DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Some House Republicans need this reminder that Russia is not their friend
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —There is a major disconnect between two CNN stories on Wednesday about Russia and the US. While it is mostly Republicans who oppose additional funding for Ukraine, they are still a minority, even within their own party. In February, 22 Republicans in the Senate joined all but three Democrats to form a 70-vote majority in favor of the funding. Asked about that propaganda comment by Tapper earlier this month, Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, agreed. The two appeared together at Mar-a-Lago last week, and Johnson has bought into Trump’s proposal to structure some Ukraine aid as a loan rather than direct aid.

Persons: Sean Lyngaas, ”, Mike Johnson, Johnson, “, ” Johnson, CNN’s Jake Tapper, “ We’re, Matt Gaetz, Chip Roy didn’t, he’s, it’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Defense Lloyd Austin, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tucker Carlson, Vladimir Putin, Ralph Norman, Thomas Massie, Chip Roy, Tom Williams, It’s, Liz Cheney, Donald Trump, Michael McCaul, Puck, Tapper, Mike Turner of Ohio, ” Turner, Greene, Ken Buck, Moscow Marjorie ”, Putin, Trump Organizations: CNN, Capitol Hill, GOP, White, Conservative, Ukraine, Republicans, Senate, Florida, ” Texas, Defense, Republican, Fox News, Putin, Texas Republican, Foreign Affairs, House Intelligence, Trump, Mar, Lago Locations: Russia, Texas, Russian, Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Wyoming, Colorado

☆ Far Right’s Ties to Russia Sow Rising Alarm in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Erika Solomon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To enter a secret session of Germany’s Parliament, lawmakers must lock their phones and leave them outside. Because seated alongside them in those classified meetings are members of the Alternative for Germany, the far-right party known by its German abbreviation, AfD. In the past few months alone, a leading AfD politician was accused of taking money from pro-Kremlin strategists. And some of its state lawmakers flew to Moscow to observe Russia’s stage-managed elections. It worries me,” said Erhard Grundl, a Green party member of the Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

Persons: “, ”, Erhard Grundl Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Germany, Moscow

☆ Opinion: Despite ISIS threat, Putin’s only concern is the politics of terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Opinion Douglas London | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Russia knows it has a terrorist problem, despite its deflection and spin to preserve Putin’s image, but his priorities are elsewhere. Russian intelligence also suffers from systemic failings in recognizing, penetrating and dismantling terrorist cells, failings that stem from doctrine and a deliberately stovepiped structure that obstructs information sharing and agility. FSB officers will coerce, threaten and intimidate potential sources with diminishing returns that will only fuel ISIS-K recruitment and fundraising, which is no doubt seeing a surge from its Moscow attack. Russian intelligence will be left to depend on the unwilling, ill-informed or duplicitous. At the Islamic State’s height, Tajik Gulmurod Khalimov commanded its Iraqi capital of Mosul.

Persons: Douglas London, ”, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Bortnikov, Douglas, Mike Pompeo, Russia’s, Sergey Naryshkin, Igor Korobov, Donald Trump, Pompeo, Russia Michael McFaul, Barack Obama, Trump, Putin, Gulmurod Khalimov, Khalimov, “ Omar al, “ Omar, ” Batirashvili, Washington, Sergei Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CIA, of American Intelligence, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Global National Security Institutes, CNN, Federal Security Service, CBC, Ukraine, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Military Intelligence, Trump, White, ISIS, Central, Former, Terrorism, Embassy, K’s, Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry, Islamic Locations: South, Southwest Asia, London, Khorasan, United States, Afghanistan, Islamic State, Great Britain, Russia, Washington, State, Moscow, Syria, Iraq, Russian, US, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Central Asia, Central Asian, Central, East, Turkey, Turkish, Istanbul, Mosul, Chechen, Georgian, Georgia, Iran, Kerman, Salisbury, England

☆ Another high-profile cybersecurity incident, another reason to buy our stock in the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Investors received another reason to buy shares of Palo Alto Networks , according to Jim Cramer, in light of a cybersecurity incident that has impacted millions of AT & T customers. PANW YTD mountain Palo Alto Networks (PANW) year-to-date performance The list of companies making headlines due to cybersecurity incidents is extensive. Palo Alto Networks is our lone cybersecurity holding, even as its formerly red-hot stock has cooled following its Feb. 20 quarterly earnings report . "I do think after speaking with Nikesh that I am very tempted, when this breaks $280, to buy some Palo Alto," he said. In this photo illustration the logo from the cyber security company Palo Alto Networks seen displayed on a smartphone.

