DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Middle East Crisis Senior Israeli Military Official Offers to Resign After Oct. 7 Intelligence Failures
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Adam Rasgon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Mr. Netanyahu said in a social media post that his government would “act by all means” against any such move. The sanctions, if imposed, would not hold up the military aid that was just approved in Congress. The Israeli military disciplined three of the unit’s commanders after the investigation. Human rights organizations have long accused the Israeli military justice system of whitewashing wrongdoing and the military of acting with impunity. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed during the six months of war, according to Gazan health officials.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Netanyahu, Axios, Netzah Yehuda, Leahy, Yehuda, Omar Abdelmajed Assad, “, Assad’s, Biden, Benny Gantz, Yoav Gallant, Antony J, Blinken, Jacob J, Lew, Gallant, Mick Mulroy, ”, ” Natan Odenheimer, Gabby Sobelman Organizations: West Bank, Biden, Netzah, Jewish, Israel, Pentagon, State Locations: States, Gaza, Israel, Israel’s, Iran, U.S, United States

That was apparent Monday, when a Houthi missile hit a US-owned cargo ship in the Red Sea, marking what appears to be the first time the militants have successfully struck a US-owned or operated ship. Senior Biden administration officials insist Friday’s operation against the Houthis was successful at its objective: degrading the group’s military capabilities. Houthi fighters and tribesmen stage a rally against the U.S. and the U.K. strikes on Houthi-run military sites near Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. US officials fear one side will miscalculate, even if none of the major parties – Iran, Israel and the United States – want a wider war. The Suez Canal accounts for 10% to 15% of world trade, which includes oil exports, and for 30% of global container shipping volumes.

Persons: Biden, Israel simmers, John Kirby, Douglas Sims, ”, Mick Mulroy, Trump, Joe Biden, “ Organizations: CNN, US, Houthis, Biden, National Security, Pentagon, Joint Staff, New York Times, U.S, AP, United, Analysts, ABC News Locations: Yemen, Red, Sea, Gulf of Aden, Israel, Washington, Iran, Gaza, Africa, Suez, Red Sea, Gen, Sanaa, United States, Aden

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's decades-old aggravated prostitution statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday after an investigation, warning that the state could face a lawsuit if officials don't immediately cease enforcement. LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates have long criticized the measure as discriminatory, making it almost impossible to find housing and employment due to the restrictions for violent sex offenders. The DOJ letter details several of the struggles of those with aggravated prostitution convictions. A lifetime sex offender registration can stop people from visiting with their grandchildren, revoke job offers, and severely limit housing options. Plaintiffs who had filed a lawsuit seeking to block the aggravated prostitution law in October said the DOJ's letter only further supports their efforts.

Persons: —, ”, Bill Lee, “, Kristen Clarke, Jonathan Skrmetti, David Rausch, Steven Mulroy, it's, Mulroy, ” Brandon James Smith, Skrmetti, “ OUTMemphis, Molly Quinn, OUTMemphis, Adrian Sainz Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, American Civil Liberties Union, Transgender Law Center, Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, of, DOJ, Associated Press Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, United States, Shelby County, Memphis, Memphis , Tennessee

☆ U.S. Strikes Iranian-Linked Targets in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Eric Schmitt | More About Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The targets represent a significant escalation in striking facilities used by Iran’s own forces in the region, not just the militias in Iraq and Syria that it helps arm and train. “These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria,” Mr. Austin said. Since Oct. 17, Iran-backed militia have carried out at least 12 rocket or one-way attack drone strikes against U.S. troops in Iraq and at least four attacks in Syria, Brig. There are 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, mainly helping local allies conduct counterterrorism missions against the Islamic State. “I believe there is concern that our bases in Syria and Iraq, especially Syria, could be attacked by a wave of drones and it could overwhelm the defenses currently there,” Mick Mulroy, a former defense official and retired C.I.A.

Persons: Biden, Lloyd J, Austin III, Mr, Austin, ” Mr, “, Patrick S, Ryder, ” Mick Mulroy, General Ryder, Al Asad, we’ve, ” Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, American, U.S, ”, Hamas, U.S ., Pentagon, Iran, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Islamic Locations: States, Syria, Iraq, Iran, East, U.S, Iranian, United States, Israel, Lebanon, Persian, Erbil, Al Asad Air, Brig, Islamic State

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Netanyahu said the Israeli military was still preparing for a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. American officials say it will take them a few more days to get many of those new antimissile batteries in place. The Financial Times reported earlier on the request to delay the ground invasion to give time to get the air defense assets in place. The American officials have urged Mr. Netanyahu’s war cabinet to give Washington more time to place antimissile batteries to protect both Israel and American troops in the region, according to several American officials. But the United States also believes that Israel may not have the capability to respond to a two-front war.

