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No matter what President Trump says or does when he holds a second historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday and Thursday in Vietnam, he will never satisfy his Republican and Democratic critics.

However, if Trump sticks to his realist instincts – above all else, working in a pragmatic manner to preserve his America First agenda – and if Kim is serious about reaching some kind of nuclear arms control agreement, the odd couple could make history in Hanoi.

And who knows, Trump – or perhaps Trump and Kim – might even be awarded the Nobel Prize.

HANOI SUMMIT NIGHTMARE SCENARIO: BAD DEALS AND LITTLE CHANGE

None of this will be easy.

Kim’s father and grandfather – who ruled North Korea before him – have a history of stringing along past U.S. presidents of both parties with assurances of cooperative behavior and then breaking their promises.

The North has invested heavily to develop a small nuclear arsenal that Kim is not eager to give up, seeing it as his best guarantee against any U.S. effort to attack his impoverished communist nation.

President Trump’s critics on the left and right portray him as naïve and desperate to reach some sort of agreement – any agreement – with Kim to boast about in his expected re-election campaign next year.

While Kim clearly believes that nuclear weapons are his best insurance policy against a future American attack, Trump must convince the North Korean leader that the exact opposite is true: only denuclearization will ensure North Korea’s security.

Will Trump succeed in getting a real agreement that at minimum moves North Korea significantly closer to the U.S. goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula? Or are Washington and Pyongyang destined to be enemies far into the future, with no hope of the North peacefully giving up its nukes?

I have faith in President Trump – at least when it comes to this crucial national security issue. While I am a proud registered Republican, I can’t say I always agree with the president, nor do I embrace some of the more outlandish and fiery rhetoric he has displayed when it comes to North Korea.

But the good news is that Trump has a unique set of traits that the foreign policy elites in Washington lack: a clear imagination to see things differently, with a knack for applying his successful business skills to the hard knocks arena of global politics.

Combined with President Trump’s willingness to try new approaches in international affairs that others think are crazy, he has taken the old playbook on how to handle the hermit kingdom and lit it on fire.

Amen.

The U.S. president’s imagination and principled realism could make history in the coming days. I believe there is a clear blueprint to usher in a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula, protect our allies in the region and offer a real chance at seeing North Korea give up its nuclear weapons.

What’s needed now?

Building on the Singapore summit last June, here are some steps that could make the summit in Hanoi a success:

First, President Trump needs to make Kim understand that America is not North Korea’s enemy, has no desire to overthrow Kim and his regime, and can be trusted.

To do this, President Trump must set the conditions whereby Kim feels comfortable enough that he can begin the process of denuclearization.

While Kim clearly believes that nuclear weapons are his best insurance policy against a future American attack, Trump must convince the North Korean leader that the exact opposite is true: only denuclearization will ensure North Korea’s security.

If Trump and Kim agree to sign a simple political declaration ending the Korean War once and for all, tensions between the two nations could ease dramatically.

Kim would have the proof he needs to not only trust our intent but to go back to his own people – especially those in the military and in his leadership circle – and say America no longer has any hostile intent and our relationship has fundamentally changed.

A peace treaty would also enable Trump to claim a historic win. The U.S. president should offer a treaty with no preconditions.

After all, a peace treaty would not really be a U.S. concession. It would simply acknowledge the obvious fact that the Korean War ended with an armistice in July 1953. That was long before Kim was born and when President Trump was just a 7-year-old boy.

Second, U.S. officials must ensure we have the means to communicate with the North Koreans – especially if another crisis erupts in the future.

To do that, both sides should establish small liaison offices in each other’s capitals. This would allow for near-instant communication and understanding to ensure that important messages do not take days to travel from one part of the world to another.

Many will argue this is a type of de facto diplomatic recognition of the North Korean government. Maybe that is true, but with North Korea potentially having the capability to strike the U.S. with nuclear weapons, being able to understand the thinking of that nation’s leaders is more important than ever.

The establishment of liaison offices would also allow the North to get a better window into our own diplomatic strategies and national security thinking, helping ensure that Kim and his regime do not misperceive our intent.

There is no weakness in wanting to have a dialogue with those you have differences of opinion with in order to avert an armed conflict. That’s why we have diplomatic relations with Russia, China and many other nations we disagree with.

Look at it this way: North Korea was created in 1948, when Korea was divided into North and South. The U.S. has never had diplomatic relations with the North and even fought a war against the nation for three years. But a strategy of using diplomatic isolation to topple the regime hasn’t worked for 71 years – so why should we think continuing this strategy will work now?

Third – and crucially important – the world must see the first steps towards the North giving up its nuclear weapons.

The formula to do this is well know by now. Kim has already said he would dismantle his Yongbyon nuclear facility if Washington offers “corresponding measures” – meaning relief from economic sanctions crippling the North.

The Trump administration has only recently began to move away from the idea that no sanctions relief can be granted until full North Korean denuclearization is complete.

President Trump needs a way to take pressure off Kim without getting a political shellacking back in the U.S. by critics who say he is making a gigantic concession for meaningless promises by Kim.

That’s where South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in comes in. Moon told Trump he would move forward quickly on inter-Korean economic projects that would be worth tens of billions of dollars to the North to get Kim to give up his nuclear weapons.

Considering North Korea’s economy is only worth $16 billion – half the size of Vermont’s – an economic shot in the arm would be a game changer for the Kim regime. My bet is that the North would jump at the opportunity and all sides would clearly get something they want.

Finally, we should not forget about the more than 7,000 brave American warriors who are still “unaccounted for” from the Korean War.

In addition to these Americans missing in action in the long-ago war, there are also many North Korean soldiers whose status was never resolved. Both nations should step up efforts to solve these cases once and for all.

Washington and Pyongyang should form joint teams that can work together and excavate the battlefields and areas where it is likely remains can be found.

History tells us this can build important trust between nations and heal the wounds of an old war. This is what happened when Vietnam and the U.S. embarked in such efforts before diplomatic relations were restored.

History proves that nations that inherently don’t trust one another have a long way to go to bridge the gap and achieve a lasting peace.

 CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

It is in both the U.S. and North Korea’s interest to end a state of war between us that – in the worst-case scenario – could erupt again with nuclear weapons, killing millions of people.

Even those of you who oppose President Trump and want him out of the White House as soon as possible should be rooting for his success at the summit. If he can somehow eliminate the North Korean nuclear threat in exchange for economic and diplomatic concessions, that will be a victory for the American people and for people around the world.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HARRY KAZIANIS

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/if-you-dont-want-a-nuclear-war-hope-trump-does-these-things-in-his-summit-with-north-koreas-kim-jong-un













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Source Article from http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/chevere/espectaculos/maelo-ruiz-escandalo-en-venezuela.aspx

DAVIE (CBSMiami) – Davie Fire Rescue is working to put out a fire after a tanker truck drove off the highway Sunday.

According to fire rescue, the accident happened just before 4 p.m. near the area of eastbound I-595 at Davie Boulevard.

READ MORE: ‘Get The Shot Today’: Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried Urging Vaccinations As Florida COVID Cases Skyrocket

Florida Highway Patrol said the driver somehow lost control of the fuel tanker.

