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• Parnas said he is speaking out because he is afraid of William Barr
  January 16, 2020, 8:08 pm
  

  Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas said he was giving media interviews about his role in President Trump?s attempts convince Ukrainian officials to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden because he wanted to protect himself from Attorney General William Barr.

  
  

  
  
• Therapist charged with killing family faced fraud probe
  January 16, 2020, 11:28 am
  

  A physical therapist charged with killing his wife, three children and dog in a home near Walt Disney World and leaving their bodies there for days was being investigated in Connecticut for health care fraud motivated by his need to pay off personal loans, according to court documents unsealed this week. Anthony Todt was being investigated for submitting fraudulent claims for physical therapy by the FBI and agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to an affidavit and criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Connecticut. According to agents, the allegations involved Todt and his Colchester, Connecticut-base clinics submitting claims to Medicaid and private insurers for physical therapy services that weren't given to patients.

  
  

  
  
• An ISIS preacher captured in Iraq was apparently so overweight that police ha...
  January 17, 2020, 7:36 am
  

  Shifa al-Nima was captured in the Mansour neighborhood of Mosul by the Nineveh police command, according to Iraqi police.

  
  

  
  
• 'You have not seen anything yet,' climate activist Greta says ahead of Davos
  January 17, 2020, 9:10 am
  

  Swedish activist Greta Thunberg marched with 10,000 protesters in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Friday and said "you have not seen anything yet" before some head to Davos next week to challenge the global financial elite to fight climate change. "So, we are now in a new year and we have entered a new decade and so far, during this decade, we have seen no sign whatsoever that real climate action is coming and that has to change,? Thunberg said in a speech in Lausanne. Hundreds will take trains over the weekend and then march to Klosters near Davos, the annual gathering of world political and business leaders that Thunberg is attending for the second year in a row and will take part in two panel events.

  
  

  
  
• Jordan, Meadows Send Letter to FISA Court Questioning Kris Appointment
  January 16, 2020, 1:10 pm
  

  House Oversight Committee Republicans Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows issued nine demands to FISA Court presiding judge James Boasberg in a Thursday letter in response to the appointment of Obama Department of Justice lawyer David Kris to help oversee the FBI?s reform of FISA applications.The letter, obtained by National Review, asked Boasberg to identify who else besides Kris was considered, whether Kris?s past defense of the FISA application to surveil Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page was taken into account, and whether ?the FISC bears any responsibility for the illegal surveillance of Carter Page,? among other concerns.?If the FISC?s goal is to hold the FBI accountable for its serious misconduct, Mr. Kris does not appear to be an objective ? or likely effective ? amicus curiae for several reasons,? the letter states. ?At minimum, the selection of Mr. Kris creates a perception that he is too personally invested on the side of the FBI to ensure it effectuates meaningful reform.?A Republican official with knowledge of the letter told National Review that the letter signaled a concerted Congressional effort to reform FISA.?For too long, the FBI has remained largely un-checked when it comes to the FISA process. Congress must ensure that FISC stands ready to protect civil liberties without even the slightest indicia of political bias,? he said.The letter appears to be a follow-up to Monday comments from Meadows, who said in an interview that Republicans were ?appealing this to the Judge? regarding Kris's appointment. The North Carolina Congressman also slammed the move to appoint Kris, saying that ?there?s no way? Kris is the right man to address abuses ?if he doesn?t even acknowledge that there is a problem.?Kris, a former assistant attorney general in the Obama DOJ?s national security division, has extensive experience with the FISA Court, serving as an amicus curiae, or special adviser, since March 2016.A frequent contributor to Lawfare blog, Kris was an outspoken defender of the FBI?s authority in surveilling Page, who was accused of being a Russian agent.Following the release of heavily-redacted FISA applications used to surveil Page in July 2018, Kris doubled down. ?It seems to me very likely that if we get below the tip of the iceberg into the submerged parts and more is revealed, it will get worse, not better,? for Page, he told MSNBC?s Rachel Maddow at the time. The letter references Kris's comment to Maddow as evidence that he is biased in favor of the bureau and against Page.DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz revealed in December that the FBI knowingly withheld information that Page was a CIA informant in order to obtain a FISA warrant against him, and even doctored an email to keep the information from the court. The report also revealed that the bureau did not inform the FISC of the partisan origins of the uncorroborated Steele dossier despite its playing a "central and essential" role in their application to surveil Page.In their letter, Jordan and Meadows also request that Boasberg give greater insight into the details surrounding the court?s assessment of the Page applications, including when it ?first received any indication that information contained in the FBI?s surveillance applications for Carter Page was misleading or false.?

