ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

East County News Service

March 1, 2017 (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.

• Clean power plant repeal would cost America $600 billion, cause 120,000 premature deaths (Forbes)
• Trump’s address to joint session of Congress, annotated (NPR)
• Democratic Response to Trump's Address to Congress, Annotated (NPR)
• As communities deal with anti-Semitic attacks, Jewish officials urge action (ABC)
• Trump aims to eliminate clean water rule (NPR)
• Top House conservatives won’t back draft Obamacare replacement (The Hill)
• GOP healthcare plan would cover fewer people, blowback grows (Bloomberg News)
• Donald Trump’s immigrant crimes list labeled ‘shocking in the extreme’ by human rights groups (UK Independent)
• FBI refused White House request to knock down recent Russia-Trump stories (CNN)
• Sioux tribe puts ‘black snake’ prophesy at center of Dakota pipeline battle (Bloomberg News)
• Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez elected DNC chair (CNN)
• Congress just got a lot closer to defunding Planned Parenthood (Mother Jones)

WORLD

• North Korea executes five top officials with anti-aircraft guns (Wall St. Journal)
• Russia, China block U.N.  sanctions on Syria over gas attacks (Reuters)
• Egypt's Christians flee Sinai amid Islamic State killing spree (Reuters)
• 'Weaponized' drones are no longer fantasy (Jewish World News)
• Chemical weapon VX nerve agent killed North Korean leader's half brother: Malaysian police (Reuters)
• Attacks On Foreigners On the Rise in South Africa (NPR)
• Deaths from India air pollution rivaling China (Japan Times)
• Iraqi commander:  ISIS leaders ‘running away’ from Mosul (CNN)
• South Sudan and the lure of a gleaming new capitol (Christian Science Monitor)
• The race to save Jewish history in the Middle East (Time Magazine)

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

U.S.

Clean power plant repeal would cost America $600 billion, cause 120,000 premature deaths (Forbes)

The Trump administration has prioritized repealing the Clean Power Plan (CPP), a set of rules by the U.S. EPA aimed at limiting pollution from power plants. New analysis shows that repealing the rule would cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars, add more than a billion tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and cause more than 100,000 premature deaths due to inhaled particulate pollution.

Trump’s address to joint session of Congress, annotated (NPR)

President Trump gave an address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, outlining his vision for America. "We are one people, with one destiny," Trump said, offering a markedly different tone than his inaugural address, which described a country in crisis. He touted his executive actions, called again for the repeal and replacement of Obamacare and reiterated his position on immigration and national security. Journalists across NPR have annotated his full remarks.

Democratic Response to Trump's Address to Congress, Annotated (NPR)

Following President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, the Democratic Party gave its response. Party leaders chose former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear to do the honors this year. Beshear, who left office in 2015, office in 2015, has a record of expanding access to affordable health care, lowering his state's uninsured rate from more than 20 percent to 7.5 percent. NPR journalists have annotated his remarks.

As communities deal with anti-Semitic attacks, Jewish officials urge action (ABC)

After tombstones were found toppled at Jewish cemeteries in Missouri and Pennsylvania, and nearly 100 Jewish Community Centers and schools nationwide received bomb threats, Jewish leaders are urging President Trump to take action.

Trump aims to eliminate clean water rule (NPR)

The Trump administration is moving to roll back an environmental rule intended to define which small bodies of water are subject to federal authority under the Clean Water Act. President Trump signed documents Tuesday directing the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review the Obama administration's "Waters of the United States" rule. In doing so, Trump said he is "paving the way for the elimination" of the rule

Top House conservatives won’t back draft Obamacare replacement (The Hill)

The chairman of the influential Republican Study Committee said Monday he would vote against a draft ObamaCare replacement bill that leaked last week. Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), head of the 172-member committee, said Monday his opposition stems from the draft bill's use of refundable tax credits… “The draft legislation, which was leaked last week, risks continuing major Obamacare entitlement expansions and delays any reforms," Walker said …

GOP healthcare plan would cover fewer people, blowback grows (Bloomberg News)

… While the Republican plan would provide tax credits to help people buy insurance, similar to Obamacare, those subsidies would be based on age rather than income. That means poorer people wouldn’t get additional money to help them afford insurance, potentially putting coverage out of financial reach. Republicans have also threatened to roll back an expansion of Medicaid. About 10 million people are covered in Obamacare’s individual insurance markets, and about 12 million have coverage through the Medicaid expansion.

