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CNN —Incendiary devices that ignited in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the US and Canada, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday, citing Western security officials. In July, device explosions at DHL logistics hubs in Leipzig, Germany, and Birmingham, UK, kickstarted a race to find the suspects, WSJ reported. When the WSJ asked Russia for comment about the suspected Russian plot, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied the allegations. “We have never heard any official accusations” of Russian involvement, adding: “These are traditional unsubstantiated insinuations from the media.”” He said according to WSJ. It was dealt with by staff and the local fire brigade at the time and there were no reports of any injuries or significant damage caused,” the spokesperson said.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, DHL, DHL Express, European Union, ” CNN, NATO Locations: Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Leipzig, Birmingham, Lithuania, North America, Russia, United States, America, Europe, Ukraine

The NATO official said they had observed “an unprecedented escalation and spread of Russia’s hybrid warfare” over the past six months, which included “physical sabotage” on the supply line of NATO weapons intended for Ukraine. “It is everything from point of production and origin, to storage, to those who are making decisions, to the actual delivery,” the senior NATO official said. Recent high-profile arrests have revealed the ad-hoc, clumsy nature of how the Kremlin’s intelligence operations have evolved since the start of the war in Ukraine. Russia is big enough to have resources to fight a war against Ukraine and also maintain its security operations against European countries… against us. There are people who take part in the war against Ukraine, and then they are rotated to some other region or area.

Persons: Blunt, ”, Donald Tusk, Dariusz Borowicz, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Maxim, Andrzej, Jaroslaw, “, Don’t, ” Andrzej, I’d, Wagner, Volodymyr Zelensky, Sean Gallup, Paris Charles de, Vladimir Putin’s, Harrys Organizations: CNN, NATO, Polish, Reuters, Ukraine, Getty, London’s Metropolitan Police Service, Kremlin, EU, Estonian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, “, Reuters Russia, Washington , DC, Moscow, Poland, Russian, Lublin, Medyka, Ukrainian, Biala Podlaska, Warsaw, Polish, surveilling Rzeszow Jasionka, Kyiv, Berlin, Germany, Russian Ukrainian, Paris Charles, Paris Charles de Gaulle, East London, Estonia, Russia’s

☆ Kamala Harris: Democrats start moving to VP as President Joe Biden digs in
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

CNN —Amid the ongoing fallout from Joe Biden’s debate performance, talk in many top Democratic circles has already moved to who Kamala Harris’ running mate would be. A more open race, these top Democrats hope, would be for Harris’ running mate, with a focus on leading Democratic governors. “President Biden is our nominee, Vice President Harris is our running mate, and we will win this November,” he said. The anti-Trump coalition cannot afford to discount the strengths of the nominated Democratic running mate and current vice president. Harris’ answer: She’d turn around and say to him, “Why are you being so weird?”As vice president, Harris has tended to be known more for her word salads than sharp elbows like that.

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden’s, Kamala Harris ’, Biden, Harris, That’s, it’s, Donald Trump’s, Harris ’, Roy Cooper, Andy Beshear, Josh Shapiro, J.B . Pritzker, Tim Walz, “, they’ve, ’, hasn’t, We’ve, ”, Tim Ryan, he’s, ” Biden, Kevin Munoz, Harris —, I’ve, Kamala ” —, —, it’s Kamala, “ Kamala Harris, Kamala, She’s, Nanette Barragán, ” she’s, ” Barragán, Biden’s, Timmaraju, she’s, Harris Harris, Biden metastasizing, Ezra Levin, Gregory Meeks, Trump Harris, Hillary Clinton, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Jill Biden, ” Brian Fallon, Cooper, Beshear, ” Cooper, He’s, CNN’s Jeff Zeleny Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Biden, North Carolina Gov, Kentucky Gov, Pennsylvania, J.B, Illinois, NFL, Trump, ”, California Democrat, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Democrats ’, Democratic doubters, Congressional Black Caucus, Democratic Party, New, CBC, Republican Locations: Minnesota, Alabama, Wisconsin, Ohio, California, Milwaukee, Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia , Montana, Iowa

☆ Global Warming is Having a Big Effect on Our Oceans - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

It’s the shuddersome, floppy Greenland shark, which can live to 300, perhaps even longer, its life span slowed and distended by the deep cold of the northern oceans. Since then, measured by weight, 90 percent of the largest creatures sharing the oceans with them have disappeared. This is not just a parable about the warming of the seas. Ninety percent of global marine fish stocks have now been fully exploited or overfished; 81 percent of monitored migratory freshwater populations have declined since 1970. But the story of that warming is nevertheless astonishing, even for those of us anesthetized by exposure to the world’s rapid ecological transformation.

