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☆ Opinion: Trump’s image is on the line
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. … Deals are my art form.”Having a lot of money distinguished him from other presidential candidates, Trump contended. ‘I don’t need anybody’s money,’ Trump said in his June 2015 presidential campaign announcement.”“Now Trump needs money, a lot of it. In July 2006, she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament and says that the two had sex that weekend. “Whatever the Fifth Circuit and Supreme Court decide next, the question for President Joe Biden is what to do now,” wrote Lawrence Downes.

Persons: Charles Dickens, “ David Copperfield, Micawber, ” Micawber, “, Dickens, Donald Trump, Letitia James, Trump, he’ll, ”, Tony Schwartz, I’ve, Frida Ghitis, ’ Trump, … Dana Summers, Joe Biden’s, Julian Zelizer, Biden’s, ” Bill Bramhall, Stormy Daniels, Peacock, Ana Marie Cox, Daniels, she’s, Peter Navarro, He’s, Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans —, Matt Gaetz ’, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Johnson, Clay Jones, Paul Sracic, Fareed Zakaria, Biden, Peter Bergen, Bashar al, Assad, ” Bergen, Vladimir Putin, Richard Aboulafia, ” David Horsey, Joann, Lynda Gorov, it’s, ” Kate Middleton’s, Princess, Wales, Sara Stewart, Kate, that’s, she’ll, Joe Biden, Lawrence Downes, “ Biden, Greg, Abbott, ’, ” Downes, Trump’s, Jared Kushner, Kushner, Donald Trump’s, Aseel Mousa, Drew Sheneman, Max Besbris, ” Besbris, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Thomas, Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘, ” Don’t, Grace Elizabeth Hale, Elizabeth Yuko, Avi Weiss, Jennifer Jones, Jill Filipovic, Christine Blasey Ford Derrick Johnson, Peter Rutland, Holly Thomas, Lily Allen, Mary Ziegler, Lanhee Chen, Steve Garvey, Adam Schiff, Patricia Grisafi, Caitlin Clark Walt Handelsman, Caitlin Clark, Amy Bass, Kamilla Cardoso, UCLA’s Kiki Rice, ’ ” Clark, Bass, Pete ’ Maravich, Court, Serena Williams, Clark, Maravich …, — Organizations: CNN, New, Trump, Agency, Twitter, Save, Maga Inc, Biden, Content Agency Trump, House Republicans, Rep, Ohio GOP, Russia ISIS, ISIS, Boeing, Airbus, Crafts, Boys, BBC Studios, Circuit, Texas Gov, Abbott, of Justice, Texans, Harvard, National Association of Realtors, United Nations, “, University of Iowa, ESPN, Iowa Hawkeyes, NCAA Division Locations: Save America, New York, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, Ohio, Russia, Moscow, Iraq, Syria, Syrian, “, Iran, Afghanistan, ”, Ukrainian, Windsor, ” Texas, Texas, Gaza, Southern, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, Gaza City, Al, Grace Elizabeth Hale : Mississippi, ‘, California

☆ Opinion: ISIS is making a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —If ISIS was indeed responsible for the attack Friday at a Moscow-area concert venue that killed at least 133 people, it would suggest that, unfortunately, the terror group is making something of a comeback. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack; a US official told CNN the US has no reason to doubt it. Through that attack, ISIS-K showed that the group, which is very anti-Shia, could target a hostile state like predominantly Shia Iran. In March alone, a Russian state news agency said the country had thwarted multiple ISIS-related incidents, including a plan to attack a synagogue in Moscow. As for capability, the ISIS-K attack in Iran earlier this year demonstrated that the group could carry out a large-scale attack outside of its home base in Afghanistan.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Osama bin Laden, Biden, Qasem Soleimani, Vladimir Putin, ”, Bashar al Assad, Assad, Putin Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, ISIS, US, Kabul Airport, Democratic, US National Security Council, Government Locations: New America, Moscow, Iraq, Syria, United Kingdom, Europe, Paris, Orlando , Florida, Africa, Asia, Afghanistan, Kabul, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Iran, Russian, Russia, ”, Ukraine, Syrian

☆ Ukraine's Patriot kills of Russian planes and missiles have turned a US air-defense weapon with a troubled past into a hero
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Ukraine's use of the US-made Patriot system has been celebrated. A mixed pastThe MIM-104 Patriot missile system is a ground-based, mobile surface-to-air missile battery that can down crewed and uncrewed aircraft, cruise missiles, and short-range and tactical ballistic missiles. AdvertisementNone of Ukraine's Patriot missile systems have been confirmed destroyed, though there have been Russian claims, but the system has been involved in confirmed kills of Russian aircraft and missiles. "We were again, very much surprised by what we see now, what the effectiveness of the Patriot system seems to be," he said. The problem with Patriot missiles for Ukraine mirrors its main obstacle in trying to fight Russia: A critical shortage of supplies and ammunition.

