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☆ New Yorkers to protest chokehold killing on subway, demand criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Julia Harte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The examiner's homicide finding alone does not imply intent or culpability, which are issues that prosecutors will consider in deciding whether to bring criminal charges. The 24-year-old former Marine, who was white, was questioned by police and released on Monday, local media said. A video of the incident that has circulated on social media showed an unidentified passenger applying a chokehold to a man identified as Neely on the floor of a subway train for more than three minutes. Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes neighborhoods in the New York City boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, said Neely was murdered and called for his killer's arrest. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Julia Harte in New York Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US envoy to Russia visits detained American Paul Whelan in prison- embassy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy on Thursday visited American citizen Paul Whelan in the prison he has been held in Mordovia in eastern Russia, the U.S. embassy said. "Paul has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than 4 years, and his release remains an absolute priority. The U.S. government will continue to engage Russian authorities on his case so Paul can come home as soon as possible," the embassy said in a tweet. Whelan, a former U.S. marine, was arrested in December 2018, held for 18 months in Lefortovo prison in Moscow and jailed for 16 years in June 2020 on spying charges. The United States has designated Whelan as "wrongfully detained", a term that effectively says the charges are bogus and the case is politically driven.

☆ Families of US detainees urge Biden to do more to deter hostage-taking
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Speaking at an event organized by the "Bring Our Families Home" campaign, an advocacy group set up largely by the families of American citizens detained abroad, relatives called on Biden to do more to bring home their loved ones but also deter "hostage-taking" by foreign governments and groups. Proponents of "Bring Our Families Home" are urging Biden to take steps including more swaps of prisoners and easing of sanctions against countries that are holding U.S. detainees. Most recently, Russia has detained U.S. citizen and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges, which he denies. The Biden administration has carried out two prisoner swaps with Russia and one with Venezuela. Families also repeated a call to meet with Biden, a plea that went unanswered for many of them for over a year.

journalist Austin Tice, reacts after a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon December 4, 2018. Austin Tice, a former U.S. Marine and a freelance journalist, was kidnapped in August 2012 while reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. President Joe Biden last year said Washington knows "with certainty" that Tice has at times been held by the Syrian government. "We’re extensively engaged with regard to Austin – engaged with Syria, engaged with third countries – seeking to find a way to get him home. The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday reported that the Biden administration has renewed direct talks with Syria over Tice's case and those of other Americans, citing Middle East officials familiar with the efforts.

☆ Grounding of U.S. Marine Unit Spotlights Lack of Ships in Asia-Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The USS Rushmore’s maintenance problems led to a scrubbed mission for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Photo: U.S. Marine CorpsThe 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is meant to be a rapid-response force, designed for quick deployment to handle crises anywhere in the Asia-Pacific region. At times, it doesn’t have the ships to leave its bases in Japan.

☆ Biden Praises ‘Absolute Courage’ of U.S. Journalist Detained in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It is also the first time that a Western journalist in Russia has been charged with espionage since the end of the Cold War. “Evan and Austin should be released immediately along with every other American held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” Mr. Biden said. Debra and Marc Tice, the parents of Mr. Tice, wrote an opinion article, published in The Washington Post last August, in which they urged Mr. Biden to step up diplomatic efforts to free him. Mr. Biden also called for the release of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia on what the United States says are fabricated charges of espionage, and addressed Brittney Griner, a W.N.B.A. star who was freed in a prisoner swap in December after being detained for nearly 10 months in Russia.

☆ Pentagon awards $7.8 billion F-35 contract to Lockheed Martin
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense said on Friday it has awarded a $7.8 billion contract modification for 126 F-35 multi-role aircraft to weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N). The modification exercises options for the production and delivery of 126 Lot 17 F-35 aircraft, to include 81 F-35A aircraft for U.S. Air Force and its allies. The order for Pentagon's most expensive weapons system, expected to be completed in August 2026, also includes 15 F-35B aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps and 13 F-35C for the U.S. Navy. Last year, the U.S. Department of Defense agreed with Lockheed Martin to build about 375 F-35 fighter jets over three years in a deal worth $30 billion. Reporting by Arshreet Singh; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Lavrov, who flew from Moscow to New York to preside over the Security Council, defended his country's "special military operation" in Ukraine in opening remarks before the international forum. Lavrov then blamed the United States for exacerbating geopolitical challenges around the world, including tensions between China and Taiwan. "Today it's Ukraine, but tomorrow it could be another country, another small nation that is invaded by its larger neighbor," she added. In direct remarks to Lavrov, Thomas-Greenfield reiterated calls for the immediate release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, whose sister attended the meeting. "I want minister Lavrov to look into her eyes and see her suffering.

