Skimm Quiz - 2/14

2/8 - Matthew Whitaker Testimony

*Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker* will *testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee* today. Whitaker's the temporary top dog of the DOJ and currently overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. House Dems asked him to swing by and answer a few questions. And threatened to subpoena him if he didn't. Ok hear us out. Whitaker's the temporary top dog of the DOJ and currently overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. House Dems asked him to swing by and answer a few questions. And threatened to subpoena him if he didn't. Yep. Here's why it gets dicey: *convos with the prez can be protected under executive privilege. Meaning, Whitaker can refuse to answer some of Dems' questions.* Dems aren't happy about that - and wanted to know in advance how cooperative Whitaker will be. After a full-day showdown Whitaker said, 'calm down, I'll be there.' *But it's still not clear what he's willing to answer. He's also not expected to have his job as acting AG much longer.* That's because yesterday, William Barr - Trump's pick for attorney general - got the go-ahead for a full Senate vote on his nomination. It could happen as soon as next week. ------------------------------ The Senate Judiciary Committee approved William Barr's attorney general nomination on Thursday, voting along party lines to send Barr's nomination to the full Senate.

Wed 2/13 - Esquire

*Esquire is getting roasted for debuting a cover on Tuesday — in the midst of Black History Month* — *about its next issue, devoted to the struggles of a white, middle-class teen*. *The March issue of the men's glossy features a lengthy profile about 17-year-old Ryan Morgan, a high school senior from West Bend, Wisconsin, with the headline "An American Boy."*

Thu 2/14 - FEMA

*FEMA Administrator Brock Long said he's resigning*. Brock led the agency during some of the worst natural disasters in US history, like the Camp Fire in California and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. He was criticized for FEMA's slow response to Maria, where thousands of people died. And for using gov vehicles for personal use. Brock said it was "a great honor to serve our country." ------------------------ Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, announced his resignation Wednesday, ending his tenure after responding to some of the worst storms and wildfires to hit the United States in modern history but also coming under scrutiny for his use of official vehicles. *Long, appointed by President Donald Trump, oversaw the administration during violent hurricane seasons that battered Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas and during some of the worst forest fires in California history*. *FEMA's slow response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico* became a point of fierce criticism against Trump and his administration.

Fri 2/8 - Frank Robinson & John Dingell

*Frank Robinson - the 83-year-old baseball legend - passed away.* He was the *first black manager in Major League Baseball and the only player to win MVP in both the National and American leagues.* He was *inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame* the first year he was eligible. Meanwhile, former *Rep. John Dingell* (D-MI) - *the longest-serving member of Congress - passed away yesterday at the age of 92 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer*. He was the *chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee for 16 years and played an important role in passing* many major pieces of legislation we have today (think: *the Civil Rights Act, the Affordable Care Act, and more*). -------------------------- *Frank Robinson, the first African-American manager in Major League Baseball and the only player to win MVP in both leagues, has died at age 83*, MLB said Thursday. ------------------------- Former *Rep. John Dingell, the longest serving member of Congress on record and a politician whose voice loomed large even after he left Capitol Hill, passed away Thursday*. He was 92.

Wed 2/13 - Tennessee & Marriage

*Lawmakers in Tennessee reintroduced a bill to ignore the Supreme Court's 2015 decision legalizing gay marriage. If passed, the bill would consider that ruling "unauthoritative, void, and of no effect." And prohibit gov officials from facilitating same-sex marriages.* Lawmakers have voted on this before, and it failed. But some LGBTQ advocates are worried it could pass this time around, reportedly arguing that there's still some prejudice in the state. ----------------------------- *The "Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act," which was first proposed in 2016, seeks to "defend natural marriage between one man and one woman regardless of any court decision to the contrary."* The bill, which was reintroduced on Friday, would deem the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges "unauthoritative, void, and of no effect."

Thu 2/14 - Oscars LMAO

*The winners' speeches will air later during the broadcast. In a break with tradition, the Academy Awards in four categories will be presented during commercial breaks when the 91st Oscars are broadcast by ABC on Feb. 24. The affected categories are cinematography, film editing, live-action short and makeup and hairstyling.*

Wed 2/13 - 21 Savage

*Today, the UK-born rapper is expected to be released on bond after more than a week in ICE custody for allegedly overstaying his visa.* His application for a new visa is apparently pending. And he could still face deportation. But Jay-Z's got his back - and hired a lawyer to help him out. -------------------------- The rapper, whose given name is *She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested during a targeted immigration operation early on Feb. 3.* Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said at the time that the *British citizen had overstayed his visa and had a felony conviction.*

Mon 2/11 - Turkey & Uighurs

*Turkey is calling for an end to the mass incarceration of Uighurs in China.* They're a Turkic ethnic group of *mostly Sunni Muslims in the Xinjiang region of China*. In 2009, riots erupted in Xinjiang's capital, killing almost 200 people. And in 2012, a group of Muslim men killed 12 people in the Xinjiang area. Since then, the Chinese gov has cracked down on Uighurs, saying they're connected to terrorists. And responded by restricting travel in the region and being wary of men who grow out their beards. Last year, a UN panel found that an estimated *1 million Uighurs or more have been detained in the Xinjiang region.* China says that these camps provide job training and help fight extremism and terrorism. International community says that they're reportedly forced labor camps. And people who've been released from them say the camps are being used to get Uighurs to kick their devotion to Islam to the curb. ---------------------------------------- Around 2 million *Uighurs and Muslim minorities* (1 million uighurs only) were forced into "political camps for indoctrination" in the western Xinjiang autonomous region. -------------------- Former inmates—most of whom are Uighurs, a largely Muslim ethnic minority—have told reporters that over the course of an indoctrination process lasting several months, *they were forced to renounce Islam, criticize their own Islamic beliefs and those of fellow inmates, and recite Communist Party propaganda songs for hours each day.* *There are media reports of inmates being forced to eat pork and drink alcohol,*

