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☆ More than 100 U.S. political elites have family links to slavery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +46 min

Then the war came, and according to the family history, Union soldiers plundered Sessions’ 27-room house. About 48 years old at the time, he did not stand a chance to succeed without slavery, the family history suggests. ‘A Better Nation’Some historians and genealogists say there is a valuable reason for white leaders – and other white Americans – to explore their links to slavery. Nicka Sewell-Smith, a professional genealogist with the family history website Ancestry.com, said people frequently ask her what to do with such documents. The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Meeks said in an interview that he has spent years trying to trace his family history back before 1870.

Persons: Black, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton, James Lankford, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, Joe Biden, –, Donald Trump –, Jimmy Carter, George W, Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Trump’s, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch –, Asa Hutchinson, Doug Burgum, Tim Scott, James Clyburn, Henry McMaster, ”, Henry Louis Gates Jr, Gates, ” “, ” Gates, enslavers, Tony Burroughs, Biden, Obama, McConnell, Burroughs, Joseph Maddox, Maddox, Sela, Rubin, James, Sal, Sam ”, Graham, Graham didn’t, Nancy Mace, Drucilla, Drucilla Mace, John Mace, Hector Godbolt, John Mace’s, Godbolt, “, ” Nancy Mace, Henry Coe, Duckworth, Coe, Margaret, Isaac, Warner, George …, Isaac Franklin –, “ There’s, ” Duckworth, George Floyd, Donald Trump, ” Biden, ‘, ’, Ben Affleck, ” Affleck, Independent Angus King, Mo Brooks, ” Brooks, Sean Kelley, Kelley, White, don’t, wasn’t, Richard Sessions, Pete Sessions, Richard’s, William Sessions, John Cowger, Tom Cotton of, ” Cotton’s, Cowger, Cotton, Archibald Crawford, Juneteenth, Shaheen, Pocahontas, Edmond Dillehay, Peter ”, Milly, Lankford, ” Lankford, Joe Wilson, Stephen H, Wilson, Boineau, General David Addison Weisiger, Wilson –, Addison Graves Wilson –, Weisiger “, ” Wilson, Daniel Weisiger, Daniel Weisiger’s, Samuel, Samuel Weisiger, Daniel, Julia Brownley, Jesse Brownley, Brownley, ” Brownley, Thomas Ferguson, Brooks, Manumission, Marie Jenkins Schwartz, ” “ It’s, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, Harvard’s Gates, Sherman, Andrew Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, Nicka Sewell, Smith, Ancestry.com, ” Sewell, LaBrenda Garrett, Nelson, Garrett, Rick Larsen, John Wiggins, Larsen, – Gilbura, George, Agg –, ” Larsen, Gilbura, Agg, Gregory Meeks, Meeks, Jim Crow South, – Meeks, – “, ” Meeks, “ I’m, I’m, Tom Bergin, Makini Brice, Nicholas P, Brown, Donna Bryson, Lawrence Delevingne, Brad Heath, Andrea Januta, Gui Qing Koh, Tom Lasseter, Grant Smith, Maurice Tamman, Catherine Tai Design, John Emerson, Jane Ross, Emma Jehle, Jeremy Schultz, Blake Morrison Organizations: Reuters, Republicans, U.S, Supreme, Republican, Harvard University, PBS, United States Congress, Representative, WikiLeaks, Sony, Facebook, White, FedEx, National Museum of, 117th, Independent, University of Essex, Geographic, American Economic, Pete Sessions, Sessions, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jeanne Shaheen U.S, CNN, Biden, Trump, ” Reuters, South, South Carolina General Assembly, Confederate, statehouse, Congressional, Chesterfield County, Mount Vernon College, George Washington University, Mo Brooks Former U.S, “, New York Times, United, Federal Government, Union, Black, Southern, Democrat, House Foreign Affairs, Klux Klan Locations: U.S, America, Confederate States, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Carolina, Congress, Black, Northern, Southern, Illinois, Virginia, Frederick County , Virginia, United States, Minnesota, ”, Mo Brooks of Alabama, American, Texas, Mississippi, Chicot County , Arkansas, Chicot County, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Yell County, Yell County , Arkansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tulsa, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Frankfurt, Germany, Chesterfield County , Virginia, California, Portsmouth , Virginia, Alabama, Haywood County , North Carolina, Antebellum, United States of America, Washington, Nicholas County , Kentucky, Queens , New York, New York, York County, Mende, Sierra Leone, Africa, Bunce