Persons: —, Frederik Mertens, Justin Bronk, Mertens, Joe Raedle, Bronk, Timothy Wright, Nathan White, Mick Ryan, Gilles BASSIGNAC, Houthi, Wright, Jeffrey Lewis, Tom Karako, ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, Ryan, Karako, it's, BI's Jake Epstein, Rajan Menon, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine Bronk, Jan Kallberg, Ukraine Oleksandr Gusev Organizations: Service, Patriots, Patriot, U.S . Army Security, Hague, Strategic Studies, Royal United Services Institute, Iraq's, US Army, Raytheon, Iraqi, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Australian Army, Getty Images, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Airforce, Getty, Defense, NATO, Emergency Service, Centre for, Kyiv, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, Iraq, Iraqi, Saudi Arabia, Getty Images Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Monterey, Prince, Al, Kyiv, Russian, UAE

☆ Crocus City attack: The ghost of Russia’s past wars comes back to haunt Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Twenty years ago, the Dubrovka gunmen were the disturbed product of Russia’s savage anti-terror campaign that summarily executed hundreds of military aged males in Chechnya in the early 2000s. Emergency services personnel and police work at the scene of the Crocus City Hall attack. First, there will be further efforts to suggest Ukraine and the West are somehow involved in these attacks. The Dubrovka attack was followed two years later by airplanes being blown out of the sky and the catastrophic nightmare of the Beslan school siege. In 2002, Dubrovka forced Moscow reluctantly yet closer to the United States’ war on terror.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Kadyrov, Stringer, Maria Zakharova, Margarita Simonyan, overstretched Putin, Dubrovka, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Gunmen, Dubrovka Theatre, Chechen, Crocus City, Kremlin, Authorities, Getty, Russia Today, ISIS Locations: Moscow, Crocus, Russia, Chechnya, Iraq, Syria, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Caucasus, AFP, Ukraine, fatigues, Russian, Beslan, United States

☆ Russia says 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Gunmen who opened fire at a Moscow concert hall killed more than 60 people and wounded over 100 while sparking an inferno, authorities said on March 23, 2024, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility. The prosecutor's office said several men in combat fatigues entered the concert hall and fired on concertgoers. Working to extinguish the blaze continues at Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow, Russia after reports of a shooting incident on March 23, 2024. Working to extinguish the blaze continues at Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow, Russia after reports of a shooting incident on March 23, 2024. An injured woman is transported to an ambulance near the Crocus City Hall concert venue following a reported shooting incident, near Moscow, Russia.

Persons: Stringer, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Sobyanin, Putin, fatigues, Ali Cura, Dave Primov, Primov, Aymenn Jawad, Dmitry Medvedev, Mykhailo Podolyak, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, John Kirby, Maksim Blinov Organizations: Crocus City, Gunmen, Islamic, Afp, Getty, Associated Press, Moscow, Health, Crocus City Hall, Anadolu, Russian, U.S, AP, Soviet Union, Russia's Security, White House National Security Council, Embassy, Sputnik Locations: Russian, Crocus, Krasnogorsk, Moscow, U.S, Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow's, Sinai, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Africa, Soviet, Islamic State, Kaluga, Ingushetia, Russia's Caucasus

☆ US Has Intelligence Confirming Islamic State Responsibility for Russia Attack, Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Steve Holland(Reuters) - The United States has intelligence confirming Islamic State's claim of responsibility for a deadly shooting at a concert near Moscow, a U.S. official said on Friday. The official said the United States had warned Russia in recent weeks about the possibility of an attack. War in Israel and Gaza View All 222 Images"We did warn the Russians appropriately," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, without providing any additional details. At least 40 people were killed and 145 wounded on Friday when camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on concertgoers near Moscow in one of the deadliest attacks on Russia in decades. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 96 ImagesIslamic State, the militant group that once sought control over swathes of Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's Amaq agency said on Telegram.

