ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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March 16, 2016 (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.

General news

Presidential election

WORLD

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

U.S.

General news

Obama nominates Merrick Garland to Supreme Court (CNN)

President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland, who is respected across political lines, to the Supreme Court Wednesday, in an epic power play targeting the resolve of Republicans who have vowed to block any replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia until a new president takes office.

Airport bomb-sniffing dog finds Hellfire missiles bound for Portland... (OregonLive)

Serbia's authorities are investigating reports that a cargo package bound for Portland contained two missiles with explosive warheads on a passenger flight from Lebanon. N1 television said the package with two guided armor-piercing missiles was discovered Saturday by a sniffer dog after an Air Serbia flight from Beirut landed at a Belgrade airport.

Miami’s nuclear power plant is leaking (Newsweek)

…A county-ordered report released this week found levels of the radioactive isotope tritium in the bay to be 200 times higher than normal…While such a level of tritium is not harmful to humans, the problems at the power plant, on wetland that is vulnerable to rising sea levels, evokes the worst-case specter of another seaside nuke plant—Fukushima. 

DOJ to state judges: time to end 'pay or stay' imprisonment (CS Monitor)

The Justice Department is concerned that some local court systems are levying excessive fees and fines on poor defendants in order to raise revenue, creating a system of modern-day debtors' prisons.

President Obama Wants a Back Door on Your Phone. But Not on His. (Reason)

The president is not content with unlocking the individual phones of suspected criminals. He's asking for specific security protections to be permanently removed from all electronic devices. Because terrorists, child pornographers, and tax dodgers exist, no private citizen should have the right to secure communications.

Mississippi man pleads guilty to trying to join Islamic State (Reuters)

A Mississippi man pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to attempting to join Islamic State in Syria with his wife last summer.

Polar Bears Win Huge Swath of Alaska (Atlas Obscura)

A federal court has granted polar bears a swath of Alaska that is bigger than California. The 187,000-square-mile area, much of which is off the North Slope of the state, is meant to protect the bear population, which, in 2008, was declared a "threatened" species because of climate change.

Ronald, Nancy Reagan rose from a different GOP (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Nancy Reagan’s death Sunday at her Los Angeles home prompted obituaries that noted how essential she was to the success of her husband, viewed by many as one of the most accomplished and beloved Republican presidents. Given the current state of the GOP, this reverence is both ironic and a cause for melancholy.

Presidential election

Trump on contested election:  “I think you’d have riots”  (CBS)

The GOP front-runner issued this menacing prediction if he doesn't get the nomination at a contested convention. "I don't think you can say that we don't get it automatically. I think you would have riots.”

Democratic town hall: CNN’s reality check  team vets the claims (CNN)

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met at The Ohio State University on Sunday for a Democratic town hall hosted by CNN and TV One, and CNN's Reality Check team spent the night putting their statements and assertions to the test.

Women’s health issues: Where the 2016 presidential candidates stand (Healthline)

Healthline examines where Clinton, Sanders, Trump, Cruz, Rubio and Kasich stand on abortion, Planned Parenthood, birth control, and family leave.

Company that Paid Hillary Clinton $335K for Speech Slapped With SEC Bribery Suit (Free Beacon)

Clinton’s address to Qualcomm focused on ‘empowering girls and women’

Fox News cancels GOP debate after Donal Trump pulls out (CNN)

… "I think we've had enough debates," Trump said. "How many times can you answer the same question?"

WORLD

UN says 34 countries don't have enough food for their people (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Thirty four countries — nearly 80 percent of them in Africa — don't have enough food for their people because of conflicts, drought and flooding, according to a U.N. report released Wednesday.

Fukushima's ground zero: No place for man or robot (Reuters)

The robots sent in to find highly radioactive fuel at Fukushima's nuclear reactors have “died”; a subterranean "ice wall" around the crippled plant meant to stop groundwater from becoming contaminated has yet to be finished. And authorities still don’t how to dispose of highly radioactive water stored in an ever mounting number of tanks around the site.

Iran Tests 2 Ballistic Missiles Reportedly Designed To Reach Israel (NPR)

The tests may violate a U.N. Security Council resolution barring Iran from test-firing missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Iran says the missiles aren't designed for nukes.

'Palestinian refugees are used as bargaining chips by their leaders' (JPost)



Europe should see the Palestinian refugees as an example of what not to do in its current refugee crisis, MK Tzipi Livni said at the Global Baku Forum in Azerbaijan on Friday.  “Refugee status is inherited, and the issue makes it difficult to solve the conflict. They’re waiting for a solution that will never be,” says Livni.

Mexican cartel's unusual recruitment ads indicate expansion (San Diego Union-Tribune)

A public recruitment drive by a Mexican drug cartel using fliers promising high wages and good benefits reflects the expanding power of the gang, experts said Friday.

Just hang up: Mexico's battle against growing extortion (CS Monitor)

The phone has become a prime weapon for extortion, a crime that now ranks second only to theft in Mexico.

Mexico City declares first air pollution alert since 2005 (San Diego Union-Tribune)



The Mexico City government declared its first air pollution alert in 11 years Monday after ozone levels reached almost twice the acceptable limit.

Iraq confirms Islamic State use of chemical weapons (CS Monitor)

The attack Saturday killed a three-year-old girl and wounded hundreds.

Russia to ship first S-300 missile system to Iran in Aug-Sept: RIA cites official (Reuters)

 The first delivery of Russia's S-300 missile defense system to Iran will take place in August or September this year, RIA news agency on Friday quoted Sergei Chemezov, the head of Russia's industrial conglomerate Rostec, as saying.

Arab League officially designates Hezbollah 'terrorist' organization (JPost)



Saudi delegation stormed out of the meeting following a speech by Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari in which he defended the Shi'ite Hashd Shaabi militia grouping.

Putin to pull some Russian forces out of Syria (CS Monitor)

Russia will maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there. 

 

 

 


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