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They also argued that having the doctor testify appeared to be an effort by Mr. Menendez to present alleged facts before the jury without subjecting himself to cross-examination by testifying himself. He will be tried with two New Jersey businessmen who also were accused of participating in the bribery conspiracy. The senator’s wife, Nadine Menendez, was charged as well but granted a separate trial, in July, after her lawyers said she had a serious medical condition that would require surgery and an extended period of recovery. The indictment, which runs 66 pages, outlines a variety of schemes. But perhaps nothing has caught the public eye as much as its descriptions of the cash, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible found during a June 2022 search of the senator’s home in Edgewood Cliffs, N.J.

Persons: Menendez, Judge Stein, Rosenbaum, Nadine Menendez Organizations: Democrat, Foreign Relations, Benz Locations: New Jersey, Egypt, Qatar, Jersey, Edgewood Cliffs, N.J

☆ Congressional leaders at odds over Israel aid next steps as conservatives warn Johnson against including Ukraine funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Michelle Shen | Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Johnson has vowed to put some sort of Israel aid bill on the floor this week, but said the details are still being finalized. The House previously struggled to pass a standalone Israel aid bill, but Johnson could draw ire from the right if he ties it to Ukraine or puts the Senate bill on the floor. How Congress reached this pointWhile the Senate passed its foreign aid bill in February, Johnson said he never planned to bring the bill to the floor. The House, in turn, tried but failed to pass a standalone package for $17.6 billion in Israel aid amid opposition from both Republicans and Democratic leaders. At a closed caucus meeting prior to the vote, House Democratic leadership made a forceful case against supporting the standalone Israel aid package to members.

Persons: Mike Johnson, We’re, ” Johnson, Maria Bartiromo, Johnson, Warren Davidson, Mitch McConnell —, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Chuck Schumer, “, ”, imploring Johnson, Schumer, McConnell, Republican Sen, Marco Rubio sidestepped, ” Rubio, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ” Democratic Sen, Chris Coons, ” Coons, Tapper, CNN’s Haley Talbot, Lauren Fox, Manu Raju, Aileen Graef, Avery Lotz Organizations: CNN, Congressional, House Republicans, Republican Party, Israel, Fox News, GOP, Senate, Democrat, Republican, Union, ” Democratic, Republicans, Democratic, Freedom Caucus, House Democratic Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Iran, Taiwan, Mar, Lago, Washington, “ State

☆ Sen. Bob Menendez grills Treasury official on curbing illicit finance a month before bribery trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., at center right, and his wife, Nadine Menendez, center rear, leave Manhattan Federal Court in New York City following his arraignment, March 11, 2024. Sen. Bob Menendez questioned a Treasury Department official Tuesday on curbing illegal finance as he prepares to stand trial in a month with his wife and two other men on federal bribery charges. Menendez also slammed the Biden administration for not stopping Iran under current sanctions from selling its oil to entities in countries including China. "None of that money has gone to Iran, and that money is not going to go directly to Iran," Adeyemo said. His wife, Nadine Menendez, and two of the businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, will be tried with him.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Wally Adeyemo, Menendez, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Adeyemo, John Kennedy, Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, Jose Uribe Organizations: Manhattan Federal, Treasury Department, New, New Jersey Democrat, Bloomberg, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Senate Foreign Relations Locations: Manhattan, New York City, New Jersey, New York, Ukraine, Iran, China, Venezuela, Israel, Egypt

☆ Opinion: If Marjorie Taylor Greene wins on Ukraine aid, we’re headed for dangerous territory
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Julian Zelizer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is the new boss in town. Greene is intent on blocking funding to Ukraine — a massive blow to both NATO and the US’ own commitment to the post-World War II international order. This standoff demonstrates just how far the Republican Party has moved from the era of Ronald Reagan. Long before Greene, a growing number of Republicans began expressing increased skepticism toward international institutions like the United Nations. With Greene keeping Johnson’s feet to the fire when it comes to aid to Ukraine, the GOP’s revolution is almost complete.

