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In 2022 the bond market crash saw the value of central banks' Treasuries holdings plunge by $435 billion, Bertaut and Judson's estimates show. This doesn't suggest central banks are dumping Treasuries, be it for financial or political reasons. What's more, these figures don't account for what analysts describe as stealth or shadow central bank demand not included in the official data. Reuters Image Acquire Licensing RightsIt is undeniable, however, that the collective central bank footprint in the Treasuries market is nowhere near what it used to be. For now, central banks are still buying, just not as much as they used to.

Persons: Abraham Lincoln, Gary Cameron, chunky, Carol Bertaut, Ruth Judson, That's, Steven Englander, Judson, Lehman Brothers, Jamie McGeever, David Holmes Organizations: Engraving, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, of America, Bank of America, BANK, Standard Chartered, Treasuries, Fed, ICE, Treasury, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington, Rights ORLANDO , Florida, Beijing, China, Saudi Arabia, American Republic, North America, Belgium

Trump will join the South Dakota Republican Party for a “Monumental Leaders Rally” in Rapid City. South Dakota holds a late primary and isn't competitive in a general election. That hasn’t stopped those who are keen to be considered as Trump's running mate from openly jockeying for the position and trying to curry favor with him and his aides. Despite not running for president, Noem has continued to position herself nationally. “Kristi Noem has spent more time out campaigning for I don’t know what than she has in South Dakota.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, Trump, ”, Michael Card, Noem, hasn’t, Elise Stefanik, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kari Lake, Tennessee Sen, Marsha Blackburn, Byron Donalds, Sen, Tim Scott, Steven Cheung, “, Sean Hannity, I’d, Mount Rushmore, Rushmore, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, ” Trump, Kristi’s, Mike Rogers, Annie Bachand, we’re, ” Bachand, “ Kristi Noem, John Wiik, Wiik, ” Wiik, I’m, __ Colvin Organizations: WASHINGTON, South Dakota, Trump, South Dakota Republican Party, Republicans, Republican, Noem, GOP, National Rifle Association, New York, Florida Rep, Iowa State, New York Times, Fox News, Mount, Democratic, Liberty & Justice, ” South, ” South Dakota GOP, Lincoln, Labor Locations: South, Rapid City, Dakota, South Dakota, Georgia, Arizona, Tennessee, Iowa, Michigan, America, ”, ” South Dakota, New York

☆ Sen. Tommy Tuberville argues the Navy is 'too woke' because 'people are doing poems on aircraft carriers'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sen. Tommy Tuberville says the US Navy is too woke, citing a poetry night on an aircraft carrier. "It is absolutely insane the direction we're headed in our military," Tuberville told Fox News. "Secretary [Carlos] Del Toro of Navy, he needs to get to building ships, get to recruiting, and he needs to get wokeness out of our Navy," Tuberville said Wednesday evening on Fox News. AdvertisementAdvertisementSecretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Sen. Jack Reed at an industry conference in Newport, Rhode Island on August 28, 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisement"The service chief of any service has two full-time jobs already.

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Tuberville, Carlos, Del Toro, We've, he's, Navy Carlos Del Toro, Jack Reed, Theodore C, Lee Tuberville, Gerald R, Ford, Mike Gilday, Gilday, Ted Lieu, George Patton, Richard, MCS3 Jeanette Mullinax, Chuck Schumer, Tuberville's, They've, Adam Smith of, Abraham Lincoln, Jeff Sherman Tuberville's, Lisa Franchetti, Joe Biden, Franchetti, Eric Smith, Smith, I've Organizations: US Navy, Fox News, Navy, Service, Alabama Republican, CNN, Army and Air Force, The Washington Post, Ford, Senate Armed Services Committee, House Armed Services Committee, Defense, Conference, Navy Reserve, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Marine, Chiefs Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, The, Newport , Rhode Island, Alabama, California, Flanders, Canadian, Adam Smith of Washington

☆ Helen Mirren and Bradley Cooper raise casting questions with 'Golda' and 'Maestro'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Bradley Cooper and Helen Mirren have very different resumes, but they have landed in similar controversies with their latest movies, illustrating shifting standards and sensitivities about actors donning prosthetics to play Jewish characters. The first wave of that discussion came in response to images of Cooper’s makeup to resemble Leonard Bernstein for the upcoming biography “Maestro.” Mirren has drawn more attention in the UK for playing Golda Meir in the historical drama “Golda,” which opens this week. More recently, the debate has often shifted beyond racial and ethnic distinctions to other sources of sensitivity, such as Brendan Fraser wearing a fat suit to star in “The Whale.”Helen Mirren as Israeli prime minister Golda Meir in the movie "Golda." Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre and Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in "Maestro." “Maestro” is scheduled for limited theatrical release in November and Netflix in December after premiering at the Venice International Film Festival.

