| BREAKING NEWS: Shutdown begins as talks falter over Trump’s wall Posted: 21 Dec 2018 09:02 PM PST The federal government shut down for the third time this year as a furious round of budget talks between the White House and congressional leaders failed to break the impasse over funding for President Donald Trump's border wall. Roughly 800,000 federal employees from the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Treasury, Interior, Agriculture and Commerce will be impacted by the shutdown. Read more: https://politi.co/2SYKN22 To change your alert settings, please go to https://secure.politico.com/settings
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| Christmas shutdown; 'dangerous' moment; 2018 in media; market selloff; Fortune's new owner; Lowry reviews 'Welcome to Marwen' Posted: 21 Dec 2018 08:19 PM PST At midnight ET time ran out... The cable news countdown clocks went away... And the federal government shut down AGAIN... At midnight ET time ran out... The cable news countdown clocks went away... And the federal government shut down. Now it's time for count-up clocks that point out how long this stalemate has lasted.
Okay, fine, it's only 11 p.m. at the time I'm sending this newsletter out. The shutdown hasn't started yet. But the House and the Senate have adjourned until Saturday at noon, so it's happening. This is the THIRD government shutdown of the year. So I just went back to January and copy-and-pasted my newsletter intro from LAST time.
>> Recycling my two cents from January: "The U.S. is once again embarrassed in the eyes of the world. Americans are looking at each other asking, 'Can't we do any better than this?'"
The rest of this newsletter is 100% original 😉
This whole fight is untethered from the facts
-- Trump wants a "border wall." But I wish there was more of an acknowledgement that there already ARE a wide variety of fences and bollards and wall-like structures from CA to TX. Trump wants more. But let's start this debate by seeing what's already there! If you haven't taken WaPo's virtual tour of the entire border yet, check it out here...
-- Stephen Miller says "right now, as we speak, there is a surge of illegal immigration heading toward our country that presents a national crisis now." A crisis? The # of apprehensions is "nowhere close to setting a record," per government data... The #'s are far lower than in the early and mid-2000s...
-- Sarah Sanders says "all of America" wants a wall. But polling shows that most Americans do not. Maybe Sanders meant "most of the Republican party." But not even "all" of the GOP wants the wall! WaPo's Philip Bump wrote about Sanders' falsehood here...
The Limbaugh shutdown?
How much credit or blame do Trump's media boosters deserve for this shutdown? I'll be talking about that on "CNN Tonight" with Don Lemon in the 11 p.m. hour...
>> Edmund Lee's piece for the NYT: "Trump's Allies in Conservative Media Put the President 'on the Griddle'"
>> Erik Wemple says "Fox & Friends" hosts are "no longer reliable Trump bootlickers..."
The selloff continues | | On most other days, THIS would be the lead: "A rough end to an awful week," the CNN Business home page says. "The Dow declined 414 points, or 1.8%, capping off its deepest weekly plunge since October 2008."
Tech stocks were a big contributor to the slump. On Friday alone, "Facebook slumped 6%, Apple declined 4%, Twitter lost 7% and Netflix fell 5%," David Goldman reports...
Trump's "worst week ever," for real this time
Nate Silver tweeted Friday: "There are many occasions when cable pundits say Trump's having his WORST WEEK EVER. A lot of times, that's hype. But I think there's some truth this time. He's fighting on multiple fronts that expose the big weaknesses in his approach to the presidency... In particular, his deteriorating relationships with McConnell and other members of the Congressional leadership is a major deal. The shutdown itself isn't a huge news event (IMO). But those relationships matter a lot, including on the big questions (impeachment, primary challenge)..."
Trump "hates the coverage"
Via CNN's Jim Acosta: "A source close to the White House said President Trump is angry about the resignation letter submitted by Defense Secretary James Mattis. The source said Trump 'hates the letter...' but 'hates the coverage more.' The thing that makes Trump angry is the conventional wisdom repeated in coverage of the Secretary's departure that Mattis was one of the 'adults in the room' in place to serve as a check on the president's impulses..."
A "dangerous" moment
It's not just progressives saying this is a "dangerous" moment in time, with Mattis leaving and scandals swirling. Conservative commentator Matt Lewis tweeted Friday that this is a "very dangerous phase" of the Trump presidency: "The problem with the entertainment wing of the GOP is not that they are politically conservative (that would generally be fine by me) but that they are irresponsible actors..."
No presser today. Didja notice?
Erin McPike tweeted: "Every Friday before Christmas for eight straight years," Barack Obama held his "epic year-end news conference. It was epic for its brilliance, its eloquence, and the kind of news he made." For the second year in a row, Trump did not hold a Friday before Christmas presser...
This Sunday on "Reliable Sources"
We have a full slate: Ben Smith, Karen Tumulty, Douglas Brinkley, Dara Lind, Carl Bernstein, Sarah Ellison, David Zurawik, Rebecca Keegan, and Brian Lowry will join me Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on CNN... See you then...
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- Another great get by CNN's Andrew Kaczynski: Mick Mulvaney said in a 2015 radio interview that Trump's views on a border wall were "simplistic," "absurd and almost childish..." (CNN)
-- Laura Jarrett and Pamela Brown's Friday night scoop: Trump has "vented" to acting A.G. Matt Whitaker "at least twice in the past few weeks" about the SDNY's prosecution of Michael Cohen." Jeffrey Toobin called it "completely inappropriate on "AC360." He said "this is precisely the thing that presidents should NOT be involved in..." (CNN)
-- Jonah Goldberg's latest: "The problem conservatism faces these days is that many of the loudest voices have decided to embrace the meanness while throwing away the facts..." (NRO)
-- A new count from Glenn Kessler and co.: "President Trump has made 7,546 false or misleading claims over 700 days..." (WaPo)
| | RBG's cancer scare
"Today's news that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering to remove two cancerous nodules in her left lung hit progressives hard," the filmmakers behind "RBG," Julie Cohen and Betsy West, wrote in a CNN.com op-ed on Friday. They wrote it to reassure readers that Ginsberg "is tough enough" to endure this latest health scare...
>> Brian Lowry emails: Her latest health concerns come just days before the Christmas opening of "On the Basis of Sex," a movie starring Felicity Jones that looks back on a key case during her early legal career...
>> Sonia Moghe notes that RBG attended a screening of the film just a few days ago in NYC. When asked during the Q&A about how long she'll serve on the Supreme Court, she said, "At my age, one can't predict. I said I will do this job as long as I can do it full steam."
REVIEWING 2018
An incomplete list of this year's media news
Not much happened this year, right? Just more of the same from 2017? Think again:
Bill Shine joined the White House. Hope Hicks joined Fox. Sarah Sanders basically ended the daily briefing. And we all learned the name Stormy Daniels.
Matt Murray was named editor of the WSJ. Nicole Carroll was named editor of USA Today. Jarl Mohn announced plans to leave NPR. Vince Sadusky replaced Randy Falco atop Univision. "American Idol" returned. Apple bought Texture. "Fortnite" and "Red Dead Redemption 2" consumed hours on end.
The streaming wars escalated. Ryan Murphy joined Netflix. Kenya Barris joined Netflix. Channing Dungey joined Neflix. Seriously, who didn't join Netflix? The Obamas even inked a deal to produce Netflix shows. Meanwhile, Amazon won its first Emmy for best comedy. Apple ordered lots of shows. Snap struggled to grow. Facebook struggled to explain itself. Twitter promised to make improvements. Google tried to avoid scrutiny.
AT&T acquired CNN and the rest of Time Warner, now named WarnerMedia. The DOJ appealed the decision. John Stankey became CEO of WarnerMedia.
Les Moonves went to war with Shari Redstone. And then decades worth of allegations against him were brought to light. CBS was upended. Moonves was forced out. Jeff Fager was fired. Elsewhere, the remains of Weinstein Co. were sold off.