Persons: Julian Zelizer, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Greene, ” Greene, —, we’ve, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Long, “, John Bolton, New York “, Jesse Helms of, George W, Bush, Saddam, Frances’s Jacques Chirac, Donald Trump, Bush’s, Putin, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, Trump, MAGA Organizations: CNN, Princeton University, The New York Times, America, CNN — Republican, Republican, Ukraine, NATO, Republican Party, Soviet, United Nations, GOP, Republicans, UN, Senate Foreign, Iraq, Trump, Caucus Locations: Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Ukraine, United, United States, New York, Jesse Helms of North Carolina, Kyoto, Iraq, Russia, Helsinki, America

CNN —The Biden administration is close to approving the sale of as many as 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal expected to be worth more than $18 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter. Since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, the US has made more than 100 foreign military sales to Israel. Most of those have fallen under the specific dollar amount that requires a notification to Congress, an official familiar with the matter previously told CNN. A congressional aide told CNN that House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has also approved the transaction to proceed to formal congressional notification. “What you hear about the frustrations within the administration over the Israel policy, it is real,” one US diplomat told CNN on condition of anonymity.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Sen, James Risch, Michael McCaul, Ben Cardin, Greg Meeks, Biden administration’s, Joe Biden’s, “, ”, Israel won’t, Josh Paul, Matthew Miller, Israel what’s, Pat Ryder, ” Steven Katz, Katz Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Biden, Democratic, House Foreign Affairs, Foreign, State Department, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, House Foreign, Congressional Research Service, UN, The State Department, State Department’s Bureau, Political, Military Affairs, ”, Pentagon, Army, Defense, U.S, National Intelligence Locations: Israel, Gaza, State, Washington , DC, United States, “ Israel, Iran

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., attends a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol to call for the reversal of the Biden administrations Title 42 expansion and proposed asylum transit ban on Thursday, January 26, 2023. Indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is considering running for re-election in November as an independent, two sources who spoke with him directly tell NBC News. He is now making calls to allies about his record and career and is preparing to collect petitions to run in November as an independent, the sources said. But running as an independent would give him more time; in that case, he would need only 800 signatures by June 4 to qualify for the ballot. Several New Jersey Democrats have already filed to run for Menendez's seat, including Rep. Andy Kim and the state's first lady, Tammy Murphy.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, Biden, Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Andy Kim, Tammy Murphy Organizations: U.S, Capitol, NBC, New, New Jersey Democrat, Senate Foreign, Democrat, New Jersey Democrats, Democratic Locations: New Jersey

☆ Bob Menendez’s Bribery Case Reminds Us Why Proving Corruption Is So Hard
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the last decade, it has proved surprisingly hard to put politicians accused of corruption behind bars. And juries have occasionally thought the officeholders’ behavior didn’t meet the high standard for corruption. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, who was arraigned yesterday in a federal bribery case, is both an example of the conundrum and a test of whether federal prosecutors now know how to overcome it. In the senator’s last corruption trial, in 2017, jurors couldn’t make sense of the gifts and favors he’d received from a wealthy eye doctor. In exchange, prosecutors say, he attempted to disrupt criminal cases and used his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee inappropriately.

Persons: didn’t, Bob Menendez, he’d, Menendez Organizations: Bob Menendez of New, Democrat, Benz, Senate Foreign Relations Locations: Bob Menendez of, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Egypt

☆ Former U.S. official's work for Chinese client stirs concern over disclosure loopholes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Advocating for foreign clients is legal and U.S. law includes a public disclosure exemption for lawyers. The Paul, Weiss law firm declined to comment on the letter, and Lynch did not respond to Reuters emails. The U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments say DJI supported biometric surveillance and tracking of Muslim Uyghur minorities in China. "It is appalling that former senior U.S. officials use their connections to serve the interests of U.S. adversaries," Risch said. Others argue that stricter FARA rules on disclosure could give authoritarian countries like Russia and China cover for their own stifling of free speech.

