Today's News: January 16, 2020

World News

Putin cements power as Russian lawmakers approve his new PM

AP – President Vladimir Putin on Thursday fast-tracked work on constitutional changes that could keep him in power well past the end of his term in 2024 while lawmakers quickly sealed his choice for new prime minister.
Speaking to a working group created to draft constitutional changes, Putin cast his proposals as a way to strengthen parliament and to bolster democracy. Kremlin critics described the proposed changes as an attempt by Putin to secure his rule for life.
The Russian leader proposed a set of sweeping amendments to the country’s constitution in Wednesday’s state of the nation address. Hours later, he fired Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who was prime minister for eight years, and named tax chief Mikhail Mishustin to succeed him.
The Kremlin-controlled lower house, the State Duma, quickly approved Mishustin by a unanimous vote on Thursday.
The reshuffle has shaken Russia’s political elites, who were left wildly speculating about Putin’s intentions and future Cabinet appointments.
A constitutional reform announced by Putin indicated he was working to carve out a new governing position for himself after his current six-year term ends in 2024, although it remains unclear what specific path he will take to stay in charge.

Vatican appoints first woman to senior role in Church

BBC – Pope Francis has made an Italian lawyer the first woman to hold a management position in the Vatican’s most important office.
Francesca Di Giovanni, 66, will serve as undersecretary for multilateral affairs in the Secretariat of State.
She will be responsible for co-ordinating the Holy See’s relations with groups including the UN.
Pope Francis has been vocal in his support for women holding greater positions of authority in the Vatican.

Dozens detained by Lebanon security forces after violent clashes

CS Monitor – As the financial crisis deepens, protestors have returned to the street, denouncing the police’s use of force.

U.S. News, Politics & Government

GAO finds Trump administration broke law by withholding aid from Ukraine

The Hill – The Trump administration’s decision to freeze the release of security assistance to Ukraine last year violated federal law, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report Thursday.
The independent watchdog said the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) withheld the appropriated funds last summer, not as a programmatic delay but in order to advance the president’s own agenda.
Doing so, the watchdog concluded, violates the Impoundment Control Act, a law that governs Congress’s role in the federal budget process.
“Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law,” the report says. “OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). … Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA.”
The decision by the White House to withhold nearly $400 million in U.S. aid to Kyiv as the country fights pro-Russia separatists is at the center of impeachment proceedings in Congress against President Trump.
The report’s release comes as the GOP-controlled Senate is expected to set a time on Thursday for the House impeachment managers — who will be arguing the case to impeach and remove Trump before the Senate — to formally exhibit the articles of impeachment accusing Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Democrats release more Parnas evidence, including voicemails with Trump associates

Politico – House impeachment investigators released a new set of evidence that was obtained from Lev Parnas, an indicted former associate of President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani — including voicemails, photos, and text messages between Parnas and high-level figures within Trump’s orbit.
The material includes voicemail messages Parnas received from Giuliani and Victoria Toensing, a prominent Trump-aligned lawyer, both of whom have been identified as players in an effort to force the removal of the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, during the spring.

US troops in Middle East receive menacing social media messages, WiFi on lockdown

Military Times – The 82nd Airborne Division is briefing family members of deployed paratroopers to double-check their social media settings and report any strange messages they may receive after some malevolent ones were reported to the command.
The division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed to Kuwait in early January as part of an emergency response to the region over heightened tensions with Iran.
“Families have reported instances where they have received unsolicited contact with some menacing messaging,” said Lt. Col. Mike Burns, a division spokesman.
“We have done several things to inform our paratroopers and families of these risks and ways that they can protect themselves,” Burns added. “I also personally spoke to the brigade [Familiy Readiness Group] leaders today.”
The 82nd has told family members to be vigilant and practice smart behavior online. Family members should check their social media settings and reference the U.S. Army’s social media handbook, Burns said. In addition to distributing social media pamphlets, the division has held information forums for families. Burns could not comment on the reports that WiFi access was suspended for brigade paratroopers in Kuwait.
Separately, two U.S. sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Military Times the WiFi access was suspended over fears of a potential hacking and leak of sensitive contact information. One defense source said the MWR network was compromised, that contacts were pulled from service member’s devices and family members have been getting threats and disturbing messages from hackers. A U.S. defense official said that deployed 82nd troops have been hacked and that messages were sent to family members to scare them.

