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They argued that cartels could retaliate in U.S. territory and U.S. troops and Mexican civilians could die in firefights with heavily armed cartel members. This could create the blowback effect of fracturing the cartels," said a U.S. military officer with experience in Mexico, speaking on condition of anonymity. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, 52% of respondents supported "sending U.S. military personnel to Mexico to fight against drug cartels," while 26% were opposed. Still, most Americans - including most Republicans - said they would oppose such actions if the Mexican government did not approve, the poll found. It would be easy to send them in, a couple of (special forces) teams that could go and extract in extraordinary renditions," said the military officer.

Persons: Daniel Becerril, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Earl Anthony Wayne, Joaquin, El, Guzman, Jason Blazakis, Mark Esper, Trump, Esper, We're, Haley, Alex Conant, Marco Rubio's, Sergio Alcocer, Alcocer, Jonathan Landay, Idrees Ali, Gram Slattery, Dave Graham, Ross Colvin, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Villa Union, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Reuters, U.S . Customs, U.S . Centers for Disease, State Department, U.S, SEAL, Woodrow Wilson International Center, IDEA, Trump, Thomson Locations: Villa, Coahuila, Mexico, Trump , Florida, United States, U.S, firefights, Culiacan, New Jersey, Mexican, North America, Mexico City

☆ US Treasury launches US-China economic, financial working groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday said it was formally launching two new U.S.-China working groups on economic and financial issues aimed at providing a regular policy communications forum between the world's two largest economies. In a statement, the Treasury said the two groups would "meet on a regular cadence" and report to Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. China's Ministry of Finance will be Treasury's counterpart for the Economic Working Group, while the People's Bank of China will be its counterpart for the Financial Working Group. China's Finance Ministry and central bank both issued statements confirming the establishment of the economic and financial working groups but gave few details beyond saying they were aimed at strengthening communication and collaboration on these issues. Establishment of the two working groups also follows Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's agreement with Chinese officials in August to establish a working group on U.S. export controls aimed at explaining U.S. policies.

Persons: Yellen, Gina Raimondo's, Donald Trump, David Lawder, Christina Fincher Organizations: U.S . Treasury Department, Treasury, China's Ministry, Finance, Economic, People's Bank of, Financial, China's Finance Ministry, State, Thomson Locations: China, China's, People's Bank of China, Beijing, U.S, Washington

☆ Opinion: Why the fall of Afghanistan in 2021 broke me in a way my husband’s death didn’t
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Hilary Krieger | Opinion Jane Horton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Chris Horton, a sniper with 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, stands with his weapon in Paktia, Afghanistan, in 2011. In this March 2016 photo, US Central Command Commander Gen. Lloyd Austin and Gold Star Wife Jane Horton talk at Headquarters Resolute Support Mission in Kabul, Afghanistan. Jane Horton, senior adviser to the acting secretary of defense, gives a speech in Kabul in December 2020. It was a place that might have even been darker than the day Chris died. Chris Horton and Jane Horton pose for a photo on their wedding day in 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Persons: Jane Horton, CNN —, It’s, Chris, I’ve, Marcus Yam, who’d, Kirk Owen, ”, Chris Horton, ., Whitney Hughes, “ Jane, Marshal Rommel ‘ Don’t, ’, —, Lloyd Austin, Myles Cullen, ” Maryam, Ashraf Ghani, Taylor Crul Organizations: Department of Defense, Afghan Women’s Council, CNN, Oklahoma National Guard, Los Angeles Times, Facebook, Spc, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gold Star, Embassy, Central Command, US Air Force, 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, III, Hamid, Airport, Twitter, State Department Locations: Georgetown University’s, Afghanistan, Kabul, Paktia, United States, Washington, Resolute, American, Paktya, –, America, Cleveland , Ohio, anytown USA

☆ Microsoft's role in data breach part of US cyber inquiry -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Microsoft logo is seen in Los Angeles, California U.S. November 7, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File PhotoCompanies Microsoft Corp FollowAug 10 (Reuters) - A U.S. cybersecurity advisory panel will investigate risks in cloud computing that will also include Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) role in the recent breach of government department email systems by suspected Chinese hackers, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. That access was used to spy on the communications of U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and senior State Department diplomats. The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee last week said it was opening an investigation into China's suspected involvement in recent breaches of Commerce and State department email systems. Reporting by Gokul Pisharody in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Ron Wyden, Gina Raimondo, CISA, Gokul, Himani Sarkar, Jamie Freed Organizations: Microsoft, Los Angeles , California U.S, REUTERS, Bloomberg, Federal Trade Commission, Infrastructure Security Agency, Justice Department, U.S . Commerce, State Department, U.S . House, Commerce, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Oregon, Bengaluru

