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☆ Putin is putting his bromance with Xi on full display — but China has reason to be wary
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewChina's leader, Xi Jinping, rolled out the red carpet for his "old friend" Vladimir Putin on Thursday. For his part, Putin lavished praise on China, whose support has been vital during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But underneath the pageantry and rhetoric, Xi is under mounting pressure over his alliance with Putin — and he has good reason to be wary of their "no limits" partnership. President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping attend a concert marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China in Beijing. "Meeting with Putin now is Xi's way of showing that China will not bend to Western pressure," said Torigian.

Persons: —, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Putin —, Xi Jinping, ALEXANDER RYUMIN, Zhao Tong, Graeme Thompson, Thompson, Joseph Torigian, Ali Wyne Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, BBC, Carnegie Endowment, Eurasia Group, Putin, Financial Times, School of International Service, American University, Xi, International Crisis Locations: Russian, Soviet, China, Ukraine, Russia, Beijing, Europe, Moscow, United States, Washington ,, America, Russia's, West

☆ Volkswagen union vote in Tennessee to test UAW's power after victories in Detroit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Elijah Nouvelage | Getty ImagesDETROIT — Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will vote this week on whether to organize with the United Auto Workers in a key test of the union's sway. More than 4,000 VW workers are eligible to vote, beginning Wednesday and ending at 8 p.m. EDT on Friday. The organizing vote, which is being overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, will need a simple majority to succeed. Volkswagen, which has union workers at non-U.S. plants, has said it will let its workers determine whether to organize. An aerial view of the Chattanooga Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 10, 2024.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Shawn Fain, Fain, Stephen Silvia, Southern, Silvia, Kevin Wurm, it's, we're, —, Isaac Meadows, Meadows Organizations: Volkswagen, Getty, DETROIT, United Auto Workers, UAW, General Motors, Ford Motor, Chrysler, Detroit, Tennessee VW, VW, National Labor Relations Board, Detroit automakers, Southern Gamble, Workers, Foreign, American University, Washington , D.C, Chattanooga Volkswagen, Washington Post, Ford Locations: Chattanooga , Tennessee, U.S, Detroit, Tennessee, Chattanooga, Washington ,

ON BOARD THE USS BATAAN (AP) — When attacks with missiles and drones surged in the Red Sea late last year, crewmembers of the USS Bataan worked round the clock to make sure they were shot down before reaching passing merchant vessels. Weeks later, they are still perfecting that operation in training and simulations, along with a dozen other scenarios, despite moving north to the Mediterranean where commercial marine traffic is at little risk. The U.S. Navy is reshuffling its warship deployment in the Middle East to maintain dominance in the region – now eyeing the longer haul as concerns mount that Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza could set off a regional conflict. The Bataan was sailing toward the eastern Mediterranean Friday after taking part in live-fire exercises with NATO-member Greece on the country’s mainland. “I would say, the difference (after coming to Greece) is that the food is a little bit better.”

Persons: Weeks, Gerald Ford, Jeremy Hawkins, “ We’re, ”, Gregory Aftandilian, Sam Peters, we’re, “ Organizations: BATAAN, U.S . Navy, United, Carter, School of International Service, American University in, American University in Washington DC, NATO, U.S, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Navy Locations: Red, Bataan, Gaza, United States, Mesa Verde, America, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, American University in Washington, Israel, Greece, North Carolina, Valdosta, U.S, Georgia

☆ U.S. political violence driven by new breed of ‘grab-bag’ extremists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +25 min

The incidents involve violence emanating from across the political spectrum, including dozens of cases of substantial property damage by leftists at political demonstrations. Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump, didn’t respond to questions from Reuters about the former president’s remarks and the impact of his rhetoric. But those who study extremism say psychiatric problems alone rarely induce political violence. “How could I take care of a brother in arms if I couldn’t even take care of myself?” Aldrich told the court. In the summer of 2022, Aldrich told the group he wanted to build a website to “promote freedom of speech,” Arroyo said.

