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☆ Biden’s Oval Office address now hands debate over democracy to Harris
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In his primetime Oval Office address on Wednesday, Biden ceded the political stage to Kamala Harris, ushering in an unusual period heading into the election where the vice president, not the president, will lead their party. It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president,” Biden said. “But … the defense of democracy, which is a stake, I think (is) more important than any title,” Biden said. One of the most significant implications of Biden’s decision is that he’s now putting his entire political legacy in someone else’s hands. But if Harris prevails over Trump, Biden’s actions and thinking spelled out in Wednesday’s address will be more likely to be remembered in his own terms — as a selfless political move motivated by deep patriotism.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Kamala Harris, Harris, —, It’s, ” Biden, ”, he’s, Trump, “ Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin’s, “ America’s, didn’t, Ronald Reagan, ” Reagan, “, Barack Obama’s, Shakespeare’s Macbeth Organizations: CNN, Democratic Party, Democratic, Republican, Trump Locations: Gaza, America, Atlanta, Kings, United States of America, Washington

☆ Analysis: Harris gets a dream start, but the task ahead is monumental
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Her multi-hour phone blitz to Democratic Party power players on Sunday hinted at an operation primed ahead of time but that was kept secret and didn’t leak. The vice president has shown signs of improving her political skills recently, but that’s never been her forte. In a memo to reporters, the Trump campaign previewed a blistering assault to come on Harris. Harris is the least popular vice president in history – which is no surprise given her terrible record,” the memo said. The question now is whether Harris, who has exhibited considerable political liabilities as vice president, has the skills, staying power and luck to take advantage.

Persons: CNN — Kamala Harris, Joe Biden –, Donald Trump, Harris, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Biden’s, Pelosi, Harris –, Trump, that’s, Barack Obama, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, “ She’s, Joe Biden, ” Harris carves, He’s, pollsters, • Harris, Ben Wikler, ”, outpolled, Nikki Haley, “, you’re, we’ve, Eric Swalwell, CNN’s John Berman, Chris Sununu, ’ ” • Harris, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris, ” Harris, anoint Harris, •, It’s, Vance, “ Kamala Harris Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Democratic Party, Sunday, Trump, Biden, Republican, GOP, Chicago . Governors, Wisconsin Democratic, Badger, Former South Carolina Gov, ” Democratic, • New, • New Hampshire Republican Gov, White, National Collegiate Athletics Association, Paris Olympics, • Locations: Wilmington , Delaware, Covid, Washington, America, Harris, Chicago ., California, •, • New Hampshire, Iowa, American

☆ Biden just made the hardest decision any politician can make
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —President Joe Biden ran for reelection to save democracy. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden said in a letter he posted to X on Sunday afternoon. His struggles validated concerns of majorities of voters that he would be too old for a second term that would have ended when he is 86. But in the end, Biden could not find a way to make voters unsee the poignant picture of an 81-year-old commander in chief who appeared to have seriously declined and was stumbling in the debate. Years earlier, in March 1952, Harry S. Truman, another Democratic president, had decided not to seek his own second term.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, ” Biden, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Still Biden, Lyndon Johnson, –, Trump, Biden’s, —, he’s, plagiarizing, Obama, Hillary Clinton, he’d, Beau, Hunter, Johnson, Robert F, Kennedy, President Hubert Humphrey, Republican Richard Nixon, Harry S, Truman, Adlai Stevenson, Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Harris Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Biden, Trump, American, White, Overseas, NATO, —, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Republican Locations: Delaware, Chicago, Atlanta, American, Ukraine, Afghanistan, British, Milwaukee

☆ What happens with Biden's war chest now that he's dropped out?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Still, other Democratic megadonors, including Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings and Abigail Disney, pledged to withhold funds from the party until Biden dropped out. Where Biden's money goes nowCampaign finance experts disagree on the specifics of what the Biden campaign will be able to do with its money. The Biden campaign can either refund its donors, Ghosh told Reuters, or, they agreed, the campaign can pass the money back to the Democratic National Committee. Advertisement"It's really a nonargument because that money is not going to go to waste," McMillan told BI. Whoever ends up as the Democratic nominee, McMillan noted, they'll have no shortage of financial support.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden rambled, Biden, Reed Hastings, Abigail Disney, Charles Spies, Kamala Harris, Spies, Harris, Saurav Ghosh, Ghosh, Dan McMillan, — Biden didn't, McMillan Organizations: Service, Sunday, Business, Democratic, Trump, Associated Press, Netflix, Republican, Street Journal, Federal, Reuters, Democratic National Committee, Save Democracy Locations: America

