| As the Trump administration fills board seats, critics see an alarming attempt to remake government Posted: 15 Jan 2020 02:00 AM PST  For the Trump administration, appointing board members may be an effective and little-noticed means of weakening a federal apparatus it fundamentally distrusts. His board appointments, many of which may outlast his presidency, could serve an internal Republican resistance to a future Democratic administration.
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| The Navy cryptically says it has top-secret UFO briefings that would cause 'exceptionally grave damage' to US national security if published Posted: 15 Jan 2020 02:47 AM PST  The Navy previously confirmed it was treating objects that baffled pilots in Department of Defense videos as UFOs.
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| Philippines struggles to evacuate reluctant villagers near volcano Posted: 14 Jan 2020 05:23 AM PST  A cloud of ash and fountains of lava gushed for a third day from the crater of Taal, which lies in the middle of a lake about 70 km (45 miles) south of the center of the Philippines capital Manila. Everyone living within 14 km (9 miles) of the volcano has been ordered to leave: potentially as many as 300,000 people, though disaster agency spokesman Mark Timbal said he believed the actual number who had been there was much lower.
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| Teacher asks students to ‘identify rapist’ on homework assignment, prompting investigation Posted: 15 Jan 2020 09:34 AM PST  Texas schools officials say they've taken "corrective action" after a ninth grade teacher included a question about a rape victim in a homework assignment receivedApproximately 90 students received an assignment that asked the following: "Suzy was assaulted in an alley and is a victim of rape. The police collected a sample of sperm that was left at the crime scene and now have three suspects in custody. Which of the suspects raped Suzy?"
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| Iran Is Ready for the Next Great War in the Middle East Posted: 15 Jan 2020 06:49 AM PST  Tehran has the initiative to attack from the direction of its choosing—or several directions simultaneously—while confronting defenders with the Sisyphean task of providing 360-degree protection.
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| Man cleared of wife's murder asks daughter to call him Posted: 14 Jan 2020 04:26 PM PST ![Man cleared of wife's murder asks daughter to call him]( "Man cleared of wife's murder asks daughter to call him") "I have dealt with this for 30 years," Carl Harris Jr. said during a news conference Tuesday with his attorney. Harris and defense attorney David Harrison held a news conference Tuesday, the day after prosecutors dropped charges against Harris and arrested another man in the 1990 death of Tracy Harris, the Dothan Eagle reported. "What the cold case unit at Ozark Police Department did to his life with incompetent evidence is just appalling," Harrison said.
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| Newborn dies from sepsis after being sent home from a hospital Posted: 15 Jan 2020 08:54 AM PST  A 5-week-old baby died from sepsis after being sent home twice from a U.K. hospital with what doctors thought was a common infection.
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| Lion at Chicago-area zoo dies after mysterious fall, less than 2 weeks after mate's death Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:59 PM PST  Brookfield Zoo's lion Isis was put down Tuesday after suffering injuries from a fall in her enclosure. Her mate Zenda died less than two weeks ago.
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| Iran President Suggests Western Troops ‘Could Be in Danger’ over Threats to Nuclear Deal Posted: 15 Jan 2020 06:50 AM PST  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that U.S. and European troops are in "danger" after Germany, France, and the United Kingdom triggered a dispute mechanism in the Obama-led Iran nuclear deal."Today, the American soldier is in danger, tomorrow the European soldier could be in danger," Rouhani said in a televised cabinet meeting. "We want you to leave this region but not with war. We want you to go wisely. It is to your own benefit."Rouhani also angrily reiterated that Iran does not seek a nuclear weapon.The three European powers announced their decision to invoke the conflict resolution mechanism on Monday in a joint statement, saying that had been "left with no choice, given Iran's actions."Following a U.S. airstrike that killed general Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, Iran announced it was ending "its final limitations" under the nuclear deal.The dispute mechanism allows for a disputation process that will last 15 days. If no solution is agreed upon, Iran could face reimposed sanctions from the international community.President Trump took the U.S. out of the nuclear deal in May 2018, despite the protestations of European leaders, after calling the deal "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.""It is clear to me we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb, under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement," the President said at the time.Iran first made public a major breach of the deal in July when it exceeded the allotted 3.67 percent maximum uranium enrichment, while remaining far short of the 90 percent required to construct a nuclear weapon.
