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☆ Gen Z is getting married. Together with Millennials, they’re putting their own spin on weddings
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

As the oldest GenZers reach marrying age in their mid-20s, they’re increasingly putting their own spin on nuptials, which includes letting go of some antiquated traditions. The Knot, a top wedding planning and wedding vendor marketplace, surveyed more than 9,000 couples in the US who either took the plunge last year, or are planning to in 2024, to understand evolving approaches that couples are taking to wedding planning. In terms of the total cost of the wedding, couples said they spent an average of $35,000 on their ceremony and reception in 2023, up from an average of $30,000 the prior year, according to The Knot. “Millennials and Gen Z are getting very creative in making these celebrations their own in new and interesting ways,” Chi said. Candles instead of flowers on the tables added elegance and also helped control costs, Dylan said.

Persons: New York CNN —, they’re, Gen, ”, Tim Chi, Ed Sheeran’s, Elvis Presley’s, “, ” Osama Zayed, Ingrid, Helen H, Richardson, Elvis ’, ” Chi, RSVPs, “ Millennials, Caitlin, Dylan Spain, ” Caitlin, “ Dylan, ” Dylan, Dylan, Haley Richter, Caitlin didn’t, Edwin Torres, DeSantiago, Ricardo DeSantiago, Torres, Edwin, ” Edwin Torres, Maria Argueta, ” Edward, Edward, Harry Potter, ” chimed Ricardo Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, City, MediaNews, Denver Post, Central America, Mill City Museum, Historic Locations: New York, Denver , Colorado, Sea Isle City , New Jersey, Sea Isle City, Cape, Central, Minnesota, Mill, Minneapolis

☆ California Gov. Gavin Newsom says Haley is a strong surrogate for Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Gavin Newsom joked Friday that Nikki Haley — the onetime South Carolina governor and the last remaining major rival to Donald Trump in the GOP presidential primary — is a strong surrogate for Democrats. “So I hope she stays in, hope she does well tomorrow,” Newsom said, referring to Saturday’s first-in-the-South Republican primary in South Carolina. Haley, at a campaign stop in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, on Friday made the case that she is the better alternative to Trump. Newsom seized on the issue Friday, criticizing Republicans who argue that the ruling protects rights. “That’s on the Republican Party, that’s on (House) Speaker (Mike) Johnson, that’s on Donald Trump,” Newsom said.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Nikki Haley —, Donald Trump, “, Haley, Jake Tapper, Joe Biden, Trump, Newsom, Haley —, ” Newsom, Saturday’s, ” Haley, ’ Newsom, “ We’re, Tapper, Biden, ” “, “ That’s, that’s, Mike, Johnson, CNN’s Ebony Davis, Gregory Krieg, Kit Maher, Priscilla Alvarez, MJ Lee Organizations: CNN, California, South, Democratic, Trump, GOP, Republican, Carolina, Biden, Alabama Supreme, “ Republican, Republican Party, Biden’s, National Governors Association Locations: South Carolina, Corner, Alabama, Washington, Mexico

☆ Biden considering executive action to close southern border, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It’s unclear how the proclamation under discussion would be executed and what, if anything, would be different from what was enacted during the Trump administration. Trump tried to close the US southern border to asylum seekers crossing the border unlawfully while in office, invoking provisions in immigration law, but was blocked by the courts. It’s likely to face legal challenges if the White House were to move forward with it. Administration officials, facing dwindling border security funds, have also discussed whether declaring a national emergency could shore up funds, two sources said. The White House supplemental request includes $14 billion in border security but remains stalled in Congress.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Republicans —, Trump, Angelo Fernández Hernández, “, Johnson, Biden, –, ” Biden, Trump –, ” Stephen Yale Organizations: CNN, Republicans, House Republicans, Administration, White Locations: Mexico, United States

☆ 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

☆ Trump coopts Navalny’s legacy as a smokescreen for his own legal morass
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Alexey Navalny died a political martyr after returning home to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal rule. But that’s not stopping Donald Trump from coopting his heroic legacy to suggest false equivalence with his own legal troubles. He offered a tempered tribute to Navalny, before returning to his own false claims of political persecution. There is no world in which Trump and Navalny can be compared. “Instead, Trump said Navalny’s death made him realize how bad America is.