☆ White House to bolster cybersecurity training for K-12 schools, with help from the FCC, Amazon Web Services and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

On Tuesday, the White House convened school administrators, educators and companies to explore how best to protect schools and students' information from cyberattacks. At least eight K-12 school districts across the country experienced significant cyberattacks in the last academic year, the White House said, leading to disruptions in learning. The White House announced a series of actions from federal agencies and commitments from companies to help school districts secure their digital information. Amazon Web Services committed $20 million to fund a cyber grant program for school districts and state departments of education. It will also conduct free security reviews for U.S. education technology companies that provide "mission-critical applications" for K-12 schools.

Persons: Biden, Miguel Cardona, Cardona, Cloudflare, PowerSchool Organizations: White, Government, Office, White House, Federal Communications Commission, Universal Service Fund, Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Guard Bureau, CNBC, Web Services, Google Locations: cyberattacks, U.S

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. is pausing certain foreign assistance programs that benefit the government of Niger but will continue giving humanitarian and food assistance, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday. "As we have made clear since the outset of this situation, the provision of U.S. assistance to the government of Niger depends on democratic governance and respect for constitutional order," Blinken said in a statement on Friday. West African defence chiefs have drawn up a plan for military action if Niger's coup is not overturned by Sunday. The U.S. Embassy in Niamey in 2021 said the Pentagon and State Department had provided Niger more than $500 million in equipment and training since 2012. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Jasper Ward and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Eduardo Munoz, Niger's, Mohamed Bazoum, Blinken, Bazoum's, Washington's, Joe Biden, Kanishka Singh, Jasper Ward, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: . Security, REUTERS, ., Embassy, Pentagon, State Department, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Niger, West, Central Africa, Niamey, Washington

☆ US House panel opens probe into suspected Chinese hacking of Commerce, State emails
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. and Chinese flags are seen in this illustration taken, January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee said Wednesday it is opening an investigation into China's suspected involvement in recent breaches of Commerce and State department email systems. Representative James Comer, who chairs the committee, and the heads of two subcommittees asked Commerce Secretary Raimondo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken for staff briefings by Aug. 9. "We are also concerned that this attack on federal agencies, including the email account of a senior U.S. government official such as yourself, reflects a new level of skill and sophistication from China’s hackers," the lawmakers wrote Raimondo. Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, James Comer, Raimondo, Antony Blinken, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . House, Commerce, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Exclusive: U.S. quietly inspects Israeli crossings for its Palestinian dual-nationals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Since the trial period began, Palestinian Americans already say there is a difference. The allies have sought to limit publicity around the trial period, which comes amid unusually intense strains between their leaderships over wider Palestinian policies and other issues. One official told Reuters the trial period has been "going smoothly," without significant hold-ups for Palestinian American travellers. The Arab American Institute Foundation puts the number of Americans of Palestinian descent at between 122,500 and 220,000. An Israeli official gave lower figures, saying that out of 70,000 to 90,000 Palestinian Americans worldwide, about 15,000 to 20,000 were West Bank residents.

Persons: Abdul Jalil Juda, Ben Gurion, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nidal al, Nuha Sharaf, Dan Williams, Peter Graff Organizations: Ben Gurion, West Bank, U.S, Visa, Reuters, Embassy, Israel's National Security Council, Israeli, Palestinian, ., City University of New, of Homeland Security, State Department, Arab American Institute Foundation, West Bank ., Thomson Locations: Israel, JERUSALEM, Palestinian, Israeli, West, Washington, United States, Ben, Jordan, Jerusalem, U.S, American, City University of New York, The U.S, Gaza

☆ The Biden administration just announced plans to crack down on more than 4,400 new cases of child labor in the US since October
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Department of Labor is heightening enforcement of child labor laws through new partnerships and tactics. On Thursday, the Department of Labor announced it would take more measures to crack down on illegal child labor nationally, including heightening enforcement of child labor laws through new tactics and partnering with other agencies and foreign governments. "Like the President, we believe that any child working in a dangerous or hazardous environment is one child too many." This comes after the department's February 2023 announcement of the Interagency Task Force to Combat Child Labor Exploitation, created in response to a 69% increase in illegal child labor findings from 2018 to 2022. Sixteen more McDonald's franchise locations in Louisiana and Texas were found in violation of child labor laws last week, impacting 83 minors.