WATCH: Massive Fire From Tanker Truck Crash In Davie

 

FHP has confirmed there’s been a fatality at the scene.

READ MORE: Miami PD Searching For Hit-&-Run Driver Who Struck Motorcyclist

While FHP noted it was a fuel tanker, it’s still unclear what it was carrying at the time of the accident.

SEE IT: Tanker Truck Fire In Davie Caught On Cam

 

In addition to closing all eastbound lanes at I-595 and Davie Boulevard, FHP has also shut down the southbound entrance to I-595 from the Florida Turnpike.

MORE NEWS: 2 Hospitalized After Double Stabbing In Miami Beach

It’s not known how long the closures will last, so drivers are asked to avoid the area.

Source Article from https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/08/01/davie-tanker-truck-fire/

São Paulo – Last Thursday (26th), for the first time in history, Algeria earned a spot in the round of eight of the Fifa World Cup in Brazil. But this is not enough. The team’s striker who scored the goal against Russia and moved the Arab national team into the second round of the tournament, Islam Slimani, has told the website of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) that now he is dreaming of defeating his next rival: Germany, one of the favourites to take the trophy home.

Press Release/Curitiba City Hall

Players celebrate as the game ends

 “We came to Brazil with a goal of making it to the second round. Now that we did it, we can be proud, but we will not settle for this. We always want more, and we hope to be able to continue with our dream. I don’t want anyone to wake me up from it,” said Slimani.

This is Algeria’s fourth time in the World Cup. The country has played the editions of 1982, in Spain, 1986, in Mexico, and 2010, in South Africa. In the 1982 World Cup, Algeria beat West Germany 2 to 1. “We know what the victory against Germany in 1982 was like, with players such as Madjer, Assad and Belloumi. We want to follow on their footsteps, because if it has been achieved once, then why not dream about doing it again?,” the striker said.

Algeria qualified for the second round in the second half of the match against Russia, at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Paraná. The Arab team had lost to Belgium 2 to 1 on their first game, then defeated South Korea 4 to 2, and could not afford to lose their last game of the first round to Russia. After the latter scored a goal early on in the game, coach Vahid Halilhodzic’s team tied after the Russian goalkeeper made a mistake, 14 minutes into the second half.

“We had support from everyone in the Arab countries, which was wonderful. People here in Brazil have also appreciated our sincerity and enthusiasm, and I take pride in this. But most of all I take pride in how the team has played. Now, everyone will be talking about 1982, when Algeria beat Germany, but 32 years ago is a long time,” Halilhodzic said at the end of the game, according to FIFA.

Germany, with whom Algeria will play for a spot in the round of eight next Monday (30th), in Porto Alegre, finished first in Group G, after defeating Portugal 4 to 0, tying 2 to 2 with Ghana and beating the United States 1 to 0.

Brilliant qualification

Press Release/Curitiba City Hall

Fans party in Curitiba

Algeria’s feat was even lauded by the Algerian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. According to news agency APS, he said the Arab team’s achievement has been a “brilliant qualification.”

According to a report released this Friday by the state-owned news agency, on Thursday (26th) Bouteflika sent a message congratulating the players and the management staff. “Your success is neither coincidence nor a gift. It is the result of your good performance, your perseverance and your adequate preparation,” the president said.

Bouteflika also noted that not only the Algerians, but also the fans of African and Muslim countries are supporting the North African team. “I want to express my sincere congratulations. May God almighty be with you so you may be successful in your next round,” he said. After the game ended, fans took to the streets in Algiers, the Algerian capital, and in French cities where Algerian immigrants live.

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum

Source Article from http://www2.anba.com.br/noticia/21864144/anba-in-the-world-cup/algeria-already-dreaming-of-round-of-eight/

Abortion rights supporters take part in a protest Thursday in St. Louis. A state license that allows a Planned Parenthood health center in Missouri to perform abortions could soon expire.

Jeff Roberson/AP


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Jeff Roberson/AP

Abortion rights supporters take part in a protest Thursday in St. Louis. A state license that allows a Planned Parenthood health center in Missouri to perform abortions could soon expire.

Jeff Roberson/AP

With hours to go before the expiration of a state license that allows a Planned Parenthood health center in Missouri to perform abortions, clinics in neighboring states say they’re preparing for an influx of additional patients.

“No one one knows what’s gonna happen in the next day or two, but we have to be ready for this clinic to be closed, and for patients to have nowhere else to go,” said Dr. Erin King, who runs a health center in Illinois across the river from the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis.

King said her facility, the Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City, Ill., has been hiring additional doctors and medical support staff for more than a year in preparation for the possibility that abortion could be restricted in Missouri. Illinois is one of several states considering legislation to expand abortion rights as states including Missouri work in the opposite direction, passing laws banning the procedure in the early stages of pregnancy.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson last week signed a law criminalizing most abortions after eight weeks. That law has yet to take effect, but the dispute between Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services over regulatory enforcement is threatening to shut down abortion services at Missouri’s last remaining clinic.

Parson said this week that Missouri health regulators have safety concerns about the clinic. Planned Parenthood officials say they’ve done all they can to comply, and accuse the state of arbitrarily enforcing regulations for political reasons. The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement, and Planned Parenthood has filed a lawsuit asking for a restraining order to prevent the center from being forced to stop offering the procedure.

Providers like King in neighboring states say they’re watching the situation and expecting to take additional patients from Missouri.

“[This] is happening much more quickly than any of us anticipated, so we’re really scrambling” to communicate with patients and open up additional appointments for abortions in the coming days, King said.

Michele Landeau of Gateway Women’s Access Fund, which helps Missouri women pay for abortions, said her organization is looking at ways to connect patients with clinics outside the state and help arrange for transportation, childcare, and other needs.

“People are confused, and they’re scared, and it’s pretty chaotic-feeling right now,” Landeau said.

Abortion providers in other neighboring states said they’re expecting additional patients from Missouri, and planning accordingly.

“We will do our very best to serve any women from Missouri that need to see us,” said Rebecca Terrell of CHOICES health center in Memphis, Tenn. “It may be that we have to add hours; we may have to open on a Saturday; we may have to make some changes, but we will make sure that everybody gets seen.”

In Wichita, Kansas, Julie Burkhart of the Trust Women clinic, said she would expect to see more patients from central, southern, and western Missouri if the St. Louis facility stops providing abortions. She said her facility might look at expanding its hours, but it would take time to hire, train, and license new staff members.

Abortion rights opponents have praised Missouri regulators’ scrutiny of the St. Louis clinic.

In a statement, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, said ending abortion services there “would be good news for health and safety.”

If the St. Louis clinic loses its license, some hospitals in the state could still offer the procedure, primarily for medical emergencies, Planned Parenthood officials say.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2019/05/31/728566814/as-missouris-last-clinic-nears-deadline-neighboring-abortion-providers-prepare

São Paulo – The Omani delegation that held the Brazil-Oman Economic Forum last Monday (12th) in São Paulo paid a visit to the offices of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce late this Tuesday afternoon (13th), and was welcomed by the organization’s president Marcelo Sallum and CEO Michel Alaby.

