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“I'm focused on the work,” Mayorkas said, “that's what brings me to Las Vegas today.”The Homeland secretary shared the reason for a seven-minute timeout that paused the AFC championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs on Jan 28. “Super Bowl is a no-drone zone.”Karon Ransom, U.S. Secret Service agent in charge in Las Vegas, put the number of federal law enforcement agents in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl and related events at 750. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill issued a familiar call for people who see something to say something and noted that Las Vegas has hosted a series of recent headline-grabbing events: the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix in November; a University of Nevada, Las Vegas shooting in December; New Year's Eve fireworks that drew hundreds of thousands of revelers to the Las Vegas Strip. At least 65,000 people are expected at Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl, and Las Vegas tourism officials estimate the number of hotel guests and visitors in the area will top 330,000. Displaying a table piled high with fake sports memorabilia including jerseys, T-shirts, caps and a silver replica of the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy, officials said investigators seized nearly $1 million worth of counterfeit merchandise over the weekend.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Mayorkas, “ I'm, ” Mayorkas, “, Cathy Lanier, Karon Ransom, ” Spencer Evans, Evans, Kevin McMahill, ” McMahill, Harry Reid, Vince Lombardi Organizations: Vegas, —, NFL, ” League, FBI, Secret Service, Homeland, Allegiant, . House, Biden Administration, AFC, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, T Bank, Authorities, “, Super, Las, Prix, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Harry, Harry Reid International, Customs, Border, Transportation Security Administration Locations: U.S, Mexico, Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Vegas, Clark County

On Wednesday the White House said it believes an umbrella group of militants called Islamic Resistance in Iraq was behind the drone attack in Jordan. He stopped short of assigning exact blame on Kata’ib Hezbollah, the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq, saying it was not the only group responsible for previous attacks on US bases. On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said his country will not initiate a war but will “respond strongly” to bullies. In a sign of a possible effort to quell the tensions, Kataib Hezbollah, announced on Tuesday the suspension of its military operations against US forces in the region. “We are announcing the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces (US troops) - in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government,” Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Lloyd Austin, ”, ” Austin, We’re, ” John Kirby, “, ” Kirby, Ebrahim Raisi, ” Kataib, Akram Al Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, National Security Council, White, Hezbollah, US, Free Hezbollah Brigades Locations: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Jordan, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, United States, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian Hormozgan province

☆ Prosecutors in Documents Case Reject Trump’s Claims of Bias
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Federal prosecutors pushed back on Friday against former President Donald J. Trump’s contention that his prosecution over the handling of classified documents was motivated by a longstanding bias against him among the intelligence agencies and other government officials. The pushback by the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, came in a 67-page court filing. The filing was intended to argue against Mr. Trump’s requests for additional discovery materials in the classified documents case. When Mr. Trump’s lawyers made those requests for materials last month, they signaled that they planned to place accusations that the intelligence community and other members of the so-called deep state were biased against Mr. Trump at the heart of their defense. But Mr. Smith’s team said that the former president’s requests for additional information were “based on speculative, unsupported, and false theories of political bias and animus.”

Persons: Donald J, Jack Smith, Trump, Smith’s, ” Organizations: Mr

Washington CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith’s office is defending how the federal government during Joe Biden’s presidency sought to repossess White House records Donald Trump took, and how the case evolved into a federal investigation. The prosecutors say Trump’s legal team has attempted to distort the events in his favor – including by claiming he had a security clearance that extended past his presidency. But the prosecutors on Friday wrote Trump’s team “not only knew” of the Biden White House being part of the discussion, they also approved of it. On Friday, the special counsel’s office argued the case’s evolution followed Justice Department protocol, including in how White House employees spoke with DOJ officials. According to the filing, there has not been any communication between prosecutors and Biden or senior White House political officials either about the investigation or otherwise.

