| L'actionnaire de Presstalis dans le rouge | Energies renouvelables à l'export | Veolia dans le Golfe Posted: 13 Jun 2019 09:50 PM PDT Le quotidien de l'influence et des pouvoirs FEUILLETON MÉDIAS PRESSE ÉCRITE | |
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| Votre sommaire de la semaine Posted: 13 Jun 2019 09:35 PM PDT | Engagé sur de nombreux fronts militaires et diplomatiques, Téhéran mène depuis plusieurs mois une vaste campagne de cyberinfiltration contre ses voisins. Toujours en cours, elle vise les ministères et services de sécurité de Kaboul à Ankara. | | |   |
| Sarah Sanders' legacy; Trump calling Fox; Google CEO interview; YouTube rabbit holes; Mirror Awards winners; E3 highlights; weekend box office preview Posted: 13 Jun 2019 09:08 PM PDT Scroll down for our Friday planner, E3 takeaways, my podcast with Kevin Roose, and much more... EXEC SUMMARY: The Toronto Star's headline right now: "Raptors crowned NBA champions for first time in team history." Scroll down for our Friday planner, E3 takeaways, my podcast with Kevin Roose, and much more...
Who wants to be press secretary?
The White House press secretary is supposed to be the No. 1 liaison between the president and the press corps. Sarah Sanders diminished the job. When she leaves the W.H. later this month, few reporters will be sorry to see her go. So... will Trump even fill the job now? | | I asked one of the most plugged-in W.H. correspondents I know... And they said: "Truly it's anyone's guess. So says the White House. There's certainly speculation they could promote from within — Hogan Gidley was once seen as a dark horse, but in recent months, officials have contemplated seeing him in that role. But it's Trump... and of course he could always pick someone from the outside. That's my bet."
But who on the outside would want the job at this moment in time? Wait -- I take that back -- on Fox News Thursday night, Laura Ingraham joked with Sean Hannity about tag-teaming the briefings for a week. "That'd be fun," said Ingraham, who was mentioned as a press secretary candidate in the past. Hannity cracked up laughing.
The correspondent added: "A good point many have been making today is: Why pick anyone? What difference does it make?"
Sanders' legacy
Sander's main legacy as press secretary will be the death of the daily press briefing. On her watch, we saw the end of a custom that had provided a level of government transparency and accountability for decades.
In her nearly two years in the job, Sanders first shortened the on-camera briefings and then did away with them altogether. Her most recent appearance in the briefing room was back on March 11 — and that session was only 14 minutes long. Friday will be day 95 without a briefing. On Thursday, she said she doesn't regret the lack of briefings. This is the first time I actually hope she is lying.
Here's my full piece... Plus CNN's main story about Sanders' departure...
Why now?
Fox's Neil Cavuto, among others, questioned the "odd" timing of the announcement and asked if Trump was "pointing the finger" at her for the ABC interview mess. But a WH official told Jim Acosta "she'd chosen this date well in advance." And Trump gave her a hero's farewell on Thursday... | |
No credibility
Sanders had no credibility left. None. I mean, according to the Mueller report, she admitted under oath that she lied to the press corps about James Comey. Still, I'm not sensing a lot of confidence that the man or woman who takes her place will be candid and truthful. The "enemy" tone comes from the top...
Trump's 8 a.m. appointment
Two days after the ABC interview, Trump will be back on Fox on Friday: He has an 8 a.m. phone call scheduled with the "Fox & Friends" cast...
FRIDAY PLANNER
-- It's President Trump's birthday...
-- The IRE conference continues in Houston...
-- US prosecutors are expected to detail all charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange while seeking his extradition in a London courtroom...
-- NBC will announce how the qualifying Dem candidates will be split up between the two-night debate on June 26 and 27...
-- Sony's "Men in Black International" and WB's "Shaft" open in theaters...
-- Kate Bennett's CNN prime time special, "Woman of Mystery: Melania Trump," premieres at 9 p.m. ET...
SNEAK PEEK
Poppy's interview with Sundar Pichai
CNN's Poppy Harlow sat down exclusively with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in Oklahoma on Thursday. Her Friday morning newscast will have Pichai's first response to the DOJ's expected probe into Google.
Harlow emails from her flight home: "He tells me he is not surprised by news of a possible US antitrust probe -- but cautioned against regulating for the sake of regulating." | | Harlow also asked about Elizabeth Warren's call to break up Google and its big tech competitors -- Pichai said "there are many countries around the world which aspire to be the next Silicon Valley, and they are supporting their companies too. So we have to balance both."
Harlow and Pichai toured Google's data center in Pryor, Oklahoma. More from the interview -- including his comments about YouTube and China and censorship -- will be out on Monday morning... That's when it will be posted in full on her "Boss Files" podcast...
Big CBS board meeting on Friday
"CBS and Viacom are expected to begin seriously discussing a merger next week, culminating months of speculation about an eventual combination," CNBC's Alex Sherman wrote Thursday.
Friday's board meeting is another step in the merger direction. "Though no formal announcements are planned, the board of directors is expected to decide to increase the level of seriousness around discussions with Viacom." More...
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- A Turkish court has "accepted an indictment from a prosecutor requesting a jail term of between two and five years for two Bloomberg reporters" along with dozens of other people. John Micklethwait has condemned the indictment: "We fully stand by them and will support them throughout this ordeal..." (Bloomberg)
YouTube's rabbit holes
Kevin Roose says he didn't set out to write about YouTube. Which makes his recent NYT story, "The Making of a YouTube Radical," all the more remarkable.
"I've been researching and talking to, sort of, online extremists for the past couple of years, just as part of reporting on social media," he told me. "And one thing that kept coming up, as I was asking them, 'Where'd you hear about this stuff? Where'd you get into this stuff?' They kept just saying YouTube. Over and over again I heard stories about people who went to YouTube to watch gaming videos or sports videos or politics videos and ended up getting pulled into this universe of, like, far-right people."
Roose ended up centering his story around Caleb Cain, who found a way out of the rabbit hole and now calls online radicalization a health crisis. He spoke with CNN's Alisyn Camerota on "New Day" earlier this week -- the interview is well worth the watch. (CNN posted it to YouTube.)
What the recommendation engine does to us
I asked Roose to come on the "Reliable Sources" podcast so we could talk more about the consequences of YouTube's opaque recommendation engine. "I didn't realize, until I started reporting this story, how core that recommendations bar is to YouTube," he said. "Something like 70% of the time that people spend on YouTube is due to that recommendation bar. That's really the core of YouTube, and like no one knows how it works."
Roose now likens the engine to "a very talented psychologist who shows up at the door and interviews you and learns exactly what makes you tick and what you're interested in, and then designs a customized path for you based on that. And the point of the path is to keep you inside the house, is to keep you inside YouTube for as long as possible." Maybe, he suggested, the engine even knows more about us than we know about ourselves.
Yes, it's incredible how the tech serves up so many similar videos. It knows just what song I want to hear next. But it's also perplexing to see some of the videos that get offered up when my two year old is watching "Sesame Street." And it's disturbing to hear Roose say that YouTube doesn't "handle on how it works or what it's doing to people." Listen to our podcast conversation here via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, etc...
