News on Youtube Jan 31 2019

HOT | Howard Schultz brings a whole latte trouble The Washington Post

Howard Schultz has brought a whole latte trouble on himself.

The former Starbucks magnate boycott threats, heckling and Twitter attacks with his threat to mount an independent presidential run that critics say could get President Trump reelected. Just about everybody believes we do not need another old, white, insult doling, super caffeinated billionaire who is stingy with charity and believes he alone can fix the nations problems.

Though I am loath to throw cold brew on these concerns, I dont see what all the froth is about. The naysayers are making a venti mistake.

Contrary to his early utterances, Schultz will not be president for just the 1 percent. He will also represent the 2 percent, the half and half and the soy — and he would leave room for milk! Only a man of his experience could unite this vast land, from the Vermont Maple Nut Muffin to the Michigan Cherry Oat Bar.

Schultz, watching Trumps fumbles, must think what the comic songwriter Kinky Friedman thought when he ran for Texas governor. Observing that both George W. Bush and Rick Perry once had the job, he : How hard can it be?

Americans have discovered, painfully, that running the country is not the same thing as running a real estate business based on dodgy accounting and stiffing partners. But running the country really is like making coffee. As goes Starbucks, so goes the nation.

Under our new , the United States will be an international orphan no more. Foreign leaders will again flock to the White House, for state dinners set to acoustic guitar music and featuring Protein Bistro Boxes and Toffeedoodle Cookies. What a Refresher™!

Schultz for declaring it ridiculous that Americans worth more than dollar 50 million would pay 2 percent of their wealth in taxes, and for saying that Medicare for all is not American. But he has a point. If the wealthy are taxed more, they wont be able to buy as many , and countless baristas would lose their jobs. Do not think of this as trickle down economics. Think of this as pour over economics.

There is nothing more Americano.

Admittedly, Schultz is not a great philanthropist, reportedly giving away just of his dollar 3.4 billion net worth last year. But this doesnt mean hes disingenuous in expressing concern for the 40 percent of the American people [who] dont have dollar 400 in the bank perhaps because they bought dollar 5.95 cold pressed juice at Starbucks . Consider the multitudes who have been given the Starbucks bathroom code and free WiFi after a purchase . If that isnt good enough, let them eat cake pops.

True, Starbucks has had with its treatment of nonwhite customers. But this does not reflect Schultzs real view of the United States as a caramel macchiato of diversity; a great, dirty chai melting pot; a veritable zebra mocha of cultures. Schultzs administration will think of immigrants as essential dark, medium and blonde roasts in the perfect house blend.

Trump thinks Guatemalans are coming to kill us; Starbucks Guatemalan exports for being rich and balanced with lively flavor notes. Africa is full of shithole countries, but Starbucks values African exports for their dark chocolate notes with rich aromas.

Likewise, Schultz will use Starbucks style relabeling to make the United States feel better. Disappointing increases in economic growth will not be called small but tall. The federal debt will no longer be enormous but trenta.

Schultz will be a responsible steward of the taxpayers money: When he owned the National Basketball Associations Seattle SuperSonics, he reportedly with dollar 3.50 Starbucks gift cards, custom made because standard ones were too generous. He clearly has the requisite international experience, having introduced both Thai style peanut chicken wraps and spicy chorizo, Monterey Jack and egg breakfast sandwiches.

I almost affogato! Schultz also respects the work of the intelligence community: He has maintained a secret menu at Starbucks for years.

Schultzs critics have questioned his civic mindedness, because he often and because, after the Sonics a public trust to have the team in Seattle, he sold it to a group that moved it to Oklahoma City. And some wonder why, if he truly thinks Trump is , Starbucks rents space from Trump properties.

But I overlook such quibbles because of Schultzs long record of bringing home the bacon, as well as the Gouda, and pursuing that tasty breakfast sandwich with a passion tea. His breve bid for the presidency will restore in the United States the ideals of Athenian democracy — or at least give us a good Greek yogurt parfait.

Read more from , or .

Read more:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

For more infomation >> HOT | Howard Schultz brings a whole latte trouble The Washington Post - Duration: 3:04.

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Japan court upholds sterilization to register gender change The Washington Post - Duration: 0:28.

Japan court upholds sterilization to register gender change The Washington Post

TOKYO — Human rights and LGBT activists on Friday denounced a ruling by Japans Supreme Court upholding a law that effectively requires transgender people to be sterilized before they can have their gender changed on official documents.

The court said the law is constitutional because it was meant to reduce confusion in families and society. But it acknowledged that it restricts freedom and could become out of step with changing social values.

