2019-07-11

Headlines:

From Al Jazeera, Associated Press, BBC News, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, New York Times, and Wired

Louisiana braces for slow-moving possible weekend hurricane – (Associated Press)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A potential tropical storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico presents twin troubles for coastal Louisiana and Mississippi — the possibility that the flooded Mississippi River will…

Britain says Iranian vessels tried to block tanker in Gulf – (Associated Press)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British navy said it prevented three Iranian paramilitary vessels from impeding the passage of a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Thursday, a…

Lithuanian couple defends world wife-carrying championship title – (Reuters)
A Lithuanian couple won the World Wife-Carrying Championship for a second time in a row in the Finnish town of Sonkajarvi on Saturday, triumphing in a contest where men complete an obstacle course with their wives slung over their shoulders.

Acosta defends Epstein deal amid calls for his resignation – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trying to tamp down calls for his resignation, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta on Wednesday defended his handling of a sex trafficking case involving now-jailed financier Jeffrey…

Trump to hold news conference on 2020 Census, citizenship question – (Reuters)
U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a news conference on Thursday to discuss his administration’s effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, which had been blocked in the courts amid challenges from some U.S. states and civil rights groups.

UK’s Hunt says monitoring tanker situation: Al Jazeera tweet – (Reuters)
The British foreign secretary has told Al Jazeera TV that London is monitoring the situation following an Iranian attempt to intercept a British tanker, the Qatar-based channel said in a tweet on Thursday.

Boris Johnson says he’s not to blame for ambassador’s ouster – (Associated Press)
LONDON (AP) — Boris Johnson, the man likely to become U.K. prime minister within weeks, on Thursday denied playing any role in the departure of Britain’s ambassador to Washington, who quit after…

Storm likely to churn into hurricane, looms on U.S. Gulf coast – (Reuters)
A storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico and aimed at water-logged New Orleans is likely to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2019 season by late Friday or early Saturday, forecasters said.

Norway finds big radiation leak from Russian sub – (BBC News)
Experts say there is no alarm, despite a high level of caesium at a Soviet-era submarine wreck.

Important new US ambassador is best person for long term relationship : UK minister – (Reuters)
Britain’s new ambassador to the United States must be the best person for the long term interests of the relationship between the two countries, junior Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan said on Thursday.

UK concerned by Iran actions, calls for de-escalation: PM May’s spokesman – (Reuters)
Britain is concerned about action by Iranian vessels to stop a commercial oil tanker, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said on Thursday, calling for a de-escalation of tensions.

Diplomats shaken for now after Britain’s US ambassador quits – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The abrupt resignation of Britain’s ambassador to the United States over leaked cables critical of the Trump administration may have jolted official Washington, but it’s unlikely…

Dems preparing to question Mueller say it ‘will not be easy’ – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some are watching old video of his previous testimony. Others are closely re-reading his 448-page report. And almost all are worrying about how they’ll make the most of the short…

When the U.S. puts a border between migrant kids and their caretakers – (Reuters)
On June 12, Gerardo, a 41-year-old indigenous bricklayer from Guatemala, appeared before a U.S. immigration judge in El Paso, Texas. Since crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally two months earlier with his 14-year-old son, he had been separated from the bo…

Wall Street banks bailing on troubled U.S. farm sector – (Reuters)
In the wake of the U.S. housing meltdown of the late 2000s, JPMorgan Chase & Co hunted for new ways to expand its loan business beyond the troubled mortgage sector.

Biden campaign trail speech to assail Trump’s foreign policies – (Reuters)
Looking to steady his presidential campaign after a debate performance against other Democratic contenders that hurt him in public opinion polls, Joe Biden will seek to play to his strengths on Thursday with a speech that draws upon his experience in foreign …

Should Neil Armstrong’s Bootprints Be on the Moon Forever? – (The New York Times)
With renewed interest in the moon, some say it’s time to consider whether, and how, to preserve humanity’s lunar heritage.

She Led a Famed Progressive Church. Then She Said She Was Harassed. – (The New York Times)
New York’s Riverside Church has dismissed its first female pastor by not renewing her contract, setting off a debate about sexism, harassment and hypocrisy.

France passes tax on tech firms despite US threats – (BBC News)
The Trump administration says the new 3% tax on sales in France will harm US online giants.

