Joe Biden, Fiat, Marine Le Pen: Your Friday Briefing

Watch full Medal of Freedom ceremony for Vice President Joe Biden

Mr. Trumps choice for defense secretary, Gen. James N. Mattis, above, said Russia was trying to break NATO. Mr. Mattis also said he supported the Iran nuclear agreement, which Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized.

_____

Photo Credit Agencja Gazeta/Reuters

Russia condemned the arrival of U.S. troops in Poland, the first ever continuous deployment of a NATO ally in Eastern Europe, as a threat to its interests and security.

There is concern in Warsaw and other Eastern European capitals about whether American troops will actually arrive in the numbers promised by the departing Obama administration as Mr. Trump seeks chummier relations with the Kremlin.

_____

Photo Credit Olmo Calvo/Associated Press

Rescue ships saved more than 800 migrants adrift on rubber boats in the Mediterranean after smugglers took advantage of a window of milder weather to send them to sea.

New cold weather warnings have been issued across Europe from Norway to Italy. Expect brisk winds, snow or rain this weekend in most countries in between.

Even Mount Etna, an active volcano in Sicily, is covered in snow.

_____

Photo Credit Getty Images

Weekend warriors, youre fine.

A new study found that a vigorous once-a-week workout is definitely better than no workout and maybe even as good as shorter, more frequent ones.

_____

BusinessPhoto Credit Chrysler Group

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accused Fiat Chrysler of cheating on emissions tests for more than 100,000 diesel vehicles, a case with echoes of the Volkswagen scandal.

Swedens government said it would drop a bill that would have imposed a gender quota for company boards.

Google has too much power, Apples golden age is over, and California should secede, said Peter Thiel, the Pay Pal founder and Trump fan.

And heres a snapshot of global markets.

In the NewsPhoto Credit Alik Keplicz/Associated Press..

Polands largest opposition party ended its occupation of the countrys legislature. An analyst said there were no clear winners in the monthlong standoff. [The New York Times]

The U.S. plans to lift trade sanctions against Sudan after nearly 20 years of hostile relations. [The New York Times]

In the Gaza Strip, about 10,000 people took to the streets to protest crippling power cuts. It was a rare display of defiance against the Hamas authorities. [The New York Times]

Marine Le Pen, Frances far-right presidential candidate, was seen at Trump Tower in New York on Thursday, but she did not meet the president-elect. [Bloomberg]

Belgium has charged two suspects with providing false documents to Khalid el-Bakraoui, who blew himself up in a Brussels subway train last March. [France 24]

John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, will attend a Middle East peace conference in Paris on Sunday. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian leaders are expected to attend. [The Times of Israel]

A deal for the reunification of Cyprus did not materialize in Geneva on Thursday. Talks will continue next week. [Cyprus Mail]

In Russia, a proposal would ban the sale of cigarettes to people born in 2015 and after. [The New York Times]

President Obama will end the policy that allows Cubans who reach U.S. soil to stay legally, a move long sought by the Cuban government. [The New York Times]

And Mr. Obama surprised Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Americas highest civilian honor. mr. biden will visit ukraine on Sunday and attend the World Economic Forum in Davos next week. [The New York Times]

Smarter Living: Morning Edition

(In this new section, well help you start your day right.)

Photo Credit Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Were not saying you will need this tomorrow, were simply presenting it for your consideration: Heres how to nurse a hangover (and how to head one off). Have a great weekend!

An inspiring story of weight loss and its aftermath: Brooklyns borough president reversed his Type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise, without taking medication.

Recipe of the day: Give baked sweet potato fries a shot. They just might become your go-to snack.

NoteworthyPhoto Credit Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.

Clam-chowder pizza, probably invented in a Neapolitan pizzeria in Connecticut, is so good its a a balm against the pain of the world, our food critic writes.

In Florence, couturiers presented wide-legged trousers with lots of room. Heres a preview of Milans mens fashion week, which starts today.

Killer whales are among the few animals that go through menopause.

Television reviews: Scenes in HBOs new series The Young Pope resemble religious paintings, but it also has serious moments that are laughable, our critic writes.

