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☆ Russia Warns of Possible Attacks on Satellites Used to Help Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russia said it could target commercial satellites if they are used to help Ukraine, the latest in a string of threats aimed at curtailing the military aid sent by the U.S. and other countries, while both NATO and the Kremlin conducted nuclear drills. Konstantin Vorontsov, an official in Moscow’s foreign ministry, told Russian state news agency TASS that if Western satellites are used to aid Kyiv, then they “may be a legitimate target for a retaliation strike.”

☆ Kyiv Faces Lengthier Blackouts as Russia Keeps Up Assault on Ukraine’s Electric Grid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kyiv residents are facing prolonged blackouts, after Russian airstrikes again hit the Ukrainian electric system overnight, further degrading the country’s ability to keep the lights on. Yasno, a Ukrainian energy company, wrote on Facebook on Thursday that Russia had again hit the power grid in the Kyiv region on Wednesday night. Overall system capacity was now down 30% in the area, the company said.

☆ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the stakes of the midterms are 'incredibly high,' with abortion access, Social Security, and Medicare on the line
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AOC said the stakes of the midterms are "incredibly high" if Republicans take the House. The party will roll back access to abortion and cut funding for Medicare and Social Security, she said. "It's very serious," she said on the "Pod Save America" podcast on Tuesday. "The stakes of this midterm are so incredibly high," Ocasio-Cortez told the podcast's hosts and former Barack Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor. In September, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy unveiled the GOP's 2023 "Commitment to America" platform, which would create stricter rules around abortion and potentially cut spending on Social Security and Medicare.

☆ Ukraine Presses West for Billions in Economic, Military Aid After Russian Attacks on Infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Ian Lovett | Bojan Pancevski | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN—Ukraine is stepping up its requests for economic and military support from the West following weeks of Russian missile-and-drone attacks on civilian infrastructure that have left the country struggling to produce enough electricity. President Volodymyr Zelensky pressed Western political and business leaders gathering in Berlin on Tuesday for more funding to rebuild his country.

☆ A Challenge for Ukraine Is How to Retake Kherson Without Destroying It
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine—As Ukraine has recaptured more than 3,000 square miles of territory this fall, its forces have followed a blueprint that plays to their strengths: using strong intelligence and precision weaponry to hit Russians’ supply lines and command posts and weaken their ability to fight. Advancing Ukrainian troops can then overwhelm an enemy that has been hollowed out from behind. That approach has limited Ukrainian casualties, military and civilian, and helped spare some of the country’s cities from the major destruction that would result from more traditional siege tactics.

☆ Russia Moves Ukrainians From Captured Kherson as Moscow’s Grip Weakens
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Jared Malsin | Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DNIPRO, Ukraine—Russian-backed authorities began moving Ukrainian civilians from the captured city of Kherson to farther behind the front lines on Wednesday, in a sign of Russia’s weakening grip on key occupied territories after weeks of a swift Ukrainian military offensive. Russian state media broadcast images of civilians lining up to board ferryboats to take them from Kherson to the east bank of the Dnipro River, territory that is more firmly under Russian control.

DNIPRO, Ukraine—Russian-backed authorities began moving Ukrainian civilians out of the captured city of Kherson on Wednesday and Moscow declared martial law in occupied regions of Ukraine, as the Kremlin tries to strengthen its hold on territories where Kyiv has regained ground. Russian state media broadcast images of civilians lining up to board ferryboats to take them from Kherson to the east bank of the Dnipro River, territory that is more firmly under Russian control.

☆ Obama says he still views his job as uplifting the next generation of Democrats — as a former aide joked about the 'Silent Generation' leading the party
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Pod Save America" co-host Jon Lovett joked with Obama about the age of the nation's leaders. Lovett quipped whether the next generation of leadership Obama talks about was "The Silent Generation. "Did you intend on that to be the Silent Generation?" One possible explanation is that as president, Obama presided over two disastrous midterms for his party that greatly depleted Democrat's bench to draw on for bigger races. Now, with his former vice president in the Oval Office, the 44th president said he can focus on the next generation of leaders.

