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☆ Israel, It’s Time to Consider a Cease-fire - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

I am watching the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza today and thinking about one of the world leaders I’ve most admired: Manmohan Singh. The cost of occupying Gaza could overstretch the Israeli military and economy for years to come. Israel should keep the door open for a humanitarian cease-fire and prisoner exchange that will also allow Israel to pause and reflect on exactly where it is going with its rushed Gaza military operation — and the price it could pay over the long haul. Israel built an impressive society and economy, even if flawed, and Hamas took nearly all of its resources and built attack tunnels. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

Persons: I’ve, Manmohan Singh, Singh, Shivshankar Menon, “, ” Menon, ”, Menon, Israel’s, It’s, Israel —, —, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, ’ ’, Gaza —, Shin Bet, excusing, don’t Organizations: Pakistan Army, Abraham Accords, Economist, Hamas, United, West Bank, Shin Bet, European Union, Democratic Party, U.S . House, Bank, Gaza, New York, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Israel, Gaza, Pakistani, India, Mumbai, Pakistan, Abraham, United States, Mexico, European, U.S, Washington

☆ House Elects Mike Johnson as Speaker, Ending Three Weeks of Chaos and Paralysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Catie Edmondson | More About Catie Edmondson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana won election on Wednesday as the 56th speaker of the House of Representatives, putting an end to three weeks of chaos that left the chamber without a leader and put Republican divisions on display. Republicans elevated Mr. Johnson, 51, a little-known and deeply conservative lawmaker, after a tumultuous fight. It began after the hard right ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and raged on as the divided House G.O.P. Worn down by a brutal stretch of infighting that unleashed a barrage of recriminations and violent threats against lawmakers, both the hard-right flank of the party and mainstream Republicans united to elect Mr. Johnson in a 220-to-209 vote. Republicans jumped to their feet and applauded after Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina, the interim speaker, declared that Mr. Johnson was the “duly elected speaker of the House of Representatives.”

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Patrick T, McHenry, ” Organizations: Representatives Locations: Louisiana, McHenry of North Carolina

☆ Republicans Vote Out Jordan as Speaker Nominee, Continuing Chaos in House
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Luke Broadwater | More About Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Republicans cast aside their latest nominee for House speaker on Friday, rejecting Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio during a secret ballot vote, leaving them once again to search for a new leader amid raging personal and political recriminations. The rejection came hours after Mr. Jordan, his support ebbing, failed on a third floor vote to win the speakership. After his colleagues then voted to withdraw Mr. Jordan’s nomination, about a dozen House Republicans, few of them household names, quickly began making calls and exploring bids for speaker. “We need to come together and figure out who our speaker is going to be,” Mr. Jordan said, acknowledging his defeat. He said he would turn his focus back to the investigations he is leading into the Biden administration as chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Persons: Jim Jordan of, Jordan, Jordan’s, Mr, Biden Organizations: Republicans Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio

☆ Opinion: Hamas’ attack on Israel is an indisputable act of terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Stuart Ross | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

As many knowledgeable people have pointed out, what Hamas has done is clearly an act of terrorism, no matter what your definition. In another video, geolocated by CNN to southern Israel, near Gaza, Hamas militants are seen taking Israelis captive. Both Iran, the principal sponsor of Hamas, and Hezbollah, another Iran-linked terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction, praised Hamas. As sure as night follows day, Israel will retaliate, and millions around the world will blame Israel – and the Jews – ignoring what happened this bloody Saturday. But there’s no denying that what happened on Saturday was an act of terrorism, one that deserves clear, unequivocal condemnation

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Fatah, Khan Younis, Israel, they’re, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Joe Biden, Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, ”, Emmanuel Macron, “, Olaf Scholtz, Narendra Modi, Abraham, Israel – Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Hamas, Frida Ghitis CNN, Muslim, Associated Press, Palestinian Health Ministry, EU, Dutch, Israel, UN Security Council, United, United Arab Emirates, Abraham Accords Locations: Iran, Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Sderot, Tel Aviv, Gaza City, ” Ukraine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab

The issue has exposed deep divisions between his nationalist-religious supporters and more liberal and secular sections of Israeli society, posing major questions about the constitutional foundations of Israel and its future direction. Over 2,600 Israelis including Zwebner's brother were killed, the largest loss of life Israel has ever suffered in a single war. For many front-line soldiers, the war remains a traumatic event but the feeling many express five decades later is pride in having helped save their country. "I had a meeting with my friends this week which really made me emotional, but you feel very much like you saved the existence of Israel," Zwebner said. For Zwebner, who himself opposes the judicial overhaul, a lesson of the 1973 war was that people had to be prepared to think for themselves rather than blindly accepting what leaders of any kind said.

