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☆ Pro-Palestinian activists’ anger at Democrats hasn’t been dampened by Trump’s election
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —For Democratic pro-Palestinian activists, Donald Trump’s reelection delivered a bitter vindication. Led by the Uncommitted National Movement, they spent months pushing and pleading with the Biden administration to scale back its support for Israel’s war in Gaza. “I don’t have any regrets,” Uncommitted spokesman and strategist Waleed Shahid told CNN. After weeks of back-and-forth, on the final night of the confab, party officials inside the United Center told Uncommitted leaders it was a no-go. “The thing I’ve been saying and I will always say is that these uncommitted voters are our voters, they’re our family,” Barnes told CNN at the time.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Biden, Joe Biden’s, “, ”, James Zogby, Kamala Harris, ” Uncommitted, Lexis Zeidan, Trump “, ” Lexi Zeidan, Trump, Jill Stein, Harris, Harris ’, wasn’t, ” Zeidan, ’, Wa’el Alzayat, Emgage, Alzayat, Wa'el Alzayat, Jose Luis Magana, Mike Huckabee, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, Waleed Shahid, Lavora Barnes, –, ” Barnes, Shawn Fain, Ruwa, Romman, ” Romman, Trump’s, Dalal Baydoun, Stein, Israel, ” Harris, Bill Clinton, ” Clinton, ” Clinton’s, capper, Liz Cheney, Dick Cheney, Donald Trump, ” Shahid, “ it’s, ” Zogby, Zogby, “ There’s, we’re, he’s, CNN’s Danny Freeman, Yon Pomeranz Organizations: CNN —, Democratic, Movement, Black, Arab American Institute and, Democratic National Committee, Trump, CNN, Green Party, Democrat, Democrats, Muslim, Latina, Democratic National Convention, United Center, Michigan Democrats, United Auto Workers, statehouse, West Bank, United Nations, UN Human Rights, State, Defense, Michigan State University Locations: Gaza, Michigan, Dearborn, CNN Dearborn , Michigan, American, Chase , Maryland, Israel, Chicago, Palestinian, Georgia, ”, Arab, Lebanon, East Lansing, Palestine, Iraq

☆ OpenAI to present plans for U.S. AI strategy and an alliance to compete with China
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen with a photo of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. In the document, OpenAI outlines a rosy future for AI, calling it "as foundational a technology as electricity, and promising similarly distributed access and benefits." Now that Donald Trump is President-elect, OpenAI has made clear its plans to work with the new administration on AI policy, and the company's Wednesday presentation outlines its plans. OpenAI's presentation outlines AI economic zones co-created by state and federal governments "to give states incentives to speed up permitting and approvals for AI infrastructure." The blueprints say, "The government can encourage private investors to fund high-cost energy infrastructure projects by committing to purchase energy and other means that lessen credit risk."

Persons: Sam Altman, Donald Trump, OpenAI, Trump, Biden's Organizations: CNBC, Washington , D.C, Defense Locations: Washington ,, American

Israeli officials were Wednesday scrutinizing an unusually stern letter from the U.S. government threatening to review military assistance to the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if it continued to block essential aid from entering the Gaza Strip. People involved in aid distribution in Gaza told NBC News that several trucks had entered Gaza City in the north of the enclave, but that aid had not been distributed elsewhere. Since Sept. 30, he said, “only 12 trucks of food have actually made it to the population” through the Erez border crossing in northern Gaza. While the U.N. only counts its own trucks, Israel includes commercial vehicles in its tallies. The State Department says U.S. pressure placed on Israel in April did work and humanitarian assistance increased.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, haven’t, Andrew Miller, State Anthony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Axios, COGAT, Scott Anderson, John Kirby, Blinken “, ”, it’s, we’ve, ” Charles Hollis, “, It’s, Biden, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Ron Dermer Organizations: U.S, State, Defense, State Department, NBC News, Israeli Defense Ministry, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, House, Gaza, The State Department, Israeli, Strategic Affairs, Reuters Locations: Gaza, United States, U.S, Israel, Gaza City, New York, British, Austin, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Nabatieh

CNN —The Biden administration sent a letter to the Israeli government demanding it act to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza within the next 30 days or risk violating US laws governing foreign military assistance, suggesting US military aid could be in jeopardy. The Sunday letter, jointly written by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, is addressed to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. It marks a significant new step by the US to try to compel Israel to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The deadline falls after the US presidential election on November 5. This story is breaking and will be updated.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Ron Dermer, “, ”, ” Blinken, Austin Organizations: CNN, Defense, Strategic, US, US State and Defense Locations: Gaza, Israel, norther

