'I am livid': Maple Leaf Foods CEO spouts off against U.S. over Iran crash

Maple Leaf Foods CEO takes aim at U.S. government over plane crash in Iran

Alicja Siekierska,Yahoo Finance Canada•January 12, 2020
 

Michael McCain, the CEO of Maple Leaf Foods.

The chief executive of Maple Leaf Foods ($MFI.TO) took to Twitter on Sunday night to spout off against the United States government, in the wake of the Iranian missile strike of Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752 that killed 176 people, including the relatives of a Maple Leaf Foods employe.

In a series of tweets published on Sunday on the Maple Leaf Foods official Twitter account, CEO Michael McCain expressed anger over the deaths of those aboard Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752, saying “Canadians needlessly loss their lives in the crossfire.”

I’m Michael McCain, CEO of Maple Leaf Foods, and these are personal reflections. I am very angry, and time isn’t making me less angry. A MLF colleague of mine lost his wife and family this week to a needless, irresponsible series of events in Iran...

— Maple Leaf Foods (@MapleLeafFoods) January 13, 2020

…U.S. government leaders unconstrained by checks/balances, concocted an ill-conceived plan to divert focus from political woes. The world knows Iran is a dangerous state, but the world found a path to contain it; not perfect but by most accounts it was the right direction…

— Maple Leaf Foods (@MapleLeafFoods) January 13, 2020

..A narcissist in Washington tears world accomplishments apart; destabilizes region. US now unwelcomed everywhere in the area including Iraq; tensions escalated to feverish pitch. Taking out despicable military leader terrorist? There are a hundred like him, standing next in line

— Maple Leaf Foods (@MapleLeafFoods) January 13, 2020

…The collateral damage of this irresponsible, dangerous, ill-conceived behavior? 63 Canadians needlessly lost their lives in the crossfire, including the family of one of my MLF colleagues (his wife + 11 year old son)! We are mourning and I am livid. Michael McCain.

— Maple Leaf Foods (@MapleLeafFoods) January 13, 2020

Janey Riley, the vice president of communications and public affairs at Maple Leaf Foods, confirmed the authenticity of the tweets on Sunday. In response to an interview request from Yahoo Finance Canada, Riley said that McCain “would prefer to let the messages in his tweets speak for themselves.”

“He felt the tragedy warranted his response,” Riley wrote in an email. She would not confirm the identities of the victims related to a Maple Leaf Foods employee, citing the family’s need for privacy.

An Iranian missile shot down the Ukrainian airline flight last Wednesday and killed all 176 people on board, including 57 Canadians. It was initially thought that 63 Canadians were killed on the flight, but Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne updated that number on Friday. Of the 176 victims, 138 were headed to Canada.

Iran admitted late Friday that its military “unintentionally” shot the plane down, and blamed “human error” for the strike.

McCain has been CEO of Maple Leaf Foods since 1999. The company is worth approximately $3.13 billion, based on market capitalization. It company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and operates in Canada, the United States and Asia, employing approximately 12,500 people.

With a file from the Canadian Press

                                                                                                    

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Australian Bushfires and Heat Are Killing Flying Foxes by the Thousands

2020 THE YEAR CLIMATE CHANGE WAS IN OUR FACE

Australian Bushfires and Heat Are Killing Flying Foxes by the Thousands

David Axe,The Daily Beast•January 11, 2020
Fly By Night Bat Clinic

Bushfires fueled by climate change that are raging across eastern Australia have burned millions of acres, destroyed thousands of buildings, and killed 25 people.

But there are other victims: Australia’s endangered flying foxes. These furry, doe-eyed, puppy-size migratory bats have died by the thousands in the fires and in the months of extreme heat that preceded the blazes.

While the bushfires have affected billions of animals and killed potentially millions of them, the flying foxes are uniquely vulnerable. Above a certain temperature, they can simply drop dead from the trees where they roost. Stressed adult bats that survive the heat often abandon their pups —a death sentence for the helpless babies. Fires have destroyed millions of the trees the fruit-eating bats rely on.

Despite desperate rescue efforts, as many as a fifth of Australia’s flying foxes have died in just a few months. And with the southern continent’s hot, dry summer in full flow and bushfires likely to continue, many more bats could perish.

Owing to runaway global warming, this season’s extraordinary temperatures and fires could become the new normal. In that case, flying foxes are almost certainly doomed to extinction.

“They’re the canaries in the coal mine for climate change,” Evan Quartermain, head of programs for the Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society International, told The Daily Beast.