Persons: Steve Holland, Andrea Shalal, Sandra Maler Organizations: United, Islamic, U.S Locations: United States, Moscow, Russia, Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Syria

☆ Red Sea crisis could lead to global tanker shortage, Kuwait Petroleum CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mark Felix | Afp | Getty ImagesHOUSTON — The crisis in the Red Sea could lead to a shortage in the global tanker fleet if disruptions persist for another six months, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation told CNBC. Houthi militants have been striking commercial shipping in the Red Sea since November in support of Palestinians as Israel wages war in Gaza. The company is continuing to ship through the Red Sea and is making decisions on which route ships should take on a daily basis, he said. "We maintain a strategic tanker tanker fleet for these types of reasons," al-Sabah said. Wirth told CNBC that Chevron is "not moving ships to the Red Sea."

Persons: Shaikh Nawaf Al, Mark Felix, Shaikh Nawaf, KPC, Saddam Hussein's, Michael Wirth, Wirth, CNBC's Brian Sullivan Organizations: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Afp, Getty, HOUSTON, CNBC, Houthi, Global, Chevron Locations: Sabah, Houston , Texas, Red, Israel, Gaza, Africa, al, Al, Persian, Kuwait, Iraq, China

☆ Oil prices edge down as Russia lifts supplies, jet fuel demand stirs caution
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices edged down early on Tuesday after gaining in the previous trading session, due in part to the prospect of rising supply from Russia as well as the possibility of slower-than-expected downstream demand in sectors such as jet fuel. The Brent crude oil futures contract for May delivery slipped 16 cents to $86.73 a barrel as at 0300 GMT, whereas that for U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 13 cents to $82.03. Regarding Russia, supply concern stemming from increased exports following Ukrainian attacks on the country's oil infrastructure continued to pressure prices downward. Global jet fuel prices are likely to be "higher by 5.4% over our previous forecast to USD111/bbl as soft demand is expected to give way to peak summer travel and stronger prices", BMI analysts wrote in a client note. "However, a global economic slowdown will temper consumption of air travel and weigh on jet fuel prices limiting price upside," they added.

Persons: JP Morgan Organizations: Brent, U.S . West Texas, U.S ., Global, bbl, BMI Locations: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, China

☆ Gambia and the Campaign Against Cutting
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Ruth Maclean | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yesterday, lawmakers in Gambia voted to advance legislation that would legalize female genital cutting. Yet genital cutting is still on the rise. Today, 230 million women and girls around the world have been cut, a 15 percent rise from 2016. In Africa and the Middle East, several countries still permit the practice, and in many others, laws are erratically enforced. In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain why cutting — which for most communities means removing the clitoris and the labia minora, or almost sealing up the vagina — has been so hard to stamp out.

Locations: Gambia, Africa, Somalia, Guinea, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Mali, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia

☆ The Maine Shooter’s Traumatic Brain Injuries Were Preventable - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Daniel S. Johnson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Then comes the sight: the gun jerking violently, smoke billowing from its tube as the crew scrambles to load the next round. Each firing left me with a dull pain in my head, like I had just gotten hit in the face. The kind of injuries I sustained don’t only occur in combat zones or with heavy weapons. For around eight years, Mr. Card spent summers working as a hand grenade instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Mr. Card may have been exposed to over 10,000 blasts.

Persons: Robert Card, Card Organizations: U.S . Army Reserve, U.S . Military Academy, West Locations: Iraq, Syria, Maine

☆ US Marines don skis in joint NATO exercises in the critical Arctic battleground
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Last month, II MEF attended a 10-day training course in the hills near the Norwegian town of Setermoen. "I think that's one of the things that we see with our marines and sailors in this training," said II MEF commander, Lt. AdvertisementThe II MEF, the US military's rapid response group, was ordered to delay the hypothetical enemy so that "reinforcements" had time to arrive. The Arctic is a key locationThe Arctic itself is already a critical region for Russia and NATO. AdvertisementPutin has snapped back at the West following French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestions that NATO could send troops to Ukraine.

