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☆ Netanyahu considering plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza to besiege Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, in order to lay siege to Hamas and force the release of hostages. The plan does not mention whether, when, or how civilians would be allowed to return to northern Gaza. The idea comes from a group of retired Israeli military generals, who have formally presented it to the Israeli cabinet and a powerful parliamentary committee. “The right thing to do is to inform the approximately 300,000 residents who remained in the northern Gaza Strip, citizen residents, of the following: Not that we are suggesting you leave the northern Gaza Strip, we are ordering you to leave the northern Gaza Strip.”“In a week, the entire territory of the northern Gaza Strip will become military territory. The plan does not tackle the question of whether Palestinians could ever return to northern Gaza, one of its backers told CNN.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Giora, Kan, Netanyahu, ”, –, General Gershon Hacohen, ’, Meirav Cohen Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Knesset’s Foreign Affairs, Defense, Israel Defense Forces ’, National Security Council, Reserve Fighters, Israel Defense Forces, Office, Yesh Locations: Gaza, Hamas

☆ A reenergized Democratic campaign draws convention ratings win over Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Harris’ viewership victory amounted to a blow for Trump, who is famously obsessed with television ratings and the size of his crowds. The boost in viewership was also seen at ABC with 4.2 million viewers, and CNN with 3.9 million. Last month’s Republican convention in Milwaukee took place just days after the assassination attempt on Trump. As pressure mounted, Biden ended his campaign the weekend after the Republican convention. The singer had previously given the Harris campaign permission to use her 2016 hit “Freedom,” which played Thursday night as Harris took the stage.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Harris ’, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, Lil Jon, Last, Hulk Hogan, Kid Rock, Joe Biden, Biden, Beyoncé, Bey, ”, Taylor Swift Organizations: New, New York CNN, Democratic National Convention, Republican, Nielsen, Convention, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, CNN, Fox, RNC, YouTube, SPAN, DNC, Trump, Democratic, CNN’s, TMZ, Hollywood Reporter, Beyoncé’s Locations: New York, Chicago, Milwaukee

☆ As Trump flails and invites conspiracies, allies plea for him to stay on message
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Kristen Holmes | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“There’s a lot of opposition to people just hearing what President Trump has to say,” Musk said. “President Trump prosecuted the case against Kamala Harris for over two hours yesterday in a record-breaking conversation on X Spaces. The Trump campaign has repeatedly featured Dion’s hit song, “My Heart Will Go On,” at rallies throughout 2023 and 2024. In a segment on Fox Business, Trump allies Larry Kudlow and Kellyanne Conway shared a message clearly tailored to their friend. “Don’t wander off, don’t call her stupid and all kinds of names, stay on message,” Kudlow said.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Elon Musk, Musk, “, Trump, ” Musk, Kamala Harris, Harris, Joe Biden, Kamala, Walz, Steven Cheung, Biden, flailing, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Martin Luther King Jr, Donald Trump, ”, Steve Deace, “ Donald Trump, Celine Dion, Dion’s, Larry Kudlow, Kellyanne Conway, don’t, ” Kudlow, Conway, ” Conway, Kevin McCarthy, They’ll, Laura Loomer, Loomer, –, Ron DeSantis ’ Organizations: CNN, Elon, Trump, Republican Gov, Jobs, “, Saturday, Capitol, Fox Business, Republican, Mar, National Association of Black Journalists, Florida Gov Locations: Trump, Washington, Montana, ”, Bedminster , New Jersey, Michigan, Detroit

CNN —Within minutes of President Joe Biden endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him on the Democratic Party’s ticket on Sunday, the internet crackled with lies, altered photos and other misleading claims about Harris. Some supporters of former President Donald Trump – the Republican nominee in the November election – even suggested Biden was the victim of a coup. Meanwhile, a slew of slickly edited pro-Harris videos quickly proliferated on social media as her backers tried to capitalize on the moment. Biden’s likeness was also exploited in the aftermath of his announcement, which came via a post on social media and not televised address. Harris’ team has also embraced a viral post from British pop singer Charli XCX that referred to Harris as “brat,” a concept that includes women and queer empowerment.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Harris, Donald Trump –, –, Biden, slickly, ” Erik Nisbet, Elon Musk, Alexander Soros, megadonor George Soros, Soros, Musk, Jeffrey Epstein, people’s, Harris ’, Charli, Kremlin mouthpieces, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, “, ” Joseph Bodnar, they’re, Shane Huntley Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Republican, Democratic Party, Northwestern University’s School of Communication, Trump, PBS, Kremlin, Biden, Google Locations: India, Jamaica, British

