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[Misc] (HL-20190303~20190309) Weekly Headlines
최고관리자  |  19-03-01 10:22
Pakistan Will Return Captured Indian Pilot, as US Urges De-escalation

Pakistan’s prime minister on Feb. 28 said his country will return a captured Indian pilot as a gesture of peace as Indian and Pakistani ground troops continue to exchange fire in certain areas. The United States, meanwhile, has been trying to defuse the escalating crisis between the two nuclear powers. The gesture comes a day after both countries claimed to have downed each other’s military jets. The captured pilot, identified by Pakistan as Wing Commander Abhi Nandan, became the human face of the conflict after footage of his capture was posted by the Pakistani government’s official Twitter account. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said the pilot would be released back to India on Feb. 29. At the same time, his military reported that four Pakistani civilians had been killed by Indian firing across the disputed border in Kashmir.

Donald Trump "vs" Michael Cohel

Cohen said he not only made the illicit hush-money payments at the direction of Trump, but testified that Trump directed him to threaten news outlets and others with litigation "at least 500" times — even threatening the schools Trump attended not to release his grades or SAT scores. "I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty — of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him," Cohen said in his testimony. "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience." Trump has also turned on Cohen, calling him "a rat" for pleading guilty and implicating him in federal crimes and cooperating with the government, and tweeting shortly before the hearing that Cohen "did bad things unrelated to Trump," and accused him of "lying in order to reduce his prison time."

Only 18 Percent of Americans View Socialism in Positive Light

Fewer than one in five Americans view socialism in a positive light, while 50 percent view it negatively, according to a survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News and released on March 3. The same poll found that being a socialist is the least favorable characteristic for a presidential candidate. Nearly three in four Americans said they have reservations about, or are very uncomfortable about, voting for a socialist candidate. The survey results—with just 18 percent of respondents saying they view the term “socialism” positively —were published less than two weeks after openly socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Sanders is running on a platform of a medley of socialist policy proposals, including “Medicare for All,” the “Green New Deal,” free college tuition, and the $15 minimum wage.

Tornado Kills 23 in Alabama as Severe Storm Ravages Southeast

A tornado killed at least 23 people in southeast Alabama on March 3, as a powerful storm system ravaged the Southeast and unleashed several other tornadoes. “Unfortunately our toll, as far as fatalities, does stand at 23 at the current time,” Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones told WRBL-TV, adding that two people were in intensive care. Rescue personnel flew drones with heat-seeking sensors to scan the area for survivors but the operation was cut short as conditions grew more perilous. A ground search was to resume March 4, according to Jones. “The devastation is incredible,” Jones said. The tornado tore down a country road in the rural community of Beauregard, destroying single-family and mobile homes along a path half a mile wide, Jones said, adding that some homes were reduced to slabs.

Movement to Undermine Electoral College Gains Momentum

Liberal states and elected officials are mounting an increasingly popular initiative to undermine the Electoral College by awarding state Electoral College votes in presidential elections to the winner of the national popular vote. Supporters of the effort contend that the Electoral College is unfair, and that switching to a national popular vote would make presidential elections more competitive. But critics say that upending the 243-year-old institution would concentrate power in large urban areas that are almost exclusively Democratic strongholds. The Electoral College is a body of electors established by the U.S. Constitution for the sole purpose of electing a president every four years. It takes 270 of the total 538 Electoral College votes to win a presidential election, with each state awarded a certain number of electors based on its representation in Congress.