Australia’s wildlife rescuers are panicking, but the country’s climate change-denying national leaders definitely aren’t. “This ecological nightmare should be sounding very loud alarm bells in the halls of parliament, but it’s not,” Lou Bonomi, a rescuer with the Fly By Night Bat Clinic in Melbourne, told The Daily Beast.

Fly By Night Bat Clinic volunteers—who are trained and vaccinated—are caring for flying foxes suffering heat stress.

Seven species of flying fox call Australia home. Three are classified as “vulnerable” or “endangered” by Australia’s Ministry of the Environment. Prior to the heat and fires, hunting and deforestation were the biggest threats. Two species, the gray-headed flying fox and the spectacled flying fox, live in large numbers in the eastern bushfire zone and have suffered the most in recent months.

As recently as early 2019, there were around 700,000 gray-headed flying foxes and around 100,000 spectacled flying foxes in eastern Australia, according to government surveys. Then the temperatures rose and fires broke out. 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record in Australia, according to government statistics.

The annual bushfire season that began in late 2019 also has broken records. Nearly 26 million acres have burned so far. That’s seven million more acres than burned in the Amazon’s own catastrophic fires last year.

Flying foxes suffer potentially fatal heat stress at temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. “We have about 30 of us who will prepare to head out if we see the forecast is going to be 40 degrees Celsius or higher,” Bonomi said. “You can imagine our dread when we had forecasts of 44 and 43 degrees both in two weeks.”

Rescuers try to cool down the bats by gently spraying them with water. It’s easier said than done. There are hundreds of flying-fox colonies. Some are nearly a mile across and number tens of thousands of bats roosting high in the trees.

“We walk up and down with firefighting backpacks filled with water and quietly try to cool them,” Bonomi said. “They are so stressed and so flighty that you really have to go easy doing this, despite what your instinct tells you to do. Go too close or move in too soon and the bats will take flight. This can kill them as they’re already so hot and exhausted. Sometimes it's just too late, you reach them and they will drop dead at your feet.”

“Some of the younger ones you can offer water for them to lap, cool them down and keep offering water,” Bonomi added, “but honestly, you spend half an hour with one little one and in the meantime 20 around you die.”

Fly By Night Bat Clinic

Bonomi said 20 percent of the flying foxes in the biggest nearby colony have died in recent months. Conservationists are still tallying up the countrywide bat death toll. It could be in the tens of thousands in a total population that was already in decline owing to hunting and habitat destruction.

Rescue groups and animal hospitals have taken in thousands of abandoned pups for rehabilitation. Humane Society International is helping to supply rehabilitators with food for the pups. Fly By Night Bat Clinic is experimenting with sprinklers that could help keep colonies cool. Both groups are raising money for rescuers and rehabilitators.

But all these measures are short-term fixes to a long-term problem. Barring a global green-energy revolution, atmospheric carbon is likely to increase and temperatures will spike even higher. If you think 2019 and 2020 have been bad for bats, try to imagine 2021. Or 2030, for that matter.

“Given that extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense under climate change, the long-term prospects of the species must be considered as of serious concern,” Justin Welbergen, associate professor of animal ecology at Western Sydney University and president of the Australasian Bat Society, told The Daily Beast.

Hundreds of fires are burning out of control, imperiling wildlife.
Sam Mooy/Getty

The federal government under Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reacted with a veritable shrug. The Department of the Environment declined to comment for this story.

“We have a conservative government of climate skeptics, who prioritize wealth, big business and non-renewable energy sources that are ruining us faster than we can fix,” Bonomi explained. “While our beautiful country burns, our prime minister holidays. While entire species literally collapse around us, the government is investing in coal-mining and logging our old growth forests.”

“If governments at all levels don’t do everything they can to make Australia’s nature more resilient to climate change, I don’t think flying foxes, and in turn us humans, will stand a chance,” Quartermain said.

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How the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water where ships carry $1.2 billion of oil every day, is at the heart of spiraling tensions with Iran

ama@businessinsider.com (Alexandra Ma), Business Insider•January 12, 2020

strait of hormuz jan 2020 MarineTraffic.com


Recent tensions between Iran and the US are threatening the safety of the world's ships and movement oil in the Strait of Hormuz.


The narrow strait is the most important chokepoint for the world's oil supply. Some 21 million barrels — or $1.2 billion worth of oil — pass through the strait every day.


One way Iran could exact its revenge on the US and its allies is by shutting or harassing tankers in the strait, which would disrupt oil supply and send prices shooting up.

Tensions between the West and Iran bubbled to a historic height in recent days after the assassination of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and Tehran bombed two Iraqi bases that housed US troops.