Persons: Jim Cramer, didn't, Nikesh Arora, Jim, Arora, Jim Cramer's, Rafael Henrique Organizations: Palo Alto Networks, Club, Microsoft, UnitedHealth, Change, JPMorgan, Palo Alto, Palo, CNBC, Getty Locations: Alto, Palo, U.S, Russian, billings, Palo Alto

☆ A shadowy Russian assassination unit may be behind mysterious 'Havana syndrome' cases: investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new investigation has linked a shadowy Russian unit to instances of 'Havana Syndrome.' Carrie's account of "Havana Syndrome" was reported in an investigation jointly published by 60 Minutes, German outlet Der Spiegel, and investigative outlet The Insider. The outlets link Unit 29155, a shadowy Russian assassination unit, to multiple incidences of the syndrome, which is formally known to the US government by the term "anomalous health incidents," or AHIs. The Insider traced the movements of several Unit 29155 operatives around the time of several instances of alleged Havana Syndrome. AdvertisementHowever, in 2021 unnamed US officials told Politico that the GRU was at least suspected in ongoing investigations into the syndrome.

Persons: Der Spiegel, —, Carrie, she's, Greg Edgreen, Joy, Albert Averyanov, Marc Polymeropoulos, Insider's Aylin Woodward, It's, Walter Reed Organizations: Service, FBI, Der, CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, The, National Intelligence, US, Politico Locations: Havana, Russian, Florida, Cuba, China, Russia, Tbilisi , Georgia, Moscow

☆ Exclusive: Hackers stole Russian prisoner database to avenge death of Navalny
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Darya Tarasova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Within hours of opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s death in February in a Russian prison, a group of anti-Kremlin hackers went looking for revenge. This screenshot, provided to CNN by hackers claiming responsibility, shows a hacked website tied to the Russian prison system display messages of support for late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. Obtained by CNNIt took several hours for the administrator of the online prison shop to notice that Russians were buying food for pennies, according to the hacker involved. CNN was able to match multiple prisoner names in screenshots shared by the hackers with people that, according to public records, are currently in Russian prison. The online prison shop that the hackers appear to have breached is owned by the Russian state and officially known as JSC Kaluzhskoe, according to Russian business records reviewed by CNN.

Persons: Alexey Navalny’s, “ Long, Alexey Navalny, Yulia, Navalny, ” Tom Hegel, ” Hegel, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Alexander Zemlianichenko, ”, Putin, Ukraine “, Hegel, “ Hacktivism, “ Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, JSC Kaluzhskoe, Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service, JSC, US, Russian Federal Penitentiary Service Locations: Russian, Russia, Russia’s, US, Yamalo, Moscow, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Kremlin’s security services were aware of ISIS threat to Russia before concert attack, new evidence from investigative body suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Matthew Chance | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Kremlin’s security services were aware of an ISIS threat days before a deadly attack on a concert hall near Moscow, Russian intelligence documents obtained by a UK-based investigative organization suggest. The Dossier Center is a Russian investigation group backed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled former Russian oil tycoon turned Kremlin critic. “Even before the attack on Crocus City Hall, a source close to the intelligence services told the Dossier Center about this,” it added. The following year, German police arrested several people from Tajikistan accused of plotting an attack on Cologne Cathedral, according to the Dossier Center. According to the Dossier Center, Russian law enforcement was monitoring all these reports and “considered the risk” to Russia.

