ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

February 6, 2020 (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.

Impeachment

• Impeachment: Senate rejects witnesses, paving way for Trump acquittal  (CBS)
• Trump Acquitted (Time)
• Full Transcript: Mitt Romney’s Speech Announcing Vote to Convict Trump (New York Times)
• Trump Told Bolton to Help His Ukraine Pressure Campaign, Book Says (New York Times)

Presidential race

• 96% of Iowa precincts are reported, but there's still no caucus winner; Buttigieg, Sanders neck and neck (USA Today)
• DNC chair calls for a recanvass in Iowa as chaos ensues (CNN)

Other national news

• Trump administration expands travel ban to include six new countries (CNN)
• AP fact check: Trump’s exaggerated ‘great American comeback’ (AP)
• Trump administration declares health emergency over coronavirus  (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Coronavirus: United cancels flights from SFO and other airports to China  (San Francisco Chronicle)

WORLD

• Brexit: UK leaves the European union (BBC)
• Greta Thunberg nominated for Nobel Peace Prize (New York Post)
• Trump shifts to authorize wider U.S. military use of land mines (10 News)
• Feds: Alleged leader of al-Qaida terrorist group arrested in Phoenix (USA Today)

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

U.S.

Impeachment live updates: Senate rejects witnesses, paving way for Trump acquittal  (CBS)

The vote virtually ensures the president’s ultimate acquittal on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Trump Acquitted (Time)

A deeply divided Senate acquitted President Donald Trump at the end of his impeachment trial. The Senate’s verdict renders Trump the third President in U.S. history to face impeachment charges in the House and be acquitted by the Senate

Full Transcript: Mitt Romney’s Speech Announcing Vote to Convict Trump (New York Times)

The senator from Utah was the first — and only — Republican to announce he supported removing the president from office…. “The president’s purpose was personal and political,” Mr. Romney said of the president’s actions toward Ukraine. “Accordingly, the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust.”

Trump Told Bolton to Help His Ukraine Pressure Campaign, Book Says (New York Times)

 More than two months before he asked Ukraine’s president to investigate his political opponents, President Trump directed John R. Bolton, then his national security adviser, to help with his pressure campaign to extract damaging information on Democrats from Ukrainian officials, according to an unpublished manuscript by Mr. Bolton.

Trump administration expands travel ban to include six new countries (CNN)

The Trump administration on Friday announced an expansion of the travel ban -- one of the President's signature policies, which has been derided by critics as an attempt to ban Muslims from the US -- to include six new countries.  Immigration restrictions will be imposed on: Nigeria, Eritrea, Tanzania, Sudan, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar (known as Burma), with exceptions for immigrants who have helped the US…The updated ban has already sparked controversy over its targeting of African countries with lawmakers and advocates calling the changes discriminatory and without merit. 

96% of Iowa precincts are reported, but there's still no caucus winner; Buttigieg, Sanders neck and neck (USA Today)

Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders are separated by the slimmest of margins in the latest update to Iowa's Democratic caucus results. 

DNC chair calls for a recanvass in Iowa as chaos ensues (CNN)

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez called for a recanvass of all results in Iowa on Thursday, as the state's Democratic Party continues to struggle to verify the data from Monday night's caucuses. The move is a significant step and raises further questions about how long the results of the key Iowa caucuses will remain outstanding. In a recanvass, all the numbers that were released by the state party would be checked against the results that were recorded at caucus sites.

AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s exaggerated ‘great American comeback’ (Associated Press/AP)

The “great American comeback” President Donald Trump claimed in his State of the Union speech drew on falsehoods about U.S. energy supremacy, health care and the economy as well as distortions about his predecessor’s record.

Trump administration declares health emergency over coronavirus  (San Diego Union-Tribune)

President Trump declared a public health emergency amid rising coronavirus concerns, ordering the quarantine of travelers returning from China’s Hubei province. But officials insist the risk to Americans remains low.

Coronavirus: United cancels flights from SFO and other airports to China  (San Francisco Chronicle)

United is canceling all flights to mainland China, including SFO routes, starting Feb. 6, the airline said in a statement Friday, in the wake of a State Department no-travel advisory as the coronavirus outbreak intensifies.

WORLD

Brexit: UK leaves the European union (BBC)

The UK has officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership - and more than three years after it voted to do so in a referendum. The historic moment, which happened at 23:00 GMT, was marked by both celebrations and anti-Brexit protests. Candlelit vigils were held in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU, while Brexiteers partied in London's Parliament Square.

Greta Thunberg nominated for Nobel Peace Prize (New York Post)

Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has been nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize by two Swedish lawmakers, a report said on Monday.

Trump shifts to authorize wider U.S. military use of land mines (10 News)

The Trump administration has canceled an Obama-era prohibition on the use of anti-personnel landmines outside of the Korean peninsula.

Feds: Alleged leader of al-Qaida terrorist group arrested in Phoenix (USA Today)

An Iraqi man who is alleged to have been the leader of a group of Al-Qaida terrorists has been arrested in Phoenix, according to federal officials. Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri, a 42-year-old Phoenix resident, is wanted to stand trial in Iraq on charges of the premeditated murder of two Iraqi police officer