Noah Shachtman succeeded John Avlon at The Daily Beast, with Avlon joining CNN full time. Chris Cuomo moved to prime time and John Berman joined "New Day." At CBS, John Dickerson moved to the mornings and Margaret Brennan succeeded him on "Face the Nation." Bianna Golodryga joined "CBS This Morning" too. Craig Melvin formally joined "Today." The EPs of both shows were replaced Christiane Amanpour officially replaced Charlie Rose on PBS. Brian Ross left ABC. Suzanne Scott was promoted to CEO of Fox News.
The Murdochs awaited approval of their deal with Disney. Charlie Collier jumped from AMC to Fox. The other exec changes at both Disney and Fox were too numerous to list here. James Murdoch struck out on his own. Comcast beat out Disney for Sky.
Jimmy Pitaro became president of ESPN. The noise around politics in sports subsided. NFL ratings went up this fall. Jemele Hill joined The Atlantic. So many people joined The Atlantic! The Athletic and the LA Times also went on hiring sprees.
Bob Greenblatt left NBC. Shane Smith stepped aside as Vice CEO, and Nancy Dubuc stepped in. Vice cut headcount while Disney wrote off some of its investment. Other digital media darlings prepared for tough times ahead. Paywalls popped up all over the place. Mic laid off its entire editorial staff. Verizon buried Oath. BuzzFeed buzzed about consolidation ideas. Bryan Goldberg bought Gawker. 538 became part of ABC News. Breitbart's relevance faded away.
Byron Allen bought The Weather Channel. Hearst took control of Rodale. Discovery took control of Scripps. Sinclair lost its bid to buy Tribune. Meredith closed on Time Inc. and started selling titles. Marc Benioff bought TIME. Patrick Soon-Shiong took over the LA Times. Tronc (now Tribune again) looked for a buyer, but not before slashing the NY Daily News staff in half.
Radhika Jones succeeded Graydon Carter at VF. Jim Nelson handed GQ off to Will Welch. Samantha Barry took the reins at Glamour. That magazine announced plans to stop its monthly print edition, and so did Cooking Light and Martha Stewart Weddings and Seventeen. In other mag news, Troy Young replaced David Carey as the president of Hearst Magazines. Bob Sauerberg announced plans to step down, and Condé Nast is looking for a new CEO. So is Gannett. And I'm sure there's a lot I am forgetting. Ch-ch-changes...
The biggest...
Best-selling book of the year: Michelle Obama's "Becoming." Close runner-ups: "Fire and Fury" and "Fear."
Biggest TV show of the year: ABC's "Roseanne" revival, until Roseanne Barr's racist tweets did her in.
Biggest movie of the year in the US: "Black Panther," followed closely by "Avengers: Infinity War."
Most downloaded podcast of the year according to Apple: NYT's "The Daily." Runners up: "The Joe Rogan Experience" and "Stuff You Should Know."
The most-searched news topics on Google: the World Cup, Hurricane Florence and Mega Millions.
Most-read article of the year on NYTimes.com: "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration."
The top advocacy hashtag used on Instagram: #MeToo.
The year's "most important social network" according to The Verge: Fortnite.
Words of the year, according to three different dictionaries: Toxic, misinformation, and justice.
The most-used Giphy sticker in Instagram Stories: ❤️
Reflections from our media reporters
So much happened this year, we broke our year-in-review podcast into two parts. And part one is online now! Hadas Gold, Oliver Darcy and Tom Kludt joined me with insights about 2018's biggest storylines in media and its intersections with politics, business and tech. They even shared some predictions about what might happen in 2019. Listen to the pod via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your preferred app...
"18 lessons for the news biz from 2018"
That's the title of Ken Doctor's latest must-read. Among his points:
> "The reader revenue revolution is real."
> "Podcasting — and the newsy podcast — is now mainstream."
> "An uncountable number of highly motivated, talented journalists are ready to jump back into the fray — if only they can be paid."
> "The relatively few magazines that are finding a future are thought-provoking, reader-supported ones."
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
By Daniella Emanuel:
-- Michael Kruse profiles Connie Schultz, a nationally syndicated liberal columnist who regularly attacks Trump, and prides herself on the idea that she is "the woman he hates." Schultz is married to Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown... (Politico)
-- Daniel Funke interviews Tessa Lyons, a product manager at Facebook who is in charge of the company's efforts to fight misinformation. There's been progress, she says, but "we obviously still have a lot to do..." (Poynter)
-- Cynthia Littleton profiles Perry Sook, CEO of Nexstar, the company that's "about to become the largest owner of TV stations in the country..." (Variety)
-- Tradition prevails in the ratings game: ABC's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was the number one show "among 18 to 49-year-olds" Thursday night... (Deadline) | |
Massachusetts mayor is labeling a real reporter as "fake"
Oliver Darcy emails: The mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, has created a website to discredit a local reporter as "fake news," The Herald News reported Friday. Mayor Jasiel Correia II has twice in one month replied to Herald News reporter Jo Goode on Twitter with a URL that redirects people to a "You are fake news" Trump meme. In a comment to The Herald News, the mayor stood by his actions, saying, "It just is what it is. Jo reports fake news and I stand by it." Read the full story at the Herald News here…
>> In a statement, Lisa Strattan, general manager of The Herald News, said, "It's simply stunning to me that the mayor has chosen to align himself with President Trump's sophomoric assessment of legitimate news-gathering operations by creating a 'site' about one of our hard-working reporters..."
Don't call it "fake news," call it...
"Viral deception." That's the term recommended by Penn professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson. "We should consider fake news an oxymoron -- if something is fake, it's not news," she told me.
So made-up stories should be labeled "viral deception" -- or VD for short -- calling to mind "venereal diseases." Jamieson: "I want people to say 'Ooh, I don't want to catch it. I don't want to spread it if it comes anywhere near me. I want to quarantine it.'"
Jamieson will join me on our year-end episode of "Reliable Sources" -- Sunday the 30th...
Trump's year of "VD"
The president tweeted about "fake" news more than 210 times this year, and he was almost always referring to real and reliable news outlets, not made-up stories. That poison continues to seep into the bloodstream of his base... | |
Fortune officially has a new owner
Thai businessman Chatchaval Jiaravanon's purchase of Fortune magazine officially closed on Friday. "We will be investing in journalism and investing in technology," Fortune prez Alan Murray said.
Daniel Roberts tweeted: "Fortune and TIME have sold, Sports Illustrated sale is imminent. Where does that leave MONEY?" That's the fourth and final mag Meredith is selling...
The Advocate's new EIC
I missed this yesterday: "The Advocate, the nation's oldest gay magazine still in circulation, named Zach Stafford as its new editor-in-chief on Thursday. The award-winning journalist has an established track record of reporting on LGBTQ issues and will make history as the publication's first black editor-in-chief since its debut more than five decades ago..." (NBC)
FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE
-- April Glaser writes: "Search for 'abortion' on YouTube last week and the top results were a horrifying mix of gore and dangerous misinformation. YouTube changed the results after I asked..." (Slate)
-- Rich Greenfield's latest: "Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc are modern day cures for boredom that TV and, before that, radio used to serve. Fighting the consumer is always a losing battle..." (BTIG)
-- Why did Sacha Baron Cohen decide to go undercover again after so many years? He says Trump was the trigger... (Deadline)
The cultural moments that defined 2018
Megan Thomas emails: Our colleagues at Style did a really wonderful wrap up of the cultural moments that defined 2018, ranging from Beyonce's Coachella performance to Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer win. I recommend it...
| | Lowry reviews "Welcome to Marwen"
Brian Lowry emails: Based on a true story, "Welcome to Marwen" is a perplexing movie, starring Steve Carell as a man who works through a violent trauma he experienced by creating fictional World War II scenarios using puppets. Review here...
