Tuesday Morning Briefing: Inside a Trump-era purge of military scientists at a legendary think tank

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July 30, 2019 Reuters News Now Sponsored by   U.S. Special report: The fight over Jason, a longstanding panel of military scientists, signals a larger story about the escalating conflict between the Trump administration and world of science. Trump made moves to terminate a prestigious panel that has 11 Nobel prizes under its belt. And that may be just the beginning. A June executive order requires federal agencies to slash a third of independent advisory committees. Progressive allies Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren headline the first night of the second Democratic presidential debates, with eight other contenders aiming for a breakout performance that could propel them into the top tier of the White House race. The first of two debates on back-to-back nights will give Warren and Sanders, old friends who have been battling for second place in opinion polls behind front-runner Joe Biden, a chance to draw some contrasts between their progressive policies even though they have promised not to attack each other. Police identified a 19-year-old California man as the gunman who opened fire with an assault rifle at a garlic festival in Gilroy, California, killing three people and wounding about a dozen. Santino William Legan cut through a fence at the festival on Sunday evening and shot people, seemingly at random, with an “AK-47-style” assault rifle, Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee told reporters. Legan was fatally shot within about a minute by police. Police and FBI agents were trying to determine a motive for the shooting and investigating unconfirmed reports by witnesses that Legan may have had an accomplice. Tom Barrack, a billionaire friend of President Donald Trump, pursued a plan to buy Westinghouse Electric even as he lobbied Trump to become a special envoy to promote the building by the firm of nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia, said a congressional report. While Barrack failed in both efforts, the report provides fresh evidence of the ease with which some corporate and foreign interests have gained access to Trump and other senior members of his administration. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill that would ensure any climate change legislation considered by Congress prioritizes low-income and vulnerable communities. The Climate Equity Act would ensure that Congress and the White House are held accountable for putting low-income and indigenous communities and minority groups that are on the “front lines” of climate change at the core of climate proposals, such as the Green New Deal. Business Worries about the U.S.-China trade war are running high during the current U.S. quarterly reporting season, with companies as diverse as Juniper Networks and O’Reilly Automotive bemoaning the consequences but saying they are finding ways to weather the storm. Trade negotiations shift to Shanghai, with stock market investors sensitive to fallout from the year-long conflict and any signs that it could escalate. Factory activity in China is expected to have contracted for the third month in a row in July, a Reuters poll showed, underlining the intensifying strains on the world’s second-biggest economy from a protracted trade war with the United States. China’s Huawei said revenue in the first half of the year grew 23.2% - faster than a year ago - despite an intense U.S. campaign against it that ultimately became a trade ban from mid-May. A month after President Trump said he would allow U.S. companies to resume selling to blacklisted telecommunications giant, his administration has done little to clarify what sales will be permitted. Capital One said that personal information including names and addresses of about 100 million individuals in the U.S. and 6 million people in Canada were obtained by a hacker who has been arrested. The suspect, a 33-year-old former Seattle technology company software engineer identified as Paige Thompson, made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. Sponsored by IBM: Another security tool? Pass. You don’t need new tools. You need new rules. IBM Security creates a connected unified ecosystem that works better together. So, you’re more secure. Meet the new rules of security United Kindgom UK PM Boris Johnson's no-deal Brexit gamble hammers sterling The British pound tumbled as investors bet Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit brinkmanship with the European Union could trigger a messy divorce that would sow chaos through the world economy and financial markets. 4 min read Makeshift shrines honour victims of British knife crime A cluster of flowers and candles marks the spot where Jodie Chesney, 17, was stabbed in a park in east London in an attack with no obvious motive. In honor of her favourite colour, purple ribbons have been tied to a railing, alongside a message also written in purple: "Choose life, drop the knife! RIP Jodie." 7 Min Read Hong Kong Hong Kong protesters disrupt train services, cause commuter chaos Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters blocked train services during the early morning rush hour, causing commuter chaos in the latest anti-government campaign to roil the former British colony. 4 min read 'We may lose Christmas': escalating Hong Kong protests taking bigger toll on shops, economy Months of increasingly violent protests in Hong Kong are taking a growing toll on the city’s economy, weighing on confidence and scaring away tourists from one of the world’s most vibrant shopping destinations. 5 min read Top Stories on Reuters TV U.S. Senate fails to block sale of Saudi weapons Politics   1:31 Inmates beheaded in Brazil prison gang bloodbath World   1:27 Real news for busy people More Newsletters Reuters News Reuters TV               © 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036 Email Preferences    |   Privacy Policy    |   Terms and Conditions