Democrats Capture Control of House; G.O.P. Holds Senate
Democrats harnessed voter fury toward President Trump to win control of the House and capture pivotal governorships Tuesday night as liberals and moderates banded together to deliver a forceful rebuke of Mr. Trump, even as Republicans held on to their Senate majority by claiming a handful of conservative-leaning seats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/06/us/politics/midterm-elections-results.html?3
Democrats harnessed voter fury toward President Trump to win control of the House and capture pivotal governorships Tuesday night as liberals and moderates banded together to deliver a forceful rebuke of Mr. Trump, even as Republicans held on to their Senate majority by claiming a handful of conservative-leaning seats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/06/us/politics/midterm-elections-results.html?3
Nytimes
Democrats Capture Control of House; G.O.P. Holds Senate
Republicans were on track to add to their Senate majority, defeating Democratic senators and holding onto Texas by beating back Representative Beto O’Rourke
Jeff Sessions Is Forced Out as Attorney General as Trump Installs Loyalist
WASHINGTON — President Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday, replacing him with a loyalist who has echoed the president’s complaints about the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election interference and will now take charge of the inquiry.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/jeff-sessions-fired-trump.html
WASHINGTON — President Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday, replacing him with a loyalist who has echoed the president’s complaints about the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election interference and will now take charge of the inquiry.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/jeff-sessions-fired-trump.html
Nytimes
Jeff Sessions Is Forced Out as Attorney General as Trump Installs Loyalist
Mr. Sessions was the first senator to endorse Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign. But his recusal as attorney general from the Russia inquiry proved to be his undoing.
Mass shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California
A Marine veteran clad in black and armed with a .45-caliber Glock handgun shot his way into a Southern California bar crowded with college students and unleashed hell before turning the gun on himself, officials said Thursday.
When it was over, 12 others, including a sheriff's sergeant who tried to stop the carnage, were also dead and many more were wounded.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-reported-borderline-bar-grill-thousand-oaks-california-n933831
A Marine veteran clad in black and armed with a .45-caliber Glock handgun shot his way into a Southern California bar crowded with college students and unleashed hell before turning the gun on himself, officials said Thursday.
When it was over, 12 others, including a sheriff's sergeant who tried to stop the carnage, were also dead and many more were wounded.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-reported-borderline-bar-grill-thousand-oaks-california-n933831
NBC News
12 victims killed, suspect dead after mass shooting at California bar
Several hundred people were inside at the time, police said. The gunman later was confirmed dead.
Stan Lee, creator of legendary Marvel comic book superheroes, dies at 95
Stan Lee, the godfather of Marvel Comics whose cast of characters such as Spider-Man, the Hulk and the X-Men were beloved by millions of readers for decades before becoming a multibillion-dollar movie empire that dominated box offices in the 21st century, has died. He was 95.
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/stan-lee-creator-legendary-marvel-comic-book-superheroes-dies-95-n819371
Stan Lee, the godfather of Marvel Comics whose cast of characters such as Spider-Man, the Hulk and the X-Men were beloved by millions of readers for decades before becoming a multibillion-dollar movie empire that dominated box offices in the 21st century, has died. He was 95.
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/stan-lee-creator-legendary-marvel-comic-book-superheroes-dies-95-n819371
NBC News
Stan Lee, creator of legendary Marvel comic book heroes, dies at 95
Lee created comic dynamos like Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, and the X-Men.
Brexit Deal in Crisis After 2 U.K. Cabinet Ministers Quit
LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain faced a deep political crisis on Thursday after two cabinet ministers quit her government, including Dominic Raab, her chief negotiator on withdrawal from the European Union — decisions that threaten to wreck not only her plans for the exit but also her leadership.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/world/europe/uk-brexit-theresa-may.html
LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain faced a deep political crisis on Thursday after two cabinet ministers quit her government, including Dominic Raab, her chief negotiator on withdrawal from the European Union — decisions that threaten to wreck not only her plans for the exit but also her leadership.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/world/europe/uk-brexit-theresa-may.html
Nytimes
Brexit Deal in Crisis After 2 U.K. Cabinet Ministers Quit (Published 2018)
The resignations, which came the morning after Prime Minister Theresa May appeared to have gained cabinet approval for a withdrawal plan, cast doubt on her leadership.
U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy
A major scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies on Friday presents the starkest warnings to date of the consequences of climate change for the United States, predicting that if significant steps are not taken to rein in global warming, the damage will knock as much as 10 percent off the size of the American economy by century’s end.
