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☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Textron, Charter, Estee Lauder, Signet and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Textron – Shares of Textron jumped 6% after the company won a U.S. Army contract that could be worth $70 billion to provide next-generation helicopters. Charter Communications – Charter Communications fell 5% after analysts at Citi added a negative catalyst watch to the company heading into its analyst day. Signet Jewelers – Shares of Signet Jewelers surged 18% after the company announced earnings results that beat Wall Street's expectations before the market open Tuesday. SVB Financial Group – Shares of SVB Financial slid nearly 4%, reaching a 52-week low earlier in the day. Semiconductor stocks – Semi stocks Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia fell 4% and 3.1% respectively amid a broader selloff in the Nasdaq.

WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army on Monday awarded the contract for its next-generation helicopter to Textron Inc's (TXT.N) Bell unit, ending a years-long competition for the technology that will replace the Black Hawk utility helicopter. The Army's "Future Vertical Lift" competition is aimed at finding a replacement as the Army looks to retire more than 2,000 medium-class UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters built by Sikorsky since the 1970s. The Army was looking for an aircraft capable of moving about a dozen troops 400 nautical miles. Ultimately, the contract is potentially worth around $70 billion - over decades - depending on how many the Army and U.S. allies order, the Army told reporters on Monday evening. In the FLARAA competition was Bell's V-280 "Valor," a tiltrotor aircraft that has reached speeds in excess of 340 mph (547 km) according to the Army.

☆ Last of Mexico’s 'Aztec Eagles' World War II veterans dies at age 98
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

MEXICO CITY — The last veteran of Mexico’s relatively small contingent of World War II veterans has died, Mexico’s Defense Department announced Thursday. Horacio Castilleja Albarrán was 98 when he died Wednesday. Castilleja Albarrán was one of about 300 Mexican soldiers and airmen in Squadron 201, known as the Aztec Eagles, who were sent from Mexico to help in the U.S. war effort against Japan. Mexico was late to enter World War II, but declared war after German submarines sank several Mexican oil tankers. Castilleja Albarrán joined the army in 1942 at age 18 and was trained as a radio operator.

☆ Biden's offer to talk to Putin is a trial balloon to end war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden has floated a trial balloon to President Vladimir Putin to determine whether Russia, after months of battlefield losses and stalled gains, is ready to end its invasion of Ukraine. "I'm prepared to speak with Mr. Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he's looking for a way to end the war. Where does he find himself in a position he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia," Biden said at a Democratic fundraiser in New York in October. Biden, who talks regularly to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy, has previously been clear he defers to Ukraine's wishes. "There’s no — nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Biden said Nov. 14, when asked about possible negotiations.

☆ Biden trial balloon to Putin on Ukraine appears to quickly pop
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden floated a trial balloon to President Vladimir Putin intended to determine whether Russia, after months of battlefield losses and stalled gains, is ready to end its invasion of Ukraine. Biden and his national security advisers have wondered for months what it would take to entice Putin into a diplomatic off-ramp. Where does he find himself in a position he does not, not only lose face but lose significant power in Russia," Biden said at a Democratic fundraiser in New York in October. Biden, who talks regularly to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy, has previously been clear he defers to Ukraine's wishes. "There’s no — nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Biden said Nov. 14, when asked about possible negotiations.

☆ Pentagon awards Raytheon $1.2 bln contract for Ukrainian NASAMS
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Raytheon Technologies Co (RTX.N) for six National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) for Ukraine on Wednesday, the Pentagon said. The United States has approved sending Ukraine a total of eight NASAMS to help fend off Russian missile and drone attacks. Ukraine received its first delivery of two NASAMS air defense systems in November. The contract is for the NASAMS batteries, training, and logistical support to Ukraine's military and security forces. The Pentagon has said the newly U.S.-provided NASAMS air defense systems so far have had a 100% success rate in Ukraine intercepting Russian missiles.

