| Fox News' Wallace calls out GOP senator for pushing debunked conspiracy theory Posted: 24 Nov 2019 10:20 AM PST  Fox News host Chris Wallace pushed back against GOP Senator John Kennedy, who repeated a debunked conspiracy theory promoted by President Trump.
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| Ship with 14,600 sheep aboard capsizes off Romania Posted: 24 Nov 2019 05:06 PM PST  Rescuers were struggling Sunday to save 14,600 sheep loaded on a cargo ship that capsized in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania, they said. The Queen Hind bound for Saudi Arabia overturned for yet unknown reasons shortly after leaving Romania's Midia port. The crew of 20 Syrians and one Lebanese were rescued, together with 32 sheep, two of which were pulled from the water, said Ana-Maria Stoica, a spokeswoman for the rescue services.
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| Harvard-Yale football game grinds to halt as hundreds of students storm field to protest climate change Posted: 24 Nov 2019 04:02 AM PST  A high-profile college football match between Harvard and Yale was interrupted for more than an hour after hundreds of students stormed the field to demand the two elite institutions stop investing in fossil fuels.Students and alumni from Harvard and Yale disrupted the American football match in New Haven, Connecticut, at half-time to demand the universities take more action to tackle climate change.
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| Iran's Guard threatens US, allies over protests Posted: 25 Nov 2019 05:40 AM PST  The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened the U.S. and its allies Monday as he addressed a pro-government demonstration attended by tens of thousands of people denouncing last week's violent protests over a fuel price hike. Gen. Hossein Salami, echoing other Iranian officials, accused the U.S., Britain, Israel and Saudi Arabia of stoking the unrest. Iran has not released a death toll and cut off internet for several days, making it difficult to ascertain the extent and severity of the demonstrations.
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| U.K. Conservative Manifesto Launch: Boris Johnson’s Key Policies Posted: 24 Nov 2019 09:06 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Brexit Bulletin, follow us @Brexit and subscribe to our podcast.U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled his Conservative Party's election manifesto on Sunday with a promise to end the "seemingly unending Brexit box-set drama."In a 40-minute speech, Johnson promised 50,000 new nurses and said the National Health Service will not be "on the table" in post-Brexit trade talks, lines that sought to neutralize attacks by the opposition Labour Party. He also pledged not to raise income tax, value-added tax or national insurance rates.Even so, the policies are far less radical than those proposed by Labour, which published its manifesto on Thursday -- perhaps reflecting the Conservative Party's already strong lead in the polls.Here's a breakdown of the Conservatives' key proposals:Brexit, TradeRatify Johnson's divorce deal with the European Union before the Jan. 31 deadline; legislation would be introduced to Parliament before ChristmasOnce the U.K. has left, negotiate and ratify a free-trade agreement with the EU quickly enough to ensure there's no need for an extension to the transition phase beyond its scheduled end in Dec. 2020.Aim to have 80% of U.K. trade covered by free-trade agreements within three yearsTaxation, SpendingBorrow more to invest in infrastructure under loosened fiscal rules, which would allow an increase of 13.8 billion pounds ($17.7 billion) in spending across all departments by 2021The rates of income tax, national insurance and VAT would not riseRaise the threshold for making National Insurance contributions from 8,628 pounds year to 9,500 in the government's first budget, with a goal to raise it to 12,500 pounds at an unspecified future dateReduce the "overall burden" of business ratesIncrease the tax relief on buildings and research and developmentThe party has shelved a planned cut in corporation taxLaborRaise the minimum wage to 10.50 pounds an hour by 2024Establish a National Skills Fund, which would give individuals and small businesses the chance to receive vocational trainingEnsure workers have the right to request a more predictable contractEnvironmentMake the U.K. carbon neutral by 2050, including by planting an additional 75,000 acres of trees a year by 2023Spend 6.3 billion pounds on energy efficiency measures to cut fuel bills in millions of homesA ban on exporting plastic waste outside OECD countries to reduce ocean damageSet up a new independent Office For Environmental Protection and introduce new legal targets, including for air qualityHealth CareDeliver 50,000 more nurses, some of whom will be newly-trained, some hired from abroad and some from staff retention. Also the reintroduction of bursaries for nurse trainingA 2.7 billion-pound investment to build 40 hospitals. This has been widely disputed by opposition parties and fact-checkers, who put the actual number of new hospitals at six over five yearsCommit 1 billion pounds per year in extra funding for local authorities to better deal with demands for social careNo specific plan to resolve the U.K.'s social care crisis; aim to build a "cross-party consensus" on a new policy to ensure nobody needs to sell their home in order to afford itEnd hospital car park charges for some staff, patients and visitorsEducationA 1 billion-pound investment to boost childcare provisionsExtra 14 billion pounds funding for schools by 2023HousingBuild at least 1 million more homes by 2024Ban the sale of new leasehold homesIntroduce a 3% surcharge for foreign buyers of homes in EnglandBan "no fault evictions," where tenants are evicted before the end of their contract without a proper reasonLifetime rental deposits program, allowing payments to be transferred when tenants move houseLaw, PolicingRecruit 20,000 new police officersIncrease stop-and-search powers for policeEnsure those guilty of premeditated murder of a child are never eligible for releaseAdd 10,000 prison places, with 2.75 billion pounds already committed to refurbishing existing prisons and building new onesTransportNew fund to reopen disused railway lines axed in the 1960s, beginning with northern EnglandInvest 2 billion pounds to repair the U.K.'s roadsImmigrationAn Australian-style points-based visa system to prioritize skilled workersImmigrants from the EU will only be able to access unemployment, housing, and child benefits after five yearsTo contact the reporter on this story: Greg Ritchie in London at gritchie10@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Police look for suspects after 2 boys fatally shot outside California elementary school Posted: 25 Nov 2019 09:13 AM PST  Two boys sitting in a van in a parking lot of a Northern California elementary school were fatally shot early Saturday, police say.
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| Former incarcerated student: Society owes men and women in prison chance to return whole Posted: 24 Nov 2019 12:04 PM PST  PBS documentary shows how higher education helped me remove the shackles of incarceration. College degrees in prison can do the same for others.
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| Whoops: In 1984, a Soviet Sub Crashed into the U.S. Carrier It Was Tailing Posted: 25 Nov 2019 10:00 AM PST  Well that's awkward.