Persons: CNN — Bradley Cooper, Helen Mirren, Leonard Bernstein, “ Maestro, ” Mirren, Golda Meir, Golda, Cooper, Mirren, “ Golda, Abraham Lincoln’s, Al Capone’s, what’s, Hollywood’s, Brendan Fraser, ” Helen Mirren, John Hurt’s, ”, Robert De Niro, Jake LaMotta’s, Bernstein, Meir, David Baddiel, Golda ”, Guy Nattiv, David M, Perry, Carey Mulligan, Felicia Montealegre, Bradley Cooper, Jason McDonald, Mark Harris, ” “ Golda ”, Henry Kissinger, Liev Schreiber, wryly, “ We’ve, Mirren isn’t, Ingrid Bergman, Maestro ”, “ Maestro ” Organizations: CNN, Blacks, Daily Mail, Netflix, Venice Locations: “, ”, The, Bleecker, Raging

Yeah, you’re going to need one of those fancy pizza ovens to replicate this in your home. I think right now, every media company in the world is trying to figure out what replaces Twitter. And they say, you’re going to about to make the easiest money you’ve ever made in your entire life. You’re going to have more people beating a path down your door than you thought was possible. We now have Ubers that are so — I don’t know if you’ve looked at your Uber receipts recently.

Persons: kevin roose I’m, casey newton, kevin roose, casey newton They’re, kevin roose Gang, casey newton Oh, let’s, Kevin Roose, ” casey newton, Casey Newton, —, Casey, casey newton Mhmm, it’s, kevin roose I’d, you’re, you’ve, — casey newton, Sam Altman, casey newton Isn’t, that’s, Silly Putty, I’m, casey newton Well, Kevin, what’s, kevin roose Totally, casey newton I’ll, Unobtainium, James Cameron, You’ve, Meissner, we’re, There’s, they’re, casey newton Here’s, Twitch, kevin roose There’s, Iris_IGB, she’s, there’s, casey newton There’s, Russia she’s, I’ve, They’ve, hasn’t, ChatGPT, Claude, They’re, hydroxychloroquine, Joe Rogan, Bravo, “ Fortnite, casey newton That’s, we’ve, casey newton Kevin, India Venom, Lydia Tár, we’ll, don’t, casey newton Sure, ”, Joe Biden, casey newton I’m, casey newton Mike Masnick, he’s, Mike, — casey newton Look, who’d, It’s, HatGPT, kevin roose —, casey newton We’re, Rupert Murdaugh, Beast, James Donaldson, Jimmy Donaldson, a.k.a, Beast — casey newton James, Uber, Beast Burger, Burger, We’re, Meta, Abraham Lincoln, Facebook — Abraham Lincoln, casey newton It’s, kevin roose Oh, Abraham —, roose, casey newton Greg Rutkowski, Greg Rutkowski, Greg Rutkowski’s, Greg, You’re, casey newton Wow, Elon Musk, San Francisco NIMBYs, Don’t, kevin roose It’s, you’re Uber Organizations: Mmm, casey newton Mmm, The New York Times, Quantum Energy Research Center, collider, Twitter, Capitol, Federal Trade Commission, Netflix, Heritage Foundation, Republican, Democrats, Republicans, California, Tax, Facebook, YouTube, HatGPT, BBC, WordPress, Health Department, Financial Times, Ford Theater, ” Workers, San, Wall Street Locations: Seoul, Russian, Russia, India, KOSA, SESTA, The, Kashmir, tooting, Washington, San Francisco, Ha, Canada

☆ Meta is trying to catch up with ChatGPT with new AI chatbots that speak like famous figures including Abraham Lincoln, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meta could soon be launching AI chatbots that speak like famous people including Abraham Lincoln. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is hoping to retain users by introducing chatbots that rival ChatGPT. Meta is exploring plans to launch AI chatbots as soon as next month that imitate famous figures, including Abraham Lincoln, as it scrambles to retain users and see off the threat from ChatGPT, a new report says. However, Meta has lacked a more consumer-facing, engaging interface like ChatGPT or Snapchat's My AI chatbot. The FT report added that the chatbots will aim to offer users fresh search functions as well as recommendations.

