DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Opening statements to show the stark personal and political stakes of Trump’s first criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

But on Monday, his diminished reality as a criminal defendant will become clear in humbling fashion during opening statements in his first criminal trial. The process, known as a Sandoval hearing, offered the ex-president a glimpse of personal and unflattering revelations that the trial could dredge up. The political case against the prosecutions was laid out by South Dakota Gov. But Noem rehearsed a political argument that Trump and his associates will be seeking to land as the trial goes ahead. But the deeply consequential political and personal stakes for the former president will become even clearer when the first trial begins for real on Monday.

Persons: Donald Trump, he’s, Trump, Joe Biden, –, victimhood, He’s, “, ” Trump, president’s, haggled, Sandoval, Stacey Schneider, Jean Carroll, ” Schneider, it’s, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Pecker, Joshua Steinglass, ”, Juan Merchan, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Biden, There’s, Kristi Noem, ” Noem, CNN’s Dana, Noem, Cohen Organizations: CNN, White, Republican, Trump, American Media Inc, National Enquirer, Prosecutors, Manhattan, Attorney, Democratic, Mar, South Dakota Gov, New York Times Locations: Manhattan, North Carolina, New York, United States, “ State, Siena, Dakota

CNN —Myanmar rebels fighting the junta say they have seized the last remaining military base in a key border town, dealing the latest significant blow to the country’s military rulers as they struggle to cling to power. About 200 soldiers abandoned their base in the southeastern town of Myawaddy and have been pushed to the No 2. “Officially we (are in) control of the town Myawaddy since last night,” KNU spokesperson Saw Taw Nee said. Footage also showed Thai military vehicles and troops stationed along the border. CNN has reached out to Myanmar’s military junta for comment.

Persons: Karen, ”, Saw Taw, Thailand’s Mae Sot, Manan Vatsyayana, “, Naw Tee, Aung, Thailand's, Prasarn Saengsirirak, ” Prasarn, Prasarn, Kim Jolliffe, it’s Organizations: CNN, Myanmar, Karen National Union, UN, Reuters, Getty, Karen National Liberation Army, Command, National League for Democracy, Army, Arakan Army Locations: Myawaddy, Myanmar, Thailand, Thailand’s, Tak, Thailand's Mae Sot, AFP, Teetering, Aung San, Kachin, China, Rakhine, Arakan

That morning, local villager Zaw Zaw says he woke at his parents’ home in Myauk Khin Yan to the sound of gunfire. A Myanmar military jet flies overhead after bombing the quarters of Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF), in Kayah state, Myanmar on July 6, 2022. Following the executions, Zaw Zaw said the militia “locked down” the village and threatened to kill those who left. Multiple villagers who spoke to CNN consistently said Myauk Khin Yan has been a militia stronghold since the 2021 coup. Phoe Ei Thu, 17, lost her leg to a landmine while fleeing Myauk Khin Yan in early January.

Persons: dehumanized, Phoe Tay, Phoe, Volker Türk, ”, Min Aung, Aung, Suu Kyi, ” Yaw, Myauk, “ Yaw, guerre, Soldiers, “ Ninja ”, Myo Satt Hla, ” Ninja, “, ” Yaw Lay, Zaw Zaw, ’, Myauk Khin Yan, ” Zaw Zaw, …, Kaung Zaw Hein, ” Kim Jolliffe, Kim Jolliffe, Yan, Khin Yan, Yaw Lay, Stringer, NurPhoto, Jolliffe, Hla, Mai Thomas, Ei, It’s, Kim Jolliffe “, Ei Thu, Richard Horsey, Matt Lawrence, ” Horsey, Thierry Falise, ” Miemie Winn Byrd, hasn’t, Khung Aung, Lawrence, Min Aung Hlaing, Miemie Winn Byrd, Daniel K, Inouye, “ You’re, ” Byrd, Byrd, There’s, they’ve, Soe Lin Aung, Organizations: CNN, People’s Defence Force, United Nations Human, ” CNN, Army, National League for Democracy, Yaw Defense Force, Karenni Nationalities Defence Force, Burma Affairs, Union Solidarity and Development Party, ISIS, UN, Association for Political, Getty, Information Resilience, Myanmar Witness, Human Rights, Junta, US Army, Pacific Center for Security Studies Locations: Myanmar, Phoe Tay, Thar, Aung San, Chin, Myauk Khin, Gangaw, Magway, Loikaw, Kayah, Myauk, Gangaw Township, Magway Region, Khin, Yangon, United States, United Kingdom, Shan, Thantlang, Chin State, AFP, Inouye Asia, Sagaing

