ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

November 15, 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.

• Trump's rain check on honoring Americans killed in WWI prompts backlash (ABC)
• House Republicans elect Kevin McCarthy to replace Paul Ryan as party leader (Washington Post)
• Vatican tells U.S. bishops not to vote on proposals to tackle sexual abuse, spurns lay and civil investigations (Washington Post)
• Lawsuits mount over Florida recount battle as political acrimony deepens (Washington Post)
• Mueller probes possible witness intimidation by Roger Stone (Wall St. Journal)
• Republican group runs “protect Mueller” ad on Trump’s favorite show (Vox)
• The VA's Gross Mismanagement Does Nothing to Honor Vets (Reason)
• The National Debt Is Coming Due, Just Like We Told You (Reason)

WORLD

• Barrage of rockets launched at Israel following botched Gaza operation (CNN)
• Saudi Arabia seeks death penalty for five suspects in killing of Jamal Khashoggi  (Washington Post)
• Cash runs out in Khartoum as Sudan tries to halt economic crisis (Reuters)
• Gas-laden truck set afire, three stabbed, one dead in Australia terror attack (Reuters)
• U.S. think tank identifies at least 13 undeclared missile bases in North Korea  (Reuters)
• Anti-Semitic acts surge in France, government promises action (Reuters)

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

U.S.

Trump's rain check on honoring Americans killed in WWI prompts backlash (ABC)

The fallout from President Donald Trump's decision to skip a ceremony honoring fallen American World War I soldiers in France on Saturday because of the rain grew amid the images of other world leaders defying inclement weather to memorialize the sacrifices of military heroes as part of the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.

House Republicans elect Kevin McCarthy to replace Paul Ryan as party leader (Washington Post)

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) ascended to the top job in House Republican leadership Wednesday, while Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) followed in her father’s footsteps by taking the party’s No. 3 spot…. Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) is stepping down at the end of his term in January. That opened up the top leadership spot, which — after the party lost its House majority in last week’s midterm election — will be minority leader.

Vatican tells U.S. bishops not to vote on proposals to tackle sexual abuse, spurns lay and civil investigations (Washington Post)

Bishops expressed a mixture of disappointment, acceptance and frustration at the surprising directive from Rome, while victims’ advocates accused church leaders of impeding reforms.

Lawsuits mount over Florida recount battle as political acrimony deepens (Washington Post)

President Trump said the races for the U.S. Senate and governor should be called for Republicans, alleging without evidence that many ballots are missing and forged and that an “honest vote count” was no longer possible. Florida officials say they have found no evidence of criminal conduct.

Mueller probes possible witness intimidation by Roger Stone (Wall Street Journal)

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office is exploring whether longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone tried to intimidate and discredit a witness who is contradicting Mr. Stone’s version of events about his contacts with WikiLeaks, ..Mr. Mueller’s investigators are probing whether Mr. Stone had direct contact with WikiLeaks and knew ahead of time about its release of stolen Democratic emails, as he claimed during the campaign and now denies.

Republican group runs “protect Mueller” ad on Trump’s favorite show (Vox)

Republicans for the Rule of Law ran an ad on Fox & Friends demanding Matthew Whitaker’s recusal… Republicans for the Rule of Law is not the only group of conservatives mobilizing against the president’s efforts to politicize the DOJ. On Wednesday, the New York Times profiled a new group organized by George Conway — husband of White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway — called Checks and Balances.

The VA's Gross Mismanagement Does Nothing to Honor Vets (Reason)

 All across America, Veterans Affairs (VA) departments are putting on events to honor veterans for their service. That's nice, but a more meaningful way to honor them would be to address the serious mismanagement that has come to define the department.

The National Debt Is Coming Due, Just Like We Told You (Reason)

 By 2020, interest on the debt will cost more than Medicaid. By 2025, it will cost more than defense spending. And that's just the start.

WORLD

Barrage of rockets launched at Israel following botched Gaza operation (CNN)

A barrage of more than 300 rockets was launched from Gaza toward Israel on Monday, the Israeli army said, hours after a botched Israeli operation in Gaza left a Hamas commander and an Israeli soldier dead.

Saudi Arabia seeks death penalty for five suspects in killing of Jamal Khashoggi  (Washington Post)

The country’s public prosecutor said 11 people were indicted in connection with the journalist’s death at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. He said the country’s crown prince had no knowledge of the operation.

‘Tell Your Boss’: Recording Is Seen to Link Saudi Crown Prince to Khashoggi Killing (New York Times)

Shortly after the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed last month at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, a member of the kill team made a call to a superior. The recording is seen by intelligence officials as some of the strongest evidence connecting the Saudi crown prince to Mr. Khashoggi’s death.

 Cash runs out in Khartoum as Sudan tries to halt economic crisis (Reuters)

Many cash machines in the Sudanese capital have run out of banknotes as the government scrambles to prevent economic collapse with a sharp devaluation and emergency austerity measures.

Gas-laden truck set afire, three stabbed, one dead in Australia terror attack (Reuters)

-A Somali-born man set fire to a pickup truck laden with gas cylinders in the center of the Australian city of Melbourne on Friday and stabbed three people, killing one, before he was shot by police in a rampage they called an act of terrorism.

U.S. think tank identifies at least 13 undeclared missile bases in North Korea  (Reuters)

 A U.S. think tank said on Monday it had identified at least 13 of an estimated 20 undeclared missile operating bases inside North Korea, underscoring the challenge for American negotiators hoping to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

Anti-Semitic acts surge in France, government promises action (Reuters)

Violence against Jews and other acts of anti-Semitism have surged in France in the past nine months, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Friday, promising stepped-up action against perpetrators.