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☆ She Was Kidnapped a Decade Ago With 275 Girls. Finally, She Escaped.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Ismail Alfa | Ruth Maclean | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The girls’ boarding school in Chibok, miles behind them, had been set on fire. Then she noticed that some girls were jumping off the back of the truck, she said, some alone, others in pairs, holding hands. They ran and hid in the scrub as the truck trundled on. But before Ms. Dauda could jump, she said, one girl raised the alarm, shouting that others were “dropping and running.” Their abductors stopped, secured the truck and continued toward what, for Ms. Dauda, would prove a life-changing nine years in captivity. “If she hadn’t shouted that, we would have all escaped,” Ms. Dauda said in a series of interviews this past week in the city of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram’s violent insurgency.

Persons: Saratu Dauda, Dauda, hadn’t, ” Ms Locations: Nigeria, Chibok, Maiduguri

☆ John Bolton calls for a 'far stronger' response from Israel after Iran's missile and drone attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewFormer national security advisor John Bolton called for a "far stronger" response from Israel after Iran launched a missile and drone attack against the country. "A 200 ballistic missile, cruise missile, drone failure." Related story"I think that means by definition, Israel's response — and there should be a response — should not be proportionate," he told Blitzer. Bolton said on NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday," however, that the Iranian government looked "weak" after its attack.

Persons: —, John Bolton, George W, Bush, Donald Trump's, Wolf Blitzer, Bolton, Blitzer, Biden, John Kirby, Joe Biden, Kirby, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Service, Bolton, UN, CNN, Business, Trump, White House Locations: Israel, Iran, United States

☆ For U.S. Cuban claims holders, spy Manuel Rocha's plea deal raises fresh questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Raul Rubiera | Miami Herald | Getty ImagesWhen Carolyn Lamb saw news of Cuban spy Victor Manuel Rocha's arrest on the news last December, she recognized him immediately. The lower the value of the claims, the less the Cuban government would have to pay in any future negotiated settlement. Ashby assumed Rocha's paranoia about eavesdropping was in response to the George W. Bush administration's opposition to the Cuba claims buying business. But according to the Justice Department, by that point Rocha was already in his third decade as a Cuban agent. File photo of former US ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, talking to the press on the 11th of July 2001.

Persons: V, Manuel Rocha, Steel Hector, Davis, Raul Rubiera, Carolyn Lamb, Victor Manuel Rocha's, Rocha, Lamb, Lamb's, Castro, Justin Solomon, CNBC Castro didn't nationalize, of Rocha, Fidel Castro's, It's, Jason Poblete, Poblete, John Kavulich, Sears Roebuck, Timothy Ashby, Ashby couldn't, Ashby, George W, Bush, Little, Covert, Gonzalo Espinoza Organizations: Miami Herald, Steel, Cuban, US State Department, National Security, Cuban Telephone Company, " Beverage Company, CNBC, Pepsi, General Electric, Century Fox, Cuba Trade, Economic Council, Justice Department, Citizen, State Department, National Security Council, DOJ, Cubans, FBI, AFP, Getty Locations: America, Omaha, Bolivia, Cuba, Havana, United States, Cuban, Rocha, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Argentina, Miami, Chile

☆ Opinion: The day of the Columbia disaster still haunts me
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Miles O'Brien | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

The CNN Original Series, “Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight,” uncovers the events that ultimately led to disaster. Miles O'Brien Vincent RicardelI was at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to cover the launch of the space shuttle, Columbia. Space Shuttle Columbia launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.

