Brazil prosecutors demand government plan for oil spill

Brazil's public prosecutor's office requested the government be forced to activate its national plan to minimize damages caused by an oil spill contaminating the nation's northeast coast, including popular tourist beaches. It alleges the government's response has thus far been "silent, inert, inefficient and ineffective" in the face of the spreading crude. Prosecutors from the nine states whose coasts have been sullied by the sludge - whose origin remains unknown - asked the federal justice system to grant the government a 24-hour period to activate the plan and set a daily fine equivalent to nearly $250,000 for failure to comply.

South Korean Students Break Into U.S. Ambassador’s Residence

(Bloomberg) -- A group of South Korean students broke into the residence of American ambassador Harry Harris on Friday, in a protest against Donald Trump’s campaign to get the Asian nation to pay more for U.S. military support.Nineteen students, who described themselves as members of a liberal university students’ group, were detained by police after staging a protest against plans to impose a bigger financial burden for the stationing of U.S. troops in the country, the Yonhap News Agency reported.The students used a ladder to climb the walls of the ambassador’s residence, next to an old South Korean palace, and urged Harris to leave the country.The incident happened days before officials from the U.S. and South Korea are due to meet in Honolulu for the next round of talks on sharing defense costs.After the incident, Seoul police dispatched 80 more officers to beef up security of the envoy’s home, according to Yonhap.Earlier this year, the two allies reached a one-year cost-sharing deal for maintaining about 28,500 American troops in South Korea. That deal expires at the end of 2019.The relationship between the two allies soured after Seoul abruptly announced the termination of a three-year-old pact with Japan -- another U.S. key ally -- for exchanging classified military information. That was in response to Japan’s move to restrict exports of key materials for the manufacture of semiconductors to South Korea.To contact the reporters on this story: Kanga Kong in Seoul at kkong50@bloomberg.net;Jihye Lee in Seoul at jlee2352@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Marcus Wright, Jasmine NgFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Thousands in Germany, France protest Turkish push into Syria

Thousands of people in the German city of Cologne and in the French capital demonstrated Saturday against Turkey's offensive in northern Syria. Cologne city authorities said around 10,000 people took part in marches organized by left-wing groups. In Paris, more than 1,000 gathered at the Place de la Republique to denounce Turkey's actions.

Rudy Giuliani reportedly tried to get a visa for a former Ukrainian prosecutor ousted with the help of Joe Biden

President Trump's personal lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani reportedly attempted to secure a visa for former Ukraine prosecutor Viktor Shokin, CNN reported Friday.George Kent, the deputy assistant of state for European and Eurasian affairs, reportedly told congressional investigators that Giuliani asked both the State Department and the White House for a visa, two people familiar with his closed-door deposition earlier this week said. The State Department reportedly objected to the request and refused to grant the visa, which led Giuliani to seek help from the White House. It's unclear what the response was there, but Shokin never did receive a visa. CNN notes that the revelation appears to reveal that Giuliani's attempts to gather information about Democrats went further than previously understood.Shokin was pushed out of his position in 2016 when several world leaders, including former Vice President Joe Biden, voiced concerns that Shokin was not pursuing corruption cases in Ukraine. Giuliani has previously said he wanted to interview Shokin because he promised to reveal information about Democrats' actions in Ukraine. Giuliani has alleged that Biden was trying to stop investigations to protect his son, Hunter, who was sitting on the board of a Ukrainian gas company at the time, though there is no evidence of wrongdoing on either of the Bidens' part. Read more at CNN and NBC News.

Egypt unveils biggest ancient coffin find in over a century

Egypt on Saturday unveiled the details of 30 ancient wooden coffins with mummies inside discovered in the southern city of Luxor in the biggest find of its kind in more than a century. A team of Egyptian archaeologists discovered a "distinctive group of 30 colored wooden coffins for men, women and children" in a cache at Al-Asasif cemetery on Luxor's west bank, the Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement on Saturday. "It is the first large human coffin cache ever discovered since the end of the 19th century," the Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany was quoted as saying during a ceremony in Luxor.

