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Such a spy installation would allow Beijing to gather electronic communications from the southeastern United States, which houses many U.S. military bases, as well as monitor ship traffic, the newspaper reported. The countries have reached an agreement in principle, the officials said, with China to pay Cuba "several billion dollars" to allow the eavesdropping station, according to the Journal. The intelligence on the plans for a Cuba station was gathered in recent weeks and was convincing, the Journal reported. Cuba, an old Cold War foe of the United States, has long been a hotbed of espionage and spy games. It backed down and removed the missiles, but it is widely regarded as the moment when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to a nuclear confrontation.

Persons: Fort Bragg, John Kirby, Biden, Antony Blinken, Washington's, Bob Menendez, ”, Vladimir Putin, Doina Chiacu, Matt Spetalnick, David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle, Dave Sherwood, Jonathan Landay, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell Organizations: Wall Street, U.S, U.S . Central Command, Tampa . Fort Liberty, Fort, White House National Security Council, Embassy, Senate Foreign Relations, Capitol, Reuters, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Cuban, Moscow, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: China, Cuba, Florida, Beijing, United States, Tampa . Fort, North Carolina, People’s Republic, Washington, Cuban, U.S, America's, Coast, South, Taiwan, South China, Havana, Soviet, Lourdes, Russian

He said the United States has had "real concerns" about China’s relationship with Cuba and was closely monitoring it. Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson, said: "We are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station." If such a facility is built, the Chinese will use Cuba "as a beachhead for collection against the United States," said Daniel Hoffman, a former senior CIA undercover officer. Cuba, an old Cold War foe of the United States, has long been a hotbed of espionage and spy games. It backed down and removed the missiles, but it is widely regarded as the moment when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to a nuclear confrontation.

Persons: Fort Bragg, John Kirby, General Patrick Ryder, Jose Cabanas, Washington, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Washington's, House's Kirby, Bob Menendez, ”, Daniel Hoffman, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Matt Spetalnick, Jonathan Landay, Doina Chiacu, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle, Dave Sherwood, Michael Martina, Kanishka Singh, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Wall Street, White House, Pentagon, U.S, U.S . Central Command, Tampa . Fort Liberty, Fort, White House National Security Council, Reuters, U.S . Defense Department, Embassy, Senate Foreign Relations, CIA, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Cuban, Moscow, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: China, Cuba, Florida, Beijing, U.S, Tampa . Fort, North Carolina, United States, Washington, Cuban, America's, Coast, South, Taiwan, South China, Havana, Soviet, Lourdes, Russian

Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg NewsSen. Bob Menendez hosted a 2018 meeting in his Washington, D.C., office with a New Jersey businessman who is a focus of a federal public-corruption probe of the Democratic lawmaker that has broadened in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. The meeting, which hasn’t been previously reported, came months before the businessman, Wael Hana , secured a contract with Egyptian officials for certifying halal meat exports. The contract is a key part of the probe examining whether Menendez, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, or his wife received gifts in exchange for political favors.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez, Al Drago, Bloomberg News Sen, hasn’t, Wael Hana, Menendez Organizations: Foreign Relations, Bloomberg News, D.C, Democratic Locations: N.J, Washington, New Jersey

☆ The Senate just passed a bill to block student-loan forgiveness and immediately end the payment pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Senate just passed a bill to overturn student-debt relief and end the payment pause. On Thursday, the Senate passed a bill — first introduced in March — to overturn Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers making under $125,000 a year by a vote of 52-46. Chuck Grassley and Bill Cassidy — sponsors of the bill — wrote an opinion piece in Fox News urging their colleagues in the Senate to pass the legislation to overturn student-loan forgiveness. Before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on Twitter that "the Senate GOP is pushing a terrible measure to end the pause on student loan payments and overturn @POTUS's student loan cancellation program. But to overturn his landmark student debt relief program just to score political points?