Persons: Jack Smith’s, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, “, ”, Trump, they’ve, Jonathan Su, Biden, –, Intelligence Community “, Trump’s, ” Smith’s, it’s Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, National Archives, Justice Department, Biden White House, Department of Energy, White House, Biden White, Counsel’s, DOJ, Department, White, ” Prosecutors, . Prosecutors, of Energy, DOE, Intelligence, Department of Defense, Prosecutors, Trump Organization, FBI, Defense, Service, Mar, FBI Headquarters, Biden, NARA, National Security Council, Records Management, Intelligence Community Locations: Trump’s Florida, Florida, Mar, Lago, magnetometers

☆ US sees signs Iran is worried about escalating proxy attacks amid heightened tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Officials cautioned that there is no sense that Tehran’s growing wariness is likely to change its broader strategy of supporting proxy attacks on US and Western targets — although it could signal adjustments around the margins. But officials do believe that Iran is pursuing a calibrated approach to the conflict that is designed to avoid sparking all-out war. But some current and former US officials are skeptical that Iran will substantively change its tactics. ‘Varying degress of loyalty’The escalations also underscore the varying degrees of control that Iran actually has over its proxy groups. Among the groups, Iran has the least amount of operational control over the Houthis in Yemen, multiple officials told CNN.

Persons: Biden, Bill Burns, Norm Roule, Roule, “, Fadel, Ahmad Al, Jonathan Lord, ”, ” Lord, Israel “, Hossein, Mohammed Hamoud, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re Organizations: Militant, Iranian, CNN, White, CIA, Foreign Affairs, Getty, Middle East Security, Center, New, US Navy, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Anadolu Agency, Command, UN, Chinese Foreign, White House Locations: Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, United States, Tehran, China, India, Gaza, Europe, Baghdad, AFP, New American, Israel, Africa, Beijing, Bani, Sanaa, Red, Somalia, Bangkok, “ Beijing

☆ White House formally assigns blame for drone strike in Jordan that killed 3 American service members
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —The US believes an umbrella group of militants called Islamic Resistance in Iraq was behind the drone attack in Jordan that killed three American service members, the White House said Wednesday, its first formal attribution for the incident. “We believe that the attack in Jordan was planned, resourced and facilitated by an umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which contains multiple groups including Kata’ib Hezbollah,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. He stopped short of assigning exact blame on Kata’ib Hezbollah, saying it was not the only group responsible for previous attacks on US bases. In addition to the three killed, more than 40 US troops were injured. Biden told reporters on Tuesday that he had decided how to respond to the strike, but remained vague on what exactly the response would be.

Persons: John Kirby, ”, servicemembers, William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, Sanders, Moffett, Biden, Kirby Organizations: Washington CNN, US, Hezbollah, ” National Security, Army Reserve, Dover Air Force Base Locations: Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Carrollton , Georgia, Waycross , Georgia, Savannah , Georgia, Germany

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran said Sunday it successfully launched three satellites into space, the latest for a program that the West says improves Tehran's ballistic missiles. The state-run IRNA news agency said the launch also saw the successful use of Iran's Simorgh rocket, which has had multiple failures in the past. There have been five failed launches in a row for the Simorgh program, another satellite-carrying rocket. U.N. sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program expired last October. ___Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

Persons: Amir Vahdat Organizations: JERUSALEM, —, Sunday, Associated Press, State TV, Security, Associated Locations: — Iran, Semnan province, State, Kayhan, States, Tehran, U.S, Iran

☆ US secretly warned Iran before ISIS terror attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US secretly warned Iran that ISIS was planning a potential terror attack inside Iran’s borders before the group carried out a deadly attack near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani on January 3, according to a US official. The private warning was based on intelligence the US had obtained about ISIS’ plans and was given to Iran based on the US government’s “duty to warn” policy, the official said. “Prior to ISIS’ terrorist attack on January 3, 2024, in Kerman, Iran, the US government provided Iran with a private warning that there was a terrorist threat within Iranian borders,” the official said. “The US government followed a longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy that has been implemented across administrations to warn governments against potential lethal threats. We provide these warnings in part because we do not want to see innocent lives lost in terror attacks.”The Iranian government was ultimately unable to stop the ISIS attack, which was the deadliest in Iran since its 1979 revolution.