  
  

  
  
• Nazi Leader Paraphrasing Costs Brazil Culture Secretary His Job
  January 17, 2020, 9:18 am
  

  (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired the country?s culture secretary after he paraphrased notorious Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels in a video that stirred outrage in the nation.Roberto Alvim said that Brazilian art over the next decade will be ?heroic? or ?it will be nothing,? similarly to remarks made by Goebbels decades ago, according to a video posted on social networks early on Friday. Within hours, the term ?Goebbels? became one of the top trending topics on Twitter in Brazil, and lawmakers including Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, who is Jewish, called for Alvim?s immediate removal.Music by Richard Wagner, who was Hitler?s favorite composer, plays in the background of the video posted by the culture secretary. An official photo of Bolsonaro looms over him, while a cross and a Brazilian flag can also be seen.In a subsequent interview with a local radio station, Alvim denied that he was a Nazi and said he was unaware that he had copied part of a speech made by Goebbels. ?It was an unfortunate rhetorical coincidence,? he said. Alvim also said in a post on his Facebook page that ?there is nothing wrong with the sentence.?In a statement dismissing Alvim, Bolsonaro said that ?unfortunate? remarks made it impossible for the secretary to remain in the job. ?I reiterate our repudiation of totalitarian and genocidal ideologies,? Bolsonaro said in the statement. ?We also express our total and unrestricted support to the Jewish community.?The remarks represent the latest source of public uproar under the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro, who rose to the nation?s top job in part due to his non-conventional views. Bolsonaro has maintained a loyal support base, many of whom criticize the political left for being overly sensitive.Read More: Oscar-Nominated Netflix Film Is Slammed by Brazil?s BolsonaroWhile lacking status as a ministry, Brazil?s culture secretary oversees the nation?s culture and entertainment and provides millions of reais in financing to projects in those areas. In the local radio interview later Friday, Alvim said that he had explained the misunderstanding to Bolsonaro, and that his explanation was accepted by the president.Hitler ConfidantGoebbels was a government minister and close confidant of Adolf Hitler. He was known for his virulent antisemitism and calls for extermination of Jewish people, as well as for his strong oratory skills.Alvim?s remarks are unacceptable, according to a statement from Brazil?s Israeli confederation, known as Conib. ?A person with those thoughts should not command the culture of our country and should be removed from the post immediately,? the statement said.In recent months, Bolsonaro has drawn international scrutiny by suggesting that NGOs were to blame for Amazon rainforest fires and making sarcastic comments about the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. Before assuming the presidency, he downplayed Brazil?s history of slavery and made offensive comments against groups including women.(Updats with firing of Brazil?s top culture official)To contact the reporter on this story: Simone Iglesias in Brasília at spiglesias@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Walter Brandimarte at wbrandimarte@bloomberg.net, ;Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Matthew MalinowskiFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

  
  

  
  
• Princess Cruises responds after 'Marriage Story' actress speaks out, sues all...
  January 17, 2020, 5:57 am
  

  A "Marriage Story" actress and her husband are suing Princess Cruises, alleging their room was infested with bedbugs.

  
  

  
  
• Mexico offers 4,000 jobs to new migrant caravan
  January 17, 2020, 12:03 pm
  

  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered 4,000 jobs Friday to migrants in a new caravan currently crossing Central America toward the United States. The caravan, which formed in Honduras this week and is making its way across Guatemala, currently has around 3,000 migrants, Lopez Obrador said. According to Guatemala's new President Alejandro Giammattei, Mexico has vowed to use "everything at its disposal" to stop them.

  
  

  
  
• Some Weird Gas Balls Are Swirling Around Sagittarius A*
  January 17, 2020, 12:57 pm
  

  But they behave just like stars.

  
  

  
  
• Impeachment and a path to redemption for Trump
  January 16, 2020, 10:23 am
  

  President Trump?s most effective path forward, not only to prevail in the impeachment proceedings but to end this ordeal and create a strong position from which to govern, is to follow the Clinton model rather than the Nixon path. 

  
  

  
  
• Wealthy CEOs complain about feeling 'unsafe' because of homeless people in Sa...
  January 16, 2020, 10:01 am
  

  A major healthcare conference in San Francisco this week has sparked a debate about the California city?s homeless crisis as wealthy executives and investors complain of feeling 'unsafe'.The city rakes in $51m (£39m) each year from the annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference despite growing concerns about the city?s homeless population among attendees of the healthcare industry?s leading conference, according to Bloomberg News.

