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☆ ‘We’re hemorrhaging money’: US health clinics try to stay open after unprecedented cyberattack
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —For more than two weeks, a cyberattack has disrupted business at health care providers across the United States, forcing small clinics to scramble to stay in business and exposing the fragility of the billing system that underpins American health care. It prevented some insurance payments on prescription drugs from processing, leaving many care providers effectively footing the bill without reimbursement. Health care groups have pleaded with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer medical practices a financial lifeline. A week ago, Change Healthcare announced plans for a temporary loan program to get money flowing to health care providers affected by the outage. Tyler Mason, a spokesperson for Change Healthcare, declined to comment when asked if the company had paid off the hackers.

Persons: ”, Catherine Reinheimer, Mel Davies, ” Jesse Ehrenfeld, Reinheimer, Richard Pollack, Carter Groome, ” Groome, Tyler Mason, ALPHV, ” Ari Redbord, Joshua Corman, Corman, “ Organizations: CNN, Change Healthcare, Health, Department of Health, Human Services, Oregon Oncology, Healthcare, American Medical Association, US, Medical Group Management Association, Community Oncology Alliance, American Hospital Association, Justice Department, ALPHV, Labs Locations: United States, Philadelphia, UnitedHealth, Oregon

Israel Defense Forces fighter jets carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah targets Friday, after the military said it detected several rocket launches from southern Lebanon. "Following the strike on the military post, secondary explosions were identified, indicating that weapons were located inside the post," the IDF claimed. On its Telegram channel, Hezbollah confirmed that the group carried out artillery strikes on Israeli military sites Friday. A senior US official told CNN: "Washington is unaware of the reports of a March 15 deadline. It has also been updated with the details of a report about a possible March 15 deadline for Hezbollah.

Persons: CNN's Zeena Saifi, Becky Anderson Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Lebanese, CNN, Hamas Locations: Lebanon, Marwahin, Labbouneh, Israel, Washington, Gaza, Iran

☆ Biden administration sanctions makers of commercial spyware used to surveil US
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Bad actors have used commercial spyware to target at least 50 US government officials, the Biden administration said last year as it unveiled an executive order banning federal agencies from using the technology. In 2021, the US government said NSO Group’s spyware had been used against roughly a dozen State Department employees serving in Africa. The US government has sought to build international support for curbing the use of commercial spyware, and last month, it announced visa restrictions for anyone seeking to enter the United States who has been involved in the commercial spyware industry. The use of commercial spyware “has been linked to arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings in the most egregious of cases,” the State Department said at the time. On Tuesday, the Biden administration vowed to watch closely for signs that Intellexa may seek to circumvent the sanctions.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Tal Jonathan Dilian, Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou, Côte, Biden, Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, Treasury Department, Intellexa Consortium, US, Google, Pegasus, Intellexa, Amnesty International, State Department, Commerce Department, Oregon Democratic Locations: Egypt, Armenia, Greece, Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Serbia, Spain, Indonesia, Africa, States

☆ Biden announces US airdrops of humanitarian assistance into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The United States will begin air dropping food aid to the people of Gaza, President Joe Biden announced Friday, as the humanitarian crisis deepens and Israel continues to resist opening additional land crossings to allow more assistance into the war-torn strip. Speaking in the Oval Office, Biden said the US would be “pulling out every stop” to get additional aid into Gaza, which has been under heavy bombardment by Israel since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks. Biden said aid was not flowing into Gaza quickly enough, and said he was working to broker an immediate ceasefire deal that would allow additional aid in. Palestinians run along a street as humanitarian aid from Jordan is airdropped in Gaza City on March 1, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group. AFP/Getty ImagesSenior US officials have repeatedly pressed Israeli officials in face-to-face meetings on the urgent need to open additional crossings.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Netanyahu, Matt Miller, ” Miller, ”, Samantha Power, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, CNN’s Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Office, AFP, Getty, Israeli Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, ”, Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, France, airdropped, Gaza City

