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☆ ‘Every Day Is Hard’: One Year Since Russia Jailed a U.S. Reporter
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One year ago on Friday, Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich received a chilling phone call from the managing editor of The Wall Street Journal. Their son, Evan, a foreign correspondent for The Journal who was on a reporting assignment in Russia, had missed his daily security check-in. “We were hoping this was some kind of error, that everything is going to be fine,” the older Mr. Gershkovich recalled. But the stunning reality became clear: The Russian authorities had detained Evan and accused him of spying for the American government, making him the first American reporter to be held on espionage charges in Russia since the end of the Cold War. The Journal and the U.S. government have vehemently denied that Mr. Gershkovich is a spy, saying he was an accredited journalist doing his job.

Persons: Ella Milman, Mikhail Gershkovich, Evan, Gershkovich Organizations: Street, The, U.S Locations: Russia, “, American, Moscow

☆ The U.S.’s First Congestion Tolls Were Approved in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Transit officials in New York City voted today to approve a program aimed at curbing traffic and pollution by imposing hefty new fees on drivers entering Manhattan’s busiest areas. The tolling program, which still faces legal challenges, could begin as early as mid-June — making New York the first American city to adopt a comprehensive congestion pricing system. The city estimates that the tolls will raise $1 billion annually for public transportation improvements. But congestion pricing has been a hard sell in New York, where many people commute by car from the boroughs and the suburbs. The program could still be upended over the next few months by courts in New York and New Jersey, where several lawsuits have sought to block the new fees.

Locations: New York, New Jersey

Lou Whittaker saved dozens of lives during numerous rescue efforts over his career, RMI said. Lou Whittaker declined to join the Everest expedition that made his brother famous because he and a partner were planning to open a sporting goods store in Tacoma. Lou Whittaker took thousands of clients up Mount Rainier, and made it a point of pride how his company trained its guides and clients alike. Lou Whittaker survived avalanches, severe storms and other harrowing episodes, and he lost several friends or clients on expeditions. Lou and Jim Whittaker led the party that attempted to recover the victims, but they were never found.

Persons: — Lou Whittaker, Rainier, “, Whittaker, Jim Whittaker —, Jim Whittaker, Lou Whittaker, Camp, “ Lou Whittaker, Jim, ”, Ed Viesturs, Lou Whittaker's, Peter, Lou, Everest, he'd, ” Lou Whittaker, Ingrid, Kim Organizations: SEATTLE, Everest, RMI Expeditions, Boy Scouts, Olympus, RMI, Mountaineers, Rainier Mountaineering Inc, Mount Rainier, U.S, Associated Press, Seattle Times Locations: American, Washington, Seattle, Port Angeles, Mount, Camp Hale , Colorado, Rainier, Denali, Tacoma

☆ New U.S. Arms for Ukraine Will Help, for a Little While
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The $300 million in new weaponry that the United States is sending to Ukraine, the first American military aid package in months, will help the Ukrainian military hold off Russian troops for a few weeks, analysts say, but it will not change the overall situation on the battlefield, where Moscow currently has the advantage. Ukraine has long said that it would lose more ground to Russia unless it received more weapons and ammunition, but a robust $60 billion aid package has been bottled up in the House for months by conservative Republican lawmakers. That has left frontline Ukrainian troops vulnerable to long-distance glide bombs dropped from Russian aircraft and intense artillery attacks. Here’s a look at the current situation.

Organizations: Republican Locations: United States, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia

☆ The U.S. Cobbled Together $300 Million More for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration announced today that it was sending more weapons to Ukraine, the first American aid package since the previous funding ran out in December. Funding for the package came from money Army accountants saved from contracts that came in under bid. The new weapons will keep advancing Russian troops at bay for only a few weeks, one official estimated. For months, President Biden has been calling on Congress to pass legislation authorizing $60.1 billion for Ukraine. In Russia, Ukraine-backed Russian exile groups staged a flurry of cross-border ground attacks, coinciding with Ukrainian drone strikes.

Persons: Biden, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Biden Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Opinion: Why ‘My Way’ won’t go away
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. “That is the way he spoke,” Anka told Ed Masley of the Arizona Republic. It may not go his way, but the failure of Congress to approve more aid to Ukraine likely is giving Putin hope. Whether Congress chooses to provide the continued financial support Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan desperately need will go a long way toward answering this question. “If Biden wants to improve his standing with voters,” wrote Jon Gabriel, “a Brownsville photo won’t cut it.