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| The 30 Best New York City Landmarks to Visit Posted: 25 Nov 2019 05:00 AM PST |
| Egyptian Coptic rights activist faces 'terror' charges Posted: 25 Nov 2019 06:34 AM PST  An Egyptian Coptic rights activist is facing charges of joining a "terror" group and spreading misinformation, his lawyer confirmed Monday, amid a renewed crackdown on dissidents in the country. Ramy Kamel was arrested from his Cairo home early Saturday by seven plainclothes police officers, a member of his defence team, Atef Nazmy, told AFP. The prosecution has alleged Kamel joined a "terror" group, received foreign funding and broadcast false information.
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| Chemical weapons body defends Syria attack conclusions after leaks Posted: 25 Nov 2019 06:42 AM PST  The head of the global chemical weapons organization on Monday defended the agency's conclusion that poison was used in a high profile attack in Syria last year, after leaked documents suggested two former employees doubted some of its findings. More than 40 people were killed in the April 7 attack in Douma, a town on the outskirts of Damascus that was then held by rebels. The United States, Britain and France retaliated a week later by firing missiles at Syrian government targets, the biggest Western military action against the Damascus authorities of the eight year war.
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| Graham defends requesting Biden docs: 'That’s the way it works in politics' Posted: 25 Nov 2019 10:16 AM PST  "We're not going to live in a country where only one party gets investigated," he says.
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| Donald Trump Jr. makes ‘ignorant’ joke about those with HIV Posted: 24 Nov 2019 12:21 PM PST  Donald Trump Jr. has been criticized for a "despicable" and "ignorant" comment he made about people with HIV.
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| Banks Close Branches in Half of U.S., Loss Worst in Rural Areas Posted: 25 Nov 2019 12:09 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- More than half of U.S. counties lost access to bank branches between 2012 and 2017, with rural counties that have less educated and minority residents especially hurt, the Federal Reserve said in a new report.Nearly 800 rural counties lost 1,533 bank branches, representing 14% of their total branches, the Fed said Monday. While urban counties also lost branches, they lost just 9% of the branches, according to the report. The findings highlight a broader U.S. trend of the widening gap between rural areas and better-served and more prosperous urban centers.While urban and rural Americans are using branches less frequently as more banking services have moved online, traditional bank offices nonetheless provide an important way for people to open up checking accounts and to borrow. As a result, the loss of branches can hinder access to credit for households and small businesses.Forty-four counties were "deeply affected" by closings, defined as a county that had 10 or fewer branches in 2012 and lost at least 50% of those branches by 2017, the Fed said."Rural counties deeply affected by branch closures had higher poverty rates, lower median incomes, a higher share of their population with less than a high school degree, and a higher share of their population who were African American," the report said.In listening sessions the Fed has held around the county, people have called the loss of branches "frustrating and disruptive" to their lives, according to their report. Local banks also can provide leaders who contribute to the community, and their loss is keenly felt."Banks are more attuned to the needs of the communities in which they are headquartered, so this loss could have a negative impact on the affected local markets," the Fed said.Fed leaders are trying to understand the divide and what can be done to help struggling rural areas, who's plight has become a powerful issue in the U.S. politics. President Donald Trump successfully focused part of his 2016 election campaign on turning out support among Republican-leaning rural voters who he said had been neglected by political leaders.To contact the reporter on this story: Steve Matthews in Atlanta at smatthews@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alister Bull at abull7@bloomberg.net, Vince GolleFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| China Announces Plans to Strengthen Protection of Intellectual-Property Rights Posted: 25 Nov 2019 02:51 PM PST  China's government on Sunday issued a directive aimed at tightening protections for Chinese intellectual-property rights, amid accusations from the U.S. that China has stolen American intellectual property.The document, released jointly by the General Offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Chinese State Council, lays out a goal of strengthening intellectual-property-rights protections over the next two years by cracking down on the infringement of such rights."Strengthening IPR protection is the most important content of improving the IPR protection system and also the biggest incentive to boost China's economic competitiveness," the directive reads, according to excerpts released by the Chinese State Council.The new guidelines say China will boost its efforts to enhance international cooperation on IPR protection as well.The measures come while disputes over intellectual-property theft have roiled trade negotiations between China and U.S. as the world's two largest economies scramble to reach "phase one" of a trade deal.Last year, an investigation by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative found that intellectual-property theft by China causes the U.S. to lose between $225 billion and $600 billion a year.Exacerbating the situation further, the Justice Department in January charged China's largest smartphone maker, Huawei Technologies Co., with bank fraud and stealing trade secrets. The 13-count indictment alleges that Huawei stole robotic technology designed to test smartphones from American cell-phone company T-Mobile.
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| This Is How The Philippines Will Help America Patrol The South China Sea Posted: 24 Nov 2019 08:30 PM PST  By buying P-3 surveillance planes.