☆ I reread JD Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy.' He hasn't transformed as much as you think.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

To reread "Hillbilly Elegy" now, as I did this week, is to feel a sense of disorientation. JD Vance the author sounds a lot different than JD Vance the politician. Personally, I first read "Hillbilly Elegy" in college, in an earnest if somewhat contrived attempt to better understand communities unlike mine. On stage, he recounted a story that also appears in "Hillbilly Elegy," where Mamaw bluntly threatens violence against one of Vance's friends. There are hints of this in "Hillbilly Elegy" as well: He served as a public affairs Marine, where he was trained in the art of media relations, including "how stay on message."

Persons: JD Vance, It's, Vance, Donald Trump's, Trumper, Trump, I've, who's, Vance didn't, JD, Alex Wong, Mamaw, Mom, Brett Kavanaugh, there's, New York Times's Ross Douthat, There's, he's, Usha, Mike Johnson, Kamil Krzacynski, — Vance Organizations: Service, Republican, audience's, Democratic, Capitol Hill, Republican National Convention, Supreme, New, GOP, Marine, Yale Law School, Getty Locations: Ohio, Middletown , Ohio, Appalachia, Middletown, Washington, New York, Ukraine, AFP

CNN —Roared on by the majority of the 75,784 crowd inside Sydney’s Stadium Australia, co-host Australia reached the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals after an impressive 2-0 victory over Denmark in Sydney. “I felt a little bit disrespected because it’s not about me, it’s about the team and they’re preparing for a World Cup,” she said. Denmark came roaring back though, putting the Australian defense under pressure, with captain Pernille Harder at the forefront of most of its good attacking work. Try as Denmark may, it was Australia who got the next goal to effectively book its spot in the quarterfinals. “We’re feeling really, really happy, really positive,” Australian defender Clare Hunt told CNN after the victory.

Persons: CNN —, Sam Kerr, “, it’s, ” Kerr, Kerr, ”, we’ve, I’m, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord, Lene Christensen, Hayley Raso, Fowler, Christensen, Pernille Harder, Foord, David Gray, Emily van Egmond, Clare Hunt, ” Hunt Organizations: CNN, Sydney’s, Australia, Denmark Locations: Australia, Sydney, Denmark, France, Morocco, AFP, Raso

☆ Lionel Messi is making transition to US look easy as he scores twice for Inter Miami against Atlanta United in Leagues Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Matt Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

On Tuesday, Messi powered his Inter Miami team to a dominant 4-0 victory over Atlanta United in the Leagues Cup, scoring twice and assisting another in his first start for his new team. Messi celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Atlanta United. Lionel Messi scores his second goal for Inter Miami against Atlanta United. The Leagues Cup, an annual tournament between MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX, was expanded this year to include all teams in each league. The Leagues Cup round-of-32 takes place between August 2 and August 4.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi, Cruz, Megan Briggs, Sergio Busquets ’, Messi slickly, David Beckham, Robert Taylor, Finn, Taylor’s unselfishness, Ballon, Taylor, Sam Navarro, Thiago Almada –, Drake Callender, Almada, Messi –, Busquets, Phil Neville, Tata Martino, Cruz Azul, ” Organizations: CNN, Inter Miami, Atlanta United, Leagues, Cruz Azul, Messi, Argentine, Atlanta, USA, Network, Reuters, Poland, Inter Miami’s, MLS, Liga, Eastern Conference, DC United, Apple TV, Sports Business Locations: Florida, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Argentine

