executive pay reform agenda should be less about reducing top pay levels , as it should be about making pay fairer .
This could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower earnings within the firm .
Just like the proverbial tide that lifts all boats , every rise in executive pay would trigger similar rises in the wages of the lowest paid .
In this case , both the luxury yacht and the basic dinghy would rise higher .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
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rawstory--2020-01-07--Why is Indian Prime Minister Modi attacking student protesters?

This weekend , news and social media reports circulated videos from India of masked attackers beating up students in the dorms of New Delhi ’ s prestigious public university , Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU ) .
One JNU teacher told the Times of India “ For one and half hour the police did not do anything … ” News reports say the violence lasted close to three hours .
This attack by thugs follows years of unrelenting attacks by the Modi government and its allies on JNU , and a month of police violence at Jamia and Aligarh Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dissent is the enemy of democracy .
Public universities encourage critical thinking and cultivate politically informed citizens .
And university students as political interlocutors have repeatedly borne the wrath of his government .
Modi ’ s antidemocratic attitudes have been cultivated through his training .
He rose through the ranks of the male-only Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS ) , the parent organization of Modi ’ s Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) .
The RSS was founded in 1925 and is a prominent proponent of “ Hindutva — Hindu-ness and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hindu nation.
’ ” Last month , police unleashed violence on Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University students .
Students were protesting the exclusion of Muslims from the scope of the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act ( CAA ) as discriminatory and unconstitutional .
The CAA grants fast-tracked citizenship to members of religious minorities , Hindus , Sikhs , Buddhists , Jains , Parsis and Christians , who have fled from Pakistan , Bangladesh and Afghanistan .
For striving to play an active role in shaping democracy , students were beaten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and denied medical attention .
Such unprecedented state violence against student protesters provoked a pan-Indian solidarity of students and galvanized widescale resistance to the CAA .
Modi joined the RSS in his teens and then worked as a RSS pracharak ( leader ) for 15 years .
A pracharak is a full-time worker dedicated to disseminating RSS ideology .
As a pracharak , Modi dedicated his life educating Indian youth in RSS culture , which expects obedience and reverence of authority .
The RSS recruits schoolboys and college youth for its local branches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dedicate themselves towards establishing a Hindu nation through physical activities and spiritual lessons .
For their book Khaki Shorts and Saffron Flags , scholars Tapan Basu , Tanika Sarkar and Sumit Sarkar interviewed RSS members to understand the hierarchical , deferential structure of the RSS local branches ( sakhas ) .
They explain how young boys receive lessons in scriptures and mythology to inculcate values of “ absolute loyalty ” to the leader and to the organization .
This results in an uncritical obedience to the leader .
Modi has hailed M.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiritual founder of the RSS , as his “ ideological mentor.
” In Golwalkar ’ s 1966 book , Bunch of Thoughts the chapter “ Internal Threats ” has three subheadings : “ The Muslims , ” “ The Christians ” and “ The Communists.
” Muslims and Christians were considered to be threats because of their religion , that is , for not being Hindus .
Dissenters were branded as “ Communists ” for questioning the Hindu Right ’ s attempts to Hinduize the nation .
University students are just the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of potential anti-nationals .
To justify the use of state violence against students , the Modi government has routinely represented them as discontent and violent .
Section 144 of the Indian Criminal Procedure Code prohibits the assembly of four or more people in an area .
This colonial-era regulation has been used to criminalize student dissent and to delegitimize student protesters as “ anti-nationals.
” The violence unleashed on university campuses and against civilians protesting the CAA over the past month is an attempt by the Modi government to discipline both Hindus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear to thwart , control and surveil protests .
On Dec. 29 , 2019 a street play called Jamiawala Bagh was performed outside Jamia university campus .
The play highlighted the parallels between British colonial violence and current Hindu Right violence in India .
It drew on the story of British colonial violence against a public gathering in 1919 , in Amritsar , Punjab .
At a public park , the Jallianwala Bagh , a British general ordered his troops to gun down unarmed civilians .
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement .
After the massacre , Mohandas K. Gandhi ( popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi ) rejected British justice , and launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920 .
Gandhi called for an abandonment of government educational institutions , government service and foreign goods , and for resistance to colonial laws .
In his arrest and trial for the leadership of the movement , Gandhi explained that he believed dissent would ensure the colonial state responded to the demands of the Indian people for independence from foreign rule .
At great personal risk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right violence and demanding a democratic public culture .
They are publicly registering their dissent hoping to prompt the government to listen to its citizens .
Universities can equip students with the knowledge to talk back to power rather than become docile subjects of the state .
The anti-CAA protests that have spread across India are at least in part initiated by university students .
This suggests that Indian universities have done well in educating youth of their civic obligations and social responsibilities and have enabled them to exercise leadership .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the RSS pracharak .
At the helm of the world ’ s largest democracy , Modi is not interested in cultivating thinking youth or engaging in dialogue with them .
He considers thinking and questioning youth a threat to his government .
The threat is to be controlled through the use of brute force .
The Modi government seems to have successfully tutored the police and its supporters to loathe university student protestors .
This is turning India ’ s public universities into spaces to display Hindu Right vigilantism .
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Chandrima Chakraborty , University Scholar and Professor of English and Cultural Studies , McMaster University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
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rawstory--2020-01-07--In Iran showdown, conflict could explode quickly – and disastrously