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| Teacher Threw Away Students' Black Lives Matter Posters, ACLU Says Posted: 25 Nov 2019 11:56 AM PST  A school district near Sacramento, California, said it is investigating an episode in which a teacher threw away student posters related to the Black Lives Matter movement.The district, the San Juan Unified School District in Carmichael, Califorinia, said in a statement that it apologized if any student felt "discomfort" about what happened, the television station KCRA 3 reported.The episode, which took place in September, came to light Thursday after the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California sent the district a letter detailing what happened.In the letter, the organization described how a parent volunteer taught a lesson about how "art can manifest in activism."The parent volunteer asked the teacher if she could teach another art lesson about diversity. According to the letter, the teacher told her in front of a sixth-grade class that "his lessons would contain lessons with 'a bunch of old white guys' so her content may not fit."The volunteer "was obviously confused, and a bit concerned regarding this comment, but did not stop the lesson plan" because of his comment, the letter said.She asked the students to create a poster that focused on something they wanted to see changed at the school. Four students created Black Lives Matter posters, Abre' Conner, the lawyer at the ACLU who wrote the letter, said Sunday.The day after the posters were made by the students, the teacher told the parent volunteer that he threw them away because they were "inappropriate and political," the letter said.The teacher asked her "whether students were getting shot at the school and demanded answers regarding why a presentation on Black Lives Matter was relevant" to the school, Del Paso Manor Elementary, the letter said.The letter identified the teacher only as Madden; a school directory lists a David Madden as a teacher. Conner would not identify the parent volunteer, who was referenced in the school district statement only as Kincaid. A Magali Kincaid is listed as a parent or community member on the school's website.Neither Madden nor Kincaid could be reached Sunday. Kent Kern, the school district superintendent, to whom the letter was addressed, also could not be reached.Kincaid went to the principal, who supported Madden, according to the letter. The principal said that Black Lives Matter posters are political statements and therefore were off limits for public display.Though not named in the letter, Damon Smith is listed on the school's website as its principal. He could not be reached Sunday.The ACLU argued that the Black Lives Matter posters were protected speech under the California Education Code because they convey a student's thoughts, ideas and beliefs in the support of black lives. The group also said the posters were protected under the California Constitution.Conner wrote that "there are obvious problems with a teacher and principal who currently have black students in their classroom and school taking the positions that the acknowledgment of Black Lives is controversial and political in nature."The district has not responded to the letter, Conner said."Because these are so basic fundamental rights we believe that the school district at this point would have responded back to us," she said Sunday.In its statement, the district said the ACLU letter raised new assertions."Ms. Kincaid was allowed to provide a lesson that was not prepared by the district's art program and without having been trained," it said. "That should have not occurred and unfortunately led to disagreement between Ms. Kincaid and the classroom teacher on the assignment's final outcome."The statement attributed the disagreement to a misunderstanding about the nature of the assignment.Madden's "understanding of the resulting assignment was for students to produce artwork related to a change they wanted to see within the school itself," the statement said."Students whose artwork focused on large social issues, which varied in topic, and was not directly tied to the school, were asked by the teacher to complete another poster the next day," it continued.The district said it was never its "intent or desire for any student to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome to discuss issues that are important to them."It added: "Censoring a student's assigned work because of its content would not be acceptable. We are open and committed to continuing our work with students, staff, community partners and others to ensure that our school communities embrace a diversity of thoughts and experiences."The ACLU asked for, among other things, a curriculum and events that include the Black Lives Matter movement, parent engagement training. It also asked that school staff undergo cultural and sensitivity training with Kincaid's input."The moral here is that you have a teacher in your school district basically sending the message that if you create Black Lives Matter art work, it is literal trash," Conner said.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Iran rejects US order to pay $180 mn over reporter's jailing Posted: 25 Nov 2019 04:12 PM PST  Iran on Monday rejected a US court order for Tehran to pay $180 million in damages to a Washington Post reporter for jailing him on espionage charges. Jason Rezaian spent 544 days in an Iranian prison before he was released in January 2016 in exchange for seven Iranians held in the United States. On Friday, a US district court judge ordered damages be paid to Rezaian and his family in compensation for pain and suffering as well as economic losses.
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| UPDATE 1-U.S. Supreme court extends block on Trump financial records dispute Posted: 25 Nov 2019 03:53 PM PST ![UPDATE 1-U.S. Supreme court extends block on Trump financial records dispute]( "UPDATE 1-U.S. Supreme court extends block on Trump financial records dispute") The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday gave President Donald Trump a boost by extending its hold on a lower court ruling that required his longtime accounting firm to hand over his financial records to a Democratic-led House of Representatives committee. The unsigned order will remain in effect until after the Supreme Court decides whether to hear Trump's appeal of the lower court ruling that directed Mazars LLP, Trump's longtime accounting firm, to comply with the subpoena for the records. Trump has until Dec. 5 to file his appeal.
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| Florida Woman Reported an ‘Unknown’ Body in Her Driveway. Hours Later, She Was Charged With Murder. Posted: 25 Nov 2019 01:39 PM PST  Early Saturday morning, 51-year-old Yvonne Serrano called Florida authorities to report a grisly scene in the driveway of her Coral Springs home."I just walked out and there is a car in my driveway with a dead body," she told the 911 dispatcher. "There's blood..she's been here for a while," she added. "She's bleeding everywhere."During the frantic, five-minute phone call, Serrano insisted she had no idea what a dead body was doing in her driveway. But hours later—after changing her story multiple times—Serrano was charged with second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence for allegedly shooting 21-year-old Daniela Tabares outside her home, then trying to cover it up, Coral Springs police said.Authorities said the pair had gone to the movies and a bar on Friday night with friends from their local gym, a night of fun that ended with a bullet in Tabares' forehead. California Man Who Rapped About Burying His Girlfriend Is Charged With Her Murder"Daniela is an inspiration. She is the [sic] shining example of what the best of us can only try to be," the gym that organized the group event said in a Facebook statement on Monday. "It shines through in the joy, laughter, and loving sassiness she shared with us. It shines through in the boundless love she gave us and the selfless care she took for the people around her. We cannot measure