☆ Three presidents and one mission: Beat Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN’s MJ Lee and Jeff Zeleny reported Wednesday that Obama was in the White House for a working visit just last week. Two Democratic presidents who won second terms are uniting to try to usher a successor, who is older than both of them, into the same rarified political air. And Clinton has been out of the White House for nearly a quarter of a century. But Biden was also a valuable ally for Clinton after the president’s impeachment over an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. And after he became vice president, Biden developed a friendly and cordial relationship with Hillary Clinton, maintained by regular breakfasts at the vice president’s official residence in Washington.

Persons: –, Joe Biden’s, he’s, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Obama, CNN’s MJ Lee, Jeff Zeleny, Biden, Clinton, Trump, Jonathan Diller, Jimmy Carter, George W, Bush, it’s, Leon Panetta, “, ” Panetta, Joe Biden, ”, Biden’s, ” Clinton, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Gabriel Debenedetti, irked Obama’s, Beau, ” Biden, Robert Hur, “ I’m, Clinton’s, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Monica Lewinsky Organizations: CNN, Trump, White, Radio City Music, Democratic, ’, New York, Police, White House, African, Central, Democratic National Convention, Republican, Obama, Democratic Party, Alliance ”, Biden, Black, African American Democratic Locations: New York, Washington, America, Delaware, Illinois, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Iraq, South Carolina

☆ Judge’s stern rebuke of Elon Musk’s X gives critics fresh hope
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy groups say. Breyer held that the reports were “unquestionably” protected by the group’s free speech rights. Now, that decision could embolden other research groups and Musk critics who have faced legal threats from the billionaire. Researchers face hurdles to studying on-platform behaviorResearchers from non-profits and academic institutions have had a harder time studying X since Musk’s takeover in 2022. But one of Musk’s first changes at X was to put access to platform data behind a steep paywall.

Persons: reprimanding Elon Musk’s, Charles Breyer, Breyer, CCDH, X, Northern District of California —, Musk, White, Elon, ”, Alex Abdo, ” Abdo, Angelo Carusone, Carusone, Andrew Bailey, “, ” Carusone, David Karpf, ” Karpf, Nora Benavidez, Benavidez Organizations: CNN, Center, Court, Northern, Northern District of, Columbia University, “ Society, Twitter, Anti, Defamation League, Microsoft, Meta, Media, AGs, School of Media, Public Affairs, George Washington University, ” Free Press, Free Press Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, Texas, Missouri

☆ Opinion: Trump’s facing a legal one-two punch
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | Andrew Warren | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Contrary to the popular view that former President Donald Trump has successfully delayed accountability, this week he’s facing a one-two punch that has the potential to inflict lasting damage. Some say that this case, too, serves as an example of Trump’s success at delaying prosecution against him. On March 18, Trump’s lawyers told the court that it was a “practical impossibility” to secure such a large bond. The bottom line, however, is that the New York attorney general is likely going to continue putting liens on Trump’s properties. Whatever delays may be present in those jurisdictions, or in Florida’s Mar-a-Lago documents case, in New York the former president is facing serious hits.