In direct language, the 1,656-page assessment lays out the devastating effects of a changing climate on the economy, health and environment, including record wildfires in California, crop failures in the Midwest and crumbling infrastructure in the South. Going forward, American exports and supply chains could be disrupted, agricultural yields could fall to 1980s levels by midcentury and fire season could spread to the Southeast, the report finds.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/climate/us-climate-report.html
A major scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies on Friday presents the starkest warnings to date of the consequences of climate change for the United States, predicting that if significant steps are not taken to rein in global warming, the damage will knock as much as 10 percent off the size of the American economy by century’s end.
In direct language, the 1,656-page assessment lays out the devastating effects of a changing climate on the economy, health and environment, including record wildfires in California, crop failures in the Midwest and crumbling infrastructure in the South. Going forward, American exports and supply chains could be disrupted, agricultural yields could fall to 1980s levels by midcentury and fire season could spread to the Southeast, the report finds.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/climate/us-climate-report.html
Nytimes
U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy (Published 2018)
Without major action to rein in global warming, the American economy could lose 10 percent of G.D.P. by 2100, according to a report from 13 federal agencies.
Russia seizes Ukrainian ships near annexed Crimea after firing on them
Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea on Sunday after opening fire on them and wounding several sailors, a move that risks igniting a dangerous new crisis between the two countries.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia/russia-seizes-ukrainian-ships-near-annexed-crimea-after-firing-on-them-idUSKCN1NU0DL
Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea on Sunday after opening fire on them and wounding several sailors, a move that risks igniting a dangerous new crisis between the two countries.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia/russia-seizes-ukrainian-ships-near-annexed-crimea-after-firing-on-them-idUSKCN1NU0DL
NASA’s InSight Mission Has Touched Down on Mars to Study the Red Planet’s Deep Secrets
The InSight lander, NASA’s latest foray to the red planet, has landed.
Cheers erupted on Monday at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., which operates the spacecraft, when InSight sent back acknowledgment of its safe arrival on Mars. That was the end of a journey of more than six months and 300 million miles.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/science/nasa-insight-mars-landing.html?4
The InSight lander, NASA’s latest foray to the red planet, has landed.
Cheers erupted on Monday at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., which operates the spacecraft, when InSight sent back acknowledgment of its safe arrival on Mars. That was the end of a journey of more than six months and 300 million miles.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/science/nasa-insight-mars-landing.html?4
NY Times
NASA’s InSight Mission Has Touched Down on Mars to Study the Red Planet’s Deep Secrets (Published 2018)
In the months ahead, the spacecraft will begin its study of the Martian underworld, listening for marsquakes and seeking clues about the dusty world’s formation.
Magnitude 7 Earthquake Shakes Anchorage
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck about eight miles north of Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey, causing damage to buildings and roads and briefly stoking fears of a tsunami throughout the region.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/us/earthquake-anchorage-alaska.html
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck about eight miles north of Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey, causing damage to buildings and roads and briefly stoking fears of a tsunami throughout the region.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/us/earthquake-anchorage-alaska.html
NY Times
Earthquake Shreds Highways and Sows Panic in South Central Alaska (Published 2018)
The earthquake damaged buildings and roads and briefly stoked fears of a tsunami throughout the region.
George Bush, 41st President, Dies at 94
George Bush, the 41st president of the United States and the father of the 43rd, who steered the nation through a tumultuous period in world affairs but was denied a second term after support for his presidency collapsed under the weight of an economic downturn and his seeming inattention to domestic affairs, died Friday night at his home in Houston. He was 94.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/us/politics/george-hw-bush-dies.html?2
George Bush, the 41st president of the United States and the father of the 43rd, who steered the nation through a tumultuous period in world affairs but was denied a second term after support for his presidency collapsed under the weight of an economic downturn and his seeming inattention to domestic affairs, died Friday night at his home in Houston. He was 94.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/30/us/politics/george-hw-bush-dies.html?2
NY Times
George Bush, Who Steered Nation in Tumultuous Times, Is Dead at 94 (Published 2018)
Mr. Bush, a Republican, was a transitional figure in the White House, where he served from 1989 to 1993. He was the last of the World War II generation to occupy the Oval Office.
Huawei C.F.O. Is Arrested in Canada for Extradition to the U.S.
A top executive and daughter of the founder of the Chinese tech giant Huawei was arrested on Saturday in Canada at the request of the United States, in a move likely to escalate tensions between the two countries at a delicate moment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/business/huawei-cfo-arrest-canada-extradition.html
A top executive and daughter of the founder of the Chinese tech giant Huawei was arrested on Saturday in Canada at the request of the United States, in a move likely to escalate tensions between the two countries at a delicate moment.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/business/huawei-cfo-arrest-canada-extradition.html
NY Times
Huawei C.F.O. Is Arrested in Canada for Extradition to the U.S.