☆ Europe has more Russian lessons to learn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The EU also isn’t remotely as threatening as China or even the United States, not to mention Russia. Over the same period, China’s share has risen to 18% from 7%, while the United States has stayed flat at 24%. The United States will carry most of the burden of deterring China. SECOND-BEST SOLUTIONSThe best solution to the EU’s lack of unity would be for it to use majority voting to determine foreign policy - as it already does for economic policy. But neither the EU nor its members should kid themselves that it’s in their interests to break with the United States.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Joe Biden’s, “, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, EU, Companies, U.S, Eurostat, Reuters Graphics, Trade, European Commission, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Ukraine, Russia, EU, China, United States, Russian, Kyiv, Germany, France, Poland, Taiwan, Lithuania, People’s Republic, U.S, Spain, Europe, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada

☆ Analysis: Vladimir Putin's humiliation will require the West to reexamine its balancing act to save Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —The world just got a hint of a tantalizing but possibly even more dangerous future without Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Western stakes in the Ukraine war rose significantly as a result. There’s now no doubt that the war Putin unleashed to wipe Ukraine off the map poses an existential threat to his political survival. This would be good news for the West, which has bankrolled and armed the country’s fight for its life. After this weekend, this new reality will require the West to once again examine its balancing act to save Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin flagrantly, Prigozhin’s Wagner, –, Putin, There’s, Oz, Ukraine John Herbst, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, “ Putin, Prigozhin’s, Moscow’s, Prigozhin –, Africa –, Prigozhin, he’s, CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Biden, ”, David Petraeus, Petraeus, “, Ramzan Kadyrov, Wagner, Robert English, Alexei Navalny, Alexander Lukashenko, “ It’s, Antony Blinken, placated –, Blinken, Will Hurd, ” Hurd, Hurd –, Donald Trump –, Trump Organizations: CNN, White, Kremlin, NATO, Western, Russian Federation, Union, CIA, Internet Research Agency, School of International Relations, University of Southern, Belarusian, ”, Republican, GOP, Moscow Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, Belarus, Russian, Russia, Syria, Africa, France, Britain, Germany, Washington, “ State, University of Southern California, NATO, Crimea, Texas

☆ Travel experiences you can only enjoy while you’re young
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But if you’re still in your teens or 20s, it’s worth knowing about some of the amazing discounts, experiences and adventures only available to those under 30. From discount air fares to working vacation visas, we’ve rounded up some of the best travel experiences to enjoy while you’re young. “It’s 100% worth using the pass whilst you can get the youth discount,” Landon tells CNN Travel. Thurman absentmindedly Googled working working holiday visas, and to her surprise, realized the scheme “was so straightforward to apply for.”“I realized that the only barrier was me and my decision whether or not to apply,” Thurman recalls. If you’re not enrolled in college but you’re still under 30, the International Youth Travel Card could be an alternative.

Persons: CNN —, you’re, There’s, Kofi Landon, Kofi Landon Kofi Landon, Landon, he’d, Landon reckons, ” Landon, “, ”, Tammy Thurman, don’t, –, jetted, Thurman enviously, Thurman absentmindedly, ” “, ” Thurman, Thurman, it’s, she’s, who’s, you’ve, doesn’t, Markus Mainka, Gideon Hagström Lung, He’s, Hagström Lung, Lung Organizations: CNN, EU, Travelers, CNN Travel, Canada, Walt Disney World, Cathay Pacific, Eiffel, SAS, Emirates, Scandinavian Airlines Locations: Europe, Paris, Berlin, Venice, there’s, Prague, Czech Republic, Manchester, Lake Bled, Slovenia, Australia, Tasmania, South Korea, Portugal, Iceland, Canada, France, Ireland, Sydney, London, Melbourne, Emirates, Florence’s Uffizi, Helsinki, Finland, New York City, New York, Stockholm, Copenhagen

☆ Green alliance crisis is more than just a US drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Back in March the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) boasted 30 members, representing about 15% of global premium volume. Now the NZIA, a key financial forum for insurers to set decarbonisation targets and a part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), has shrunk to just 13 companies. Even those who choose to stay in the NZIA risk losing business due to state politicians pursuing a “war on woke”. NZIA, part of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero set up by U.N. climate envoy Mark Carney, requires members to commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. In rapid succession Japanese insurers Sompo Holdings, MS&AD and Tokio Marine as well as Australia’s QBE Insurance quit the net-zero alliance in late May.