Persons: Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Vladimir Putin, “, ”, Adrienne Watson, Putin, ” Putin, Ilya Ponomarev, CNN’s Erin Burnett Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Crocus City Hall, Security, Crocus City, Central, Embassy, National Security, Kremlin Locations: Moscow, London, Russia, Crocus, Russian, Tajikistan, Washington, United States, Ukraine, Kabul, Cologne, Kyrgyzstan

☆ Much of Putin's inner circle thinks Ukraine had nothing to do with the Moscow terror attack, badly undermining him, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMany Kremlin insiders disagree with President Vladimir Putin's claims that Ukraine may be connected to last Friday's terror attack in Moscow, Bloomberg reported. Ukraine has denied any connection to the attack, and no credible evidence has emerged for its involvement. Addressing the nation the day after the attack, Putin said that Ukraine had provided the attackers with an escape route at its border. Related storiesOn Monday, Putin switched to blaming ISIS-K for the attack, but continued to allude to a Ukrainian connection. AdvertisementAsked whether ISIS or Ukraine was responsible, Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's security council, said it was Ukraine, adding later that there were "many" indications of Kyiv's involvement, per Reuters.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Alexandr Lukashenko, Alexander Bortnikov, Nikolai Patrushev, Andrei Soldatov, Putin's Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Business, Crocus, Hall, ISIS, NPR, CNBC, Belarusian Telegraph Agency, Reuters, Islamic Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Moscow's, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Ukrainian, United States, Belarus, Russia, Russian, Islamic State

Isis has claimed responsibility for the attack. Two sources familiar with the American information said that since November there had been a steady stream of intelligence that ISIS-K – an affiliate of ISIS that is active in Afghanistan and the surrounding region – was determined to attack Russia. Moscow has intervened tellingly in Syria’s civil war, to the support of President Bashar al-Assad and against ISIS. A US official said Friday that Washington had no reason to doubt ISIS’ claim that it was responsible for the latest attack. On Friday, following reports of the Crocus City Hall attack, the US embassy advised US citizens not to travel to Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Gunmen, Isis, Putin, Adrienne Watson, “, tellingly, Bashar al, Assad, ” Michael Kugelman, Washington Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Crocus, Hall, US National Security, RIA Novosti, Wilson Center, Reuters, Central Asian Locations: Moscow, Russia, United States, ”, Khorasan, Kaluga, Afghanistan, Washington, Crocus

☆ Opinion: What Hunter Biden and Donald Trump have in common
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Opinion Andrey Spektor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Hunter Biden won’t be returning to the spotlight next week as the House Oversight Committee had hoped. The problem with the Hunter Biden investigation, though, is not its potential reliance on the word of a compromised informant. And in that sense, Hunter Biden shares something in common with an unlikely person: Trump, at least with respect to his criminal case in New York. Much like the gun charge against Hunter Biden, the tax indictment has left many former federal white-collar prosecutors like me scratching their heads. That doesn’t mean that Trump or Hunter Biden are innocent; indeed, the former has more serious cases to contend with.

Persons: Andrey Spektor, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, CNN — Hunter Biden won’t, James Comer’s, Joe Biden, Andrey Spektor Bryan Cave Leighton, Hunter, Alexander Smirnov, Biden, you’ve, Smirnov, Hunter Biden, –, Donald Trump –, that’s, Trump, Hunter Biden’s Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Biden, Republican, Department of Justice Tax, IRS, DOJ’s Locations: New York

☆ Microsoft says new AI security chatbot pricing model lets customers 'buy what they need'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft is rolling out an unorthodox pricing model for its new security chatbot that becomes available to the public on April 1. Microsoft considered input from early customers as well as the costs of tapping OpenAI's LLMs that process users' prompts, Vasu Jakkal, a corporate vice president at Microsoft, told CNBC. Microsoft charges for use of its Azure OpenAI Service based on the number of tokens a client uses. BP is an early customer of the new security service. Copilot for Security can answer questions by drawing on information from Microsoft's own security products and third-party providers.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Nadella, Andrew Conway, Conway, Vasu Jakkal, Chip Calhoun, Copilot, UnitedHealth Organizations: Microsoft, Security, Gaming, Activision Blizzard, Windows, Dynamics, CNBC, OpenAI, BP Locations: Seoul, Charlotte, Russian