☆ Health insurance giant roiled by cyberattack sets up loan program for cash-strapped health providers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Change Healthcare, the health insurance IT giant disrupted for days by a cyberattack, on Friday announced plans for a temporary loan program to get money flowing to health care providers affected by the outage. It’s a stop-gap measure meant to give some financial relief to health care providers, which analysts say are losing millions of dollars per day because of the outage. Some US officials and health care executives told CNN it may be weeks before Change Healthcare returns to normal operations. The temporary loan program will help health care providers with “short-term cash flow needs,” Change Healthcare said in a statement. A unit of healthcare conglomerate UnitedHealth, Change Healthcare processes prescriptions to insurance for tens of thousands of pharmacies nationwide.

Persons: ” Carter Groome Organizations: CNN, Friday, Healthcare, White, Health, Human Services, Senior, American Hospital Association, First Health, Justice Department Locations: Maryland, Michigan

☆ White House looks to curb foreign powers’ ability to buy Americans’ sensitive personal data with executive order
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —President Joe Biden will issue an executive order on Wednesday aimed at curbing foreign governments’ ability to buy Americans’ sensitive personal information such as heath and geolocation data, according to senior US officials. The department will also issue regulations that require better protection of sensitive government information, including geolocation data on US military members, according to US officials. “Countries of concern, such as China and Russia, are buying Americans’ sensitive personal data from data brokers,” a separate senior administration official told reporters. In addition to health and location data, the executive order is expected to cover other sensitive information like genomic and financial data. Administration officials told reporters the new executive order would be applied narrowly so as not to hurt business transactions that do not pose a national security risk.

Persons: Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Department, Justice Department, Social, Defense, Health, Human Services, Veteran Affairs Locations: China, Russia

☆ Cyberattack on health insurance IT giant continues to disrupt business for doctors, therapists
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“I’ve begun manually billing and I’m praying that I will be paid,” Disney told CNN. Lack of payment isn’t sustainableCarter Groome, chief executive of Health First Advisory, a cybersecurity firm whose clients include big health care organizations, estimated that some health care providers are losing more than $100 million per day because of the outage. “That’s just not sustainable in an industry with not a lot of cash on hand,” Groome told CNN. As of Wednesday morning, Change Health Care said the company’s affected network was still offline. Hackers using the malware have claimed a slew of attacks on US universities, health care providers and hotels in the last 18 months.

Persons: “ I’ve, ” Disney, Purvi, Parikh hasn’t, Carter Groome, That’s, ” Groome, ”, Leslie Porras, ” Porras, Tyler Mason, Mason, Parikh, ” Mason, Amy Cizik, Cizik, ” Cizik, Andrea Palm, ALPHV ransomware, John Riggi, ” Riggi Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Disney, Health, Advisory, Pipeline, ”, Healthcare, Care, “, Senior US, FBI, Human Service, Homeland Security, Reuters, Justice Department, American Hospital Association, AHA Locations: Maryland, New York, Utah, Salt Lake City

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

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

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

US law enforcement officials have also been closely monitoring the incident to determine if a federal crime was committed, a senior US official familiar with the matter told CNN. Tom Brenner/ReutersA longtime political consultant, Kramer worked for Kanye West’s 2020 presidential bid and has a history of producing robocalls. Phillips’ campaign said it had no knowledge of his reported involvement with the AI Biden call. He said that Kramer told him to delete all of the emails between the two of them, and that he did. As figures at the center of American political scandals go, Carpenter is certainly “eccentric” – a word he uses to describe himself.