Just a few of this month's headlines
-- Boing Boing, reacting to another recent NYT report: "YouTube pushes children's videos to pedophiles through content recommendation engine"
-- Rolling Stone, recapping this week's "Full Frontal" episode: "Samantha Bee reveals the seamy side of YouTube's algorithm"
-- The Globe and Mail: "Pedophiles, anti-vaxxers, homophobes: YouTube's algorithm caters to them all"
-- B&C: "Hawley Bill Targets YouTube Algorithm"
-- CNN Business: "Prominent white supremacists are still on YouTube in wake of ban"
| | "We're now in unchartered territory"
Jake Tapper's lead on "The Lead" Thursday: "The president stunned the political world last night by saying he would be perfectly willing to collude in 2020... We're now in unchartered territory. Maybe we've been here for a while, but it's never been so clear before."
-- "I cannot tell you how profoundly troubling this is to the core of my professional experience," a former longtime national security official told Politico...
-- A "senior GOP source" told CNN: "It's really bad. It's really, really bad. He shouldn't say it, and if he were to do it, it would be impeachable..."
-- Much-needed historical context from WaPo: "American opposition to foreign involvement in elections dates back to the nation's founding, reflected in legal prohibitions and widely embraced norms..."
-- Naturally, the prime time hosts on Fox dismissed the concern and outrage as "phony..."
"Why are you doing this interview?"
 Louise Linton is on the cover of the new issue of Los Angeles magazine. The web headline for the story: "Louise Linton, aka Mrs. Steven Mnuchin, Is Sorry."
Maer Roshan writes that Linton is "unsurprisingly furious about her press coverage and desperate to set the terms of her public persona." His first question to her was, "Why are you doing this interview?" Here's her answer...
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
-- The last two 2020 candidates with town halls on Fox News criticized the network during their appearances... But Julian Castro noticeably did not knock Fox when it was his turn on Thursday... (Fox)
-- Per Fox PR, "Fox News Sunday" has an exclusive interview with Jon Stewart this weekend, "to discuss the unanimously passed bill reauthorizing the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund that will now go to the floor for a full vote in the House..."
-- Andrea Mitchell landed Anita Hill's first TV interview since Joe Biden entered the 2020 race. "Of course I could" vote for Biden, Hill said... (NBC)
This year's Mirror Award winners
The Mirrors, presented by Syracuse University, celebrate excellence in media industry reporting -- on turning the mirror on ourselves. So they're my favorite 😉 Here are the winners, named at Thursday's luncheon:
BEST SINGLE ARTICLE/STORY:
"Face the Racist Nation" by Jesse Brenneman and Lois Beckett for WNYC Radio and Guardian US
BEST PROFILE:
"James O'Keefe Can't Get No Respect" by Tim Alberta for Politico
BEST COMMENTARY:
"The great remove" by Sarah Jones for CJR
BEST STORY ON JOURNALISTS OR JOURNALISM IN PERIL:
"How Duterte Used Facebook To Fuel the Philippine Drug War" by Davey Alba for BuzzFeed News
BEST STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE CROSSHAIRS:
A tie! Series of pieces on junk news by Miles O'Brien for PBS "NewsHour" AND a series of pieces on problems with Facebook for BuzzFeed News
JOHN M. HIGGINS AWARD FOR BEST IN-DEPTH/ENTERPRISE REPORTING:
Series of pieces on Leslie Moonves by Ronan Farrow for The New Yorker
Farrow's message
In his acceptance speech, Ronan Farrow made a rousing argument about the value of media reporting. Calling to mind his reporting about CBS, he said, "When a culture of corruption and cover-up flourishes" inside media companies, "when there are lies being told to us by networks we trust, the cost is not just those institutions, the cost is our democracy, it's our future, it's our freedoms."
Farrow said "we need to keep this precious thing" -- journalism -- "honest and transparent," and "reporting on ourselves is the only way we keep that momentum going. It's the only way we maintain that trust. It is one of the most important things that we can do as journalists. It mean burning bridges sometimes. It means alienating people. It means giving up job opportunities. It's not always easy."
As if to prove the point, he then said, "I see some people who have lied to protect power" in the room. "Who have lied to the public. Who have lied to The New Yorker." But "I also see a far greater number of people who are pushing back on that exact culture of corruption." When I approached him later, Farrow declined to say who the liars were. The AP's David Bauder has more here...
More memorable quotes
Lemme share a few other Mirror Award highlights with you:
-- Lois Beckett said the lack of diversity in American newsrooms "is a crisis:" The newsrooms covering white supremacist terrorism are "overwhelmingly, disproportionately white. And that is a problem," she said. Unlike "so many external challenges journalism is facing these days," economic, political, etcetera, "this is our problem to fix. And we can fix it, if we want to."
-- Tim Alberta said "there's a real risk of self-censorship these days" due to people on the right and left "telling us what we should and should not cover." He urged reporters to tune them out: "We all need to proceed not with caution but with courage."
-- Multiple award winners from BuzzFeed urged the company to recognize the newsroom's union.
-- David Zaslav presented Jeff Zucker with the Fred Dressler Leadership Award. Zucker said "the press is under attack from the most powerful people in the world, and that is wrong. And it is dangerous." For journalists, "there has never been a more important time in our lives and in our careers," he said.
"Frontline" announces Local Journalism Project
Laney Rose emails: Throughout the next four years, "Frontline" is planning to partner with four to five local news organizations annually as part of a new Save Local Journalism initiative. Funded by the Knight Foundation and CPB, the project aims to improve local coverage and shine light on "under-covered" stories by introducing them to PBS's national viewership.
During the project, "we will collaborate with local news organizations to support reporters in producing trustworthy investigative journalism — especially in communities where the health of independent reporting is endangered by the changing economics of the media," exec producer Raney Aronson-Rath says. Would-be partners can apply here...
FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE
-- "Investigative Network aims to bring more documentary video to local TV (but it'll need funding first)..." (NiemanLab)
-- Here's Andrew McCormick on the two new bills in Congress hoping to lend a "helping hand for a hurting" news industry... (CJR)
-- The Associated Press discovered that a LinkedIn profile with ties to influential political actors does not belong to a real person, and even has a face that was most likely generated by a computer program. Experts fear the profile belonged to "foreign spies [who] routinely use fake social media profiles to home in on American targets..." (AP)
Takeaways from the E3 Expo
This photo is from the LAT's excellent photo gallery: | | Jon Sarlin writes: Greetings from the last day at E3! The buzz here this year is all about the dawn of video game streaming -- think instant gameplay with the highest specs on any phone, TV, or laptop, all streaming through the cloud. It is obviously a huge technological challenge -- the feedback from your controller back to your screen needs to be nearly instantaneous. But the tech seems like it's finally ready, with Google's Stadia and other services in the works.
The question now is whether game studios will play ball and license out their content to Google or try to strike out on their own services.