McConnell rebukes Trump administration: Syria withdrawal is a 'grave strategic mistake'

The Senate majority leader never mentions President Donald Trump by name in his op-ed for the Washington Post.

Thousands take to Lebanon's streets in third day of anti-government protests

Tens of thousands took to the streets of Lebanon on Saturday for a third day of anti-government protests, directing growing rage at a political elite they blame for entrenched cronyism and driving the country to the economic brink. In central Beirut, the mood was fiery and festive, with protesters of all ages waving flags and chanting for revolution outside upmarket retailers and banks that had their store fronts smashed in by rioters the night before. From the south to the east and north of Lebanon, protesters marched and blocked roads to keep the momentum going despite gunmen loyal to the Shi'ite Muslim Amal movement appearing with firearms to scare them away.

Trump Has a New Punching Bag at Fox News

(Bloomberg) -- On Oct. 13, Chris Wallace, the host of “Fox News Sunday,” grilled Secretary of Defense Mark Esper about the administration’s response to the growing Ukraine scandal. That night, President Donald Trump jumped on Twitter and compared Wallace unfavorably to his late father.“Somebody please explain to Chris Wallace of Fox, who will never be his father (and my friend), Mike Wallace, that the Phone Conversation I had with the President of Ukraine was a congenial & good one,” Trump tweeted.Expect much more of the same to follow.Two days earlier, Shepard Smith, whose tough and factual reporting style often drew the ire of Trump and his supporters,  abruptly left the network. For years, Smith served not only as Fox News’ premier breaking news anchor but also as the most prominent banner carrier for the network’s team of straight-news reporters. His abdication positions Wallace as his natural successor.It’s a role guaranteed to attract fire. Trump has made it clear that he doesn’t appreciate it when his favorite TV channel exposes its viewers to unflattering news about him.Smith’s departure also makes Wallace more important than ever to the network, which relies on the credibility of its news division to counter criticism about its Trump-friendly prime-time hosts.“Smith leaving is a big deal” because Wallace can’t do it on his own, said Andrew Tyndall, publisher of the Tyndall Report, which monitors newscasts. To be considered a legitimate news outlet, “you can’t just point to one person.”Fox News says Wallace is just one of many respected journalists at the network who have confronted members of the Trump administration, including Bret Baier, Neil Cavuto and Martha MacCallum. But Wallace’s tough interviews, especially with Republicans, have been shared on social media and cited by other news outlets, reinforcing the notion that Fox News is feeding viewers more than just conservative talking points.While Smith appeared on Fox News every weekday, Wallace’s show only airs on Sundays, making him a less regular presence to viewers. (Wallace will join a rotating cast of news anchors filling in for Smith’s vacated 3 p.m. hour until the network names a permanent replacement.)“Chris becomes the next voice of realism at Fox News, but I’m not sure that he replaces Shep,” said Conor Powell, a former Fox News foreign correspondent. “Chris is a really good interviewer and plays an important role. But he only has one show once a week. Shep was on every day.”Wallace’s contract keeps him at Fox News through the 2020 election. His journalistic credibility is also good for business, helping Fox News host presidential debates, attract advertisers and charge distributors like Comcast Corp. higher fees to carry the network.“If it turns out you’re not a news organization anymore, you lose bargaining leverage with cable operators,” Tyndall said.“That’s been their mantra for decades: ‘We’re a real news organization. We have Shep Smith and Chris Wallace.’”Wallace, 72, was praised in 2016 for his performance moderating a presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Trump. More recently, he’s gained attention for pushing back on explanations from the White House. He described responses by Trump aide Stephen Miller as “an exercise in obfuscation” and said Trump’s backers had been “deeply misleading.”Wallace calls himself an “equal opportunity inquisitor” and has said that he has the full support of Fox News executives.His father, Mike Wallace, was one of the original correspondents for “60 Minutes” on CBS. He died in 2012.Mike passed down his confrontational, devil-may-care gene to his son, said Jonathan Klein, a former president of CNN’s U.S. network.“Chris plows ahead and does what he thinks is right,” Klein said. “It serves Fox News viewers well because Chris knows they deserve to hear the truth.”The late Fox News founder Roger Ailes hired seasoned journalists like Wallace because he thought it would deflect criticism of the network’s right-leaning opinion hosts, Klein said.“That’s been their mantra for decades: ‘We’re a real news organization. We have Shep Smith and Chris Wallace,’” Klein said. “But these days I’m not sure how much they care about that. Their brand has morphed.”Fox News executives say they are investing more in journalism, a push that includes hiring new reporters, opening a high-tech studio and launching a news program at 11 p.m.Trump has attacked Wallace before. In May, he complained that Wallace complimented Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, tweeting, “I like Mike Wallace better.”At a recent event during Advertising Week, Wallace reacted to Trump’s comparison: “One of us has a daddy problem, and it’s not me.”To contact the author of this story: Gerry Smith in New York at gsmith233@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Felix GilletteFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Canada's Trudeau, main rival trade attacks as campaign grinds to conclusion