He’s Writing 365 Children’s Books in 365 Days, While Holding Down a Day Job – (The New York Times)
Matt Zurbo’s challenge, named after his daughter, Cielo, is an unconventional labor of love.

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From various sources

Hamas man hit by IDF gunfire pronounced dead – (The Jerusalem Post)
According to the ministry, the incident started in the north of the Gaza Strip, in front of Kibbutz Erez, when a group of Palestinians approached the border fence.

Twitter updates its rules against hateful conduct to include religion – (The Jerusalem Post)
“Our primary focus is on addressing the risks of offline harm,” Twitter explained, “and research shows that dehumanizing language increases that risk.”

Netanyahu: We are preparing for broad, surprising campaign in Gaza – (The Jerusalem Post)
“We do not have the illusion that it is possible to reach a political agreement with this group that wants to wipe the State of Israel off the face of the earth,” Netanyahu said.

‘Iraqi Ambassador ‘inappropriately’ quoted by media Israel and Palestine – (The Jerusalem Post)
The ministry did not state the news organizations who misinterpreted Yasseen’s comments.

NGO: Israel restricting visas to academics at Palestinian universities – (The Jerusalem Post)
“Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip – like all other peoples around the world – are entitled to exercise their right to academic freedom as part of their right to self-determination.”

Delegation of Colombian leaders in Israel as Latin American support spike – (The Jerusalem Post)
“Israel is winning the battle for the hearts and minds of the people of Latin America,” said Israel Allies Foundation head Josh Reinstein.

Generate – (Axios)
The biggest news and trends in energy, business and politics by Ben Geman, with Amy Harder. Weekday mornings

White House hosting social media summit following fresh allegations of anti-conservative bias – (Fox News)
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk says tech companies are engaging in oppression of conservative ideas.

Royal Caribbean cruise ship death: Chloe Wiegand’s family “desperate to get home” to Indiana, lawyer says – (CBS News)
Indiana couple whose 18-month-old daughter fell to her death​ from a cruise ship hope to return home from Puerto Rico on a flight also carrying their youngest child’s body, lawyer says

Serie A club turn to Tottenham defender in search for new blood – (FourFourTwo)
Tottenham centre-back Toby Alderweireld is a target for Roma, according to reports in Italy.

American scientist was “100 percent” murdered in Greece, coroner says – (CBS News)
The death of an American scientist last week while she was on a work trip to Greece was “100 percent” murder, a coroner has told CBS News. Suzanne Eaton’s body was found Monday evening on the island of Crete in an old World War II bunker. Jericka Duncan repor…

Louisiana braces for slow-moving possible weekend hurricane – (Associated Press)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A potential tropical storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico presents twin troubles for coastal Louisiana and Mississippi — the possibility that the flooded Mississippi River will…

Land reform: Motlanthe warns of ‘anarchy and chaos’ if property rights aren’t protected – (News24)
Former president Kgalema Motlanthe has warned of a dire impact on society if property rights in South Africa aren’t protected.

Kanye West’s comeback: From $53 million in debt to making over $150 million in a year – (USA Today)
He’s come a long way from begging for investments from Mark Zuckerberg on Twitter.

JPMorgan Could Have Avoided the Billion-Dollar Cocaine Ship Fiasco – (Crypto Coins News)
A ship owned by a fund run by JPMorgan was seized by the Feds for carrying 20 tons of cocaine. JPMorgan should have known better.

The EU is playing musical chairs with its top jobs, but they’ll still dance to the same old tired tune on Brexit – (The Telegraph)
Any Brexiteer hoping that the appointment of a new president of the European Commission will bring a step-change in Brussels’ Brexit negotiating strategy will be disappointed.

U.K. Accuses Iran of Attacking a British Oil Tanker – (Vice News)
Days after UK Marines seized an Iranian tanker that was reportedly violating sanctions, Iran appears to have retaliated.

Roma’s New Away Shirt Is A Real Contender For Kit Of The Season – (The Sport Bible)
Stunning.