Sérgio Tomisaki/Arab Chamber

Alaby (L), Al Jabri, Sallum & Al Jaradi: partnership

“The Sultanate of Oman is very well represented in Brazil, first by the ambassador [Khalid Al Jaradi], who is doing a magnificent job, and second by the Arab Chamber, which has carried out a strong commercial promotion work [for the country],” said Sallum.

The delegation comprises representatives from government agencies and state-owned companies and has travelled to Brazil looking to promote business opportunities in the sultanate. In addition to the forum, the Omanis attended separate meetings with Brazilian executives, paid a visit to the São Paulo Investment and Competitiveness Promotion Agency (Investe São Paulo) and will go the Port of Santos on Wednesday (14th).

“Our visit has been a huge success,” said the head of the delegation, Yahya Said Abdullah Al Jabri, chairman of the Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority. He highlighted the participation of the Brazilian vice president Michel Temer in the forum, the meetings with Brazilian executives and the visit to Investe São Paulo, where they learned about investment opportunities in the state.

Alaby gave a presentation on economic relations between Brazil and Oman, and delegation members inquired which sectors the Arab Chamber believes hold the most promise for bilateral business.

Sallum cited infrastructure. “We took delegates from Brazilian infrastructure companies along with us, and they told me they were interested in following up with the visit,” he said, referring to the trip Michel Temer took to the sultanate in 2013, alongside businessmen. He also envisions partnership possibilities in ports. The Omani delegation includes executives from the Duqm, Sohar and Salalah ports.

Sérgio Tomisaki

Group is looking to attract investment into Oman

Alaby added that infrastructure in Brazil yields “good profitability,” as do retail and the hotel industry. In his opinion, however, the best opportunities for Arabs, especially those from the Gulf, lie in agribusiness. “And that is also due to [the issue of] food security,” he asserted.

Delegation members also requested information about heavy industry companies that may be interested in doing business with Oman, and about fish farming experiences in Brazil. Fishing is an important activity in the sultanate, due to the length of its coastline and its maritime tradition.

Jabri said a Brazil-Oman Business Council should be established swiftly to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the outlook for mutual investment, and to foster bilateral trade. The council’s establishment has been entrusted to the Arab Chamber and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also suggested that more trade missions be carried out.

Ambassador Jaradi stated that the Arab Chamber is the embassy’s “number one” partner in Brazil, and thanked Sallum, Alaby and the employees who gave assistance through the forum and during the delegation’s visit. “I am certain that we will see the concrete results of this forum,” he said.

*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum

Source Article from http://www2.anba.com.br/noticia/21863727/business-opportunities/omani-delegation-pays-visit-to-arab-chamber/

Our Spanish language channel, NY1 Noticias, reached a milestone Monday.

It was 11 years ago that the channel was launched.

Since then, the Noticias staff has more than doubled in size and its coverage continues to grow.

The executive editor says the station is looking forward to serving the community for many years to come.

“We are so happy to be, and we are so proud to be part of this community for more than 10 years and we’re looking forward for this next decade and providing the same content, the same vital information that our community needs. Our community knows that they have a voice—that they can come here and we’re open 24/7 for them,” said NY1 Noticias Executive Editor Roberto Lacayo.

To check out NY1 Noticias, turn to channel 95 on Time Warner Cable, or channel 194 on Cablevision, or visit ny1 noticias dot com.

Source Article from http://www.ny1.com/content/news/211429/ny1-noticias-celebrates-11th-anniversary/

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/08/02/covid-culture-war-masks-vaccine-pits-liberty-against-common-good/5432614001/




Este martes 30 de mayo de 2017, el programa Hoy No Circula aplica para los vehículos con engomado rosa, terminación de placa 7 y 8, con holograma de verificación 1 y 2, no podrán circular en la Zona Metropolitana del Valle de México.

La medida aplica en las 16 delegaciones de la Ciudad de México y 18 municipios del Estado de México: Atizapán, Coacalco, Cuautitlán, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Chalco, Chimalhuacán, Ecatepec, Huixquilucan, Ixtapaluca, La Paz, Naucalpan, Nezahualcóyotl, Chicoloapan, Nicolás Romero, Tecámac, Tlalnepantla, Tultitlán y Valle de Chalco.

Quedan exentos de esta restricción, los vehículos de personas con discapacidad, eléctricos e híbridos, el transporte escolar, de perecederos, de residuos peligrosos y de servicios de seguridad pública, protección civil, unidades que funcionen con gas natural y de servicios urbanos.

¿Qué días no circula cada holograma?

Engomado amarillo: Lunes, terminación de placa 5 y 6, hologramas, 1 y 2.

Engomado rosa: Martes, terminación de placa 7 y 8, hologramas, 1 y 2.

Engomado rojo: Miércoles, terminación de placa 3 y 4, hologramas, 1 y 2.

Engomado verde: Jueves, terminación de placa 1 y 2, holograma, 1 y 2.

Engomado azul: Viernes, terminación de placa 9 y 0, permisos y hologramas, 1 y 2.

Hoy No Circula sabatino

Holograma 1: Los automóviles con este holograma deberán descansar al menos 2 sábados al mes.

El primero y tercer sábado los vehículos con terminación de placas “impar” no podrán circular.

El segundo y cuarto sábado los automóviles con placas “par” deberán descansar.

Holograma 2: Los automóviles con holograma 2 deberán no podrán circular ningún sábado del mes

Los automóviles con holograma 0 y 00 podrán circular diario siempre y cuando aprueben las nuevas normas de verificación vehicular

El programa Hoy No Circula tiene un horario de 5:00 a 22:00 horas

Verificación Vehicular

Los vehículos deberán realizar y aprobar la verificación de emisiones vehiculares cada semestre.

TAMBIÉN PUEDES LEER

Lluvias azotan al sur de la CDMX; se inunda Coapa y suspende servicio Tren Ligero

LO MÁS VISTO EN PUBLIMETRO TV









Source Article from https://www.publimetro.com.mx/mx/noticias/2017/05/30/hoy-no-circula-aplica-autos-engomado-rosa-16.html

Este 30 de junio se registraron varios hechos que captaron la atención de nuestros lectores. ¿Querés saber cuáles son? Te los detallamos a continuación: 

Source Article from http://www.perfil.com/trends/macri-escrache-vallejos-kirchner-messi-boda-latorre-cfk.phtml

Tuesday, top U.S. military officials publicly acknowledged they advised President Joe Biden to keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan despite the president’s claim otherwise. 

This amid multiple sources confirming extremist organizations such al-Qaeda and ISIS-K are still present in Afghanistan and remain a rising threat to U.S. national security. While Tuesday’s Senate hearing was a productive start to this investigation, I am looking forward to asking General Mark Milley, Secretary Lloyd Austin, and General Kenneth McKenzie questions in Wednesday’s House Armed Services Committee Hearing.

Leading up to the Biden Administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the president touted an “over-the-horizon” capability that would allow the U.S. to identify and eliminate threats from afar. The Biden administration has claimed the U.S. did not need a counterterrorism force in Afghanistan because the U.S. possessed significant intelligence and military capability to attack and eliminate terrorist threats reaching into Afghanistan from other U.S. military locations.