☆ Washington and Seoul discussing new deal on cost sharing for US troops in South Korea ahead of a potential Trump election victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The negotiations over the Special Measures Agreement, known as the SMA, strained the US-South Korea alliance during the Trump administration. Former President Donald Trump demanded Seoul pay up to 400% more for the presence of the 28,500 US troops in the country during negotiations over the current agreement. Under the current agreement, South Korea pays about $1 billion annually, representing an increase of about 13.9% over previous SMAs. Earlier this year, Trump said that he did not think the South Korea is paying enough based on the last agreement. One complication is that a deal will have to be approved by South Korea’s national assembly — which is dominated by the opposition party to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Persons: —, Trump, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un’s, Joe Biden, ” Trump, Yoon Suk, “, ”, David Maxwell Organizations: CNN, Seoul, South, State Department, ROK, South Korean Ministry of Foreign, Biden, Defense Department, Biden Administration, US, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Trump Locations: Washington, Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Korea

☆ Russia Will Keep U.S. Soldier in Custody for Months, Local Media Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Anatoly Kurmanaev | More About Anatoly Kurmanaev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

An American soldier detained in Russia last week will remain in jail until at least July while the authorities investigate theft charges against him, the Russian news media reported on Tuesday, citing local court officials. The soldier was detained in the port city of Vladivostok in the east of Russia on Thursday, a spokeswoman for the local court told the Russian business newspaper Kommersant. His detention came to light on Monday, when the U.S. State and Defense Departments said that he was being held. An American military official identified him as Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, an Army sergeant in the process of returning home to Texas after being stationed in South Korea.

Persons: Gordon Black Organizations: Kommersant, U.S . State, Defense, American Locations: American, Russia, Vladivostok, Texas, South Korea

A U.S. Army soldier has been detained by Russian authorities in the port city Vladivostok on charges of criminal misconduct, the State and Defense Departments said on Monday, adding what is likely to be another complication in the contentious relationship between Moscow and Washington. A military official identified the soldier as Staff Sgt. He was apprehended on May 2, and Russia notified the State Department of the soldier’s “criminal detention” in accordance with international agreements between the two nations. “The Army notified his family, and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia,” Cynthia O. Smith, an Army spokeswoman, said in a statement. A State Department official reiterated the U.S. government’s warning for Americans not to travel to Russia.

Persons: Gordon Black, ” Cynthia O, Smith, Sergeant Black Organizations: U.S . Army, State and Defense, State Department of, Army, U.S . Department of State, State Department, NBC News Locations: Vladivostok, Moscow, Washington, Fort Cavazos, Texas, South Korea, Russia

Arm Ukraine With Fanfare and Israel in Secret? That package will pay for billions of dollars of arms flowing to Ukraine, Israel and other nations. As soon as the bill became law, the administration issued new announcements about weapons shipments to Ukraine, but not about transfers to Israel. Press releases about military aid for Ukraine and Israel Since both wars began, the U.S. government has issued at least 126 press statements or updates describing military aid sent to Ukraine and just three describing military aid sent to Israel. Information on maritime support sent to … Ukraine IsraelInformation on air-based weaponry and drones sent to … Ukraine IsraelThere is another distinction worth noting.

Persons: Biden, Jonathan Ernst, Antony Blinken, ”, Josh Paul, Israel —, Ukraine Israel “, Daniel C, it’s, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Reuters, Israel Defense Forces, Israel . Press, U.S . Department of State, U.S . Department of State ; U.S . Department of Defense, Internet, State Department, Defense Department, State and Defense, Washington Post, Ukraine authorizations, Democratic Party, West Bank, White, New York, Facebook Locations: Israel, Ukraine, U.S, U.S . Department of State ;, Ukraine Israel, Gaza, American, Egypt, Russian, Rafah, Lebanon, Iran, Iranian, Syria, United States

☆ Singapore's new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take office on May 15
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Singapore's new prime minister Lawrence Wong will be sworn in on May 15, 2024. SINGAPORE — Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down on May 15 and hand over the power to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, the Prime Minister's Office said on Monday. Wong, who will be sworn in at 8 p.m. local time that day, will be Singapore's fourth prime minister since its independence in 1965. Lee has served as prime minister since 2004. Wong, who is 51, entered politics after being elected a member of parliament during the 2011 General Election.