Persons: Biden, Labor Julie Su Organizations: of Labor, Service, Department of Labor, Labor, Department of Health, Human Services, Refugee Resettlement, The Department of Labor, Housing, Urban Development, Transportation, US Small Business Administration, Commission, The Labor, State, Department of Education, Interagency, Force, Combat, The Locations: Wall, Silicon, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Minnesota, Kentucky , Indiana , Maryland, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri , Ohio, South Dakota

Here are answers to questions about U.S.-Niger ties:WHY IS NIGER IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED STATES? The country, located in the semi-arid Sahel region, plays an outsized role in the United States' Africa strategy. The State Department in March said Niger had "taken important steps to consolidate and strengthen its democracy." The State Department in March said the United States had plans to provide $101 million in bilateral assistance to Niger in fiscal year 2022, including assistance for food security, democracy and governance, and security. It is unclear how much the United States has given in security assistance specifically.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Washington's, Biden, Bazoum's, Vedant Patel, Niger, Bazoum, Wagner, Patel, Antony Blinken, Chris Coons, Mario Diaz, Balart, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Patricia Zengerle, Moira Warburton, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis Organizations: UNITED STATES, Islamic, State Department, ., West, The State Department, U.S, State, Embassy, Pentagon, AID, Republican, Thomson Locations: Niger, U.S, Washington, NIGER, United States, Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, al Qaeda, Russia, Niamey

☆ Microsoft is giving out free cybersecurity tools after an alleged Chinese hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Microsoft is offering free cybersecurity tools to some government and commercial customers following criticism of the tech giant’s handling of a major alleged Chinese hack that compromised US government email accounts. Starting in September, Microsoft cloud computing customers won’t have to pay extra money to get access to critical data to help them spot cyberattacks, Microsoft said Wednesday. The move comes after cybersecurity officials privately expressed frustration that Microsoft had not done enough to detect the alleged Chinese cyber-espionage campaign, according to US officials. The email accounts of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and State Department officials were breached in the activity, CNN has reported. Until now, Microsoft’s business model has involved charging customers extra for access to these logs.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, ” Sean Koessel, ” Koessel, —, Jen, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Microsoft, Street Journal, State Department, CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Locations: New York

☆ A man who runs the web domain for a Russian-allied country says the US military has been accidentally sending him millions of emails for 10 years, including sensitive information like a general's trav
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Dutch business owner is warning that millions of US military emails are being sent to Mali. People are sending sensitive information to the ".ml" instead of ".mil" accounts, he told the FT.Johannes Zuurbier said the emails sent to the Russian ally contained maps and personal records. Johannes Zuurbier, who was contracted to manage Mali's country email domain, said he's been trying to alert the Pentagon to the potential security issue for the last decade, according to The Financial Times. Zuurbier told the FT he's seen around 1,000 emails a day being sent to the wrong domain. US military email accounts also notify personnel if they try sending a message to addresses with the ".ml" domain, and will automatically block the email from being sent, Gorman added.

Persons: Johannes Zuurbier, he's, —, Zuurbier, James McConville, General James Charles McConville, Prabowo Subianto, Eko Siswono, He's, Cmdr, Tim Gorman, Gorman Organizations: Service, Pentagon, Financial Times, US Army, Staff, Indonesian Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, White House, Wagner, Kremlin, Defense Department Locations: Mali, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Indonesia, Jakarta, Russia, Malian

☆ Chinese Hackers Breached Email of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and State Department Officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Dustin Volz | William Mauldin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Biden administration did not sanction unofficial talks with Russians, State Dept says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was not clear how frequently the group, which included former Pentagon officials, held discussions with other prominent Russians thought to be close to the Kremlin, NBC News reported. "The Biden administration did not sanction those discussions," a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions from Reuters. "And as we've said repeatedly, nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." The spokesperson was referring to an administration policy of not discussing possible negotiations on ending the war without involving Ukrainian officials. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with CBS News that the White House was aware of the unofficial discussions.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Richard Haass, Biden, we've, John Kirby, Jonathan Landay, Simon Lewis, Eric Beech, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S, Russian, White House and State Department, NBC News, Foreign Relations, White, Pentagon, Kremlin, State Department, Reuters, House, CBS News, NBC, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, New York, U.S, Russia

CNN —Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and struck a deal with federal prosecutors to resolve a felony gun charge, the Justice Department said Tuesday in court filings. Trump criticized the Hunter Biden plea deal on Truth Social. Hunter Biden’s legal team sought a meeting with the Justice Department in April, which Weiss attended, and where Hunter Biden’s lawyers gave a presentation detailing why they believe Hunter Biden shouldn’t be charged. Part of their argument included that Hunter Biden paid back taxes owed, including penalties. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Hunter Biden is pleading guilty to two tax charges and struck a deal to resolve the gun charge.