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing the loss of his Parliamentary majority in an election next week, traded attacks with his main rival on Saturday as a bad-tempered campaign entered its last few days.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2MyKjiZ

Trump actions look 'clearly' impeachable, says leading conservative legal figure

Jack Goldsmith, who worked in the Justice Department under George W. Bush, says President Trump deserves to be impeached, but he’s critical of how the Democrats are going about it.

Turkey's gamble on Syria pays off but could be short-lived: analysts

A US-brokered ceasefire to end the Turkish offensive on Kurdish forces in Syria is a victory for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but could be short-lived without an agreement with Damascus ally Russia, say analysts. After US Vice President Mike Pence held talks with Erdogan on Thursday, the NATO allies announced a five-day suspension of the Turkish operation and the withdrawal from border areas of a Syrian Kurdish militia viewed by Ankara as "terrorists". Erdogan won his key demands to sweep Kurdish fighters away and set up a "safe zone" that is 32-kilometres (20 miles) wide but whose length is yet to be defined.

Bernie Sanders draws thousands to rally in New York in comeback from heart attack

U.S. presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders returned to the campaign trail in New York City on Saturday, three weeks after suffering a heart attack, and pledged to resume at full throttle his battle against the business and political establishment, including members of his own Democratic Party. Sanders, one of 19 Democrats fighting to take on Republican President Donald Trump at the polls in November 2020 was introduced by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the leaders of the party's progressives and a frequent target of Trump's attacks.

Turkey wants Syrian forces to leave border areas, aide says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants Syrian government forces to move out of areas near the Turkish border so he can resettle up to 2 million refugees there, his spokesman told The Associated Press on Saturday. The request will top Erdogan's talks next week with Syria's ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Arrangements along the Syrian-Turkish border were thrown into disarray after the U.S. pulled its troops out of the area, opening the door to Turkey's invasion aiming to drive out Kurdish-led fighters it considers terrorists.

