California Teachers’ Pension Keeps Shrinking Its Exposure to China
China dropped to the 19th place on the California State Teachers’ Retirement System ranking of country asset exposure,
2023-08-03 08:59
Federal funds will pay to send Iowa troops to the US-Mexico border, governor says
About a hundred Iowa National Guard troops will be sent to the U.S.-Mexico border for the month of August in a federally funded operation, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday. The move reflects a broader trend across the country of Republican governors joining forces with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to counter President Joe Biden's immigration policies, which they say have created a crisis at the border. “Since the administration refuses to invest in securing the border and protecting its citizens, Texas has asked other states to help, and Iowa is ready and willing to assist," Reynolds said in a statement. The Biden administration sent 1,500 active-duty troops for a 90-day deployment in May, amid concerns that the end of asylum restrictions linked to the pandemic would lead to an increase in illegal border crossings. Even when the restrictions were in place, a record number of people were crossing the border. Instead, numbers have fallen, and 1,100 troops will conclude their 90-day mission by Aug. 8, a defense official said on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss details ahead of an announcement. The remaining 400 will be extended through August 31. An additional 2,300 National Guard troops remain at the border under federal orders. This is the third time since 2020 that Reynolds is sending troops to the country’s southern border. Officers with the state’s Department of Public Safety will follow National Guard troops at the end of August for the month of September. The governor’s office indicated in May, when the deployment was first announced, that about 30 public safety officers would be sent. Iowa's neighbor, Nebraska, will also dispatch about 60 troops to the southern border in August, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen announced Monday. Governors in Florida, Virginia and South Carolina, among other states, have made similar deployments for Operation Lone Star, a multibillion dollar operation that is distinct from federal efforts, and whose lack of transparency and metrics have drawn questions. ___ Associated Press writers Tara Copp and Rebecca Santana contributed to this story from Washington. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide
2023-08-03 07:47
Former prosecutor explains why Donald Trump was the main focus of the January 6 indictment
Donald Trump’s latest federal indictment is not the lengthiest of the charging documents that has come his way so far, but it may well be the most profound. That was the reaction of legal analysts and journalists this week after Jack Smith delivered the Department of Justice’s initial charges against Mr Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, with much of his conduct in the weeks leading up to and during the January 6 attack going unaddressed in the indictment. All in all, the twice-impeached ex-president is charged with four crimes related to the election-meddling efforts, including conspiracy to deprive Americans of their rights — a law passed as part of anti-Ku Klux Klan legislation. What was absent from the document was a charge that many expected to see after the conclusion of the House of Representatives’ select committee investigation into the attack: A count of giving aid or comfort to an insurrection. There was no mention of that charge, or the related accusation of seditious conspiracy, which has been leveled against members of the Oathkeepers and Proud Boys. There was also no mention of charges for Mr Trump’s long list of allies, some of whom spread conspiracy theories about the election, and other enablers who either knowingly or unknowingly pushed complete and utter falsehoods on a wide range of issues for months after their boss lost the presidential election. Notably, a number (like ex-legal counsel Rudy Giuliani) are referred to as co-conspirators, and specifically not described as “unindicted”. But the initial document charged Mr Trump and Mr Trump alone, with the entirety of its focus being on the actions of the man at the head of the table. A former deputy assistant attorney general and federal prosecutor who analysed the indictment in an interview with The Independent said that decision was likely deliberate, to ensure that the focus of the case remained on Mr Trump’s efforts and potentially to streamline the path to trial. “Each new defendant brings a possible doubling, if not more, of potential causes for delays,” Harry Litman explained. “It's a very considered, strategic decision to bring an indictment only against Trump. And you and I know, those people are by no means out of the woods.” Bringing an indictment against the former president, he added, was the DoJ’s way of cutting as much of the potential delays away as possible in the hopes of getting the ex-president to trial before the 2024 election has concluded. “It maximises the possibility of it happening quickly,” said Mr Litman. “Whereas before yesterday, it seemed doubtful, at least very tenuous, that there would be a federal trial before the election. But I think it now seems likely.” The exclusion of (arguably) more serious charges like seditious conspiracy and giving comfort to a rebellion, he posited , was a decision made for a similar reason. By focusing on Mr Trump’s efforts to change the results and not his words themselves, Mr Litman explained, Mr Smith’s team was “attack[ing] around” any First Amendment-related defences the former president’s legal team would raise against those charges. Mr Trump has denied guilt in all the instances where he is accused of taking illegal measures to remain in the White House, and continues to insist to this day that he is the rightful winner of the 2020 election. Vast swaths of his loyal fanbase believe the same. The former president continues to await a decision by prosecutors in Georgia related to his efforts to change the election results in that state as well; Fulton County officials have said that a decision on that matter is coming later this month. Read More Trump lawyer hints at a First Amendment defense in the Jan. 6 case. Some legal experts are dubious When is Donald Trump’s arraignment? Watch view of Capitol Hill after police say no active shooter found at Senate office after lockdown GOP senators who condemned Trump on Jan 6 but voted against impeachment remain silent on indictment Prosecutors may be aiming for quick Trump trial by not naming alleged conspirators, experts say Rudy Giuliani’s accuser reveals tapes detailing alleged sexually vulgar remarks
2023-08-03 07:45
Morgan Stanley Says Take Profits on China, Downgrades Shares
Morgan Stanley cut its rating on Chinese stocks to equal weight Wednesday, saying investors should capitalize on a
2023-08-03 07:45
Niger: US announces partial evacuation of embassy
Hundreds of foreign nationals have already been evacuated from the country since a coup last week.
2023-08-03 07:25
Australia Must Consider WeChat Ban, Senate Report Says
Australia should consider extending a ban on TikTok from government devises to include WeChat, a panel of lawmakers
2023-08-03 07:22
Texas is separating families at the border in apparent 'harsh and cruel' shift in policy, immigration attorney says
Texas has separated at least 26 migrant family units on the southern border since July 10 under Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star border initiative, according to Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid immigration attorney Kristin Etter.
2023-08-03 06:57
Asia Stocks to Fall as US Shares, Treasuries Drop: Markets Wrap
Asian equity futures fell after heavy selling in US stocks and long-dated Treasuries as investors digested data showing
2023-08-03 06:54
Brazil Kicks Off Easing Cycle With Surprise Half-Point Interest Rate Cut
Brazil’s central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate by a larger-than-expected 50 basis points and said future cuts
2023-08-03 06:25
Niger: First UK nationals safely out of the country, foreign minister says
The Foreign Office gave no further details of how many UK nationals have left the country or how.
2023-08-03 04:25
Guard of honour for best friends killed in crash
The funerals of Dlava Mohamed, 16, and Kiea McCann, 17, are due to take place on Thursday.
2023-08-03 03:56
Watch live view of Capitol Hill as police say no active shooter found at Senate office after lockdown
Watch live from outside the US Capitol after police said no active shooter was found on Wednesday 2 August. Officers were dispatched to canvass Senate office buildings in response to what they described as “a concerning 911 call”. In a post on X (the social media website formerly known as Twitter), the US Capitol Police department advised that people should stay away from the area as officers were investigating. “Our officers are searching in and around the Senate Office Buildings in response to a concerning 911 call. Please stay away from the area,” the post read. DC Fire and EMS subsequently told Fox News that the situation was likely to be related to mental health and not an active shooter. Read More FBI looks for more possible victims after woman escapes from cinderblock cage in Oregon Moment stepfather arrested by police for murder of 10-month-old stepson Italian police dog sniffs out €1 million in cash hidden in luggage
2023-08-03 03:48