Persons: Miles O’Brien, ”, Miles O'Brien Vincent Ricardel, Ilan Ramon, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Dave Santucci, “, —, Heidi Collins, Janeane Garofalo, “ Let’s, would’ve Organizations: PBS, CNN, Space Shuttle Columbia, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Engineers, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Columbia, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Shuttle Columbia, Space, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Challenger, Shuttle, CNN Center, US Locations: Atlanta and New York, Florida, Columbia, synchronicity, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, Texas, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, Iraq, Atlanta, United States, California, Dallas

☆ Unflappable Scottie Scheffler clinches second Masters title with virtuoso display
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Scottie Scheffler clinched his second Masters title in style on Sunday, cementing the American’s status as the preeminent force in men’s golf. I love you,” Scheffler replied when asked by Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley if he had a message for his wife. The ball was still amongst the shrubbery when Scheffler rolled in for par on the same green shortly after, extending his lead to three. His first Masters triumph had ended in a shaky – albeit inconsequential – four-putt, but there were no such blips this time round. After a standing ovation on his walk to the 18th green, Scheffler signed off with a simple putt for par.

Persons: Scottie Scheffler, Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg, Scheffler, Meredith, “ I’m, I’ll, ” Scheffler, Fred Ridley, “, can’t, ”, Brooks Koepka, Scheffler toasts, Warren Little, Woods, Åberg, –, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, ” Woods, ” Åberg, Fuzzy Zoeller, Europe’s, Andrew Redington, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy’s, Spain’s Jon Rahm, Ominously, Morikawa, Homa, Mike Segar, Rahm, Jamie Squire, Aberg, Ted Scott Organizations: CNN, Augusta National, Augusta, Golf, PGA Championship, RSM, Getty Locations: Butler, Augusta, Rome, Homa

☆ Supreme Court Justices Say They Get Along. Should We Care? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Linda Greenhouse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court is hurting. I can say that with confidence — not based on any inside information but on the external evidence of how hard some of the justices are working to show that everyone on the court really does get along. The retired justice Stephen Breyer, on the talk circuit for his new book on constitutional interpretation, has been making the same point. I’m reminded of the last time the court made a concerted effort to assure the public that all was well. It was during the weeks that followed the ruling that clinched the 2000 presidential election for George W. Bush.

Persons: Sonia Sotomayor, “, Amy Coney Barrett, Stephen Breyer, George W, Bush, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Organizations: National Governors Association, George Washington University, Times Locations: Gore, Australia

☆ Oil prices could spike to $100 if Iran directly attacks Israel, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The price of global benchmark Brent crude oil could spike to $100 a barrel if Iran directly attacks Israel, a former senior White House energy official said. @LCO.1 YTD mountain Brent crude oil, YTD Oil rallied last week after a missile attack destroyed Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing seven Iranian military officials. "If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will react and attack Iran," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on the social media platform X , tagging Ayatollah Khamenei. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear that the Biden administration is worried about rising energy prices during congressional testimony Tuesday. "Certainly, those attacks could have a knock-on effect in terms of the global energy situation," Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Persons: Bob McNally, McNally, George W, Brent, YTD Oil, Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Israel Katz, Biden, terrify, Daniel Yergin, Yergin, CNBC's, Natasha Kaneva, Lloyd Austin, Austin Organizations: Brent, White House, Rapidan, Bloomberg News, YTD, Israel, Iran, Rapidan Energy, Biden, P Global, JPMorgan, Defense, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Iran, Israel, U.S, Washington, Damascus, Syria, OPEC, Tehran, Islamic Republic, Strait, Hormuz, Persian, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ Opinion: Beyoncé is the start of a Black country groundswell
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Opinion Alice Randall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Her book “My Black Country: A Journey Through ” Country Music’s Past, Present and Future,” was published this month. I hear Black moonshiners and Black cowboys, Black nature lovers and Black ghosts, Black angels, Black freedom fighters, gunslingers and Black shotgun riders. It could start a groundswell of long overdue recognition of the overlooked Black country legends and hope for the Black country stars of the future. But for Black performers in particular, it offers a seat, at long last, at a gathering of the country music family. As I write in “My Black Country,” “I have imagined Black country and country to be born as an art form, as an aesthetic, in the year 1624 near Jamestown, Virginia.

