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☆ US homebuyers are waiting for the Fed to start cutting interest rates. Here's when 9 experts say it's going to happen.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Mortgage rates could decline if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates next year. Here are nine projections from experts on when the Fed's first rate cut will come. While these factors serve as deterrents for prospective buyers, interest rates may not stay this high forever. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile declining interest rates wouldn't directly cause mortgage rates to fall, the two tend to move in the same direction. AdvertisementAdvertisementFebruaryOn August 31, Preston Caldwell, a Morningstar senior US economist, wrote in a note that he expected the Fed to start cutting interest rates in February.

Persons: Bob Michele, J.P, —, we'll, Preston Caldwell, David Einhorn, Diane Swonk, Andrew Hollenhorst, Goldman Sachs, David Mericle, Simona Mocuta, Jeff Morton Organizations: Federal Reserve, Service, Federal, Bloomberg Television, Morgan Asset, Morningstar, KPMG, Citi, Reuters, State Street Global Advisors, DWS Locations: Wall, Silicon, North America's

☆ US military to conduct additional interviews with witnesses of Kabul airport bombing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The senior US general for the Middle East has ordered additional interviews be conducted regarding the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, which killed 13 US service members during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US military announced Friday. It’s unclear if the new interviews will include Afghans who witnessed the blast, which killed more than 170 Afghan civilians. When pressed on whether the interviews would include Afghans, Lawhorn said it would be “up to the Supplementary Review Team to decide who to interview.”“I cannot be explicit about anything that the Supplementary Review Team may or may not decide to review in the future,” Lawhorn said. CENTCOM released a lengthy after-action review last year that included statements from more than 100 witnesses. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was seriously injured in the blast and who has said he was not interviewed in CENTCOM’s original investigation.

Persons: Michael “ Erik ” Kurilla, Pat Frank, ”, Michael Lawhorn, Lawhorn, ” Lawhorn, CENTCOM, Tyler Vargas, Andrews, Vargas, ” Vargas, “, they’d, Kurilla, Frank Organizations: CNN, US Central Command, US Army Central, Marines, Gold Star Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan

2 Senate Republican said on Wednesday. That will be particularly challenging as some hard-line House Republicans are vowing to withhold votes for a stopgap, known as a "continuing resolution," without which the government could shutdown beginning in October. The Senate is only now beginning to move forward on its first spending legislation, which the House managed to pass only one bill before Republican infighting consumed the process. Thune said the Senate is giving the 222-212 Republican House majority room to maneuver on spending for now, but warned that failure to make progress soon could force Congress to resort to an omnibus bill that Republicans have vowed to avoid. Democratic Senate incumbents are vulnerable in as many as eight states next year, while Republicans are not at risk.

Persons: John Thune, Julia Nikhinson, It's, We've, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Thune, They've, David Morgan, Richard Cowan, Scott Malone, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Congress, Republican, Republicans, U.S . Capitol, Democratic, Republican House, South Dakota Republican, Senate Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

CNN —The nominee to be the US military’s most senior general warned US airmen in a letter this week that the Chinese military wants “to exploit your knowledge and skill to fill gaps in their military capability.”Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Concerns over western pilots training China’s military has grown in recent years, as Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand – all members of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance, which includes the US – have taken steps to prevent former military pilots from offering their expertise to Beijing. Last October, the UK Ministry of Defense said it believed up to 30 former British military pilots were providing training in China and that many others have been approached, including pilots who were still serving. He has denied the allegations, saying he was only training Chinese civilian pilots seeking to improve their skills. And recently, two Navy sailors were arrested and indicted for allegedly sending classified information to Chinese intelligence officers.