Tues 2/12 - Mental Health Foundation Study

*Work is one of the biggest sources of stress in our lives, second only to health problems, according to a survey for the Mental Health Foundation last year.* *Elaine Lui is the fast-talking founder of the celebrity news site Laineygossip. She wakes up every day between 4.30am and 5.30am, but will, if she needs to, stay up all night to finish a book or, say, cover the Golden Globes.* Normal days for her are broken up into mostly 10- to 15-minute chunks. The smallest slot is three minutes, to go to the toilet; the longest, her weekly 90-minute email session.

Fri 2/8 - Apple FT Group Call Glitch & Instagram

*iOS 12.1.4 includes a fix for a group FaceTime bug that let people eavesdrop on conversations even if they never answered a call.* The bug went viral last week after 14-year old Grant Thompson discovered that, while group FaceTiming with friends on his iPhone, he was able to hear someone who hadn't picked up when he called. *Apple will compensate the teenager and his family for discovering the flaw. It will also make a contribution toward Grant's education.* ------------------------------------ Instagram today announced that *IGTV previews will begin showing up in users' main feeds* starting today. (*kinda FAKE smfh*) Ideally, you would have to tap the one-minute previews to go watch the full video in IGTV, something I can't imagine anyone would want to do voluntarily. Instagram first introduced its vertical-video platform last June as a standalone app, and since then, *the company has been aggressively pushing its content by integrating IGTV into the main app*, putting IGTV videos in the Explore tab, and putting out occasional notification banners for new videos

Tues 2/12 - AI & Trump

AI isn't necessarily all good news. *There's concerns about the unintended consequences that could come with it - everything from privacy issues to safety concerns to bias against minorities. Ask Google and Microsoft.* The US might be the leader in AI tech now. But China and other countries are coming in hot. And more than a dozen - including China, Canada, and France - have apparently beaten the US to announce national AI strategies. But unlike other countries, which have apparently invested millions to billions in this technology, the US isn't setting aside any new money specific to AI research and development. It's leaving that up to Congress. But encouraging federal agencies to prioritize AI in their existing budgets. We did. And it's kind of the elephant in the room. In 2017, China said it plans to become the world leader in AI. Fast forward to now and the US and China are in the middle of a trade war. And the beef goes deeper than tariffs. It's also over who will be leading the economic world stage - which tech plays a big part in. We've already seen this playing out with 5G technology and the US's approach to Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Now, we're seeing it with AI. ------------------------ A much-hyped network upgrade called "5G" means different things to different people. To industry proponents, it's the next huge innovation in wireless internet. To the U.S. government, it's the backbone technology of a future that America will wrestle with China to control. To many average people, it's simply a mystery. --------------------------------------- The arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada for possible Iran sanctions violations yesterday has deeper roots in a difficult legal history between the hardware giant and U.S. regulators and intelligence agencies. The U.S. government has spent the better part of the last decade taking issue with the company over topics including the firm's alleged espionage ties to the Chinese government and allegations of a long history of *intellectual property theft.* *Huawei is one of China's largest companies, with a reported $100 billion in revenue in 2018 and 180,000 employees across 170 global offices.*

Fri 2/8 - Jeff Bezos & Extortion

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said *he was the target of "extortion and blackmail" by the publisher of the National Enquirer.* Last month, Bezos and his wife announced they were getting divorced after 25 years of marriage. Shortly after, *the Enquirer* published a story that *revealed an extramarital affair* on Jeff's part *with former TV anchor Lauren Sanchez.* He then started investigating how the tabloid got text messages about the relationship, and his investigators suggested this was politically motivated. Now, *Bezos is alleging the Enquirer threatened to publish revealing personal photos if he didn't back off and publicly say it had nothing to do with politics.* ------------------------- Bezos, who is also owner of The Washington Post, detailed his interactions with American Media Inc., or AMI, in an extraordinary blog post Thursday on Medium.com. He said, the Enquirer wanted him to make a public statement that the tabloid's coverage was not politically motivated. Bezos' accusations add another twist to a high-profile clash between the world's richest man and the leader of America's best-known tabloid, a strong backer of President Donald Trump. Bezos' investigators have suggested the Enquirer's coverage of his affair — which included the release of risque texts — was driven by dirty politics. "Of course I don't want personal photos published, but I also won't participate in their well-known practice of blackmail, political favors, political attacks, and corruption," Bezos wrote of AMI, in explaining his decision to go public. "I prefer to stand up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out."