Persons: Alice Randall, who’s, ”, I’ve, Alice Randall Keren Trevino, Matraca Berg, Beyoncé’s, Carter, she’s, White, “, Jolene, Cowboy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Sen, Ted Kennedy, Roy Acuff, DeFord Bailey, Ole Opry’s, jumpstart Acuff’s, Anna Gordy, Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye, Anna, Anna Gordy —, Detroit, Carter ”, Linda Martell, Rumi Carter, Jay Z, Blue Ivy, Sir, Rumi, Mike Blake, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter ”, ” Beyoncé, William Tucker, Stoney Edwards Organizations: CNN, Country Music Association, DAR, Blacks, Motown Records, Anna Records, Grand Ole Opry, Reuters, America, Eagle Locations: Nashville, Washington , DC, George H.W ., Detroit, Los Angeles, Black, European, Jamestown , Virginia, America, It’s

☆ Biden’s new student loan forgiveness plan could start eliminating debts before the 2024 presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US President Joe Biden speaks about student loan relief at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin, on April 8, 2024. Andrew Caballero-reynolds | AFP | Getty ImagesThe Biden administration is moving ahead quickly with its new student loan forgiveness plan, with hopes of starting to wipe out people's debts as soon as this fall. Student loan forgiveness falls into that category, he said. Almost half of voters in a recent survey, or 48%, said canceling student loan debt is an important issue to them in the 2024 presidential and congressional elections. Issues like student loan forgiveness, which present a sharp contrast between Democrats and Republicans, are more likely to impact the election.

Persons: Joe Biden, Andrew Caballero, reynolds, Biden, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz, Gen, Donald Trump, Michael M, George W, Bush, Trump, Mark Organizations: Madison College, AFP, Getty, Republicans, Republican, Santiago, Public, Supreme Locations: Madison , Wisconsin, New York City

☆ Why New Zealand spent a small fortune to kill one stoat
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Dhruv Tikekar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Introduced predators kill about 25 million native birds in New Zealand annually, with about 4,000 native species threatened or at risk of extinction, according to the DOC. Under the program, the government plans to eradicate rats, possums (a marsupial native to the Americas), weasels, ferrets — and the pesky stoat. Chalky Island and the neighboring Passage Islands have been predator-free since 1999 following the first ever stoat eradication campaign, according to the DOC. And for Fleming, the recent stoat incursion only underscores the importance of the Predator Free 2050 plan. “If we eradicate stoats from Aotearoa (New Zealand) completely we remove the costs of incursions, and our wildlife can thrive alongside us,” he said.

Persons: Rebecca Teele, ”, Aaron Fleming, Liu Yang, RNZ, —, pesky, Carolyn M, King, hitlist, Stephan Morris, stoats, stoats ”, Fleming Organizations: CNN, country’s Department of Conservation, New, Zealand, New Zealand Taxpayers ’ Union, Southern, New Zealand, University of Waikato Locations: New Zealand, Fiordland, Eurasia, North America, “, New, Americas, Aotearoa

☆ Bidens roll out the diplomatic – and literal – red carpet for Japan state visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The White House will lean into the full pomp and circumstance of a state visit as the president seeks to emphasize the strong alliance between the two countries. The Bidens welcomed the prime minister and his wife to the White House on Tuesday evening, hosting the couple for a casual dinner at BlackSalt, a local seafood restaurant. The White House will serve wines from the Willamette Valley and Columbia Valley in the Pacific Northwest. The Bidens presented their counterparts with a three-legged black walnut table handmade by a Japanese American owned company in Pennsylvania, the White House said. The Biden White House has previously hosted the leaders of Australia, India, France and South Korea for state visits.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kishida Fumio, Kishida Yuko, Paul Simon, Biden, ” Jill Biden, ”, Bryan Rafanelli, “, Cris Comerford, Susie Morrison, George W, Bush, Lyndon B, Johnson, Carlos Elizondo –, ’ toasts, Elizondo, Billy Joel, CNN’s Arlette Saenz, Kayla Tausche, Sam Fossum Organizations: CNN, Japanese, White, White House social, Wing, State Department, White House, US, National Soccer Team, National Football Team, Biden White Locations: China, Ukraine, Gaza, United States, Japan, BlackSalt, California, Willamette, Columbia, Pacific Northwest, American, Pennsylvania, Australia, India, France, South Korea

