Courtesy of Marjory Collins / Wikimedia Commons.
• The European Central Bank (ECB) proposed a quantitative easing (QE) program, in which the central bank would purchase about €50 billion, or $58 billion USD, per month in bonds for at least a year. The U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan have relied on the QE method in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crises, while until now, the ECB has largely avoided it.
• U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry joined British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on Thursday in co-hosting coalition talks on combatting the Islamic State militant group. Meanwhile, Japan has not responded to the militant group’s threat to kill two Japanese hostages if the Japanese government failed to pay a $200 million ransom by Friday afternoon.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) told the Justice Department Wednesday that it has not found sufficient evidence to charge former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson with the federal crime of depriving 18-year-old shooting victim Michael Brown of his civil rights. Though Justice Department prosecutors will not recommend civil rights charges against Wilson, Attorney General Eric Holder will ultimately decide whether to press charges this spring.
• Following a revolt by Republican Congresswomen, GOP leaders in the House abandoned a bill late Wednesday that would ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, with exceptions for victims of rape who report the assault. Lawmakers worried that the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” would ruin the party’s chances of appealing to women and young voters in the 2016 elections.
• AT&T has filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and the City of Atlanta, WSBTV reported Wednesday. The $5.7 million lawsuit, filed Dec. 19, 11 days before the streetcars began operating, alleges that MARTA failed to compensate AT&T for moving its phone lines and property to make room for the city’s streetcar. The City and MARTA have refused to compensate the utility company.
– Compiled by Asst. News Editor Lydia O’Neal
A College senior studying economics and French, Lydia O’Neal has written for The Morning Call, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Consumer Reports Magazine and USA Today College. She began writing for the News section during her freshman year and began illustrating for the Wheel in the spring of her junior year. Lydia is studying in Paris for the fall 2015 semester.