Persons: Charles Q, Brown, Mark Milley, ” Brown, “, ”, Richard Marles Organizations: CNN, ” Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, NATO, Liberation Army, Air Chiefs, The Washington, New Zealand, UK Ministry of Defense, UK Armed Forces, People’s Liberation Army, Australian, “ Defense, Foreign Intelligence Services, Navy Locations: Australia, United Kingdom, New, Beijing, China, People’s Republic of China

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv Wednesday on what is his third trip to the Ukrainian capital since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Blinken’s first stop on Wednesday was at a military cemetery, where he laid a wreath in honor of Ukraine’s fallen soldiers. Blinken said he was again “struck by the extraordinary bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian forces, Ukraine’s leadership.”“We’ve seen good progress in the counteroffensive, which is very heartening. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (left) greets US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) in Kyiv on Wednesday. His second trip was in September last year as Ukraine’s first big counteroffensive was underway in the Kharkiv region.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken’s, Ukraine’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Dmytro Kuleba, Blinken, “, ” “ We’ve, ” Blinken, Brendan Smialowski, Joe Biden, Biden, Defense Lloyd Austin, Kuleba Organizations: CNN, US, Ukrainian Foreign, Ukrainian, Getty, United Nations General Assembly, Ukraine, Kyiv Wednesday, Defense, State Department Locations: Kyiv, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Ukraine, United States, New York, Russia, Poland, Kharkiv

☆ Chinese hack of Microsoft engineer led to breach of US officials’ emails, company says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Chinese hackers who breached senior US officials’ emails in May and June were able to do so by first stealing sensitive data from a Microsoft engineer, the company revealed Wednesday. Multiple mishaps, including the crash of an internal Microsoft system in April 2021 and the hack of the engineer, gave the Chinese hackers coveted access to a cryptographic key that was later used to break into the US officials’ email accounts, the tech giant said in a blog post. The hackers had breached the email accounts of US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, in advance of Raimondo’s trip to China. Microsoft has been under scrutiny from US lawmakers and officials who have demanded more information on how the alleged Chinese hackers broke into the email accounts. As CNN previously reported, the Biden administration believes the Chinese hacking gave Beijing insights about US thinking ahead of Blinken’s trip.

Persons: China Nicholas Burns, Gina Raimondo, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Antony Blinken, Biden, Rob Joyce, ” Joyce, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Republican, Department of Homeland Security, State Department, National Security Agency Locations: Washington, China, Beijing

CNN —Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has tapped Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar, to become his next defense minister, replacing Oleksii Reznikov at a critical time for Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Umerov will have a bulging in-tray if and when the Ukrainian parliament approves his appointment. The Defense Minister is also Ukraine’s main interlocutor with western allies through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Zelensky chose Umerov for the top defense job even though Umerov is not a member of his political party, the Servant of the People. I also explained to colleagues that they should have no hesitation because the invaders are coming to kill.”Rustem Umerov is expected to become Ukraine's next defense minister.

Persons: CNN —, Volodymyr Zelensky, Rustem, Oleksii, Zelensky, Umerov, Stalin, Forbes, “, Catherine the Great, ”, Dogukan, Reznikov, –, impinge, ” Reznikov Organizations: CNN, Defense Ministry, Defense, Ukraine Defense Contact, US, Group, State Property Fund, Center, Humanitarian Dialog, Turkish, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Ukrainian Emerging, Stanford University, Analysts, NATO, Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Twitter Locations: Crimean, Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, Crimea, Soviet, Russian, Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian, Norway, Turkey

☆ Ukrainian snipers hunting top enemy commanders are exploiting one of the Russian military's biggest vulnerabilities
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian snipers told The Wall Street Journal they are hunting down high-profile Russian targets. Over the course of the war, Russia has lost a number of senior Russian commanders and generals who directed operations from the front line. John Moore/Getty ImagesAlthough they have a common enemy, not all Ukrainian sniper teams are engaged in the same mission. Russian snipers, likewise, carry out similar missions and are considered quite formidable. Other activities like reconnaissance fall within the traditional sniper mission set and can also take priority.