Persons: Uzy, Yonti, Amir Cohen, Uzy Zwebner, Golda Meir, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Herzi Halevi, Israel, Jordan, Abraham, Zwebner, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Labour Party, ISRAEL, U.S, Abraham Accords, Thomson Locations: Sinai, Kippur, Tel Aviv, Israel, Yom Kippur, Golan, Soviet Union, Egypt

Previously, Democratic governors who had backed school choice measures had done so in compromise deals with Republican-controlled legislatures. Vouchers have long been viewed in stark partisan terms: Democrats and public school allies say they drain critical resources from public schools. Republicans and school choice advocates say they give freedom to families who may not like their local public schools. That had motivated public school advocates and Democrats to demand billions more for the poorest public schools, a quest that Shapiro has said he supports. Those fluent in the history of school vouchers could think of no other Democratic governor who had embraced them.

Persons: Josh Shapiro —, Shapiro, ”, Robert Enlow, ’ ”, Matthew Brouillette, Christopher Borick, Jeffrey Yass, Jeff Yass, Charlie Gerow, ” Shapiro, Joshua Cowen, Peter Schweyer, —, recriminations, “ cowering, Shapiro shrugged, we've, Marc Levy Organizations: —, Republican, Pennsylvania, Democratic, Republicans, Roman Catholic, Muhlenberg College Institute of Public, GOP, Fox News, Michigan State University, Republican Party, Senate Republicans, Lehigh . Teachers, AFSCME, SEIU, AFL, House Democratic, Wall Street Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Indianapolis, Pennsylvania, statehouses, Yass, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, “, Philadelphia

☆ House Republicans take on Biden as government shutdown looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Republicans are about to deliver on the driving purpose of their House majority – enacting Donald Trump’s retribution. Rather than try to solve the crisis, hardline House Republicans are driving the country toward a shutdown that Trump ordered up on social media, insisting it will will damage Biden, his potential general election rival. The two showdowns – and the return to power of Trump’s movement in the House – could shape the fate of the Republican House majority, which was narrowly won in last year’s midterm elections. But paradoxically, the tiny House majority – McCarthy can only lose four votes and still pass legislation on a party line – has given the most extreme GOP members more leverage. Some House Republicans are now refusing to vote for any temporary spending extension expected to come over from the Senate.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, smarting, Biden, corruptly, –, Kevin McCarthy, Vladimir Putin, Trump, McCarthy, Biden’s, Trump’s impeachments, – McCarthy, tormentors, Mary, “, don’t, there’s, Mike Lawler, Ayanna Pressley, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ”, impeachments Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Trump, Republican House, GOP, Republican, Biden, Trump acolytes, Capitol, ” Democratic, Massachusetts, Wednesday, Transportation Security Administration Locations: Ukraine, Michigan, Detroit, California, Arizona, China, New York, San Francisco

But his focus was on Ukraine’s Western backers and NATO – a mutual defense organization formed in the aftermath of World War II to defend Western nations from the Soviet Union. The Russian Foreign Minister also shut down the possibility of Russia returning to the Black Sea grain deal, saying the Kremlin felt it had been deceived. Russia withdrew from the UN-brokered deal in July, after saying for some time that it had been prevented from adequately exporting its own foodstuffs. The now-collapsed deal had allowed Ukraine to export much-needed grain by sea, with ships bypassing a Russian blockade in order to reach global markets. But as one of those so-called P5 countries, Russia has also significantly benefited from the existing structure, notably vetoing resolutions about its war in Ukraine.

