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☆ Opinion: Despite ISIS threat, Putin’s only concern is the politics of terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Opinion Douglas London | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Russia knows it has a terrorist problem, despite its deflection and spin to preserve Putin’s image, but his priorities are elsewhere. Russian intelligence also suffers from systemic failings in recognizing, penetrating and dismantling terrorist cells, failings that stem from doctrine and a deliberately stovepiped structure that obstructs information sharing and agility. FSB officers will coerce, threaten and intimidate potential sources with diminishing returns that will only fuel ISIS-K recruitment and fundraising, which is no doubt seeing a surge from its Moscow attack. Russian intelligence will be left to depend on the unwilling, ill-informed or duplicitous. At the Islamic State’s height, Tajik Gulmurod Khalimov commanded its Iraqi capital of Mosul.

Persons: Douglas London, ”, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Bortnikov, Douglas, Mike Pompeo, Russia’s, Sergey Naryshkin, Igor Korobov, Donald Trump, Pompeo, Russia Michael McFaul, Barack Obama, Trump, Putin, Gulmurod Khalimov, Khalimov, “ Omar al, “ Omar, ” Batirashvili, Washington, Sergei Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CIA, of American Intelligence, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Global National Security Institutes, CNN, Federal Security Service, CBC, Ukraine, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Military Intelligence, Trump, White, ISIS, Central, Former, Terrorism, Embassy, K’s, Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry, Islamic Locations: South, Southwest Asia, London, Khorasan, United States, Afghanistan, Islamic State, Great Britain, Russia, Washington, State, Moscow, Syria, Iraq, Russian, US, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Central Asia, Central Asian, Central, East, Turkey, Turkish, Istanbul, Mosul, Chechen, Georgian, Georgia, Iran, Kerman, Salisbury, England

☆ Who are ISIS-K, the group that claimed it carried out the Moscow terror attack?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It is a branch of ISIS, the terror group that emerged in Syria and Iraq and, at its peak, controlled a huge stretch of territory. By 2018, ISIS-K was ranked the world’s fourth-deadliest terror group, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace, which monitors global terrorism. Video Ad Feedback What we know about ISIS group claiming responsibility for Moscow terror attack 04:16 - Source: CNNWhat do they want? Russian state media reported on March 7 that the FSB, Russia’s security service, prevented an ISIS attack on a synagogue in Moscow, according to Reuters. It is the most active terror group in the country, responsible for 73 deaths in 2023, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.

Persons: Kamala Harris, –, Joe Biden, Putin, ”, Daniel Byman, ” Byman, John Miller, Wakil Kohsar, Washington, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, Islamic, ISIS, Sunday, US, Institute for Economics, The United Nations, Sharia, “, RIA Novosti, RIA, Reuters, Kabul University, CSIS, National Legal Training, US Central Command, National Intelligence, UN, Manchester Arena, State Department, Kyiv Locations: Moscow, Soviet, Tajikistan, Khorasan, Asia, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Africa, East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Kabul, Afghanistan’s Kunar, Nangarhar, United States, Britain, Europe, “ Russia, Georgetown, Caucasus, Pakistan –, Mastung, AFP, Germany, Paris, Ariana Grande, England, Orlando , Florida, Russian, Ukraine, Crocus

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. lawmakers are raising alarms about what they see as America’s failure to compete with China in biotechnology, warning of the risks to U.S. national security and commercial interests. Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to bar “foreign adversary biotech companies of concern” from doing business with federally funded medical providers. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesCritics of the legislation warn that restrictions on Chinese companies would impede advances that could bring a greater good. “It’s not just a supply chain battle or a national security battle or an economic security battle; I would submit it’s a moral and ethical battle,” Gallagher said. He said any restrictive U.S. measures should be tailored to address military concerns and concerns about genomic data security.