REP. MIKE TURNER: AMID AFGHANISTAN HORROR SHOW, BIDEN SEEMS COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO HIS OWN FAILURES

However, Biden’s withdrawal left a gap in intelligence gathering capabilities that has caused targeting decisions to be made with incomplete information, with increased risk and assumptions, and outside the norms of standard protocols. The Administration’s reliance on this counterterrorism strategy demonstrates an inherently faulty decision-making process that on August 29th, led to mistakenly killing an aid worker and his family and has raised questions that Biden must now address.

In the wake of the August 26th ISIS-K suicide attack that killed 13 American service members and dozens of Afghans, President Biden vowed to hunt down those responsible for the bloodshed. The Pentagon has admitted, in an effort to frustrate a subsequent and possibly imminent ISIS-K attack, a pack of U.S. drones surveilled an alleged ISIS safe house and spotted a vehicle implicated in the plot.

During this time, Zemari Ahmadi, an aid worker, apparently drove this very same type of make and model car, though ubiquitous in Kabul, to the compound under surveillance by a U.S. Strike Cell. While now unknowingly under the watchful eye of U.S. intelligence analysts, Ahmadi went about his daily errands to support the feeding of displaced Afghans. Eight hours later, a hellfire missile destroyed Ahmadi’s vehicle, killing him and nine family members, several of whom were children.

So, what went wrong?

Leading up to the strike, the administration admits that the “over-the-horizon” U.S. strike cell hastily analyzed limited available intelligence that alarmingly, but not surprisingly, predicted a second imminent ISIS-K attack during the ongoing chaotic U. S. evacuation at the Karzai Airport. 

On the morning of August 29th, this is where Ahmadi began his day, reportedly stopping at the home of his boss, not an ISIS-K hideout. After eight hours, during which Ahmadi apparently visited the offices of a U.S.-based aid group, an Afghan district police station and the homes of several coworkers for pick-up and drop-off, the “over-the horizon” assessment was that Ahmadi’s vehicle contained explosives and supplies for an attack.

More from Opinion

Although initially characterized as a ‘righteous strike,’ by General Milley, against an ‘ISIS facilitator’ that prevented an attack against U.S. forces still on the ground, the Pentagon was forced to admit weeks later that it was wrong. 

When considering this admission, one might ask, were standard protocols required to launch a strike compromised? General McKenzie, the CENTCOM Commander, suggested future targeting would be more deliberate and would include increased monitoring, planning and assessment of risk to establish a ‘pattern of life.’  But in the case of Ahmadi, ‘pattern of life,’ confirming his identity and his home as the target, was tragically not established.

Why the short cuts? And who made that call?

Some answers may include the believed imminence of an attack on U.S. forces, still haphazardly evacuating personnel from the nearby airport. However, was the increased risk of uncertainty accounted for in the analysis about this particular car? For Ahmadi, his claimed stop at or near a suspected ISIS-K operation, the loading and unloading of bags and jugs of water into his vehicle, and the proximity of his car to the airport was enough for the Biden Administration’s “over-the-horizon” protocols to seal his fate. Ahmadi’s actions to the Biden Administration were
consistent with those of a Terrorist. They are also, obviously, consistent with an international aid worker.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

These false assumptions demand answers from the Biden administration. Biden’s false bravado in his capacity to conduct “over-the-horizon” counter terrorism operations puts our Nation at risk and increases the chance that terrorist groups that we cannot see and, therefore, cannot stop, will strike our homeland from Taliban-sanctioned safe harbors in Afghanistan. It also increases the chance that American mistakes will weaken our allies’ willingness to permit U.S. operations that may kill innocent people.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Biden’s assumptions jeopardize the prestige of our military and undermine our reputation for lawful warfare earned with the service of our Nation’s young men and women. Because the White House needed a win, it declared the mistaken strike a “win,” and for weeks, defended its “over-the-horizon” strategy.

But now that we know the full story, it begs the question, what happened to the original target? Was there really a second imminent attack as the Administration claims and, if so, why did it not occur since they got the wrong guy?

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM REP. MIKE TURNER

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/biden-afghanistan-drone-strike-gen-milley-rep-mike-turner

The World Health Organization recently repeated its recommendation that even vaccinated people should continue to wear masks, in part due to the global spread of Delta.

The C.D.C. has stood by its mask guidance, however, with Dr. Walensky noting the W.H.O.’s global purview and the fact that wealthy nations have snapped up so many of the available shots. She has added that local officials in the United States can opt for more stringent measures to protect the unvaccinated. On Thursday, Los Angeles County said it was reinstating an indoor mask mandate for everyone beginning this weekend, regardless of vaccination status. On Friday, Dr. Walensky pointed out the heterogenous nature of the country and said “these decisions have to be made at the local level.”

“If you have areas of low vaccination and high case rates, then I would say local policymakers might consider whether masking at that point would be something that would be helpful for their community,” she added.

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday there were currently no plans to reintroduce an indoor mask mandate for everyone citywide, nor did he think the move was needed. The city has reported a recent streak of more than 400 cases per day, up from about 200 per day on average just a few weeks ago. “We need to watch it like a hawk,” he said on a radio show, referring to the Delta variant.

Health officials are focused on hospitalizations, he said, which have remained low in recent weeks. About 53 percent of city residents are fully vaccinated, according to city data. Should hospitalization rates rise, he said, the city will adapt.

“We don’t have a plan to change course at this point,” he said, adding that “if we see something that we need to change, we will say it immediately and will call people to arms.”

After narrowly missing a self-imposed goal of having 70 percent of adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4, the Biden administration is making a renewed push to try to reach those who have still not gotten their shots. Officials have also recently announced the creation of “surge response teams” to help hard-hit states manage Delta-driven outbreaks. Missouri and Nevada have already requested assistance.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/16/us/cdc-covid-vaccine-delta-variant.html

After the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block a Texas state law that bans most abortions there, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he’ll push for a new California law that will bar the manufacture and sale of assault rifles in the state.

“I am outraged by yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing Texas’ ban on most abortion services to remain in place, and largely endorsing Texas’ scheme to insulate its law from the fundamental protections of Roe v. Wade,” Newsom said in a statement Saturday night. “But if states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people’s lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm’s way.”

The California anti-gun law, Newsom said, would be modeled on the Texas law that makes abortions illegal after six weeks of pregnancy and allows private citizens to sue doctors or anyone who helps a woman get an abortion to enforce it.

Newsom said he was directing his staff to work with the state Legislature and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta on a new law that would allow private citizens to sue manufacturers or distributors of assault weapons.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.

Source Article from https://ktla.com/news/newsom-seeks-to-crack-down-on-assault-weapons-using-tactics-of-texas-abortion-law/

Derechos de autor de la imagen
AFP

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Luisa Ortega cree que todo lo derivado de la Asamblea Constituyente supone un “delito de lesa humanidad”.

La fiscal general de Venezuela, Luisa Ortega Díaz, elevó este lunes el tono de sus acusaciones contra el gobierno de Nicolás Maduro, al que acusó de cometer un “delito de lesa humanidad” y de tener “ambición dictatorial”.

