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A New Jersey school district faces legal action from three separate lawsuits filed this year, following the firing of its openly gay school superintendent. In a lawsuit filed in May, John Berenato, the former superintendent of the Manchester Township School District, accused the district of sexual orientation discrimination that led to his firing in November of last year. According to court documents, Antonucci was with Berenato when he received “disgusting derogatory texts regarding sexual acts” from district board members. Burns, an out lesbian, was the only LGBTQ district administrator as of February, according to court documents. Manchester Township School District serves about 2,900 students from pre-kindergarten through high school in Ocean County.

Persons: John Berenato, Diane Pedroza, Bridget Antonucci, Antonucci, Lori Burns, Burns, Berenato Organizations: Manchester Township School District, of Education, Google, Township School District Locations: Jersey, Manchester, Manchester , N.J, District, ”, Ocean County

Charlotte Kates, a New Jersey native and Rutgers Law School graduate who co-founded the pro-Hamas organization Samidoun, has become the focus of an ongoing legal debate: When does free speech cross the line into breaking federal anti-terrorism laws? Germany banned the organization last November, and Israel designated it a terrorist organization in 2021. Kates’ open support of terrorist organizations puts her in the middle of a growing legal dispute: When does free speech cross the line into breaking federal anti-terrorism laws? “As far as I’m concerned, this is legitimate political advocacy, unpleasant as it may be.”What is ‘knowingly’ coordinating with a terrorist organization? “You don’t have a right to pick and choose which law to follow.”Not all federal law enforcement experts agree with Burns’ approach.

Persons: Charlotte Kates, Kates, “, ” Kates, Samidoun, Tom Petrowski, ” Petrowski, Dr Basem Naim, Odysee Petrowski, David Goldberger, Goldberger, ”, —, Basem Naim, Naim, Israel “, Andrew Lichtenstein, they’re, John Roberts, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “ We’re, “ It’s, Frank Figliuzzi, ” Figliuzzi, Daniel Richman, webinars, ” Richman, “ Definitionally, Khaled Barakat, Barakat, ” Samidoun, Lara Burns, Burns, George, ” Burns, Barbara McQuade, ” McQuade, McQuade, webinar Organizations: Rutgers Law School, NBC News, Treasury, Canadian, Republican, Justice Department, FBI, Civil, Terrorism Task Force, Hamas, Samidoun, Odysee, Palestine Islamic, American Civil Liberties Union, YouTube, ”, Columbia University, Supreme, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Liberation Tigers, NBC, Columbia, Treasury Department, Front, Liberation, PFLP, Palestine, Palestinian, Columbia University Apartheid, World Trade, Patriot, Brandenburg, Land Foundation, George Washington University’s Program, Extremism, Islamic State, Eastern, Eastern District of Locations: New Jersey, Vancouver , British Columbia, U.S, South Africa, Germany, Israel, Vietnam, Dallas, Palestine, American, Skokie , Illinois, New York, Chicago, New York City, Kurdistan, Tamil Eelam, webinars, Swiss, Instagram, Brandenburg v . Ohio, Texas, Eastern District, Eastern District of Michigan

BEIJING — The United States will judge China “on its actions, not just its words,” U.S. “It’s very important that we have these channels of communication,” Burns said in an exclusive interview in Beijing on Wednesday. “We want to be responsible for our own people, but also for the world as we conduct this relationship,” Burns said. During their summit last year, the two leaders said there should be more people-to-people exchanges between their countries, including in academics, business and tourism. It’s a very challenging relationship,” Burns said.

Persons: China “, China Nicholas Burns, Burns, ” Burns, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Xi Jinping, It’s, ” Janis Mackey Frayer, Jennifer Jett Organizations: China, U.S, NBC, Pacific, Ukraine, Chinese Commerce Ministry, United Nations, Biden, Embassy, Foreign Ministry, American Chamber of Commerce Locations: BEIJING, United States, China, U.S, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Asia, Pacific, South, Taiwan, Washington, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, Gaza, Israel, California, Shanghai

☆ BlackRock's CEO says China is the biggest supporter of Russia's economy amidst the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Larry Fink says China is the biggest, fundamental supporter of Russia's economy. AdvertisementChina is Russia's biggest war backer, BlackRock chairman and CEO Larry Fink said on Tuesday. "Russia's biggest supporter and fundamental supporter of the Russian economy is China. "We have businesses in China, I'm sure everybody here has some businesses in China," Fink said. In July, Finland's President Alexander Stubb told Bloomberg in an interview that Russia's reliance on China means the Asian giant could end the Ukraine war if it wanted to.