Persons: Lawrence Wong, Lee Hsien Loong, Wong, Lee Organizations: SINGAPORE — Singapore's, Minister's, Action Party, Finance, Monetary Authority of Locations: SINGAPORE, Monetary Authority of Singapore

☆ US Reviewing Reports of Civilian Harm by Israel, State Dept Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"We do seek to thoroughly assess reports of civilian harm by authorized recipients of U.S.-provided defense articles around the world," Miller said at a press briefing, adding that a process under the State Department's Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance (CHIRG) was assessing incidents in the current conflict. Israel's ensuing assault on Gaza has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 68,000, according to Gaza health officials. The guidance sets out a process by which State Department officials investigate specific incidents where civilians may have been harmed by U.S. weapons. But a source familiar with the process said the department was looking at least 50 reported incidents of civilian harm. The process is separate from assessments the State Department sometimes undertakes to determine whether atrocities, including crimes against humanity or even genocide, have been committed in a conflict.

Persons: Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis WASHINGTON, Israel, Matthew Miller, Biden, Miller, Joe Biden, Simon Lewis, Sandra Maler Organizations: State, U.S, State Department's, State Department, Department, Reuters, Washington, Defense Locations: United States, Gaza, Israel, Washington

He ultimately dismissed the juror, identified only as “Juror 186," who acknowledged making the “Gone Girl” comment, the judge said. Troconis, 49, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes on allegations that she helped her then-boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, cover up the killing of his wife, Jennifer Dulos, in 2019. Fotis Dulos denied having anything to do with her disappearance. Jennifer Dulos had moved out of the family home in Farmington, Connecticut, and Fotis Dulos was living there with Troconis and her daughter. Fotis Dulos was a luxury home builder originally from Greece.

Persons: ”, Kevin Randolph, Michelle Troconis, “, ” Randolph, “ Said, ’, Randolph, reconvening, Gillian Flynn, Ben Affleck, Troconis, Fotis, Jennifer Dulos, Fotis Dulos, Jennifer, ” Jennifer Dulos, Hilliard Farber, Liz Claiborne Locations: Connecticut, New Canaan , Connecticut, Farmington , Connecticut, New York, Greece

U.S. officials, after learning about the plot in late July, demanded that India investigate, a senior administration official said. High-level meetings and pledges of closer cooperation have continued, with Biden's secretaries of state and defense visiting Delhi this month. A senior U.S. administration official called the assassination plot a "serious matter" and said Washington expects India to stop such activities, even as the Biden administration pursues "an ambitious agenda to expand our cooperation" with India. Biden has made a priority of nurturing ties with India, hoping to counter China’s ambitions in Asia while drawing India away from Russia as the U.S. seeks to isolate Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. "Both the U.S. and India realize that they need each other, perhaps the U.S. a bit more than India."

Persons: Elizabeth Frantz, Nikhil Gupta, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Biden, Modi, Lisa Curtis, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada’s, Happymon Jacob, Richard Rossow, Ashley Tellis, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Krishn Kaushik, Jonathan Landay, Trevor Hunnicutt, Don Durfee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Eisenhower, White, REUTERS, Rights, Federal, New, New York City, Indian, White House, CIA, Washington, South, National Security Council, Canada, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Biden Administration, Carnegie Endowment, International, U.S, Thomson Locations: United States, India, Washington , U.S, U.S, China, Manhattan, New York, New Delhi, Delhi, The U.S, Central Asia, Asia, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, York, Canada, Vancouver suburb, Gujarat

☆ Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to state financial charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Dianne Gallagher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Murdaugh was facing dozens of state charges in alleged schemes to defraud victims of millions. Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters said the deal would bring “finality to the matter” and ensure Murdaugh would “stay in state prison for a very long time.” The agreement, if approved, would see Murdaugh spend a total of 27 years in a South Carolina state prison, according to Waters. “Alex Murdaugh’s guilty plea will finally allow his financial victims to begin the process of healing,” Eric “EB” Bland and Ronnie Richter, attorneys for some of the victims, said in a statement. It also only covers the state financial charges and does not address any of the remaining county charges Murdaugh faces. Judge Newman sentenced Murdaugh to two consecutive life sentences in a South Carolina state prison, which Murdaugh is currently serving.