So far we've seen signs of both. Bethesda —one of largest studios — announced it will partner with Stadia while also announcing its own streaming service, Orion, and Ubisoft announced its own separate service. Will Google have to follow Netflix's example and develop its own original content?
--> Amazon is also looming in the background too -- it hasn't announced a streaming games service but has begun investing in developing games through its studio Amazon Games. Amazon tells me they should have something big to announce soon...
--> Bottom line: No one knows how this will all play out, but it's clear that a new front has opened in the content wars...
THR: "Facebook settles class action claiming company inflated video viewership metrics"
From THR's Eriq Gardner: "Several advertising agencies told a California federal court on Wednesday that Facebook has agreed to settlement terms to resolve a putative class action alleging that the social media giant wildly overstated the average time its users spent watching paid advertisements."
The lawsuit, filed back in October, claimed Facebook had knowingly inflated ad viewership metrics by up to 900%. (Some have argued these numbers prompted the infamous "pivot to video.") The terms of the settlement "will need to be approved by the judge and figures to be presented in court in the next few months..."
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Susan Zirinsky speaking at the NYT's New Rules Summit:
"Both the #MeToo movement and the issues of unconscious bias, they're not going to go away. Sometimes there's a movement and you achieve a level of success - which I think these movements are. But they're not over, and they're never going to be over."
FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR
-- "Cuba Gooding Jr. has been charged with forcible touching, a misdemeanor, and sex abuse in the third degree relating to an alleged groping incident in New York City last weekend," Chloe Melas and Marianne Garvey report. He has pleaded not guilty... (CNN)
-- "CAA has filed a motion to dismiss the WGA's lawsuit against the Big 4 talent agencies, asking the court to remove the guild as a complainant because it allegedly lacks standing under state law to represent members in such a case..." (Deadline)
-- "The possibility of a host-less Emmys is among the leading options being considered by Fox and the Television Academy as it preps for this year's telecast," Michael Schneider reports... (Variety)
| | A tale of two (long-delayed) sequels
Brian Lowry emails: "Toy Story 4" delivers a cinematic grand slam – a movie as touching, funny, adventurous and even profound as its predecessors, and sure to fill Disney's toy box with goodies. It feels like an even more notable accomplishment given the role in this particular franchise played by John Lasseter, who took a leave of absence in late 2017 and never returned.
"Toy Story" won't land until next week, leaving a small window for two other sequels: "Men in Black: International" and "Shaft," which revisits the '70s detective that Samuel L. Jackson played in a 2000 movie and comes pretty close to striking out. As for how the sausage gets made, there's a quote by Jackson in a LAT feature that encapsulates the problem, describing his initial reservations this way: "I read the script, they were going straight wild comedy and I was like, 'We can't do that because we owe a certain reverence to the character.'" The result: A mish-mash that winds up in a sort-of creative no man's land, and it shows...
More on 'Toy Story 4'
| | Frank Pallotta writes: I wrote in Wednesday's newsletter that "Men In Black International" was getting panned by critics. Now I'm back with another review roundup, but this time for "Toy Story 4," which opens next week. So did the Pixar and Disney film fare better with critics? Well, in a word, yes, as you can tell from Lowry's praise up above.
"Toy Story 4" has a perfect 100% score on review site Rotten Tomatoes with film critic Kenneth Turan at the L.A. Times saying that it will "blow you away in ways you won't be expecting." My two cents on the film, which I saw at a press screening on Wednesday night, is that it's a worthy — and quite beautiful — installment to pretty perfect franchise. Oh, and also bring tissues because you're going to cry.
>> "Toy Story 3" made more than $1 billion when it hit theaters in 2010. Will "Toy Story 4" top it? If the reviews are any indication, its box office ceiling may be... oh yeah... to infinity and beyond!
FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE
By Katie Pellico:
-- Wondering about Quentin Tarantino's 10th film? An R-rated "Star Trek" film is reportedly in the works... (Esquire)
-- MTV's "Daria" reboot plans are taking shape: VF's Joy Press reports Tracee Ellis Ross will EP (and voice) "Jodie," based on Daria Morgendorffer's BFF Jodie Landon... (VF)
-- "Dead to Me" creator Liz Feldman writes for THR about why "It's Time for TV to Embrace Angry Women..." (THR)
Eye on the miniseries Emmy race...
Brian Lowry emails: A quick footnote to yesterday's item about Netflix touting the viewership for "When They See Us," Ava DuVernay's miniseries about the Central Park Five: The numbers might be opaque, but as a tactic, it's a pretty transparent response to reports of big digital tune-in for HBO's "Chernobyl," deemed its top competition in the best-miniseries race. And reporters are still pretty bad when it comes to deciphering premium-TV ratings, thanks in no small part to the murky data those companies provide, when they provide it at all...
New fallout from "When"
CNN's Faith Karimi and Rob Frehse report: Elizabeth Lederer, one of the Central Park Five prosecutors, is leaving her post at Columbia Law School in the wake of "When They See Us." The Columbia Black Law Student's Association had launched a petition demanding she step down..
FOR THE RECORD, PART SIX
-- Steve Pond writes: "Inside a wild and rocky week for the Emmys and the Oscars, from disqualifications to schedule shifts..." (TheWrap)
-- Netflix is "unveiling new video games based on its shows," starting with "Stranger Things 3: The Game..." (Bloomberg / CNN)
-- "Warner Bros. TV has promoted four veteran executives to lead the development and current programming teams:" Clancy Collins-White, Adrienne Turner, Maddy Horne and Odetta Watkins... (THR)
-- IMAX Entertainment is expanding… hiring an ex-Paramount exec and an ex-20th Century Fox exec… (TheWrap)
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| News Alert: Correction: U.S. says video shows Iranians removing unexploded mine from ship after explosion. An earlier alert said it was beforehand. Posted: 13 Jun 2019 09:05 PM PDT Capt. Bill Urban, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command, issued a timeline late Thursday that suggested U.S. military assets observed Iranian vessels returning to the Japanese vessel, the Kokuka Courageous, to retrieve the unexploded mine. "At 4:10 p.m. local time an IRGC Gashti Class patrol boat approached the M/T Kokuka Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine" from the Courageous, Urban said. An earlier version of this alert stated in the headline that the U.S. military said a video showed the mine being retrieved before the explosion. In fact, the military's timeline suggested this happened afterward. | |  | | Democracy Dies in Darkness | | | | | | News Alert | Jun 14, 12:03 AM | | | | | | Correction: U.S. says video shows Iranians removing unexploded mine from ship after explosion. An earlier alert said it was beforehand. | Capt. Bill Urban, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command, issued a timeline late Thursday that suggested U.S. military assets observed Iranian vessels returning to the Japanese vessel, the Kokuka Courageous, to retrieve the unexploded mine. "At 4:10 p.m. local time an IRGC Gashti Class patrol boat approached the M/T Kokuka Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine" from the Courageous, Urban said. An earlier version of this alert stated in the headline that the U.S. military said a video showed the mine being retrieved before the explosion. In fact, the military's timeline suggested this happened afterward. | | Read more » | | | |  |
| ترك برس - النشرة 14-06-2019 Posted: 13 Jun 2019 09:04 PM PDT |
| News Alert: U.S. military releases video it says shows Iranian forces removing mine from oil tanker before explosion Posted: 13 Jun 2019 07:40 PM PDT Capt. Bill Urban, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command, issued a timeline late Thursday that suggested U.S. military assets observed Iranian vessels returning to the Courageous to retrieve the unexploded mine. "At 4:10 p.m. local time an IRGC Gashti Class patrol boat approached the M/T Kokuka Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine" from the Courageous, Urban said. | |  | | Democracy Dies in Darkness | | | | | | News Alert | Jun 13, 10:36 PM | | | | | | U.S. military releases video it says shows Iranian forces removing mine from oil tanker before explosion | Capt. Bill Urban, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command, issued a timeline late Thursday that suggested U.S. military assets observed Iranian vessels returning to the Courageous to retrieve the unexploded mine. "At 4:10 p.m. local time an IRGC Gashti Class patrol boat approached the M/T Kokuka Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine" from the Courageous, Urban said. | | Read more » | | | |  |
| A volatile relationship gets worse Posted: 13 Jun 2019 04:36 PM PDT TicToc Tonight Greetings, TicToc readers! Thursday's almost over. Here's what's happening: But first...  U.S. blames Iran for oil tanker attackThe U.S. blamed Iran for an attack on a pair of oil tankers near the Persian Gulf Thursday, despite denials from Tehran and a lack of evidence. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the incident near a key waterway for oil transit is part of a "campaign" of "escalating tension" by Iran and a threat to international peace and stability, but offered no evidence. More: - "The U.S. will defend its forces, interests and stand with our partners and allies to safeguard global commerce and regional stability," Pompeo said.