Persons: —, Ted Driscoll, David A, JONATHAN NACKSTRAND, Grant Schapps, Pål Jonson, Mark Stephens, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Emmanuel Macron's, Sergei Naryshkin, General Carl, Johan Edstrom, it's Organizations: Service, US Marines, Marine Expeditionary Force, NATO, Marines, Business, NBC News, Nato Nordic, Getty, Reuters, NBC, Norwegian Communication Authority, Brookings Institution, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, BBC Locations: Alaska, Norway, Norwegian, Setermoen, Iraq, Afghanistan, AFP, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, North America, Europe, Russian

☆ Beyoncé's country songs are bringing new listeners to the genre, boosting streams for Black artists
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Micah Washington | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

While some music critics praised Knowles' country tracks, other fans of the genre refrained from a warm welcome. Beyond just radio, Black artists and artists of color represented less than 4% of country songs played on the radio, airplay, charting songs, artists signed to major labels and award nominations, according to SongData. One such fan, Tenley Patterson, 26, said she didn't bother listening to country music before Beyoncé's releases, but was impressed with the country tracks. Rachel Whitney, head of editorial for the Nashville team, said playlists outside of the country genre are playing Knowles' country tracks, broadening its reach. The Beyoncé draw is also boosting exposure for other artists on some lists, like Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson, who have more "traditional" country songs, Whitney said.

Persons: Beyonce, James Devaney, Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé Knowles, Tanner Adell, Mickey Guyton, Reyna Roberts, Knowles, Alice Randall, Randall, —, Rhiannon Giddens, hasn't, Jocelyn Neal, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Kacey, Lil Nas, Nas X, Tim Mosenfelder, Neal, Knowles —, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, George Bush, Tenley Patterson, I've, Patterson, It's, there's, Z, Rachel Whitney, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Whitney, Kevin Mazur Organizations: Scott, New York, Spotify, The New York Times, Radio, University of North, NBC, Houston, CMA, Republican, Nashville, Crypto.com Arena, The Recording Academy Locations: Brooklyn, New, New York City, U.S, Texas, an Oklahoma, University of North Carolina, San Francisco , California, Iraq, Los Angeles , California

☆ Iran and U.S. Held Secret Talks on Proxy Attacks and Cease-Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran and the United States held secret, indirect talks in Oman in January, addressing the escalating threat posed to Red Sea shipping by the Houthis in Yemen, as well as the attacks on American bases by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, according to Iranian and U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. The secret talks were held on Jan. 10 in Muscat, the capital of Oman, with Omani officials shuffling messages back and forth between delegations of Iranians and Americans sitting in separate rooms. The meeting, first reported by The Financial Times this week, was the first time Iranian and American officials had held in-person negotiations — albeit indirectly — in nearly eight months. American officials said Iran requested the meeting in January and the Omanis strongly recommended that the United States accept. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, the United States and Iran have reassured each other that neither was seeking a direct confrontation, a stance conveyed in messages they passed through intermediaries.

Persons: Ali Bagheri Kani, Brett McGurk Organizations: The Financial Locations: Iran, United States, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Muscat, Gaza, Israel

PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego began airing the first television ads of his U.S. Senate campaign on Tuesday as the crucial Arizona race takes shape as a one-on-one contest after incumbent Kyrsten Sinema declined to run for a second term. The Arizona race is one of a handful of contests that will determine control of the Senate. In his ad, Gallego says he worked as a cook and a janitor growing up and got into Harvard University with no money or connections. Arizona has long been a Republican stronghold, but Sinema's 2018 election marked a period of ascendance for Democrats. ___Follow the AP's coverage of U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego at https://apnews.com/hub/ruben-gallego.

Persons: Ruben Gallego, Kyrsten Sinema, Sinema, Gallego, he's, “, Kari Lake, She's, Donald Trump, They've, Trump, gallego Organizations: PHOENIX, — Democratic, U.S, Senate, Marine, Democrat, Democratic, Harvard University, Republican, Arizona, Lake, New, Republicans, U.S . Rep, ruben Locations: U.S, Iraq, Arizona, Phoenix, Iowa, New Hampshire, ascendance

☆ Explainer-How the West Might Use Russia's Frozen Reserves
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Here are some of the ideas that have been suggested:CONFISCATIONSome international policymakers and lawyers say the immobilised Russian reserves can simply be confiscated under a doctrine of international law known as "countermeasures". Some in the bloc are still wary, though, and the European Central Bank has warned that claiming the trapped Russian assets should only be done in tandem with G7 powers. The bondholders would not have a contractual claim on the Kremlin’s frozen reserves. Ukraine would have a plausible way to collect on any damages awarded up to the value of the reserves. If Moscow refused to pay the damages, the allies could then use Russia’s frozen assets to pay off the loan.