Persons: CNN — “, ”, Frank Sinatra, “, Alexey Navalny, Paul Anka, Sinatra, …, Anka, ” Anka, Ed Masley, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Odessa Rae, Trump, Joe Biden, Jack Smith, Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Julian Zelizer, Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Mark T, Esper, Russia resurges, ” Esper, Nick Anderson, Dahlia Lithwick, Steve Vladeck, Walt Handlesman, Biden, Nikki Haley, “ Biden, specter, ” David Axelrod, Haley, ” Dana Summers, Joe Biden John Halpin, Sophia Nelson, Catherine Russell, Russell, Ofri Bibas Levy, Yarden, Kibbutz Nir, Shiri Bibas, Ariel, ” Levy, Shiri, Kfir, Frida Ghitis, Drew Sheneman, Roe, ” Cupp, Katie Britt, Elena Sheppard, I’d, Betsy Ross, ” Sheppard, Dorothea Dix, Lucy Delaney, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sheppard, Kristen Kelly, Serene Williams, Clay Jones, Jon Gabriel, Gabriel, Eric Adams, Laken Riley, Raul A, Reyes, ” Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Van Jones, Ariel Dorfman, Dean Obeidallah, Shane Gillis, Noah Berlatsky, —, Kellie Carter Jackson, Lev Golinkin, Josephine Apraku, Germany Jill Filipovic, Jodie Turner, Smith, Michael Bociurkiw, Anna Arutunyan, Kirk Tanner, Jeff Yang, ” Wendy’s, ” Yang Organizations: CNN, FBI, Liberty Ball, Russia ”, Twitter, Capitol, Republicans, Senate, GOP, Trump, Republican Party, West, Tribune Content Agency Trump, Michigan Trump, Democratic, Agency, Tribune Content Agency, UNICEF, Hamas, CNN Republicans, Union, Biden, New York City, Immigration, Customs Enforcement, University of Georgia, Congressional, Stanford Locations: Moscow, Miami, Arizona Republic, Russian, Russia, Odessa, Ukraine, Michigan, “, United States, Israel, Taiwan, Washington ,, Gaza, Tribune Content Agency Gaza, Rafah, ”, Alabama, Biden’s State, Brownsville, New York, Venezuela, Germany

☆ Opinion: Women’s History Month is a time to hear this call for an AP course in women’s history
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Opinion Elena Sheppard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Elena Sheppard Courtesy Elena SheppardThis gap in my education — and in many American students’ educations — is one with serious repercussions. To combat that, two high school history teachers have started a national campaign to incorporate more women’s history into high school classrooms via Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Their argument, as laid out on their website, is that women’s history is not sufficiently taught. In AP US History, women’s suffrage, for example, is taught as just one of many movements encapsulated in the Progressive Era. It’s a safe assumption that a women’s studies AP course would face similar controversy and scrutiny, particularly with the inclusion of women’s reproductive rights.

Persons: Elena Sheppard, ”, I’d, Betsy Ross, Dorothea Dix, Lucy Delaney, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, —, Kristen Kelly, Serene Williams, Kelly, Williams, Roe, Wade, Ron DeSantis, Mississippi — Organizations: Cuban, Martin’s Press, CNN, College Board —, College Board, AP, Government, Politics, AP African American Studies, Florida Gov Locations: Cuban Diaspora, St, United States, Florida, Arkansas, Virginia, North Dakota, Mississippi

☆ Odysseus Moon Lander to Power Down, With Aim to Extend Time on Surface
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Kenneth Chang | More About Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Odysseus is not dead yet. But it will soon be time to say, “Good night, moon lander.”Last week, Odysseus, a privately built robotic lunar lander, became the first American spacecraft to set down on the moon in more than 50 years, and the first nongovernmental effort ever to accomplish that feat. But like the Homeric Greek hero it was named after, the lander has not had an easy journey with a neat happy ending. In a news conference on Wednesday, Intuitive Machines, the Houston-based company that built Odysseus, said the spacecraft continued to operate, but that it would be put into a planned shutdown later on Wednesday. “We’ve conducted a very successful mission,” said Steve Altemus, the chief executive of Intuitive Machines.

Persons: Odysseus, “ We’ve, ”, Steve Altemus Locations: Houston

☆ Odysseus Sends Moon Landing Photos Home With Time Running Out
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Odysseus, the American robotic spacecraft that landed on the moon last week, is likely to die in the next day or so. Communications with the toppled lander remain limited and will end when sunlight is no longer shining on the solar panels, Intuitive Machines, the Houston-based company that built and operates Odysseus, said on Monday morning. The company also released images that the spacecraft took as it descended, but none yet from the surface. Odysseus is the first American spacecraft to land on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, and the first private one ever to successfully set down there in one piece. However, during the landing on Thursday evening, the lander, about 14 feet tall, appears to have been traveling faster than planned and ended up tipped over on its side.

