ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

October 4, 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 a  variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

Kavanaugh controversy

• White House confident on Kavanaugh confirmation as two swing Republicans praise FBI report (Los Angeles Times)
• Thousands of protesters march to #cancelKavenaugh (Mother Jones)
• Avenatti: FBI investigation ‘no investigation at all’ (The Hill)
• Kavanaugh: 31 Lies and Counting (Medium)
• ‘Just plain wrong’: Flake, Collins criticize Trump’s attack on Ford  (Washington Post)

Other national news

• Authorities investigating mail sent to Trump, Pentagon believed to be laced with deadly ricin (Washington Post)
• Special investigation: Trump engaged in suspect tax schemes as he reaped rich rewards from his father (New York Times)
• Congress allows Farm Bill to lapse before reauthorization deadline (The Hill)
• Under Pressure, Amazon Increases Minimum Wage to $15  (Newsweek)
• Trump administration abruptly ends key law enforcement program at wildlife refuges (The Hill)
• Trump Ends Visas for Diplomats' Same-Sex Partners (Newsweek)
• Elizabeth Warren says she’ll seriously consider White House run (NBC)

WORLD

• Volcano erupts on quake-hit Indonesian Island (Sky News)
• Son of U.S. marine elected Okinawa governor on anti-U.S. base platform (Reuters)
• Terror cell busts in Denmark and Holland spark fears of homegrown attackers with ISIS links (Independent)
• India's Biometric ID System Has Led To Starvation For Some Poor, Advocates Say (NPR)
• BDS Umbrella Group Linked to Palestinian Terrorist Organizations (TabletMag)

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

U.S.

Kavanaugh controversy

White House confident on Kavanaugh confirmation as two swing Republicans praise FBI report (Los Angeles Times)

Republicans said they were confident they had the votes to place Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court — if only by the narrowest margin in the last century — after senators spent a tense day on Capitol Hill reviewing an FBI report into allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against President Trump's nominee.

Thousands of protesters march to #cancelKavenaugh (Mother Jones)

Thousands of protesters descended on Capitol Hill on Thursday, urging senators to vote against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh..Countless groups, including the National Council of Churches, American Bar Association, and Jesuit American Magazine, have called for Kavanaugh’s nomination to be withdrawn… Retired Supreme Court Justice John Stevens also waded into the political fight on Friday, voicing concern over Kavanaugh’s deeply partisan remarks during his turn before lawmakers last week.

Avenatti: FBI investigation ‘no investigation at all’ (The Hill)

…Avenatti, who represents Julie Swetnick — who has said in a sworn affidavit that Kavanaugh attended a party where she was drugged and attacked by a series of men in a "gang rape" — accused the FBI of refusing to contact at least six witnesses connected to various sexual misconduct claims made against Kavanaugh over the course of the weeklong investigation.

Kavanaugh: 31 Lies and Counting (Medium)

…It didn’t matter that he was under oath. Integrity matters, Kavanaugh’s character matters, and he has clearly shown that he is not fit for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. Here are 31 times that Kavanaugh has lied.

‘Just plain wrong’: Flake, Collins criticize Trump’s attack on Ford  (Washington Post)

Two senators considered crucial to the confirmation prospects of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh criticized President Trump on Wednesday for mocking the account of a woman who has accused his Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault decades ago.

Other national news

Authorities investigating mail sent to Trump, Pentagon believed to be laced with deadly ricin (Washington Post)

Federal authorities are investigating a series of suspicious envelopes sent to senior U.S. officials, including President Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, officials said Tuesday.

Special investigation: Trump engaged in suspect tax schemes as he reaped rich rewards from his father (New York Times)

President Trump participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune he received from his parents, an investigation by The New York Times has found….After this article was published on Tuesday, a spokesman for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance said the agency was “reviewing the allegations” and “vigorously pursuing all appropriate areas of investigation.”

Congress allows Farm Bill to lapse before reauthorization deadline (The Hill)

The expiration was blamed on discrepancies between the House and the Senate, as well as the parties over key provisions, including most prominently over a House provision to attach work requirements to the food stamp benefits in the current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Under Pressure, Amazon Increases Minimum Wage to $15  (Newsweek)

The company will now be advocating for an increase in the federal minimum wage, it said.

Trump administration abruptly ends key law enforcement program at wildlife refuges (The Hill)

The Trump administration is abruptly ending a decades-long program that trained national wildlife refuge managers with law enforcement capabilities to police often remote spots of public land..

Trump Ends Visas for Diplomats' Same-Sex Partners (Newsweek)

Critics argue the policy could be dangerous for couples whose home countries have criminalized same-sex marriage. 

Elizabeth Warren says she’ll seriously consider White House run (NBC)

It's time "for women to go to Washington to fix our broken government, and that includes a woman at the top," the Democratic senator said.

WORLD

Volcano erupts on quake-hit Indonesian Island (Sky News)

Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi province starting spewing ash 6,000m (19,685ft) into the sky on Wednesday afternoon. A government volcanologist said he suspects the eruption was triggered by last Friday's 7.5-magnitude earthquake, which also created a tsunami and has killed 1,407 people - with the number rising daily.

Son of U.S. marine elected Okinawa governor on anti-U.S. base platform (Reuters)

Reuters - Danny Tamaki, the son of a U.S. Marine and Japanese mother, was elected governor of Japan's Okinawa island on Sunday on an anti-U.S military presence platform, defeating a candidate backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc, domestic media reported.

Terror cell busts in Denmark and Holland spark fears of homegrown attackers with ISIS links (Independent)

 The Danish arrests, part of a fresh wave of security operations targeting alleged jihadi militants in two northern European countries this week, renewed concerns that Isis and possibly other jihadi factions were sprouting fresh roots in the West even as security forces prevent foreign fighters from returning.

India's Biometric ID System Has Led To Starvation For Some Poor, Advocates Say (NPR)

…the Indian government rolled out the biggest biometric ID system in the world…The government says this system … has helped to distribute welfare to the country's neediest.. But privacy advocates are alarmed that the government has collected so much personal data. And advocates for the poor say some technical glitches have actually led to denial of benefits — even costing lives.

BDS Umbrella Group Linked to Palestinian Terrorist Organizations (TabletMag)

Connections between an American charity and Hamas, PFLP, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad