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New York (AP) — The original location of the legendary Barney’s Department store in the Chelsea section of Manhattan set the stage for designer Michael Kors to present his Fall-Winter 2024 collection at New York Fashion Week. Before the show, Kors explained his mission for this collection during an interview with The Associated Press. But then there are some warm tones of cappuccino and chocolate, lots of metallics, gunmetal, which I love,” Kors said. That’s why today you will see models of every age and every size, which makes it interesting for me,” Kors said. He added: “When they get dressed, they put something on, and it makes them feel ready to greet the day and feel their best self.”

Persons: Michael Kors, Blake Lively, Katie Holmes, Rachel Zegler, Brie Larson, Gabrielle Union, Anna Wintour, Kelsea Ballerini, Kors, Joan Kors, ” Kors, “, Carole Lombard, Jean Harlow, Marlena, Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Rachel Brosnahan, ” Brosnahan, Maisel, Lois Lane, ”, there’s Organizations: Barney’s Department, New York, Vogue, Associated Press, Hollywood Locations: York, Chelsea, Manhattan, Atlanta

White House and Biden allies have taken aim at Hur for what they view as a gratuitous characterization of the president. White House Counsel Ed Siskel and Robert Bauer, the president’s personal attorney, were in the White House Map Room for the president’s interview with Hur, people briefed on the matter said. It was a mistake for the White House to “put him out on weakness and not strength,” one administration official said. White House officials stood by the forcefulness of the White House’s pushback to Hur’s report, saying not only did Biden take questions from reporters Thursday night, but the next day, White House counsel spokesman Ian Sams joined the press briefing. The White House has also sent a letter to the White House Correspondents’ Association taking issue with news coverage of the Hur report, the officials pointed out, while the Biden campaign has pointed to allies and legal experts questioning aspects of the report that the White House sees as problematic.

Persons: Joe Biden, Robert Hur’s, Hur, Biden, They’re, Donald Trump, Mr, Ed Siskel, Robert Bauer, Robert Mueller’s, Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump’s, ”, “, –, Beau, Karine Jean, Pierre said, Anita Dunn, Mike Donilon, Jeff Zients –, Ian Sams, CNN’s Edward, Isaac Dovere Organizations: CNN —, missteps, White, Biden, ”, National Archives, FBI, White House, Justice, CNN, Trump, Justice Department, Democratic, Hur’s, ’, CBS News, TikTok Locations: Israel, Surprise

NEW YORK (AP) — David Bouley, the award-winning and frenetic chef whose idiosyncratic haute cuisine and crusty breads pleased critics and the public during a career chasing sleek deliciousness, has died. Bouley died of a heart attack Monday at his home in Kent, Connecticut, according to Lisa Queen, his literary agent. Other restaurants he worked in include Danube, Bouley Bakery, Upstairs at Bouley, Bouley at Home, Secession and Brushstroke, a collaborative effort with the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan. Danube and Bouley Bakery each earned two Michelin stars. The restaurant Bouley — which famously had a foyer filled with apples — closed in 2017 after 30 years and several location changes, earning a three-star from the New York Times the year previously.

Persons: — David Bouley, Bouley, Lisa Queen, Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Jean, Georges Vongerichten, “, ” Bouley, Roger Vergé, Paul Bocuse, Joel Robuchon, Gaston Lenôtre, Frédy, Le Périgord, The New York Times —, Brushstroke, Dan Barber, Eric Ripert, Christina Tosi, César Ramirez, Amy Scherber, Alex Ureña, Anita Lo, Galen Zamarra, Kurt Gutenbrunner, Brian Bistrong, Bill Yosses, James Beard, Nicole Bartelme, ___ Mark Kennedy Organizations: Wine Spectator, Beaujolais, New York Times, Sorbonne, Basque, The New York Times, Tsuji Culinary, Michelin, James, James Beard Foundation Locations: Kent , Connecticut, American, Storrs , Connecticut, Cape Cod , Massachusetts, Santa Fe , New Mexico, France, Switzerland, Le, La, Tribeca, Manhattan, Osaka, Japan, America