Persons: Larry Fink, Fink, " Fink, China's, —, there's, hasn't, William J, Burns, Alexander Stubb, Xi Jinping, Stubb Organizations: BlackRock, Service, Berlin Global, Bloomberg, Business Insider, CIA, Foreign Affairs Locations: China, Russia, Russia's, Ukraine, BlackRock

☆ Georgia school shooter Colt Gray hid an AR-15 in his backpack and left class the morning of the deadly rampage
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Rebekah Riess | Holly Yan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Colt Gray brought the gun into the school on his own. The assault-style rife could not be broken down, but Gray hid it in his backpack,” the bureau said Thursday. Republican wants new gun safety measuresAt least 389 mass shootings have taken place so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines mass shootings as those in which four or more victims are shot. That’s an average of more than 1.5 mass shootings every day. In light of the Apalachee High School killings, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns called for new gun safety and mental health measures in a letter to fellow Republicans.

Persons: Gray, “ Colt Gray, “ Gray, ” Gray, Colin Gray, ”, Colt Gray, Jon Burns, “, ” Burns, Burns, Gloria Butler, CNN’s Jamiel Lynch Organizations: CNN, Apalachee High School, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Republican, Apalachee, Georgia House Republican Caucus, Democratic, Georgia State Capitol Locations: Georgia, Winder , Georgia, Barrow County

Financial planner Nadine Burns says with the right strategy, you can reach your retirement goals. Below, Burns shares the strategy she uses to help her clients achieve their retirement goals. Understand your net worthBurns says understanding your net worth — and tracking it throughout your working years — is the first step to retiring comfortably. Your net worth should rise throughout your working years and allow you to retire with more assets than debts. To find your net worth, add up all of your assets then subtract your debts.

Persons: Nadine Burns, It's, —, Burns, you've, doesn't Organizations: Service, Social Security, Invest, IRA

☆ How Group Black's $500 million promise to Black-owned media unraveled
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Lucia Moses | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Montaque cofounded Group Black in 2021 with the goal of directing $500 million in advertising money to Black-owned media in its first 18 months. With the pledge, Group Black laid out a plan to steer money to Black media owners and acquire media companies. Bough, Group Black's chief strategy officer, was a former Mondelēz and PepsiCo marketer who presented the CNBC reality show "Cleveland Hustles." Various outlets reported that Group Black mounted bids for media companies including the Sports Illustrated publisher Arena Group, the Paramount-owned BET, Vice Media, and Vox Media. Seven former employees described Montaque as an energetic leader but said he was ultimately ineffective in executing Group Black's mission.

Persons: Travis Montaque, Weeks, Montaque, Bonin, Black, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Richelieu Dennis, Dennis, Ursula M, Burns, Randy Brooke, Ursula Burns, Seth Kaufman, Moët Hennessy, Gamble, Ziff Davis, offsites, Gamble —, Spokespeople, Derrick Johnson, Lionel Hahn, Todd Brown, It's, Christopher Kenna, I'm, Samantha Skey, Black's Travis Montaque, Arturo Holmes, Vivek Shah, Bough, Sheila Marmon, Media's Refinery29, Erika Goldring, Richelieu Dennis who's, Kirk McDonald, GroupM Organizations: Black, Cannes Lions, Business, Black's, SHE, Cola, Walmart, PepsiCo, CNBC, Xerox, Getty, Moët Hennessy North America, Procter, Gamble, NAACP, Urban Edge Network, Corporate America, Association of National Advertisers's Alliance, Inclusive, Multicultural, Diversity Media, Penske Media Corp, Zeta, Fox, Everyday Health, Sports, Arena Group, Paramount, BET, Vice Media, Vox Media, Galore Media, Mirror, Marmon, Media Locations: GroupM, America, Soho, Manhattan, Santa Monica, Cannes

☆ Why Tesla’s big bet on gigacasting has other EV makers reimagining their factories
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Gigacasting is a form of die-casting — pouring materials like molten aluminum into large molds to form parts. For example, the front and rear portions of the early Model 3 chassis each contained more than 70 parts, according to Tesla. Reducing weight ultimately means more range for the customer, and substituting one large megacast for dozens of stamped parts reduces labor and boosts production, he said. Severinson views repair as a solvable challenge: "There is a solution to repairing also a casted rear floor," he said. Burns and Volk say that might be a sign that the company is hitting some technical limits.