They have sparked fears of wider US-Iran attacks in the greater region, which could take place in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow body of water linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, which feeds into Arabian Sea and the rest of the world.

strait of hormuz map Google Maps/Business Insider

While Iran's leaders claim to have "concluded" their revenge for Soleimani's death — and President Donald Trump appears to believe them — many regional experts and diplomatic sources say Iran could unleash other modes of attack, which include unleashing allied militias to disrupt the Middle East.

One strategy could include Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, which would stop oil tanker traffic, disrupt global oil supply, and send prices shooting up.

Here's what you need to know about this valuable strait.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz important?

Though the strait is tiny — at its narrowest point it is just 33 km (21 miles) across — it's a geopolitically and financially crucial chokepoint.

It's the world's busiest shipping lane, chiefly because there are limited alternatives to bypass the strait. Most of the oil that passes through the strait come from Saudi Arabia, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported.

Some 21 million barrels of crude and refined oil pass through the strait every day, the EIA said, citing 2018 statistics.

That's about one-third of the world's sea-traded oil, or $1.2 billion worth of oil a day, at current oil prices.
strait of hormuz oil tanker.JPG

Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters
How important is the strait to the US and its allies?

The US and many of its allies have billion-dollar reasons to protect the Strait of Hormuz.

The majority of Saudi Arabia's crude exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, meaning much of the oil-dependent economy's wealth is situated there. Saudi state-backed oil tanker Bahri temporarily suspended its shipments through the strait after Iran's missile strikes in Iran, the Financial Times reported.

The UK Royal Navy has also sent vessels to escort British ships to protect them from potential attacks amid the heightened tensions, the Press Association reported.

It has good reason to worry: last July, Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized two British oil tankers sailing in the strait's international waters and, according to the UK, attempted to harass another British tanker.
 

trump rouhani iran 2x1 Michael Gruber/Getty Images; 

Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images; Samantha Lee/Business Insider

Last June Iran shot down a US drone flying near the strait, and a month later a US warship — USS Boxer — also shot down an Iranian drone in the same area.

Shortly after Iran's drone attack, President Donald Trump questioned the US' presence in the region, and called on China, Japan, and other countries to protect their own ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump noted that much of China and Japan's oil flow through the strait, and added: "So why are we protecting the shipping lanes for other countries (many years) for zero compensation."

While a large proportion — 76% — of oil flowing through the chokepoint does end up in Asian countries, the US still imports more than 30 million barrels of oil a month from countries in the Middle East, Business Insider has reported, citing the EIA.

That's about $1.7 billion worth of oil, and 10% of the US's total oil imports per month.
soleimani funeral mourners

Ebrahim Noroozi/AP
How do US-Iran tensions affect it?

Oil prices swung wildly as news broke of Iran's missile strikes on US targets and the subsequent relief that neither lives nor energy infrastructure were harmed.

Iranian leaders, who have also vowed retaliation for the death of Soleimani, have threatened to close down the strait multiple times in the past.

If Iran followed through with these threats, it would likely cause huge disruption to the global oil trade. As the strait is so narrow, any sort of interference in tanker traffic could decrease the world's oil supply, and send prices shooting up.

Global oil prices have proven vulnerable to tensions between Iran and the West before. After the Trump administration said in April 2019 it would stop providing sanctions waivers to countries who purchase Iranian oil, prices rose to their highest level since November the year before, Axios reported.

And because the US would be affected by global oil prices, regardless of the origin of the oil, Washington would still have an interest in protecting the Strait of Hormuz.

Kenneth Vincent, an economist at the Department of Energy, told a 2017 conference, cited by The Atlantic: "The origin of whatever molecules are consumed in the United States does not matter."

"What matters is that if there's a shooting war somewhere in the Middle East, those molecules will cost more and that will harm the American economy," he said.
oil tanker gulf of iran fire

AP Photo/ISNA
How likely is Iran to shut down the strait?

Iran is more likely to disrupt traffic in the Strait of Hormuz than to engage in an all-out conventional war with the US, which is much stronger militarily.

But doing so comes with high costs to Iran.

To close down the entire strait, Iran would have to place at least 1,000 mines with submarines and surface craft along the chokepoint, security researcher Caitlin Talmadge posited in a 2009 MIT study. Such an effort could take weeks, the study added.

Disrupting oil traffic on the strait would also result in oil importers around the world looking beyond the Middle East for their sources, and further reduce reliance on the region.

Iran's oil industry is already suffering after the US imposed sanctions designed to stop countries from importing Iranian oil earlier this year.