Epstein had burst capillaries in eyeballs which ‘suggests he was strangled’

Daily Mail – A forensic pathologist has claimed that Jeffrey Epstein was likely murdered and did not hang himself because he had burst capillaries in his eyes which is consistent with manual strangulation and not hanging, DailyMail.com can reveal.
In an exclusive clip from a Dr. Oz special set to air on Thursday, pathologist Dr. Michael Baden examines photographs of Epstein’s eyes and other parts of his lifeless body taken during his autopsy.
Dr. Baden was among physicians in the room when Epstein’s autopsy took place.
He says it is highly unusual that the cause of his death went from being undetermined – when it was first ruled – to suicide by hanging five days later.

Dental Assistant Fired For Expressing Support For Trump on Facebook

Infowars – A South Milwaukee dental assistant was fired from her job after a single person complained about a pro-Trump comment she had posted on Facebook.
Before attending Trump’s Jan. 14 rally in Milwaukee, Robyn Polak posted “MAGA 2020” in response to a news story about his upcoming visit.
This prompted someone to go on her employer’s Facebook page and leave a negative review which states, “employees spouting racist comments on Facebook.”
Precision Dental MKE responded by posting, “I am so very sorry to have learned that this was posted. We are handling the situation in-house as we speak. I assure you that this office does not share those beliefs.”
They then fired Polak over the phone.

VA gov declares state of emergency, imposes Capitol gun ban ahead of gun rights rally…

NBC – Fearing a repeat of the deadly violence that engulfed Charlottesville more than two years ago, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a temporary emergency Wednesday banning all weapons, including guns, from Capitol Square ahead of a massive rally planned next week over gun rights.
The governor, a Democrat, announced the plans at a news conference Wednesday afternoon because of credible threats of potential violence and extremism, one official said.
“Let me be clear. These are considered credible threats by law enforcement agencies,” Gov. Ralph Northam said.
Northam’s announcement comes days after Democratic leaders used a special rules committee to ban guns inside the Capitol and a legislative office building. That ban did not include Capitol grounds, which are under the governor’s control and are where thousands of gun-rights advocates are expected to rally Monday.
Northam decided to ban all guns from the grounds of Capitol Square after receiving reports for weeks about inflammatory online postings by out-of-state pro-gun and militia groups who are promising to attend Monday’s rally.
“No weapons will be allowed on capitol grounds. This includes everything from sticks and bats to chains and projectiles,” Northam said.
Northam says State Agencies received several credible threats involving hate groups planning to come into the city and cause harm.

Economy & Business

U.S. and China tiptoe around holes in new trade agreement

Reuters – The United States and China signed an initial trade deal on Wednesday that will roll back some tariffs and boost Chinese purchases of U.S. products, defusing an 18-month row between the world’s two largest economies but leaving a number of sore spots unresolved.
Beijing and Washington touted the “Phase 1” agreement as a step forward after months of start-and-stop talks, and investors greeted the news with relief. Even so, there was skepticism the U.S.-China trade relationship was now firmly on the mend.
The deal fails to address structural economic issues that led to the trade conflict, does not fully eliminate the tariffs that have slowed the global economy, and sets hard-to-achieve purchase targets, analysts and industry leaders said.
While acknowledging the need for further negotiations with China to solve a host of other problems, President Donald Trump hailed the agreement as a win for the U.S. economy and his administration’s trade policies.
“Together, we are righting the wrongs of the past and delivering a future of economic justice and security for American workers, farmers and families,” Trump said in rambling remarks at the White House alongside U.S. and Chinese officials.

Energy & Environment

After A Long Delay, HUD Says It Is Lifting Hold On Puerto Rico Hurricane Aid

NPR – The Trump administration is releasing its hold on billions of dollars of aid to Puerto Rico after a months-long delay. But it is still unclear exactly when those funds will reach the hurricane-ravaged island.
The tranche of money, more than $8 billion, is allocated through a Department of Housing and Urban Development disaster recovery fund. It was supposed to be released months ago to help the island rebuild in the wake of devastating Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
So far $1.5 billion in HUD aid has been made available, of which Puerto Rico has drawn approximately $11 million, according to a HUD spokesperson. In all, Congress has approved roughly $20 billion in long-term rebuilding aid to Puerto Rico that HUD is mandated to disburse.