Persons: preteenagers, Helen Czerski, Czerski, Mike Davis, “ Locations: Atlantic, England, El

☆ Opinion: The problem with the US bombing strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Biden administration has also repeatedly said it doesn’t want to go to war with Iran. To tamp down the possibility of a wider regional war, the US needs to focus its efforts on addressing the underlying cause of this roiling conflict: the continued war in Gaza. Previous US strikes have failed to deter Iran and its proxies. It’s possible that US cyber-attacks in Iran could damage key elements of Iranian military command and control structures, but these kinds of attacks can take many weeks to prepare. This article has been updated to reflect the strikes on Houthi targets on Saturday.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Osama bin Laden, Biden, Joe Biden, “, Houthis, Trump, Qasem Soleimani, Let’s, Sayf al, Carl von Clausewitz, Lloyd Austin Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, White House, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, United, Adl, Prussian, Hamas, UNRWA Locations: New America, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Yemen, Baghdad, Iran’s, Afghanistan, Tehran, United Nations, East, Lebanon, Israel

☆ ‘Zoomers’ Review: Just Don’t Kill the Vibes
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Brittani Samuel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s immediately clear that the 30-something Gasda, whose 2022 play “Dimes Square” captured the crowd of artists, writers and scenesters in New York City’s downtown, has spent significant time observing his younger subjects. With the exception of a few awkward phrases, his naturalistic play captures the way Gen Z talks. “Zoomers” opens with three roommates ambling around their Brooklyn apartment in Bushwick, a land where shaggy hair is a personality trait and hard kombucha might as well be on tap. Michael (Jonah O’Hara-David), Jacob (Henry Lynch), and Jada (Reneé-Nicole Powell) are recovering from a night of respective drinking, smoking weed and existential dread. For the emotionally stunted Jacob in particular, it’s a pleasurable escape whenever conversations get too heated.

Persons: “, Matthew Gasda, It’s, ”, Z, ambling, Jonah O’Hara, David, Jacob, Henry Lynch, Jada, Nicole Powell, Ella, Sophia Englesberg, George Olesky Organizations: Brooklyn Center for Theater Research Locations: New York, Brooklyn, Bushwick, catharsis

☆ From Opposite Sides of War, a Hunt for Elusive Facts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Tiffany Hsu | Sheera Frenkel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The first reports of the Hamas attack were already fusing with rumors, sweeping into social media feeds and private chat groups in an emotionally charged and largely unverified mass. Mr. Schatz, one of the best-known disinformation researchers and fact checkers in Israel, rushed back home to his computer, knowing he had little time to stop the false claims from metastasizing. In a way, he was already too late. Since the initial attack, disinformation watchdogs in the region have been overwhelmed by unfounded narratives, manipulated media and conspiracy theories. The content has spread in enormous volumes at great speed: video game clips and old news reports masquerading as current footage, attempts to disavow authentic photos as artificially generated, inaccurate translations and false accusations distributed in multiple languages.

