Trump-free Friday politics roundup: Dec. 1
War criminals, North Korean missiles, taxes, and then some good things to talk about on this week’s politics roundup.
North Korea’s new missile
On Wednesday, North Korea launched yet another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). However, this particular ICBM developed by the secretive and oftentimes combative state is something else entirely. According to Vipin Narang, an associate professor at MIT who studies North Korea’s ballistics, “it’s a monster”.
Other analysts have not concluded for sure that the missile — the Hwasong-15 — could reach U.S. territory, especially with a heavy nuclear payload. However, it’s certainly larger and more powerful than its predecessors.
As dire as all of this sounds much remains obscure. No one outside of North Korea knows how, exactly, their missile program is progressing. Will an ICBM like the Hwasong-15 be able to stand the stresses of long-range flights and atmospheric re-entry? Has North Korea been able to develop a nuclear warhead, despite economic sanctions and considerable stresses on its people? Uncomfortable as it may be, only time will tell everyone else.
Another potential ouster looms, this time for Tillerson
Current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson may not occupy his post for much longer if reports from senior administration officials are indeed true. However, the White House has announced nothing yet, prompting the officials to speak anonymously.
According to said officials, the White House plans to replace Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, who himself is currently Director of the CIA. Pompeo would then be replaced by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, a staunch supporter of the current presidential administration. The entire plan was reportedly designed by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.
During a press conference, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was noncommittal. “When the president loses confidence in someone, they will no longer serve in the capacity that they’re in,” she said. Sanders then stated that there were no official personnel changes planned.
What did Tillerson do to garner such action? Some point to his work downsizing the State Department, which has drawn criticism from other officials. Some reports indicate that Tillerson’s management style has also rankled others, not to mention reports of his criticism of the current president.
Tax overhaul will affect more than just your budget
Republicans are feeling better and better about the chances of the large tax overhaul bill. The bill, which will give big cuts to corporations and some smaller breaks to certain Americans and their families, is looking more likely to pass. That’s thanks in part to support from key Senators like John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has publicly stated that he will vote for the Senate bill.
Other measures included with the bill, however, are not immediately connected to the tax code. The House version includes rights and tax benefits for “unborn” fetuses. It would also allow tax-exempt religious organizations to engage in political activity, reversing a 1954 ban. These concessions were added in large part because of their appeal to conservative politicians and their voters. Local communities and governments may also see their ability to levy taxes shrink considerably.
More people face consequences for assault allegations
This is exhausting, to say the least, but we can at least take heart knowing that some predators are facing real consequences for their acts. Yes, it’s troubling that the power structures of our society and the entertainment business have kept victims silents for years. Yes, it’s deeply disheartening to think that some well-regarded public figures don’t deserve their acclaim.
You may even begin to wonder if there are any good men out there. As for that last point, there are still some – Mr. Rogers’ reputation is still as unsullied and glowing as ever.
Anyway, Matt Lauer is out for groping allegations, as is Garrison Keillor. Brett Ratner is also under fire for long-simmering allegations. Al Franken is facing more charges of “misconduct”. He’s not especially helped by Keillor’s op-ed defending the Senator, which was published by The Washington Post only a day before accusations against Keillor came to light.
At least take heart that such a wave of allegations would have been unthinkable a generation ago. The past that’s being dredged up is ugly and full of bile, but even the smallest justice demands that it see the light.
Praljak evades war crimes conviction via dramatic means
Lest you think this roundup is confined to the United States, take a look at the recent war crimes trial for Slobodan Praljak. The former Bosnian Croat general’s sentence of 20 years imprisonment for his part in crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims in the 1990s was recently reaffirmed by a U.N. tribunal.
“I am rejecting your verdict with contempt,” Praljak shouted while The Hague judge read the verdict. He then produced a vial and drank its contents. “I have taken poison,” he stated. Praljak later died in the hospital. Authorities are still determining how Praljak obtained the still-unidentified poison.
Praljak, who was detained in 2004, had already served a significant part of the 20-year sentence.
He commanded a complicated legacy. While numerous news sources described Praljak as a “war criminal”, others were less condemnatory. The Croatian parliament observed a minute of silence after his suicide, while Bosnian Croats held vigils for a man they remembered as a hero. However, the United Nations maintains that he “facilitated the murder of Muslims who did not belong to any armed force”.
Things get awkward at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Yeah, we all know that uncomfortable situation where your boss gets confused about whether or not they’ve been fired, and then a second boss shows up, and then their boss offers absolutely no guidance on the situation. Then you’re stuck deciding who to curry favor with, and whose donuts you should eat. Oh, and maybe this all will decide just how much help Americans get with sometimes crippling bills. Mondays!
All told, this is a big and embarrassing deal. Leandra English is an Obama-era appointee who is the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. However, presidential appointee Mick Mulvaney is also the acting director.
Leandra English and her defenders claim that she must stay as the leader of the CFPB in order to keep the bureau as objective as possible. Not so, says the White House, which insists that Mulvaney is the true heir to the CFPB temporary acting director throne.
Mulvaney, for his part, has voiced extensive criticism about the CFPB in the past. He’s called it a “joke” and has often claimed that it’s the product of a useless bureaucracy.
English has since sued both the president and Mulvaney for this move. Federal District Judge Timothy J. Kelly has been particularly wary. He’s noted that English’s lawyer is asking him to overrule a presidential appointment. Yet, he has also expressed doubts that Mulvaney can successfully lead both the CFPB and also to remain an effective director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
And, finally, your palate cleanser
Two apparently nice people have gotten engaged! Yes, one of those people is part of an old and very well-appointed royal family. And he’s certainly done some seriously cringe-worthy things in his youth, though he seems to have really turned it around with the charitable giving, worked with injured veterans and real talk about mental health. His fiancée, Meghan Markle, an outspoken feminist and philanthropist. Her impending marriage has also brought up plenty of introspection regarding issues of race, gender, and politics in the U.K. and beyond.
While this isn’t meant to be a fawning profile of the couple, this is at least a good opportunity to ruminate on the spectacle of a royal wedding. Whether or not you think that royalty is even fit for the modern world, they at least know how to throw money at an ancient custom until it’s dripping with gratuitous jewels and we’re waking up at 2:00 a.m. to watch the proceedings.
Next: 10 female scientists of color you should know
They might even prove to be grounds for examining cultural and social assumptions, believe it or not. After all, weddings are rife with tradition.
They’re ready-made for some serious anthropological scrutiny. The pomp and circumstance, along with some pretty dresses, is plenty interesting.