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☆ About 4 mln Americans got their updated COVID vaccines in Sept.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] An exterior view of the United States Health and Human Services Building on C Street Soutwest in Washington, U.S., July 29, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 4 (Reuters) - Around 4 million Americans received the updated COVID-19 vaccines in September, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, even as some have found it difficult to book appointments or pay for the vaccines. "The Biden-Harris Administration, through HHS, has been working directly with manufacturers and distributors to ensure that the vaccines are getting to pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and other vaccination sites, including long-term care facilities as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Reporting by Michael ErmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tom Brenner, Harris, Michael Erman Organizations: United States Health, Human, REUTERS, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Biden, Harris Administration, HHS, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

Washington CNN —In her new book “Enough,” former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson paints the closing days of the Trump White House as even more chaotic and lawless than she previously disclosed in her shocking televised testimony last summer. “We killed Herman Cain,” Meadows told Hutchinson and asked for his wife’s phone number. Unlike White House communications director Alyssa Farah, who resigned on December 3, 2020, or deputy White House press secretary Sarah Matthews, who left on January 6, 2021, Hutchinson remained. In the summer of 2017, Trump’s first year in office, Hutchinson was an intern in Sen. Ted Cruz’s office. It turns out, Hutchinson writes, that she coordinated with Farah, who is now a CNN political commentator, telling her everything she knew.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Cassidy Hutchinson, Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Trump, Rudy Giuliani gropes Hutchinson, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, “ Cass, ” Meadows, Hutchinson, Cassidy Hutchinson's, Simon, Schuster, Meadows, “, ” Hutchinson, Herman Cain, Covid, furtively, Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski, Mark ’ Meadows, National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Tom Brenner, McCarthy, Ken Paxton, ” Trump, Trump . Hutchinson, Devin Nunes, “ Mark doesn’t, ”, Tony Ornato, Mike Flynn, Sidney Powell, Patrick Byrne, Derek Lyons, Brad Raffensperger, Pat Cipollone, Cipollone, Tony, –, ” Ornato, They’re, Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani, Brendan Smialowski, Alyssa Farah, Sarah Matthews, Donald Trump’s, Hey Cass, Kimberly Guilfoyle’s, ‘, ’, Kayleigh McEnany, Wisconsin Tom Brenner, Trump’s, Sen, Ted Cruz’s, didn’t, Stefan Passantino, Passantino, “ Stefan, Andrew Harnik, Farah, Liz Cheney, Jobs Organizations: Washington CNN, White, Trump White House, Trump, Capitol, White House, GOP, CNN, Secret Service, Republican National Committee, National Intelligence, Texas, Meadows, Georgia, State, Biden, Capitol Hill, Getty, Team Trump, Legislative Affairs, Press, Air Force, Texas Republican Locations: Tulsa , Oklahoma, North Carolina, Meadows, Fulton, Georgia, AFP, Russia, you’re, California, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida

☆ Grand jury called for indicting Sens. Graham, Perdue, Loeffler in Trump Georgia election case
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The full 25-page report of the special grand jury, which finished its investigative work last winter, was released Friday morning. However, in addition to the three senators, the special grand jury also had recommended indictments be issued against 18 other people who were ultimately not charged by the regular grand jury last month, in addition to the people who did end up being indicted. Both Perdue and Loeffler, who were sitting senators at the time of the 2020 election, were defeated in early 2021 runoff elections by Democrats, Sens. Graham, a staunch Trump ally, is known to have called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the November 2020 election to ask about absentee ballots in that contest. Trump and his co-defendants were indicted by a regular grand jury in Fulton County Superior Court last month on charges alleging a broad-ranging election conspiracy.

Persons: Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue, Al Drago, Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham of, Trump, Lindsey Graham, Tom Brenner, Michael Flynn, Boris Epshteyn, Cleta Mitchell, Graham, Perdue, Loeffler, Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnoff, Trump's, Brad Raffensperger, Fani Willis Organizations: Reuters, Republican, Fulton County Superior Court, Capitol, Trump, District of Columbia, Democrats, Sens, Loeffler, Court Locations: Milton , Georgia, Georgia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Fulton, Russia, Washington , U.S, Loeffler, Georgia , Arizona , Wisconsin , Michigan, Pennsylvania, Fulton County

☆ Jim Cramer says this legacy tech stock is the 'star of the show' in AI. Here's what to expect from its earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In the three months that ended May 31, Oracle cloud infrastructure unit revenue jumped 76% on an annual basis, to $1.4 billion, roughly 10% of the company's total. Analysts at UBS struck a similar tone last week when they also upgraded Oracle stock to buy. We expect that, over time, Oracle's AI execution and growing cloud share should attract new investors to the stock and convince more analysts of its potential. 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.