☆ Opinion | Do the Democrats Really Think Trump Is an Emergency?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I predicted last weekend that the Democrats will find a way to jettison Joe Biden; that likelihood seems to fluctuate daily or even hourly, but for now my prediction stands. Because it is so obvious to me, I had long assumed the Democratic Party would consider it equally obvious. But it is no longer clear to me that the party’s elected officials actually share that assumption. But to the extent that goal conflicts with other, more mundane imperatives, more than a few Democrats seem to view beating Trump as a secondary objective. I wrote about this in the context of Biden’s “save democracy, vote Democrat” rhetoric before the 2022 midterms, but clearly the point merits new elaboration.

Persons: jettison Joe Biden, Trump, Jonathan Chait, Donald Trump, mystification, Tim Miller, Ezra Klein, Trumpism Organizations: Trump, Democratic, Democratic Party Locations: New York

☆ Live Election Updates: Biden, Under Fire, Will End NATO Summit With News Conference
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Senator Peter Welch of Vermont in the Capitol on Tuesday. He said on Wednesday that it was a hard decision to make but he thought President Biden should end his re-election campaign. Mr. Welch said it had become an existential issue for him to consider the threat of another Trump presidency, and that his determination was that Mr. Biden was not up to beating the former president. “It’s not the elites in Vermont who are talking to me,” Mr. Welch said, brushing back an argument that Mr. Biden has made in recent days as he has defiantly refused to leave the race. “One of the achievements of Joe Biden is that he has unified the Democratic Party — everyone from Bernie Sanders to Joe Manchin,” Mr. Welch said.

Persons: Peter Welch of, Biden, Mr, Welch, Donald J, Trump, Joe Biden, ”, Vermonters, “ It’s, ” Mr, “, who’s, Hubert Humphrey’s, Bernie Sanders, Joe Manchin, ’ it’s Organizations: Peter Welch of Vermont, Wednesday, Democratic, White, Trump, Democratic Party Locations: Peter Welch of Vermont, Washington, Vermont, Chicago, “

☆ Peter Welch Explains Why He Thinks Biden Needs to Drop Out
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Welch said it had become an existential issue for him to consider the threat of another Trump presidency, and that his determination was that Mr. Biden was not up to beating the former president. “It’s not the elites in Vermont who are talking to me,” Mr. Welch said, brushing back an argument that Mr. Biden has made in recent days as he has defiantly refused to leave the race. “It’s the working-class mother who’s got two kids and is hoping maybe we can get the child care tax back. “One of the achievements of Joe Biden is that he has unified the Democratic Party — everyone from Bernie Sanders to Joe Manchin,” Mr. Welch said. “And what that means is that if we have to go through ‘Who’s our next candidate?,’ it’s going to be among people who are all committed to the Biden commitment to save democracy, the Biden commitment to the environment, the Biden commitment to women’s rights.”

Persons: Trump, Mr, Biden, Welch, “ It’s, ” Mr, “, who’s, ”, Hubert Humphrey’s, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Joe Manchin, ’ it’s Organizations: Trump, Democratic Party Locations: Vermont, Chicago, “

☆ Biden’s D-Day visit may mark the end of an American era
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Geopolitical empires like Russia and China are, meanwhile, resurgent and threatening to obliterate the global system dominated by Western values that has prevailed since World War II. Trump’s “America First” philosophy has taken deep root in the Republican Party that once prided itself on winning the Cold War. For many years after World War II, D-Day commemorations lacked the fanfare and high diplomatic and political significance they carry today. The speech came at a particularly contentious moment in the Cold War with tensions high between Washington and the Soviet Union. The strength of America’s allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe’s democracies.