  
  

  
  
• The Best Compact Fitness Equipment Under $300
  January 16, 2020, 10:56 am
  

  
  

  
  
• Reuters poll: Sanders climbs, now tied with Biden among registered voters
  January 17, 2020, 11:32 am
  

  Sen. Bernie Sanders has been steadily climbing in popularity this year and is now tied with former Vice President Joe Biden for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination among registered voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national poll.

  
  

  
  
• Former U.S. Marine: Suleimani?s Killing Is the Apotheosis of American 'Strate...
  January 16, 2020, 6:06 am
  

  A strategy that has achieved the opposite of its promises is a failure. Before another moment is wasted, Americans need to ask their leaders the same question General David Petraeus plaintively asked at the height of the Iraq War: ?Tell me how this ends.?

  
  

  
  
• Report: Israeli home demolitions in east Jerusalem spiked
  January 16, 2020, 8:00 am
  

  Israeli authorities demolished homes in Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem at a significantly higher rate in 2019 than the previous year, according to an Israeli advocacy group. In a new report, Ir Amim said 104 housing units were demolished in 2019, compared() to 72 units in 2018. Aviv Tatarsky, the Ir Amim researcher who wrote the report released Wednesday, said the group found that only 7% of housing units advanced by city planners last year were for Palestinian neighborhoods.

  
  

  
  

FOX 5 San Diego

• Parnas said he is speaking out because he is afraid of William Barr
  January 16, 2020, 8:08 pm
  

  Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas said he was giving media interviews about his role in President Trump?s attempts convince Ukrainian officials to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden because he wanted to protect himself from Attorney General William Barr.

  
  

  
  
• An ISIS preacher captured in Iraq was apparently so overweight that police ha...
  January 17, 2020, 7:36 am
  

  Shifa al-Nima was captured in the Mansour neighborhood of Mosul by the Nineveh police command, according to Iraqi police.

  
  

  
  
• Therapist charged with killing family faced fraud probe
  January 16, 2020, 11:28 am
  

  A physical therapist charged with killing his wife, three children and dog in a home near Walt Disney World and leaving their bodies there for days was being investigated in Connecticut for health care fraud motivated by his need to pay off personal loans, according to court documents unsealed this week. Anthony Todt was being investigated for submitting fraudulent claims for physical therapy by the FBI and agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to an affidavit and criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Connecticut. According to agents, the allegations involved Todt and his Colchester, Connecticut-base clinics submitting claims to Medicaid and private insurers for physical therapy services that weren't given to patients.

  
  

  
  
• Disease that killed millions of China's pigs poses global threat
  January 16, 2020, 5:05 am
  

  Soon the dog's handler discovered and confiscated a ham sandwich in the purse of a passenger who had flown on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai. China has lost millions of pigs in outbreaks of the disease, pushing its pork prices to record highs, forcing purchases of costly imports and roiling global meat markets. Bettie is among an expanded team of specially trained beagles at U.S. airports, part of a larger effort to protect the nation's $23 billion pork industry from a disease that has decimated China's hog herd, the world's largest.

  
  

  
  
• Republican tells female reporter 30 schoolboys ?could have a lot of fun? with...
  January 16, 2020, 6:09 am
  

  A Republican lawmaker is facing calls for a sexual harassment investigation after he told a young female reporter that a group of high school boys ?could have a lot of fun? with her.Peter Lucido, a Michigan state senator, has been accused of making inappropriate comments to local reporter Allison Donahue during a tour of the state Capitol.

  
  

  
  
• Jordan, Meadows Send Letter to FISA Court Questioning Kris Appointment
  January 16, 2020, 1:10 pm
  