Louis Vuitton x Donald Trump: the big fashion collab no one asked for

Is Louis Vuitton not worried about the threat of aligning their plastic-y, tan hides with the plastic-y tan hide in chief? Donald Trump visits the Louis Vuitton Rochambeau Ranch leather workshop in Keene, Texas. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersLouis Vuitton, the most valuable luxury brand in the world and prize pony of luxury conglomerate LVMH’s stables, has opened a Texas factory, AKA the Louis Vuitton Rochambeau Ranch. Vuitton promised the venture will provide 1,000 American jobs over the next five years.Yet, at a time where brands are feeling the pressure to be more political and woke than ever, is it not a gigantic faux pas to discount politics on Vuitton’s part?The answer is … maybe? First off, it’s salient to note that this is not the first Vuitton factory in the States. No, the company has been manufacturing its products in California for three decades (ah, rarified European luxury!). It is, however, the first factory opening to require LVMH’s president, Bernard “The Wolf in a Cashmere Coat” Arnault, to painfully equivocate about his guest of honor, Donald Trump, who along with daughter Ivanka joined Arnault and LVMH’s top brass for the grand opening.“I am not here to judge his types of policies. I have no political role. I am a business person,” Arnault said of Trump at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, as reported by the New York Times. How convenient, given that while the ceremony was unfolding, US forces were withdrawing from northern Syria, the impeachment procedure has been intensifying, and his 1,000th day in office had just passed with more and more people being concerned by his mental stability.But apart from confirming the fact that Trump cannot pronounce “Vuitton” (here’s a handy how-to-pronounce guide), the photo-op raises another question: how are dedicated Vuitton fans going to feel about this?One truth universally recognized by marketers of our era is younger demographics care, more or less, about corporate responsibility. An official boycott – grabyourwallet – of brands financially related to the Trump campaign has affected the popularity of companies before. Remember the recent thing with SoulCycle and Equinox?So do the people who buy Louis Vuitton care that their bag was brought to them by two men who both recently publicly chastised teen climate activist Greta Thunberg on separate occasions? Is Louis Vuitton not worried about the reputational threat of aligning their plastic-y, tan hides with the plastic-y tan hide in chief?Maybe not in Texas where, after all, 77.5% of Johnson county, where the factory is located, voted for Trump in 2016. But according to the Hollywood Reporter, stylists who oversee the wardrobes of the likes of Justin Beiber, Katy Perry and Julia Roberts have already taken to Twitter to cry, essentially, “Big mistake”. Yuge!

2020 Vision: Hillary Clinton thinks Russia will back Tulsi Gabbard to help Trump stay in power

“This is not some outlandish claim,” Clinton said in an interview this week. “This is reality.”

Here's the Deadline Countdown for Every Trump Impeachment Subpoena Issued So Far

We're updating this live as more subpoenas are issued

Turkey urges US to use 'leverage' to get Kurdish force pullout: AFP interview

Turkey on Saturday urged the United States to use its "leverage" over Syrian Kurdish forces to ensure an orderly pullout under an agreement reached with Washington, a presidential spokesman told AFP. Ankara had no intention of "occupying" any part of the neighbouring country, he insisted. Turkey and the United States reached an agreement that gives Kurdish forces five days for a complete withdrawal from a safe zone along the border -- a deadline which expires Tuesday night.

Egypt unveils biggest ancient coffin find in over a century

Egypt on Saturday unveiled the details of 30 ancient wooden coffins with mummies inside discovered in the southern city of Luxor in the biggest find of its kind in more than a century. A team of Egyptian archaeologists discovered a "distinctive group of 30 coloured wooden coffins for men, women and children" in a cache at Al-Asasif cemetery on Luxor's west bank, the Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement on Saturday. "It is the first large human coffin cache ever discovered since the end of the 19th century," the Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany was quoted as saying during a ceremony in Luxor.

McConnell rebukes Trump administration: Syria withdrawal is a 'grave strategic mistake'

The Senate majority leader never mentions President Donald Trump by name in his op-ed for the Washington Post.

Next-Gen Dodge Challenger Coming in 2023? Don't Be So Sure, Says Dodge

The number 2023 spotted on press photos has people all excited, but Dodge told C/D it doesn't mean anything.

Trump says Kurds are 'very happy' with U.S.-brokered deal and U.S. has 'taken control' of oil

Fighting is continuing near the Syria-Turkey border despite a Trump administration boast it had helped broker a 'cease-fire,' Kurdish authorities say.

The Latest: New Orleans delays plans to collapse 2 cranes

New Orleans officials say they must delay plans to topple two cranes that had been looming precariously over the ruins of a partially collapsed hotel. The delay comes a week after the shocking collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday that was being built near a corner of the city's historic French Quarter. People living and working near a corner of New Orleans' historic French Quarter are being told they should prepare to leave for several hours as preparations continue for a controlled explosion at a partially collapsed building.