Persons: Elon Musk, Shea Burns, AlixPartners, Tesla, Musk, Erik Severinson, Burns, Wolfram Volk, Volk, Lars Moravy Organizations: Toyota, Ford Motor, General Motors, Hyundai, Nissan, Volvo, Technical University of Munich, BMW, Volkswagen Locations: American, Germany

☆ Middle East Crisis Israeli and U.S. Defense Chiefs to Discuss the Conflicts With Hamas and Hezbollah
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Ephrat Livni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. and Israeli defense chiefs, Lloyd J. Austin III and Yoav Gallant, at a December news conference in Tel Aviv. Mr. Gallant is meeting with Mr. Austin on his third day of talks with senior Biden administration officials. Mr. Gallant and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met in Washington on Monday. That was a recurring theme in American officials’ talks with Mr. Gallant this week. On Monday, Mr. Gallant met with William J. Burns, the C.I.A.

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, Yoav Gallant, Gallant’s, Patrick S, Ryder, Mr, Gallant, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Matthew Miller, “, Khan Younis, ”, Antony J, Blinken, Miller, ’, “ We’ve, General Ryder, Amos Hochstein, Hochstein, Netanyahu, William J, Burns, Jake Sullivan Organizations: U.S, Pentagon . Defense, Pentagon, Defense Department, Biden, American, State Department, Hamas, Mr, Lebanese, Israel Locations: Tel Aviv, Washington, Gaza, Lebanon, “, Israel, Gen, United States, Rafah, Gaza City, Jerusalem, Beirut

An Israeli strike killed a top official in charge of ambulance services in the Gaza Strip, local health officials said on Monday, as the Israeli defense minister met with top American officials in Washington about a possible new phase in the Israeli offensive. The official, Hani al-Jafarawi, who was the director of ambulance and emergency services in Gaza, was killed in a strike on a health clinic in Gaza City, the Gazan Health Ministry said. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. The meetings in the Washington area by Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, with the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Monday coincided with a potential shift in the military campaign signaled by Israeli officials in recent days.

Persons: Hani al, Muhammad Salah, Israel’s pulverizing, Yoav Gallant, William J, Burns, Antony J, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ” Organizations: Gazan Health Ministry, Hamas, Health Ministry Locations: Gaza, Washington, Gaza City, Israel

Even as the Biden administration renewed its push for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel threatened “very intense”military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Whoever thinks he can hurt us and we will respond by sitting on our hands is making a big mistake,” he said, according to the Israeli government. “We are prepared for very intense action in the north.”Against the backdrop of escalating tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border, the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, met on Wednesday with top Qatari and Egyptian officials in the latest effort to broker a deal to end the fighting in Gaza and free the hostages taken captive during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Mr. Burns met in Doha with the Qatari prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the chief of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, according to an official briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door encounter.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, ”, William J, Burns, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Abbas Kamel Organizations: Qatari, Egypt’s General Intelligence Service Locations: Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, ”, Doha, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

☆ U.S. Officials Return to Mideast to Push for Cease-Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Adam Rasgon | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Top NewsImage William J. Burns, the director of the C.I.A., was expected to arrive in Doha, Qatar, this week for talks about achieving a cease-fire in Gaza. But statements by Israeli and Hamas officials in recent days suggested that a breakthrough was still elusive. One of the biggest gaps between Israel and Hamas has been over whether a cease-fire deal would lead to a lasting truce. Mr. Biden said Israel’s proposal would ultimately lead to the “cessation of hostilities permanently,” comments that were welcomed by Hamas. Israel, Mr. Hamdan said, was interested in only a temporary cease-fire to free hostages, and would then resume the war.