Mon 2/11 - BAFTA & Grammys (i swear if this is on the quiz i will BE SO MAD AT YOU)

BAFTA = British Oscars Best film of the year went to Roma. The Favourite actually did pretty well at the BAFTAs. It took home seven golden masks, including Best Leading Actress (for Olivia Colman), Best Costume Design, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (for Rachel Weisz), Best Makeup And Hair, Best Production Design, and Outstanding British Film. ------------------------- *Kacey Musgraves won album of the year.* *Childish Gambino* made history with the first rap song to *win record and song of the year - but wasn't there to accept the awards.* And *Cardi B made history as the first solo woman to take home best rap album*. She also made waves off the stage. Speaking of, the red carpet was extra red. *Drake GOT CUT OFF by Grammys*. Host Alicia Keys got by with a little help from her friends. *Dolly Parton got a lot of love. JLo didn't.* Janelle Monáe made us feel. So did Diana Ross' grandson. And not everyone was ready for that "Aladdin" trailer.

Mon 2/11 - Jeff Bezos & Enquirer

CEO Jeff Bezos is still at war with the National Enquirer. Bezos is accusing the Enquirer of trying to extort and blackmail him. And says this could have been politically motivated since he's the owner of The Washington Post - which has reported on President Trump, a friend of the CEO of the Enquirer's parent co. Now, the Enquirer's parent co is denying any foul play. And is accusing Bezos of threatening the Enquirer by accusing it of shady business dealings with Saudi Arabia. ---------------------------- Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accused the National Enquirer of "extortion and blackmail" involving a story published last month. Bezos had announced an investigation into how the Enquirer had obtained texts and photos revealing he'd had an affair. According to emails he posted, *the tabloid then threatened to reveal compromising photos if Bezos didn't drop his complaint and state that the National Enquirer wasn't working on behalf of President Donald Trump or any other political agent.*

Mon 2/11 - Denver Teachers & Museums w/Drug $

Denver teachers. Today, after more than a year of failed negotiations, teachers in Denver are going on strike for the first time in 25 years to protest for better pay. Yes, this is part of a trend. ------------------------------------------- Thousands of educators in the state's largest school district will walk off the job Monday after more than 15 months of failed negotiations over teacher compensation. Both sides claim to have proposals they say will improve the current pay scale that determines how and what teachers get paid. The teachers' union has proposed $28.5 million for teacher compensation; the district had only offered $23.3 million in return as of Saturday night. On top of the $5.2 million difference, both sides disagree on how teachers should go about increasing their compensation over the years. --------------------- Speaking of protests, *people are protesting museums like the Guggenheim and the Met for accepting money from the Sackler family.* *The Sacklers own Purdue Pharma - the producers of OxyContin, which has been tied to the country's deadly opioid epidemic.* Now, some are calling for museums to turn down donations and stop naming buildings after the fam.

Wed 2/13 - Police Shootings

In recent years, The Washington Post has been tracking the number of people killed by police in the US. Yesterday, it said that *the number has stayed steady at almost 1,000 people killed each year. (four years in a row now)* Meaning things like police reforms and public attention on the issue aren't having much of an effect. One potential reason: police shootings are statistically rare compared to the millions of interactions police have with civilians - and apparently that makes them hard to prevent. But *some experts say that if there were fewer civilians with guns, we might see a decline.*

Thu 2/14 - History w/Iran

Iran's beef with the US goes back decades to when the US helped overthrow Iran's gov. *The US accuses Iran of sponsoring terrorism, buddying up with bad actors like Syria's Bashar al-Assad*, and threatening US allies in the region like Israel and Saudi Arabia. Last year, *President Trump pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal - saying the deal doesn't do enough to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons.* And just yesterday, a report came out that the *US is secretly working to stop Iran from building up its missile program*. There's exactly zero trust between the two. But no - there's no evidence to Iran's claim that the US was involved in yesterday's deadly bombing. ----------------- On Aug. 19, 2013, the CIA publicly admitted for the first time its involvement in the *1953 coup against Iran's elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh.*

Thu 2/14 - Opportunity NASA Rover

NASA is saying goodbye to its Mars rover Opportunity. Yesterday, the agency declared it dead. Opportunity had been on the red planet since 2004, and collected important evidence - like that there was once water there. It had been silent since a dust storm there last summer. NASA says it's "hard and very poignant" to say goodbye. ---------------------------- After falling silent eight months ago during a severe dust storm that swept across the Red Planet, NASA's Mars Opportunity rover has been officially declared dead. NASA made the announcement Wednesday during an emotional media briefing at the space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. *The agency said it had ended its efforts to communicate with Opportunity after sending more than 1,000 radio signals its way, including some just last night.*

Thu 2/14 - National Debt & Google

National debt for the first time *passed $22 trillion this week — a big, scary number that really doesn't pose much of a danger now but threatens to in the future* President Barack Obama's administration racked up nearly as much debt in eight years than in the entire 232-year history of the country before he took office. *He entered with $10.6 trillion in total debt and left with the country owing $19.9 trillion. That's an average tab of $1.16 trillion a year.* Under President Donald Trump, the debt also has climbed. *The $2.06 trillion increase works out to about $991 billion a year*, or slightly less than the pace Obama had set. -------------------------- So is Google's footprint. Yesterday, *the tech giant said it's investing $13 billion in new offices and data centers around the US*. The company says it'll be able to add *tens of thousands of jobs with the new digs*. This all comes a couple months after *the company announced it's opening a $1 billion campus in NYC.*

Tues 2/12 - BET & Shoes

Nicki Minaj on Monday took to Twitter to let it be known that she will no longer be participating in BET's upcoming BET Experience festival this summer. The rapper made the decision after the network unfavorably compared her to hip-hop rival Cardi B. Following Cardi B's historic win at Sunday night's Grammy Awards — she became the first solo female rapper to win the award for best rap album — BET tweeted a news item about it, which included this line: "Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj is being dragged by her lacefront." ------------- According to USA Today, the two designs—the Rue Face slip-on loafer, and the Ora Face sandal—were yanked from *Katy Perry's clothing line's official website on Monday.* Both items feature eyes, a nose, and a mouth set against an all-black background, and each retailed for $129. Not long after the items disappeared from Perry's site, they were removed from the online stores of multiple retailers, including Walmart and Dillards, according to TMZ. The site noted the singer's company was in the process of pulling the shoes from the market entirely.