[1/3] Oath Keepers militia founder Stewart Rhodes holds a radio as he departs with volunteers from a rally held by U.S. President Donald Trump in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. October 10, 2019. Rhodes in 2009 founded the Oath Keepers, a militia group whose members include current and retired U.S. military personnel, law enforcement officers and first responders. Prosecutors during the trial said Rhodes and his co-defendants planned to use force to prevent Congress from formally certifying Biden's election victory. Caldwell, who like Rhodes did not enter the Capitol building and never formally joined the Oath Keepers, tried to downplay some of the inflammatory texts he sent in connection with the attack. Four other Oath Keepers members charged with seditious conspiracy are due to go to trial in December.

☆ Exclusive: U.S. weighs sending 100-mile strike weapon to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

U.S. and allied military inventories are shrinking, and Ukraine faces an increasing need for more sophisticated weapons as the war drags on. GLSDB could be delivered as early as spring 2023, according to a document reviewed by Reuters and three people familiar with the plan. It combines the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with the M26 rocket motor, both of which are common in U.S. inventories. The invasion of Ukraine drove up demand for American-made weapons and ammunition, while U.S. allies in Eastern Europe are "putting a lot of orders," in for a range of arms as they supply Ukraine, Bush added. Any arrangement would also require at least six suppliers to expedite shipments of their parts and services to produce the weapon quickly.

Reuters is the first to report on the use of the deconfliction line, beyond regular testing. SEVERAL WAYS TO COMMUNICATEThe deconfliction line is just one of several ways the U.S. and Russia militaries still have to communicate. Other military channels include rare high-level talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union maintained such hot lines at different levels. Vershbow drew a comparison to the far more active deconfliction line for Syria, where U.S. and Russian military forces sometimes operate in the same airspace or terrain.

☆ BTS singer Jin set to begin South Korea military service, source says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —K-pop superstar Jin will begin his mandatory military service next month, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed Friday, after the BTS singer appealed to the supergroup’s devoted fans to stay away from his South Korean army training center. The source said the 29-year-old star, BTS’ oldest member, will enter service December 13 at Yeoncheon army base in the northern Gyeonggi province. Military service is compulsory in South Korea, where almost all able-bodied men are required to serve in the army for 18 months by the time they are 28 years old. “Reports have come out against my will, but our ARMYs (BTS fans), should not come to the training center,” he wrote. With their military service looming, BTS said in June it would press pause to pursue solo projects.

He is the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, which U.S. officials have described as an anti-government group. According to the indictment, Rhodes began encouraging his Oath Keepers followers in November 2020 to "oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power." Caldwell has denied he was a member of the Oath Keepers, but prosecutors have said he has strong ties to the group. KENNETH HARRELSONHarrelson, 41, of Titusville, Florida, helped Meggs organize the Florida Oath Keepers and was part of the militia group that stormed into the Capitol building, according to the indictment. JESSICA WATKINSWatkins, 40, of Woodstock, Ohio, led the Ohio team of Oath Keepers at the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to the indictment.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Nov 21 (Reuters) - Amid the blood and chaos of a mass shooting in a Colorado LGTBQ club, two men emerged from the crowd to subdue the gunman. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers identified the "two heroes" as Rich Fierro and Thomas James. Suthers told a news conference on Monday they "saved a lot of lives" at Club Q in Colorado Springs late Saturday. The dead included the boyfriend of the Fierros' daughter, Fierro's wife Jess said in a post on her family brewery's Facebook page. Speaking from her doorstep, Jess Fierro told Reuters the violence sparked her husband' s post traumatic stress disorder.

