When the Clampetts moved from Tennessee to Beverly Hills in the 1960’s, the fictitious TV family had $83 million in the bank as a result of their backyard oil strike. Jed and his kin had no money worries, but most people who move to the big city find it hard to adapt to the much higher price levels. In places like New York City, Chicago, London, Tokyo and Los Angeles, the cost of living is escalated than in medium sized towns. If you have recently found yourself dwelling in one of the larger urban areas, here are some reliable tips for how to handle money and, hopefully, end up with some left when the last day of the month rolls around.
Use Public Transit
The golden rule of city life is using public transportation.
Even if you own a car, it’s best to use it judiciously and take the bus, train
or rapid transit to your destination. In New York, for example, you can spend
as much as $2,500 more each year using your car instead of taking public
transit. It’s not always a glamorous or convenient way to get from point A to
point B, but buses and trains are cheap, and if you reside in the Big Apple or
the big anything else, saving cash on in-city travel is a bargain you shouldn’t
pass up.
Find No Cost Entertainment Options
One of the many great things about live in highly populated
areas is free entertainment. It seems like whenever large groups reside near
each other, they somehow figure out that it makes perfect sense to put on free
concerts, circuses and public performances of all kinds. There are also
museums, vast parks and lots of historic sites to see in the metropolis. That
means you can spend at least the first couple years acting like a tourist and
seeing the sights of the place you now call home.
Refinance Student Loans
Moving from a smaller town to a larger one entails cost-cutting. One of the most efficient ways to reduce your monthly expenses is by refinancing student loans. Not only will you have more available cash due to the lower monthly payments, but you’ll likely have a lower interest rate and much more time to pay off the entire debt. A refi makes solid sense for anyone contemplating a move to a major metro area.
Track All Spending
When you first arrive in your new residence, sit down and make a simple spreadsheet to track spending. It’s easy to leak money from your budget when you arrive in a place like Dallas, Miami or San Francisco. It’s important to watch every penny for the first month or two so you know where all the cash is going and what tourist traps you need to avoid.
Plan Meals a Week or Two in Advance
One of the most efficient ways to conserve your funds is to
only eat out one or two times per week. Plan all other meals as eating in, and
shop accordingly. Remember, a written weekly meal plan can save you more than
any other lifestyle change.
Thousands of Palestinian protesters
held a “day of rage” in the Gaza Strip on January 28, while the
Israeli military deployed reinforcements in the occupied West Bank.
The blueprint, which aims to solve
one of the world’s longest-running conflicts, was drafted under the stewardship
of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Standing alongside Israeli PM
Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump said his
proposals “could be the last opportunity” for Palestinians.
Reports said Benjamin Netanyahu was
planning to press ahead with annexing 30% of the occupied West Bank, with a
cabinet vote due on February 2.
Israel has settled about 400,000
Jews in West Bank settlements, with another 200,000 living in East Jerusalem.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel
disputes this.
Speaking on Tuesday, President
Mahmoud Abbas said it was “impossible for any Palestinian, Arab, Muslim or
Christian child to accept” a Palestinian state without Jerusalem as its
capital.
He said: “We say a thousand times, no, no, no.
“We rejected this deal from the start and our stance
was correct.”
The militant Palestinian Islamist
group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, also rejected the deal which it
said aimed “to liquidate the Palestinian national project”.
The UN said it remained committed to
a two-state solution based on the boundaries in place before the 1967 war, when
Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu described President Trump’s plan as the “deal of
the century”.
Israel “will not miss this opportunity”, he said.
“May God bless us all with security, prosperity and peace!” the Israeli prime minister added.
Emergency can strike at any time. Nobody expects to be the only witness to a car crash, or worse. If you are the only person who can help, not having any first aid training could be the difference in a person is living or dying. It is especially important for parents, or you are in charge of multiple people on a day to day basis. Even if you are not, having the ability to save someone’s life one day, is an ability I think most people should have. Without it, you can end up causing more damage than good. You only have to read about the Boston scientific defibrillator lawsuit to see that.
Here is some basic first aid that everybody should know.
Heavy Bleeding
To stop heavy bleeding, the type where their body will not form a clot. To stop them from bleeding out, first, you must put pressure on the wound. If possible, raise the injury above the heart to slow down the bleed rate. If it is a major arterial bleed, they could die within a couple of minutes. It is crucial that you add cloth to the wound and apply pressure, do not let that pressure off until the paramedics turn up.
CPR
With nearly 90% of cardiac arrests happening at home, away from a doctor or hospital, it is important to know what to do when one happens.
To begin with, it performs CPR with no training, put your hands over the victim’s heart and push. Push to the rhythm of ‘Nelly the Elephant’ or ‘Staying Alive’ by the Bee Gees.
You need to do this immediately, as it only takes 4 minutes for a cardiac arrest to lead to brain damage, even if you save them.
Heimlich Maneuver
It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, your child has swallowed a small object and its stuck in their throat and they are choking. What do you do?
If this happens, you will have to perform the Heimlich Maneuver. Stand behind them with your hand wrapped around them. Turn one hand into a fist and place it between their belly button and their ribcage. Place your other hand over the top. Then perform a quick upwards thrusting motion, making sure to use a good amount of pressure, repeat until the object is dislodged.
Strokes
Strokes are one of those things that increase in severity rapidly from the moment they happen, and they can happen at any time. The best thing to do if you spot the signs of someone you love having a stroke is to call for an ambulance immediately and, if possible, give them an aspirin.
Signs to look for with a stroke are dizzy spells, numbness, drooping of one side of the face. If in doubt, ask them to smile, if one part of the mouth doesn’t rise, the likelihood is they are having a stroke.
Hopefully, with these basic first aid tricks, you have the ability to save a life, not that we hope it ever comes up!
Standing alongside Israeli PM Benjamin
Netanyahu at the White House, President Donald Trump has presented his
long-awaited Middle East peace plan, promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel’s
undivided capital.
President Trump proposed an independent Palestinian state and the
recognition of Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements.
