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In the most detailed public account yet given by a U.S. official, the director of the C.I.A. offered a biting assessment on Thursday of the damage done to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia by the mutiny of the Wagner mercenary group, saying the rebellion had revived questions about his judgment and detachment from events. Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, an annual national security conference, William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, said that for much of the 36 hours of the rebellion last month, Russian security services, the military and decision makers “appeared to be adrift.”“For a lot of Russians watching this, used to this image of Putin as the arbiter of order, the question was ‘Does the emperor have no clothes?’” Mr. Burns said, adding, “Or at least ‘Why is it taking so long for him to get dressed?’”Mr. Burns’s remarks on the Kremlin’s paralysis during the uprising carried out by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and his mercenary group built on comments a day earlier from his British counterpart, Richard Moore, the chief of MI6, who said the rebellion showed cracks in Mr. Putin’s rule.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Wagner, William J, Burns, “, Mr, Burns’s, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Richard Moore, Putin’s Organizations: U.S, Aspen Security Forum Locations: Russia

☆ China’s Hacking of Government Email Was Traditional Espionage, Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | More About Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The hack of Microsoft’s cloud that resulted in the compromise of government emails was an example of a traditional espionage threat, a senior National Security Agency official said. “It is China doing espionage,” Mr. Joyce said. We have to defend against it, we need to push back against it. But that is something that happens.”The hackers took emails from senior State Department officials including Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China. The theft of Mr. Burns’ emails was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by a person familiar with the matter.

Persons: Rob Joyce, cybersecurity, Mr, Joyce, Nicholas Burns, Burns Organizations: National Security Agency, Aspen Security, State Department, Wall Street Journal Locations: United States, China, U.S

☆ Ukraine's future in NATO is in a precarious position, and right now, neither Putin nor Zelenskyy is happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine's future in NATO is up in the air, leaving neither Putin nor Zelenskyy happy. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has expressed frustration and disappointment over NATO's timeline for Ukraine's membership. "It's unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership. "No Russian leader could stand idly by in the face of steps toward NATO membership for Ukraine. And although Zelenskyy softened his criticism of the alliance's membership plans by the end of the summit, the war is dragging on — and Ukraine's NATO future is murky.

Persons: Putin, Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Abrams, Serhii Mykhalchuk, William J, Burns, Putin's ramped Organizations: NATO, Service, Ukraine, Alliance, Storm, Soviet Union nations —, Russia Council, Soviet, Ukraine's, The New York Times, decapitate Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Lithuania, NATO, Kyiv, Russian, NATO's, Bucharest, Georgia, Crimea

[1/2] A Lordstown Motors sign is seen outside the Lordstown Assembly Plant in Lordstown, Ohio, U.S., June 21, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoNEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - U.S. electric truck manufacturer Lordstown Motors (RIDE.O) filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday and put itself up for sale after failing to resolve a dispute over a promised investment from Taiwan's Foxconn (2354.TW). Lordstown contends Foxconn is balking at purchasing additional shares of its stock as promised and misled the EV maker about collaborating on vehicle development plans. Lordstown accused Foxconn in that regulatory filing of engaging in a "pattern of bad faith" that caused "material and irreparable harm" to the company. GM agreed to sell the plant to a newly-formed entity called Lordstown Motors founded by the former top executive at an electric truck maker called Workhorse Group.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Taiwan's Foxconn, Thomas Hayes, Tesla, Lordstown, Foxconn, Edward Hightower, Donald Trump, Mary Barra, Nikola, Stephen Burns, Burns, Elon Musk's Tesla, Mike Spector, Joseph White, Dietrich Knauth, Ben Blanchard, Sarah Wu, Chavi Mehta, Nick Zieminski, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Lordstown Motors, Foxconn, Hai Precision Industry, General, Reuters, Endurance, EV, Biden, Detroit, GM, Lordstown, U.S . Justice Department, Ford Motor, Stellantis, Thomson Locations: Lordstown, Lordstown , Ohio, U.S, Ohio, Delaware, Foxconn, United States, Northeast Ohio, New York, Detroit, Taipei, Bengaluru

[1/2] A Lordstown Motors sign is seen outside the Lordstown Assembly Plant in Lordstown, Ohio, U.S., June 21, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoNEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) - Lordstown Motors (RIDE.O) filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday and put itself up for sale after the U.S. electric truck manufacturer failed to resolve a dispute over a promised investment from Taiwan company Foxconn. Lordstown contends Foxconn is balking at purchasing additional shares of its stock as promised, and misled the EV maker about collaborating on vehicle development plans. Even in May, Lordstown warned it might be forced to file for bankruptcy amid uncertainty over the Foxconn investment. GM agreed to sell the plant to a newly-formed entity called Lordstown Motors founded by the former top executive at an electric truck maker called Workhorse Group.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Lordstown, Foxconn, Edward Hightower, Donald Trump, Mary Barra, Nikola, Stephen Burns, Burns, Elon Musk’s Tesla, ” Lordstown, Mike Spector, Joseph White, Dietrich Knauth, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Lordstown Motors, U.S, Foxconn, Hai Precision Industry, General, Lordstown, Reuters, Endurance, EV, Biden, Detroit, GM, DiamondPeak Holdings, U.S . Justice Department, Ford Motor, Stellantis, Thomson Locations: Lordstown, Lordstown , Ohio, U.S, Taiwan, Ohio, Delaware, Foxconn, United States, Northeast Ohio, New York, Detroit

☆ Ready for a Nice, Soothing Bath? Just Head to the Backyard.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Lia Picard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To run the lines and add the concrete slab under the tub was about $8,000, Mr. Lynn said. The bathtub isn’t the yard’s focal point, but looks cohesive with the outdoor space that suggests a wine country resort. “We were trying to maximize what we could with a limited income and limited lifestyle,” said Mr. Burns. Christina Chaccour, 33, counted an outdoor bathtub as a “nonnegotiable” when she and her husband renovated their backyard in Danville, Calif., about five years ago. The double slipper tub sits on black-and-white tile with a star print, and a concrete privacy wall separates it from the side yard.

Persons: It’s, Lynn, ”, Burns, “, Christina Chaccour, Chaccour, doesn’t Locations: Danville , Calif

☆ Queer people in history: Figures to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

To commemorate the month, CNN is highlighting five major LGBTQ elders – some who have passed on, and some who haven’t – highlighting their achievements. From a drag king who fought discrimination on the streets of New York to a famous mathematician who stood up to adversity despite legal limitations, here are five LGBTQ figures to know. Miss Major Griffin-GracyMiss Major in the film "Major," a documentary about her life and campaigns. But a year after Stonewall, Miss Major was arrested for robbery, landing her with a five-year prison sentence. Decades after her release, Miss Major spent time as the executive director of the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project.

Persons: Bayard Rustin, Martin Luther King Jr, Patrick A, Burns, Rustin wasn’t, Rustin, King, Sen, Strom Thurmond, Gavin Newsom, Larry Kramer Larry Kramer, Catherine McGann, Larry Kramer, “, ”, Kramer, Anthony Fauci, Miss Major Griffin, Major, Marsha P, Johnson, Miss Major, Mama, Michelle V, Stormé DeLarverie, DeLarverie, White, “ That’s, Alan Turing, Alan Turing’s, Turing, it’s Organizations: CNN, New York Times Co, Getty, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, California Gov, Village Voice, AIDS, Centers for Disease Control, ACT UP, AIDS Coalition, National Institute of Allergy, Miss, Stonewall, New York Times, Physical Laboratory Locations: New York, India, Montgomery, Washington, Chicago, Greenwich, New Orleans, England

☆ William Burns, a C.I.A. Spymaster With Unusual Powers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Robert Draper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To mark the 20th anniversary of the American-led invasion of Iraq, the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, stood in the lobby of the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Va., and sought to exorcise the ghosts of the prewar intelligence failures that haunt the building to this day. officials on March 19, Mr. Burns acknowledged how the agency catastrophically blundered in its assessment that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Notably Mr. Burns added, “We’ve learned from that hard lesson.” The intelligence the agency and others collected on Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine, he said, “stands as a powerful example of that. And yet the moment only hinted at how Mr. Burns, a key figure in the Biden administration’s support of Ukraine, has amassed influence beyond most if not all previous C.I.A.

☆ China’s Foreign Minister Meets U.S. Envoy, Urges Washington to Reflect
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( David Pierson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the three months since, China has ramped up a campaign of anti-American rhetoric and tried to drive a wedge between the United States and Europe, which is divided over how closely to align with Washington’s more hawkish policies toward Beijing. Mr. Qin blamed “a series of erroneous words and deeds” by the United States for undermining “the hard-won positive momentum of Sino-U.S. relations,” according to the Chinese readout. Mr. Qin said he hoped the Biden administration could “reflect deeply” and push the relationship “back on track.” To do that, Washington needed to respect “China’s bottom line” on issues such as Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by Beijing. Mr. Qin said the United States was “supporting and condoning ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”China reacted angrily to a visit last month by President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan to the United States. In a post on Twitter, Mr. Burns said he and Mr. Qin “discussed challenges in the U.S.-China relationship and the necessity of stabilizing ties and expanding high-level communication.”

☆ Jeffrey Epstein’s Private Calendar: CIA Director William Burns, Goldman Sachs’s Top Lawyer, Noam Chomsky
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Khadeeja Safdar | David Benoit | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The nation’s spy chief, a longtime college president and top women in finance. The circle of people who associated with Jeffrey Epstein years after he was a convicted sex offender is wider than previously reported, according to a trove of documents that include his schedules. William Burns , director of the Central Intelligence Agency since 2021, had three meetings scheduled with Epstein in 2014, when he was deputy secretary of state, the documents show. They first met in Washington and then Mr. Burns visited Epstein’s townhouse in Manhattan.

☆ America’s Inflation Antihero Gets a Makeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The years have not been kind to Arthur Burns, who led the Federal Reserve from 1970 to 1978 and is often remembered as perhaps the worst chair ever to head America’s central bank. Chris Hughes thinks he deserves another look. Mr. Hughes, 39, is a newly accepted doctoral student focused on central bank history at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Hughes then bought and for four years served as publisher of The New Republic, the liberal magazine. As a person who knows something about reinvention, Mr. Hughes thinks Mr. Burns should get one, too.

☆ Creator of "Extrapolations" on Apple TV+ talks reimagining the future of our planet, climate change storytelling in Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Teddy Farkas | Fahiemah Al-Ali | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCreator of "Extrapolations" on Apple TV+ talks reimagining the future of our planet and climate change storytelling in HollywoodCarl Quintanilla sits down with Scott Z. Burns, the creator, EP, and showrunner of 'Extrapolations' on Apple TV+ for a long-ranging conversation on how the star-studded series is reimagining climate change storytelling. He shares how teaming up with Al Gore on 'An Inconvenient Truth' influenced his filmmaking journey, how he curated an A-list cast, and why he feels Hollywood has an obligation to portray the truth about the our planet in the hopes of reimagining a brighter future for generations to come.

☆ CIA Chief Says China Has Doubts About Its Ability to Invade Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Dustin Volz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The top CIA official said that Putin’s experience in Ukraine has ‘probably reinforced’ the Chinese government’s doubts about invading Taiwan. WASHINGTON—Russia’s struggles to seize and keep territory in Ukraine over the past year has likely fueled doubts by Chinese leader Xi Jinping that China’s military could successfully invade Taiwan later this decade, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said. “I think our judgment at least is that (Chinese) President Xi and his military leadership have doubts today about whether they could accomplish that invasion,” Mr. Burns said Sunday on CBS . “As they’ve looked at Putin’s experience in Ukraine, that’s probably reinforced some of those doubts.”

☆ Putin is too confident he can grind down Ukraine, CIA director says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

As the war in Ukraine enters its second year, CIA Director William Burns said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being "too confident" in his military's ability to grind Ukraine into submission. That conversation, in which Burns warned of the consequences if Russia were to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, was "pretty dispiriting," Burns said. Burns said he judged Putin as "quite determined" to continue prosecuting the war, despite the casualties, tactical shortcomings and economic and reputational damage to Russia. "I think Putin is, right now, entirely too confident of his ability ... to wear down Ukraine," Burns told CBS' "Face the Nation" in an interview that aired Sunday. But Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said the White House has been slow in providing what Ukraine seeks, including jets.

☆ North American companies notch another record year for robot orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Timothy Aeppel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Many companies, scrambling to find workers amid the lowest U.S. unemployment rate since 1969, see automation as a quick fix. Burnstein said there was a visible slowdown in orders at the end of the year, which raises a question about how 2023 will evolve. A shift away from pandemic-era consumer behavior likely played a role in the orders drop-off in some segments, he added. "You saw companies like Amazon put a pause on building new warehouses, which means they probably canceled or delayed purchases of new automation." Burnstein said robot makers saw some customers place extra orders during the COVID-19 health crisis - just to ensure they would get part of what they needed.

☆ Why You Should Travel Abroad With Interior Designers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Antonia Van Der Meer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

WHEN MELANIE BURNS of Oklahoma City first entered the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, she was stunned by its sheer size and the pathways winding through its tented structures like a tangle of yarn. Though well-traveled and an old hand at hunting one-of-a-kind objets, she’d never experienced such an onslaught of potential riches. The duo led Ms. Burns to a shop layered deep behind other shops. “It was no more than about 14 feet square, and stacked high with the most beautiful hand-woven vintage tapestries I’ve ever seen,” Ms. Burns recalled. They are walking encyclopedias, they speak the language and when you shop with them, you don’t overpay.”

☆ U.S. Presses Libyan Commander to Expel Russia’s Wagner
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Benoit Faucon | Warren P. Strobel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CIA director William Burns pressured a top Libyan commander in mid-January to expel Russian mercenary outfit Wagner, said European and Libyan security officials, amid fears the group may tap into the country’s oil riches. During the Libyan visit, Mr. Burns warned Khalifa Haftar, commander of a faction that controls eastern Libya, about hosting the Russian mercenaries. While not a cabinet member, Mr. Haftar is aligned with the government in Tripoli.

Since the early days of the invasion, Mr. Putin has conceded, privately, that the war has not gone as planned. “I think he is sincerely willing” to compromise with Russia, Mr. Putin said of Mr. Zelensky in 2019. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. “I think this war is Putin’s grave.” Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, a Russian prisoner of war held by Ukraine, in October.

Gary Works, still one of the largest steel mills in the U.S., employs 4,000 people and has 7.5 million net tons of annual raw steel capability. Big River Steel recently installed a slushie machine to help employees cool off. But the algorithms deployed at Big River can’t plug and play in other mills, according to Christian Holliday, senior director of Digital Studio and Big River Steel Integration at U.S. Steel. Bandwidth is notoriously poor in environments like steel mills that are full of concrete and steel. The Big River acquisition hasn’t provided a one-size-fits-all template for modernization at U.S. Steel’s older plants.

It cited an unidentified source as saying that Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, would attend the talks. The White House official said Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, was not conducting negotiations of any kind with Naryshkin. Ukraine was briefed in advance about Burns's trip to Turkey, the official said. Burns is not discussing a settlement of the war in Ukraine but is conveying a message on the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia, the official added. Reporting by Reuters; Additional reporting by Jonathan Spicer in Turkey; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pro Take: Election Will Influence Tech Policy on the Margins
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Steven | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Nonetheless, when all results are in, election results may shape technology policy and regulation in some important respects. There are some matters of tech policy that won’t be addressed in any single election, because they are long-term issues, according to Michael Burns, partner with private-equity and venture-capital investor Murray Hill Group. The Biden administration is taking aggressive action that includes cutting off supplies of advanced semiconductors and machines used to make them, according to Mr. Burns. “The next challenge is aligning on industrial policy with outcomes measured in 5 to 10 or even 15-year horizons. This is hard in a system where the next election cycle is considered long term.”Write to Steven Rosenbush at steven.rosenbush@wsj.com

Rep. Annie Kuster faces off against Republican Bob Burns in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District. The 2nd District is located in the largely rural western half of the state. Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster faces off against Republican Bob Burns in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District. 2022 General EmbedsNew Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District candidatesKuster, running for her 6th term in the US House, serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Voting history for New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional DistrictNew Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District covers the western half of the state and then some, running from the Massachusetts state line in the south to the Canadian border in the north.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest news: Fears ease of conflict widening
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

* NATO's secretary-general said Tuesday's blast in Poland was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile but that Russia was ultimately responsible because it started the war. * Ukraine wants access to the site of the explosion, a senior Ukrainian defence official said. Oleg Danilov said Ukraine has evidence of a "Russian trace" in the incident, without giving any details. DIPLOMACY* Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said he met U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, who is in the region to discuss the war in Ukraine. Burns also met Russian President Putin's spy chief in Turkey this week.

☆ CIA director made a secret visit to Ukraine to meet Zelenskyy and pledge deeper US support, CNN says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

CIA Director William J. Burns secretly went to Ukraine earlier this month, two sources told CNN. Burns met with Zelenskyy and pledged continued US support amid Russia's invasion. Burns traveled to Kyiv earlier this month, CNN said. It is unclear how many trips Burns has made to Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion in February. But Burns told CBS News last month that the intelligence community has not seen "any practical evidence" that there is an "imminent threat."

☆ Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster faces off against Republican Bob Burns in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District election
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Annie Kuster is running against Republican Bob Burns in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District. The 2nd District is located in the largely rural western half of the state. New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District candidatesKuster, running for her 6th term in the US House, serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Shortly after the Republican primary, Kuster told a local station that perhaps the biggest issue this fall will be abortion. Voting history for New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional DistrictNew Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District covers the western half of the state and then some, running from the Massachusetts state line in the south to the Canadian border in the north.

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