Persons: Abraham Lincoln, Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI's, Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: Financial Times, Morning, Financial, Meta, Facebook

☆ The Sea Captain Who Ran From Abraham Lincoln
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Dorothy Wickenden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

SHIPWRECKED: A True Civil War Story of Mutinies, Jailbreaks, Blockade-Running, and the Slave Trade, by Jonathan W. WhiteWho was Appleton Oaksmith? One contemporary described him as a “good seaman, & a bold & daring officer.” His enemies, President Abraham Lincoln among them, judged him a scoundrel and a traitor. As a young seafaring adventurer in the 1850s, Oaksmith armed mercenaries in Nicaragua and joined the liberation movement in Cuba. After Lincoln took office, in 1861, Oaksmith became a shipping agent, outfitting old whaling ships. Whaling was in decline, so, it was assumed, the people who bought and fitted whalers were likely slavers.

Persons: Jonathan W, White, Appleton, ”, Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln, Oaksmith Organizations: Slave, Tammany Hall Democrat, Whaling Locations: Jailbreaks, Nicaragua, Cuba, North

☆ Meta prepares AI-powered chatbots in attempt to retain users - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 1 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) is preparing to launch a range of artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots that exhibit different personalities as soon as September, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Meta has been designing prototypes for chatbots that can have humanlike discussions with its users, as the company attempts to boost its engagement with its social media platforms, according to the report, citing people with knowledge of the plans. The Menlo Park, California-based social media giant is even exploring a chatbot that speaks like Abraham Lincoln and another that advises on travel options in the style of a surfer, the report added. The purpose of these chatbots will be to provide a new search function as well as offer recommendations. The Facebook parent reported a strong rise in advertising revenue in its earnings last week, forecasting third-quarter revenue above market expectations.

Persons: Meta, Abraham Lincoln, Google's Bard, Ajax, Rishabh, Rashmi Organizations: Financial Times, Menlo, Facebook, Bloomberg News, Apple, Thomson Locations: , California, Bengaluru

☆ Opinion | An Israel Divided Against Itself
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “As Israel Churns, Lawmakers Pass Court Overhaul” (front page, July 25):While the hard-liners in Israel may have won their battle to neuter the Supreme Court, one can ask whether or not the victory was really worth the loss of comity among the Israeli people, as the legitimacy of the government is now in question. Whatever happens next, it is a sad day for Israel and the American people who support the country, because as Abraham Lincoln once warned, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”One can only hope that Israelis can find a way to step back and regain the sense of common purpose that has been the north star of the country’s existence. Michael ScottSan FranciscoTo the Editor:I am a Los Angeles native and a Jew. Given the history of Jewish persecution, I have always taken comfort in knowing that Israel is there for me just in case something terrible were ever to happen to jeopardize a safe Jewish existence in the U.S.

Persons: Israel Churns, Abraham Lincoln, “, Michael Scott San Locations: Israel, Michael Scott San Francisco, Los Angeles, U.S

☆ Foreigners, some trained by the US, are fighting on both sides in Ukraine, seeking cash and adventure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The war in Ukraine has drawn foreign fighters to the armies on both sides. While Russia is recruiting mercenaries, Ukraine has become a magnet for volunteers who want to fight Russian aggression or find adventure. By mid-2022, after Ukraine formed its International Legion of Defense, 20,000 volunteers from 52 nations had joined, according to the Ukrainian government. A new study by Italian researcher Matteo Pugliese found a bewildering array of backgrounds and motivations among the members of Ukraine's International Legion, a battalion-sized force. Ukraine's International Legion of Defense has drawn volunteers from all over the world.