☆ How Ozempic Turned a 1974 Hit Into an Inescapable Jingle
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Craig Marks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In February 2023, David Paton, guitar case in hand, strode across the most famous pedestrian walkway in rock history and into London’s Abbey Road Studios. Paton was no stranger to the rooms where the Beatles changed the course of popular music: His 1970s pop-rock band Pilot recorded two albums there. In his second life, as an in-demand studio and touring musician for the likes of Kate Bush and Elton John, he clocked numerous sessions with the prog-rock outfit the Alan Parsons Project, whose namesake produced Pilot’s signature hit, “Magic.” He even spent some time there with his boyhood hero, Paul McCartney, singing backup vocals on Wings’ “Mull of Kintyre.”Paton had come to London to record a new version of “Magic.” “It was a great thrill to be back at Abbey Road, singing my song,” he said in a recent video interview from his home studio in Edinburgh, an array of guitars displayed behind him. The track’s stair-step chorus — “Oh, oh, oh/it’s MAAA-gic” — could test Paton’s vocal range even back in 1974, when the song became a worldwide hit, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Persons: David Paton, strode, Paton, Kate Bush, Elton John, Alan Parsons, Paul McCartney, “, ” Paton, ” Organizations: Studios, Beatles Locations: London’s, “ Mull of Kintyre, London, Edinburgh

☆ UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak draws criticism over Adidas Samba sneakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Because UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was seen wearing a pair. “In a bid to present himself as young and hip… Sunak took an eternally cool sneaker, and ruined it for everyone,” added British GQ. It’s a far cry from the public reaction another political leader received after being spotted in a pair of sneakers. Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty ImagesSo why aren’t Sunak’s Sambas striking the same chord? Even the most ardent sneakerheads know there is a time and a place for a gum sole, and the British public have decided on-camera at 10 Downing Street is neither.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Harry Styles, Kaia Gerber, Bella Hadid, Paul Mescal, Rihanna, it’s, Rishi Sunak, ”, “, relatable, Michael Hogan, … Sunak, It’s, Barack Obama, Stan Smiths, Kamala Harris, Chuck Taylors, Mohd Rasfan, Obama, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, Ronald Reagan, Harris, Kevin McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: CNN, Adidas Sambas, UK, Conservative, British, Guardian, GQ, Obama, Sneaker Con, Downing Locations: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, AFP, New York, Philadelphia, American

☆ Voters Think America Is Broken. Biden Needs to Meet Them Where They Are. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Damon Linker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Seven months away from a rematch election pitting President Biden against former President Donald Trump, the incumbent is struggling. The question is why. It’s usually wiser to listen to what voters are saying — beyond the obvious concerns about the president’s age. The long-term trend tells a clear story: From the mid-1990s to late 2004, the level of satisfaction bounced around between 39 percent and 71 percent. They would reach a low of 9 percent satisfaction in October 2008, in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden’s, “, Bush Organizations: Gallup Locations: U.S, Iraq

☆ Opinion: NASA was America’s crown jewel. After the Columbia disaster it was never quite the same
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Opinion Douglas Brinkley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Space Shuttle Columbia launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. The environmentally controlled chamber was mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for access into the orbiter. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock High School had an experiment on board Space Shuttle Columbia.