Persons: CNN —, Alex Murdaugh, Creighton Waters, Waters, Murdaugh, Clifton Newman, “, ” “, ” Murdaugh, ”, ” Newman, Newman, “ Alex Murdaugh’s, Eric “ EB, Bland, Ronnie Richter, Judge Newman, Alan Wilson, ” Wilson, Maggie, Paul, Becky Hill Organizations: CNN, Carolina Constitution, South Carolina, Murdaugh Locations: South Carolina, Beaufort County, Murdaugh, Waters, Carolina, Colleton

☆ Avoiding a government shutdown is first major test for House Speaker Mike Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

House Republican held a Conference meeting to discuss party agenda. WASHINGTON — The government could shut down at the end of the week — unless House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can get his contentious stopgap funding bill passed. The passage of a bipartisan stopgap measure is what prompted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster in October. Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Monday said the continuing resolution is driven by the "irresponsible" conservative House Freedom Caucus. Johnson said on Saturday that the continuing resolution places House Republicans "in the best position to fight for conservative victories" by separating it from debates over supplemental funding.

Persons: Mike Johnson, WASHINGTON —, Kevin McCarthy's, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Monday, Wasserman Schultz, Chip Roy, Karine Jean, Pierre, Saturday, Jean, Johnson Organizations: U.S, Capitol, House Republican, WASHINGTON, Democratic, Caucus, Fla, State and Defense, White House, Republican, Republicans, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Washington ,, Israel, Texas, Mexico, Ukraine, Southern, Jan

NEW DELHI (AP) — Top diplomats and defense chiefs from India and the United States met Friday focusing on security issues involving the Indo-Pacific, China and the Israel-Hamas war. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. and India have a strong partnership and would discuss matters with implications for the future. He also said that the United States and India are bolstering their partnership in international peace and strengthening a rule-based order. Political Cartoons View All 1239 ImagesBlinken also said defense cooperation was a key pillar in ties between the countries. India and the U.S. have held the two-plus-two talks between India’s external affairs and defense minister and the U.S. secretaries of state and defense since 2018 to discuss issues of concern and strengthen bilateral ties.

Persons: Antony Blinken, ”, Blinken, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Uday Bhaskar, Defense Lloyd Austin, Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi’s Organizations: DELHI, —, U.S, Association of Southeast, Nations, Defense, Indian Locations: India, United, Pacific, China, Israel, U.S, Asia, Japan, Australia, United States, Palestine, Gaza, Ukraine, Philippines, South China, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Washington

CNN —President Joe Biden is expected to make a final decision soon on sending long-range missiles to Ukraine for the first time, a major step recommended by the State and Defense departments after months of Ukrainian requests, people familiar with the discussions told CNN. Discussions about sending the long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems, also known as ATACMS, picked up substantially in recent weeks, the sources said. Currently, the maximum range of US weapons committed to Ukraine is around 93 miles with the ground-launched small diameter bomb. ATACMS missiles are fired from HIMARS rocket launchers, the same type of vehicle that launches the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles that Ukraine already employs. “When we talk about long-range missiles for Ukraine, it is not just a whim, but a real need,” the head of Zelensky’s office, Andriy Yermak, said on Telegram on Monday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Biden, ” Zelensky, Antony Blinken, Lockheed Martin, Andriy Yermak, Abrams, “ I’m, Republican Sen, James Risch of, “, Putin, they’ve, ” Organizations: CNN, State and Defense, Tactical Missile Systems, State Department, Pentagon, Lockheed, Army, Ukrainian, Republican, Aspen Security Forum Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Crimea, France, James Risch of Idaho

☆ Teenage Girl in Guyana Is Charged With 19 Counts of Murder in School Dorm Fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A 15-year-old student accused of deliberately setting a fire in a girl’s school dormitory in Guyana that killed 18 of her schoolmates and a 5-year-old boy was charged on Monday as an adult with 19 counts of murder. The defendant appeared virtually at a hearing in a court south of the capital, Georgetown, and she was ordered held in custody pending further court proceedings. Investigators accused the girl, who was not identified, of igniting the blaze at Mahdia Secondary School in anger with the administrator over the confiscation of her cellphone. The government boarding school serves remote Indigenous villages in the country’s southwest. If found guilty, the student could face life in prison.

CNN —For Yulia Laputina, Ukraine’s Minister of Veterans Affairs, a visit to Arlington National Cemetery was a deeply moving experience. On Thursday, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, announced that the city council had “started the procedure for establishing the National Military Memorial Cemetery,” and had allocated land for its creation. Ukrainian Minister of Veterans Affairs Yulia Laputina visits Arlington National Cemetery in April 2023. Lawmakers made the case that personal connections to Americans across the country could “increase the level of support of practical support” for Ukraine, Laputina said. Yulia Laputina, Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine at the International Rehabilitation Forum in Lviv, Ukraine, on April 12.