Persons: Beneva, Mark Carney, French reinsurer Scor, Lloyd’s, John Neal, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Global, United Nations, Zero Insurance, Glasgow Financial Alliance, Zero Banking Alliance, Alliance, European Union, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ”, Zurich Insurance, Munich Re, Hannover Re, Allianz, Axa, French, Sompo Holdings, Tokio Marine, QBE Insurance, Thomson Locations: United, United States, Germany, NZIA, Munich, Tokio, London

Lockheed and Airbus will tout their LMXT tanker at the Paris Airshow this week, bringing U.S. reporters onboard the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport on which the new plane is based. In 2011, Boeing won the first of a three-phase procurement to replace the Air Force's aging tanker fleet, securing a contract for 179 KC-46s. But Larry Gallogly, Lockheed’s director of LMXT business development, said Lockheed and Airbus "are most definitely still in this competition." Lockheed and Airbus sought a program of at least 120 aircraft, but “the business case can certainly close below that,” Gallogly said. Boeing Defense CEO Ted Colbert said the KC-46 "has proven to be highly capable" and is ready for the threats of the 2030s.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Larry Gallogly, ” Gallogly, Ted Colbert, Jerry Carl, Carl, Valerie Insinna, Tim Hepher, Mark Potter Organizations: Pentagon, Aerospace titans Airbus, Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed, U.S, U.S . Air Force, Air, KC, Capitol, Air Force, General, Armed Services, Alabama Republican, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, PARIS, U.S, United States, Alabama, Georgia, American

☆ Russia's 'least capable' troops aren't in Ukraine, but they're still causing problems next door, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Moldova, next door to Ukraine, has been under pressure from Russia for decades. Amid the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and Western officials say Moscow is stepping up its interference. As a result of a 1992 war between Moldovan forces and Transnistrian separatists, Russian troops entered the breakaway region to support the separatists. Following that war, Transnistria gained a form of autonomy. SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty ImagesMoldova declared a state of emergency after Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, and it remains in effect.

Persons: —, that's, John Sullivan, SERGUEI VORONIN, Chișinău, Maia Sandu, Diego Herrera Carcedo, SERGEI GAPON, Moldova's, John Kirby, Kirby, Pierre Crom, Thomas de Waal, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Jamar Marcel Pugh, Sandu, Ursula von der Leyen, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Georgetown University, Getty, Moldovan, NATO, EU, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images Moldova, White House National Security Council, Carnegie, RAND Corporation, US Army National Guard, European Commission, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn Locations: Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Transnistria, Kyiv, Western, Moscow, Soviet Union, Romania, Europe, Baltic, Poland, Bender, Transnistrian, Chisinau, May, Lithuania, Sweden, AFP, Russian, Carnegie Europe, NATO, Bulgaria

☆ Venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz to open first office outside of the US in London as it bets on the UK to become leader in crypto regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz is set to open its first office outside of the US in London. The Silicon Valley giant is betting on the UK to become a leader in crypto regulation. Venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz is set to open its first office outside of the US in London as it bets on the British government to become a leader in crypto regulation. Meanwhile, venture capital funding to crypto companies has collapsed over the past year. Andreessen general partner Chris Dixon said that crypto was still in its "early innings" and that technology takes "decades to develop," in a blog post announcing the London office.

Persons: Andreessen Horowitz, Chris Dixon, Sriram Krishnan, Binance, Rishi Sunak, Dixon, Sunak, there's Organizations: Venture, Twitter, Facebook, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, School from, Catalyst, Bessemer, Lightspeed Venture Partners Locations: London, Europe, School from London, Silicon, Sequoia

☆ SpaceX to launch the first test payload for a bold new drug development company
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Its research, company officials hope, could lead to better, more effective drugs — and hefty profits. Varda Space industriesHow it worksVarda’s vision is straightforward: The company’s capsule will launch with an experiment already on board. Varda Space IndustriesDrugs in spaceMuch of the legwork for Varda’s drug experimentation can be done on the ground. The exorbitant price tag of drug research is often passed on to consumers in the form of eye-popping prices, which frequently draws critical headlines. “You’ll see like this entire ecosystem coming up to create this fertile ground for commercialization of space,” Bruey said.

