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☆ Opinion: The Ukraine dam disaster demands accountability
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Meanwhile, Kyiv and Moscow engaged in an intense round of finger pointing over responsibility for the unfolding environmental disaster. The dam’s collapse is not just devastating for those who reside in the immediate environs — it is a nationwide disaster for Ukraine that could reverberate across the globe. Stalin’s goal in the midst of World War II was to prevent Nazi armies from sweeping across Ukraine, which at the time was part of the Soviet Union. The dam collapsed as Ukraine stepped up operations in anticipation of a much-awaited counter-offensive. The broken walls of the Nova Kakhovka dam, and its destructive rushing waters, should strengthen the resolve of Ukraine’s backers.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Joseph Stalin, Dmitry Peskov, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky’s, Andriy Yermak, Ursula Von der Leyen, “, Antonio Guterres Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Soviet Union, EU, ”, UN, UN Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights, Twitter, NATO, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine’s, Dnipro, Ukraine, Kyiv, Moscow, Soviet, Russia, “ Russia, Geneva, Ukrainian, Vilnius, Lithuania, Baltic, Nova

Just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow’s forces massing on the border, officials in the medieval town of Lützen, Germany, afforded landmark status to a Soviet-era World War II memorial standing outside a kindergarten in the town center. “Glory to the great Russian people — the nation of victors,” reads an inscription that was repainted by local officials in June on one side of the 10-foot, pyramidal monument. Inscribed on another side in bright red is a quote from Joseph Stalin commemorating 12 Soviet prisoners of war who died at German hands while working at the local sugar factory. A bright red star with gold-colored hammer and sickle adorns the pyramid’s peak. Scattered across Germany, but primarily in what was once the Soviet-dominated German Democratic Republic in the east, are more than 4,000 protected monuments commemorating the sacrifices of Soviet soldiers in the struggle against Nazism.

☆ Russia-Ukraine War News: Pope Francis Discusses Peace Efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Gaia Pianigiani | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

A photo provided by the Vatican shows Pope Francis, center left, with the prime minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, center right, during a private audience in the Vatican on Thursday. Pope Francis discussed peace efforts in Ukraine with the country’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, during a private audience at the Vatican on Thursday, their first known meeting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The relationship between Ukraine and Francis, who has long called for peace and decried what he called barbaric acts of war, was troubled in the early months of the conflict. Mr. Shmyhal also asked the pope for help in “returning home Ukrainian children” who have been deported to Russia. Early in the war Ukrainian officials criticized the pope’s decision not to name Russia or its president, Vladimir V. Putin, as the aggressor in the conflict.

☆ GOP senators defend Clarence Thomas' billionaire benefactor's Nazi memorabilia collection: 'Harlan Crow's a terrific person'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The GOP megadonor also keeps Nazi artifacts at his Dallas home, where he's hosted fundraisers. In interviews with Insider at the Capitol on Tuesday, several of them defended the Republican megadonor amid broad scrutiny of his taste in historical artifacts. The Texas senator argued that the media is "deliberately" mischaracterizing the nature of Crow's collection in order to tarnish Justice Thomas' reputation. 'He's not a drug dealer or cocaine trafficker'Crow also collects other historical artifacts, including thousands of documents, books, and historical artifacts pertaining to American history. But when asked about Crow's Nazi memorabilia and dictator sculptures, Ernst said she had "no idea" about it.

☆ Drinking is killing Russian troops, according to UK intel. Widespread alcoholism during the first Crimean War 150 years ago resulted in Russia's defeat.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Crimean War would become another example of the county's war drinking problem cataloged in the annals of Russian history. I don't think it's nearly as important nowadays, as it was during the Russo-Japanese War or World War One, but it's significant, right?" In an interview with Insider, Schrad expanded on the history of Russian drinking during wartime. A lot of it is the consequence of my research topic, which has been alcohol and Russian history. The Crimean War, the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, in particular, were all drunken fiascos.

☆ Democrats are betting Republicans' defense of Donald Trump's criminal charges will age like milk on the 2024 campaign trail
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Republicans facing tough 2024 races are defending Donald Trump against criminal charges. Democrats are betting their defense of Trump will hurt them in competitive 2024 races. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) April 4, 2023Boebert is on House Democrats' list of 31 vulnerable Republicans and two competitive open seats that they are targeting to take back control of the House in 2024. Biden hasn't commented on Trump's charges, and Democrats in Congress are treading carefully. Democrats shouldn't get ahead of the judicial process, said Rodell Mollineau, a cofounder and partner at Rokk Solutions in Washington, DC.