☆ U.S. Army's weapons contract reviews accelerate to replace Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine has relied heavily on the Unites States for weapons, with Washington sending about $17.9 billion worth of arms since Moscow launched its invasion of the country on February 24. According to recent Pentagon contracting data, $2.6 billion worth of contracts have been awarded to replace weapons rushed to Ukraine since the Washington began using a special Presidential Drawdown Authority, (PDA) which allows quick weapons transfers without congressional approval in response to an emergency. The United States awarded about $1 billion in contracts to weapons makers since the second half of October, mostly for ammunition and rockets, suggesting the pace of contract decision making is picking up. The Army got its first tranche of funds to replace weapons sent to Ukraine on May 3, and subsequently a tranche every few weeks, Bush said. Each tranche has ranged from few hundred million to nearly a billion, he said, and the rate of receiving funds has a high correlation to new contract awards for replacement weapons.

Harris also plans a highly symbolic stop on the Philippine islands of Palawan in the South China Sea to show U.S. support for its ally. "So if they want American support in the South China Sea, the Americans will expect Philippine support on Taiwan." "The second Philippine demand is a continued clear commitment to defend Filipinos in the South China Sea," Poling said. If there was a Chinese attack on a Philippine base in the South China Sea tomorrow, could the Americans actually do anything about it? China claims 90% of the South China Sea as its sovereign territory, but is opposed by five Southeast Asian states and Taiwan.

"This was not Ukraine’s fault," alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference, adding that "Russia bears ultimate responsibility, as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine." He said that "our main priority now, or one of the top priorities now, is to provide more air defense systems for Ukraine." Moscow’s forces have increasingly assaulted civilian targets from the air while digging in behind new lines after a series of battlefield retreats. “In all this frenzy over what happened we forget that 90 missiles were launched across Ukraine yesterday,” he said, referring to the attack that prompted Ukraine to fire the defensive missile in the first place. “This just shows the recklessness of Russia engaging targets that close to the Polish border.

☆ Pentagon says Moscow's deliberate targeting of Ukrainian energy grids is a war crime
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Wednesday slammed Russia's barrage of missile strikes across Ukrainian cities and said that Moscow's deliberate targeting of energy infrastructure is a war crime. "It was likely the largest wave of missiles that we've seen since the beginning of the war," Milley said, adding that "the deliberate targeting of the civilian power grid, causing excessive collateral damage and unnecessary suffering on the civilian population is a war crime." Austin called Russia's missile and rocket attacks on civilian infrastructure "deliberate cruelty" and called on Moscow to end its "war of choice." They're going to continue that fight until the winter as best we can tell," Milley added. Stoltenberg added that initial assessments found that the incident was caused by an air defense missile launched to "defend Ukrainian territory against Russian cruise missile attacks."

In the United States and some other countries, 'Black Friday' is a bargain shopping day that marks the start of the holiday shopping season. The government contends the Oath Keepers plotted to use force to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election victory, with defendants Meggs, Watkins and Harrelson entering the building clad in tactical gear. Prosecutors also allege the Oath Keepers staged a "quick reaction force" in a nearby Virginia hotel, a plan which entailed stockpiling firearms that could be ferried across the river into the capital if needed. Then this week, defendant Thomas Caldwell, the only other defendant in this case apart from Rhodes who did not physically enter the building, also testified in his own defense. Caldwell later broke down crying as he recalled his wife's reaction on the day the FBI searched his home.

[1/3] U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks during a news briefing after participating a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Tom BrennerWASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The top U.S. general on Wednesday said Ukraine's chances of any near-term, outright military victory were not high, cautioning that Russia still had significant combat power inside Ukraine despite suffering battlefield setbacks since its invasion in February. Ukraine has vowed to keep the pressure on Russian forces until it reclaims control of all occupied territory. "The probability of a Ukrainian military victory - defined as kicking the Russians out of all of Ukraine to include what they claim as Crimea - the probability of that happening anytime soon is not high, militarily," Milley told a news conference at the Pentagon. Ukraine is not going to back down," Milley said, adding that Ukraine was free, "and they want to remain free."

