An election systems worker driven into hiding by death threats has filed a defamation lawsuit against President Trump's campaign, two of its lawyers and some conservative media figures and outlets.
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Along with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Birx was seen as a potential counter to Trump and those who abetted his worst impulses.
'Is it too late to add something to my Christmas list,’ she wrote.
Japan's highest court has upheld a ruling granting a retrial to a man described as the world's longest-serving death row inmate, a lawyer for the 84-year-old said on Wednesday. Iwao Hakamada has lived under a death sentence for more than half a century, after being convicted of robbing and murdering his boss, the man's wife, and their two teenaged children. Mr Hakamada had confessed to the crime but later recanted in court citing his allegedly brutal police interrogation and planted evidence. In a rare about-face for Japan's rigid justice system, a district court in the central city of Shizuoka in 2014 granted his request for a retrial. The court said investigators could have planted evidence and ordered the former boxer freed. Prosecutors appealed the ruling and won at the Tokyo High Court, prompting Mr Hakamada to move the case to the Supreme Court, which on Wednesday ruled in his favour, backing the retrial.
The 15 people President Trump pardoned Tuesday evening include the first two congressmen who endorsed him for president — former Reps. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) and Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), both convicted of financial crimes — two people jailed in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, and four private guards working for Blackwater who were serving long sentences for an unprovoked and unnecessary 2007 massacre of civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square that left 17 Iraqis dead, including two boys, ages 8 and 11.Blackwater, since sold and renamed Academi, is a private military contractor outfit headed at the time by Erik Prince, brother to Trump's education secretary, Betsy DeVos. The Nisour Square massacre marked a low point in U.S.-Iraqi relations after the 2003 U.S. invasion, and federal prosecutors spent years bringing the four Blackwater guards — Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard — to justice.After a federal judge in 2009 dismissed the first murder and manslaughter convictions of the Blackwater contractors, ruling the evidence was tainted, then-Vice President Joe Biden said at a press conference in Baghdad that the men had not been acquitted and the U.S. would appeal the decision. "In subsequent years, as the case continued, the contractors became known in conservative media as the 'Biden Four,'" The Washington Post reports. Slatten was eventually sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, while the other three were convicted of manslaughter and given sentences of 12 to 15 years."Campaigns urging that the four receive presidential pardons began in earnest last year, most arguing that the men were veterans still in engaged in quasi military duties," the Post reports, noting that Trump has already pardoned two Army officers convicted or awaiting trial on murder charges for shooting Afghan civilians. In a 2009 column at Fox News, Duncan Hunter — still in Congress — called "the Biden Four" brave "political pawns" who were "sent to prison for doing their jobs."More stories from theweek.com What would actually happen if Trump tried the 'martial law' idea? House GOP leader McCarthy reportedly nixes Pelosi’s attempt to pass $2,000 payments by unanimous consent Trump shows up too late to his presidency
In November, Russia gained a slice of somebody else’s country. It did this not through unidentified troops moving across a border, nor through hybrid warfare. Instead, it negotiated its capture in full view of, and without a single question asked by, the United States or the rest of the world.Fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh preceded the annexation. The mountainous region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but since a 1994 ceasefire between the two nations has been controlled by ethnic Armenians. The conflict flared up again in September. Two months later came a peace deal, with Russia the winner: It mediated a ceasefire that placed the Kremlin’s ostensibly peacekeeping boots on the ground. America watched idly as this happened.As Armenia’s traditional protector, Russia held the only leverage to convince Armenia to sign this ceasefire. By signing, Yerevan gave up claims to the territories it had occupied within Azerbaijan since 1994 and gained nothing — bar a ceasefire rather than a forced surrender. In return for securing for its ally a marginally smaller humiliation, Moscow gained a present and a presence.In reality — unless America is prepared to engage fully in