Persons: . Schatz Locations: Israel, metastasizing

American, British and European officials are pressuring Israel to let aid for Gaza transit through the Israeli port of Ashdod to help alleviate a metastasizing humanitarian crisis, according to six U.S. and European officials. Israel’s military responded to the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by invading and declaring a siege on Gaza, which was already under a yearslong blockade. Humanitarian workers say vastly more aid is needed to meaningfully help Gaza’s 2.2 million residents amid dire shortages of food, water and supplies. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken pressed Israeli officials about allowing Gaza aid through the port of Ashdod when he was in Tel Aviv earlier this month, according to one U.S. official. That official and the others interviewed about the new aid proposal spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken Locations: Israel, Gaza, Ashdod, Egypt, Tel Aviv

☆ Opinion | The Road Back From Hell
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Daniel Levy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The nations opposing a cease-fire — Israel, the United States, some European countries and a few others — might acknowledge the perils looming. The United States would need to push for such an outcome, working alongside Qatar and regional states that have Israel’s ear. Revived Palestinian national political structures will be a critical component in advancing broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution after this war. The road back from the hell of a zero-sum “us or them” begins with the humanizing of the other. Maybe it’s a road that eventually leads us back to a two-state dispensation.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel nixed, Bill Burns, Netanyahu, Israel, Israel’s overreach, ” Organizations: Gaza Health Ministry, West Bank, Qatar, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Palestine Liberation Organization, Nations Locations: Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, United States, U.S, Qatar, Oslo

☆ A new wave of antisemitism threatens to rock an already unstable world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Jennifer Smith | Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Outbursts of antisemitism have often been harbingers of societies in deep trouble and omens that extremism and violence are imminent. Biden on Monday unveiled new measures to tackle antisemitism on college campuses and senior officials underscored the need to combat anti-Jewish hate. A widening problem in the United StatesIn recent years, antisemitism has often been driven in the United States by far-right groups. But reaction to the deepening crisis in Israel and Gaza has shown that antisemitism is also boiling on the far-left. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday tried to pinpoint the moment at which opposition to Israeli policies crosses into antisemitism.

Persons: –, Israel, Kathy Hochul, Cornell, Molly Goldstein, ”, “, United States —, Joe Biden, Biden, ” John Kirby, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Donald Trump, Israel’s, Chuck Schumer, Monday, “ I’m, ” Jonathan Greenblatt, Kasie Hunt, CNN Max, ’ Organizations: CNN, Cornell University, Ivy League, Cornell, Police, New York Gov, Democrat, Cornell Center for Jewish, Beverly Hills, National Security, Jewish American, Israel Defense Forces, Defamation, ADL, Department of Justice, West Bank, New York Democrat, Defamation League Locations: Gaza, United States, New York, Israel, Beverly, Europe, America, Russia’s, Dagestan, Ukraine, al Qaeda, United States of America, Charlottesville , Virginia, Palestinian, Chicago, “ State, Russia

Some executives are worried about the optics, pointing to an initial statement from Riyadh about the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that appeared to blame Israel. The diplomatic normalization talks with Israel appear to be on hold, and the crown prince has reportedly begun talks with the Iranian government about preventing the conflict from metastasizing. Meanwhile, Riyadh has been cool to U.S. efforts to restore calm and preserve progress made in the Saudi-Israeli talks. Prince Mohammed reportedly made Secretary of State Antony Blinken wait hours before meeting, and then called for a halt in the “current escalation” of the conflict. Some have suggested that attending would help encourage Saudi Arabia in its modernization push.

Persons: Israel, Prince Mohammed, Antony Blinken, ” Ayham Kamel, DealBook, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed’s Organizations: Reuters Locations: Riyadh, U.S, Saudi, Eurasia, East, North Africa, Israel, Saudi Arabia

☆ Assistants at companies like Netflix and Disney are 'waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel' as their careers stall and they can't get promoted: 'I don't see a way up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Trying to maintain a career in Hollywood was "not something that was feasible for me to continue," this person told Insider. Insider spoke with eight current and former assistants at Hollywood companies, plus a former creative executive at a midsize film studio. Many hopefuls can't find jobs in an industry that's been wracked with head count reductions and budget cuts. Netflix's website lists just one open assistant job — a role in a non-creative vertical. At Paramount, which cut 25% of staff from its US cable networks earlier this year, there appear to be no open executive assistant jobs in entertainment capacities .