Persons: Odysseus Organizations: Communications Locations: Houston

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The U.S. economy is humming along
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Historic moon landingIntuitive Machines IM-1 mission has landed on the moon, in a historic first for a U.S. company. The company's Nova-C cargo lander, named "Odysseus," is the first American spacecraft to land on the lunar surface since 1972. [PRO] 'Seven Samurai'With Japanese markets enjoying a bull run, Goldman Sachs has named "Seven Samurai" stocks in the country, which it highlighted could be to equivalent to the U.S.'s "Magnificent Seven."

Persons: Dow, Reddit, Odysseus, Goldman Sachs Organizations: CNBC, Nasdaq, Social, Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Stock Exchange Locations: U.S

☆ The U.S. Is Set for Its First Moon Landing in 50 Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tonight, a robotic spacecraft built by a Houston company will try to land safely on the moon. The lunar lander, named Odysseus, is scheduled to touch down at 6:24 p.m. Eastern time. The spacecraft launched on Feb. 15 from Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and entered orbit around the moon yesterday. The lander is also carrying 125 miniature moon sculptures made by the artist Jeff Koons. That ice could be used by astronauts who visit the moon in the future for drinking water, oxygen and to even fuel spacecraft.

Persons: Odysseus, Jeff Koons Organizations: SpaceX, NASA Locations: Houston, American, Florida

☆ Prepare for house price growth to slow, says First American chief economist
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

First American's chief economist told Fortune that lower mortgage rates will cool price growth. First American chief economist Mark Fleming told Fortune that the pace of price growth has likely topped out because mortgage rates are poised to decline this year. The hikes fueled an increase in 30-year mortgage rates to more than 8% in October — a two-decade high. AdvertisementLower mortgage rates promise to boost demand, as buyers will be able to afford more expensive homes once again. "Shark Tank" investor Barbara Corcoran disagreed, predicting they would pop by 15% or 20% once mortgage rates dropped to about 5%.

Persons: Fortune, —, Mark Fleming, Sellers who'd, they'd, Fleming, Elon Musk, Barbara Corcoran Organizations: Service, First, Business

☆ Watch Intuitive Machines attempt the first U.S. moon landing in over 50 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Intuitive Machines' mission, known as IM-1, aims to soft land near the moon's south pole at about 6:24 p.m. Intuitive Machines would become the first company to pull off the feat — government agencies have carried out all previous successful landings. Intuitive Machines, a Houston, Texas-based company founded in 2013, went public a year ago. After landing, Intuitive Machines aims to operate Odysseus on the surface for up to seven days. NASA leadership emphasized before the launch that "IM-1 is an Intuitive Machines' mission, it's not a NASA mission."

Persons: Odysseus, Aubrey Gemignani, it's, Astrobotic Organizations: Wall, SpaceX, NASA, Payload, Marshall Space, Center, U.S Locations: U.S, Houston , Texas, Pittsburgh, Japan, Russia, China, India

☆ U.S. Moon Landing: How to Watch and What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Wednesday morning, a robotic lunar lander launched by a Houston company got closer to reaching the moon. If all goes well, it will become the first private spacecraft ever to make a soft landing there and the first American mission to arrive there since Apollo 17 in 1972. When is the landing and how can I watch it? Although it is a private mission, the main customer is NASA, which paid $118 million for the delivery of six instruments to the moon. NASA TV will stream coverage of the landing beginning at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday.

Persons: Odysseus Organizations: Houston, NASA

The housing market began 2024 in the doldrums as housing starts and permits for new construction both fell, the Census Bureau reported on Friday. Starts fell 14.8%, way more than the flat reading expected by economists. “High mortgage rates, with maybe a dash of cold weather, caused starts and permits to fall from December. The optimism is a turnaround from August 2023, when 80% of small businesses surveyed said their long-term financial confidence was being negatively affected by the economy. Some 50% of small business owners said they were planning to expand in 2024.

Persons: didn’t, ”, Robert Frick, Lisa Sturtevant, Ksenia Potapov, “, they’re, Bill Dunkelberg Organizations: Census, Navy Federal Credit Union, MLS, “, National Federation of Independent Business, American Express Locations: American

☆ A Spacecraft Named Odysseus Prepares to Launch to the Moon, Again
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A robotic lunar lander is scheduled to launch in the early morning hours of Thursday, one day after a technical glitch postponed the first launch attempt. It is also the latest private effort to send spacecraft to the moon. But the company in charge of the latest effort, Intuitive Machines of Houston, is optimistic. “I feel fairly confident that we’re going to be successful softly touching down on the moon,” said Stephen Altemus, the president and chief executive of Intuitive Machines. We’ve tested and tested and tested.

