Bedugul Coffee: 2019

U.S.

The 2010s saw the U.S. economy achieve its longest-ever expansion, with notable milestones such as 110 months of uninterrupted job gains and an unemployment rate near a half-century low becoming easy bragging points for politicians and economists alike. Yet the obvious data points don’t capture a number of the socio-economic developments - from a soaring number of opioid overdose deaths to record levels of student debt to what and where today’s jobs are.

Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, has asked a court for permission to turn over the contents of Parnas’ phone and other documents to a House of Representatives panel for use in the Trump impeachment inquiry, his lawyer said. Lawyer Joseph Bondy said in a tweet that the Justice Department on Tuesday would be producing the documents and the contents of the phone seized from Parnas when he was arrested in October.

Federal prosecutors filed hate-crime charges against the man accused of a stabbing rampage at the New York-area home of a Hasidic rabbi during a Hanukkah celebration, saying he kept journals with references to Adolf Hitler and “Nazi culture.” Grafton Thomas, 37, a former U.S. Marine with a history of severe mental illness, according to his attorney, entered no plea during his brief initial federal court hearing in White Plains, New York, and was ordered to remain in custody.

Joe Biden said he would consider choosing a Republican running mate if he is the party’s nominee next year. Biden has premised much of his presidential bid on appealing to moderate Democrats, independents and Republicans who have been alienated by Trump. On the campaign trail, Biden has regularly spoken about the need to work with Republicans in Congress should he prevail in the 2020 general election.

Business

Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn confirmed he fled to Lebanon, saying he wouldn’t be “held hostage” by a “rigged” system, raising questions about how one of the world’s most-recognized executives slipped out of Japan months before his trial.

Ride-hailing company Uber and courier services provider Postmates asked a U.S. court to block a California labor law set to go into effect on Wednesday, arguing the bill violates the U.S. Constitution.

Ford Motor said reservations were full for the high-end Mustang Mach-E First Edition electric sport utility vehicle. The No. 2 U.S. automaker unveiled the electric Mustang crossover on Nov. 17, and began taking reservations with a refundable deposit of $500.

World

'Persist in 2020': Hong Kong New Year protests start. Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters began staging New Year’s Eve rallies around the city urging people not to give up the fight for democracy in 2020, as police prepared to deploy more than 6,000 officers according to local media.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned U.S. air strikes on bases of Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, a move that could plunge Iraq further into the heart of a proxy conflict between the United States and Iran. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq and other staff were evacuated from their embassy in Baghdad for their safety on Tuesday, Iraqi officials said, as thousands of protesters and militia fighters outside the gate denounced U.S. air strikes in Iraq.

Thousands swarmed to beaches on Australia’s east coast to escape fierce wildfires bearing down on several seaside towns, as the government readied naval vessels and military helicopters to aid firefighting and evacuations. Government officials called for Australian military support and assistance from U.S. and Canadian fire crews as authorities confirmed two people had died overnight, taking to 11 the total deaths in wildfires since the beginning of October.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to make a closely watched New Year address which is likely to offer a glimpse of a “new path” he has vowed to take if the United States fails to meet his deadline to soften its stance over denuclearization.

Features

A plateful of plastic

Microscopic pieces of plastic have been discovered in the most remote locations, from the depths of the ocean to Arctic ice. Another place that plastic is appearing is inside our bodies. We’re breathing microplastic, eating it and drinking plastic-infused water every day.

6 min read

City dwellers find simpler life in rural China commune

Yang Zhaoyu quit his job in a big Chinese city nine months ago and moved to a small community that preaches sustainable living and mindful consumption. China's teeming megacities have drawn hundreds of millions of people from rural villages and small towns in search of jobs and wealth, but people like Yang are part of an emerging trend in the opposite direction.

6 min read