Новости за 19.12.2017

Daniel R. DePetris

Security, Middle East

A theoretical Syrian political transition is unachievable, and the political opposition needs to come to terms with the reality of the dictator staying in office for the near term.

Vladimir Putin, the man who has dominated Russian politics for the last seventeen years, flew into Syria this week for the first time since he ordered the Russian Air Force over two years ago to drive back Syrian rebel groups encroaching on Bashar al-Assad’s presidential palace. Читать дальше...

The military officer in charge of North Korea’s nuclear facility construction may have been summarily executed over the postponement of a weapons test and the crumbling of a tunnel in Punggye-ri, North Korea, where North Korea’s only known nuclear testing facility is located.

NEW YORK (AP) — Johnny Fox, a sword-swallowing magician who presented his quirky art form to enthusiastic audiences around the world, has died. The 64-year-old had been battling cancer and died Sunday at a home in Maryland, according to close friend Barbara Calvert. He passed away peacefully, with a smile, while surrounded by loved ones who gave him a standing ovation, she said. Jules Smith, the president of the Maryland Renaissance Festival, said Fox — though ailing — completed a nine-weekend run there in October. Читать дальше...

This year will almost certainly rank as one of the planet's top five warmest years on record, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA. In fact, the top NASA climate scientist reported Monday that 2017 is likely to be the second-warmest year on record, behind 2016, which in turn displaced 2015 from the top spot. 

Chelsea vs Bournemouth- Betting Tips and Predictions Chelsea host a struggling Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge in the first Carabao Cup Quarterfinals match on Wednesday night. Manchester United play Bristol City at the Ashton Gate Stadium in the second match that will kick off 30 minutes later. Marko Alonso’s strike at the stroke of halftime guaranteed Chelsea all the three points against Southampton last time out. Bournemouth conceded 4 against Liverpool and were hapless going forward especially after the withdrawal of Joshua King. Читать дальше...

Sen. Todd Young lifts a hold on the president’s pick for the next State Department legal advisor, after extracting a promise to review Saudi Arabia’s actions in Yemen.

The earliest surviving Alfa Romeo sports car is set to sell for more than $1,000,000 at auction. Despite being almost 100 years old, the 1921 Alfa Romeo G1 is capable of an impressive 86 miles per hour. It was designed to compete with luxury models from the US and UK but due to high fuel...

A creepy Kansas landlord repeatedly groped and badgered female tenants for sex in exchange for rent – evicting them when they didn’t comply, a federal lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit, filed Monday, accuses Wichita landlord and property manager Thong Cao of sexually harassing at least two female renters at his properties from at least 2010 to...

The National Institutes of Health are lifting the funding ban on risky experiments that could make viruses like the flu, MERS, or SARS more harmful or contagious, STAT News reports. Grants that propose mutating viruses to make them more dangerous will go through an extra layer of review before the final funding decision.

Selena Gomez‘s mother recently visited the hospital, but it wasn’t solely due to her daughter’s rekindled relationship with Justin Bieber.

Kansas City, Mo. – The United Soccer Coaches, formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, announced their annual Scholar All-Region teams over the weekend.

Kansas City, Mo. – The United Soccer Coaches, formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, announced their annual Scholar All-America teams over the weekend.

WICHITA, Kan. – Friends University junior guard/forward Jordan Murdock has been chosen as the KCAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season, the league announced today (Dec. 19).

ESPN lost a colossal figure when president and co-chairman John Skipper stepped down on Monday, with his 20 years at the network coinciding with — and presiding over — major shifts at the sports giant. His exit came as a “massive surprise,” one ESPN insider told TheWrap, with the network and Disney, its parent company, grappling with the ongoing siege cord-cutters have inflicted on its subscriber base. According to J.A. Adande, former ESPN analyst and current Director of Sports Journalism at Northwestern University... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The tea party class of 2010 vowed to usher in a new era for the Republican Party, one where conservatives clamoring for fiscal discipline would roll back government spending to rein in trillion-plus budget deficits. Not anymore. Republicans are returning to their Ronald Reagan-era roots — tax cuts first, followed by vague promises of cutting spending down the road. Concerns about growing budget deficits have been shelved as Republicans controlling Washington focus instead on delivering... Читать дальше...

La ministre du Patrimoine canadien, Mélanie Joly, a officialisé mardi cinq nouvelles nominations au sein du conseil d'administration de la CBC/Radio-Canada. Dans ce groupe, on retrouve une ancienne journaliste, un entrepreneur, ainsi qu'une membre des Premières Nations.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — A former prison chef is making the most out of a second chance. Candido Ortiz was serving a 49-year federal sentence for drug-related crimes when he was released last December through an executive order by President Barack Obama along with other inmates serving lengthy drug sentences. With the help of a prisoner re-entry program, Ortiz is opening a restaurant in Jersey City that will serve American and Hispanic dishes. This week he received a congratulatory letter from Obama. Читать дальше...

T.J. Miller’s “The Gorburger Show” has been scrapped by Comedy Central after one season, the network announced Tuesday. The news of the animated series’ cancellation comes the same day the Daily Beast reported sexual misconduct accusations against Miller dating from his college days. Miller both operated and voiced Gorburger, an alien puppet character, for an alternative talk show. Also Read: TJ Miller Denies Sexual Assault Accusation From College Days: 'Lies Designed to Wreak Havoc' Ryan McNeely and Josh Martin created... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the push in Congress to pass a sweeping tax cut bill (all times local): 3:50 p.m. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (skuh-LEES') says the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee should retain his position even though he voted against the GOP tax overhaul, the most important vote of the year to Republican leaders. Scalise says New Jersey Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (FREE'-ling-hy-zehn) long ago informed GOP leaders that he opposed the bill because of its impact on high-tax states such as New Jersey. Читать дальше...

Arsenal fans not impressed with decision from Wenger vs West Ham French tactician opts to start key individual against the Hammers Gunners face Liverpool on Friday, places doubt over featuring in that one READ MORE: Arsenal plot £42m raid for Sanchez replacement, could raise eyebrows With a game against Liverpool to consider on Friday night, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has a difficult job in rotating his squad this week.The post ‘What did he do to upset Wenger?’ – Angry... Читать дальше...

The SB Nation Fantasy War Room is LIVE until 8:30 p.m. ET! Drop in with all your questions.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Management of the state-owned safety-net hospitals in north Louisiana could soon be changing hands. Southeast Louisiana-based Ochsner Health System has tentatively agreed to take over day-to-day oversight of the Shreveport and Monroe facilities from BRF. The move announced Tuesday by Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration is aimed at ending years of disputes over operations of the facilities. The Edwards administration and LSU, which previously managed the hospitals, sent breach-of-contract... Читать дальше...

CBSNews/Twitter

• House Speaker Paul Ryan has been fighting for tax reform for decades.
• Ryan presided over the House as the massive GOP tax bill passed the chamber.
• In announcing the final vote, Ryan got excited and yelled out the final vote count.

House Speaker Paul Ryan is really pumped about the GOP tax bill passing the House.

Ryan, who has fought for tax reform for much of a near two-decade career in Congress, became excited at the prospect... Читать дальше...