☆ New propellers with looped blades could help make the oceans quiet again, sparing both marine life and the climate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Sharrow Marine sells them for small boats but would need to scale up to reach the shipping industry. A traditional ship propeller that has blades in a screw-like form. That's what Sebastian realized when he put loop propellers on a drone. Sharrow began selling propellers to recreational boaters in 2020 through a company he founded called Sharrow Marine. Testing led by the company BoatTEST found that the Sharrow Propeller was up to 30% more efficient than a standard blade propeller.

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The United States on Monday determined that Russia has "wrongfully detained" American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, effectively saying that espionage charges are bogus and that the case is political. The Wall Street Journal has denied Gershkovich was spying. The Wall Street Journal's publisher and editor in chief said the "wrongfully detained" designation "will unlock additional resources and attention at the highest levels of the U.S. government in securing his release." Legislation passed by Congress in 2020 lists 11 criteria to help determine if a U.S. citizen is "wrongfully detained." The Biden administration has secured the release of at least 25 "wrongfully detained" Americans.

☆ North Korea slams U.S. for protecting raiders of Spain embassy in 2019 case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, April 4(Reuters) - North Korea criticized the U.S. for refusing to extradite a man who was accused of staging a break-in at North Korea's embassy in Spain in 2019, saying Washington was protecting terrorism, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday. The North Korean embassy in Madrid issued a statement marking the fourth anniversary of the raid, during which a group of men bound and gagged staff for hours before driving off with computers and other devices. "But the U.S. is openly protecting and encouraging acts of terrorism against our citizens abroad based on groundless claims," it added. The embassy called Washington's behaviour "daylight robbery" and "gangster," demanding it provide a formal apology and compensation and arrest and extradite the raiders. The FBI gave the items to Spanish authorities who eventually returned them to the embassy.

☆ Analysis: Russia's arrest of reporter deepens Biden's detainee challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/4] Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich, detained on suspicion of espionage, leaves a court building in Moscow, Russia March 30, 2023. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a news briefing on Thursday the Whelan and Gershkovich cases should not be compared. Russia's security service has, without providing evidence, accused Gershkovich of gathering information classified as a state secret about a military factory. Biden on Friday called on Russia to release Gershkovich. The Biden administration has secured the release of at least 25 "wrongfully detained" Americans.

March 22 (Reuters) - A federal judge in New York ordered Iran's central bank and a European intermediary on Wednesday to pay out $1.68 billion to family members of troops killed in the 1983 car bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Lebanon. Victims and their families won a $2.65 billion judgment against Iran in federal court in 2007 over the attack. Six years later, they sought to seize bond proceeds allegedly owned by Bank Markazi and processed by Clearstream to partially satisfy the court judgment. Bank Markazi has argued that the lawsuit was not allowed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), which generally shields foreign governments from liability in U.S. courts. A Luxembourg court in 2021 ordered Clearstream not to move the funds until a court in that country recognizes the U.S. ruling.

☆ Former U.S. Marine may have been 'lured' from China by security agencies before arrest, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, March 20 (Reuters) - A former U.S. Marine Corps pilot may have been "lured" from China to Australia by security agencies before his arrest, his lawyer said outside court on Monday after an extradition hearing in Sydney. Daniel Duggan, 54, is facing extradition to the United States on charges of breaking U.S. law by training Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers. On Monday, Duggan's extradition case was adjourned until May, as his lawyers seek access to documents from Australian government agencies for his defence. Before moving to China in 2014, he had lived in Australia for a decade and has six children in Australia. Britain's air force chief said this month intelligence agencies in Australia and Britain had shared information to warn pilots against working for Beijing.

A team of scientists with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have conducted the first assessment of marine heatwaves along North America's continental shelves. Surface heatwaves can be picked up by satellites and can result in huge algal blooms. It found that while sometimes a marine heatwave can hit both the sea surface and ocean bottom at the same time, bottom heatwaves can also occur on their own. Marine heatwaves have become about 50% more frequent over the past decade. Past bottom marine heatwaves have decimated Pacific cod and snow crab populations.

☆ To Counter China, U.S. and Allies Seek to Make Militaries ‘Interchangeable’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Mike Cherney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A U.S. Marine and an Australian soldier taking part in an exercise in Townsville, Australia. When the top general for the U.S. Air Force in the Pacific traveled overseas recently to meet with U.S. allies, responsibility for 46,000 personnel across the region fell to an unusual second-in-command: an air vice-marshal from the Australian air force. The Australian officer was appointed recently to be one of two deputy commanders for the U.S. Air Force in the region at its base in Hawaii. Although it isn’t unusual for people from friendly nations to embed in the U.S. military, it is the first time an allied officer has held such a top operational role in the U.S. Air Force’s Pacific command.

☆ Kiska, Canada's last captive killer whale, dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Kiska, the last captive orca or killer whale in Canada, swims in her concrete tank in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Phil Demers/ Instagram & TikTok @UrgenSeas/via REUTERSMarch 10 (Reuters) - Kiska, the last captive killer whale in Canada, has died, the Ontario government said late on Friday, adding it was informed of the death by the theme park where Kiska lived. "The ministry was advised by MarineLand that the whale named Kiska passed away at MarineLand on March 9, 2023. Canadian non-profit group Animal Justice, which advocates for animal rights, called for a probe into MarineLand's treatment of the killer whale. "Animal Welfare Services was onsite to determine compliance with the Standards of Care," Ross said.