Persons: Qasem Soleimani, “, ” Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Wall Street, UN, National Intelligence Locations: Iran, Kerman

The testy clashes have come to be expected as Trump's lawyers carry into the courtroom the bombastic, and often antagonistic, style that defines his campaign trail demeanor. There's no doubt that the lawyers, with some exceptions, have struggled to score major points with judges and in fact have often provoked their ire. Both cases have been defined by contentious exchanges between judges and Trump and his lawyers. In November, for instance, they pushed unsuccessfully for a mistrial in the fraud case, accusing Judge Arthur Engoron of “tangible and overwhelming” bias. Chutkan has repeatedly admonished Trump’s lawyers for political arguments, once telling attorney John Lauro during debate over whether restrictions could be placed on Trump's speech that though she knew he had a “message” to convey, she didn't want campaign rhetoric in court.

Persons: Alina Habba, ”, Lewis A, Kaplan, There's, Trump, “ Trump, Ty Cobb, ” Trump, E, Jean Carroll, Judge Arthur Engoron, Engoron, Christophe Kise, Kise, Habba, he’d, “, ” Kaplan, Joe Biden, ” They’ve, Biden, Tanya Chutkan, Barack Obama, Chutkan, John Lauro, Lauro, Todd Blanche, Chris Kise, Tim Parlatore, Joe Tacopina, Tacopina, — “, “ Donald Trump, Donald Trump, that’s, Aileen Cannon, Trump’s, ” Stephen Saltzburg, ___ Richer, Larry Neumeister Organizations: Trump White House, Trump, Biden, Justice Department, U.S, MSNBC, George Washington University, Associated Press Locations: New York, Washington, Atlanta, Georgia, York, Florida, Lago, Boston, Sisak

On December 22, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for further extended humanitarian pauses to allow more aid into Gaza. People carry some of their belongings as they walk to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on January 4, fleeing central Gaza. But even as foreign aid to Gaza rose in the wake of the Hamas takeover, the amount of aid fluctuates annually, OECD data shows. In 2018, the Trump administration cut about $200 million in Palestinian aid and halted contributions to UNRWA. Medicine for Israeli hostages and Palestinians entered Gaza last Wednesday after Qatar brokered a deal with Israel and Hamas.

Persons: Khan Younis, —, Majdi, Fatah, Mohammed Abed, ”, Yara Asi, Israel, René Wildangel, Wildangel, ” Asi, Trump, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, United Nations, West Bank, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs, Service, Aid, World Health Organization, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, UN, Assembly, UNRWA, IDF, UN Security, World Food, Palestinian, Statistics, World Bank, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, West Bank ., Getty, University of Central, “, International Hellenic University, Amnesty, Palestinian Central Bureau, European Union, Organization for Economic Co, Development, Obama, Qatar Locations: Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, UN, Rafah, South Africa, Oslo Accords, AFP, Palestine, University of Central Florida, Oslo, Thessaloniki, Greece, United States, Europe, Qatar

☆ Trump Signals Plans to Go After Intelligence Community in Document Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lawyers for former President Donald J. Trump said in court papers filed on Tuesday night that they intended to place accusations that the intelligence community was biased against Mr. Trump at the heart of their defense against charges accusing him of illegally holding onto dozens of highly sensitive classified documents after he left office. The lawyers also indicated that they were planning to defend Mr. Trump by seeking to prove that the investigation of the case was “politically motivated and biased.”The court papers, filed in Federal District Court in Fort Pierce, Fla., gave the clearest picture yet of the scorched earth legal strategy that Mr. Trump is apparently planning to use in fighting the classified documents indictment handed up over the summer. While the 68-page filing was formally a request by Mr. Trump’s lawyers to the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, to provide them with reams of additional information that they believe can help them fight the charges, it often read more like a list of political talking points than a brief of legal arguments.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Jack Smith Organizations: Mr, Court Locations: Fort Pierce, Fla