Despite the claims of optimists , the odds that an international conflict will snowball into a bloody war haven ’ t gone down significantly since the end of World War II .
Trump administration officials ’ confidence that the present conflict with Iran can be managed could be dangerously misplaced .
Since a drone strike at Baghdad airport that killed a top Iranian general , Iranians have been protesting in the streets in massive numbers , and their country has pulled out of the 2015 deal limiting its development of nuclear weapons .
Iraq ’ s prime minister and Parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of their country – troops who have in the meantime stopped fighting the Islamic State group and are instead focusing on keeping themselves safe .
Iran has vowed “ harsh revenge ” for the Jan. 3 killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani .
Policymakers in the Trump administration have said they believe that the use of force will prompt Iran to back down , or at least that any escalation will be manageable .
My research into how conflicts begin and how deadly they get shows that while most wars don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that do can easily become catastrophic .
As memories of World War II and the Cold War fade into history , policymakers and the public are increasingly prone to think of large-scale warfare as a thing of the past .
But while most wars remain small , my own analysis of trends in warfare concludes that the threat of wars with large numbers of casualties has not decreased .
It ’ s dangerous to assume that Iran will not escalate the crisis further , much less that the U.S. could limit any violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more common than people think Especially bloody deadly wars , while rare , are not actually as rare as most Westerners may think .
World War I and World War II are not even in the top three deadliest international wars in the past two centuries , based on the number of battle deaths as compared with the combined populations of the warring nations .
Two South American wars , the Paraguayan War of the late 1860s and the Chaco War from the mid-1930s , are the deadliest on record .
The Paraguayan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history circles , may have cost Paraguay half – or more – of its total prewar population .
The Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s , the most recent of the top five , was the third when ranked by death rates .
Only then come the two world wars .
Not every conflict becomes a massive war , of course .
It is possible that Iran could be deterred by the threat of large-scale American retaliation , as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argued on Jan. 5 .
But it is dangerous to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war , even if it ’ s true that neither Iran nor the U.S. wants one .
Escalation is very hard to predict In late summer 1914 , as World War I began , German Kaiser Wilhelm II famously promised his troops that they would be “ home before the leaves have fallen from the trees.
” In World War II , even after Hitler had invaded Poland in 1939 , American diplomats believed that economic pressure alone would suffice to bring Nazi Germany to its knees .
In both cases , years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve found is that escalation typically results from chance occurrences that simply can ’ t be foreseen .
Virtually no one predicted the fall of France to the Nazis in the summer of 1940 .
No one could have known that President Harry Truman would decide , against the advice of his National Security Council , to send U.S. forces across the 38th parallel during the Korean War , and few observers anticipated that doing so would bring China into the conflict .
Major wars are “ black swans ” – rare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be predicted .
The role of chance events in warfare can be dramatic .
Hitler ’ s successful invasion of France transformed what had been a problem of regional containment into a years-long global conflict with more than 16 million people killed in battle .
A driver ’ s wrong turn in Sarajevo in 1914 turned what would have been a botched assassination attempt into World War I .
Chance works both ways , of course : The Union of Concerned Scientists has documented a hair-raising array of nuclear near-misses that mostly caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of deaths .
War can be volatile – while most remain small , big ones can come out of almost nowhere .
I see in this imbalance a similarity to a concept called the “ 80/20 ” rule , in which 80 % of outcomes come from 20 % of cases : About 80 % of world income , for example , is held by 20 % of the global population .
In warfare , lethality of international conflict is considerably more concentrated .
The data I analyzed shows that over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of wars are responsible for 98 % of all battle deaths .
No one wants very large wars , and most wars do end up being relatively small .
But the potential for chance events to blow up into massive conflicts means nobody really knows , and nobody can predict , when the next really big one will come along .
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Bear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Data Analytics and Professor of Political Science , The Ohio State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
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rawstory--2020-01-07--France commemorates Charlie Hebdo terror attack, five years on