☆ Russian election: As Putin readies for a fifth term, the Kremlin is stepping up its war on its own people
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In January, she was jailed for five and a half years for spreading “false” information about the army. Russian independent news outlet Mediazona reported she was convicted after two reposts on VKontakte — Russia’s version of Facebook — including one about Russian troop deaths. Oskar CherdzhievRussia’s powerful investigative committee ordered a criminal case be opened on charges of spreading false information about the army. So they try to protect this.”‘Deeper and deeper into this darkness’With mainstream Russian media now entirely state-controlled, the authorities are targeting other forms of expression — the arts, literature and culture. In December, Akunin was added to Russia’s “terrorist and extremist list” for allegedly justifying extremism and spreading false information about the Russian army.

Persons: It’s, ”, Oleg Orlov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Orlov, Tatyana Makeyeva, Darya, “, ” Korolenko, Konstantin Eggert, Evgeniya, Nadezhda Buyanova, —, Buyanova, Oskar Cherdzhiev Russia’s, Grigory Chkhartishvili, Boris Akunin, he’s, Akunin, Russia’s, Misha Japaridze, Alexey Navalny, Andrei Soldatov, ” Soldatov, Soldatov Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Higher School of, Center, Combating Extremism, Bolshevik Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet, Orlov’s, Russian, Shakhty, Ukrainian, ” Russia, Covid, USSR

☆ The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine was shot 5 times while less than 500 feet away from a police station: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Maksym Kuzminov was a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine in August. AdvertisementMaksym Kuzminov, the 28-year-old Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine in August and later moved to Spain, was shot five times while less than 500 feet away from a local police station, The Wall Street Journal reported. A medic found five small-caliber shots, one of which directly hit his heart, revealing the accuracy with which the perpetrator killed Kuzminov, according to the report. Western intelligence officials and a former Russian intelligence officer told The Journal last year that Nikolai Patrushev, a close associate of Putin, orchestrated his death. AdvertisementFollowing reports of Kuzminov's death, Moscow's foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin appeared to support the Russian pilot's fate.

Persons: Maksym Kuzminov, Kuzminov, —, Maksym, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Nikolai Patrushev, Putin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Joe Biden, Sergei Naryshkin, Naryshkin Organizations: Service, Street Journal, Russian, Biden Administration, TASS Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Spain, Villajoyosa, Moscow

☆ Hundreds queue in Moscow to visit grave of Putin critic Navalny
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Darya Tarasova | Amy Cassidy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hundreds of people have been flocking to the grave of late Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny. Images from OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights group that monitors Russian repression, show a long line of people queuing at Navalny’s grave and laying flowers at the Borisovsky Cemetery in Moscow. Ulf Mauder/picture-alliance/dpa/APThousands of mourners defied threats of arrest and gathered for Navalny’s funeral on Friday, two weeks after he died aged 47 in an Arctic penal colony. There was heavy security in place and some in the crowd chanted his name or anti-Putin slogans. At least 103 people were detained across 20 Russian cities on the day of Navalny’s funeral, OVD-Info reported on Sunday.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Navalny’s, Lyudmila, Yulia, Navalny, Ulf Mauder, ”, Olga Maltseva Organizations: CNN, “, Reuters, Kremlin, . Riot, Getty Locations: Moscow, AFP, Russia, Germany

Moscow CNN —Thousands of mourners gathered in Moscow for the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny despite a heavy police presence and the threat of detention. APAround 20 minutes before Navalny’s funeral began, the live signal of the CNN team on the ground appeared to be blocked. The live feed organized by Navalny’s team also dropped. Mourners gather around the casket of Alexey Navalny during his funeral in Moscow on March 1, 2024. as the Kremlin critic's coffin is carried to the Moscow church hosting his funeral.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, clapped, “ Putin, ” Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Navalny’s, Frank Sinatra’s, ”, Dmitry Peskov, ” Maria Pevchikh, Navalny, CNN’s Matthew Chance, Putin, Lyudmila Navalnaya –, –, ” Marina, “, …, ’ ”, Tatiana, ” Tatiana, Yulia Navalnaya, “ I’m Organizations: Moscow CNN —, Kremlin, of, Police, AP, CNN, Navalny’s, Reuters Locations: Moscow, Russian, Moscow’s Maryino, Borisov, Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, St . Petersburg, Siberian, Novosibirsk –, Yekaterinburg, Germany