Persons: William J, Burns, Nathan Posner, Brett McGurk, Biden, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Majed al, Ansari, Osama Hamdan, Hamdan Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, U.S, Qatari Locations: Doha, Qatar, Gaza . Credit, Gaza, Cairo, U.S, Israel

William J. Burns, the C.I.A. This month, frustration boiled over between officials from Hamas and Israel, and the countries mediating — the United States, Qatar and Egypt — put the talks on hold. Israeli officials were upset with what they saw as shifting negotiating stances by Hamas, including the number of hostages to be released in a first phase. Hamas was upset by Israel’s operations in Rafah, the southern Gazan city, which have been progressing since. But core to the dispute were disagreements over how to define a cessation of hostilities between Hamas and Israel, and how different stages of the cease-fire would be put into effect.

Persons: William J, Burns, Egypt — Organizations: U.S Locations: Gaza, Europe, Israel, United States, Qatar, Egypt, Rafah, Gazan

☆ Sources say they were ‘duped’ by Egypt changing ceasefire terms for Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The ceasefire agreement that Hamas ended up announcing on May 6 was not what the Qataris or the Americans believed had been submitted to Hamas for a potential final review, the sources said. “We were all duped,” one of those sources told CNN. More of Hamas’ demands were inserted into the original framework that Israel had tacitly agreed to in order to secure Hamas’ approval, the source said. After discovering the Egyptian freelancing, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani informed Israel’s intelligence service Mossad that Egypt had acted alone, two of the sources told CNN. The day before Hamas made their May 6 public announcement agreeing to the proposal, an Egyptian source told CNN that Egypt had received Hamas’ response and relayed it to the Israeli side.

Persons: Israel, Bill Burns, Burns, ”, Ahmed Abdel Khalek, Abdel Khalek, Abbas Kamel, ’, Abdel Kareem Hana, Antony Blinken, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Bill Burns Bill Clark, Biden, Yahya Sinwar doesn’t, Critics of Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, US, Biden, Military Locations: Gaza, Qatar, Israel, Egypt, Al Thani, Cairo, Washington, Rafah

☆ Live Updates: Israeli Tanks Enter Rafah and Take Control of Border Crossing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The officials said that the changes were made by Arab mediators in consultation with William J. Burns, the C.I.A. Qatari and Egyptian mediators spoke with him on Monday about the changes that Hamas was ready to accept, the two officials said. Hamas said that Arab mediators had put forward the changes, but one official said that Hamas had suggested them. Mr. Netanyahu said last week that he would carry out an offensive in Rafah “with or without” an agreement. More than one million Palestinians have sought shelter in Rafah as they fled other parts of Gaza under attack by Israel.

Persons: William J, Burns, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Adam Rasgon Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Qatar’s, Ministry, Qatari Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Cairo, Rafah, Jerusalem

☆ Officials Describe Pact Hamas Has Embraced as U.S.-Israel Proposal With Small Changes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Edward Wong | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The officials said that the changes were made by Arab mediators in consultation with William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, and that the new version keeps a key phrase, the eventual enactment of a “sustainable calm,” wording that all sides had said earlier they could accept. The two officials said the response from Hamas was a serious one, and that it was now up to Israel to decide whether to enter into an agreement. In the second phase, the two sides would work toward reaching a “sustainable calm,” which would involve the release of more hostages, the officials said. The officials said that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was expected to push back against that definition.

Persons: William J, Burns, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza

☆ Hamas says it accepts cease-fire proposal from Egyptian, Qatari mediators, as U.S. and Israel review details of plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hamas said it told Egyptian and Qatari negotiators that it has approved a cease-fire proposal to halt the war in Gaza. Israel is examining the proposal that Hamas approved and has not confirmed whether it would accept or reject it, an Israeli official told NBC News. Hostage release negotiations intensified over the weekend, with facilitation from U.S. CIA Director William Burns, alongside mediators from Egypt and Qatar. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned Israel against an offensive in Rafah, where millions of civilians have taken refuge. President Joe Biden reiterated that stance on a half-hour Monday call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took place before Hamas had announced its approval of a cease-fire proposal.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Ashraf Amra, Daniel Hagari, Matthew Miller, William Burns, Burns, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas, Anadolu, Egyptian, Qatari, NBC, Israel Defense Forces, Department, NBC News, CIA, Israeli Locations: Palestinian, Sakura, Istanbul, Turkiye, Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Arab, Gaza's, Rafah

☆ Israel and Hamas Face Growing Pressure for a Cease-Fire Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, said in a text message that the group’s representatives were arriving in Cairo “with great positivity” toward the proposed deal. “If there is no agreement, it will be because of Netanyahu alone,” he said, referring to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. Mr. Sinwar is one of the presumed architects of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which left 1,200 dead and roughly 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. In Israel, Mr. Netanyahu faces substantial opposition within his own governing coalition to the proposed framework. Agreeing to the deal would be “humiliating surrender,” Bezalel Smotrich, the country’s finance minister, wrote on Facebook late last month.