“ Nothing will ever be as before ” , predicted Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo after two gunmen massacred cartoonists at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris five years ago .
The attack on the weekly — with its long history of mocking Islam and other religions — was the first in a series of assaults that have claimed more than 250 lives since January 7 , 2015 , mostly at the hands of young French-born jihadists .
It sent shockwaves through France , exposing divisions in the multicultural modern Republic and sparking an intense debate about Muslim integration and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed 12 people in their strike on Charlie Hebdo claimed to be avenging the magazine ’ s publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed deemed offensive by many Muslims .
“ We avenged the Prophet Mohammed .
We killed Charlie Hebdo !
” , they shouted triumphantly as they ran through the streets .
Within three days , the death toll in the rampage of the al-Qaeda-affiliated siblings and accomplice Amedy Coulibaly had risen to 17 , including four people at a kosher supermarket and three police officers .
The Kouachis failed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hebdo ; despite losing its top talent the magazine remained afloat thanks to an outpouring of solidarity .
“ I wanted the paper to continue to exist .
For me it couldn ’ t just stop like that because of what happened , ” said Pierrick Juin , a cartoonist who joined the magazine just months after the attack .
This week the magazine published a defiant anniversary issue remembering the attack and also denouncing what it said was a new kind of politically correct censorship by those who “ believe themselves to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their keyboard and smartphone.
” But the attacks did expose deep divisions in France : even a nationwide minute of silence observed by four million people under the slogan “ Je suis Charlie ” ( I am Charlie ) could not project a nation united in mourning .
Students at around 200 schools , many of them in neighbourhoods with big immigrant populations , boycotted the tribute , accusing Charlie Hebdo of Muslim-baiting .
Then prime minister Manuel Valls drew widespread criticism by linking the rise of extremism to France ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Emmanuel Macron reprised the theme during his 2017 election campaign .
But despite his talk of ending the “ house arrest ” of young people trapped in high-rise suburban housing projects , the breeding grounds of several of the jihadists who have attacked France since 2015 , their conditions remain largely unchanged .
A major Odoxa survey in November showed a majority of residents in housing projects still feeling abandoned by the state and discriminated against by employers .
The three days of attacks in January 2015 culminated in a deadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , confirming fears that French Jews had become a top target for homegrown Islamist radicals .
Coming three years after an Islamist gunman shot dead a teacher and three children at a Jewish school in Toulouse , the attack compounded the feeling that “ everywhere , at any time , we were a target , ” France ’ s chief rabbi Haim Korsia told AFP .
For Korsia it marked “ a sort of loss of innocence ” in the 500,000-strong French Jewish community , Europe ’ s largest , which had until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the far right .
Jewish emigration to Israel hit a peak in 2014-15 , years which also saw an exodus from the multi-ethnic French suburbs where Jews of north African origin had lived alongside Muslims for decades .
As the year wore on the attacks grew broader in scope , randomly targeting French people in November 2015 , when Islamic State bombers and gunmen slaughtered 130 people in Paris .
But although departures for Israel have since declined , anti-Semitism is still on the rise , as the desecration of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alsace showed last month .
In the aftermath of the January 2015 attacks , then president Francois Hollande sent troops into the streets to guard vulnerable sites and patrol tourist hotspots .
Over the past five years , troops from the Sentinelle anti-terrorism operation have become part of the landscape in French cities .
The military presence was stepped up after the bloodshed of November 2015 and remains at a high level , with around 10,000 troops deployed .
France remains on its second-highest alert level , with sporadic attacks by individuals accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
In the latest deadly incident , a 22-year-old convert to Islam with psychological problems went on a stabbing rampage in a park near Paris on January 3 , killing one man and injuring two women .


rawstory--2020-01-07--MSNBC’s Morning Joe shreds Joni Ernst and Marco Rubio’s fear of John Bolton testimony

