Nation and world news — at a glance — for November 21
Federal inquiry traced payments from Gaetz to women
(NYTimes) — Federal investigators established a trail of payments from Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be attorney general, to women including some who testified that Gaetz hired them for sex, according to a document obtained by The New York Times and a lawyer representing some of the women. The document, assembled by investigators during a three-year sex-trafficking investigation into Gaetz, is a chart that shows a web of thousands of dollars in Venmo payments between Gaetz and a group of his friends, associates and women who had drug-fueled sex parties between 2017 and 2020, according to testimony that participants are said to have given to federal and congressional investigators.
Intense West Coast wind and snow knock out power and close roads
(NYTimes) — A wind-whipped storm tore through Northern California on Wednesday, knocking down trees, snarling highways and transit, and leaving tens of thousands of people without power. Days’ worth of rain fell on some places in just a few hours. The deluge, which drenched the Pacific Northwest overnight, killing at least two people, was expected to stretch into the weekend. It was the season’s first major atmospheric river, a type of storm that can deliver prodigious amounts of water in a narrow band from the Pacific Ocean. Some of the worst damage was in the Seattle area, where heavy wind gusts tore down power lines and knocked out substations late Tuesday, leaving 500,000 customers without electricity.
Hennessy workers strike over plans to bottle cognac in China
(NYTimes) — The turmoil of a trade war between China and Europe burst open this week as hundreds of employees at the Hennessy cognac factory in southwest France on Wednesday walked off the job for a second day to protest what unions said were plans to move brandy bottling to China. Hennessy, owned by French luxury giant Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, is exploring the move after China recently imposed steep financial penalties on European brandy imports, according to the unions representing Hennessy employees. Hennessy said that it was not planning to move cognac production to China but that it was working to protect its interests and safeguard the industry.
US charges Indian billionaire Adani with fraud over bribery scheme
(NYTimes) — Federal prosecutors in New York charged Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, one of the world’s richest people, with multiple counts of fraud Wednesday, accusing him and associates of bribing Indian officials and later lying to investors about the scheme. Adani, who has amassed a fortune estimated to be more than $85 billion from the Adani Group, a conglomerate with holdings in ports, coal mines and airports, was charged with wire and securities fraud by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The defendants are accused of paying bribes to Indian government officials to obtain solar energy contracts for a business called Adani Green Energy.
US casts sole vote against Gaza cease-fire resolution
(NYTimes) — The United States on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where fighting has raged for more than 13 months and a humanitarian crisis is intensifying. Underlining Washington’s isolation on the issue, the U.S. cast the sole vote against the resolution, with the 14 other council members voting in favor. The United States said it vetoed the resolution because it did not make the cease-fire contingent on the release of the hostages still being held in Gaza. The backers said ending the fighting was a necessary first step to release the hostages.
Biden agrees to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel mines
(NYTimes) — The Biden administration has approved supplying Ukraine with American anti-personnel mines to bolster defenses against Russian attacks as Ukrainian front lines in the country’s east have buckled, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday. Austin said the U.S. decision was prompted by Russia’s increasing reliance on foot soldiers to lead assaults, instead of armored vehicles. The mines that will be provided are called “nonpersistent,” and are designed to self-destruct after a period of time to reduce the long-term threat to noncombatants. Rights groups have widely condemned the use of mines, citing their toll on civilians, which can stretch for years or decades after conflicts end.
US and Europeans move to censure Iran for nuclear secrecy
(NYTimes) — Britain, France, Germany and the United States have moved to censure Iran over its secretive nuclear program, hoping to shore up the credibility of the world’s nuclear watchdog before Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The resolution put forward Tuesday condemns Iran for its consistent refusal to answer questions from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s nuclear monitoring organization, about its nuclear enrichment program. The resolution may be voted on at the agency’s regular meeting of its board of governors in Vienna as soon as Wednesday or Thursday. If it passes, it could ultimately lead to retaliatory measures against Iran by the West.
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