Persons: CNN — Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Donald Trump, Putin, Trump, Navalny, “, …, ” Trump, Joe Biden, “ Trump, ”, he’s, predecessor’s thrall, Biden, Trump’s, CNN’s MJ Lee, Alexey Navalny, ” Biden, America, can’t Trump, Mike Johnson, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Russia’s, Zelensky, it’s Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Russia, Communist, Fox, Trump, Kremlin, Biden, Republicans, Senate, NATO, White House, Soviet Union, Saturday Locations: Russian, Russia, West Coast, Ukraine, Moscow, Trump’s, America, Avdiivka, Washington

☆ Biden instructed aides to dial up attacks on Trump’s wild comments
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —President Joe Biden personally directed his senior campaign aides in recent days to focus more aggressively on former President Donald Trump’s inflammatory comments, according to two sources familiar with the president’s edict. For weeks, his campaign has said they are fully prepared for Trump to emerge as the GOP nominee. “Freedom and democracy itself are on the ballot in November.”That marked only the second time, according to a campaign official, that a Biden campaign statement was attributed directly to the president. It’s un-American.”The next day, the campaign went after Trump again after the former president repeated his threat to NATO members. He’s gone,” Trump taunted at a campaign rally), Biden quickly slammed those comments on X.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Biden, “, ” Ammar Moussa, “ Donald Trump, ”, Robert Hur’s, Hur, “ Donald Trump’s, Putin, America’s, excoriated Trump, ” Biden, Nikki Haley’s, He’s, ” Trump, Major Haley Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, GOP, Biden, NATO, National Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Baltic States, Russian

☆ Book Club: Let’s Talk About Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘Demon Copperhead’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel “Demon Copperhead,” a riff on “David Copperfield” that moves Charles Dickens’s story to contemporary Appalachia and grapples engagingly with topics from poverty to ambition to opioid addiction, was one of the Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2022. And — unlike an actual copperhead — “Demon Copperhead” has legs: Many readers have told us it was their favorite book in 2023 as well. In this week’s spoiler-filled episode, the Book Review’s MJ Franklin talks with his colleagues Elisabeth Egan (also an editor at the Book Review) and Anna Dubenko, The Times’s newsroom audience director, about Kingsolver’s novel and its enduring appeal. We’d love to hear what you loved (or didn’t) about “Demon Copperhead.” Share those thoughts in the comments and we’ll try to weigh in. I read a pre-publication galley, so when I read it, I didn’t have anyone to discuss it with and that almost killed me.

Persons: Barbara Kingsolver’s, “ David Copperfield, Charles Dickens’s, MJ Franklin, Elisabeth Egan, Anna Dubenko, we’ll, … Elisabeth Egan, “ Locations: Appalachia

☆ Biden lawyers wrote to AG Garland objecting to aspects of Hur’s report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The White House wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland the day before special counsel Robert Hur’s report was released, vehemently objecting to aspects of the report – including its “multiple denigrating statements” about the president’s memory. Ultimately, Hur did not appear to heed calls by Biden’s lawyers to produce a narrow and concise report limited to the facts of the charging decision. The lawyers wrote Hur’s report “mirrors one of the most widely-recognized examples in recent history of inappropriate prosecutor criticism of uncharged conduct.”“The FBI and DOJ personnel’s criticism of uncharged conduct during investigations in connection with the 2016 election was found to violate ‘long-standing Department practice and protocol,’” the lawyers wrote. The letter underscores the deep anger generated by Hur’s report inside the White House and lays bare tensions between Biden’s team and Garland. CNN has previously reported that frustrations have run high inside the White House regarding some of Garland’s decisions related to the classified documents matter.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Robert Hur’s, Joe Biden’s, Hur, —, ”, Bob Bauer, Edward Siskel, Garland, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, Biden, General Bradley Weinsheimer, Bauer, Richard Sauber, Weinsheimer –, Eric Holder Organizations: Washington CNN, DOJ, FBI, Politico, The New York Times, CNN, White, Department