Activists angry police who shoot can wait to face questions

After a police officer fatally shoots someone, it can take days or even weeks before the public or his supervisors hear the officer's version of what happened. In many states, that so-called cooling off period is carved out in state law or in a police department's contract. Law enforcement officials and experts say officers need to be able to collect their thoughts, so they don't provide details that are tainted by the trauma of the shooting.

It Might Be Unethical or Even Illegal, but Not if You’re the President

By BY ERIC LIPTON from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2oWk90j

Trump’s Gut, and the Gutting of American Credibility

By BY ROGER COHEN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2qppfCJ

Polls show Americans have come to support Trump's impeachment much faster than Nixon's or Clinton’s

President Trump hasn’t just crossed the 50 percent threshold on impeachment, peaking at 50.3 percent earlier this week. He’s gotten there faster than Richard Nixon — and, for that matter, Bill Clinton, who never got there at all.

Cartel gunmen terrorize Mexican city, free El Chapo's son

Heavily armed fighters surrounded security forces in a Mexican city on Thursday and made them free one of drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's sons, after his capture triggered gunbattles and a prison break that sent civilians scurrying for cover. Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said a patrol by National Guard militarized police first came under attack from within a house in the city of Culiacan, 1,235 km (770 miles) northwest of Mexico City. After entering the house, they found four men, including Ovidio Guzman, who is accused of drug trafficking in the United States.

Sean Hannity Goes Off on Mick Mulvaney: ‘I Just Think He’s Dumb’

It seemed at least conceivable that Mick Mulvaney might be in danger of losing his dual roles as OMB director and “acting” White House chief of staff following a disastrous press conference on Thursday, during which he admitted the Trump administration held up aide for Ukraine in exchange for political help for President Trump. To those who may be concerned about the “quid pro quo,” Mulvaney advised them to “get over it.” But that danger grew far more real after Fox News host Sean Hannity threw Mulvaney under the bus and then drove over him on his afternoon radio show. “What is Mulvaney even talking about?” Hannity wondered aloud. “I just think he's dumb, I really do. I don't even think he knows what he's talking about. That's my take on it.” After spending a few minutes ranting against “cowardly” Adam Schiff, Hannity continued going after Trump’s chief of staff. “I guess the truth is complicated,” he said. “This is what, you know—this is why, I think, some of these people are so stupid. Read the transcript. We don't need a non-whistleblower whistleblower.”“You don't need a chief of staff's idiotic interpretation of things,” he added of Mulvaney, “when the president and the president of Ukraine and everybody else can read it all themselves. That's what's amazing.”Hannity’s take stood in sharp contrast to that of his fellow conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who heaped praise on Mulvaney for his performance during his show. “You hear how good Mulvaney is here?” Limbaugh said after playing a clip from one of his many contentious exchanges with reporters. “He’s wiry but he’s explosive. And he’s snarking back at ’em and they don’t even know it.” Beto O’Rourke Dunks on ‘Disgraced TV Host’ Bill O’ReillyRead 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.

Senate Republicans reject effort to condemn Trump's Syria withdrawal

Senate Republicans on Thursday rejected an effort to condemn the Trump administration's decision to pull troops out of Syria, despite the House's overwhelming vote in support of the measure this week. "History will show that the country, the Senate and even the senator from Kentucky will regret blocking the resolution," Schumer fumed after the episode.

‘Mulvaney needs to learn when to stop talking’: Mick on thin ice after bungled briefing

Mick Mulvaney is on wobbly ground at the White House after the acting chief of staff’s startling news conference, with aides around President Donald Trump waiting for their boss to digest the fallout from his top aide’s bungled explanation of the Ukraine controversy. Mulvaney is already taking heat from the president’s confidantes, lawyers and GOP lawmakers who were stunned by the performance. White House aides and allies expect the president to reach his own conclusions about Mulvaney later on Friday or in the coming days, as he spends time scanning newspaper headlines, catching up on cable shows and making calls to outside advisers, lawyers and Republican lawmakers.