Persons: —, Nepalis, Vladimir Putin, Rahmatullah Alizadah, Matteo Pugliese, Pugliese, Abraham Lincoln, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Gurkha, Russian, Nepal Express, Nepalese Army, Getty, Moscow —, Legion of Defense, Spanish Civil War's, Brigades, Nazi, Ukraine's International, NATO, ISIS, Ukraine's, Legion, Defense, Ukraine, Facebook, Kyiv, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Nepal, Dubai, Russia, Britain, Europe, Kabul, Xinhua, Afghanistan, Spanish, Canada, Syria, Australia, Poland, North America, Latin America, American, Syrian, Forbes

A recently discovered letter written by President Abraham Lincoln that offers a glimpse into his thinking during the early part of the Civil War sold this week in Pennsylvania for $85,000, according to an autograph dealer. “Discovering unpublished, unknown letters of Abraham Lincoln is increasingly rare,” Mr. Raab said in a statement about the document on the Pennsylvania collection’s website. The letter, which measures 5 by 8 inches, was sold to a private collector in the southeastern United States on Wednesday, Mr. Raab said. Dated Aug. 19, 1861, the short letter is addressed to Charles Ellet Jr., an American civil engineer and Union Army colonel, who had met the president and lobbied him for the creation of a civil engineering corps. Colonel Ellet had insisted that immediate action be taken to understand the South’s infrastructure because he felt that Washington was vulnerable.

Persons: Abraham Lincoln, Nathan Raab, Raab, Mr, Charles Ellet Jr, Ellet Organizations: Pennsylvania, Union Army Locations: Pennsylvania, United States, American, Washington

☆ Civil War-Era Abraham Lincoln Letter Sells for $85,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Joseph Pisani | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/civil-war-era-abraham-lincoln-letter-sells-for-85-000-d0acee02

Persons: Dow Jones, lincoln

☆ Josh Hawley tweeted out a misattributed quote from a segregationist newspaper on the Fourth of July
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

On the Fourth of July, Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted a quote he attributed to Patrick Henry. The quote argues that America "was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians." But it didn't come from Henry — it comes from a segregationist newspaper in Virginia in 1956. It came from a 1956 article in "The Virginian," a since-shuttered segregationist newspaper. "The above quotation from the will of Patrick Henry is a notable example."

Persons: Sen, Josh Hawley, Patrick Henry, Henry —, —, Republican Sen, Patrick Henry —, United States —, Jesus Christ, Henry, Hawley isn't, David Barton, Seth Cotlar, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Hawley Organizations: Service, Republican, United, Willamette University, Twitter Locations: America, Virginia, Missouri, United States, Henry's

☆ Opinion: As a Republican, I know the way forward cannot include Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Opinion Geoff Duncan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Geoff Duncan, a CNN political contributor and Republican, served as Georgia’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023. Geoff Duncan CNNMultiple candidates, including former President Donald Trump, have outright refused to commit to supporting the ultimate nominee. For a Republican candidate to effectively govern the country, there are far more meaningful questions worth answering. Here’s the truth: In the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election, Trump’s Department of Justice searched high and low for alleged improprieties. It’s long past time for the Republican Party to demonstrate our independence from former President Trump.

Persons: Geoff Duncan, ”, Geoff Duncan CNN, Donald Trump, Bill Barr, Trump’s, Joe Biden, Brad Raffensperger, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Barr, Trump, Al Qaeda, George Bush, Al Gore, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin’s, Ron DeSantis, Putin, Biden Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, America’s Conservative Party, Republican Party, Trump’s Department of Justice, Supreme, Georgia, NBC, Florida Governor, Trump, Texas, Russian, ”, Twitter, Facebook, Republicans, US Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, New Hampshire, Iowa, Europe, Ukraine, Russian, Florida

☆ Opinion | What We Celebrate When We Celebrate the Fourth of July
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the spring of 1859, Abraham Lincoln was invited by a committee of Boston Republicans to attend a festival in honor of Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. Instead, he sent a letter that explains, perhaps better than anything else Lincoln wrote except for the Gettysburg Address, what it is that we celebrate when we celebrate the Fourth of July. Lincoln began by noting a historical irony: Roughly 70 years earlier, America’s two main political parties had gotten their start. The Democrats of his day held “the liberty of one man to be absolutely nothing, when in conflict with another man’s right of property,” Lincoln wrote. “Republicans, on the contrary, are for both the man and the dollar, but in cases of conflict, the man before the dollar.”

