U.S. and the World
Why Did Obama Refer to Anti-Terror Campaigns in Somalia and Yemen as Successes?
Many have taken issue with the president’s claim of success in Yemen and Somalia. “Very few people who are not part of the administration consider either of those cases a success,” Spencer Ackerman wrote at the Guardian. “Less subjectively, neither has finished, years later, and it is unclear what success in Yemen and Somalia even is.” read more
Texas and California Account for One Quarter of U.S. Jobs Dependent on Exports
Not surprisingly perhaps, these two states are also the nation’s most populous: California and Texas. The Lone Star State accounts for 16% of all jobs dependent on exports, the highest rate in the U.S., according to the Department of Commerce. California is second, with 11%. The two states make up 20% of the population of the United States. read more
Mexico Owes Water to U.S.
Under the terms of a 1945 agreement, Mexico and Texas are supposed to send each other a certain amount of water. Texas’ share comes from the Colorado River, while Mexico’s originates along the Rio Grande.
Each year, Mexico’s allotment is supposed to total 350,000 acre feet (one acre-foot of water is equivalent to 326,700 gallons). But the country has fallen behind on its deliveries, and currently owes 380,000 acre-feet to the U.S. read more
Leading Women Soccer Players Threaten Legal Action if Forced to Play World Cup on Artificial Turf
The 2015 Women’s World Cup will take place at six Canadian venues, including the finals at Vancouver’s BC Place, which has artificial turf. Since FIFA rules demand that all games be played on the same surface, the entire event will be grass-free. But that has incensed many international soccer players because the surface changes how the ball moves and how the game is played and is responsible for more injuries than natural grass. The men’s World Cup is played on grass. read more
Border Patrol Sued for Killing a Picnicker in Mexico
Witnesses say the agents were harassing a swimmer who had apparently tried to cross to the United States and then went back toward the Mexican side of the river. When Mexican families shouted at the agents to leave the swimmer alone, the agents fired into Mexico, according to the complaint. read more
More than 800,000 Foreign Students in U.S.; Most Study Business, Science and Engineering
China was the single greatest source of students holding F-1 visas; representing one-quarter of all foreign students. Next is India at 15%, followed by South Korea at 10%.
These students don’t all go home at the conclusion of their studies. Many take part in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. Under OPT, F-1 visa holders may apply to work in their fields in the United States after graduation. read more
Equatorial Guinea Ambassador Accused of Beating Daughter with Chair Leg
The ambassador to the United States from Equatorial Guinea has been accused of beating his 16-year-old daughter with a chair leg, but no charges will be filed against him. Officers had been called to the residence on another domestic case in December 2013.
The ambassador was not arrested either time because he has diplomatic immunity. read more
When Israelis Kill Gaza Civilians, They do so with Weapons Provided by U.S.
When Israel launched the missile attack earlier this month that killed 10 civilians in a United Nations school, it used an American-made Hellfire missile. That wasn’t the only time that American weaponry has been used against Hamas and the Palestinians living in Gaza.
A Mark 84 bomb made in the U.S. was found unexploded in the city of Deir al Balah, while 120mm artillery shells—stamped with “Made in USA”—have apparently landed in Rafah, based on shell casings found.
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Cell Phone Tracking Surveillance Systems Hit the Dictator Market
Several companies have developed systems that tap into cell providers’ databases and use that information to match a mobile phone signal to the tower it’s accessing. These systems are being marketed internationally, and spy agencies and others in just about any country can track a subject’s movements anywhere in the world. read more
Saudi Arabia Remains on U.N. Human Rights Council despite 19 Beheadings, including One for “Sorcery”
One nation that does a lot of beheadings is on the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Lately, in fact, Saudi Arabia can’t seem to get enough beheadings. Its government has executed at least 19 people using this method since August 4, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Of the 19, eight were found guilty of non-violent offenses; seven for drug smuggling and one for committing sorcery. The Saudi government is scheduled to keep a spot on the Human Rights Council for two more years.
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U.S. Judge Rules Former Prime Minister of India does not have Immunity for Killings of Sikhs while he was Finance Minister
India’s former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is immune from an allegation that he supported an alleged genocide of Sikhs during his 10-year rule, a U.S. judge ruled this week. But U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in the District of Columbia said that Singh, who resigned in May, did not have "head-of-state immunity" from allegations concerning his time as India's finance minister in the 1990s. read more
Number of Puerto Ricans Living in Puerto Rico Declines; Those Living in U.S. on the Rise
Forty-two percent of those leaving the island are doing so for job-related reasons, according to the survey, while 38% are moving for family reasons. Despite the recovery from the Great Recession, unemployment in Puerto Rico is still high. In June, the unemployment rate there was 13.1%, compared to 6.2% in the United States overall. read more
Both Sides Using U.S.-Made Weapons in Iraq War
In June, when ISIS claimed to have taken charge of five U.S.-made helicopters, the group tweeted that they expected Americans to honor their warranty and service the copters.
Jeremy Binnie told The Center for Public Integrity that the M1117 fighting vehicle, manufactured by Textron Marine and Land Systems, has become a favorite of ISIS forces. “I’m sure Textron will be very happy,” Binnie said. “Their vehicle has the thumbs up from the Islamic State.”
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Families of Victims of One Drone Strike in Yemen Paid more than an Entire Year’s Worth of Victims in Afghanistan
In Yemen, where a U.S. drone strike last year killed 12 members of a wedding party on December 12, 2013, families of those killed or injured collectively received more than $1 million. That’s more money than the U.S. gave to survivors of similar attacks in Afghanistan over an entire year. The disclosures about the Yemeni blood-money payouts also indicated that those targeted in the attack had nothing to do with terrorism, which the U.S. previously insisted. read more
Dramatic Rise in Attacks on Aid Workers
Humanitarian Outcomes says in its new report that there were 251 separate attacks in 30 nations last year involving 460 humanitarian workers. But about 75% of all these attacks occurred in just five countries: Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, Pakistan and Sudan. Afghanistan is by far the worst place for humanitarian missions, with 81 workers dying there in 2013. read more
Mexico Opens Oil Reserves to Foreign Companies for First Time in 76 Years
The change in energy policy means Pemex, the state-run oil company, will cease to have complete control over oil and gas production for the first time since 1938. Foreign oil companies will now be able to bid on oil projects, particularly those in the Gulf of Mexico, where there has been almost no exploration south of the border. read more