Iranian officials denied any involvement, with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif suggested one of Iran's enemies may have been behind the attacks: "Suspicious doesn't begin to describe what likely transpired," he tweeted.
Headlines from around the worldSarah Sanders will resign as White House press secretary at the end of the month, Trump announced. Boris Johnson received the most votes in the first ballot to select the Conservative party leader and next U.K. prime minister. Ecuador's highest court authorized same-sex marriage in a landmark case seeking to expand LGBTQ rights. Kellyanne Conway should be "removed from service" for violating the Hatch Act, a federal watchdog recommended. Elizabeth Lederer, the Central Park 5 lead prosecutor, dropped her post teaching at Columbia Law after fallout from Netflix's "When They See Us." Data of the dayParental leave for Wall Street dads. Some of the biggest banks are ahead of the pack in offering generous paternity leave, but many men say corporate culture prevents them from taking it.  Lean back and watchA RoundUp ingredient was found in cereal. 21 oat-based breakfast products such as Cheerios tested positive for traces of glyphosate. U.S. military bases aren't ready for climate change. At least 8 haven't addressed infrastructure threats from rising seas and stronger storms. Netflix is approaching empire status. It'll release video games based on its shows, including Stranger Things 3: The Game. This'll only take a minuteAre you on WhatsApp? Give us one minute a day and we'll send you all the top stories and why they matter. It's more than just headlines. It's context, analysis and commentary to give you the bigger picture.
Sign up today.  Don't miss thisMystery voice. The National Sound Library of Mexico released audio that may be the only known recording of Frida Kahlo."Here's your new Air Force One." Trump showed his red, white and blue vision for the next generation of the presidential plane. Parting with paintings. Alex Rodriguez is auctioning off two works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Richard Prince that could fetch $6 million.  Before you goYou don't see that every day. Kim Kardashian West stopped by the White House to tout criminal justice reform alongside Trump, who praised her "good genes" and predicted, "soon she'll be one of the most successful lawyers."  Thanks for reading! Watch your inbox for our next newsletter tomorrow. Until then, share TicToc Tonight with your friends.
-Andrew Mach | |   |
| Migrants Taught How to Look Feminine in ICE Detention Center for Transgenders Posted: 13 Jun 2019 04:17 PM PDT | | | Trans asylum seekers granted medical specialists, amenities. Ben Warren | Infowars.com | | | | Adan Salazar | Infowars.com | | | Jamie White | Infowars.com | | | | | | Jake Lloyd | Infowars.com | | | | Jake Lloyd | Infowars.com | | | Paul Joseph Watson | Infowars.com | | | Owen Shroyer | Infowars.com | | | Dan Lyman | Europewars.com | | | |  |
| News Alert: Suspect in New Zealand mosque attacks, the first to be charged under the country’s anti-terrorism legislation, pleads not guilty Posted: 13 Jun 2019 03:55 PM PDT Justice Cameron Mander said mental-health assessments by the prosecutors and defense showed Brenton Harrison Tarrant, the alleged gunman in the March massacres at two mosques that claimed 51 lives, to be fit to stand trial. His trial is to begin May 4, 2020.  |
| Closer to the edge Posted: 13 Jun 2019 03:07 PM PDT Evening Briefing The potential for conflict between America and Iran has risen since President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord and began tightening sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Now that a pair of tankers were attacked near the Persian Gulf and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo blamed Iran, the danger is increasing. Pompeo gave no evidence to support his allegation, and Iran denied it. Iran suggested that its enemies may have been behind the incident. —David E. Rovella Here are today's top storiesNews of the crisis didn't keep U.S. equities from halting a two-day slide on bets the Fed will cut rates. Oil prices, however, climbed. Amazon's share of the U.S. e-commerce market was lowered by about 9% after a key researcher incorporated some new data. A Turkish prosecutor requested a prison term of up to five years for two Bloomberg reporters over a 2018 story about how Turkish authorities and banks were responding to the biggest currency shock there since 2001. Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders is quitting, ending an embattled tenure marked by her dissemination of false information, infrequent daily press briefings and regular attacks on journalists. Michael R. Bloomberg writes in Bloomberg Opinion that "it was extraordinary" to hear Trump contradict the FBI director, who said candidates should report efforts by foreign agents to aid them with opposition research. Trump said he would accept such aid. The U.S. Is purging Chinese cancer researchers from top institutions, including U.S. citizens, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. A popular messaging app in Hong Kong said a massive cyber-attack on the service originated in China, raising questions about whether Beijing is trying to disrupt huge protests over a proposed mainland extradition law. What's Joe Weisenthal thinking about? The Bloomberg news director says the Beyond Meat IPO reminds him of the Krispy Kreme offering back in 2000. Coming just after the peak of the dotcom boom, investors wanted something tangible, like donuts, to bet on. Now it's pretend meat. What you'll need to know tomorrow What you'll want to read tonight in CheckoutFrom its windows on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, Camp looks like a regular upscale kids' boutique with books and stuffed animals. But behind a secret door is what owners say is the key to selling more merchandise.  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. See our limited-time introductory offer. Bloomberg's The Future of ETFs series returns this June across six European cities. Whether you're employing active or passive strategies, knowledge of the exchange-traded funds market is vital in today's uncertain environment. Request an invitation to join us in London, Paris, Zurich, Milan, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Download the Bloomberg app: It's available for iOS and Android. | |   |
| Saudi Arms Sales, PA Curricula, Meeting Moscow in Jerusalem, and More Posted: 13 Jun 2019 02:46 PM PDT |  | | | |  | POLICY NOTE 64 The latest volume in the Sudden Succession series examines how various challenges might constrict Hezbollah's influence over the next transition.