Persons: Loretta Lynch, Obama, Lynch, Paul, Weiss, DJI, FARA, Jim Risch, Risch, Jonathan Turley, Turley Organizations: U.S, senior Defense Department, SZ DJI Technology Co, U.S . Department of Justice, Reuters, Department of Defense, China's Communist Party, U.S . Treasury, Commerce, The Defense Department, Pentagon, Justice, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, American Civil Liberties Union, Justice Department, George Washington University Locations: FARA, U.S, China, WuXi, Russia

☆ Kyrsten Sinema’s exit puts the spotlight on the Senate’s shrinking pool of dealmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Lauren Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For months, the two of them had worked tirelessly alongside Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma to craft a bipartisan deal on immigration. “The base of each party wants individuals who will fight, but not individuals who will reach across the aisle to get things done,” Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah said. “I’ve seen a shift towards basically really not wanting to do anything,” West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said. Last cycle alone saw the retirement of Ohio Republican Sen. Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, another GOP pragmatist, retired after the 2022 election, replaced by Sen. Eric Schmitt.

Persons: Sen, Kyrsten, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Republican Sen, James Lankford of, Sinema, Murphy, ” Murphy, “, ” Sinema, Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Joe Manchin, he’d, Romney, Trump, ” Romney, I’ve, ” West Virginia Republican Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, Ohio Republican Sen, Rob Portman, J.D, Vance, Trump . Missouri Republican Sen, Roy Blunt, GOP pragmatist, Eric Schmitt, appropriator Sen, Richard Shelby of, Richard Burr of, Bob Corker, Marsha Blackburn, Anna Moneymaker, we’ve, Lamar Alexander, ”, Tim Kaine, “ We’re, Kari Lake, –, Mark Kelly, ” Corker, Kaine, Todd Young, Thom Tillis, It’s, Brian Schatz, ” Sen, Mark Warner, Nathan Howard, Manchin, John Cornyn of, John Thune of, isn’t Organizations: Democratic, Connecticut, Republican, CNN, Senate, ” West Virginia Republican, Ohio Republican, GOP, Trump . Missouri Republican, Intelligence, Senate Foreign Relations, 118th, Democrat, North Carolina Republican, Getty, America Locations: Arizona, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Ohio, Richard Shelby of Alabama, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Hawaii, Washington , DC, John Cornyn of Texas, John Thune of South Dakota, America

☆ Sen. Bob Menendez faces new obstruction of justice charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is seen after the senate luncheons in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. New obstruction of justice crimes were added Tuesday to charges against Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife that allege they accepted gold bars, cash and a luxury car in return for favors the senator carried out to assist three businessmen. New charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice were added against Menendez and his wife, Nadine. Attorneys for Bob and Nadine Menendez and the other defendants in the case didn't immediately respond to emails requesting comment. Prosecutors allege that Menendez also caused his lawyer to say in the September meeting that Menendez in 2022 had learned that the payments were loans.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Nadine, Bob, Nadine Menendez, Prosecutors Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, Menendez's, Benz, Prosecutors Locations: Manhattan, New Jersey, Egypt, Jersey

☆ Co-defendant in Sen. Bob Menendez corruption case pleads guilty
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jose Uribe leaves the Federal Court, after a hearing on bribery charges, in New York City, U.S. September 27, 2023. A co-defendant in the criminal corruption case against Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded guilty in New York federal court on Friday and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution of the New Jersey Democrat. Menendez's co-defendant Joe Uribe pleaded guilty to seven counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services fraud, and obstruction of justice. The other defendants in the case — Menendez, the senator's wife Nadine, and two other New Jersey businessmen — are scheduled to stand trial beginning May 6 in Manhattan federal court. The Clifton, New Jersey, resident and other two businessmen men were accused of having a "corrupt relationship" with Menendez and Nadine Menendez.