  House Oversight Committee Republicans Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows issued nine demands to FISA Court presiding judge James Boasberg in a Thursday letter in response to the appointment of Obama Department of Justice lawyer David Kris to help oversee the FBI?s reform of FISA applications.The letter, obtained by National Review, asked Boasberg to identify who else besides Kris was considered, whether Kris?s past defense of the FISA application to surveil Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page was taken into account, and whether ?the FISC bears any responsibility for the illegal surveillance of Carter Page,? among other concerns.?If the FISC?s goal is to hold the FBI accountable for its serious misconduct, Mr. Kris does not appear to be an objective ? or likely effective ? amicus curiae for several reasons,? the letter states. ?At minimum, the selection of Mr. Kris creates a perception that he is too personally invested on the side of the FBI to ensure it effectuates meaningful reform.?A Republican official with knowledge of the letter told National Review that the letter signaled a concerted Congressional effort to reform FISA.?For too long, the FBI has remained largely un-checked when it comes to the FISA process. Congress must ensure that FISC stands ready to protect civil liberties without even the slightest indicia of political bias,? he said.The letter appears to be a follow-up to Monday comments from Meadows, who said in an interview that Republicans were ?appealing this to the Judge? regarding Kris's appointment. The North Carolina Congressman also slammed the move to appoint Kris, saying that ?there?s no way? Kris is the right man to address abuses ?if he doesn?t even acknowledge that there is a problem.?Kris, a former assistant attorney general in the Obama DOJ?s national security division, has extensive experience with the FISA Court, serving as an amicus curiae, or special adviser, since March 2016.A frequent contributor to Lawfare blog, Kris was an outspoken defender of the FBI?s authority in surveilling Page, who was accused of being a Russian agent.Following the release of heavily-redacted FISA applications used to surveil Page in July 2018, Kris doubled down. ?It seems to me very likely that if we get below the tip of the iceberg into the submerged parts and more is revealed, it will get worse, not better,? for Page, he told MSNBC?s Rachel Maddow at the time. The letter references Kris's comment to Maddow as evidence that he is biased in favor of the bureau and against Page.DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz revealed in December that the FBI knowingly withheld information that Page was a CIA informant in order to obtain a FISA warrant against him, and even doctored an email to keep the information from the court. The report also revealed that the bureau did not inform the FISC of the partisan origins of the uncorroborated Steele dossier despite its playing a "central and essential" role in their application to surveil Page.In their letter, Jordan and Meadows also request that Boasberg give greater insight into the details surrounding the court?s assessment of the Page applications, including when it ?first received any indication that information contained in the FBI?s surveillance applications for Carter Page was misleading or false.?

  
  

  
  
• Nazi Leader Paraphrasing Costs Brazil Culture Secretary His Job
  January 17, 2020, 9:18 am
  

  (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired the country?s culture secretary after he paraphrased notorious Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels in a video that stirred outrage in the nation.Roberto Alvim said that Brazilian art over the next decade will be ?heroic? or ?it will be nothing,? similarly to remarks made by Goebbels decades ago, according to a video posted on social networks early on Friday. Within hours, the term ?Goebbels? became one of the top trending topics on Twitter in Brazil, and lawmakers including Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, who is Jewish, called for Alvim?s immediate removal.Music by Richard Wagner, who was Hitler?s favorite composer, plays in the background of the video posted by the culture secretary. An official photo of Bolsonaro looms over him, while a cross and a Brazilian flag can also be seen.In a subsequent interview with a local radio station, Alvim denied that he was a Nazi and said he was unaware that he had copied part of a speech made by Goebbels. ?It was an unfortunate rhetorical coincidence,? he said. Alvim also said in a post on his Facebook page that ?there is nothing wrong with the sentence.?In a statement dismissing Alvim, Bolsonaro said that ?unfortunate? remarks made it impossible for the secretary to remain in the job. ?I reiterate our repudiation of totalitarian and genocidal ideologies,? Bolsonaro said in the statement. ?We also express our total and unrestricted support to the Jewish community.?The remarks represent the latest source of public uproar under the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro, who rose to the nation?s top job in part due to his non-conventional views. Bolsonaro has maintained a loyal support base, many of whom criticize the political left for being overly sensitive.Read More: Oscar-Nominated Netflix Film Is Slammed by Brazil?s BolsonaroWhile lacking status as a ministry, Brazil?s culture secretary oversees the nation?s culture and entertainment and provides millions of reais in financing to projects in those areas. In the local radio interview later Friday, Alvim said that he had explained the misunderstanding to Bolsonaro, and that his explanation was accepted by the president.Hitler ConfidantGoebbels was a government minister and close confidant of Adolf Hitler. He was known for his virulent antisemitism and calls for extermination of Jewish people, as well as for his strong oratory skills.Alvim?s remarks are unacceptable, according to a statement from Brazil?s Israeli confederation, known as Conib. ?A person with those thoughts should not command the culture of our country and should be removed from the post immediately,? the statement said.In recent months, Bolsonaro has drawn international scrutiny by suggesting that NGOs were to blame for Amazon rainforest fires and making sarcastic comments about the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. Before assuming the presidency, he downplayed Brazil?s history of slavery and made offensive comments against groups including women.(Updats with firing of Brazil?s top culture official)To contact the reporter on this story: Simone Iglesias in Brasília at spiglesias@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Walter Brandimarte at wbrandimarte@bloomberg.net, ;Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Matthew MalinowskiFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

  
  

  
  
• Princess Cruises responds after 'Marriage Story' actress speaks out, sues all...
  January 17, 2020, 5:57 am
  

  A "Marriage Story" actress and her husband are suing Princess Cruises, alleging their room was infested with bedbugs.