Persons: —, strivers, that's, David Heger, Edward Jones, Heger, Bob Iger —, there's, WBD, they've, they'd, I'm, Reed Alexander Organizations: Hollywood, Netflix, Paramount Global, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, Media, Writers Guild of America, Challenger, Warner Bros, Discovery, Entertainment Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York

☆ As Hollywood strikes press on, Wall Street weighs in on the outlook for TV, streaming stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

At the same time, legacy media companies face off against another well-known demon: cord-cutting. Technology companies such as Apple and Amazon can lean on their respective hardware and e-commerce businesses, said Paul Fanelli, a research analyst at Gabelli Funds. Even so, Wall Street sees only a handful of pure-play winners in the TV and streaming space winning consumer attention over the long run. Already, the technology companies have shown some promise. Consumers are increasingly forgoing pay TV packages from cable companies and opting for bundles from companies like Alphabet, he said.

Persons: Rosenblatt, Barton Crockett, It's, Netflix's, Ken Leon, Hollywood's, Leon, Jamie Lumley, Paul Fanelli, it's, Apple's, Amazon's, That's, Needham, Laura Martin, Martin, —, John Hodulik, CNBC's, bode, Crockett, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Brandon Nispel, Nispel, Disney's hasn't, Fanelli, that's Organizations: Netflix, Apple, Paramount, Sky, Third, Gabelli, Warner, UBS, ESPN, Fox, NFL, Hulu, YouTube, KeyBanc, Comcast, Disney, Warner Bros, Max, DIS, Rosenblatt, ABC, Nexstar, CNBC Locations: France, United Kingdom

☆ Tucker Carlson claims we're 'speeding toward assassination' of Trump, amping up baseless far-right conspiracy theory
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tucker Carlson baselessly claimed that the political establishment is plotting to assassinate Donald Trump. The conspiracy theory has been growing in traction among far-right figures. The former Fox News host peddled the conspiracy theory in an interview with anti-woke comedian Adam Carolla posted on Wednesday. The conspiracy theory has been amplified by prominent far-right figures such as Infowars' Alex Jones and former Fox News host Dan Bongino, according to NBC News. Bongino claimed that the "plot to take out Trump is metastasizing" in a recent podcast episode titled "Speeding Towards Assassination?"

Persons: Tucker Carlson baselessly, Donald Trump, Adam Carolla, What's, Carlson, Trump, Alex Jones, Dan Bongino, Jones, Bongino, Daniel Jones, Fox Organizations: Service, Fox News, Trump, NBC News, Advance Democracy, NBC, Systems, Trump's Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington

☆ Actors are joining writers on strike against the Hollywood companies, and they're driven by a fear plaguing workers everywhere: Robots are coming for our jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Hollywood writers are entering their third month on strike. Film and TV writers say they're among those who have fared the worst as their industry has been remade, even as others reap the rewards. These Hollywood storytellers share something in common with workers in every industry: Everyone is afraid that the robots are coming for their jobs, Terminator-style. Now, they're some of the dominant forces controlling new content development in the entertainment industry. Recently, I reported on how the Hollywood writers' strike is dispiriting industry hopefuls at the outset of their careers — you can read it here.

Persons: Everything's, Fran Drescher, Adam Conover, Ted Sarandos, Bob Iger, Goldman Sachs, You've, We've, Jonathan Handel, Puck, they'll, Zayd Dohrn, —, Dohrn, Reed Alexander Organizations: Morning, NBC, Nickelodeon, Disney, Hollywood, Netflix, Wall, ., Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG, Apple, Big Tech, WGA, Northwestern University Locations: Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York, Chicago

☆ The fear driving Hollywood writers to strike — and soon, maybe actors too — is the same one roiling every industry: Robots are coming for our jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Hollywood writers are entering their third month on strike. Film and TV writers say they're among those who have fared the worst as their industry has been remade, even as others reap the rewards. Either way, the bottom line is this: Everyone in Hollywood is afraid that the robots are coming for their jobs, Terminator-style. Now, they're some of the dominant forces controlling new content development in the entertainment industry. Recently, I reported on how the Hollywood writers' strike is dispiriting industry hopefuls at the outset of their careers — you can read it here.