As Michael Knights, a Middle East expert at the Washington Institute think tank, told The Atlantic last May: "They'd be cutting their own throat if they close the strait."

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India blows up luxury high-rises over environmental violations

Abhaya SRIVASTAVA,AFP•January 11, 2020



1 / 3

India has seen a construction boom in recent years but developers have often ridden roughshod over safety and other regulations
India has seen a construction boom in recent years but developers have often ridden roughshod over safety and other regulations (AFP Photo/Arun SANKAR )

Two luxury waterfront high-rises in southern India were reduced to rubble in controlled explosions Saturday in a rare example of authorities getting tough on builders who break environmental rules.

The 19-floor H2O Holy Faith complex of 90 flats -- overlooking Kerala state's famous lush backwaters -- was the first to go down, collapsing in just a matter of few seconds.

A thick grey cloud of dust and debris cascaded down after officials detonated explosives drilled into the walls of the building, which had been occupied for several years until the Supreme Court ruled last May that it was constructed in violation of coastal regulations.

Minutes later, the twin towers of Alfa Serene tumbled down with an ear-splitting noise. The remaining two complexes will be razed on Sunday.

A crowd of onlookers who flocked to nearby terraces and roads watched the demolition, after officials in helicopters conducted aerial surveys.

India has seen a construction boom in recent years but developers have often ridden roughshod over safety and other regulations, with the connivance of local officials.

The inhabitants of the apartment blocks in the well-off Maradu district of Kochi city had bought their 343 flats in good faith and now face a lengthy legal fight to recoup their money. Some had invested their life savings.

Sirens went off on Saturday warning people gathered for the demolition to remain at a safe distance while ambulances and fire engines stood on standby.

Ahead of the work, nearby residents told AFP they were worried about the impact of the demolition on their homes.

"When they were demolishing the swimming pool, some of the houses in our neighbourhood developed cracks, we are really worried," said Divya, who has moved into temporary accommodation.

Over 2,000 residents living in the neighbourhood were evacuated as a part of safety measures.

- Scenic and fragile -

The demolition capped a saga that began in 2006 when a local governing body granted permission to private builders to erect the high-rises.

But last year, the Supreme Court ruled that the builders were in breach of rules about construction in an ecologically sensitive coastal zone, calling it a "colossal loss" to the environment.

"It's a high-tide area and hundreds of illegal structures have come up in the coastal zone," the court ruled as it ordered the buildings razed.

On Friday the court also ordered the demolition of a resort in neighbouring Alappuzha district after its owners lost the appeal of a 2013 ruling that said the structure violated environmental regulations and must be demolished.

Kerala is famed for its brackish lagoons and lakes that run parallel to the Arabian Sea -- creating an environmentally fragile region.

In 2018, the state was battered by its worst floods in almost a century that killed more than 400 people.

Experts blamed the disaster on the government's eagerness to build houses, hotels and resorts with little regard for coastal planning regulations.

The residents of the Maradu apartments initially refused to vacate but moved out after local authorities cut water and power supplies.

They have been given interim partial compensation by the state government while the builders are in the process of providing a refund.

Shamshudeen Karunagapally, who bought a flat for $145,000, said his wife and children did not watch the buildings go down as it was "too painful for them to see their dreams shatter before their eyes".

"We are suffering without any fault," he told AFP.

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Republican senator backs Bernie Sanders’ plan to cut off Trump's funding for military action in Iran

Andrew Feinberg, The Independent•January 11, 2020
 

Mike Lee and Rand Paul, both Republicans, expressed concern with briefings from Trump administration: REUTERS

One of America’s most conservative senators has teamed up with the Senate’s only socialist to try to limit Donald Trump‘s ability to send US forces to war in the Middle East.

Utah Republican Mike Lee said he would co-sponsor Bernie Sanders‘ No War With Iran Act, which would prevent federal funds being used for military action against Iran without Congress’s express approval.

In a joint statement to The Independent, Mr Lee and Mr Sanders – a political independent who calls himself a democratic socialist and is running for the Democratic party’s presidential nomination – said that while they disagree on many issues, “standing up for the Constitution is not about partisanship”.

“The Founding Fathers were absolutely clear. They wanted to ensure that our country avoided needless conflict and they understood that presidential war-making would be harmful to our democracy,” they said.

“That is why Article I of the Constitution vests Congress—and only Congress—with the power to declare war and to direct government spending. The American people’s elected representatives have a duty to publicly debate and vote on military action before we send our brave service members into harm’s way or spend a penny on military hostilities.”