☆ US journalist detained in Russia reportedly reading famous anti-Soviet novel by a Ukrainian Jew as he sits in notorious ex-KGB prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The WSJ reporter detained in Moscow is reportedly reading a famous anti-Soviet novel. The book, which equated crimes of the Nazis and the Soviets, was written by a Ukrainian Jew. "Life and Fate" was not published in the Soviet Union into 1988, when Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of glasnost allowed for greater freedom of expression. "This is a novel written by a Jew that concludes that the Soviet Union had come to resemble Nazi Germany," historian Walter Laqueur told the Washington Post in 1987, shortly before the novel was finally published in the Soviet Union. His parents were part of a large wave of Jews who fled the Soviet Union due to ongoing persecution.

☆ Everyone's freaking out about SVB because everyone else is freaking out about SVB
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But the real star — or perhaps supernova — of Thursday was SVB Financial, which saw shares drop as much as 62%. As you can imagine, the past year has not been kind to SVB. SVB had to sell a $21 billion bond portfolio for a $1.8 billion loss (thanks a lot, interest rates!). It wasn't long before reports started rolling in about VCs instructing their founders to get their money out. Here's more on the tech founders trying to calm everyone down amid the chaos.

☆ 'Stalin' said he disagreed with Putin's invasion of Ukraine. We 'spoke' to dead historical figures using a new AI chatbot that experts are sounding the alarm over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Bethany Dawson | Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Insider "spoke" to bots acting as Princess Diana, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Stalin, and Fred Trump. AI 'Fred Trump,' Donald Trump's father, isn't impressed with his son's politics. But AI Fred Trump "said" that he's "very proud" of his son, describing him as a "successful businessperson" and an "amazing father." An AI chatbot acting as Fred Trump, Donald Trump's father. AI Stalin called for the two countries to "find a peaceful solution."

☆ Jim Cramer: Our allies — and enemies — hold the keys to unlocking this market
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

What is confounding us has more to do with the actions of our allies and — just call it as we see it — our enemies. It's incredible how irrational it has all gone and how isolated China really turns out to be. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Ukraine president’s chief of staff says Russia 'will pay' for Soviet-era famine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Russia will pay for a Soviet-era famine that left millions of Ukrainians dead during the winter of 1932-33 and for its actions in the current war in Ukraine, the head of Ukraine's presidential administration said on Saturday. "The Russians will pay for all of the victims of the Holodomor and answer for today's crimes," Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram, using the Ukrainian name for the disaster. Ukraine's annual memorial day for the victims of Holodomor takes place this year on Saturday. Millions of Ukrainian peasants starved to death in the following months from what Yale University historian Timothy Snyder calls "clearly premeditated mass murder". Reporting by Dan Peleschuk Editing by Mark Heinrich and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukrainian President Zelenskyy compares Russian invasion to Stalin-era genocide: 'They want to destroy us again'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Zelenskyy compared Russian war tactics to the Soviet-era genocide, which left millions dead. Russia has blocked key Ukrainian ports, preventing the global export of grains. Zelenskyy drew the comparison at the Ukrainian International Summit on Food Security on Saturday, accusing Russia of causing another global crisis. On Saturday, Zelenskyy accused Russia of using the same tactics in its war of aggression against Ukraine. "We must prevent the further spread of this crisis and this global challenge," Zelenskyy said Saturday.

☆ Pope Francis Compares Russia’s War Against Ukraine to Genocide
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pope Francis mentioned Ukraine’s plight in the same breath as its ordeal under Soviet dictator Stalin. ROME—Pope Francis on Wednesday issued his strongest condemnation to date of Russia’s war against Ukraine, linking it to Joseph Stalin ‘s 1930s terror famine, which the pontiff described as genocide. The statement marked a dramatic intensification of the pope’s language on the topic. He has frequently deplored the suffering of ordinary Ukrainians since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February, but he has tended to avoid explicitly blaming Russia or President Vladimir Putin, and has more than once suggested that the aggression was provoked by the West.

☆ Kathy Griffin suspended from Twitter for impersonating Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Twitter has suspended comedian Kathy Griffin for impersonating the company’s new owner, Elon Musk. Musk has made an $8 Twitter subscription plan his signature bid to bolster the company’s revenue. Comedian Sarah Silverman used her verified account to troll Musk, copying his profile picture, cover image and name. “This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue,” he tweeted. Musk mocked Griffin Sunday, quipping that “she was suspended for impersonating a comedian.” Musk also tweeted that Griffin could get her account back by paying $8 a month for Twitter Blue, although it wasn’t clear whether Musk was serious.