☆ ‘Barbie’ Reviews Are In: Slickly Subversive or Inescapably Corporate?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As reviews for “Barbie” rolled out ahead of its weekend opening, a critical divide emerged. Some thought that Greta Gerwig, the acclaimed director of “Lady Bird” and “Little Women,” had met the expectations for a more subversive take on the 11.5-inch Mattel phenomenon. Others felt that the director did not go far enough in dinging her corporate sponsors, keeping the critiques of consumerism and female beauty standards at surface level. Read on for some highlights. ‘Barbie’ May Be the Most Subversive Blockbuster of the 21st Century [Rolling Stone]The movie does more than avoid delivering a two-hour commercial for Mattel, David Fear writes, suggesting that the movie could be “the most subversive blockbuster of the 21st century to date.”

Persons: “ Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig, Bird, ”, Noah Baumbach, Barbie, Margot Robbie’s, Ryan, Ken, Read, ‘ Barbie ’, David Fear Organizations: Blockbuster, Mattel

REUTERS/Jason Lee/File PhotoTAIPEI, July 14 (Reuters) - China's military has been flexing its muscles this week around Taiwan practicing joint force operations far out at sea, ahead of Taipei holding its annual war games at the end of the month when Taiwan will simulate breaking a Chinese blockade. Chieh Chung, a military researcher at Taiwan's National Policy Foundation think tank, said practicing long-distance missions was important for China as they would be the "main combat mode" in any conflict. "They are expanding military deterrence actions to create a cognitive effect that Taiwan's national defences are useless," the official said. China routinely denounces U.S. military activity in the strait as provocation. "The Eastern Theatre Command are well seasoned, but it's the Southern Theatre Command that needs training for long-distance support," Su said.

Persons: Jason Lee, Chieh Chung, Han Kuang, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, Xi Jinping, Su Tzu, yun, Su, Yimou Lee, Roger Tung, Yew Lun Tian, Ben Blanchard, Robert Birsel Organizations: Chinese Air Force, REUTERS, Foundation, Taiwan, House, Eastern Theatre Command, U.S . Navy, Institute for National Defence and Security Research, Southern Theatre Command, Thomson Locations: Beijing, TAIPEI, Taiwan, Taipei, China, Philippines, Japan, Borneo, Los Angeles

☆ Ukraine posts ominous video saying nobody should be talking about its counteroffensive: 'Plans love silence'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine posted a video saying nobody should be talking about its counteroffensive plans. The short, ominous clip shows various soldiers putting a finger to their lips. In the slickly-produced, 35-second clip, various Ukrainian soldiers in the field look to the camera and raise a finger to their lips. Beyond military secrecy, the video — subtitled in English — also appears to be aimed at reassuring Western allies, who have poured resources into Ukraine for its keenly-anticipated counteroffensive. Ukraine's MOD produced a rousing video at the end of May that also seemed aimed at galvanizing anticipation for the operation.

Persons: —, Defense Oleksii Reznikov, Reznikov's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Defense, Street Journal, Ukraine, MOD, — Locations: Ukraine, Russia

“Today our task is training and cleaning the trenches,” a Ukrainian soldier with the call-sign Jenia says. The strikes Podolyak mentions are often referred to as shaping operations – so-called because they aim to ‘shape’ the battlefield – in this case, in Ukraine’s favor. And despite the clear signs that a counteroffensive is coming, Podolyak also refuses to commit to specific dates. Vasco Cotovio/CNNBack on the training grounds, the Offensive Guard’s commander, call sign Kyiv, shares a similar combat philosophy. “We improve our fighting skills in special combat training every day to liberate our lands,” he says.

☆ Ukraine’s Top Commander Signals Counteroffensive Could Be Imminent
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Marc Santora | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine’s top military commander signaled on Saturday morning that the nation’s forces were ready to launch their long-anticipated counteroffensive following months of preparations, including recently stepped-up attacks on logistical targets as well as feints and disinformation intended to keep Russian forces on edge. “It’s time to get back what’s ours,” Ukraine’s supreme military commander, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, wrote in a statement. But General Zaluzhnyi offered no indication of where and when Ukrainian forces might try to break Russia’s hold on occupied territory. Other senior Ukrainian officials also suggested that the counteroffensive was imminent. Oleksiy Danilov, the head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, told the BBC in an interview released on Saturday that Kyiv’s forces were “ready” and that a large-scale assault could come “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week.”