Persons: Paul Carpenter –, –, Joe Biden’s, Carpenter, Dean Phillips, Biden, ”, “ I’m, Steve Kramer, Phillips, Kramer, Carpenter’s, Biden’s, Tom Brenner, Kanye, Phillips ’, robocalls, ” Phillips, Katie Dolan, ” Dolan, Hank Sheinkopf, Sheinkopf, CNN’s Jake Tapper, “ I’d, “, who’s, Donald Trump, Sen, Lindsey Graham of, ” Carpenter, he’s, didn’t, Bruce Kramer, Brandon Kizy –, Paul Carpenter, CNN “ Paul, Paul, ” Kizy, Hany Farid, we’ve, ” Liz Purdy, I’d, “ I’ve, ” CNN’s Alison Main, Allison Gordon, Isabelle Chapman, Yahya Abou, Ghazala Organizations: CNN, New, Minnesota Rep, Democratic, NBC News, Commission, Reuters, South, Republican, University of California Berkeley Locations: Orleans, New Hampshire, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina

☆ Biden meets with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya in California
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

After the meeting, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin himself will be sanctioned. The meeting occurred in California, where Biden is traveling for political fundraisers. Shortly after Navalny’s death was reported, Biden placed the blame directly at Putin’s feet. And it just cannot be tolerated.”Biden has also sharply criticized the response to Navalny’s death from his likely 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump. A medical report attributed the cause of 47-year-old Navalny’s death to natural causes, Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, said on X.

Persons: Joe Biden, Alexey Navalny, Biden, Vladimir Putin, “, ” Biden, Putin, ” “ We’re, ”, Dasha, Biden “, Aleksey Navalny’s, ” Biden “, Yulia, Dasha Navalnaya, Navalny, Donald Trump, Trump, Navanly, Navalny “, Lyudmila Navalnaya, Kira Yarmysh, CNN’s Sam Fossum, Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: CNN, Russia, Stanford University, Treasury, US, Reuters, Putin, NATO, ”, IK Locations: California, Russia, Ukraine, ”, United States, Soviet, Germany, Kharp

CNN —The Biden administration will impose a fresh slate of sanctions on more than 500 targets on Friday in response to the death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny and on the eve of Russia’s two-year war in Ukraine, according to a Treasury official. The sanctions mark the latest move by the administration to levy consequences against Russia amid heightened tensions between the two countries. While those sanctions have hampered Russia’s economy, they haven’t deterred Putin from proceeding with the invasion. The US, along with other Western governments, has levied a series of sanctions against Russia in recent years, but Russia has adapted to them. Putin has taken to gloating about Russia’s resistance to international sanctions, which take time to have an effect.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Alexey Navalny, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Navalny’s, Putin, “, ” Biden, Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Treasury, Wednesday, Russia, US, Reuters Locations: Ukraine, Russia, San Francisco, United States, Moscow

☆ Ukraine's missiles have been keeping Russia's powerful air force at bay. They're running out.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUkraine is running out of key missiles to protect its skies against Russian attacks, a development that could allow Russia's air force to firmly enter the conflict. But Ukraine has been able to largely hold Russia's air force back from the conflict since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Reduced Ukrainian air defenses mean the severity of Russia's drone and missile strikes will likely increase — and its air force could also come more into play. But without enough air defense systems "the risk is we see more and more of the Russian air force actually being able to conduct battlefield interdiction," he added. "The Russian Air Force is still a significant threat," Bronk said.

Persons: —, Frederik Mertens, Viacheslav, Justin Bronk, SAMS, Bronk, it's, SAMs Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, Hague, Strategic Studies, Ukrainian Tactical Aviation, New York Times, REUTERS, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Air Force Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Lyman, Avdiivka, Kyiv

☆ Israel’s war cabinet agrees to send a negotiating team to Paris for hostage talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tel Aviv CNN —Israel’s war cabinet has agreed to send a negotiating team, led by Mossad Director David Barnea, to Paris on Friday to pursue talks over a potential ceasefire and hostage release deal, an Israeli official said. The negotiating team is expected to be empowered to engage in substantive negotiations rather than simply listening to proposals as they did during meetings in Cairo last week, the official said. The full Israeli cabinet is expected to vote on the matter overnight to give final approval for the trip. The decision came during a war cabinet meeting Thursday night, at the end of a day that saw US President Joe Biden’s Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk meet with top Israeli officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That proof, combined with positive indications from talks in Cairo on Wednesday and prodding from US officials, ultimately triggered the Israeli agreement to send a negotiating team to Paris.