Persons: Norman Eisen, Barack Obama’s, Andrew Warren, Donald Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Letitia James, Norm Eisen, Bragg, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Michael Cohen, –, Cohen, SDNY, Judge Juan Merchan, Donald , Jr, Eric, Judge Arthur Engoron, James, general’s Organizations: CNN, US Department of Justice, New, Manhattan, Attorney, New York, Trump, Andrew Warren State, US, Office, Southern, of, Trump Organization, Seven, NY, DC Locations: Hillsborough County , Florida, New York, of New York, Westchester County , NY, Springs, Manhattan, New York City, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Georgia, Florida’s Mar

☆ How Donald Trump, Joe Biden and grassroots liberals could upend Democratic politics in one of the country’s bluest states
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Menendez announced Thursday that he would not run for reelection in the Democratic primary but again left open the possibility of an independent bid this summer. New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim greets supporters outside the Bergen County Democratic convention in Paramus on March 4, 2024. “Corrupt systems like the ‘county line’ in New Jersey (is) an enemy because that dissuades folks from actually getting involved. Kim speaks to delegates during the Bergen County Democratic convention in Paramus, New Jersey, on March 4, 2024. In Camden County, where the local boss keeps a tighter grip, video of another Senate candidate, progressive Patricia Campos-Medina, being blocked from entering the county Democratic convention went viral.

Persons: Andy Kim, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Tammy Murphy, Kim, Murphy, Sen, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Phil Murphy, Seth Wenig, Olivia Liu, –, Trump, ”, Julia Sass Rubin, Rubin, ” Rubin, Sue Altman, ” Altman, Goldman Sachs, Cori Bush, Ezra Levin, Levin, ” Levin, isn’t MAGA, don’t, we’ll, Altman, Zahid Quraishi’s, ” “ I’m, ” Kim, “, Kim’s, Alexandra Altman, Katey Sabo, Matt Platkin, Platkin, Governor Murphy, ” Murphy, Mahen Gunaratna, Patricia Campos, Rachel Hodes, ” Hodes, Steven Fulop, ” Fulop, “ I’ve Organizations: Jersey City , New Jersey CNN, Democratic, Garden State, Democrats, Capitol, New, . New, . New Jersey Rep, Bergen County Democratic, Tammany Hall of, New Jersey Democratic, ”, Asbury Park Press, USA, Though New, Though New Jersey Democrats, Congressional, Democratic National Committee, Justice Democrats, Democratic Party, Families Alliance, CNN, –, Hoboken Democrats –, Hudson County Democratic Organization, Hoboken Democratic, Hoboken Democrats, Jersey City, Senate, New Jersey Republicans Locations: Jersey City , New Jersey, Trenton, South Jersey, New Jersey, Garden, ., . New Jersey, Bergen County, Paramus, Siberia, Long Branch , New Jersey, Rutgers, enmesh, Though, Though New Jersey, Alexandria, Cortez, New York, Missouri, Paramus , New Jersey, Jersey, Kim’s, Morris, Atlantic, Camden County, Medina, Hoboken

☆ Biden seeks to reinvigorate diverse coalition in critical 2024 campaign swing out West
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Betsy Klein | Arlette Saenz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He’ll also use the trip to highlight early organizing efforts in these two states that the campaign believes will be “core” to electoral victory. Biden will launch the campaign’s “Latinos con Biden-Harris” organizing initiative when he visits South Phoenix, Arizona, Tuesday evening, campaign officials said. And the vast majority of Arizonans support abortion access, as well,” Dan Kanninen, the Biden campaign’s battleground states director, said. Biden’s western swingAt a first stop in the Reno, Nevada, area, Biden will meet with local leaders and campaign volunteers in Washoe County. To that end, Biden has proposed $258 billion in housing investments in the budget he submitted to Congress earlier this month.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, He’ll, Biden, Harris ”, “, Dan Kanninen, Trump’s, ” Kanninen, Kanninen, MAGA, ” Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Kamala Harris, Chavez, ” Biden, White, ”, Gene Sperling, Harris Organizations: Las Vegas CNN, Democratic, Biden, Fox, Trump, Republican Party, Republicans, GOP, Union, Democrats ’, Las Vegas, Income Housing Coalition Locations: Nevada, Arizona, South Phoenix , Arizona, Georgia , Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Reno , Nevada, Washoe County, Las, president’s State, Phoenix, Mexican, America, Dallas, Houston , Texas

