UK leaves EU. Brexit happens!

BBC: Brexit: UK leaves the European Union.

The UK has officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership - and more than three years after it voted to do so in a referendum.

The historic moment, which happened at 23:00 GMT, was marked by both celebrations and anti-Brexit protests.

Candlelit vigils were held in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU, while Brexiteers partied in London's Parliament Square.

Boris Johnson has vowed to bring the country together and "take us forward".
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Britain joined what was then European Economic Community on 1 January, 1973, at the third attempt. Two years later the country voted by an overwhelming majority to remain in the bloc in the first nationwide referendum.

Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron held another referendum in June 2016, amid growing pressure from his own MPs and Nigel Farage's UK Independence Party.

Mr Cameron led the campaign to stay in the EU but lost by the narrow margin of 52% to 48% to the Leave campaign, fronted by fellow Conservative Boris Johnson.

Mr Cameron's successor as prime minister, Theresa May, repeatedly failed to get her version of an EU withdrawal agreement passed by Parliament and was replaced by Mr Johnson, who also failed to get his plans through.

Mr Johnson managed to secure an early general election in December last year, which he won with an 80 seat majority, on a promise to "get Brexit done".

[.] Most EU laws will continue to be in force - including the free movement of people - until 31 December, when the transition period comes to an end.

And she's gone...Theresa May resigns.

BBC: Theresa May resigns over Brexit: What happened?

In an emotional statement outside her office in Downing St, Mrs May finally announced she was stepping down as prime minister.

She will quit as Conservative party leader on 7 June but will stay in office until a successor is found.

 So...June 7th plus one second?

 

Theresa May survives!

BBC: May survives no-confidence vote.

Theresa May has seen off a bid to remove her government from power, winning a no confidence vote by 325 to 306.
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn argued that Mrs May's "zombie" administration had lost the right to govern.

"Zombie" administration. I get a kick out of Corbyn...he's a character.

And the vote 325 to 306? She's gotta be thinking that's too close for comfort; at least in the short term.

May? For at least today, I think she's celebrating.

May's Brexit Takes Hard Hit. Corbyn seeks to topple.

"Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made."
- Otto von Bismarck

Or, in the case of Brexit, another episode of government, (any government), doing usually what they do best. Making newer sausages to fix badly made, past sausages.

BBC: May suffers historic defeat. Read the story, but you MUST hit the link and view the first video. The gray-haired guy, reciting the vote tally. At the 24-25 second mark when he calls out, "OoorrrrrrDER!"  Wanna bet he's a lifer Monty Python fan? The video will start auto-playing for a moment, then stop, then just click on "play video". It's a short clip. "OoorrrrrrDER!"

BBC: What happens next? As all politicians do, plenty 'o room to CY(their)A.

Unless...The Independent...Jeremy Corbyn topples May in 24 hours.

Daily Mail: Theresa May set to SURVIVE no-confidence vote. Well, good for her for looking on the bright side of life.

And you know you want see it, so fast-forward in to the 9 minute and 30 second mark for the fun! (The guy knows what he's doing).

 

Brexit Tuesday? It's Tuesday across the Pond.

The Telegraph (via Yahoo): What time is Brexit?

Bloomberg: Theresa May faces worst gov defeat in 95 years.

BBC: Welsh MPs to vote down EU deal.

BBC: Scottish MPs ready.

Market Watch: Why investors outside the UK should care.

The Independent: This mess belongs to May.

The Independent: Corbyn plots May's downfall.

World News

EU (still) Making Sausages Reforms in Copyright Laws

This is a Must Read by, and at, Julia Reda.com. 

Article 13 is almost finished – and it will change the internet as we know it.

... EU copyright reform law have resumed: After missing the original Christmas deadline, negotiators for the European Parliament and Council are now aiming to finalise the text on January 21, 2019.

The negotiators have reached agreement on the core of Article 13, which will change the internet as we know it: They want to make internet platforms directly liable for any copyright infringements their users commit.

What remains to be decided: Exactly what lengths will platforms need to go to to avoid or limit their liability? Just how much they will need to restrict our ability to post and share our creations online?

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NYT: New caravan forming in Honduras.

More than 300,000 Central Americans entered Mexico last year, most of them illegally, and an estimated 80 percent of them were bound for the United States border, Ms. Sánchez Cordero said.

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Reuters: PG&E multi-billion dollar bankruptcy?

PG&E, which carries a hefty debt load of more than $18 billion, is expected to soon disclose a large financial charge related to liabilities resulting from catastrophic November blazes.