Persons: Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ”, “, ” Biden, Mick Mulroy, Antony J, Blinken, —, ” Israel, Julian E, Barnes, Aaron Boxerman Organizations: U.S, Financial Times, U.S . Navy, Pentagon, Lebanese, Hezbollah, American, ”, United Nations, Health Ministry Locations: Gaza, United States, U.S, Israel, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Tehran, Washington

Among the evidence that’s been gathered is a blast analysis that suggests it was a ground explosion rather than an airstrike that hit the hospital, one of the sources said. That analysis is one datapoint that’s led intelligence officials to lean toward assessing that the attack on the hospital was a rocket launch gone wrong. Still, the blast analysis is just one of the things being examined by the intelligence community, which has surged intelligence collection assets to the region. US intelligence officials have not made a final assessment and are still gathering evidence, the officials said. Not long after landing in Israel on Wednesday, Biden weighed in on who was behind the strike on the hospital.

Persons: Israel “, Joe Biden’s, Adrienne Watson, ” Watson, that’s, Biden, ” Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Israel, Daniel Hagari, “ I’m, Jim Himes, Mick Mulroy, Mulroy, Mark Hertling, ” Hertling, it’s “, ” “, “, We’re, ’, Rishi Sunak, ” Sunak, It’s Organizations: CNN, National Security Council, Palestinian, NSC, Islamic, Wednesday, Israeli, Defense Department, ”, Israel Defense Forces, House Intelligence, Capitol, Defense, CIA, intel, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel, States, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Al, Ahli, Iran

☆ Gershun Freeman: Nine Memphis deputies charged in death of Black man
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The parents of another man beaten in Memphis, Tyre Nichols, are in the center. "Let me be clear, no actions by any Shelby County Sheriff's Office employee caused Mr. Freeman's death ... I stand with these officers," Bonner said during the news conference, adding that the medical examiner determined that Freeman died from a pre-existing heart condition. The case has garnered more national attention since the Jan. 7 beating death of another Black man, Tyre Nichols, by Memphis police officers who are now charged with murder. Nashville-Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk is handling the case against the officers after Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy recused himself.

Persons: Ben Crump, Gershun Freeman, Tyre Nichols, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Bonner, Freeman, Black, Glenn Funk, Steve Mulroy, Mulroy, Brendan O'Brien, Chizu Organizations: Shelby County Sheriff, Sheriff's, Memphis, Nashville, Thomson Locations: Shelby, Memphis , Tennessee, U.S, Memphis, Shelby County, Davidson, Chicago

It also highlights Russian frustration at failing to complete the capture of Bakhmut after more than nine months of costly, intense battle. ANGRY TIRADEWhat looked real, however, was Prigozhin's fury at Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. "If Putin wants him to be in combat, he'll force him in one way or another to do so." Marten said its involvement in the battle for Bakhmut, including fighters recruited from Russian prisons, had allowed Putin to avoid declaring a full-scale mobilization. Whatever its immediate intentions around Bakhmut, Wagner is likely to remain a significant player in the war, given Prigozhin's personal ambitions and determination to stay in the limelight.

"We're not endorsing what happened, but we do not believe that criminal charges are appropriate," Mulroy told reporters. An autopsy will be available soon and is expected to confirm that Nichols died of injuries from the beating, Mulroy added. Police video of the incident showed officers kicking, punching and beating Nichols with a baton on Jan. 7. Hemphill, along with those accused of murder and a seventh officer, were relieved of their duties by the Memphis Police Department. Prosecutors will not charge any other officer who arrived after the beating but are still investigating fire department staff, Mulroy said.

U.S. officials have said some giving battlefield casualty estimates from Ukraine appeared to have been altered to understate Russian losses. Ukraine said its president and top security officials met on Friday to discuss ways to prevent leaks. The Pentagon said that over the weekend, U.S. officials spoke with allies and had notified the relevant congressional committee about the leak. Some of the most sensitive information is purportedly related to Ukraine's military capabilities and shortcomings. Michael Mulroy, a former senior Pentagon official, played down the lasting impact of the leak.

