Amazon Workers Are Planning to Protest on Black Friday. Here’s Why.

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By Townhall. Amazon employees at five the United Kingdom’s largest warehouses are planning to stage rallies and protests on Black Friday to bring attention to their “inhumane conditions,” Buzzfeed News reported. The protests are being staged by GMB Union who help negotiate on behalf of Amazon employees, although they aren’t officially recognized. Other unions throughout Europe are coordinating similar protests in collaboration with GMB. . . .

GMB general secretary Tim Roache called on Amazon to negotiate with the union in a statement:

The conditions our members at Amazon are working under are frankly inhuman. They are breaking bones, being knocked unconscious and being taken away in ambulances.

We’re standing up and saying enough is enough, these are people making Amazon its money. People with kids, homes, bills to pay — they’re not robots.

Jeff Bezos is the richest bloke on the planet; he can afford to sort this out. You’d think making the workplace safer so people aren’t carted out of the warehouse in an ambulance is in everyone’s interest, but Amazon seemingly have no will to get round the table with us as the union representing hundreds of their staff.

(Read more from “Amazon Workers Are Planning to Protest on Black Friday. Here’s Why.” HERE)

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Amazon re-opens U.S. store to Australian shoppers after backlash

By Reuters. Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) said on Thursday it would stop blocking Australians from shopping on its U.S. site after a customer backlash, unwinding a move which has tarnished the e-commerce giant’s launch in the world’s 12th-largest economy.

The reversal relieved shoppers who had complained since July about being locked out of the much larger range of offerings they had grown accustomed to on the U.S. site following the opening of Amazon’s local platform a year ago.

But it also raised questions about why Amazon had cited Australian tax laws to explain the initial block – an issue rival eBay Inc (EBAY.O) had managed to resolve without locking Australians out of its U.S. site. (Read more from “Amazon re-opens U.S. store to Australian shoppers after backlash” HERE)

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Hillary Clinton Calls for Limits on European Migration, but Not for the Reason You Think

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Hillary Clinton said Europe should curtail immigration, but only because it inflames right-wing populists.

Speaking to The Guardian, Clinton called on European leaders, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, to signal that “Europe is not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support” to migrants.

“I think Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame,” Clinton told The Guardian.

“I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message — ‘we are not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support’ — because if we don’t deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic.” (Read more from “Hillary Clinton Calls for Limits on European Migration, but Not for the Reason You Think” HERE)

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Mexican Immigration Agents Detain 213 Migrants in Fourth Caravan

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By Washington Examiner. Mexican immigration agents on Wednesday detained almost all of the Central American migrants on a fourth caravan that recently entered Mexico seeking to reach the United States.

Mexico’s National Immigration Institute said 213 migrants were detained and taken to a processing center. Those found to lack proper documents may face repatriation to their home countries.

The migrants detained on a highway between the Guatemalan border and the southern Mexican city of Tapachula included 186 people from El Salvador, 16 from Guatemala, 10 Honduras and one Nicaraguan.

The group set out from El Salvador on Nov. 18 and apparently crossed the river dividing Guatemala and Mexico on Tuesday. That is the same route the three larger caravans took after entering Mexico starting Oct. 19.

The caravans find strength in numbers, and Mexican officials have been loath to confront the first caravans, which numbered between 1,500 and 6,000. But agents have detained smaller groups that split off from the larger caravans. (Read more from “Mexican Immigration Agents Detain 213 Migrants in Fourth Caravan” HERE)

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Homeland Secretary Says Caravan Organizers Using Women and Children as Human Shields

By CBN News. Homeland Security Secretary Kirjsten Nielsen offered a disturbing assessment when she toured the border wall in southern California Tuesday.

She observed the work of Border Patrol and US active duty troops who have been installing new concertina wire along the wall in preparation for those in the caravan who will try to enter the US illegally.

Nielsen says 6,200 of the 10,000-strong caravan are already in Tijuana, and they have a strategy for sneaking across the border.

“Organizers of the caravan have been pushing women and children and others to the front of the caravan in the hope that law enforcement will not engage them,” Nielsen reports. “This is particularly dangerous given the unusual propensity for violence we have seen in this caravan.” (Read more from “Homeland Secretary Says Caravan Organizers Using Women and Children as Human Shields” HERE)

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American Killed After Illegally Making Contact With Isolated Indian Tribe

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An America man’s trip to India’s North Sentinel Island, home to an indigenous tribe protected from outside contact by law, resulted in his death at the hands of tribesmen, authorities said Wednesday.