Moscow CNN —Crowds of mourners have gathered at a Moscow church for the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny despite a heavy police presence and the threat of detention, a CNN team on the ground reports. Navalny’s team encountered difficulty in retrieving his body from Russian authorities and hiring a venue for his funeral, which began at 2 p.m. local time (6 a.m. Around 20 minutes before Navalny’s funeral was set to begin, the live signal of the CNN team on the ground appeared to be blocked. The feed organized by Navalny’s team was also not showing live coverage of the scene. APBut Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, had said ahead of the funeral that she is concerned police will crack down mourners.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Navalny’s, Dmitry Peskov, ”, clapped, “, ” Maria Pevchikh, ” Marina, …, ’ ”, Tatiana, ” Tatiana, Yulia Navalnaya, “ I’m Organizations: Moscow CNN, CNN, Kremlin, of, Police Locations: Moscow, Russian, Moscow’s Maryino, St . Petersburg, Russia, Germany

☆ White House calls on Fox News executives to retract bogus FBI informant claims against Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —The White House is formally calling on Fox News to walk back its coverage of bribery and corruption allegations against President Joe Biden. The letter is the latest from the Biden White House, which has taken a more aggressive approach to news coverage of the president that it sees as unfair in the run-up to the November election. Earlier this month, Sams sent a letter to the White House Correspondents’ Association, protesting coverage of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s handling of classified material. Since Fox News has declined to take the responsible course of action and meaningfully correct the record, the White House is now moving to formally request the network do so. And, in a statement the network provided to CNN, Fox News didn’t directly address the White House’s request.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ian Sams, Fox, ” Sams, Suzanne Scott, Jay Wallace, Bryan Boughton, Sams, Robert Hur’s, Biden, “, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, Alexander Smirnov, Hannity, Watters, Smirnov, Brooke Singman, newsrooms, Fox News didn’t, ” Organizations: New York CNN, Fox News, White House, FBI, Biden White, White, ’ Association, Fox, Voting Systems, Fox News Channel, CNN, “ Fox News Media Locations: New York, Washington

☆ A decadelong secret partnership between the CIA and Ukraine has been critical for lethal operations against Russia: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ten years ago, the CIA cautiously partnered with Ukraine to help gather intelligence on Russia. The agency initially made clear that it would not help Ukraine conduct lethal operations, per NYT. AdvertisementUkraine has relied on a decadelong secret partnership with the CIA to gather critical Russian intelligence and, more recently, carry out lethal operations during the war, according to a new report from The New York Times. The CIA made clear that it would not help Ukraine carry out lethal operations against its adversary, the Times reported. The Biden Administration greenlighted the CIA to provide intelligence critical for Ukraine's lethal operations against Russia, the report said.

Persons: —, Viktor Yanukovych, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, Nalyvaichenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: CIA, Service, The New York Times, Kremlin, Times, Ukraine's Security, MI6, Biden Administration greenlighted Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Crimea

☆ Exclusive: Russia-linked smear campaign against Hunter Biden began earlier than previously thought
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The man pushing the thumb drive was a citizen of an Eastern European country and a guest of Claremont. That evening, Rollie passed a thumb drive containing disinformation about Hunter Biden and Burisma to a Pompeo aide. Smirnov was indicted last week for lying to the FBI about Hunter Biden. The revelation about Rollie's thumb drive comes shortly after the indictment of Smirnov, for allegedly making false statements about Hunter Biden in June 2020. Like Smirnov, Rollie's materials accuse Hunter Biden of involving his father in Burisma's business and committing a vast off-the-books fraud.

