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Nagasaki marks 79th A-bomb anniversary without U.S. and other ambassadors after excluding Israel
Read full article: Nagasaki marks 79th A-bomb anniversary without U.S. and other ambassadors after excluding IsraelNagasaki has marked the 79th anniversary of its atomic bombing at the end of World War II at a ceremony eclipsed by the absence of the American ambassador and other Western envoys in response to the Japanese city’s refusal to invite Israel.
US ambassador to Japan to skip A-bomb memorial service in Nagasaki because Israel was not invited
Read full article: US ambassador to Japan to skip A-bomb memorial service in Nagasaki because Israel was not invitedThe U.S. ambassador to Japan has decided to skip this year's atomic bombing memorial service in Nagasaki after Israel was not invited.
Unusual mix of possible candidates line up for Chicago's first school board elections this fall
Read full article: Unusual mix of possible candidates line up for Chicago's first school board elections this fallThe nation’s third-largest city is preparing for its first school board elections and the slate of potential candidates includes progressive activists, an afterschool squash program leader and a Grammy-winning rapper.
USS Ronald Reagan leaves its Japan home port after nearly 9 years
Read full article: USS Ronald Reagan leaves its Japan home port after nearly 9 yearsA U.S. Navy strike group’s flagship aircraft carrier has left its Japanese home port, wrapping up nearly nine years of deployment in the Indo-Pacific, where it served a key role in the U.S. effort to bolster defense ties with Japan and other partners in the region.
Chicago mayor's bumpy first year tests progressive credentials, puzzling some supporters
Read full article: Chicago mayor's bumpy first year tests progressive credentials, puzzling some supportersOnetime union organizer Brandon Johnson took office as Chicago’s mayor a year ago promising “bold” action as one of the country’s most progressive leaders.
2 Japanese navy helicopters crash in the Pacific Ocean during training, leaving 1 dead and 7 missing
Read full article: 2 Japanese navy helicopters crash in the Pacific Ocean during training, leaving 1 dead and 7 missingTwo Japanese navy helicopters carrying eight crew members have crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during nighttime training in a possible collision, leaving one dead.
Biden meets Japan's PM Kishida over shared concerns about China and differences on US Steel deal
Read full article: Biden meets Japan's PM Kishida over shared concerns about China and differences on US Steel dealJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has begun his much-anticipated visit to Washington.
Japan signs agreement to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles as US envoy lauds its defense buildup
Read full article: Japan signs agreement to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles as US envoy lauds its defense buildupJapan has signed a deal with the United States to purchase up to 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of its ongoing military buildup in response to increased regional threats.
US ambassador thanks Japan for defense upgrade and allowing a Patriot missile sale to US
Read full article: US ambassador thanks Japan for defense upgrade and allowing a Patriot missile sale to USU.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has praised Japan’s contribution to their military alliance, particularly a decision to allow Japanese-made Patriot guided missiles to be shipped to the United States to make up for its decreasing inventory.
Search for military personnel continues after Osprey crash off coast of southern Japan
Read full article: Search for military personnel continues after Osprey crash off coast of southern JapanJapanese authorities say they have handed over pieces of the wreckage from an U.S. Air Force Osprey that crashed off southwestern Japan to the U.S. military, as the search continued for seven missing servicemembers.
The US is welcomed in the Indo-Pacific region and should do more, ambassador to Japan says
Read full article: The US is welcomed in the Indo-Pacific region and should do more, ambassador to Japan saysRahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, says the U.S. is welcomed in the Indo-Pacific and should do more to counter China's influence there.
U.S. envoy visits Fukushima to eat fish, criticize China's seafood ban over wastewater release
Read full article: U.S. envoy visits Fukushima to eat fish, criticize China's seafood ban over wastewater releaseU.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has visited a city in Fukushima, where he ate a seafood lunch with the mayor, talked to fishermen and stocked up on local produce to show they are safe after the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
Hiroshima peace park, Pearl Harbor memorial park forge sister park deal to promote peace
Read full article: Hiroshima peace park, Pearl Harbor memorial park forge sister park deal to promote peaceHiroshima and Pearl Harbor, two symbols of World War II animosity between Japan and the United States, are now promoting peace and friendship through a sister park arrangement.