Persons: holding's, Jim Cramer, Jensen Huang, Jim, OCI, Oracle, —, Jim Cramer's, Tom Brenner Organizations: Oracle, LSEG, Nvidia, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Web Services, Google, Barclays, UBS, Wall Street, UBS –, Microsoft, Semiconductor, Broadcom, CNBC Locations: U.S, Wilson, Arlington , Virginia

☆ A Sudden Bond Binge on Wall St. Reflects Rising Optimism
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Joe Rennison | More About Joe Rennison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Despite the parallels in sentiment, the wave of bond issuance itself weighed on stocks this week. The bumper bond supply pushed bond prices lower, which raises yields. Stock prices are sensitive to increases in interest rates, such as bond yields, because it can raise costs for companies. The S&P 500 is set for a decline this week but is still up more than 16 percent this year. This week, analysts at Goldman Sachs lowered their forecast probability of a recession in the United States to just 15 percent.

Persons: it’s, ”, Andrew Brenner, Goldman Sachs Organizations: National Alliance Securities, Goldman, Bank of America Locations: China, Europe, United States

☆ 13 brands, from Coca-Cola to REI, that are pouring money into movies and TV to reach consumers with Hollywood-style storytelling
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Mattel's Barbie is just one of many big brands getting serious about making Hollywood-style entertainment. "Barbie" may be the movie of the summer, but lots of other big brands are getting serious about making Hollywood-style entertainment. Brands are also getting more systematic about tracking the projects' outcome so they can justify the cost. Neutrogena: Neutrogena Studios launched in 2021 and is J&J Consumer's first brand-funded content studio to make feature documentaries and scripted shorts. Showtime/PepsiPepsiCo: PepsiCo's Content Studio is led by veteran PepsiCo marketer Lou Arbetter.

Persons: Barbie, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Oscar, Michael Sugar, Brian Newman, REI, Michael Sugar's, Jae Goodman, Lauren Denowitz, Coke, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard's, Selman Careaga, John Deere, Mara Downing, Al Roker, Jill Wilfert, Robbie Brenner, J.J, Abrams, Lena Dunham, Barney, Daniel Kaluuya, J, Sebastian Garcia, Laurie Hernandez, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck's, Entertainment —, Justin Biskin —, Howard, Lou Arbetter, Max, Robert Rodriguez, Nadia Hallgre, Stanley Nelson, Arbetter, It's, Procter, Kimberly Doebereiner, Paolo Mottola, Kyra Sedgwick, Watiti, Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello, Saint, Pedro Almodóvar, Ethan Hawke, Pedro Pascal, it's, Paolo Sorrentino, David Cronenberg, Kelly Mullen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Lena Waithe, WePresent, Holly Fraser, Moses Sumney, Solange Knowles, Riz Ahmed, Aneil, Fraser Organizations: Hollywood, Procter, Gamble, Brands, Unilever, InBev, Waffle Iron Entertainment, draftLine Entertainment, Netflix, Coca Cola, Entertainment, Global, Deere, Warner Bros, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Mattel, Neutrogena Studios, Studio, Kerry, Seattle Film, Ghetto Film, HBO Nike, Nike, Waffle, Apple, HBO, Showtime, Pepsi PepsiCo, PepsiCo, Pepsi Super, Pepsi, G Studios, Imagine, Amazon's, Hulu, Paramount, Blue Fox Entertainment, Saint Laurent Productions, Unilever Entertainment, Imagine Entertainment, Monotype Locations: Hollywood, Kerry Washington, American, Cannes, Britain

☆ Tiananmen musical: Broadway star quits US show during China tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A Broadway star has withdrawn from a musical about the Tiananmen Square protests weeks before its debut in the US – while he is on a concert tour in China. “I have withdrawn from the musical Tiananmen,” Piser said in a brief signed statement on Instagram. His manager Dave Brenner told CNN “there was a creative difference” that caused the actor to back out of the Tiananmen musical. Piser’s announcement came a day after his role in the Tiananmen musical was reported by Playbill, an American magazine for theater fans. The rehearsals for the Tiananmen musical start in Phoenix on September 5, according to Rose, the lead producer.