MSNBC ’ s Joe Scarborough shamed Republican senators who ’ ve signaled they ’ re not interested in hearing testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton .
Bolton announced Monday that he would comply if Senate Republicans issued a subpoena for his testimony about President Donald Trump ’ s pressure scheme against Ukraine , which he allegedly described as a “ drug deal , ” but Sen. Joni Ernst ( R-IA ) and Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-FL ) went on record saying they didn ’ t care what he had to say .
“ Oh , dear god @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that really who Iowa voted for ?
Do they really want to re-elect this person who said , ‘ I ’ m going to take you to the pigs ? '
” Ernst said she doesn ’ t believe Bolton ’ s testimony would make any difference in the impeachment trial , and Rubio said the trial should be based only on evidence uncovered by House Democrats in testimony severely limited by the White House .
“ Voters in Florida understand this , ” Scarborough said .
“ Marco Rubio says , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear the truth .
We ’ re under no obligation to really — think about that .
I ’ m under no obligation , says an elected member of the state of Florida , to find out the truth behind what the national security adviser said was a drug deal.
” “ Yes , this is the same White House official who , upon this meeting taking place , immediately adjourned it and told everybody , ‘ Go talk to the lawyers , ' ” he added .
“ Marco Rubio ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under no obligation , dude .
La-la-la-la — I don ’ t want to hear from him , because I might hear the truth that I already know in my heart about Donald Trump .
That ’ s Marco Rubio ’ s position this morning .
I don ’ t want everybody else to hear what I know about Donald Trump , says Marco Rubio .
Is that why he was elected ?
”


rawstory--2020-01-07--Magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits off Puerto Rico: USGS

A strong earthquake struck south of Puerto Rico early Tuesday , the US Geological Survey said , the latest in a series of tremors that have shaken the island since December 28 .
The shallow 6.5 magnitude quake struck 13.6 kilometers ( 8.5 miles ) south of the city of Ponce , the USGS said , revising down its initial reading of 6.6 .
The quake struck just off the US territory ’ s southern Caribbean coastline at 4:24 am local time ( 0824 GMT ) .
“ The whole island is without power , ” the director of Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told local media .
Puerto Rico ’ s governor Wanda Vazquez Garced posted on Twitter that the government ’ s security protocols had been activated .
She said government employees were not expected at work , adding : “ We want everyone to be safe.
” On social media , people wrote of being shaken awake by the force of the quake .
One woman on Twitter said she had been “ wrenched from sleep ” , adding “ Everybody is awake & scared all over.
” Dramatic images also shared on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the town of Guayanilla , home to around 20,000 people , as well as nearby Guanica .
The mayor of Guayanilla told local news channel NotiUno that the town ’ s church had collapsed in the incident .
An alert issued by the Tsunami Warning Center immediately following the earthquake was later cancelled .
Tuesday ’ s quake was the strongest of a series of tremors that have shaken the island since December 28 , topping Monday ’ s 5.8 quake .
That earthquake toppled houses and caused power outages , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @


rawstory--2020-01-07--Crazed Trump supporters plotted to kidnap child they believed was being abused by Satanists: police

Police in Colorado say that they ’ ve broken up a plot hatched by Trump-loving conspiracy theorists to kidnap a child whom they falsely believed was being abused by Satanist pedophiles .
Colorado-based NBC affiliate 9 News reports that 50-year-old Cynthia Abcug , a resident of Parker , Colorado , was arrested late last month in Montana and charged with conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping .
A warrant was issued for Abcug ’ s arrest last year after her own daughter warned a caseworker that Abcug was heavily armed and planning to kidnap her sibling , who had been taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned that her mother “ had gotten into some conspiracy theories ” and was “ spiraling down.
” The conspiracy theory in question was QAnon , which states that President Donald Trump is engaged in a covert battle with Satanist pedophiles who supposedly control the entire Democratic Party .
Abcug was planning to raid the house where her child had been taken into protective custody with the help of an unidentified man who is also a believer in the QAnon conspiracy theory .
According to the arrest affidavit , Abcug claimed that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Satan worshippers ” and “ pedophiles , ” thus forcing her to take up arms and conduct a rescue operation .
Watch 9 News ’ coverage of the arrest below .