☆ Usher Gets Married After the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Sadiba Hasan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After delivering a dynamic halftime performance at the Super Bowl, the R&B star married his partner, Jennifer Jean Goicoechea, in Las Vegas on Sunday. “We can confirm that Usher and Jennifer Goicoechea took the next step in their relationship and did get married on Sunday night in Las Vegas surrounded by close friends and family,” said Lydia Kanuga, a representative for Usher. “They both look forward to continuing to raise their children together surrounded by love and thank everyone for the well wishes.”According to a court document, Ms. Goicoechea and Usher Raymond IV married at Vegas Weddings, a chapel in downtown Las Vegas. “We were beyond thrilled to host in this epic day for Usher and his new wife,” Melody Willis-Williams, president of Vegas Weddings, said in a statement. The couple obtained their marriage license from the Clark County Marriage License Bureau on Thursday.

Persons: It’s, Usher, Jennifer Jean Goicoechea, “, Jennifer Goicoechea, ”, Lydia Kanuga, Goicoechea, Usher Raymond IV, Ronald Joseph Pokrywka, who’s, Ron DeCar, Elvis, DeCar, Jonnetta Patton, Usher’s, Melody Willis, Williams Organizations: Super, Vegas Locations: Las Vegas, Clark

☆ House Republicans prepare to vote again on Mayorkas impeachment, bolstered by return of Scalise
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas holds a press conference at a U.S. Border Patrol station on January 08, 2024 in Eagle Pass, Texas. House Republicans are preparing to take another stab at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a week after the same effort failed in an embarrassment for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. This time around, Republicans are confident they will have the majority vote to impeach now that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., has returned to Washington after cancer treatment, which prevented him from breaking last week's 215-215 tie. If Republicans eke out a majority vote against Mayorkas, he would become only the second cabinet member in U.S. history to be impeached. The White House has supported Mayorkas, condemning the impeachment effort as a political distraction by Republicans, who refused $20 billion of border security funding in a bipartisan Senate deal last week.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher, Tom McClintock of, Gallagher, Buck, spokespeople, McClintock, George Santos, Tom Suozzi, eke, Mayorkas, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Karine Jean, Pierre Organizations: Department of Homeland, U.S . Border Patrol, House Republicans, Homeland, Republican, Capitol, GOP House, CNBC, Democratic, Mayorkas, Rep, Press, House Press Locations: U.S, Eagle Pass , Texas, Washington, Ken Buck of, Wisconsin, Tom McClintock of California, New York, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia

The vast majority — nearly $40 million — went to law firms working on his personal legal problems. But significant portions of their donations went to law firms defending Trump in civil cases involving his real-estate empire and its top executives, including Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump. Only about $861,000 was spent on law firms working exclusively on political issues. Where there were gaps, we contacted law firms and individual lawyers who received money from the PACs. In 2021 and 2022 combined, Trump spent $16 million on legal fees through the Save America PAC.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, —, MAGA, Trump's, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Stormy Daniels, Jean Carroll, Robert, Clifford S, Michael Cohen, — Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders, Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel, Frederick —, Madaio, Alina Habba, Michael Madaio, Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Mary Trump, general's, Carroll, Trump —, Joe Tacopina, Chad Seigel, Christopher Kise, Jesus M, Suarez, Eli Bartov, Bryan Woolston, Silverman Thompson Slutkin, White, Evan Corcoran, Todd Blanche, Cadwalader, Taft, Blanche, Attorney Alvin Bragg's, Daniels, Susan Necheles, John Lauro, who's, Steven H, Drew Findling, Jennifer Little, Jesse R, it's, Jim, John Rowley, Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, perjured, ArentFox Schiff, Jeff McConney, Stanley Woodward, Stanley Brand, Carlos de Oliveira, John S, Irving of, Boris Epshteyn, Kenneth Chesebro, Troutman Pepper, Ivanka, Newsmax, Harmeet, Dhillon, Bradley T, Morvillo Abramowitz, David Pecker, Elkan Abramowitz, Greenberg Traurig, Ballard Spahr, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Corey Lewandowski, Robert Mueller's, Jones, Andrew Kelly, It's, Forbes, defaming Carroll, he's Organizations: Service, Trump, Save America PAC, Make, Trump Organization, Politico, Reuters, New, Associates, Democratic National Committee, The New York Times, Times, Continental LLP, Inc, AP, Attorney, Capitol, Law, Taft, Brand Woodward Law, Irving of Earth & Water Law, Ivanka Trump, Republican National Committee, Save, MAGA, Curve Solutions, National Enquirer, Republican, MAGA PAC, Bloomberg Locations: New York, Georgia, Carroll, Manhattan, Florida, York, Washington, DC, Wickersham, Attorney Alvin Bragg's Manhattan, Fulton County , Georgia, codefendants, MAGAworld, Robert Mueller's Russia