the peace process — Nagorno-Karabakh is now Russia’s indefinitely. The Kremlin ostensibly controls the territory for five years, with an automatic rollover for an additional five should none of the three parties to the ceasefire object six months before the end of the mandate.Russia certainly won’t. It is now gatekeeper to a region central to Europe’s energy diversification (reducing the role of Russian imports). If the region is strategically important to NATO, that makes it strategically important to the Kremlin.Armenia, for mistrust of Azerbaijan, will want the peacekeepers to stay. The short but brutal conflict has proven conclusively that Armenia cannot win militarily, and that therefore ethnic Armenians must accept either governance by Azerbaijan or the protectorate of Russia. Weak and broken, Yerevan finds it less of a humiliation to accept Russian tutelage in Nagorno-Karabakh, if only to deny an archenemy a complete victory. But this is a longer-term disaster for the Armenians. It means they are effectively trapped in a Russian embrace. They cannot turn west and cannot turn east — either diplomatically or for investment — because the Russians are now in charge.Though traditionally thought of by Moscow as “on the other side,” Azerbaijan — owing to lukewarm support from the United States and EU in recent years — has been steadily deepening diplomatic and economic relations with Russia, in part from necessity and a lack of serious alternatives. Yet now, with Russian military boots on Azerbaijani territory for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union, Moscow’s leverage has also become economic leverage: By militarily guaranteeing a transport corridor across Armenia — closed before the ceasefire — to Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhichevan, Russia now controls Azerbaijan’s long-sought-after, direct land route from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean and Europe.The West certainly could have seen this coming. This is how it always begins: A toehold soon morphs into a footprint. Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, South Ossetia, Abkhazia — the list of examples goes on. Russian presence becomes Russian control: the only logic of Putin’s neo-czarist ambitions.Indeed, now, only a matter of weeks after troop deployment, the Kremlin is maneuvering: Lines on maps have started to bend and flex. On the Russian Ministry of Defense website, a page shows a map outlining the area where Russian peacekeepers, by the terms of the agreement, are to be stationed and will have jurisdiction within which to operate. On December 13, miraculously, the land they control had expanded. This was changed back to the original on the next day, after Azerbaijani diplomatic pressure. But this activity demonstrates that Kremlin cartographers are getting creative — and very early in this intervention.Rumors now swell of Russian “passportization” in Nagorno-Karabakh. Manufacturing new demographic realities on the ground by granting citizenship has been used to maintain influence in the internal affairs in other post-Soviet nations. Once Russians occupy the area, the Russian state is obliged to step in.It is a classic of the Kremlin repertoire. It preceded the invasion of Crimea. It happened in two regions in Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, again before wars broke out, with Russia coming out as the chief beneficiary. Most recently, passportization has been aggressively deployed in eastern Ukraine, through a helpfully streamlined process. The Kremlin forecasts that there will be over one million Russian citizens bearing newly minted documents by the end of the year. In all of these situations, Russia’s grip is secure.Passportization would mean that a negotiated settlement on the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh — what was supposed to be some form of autonomy within Azerbaijan, as in Soviet days — will never materialize. It will instead turn into a Russian-passport protectorate, giving Russia the pretext — or in Moscow’s lexicon, the legal right — to jump into the region were any imagined threat to its “citizens” to emerge.Considering the U.S.-led assistance now poured into Ukraine in the wake of Russian destabilization, it is surprising that more precautionary measures are not being taken in the South Caucasus.Yet time remains for America to step in: The ceasefire shall give way to negotiations for a final peace deal, with much left to decide. The U.S. must fully and comprehensively oppose passportization. American companies should invest in infrastructure and energy projects in the region so as to limit Russia’s room for maneuver. And U.S.-led joint investment initiatives between Armenia and Azerbaijan would help to cut the dependence of both on Russia.It’s time for America to step up diplomatic and economic efforts and reinsert itself in this process. Otherwise, Russia’s empire will continue to expand unchecked.
