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☆ GOP Gov. Chris Sununu says Trump isn't 'bringing that fire' people saw in 2016 and predicts he won't win New Hampshire's primary
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Chris Panella | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chris Sununu predicted Sunday that Trump won't win the Republican New Hampshire primary. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyNew Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu said former President Donald Trump seems to be lacking the spark that propelled him to victory in 2016. He also criticized Trump's recent campaign stop in the state and predicted Trump wouldn't win the Republican primary there. Trump took aim at DeSantis' potential run for the GOP presidential nomination, telling Politico it would be "very disloyal."

☆ US special operators borrowed a unique part of Army Green Beret training to prepare Ukrainians to fight Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

As part of that, US trainers set up a version of US Army Special Forces' "Q course" for Ukraine. "Q course" assesses Green Beret candidates and teaches them the basics of their profession. Ukraine's 'Q' courseCandidates during US Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection at Camp Mackall in North Carolina in March 2020. Gaelle Girbes/Getty ImagesThe "Q course," officially called the US Army Special Forces Qualification Course, assesses and teaches Green Beret candidates the basics of their profession. Edwards acknowledged that some NATO militaries still have special operators in Ukraine, though strictly in an advisory role, and that US special operators "rely heavily on them" to understand the situation on the ground.

☆ Venezuela releases ex-interior minister from prison; he will go to Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, Jan 21 (Reuters) - A Venezuelan court on Saturday released former Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres from jail after he was imprisoned for nearly five years, allowing him to travel to Spain, relatives of the former official said. The retired army General served as interior minister in 2014 but later broke with President Nicolas Maduro. A relative said Rodriguez Torres would move to Spain, without providing further details. In 2019, Rodriguez Torres went on hunger strike in protest over being held incommunicado. Rodriguez himself faced sharp criticism for treatment of detainees while he was interior minister during a wave of opposition protests in 2014, which human rights groups say included arbitrary detentions and beatings during imprisonment.

☆ The US is scrambling to find what experts say may be the 'most important' hardware Ukraine needs to hold off Russia in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine and Russia have relied heavily on artillery to batter each other's forces. The US has vowed to ramp its munitions production. The US is buying 100,000 155 mm shells from South Korea that will be sent to Ukraine. Years after post-Cold War defense cutbacks, Europe is striving to supply Ukraine despite limited stockpiles and production capability. Ukraine's shopping list includes 152 mm and 122 mm howitzers, 122 mm rockets, and ammunition for tank cannons.

☆ Elon Musk allowed Michael Flynn — one of the most notorious 2020 election deniers — back on Twitter on the 2nd anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk reinstated Michael Flynn on Twitter on Friday — two years after the deadly Jan. 6 attack. The former national security advisor was one of the most vocal 2020 election deniers. Flynn thanked Musk directly in a Friday tweet for allowing him back on the platform. Prior to his suspension, Flynn frequently shared falsehoods and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election results with his more than 1 million followers. Roger Stone, a staunch Trump ally soon took up Flynn's cause, tweeting directly at Twitter CEO Elon Musk asking the billionaire to reinstate Flynn.

☆ Pro-Putin operatives in Germany work to turn Berlin against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +17 min

Now the main Russian Cossack organisations are loyal to Putin, and they are fighting alongside Russia’s forces in Ukraine. He is regularly pictured on his and other social media pages at Cossack gatherings, often wearing Cossack military uniform. Felk has worked as a security guard and has run a logistics firm, according to posts on Felk’s OK social media account. Photos shared by Kharkovsky on social media show him and other participants standing in front of a Great Don Army flag. Eremenko confirmed to Reuters that he worked for Russian military intelligence, the GRU.

☆ Soldiers' widows group calls on Putin to order major mobilisation for Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We ask our President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, to allow the Russian Army to carry out a large-scale mobilisation," the Soldiers' Widows of Russia group said in a post on Telegram. The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the appeal from the widows' group. A representative of the widows' group told Reuters that all fit Russian men should be mobilised to defend the Motherland. Ukraine and the West say Putin has no justification for what they cast as an imperial-style war of occupation. The widows group began work about two months ago to assist the wives of soldiers killed in Ukraine and has contacts with the Kremlin administration, its representative said.

☆ Brazil acting president hits out at 'silent' Bolsonaro in New Year speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SAO PAULO, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Brazil's acting president, Hamilton Mourao, on Saturday criticized outgoing far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro for allowing anti-democratic sentiment to thrive in the wake of this year's election, in a veiled dig in a New Year speech. Vice president under Bolsonaro, Mourao delivered the New Year speech after taking over on Friday, when the outgoing president flew to Florida to avoid handing over the presidential sash to leftist President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at his Jan. 1 inauguration. Bolsonaro's exit follows weeks of near silence following his defeat in Brazil's most fraught election in a generation. Mourao was elected in 2018 as Bolsonaro's running mate but was ditched in this year's election, with the outgoing president choosing former Chief of Staff Walter Braga Netto to join his defeated ticket. Mourao instead ran for Senate and secured a spot in the upper house of Congress representing the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

☆ Russia-Ukraine war has shocked Putin — and military vets like me
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( John Nagl | John Nagl Is A Retired Army Officer | Associate Professor Of Warfighting Studies At The Army War College. These Views Are His Own | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

I was mostly convinced that the brave and strong Ukrainians would fall to the inexorable logic of numbers in war. The Russian military did not plan for a prolonged fight. The Russian military also did not train for a prolonged fight. Putin’s efforts to restore the Russian military to its Soviet-era glory have been marred by corruption. The United States is again supplying arms to a brave people resisting a Russian invasion.