☆ Blinken Warns of Disinformation Threat to Democracies
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned on Monday that a malicious “flood” of disinformation was threatening the world’s democracies, fueled in part by the swift rise of artificial intelligence, which he says sows “suspicion, cynicism and instability” around the globe. Mr. Blinken spoke in Seoul at the Summit for Democracy, a global gathering organized by the Biden administration, which has made countering the authoritarian models of nations like Russia and China a top priority. Mr. Blinken, who as a young man worked briefly as a journalist, said that changes to the international flow of information may be “the most profound” that he has experienced in his career, and that anti-democratic forces were exploiting those changes. “Our competitors and adversaries are using disinformation to exploit fissures within our democracies,” he said.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, ” Organizations: Summit for Democracy Locations: Seoul, Russia, China

☆ US welcomes new governments in fight against spyware as it finds more American personnel have been targeted
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A year ago, the Biden administration put the tally of US government personnel either suspected of or confirmed to have been targeted by spyware at 50. The market for commercial spyware has exploded over the last decade as companies from Israel to North Macedonia have hawked their services and many governments have been willing buyers. Poland’s prime minister has claimed the previous government used spyware on a long list of victims. The Biden administration’s review “did not identify widespread use” in the federal government of commercial spyware, the official said in a rare interview on the subject. Spyware companies often hide behind opaque corporate structures and companies to stay in business, according to US officials and researchers who track those companies.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “ Organizations: CNN, US National Security Council, NSC, US Treasury Department, Summit for Democracy, State Department, NSO Group, FBI, Pegasus, White Locations: Israel, North Macedonia, Poland, Ireland, Finland, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Seoul, ”, Africa, —

☆ Russia election is set to tighten Putin's grip on power despite noon protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a screen during a meeting with his confidants for the 2024 election at Gostiny Dvor in Moscow, Russia January 31, 2024. President Vladimir Putin is poised to tighten his grip on power on Sunday in a Russian election that is certain to deliver him a landslide victory, though some opponents staged a symbolic noon protest at polling stations against his rule. The election comes just over two years since Putin triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War Two by ordering the invasion of Ukraine. War has hung over the three-day election: Ukraine has repeatedly attacked oil refineries in Russia, shelled Russian regions and sought to pierce Russian borders with proxy forces — a move Putin said would not be left unpunished. Russia is not Putin."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Josef Stalin, —, Putin's, Alexei Navalny, Alexei, Yulia Organizations: Gostiny Dvor, KGB Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Budapest

☆ Emails show how a right-wing group steers GOP leaders on major policy issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Bob Ortega | Daniel Medina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks with reporters on Jan. 23 in Jefferson City, Missouri. In Wyoming, a GOP state senator forwarded an FGA draft bill to Secretary of State Chuck Gray that would prohibit sending out unsolicited absentee ballot request forms. Emails show the group strategized with the secretary of state’s office for weeks leading up to Ashcroft proposing his own such rule last January. FGA notches wins with weakened child labor lawsFGA’s lobbying group, The Opportunity Solutions Project, spearheads its efforts at the state level. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesFGA also continues its push at the state level across the country to enact its policy priorities.