The 2004 law states that people wishing to register a gender change must have their original reproductive organs, including testes or ovaries, removed and have a body that appears to have parts that resemble the genital organs of the gender they want to register.

The unanimous decision by a four judge panel, published Thursday, rejected an appeal by Takakito Usui, a transgender man who said forced sterilization violates the right to self determination and is unconstitutional.

Usui, 45, had appealed to the top court after he unsuccessfully requested lower courts to grant him legal recognition as male without having his female reproductive glands surgically removed.

Despite the unanimous decision, presiding justice Mamoru Miura joined another justice in saying that while the law may not violate the constitution, doubts are undeniably emerging, according to Usuis lawyer, Tomoyasu Oyama.

The two judges proposed regular reviews of the law and appropriate measures from the viewpoint of respect for personality and individuality, according to Japanese media reports.

The Supreme Court decision ended Usuis legal battle, but he and his lawyer said the opinions in the ruling left them with hope.

I think the ruling could lead to a next step, Usui told a news conference. I hope to find what constitutes a family of my own that does not fit the traditional mold.

Human Rights Watch said the Supreme Court ruling was incompatible with international human rights standards, goes against the times and deviates far from best global practices. The New York based group said the ruling tolerates grave human rights violations against transgender people.

The ruling was also criticized by Japans LGBT community.

A transgender activist and writer, Tomato Hatakeno, tweeted that the decision shows that societys interests still come before an individuals right to freedom of ones body.

The ruling suggests that reproductive health is not recognized as a basic human right, she said.

There is a growing awareness of sexual diversity in Japan, but it is often superficial and generally limited to the entertainment industry. In a country where pressure for conformity is strong, many LGBT people hide their sexuality even from their families because of a fear of prejudice at home, school or work. Obstacles remain high for transgender people.

Japan does not legally recognize same sex marriages. As LGBT rights awareness has gradually grown in recent years, some municipalities have begun issuing partnership certificates to ease problems in renting apartments and other areas, but they are not legally binding.

Lawmakers in the conservative ruling party have repeatedly come under fire for making discriminatory remarks about LGBT people. Earlier this year, Katsuei Hirasawa, a veteran lawmaker, was widely criticized for saying that a nation would collapse if everyone became LGBT. Last year, another ruling party lawmaker, Mio Sugita, was condemned after saying in a magazine that the government shouldnt use tax money for LGBT rights because same sex couples arent productive.

Separately, more than a dozen handicapped people have filed lawsuits against Japans government for having been sterilized against their will under a 1948 Eugenics Protection Law that was in effect until 1996. 

At least 16,500 people were sterilized without consent under the law, which allowed doctors to sterilize people with disabilities and was designed to prevent the birth of poor quality descendants. Some orphans were also sterilized.  

The government has maintained the sterilizations were legal.

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more infomation >> Japan court upholds sterilization to register gender change The Washington Post - Duration: 0:28.

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HOT | Howard Schultz brings a whole latte trouble The Washington Post - Duration: 0:52.

HOT | Howard Schultz brings a whole latte trouble The Washington Post

Howard Schultz has brought a whole latte trouble on himself.

The former Starbucks magnate boycott threats, heckling and Twitter attacks with his threat to mount an independent presidential run that critics say could get President Trump reelected. Just about everybody believes we do not need another old, white, insult doling, super caffeinated billionaire who is stingy with charity and believes he alone can fix the nations problems.

Though I am loath to throw cold brew on these concerns, I dont see what all the froth is about. The naysayers are making a venti mistake.

Contrary to his early utterances, Schultz will not be president for just the 1 percent. He will also represent the 2 percent, the half and half and the soy — and he would leave room for milk! Only a man of his experience could unite this vast land, from the Vermont Maple Nut Muffin to the Michigan Cherry Oat Bar.

Schultz, watching Trumps fumbles, must think what the comic songwriter Kinky Friedman thought when he ran for Texas governor. Observing that both George W. Bush and Rick Perry once had the job, he : How hard can it be?

Americans have discovered, painfully, that running the country is not the same thing as running a real estate business based on dodgy accounting and stiffing partners. But running the country really is like making coffee. As goes Starbucks, so goes the nation.

Under our new , the United States will be an international orphan no more. Foreign leaders will again flock to the White House, for state dinners set to acoustic guitar music and featuring Protein Bistro Boxes and Toffeedoodle Cookies. What a Refresher™!