It will be joined next week by another movie in which Carell co-stars, again playing a real person, Donald Rumsfeld in "Vice." The film stars Christian Bale as Dick Cheney and has been extremely polarizing among critics, making some year-end best lists, while being derided by others for its smugness and pedantic tone -- excesses captured well by Christopher Orr's The Atlantic review.
While I admired the performances, I generally skew more toward the latter view, but will be interested to see how audiences respond to it...
Suge Knight and the "American Knightmare"
Brian Lowry emails: Director Antoine Fuqua conducted extensive interviews with rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight in 2011 and 2012 that provide the foundation for "American Dream/American Knightmare," an updated documentary on Knight -- who's currently serving a prison term -- and the birth of Death Row Records. The doc will make its debut on Showtime... | |
That's a wrap. Thanks for reading. Send me your feedback via email anytime! See you Sunday for our last media newsletter of the year... | | | |   |
| ترك برس - النشرة 22-12-2018 Posted: 21 Dec 2018 06:00 PM PST |
| BREAKING NEWS: Partial government shutdown is imminent Posted: 21 Dec 2018 04:49 PM PST Washington is on track for its third government shutdown in two years. With a midnight deadline rapidly approaching, the House Republican leadership has informed lawmakers that "no further votes are expected this evening." The move means a partial government shutdown is virtually certain at this point, with the only question being how long the stalemate will last. Read more: https://politi.co/2SYKN22 To change your alert settings, please go to https://secure.politico.com/settings
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| Fake News: Media, Neocons Claim Troops Are Unhappy To Be Leaving Syria Posted: 21 Dec 2018 04:41 PM PST PREVIEW TEXT GOES HERE | | The mainstream media and neocons are circulating the narrative that U.S. troops are furious about leaving Syria, when in reality anecdotal evidence suggests the opposite to be true. Read More Paul Joseph Watson | Infowars.com | | | Paul Joseph Watson | Infowars.com | | Steve Watson | Infowars.com | | | | Dan Lyman | Infowars Europe | | | Paul Joseph Watson | Infowars.com | | | | | | |  |
| "We will continue to resist” Posted: 21 Dec 2018 04:01 PM PST TicToc Tonight | We've got Friday covered with these stories & more: - Demonstrations around the globe
- A looming U.S. government shutdown
- Hailstones the size of tennis balls Down Under
 Day of rage From Hungary to Spain, major cities are seeing protests today. Why? Anger driven by discontent with the established order and economic pain. - Demos in Hungary that began Dec.12 persist with a rally planned for tonight, highlighting a backlash against the nation's authoritarian drift. "The streets and parliamentary opposition are united," Agnes Vadai, deputy leader of the Democratic Coalition party, writes in the Guardian. "We will continue to resist until the Orbán regime is gone."
- Sudan was rocked by deadly rallies against soaring prices and shortages, with protesters burning tires and demanding President Umar al-Bashir step down.
- Scuffles broke out in Barcelona between Spanish police & separatists opposed to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's decision to hold a cabinet meeting in the city, Catalan's regional capital.
More of today's headlines D day tonight. Donald Trump warned Senate Democrats of a "very long" partial government shutdown if they don't back a stopgap spending measure that includes money to build U.S.-Mexico border wall. As of 7 pm ET, no agreement had been reached to fund parts of the government. However, Senate has opened debate on a stopgap funding bill, clearing the way for negotiations with the White House on a path forward that would keep the government open and satisfy Trump's demand for border security money. A minute of silence. Methane exploded at a Czech coal mine close to the Polish border leaving 13 miners dead and 10 injured. It's the country's deadliest mine tragedy since 1990. Beyond espionage. Australia's cyber security chief accused China of "audacious" attempts to steal trade secrets from businesses.
London's Gatwick has re-opened for flights. The backlog — caused after the airport shut for 24 hours because of drone activity — is mammoth. Theresa May said those caught endangering aircraft can face prison time.
Apropos ... busy airports add to winter travel time. Which one's the best? Tokyo apparently. It is home to the world's most punctual, according to a new report, and offers origami workshops if you get delayed. Data of the day A down year. If you'd invested $10,000 in Bitcoin last January, you would have lost most of it. Other asset classes didn't fare that much better.  Listen up, to our podcast General Jim Mattis abruptly resigned as U.S. Secretary of Defense earlier this week. Bloomberg's Nicholas Wadhams joined David Meyers to break down what it means for the Trump administration moving forward on today's TicToc podcast. Listen here.
 Don't miss this Hail pelted Queensland in strange shapes, sizes and textures. Insurers are concerned by the damage that's already costing millions. Many others are just bemused by the weirdness of it all.  Before you go Meet the Breunion Boys, a European band trying to stop Brexit — they include an Afghan refugee studying to be a doctor who says the EU gave him a 2nd chance. "It's a bit tongue cheek, but it's a very serious attempt to reach the Brits who voted to leave us."  (By the way, the idea of a 2nd referendum is gaining traction in Theresa May's cabinet.)
Till next week. We wish you a happy weekend | |   |
| STREAMING NOW | Esports: The Price of the Grind Posted: 21 Dec 2018 02:07 PM PST |  |
For most esports players, their gaming is a hobby, a distraction. For the elite, it's a full-time job they approach like a professional athlete - maintaining a strict regimen of training, diet, and physical therapy.
The premier level of competitive gaming is now an arena sport that resembles professional sports events. Top players are salaried, traded, and hold celebrity status with their fans. Games are broadcast to millions on Twitch and ESPN, and esports may even make it into the Olympics.
But the higher you fly, the further you can fall. CBSN Originals meets competitive esports players to see how video games gave them a career, celebrity, but also how the pressure to succeed – the grind – puts them at risk of burn-out. | | | | |   |
| As bad as 2008 Posted: 21 Dec 2018 02:02 PM PST Evening Briefing President Donald Trump has handicapped the odds of him shutting down the government as "pretty good" unless he gets money for his wall. Markets reacted by tanking. The proportion of stocks hitting annual lows rivals 1987 and 2008. And the new year may bring no relief. —Josh Petri Here are today's top storiesTrump was dealt a blow on a signature issue when the U.S. Supreme Court blocked him from automatically rejecting asylum bids by people who cross the Mexican border illegally. In other high court news, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had two cancerous growths removed. The world counted on Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to hold firm against Trump's more extreme tendencies. His abrupt resignation is provoking fears that there are no adults left in the room. In Bloomberg Opinion, Eli Lake argues that Trump's presidency is collapsing. Trump was supposed to tell his Turkish counterpart to stop testing his patience with military threats in Syria. That is, if Trump stuck to the script. (Spoiler alert: He didn't.) "Canada's Warren Buffett" still drives his own pickup truck at age 90. We hit the road with billionaire Jim Pattison. As if Facebook didn't have enough problems. The embattled social media platform is working on making a cryptocurrency. Flooding from storm surges is forcing more people to put their homes on stilts. For the elderly and immobile, it's a problem. What's Joe Weisenthal thinking about? The Bloomberg news director is chewing over Jay Powell's recent statement that the contraction in the Fed's bond holdings would continue "on automatic pilot." The reaction from stocks suggested investors aren't happy with the pilot. What you'll need to know tomorrow What you'll want to read tonightMoscow is known for many things: the Bolshoi, election tampering, being really cold. But it's not known as a fine dining destination. That may be starting to change.  Like Bloomberg's Evening Briefing? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com. You'll get our unmatched global news coverage and two premium daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close, and much, much more. What's moving markets in Asia? Sign up to get the latest in your inbox each morning, Hong Kong time. Download the Bloomberg app: It's available for iOS and Android. | |   |
| Jenelle Evans sets 'peace offering' gift from fellow Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry on fire Posted: 21 Dec 2018 01:51 PM PST |
| Fikra Newsletter: Trump's Announcement in Arab Media, Reconstruction in Syria, UAE Poll, and Algeria Corruption Crackdown Posted: 21 Dec 2018 01:36 PM PST |  | | | | Generating Dialogue. Impacting Policy. | | | | | Fikra Forum analyzes the Arab media's responses to President Trump's recent announcement that the United States will withdraw its troops from Syria. From articles published in the Egyptian press to reports by the Syrian opposition, these reactions highlight differences in regional players' visions for Syria, as well as divergent views on the role the United States should play in the Middle East. Fikra contributing editor Hassan Mneimneh challenges Russia's and the Assad regime's characterization of the 'reconstruction' process that is occurring in Syria. Instead, Mneimneh argues that the regime's efforts are principally driven by an interest in solidifying Damascus' strategic control and should not be provided legitimacy by the international community. Fikra director David Pollock publishes the latest in his polling series, reporting on privately held views in the United Arab Emirates. Respondents' answers indicate that on a number of issues, including gender equality, Emiratis are actually more conservatively inclined than their government's policies suggest. Algerian journalist Ahmed Marwane examines the challenges facing the government in its efforts to prevent corruption in Algeria. While noting that corruption is a serious issue that has produced a number of major scandals in the past few years, Marwane argues that recent government crackdowns against corruption could become a political tool in the lead up to Algeria's 2019 elections.