Persons: El, Varda, “ It’s, ”, Will Bruey, ” Varda, what’s, Merck, Keytruda, Varda’s, Covid, that’s, Gabe Ramirez, ” Bruey, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, “ I’ve, ” Asparouhov, Asparouhov, “, who’s, You’re, Nicholas Cialdella, Bruey, Jon Barr, Mark Herbert, there’s, Eric Lasker, ” Lasker, Varda isn’t, It’s, Paul Reichert, Merck hasn’t, Reichert, Herbert Organizations: El Segundo , California CNN, Citigroup, Varda Space Industries, SpaceX, Vandenberg Space Force, Big pharma, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, ISS, Laboratory, Space Station, Rocket, CNN, NASA, Company, Founders Fund, PayPal, Pharmaceuticals, Fortune, Space Industries, US Air Force, Utah Test, pharma, “, Congressional, International Locations: El Segundo , California, California, Los Angeles, Delian, Salt Lake City, ”

☆ Why Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo is mentoring Ghanaian writer Ayesha Harruna Attah
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Rochelle Beighton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Attah said that being selected personally by Evaristo “is an honor of a lifetime.”“I was overjoyed because I love Bernardine’s boldness as a writer. In 2012, she launched the Brunel International African Poetry Prize, now renamed the Evaristo African Poetry Prize, with the aim of providing a platform for emerging poets from Africa and the diaspora. For Evaristo, mentorship is about more than just refining writing skills. Both Evaristo and Attah share a commitment to challenging misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding Africa and its people through their work. “People have said to me, “Isn’t writing about Africa or Black people limiting?” Evaristo said.

Persons: Bernardine Evaristo, Evaristo, Booker, Ayesha Harruna Attah, “, ” Evaristo, Attah, Evaristo “, ”, ” Attah, Don’t, ’, ‘, ” MARTIN BOURKE, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, Protégé Arts Initiative, Arts, Brunel University London, Brunel International Locations: Africa, Europe, America, Athens, Greece, Senegal, Nigerian, London, New York, Trinidad, Ghana, England, White

☆ Biden set to host Rishi Sunak for British PM’s first White House visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Stability in 10 Downing Street has allowed for better coordination on Ukraine, according to officials, and helped resolve a festering dispute over Northern Ireland trade rules. Ahead of the visit, Sunak cast his economic objectives as directly linked to the security agenda. When Biden met Sunak in San Diego earlier this year, he made reference to the condo the Stanford MBA graduate maintains in California. Yet that meeting was only a brief chat over tea; Biden spent most of his visit to Ireland exploring his ancestral roots. Sunak has been lobbying for the British defense secretary Ben Wallace, but other candidates are also thought to be under consideration.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Sunak’s, Sunak, ”, He’s, “, Donald Trump, Biden, ” Biden, Few, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, George W, Bush, Tony Blair, Barack Obama, David Cameron, bro ”, Biden’s, Thatcher, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Ben Wallace Organizations: CNN, United, Prime, Sky News, US, Russia, Britain, British, EU, Stanford, European Union, Group, White House, Biden, Northern Ireland, Downing Locations: Ukraine, Northern Ireland, Russia, Nova, Thursday’s, Washington, Ukraine’s Kherson, Europe, Silicon Valley, lockstep, London, San Diego, California, Britain, Japan, Belfast, Northern, Ireland

☆ An electric cruise ship with gigantic solar sails is set to launch in 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Adventure cruise company Hurtigruten Norway today revealed plans for a zero-emissions electric cruise ship with retractable sails covered in solar panels, which is due to set sail in 2030. The zero-emissions ship's sails will retract so that the ship can pass under bridges, as shown here in a rendering. This has led to a new wave of designs for eco-friendly sailing vessels, from the transatlantic car carrier Oceanbird and various cargo ships with retractable sails, to Oceanco’s Black Pearl superyacht and Chantiers de Atlanique’s cruise ship with folding solid sails. Hurtigruten Norway has long touted sustainable shipping. In 2019, it launched the world’s first hybrid, battery-supported cruise ship and is currently in the process of converting the rest of its expedition fleet to hybrid battery power.