Persons: Sergey Lavrov, ” “, ” Lavrov, Lavrov, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: New, New York CNN, UN General Assembly, Russian, General, NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Moscow, UN, UN Security Council Locations: New York, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet Union, Russia

☆ Republican Party infighting is driving America toward a government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

More broadly, it could raise fresh doubts about the capacity of a polarized nation – featuring an ever more extreme and performative Republican Party in ex-President Donald Trump’s image – to govern itself. But the Republican majority is so thin – the speaker can lose only four votes with its current margin – and the party is so bitterly divided, that past experience may be a poor predictor of outcomes. So handing a win to the critical Republicans on whom the GOP majority depends may be a poor strategy. Rep. Mike Lawler talks on his way to a House Republican Conference meeting at the US Capitol on September 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. Rep. Matt Gaetz talks on his way to a House Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol on September 19, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s, Nancy Mace, McCarthy, Mike Simpson, it’s, ” Simpson, ”, Trump, Mike Lawler, ” Lawler, Chip Somodevilla, Hakeem Jeffries, they’ve, Matt Gaetz, “ It’ll, Mike Garcia, CNN’s Manu Raju, Don Bacon, Ukraine –, Biden, “, ” McCarthy Organizations: CNN, Republican, Chinese Communist Party, Capitol, GOP, Senate, Republicans, ” South Carolina GOP Rep, Trump, Democrats, Democrat, House Republican, Democratic Party, Congressional Progressive Caucus, ”, Democratic, ex, Navy, Nebraska Rep, Biden, United Nations Locations: America, ”, Idaho, Ukraine, New York, Washington ,, ” Florida, California, Nebraska, Washington

☆ Trump is explaining exactly how wild and extreme his second term would be
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | Trump S Authoritarianism May Make The Election A Profound Choice | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“It’s really a threat to democracy while they trample our rights and liberties every single day of the year,” he said. This followed a March rally in which he billed his 2024 campaign and potential second term as a vessel of “retribution” for supporters who believe they’ve been wronged. In a recent CNN poll, for example, only 28% of Republicans thought Biden legitimately won sufficient votes to win the 2020 election. This comes after years of Trump incessantly denying he lost, and despite courts throwing out his multiple challenges to the result. “Indict my opponent, he’s doing well,” Trump said, implying that was exactly what Biden had done.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ” Trump, ”, Trump, “, we’re, they’ve, Biden, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Trump’s, demagoguery, Trump’s bluntness, Hunter Biden –, Hunter Biden’s, haven’t, Hunter, Kristi Noem, – Trump, he’s Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Republican, GOP, South Carolina Gov, CNN’s, Trump, Justice Department, Iowa State Cyclones, University of Iowa Hawkeyes, South Dakota –, White Locations: South Dakota, India, Vietnam, China, Russia, CNN’s “ State, Washington, Ukraine, Ames, Story County

☆ Analysis: Trump mug shot is stark in its simplicity
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The mug shot of Donald Trump instantly became one of the most iconic images of anyone who served as commander in chief. Video Ad Feedback Haberman: This is the message Trump wanted to convey in his mug shot 01:08 - Source: CNNFor those who revile Trump for his autocratic instincts, demagoguery, vulgarity and self-obsession, the mug shot may offer feelings of vindication. For any other politician, a mug shot would be the end. Even though he’s no longer in office, Trump’s mug shot will now enter the historic record of the select band of those who’ve called the White House home. The same will be true of Trump’s mug shot.

Persons: Donald Trump, P01135809, Trump, revile Trump, he’s, –, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, husband’s, Richard Nixon’s, George W, Bush, catalyzing Organizations: CNN, Office, Republican, Trump, Service, Twitter, GOP, White, Air Force, Hurricane Locations: Fulton, Georgia, New York, Atlanta, Wisconsin, Dallas, ignominy

☆ US intel believes Ukraine's counteroffensive will fail to reach Melitopol, one of its key goals: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US intelligence believes Ukraine won't reach the key city of Melitopol, The Washington Post reported. Retaking the city is a landmark goal for Ukraine's counteroffensive. Reaching and even retaking Crimea is a hallowed objective in Ukraine's counteroffensive, with the peninsula under Russian occupation since 2014. Ukrainian troops are trying to push through these deadly lines from the town of Robotyne, 50 miles to the north, per The Washington Post. Ukraine has switched to pummelling the Russian lines with artillery fire, before painstakingly attempting to move forward with infantry and sappers.