Persons: walling, ”, Abigail Coplin, Rachel King, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, “ It’s, ” Gallagher, “ we’re, Biden, Tom Bollyky, Bollyky, Ray Yip, Yip, “, Anna Puglisi, Puglisi, ” Puglisi, BGI, WuXi AppTec, Dake Kang Organizations: WASHINGTON, — U.S, Biotechnology, Bills, Embassy, Biden, Vassar College, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, National Security Commission, Emerging Biotechnology, U.S . Senate, Chinese Communist Party, Wisconsin Republican, “, Bloomberg, Council, Foreign Relations, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Georgetown University’s Center for Security, Emerging, The Defense Department, Commerce Department, Associated Press Locations: China, U.S, ”, South China, Wisconsin, Boston, United States, WuXi, Beijing

☆ Dysfunctional Week Exposes the Fissures, Fractures and Fault Lines Across the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Lauren Camera | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

“The Republican Party is not really a conservative party anymore – it’s a populist party,” he says. “What are the incentives for conservatives to take these positions?” asks Joshua Huder, senior fellow at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. “This Republican Party is spiraling out of control. Last week, the RNC reported its lowest fundraising totals in 10 years, entering 2024 with just $8 million in cash on hand. Prosecutors are seeking $370 million – a loss that has the potential to ruin him financially ahead of the November election.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, Trump, ”, David Barker, –, Mike Johnson, Alejandro Mayorkas, Johnson couldn’t, Joshua Huder, Georgetown University’s, Johnson, Sen, Chris Murphy, it's Donald Trump –, who’s, Mitch McConnell’s, – Sen, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of, Mitch ” trended, intraparty, Mitch McConnell, ” Huder, I’m, Ronna McDaniel, isn’t, Joe Biden Organizations: Republican National Committee, Republican, Republican Party, American University, Center, Congressional, Presidential, Republicans, Homeland, Israel, Georgetown, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public, Senate, Connecticut Democrat, RNC, South Carolina, U.S ., Trump, Capitol, Prosecutors Locations: Connecticut, Ted Cruz of Texas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, underperformed, Washington, Manhattan

☆ 505 OpenAI employees threaten to quit after Altman fired and his successor was replaced
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In a letter obtained by CNN, the more than 500 employees accused the OpenAI board of mishandling Altman’s firing, failing to provide sufficient evidence for claims that Altman had not been candid with the board, and “negotiating in bad faith” with the company’s executive leadership. “Your actions have made it obvious that you are incapable of overseeing OpenAI,” wrote the employees. Murati’s promotion has since been superseded by the appointment of incoming interim CEO Emmett Shear, the 40-year-old co-founder of the livestreaming company Twitch. “Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees,” the letter added. After Sutskever posted his message to X, Altman amplified the apology by quote-posting it.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, “, ”, reinstates Altman, Greg Brockman, Mira Murati, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s, Murati’s, Emmett Shear, Sutskever, we’ve, Adam D’Angelo, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Altman’s Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Georgetown University’s Center for Security, Emerging Technology Locations: OpenAI

Experts say new steps China has agreed to will eventually reduce the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl into the U.S., but that alone will not stem the overdose crisis killing Americans at a record rate. Synthetic opioids are now the biggest killers in the deadliest drug crisis the U.S. has ever seen. More than two-thirds of those deaths — more than 200 per day — involved fentanyl or similar synthetic drugs. It's in counterfeit pills and cocaine, in some cases causing overdoses in people who have no idea that they're using fentanyl. A growing number of places are allowing drug screening kits so users can find out if their drugs include fentanyl.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, ”, Adam Wandt, “, Wandt, Kevin Roy, ” Roy, Rahul Gupta, it’s, Donald Trump, It's, Xi, ” Biden, Xi’s, Wang Wenbin, they're, we’re, Regina LaBelle, Biden, Andres Manuel Lopez, LaBelle, Didi Tang Organizations: John Jay College of Criminal, of National Drug Control, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, San Francisco Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry, International Narcotics, U.S, Georgetown University’s O’Neill, Associated Locations: China, U.S, California, America, Mexico, U.S . China, San Francisco, United States