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| How the world discovered the Nazi death camps Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:09 PM PST  Images of what the Allies found when they liberated the first Nazi death camps towards the end of World War II brought the horror of the Holocaust to world attention. Many of the ghastly pictures were at first held back from the broader public, partly out of concern for those with missing relatives. The concentration and extermination camps were liberated one by one as the Allied armies advanced on Berlin in the final days of the 1939-1945 war.
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| Jeffrey Epstein's estate is sued by U.S. Virgin Islands over alleged widespread sex abuse Posted: 15 Jan 2020 11:14 AM PST  Jeffrey Epstein's estate was sued on Wednesday by the U.S. Virgin Islands, which claimed that the late accused sex offender raped and trafficked in dozens of young women and girls on a private Caribbean island he owned. The complaint filed by Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George significantly broadens the scope of the financier's alleged misconduct, saying it spanned from 2001 to 2018 and targeted girls who appeared to be as young as 11 or 12. It seeks civil penalties plus some assets from Epstein's estimated $577.7 million estate, including the forfeiture of his two private islands, Little St. James and Great St. James.
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| Here are the winners and losers of the 7th Democratic primary debate Posted: 14 Jan 2020 09:07 PM PST  It was a big night for Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York, who wasn't even on the stage, also made a splash.
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| Ukraine Urges Five-Nation Probe Into Downed Jet, Even Without Iran Posted: 14 Jan 2020 09:19 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Ukraine called for an investigation by five countries that lost citizens in last week's downing of a passenger jet leaving Tehran -- but said Iran isn't likely to participate in the probe.Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko will head to London to meet Thursday with his counterparts from the U.K., Canada, Sweden and Afghanistan after Iran belatedly admitted shooting down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by mistake, killing all 176 people aboard."We'll elaborate on what we're going to do internationally and collectively against Iran," Prystaiko said Tuesday in an interview in Singapore. "We want to go deep down to the very bottom of it and have the people responsible brought to justice."Top prosecutors from the nations will create a criminal-investigation team and will pursue compensation, according to the minister, who said "so far we don't have Iran at the table." German officials could join the process, though, as some victims had dual German-Afghan citizenship, he said.The three-year-old Boeing Co. 737-800 abruptly stopped transmitting its position and plunged to the ground about two minutes after takeoff from Tehran on Jan. 8. The crash occurred hours after the Islamic Republic started launching rockets against Iraqi bases where U.S. forces are stationed, in retaliation for the killing of Iran's top general, Qassem Soleimani.On the day of the tragedy, Prystaiko said his opposite number in Iran didn't give away what really happened, with initial reports suggesting engine failure as the reason for the crash."In this conversation he never hinted to me that they actually shot down our plane," Prystaiko said. "It was a very formal conversation that something had happened: 'We send our condolences; we ask your team to help us with the investigation."'Iran said Tuesday that it's arrested a number of people linked to the downing of the plane."I promise that the government, with all its ability and using everything at its disposal, will investigate this matter," President Hassan Rouhani told officials in remarks broadcast live on state TV. "This is not an ordinary case. The entire world will be watching."Prystaiko welcomed the development but remains cautious, saying he wants to see "the real people, those responsible" brought to justice -- echoing calls for accountability from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.There's also tension over the fate of the flight's black boxes, which the government in Tehran indicated have been taken to France with investigators from Iran and Ukraine.Despite Iran accepting responsibility for the disaster, Ukraine wants a thorough investigation using data gleaned from the flight recorder that should be "in our possession on Ukrainian soil," according to PrystaikoIran's admission of culpability has prompted outrage and protests. Prystaiko said the demonstrations shouldn't impinge on the investigation."I expect full cooperation with us regardless of the political pressure," he said. "There are moments when the government has to explain to their own people that 'we're responsible for the deaths of these people and the crash of this plane shot down from our own skies."'\--With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska.To contact the reporter on this story: Philip J. Heijmans in Singapore at pheijmans1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, Andrew LangleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Russia says US Indo-Pacific strategy is to contain China Posted: 14 Jan 2020 11:07 PM PST  Russia on Wednesday criticized the United States for introducing a new Indo-Pacific concept it said was aimed at containing China. Addressing a global conference in the Indian capital to discuss the most challenging issues facing the world community, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Asia-Pacific cooperation until now was centered on Southeast Asia. The Indo-Pacific concept being pushed by the United States, Japan and others was to reconfigure the existing structure, he said.