Persons: CNN — Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, David Weiss, Hunter, Christopher Clark, Department’s, “ Hunter, ” Clark, ” “, ”, Ian Sams, Hunter Biden’s, Weiss, Hunter Biden shouldn’t, Prosecutors, Clark, “, Garland, Justice Department wouldn’t, Christopher Wray, he’s, Beau . Hunter Biden, Melissa Cohen, Jake Tapper, –, He’s, ” Joe Biden, Department’s prosecutorial, “ I’m, I’m, Tapper, “ That’s, it’s, General Merrick Garland, Justice Department’s, CEFC, Obama Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Internal, Service, Trump, Government, House, Truth, Biden DOJ, Republican, Democratic, IRS, FBI, Department, people’s Justice Department, Hunter, Justice, CEFC China Energy, White, Yorker, State Department Locations: Delaware, Wilmington, China, Ukraine, United States

☆ U.S. gives Havana embassy a facelift after years of neglect
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Dave Sherwood | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

HAVANA, June 10 (Reuters) - When the U.S. embassy in Havana reopened last May to Cubans seeking visas after a nearly five-year hiatus, the once proud 1950s vintage building was in shambles. The State Department imported high-grade stainless steel for its fencing, and granite from a quarry in Vermont for the building's new facade. A view of the U.S. Embassy beside the Anti-Imperialist stage in Havana, Cuba, May 24, 2023. CASTRO THREATENED TO SEIZE BUILDINGUnder former leader Fidel Castro, the jabs and antagonism often went both ways between Cuba and the embassy. U.S. intelligence investigations have since determined it "very unlikely" a foreign adversary was responsible for the illness, and a more robust staff and agenda have returned to Havana, Ziff said.

Persons: Hurricane Irma, Benjamin Ziff, Ziff, Alexandre Meneghini, Alexander Garcia, CASTRO, Fidel Castro, Castro, George W, Bush, Harrison & Abramovitz, Jane Loeffler, Barack Obama, Dave Sherwood, Mario Fuentes, Anett Rios, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, State Department, Reuters, Cuban, The State Department, Ziff, Embassy, REUTERS, Harrison &, United Nations, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, U.S, Havana, Hurricane, of Mexico, Cuba, China, United States, Cuban, Vermont, Florida, New York, Washington, America

☆ Despite all odds, consumers are still traveling this summer. Here are the stocks you need to own
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Yet despite all odds, 61% of those surveyed said they plan to travel this summer, up from the 49% who said the same in summer 2021. Some 56% of adults are more likely to stay in a hotel this summer than they were in 2022, according to the AHLA/Morning Consult survey. Booking Holdings is also an analyst favorite, with an average rating of overweight and 10% upside to the average price target, per FactSet. While prices are still high, the latest consumer price index for April showed the airline fares index fell 2.6% month over month, after rising in February and March. Airlines are essentially sold out for summer travel, according to TD Cowen analyst Helane Becker.

Persons: Matt Kramer, They're, You've, Sylvia Jablonski, Kramer, Freed, Bernstein, David Vernon, Price, Robin Farley, Farley, James Hardiman, Hardiman, Josh Weinstein's, RevPar, Tony Capuano, Chris Nassetta, Biden, Hilton, they've, Airbnb, Brian Chesky, it's, Evercore, Mark Mahaney, amortization, Mahaney, Cowen, Helane Becker, Becker, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Ashley Capoot Organizations: KPMG, KPMG Consumer, Survey, Cruise ETF, Royal, Holdings, Marriott, United Airlines, Morning, American, & Lodging Association, Cruises, UBS, Citi, CCL, CNBC, Hilton Worldwide, U.S . Travel Association, State Department, Booking Holdings, Booking, Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Copa Holdings, Panamanian, Copa Airlines Locations: United States, Royal Caribbean, United, Caribbean, CocoCay, Thursday's, China, North America, Asia, Europe

National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby declined to comment specifically on the possibility of the US sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, but said broadly that the US has been forward-looking about “future capabilities” and needs. US lawmakers and congressional staffers have joined in the F-16 lobbying campaign, urging the administration to provide the jets so that Ukraine can establish control over its skies. US allies with F-16s could conduct training for Ukrainian fighter pilots, or the aircraft’s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, could carry out training as a private contractor. Without the jets, Ukraine is having to improvise, officials say. The Russian jets have largely been staying behind Russian defensive lines, making them difficult for Ukraine to target with shorter-range systems like NASAMs.