The San Diego Zoo sent its pandas home in 2019 and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. Whatever the reason, San Diego Zoo officials were hopeful. "It is a moment with some heartbreak in it,” National Zoo Director Brandie Smith said at the time. The San Diego Zoo has been panda-less for four years and may need to upgrade or refurbish its facilities. The National Zoo had announced plans to renovate its panda house and outdoor enclosure, but the timing on those plans is unclear.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji —, ”, Daniel Ashe, ” Dennis Wilder, ” Wilder, Wilder, Gavin Newsom's, Xi’s, Paul A, Baribault, Ling, Hsing, Brandie Smith, Le Le, Didi Tang, Amy Taxin Organizations: WASHINGTON, San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, Veteran, Economic Cooperation, Association of Zoos, Aquariums, Georgetown University’s Initiative, U.S, California Gov, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, “, Zoo, Associated Press Locations: America, California, San Diego, U.S, Memphis , Tennessee, China, Veteran China, People's Republic, Asia, San Francisco, United States, Washington, Memphis, Santa Ana , California

☆ ‘Morning in America’ Eludes Biden, Despite Economic Gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Jim Tankersley | More About Jim Tankersley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Reagan’s appeals worked in part because Americans had just endured more than a decade of persistently high prices and high interest rates. Economists and historians generally agree that voters came to see the progress under Mr. Reagan as relief from a long, difficult period. Voter psychology is very different under Mr. Biden. Those mortgage rates Mr. Reagan trumpeted? The difference is that under Mr. Reagan, rates fell, and under Mr. Biden, they’ve gone up.

Persons: Reagan, Reagan’s, Biden, Biden’s, they’ve, ”, Francesco D’Acunto, D’Acunto Organizations: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, White House Council, Economic Locations: America

It’s time to pick health coverage for next year on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces, and experts caution against focusing your choice on price alone. Here are some things to consider when assessing marketplace plans. Many people who haven't shopped on the marketplace don’t know that they can get this help, according to Jeremy Smith, who directs West Virginia’s health insurance navigator program. “They’re just used to having health coverage … and it covers everything.”Plans also can come with annual out-of-pocket maximums higher than $9,000 for individuals and $18,000 for families. “The good news is a lot of people who’ve been in Medicaid will likely qualify for these cost-sharing reductions,” said Sabrina Corlette, co-director of Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

Persons: haven't, Jeremy Smith, ”, ” Smith, “ They’re, who’ve, Sabrina Corlette, “, Cynthia Cox, HMOs, Kelly Fristoe, Smith Organizations: Medicaid, Shoppers, Georgetown University’s Center, Health, KFF, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Wichita Falls , Texas

☆ Why Hasn’t Israel Invaded Gaza?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +9 min

While Israel has performed raids in Gaza, the larger ground invasion hasn’t happened, and the delay could expose further challenges for Israel’s operations. Additionally, the Biden administration has raised concerns that Israel lacks achievable military goals in Gaza, and the delay could help the country refine its objectives. So far, outside interests have remained mostly on the sidelines of the conflict, but a ground invasion could change that. There has also been some speculation that the ground invasion could be more limited in scope than what has been imagined so far. But waiting any longer for a ground invasion could create a dilemma for Israel: waning international support.

Persons: It’s, ” Natan Sachs, Benjamin Netanyahu, John Kirby, Israel, We’re, we’re, ” Kirby, Joe Biden, “, ”, Biden, doesn't, Ian Hurd, it's, ” Biden, ” Dan Byman, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Jonathan Conricus, Byman, Kirby, We’ve Organizations: Hamas, Brookings Institution, Pentagon, United, United Arab Emirates, White, National Security, Israeli Defense Forces, Northwestern University, Street, Iran’s Quds Force, Quds Force, Center for Strategic, International Studies, ” Iran's, United Nations, General, Israel Defense Forces, ABC Radio Melbourne, Israel, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service Locations: Gaza, U.S, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, Iran, The U.S, Tehran, Iran’s Quds, Beirut, Palestine, United States

☆ University early decision applications mostly benefit rich kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

For them, applying early decision is a risk. According to the latest data from the University of Pennsylvania, the acceptance rate for students applying early decision was 16% for the 2022-23 academic year. “Typically, we admit about half of the incoming class through the early decision admissions plan,” said a University of Pennsylvania spokesperson. That same Duke survey found that nearly half of early decision applicants identified as White. He said he considered applying early decision to Cornell University, but ultimately decided against it.

