US cities, states defy Trump, still back Paris climate deal

US cities, states defy Trump, still back Paris climate deal

BONN, Germany

A group of U.S. states, cities, businesses and universities said Saturday they are still committed to curbing global warming even as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is walking away from the Paris climate accord.

But the alliance, which has an economy larger than Japan and Germany combined, says it won’t be able to achieve the necessary cut in greenhouse gas emissions without some efforts at the federal level.

“It is important for the world to know, the American government may have pulled out of the Paris agreement, but the American people are committed to its goals, and there is nothing Washington can do to stop us,” former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a global climate meeting in Bonn, Germany.

Gov. Jerry Brown of California echoed those comments.

“In the United States, we have a federal system, and states have real power as do cities. And when cities and states combine together, and then join with powerful corporations, that’s how we get stuff done,” he said.

Lawmakers question whether CIA nominee misled Congress

WASHINGTON

Two former CIA employees are accusing the Trump administration’s choice for CIA chief watchdog of being less than candid when he told Congress he didn’t know about any active whistleblower complaints against him.

Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee asked Christopher Sharpley, the current acting inspector general who’s in line for the permanent job, about complaints that he and other managers participated in retaliation against CIA workers who alerted congressional committees and other authorities about alleged misconduct.

“I’m unaware of any open investigations on me, the details of any complaints about me,” Sharpley testified at his confirmation hearing last month.

He said he might not know because there is a process providing confidentiality to anyone who wants to file a complaint against government officials, who often are individually named in cases against management.

“No action or conclusions of wrongdoing have been made about my career or anything that I’ve done,” Sharpley added.

Allegations against Roy Moore roil US evangelical ranks

For many evangelicals, fiery Alabama politician and judge Roy Moore has been a longtime hero. Others have sometimes cringed at his heated rhetoric and bellicose style.

Now, as Moore’s U.S. Senate campaign is imperiled by allegations of sexual overtures to a 14-year-old girl when he was in his 30s, there’s an outpouring of impassioned and soul-searching discussion in evangelical ranks.

“This is one of those excruciating decision moments for evangelicals,” Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said in a telephone interview. “These allegations, if true, are devastating. If true, this is a very big deal.”

Mohler said Alabama voters face a potentially wrenching task of trying to determine if the allegations – Moore has emphatically denied them – are credible.

Disneyland shuts cooling towers after Legionnaires’ cases

ANAHEIM, Calif.

Disneyland has shut down two cooling towers after people who visited the Southern California theme park came down with Legionnaires’ disease.

A dozen cases of the bacterial lung infection were discovered about three weeks ago, the Orange County Health Care Agency announced Friday.

The patients, ranging in age from 52 to 94, lived or had spent time in Anaheim, and nine had visited Disneyland in September. One patient, who hadn’t visited the park, has died, the agency said.

There haven’t been any new cases linked to Anaheim since September, the agency said.

“There is no known ongoing risk associated with this outbreak,” the agency said.

Legionnaires’ disease can be spread through inhaling droplets from contaminated water sources. While many people have no symptoms, it can cause serious pneumonia and prove dangerous to those with lung or immune system problems.

The disease can be treated with antibiotics.

Disneyland was informed of the Anaheim cases Oct. 27 and after testing found that two cooling towers had elevated levels of Legionella bacteria. The towers were taken out of service Nov. 1, disinfected, went back in operation Nov. 5 but were shut down again Tuesday and will remain offline until tests confirm they are free from contamination, according to the park and the county health agency.

Cooling towers are evaporative systems that provide cooled water for various uses such as refrigeration but not for drinking water. The towers are not in public areas.

UN food chief: To end hunger, end conflict

UNITED NATIONS

The head of the U.N. food agency is telling world leaders that the only way to end global hunger is to end conflicts, which would also free up billions of dollars to build roads and infrastructure and promote economic growth in all developing countries.

David Beasley said in an interview with The Associated Press this week that 19 countries are now in “protracted conflict” – which is “more conflict than we’ve ever had” – and 80 percent of the World Food Program’s funds are now going into conflict regions.

For many years, he said, the number of people facing extreme hunger fell despite the increase in global population, but in the past few years the number of people facing extreme hunger has increased from 777 million to 815 million in 2016 – “all because of man-made conflict.”

In 2015, world leaders adopted new U.N. goals, first and foremost to eradicate extreme poverty – people living on less than $1.25 a day – in all countries by 2030.

“Zero hunger by 2030? It’s a joke without ending the conflicts,” Beasley said. “If we end the conflicts, with the expertise and the food sector of the world, we can end world hunger.”

Trump back on defensive over Russia meddling

President Donald Trump is back on the defensive over Russian election meddling and is accusing Democrats of trying to sabotage U.S.-Russia relations.

Speaking to reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin vehemently insisted once again that Moscow had not interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections.

The Republican president declined to say whether he believed Putin but made clear he wasn’t interested in dwelling on the issue. Trump is in Hanoi, Vietnam, for a brief state visit. He’ll depart for the Philippines later today for a pair of summits that will close out his trip.

Trump and Putin spoke informally several times on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Associated Press