Persons: Tel Aviv CNN —, David Barnea, Bill Burns, Joe Biden’s, Brett McGurk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Ramadan Organizations: Tel, Tel Aviv CNN, CIA, Qatari, CNN, Paris Locations: Tel Aviv, Paris, Cairo, Gaza, Israel

☆ Biden administration to issue new cyber directives aimed at defending ports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Biden administration on Wednesday will issue multiple cybersecurity directives aimed at shoring up vulnerabilities at US maritime ports that could be exploited by hackers and addressing security risks from Chinese-made cranes, according to senior US officials. There are more than 200 Chinese-made cranes at “US ports and regulated facilities,” according to Vann. Coast Guard cyber experts have done security assessments and hunted for malicious cyber activity on 92, or less than half, of those cranes, he said. Among the targets of the hacking was US critical infrastructure in Guam, and the Coast Guard has been on the frontlines of response to the digital intrusions. US maritime ports generate trillions of dollars in economy activity each year, according to experts.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden, John Vann, Vann, ” Vann, Christopher Wray, Wray, ”, Anne Neuberger Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Cyber Command, China, White, Port Locations: Vann, China, Guam, Port of Houston

☆ Negotiators race to secure Israel-Hamas hostage and ceasefire deal ahead of Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Mj Lee | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Looming over the hostage deal discussions is the threat by Israel to launch an offensive into Rafah in southern Gaza, where around 1.5 million displaced Gazans have fled. Israel appears dug inAs Israel appears dug in its position, negotiators expect Hamas to again respond in the coming days. The first hostage deal in late November saw the return of dozens of hostages taken captive by Hamas on October 7 and a week-long truce. Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have continued to argue that “complete victory” is needed over Hamas. Supporting Tuesday’s UN resolution, proposed by Algeria, in the middle of the ongoing hostage talks would have jeopardized the ceasefire talks, White House said.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Ramadan, Israel, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Joe Biden’s, Brett McGurk, Bill Burns ’, ” Gal Hirsch, Majed Al, Ansari, ” Al, Benny Gantz, White, “, John Kirby, – Organizations: CNN, Israel, CIA, Munich Security, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “ Qatar, United Nations, UN, Senior, United Nations Security Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Cairo, Doha, Algeria

☆ Russia accused a Russian-American ballerina of treason after she donated $51 to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kseniya Karelina donated $51.80 to a US-based Ukrainian charity in February 2022. Russia accused Karelina of raising funds for the Ukrainian military to buy weapons and equipment. AdvertisementA Russian-American ballerina was accused of treason by Russian authorities after donating to a Ukrainian charity. Karelina had reportedly donated $51.80 to a US-based Ukrainian charity Razom for Ukraine in February 2022, according to Russian legal rights group, Perviy Otdel. The FSB accused Gershkovich of "trying to obtain secret information" and that he was acting "on the instructions of the United States."

Persons: Kseniya Karelina, Karelina, —, Kseniya, Razom, Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich Organizations: Service, Russian Federal Security Service, Armed Forces of, NBC, Wall Street Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Los Angeles, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine, United States

☆ A retired US general was scathing about Russia's performance in Ukraine: 'Their navy sucks, their air force sucks'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ben Hodges, a retired US general, slammed the Russian military over its lack of progress in Ukraine. A retired US general slammed Russia's performance in Ukraine, even as President Vladimir Putin's forces seized hold of a key town in the east of the country. Hodges' statements come at an extremely perilous moment for Ukraine's defense. Hodges has argued that US spending on Ukraine's defense is extremely cost-effective for American interests. Despite not being able to make any significant territorial gains in 2023, Ukraine has kept up steady pressure, notably on Russia's air force and navy.