Youngkin in Japan to forge supply chains with 'friends'
Read full article: Youngkin in Japan to forge supply chains with 'friends'Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has said while visiting Tokyo that he hopes to forge “trusted supply chain relationships” with U.S. allies and friends to create supply chains that are not China-dependent.
US uses farmers markets to foster ties at bases in Japan
Read full article: US uses farmers markets to foster ties at bases in JapanAs the United States and Japan further strengthen their military alliance, they’ve turned to farmers markets to foster friendlier ties between American military bases and their Japanese neighbors.
VP Harris seeks computer chip partners in Japan meetings
Read full article: VP Harris seeks computer chip partners in Japan meetingsVice President Kamala Harris has highlighted a new U.S. law boosting support for computer chip manufacturing as she met with Japanese technology executives on Wednesday.
US ambassador to Japan warns of Chinese economic coercion
Read full article: US ambassador to Japan warns of Chinese economic coercionThe U.S. ambassador in Tokyo says his government is working with Japan and other likeminded countries to counter Chinese attempts to use its economic might to force political change around the world.
Okinawa marks 50 years of end to US rule amid protests
Read full article: Okinawa marks 50 years of end to US rule amid protestsOkinawa Governor Denny Tamaki has urged Japan’s central government to do more to reduce the U.S. military presence in the southern island group as it marked the 50th anniversary of its return to Japanese rule.
Ex-Chicago officer who killed Laquan McDonald leaves prison
Read full article: Ex-Chicago officer who killed Laquan McDonald leaves prisonThe former Chicago police officer who was convicted in the shooting death of Black teenager Laquan McDonald has been released from prison after serving less than half of his sentence.
Anger, questions as ex-cop who killed Black teen is set free
Read full article: Anger, questions as ex-cop who killed Black teen is set freeThe imminent release from prison of the former Chicago police officer who shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in 2014, killing the Black teenager, is a reminder for some of what they say is an unfair criminal justice system.
NAACP urges federal charges in Laquan McDonald's killing
Read full article: NAACP urges federal charges in Laquan McDonald's killingThe NAACP is urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to bring federal civil rights charges against the white Chicago police officer who fatally shot Black teenager Laquan McDonald.
Ex-Chicago officer who killed Laquan McDonald to be released
Read full article: Ex-Chicago officer who killed Laquan McDonald to be releasedThe white Chicago police officer convicted in the 2014 shooting death of Black teenager Laquan McDonald is days away from walking out of prison after just over three years behind bars.
Senate confirms big slate of Biden ambassadors to end 2021
Read full article: Senate confirms big slate of Biden ambassadors to end 2021The Senate has confirmed more than 30 ambassadors and other Biden administration nominees after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to schedule a vote on sanctions on the company behind the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany.
Defense says American charged in Ghosn pay case not involved
Read full article: Defense says American charged in Ghosn pay case not involvedThe defense for former Nissan executive Greg Kelly has argued there is no evidence or motives linking him to alleged under-reporting of his ex-boss Carlos Ghosn’s compensation.
Police shooting looms over Emanuel in confirmation battle
Read full article: Police shooting looms over Emanuel in confirmation battleThe fatal police shooting of a Black teen in Chicago seven years ago is looming large over former Mayor Rahm Emanuel as he hopes to win Senate confirmation as ambassador to Japan.
Japan envoy pick Emanuel: Chicago teen shooting weighs heavy
Read full article: Japan envoy pick Emanuel: Chicago teen shooting weighs heavyFormer Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he did nothing improper but still fell short in his handling of the fatal police shooting of a Black teenage seven years ago in the city.
Biden picks Burns for China ambassador; Emanuel for Japan
Read full article: Biden picks Burns for China ambassador; Emanuel for JapanPresident Joe Biden is nominating former senior State Department official Nicholas Burns to serve as his ambassador to China and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve as his envoy to Japan.
AP source: Biden picks LA mayor, envoy for ambassador posts
Read full article: AP source: Biden picks LA mayor, envoy for ambassador postsPresident Joe Biden is expected to announce former senior State Department official Nicholas Burns to serve as his ambassador to China and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be his ambassador to India.