Florida plans to buy and protect Everglades land in Broward targeted for oil drilling

Miami Herald – A swath of land in the Everglades at the center of a fight between a family determined to drill for oil and a constellation of parties urging them not to might finally have a new future.
The state intends to buy the 20,000-acre tract outright and halt the threat of oil drilling on the protected lands near Broward County’s western suburbs, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday.
The seller, a Miami family who made their fortunes in real estate, won the right to drill for oil on their land last year, despite opposition from the state. If the sale goes through, it’ll be the largest state land acquisition in a decade.
The Trump administration is releasing its hold on billions of dollars of aid to Puerto Rico after a months-long delay. But it is still unclear exactly when those funds will reach the hurricane-ravaged island.
The tranche of money, more than $8 billion, is allocated through a Department of Housing and Urban Development disaster recovery fund. It was supposed to be released months ago to help the island rebuild in the wake of devastating Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
So far $1.5 billion in HUD aid has been made available, of which Puerto Rico has drawn approximately $11 million, according to a HUD spokesperson. In all, Congress has approved roughly $20 billion in long-term rebuilding aid to Puerto Rico that HUD is mandated to disburse.

Science & Technology

Senators Want $1 Billion to Fund 5G Deployment Despite Lawsuits, Opposition and Warnings

Activist Post – Warnings about 5G aren’t only about biological and environmental risks. Engineers, security experts, meteorologists, NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense have also warned that 5G is not what’s best for anybody. Lawsuits have been filed. Requests for 5G moratoriums from doctors and scientists started in 2017. Another one was recently submitted to President Trump.
People and animals have been getting sick where 5G has been turned on. Some communities and countries have banned it. Regardless, a bipartisan group of senators still wants to fund forcing it on Americans despite all of the above AND that telecom companies have still provided NO scientific evidence that 5G is safe. Argh.
From MarketWatch:
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, alarmed by the rise of Chinese electronics supplier Huawei Technologies Co., wants Washington to subsidize firms that could counter China’s 5G advances.
The proposed Utilizing Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act would steer at least $750 million toward companies developing fifth-generation, or 5G, wireless technology and create a separate $500 million fund for companies that deploy “trusted and secure” equipment around the world.

Rentable Facial Recognition Robots That Can Detect Emotion Coming To A Conference Near You

Activist Post – Conference goers now have to be wary that robots will identify them everywhere they go.
Corporations can now rent Chinese-made CloudMinds robots that can identify everyone on the conference floor. (To learn more about CloudMinds and China click here & here.)
CloudMinds’ mission is to “make helpful robot services possible and to make them safe, secure and affordable.” While their hidden mission is to help governments identify everyone.
According to CloudMinds’ “About Us” page, their so-called values are to convince employees, moms, dads and their children to trust rentable emotion and facial recognition robots.

Health

Most Seniors Are Taking Too Many Prescriptions

Mercola – The number of prescriptions taken by seniors doubled from 1988 to 2010, contributing to a higher incidence of functional limitations.
The use of multiple medications increases the risk of adverse events and drug interactions that lead to permanent damage or death.
Side effects from one drug often lead to the prescription of another to reduce symptoms, known as a “prescribing cascade”.
The number of seniors prescribed antidepressants from 1991 to 2011 has more than doubled, while only 14.3% met the DSM-4 criteria for depression; the prevalence of symptoms and disorders has not decreased with more medicine.
A focus on reducing inflammation and seeking the root causes of health conditions helps lower dependence on drugs that usually come with a significant list of side effects

Mystery virus spreads from China to Japan as epidemic fears grow

Daily Star – Japanese officials have confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus in the country as epidemic fears grow.
A government official said today that a Japanese man in his 30s, who travelled to Wuhan in eastern China, tested positive for the virus.
The SARS-like virus has struck down dozens in China since the outbreak was first recorded in December.
It is believed an outbreak of pneumonia caused the fresh coronavirus strain.
A Chinese woman was quarantined in Thailand on Monday after authorities discovered she had been infected with the coronavirus.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned the virus could spread further and has told hospitals across the world to be alert.