Top News Stories for Today – Dec 22, 2018
Top News Stories for Today – Dec 22, 2018
US Government begins partial shutdown
The government partially shut down Saturday at midnight after the House and Senate failed to pass a spending bill. President Trump had insisted he would not sign any spending bill that did not include $5 billion for the border wall. The partial shutdown won’t have much effect on your holiday plans. The post office will stay open, so gift and holiday card stragglers can still put them in the mail. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents would still work, and air travel would continue virtually unaffected.
Government employees who are considered “essential,” such as Secret Service agents and Customs and Border Patrol agents and US troops deployed at the border, would still be working. They will eventually get paid for the days they worked during the shutdown, but they won’t be paid until after it ends. Funding that expired at midnight Saturday covers the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the State Department, the Interior Department, the Departure of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among some other federal entities. CBS
Russia, China and Iran in line for sanctions
A new report by the US intelligence community concluded Americans were subjected to ongoing influence operations and disinformation campaigns by several countries, a finding that could trigger automatic sanctions. “Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests,” Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said in a statement late Friday.
The new report now goes to the US attorney general and to the Department of Homeland Security, which have 45 days to review the findings. Should they concur with the intelligence community’s assessment, Russia, China and Iran could be slapped with new sanctions. Those measures could include blocking access to property and interests, restricting access to the US financial system, prohibiting investment in companies found to be involved, and even prohibiting individuals from entering the United States. Additionally, the president’s executive order authorizes the State Department and the Treasury Department to add additional sanctions, if deemed necessary. VOA
Trump call with Turkish leader led pullout from Syria
President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria was made hastily, without consulting his national security team or allies, and over strong objections from virtually everyone involved in the fight against the Islamic State group, according to US and Turkish officials.
Trump stunned his Cabinet, lawmakers and much of the world with the move by rejecting the advice of his top aides and agreeing to a withdrawal in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week, two US officials and a Turkish official briefed on the matter told The Associated Press. Officials who were not authorized to discuss the decision-making process publicly describe, Trump’s pullout Syria prompted the resignation of widely respected Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Associated Press
Syria, Mattis and shutdown spells chaos in Washington
This past week has been one of the most chaotic of Donald Trump’s presidency. A battle over the president’s border wall, a key military decision on Syria and the unexpected resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis were all key moments in a week of turmoil that has become a hallmark of the Trump White House. VOA
Two arrested over Gatwick drones disruption
Two people have been arrested in connection with a string of drone sightings that brought Gatwick Airport to a standstill. A 47-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, from Crawley, were arrested in the town at about 22:00 GMT on Friday.
Flights had been grounded for more than a day, affecting about 140,000 passengers, after drones were seen near the runway. The airport has since reopened and flights are operating on schedule. Sussex Police said it was continuing to investigate the “criminal use of drones” and appealed for information. The airport said it aimed to run “a full schedule” of 757 flights on Saturday, carrying 124,484 passengers. BBC
Dow sees worst week since the 2008 financial crisis
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell another 416 points Friday, capping off a total loss of 1,600 to mark the Dow’s worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The S&P 500 dropped 2 percent and is down 17.7 percent from its high in August. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.99 percent Friday and officially entered a bear market, down 22 percent from an August peak. It has been the Dow and S&P 500’s worst December since the Great Depression. Stocks usually rally as the holidays approach, but the Federal Reserve’s decision to increase interest rates still sparked selloffs earlier in the week. The Week
Justice Ginsburg undergoes surgery for cancer
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is recovering after undergoing surgery to remove two malignant growths in her lungs, the Supreme Court said in a statement Friday. Two nodules were found during tests taken when Ginsburg was hospitalized last month after breaking two ribs in a fall, and an evaluation determined that they were malignant. There is “no evidence of any remaining disease” and Ginsburg is now “resting comfortably.” Doctors do not plan for any further treatment. The Week