|  | POLICYWATCH 3134 Ultimately, no deal is better than a bad deal, and Moscow's track record in Syria suggests it is both unable and unwilling to keep Iran out.
|  | POLICYWATCH 3135 Hezbollah and its allies may use the talks as a stalling tactic, but negotiators will still have opportunities to exploit the group's domestic vulnerabilities.
|  | POLICYWATCH 3133 The opposition candidate has taken up the mantle of the underdog who could challenge the status quo nationally, just as Erdogan did two decades ago.
|  | POLICYWATCH 3132 The White House may have opened a Pandora's box of long-term consequences for legislative oversight, Gulf relations, and defense profits.
|  | FIKRA FORUM Mohammed Dajani and Marcus Sheff June 10, 2019 Two longtime educators propose a methodological framework that encourages students to be more tolerant, rational, open-minded, and peace-loving.
|  | OP-ED Matthew Levitt Telegraph, June 9, 2019 Britain's recent decision to designate the entire group as a terrorist entity was a step in the right direction, but now the EU needs to follow suit.
|  | POLICYWATCH 3131 Haisam Hassanein June 7, 2019 Despite Egypt's warming relations with the Israeli government, the country's airwaves are still rife with bellicose and anti-Semitic content.
|  | OP-ED Ghaith al-Omari NBC News, May 31, 2019 Palestinians heaved a sigh of relief when Israel announced new elections, which will give the United States more time to do the necessary diplomatic work.
|  | | | IRAN | Patrick Clawson spoke with Voice of America about the "very delicate balancing act" Japan has performed in order to maintain good relations with both Iran and the United States.
| yemen | Elana DeLozier told the National that President Hadi may struggle to find a new foreign minister because many experienced Yemeni diplomats wish to remain "above the fray."
| ARAB-ISRAEL | David Makovsky told the Jerusalem Post that while Netanyahu is unlikely to move forward with West Bank annexations anytime soon, the issue has taken on a life of its own in the United States.
|  |  | | | | |   |
| Take advantage, Canadians: the country has never had this many open jobs Posted: 13 Jun 2019 02:20 PM PDT | 📱 Would you look at that — both Rogers, and then Bell, have revealed unlimited wireless plans (albeit with asterisks). Canada’s labour shortage hit another record high in the first quarter of 2019, with 425,000 jobs nationwide going unfilled for 90 days or more, according to a survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. The Prime Minister’s Office says the leaders will use next Thursday’s meeting to talk about the ratification of the new North American trade agreement and outstanding trade disputes between Canada and the United States. The analysis assumes that pricing carbon is the only thing Canada would change about its climate-change policies. It also assumes this new tax would be broadly applied across all sectors, except agriculture, and in all provinces and territories. Yes, they can get buckets, put up with Drake, and will never have to worry about anyone blocking their view at a concert. But the Toronto Raptors players have many more talents than just their height, patiences and skills on the court. HuffPost Canada is proud to celebrate the voices of inspiring LGBTQ+ change-makers from around the world. They are leaders who champion social justice and are the architects of a new frontier of sexuality. We are proud to stand alongside them, to help amplify those voices and their message at this critical time, during this month of dissent and celebration. 👍 You're all set. Have a great day. HuffPost is now part of Verizon Media Group. On May 25, 2018, we introduced a new privacy policy, which explains how your data is used and shared. Learn more.Follow HuffPost Canada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
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| None Posted: 13 Jun 2019 02:14 PM PDT |
| “Martyrs” for a Centralized UAE Posted: 13 Jun 2019 01:49 PM PDT | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | | | | Eleonora Ardemagni | June 13, 2019 Wary of local inequalities that could spur dissent, Abu Dhabi is aiming to instill nationalist sentiment in northern emirates through cultivating a military ethos. | | | | | | |   |
| Once more, with feeling: foreign election interference is not OK Posted: 13 Jun 2019 01:48 PM PDT Bloomberg Opinion Today Today's Agenda  Trump's Open Collusion Invitation It's hard to believe we have to say this again in the Year of Our Lord 2019, but it apparently needs repeating: Foreign meddling in U.S. elections is bad. President Donald Trump, who benefited from Russian meddling in the 2016 election, said yesterday he'd be open to taking more help from foreign sources in future elections. Such an attitude makes the country vulnerable to hostile powers – Russia probably didn't help Trump out of the goodness of its heart, after all – and weakens public faith in elections, writes Bloomberg LP founder Mike Bloomberg. That's why, in the past, foreign agents peddling dirt, money or other election assistance were rejected and reported promptly to the FBI, Mike notes. Trump doesn't think that's necessary. So Congress should pass a law, proposed by Sen. Mark Warner, making it so, Mike writes. In the meantime, more Republicans should speak out against Trump's unacceptable invitation for more collusion in the next election, writes Jonathan Bernstein. Since he wrote, Sens. Lindsey Graham and Mitt Romney have disagreed with Trump; but GOP leadership – including Mitch McConnell, who won't let the Senate consider an election-security bill – must set the president straight, Jonathan writes. Rush to Tanker-Attack Judgment When solving a mystery, such as a murder, a Watergate Hotel break-in or an oil-tanker attack, a good question to ask is: Who benefits? Julian Lee asks that after two tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman this morning. The U.S. quickly blamed Iran, but Julian isn't so sure. Choking off the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz might be one way Iran could strike back at the world for sanctions:  But the timing here is all wrong. Iran would have to be unbelievably clumsy to poke the American bear right now; a likelier culprit is some actor that wants to see Iran-U.S. tensions rising, Julian writes. Mission accomplished. Oil prices, which have fallen lately on signs of weak demand, rebounded a bit after the attacks. But Liam Denning notes oil isn't the only fuel whose price depends on free passage through Hormuz; more than a quarter of the world's liquefied natural gas travels that way too. A prolonged conflict could have impacts on LNG trade throughout the world, particularly in China, which already has plenty on its plate. Further Energy Reading: Trump doesn't need to sanction Russian gas; the market is already shifting away from it. – Leonid Bershidsky Reasons to Worry About Finance and the Economy If you're not worried about foreign election meddling or U.S.