☆ Jean Butler Choreographs the Past and Future of Irish Dance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Marina Harss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Halfway through Jean Butler’s “What We Hold,” the audience is invited to sit at a long table surrounded by 50 chairs, as if at a wedding banquet. As the audience settles in, voices begin to float through the room, like snatches of lost conversations. A transformation happens: They are not just dancers but Irish dancers. “That’s the very first thing we learned as kids, that posture,” Butler said after a rehearsal. It is something all Irish dancers hold in their bodies, like first position in ballet.

Persons: Jean Butler’s, ”, “, ” Butler

House Republicans last week were thrown for a loop when their first impeachment attempt went awry. But with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise back this week from undergoing treatment for blood cancer, House Speaker Mike Johnson is ready to try again. House Republicans have accused Mayorkas of not complying with immigration law regarding the southern border with Mexico, where the U.S. has been grappling with a surge of migrants. The House has focused on Mayorkas as efforts to impeach President Joe Biden have been met with less enthusiasm. “The House Republicans need to do serious work, work that actually matter(s),” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing Tuesday.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Steve Scalise, Mike Johnson, George Santos, Joe Biden, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, ” Mayorkas Organizations: Homeland, House Republicans, GOP, Republican, Democratic, Republicans Locations: New York, Mexico

☆ White House says no change to official TikTok policy after Biden campaign joins platform amid security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Donald Judd | Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The White House on Monday said there are no changes regarding the administration’s long-standing security concerns over TikTok after the President Joe Biden made his campaign debut on the platform Sunday night. In a follow-up exchange with Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary said she was not aware the campaign planned to launch a TikTok account ahead of Sunday. But there are security concerns around the popular video app, which is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese technology company. To date, the US government has provided no specific evidence that the Chinese government has accessed US TikTok user data. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have been somewhat aligned on their national security concerns pertaining to TikTok.

Persons: Joe Biden, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Karine Jean, Pierre, …, ”, Biden, Kelce ”, Travis Kelce, Jason, “, Travis Kelce’s, Taylor Swift, “ Trump, Biden’s, Brandon, Swift, TikTok, it’s, Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, National Security, White House, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Biden, ByteDance, Texas, Trump, Foreign Investment Locations: Biden’s, Chinese, China, United States

☆ Human bones unearthed from a German cave have altered the timeline of ancient human history
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This led them to Ilsenhöhle cave in Ranis, Germany, one of several sites across Northwestern Europe where LRJ artifacts have been found. AdvertisementMining ancient DNAWhen they excavated the cave, the researchers uncovered more than just LRJ artifacts — they came upon tiny bone fragments, too. AdvertisementTo that end, they extracted DNA, which confirmed the bones belong to Homo sapiens, providing strong evidence that they were responsible for the LRJ artifacts. According to their data, Homo sapiens were present in Ranis 47,500 years ago — thousands of years earlier than previously thought. Geoff M. SmithQuestions remain about how warm-weather-adapted Homo sapiens survived such a dramatic transition.