CNN —Talks on a hostage and ceasefire deal for Gaza appear to be at an impasse. During the process, Israeli troops would gradually withdraw from Gaza, hostages would be released and Palestinian prisoners in Israel – including those serving life sentences – would be freed. The Israeli leader has repeatedly said that the war in Gaza will continue until Israel destroys Hamas’ leadership and rescues the hostages. Even as talks continue in Cairo, the Israeli military has been conducting operations in Gaza designed to hunt down top Hamas figures. The Israeli prime minister on Wednesday said that Hamas must change its negotiating position before talks can continue in Cairo.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bill Burns, David Barnea, Israel –, Said Khatib, ”, ’, –, Netanyahu, “, Matthew Miller, Ronen Zvulun, Shin Bet, Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu –, ” Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, “ We’re, we’re, Joe Biden, ” Miller Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, Israeli, Getty, “, US State Department, ’, IDF, State Department, The Washington Post Locations: Gaza, Cairo, Israel, Rafah, Paris, AFP, Qatar, “ Qatar, Doha, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, “, Egypt, Albania, The Washington, Palestinian, United States

White House and Biden allies have taken aim at Hur for what they view as a gratuitous characterization of the president. White House Counsel Ed Siskel and Robert Bauer, the president’s personal attorney, were in the White House Map Room for the president’s interview with Hur, people briefed on the matter said. It was a mistake for the White House to “put him out on weakness and not strength,” one administration official said. White House officials stood by the forcefulness of the White House’s pushback to Hur’s report, saying not only did Biden take questions from reporters Thursday night, but the next day, White House counsel spokesman Ian Sams joined the press briefing. The White House has also sent a letter to the White House Correspondents’ Association taking issue with news coverage of the Hur report, the officials pointed out, while the Biden campaign has pointed to allies and legal experts questioning aspects of the report that the White House sees as problematic.

Persons: Joe Biden, Robert Hur’s, Hur, Biden, They’re, Donald Trump, Mr, Ed Siskel, Robert Bauer, Robert Mueller’s, Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump’s, ”, “, –, Beau, Karine Jean, Pierre said, Anita Dunn, Mike Donilon, Jeff Zients –, Ian Sams, CNN’s Edward, Isaac Dovere Organizations: CNN —, missteps, White, Biden, ”, National Archives, FBI, White House, Justice, CNN, Trump, Justice Department, Democratic, Hur’s, ’, CBS News, TikTok Locations: Israel, Surprise

☆ Joe Biden growing more frustrated with Netanyahu as Gaza campaign rages on
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But he has become increasingly critical of Israel’s tactics, saying last week he believes the campaign in Gaza is “over the top,” one of his sharpest condemnations to date of the military effort against Hamas. Some officials now wonder how much longer Biden will withhold public criticism of Netanyahu as the war rages on. The president’s comments last week on Israel’s tactics reflected sentiments he has been voicing behind the scenes for a while, one person familiar with the matter said. The majority of a 45-minute phone call between Biden and Netanyahu on Sunday was about the hostages deal, according to an official. Netanyahu, meanwhile, offered Biden praise over the weekend as the president was combatting questions about his age and mental acuity.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, “ Bibi, ” Biden, Robert Hur’s, he’s, “, ” Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Sunday, United, ABC News Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, United States

☆ Biden and Jordanian king look to move Israel-Hamas war to a new phase
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden and King Abdullah II of Jordan met Monday aiming to figure out how to move the Israel-Hamas war into a new phase in which Israeli hostages are released and fighting stops for a prolonged period of time. “The key elements of the deal are on the table,” Biden said while addressing reporters alongside the king at the White House. “We cannot stand by and let this continue,” the Jordanian king told reporters. The president’s supporters have frequently pointed to the Israel-Hamas war as evidence of Biden’s mental faculties being in good shape. The Jordanian and Egyptian governments have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, while Biden has resisted making a similar call.