Schultz for declaring it ridiculous that Americans worth more than dollar 50 million would pay 2 percent of their wealth in taxes, and for saying that Medicare for all is not American. But he has a point. If the wealthy are taxed more, they wont be able to buy as many , and countless baristas would lose their jobs. Do not think of this as trickle down economics. Think of this as pour over economics.

There is nothing more Americano.

Admittedly, Schultz is not a great philanthropist, reportedly giving away just of his dollar 3.4 billion net worth last year. But this doesnt mean hes disingenuous in expressing concern for the 40 percent of the American people [who] dont have dollar 400 in the bank perhaps because they bought dollar 5.95 cold pressed juice at Starbucks . Consider the multitudes who have been given the Starbucks bathroom code and free WiFi after a purchase . If that isnt good enough, let them eat cake pops.

True, Starbucks has had with its treatment of nonwhite customers. But this does not reflect Schultzs real view of the United States as a caramel macchiato of diversity; a great, dirty chai melting pot; a veritable zebra mocha of cultures. Schultzs administration will think of immigrants as essential dark, medium and blonde roasts in the perfect house blend.

Trump thinks Guatemalans are coming to kill us; Starbucks Guatemalan exports for being rich and balanced with lively flavor notes. Africa is full of shithole countries, but Starbucks values African exports for their dark chocolate notes with rich aromas.

Likewise, Schultz will use Starbucks style relabeling to make the United States feel better. Disappointing increases in economic growth will not be called small but tall. The federal debt will no longer be enormous but trenta.

Schultz will be a responsible steward of the taxpayers money: When he owned the National Basketball Associations Seattle SuperSonics, he reportedly with dollar 3.50 Starbucks gift cards, custom made because standard ones were too generous. He clearly has the requisite international experience, having introduced both Thai style peanut chicken wraps and spicy chorizo, Monterey Jack and egg breakfast sandwiches.

I almost affogato! Schultz also respects the work of the intelligence community: He has maintained a secret menu at Starbucks for years.

Schultzs critics have questioned his civic mindedness, because he often and because, after the Sonics a public trust to have the team in Seattle, he sold it to a group that moved it to Oklahoma City. And some wonder why, if he truly thinks Trump is , Starbucks rents space from Trump properties.

But I overlook such quibbles because of Schultzs long record of bringing home the bacon, as well as the Gouda, and pursuing that tasty breakfast sandwich with a passion tea. His breve bid for the presidency will restore in the United States the ideals of Athenian democracy — or at least give us a good Greek yogurt parfait.

Read more from , or .

Read more:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

For more infomation >> HOT | Howard Schultz brings a whole latte trouble The Washington Post - Duration: 0:52.

-------------------------------------------

Howard Schultz brings a whole latte trouble The Washington Post - Duration: 3:08.

Howard Schultz brings a whole latte trouble The Washington Post

Howard Schultz has brought a whole latte trouble on himself.

The former Starbucks magnate boycott threats, heckling and Twitter attacks with his threat to mount an independent presidential run that could get President Trump reelected. Just about everybody believes we do not need another old, white, insult doling, super caffeinated billionaire who is stingy with charity and believes he alone can fix the nations problems.

Though I am loath to throw cold brew on these concerns, I dont see what all the froth is about. The naysayers are making a venti mistake.

Contrary to his early utterances, Schultz will not be president for just the 1 percent. He will also represent the 2 percent, the half and half and the soy — and he would leave room for milk! Only a man of his experience could unite this vast land, from the Vermont Maple Nut Muffin to the Michigan Cherry Oat Bar.

Schultz, watching Trumps fumbles, must think what the comic songwriter Kinky Friedman thought when he ran for Texas governor. Observing that both George W. Bush and Rick Perry once had the job, he : How hard can it be?

Americans have discovered, painfully, that running the country is not the same thing as running a real estate business based on dodgy accounting and stiffing partners. But running the country really is like making coffee. As goes Starbucks, so goes the nation.

Under our new , the United States will be an international orphan no more. Foreign leaders will again flock to the White House, for state dinners set to acoustic guitar music and featuring Protein Bistro Boxes and Toffeedoodle Cookies. What a Refresher™!

Schultz for declaring it ridiculous that Americans worth more than dollar 50 million would pay 2 percent of their wealth in taxes, and for saying that Medicare for all is not American. But he has a point. If the wealthy are taxed more, they wont be able to buy as many , and countless baristas would lose their jobs. Do not think of this as trickle down economics. Think of this as pour over economics.

There is nothing more Americano.