Persons: —, Josephine Schubert, sapiens, ”, Jean, Jacques Hublin, Hublin, Tim Schüler, Max Planck, ” Hublin, Dorothea Mylopotamitaki, Homo sapiens, Marcel Weiss, “ It’s, sapien, Geoff M, Smith, Geoff Smith, “ Organizations: Service, Business, Burg, College of France, Max, Max Planck Institute, University of Kent Locations: Ranis, Europe, Germany, Northwestern Europe, Western Europe, Africa, Scandinavia, Siberia

☆ Sébastien Haller: After recovering from testicular cancer, Ivory Coast striker scores winner in AFCON final
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In the quarterfinals against Mali, Ivory Coast pulled off yet another great escape, once again scoring a last-minute equalizer before grabbing a winner in extra-time. The team’s uncanny ability to come back from the brink had earned them the nickname ‘Zombie Elephants’ and Ivory Coast lived up to its moniker again in the final. After Nigeria had taken a first-half lead through William Troost-Ekong’s header, the host nation fought its way back into the match. Cheered on from the stands by legendary striker Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast equalized just after the hour mark through Franck Kessié. Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger and FIFA President Gianni Infantino also watched as Ivory Coast claimed its third AFCON title.

Persons: Sébastien Haller, Ouattara, Haller, Les Éléphants, Coast, Jean, Louis Gasset, Emerse Faé, –, Themba, Faé, William Troost, Didier Drogba, Franck Kessié, Simon Adingra’s, “, Ivory Coast’s Adingra, ” Drogba, Arsène Wenger, Gianni Infantino Organizations: CNN, Ivory, Africa, of Nations, German, Borussia Dortmund, Dortmund, Cancer, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Congo, Reuters, Arsenal, FIFA Locations: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez Smith, a renowned soprano known for her performance in the 1981 French cult-classic film “Diva” and who sang through the U.S. and Europe during her operatic career, has died at age 75. Funeral services were held Friday for Fernandez Smith at a church in Lexington, Kentucky, where she had moved after residing for years in her native Philadelphia. She died of cancer Feb. 2 at her home in Lexington, daughter Sheena Maria Fernandez told The Philadelphia Inquirer. Billed as Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, she opened the movie directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix wearing a white gown and singing in an aging theater the aria “Ebben? “Wilhelmenia was always a very quiet person and did not crave the limelight,” Everett McCorvey, director of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, told the Lexington newspaper.

Persons: — Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez Smith, ”, Fernandez Smith, Sheena Maria Fernandez, Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, Jean, Jacques Beineix, La Wally, “, Andrew Smith, “ Wilhelmenia, ” Everett McCorvey, Fernandez Smith’s, Kerr Organizations: U.S, Philadelphia Inquirer, Academy of Vocal Arts, Juilliard School, Filmmakers, Inquirer, Kentucky State University, Lexington Herald, Baptist Church, University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, Lexington Locations: LEXINGTON, Ky, Europe, Lexington , Kentucky, Philadelphia, Lexington, New York, Paris, Kentucky

WASHINGTON (AP) — John Kirby, President Joe Biden's national security spokesman, is getting an expanded role at the White House, according to a U.S. official. Kirby will have a new title, White House national security communications adviser, and will be named an assistant to the president, the official said Sunday. Kirby came to the White House in 2022 as the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, not long after Karine Jean-Pierre was named White House press secretary, after the departure of former press secretary Jen Psaki. He will run a separate team from the national security press team that will coordinate information across agencies, the official said. Under Biden, Kirby has been a regular fixture in the White House press briefing room.

Persons: — John Kirby, Joe Biden's, Kirby, Reuters . Kirby, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jen Psaki, Obama, Biden Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, U.S, White House, Associated Press, Reuters ., National Security, NSC, U.S . Navy, Pentagon, State Department Locations: U.S

☆ Host nation Ivory Coast continues miraculous run to AFCON final to set up a matchup against Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The host nation is seeking its third AFCON title, while Nigeria is looking to lift the trophy for the fourth time. ET on Sunday and will take place at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast midfielder Ibrahim Sangare (L) fights for the ball with DR Congo's Simon Banza. Against Mali, Ivory Coast pulled off yet another great escape, grabbing a last-minute equalizer. Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made two saves and striker Kelechi Iheanacho netted the deciding penalty to send Nigeria into the final.

