Top Stories Today – August 22, 2019
Top Stories Today – August 22, 2019
Trump flip-flops on tax cuts
A day after considering cutting taxes to promote economic growth, President Donald Trump changed course and said he would abandon the idea because the nation already had “a strong economy.” Trump’s flip-flop on Wednesday came after recent market volatility and economic uncertainty, and amid a debate about whether the United States was heading for a slowdown that would imperil his reelection chances. Trump earlier this week acknowledged, for the first time, that his China trade policies may mean economic pain for Americans, though he insisted the tariffs are needed for more important long-term benefits.
But his consideration of cutting payroll taxes appeared short-lived. “I’m not looking at a tax cut now,” he told reporters at the White House. “We don’t need it. We have a strong economy.” The Associated Press
US moves to abolish child migrant custody limits
Migrant families who cross the southern border of the US illegally could be detained indefinitely under a new regulation announced by the Trump administration. It replaces an agreement that set a limit on how long the government could hold migrant children in custody. The move, announced by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, is due to come into effect in 60 days.
Mexico has expressed concern and said it would consider legal action. The Mexican foreign ministry said the detention of children and adolescents “could be prolonged indefinitely, given the continuing delay in attending to migration cases”. Other legal challenges are also expected. BBC
US Budget deficit to surpass $1 trillion faster than estimated
Following the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, the Congressional Budget Office updated its forecasts on Wednesday, with predictions that the deficit will reach $960 billion for the 2019 fiscal year. That number is expected to swell to $1 trillion for the 2020 fiscal year, the first time the deficit could cross that threshold since the 2012 fiscal year. While hitting the $1 trillion mark was anticipated, the 2020 prediction for the figure is two years earlier than previously estimated.
And if it weren’t for decreased interest rate projections, the CBO’s deficit estimates would likely be even higher. Rising forecasts are reportedly a result of “sluggish growth in federal revenue” after the Trump administration’s 2017 tax cuts went into effect and bipartisan agreements to raise military and nondefense domestic discretionary spending. The New York Times, Bloomberg via The Week
Danish ex-PM attacks Trump over defense spending
A former Danish prime minister on Thursday lashed out at US President Donald Trump for his tweet about military spending, saying defense willingness is not just about the amount of money spent. Lars Loekke Rasmussen’s comment is the latest in an escalating spat between the US and Denmark after Trump scrapped a visit to the country, saying current Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was “nasty” when she rejected his idea of buying Greenland as an absurdity.
Loekke Rasmussen, who led the country until June, tweeted Thursday to Trump: “We have had (proportionally) exactly the same numbers of casualties in Afghanistan as US. We always stands firm and ready.” Trump, who has urged NATO members to do more to meet the alliance’s goal of committing 2 percent of gross domestic product to defense, earlier tweeted that “Denmark is only at 1.35%.” The Associated Press
S Korea cancels Japan intelligence deal
South Korea will stop exchanging classified intelligence on North Korea with Japan amid a bitter trade dispute, an official said Thursday, a surprise announcement that is likely to set back US efforts to bolster security cooperation with two of its most important allies in the Asian region. South Korea’s decision to cancel the intelligence-sharing pact will also further aggravate its ties with Japan, which are already at their lowest point since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1965. Japanese media said Tokyo will lodge a protest with Seoul and quoted unidentified Tokyo officials as calling the South Korean move “extremely regrettable” and “unbelievable.”
Many experts had predicted that South Korea would be unlikely to spike the 3-year-old intelligence-sharing deal for the sake of its relations with the United States. South Korea has been seeking US help in resolving the trade dispute, and Seoul and Washington have also been working together to restart stalled talks on stripping North Korea of its nuclear weapons. The Associated Press
California hotel employee prevents mass shooting
California police say a hotel worker may have prevented a mass shooting after the worker reported that a disgruntled colleague had threatened to shoot staff and guests. Acting on the tip-off, officers arrested a 37-year-old man who was found to have high-powered weapons and ammunition at his Los Angeles home. It comes amid a wider FBI effort to prevent such shootings. That followed attacks in El Paso and Dayton that killed 31 people.
Since then US authorities say they have foiled a series of alleged plots to carry out attacks, some of which would have targeted minority groups. The FBI has reportedly instructed its field offices to conduct threat assessments and has also urged the public to report threats or suspicious activity. BBC
Inslee ends bid for Democrats’ presidential nod
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who made fighting climate change the central theme of his presidential campaign, announced Wednesday night that he was ending his bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination. Inslee announced his decision on MSNBC, saying it had become clear that he wouldn’t win. He has kept the option of running for a third term as governor open throughout his presidential campaign but didn’t immediately say what his political plans were.
Inslee, 68, became the third Democrat to end his presidential bid after US Rep. Eric Swalwell of California pulled out of the primary last month, followed by former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper last week. The Voice of America
WHO: Plastic particles in drinking water pose low risk
Microplastics contained in drinking water pose a “low” risk to human health at current levels, but more research is needed to reassure consumers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday. Studies over the past year on plastic particles detected in tap and bottled water have sparked public concerns, but the limited data appears reassuring, the U.N. agency said its first report on potential health risks associated with ingestion.
Microplastics enter drinking water sources mainly through run-off and wastewater effluent, the WHO said. Evidence shows that microplastics found in some bottled water seem to be at least partly because of the bottling process and/or packaging such as plastic caps, it said. The Voice of America
153 cases of lung disease in US linked to vaping
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now aware of 153 possible cases of severe lung disease in 16 states that could be caused by vaping, the agency said Wednesday in an update to a multi-state investigation. The cases — reported from June 28 to August 20, 2019 — have popped up in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. They have primarily affected adolescents and young adults.
This is an increase from Saturday, when CDC announced it was looking into 94 possible cases in 14 states. At the time, a CNN survey of state health departments concluded there were more than 120 cases in at least 15 states. There are no known deaths at this time, the agency said. In many cases, patients have gradually had difficulty breathing and chest pain before being hospitalized. CNN