☆ U.S. moves to dismiss price-fixing case against two former Pilgrim's Pride execs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico to dismiss the case against Jason McGuire, who was a former executive vice president of sales at Pilgrim's Pride, and Timothy Stiller, a former general manager. In July, a Colorado jury found three other Pilgrim's Pride executives, and two executives of Claxton Poultry Farms, not guilty. The defendants who were acquitted then included former Pilgrims Pride chief executives William Lovett and Jayson Penn. Domenico in a separate order last week denied a bid from McGuire and Stiller to dismiss the case. Pilgrim's Pride agreed to pay a $110.5 million fine in 2020 after pleading guilty to the Justice Department's price-fixing charges.

☆ Obama says 'a lot of voters' got 'complacent' when Roe v. Wade was the law of the land
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former President Obama said "a lot of voters" became "complacent" when Roe v. Wade was the law. Obama remarked on Roe and the Supreme Court during a recent episode of "Pod Save America." Roe v. Wade. Obama successfully nominated two justices to the Supreme Court during his presidency — Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan — who were part of the minority of justices who sought to keep Roe in place. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump would go on to successfully nominate conservative Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, and later selected Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

☆ Russian Strikes on Ukraine Knock Out Power in Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Ian Lovett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

KYIV, Ukraine—Power was knocked out again in parts of Kyiv on Saturday morning, stirring fresh concerns about the impact of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s electricity supply as winter approaches, while Ukrainian forces continued to push to retake occupied parts of the southern Kherson region. “Today, the enemy launched another barbaric attack on critical infrastructure. As a result, the object of the energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region suffered severe destruction,” Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s electricity-transmission-system operator, wrote on social media Saturday morning.

☆ Obama says conservative media 'has a lock' on molding GOP candidates: 'People will vote for DeSantis even if I'm not sure that they would really have a great time' with him
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Obama recently compared a big difference in how the two parties vet candidates. While on "Pod Save America," Obama said DeSantis can win votes via a conservative media ecosystem. Obama spoke of John Fetterman's relatability, while opining that DeSantis' demeanor was dissimilar. "Those qualities don't seem to always apply to successful Republican candidates," Obama told hosts Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor, all former Obama staffers. The dominant narratives there are so powerful that people will vote for DeSantis even if I'm not sure that they would really have a great time."

☆ Obama says Putin has 'isolated' Russia and 'consolidated decision-making' to a greater extent than during the Soviet era
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Obama said he was concerned about the "weak" level of communication between Washington and Moscow. He said Putin has "consolidated decision-making" to a greater extent than during the Cold War. The ex-president made the comments on the Obama administration alum-run podcast "Pod Save America." "Lines of communication between the White House and the Kremlin are probably as weak as they have been in a very long time. I think Putin has consolidated decision-making to a degree that we haven't seen even during the Soviet era."

☆ Obama says he 'used to get into trouble' for being 'too professorial' while discussing policy matters as president: 'That's not how people think about these issues'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Obama said he sometimes got into "trouble" for being "too professorial" while in the White House. The ex-president said on "Pod Save America" he was sometimes wordy when discussing policy matters. "That's not how people think about these issues," he said during a newly-released podcast episode. And that's not how people think about these issues," Obama told hosts Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — all former staffers in his administration. He went on to win the 2008 election — becoming the first Black president in the country's history — and was reelected in 2012.

☆ Obama praises John Fetterman as someone with whom you can 'have a normal conversation,' says the Pennsylvania Democrat has 'some sense of how the rest of America lives'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Barack Obama said John Fetterman has "some sense of how the rest of America lives." During an episode of "Pod Save America," Obama lauded the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate hopeful. Obama said people feel as though Fetterman's views are "informed by his real-life experiences." And former President Barack Obama on a recent podcast praised Fetterman as an authentic messenger who is able to connect with ordinary people. —Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) October 15, 2022Obama, in lauding Fetterman, went on to say that there are "certain values that he cares about" and that "he cares about people."

The world should mourn the loss of Angela Lansbury, a gifted actress who died this week at 96 after a career of more than seven decades. Angela Lansbury stars as mystery writer and crime solver Jessica Fletcher on the CBS television series "Murder, She Wrote" in 1990. “Murder, She Wrote,” however, featured not only a woman, but an older one at that. I remember well Lansbury’s character, with her constant bike riding and quick mind. While I’m sorry that Lansbury is no longer with us, I’m glad that the era of “Murder, She Wrote” has passed.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Angela Lansbury," according to statement by Actors' Equity, the union representing live stage performers. "A star of stage, TV and movies, Lansbury was an Equity member for an astounding 65 years. Angela Lansbury stars as mystery writer and crime solver Jessica Fletcher on the CBS television crime drama series "Murder, She Wrote" in 1990. The TV academy nominated Lansbury for 12 Emmys for “Murder,” although she never took home the trophy. Edgar Lansbury was mayor of the London borough of Poplar, while George Lansbury served as Labour Party leader in 1932-34.