☆ US charges ex-ambassador with spying for Cuba over decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rocha, 73, was arrested and is expected to appear before a federal judge in Miami on Monday. Bolivian President Hugo Banzer shakes hands with Victor Manuel Rocha, the then U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, during a ceremony in the Goverment Palace in La Paz, August 3, 2000. File photo DM/JP/HB Acquire Licensing RightsRocha worked for the State Department from 1981 to 2002, the Justice Department said. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters he was unable to provide details on an ongoing law enforcement matter.

Persons: Victor Manuel Rocha, Merrick Garland, Rocha, Hugo Banzer, Matthew Miller, Miller, Andrew Goudsward, Katharine Jackson, Ismail Shakil, Simon Lewis, Rami Ayyub, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Justice, Justice Department, Cuban, United, Bolivian, HB, State Department, White, National Security Council, . military's Southern Command, Washington, Directorate of Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, Bolivia, Cuba, Miami, Goverment, La Paz, Florida, U.S

☆ What did Israel know about Hamas’ October 7 attack?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Rob Picheta | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7 left Israel flat-footed, sparking a backlash that is still rippling through the country. But a report from the New York Times claimed Israel obtained Hamas’ plan for the attack more than a year in advance. Here’s what we know about Israel and the US’ advance knowledge of the attack. What did Israel reportedly know about the attack? Then, on October 6, the day before the attack, US officials circulated reporting from Israel indicating unusual activity by Hamas — indications that are now clear: an attack was imminent.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Haaretz, Times, …, Palestinian, Hamas, CIA, Intelligence Locations: Israel, Gaza

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Fauci, former chief White House medical adviser, is expected to testify before Congress early next year as part of Republicans' yearslong investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and the U.S. response to the disease. Fauci, who served as the nation's top infectious disease expert before retiring last year, will sit for transcribed interviews in early January and a public hearing at a later date. House Republicans have investigated whether Fauci or other U.S. government officials took part in any sort of cover-up about the origin of the deadly virus. Fauci, who served under both Republican and Democratic presidents, has repeatedly called the GOP criticism nonsense. Political Cartoons View All 1273 ImagesWenstrup, who is also a longtime member of the House Intelligence Committee, has accused Fauci and U.S. intelligence of withholding key facts about its investigation into the coronavirus.

Persons: — Anthony Fauci, Fauci, Brad Wenstrup, Sen, Ted Cruz, Merrick Garland, Amanda Seitz, Nomaan Merchant Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, Republicans, Republican, Fauci, Democratic, House Intelligence, Wuhan, of Virology, National Institutes of Health, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Wuhan, Texas

☆ New report says the IDF's elite intelligence unit saw signs Hamas was preparing a terror attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A new report says an elite IDF intelligence unit warned that Hamas was practicing for a big attack. AdvertisementAn elite intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) saw signs that Hamas was preparing for a massive terror attack, but early warnings ultimately went ignored, according to a new report. Unit 8200 is part of the IDF's decades-old Military Intelligence Directorate, which is responsible for collecting and processing intelligence from enemy groups like Hamas. Chris McGrath/Getty ImagesAccording to Channel 12's reporting, the NCO's colleagues did not ignore the warnings, and they even collected intelligence on additional Hamas training a few days later. For example, Israeli intelligence was focused on other threats, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, and downplayed the dangers of Hamas.