The man, John Allen Chau, 27, took a ride with a local fishermen around India’s Andaman Islands, AFP reports, then set out alone in a canoe to reach the remote North Sentinel Island, home to the Sentinelese, a tribe protected by law from outside contact “in a bid to protect their indigenous way of life and shield them from diseases.”

After several trips to the Andaman Islands, located in the Indian Ocean, Chau finally made it to the isolated island. According to AFP’s law enforcement sources, things immediately became dangerous.

“As soon as he set foot on the island, Chau found himself facing a flurry of arrows,” AFP reports. “Police have registered a case of murder and seven accused persons have been arrested.” BBC reports that “seven fishermen have been arrested for illegally ferrying the American to the island.” . . .

The Sentinelese, who number between 50 to 150, are known to be hostile to outsiders, shunning contact with the outside world. AFP notes that the Andamans are also home to the Jarawa tribe, who number around 400, and “who activists say are at threat from outsiders, who often bribe local authorities to spend a day out with them.” (Read more from “American Killed After Illegally Making Contact With Isolated Indian Tribe” HERE)

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Saudi Crown Prince Ordered Killing of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi

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A CIA investigation has concluded that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in early October, officials with knowledge of the investigation told The Washington Post.

The CIA made its assessment with “high confidence” that the 15 Saudi agents who flew on government aircraft to Istanbul were acting on Mohammed’s orders, despite denials from Saudi Arabia that the crown prince had any involvement.

A U.S. official told The Washington Post that “The accepted position is that there is no way this happened without [Mohammed] being aware or involved.” Meanwhile, a Saudi spokeswoman said the CIA’s claims in the “purported assessment are false. We have and continue to hear various theories without seeing the primary basis for these speculations.” . . .

What’s the possible motive? Mohammed had reportedly told Bolton and White House adviser Jared Kushner that he felt Khashoggi was a dangerous Islamist who was too sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Sanctions come down: The Trump administration sanctioned 17 people: The 15 people directly involved in the killing, the Saudi consul general in Turkey, and a senior adviser to the crown prince. The Saudi government agreed with the U.S. about the 17 people involved, despite the disagreement about crown prince Mohammed’s knowledge and involvement. (Read more from “Saudi Crown Prince Ordered Killing of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi” HERE)

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Tijuana Mayor Denounces ‘Horde’ of Caravan Migrants

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Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum said Thursday that caravan migrants arriving by the hundreds are no longer welcome, an increasingly common sentiment among residents of the Mexican border city.

Gastelum described the caravan of Central American migrants as a “horde” that has been infiltrated by criminals who now threaten the community, in an interview with Milenio Television.

“Tijuana is a city of immigrants, but we don’t want them in this way,” the mayor, a member of the conservative National Action Party, said. “It was different with the Haitians, they carried papers, they were in order. It wasn’t a horde, pardon the expression.” . . .

The 4,000-strong caravan, a mix of families seeking asylum and economic migrants, continues to arrive in Tijuana after a journey of more than 2,500 miles from Honduras to the U.S.-Mexico border. Caravan organizers could have chosen a much shorter route to the border near the southern tip of Texas, but opted for Tijuana in part because the city had already hosted a similar group in April.

But the arrival of another caravan has frustrated local officials and residents who worry that the massive group of homeless Central Americans will be stuck in Tijuana indefinitely. U.S. border authorities are processing about 90 asylum seekers per day at the ports of entry near Tijuana, where there was a wait list of more than 3,000 people even before the caravan arrived. (Read more from “Tijuana Mayor Denounces ‘Horde’ of Caravan Migrants” HERE)

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Iran to Be Declared in Breach of Chemical Weapons Bans

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The Trump administration is set to announce that Iran is not in compliance with the Chemical Weapons Conventions, marking a significant departure from that of the Obama administration, which refrained from making such a declaration amid efforts to solidify the landmark nuclear agreement.

The declaration comes in the aftermath of a flurry of activity by both the White House and State Department highlighting Iran’s malign activities across the globe. A bevy of economic sanctions on Iran were reimposed earlier this month, and the chemical weapons action is likely to further tighten the noose on the Iranian regime as part of what the administration has called a “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran. . .

Multiple sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed that next week the Trump administration will transmit a formal finding to Congress regarding Iran’s non-compliance with the conventions, which ban stockpiling and use of these lethal weapons. . .

“No one who’s actually an adult is surprised by this news,” said the source, who could only speak on background about upcoming actions. “The Iranians have never met an arms control agreement they didn’t violate. That’s why the nuclear deal was such a transparent joke. The IAEA verifies what it’s allowed to verify and on everything else the Iranians cheat. The Trump administration should draw the logical conclusion and force the Europeans out of the deal, which so far they’ve refused to do.” (Read more from “Iran to Be Declared in Breach of Chemical Weapons Bans” HERE)

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North Korea Just Released Another American Citizen

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The State Department announced Friday afternoon North Korea has released an American citizen.

