January 10, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
U.S.
- Congress barrels toward another shut-down crisis (The Hill)
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein Releases Full Testimony From Co-Founder of Firm Behind Russia Dossier (Slate)
- Trump appears to endorse path to citizenship for millions of immigrants (New York Times)
- Trump, lawmakers take key step toward immigration deal (The Hill)
- Trump posed to take action on Medicaid work requirements (The Hill)
- Ex-U.N. chief Ban's nephew pleads guilty to U.S. corruption charges (Reuters)
WORLD
- Companies In Iceland Now Required To Demonstrate They Pay Men, Women Fairly (NPR)
- What Happened To Mexico's Earthquake Warning System? (NPR)
- Five heads found on car in Mexico Gulf state of Veracruz (Reuters)
- Days of protest and unrest in Iran lead to 3,700 arrests (CS Monitor)
- Russia And Venezuela Plan Cryptocurrencies (NPR)
- North Korea Agrees To Reopen Communications Line With South Korea (NPR)
- Islamic State declares war on rival Hamas with video execution (Jewish World Rerview)
- Half as many migrants landed in Europe in 2017 as 2016: IOM (Reuters) (Reuters)
- 11 Saudi Princes Arrested After Protesting Over Their Utility Bills (NPR)
For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.
U.S.
Congress barrels toward another shut-down crisis (The Hill)
Lawmakers are scrambling to avoid a government shutdown as they barrel toward another funding deadline without a clear path forward.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Releases Full Testimony From Co-Founder of Firm Behind Russia Dossier (Slate)
In a surprise development Tuesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein unilaterally released the full testimony of a co-founder of the firm behind the infamous Russia dossier to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The firm, Fusion GPS, had called for the testimony’s release in a New York Timesop-ed last week accusing conservatives of selectively leaking details of their testimony. …Feinstein said in a statement. “The American people deserve the opportunity to see what he said and judge for themselves.” … The full text of the transcript can be read here. Read the dossier here.
Trump appears to endorse path to citizenship for millions of immigrants (New York Times)
President Trump on Tuesday appeared open to negotiating a sweeping immigration deal that would eventually grant millions of undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship, declaring that he was willing to “take the heat” politically for an approach that seemed to flatly contradict the anti-immigration stance that charged his political rise.
Trump, lawmakers take key step toward immigration deal (The Hill)
President Trump and congressional negotiators on Tuesday outlined the parameters of a potential immigration deal during a lengthy bipartisan meeting at the White House, a major step toward avoiding a government shutdown.
Trump posed to take action on Medicaid work requirements (The Hill)
The Trump administration is preparing to release guidelines soon for requiring Medicaid recipients to work, according to sources familiar with the plans, a major shift in the 50-year-old program.
Ex-U.N. chief Ban's nephew pleads guilty to U.S. corruption charges (Reuters)
A nephew of former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pleaded guilty on Friday to U.S. charges that he took part in a scheme to bribe an official at a sovereign wealth fund in order to sell a building complex in Vietnam.
WORLD
Companies In Iceland Now Required To Demonstrate They Pay Men, Women Fairly (NPR)
….equal pay for equal work has been mandated by Icelandic laws since 1963. What is remarkable about the new law in Iceland is how it enforces equal pay standards. It does not rely on an employee to prove she was discriminated against. Instead, the burden is on companies to prove that their pay practices are fair.
What Happened To Mexico's Earthquake Warning System? (NPR)
Mexico has an earthquake early warning system that gives people time to take cover. But that system didn't work when a 7.1 magnitude quake struck Mexico City, killing hundreds of people.
Five heads found on car in Mexico Gulf state of Veracruz (Reuters)
The heads of five men displayed atop a car were found on Friday in the Gulf state of Veracruz in southeastern Mexico, local authorities said, in the midst of a spike in violence in the country.
Days of protest and unrest in Iran lead to 3,700 arrests (CS Monitor)
In two weeks, Iran's protests against high unemployment and official corruption have embroiled dozens of towns and cities in unrest. The turmoil has resulted in 21 deaths and some 3,700 arrests, says an Iranian reformist lawmaker.
Russia And Venezuela Plan Cryptocurrencies (NPR)
Venezuela and Russia announced plans to launch their own cryptocurrencies. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Monica de Bolle of the Peterson Institute for International Economics about why.
North Korea Agrees To Reopen Communications Line With South Korea (NPR)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reopened a long-closed border hotline with South Korea. Officials in Seoul are calling the announcement a very significant step in restarting dialogue with the North.
Islamic State declares war on rival Hamas with video execution (Jewish World Rerview)
The extremist Islamic State group's branch in Egypt's Sinai peninsula has taken a simmering dispute with the Palestinian Hamas group based in nearby Gaza to new levels in a 22-minute video calling on its followers to attack the group and executing what it said was a collaborator.
Half as many migrants landed in Europe in 2017 as 2016: IOM (Reuters) (Reuters)
Slightly fewer than half as many migrants reached Europe by sea in 2017 than 2016, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday, with curbs finally cutting traffic on the deadly route from Libya to Italy.
11 Saudi Princes Arrested After Protesting Over Their Utility Bills (NPR)
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has instituted austerity measures that cut the subsidies for royal family members' electric and water bills.