Persons: —, Chris McGrath, Paul, didn't, Benjamin Netanyahu, Haim Zach, Handout, it's, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Hamas might've, Alisa Kaff Organizations: Service, Israel Defense Forces, Military Intelligence Directorate, Hamas, IDF, West Bank, Quincy Institute, Responsible, Government Press Office, REUTERS Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Bani Suheila, Gaza City, Kibbutz Be'eri, Lebanon, Washington, Tze'elim, what's

☆ Trump Seeks to Use Trial to Challenge Findings That 2020 Election Was Fair
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Alan Feuer | More About Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But even if his lawyers get far less than what they asked for, the scope of their requests can be read as a kind of outline of how they plan to fight the case, which is set to go to trial in March in Federal District Court in Washington. At the heart of their strategy, the court papers say, is a plan to call into question findings made by the intelligence community, the F.B.I. and other federal agencies that the election was not marred by widespread fraud. Those requests were only some of the 59 separate demands for records made in more than 70 pages of court papers submitted by Mr. Trump’s legal team. Looking for anything that could help them prove the race was not secure, the lawyers made additional requests for information about how federal officials assessed cyberattacks around the time of the election and about attempts by foreign governments to interfere in it.

Persons: Trump, Judge Chutkan, Jack Smith Organizations: Court Locations: Washington

☆ Trump legal team lays out strategy to argue he was right to doubt results of 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Katelyn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Trump’s defense team is asking for information from several past government investigations, including around the election results and about the recent classified documents probe into his former Vice President Mike Pence. Multiple investigations have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. The Pence investigation ended with no criminal charges in June. Pence testified to a federal grand jury in the 2020 election investigation in the spring. Pence’s confidential testimony in the Trump 2020 election case, some of his aides testified, was under oath before a federal grand jury, and a judge decided he must answer questions under subpoena.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Mike Pence, Trump, ”, “, Biden Administration’s, ’ ‘, ’, ‘ Department of Homeland Security’s, ’ ” It’s, Pence Organizations: CNN, Trump, “, ‘, White House Attorneys, Justice Department, Intelligence, ‘ Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency Locations: Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump had a “good faith” basis to question the results of the 2020 election, his lawyers said in demanding that prosecutors turn over any evidence related to voting irregularities and potential foreign interference in the contest won by Democrat Joe Biden. Political Cartoons View All 1267 ImagesBut the Trump team asserts in the 37-page filing that he had reason to question the results. It also revisits the intelligence community's effort in 2020 to discern potential interference by countries including Russia, China and Iran. It quotes from a Jan. 7, 2021 memo from John Ratcliffe, the then-director of national intelligence and a close Trump ally, that said China sought to influence the election. The Trump lawyers have already asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to dismiss the indictment, saying he is shielded from prosecution by presidential immunity and arguing that the charges violate his First Amendment rights.

Persons: — Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Trump, President Trump, Jack Smith's, ”, Hillary Clinton, John Ratcliffe, Smith, Tanya Chutkan Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democrat, Homeland Security, Republican, Democratic, Intelligence Community, Defense, U.S . Capitol, Trump loyalists, Capitol, Trump, U.S Locations: Washington, Moscow, Russia, China, Iran, Russian

☆ Passing at home, failing abroad: Grading Mike Johnson's first month as speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In late October, House Republicans settled on a little-known congressman as their next leader. AdvertisementMike Johnson has been the speaker of the House for just under a month now following a testy race to succeed ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Johnson's so-called "laddered" approach has been heavily criticized by congressional Democrats, Republicans, and even the White House, who called it an "unserious proposal." AdvertisementSection 702: FailFBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Washington. AdvertisementWith just over a month left until the authorization expires, though, Johnson's been mum on the topic since becoming speaker.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, —, Johnson, here's, Tom Brenner, McCarthy, Biden, Tom Emmer, Elise Stefanik, Steve Scalise, Alex Wong, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Mandel Ngan, Michael McCaul, McCaul, Sandy Huffaker, Congress didn't, Christopher Wray, Evan Vucci, Jim Jordan, Johnson's, Patrick McHenry, Win McNamee, who's, he'd, McCarthy's Organizations: Republicans, Business, Service, The Washington, Getty, House Republican, Capitol, House Republicans, Internal Revenue Service, Democratic, White, Congress, Republican, Foreign Affairs Committee, American Farm Bureau Federation, Texas Farm Bureau, Foreign Intelligence, Associated Press, GOP Rep, FBI Locations: Israel, Gaza, Washington , DC, Ukraine, AFP, Mexico, Taiwan, California, Texas, Washington