-Iran tensions, maybe the world of finance can keep you awake at night. A British equity fund, the LF Woodford Equity Income Fund, has been struggling with illiquidity lately, at a time when market volatility is low and a vast ocean of liquidity is sloshing around the world, notes Mohamed El-Erian. He suggests this is a warning of what could happen when markets really get into trouble after years of central-bank coddling. There's an awful lot of risk now hidden away beyond the regulated banking sector, much of it in hard-to-sell assets. Meanwhile, though the market is on recession watch, the consensus seems to be that any near-future downturn would be milder than, say, the Great Recession of a decade ago. Stephen Mihm considers the historical signal being sent by 10-year Treasury yields and suggests the next recession could be much worse than we imagine. One Less Thing to Worry About: One way to hedge CLO risk may be, believe it or not, investing in parts of other CLOs. – Brian Chappatta Tory Leadership Race Short on Leadership The U.K.'s Conservative Party is trying to pick a new leader to replace Theresa May. Unfortunately, almost none of the candidates are saying anything more realistic about Brexit than May did, Bloomberg's editorial board writes. Most are still too cavalier about the risks of a no-deal Brexit and too optimistic about their ability to slice the Gordian knot that defeated May. At least one Tory candidate, Rory Stewart, is talking sense about the impossible choice facing the party's next leader, writes Therese Raphael. His words could come back to haunt front-runner Boris Johnson. Further Brexit Reading: The never-ending Brexit nightmare makes it hard for the Bank of England to respond to rising wages. – Ferdinando Giugliano Happy Birthday, Amazon-Whole Foods Two years ago this weekend, Amazon.com Inc. shocked the world by announcing it was buying Whole Foods. It seemed an apocalyptic moment when Amazon, Destroyer of Retail cast its gaze upon the grocery business. Two years later … not much has changed, write Sarah Halzack and Shira Ovide. Whole Foods prices are generally lower, and Amazon has put some Amazon stuff in stores. But industry-changing ideas have not yet appeared. That may be small comfort to British grocers such as Tesco Plc. Amazon has waded into the U.K. grocery business lately, partnering with Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc. Coming as German retailers are already squeezing the market, Amazon's arrival is unwelcome, writes Andrea Felsted. Telltale Charts There's still far too much lead polluting this country, writes Noah Smith. Cleaning it up could curb the crime rates in some of our most dangerous cities.  Further Reading Poland isn't getting a "Fort Trump" just yet, but maybe it needs one. – James Stavridis Trump bragging about trying to get a discount on a drug for veterans is the latest example of his performative approach to high prices; it sounds good, but accomplishes little. – Max Nisen Sure, Elizabeth Warren has lots of ideas, but too many are unrealistic. – Ramesh Ponnuru We'll need green energy to avoid climate change's worst effects, but lower economic growth will likely result. – Mark Buchanan Uber Technologies Inc.'s new rider-rating policy must be watched carefully for bias. – Scott Kominers Investors shouldn't be so sanguine about tech probes, as the discovery of apparently damning Mark Zuckerberg email reminds us. – Shira Ovide Update: Kellyanne Conway vs. the Hatch Act Today a federal watchdog suggested Kellyanne Conway should be drummed from the federal government for violating the Hatch Act. Back in March, Noah Feldman wrote the act is too vague to be constitutional. ICYMI The U.S. is purging Chinese cancer researchers. LME traders can't drink on the job any more. Retirees may run out of money a decade before death. Kickers St. Louis Blues fan bets $400, wins $100,000. Archaeologists find 3,000-year-old evidence of pot-smoking. (h/t Scott Kominers for the first two kickers) AI generates human faces based only on voices. How a negotiation expert would bargain with a stubborn kid. Note: Please send retirement money and complaints to Mark Gongloff at mgongloff1@bloomberg.net. New to Bloomberg Opinion Today? Sign up here and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. | |   |
| A Pattern in Houthi Messaging (DeLozier | PolicyWatch 3137) Posted: 13 Jun 2019 01:33 PM PDT HOUTHI MESSAGING MAY HINT AT A TARGETING PATTERN by Elana DeLozier PolicyWatch 3137
June 13, 2019 The Yemeni group appears to select targets directly inspired by its principal complaints, potentially helping security officials protect against future attacks while negotiators promote overall de-escalation. READ THIS ITEM ON OUR WEBSITE
On June 12, the Houthis launched a missile that struck Abha airport in the southern Saudi Arabian province of Asir, reportedly injuring twenty-six people and providing the latest example in their emerging eye-for-an-eye targeting pattern. A review of Houthi messaging supports the suggestion of such a pattern. According to their messaging, Houthi missile attacks targeting Riyadh in 2017–18 were carried out in retribution for Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Sana; the strikes on a Saudi oil pipeline in mid-May were in response to perceived economic strangulation; and this most recent action against an airport was a counterpunch for the closure of Sana airport. The Houthis repeatedly frame their attacks as self-defensive in nature and claim a measure-for-measure approach. Highlighting the latter, Mohammed Abdulsalam, the lead Houthi negotiator and a group spokesman, recently cited the Quran, saying, “Whoever has assaulted you, assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you.” Moreover, the group often appears to preview its attacks by tweeting about a certain grievance days before targeting a symbol of that grievance. For security officials, an understanding of these patterns can be useful in anticipating targets and enacting measures to prevent the success of future attacks. MESSAGING ON THREE ATTACKS On June 9, in an apparent preview three days before the Abha strike, Abdulsalam claimed that attacks on Saudi airports were justified because of the continued closure of Sana airport. “Targeting their airports or at least paralyzing them is the only way to force them into lifting the siege on Sana airport,” he said. He also referenced an injured Houthi activist who was denied access to care because of the airport closure. Shortly after the attack, Abdulsalam invoked the Sana airport situation—as well as the failure of the United Nations to broker a political solution—as the motive. A month earlier, on May 14, the Houthis targeted two pumping stations along the Saudi East-West Pipeline to the Red Sea, justifying this strike on economic infrastructure as payback for the Saudi-led coalition’s economic blockade on Yemen. Houthi spokesman Abdulsalam tweeted, “The demands of the Yemeni people are simple: you must lift the economic blockade and end the aerial blockade.” In the days prior—again in an apparent preview—Houthi rhetoric on Twitter focused heavily on economic issues, with specific complaints centering on the nonpayment of salaries and the blockade. Targeting a fuel pipeline may also have symbolized the Houthis’ objection to Decree 75, issued last year by Yemen’s government, which disqualified many in Houthi-controlled areas from importing fuel. Finally, between November 2017 and June 2018, the Houthis repeatedly targeted Riyadh with Iranian-made Qiam short-range ballistic missiles. The Houthis have also targeted the UAE’s main cities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with drones. Their narrative again emphasized the eye-for-an-eye approach. On the Houthi TV channel Al Masirah, Houthi spokesman Col. Aziz Rashed justified a May 2018 missile attack on Riyadh as revenge for Saudi airstrikes on the Yemeni capital. Similarly, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree threatened to hit the UAE in response to “escalation in Hodeida,” a critical province on Yemen’s Red Sea coast where UAE forces were then active. THE IRAN CONNECTION Even though the Houthis have crafted narratives rooted in specific grievances, many outside observers instead interpret the recent Houthi attacks as part of a series of Iran-driven disruptions in the Arabian Peninsula. The Abha attack occurred just a day before two ships were attacked in the Gulf of Oman; similarly, the pipeline attack happened one day after four ships in the Gulf of Oman were struck in an operation widely attributed to Iran. Seeking to uphold their credibility, the Houthis adamantly denied an Iranian role in the pipeline job, with Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of their Supreme Revolutionary Committee, making a rare appearance on BBC Arabic to make this case. But consensus opinion about an Iranian hand drowned out these protestations. Even if local, Yemen-based grievances had really inspired the attacks, then the Houthis showed extreme clumsiness in carrying them out on the days they did. AN OPENING FOR NEGOTIATORS For security and intelligence officials, the Houthis’ penchant for previewing targets and logic in choosing them could provide useful insights for protecting these targets. This is true even if publicly stated Houthi motives sometimes differ from deeper ones, as suspected