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☆ New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigns, saying the job has 'taken a lot out of me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation on Thursday. Ardern governed over tumultuous times in New ZealandArdern was elected to her role in October 2017 as New Zealand's youngest prime minister, and as the third woman to serve in the position. By early 2020, the coronavirus pandemic had gripped the world, positioning Ardern as a sensible leader in the face of varied policy reactions. "It's one thing to make a big decision a week, but with Covid, it was constant," Ardern told New Zealand broadcaster 1 News in April 2022. Absolutely," Ardern told 1 News.

☆ Sinema and Manchin high-five over supporting the filibuster at World Economic Forum in Davos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin high-fived over their support for the filibuster on Tuesday. The pair were speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Sinema said the 2022 election showed Democrats were wrong to oppose the Senate rule. "As we all know," Sinema, flanked by West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, said Tuesday, "the filibuster was not eliminated. At the end of her remarks, Manchin chimed in: "We still don't agree on getting rid of the filibuster."

☆ Trump, in newly released deposition, explains what he meant by 'swooned her': 'It's a nicer word than the word that starts with an F'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In an October 2022 deposition, Trump was asked about a post he wrote about E. Jean Carroll. In the post, Trump denied that he had ever "swooned" Carroll, who accuses him of raping her. In 2019, Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. And it's a nicer word than the word that starts with an F, and this would be word that I used because I thought it would be inappropriate to use the other word. In the deposition, Kaplan noted a similar definition, asking: "That's not what you meant here?"

☆ Aging, outdated technology leaves air travel at risk of meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

As early as 2012, the FAA decided it wanted to replace aging legacy voice switches used in air traffic control communications with new, internet-based communications technology. Trying to integrate old systems with newer ones — always in real time, because the global aviation industry never sleeps — can also create its own opportunities for catastrophic mistakes. Many more things can go wrong than you might expect — highlighting the sheer complexity of the aviation industry, and underscoring how there isn’t a quick easy fix for IT-related travel disruptions. But it has had lasting effects on FAA technology. That bureaucratic myopia is its own cause of today’s technological malaise in the aviation industry.

☆ Republican candidate's wife arrested, charged with casting 23 fraudulent votes for her husband in the 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

According to prosecutors, Taylor cast 23 fraudulent votes for her husband in the 2020 election. Jeremy Taylor, the husband, is an elected Republican. In all, prosecutors allege, she engaged in 26 counts of providing false information and voting, three counts of fraudulent registration, and 23 counts of fraudulent voting. The aim, prosecutors allege, was to get her husband, Republican politician Jeremy Taylor, elected to public office. But Taylor was more successful in the fall 2020 general election, where he ran as a Republican candidate for the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors.

☆ Russia's top general has inherited a poisoned chalice in Ukraine, after his predecessor lasted just 3 months. This could lead to an escalation in the war.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia appointed a new general in charge of Ukraine war, replacing predecessor after just 3 months. The ministry described Gerasimov not as a simple replacement, but as occupying a new role with even greater oversight over Russia's war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov in Moscow, Russia, on December 21, 2020. McGlynn said Gerasimov's appointment "is definitely a commitment to keep fighting. McGlynn said Gerasimov's appointment "leaves him in an impossible situation and one that is only likely to get worse."

☆ The US Navy seized over 2,000 rifles from a wooden sailboat traveling to Yemen, claiming the weapons were sent by Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US Navy said Tuesday it had seized 2,116 "AK-47 assault rifles" from a sailboat near the Gulf of Oman. A US admiral accused Iran of trying to send the weapons to Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Houthis seized Yemen's capital in 2014, forcing out the country's Saudi-backed government. In a statement, the US Navy said its service members on January 6 confiscated 2,116 "AK-47 assault rifles" after spotting the sailboat in international waters near the Gulf of Oman. The US Navy said it had seized more than 2,100 "AK-47" assault rifles.

☆ Jair Bolsonaro could be deported if the US decides he's causing 'adverse foreign policy consequences'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro came to Florida late last year on a visa. To deport him, the Secretary of State could rule that Bolsonaro is harming US foreign policy. Late last year, Bolsonaro, while still Brazil's head of state, came to Florida, with people spotting him everywhere from fast-food joints to grocery stores. Under federal law, Bolsonaro could be deported if the Secretary of State has "reasonable grounds" to believe that his presence in the country "would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States." Under that provision, Bolsonaro could be deported whether or not he has even been charged with a crime.