Persons: Biden, —, Joe Biden's, Democratic Sens, Joe Manchin, Jon Tester, Independent Sen, Kyrsten Sinema, Chuck Grassley, Bill Cassidy —, Chuck Schumer, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Democratic Sen, Bob Menendez Organizations: Service, Democratic, Independent, Republicans, GOP, Fox News, Senate, Twitter, House Republicans, New, New Jersey Democratic Locations: Massachusetts, New Jersey

[1/3] A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet ( C foreground) is seen between U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jets at Incirlik airbase in the southern city of Adana, Turkey, December 11, 2015. "Now what's important is how does Erdogan want to move into the future with Turkey. NATO member Turkey requested in October 2021 to buy $20 billion of Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. President Joe Biden's administration has said it supports the sale and has been in touch for months with Congress to win its approval. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Turkey on Tuesday to immediately finalize Sweden's accession to NATO, and rejected the suggestion that the Biden administration is linking Turkey's approval of Sweden's NATO accession to the F-16 sale.

Persons: Bektas, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, he's, Bob Menendez, we've, I've, Menendez, Joe Biden's, Biden, Washington, Sweden's, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Patricia Zengerle, Stephen Coates Organizations: Turkish Air Force, . Air Force, REUTERS, NATO, Senate Foreign Relations, Turkey, Lockheed Martin Corp, House Foreign, Thomson Locations: Adana, Turkey, Bektas WASHINGTON, Turkish, Sweden, Ankara

☆ Premarket stocks: Senators blame excessive CEO pay for regional bank failures
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Joseph DePaolo, the former CEO of Signature Bank, received about $8.6 million. Becker said his cash and stock bonuses were “predetermined” and that he wasn’t aware of when they would be paid out. “If you’d bought those hedges [against Treasuries purchased by the bank], that would have cut into your profits, wouldn’t it? “And when the banks blow up, Mr. Becker and Mr. Shay get to keep all the money. And that is just plain wrong.”ChatGPT goes to WashingtonOpenAI CEO Sam Altman also made his way to the Senate on Tuesday.

☆ New Jersey’s Senators Push Back on Congestion Pricing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Ana Ley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Many transit advocates, community leaders and urban planning experts in New York have celebrated the progress made toward congestion pricing this month, saying it was long overdue. The loudest opposition to the program has come from New Jersey. Mr. Murphy on Monday also unveiled an advertising campaign criticizing the program, complete with billboards near interstate crossings. Other opponents of congestion pricing have included taxi drivers and Lyft and Uber drivers, who worry that fare increases triggered by the tolls could slash demand for taxis and for-hire rides by up to 17 percent. says the program, which would affect drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street, could begin as soon as spring 2024.

☆ New Jersey senators seek to delay New York City congestion pricing plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - New Jersey's two Democratic senators and the state's governor said on Monday they are seeking to halt a plan by New York City to adopt a congestion pricing plan in Manhattan, which would be the country's first. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker urged U.S. Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg not to grant final approval to environmental reviews needed to implement the congestion pricing plan after his department gave a key approval on May 5. Governor Phil Murphy said he would work "to halt implementation of this misguided tolling plan" and said the state is assessing legal options. Earlier this month, USDOT approved release of the final environmental assessment for New York's congestion pricing plan for public review. New York said drivers could face a traffic congestion charge of up to $23 a day.

If confirmed, Kugler, a Colombian-American, would be the first Latino to serve on the Fed board, marking the latest effort by Biden to improve the central bank’s diversity. Kugler, who is currently on leave from Georgetown University, previously worked in the Obama administration as the Labor Department’s chief economist. Getty Images/AlamyJefferson, who joined the Fed as a governor a year ago, has been tapped by Biden to the influential role of vice chair, serving as the No. He joined the Fed board in May 2022, after winning broad bipartisan support during his congressional confirmation process. He taught economics at Swarthmore College, Columbia University and the University of Virginia, and served as a high-ranking administrator at Davidson College.

☆ Dianne Feinstein once mistook GOP Sen. Tim Scott for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, book says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dianne Feinstein once mistook two different Black senators, according to a story relayed in a new book. She confused GOP Sen. Tim Scott for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, saying she'd been rooting for him. Scott reportedly played along, telling Feinstein that her "support means a lot." Scott, a Republican who's served in the Senate since 2013, is said to have played along with Feinstein's apparent confusion. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 🟧 (@RepDeanPhillips) April 12, 2023But on Wednesday, Feinstein finally returned to the Capitol, continuing to suffer balance and vision impairments.