☆ CIA launches video to recruit Russian spies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The CIA first posted the video on Telegram, which ends with instructions on how to get in touch with the CIA anonymously and securely. The video is also being posted to its other social media platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. It appeals to their sense of patriotism and plays on Russian culture, quoting lines from Leo Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. The emotional two-minute video shows different Russians going about their lives, appearing to contemplate major decisions. Monday’s video mirrors a more blunt outreach on social media by the CIA a year ago, two months into the war in Ukraine.

☆ Factbox: 2024 US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Here is a list of declared candidates and other potential 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Scott, 57, has launched a presidential exploratory committee but not yet confirmed he plans to run. The former Kansas congressman was one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants and initially backed his false claims of a stolen presidential election in 2020. She ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary but dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast. She launched her latest campaign on March 23, saying she wants to challenge Biden in the Democratic nominating race.

☆ A British youth working from a bedroom at his grandfather's house made 'slick videos' that could have inspired 2 US mass shooters, a court heard
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Far-right videos made by a British teen were viewed by two men who went on to commit mass shootings. The court previously heard that his videos had been viewed by two men who went on to commit mass murders in the US last year. Payton Gendron, the then-18-year-old mass shooter who killed 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, last May, was known to have watched Harris' videos. The Buffalo shooter commented on a video made by Harris about the perpetrator behind the 2019 mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, The Guardian reported. The Buffalo shooter responded: "You are not alone my friend."

☆ New York's first legal recreational marijuana shop opens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Daniel Fastenberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The dispensary was opened in New York City's East Village by Housing Works, a non-profit organization that fights homelessness and AIDS. The non-profit was among the first 36 groups or individuals that the state awarded with a marijuana retail license last month. Retailers can also only sell marijuana that licensed New York producers grew and processed. Alexander, the state marijuana director, said local and state law enforcement have been educating gray-market vendors on the licensing rules, following up with cease-and-desist letters and, more recently, seizing merchandise. New York's marijuana sales will be taxed at 13.5%, revenue that will go to schools, public housing, addiction services and mental health services.

☆ 'Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi' review: Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku shorts show animation remains a creative force in Lucasfilm's galaxy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Animation has been the driving creative force behind the “Star Wars” universe for some time, a state of affairs cast into sharper focus by how live-action series Lucasfilm has produced for Disney+ have drawn upon those shows. That relationship continues with “Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi,” an animated anthology that provides an opportunity to flesh out the stories of peripheral but familiar lightsaber-wielding figures. The anthology format creates the opportunity to drop in at different inflection points scattered across the “Star Wars” timeline. Animation has also become a vehicle for greater experimentation, as witnessed in the “Star Wars: Visions” anime shorts that premiered last year. “Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi” premieres October 26 on Disney+.

☆ Russia's Navalny says he faces new criminal case for 'promoting terrorism'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny said on Thursday that authorities had opened a new criminal case against him for promoting terrorism and extremism, potentially more than doubling his sentence. After months of medical treatment in Germany, he was arrested for parole violations when he returned to Russia at the start of 2021. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has accelerated its campaign to quash and silence domestic opposition. Navalny has spoken out against the war, attacking Putin during a court appearance and calling the invasion "stupid" and "built on lies". Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Reuters Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China is using civilian ships to enhance navy capability and reach
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Aerial view of fishing boats setting sail to South China Sea for fishing on August 16, 2022 in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province of China. Hundreds of fishing boats anchored for months at a time among disputed islands in the South China Sea. The civilian vessels do more than just augment the raw numbers of ships, performing tasks that would be difficult for the military to carry out. "Because they are ostensibly civilian fishing vessels, navies' ships are unable to deal with them lest China accuse the Philippines of provoking an incident and using force against civilians," he said. In the event of a conflict, China's use of civilian vessels would complicate the rules of engagement, he said.

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