☆ Thousands of Afghans escaped the Taliban with the help of private veteran groups. Today, many remain in limbo in the UAE
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Several thousand were brought there by the State Department directly from Kabul and have since been relocated to the US or Canada. Consequently, thousands of Afghans evacuated by private groups were left in a legal limbo with seemingly no clear path to the US – or anywhere else. It was unclear whether that documentation is sufficient for what the State Department has required. The first two groups were evacuated from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul in August 2021 by both the State Department and private groups working independently. In her responses to CNN, Tekach said the State Department “had limited information” about refugees who came on those separate flights.

The novelist is an outspoken champion of Russia's war in Ukraine and has boasted of taking part in military combat there. He was the third prominent pro-war figure to be targeted by a bomb since Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. [1/2] A view shows a destroyed vehicle, which transported Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin allegedly wounded in a car bombing in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia, May 6, 2023. On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin with a night-time drone attack on the Kremlin. TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as declining to comment on Saturday's car bomb in the absence of information from investigators.

☆ 33 Democrats urge ban on investor-state dispute provisions in all US trade deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-RhoadesWASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday urged the U.S. Trade Representative and State Department to eliminate investor-state dispute settlement provisions from current and future trade deals and to intervene on behalf of Honduras against a U.S. company's nearly $11 billion claim against the country. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Trade Representative Katherine Tai seen by Reuters, 33 lawmakers said that investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) systems in trade deals constitute a "problematic corporate handout" that violates countries' sovereignty and democracy rights. The Democrats signing the letter said the case could require impoverished Honduras to pay billions of taxpayer dollars to a company that has "weaponized" the dispute settlement provisions. The dispute settlement provisions had been a way to protect U.S. firms from abrupt changes in trading partners' government policies by providing recourse through arbitration. The letter cited Georgetown University research tallying $27.8 billion in ISDS settlement orders against Latin American governments, with Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico and Ecuador the worst hit.

☆ This Massachusetts lawmaker wants to create a 4-day workweek: 'A life built around working all the time is not a very happy one'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A pair of Massachusetts lawmakers are the latest to try and make the four-day workweek a reality. Rep. Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth and Rep. Josh Cutler of Duxbury filed legislation this week to create a voluntary program, the "Massachusetts Smart Work Week Pilot," that would create a tax credit for businesses who move their workers to a shorter week for the same pay. Participating businesses would be required to transition at least 15 workers to a 32-hour, four-day weekly schedule without reducing their salaries. Employers would receive a tax credit in exchange for regularly reporting the shortened week's economic and social impact in their organization, such as on employee wellbeing and work-life balance. The legislation will now be directed to a committee and considered in a committee hearing.

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - Senior officials from the United States, Europe and Britain met on Thursday with financial institutions to brief them on efforts by Russia to evade Western sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine, a senior U.S. Treasury official told reporters. The firms - from the United States, Britain and Europe - assured the officials that they were working hard to avert Russian efforts to evade sanctions and export controls, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Washington on Wednesday imposed sanctions on over 120 targets, including entities linked to Russian state-held energy company Rosatom and firms based in partner nations like Turkey in a sign of stepped-up enforcement. Treasury's top sanctions official, Undersecretary Brian Nelson, will visit Switzerland next week to discuss further moves to crack down on sanctions evasion, with additional stops in Italy, Austria and Germany, Reuters reported last week. Elizabeth Rosenberg, Treasury's assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crime, will travel separately to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The sanctions, imposed by the Treasury and State departments in concert with Britain, hit entities and individuals across over 20 countries and jurisdictions, including facilitators of sanctions evasion, the State Department said in a statement. Separately, the Treasury said it imposed sanctions on Russian financial facilitators and sanctions evaders around the world, including Turkey, United Arab Emirates and China-based people and companies. The Treasury also targeted King-Pai Technology HK Co, Ltd, which it said is a China-based supplier for multiple entities in Russia's military-industrial complex. Washington has not yet imposed sanctions on Rosatom itself. "It will always be a race between sanctions enforcement and sanctions evaders.

☆ Opinion: The revolving door access to state secrets has to end
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Brett Bruen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The US national security team is once more ignominiously living out the line made famous by pop star Britney Spears after finding itself back in the uncomfortable position of watching state secrets ping-pong around the internet. As a veteran of the National Security Council and State Department, I have a couple of ideas about what we need to change to get Spears’ song off repeat. Indeed, whatever the cause of this latest breach, it should galvanize us to shut the revolving door of access to our most sensitive secrets. For starters, there should be a minimum time commitment from those appointed to high political office. This turnover creates massive disruptions and gaps in our national security structure.

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