her loss."According to a police affidavit obtained by The Daily Beast, deputies arrived at Serrano's house early Saturday morning to find Tabares "partially inside the driver's side of a Nissan Kicks"—her right foot still inside the SUV while the rest of her body was on the driveway. "The victim was lying on her back with a fatal gunshot wound on her forehead," the affidavit states. The medical examiner later determined that Tabares died from a single gunshot to the head by a 9mm pistol.Serrano initially told police she'd "discovered" the body on her way to the gym, but when authorities arrived, she "was not dressed in gym attire and did not appear ready to go for a work out," according to the affidavit. The 51-year-old admitted to police during questioning that she knew Tabares, saying they'd seen the movie 21 Bridges together at around 7:30 p.m. the night before. While they "did not sit together," Serrano told police the two went as a "part of a very large group of friends" who all attended the "Training for Warriors" gym in Coral Springs.Sarah Stern's Childhood Friend Found Guilty of Murdering Her for Her InheritanceThe group went to a bar, World of Beer, after the movie, the affidavit states. The gastropub's surveillance video shows Tabares and Serrano "conversing, laughing and drinking for several hours" before leaving the bar together.Serrano told police she had "originally mentioned taking an Uber home from the bar," but Tabares "volunteered to drive" her home. Surveillance video from her neighborhood shows Tabares pulling into Serrano's driveway at around 2 a.m. Her headlights turned off about five minutes later, and the car remained in the same position until police arrived about three hours later, the affidavit states. When police questioned Serrano about her story's discrepancies, she then stated she'd "blacked out" at a bar and "had no recollection of how she got home," according to the report. All "she remembered after World of Beer was waking up in her own bed" early the next morning, she told police. A few hours later, Serrano changed her story again, stating she actually woke up in Tabares' passenger seat at around 5:55 a.m. and saw the driver's door open and the 21-year-old "lying in the driveway," police said. At that point, she also admitted she had a concealed weapons permit and three guns—including a 9mm pistol that she usually carried around but had removed and placed under her bed after calling the police."The defendant advised that she then changed out of a white tank top she was wearing and place it in the washing machine" because it had blood on it, the affidavit states.Family Sues Man They Say Left Their Daughter to Die on Florida HighwayPolice said her pistol and its holder tested positive for human blood, and linked shell casings found inside Tabares' car to the weapon. It was not immediately clear if Serrano, who is currently being held at the Broward County Jail without bond, has an attorney. Tabares' family did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast's requests for comment. Tabares' friends paid tribute to the 21-year-old on social media, calling her a selfless person with a "good soul.""My BFF always tried to help! Always nice to people! Always smiling!," one of Tabares friends, Karo Miller, wrote on Facebook Monday. "Can't even find the words!""Daniela Maya Tabares, such a good soul! You will always be remembered," another friend added on Facebook. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Pot-Smoking ‘Weedman’ Says Rich Will Crush N.J.’s Black Market Posted: 25 Nov 2019 09:39 AM PST ![Pot-Smoking 'Weedman' Says Rich Will Crush N.J.'s Black Market]( "Pot-Smoking 'Weedman' Says Rich Will Crush N.J.'s Black Market") (Bloomberg) -- The guy who calls himself NJ Weedman was angry -- that is, as angry as one can be with a lungful of marijuana smoke -- as he condemned New Jersey's latest attempt to legalize adult recreational use via ballot."They're going to steal our culture, steal our market and give it to the rich guys," the activist, born Ed Forchion, said Monday outside the Trenton statehouse, where he was sharing a joint as he prepared to lead a protest march with about a dozen supporters.Forchion, 55, who lost legal bids in California and New Jersey to change his name to NJWeedman.com, makes no secret of his drug-arrest history. He says he sells pot illegally at NJ Weedman's Joint, his restaurant across the street from Trenton City Hall.On Nov. 18, New Jersey lawmakers said they will drop their quest to pass a bill to legalize pot sales and use, after almost two years without enough votes to pass. Instead, they will seek voters approval on the 2020 ballot.If the measure passes, Forchion said, he fears a reprisal of proposed regulations from earlier legislation: limiting operations to corporate-backed interests with millions of dollars to spend on applications and security, and no felony convictions.A friend, Anthony Rico, said he expects enforcement to increase if sales come under corporate control."We know our market, and they'll restrict us so much that we can do nothing for the regular street buyers," said Rico, a 53-year-old cook from Woodbridge.Eleven states have legalized adult-use recreational marijuana even as it remains federally outlawed. Governor Phil Murphy had intended to legalize within 100 days of coming to office in January 2018, but legislation was blocked by Republicans and some fellow Democrats.To contact the reporter on this story: Elise Young in Trenton at eyoung30@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Flynn McRoberts at fmcroberts1@bloomberg.net, Stacie ShermanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Practice (for War with Russia) Makes Deadly: NATO and U.S. Army Conducting Massive Exercises Posted: 25 Nov 2019 01:03 AM PST  These exercises, which will closely resemble the weapons, tactics and combat strategies joint forces would be called upon to perform in the event of major enemy attack, will span across air, sea, land, cyber and space domains throughout Europe.
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| Denmark, Poland celebrate 100 years of diplomatic ties Posted: 25 Nov 2019 04:10 AM PST  Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary marked 100 years of Denmark's diplomatic ties with Poland with a one-day visit to Warsaw Monday that involved meeting Poland's president and World War II veterans. Frederik and Mary were greeted with military honors by Polish President Andrzej Duda in front of the Presidential Palace.
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| Biden, lone top 2020 Democrat to oppose federal marijuana legalization, cites 'gateway drug' concern Posted: 25 Nov 2019 10:21 AM PST  Joe Biden, the only 2020 Democratic front-runner to oppose federal legalization of marijuana, said more study is needed on risks of using the drug.
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| CORRECTED-Legal experts say U.S. court ruling on White House counsel could encourage witnesses to talk in impeachment probe Posted: 24 Nov 2019 03:00 AM PST ![CORRECTED-Legal experts say U.S. court ruling on White House counsel could encourage witnesses to talk in impeachment probe]( "CORRECTED-Legal experts say U.S. court ruling on White House counsel could encourage witnesses to talk in impeachment probe") U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in Washington said she would rule by Monday in a lawsuit by a U.S. House of Representatives committee seeking to compel former White House Counsel Don McGahn to testify in the probe. Brown Jackson, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, suggested during oral arguments in October that she would rule in favor of the House.
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| Vintage illustrations as Thanksgiving greetings Posted: 25 Nov 2019 10:34 AM PST ![Vintage illustrations as Thanksgiving greetings]( "Vintage illustrations as Thanksgiving greetings") Here's a look at some vintage Thanksgiving postcards, greeting cards and illustrations from the turn of the century to 1923. They don't make them like that any more!