While it might appear unusual for a self-proclaimed socialist such as Mr Sanders to find common cause with a Republican who came to the Senate in the 2010 Tea Party wave, this senatorial odd couple has worked together to stop a US war in the Middle East before.

Last year, Mr Lee signed on to a Sanders-authoured bill to force an end to US involvement in Saudi Arabia’s war against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. That effort passed both the House and Senate, but was vetoed by Mr Trump. An override attempt did not garner the two-thirds majority to force the bill into law over the president’s objections.

Opposition to American intervention in foreign wars has long been a pet cause for the Utah Republican, who on Wednesday erupted in anger after Trump administration officials failed to explain the nature of the “imminent threat” Mr Trump cited to justify his decision to kill Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Maj Gen Qassem Soleimani with a drone strike.

Speaking to reporters immediately after the briefing’s conclusion, Mr Lee called it "insulting”, "demeaning" and "the worst briefing I’ve seen, at least on a military issue” during his Senate tenure.

Mr Lee is not the only high-profile Republican to break with the president over the possibility of military action against Iran.

When the House passed a resolution declaring that Mr Trump did not have congressional approval to conduct any new military actions against Iran, one of the 3 Republicans voting for the legislation was Florida Representative Matt Gaetz.

Mr Gaetz has long been one of Mr Trump’s staunchest defenders, but on Thursday told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson that the Democrat-backed bill was worthy of support because it said Mr Trump – or any president – needs congressional approval ”to drag our nation into another forever Middle East war”.

Read more

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Trump 'did business with' IRGC years before ordering Soleimani strike.

Canada PM Trudeau: Iran plane families will get answers

Associated Press•January 12, 2020

Iran must be held accountable for shooting down plane -Canada's Trudeau

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday it's been gut-wrenching to listen to stories from relatives of 57 Canadians who perished in the downing of a Ukrainian jetliner in Iran last week as he attended one of several memorials across the country.

Speaking at a memorial with a capacity crowd of 2,300 in Edmonton, Alberta, Trudeau said he has learned many of the victims came to Canada in search of new opportunities for their families, but those families are now consumed by grief and outrage.

The plane was shot down by an Iranian missile moments after taking off from Tehran on Wednesday. All 176 on board were killed, including 138 who were headed for Canada.

Iran has admitted the plane was mistaken for a hostile target amid soaring tensions with the United States.

Trudeau called it a Canadian tragedy.

“This tragedy should never have occurred," he said. “We will not rest until there are answers. We will not rest until there is justice and accountability.”

Other memorials were held Sunday across the country.

At the Vancouver Art Gallery, National Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan also called the crash a national tragedy. At the University of Toronto, many cried throughout the ceremony as speakers listed victims, including a one-year-old. People broke out in raucous applause several times when various speakers and politicians said Iran would be held accountable.

Fati Mortazavi, whose best friend died in the crash, said having a community come together helped her cope with the tragedy.

"It's so comforting for us," said Mortazavi. "As long as we know that someone cares for these people, that's so important for us."

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland attended the vigil in Toronto and said the loss goes well beyond the university.

"This is Toronto's loss, this is Ontario's loss and this is Canada's loss," an emotional Freeland told the vigil. “Nothing will ever replace these brilliant lives that have been cut short. We will always ... bear these scars.”

Three members of Canada's standing rapid deployment team arrived Saturday in Iran to establish a base of operations for the Canadian government in the wake of the crash.

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Sunday that Iran has approved visas for six more members of the team, who are currently in Ankara, Turkey, as well as for two experts from the Transportation Safety Board.

The eight are to travel to Iran on Monday, Champagne said in a series of tweets.

A spokesman for Champagne said the officials "will be there to provide consular assistance to the families of the victims, including supporting repatriation of remains, to help identify victims and to assist in the investigation."

Canada's Transportation Board said Sunday it also plans to deploy a second team of investigators who specialize in aircraft recorder download and analysis.

Maple Leafs Foods chief executive Michael McCain, meanwhile, blamed U.S. President Donald Trump for the death of an employee's wife and family. McCain called Trump that “narcissist in Washington" and said the dead Canadians are collateral damage in a rare instance of a Canadian corporate leader making a strong political statement. He said he's still grappling with the death of his colleague's wife and 11-year-old son.

``We are mourning and I am livid,'' he wrote in tweets that were sent from the official Maple Leaf Foods account.

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Elizabeth Warren: We can clean up corruption in Washington. We just have to fight to do it.

Elizabeth Warren, Opinion contributor,
USA TODAY Opinion•January 12, 2020
 

People in Iowa and across America feel it in their bones: Our democracy has been hijacked by the rich and powerful.