Persons: Jose Uribe, Sen, Bob Menendez, Menendez's, Joe Uribe, — Menendez, Nadine, —, Uribe, Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana Organizations: New, New Jersey Democrat, Mercedes, Benz, Agriculture Department, Senate Foreign Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, New Jersey, Jersey, Manhattan, Clifton , New Jersey, Egypt

☆ Turkey is back in from the cold with NATO and F-16 moves, but thorny issues remain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey spent nearly two years — along with Hungary — holding up Sweden's accession to NATO. Within hours of Ankara's decision, the U.S. approved a $23 billion sale for F-16 fighter jets to Turkey that had been delayed since 2021. It's worth noting that Hungary has yet to approve Sweden's NATO bid, and remains the only member of the alliance standing in the way of the Nordic country's accession. Turkey seemingly has a unique position that allows it to push the envelope and cross lines with its NATO allies. "My approval of Turkey's request to purchase F-16 aircraft has been contingent on Turkish approval of Sweden's NATO membership.

Persons: Turkey Recep Erdogan, It's, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it's, Victoria Nuland, David Lepeska, Ben Cardin Organizations: NATO, Conference, Hungary —, UAE, Democratic, Senate Foreign Relations Locations: Turkey, Vilnius, Lithuania, Hungary, Sweden, Washington, Russian, Turkish, Eastern

☆ Speaker Mike Johnson faces critical decision on Ukraine aid as international pressure grows to act
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Melanie Zanona | Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Speaker Mike Johnson is facing international criticism over his lack of swift action on Ukraine aid, which is ratcheting up pressure to make a critical decision that will not only have massive implications for his rookie speakership but also for Ukraine’s ongoing war effort against Russia. “If there is a Mike Johnson plan, there aren’t any House Republicans that are aware of its existence.”The pressure cooker Johnson is facing has exposed some frustration over how he has approached his speakership. At a time when House Republicans are looking to their leader to make a decisive choice, the speaker has instead elevated members to bring forward their own ideas without articulating his own preferences. “Ukraine is in desperate need of the US aid, passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote on the floor of the United States Senate. “We’re looking at a number of options on our leadership team.”Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has repeatedly hammered Johnson over his inaction.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, –, Alexei Navalny, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Sen, J.D, Vance, Johnson —, Warren Davidson, ” Davidson, Virginia Sen, Mark Warner, ”, Ben Cardin, “, ” Cardin, It’s, Brian Fitzpatrick, someone’s, Mitch McConnell, Vladimir Putin, ” Johnson, Steve Scalise, Trump, ” Scalise, Joe Biden, ” Biden, NATO … I’ve, Biden, Chuck Schumer, Putin “, Vladimir Putin’s, ” Schumer, it’s, There’s, Mike Turner, ” CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: CNN, Russia, Democratic, Congress, Global, Security, Republicans, Republican, NATO, GOP, Caucus, languishes, Senate Intelligence, United, United States Senate, Senate, NATO …, New, New York Democrat, House Intelligence, Ohio Republican, Press, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Warren Davidson of Ohio, “, Munich, United States, Russia, Pennsylvania, Baltic, Florida, New York, Washington

The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in parliament, has stalled Sweden’s bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy. “The prime minister pledged to convene parliament to urge parliament to act at its earliest opportunity. Kristersson has said that he will make the trip, but only after Hungary approves his country's NATO membership. But Vadai, the lawmaker, said that there was no guarantee that Orbán's party would commit to a swift approval. “I’m not sure whether the opening session will start with the Swedish ratification, unfortunately,” she said.

Persons: Viktor Orbán, Hungary's, Orbán, Jens Stoltenberg, ”, didn't, David Pressman, Pressman, expeditiously, Sen, Ben Cardin, Agnes Vadai, “, it’s, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, “ I’m Organizations: — Lawmakers, NATO, Fidesz, U.S, Maryland Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, ”, Democratic Coalition, Associated Press, Swedish Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, NATO, U.S, Maryland, Budapest, Swedish, Hungary's

☆ White House, Capitol Hill divide on use of military in Red Sea is getting dangerous for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. import and export data shows that the majority of the country's trade is on foreign-flagged vessels. The Congressional calls to consider prioritizing U.S.-flagged vessels come at a time when the Iranian-backed Houthis continue to attack shipping in the Red Sea. Other nations, including U.S. ally France, have already declared their priority is to escort French-linked vessels after facing nationalistic pressure. "It could also be argued that directing military action to defend U.S. commercial shipping is within this power. However, most vessels transiting through the Red Sea are not U.S. ships, which raises questions about the extent to which these authorities can be exercised," they wrote.