Persons: State Jay Ashcroft, “, Ashcroft, Kacen Bayless, FGA, –, Chuck Gray, ” Gray, Gray, ”, Joe Biden’s, Jay, Daniel Garrett, Garrett, “ It’s, Missouri’s, Scott Fitzpatrick, BlackRock, ” Fitzpatrick, Mark Felix, Fitzpatrick, ALEC, Andy Puzder, Carls Jr, ” Puzder, Kristina Shelton, Puzder, ” Kristina Shelton, they’ve, Tarren Bragdon, Rebecca Burkes, It’s, Tyson, ’, Bragdon, Sarah Bryner, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Paul Renner, Donald Trump, Chip Somodevilla, Shelton, ” Shelton Organizations: CNN, State, Republican, Foundation, Government, Missouri, Kansas City Star, Tribune, Service, GOP, Ashcroft, Conservative, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, National, University of Pennsylvania, Brookings Institution, Exxon, BlackRock, ” BlackRock, Energy, ExxonMobil, Washington Post, American Legislative Exchange Council, Heritage Foundation, Heritage, Boston, Wisconsin Democratic, FGA, Solutions, Tyson Foods Inc, George’s Inc, US Department of Labor, Solutions Project, Daily, The Heritage Foundation, Alliance, Trump, Florida Governor, Bragdon, Florida House, House, FBI, Justice Department, Department of Education, Center, Pleaides Locations: Missouri, Texas, Jefferson City , Missouri, Wyoming, Kansas , Indiana, BlackRock, Florida, ExxonMobil Baytown, Baytown , Texas, Washington, ” Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Iowa, Park City , Utah, DeSantis, Rome , Georgia

☆ Opinion: Is the US on the brink of another civil war?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Opinion Bruce Hoffman | Jacob Ware | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The most dismal assessment, though, is that of Canadian journalist Stephen Marche who, in his 2022 book, The Next Civil War: Dispatches form the American Future, contends that a new American civil war is inevitable. Remember that the United States leads the world — by far — in the number of firearms in private hands. There are an estimated 393 million privately held firearms in the United States — more than one gun per person. In fact, there are more civilian-held guns in the United States than the other top 25 countries in the world combined. Indeed, more guns were purchased in the United States in 2020 — nearly 23 million — than any other year on record.

Persons: Bruce Hoffman, Jacob Ware, Donald Trump, Biden, … ” Bruce Hoffman Michael Lionstar, Barbara F, Walter, ” Jacob Ware Jacob Ware Accelerationism, Barack Obama, Steven Simon, Jonathan Stevenson, “, ”, Stephen Marche, —, Simon, Stevenson, Bois —, Timothy McVeigh, Richard Haass, ” Haass, ” Robert Miles Organizations: of Foreign Relations, Georgetown University, DeSales University, . Press, CNN, Department of Homeland Security, Oklahoma City, National Security, University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy, Washington Post, University of Maryland, “, Capitol, ”, Survey, Foreign, Irish Republican Army, IRA Locations: America ”, Columbia, Texas, Western, America, Northern Ireland, United States, Switzerland, Northern, Ireland

☆ In Germany, Fighting the Far Right Poses a Conundrum for Democracy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Erika Solomon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For Germany — a country that knows something about how extremists can hijack a government — the surging popularity of the far right has forced an awkward question. How far should a democracy go in restricting a party that many believe is bent on undermining it? German politicians have become increasingly alarmed that someday the party could wield influence in the federal government. Its popularity has grown despite the fact that the domestic intelligence services announced they are investigating the party as a suspected threat to democracy. History hangs heavy over Germany as well — the Nazis used elections to seize the levers of the state and shape an authoritarian system.

