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☆ Begich Defeats Peltola in Alaska, Flipping House Seat for Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Maya C. Miller | More About Maya C. Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Nick Begich III, the Republican son of a prominent liberal political family in Alaska, has defeated Representative Mary Peltola to win the state’s sole House seat, according to The Associated Press, ousting one of the nation’s most vulnerable Democrats and adding to Republicans’ slim House majority. This time, Mr. Begich benefited from a G.O.P. Ms. Peltola, the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, staked her campaign on her working-class appeal and presented herself as a solutions-focused pragmatist fighting for the state’s future. Before Ms. Peltola, the last Democrat to represent Alaska in the House was Nick Begich Sr., Mr. Begich’s grandfather. Former Young aides called Mr. Begich deceitful and disloyal to their boss and chose to back Ms. Peltola instead.

Persons: Nick Begich III, Mary Peltola, Begich, Peltola, Sarah Palin, Don Young, Nick Begich, Begich’s, Young, Young’s Organizations: Associated Press, ’, Caucus, Republicans, Alaska, Republican, Congress, Mr Locations: Republican, Alaska, Anchorage

☆ AI is hitting a wall just as valuations reach the stratosphere
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The narrative from Silicon Valley is that the AI train has left the station and any smart investor had better hop on before these products become “superintelligent” and start solving all the world’s problems. Now, some of the leading language models appear to be hitting a wall, according to at least three reports last week. But if we have indeed hit a scaling wall, “it may mean that the the mega-cap technology companies have over-invested” and it’s possible that they could scale back in the near future. That’s the AI optimist/pragmatist view. For a less rosy outlook, I turned to Gary Marcus, NYU professor emeritus and outspoken critic of AI hype.

Persons: CNN Business ’, New York CNN — It’s, OpenAI, ”, that’s, “, Orion “, Ilya Sutskever, ” Sutskever, Marc Andreessen, Sam Altman, ” Gil Luria, Davidson, it’s, ” Luria, Gary Marcus, ” Marcus, “ LLMs Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Nvidia, Tech, ” Bloomberg, ” Reuters Locations: New York, GPT

Harris will call on Americans to “turn the page” on the Trump era and present herself as a pragmatist who will put results over party, according to a senior Harris campaign official who requested anonymity. Her campaign aims to invoke Jan. 6 as a way to remind those voters what they don’t like about Trump. President Donald Trump arrives to speak to supporters from the Ellipse near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. Highlighting Kelly’s remarks about Trump’s authoritarian inclinations helped Harris among those crucial voters, the firm said in a memo, but by less than the economic-focused pitches. Her campaign hopes it will be seen as a hopeful and optimistic address with imagery of the White House behind her.

Persons: WASHINGTON — Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, —, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden’s unprecedentedly, Biden, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, John Kelly’s, “, ” Kelly, Adolf Hitler, Brendan Smialowski Organizations: Capitol, White, —, Biden, Trump, Trump Republicans, Getty, Madison, Democratic, Social Security, White House Locations: AFP, New York City

PITTSBURGH — Kamala Harris vowed to govern as a pragmatist who wouldn’t be captive to ideology in an economic speech Wednesday while outlining $100 billion in new investments in manufacturing, a major issue in this battleground state. Pennsylvania voters react to Harris' speechEconomic concerns have been a liability for Democrats throughout the campaign cycle, as inflation rose in the post-pandemic global economy. And while domestic economic policies can have reverberating impacts, the supply chains that caused higher prices are, at least in part, beholden to global economic conditions. Voters who attended Harris' speech expressed confusion that other Americans see Trump as good for the economy. Denise Meyers, 74, a Harris supporter who attended the speech, cited Trump’s anti-union record to argue he’s bad for the middle class.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, Josh Shapiro, “, ” Harris, ”, Donald Trump, “ Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, there's, Harris hasn't, Trump, Angela Garcia, Susan Bails, — Trump, George W, Bush —, Denise Meyers, ” Meyers, Meyers, offshoring Organizations: PITTSBURGH, NBC, Democratic Locations: America, United States, U.S, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, China

☆ JD Vance, an Unlikely Friendship and Why It Ended
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Stephanie Saul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When his book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” was published in 2016, JD Vance sent an email apologizing to a close friend from his Yale Law School days. The friend identified as transgender, but Mr. Vance referred to them in the book as a lesbian. “Hey Sofes, here’s an excerpt from my book,” Mr. Vance wrote to his friend, Sofia Nelson. “I hope you’re not offended, but if you are, I’m sorry! Love you, JD.”Nelson wrote back the same day, calling Mr. Vance “buddy” and thanking him for “being sweet,” adding, “If you had written gender queer radical pragmatist, nobody would know what you mean.” Nelson asked for an autographed copy, then signed off with, “Love, Sofia.”