Persons: Gerald R, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Mohammed Al, —, Biden's, Charles, Bud, Darr, Salud Carbajal, Hapag Lloyd, Carbajal's, Tim Kaine, Todd Young, Chris Murphy, Mike Lee Organizations: United States, Ford, Anadolu, Getty, Capitol, U.S, MDS Transmodal, Congressional, Gaza, Senate Foreign Relations, White House, Representatives, MSC, U.S . Navy, Maersk, White, Senate Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Senate, Relations, Counterterrorism Locations: Red, U.S, Iranian, Iran, France, Marshall, United States, East, South Asia, Central Asia

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers are urging Hungary to immediately ratify Sweden's application to join NATO, saying patience with the Central European country is “wearing thin” as it continues to delay its approval for the Nordic nation. “Despite its numerous prior public commitments, Hungary is the last remaining NATO member to have not ratified Sweden’s bid and both time and patience are wearing thin. Hungary’s inaction risks irrevocably damaging its relationship with the United States and with NATO,” the senators wrote. Orbán, a staunch nationalist that has led Hungary since 2010, has long promised that his country wouldn't be the last NATO member to approve Sweden's application. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesA vote on the protocols for Sweden’s NATO accession hasn’t yet appeared on the Hungarian parliament’s agenda, and the matter is unlikely to go before lawmakers until at least late February when the parliament reconvenes.

Persons: Jeanne Shaheen, Thom Tillis, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Sen, Ben Cardin, ” Cardin, Biden, Cardin, ”, “ Organizations: NATO, Central, New, New Hampshire Democrat, North Carolina Republican, Hungarian, Maryland Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, U.S, Visa, Global, European Union Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, U.S, Nordic, Budapest, Sens, New Hampshire, United States, Ukraine, Maryland, Washington

☆ 'The shooting has to stop': World's biggest shipping company pleads with Congress to help end Houthi Red Sea chaos
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Ralby stressed the crisis in the Red Sea is not just a U.S. problem, but recent attacks by the U.S. military have led to greater targeting of its vessels. After those attacks, Maersk announced it would no longer be transiting the Red Sea. MSC announced on December 17 that it would divert its services that would typically transit the Red Sea and the Suez Canal around the Cape of Good Hope. Sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea adds one to two weeks to a one-way shipping journey relative to the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Rising freight costs were a big component of inflation during Covid and the Red Sea crisis has renewed fears that another bout of supply chain-triggered inflation could occur.

Persons: Ralby, Ian Ralby, Darr, Charles, Bud, Salud Carbajal, Biden, Hapag Lloyd, Bab, Good Hope, Jon Gold, Phillips, Ralph Lauren, Levi Strauss, Gold Organizations: U.S, Mediterranean Shipping Company, U.S . Navy, Coast Guard, Maritime Transportation, MSC, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Maersk, Maersk Detroit, Maersk Chesapeake, Navy, Intelligence, Suzuki, Volvo, Michelin, Ikea, National Retail Federation, Bank of America, Van Heusen Corporation, Birkenstock, Capri Holdings, Nike, Corp Locations: Suez, Ismailia, Egypt, Yemen, U.S, Iran, Gulf, Aden, Maersk, Good, Europe's, Asia, Europe, Vietnam