Un día después de la elección de los miembros de la controvertida Asamblea Nacional Constituyente, Ortega, convertida en azote del gobierno desde dentro del Estado, aseguró desconocer al nuevo suprapoder, tal y como hace la oposición.

Ortega dijo desconocer “el origen, el proceso y el presunto resultado de la inmoral Constituyente presidencial”.

El Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE) dijo el domingo que la elección, en la que no participó la oposición, superó los ocho millones de votos, cifra que, al igual que la oposición, la propia fiscal puso en duda.

Ortega denunció la “ambición dictatorial” del gobierno del presidente Nicolás Maduro, que ya ha mostrado su deseo de que la plenipotenciaria Constituyente reforme el Ministerio Público.

Se espera que una de las primera decisiones sea la destitución de la fiscal, que se considera chavista pero es crítica con el gobierno de Maduro.

El gobierno la acusa de “traidora” e “indigna”, de haberse pasado a la oposición y de haber fomentado la impunidad de lo que considera como acciones “terroristas”.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
Reuters

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Luisa Ortega fue muy cercana a Hugo Chávez, pero no a Maduro.

El prominente líder oficialista Jorge Rodríguez dijo el domingo que Ortega “ya es pasado”.

Pese a la amenaza que pende sobre ella, se mostró firme: “Me mantengo frente a este Ministerio y no lo voy a abandonar”.

Más de 120 muertes

“Estamos ante un delito de lesa humanidad que se ha venido cometiendo de manera sistemática y sostenida desde la convocatoria de la Constituyente presidencial”, denunció Ortega.

La fiscal aseguró que si es destituida llevará las investigaciones de presuntas violaciones de derechos humanos a instancias jurídicas internacionales.

La fiscal dijo que ya ha habido 121 muertos en los cuatro meses de protestas contra el gobierno. Diez de ellos solo en la jornada del domingo.

De los 121, el 25% fueron víctimas de las fuerzas de seguridad, y el 40% cayeron a manos de civiles armados en contra de manifestantes, según los datos de Ortega.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
Getty Images

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La jornada de la elección fue el día más cruento de la actual ola de protestas.

La Constituyente podría enconar aún más la polarización que vive un país en crisis económica y política dado que, con el control del oficialismo, tendrá poder absoluto y podrá destituir a la fiscal y disolver el Parlamento, de mayoría opositora.

Ortega cree que lo que busca el gobierno con la Constituyente es “mantenerse en el poder”.

“Poder absoluto en manos de una minoría”

“Veremos un poder absoluto en manos de una minoría, mucho poder pero un grupito detentándolo”, criticó la fiscal, firme defensora de lo que considera como el legado de Hugo Chávez, al que volvió a mencionar en su declaración de este lunes para contraponerlo a la gestión de Maduro.

Ortega anticipó que la plenipotenciaria Constituyente, que estará por encima de cualquier poder del Estado “acabará con el derecho al sufragio”.

“No hay más elecciones, no hay separación de poderes”, agregó.

Este lunes, Estados Unidos calificó abiertamente como “dictador” a Maduro, al que impuso como sanción su congelación de bienes y activos en el país.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
AFP

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Sin nombrarlo, Luisa Ortega fue muy crítca con el presidente Nicolás Maduro, al que acusó de una “ambición dictatorial”.

“Todos los derechos políticos están en peligro, estamos ante una ambición dictatorial“, condenó Ortega, que hizo referencia a la severa crisis económica que vive Venezuela, “inimaginable incluso en los países en guerra”.

La fiscal mencionó con sarcasmo que la primera misión de la Constituyente vaya a ser su destitución en lugar de mejorar la situación de un país con carencia de alimentos y medicinas y con la mayor inflación del mundo.

Derechos humanos

Ortega fue especialmente dura ante lo que considera como “patrones de violaciones sistemáticas de derechos humanos”. “Forman parte de una lógica para ejercer el poder sin límite alguno, no es el proyecto de país que proponía Chávez”, afirmó.

La fiscal culpó a la iniciativa de la Constituyente de haber exacerbado la violencia y denunció la “extorsión” a funcionarios para que fueran a votar el domingo.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
AFP

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La fiscal atribuye a la fuerzas de seguridad el 25% de las 121 muertes en cuatro meses de protestas.

Ortega anunció que abrió una investigación penal. “Pero si se cumplen las amenazas (de destitución), estoy evaluando acudir a instancias internacionales porque los delitos de lesa humanidad los pueden conocer los organismos internacionales con todo el cúmulo de pruebas para garantizar sanciones a los responsables”, dijo.

Ya varios altos cargos de la Guardia Nacional han sido citados por la fiscalía “por graves violaciones de derechos humanos”.

Odebrecht

Ortega también se refirió al problema de la corrupción, de la que dijo tener más de 36.000 investigaciones. Hizo especial referencia al escándalo del caso de pago de sobornos de la constructora brasileña Odebrecht, en el que también se ha visto implicada Venezuela.

La fiscal dijo que el gobierno de Venezuela pagó a la compañía US$30.000 millones por 11 obras que no se han completado.

Ortega afirmó que el Ministerio Público no será sumiso y se despidió ante el aplauso de los trabajadores de la fiscalía, convertida en bastión de disidencia contra el gobierno de Maduro.

Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-40784445

Threatening drastic action against Mexico, President Donald Trump declared he is likely to shut down America’s southern border next week unless Mexican authorities immediately halt all illegal immigration. The president, who also cut U.S. aid to three Central American nations whose citizens are fleeing north, emphasized “I am not kidding around” about closing the border, even though such a severe move could hit the economies of both countries.

“It could mean all trade” with Mexico, Trump said when questioned on Friday by reporters in Florida. “We will close it for a long time.”

Though Trump has previously threatened to close the border and has not followed through, his administration moved to cut direct aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The State Department said in a statement that it will suspend 2017 and 2018 payments to the trio of nations that have been home to some of the migrant caravans that have marched through Mexico to the U.S. border.

Trump has been promising for more than two years to build a long, impenetrable wall along the border to stop illegal immigration, though Congress has been reluctant to provide the money he needs. In the meantime, he has repeatedly threatened to close the border, but this time, with a new surge of migrants heading north , he gave a definite timetable.

A substantial closure could have an especially heavy impact on cross-border communities from San Diego to South Texas, as well as supermarkets that sell Mexican produce, factories that rely on imported parts, and other businesses across the U.S.

The U.S. and Mexico trade about $1.7 billion in goods daily, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which said closing the border would be “an unmitigated economic debacle” that would threaten 5 million American jobs.

Trump tweeted Friday morning, “If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States through our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week.”

He didn’t qualify his threat with “or large sections,” stating: “There is a very good likelihood I’ll be closing the border next week, and that is just fine with me.”

He said several times that it would be “so easy” for Mexican authorities to stop immigrants passing through their country and trying to enter the U.S. illegally, “but they just take our money and ‘talk.'” The president, with support from conservative media, has made the large caravans symbols of the United States’ immigration problem.

A group of House Democrats visiting El Salvador denounced the administration’s decision to cut aid to the region.