rawstory--2020-01-07--Brexit in sight as British MPs scrutinize divorce deal

Britain moves a step closer to a historic departure from the European Union on Tuesday , after more than three years of bitter division and political drama , as Prime Minister Boris Johnson brings his Brexit deal back to parliament without the threat of defeat , deadlock or delay .
Lawmakers begin three days of debate on legislation to enshrine Johnson ’ s divorce deal , with few hurdles to its passing expected after he won a comfortable majority at recent elections .
The air of inevitability that Brexit was finally about to happen contrasts starkly with the repeated postponements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his predecessor Theresa May that plunged Britain into political and economic uncertainty .
The lack of anticipated drama has instead seen focus shift to potential conflict between the United States and Iran .
But the Conservative leader is still up against the clock .
Both the UK and European parliaments must ratify the deal before Britain ’ s January 31 departure date , when a so-called transition phase to the end of the year will kick in .
MPs gave their initial approval to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in a vote on December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a majority of 80 in the 650-seat House of Commons .
They now have three days of debate before the bill passes to the unelected House of Lords for further scrutiny next week .
Opposition lawmakers and troublesome peers will try to amend the text but with such a comfortable majority , Johnson is virtually certain of getting it through on time .
In a sign of his confidence , Johnson ’ s government announced it would hold a new post-Brexit budget vote on March 11 , to “ seize the opportunities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The main opposition Labour party was meanwhile focused on the start of a campaign to replace veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn as leader .
His divisive leadership and ambivalence over Brexit were blamed for Labour ’ s stinging defeat and loss of support in its heartlands of northern England .
Britons voted in the 2016 referendum to end more than four decades of integration with the EU , but it has taken nearly four years of infighting and two general elections to implement the result .
Johnson now looks set to finally make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle awaits on future ties with the EU .
The British premier will hold his first meeting with the new European Commission president , Ursula von der Leyen , in London on Wednesday .
Both sides are keen to prepare for talks on their future trading relationship , although these can not start formally until Britain leaves the EU .
The Brexit deal includes a transition period in which ties remain unchanged in practice until December 31 , 2020 , to provide continuity until a new economic partnership can be agreed .
EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — have warned this is a very tight timeframe , but Johnson insists he will not opt to extend the transition period .
Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said Monday that von der Leyen would “ discuss with the prime minister how to try to overcome these challenges and make sure that we can come out with a positive agreement at the end of the year ” .
The meeting , which will also be attended by EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier , will “ set the scene ” , he added , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition MPs believe Johnson can not negotiate a new trade deal with Brussels in 11 months , and are seeking to amend the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to allow for more time .
Expatriate rights are already covered in the Brexit deal , alongside Britain ’ s financial liabilities , the transition period and new trade arrangements for Northern Ireland .
Meanwhile , a group of eurosceptic lawmakers has tabled an amendment to get Big Ben to chime for Brexit on January 31 in a symbolic celebration of the landmark moment .
A previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the first Brexit date of March 29 , 2019 , was blocked by the then-House of Commons speaker John Bercow .