☆ There's a key difference between the classified documents found at a former Biden office and the ones Trump kept at Mar-a-Lago, national security expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CBS News reported Monday that classified documents were found at an office used by President Biden. In a statement, Richard Sauber, special counsel to President Biden, said the White House is cooperating with the National Archives and the Justice Department on the matter. He contrasted what we know about the case with that being built against Trump, who held boxes of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort even after their return had been demanded by the National Archives. "When you find improperly stored classified documents, you immediately notify the government — and you turn it over immediately." "The reason Donald Trump is in criminal jeopardy right now isn't just because of the documents being improperly stored.

☆ Trump calls on FBI to raid Biden over classified files, misleadingly comparing the situation to documents found at Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The discovery of classified documents in a former Biden office set Trump on a Truth Social tear. The former president called for the FBI to raid Biden's home, as they did his Mar-a-Lago resort. The case appears to bear limited parallels to the one that sparked the FBI's raid on Trump's home. In Biden's case, per Sauber's statement, the documents were turned over as soon as they were located. GOP lawmakers also jumped on the bandwagon, with suggestions that the situation was equivalent to or worse than the case against Trump.

☆ BlackRock's mighty tech unit is a silver lining in an awful market. But competition and a recession could test its momentum.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In a tumultuous year for BlackRock, its powerful Aladdin business won record new mandates. "2022 was a good litmus test for the BlackRock model vis-a-vis Aladdin," said Cathy Seifert, a senior equity analyst at CFRA Research. Now Sudhir Nair, the longtime BlackRock executive who runs the Aladdin business globally, and his sprawling business face a test: Keeping that momentum. "To get new business, Aladdin may have to sharpen their pencils, despite the fact that I do think they still retain a best-in-class position," Seifert said. Influential rival money managers like Two Sigma, Pimco, State Street, and Amundi have been putting resources behind their own proprietary tech platforms.

☆ Want to prevent a civil war? Regulate social media algorithms, says an expert on political violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Political scientist Barbara Walter said unregulated social media is increasing the threat of a civil war. "Let people put whatever they want on social media," Walter said in an interview on Wednesday. And my answer is always the same: regulate social media," Walter said. Russia's Vladimir Putin, through his intelligence services and state-run media properties, has also used social media to pursue his own anti-democratic agenda. "Let people put whatever they want on social media," Walter said.

☆ Germany and Norway plan hydrogen pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Germany just took a step closer to finding a long-term, greener replacement for Russian natural gas and coal. The power plants, jointly owned by RWE and Equinor, will initially run on natural gas produced in Norway before transitioning to “blue” hydrogen, also produced in Norway using natural gas and pumped through the underwater pipeline, the companies said. The ultimate aim is to generate so-called “green” hydrogen using renewable energy produced by offshore wind farms, they said, without providing target dates. The European Union has a target to build a 40 gigawatt renewable hydrogen production capacity by 2030. Norway is now Europe’s biggest supplier of natural gas, according to EU official statistics.

☆ List: All the weapons and ammunition provided to Ukraine by the US after Russia's invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Since February, the US has committed more than $19 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. The US has also provided over 104 million rounds of small arms ammunition. Loading Something is loading. On December 21, the Biden administration announced a further $1.85 billion in security assistance, including the first supply of Patriot Air Defense Systems, with tens of billions in additional military aid set to be provided in 2023. According to a fact sheet released by the State Department, the US had by early December provided Ukraine with the following weapons systems and ammunition:

☆ The Oath Keepers promised to defend liberty — and ended up trying to overthrow American democracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Oath Keepers were founded in 2009, pledging to stand up to tyranny. The Oath Keepers, to be sure, are not to be confused with a charming but a little bit problematic ex. A look at the list of 10 orders the Oath Keepers insisted its members — cops and soldiers — would not carry out reveals as much. Thanks to the magic of the Internet Archive, however, we can see just how they were received on the Oath Keepers' website at the time. But there is, in my take, nothing different about the underlying threat that Oath Keepers posed from day one."

☆ Trump's top DHS official told the Jan. 6 committee he doesn't remember Trump repeatedly calling the 2020 election 'rigged.' Trump used the word 'rigged' in 3 tweets 24 hours after losing the election.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump official Ken Cuccinelli claims to not remember Donald Trump calling the 2020 election "rigged." "I am not prepared to validate that word," Cuccinelli told investigators, according to testimony released Friday. And "Rigged Election Hoax!" "Is it fair to say," an investigator asked, "that seeds of distrust were sown with respect to the 2020 election — after the November 2020 election?" In May 2020, for example, he asserted that the presidential contest would be "the greatest Rigged Election in history."