“As we visit El Salvador evaluating the importance of U.S. assistance to Central America to address the root causes of family and child migration, we are extremely disappointed to learn that President Trump intends to cut off aid to the region,” said the statement from five lawmakers, including Rep. Eliot L. Engel of New York, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.. “The President’s approach is entirely counterproductive.”

Short of a widespread shutdown, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the U.S. might close designated ports of entry to re-deploy staff to help process parents and children. Ports of entry are official crossing points that are used by residents and commercial vehicles. Many people who cross the border illegally ultimately request asylum under U.S. law, which does not require asylum seekers to enter at an official crossing.

“If we have to close ports to take care of all of the numbers who are coming, we will do that,” Nielsen said. “So it’s on the table, but what we’re doing is a very structured process based on operational needs.”

Trump’s latest declaration came after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said his country was doing its part to fight migrant smuggling. Criminal networks charge thousands of dollars a person to move migrants through Mexico, increasingly in large groups toward remote sections of the border.

“We want to have a good relationship with the government of the United States,” Lopez Obrador said Friday. He added: “We are going to continue helping so that the migratory flow, those who pass through our country, do so according to the law, in an orderly way.”

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s foreign relations secretary, tweeted that his country “doesn’t act based on threats” and is “the best neighbor” the U.S. could have.

Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin McAleenan said Wednesday that 750 border inspectors would be reassigned to deal with the growing number of migrant families.

In Florida, Trump was also asked about the two migrant children who died in U.S. custody in December. Is the administration equipped to handle sick children who are detained?

“I think that it has been very well stated that we have done a fantastic job,” he said, defending Border Patrol efforts to help the children.

Trump said that in one of the cases “the father gave the child no water for a long period of time,” although an autopsy released Friday made no mention of dehydration.

“It was a very tough situation and that trek up, that’s a long hard trek,” he said. “It’s a horrible situation. But Mexico could stop it.”

Democratic and Republican lawmakers have fought over Trump’s contention that there is a “crisis” at the border, particularly amid his push for a border wall. He claims a wall would solve immigration problems, though it wouldn’t keep out families who cross at official points so they can surrender and be detained.

The Department of Homeland Security wants the authority to detain families for longer and more quickly deport children from Central America who arrive at the border on their own. The department argues those policy changes would stop families from trying to enter the U.S.

Alejandra Mier y Teran, executive director of the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce in San Diego, said the mere threat of border closures sends the wrong message to businesses in Mexico and may eventually scare companies into turning to Asia for their supply chains.

“I think the impact would be absolutely devastating on so many fronts,” said Mier y Teran, whose members rely on the Otay Mesa crossing to bring televisions, medical devices and a wide range of products to the U.S. “In terms of a long-term effect, it’s basically shooting yourself in your foot. It’s sending out a message to other countries that, ‘Don’t come because our borders may not work at any time.’ That is extremely scary and dangerous.”

———

Merchant reported from Houston, Lucey from Washington. Associated Press writers Peter Orsi in Mexico City, Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-threatens-shut-mexico-border-62053098

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¿Tiburón o inversor-activista? En cualquier caso, malas noticias para Apple.

“Algunos se vuelven ricos estudiando la inteligencia artificial. Yo hago dinero estudiando la estupidez humana”.

Así es como se define en su cuenta de Twitter el multimillonario Carl Icahn, conocido como uno de los más célebres “inversores-activistas” del mundo, quien acaba de anunciar su retirada de Apple debido a su preocupación por las perspectivas de la compañía en China.

No es poca cosa: en algún punto del año pasado, Icahn fue dueño de 53 millones de acciones en Apple, cerca del 1% del total, por un valor que rondaba los US$6.500 millones.

Aunque el monto de la operación de venta no ha sido revelado, informes señalan que obtuvo unos US$2.000 millones por la transacción.

Difícilmente son buenas noticias para el gigante tecnológico, cuyos resultados financieros esta semana dieron cuenta de una caída del 13% en sus ganancias, atribuida a una disminución en las ventas del iPhone.

En el pasado, un anuncio de compra de acciones por parte de Icahn se traducía en una subida inmediata. Ahora, como podía esperarse, la reacción fue a la baja: al cierre del jueves, habían perdido 3% de su valor.

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Getty

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Cómo habrá recibido la noticia Tim Cook…

Pero aún más difícil es imaginarse la reacción de Tim Cook, jefe de Apple, cuando Icahn le soltó la noticia de que se iba con su millones a otro lado.

“Lo llamé esta mañana. Me dijo que lo sentía, obviamente. Pero le dije que es una gran compañía“, dijo el inversionista.

China

Tampoco es sencillo evaluar las razones de Icanh para retirarse de Apple.

De acuerdo con lo que le dijo a la cadena estadounidense CBS, le preocupan las barreras que China pueda poner al comercio de los productos de Apple.

Ese país fue uno de los puntos particularmente débiles en el desempeño comercial de la compañía: allí las ventas cayeron un 26%.

“En China, por ejemplo, le van a hacer muy difícil a Apple vender. Podrían, teóricamente, ¿sabes?… Básicamente, en cierta forma son, cómo decirlo, quizás benevolentes, pero en una dictadura benevolente. Aunque no sé si ‘benevolente’ es la palabra correcta”, señaló en la entrevista televisada.

Este mes Pekín cerró los servicios de películas y libros de la tienda de Apple en China, tras la introducción de una ley que exige que todo el contenido que circula en China sea almacenado en servidores dentro de su territorio.

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AFP

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Icahn estima que las cosas no van a mejorar para Apple en China, donde registró una caída de 26%, según los últimos resultados financieros.

Estos argumentos pesaron más que su apreciación por la compañía, de la que comenzó a comprar acciones en 2013, y de la que era fan declarado.

“En Apple hoy, en contraste a (lo que pasaba) hace seis meses o un año, no hay necesidad de activismo, porque creo que tiene una muy buena gerencia“, señaló.

El inversor activista

¿A qué se refiere con “no hay necesidad de activismo”? ¿Y por qué lo llaman “inversor-activista”?

La respuesta tiene que ver con la manera como se involucra con aquello en lo que invierte, más que con sus ideas respecto a la situación de los derechos humanos en China, por ejemplo.

Este empresario neoyorquino de 80 años, que se inició en los negocios como corredor de bolsa en Wall Street en los años 60 -después de obtener un título universitario en filosofía-, desarrolló una reputación como despiadado “tiburón” financiero tras la compra hostil de varias compañías de alto perfil.

Hoy es el accionista mayoritario de Icahn Enterprises, un holding empresarial con una variedad de intereses, desde la minería hasta los bienes raíces, pasando por la tecnología.

US$18.000

millones es su fortuna estimada, según Forbes (2015)

  • 1978 Fue el año en que comenzó a tomar puestos de control en compañías

  • 2do Es el puesto que ocupa en la lista de Forbes de los 40 dueños de fondos de inversión más ricos del mundo

  • US$2.000 millones es la suma que habría obtenido por la venta de sus acciones en Apple

Y parte su estrategia para acumular una fortuna estimada en unos US$18.000 millones ha sido tener una actitud beligerante en las empresas en las que ha participado.