Persons: Ben Hodges, Hodges, Vladimir Putin's, they've, there's Organizations: United States Army, Kyiv, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, UK's Ministry of Defence, Russia, The Telegraph Locations: Ukraine, Russia, US, United States Army Europe, Avdiivka, Crimea, Donbas

☆ US proposes a ‘temporary ceasefire’ in Gaza in draft UN resolution
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Richard Roth | Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The US draft comes after it had vowed to veto an Algerian draft proposal calling for an immediate ceasefire. According to the text of the US-proposed draft, which CNN has seen, the US is calling for a “temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable,” which falls short of the wishes of most other Security Council members who want an immediate ceasefire. It has also voted against at least two Security Council resolutions on the war. The US resolution “underscores its support for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable, based on the formula of all hostages being released.”The US, they said, will redouble efforts to negotiate on the ground. The US draft, which also calls for the release of Israeli hostages, will be privately discussed on Tuesday.

Persons: ”, “, Joe Biden, he’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Nations Security, CNN, Israel Locations: New York, United States, Rafah, Gaza, Israel

☆ The US is almost out of options to make Russia pay for Navalny's death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewWhen President Joe Biden addressed the sudden death of Russian dissident Alexey Navalny last week, he had no doubt where the blame lay. But where Biden sounded less certain, was on how the Russian president should pay for the alleged crime. For instance, the US has sought to cut off Russia's export of oil and gas, a trade that is at the heart of the Russian economy. Putin has placed the Russian economy on a war footing, with 6% of GDP spent on arms and ammunition production, meaning that US attempts to seriously constrict Russian weapons production have failed. And there remain options open to the US and other countries in the West if they choose to punish Russia even further.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Alexey Navalny, Biden, Navalny, Putin, Donald Trump, Elisabeth Braw, Edward Lucas Organizations: Service, Business, Kremlin, New York Times, Munich Security, US, Republicans, Treasury, Atlantic Council, Observer, Times Radio Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, India, China

☆ Eyeing China, Senior US Lawmaker Vows to Back Funding for Pacific Islands
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

The Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau agreed to new 20-year funding programs with the United States last year under which Washington provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swaths of the Pacific that China covets. McCaul said he has advocated for a $900 million package for COFA, but was open to other numbers. The U.S. Senate this week passed a $95 billion foreign aid supplemental spending bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that did not include the COFA funding. McCaul said he would work to ensure the money was included in whatever is voted on in the House, likely in mid-March. We're not just going to rubber-stamp the Senate supplemental," he said.

Persons: Michael McCaul, McCaul, Patricia Zengerle, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, U.S . House, Representatives Foreign, U.S, Christian Science Monitor, Federated, United, Washington, Free Association, Senate Locations: Pacific, China, Federated States, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

☆ Xi Jinping's high-rank purges show a 'systemic rot' in China's military that could threaten its readiness for war: senior US official
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's latest military purge shows that it's suffering from more than just graft, a senior US official said. It's likely the PLA's corruption had a material effect on its war capabilities, said Ely Ratner. But, according to Ratner, Xi's latest military purge indicated a more serious problem. Xi's anti-corruption sweep last year extended as high as China's defense minister, Li Shangfu, who was replaced in October. Several top commanders were also fired from China's Rocket Force, a branch that Xi has emphasized as key to Beijing's strength.

Persons: It's, Ely Ratner, Ratner, —, Ryan Evans, Xi Jinping, ", Xi's, Li Shangfu, Xi, hotpot Organizations: Service, Pacific Security Affairs, People's Liberation Army, Communist Party, China's, Force, Bloomberg, PLA, Radio Free, Defense, China Task Force, International Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Beijing, China, Switzerland

