SUN SUNI KHABAR MARCH 16TH, 2016
OBAMA TO ANNOUNCE SCOTUS NOMINEE
When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in February, the United States government was faced with the problem of how to fill the vacancy. Republican presidential candidates, as well as the Senate, urged sitting President Barack Obama to hold off on nominating a candidate until a new president was in office. The last few weeks have seen a standoff between the president and the GOP Senate, who refused to even consider any nominee the President put forth. However, this standoff is now coming to a head, as President Obama is slated to nominate Merrick Garland to replace late Justice Scalia.
GOP AT WAR WITH ITSELF
With Donald Trump looking like the inevitable nominee of the Republican Party, high profile Republican donors are banding together in a last ditch effort to stop the New York businessman. Paul Singer, a leading GOP bundler, has put out a call to his fellow donors, saying that now is the time to stop Trump. Singer, along with the Ricketts family, says that Trump can be revealed for who he really is. Working with Singer is Chief Executive of Hewlett-Packard Meg Whitman, who is telling her benefactors that "We have a shot at turning this around".
FIFA SUING FORMER CORRUPT OFFICIALS
The governing body of soccer is seeking hundreds of million dollars from former corrupt officials. Under newly elected president Gianni Infantino, FIFA is trying to restore its credibility after a U.S. Department of Justice probe revealed deep corruption within the organization, forcing former president Sepp Blatter to step down. Infantino has filed a lawsuit on behalf of FIFA for $190 million forfeited in assets by over 40 FIFA executives. The lawsuit alleges that corruption ran deep at the top of FIFA and that officials sold their World Cup votes in order to turn a profit. Infantino released a statement saying that former corrupt FIFA officials abused their power, causing serious and lasting damage to FIFA, its member associations and the football community".
NORTH KOREA SENTENCES AMERICAN STUDENT
Otto Frederick Wambier, a student at the University of Virginia, was captured in North Korea in January, and accused of crimes against the state. Wambier was accused of trying to steal a North Korean banner, and admitted to the crime. It is not known whether his admission was made under duress. Wambier was sentenced to 15 years hard labor by the North Korean government. Appearing to read from a statement, the student tearfully begged forgiveness, saying that he had committed “the worst mistake of [his] life”. Wambier’s is not the first case of Americans being detained in the DPRK. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller were both detained, but later released.