Persons: Anderson Lee Aldrich, ” Gilbert Arroyo, Aldrich, Arroyo, ” Arroyo, “, ” Aldrich, Ted Kaczynski, ”, Brian Hughes, Donald Trump, Michael Jensen, Trump, Mark Milley, Steven Cheung, Milley, Rory Banks, Banks, Jacob Ware, Jensen, Stephanie Clark, Ashley Paugh, Barack Obama wasn’t, Republican Sen, Ted Cruz, John F, Kennedy, Matt Kriner, Troy Burke, Elwell, Burke, Jessica, Joe Biden, Sarah Huyser, John D, Cohen, Nathan Allen, Allen, Terence Delehanty, Audrey Mazzola, Allen texted Mazzola, Mazzola, Ramona Cooper, David Green, Green, “ Saint Nathan Allen, Aaron Brink, Brink, Aldrich’s, Laura Voepel, Carrie Thompson, Voepel, John Redgrave, Discord’s, ” Redgrave, “ Andy, ” Luke Simpson, Jonathan, Pamela Pullen, didn’t, Nick Brooks, Brooks, Pepe, Blacks, Simpson, ” Simpson, Michael Bowman, Joseph Archambault, Aldrich texted, Ned Parker, Peter Eisler, Joseph Tanfani, John Emerson, Paulo Prada Organizations: Reuters, Q, American University, Washington , D.C, ” Reuters, U.S, Capitol, Jan, Trump, University of Maryland’s, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, ., Council, Foreign Relations, Republican, Middlebury College’s Center, Terrorism, Counterterrorism, Public Religion Research Institute, REUTERS, Central Intelligence Agency, U.S . Constitution, Department of Homeland Security, Facebook, ” Winthrop Police, Smith, Wesson, Air Force, SWAT, Prosecutors Locations: Colorado, Colorado Springs, Washington ,, United States, Nevada, Wheaton , California, Washington, Maryland, Vietnam, Mexico, mainstreaming, Monterey , California, Michigan, Gratiot County, U.S ., Winthrop , Massachusetts, California, Texas, San Diego, Ohio, Illinois, Australia, Florida, Buffalo , New York

Some Republican contenders for their party's 2024 presidential nomination have turned to a blunt policy proposal to tamp down on crime: killing criminals. Crime, meanwhile, is a greater concern for voters than it has been in previous elections, even as crime trends are mixed. The former president has reiterated previous calls for drug dealers to receive the death penalty, despite legal scholars questioning its constitutionality. For instance, the U.S. Supreme Court holds that the application of the death penalty for crimes that do not result in the death of the victim is generally unconstitutional. In 2008, the court left open the possibility of the death penalty for "drug kingpin activity," though it has never been applied.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jonathan Ernst, Trump, Doug Heye, David Kochel, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, kingpins, Mike Pence, Pence, Bryan Griffin, they're, Thomas Zeitzoff, Gram Slattery, Nathan Layne, Tim Reid, Ross Colvin, Howard Goller Organizations: Des Moines, Iowa State Fairgrounds, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Federal Bureau of, Reuters, Trump, U.S, Supreme, American University, Thomson Locations: U.S, Des Moines , Iowa, Mexico, United States, California, Florida, America, Indiana, Washington, Wilton , Connecticut, Los Angeles

The video posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, caught the attention of Jonathan Riley, a liberal activist in Durham, North Carolina, who posted Sunday that it showed “Missouri Republicans at a literal book burning," though he'd later walk that statement back to a “metaphorical” book burning. “It fit a narrative that they wanted to put out there,” Freedom Fest organizer Debbie McFarland said about claims that Eigel burned books. Experts who study political extremism said images involving fire or bonfires have long been associated with extremist groups. Eigel’s critics quickly posted online images involving the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi book burnings before World War II. Talking about book burning enough can plant the idea in people's minds so that ”people think it’s actually a righteous thing to do."