You can see it in these past three years of cruelty and criminality under Donald Trump — and in the preceding four decades of stagnant wages, rising costs and diminishing opportunity. The most powerful people in our society have used money and influence to make Washington work for them — and leave everyone else behind.

It’s corruption, pure and simple. I’m running for president to do something about it.

And here’s the good news: Around Iowa and around this country, Democrats, independents and Republicans are united in their desire to clean up corruption in Washington and build an economy with more growth, more opportunity and more freedom.
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That’s our path to beat Donald Trump in 2020. We will beat the most corrupt president in American history by campaigning on the most aggressive anti-corruption platform since Watergate. We will beat a president who has enriched himself and his rich buddies by campaigning on big, structural changes that ensure the economy works for everyone.
Rebuilding the American middle class

For me, this is personal. I grew up in Oklahoma on the ragged edge of the middle class, and I devoted my career to figuring out why hard-working people go broke in the richest country in the world. I never in a million years thought I’d end up in politics, but when I saw how the system was rigged against working families, I got into the fight to help families like the one I grew up in.

Over the last year, I’ve held over 100 events in Iowa — from Orange City to Keokuk and Decorah to Pacific Junction. At every stop along the way, I’ve been talking about my plans: universal child care and high-quality early education; universal free college and student loan debt cancellation; expanded Social Security benefits; and Medicare for All so everyone gets the care they need and no one goes broke paying for it.

Each of these plans would be life-changing for millions of Iowans and Americans. Taken together, they represent the big, structural change we need to rebuild the middle class, help close the racial wealth gap, and ensure that no matter where you live or who you are, you have the opportunity to follow your dreams and fulfill your potential.

I believe in change and I know we can get it done. Why? Because we’ve done it before.

Even before 2008, when an out-of-control Wall Street crashed our economy and wrecked the lives of millions of Americans, I had an idea. We needed a consumer agency that would protect people when they got mortgages, credit cards or payday loans — just like existing federal watchdogs protect people when they buy toys or toasters.

After the crash, I went to Washington and talked to everybody I could about this idea. They all said the same two things: First, it’s a great idea; second, it’ll never happen and you shouldn’t even try. The big money and the big banks will fight you, they said. The Republicans will fight you — heck, even a bunch of the Democrats will fight you. You’ll never get this done.

Joe Biden: Worse than even his policies, Donald Trump is destroying America's soul

I didn’t like that answer, so I fought anyway. And you know what? We got it done. President Obama supported my idea, signed it into law, and asked me to get it off the ground.

And less than a decade later, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has forced financial institutions to return $12 billion to 29 million people they cheated.

Here’s what I learned from that experience: You don’t get what you don’t fight for — and you have to be willing to stand up to the powerful interests that will do anything to block reform.

We’ll win this election by showing the American people that we can clean out Donald Trump’s corrupt Washington and deliver the big changes that actually affect our lives. That’s what I’m running on and that’s what I’ll do as president.

Elizabeth Warren, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, is a Democratic candidate for president. Follow her on Twitter: @ewarren. This column originally appeared in the Des Moines Register.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Elizabeth Warren: Let's fight against corruption, build middle class

Iraq PM tells Kurdish leaders he does not seek 'hostility' with US

AFP•January 11, 2020


Kurdish powerbroker Masoud Barzani (R) welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi to Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on January 11, 2020 (AFP Photo/SAFIN HAMED)More

Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraq's caretaker premier told Kurdish leaders on Saturday he did not seek a hostile relationship with the United States, in his first visit to the autonomous region since coming to power in 2018.

Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi travelled to Arbil with a delegation of top ministers and his intelligence chief.

The trip came at a time of political turmoil for Iraq, after months of anti-government rallies that saw Abdel Mahdi resign and worsening ties with the US as Iraqi lawmakers push for a withdrawal of foreign troops.

Abdel Mahdi met the region's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, President Nechirvan Barzani and influential powerbroker Masoud Barzani, who heads the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party.

A statement from Abdel Mahdi's office said he and the Barzanis discussed the ongoing anti-government protests, the presence of foreign troops in Iraq and broader regional tensions.

"We do not want hostility with anyone, including the United States," Abdel Mahdi said.

He then travelled to the Kurdistan region's second city, Sulaymaniyah, to meet leaders of the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) sees Abdel Mahdi as a reliable ally and had hoped he would help rebuild ties between Baghdad and Arbil, which frayed following the KRG's controversial independence referendum in 2017.

The KRG continued to back him as protests erupted across Baghdad and Iraq's Shiite-majority south in October, which eventually prompted Abdel Mahdi to step down.