Locations: Germany, Poland, Hungary

☆ The proposed TikTok ban has been deemed unconstitutional by some, but framing around national security could help advance it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThe widely-popular social media app TikTok is once again facing a possible ban in the United States over concerns about its links to China. "It is targeted to address the national security threat that we believe these apps, like TikTok, pose to the United States because of its ownership by a foreign adversary." "The First Amendment protects Americans' right to access social media platforms of their choosing," Krishnan said. Former President Donald Trump in Tulsa, Okla. AP Photo/Sue OgrockiTrump once supported a TikTok ban, but is now against itMeanwhile, Trump — whose administration tried to ban TikTok in the US — but was blocked from doing so in court after TikTok sued — has now come out against a ban for the app. "If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business," Trump argued on his social media platform, Truth Social, in a dig at Meta CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Sarah Kreps, TikTok's, weaponize, Steve Scalise, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, McMorris Rodgers, Kreps, ByteDance, Krishnan, TikTok, Sue Ogrocki Trump, Trump, Zuckerschmuck, Mark Zuckerberg, Jenna Leventoff, Leventoff Organizations: Service, Business, Tech, Institute, New York's Cornell University, Foreign, ByteDance Ltd, Republican, GOP, House Energy, Commerce Committee, Fox Business, Columbia University, Columbia Law School, Chinese Communist Party, AP, Facebook, Meta, Commerce, American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Democracy and Technology Locations: United States, China, TikTok's Beijing, New York, Tulsa, Okla, TikTok

☆ The TikTok ban is headed to a vote in the House. Here's what to know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A bipartisan group of representatives introduced a bill on March 5 to effectively ban TikTok. The House is set to vote on the legislation on Wednesday, where it's expected to pass. The bill has faced criticism from advocacy groups, TikTok fans, and former President Donald Trump. AdvertisementThe House of Representatives is set to vote Wednesday on a bipartisan-supported bill that could decide the future of TikTok. If this bill or a similar one passes through Congress, President Joe Biden has already said he'll sign it into law.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Mike Gallagher, Raja, " Gallagher, we've, Zuckerschmuck, ByteDance, Jeff Yass, GOP Sen, Todd Young, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Facebook, Susquehanna International Group, Trump, New York Times, Republican, Democratic, GOP, Center for Democracy & Technology, American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation Locations: United States, TikTok, Yass, Congress

☆ House committee unanimously supports forcing TikTok divestiture
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Emily Wilkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A bipartisan panel of lawmakers unanimously approved a controversial bill on Thursday that could lead to TikTok being blocked in the U.S. if it doesn't break with Chinese parent ByteDance. The committee voted 50-0 to advance the bill to the full House or Representatives. On the app, they were greeted with a screenshot warning them that Congress was "planning a total ban of TikTok." "Today, it's about our bill and it's about intimidating members considering that bill," said Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wi., chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. WATCH: Biden campaign joins TikTok despite ban of app on government phones

Persons: TikTok, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Lawmakers, Mike Gallagher, Biden Organizations: U.S, Lawmakers, Energy, Commerce Committee, National Security, American Civil Liberties Union, Computer & Communications Industry Association, Center for Democracy & Technology, CNBC, Chinese Communist Party Locations: U.S, ByteDance, China

☆ The general election is here and it’s Trump v. Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“We’re going to win this election because we have no choice,” Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago resort as he savored his sweetest election night since he beat Hillary Clinton in 2016. The time for that excuse is going to fast run out now that the shape of the 2024 general election is clear. “Until now, people didn’t think it was going to be Biden versus Trump, but here we are and we’re ready to go,” he said. One reason why Trump didn’t come across as a loser to his supporters was that he convinced grassroots GOP voters that he didn’t actually lose the 2020 election. Democratic control of the Senate and the tiny House GOP majority that fell short of red wave expectations were widely blamed on his botched strategizing.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden –, Trump, “, he’s, We’re, ” Trump, Hillary Clinton, “ We’re, we’re, Biden, cranking, –, ” Biden, He’ll, Nikki Haley, Trump’s, ”, Haley, Mitch Landrieu, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, Cleveland, didn’t, denialism –, P01135809, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis Organizations: CNN, White, Capitol, Republican, California Republican, Biden, Trump The, GOP, South Carolina Gov, Republican Party, Democrats, White House, Trump, Democratic, Florida Gov Locations: Washington, Virginia, North Carolina , Oklahoma , Tennessee , Maine , Texas , Arkansas , Alabama, Colorado , Minnesota , Massachusetts, California, Lago, “, tatters, New Hampshire, South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa, Atlanta, Trump’s