Persons: Joe Biden, King Abdullah II, Jordan, ” Biden, I’ve, “, Biden, Abdullah, ”, ” Abdullah, Robert Hur’s, Biden’s amped, King Abdullah, Kamala Harris, Hur, ” Harris, Daniel Goldman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Blinken, CNN’s MJ Lee, Priscilla Alvarez, Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN, White, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, United Nations, Wing, Biden, Democratic, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israeli, US, CNN Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Rafah, Jordanian, “, New York, Jordan, Egypt, Amman, Gaza’s Al, Ahli, Iran

☆ Biden erupts over special counsel’s report as aides look to short-circuit campaign risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Biden’s aides know there is no topic more likely to draw their boss’ fury than a slight against his family. Only about 45 minutes before Hur’s report was released publicly, the White House was working to downplay the verbal slip-ups, saying it’s common for people to misspeak. “Many people, elected officials … they can misspeak sometimes,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, citing recent examples from House Speaker Mike Johnson and TV host Sean Hannity. The report was released anyway, with the objections of Biden’s lawyers included – but only toward the end of the nearly 400-page report. “I was in the middle of handling an international crisis,” Biden said Thursday about an hour after the report was released.

Persons: Robert Hur’s, Joe Biden, Biden’s, Biden, ” Biden seethed, Hur, fumed, hasn’t, Daniel Goldman, ” Goldman, “, ” Biden, ”, Hur –, Donald Trump’s, forgetful, I’ve, –, CNN’s MJ Lee, Bidenworld, Helmut Kohl, Francois Mitterrand, …, Karine Jean, Pierre, Mike Johnson, Sean Hannity, she’s, Beau Biden’s, Hurt, Biden “, Beau, Israel – Organizations: Washington CNN, House, Democratic, Trump Justice Department, White, CNN, Biden, Republicans, Trump Locations: New York, Gaza, Mexico, Egypt, Israel

☆ Fact check: Biden makes three false claims about his handling of classified information
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Where the classified material was storedBiden sought to contrast his handling of classified material with that of former President Donald Trump, who faces felony charges for willfully retaining classified documents. According to the special counsel, even classified documents Biden was storing elsewhere in his home were insufficiently secure. Hur wrote that Biden notebooks containing classified information from his vice presidency were found by investigators in “unlocked drawers in the office and basement den” of the home. The classification level of the documents Biden had in his possessionBiden claimed of the documents he possessed: “None of it was high classified. Biden shared information, including some classified information, from those notebooks with his ghostwriter.” He elaborated that Biden shared classified information with his ghostwriter by reading “nearly verbatim” from his notebooks “on at least three occasions,” including his “notes from meetings in the Situation Room.”Hur did find, however, that Biden “at times” tried to avoid sharing classified information, by stopping at or skipping over certain material from the notebooks.

Persons: Joe Biden, Robert Hur, Biden, Hur’s, Donald Trump, Hur, Trump, “, Ian Sams, ” Sams, CNN’s MJ Lee, ”, Sams, weren’t, Barack Obama, ” Hur, Obama, Mr, Mark Zwonitzer, Afghanistan –, CNN’s Nikki Carvajal Organizations: CNN, ”, White, National Security, SCI, Mr, FISA, Virginia, National Security Council Locations: Lago, Biden’s Delaware, Afghanistan, Virginia, United States, “, Iraq, Delaware

☆ Biden tries to lay to rest age concerns, but may have exacerbated them
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —A probe that spared President Joe Biden from criminal charges paradoxically dealt him a threatening political blow. The president’s defenders often get frustrated when the political conversation is dominated by Biden’s age – rather than Trump’s repeated challenges to the rule of law. In another CNN poll last week, 46% of Democrats were concerned about Biden’s age. Hur’s report rebuked Biden for willfully retaining classified information, including top secret documents after he left the vice presidency. North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis was kinder but his comments over Biden’s age were also cutting.