rawstory--2020-01-07--US exposes Saudi Arabia to peril after Iranian killing

The US has put its ally Saudi Arabia in Iran ’ s crosshairs with the assassination of a top general , leaving it bracing for retaliation just as it was working to ease tensions after a torrid 2019 .
American officials say the kingdom faces a “ heightened risk ” of drone and missile attacks after the killing in Baghdad last week of powerful Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike .
The assassination has sparked fears of a regional conflagration as Tehran vows to take “ severe revenge ” , with Saudi Arabia calling it a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to distance itself from the US strike , with a Saudi official telling AFP the kingdom was “ not consulted ” by Washington before the killing .
Saudi newspapers close to the regime have sought to deflect blame onto rival Doha , saying the drone that downed Soleimani took off from a US base in Qatar , glossing over the deployment of American troops in the kingdom .
A Saudi delegation led by Prince Khalid bin Salman , the deputy defence minister , arrived in Washington on Monday for de-escalation talks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take urgent measures to defuse tensions .
“ It ’ s pretty clear that the Saudis don ’ t welcome this crisis even though they have to be quietly delighted with the killing of Soleimani , ” said Hussein Ibish , a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington .
“ They know they would be in the crossfire if war breaks out , so they are doing everything they can to bring down the temperature.
” In recent months , Saudi Arabia and its arch-nemesis Iran have taken steps towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tensions that have brought the Middle East to the brink of war .
Iraq ’ s prime minister , Adel Abdel Mahdi , said Sunday that he was expecting to meet Soleimani on the day he was killed , saying the general had travelled to deliver a response from Tehran to an earlier Saudi message .
The outreach marks a shift from de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ’ s earlier aggressive stance towards Iran , which sent regional tensions soaring .
Analysts had fretted that Saudi leaders , frustrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s outreach to Iran and who welcomed Donald Trump ’ s hostile stance , would drag Washington into another intractable conflict .
But Riyadh appears chastened by coordinated attacks on key oil installations last year , which were blamed on Iran , despite its denials .
Washington ’ s seemingly tepid response after the September 14 attacks affirmed the view that the kingdom could not rely on its closest Western ally to come to its aid if a conflict erupted , analysts say .
“ The September 14 assault in Saudi Arabia demonstrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against asymmetrical attacks , ” said Kristian Ulrichsen , a fellow at Rice University ’ s Baker Institute in the United States .
“ With both the Saudis and its ally the UAE gearing up for global events this year — the G20 summit in Riyadh and the Dubai Expo 2020 — both will be desperate to avoid any escalation that could put them in doubt.
” Riyadh has quietly tried to disentangle itself from other regional crises .
It appears to have stepped up direct talks with Yemen ’ s pro-Iran Huthi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five years , leading to a noticeable decline in attacks by both sides .
Riyadh is also in talks with Qatar over ways to ease a two-year Saudi-led boycott on its neighbour .
“ The killing of Soleimani… threatens to upend this progress , ” said Stephen Seche , vice president of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington .
“ It greatly increases the likelihood that elements within the Huthi movement close to Tehran will be tempted to… strike deep into Saudi Arabia , a move that would almost certainly scuttle the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have proved surprisingly impervious to Saudi Arabia ’ s expensive military arsenal , have pledged “ swift reprisals ” , voicing solidarity with Tehran .
But Iran and its proxies are likely to target American installations .
“ Because the Iranians need to go after something American , they can find a way to do so without necessarily destroying their outreach to Saudi Arabia , ” said Ryan Bohl , of US geopolitical think-tank Stratfor .
“ That could be a reward for Riyadh for its outreach .
”


rawstory--2020-01-07--Iran accuses France of ‘interference’ in case of jailed acadamic

France said Friday it summoned Iran ’ s ambassador to protest the imprisonment of Fariba Adelkhah and another academic , Roland Marchal of France , saying their detention was “ intolerable ” .
Their imprisonment has added to distrust between Tehran and Paris at a time when French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to play a leading role in defusing tensions between Iran and its arch-foe the United States .
“ The statement by France ’ s foreign ministry regarding an Iranian national is an act of interference and we see their request to have no legal basis , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mousavi said in a statement .
“ The individual in question ( Adelkhah ) is an Iranian national and has been arrested over ‘ acts of espionage ’ , ” he said , adding that her lawyer had knowledge about the details of the case which is being investigated .
Iran does not recognise dual nationality and has repeatedly rebuffed calls from foreign governments for consular access to those it has detained during legal proceedings .
In its statement on Friday , the French foreign ministry reiterated its call for the release of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France ’ s demand for consular access .
In response , Mousavi said Marshal was detained for “ conspiring against national security ” , that he has had “ consular access multiple times ” and that his lawyer was in touch with the judiciary .
A specialist in Shiite Islam and a research director at Sciences Po University in Paris , Adelkhah ’ s arrest for suspected “ espionage ” was confirmed in July .
Her colleague Marchal was arrested while visiting Adelkhah , according to his lawyer .
The university and supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detained academic , Australian Kylie Moore-Gilbert , had started an indefinite hunger strike just before Christmas .
The French statement said the ministry had made clear to the ambassador “ our grave concern over the situation of Mrs Fariba Adelkhah , who has stopped taking food ” .
“ Creating hype can not stop Iran ’ s judiciary from handling the case , especially considering the security charges the two face , ” Mousavi said .
The latest tensions come after Xiyue Wang , an American scholar who had been serving 10 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran this month in exchange for Massoud Soleimani , an Iranian who had been held in the US for allegedly breaching sanctions .
Iran has said it is open to more such prisoner swaps with the United States .
Tehran is still holding several other foreign nationals in high profile cases , including British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi and his father Mohammad Bagher Namazi .
US-Iran tensions have soared since Washington pulled out of a landmark nuclear agreement with Tehran last year and reimposed crippling sanctions .