Persons: Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff, John F, Kennedy, ”, Douglas Brinkley Moore Huffman, Nancy Currie, Gregg, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Sean O’Keefe, Jeff Bezos, Lockheed Martin, Sir Richard Branson, “ Organizations: Rice University, CNN, Shuttle Columbia, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Russian Space Agency, Russia, United Arab, Challenger, Columbia, Space, Space Shuttle Columbia, Kennedy Space Center, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Shuttle, Investigation, Elon, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Boeing, Lockheed, Virgin Galactic, JFK Locations: China, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Columbia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, American

☆ NASA’s space shuttle program reimagined rocketry. What went wrong?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

The CNN Original Series “Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight” uncovers the events that ultimately led to disaster. Deemed an “engineering marvel,” the first of five winged orbiters — the space shuttle Columbia — made its inaugural flight in 1981. Crews aboard the recovery ships Liberty Star and Freedom Star retrieve a reusable right solid rocket booster (below) after a space shuttle mission. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.

Persons: ”, Sean O’Keefe, Casey Dreier, Crews, O’Keefe, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Rodney Rocha, Columbia’s, Rick Husband, “ Roger, Sen, Mark Kelly, “, ” Kelly Organizations: CNN, Shuttle Columbia, Sunday, NASA, Columbia, America’s, Planetary Society, European Space Agency, Space, International Space, Hubble, Liberty Star, NASA’s Ames Research Center, Space Shuttle Columbia, Kennedy Space Center, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Challenger, Shuttle, East Texas Locations: Columbia, America’s Soviet, Florida, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, Texas, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, New Mexico, East

☆ Iran’s Axis of Resistance
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Its members refer to it as the Axis of Resistance. The network’s name is a play on former President George W. Bush’s 2002 claim that Iran, Iraq and North Korea made up an Axis of Evil. The Axis of Resistance includes Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other groups, and both its strategy and its tactics have long been radical. Nonetheless, the conflict between the Axis and its enemies had remained limited for years. Even though Iran funds and supports the Axis, other countries have often treated its member groups as distinct from Iran.

Persons: George W Organizations: Hamas Locations: Iran, Israel, Iraq, North Korea, Yemen, America

Mr. Biden replied that he understood. Mr. Biden’s staunch support of Israel has put him at odds with many Democrats. Mr. Biden is scheduled to speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Thursday, according to a senior administration official. That official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said that Mr. Biden’s anger and frustration had hit a peak in recent weeks. At other events that month, in Wisconsin and Vermont, people gathered outside of Democratic Party offices and homes of donors to protest American support for the war.

Persons: Jill Biden, Biden, Mr, Salima Suswell, ’, Suswell, White, “, ” Elizabeth Alexander, ”, Biden’s, Chris Coons, Avishag Shaar, Beau Biden, George W, Dr, Beau, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: House, White, Israel, Black Muslim Leadership Council, Al, Shifa, Credit, Yashuv, The New York, Delaware Army National Guard, New York Times, Democratic, Central, Biden, Democratic Party Locations: Gaza, Israel, Delaware, Iraq, Afghanistan, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Vermont, Los Angeles

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

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

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

☆ Why is there nostalgia for the Trump economy in the battleground states?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Yet those numbers are reversed when asked to rate the state’s economy. In Wisconsin, negative views of the national economy outweigh positive ones by 16 points, while positive views of the state economy outweigh negative ones by 17 points. Across these battleground states, 46% of registered voters said their personal financial situation is headed in the right direction. Now, more than half of registered voters in the Wall Street Journal poll of battleground states said they either strongly or somewhat approve of the job Trump did as president. Biden is neck-and-neck with Trump among registered voters in those seven swing states on the question of protecting democracy.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Larry Summers, Summers, Biden, Ariel Edwards, Levy, Edwards, “ People’s, ”, It’s, Trump, Biden’s, Joe, Jill Biden, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, “ He’s, ” Jill Biden, Will, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders “, George W, – Trump’s, Bush Organizations: CNN — Voters, Wall Street, Biden, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Gallup, Journal, Street, CBS, Vermont, White, Big Pharma, Medicare, CNN, Republican, Trump, Capitol Locations: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina , Nevada , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, brag, Iraq

