Aw…Winnie the Pooh, You’re Banned Too

Trump’s Tight Spot – Between a Rock and the Kremlin: President Trump will soon have a really tough decision to make – sign new bi-partisan congressional legislation imposing additional sweeping sanctions on Russia, a move his administration staunchly opposes, or veto the bill. A sanctions package won nearly unanimous support in the Senate last month, but then stalled for weeks in the House. An agreement was reached Saturday (adding North Korea to the Senate-proposed sanctions against Russia and Iran) that will allow the legislation to move forward with a House vote next Tuesday.

The bill aims to punish Russia not only for its interference in the 2016 US election, but also for the annexation of Crimea, continuing military activity in eastern Ukraine, and human rights abuses. It sharply limits the president’s ability to suspend or terminate the sanctions without congressional approval. The White House had argued that the president needed flexibility to adjust the sanctions to support his diplomatic initiatives with Moscow. Passage of the bill would be a strong rebuff from the Republican-led Congress for the young administration just 6 months into its term. But other features of the bill, specifically the sanctions against Iran and North Korea, align with Trump’s agenda, complicating his choice to sign or veto.

A Putin spokesman characterized the Kremlin’s view of the sanctions proposal as “highly negative.” And as much as Trump might like to soften these sanctions, a veto of this legislation would surely be seen as doing the Kremlin’s bidding.

At Least Nine Dead in Suspected Texas Human Trafficking Case: At least nine men were found dead on Sunday inside a tractor trailer parked outside a Walmart store in San Antonio, Texas, which is located about 150 miles (240 km) north of the Mexican border. Thirty people, most in critical condition and suffering from heatstroke and exhaustion, were removed from the trailer, which lacked air conditioning or a water supply. Temperatures outside the vehicle reached as high as 100 degrees F (37.8 C). “All were victims of ruthless human smugglers, indifferent to the well-being of their fragile cargo. These people were helpless in the hands of their transporters. Imagine their suffering, trapped in a stifling trailer in 100-plus degree heat,” San Antonio-based US Attorney Richard Durbin Jr. said. The truck’s driver, James Mathew Bradley Jr. of Clearwater, Florida, was arrested.

Polish President Vetoes Controversial Bill After Massive Protests: The Polish parliament passed legislation that would have placed the democratic country’s Supreme Court under the control of President Andrzej Duda and his right-wing Law and Justice Party (PiS). Current Supreme Court judges would be forced into early retirement and new judges would be appointed by Duda’s Justice Ministry. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Warsaw on Sunday evening to demonstrate against the controversial legislation, slamming its passage as a blatant power grab by Duda, who was given 21 days to either sign or veto the bill. Today, Duda declared on television that he will veto the bill, stating: “This law would not strengthen the sense of justice” in society.

Poland was one of the first former communist Eastern European nations to join the European Union. Since coming to power in August 2015, Duda has curtailed freedoms, including rights to peaceful assembly and an independent news media. Had Duda signed the bill, a top EU official threatened the use of Article 7, a never-before employed mechanism that would allow for sanctions against Poland and possible suspension of its voting rights in the bloc.

The US State Department went on record by tweeting a tepid warning to Poland “to ensure that any judicial reform does not violate (the) constitution & respects judicial independence.” But when asked whether the Trump administration would urge Duda to veto the bill, a State Department spokesperson stated: “I am not aware if we will ask him to do that.”

Duterte Wins Significant Majority in Congress to Extend Martial Law in South:On Saturday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte won a congressional vote to extend martial law in the southern island of Mindanao, where government troops have been fighting ISIS-linked militants in Marawi City. When the conflict started, martial law was initially declared for 60 days. Some lawmakers opposed to the extension said they would take the case to the Supreme Court. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon warned that giving in to Duterte on this move could mean that “tomorrow we will wake up with martial law being declared in the entire country.”

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Start of the Week Reads:

• Bridges serve a crucial purpose, connecting communities all over the globe. Check out these five peerless examples of public infrastructure design (World Build 365)
• The Chinese name for and images of Winnie the Pooh are being blocked on social media sites in China because bloggers have been comparing him to Xi Jinping (BBC)
• Why Women Aren’t CEOs, According to Women Who Almost Were (NYT)
• The BBC on Wednesday revealed for the first time the salaries of stars earning over £150,000, about $195,000. The figures, published in the corporation’s annual report, showed that two-thirds of the people who fell into that category were male and white (NYT)
• The class dynamics of breastfeeding in the United States, and French moms aren’t superior parents—they just have it easier (Quartz)
• The Mystery of Why Japanese People Are Having So Few Babies. Many point to unromantic 20-somethings and women’s entry into the workforce, but an overlooked factor is the trouble young men have in finding steady, well-paid jobs (The Atlantic)
• The hidden ways your language betrays your character. Every time we open our mouths, we unwittingly reveal our personalities (BBC)
• In pursuit of growth in Africa, British American Tobacco and others use intimidatory tactics to attempt to suppress health warnings and regulation (The Guardian)
• Israeli ‘counter-terrorism boot camp’ is a tourist attraction in occupied West Bank (Reuters)
• Chinese mall introduces ‘husband storage’ pods where spouses can wait while their wives are shopping (BBC)
• Thirty years ago, with the publication of a massive coffee table book, the American wedding theatrical complex was born (The Atlantic), and here are pics of some very intricate wedding dresses made out of toilet paper (Reuters)
• In China, Despair for Democracy After Liu Xiaobo’s Death (NYT)

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