And ITVs Victoria paints a picture of an isolated teenager who wakes up one day to find herself queen of England. The monarchs story is so modern that it still frightens people: a young woman in power, the shows creator said.

Back StoryPhoto Credit Ian Willms for The New York Times

If youre superstitious, today isnt your day.

But Friday the 13th isnt universally feared. Many countries disregard it. In Greece and some Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday the 13th is the dreaded day. Its Friday the 17th in Italy.

The number 4 is unlucky in parts of Asia its Chinese pronunciation is close to the word death, making April 4 (4/4) a day to stay inside.

A maneki-neko, a cute charm showing a cat with a raised paw, is used to ward off the bad luck.

Other animals believed to combat bad omens include pigs. In Germany, marzipan pigs are given as gifts on New Years Eve.

And if a cricket is chirping in your house, dont kill it. Across Asia, Africa and Europe, the insects are viewed as harbingers of wealth.

Magpies have great significance in Britain. Seeing a single magpie can be bad luck, it is believed, though saluting one can ward off ill fortune. But if you spot a group, you may be in luck, according to an old nursery rhyme that goes:

One for sorrow,Two for joy,Three for a girl,Four for a boy,Five for silver,Six for gold,Seven for a secret never to be told.

_____

Des Shoe contributed reporting.

Your next Morning Briefing will publish on Jan. 17.

What would you like to see here? Contact us at europebriefing@nytimes.com.

Continue reading the main story

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFPAFLBdThvZQoqF1SuNzL_Nv5vUg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=r494WPCQCpLS3gGn5pjACw&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/briefing/europe-briefing.html

Continue Reading ..

Joe Biden just delivered the Donald Trump takedown nobody else could

VP Joe Biden: How can there be pleasure in saying you"re fired?

Watch Vice President Biden deliver a blistering speech aimed at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Democratic National Convention. (Video: Victoria Walker/The Washington Post;Photo: Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)

Joe Biden started his speech Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention by hailing Michelle Obama"s Monday speech as a lock to bethe best ofthis week"s Democratic National Convention.

And then he mayvery well have matched it.

Biden used the distinctly Biden tools at his disposal to assemble a succinct takedown of Donald Trump"s vision of America. He navigatedthe challenge of a crowd that had been unruly at times this week by telling them to quiet down and let him make his points; they did. As he often does, he assured us that he was being serious, honest, and that this was important. He called himself "middle-class Joe." He even got "malarkey" involved.

"He is trying to tell us he cares about the middle class," Biden said of Trump. "Give me a break. That"s a bunch of malarkey."

[Winners and losers from the third night of the Democratic convention]

Vice President Joe Biden has a habit of calling things and, in the case of Donald Trump, people "malarkey." Here"s an incomplete list of times he"s used his favorite put-down. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Biden started out by talking about his family and his son, Beau, who died last year. He delivered a tribute to working-class Americans who don"t have the kind of support system he does to deal with hard times. He talked about how importantHillary Clinton"s presidency would be to his daughters and granddaughters.

And then he turned to Trump and painted the picture of a populist fraud. Trump, he said, was no populist.

"Ladies and gentlemen, to state the obvious -- and I"m not trying to be a wiseguy here, I really mean it -- that"s not Donald Trump"s story," Biden said.

It would be the first of many asides Biden would useto get the crowd focused. Asthe crowd began to applaud, Biden shushed them: "Just listen to me for a sec without booing or cheering. I mean this sincerely. We should really think about this."

Political conventions are about applauding and getting riled up, and Biden was asking for the opposite. And the crowd was with him.

"His cynicism is unbounded," Biden said of Trump. "His lack of empathy and compassion can be summed up in a phrase I suspect he"s most proud of having made famous: "You"re fired." I"m not joking; think about that."

[After his comments about Russia, Donald Trump once again proves hes the chaos candidate]

This isn"t a particularly novel attack on Trump -- that he"s a rich guy who likes to fire people. A speechwriter on his or her first day could come up with that. But Biden made it work.