☆ Putin's speeches invoke Russia's fight against fascism in WWII to justify the war in Ukraine — and use propaganda strategies from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, historian says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

What similarities do you see between the messaging put forth by Putin and Russia today compared to Soviet Union propaganda? You compared the speech Putin gave announcing the annexation of four Ukrainian territories to the Nazi propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels. One of the more worrisome trends in Putin speeches, especially in the last six or seven months, has been how amorphous, almost existential they've been. He said what the West has done is create a culture of lies about Russia that's reminiscent of Goebbels. It's really hard to overstate how many war movies have come out in Russia in the last 10 years.

☆ Russia's military is easy to fool, but that makes dealing with Moscow even riskier, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

That has led the Russian military into repeated battlefield failures and high combat losses. What makes Russian troops easy to deceive also makes it harder to influence Russian decision-making. Ukraine has fooled Russian forces on numerous occasions, tricking Russian troops into wasting ammo on dummy targets and masking its own counterattacks. Russian troops also often lack the "situational awareness for contextual judgment" that is needed to choose between competing battle plans. The Russian military, like its Soviet predecessor, also suffers from over-compartmentalization.

☆ A bizarre far-right coup plot uncovered in Germany hints at a much more sinister trend
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Alexander Clarkson | World Politics Review | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In early December, German police uncovered a plot by far-right conspirators to mount a coup. It is widely acknowledged that the electoral appeal of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, to about 10% of German voters is a matter of great concern. This image of political stability, though not unjustified, caused many observers to downplay the revelation in early December that German police had uncovered an organized plot by a network of far-right conspirators to mount a coup. German police and intelligence services had to take the threat this network represented seriously. This complacency gave the East German Stasi and other Soviet-bloc intelligence services opportunities to reach out to emerging radical networks willing to destabilize the Federal Republic at the time.

☆ Lula ticket sues Bolsonaro and sons for abuses during Brazil's election
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Ricardo Brito | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's election team sued President Jair Bolsonaro, his running mate and two of his sons for abuse of power and attacks on Brazil's voting system, both during the October election campaign. The two lawsuits, filed in the electoral court, seek to ban the four men from running for office in future. During campaigning, Bolsonaro repeatedly criticized the country's electronic voting system, claiming without evidence that it was open to fraud. The president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not reach the president's sons for comment.

☆ Papua rights abuse trial: Indonesian court clears retired army major of crimes against humanity
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

An Indonesian court on Thursday acquitted a retired army officer in the fatal shooting of four teenagers in Papua in 2014, crushing hopes the military would be held accountable for alleged abuses in the country’s restive easternmost region. Held in an infrequently used human rights court, the seven-week trial saw public prosecutors bring charges of “crimes against humanity” against retired army major Isak Sattu for his alleged role in ordering the fatal shooting. Presiding judge Sutisna Sawati on Thursday said the defendant had been found not guilty, and was cleared of all charges. Yones Douw, a lawyer and representative for the families of the victims, said the trial was only held to “create a good image for Indonesia”. Prosecutors, who alleged that Isak had failed in his command responsibility by not stopping his troops, had called for him to be jailed for 10 years.

☆ Trump-backed Mastriano concedes in Pennsylvania governor race
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Republican Doug Mastriano conceded defeat on Sunday in his run for Pennsylvania's governorship in a statement that contrasted with the far-right candidate's sharp, divisive rhetoric during the race. "Josh Shapiro will be our next Governor, and I ask everyone to give him the opportunity to lead and pray that he leads well," Mastriano said in a statement posted on his Twitter feed. In his page-long message, Mastriano also thanked his wife and followers and pledged to work on election reform for Pennsylvania from his seat in the state Senate. Mastriano attended Trump's rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021 that preceded an attack on the U.S. Capitol. The governor race was called for Shapiro on November 8.

The sources say Justice Department officials are looking carefully at a cross section of past cases involving the mishandling of classified material. Though his comments were about the separate Jan. 6 investigation, Justice Department officials said they apply broadly. Experts say the public evidence in the Mar-a-Lago case seems unambiguous. Less clear is whether there are aggravating factors — such as whether the Justice Department can prove Trump obstructed justice by failing to turn over documents despite a grand jury subpoena. Martin’s lawyers said he was a hoarder, and prosecutors concluded that he had not given classified information to anyone.

Share this -Link copiedWisconsin Senate race too close to call Wisconsin's Senate race between GOP Sen. Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes is too close to call, NBC News says. Vance wins Ohio Senate race, defeating Democrat Tim Ryan, NBC News projects COLUMBUS, Ohio — J.D. Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance is leading The Senate race in Ohio is too early to call, NBC News says, but Republican candidate J.D. Share this -Link copiedGeorgia Senate race too close to call Georgia's Senate race is too close to call about three hours after polls closed at 7 p.m.