What Hunter Biden did on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma

During his time on the board of one of Ukraine’s largest natural gas companies, Hunter Biden, the son of former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, was regarded as a helpful non-executive director with a powerful name, according to people familiar with Biden’s role at the company. Biden’s role at Burisma Holdings Ltd has come under intense scrutiny following unsupported accusations by U.S. President Donald Trump that Joe Biden improperly tried to help his son’s business interests in Ukraine. Interviews with more than a dozen people, including executives and former prosecutors in Ukraine, paint a picture of a director who provided advice on legal issues, corporate finance and strategy during a five-year term on the board, which ended in April of this year.

Intense gunfight breaks out as cartel force police to drop arrest of drug lord ‘El Chapo’s’ son

Intense fighting broke out between heavily armed fighters and security forces in the capital of Mexico‘s Sinaloa state after the National Guard located one of Joaquin “El Chapo“ Guzman’s sons, who is wanted in the US on drug trafficking charges.Mexican security secretary Alfonso Durazo said 30 members of the National Guard militarised police and army were patrolling in Culiacan when they were fired on from a house.

38 people cited for violations in Clinton email probe

The State Department has completed its internal investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of private email and found violations by 38 people, some of whom may face disciplinary action. The investigation, launched more than three years ago, determined that those 38 people were "culpable" in 91 cases of sending classified information that ended up in Clinton's personal email, according to a letter sent to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley this week. The 38 are current and former State Department officials but were not identified.

Trump's former personal lawyer says Rudy Giuliani has 'gone off the rails,' has a secret Ukraine ledger

Jay Goldberg, President Trump's personal lawyer for 15 years, told MSNBC's Ari Melber on Thursday night that he warned Trump not to hire his current personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani."I think he's gone off the rails," Goldberg said of Giuliani, now being scrutinized by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for his work in Ukraine. "I think he will have legal liability." When Trump asked him last March if he should retain Giuliani's legal services, "I said despite his background, which as extraordinarily good, Giuliani would not make a good defense-type lawyer," Goldberg said, because "he had spent too much time as a prosecutor; prosecutors can generally go outside the line and there's nobody to correct them." He added that he thinks "Giuliani has been seduced by Mar-a-Lago, the lifestyle.""Does Rudy Giuliani have any evidence or records that could resolve what he was doing with Ukraine?" Melber asked, and Goldberg dropped a potential bombshell: "Yes, there's a book that he kept of all the contacts that he made while in the Ukraine. It hasn't been subpoenaed thus far, it hasn't come to light, and I tell you that if the subpoena is issued for that book that he prepared, it will redound to the detriment of Donald under an agency kind of concept, that Donald will be responsible for all the things that he did. And Giuliani did a lot of the things that he's used to doing while he was a prosecutor.""Rudy Giuliani prepared this book, you say?" Melber asked. "Yes," Goldberg replied. "I've seen the book." Melber pointed out that now he has disclosed its existence on national TV, it is likely to be subpoenaed. "Let the chips fall where they may," Goldberg said. "Giuliani likes to keep a log of the things that he's doing because he wants to show it to the client.""This is crazy," journalist Marcy Wheeler said of Goldberg's revelation. "In what capacity did he see the book? And why does 'cybersecurity' expert Rudy G have a book of his mob ties?" There's also a question of whether the likely subpoena will arrive in time. > Rudy Giuliani right now thanks to Jay Goldberg on the @TheBeatWithAri pic.twitter.com/slNaxSg7NC> > -- Mickey (@Mickey115207446) October 17, 2019

Man charged with murders of two Alaska Native women

A digital camera card containing videos of a man beating and strangling a woman in a hotel room led to the arrest of an immigrant from South Africa charged with murders of two Alaska Native women who had gone missing, authorities said on Thursday. In each case, the victims' remains were found dumped in wooded outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The suspect, Brian Steven Smith, 48, has confessed to both slayings to police, according to a bail memorandum filed by prosecutors on Thursday.