☆ Nord Stream mystery: the tanker Minerva Julie spent 7 days idling near the attack site
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Days before the explosions, a tanker called the Minerva Julie was drifting nearby in the Baltic Sea. He discovered that the Minerva Julie, a 600-foot Greek-flagged tanker, was headed east from Rotterdam when, on September 6, it came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the Baltic Sea. From September 6 through September 13, the Minerva Julie drifted near the site of the September 26 explosions, AIS data show. The Minerva Julie stayed there, alternately idling and crossing a roughly 200-square-nautical-mile area above the two natural-gas pipelines, for seven days, from September 6 until September 12. The Minerva Julie, a 600-foot oil and chemical tanker, near the port of Rotterdam in 2020.

☆ U.S. defense secretary aims to reassure Mideast allies, deliver tough message
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The United States has about 30,000 troops in the region and is seen as pivotal in helping counter Iranian influence. Austin is poised to send a clear message on the need for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to respect human rights, underscoring Washington's concern on the issue. "I fully expect him to bring up human rights, respect for fundamental freedoms," the U.S. defense official said. The United States has withheld small amounts of military aid to Cairo, citing a failure to meet human rights conditions. The United States has committed more than $32 billion in weapons to Ukraine including sophisticated air defense systems and tanks.

☆ Nelson Rising Helped Give Los Angeles a Skyline
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nelson Rising, who helped develop numerous real-estate projects in California, was known for finding workable compromises. Though Nelson Rising ’s college football career was short, it helped propel him from a blue-collar childhood to a glamorous career in real estate that transformed parts of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Rising attended the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Va. Rising returned to the University of California, Los Angeles, in the fall, his football coach told him he was too lean to play tackle. Rising eventually gave up his football scholarship and focused on his studies in economics and law.

☆ Reflecting sunlight to cool the Earth must be studied before climate change gets much worse, urges group of 60 scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Greenhouse gas emissions must be immediately and urgently reduced, as that's the only permanent way to limit global warming. "Even with aggressive action to reduce GHG emissions it is increasingly unlikely that climate warming will remain below 1.5-2°C in the near term," the scientists wrote. "Aerosols from human activities are currently estimated to be offsetting about a third of greenhouse gas climate warming," the scientists wrote. Cirrus cloud thinning, CCT, which involves putting aerosols into cirrus clouds to reduce the amount of infrared radiation that the Earth retains. In some cases, they might be less harmful if used in some combination, the scientists wrote.

☆ United States tells citizens: Leave Russia immediately
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The United States has told its citizens to leave Russia immediately due to the war in Ukraine and the risk of arbitrary arrest or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies. "U.S. citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately," the U.S. embassy in Moscow said. [1/6] Vehicles drive past the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina 1 2 3 4 5The Kremlin said it was not the first time U.S. citizens had been asked to leave Russia. The Federal Security Service(FSB) said in January that prosecutors had opened a criminal case against a United States citizen on suspicion of espionage.

☆ New U.S. Base on Guam Is Aimed at Deterring China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ASAN BEACH, Guam—The U.S. Marine Corps marked the opening of a new base on America’s westernmost Pacific island, as the Pentagon redirects its forces to counter China, which Washington has identified as a growing threat to U.S. security. The first new Marine base since 1952, it is still under construction. It will eventually house 5,000 Marines tasked in the short term with deterring and detecting threats in the region.

Sinema, who switched from Democrat to independent in December, had been a maverick within the Democratic Party, voting against several of President Joe Biden's priorities over the past two years. That angered many Democrats, some of whom had encouraged primary challengers even before Sinema left the party. The race represents a delicate balancing act for both parties, and the stakes are high. Arizona is among the most competitive states in the country, and Democrats and Republicans will be wary of splitting votes between their nominee and Sinema. Democrats hold a one-seat advantage in the Senate, when Sinema and two other left-leaning independents are counted among their ranks.

☆ A Ukrainian soldier died on the battlefield in Bakhmut. His death has sparked a fierce dispute between some American veterans and a volunteer trainer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

While entering a house in Bakhmut, two Ukrainian soldiers were ambushed by Russian troops. While he was doing laundry, Wang said a dark-green SUV suddenly pulled up and he heard a Ukrainian soldier shout, "De medyky?" More muscle than the pork ribsWang, by his own admission, decided to take charge of rescuing the wounded Ukrainian soldier. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesIn the phone conversation with Insider, Wang defended his involvement in the death of the Ukrainian soldier. A wider tapestry of issuesThe SOLI instructors said the Bakhmut deaths were just one part of a wider tapestry of issues caused by Wang's inexperience and overzealousness.

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