Persons: Mike Pompeo, Hunter Biden, Rollie, Pompeo, Burisma, BI Rollie, I'm, Rollie's, Biden's, Josef, Johnathan Buma, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Peter Schweizer, Rudy Giuliani, John Solomon, Hunter, Giuliani, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Biden, David Weiss, Smirnov's, Joe Biden, GOP Sen, Charles Grassley, MAGA, Jack Posobiec, Buma, Anastasiia Carrier Organizations: Claremont Institute's, Claremont, Business, BI, KGB, Department, Claremont Institute, FBI, New York Times, Prosecutors, GOP, State Department, Justice Department, Anastasiia Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Beverly Hills, Eastern, Soviet, Los Angeles, Russian, Delaware, Ukraine, The Hill, East, West, Eastern Europe

☆ Putin looms over a third successive US election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —“Russia, Russia, Russia.”Ex-President Donald Trump’s scathing catch phrase for a torrent of investigations during his administration also serves as an apt catch-all for the current meltdown over Moscow roiling US politics. But Russia and its leader, whom President Joe Biden described as a “crazy S.O.B.” at a Wednesday fundraiser, won’t go away. All the ways Putin is playing in US politicsPutin is advancing Russian interests against the US on multiple fronts. Putin recently formalized his warming ties with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un by presenting him with a new limousine. The Russian leader was particularly incensed by the US-led operation to topple Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, won’t, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ukraine –, –, Alexander Smirnov, “, Trump, Smirnov, Biden, it’s, Putin can’t, ” Douglas, Alexey Navalny, Biden lambasts Trump, ” Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, he’s, he’d, Mike Turner, Ksenia, Paul Whelan –, Evan Gershkovich, Geopolitically, Kim Jong Un, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Moammar Gadhafi, Hillary Clinton, Robert Mueller, “ We’ll, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, United States, European NATO, ”, Moscow, House Republicans, GOP, CIA, NATO, Republican Party, Republicans, Republican, Trump, Marine, Wall Street, Putin, Biden, US, Democratic Locations: Russia, Moscow, United States, China, Soviet, East Germany, United, Ukraine, Russian, European, Washington, Asia, Sweden, Finland, Berlin –, Europe, Ukrainian, California, North Korea, Iran, Crimea, Helsinki, Geneva

☆ Fox News hyped the bogus FBI informant claims against Biden. Now its refusing to walk them back
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Days after explosive bribery claims about President Joe Biden came ripping apart at the seams, Fox News and the broader MAGA Media universe have declined to walk back their factually-challenged narrative. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) Erik McGregor/LightRocket/Getty ImagesThe lack of a retraction or any real sign of contrition comes as the Smirnov allegations continue to implode in spectacular fashion. The network functions as the main organ in the right-wing media universe and has tremendous influence over the Republican Party base. By refusing to fully acknowledge the false claims and press GOP lawmakers on their relentless promotion of it, Fox News is effectively giving GOP lawmakers permission to continue doing so. A Fox News spokesperson did not off me a comment on the network’s coverage of the revelations surrounding the informant.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, David Weiss, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, ”, Jesse Watters, baselessly, Sean Hannity, Hannity, Weiss, Donald Trump, Brooke Singman, Erik McGregor, contrition, ” Weiss, Harris Faulkner, ” Faulkner, Rupert, Lachlan Murdoch, Lachlan, Tim Miller, “, ” Miller Organizations: New York CNN, Fox News, MAGA Media, Republican, Capitol, ” Fox News, Trump, FBI, Getty, Wednesday, Republican Party, Fox, Dominion Voting Systems, U.S . Capitol, MSNBC Locations: New York, Trump Russia, Democratic, United States

☆ Turkey didn't get the F-35, but the new fifth-generation fighter jet it's been working on just made its first flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Turkey's first domestically made fighter jet successfully completed its maiden flight, and a new video captured the moment for the new fifth-generation aircraft. It's a major step forward for Turkey's efforts to acquire a fifth-generation fighter. The country was previously kicked out of the US-led F-35 program in 2019 as a consequence for purchasing S-400 air-defense systems from Russia. Turkey's aim is to field fifth-generation fighter jets that will eventually replace the country's F-16 fleet. Wednesday's flight heralds a promising step forward for Turkey, especially after it was expelled from the US-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