Persons: Joe Biden, Robert Hur’s, Biden, ” Biden fumed, Donald Trump’s, CNN’s MJ Lee, “, ”, Hur, Beau’s, ” Biden, he’s, Trump, Kamala Harris, —, Nikki Haley, Nancy Pelosi —, he’d, Trump’s, Hur’s, ” Hur, Beau, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, North Carolina Republican Sen, Thom Tillis, I’m, ” Tillis, “ I’m, …, I’ve, Arizona Sen, Mark Kelly Organizations: CNN, White, Trump, Republican, Biden, Republicans, GOP, Twitter, North Carolina Republican Locations: Egypt, Mexico, America, Washington, Ukraine, Gaza, Lago, Afghanistan, Maryland, Florida, Arizona

☆ Biden’s verbal slip-ups over dead European leaders put the focus on his most potent political weakness: His age
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Two verbal slip-ups in the last few days are again bringing the concerns about the president’s cognition to the forefront. A January NBC poll of 1,000 registered voters found that three quarters of all voters, including half of Democrats, had concerns about Biden’s physical or mental health. The White House did not immediately provide a response to this story. In last year’s physical, Biden’s physician said an “extremely detailed” neurologic exam found no findings that would be consistent with stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. As with his previous physical in 2021, the White House did not say whether Biden underwent any cognitive tests, which some doctors recommend for older adults.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, juggles, Biden, – François Mitterrand, Helmut Kohl –, Robert Hur’s, Beau, Trump, Karine Jean, Pierre, Mike Johnson, Sean Hannity, ” Jean, Pierre said, –, I’ve, ”, Biden misspeaks –, Emmanuel Macron, Mitterrand –, Kohl, Angela Merkel, Olaf Scholz, “ Helmut Kohl, ‘ Joe, ” Biden, Biden’s, Dean Phillips, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Haley, Nancy Pelosi, ” Haley, Jean, Kevin O’Connor, “, Covid, ” O’Connor, O’Connor, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee Organizations: Washington CNN, House, White, NBC, Senate, London Times, Democratic, Republican South, United Nations, Trump, CNN, Biden Locations: Israel, Germany, New York, Republican South Carolina, United States

Washington CNN —A US military strike on Wednesday in Baghdad killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander who was responsible for attacks on American forces in the region, according to US Central Command. A US official said the strike was part of the response President Joe Biden authorized last week in response to the Jordan attack. As of Tuesday, there had been at least 168 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq, Syria and Jordan. In addition to the three soldiers killed in the Jordan attack, three other service members were medically evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The Iraqi government said the US’ strikes killed at least 16 people, including civilians.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jordan, Biden, –, Sabrina Singh, ”, “, CNN’s MJ Lee, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN, US Central Command, Central Command, Command, Local, CNN, White, Iraqi Popular Mobilization, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, Regional Medical Center, Iraq’s, US, United Locations: Baghdad, Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Germany, ”, United States, Anbar Governorate

☆ The US economy is doing well. President Biden wants to know why so many Americans are still feeling bad
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That has prompted President Joe Biden to repeatedly ask his advisers: Why then are so many Americans still not feeling great about the economy? While inflation has eased in recent months, prices on most goods are still higher than they were in the spring of 2021. Still, Biden’s economic advisers are increasingly telling the president in private that they feel optimistic about the direction things are headed. Historic-high prices that plagued the first few years of the Biden administration continue to moderate, all while economic growth is outpacing expectations. If those trend lines continue, they have cautiously told Biden, consumer sentiment, too, should begin to course-correct.

