Trump Loves Oz, Final Push in Mosul, EU and UK Need to Chill Out

1,000 copy editors cried out in pain when FBI Director James Comey said he felt “nauseous” (instead of “nauseated”) if his actions hurt Hillary Clinton’s campaign in the final weeks.

Trump Loves Oz!: US President Trump met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in New York City on Thursday, and he was characteristically effusive about the visit: “We get along great. We have a fantastic relationship, I love Australia, I always have.” He also said the two leaders had “reaffirmed ties” between the two countries, and discussed trade, national security, and migration issues.

In what can only be described as statement-making venue choice, the two leaders met on the Hudson River aboard the USS Intrepid, a World War II-era aircraft carrier. Relations between the two leaders have been strained over President Trump’s initial reluctance to honor a deal to accept up to 1,200 refugees from Australia. The Trump administration later said it would honor the agreement made by President Obama.

Australia is one of the United States’ strongest allies and troops from both countries have fought alongside each other in all recent conflicts, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Prime Minister Turnbull stated the “stability and prosperity of our region over so many decades has been secured–and is secured today–by the United States.”

…And He Knows Aussies Have Better Healthcare Than Americans: Hours after the House voted to repeal Obamacare, President Trump talked-up Australia’s universal healthcare system during a press conference with Turnbull. “It’s going to be fantastic health care,” Trump said, referring to his new healthcare plan. “I shouldn’t say this to our great gentleman and my friend from Australia because you have better healthcare than we do.” Right on, Mr. Trump! Australia provides its citizens with universal healthcare (it’s not just those darned Europeans who have ‘death panels’!). Some services are covered by private health insurance as well. In 2014, the Australian government spent 9 percent of its GDP on healthcare, while the United States spent 17 percent the same year.

Iraqi Forces Surround ISIS in Mosul: US-backed Iraqi security forces on Thursday opened a new front in the battle for Mosul as they prepare for a final assault to liberate the city. Iraqi forces are attacking the city from both the north and south.The offensive into western Mosul had slowed in recent weeks because the area is densely packed, and thousands of civilians remain trapped in the city. ISIS has been surrounded for more than six months in Mosul, and the anaconda vise that the roughly 1,000 remaining militants face is significant. Driving ISIS from Iraq’s second-largest city would be a major victory for Iraqi forces.

EU Leader Calls for Moderation: European Council president Donald Tusk called for “moderation and respect” between the United Kingdom and European Union over Brexit negotiations. Speaking alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Tusk took a swipe at both British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker: “These negotiations are difficult enough as they are. If we start arguing before they even begin, they will become impossible.” He stated that goodwill was required to make for a clean break between the two parties, with “the daily lives and interests of millions of people on both sides of the Channel” at risk. His comments seem to target both May’s cynicism in accusing the EU of meddling in the upcoming British parliamentary election and an apparent leak by Juncker of the heated discussions that took place at a Brexit-related dinner.

May, who faces elections on June 8, suggested that “Britain’s negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press,” adding that “The European Commission’s negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials.” British opposition forces quickly moved to capitalize on May’s comments, with former Liberal Democratic leader Nick Clegg quoted as saying that “blaming foreigners and an unsubstantiated European plot for her own government’s shortcomings is worthier of Erdogan [Turkey’s president] than Downing Street.”

New Violence in Sectarian Conflict in Pakistan: The killing of a 10-year-old boy in Balochistan, Pakistan during an attempted mob killing of a Hindu man accused of blasphemy has led to outrage in the predominantly Muslim country. The Hindu man, 34-year-old Prakash Kumar, was arrested on Tuesday for uploading an “incendiary” image on social media, a crime in Pakistan. Following the news of his arrest, a mob of around 500 people attempted to storm the police station where he was being held. When the police refused to hand over the suspect, the mob attacked. The boy was killed, and five others were injured. It is the third such incident in the last month, as Pakistan’s government struggles to control mob attacks and killings following a national crackdown on blasphemy.

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Weekend Reads:

• A book review of a political memoir that shows that “elected politicians have little power; Wall Street and a network of hedge funds, billionaires and media owners have the real power” (The Guardian)
• Mormonism has changed significantly since the 1970s, let me count the ways, says one Mormon (Common Consent)
• White working men are disappearing. Where are they and what happened to them? Or as the author puts it: “The devastating drop in employment for American men over the past two generations presents us with something of a dog-not-barking question. How can so many millions be absent from payrolls with so little consequent socio-political upheaval?” (Milken Institute Review)
• Two of the most famous authors of our time have a discussion about measuring talent and ability. And both heavily criticize standardized tests: “We’re in this charade because it creates an illusion of certainty. It allows those of us who make selection decisions to believe that there are more deserving and less deserving candidates” (Heleo)
• Barack Obama’s $400,000 speaking fees reveal what few want to admit (The Guardian)
• Is the East (China) the New Superpower? The author of a new book concludes that “Never before has a president suggested handing over most of the currency of US global leadership to others, free of charge. China will not hesitate to seize every opportunity offered” (New York Review of Books)
• Is the internet not really a tool for users but actually a tool to spy on users? Do “the tools of mass surveillance and social control we spent the last decade building have anything to do with the debacle of the election?” (Idle Words)

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