1 France Considers State Of Emergency Over Paris Riots
Paris is seeing its worse riots in 50 years – and now, the French government is considering imposing a state of emergency in the nation's capital, where rioters ran wild over the weekend. According to officials, the so-called “yellow vests” were torching cars, looting shops and smashing windows. Over 100 people are recovering from injuries resulting from the violence. In response, police have fired stun grenades, tear gas and water cannons at the protesters – with more than 400 arrested. The protests started two weeks ago and spread through social media to become the worst political unrest in Paris since 1968. The demonstrations have taken place for the last two weekends. The unrest – which was began as peaceful protest – started as outrage over tax hikes and housing costs, but have been fueled by growing discontent over the economic reforms of French President Emmanuel Macron .Protesters say his policies favor the wealthy and big business. "The guilty want chaos," Macron said while at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires before returning yesterday. "They betray the causes they claim to serve. They will be identified and held accountable in court."
2 Bush 41 Has Passed, Leaving A Complicated Legacy
President George Herbert Walker Bush is dead. The country's 41st President, he was of course, the father of President George W. Bush. The elder Bush will be remembered for his dedication to traditional American values and public service. He passed just after 10pm on Friday night, according to a statement by his spokesman. He was 94. Bush entered politics in 1966 with a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after building a successful oil business in Texas. From there, he was appointed to a series of high-level positions including United Nations Ambassador, Republican National Committee Chairman and CIA Director. Before rising to the nation’s highest office in 1988, Bush served as Vice President under Ronald Reagan for two terms. And when it comes to looking back at his legacy, there are both good and bad moments to remember.
There was his infamous pledge about "no new taxes," which was ultimately broken. The Cold War ended after 40 years and the Berlin Wall came down – and he also led a UN coalition into first Gulf War between 1990 and 1991 when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Bush helped force the Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. But he also ignored the plight of those suffering with HIV as the epidemic caught fire. Still, he and wife Barbara did ultimately understand the crisis – and are well known in their home state for working with local AIDS charities.
3 Trump To Notify Congress He Will Terminate NAFTA
President Trump and the leaders of Canada and Mexico are a step closer to a new trade deal for North America. All three signed the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement in Buenos Aires on Saturday during the G20 summit. The agreement updates the 24-year-old North American Free trade Agreement, known as NAFTA. The new deal isn't done, however. It needs to be ratified by the Congresses of the U.S. and Mexico and Canada's Parliament. Not surprisingly, Mr. Trump is pushing hard and telling Congress they either accept his U.S. Mexico-Canada Agreement, or there will be no deal. Trump told reporters on his trip back from the G20 that he will soon notify Congress he intends to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement that has governed trade between the three nations since the George H.W. Bush administration. Once he notifies Congress, lawmakers will have six months to approve a new deal.