☆ Donald Trump's tax returns have been released after a years-long battle. Read them in full.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former President Donald Trump's tax returns were released on Friday morning. In November, the Supreme Court rejected Trump's last attempt to block the release. Prior to 2016, it was customary for presidential candidates to release their tax returns, allowing voters and media to assess a candidate's possible conflicts of interest and, of course, how much in taxes they actually end up paying. Despite Trump's efforts through the years, some of his previous tax returns had already been made public. Friday's tax records included the years that Trump was president.

☆ How London became the divorce capital of the world for the mega-rich
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Bill Bostock | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A UK judge ordered Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai to pay a $679 million divorce settlement to his ex-wife. Princess Haya had filed for divorce in London, known as "the divorce capital of the world." It also reaffirmed London's status as the de facto "divorce capital of the world," at least for the rich and famous. The often-cited case — "White v White" — concerns Martin White and Pamela White, farmers from Somerset who filed for divorce in 1994. Lawyers for Khoo told the court that his case had enhanced "the ill-gotten reputation of this country for being the divorce capital of the world."

☆ Reversing a Trump-era decline, more people are now coming to the US — and fewer are leaving
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Net international migration to the US is projected to increase for the first time since 2016. Net international migration refers to the number of new immigrants minus those who have left. "This is the first time net international migration increased since 2016, marking the largest single-year increase since 2010," according to the bureau. Net international migration is calculated by counting the number of new immigrants coming to the US and subtracting the number of people who have left the country. The increase in net international migration comes despite a Trump-era border measure known as Title 42 remaining in effect.

☆ George Santos, newly elected New York Republican, accused of lying about being Jewish
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

George Santos may have lied about having Jewish heritage, according to a report published Wednesday. Santos is a Republican from Long Island who was elected this past November. The Forward, a Jewish publication, found no evidence his grandparents were Jewish, as he'd claimed. But while Santos can in fact trace his family tree back to Brazil, The Forward, a Jewish publication, found no evidence to support the claim any of his ancestors were Jewish. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, called on Santos to address the latest controversy.

☆ Incoming GOP congressman accused of lying about his employment history and where he went to college defends himself with a false Winston Churchill quote
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Long Island Republican George Santos has been accused of fabricating his biography. In a statement Monday night, Santos's attorney quoted Winston Churchill. The statement posted on George Santos' Twitter account attributes a Victor Hugo quote to Winston Churchill. It goes on to quote the former Conservative UK prime minister who led Britain during World War II: "As Winston Churchill famously stated, 'You have enemies? As a representative for the International Churchill Society told the fact-checking website: "Churchill never said it."

☆ Hope Hicks was once one of Trump's closest confidantes. Less than 2 years later, she testified that her former boss told her that no one would care about his legacy if he lost the 2020 election.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Rebecca Harrington | Ellen Cranley | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hope Hicks, 34, was one of President Donald Trump's most trusted advisers. Hicks resigned from the White House on January 12, 2021, but told people it was a planned departure. She was one of the few White House aides who told Trump he lost the 2020 election. Before testifying in the investigation launched against her former boss' involvement in the Capitol riots, Hicks was the youngest White House communications director in history. She later rejoined the Trump White House as a counselor to the president, reporting to senior adviser and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

☆ FEC asks Congress to take action on 'scam PACs' that raise millions for campaigns but only enrich their founders
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FEC is urging Congress to help it take on "scam PACs" that defraud donors. Such PACs raise money for political campaigns but end up enriching their founders instead. All six FEC commissioners urged lawmakers to grant them more power to protect donors. Per the FEC, such political action committees "solicit contributions with the promise of supporting candidates," but then disclose "minimal or no candidate support activities while engaging in significant and continuous fundraising." Bell raised at least $346,000 through the PACs, according to prosecutors.

☆ Head of Ukraine's military says he has 'no doubt' the Russians 'will have another go at Kyiv' as Putin adds more troops to his army
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, head of Ukraine's armed forces, said Russia wants to regroup for a new offensive. "The Russians are preparing some 200,000 fresh troops," General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, head of Ukraine's armed forces, told The Economist, referencing recent Russian mobilization efforts. Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure, in many ways, come from a position of weakness. The Kremlin had prepared for no more than three months of war, Zaluzhnyi said. What the country's armed forces need now is a chance to regroup, possibly under the guise of peace.

☆ Russian security teams are scrambling to hunt down Ukrainian spies as locals in captured towns direct fire and gather critical intel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Behind enemy lines, Ukrainian civilians are helping their country target Russian positions. In Kherson, local activists used Telegram to send photos and coordinates for Russian troops. In occupied Kherson, a man who performed at weddings before the war said he had pivoted to planting explosives under Russian soldiers' vehicles. Ukrainian forces can act on the intel in under 15 minutes, putting fire on Russian positions. Russian forces have felt the effects, and these everyday spies are becoming a priority for Russia.

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