Persons: Joe Biden, Inflation, Biden, ‘ Sir, we’ll, “, ”, SSRS, Donald Trump, –, ” Biden, – we’re, – Sen, Bob Casey of, greedflation Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, White, University of Michigan, Conference Board, New York Times, UBS Global Wealth Management Locations: Columbia , South Carolina, America, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Las Vegas, American

CNN —President Joe Biden would veto a proposed standalone aid package for Israel, the White House said Monday, as House Republicans look to tank a long-awaited bipartisan Senate border deal that would include aid to US allies. “Instead of working in good faith to address the most pressing national security challenges, this bill is another cynical political maneuver.”“The security of Israel should be sacred, not a political game,” the statement continued. CNN previously reported that Johnson was planning to move a $17.6 billion Israel bill with no offsets, upping pressure on Democrats to support it, but it has run into some headwinds on the right and the left. And the idea that Joe Biden would suggest that he would not send a clean funding measure to assist them is just outrageous. Johnson last week called on the Senate to swiftly take up the Israel bill, ratcheting up pressure on senators to abandon their efforts to keep Israel aid linked with other issues.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, Johnson, CNN’s Manu Raju Monday, Israel, –, Vladimir, ” CNN’s Morgan Rimmer, Clare Foran, Lauren Fox, Ted Barrett, Priscilla Alvarez, Kristin Wilson Organizations: CNN, Republicans, White, House Republicans, Senate Locations: Israel, Ukraine

☆ Wedding Fashion Goes Beyond the Binary
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Alix Strauss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Moments before MJ Zayas and Donald John Krams exchanged vows on Sept. 24, 2022, at the Loft by Bridgeview, an events space in Island Park, N.Y., Mr. Krams was brought to tears when he saw his soon-to-be spouse for the first time. “The green was a must. “Wearing this ensemble and seeing my husband cry at how beautiful he thought I looked in it were the most affirming and unforgettable moments of my life.”Mx. They accessorized with combat boots and a large, exaggerated black bow that hung purposefully around their neck — a stark but complementary contrast to Mr. Krams’s rented suit from Men’s Wearhouse. (Mr. Krams, 34, is an operations associate for Moncler, the luxury coat company.)

Persons: MJ Zayas, Donald John Krams, Krams, ”, Zayas, “, Krams’s, Wearhouse Organizations: Bridgeview, Moncler Locations: Park, N.Y, Plainview

☆ How the Biden campaign is breaking with the Obama reelection model
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Mj Lee | Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Biden reelection campaign is rejecting the political organizing model that Obama used during his campaign for a second term in 2012, in which Obama largely shunned the Democratic National Committee and opted instead to set up his own vast electioneering machine. Several top DNC officials at the time complained that they were ignored by Obama, while state parties complained they were starved for resources. “One of the big challenges in 2012 was a national competition and rub between (Organizing For Action) and the state parties. Jim Messina, Obama’s 2012 campaign manager, previously told CNN that he believes the Obama campaign spent too much too early. Though O’Malley Dillon will now shift fully into politics, she remained deeply engaged with campaign operations throughout her time in the West Wing.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Barack Obama, Obama, Biden, ”, Ray Buckley, “, Trump, officeholder, Ben Wikler, ’, —, Morgan Jackson, ” Jackson, Jim Messina, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s, O’Malley Dillon, Anita Dunn, Mike Donilon Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, Democratic National Committee, Democratic, CNN, New Hampshire Democratic, White, New, Republican, West, Wisconsin Democratic Party, Wisconsin Democratic, DNC, White House, Trump, North Carolina – Locations: “, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina , Georgia, Nevada , Michigan , Wisconsin , New Hampshire , Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia , Nevada , Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Obama’s, –, Wilmington , Delaware, Nevada, Delaware

Story highlights Biden goes to Michigan to meet with UAW members a week after receiving the union's endorsement Trump and Biden are battling for the votes of union members. While in Michigan on Thursday, the president will be meeting with UAW members, a Biden campaign official told CNN. The event, at a union hall near Detroit, will feature an “informal” conversation with union members, according to the campaign. In a fiery speech while delivering the group’s endorsement, UAW President Shawn Fain said Biden was the clear choice in a matchup with Trump. Since the group publicly backed Biden, Trump has hit back, slamming Fain as a “dope” and vowing that he could revive the automobile industry in the United States.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, –, Trump, Shawn Fain, “ Joe Biden, ” Fain, ” Biden, “, Fain, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, ” Chavez Rodriguez, Rashida Tlaib, Chavez Rodriguez, Biden’s, Karine Jean, Pierre, ”, Jean Pierre Organizations: Washington CNN, United Auto Workers, Michigan, Teamsters, Trump, UAW, Wednesday, Biden, CNN, Democratic Party, Democratic, Dearborn Mayor, ”, White Locations: Michigan, Washington, Detroit, United States, Israel, Gaza, Eastern, California, Virginia