Persons: Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson’s, Lincoln, “, ” Lincoln, John C, Calhoun, Stephen Douglas Organizations: Boston Republicans, Gettysburg, Democratic, Republicans, Federalists, “ Republicans

☆ Why the US ‘does not get to assume that it lasts forever’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

“We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government,” Greene said in a tweet on President’s Day this year. Blue state governors, legislatures and mayors might respond to such an offensive in forceful ways difficult to predict today. The Republican-appointed majority on the US Supreme Court has encouraged the red state social offensive with decisions that stripped away national rights – most prominently on abortion and voting. “Given the make-up of the courts, it’s difficult for blue states to be hopeful about this,” says Kettl. “The United States does not get to assume that it lasts forever.”

Persons: we’ve, ”, Donald Kettl, Donald Trump, I’ve, ’ “, Trump, Daniel Cox, Alan Wolfe, Wolfe, ” Wolfe, “, Joe Biden, Trump –, Abraham Lincoln, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin McCarthy, ” Greene, Susan Stokes, Stokes, he’s, Biden, Jim Crow, Cox, Michael Podhorzer, what’s, MAGA, Eric Liu, Liu, Richard Nixon’s, Liu’s, ” Liu Organizations: CNN, America, University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, Republican “, American Enterprise Institute, Boston University, Republican, Democratic, Chicago Center, Democracy, University of Chicago, CBS, Trump, National Guard, Fugitive, “, US, GOP, White House, AFL, Citizen University Locations: United States, States, America, Black, Confederate States, Georgia, Midwest, Heartland, Great, New York, Memphis, Austin, Blue, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona

☆ Opinion: Supreme Court drops the H-bomb and D-bomb
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. Graduates of Harvard and other Ivy League schools earn significantly more than most college graduates –— the credential opens doors. Maybe the best confirmation of that is that eight out of the nine Supreme Court justices went to law school at either Harvard or its Ivy rival, Yale. “The court’s decision Thursday is consistent with its view that race-based preferences should and would have a limited shelf life. And the Supreme Court has just guaranteed that this will be the case for many years to come.”“The court made the right decision,” wrote Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University.

Persons: Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana, ”, Harvard isn’t, –, Michael Gerhardt, Roe, Wade, Donald, Trump, Bill Bramhall, Tan, ” Ana Fernandez, Richard Kahlenberg, Harvard …, Lanhee Chen, Peniel, Joseph, Joe Biden’s, Rachel Clark, “, Ilya Somin, Biden, ” Clay Jones, Somin, Leah Litman, isn’t, aren’t, Timothy Holbrook, Nicole Hemmer, Drew Sheneman, Phil Hands, Julian Zelizer, Yorkers, Walt Handelsman, Jill Filipovic, ’, Patrick T, Brown, DeSantis, Duncan Hosie, Ken Ballen, Trump Jack Ohman, Jennifer Martin, ” Martin, Vladimir Putin’s, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, David A, Putin, Jade McGlynn, CNN’s Chris Good, it’s, Frida Ghitis, Keir Giles, Victory, Don’t, Agency Dean Obeidallah, Keith Magee, France Kara Alaimo, Vicki Shabo, Leroy Chiao, Abdullah, Billy Lezra, MonaLisa Leung Beckford, Timothy Naftali, David Horsey, It’s, Blake Moore, Marc Veasey, Hershel “ Woody ” Williams, Moore, Veasey, “ Williams, Williams, Hershel ‘ Woody ’, Abraham Lincoln, ” Moore, Lincoln Organizations: CNN, Harvard, Harvard College, Wall Street Journal, of Harvard, Ivy League, Yale, Supreme Court, University of North, University of North Carolina —, Wellesley College, Blacks, …, George Mason University, “, University of Michigan, Democratic, Agency, Trump, New Yorker, American Academy of Sleep, Soviet Union —, RFK, Republican, Utah Republican, Texas Democrat, Marines Locations: Boston, University of North Carolina, California, “, Chicago, Detroit, Great, Bedminster, New Jersey, New, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet Union, Moscow, France, Hong Kong, China, America, Utah, Texas, Iwo Jima, Lincoln

☆ From George Washington to Donald Trump, America’s obsession with secret societies is a mainstay of our democracy — and it resurfaces whenever there’s a renewed push for civil rights, author of new boo
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Multiple presidents, from George Washington to Donald Trump, have endorsed conspiracy theories. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln both openly espoused conspiracy theories of various kinds. It was important for me early on to make a distinction between actual conspiracies and conspiracy theories. And those tend to be a specific cover-up around specific things, there's an identifiable group of actors and once you start doing basic journalism, these things tend to unravel pretty quickly. So I think that's, unfortunately, where we're heading.