  
  

  
  
• Former U.S. Marine: Suleimani?s Killing Is the Apotheosis of American 'Strate...
  January 16, 2020, 6:06 am
  

  A strategy that has achieved the opposite of its promises is a failure. Before another moment is wasted, Americans need to ask their leaders the same question General David Petraeus plaintively asked at the height of the Iraq War: ?Tell me how this ends.?

  
  

  
  
• Republicans Aren?t Sure They Want to Hear From Hunter Biden
  January 16, 2020, 2:58 am
  

  Exactly how President Trump?s impeachment trial will be conducted in the Senate remained unclear Wednesday night, with the biggest question mark hanging over whether or not additional witnesses will be called for testimony. But as senators debate hypothetical witnesses, one individual pushed exclusively by Trump?s closest allies doesn?t seem to generating consensus among the soon-to-be jurors of the president?s own party: Hunter Biden. Several influential Senate Republicans who spoke to The Daily Beast on Wednesday did not appear to have strong feelings about hearing from Vice President Joe Biden?s son on his employment on the board of Burisma, the energy company that Trump and his associates pressured Ukraine to investigate. Still, Hunter Biden?s work with Burisma in 2015 and 2016 has been top of mind for a Trump-backing circle of Republicans since the impeachment inquiry began. This week, reported Politico, Republicans such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas have approached Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with a proposal of ?reciprocity:? If the Democrats want to hear from former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Republicans should hear from Biden. Left unmentioned was the fact that Bolton, in a Jan. 6 post on his website, volunteered to testify if Senate Republicans issued him a subpoena. Hunter Biden, meanwhile, admitted in an interview with ABC News that he likely got the job on the company?s board because of his last name, but denied any wrongdoing. As the trial is set to kick off, raising the prospect of a Hunter Biden appearance might be less of a reflection of genuine desire among Republicans to hear his testimony?and more reflective of a desire to put the screws to Democrats and accommodate a president who may want to push for such testimony later on. One GOP lawmaker, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, suggested that Biden?s testimony would not help senators resolve the primary question raised by the trial. ?I suffer from a legal education and about 20 years? experience as a lawyer and a judge. I view it through that frame,? he said. ?This is about who has material evidence on a disputed question of fact that is charged by the articles of impeachment. To me, that?s the way I approach that.??I?m not saying it wouldn?t be interesting,? Cornyn continued. ?I?m not saying he won?t be called as a witness, but if he is called as a witness?I mean Bolton, for example, is called witness?I agree with Sen. Cruz and others who said they should be done in pairs, or in other words there needs to be witnesses called by both sides.?When asked if he felt Republicans needed to hear from Biden during the trial, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri paused for a moment before answering that he?d consider it if Trump?s team felt that way.?I think the president deserves the right to present his case, have his case presented,? said Blunt. ?And if that includes an argument that hearing what was happening in 2016 is part of that argument, we should listen to why they would think that.?Another, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, spoke about Biden?s testimony only in the context of Democrats? strategy in proposing witnesses, hewing closely to the strategy Cruz laid out to McConnell. ?If we?re going to have witnesses,? said Lankford, ?we should be able to have both sides to be able to have witnesses.?Though the ground rules for the trial have yet to be released, it is expected that the rules will provide a vote on whether or not to call additional witnesses. Individual witnesses would then be subjected to up-or-down votes requiring a majority of the chamber supporting bringing someone like Bolton or Biden to the stand.The idea that Biden should testify has animated the GOP?s defense of Trump since the impeachment process began, because it supposedly justifies the president?s deep-seated conviction that Ukraine was corrupt and the way he acted on that conviction by pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Politically, the concept is a winner for Trump?s defenders, taking attention and airtime away from the issue of the president?s own conduct and placing scrutiny on a would-be Democratic foe of the president. House Republicans fully embraced this during the impeachment inquiry, formally requesting that Democrats call Biden as a witness in their inquiry. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) denied that request, saying Biden was not relevant to the questions at hand.Though he is not, some of Trump?s closest Senate allies are more eager to lean on him?if only to apparently complicate Democrats? decision-making.?My colleagues can?t have it both ways,? tweeted Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. ?Calling for some, while blocking others. If we are going to give a platform to witnesses the Dems demand, I look forward to forcing votes to call Hunter Biden and many more!? Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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.