Persons: Joe Biden, Adolf Hitler’s, Donald Trump’s, he’d, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Washington, autocrats . Biden, they’d, ’, ”, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Trump’s, Trump, Charles Kupchan, “ It’s, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Volodymyr Zelensky, Hitler, Putin, Britain’s, Charles III, Queen Elizabeth II, Emmanuel Macron, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, ” Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, “, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, NATO, Republican Party, GOP, District of Columbia, Council, Foreign Relations, Ukrainian, Soviet, US Army Rangers, Rangers, Soviet Communist Party Locations: Normandy, France, Ukraine, Russia, China, Germany, Japan, United States, Europe, British, Omaha Beach, “, George H.W ., Iraq, Afghanistan, Paris, Pointe, Omaha and Utah, Pointe du Hoc, Washington, Soviet Union, America

☆ Progressives drop support for Mondaire Jones in key House race after he turned against embattled Rep. Jamaal Bowman
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe Congressional Progressive Caucus's (CPC) political arm has rescinded its endorsement of former Rep. Mondaire Jones. The move comes after Jones endorsed Rep. Jamaal Bowman's moderate primary challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, earlier this week. Rep. Jamaal Bowman is facing a tough primary challenge from Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Jones and Bowman appeared together at a gun violence prevention-related event in Westchester County in April 2023. Lawler has been eager to highlight Jones's past progressive positions, including his past praise for Bowman.

Persons: —, Mondaire Jones, Jones, Mike Lawler, Jamaal Bowman's, George Latimer, Evan Brown, Bowman, Israel, Latimer, Jamaal Bowman, Tom Williams, Eugene Gologursky, I'm, Pramila, Jayapal, Dan Goldman, Joe Biden, Lawler Organizations: Service, Republican, Business, Westchester, Capitol, Israel, AIPAC, Getty Images, The Washington, Getty, Congressional, DSA, Progressive Caucus, PAC, Democratic, CPC Locations: Westchester County, Bowman's, Israel, Lower Hudson, Washington, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Lawler's

☆ Biden reelection campaign enlists January 6 police officers to campaign in key swing states
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The Biden reelection campaign has enlisted three police officers – all of whom were working at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, when rioters overtook the building – to stump for Biden across battleground states in the coming weeks, the campaign told CNN. Aquilino Gonell, Officer Harry Dunn and Officer Danny Hodges plan to tell voters across key swing states that former President Donald Trump poses a threat to democracy and to their fundamental rights as Americans. Dunn and Gonell sustained injuries during the attack on the Capitol and have since retired from the Capitol Police. “We were the victims, we lived through it,” Dunn, who mounted an unsuccessful bid for Congress, told CNN in an interview. In a fundraising email to Biden supporters last week, Gonell described sustaining career-ending injuries and being “trampled in a tunnel” – and noting he would continue fighting for America after being in uniform.

Persons: Washington CNN —, –, Aquilino Gonell, Harry Dunn, Danny Hodges, Donald Trump, Dunn, Gonell, Hodges, ” Dunn, Trump, Biden, “, insurrectionists, ’, goading Trump, ”, Harris, Jen O’Malley Dillon, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, Capitol, CNN, Capitol Police, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department, America, Seven, NATO, Russia Locations: Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin , Michigan, New Hampshire, Atlanta, France, Washington ,, Ukraine

☆ Choice for Maryland Democrats Comes Down to Star Power Versus Experience
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Michael C. Bender | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who was on duty during the Jan. 6 riots and is running for elected office for the first time, has become one of the nation’s top political fund-raisers by leveraging the power of his emotional testimony delivered during televised congressional hearings about the attack. His $4.6 million war chest is larger than any other House candidate in Maryland — and more than all but three non-incumbent Democratic House candidates across the country, according to campaign finance records. But those contributions and his “save democracy” battle cry face a stiff test from a crowded field of fellow Democrats squaring off Tuesday in a closely watched Maryland House primary that will signal where concerns about Jan. 6 and its aftermath stand among a list of issues for voters on the left. Mr. Dunn’s main competition is Sarah Elfreth, a state senator who has raised $1.5 million for her campaign and received $4.4 million more in help from outside groups, campaign finance reports show.