Persons: Ouattara, Ivory, Les Éléphants, Jean, Louis Gasset, Emerse Faé, Ibrahim Sangare, DR Congo's Simon Banza, Franck Fife, Faé, Franck Kessié, Simon Adingra, Sébastien Haller, Ivory Coast's, Sia Kambou, William Troost, Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Osimhen, Percy Tau, Teboho Mokoena, Issouf Sanogo, Grant Kekana, Stanley Nwabali, Kelechi Iheanacho Organizations: CNN, Africa, of Nations, beIN Sports USA, DR Congo, Guinea, Equatorial, Coast, Ivory, DR Congo's, Getty, Senegal, Against, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Super Eagles, South Africa Locations: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ivory, Abidjan, South Africa, Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, AFP, Against Mali, Europe, AFCON, Cameroon, Angola, Africa

☆ Taylor Swift's bad fashion isn't bad taste. It's strategy.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Savannah Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementIn December, Taylor Swift — Time's Person of the Year — glittered in front of the camera in a black bodysuit, a floor-skimming chenille dress, and a studded bustier gown. Crafting Swift's public imageThe Swiftian brand philosophy revolves around one essential idea: Taylor Swift is everyone's best friend. These choices are attainable, predictable, and unthreatening — purchases made by your best friend during a mall shopping spree. Lauren Sherman , Fashion Correspondent at Puck News , astutely labeled Swift's style as "Anthropologie Gone Wild" — mismatched, outdated, pedestrian, but instinctual. He's been running his own fashion brand for 20 years .

Persons: Taylor Swift, —, inoffensive, Swift, Jean Paul Gaultier, She's, doesn't, J, Lauren Sherman, astutely, Sherman, Swift's, Joseph Cassell Falconer, bedazzled Zuhair Murad bodysuits, Cookie Cohen, Taylor, Cohen, Yves Saint Laurent, they're, Kevin Mazur, Pharrell, Louis Vuitton, Rihanna, He's, Angelina Jolie Organizations: Service, Chiefs, Balmain, Urban Outfitters, Fashion, Puck, Swift, The New York Times, MTV Locations: Zara

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Children and grandchildren of former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan of Missouri recalled her wit, curiosity, kindness and hard work during a public memorial service on Saturday. Carnahan, 90, died Jan. 30 in hospice care in suburban St. Louis after a short illness. “In the last few days, as if preparing to be shot out of the cannon, Mom told us, ‘I’m ready to blast out,’” one of her sons, Russ Carnahan, said to hundreds gathered at The Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Another son, Tim Carnahan, told mourners that he has realized recently how much he wants to emulate his mother. “It means showing the world who you are by what you do and then doing it with passion.

Persons: Sen, Jean Carnahan of Missouri, Carnahan, Jan, Louis, “, ‘, ’, Russ Carnahan, Mom, ” Carnahan, Missouri's, Mel Carnahan, Republican John Ashcroft, Randy, Chris Sifford, Mel Carnahan's, Jean Carnahan, Tim Carnahan, ” Organizations: LOUIS, Louis Post, Dispatch, Democratic, Republican Locations: St, U.S

☆ Palestinians brace for Rafah evacuation, Israeli assault plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Trapped in and around Rafah, more than 1 million Palestinians braced for Israel to complete a plan to evacuate them and launch a ground assault against Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza city. "There is a sense of growing anxiety, growing panic in Rafah," said Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UNRWA agency. Doctors and aid workers are struggling to supply even basic aid to Palestinians sheltering around Rafah. The United Nations said Palestinian civilians in Rafah require protection, but there should be no forced mass displacement, which is barred by international law. Hamas gunmen killed some 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in the Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

Persons: Khan Yunis, Philippe Lazzarini, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jan Egeland, Netanyahu's, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, ActionAid Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations, Norwegian Refugee Council, Palestinian Authority, West Bank . Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Washington, U.S, Egypt, Gazans

☆ Willy Chavarria: Designer, Activist and Now, Auteur
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Guy Trebay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Hideous,” said Willy Chavarria, talking about the fashion business, celebrity entitlement, late-stage capitalism, his current state of mind. “It’s still men’s wear, honey,” he said. Hideous are the demands a best-selling pop star made before agreeing to attend Mr. Chavarria’s show on Friday and a lavish dinner party at Jean’s that will follow. Hideous are the industry trade groups that dole out awards to minority designers while withholding the financing necessary to build a sustainable long-term business. Then the mercurial Mr. Chavarria, 56, experienced a sudden mood shift.