Persons: ”, JD Vance, Vance, ” Mr, Sofia Nelson, “, ’ ”, you’re, JD, ” Nelson, Vance “ Organizations: Yale Law Locations: Sofia

Mark Rutte rode off into the sunset on his bicycle last week, making a carefully choreographed exit from Dutch politics, which he has dominated as prime minister for nearly 14 years. Mr. Rutte, known as a flexible pragmatist, will bring his experience at conciliation to the 32-nation military alliance when he takes over as secretary general from Jens Stoltenberg on Oct. 1. Beyond that challenge, NATO faces a Russian government forging stronger ties with China and Iran, even as Beijing tries to dominate Asia and Tehran expands its nuclear program. Leading member states like France and Germany are dealing with the empowerment of far-right parties with clear sympathies for Moscow. And there are new demands to spend more money on the military.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Rutte, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: NATO, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Russia’s Locations: Europe, Washington, China, Iran, Beijing, Asia, Tehran, France, Germany, Moscow, Hungary, Turkey

☆ Russia-Ukraine war: Putin signals he’s open to peace talks, but Ukraine is right to be wary
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Eastern Ukraine CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin’s signaling this week that he is open to peace talks should be viewed with vast, overshadowing caveats, and the weight of Ukraine’s - and the West’s - past experience of Russian diplomacy. Putin questioned the legitimacy of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who Moscow has repeatedly assailed, after Kyiv had to delay elections because of the very war Putin started. Zelensky has said he hopes China - Russia’s most potent ally but only partial supporter in the Ukraine war - will attend. Putin may be talking peace now to suggest to Beijing to not be involved in diplomacy about Russia without Russia present. Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersUkraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said Friday that Putin’s hints at peace talks were directly aimed at sabotaging the summit.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Moscow’s, Alexander Lukashenko, Volodymyr Zelensky, Viktor Yanukovich, Russian Yanukovich, Lukashenko, Tatyana Makeyeva, –, Zelensky, Valentyn Ogirenko, Dmytro Kuleba, “ Putin, Ukraine ”, MAGA, Dmitri Peskov, Donald Trump, ferociously Organizations: Eastern, Eastern Ukraine CNN —, Reuters, Belarus ’, Kremlin, Kyiv, European Union, NATO, Kharkiv, Reuters Ukraine’s Foreign, Ukraine, American, MAGA Republicans, Congress Locations: Eastern Ukraine, Moscow, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russia, Istanbul, Kyiv, Donetsk, Belarus, Russian, Syria, Debaltseve, Switzerland, China, Beijing, Valentyn, West, Europe, United States, France, Baltic

☆ Opinion | Three Reasons the Campus Protests Are Part of the Problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Readers have been asking me, and I have been asking myself of late, how I feel about the campus demonstrations to stop the war in Gaza. My problem is not that the protests in general are “antisemitic” — I would not use that word to describe them, and indeed, I am deeply uncomfortable as a Jew with how the charge of antisemitism is thrown about on the Israel-Palestine issue. If you are for that, whatever your religion, nationality or politics, you’re part of the solution. If you are not for that, you’re part of the problem. And from everything I have read and watched, too many of these protests have become part of the problem — for three key reasons.

Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Beirut, Jerusalem

☆ Kyrsten Sinema’s exit puts the spotlight on the Senate’s shrinking pool of dealmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Lauren Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For months, the two of them had worked tirelessly alongside Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma to craft a bipartisan deal on immigration. “The base of each party wants individuals who will fight, but not individuals who will reach across the aisle to get things done,” Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah said. “I’ve seen a shift towards basically really not wanting to do anything,” West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said. Last cycle alone saw the retirement of Ohio Republican Sen. Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, another GOP pragmatist, retired after the 2022 election, replaced by Sen. Eric Schmitt.