Hunter Biden Served as ‘Ceremonial Figure’ on Burisma Board for $80,000 Per Month

Mykola Zlochevsky, the Kremlin's former minister of natural resources and the founder of Burisma Holdings, reportedly hired Hunter Biden “as a helpful non-executive director with a powerful name,” according to a Friday Reuters report.Oleksandr Onyshchenko, a Ukrainian businessman and former politician who knows Zlochevsky says Burisma’s founder hired Biden in 2014 “to protect [the company]” in the face of potential prosecution. Zlochevsky was investigated for tax violations, money-laundering, and corruption and initially cleared of any wrongdoing. Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Ryaboshapka told reporters that 15 cases involving Zlochevsky were being reviewed.According to sources, Hunter Biden never visited Ukraine, but participated regularly in biannual board meetings, all of which were held outside Ukraine. Sources also said Biden was appointed during a time when Burisma was seeking foreign investment, a process which Biden helped by finding lawyers for the potential deal, which ultimately broke down when war broke out in east Ukraine. “He was a ceremonial figure,” a source said.Reuters reviewed payment records allegedly from Burisma which show $3.4 million in payments to a company headed by Biden’s business partner, Devon Archer, called Rosemont Seneca Bohai LLC, between April 2014 and November 2015.Every month during that 18-month period, the records show two payments of $83,333 for “consulting services,” which sources say were intended for Archer and Biden. One of the sources also said that in their investigations of Burisma, prosecutors obtained payment records which showed activities prior to when Archer and Biden were appointed to the board.

Joe Biden digs at Elizabeth Warren after debate: Polls don't show 'anybody else as a frontrunner'

"You know, I haven't seen any polling showing that nationally, on average, that anybody else is a front-runner," Joe Biden said.

U.S. Supreme Court to hear Trump appeal over rapid deportation dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court stepped into a new immigration dispute on Friday, agreeing to hear an appeal by President Donald Trump's administration of a lower court ruling that could frustrate a top priority of his: quickly deporting illegal immigrants. The justices agreed to review a ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that favored a Sri Lankan asylum seeker. The 9th Circuit found that a federal law that largely stripped the power of courts to review quick deportations - known as expedited removal - violated in his case a provision of the U.S. Constitution called the suspension clause.

Atatiana Jefferson's death highlights a long history of police violence in Fort Worth, and the community says it's time for a 'reckoning'

Atatiana Jefferson was shot and killed by Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean. Her death was the sixth fatal police shooting in the city since June.

Nancy Pelosi took a photo that Trump tweeted to accuse her of having a 'meltdown' and made it her cover photo

The photo was taken at a meeting after the House voted to condemn the US withdrawal from Syria. Pelosi also said the president had a "meltdown."

The Latest: Woman denies link to Alabama child abduction

A woman described as a person of interest in the abduction of a 3-year-old Alabama girl is denying any involvement. Attorneys for 29-year-old Derick Irisha Brown of Birmingham released a statement Friday saying she had no role in the kidnapping and hopes for the safe return of Kamille "Cupcake" McKinney. Brown and a man were arrested earlier this week after being described as persons of interest in the child's abduction from a birthday party last weekend.