Persons: Harry Dunn, Dunn’s, Sarah Elfreth Organizations: Capitol Police, Democratic, Maryland House Locations: Maryland

☆ Election Updates: Biden’s team brushes off the latest bad poll for him.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Mr. Dunn has also pledged to support the Jewish state. Both Ms. Elfreth and Mr. Dunn have vowed to make campaign finance reform a top priority in Congress. Mr. Dunn has sworn off help from outside groups as part of his pro-democracy platform. Like Mr. Dunn, Ms. Elfreth said she would make campaign finance reform a priority in Congress. No other candidate has collected more than $200,000, campaign finance records show.

Persons: Harry Dunn, Dunn’s, Sarah Elfreth, Dunn, Elfreth, John Sarbanes, Mr, “, that’s, Biden, Donald J, Clarence Lam, Juan Dominguez, Michael Coburn, Janelle Stelson, Mike O’Brien, Yevgeny Vindman, Alexander, Vindman, Abigail Spanberger Organizations: Capitol Police, Democratic, Maryland House, United Democracy, Israel Public Affairs Committee, Capitol, Maryland Senate, Congressional, D.C, Republican, Maryland Democrats, Johns Hopkins University, Army, Marine Corps, Democrat Locations: Maryland, Annapolis, Howard County, Columbia, Ellicott City, Baltimore, Washington, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Eugene, spotlighting, Ukraine

☆ In India’s 2024 election, BJP’s main opposition appears increasingly weak in face of Modi juggernaut
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Helen Regan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

Supporters of India's opposition party, Indian National Congress, during an election rally in Puducherry on April 15, 2024 R. Satish Babu/AFP/Getty ImagesDemocracy under threat? Dipam Bhachech/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Modi worked his way through the ranks of the BJP, establishing himself as a respected politician. Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images Modi hugs French President Emmanuel Macron after a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, on June 3, 2017. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023. Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images Modi offers a toast during a State Dinner with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: ”, Narendra Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Indira Gandhi, Gandhi, ” Hazari Lal Rajput, Satish Babu, Modi, Modi’s, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Arati Jerath, “, it’s, Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, gunning, ” Modi, shouldn’t, Mohammad Irfan, —, Arvind Kejriwal, Altaf Qadri, Kejriwal, Atishi, you’re, Jerath, Gandhi ‘, ’ Modi, Christophe Jaffrelot, CNN Modi, Rasheed Kidwai, Rahul, Diptendu Dutta, Mamata Banerjee, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, ” Kidwai, ” Jerath Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Getty, Democracy, Modi’s BJP, Pew, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, India's, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Indian, Aadmi Party, Delhi, AAP, Aam Aadmi Party, All, Trinamool, West, All India, Congress, “, “ Democracy Locations: India, Uttar Pradesh, Ramlila, Puducherry, Modi’s, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, INDIA, Delhi, India’s, Lok Sabha, Atishi, ”, Manipur, Siliguri, West Bengal, Tamil

☆ ‘Save Democracy’ Democrats Look to Win Primaries on Anti-Trump Sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer whose pitched battles with former President Donald J. Trump’s supporters on and after Jan. 6, 2021, vaulted him to political stardom, was greeted Tuesday evening in Annapolis, Md., like a celebrity. But there was also an undercurrent of skepticism among attendees at the Beacon Waterfront Restaurant, where he appeared at a campaign event to bolster his candidacy for the U.S. House. “We have a person here with a proven legislative record,” Jessica Sunshine, an Annapolis Democrat, told Mr. Dunn, referring to State Senator Sarah Elfreth, his main opponent in next month’s Democratic primary. But, she added, “You have heart.”But Mr. Dunn, an imposing former offensive lineman who stands 6-foot-7-inches and 325 pounds, didn’t shy away from the reason he is running: to save what he sees as democracy on the edge. It calls for a fighter,” he said.

Persons: Harry Dunn, Donald J, Trump’s, “, ” Jessica Sunshine, Dunn, Sarah Elfreth, ” Organizations: Capitol Police, Beacon, U.S . House, Annapolis Democrat, Democratic Locations: Annapolis, Md

☆ Opinion: Neither Russia nor the West know how this war will end
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Opinion Anna Arutunyan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It is doing so in part because the plans and intentions of Ukraine’s Western allies are so vague. Just as the Kremlin is doing, Ukraine’s Western allies are signaling their resolve to “defeat” Russia without actually articulating what that defeat means. The military support Ukraine’s allies are willing and capable of offering stops precisely where Ukraine’s most pressing shortages lie: manpower. But Ukraine’s Western allies are failing to reckon with these realities and, amid growing reluctance by right-wing parties in the US and Europe to shoulder the costs, are resorting instead to triumphalist rhetoric. Western allies need to start recognizing their limited resources, or at least the limits to what they can or will offer Ukraine.