Persons: Sen, Kyrsten, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Republican Sen, James Lankford of, Sinema, Murphy, ” Murphy, “, ” Sinema, Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Joe Manchin, he’d, Romney, Trump, ” Romney, I’ve, ” West Virginia Republican Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, Ohio Republican Sen, Rob Portman, J.D, Vance, Trump . Missouri Republican Sen, Roy Blunt, GOP pragmatist, Eric Schmitt, appropriator Sen, Richard Shelby of, Richard Burr of, Bob Corker, Marsha Blackburn, Anna Moneymaker, we’ve, Lamar Alexander, ”, Tim Kaine, “ We’re, Kari Lake, –, Mark Kelly, ” Corker, Kaine, Todd Young, Thom Tillis, It’s, Brian Schatz, ” Sen, Mark Warner, Nathan Howard, Manchin, John Cornyn of, John Thune of, isn’t Organizations: Democratic, Connecticut, Republican, CNN, Senate, ” West Virginia Republican, Ohio Republican, GOP, Trump . Missouri Republican, Intelligence, Senate Foreign Relations, 118th, Democrat, North Carolina Republican, Getty, America Locations: Arizona, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Ohio, Richard Shelby of Alabama, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Hawaii, Washington , DC, John Cornyn of Texas, John Thune of South Dakota, America

☆ Iran vote turnout hits historic low amid discontent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Turnout for Iran's parliamentary election, seen as a test of the clerical establishment's legitimacy, appears to have hit an historic low of around 41%, according to unofficial reports quoted by state media on Saturday. Mohammad Khatami, Iran's first reformist president, was among critics who did not vote on Friday. State news agency IRNA said unofficial reports put turnout at more than 25 million, or about 41% of eligible voters. If the turnout figure is confirmed, it would be the lowest since Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979. Iran's turnout fell to 42.5% in 2020 parliamentary elections from about 62% in 2016.

Persons: Mohammad Khatami, Iran's, Narges Mohammadi, IRNA, Joe Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Hassan Rouhani Organizations: Reuters, Iran's, Experts Locations: Tehran, State, United States, Israel, Ham Mihan

☆ White House prepares for Taiwan presidential elections and 'period of higher tension'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' week in Woodside, California, Nov. 15, 2023. A senior Chinese liaison to Taiwan warned recently that Saturday's election would be a choice between "peace and war." Depending on the outcome, they could also trigger an increase in Chinese military activity in and around the island. Taiwan has reported myriad attempts by the Chinese government to influence the election via disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and economic coercion. These meetings build on President Joe Biden's November one-on-one with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco, which aimed to end the bitter freeze that has characterized recent U.S.-China relations.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, Washington, Lai Ching, Hou Yu, Ko Wen, Jon, Joe Biden's, Xi, Taiwan's Organizations: Economic Cooperation, U.S ., Democratic Progressive Party, U.S, ih, Pentagon, National, White House Locations: Asia, Woodside , California, Taiwan, China, Beijing, U.S, United States, Washington, Taipei, San Francisco

☆ Rep. Patrick McHenry, who served as temporary speaker, will not seek re-election
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Sahil Kapur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

US Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC) speaks to members of the media outside the office of US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2023. WASHINGTON — Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., announced Tuesday that he won't seek re-election in 2024, a shocking move to many of his colleagues that will further thin the ranks of Republican institutionalists in Congress. He gained national attention during his three-week stint in October as House Speaker pro tempore after Republicans ousted Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from the position. Despite his solidly conservative positions and voting record, McHenry is seen on Capitol Hill as a pragmatist and widely respected in both parties. During the speaker battle, McHenry was cited by Democratic leaders as the sort of GOP lawmaker who they trust enough to work with.

Persons: Patrick McHenry, Kevin McCarthy, Republican institutionalists, McHenry, Obama, Donald Trump, —, I've Organizations: US, WASHINGTON — Rep, Republican, Financial, Democratic, Republicans, Capitol, Trump, GOP Locations: Washington ,, R, McHenry

☆ Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman Supreme Court justice, dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Ariane De Vogue | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who blazed trails as the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, has died, the court announced Friday morning. O’Connor inspired generations of female lawyers – including the five women who served after her nomination on the high court. O’Connor stepped down from the court in 2006 to care for her husband who was ailing from Alzheimer’s disease. Key vote on abortion, affirmative action, Bush v. GoreDuring her tenure, the court for a time was known informally as the “O’Connor Court” because she served as the deciding vote in so many controversial cases. O’Connor was well aware of the symbolism of her place in history as the first female justice.