☆ Greg Abbott's gun law avoidance strategy in the aftermath of the Texas mall shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“I hear our governor talking about mental health issues,” Spainhouer said of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott during a Monday appearance on “CNN This Morning.”“We’re always going to have mental health issues. “Until we take some definite actions, we’re changing the narrative about it being just a mental health issue and start doing something about the guns,” he added. Texas ranks last on mental health accessIt was a major understatement for Abbott to say that Texas merely lags on mental health. A report from the nonprofit Mental Health America places the state at or near the bottom of multiple metrics for mental health care.

☆ Biden administration to send 1,500 troops to southern border for support roles ahead of expected migrant surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Priscilla Alvarez Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As they’ve done before, the troops would serve in administrative roles and not perform any law enforcement function, the sources said. “At the request of DHS, DOD will provide a temporary increase of an additional 1,500 military personnel, for 90 days, to supplement CBP efforts at the border. These 1,500 military personnel will fill critical capability gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support, until CBP can address these needs through contracted support. They will not be doing any law enforcement work,” a US official said in a statement. Austin approved a deployment of 2,500 troops to the border, who remain there now, and the 1,500 troops are expected to join them in the coming days.

☆ White House Close to Tapping Philip Jefferson for Fed Vice Chair, Adriana Kugler for Board
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Andrew Restuccia | Nick Timiraos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Philip Jefferson has indicated support for the Federal Reserve’s efforts to raise interest rates rapidly to slow the economy and bring down inflation. Photo: Ken Cedeno/Press PoolWASHINGTON—President Biden is close to nominating Federal Reserve governor Philip Jefferson to serve as the central bank’s second-in-command and Adriana Kugler, an economist and top World Bank official, to fill a vacancy on the Fed’s board, according to people familiar with the matter. If confirmed, Ms. Kugler, a Colombian-American economist who now serves as the U.S. executive director at the World Bank, would be the first Latino to serve on the board. Mr. Jefferson would be the Fed’s second Black vice chair. Mr. Biden faced pressure from Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, to nominate a Latino economist to the central bank, which has never had a Latino serve as a Fed governor or Fed president.

☆ A new bipartisan bill would make sure government and nonprofit workers can get student-loan forgiveness — even if they leave public service after 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bill would eliminate the requirement to be employed in public service at the time of debt relief. It would ensure that borrowers that complete the required 120 qualifying payments will get loan forgiveness. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program was created in 2007 to give government and nonprofit workers student-loan forgiveness after ten years, or 120 qualifying payments. "Since its creation, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has had persistent issues that have made it difficult for public service employees to access student debt relief in exchange for their dedicated service to our nation," Menendez said in a statement. "Our public servants, like police officers and teachers, rightfully have access to student loan forgiveness after ten years of public service," Houlahan said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - British pop star Elton John urged U.S. senators on Wednesday not to ease up on the fight against HIV and AIDS, as Congress faces a September deadline for reauthorizing the multi-billion-dollar U.S. program to fight the disease. Congress must reauthorize PEPFAR for another five years before Sept. 30. REUTERS/Anna GordonA set amount has not been set for the reauthorization, but Congress typically has approved $6.5 billion to $6.9 billion for PEPFAR each year. Global AIDS Coordinator John Nkengasong told the committee PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives and created health networks that have helped fight outbreaks of Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. "I urge my colleagues to join me in working to reauthorize PEPFAR without delay and without new mandates and directives," said Senator Jim Risch, the panel's top Republican.

☆ Ex-Member of Menudo Says He Was Raped by Father of the Menendez Brothers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Matt Stevens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was a gripping case that was one of the first to draw a daily national audience to a televised criminal trial. Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 of murdering their mother, Mary Louise, a former beauty queen who went by Kitty, and their father, Jose, a music executive, despite defense arguments that the brothers had been sexually molested for years by their father, and had killed out of fear. Now, Roy Rosselló, a former member of Menudo, the boy band of the 1980s that became a global sensation, is coming forward with an allegation that he was sexually assaulted as a teenager by Jose Menendez. The series, “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed,” based on reporting by the journalists Robert Rand and Nery Ynclan, is largely focused on Mr. Rosselló. He describes an encounter with Mr. Menendez but also recounts separate incidents of sexual abuse that he says were inflicted on him by one of Menudo’s former managers when he sang as part of the group.