“That doesn’t sound like a particularly special relationship”—a diplomatic spat in Britain – (The Economist)
Also on the daily podcast: when (and why) development projects go wrong, and the paucity of accents in Britain’s politics

Taylor Swift: Fans show support for singer at Amazon Prime Day concert amid Scooter Braun battle – (USA Today)
After Taylor Swift made headlines last week for losing rights to her masters, her fans stood in solidarity at a Prime Day concert in New York.

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All about Trump

Trump to order citizenship question on census, despite Supreme Court – (USA Today)
Trump is expected announce executive actions Thursday to allow a citizenship question on the 2020 census, two administration officials said.

Recode Daily: Trump’s social media summit doesn’t include any of the major social media players – (Recode)
Plus: 4chan is 40 percent more hateful than it was in 2015.

Trump told Acosta to defend himself publicly – (CBS News)
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta says he will not resign over his role in Jeffrey Epstein’s child sex abuse case. Acosta spoke to reporters Wednesday and defended his controversial plea deal with the financier in 2008. Epstein served 13 months in jail and register…

Trump expected to order citizenship question added to the census – (NBC News)
President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday morning that he will hold a press conference to discuss the census at the conclusion of his social media summit.

Trump to hold news conference on 2020 Census, citizenship question – (Reuters)
U.S. President Donald Trump will hold a news conference on Thursday to discuss his administration’s effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, which had been blocked in the courts amid challenges from some U.S. states and civil rights groups.

Diplomats shaken for now after Britain’s US ambassador quits – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The abrupt resignation of Britain’s ambassador to the United States over leaked cables critical of the Trump administration may have jolted official Washington, but it’s unlikely…

After Trump request, Lockheed keeps helicopter plant open – (ABC News)
Get breaking national and world news, broadcast video coverage, and exclusive interviews. Find the top news online at ABC news.

Labor Secretary Alex Acosta’s Jeffrey Epstein press conference digs a deeper hole – (Axios)
Trump is still deciding his fate.

France approves digital tax on American tech giants, defying US trade threat – (Google News)
President Trump ordered an investigation into France’s planned “digital tax” on tech companies on Wednesday.

Biden campaign trail speech to assail Trump’s foreign policies – (Reuters)
Looking to steady his presidential campaign after a debate performance against other Democratic contenders that hurt him in public opinion polls, Joe Biden will seek to play to his strengths on Thursday with a speech that draws upon his experience in foreign …

Democrats warn push for border crossing decriminalization will prove costly in 2020 | TheHill – (The Hill)
Top former Obama administration officials are warning Democratic presidential candidates to back off from their proposals to decriminalize border crossings, saying that it’s bad policy and a surefire general election loser that gives President Trump an openin…

France passes tax on tech firms despite US threats – (BBC News)
The Trump administration says the new 3% tax on sales in France will harm US online giants.

British envoys ‘deeply disappointed’ one of their own had to resign over Trump cables – (ABC News (AU))
Britain’s High Commissioner to Australia defends Sir Kim Darroch, who resigned as British ambassador to the United States after criticisms he made about Donald Trump were leaked.

Why Trump’s Census Play Is Blatantly Unconstitutional – (Google News)
We owe Congress’ control of the Census not just to the Constitution, but to Republicans doing the right thing in the 1920s. Now Trump wants to roll it all back.

Trump takes on kidney disease – (Axios)
It’s the first time kidney disease care has been modernized in decades.

Tory leadership: Boris Johnson sees Trump as a ‘lifeboat’ to rescue Brexit and secure ‘great deal’ – (The Telegraph)
Boris Johnson sees Donald Trump as a “lifeboat” who can help to the UK to deliver Brexit, his allies say.

Mass immigration roundups in U.S. to start Sunday: New York Times – (Google News)
Roundups of undocumented immigrant families will start Sunday in 10 U.S. cities, fulfilling a hardline immigration stance from U.S. President Donald Trump which will be a key issue in his 2020 re-election bid, the New York Times reported.

Donald Trump Retweets Controversial Commentator’s Praise Of Far-Right Politicians – (The Huffington Post)
British commentator Katie Hopkins had hailed Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and Hungary’s Viktor Orban in the post.

Democratic Candidates Are Running a Race of Inauthenticity – (National Review)
Trump’s Democratic rivals do not seem especially forthcoming about who they are.

Biden to rip Trump in foreign policy address – (Politico)
Biden is expected to make the case that the president has devastated America’s credibility on the world stage.

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