Persons: Haitham Imad, United States —, Antony J, Blinken, ”, ” Mr, William J, Burns, Husam, Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar, Sinwar, ” Bezalel Smotrich, Biden, “ Organizations: United, McCain Institute, Central Intelligence Agency, Qatari, Hamas, Hamas’s, Facebook, Biden Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Shutterstock, Cairo, Palestinian, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Arizona, Cairo “, Washington

☆ Old, unused, and 'twisty' — meet the obscure NY election-conspiracy law that just might get Trump convicted
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Attorneys specializing in state election law believe the statute has never been prosecuted. Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty ImagesTwo highly respected law professors specializing in New York election law said the same. "I think it's very smart of prosecutors to use this state law, whether it's been used before or not," said Jeffrey M. Wice, who teaches state election law at New York Law School. Related storiesThese same three "underlying crimes" — using state election law, federal election law, and state tax law — were again given equal prominence here in a February 15 decision by Merchan. "You're having an underlying crime within an underlying crime to get to that felony," Connor told BI.

Persons: Alvin Bragg's, Trump, —, Donald Trump's, Donald Trump, Law Trump, Stormy Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Juan Merchan, Steinglass, I've, Sen, Martin Connor, Joseph T, Burns, that's, it's, Jeffrey M, Wice, — Merchan, Alvin K, Trump's, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Cohen, Connor, Prosecutors, Jerry H, he's, Goldfeder, Cozen O'Connor Organizations: Service, Manhattan, New York, Court, New, Republican, Democratic NY, Erie, Erie County Republican, New York Law School, Attorney, National Enquirer, Trump, Fordham Law, Democracy Locations: Manhattan, New York, Brooklyn, Erie County, Buffalo , New York

☆ Inside the White House’s monthslong push for Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Arlette Saenz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Sullivan followed up four days later with a call to Johnson to highlight the measures in place to track aid in Ukraine. They spoke often with Johnson’s staff, including meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, Ricchetti and Goff spoke with Schumer and Jeffries and their staff almost daily to strategize on how to push Ukraine aid forward. Biden and Johnson spoke by phone the next day as the speaker briefed him on his plan to move the aid package forward. “We discussed the contents of the next US military aid package,” Zelensky said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Johnson –, speakership, Biden, Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Jake Sullivan, Shalanda Young, Sullivan, Taiwan –, Hamas, Putin, ” Biden, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, “, ”, Steve Ricchetti, Richetti, Shuwanza Goff, Ricchetti, Goff, Jeff Zients, Schumer, Jeffries, Young, McConnell, Michael McCaul, Intelligence Michael Turner, Bill Burns, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Chip Roy, Texas, Ralph Norman of, Biden’s, Anita Dunn, Jon, Lloyd Austin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Donald Trump’s, Burns, ” Zelensky Organizations: Washington CNN, Ukraine, White House, GOP, Management, Senate, Biden, Russia, House Democratic, White, Capitol, House Foreign, Intelligence, CIA, Republican, The Defense Department, House Republicans, National Intelligence, Democratic, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Israel, Taiwan, Ricchetti, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Washington ,, Johnson’s

☆ How Mike Johnson Got to ‘Yes’ on Aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For weeks after the Senate passed a sprawling aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Speaker Mike Johnson agonized over whether and how the House would take up funding legislation that would almost certainly infuriate the right wing of his party and could cost him his job. He huddled with top national security officials, including William J. Burns, the C.I.A. He met repeatedly with broad factions of Republicans in both swing and deep red districts, and considered their voters’ attitudes toward funding Ukraine. And finally, when his plan to work with Democrats to clear the way for aiding Ukraine met with an outpouring of venom from ultraconservatives already threatening to depose him, Mr. Johnson, an evangelical Christian, knelt and prayed for guidance. “I want to be on the right side of history,” Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, recalled the speaker telling him.