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden plans to issue an executive order targeting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank whom he has said have undermined stability in the area, a US official and source familiar with the matter told CNN. Officials said they had compiled evidence they said offered proof of the individuals’ role in the West Bank violence that would withstand judicial review, including information from public reporting. The State Department can apply the policy to both Israelis and Palestinians who were responsible for attacks in the West Bank, Blinken said at the time. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in the West Bank in the weeks immediately following the Hamas attack as settler violence intensified. An estimated 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Matt Miller, ”, ” Biden, “, “ we’re, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: Washington CNN, West Bank, CNN, Politico, White House, The State Department, ”, Bank Locations: United States, West, Gaza, Huwara, “, Israel, East, America

☆ Trump meets with Teamsters as he looks to peel off union voters from Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Gregory Krieg | Kristen Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Story highlights Trump is looking to attract union members, who have traditionally voted Democratic. CNN —Former President Donald Trump Wednesday met with Teamsters union leaders and members in Washington as his campaign tries to drive a wedge between President Joe Biden and one of his most loyal constituencies: organized labor. The Teamsters have twice endorsed against Trump, backing Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden four years later. “We’re not ceding any territory, any group, any demographic to Joe Biden,” one senior Trump adviser said of the campaign’s outreach to working class voters. The group said Biden had been invited to its headquarters on the same day as Trump.

Persons: Trump, Biden, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Sean O’Brien, ”, John Palmer, “, ” Trump, Nikki Haley’s, ” Haley, Olivia Perez, Cubas, –, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Cornel West, Asa Hutchinson, Marianne Williamson, Dean Phillips, ” O’Brien, Shawn Fain, Sean O'Brien, Sara Nelson, Elizabeth Frantz, Reuters O’Brien, Sen, Markwayne Mullin, O’Brien, Mullin, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, “ We’re, Fain, Cole Scandaglia, ” Fain, ” Biden, Kara Deniz, CNN’s Arlette Saenz, MJ Lee Organizations: Democratic, Teamsters, United Auto Workers, CNN, Biden, Trump, United States Army Veteran, Republican, ” Former South Carolina Gov, GOP, UPS, Arkansas Gov, Teamsters Union, UAW, Capitol, Reuters, Oklahoma Republican, Drake Enterprises, Ford, General Motors, National Labor Relations Board, Department of Transportation, Auto Workers, Automobile Manufacturing Industry Locations: Washington, Michigan , Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Lago, United States, Arkansas, Minnesota, Washington ,, Oklahoma, Vermont, Detroit, Michigan

☆ Exclusive: Xi promised Biden China wouldn’t interfere in 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a meeting this past weekend in Bangkok with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan again brought up the topic. Wang offered Sullivan the same assurance Xi had given Biden months prior — that Beijing would not meddle in the American election this fall, the source said. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on whether election interference came up in the Biden-Xi and Sullivan-Wang meetings. CNN has reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment. Last week, a senior National Security Agency official told reporters that the agency had not yet seen signs of any notable new foreign influence operations aimed at the 2024 election.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Wang, Sullivan, Hillary Clinton’s, ”, “, Chris Krebs, ” Krebs, Brendan Smialowski, Antony Blinken, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, Chinese Foreign, Democratic National Committee, FBI, Justice Department, White House National Security, Biden, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Microsoft, of, National Security Agency, US, Infrastructure Security, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Getty Locations: China, California, Bangkok, Beijing, Taiwan, Russia, Iran, Asia, Woodside , California, AFP, Washington, Chinese

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