Tues 2/12 - Sports (omfg what is with the skimm and sports)

Oklahoma QB *Kyler Murray said he's going all-in for the NFL. The problem: he already signed an MLB contract with the Oakland Athletics last year*. Ever since Murray won the Heisman Trophy a couple months ago, *everyone's been wondering if he'll stick with one sport or play both professionally* (it's been done before). *Now Murray's sticking with the NFL, saying that "football has been my love and passion." Meaning he's apparently ditching the A's.* --------------------------------------- In other news leading ESPN, *Kareem Hunt. The former Kansas City Chiefs running back signed with the Cleveland Browns. Last year, video came out of him allegedly assaulting a woman in a hotel*. He was never arrested or charged for it. But the Chiefs kicked him off the team as a result, making him a free agent. *He was also put on the NFL commissioner's exempt list - meaning he can get picked up by a team, but he can't play while the NFL investigates.* Yesterday, the Browns and Hunt made things official. The team said it doesn't condone Hunt's actions and that "any similar incident will not be tolerated."

Thu 2/14 - Vatican & Microsoft + FTC

Pope Francis met privately on Wednesday with Microsoft President Brad Smith and the head of a Vatican scientific office that promotes Catholic Church positions on human life. The Vatican said Smith and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia of the Pontifical Academy for Life told Francis about the *international prize for an individual who has successfully defended a dissertation on ethical issues involving artificial intelligence.* The *winner will receive 6,000 euros ($6,900) and an invitation to Microsoft's Seattle headquarters.* The Vatican says Smith discussed artificial intelligence "at the service of the common good" during the papal meeting. ----------------------- *President Donald Trump released an executive order on Monday that laid out a broad plan — but no new funding — for how the US will get ahead on artificial intelligence. The "American AI Initiative" comes at a time when the US is competing fiercely with China and other countries to better develop AI technology* — which has wide-reaching applications, from the military to the health sector. -------------------------- The Federal Trade Commission is celebrating Valentine's Day by reminding people to not get scammed when looking for love. The *agency received more than 21,000 reports about romance scams in 2018, with total reported losses of $143 million. Of those who said they lost money in a romance scam, the median amount lost was $2,600* — seven times more than the median loss for other types of frauds tracked by the FTC.

Tues 2/12 - Trump & AI

President Trump wants federal agencies to lean in on artificial intelligence. Anything from the *Department of Transportation using AI tech to help prevent road accidents - to the NOAA using it to fix some weather predictions*. Yesterday, Trump signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to invest more in AI. There are five pillars. The goal is to get federal agencies to...invest in using AI to achieve their goals. Encourage them to share data with researchers to achieve breakthroughs. Help Americans prep for potential job displacement from AI through things like training programs. Work with other countries to develop all this - while putting America's biz interests and values front and center. And create standards for safe and ethical AI use. ---------------------- President Tump signed an executive order creating the "American AI Initiative" — a high-level strategy guiding AI development within the US. *This initiative will redirect federal funding and resources towards AI research, as well as call for the creation of US-led international standards in AI*, and new research into the retraining of American workers. *But the program includes no new funding for AI development, and is thin on details.* The administration is not sharing any timelines for reaching its stated goals, and is instead promising a more detailed plan some time in the coming six months.

Mon 2/11 - Virginia Democrats

Pressure on Fairfax ramps up: Key supporters are calling for the Lieutenant governor's resignation after a second woman accuses him of sexual assault. Fairfax has denied both allegations. Northam hangs on: One week ago, fellow Democrats thought the governor of Virginia would resign over a racist yearbook photo. But nothing's happened. Herring laying low: Since admitting Wednesday of his own blackface episode in 1980, Virginia's attorney general has stayed out of the public eye. -------------------- *Northam refers to enslaved Africans as "indentured servants from Africa"* *Northam has no plans to resign. But he says Fairfax should if the allegations are true.* *Fairfax accusers say they are willing to testify at impeachment hearings*

Tues 2/12 - Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). *She's a freshman congresswoman and one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress. She's also been in hot water for language that's been called anti-Semitic.* She tweeted that lawmakers' support for Israel is "all about the Benjamins" - *implying that lawmakers with pro-Israel policies were getting money from lobbying group AIPAC - the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.* Her comments were called out for *evoking anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews.* This isn't the first time Omar's been accused of anti-Semitic language while criticizing Israel. Yesterday, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned her comments. Dem leaders - including *House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) - called her comments "deeply offensive."* Omar says she "unequivocally" apologizes and that she didn't mean to offend Jewish Americans. But she says she still wants to call out what she sees as problems with lobbying from AIPAC and other groups.