Persons: ”, Stephen Altemus, We’ve Organizations: Houston

☆ Tucker Carlson’s Visit to Russia Draws Speculation of Putin Interview
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Jim Rutenberg | Milana Mazaeva | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If so, Mr. Carlson would be the first American media figure to land a formal interview with the Russian leader since he invaded Ukraine nearly two years ago. Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, has indicated that Mr. Putin was denying requests from Western new outlets because their countries had been “stupefied” by anti-Russian propaganda. But Mr. Carlson has been a defender of Mr. Putin while attacking his Western critics, placing him at the vanguard of a pro-Putin wing of the American conservative movement. In a call with reporters on Monday, Mr. Peskov said: “Many foreign journalists come to the Russian Federation every day. Many continue to work here, and we welcome this.” He added, “As for possible interviews with the president, including with foreign media, we have nothing to report at the moment.”

Persons: Tucker Carlson, Vladimir V, Putin, Carlson, Putin’s, Dmitri Peskov, Mr, Peskov Organizations: Fox News, Putin, Russian Federation Locations: Moscow, Russia, United States, American, Ukraine

☆ US forces hammered dozens of IRGC and Iran-backed militia targets with 125 bombs in retaliation for the drone attack that killed American troops
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The military action comes days after a drone attack killed US troops in Jordan. AdvertisementThe US military on Friday began strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, a US defense official told Business Insider. AdvertisementThe White House immediately blamed Iran-backed militias for the deadly incident and vowed revenge. The recent drone attack could have been an attempt to undermine the US hold in eastern Syria and to open arms smuggling routes through Jordan to the West Bank. AdvertisementSome US lawmakers have called for the Biden administration to take aggressive military action in retaliation for the Jan. 28 drone attack, including conducting strikes inside Iran itself.

Persons: —, CENTCOM, Joe Biden, Defense Lloyd Austin, Washington, John Kirby, they're, Biden Organizations: Service, Business, US Central Command, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Quds Force, US, Coalition, Pentagon, Defense, National Security, Institute for, West Bank Locations: Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, United States, Tehran, East, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Hamas

☆ Drone that killed US troops in attack slipped past defenses because there was confusion on whether or not it was American: reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A drone attack on a US military base in Jordan killed three troops and injured dozens more. AdvertisementThe drone that struck a US military base in Jordan and killed several American troops managed to slip past defenses because it was confused at the time with another unmanned aircraft, according to multiple reports. Three US service members were killed and at least 34 more were injured after a one-way attack drone hit Tower 22, a small logistics outpost in northeastern Jordan, early Sunday local time. As the enemy drone approached the base, an American drone was also returning to the site, leading to confusion over whether the attacking system was a friendly aircraft or not, according to Monday reports from CNN and The Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed US officials. There, American forces provide logistics support to the US-led coalition working to defeat the Islamic State.

Persons: —, Biden, Joe Biden, Defense Lloyd Austin Organizations: Pentagon, Service, CNN, Street, Command, Army, Air Force, Islamic, US, Defense, The Washington Institute for Near, Policy, American, Institute for Locations: Jordan, Iran, American, Jordan's, Iraq, Syria, Islamic State, Tehran, Washington, United States, Israel

☆ Oil prices higher after Iran-linked drone strikes kill three U.S. troops, Biden vows retaliation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A drone launch during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran captured in a handout image obtained on Aug. 25, 2022. Oil prices advanced early Monday after missiles launched by Iran-backed militants killed U.S. troops in Jordan on the weekend. Global benchmark Brent traded 0.57% higher at $84.03 a barrel, while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 0.6% to $78.48 per barrel. They were the first American fatalities from enemy attacks since Israel's war with Hamas began on Oct. 7. "Have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing," he said.

Persons: Joe Biden Organizations: Brent, U.S . West Texas, White, Hamas Locations: Iran, Jordan, U.S, Syria, Iraq

☆ Widening Mideast Crisis U.S. Blames Iran-Backed Militia for Deaths of 3 Soldiers in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The attack happened at a remote logistics outpost in northeast Jordan called Tower 22 where the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan converge. The Pentagon declined to identify the service members who died or their units pending notification of family members. Central Command said it expected the number of injured to “fluctuate” as additional service members sought treatment. It was the latest in at least 164 strikes by Iran-backed militias against U.S. troops in Syria, Iraq and Jordan since the Oct. 7 attacks. It turned out to be a dud, but several service members would most likely have been injured or killed had it exploded, a senior military official said.