Persons: Everything's, Adam Conover, Ted Sarandos, Bob Iger, Goldman Sachs, You've, We've, Jonathan Handel, Puck, they'll, Zayd Dohrn, —, Dohrn, Reed Alexander Organizations: Morning, NBC, Nickelodeon, Disney, Hollywood, Netflix, Wall, ., Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, WGA, Apple, Big Tech, Northwestern University Locations: Hollywood, West Hollywood, Los Angeles and New York, Chicago

☆ Miss ‘Succession’ Already? Here’s What to Watch Next
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Margaret Lyons | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The end of “Succession” leaves a Waystar Royco-sized hole in our hearts. Bickering and jockeying abound, fueled by the mutually understood but outwardly denied reality that no one in the second generation is truly up to the task. The daughter is married to a bumbling oaf, whom she bullies with real glee. In “Succession,” the stakes are grave, but the characters approach them with flippancy; in “Gemstones,” the circumstances are absurd, but the characters take them incredibly seriously. If “Succession” is an ice bath, “The Righteous Gemstones” is a slip-n-slide, but the water is springing from the same source.

☆ How to position your portfolio following the Silicon Valley Bank fiasco — and why markets are wrongly anticipating a Fed pivot — according to a researcher whose clients include Wall Street's top money
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were shut by regulators in recent days. Following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over the last few days, some market participants are expecting the Federal Reserve to back off from its hawkish stance. Goldman Sachs' Chief US Economist Jan Hatzius said on Sunday night that he expects the Fed not to hike rates at its next meeting before resuming them later in the spring. The Fed's next moves are relevant to recent events because higher interest rates contributed to the downfall of Silicon Valley Bank. For example, Jeffrey Gundlach, the CEO of DoubleLine Capital, told CNBC on Monday that the central bank will hike rates by 25 basis points at its next meeting.

☆ Protests leave China facing a terrible trilemma
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Such behaviour undermines arguments that abandoning Xi’s zero-Covid policy will instantly stimulate economic activity. Even before factoring in Beijing’s response to the unrest, the International Monetary Fund expects a measly 3.2% GDP growth for China this year. Covid-19 cases began spiking in China in early November following a week-long public holiday. The government reported 40,347 new infections for Nov. 27 in an update issued Nov. 28. Beijing announced 20 relaxations of the country’s pandemic policy on Nov. 11, including shorter quarantine periods and more narrowly targeted lockdowns.

☆ Breakingviews: Protests leave China facing a terrible trilemma
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

HONG KONG, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Officials’ muddled response to spiking Covid cases has set off three consecutive days of demonstrations spanning cities and social classes. Such behaviour undermines arguments that abandoning Xi’s zero-Covid policy will instantly stimulate economic activity. Covid-19 cases began spiking in China in early November following a week-long public holiday. The government reported 40,347 new infections for Nov. 27 in an update issued Nov. 28. Beijing announced 20 relaxations of the country’s pandemic policy on Nov. 11, including shorter quarantine periods and more narrowly targeted lockdowns.

The report found that the FBI and DHS continue to spend more on international terrorism, despite saying for years that domestic terrorism now poses a greater threat to Americans. The report said a change in how the FBI categorizes domestic terrorism ideologies has been a hindrance to understanding the problem. In 2017, FBI created a new category of domestic terrorism ideology called “Black Identity Extremists,” but then stopped using it. The report also criticized the FBI and DHS as having been conservative in hunting for threat intelligence posted publicly on social media. Research conducted by MIT’s Technology Review found that “users consistently migrate from milder to more extreme content” on YouTube.

☆ Will Musk break Trump and satire accounts like mine out of Twitter jail?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Kyler Geoffroy | Kyler Geoffroy Is A Freelancer Whose Writing Has Appeared On Vice | Other Publications. He Focuses On Lgbtq Politics | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

As Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter begins, he must make several important decisions that will determine the future of the social media platform millions use for their newsgathering. I got involved in political satire after watching Trump fire off several conspiracy-theory-laden posts to his over 4 million followers on Truth Social daily. I got involved in political satire after watching Trump fire off several conspiracy-theory-laden posts to his over 4 million followers on Truth Social daily. “After careful review, we determined your account broke the Twitter Rules,” read the notification from Twitter Support. But political parody accounts, even bad ones like mine, should be protected on Twitter.

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