Days before his resignation, the KRG had agreed "in principle" with Baghdad on a revenue-sharing deal that granted it a share of the 2020 federal budget in exchange for exporting its oil through the national seller.

The KRG saw the terms of the agreement as favourable and feared that Abdel Mahdi's replacement would not stick to it, but political factions have not agreed on a candidate.

Kurdish authorities have also been worried by Baghdad's insistence that foreign troops leave Iraq, following a vote in the federal parliament last week.

No Kurdish parliamentarians attended the vote and many see the US-led coalition's presence as a counterweight to Iran.

Some 5,200 US troops are stationed across Iraq to back local forces preventing an Islamic State group resurgence.

They make up the bulk of the broader coalition including troops from dozens of countries, invited by the Iraqi government in 2014 to help combat IS.

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Tennis star Nick Kyrgios criticizes Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for 'slow' wildfires response

By Aimee Lewis January 9, 2020

(CNN)Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has said Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was "far too slow" reacting to the wildfires devastating large parts of the country and has described addressing the climate crisis as an "urgent" matter.
A leading voice in his sport's drive to help raise money for relief efforts, Kyrgios last week pledged to donate $140 ($200 AUSD) for every ace he hits at upcoming tournaments -- a deed which has sparked similar gestures from fellow players and tournament organizers in the country.
Writing in AthletesVoice, the world No. 29 said: "As the leader of our country, I don't think Scott Morrison has done enough to be honest.

Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal commit to Australian bushfires charity match
"At the very least, he was far too slow to act, while people were losing their lives and families were losing their homes. There is nothing worse than that.
"Right now, nothing is more important than helping these people and putting the fires out. So, if I could say anything to our politicians it's imagine you're in the same position as these people who have been impacted."
At least 27 people have died nationwide during this fire season. Nearly 18 million acres of land has been burned -- most of it bushland, forests and national parks, which are home to the country's native wildlife.
Kyrgios, 24, hails from the nation's capital Canberra, a city where the air quality was among the worst in the world earlier this week. While the fires have touched every state in Australia, New South Wales has been the hardest hit.


The Australian flag flies above Parliament House as smoke shrouds the Australian capital of Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020.
"For now, politics shouldn't matter. We are where we are, and we've just got to get in and help. But for the future, after this emergency situation eases a little, I think we need to make some changes," Kyrgios continued.
"I think a lot about climate change and the impact that it's having on the environment. The time will come when our leaders will need to sit down and figure out what we can do to protect our environment. It's urgent that we find a solution."
Morrison has faced heavy criticism for his climate policies and response to the wildfires as well growing anger and frustration from the public as the fires continue to spiral out of control.
The media team of the Australian PM and Cabinet didn't immediately respond to CNN's request for comment regarding Kyrgios' comments.


Australia's Alex de Minaur and Nick Kyrgios celebrate beating Britain in the quarterfinals of the ATP Cup.

'Putting it all on the line'
Better known by some for his on-court misdemeanors than title wins, Kyrgios is currently competing in the ATP Cup and has helped Australia reach the semifinals of the inaugural tournament. He had to fight back the tears earlier on in the event when asked during an on-court interview about the bushfires.
Kyrgios will join Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in Melbourne next week for the fundraising exhibition match, Australian Open Rally for Relief.

Emotional Nick Kyrgios leads bushfire support as Tennis Australia pledges $700,000
Though regretting not "doing something sooner," Kyrgios said he was now intent on using his platform to make a difference.
"These fires have been burning since September and I was seeing people being affected by this disaster every day, feeling helpless," he said.
"I realize now that I'm blessed to have the platform that I do, so I can help make a difference because there are many things that are more important than sport. That's what I choose to focus on.
"My biggest inspiration this summer is our firefighters. They're the most important people we have on our side right now. They put my job as a tennis player into perspective, that's for sure.
"Seeing what they have to deal with out there, I don't think our firefighters will ever receive enough praise. They're putting it all on the line for every Australian, for our country and for our animals. There's no greater example of selflessness than that."

CNN's Jessie Yeung contributed to this report.



'Bigger than tennis': Nick Kyrgios' tears over bushfire disaster

 3 Jan 2020

An emotional Nick Kyrgios has paid tribute to firefighters and families battling Australia’s bushfire disaster after winning Australia’s opening ATP Cup match on Friday night.

Kyrgios was clinical as he defeated Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 7-6, but it was in his post-match interview on the court that the Canberra-born star’s emotions bubbled to the surface.

Asked about his pledge to donate $200 for every ace he hits this summer to firefighting and bushfire recovery efforts, Kyrgios said the ups and downs of tennis paled in comparison to what other parts of the country were enduring.