Persons: Sandra Day O’Connor, O’Connor, John Roberts, ”, Ronald Reagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, George W, Bush, Samuel Alito, William Rehnquist, John O’Connor, “, ” O’Connor, James Forman, ’ ” Forman, Gore, Casey, Donald Trump’s, O’Conner, Marci Hamilton, ” Hamilton, Alito, Roe, Wade Organizations: CNN, ”, Stanford University, Stanford Law School, Maricopa County Superior Court, of Appeals, University of Michigan, Supreme Court, Republican Locations: Arizona, Maricopa County

☆ Henry Kissinger, the towering American diplomat, dies at age 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Marty Steinberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

President Gerald Ford (left) and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger talk together in the Oval Office, February 19, 1975. In his 2001 book "The Trial of Henry Kissinger," social critic Christopher Hitchens called him a war criminal. North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho (left) and US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger at the Paris peace talks, January 1973. Chairman Zedong of the People's Republic of China meets U. S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Nov. 12, 1973. On a helicopter during the period of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East, Henry Kissinger talks to his wife, Nancy.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, —, Richard Nixon's, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Richard Corkery, Duc Tho, Gerald Ford, Benjamin E, Ford, Warren Burger, Kissinger's, Paula, Gene, Forte, Seymour M, Hersh bashed Kissinger, Walter Isaacson's, Christopher Hitchens, Greg Grandin, Niall Ferguson, Kant, Clausewitz, Bismarck, Barry Gewen, Gewen, Elizabeth Holmes, Nixon, George Shultz, Holmes, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Louis, Walter, Hitler, Kissingers, Fritz Kraemer, William Yandell Elliott, Spengler, Toynbee, Metternich, Castlereagh, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Mike Wallace, Wallace, Kennedy, Johnson, Republican Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney, Hubert Humphrey, Democratic Sen, George McGovern, McGovern, Nguyen Van Thieu, Reg Lancaster, Tho, Thieu, Mao, Gen, Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, Nicolae Ceausescu, Zhou Enlai, Leonid Brezhnev, Andrei Gromyko, Dirck, Sen, Henry Jackson, Charles Vanik, Brezhnev, Spiro Agnew, Archibald Cox, Cox, Robert Bork, White, Alexander Haig, Anwar Sadat, David Hume Kennerly, Marxist Salvador Allende Gossens, Fidel Castro's, Martin Bernetti, Allende, Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, Pinochet, Ann Fleischer, Elizabeth, David, Nancy Maginnes, Rockefeller, Jill St, John, Candice Bergen, Shirley MacLaine, Liv Ullman, Diane Sawyer, , Napoleon, Nancy, David Rubinger, Maginnes, Moshe Dayan, Robert Dallek, Nixon's, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Paula Kissinger, Brooks Kraft Organizations: Gould, Kissinger Associates, National Security, Waldorf, Astoria, Richard Corkery | New York Daily, Forte, Soviets, State, Chief, New York, Theranos Inc, Economic, Nuremberg, George Washington High School, City College of New, Army, 84th Infantry Division, U.S ., Hesse . Harvard, Harvard, Confluence, Foreign, Eisenhower, Republican, Republican National Convention, Rockefeller and Michigan Gov, Democratic, District of Columbia, US National Security, Getty, Paris Peace, North, Nationalist, China, Bettmann, East Pakistan, of, U.S, Soviet Union ., Ballistic, Soviet, Washington, Egyptian Third Army, Department, West, Marxist, Museum, AFP, CIA, Israeli, Southern California Quaker, White, Partners, Power Locations: New York City, U.S, Connecticut, Richard Corkery | New, United States, Vietnam, Saigon, Viet, Soviet Union, Communist China, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Chile, Pakistan, Theranos, Ukraine, Russia, Davos, Switzerland, Fuerth, Germany, Bavarian, American, Nazi Germany, London, New York, City College of New York, Ahlem, Hanover, German, Krefeld, Hesse, Cambodia, Massachusetts, Haiphong, Paris, North, China, Washington, Taiwan, People's Republic of China, Beijing, Moscow, India, East, Bangladesh, Shanghai, USSR, Soviet, Kremlin, Dirck Halstead, Ohio, Saudi, Japan, Sinai, Alexandria, Cairo, Suez, Americas, Santiago, Cuba, Chilean, America, Europe, Virginia, Southern California