Persons: Louis, Sen, Bill Eigel, ” Eigel, Eigel, ”, Kurt Braddock, Jonathan Riley, he'd, Debbie McFarland, Mike Parson, State Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe, Ashcroft, Gregg Keller, Eigel’s, “, Eric Greitens, Flamethowers, Donald Trump, Kristi Noem’s, Evan Perkoski, it's, ” “, Javed Ali, Braddock, ” Eigel's, Ali, he’s, ___ Hanna, ___, John Hanna Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Associated Press, ”, American University, Republicans, Twitter, Missouri Republicans, Gov, State, AP, GOP, Ku, Navy, Senate, Name, torching, Ku Klux Klan, University of Connecticut, University of Michigan Locations: Mo, St, Missouri, Washington, Defiance , Missouri, Durham , North Carolina, Jefferson City, U.S, Arizona, Alabama, South Dakota, Topeka , Kansas

☆ Return to Office, Ending Work From Home May Make Climate Crisis Worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Whether mandatory return-to-office policies will make the climate crisis worse is an important question, especially as scientists predict that 2023 will be the hottest year on record. But determining whether working from an office is worse for the planet isn't that simple. Failing to find a balance between boosting productivity at the office and protecting the planet risks making the crisis worse. Even though the study only covered the early part of the pandemic, it illustrated how a shift away from office work can have some positive effects for the planet. "There was no clear answer to whether work from home was better or worse for the environment in general terms."

Persons: Rachel, it's, JPMorgan Chase, James Elfer, Elfer, It's, Ty Colman, Colman, Ralf Martin, Martin, teleworking, Megan Litke, We've, Litke, Efler, Operta's Colman, JPMorgan Chase —, Apple, Tony Johnson, Schneider, Johnson, That's, she's, Catherine Boudreau Organizations: Amazon, Google, JPMorgan, Fortune, Employees, Greenhouse, International Energy Agency, IEA, Imperial College Business School, American University, Energy, Target, Dell, Apple, Schneider Locations: , Maryland, Greater London, London, Washington , DC, Williams, Sonoma, North America

Washington-based analysts say Wang's return to the ministry should help China's foreign ministry resume normal operations after weeks of international speculation about Qin's fate. In the Chinese system, the top diplomat is not foreign minister but rather the director of the Chinese Communist Party's foreign affairs commission, a role Wang will continue to hold. Still, Wang's reappointment is a sign of problems in China's foreign policy establishment, said Blanchette. On Tuesday, content mentioning Qin was quickly removed from China's foreign ministry website after Wang's appointment. The tab on the website that typically holds the biography of the foreign minister simply read "Updating."

Persons: Wang Yi, Qin Gang, Xi Jinping's, Qin, Xi, Wang, Joseph Torigian, Vedant Patel, Blinken, Joe Biden, Rorry Daniels, Wang's, China's, Jude Blanchette, Craig Singleton, Michael Martina, David Brunnstrom, Don Durfee Organizations: Communist, American University, U.S . State Department, U.S, APEC, Asia Society Policy Institute, Communist Party, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Thomson Locations: Washington, United States, Beijing, U.S, China, China's, Xi's, India, California, Taiwan, scold Washington, Lincoln

☆ Opinion: History is not on Donald Trump’s side
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Opinion Gautham Rao | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: Gautham Rao is associate professor of American and legal history at American University in Washington and editor-in-chief of Law and History Review. CNN —Here we are with another scandal involving former President Donald Trump. Over time, the professionalization of the government workforce would feature the rise of a civil service, the emergence of bureaucratic experts and the establishment of administrative law. The Presidential Records Act of 1978, passed in the wake of President Richard M. Nixon’s Watergate scandal, was another example of this evolving system. In 1974 Congress passed a law specifically to prevent Nixon from withholding records and followed it up a few years later with The Presidential Records Act, which explicitly designates presidential records as public records.