☆ The 'accidental' politicians: Meet three women risking everything to fight for democracy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That's what one Ukrainian lawmaker said of the wife of the late Alexei Navalny, who vowed to continue her husband's political work fighting for democracy in Russia after he died in a Siberian prison last month. As the first reports of Navalny's death started to emerge, Navalnaya was in Munich at a security conference. Yulia Navalnaya (L) is applauded by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola after addressing the European Parliament on Feb. 28, 2024. "I will continue the work of Alexei Navalny. Belarusian political opposition in exile leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya clutches a folder with a portrait of her husband, jailed opposition figure Sergei Tikhanovsky, in November, 2023 Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Persons: Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei Navalny, Kai Pfaffenbach, Navalnaya, Alexei, Roberta Metsola, Frederick Florin, Lisa Yasko, Cristina Quicler, Yasko, Viktor Yanukovych, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Monique Jaques, Aleksandr Lukashenko —, Vladimir Putin, Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Sergei Tikhanovsky, Sean Gallup Organizations: Munich Security, Afp, Getty, European Union, CNBC, Zoom, Corbis, Munich, Conference Locations: Munich, Germany, Russia, Ukrainian, Georgia, Kyiv, Kiev, Ukraine, Belarus, Belarusian

☆ Stephen Colbert Declares the Supreme Court Unconstitutional
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Trish Bendix | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Kind of weird that SCOTUS feels the need to consider whether or not laws exist.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“This is what happens when we let an extra from ‘Home Alone 2’ pick three Supreme Court justices.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“And it gets worse — because the oral arguments are in April, but court watchers don’t expect a decision until June. All of the plotlines will come together at once for the thrilling conclusion of America.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“The Supreme Court gains all of its legitimacy and all of its power from public approval. They don’t have an army or a police force or, apparently, an H.R. department; they have to rely on moral authority. But they have abdicated that moral authority, which is why, tonight, using the power vested in me as a late-night host, I am hereby declaring the Supreme Court unconstitutional.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

Persons: SCOTUS, ” — STEPHEN COLBERT “, ” — JIMMY KIMMEL, ” — STEPHEN COLBERT Organizations: Supreme Court

☆ Opinion: In Ukraine’s swelling cemeteries, a lost generation of young men
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Opinion Michael Bociurkiw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Lviv CNN —Few places ooze the pain Ukrainians have been subjected to over the decades more than Lychakiv Cemetery in the western city of Lviv. These days, Lychakiv has become the burial ground for hundreds of service men and women killed in the most recent wave of Russian aggression. I’ve been coming to Lychakiv since the early weeks of the war to get a better sense of the human cost. “There are such cemeteries as Lychakiv all over Ukraine,” Lviv resident and community activist Lesia Krepyakevych told me. (Under Ukrainian law, men between the ages of 18 to 26 can’t be drafted, though they can volunteer).

Persons: Michael Bociurkiw, Michael Bociurkiw Chrystia, Ivan Franko, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Lychakiv, I’ve, Pavlo Palamarchuk, Volodymyr Zelensky, Lesia Krepyakevych, it’s, who’ve, can’t, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, Johnson, Biden, Putin, Emmanuel Macon didn’t, David, Goliath Organizations: Atlantic Council, Organization for Security, Cooperation, CNN, Lviv CNN, Getty, West, ”, Senate, Republican, Ukraine – Locations: Europe, Lviv, Ukraine, Anadolu, ” Lviv, Red, Iranian, Russia, Kyiv, Washington, America

☆ Opinion: Who is winning? Gen. Petraeus on Ukraine war, two years in
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Two years into the Ukraine war, the tide has shifted, and Russian forces have some momentum, according to retired US General David Petraeus. Michal Dyjuk/AP/FILELast weekend Gen. Petraeus was at the Munich Security Conference, the leading global national security conference that was attended by pretty much every European leader and by top American officials – including Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. BERGEN: At the Munich Security Conference, what was the mood like? BERGEN: Who’s winning the war in Ukraine? BERGEN: What’s going on in Ukraine looks a lot like World War I, in the sense that it’s trench warfare, minefields, machine guns.

