Hong Kong handouts, Officials dial back Russian meddling, Judge Dismisses Removal Request, Abrams Runs 'Fair Fight' + 'Choosy Moms Say GIF'
NewsHero - Feb 26, 2020 - 42
Welcome to this edition of NewsHero for Wednesday, February 26, 2020.
We decided that being NewsHero—putting the hero of every story in the headlines as our priority—we’d go ahead and readily identify those heroes in each piece of coverage.
Going forward, heroes will be designated as follows:
🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️ - the hero, hands down. - Meaning that it wasn’t even a close call.
🦸♀️🦸♀️ - the hero, but… - Meaning that in this situation the call needed to be looked at in a little more detail. For example, they did the right thing but there have been some questionable calls in the past.
🦸♀️ - the hero, but only here, and it was a close call. - Meaning that in this instance they did the right thing but it was either out of character or a maddeningly close call.
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Greta Thunberg met Malala Yousafzai at Oxford University on Feb. 25, 2020 (@malala)
NewsHero Notes
Malala and Greta - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
With the line “She's the only friend I'd skip school for,” human rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai tweeted a photo of herself with climate activist Greta Thunberg. The two women met Tuesday at Oxford University. That meeting is a fine example of the expression “a meeting of the minds.”
Zachary Ro and Pete Buttigieg - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
9-year-old Zachary Ro got to ask Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg a question in front of thousands of supporters last week. His question was, “Would you help me tell the world I’m gay too? I want to be brave like you.” Buttigieg responded to the emotional question with compassion and sincerity. “I don’t think you need a lot of advice from me on bravery. You seem pretty strong,” he told the young boy. “It took me a long time to figure out how to tell even my best friend that I was gay, let alone to go out there and tell the world.”
Afternoon Brief
2020 Election
The national security officials speaking up - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
Three national security officials are saying that Shelby Pierson, the U.S. intelligence community's top election security official, seems to have overstated recently announced intelligence regarding Russian interference in the 2020 election. Pierson told lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election with hopes of getting Donald Trump re-elected. Though the intelligence community has assessed that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election, the U.S. reportedly does not have evidence that the interference is aimed at re-electing Trump, the officials said. "The intelligence doesn't say that," one senior national security official told CNN. “A more reasonable interpretation of the intelligence is not that they have a preference, it's a step short of that. It's more that they understand the President is someone they can work with, he's a dealmaker.”
Topic 2
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson has denied a request by Roger Stone’s lawyers that she be removed from the case in which she last week sentenced the long-time adviser to President Trump to three years and four months in prison. Jackson had been accused of bias by Stone’s attorneys in a filing on Feb. 21 that called for her recusal. Stone was convicted on Nov. 15 of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. In sentencing Stone last week, Jackson said his lies to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election amounted to a threat to American democracy.
Fair Fight
Stacey Abrams - 🦸♀️🦸♀️🦸♀️
Democrat and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is leading an initiative to combat voter suppression. Fair Fight says on its website, “We promote fair elections in Georgia and around the country, encourage voter participation in elections, and educate voters about elections and their voting rights,” and that “Voter suppression of voters of color and young voters is a scourge our country faces in states across the nation.” Abrams says she “absolutely” sees herself running for president one day, but for 2020, she “would be honored” to run for VP with whoever the Democratic nominee is. “My best service is to be in that neutral space where it's not about who the nominee is—it’s about making sure no matter who the nominee is, any person who wants to go and vote, can vote,” she said. “That's what we're doing through Fair Fight 2020.”
Hong Kong Proposes Cash Handouts
Economic boost needed amid virus outbreak
A demonstrator holds a placard during a Feb. 2 protest calling on Hong Kong's government to close its border with China. (Photo by Miguel Candela/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Hong Kong government - 🦸♀️🦸♀️
Hong Kong’s government is proposing a nearly $1,300 cash handout for each resident over 18 years old to help alleviate hardships brought on by the spreading viral outbreak and prolonged political protests.
The subsidy was among a bundle of emergency measures in a budget presented to the city’s legislature today by Financial Secretary Paul Chan. “I consider that, with ample fiscal reserves, the government has to increase public expenditure amid an economic downturn to stimulate the economy and ride out the difficult times with members of the public,” Chan said.
During Chan’s budget speech he announced plans to “strengthen our community’s understanding of the concept of the rule of law and its implementation.” Money will go to the Department of Justice for an awareness campaign entitled “Vision 2030 for Rule of Law.” The World Justice Project ranks Hong Kong the 16th best jurisdiction for the rule of law globally, just behind Japan and ahead of France and the U.S.
The downturn in tourism and business activity from the coronavirus outbreak has added to the troubles brought on by months of protests last year. The financial center is deploying its more than $140 billion in reserves to help counter the economic pinch.
“Although a record high deficit is envisaged in next year’s budget, I believe that only with such a budget can we help our community and local enterprises ride out their difficulties,” Chan said.
Extra! Extra!
Peanut butter weighs in. Smooth transition
Ah, nuts. We’d hoped things had smoothed over, but big peanut butter has weighed in again on an argument that may be spreading thin for some. According to an article from Wired, “Giphy and the peanut butter brand Jif are releasing limited-edition jars intended to settle the argument on the pronunciation of “GIF”—but let's be honest, they'll probably just reignite it.” Hard ‘“g”? Soft “g”? Crunchy? Smooth?
Didn’t the person who created the animated loops called GIFs provide not long ago a definitive answer as to whether it’s pronounced with a hard or soft “g”? He did. A programmer named Steve Wilhite created the GIF, and when he received a lifetime achievement honor from the Webby Awards in 2013 he said, “It’s pronounced ‘JIF’ not ‘GIF.’” Shouldn’t that settle it? It’s unlikely we’ve been saying the peanut butter brand name wrong, but it’s hard to hold it against Jif for wanting to sell more jars of their stuff.
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Sources:
Greta Thunberg meets Malala Yousafzai at Oxford University - BBC News
'I want to be brave like you': Boy, 9, asks Pete Buttigieg for help coming out as gay - USA Today
U.S. intel officials worry their latest findings about Russian election interference are being distorted - NBC News
Intel Officials Claim Dems Misinterpreted Briefing on Russian Election Interference - National Review
US intelligence briefer appears to have overstated assessment of 2020 Russian interference - CNN
Federal judge rebukes Trump over Roger Stone jury comments - Politico
U.S. judge rejects Roger Stone's request she be kicked off his case - Reuters
Judge Amy Berman Jackson criticizes Trump's attacks on Roger Stone juror - CNN
Stacey Abrams Spearheads 'Fair Fight,' A Campaign Against Voter Suppression - NPR
Fair Fight
Stacey Abrams 'absolutely' wants to run for president one day, but says she'd accept a VP slot in 2020 - ABC News
Hong Kong is giving 7 million people $1,200 in cash to boost its recession-hit economy - CNN
Hong Kong plans $15 billion spending to support its economy amid coronavirus outbreak - CNBC
Hong Kong to Spend Millions Promoting Rule of Law After Protests - Bloomberg
Hong Kong flags record budget deficit as virus, protests cripple economy - Reuters
Hong Kong plans handouts, tax cuts to counter economic woes - AP News
Let's Have the GIF Pronunciation Debate Forever - Wired