Mon 2/11 - AOC

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took a creative approach to highlighting the need for campaign finance reform on Wednesday, using her new seat on the House Oversight Committee to *engage a panel of ethics experts in a "Corruption Game."* "Let's play a lightning round game," Ocasio-Cortez began. *"I'm gonna be the bad guy and I want to get away with as much bad things as possible, ideally to enrich myself and advance my interests, even if that means putting my interests ahead of the American people."*

Mon 2/11 - The Wall & Pres Candidates

Republicans and Democrats still can't agree on border funding. Tonight, President Trump will be in the border city of El Paso, Texas, which he called one of the US's "most dangerous cities" before it got a fence along its southern border. Fact check: *crime was falling there before fencing was built*. Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX) will be speaking at a counter-protest nearby. -------------------------------------- Negotiations to stop another government shutdown have stalled, *as lawmakers remain at an impasse over border security*. If an agreement on funding the government isn't reached by *Friday at midnight, the government could partially shut down again.* Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee put the odds of a deal at 50-50. "I think the next 24 hours are crucial. We could close some deals, but they've got to be good, to secure our borders," A Democratic congressional aide tells NPR *talks have broken down over how many detention beds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be funded through the agreement.* *Democrats want to limit the number of beds to force the Trump administration to prioritize arresting and deporting serious criminals, not law-abiding immigrants.* --------------------------------------------- In El Paso — *a city with a population of about 700,000 — violent crime has been cut in half since the 1990s, and the most up-to-date crime rate there was fewer than 400 incidents per 100,000 people.* ----------------------- O'Rourke will join *a one-mile march along the US border before speaking at across the street from Trump's rally* on February 11, CNN reported. The march, organized by Women's March El Paso, is advertised as *"March for Truth: Stop the Wall, Stop the Lies."* ------------------------------ Standing on a snow-covered stage in Boom Island Park in Minneapolis, where the temperatures had dipped to a freezing 14 degrees, *Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota announced her candidacy while invoking her family's deep roots in the Midwest*, a key battleground for Democrats as they look to rebuild their *blue wall in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.*

Thu 2/14 - Ryan Adams

Singer-songwriter and seven-time *Grammy nominee Ryan Adams. Yesterday, a report came out with seven women - including his ex-wife Mandy Moore - accusing him of manipulative behavior and sexual misconduct.* Things ranging from emotional and verbal abuse to sexting with an underage girl. *Adams apologized for some of the behavior. But denied that he knowingly had a sexual relationship with an underage girl.*

Wed 2/13 - Spain's Trial

Spain is having its trial of the century. *On trial: a dozen politicians and activists who organized the 2017 Catalan independence referendum.* For years, Catalans have been split about whether the semi-autonomous region should break off from the rest of Spain. The push to leave ramped up because of the 2008 financial crisis - and many in the wealthy region felt it was bringing in a major part of the country's cash flow. Catalans voted to leave, but Spain said the vote violated the constitution. It dissolved the local gov and many Catalan leaders fled. *Now, Spain's holding a trial against the main people in charge of the vote who stayed behind, accusing them of things like rebellion and sedition. Catalonia's former VP faces up to 25 years in prison.* That's what this trial could help determine. What it's showing though, is how much the country is divided over it. Yesterday, protests broke out on both sides. *Those supporting Spain say the 2017 referendum was pretty much an attempted coup. Those supporting Catalonia say those on trial are "political prisoners" fighting for basic rights like freedom of expression and the right to vote.* This case is expected to last for a few months. *Depending on how the judges rule, it could lead to another independence referendum. And an independent Catalonia could mean a cash-deprived Spain*. It could also set a precedent for other places that could attempt their own separatist movements in the EU. ------------------------------ A dozen people who helped lead Catalonia's failed secession bid more than a year ago entered the Supreme Court in Madrid on Tuesday to face charges including rebellion, criminal organization and the misappropriation of public funds — holding Spain in the grips of a highly politicized televised trial. The highest-profile defendant is *former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras*, who is facing a sentence of 25 years. Others face lesser sentences, all stemming from what became a constitutional crisis: *the Oct. 1, 2017, referendum in which voters declared independence from Spain by an overwhelming majority*. (Most Spain supporters boycotted the vote.) *Madrid, which had deemed the vote illegal, stepped in, dissolving the Catalan Parliament and imposing direct rule on what had been a semi-autonomous region.* Madrid called new elections in December, and Catalans again voted for pro-independence parties. ------------- Popular momentum for independence has never been stronger in Catalonia, *a wealthy region in northeastern Spain that generates one fifth of the country's economic output and is home to 16 percent of Spaniards.* *More than half of Catalans say they want a separate state, and hundreds of thousands marched in Barcelona last week - the biggest such show of separatist fervor.* --------------------- Catalan officials have claimed that preliminary results of its referendum have shown 90% in favour of independence in the vote vehemently opposed by Spain in 2017. ---------------------- As the most prosperous of Spain's 17 regions, *Catalonia houses roughly 19 percent of Spain's economy*, benefiting from tourism, exports, manufacturing, and industry.