With ambassador picks, Biden faces donor vs. diversity test
Read full article: With ambassador picks, Biden faces donor vs. diversity testPresident Joe Biden is facing a fresh challenge to his oft-repeated commitment to diversity in his administration: assembling a diplomatic corps that gives a nod to key political allies and donors while staying true to a campaign pledge to appoint ambassadors who look like America.
Biden hails transportation nominee Buttigieg as 'new voice'
Read full article: Biden hails transportation nominee Buttigieg as 'new voice'Mayor Pete Buttigieg, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be transportation secretary reacts to his nomination as Biden looks on during a news conference at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. – President-elect Joe Biden has introduced his one-time Democratic primary rival Pete Buttigieg as his nominee for transportation secretary, saying the 38-year-old can be “a new voice" in the fight against economic inequality, institutional racism and climate change. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, would be the first openly gay person confirmed by the Senate to a Cabinet position. Emanuel was mentioned as a potential candidate for several Biden Cabinet posts but drew strong backlash from progressives. Biden’s selection of Buttigieg for transportation secretary drew praise from LGBTQ rights groups.
Biden taps Buttigieg for transportation, Granholm for energy
Read full article: Biden taps Buttigieg for transportation, Granholm for energyFILE - In this April 29, 2019 file photo, then Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg, from South Bend, Indiana, listens during a lunch meeting with civil rights leader Rev. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to pick former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg to head the transportation department. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, Pool)President-elect Joe Biden nominated his former rival Pete Buttigieg as secretary of transportation on Tuesday and intends to choose former Michigan Gov. All three will be central to Biden’s plan to remake the country’s automobiles and transportation systems to quickly cut climate-damaging petroleum emissions. Biden’s plan includes overhauling the nation’s transportation and power sectors and buildings to eliminate fossil fuel emissions by 2050.
The Latest: Biden announces Buttigieg as transportation pick
Read full article: The Latest: Biden announces Buttigieg as transportation pickPresident-elect Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in rally for Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):7:55 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has formally announced former rival Pete Buttigieg as his pick to be secretary of transportation. ___1:30 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden says he’s spoken with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the Electoral College affirmed his victory Monday. ___8:40 a.m.Two foreign leaders who had not congratulated President-elect Joe Biden have now done so. ___7:30 a.m.Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible.
Obama reunion? Biden fills Cabinet with former WH leaders
Read full article: Obama reunion? Biden fills Cabinet with former WH leadersPresident-elect Joe Biden is nominating former President Barack Obama's White House chief of staff Denis McDonough as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Increasingly deep into the process of selecting Cabinet members and other senior staff, the incoming Biden administration has a distinctly Obama feel. There's Denis McDonough, former President Barack Obama's chief of staff who Biden announced on Thursday would be nominated as the secretary of veterans affairs. Susan Rice, Obama's former U.N. ambassador and national security adviser, was named the director of Biden's White House Domestic Policy Council. Jeff Zients, who did stints as acting Office of Management and Budget director and a top economic adviser in the Obama White House, will return as Biden’s coronavirus response coordinator.
AP source: Emanuel's Cabinet prospects increasingly unlikely
Read full article: AP source: Emanuel's Cabinet prospects increasingly unlikelyWASHINGTON – Rahm Emanuel’s chances of landing a top Cabinet post in Joe Biden's administration appear increasingly unlikely after the former Chicago mayor emerged as a source of controversy for the president-elect, who had been considering Emanuel for transportation secretary, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Al Sharpton raised similar concerns during a meeting with Biden and other civil rights leaders, the person said. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss private deliberations and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity. An announcement on transportation secretary is not believed to be imminent. Two other high profile Obama-era alumni were announced Thursday as joining the Biden administration — Denis McDonough as veterans' affairs secretary and Susan Rice to head the Domestic Policy Council.