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| Tekashi 6ix9ine asked to serve the rest of his 2-year sentence in home confinement because his prison has a lot of Blood gang members Posted: 15 Jan 2020 07:38 AM PST  Lawyers for Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, said putting the rapper in any facility would jeopardize his safety.
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| The Navy’s Smallest Warship Gets a Big Laser Weapon Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:53 PM PST  The USS Little Rock is the fourth ship to get a laser gun.
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| First Gaza rockets against Israel since Soleimani killing Posted: 15 Jan 2020 01:02 PM PST  The Israeli military said four rockets were fired Wednesday from Hamas-controlled Gaza, the first since Israel's ally the US killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. It did not say where the other two rockets landed.
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| Australian student expelled from North Korea says he was kidnapped from dorm Posted: 15 Jan 2020 02:06 AM PST  An Australian student who was briefly detained in North Korea last year over spy charges said he had been kidnapped by secret police and forced to make a false confession, according to an article written by him and seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Alek Sigley was held for nine days from June 25 while studying for a postgraduate degree in modern Korean literature at the prestigious Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. North Korean state media KCNA said he had admitted his "spying acts" including passing data and photos he collected by utilizing his status as a foreign student to "anti-state" media outlets.
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| Report: Putin and Assad caught laughing at Trump Posted: 15 Jan 2020 07:30 AM PST  Vladimir Putin and Bashar Assad have been caught on video mocking President Trump.
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| Australia’s Wildfire Crisis: Key Numbers Behind the Disaster Posted: 15 Jan 2020 03:15 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Australia is in the grip of deadly wildfires burning across the country, triggering an emotive debate about the impact of climate change in the world's driest-inhabited continent. The unprecedented scale of the crisis, and images of terrified tourists sheltering on beaches from the infernos, has shocked many Australians.With the nation only midway through summer and suffering a prolonged drought, authorities fear the death toll will continue to mount as more homes and land are destroyed. Here are some key details of the crisis:How many people have died?Since the fire season began months ago during the southern hemisphere winter, at least 28 people have died. Among the fatalities are volunteer firefighters, including a young man who died when his 10-ton truck was flipped over in what officials have described as a "fire tornado." Australia's worst wildfires came in 2009 when the Black Saturday blazes left 180 people dead.How big an area has burned?Massive tracts of land have burned. Almost 12 million hectares (30 million acres) have been destroyed -- that's almost the size of England. In New South Wales state alone, more than 5.2 million hectares of forest and bush has been destroyed, while more than 1.4 million hectares has been burned in Victoria. The fires are so large they are generating their own weather systems and causing dry lightning strikes that in turn ignite more. One blaze northwest of Sydney, the Gospers Mountain fire, has destroyed about 512,000 hectares -- about seven times the size of Singapore.The scale of the blazes dwarfs the California wildfires in 2018, which destroyed about 1.7 million acres, and about 260,000 acres in 2019.How many homes have been destroyed?Some 2,600 homes have been destroyed, mostly in New South Wales. Scores of rural towns have been impacted, including the community of Balmoral about 150 kilometers southwest of Sydney, which was largely destroyed before Christmas.What's the economic impact?The near-term cost is mounting. Toxic smoke shrouding Canberra has shuttered businesses and government departments and forced national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd. to cancel flights. The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2020 that brings in an estimated A$290 million, has seen qualification games disrupted due to the smoke. Economists estimate the wildfires and associated drought could cut up to half a percentage point off GDP growth as agriculture, tourism and sentiment take a hit.How has wildlife been affected?The University of Sydney estimates that 800 million animals have been killed by the bushfires in New South Wales alone since September and one billion have died nationally. The "highly conservative figure" includes mammals, birds and reptiles killed either directly by the fires, or later due to loss of food and habitat. The fires have raised concerns in particular about koalas, with authorities saying as much as 30% of their habitat in some areas had been destroyed. Images of the marsupials drinking water from bottles after being rescued have gone viral on social media.How can I help?Donations are flooding in to help with the relief effort, led by wealthy philanthropists, companies, investment banks and a string of celebrities. Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Foundation has pledged A$70 million. Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer James Gorman, who is Australian, is pitching in A$1 million, while pledges have come in from stars such as Elton John, Chris Hemsworth, Bette Midler and Nicole Kidman.\--With assistance from Jason Scott.To contact the reporter on this story: Edward Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Edward Johnson at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net, Jason ScottFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| St. Louis prosecutor invokes 'Ku Klux Klan Act' in lawsuit Posted: 14 Jan 2020 01:27 PM PST  St. Louis's elected top prosecutor says the city, its police union and others violated a Civil War-era law by allegedly engaging in a racist conspiracy to force her from office and prevent her from reforming racist practices. In a lawsuit filed Monday, Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said the defendants violated the the Civil Rights Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act. WHAT IS THE KU KLUX KLAN ACT?
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| China Figured Out The Secret To Closing The Gap With America's Military Posted: 14 Jan 2020 05:30 PM PST  More than just defense spending.
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| 75 years ago, US troops began the main battle of the long, bloody fight to kick the Japanese out of the Philippines Posted: 15 Jan 2020 12:09 PM PST  US troops invaded Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines, on January 9, 1945, where fighting lasted until the Japanese surrender in August 1945.
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| In separation of church and state, which institution is being protected? Posted: 14 Jan 2020 08:46 AM PST  Quebec has banned some public workers from displaying religious symbols on the job, prompting debate over what needs more protection, church or state.
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| The US Navy’s top officer says he’ll trade growing the fleet for readiness Posted: 15 Jan 2020 12:55 PM PST  If slowing the fleet's growth means a more ready fleet, that's a trade the CNO is willing to make.
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| F-35 logistics system to be reinvented and renamed, official says Posted: 14 Jan 2020 04:24 PM PST  The computer-based logistics system of the F-35 stealth fighter jet made by Lockheed Martin , which has been plagued by delays, will be replaced by another network made by the same company, a Pentagon official said on Tuesday. The Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) was designed to underpin the F-35 fleet's daily operations, ranging from mission planning and flight scheduling to repairs and scheduled maintenance, as well as the tracking and ordering of parts.
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| U.K. Standoff Over Scottish Independence Rumbles On With Brexit Posted: 14 Jan 2020 04:45 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- As the U.K. prepares to put more than three years of uncertainty behind it when it leaves the European Union this month, a standoff over the country's constitutional future only looks more intractable.On Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon's demand to hold another independence referendum in the wake of Brexit. Sturgeon responded by saying that his position was "not politically sustainable" and that her government in Edinburgh would continue to agitate for a vote.Scotland wants to remain in the EU and Sturgeon's Scottish National Party won 48 out of 59 districts in Scotland at last month's election, a result she said reinforced her mandate to give Scots the chance to choose their own path. In a letter Johnson refused to transfer the power to hold the vote, saying that Scotland already opted to stay in the U.K. in a 2014 referendum that all parties had agreed was a "once in a generation" event."The people of Scotland will get the right to decide our own future in an independence referendum," Sturgeon said. "The Westminster union cannot be sustained without consent. Democracy will prevail. The only question is how long it will take the Tories and the rest of the Westminster establishment to accept that inevitability."The tension between Scotland and England, which came together to form Great Britain in 1707, is set to rumble on as Johnson seeks a quick trade deal with the EU and Sturgeon heads toward a Scottish Parliamentary election next year determined to put the issue of full autonomy back to the people.The problem for Johnson is that the question over Scotland isn't going to go away anytime soon, though his emphatic election victory in December means he can afford to play the long game. For Sturgeon, the challenge is to maintain pressure on the U.K. government in London after ruling out anything other than a legal, internationally recognized referendum.To contact the reporter on this story: Rodney Jefferson in Edinburgh at r.jefferson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Alex MoralesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Pakistan: 21 more bodies recovered in avalanche-hit Kashmir Posted: 15 Jan 2020 09:17 AM PST  Search teams aided by Pakistani troops pulled out 21 more bodies from homes destroyed by this week's avalanches in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, raising the overall death toll due to severe winter weather to 160 for Pakistan and Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday. Rescuers were racing against time to reach scores of people believed still to be trapped inside their homes, buried under avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