Mon 2/11 - Spain & Hungary

Spain. Tomorrow, it's kicking off one of the country's highest-profile trials in years. Two years ago, leaders of Catalonia - the semi-autonomous part of Spain that includes Barcelona - held a vote on whether to declare independence. Spain wasn't amused. And sacked Catalonia's local government. Now, *it's holding a trial for 12 of the Catalan leaders who've been charged with things like rebellion.* But it's still causing some friction in the country - yesterday, *tens of thousands of people protested Spain's prime minister after it came out that he was open to easing tensions with Catalonia's pro-independence movement.* --------------------- Meanwhile, Hungary's right-wing prime minister is making news. He's long made it clear he's not a fan of migrants. But the country's population is declining as people are apparently looking for better job opportunities in Western Europe. Yesterday, the PM gave a speech promising that women who have four or more kids won't have to pay income taxes. The goal: to reduce the labor shortage and make Hungary More Hungarian Again. ------ Hungary's populist prime minister, Viktor Orbán promised that *women who have four or more children will never pay income tax again*, in a move aimed at boosting the country's population. *Orbán, who has emerged as Europe's loudest rightwing, anti-immigration voice in recent years, said getting Hungarian families to have more children was preferable to allowing immigrants from Muslim countries to enter.*

Thu 2/14 - US & Iran Relations

Spying...The Justice Dept has *charged a former US Air Force intelligence officer with spying for Iran - Monica Witt.* The officer allegedly helped hackers create fake Facebook accounts, and used them to catfish her old co-workers in the US intel community. *The goal: to install malware so Iran could track their computer activity and cameras. She also allegedly tipped Iran off to details of a classified US Defense program. She defected to Iran in 2013* Proxy wars...Yesterday, *the House voted to end US military support for Yemen's civil war. It's seen as a proxy war between regional rivals Saudi Arabia (which the US supports) and Iran. The war has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis including a deadly cholera outbreak and mass starvation.* Lawmakers have been pressing President Trump to end US support. But Trump has been doubling down on the US's relationship with Saudi Arabia as a way to keep Iran at bay. *If this passes in the Senate, it goes to Trump - who could veto it*. Bombing accusations...Yesterday, *a suicide bomber killed at least 27 people in Iran's military force - reportedly one of the deadliest attacks there in years.* *An al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility*. But Iran is trying to pit this on the US, pointing to the fact that the bombing happened the *same day the US is leading a conference in Europe about the Middle East.* Officials from *dozens of countries are in Poland to talk about Iran*. And other topics relevant to the Middle East, like fighting ISIS, the wars in Yemen and Syria, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. *But mostly Iran. Iran says the fact that the US is co-hosting this conference at the same time as this bombing seems suspicious.* ========================== Lawmakers are quick to point out that Trump wants to withdraw troops from the wars in Syria and Afghanistan as part of his "America First" approach, but he has shown less interest in limiting the U.S. role in Yemen. *The White House says the House resolution is "flawed" because U.S. troops are not directly involved in military action in Yemen, where the coalition is fighting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels* in a conflict largely seen as a proxy war involving the Mideast's dominant regional players. Since 2015, the administration says, the U.S. has provided support to the coalition, including intelligence and, until recently, aerial refueling, but it has not had forces involved in "hostilities." --------------- The U.N.'s humanitarian chief warned last week that 14 million people in Yemen — *or half of the country's population* — need aid to survive amid fears of an "imminent and great big famine."

Fri 2/8 - Abortion & Green New Deal

The *Supreme Court voted to temporarily block a Louisiana law that could have restricted abortion access there*. *Chief Justice John Roberts joined the liberals to vote against letting the law go into effect* while it's being challenged in the courts. And then there's the "Green New Deal." It's a resolution *Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other progressive Dems unveiled yesterday*, committing to get the US *down to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2028* We'll need big changes to US infrastructure, like *expanding high-speed rail to reduce the need for planes.* Plus, a lot of *investment into developing wind and solar energy*. Supporters - which include prez hopefuls like Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) - say it's about time we took climate change seriously. Especially considering the many alarm bells. *Critics say 'yeah but changing the entire economy within 10 years isn't exactly realistic.'* ----------------------------------- The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday *blocked Louisiana from enforcing a law that women's groups* said would *leave only a single doctor legally allowed to perform abortions in the state.* In Thursday's ruling, *Kavanaugh voted with the conservatives* — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch. *Kavanaugh filed a dissent, writing only for himself* He said he would have allowed the law to take effect in order to see whether it would impose a burden on women's access to abortion in the state. --------------------------------- *Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass*., think they have a start to a solution. *Thursday they are introducing a framework defining what they call a "Green New Deal"* — what they foresee as a massive policy package that would remake the U.S. economy and, they hope, eliminate all U.S. carbon emissions. In very broad strokes, *the Green New Deal legislation laid out by Ocasio-Cortez and Markey sets goals for some drastic measures to cut carbon emissions across the economy*, from *electricity generation to transportation to agriculture. In the process, it aims to create jobs and boost the economy.* Importantly, *it's a nonbinding resolution, meaning that even if it were to pass (more on the challenges to that below), it wouldn't itself create any new programs*. Instead, it would potentially affirm the sense of the House that these things should be done in the coming years. ------------------------------ The world's leading climate scientists have warned there is only *a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C*, beyond which *even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.* The authors of the landmark report by the *UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)* released on Monday say urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to reach the target. The *half-degree difference could also prevent corals from being completely eradicated and ease pressure on the Arctic* , according to the 1.5C study.

