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Weekly Brief Part 1
Technology
Perhaps there is something in Washington everyone can agree on. Trying to get rid of robocalls is a good idea. A bipartisan piece of legislation known as the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act was passed on Tuesday, making life a bit more difficult for scammers. Among the bill’s provisions, as covered by TechCrunch, the TRACED act requires an annual FCC report on robocall enforcement, requires the attorney general to convene an interagency task force, and opens the door to Justice Department prosecution of offenders.
Getty Images
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) went into effect Wednesday, giving the state the strongest consumer data protections in the country. The CCPA is the first law in the U.S. to organize a comprehensive set of rules around consumer data, similar to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
Climate
Cities across the world are on the move to slow climate change, according to a report from Wired published on Wednesday. More than 1,200 local governments have signed the Climate Emergency Declaration, while many of the world’s most influential mayors announced their support in October for a global Green New Deal. These mayors are members of C40, a network of 94 large cities committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Legal
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez temporarily blocked a California labor law on Tuesday from affecting over 70,000 independent truckers, by granting a “temporary restraining order” sought by the California Trucking Association. Photographers and freelance writers are also seeking a restraining order. California’s gig worker law would make it harder for gig economy companies to qualify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees.
As 2020 arrived it brought with it a number of new laws, including raises in minimum wage in 21 states. Also, Colorado is the first state to put a $100 co-pay cap on a monthly supply of insulin, in an effort to combat rising drug costs. In California, natural hairstyles, like afros, braids, and dreadlocks are now legally protected. This follows recent incidents, nationwide, of African Americans being unfairly targeted because of their hair. All new houses built in California must have solar panels. Washington is now the fifth state to raise the minimum age to 21 for buying tobacco or vaping products, and Illinois now joins ten other states in legalizing the use of recreational marijuana.
Sources:
TRACED Act signed into law, putting robocallers on notice - TechCrunch
Everything You Need to Know About the CCPA - WIRED
Cities Race to Slow Climate Change—and Improve Life for All - WIRED
Federal judge temporarily exempts truck drivers from California gig worker law - Reuters
In California, New Year Brings New Regulations for Businesses - WSJ
2020 New Laws: Higher minimum wage, gig worker benefits and health-cost caps - CBS News
International Crisis Group Calls Targeted Killing ‘Blow To Any Hope’ For De-Escalation
Protesters in Iran demonstrate over U.S. airstrike that killed top general
Photo Credit: SETA
Responding to a U.S. airstrike carried out early Friday that killed a prominent Iranian general, International Crisis Group President Robert Malley said, “A strike that the [Trump] administration claims was intended to deter Iranian attacks is almost certain to trigger far more of them.” Gen. Qassim Suleimani, a popular figure of national resilience, was killed in Iraq by an American drone near Baghdad’s airport. Others killed include five members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard and Suleimani’s son-in-law. “Qassim Suleimani’s death is undoubtedly a very serious blow to Iran,” Malley added. “But it also is a very serious blow to any hope for regional de-escalation.”
Thousands in Tehran took to the streets after Friday prayers to protest the killing, carrying pictures of Suleimani and chanting “Death to deceitful America.” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the killing a “heinous crime” and said his country would “take revenge.”
President Trump, who was vacationing in Florida, said he ordered the airstrike because Suleimani had killed and wounded many Americans over the years and was plotting to kill many more. “We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war,” Trump said.
“A president who vowed to keep the United States out of another Middle Eastern war has in effect just issued a declaration of war,” said Malley.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Friday that “de-escalation” was the main objective of the U.S., while at the same time the Pentagon announced it had deployed roughly 3,500 soldiers, joining another 750 who were deployed to the Middle East earlier this week.
The U.S. Defense Department had accused Suleimani of approving orchestrated violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday and said Tehran would be held responsible. Iran has denied the accusation.