in the pipeline and airport strikes. For example, in a potential preview, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree hinted at future activity immediately after the Abha attack, suggesting Yemenis should avoid airports and military sites in the region. The Houthis’ rhetorical patterns may also present opportunities for negotiators by illuminating their core demands, such as lifting the economic blockade, paying salaries, and opening the Sana airport. Moreover, the Houthi self-defense argument suggests they may limit or cease external attacks if a de-escalation is negotiated in Yemen. Such quid pro quo targeting, however, also lends itself to a ransom-style mindset, and as already noted, the Houthis have on occasion implied that UN failures are part of the reason for their attacks. Negotiators should ignore these inferences and not allow themselves to be held hostage to Houthi demands or threats. Both the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis have long called for a political solution to the Yemen crisis, but both have also escalated militarily when talks break down. Since mid-May, some have raised questions about whether Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen, can regain trust locally after the Hadi government raised serious concerns about his implementation of the Stockholm agreement, signed between the government and the Houthis in December 2018. Relatedly, the Yemeni foreign minister, Khaled al-Yamani, resigned in June, with some reports suggesting his views diverged from President Hadi’s on how the government should pursue peace. To be sure, de-escalation in both Yemen and the broader region demands a renewed focus on the political process. Recently reaffirmed U.S., Saudi, and UAE support for Griffiths, the UN envoy, is a start. The United States must now lean on its regional allies to influence the Hadi government and the Houthis to recommit to such a political process. Elana DeLozier is a research fellow in The Washington Institute’s Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy, where she specializes in nuclear weapons and proliferation, counterterrorism, and Gulf politics.
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| Amanda Knox is back in Italy for first time since she was acquitted of roommate's murder in 2011 Posted: 13 Jun 2019 01:32 PM PDT | If you are having trouble viewing this email click here |  | | 6/13/19 |  | | | |  | | | TOP STORY
Amanda Knox Is Back in Italy For First Time Since She Was Acquitted of Roommate's Murder in 2011 | | | | Amanda Knox was cleared of her roommate's murder and released from prison in 2011 | | | | |  | | | STAR TRACKS
Miranda Lambert Steps Out with Her Husband in N.Y.C., Plus an Office Reunion, Rihanna & More | | | | From Hollywood to New York and everywhere in between, see what your favorite stars are up to | | | | | | | | |  | | | KUWTK DRAMA!
Kris and Kylie Jenner Feud Over Office Space as Kourtney Calls Billionaire Kylie 'Entitled' | | | | "She has this like, entitlement — no one says anything because she's Kylie Billionaire Jenner," says Kourtney Kardashian | | | | | | | | |  | | | TERRIBLY UPSETTING
Pennsylvania Mom Outraged After Son, 7, with Down Syndrome Suffers Bloodied Face on School Bus | | | | Michael Perrin, 7, suffered two fractures, a black eye and several red lacerations on his face | | | | |  | | | KEEPING IT REAL
Amy Schumer Jokes She's 'Sorry' for Hospital-Underwear Photos - and Shows Off C-Section Scar | | | | "Major apologies from me and my C!" new mom Amy Schumer cheekily wrote on her Instagram Story, showing off her cesarean-section scar | | | | CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS | | | | | | | | | | Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
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| BREAKING NEWS: Sarah Sanders to leave White House Posted: 13 Jun 2019 01:17 PM PDT White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is departing at the end of the month, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday. Trump said Sanders will be returning to her home state of Arkansas, adding that he hopes she decides to run for governor. Sanders has served as press secretary since the summer of 2017. Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/sarah-sanders-to-leave-white-house-1364563 To change your alert settings, please go to https://secure.politico.com/settings
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| News Alert: Second Benghazi militant convicted in U.S. court in 2012 attacks that left ambassador dead Posted: 13 Jun 2019 12:56 PM PDT The jury in Washington delivered a partial verdict, finding Mustafa al-Imam, 47, guilty on one count each of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and maliciously destroying government property but deadlocking on 15 of 17 other counts, including the most serious charges of murder and attempted murder, in the overnight attacks that began Sept. 11, 2012, on a U.S. diplomatic mission and nearby CIA post in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. "Casey" Cooper directed jurors to continue deliberating. | |  | | Democracy Dies in Darkness | | | | | | News Alert | Jun 13, 3:53 PM | | | | | | Second Benghazi militant convicted in U.S. court in 2012 attacks that left ambassador dead | The jury in Washington delivered a partial verdict, finding Mustafa al-Imam, 47, guilty on one count each of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and maliciously destroying government property but deadlocking on 15 of 17 other counts, including the most serious charges of murder and attempted murder, in the overnight attacks that began Sept. 11, 2012, on a U.S. diplomatic mission and nearby CIA post in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. "Casey" Cooper directed jurors to continue deliberating. | | Read more » | | | |  |
| Most Social: 'Counting On' matriarch 'Grandma' Mary Duggar died of an accidental drowning after church Posted: 13 Jun 2019 10:01 AM PDT | The Duggar family announced the sudden death of "Grandma" Mary Duggar Sunday and her cause of death has been revealed. | |    |
| East Med Energy and Middle East Peace (Henderson | PolicyWatch 3136) Posted: 13 Jun 2019 09:46 AM PDT EAST MEDITERRANEAN ENERGY AND MIDDLE EAST PEACE by Simon Henderson PolicyWatch 3136
June 13, 2019 The slow but steady progress in developing offshore gas fields is transforming local economies and could underpin U.S. peace plans. READ THIS ITEM ON OUR WEBSITE
Last week, after a year of negotiations, the government of Cyprus and a consortium led by Texas-based Noble Energy announced agreement on a revised contract to exploit the Aphrodite natural gas field 100 miles south of the island. Development of the field, which partly lies in Israel’s exclusive economic zone, will cost several billion dollars, and the first gas will flow in 2024 at the earliest, probably to Egypt for export to the rest of the world. Total revenues over the field’s projected twenty-year lifespan are estimated at more than $9 billion. The next step in the deal—formal approval by the Cypriot cabinet—seems like a foregone conclusion, but as is so often the case, any energy developments in the East Mediterranean have wider geopolitical angles. The Israeli claim on Aphrodite can be settled by arbitration, but a much more difficult issue reared its head on June 7, when Turkey announced that Cypriots living in the island’s Turkish-occupied northern zone had rights to a share of the field. The internationally recognized government in Nicosia—which asserts sovereignty over the entire island and grants passports to Turkish Cypriots—has previously acknowledged in principle that Aphrodite’s eventual revenues will be for all Cypriots. However, this principle is complicated by the large number of Turkish settlers on the island, many of whom lack the proven Cypriot heritage required to receive passports and certain other rights. Ankara’s latest statement therefore exacerbates fears that the Turkish navy will harass international exploration and development efforts in contested waters. Meanwhile, gas supplies that generate two-thirds of Israel’s electricity were stopped briefly last month out of concern that