☆ The Last Word: Angela Lansbury
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Mervyn Rothstein | Kassie Bracken | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

In between, Angela Lansbury’s career spanned seven decades and countless transformations on stage, screen and television. It was missing the night of the fire.” “Jessica Fletcher was probably about as close not to me, but to the sort of woman that I might have been had I not been an actress.” Angela Brigid Lansbury was born in London in 1925. I didn’t know anything. ‘This could be it.’ And I had a special dress made and, oh, I don’t know, It’s just — I think soon after that, I came to New York.” In the mid-’60s, Angela Lansbury returned to the theater. In 2009, she won her fifth Tony Award for playing Madame Arcati in “Blithe Spirit.” Ms. Lansbury was 83 years old.

☆ Angela Lansbury, Acclaimed Actress of TV, Film and Broadway, Has Died at 96
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Erich Schwartzel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LOS ANGELES— Angela Lansbury , an actress whose career spanned more than 60 years and included legendary performances as diverse as Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd” and Jessica Fletcher in “Murder, She Wrote,” has died in Los Angeles, according to a statement from her family. She was 96 years old. “The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep,” the statement said. A cause of death was not given.

KYIV, Ukraine—Waves of Russian missiles slammed into Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Monday in one of the broadest and most intense barrages of the war, in response to a weekend attack Moscow blamed on Ukraine that seriously damaged a bridge connecting Russia to occupied Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had carried out dozens of strikes using missiles as well as Iranian-made drones to target the country’s electrical grid and other civilian infrastructure. “They want panic and chaos,” he said in a video address filmed near his office. “They want to destroy our energy system.”

KYIV, Ukraine—A few hours after a Russian cruise missile slammed into this city’s Shevchenko Park, locals were strolling with their dogs in the afternoon sunshine. A maintenance worker shooed people looking at the blast crater off the sidewalk, so he could clear leaves off the path. In the wake of the biggest attack on Ukraine’s capital since the first weeks of the war, Kyiv residents are still trying to live as normally as possible. The goal for the attack, residents said, was to frighten them into panic or surrender. By carrying on, they wanted to show that they wouldn’t be cowed.

KYIV, Ukraine—Waves of Russian missiles slammed into Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in one of the broadest and most intense barrages of the war, in response to a weekend attack Moscow blamed on Ukraine that seriously damaged a bridge connecting Russia to occupied Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had carried out dozens of strikes using missiles as well as Iranian-made drones to target the country’s electrical grid and other civilian infrastructure. “They want panic and chaos,” he said in a video address filmed near his office. “They want to destroy our energy system.”

Russian rockets slammed into the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight as Moscow raced to restore transportation links to Crimea after a major explosion damaged the bridge connecting the peninsula to Russia. The damage to the 12-mile bridge, critical for moving arms, ammunition and other military supplies, has the potential to hurt Moscow’s war effort in southern Ukraine, where Russian forces are struggling to hold off a Ukrainian offensive.

☆ Russia Prepares to Annex Ukrainian Regions as Staged Votes Draw to an End
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Ian Lovett | Isabel Coles | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine—Russia was wrapping up staged votes in occupied parts of Ukraine on Tuesday, as it prepared to announce the annexation of a swath of the country it invaded seven months ago, raising the stakes after suffering setbacks on the battlefield. Derided as a sham by Ukrainian and Western officials, the votes on whether to join Russia are designed to confer a veneer of legitimacy on Moscow’s land grab. They will also enable Moscow to claim that any effort by Ukrainian forces to recapture the territory amounts to an attack on Russia itself.

☆ Russia Prepares to Annex Parts of Ukraine as Staged Votes End
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Ian Lovett | Isabel Coles | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine—Russia is set to formally annex occupied territories in Ukraine after staging referendums that involved coercion, threats and, in some places, soldiers going door to door and forcing people to vote at gunpoint. Kyiv and Western governments have described the votes as a sham designed to confer a veneer of legitimacy to Moscow’s seizure of Ukrainian land seven months on from its invasion. They could also enable Moscow to claim that any effort by Ukrainian forces to recapture the territories, in the south and east of the country, amounts to an attack on Russia itself.

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