Persons: Carl Court, Mark Milley, Andrei Sukhovetsky, Russia's, John Moore Organizations: Wall Street, Service, Devils, Wall Street Journal, Pentagon, Department of Defense, Ukraine, US, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Russia's 7th Airborne, 28th Brigade, Ukrainian, CNN Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Kyiv

☆ As cracks emerge in Russia, US plots fresh sanctions to crank up pressure on Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Washington plans to keep piling pressure on Russia through additional sanctions in a bid to force hard choices in Moscow, a senior US official tells CNN. The preparations of further economic punishments come as cracks emerge in Russia’s economy and society because of the war in Ukraine and sanctions from the West. The scramble in Russia to shore up the crumbling ruble shows the pressure on Moscow is working, the senior US official told CNN. The United States has steadily imposed sanctions on Russia and the US official said Washington plans to continue doing so in a bid to ramp up pressure. Former CIA director David Petraeus argues now is the time for the United States to crank up the pressure on Russia.

Persons: . Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, David Petraeus, “, ” Petraeus, Petraeus, ”, Ed Mills, Raymond James, Mills, Biden Organizations: New York CNN Business —, CNN, ., US, United, Washington, CIA, KKR Global Institute Locations: New York CNN Business — Washington, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, United States, South Africa, Washington, United

☆ Americans are shopping less. But the US economic engine is still humming
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s important, because Americans’ spending on goods and services accounts for two-thirds of US gross domestic product. Historically, sluggish retail sales, credit card delinquency and even shoplifting have been signs of a dark cloud on the horizon. The question of credit card debt is another area where the nuance matters. And as a share of total credit card debt, it is relatively low. But Americans’ credit card debt is unquestionably rising.

Persons: CNN Business ’, New York CNN —, Macy’s, they’ve, Taylor Swift, Barbie, ”, Ubers, Covid, Taylor, Sarah Yenesel, Chris Rupkey, Leticia Miranda, That’s, TJ Maxx, Louis Navellier, they’re, Brett Ryan, —, Alicia Wallace, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nike, FwdBonds, Atlanta Federal Reserve, “, “ Retailers, Deutsche Bank, Walmart, Amazon, Federal Reserve, Bank of America Locations: New York

☆ Top US Air Force general was surprised that Russia 'gave up' trying to destroy Ukraine's Russian-designed air defenses so quickly
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's limited use of its air force in Ukraine has surprised US Air Force leaders. Those leaders are surprised in large part because Ukraine is using air defenses that Russians designed. "I would say that I was somewhat surprised" by Russia's inability to control the air and knock out Ukrainian air defenses, Hecker said. Ukrainian forces are now using US-made Patriot missiles and the US-Norwegian-designed NASAMS to defend against long-range threats as well as several Western-designed systems for short-range air defense. US intelligence assessments leaked online this spring suggested Ukraine could expend its supply of surface-to-air missiles for several systems by mid-year.

Persons: James Hecker, " Hecker, Justin Bronk, Hecker, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Hecker, Charles Brown Jr, Brown, Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Ed Ram Organizations: US Air Force, Service, Russian Air Force, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Russian Ministry of, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Sukhoi, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine, Ukrainian, International Institute of Strategic Studies, The Washington, Getty, Patriot, Russian, Ukraine Defense Contact Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Russian, Russia, British, Soviet, Norwegian, Kyiv

☆ US consumers are feeling less optimistic about the economy for the first time this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Americans became slightly less optimistic about the economy this month, following two straight months of growing confidence. Sentiment had been on an upswing throughout the summer, mostly due to slower inflation, and is well above the record lows reached this time last year. Signs of cooling inflationGas prices, which are highly visible indicators of inflation for consumers, have risen in recent weeks, which could weigh on sentiment in the future. Still, consumers face the resumption of student loan payments later this year, and that could weigh on household budgets. US consumers opened up their wallets this summer, with many flocking to the smash-hit “Barbie” movie, attending concerts by Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, or traveling abroad.