Authorities have not yet determined motive for attack
An animal welfare charity has been sent a Christmas card by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which features a drawing of the couple with their son Archie and their dogs. It was sent to London-based Mayhew, which was founded in 1886 as a home for starving cats, and whom the Duchess is patron of. The charity also shared the Duchess's message to them, which read: "This year we, as a family, have made donations to several charities with you in mind. From a local California organisation that helps families transition out of homelessness, to two of our U.K. patronages: one that supports animal and community welfare, and the other, a memorial fund for a cherished friend that helps to educate children and fight poverty in Uganda, we have honoured their work on behalf of all of us." In a tweet, the charity added: "We're thrilled to receive wonderful Christmas wishes from our Patron, the Duchess of Sussex, who also made a personal donation, helping dogs, cats and our community. From all of us at Mayhew, thank you and Merry Christmas."
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday had some harsh words for President Trump's response to the alleged Russian cyberattack on U.S. federal agencies and companies. He accused the Trump administration of failing to prioritize cybersecurity and letting their guard down in the first place, but also expressed frustration with Trump for downplaying the seriousness of the hack and failing to officially identify a perpetrator, whom the intelligence community widely suspects is the Kremlin. Biden's ire toward the White House did not extend to the Capitol, however.Biden said he was pleased to see lawmakers from both parties speak out "loudly and clearly" against the security breach. "I want to thank prominent Republicans in the Senate particularly for speaking out," he said. "It's a sign. A sign that with a new administration we can confront these threats on a bipartisan basis with a united front here at home. That should be encouraging to the American people and a warning to our adversaries."> Biden on massive hack of US government computer systems: "The truth is this: The Trump administration failed to prioritize cybersecurity ... This assault happened on Donald Trump's watch, when he wasn't watching." pic.twitter.com/lSD6XgpWfR> > — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 22, 2020As Biden showed throughout his presidential campaign, his desire to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans on key issues is a priority, so it's no surprise to hear him single out GOP senators in this instance.More stories from theweek.com What would actually happen if Trump tried the 'martial law' idea? House GOP leader McCarthy reportedly nixes Pelosi’s attempt to pass $2,000 payments by unanimous consent Trump shows up too late to his presidency
The carrier Nimitz and its strike group, as well as the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, are standing by.
A UPS employee sought in a deadly assault on a co-worker was taken into custody Wednesday, Connecticut state police said. The suspect, Elijah David Bertrand, 19, had been the target of search since Tuesday night when a fellow UPS worker, Nathan Burk, was found suffering from injuries. The two men apparently were riding in the same vehicle before the assault, Connecticut State Police Trooper Joseu Dorelus said at a news conference.
‘This crisis has made it clearer than ever why paid leave for every worker is so important to families,’ says senator Patty Murray
7 extended-stay accommodations that transform work-from-home into work-from-anywhereOriginally Appeared on Architectural Digest
South Korea said on Tuesday it had scrambled fighter jets in response to an intrusion into South Korea's air defense identification zone by 19 Russian and Chinese military aircraft.
The Virginia Beach Police Department will investigate the actions of the officer who arrested a Black man while he ate with his family at a Virginia mall.
Rosemary Vrablic, a managing director and senior banker in Deutsche Bank's wealth management division, has resigned, effective Dec. 31, Vrablic and Deutsche Bank said Tuesday. Vrablic became President Trump's private banker at the German lender in 2011, at a time when Trump was having difficulties borrowing money due to his history of defaulting on loans. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, already a client of Vrablic's, introduced her to Trump."The reasons for Ms. Vrablic's abrupt resignation were not clear," The New York Times reports. But Deutsche Bank in August opened an internal investigation into a real estate deal in which Vrablic and a longtime colleague at the bank, Dominic Scalzi, invested in an apartment building partly owned by Kushner. Scalzi is also resigning at the end of the year.The status of the internal review is unclear, the Times reports. But the relationship between Trump and Deutsche Bank is the subject of congressional, civil, and criminal investigations, including a criminal inquiry by the Manhattan district attorney. Vrablic is not among the handful of Deutsche Bank employees questioned by New York investigators yet, but her lawyer told CNN that "Ms. Vrablic is committed to cooperating with the authorities if asked."Deutsche Bank has been exploring how it can end its heavily scrutinized relationship with Trump, Reuters reports. But for Trump, his "key contacts at his biggest financial backer are leaving at a perilous time for the departing president," the Times reports. "He owes Deutsche Bank about $330 million, and the loans come due in 2023 and 2024. Mr. Trump provided a personal guarantee to get the loans, meaning that if he fails to pay them back, the bank can pursue his personal assets."More stories from theweek.com What would actually happen if Trump tried the 'martial law' idea? House GOP leader McCarthy reportedly nixes Pelosi’s attempt to pass $2,000 payments by unanimous consent Trump shows up too late to his presidency
Germany's U.N. envoy, during his last scheduled U.N. Security Council meeting, appealed to China to free two detained Canadians for Christmas, prompting China's deputy U.N. envoy to respond: "Out of the bottom of my heart: Good riddance." Germany finishes a two-year term on the 15-member council at the end of this month and Ambassador Christoph Heusgen plans to retire after more than 40 years as a diplomat.