As always, we welcome your feedback and participation. Please write to us at editor@fikraforum.org.
Warm regards,
David Pollock
Director, Fikra Forum
| | يحلل منتدى فكرة ردود أفعال وسائل الإعلام العربية حول إعلان الرئيس ترامب الأخير أن الولايات المتحدة ستسحب قواتها من سوريا. ومن المقالات المنشورة في الصحافة المصرية إلى تقارير المعارضة السورية، تبرز ردود الأفعال هذه الاختلافات في رؤى الفاعلين الإقليميين في سوريا، وكذلك الآراء المتباينة حول الدور الذي يجب أن تلعبه الولايات المتحدة في الشرق الأوسط. يتحدّى المحرر المشارك في منتدى فكرة، حسن منيمنة، روسيا ونظام الأسد في وصفهم لعملية "إعادة الإعمار" التي تجري حاليا في سوريا، حيث يرى منيمنة أن جهود النظام مدفوعة في الأساس باهتمامه بتعزيز سيطرته الاستراتيجية على دمشق، ومن ثم، يجب ألا يتم توفير الشرعية له من قبل المجتمع الدولي. ينشر مدير منتدى فكرة ديفيد بولوك أحدث إصداراته من سلسلة استطلاعات الرأي العام، حيث يتناول وجهات النظر الخاصة في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. وتشير ردود المستطلعين إلى أن الإماراتيين في الواقع أكثر ميلاً إلى التحفظ من حكومتهم وذلك في ما يتعلق بعدد من القضايا، بما في ذلك المساواة بين الجنسين. يتناول الصحفي الجزائري أحمد مرواني التحديات التي تواجه الحكومة في جهودها لمكافحة الفساد في الجزائر. ففي حين يشير مرواني إلى أن قضية الفساد قد أصبحت قضية خطيرة حيث أثارت عددا من الفضائح الكبرى في السنوات القليلة الماضية، إلا انه يرى أن الحملات الحكومية الأخيرة الموجهة ضد الفساد يمكن أن تصبح أداة سياسية في الفترة التي تسبق انتخابات الجزائر عام 2019. وكما هو الحال دائماً، نشجع مشاركاتكم في هذه النقاشات المستمرة. يرجى الكتابة لنا على البريد الألكتروني editor@fikraforum.org. تحيات حارة،
ديفيد بولوك
مدير، منتدى فكرة | |
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| Canada's most (and least) popular premiers get ranked Posted: 21 Dec 2018 01:23 PM PST | Hello A to Zed readers! This is the last missive from this particular newsletter for 2018, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your readership this past year.This newsletter is meant to be an informative bundle for the middle of your weekday, and it's a pleasure putting it together from Monday to Friday. I always appreciate hearing from you, so please keep those suggestions and comments coming. Happy holidays to you and yours, and see you in 2019.— Rebecca Zamon, audience development manager, HuffPost Canada It seems the shine hasn't worn off some of the country's newest provincial leaders. Computer modeling suggests by 2030 we will get down to 592 million tonnes if we fully implement all the measures Canada has planned, like the carbon tax, clean fuel standards, energy-efficiency improvements for buildings and closing coal-fired power plants. The judge says nothing has really changed since the last time Khadr asked for changes to his bail conditions and the restrictions he faces are reasonable. 👍 Wishing you the happiest of holidays! A Quebec First Nation’s land claim to Parliament Hill tests the Liberals’ promise to build a nation-to-nation relationship. In this episode: Algonquin Elder Albert Dumont, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett, AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde, and Ottawa reporter Zi-Ann Lum. Hosted by Althia Raj Get this episode and more "Follow-Up" on iTunes or Google Play. New to podcasts? Here's how to get started. HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018, we introduced a new Oath privacy policy, which explains how your data is used and shared. Learn more.Follow HuffPost Canada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
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| Trump’s chaos engine finds a new, higher gear Posted: 21 Dec 2018 01:18 PM PST Bloomberg Opinion Today Today's Agenda  Mattis All Get-Out This newsletter, channeling Bloomberg Opinion's prescient writers, has been warning you for a while now that the chaos engine of President Donald Trump's White House will just keep heating up. Yesterday proved the wisdom of those warnings – which remain in effect. Trump blew up a deal to avoid a government shutdown, reminded us of that time he sang "Green Acres" and finally chased away his Defense Secretary James Mattis – or, as we like to call it around here, "Thursday." The truly disturbing thing about Mattis's departure was that it was over a lack of shared fundamental values and not a mere dispute over a policy decision like the abrupt departure from Syria, writes Eli Lake. That's telling. It means one of Trump's last semi-credible defenders has thrown in the towel for good. It certainly makes Trump's influence with Congress even weaker than it already is, writes Jonathan Bernstein, making the boring stability of Vice President Mike Pence look better all the time – not long before special counsel Robert Mueller submits his final report. Of course, on the other hand, the government-shutdown drama suggests a handful of conservatives are still with Trump, and that most Republicans are still too scared of him to defy him, Jonathan Bernstein writes in a second column. Mattis is widely considered to be the last "grownup" in the Romper Room of the Trump administration, unless you count Jared and Ivanka (though Toby Harshaw has suggested Mattis hadn't done much adult supervision lately). Tim O'Brien writes Mattis's departure, along with all the other chaos yesterday and every other day, is evidence Trump is totally fine with burning down everything around him in order to protect and aggrandize himself. He's already burning down the White House. Keep expecting more of this, and faster. Further Mattis Reading: America's allies relied on Mattis to restrain Trump's worst anti-globalist urges, and now they're worried. – Hal Brands Market Beatings Continue Today was another ugly one for financial markets, capping a meltdown of a week. The biggest thing bothering traders is the wide gap between the Federal Reserve's relatively rosy view of the economic outlook and the market's. It's possible markets are overreacting to signs of a slowdown; it wouldn't be the first time. Then again, they're still much better at predicting recessions than economists (including at the Fed), writes Karl W. Smith. On the plus side, it may take only a little more softening of the data to make the Fed see the wisdom of pausing its rate-raising campaign for a while, writes Tim Duy. Of course, the Fed might already have all the evidence it needs, including one worrisome thing Robert Burgess writes has been overlooked among the week's craziness: The dollar had one of its sharpest declines of the year yesterday. This is hardly a vote of confidence in America's politics or economics. Further Markets Reading: Trump's Dark Energy Silicon Valley tried to strip the word "disruption" of its negative connotations, until we realized it was kind of a cruel joke. Now Trump is bringing "disruption" fully back to its roots. Take his impact on energy, where he has been a disruptor, but not in the squishy meaning of introducing radical new technology, but in the old-timey meaning of blowing things up, writes Liam Denning. From angry tweets at OPEC to on-again/off-again Iran sanctions to his trade war with China, he roiled energy markets in 2018. Given the aforementioned chaos theory of Trump – he will keep getting more chaotic, faster – expect more of the same in 2019, Liam writes. Further Energy/Climate Reading: Another Way Saudis Aren't Reforming When the year began, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was being feted around the world as a political and economic reformer set on bringing his kingdom into the modern era and shaking its dependence on oil. The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi blew the political part of that out of the water. A new Saudi government budget seems to toss the economic part too, in favor of old-fashioned, oil-fueled blowout spending, Bloomberg's editorial board writes. Bonus Editorials: One More Brexit Menu Item Theresa May has a little-discussed option if she can't get parliament to pass her Brexit deal, beyond a catastrophic no-deal Brexit or a second referendum (which she hasn't supported): She can call for an early general election, writes Therese Raphael. Given how badly she handled the one in 2017, this might seem like a bad idea. But it could solidify Conservative support, expose Labour's lack of an alternative, and take a no-deal Brexit off the table, Therese suggests. In the meantime, though, the U.K. must get ready for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. But those very doomsday preparations will freak out already rattled British consumers, warns Andrea Felsted. Telltale Charts Bitcoin's latest bounce looks to be of the dead-cat variety, writes Lionel Laurent.  