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| Former Mattis Speechwriter Won’t Admit or Deny to Fox News That He’s ‘Anonymous’ Posted: 25 Nov 2019 01:41 PM PST  Former Pentagon aide Guy Snodgrass cagily refused to deny or admit that he was the infamous Resistance White House figure "Anonymous" during a Fox News interview on Monday, shortly after he was fingered as the most likely candidate.Snodgrass' name began making the rounds on social media early on Monday when The New Republic's David Kusnet—who once correctly guessed the anonymous author of Clinton tome Primary Colors—found there was a striking resemblance between the writing style of Anonymous' A Warning, the author's notorious 2018 op-ed and Snodgrass' memoir. Snodgrass, a former speechwriter and comms director for ex-Defense Secretary James Mattis, kept the speculation going with a cryptic tweet.The former Mattis staffer, who would be considered a one-time "senior official" of the Trump administration, appeared on Fox News Reporting on Monday afternoon to purportedly talk about the recent termination of Navy Secretary Richard Spencer. Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher, however, spent the majority of the interview peppering Snodgrass with questions about whether or not he was the senior Trump official working against the president from within the administration."If you look at the article, the author hits all the high points. He makes a very good case and the question is, are you Anonymous?" Gallagher initially asked."Great question," Snodgrass replied. "I have a book out with my name on it called Holding the Line. I do appreciate that the New Republic said the writing was excellent across both books, that's a great sales pitch. But I tell you what, if I was making an announcement like that, I'd do it right and come into the studio with you in New York City."The Fox anchor immediately noted that Sondgrass wasn't issuing a denial but was instead just saying that this wasn't the proper venue to make that statement. Snodgrass, with a wry smile, claimed he only just heard about the allegation before insisting he was on to talk about national security since there's a "lot to talk about there.""There was a lot of talk about there but there's also a lot to talk about here and I am curious because why not just deny it outright?" Gallagher pressed again. "You said you just heard about it on your way to the studio but you sent out the tweet today not really denying it, kind of saying 'the swirl continues,' what did you mean by that?"The former Pentagon official, meanwhile, said this was just the "latest in a long series of D.C. parlor games" and that he only retweeted the story out because "it caught my eye and someone put it on my radar." Gallagher, for his part, continued to probe, noting that Kusnet pointed to similar writing styles and vocabulary choices between the two books."I can't remember using lodestar a single time so the analysis may be breaking down a little bit," Snodgrass quipped, still not denying or admitting to anything.Eventually, after Gallagher questioned him again on the topic and noted that the Fox interview became a great opportunity to sell his memoir, Snodgrass pushed back by stating the current news cycle surrounding the military dictated why he was initially scheduled to appear on-air.The Fox host would make sure, though, to get one final word in before closing out the interview."Not saying one way or another, we just want to point out that Joe Klein back in 1992, when he was called on it, he denied it several times before finally coming out," he concluded.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Police Say They Foiled 2 Potential School Shootings in California Posted: 24 Nov 2019 09:01 AM PST  One week after a young man opened fire and killed two students at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, the authorities said they have since thwarted at least two other potential school shootings in Los Angeles County.In separate cases Thursday, a middle school student and a high school student were charged with criminal threats, Sheriff Alex Villanueva of Los Angeles County said. The students, who were not named by the authorities, threatened to shoot up their schools Friday."We've received a series of threats from the Saugus shooting forward until today," Villanueva said at a news conference Friday. "We've acted on all of them and thoroughly assessed them."On Nov. 14 at Saugus High School, a 16-year-old student pulled a handgun from his backpack and shot five students, killing two, before shooting himself in the head. He later died.One of the recent threats took place at Ánimo Mae Jemison Charter Middle School in Los Angeles. Students overheard a 13-year-old boy threatening to shoot other students and told their teachers. The teachers immediately emailed school administrators, who then called the authorities.Deputies began investigating, which led them to the boy's home. While executing a search warrant, detectives found an AR-15-style rifle, 100 rounds of ammunition, a list of intended targets, including students and staff members, and a drawing of the school's layout, said Sgt. Robert Dean, a detective with the sheriff's department.Villanueva described the weapon as a "rifle with a high-capacity magazine" but did not specify the exact size of the magazine.The search also resulted in the arrest of a 19-year-old man, a relative of the boy, who was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm and held on $35,000 bail, according to a statement from the sheriff's department. Officials did not identify the man, and they did not disclose the status of the 13-year-old boy.Hours later, and about 80 miles northeast of the middle school, officials in Palmdale, California, were notified of another shooting threat, this one against students at Knight High School, the sheriff's department said in a statement.Earlier in the day, several students were detained and suspended after a fight broke out on the school's campus, the statement said. A student involved in the fight later posted on social media threats and photos of a person holding a firearm and bullets.Investigators determined the threats were criminal, booked the juvenile and took him to a juvenile detention center.Both Ánimo Mae Jemison Charter Middle School and Knight High School are less than 50 miles from Saugus High School. Across the country this year, at least 11 shootings have taken place on American high school or college campuses.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| U.S. Customs Officials Seize 154 Pounds of Bologna at the Texas-Mexico Border Posted: 24 Nov 2019 01:15 PM PST  CBP said the Mexican bologna is banned because it could introduce disease
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| This Is Why The Fed Must Keep Cutting Interest Rates Posted: 24 Nov 2019 07:15 AM PST  Or else America could be in for a world of pain.
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| Hong Kong Doubts China Will Soften Stance After Election Shock Posted: 25 Nov 2019 01:13 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- In early June, Chief Executive Carrie Lam kicked off unprecedented chaos when she dismissed enormous crowds of Hong Kongers who marched peacefully to oppose legislation allowing extraditions to China.On Sunday, the masses again spoke clearly and peacefully -- this time giving 85% of 452 District Council seats to pro-democracy candidates, a swing of more than 50 percentage points. Nearly 3 million people cast ballots in the first vote since the unrest began for a record turnout of 71%.While District Councils don't have much power, for Lam it represents yet another chance to find a political solution to end some five months of increasingly violent unrest. On Monday she vowed to "listen to the opinions of members of the public humbly and seriously reflect." She's scheduled to hold a regular press briefing Tuesday morning.Investors looked on the bright side, sending Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index higher on the hope that the government would now soften its tone. Stephen Innes, chief Asia market strategist at AxiTrader, based in Bangkok, said it "will be difficult for