Persons: ”, “ It’s, Marcella Bombardieri, it’s, Rachel Rubin, “, Duke, Rubin, Sai Mandhan, Mandhan, It’s, he’s, ‘, Cornell … Organizations: CNN, Harvard, Ivy League, University of Pennsylvania, Center for American Progress, Duke University, Students, Georgetown University’s, Court, Yale, Notre Dame, Stanford, Yale University, Cornell University, Cornell, University of Maryland Locations: Maryland

☆ Chaos in House GOP intensifies with Scalise’s speakership bid in peril
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

GOP lawmakers did select Steve Scalise as their nominee for the job that is second in the line of presidential succession on Wednesday. The worsening debacle in the House follows the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week by eight Republicans voting with Democrats. But some GOP leaders are irritated that the jockeying is distracting from the imperative to find a speaker. He was still well short of the 217 votes – a majority of the current House – needed to claim the speakership on the floor. “He has no path to 217,” one top House Republican said on condition of anonymity.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Scalise, CNN’s Manu Raju, Melanie Zanona, Steve, ”, Jim Jordan, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Tom Emmer, Kevin Hern, Byron Donalds of, ” Scalise, –, grandstanding, Donald Trump, Michael McCaul, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, “, Xi, Putin, Matt Gaetz, – it’s, holdouts, Joe Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene –, Trump, Jordan, Scalise –, ” Greene, Nancy Mace, David Duke, Mace, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Lauren Boebert, ” Boebert, …, Mike Lawler, Laura Blessing Organizations: CNN, The House Republican Party, Louisiana Republican, Republican, GOP, Ohio Republican, Texas, Foreign Affairs, Georgia, ” South Carolina Rep, Scalise, Ku Klux, ”, Republicans, New York Rep, Senate, Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute Locations: Wednesday’s, Washington, –, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Byron Donalds of Florida, Jordan, Israel, Florida, ”, Colorado

☆ Kevin McCarthy’s Ouster Was a Sellout for Nothing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Daniel Henninger's weekly column, “Wonder Land,” appears in The Wall Street Journal each Thursday. Mr. Henninger was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing in 1987 and 1996, and shared in the Journal's Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for the paper's coverage of the attacks on September 11. In 2004, he won the Eric Breindel Journalism Award for his weekly column. He has won the Gerald Loeb Award for commentary, the Scripps Howard Foundation's Walker Stone Award for editorial writing and the American Society of Newspaper Editors' Distinguished Writing Award for editorial writing. He is a weekly panelist on the "Journal Editorial Report" on Fox News.

Persons: Daniel Henninger's, ”, Henninger, Eric Breindel, Gerald Loeb, Scripps Howard Foundation's Walker Organizations: Scripps, American Society of Newspaper, Fox News, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service Locations: Cleveland

☆ The Democrats’ Deal With the Devil
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

But Mintz also acknowledges that having more places to access PrEP likely will not be enough to substantially increase its use in more vulnerable communities. “There needs to be a couple of levers that need to be pulled for everybody to access PrEP who are eligible to access PrEP,” Mintz says. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Meanwhile, a pending ruling in a federal appellate court looms as a threat that could more broadly undermine PrEP coverage. “We don’t know what the 5th Circuit could do.”In the wake of the March court ruling, insurers expressed support for preventive services. “Right now, PrEP uptake is quite good among gay white men, but among people of color and among women PrEP access is quite limited,” Dawson says.