Persons: Anna Arutunyan, Mark Galeotti, Prigozhin, Putin, Read, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin’s, ” Putin, Anatolii Stepanov, Dmitry Peskov, Ukraine’s, ”, Emmanuel Macron’s, Zelensky, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Kremlin, Getty, EU, Munich Security Conference, Estonian Ministry of Defense, Law Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Switzerland, ”, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukrainian, AFP, Ukraine’s Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Crimea, NATO, Luhansk, Europe

☆ Analysis: How Trump’s legal battles impact his 2024 presidential campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Critical days are ahead in Donald Trump’s multiple legal battles. — On Thursday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments over a decision by the Colorado Supreme Court to throw Trump off the ballot under the 14th Amendment’s ban on insurrectionists. Maine has taken a similar step to Colorado but that case hasn’t yet reached the US Supreme Court. Nikki Haley, is now arguing that Trump’s legal entanglements make him a disastrous pick for her party by seizing on the news that he spent more than $50 million from political action committees on legal fees. So, definitely a good day for President Trump, but not necessarily out of the woods,” Goodman said.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Trump’s, ’, Jack, — Trump, Judge Arthur Engoron, Jean Carroll, Stormy Daniels, Attorney Alvin Bragg, he’s, —, Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Willis, Wade, Smith, Nikki Haley, Haley, CNN’s Dana, “, ” Haley, that’s, disqualifying Trump, Tanya Chutkan’s, Chutkan, Ryan Goodman, CNN’s Erin Burnett, ” Goodman, Carroll, “ you’re, we’ve, Joe Biden, ” Organizations: CNN, Republican, Colorado Supreme, Trump, Trump Organization, Manhattan, Attorney, Department of Justice, GOP, South Carolina Gov, Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, Supreme, Department of Defense, DC Circuit Locations: America, Maine, Colorado, Washington ,, New York, Georgia, Fulton County, Lago, “ State, Manchester , New Hampshire, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ What happens to the Wagner Group after Yevgeny Prigozhin plane crash?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Courtesy PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - A day before mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane crash, a Russian official visited Libya to reassure allies that fighters from the Wagner Group would remain in the country -- but under Moscow's control. In Africa, Wagner may stay more or less intact under new management or be subsumed by another Russian mercenary group. 'REPLACE A DEAD LEADER'After the June mutiny, Prigozhin intensified his efforts to bolster Wagner's presence in Africa. In countries where Wagner operates through an official agreement with Moscow, analysts do not expect much to change - for now. But as Wagner was there through a state-level agreement with Russia, "nothing will affect the presence of these instructors" he said.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Khalifa Haftar, Jalel, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, John Lechner, Haftar's, Harchaoui, Faustin, Fidele Gouandjika, Gouandjika, Ousmane Pare, Evro, Filip Lebedev, Ed McAllister, Tiemoko Diallo, Suleiman al, Angus McDowall, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Wagner, Telegram, REUTERS, Libyan, Royal United Services Institute, Central African, Wagner PMC, Human Rights Watch, Russian, Russia's Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Africa, Libya, Benghazi, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Europe, East, Ukraine, Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, Belarus, U.S, Tripoli, Burkina Faso, Evro Polis, Reuters Libya, Tblisi, Dakar, Judicael Yongo, Bangui, Thiam Ndiaga, Ouagadougou, Bamako, Khalidi, Amman

☆ Detained Yet Defiant, Niger’s Ousted President Vows to Save Democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Declan Walsh | More About Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Hours after soldiers seized power in the West African nation of Niger, the country’s ousted president sounded a defiant note on Thursday morning, vowing to protect his “hard-won” democratic gains, even as he was being held by his own guards. The president, Mohamed Bazoum, appeared to be still in detention at the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, where his guards turned on him early Wednesday, prompting a crisis in the vast, largely desert nation twice the size of France. “The hard-won gains will be safeguarded,” Mr. Bazoum said in a message on social media. “All Nigeriens who love democracy and freedom would want this.”The country’s foreign minister adopted a similar tone, telling a French television station that Mr. Bazoum remained the sole “legitimate power” in Niger, and that the military was not united in the attempted coup.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Mr, Bazoum Locations: West African, Niger, Niamey, France