Persons: “, ”, Joanne Hsu, Ryan Sweet, bode, Kieran Clancy, Barbie, Taylor Swift Organizations: DC CNN, University of Michigan, University of Michigan’s, University, Oxford Economics, Federal Reserve Bank of San, Pantheon, Consumer, Commerce Department, Federal, Atlanta Locations: Washington, June’s, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Michigan

☆ US-China investments: New Biden executive order deals 'major blow' to Chinese startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it would restrict investments by US venture capital and private equity firms, as well as joint ventures, in Chinese artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors. The executive order applies to investments in the cities of Hong Kong and Macao, as well as mainland China. She said the new edict suggested that Washington was “trying to ‘decouple’” US and Chinese venture capital, despite the administration’s insistence that it is not trying to halt trade with China. US venture capital investment into China has plummeted about 80% over the past year, according to PitchBook data. And the investment restrictions were long in the works.

Persons: Biden, they’ll, ”, Edith Yeung, Washington, Yeung, Kyle Stanford, Kaidi Gao, Tomohiro Ohsumi, “, Gao, Washington —, Xi Jinping, Gina Raimondo’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Race Capital, ”, PitchBook, Bloomberg, Getty, Investors, Washington, Sequoia Capital, Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Locations: Hong Kong, China, Macao, Silicon, United States, “ Washington, US, ”, Shanghai, chipmaking, Stanford, Beijing

☆ Why a stalled Ukrainian offensive could represent a huge political problem for Zelensky in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

And even if Trump is not the GOP nominee in 2024, ebbing public support for the war could hurt Biden. Therefore, for political, as well as strategic reasons, there is huge pressure on Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive this summer to produce significant battlefield breakthroughs. Any suggestion that Ukraine’s offensive has been bogged down will deepen that skepticism over a prolonged US commitment. Soon after the Russian invasion in February 2022, 62% said the US should do more to support Ukraine. The political dynamics in the House represent a rather precarious foundation for Ukraine’s vital US support, underscoring why a stalled offensive could represent a political disaster for Zelensky in the United States as well as a strategic loss for Ukraine at home.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Putin, Trump, Biden, CNN’s Jim Sciutto, bleakly, Ukraine’s, Zelensky, ” Zelensky, ” It’s, Mark Hertling, ” Hertling, darkens, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Kevin McCarthy, John Kirby, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, He’s, Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence –, there’s Organizations: CNN, GOP, Senior, Ukraine, Army, Republican, Democratic, Trump Republicans, National Security, New, New Jersey Gov, South Carolina Gov Locations: US, Ukraine, Moscow, United States, NATO, Russia, Kyiv, Washington, Boston, Saudi Arabia, Crimea, George H.W ., Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey

☆ Western allies receive increasingly ‘sobering’ updates on Ukraine’s counteroffensive: ‘This is the most difficult time of the war’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Weeks into Ukraine’s highly anticipated counteroffensive, Western officials describe increasingly “sobering” assessments about Ukrainian forces’ ability to retake significant territory, four senior US and western officials briefed on the latest intelligence told CNN. But for them to really make progress that would change the balance of this conflict, I think, it’s extremely, highly unlikely,” a senior western diplomat told CNN. Ukrainian forces have incurred staggering losses there, leading Ukrainian commanders to hold back some units to regroup and reduce casualties. “Russians have a number of defensive lines and they [Ukrainian forces] haven’t really gone through the first line,” said a senior Western diplomat. “The problem, of course, here is the prospect of the blame game that the Ukrainians would then blame it on us,” said a senior western diplomat.