Persons: Ukraine's, recriminations, Patrick Bury, Bury, Melitopol, Oleksiy Danilov Organizations: The Washington Post, Ukraine's, Service, Washington Post, Post, Democrats, UK's Bath University, Russia, Dnipro, Bradley Locations: Ukraine, Melitopol, The, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Azov, Dnipro, Crimea, Kerch, Robotyne

☆ Analysis: Donald Trump's legal drama grows by the day
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s already daunting legal predicament gets grimmer by the day as new details emerge of the depths to which he was prepared to stoop to reverse his defeat in the 2020 election. And as the former president’s legal team juggles court dates in different cities this week, their task in defending Trump is getting ever more complex. The stampede of developments around Trump’s cases is providing only a hint of the political and legal collision that is likely to unfold next year. But data from Trump’s account could potentially provide information about which phone – and potentially person – posted tweets to the account. Twitter data might also show any direct messages sent to or from Trump’s account.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Fani Willis, Jack Smith’s, Carlos De Oliveira, Walt Nauta, Biden, Craig Robertson, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Stormy Daniels, Bragg, George Soros, Robertson, ”, General Merrick Garland, Willis –, –, Willis, Gov, Geoff Duncan, ” Duncan, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Georgia Biden, Brad Raffensperger, CNN’s Sara Murray, Elie Honig, Smith, “, Renato Mariotti, Jake Tapper, Trump ‘, ’ ” Trump, Joe Biden’s DOJ, ” Trump Organizations: CNN, Trump, Twitter, New York Times, FBI, Democratic, Manhattan, Attorney, Republican Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, Washington, Mar, Florida, Trump’s, Utah, Fulton, Coffee County , Georgia

☆ All Hail the Long-Suffering Cadaver
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Amor Towles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For over 100 years the cadaver, that unsung hero of murder mysteries, has been accommodating, gracious and generally on time. But through it all, the cadaver has shown up without complaint to do its job. But decade in and decade out, the cadaver has remembered its lines and hit its mark. And all of this — the loss of life, the autopsies, the recriminations — the cadaver has suffered in silence, on our behalf. After all, it was the cadaver who set the wheels of a mystery in motion.

Persons: Agatha Christie

☆ Ohio Dems. chair mocks Republican who complained they didn't have enough time to push their effort to stymie abortion rights: 'You picked the date dude'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ohio Democrats Chairwoman Elizabeth Walters mocked a Republican who complained about Issue 1. Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman had complained proponents didn't have enough time to campaign. But it was Ohio Republicans who pushed for the amendment to stymie abortion rights to be on the August ballot. "Like, saying the obvious thing out loud, you picked the date dude," Walters said during a call with reporters. Ohio Republicans hastily set the special election after previously moving to outlaw most August elections, citing low turnout.

Persons: Elizabeth Walters, Matt Huffman, Walters, Matt Huffman's, Frank LaRose, Huffman, Brian Stewart, Huffman's, John Kasich, Bob Taft Organizations: Ohio, Ohio Republicans, Service, Policy Ohio Democratic, Republican, GOP, Ohio Capital Journal . Ohio Republicans, Capital, Republicans Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Trump set to return to Washington for monumental court date – but a national catharsis is unlikely
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hundreds of Trump’s supporters have already faced a courtroom reckoning for their efforts to disrupt the certification of a democratic election. Trump faces charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. Another reason why Trump’s trial is unlikely to be the kind of unifying event that eases a deep national wound is that most of his Republican Party is closing ranks around him. Given the political recriminations of a trial of a former president, it is reasonable to question whether such a prosecution is in the national interest. “Anyone who asks someone else to put themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States again,” Pence told reporters at the Indiana state fair.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden’s, snubbing, Jack Smith –, “, Van Jones, Smith, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, ” Trump, Joe Biden, President Trump, Elise Stefanik, Biden didn’t, Biden, –, Mike Pence, ”, Pence, ” Pence Organizations: CNN, GOP, Biden, Capitol, Trump, White, Republican, ”, Republican White House Locations: United States, Washington, DC, New York, Lago, Florida, Indiana