Donald Trump’s immigrant crimes list labeled ‘shocking in the extreme’ by human rights groups (UK Independent)

Human rights groups have expressed alarm over Donald Trump’s decision to publish a weekly list of crimes committed by immigrants in the US, saying the “shocking” and “xenophobic” move will “terrorise communities across the US”.

FBI refused White House request to knock down recent Russia-Trump stories (CNN)

The FBI rejected a recent White House request to publicly knock down media reports about communications between Donald Trump's associates and Russians known to US intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign, multiple US officials briefed on the matter tell CNN… Such a request from the White House is a violation of procedures that limit communications with the FBI on pending investigations.

Sioux tribe puts ‘black snake’ prophesy at center of Dakota pipeline battle (Bloomberg News)

Citing religious rites and the dark prophecy of a “terrible black snake” that will bring harm to its people, a Sioux Indian tribe returned to court Tuesday in an eleventh-hour push to keep the Dakota Access pipeline from carrying its first crude oil.

Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez elected DNC chair (CNN)

Democrats selected former Labor Secretary Tom Perez over Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison as their new chairman on Saturday, concluding a hotly contested race to lead a battered party as it tries to channel the anti-Donald Trump energy of its base into an electoral rebound…. Immediately after winning, Perez made a quick move to bring Ellison's supporters into the fold -- appointing Ellison as the deputy chair of the DNC, to cheers and unanimous approval from the crowd.

Congress just got a lot closer to defunding Planned Parenthood (Mother Jones)

On Thursday afternoon, the House voted to approve a resolution that is widely seen by advocates as a step towards defunding Planned Parenthood. Should it become law, the measure would weaken contraceptive access across the country.

WORLD

North Korea executes five top officials with anti-aircraft guns (Wall St. Journal)

South Korea reports purge, makes fresh charges in killing of dictator’s brother Kim Jong Nam.

Russia, China block U.N.  sanctions on Syria over gas attacks (Reuters)

Russia on Tuesday cast its seventh veto to protect the Syrian government from United Nations Security Council action, blocking a bid by Western powers to impose sanctions over accusations of chemical weapons attacks during the six-year Syrian conflict.

Egypt's Christians flee Sinai amid Islamic State killing spree (Reuters)

Christian families and students fled Egypt's North Sinai province in droves on Friday after Islamic State killed the seventh member of their community in just three weeks…. Arish residents said militants circulated death lists online and on the streets, warning Christians to leave or die.

'Weaponized' drones are no longer fantasy (Jewish World News)

[ISIS] last month formally announced the establishment of a new "Unmanned Aircraft of the Mujahideen" unit, a fleet of modified drones equipped with bombs…. / U.S. officials confirm that the terrorist group appears to have crossed a threshold with its use of unmanned aircraft.

Chemical weapon VX nerve agent killed North Korean leader's half brother: Malaysian police (Reuters)

 VX nerve agent, a chemical the United Nations classifies as a weapon of mass destruction, was used to kill the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a bizarre murder in Malaysia last week, police said on Friday.

Attacks On Foreigners On the Rise in South Africa (NPR)

Attacks on foreigners and foreign-owned businesses are once again increasing in South Africa. Dozens were killed in similar waves of xenophobia in 2008 and 2015.

Deaths from India air pollution rivaling China (Japan Times)

Whereas deaths linked to air pollution in China have steadied in recent years, the rate has soared in India where smog readings in major cities routinely eclipse safe exposure levels…. / Together, the two Asian giants accounted for more than half of all global deaths related to PM2.5 exposure, the report said.

Iraqi commander:  ISIS leaders ‘running away’ from Mosul (CNN)

The commander of Iraq's Federal Police has said ISIS militants in western Mosul are looking to cut and run from their defense of the group's last remaining stronghold in the country.

South Sudan and the lure of a gleaming new capitol (Christian Science Monitor)

From the United States to Kazakhstan, many newly independent nations have built capital cities from scratch as a way to forge a new national identity. As Africa is finding out, it doesn't always work as intended.

The race to save Jewish history in the Middle East (Time Magazine)

These volunteers are risking their lives to protect it.