He said his proposals “could be the last opportunity” for
Palestinians.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the plans as a
“conspiracy”.
He said in a TV address from Ramallah in the West Bank: “I say to Trump and Netanyahu: Jerusalem is not for sale, all our
rights are not for sale and are not for bargain. And your deal, the conspiracy,
will not pass.”
The blueprint, which aims to solve one of the world’s longest-running
conflicts, was drafted under the stewardship of President Trump’s son-in-law
Jared Kushner.
Thousands of Palestinians protested in the Gaza Strip earlier on January 28,
while the Israeli military deployed reinforcements in the occupied West Bank.
The joint announcement came as both President Trump and PM Netanyahu faced political challenges at home. Donald Trump is the subject of an impeachment trial in the Senate while the Israeli PM on January 28 dropped his bid for immunity on corruption charges. Both men deny any wrongdoing.
David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel, said that the timing of the
announcement was not tied to any political development, adding it had been
“fully baked” for some time.
President Trump’s proposals are:
The US will recognize Israeli sovereignty over territory that Donald Trump’s plan envisages being part of Israel. The plan includes a conceptual map that President Trump says illustrates the territorial compromises that Israel is willing to make.
The map will “more than double the Palestinian territory and provide a Palestinian capital in eastern Jerusalem”, where President Trump says the US would open an embassy. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said President Trump’s plan would give Palestinians control over 15% of what it called “historic Palestine”.
Jerusalem “will remain Israel’s undivided capital”. Both Israel and the Palestinians hold competing claims to the holy city. The Palestinians insist that East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East war, be the capital of their future state.
An opportunity for Palestinians to “achieve an independent state of their very own” – however, he gave few details.
“No Palestinians or Israelis will be uprooted from their homes” – suggesting that existing Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank will remain.
Israel will work with the king of Jordan to ensure that the status quo governing the key holy site in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount and al-Haram al-Sharif to Muslims is preserved. Jordan runs the religious trust that administers the site.
Territory allocated to Palestinians in President Trump’s map “will remain open and undeveloped for a period of four years”. During that time, Palestinians can study the deal, negotiate with Israel, and “achieve the criteria for statehood”.
President Trump said: “Palestinians are in poverty and violence, exploited by those seeking to use them as pawns to advance terrorism and extremism. They deserve a far better life.”
Jeffrey Epstein‘s alleged victims
have urged Prince Andrew to co-operate with an inquiry into the financier.
Attorney Lisa Bloom, representing
five women who say they were abused by the financier, said Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers were “outraged”
by the Duke of York not assisting the US authorities.
It comes after the prosecutor in charge
of the US investigation said Prince Andrew had provided “zero
co-operation”.
The prince has said he did not
witness or suspect any suspicious behavior during visits to Jeffrey Epstein’s
homes.
Prince Andrew has come under fire for his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein – a convicted sex offender who took his own life in a jail cell in August at the age of 66, while awaiting trial on trafficking and conspiracy charges.
Last November, the prince said that
he was willing to help the authorities into the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.
However, attorney Geoffrey Berman
said prosecutors and the FBI have received no reply after contacting Prince
Andrew’s lawyers.
Linda Bloom said the duke should “do the right thing”.
Buckingham Palace said Prince Andrew’s legal team was dealing with the issue
and it would not be commenting further.
Another lawyer representing some of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers, Gloria Allred, said she had sent a letter to Prince Andrew’s home urging him to co-operate but hadn’t received a response.
A family court showdown in Houston on Tuesday, January 28th, 2020 involves the attempt of Ed Bosarge, one of Houston’s richest men, to hide billions of dollars from his wife of 30 years.
The
big question for court observers is: Will Ed Bosarge dare to show up in Harris
County Family Court?
The 81-year-old Ed Bosarge is accused of vast amounts of fraud by his spouse – a sophisticated effort to hide his mansions, superyachts and private Bahamian Island in secretive trust accounts in South Dakota. The state has become famous as a place for the super wealthy to hide their assets.
During
the 2:00 p.m. court hearing, lawyers for Ed Bosarge will ask 312th
District Court Judge Chip Wells to throw out the fraud claims. The billionaire’s
wife, Marie Bosarge, claims the Medical Center pioneer and famed mathematician
started having an affair with his Russian girlfriend who is nearly 47 years
younger, and then systematically moved assets to what Marie calls “sham”
accounts before trying to end the marriage.
One
of the Bosarge mansions was called the most expensive house in Houston by the Houston Chronicle.
“It’s very disappointing. It’s sad,” said Marie Bosarge when questioned by Dolcefino Consulting.
“We’ve been married thirty years and he
is trying to take everything from me and leave me homeless basically.”
Ed
Bosarge is no stranger to allegations of fraud. The Houston entrepreneur was
charged decades ago by the Securities and Exchange Commission for securities
fraud and market manipulation, and former business partners at Houston trading
firm Quantlab filed lawsuits claiming that Bosarge pulled off a “tyrannical
coup.” Ed Bosarge lawyers have refused to comment.
The court hearing is set for Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. in Judge Chip Wells’ courtroom, the 312th District Court on the 16th floor of the Harris County Civil Courthouse.
The identities of the other victims
have not yet been released.
In a statement, the City of
Calabasas said it was “with great sadness that we learn of the death of
Kobe Bryant and four others in a helicopter crash”.
The statement added: “The aircraft went down in a remote
field off Las Virgenes around 10:00 this morning. Nobody on the ground was
hurt.”
Gavin Masak, who lives nearby, told
CBS News of the moment the helicopter crashed.
He said: “It wasn’t exactly like an explosion sound but it was like a loud
boom. It sounded like a helicopter, but it sounded like a jet, like it was
loud, so I went inside and told my dad what was happening. So when I came out I
saw smoke on the hill but it wasn’t like a big, black cloud of smoke, it was
just grey.”
Other eyewitnesses told celebrity
news site TMZ they heard the
helicopter’s engine sputtering before it went down.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department
shared pictures from the scene of the accident, showing a fire truck and smoke
emerging from the hills.