Sources:
U.S. Kills Iran's Second-Most-Powerful Commander in Dramatic Escalation - Foreign Policy
Qassim Suleimani, Iranian General, Cast Long Shadow Over Middle East - The New York Times
Killing of Iranian general marks huge gamble by Trump - Los Angeles Times
Top Iranian General Qassim Suleimani Is Killed on Trump’s Orders, Officials Say - The New York Times
Soleimani, a general who became Iran icon by targeting US - AP
Qasem Soleimani: Who was the Iranian commander killed by US airstrike? - CNN
Iran vows 'harsh' response to US killing of top general - AP
'The game has changed': Defense secretary warns of preemptive strikes on Iranian group - POLITICO
Iran Confirms Death of Powerful Revolutionary Guard Commander - The New York Times
Iran's Khamenei strongly condemns U.S. attacks in Iraq - TV - Reuters
Defense officials ready 4,000 troops for deployment in Middle East - Washington Examiner
Pentagon bars lawmakers from traveling to Syria and Iraq - POLITICO
Iraqi paramilitaries call for withdrawal from U.S. embassy - Reuters
Iraq riots expose an America weaker and with fewer options - The Guardian
The invasion of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is America’s latest setback in its shadow war with Iran - The Washington Post
US troops fire tear gas at pro-PMF protesters in Baghdad - Al Jazeera
U.S. Troops Fire Tear Gas as Protesters Swarm Embassy in Iraq Again - The New York Times
US troops fire tear gas at pro-Iran protesters in Iraq - AP
US presses Iraq to protect American personnel after embassy attack: ‘There will be no Benghazis’ - Fox News
US Embassy in Baghdad fire damage seen in new photos following militants' attack - Fox News
Live updates: 3,500 additional U.S. troops headed to Mideast as Iran threatens retaliation - The Washington Post
Weekly Brief Part 2
January 3, 2020, Evacuees being transported by landing craft to MV Sycamore at Mallacoota, Australia. AAP Image/Supplied by the Department of Defence, Shane Cameron/via REUTERS
Australia/Climate
Helicopters and Navy ships are coming in to help with food, water, medical supplies and temporary shelter for communities in need, as Australia continues to suffer its worst wildfires in decades, that have left huge patches of the country devastated. The Australian Defence Force strengthened its assistance Wednesday with Black Hawk helicopters, while HMAS Choules, a massive humanitarian ship, sailed from Sydney on Wednesday morning with a Taipan helicopter on board. An aviation training vessel, the MV Sycamore, also left on Wednesday and can carry a helicopter, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
There have been 18 deaths nationwide, and more than 900 houses have been destroyed in the state of New South Wales alone. Containing the fires has been a struggle for state and federal authorities, even with firefighting assistance from other countries, including the U.S.
The blazes have been exacerbated by ongoing heat and drought, and many point to climate change as making the situation worse. A report from Scientific American noted that unusually hot summers have happened in the past, and so have bad bushfire seasons, but the link between the current extremes and anthropogenic climate change is scientifically difficult to dispute.
Authorities urged Australians on Friday to evacuate parts of the eastern states of Victoria and New South Wales to escape bushfires they fear are set to burn out of control this weekend.
US/North Korea
Stating hopes that North Korea would choose peace over war, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded to Kim Jong Un’s announcement that he would soon introduce a “new strategic weapon.” In an interview with Fox News Pompeo said, “We’re hopeful that ... Chairman Kim will make the right decision—he’ll choose peace and prosperity over conflict and war.” The North Korean leader has said he no longer feels bound by a self-imposed moratorium from the past two years on nuclear and long-range missile testing.
In a separate interview with CBS News, Pompeo was asked whether he was worried by Kim’s statements. “If Chairman Kim has reneged on the commitments he made to President Trump, that is deeply disappointing,” Pompeo said.
Kim accused the U.S. of stalling for time by dragging out nuclear negotiations while maintaining sanctions “to completely strangle and stifle” North Korea. “This is the double-dealing behavior of the brigandish U.S.,” Kim said.
Sources:
Kim Jong Un Says North Korea May Test Again - NPR
North Korea Is No Longer Bound by Nuclear Test Moratorium, Kim Says - The New York Times
Pompeo hopes North Korea's Kim chooses 'peace and prosperity over conflict and war' - Reuters
Why the Fires in Australia Are So Bad - The New York Times
Australia's deadly wildfires are showing no signs of stopping. Here's what you need to know - CNN
Choppers arrive in Victoria while Navy ships set sail from Sydney - Sydney Morning Herald
New South Wales declares a 7-day state of emergency as Australia's deadly bushfires rage - CNN
Australia's Angry Summer: This Is What Climate Change Looks Like - Scientific American
Australians flee massive bushfires as new fire threat looms - Reuters
Hundreds Of Pro-Democracy Activists Arrested In Hong Kong During Rally
March organized by Civil Human Rights Front shut down by police
Hong Kong protesters rang in the new year with a mass march through downtown areas Credit: BLOOMBERG
Roughly 400 protesters were arrested after a rally attended by tens of thousands on New Year's Day escalated. The march, organized by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), was approved by police, but ended with pepper spray and tear gas being used against demonstrators. Police said the arrests made were for unlawful assembly and possession of offensive weapons.