Heused humility: "I know I"m called middle-class Joe, and in Washington that"s not meant as a compliment. It means you"re not sophisticated. But I know why we"re strong. I know why we have held together. I know why we are united. It"s because we"ve always had a growing middle class. This guydoesn"t have a clue about the middle class -- not a clue."

Biden was uniquely situated to make this case.Trump has used his populist appeal and unique political style to appeal to working-class white voters in a way Republicans haven"t before. These are Biden"s people, too. In fact, Biden was born and raised in the same hardscrabble Scranton, Pa., that Trump visited just hours beforeBiden"s speech at the Democratic convention.

"He has no clue about what makes America great," Biden said referring to Trump"s slogan. "Actually, he has no clue."

And then: "No major-party nominee in the history of this nation has ever known less or has been less prepared to deal with our national security."

He said Trump has "no plan whatsoever" to defeat terrorism and "embraces the tactics of our enemies," such astorture.

These were all harsh attacks -- the kind of red meat that conventions are made for. And Biden delivered the red meat better than anyone at this week"s convention.

There was some talk -- mostly Democratic fantasies -- about Biden potentially staying on as vice president, becoming Hillary Clinton"s running mate. He would have been very good at it -- especially in the Year of Trump.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHPY-9AdlKod0smGRP19FGgS9p_Tg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779168907776&ei=bzaaV8nnKczN3gH2wZvACw&url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/27/joe-biden-just-delivered-the-donald-trump-takedown-nobody-else-could/

Continue Reading ..

Joe Biden"s farewell: The VP"s last big moment under the political spotlight

Full speech: Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention

Were getting near the end of Joe Bidens four decades in public life. Hes still vice president, of course, and hes going to be out on the campaign trail for the next few months campaigning for Hillary Clinton, but this is the big wind down for Biden. He opted not to mount his own 2016 campaign, which means the Democratic National Convention was likely Bidens last big moment, the last time hed have the national stage all to himselfwiththe entire party tuning in to hear him speak.

There was no escaping the valedictory trappings of Bidens remarks Wednesday night. His speech was preceded by an introduction video that went over all his greatest hits as a senator and VP, with clips of Biden speaking out against apartheid, urging an end to ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, advocating for cancer research, and speaking about the loss of loved ones. It was the condensed version of what this convention would have likely been about had Biden run and won the nomination.

The first half of Bidens speech was extremely Biden-y an empathetic and solemn feel-gooder about overcoming the trials and difficulties of life. It was an homage to the hardscrabblers: teachers, soldiers, the poor. These are the people that are the heart and soul of this country, he said, very Bidenly. This projection of empathy is one of Bidens strongest political talents. Youd be hard-pressed to find a more earnest political communicator watch this 2012 video of Biden speaking to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors about the deaths of his wife and daughter to get an idea of what I mean. His greatest strength has always been the idea that Joe Biden gets it.

In his speech on Wednesday night, Biden transferred the gets it mantle to Hillary Clinton. Everybody knows she is smart. Everyone knows she is tough. But I know what she is passionate about. I know Hillary. Hillary understands. Hillary gets it. He did this in part to build up the Democratic nominee, and also to set up the second half of his speech, in which Biden stripped the flesh off of Donald Trump,

His cynicism is unbounded, Biden said of Trump. His lack of empathy and compassion can be summed up in that phrase he is most proud of making famous: Youre fired. Setting himself as the paragon of middle-class values (Im called Middle-Class Joe), Biden blasted Trumps populist affect: This guy does not have a clue about the middle class. Not a clue. His message was simple: Trump is the anti-Biden.

The attacks only grew sharper from that point. No major party nominee in the history of our nation has ever known less, or been less prepared to deal with our national security, Biden said. Trumps exploitation of fear is not who we are and betrays our values. Biden blasted Trump as a man who seeks to sow division in America for his own gain and disorder around the world, a man who confuses bluster with strength. His blistering takedown of Trumps unpreparedness and moral vacuity were paired with a rah-rah call to patriotism: The 21st century is going to be the American century. Because we lead not only by example of our power, but by the power of our example. That is the history of the journey of Americans. And G*d willing, Hillary Clinton will write the next chapter in that journey.