Admittedly, Schultz is not a great philanthropist, reportedly giving away just of his dollar 3.4 billion net worth last year. But this doesnt mean hes disingenuous in expressing concern for the 40 percent of the American people [who] dont have dollar 400 in the bank perhaps because they bought dollar 5.95 cold pressed juice at Starbucks . Consider the multitudes who have been given the Starbucks bathroom code and free WiFi after a purchase . If that isnt good enough, let them eat cake pops.

True, Starbucks has had with its treatment of nonwhite customers. But this does not reflect Schultzs real view of the United States as a caramel macchiato of diversity; a great, dirty chai melting pot; a veritable zebra mocha of cultures. Schultzs administration will think of immigrants as essential dark, medium and blonde roasts in the perfect house blend.

Trump thinks Guatemalans are coming to kill us; Starbucks Guatemalan exports for being rich and balanced with lively flavor notes. Africa is full of shithole countries, but Starbucks values African exports for their dark chocolate notes with rich aromas.

Likewise, Schultz will use Starbucks style relabeling to make the United States feel better. Disappointing increases in economic growth will not be called small but tall. The federal debt will no longer be enormous but trenta.

Schultz will be a responsible steward of the taxpayers money: When he owned the National Basketball Associations Seattle SuperSonics, he reportedly with dollar 3.50 Starbucks gift cards, custom made because standard ones were too generous. He clearly has the requisite international experience, having introduced both Thai style peanut chicken wraps and spicy chorizo, Monterey Jack and egg breakfast sandwiches.

I almost affogato! Schultz also respects the work of the intelligence community: He has maintained a secret menu at Starbucks for years.

Schultzs critics have questioned his civic mindedness, because he often and because, after the Sonics a public trust to have the team in Seattle, he sold it to a group that moved it to Oklahoma City. And some wonder why, if he truly thinks Trump is , Starbucks rents space from Trump properties.

But I overlook such quibbles because of Schultzs long record of bringing home the bacon, as well as the Gouda, and pursuing that tasty breakfast sandwich with a passion tea. His breve bid for the presidency will restore in the United States the ideals of Athenian democracy — or at least give us a good Greek yogurt parfait.

Read more from , or .

Read more:

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

For more infomation >> Howard Schultz brings a whole latte trouble The Washington Post - Duration: 3:08.

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Trade Talks With China Open in Washington, as Obstacles Abound The New York Times - Duration: 4:18.

Trade Talks With China Open in Washington, as Obstacles Abound The New York Times

The window for negotiations ahead of a March 2 deadline is narrowing.

Top officials from the United States and China will sit down in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Wednesday for two days of face to face trade talks that could prove critical to the trajectory of the world economy.

Negotiations to end a monthslong trade war between the worlds two largest economies will be led by Robert Lighthizer, the United States trade representative, and Liu He, Chinas vice premier. President Trump plans to meet with Mr. Liu at the conclusion of the talks on Thursday.

The countries are facing a March 2 deadline to reach a trade agreement — or the United States will raise tariffs on dollar 200 billion of Chinese imports. But there is little chance that every issue will be resolved by that date, and Trump administration officials describe the negotiations as exponentially more complicated than anything the White House has tackled to date.

Heres what to watch during this critical round of negotiations.

The Huawei Cloud

The talks come just two days after the Justice Department unveiled sweeping charges against Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant, and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. Huawei and Ms. Meng of stealing trade secrets, obstructing a criminal investigation and evading American sanctions on Iran.

The timing could hardly come at a more awkward moment and it has raised questions about whether the Trump administration unveiled the charges to ratchet up pressure on China ahead of the talks. Ms. Meng was arrested in Canada last month, on the same night that President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China dined together at the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires where they agreed to a trade truce.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who will meet with Mr. Liu on Wednesday, said on Tuesday that the Huawei case was being handled on a separate track from the trade talks. But given to the arrest and indictment, it is hard to imagine that Chinese officials will not raise the issue.

I think its very difficult to keep them separate, said Weijian Shan, a Hong Kong based private equity investor and author of Out of the Gobi, a memoir that depicts Chinas modern history. To the extent that China feels that this is a major issue with America, they will bring it up.

Revamping Chinas Economic Practices

China has demonstrated a willingness to address Mr. Trumps concerns about Americas bilateral trade deficit with big purchases of goods and services, like chicken, soybeans and tractors. This is the easy part. More difficult is persuading China to overhaul its economic policies.

The Trump administration has been pushing China to scale back subsidies of state owned enterprises, sharply open its markets to foreign investment and end its longstanding practice of forcing American companies to hand over trade secrets as a condition of doing business there. China has made a series of moves in the last month that suggest it is willing to accept some of these changes, but there is division within the Trump administration over whether these are merely symbolic — and empty — gestures.