Persons: Marc Jones, Lee Buchheit, Daleep Singh, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Marc Jones LONDON, Emergency Economic, U.S, European Central Bank Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kuwait, United States, EU, Russian, Brussels, Belgium, U.S, Britain, China, Hong Kong, Dubai, Moscow

Robert Hur, who had been appointed to investigate whether Biden mishandled classified documents, wrote that the president couldn’t recall in an interview with prosecutors the date when his adult son, Beau, died of cancer. And Biden recalled the specific date that Beau died, although he briefly wondered aloud about the year as the conversation toggled between various events. “Oh, God, May 30th.”A White House lawyer interjected by saying, “2015.”“Was it 2015 he had died?” Biden asked. Beau died while Biden was serving as vice president, and his deep sorrow helped deter him from running for president in 2016, when Trump ultimately defeated Hillary Clinton. Biden mentioned the death during an interview that Hur conducted on Oct. 8.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, Robert Hur, couldn’t, Beau, ” Biden, Hur, Hur didn't, ”, interjected, ” “, affirmatively, Donald Trump, Hunter, Trump, Hillary Clinton, “, “ Beau, Hunt, ” Hur, ____, Zeke Miller Organizations: WASHINGTON, National Guard, Senate, ” Locations: Virginia, Iraq, Charlottesville , Virginia

☆ On the Tripwire of a ‘Red Line,’ It’s Often Presidents Who Trip
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When President Biden declared over the weekend that he was drawing a “red line” for Israel’s military action in Gaza, he appeared to be trying to raise the potential cost for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as their relationship plummets to new depths. But he never said what would happen, exactly, if Mr. Netanyahu ignored him and continued Israel’s military operation by invading the southern city Rafah, a step that Mr. Biden has said — repeatedly — would be a major mistake. Mr. Biden’s line-drawing was immediately dismissed — and matched — by Mr. Netanyahu, who shot back: “You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is? That Oct. 7 doesn’t happen again.” The prime minister was referring, of course, to the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel, left scores more as hostages and precipitated a war now in its sixth month.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, —, Barack Obama, George W, Bush, Iraq —, Biden’s Organizations: White Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Syria, North Korea, Iran, American, Iraq, Israel

☆ Kari Lake airs election grievances as GOP leaders urge her to look forward
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Watch CNN’s coverage of the US Senate race in Arizona on “Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju” at 11 a.m. GOP leaders have counseled Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake to avoid airing grievances about past elections and instead center her campaign on a more forward-looking message. But what I’m trying to do is look forward,” she said in the interview, which will air on Sunday’s “Inside Politics” with Manu Raju. “I do continue to talk about it when I’m on the campaign trail in Arizona. “We had major problems in our election, and we’re really working to resolve those problems.

Persons: Manu Raju ”, Kari Lake, Ruben Gallego, Donald Trump’s, Lake, “, ”, …, Manu Raju, I’m, Republican –, ” Trump’s, Katie Hobbs, MAGA, –, Sen, Steve Daines, Daines, Lake’s, GOP Sen, John Barrasso of, we’re, Gallego, Hannah Goss, CNN’s Manu Raju Organizations: Senate, GOP, Democratic, CNN, Republican, Lake, ”, Capitol, Union Locations: Arizona, Montana, John Barrasso of Wyoming, Iraq

☆ Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, meaning month of fasting starts Monday for many
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Officials saw the crescent moon Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, marking the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims. Saudi state television reported that authorities there saw the crescent moon. However, there are some Asia-Pacific countries like Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that will begin Ramadan on Tuesday after failing to see the crescent moon. In Saudi Arabia, the kingdom had been urging the public to watch the skies from Sunday night in preparation for the sighting of the crescent moon. The Palestinian territories will begin Ramadan on Monday as well.

