Written by Econintersect
Early Bird Headlines 03 February 2020.
Econintersect: Here are some of the headlines we found to help you start your day. For more headlines see our afternoon feature for GEI members, What We Read Today, published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which has many more headlines and a number of article discussions to keep you abreast of what we have found interesting.
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Key Articles
Global
- Chinese stocks plunge 7% amid virus fears on first trading day after Lunar New Year holiday (CNBC) The moves on the mainland came following an extended holiday amid an ongoing virus outbreak that has taken more than 300 lives in the country so far. Other Asian markets were mixed. The U.S. dollar index was lower at 97.486. Oil prices slipped in the afternoon of Asian trading hours, with international benchmark Brent crude futures declining 0.74% to $56.20 per barrel. U.S. crude futures were 0.23% lower at $51.44 per barrel. Spot gold fell 0.6% to $1,580.48 per ounce by 0407 GMT, having earlier risen to its highest since Jan. 8 at $1,591.46. U.S. gold futures shed 0.2% to $1,584.70. Bonds were mixed with bunds and treasuries selling off while gilts moved higher.
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U.S.
- While Stained in History, Trump Will Emerge From Trial Triumphant and Unshackled (The New York Times) With the end of the impeachment trial now in sight and acquittal assured, a triumphant Mr. Trump emerges from the biggest test of his presidency emboldened, ready to claim exoneration and take his case of grievance, persecution and resentment to the campaign trail.
The president’s Democratic adversaries rolled out the biggest constitutional weapon they had and failed to defeat him, or even to force a full trial with witnesses testifying to the allegations against him. Now Mr. Trump, who has said that the Constitution “allows me to do whatever I want” and pushed so many boundaries that curtailed past presidents, has little reason to fear the legislative branch nor any inclination to reach out in conciliation.
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- Chris Cuomo: You should be mad as hell (CNN) Chris Cuomo tells viewers they should be angry about the vote against witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, and urges them to speak out. (See also Hastings, Fort Sumter, Archduke Ferdinand, Pearl Harbor … And Last Week and Four Myths The Trump Team Promoted About Andrew Johnson.)
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Republicans’ Emerging Defense: Trump’s Actions Were Bad, but Not Impeachable (The New York Times) Even as they are set to acquit President Trump in his impeachment trial this week, Senate Republicans appear to be increasingly breaking with his defense that he did nothing wrong. A day before the first contest of the 2020 election, two days before Mr. Trump’s State of the Union address and three days before his expected acquittal, they and other Republicans appeared to be coalescing around a more nuanced argument: Mr. Trump’s efforts to push Ukraine into investigating a political rival while withholding critical military aid might not have been appropriate. But that did not warrant the president’s removal from office for the first time in American history.
Econintersect: Is this the same Republican Party that sought the removal of a president for lying about an “inappropriate relationship” with a 23-year old White House intern? WTF?
- Super Rally: Mahomes, Chiefs win Super Bowl with late surge (Associated Press) The Kansas City Chiefs had their second Super Bowl appearance in history and the first in 50 years and won their second title. The Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl 4 (1970), 23-7. To win, the Chiefs overcame a 10 point 4th quarter deficit with 21 points in the final 6:13 of the game. The Super Bowl MVP was 24-year old quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is the son of Patrick Mahomes Sr, a major league basball pitcher for several teams over a span of 11 years 1992-2003.
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China
- Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster (The Washington Post) When Chinese officials were beginning to grasp the threat of a new contagious disease in Wuhan they did little to inform the public – even with the approach of the Lunar New Year holiday for which hundreds of millions of Chinese travel. (Note: Toll numbers have increased since this was written.)
An analysis of those early weeks – from official statements, leaked accounts from Chinese medical professionals, newly released scientific data and interviews with public health officials and infectious disease experts – reveals potential missteps by China’s overburdened public health officials.
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Other important articles
Global
- 25 Countries the US Government Doesn’t Want You to Go To (24/7 Wall St)
U.S.
- Trump administration reveals it’s blocking dozens of emails about Ukraine aid freeze, including President’s role (CNN) The Department of Justice revealed in a court filing late Friday that it has two dozen emails related to the President Donald Trump’s involvement in the withholding of millions in security assistance to Ukraine — a disclosure that came just hours after the Senate voted against subpoenaing additional documents and witnesses in Trump’s impeachment trial, paving the way for his acquittal.
The filing, released near midnight Friday, marks the first official acknowledgment from the Trump administration that emails about the President’s thinking related to the aid exist, and that he was directly involved in asking about and deciding on the aid as early as June. The administration is still blocking those emails from the public and has successfully kept them from Congress.
- AP FACT CHECK: Trump on Democrats, impeachment and cows (Associated Press) If the president was a comedian what he says might be less objectionable, but would still be criticized for its blatant falasehoods.
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- How Republicans Scotched the Idea of Impeachment Witnesses (The Wall Street Journal)
- The Memo: Trump threatens to overshadow Democrats in Iowa (The Hill)
- GOP senator warns Republicans could impeach Biden if he wins White House (The Hill)
- Trump shares then deletes tweet praising Chiefs for representing ‘Great State of Kansas’ (The Hill) He later put up a Tweet congratulating the great state of Missouri. Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri and the home of the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Jennifer Lopez sings ‘Born in the USA’ while wearing Puerto Rican flag during halftime show (The Hill)
Syria
Yemen
- Trump appears to confirm killing of al-Qaida leader in Yemen (The Guardian)
China
- China hunts for travellers from virus epicentre (AFP) Death toll now 360 with more than 17,000 confirmed cases.
- More people have died from Wuhan coronavirus than SARS in mainland China (CNN)
- China reportedly accuses US of spreading fear over coronavirus outbreak (CNBC)
Canada
- One of Canada’s most wanted fugitives arrested in the US after being on the run for nearly 2 decades (CNN)
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