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| All Senior Russian Officials Resign as Putin Announces Reforms That Would Weaken His Successor Posted: 15 Jan 2020 06:45 AM PST  Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced his resignation and that of a host of other senior officials during a televised address on Wednesday.President Vladimir Putin, Medvedev's longtime mentor and ally, praised the Prime Minister while noting that Medvedev's cabinet failed to accomplish certain goals.The resignation came just after Putin delivered his state of the nation address. In the speech, as reported by the Turkish paper The Daily Sabah, Putin argued for changes to Russia's constitution to increase the authority of lawmakers to appoint prime ministers and cabinet members.However, at the same time Putin asserted that Russia would not remain stable under a parliamentary system of government, and that the President should retain power to dismiss parliamentary appointments and remain in control of the country's military and law enforcement bodies.Putin's current term ends in 2024, and under current law he must step down from the office. According to CNN, the proposed reforms would weaken Putin's successor and shift power to parliament prime minister's office, to which Putin may ultimately transfer.Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny charged the changes were a ploy by the President to help him retain power even after he leaves office."The only goal of Putin and his regime is to stay in charge for life, having the entire country as his personal asset and seizing its riches for himself and his friends," Navalny wrote on Twitter.Putin has led Russia for over 20 years, longer than any Russian leader since Josef Stalin. From 2008 to 2012 Medvedev took up the post of president while Putin switched to prime minister, but Putin was widely understood to retain ultimate control over the government during that time.
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| Russia Says It's S-500 Can Bring Down America's F-35, What's The Truth? Posted: 13 Jan 2020 10:45 PM PST  We look to Syria for hints.
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| AOC is sounding the alarm about the rise of facial recognition: 'This is some real-life "Black Mirror" stuff' Posted: 15 Jan 2020 02:11 PM PST  When facial recognition is implemented, the software makes it easy for corporations or governments to identify people and track their movements.
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| India has not closed door on China-backed Asian trade deal - foreign minister Posted: 14 Jan 2020 10:28 PM PST  India has not closed the door on a China-led regional economic pact, even though Asia's third-largest country pulled out of the deal last November, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Wednesday. In November, China joined 14 countries in agreeing terms for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), with India pulling out at the last minute saying the deal would hurt its farmers, businesses, workers and consumers. RCEP brings together the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
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| Trump apparently gave Giuliani his 'consent' to request a meeting with Ukrainian president, new impeachment evidence shows Posted: 14 Jan 2020 03:26 PM PST  The evidence from Lev Parnas has arrived.Parnas is an indicted Soviet-born associate of President Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who aided in Giuliani's campaign to pressure Ukraine into investigating Trump's domestic rivals. He previously turned over evidence related to Trump's impeachment in compliance with a congressional subpoena. Today, House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) turned the documents over to House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who will send the evidence over to the Senate, where it could possibly be used in Trump's upcoming impeachment trial.Among the evidence provided by Parnas are handwritten notes he took during a meeting in Vienna, where he wrote that he needed to get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce that Ukraine would launch an investigation tied to former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.> Lev Parnas' notes in House Intel docs: > > "1) go to DC with package > 2) do my "magic" & cut d̳e̳a̳l̳ > 3) retain Victoria/Joe"> > "Get rid of Lanny Davis (n̳i̳c̳e̳l̳y̳!)"