The New York Times Audio app includes podcasts, narrated articles from the newsroom and other publishers, as well as exclusive new shows — including this one — which we’re making available to readers for a limited time. Download the New York Times Audio app here. As authoritarian nations like China and Russia try to assert their power, President Biden has said the United States is fighting a global battle to save democracy. So why is America building relationships with countries that are far from democratic utopias? On this episode of “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts talk about global realignment with sometimes imperfect allies and how risky this moment could be.

Persons: Biden Organizations: New York Times Locations: China, Russia, United States, America

☆ As China, Russia, and Trump challenge the old rules of global politics, G7 aims to shore them u
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: This story was adapted from CNN’s Meanwhile in America, the email about US politics for global readers. CNN —The old rules of politics are being smashed all over the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected international law and the concept of national sovereignty by marching into Ukraine. This week’s G7 summit of industrialized nations in Japan will focus on the war in Ukraine, the threat from China, climate change and international trade. But the underlying theme of the talks will be an effort to shore up international rules and practices.

☆ Analysis: Why Erdogan's fate matters to Biden and the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Erdogan’s fate will have major implications not just for his country’s democracy, which he has worked to weaken, but for US foreign policy too. “Our people should be confident that we will definitely win, and we will bring democracy to this country,” he said. Biden’s entire presidency has unfolded in the shadow of autocrats, assaults on democracy and aspiring strongman leaders – abroad, and most remarkably at home. Biden confronts a threat from democracy at homeBut none of those leaders pose an existential threat to US democracy. Ahead of the election, Kilicdaroglu was talking in very similar terms about the need to preserve democracy as Biden does in the US.

☆ Dominion wasn't here to save democracy — it just wanted money from Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Fox News detractors wanted Dominion's lawsuit against Fox News to move forward for democracy's sake. "PLEASE Dominion --- Do not settle with Fox! The election technology company filed a civil defamation lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation, and asked for $1.6 billion. But just because Fox settled Dominion's lawsuit doesn't mean it's now free of legal risk. "Smartmatic remains committed to clearing its name, recouping the significant damage done to the company, and holding Fox accountable for undermining democracy."

☆ Two Israels face off as justice overhaul deepens the divide
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

For them, weakening the Supreme Court would undermine the bedrock of Israel's democracy and could set the country on the path to becoming a corrupt and religiously coercive state. In 2020, the Supreme Court struck down a law that had retroactively legalised homes built by settlers on land owned by Palestinians, like Amona. Settlers driven by ideology see themselves as pioneers redeeming land that was promised by God and many feel betrayed by Supreme Court rulings against settlements. The Supreme Court did not respond to a request for comment. "The Supreme Court has challenged parliament time and again, playing politics, not nicely."

In North Carolina, party activists are seeking to punish Republican Senator Thom Tillis for his support for same-sex marriage rights. North Carolina State Representative Mark Brody, who supports censuring Sen. Tillis, says it is better to address differences directly. Law, who served as a senior member of Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns in Nevada, and the county party did not respond to requests for comment. Although Tillis retains support among the party establishment, Jim Womack, a county party chair, says the Senator’s critics are gaining strength. “The North Carolina Republican party will eventually be decentralized to the point where the grassroots will actually run the party,” Womack said.

☆ How a maverick Brazil lawmaker helped Lula beat Bolsonaro's propaganda machine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - To bring down far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Andre Janones had to fight fire with fire. Janones also raised eyebrows among some in Lula's Workers Party (PT) for his vulgar attacks on Bolsonaro and his allies. One senior Lula aide defended the role of Janones, saying he could tread where the official campaign did not dare. He was the most prominent Lula ally to drop the gloves in a bruising run-off race that took even Bolsonaro's campaign by surprise. Despite his hell-raising, Janones has not lost sight of digital media as a public service.

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