Persons: Gautham Rao, Read, Donald Trump, Trump’s, Trump, Jack Smith’s, Max Weber, Franklin Roosevelt’s, Richard M, Nixon, Donald J Organizations: American University, Law, American State, CNN, National Archives, American, Presidential, Presidential Records, Twitter Locations: Washington, United States, German

☆ International tipping: How to cut through the chaos and confusion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

In the United States, “tipping is very customary. Leighton also said you won’t find a tipping culture on the island of Taiwan. Robinson said the tipping culture is less pervasive in Sicily than the United States and even more laid-back than in Rome. As for tipping culture in the US vs. the UK, Ryan Burditt said, it’s “really opposites to me. Robert Knopes/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesVisitors to the United States could be in for some tipping culture shock.

☆ Erdogan survived the biggest test of his political career. What’s next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Official results showed Erdogan winning with 52.1% of the vote, while opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu emerged with 47.9%. Murat Somer, a political science professor at Koc University in Istanbul, expects a hardened approach by Erdogan towards the opposition and his critics. “[Erdogan is] likely to continue his unorthodox economic policies because these actually serve his interests,” Somer told CNN. Becky Anderson's full interview with Turkish President Erdogan 20:52 - Source: CNNKorhan Kocak, an assistant professor of political science at New York University Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, worries about Erdogan’s moves after the election. And Erdogan is the man that delivered that to them.”Cagaptay said that Erdogan’s foreign policy is unlikely to change.

☆ Opinion: The ultimate ‘Succession’ lesson
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. Walt Handlesman/Tribune Content AgencyIn a much more ominous vein, the theme of survival dominates the HBO show “Succession,” which is coming to an end Sunday. She’s so caught up in beating her brothers at the succession game that she can’t see this baby as anything but an obstacle.”“Ultimately, this storyline is a perfect encapsulation of the larger tragedy that is ‘Succession,’” Bodenheimer added. The contest for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination heated up last week with the official entry of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former President Donald Trump’s strongest challenger in the polls.

Questions posed by the conservative justices during arguments on Tuesday over Biden's debt relief indicated that the conservative-majority court could strike down the plan as an unlawful overreach of executive power. "If Congress can't or won't step up, and the court won't let presidents do so, what are we left with? Its conservative justices already have invoked it to scuttle a pandemic-era residential eviction moratorium, a COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing mandate for large businesses and federal limits on carbon emissions from power plants. In some instances, like Biden's unilateral effort to extend the eviction moratorium, he took executive action following congressional inaction. "I'm concerned that we're going to have a problem in terms of the federal government's ability to operate," Jackson said.

☆ How important is that spark when choosing a partner? The answer may surprise you
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Ian Kerner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He tells me he picked his partner without prioritizing sexual attraction. Why would a person pick a potential life partner without feeling the spark of sexual attraction? Can something like sexual attraction that wasn’t there in the first place be cultivated later? Video Ad Feedback This is what you need to fall in love (2014) 01:55 - Source: CNNHow important is sexual attraction in a relationship? For some couples, sexual desire can grow over time if they focus on it.

Persons: Ian Kerner, ”, I’ve, doesn’t, Justin Lehmiller, Elizabeth Perri, “ I’ve, ” Perri, Eva Dillon, ” Dillon, isn’t, Dr, Yvonne Fulbright, “, Fulbright, Rachel Needle Organizations: CNN, ” CNN, “ Research, Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, American University Locations: Chicago, New York City, “, Washington ,

☆ Cuba shouldn't be on sponsor of terrorism list, former U.S. officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Ed Augustin | Ed Augustin Is A British Journalist Based In Havana Who Has Written For The New York Times | The Guardian | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

HAVANA — Along with Iran, Syria and North Korea, Cuba is listed as a “state sponsor of terrorism” by the U.S. Department of State. Cuba has called the sponsor of terrorism designation "illegitimate and immoral," arguing that it deprives it of financing and credit sources. “‘Cuba is not a state sponsor of terrorism’ was a mantra from the moment I walked into the State Department to the moment I walked out,” he said. Throughout the 1980s, Cuba shared intelligence with, trained and apparently supplied weapons to revolutionary movements fighting military dictatorships in Central America. Cuba will once again be a “guarantor state.”The Biden administration has provided no evidence that Cuba sponsors terrorism.

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