Persons: Colin Dickey's, George Washington, Donald Trump, —, Colin Dickey, Dickey, Trump, Abraham Lincoln, Hillary Clinton, Jeffrey Epstein Organizations: Freemasons, Service, American, United, Civil Rights Movement, People Locations: United States, —, America, Iran, Salem

☆ The G.O.P. presidential field is hailing the dismantling of affirmative action.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Neil Vigdor | Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Republicans running for president applauded the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday to strike down race-based affirmative action in college admissions, a policy that for decades has stoked the conservative agenda. Former President Donald J. Trump called the decision a “great day for America” in a statement. “People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our country, are finally being rewarded,” he said, adding, “We’re going back to all merit-based — and that’s the way it should be!”Mr. Trump’s political organization, the MAGA War Room, cast him as a main catalyst for the court’s ruling to end affirmative action, saying on Twitter that “he delivered on his promise to appoint constitutional justices.”It also made an outlandish comparison between Mr. Trump, the Republican front-runner who has been indicted twice since leaving the White House, and Abraham Lincoln, one of the party’s iconic forebears.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, ”, We’re, Abraham Lincoln Organizations: America, Twitter, Republican, White Locations: MAGA

☆ More than 100 U.S. political elites have family links to slavery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +46 min

Then the war came, and according to the family history, Union soldiers plundered Sessions’ 27-room house. About 48 years old at the time, he did not stand a chance to succeed without slavery, the family history suggests. ‘A Better Nation’Some historians and genealogists say there is a valuable reason for white leaders – and other white Americans – to explore their links to slavery. Nicka Sewell-Smith, a professional genealogist with the family history website Ancestry.com, said people frequently ask her what to do with such documents. The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Meeks said in an interview that he has spent years trying to trace his family history back before 1870.

Persons: Black, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton, James Lankford, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, Joe Biden, –, Donald Trump –, Jimmy Carter, George W, Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Trump’s, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch –, Asa Hutchinson, Doug Burgum, Tim Scott, James Clyburn, Henry McMaster, ”, Henry Louis Gates Jr, Gates, ” “, ” Gates, enslavers, Tony Burroughs, Biden, Obama, McConnell, Burroughs, Joseph Maddox, Maddox, Sela, Rubin, James, Sal, Sam ”, Graham, Graham didn’t, Nancy Mace, Drucilla, Drucilla Mace, John Mace, Hector Godbolt, John Mace’s, Godbolt, “, ” Nancy Mace, Henry Coe, Duckworth, Coe, Margaret, Isaac, Warner, George …, Isaac Franklin –, “ There’s, ” Duckworth, George Floyd, Donald Trump, ” Biden, ‘, ’, Ben Affleck, ” Affleck, Independent Angus King, Mo Brooks, ” Brooks, Sean Kelley, Kelley, White, don’t, wasn’t, Richard Sessions, Pete Sessions, Richard’s, William Sessions, John Cowger, Tom Cotton of, ” Cotton’s, Cowger, Cotton, Archibald Crawford, Juneteenth, Shaheen, Pocahontas, Edmond Dillehay, Peter ”, Milly, Lankford, ” Lankford, Joe Wilson, Stephen H, Wilson, Boineau, General David Addison Weisiger, Wilson –, Addison Graves Wilson –, Weisiger “, ” Wilson, Daniel Weisiger, Daniel Weisiger’s, Samuel, Samuel Weisiger, Daniel, Julia Brownley, Jesse Brownley, Brownley, ” Brownley, Thomas Ferguson, Brooks, Manumission, Marie Jenkins Schwartz, ” “ It’s, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, Harvard’s Gates, Sherman, Andrew Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, Nicka Sewell, Smith, Ancestry.com, ” Sewell, LaBrenda Garrett, Nelson, Garrett, Rick Larsen, John Wiggins, Larsen, – Gilbura, George, Agg –, ” Larsen, Gilbura, Agg, Gregory Meeks, Meeks, Jim Crow South, – Meeks, – “, ” Meeks, “ I’m, I’m, Tom Bergin, Makini Brice, Nicholas P, Brown, Donna Bryson, Lawrence Delevingne, Brad Heath, Andrea Januta, Gui Qing Koh, Tom Lasseter, Grant Smith, Maurice Tamman, Catherine Tai Design, John Emerson, Jane Ross, Emma Jehle, Jeremy Schultz, Blake Morrison Organizations: Reuters, Republicans, U.S, Supreme, Republican, Harvard University, PBS, United States Congress, Representative, WikiLeaks, Sony, Facebook, White, FedEx, National Museum of, 117th, Independent, University of Essex, Geographic, American Economic, Pete Sessions, Sessions, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jeanne Shaheen U.S, CNN, Biden, Trump, ” Reuters, South, South Carolina General Assembly, Confederate, statehouse, Congressional, Chesterfield County, Mount Vernon College, George Washington University, Mo Brooks Former U.S, “, New York Times, United, Federal Government, Union, Black, Southern, Democrat, House Foreign Affairs, Klux Klan Locations: U.S, America, Confederate States, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Carolina, Congress, Black, Northern, Southern, Illinois, Virginia, Frederick County , Virginia, United States, Minnesota, ”, Mo Brooks of Alabama, American, Texas, Mississippi, Chicot County , Arkansas, Chicot County, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Yell County, Yell County , Arkansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Frankfurt, Germany, Chesterfield County , Virginia, California, Portsmouth , Virginia, Alabama, Haywood County , North Carolina, Antebellum, United States of America, Washington, Nicholas County , Kentucky, Queens , New York, New York, York County, Mende, Sierra Leone, Africa, Bunce