> > "hire Robert Stryk lobbyist or Brian Ballard"> > "Get Zelensky to announce that the Biden case will be investigated" pic.twitter.com/QRqShYTdUy> > — Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) January 14, 2020Another revelation came in the form of a draft letter from Giuliani to Zelensky, in which Giuliani requested to meet with the Ukrainian leader. Notably, he said he was making the request with Trump's "knowledge and consent," though it's unclear from the letter if Giuliani and Trump had ever discussed the specifics of the meeting.> wow ... the ParnasDocs include this previously undisclosed letter from May from @RudyGiuliani to President Zelensky requesting a mtg with him in his capacity as "personal counsel to @realDonaldTrump" ... House GOPers wanted a "fact-based, first-hand witness" - here's one for ya! pic.twitter.com/ULR7dK60wQ> > — Kurt Bardella (@kurtbardella) January 14, 2020Parnas then allegedly sent a copy of the letter to a Zelensky aide, but the sit-down never actually came to fruition. Read the House Intelligence Committee's letter here.More stories from theweek.com There's a plan to allow people to watch the only tape of Super Bowl I for free The paradox of Trump's trillion-dollar deficit Trump reportedly tried to bully DHS into enacting illegal policies Lou Dobbs shared on Fox Business
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| South Africa Must Finalize Land Policy in 2020, Ramaphosa Says Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:56 AM PST ![South Africa Must Finalize Land Policy in 2020, Ramaphosa Says]( "South Africa Must Finalize Land Policy in 2020, Ramaphosa Says") (Bloomberg) -- Sign up to our Next Africa newsletter and follow Bloomberg Africa on TwitterSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa asked business leaders to present solutions to redistribute land to majority blacks as the government works to finalize changes to legislation and the constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation."This year we are going to have to finalize the legislation and the constitutional construct on the land question," he said at a conference organized by Business Unity South Africa on Tuesday."One of the things we have been asking for is the business community to come forward with solutions of resolving the centuries-old problem of land," he told the country's largest business lobby group. "I would like to see the business community taking this issue up rather more seriously."The ruling African National Congress plans to change the nation's constitution to make it easier to seize land without paying for it to address racially skewed ownership patterns dating back to colonialism and white-minority rule, a view shared by the Economic Freedom Fighters, the second-largest opposition party.Ramaphosa asked business leaders to play a more proactive role in land expropriation through a donations policy, which will allow for companies to voluntarily give up under-utilized land to communities whose land was taken away."What is a certainty is that the land question has to be addressed. As South Africa we cannot run away from it," he said. "The key issue for us is: Are we going to be part of the solution or are we going to be part of the problem?"To contact the reporter on this story: Amogelang Mbatha in Johannesburg at ambatha@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Jacqueline Mackenzie, Robert BrandFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 'OK, Boomer' makes a Supreme Court appearance in age case Posted: 15 Jan 2020 10:24 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — "OK, Boomer" made its first appearance in the Supreme Court Wednesday, invoked by baby boomer Chief Justice John Roberts 12 days before he turns 65. The meme is a favorite of younger generations and Roberts used it in questions in a case about age discrimination in the workplace. "The hiring person, who's younger, says, 'OK, Boomer,' once to the applicant," Roberts said as he conjured a hypothetical exchange to try to figure out when an older federal employee might be able to win a lawsuit under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
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| Why the B-52 Is Such a Badass Plane Posted: 15 Jan 2020 06:00 AM PST  America's longest serving aircraft also remains one of its most impressive.
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| U.S. Army chief of staff: Russia's hypersonic missiles are not 'game changing' Posted: 14 Jan 2020 04:22 PM PST  The U.S. Army's top officer said Tuesday during an appearance in Washington, D.C., that he isn't worried by Russia's growing arsenal of hypersonic missiles.
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| We Now Know Why Russia Never Had an Aircraft Carrier Fleet Posted: 14 Jan 2020 02:10 AM PST  Not enough money or capacity.
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| One astounding chart shows how the death of the union has made economic inequality worse Posted: 15 Jan 2020 08:23 AM PST  As union membership rates declined, experts say its helped contribute to a rise of wealth inequality in the United States.