☆ The 20 Best Gifts for Your In-Laws—Including the Hard to Impress
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Karen I. Chen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +11 min

“There is an unspoken pressure on nailing the perfect gift,” says Kristin Fisher, the Collegeville, Penn.-based founder of custom gift box company Bocu. Leah Inman, a Dallas-based gifting consultant, recommends ordering a custom house portrait for mothers-in-law, in particular. They likely already know about red light therapy, so this petite wand makes the perfect gift, according to Fisher. That’s why he recommends gift cards, such as one from Massage Envy, which has more than 1,100 locations in the U.S. and offers both massage and facials, as well as stretch therapy. Inman recommends gifting this compact jewelry organizer for your jetsetting sister- or mother-in-law.

Persons: Karen I, Chen, ”, Kristin Fisher, we’ve, Leah Inman, Tami Claytor, Fisher, “, won’t, ” Fisher, Carver, Patrick Kucharson, Inman, they’re, Eden Delaune, Sonoma, Kucharson, ” Kucharson, Delaune, ” It’s Organizations: Homes, Watercolor, Amazon Locations: Penn, Dallas, New York City, Cleveland , Ohio, Eden, Fort Worth , Texas, cardigan, U.S

☆ Take Five: Black Friday is (almost) here
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - U.S. retailers are gearing up for Black Friday, marking the start of the shopping season that follows the Thanksgiving holiday, while business activity data should gauge the temperature elsewhere. 1/ BARGAIN HUNTINGThe crucial holiday shopping season kicks off with Black Friday on Nov. 24 at a time when investors are questioning whether the consumer-driven U.S. economy can remain resilient. This year's Black Friday comes as Americans grapple with soaring interest rates and inflation that, while easing, remains above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Already, data for October showed U.S. retail sales fell, pointing to slowing demand, although the decline was less than expected. As long as that's not the case, pressure is on the Kishida cabinet since a weak yen is unpopular politically.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Lewis Krauskopf, Kevin Buckland, Naomi Rovnick, Dhara Ranasinghe, Karin Strohecker, There's, PIMCO, Rishi Sunak, David Cameron, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, bode, Sergio Massa, Javier Milei, Pragmatist Massa, Prinz Magtulis, Sumanta Sen, Kripa Jayaram, Pasit, Mark Potter Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Black, Nvidia, Insider Intelligence, European Commission, PMI, Fed, European Central Bank, Reuters Graphics Reuters, DOWNING STREET, Labour, gilts, Natwest, Reuters, Bank of Japan, Peronist, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Argentina, Lewis, New York, Tokyo, London, Britain, Japan, Egypt, Taiwan, South Africa, India

☆ Explainer: What you need to know about Argentina's presidential election run-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Maximilian Heath | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Argentina will vote in a run-off presidential election on Sunday, with Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa taking on libertarian outsider Javier Milei to determine the future of the region's second largest economy. It has one of the largest reserves of electric vehicle battery lithium, and huge shale gas and oil potential. Massa, the current government's wheeler-dealer 51-year-old economy chief, represents the ruling Union por la Patria (UP) coalition. The registry for the 2023 election is 35.4 million people and Argentines abroad can vote. In the runoff, the candidate who obtains the greatest number of total votes wins and would govern for a four-year term.

Persons: Sergio Massa, Javier Milei, Alberto Fernandez, Juan Peron, Evita, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Massa, Milei, Patricia Bullrich, Juan Schiaretti, Pollsters, Maximilian Heath, Adam Jourdan, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Peronist Economy, Peronist, CARE, Monetary, WHO, La Libertad Avanza, U.S, la Patria, Pellegrini, Argentine Ministry of, REUTERS, Massa, WHAT'S, Investors, Thomson Locations: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, China, Latin America, Brazilian, Peronism, Buenos Aires, Milei, Peronist

☆ EU sees pragmatist in Brexit vote instigator Cameron on his return
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As prime minister, Cameron called the referendum on European Union membership in 2016, although he campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU. "Welcome back David Cameron," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, soon after Cameron was appointed as Foreign Secretary in a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Another EU diplomat said Cameroon's absence from politics for seven years meant he was partly an unknown quantity, but felt he was more a pragmatist than not. Cleverly's term as foreign minister, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, led to a turnaround in post-Brexit EU-UK ties, thawing from stubborn, bitter stand-offs to pragmatic negotiations yielding results. Sefcovic credited his past year working with Cleverly with "putting EU-UK relations back on track", adding that he looked forward to continuing this work with Cameron.

