U.S. and the World

British National Gallery Buys Painting by U.S. Artist for First Time

The gallery paid $25.5 million for George Bellows’ “Men of the Docks,” a 1912 painting that depicts workers on the Brooklyn waterfront. The painting had been owned by Randolph College in Virginia, part of the collection of the college’s Maier Museum of Art. It’s the latest in a controversial series of sales by the college. Museum leaders around the country criticized the college in 2010 when it became known that some of its works were being sold to boost the school’s finances. read more

Vladimir Putin’s Olympics: The Opening Ceremony Torchbearers

If there was any doubt that Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, is in charge of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, take a look at the six athletes who were chosen for the honor of carrying the Olympic Flame inside the stadium during the climax of the otherwise superb Opening Ceremony. Only two of the torchbearers were winter athletes. read more

Rich Chinese Flee to United States…and Bring Their Money with Them

Many of China’s wealthy are fleeing their home country and settling in the United States, where better schools and other opportunities await. Nearly 90,000 Chinese became permanent U.S. residents in 2011. The migration includes a significant number of rich Chinese. At least 25% of those worth more than $16 million have fled the country. The single biggest motivator, by far, is their dissatisfaction with China’s education system. read more

Secret Contacts between Taliban and Karzai Helped Erode U.S.-Afghan Relations

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan has again demonstrated that a military partnership with the United States beyond this year may not continue. After stalling for months on a new security agreement, and falsely blaming American forces for recent civilian deaths, Karzai has now been exposed for conducting secret talks with the Taliban without any involvement from Washington. The latest move by Karzai has only further eroded a strained relationship with the U.S. read more

Homeland Security Dept. Censors Internal Report on Border Patrol Shootings

A portion of the report that recommended agents restrain from shooting rock throwers was redacted, according to The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR). The think tank report said CBP should “train agents to de-escalate these encounters by taking cover, moving out of range and/or using less lethal weapons. Agents should not place themselves in positions where they have no alternatives to using deadly force.” read more

Media Allowed to Observe Guantánamo Review Panel for First Time

Among those remotely watching the Periodic Review Board of Abdel Malik Wahab al Rahabi were members of the media and human rights organizations. The hearing took place at Guantánamo, while video of the proceedings was transmitted to a facility in Arlington, Virginia, for observers to view. Fifty-six other Yemeni prisoners already approved for transfer have remained at Guantánamo for more than four years after their release orders. read more

Afghan Government and Taliban Unite…to Spread Fake Information about U.S. Air Strike

The most alarming part of the Afghan government’s story was the photos it showed that purportedly proved the collateral damage inflicted by the U.S. American officials and the Times countered that the images were taken four years earlier, after a NATO-led attack killed 70 Afghan civilians in a different part of the country. read more

Bayer CEO Says Cancer Drug is for Insured Western Patients, not for Indians

Bayer Chief Executive Officer Marijn Dekkers said a ruling against his company would amount to “essentially theft.” “We did not develop this medicine for Indians,” Dekkers said, according to Bloomberg News. “We developed it for western patients who can afford it.” It is actually rare that patients themselves pay for the drug. Most of the cost is covered by insurance companies or government, which drug companies refer to as “payors.” read more

Pentagon Study Criticizes U.S. Inability to Detect Foreign Nuclear Weapon Development

The board noted that the NSA has clearly demonstrated it can monitor the emails, web searches and conversations of scientists and engineers. Such an approach would be far more efficient than reliance on satellite photos, which the study said would be of limited use, even though there are 200 satellites engaged in “earth observation.” read more

CIA Paid $15 Million Cash to Create a Torture Prison in Poland

Once the agency began rounding up key terrorism suspects, it needed a place to stash them and conduct brutal interrogations. The government of Poland proved a willing ally. The money was flown via diplomatic pouch from Germany to Warsaw, where two CIA operatives personally delivered it to Agencja Wywiadu, the Polish intelligence service. For $15 million, the CIA got a former training base located in Stare Kiejkuty, about three hours north of Warsaw. read more

U.S. Grants Asylum to Bipolar Man because in Tanzania Mentally Ill are Tortured and Considered Possessed by Demons

Tumaini Temu came to the United States last decade after he suffered a mental breakdown following the death of his mother in an auto accident. His condition resulted in being hospitalized and imprisoned in his native country. He claimed that medical professionals treated him with prolonged shackling (five to seven hours a day, four days a week) and beatings with leather straps and clubs. Many Tanzanians believe severe mental illness is shameful and even a sign of demonic possession. read more

Chinese Internet Goes Down after Release of Details of Corruption of Government Leaders

The online blackout lasted only about an hour. But the timing of the event coincided with a story published that same day at 4 pm (China time) by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). That story reported on dozens of political leaders and wealthy individuals who have maintained tax havens outside China, a possible indication of corruption. read more

Chinese Pollution Lands in the United States

China’s trans-Pacific emissions also cause up to 25% of the sulfate pollution on the West Coast on certain days, according to the study. Chinese manufacturing for the export of goods to the United States was responsible for between roughly 5-7% of harmful emissions in its own country. read more

Federal Court Rules Syrian Wrongly Imprisoned at Guantánamo Can’t Sue for 7 Years of Torture

Janko’s story began in Afghanistan, where the Taliban accused him of being an American spy, threw him in jail and tortured him for three months. After 18 months of imprisonment, he was freed following the U.S. invasion in 2001. But his freedom was short-lived as the U.S. then suspected him of being an insurgent, resulting in his arrest and shipment to Guantánamo. His detainment lasted until 2009, during which he says he was tortured by American officials. read more

Researchers Find U.S. Responsible for 22% of World’s Global Warming

Canadian scientists have determined the U.S. is responsible for 22% of the globe’s recent warming attributed to humankind. This share is far more than the next biggest polluter, China, which has accounted for 9% of temperature changes. Other nations that helped put too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were Russia (8%), Brazil and India (7%), and Germany and the United Kingdom (5%). read more

Obama Bypasses Congress to Halt Deportation of Children and Caregivers

Tired of waiting for Congress to act on immigration reform, President Barack Obama has used his executive powers to halt deportations of many illegal immigrants. The changes will apply to unauthorized immigrants who haven’t broken the law, those who were children when they arrived in the United States, and adults caring for children. Obama also wants relatives of U.S. military personnel living in the country illegally to remain and not be deported. read more