En compañías como Apple, Hertz o el conglomerado de entretenimiento Time Warner ha usado su derecho a voto en la junta de accionistas para presionar para que hubiera cambios.

Por ejemplo, en octubre del año pasado exhortó a la multinacional de seguros AIG a dividirse.

“Usted no ha mostrado ningún signo de urgencia y ha escogido una estrategia de ‘ver y esperar’ por años, vacía de un liderazgo decisivo”, le dijo en una carta abierta al jefe de la compañía.

“Es más que obvio que el simple acto de dividir la compañía incrementaría grandemente el valor para los accionistas”.

Por si estos ejemplos no lo dejan claro, el activismo de Icanh no entra en la misma categoría que caracteriza a las organizaciones sin fines de lucro.

De hecho, como argumenta un artículo de la revista Time de 2014, la etiqueta de “inversor-activista” de hoy es otro nombre para los “tiburones” de los 80.

¿Así que estos activistas son de los “buenos” o de los “malos”?

La revista responde citando al bloguero James Kwak:

“En finanzas, rara vez se producen batallas entre buenos y malos. En cambio, tienes batallas de -digamos- avariciosos y corruptos versus avariciosos e implacables”.

Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2016/04/160429_tecnologia_millonario_da_espalda_apple_yv

The abrupt and pointed resignation of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on Thursday alarmed official Washington. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) called him an “an island of stability amid the chaos of the Trump administration.” Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) told The Washington Post that “having Mattis there gave all of us a great deal more comfort than we have now.”

Mattis’s departure seems to be provoking unease, especially considering how dangerous our nuclear-command arrangements are. The notion that Mattis, a former four-star Marine Corps general, could have blocked or defied a move by Trump to impulsively launch nuclear weapons may have seemed comforting, but it shouldn’t have been. The secretary of defense has no legal position in the nuclear chain of command, and any attempts by a secretary of defense to prevent the president from exercising the authority to use nuclear weapons would be undemocratic and illegal. With or without Mattis, the president has unchecked and complete authority to launch nuclear weapons based on his sole discretion.

The reaction to Mattis’s resignation, however, could open the door for the new Congress to create long-overdue legal barriers preventing the president from initiating a nuclear strike. Such a step could be implemented without any negative impact on U.S. security or that of our allies.

Every day, the U.S. nuclear early warning system is triggered by some event or another, mostly civilian and military rocket launches by one or more of a dozen countries with ballistic missiles. When such launches appear to threaten North America, the head of U.S. Strategic Command is alerted, and sometimes these alerts warrant the urgent notification of the president. That alert comes by way of a direct call from the Strategic Command or via the White House Situation Room, the emergency-operations bunker beneath the East Wing, or the national security adviser. Partly a remnant of the Cold War, this system remains in place today to ensure the president can be notified quickly of any direct threat to the United States’ nuclear arsenal and the facilities that control it. That way, he can launch nuclear missiles before they are destroyed or the U.S. government is incapacitated by incoming weapons.

In normal times, this system is precarious, and it can pressure even experienced leaders to consider nuclear weapons in a crisis sooner than warranted. Alerts stemming from ambiguous ballistic nuclear missile threats occurred multiple times during the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and some alerts went directly to those presidents.

Yet, this system seems especially ill-suited to a president who has demonstrated time and again that he can be provoked into taking rash action, and who, as a candidate, openly questioned why the United States could not use the nuclear weapons it possesses. This is a dangerous set of instincts for a commander in chief with sole and unchecked authority over almost 4,000 nuclear weapons, nearly 1,000 of which could be fired within a few minutes.

For over a year, Mattis has been trying to reassure congressional leaders that he could help check some of Trump’s impulses, in part by intervening in the nuclear chain of command. In a break with normal procedures, Mattis reportedly told the commander of the Strategic Command to keep him directly informed of any event that might lead to a nuclear alert being sent to the president. He even told the Strategic Command “not to put on a pot of coffee without letting him know.”

Congressional leaders interpreted this to mean that Mattis would either deal with a possible threat before it reached Trump or ensure he was present to advise Trump when such an alert arrived.

This assurance may have helped ease concerns about our nuclear weapons for some members of Congress, but only if they were unfamiliar with how the command and control structure truly works. Personal relationships and back channels are no way to manage a nuclear arsenal.

Even informed observers are surprised to learn the president can order the use of nuclear weapons without the input — or consent — of the secretaries of Defense or State, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the vice president. They only have a role in the presidential launch protocol if the president has given prior approval for them to be notified and solicits their advice. Otherwise, none of these people would need to be involved or informed that the president has decided to use a nuclear weapon.

Under standard procedure, an attempt would be made to contact key national security officials, but in some real-world and exercise scenarios, it has proven impossible to tie them into a quickly convened emergency teleconference. Should he wish, the president could exclude all of them, and even bypass the primary designated adviser — the four-star general in charge of U.S. strategic forces — by ordering a low-ranking on-duty emergency operations officer at the Pentagon or elsewhere to transmit a launch order directly to the executing commanders of strategic U.S. submarines, silo-based missiles and bombers.

Trump could have learned all this in a briefing about nuclear weapons shortly after he took office, and his military aide, ever at his side, could explain and assist in issuing a direct order to a lower-level officer at any time.

Even if Mattis had been with Trump at a time of nuclear crisis, his resignation letter drives home the fact that Trump might very well have simply ignored his counsel. Trump, as he is proving in stark terms, listens only to himself. And any attempt by another person to physically block the president from issuing a launch order would probably result in his or her removal by the Secret Service. It is delusional and fundamentally undemocratic to think that our strongest check on a president bent on initiating nuclear war without justifiable cause might be a defense secretary trying to keep the president from communicating his launch authority using the so-called Gold Codes.

When the United States faced the prospect of sudden nuclear attack from the Soviet Union, this system helped reinforce deterrence based on a balance of nuclear terror. But since the demise of the U.S.S.R., and even with a more aggressive Russia, the whole arrangement raises questions about its necessity, risks and consistency with democratic values. It is well past time for the system to be reformed to ensure that it hews to our Constitution and mitigates as much as possible the very real risks associated with a renewed arms competition with Russia.

One key issue is whether Trump — or any president — should have the legal ability to independently initiate the use of nuclear weapons. It seems reasonable that the president needs to be able to quickly order a nuclear response if an adversary employs nuclear weapons first against us, and that he would not have time to consult with Congress or the Cabinet if nuclear missiles were headed here. (The flight time of ballistic missiles over intercontinental distances is 30 minutes or less, and the president would have only about five to seven minutes to decide whether and how to respond.)

However, our chain of command is not just a presidential preference — it can be determined by legislative action. Congress can and should prohibit any president from using nuclear weapons first. The incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), proposed such legislation last year. It states that it is the policy of the United States not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. Congress could make any first-use illegal, constraining the president from issuing such an order and obligating any member of the military to disobey a command to do so. A no-first-use policy would also ratchet down tensions with Russia and facilitate reductions in the number and types of nuclear weapons in both U.S. and Russian arsenals. The logic and political salience of this position is growing, with some 20 members of the incoming Congress — including House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — now on record supporting no first use.