The tool, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, will expire at the end of December unless the White House and Congress can cut a deal and resolve an unusually vexing debate that has yielded unlikely alliances at the intersection of privacy and national security. Without the program, administration officials warn, the government won't be able to collect crucial intelligence overseas. National security officials have said that 59% of articles in the president’s daily brief contain Section 702 information. The White House has already dismissed as unworkable the one known legislative proposal that’s been advanced. Despite the clear challenges in reaching a compromise, the last-minute scramble between the White House and Congress has come to be expected each time the government’s surveillance powers are set to be renewed.

Persons: Biden, Matthew Olsen, Ayman al, Donald Trump, Trump, “, ”, Jamil Jaffer, George Mason University’s, That’s, Jim Jordan, Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Wyden, Andy Biggs, —, We’re, ” Wyden, “ We’ve, Farnoush Amiri Organizations: WASHINGTON, Foreign Intelligence, House, Department's, Hamas, Trump, White House, Congress, National Security Institute, George, White, Capitol, FBI, Republican Rep, Democratic, Republican, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Russia

Supporters watch Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah deliver an address in Lebanon on November 11. On the US: Nasrallah accused the US of “administering” the Israeli operation in Gaza and chastised it for supporting the continuation of Israel’s operation in Gaza. Hezbollah’s chief described Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria as having created “supporting fronts” for Hamas in Gaza. US officials are deeply concerned that the group’s internal politics may cause Hezbollah to escalate simmering tensions. He also urged for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling it Hezbollah’s first priority.

Persons: General Hassan Nasrallah, Aziz Taher, Nasrallah, ”, it’s, ” Nasrallah, Alaa, Israel, Hezbollah’s, –, Israel — Nasrallah Organizations: Reuters, Israel Defense Forces, “, Reuters Hezbollah, CNN, Hezbollah, Israel Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Iran, Lebanese, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, –

☆ U.S. Officials Have Growing Confidence in Death Toll Reports From Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | Jared Malsin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

At least one explosion struck Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital on Friday as Israeli forces inched closer. The World Health Organization said that Al-Shifa was coming under bombardment. Photo: Khoder Al-Zaanoun/AFP/Getty ImagesThe U.S. intelligence community has growing confidence that reports on the death toll from health authorities in Hamas-controlled Gaza are roughly accurate, U.S. officials said. This reliance on the Palestinian data is a partial shift by the Biden administration, which earlier in the war described the numbers from Gaza as untrustworthy.

Persons: Gaza’s Al, inched, Shifa, Khoder, Biden Organizations: Shifa, World Health Organization, Getty Locations: AFP, Gaza

☆ Billionaire FBI informant Peter Thiel dished about two Kremlin invites to private Putin meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | Hans-Martin Tillack | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