Not long after tensions peaked, police ordered the CHRF to end the march hours early and immediately break up the crowds, causing severe congestion in the streets.
Wednesday’s march stemmed from protests which began in June in response to a now-withdrawn extradition bill that would allow criminal suspects to be sent for trial in China. The initial protests grew into a broader push for democratic elections and the resignation of the city’s chief executive Carrie Lam.
Protesters against Taiwan’s KMT presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu during a protest in Kaohsiung. Photograph: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday that she would reject a “one country, two systems” political formula Beijing has suggested could be used to unify the democratic island, saying that that type of arrangement had failed in Hong Kong. “Under ‘one country, two systems,’ the situation continues to deteriorate in Hong Kong. The credibility of ‘one country, two systems’ has been sullied by the government’s abuse of power,” Tsai said.
Tsai is seeking re-election in a Jan. 11 vote, and fear of China has become a major component in the campaign, boosted by the anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
Sources:
Taiwan's Tsai defends Anti-Infiltration Law aimed at China - AP
Taiwan passes law targeting Chinese political interference - ABC News/AP
Taiwan leader rejects China's offer to unify under Hong Kong model - Reuters
Taiwan's citizens battle pro-China fake news campaigns as election nears - The Guardian
Xi Defends China’s Model for Ruling Hong Kong - Bloomberg
Hong Kong police fire tear gas at new year's mass march through city - The Telegraph
Hong Kong New Year's Day march called off after bricks and petrol bombs thrown - CNN
Exclusive: Hong Kongers support protester demands; minority wants independence from China - Reuters poll - Reuters
400 protesters in Hong Kong arrested after thousands join New Year's Day rally - NBC News
China to cut reserve ratio by 50 basis points from Jan. 6 - AP
NewsHero Editorial
Art by Mark Minnig
Weekly Brief Part 3
World
Citing global downturns in poverty, reduced rates of death among children, and improved numbers in literacy as examples, an op-ed piece from The New York Times posits that despite all the negative news we ingest daily, we’re living in perhaps the best years ever.
Students in a school for women in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. Credit Allison Joyce/Getty Images
Health
A story on world health from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation argues for the necessity of fortified foods. Pointing out that many diseases have been eradicated by adding essential vitamins and minerals to commonly eaten staple foods, why is it then that one-third of our global population suffers from diseases potentially preventable through diet? The World Bank and the Copenhagen Consensus have both ranked food fortification as one of the best investments in development in terms of cost-effectiveness. “It is simply unacceptable that fortified foods are not more widely available to the estimated two billion around the globe suffering from basic micronutrient deficiencies,” the article concludes.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection solidified a plan to increase medical care, following a surge of migrant families to the U.S.-Mexico border and a series of deaths in immigration custody. The plan includes a proposal for triage, plus screenings for respiratory systems, instructions to isolate sick migrants to prevent the spread of disease, and vaccines for staff. More than 500 medical professionals are on contract to help administer care.
Journalists/Journalism
Committee to Protect Journalists is calling for the release of a Pakistani journalist sentenced to five years in prison under anti-terrorism laws. Nasrullah Chaudhry was convicted and sentenced over the alleged possession of banned literature, according to news reports.
Humanitarian
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and underscoring the need for action International Justice Mission (IJM) is working to make areas such as Mumbai zero-trafficking districts. IJM’s goal to rescue young children—many lured away from extreme poverty with promises of relief, only to be brought into sex trafficking—is at the core of the group’s plan Operation Zero.
Faith/Religion
In his first homily of the new year, Pope Francis denounced violence against women. “All violence inflicted on women is a desecration of God,” he told the crowd at St. Peter’s Basilica. During his homily, Francis also addressed immigration, saying women who moved abroad to provide for their children should be honored, not scorned. “Today even motherhood is humiliated, because the only growth that interests us is economic growth,” he said.