Beijing to ignore these results."Hong Kong's Next Flashpoint: The First Vote Since Unrest BeganBut many others didn't expect much to change. While Lam's Beijing-backed administration belatedly withdrew the bill allowing extraditions to China that spawned the demonstrations, it has since refused to meet other demands including calls for an independent Commission of Inquiry into police abuses and the right to nominate and elect the city's top leaders."I don't think that there will be a political compromise from either camp any time soon," said a 26-year-old office worker surnamed Mok, who has been on the front lines of the demonstrations. "Carrie Lam does not have to give in since her mandate was not from the people in the first place, but from Beijing," he added. "The protesters will keep on fighting."The first comments from Beijing weren't encouraging. Speaking to reporters in Japan, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the results wouldn't change the fact that Hong Kong is part of China. State-run China Daily wrote that it's "hard to imagine how many people's opinions the election result represents" given the violence that occurred in the past few weeks."Stopping violence and restoring order is the paramount task in Hong Kong at the moment," Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, told reporters in Beijing. "Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong. It is purely the internal affairs of China."'Major Crisis'Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang also summoned U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad to "lodge solemn representation" and express "strong opposition" to U.S. interference in Hong Kong-related matters, particularly over U.S. legislative moves to support Hong Kong protesters, according to a statement on Chinese foreign ministry's website.China's failure to understand the city's politics managed to turn a specific mistake by the government into "a major crisis" that has turned Hong Kong from a peaceful metropolitan city into one marked by daily chaos, said Steve Tsang, the director of the China Institute at London's School of Oriental and African Studies and the author of several books on Hong Kong."Neither Beijing nor Government House in Hong Kong will understand it," said Tsang, referring to Sunday's election results. "And I think they're more likely to react negatively."The newly elected district councilors are limited to mostly advising the chief executive on matters like fixing up parks and organizing community activities. Most importantly, however, they help appoint 117 of the 1,200 electors who select the chief executive, which would give pro-democracy forces more choice over candidates who must still be approved by Beijing.Why Hong Kong Is Still Protesting and Where It May Go: QuickTakeJames Tien, a former pro-establishment lawmaker, said the extra votes would make it harder for Beijing to install its preferred leader during the next chief executive election scheduled for 2022 -- even if China can still vet the candidates allowed to run for Hong Kong's highest office. Given the result, he added, the government would be wise to consider meeting the demand of a commission of inquiry."The government now will probably have to seriously think about it," Tien said. If violence dissipates, he added, "the government will have no excuse not to have a commission of inquiry."While the protests have disrupted daily life in Hong Kong, the election results showed the public remains firmly against Lam's government. Unhappiness with her administration has risen and Lam's own popularity has fallen to record lows as the protests morphed into a wider push-back against Beijing's grip.If Lam clearly communicates that she is willing to listen to the people and make a political compromise after previously ruling out further concessions, it could renew protesters' faith in the city's political system, according to pro-democracy lawmaker Fernando Cheung. The government has previously said it would hold further dialogue if the violence ends."It's a slap in the face for the government -- a big 'no' to them -- but at the same time, it's a message for the protesters, that peaceful means are powerful," Cheung said. "If it's not respected by the regime, then we're talking about a further escalation of violence."Key QuestionIt might not take long before things heat up again. Pro-democracy winners scheduled a rally on Monday afternoon to support dozens of protesters at Hong Kong Polytechnic University who have been surrounded by police for more than a week. The Civil Human Rights Front, which has organized some of the city's largest rallies, is planning a mass rally for Dec. 8.Why Hong Kong's Universities Have Turned Into BattlegroundsEven after the stunning repudiation at the polls, some front line protesters said they don't have much hope she'll engage in dialogue."It would be absolutely wise if she could finally compromise with us, especially on giving a commission of inquiry," said a 25-year-old office worker surnamed Ho. "However I don't expect much from her."(Updates with China summoning US ambassador)\--With assistance from Josie Wong, Aaron Mc Nicholas and Karen Leigh.To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Carbon dioxide reaches record high in Earth's atmosphere, scientists report Posted: 25 Nov 2019 10:48 AM PST  Carbon dioxide – the greenhouse gas most responsible for global warming – reached an all-time high in Earth's atmosphere in 2018.
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| Sarah Huckabee Sanders eyes run for governor of Arkansas in 2022 Posted: 25 Nov 2019 04:42 AM PST  Sarah Huckabee Sanders is following the traditional route for former press secretaries after leaving the White House as President Trump's chief spokesperson. But she's also getting reacquainted with her home state of Arkansas and laying the groundwork for a potential governor's race in three years.
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| Arab League formally rejects U.S. policy shift on Israeli settlements Posted: 25 Nov 2019 11:01 AM PST ![Arab League formally rejects U.S. policy shift on Israeli settlements]( "Arab League formally rejects U.S. policy shift on Israeli settlements") The Arab League on Monday formally rejected a decision by the United States to no longer consider settlements in Israeli-occupied territory illegal, saying the move was a threat to peace and a flagrant violation of international law. Meeting in a special session in Cairo, the Arab League said it considered the U.S. position legally null and void and showed "unprecedented disdain for the international system", according to Egyptian state news agency MENA. The Nov. 18 announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reversed a stand taken under President Jimmy Carter in 1978.
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| Our Gear Editors Found the Best Black Friday Tech Deals Posted: 25 Nov 2019 03:39 PM PST |
| Turkey's Erdogan in Qatar calls for 'swift' end to Gulf crisis Posted: 25 Nov 2019 08:51 AM PST  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday said he hoped a dispute between a Saudi-led bloc and Qatar would "swiftly" come to an end amid emerging signs of a possible breakthrough in the Gulf crisis. "My wish is that the Gulf crisis will be swiftly resolved," Erdogan said at the Turkish military base, where around 5,000 troops are stationed. "Those who tell us to close down this base have yet to grasp the fact that Turkey was Qatar's friend in difficult times," Erdogan said.
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| Mother of slain man sues Cleveland mayor, police chief Posted: 24 Nov 2019 10:21 PM PST  Questions about whether an Ohio mayor intervened on behalf of his grandson in the hours after a fatal shooting have prompted the victim's mother to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the mayor and the city's police chief. Andrea Parra sued Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams earlier this month in state court. The lawsuit said the two suspects in the slaying of 30-year-old Antonio Parra this summer were members of a gang connected to Jackson's 22-year-old grandson, Frank Q. Jackson.