The detention of Meng Wanzhou is likely to escalate tensions between the United States and China just as their trade tensions had begun to thaw.
Breaking News
Jeff Sessions Is Forced Out as Attorney General as Trump Installs Loyalist WASHINGTON — President Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday, replacing him with a loyalist who has echoed the president’s complaints about the special counsel investigation…
Trump Will Nominate William P. Barr as Attorney General
President Trump on Friday said he intended to nominate William P. Barr, who served as attorney general during the first Bush administration from 1991 to 1993, to return as head of the Justice Department.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/us/politics/john-kelly-trump.html
President Trump on Friday said he intended to nominate William P. Barr, who served as attorney general during the first Bush administration from 1991 to 1993, to return as head of the Justice Department.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/us/politics/john-kelly-trump.html
NY Times
Trump Will Nominate William Barr as Attorney General (Published 2018)
The president’s chief of staff John F. Kelly may also leave his post in coming days, administration officials said.
Breaking News
Michael Cohen Says He Arranged Payments to Women at Trump’s Direction Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer, made the extraordinary admission in court on Tuesday that Mr. Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during the 2016…
Prosecutors Say Trump Directed Illegal Payments During Campaign
Federal prosecutors said on Friday that President Trump directed illegal payments to ward off a potential sex scandal that threatened his chances of winning the White House in 2016, putting the weight of the Justice Department behind accusations previously made by his former lawyer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/nyregion/michael-cohen-sentence.html
Federal prosecutors said on Friday that President Trump directed illegal payments to ward off a potential sex scandal that threatened his chances of winning the White House in 2016, putting the weight of the Justice Department behind accusations previously made by his former lawyer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/07/nyregion/michael-cohen-sentence.html
NY Times
Prosecutors Say Trump Directed Illegal Payments During Campaign (Published 2018)
Court filings revealed the most direct evidence to date tying Mr. Trump to potentially criminal conduct during the campaign involving hush payments to women.
French Police Crack Down on ‘Yellow Vests’ With Tear Gas and Hundreds of Arrests
PARIS — A fourth weekend of antigovernment protests in France turned violent again on Saturday, with demonstrators in Paris burning cars and ripping down barricades from store fronts, while the riot police fired tear gas and water cannons to control the crowds.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/08/world/europe/france-paris-riots-yellow-vest.html
PARIS — A fourth weekend of antigovernment protests in France turned violent again on Saturday, with demonstrators in Paris burning cars and ripping down barricades from store fronts, while the riot police fired tear gas and water cannons to control the crowds.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/08/world/europe/france-paris-riots-yellow-vest.html
NY Times
French Police Crack Down on ‘Yellow Vests’ With Tear Gas and Over a Thousand Arrests
The police took a more aggressive stance this weekend as more hard-core elements hijacked the demonstrations. They arrested nearly 1,400 people.
Breaking News
Prosecutors Say Trump Directed Illegal Payments During Campaign Federal prosecutors said on Friday that President Trump directed illegal payments to ward off a potential sex scandal that threatened his chances of winning the White House in 2016, putting the…
Michael Cohen, Trump’s Ex-Lawyer Who Implicated Him in Hush-Money Scandal, Sentenced to 3 Years
Michael D. Cohen, the former lawyer for President Trump, was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday morning for his role in a hush-money scandal that could threaten Mr. Trump’s presidency by implicating him in a scheme to buy the silence of two women who said they had affairs with him.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/nyregion/michael-cohen-sentence-trump.html
Michael D. Cohen, the former lawyer for President Trump, was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday morning for his role in a hush-money scandal that could threaten Mr. Trump’s presidency by implicating him in a scheme to buy the silence of two women who said they had affairs with him.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/nyregion/michael-cohen-sentence-trump.html
NY Times
Michael Cohen Sentenced to 3 Years After Implicating Trump in Hush-Money Scandal (Published 2018)
The sentencing in Manhattan capped a startling fall for Mr. Cohen, who is a central figure in the payments to a adult-film star and a former Playboy model.
Theresa May Survives Leadership Challenge, but Brexit Plan Is Still in Peril
Britain’s prime minister, Theresa May, survived the gravest threat yet to her embattled leadership on Wednesday, winning a confidence motion called by Conservative Party lawmakers angry at her handling of the country’s troubled departure from the European Union.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/world/europe/brexit-theresa-may-vote.html
Britain’s prime minister, Theresa May, survived the gravest threat yet to her embattled leadership on Wednesday, winning a confidence motion called by Conservative Party lawmakers angry at her handling of the country’s troubled departure from the European Union.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/world/europe/brexit-theresa-may-vote.html
NY Times
Theresa May Survives Leadership Challenge, but Brexit Plan Is Still in Peril (Published 2018)
A party vote left her in power, but her government’s plans on how to leave the European Union were left in disarray.