Persons: Jordan, Saudi King Salman, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ramadan, Robabeh, it's, Prophet Muhammad, Israel, Jerusalem's Organizations: Iran's, Hamas, Islamic Locations: Musyari'in, Jakarta, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Islam, Saudi, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Mecca, Iran, Tehran, Persian, Nowruz, U.S, Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Sudan

☆ The US is dropping aid into Gaza. Here’s why that will do little to ease a humanitarian crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The US has joined several other countries in airdropping aid into Gaza, which is grappling with a humanitarian crisis. But despite this advantage, aid agencies say their drawbacks overwhelmingly outweigh their benefits. “Humanitarian workers always complain that airdrops are good photo opportunities but a lousy way to deliver aid,” Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group’s UN Director said. Aid agencies have consistently said not enough aid is reaching Gaza. “When countries use airdrops and these maritime piers is usually if not always in situations when you want to deliver humanitarian aid into enemy territory.

Persons: We’ve, ” Richard Gowan, Michael Fakrhi, “, ” Fakrhi, John Kirby, ”, ” Kirby, Mahmoud Shalabi, Shalabi, Abdel Qader Al Sabbah, Kerem Shalom, Michael Fakhri, Israel, Dave Harden, ” Avril Benoît, CNN’s Louis Mian, Sana Noor Haq, Nadeen Ebrahim, Lauren Kent Organizations: CNN, UN, Food Programme, Islamic, “, Crisis, White, Medical Aid, Palestinian, Food, US Aid, Biden, MSF Locations: Gaza, warzones, Afghanistan, Islamic State, Iraq, Beit Lahia, Palestinian, Israel, Kerem, Rafah

☆ Opinion | Why It’s Hard to Explain Joe Biden’s Unpopularity
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Joe Biden is one of the most unpopular presidents in modern American history. In Gallup polling, his approval ratings are lower than those of any president embarking on a re-election campaign, from Dwight Eisenhower to Donald Trump. Apart from anxiety about his age, there isn’t a chattering-class consensus or common shorthand for why his presidency is such a political flop. When things went south for other recent chief executives, there was usually a clearer theory of what was happening. Trump’s unpopularity was understood to reflect his chaos and craziness and authoritarian forays.

Persons: Joe Biden, Dwight Eisenhower, Donald Trump, Joe Simonson, George W, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton Organizations: Gallup, Washington Free, Biden, White Locations: Iraq

☆ The once-forgotten flying wing has taken over the US's bomber fleet
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Ben Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Originally designed before America's entry into the Second World War, the YB-49 flying wing was intended to be America's first intercontinental bomber. US Air ForceThe flying wingThe YB-49 was the final iteration of a flying wing bomber concept created by legendary aircraft designer Jack Northrop, founder of the Northrop Corporation. A larger test aircraft, the N-1M, was tested in July of 1940, proving the potential of the flying wing design. The problems with aerial instability could now be solved by computers utilizing fly-by-wire technology and differential thrust, and so a flying wing design was submitted. In order to maintain a powerful bomber force and to keep up with technological innovation, the Air Force launched the Long Range Strike Bomber program in 2011.

Persons: —, Northrop Grumman, Jack Northrop, Northrop, Dunne, elevons —, William Lewis, Defense Lloyd Austin Organizations: Service, US Air, US Air Force, Northrop Corporation, United States Army Air Forces, US Army Air Forces, Britain, USAAF, Air Force, Flag, Nellis, Nellis Air Force Base, Raider, Technology Bomber, Northrop, ATB, Defense Locations: Nazi, Europe, British, Jan, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya

☆ When the Oscars Were Held Against the Backdrop of Another Divisive War
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Sarah Bahr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On March 23, 2003, as the rest of the world watched televised images of captives and corpses identified as American soldiers, limos carrying high-fashion-clad celebrities rolled up outside what was then known as the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. The United States had invaded Iraq just three days before, and, until that morning, there was still the possibility that the Oscars wouldn’t go on. As A-listers like Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry and Steve Martin — the host — were herded through metal detectors amid a large law enforcement presence, a few blocks away, police officers holding clubs faced off with demonstrators trying to get closer to the theater (none did). This year, another war is in the headlines as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences mounts another Oscars. So far, almost no one has spoken out at precursor awards shows, but it was very different in 2003.