☆ Should the U.S. government pay reparations for slavery and its legacy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

The poll found that 74% of Black Americans favor reparations compared to just 26% of white Americans. A divided America Views on whether the U.S. government should provide some form of reparations for slavery and its legacy are split along party and racial lines. They also say it’s wrong to have taxpayers finance reparations, given that no one alive today is responsible for slavery. In April 2021, Gohmert went on the attack by proposing an amendment calling for the Democratic Party to pay for reparations. In the slavery era, the Democratic Party supported slavery; the Republican Party, led by Abraham Lincoln, called for slavery’s restriction and eventually abolished it.

Persons: –, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, Lloyd Doggett, Tommy Tuberville, John N, Kennedy, Louie Gohmert, ”, Black, Robert Lindsay, Gohmert, Abraham Lincoln, Lindsay, Valentine, ” Tuberville, “, Tuberville, Valentine Brazil, Nathan Calhoun, ” Kennedy, Nathan Calhoun’s, Dabney P, Calhoun, John Crawford, ’ Warren, Warren, – Crawford, Crawford, ” Warren, Isaac Hollingsworth, ’, Van Hollen, ” Van Hollen, Miller Doggett, Doggett, ” Doggett, Jim Crow, Tom Bergin, Makini Brice, Nicholas P, Brown, Donna Bryson, Lawrence Delevingne, Brad Heath, Andrea Januta, Gui Qing Koh, Tom Lasseter, Grant Smith, Maurice Tamman, Catherine Tai Design, John Emerson, Jeremy Schultz, Blake Morrison Organizations: Black, Reuters, –, 117th, U.S ., Louie Gohmert Former U.S, Representative, Republican, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Vigilance, Kennedy U.S, Massachusetts Democrat, Senate, Chris Van Hollen U.S, Maryland, Lloyd Doggett U.S, H.R, Texas Democrat Locations: United States, America, U.S . Civil, Louie Gohmert Former, Texas, Europe, Bowie County , Texas, Boston, Bowie County, Alabama, Valentine Brazil, Nevada, Tuberville, Saline County , Arkansas, Brazil, Ouachita, Louisiana, Abbeville , South Carolina, Massachusetts, Dorchester County , Maryland, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee

Here are the meanings of the least-found words that were used in (mostly) recent Times articles. — When Fashion Becomes a Form of Protest (Aug. 17, 2016)2. botnet — a network of hijacked computers used maliciously:The Dutch responded by launching the H.T.C.U. Since then, it has become one of the world’s leading law enforcement forces in fighting cybercrime. And the reading of the Summer Book can fall effortlessly within the world of the three L’s. — The Ezra Klein Show: The Men — and Boys — Are Not All Right (March 10, 2023)And the list of the week’s easiest words:

