The Daily Populous

Tuesday January 7th, 2020 evening edition

image for 24 Australians arrested for deliberately setting fires this season

24 Australians arrested for deliberately setting fires this season The country has been ravaged by wildfires this summer.

Two dozen Australians in the state of New South Wales have been arrested since early November for intentionally setting fires as record-large blazes continue to burn across the country.

There have been 24 people charged with deliberately setting fires among 183 facing legal action in the state, according to the New South Wales Police Force.

A car travels on a road through thick smoke from bush fires in Bemboka, in Australia's New South Wales state, Jan. 5, 2020.

At least 24 people have been killed and over 2,000 homes have been destroyed by the bushfires, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday.

New South Wales, in the southeastern part of the country, has been particularly hard hit by fires this season.

The University of Sydney estimated 480 million animals have perished in Australia's fires in New South Wales alone. »

Trump Is The Most Unpopular President Since Ford To Run For Reelection

Authored by fivethirtyeight.com

After all, a president’s job approval rating can be predictive of his reelection chances, especially as November draws closer.

On Jan. 1, 42.6 percent of Americans approved of President Trump’s job performance, according to FiveThirtyEight’s presidential approval tracker (52.9 percent disapproved).

Only Gerald Ford (39.3 percent on Jan. 1, 1976) was less popular — and, of course, Ford lost that campaign to Jimmy Carter. »

New psychology study indicates pursuing evolutionary-relevant goals provides purpose in life

Authored by psypost.org

“Relatedly, young adults are engaging less with the traditional structures that once provided purpose in life, such as organized religion.

A sense of purpose in life may have evolved “because it signals that fitness-relevant motives are being satisfied,” they explained.

The study, “Surviving and Thriving: Fundamental Social Motives Provide Purpose in Life“, was authored by Matthew J. Scott and Adam B. Cohen. »

Trump officials are bending over backward to say he didn’t threaten to commit a war crime after he repeatedly threatened to commit a war crime

Authored by businessinsider.de

Deliberately targeting a cultural heritage site with no military value is a violation of international law and constitutes a war crime if carried out.

After initially backing down from his comments following swift backlash and allegations that he was advocating a war crime, Trump doubled down while talking to reporters on Air Force One.

Kellyanne Conway claimed Trump ‚didn’t say he’s targeting cultural sites‘ before acknowledging he ‚identified those sites and said it may happen‘. »