Persons: CNN —, Ukraine’s, “ They’re, ”, We’re, Mike Quigley, haven’t, “, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Mark Milley, Zaluzhnyi, Milley, ” Zaluzhnyi, Putin, ” Quigley, Volodymyr Zelensky, ’, ” Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Illinois Democrat, US, Ukrainian, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Aspen Security Forum Locations: Illinois, Europe, Ukrainian, Western, Ukraine, West

☆ Why Russia's defenses are so effective: Deep minefields, adaptable drones, and electronic warfare are proving formidable in Ukraine, experts say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's defenses are proving effective in frustrating the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Its use of mines, adaptable drones, and electronic warfare are particularly formidable, experts said. He said there were often more than four rows of minefields in front of the Russian defensive lines. A retired Australian general Mick Ryan appears to agree with Lewis, telling The Economist on Monday that Russia's defensive lines are "much more complex and deadly than anything experienced by any military in nearly 80 years." Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow with RUSI, told Newsweek that Ukraine's "Beaver" drones appear to be vulnerable to Russia's electronic defense systems.

Persons: Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Maxar David Lewis, Mick Ryan, Lewis, it's, Steve Wright, Wright, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Justin Bronk, RUSI, Russia doesn't, Mark Milley, Birmingham's Jaroslava Barbieri Organizations: Service, BBC, Royal United Services Institute, Storm, Ukrainian, Police, Moscow International Business, Getty Images, Newsweek, Moscow Sunday, Reuters, Associated Press, University, Birmingham's, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Kherson, Dnipro, Russia's, Australian, RUSI, AFP, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Niger response: 'Washington has to thread a very difficult needle'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The United States and its Western allies are faced with a difficult conundrum as they navigate potential responses to the military takeover in Niger if democratic rule is not restored. Experts told CNN that punitive measures could push Niger toward Russian mercenary groups like Wagner and away from its partners in the West. US officials have said there are no indications that the organization was involved in the military takeover. We don’t really know who this new general is” who has seized power, she told CNN. Felbab-Brown told CNN that Prigozhin is trying to “personally” take advantage, given his “precarious” place following his failed revolt.

Persons: Biden, Vedant Patel, John Kirby, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ”, Cameron Hudson, ‘, Antony Blinken, Vanda Felbab, Brown, Bob Menendez, Jim Risch, Kirby, Mohamed Bazoum, Gen, Abdourahamane Tiani, Bazoum, “, ” Hudson, Kamissa Camara, Camara, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, We’re, ” Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, “ It’s, Prigozhin, Putin, shouldn’t, ” Kirby, Blinken, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Kamala Harris, Bola Tinubu, African Affairs Molly Phee, Hassoumi Massoudou, Mahamadou Issoufou “, Patel Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Nigerien, State Department, National Security Council, Experts, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Central African, West, Brookings, Senate Foreign Relations, Democratic, US Institute of Peace, Russian Foreign Ministry, African Union, Economic, West African States, United Nations, African Affairs, Nigerien Foreign, ” State Department Locations: United States, Niger, Russian, Africa, “ Washington, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Niamey, “, Hudson, Russia, St . Petersburg, Moscow, Sudan, New Zealand, Nigeria

☆ Senior US Treasury official to raise Russia grain deal in visit to Kenya, Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - A top U.S. Treasury official will highlight Washington's efforts to facilitate Russian grain and fertilizer exports during a visit to Kenya and Somalia and stress that Moscow's exit from the Black Sea grain deal will hurt African states, a spokesperson said on Monday. This week's visit by Brian Nelson, Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to host African leaders in St. Petersburg on Thursday and Friday and promises them free Russian grain "to replace Ukrainian grain." BLACK SEA GRAIN DEALRussia quit the deal allowing Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain last week, saying that demands to improve its own food and fertilizer exports had not been met, and that not enough Ukraine grain had reached the poorest countries under the Black Sea deal. Since Russia quit the deal and began attacking Ukrainian food-exporting ports on the Black Sea and Danube river, global wheat and corn futures prices have risen sharply. The Black Sea grain deal was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey a year ago to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Brian Nelson, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Nelson, Russia's, Daphne Psaledakis, Don Durfee, Cynthia Osterman, Sonali Paul Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Reuters, Biden, Islamic, Black, Thomson Locations: Kenya, Somalia, St . Petersburg, Nelson's, Africa, East Africa, U.S, Nairobi, Somalia's, Mogadishu, Islamic State, al Shabaab, Sudan, Russia, Ukrainian, Turkey, Ukraine, Moscow