Persons: ”, Willy Chavarria, “ It’s, Chavarria’s, Chavarria, “, Claude Montana Locations: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Jean’s, America

☆ US Underlines to Israel It Must Stick to International Law on Weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Steve HollandWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has briefed Israel on a new U.S. national security memorandum that reminds countries receiving U.S. weapons to stick to international law, the White House said on Friday. The Israeli assault was launched in response to a Hamas attack on Israel in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed. "Instead we are spelling publicly the existing standards by the international law including the law of armed conflict." One section of the memorandum reminds recipients of U.S. military aid to "respect their obligations under international law and reduce the risk of civilian harm." Even if states say they are acting in self-defense, international rules regarding armed conflict apply to all participants in a war.

Persons: Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Israel, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Joe Biden, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: United, House, Hamas, Leftist Democrats, Arab, Biden, U.S Locations: United States, U.S, Israel, Gaza, Washington, Dearborn , Michigan

Democratic senators on Friday called Biden's directive — meant to bring breadth, oversight, deadlines and teeth to efforts to ensure foreign governments don't use U.S. military aid against civilians — historic. “This is a sea-change in terms of how you approach U.S. military aid and its impact on civilians,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. Human rights advocates said the challenge for the new directive would be the same faced by all previous efforts to withhold U.S. weapons and funding from human rights abusers — whether administrations will actually enforce the human rights conditions against strategically important allies and partners. Foreign governments that fail to provide those assurances on time would have their military aid paused. Those “are honored in the breach,” Roth, the human rights expert, said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, who'd, Maryland Sen, Chris Van Hollen, ”, Kenneth Roth, Antony Blinken, isn't, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Karine Jean, Pierre, “, ” Jean, Pierre said, Leahy, —, ” Roth, it's, ” Van Hollen, — Seung Min Kim Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democrats, Ukraine, Democratic, Capitol, White House, Maryland, Human Rights Watch, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, U.S, Foreign Assistance Locations: Gaza, Israel, Russia, Massachusetts, what's, Ukraine, Israeli, United States, U.S

☆ Biden’s allies can’t agree on how to combat questions about his age and memory
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

How damaging are all the renewed questions about age and mental acuity going to be? One Democratic member of the House responded to being told of the questions about age and memory raised in the report with a morbid laugh and sullen shake of the head. Inside the White House and among Biden’s reelection campaign staff, the tension is constant. Biden aides also feel themselves that this hasn’t been enough. Most importantly, they reflect what Biden aides have learned from experience: Nothing combats questions about the president’s competence as much as people seeing him in action.

Persons: Joe Biden, notecards, Biden, –, Donald Trump, couldn’t, he’s, Trump, ”, West, they’ve, Annie Kuster, “, ” Kuster, don’t, Kevin McCarthy –, Emanuel, Gabe Amo, Emmanuel Macron, François Mitterrand, Abdel Fattah el, ‘ Mitterrand, Dina Titus, “ Joe Biden, Jamie Raskin, Trump’s, Jean Caroll, Raskin, ” Biden, Biden’s, Kate Berner, Andrew Bates, “ Biden, ” Bates, Bates jabbed, Beau Biden, CNN’s Haley Talbot, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Virginia CNN, Democrats, CNN, Democratic, Trump, Washington, West Wing, New, Nevada Democrat, Senate, ” Maryland, “, White, Security, Republicans, Border Patrol Union, Biden, House Democrats Locations: Leesburg, Virginia, New Hampshire, Valley Forge, Charleston, Las Vegas, Rhode Island, Israel, Mexico, Egypt, Nevada, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Biden erupts over special counsel’s report as aides look to short-circuit campaign risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Biden’s aides know there is no topic more likely to draw their boss’ fury than a slight against his family. Only about 45 minutes before Hur’s report was released publicly, the White House was working to downplay the verbal slip-ups, saying it’s common for people to misspeak. “Many people, elected officials … they can misspeak sometimes,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, citing recent examples from House Speaker Mike Johnson and TV host Sean Hannity. The report was released anyway, with the objections of Biden’s lawyers included – but only toward the end of the nearly 400-page report. “I was in the middle of handling an international crisis,” Biden said Thursday about an hour after the report was released.