It was Angermayer who introduced Bisslinger to Thiel at the party, Thiel would later tell the FBI. After some small talk, Bisslinger made a pitch to Thiel: Thiel should travel to Russia to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. If Thiel chose to attend, Bisslinger said, Bisslinger would arrange for him to meet privately with Putin. "Even if Mr. Angermayer did introduce Mr. Thiel and Mr. Bisslinger," the lawyers wrote in another letter, "Mr. Angermayer is not—and cannot be—responsible for whatever Mr. Bisslinger and Mr. Thiel may or may not have discussed." At his 40th birthday, he connected Peter Thiel with a Russian diplomat, Thiel later told the FBI.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Christian Angermayer, Thiel, Daniil Bisslinger, Bisslinger, Vladimir Putin's, Angermayer, Putin, Maksim Konstantinov, —, Frank Figliuzzi, Vladimir Putin, — Charles Johnson —, Johnathan Buma, Johnson, Welt, Dmitry Peskov, John Lamparski, Donald Trump, — Thiel, Der Spiegel, he'd, Elon Musk, Musk, Thiel —, he's, Palantir, He's, Uma Thurman, Robbie Williams, Queen Latifah, Paul Kagame, Dan McCrum, John Kerry, Richard Grenell, Kerry, Sensei Biotherapeutics, Trump, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Maureen Dowd, Alexander Schütz, Eva Schütz, Schütz, — Heinz, Christian Strache, Markus Braun, Jan Marsalek, Marsalek, Caroline Haskins, Katherine Long, Jack Newsham, Mattathias Schwartz, Hans, Martin Tillack Organizations: Kremlin, Tech, Pentagon, CIA, Facebook, SpaceX, Kremlin's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Embassy, Thiel, St ., Economic, Getty, FBI, Atlantic, Bisslinger, Germany, Elon, Russia, NSA, US Special Operations Command, National Health Service, Apeiron Investment, Munich Security, intel, Trump, State Department, Angermayer's, PayPal, Nasdaq, Sciences, The New York Times, Deutsche Bank, Welt Locations: Silicon Valley, Schloss Neuwaldegg, Vienna, Silicon, Moscow, Russian, Berlin, Russia, St, St . Petersburg, Petersburg, Ukraine, Europe, Germany, NATO, Crimea, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Palantir, Washington, Rwanda, Baltic, Belarus, Iran, Angermayer's Malta, Munich, China, China's, Austrian, Austria, Exxpress, Wirecard, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ How the GOP muzzled the quiet coalition that fought foreign propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Kevin Collier | Ken Dilanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

A once-robust alliance of federal agencies, tech companies, election officials and researchers that worked together to thwart foreign propaganda and disinformation has fragmented after years of sustained Republican attacks. The most recent setback came when the FBI put an indefinite hold on most briefings to social media companies about Russian, Iranian and Chinese influence campaigns. "We're having some interaction with social media companies," Wray said. "The symbiotic relationship between the government and the social media companies has definitely been fractured." Tech companies are still sharing their findings with each other, a Meta spokesperson told NBC News.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Wray, Sen, Mitt Romney, they're, Mark Warner, Warner, Hillary Clinton's, Barack, CISA, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Hunter, Mark Zuckerburg, Hunter Biden, didn't, Biden, Nina Jankowicz, Jankowicz, Jen, Jim Jordan, Kara Swisher, we're, Elon Musk, wasn't Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Washington , D.C, GOP, FBI, Force, NBC News, Senate Homeland Security Committee, Justice Department, Committee, Republican, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Microsoft, Senate Intelligence, Kremlin, Internet Research Agency, Facebook, Twitter, National Security Agency, Democrats, New, Digital, Republicans, Homeland Security, Wired, Rep, Tech Locations: Washington ,, Silicon Valley, R, Utah, Russia, Iran, China, U.S, Illinois, CISA, New York, Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Israel

☆ Iran envoy says Tehran had no direct role in Hamas’ Israel rampage, or proxy attacks on US forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jennifer Deaton | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Iravani said there was cooperation and collaboration, but that Iran was not directing any of those operations. He likened Iran’s role to that of the US in providing assistance to Israel. Tehran has long been accused of arming Hamas and other Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as regional attacks by its proxies have escalated and become increasingly frequent. CNN pressed Iravani as to whether Iran supported Hamas’ murder of women and children and its hostage-taking on October 7. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shi’a movement based in Lebanon with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East, has also said that Hamas’ attack was kept secret from them.

Persons: Amir Saeid Iravani, Iravani, “, ”, Defense Lloyd Austin, General Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah Organizations: CNN, Republic’s United Nations, UN, United States, Pentagon, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Defense, Quds Force, US, Hamas, Israel Locations: Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Houthis, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, IRGC, UN, Tehran, Gaza, East

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