Persons: Hedda Felin, ”, Gerry Larsson, Fedde, Larsson, Pearl superyacht Organizations: CNN, Hurtigruten, International Maritime Organization, UN Locations: Norway, Norwegian, Oslo, Hurtigruten Norway, “

☆ Turkey at a crossroads: Will it turn to the East or West?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Idil Karsit | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey joined NATO in 1952, formally cementing its place in the free world and within the Western fold. The two countries doubled their trade to $68 billion in 2022, despite sanctions on the Russian economy by Turkey's NATO allies. "This creates a system in which midsize players have more space to conduct partially independent foreign policies from the United States," she explained. "As the United States is less interested to play the regional politics, I think Turkey becomes an important actor — a stabilizing actor," he added. As Erdogan secures a third term in office, Turkey is at a crossroads: will it pivot to the East or West?

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, China —, Senem Aydin, Talha Kose, Erdogan Organizations: NATO, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, China, United, Sabanci University, Foundation for Political, Social Research Locations: Turkey, Ottoman, Russia, United States, China, India, Turkish

☆ I'm an NYU student and just returned from my semester abroad in Madrid. Here's what I wish I knew before I moved overseas.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Isabel Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I'm a New York University student, and I just returned from my semester abroad in Madrid. Now that I'm back home in my NYC apartment, I realize I learned a lot from my semester abroad. I learned that language barriers were not a reason to stop talking, dim your personality, or expect others to accommodate you. Many students felt pressure to travel, and I did, too. Besides that, I was in Madrid — a global city with so much to see and learn.

Persons: pickpocketing, —, didn't, Adolfo Suárez, it's Organizations: New York University, Service, Madrid, NYU, Adolfo Suárez Madrid, Barajas Airport Locations: Madrid, Morocco, Chamberí, Barcelona, Spain, Toledo, Valencia, Canary, it'll

☆ Denmark plans $2.6 bln more for Ukraine, Zelenskiy praises 'major contribution'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, May 29 (Reuters) - Denmark plans to increase its spending on military aid to Ukraine by 17.9 billion crowns ($2.59 billion) over this year and next, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday, winning thanks for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Denmark, with a population of less than 6 million, in March established a $1 billion fund for military, civilian and business aid to Ukraine in 2023. "This major contribution will further strengthen the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the short and medium term," Zelenskiy said in a tweet. The new money is earmarked for military aid, Danmarks Radio reported. Jens Stoltenberg, the transatlantic military alliance's secretary-general, is due to step down in September.

☆ NATO head urges Kosovo to ease tensions with Serbia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Stoltenberg, the transatlantic military alliance's Norwegian secretary-general, said he had spoken to European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians make up more than 90% of the population in Kosovo as a whole. Local Serbs, backed by Belgrade, said they will not accept the mayors and that they do not represent them. The situation remained tense on Sunday with heavily armed police in armoured vehicles still guarding the mayors' offices. Reporting by Sabine Siebold, writing by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The resulting clashes on Friday between Kosovan police and protesters opposed to the ethnic Albanian mayors prompted Serbia to put its army on full combat alert and to move units closer to the border. "We urge the institutions in Kosovo to de-escalate immediately and call on all parties to resolve the situation through dialogue," said Oana Lungescu, a spokeswoman for the transatlantic military alliance, in a Twitter post. She said KFOR, the 3,800-strong NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, would remain vigilant. It is also the right of citizens to be served by those elected officials," Kurti said on Twitter on Saturday. Ethnic Albanians form more than 90% of the population in Kosovo, with Serbs only the majority in the northern region.

☆ Americans flocked to Portugal for cheaper, more peaceful lives, but newcomers also brought crowds and drove up the cost of living
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Americans have been moving to Portugal for years, and the pandemic accelerated the trend further. The Bagbys are part of a wave of Americans who have moved to Portugal, a country roughly the size of Indiana. "It's a very reasonable cost of living," Zaretsky told Insider. Zaretsky paid 600,000 euros for the house in Portugal after selling her Austin, Texas, home for $676,000. Portugal has a strong tourism economy, and its shoulder season draws large crowds, making the petite coastal country feel tight.