☆ Why Trump’s latest indictment will reverberate for years to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

And he’s not just any former president – Trump’s the front-runner for the GOP nomination, whom polling shows is closely matched with President Joe Biden in a hypothetical rematch. “The lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes,” it said. Trump’s congressional Republican backers ignored Smith’s evidence, branding the indictment an attempt to distract from questions they’ve raised about the business activities of the current president’s son, Hunter. The political inferno ignited by the indictment will raise questions about whether such an ordeal is truly in the national interest. Ron DeSantis stands to gain in the GOP primary from any eroding of Trump’s political prospects.

Persons: CNN —, Donald J, Trump ”, “, –, Joe Biden, George Washington, Jack Smith’s, Trump, President Trump, they’ve, Hunter, Smith, insurrectionists, …, Biden, they’d, Scott Jennings, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mike Pence, it’s, ” Smith, ” George Conway, John Lauro, ”, Jeffrey Clark, ” Clark, Pence, Trump’s, Ron DeSantis, Kevin McCarthy, Wyoming Sen, John Barrasso –, weaponizing, Chris Sununu, who’s Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Biden, Department, Republicans, New York Times, Siena, Justice Department, Republican, White House, Trump thickens, White, Justice, Florida Gov, Harvard Law, US Navy, Capitol, New Hampshire Republican Gov Locations: United States, America, Washington, Manhattan, Nazi Germany, Fulton County , Georgia, Wyoming

☆ Factbox: General Gerasimov, Russia's top soldier, appears for first time since Wagner mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here are some facts about Gerasimov:AS CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF* Gerasimov, now 67, is the third most powerful man in the Russian military after President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. UKRAINE* Gerasimov played key roles in Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia's game-changing military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War. * In January, Putin appointed Gerasimov to lead the Ukraine campaign, and made Army General Sergei Surovikin, appointed to the role three months earlier, one of his three deputies. read more* Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary Wagner Group, fiercely criticised Gerasimov and Shoigu and staged a short-lived mutiny on June 23-24 to demand their dismissal. He graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank Command in 1977, from the Malinovsky Military Armoured Forces Academy in 1987, and from the Military Academy of the General Staff another decade later.

Persons: Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Putin, Shoigu, Gerasimov, Bashar al, Assad, Sergei Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Aemy, AS, Defence, Zvezda, Wagner Group, Kazan Higher Tank Command, Malinovsky Military Armoured Forces Academy, Military Academy of, General Staff, Leningrad Military District, Moscow Military District, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, UKRAINE, Crimea, Ukraine, Syrian, Russia, Kazan, Leningrad, Moscow

☆ Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of plotting imminent attack on nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 4 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, long the subject of mutual recriminations and suspicions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, about Russian "dangerous provocations" at the plant in southeastern Ukraine. Zelenskiy tweeted that he had told Macron in a telephone conversation that "the occupation troops are preparing dangerous provocations at the Zaporizhzhia (nuclear plant)." "But in any case, the world sees - and cannot fail to see - that the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia. Zelenskiy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Ukrainian television that Grossi had proved ineffective in trying to uphold safety at the plant.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Emmanuel Macron, Renat, Zelenskiy, Macron, Rafael Grossi, Mykhailo Podolyak, Grossi, Podolyak, Ron Popeski, Nick Starkov, Mark Heinrich, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, flipflopping, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ Will America Be Ready for Its 250th Birthday?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Jennifer Schuessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For those planning the United States’ Semiquincentennial in 2026, the past few years have sometimes felt like one long winter at Valley Forge. They’ve had to battle public apathy toward the impending 250th anniversary of American independence, which has hardly been helped by the false starts, recriminations and lawsuits plaguing the federal commission charged with coordinating the celebration. Still, as July 4 approaches, the effort is stepping into overdrive, as planners hit what some wryly call the annual panic button. On Tuesday, the rebooted United States Semiquincentennial Commission, also known as America250, will roll out a public engagement campaign at American Family Field in Milwaukee, where the Chicago Cubs will face the hometown Brewers. And so far, at least 33 states have created commissions, while institutions across the country are steaming ahead with plans for exhibitions and events of their own.