Lava was rising more than 3 feet (1 meter) per hour in the deep crater of a Hawaii volcano that began erupting over the weekend after a two-year break, scientists said Tuesday. Kilauea volcano within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island was gushing molten rock from at least two vents inside its summit crater, the U.S. Geological Survey said. A lava lake has formed, rising about 440 feet (134 meters) from the bottom of the crater.
She leaves behind at least 150 descendants around the world - plus legions of fans, and one doting zookeeper. Xin Xing - the world's oldest giant panda and a matriarch extraordinaire - has died at the grand age of 38. The Chinese-born bear was one of the most famous of her species after giving birth to at least ten cubs during her lifetime. It made her the chief ambassador of China's so-called "panda diplomacy", with her cubs and their offspring sent to grateful zoos around the world. She is thought to have had 153 descendants in all, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, living variously in the USA, Canada and Taiwan. As well as being a record-breaking mother - most pandas struggle to conceive in captivity – Xin Xing was among only a handful of pandas in zoos to have lived beyond the age of 30. Being aged 38 made her the equivalent of at least 110 in human years. Xin Xing - whose name in Mandarin translates as "New Star" - was born in a panda sanctuary in China's Sichuan Province, and transferred to a zoo in the south-western city of Chongqing at the age of one. She was among some 600 giant pandas in captivity, roughly a quarter of the total population. Zookeepers remember her for a prodigious appetite - she could eat 70lbs of bamboo shoots and fruit per day - and occasional fiery temper. However, according to Zhang Naicheng, her keeper for the last 28 years of her life, she grew more placid in her dotage. In an interview to mark her birthday last August - when she celebrated with a slap-up meal of watermelon, bamboo shoots and apple wedges - he said: “She is like a family member to me.”
The girl’s father said he knew the couple had been beating her for weeks
Attorneys Tom Clare and Megan Meier from Clare Lock LLP, a law firm that specializes in defamation cases, sent letters on Wednesday to President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and White House counsel Pat Cipollone warning them of "imminent" legal action on behalf of Dominion Voting Systems, CNN reports.Giuliani and Cipollone were also reportedly told to preserve all documents related to Dominion, which has been at the heart of presidential election vote rigging conspiracy theories. The request was vast and reportedly includes records of communications between Trump and any White House employee with Rudy Giuliani, or attorneys Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and Lin Wood. Ellis and Giuliani have worked on the Trump campaign's longshot effort to overturn the presidential election results in an official capacity, while Powell and Wood have technically done so independently.Separately on Wednesday, a Dominion executive filed a defamation lawsuit against the Trump campaign and several conservative media personalities and outlets. And CNN reported last week that the campaign's legal team was already instructing staffers to hold on to documents related to Dominion and Powell in anticipation of legal action.There is no evidence to support the claims by Trump allies about Dominion, or any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Read more at CNN.More stories from theweek.com What would actually happen if Trump tried the 'martial law' idea? House GOP leader McCarthy reportedly nixes Pelosi’s attempt to pass $2,000 payments by unanimous consent Trump shows up too late to his presidency