Mexicans Outraged After Cornered Son of ‘El Chapo’ Released

(Bloomberg) -- The decision by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s security cabinet to release the captured son of the world’s most notorious drug lord left him struggling to contain the damage amid public outrage.AMLO, as the president is known, said the government took the decision after Mexican forces were overpowered Thursday as they attempted to take in Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The son is said to have taken over some criminal operations from his father. The confrontation, which left eight dead, occurred in Culiacan, the capital of the western state of Sinaloa.His public security minister, Alfonso Durazo, admitted that the operation to capture Guzman Lopez was a failure. Reporters peppered him with questions at a news conference in Culiacan, asking if he would resign. Durazo deflected, suggesting that he could do so if the moment arrives when he decides he no longer can contribute to securing peace in the nation.“The government clearly looks bad after this,” Daniel Kerner, an analyst at Eurasia Group, wrote in a research report. “It clearly failed to plan and anticipate the response that going after the son of one of the most notable drug leaders in Mexico would generate given the cartel’s influence in the city. As such, it looks like it had no strategy and no coordination.”The incident presents the biggest security challenge yet to Lopez Obrador, who was elected on promises to stop years of violence and has maintained an approval rate of more than 60% in polls despite a stagnant economy. Homicides are on pace to break last year’s record, according to data through August, rising more than 3% to exceed 23,000.Cartel members on Thursday turned Culiacan into a war zone after Mexican authorities surrounded Guzman Lopez at a house where he was taking refuge. Homemade tanks complete with machine guns rumbling through the streets, stopping traffic and firing repeatedly. The city was littered with burning vehicles as residents posted videos on Twitter of gunfire and chaos. Plumes of black smoke rose over buildings.How AMLO’s Plans to Transform Mexico Ran Into Reality: QuickTake“This decision was taken to protect citizens,” Lopez Obrador said at his morning news conference Friday in the southern state of Oaxaca. “You can’t put out fire with fire. That’s the difference between our strategy and what previous governments have done. We don’t want deaths, we don’t want war.”‘Pandora’s Box’Responding to the violence in Culiacan by letting Guzman Lopez go free sends a dangerous message to drug cartels that the Mexican government can be cowed by terrorist-like attacks against civilians, said Alejandro Schtulmann, who heads Mexico City-based political consultancy Empra. It’s also embarrassing because the Sinaloa cartel’s firepower has been diminished in recent years and pales in comparison to that of other ascendant groups like the Jalisco New Generation.Now, other groups when facing an arrest may “resort to the same methods,” he said. “This may have opened the Pandora’s box in the context of fighting organized crime in Mexico.”The case rips open an old wound for Mexico, where El Chapo twice escaped from prison before he was recaptured and finally extradited and convicted in the U.S. It comes in a week when more than a dozen police were killed in an ambush in the deadliest attack on law enforcement since Lopez Obrador took office last December. At least 15 more people were killed in another shootout with the military in the nation’s south.Lopez Obrador said that the suspect had an arrest warrant and an extradition request. His father was sent to the U.S. in early 2017 just as President Donald Trump was taking office.The son’s release was immediately decried across Mexican media, with one of the nation’s largest newspapers, Reforma, running a headline saying “Little Chapo Subdues the Fourth Transformation,” referring to the nickname that Lopez Obrador has given to his government.AMLO Lays Out Broad Plan for Addressing Violence in MexicoMexico has fought a decades-long war against drug gangs, in part because it serves as a connector between cocaine-producing nations in South America and consumers in the U.S.AMLO’s strategy focuses on deployment of tens of thousands of members from a new National Guard force to the most violent parts of the country, as well as education and subsidies for youth. But the phrase he has used to summarize his philosophy, “hugs, not shots,” has been criticized by political rivals and many security analysts as naive and Pollyannish.The release of Guzman Lopez “sends a message of weakness to the blackmail of narcos,” said Veronica Ortiz, a lawyer and co-host on Mexico’s nonpartisan Congress channel. “It’s particularly serious for the military, because their own supreme commander is weakening them. For citizens, we’re left unprotected against criminals.”\--With assistance from Nacha Cattan.To contact the reporters on this story: Eric Martin in Mexico City at emartin21@bloomberg.net;Lorena Rios in Mexico City at lriost@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Ethan BronnerFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Ecuador's Moreno announces tax reform after rolling back fuel price hike

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from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/32utj2T

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