☆ Texas federal court district rebuffs effort to curb ‘judge-shopping’ tactic
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Judge-shopping is the practice of strategically filing cases in courthouses where the lawsuits are almost guaranteed to be heard by judges perceived to be sympathetic to the litigants. Texas has other US district courts with single-judge divisions, in addition to Amarillo, where challenges to the Biden administration agenda are frequently funneled through. The Judicial Conference announced after an early March meeting that it was seeking to curb the practice of judge-shopping with the new case assignment policy. The announcement prompted blowback from Republican senators, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who argued that any mandated policy would run afoul of a statute passed by Congress that gives each district court the discretion to design its case assignment protocols. When the Judicial Conference released the formal guidance days later, it indicated that the districtwide assignment policy was recommended, but optional.

Persons: David Godbey, Chuck Schumer, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, Kacsmaryk, Biden, George W, Bush, Schumer, Godbey, ”, “, ” Schumer, Mitch McConnell Organizations: CNN, US, Court, Northern, Northern District of, New, New York Democrat, Amarillo Division, Judicial Conference, Law360, Judicial, Congress Locations: Texas, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, New York, Northern Texas, Amarillo, “

☆ 'Uncommitted' Democrats may dump Biden over the war in Gaza. They say it's not their fault if Trump wins.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

AdvertisementFor the leading voices in the uncommitted movement, that's missing the point — and it's insulting. The "Listen to Michigan" campaign was originally conceived in a memo drafted by Waleed Shahid, a progressive strategist and former spokesman for the left-wing group Justice Democrats. "There is an entire menu of things that President Biden could do to move in the direction of discontinuing the funding of the killing," he said. What uncommitted voters are ultimately looking for is a sense of seriousness and clarity that they feel has been lacking from Biden. Uncommitted movement organizers do not seem to be taking glee in embarrassing Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Layla Elabed, Abbas Alawieh, Donald Trump, Mitch Landrieu, uncommitted, Trump, Abdullah Hammoud, Waleed Shahid, Jeff Kowalsky, Rashida Tlaib, —, Cori Bush, Missouri —, Elabed, Mayor Hammoud, that's, Hammoud, haven't, I've, James Zogby, We're, Alawieh, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Andy Levin, Zogby, Ronald Reagan, Menachem Begin, Seth Meyers, he's, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Service, Democratic, Democratic National Convention, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Dearborn, Biden, Movement, Michigan, Democrats, Getty, Democratic Party, Trump, Arab American Institute and, Union, UN, Democrat, Israel Locations: Gaza, Detroit, Michigan, Israel, American, United States, Dearborn, AFP, Missouri, Dearborn Heights, Hamtramck, —, Biden's, Arab, Chicago, Paterson, Rafah, Beirut, New York

☆ Opinion: Trump videos send wildly different messages
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. In a video promoting the Bible, Trump said, “Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country. … we need to bring them back.”On Good Friday, Trump posted a very different kind of video. It showed an image of President Joe Biden lying sideways and tied up in the bed of a pickup truck. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign can’t win, but it could swing the presidency to former President Donald Trump,” Begala wrote.

