ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

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April 11, 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.

WORLD

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

U.S.

Senators disagree over military response to Syria – and Trump’s authority to wage it (CNN)

As President Donald Trump assesses how to respond to the alleged chemical attack in Syria that killed and maimed dozens of civilians, lawmakers disagreed Monday what an appropriate response should be and whether Trump needed their authorization before acting.

Pentagon denies conducting air strikes in Syria after alleged chemical attack (USA Today)

The Pentagon denied it was conducting air strikes in Syria in retaliation for an alleged chemical attack on civilians, despite reports from Syrian media.

Trade war fears escalate as Trump ups ante (The Hill)

Markets dropped precipitously on Friday amid fears of a growing trade war between the United States and China.

Trump considers Depression-era program to bail out farmers caught in his trade war with China (Washington Post)

Trump’s aides are looking at ways to use the Commodity Credit Corporation, a division of the Agriculture Department that was created in 1933 to offer a financial backstop for farmers. But while the White House is considering the idea as a way to protect farmers if China slaps tariffs on U.S. agricultural products, some GOP lawmakers have told the administration that the approach will not work. 

FBI raids show the investigation of Michael Cohen is no ‘witch hunt’ (New York Magazine)

… the warrants relate to a criminal investigation into allegations that Cohen may have committed bank fraud, wire fraud, and campaign-finance violations stemming from a hush payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress that Cohen attempted to silence in the lead-up to the 2016 election….Josh Campbell, a former assistant to James Comey, may have best captured what awaits Cohen in this quote from a special agent currently with the FBI: “I’ve been an FBI special agent for 20 years and have only seen a handful of searches executed on attorneys. All of those attorneys went to prison.”

Americans face highest pump prices in years (Wall Street Journal)

Continuing production cuts by major exporters have sent gas prices higher.

Fire at Trump tower kills one (New York Times)

A 67-year-old man died after being injured in a fire at Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday, the police said…. The commissioner said the upper floors that are home to residences do not have fire sprinklers…. Dennis Shields, a resident who said he lived on the 42nd floor, described the scene. “You could smell the smoke and you could hear things falling like through the vents,” he said. “It just smelled like sulfur.” He said there were no orders to evacuate

FEMA director: Puerto Rico ‘running out of time’ before hurricane season (The Hill)

Puerto Rico is "running out of time" to prepare for the next hurricane season and recover from the last, according to the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

After police shootings, officers are rarely prosecuted. But many are fired. (Los Angeles Times)

As more high-profile shooting investigations come to a close, a pattern has emerged: Departments are firing the officers or forcing their resignations. Even so, some officers win appeals or get policing jobs elsewhere.

Trump signs memo ending ‘catch and release’ immigration policy (Reuters)

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday ordering the end of a policy, known as “catch and release,” in which illegal immigrants are released from detention while awaiting a court hearing on their status.

Bank of America to stop financing makers of military-style guns (New York Times)

Bank of America will stop lending money to gun manufacturers that make military-inspired firearms for civilian use, such as the AR-15-style rifles that have been used in multiple mass shootings, a company executive said Tuesday.

309 women are now running for Congress. That’s a record. (Mother Jones)

… According to the AP, which used data compiled by the Center for Women and American Politics, most of the women candidates are Democrats—one of many ways in which women’s participation in Democratic politics has surged in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s election and the #MeToo movement. 

 Homeland Security to compile database of journalists, media influencers (CBS)

The Department of Homeland Security posted a contract request this week for "Media Monitoring Services," which will compile a database of hundreds of thousands of journalists, bloggers and "media influencers" for the federal government. After an outcry on social media, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman tweeted "this is nothing more than the standard practice of monitoring current events in the media."

WORLD

WHO: 500 Syrian patients show symptoms pointing to toxic weapons exposure  (Reuters)

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday around 500 people had been treated for “signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals” after a suspected poison gas attack in a Syrian rebel enclave just before it fell.

Trump cancels South America trip due to Syria crisis  (USA Today)

President Trump is canceling this weekend's South American trip to Peru and Colombia because of the crisis over Syria, the White House said Tuesday.

As U.S. response looms, Russia and Syria urge inspection of attack sites (Reuters)

President Bashar al-Assad’s government has invited international inspectors to send a team to Syria to investigate an alleged chemical attack in the town of Douma in a move apparently aimed at averting possible Western military action over the incident.

Migrant caravan, down by almost half, soldiers on through Mexico (Reuters)

A “caravan” of Central American migrants pressed on through Mexico on Friday, greatly diminished in size a day after hundreds of exhausted members left a field where they had been stranded all week, pressured by government officials who have been under fire from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Iran-Israel conflict escalates in shadow of Syrian civil war (New York Times)

Israel on Monday appeared to have escalated its shadow war in Syria against Iran, with a predawn airstrike against a military base that coordinates Iranian-backed militias, killing four Iranian military advisers.

Yemeni rights group sues Saudi Crown Prince in France: lawyers (Reuters)

A rights group filed a lawsuit against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to France on Tuesday, accusing him of complicity in torture and inhumane treatment in Yemen, lawyers said.

6 detained amid 'preparation' for attack at Berlin marathon, police say (CBC)

36,000 athletes, 250,000 spectators took part in 21.1-km half-marathon in German capital

Now They’re Coming for People’s Knives. No, Really.  (Reason)

London’s got a homicide problem, but leaders insist it’s being caused by the tools.


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