  
  

  
  
• Huawei exec set to fight Canada court battle against US extradition
  January 16, 2020, 7:05 pm
  

  A Canadian court on Monday will consider a US request to hand over Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou, whose arrest 13 months ago on fraud charges plunged Canada-China relations into a deep freeze. The extradition hearing comes after Beijing detained two Canadians and blocked billions of dollars worth of Canadian agricultural shipments in apparent retaliation for Meng's arrest. Taking her into custody also stuck Canada in the middle of a row between China and the US, which views Huawei as a security risk.

  
  

  
  
• Bureaucracy to brutality: New evidence reveals IS hierarchy
  January 16, 2020, 12:13 pm
  

  Documents compiled by a U.S.-based Syrian rights group reveal how Islamic State militants used one of their most powerful bureaucratic bodies to regulate daily life and impose and execute penalties. The Washington-based Syria Justice and Accountability Center said Thursday that the evidence ? documents produced by IS itself ? could help identify individuals responsible for atrocities during the militants' four-year reign of terror and lead to criminal prosecutions. The 24-page report, called ?Judge, Jury and Executioner,? is based on dozens of documents obtained by SJAC from inside Syria and collected by a local activist from abandoned IS offices in Raqqa province, where the militants also had their self-declared capital in a city that carries the same name.

  
  

  
  
• After India's Amazon snub, Modi's party slams Bezos-owned Washington Post
  January 16, 2020, 11:34 pm
  

  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party on Friday slammed editorial policies of billionaire Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post, even as his e-commerce firm Amazon announced plans to create a million jobs in the country by 2025. Vijay Chauthaiwale, chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) foreign affairs department, said there was "a lot of problem" with the newspaper's coverage of India, but gave no examples. The swipe at the Post came a day after a cabinet minister gave short shrift to Amazon's investment plans for India.

  
  

  
  
• Wealthy CEOs complain about feeling 'unsafe' because of homeless people in Sa...
  January 16, 2020, 10:01 am
  

  A major healthcare conference in San Francisco this week has sparked a debate about the California city?s homeless crisis as wealthy executives and investors complain of feeling 'unsafe'.The city rakes in $51m (£39m) each year from the annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference despite growing concerns about the city?s homeless population among attendees of the healthcare industry?s leading conference, according to Bloomberg News.

  
  

  
  
• The Iranian government is turning on its military after it lied about the dow...
  January 16, 2020, 3:27 am
  

  Experts say the Iranian government's U-turn on its military reflects that it is struggling to control the narrative around the downing of the plane.

  
  

  
  

Channel 8 San Diego

• Parnas said he is speaking out because he is afraid of William Barr
  January 16, 2020, 8:08 pm
  

  Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas said he was giving media interviews about his role in President Trump?s attempts convince Ukrainian officials to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden because he wanted to protect himself from Attorney General William Barr.

  
  

  
  
• Therapist charged with killing family faced fraud probe
  January 16, 2020, 11:28 am
  

  A physical therapist charged with killing his wife, three children and dog in a home near Walt Disney World and leaving their bodies there for days was being investigated in Connecticut for health care fraud motivated by his need to pay off personal loans, according to court documents unsealed this week. Anthony Todt was being investigated for submitting fraudulent claims for physical therapy by the FBI and agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to an affidavit and criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Connecticut. According to agents, the allegations involved Todt and his Colchester, Connecticut-base clinics submitting claims to Medicaid and private insurers for physical therapy services that weren't given to patients.

  
  

  
  
• An ISIS preacher captured in Iraq was apparently so overweight that police ha...
  January 17, 2020, 7:36 am
  

  Shifa al-Nima was captured in the Mansour neighborhood of Mosul by the Nineveh police command, according to Iraqi police.

  
  

  
  
• 'You have not seen anything yet,' climate activist Greta says ahead of Davos
  January 17, 2020, 9:10 am
  

  Swedish activist Greta Thunberg marched with 10,000 protesters in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Friday and said "you have not seen anything yet" before some head to Davos next week to challenge the global financial elite to fight climate change. "So, we are now in a new year and we have entered a new decade and so far, during this decade, we have seen no sign whatsoever that real climate action is coming and that has to change,? Thunberg said in a speech in Lausanne. Hundreds will take trains over the weekend and then march to Klosters near Davos, the annual gathering of world political and business leaders that Thunberg is attending for the second year in a row and will take part in two panel events.