Persons: Zachary Noah Piser, “, ” Piser, Piser, –, Dave Brenner, Wu’er, ”, Jason Rose, ” Rose, Wu'er, Nicholas Kamm, Evan Hansen, Rose, Xi Jinping, Kaixi Organizations: CNN, Tiananmen, “, The Phoenix Theatre Company, Playbill, Getty, Broadway, Communist Party Locations: China, Phoenix , Arizona, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Phoenix, American, Washington , DC, Nanjing, Chengdu, Shaanxi, Taiwan

☆ US health officials look to move marijuana to lower-risk drug category
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Tom Brenner/Pool/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended easing restrictions on marijuana, a department spokesperson said on Wednesday, following a review request from the Biden Administration last year. Nearly 40 U.S. states have legalized marijuana use in some form, but it remains completely illegal in some states and at the federal level. The scheduling recommendation for marijuana was provided to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on Tuesday as part of President Biden's directive to HHS, the spokesperson said. "As part of this process, HHS conducted a scientific and medical evaluation for consideration by DEA. DEA will now initiate its review," a DEA spokesperson said.

Persons: Rachel Levine, Tom Brenner, Biden, Biden's, Karine Jean, Pierre said, Cannabis, George Archos, Sourasis Bose, Mrinalika Roy, Shilpi Majumdar, Shounak Dasgupta, Shailesh Organizations: Department of Health, Human Services, Health, Education, Labor, Capitol, REUTERS, U.S . Department of Health, Drug Enforcement Agency, HHS, DEA, Marijuana, Department of Justice, House Press, Tilray Brands, Cronos, Verano Holdings, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, United States, Canada, North America, Bengaluru

☆ US House committee leader wants probe of space command HQ decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Committee chair U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, (R-AL) during a House Armed Services Committee meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 2, 2023. The White House has denied that partisan motivations were behind the decision. The U.S. military announced on July 31 that Biden, a Democrat, had selected Colorado Springs as the permanent location of the U.S. Space Command headquarters, saying it would ensure "peak readiness" of the command during a critical period. Space Command is responsible for American military operations in space. Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mark Porter and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Rogers, Tom Brenner, Gene Dodaro, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Biden, Tommy Tuberville, Tuberville, Patricia Zengerle, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Rep, Armed Services, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . House of, Armed, military's, Command, Republican, Office, Pentagon, Democrat, Colorado Springs, U.S . Space Command, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Colorado, Alabama, Colorado Springs, U.S

☆ US warns space companies about foreign spying
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We anticipate growing threats to this burgeoning sector of the U.S. economy," a U.S. counterintelligence official told Reuters, adding that "China and Russia are among the leading foreign intelligence threats to the U.S. space industry." The document warned companies to be on guard for facility visit requests, and attempts to gather confidential information at conferences. U.S. authorities have for years said Chinese hackers are targeting U.S. space know-how, including having accessed computers at the NASA Goddard Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as numerous companies involved in aviation, space and satellite technology. China says its space program is for peaceful purposes, but U.S. military officials say Beijing sees space as crucial to its military strategy. The U.S. warned this year that China seeks to match or surpass it as a leader in space by 2045.

Persons: Tom Brenner, Tao Li, Michael Martina, Don Durfee, Jamie Freed Organizations: Federal Bureau of, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Counterintelligence and Security, Air Force Office, Special Investigations, NASA Goddard Space Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, China, Russia, Washington, Beijing

☆ Virginia becomes eighth US state to exit voter data-sharing pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Josephine Walker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Member states of the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, partnership share voter registration and identification data to avoid having people registered to vote in multiple states. There are now only seven Republican-led states among the 25 remaining in the compact. Many Republican-led states have also tightened voting rules in recent years in what they describe as an effort to prevent fraud. "It really exposes the hypocrisy of states that are talking the most about voter fraud," Clapman said. "They're inflating concerns about voter fraud and are also pulling out of and damaging the best tool that states have to detect voter fraud."

Persons: Tom Brenner, ERIC, Donald Trump's, Trump, Susan Beals, Beals, Glenn Youngkin, Shane Hamlin, Hamlin, Alice Clapman, University's, Clapman, Josephine Walker, Scott Malone, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Arlington County School Board, REUTERS, Republican, Member, of Columbia, Former U.S, Reuters, Republican Virginia, Center for Justice, Thomson Locations: Arlington, Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Virginia, . Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Florida , Missouri, West Virginia , Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, New

☆ No shooter, no injuries reported at US Capitol after 'bad call,' police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Police found no shooter and no one injured after reports of a possible active shooter in the U.S. Capitol complex on Wednesday after a possible "bad call," Washington Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Hugh Carew said. "A call came in for an active shooter. Earlier, U.S. Capitol Police urged people inside Senate office buildings to shelter in place. "If you are inside the Senate Buildings, everyone inside should be sheltering in place as the report was for a possible active shooter. An advisory from the Capitol Police urged people to move inside their offices and take emergency equipment.