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France 24: Macron looks to calm the Yellow Vests.

Macron's initiative comes after nine weeks of protests by the "yellow vests" -- named after the high-visibility jackets they wear. The disparate anti-government uprising has wreaked havoc in Paris and French cities, shaken the economy and challenged his authority.

BBC: Yellow Vests disable 60% of speed cameras.

Good for them!
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Sky News: Polish mayor stabbed on stage.

Pawel Adamowicz, who is the mayor of Gdansk, was attacked in front of hundreds of onlookers in the city during an event in aid of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity.

Doctors said he underwent five hours of surgery for wounds to his heart and abdomen but that "the next hours will decide everything".
[.]
According to Polish broadcaster TVN, the suspect shouted from the stage and claimed that he had been wrongly imprisoned by the previous government.

Sky News: Stage of stabbing attack.

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The Diplomat: China's interest in Antarctica, space, the moon AND Antarctica.

China views exploration of outer space as part of its overall national development. Its space-based BeiDou 2 system aims for global coverage by 2020. Furthermore, China aims to have a human-crewed space station by 2020-22 and a space-based solar power station by 2050, all to protect China’s national interests. Comparable to its actions in Antarctica, Chinese nationalistic goals and somewhat imperialistic advance will likely determine the shape of future conflict.

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ING: Why a Brexit delay is likely.

 ...it’s worth noting that there are at least two ways the law-making process alone could force a Brexit delay.

BBC: "Brexit Box" survival kits flying off shelves.

"People from all over the UK are buying it and those that can afford more are purchasing more than just the Brexit box, perhaps the three-month or six month packs."

BBC: Theresa May says no Brexit more likely than no deal.

Labour has vowed to table a vote of no confidence if Mrs May loses.

Its leader Jeremy Corbyn said Labour would vote against the deal and would start moves to trigger a general election if it is voted down.

Daily Mail: Boris stirs up the anti-Mays.

9 News: May says no deal means catastrophe.
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GLB News: The already overcrowded 2020 declared Dem presidential candidates.

Easier to raise hands if you're a Dem and not running for president.
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SMH: Australia, where some workers choose lifestyle over pay.
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Singapore Straits: Stowaway bird appears 12 hours into flight.

Business-class passengers [were] greeted by [ a mynah bird ]  about 12 hours into the flight. A typical Singapore-London flight takes about 14 hours.

My mind is completely blank. Can't think of a one-or-two-liner on the stowaway bird. Anyone?

World News

Op/Ed - NY Post: Trump withdraw from Syria too soon.

...such an abrupt withdrawal is precisely the kind of mistake President Barack Obama made in Iraq — leaving an enormous vacuum for Russia, Iran and extremist groups to fill and abdicating any US influence in the area.

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Arizona's U.S. Senator Jeff Flake, (Pretend Republican/Apologist) co-sponsors a bill fighting climate change. KTAR:

The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act would place a $15 fee on each metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted.

The fee would rise by $10 each year, and all of its net revenues would be given back to taxpayers as a monthly dividend.

The E-I-C-D-A (You know Flake is itching to use that) is the "We Didn't Listen" argument.
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SMH: Global financial heart attack is months away.

Surging borrowing costs for companies in the US and Europe threaten a recession within months and resemble events leading up to the global credit "heart attack" in August 2007.

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The Democrats will try this next: Both presidential candidates claim win. France24:

Andry Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana -- who have each held the top job in the impoverished country before -- declared themselves winners in the run-off which analysts warned was likely to draw claims of fraud.

Only the Dems would assure us of no election fraud. As long as they win.

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"Look, in that car! It's Jeff Goldblum!"  "Who?"

NBC LA: In Five years, 10 million more vehicles through LAX. 

There has been a 10 million vehicle increase from 2012 to 2017 at Los Angeles International Airport, much of that starting in 2015 when the city gave services like Uber and Lyft the green light[.]

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The Inquirer: Was Facebook giving user data to other Big Tech?

A devastating report from the New York Times suggests that Facebook has been playing fast and loose with its users' privacy, giving special access to more than 150 high-profile companies, including Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.

The BBC: Facebook's data sharing secrets exposed.

"Time and again Facebook has been unable to clearly and in plain language explain to people how the company is collecting, storing, sharing, and retaining people's data," a spokeswoman for Privacy International told the BBC.

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Corbyn denies calling May "stupid woman." The Irish News:

Jeremy Corbyn was forced to deny calling Theresa May a "stupid woman" as the final prime minister's questions of the year sparked a heated row over misogyny.