  
  

  
  
• Jordan, Meadows Send Letter to FISA Court Questioning Kris Appointment
  January 16, 2020, 1:10 pm
  

  House Oversight Committee Republicans Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows issued nine demands to FISA Court presiding judge James Boasberg in a Thursday letter in response to the appointment of Obama Department of Justice lawyer David Kris to help oversee the FBI?s reform of FISA applications.The letter, obtained by National Review, asked Boasberg to identify who else besides Kris was considered, whether Kris?s past defense of the FISA application to surveil Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page was taken into account, and whether ?the FISC bears any responsibility for the illegal surveillance of Carter Page,? among other concerns.?If the FISC?s goal is to hold the FBI accountable for its serious misconduct, Mr. Kris does not appear to be an objective ? or likely effective ? amicus curiae for several reasons,? the letter states. ?At minimum, the selection of Mr. Kris creates a perception that he is too personally invested on the side of the FBI to ensure it effectuates meaningful reform.?A Republican official with knowledge of the letter told National Review that the letter signaled a concerted Congressional effort to reform FISA.?For too long, the FBI has remained largely un-checked when it comes to the FISA process. Congress must ensure that FISC stands ready to protect civil liberties without even the slightest indicia of political bias,? he said.The letter appears to be a follow-up to Monday comments from Meadows, who said in an interview that Republicans were ?appealing this to the Judge? regarding Kris's appointment. The North Carolina Congressman also slammed the move to appoint Kris, saying that ?there?s no way? Kris is the right man to address abuses ?if he doesn?t even acknowledge that there is a problem.?Kris, a former assistant attorney general in the Obama DOJ?s national security division, has extensive experience with the FISA Court, serving as an amicus curiae, or special adviser, since March 2016.A frequent contributor to Lawfare blog, Kris was an outspoken defender of the FBI?s authority in surveilling Page, who was accused of being a Russian agent.Following the release of heavily-redacted FISA applications used to surveil Page in July 2018, Kris doubled down. ?It seems to me very likely that if we get below the tip of the iceberg into the submerged parts and more is revealed, it will get worse, not better,? for Page, he told MSNBC?s Rachel Maddow at the time. The letter references Kris's comment to Maddow as evidence that he is biased in favor of the bureau and against Page.DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz revealed in December that the FBI knowingly withheld information that Page was a CIA informant in order to obtain a FISA warrant against him, and even doctored an email to keep the information from the court. The report also revealed that the bureau did not inform the FISC of the partisan origins of the uncorroborated Steele dossier despite its playing a "central and essential" role in their application to surveil Page.In their letter, Jordan and Meadows also request that Boasberg give greater insight into the details surrounding the court?s assessment of the Page applications, including when it ?first received any indication that information contained in the FBI?s surveillance applications for Carter Page was misleading or false.?

  
  

  
  
• Nazi Leader Paraphrasing Costs Brazil Culture Secretary His Job
  January 17, 2020, 9:18 am
  