☆ Ukraine alters counter-offensive plans after document leak - CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, April 10 (Reuters) - Ukraine has been forced to amend some of its military plans ahead of a much-vaunted counter-offensive due to a leak of classified U.S. documents, CNN reported on Monday citing a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Ukrainian officials told Reuters on Friday the allegedly leaked documents contained fictitious information and looked like a Russian disinformation campaign. Asked about the CNN report, presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine's strategic plans remained unchanged but that more specific tactical plans were always subject to change. "Right now its impossible to reassess plans, because they are only being worked out (now)," he added. Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, told Reuters: "We are working on our own plans...

☆ U.S. searches for source of highly classified intel leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Following disclosure of the leak, Reuters has reviewed more than 50 documents labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret" that first appeared last month on social media websites, beginning with Discord and 4Chan. Some giving battlefield casualty estimates from Ukraine appeared to have been altered to minimize Russian losses. Some documents are marked "NOFORN," meaning they cannot be released to foreign nationals. One of the documents, dated Feb. 23 and marked "Secret," outlines in detail how Ukraine's S-300 air defense systems would be depleted by May 2 at the current usage rate. Such closely-guarded information could be of great use to Russian forces, and Ukraine said its president and top security officials met on Friday to discuss ways to prevent leaks.

☆ US searches for source of highly-classified intel leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The focus now is on this being a U.S. leak, as many of the documents were only in U.S. hands," Michael Mulroy, a former senior Pentagon official, told Reuters in an interview. Following disclosure of the leak, Reuters has reviewed more than 50 documents labeled "Secret" and "Top Secret" that first appeared last month on social media websites, beginning with Discord and 4Chan. One of the documents, dated Feb. 23 and marked "Secret," outlines in detail how Ukraine's S-300 air defense systems would be depleted by May 2 at the current usage rate. Such closely-guarded information could be of great use to Russian forces, and Ukraine said its president and top security officials met on Friday to discuss ways to prevent leaks. The U.S. Justice Department said on Friday it was in touch with the Defense Department and began a probe into the leak.

☆ Drag queens fight back against Tennessee law that classifies drag shows as 'adult cabaret' entertainment and makes them a felony
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Bill Lee signed HB0009 into law, amending a law about cabaret performances. A drag queen suing the state over the law told Insider it violates performers' and parents' rights. Tennessee House Bill 0009 was signed into law by Lee on February 27, amending an existing clause regulating erotic performances to include "male or female impersonators" as "adult cabaret entertainment." The company's all-ages performances feature variety shows and comedies highlighting drag performers in an effort to provide the LGBTQ community with events and activities outside of bars and nightclubs. "Were it not for this law, Absent Friends would not have added an age restriction to its monthly performances."

☆ I'm a drag queen in Tennessee and scared the new law banning cabaret performances will hurt the drag community and leave me without a steady income
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Bella DuBalle, a Memphis-based drag queen, said this law will hurt both her and small businesses. DuBalle has been doing drag for a decade and working as a full-time drag queen in nightclubs and other venues for three years. However, a new law in Tennessee that takes effect on April 1 threatens her business and that of fellow drag performers in the community. DuBalle believes the law will harm the income and livelihoods of both drag performances and the local businesses that feature them. Building a full-time career took perseveranceBella DuBalle has been a full-time drag queen for three years.

☆ 3 suspicious objects have been downed across North America this week. Officials have no idea where 2 of the UAP came from and the pilots who shot them down can't agree on what they even look like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

US fighter aircraft shot down an object threatening airspace over Alaska yesterday. On Saturday, another unknown object, described as "cylindrical," was shot down over Canada. Here is what we know about the object shot down on Friday. The object shot down on Saturday was spotted in the Northern Canadian territory of Yukon. It is unclear if the object shot down off the Alaskan coast was of similar size or shape.

☆ Memphis officers charged in Nichols death face review of older cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"This involves any criminal case that [the officers] were involved in. It is any case where there were criminal charges that were brought by the DA anytime since they became officers." The beating occurred despite the use-of-force policies that Memphis and other U.S. cities pledged to strengthen after the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The five officers were members of SCORPION, a now-disbanded specialized police unit that was formed in October 2021 to concentrate on crime hot spots. Several of the officers who have been fired had received written reprimands or short suspensions for violating department policies, according to their personnel files.