Lincolnshire Live - Lipreader says maybe Corbyn did call her that, or didn't.

However, a lip reader from Lincoln Joanne Hunter has given her verdict on what she thinks he said.

She said: "I have looked at his lipreading and there are two words. I think he said...(Argh! The Suspense. You'll have to read the story).

The Irish Examiner: 99 Days Til Brexit.
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The Korea Herald - China detains THIRD Canadian.

China has arrested a third Canadian national, Ottawa said Wednesday -- a move that comes amid an already tense diplomatic spat with Beijing over the arrest of a Chinese telecom executive.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau however emphasized that the arrest did not seem to be linked to a former diplomat and an entrepreneur held for allegedly endangering China's national security.

"We are looking into the details (but) this most recent one doesn't seem to fit the pattern set by the previous two," Trudeau told a press conference.

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The Age - Award-winning journalist quits after discovery he committed fraud on a grand scale:

Claas Relotius, 33, a staff writer known for vivid investigative stories. The magazine said Relotius resigned on Monday after admitting some of his articles included made-up material from interviews that never happened.

Claas...Coming Soon on CNN!
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9News: Man facing jail term for... doing things you don't do.

WTFIWWP ?
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Flights suspended due to drones over runways. The Telegraph:

A police helicopter was called in after two unmanned drones were reportedly sighted near a runway, forcing the airport to halt all flights and warn of possible knock-on disruption on Thursday.

Fox News - Mom and daughter arrested; attempted to send contraband to prison using drone:

A mother and daughter who police said were "hoping to spread some holiday cheer" were arrested and accused of flying a drone packed with...tobacco and cellphones to [wait for it]...[the husband/father of the wife/daughter].

Give 'em a break. It's Christmas.

World News

Former Apprentice staffer claims Trump "abused Adderall." NZ Herald:

Noel Casler allegedly worked in talent logistics [and claims], [President Trump], "... gets nervous and he crushes up these pills. That's why he's sniffing when you see him in debates, and when you see him reading."

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The Guardian - U.S. Gov Shutdown Looms:

Monday brought few signs of progress in solving a dispute between Republicans and Democrats over keeping the government open. A partial shutdown that could occur at midnight Friday[.]

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SMH - Twitter hacked by 'state sponsored actors'?:

Twitter observed a large amount of traffic to the customer support site coming from individual internet IP addresses in China and Saudi Arabia.

"While we cannot confirm intent or attribution for certain, it is possible that some of these IP addresses may have ties to state-sponsored actors," the blog said.

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TRT World - Russia meddled in social media in U.S. politics:

Russia’s sweeping political disinformation campaign on US social media was more far-reaching than originally thought, with troll farms working to discourage black voters and “blur the lines between reality and fiction”[.]

This story will never make sense to me. How is the above any different from me (or any other blogger or writer, or group of,) writing a factual, fictional, or embellished blog entry on Hillary Clinton, or Theresa May or any other public figure seeking office? Unless people have more faith in social media than I ever thought possible and they really believe that "it must be true, I read it on the internets."
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Daily Mail - Goldman Sachs hit by Malaysia fraud scandal:

Goldman Sachs has been hit with fraud charges in Malaysia after allegedly helping to pillage £2.1 billion from a sovereign wealth fund.
[.]
It is the latest twist in a saga which has been catastrophic for Goldman's reputation, with shares down over a third this year. The stock was hit again yesterday, dropping nearly 3 per cent in New York.

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CSM: No-deal Brexit brings risk of traffic gridlock:

In the event of a major backlog at the Port of Dover, 50 miles away, this stretch of highway would become a temporary truck park.

What kind of calamity might cause such a monstrous snarl-up?

In a word, Brexit.

The Herald-Scotland - Corbyn increases pressure on Theresa May with no-confidence vote:

Jeremy Corbyn has sought to pile the pressure on Theresa May by tabling a no-confidence vote in her[.]

The Scotsman - May dares Labour to topple government:

Theresa May has dared Labour to try and topple her government after she announced the Commons would not vote on her proposed Brexit deal until the middle of January[.]

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Protesters converge on Hungary public broadcaster. AFP:

Anti-government protests in Hungary hit the country's public broadcaster on Monday, with the opposition galvanised by the furious reaction to a controversial new labour law.
[.]
MPs had demanded access to the studios to read out a petition against the government and what they call its "slave" labour law.

MTVA security guards forcibly ejected independent MPs Akos Hadhazy and Bernadett Szel, sparking criticism online.