AP sources: Biden to pick Katherine Tai as top trade envoy
Read full article: AP sources: Biden to pick Katherine Tai as top trade envoy(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden is set to nominate Katherine Tai to be the top U.S. trade envoy, according to two people familiar with his plans. Biden's selection of Tai, who is Asian American, reflects his promise to choose a diverse Cabinet that reflects the makeup of the country. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Tai earlier oversaw China trade enforcement for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, setting U.S. strategy in trade disputes with China. Biden’s trade representative will inherit a trade war with China, put on pause by an interim trade pact in January that left many of the hardest issues unresolved and U.S. taxes remaining on $360 billion in Chinese imports. As the top trade staffer at Ways and Means, Tai handled negotiations last year with the Trump administration over a revamped North American trade deal.
Biden facing growing pressure over secretary of defense pick
Read full article: Biden facing growing pressure over secretary of defense pickWASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden is facing escalating pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes his choice for secretary of defense. And facing massive governing challenges once he takes office on Jan. 20, Biden can perhaps least afford to lose the backing of the Democratic Party’s fiery progressive base. Nearly 100 House Democrats belong to the Progressive Caucus, which may wield significant influence over Biden's policy agenda as Democrats cling to their narrowest House majority in a century. Flournoy, meanwhile, had been seen as the leading candidate for defense secretary under a Democratic president since Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 campaign. Biden has promised both to fight for big, bold policy changes and to compromise with Republicans.
Biden facing growing pressure over secretary of defense pick
Read full article: Biden facing growing pressure over secretary of defense pickWASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden is facing escalating pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes his choice for secretary of defense. And facing massive governing challenges once he takes office on Jan. 20, Biden can perhaps least afford to lose the backing of the Democratic Party’s fiery progressive base. Nearly 100 House Democrats belong to the Progressive Caucus, which may wield significant influence over Biden's policy agenda as Democrats cling to their narrowest House majority in a century. Flournoy, meanwhile, had been seen as the leading candidate for defense secretary under a Democratic president since Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 campaign. Biden has promised both to fight for big, bold policy changes and to compromise with Republicans.
The Latest: Biden inaugural committee limits donors to $500K
Read full article: The Latest: Biden inaugural committee limits donors to $500K(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):2:10 p.m. The committee raising money for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration will take contributions from individual donors of as much as $500,000 and from corporations of as much as $1 million. The contribution limits for Biden are far lower than those of President Donald Trump in 2017. Neera Tanden would help prepare Biden’s federal budgets as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Biden also introduced Neera Tanden as his choice to run the White House budget office.
Joe Biden weighs Rahm Emanuel for transportation secretary
Read full article: Joe Biden weighs Rahm Emanuel for transportation secretaryCHICAGO – President-elect Joe Biden is considering former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a substantial and somewhat divisive figure in Democratic Party politics, to serve as his transportation secretary. Progressive leaders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have been especially vocal in criticizing the prospect of Emanuel joining the Cabinet. “The administration needs people like Rahm who know how to get things done.”Some of the city’s Black elected officials are also vouching for him. Emanuel said he did not see the grisly video until it was set to be made public in November 2015. During his time as mayor, Chicago saw $11 billion in airfield, terminal and infrastructure investments at the city's airports.
Message of Election 2020: Trump lost, but Trumpism did not
Read full article: Message of Election 2020: Trump lost, but Trumpism did notIf Trump wins, Republicans win the Senate," said Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and chief of staff to President Barack Obama. Florida, a state that voted for Trump, voted for the minimum wage. Illinois, a state that voted for Biden, voted down a progressive income tax. “It’s clear there was more voter frustration with Trump than with the ideology of the Republican Party,” said Mike Murphy, a strategist to several Republican presidential campaigns who broke with his party over Trump. “Trump lifted Republican candidates by vastly boosting turnout in areas of Republican strength," said David Axelrod, former senior adviser Obama.
Lack of body cameras fuels suspicion in Chicago shooting
Read full article: Lack of body cameras fuels suspicion in Chicago shootingAuthorities have said they found a gun at the scene, but they acknowledge that the officers who shot him were not wearing cameras. After Allen was shot on Sunday, activists immediately seized on the news that the officers were not wearing body cameras. These details are uncorroborated, partially because CPD also claims there is no body camera footage available for this interaction, the group said. Questions about the lack of body cameras extend beyond activist groups. Chicago police have also used body camera footage to show that officers acted properly, possibly heading off the kind of rampage that unfolded this week.