Libor is scheduled to die by 2021. The trouble is, nobody has come up with a good alternative to it yet, notes Mark Gilbert. Maybe we should just fix Libor instead?  Further Reading Meet Honeywell International Inc.'s Kristin Slyker, who's selling the company's plans to make air travel less awful. – Brooke Sutherland Goldman Sachs Group Inc. can't just blame rogue bankers for its 1MDB debacle; its internal checks should have caught what was happening. – Nisha Gopalan Huawei Technologies Co. can't afford to have big Western banks backing away from it. – Nisha Gopalan Closing off foreign investment, nationalizing private companies and antagonizing neighbors could keep China from being the center of the global economy. It seems to be doing all three. – Noah Smith As the U.S. mulls pulling troops from Afghanistan, it shouldn't put much hope in Taliban peace talks. The group isn't ready to join politics, and the government isn't ready for it either. – Kamran Bokhari This has been a bad year for Vladimir Putin. Next year will be even worse. – Leonid Bershidsky My most interesting read of 2018 was "Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou, about the rise and fall of Theranos. – Mohamed El-Erian Charles Dickens wrote more Christmas books than just "A Christmas Carol," though you may not like them as much. – Justin Fox ICYMI The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, rejected Trump's bid to curb asylum claims at the Mexican border. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had two cancerous growths removed from her lung. Kickers Update: Some of that amazing video of the package-thief-deterring glitter bomb was not legit, it turns out. Did your new iPad Pro arrive bent? Apple Inc. says that's normal. Scientists find new species of snake in another snake's belly, name it "mysterious dinner snake." (h/t for the first two kickers to Scott Duke Kominers) The latest sign of the Apocalypse: Hershey Kisses missing their tips. (h/t Mike Smedley) The horrifying physical and psychological consequences of being Aquaman. A $20 million device to clean up the Pacific garbage patch can't hold onto the plastic it collects. The unlikely movie stardom of John C. Reilly. Note: Please send snakes, suggestions and kicker ideas to Mark Gongloff at mgongloff1@bloomberg.net. New to Bloomberg Opinion Today? Sign up here and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. | |   |
| El MOUDJAHID : Lettre d'information du 22/12/2018 Posted: 21 Dec 2018 12:26 PM PST |
| Tal Abyad, Turkey’s First Target in Syria? (Balanche | PolicyWatch 3059) Posted: 21 Dec 2018 11:06 AM PST TAL ABYAD: ACHILLES HEEL OF THE SYRIAN KURDISH BELT by Fabrice Balanche PolicyWatch 3059
December 21, 2018 The district's ethnic composition and wartime migrations make it the weakest point of the YPG defense system, and the most likely entryway for Turkish troops and their proxies. READ THIS ITEM ON OUR WEBSITE
As Ankara reportedly prepares for a major incursion into northeast Syria, the border district of Tal Abyad may well be the Turkish army’s main target—and an easy one at that. The U.S. presence is weaker in Tal Abyad than in Kobane, and apparently due for imminent withdrawal. The district’s Arab-majority population rejects the People’s Defense Units (YPG), the U.S.-backed Kurdish force currently in control of the area. And unlike in Manbij and other points to the west, there is no risk of the Syrian army contesting control in Tal Abyad anytime soon. If Turkish forces do in fact take the district, they will have a direct route of advance to Ayn Issa, whose capture would allow them to cut the main bloc of Kurdish-held territory in two: the Kobane and Manbij zones to the west, and the Qamishli and Hasaka zones to the east. This thrust would likely presage a larger offensive throughout all of northeast Syria, and the Kurds would be on their own in that fight. Given ethnic realities and wartime trends, the Arab militias in the YPG-led Syrian Defense Forces coalition are no doubt unwilling to help the Kurds stop the Turkish army and its local proxies. To the contrary, they could use this opportunity to break with the YPG and its unsustainable domination of Arab-majority areas. ETHNIC SETTLEMENT AND DISPLACEMENT France founded Tal Abyad in 1920 to control the Turkish border, and its first inhabitants were Armenians fleeing Turkish violence. The Baggara tribe, originally from Deir al-Zour, were the town’s first Arab inhabitants because they arrived as members of the French Levant army, then decided to stay. Irrigation advancements encouraged settlement in the surrounding countryside after World War II, with wheat and cotton cultivation becoming the area’s main resources. Smuggling with Turkey became a lucrative activity as well. Today, several different tribes live in Tal Abyad town, each in its specific area (to view maps illustrating the area's wider ethnic and tribal composition, see the web version of this PolicyWatch). The Kurdish minority has its own neighborhood as well, in the western part of town. Mixed Arab-Kurdish weddings are rare—the two communities have lived separately for many years, and the gap between them has only widened during the current war. In administrative terms, Tal Abyad district no longer belongs to the Syrian government province of Raqqa, but to the Kurdish canton of Kobane. Although the population is predominantly Arab, there is no civil council to represent them as in Manbij, Deir al-Zour, Raqqa, and other Arab-majority locales liberated by Kurdish forces. Instead, the YPG’s goal is to fully integrate Tal Abyad into Kurdish territory, which the group still envisions as an autonomous belt along most of the northern border. In October 2015, Amnesty International accused the YPG of conducting an ethnic cleansing campaign against Arabs because some villages were reported to be deserted. Kurdish authorities responded that the residents had fled because they were Islamic State (IS) supporters who feared reprisals once the terrorist organization was forced out of the area. Whether or not that claim was true in these particular villages, many Arabs who backed IS did in fact flee Tal Abyad for that reason. Moreover, some Arabs living under the YPG’s jurisdiction have complained about local Kurdification efforts, include property confiscation and exclusionary school curricula. Relations between Kurds and Arabs have been souring since 2012 due to abuses on both sides, including the expulsion of Kurds during the 2014 IS takeover. TALLYING THE KURDISH MINORITY In 2011, Tal Abyad town had 20,000 inhabitants, and the district 120,000—a density of fewer than 10 people per square kilometer. The population was concentrated on the border, where rainfall allows agriculture. Both the town and the countryside were roughly 70 percent Arab, 25 percent Kurdish, and 5% Turkmen, along with some Armenians. A considerable demographic change took place during the war, however. Half the town’s population left due to the IS takeover and other threats; later, large numbers of internally displaced persons from Raqqa arrived. Tal Abyad had doubled its population by fall 2017, but most of the IDPs returned to Raqqa within a year once the IS “capital” began to recover from its hard-fought liberation. Although the Arab population of Tal Abyad is still larger than it was prewar, the local economic situation is not very attractive, and the YPG discourages Arabs from staying by imposing tougher conscription policies than it does in other areas. MOST ARAB TRIBES OPPOSE THE YPG The Kurds no longer pay much heed to traditional tribal structures, but the tribal system still dominates Arab society in Tal Abyad. Long protected by Syria’s Baath regime, Arab tribal leaders have retained their status as notables and their capacity for political mobilization. The main tribe in Tal Abyad district is the Jays, divided into three powerful clans: the Bou Assaf, who are close to the YPG, and the Jamilah and Bou Jarada, who are very anti-YPG. Less prominent local tribes are