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Seven more Memphis police officers are expected to face formal disciplinary charges this week in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, the city attorney said on Tuesday. A city spokesperson confirmed that officer is among the seven who could soon face charges. City Attorney Jennifer Sink told the city council on Tuesday that she expected administrative charges to be issued against the additional officers sometime this week. Officers charged with departmental violations would face administrative hearings, which Sink said could take place by the end of next week. The specialized street unit that included the five officers charged with Nichols' murder has been disbanded.

☆ VP Harris to attend Nichols funeral as prosecutors weigh more charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Alyssa Pointer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Alyssa PointerMEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan 31 (Reuters) - Vice President Kamala Harris will attend Wednesday's funeral of Tyre Nichols, the Black man who died three days after Memphis police officers savagely beat him following a traffic stop earlier this month, the White House said on Tuesday. Nichols will be eulogized by the Reverend Al Sharpton at a service at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis on Wednesday morning. Family members of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, who were killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis in 2020, will also attend. "We are looking at all individuals involved in the events leading up to, during, and after the beating of Tyre Nichols," his office said, adding that the investigation is incomplete. In an apparent reference to Hemphill, the office said an officer present during the initial encounter with Nichols may also face charges.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As their son lay bleeding from mortal injuries, the family of Tyre Nichols said Friday not only did police fail to render aid — they callously smoked cigarettes in the moments following the fatal beatdown. A grand jury on Friday indicted five former Memphis police officers, charging them with second-degree murder, in connection to Nichols' death. RowVaughn Wells, center, arrives at a news conference with civil rights Attorney Ben Crump in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 23, 2023. The police footage will also show Nichols calling out for his mother and moaning in agony following the beating, his family said. A portrait of Tyre Nichols is displayed at a memorial service in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 17.

Wells warned of the contents of the video, called it "horrific," and asked people to protest in peace after its release. Crump has said it reminded him of “the Rodney King video,” referring to the 1991 bystander video of Los Angeles police officers beating a Black man. Two of the officers, Mills and Smith, posted $250,000 bond and were released late Thursday. Haley, Martin and Bean had remained in custody Thursday night, jail records showed. “I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels,” she said.

“The Scorpion unit was involved,” Shelby County, Tennessee, District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Thursday at a news conference where he announced murder charges against five officers. Davis has called “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” has increased scrutiny of the city’s reliance on specialized units to suppress violent crime. This week, Davis announced a review of all of the police department’s specialized units, including Scorpion, in response to Nichols’ death. Memphis’ Scorpion unit was created in October 2021 under the police department’s Organized Crime Unit. Mayor Jim Strickland promoted the new Scorpion unit as part of the solution in his January 2022 State of the City speech.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan 27 (Reuters) - The police department in the city of Memphis was set on Friday to release body-camera video of a violent confrontation between a Black motorist and five police officers charged with murder in his death earlier this month. Nichols succumbed to injuries he sustained from his encounter with police and died while hospitalized on Jan. 10, three days after he was pulled over while driving. The last words heard on the video were Nichols calling out for his mother three times, Crump said. Two members of the Memphis Fire Department involved in the response have been relieved of their duties pending a separate inquiry. PUBLIC OUTRAGE EXPECTEDAdditional Memphis police officers remain under investigation for policy infractions, Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said on Thursday in a message posted to YouTube.

☆ Events in the Memphis police beating death of Tyre Nichols
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A man speaks through a bull horn during a protest on the day of the release of a video showing police officers beating Tyre Nichols, the young Black man who was killed during a traffic stop by Memphis police officers, in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Alyssa PointerJan 27 (Reuters) - The city of Memphis on Friday released video of the police traffic stop and beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man. loadingJan. 14: Nichols' family holds a memorial event at which they display a photograph of Nichols that shows him intubated and his face badly beaten, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported. Crump immediately calls for the release of video from the Nichols encounter captured by police body and vehicle dashboard cameras. Jan. 25: Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis releases a video statement calling the treatment of Nichols "failing of basic humanity."

The five officers have been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping and official misconduct, Mulroy said. Other Memphis officers remain under investigation for policy infractions, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said on Wednesday. "I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels. The Nichols family viewed the police footage on Monday with their attorney, Ben Crump. The last words heard on the video were Nichols calling for his mother three times, Crump said.

Search resuls for: "Mulroy"

25 mentions found