Persons: nankeen, — Mercedes, —, — Rafael Viñoly, ’, Abraham Lincoln, Waterston, — Sam Waterston, glia, glia —, zigzaggy, Ezra Klein Organizations: Benz, Safety Technology, ‘ Locations: Nanjing, China, chino, Pennington, Lymington, Hampshire

☆ What is Juneteenth? History of US federal holiday and its celebration explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Juneteenth, long a regional holiday in the U.S. South, rose in prominence following protests in 2020 over police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other African Americans. Juneteenth, a combination of the words June and 19th, is also known as Emancipation Day. Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada and Tennessee have made Juneteenth a permanent public holiday for the first time this year, according to the Pew Research Center. In Alabama and West Virginia, Juneteenth has been authorized as a state holiday for this year by a governor’s proclamation. People are also celebrating the holiday by organizing for civil rights, reading books about African American heritage and history, attending festivals and musical performances, and dining at Black-owned restaurants.

Persons: Crystal Howard, Read, Joe Biden, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Abraham Lincoln's, Juneteenth, Aurora Ellis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Black Americans, U.S, District, Columbia, Pew Research, The U.S, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Texas, U.S, Nashville , Tennessee, United States, Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada, Tennessee, Alabama, West Virginia, America, The

☆ What is open on Juneteenth 2023?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Almost 40% of US employers now provide Juneteenth as a paid holiday, a significant increase from just 9% two years ago, according to data from HR consulting firm Mercer. It became a federal holiday in 2021, after President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. Here is what’s open and closed on Juneteenth 2023. TD Bank, which remained open last Juneteenth, will also be closed on Monday. RetailersMost major retailers and grocery stores will be open on Juneteenth.

Persons: Mercer, Juneteenth, Joe Biden, Gordon Granger, —, Abraham Lincoln, Brandon Bell, Wells, Patrick T, Fallon Organizations: New, New York CNN, Union Army, Communities, United States Post, FedEx, UPS, Federal Reserve, Bank of America, Chase, TD Bank, Getty, Nasdaq, New York Stock Exchange, Juneteenth ., Pew, Walmart, Target Locations: New York, Galveston , Texas, United States, Houston , Texas, Rolling Hills Estates , California, AFP

☆ Analysis: As the nation celebrates Juneteenth, it's time to get rid of these three myths about slavery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

It marks the moment in June of 1865 when Union troops arrived in Texas to inform enslaved African Americans that they were free by executive decree. Though it commemorates a moment when enslaved African Americans were freed, the US is still held captive by several myths about slavery and people like Cummins. 1: African Americans were ‘freed’ after the Civil War endedThere is a popular conception that the formerly enslaved were freed after the Civil War ended. It is what historians call a “Slave Bible.” It is a copy of a Bible that was used by British missionaries to convert enslaved African Americans. Kin Cheung/APThe historical record shows that enslaved African Americans revitalized Christianity in other ways, historians say.

Persons: Tempie ” Cummins stoically, Cummins, “, ‘, ’ ” Cummins, gainst, Tempie Cummins, Congress Juneteenth, ” Abraham Lincoln, ” “ There’s, ”, Tobin Miller Shearer, ” Albert J, Raboteau, ’, Clint Smith, ” Smith, Smith, Susan Merritt, …, ” Merritt, Frederick Dielman, Douglas A, Caleb McDaniel, Leslie Wilson, Wilson, ” Wilson, Bunny, Uncle Remus, Joel C, Harris, Albert Murray, ” White, ” Murray, Leon Harris, ” Malcolm X, Nat Turner, Martin Luther King Jr, ” Harris, Kin Cheung, God, ” Raboteau, Juneteenth, White, John Blake Organizations: CNN, New, Library, Congress, African American Studies, University of Montana, New York Times, Former Confederate, Rusk, District of Columbia, Colored People, Montclair State University, Getty, Museum, Biola University Locations: Jasper , Texas, eavesdrop, Texas, Antebellum, Whites, Rusk Country , Texas, Sabine, District, Washington, America, New Jersey, Southern, West Africa, United States, Washington , DC, California, Lambeth, London, Israel

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