the Naim, Hannada, Baggara, and Annaza. Two Turkmen collectives, the Slouk and Hamam Turkmen, also constitute tribes. The Jays is a warrior tribe with strong ties to Turkey and a history of conflict with the Kurds of Kobane, whose agricultural lands are nearby. Before the war, the tribe was close to the Assad regime; once government forces withdrew in July 2012, it tried to behave like the master of the region. After periods of chaos and rebel takeover, the YPG occupied Tal Abyad city for a few days in March 2013, spurring some of the clans from Jays and other Arab tribes to ask for help from al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (which including IS cadres at the time). In addition to pushing the YPG out of the district, this Arab alliance displaced the entire Kurdish population, destroying their homes in the process. Later, once IS began its takeover in east Syria, the clans within Jays took different paths: the Jamilah and Bou Jarada supported the organization, while the Bou Assaf helped create the rebel group Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa (Raqqa Revolutionaries Brigade) and participated in liberating Tal Abyad from IS forces in 2015 (its name eventually changed to Jabhat Thuwar al-Raqqa). Likewise, members of the Naim, Baggara, and Annaza tribes took part in the liberation of Raqqa under the banner of Liwa Suqur al-Raqqa (Raqqa Hawks Brigade). Yet several prominent tribal militia leaders defected to the Assad regime in 2017, and the loyalty of those who remain with the Syrian Defense Forces is dubious. The Hannada tribe remained largely neutral during these conflicts. This puts it in a good position to resolve problems between other tribes, with Hannada member Aissa Ibrahim currently serving as chief of the Tal Abyad Reconciliation Committee. This September, however, a conscription operation by the Kurdish security force Asayesh went badly in the Hannada rural stronghold of Khaldya. About fifty men were arrested amid local protests, and one of them died while being transferred to Tal Abyad. This pushed the whole tribe into opposition against the YPG. The Kurds have also kept a tight grip on local Turkmen communities, since they supported IS and have a natural affinity with Turkey. Currently, Arab refugees from Tal Abyad are keen to return to the district by force with Turkey’s help. Many of them have trained in Turkish military camps in Sanliurfa and Akcakale, the border town nearest Tal Abyad. These young trainees may be used as the vanguard to “liberate” the district, similar to how the Turkish army used proxies when invading the Kurdish district of Afrin in northwest Syria. This strategy has an even better chance of succeeding (and avoiding international outcry) in Tal Abyad because the majority of the population is Arab, unlike in Afrin where Kurds are more numerous. For instance, the Sukhanya clan fled Tal Abyad in May 2015 and sought refuge in Turkey, and their homes have since been confiscated by the YPG. Today, they regularly demonstrate on the Turkish side of the border to demand the YPG’s departure, and their militia is ready to participate in any advance against the town. Fabrice Balanche is an assistant professor and research director at the University of Lyon 2, and author of the 2018 Washington Institute monograph Sectarianism in Syria's Civil War: A Geopolitical Study.
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| Shutdown Showdown, plus all the other things Posted: 21 Dec 2018 10:45 AM PST Guys, is today going to be a news day like yesterday? | | | | | President Donald Trump on Friday talks to the press in the Oval Office before a signing ceremony for the Criminal Justice Reform Bill. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images | | | Shutdown Showdown: Back at a stalemate, President Trump tries to push the new spending bill, or else his vacation isn't happening -- oh, and the government shuts down.
Mattis Says Buh-Bye: And with his resignation comes concern the country's military status is in a bad place.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Has Cancer Scare: The Supreme Court announces the justice underwent surgery today. | | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump this morning met with GOP leaders at the White House to try to prevent a partial government shutdown. He signed the "First Step Act," and "Juvenile Justice Reform Act," and has another signing ceremony later, for "The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act."
He and first lady Melania Trump were then supposed to leave for Mar-a-Lago for the Christmas and New Year's holiday, but that now hangs in the balance as a possible shutdown looms.
If it happens, Sarah Sanders has said the President will not go to Palm Beach.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
(Whispers: Is today going to be like yesterday?)
🚨 Ruth Bader Ginsburg has surgical procedure:
The 85-year-old Supreme Court justice had cancerous nodules removed from her lung -- nodules that were discovered thanks in part to her accident last month in which she fractured her ribs, requiring scans of her body. Doctors are confident they have gotten all of the cancer out of Ginsburg's lung, and she is "resting comfortably," according to a statement released by the Supreme Court.
Shutdown Showdown:
The House last night passed a spending bill that does include Trump's desired $5 billion for the border wall (or slats, which he called it yesterday) -- and now the Senate is considering the bill. If the Senate passes it, which they likely will not, then, cool, Palm Beach here Trump comes. If they don't, vacation's off, and shutdown commences.
If a partial shutdown *does* happen, here's a good take on the numbers and who will be affected and how.
Trump told reporters today, "We are totally prepared for a very long shutdown."
Mattis Falls Out, Fallout:
Everyone was surprised by yesterday's resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis, but I feel like if anyone in the administration was going to actually *do* something about their conflicted feelings about Trump, it would be the general. This is a great tick-tock from our CNN team -- led by Barbara Starr -- behind the scenes of how the Mattis-Trump relationship crumbled to disrepair. The White House says the President will pick a new Sec Def by the end of the year, but there is a lot of fear and concern and distress about Mattis' departure, and about who Trump will choose. And, generally, the anxious murmurs over the state of the country's military presence without someone like Mattis at the helm are growing. Next up for U.S. troop departure? Afghanistan.
Stephen Miller Doubles-Down on Syria:
Miller was on "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer last night and, as he often does, became impassioned about his talking points, including the President's sudden decision to pull troops out of Syria. "ISIS is the enemy of Russia, ISIS is the enemy of Assad, ISIS is the enemy of Turkey," Miller said. "Are we supposed to stay in Syria for generation after generation, spilling American blood to fight the enemies of all those countries?" There was a lot of that kind of talk, at a volume that Wolf didn't particularly appreciate, so he told Miller there was no need to yell, which is proof that Wolf Blitzer is a national treasure.
Morning Tweets:
For your reading pleasure, I have just rounded them all up and put them in one conscious stream of thought.
@realdonaldTrump Senator Mitch McConnell should fight for the Wall and Border Security as hard as he fought for anything. He will need Democrat votes, but as shown in the House, good things happen. If enough Dems don't vote, it will be a Democrat Shutdown! House Republicans were great yesterday! @realdonaldTrump The Democrats are trying to belittle the concept of a Wall, calling it old fashioned. The fact is there is nothing else's that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It's like the wheel, there is nothing better. I know tech better than anyone, & technology..... @realdonaldTrump .....on a Border is only effective in conjunction with a Wall. Properly designed and built Walls work, and the Democrats are lying when they say they don't. In Israel the Wall is 99.9% successful. Will not be any different on our Southern Border! Hundreds of $Billions saved!