Persons: Tom Brenner, Hugh Carew, Carew, Moira Warburton, Patricia Zengerle, Kanishka Singh, Richard Cowan, Scott Malone, Doina Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Police, U.S . Capitol, Washington Metropolitan Police Department, . Capitol Police, Senate, ., U.S . Capitol Police, Capitol Police, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington

☆ No shooter, no injuries at US Capitol after 'bogus call,' police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After about 90 minutes of investigating, police allowed workers in three Senate office buildings adjacent to the U.S. Capitol to return to work. "I think at this point we can say we've found no confirmation of an active shooter and this may have been a bogus call," Manger said. About 200 officers were mobilized to clear the three Senate office buildings on Constitution Avenue. Manger said Washington's Metropolitan Police Department received a call reporting a shooter and tried to contact the initial caller without success. After the call, police urged people inside Senate office buildings to shelter in place.

Persons: Tom Brenner, Thomas Manger, we've, Manger, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, We're, We've, Moira Warburton, Patricia Zengerle, Kanishka Singh, Richard Cowan, Scott Malone, Doina Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Police, U.S . Capitol, U.S . Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department, Capitol . Police, Security, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Washington

☆ The First Smart Gun Is Finally Coming to Market. Will Anyone Buy It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Zusha Elinson | Photographs Daniel Brenner For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The First Smart Gun Is Finally Coming to Market. Will Anyone Buy It? Gun makers have been working for decades on a weapon that can only be fired by an authorized userBiofire’s Smart Gun will be the first of its kind to be widely available if it ships in December as planned.

☆ The psychological reasons why you fall in love with your colleagues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

You probably spend a good amount of time with your colleagues if you still work in an office. There are psychological reasons for this, and ways to work out if the romance is real. Some respondents to a survey by the British employment platform TotalJobs said they felt the pressure to act more professionally while in a work relationship, and others said they worried about gossip. "Once you have written everything out, reread the list and honestly answer if this person aligns with what you're wanting." Overall, she said, an office relationship can be a "beautiful" experience, "if it is done carefully and thoughtfully."

Persons: it's, they'd, David Brudö, Brudö, Gabriel Brenner, Avigail Lev, Jim, Pam, TotalJobs, Brenner, Angelika Koch, Koch, you've Organizations: Service, Forbes Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Brands are pouring money into film and TV — meet 13 marketers making the biggest moves as Hollywood's new financiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

It's not just Barbie — lots of big brands are getting serious about making Hollywood-style entertainment. Insider identified 13 new and established players making the biggest moves in the space. "Barbie" may be the movie of the summer, but lots of other big brands are getting serious about making Hollywood-style entertainment. Neutrogena: Neutrogena Studios launched in 2021 and is J&J Consumer's first brand-funded content studio to make feature documentaries and scripted shorts. PepsiCo: PepsiCo's Content Studio is led by veteran PepsiCo marketer Lou Arbetter.

Persons: It's, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Oscar, Michael Sugar, Brian Newman, REI, Michael Sugar's, Jae Goodman, Lauren Denowitz, Coke, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard's, Selman Careaga, John Deere, Mara Downing, Al Roker, Jill Wilfert, Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, Barbie, Ken, Jaap Buitendijk, Robbie Brenner, J.J, Abrams, Lena Dunham, Barney, Daniel Kaluuya, J, Sebastian Garcia, Laurie Hernandez, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck's, Entertainment —, Justin Biskin —, Howard, Lou Arbetter, Max, Robert Rodriguez, Nadia Hallgre, Stanley Nelson, Arbetter, Procter, Kimberly Doebereiner, Paolo Mattola, Kyra Sedgwick, Watiti, Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello, Saint, Pedro Almodóvar, Ethan Hawke, Pedro Pascal, it's, Paolo Sorrentino, David Cronenberg, Kelly Mullen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Lena Waithe, WePresent, Holly Fraser, Moses Sumney, Solange Knowles, Riz Ahmed, Aneil, Fraser Organizations: Hollywood, Procter, Gamble, Companies, Brands, Unilever, InBev, Waffle Iron Entertainment, draftLine Entertainment, Netflix, Coca Cola, Entertainment, Global, Deere, Warner Bros, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Mattel, Neutrogena Studios, Studio, Kerry, Seattle Film, Ghetto Film, HBO Nike, Nike, Waffle, Apple, HBO, PepsiCo, Pepsi Super, Showtime, Pepsi, G Studios, Imagine, Amazon's, Hulu, Paramount, Blue Fox Entertainment, Saint Laurent Productions, Unilever Entertainment, Imagine Entertainment, Monotype Locations: Hollywood, Kerry Washington, American, Cannes, Britain

