Monday Briefing | March 18
Stories to Follow
The U.S. is planning on leaving 1000 troops in Syria: The U.S. military is reportedly making plans to keep almost 1000 troops in Syria, several months after President Trump said he was removing all U.S. forces from the country. Citing U.S. officials, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the Trump administration plans to continue supporting Kurdish fighters in Syria. The officials reportedly added that the plan could keep as many as 1,000 forces across the country, but said the specific number of troops that will remain is still being determined. However, Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refuted this report, calling it “factually incorrect.”
At least 49 dead in Christchurch mosque shootings: At least 49 people were killed at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, in a horrific and methodical afternoon slaughter, part of which was broadcast live on the internet after the publication of a white supremacist manifesto online. The massacre, which Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, condemned as a terrorist attack and called “an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence,” interrupted a day of prayer for a small immigrant community in the nation’s third-largest city and shook a country with little history of mass shooting.
Bomb Cyclone paralyses Midwest: A “bomb cyclone” storm that bloated rivers as it roared through much of the Midwest combined with spring snowmelt Sunday to drive some Midwest rivers to record levels and force evacuation of hundreds of homes. And some areas must brace for more rain Tuesday, forecasters said. Tuesday’s storm won’t match last week’s “bomb cyclone” that triggered heavy snow, howling winds and several tornadoes, AccuWeather Meteorologist Jim Andrews said. But he said there is the potential for up to another inch of rain on areas that have no place to put the water. The governors of Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin have declared states of emergency. Roads and highways were closed. Amtrak said some trains in the region were delayed and other canceled.
Theresa May to bring third Brexit deal vote to Commons: UK Prime Minister Theresa May will be hoping the third time’s the charm when she tries to get the House of Commons to back her Brexit deal this week after two previous defeats. While British government does not yet have the support of enough lawmakers to win a parliamentary vote on its Brexit deal, a “significant number” of colleagues are coming around to back the plan, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday.
This Week in JPI
Kayla Stewart writes for JPI about the arrests of ex-police officers in Rio de Janeiro in connection with former Brazilian Councilwoman Marielle Franco’s death. Franco’s murder occurred after a black women’s empowerment event on March 14, 2018 and sparked waves of protests around Brazil. Stewart examines how these charges come at a critical time in Brazil’s political climate, as there has been continued outrage from activists looking for answers and justice.
Happening This Week
Comedy at the Knitting Factory
Knitting Factory , Williamsburg
Sunday March 24 2019 – Sunday December 29 2019
Sunday nights at the Knitting Factory feature Marie Faustin, Sydnee Washington and Aminah Imani. The trio of stand-up supremes give you looks, life and a top-tier comedy showcase every week—and it’s free! Click here for more details.
Lap Dance Saloon
2A , East Village
Until Monday December 16 2019
Whether you’re visiting town and looking for laughs or a jaded New Yorker who needs a break, you can count on Jeffrey Emerson and Jill Weiner to deliver excellent comedy at this free weekly East Village stand-up night. For more details, click here.
This week’s Monday Briefing was brought to you by Zuha Siddiqui