Persons: Biden, —, Mr, “, ”, Lloyd J, Austin III, ” Mr, Austin, Yemen —, Gen, Charles Q, Brown Jr, General Brown, Al, Charles Lister, Jordan, Al Tanf, Syria’s, Roger Wicker of Organizations: U.S, Hamas, ”, Pentagon, Command, Central Command, Resistance, Hezbollah, Joint Chiefs of Staff, ABC, Navy, Sunday, Army, Air Force, United, Operations, Middle East Institute, American, Troops, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Congressional Republicans, Republican, Armed Services Committee Locations: Jordan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, U.S, Israel, Columbia, United States, Lebanese, Yemen, Aden, Gaza, Erbil, Red, Al Tanf, Islamic State, Azraq, Washington, Jordanian, Baghdad, Damascus, Tehran, Lebanon, Al, Al Asad Air, Roger Wicker of Mississippi

☆ Drone Strike Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers in Jordan, White House Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Vivek Shankar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The attack happened at a small outpost in northeast Jordan called Tower 22 near the Syria border where the troops were based. Other details were not immediately available from the Pentagon’s Central Command, which issued an initial bare-bones statement on Sunday. In 2016, the American military turned Al Tanf into a small base. The Rukban refugee camp, with some 8,000 residents, is near both Al Tanf and Tower 22. Troops at Al Tanf have come under fire before from Iran-backed militias.

Persons: Biden, —, Mr, Al, Al Tanf, Syria’s, Alissa J, Rubin Organizations: U.S, Pentagon’s, Command, Resistance, Hezbollah, United, Operations, Pentagon, Navy, Sunday, American, Troops, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base Locations: Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Syria, Israel, Iraq, ”, Iranian, Lebanese, Yemen, Aden, United States, Azraq, Al Tanf, Islamic State, Red, U.S, Baghdad, Damascus, Tehran, Lebanon, Al, Al Asad Air

☆ Alabama Hails Nitrogen Gas Execution, a New Attempt to Address an Old Challenge
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Shaila Dewan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For as long as America has had the death penalty, there have been questions about how best to carry it out. The execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama on Thursday, the first American execution in which death was caused by suffocation with nitrogen gas, gave no indication of settling the legal, moral and technical questions that have long bedeviled states as they mete out the ultimate punishment. Most recently, problems with the purchasing, administration and effects of lethal injection drugs have sent states scrambling for alternatives ranging from the old — firing squads, electric chairs and gas chambers — to the untested, like Alabama’s use of a mask to force Mr. Smith to inhale nitrogen instead of air. But after Mr. Smith’s death, the Alabama attorney general, Steve Marshall, hailed the execution as a “historic” breakthrough. He criticized opponents of the death penalty for pressuring “anyone assisting states in the process.”“They don’t care that Alabama’s new method is humane and effective, because they know it is also easy to carry out,” he said in a statement.

Persons: Kenneth Eugene Smith, Mr, Smith, Smith’s, Steve Marshall, “, ” Locations: America, Alabama

☆ The frozen housing market may be starting to thaw
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US housing market is showing renewed signs of life as 2024 begins. AdvertisementThe US housing market has been largely frozen for the last two years, but it's starting to show signs of a thaw as sales activity and mortgage applications pick up, and mortgage rates ease. AdvertisementPending home sales increased 8% in December. Mortgage applications have also picked up. "The housing market is off to a good start this year, as consumers benefit from falling mortgage rates and stable home prices," said Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the NAR.

Persons: —, Odeta Kushi, Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun Organizations: Service, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Federal Reserve

The U.S. State Department reported it in December, without offering details, and said Russia rejected it. In Russia, espionage trials can last for more than a year. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be charged with espionage in Russia since 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Analysts have said that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after U.S.-Russian tensions soared when Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years, including WNBA star Brittney Griner, have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S.

Persons: —, Evan Gershkovich, General Stuart Wilson, Gershkovich, “, Vladimir Putin, Paul Whelan, Putin, Biden, ” Putin, Nicholas Daniloff, Brittney Organizations: MOSCOW, Wall Street, United States, Ria Novosti, Russia’s Federal Security Service, U.S, Kremlin, U.S . State Department, Russian Foreign Ministry, U.S . News Locations: Moscow, Russian, American, Yekaterinburg, United States, Russia, Ukraine, U.S

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