Washington CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith’s office has asked former US officials about a February 2020 Oval Office meeting where then-President Donald Trump praised improvements to the security of US elections, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Those details offer a stark contrast to the voter-fraud conspiracy theories Trump began spreading publicly just weeks later and continued to use to question the 2020 election results. Investigators seemed particularly interested in understanding Trump’s mindset about election security before he embarked on a monthslong campaign to cast doubt on elections, the source added. After losing the 2020 election, Trump repeatedly made false claims that contradicted what he was told at the White House briefing about the security of voting systems. The briefing grew tense when the topic turned to Moscow’s preference for Trump over Joe Biden in the 2020 election, the sources said.

Persons: Jack Smith’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Zach Gibson, Elie Honig, “, ” Honig, Jack Smith, ”, Claire Woodall, Scott Olson, Chris Krebs, Trump’s, Joe Biden, National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, Drew Angerer, Maguire Organizations: Washington CNN, White House, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, CNN, Trump, Oval, Bloomberg, Getty, White, DHS, National Intelligence, Capitol Locations: Washington , DC, Venezuela, Italy, Milwaukee, Trump

☆ Secretary of State Antony Blinken says US is 'working to put some stability' into relationship with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that the US is attempting to strengthen “lines of communication” with China to avoid conflict between the two superpowers. “We are working to put some stability into the relationship, to put a floor under the relationship, to make sure that the competition that we’re in doesn’t veer into conflict,” Blinken told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired Sunday. His visit was followed by similar trips by other high-level Biden administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US climate envoy John Kerry. “I was very clear with my Chinese counterparts,” Blinken told Zakaria, referring to his trip last month. CNN previously reported that one of the key issues that did not get resolved during Blinken’s trip was the restoration of military-to-military communications between US and China.

Persons: Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, “, Joe Biden, Biden, Janet Yellen, John Kerry, ”, Blinken, Zakaria, Li Shangfu, Li, Lloyd Austin, “ We’ve, Vladimir, Putin Organizations: CNN, Aspen Security, US, Chinese Defense, China’s Equipment Development Department Locations: China, doesn’t, Colorado, Beijing, Moscow, American, Singapore, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Prigozhin's uprising failed, but it triggered China's 'psychology about warlords,' top White House official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A brief, failed revolt by Russian mercenaries in June raised doubts about Putin's hold on power. It also worried officials in China, which has its own history with "warlords," a US official said. They were unnerved by what happened two weekends ago in Moscow," Campbell said in an interview with The Wire China published on July 16, after several senior US officials visited China. China presented a peace plan in April — shortly after President Xi Jinping visited Moscow — that was widely seen as vague and self-interested. Putin and Xi have been a driving force behind the strengthening of Sino-Russian relations over the past 15 years.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Prigozhin, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Xi Jinping, Wagner, We've, Putin Putin, SERGEI GUNEYEV, Yu Sui, Joseph Torigian, China's, Torigian, Xi, Ryan Haas, PAVEL BYRKIN, Haas, Obama, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti Organizations: Service, Pacific Affairs, White House National Security Council, China, Wagner Group, REUTERS, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Getty, Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times, Communist, Central Propaganda Department, China Center, Contemporary World, American University, Brookings Institution, The New York Times, Getty Images, National Security Locations: Russian, China, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Ukraine, —, Rostov, Beijing, lockstep, Getty Images Beijing

The US began ramping up ammunition production last year when it became clear that the war would drag on far longer than anticipated. But the ammunition will still take “years” to mass produce to acceptable levels, National Security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN Sunday. Ukrainian troops now typically fire between 2,000 and 3,000 artillery shells per day at Russian forces, a US defense official told CNN. It was necessary, though, because of how low US stockpiles are, Sullivan told CNN Sunday. “All of us have had to struggle stimulating our supply chains, some of which went to sleep,” he told CNN.