Nations at UN Climate Talks Back Universal Emissions Rules
After two weeks of bruising negotiations, officials from almost 200 countries agreed Saturday on universal, transparent rules that will govern efforts to cut emissions and curb global warming. Fierce disagreements on two other climate issues were kicked down the road for a year to help bridge a chasm of opinions on the best solutions.
https://apnews.com/bed944b3b50b43298b58682be83243b4?2
After two weeks of bruising negotiations, officials from almost 200 countries agreed Saturday on universal, transparent rules that will govern efforts to cut emissions and curb global warming. Fierce disagreements on two other climate issues were kicked down the road for a year to help bridge a chasm of opinions on the best solutions.
https://apnews.com/bed944b3b50b43298b58682be83243b4?2
AP NEWS
Nations at UN climate talks back universal emissions rules
KATOWICE, Poland (AP) — After two weeks of bruising negotiations, officials from almost 200 countries agreed Saturday on universal, transparent rules that will govern efforts to cut emissions and curb global warming. Fierce disagreements on two other climate…
Breaking News
Les Moonves, Longtime CBS Chief, Steps Down Leslie Moonves, the longtime chief executive of the CBS Corporation, stepped down on Sunday night from the company he has led for 15 years. His fall from Hollywood’s highest echelon was all but sealed after the…
CBS Says Leslie Moonves Will Not Receive $120 Million Severance
The CBS Corporation, battered by scandal and facing a leadership vacuum, said its former chief executive, Leslie Moonves, misled the company about multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and tried to hide evidence as he made a frenzied attempt to save his legacy and reap a lucrative severance. The company determined he breached his employment contract and, as a result, will not receive his $120 million exit payout.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/business/media/les-moonves-cbs-severance.html
The CBS Corporation, battered by scandal and facing a leadership vacuum, said its former chief executive, Leslie Moonves, misled the company about multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and tried to hide evidence as he made a frenzied attempt to save his legacy and reap a lucrative severance. The company determined he breached his employment contract and, as a result, will not receive his $120 million exit payout.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/business/media/les-moonves-cbs-severance.html
NY Times
CBS Says Les Moonves Will Not Receive $120 Million Severance
The company announced that Mr. Moonves, who was forced out in September after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, had breached his employment contract.
Trump Withdraws U.S. Forces From Syria, Declaring ‘We Have Won Against ISIS’
President Trump has ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 American troops from Syria, bringing a sudden end to a military campaign that largely vanquished the Islamic State but ceding a strategically vital country to Russia and Iran.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/trump-syria-turkey-troop-withdrawal.amp.html?2
President Trump has ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 American troops from Syria, bringing a sudden end to a military campaign that largely vanquished the Islamic State but ceding a strategically vital country to Russia and Iran.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/trump-syria-turkey-troop-withdrawal.amp.html?2
Nytimes
Trump to Withdraw U.S. Forces From Syria, Declaring ‘We Have Won Against ISIS’
The president overruled his military and diplomatic advisers, who warned against abandoning Kurdish allies and ceding influence in Syria to Russia and Iran.
Jim Mattis, Defense Secretary, Resigns in Rebuke of Trump’s Worldview
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, whose experience and stability were widely seen as a balance to an unpredictable president, resigned Thursday in protest of President Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria and his rejection of international alliances.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/politics/jim-mattis-defense-secretary-trump.amp.html?3
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, whose experience and stability were widely seen as a balance to an unpredictable president, resigned Thursday in protest of President Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria and his rejection of international alliances.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/politics/jim-mattis-defense-secretary-trump.amp.html?3
Nytimes
Jim Mattis, Defense Secretary, Resigns in Rebuke of Trump’s Worldview
Officials said Mr. Mattis went to the White House on Thursday afternoon in a last attempt to persuade Mr. Trump to keep American troops in Syria.
Government Shuts Down as Talks Fail to Break Impasse
The federal government shut down early Saturday after congressional and White House officials failed to find a compromise on a spending bill that hinged on President Trump’s demands for $5.7 billion for a border wall.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/us/politics/trump-shutdown-border-wall.html
The federal government shut down early Saturday after congressional and White House officials failed to find a compromise on a spending bill that hinged on President Trump’s demands for $5.7 billion for a border wall.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/us/politics/trump-shutdown-border-wall.html
NY Times
Government Shuts Down as Talks Fail to Break Impasse (Published 2018)
It is the third shutdown in two years of unified Republican rule in Washington. Hundreds of thousands of government employees are affected.