None of Chinas domestic reforms since December have really addressed the structural issues in the relationship, said Nick Marro, Asia and China analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit. Progress on increasing U.S. imports or tackling questions over Chinas currency dont really address what the U.S.T.R is really looking at, which are fundamental market access issues facing U.S. companies.

The Art of the Contract

One of the biggest questions hanging over the trade talks is whether the United States can truly enforce any deal agreed to by Beijing.

Mr. Trump has wielded tariffs on dollar 250 billion of Chinese goods as a stick to get Beijing to the bargaining table. But if the tariffs are lifted as part of a trade deal, there is no guarantee that China will live up to any commitments. American officials, who say China has broken promises in the past, have discussed mechanisms such as snap back tariffs that would be reimposed if China does not follow through. Another option is carousel tariffs that would hit different swaths of Chinese products to prevent its economy from becoming immune to the pain of the duties.

China skeptics within the Trump administration fear that the Chinese will say anything to delay the increased tariff rates on March 2 and to get Mr. Trump to roll back the tariffs that are already in place. At that point they expect China to wait out the rest of his term and hope for a more dovish successor.

The Endgame

Trade deals tend to go down to the wire, so expectations are slim that the United States and China will reach a deal this week. More likely is that each country will release statements announcing progress and plans to continue talking.

Mr. Trump could see Mr. Xi in February if he travels to Asia for his next summit meeting with Kim Jong un of North Korea. That would give them the opportunity to complete an agreement if the talks are on track.

Many observers expect that the two sides will make progress on a preliminary deal, most likely based on Chinas making big purchases of American goods, and end up extending the March deadline to deal with the thornier issues.

The planned meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Liu will also offer an indication on the status of the negotiations, and analysts will be studying the presidents body language if the encounter takes place. And, of course, all eyes will be on Mr. Trumps Twitter feed for progress reports.

For more infomation >> Trade Talks With China Open in Washington, as Obstacles Abound The New York Times - Duration: 4:18.

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US NEWS | Judge wont unseal criminal case against Julian Assange The Washington Post - Duration: 2:37.

US NEWS | Judge wont unseal criminal case against Julian Assange The Washington Post

A federal judge in Virginia declined Wednesday to unseal charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange without official confirmation from the government that the indictment exists.

Courts cannot perform the delicate balancing required by the First Amendment and common law doctrines under such uncertain circumstances, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema wrote.

The was mistakenly referenced by a prosecutor filing a motion in an unrelated case and confirmed by The Washington Post and other news outlets. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a journalism nonprofit, to unseal the charges, arguing there is no longer any justification for keeping the details of the case secret.

But Brinkema concluded an obviously erroneous filing in an unrelated case, public speculation, news stories, and anonymous statements by government officials does not supply a level of certainty comparable to that afforded by official acknowledgment.

For that reason, she said the claim of a public right to know was premature, and a ruling in the groups favor would allow for fishing expeditions based on speculation.

RCFPs Legal Director, Katie Townsend, said in a statement that the group was disappointed, adding, The disclosure of the nature of the charges against Assange are a matter of public interest and should be made public.

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia have been investigating WikiLeaks since 2010, when the anti secrecy site published secret diplomatic cables and military documents. Under President Barack Obama the Justice Department for those disclosures would run up against freedom of the press. But under Trump, after the websites 2017 revelation of sensitive CIA cyber tools, prosecutors took a new look at the case.

The nature of the charges and evidence against Assange , sparking concern among free press advocates.

Assange, who has lived as a fugitive in Londons Ecuadorian embassy, is also pushing for the indictment to be unsealed. Wikileaks filed a petition last week with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights, a regional pro democracy organization.

In a press release, Wikileaks said that federal prosecutors have in the last few months formally approached people in the United States, Germany and Iceland and pressed them to testify against Mr. Assange in return for immunity from prosecution.

Department of Justice officials have declined to comment on those claims.

Read more:

For more infomation >> US NEWS | Judge wont unseal criminal case against Julian Assange The Washington Post - Duration: 2:37.

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Washington Grown Season 6 Episode 5 Promo - Duration: 0:31.

This week on Washington Grown, it's all about flowers.

That's right.

We will cook with edible flowers at Marmite.

It's a party in my mouth.

Tomás will be in a Lavender-lover's paradise

at Trinity Lavender Farms.

Give it a good little cut.

And there's my first bunch of lavender.

Well done.

And I'll visit the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market.

A lot of flowers in here people don't realize are edible.