Hamas rocket fire from Gaza might endanger an offshore processing platform. Such incidents are part of the reason why Israel’s second platform—currently being built to serve the about-to-produce Leviathan field—is located much further north and closer to shore, where it can be better protected. On the positive side, Israel has been using small quantities of gas to test a dormant pipeline on the seabed between Ashkelon and the Sinai city of al-Arish. The line was previously used to pump Egyptian gas to Israel, but it has now been reversed and will soon transport gas from Israel’s offshore fields to Egypt—whether for domestic use or for export once converted to liquefied natural gas at existing LNG plants near Port Said and Alexandria. Reaching final legal agreement on these proposals has been difficult, however, and even when gas flows in quantity beginning later this year, it will have to use a land route vulnerable to terrorist attack by al-Qaeda and Islamic State elements for part of its journey, at least until another expensive offshore pipe extending further west from al-Arish can be agreed and built. Israel is also looking for companies that can explore its waters for more gas. Although a deadline for bids on nineteen offshore blocks has been pushed back to mid-August, perhaps reflecting a lack of investor interest, Israeli officials are reportedly still hopeful that ExxonMobil will bite. For now, the U.S. company has shown more interest in Cypriot blocks, as have European companies like Total of France and Eni of Italy. The latter two companies are also interested in exploring Lebanon’s waters, despite the country’s dysfunctional government, broken electricity supply network, and intrusive Iranian influence. They hope to start drilling northwest of Beirut before the end of the year. More contentiously, their consortium, which includes a Russian company, wants to drill in another block that encompasses a sliver of sea contested by Israel. Under UN cover, U.S. diplomats have been encouraging both countries to reach agreement on at least some elements of their decades-long maritime and land border disputes, possibly signaling American corporate interest in exploring Lebanon’s waters. When it comes to energy deals, however, even a peace treaty does not put an end to public sensitivities about rapprochement with Israel. For instance, Jordan’s security and intelligence links with Jerusalem have strengthened greatly since the two governments signed their treaty in 1994, and Israeli gas has powered Jordanian industrial plants on the Dead Sea for the past two years. Given the consistently poor people-to-people relations between the two nations, however, many Jordanians oppose the prospect of using Leviathan gas for large-scale electricity generation beginning early next year. Amman has partially deflected such anger by calling the supplies “northern gas” or “American gas,” emphasizing Noble’s role in producing it. The complexities of East Mediterranean energy developments are well illustrated by a map declassified by the State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) and obtained by McClatchy (to see the full map, go to the web version of this PolicyWatch). Some officials argue that the area’s underlying geology could help Europe offset or even replace its dependence on Russian gas, but this seems farfetched at the present level of discoveries. Several more giant fields like Leviathan or Egypt’s Zohr would have to be found before this reality changes. The proposed construction of a seabed pipeline to carry gas to Greece and Italy is similarly unrealistic at present. According to the latest BP Statistical Review of World Energy, Israel’s current discoveries amount to just 0.2 percent of global proven gas reserves. Egypt’s are more than five times greater, though still dwarfed by the reserves of the world’s top three producers: Russia (19.8 percent), Iran (16.2 percent), and Qatar (12.5 percent). Even so, the role of gas is growing in the global economy: both consumption and production were up by over 5 percent in 2018, which BP described as “one of the strongest rates of growth for both demand and output for over thirty years.” And while pipeline delivery still dominates, LNG tankers account for an increasing share of exports. The United States will likely become the number three LNG exporter this year, after Australia and Qatar—another reminder that trends can change rapidly, since America was a significant LNG importer up until ten years ago. Washington is also encouraging the new Cairo-based East Mediterranean Gas Forum to cooperate on energy projects, though Lebanon and Turkey are not yet included in the organization. Meanwhile, the ENR leads the energy pillar of the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), the slow-moving, American-led project to advance regional stability. Finally, gas cooperation will likely be on the agenda at the economic workshop Bahrain is hosting later this month to develop the Trump administration’s Israel-Palestinian peace efforts. Although the Palestinian Authority has stated it will not attend, increased energy integration that benefits the West Bank and Gaza seems like an obvious element for discussion, including exploration and joint electricity production. More specifically, the agenda in Bahrain should include: - Building on current gas infrastructure joining Israel, Egypt, and Jordan
- Developing joint gas-fired power projects
- Cooperating on other power projects (e.g., solar)
- Integrating Palestinian assets into joint projects (e.g., exploiting the offshore Gaza Marine gas field; better utilizing the existing power station in Gaza, originally built for using gas).
Such efforts would reiterate the historical lesson of East Mediterranean gas development: that progress is slow but achievements are significant, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles can be overcome with patient, meticulous diplomatic effort. Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute.
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| War With Iran Imminent! Was Torpedo Attack a False Flag? Posted: 13 Jun 2019 09:41 AM PDT Tune into the Live Show | | Alex Jones Here! Tune in Now! A US-linked tanker was “torpedoed” in the Gulf of Oman! American officials are already saying it’s “highly likely” Iran was behind the attack. Is Iran really this crazy or is this attack just another false flag? Catch today’s LIVE BROADCAST where I break down the facts!Also, watch today’s LIVE BROADCAST to learn why major Hollywood celebrities are speaking out against Big Pharma’s vaccine tyranny! Tune into infowars.com/show Monday-Friday from 11AM-3PM Central and Sunday 4-6 PM Central to watch the most banned broadcast in the world with breaking news and commentary exclusively from me 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. Remember – if you’re receiving this email, you are the resistance. | | |  |
| BREAKING NEWS: Federal agency recommends that Kellyanne Conway be removed from service over Hatch Act Posted: 13 Jun 2019 09:07 AM PDT The government office that oversees compliance with the Hatch Act has recommended that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway be removed from federal service. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel sent a report to President Donald Trump on Thursday that said Conway violated the law numerous times by criticizing Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media. The office, which is not affiliated with Robert Mueller, has never before made such a recommendation for a White House official. Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/federal-agency-recommends-that-kellyanne-conway-be-removed-from-service-over-hatch-act-1364221 To change your alert settings, please go to https://secure.politico.com/settings
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| 60 بالمئة من اللحوم المستهلكة لن تأتي من مصادر حيوانية بحلول 2040 Posted: 13 Jun 2019 07:58 AM PDT أوضحت "الغارديان" البريطانية في أحد تقاريرها أنّ 60 في المائة من اللحوم التي سيتناولها الناس بحلول... | نسخة على الإنترنت | | نسختك الخاصة من أخبار يورونيوز – 06/13/19 |
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