☆ It's not just 'Barbie' — as Hollywood goes through upheaval, brands from Nike to John Deere are becoming the new financiers of film and TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

As studios cut spending and strikes shut down production, Hollywood can take some solace — brands are coming to the rescue. Brand Storytelling is an organization that's held a festival for brand content alongside the Sundance Film Festival for the past seven years. Brand film submissions have almost tripled to 160 in the past three years, according to Rick Parkhill, director and co-founder of Brand Storytelling. "Film directors need the work," said Marcus Peterzell, who left ad giant Omnicom to found Passion Point Collective, a brand film studio, in 2019. He's since made some 36 film projects for brands.

Persons: Greta Gerwig, Kyra Sedgwick, John Deere, Kimberly Doebereiner, Chris Paul, Mattel's Robbie Brenner, There's, Jill Lubochinski, Holly Fraser, WePresent, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Reese Witherspoon's, Michael Sugar's Sugar23, we've, Marc Gilbar, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Gilbar, that's, Rick Parkhill, Riz Ahmed, WeTransfer, Vicky Grout, Parkill, Saint Laurent, Pedro Almodóvar, David Cronenberg, They're, Marcus Peterzell, Peterzell Organizations: Hollywood, Mattel, Nike, HBO, Procter & Gamble, Tide, Gillette, G Studios, Warner Bros, Discovery, PepsiCo, REI, Dallas Buyers, Sundance, Brand, Brands Locations: —, HBO's, Hollywood

☆ Putting the Rich World of Philadelphia’s Public Art Online
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Joshua Needelman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was almost 90 degrees, and huge speakers drowned out Mr. Mansour, a self-described “mumbler” not keen on public speaking. There were people everywhere and Mr. Mansour, too, struggled, his face turning bright red. (“I blacked out,” Mr. Mansour said later of the moment.) Mr. Benner took control: He instructed Mr. Mansour to wave his hands in front of his face to cool himself down. He switched locations, first trying to record Mr. Mansour in an adjacent building (also too loud) before settling on a corner away from the commotion.

Persons: “, Livingston, Alexei Mansour, Mr, Brenner, Mansour, ”, ” Mr, Benner Organizations: Mx, Livingston Locations: Philadelphia

☆ In Guatemala, A Collective of Young Artists Finds Family Through Film
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Juan Brenner | Isabella Grullón Paz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Like many dreams, the contours of what would become the film production house Desobediencia Perfecta were born at 3:00 a.m.Vanessa Martínez, 17, and Javier Martínez (no relation), 18, two students in Guatemala City, Guatemala, stayed up talking one night in April of last year about their love of film. Together with a mutual friend, Sebastián Aldana, 18, they founded Desobediencia Perfecta, whose mission is to explore the stories of queer and lower-middle-class Guatemalans. The members of the collective are scattered across Guatemala, and around the world, so much of their collaboration takes place online. “We explored the entire theater that day, all its corners. “What we did the most that day though was hug each other.” (All interviews have been translated from Spanish.)

Persons: Desobediencia Perfecta, Vanessa Martínez, Javier Martínez, Vanessa, Sebastián Aldana, Juan Brenner, ”, Javier Organizations: Lux Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala

☆ CNN Exclusive: Biden says war with Russia must end before NATO can consider membership for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —President Joe Biden told CNN in an exclusive interview that Ukraine is not yet ready for NATO membership, saying that Russia’s war in Ukraine needs to end before the alliance can consider adding Kyiv to its ranks. “I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” Biden said. Biden told Zakaria that it was a “difficult decision” to give Ukraine the controversial ammunition, but that he was convinced it was necessary because Ukraine was running out of ammunition. Biden told Zakaria he was optimistic that Sweden would eventually be admitted to NATO, noting the key holdout, Turkey, is seeking to modernize its F-16 fleet, along with Greece, which has voted to admit Sweden. It’s an observation.’ I said, ‘Since Russia went into Ukraine, 600 American corporations have pulled out of Russia.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zakaria, ” Biden, We’re, he’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Tom Brenner, Kyriakos, It’s, Xi Jinping, “, ’, you’ve, ’ ” Biden, Xi didn’t, CNN “, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu, “ It’s, Bibi Organizations: CNN, NATO, White House, Russia, White, West Bank Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Lithuania, NATO, Ukrainian, Israel, Russian, Sweden, Turkey, Hungary, Greece, “ Turkey, Mitsotakis, China, Saudi Arabia, Beijing, ‘, United States, Riyadh