☆ Twitter delays $8 ‘blue check’ verification plan until after the midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Twitter is delaying the rollout of account verifications for its paid Twitter Blue subscription plan until after the midterm elections, a source with knowledge of the decision confirmed to CNN. A fresh Twitter account created by CNN that opted for the paid feature did not show the checkmark on its public profile. The decision to delay the rollout comes as the entire decision to charge users for verification has faced wide public backlash. Television actress Valerie Bertinelli similarly changed her account name to the Twitter CEO’s, tweeting Friday that “[t]he blue checkmark simply meant your identity was verified. Musk has also said he will limit the company’s content restrictions and require the paid subscription for account verification.

☆ Hundreds march in crisis-hit Sri Lanka protesting tax hikes, crackdowns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Demonstrators shout at Sri Lankan police officers during an anti-government protest by trade unions, student movements, and civil organisations, including the main opposition parties, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 2, 2022. We need solutions and we will keep fighting for them," Ceylon Teacher's Union Secretary Joseph Stalin said. Widespread protests in July resulted in former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing the country and resigning after protesters stormed his office and residence. read moreProtesters carrying national and black flags shouted slogans of "Ranil go home," during the march and called for new elections. They also accused the government of using draconian anti-terrorism legislation to crack down on protest leaders and jail two of them.

☆ Premarket stocks: A spooky forecast for the future of interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN Business —When will central banks stop raising interest rates? This week, the Federal Reserve is expected to increase rates by 75 basis points for the fourth time in a row. For some time, it was thought that 2023 would bring lower interest rates and a return to dovish monetary policy. Even the Federal Reserve appears confused about when it will stop rate hikes. A possible answer: Wall Street tends to favor big events, but the future of central bank policy may be more nuanced.

☆ Elon Musk now owns Twitter. Here’s what he could change
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN Business —After spending months attempting to get out of his deal to buy Twitter, Elon Musk officially owns the hugely influential platform. Musk has said Twitter, under his leadership, would have more lenient content moderation policies. Unbanning Trump and other accountsBut the most striking early change could come from who is and is not allowed on a Musk-owned Twitter. Musk, for his part, has focused on bringing back one of Twitter’s most prominent former users: Trump. The same day he sent his letter to Twitter attempting to revive the deal, Musk was widely panned for comments he made on the platform about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

☆ How Elon Musk could change Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Musk has said Twitter, under his leadership, would have more lenient content moderation policies. But the most striking early change could come from who is and is not allowed on a Musk-owned Twitter. Musk, for his part, has focused on bringing back one of Twitter’s most prominent former users: Trump. “There are exceptions … but generally permanent bans are a failure of ours and don’t work,” he said. The same day he sent his letter to Twitter attempting to revive the deal, Musk was widely panned for comments he made on the platform about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

☆ How Rupert Murdoch’s Empire of Influence Remade the World
▼ + stars: | 2019-04-03 | by ( Jonathan Mahler | Jim Rutenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +61 min

Murdoch family, 1987: Lachlan, James, Anna and Rupert. The second season of HBO’s “Succession,” whose fictional media family, the Roys, bears a striking resemblance to the Murdochs, airs this summer. ‘A press dictatorship’To understand how the Murdoch empire works, it is essential to return to its origins. The bigger Murdoch’s empire became, the more power he had to clear away obstacles to further its expansion. Like his father, Lachlan considered the idea of meddling with such an important profit driver a form of madness.