Wed 2/14 - Marjory Stoneman Douglas

The *one-year anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL that killed 17 people.* March for Our Lives - the movement the survivors started to push for stronger gun control legislation - will go dark on social media today to honor the victims. And *Florida's governor ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff.*

Wed 2/14 - Covington Catholic

The Covington Catholic High School students. The viral video of them (many in MAGA hats) and their interaction with a Native American activist was all over your news feed last month. *Many accused the students (and one teen in particular) of taunting the activist. But the situation turned out to be more complicated than the initial video showed.* This week, investigators hired by the *local diocese released a report that said that after reviewing hours of video and interviewing some of the people involved, it found no evidence that students used "racist or offensive statements."*

Tues 2/12 - FDA & Dietary Supplements

The FDA said it'll step up its oversight on dietary supplements. There's more than 50,000 kinds out there - and about *75% of Americans regularly take a supplement* But the FDA doesn't have to review supplements for safety before they hit the market, and some companies have been ignoring rules that stop them from claiming without proof that their pills help treat certain diseases. Now, the FDA wants to implement "one of the most significant modernizations" to help change that. It's starting by sending letters to companies guilty of claiming that their products treat Alzheimer's. *In the future, it plans to more quickly tell the public about unsafe supplements, among other plans.*

Tues 2/12 - IRS Tax Refunds & Wall

The IRS says that *2018 tax refunds have gone down compared to 2017 refunds.* But the Treasury Dept is saying 'take a large chill pill, please.' That's because it's too early in the tax season to know if that's true. Speaking of things that may be getting less money than expected: President Trump's border wall. Lawmakers say they've reached a deal to avoid another gov shutdown this week. *The details still need to be worked out, but the deal apparently sets aside $1.375 billion for border fencing* - less than the $5.7 billion Trump had asked for. It's unclear if Trump will sign off on it. ------------------------------------- The first tax season with President Donald Trump's new tax plan is under way and it's off to a disappointing start for early filers. *The average refund this year is down 8.4 percent, to $1,865*. Americans also don't seem to be eager to get a jump start on their taxes. *The total number of returns received for the first official week of tax season was 16.04 million. That's down 12.4 percent from the first week of last year's tax season.* ------------------------------- U.S. congressional negotiators on Monday reached a tentative deal to try to avert another partial government shutdown on Saturday, but *congressional aides said it did not contain the $5.7 billion President Donald Trump wants for a border wall.* *The aide said none of the money would be for a "wall," which Trump has been touting since he launched his campaign for president in 2016. Democrats say the wall would be costly and ineffective.* Two other congressional sources said only currently deployed designs *could be used for constructing 55 miles (90 km) of additional barriers. Those designs, which include "steel bollard" fencing, have been in use since before Trump became president.*

Wed 2/13 - Trump & Deal

Trump said he's "not happy" about the bipartisan agreement to set aside *$1.375 billion on border security* - rather than the $5.7 billion he asked for to build a wall. Trump's still hinting *he may declare a national emergency to get the wall built. But he says a gov shutdown (which would have taken effect on Friday at midnight) isn't likely right now*. The details of the deal still need to be worked out. But the House is expected to release the text of the bill and vote on it as soon as today. Speaking of DC talkers, the Green New Deal. Yesterday, *Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he'll bring the progressive bill on climate change to a vote.* Chances of it passing: slim to none, heavy on the none. But it looks like McConnell wants to get Dems on record about whether they agree with the plan as a tactic for 2020. ------------------------------ *"Am I happy? The answer is no, I'm not. I'm not happy," Trump said when questioned about the agreement during a meeting of his Cabinet at the White House. He said he was still studying the details of the agreement.* But he stopped short of saying he would reject the accord, which Democrats and Republicans announced late Monday. Instead, *he suggested he had other mechanisms ready to deploy to satisfy his need for border wall funding.* ------------------------------ Republican lawmakers challenged Democrats to back up their support for the "Green New Deal" on Tuesday, with *Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying he plans to bring the ambitious resolution to the Senate floor and conservatives in the House pressing for a vote in their chamber.* *The move by McConnell is an attempt to use the plan * spearheaded by freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) *to paint Democrats — including a half dozen presidential challengers —as far to the left of the American public in their support for a measure Republicans have derided as a "socialist fantasy."* *"I've noted with great interest the Green New Deal and we're going to be voting on that in the Senate," McConnell said. "We'll give everybody a chance to go on record and see how they feel about the Green New Deal."*

Mon 2/11 - Turkish-Chinese relationship

Turkey and China are close, so Turkey had been quiet about all this for a while. But *Turkish President Recep Erdogan apparently sees himself as a defender of Muslims and especially Turkic people.* Now, the country's describing the *detention of Uighur Muslims as a "great shame for humanity"* - a *rare case of a Muslim-majority country* speaking out against this. It's unclear. But Erdogan may be looking to take a stand on this before the country's local elections next month. Also, the country specifically mentioned the death of renowned *Uighur folk poet and musician Abdurehim Heyit, who it said died in one of the detention centers.* (Since then, reports have come out that Heyit is alive - but still incarcerated.) *Turkey is also calling China out for arresting Uighurs and subjecting them to "torture and political brainwashing."* ------------------------- Beijing has so far escaped any serious criticism from governments across the Islamic world. Governments in Muslim-majority countries have issued no notable statements on the issue. ------------------- *'I am in good health and have never been abused,' Uighur musician Abdurehim Heyit says in a video message released by Chinese state media.* *The musician was rumoured to have died on the weekend which prompted Turkey to put out a statement condemning the mass detention of Uighurs in China's far-western region of Xinjiang*. China then released a video message from Heyit saying he was in good health and in the custody of authorities after 'allegedly violating national laws'.