Persons: Ben Wallace, that’s, Jake Sullivan, haven’t, –, Defense Lloyd Austin, John Kirchhofer, Mark Milley, Joe Biden, Sullivan, Biden, “, ”, ” Sullivan, ” Nebraska Republican Sen, Deb Fischer, Lockheed Martin, Fischer, ” Fischer, I’m, ‘, Ellen Lovett, ” Lovett, ” Wallace, ” Said, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Rishi Sunak, Murat Kula, Charles Q, Brown, Jr Organizations: Washington CNN, NATO, CNN, US, National, CNN Sunday, Pentagon, The Defense Department, EyePress, Reuters, Defense, Defense Intelligence Agency’s, Joint Chiefs, Staff, National Press Club, ” Nebraska Republican, Senate’s Armed Services, Lockheed, “, Britain's, Anadolu Agency, Getty, European Union, EU, DoD, US Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Industrial Base Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Berlin, Swiss, Germany, Switzerland, Ukrainian, Kreminna, Luhansk, “, United States, Vilnius

CNN —Taiwan’s Vice President Lai Ching-Te is expected to transit the US next month en route to Paraguay, the island’s presidential office announced at a news conference Monday. The Biden administration expects the transit to occur “without incident,” a senior administration official said Sunday. The transit comes as the Biden administration is working to regularize the pace of diplomacy with Beijing, with three top administration officials visiting China in the last month. “These transits of senior officials are unofficial in keeping with our US One China policy,” the official said, calling the transits fairly common. Candidates from other political parties may also visit the US later this year, but the senior administration official did not provide detail about future possible trips.

Persons: CNN —, Lai Ching, Biden, ”, Lai, We’ve, hasn’t, China’s, Mao Ning, ’, ” Mao, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, John Kerry, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, US, ”, Democratic Progressive Party, Communist Party, Foreign Ministry, Biden, Presidential Locations: Paraguay, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Lai, Washington, California, Ukraine

☆ Xi Jinping's foreign minister vanished from public view. His prolonged absence is driving intense speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public for three weeks, an unusually long absence during a busy period of diplomatic activity in Beijing, sparking intense speculation in a country known for its political opaqueness. Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, was promoted to foreign minister in December, after a brief stint as ambassador to the United States. As foreign minister, Qin has delivered searing rebukes of Washington after relations plunged to a new low in the aftermath of a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the US. The Chinese Foreign Ministry often leaves out content it deems sensitive from the transcripts of its regular briefings. Senior Chinese officials have disappeared from public view in the past, only to be revealed months later by the ruling Communist Party’s disciplinary watchdog that they’ve been detained for investigations.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Andrey Rudenko, Wagner, “, ”, Deng Yuwen, Janet Yellen, John Kerry . Qin, Josep Borrell, Wang Yi, Deng, they’ve, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Russian, Communist Party, Foreign Ministry, European Union, EU, ” Reuters, Reuters, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Senior, Xi Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Washington, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Russia, China, Indonesia

☆ A federal judge harshly criticized the Supreme Court's recent ethics scandals in a NYT essay: 'What in the world has happened'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge in Massachusetts wrote a scathing opinion essay in the New York Times, excoriating the Supreme Court's recent ethical debacles. Judge Michael Ponsor, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, said the high court needs a code of ethics. Following the reports of several Supreme Court justices crossing ethical lines, a plethora of congressional Democrats have also called for the Supreme Court to institute a code of ethics. As it stands, the high court does not have one, and the court's chief justice has pushed back on efforts to instate one. "The Supreme Court will no longer exist as a truly viable institution if it continues the failure to face the need for a code of ethics," Blumenthal said.

Persons: Michael Ponsor, Bill Clinton, Michel Ponsor, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor's, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal Organizations: New York Times, Service, Court, District, Massachusetts, Democratic, Committee Locations: Massachusetts, Wall, Silicon

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