The state's 21-year age minimum, enacted as part of a 2003 gun control law, had been challenged in a 2021 lawsuit by three gun rights groups - Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation - and three individuals. The plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit that the age minimum violated the Second Amendment because 18- to 20-year-olds were permitted to possess guns at the time of the United States' founding. Menendez wrote that she had "reservations" about the historical analysis demanded by the Supreme Court, noting that "judges are not historians." Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a 21-year age minimum for handgun purchases in Florida, based on 19th-century laws, but said those laws only concerned gun sales, not the right to carry guns. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

President Joe Biden has said he will sign the measure if it passes both the Senate and House and reaches his desk. Supporters of repeal also said it recognized that Iraq is no longer an adversary but has become a U.S. security partner. The resolution also would repeal the Gulf War AUMF approved in 1991 after Saddam's Iraq invaded Kuwait. The Iraq AUMFs have been labeled "zombie" authorizations because they never expire but their original purpose no longer applies. In 1971, Congress voted to repeal the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which had provided authority for the Vietnam War.

[1/2] Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget at the Capitol in Washington, U.S., April 26, 2022. The bill is led by Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. Under U.S. law, the chair and ranking member of the Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs committees review major weapons transfers. They often take human rights into account and at times seek to delay or block planned sales. For example, Menendez opposes the sale of Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft to Turkey for reasons including its record on human rights.

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Monday to advance legislation to repeal two decades-old authorizations for past wars in Iraq, as Congress pushed to reassert its role over deciding whether to send troops into combat. Under the Constitution, Congress, not the president, has the right to declare war. Proponents of the current bill call the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, or AUMFs, against Iraq "zombie" authorizations. They say they are outdated and inappropriate, given that the wars are long over and Iraq is now a U.S. partner. This month marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the 2003 Iraq war.

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican U.S. senators urged the Biden administration on Friday to share information with the International Criminal Court that could assist as it pursues war crimes charges against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last week, the court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. The legal move will obligate the court's 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory. Although the United States is not a party to the ICC, Biden said last week that Putin has clearly committed war crimes, adding that the ICC warrant was justified. Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US attorneys general condemn credit-card firms for backtracking on gun sale code
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 16 (Reuters) - A coalition of 14 attorneys general condemned payment networks majors including Visa Inc (V.N), American Express Co (AXP.N) and Mastercard Inc (MA.N) for pausing work on a merchant code to help detect suspicious gun sales in the United States. Visa, Mastercard and American Express did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Senators Bob Menendez and Elizabeth Warren have also called on federal regulators to help speed up the adoption of the MCC by payment networks. The MCC, aimed at identifying firearms sellers, would identify the type of store where consumers shopped, though not the individual items they bought. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - Forty of the 100 U.S. senators co-sponsored a resolution on Wednesday urging a strong U.S. government response to any Chinese efforts to clamp down on dissent in Hong Kong, including the use of sanctions and other tools. The resolution is non-binding, but is intended to convey a strong sense that lawmakers are closely watching events in China and will respond. China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 outlawing acts including subversion with up to life in prison. The law has been criticized by some Western governments as a tool to crush dissent, but the Chinese and Hong Kong governments say it has restored stability to the city after protracted pro-democracy protests in 2019. Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US would handle an extradition request for Brazil's Bolsonaro 'expeditiously' - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official declined on Wednesday at a Senate hearing to comment on the status in the United States of former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, but said any such request from Brazil would be handled "expeditiously." Speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the future of relations with Brazil, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said: "We would handle any request from the Brazilian government expeditiously." Committee Chairman Robert Menendez said Bolsonaro "continues to spew disinformation about Brazil's election" from Florida. The United States is expected to join the multilateral Amazon Fund to help sustainability projects in the Amazon. Following Lula's visit to Washington, the U.S government plans to make an initial donation of $50 million to the fund.

☆ US Senators Menendez, Warren urge regulators to support new gun sale code
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senators Bob Menendez and Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday called on federal regulators to issue guidance to speed the adoption of a new merchant category code (MCC) by payment networks to identify firearms sellers. The Republicans say the codes could be used to improperly track gun purchases. The letter noted reports that mass shooters had used credit or debit cards to buy the guns and ammunition they used. There are more than 40,000 U.S. gun deaths per year, and regulations around guns are again emerging as a major political issue. On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order that reinforced background checks for gun buyers.

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