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| Warning of 'serious threats' Virginia governor bans weapons at gun-rights rally Posted: 15 Jan 2020 05:54 AM PST  Northam, who is leading the push for stronger gun laws in his state, said he wants to avoid a repeat of violence that erupted at a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, when a march by white nationalists erupted and led to the death of a counterprotester. Gun-rights advocates, including militia groups and ultraconservative activists, are planning a "Lobby Day" rally on Monday, seeking to block gun control legislation backed by Northam, a Democrat, whose party recently won majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
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| Abby Huntsman Confronts Bloomberg Over ‘Sexist’ Comments Posted: 15 Jan 2020 09:21 AM PST  At the end of his first of three segments Wednesday morning on The View, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrapped up his answer on the controversial "stop-and-frisk" policy by saying, "In some things, I did it wrong and I apologized and then tried to do something else." "Well, we're going to give you more time to apologize," Whoopi Goldberg said before throwing the commercial. That's exactly what they did after the break, but this time, a defiant Bloomberg refused to take responsibility. "I also have friends that have worked at your company and have wonderful things to say, but you have been accused in the past of making lewd and sexist comments and fostering a frat-like culture at your company that was uncomfortable for some female employees," Abby Huntsman, who will leave a different kind of "toxic" work environment at the end of this week, said. "ABC has actually has spoken to several women who want to share their stories, but you won't release them from their NDAs." Huntsman then paraphrased Bloomberg's 2020 Democratic primary rival Elizabeth Warren, who said, "If his company has an enviable record, then let people in his company or former people from his company speak about that enviable record. What is it that Michael Bloomberg has to hide?" Elizabeth Warren Shuts Down Meghan McCain's Defense of Trump on Iran"We don't have anything to hide but we made legal agreements, which both sides wanted to keep certain things from coming out, they have a right to do that," Bloomberg answered. "Remember, just because you signed a nondisclosure doesn't mean you can't talk about other things. You just can't talk about what was in that agreement where perhaps you don't disparage the other party or you don't want to retell a story, whatever it is." "You don't take away anybody's rights to say what they want to say," he added, a bit disingenuously. As Huntsman tried to bring up "this MeToo era," Bloomberg continued to talk over her, "I think if you talk to most women in the company they would say equal pay, equal promotion, equal opportunity. it's a great place to work." "Did I ever tell a bawdy joke? Yeah, sure I did," Bloomberg said. "Do I regret it? Yes, it's embarrassing, but, you know, that's the way I grew up." Among the inappropriate comments that Bloomberg allegedly made include urging a pregnant woman to "kill it" and admitting that he'd like to "do" several female employees. Joy Behar attempted to laugh off the whole thing with Bloomberg, asking, "who hasn't" told a "bawdy" joke at work? "You said that, not me," he joked in response. But Huntsman pressed on, asking, "So you have no desire to lift the NDAs?""No, we have an agreement. You couldn't do it if you wanted to," Bloomberg said, "And incidentally, I think an awful lot of the women would not want to do that. There may be a few, but I don't think so." ABC News reported last week that it had "spoken with several women who expressed interest in telling their stories who were subject to confidentiality agreements, but said they feared the prospect of facing retribution from the company for speaking out." "And we don't have that many of them," he added. "We have 20,000 people. We've been in business since 1981, and in recruiting, you know, I think most people would say we're a great place to work, at least I hope so. I can tell you that's what I try to do." There was no apology. ABC Execs Try to Get Abby Huntsman to Cover for Toxic Culture at 'The View'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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| Trump renews attack on lightbulbs and goes after dishwashers, fridges, toilets and showers Posted: 15 Jan 2020 03:32 AM PST  Donald Trump has revisited his vendetta against energy-saving lightbulbs, ascribing them the blame for his orange hue while extending the focus of his ire to include showers, dishwashers and toilets in a wide-ranging rally speech in Milwaukee.Despite claiming an aide had warned against mentioning lightbulbs ahead of his address, Mr Trump complained "the new lightbulb costs you five times as much and it makes you look orange".
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