This is the Biden we can expect to see on the campaign trail as he takes this same message of empathy, middle-class appreciation, and flag-waving patriotism to a subset of voters that Democrats would very much like to win back to their cause: working class whites. Biden said as much on MSNBC on Wednesday morning. I think the Democratic Party overall hasnt spoken enough to those voters, he explained. Thats why Im going to be living in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan until Election Day. Three more months of telling working-class voters that Middle-Class Joe gets it.

Source: http://www.salon.com/2016/07/28/joe_bidens_farewell_the_vps_last_big_moment_under_the_political_spotlight/

Continue Reading ..

US sailors freed by Iranians. No US apology issued, says Joe Biden

Joe Biden makes announcement at the White House

Tehran, Iran All 10 U.S. Navy sailors detained by Iran after drifting into its territorial waters a day earlier have been freed, the U.S. and Iran said Wednesday.

The Navy said the American crew members returned safely and there were no indications they had been harmed while in custody.

The nine men and one woman were held at an Iranian base on Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf after they were detained nearby on Tuesday. The tiny outpost has been used as a base for Revolutionary Guard speedboats as far back as the 1980s.

The sailors departed the island at 0843 GMT aboard the boats they were detained with, the Navy said. They were picked up by Navy aircraft and other sailors took control of their boats for the return voyage to Bahrain, where the U.S. 5th Fleet is based.

The Navy added that it "will investigate the circumstances that led to the sailors" presence in Iran."

The Revolutionary Guard"s official website published images of the detained U.S. sailors before their release, showing them sitting on the floor of a room. They look mostly bored or annoyed, though at least one of the sailors appears to be smiling. The sole woman had her hair covered by a brown cloth. The pictures also showed what appeared to be their two boats.

"After determining that their entry into Iran"s territorial waters was not intentional and their apology, the detained American sailors were released in international waters," a statement posted online by the Guard said Wednesday.

US Vice President Joe Biden says that America did not apologize to Iran over U.S. sailors allegedly entering Iranian territorial waters.

Biden made the comments Wednesday in an interview with "CBS This Morning."

The vice president said: "There"s nothing to apologize for. When you have a problem with the boat you apologize the boat had a problem? No, and there was no looking for any apology. This was just standard nautical practice."

Biden said that the Iranians realized the U.S. sailors "were there in distress and said they would release them and released them like ordinary nations would do."

Gen. Ali Fadavi, the navy chief of Iran"s powerful Revolutionary Guard, was quoted earlier Wednesday by Iranian state TV as saying that an investigation had shown the Americans entered Iranian territorial waters because of "mechanical problems in their navigation system."

U.S. officials also blamed mechanical trouble for the incident. They had said on Tuesday that Tehran assured them the crew and vessels would be returned safely and promptly.

Fadavi said the American boats had shown "unprofessional acts" for 40 minutes before being picked up by Iranian forces after entering the country"s territorial waters. He said Tehran did not consider the U.S. Navy boats violating Iranian territorial waters as an "innocent passage."

The sailors were nonetheless allowed to make contact with the U.S. military, based on Iran"s "responsibilities and Islamic mercy" late Tuesday, he said.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who forged a personal relationship with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif during the three years of nuclear negotiations, called his Iranian counterpart immediately on learning of the incident, according to a senior U.S. official. Kerry "personally engaged" with Zarif on the issue, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Kerry said in a statement Wednesday: "That this issue was resolved peacefully and efficiently is a testament to the critical role diplomacy plays in keeping our country safe, secure and strong."

Kerry has a close relationship with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif after the recent nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and world powers.

Kerry learned of the incident around 12:30 p.m. EST as he and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter were meeting their Filipino counterparts at the State Department, the official said.

Fadavi said Zarif "had a firm stance" during the telephone conversation with Kerry about the sailors" presence in Iran"s territorial waters and "said they should not have come and should apologize."

Carter said he was pleased with the sailors" release and he thanked Kerry for his diplomatic efforts. "Around the world, the U.S. Navy routinely provides assistance to foreign sailors in distress, and we appreciate the timely way in which this situation was resolved," Carter said.