@realdonaldTrump No matter what happens today in the Senate, Republican House Members should be very proud of themselves. They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World in order to vote for Border Security and the Wall. Not one Democrat voted yes, and we won big. I am very proud of you!
@realdonaldTrump The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is DESPERATELY NEEDED. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don't want Open Borders and Crime!
@realdonaldTrump Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security! | | Michelle Obama Goes for the Gold:
Footwear, that is. The former first lady closed out her #IAmBecoming book tour on Wednesday night in Brooklyn wearing head-to-to Balenciaga gold -- including the house's famous "Knife" super-high boots. Well played, Michelle. Although, the credit goes, as it usually does for the past many years, to Meredith Koop, Michelle's longtime stylist and outfit guru. Koop is the mind behind Wednesday's glam. But it was Michelle who WORE IT. I loved Robin Givhan's take in the Washington Post: "Used with skill, fashion can help craft a public image that is magnetic. It's akin to having your own personal spotlight or an ever-present drumroll. Fashion announces one's relevance in the popular imagination — not just in the history books. It transforms a famous person into a celebrity, which carries greater value in the broader culture. There was a time when Mrs. Obama — or at least her East Wing staff — chafed at the designation "celebrity." Now, she is wrapping herself in its warm embrace." | | Credit: @valeriejarrett/Twitter
Dress Like the Former First Lady:
Figured you'd also want the deets. The dress is new, from Summer 2019 for Balenciaga; here's how it showed on the runway. And the boots are from a year prior, Summer 2018, and here's how they showed on the runway. They're still available for sale but as of today they're selling out fast -- they're available here for $3,900 (what? You thought they would be less?!). | | | Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images, balenciaga.com | | Credit: matchesfashion.com
CNN New Year's Eve:
I'll still be here next week, writing the Cover/Line, but mark your TV calendars for New Year's Eve with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper -- because it is always fun! | | What Washington is Talking About:
Lawmakers of both parties are worried and even scared about about Defense Secretary James Mattis' resignation. Even Majority Leader McConnell expressed his concern. And the House passed a spending bill with $5 billion for President Trump's border wall that heads to the Senate, where it's expected to fail. We're heading toward a government shutdown, just in time for Christmas.
What America is Talking About:
The Dow dropped 464 points Thursday, and today is the Winter Solstice, the darkest, shortest day of the year.
Poll of the Day:
President Trump's approval rating during his first two years in office has been historically low, but you can't say it's not incredibly stable. Trump's 10-percentage point range from his high mark -- 45% -- to low -- 35% -- is the smallest of any president since at least Harry Truman, according to Gallup. | | Credit: Gallup
Obama's Taking on Gerrymandering:
Former President Obama's community organizing group, Organizing for Action, is being folded into the National Democratic Redistricting Committee to tackle gerrymandering reform. On a call with supporters Thursday, Obama talked about issues with wide support that Congress ignores, such as gun and immigration reform. "The single-most important thing that could be done at the grassroots level over the next few years is to make sure the rules of the road are fair," he said.
...And Also Hamilton:
Obama is featured on "One Last Time (44 Remix)," a remix of the "Hamilton" track, giving a spoken word interlude reading a George Washington speech.
There's Going to be a Whole Lot of Democratic Debates:
The DNC announced preliminary plans Thursday for 12 debates during its primary. The first is scheduled for June 2019, the last in April 2020, and none of the debates held next year are expected to be held in states with early primaries or caucuses.
You'll remember during the 2016 cycle, Republicans would often hold two debates, top-tier and undercard, determined by polling, to make room for everyone running. DNC chair Tom Perez said Democrats are open to dividing their debates at random, saying, "random assignment is the fairest way to give everybody that opportunity to make their voices heard and articulate what they are standing for."
The Guy Who's Crowdfunding the Border Wall Ran Fake News Sites:
Brian Kolfage, the Florida veteran whose GoFundMe to build a border wall has raised more than $11.5 million as of this morning, previously ran Right Wing News and a group of affiliate sites that sometimes posted conspiracy theories, per NBC. Right Wing News was among the pages Facebook took down in October that were either ad farms or which used fake accounts to drive traffic. Kolfage's fund seeks to raise $1 billion.
Street Art Sighting:
"Our Flag Unfurled" is a mural in Philadelphia by Meg Saligman that was created in 2001. I caught it as the sun was on its way down earlier this year, and it's probably the most gorgeous piece I've seen in all my street art hunting. | | Credit: Hunter Schwarz
If you spot political street art, tweet me @hunterschwarz, tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com with your sighting so I can feature it in COVER/LINE.
Today is my final issue of 2018. Kate will see you through the rest of the year, and I'm off to unplug and recharge over the holidays. I just wanted to thank you for reading, for sharing Cover/Line with your friends, and for emailing in and sending your street art sightings. I'd love to hear from your thoughts on the newsletter. What do you like most? What could you do without? How can we better serve you? Email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com. It's truly been a privilege to share 2018 with you. Thank you, and see you in the new year. | | | | | | |   |
| The Numbers Show ISIS Danger in Iraq (Knights | CTC Sentinel) Posted: 21 Dec 2018 10:28 AM PST THE ISLAMIC STATE INSIDE IRAQ: LOSING POWER OR PRESERVING STRENGTH? by Michael Knights CTC Sentinel
December 2018 Attack data shows that the group is enthusiastically regrouping in a more concentrated area of northern Iraq, and the government is not adapting fast enough to stop it. READ THE FULL ARTICLE
In addition to losing control of Iraqi cities and oilfields, the Islamic State has clearly lost much of the capability it developed within Iraq from 2011-2014. Quantitative attack metrics paint a picture of an insurgent movement that has been ripped down to its roots, but qualitative and district-level analysis suggests the Islamic State is enthusiastically embracing the challenge of starting over within a more concentrated area of northern Iraq. The Iraqi government is arguably not adapting fast enough to the demands of counterinsurgency, suggesting the need for intensified and accelerated support from the U.S.-led coalition in order to prevent the Islamic State from mounting another successful recovery... Michael Knights is a senior fellow with The Washington Institute. This article originally appeared on the CTC website.
