ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

January 29, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• U.S. deficit to eclipse $1 trillion in 2020, CBO says, as fiscal imbalance continues to widen (Washington Post)
• In 5-4 ruling, Supreme Court allows Trump plan to deny green cards to those who may need gov't aid (NBC)
• New immigration policy withholds automatic citizenship for some children of troops overseas, but not all (Military Times)
• Bolton Revelations Anger Republicans, Fueling Push for Impeachment Witnesses (New York Times)
• Crystal Geyser Is In Hot Water, Fined $5 Million for Hazardous Arsenic-Laden Waste (Sunset)

WORLD

• Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off the coast of Jamaica and is felt as far away as Miami (CNN)
• Trump leaps into Middle East fray with peace plan that Palestinians denounce  (Reuters)
• China evacuations begin as WHO voices concern about virus spread (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

U.S.

U.S. deficit to eclipse $1 trillion in 2020, CBO says, as fiscal imbalance continues to widen (Washington Post)

A combination of the 2017 tax cuts and a surge in new spending has expanded the deficit.

In 5-4 ruling, Supreme Court allows Trump plan to deny green cards to those who may need gov't aid (NBC)

The DHS said last year that it would expand the definition of "public charge" to be applied to people whose immigration to the U.S. could be denied because of a concern that they would primarily depend on federal assistance.

New immigration policy withholds automatic citizenship for some children of troops overseas, but not all (Military Times)

Children born to — or adopted by — some U.S. service members overseas are no longer automatically considered U.S. residents or entitled to U.S. citizenship, according to the policy…Examples of that include:  A U.S. service member and partner, or a dual-military couple, stationed in South Korea, who adopt a local South Korean child; or, a non-citizen U.S. service member and partner, or non-citizen dual-military couple, who have a child while serving in Germany.

Bolton Revelations Anger Republicans, Fueling Push for Impeachment Witnesses (New York Times)

The White House and Senate Republican leaders struggled on Monday to salvage their plans to push toward a quick acquittal of President Trump this week in his impeachment trial, after a new account by his former national security adviser corroborated a central piece of the case against him. The newly disclosed revelations by John R. Bolton, whose forthcoming book details how Mr. Trump conditioned military aid for Ukraine on the country’s willingness to furnish information on his political rivals, angered key Republicans and reinvigorated a bid to call witnesses, which would prolong the trial and pose new dangers for the president.

Crystal Geyser Is In Hot Water, Fined $5 Million for Hazardous Arsenic-Laden Waste (Sunset)

You head to the store, pick up a few cases of Crystal Geyser and don't think twice. Maybe you don't even notice which water you're buying, figuring that bottled water is bottled water. You may even try to reuse, reduce, or recycle the plastic from the bottles, thinking the environmental impact may end there.



WORLD

Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off the coast of Jamaica and is felt as far away as Miami (CNN)

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Tuesday about 80 miles from Jamaica, shaking people in the Caribbean and as far away as Miami. A tsunami of 0.4 feet was recorded in the Cayman Islands at George Town, but no tsunami was observed at Port Royal, Jamaica, or Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Trump leaps into Middle East fray with peace plan that Palestinians denounce  (Reuters)

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday proposed creating a Palestinian state as part of a Middle East peace plan, drawing Palestinian condemnation for imposing strict conditions and agreeing to let Israel maintain control of long-contested West Bank settlements.

China evacuations begin as WHO voices concern about virus spread (Reuters)

The United States and Japan flew nationals out of China’s coronavirus epicentre on Wednesday, as the number of deaths leapt to 133 and the World Health Organization said there was “deeply concerning” evidence of person-to-person transmission in other countries.