Mon 2/11 - UN & China

United Nations' human rights experts voiced alarm on Thursday over alleged Chinese political re-education camps for Muslim Uighurs and they called for the immediate release of those detained on the "pretext of countering terrorism". *The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination cited estimates that up to one million Uighurs may be held involuntarily in extra-legal detention in China's far western Xinjiang province.* China's foreign ministry rejected the allegations at the time, and said anti-China forces were behind the criticism of Beijing's policies in Xinjiang.

Fri 2/8 - Woody Allen & Amazon

Woody Allen filed a lawsuit against Amazon. In 2017, Amazon got into deals with Allen to distribute some of his movies. But then #MeToo brought more attention to *his daughter Dylan Farrow's long-standing accusations of molestation against him* (which Allen has always denied). Amazon - also dealing with its own sexual harassment scandal - decided to end the deal. Now, *Allen is suing for $68 million,* saying it's an old false allegation and that *Amazon can't terminate the contract.* -------------------------------------- Allen alleges that *Amazon has refused to release his film "A Rainy Day in New York," though it has been complete for more than six months*. The suit also states that Amazon has given only vague reasons for dropping the project, and for reneging on a promise to produce three other movies. "Amazon has tried to excuse its action by *referencing a 25-year-old, baseless allegation against Mr. Allen*, but that allegation was already well known to Amazon (and the public) before Amazon entered into four separate deals with Mr. Allen — and, in any event it does not provide a basis for Amazon to terminate the contract," the suit alleges. ------------------------------ Amazon confirms that *it has accepted the resignation of top executive Roy Price after he was suspended following allegations of sexual harassment*.

Wed 2/13 - Yale & Sexual Assault

Yale University is also in the hot seat. Three women there are suing the school to get them to regulate fraternities and put a stop to the sexual harassment they say happens there. They're also calling on Yale to end what they see as gender discrimination in the frats by making them accept women. Yale isn't commenting on the suit. A lawyer for the frats called the claims "baseless and unfounded." ----------------------- Three *female students are suing Yale University and nine of its fraternities, asking a federal court to force fraternities to accept women as members.* They accuse Yale and the fraternities of allowing "dangerous environments in which sexual misconduct thrived." They said fraternity houses dominate a limited social scene around campus, one that needs to be wiped clean of sexual harassment and gender discrimination, reports CBS News' Meg Oliver.

Wed 2/13 - El Chapo

Yesterday, Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was found guilty of a major drug smuggling operation. *He ran the world's largest drug cartel - the Sinaloa cartel - for decades. El Chapo (translation: shorty) helped the cartel make billions by smuggling drugs like cocaine, heroin, and weed into the US.* *He's been called the world's most wanted drug lord. A couple years ago, El Chapo was captured and extradited to the US. He's been on trial in New York since late last year.* And yesterday, the jury said 'we have a verdict.' Fair. But here's some more info: *he was found guilty on all 10 counts for charges like drug trafficking and conspiring to commit murder* A guilty verdict was expected. *But it took the jury six days to come up with it, which had a few people nervous*. He's expected to be sentenced in June, and is facing a lifetime behind bars. And expect for security to watch him like a hawk once he is behind bars - he's already escaped prison twice before. This is considered a major win for US law enforcement. And justice for anyone who's been affected by El Chapo's trail of drugs and violence. But just because the drug lord is expected to be put away for a long time, doesn't mean things end there. The Sinaloa cartel still remains the most powerful in the world.

Mon 2/11 - YT Conspiracy & Amazon

YouTube has announced that it will no longer recommend videos that "come close to" violating its community guidelines, such as conspiracy or medically inaccurate videos. On Saturday, a former engineer for Google, YouTube's parent company, hailed the move as a "historic victory." The examples the company cited include "promoting a phony miracle cure for a serious illness, claiming the earth is flat, or making blatantly false claims about historic events like 9/11." ----------------------- Amazon may or may not be taking recs to stay out of NYC. Last year, *New York offered the 'Zon tax breaks to help convince the company to build another HQ there. But some state and local Democrats weren't fans of giving a trillion-dollar company big tax subsidies. Plus there are concerns that having the company in NY will drive up already high real estate prices*. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) is saying 'please stay.' Critics are calling this a ploy by Amazon to get its haters off its back. -------------- NY Gov Andrew Cuomo *lambasted local politicians who oppose his deal to bring Amazon's second "headquarters" to Long Island City, saying, "we have to make Amazon a reality."* "For the state Senate to oppose Amazon was governmental malpractice," Cuomo said at a news conference on Long Island, where he discussed the state budget for the region. "And if they stop Amazon from coming to New York, they're going to have the people of New York state to explain it to. It is irresponsible to allow political opposition to overcome sound government policy." ------------ The Washington Post published a report on Friday saying Amazon is reconsidering bringing its new office, along with 25,000 jobs with an average salary of $150,000, to the *Long Island City neighborhood in New York's Queens borough*