Persons: Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Steve Martin — Organizations: Kodak Theater, United, Academy of Motion Picture Arts, Sciences Locations: Los Angeles, United States, Iraq

☆ Opinion: Biden gave the speech of his life
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Opinion Cnn Contributors | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +29 min

CNN —CNN Opinion asked political and policy contributors to weigh in on President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. David Gergen: Biden just rewrote the presidential racePresident Joe Biden not only delivered perhaps the best speech of his life last night; he may have also changed the race itself. Roxanne Jones: Biden finally sounds like he’s ready to fightPresident Joe Biden finally has my attention. At the end of his speech, Biden reminded voters that he “grew up among working people” in Scranton. In his State of the Union speech, Biden had to answer the mail on all of these.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, David Gergen, Biden, Joe Biden, —, Carrie Sheffield, Carrie Sheffield Barry Morgenstein, Donald Trump’s, pandered, Sophia A, Nelson, Trump, Sen, Andrew, ”, Donald Trump, Harris, Daniel McCarthy, Trump President Joe Biden, Daniel McCarthy Biden, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, wasn’t, he’s, haven’t, Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, Bernie Sanders, Nikki Haley, Trump couldn’t, Reagan, Roxanne Jones, ” Biden, Smart, Jill Filipovic, Mike Johnson, David A, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” David A, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, SubStack’s, Paul Sracic, It’s, White, Paul Sracic Arne Hoel It’s, Hillary Clinton, Joe, ” Paul Sracic, Raul A, Reyes, ” Raul A, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, Laken Riley, Mark Zandi, Mark Zandi Moody's, Ana Marie Cox, Ana Marie Cox Faith Fonseca, Biden’s, Dobbs, Roe, Wade, Peter Bergen, George W, Bush, Vladimir Putin’s, –, beefed, Gazans Organizations: CNN, David Gergen CNN, Union, Harvard Kennedy School, Gallup, NATO, Democratic, Republicans, Trump, Independent Women’s, United States Senate, Biden, Congressional, Trump President, South Carolina Gov, GOP, Republican, Conservative, The Spectator, Syndicate, Big Pharma, Companies, American, Democrats, Twitter, NATO —, Israel, New York Times, CBS News, Democratic Party, United Auto Workers, Youngstown State University, Hudson Institute, Reyes CNN, Border Patrol, Georgia, ” Progressives, Pew Research Center, White, USA, Moody’s Analytics, Ana Marie Cox Faith, Jackson, Peter Bergen CNN, US Senate, New, Arizona State University Locations: Joe Biden’s State, America, United States, State, Gaza, Israel, New York, Ukraine, ”, American, China, Iran, Europe, Asia, Chicago, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Belvidere , Illinois, Scranton, Claymont , Delaware, Delaware, Ohio, Washington , DC, Georgia, Alabama, Austin, Iraq, New America

☆ Get Ready for the Great Trump Diaspora
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Paul Starobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Atlantic devoted an entire issue to the authoritarian horrors in store for America "If Trump Wins." AdvertisementA second Trump presidency, Speer said, could serve as a "catalyst" that further fuels the growing diaspora of Americans living in exile. Since 2015, Democrats Abroad, the foreign-based arm of the DNC, has nearly tripled its membership. Since 2015, Democrats Abroad, the foreign-based arm of the Democratic National Committee, has nearly tripled its membership, which now numbers in the hundreds of thousands. My wife and I are both Trump decriers, although we didn't begin our Italy property search to find a refuge from MAGA-infused America.

Persons: specter, Donald Trump —, Trump, Gallup, George W, Bush's, Barack Obama's, Doris Speer, Speer, —, Roe, Wade —, Martha McDevitt, Pugh, Emily, Francophiles, Ernest Hemingway, James Baldwin —, Nicole Kidman's, MAGA, batty, it's, John Galey, Paul Starobin Organizations: Washington Post, Trump, America, Association of Americans Resident Overseas, dodgers, DNC, Democratic National Committee, Leggett, Italy Facebook, Côte, IRS, Citizens Abroad, Los Angeles Times, New Books Network Locations: Umbria, Italy, Montana, Tuscany, Texas, Tennessee, America, Canada, Washington, Paris, United States, Iraq, Europe, Vietnam, Sedona , Arizona, Portugal, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Norway, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Golden, California, MAGA

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