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| Deep State Making Move Against Trump After Syria Withdrawal Posted: 21 Dec 2018 10:19 AM PST Tune into the Live Show | | Hey, it’s Alex Jones With An Exclusive Friday Broadcast! President Trump’s military withdrawal in the Middle East has the global elite panicking as the Military Industrial Complex that funds their criminal empire is in danger. Tune into infowars.com/show Monday-Friday from 11AM-3PM CDT and Sunday 4-6 PM CDT to watch the most banned broadcast in the world with breaking news and commentary exclusively from Alex Jones and other great Infowars hosts and guests!Tell your friends and family to tune into infowars.com/show to watch today's broadcast and beat the Big Tech censors! As Infowars faces unprecedented censorship, it's more important than ever that you spread this link. And remember – if you’re receiving this email, you are the resistance. | | |  |
| Deep State Making Move Against Trump After Syria Withdrawal Posted: 21 Dec 2018 10:17 AM PST Tune into the Live Show | | Hey, it’s Alex Jones With An Exclusive Friday Transmission! President Trump’s military withdrawal in the Middle East has the global elite panicking as the Military Industrial Complex that funds their criminal empire is in danger. Tune into infowars.com/show Monday-Friday from 11AM-3PM CDT and Sunday 4-6 PM CDT to watch the most banned broadcast in the world with breaking news and commentary exclusively from Alex Jones and other great Infowars hosts and guests!Tell your friends and family to tune into infowars.com/show to watch today's broadcast and beat the Big Tech censors! As Infowars faces unprecedented censorship, it's more important than ever that you spread this link. And remember – if you’re receiving this email, you are the resistance. | | |  |
| Deep State Making Move Against Trump After Syria Withdrawal Posted: 21 Dec 2018 10:15 AM PST Tune into the Live Show | | Hey, it’s Alex Jones with an exclusive Friday Broadcast! President Trump’s military withdrawal in the Middle East has the global elite panicking as the Military Industrial Complex that funds their criminal empire is in danger. Tune into infowars.com/show Monday-Friday from 11AM-3PM CDT and Sunday 4-6 PM CDT to watch the most banned broadcast in the world with breaking news and commentary exclusively from Alex Jones and other great Infowars hosts and guests!Tell your friends and family to tune into infowars.com/show to watch today's broadcast and beat the Big Tech censors! As Infowars faces unprecedented censorship, it's more important than ever that you spread this link. And remember – if you’re receiving this email, you are the resistance. | | |  |
| Most Social: House approves $5 billion in border wall funding to avoid government shutdown, forcing another Senate vote Posted: 21 Dec 2018 10:01 AM PST |
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| BREAKING NEWS: Justice Ginsburg had surgery to remove malignant nodules in her lung Posted: 21 Dec 2018 09:27 AM PST |
| NEWS ALERT: Crowdfunding campaign would build 'giant escalators' to defeat Trump border wall Posted: 21 Dec 2018 09:18 AM PST NEWS ALERT: Crowdfunding campaign would build 'giant escalators' to defeat Trump border wall Congress isn't the only place battling over border wall money this week. | |  The Washington Times | NEWS ALERT | | | | | Friday, December 21, 2018 12:07 PM EST | | | | | NEWS ALERT Congress isn't the only place battling over border wall money this week. Read More > | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | If you don't want to receive these emails unsubscribe | | 3600 New York Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002 | |   |
| Protests Underscore West Bank Instability (al-Omari, Rinder | PolicyWatch 3058) Posted: 21 Dec 2018 09:15 AM PST PROTESTS UNDERSCORE WEST BANK INSTABILITY by Ghaith al-Omari and Madison Rinder PolicyWatch 3058
December 21, 2018 The international community can help avert future chaos through measures to stem the political, economic, and security deterioration, and Washington can reinstate funding for Palestinian development projects. READ THIS ITEM ON OUR WEBSITE
Since mid-October, demonstrators have been gathering regularly at the Palestinian prime minister’s office in Ramallah to protest the new social security law. Implementation was first set for November 1 but later delayed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) until January 2019. Similar demonstrations have since occurred in Hebron and Nablus. In particular, these opponents object to the law’s provisions, which they claim impose excessive economic burdens, as well as to the nontransparent process by which it was enacted. Even as the PA has agreed to postpone implementation, it has refused to withdraw or change the law, suggesting instead that it could be amended retroactively. The law was created in 2016 by PA president Mahmoud Abbas’s decree, as has been the case with all legislation since the suspension of the Palestinian Legislative Council following Hamas’s 2007 violent takeover of Gaza. It stipulates mandatory contributions by private-sector employers and workers to the Palestinian Social Security Corporation (PSSC): 9% for employers, 7% for employees. Upon reaching age sixty, workers become eligible for a pension. In light of the dire economic situation in the West Bank, opponents claim the deductions are excessive. They also object to discriminatory provisions in the law, such as one depriving a widow of her deceased husband’s pension if she gains employment, while widowers are not subject to a similar restriction. As for procedure, protestors have decried the lack of consultation during the drafting and enactment of this law since trade unions, private-sector representatives, and civil society organizations were not engaged. They also voice concern that the PA is too unstable and corrupt to reliably manage the funds collected by the PSSC. ECONOMIC CONTEXT Unemployment numbers make clear the struggles facing West Bank residents. Overall unemployment is around 18%, but the figure soars to about 40% for those under age thirty. According to the World Bank, the West Bank economy has been experiencing a “slowdown” and the standard of living has been “stagnating.” Indeed, economic issues are at the forefront of many Palestinians’ minds, with the plurality—26% of those polled by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in December 2018—pointing to unemployment and poverty as the most serious problems confronting Palestinian society. Politically, the PA and its leaders are losing credibility, with 53% of those surveyed describing the authority as a burden on the Palestinian people and close to 64% saying they want Abbas to resign. While much of this negativity can be attributed to the failure of the peace process, domestic concerns also play a key role. Around 80% of Palestinians consider the PA’s institutions to be corrupt, with some 25% believing corruption is the most fundamental problem facing Palestinians. And while the absence of a legislative process may be an unavoidable by-product of the Hamas-PA split, the PA has not compensated with an alternative consultative mechanism through which to engage the various Palestinian organizations representing stakeholders. POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES These socioeconomic and political indicators in the West Bank resemble those that underlay the Arab Spring upheavals some eight years ago. Yet despite the similarities, Palestinian protestors contend with a unique set of challenges, relative to other Arab societies, that in the past have limited the spread of socioeconomic protests. One such challenge centers on the Israeli occupation, which offers the prospect that protests might serve Israel’s interests—or at least draw this accusation. Additionally, specific Israeli actions quickly shift the public’s priorities away from domestic concerns and toward the occupying power. Indeed, protests over the law were suspended after Israeli forces began operating in Ramallah on December 10, following a terrorist attack the previous day. Second, the PA-Hamas split creates its own conundrums, with many in the West Bank feeling wary that their protests against PA policies could be exploited politically by Hamas. A third challenge is not necessarily distinct to Palestinians: namely, around 61% of West Bankers and 50% of Gaza Strip residents believe they cannot criticize the authority without fear, helping explain their past reluctance to engage in domestic protests. Given all this, the very fact that Palestinians took to the streets to protest, and that these protests were sustained, is a worrying indicator of volatility levels in the West Bank. As already implied, public frustration against the PA can easily shift—or be directed—against Israel. Despite the improved professionalism and effectiveness of the PA security forces, the PA’s eroding political legitimacy complicates the exercise of security control. And in an extreme case, continued lack of legitimacy could even lead to PA collapse, creating a security and political vacuum. Coupled with the tense overall security situation, and with Hamas’s ongoing efforts to foment instability in the West Bank, this could be an explosive mix with impacts not only on the Palestinians but also Israel’s security. The PA’s domestic political woes—as exemplified by the protests against the social security law—are not only a Palestinian problem. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Stability in the West Bank is no longer a given. The international community can introduce measures that can stem the political, economic, and security deterioration. Given the unlikelihood of progress in the peace process, other means of stabilization must be pursued, with economic measures central among them. The United States can contribute by reinstating some of the $200 million in aid to the Palestinians that was cut in August 2018, and focus this aid on Palestinian development and economic projects. Israel, for its part, should be encouraged to maintain its policy of largely insulating West Bank economic life from the fight against terrorism, a policy that has so far helped prevent widespread protests. Israel should also be encouraged to consider additional proposals—many of which originate from the IDF—to improve quality of life in the West Bank. These include increased Palestinian access to the Israeli labor market, the creation of industrial zones in the West Bank, and permission for Palestinian construction in areas adjacent to connected Palestinian towns. But economic measures alone will not reverse the PA’s eroding stature. For that, the focus must be renewed on issues such as Palestinian governance, countering corruption, and loosening restrictions on political life in areas of PA control. Without progress on these fronts, the authority will continue to lose legitimacy and will remain limited as an agent of stability in the West Bank and—in the longer term—one capable of making the compromises necessary for a peace agreement. Ghaith al-Omari is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute and coauthor of its recent study “Neutralizing the Gaza Powder Keg.” Madison Rinder is a research assistant at the Institute.
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