The Guard"s 200,000-strong force is different from the regular Iranian military and is charged with protecting the ruling system. Its naval forces are heavily dependent on armed speedboats that can be used in teams to swarm much larger vessels.

The incident came amid heightened tensions with Iran, and only hours before President Barack Obama gave his final State of the Union address to Congress and the public. It set off a dramatic series of calls and meetings as U.S. officials tried to determine the exact status of the crew and reach out to Iranian leaders.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told The Associated Press late Tuesday U.S. time that the sailors" boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when the U.S. lost contact with them.

The sailors were part of Riverine Squadron 1 based in San Diego and were deployed to the U.S. Navy"s 5th Fleet in Bahrain. When the U.S. lost contact with the boats, ships attached to the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier strike group began searching the area, along with aircraft flying off the Truman.

The Riverine boats were not part of the carrier strike group, and were on a training mission, the officials said. The craft are not considered high-tech and don"t contain any sensitive equipment, so there were no concerns about the Iranians gaining access to them, they added. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive incident publicly.

In an earlier incident, in late December, Iran launched a rocket test near U.S. warships and boats passing through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, the route for about a fifth of the world"s oil.

Last February, Iran sank a replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier near the strait and has said it is testing "suicide drones" that could conduct kamikaze missions on naval ships. It has also challenged foreign cargo ships operating in the Gulf, opening fire on at least two in April and May.

In one of those incidents, Iran temporarily seized a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship over what it said was a commercial dispute before releasing it with its crew more than a week later.

Meanwhile, Iran was expected to satisfy the terms of last summer"s nuclear deal in just days. Once the U.N. nuclear agency confirms Iran"s actions to roll back its program, the United States and other Western powers are obliged to suspend wide-ranging oil, trade and financial sanctions on Tehran. Kerry recently said the deal"s implementation was "days away."

___

Schreck reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Lolita C. Baldor, Bradley Klapper and Richard Lardner in Washington, Jon Gambrell in Dubai and Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed to this report.

___

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2016/0113/US-sailors-freed-by-Iranians.-No-US-apology-issued-says-Joe-Biden

Continue Reading ..

Joe Biden Gets New Assignment to Lead Fight Against Cancer in SOTU

Joe Biden: Window to run for president "has closed"

Vice President Joe Biden appeared surprised at getting a shout out -- and new assignment -- during tonight"s State of the Union.

President Obama singled out the fight to cure cancer as one of the goals of his administration in its final year.

While avoiding going into specifics about the venture, the one detail he did announce was that Biden -- who lost his son Beau to brain cancer last year -- would be heading up the venture.

"Tonight, Im announcing a new national effort to get it done. And because hes gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, Im putting Joe in charge of Mission Control," Obama said.

Though there was no microphone in front of Biden as he sat behind the President during the speech, the vice president appeared surprised at the mention and appeared to say something to Speaker Paul Ryan, sitting at his left.

He appeared to say "I didn"t know that," going on to clarify that he "did not" know about the announcement ahead of time.

President Obama then turned around and asked, "What do you say, Joe?" and Biden smiled and said yes.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with House Speaker Paul Ryan as Vice President Joe Biden watches before the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 12, 2016.

Biden"s connection to cancer and determination to cure the disease is a personal one, as his son Beau Biden died after a battle with brain cancer.

When the Vice President announced in October that he would not be running for president in 2016, he mentioned how he believes the end of the disease could come soon.

"I"m going to spend the next 15 months in this office pushing as hard as I can to accomplish this," Biden said during that speech. "Because I know there are Democrats and Republicans on the Hill who share our passion -- our passion to silence this deadly disease. If I could be anything, I would want it to be the President that ended cancer, because its possible."

A post on Biden"s verified Medium account detailed the way in which he would fight for advances in the field.

The post highlights two first steps that Biden says he plans to address, starting with increased public and private resources followed by breaking "down silos and bring all the cancer fighters togetherto work together, to share information, and end cancer as we know it."

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/joe-biden-assignment-lead-fight-cancer-sotu/story?id%3D36255630

Continue Reading ..