The Speaker Editors

Comey Asked to Testify Before Senate as a Private Citizen

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One day after he was fired as FBI Director by Trump, senators from both sides of the isle asked Comey to appear before the committee next week, reportedly.

It is not known whether the session will be public. Comey would be allowed to speak on classified intelligence to Senators in a classified setting as a private citizen, but in public classified information would not be given, although Comey’s personal thoughts on the matter might be more forthcoming than if he were still employed by the FBI.

Comey later declined the request. The President tweeted that Comey “better hope there are no ‘tapes'” of the conversation the two shared, but it is not known whether this was related to Comey’s decision.

Huge Malware Attack Affects 70 Countries

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Most prominent among the victims: The UK’s National Health Service. Dozens of hospitals and medical centers had to be closed. Treatment was postponed, ambulances diverted. Appointments couldn’t be made because it was too dangerous. Medical workers had no access to important information.

However, some security firms reported that most of the affected computers were in Russia.

It has been reported that the hackers may have used a tool that was a NSA secret before it was leaked to the public earlier this year.

Trump Fires FBI Director James Comey

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“Today, President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office,” read the statement issued by the White House Tuesday.

“President Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.”

Comey was heading the FBI investigation into the possible Russian hacking of Clinton’s email servers and whether there was any collusion on the part of Trump associates. A similar investigation is also being conducted by both the Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. So far, there is no evidence that there was collusion.

Another Monument Removal in U.S. City

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New Orleans removed a monument to the Battle of Liberty Place, part of what is seen as a wider movement to remove symbols of Confederacy and Jim Crow.

In the 1874 battle, a mostly Confederate veteran army which was part of the Democratic Party, fought New Orleans metro police and state militia, and held official buildings for days until federal troops removed them.

The battle was part of violence that followed a contested 1872 gubernatorial election in which both parties claimed victory.

The monument was erected in 1891 to celebrate and remember the Democratic insurrection. A white obelisk and inscription expressed what some consider white supremacist views.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu removed the monument without warning in the early morning hours, and told the public other monuments would be taken down in the same way.

Some called Landrieu’s method “the coward’s way,” and criticised Landrieu for removing pieces of New Orleans’ history, which is also an important part of the city’s tourist economy.

By way of explanation, Landrieu stated, “We will no longer allow the Confederacy to literally be put on a pedestal in the heart of our city.”

Wikipedia Creator Making News Version: Wikitribune

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Wikipedia creator Jimmy Wales is creating Wikitribune, a news version of Wikipedia where he hopes news will be more fact-based than what he sees elsewhere.

He will be hiring many journalists for the initial phase, and see how things develop from there.

Wikitribune will not focus on doing original journalism. It will use the same community model as Wikipedia to put together long-form contextual articles for news events, as well as finding related questions that can be filled in by people at home.

Regarding whether the venture would succeed, Wales stated, “[O]ne of my main questions is the question of scale – I think if we can get to scale, it will be successful. If we aren’t able to produce enough good work early on to persuade people to contribute further support, I think that means that potentially we are going to struggle to get traction. But the response so far to the announcement has been so positive that I’m feeling ok.”

To Save Money, Kentucky Coal Museum Installs Solar Panels

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To save around $8,000 per year, the Kentucky Coal Museum is installing rooftop solar panels.

The museum is in Benham, a town of 500 people, down from 3,000 in it’s coal town heyday.

The move is seen as part of a wider movement in Kentucky to move away from coal energy, which is considered to be increasingly replaced by natural gas.

Trump’s 100th Day May See a Government Shutdown

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A government shutdown could be the result of Trump’s demand for funding for a wall on the Mexico border.

Among Trump’s priorities for the CR* are the wall and the military, according to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

Congressional Democrats and some Republicans oppose the funding of the wall, and it may result in a government shutdown on Saturday, Trump’s 100th day in office. At least 8 democrats are needed to pass a funding bill.

However, Trump was reported to have indicated in a private meeting with conservative media outlets this week that he may put off seeking funds for the border wall until after Republicans begin drafting the budget blueprint for the next fiscal year, which would decrease the likelihood of a shutdown.

*CR stands for “continuing resolution,” an “appropriations bill” that sets aside money for specific government departments and programs”)

Trump’s First New Tariff on a Foreign Country: Canada

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Lumber tariffs up to 24% are being imposed by Trump on Canada.

During his presidential run, Trump repeatedly spoke of “America first,” and threatened tariffs on China and Mexico. These threats received voter support, but the first tariff imposed by the president was on the U.S.’s northern neighbor.

The lumber tariffs were announced Monday after trade talks on dairy products fell through.

There is talk of a trade war between Canada and the U.S. Currently, the two nations and Mexico are preparing to renegotiate NAFTA.

The U.S. government is thought to be motivated by a desire improve prospects for American lumber companies, who complain that subsidies provided to Canadian companies by the Canadian government create an unfair playing field. Canada exported a reported $5.6 billion worth of softwood to the U.S. last year.

State Department Removes Webpage Featuring Trump’s For-Profit Club, Mar-A-Lago

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The U.S. State Department, ShareAmerica.gov, removed a page it posted which had an article promoting Trump’s golf club, the Mar-a-Lago Resport in Palm Beach, Florida, after receiving criticism that the article was an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds.

The title of the article was “Mar-a-Lago: The Winter White House,” and it began, “Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s Florida estate, has become well known as thee president frequently travels there to work or host foreign leaders.” Trump is the sole beneficiary of the club, which is held in trust while Trump is President.

The State Department said they regretted if the public misperceived the purpose of the article. They said it was intended to inform the public about where the President hosts visiting dignitaries.

Guatemalan Indigenous Land Rights Activist Wins the Goldman Environmental Prize

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For standing up to the government and nickel miners expanding into the land of his 270-member farming and fishing village, Rodrigo Tot, 60, won the largest award going for grassroots environmental activists.

“An indigenous leader in Guatemala’s Agua Caliente, Rodrigo Tot led his community to a landmark court decision that ordered the government to issue land titles to the Q’eqchi people and kept environmentally destructive nickel mining from expanding into his community,” summarized Goldman Prize.

2017 winners: mark! Lopez (sic) of the U.S.; Uroš Macerl, Slovenia; Prafulla Samantara, India; Wendy Bowman, Australia; Rodrigue Katembo, Democratic Republic of Congo; and Tot.

‘City Stay’ Lets Students Study with Immigrant Families in the US

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A new study experience option has started, called “city stay,” which is in some ways similar to “study abroad.”

City Stay is the name of a program run by Minnehaha Academy, a private school in Minneapolis. When students enrol in a city stay, they are placed in immigrant homes for a week and have a chance to learn a foreign culture without ever getting on a plane.

Minnehaha’s “City Stay” project has about 60 students and 20 host families so far. So far, It is an unpaid project run by founder Julie Knopp.

Japan: High Sales of Nuclear Shelters as North Korea Tension Mounts

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Nuclear shelters and radiation-blocking and chemical gas air filters have seen higher sales in recent weeks as North Korea continues its nuclear program, including nuclear and missile tests, and America and China take a tougher stance on the nation’s military activities. Some stores have sold out.

Three North Korean missiles landed in Japan’s waters, 300-350 kilometers from shore, last month.

Japan is also urging local governments to hold evacuation drills.