Persons: David Cameron's, Cameron, David Cameron, Mark Rutte, Rishi Sunak, Maros, James, Sefcovic, Philip Blenkinsop, Andreas Rinke, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: European Union, Britain, Twitter, Conservative, EU, European, NATO, Russia, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Britain, EU, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Berlin

☆ Argentina's presidential rivals clash in key voter battlegrounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Lucinda Elliott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Argentina's presidential candidate Sergio Massa addresses supporters as he reacts to the results of the presidential election, in Buenos Aires, Argentina October 22, 2023. Center-left Peronist economy chief Sergio Massa faces libertarian outsider Javier Milei in the Nov. 19 vote, with polls suggesting a likely photo finish. "Both are scary," said Gonzalez, adding that most people she knew were planning to cast their votes for Milei. Massa pulled off a surprise win in the October first round, attracting 9.6 million votes, ahead of Milei on 7.9 million. There were nearly 10 million votes for other candidates, people who voted blank or spoiled ballots.

Persons: Sergio Massa, Martin Cossarini, Javier Milei, Pragmatist Massa, Fatima Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Massa, Joaquin Gonzalez, Milei, Patricia Bullrich, Mauricio Macri, Juan Schiaretti, Maria Elena Bazzano, Argentine Pope Francis, Luiz Inacio, Lula, da Silva, Romina Viola, Alberto Fernandez, Fernandez, Lucinda Elliott, Adam Jourdan, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Peronist, Milei, Massa, Reuters Graphics, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES, Cordoba province, Milei, Cordoba, China, Argentine, Brazilian

☆ Li Keqiang: Death of China’s former premier offers glimpse into discontent with Xi Jinping
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —The sudden death of China’s former Premier Li Keqiang has spurred an outpouring of grief and mourning across the country. But for many, it also appears to offer a rare opening to air pent-up discontent with top leader Xi Jinping and the direction he has taken the country. His death, just months after his retirement, shocked the Chinese public. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang review a guard of honor prior to a meeting at the Chancellery on July 9, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits a hospital in Wuhan on January 27, 2020, days after the city was placed under a complete lockdown to curb the raging Covid-19 outbreak.

Persons: Li Keqiang, Xi Jinping, Li, Xi –, ”, Alfred Wu, Lee, “, Xi, Angela Merkel, Sean Gallup, Zhang Lun, Mao Zedong, Zhang, “ I’ve, Wu, Li Tao, Zhou Enlai, Mao, Hu Yaobang, Fish Leong, ” Zhang Organizations: CNN, Communist, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public Policy, Getty, Studies, University of Cergy, Peking University, Li, AP Party, Communist Party, Xinhua, CPC, Party Locations: Shanghai, China, Singapore, German, Berlin, Germany, Pontoise, France, Communist China, Wuhan, AFP, Yunnan province, Weibo, Malaysian, Hefei, Anhui, Zhengzhou, Henan, Beijing

☆ Opinion | How the Right’s Purity Tests Are Haunting the House G.O.P.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Rich Lowry | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

This was a notable dynamic in the spending fight that led to the toppling of Speaker McCarthy. There’s no dealing with the likes of Mr. Gaetz because he’s operating on a different dimension from someone like Mr. McCarthy, a pragmatist and coalition-builder who is trying to move the ball incrementally. It’s the difference between politics as theater and politics as the art of the possible; politics as individual brand-building and politics as team sport. In the last Congress, Nancy Pelosi had a slim majority like Mr. McCarthy and a restive handful of members on her left flank, the so-called Squad. It is instructive to contrast her not just with Mr. McCarthy, but with the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell.

Persons: McCarthy, Gaetz, Donald Trump, He’s, Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Ms, McConnell, Jim Jordan Organizations: Republican, Caucus

☆ Explainer-Argentina Presidential Election: Key Takeaways From First-Round Vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Massa and Milei will go to a run-off vote on Nov. 19 to take the presidency from mid-December, replacing outgoing center-left Peronist President Alberto Fernandez. Massa ended the night with 36.7% of the vote versus Milei on around 30%. Juan Schiaretti, who got a higher-than-expected vote share of nearly 7%, could also play an important king-maker role. Argentina's election race comes at a time of major uncertainty for the South American country facing its worst economic crisis in two decades. Any incoming government will have to resuscitate an economy facing triple-digit inflation, negative net foreign exchange reserves, and a sliding currency.