☆ Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan defeats Republican Don Bolduc in New Hampshire, NBC News projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan won re-election Tuesday, NBC News projects, defeating Republican Don Bolduc and keeping a critical seat in Democratic hands. While the race attracted less attention than some others, Hassan won her Senate seat six years ago in one of the closest races in the country, and Democrats had grown increasingly nervous in recent weeks as Bolduc seemed to gain strength in polls. After winning the nomination, however, he waffled on 2020, saying the election had not been stolen. Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan at a campaign event on Sept. 10 in Dover, N.H. Scott Eisen / Getty ImagesHe often feuded with fellow Republicans, including his state’s popular Gov. Democrats meddled in the primary because they thought Bolduc would be easier to defeat in the general election.

☆ A failed war helped bring down the Soviet Union. Now Putin's failing war in Ukraine might set Russia up for a bleak future.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Joy Neumeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan and Russia's current war in Ukraine have obvious similarities in their disastrous planning and execution. In the 1990s, Afghanistan veterans' sense of aggrievement fused with that of veterans returning from Boris Yeltsin's war in Chechnya. Putin's war, Russia's futurePutin meets soldiers at a military training center outside the town of Ryazan in October. While glasnost-era revelations about the Soviet war shocked the country into supporting withdrawal, these days there is little left to expose. Public self-criticism surrounding the Soviet war in Afghanistan, however brief and contested, shows that reassessment of imperial ambitions is possible.

☆ 25-year-old Maxwell Frost will be the first Gen Z member of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Progressive activist Maxwell Alejandro Frost, 25, will officially become the first Gen Z member of Congress after winning his race to represent Florida's 10th Congressional District. "Central Florida, my name is Maxwell Alejandro Frost, and I'm going to be the first Generation Z member of the United States Congress!" He quit his previous job in order to run for Congress and drove for Uber to pay rent while on the campaign trail. He's passionate about gun reform, often referring to Gen Z as the "school shooter generation." The 2022 midterms were the first time members of Gen Z could run for Congress, which Pew Research Center defines as people born between 1997 and 2012.

In the House, Republicans have 212 members and need to add six to guarantee a majority. Here’s a guide to some of the competitive races in which polls close early, which election forecasters say will carry a larger significance in reading the direction of the political environment. Virginia's three crystal ballsThe fates of three House Democrats first elected in the 2018 blue wave will tell a bigger story when Virginia’s polls close at 7 p.m. And in Florida, where polls close at at 7 p.m. Red wave sirensNew Hampshire is one of the earliest competitive Senate contests where polls close at 8 p.m.

Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire ran for reelection to a second term. 2022 General EmbedsNew Hampshire's Senate race candidatesHassan, a former state lawmaker and two-term governor, secured a second term in the Senate. Bolduc — who served in Afghanistan and received two Purple Hearts and five Bronze Stars — was the Republican standard-bearer in this year's Senate race. During the 2020 US Senate election that Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen won, more than 18,400 voters — about 2.3% — cast ballots for Libertarian candidate Justin O'Donnell. What experts sayThe New Hampshire race was rated as "tilt Democratic" by Inside Elections, "lean Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "leans Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire is running for reelection to a second term. 2022 General EmbedsNew Hampshire's Senate race candidatesHassan, a former state lawmaker and two-term governor, is aiming to secure a second term in the Senate. Bolduc — who served in Afghanistan and received two Purple Hearts and five Bronze Stars — is the Republican standard-bearer in this year's Senate race. During the 2020 US Senate election that Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen won, more than 18,400 voters — about 2.3% — cast ballots for Libertarian candidate Justin O'Donnell. What experts sayThe New Hampshire race was rated as "tilt Democratic" by Inside Elections, "lean Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "leans Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

☆ Lawbreaker to Israeli kingmaker? Far-right Ben-Gvir surges in vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In government, however, Ben-Gvir - who wants to be police minister - would further envenom Israel's standoff with the Palestinians and strain Jewish-Arab relations inside Israel. Burly and bespectacled, Ben-Gvir has for decades engaged in raging arguments with Arabs and liberals on curbsides or in the Knesset. The yellow trappings of Israeli supremacist groups was banished from his campaign, replaced by the national colours, blue and white. A settler on the West Bank which Israel captured and occupied in 1967, Ben-Gvir wants the Palestinian Authority, which has governed parts of the territory under interim peace deals, dismantled. That would place West Bank Palestinians back under full Israeli control.

☆ New Hampshire Republican Don Bolduc claimed a local school has 'litter boxes' for children. The school says that's 'entirely untrue.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New Hampshire Republican Don Bolduc falsely claimed schools are providing kids "litter boxes." "They're putting litter boxes, right? Litter boxes for that." "There are no litter boxes in our buildings and students are not allowed to come to school in costume," the school said in a statement provided to a local Fox affiliate. "There are no furries or students identifying as such during the school day."

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