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| Rescued circus tigers to arrive in Florida after 18-month ordeal in Guatemala Posted: 25 Nov 2019 04:00 AM PST  Rescuers say they endured threats from armed Guatemalan mob after rescuing six lions and 15 tigers from circusesThree male tigers – Kimba, Max and Simba – will be airlifted to Miami and taken by road to Big Cat Rescue. Photograph: John Thys/AFP/Getty ImagesThree former circus tigers will arrive at a sanctuary in Florida on Monday, at the conclusion of a harrowing 18-month recovery operation that saw their rescuers exposed to repeated intimidation and threats from an armed Guatemalan mob.Workers for the California-based Animal Defenders International say they endured the harassment after rescuing six lions and 15 tigers from circuses in the Central American country following a 2017 law banning live performances by animals.In one of the worst incidents, they said an armed group invaded a transitional rescue center the charity had set up on private land designated by the government, stealing fences, gates and workers' possessions and attempting to take the animals back.The ADI team said it locked itself inside the facility until police and government officials arrived, then hastened efforts to relocate all the animals to a more secure temporary rescue center closer to Guatemala City's La Aurora airport in September, protected by its own armed guards."It was very unnerving and fractious," said Tim Phillips, the group's vice-president, who believes the landowner was trying to cash in on the enforced presence of the animals on his property. "We've rescued more than 150 animals in Bolivia, Peru and Colombia and never come across this kind of behavior."The reptile park we were allocated to seemed to have its eyes on milking US charities and donors for funds and effectively setting up a mini-zoo. Later, they were openly campaigning with the circuses who were trying to disrupt the rescue and overturn the ban."We find that once we show an interest in the animals the perception is that there must be lots of money to be made. Also, these animals are worth more dead than alive, for their bones, teeth and skins, or to be sold as pets. Internationally, animal trafficking is behind only drugs, arms and human trafficking."On Monday, three male tigers – Kimba, aged two and a half, and nine-year-olds Max and Simba – will be airlifted to Miami and taken by road to Big Cat Rescue, a 67-acre preserve in Tampa that houses more than 60 exotic animals. The remaining lions and tigers are being prepared to fly to ADI's recently opened 455-acre grassland sanctuary in South Africa before Christmas.Phillips said getting some of the circuses to release the animals had also been an ordeal, despite the support of the Guatemalan government, army and animal welfare division.One circus, he said, surrendered nine tigers and two lions but retained six tigers the group eventually rescued from a circus wagon parked in a scrapyard. During the original handover, Phillips said the ADI team was harassed by circus workers who stole their tools, while one circus employee tried to distract them by exposing himself.On another occasion, rescuers had to stop a circus worker beating a tiger with a metal bar as he was trying to move the animal between cages."The tiger had been in a cage all his life, he was terrified," Phillips said. "This circus guy comes up and goes mad, shouting at the tiger, lashing out and hitting it with the bar, leaving it with a bleeding leg and mouth. It could have been worse but it highlighted the brutality in these places."Once rescued, the animals received specialized veterinary care."Two tigers we rescued had seizures, they're so incredibly inbred," Phillips said. "Three of the animals needed dental surgery."Guatemala is among the most recent countries to adopt laws banning live animals in circus performances, according to ADI, which lists 46 countries and 32 of the 50 states of the US with prohibitions.In October, California's governor, Gavin Newsom, signed a bill banning most animals from circus performances while also making it the first state to outlaw the manufacture and sale of new fur products.In May, Arizona congressmen Raúl Grijalva and David Schweikert introduced a bill for the traveling exotic animal and public safety protection act, which would impose the first federal restrictions on the use of wild animals and update what Grijalva sees as "antiquated" animal welfare laws.The bill is endorsed by numerous animal advocacy groups including ADI.
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| Iran Would Be Wasting Its Time Building an 'F-35' Posted: 23 Nov 2019 08:00 PM PST  It would be asking for more trouble than it's worth.
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| Ex-White House Counsel Ordered to Testify to House Panel Posted: 25 Nov 2019 05:24 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Former White House Counsel Donald McGahn was ordered by a judge to appear before a congressional committee probing possible obstruction of justice by Donald Trump -- a ruling that could deepen the president's political peril amid an impeachment inquiry launched by House Democrats.Trump claims McGahn is covered by broad presidential immunity and ordered the lawyer to spurn the committee's subpoena in May, weeks after the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Lawmakers sought McGahn's testimony to help determine whether Trump had tried to obstruct the Mueller probe.The ruling Monday by U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in Washington is likely to be used by Democrats seeking to compel other administration officials who have refused to testify in various probes, including impeachment, from Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.Ultimately, an appeals court may decide whether Trump -- who vowed in April that "we're fighting all the subpoenas" from Congress -- can claim broad immunity for people who used to work for him.McGahn and other senior presidential advisers "do not have absolute immunity from compelled congressional process in the context of this particular subpoena dispute," Jackson, a 2013 appointee of President Barack Obama, said in her 120-page ruling."Compulsory appearance by dint of a subpoena is a legal construct, not a political one, and per the Constitution, no one is above the law," the judge wrote.Bill Burck, McGahn's attorney, said his client "will comply with Judge Jackson's decision unless it is stayed pending appeal."'Will Appeal'The DOJ will appeal the ruling and seek an immediate stay, department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said."This decision contradicts longstanding legal precedent established by administrations of both political parties," White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said. "We will appeal and are confident that the important constitutional principle advanced by the administration will be vindicated."But the judge said the president's purported power to direct aides to refuse to show up and be questioned appear only in a string of opinions from the Office of Legal Counsel that don't constitute legal precedents and are "manifestly inconsistent with the constitutional jurisprudence of the Supreme Court."Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.Lawyers for the House of Representatives have called McGahn, who left his White House post last year, "the most important witness, other than the president," in the obstruction probe. The need for his testimony gained greater urgency with the start of the House's separate impeachment inquiry over Trump's actions involving Ukraine, the Judiciary Committee said in a Nov. 19 filing asking the court to expedite its ruling.Trump lawyers argued that McGahn, as the president's former legal adviser, was effectively his alter-ego and absolutely immune from being compelled to testify.Animal FarmIn a footnote to her ruling, the judge compared the claim that the president himself can determine which subpoenas are honored to George Orwell's warning about totalitarianism in "Animal Farm," in which "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."Jackson wrote that the DOJ's argument that presidents have the power to restrict testimony by former aides for the rest of their lives "amply demonstrates its incompatibility with our constitutional scheme. Stated simply, the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that presidents are not kings.""I am pleased the court has recognized that the Trump administration has no grounds to withhold critical witness testimony from the House during its impeachment inquiry," Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, said in a statement.McGahn was a key figure in the White House when Trump fired James Comey as FBI director and as the president tried to dissuade then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from overseeing the Mueller investigation. Mueller's pointed refusal to clear Trump of obstruction sparked the legislators' interest in McGahn, who provided extensive information that was cited in his report.Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, called the ruling "a very significant victory for congressional oversight, and for the American people."Schiff, who heads the impeachment inquiry panel, urged others to come forward and testify."The witnesses who have defied Congress at the behest of the president will have to decide whether their duty is to the country or to a president who believes he is above the law," Schiff said.Jackson's decision comes as another judge in Washington considers former Trump national security aide Charles Kupperman's request for a ruling on whether he must obey a House subpoena or the president's prohibition on testifying. A hearing in that case is set for Dec. 10 before U.S. District Judge Richard Leon.The case is Committee on the Judiciary v. McGahn, 19-cv-2379, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).(Updates with Schiff's statement)\--With assistance from Jordan Fabian.To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Harris in federal court in Washington at aharris16@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Steve StrothFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Google Engineer Who Protested Company's Work With CBP Says She’s Been Fired Posted: 25 Nov 2019 02:21 PM PST  A Google software engineer who wrote and circulated a petition against the company's potential bid on a contract with Customs and Border Protection said Monday that she'd been fired."I was just informed by Google that I am being terminated," Rebecca Rivers wrote on Twitter. Rivers was placed on leave earlier this month along with another employee, Laurence Berland, who protested against hate speech on YouTube, prompting roughly 200 employees to walk out of the company's San Francisco offices in support of the two. Google said the two employees had been placed on leave for violating the company's policies regarding access to sensitive documents and monitoring employee calendars, but protest organizers said the company's treatment of the pair amounted to retaliation. Bloomberg reported Google sent a company-wide email Monday announcing that four employees in total had been fired for data security violations that day.Rivers' efforts follow increasing tension between Alphabet management and employees over the company's work with the Department of Defense, its handling of sexual harassment allegations, and alleged retaliation against critical employees. Google reportedly hired a law firm known for its union-busting tactics last week, a move presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called "unacceptable." The company has also reportedly limited employees' opportunity to pose questions to management, a former staple of its famously open culture, and advised employees against having "raging" political debates in online company forums or in person.Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported firing, nor did Rivers. Meredith Whittaker, an artificial intelligence researcher who left Google earlier this year after leading global employee protests of more than 20,000, wrote on Twitter, "It's happened. Google is illegally firing organizers. This is craven retaliation, and I ask everyone who can to show up and support."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| This California town has the slowest internet in the U.S. Posted: 24 Nov 2019 01:21 AM PST  Less than 100 miles from the country's tech hub in San Francisco, rural residents lag far behind on internet access.