Persons: Maximilian Heath BUENOS, Sergio Massa, Javier Milei, Massa, Milei, Alberto Fernandez, Conservative Patricia Bullrich, Milei's, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Juan Schiaretti, pollsters, Maximilian Heath, David Holmes Organizations: Reuters, Peronist Economy, Milei, Conservative, La Libertad Avanza, U.S, la Patria, Peronist, BE, WHAT'S, South, International Monetary Locations: Maximilian Heath BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Brazilian, Massa, South American

☆ Sergio Massa: can Argentine political wheeler-dealer save Peronism?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Nicolás Misculin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Argentina's Economic Minister Sergio Massa and Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad (not pictured) hold a news conference, at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina, January 23, 2023. Massa has his own political structures," a spokesman for the ruling party told Reuters. He studied at a Catholic school in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, joined a conservative political party and then shifted to Peronism. He rose to chief of staff under Fernandez de Kirchner(2007-15), though later left her government under a cloud and set up his own political party. He finished third in the first round of voting when he ran for president in 2015, before he returned to the Peronist coalition as a congressman in 2019.

Persons: Sergio Massa, Fernando Haddad, Agustin Marcarian, Javier Milei, Massa, Julio Burdman, Agustin Rossi, Patricia Bullrich, Alberto Fernandez, grandee Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Kirchner, Fernandez de Kirchner, Nicolás Misculin, Adam Jourdan, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Argentina's Economic, Brazil's Finance, Casa, REUTERS, Peronist, Observatory, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES, U.S, Peronism, Tigre

☆ Britain's Keir Starmer plots painstaking path to power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

[1/2] British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain, May 24, 2023. Hours later, those from the opposition Labour party were summoned by senior members in charge of discipline and ordered to delete the posts and apologise. Welcome to Keir Starmer's Labour Party. "Thanks to Keir Starmer's leadership, voters see a changed Labour Party that is ready to change the country with a mission-driven government," a Labour spokesperson said when asked to comment for this story. 'CORBYN WITHOUT THE MADNESS'Named after the founder of the Labour Party, Keir Hardie, Starmer was brought up in a staunchly left-wing household.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Gene Simmons, Simmons, Islam, Keir Starmer's, Jeremy Corbyn, we've, Starmer, Tony Blair, Rishi Sunak, Keir Hardie, Charlie Falconer, Claire Ainsley, Olaf Scholz, Australia's Anthony Albanese, Ainsley, Falconer, COVID, Keir, Mark Stephens, Blair, Starmer's, Andrew Cooper, David Cameron, Cooper, David Clarke Organizations: British Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour, Reuters, Keir Starmer's Labour Party, Conservatives, Conservative, Labour Party, Policy Institute, Labor Party, Public Prosecutions, Critics, Board, Police Service, Northern, Human, OF, DPP, of Human, Reigate Grammar, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Australia, Germany, U.S, Caribbean, Uganda, Reigate

Were he to follow through on his promise, it would represent a sea-change for Slovakia, until now a staunch ally of its eastern neighbour Ukraine in its war against Russia. Bratislava has supplied weapons and offered strong political support to Kyiv within the European Union and NATO. Western diplomats and officials in Kyiv also say a small country like Slovakia can only go so far in upending EU and NATO policy. Disinformation, meanwhile, has spread, undermining public support for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion of 2022, said Katarina Klingova of think-tank Globsec. The hoax was debunked, but the reaction pointed to the influence that false information surrounding the Ukraine war has among Slovakia's 5.5 million population.

Persons: Robert Fico, Radovan Stoklasa, Robert Fico's, Fico, Eleonora Tanacova, Viktor Orban, Orban, Katarina Klingova, Klingova, Andrew Gray, Thomas Balmforth, Mike Collett, White, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, EU, European Union, Russia, Moscow, Hungarian, Progressive, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Banovce nad Bebravou, Slovakia, Russian, Ukraine Brussels, Ukraine, Slovakian, Russia, Bratislava, Kyiv, Crimea, EU, Brussels, Moscow, Donbas, Luhansk, Western, Europe, Hungary, Progressive Slovakia

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