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made it clear the U.S. will strike back after a deadly drone attack killed three service members and wounded more than 40 at a small base in Jordan over the weekend. On Tuesday, Biden bluntly said “yes” when asked if he'd decided how to respond to the attack. Target options range from inside Iran, including on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, to Iranian ships at sea and Tehran-backed militia groups and key militant leaders in Iraq and Syria. HIT MILITIA GROUPS AGAINThe most likely move would be to hit Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria again. Hawkish Congress members said Biden should directly target Tehran for the deadly attack on the base in Jordan.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, he'd, “ That’s, ”, John Kirby, ” Biden, Quds, Gen, Qassem, Asad, Avi Melamed, ” Melamed, Jordan, Pat Ryder, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Sen, Lindsay Graham, Sara Jacobs, Bradley Bowman, Jim Risch, —, Farnoush Amiri, Mike Pesoli, Joshua Boak, Sagar Meghani, Kevin Freking, Abby Sewell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, National Security, Force, U.S, Embassy, Middle, HIT, Pentagon, CONGRESSIONAL, HOW, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Tehran, Iraq, Syria, IRAN, Baghdad, Iranian, Hill, Davos, Washington, Beirut

☆ Biden administration tells Congress it intends to sell Turkey F-16s after Erdogan approved Sweden’s NATO membership
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The State Department also sent Congress a formal notification of its intent to sell $8.6 billion worth of F-35s to Greece. Blinken, in turn, told the Turkish president multiple times that members of Congress would not approve the sale of jets until Turkey allowed Sweden to join NATO. The Turkish Parliament finally voted in favor of Sweden’s NATO accession Tuesday, and Erdogan signed off on the instruments of ratification Thursday. The US official said this was to assure Congress there was no way for Turkey to back out of the deal. Hungary still must approve Sweden’s NATO bid for the nation to finally become a member.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Fidan, Robert Menendez –, Turkey –, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Menendez, Sen, Ben Cardin Organizations: CNN, NATO, The State Department, Turkish, Foreign, The New, Greek, House Foreign Affairs Committee, State Department Locations: Turkey, Greece, Sweden, Finland, Vilnius, Lithuania, London, The New Jersey, Turkish, Hungary

Kerry and Xie paved the way for progress at international summits that could have otherwise stagnated. The annual U.N. climate summit was being held in Copenhagen later that year, and Kerry was eager to talk about it with Chinese officials. Stern said the deal “ricocheted around the climate world" and convinced countries that “we can actually get this done.”The importance of the deal became evident one month later. It was the relationship with China, Kerry said afterward, that helped “change the paradigm.”——-The warm feelings were short-lived. Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, and he promptly withdrew the U.S. from the Paris agreement after taking office.

Persons: John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Kerry, Xie, Mao Zedong's, Christiana Figueres, ”, Li Shuo, ” —, George W, Bush, Barack Obama's, Obama, Todd Stern, ” Stern, “, Xi Jinping, Stern, Figueres, ” Xie, —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Xi, hadn’t, Trump, Biden, Jonathan Pershing, Nancy Pelosi, John, John Podesta, Podesta, ___ Read, Chris Megerian, Seth Borenstein Organizations: WASHINGTON, United, Communist Party, U.S, Asia Society, Greenpeace, Senate Foreign Relations, International, Trump, William, Flora Hewlett Foundation, Associated Press Locations: United Nations, Dubai, Paris, England, Vietnam, China, Copenhagen, Lima, Glasgow, Sunnylands, Beijing, Christiana, U.S, “, Lima , Peru, South, Taiwan, COVID, Egypt, California, Arab Emirates, AP.org

☆ Biden Urges Congress to Quickly Approve F-16 Sale to Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden sent a letter to four senior members of Congress on Wednesday urging them to quickly approve a $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, following the vote one day earlier by Turkey’s Parliament to allow Sweden to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to three U.S. officials. The White House sent the letter to the top Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which have oversight of arms transfers by the State Department to other nations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a member of NATO, has linked his country’s approval of Sweden’s accession to the security organization to the F-16 sales, which had been pending. Both Sweden and Finland had asked to join NATO after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the vast majority of the alliance’s members soon agreed. Turkey approved Finland’s bid but, along with Hungary, has withheld approval for Sweden.