Legislation to bar first use probably wouldn’t get through the Republican Senate or be signed into law by Trump. But recognition that the system puts too much power in the hands of one person increases the likelihood that the next president will either adopt such a posture or accept legislative controls. Maintaining an outdated and unstable system is clearly too dangerous.

Bending norms and the military chain of command to prevent a disastrous presidential decision is not a reliable safeguard, and extralegal measures should not be how the United States prevents a nuclear war. Neither Mattis nor anyone else can reassure the American people that a president will not, on a whim, use the most fearsome weapons humans have ever invented. Only laws can constrain such a dangerous prospect. It is well past time for our country to take control of the nuclear chain of command.

Read more:

The president would probably never order the use of nuclear weapons

This is how nuclear war with North Korea could unfold

A new Trump administration policy makes nuclear war more probable

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/12/23/trump-can-launch-nuclear-weapons-whenever-he-wants-with-or-without-mattis/

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Reuters

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Maduro anuncio también reformas en el sistema de control de precios.

El presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, anunció este miércoles una devaluación de la moneda, una flexibilización del control de cambios y una subida en el precio de la gasolina por primera vez en 20 años.

Maduro dijo en una intervención televisada que el precio del litro de 91 octanos pasará a ser de 1 bolívar y el de 95 octanos, que representa un 70% del mercado, se venderá a 6 bolívares.

Eso equivale a US$0,10 y US$0,60 si se calculan a la tasa de cambio oficial fija, que también el presidente anunció será devaluada para pasar a ser de 10 bolívares por dólar.

Sin embargo, el precio es mucho menor si se toman en cuenta los más de 1.000 bolívares a que se cambia el dólar en el mercado negro.

El nuevo sistema de precios de la gasolina entrará en vigor este viernes 19 de febrero en las 1.600 bombas de gasolina del país.

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Isabella Saturno

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En la capital del país, Caracas, los ciudadanos acudieron a comprar gasolina preocupados por la anunciada subida.

La última vez que el gobierno venezolano subió el precio de la gasolina fue en 1996.

Sectores de la oposición han rechazado lo que consideran un “paquetazo”, pues dicen que el pueblo ha sido castigado por los errores del gobierno.

El sistema de cambio de divisas pasa de tener tres a dos tasas oficiales, pero analistas dicen que su funcionalidad y éxito solo dependerá de cómo se maneje y de la cantidad de dólares que le asignen.

Además de la crisis económica interna, marcada por el déficit fiscal y los desequilibrios económicos, Venezuela se ha visto fuertemente impactada por la caída del precio del petróleo, su principal fuente de divisas.

Aunque medidas de este estilo habían sido propuestas por analistas financiaros hace casi dos años, el gobierno las había pospuesto debido a su alto impacto político y social.

Recuerdos del “Caracazo”

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AP

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El nerviosismo se empieza a sentir en las gasolineras de Caracas.

El asunto sigue siendo políticamente muy delicado por el recuerdo del “Caracazo”, la ola de protestas contra el alto costo de la vida duramente reprimida en 1989 y que tuvo como uno de sus detonantes la subida del precio de la gasolina.

A pesar de la subida, la gasolina venezolana sigue siendo una de las más baratas del mundo.

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Análisis, Daniel Pardo, BBC Mundo, Caracas

El aumento de la gasolina de 1,328% y 6,085% es histórico por lo que generó la misma medida en 1989.

Pero en esta oportunidad, tras una ambiciosa campaña publicitaria de dos años del gobierno para justificar el aumento, es poco probable que se produzcan escenarios similares a los del “Caracazo”.

Si bien muchos venezolanos apoyan la medida, la mayoría va a ver que su gastos, ya altos debido a la inflación, aumentarán aún más.

El venezolano crítico del gobierno puede entender la necesidad del aumento del gasolina, pero le indigna verse afectado por medidas que buscan sanar lo que consideran errores de la revolución.

Si antes llenar el tanque de un carro en Venezuela costaba lo mismo que una menta, ahora cuesta lo mismo que dos cervezas en lata.

El aumento, así como la devaluación también anunciada por Maduro, pueden ayudarle al gobierno a financiar el déficit fiscal, que agencias financiera estiman en más de 20% y es un detonante de la ya disparada inflación.

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Reuters

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Algunos analistas creen que la caída del precio del petróleo, entre otros factores, exigían medidas más radicales.

Sin embargo, analistas dicen que la caída del precio del petróleo, el estancamiento de la producción nacional y las diferentes deudas con proveedores extranjeros exigían un conjunto de medidas aún más radical, por lo que el anunciado dicen que puede ser insuficiente.

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Sistema cambiario

Maduro además anunció cambios en el sistema de control de cambios en el que hasta ahora vienen funcionando en paralelo tres tasas oficiales, junto a la del mercado negro.

A partir de ahora, el esquema se manejará bajo dos bandas: una protegida y otra en un sistema complementario flotante.

El mandatario habló del Plan Nacional de Divisas convertibles con el que la tasa del llamado Sistema Marginal de Divisas (Simadi) pasará a ser “flotante”.

Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2016/02/160217_venezuela_precio_gasolina_az

Two American teenagers have been implicated in an Italian policeman’s murder and are being held pending formal charges, Italy’s Carabinieri police force said Saturday.

The two, both 19 years old, “confessed their deeds” after an Italian paramilitary policeman was fatally stabbed in Rome on Friday while investigating the theft of a bag with a cellphone. Elder Finnegan Lee and Christian Gabriel Natale Hjorth are being detained for aggravated murder and attempted extortion, correspondent Seth Doane reports.

A 35-year-old newlywed Carabinieri officer, Mario Rega, was stabbed to death on a Rome street early Friday morning. The Carabinieri said their investigation reveals that shortly before the murder, the two young men stole a backpack from an Italian man, and then threatened him during a phone call that they would not return the backpack unless they were given 100 euros and a gram of cocaine.

Two Italian Carabinieri stand near a blood-stained street where their colleague, Carabiniere Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega, was stabbed to death by a thief in Rome, Friday, July 26, 2019. The murder happened a few meters away from a police station and in front of the Italian Court of Cassation.

Paolo Santalucia/AP


The man reported the incident to the Carabinieri, who came to the meeting to stop the criminals. But a scuffle unfolded, and the Carabinieri officer was stabbed to death.

Law enforcement found the Americans in their hotel room at Le Méridien Visconti, ready to leave Italy. Police say they searched the room and found the murder weapon – a “knife of considerable size,” hidden behind a ceiling panel.

Rome police officer Mario Rega was stabbed to death early Friday.

CBS News


Populist politicians have taken to social media today railing against “foreign animals” being allowed in Italy.

Rega, the slain officer, was from Somma Vesuviana, Italy. He did volunteer work with the poor, accompanied sick people to Catholic shrines, and brought meals to the homeless at Rome’s main station. His funeral on Monday will be at the same church where he was married just 43 days ago.

The two Americans are reportedly from California. A lawyer for one of the men was spotted arriving at Regina Coeli, the Rome jail where they are being held.

A preliminary hearing is being held to determine whether to formally charge them.

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mario-rega-killed-rome-police-2-us-teens-confessed-their-deeds-after-fatal-stabbing-of-officer/