Persons: States ’, They’ve Organizations: States Semiquincentennial Commission, Chicago Cubs, hometown Brewers Locations: States, Valley Forge, recriminations, Milwaukee

☆ Blinken set for high-stakes China visit with tensions rising and breakthrough prospects low
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has embarked on a high-stakes diplomatic trip to China to try to cool down escalating tensions between the two powers that have set many around the world on edge. Blinken will be the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. Animosity and recriminations have steadily escalated over a series of disagreements that have implications for global security and stability. Shortly before leaving, Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing and maintaining better lines of communication. The agreement is part of an 18-month-old nuclear partnership given the acronym AUKUS — for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Blinken, Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Xi Jinping, Biden, Xi, Bill Gates, Gates, William Burns, Jake Sullivan, Yi, Lloyd Austin, Austin, we're, Qin, Daniel Kritenbrink, Kurt Campbell Organizations: State Department, Washington , D.C, Foreign, Microsoft, CIA, Ukraine, . Defense, Washington, National Security Council Locations: Washington ,, China, Beijing, Bali, Chinese, United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South, Ukraine, Washington, U.S, Vienna, Taiwan Strait, Russia, Cuba, Singapore, Japan, Philippines, Australia, Britain, United Kingdom, East Asia, Asia

☆ My Sibling Was Abused as a Baby. Should I Share What I Saw?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Kwame Anthony Appiah | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The only thing we can be pretty sure of is that this revelation will disrupt your family relationships. You will indeed have to explain to your sibling why you have kept this to yourself for all those decades. Your sibling might become permanently estranged from your parent. Or, for that matter, your parent could persuade your sibling that you’re delusional, and both could become estranged from you. Is it ethical to create children who’d face a higher likelihood of losing their father while they’re still young, and who may themselves inherit family health issues?

Persons: —, I’ve, caelum, they’re

☆ Even Fox News' top legal commentator says the indictment against Trump is 'extremely damning'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A top Fox News legal commentator called the indictment against Donald Trump "extremely damning." Turley on Friday warned Trump's legal team: "This is not an indictment you can dismiss." If Donald Trump wanted to hear good news about his unsealed indictment, Fox News on Friday wasn't the place to find it. "It is an extremely damning indictment," Turley, a conservative jurist and the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, said. But even so, Turley warned Trump's legal team: "This is not an indictment you can dismiss."

Persons: Donald Trump, Jonathan Turley, Turley, Trump's, Trump, Shapiro, stashed, Sean Hannity's, Hannity, he's Organizations: Fox News, Trump, Fox, Public, George Washington University, The Justice Department, DOJ Locations: Trump's, Lago, Florida

☆ Review: Problematic Attachments in ‘Aspects of Love’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Houman Barekat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For those who find regular love triangles too pedestrian, quadrangles and pentagons are also available. Unconventional arrangements are the order of the day in a dynamic revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Aspects of Love,” which opened on Thursday at the Lyric Theater in London. (It is a lot raunchier than Lloyd Webber’s most recent work, which invited the audience to “sing unto the Lord with the harp” during the coronation of King Charles III.) This “Aspects of Love” is exquisitely produced and superbly performed, but — like many a real-life libertine — it eventually buckles under the weight of its excesses. Alex, 18, invites Rose to stay with him at a villa owned by George (Michael Ball), his rich uncle, and the two fall in love.

☆ Sudan's years of political strife
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

April 6, 2019 - Hundreds of thousands of protesters begin a sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum. Five days later the army overthrows and detains autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir, ending his three-decade rule. Aug. 17, 2019 - Civilian groups that backed the uprising sign a deal to share power with the military during a transitional period leading to elections. June 16, 2022 - The U.N. World Food Programme says more than a third of Sudan's population is facing acute food insecurity due to factors including economic and political crises, climate shocks and conflict. Dec. 5, 2022 - Civilian groups sidelined by the coup sign an initial deal with the military to start a new, two-year political transition and appoint a civilian government.

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