☆ ‘US will be out of NATO’ in second Trump term, former senior adviser warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The point is, he saw absolutely no point in NATO,” Kelly said in the book. “President Trump got our allies to increase their NATO spending by demanding they pay up, but Joe Biden went back to letting them take advantage of the American taxpayer. Kelly said he tried to explain the importance of NATO to Trump in terms he believed the president would understand. In the case of withdrawing from NATO, Kelly tried to convey to Trump that both applied. “US support for Ukraine would end,” said the senior US official who served under Trump and Biden.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Powers, Joe Biden, ” John Bolton, “, ”, John Kelly, ” Kelly, Vladimir, Putin, Kim, Jong, Putin wouldn’t, ’ ”, Trump, Obama, Biden, ” Trump, Jason Miller, can’t, Kelly, Mark Milley, Mark Esper, Bolton, I’d, what’s, ’ Organizations: CNN, NATO, Trump, US, Biden, ”, South, White, Russia, “, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Joint Chiefs, Fox News Locations: Russia, South Korea, Japan, North Korea, Europe, Brussels, “, Ukraine, Taiwan, China, Bolton

☆ Good news for the Fed: Revised inflation data confirms last year’s progress
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

That left Fed officials bracing for the latest batch of revised CPI data, released Friday morning, which some feared could take away the inflation progress they observed last year. Instead, officials got some good news: December’s monthly inflation wasn’t as bad as initially reported, according to newly revised figures from the BLS. And for other months last year, initial data was either unchanged or revised by no more than one-tenth of a percentage point up or down. Recent data revisions have complicated the Fed’s monetary policy decisionsFed officials have been complaining about data revisions to key economic reports lately. But if revised data indicates that job gains didn’t actually slow that much in a month, cutting rates could move the inflation rate further from their target.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Waller, Friday’s, Kieran Clancy, ” Clancy, “, ” “, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, ”, Pantheon Locations: New York

☆ Biden officials confront limits of federal response in exercise preparing for 2024 election threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Carolyn Kaster/AP/FileUS national security officials have to weigh whether publicly calling attention to disinformation might inadvertently amplify the very message they’re trying to bat down. In both scenarios, federal officials favored a muted public response, largely choosing to let state and local governments take the lead. State and local officials run elections and are more trusted voices in their communities, but how can federal officials act decisively to support them? “It’s a trick box,” said Adam Hickey, who worked on election security issues for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “[W]e prioritize tabletop exercises that integrate the range of cyber, physical, and operational threats election officials may encounter,” Conley said in a statement to CNN.

Persons: “, ”, —, Carolyn Kaster, there’s, Biden, Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden, deepfakes, ” Sen, Mark Warner, Kevin Dietsch, Francisco Aguilar, ” Aguilar, Donald Trump’s, Adam Hickey, Hickey, Cait Conley, DHS’s, ” Conley, –, ” CNN’s Evan Perez, Natasha Bertrand, Donie O’Sullivan, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, Biden White, Jeffersonville Masonic, New Hampshire, Foreign Ministry, ”, Senate, Committee, White, Senate Intelligence, Virginia Democrat, Republican, Trump, Capitol, Justice Department’s National Security, “, Justice Department, Department of Homeland, National Security Council, US Army, DHS’s Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency Locations: China, Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville , Ohio, American, Woodside , California, Nevada, Russia, Iran, Russian, Iranian

☆ Analysis: What to make of the US retaliation strikes against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —It was meant to sound devastating, and likely felt so to the pro-Iranian militias on the receiving end. The Biden administration faced a near-impossible task: Hit hard enough to show you mean it, but also ensure your opponent can absorb the blow without lashing out in return. Mistakes, or unanticipated successes, can lead to spirals, and that can lead to unavoidable, wider conflict. The Biden administration has elections looming, in which it does not need another costly foreign adventure, trouble over its Israel policy, or rising oil prices. There will likely follow criticism of the Biden administration for not using the same blunt and forceful approach of Trump in 2020.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, Biden, Donald Trump, Qasem Soleimani, prima, Joe Biden, Defense Lloyd J, Austin III, William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, Joshua Roberts, Soleimani Organizations: CNN, US Central Command, US, Defense, Force, Hamas, Dover Air Force Base, UN, International Atomic Energy Agency, Trump Locations: Iraq, Syria, Israel, Gaza, Iran, United States, Moscow, Dover , Delaware, Tehran, Washington

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