She favors private schools to support segregation In visits to two Orthodox schools, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos offered her strongest comments to date in support of public funding for religious schools.
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White House Should State Opposition to Saudi Threat to Acquire Nuclear Weapons

Japanese A-bomb survivors and ICAN demonstrate before the UN vote in October 2016. Credit: Peace Boat
By Daryl G. Kimball and Thomas Countryman
WASHINGTON DC, May 16 2018 (IPS)
We are deeply disappointed by the counterproductive response from the Trump administration to the statements from senior Saudi officials threatening to pursue nuclear weapons in violation of their nonproliferation commitments.
We call on the White House to immediately reiterate the longstanding, bipartisan policy of the United States that it will actively work against the spread of nuclear weapons to any country, friend or foe.
President Donald Trump’s reckless decision to violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has blocked Iran’s pathways to nuclear weapons and put in place a robust monitoring system to detect and deter cheating, has not only opened the door to an expansion of Iran’s capability to produce bomb-grade nuclear material, but it has increased the risk of a wider nuclear arms race in the Middle East, which is already home to one nuclear-armed state.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir told CNN May 9, that his country, which, like Iran, is a party to the 1968 nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), stands ready to build nuclear weapons if Iran restarts its nuclear program.
Al-Jubeir also praised Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal and seek to reimpose sanctions on firms and business engaging in legitimate commerce with Iran.
Asked what his country will do if Iran restarts its nuclear program, he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that “we will do whatever it takes to protect our people. We have made it very clear that if Iran acquires a nuclear capability, we will do everything we can to do the same.”
Asked to clarify whether that means the kingdom will work to acquire its own nuclear capability, al-Jubeir replied, “That’s what we mean.”
This follows similar comments by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a March 15 interview with CBS News that Saudi Arabia will quickly follow suit if Iran acquires nuclear weapons.
When asked May 9 whether Saudi Arabia would “have the administration’s support in the event that that occurred,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said:
“Right now, I don’t know that we have a specific policy announcement on that front, but I can tell you that we are very committed to making sure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons,” she stated.
The administration’s nonresponse to Prince Salman’s threat in March and Sanders’ weak response May 9 amounts to an irresponsible invitation for mischief.
They imply that Trump administration would look the other way if Saudi Arabia breaks its NPT commitments to pursue nuclear weapons.
It is bad enough that the Trump administration, by violating the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has threatened the NPT regime by opening the door for Iran to expand its nuclear capacity.
President Trump and his advisors must not compound that error by swallowing their tongues when another NPT member state in the region threatens to pursue the bomb.
We call on the White House to immediately clarify that it is the longstanding policy of the United States, as an original party to the NPT:
“…not to in any way to assist, encourage, or induce any non-nuclear-weapon State to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons …” and “… to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament ….”
We also call on the U.S. Congress to reject any proposed agreement with Saudi Arabia that permits U.S. nuclear cooperation if Saudi Arabia seeks to or acquires sensitive uranium enrichment or plutonium separation technology which can be used to produce nuclear weapons.
The post White House Should State Opposition to Saudi Threat to Acquire Nuclear Weapons appeared first on Inter Press Service.
Excerpt:
Daryl G. Kimball is Executive Director, Arms Control Association & Thomas Countryman is Board of Directors, Chairman, and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation
The post White House Should State Opposition to Saudi Threat to Acquire Nuclear Weapons appeared first on Inter Press Service.
Trump attorney fed statement to publicist for Russians about Trump Tower meeting

Senate Judiciary Committee released 2,500 pages of testimony with Trump’s son and others who met with Russian attorney at Trump Tower
The Trump Organization fed a prepared statement to a publicist for Russians involved in the notorious 2016 meeting at Trump Tower on what to tell the press about what was discussed, it emerged on Wednesday.
An attorney for the Trump family’s company urged the publicist to endorse Donald Trump Jr’s version of events and said it “would be our preference” if the representative did not say anything else in response to inquiries about the meeting.
Stan Lee sues former company for $1bn in damages

The 95-year-old comic-book creator claims POW! Entertainment executives brokered a ‘sham deal’ with a Chinese company that stole rights to his name
Famed Marvel superhero creator Stan Lee is seeking more than $1bn (£740m) in damages from his former company POW! Entertainment, alleging that he was tricked into signing a document giving away rights to use his name and likeness.
The comic-book legend, who is 95, is suing POW!, its co-founder Gill Champion and CEO Shane Duffy, alleging they brokered a “sham deal” to sell POW! to a China-based company, Camsing. Duffy is also the vice president of Camsing Entertainment.
Trump discloses he reimbursed Michael Cohen for up to $250,000 in 2017

Footnote buried in financial records confirms Trump paid Cohen for ‘expenses’, worth between $100,000 and $250,000
Donald Trump has officially disclosed – via a footnote in tiny print buried in his newly released financial records – that he reimbursed his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, for up to $250,000 in 2017.
The exact reason for the payment is not given, beyond being stated as covering “expenses”, but came in the aftermath of Cohen paying $130,000 to Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump a decade before he became president.
Canada says it will cover losses in bid to finish Trans Mountain oil pipeline
Pipeline to endtime for panet!

Pipeline builder had threatened to cancel the project as British Columbia blocks expansion on environmental grounds
Related: Canada quarrel pits British Columbia against Alberta in battle of oil and wine
Canada’s federal government will cover financial losses a pipeline builder might suffer if British Columbia’s provincial government continues to obstruct the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion said Bill Morneau, the country’s finance minister, on Wednesday.
Mysterious rise in banned ozone-destroying chemical shocks scientists
Oops! Holy Ozone!

CFCs have been outlawed for years but researchers have detected new production somewhere in east Asia
A sharp and mysterious rise in emissions of a key ozone-destroying chemical has been detected by scientists, despite its production being banned around the world.
Unless the culprit is found and stopped, the recovery of the ozone layer, which protects life on Earth from damaging UV radiation, could be delayed by a decade. The source of the new emissions has been tracked to east Asia, but finding a more precise location requires further investigation.
Canada: Doug Ford rebuked after supporter chanted ‘lock her up’
Just what Canada does not need a clown posing as a political leader!

Frontrunner for Ontario premier, the brother of former Toronto mayor Rob, has frequently rejected comparisons with Donald Trump
Doug Ford, the populist frontrunner in the race to become leader of Canada’s most populous province, has been accused of promoting “irresponsible rhetoric” after a supporter chanted “lock her up” about his rival at a campaign rally.
Related: Doug Ford supporters at Ontario debate revealed to be paid actors
Turkey used German spy software on opposition politicians and activists
Opposition protesters in Turkey were reportedly deceived into downloading a spy app made by a German firm. Germany has previously vowed to block exports of spy software to authoritarian countries.
Neo-fascism on the rise in Croatia, Council of Europe finds

The release of the report comes after a memorial to remember Ustasha militia killed by Communist forces at the end of World War II. The annual memorial has become a meet-up for supporters of the Nazis’ Croatian allies.
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