☆ CNN Exclusive: Biden says sending cluster munitions to Ukraine was ‘difficult decision,’ but ‘they needed them’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The White House announced Friday that the president had approved the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine, the latest instance where the US has provided Kyiv with weapons it initially resisted sending into the war. The cluster munitions that the US will send to Ukraine will be compatible with US-provided 155mm howitzers, a key piece of artillery that has allowed Ukraine to win back territory over the last year. Tom Brenner for CNNBiden told Zakaria that the cluster munitions were being sent as a “transition period” until the US is able to produce more 155mm artillery. But it was not an easy decision,” Biden said. And I think they needed them.”The decision to provide cluster munitions comes at a critical point in the war, as the Ukrainians have struggled to make major gains in their counteroffensive against Russia.

Persons: Joe Biden, “ Fareed Zakaria, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, ” Biden, CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Tom Brenner, Zakaria, “ They’re, “ We’re, Biden, Ukraine – Organizations: CNN, White, US, CNN Biden, Defense Department, Cluster Munitions, Russia, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, France, Germany, Europe, Lithuania

☆ People are dunking on JFK's half-assed Harvard admission essay in the wake of the Supreme Court axing affirmative action
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Supreme Court ruled to overturn race-based affirmative action on Thursday. After the ruling, many focused on John F. Kennedy's underwhelming 1935 Harvard admission essay. The essay, which was first published by The Washington Post in 2013, reappeared on social media on Thursday after the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action in college admissions was unconstitutional. Although Kennedy's example was extreme and unlikely to cut muster today, US colleges do explicitly favor applicants whose parents went there, via the legacy system. Commentators — including President Joe Biden — on Thursday noted that the legacy system remained untouched by the court ruling.

Persons: John F, Kennedy's, Kennedy, —, — Rebecca Brenner Graham, SATs, Robert Kennedy, Joe Biden —, Ivy, Sonia Sotomayor Organizations: Harvard, Service, The Washington Post, Ivy League, Arts, Harvard Crimson, Harvard University Locations: America

"I told you when I ran for president, I'd have your back, and I have," Biden told the approximately 2,000 union members in attendance. [1/7] U.S. President Joe Biden turns towards a cheering crowd during a labor union event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 17, 2023. White working-class union voters were divided on Biden in 2020, but he now has their support, according to some union leaders. "There is not one labor leader worth their salt in Philadelphia that hasn't recognized just how much President Biden has supported men and women in labor. Union voters helped Biden win critical election battleground states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan in 2020.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Kamala Harris, I'd, you've, Donald Trump, They're, Tom Brenner, White, Trump, Ryan Boyer, Boyer, Seth Harris, Harris, Nandita Bose, Jarrett Renshaw, James Oliphant, Will Dunham, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, AFL, CIO, Democratic, Republican, Republicans, Center, REUTERS, Trump, Biden, boilermakers, steelworkers, Union, Labor, Edison Research, United Auto Workers, White, Northeastern University, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia, U.S, Washington, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, United States, Boston

Over the next year, meatpackers said they had a hard time recruiting enough workers to fully run their plants. Ranchers held on to cattle, adding to costs to keep them longer than usual. When they could get their cattle in to meat processors, they got less for the animals amid the excess supply.

Persons: meatpackers

☆ Train review: What it’s like to ride the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That's according to Matthieu Ollier, manager of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, who said the train's Grand Suites cost 24,000 euros ($25,850) for a one-night trip from Venice to London. A train steward on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The ensuite bathroom in the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express' Budapest Suite. The bar car on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Source: Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Persons: Matthieu Ollier, Willy Wonka's, Chris Dwyer, Ollier, John Travolta, Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Wes Anderson, Agatha Christie's, Christie, Champagne —, Austria's Brenner, Chef Jean Imbert, Jean Imbert, —, serenaded Organizations: Orient, Express, Orient Express, Athénée, Venice Locations: Venice, London, Belmond, United States, Paris, Bucharest, Munich, Istanbul, —, Budapest, Murano, Tsar, Austria's, Switzerland, France

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