Persons: Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Organizations: Atlantic Treaty Organization, White House, Democratic, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, House Foreign Affairs Committee, State Department, NATO Locations: Turkey, Sweden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

CNN —The Turkish parliament voted Tuesday to approve Sweden’s NATO membership bid. Of the 346 members of parliament who voted, 287 were in favor of Sweden’s accession and 55 voted to reject it. However, on Tuesday, Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban said he had invited his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, to visit Hungary to negotiate the terms of Sweden’s accession. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier that year. Erdogan initially objected to Sweden’s membership bid, accusing Swedish officials of being too lenient on military groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Victor Orban, Ulf Kristersson, Erdogan, Ben Cardin Organizations: CNN, Turkish, NATO, Foreign Affairs Commission, Hungary’s, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Foreign Locations: Turkish, Hungary, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey, United States

WASHINGTON (AP) — Taiwan’s top diplomat in Washington has a message for both the island's Chinese adversaries and its American friends: Don’t worry that Taiwan’s new president-elect will worsen relations with Beijing and possibly draw the U.S. into a conflict. But Yui said Lai is willing to engage with Beijing, even as the island seeks to strengthen its unofficial ties with Washington for stability in the region. Shortly after Taiwan's election, Biden told reporters that his administration does not support Taiwan’s independence. Yui said it is incumbent upon both Beijing and Taipei to keep the Taiwan Strait peaceful. Before he came to Washington, Yui briefly served as Taiwan's representative to the European Union and Belgium.

Persons: — Taiwan’s, Lai Ching, Alexander Tah, Ray Yui, Lai, Yui, ”, Taiwan's, Tsai Ing, Tsai, he’s, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Biden, Scott Kennedy, “, Kennedy, we're, We're, Mike Johnson, Sen, Ben Cardin, ” Yui, Hsiao Bi, Hsiao Organizations: WASHINGTON, Associated Press, AP, Democratic Progressive Party, ”, Washington, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Republican, Republicans, Democrats, U.S . Congress, Democratic, Senate Foreign Relations, M University, European Union, Cultural Locations: Washington, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, U.S, Taiwan, United States, China, Nauru, “ Beijing, Taipei, Panama, Texas, Paraguay, Belgium

☆ These 11 senators supported Bernie Sanders's resolution to force a State Department report on Israeli human rights violations in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewJust 11 senators on Tuesday evening supported advancing a resolution from Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have significantly escalated congressional oversight of US military aid to Israel. AdvertisementUnder a relatively obscure provision within US law, the resolution would have forced the State Department to provide Congress with a report on human rights violations by Israel. "We will be voting on a very simple question: do you support asking the State Department whether human rights violations may have occurred using US equipment or assistance in this war?" However, it would be highly unusual for the State Department to fail to respond to an oversight request from Congress. "This should be the beginning of a broader human rights oversight process," said Chappell.

Persons: —, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, — Sen, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, Israel, Gaza —, Chris Coons, Coons, John, Chappell, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Gaza Health Ministry, State Department, Israel, Senate Foreign Relations, Foreign Assistance, Department, Center for Civilians Locations: Israel, Gaza, Chris Coons of Delaware, Ukraine, Virginia, Maryland

Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife are seeking separate trials on bribery charges they each face in a New York court. Lawyers for Bob Menendez wrote that each spouse should face separate trials so that the senator does not provide information about marital communications during cross-examination that might be damaging to his wife's defense. Several days earlier, the senator's lawyers had asked that charges in the case be dismissed. They added to those requests Monday, calling charges against him a “distortion of the truth.”“Senator Menendez isn’t just ‘not guilty’ — he is innocent of these charges. Senator Menendez has never sold out his office or misused his authority or influence for personal financial gain,” they wrote.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, Nadine, Nadine Menendez’s, ”, Menendez isn’t, ‘, Menendez, “ Organizations: The New, The New Jersey Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, Prosecutors Locations: New York, The, The New Jersey, Jersey, New Jersey

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