ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

October 27, 2015 (San Diego's East County)-- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Corporate America’s unforgiveable new swindle: leveling workers compensation to nothing (Salon)
• Social Security stuck with the bills as companies subvert Workman’s comp (San Diego Free Press)
• Obama vetoes defense bill (The Hill)
• U.S. to intensify fight against Islamic State militants: Pentagon chief  (Reuters)
• BLM illegally sold off thousands of wild horses (Washington Post)
• It’s not just VW: a robust market for reprogramming vehicles (NPR)
• Controversial cyber security bill advances in Senate  (Reuters)
• Texas deluged by rain in Patricia's wake, flash floods hit Houston (Reuters)
• Clinton confronts Benghazi Republican critics at hearing (Sacramento Bee)
• Few railroads on track to meet end-of-year safety deadline  (NPR)

WORLD

• U.S. Iraqi raid foils ISIS mass execution (BBC)
• Refugees will freeze to death, warns EU head (Telegraph)
• More than 300 dead after Afghan quake rocks Asia (NBC San Diego)
• Palestinians suspicious of al-Aqsa monitoring promoted by Kerry (Reuters)
• UNRWA employee suspended for inciting violence against Israelis on Facebook (Jerusalem Post)
• Russia says has flown 934 sorties in Syria, destroying 819 targets (Reuters)
• Three Palestinians shot dead after knife attacks: Israeli army (Reuters)
• The New Propagandist For Al-Qaida In Syria And His Link To Hollywood(NPR)
• Palestinian uprising: Upstart website feeds youth the news they want (CS Monitor)
• In reversal, US willing to sit with Iran to discuss Syria (JPost)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

U.S.

Corporate America’s unforgiveable new swindle: leveling workers compensation to nothing (Salon)

One Texas lawyer is helping companies write their own rules.  It’s a story that’s playing out across the country.

Social Security stuck with the bills as companies subvert Workman’s comp (San Diego Free Press)

A study released today by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) makes the case that so-called reforms to workman’s compensation programs at the state level are tied to a rise of the number of workers receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (DI).

Obama vetoes defense bill (The Hill)

Obama argues the bill irresponsibly skirts spending caps adopted in 2011 by putting $38 billion into a war fund not subject to the limits, a move he called a "gimmick." He has called on Congress to increase both defense and nondefense spending.

U.S. to intensify fight against Islamic State militants: Pentagon chief  (Reuters)

 The U.S. military will intensify air strikes and may carry out more direct ground attacks as it steps up efforts against Islamic State militants following a failed bid to train Syrian rebels, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told lawmakers on Tuesday.

BLM illegally sold off thousands of wild horses (Washington Post)

The Bureau of Land Management, the agency tasked with protecting wild horses and cattle and their grazing lands, sold 1,794 federally-protected wild horses to a Colorado rancher who sent them to slaughter, a new report confirmed. 

It’s not just VW: a robust market for reprogramming vehicles (NPR)

Lawmakers want to know more about Volkswagen's massive cheat — how the automaker used software to crank up the power on a vehicle, and then hide the fact. By now everyone's heard of the VW emissions cheating scandal. But less discussed are the many products on the Internet that let you do, in essence, the same thing.

Controversial cyber security bill advances in Senate  (Reuters)



A long-delayed bill that would make it easier for corporations to share information about cyber attacks with each other or the government without fear of lawsuits advanced in the U.S. Senate with strong support from members of both parties on Thursday.

Texas deluged by rain in Patricia's wake, flash floods hit Houston (Reuters)



Heavy rains fueled by the meeting of two storm systems, one the remnants of Hurricane Patricia, pounded southeastern Texas, triggering flash floods and derailing a freight train as the heavy weather descended upon Houston early on Sunday.

Clinton confronts Benghazi Republican critics at hearing (Sacramento Bee)

Former secretary of state questioned at all-day hearing; marathon hearing produces no significant new details. Hearing held by 8th congressional committee to investigate the assault.

Few railroads on track to meet end-of-year safety deadline  (NPR)

Railroads warn they may have to shut down unless Congress extends an end-of-the-year deadline to install new safety equipment called Positive Train Control. PTC is a complex system that monitors a train's location and speed, then automatically slows down or stops a locomotive if the engineer doesn't respond to a danger warning.

WORLD

U.S. Iraqi raid foils ISIS mass execution (BBC)

US-Iraqi forces have rescued dozens of hostages held by Islamic State (IS) in Iraq after learning of their "imminent execution", the Pentagon has said.But a US soldier wounded in the raid died of his injuries - the first killed in action since US operations against IS began last year.

Refugees will freeze to death, warns EU head (Telegraph)

Migrants crossing the Balkans will begin freezing to death as winter approaches, the head of European Union has said, as leaders warned the continent was "falling apart" trying to deal with the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.

More than 300 dead after Afghan quake rocks Asia (NBC San Diego)

A magnitude-7.5 earthquake hit northeastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing hundreds there and in neighboring Pakistan, NBC News reported. "More [deaths] are expected," the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Chief Minister Pervez Khattak told state TV about three hours after the quake hit.

Palestinians suspicious of al-Aqsa monitoring promoted by Kerry (Reuters)



Palestinian officials reacted warily on Sunday to what U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed as Jordan's "excellent suggestion" to calm Israeli-Palestinian violence by putting a sensitive Jerusalem holy site under constant video monitoring.

UNRWA employee suspended for inciting violence against Israelis on Facebook (Jerusalem Post)

The United Nations suspended several UNRWA employees after UN Watch exposed that they were inciting violence against Israelis and Jews on social media.

Russia says has flown 934 sorties in Syria, destroying 819 targets (Reuters)



The Russian defense ministry said on Saturday its planes had flown 934 sorties and destroyed 819 militant targets in Syria since the start of its operation there on Sept. 30, the Interfax news agency reported.

Three Palestinians shot dead after knife attacks: Israeli army (Reuters)

Three Palestinians were shot dead after attacking Israeli soldiers with knives in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the military said, and an American-Israeli wounded in an attack two weeks ago died of his injuries, an Israeli hospital said.

The New Propagandist For Al-Qaida In Syria And His Link To Hollywood(NPR)

Lucas Kinney, a 26-year-old Brit, is making propaganda videos for an al-Qaida affiliate. He may have learned a thing or two from his father, a Hollywood assistant director who worked on Rambo.

Palestinian uprising: Upstart website feeds youth the news they want (CS Monitor)

Quds News Network's mix of breaking news and lots of video appeals to a generation of Palestinians inspired by the idea of a new uprising against Israel.

In reversal, US willing to sit with Iran to discuss Syria (JPost)

State Department spokesman John Kirby confirmed the change in policy on Tuesday, saying that a "multilateral" invitation to Iran would not be opposed by the United States.