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| Briton, Filipino hostages safe after troops clash with Islamist rebels Posted: 24 Nov 2019 09:34 PM PST  Soldiers in the southern Philippines rescued a British man and a Filipino woman from members of an Islamist militant group, the army said on Monday, after their captors fled during a military operation. The couple, Allan and Wilma Hyrons, were abducted at gunpoint on Oct. 4 from the resort they ran in a neighbouring province and were now being looked after at a military camp. The kidnappers were members of Abu Sayyaf, a group that operates in the Sulu archipelago and has extremist factions loyal to Islamic State, and linked to at least five suicide bombings in the region in the past 16 months.
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| It’s Time for Term Limits on the Supreme Court Posted: 24 Nov 2019 03:33 PM PST  Murmurs of concern swept through Washington, D.C., Friday night as news broke that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a four-time cancer survivor, was back in the hospital.Luckily, doctors said it was only because of chills and fever, and she went home Sunday. But Ginsburg's health remains a topic of discussion in D.C. She missed a day of oral argument last week owing to stomach pain, less than three months after completing treatment for her fourth bout with cancer. She missed two weeks of oral argument earlier this year because of lung cancer surgery, and then in August endured three weeks of radiation treatment for pancreatic cancer.Liberals live in a state of semi-panic that Ginsburg will leave the court and give President Trump the chance to name a third Supreme Court justice and put a conservative stamp on the body for a generation. Any Senate confirmation battle would be the mother of all political brawls, easily eclipsing the one last year surrounding Brett Kavanaugh.It's time to end the unseemly position that the anachronism of life tenure for Supreme Court justices has put the country in. It's a good thing that modern medicine is extending the lives of everyone, including Supreme Court justices. But the time has come to remove the incentives that make justices serve until they drop dead or are gaga. It's time to put term limits on the Supreme Court.Our Founding Fathers granted life tenure to Supreme Court justices to ensure their independence. But that's a relic of a day when the average life expectancy was 38. Today, it is more than twice that.Now, Supreme Court justices can spend two generations on the bench. And, so long as they avoid impeachment, only they can decide when it's time to leave. Judges today usually retire only when they can ensure a philosophically compatible successor. This can result in judges staying past their "sell by" date either physically or mentally. Examples in the past 50 years include Justices William O. Douglas and Thurgood Marshall.Life tenure "is undemocratic by nature," Gabe Roth, the executive director of the reform group Fix the Court, told The Atlantic magazine in 2015. "It sounds more like an oligarchy or a feudal system."Fix the Court has come up with a bipartisan proposal for 18-year term limits for the Supreme Court. A vacancy would come up every two years, meaning that every president would have at least two appointments in each term.The proposal could be enacted without amending the Constitution. Article III, Section 1 states that "Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior." This has been interpreted to mean that Supreme Court justices have a life tenure. But the Constitution is silent on what is meant by "Offices." Nothing is said about judges remaining at their original posts for life.So the Fix the Court plan would preserve the Constitution's guarantee of tenure during "good Behavior" by having departing Supreme Court justices serve on one of the nation's eleven appeals courts.Naturally, some younger justices would opt out of continued judicial service and return to the private sector. For them ethics regulations would have to be crafted to protect against conflicts of interest. Retired judges might be barred from working for corporations or other entities that were a part of any case they had heard while they were on the Supreme Court.As with the existing term limit for the president and the idea of term limits for Congress, the notion of pumping fresh judicial blood into the current system is popular with the public. A 2018 Morning Consult poll found that 61 percent of registered voters favored Supreme Court term limits (67 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of Republicans).Chief Justice John Roberts (appointed by George W. Bush) and Justice Stephen Breyer (appointed by Bill Clinton) have both indicated support for the idea. In a 1983 memo written when he served in the Reagan White House, Roberts wrote: "Setting a term of, say, 15 years would ensure that federal judges would not lose all touch with reality through decades of ivory tower existence."Sadly, one hoped-for benefit of an 18-year nonrenewable Supreme Court term might not materialize in practice. In theory, an orderly changing of the guard on the Supreme Court should turn down the temperature of our current heated confirmation battles. The stakes, the theory goes, wouldn't be as great if every senator knew that the justice they were voting on could serve a maximum of 18 years.But the real reason confirmations are such brutal battles is that the Supreme Court plays too large a role in our society, as more and more issues fall under the scope of the Court. As the conservative Federalist Society recently noted:> The abundance of judges who do not view themselves as limited by constitutional or statutory text also drives the politicization of the confirmation process. By adding to the content of laws, they are acting as politicians rather than judges, and should expect a political selection process to match.Returning our courts to their proper place in our constitutional framework is a tall order, and not one to be solved by abandoning life tenure for Supreme Court justices. But the idea is a sensible step, enjoys support from both conservative and liberal legal scholars, and just might give Congress the opportunity to prove to the American people that it's still capable of bipartisan action.
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