The FAA identified the crashed
helicopter as a Sikorsky S-76. It said it was investigating the accident
alongside the NTSB.
Officials are set to give further
details at a press conference at 2PM, local time.
Kobe Bryant played his entire
20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired in April 2016.
His achievements include being the
2008 NBA Most Valuable Player and two-time NBA Finals MVP.
Kobe Bryant was also two-time NBA scoring champion and a two-time Olympic champion.
The spread of the deadly coronavirus is
accelerating, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned, after holding a special
government meeting on the Lunar New Year public holiday.
China is facing a “grave situation” President Xi told senior
officials.
The new virus has killed at least 56 people and infected almost 2,000 since
its discovery in the city of Wuhan.
Meanwhile, the US has announced that staff at the Wuhan consulate will be
evacuated on a special flight on January 28.
According to the State Department, private Americans most at risk will also
be able to board the flight to San Francisco.
Meanwhile, UK-based researchers have warned of a real possibility that China
will not be able to contain the virus.
Travel restrictions have come in place in several affected cities. From
January 26, private vehicles will be banned from central districts of Wuhan,
the source of the outbreak.
According to Chinese state newspaper the People’s
Daily, a second emergency hospital is to be built there within weeks to
handle 1,300 new patients, and will be finished in half a month. It is the
second such rapid construction project: work on another 1,000-bed hospital has
already begun.
Specialist military medical teams have also been flown into Hubei province,
where Wuhan is located.
The urgency reflects concern both within China and elsewhere about the virus
which first appeared in December.
Lunar New Year celebrations for the year of the rat, which began on January
25, have been canceled in many Chinese cities.
Across mainland China, travelers are having their temperatures checked for
signs of fever, and train stations have been shut in several cities.
Hong Kong has declared the highest level of emergency and school holidays
were extended.
Several other nations are each dealing with a handful of cases, with
patients being treated in isolation.
A coronavirus is a family of viruses which include the common cold.
However, this virus has never been seen before. It is called 2019-nCov, for
“novel coronavirus”.
New viruses can become common in humans after jumping across the species
barrier from animals.
The SARS [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome] outbreak of 2003 started in
bats and transferred to the civet cat which passed it on to humans.
This new Chinese virus also causes severe acute respiratory infection.
Symptoms seem to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough and then, after a week, lead to shortness of breath and some patients needing hospital treatment.
There is no specific cure or vaccine.
Based on early information, it is believed that only a quarter of infected
cases are “severe”, and the dead are mostly – though not exclusively
– older people, some of whom have pre-existing conditions.
The Chinese authorities suspect a seafood market that “conducted illegal transactions of wild animals” was the source of the outbreak.
The 777X is a larger and more
efficient version of Boeing’s successful 777 mini-jumbo. Standout features
include folding wingtips and the world’s largest commercial engines.
777X marketing director Wendy Sowers
said: “It represents the great things
we can do as a company.”
Boeing says it has sold 309 of the plane – worth more than $442 million each at list prices.
777X will go head-to-head with the
Airbus A350-1000 which seats about 360 passengers.
Boeing has been in crisis since the 737 Max crashes, which occurred within
five months of each other – first in Indonesia in October 2018 and then in
Ethiopia last March.
The company is facing multiple investigations amid accusations that it
sacrificed safety as it rushed to get its jets to customers. Boeing is
attempting to have the plane re-approved for flight.
The grounding of the 737 Max, which had been Boeing’s best-selling plane, is estimated to have already cost Boeing more than $9 billion.
Donald Trump’s lawyers have begun
defending him at his impeachment trial, accusing Democrats of seeking to
overturn the result of the 2016 election.
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone
said: “The president did absolutely
nothing wrong.”
President Trump’s defense will last
three days and follows the Democrats’ prosecution case which ended on January
24.
Donald Trump faces two charges
linked to his dealings with Ukraine.
The articles of impeachment accuse
the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
President Trump is alleged to have
withheld military aid to pressure the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky,
into starting a corruption investigation into Donald Trump’s political rival,
Democrat Joe Biden, and his son Hunter.
Democrats also accuse President
Trump of making a visit by Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House contingent on
an investigation.
The president is charged with obstructing
Congress by failing to co-operate with the House of Representatives impeachment
inquiry.
The trial in the Senate will decide
if Donald Trump should be removed from office. This is unlikely as the
Republicans control the Senate and any such move would need a two-thirds
majority.
Echoing a line heard from many
Republicans, Pat Cipollone said Democrats were “asking you not only to
overturn the results of the last election… they’re asking you to remove
President Trump from the ballot in the election that’s occurring in
approximately nine months.”
“They are asking you to do something very, very
consequential and, I would submit to you … very, very dangerous,” he said.
Much of the abuse of power charge centers on a phone call in July between
President Trump and President Zelenksy.
Donald Trump’s defense lawyer Mike Purpura insisted there was no quid pro
quo – as asserted by the Democrats.
He said: “Zelenksy felt no
pressure. President Zelensky says he felt no pressure. The House managers tell
you they know better.”
In a news conference after January 25 hearing, Adam Schiff, the Democrats’
lead prosecutor, raised the disputed issue of calling witnesses.
He said: “The one question they
did not address at all is why they don’t want to give the American people a
fair trial, why they want this to be the first impeachment case in history
without a single witness and without a single document being handed over.
“That ought to tell you
everything you need to know about the strength and weaknesses of this
case”.
The leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, told reporters that President Trump’s defense team had inadvertently “made a really compelling case for why the Senate should call witnesses and documents”.
The 81-year old mathematician helped pioneer groundbreaking work in the Houston Medical Center and is trying to divorce his wife of 30 years and leave her homeless.
Ed Bosarge owns mansions across the world, at least two yachts, and an island in the Caribbean called Over Yonder Cay. He profiles his self-proclaimed visionary work on www.edbosarge.com.
When his largest palacial home on Carnovan was put on the market the Houston Chronicle profiled it as the most expensive mansion in Houston at $42 million dollars.