Persons: ‘, Rupert Murdoch, Murdoch, Jerry Hall, Lachlan’s, Lachlan, —, Hall, President Trump, Theresa May, Robert A, consummating, Rupert, Elisabeth, Anna, James, David Graves, Rex, Prudence, Murdoch’s, Patricia Booker, Anna Mann, jockeying, Murdoch didn’t, ” Murdoch, Ron Galella, ‘ I’ve, Graham, Jeff Bezos, William R, Hearst, George Hearst, Ochs, Sulzberger, Arnold Newman, HBO’s, Australia —, “, don’t, Trump, Rutger Bregman, Tucker Carlson, Carlson, — Murdoch, Dow Jones, Bancroft, ’, Keith Murdoch, Keith, Joseph Lyons, Tom Roberts’s, ” Lyons, ”, I’ll, ” Rupert Murdoch, Aubrey Hart, Roberts, ” Keith, Margaret Thatcher’s, Thatcher, revel, John Major, Neil Kinnock, Joseph Stalin, Britain’s, Roy Cohn —, Joseph McCarthy, Ronald Reagan’s, Roger Stone Jr, Murdoch weaponize, Reagan’s, Stone, Reagan, George H.W, Bush, L.A, Ted Turner, Roger Ailes, Nixon, George H.W . Bush, Time Warner, Rudolph W, Giuliani, Post —, Fox, Monica Lewinsky, ” David Frum, George W, Sumner, Peter Mathew, Fairfax, Chase Carey, Talib Kweli, Rawkus, Kathryn Hufschmid, Kathryn, ” Lachlan, Sarah O’Hare, Lachlan doesn’t, Chris Mitchell, — he’d, Wendi Murdoch, Wendi, Jules Stein, Leonardo DiCaprio, James warily, Ivanka Trump, Ivanka’s, Jared Kushner, Kushner, Ivanka, Wendi’s, Donald Trump, Ailes, Rudolph Giuliani’s, Corey Lewandowski, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Bret Baier’s, Baier, Stephen F, Hayes, ” Trump, Tell Hayes, Sean Hannity, Sinclair —, Doug Mills, Megyn Kelly, — “ You’ve, — Trump, Kelly, Charles Krauthammer, John Kasich, James’s, Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, Hillary, Clinton, United States —, Paul Gigot, Obama, Al Drago, Anthony Hilton, Hilton, Rodrigo Duterte, Viktor Orban, europhiles, Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson, David Cameron, feckless, Leveson, Robinson, Mick Jagger, Margaret Thatcher, Nigel Farage, Evgeny Lebedev, Carlo Allegri, Murdoch lounging, What’s, lodestar, David Rhodes, Rhodes, Ben Rhodes, Kevin Hagen, he’d, Trump’s, Jeff Rovin, Satan, James Murdoch, Clint Spaulding, Patrick McMullan, James Stavridis Organizations: Northern, Fox News Channel, Sun, European Union —, Downing, Walt Disney Company, Century Fox, Disney, Getty, News Corp, Trust, Washington Post, Hearst Corporation, United, The New York Times, Arnold Newman Properties, Fox, White, Broadway, Fox News, Trump White, Street, Melbourne Herald, Weekly Times, ”, Eugenics Society of Victoria, Oxford, Murdoch, Fleet, The, British government’s, Sky Television, Britain’s “, Labor, Trump, Gov, Reagan’s, New, New York Post, The Boston Herald, CNN, Time, Republican, Post, Pew, Republicans, CBS, Viacom, British Sky Broadcasting, Australia spearfishing, Harvard, The Harvard, Rawkus Records, Princeton, Kawasaki, Hollywood, New York Observer, York mayoral, Fox & Friends, Trump International Golf Club, Gateway, America, New York Times, Clinton Climate Initiative, Labor Party centrist, Pacific Partnership, Tea Party, European Union, Freedom Party, Nazi, London, Press Association, Associated Press, Brexit Times, United Nations, Reuters, Photographers, CBS News, Democrat Locations: Macedonia, Southern, San Francisco, Los Angeles, California, United States, Britain, London, Australia, Australian, Sydney, Lachlan, Davos, New York, Dutch, Iraq, British, Gallipoli, Adelaide, White Australia, Luxembourg, York, George H.W ., Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Indonesia, Oregon, Fiji, Murdoch, Cavan, Beverly Hills, L.A, Caribbean, earshot, West Palm, Des Moines, Iowa, Ohio, Clinton, Trump, Downing, Brussels, Europe, Philippines, Manila, Bangkok, Cannes, “, Trump’s, Scotland, Aberdeen, Ailes’s, Russian

☆ ‘Peter and the Wolf’ Review: Bono Meets Prokofiev
▼ + stars: | 1953-03-05 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A still from ‘Peter and the Wolf’ Photo: MaxRussian composer Sergei Prokofiev passed away on March 5, 1953, an event that received very little news coverage— Joseph Stalin decided to die on the very same date. Stalin not only hijacked Prokofiev’s death day, he made the last years of the composer’s life (and the entire Soviet Union, one might argue) impossible, thus casting Prokofiev’s decision to return home, after years abroad, as one of the classical music world’s great unforced errors.

Persons: ‘ Peter, Max, Sergei Prokofiev, — Joseph Stalin, Stalin Locations: Max Russian, Soviet Union

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