Thursday's world stories

Jul 13, 2017 - World
Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo dies in Chinese custody
Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese human rights activist who won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned, died today at age 61 while still behind bars due to terminal liver cancer, per the NYT.
- His accomplishments: Liu's activism for Chinese democracy stretched back to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, but his current prison sentence for "inciting subversion" stemmed from a 2008 charter he penned calling for democracy and an end to Chinese censorship.
- A statement from his trial: "An enemy mentality will poison the spirit of a nation and inflame brutal life and death struggles, destroy a society's tolerance and humanity, and hinder a country's advance toward freedom and democracy."
- His illness: Liu's cancer was announced by the Chinese government last year only after it became untreatable. He had ostensibly been granted medical parole due to his diagnosis, but remained under guard in a medical hospital until his death in the northeastern city of Shenyang.

Jul 12, 2017 - World
Scoop: Trump lawyers want wall between Kushner, president
President Trump's outside legal team wants to wall off Jared Kushner from discussing the Russia investigation with his father-in-law, according to sources with direct knowledge of the discussions.
- Members of Trump's legal team — which is led by longtime Trump lawyer Marc Kasowitz, and includes conservative legal firebrand Jay Sekulow — are trying to cloak their startling demand with the two-word message to Kushner: Nothing personal.
- The team contends that it isn't out to get Kushner, but just wants to protect the president because his son-in-law is so wrapped up in the investigation. He had three meetings with Russians that special counsel Bob Mueller is sure to investigate.
- Members of Trump's legal team are frustrated that Kushner has been discussing the investigation with the president, according to the sources.