In this Oct. 28, 2018, file photo, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, right, of Tree of Life/Or L'Simcha Congregation hugs Rabbi Cheryl Klein, left, of Dor Hadash Congregation and Rabbi Jonathan Perlman during a community gathering held in the aftermath of a deadly shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
The FBI initiated a collaboration with faith leaders, inviting them to Washington D.C. in June to discuss potential threats and how to protect religious institutions, prompted by the alarming frequency of attacks on religious groups and individuals. According to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA TODAY and Northeastern University, three of the deadliest attacks on groups of faith during worship have occurred since June 2015. FBI hate crime statistics show that incidents in churches, synagogues, temples and mosques increased 34.8% between 2014 and 2018. As 2019 neared its end, two acts of violence—one at a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York during Hanukkah and the other at a Texas church 14 hours later—highlighted the threat of violence so often imposed upon people of faith in the U.S.
Sources:
This Has Been the Best Year Ever - The New York Times
Doubling down on food fortification to fortify the future - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Pakistani journalist sentenced to five years in prison under anti-terrorism laws - Committee to Protect Journalists
Africa starts 2020 battling extremism, Ebola and hunger - AP
US agency formalizes border medical plan after migrants die - AP
In New Year message, pope decries violence against women - Reuters
Operation Zero: Abha's Rescue - International Justice Mission
Year-end violence highlights danger of worshipping - AP
Hospitals and Schools Are Being Bombed in Syria. A U.N. Inquiry Is Limited. We Took a Deeper Look. - The New York Times
Faith Leaders, FBI Collaborating to Keep Religious Institutions Safe from Attacks - FBI
Schumer Pushes For Subpoenas In Impeachment Trial
New evidence may highlight Trump’s personal choice to withhold aid
Image Credit NY Times
With more major news seemingly piling up, there’s still the pressing issue of Donald Trump’s impeachment.
As the Pentagon warns that the hold on military aid to Ukraine could be illegal, CNN reports that an official from the Office of Management and Budget has said the order to keep the freeze in place came directly from President Trump, according to un-redacted documents. These documents provide new details on the agencies tasked with carrying out Trump's unexplained hold on the Ukraine aid.
Pointing to an email sent by Office of Management and Budget Associate Director Michael Duffey to Defense Department officials shortly after Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky, Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling for subpoenas to be issued to force top Trump administration officials to testify. The email in question allegedly shows a push to have the aid held after Trump asked Ukraine for help with political investigations.
Referencing a New York Times report that says Trump moved forward with the freeze despite warnings from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former adviser John Bolton, Schumer called the revelations a “game-changer.”
Schumer, Senate Minority Leader and New York Democrat, has questioned why Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell is hesitant to call witnesses in the impeachment trial, suggesting they wouldn’t want to speak under oath.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said on Tuesday she's “open to witnesses” in the impeachment trial, including top officials such as acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Collins added however that, “I think it's premature to decide who should be called until we see the evidence that is presented and get the answers to the questions that we senators can submit through the Chief Justice to both sides.”
Meanwhile, back in Mar-a-Lago, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani said Tuesday he would be willing to testify at the impeachment trial, telling reporters he would “love to try the case” and that he has become wise to “vast” corruption involving Democrats and Ukraine. “I would testify, I would do demonstrations, I'd give lectures, I'd give summations or I do what I do best. I try the case,” Giuliani told reporters.
Sources:
Schumer calls for witness testimony at impeachment trial, says new ‘revelations’ a ‘game changer’ - Fox News
Behind the Ukraine Aid Freeze: 84 Days of Conflict and Confusion - The New York Times
Report sheds light on Ukraine aid freeze at center of Trump's impeachment - CNBC
Impeachment Trial Looming, Chief Justice Reflects on Judicial Independence - The New York Times
GOP's Susan Collins 'open to witnesses' in Trump's Senate impeachment trial - ABC News
Giuliani Says He’s Prepared to ‘Do Demonstrations’ at Trump’s Impeachment Trial - Daily Beast
Indicted Giuliani associate wants to give documents to House - AP
Rudy Giuliani says he is willing to testify at Trump impeachment trial - Fox News
Judge dismisses impeachment suit from ex-White House aide - AP
White House budget official told Pentagon that order to hold Ukraine aid came from Trump, national security site reports - CNN
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