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, David Petraeus, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Lord Andrew Roberts, ” David Petraeus, Michal Dyjuk, Petraeus, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Alexey Navalny’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gen, PETRAEUS, I’ve, Olaf Scholz, Jens Stoltenberg, Tobias Schwarz, they’ll, Who’s, I’m, Vladimir Putin, Alexey Navalny, we’re, didn’t, Thomas Peter, –, Zelensky, can’t, what’s, There’s, Sergei Supinsky, it’s, Andrew Roberts, Biden, Donald Trump’s Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, Trump Administration, CNN, Munich Security Conference, Conference, Supreme, NATO, Munich, Reuters, Republicans, Kremlin, Russian Federation, Kherson –, Tactical Missile Systems, Pentagon, Getty, Congress, Munich Security, PETRAEUS Locations: New America, Ukraine, United States, Afghanistan, Iraq, Avdiivka, BERGEN, Munich, Europe, Russia, Russian, Spain, Moscow, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kherson, Ukrainian, Swedish, Donetsk, Sevastopol, Crimea, North Africa, Egypt, Kremlin, St, Petersburg, Moldova, Transnistria, Baltic, Soviet Union, AFP, ” BERGEN

☆ Thaksin Shinawatra: Ousted Thai PM's Life in Politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's controversial billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole on Sunday after serving six months in detention. 1998Thaksin founds the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party. In September, the military launches a coup against Thaksin while he is overseas, citing the need to end the protests. 2011New elections are won in a landslide by another new pro-Thaksin party, Pheu Thai. Thaksin applies for a royal pardon and his eight-year jail term is commuted to a year by the king.

Persons: Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin, Love Thais, Thais, Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's, Srettha Thavisin, Nick Macfie, Martin Petty Organizations: Thai Rak Thai, Thaksin, People's Alliance for Democracy, Shin Corporation, Temasek, English Premier League, Manchester City, Power Party, United Front for Democracy, Democrat Party Locations: BANGKOK, Thai, Singapore, Thai Rak Thai, Britain, Bangkok, Thailand

European leaders have paid tribute to jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny following reports of his death in prison on Friday. It is terrible that a courageous, fearless voice that stood up for his country has been silenced by terrible methods." Meanwhile, President of the European Council Charles Michel wrote in a post on X: "Alexey Navalny fought for the values of freedom and democracy. President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was "deeply disturbed and saddened" by news of the death of Navalny. "Navalny fought for democratic values and against corruption.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Olaf Scholz, Navalny “, Scholz, Angela Merkel, Navalny, Charles Michel, Alexey Navalny, Ursula von der Leyen, Putin, Mark Rutte Organizations: European, EU Commission Locations: Russian, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Siberian, Omsk, Berlin, Berlin’s Charite

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Harris offered a broad defense of the Biden administration’s approach to global challenges, especially in leading international support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Her comments came as the Ukraine risks losing U.S. support due to congressional dysfunction and positions taken by Trump and many of his supporters. Harris sounded many of the same concerns and her comments were peppered with blunt criticism of Trump and his allies. Earlier this month, Trump sent shivers through Europe when he said he would not come to the defense of NATO allies that do not meet defense spending commitments. Harris said the Biden administration’s “sacred commitment to NATO remains ironclad.”“Imagine if America turned our back on Ukraine and abandoned our NATO allies and abandoned our treaty commitments.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s, Harris, Biden, Alexei Navalny, “, ”, ” Harris, U.N, Antonio Guterres, ” Guterres, Trump, shivers, Vladimir, Putin Organizations: —, NATO, Munich Security, Ukraine, Trump, Hamas, America Locations: MUNICH, Russia, Ukraine, United States, America, Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Europe

Search resuls for: "For Democracy"

25 mentions found