Persons: Apretude, ”, Omar Martinez Gonzalez, Sean Bland, we’re, ” Bland, Truvada, ” Martinez Gonzalez, Laura Mintz, Mintz, ” Mintz, Truvada –, AIDSVu, Joe Raedle, Laurie Sobel, “, ” Sobel, Lindsey Dawson, ” Dawson, Torrian Baskerville, Baskerville, ” Baskerville, who’d, Biden, Bland Organizations: U.S . Preventive Services Task Force, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Affordable, AIDS Foundation Chicago, “, Centers for Disease Control, Santa Clara University School of Law, Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National, Global Health, Blacks, PrEP, Emory University, Gilead Sciences, Black PrEP, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Pride Network of, ViiV Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, U.S, Circuit, Appeals, Supreme, Human Rights, Navigators, Department of Health, Human Services Locations: U.S, Black, Cleveland, Gilead, –, Miami, Texas, Ohio

☆ The Democrats Have Demoted Personal Responsibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Democrats Form a Circular Firing Squad
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ The Stupid Party vs. the Evil Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Opinion: Why the fall of Afghanistan in 2021 broke me in a way my husband’s death didn’t
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Hilary Krieger | Opinion Jane Horton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Chris Horton, a sniper with 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, stands with his weapon in Paktia, Afghanistan, in 2011. In this March 2016 photo, US Central Command Commander Gen. Lloyd Austin and Gold Star Wife Jane Horton talk at Headquarters Resolute Support Mission in Kabul, Afghanistan. Jane Horton, senior adviser to the acting secretary of defense, gives a speech in Kabul in December 2020. It was a place that might have even been darker than the day Chris died. Chris Horton and Jane Horton pose for a photo on their wedding day in 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Persons: Jane Horton, CNN —, It’s, Chris, I’ve, Marcus Yam, who’d, Kirk Owen, ”, Chris Horton, ., Whitney Hughes, “ Jane, Marshal Rommel ‘ Don’t, ’, —, Lloyd Austin, Myles Cullen, ” Maryam, Ashraf Ghani, Taylor Crul Organizations: Department of Defense, Afghan Women’s Council, CNN, Oklahoma National Guard, Los Angeles Times, Facebook, Spc, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gold Star, Embassy, Central Command, US Air Force, 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, III, Hamid, Airport, Twitter, State Department Locations: Georgetown University’s, Afghanistan, Kabul, Paktia, United States, Washington, Resolute, American, Paktya, –, America, Cleveland , Ohio, anytown USA

☆ Trump the Opera: The Indicted One
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ The Trump Indictments’ High Price
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ The Musk vs. Zuckerberg Cage Fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Donald Trump, Hunter Biden and the Rule of Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Mattel's Barbie is a hit. Retailers and restaurants want in
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Around that time, it started planning Barbie parties: Celebrations with themed cocktails, pink food and plenty of opportunities to show off Barbiecore outfits in the Instagram-friendly venue, including life-size hot pink Barbie and Ken boxes. By marketing Barbie products to adults, large retailers may be able to get them to buy similar products for kids. With Barbie products that appeal to grown-ups, marketers are “getting that interactivity between adults and children, that bonding,” which can also be used as a selling point. The clothing retailer offers a Barbie line that includes Gap and Barbie branded t-shirts, jackets and more, for both kids and adults. Nordhielm pointed to Cold Stone Creamery’s Barbie pink cotton candy ice cream as a standout.

Persons: Barbie ”, “ Barbie ”, Moshe Isaacian, Isaacian, Richard Drew, “, ”, Tim Calkins, Barbie, Ken, Leana Chavez, cabana, Lauren McCord, Christie Nordhielm, Richard Dickson, Richard B, Levine, Levine Roberts, “ Barbie, Oppenheimer, David Canales, David Reibstein, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton, we’re, Mike Blake, ” Reibstein, “ it’s, Northwestern’s Calkins, Mattel, Chrissy Teigen Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, Mattel, Warner Bros, CNN, Warner Bros ., Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Wunder, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Press, University of Pennsylvania’s, Reuters, Creamery Locations: New York, Wunder Garten, Washington , DC, Zara, Gran Via, Madrid, Malibu, Malibu , California

☆ A Great, Destructive Migrant Mess
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Daniel Henninger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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