“The United States appreciates the cooperation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the embassy of Sweden in facilitating the release of an American citizen,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released in a statement. “The United States is grateful for the sustained support of Sweden, our protecting power in North Korea, for its advocacy on behalf of American citizens. The safety and well-being of Americans remains one of the highest priorities of the Trump Administration.” . . .

“Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo’s meeting with officials from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, scheduled for this week in New York, will now take place at a later date,” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert released in a statement last week. “We will reconvene when our respective schedules permit. Ongoing conversations continue to take place. The United States remains focused on fulfilling the commitments agreed to by President Trump and Chairman Kim at the Singapore Summit in June.” (Read more from “North Korea Just Released Another American Citizen” HERE)

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Central American Caravan Has Arrived at the Southern Border. Here’s Their Plan Moving Forward.

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The caravan traveling from Central America to the United States has officially arrived at the United States-Mexico border in Tijuana, just south of San Diego, California, The New York Times reported. The illegal aliens on the caravan have survived the dangerous trek thus far but now they’re in for real trouble: figuring out how to get into the United States, especially now that the military was deployed.

President Donald Trump has promised to make it impossible for illegal aliens to seek asylum so caravan riders are considering their options. Some are setting up appointments with border patrol officials in hopes of pleading their case, others are contemplating staying in Mexico while another section will probably cross the border illegally. . .

According to César Anibal Palencia Chavez, Tijuana’s director of migrant services, 2,800 illegal aliens not associated with the group are currently waiting for asylum in the United States. They, too, are waiting in local shelters.

Chavez said Tijuana and Baja Mexico pleaded for the Mexican federal government to help the city with the influx of people – something they consider a “humanitarian crisis” – but they have not received a response.

“The federal government is not accompanying us,” he said. “It’s worrisome for a city to be left alone.” (Read more from “Central American Caravan Has Arrived at the Southern Border. Here’s Their Plan Moving Forward.” HERE)

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Trump v. Macron Defines the Clash of Nationalism Against European Progressivism

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The fundamental philosophical differences between the leaders of the United States and France have spilled out into a full-blown public rhetorical spat. On Tuesday, President Trump fired back at French President Emmanuel Macron following the latter’s rhetorical shots directed at the America-first policies of the Trump White House.

In a tweetstorm this morning, the president unleashed a series of messages directed at Macron’s government:

Surely, the legacy media will denounce President Trump for his attack on the legitimacy of the elected President of France and his promotion of Macron’s nationalist rivals in Paris. However, it’s important to note that POTUS is merely counterpunching here, following the French president’s passive-aggressive attack this weekend.

Over the weekend, Macron delivered a speech at the Armistice Day anniversary (a ceremony recognizing the soldiers of World War I) in which he denounced the concept of nationalism. The denunciation was widely interpreted as a not-so-veiled shot at President Trump’s political philosophy.

“Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism,” Macron proclaimed, adding, “By saying, ‘Our interests first, who cares about the others,’ we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what gives it grace and what is essential: its moral values.”

The two world leaders have had a complicated relationship since President Trump took office. They have for quite some time maintained somewhat cordial personal relations, even though they remain at odds over major policy issues, such as the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate accords, tax and tariff policies, and their personal political philosophies. It appears their political differences have finally morphed into a fiercely personal clash.

Macron’s “globalist” political philosophy, which denounces nationalism as a force for evil, accurately represents the progressive movement in Western Europe, which seeks to continually centralize power in the bureaucratic behemoth that is the European Union. Macron has anti-nationalist allies in several progressive Western European nations. Today, one of Macron’s staunchest ideological allies, Germany’s Angela Merkel, called for an EU-backed joint army, which would wholly undermine the NATO alliance and the transatlantic alliance with the United States.

Macron’s campaign against nationalism comes in the heat of a legacy media and progressive political smear campaign against the tenets of nationalism. Many are weaponizing the term and smearing nationalism as a “white supremacist” philosophy akin to the Nazi regime’s ideology.

Simply put, nationalism is the preference for one’s country over another, while patriotism can be defined as having immense pride in one’s country. For conservatives, both nationalism and patriotism are healthy forces when focused in a state that advances and protects the individual rights of its citizens. Those two forces provide for a more stable world, in which sovereign states can treat each other with mutual respect and dignity. (For more from the author of “Trump v. Macron Defines the Clash of Nationalism Against European Progressivism” please click HERE)

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