☆ U.S. Congress members seek halt to $1 billion Nigeria weapons deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We write to express our concern with current U.S. policy on and military support to Nigeria," the lawmakers said. The United States has paired security assistance to Nigeria with training focused on compliance with international law. Nigerian military leaders denied the program has ever existed and said Reuters reporting was part of a foreign effort to undermine the country's fight against the insurgents. Nigerian military leaders told Reuters the army has never targeted children for killing. Amid international outcry, Nigeria’s defense ministry agreed to cooperate with an investigation by Nigeria’s Commission on Human Rights, which is underway.

☆ China's suspected spy balloon had Western-made components with English writing on them, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China's balloon had parts that were made in the West, officials told lawmakers, per Bloomberg. They said the components had English writing on them, sources told Bloomberg. People familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that Biden administration officials spoke to members of Congress privately on Capitol Hill about the balloon having Western-made components with English-language writing on them. Several of the people declined to tell Bloomberg which components of the balloon were made in the West. Chinese officials have said the balloon was from the country but that it was a weather balloon, which went off course.

☆ Mike Pompeo says Trump had a 'nutty' plan for him to serve as both secretary of defense and secretary of state simultaneously: book
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pompeo said Trump floated the idea of him serving as secretary of state and defense secretary, per his new memoir. In July 2020, Trump told Mark Meadows that he wanted his secretary of state to have a "dual hat," per Pompeo. Pompeo made the revelation as he explores a potential 2024 White House campaign against his ex-boss. According to Pompeo's book, Trump told Meadows that Esper was "not going to make it" for much longer while helming the Defense Department. That July, Trump told Meadows that he wanted his secretary of state to have a "dual hat" and "take on leading the department of defense as an additional duty," per Pompeo.

Former President Donald Trump’s longtime friend and former fundraiser, Tom Barrack, was found not guilty Friday of charges that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates during the Trump administration and then lied to the FBI about those contacts. In addition, he was charged with obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI about his UAE contacts during a 2019 interview with federal agents. Prosecutors largely built their case around texts and email messages Barrack and Grimes exchanged with an Emirati businessman named Rashid Al Malik, whom they described as their go-between for the pair's dealings with Emirati officials. The messages showed UAE officials giving feedback to Barrack about what he should say in TV interviews and input about what Trump should say about energy policy in a 2016 campaign speech. Barrack denied sharing that information while testifying in his own defense, and also denied having lied to the FBI.

Barrack, 75, is charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent, obstruction of justice and making false statements to the FBI. Prosecutors allege he used his decades-long friendship with Trump to “illegally provide” government officials from the UAE with access to — and information about — the president and top officials. Jackson told jurors that the government’s claim of overwhelming evidence against Barrack was “a joke,” and that there was “nothing nefarious” about his client’s dealings with Emirati officials. Jackson further argued the government had no direct evidence that Barrack had struck a deal with the UAE. Grimes' attorney, Abbe Lowell, disputed that his client was an unregistered foreign agent, saying he did what his boss Barrack told him to do, not what UAE officials requested.

Barrack, 75, is charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent and lying to the FBI. Prosecutors said UAE officials also pressed Barrack for details on who Trump would pick for various high-level jobs, including CIA director and at the State and Defense departments. Barrack's lawyers have said their client is his own man and was doing what he thought was right — not acting as an Emirati agent. Even viewed in the light most favorable to the government, the evidence shows only that the 'UAE' sometimes asked Mr. Barrack to do something, or to consider doing something, and Mr. Barrack then decided for himself whether he would do it or not." He said that Barrack had pushed him to convince then-President Trump to support Qatar in a blockade over the UAE.

He also provided UAE officials with sensitive information, including internal discussions within the Trump administration concerning the blockade of Qatar by the UAE, Mehta said. When he was asked by the FBI about his dealing with UAE officials and the actions he'd taken, Barrack "started lying" and "lied and lied again." Schachter argued that the feds were blowing up "meaningless, inconsequential acts," including Barrack praising the UAE as an "important ally" during a TV interview. "Barack Obama has said the same thing," Schachter told the jury. While Grimes did set up appointments for Barrack, including with UAE officials, he did so at his boss' request, Lowell said, adding that he’d also get Barrack his coffee and smoothies and babysit his kids.

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