  (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro fired the country?s culture secretary after he paraphrased notorious Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels in a video that stirred outrage in the nation.Roberto Alvim said that Brazilian art over the next decade will be ?heroic? or ?it will be nothing,? similarly to remarks made by Goebbels decades ago, according to a video posted on social networks early on Friday. Within hours, the term ?Goebbels? became one of the top trending topics on Twitter in Brazil, and lawmakers including Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, who is Jewish, called for Alvim?s immediate removal.Music by Richard Wagner, who was Hitler?s favorite composer, plays in the background of the video posted by the culture secretary. An official photo of Bolsonaro looms over him, while a cross and a Brazilian flag can also be seen.In a subsequent interview with a local radio station, Alvim denied that he was a Nazi and said he was unaware that he had copied part of a speech made by Goebbels. ?It was an unfortunate rhetorical coincidence,? he said. Alvim also said in a post on his Facebook page that ?there is nothing wrong with the sentence.?In a statement dismissing Alvim, Bolsonaro said that ?unfortunate? remarks made it impossible for the secretary to remain in the job. ?I reiterate our repudiation of totalitarian and genocidal ideologies,? Bolsonaro said in the statement. ?We also express our total and unrestricted support to the Jewish community.?The remarks represent the latest source of public uproar under the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro, who rose to the nation?s top job in part due to his non-conventional views. Bolsonaro has maintained a loyal support base, many of whom criticize the political left for being overly sensitive.Read More: Oscar-Nominated Netflix Film Is Slammed by Brazil?s BolsonaroWhile lacking status as a ministry, Brazil?s culture secretary oversees the nation?s culture and entertainment and provides millions of reais in financing to projects in those areas. In the local radio interview later Friday, Alvim said that he had explained the misunderstanding to Bolsonaro, and that his explanation was accepted by the president.Hitler ConfidantGoebbels was a government minister and close confidant of Adolf Hitler. He was known for his virulent antisemitism and calls for extermination of Jewish people, as well as for his strong oratory skills.Alvim?s remarks are unacceptable, according to a statement from Brazil?s Israeli confederation, known as Conib. ?A person with those thoughts should not command the culture of our country and should be removed from the post immediately,? the statement said.In recent months, Bolsonaro has drawn international scrutiny by suggesting that NGOs were to blame for Amazon rainforest fires and making sarcastic comments about the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. Before assuming the presidency, he downplayed Brazil?s history of slavery and made offensive comments against groups including women.(Updats with firing of Brazil?s top culture official)To contact the reporter on this story: Simone Iglesias in Brasília at spiglesias@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Walter Brandimarte at wbrandimarte@bloomberg.net, ;Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, Matthew MalinowskiFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

  
  

  
  
• Princess Cruises responds after 'Marriage Story' actress speaks out, sues all...
  January 17, 2020, 5:57 am
  

  A "Marriage Story" actress and her husband are suing Princess Cruises, alleging their room was infested with bedbugs.

  
  

  
  
• Mexico offers 4,000 jobs to new migrant caravan
  January 17, 2020, 12:03 pm
  

  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered 4,000 jobs Friday to migrants in a new caravan currently crossing Central America toward the United States. The caravan, which formed in Honduras this week and is making its way across Guatemala, currently has around 3,000 migrants, Lopez Obrador said. According to Guatemala's new President Alejandro Giammattei, Mexico has vowed to use "everything at its disposal" to stop them.

  
  

  
  
• Some Weird Gas Balls Are Swirling Around Sagittarius A*
  January 17, 2020, 12:57 pm
  

  But they behave just like stars.

  
  

  
  
• Impeachment and a path to redemption for Trump
  January 16, 2020, 10:23 am
  

  President Trump?s most effective path forward, not only to prevail in the impeachment proceedings but to end this ordeal and create a strong position from which to govern, is to follow the Clinton model rather than the Nixon path. 

  
  

  
  
• Wealthy CEOs complain about feeling 'unsafe' because of homeless people in Sa...
  January 16, 2020, 10:01 am
  

  A major healthcare conference in San Francisco this week has sparked a debate about the California city?s homeless crisis as wealthy executives and investors complain of feeling 'unsafe'.The city rakes in $51m (£39m) each year from the annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference despite growing concerns about the city?s homeless population among attendees of the healthcare industry?s leading conference, according to Bloomberg News.

  
  

  
  
• The Best Compact Fitness Equipment Under $300
  January 16, 2020, 10:56 am
  

  
  

  
  
• Reuters poll: Sanders climbs, now tied with Biden among registered voters
  January 17, 2020, 11:32 am
  

  Sen. Bernie Sanders has been steadily climbing in popularity this year and is now tied with former Vice President Joe Biden for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination among registered voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national poll.

  
  

  
  
• Former U.S. Marine: Suleimani?s Killing Is the Apotheosis of American 'Strate...
  January 16, 2020, 6:06 am
  

  A strategy that has achieved the opposite of its promises is a failure. Before another moment is wasted, Americans need to ask their leaders the same question General David Petraeus plaintively asked at the height of the Iraq War: ?Tell me how this ends.?

  
  

  
  
• Report: Israeli home demolitions in east Jerusalem spiked
  January 16, 2020, 8:00 am
  

  Israeli authorities demolished homes in Palestinian areas of east Jerusalem at a significantly higher rate in 2019 than the previous year, according to an Israeli advocacy group. In a new report, Ir Amim said 104 housing units were demolished in 2019, compared() to 72 units in 2018. Aviv Tatarsky, the Ir Amim researcher who wrote the report released Wednesday, said the group found that only 7% of housing units advanced by city planners last year were for Palestinian neighborhoods.

  
  

  
  

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