☆ White House requests $37.7 billion in new Ukraine funding, $10 billion for Covid relief
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The White House is requesting nearly $40 billion in new funding from Congress to support Ukraine and an additional $10 billion for pandemic relief. Other House Republicans like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said at the beginning of the month "not another penny will go to Ukraine" under Republican leadership. The formal funding request also includes $9.25 billion for Covid-19 relief and $750 million to address other infectious diseases. The White House is requesting $2.5 billion for Covid-19 vaccine access and replenishing the Strategic National Stockpile, $5 billion for further vaccine development, $750 million for long Covid research and $1 billion to international aid combatting the virus. The White House also requested an unspecified amount for natural disaster relief to help Florida and Puerto Rico rebuild from Hurricanes Ian and Fiona.

☆ Fact Check-Article claiming U.S. military found evidence of election fraud in 2022 midterms stems from oft-debunked website
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An article from a website regularly debunked by Reuters Fact Check for spreading false news articles labeled “satire” claims that the U.S. Army Cyber Command found evidence of election fraud following the 2022 midterm elections. The posts share an article by Real Raw News (archived archive.ph/Q2A3Z) with the headline: “Military Finds Evidence of Election Fraud Amid Fizzled Red Wave.” The article makes several claims about alleged evidence of fraud attributed to the U.S. Army Cyber Command and “Cyber Command”. A spokesperson for the U.S. Army Cyber Command however told Reuters via email that it had “made no comments or statements to the media regarding this election”. U.S. Cyber Command, the higher headquarters for U.S. Army Cyber Command, also confirmed that the claims are false. Claims the U.S. Army Cyber Command found evidence of election fraud following the 2022 midterm elections stem from a satire website.

After learning about its Russian roots from Reuters, it removed Pushwoosh software from seven public-facing apps, citing security concerns. The U.S. Army said it had removed an app containing Pushwoosh code in March because of the same concerns. Pushwoosh code has been embedded into almost 8,000 apps in the Google and Apple app stores, according to Appfigures, an app intelligence website. "We haven't found any clear sign of deceptive or malicious intent in Pushwoosh's activity, which certainly doesn't diminish the risk of having app data leaking to Russia," he added. The CDC apps that contained Pushwoosh code included the agency's main app and others set up to share information on a wide range of health concerns.

CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann. Tyson tried to come to his aid after hearing Spann call his first name, and found four men on top of Spann, Tyson said. “But when it mattered, he ran towards his comrade — Mike Spann. Having already lost her husband to the war, Spann said the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan and its aftermath have been incredibly painful to watch. Nutsch is part of the group now working to help former Afghan allies escape the Taliban.

Forum, founded in 1948 to ensure that Mexican American World War II veterans could access their government benefits. “Latinos have a long and honorable tradition of military service,” he said, “only somehow it is not as well-known as that of other groups. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are nearly 1.3 million Latino veterans, or about 8 percent of the veteran population. Issues for Latino veterans, Vazquez-Contes noted, range from accessing medical care through the Veterans Administration system to homelessness to suicide. “The promotion rates for the top enlisted ranks, and the top officer ranks, are just basically void of Hispanic names.”Ricardo Aponte of the Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance.

☆ Leadership on Multiple Fronts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLeadership on Multiple FrontsThe U.S. Army employs over a million people around the world and from the standpoint of a distributed workforce, challenges on recruitment and retention and a new focus on mental health, the armed services is a lot like US companies. We'll speak to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth about leading during difficult times, how she's tackling recruitment and retention, and why more veterans in the workforce is better for business.

☆ Democrat Josh Shapiro wins Pennsylvania governor's race, NBC News projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(C) Democratic candidate for Governor Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro poses with supporters following a joint rally with Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate John Fetterman at Norris Park on October 15, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Josh Shapiro won the Pennsylvania governor's race, defeating Republican Doug Mastriano and keeping the swing-state office in Democratic hands, NBC News projected. Shapiro led Mastriano by about 11 percentage points with roughly 64% of the vote in, according to NBC. The Democrat Shapiro has served as Pennsylvania's attorney general since 2017 and was previously a state representative. Act 77 is the voting law that allows for no-excuse mail-in voting in Pennsylvania.

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