“I don't really care about the praise too much,” Kyrgios said, briefly apologising as he teared up.

"It's pretty sad, it's tough." 💔

🇦🇺 @NickKyrgios speaks about the bushfires in Australia after his win over Struff in #Brisbane.

🇦🇺 #TeamAustralia | #ATPCup pic.twitter.com/gBW1y5pBP1— ATPCup (@ATPCup) January 3, 2020

“We've got the ability and the platform to do something.

“My home town is Canberra and we've got the most toxic air in the world at the moment, that's pretty sad. It's tough.

“It's all going to all the families, firefighters, animals, everyone who is losing homes, losing families… it's a real thing.

After winning Australia's first ATP Cup match, Nick Kyrgios teared up when he was asked about the impact of the ongoing bushfire disaster. Picture: ATP Cup/TwitterMore

“It's bigger than tennis."

Tennis fans were similarly moved by Kyrgios’ show of emotion.

Many took to social media to praise the Australian firebrand’s efforts to support the firefighters and families affected by the crisis.

Has actually changed my opinion of him with this hope it continues— Rick (@Swanniedog) January 3, 2020

Tough for some to love who he is on the court, but off the court it is undeniable how sincere and good-hearted he is.— RF(19)97 (@RF19975) January 3, 2020

👍👍👏👏Hats off the Nick for all he is doing to support the fire fighters, people and animals suffering through these devastating and heartbreaking fires!😪 Top guy ❤— Monica Macdonald (@monicamacdonald) January 3, 2020
Kyrgios kicks off flood of athlete donations

Kyrgios called on Tennis Australia to dig deep in the nations’s time of need, as bushfires devastate livelihoods and communities around the country.

On Friday, the governing body of Australian Tennis answered the call.

Krygios' plans for a massive fundraising effort for bushfire victims has resulted in a tennis exhibition match set to feature some of the world's top players.

The 24-year-old kicked off a flood of donations to the fundraising campaign from sporting names around Australia, including American NBL star LaMelo Ball.

Kyrgios floated the idea of a charity tennis match and Tennis Australia on Friday responded by announcing a "Rally for Relief" exhibition match on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday Jan 15.

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Gold bar found in Mexico was Aztec treasure: study

AFP•January 10, 2020


Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology (INAH) says it has now confirmed that a 1.93-kilogram gold bar was part of looted Aztec treasure (AFP Photo/Jesus VALDOVINOS)More

THIS MEANS THAT AZTEC CULTURE HAD SMELTING TECHNOLOGY AND LARGE SCALE GOLD PRODUCTION 

Mexico City (AFP) - A gold bar found in a Mexico City park in 1981 was part of the Aztec treasure looted by Hernan Cortes and the Spanish conquistadors 500 years ago, a new study says.

The 1.93-kilogram bar was found by a construction worker during excavations for a new building along the Alameda, a picturesque park in the heart of the Mexican capital.

For 39 years, its origins remained a mystery.

But thanks to specialized X-rays, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) says it has now confirmed where the bar came from: the Spaniards' hasty, though temporary, retreat during the so-called "Noche Triste," or "Sad Night."

That night -- June 30, 1520 -- the Aztecs, furious over the slaughter of their nobles and priests, drove the Spanish invaders from their capital, Tenochtitlan.

The conquistadors escaped with as much looted Aztec treasure as they could carry, including, apparently, the gold bar in question.

"The so-called 'Noche Triste' is among the episodes of the conquest that will be remembered this year, and there is only one piece of material evidence from it: a gold bar that sank 500 years ago in the canals of Tenochtitlan, and which recent analysis confirms came from the (Spaniards') flight," INAH said in a statement.

Cortes and his men received a wary welcome from Aztec emperor Moctezuma when they arrived in 1519, but soon became unwanted guests at the palace as they appropriated his treasure and turned him into a virtual hostage.

In June 1520, Cortes -- who had launched his expedition in Mexico without official authorization -- learned that the Spanish governor in Cuba had sent a party of soldiers to arrest him.

He left his lieutenant Pedro de Alvarado in charge at Tenochtitlan and went with part of his army to fight the arriving soldiers, ultimately defeating them.

While he was gone, however, Alvarado began to fear the Aztecs would attack him, and had their nobles and priests killed.

The Aztecs revolted, and the Spaniards retreated -- apparently losing the gold bar along the way.

The study found the bar's composition matched that of other Aztec pieces from the period.

"This bar is a key piece in the puzzle of this historical event," INAH said.