☆ European officials are quietly preparing for the possibility Biden loses the next election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. President Joe Biden (R) meets with President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L) in the White House. This became ever more clear with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with European leaders welcoming the financial and military support from the largest economy in the world. But it's possible that the current agreement, and working practices, will all come to an end if there's a new president in the White House. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch his bid for the 2024 presidential campaign later this month, has said he believes the U.S. shouldn't get further involved in the Ukraine war.

☆ Meta slapped with record $1.3 billion EU data privacy fine over transfer of Facebook data to US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The European Data Protection Board announced the fine in a statement Monday, saying it followed an inquiry into Facebook (FB) by the Irish Data Protection Commission, the chief regulator overseeing Meta’s operations in Europe. The fine is the largest ever levied under Europe’s signature data privacy law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Meta has also been ordered to cease the processing of personal data of European users in the United States within six months. Meta’s infringement is “very serious since it concerns transfers that are systematic, repetitive and continuous,” said Andrea Jelinek, chair of the European Data Protection Board. EU and US policymakers were on a “clear path” to resolving this conflict under a new transatlantic Data Privacy Framework.

☆ Meta becomes cross-border tech mascot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 22 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Meta Platforms (META.O) is acting as a Big Tech mascot in a cross-border decision about the transfer of data. The $1.3 billion fine is a drop in the bucket for Meta, which has over $40 billion in its cash coffers. The decision, handed down from the Irish Data Protection Commission, gives Meta until October to completely cease moving data from Europe to the United States. Rather, the tension between data and the cross-border watchdogs can become more troubling for U.S.-based Big Tech. The decision gives Meta five months to stop transferring users’ data to the United States.

☆ Law firms Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling plan merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, which will be called A&O Shearman for short, "will be the only global firm with U.S. law, English law and local law capabilities in equal measure," the two firms said in a joint statement. They said the deal will give Allen & Overy greater access to the U.S. corporate client base of Shearman & Sterling, which in turn would benefit from A&O's global reach. The planned merger comes just months after Shearman & Sterling abandoned talks over a tie-up with transatlantic firm Hogan Lovells. Shearman & Sterling announced in February it was laying off attorneys and business professionals in the United States. Adam Hakki, senior partner at Shearman & Sterling, said "merging with Allen & Overy will dramatically accelerate our ability to meet (clients') needs in an increasingly complex environment."

☆ Opinion: A cerebral rock star is dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Opinion John Avlon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He is the author of “Lincoln and the Fight for Peace.” The views expressed in this essay are his own. These celebrated writers were the subject of long-form profiles and occasional tabloid scandals, treated as cerebral rock stars and voices of their generation. They were a post-punk crew that migrated from the UK to the US, including Hitchens, Tina Brown and Salman Rushdie. In his final book, “Inside Story,” part memoir and part novel, Amis returned to his friendship with Hitchens in the 1970s, prior to their becoming famous. It chronicles a doomed affair, flashing forward at times to the decline of their friend Saul Bellows from dementia, as well as Hitchens’ death.

☆ G7 leaders gather on China's doorstep to seek unified response to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

‘Economic coercion’Another important theme of the summit will be economic security, including how to counter China’s economic pressure tactics. As the G7 summit gets underway, Chinese officials will be closely watching from Beijing and will not hide their displeasure, experts say. In the lead-up to the summit, Beijing has already berated a statement by G7 foreign ministers. Similarly, Beijing also lashed out at accusations of its “economic coercion,” claiming it is the “victim of US economic coercion” rather than a perpetrator. And while China is not invited to Hiroshima, it is hosting its own summit with Central Asia countries, experts noted.

REUTERS/Dado RuvicMay 17 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) is set to face a record European Union privacy fine related to data transfer of Facebook's EU users to U.S. servers for failing to comply with a warning by a top EU court, two sources familiar with the matter said. The penalty will be higher than the previous record 746 million euros ($821.20 million) fine for Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), according to the sources. Meta declined to comment, while the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) and the European Commission did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. EU regulators led by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon have been finalising a ban on the legal tool used by Facebook to transfer European user data because of concerns U.S. intelligence agencies could access the information. Europe's highest court ruled in 2020 that an EU-U.S. data transfer agreement was invalid, citing surveillance concerns.

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