Bosarge has amassed a multi-billion-dollar fortune despite allegations of fraud along the way. In the early 1980’s the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Bosarge with securities fraud and market manipulation. The case was settled. Former business partners have accused Bosarge of a “tyrannical coup” in a legal fight over Houston based Quantlab, called one of the world’s most secretive and profitable high frequency trading companies. Bosarge is also now deeply invested in stem cell technology.
But it may be his divorce case that raises the most troubling questions about Ed Bosarge.
Court filings claim the Houston billionaire has a young Russian girlfriend – an affair that purportedly started long before the divorce was ever filed. Lawyers for Marie Bosarge claim Ed Bosarge systematically moved assets into South Dakota trusts as part of a scheme to keep the assets from his thirty-year marriage for himself. The Guardian newspaper recently profiled how the mega-rich use South Dakota trust laws to protect and hide their money. Marie’s lawyers say the “sham” trusts were set up to hide his money from his long-time spouse.
“We’ve been married thirty years and he is trying to take everything from me and leave me homeless basically,” Marie Bosarge told Dolcefino Consulting when we saw her outside a Galleria restaurant, “I just want what’s fair.”
Tuesday morning, lawyers for Ed Bosarge will ask Judge Chip Wells of the 312th District Court to dismiss Marie’s claims that Ed is trying to cheat her.
Will the billionaire show up to face his wife? Stay tuned.
At least 14 people were confirmed dead and
hundreds injured after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey, officials
say.
The tremor6.8 magnitude quake, centered on the town of Sivrice in Elazig
province, caused buildings to collapse and sent residents rushing into the
street.
The quake struck at about 20:55 local time, on January 24.
Tremors were also felt in neighboring Syria, Lebanon and Iran.
According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD),
there were 60 aftershocks recorded after the earthquake.
It said more than 400 rescue teams are heading towards the region, along
with beds and tents for those displaced. It warned people not to return to
damaged buildings in case of aftershocks.
The governor of Elazig said eight people had died in the province, while the
governor of neighboring Malatya said six died there.
TV pictures showed emergency services frantically searching
collapsed buildings for survivors.
The region struck by the quake, some 340 mile) east of the
capital Ankara, is remote and sparsely populated, so details of damage and
fatalities could be slow to emerge.
Officials have sent beds, tents and blankets to the area, where overnight
temperatures regularly fall below zero.
Sivrice, a town of about 4,000 people, is a popular tourist spot on the
shore of Hazar lake, the source of the river Tigris.
Earthquakes are common in Turkey – about 17,000 people died in a massive quake in the western city of Izmit in 1999.
Donald Trump has become the first US president to attend the March for Life, America’s largest annual anti-abortion rally.
The president addressed thousands of protesters at the annual demonstration
near the Capitol where his impeachment trial is ongoing.
He said: “We’re here for a very
simple reason: to defend the right of every child born and unborn to fulfill
their God-given potential.”
The March for Life first began in 1974 – a year after the Supreme Court
legalized abortion in Roe v Wade.
Until now no president had ever attended the rally, which takes place just
steps from the White House, though previous Republican presidents, including
George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, have addressed the group remotely.
Mike Pence became the first sitting vice-president to attend the rally in
2017.
President Trump’s appearance at the 47th March for Life delighted
protesters.
Voters who support limiting abortion make up a key constituency for
President Trump, who is seeking their support at the polls again in the 2020
election.
On January 24, marchers in Washington shouted “four more years”
and “we love you”.
On the streets surrounding the National Mall vendors selling Trump flags and
Make America Great Again hats were aplenty. Many of the attendees sported
pro-Trump merchandise, though for some, there was a distinction between liking
the president and liking his anti-abortion stance.
President Trump’s appearance on January 24 has already made a difference for
some voters.
In 2016, 81% of Evangelical voters – a group for whom abortion is the biggest
political issue – backed Donald Trump for president. He has continued to court
them as his re-election campaign ramps up.
March for Life president Jeanne Mancini said President Trump and his
administration “have been consistent champions for life”.
However, pro-choice groups said his appearance was a distraction tactic.
Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said it was “a
desperate attempt to divert attention from his criminal presidency and fire up
his radical base”.
America’s two main political parties are more polarized than ever on the
issue of abortion.
Democrats campaigning for November’s White House election are
unapologetically pro-choice – something many March for Life attendees said made
the candidates inaccessible to anti-abortion supporters, even if they disliked
President Trump.
In 2016, the Democratic Party for the first time included in its platform a
call to repeal the Hyde Amendment, a decades-old law that prohibits using
taxpayer money for abortions.
In 2019, leading White House contender Joe Biden was sharply criticized by
his Democratic rivals for initially backing the Hyde Amendment. Amid uproar
from the party’s liberal base, he reversed course in June.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, has bolstered support for anti-abortion views within the GOP.
Chinese authorities have increased lockdown
measures across Hubei province to try to control the spread of the new virus
that has left 18 people dead in the country.
Wuhan, Hubei’s capital of 11 million
people where the coronavirus first emerged, has no trains or planes in or out.
At least five other provincial
cities are seeing clampdowns on transport.
There are more than 500 confirmed
cases of the virus, which has spread abroad, with Singapore and Vietnam the
latest affected.
The new strain of coronavirus is
believed to have originated at a market in Wuhan. One resident of the city said
the atmosphere there felt like “the end of the world”.
The lockdown measures come as
millions of people travel across China for the Lunar New Year holiday.
All the fatalities bar one so far have been in Hubei province. Most of the
17 victims there were elderly and suffered from other chronic diseases
including Parkinson’s disease and diabetes.
An 18th victim, an elderly patient, was announced on January 23 in Hebei
province, near the capital, Beijing.
Wuhan’s public transport lockdown came into force as of 10:00 local time,
leaving normally busy train stations and airports empty.
One Wuhan resident said on social media site Weibo that people were on the
“verge of tears” when they heard about the closures.
Health authorities are reported to
have made wearing a mask mandatory in Wuhan. They are advising people to avoid
crowds and public gatherings.