Persons: Mike Johnson agonized, William J, Burns, Johnson, “, Michael McCaul of Organizations: Senate, U.S . Naval Academy, Ukraine, Foreign Affairs Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Michael McCaul of Texas

☆ C.I.A. Director Blames Hamas for Stalled Peace Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Negotiations for a cease-fire and the release of Israeli hostages have stalled because Hamas rejected the latest proposal put forth by Israel, Qatar and Egypt, the C.I.A. director said Thursday, putting the blame for a lack of progress in talks squarely on the group that led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. director and lead American negotiator, traveled to Cairo and pushed what he called “a far-reaching proposal” that Egyptian and Qatari negotiators took to Hamas. While Mr. Burns did not describe the details of that proposal, he said that so far Hamas has not accepted it. “It was a deep disappointment to get a negative reaction from Hamas,” said Mr. Burns, speaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.

Persons: William J, Burns, C.I.A, ”, George W, “ Organizations: Hamas, Qatari, Bush Presidential Center, Sunday Locations: Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Dallas, Gaza

☆ Jamie Dimon says the future of the world depends on whether the US can sort out its relationship with China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewHow the US handles its shaky relationship with China will affect the future of the world, says JPMorgan chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon. "It's the thread from Ukraine, oil and gas, food, migration, all our relationships, the most important one being China," Dimon told Bloomberg's Emily Chang in an interview that aired Wednesday. Related storyDimon's fresh remarks on China come as the world's second-largest economy finds itself in a fraught relationship with the US. And in January, CIA chief William J. Burns said China is a far bigger threat to the US than Russia. But while Dimon did single out China as a significant risk to the world, he told Chang that he is optimistic that the US could manage them.

Persons: —, Jamie Dimon, Dimon, Emily Chang, Chang, William J, Burns, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, They've, they're, America's Organizations: Service, Business, JPMorgan Global China Summit, Reuters, CIA, Affairs, Wednesday Locations: China, Ukraine, Russia, Shanghai, Pennsylvania

☆ The Masters: Scottie Scheffler is flying, but will leave tournament ‘at a moment’s notice’ if wife goes into labor
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —In his current form, it almost feels like nothing can stop Scottie Scheffler from clinching his second Masters crown – yet the world No. Speaking after his historic win, Scheffler dished out special praise to his support system at home in Dallas. Scheffler kisses his wife Meredith after clinching his first major title at Augusta National in 2021. David J. Phillip/APBurns joins Scheffler on baby watchScheffler isn’t the only player on baby alert – so too is friend and this week’s roommate Sam Burns. Phil Mickelson’s caddie Jim Mackay carried a beeper around all 72 holes of the 1999 US Open in case the golfer’s wife Amy went into labor.

Persons: CNN —, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Scheffler, ”, Meredith, ” Scheffler, Sara caddied, “, Arnold Palmer, Mike Ehrmann, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy, David J, Phillip, AP Burns, Sam Burns, Burns, Caroline, “ It’s, ” Burns, Jamie Squire, Phil Mickelson’s caddie Jim Mackay, Amy, Mickelson agonizingly, Payne Stewart, Mickelson –, – Organizations: CNN, Augusta National, Arnold Palmer Invitational Locations: Augusta, Dallas

☆ In Threatening Israel, Biden Hopes to Avoid a Rupture
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By the time President Biden hung up the phone, he had finally delivered the threat he had refused to make for months: Israel had to change course, he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or the United States would take action. But as the conversation ended on Thursday, aides to Mr. Biden said, the president had reason to hope that the message had gotten through and that he would not have to carry out his threat after all. During the call, Mr. Biden outlined several specific commitments he wanted Israel to make to avoid losing his support for the war against Hamas. Rather than pushing back, according to people informed about the call, Mr. Netanyahu promised that he would announce more humanitarian aid for Gaza within hours and signaled that he would respond to Mr. Biden’s other demands in days to come. director, and Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries in Cairo to try again to broker a temporary cease-fire.

Persons: Biden, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, William J, Burns Organizations: White Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, Cairo

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