Persons: Matthew Arnold, Homer, King James, Donald Trump, ”, Lee Greenwood’s, AJ Willingham, Trump, Joe Biden, Drew Sheneman, MAGA, Biden, Fareed Zakaria, ” Zakaria, Candida Moss, he’ll, he’s, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Julian Zelizer, ” “, …, ” Clay, “, Obama, “ Obama, CNN Trump, —, Attorney Alvin Bragg, “ Trump, Stormy Daniels, ” Norman Eisen, Andrew Warren, James Antle III, stoked, Letitia James, Dali, Francis Scott Key, Tasos Katopodis, Richard Timme, ” Timme, Salvatore R, Mercogliano, ’, Jalal Baig, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Baig, Paul Hockenos, “ It’s, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Nicole Shanahan, Eric Risberg, Paul Begala, Ross Perot, George H, Bush, “ Robert F, can’t, ” Begala, ” Shanahan “, Sergey Brin, Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Ro Khanna, Lee Drutman, Mark Osler, Jill Filipovic, Lisa Murkowski, Obeidallah, Johnson Ronna, Ronna McDaniel, Justin Sullivan, McDaniel, ” McDaniel, David Zurawik, Jack Ohman, Walt Handelsman, Tim Hubbard, Dennis Muilenburg —, Max, David Calhoun, ‘, ” Hubbard, Annelle, ” Sheline, ” Don’t, Frida Ghitis, Putin, Howard Fischer, Keith O’Brien, Pete Rose, Nick Anderson, Agency Sara Stewart, Mary Ziegler, Patrick T, Brown, shouldn’t, Emma Firth, Carter ’ Parkwood, Roxanne Jones, Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé, ” Jones Organizations: CNN, Oxford University, New, Trump, Nasdaq, NYPD, Hollywood, Biden, Cupp, Obama, Manhattan, Attorney, Democratic, US Coast Guard, Baltimore, Federal Highway Administration, RFK Jr, RFK, Google, The New York Times, Republican National Committee, NBC News, “, Press, NBC, MSNBC, Content Agency Boeing, Notre Dame, Boeing, US State Department, Israel, Tribune, Agency, Sony, AP Locations: Independence, New York City, America, New, Manhattan, Queens, New York, Baltimore, Coast, Suez, Port, China, Argentina, Red, Gaza, Wales, Northern California, California, Israel, Columbia

☆ Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric has been effective for him so far but poses real danger
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

In some ways, this is classic behavior from Trump and follows multiple previous social media threats to judges, political opponents and anyone who angers him. Trump’s attacks on the judiciary play into the foundation of his political career — that he’s a rebel outsider tearing down a political system his supporters believe disdains them. In itself, the tape is an affront to the legal system and the judiciary. If the principle were applied to its full extent, it could destroy the nonpartisan legal system. In his “State of the Union” interview Sunday, Lawler, an up-and-coming New York Republican, demonstrated how Trump’s rhetoric overshadows his party.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, president’s, Joe Biden, Trump’s, Judge Juan Merchan, Trump, “ I’ve, Donald Trump, ”, LaDoris Cordell, CNN’s Omar Jimenez, Biden, CNN’s Dana, Mike Lawler, Walton’s, Reggie Walton, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Walton, they’re, we’re, George Bush, George W, Bush, “, ” Walton, Cordell, ’ ”, Merchan, Tanya Chutkan, he’s, Fani Willis, Letitia James, John Roberts, Clinton, autocrats, Michael Tyler, —, ” Trump, Steven Cheung, Lawler, ” Lawler, CNN’s Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Trump, Superior Court, Republican Party, GOP, Union, Sunday, Republican, Capitol, Prosecutors, New York, Trump Organization, Capitol Police, New York Republican Locations: York, California, “ State, New York, America, Washington ,, Fulton County, Georgia

☆ Revisiting Florida 2000 and the Butterfly Effect
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Nate Cohn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Joe Lieberman and the butterfly ballotJoe Lieberman, the former Democratic senator, died this week at 82. He was Al Gore’s vice-presidential nominee in 2000, when the Gore-Lieberman ticket came less than 600 Florida votes away from winning the White House. But I don’t think it’s always appreciated that we probably do know that Mr. Gore would have won Florida, and therefore the presidency, if it weren’t for the infamous “butterfly ballot” in Palm Beach County. If you don’t remember — it has been a while — the butterfly ballot was very unusual. Candidates were listed on both sides of the ballot, and voters cast a ballot by punching a corresponding hole in the middle.

Persons: We’re, Donald J, Trump, Joe Lieberman, Al Gore’s, Gore, Lieberman, We’ll, it’s, George W, Bush, Pat Buchanan Organizations: Democratic, White, Reform Party Locations: Florida, Palm Beach County

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