Demand for rubber gloves and
surgical masks has soared. Taobao, the Chinese online retail giant, has warned
sellers not to profit from the outbreak by raising prices.
Huanggang, a city east of Wuhan, suspended bus and rail services and
encouraged people not to leave the city. Cafes, cinemas, theatres and
exhibitions are also being shut.
Ezhou, a city just south of Huanggang, has shut its train
stations.
Xiantaohas canceled gatherings, suspended
transport and set up temperature detection stations.
Chibi and Lichuanare
suspending transport.
Beijing announced it had canceled all major Chinese New Year celebrations.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
said Greta Thunberg should go away and study economics before lecturing
investors on fossil fuels.
Steven Mnuchin said Greta Thunberg’s
call for investors to divest fossil fuels showed a lack of understanding about
the economy and jobs.
He said at the World Economic Forum
in Davos: “After she goes and
studies economics in college, she can come back and explain that to us.”
President Donald Trump said that
campaigners were too pessimistic and should concentrate their fire on countries
where emissions are rising. He did not say which countries.
On January 23, Steven Mnuchin continued
the criticism. In response to a question about Greta Thunberg’s call for fossil
fuels to be scrapped, he said: “Is
she the chief economist?”
The treasury secretary added: “For people who call for divestment,
there are significant economic issues – issues with jobs.”
Greta
Thunberg joined other young climate activists to speak to world leaders at the
World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21.
The World Economic Forum is a massive event where entrepreneurs, scientists, business leaders and politicians come together to talk about how to tackle world problems.
Tesla has overtaken Volkswagen as the world’s second most valuable automaker, after a dramatic rise in share price pushed its market value to more than $100 billion.
The milestone sets the stage for Tesla’s chief Elon Musk to collect billions
in pay tied to hitting that target.
The company’s share price has more than doubled since October, when it
reported a rare quarterly profit.
Tesla shares rose 4% on January 22, making its valuation second only to
Toyota.
Although Tesla has some way to go to catch up with Toyota, the Japanese car
making giant has a stock market valuation of more than $230 billion.
Some analysts say the rise in price reflects Tesla’s performance in recent
months, during which it has opened a factory in Shanghai and met its production
goals.
In January, Tesla said it had delivered more than 367,500 cars in 2019 – up
50% from 2018. Investors expect the new factory to act as a springboard that
will allow it to capture more of the Chinese market.
Despite the increase, Tesla’s sales remain small compared to those of its
competitors.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen delivered almost 11 million vehicles in 2019, while Toyota
sold more than 9 million in the first 11 months of 2019.
Tesla has also never made an annual profit and it is facing investigations
after complaints about battery fires and unexpected acceleration.
Elon Musk’s company is due to report its latest quarterly results to
investors this month.
If Tesla sustains the $100 billion valuation, it could unlock the first
piece of a $2.6 billion compensation package for Elon Musk.
The plans calls for Elon Musk to receive payouts in shares over 10 years,
with the first award contingent on the company reaching $100 billion in market
capitalization and sustaining that value over both a month, and six-month
average.
Tesla also had to reach $20 billion in revenue and earn $1.5 billion, after
adjusting for items like taxes – thresholds the carmaker reached in 2018.
Tesla was valued at about $55 billion when the pay deal was approved.
Video editing is a stressful task especially if you do this as your full time job. There are lots of specifications of the edits your clients request and you wish there is just a faster way to edit the video. If only you could edit your video faster, you will be able to submit all the video editing projects to the respective clients before the deadline and make them happy.
Keep Your Video Files Organized
The video files must be organized into folder and not in a clutter. They should already be sorted out with only the best ones retained. You can organize your files into different folders such as footage, audio, and images. The footage files can also be organized by the date and time they were filmed. You will make lesser mistakes when you sort out your files prior to importing them into the video editor.
Compress Your Video Files in Batch
If you are working on several video clips, you should use a video converter to convert them in batch. The software you use for compressing the video must be reliable. If you use lousy software, the quality of the video will drop after compressing. You can use a free video converter like Handbrake to compress the videos in batch. If you use online converter, you also have to spend time downloading them to the computer after the video is converted.
Master All the Keyboard Shortcuts
You should learn all the keyboard shortcuts that are available in your software. If you know the keyboard shortcut, you don’t have to go to the menu and find the tool. This will save you a lot of time if you often have to navigate to the menu to find different tools for use in editing the video. Usually, the video editor will provide keyboard shortcuts for popular commands such as playback and trimming a video.
Keep Up with the Computer Hardware Specs
Your computer need to be fast if you want to speed up the video editing process. The hard drive has an important role in determining how efficient your video editor software will run. The hardware specs of your computer must be better than the minimum specs requirement of the video editor. Some of the hardware parts you can improve are the hard drive, and RAM. Your computer need to have an advanced USB port like the USB 3.0/USB-C for faster transfer of the video files from your video camera.
Assign the CPU and RAM Appropriately
In addition, you also should ensure all your RAM and CPU are allocated in the right places. There are add-on apps that you can download for free to use for monitoring the allocation of your RAM and CPU. Basically, if you want the video editor software to run fast, you should quit all the other programs that are running in the background. You can allocate more CPU to your video editor by launching the task manager and right clicking on the program to assign high priority.
Edit the Umms and Aahs First in the Dialogues in Video
If you need to edit the dialogues in your video, first look for easiest speaking errors like umm, or pause to delete. You will find that there are a lot of times that people make such mistakes in their conversations without being aware about it. Each time people say umm, it lasts for a few seconds. These few seconds can add up into minutes and you’ll find the video length significantly reduce after deleting all of them.
Add Markers to Music Track Files
You can add markers to your music track files in the timeline to specify the splitting points. This step should be done before you reduce or extend your current music track collections in the timeline. To do this, you must first select the music track and press the play button in the preview area to play back. While it is playing back, drag the marker to select and mark the portion that you want to delete. To shorten the track, you can use the trim tool to delete it.