Persons: —, Turkey's, yerli, Temel Kotil, Recep Erdogan, Samuel King Jr, Fielding Organizations: Service, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Turkish Air Force, Eglin Air Force Base, US Air Force, senior Defense Department, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Turkey, Russian, NATO, Turkish

☆ Republicans to grill James Biden behind closed doors in critical interview as GOP looks for lifeline in impeachment probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Hunter Biden is expected to show for his closed-door interview next week, after intense deliberations that almost collapsed. The first check Republicans revealed went to Joe Biden in 2018 for $200,000 from James Biden and James’ wife Sara Biden. What other Biden family business associates have saidBeyond Fox and Langston, Republicans have recently interviewed a number of key Biden family business associates. Walker also attended a 2017 business meeting with Hunter Biden and Chinese business associates, where Joe Biden made an appearance. Another longtime Biden family business associate, Eric Schwerin, performed administrative and bookkeeping tasks for then-Vice President Joe Biden from 2009 to 2017.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter, James, Wednesday, Biden, Hunter Biden, Mike Johnson, —, David Weiss, Hunter Biden’s, Alexander Smirnov, Robert Hur’s, Biden’s, James Biden, James ’, Sara Biden, ”, James Comer, Comer, Carol Fox, ‘ Biden, ’, Fox, James Biden’s, Joseph Langston, Langston, “, “ Jimmy Biden, ” Langston, Rob Walker, Walker, Biden —, ” Walker, ‘, ’ ”, Eric Schwerin, ” Schwerin, Mervyn Yan, Kevin Morris, Tony Bobulinski, Georges Bergès, White, Bergès, ” Bergès Organizations: Republicans, GOP, CNN, FBI, Burisma Holdings, undercutting, White, Democratic, Banking, Republican, Biden, Kentucky Republican, Fox, Langston, “, White House Locations: South Korea, Washington ,, China, Kentucky, Americore, Romania, American

☆ Indicted ex-FBI informant admitted Russian intelligence officials passed along the Hunter Biden bribery story, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Smirnov said Russian intelligence passed along the story of the bribery claims, per a court filing. The memo also indicates that Smirnov met with Russian intelligence officials as recently as December of 2023. What this shows is that the misinformation he is spreading is not confined to 2020," the prosecutor's memo in favor of detention reads. "He is actively peddling new lies that could impact US elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November. Impact of Smirnov's indictmentSmirnov's indictment and arrest may have an impact on unrelated gun charges facing Hunter Biden.

Persons: Biden, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, —, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Obama, General, Harry Reid, David Weiss, Smirnov's, Weiss Organizations: Burisma Holdings, Service, ex, FBI, GOP, White, Business, Ukrainian, Biden, Burisma, Public, Harry, Harry Reid International, Government, Central District of, CNN, Lawyers Locations: Ukrainian, Las Vegas, Central District, Central District of California, United States

☆ Ex-Informant Accused of Lying About Bidens Said He Had Russian Contacts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

informant accused of making false bribery claims about President Biden and his son Hunter — which were widely publicized by Republicans — claimed to have been fed information by Russian intelligence, according to a court filing on Tuesday. But Mr. Smirnov told federal investigators that “officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story” about Hunter Biden. Those disclosures, including Mr. Smirnov’s unverifiable claim that he met with Russian intelligence officials as recently as three months ago, made him a flight risk and endangered national security, Justice Department officials said. Mr. Smirnov had been held in custody in Las Vegas, where he has lived since 2022, since his arrest last week. He was released from custody on Tuesday on a personal recognizance bond after a detention hearing, said his lawyers, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld.

Persons: Biden, Hunter —, Republicans —, Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Hunter Biden, David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld Organizations: Republicans, Justice Locations: Las Vegas

Search resuls for: "Russian intel"

25 mentions found