Persons: Robert Hur’s, Joe Biden, Biden’s, Biden, ” Biden seethed, Hur, fumed, hasn’t, Daniel Goldman, ” Goldman, “, ” Biden, ”, Hur –, Donald Trump’s, forgetful, I’ve, –, CNN’s MJ Lee, Bidenworld, Helmut Kohl, Francois Mitterrand, …, Karine Jean, Pierre, Mike Johnson, Sean Hannity, she’s, Beau Biden’s, Hurt, Biden “, Beau, Israel – Organizations: Washington CNN, House, Democratic, Trump Justice Department, White, CNN, Biden, Republicans, Trump Locations: New York, Gaza, Mexico, Egypt, Israel

☆ Brooke Ellison, Prominent Disability Rights Advocate, Is Dead at 45
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Brooke Ellison, who after being paralyzed from the neck down by a childhood car accident went on to graduate from Harvard and became a professor and a devoted disability rights advocate, died on Sunday in Stony Brook, N.Y., on Long Island. Her death, in a hospital, was caused by complications of quadriplegia, her mother, Jean Ellison, said. As an 11-year-old, Brooke had been taking karate, soccer, cello and dance lessons and singing in a church choir. But on Sept. 4, 1990, she was struck by a car while running across a road near her home in Stony Brook. After waking from a 36-hour coma, she spent six weeks in the hospital and eight months in a rehabilitation center.

Persons: Brooke Ellison, Jean Ellison, Brooke Organizations: Harvard Locations: Stony Brook, N.Y, Long

☆ Climate scientist Michael Mann awarded more than $1 million in damages from conservative writers who defamed his work
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( David Goldman | Paradise Afshar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A jury has awarded climate scientist Michael Mann more than $1 million in a defamation lawsuit he brought against a former scholar and a media personality who lampooned Mann’s work. A jury in the Washington, DC, Superior Court civil case awarded Mann $1 million in punitive damages and a dollar from each defendant in compensatory damages. Mann had also sued the National Review and Competitive Enterprise Institute. Mann intends to appeal that 2021 decision, which said the Competitive Enterprise Institute and National Review could not be held liable for defamation, according to multiple reports. However, Mann’s is the latest in a recent string of defamation trial victories for plaintiffs or large settlements – most notably including E. Jean Carrol’s $83.3 million verdict against former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Michael Mann, Mann’s, Mann, Rand Simberg, Mark Steyn, Jerry Sandusky, “ Mann, ” Steyn, Simberg, Steyn, “, ” Mann, Mike Mann’s, Pete Fontaine, Jean Carrol’s, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Competitive Enterprise Institute, National, Pennsylvania State, Superior, DC, Court, X, Fox Corp Locations: Washington, DC, United States

☆ How the mystery of electricity helped 18-year-old Mary Shelley create 'Frankenstein'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In 1818 Mary Shelley published “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus.”In the novel, Frankenstein brings a creature to life with a "spark of being." Both scientists influenced “Frankenstein.” Shelley incorporated some of Davy’s writings into her novel, and the 1818 and 1831 prefaces both reference Darwin. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley wrote "Frankenstein" when she was 18 years old. Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesPoet Percy Bysshe Shelley, whom Mary Shelley married the same year she started "Frankenstein," was also fascinated with science. “Could it be electricity?”The electrical experimentsIn her 1831 revised edition of "Frankenstein," Shelley removed the part about lightning and instead referenced galvanism.

Persons: Mary Shelley, “, ”, Frankenstein, Shelley, —, Lisa Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein, Shelley doesn’t, Mary Shelley’s, William Godwin, Erasmus Darwin, Charles ’, Humphry Davy, “ Frankenstein, ” Shelley, Darwin, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Erasmus Darwin’s, she’d, Byron, Boris Karloff, reenacted Benjamin Franklin ’, Franklin, Michael Faraday, Georg Ohm, Juliet Burba, he'd, Luigi Galvani, he’d, Alessandro Volta, Dominique Jean Larrey, Galvani’s, Giovanni Aldini, Aldini, Thomas Forster, Shelley’s Organizations: Service, Getty, Universal, Obscura Locations: Hulton, Lake Geneva

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