Invest in Video Editing Peripherals
You can invest in video editing peripherals that help you to speed up your project. For example, you can get a gaming mouse as it offers faster response and it has buttons that you can program to bring up several shortcuts. Video editing keyboard allws you to save time by color grouping similar tools. The keyboard will also display hundreds of shortcuts in icons.
The first day of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump has begun
with battle over its format.
This is the third such trial in US
history.
So
far the senators have debated the rules under which the trial should be
conducted. No witnesses have yet been authorized to testify.
Despite
efforts by Democrats to force the White House to provide documents, the vote
failed after splitting along party lines.
Republican
Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who sets the rules for the chamber, said he is
hoping the trial will last just 10 days.
He made some last-minute changes to his proposal for how the Senate will
conduct President Trump’s impeachment trial. The House managers and the
president’s defense team now have three days each, instead of two, to present
their opening arguments (although each side’s total time is still capped at 24
hours).
Mitch
McConnell has also changed the rules of evidence somewhat, allowing the House
managers to introduce material gathered during their hearings unless a majority
of the Senate objects.
He
has said he had the Republican votes he needed to pass his rules package, but
perhaps he felt some pressure from within his own ranks to more closely align
his proposal to the way President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial was run in
1998.
However,
Democrats will still be calling for more. They want a guarantee of witnesses,
something that doesn’t seem likely to happen.
Democrat
Charles Schumer said a trial without witnesses or evidence would be “a
cover-up”.
President Trump
is accused of seeking help from Ukraine to get himself re-elected, and of
obstructing Congress.
He has called the investigation a “hoax” and a “witch-hunt”.
Donald Trump is only the third president to face an impeachment trial.
The new virus discovered in China, known also as 2019-nCoV, is understood to
be a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in
humans.
Coronaviruses are a broad family of viruses, but only six (the new one would
make it seven) are known to infect people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised people to avoid
“unprotected” contact with live animals, thoroughly cook meat and
eggs, and avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
Signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath
and breathing difficulties.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging
from the common cold to more severe disease. It’s not yet clear how bad this
new coronavirus is.
If a patient has recovered from the infection, they should not pose a
significant risk to others and can be sent home from hospital provided they are
well enough.
The first human cases were identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in
December 2019.
There have not been any other suspected human cases reported prior to this.
Given the type of virus, the incubation period (how long it takes for
symptoms to appear after catching the infection) is days, rather than weeks.
It is not yet known how or when the virus became infectious to people.
Experts believe the first cases were transmitted by an animal.
At the moment, there is no vaccine that can protect people against this type
of coronavirus, but researchers are looking to develop one.
It is a new strain that hasn’t been seen in humans before, which means
doctors still have lots to learn about it.
Based on currently available information, the WHO has not recommended any
restrictions on travel or trade.
You should re-check the latest travel advice before you depart.
Extra airport checks such as temperature scans have been put in place to screen
some travelers in some countries/states.
Airports in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo have been screening air
passengers from Wuhan and US authorities last week announced similar measures
at three major airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
It is not yet known how the virus
was transmitted. Other coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, came from cats and
camels respectively.
Experts are working to find the
source.
Standard recommendations to prevent
infection apply. These include:
regular hand washing
covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
thoroughly cooking meat and eggs
Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
The first case of the new coronavirus on the US
territory has been confirmed, the Centers for Disease Control said.
According to the CDC, the virus, which originated in China, had been
diagnosed in a traveler who arrived in Seattle from China.
The new virus, which spread from the Chinese city of Wuhan, has infected almost 300 people, and six have died.
The virus, known also as 2019-nCoV, is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans.
According to a tour operator, North Korea has temporarily closed its borders
to foreign tourists in response to the threat.
The patient diagnosed in the US returned from Wuhan on January 15, the CDC
said.
It added in a statement: “The
patient sought care at a medical facility in the state of Washington, where the
patient was treated for the illness.
“Based on the patient’s travel
history and symptoms, healthcare professionals suspected this new
coronavirus.”
Laboratory testing of a clinical specimen confirmed the diagnosis on January
20, the CDC statement continued.
The announcement that North Korea was barring entry to foreign tourists came
from Young Pioneer Tours, which is based in China and specializes in travel to
North Korea.
Young Pioneer Tours said in a statement that North Korea was implementing a
temporary ban as a precaution.
It said: “Further details are yet
to be confirmed by our travel partners in North Korea and we will continue to
make all future announcements on our website.”
Another tour group that travels to North Korea, Koryo Tours, also tweeted
about “possible limits to tourist entry”.
Some experts have previously warned
that international sanctions on North Korea had hit the country’s healthcare
system, by restricting the delivery of aid and medical equipment.
On January 20, Chinese officials
confirmed for the first time that the virus could pass from person to person.
At the same time Chinese state media
said six people had died from the infection, which causes a type of pneumonia.
A total of 291 cases have now been
reported across major cities in China, including Beijing and Shanghai. However,
most are in Wuhan, the central city of 11 million people at the heart of the
outbreak.
The disease was first identified
there late last year, and the outbreak is believed to be linked to a seafood
market that also sells live animals.
Aside from the US, two cases have
been identified in Thailand, one in Japan, one in South Korea and one in
Taiwan. All those infected had recently returned from Wuhan.
Authorities in several countries, including Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Taiwan and Japan have stepped up screening of air passengers from Wuhan.
Last week, US authorities announced similar measures at airports in San
Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
In Australia, a man who had travelled to Wuhan has been placed in isolation
and is undergoing tests. China is the largest source of tourists to Australia,
with more than a million Chinese citizens visiting last year.
However, the measures being put in place by North Korea are the strictest so
far.
A report by the Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial
College, London, suggested there could be more than 1,700 infections.
However, Gabriel Leung, the dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, put the figure closer to 1,300.
While small businesses starting out don’t tend to worry about security issues, the more prominent a business becomes, the bigger the target. There are physical threats, security concerns like network intrusions, and everything in between.
In this article, we consider the different threats that businesses face today and how to address them.
Physical Security
It’s a reality that anyone can attend the premises looking to speak to a staff member. They may be disgruntled or be carrying something dangerous on their person – you just never know.
For most businesses today, it’s necessary to have security staff employed that can provide some protection at the front reception area. They can also patrol through the grounds periodically to check for anyone either attempting to access the site or who is walking around unaccompanied without company identification.
To protect security staff, they should be wearing body armor made in the USA. This will offer protection from a bullet fired at their chest or back, along with important extra protection from a potential knife attack. They also should carry other items such as a flashlight, restraints or mace.
Internal Threats
Internal threats can come from a variety of sources. There’s the possibility that someone let onto the premises turns violent. This could be a client, customer or someone else who has a sudden, non-characteristic change of behavior. It could be because they first appeared calm and reasonable but quickly became irate or due to a mental issue that has led to their unusual or threatening behavior.
Another possibility is that an employee becomes potentially violent. This could also occur for several reasons including that they’re just been fired, their contract has come to an end, or they’ve just had a mental breakdown.
In each of these situations, it’s beneficial to have trained security personnel on-hand to escort the individual safely off the premises. This removes the danger for other staff members, but also for any clients or suppliers who are present.
Being able to lock down different areas of a building temporarily is useful too. This could be done either manually or remotely to temporarily contain a problem in one part of the building.
Network Problems
The safety of business networks is also of great concern to companies. Malicious use of the network can happen internally through employees or someone else on the premises who gains access to essential systems. Security processes and effective procedures must be in place to limit what can be done, depending on the clearance level of the person involved.
The risk of outside people hacking into the company’s network is also a very real and growing threat. It’s necessary for companies to continually bolster effects to protect their networks and any intellectual property they own. An internal department or regular use of an external network security team to run security checks is important to avoid a threat becoming real.
While companies are simply trying to conduct business, there are unfortunately a variety of threats that they can potentially face. While none are usually of their own doing or by choice, it’s necessary for all businesses to protect themselves by taking appropriate preventative action. Doing so avoids the worst of what could happen.
The number of people jacking in their jobs to work online is beginning to rise exponentially. More and more people are looking to create a life for themselves where they are not bound to an office cubicle. The call of a location free lifestyle is, indeed, a strong one. I mean, that’s probably why you are reading this article right? Well, before I tell you how to become a digital nomad, we need to get two things straight. Firstly, for the majority of us, this life isn’t easy to create. Secondly, without hard work, determination, and a small amount of luck, this life isn’t a guarantee. We see lots of people enter the space and fail because they expect it to be easy.
When you are starting out, it is an extremely stressful time. If you are a content writer, for example, you may have to buy plagiarism reports, like the ones you can get here. Or you might have to pay for keyword research software. You might have to do this before you get a single paying client. If you are thinking of becoming a digital nomad, just so you can sit and work on a beach, you should stop reading. We don’t really do that, and I hate the sand, the wi-fi is terrible, you can’t charge your laptop… don’t believe everything you see on the internet.
That being said, we do get to travel a lot, we aren’t tied down by one location, and we choose our own hours.
Although it takes a lot of hard work and effort to earn good money as a digital nomad, it does not require any qualifications. There are thousands of digital nomad career paths, all of which can be learnt for free if you have the drive. Youtube alone can teach you everything you need to be successful in this space. Combine it with a community that is very active on forums and social media, and you can find mentors and other digital nomads to help you along your path.
The truth is for a lot of us, we feel like the time we spent following the usual education path, school, college, university, was all a waste. I know middle-aged moms with no school qualifications raking in 6 figures a year online. Compare that to my friends who are majorly in debt and 4 years into an 8-year university course to earn less money, and you can see why we think that.
To sum it up, the steps to becoming a digital nomad are very simple. They just require guts and determination. If you don’t find quitting your job as exciting as it is terrifying, this isn’t the career for you. If you aren’t willing to work long hours for little return to set your self up for the rest of your life, this career isn’t for you. If, however, if you are driven, you have motivation and courage, you want to live a life of your own choosing then quit your job, sell your house, get on a plane.
And let me be the first to welcome you to this unpredictable lifestyle!
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer use their HRH
titles, receive public funds for royal duties or formally represent Queen
Elizabeth II from spring, the Queen and Buckingham Palace announced on January
18 after reaching a new arrangement.
Earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention
“to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become
financially independent”.
The couple’s announcement prompted intensive discussions between the prince
and other senior royals, led by the Queen.
In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan spoke of the difficulties of royal life and
media scrutiny, with the duke saying he feared his wife would fall victim to
“the same powerful forces” that led to his mother’s death.
In her statement on January 18, the Queen said she was pleased that a
“constructive and supportive way forward for [her] grandson and his
family” had been found.
The Queen said she recognized the “challenges” they had
experienced “as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two
years”.
Buckingham Palace said the duke and duchess understood that under the new
arrangement, they were required to withdraw from royal duties, including
official military appointments, but would continue to “uphold the values
of Her Majesty”.
According to the statement, Prince Harry and Meghan intend to repay £2.4 million
of taxpayer money used for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage.
The house in Windsor, for which the couple will pay rent, will remain their
family home as they divide their time between the UK and Canada.
Prince Harry and Meghan will continue to maintain their private patronages
and associations – the duke currently holds 16 patronages, including the
Invictus Games Foundation, the Royal Marines and the Rugby Football League; and
the duchess four – the National Theatre, the Association of Commonwealth
Universities, London-based animal charity Mayhew, and women’s charity Smart
Works.
They will no longer use HRH, an abbreviation of His/Her Royal Highness,
which is part of the title of some members of the Royal Family.
Speaking briefly to reporters at a summit in Berlin, UK’s PM Boris Johnson
said he had been confident the Royal Family would find a way forward for Prince
Harry and Meghan, adding: “I think
the whole country will want to join in wishing them the very best for the
future.”
However in comments made for a forthcoming Channel 5 documentary, Meghan’s
father, Thomas Markle, accused the couple of “destroying” the Royal
Family which he called “one of the greatest long-living institutions
ever”.
“Every young girl wants to become
a princess and she got that and now she’s tossing that away,” he said.
“It looks like she’s tossing that
away for money.”
Some questions about Prince Harry and Meghan’s future status remain
unanswered, including what their tax and immigration status will be in the UK
and Canada.
It is not yet known whether Meghan Markle still intends to gain British
citizenship, which would entail her spending a certain amount of time in the
UK.
The Sussexes have already begun a transition phase of living in Canada and
the UK.
The duchess is in Canada, a Commonwealth country, with son Archie, where the
Sussexes were for six weeks over the festive period.
On January 14, Meghan Markle visited a charity in Vancouver which campaigns for teenage girls living in poverty.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer use their HRH
titles, receive public funds for royal duties or formally represent Queen
Elizabeth II from spring, the Queen and Buckingham Palace announced on January
18 after reaching a new arrangement.
Earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their intention
“to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become
financially independent”.
The couple’s announcement prompted intensive discussions between the prince
and other senior royals, led by the Queen.
In 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan spoke of the difficulties of royal life and
media scrutiny, with the duke saying he feared his wife would fall victim to
“the same powerful forces” that led to his mother’s death.
In her statement on January 18, the Queen said she was pleased that a
“constructive and supportive way forward for [her] grandson and his
family” had been found.
The Queen said she recognized the “challenges” they had
experienced “as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two
years”.
Buckingham Palace said the duke and duchess understood that under the new
arrangement, they were required to withdraw from royal duties, including
official military appointments, but would continue to “uphold the values
of Her Majesty”.
According to the statement, Prince Harry and Meghan intend to repay £2.4 million
of taxpayer money used for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage.
The house in Windsor, for which the couple will pay rent, will remain their
family home as they divide their time between the UK and Canada.
Prince Harry and Meghan will continue to maintain their private patronages
and associations – the duke currently holds 16 patronages, including the
Invictus Games Foundation, the Royal Marines and the Rugby Football League; and
the duchess four – the National Theatre, the Association of Commonwealth
Universities, London-based animal charity Mayhew, and women’s charity Smart
Works.
They will no longer use HRH, an abbreviation of His/Her Royal Highness,
which is part of the title of some members of the Royal Family.
Speaking briefly to reporters at a summit in Berlin, UK’s PM Boris Johnson
said he had been confident the Royal Family would find a way forward for Prince
Harry and Meghan, adding: “I think
the whole country will want to join in wishing them the very best for the
future.”
However in comments made for a forthcoming Channel 5 documentary, Meghan’s
father, Thomas Markle, accused the couple of “destroying” the Royal
Family which he called “one of the greatest long-living institutions
ever”.
“Every young girl wants to become
a princess and she got that and now she’s tossing that away,” he said.
“It looks like she’s tossing that
away for money.”
Some questions about Prince Harry and Meghan’s future status remain
unanswered, including what their tax and immigration status will be in the UK
and Canada.
It is not yet known whether Meghan Markle still intends to gain British
citizenship, which would entail her spending a certain amount of time in the
UK.
The Sussexes have already begun a transition phase of living in Canada and
the UK.
The duchess is in Canada, a Commonwealth country, with son Archie, where the
Sussexes were for six weeks over the festive period.
On January 14, Meghan Markle visited a charity in Vancouver which campaigns
for teenage girls living in poverty.
Special prosecutors from President Bill
Clinton’s impeachment will be included in President Donald Trump’s defense team
in his Senate trial.
President Trump will be represented by Ken Starr and Robert Ray, who
investigated President Clinton, and Alan Dershowitz, whose past clients include
OJ Simpson.
White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Jay
Sekulow will lead the team.
Opening statements in the Trump impeachment trial will begin on January 21.
Ken Starr was the DoJ independent counsel who investigated the Whitewater
affair, a scandal-plagued mid-1980s land venture in Arkansas involving Bill and
Hillary Clinton.
The inquiry ultimately uncovered unrelated evidence that President Clinton
had been having an affair with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.
The investigation culminated in the Democratic president’s impeachment by
the House of Representatives in 1998. Bill Clinton was acquitted by the Senate.
Robert Ray succeeded Ken Starr as the independent counsel.
Monica Lewinsky tweeted on January 17 shortly after President Trump’s team
was announced: “This is definitely
an ‘are you kidding me?’ kinda day.”
In 2016, Ken Starr was forced out of his position as president of Baylor
University after an inquiry found the school had mishandled rape accusations
against its football players.
He later also resigned from his roles as chancellor and law professor at the
university.
Alan Dershowitz is a retired Harvard University law
professor and constitutional law expert whose past celebrity clients have also
included boxer Mike Tyson.
He said in a statement that he had
also opposed Bill Clinton’s impeachment, and voted for Hillary Clinton in the
2016 election.
Donald Trump sought Alan
Dershowitz’s advice, too, during the 2017-2019 special counsel investigation
into alleged Russian meddling in the presidential election.
Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr both
represented disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during his 2008 abuse trial.
On January 17, President Trump
shared Alan Dershowitz’s comments criticizing a Government Accountability
Office ruling that the White House had broken the law by withholding aid to
Ukraine.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has also been asked to join the
team.
Pam Bondi, a longtime Trump ally, joined the White House communications team
last November to focus on “proactive impeachment messaging”.
Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, a central figure in the
Ukraine investigation, had also hoped to join the defense, but he did not make
the cut.
Rudy Giuliani told CBS he might be called as a witness in the impeachment
trial and “understood this may happen if I uncovered the 2016 Ukrainian
corruption”.
The former NYC mayor was apparently
referring to a discredited theory that Ukraine intervened in the last White
House election.
One of Rudy Giuliani’s associates,
Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas, has said he went to Ukraine to
pressure local officials on behalf of Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani.
President Trump’s allies have
rubbished Lev Parnas’ claims, pointing out that he is facing unrelated campaign
finance charges.
Last month, Donald Trump was impeached
by the House on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Democrats have accused the president of withholding military aid to Ukraine to pressure the country into investigating his political rival, former VP Joe Biden. President Trump denies the claims, and calls the impeachment proceedings a partisan “hoax”.
