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CNN —The Biden administration is close to approving the sale of as many as 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal expected to be worth more than $18 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter. Since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, the US has made more than 100 foreign military sales to Israel. Most of those have fallen under the specific dollar amount that requires a notification to Congress, an official familiar with the matter previously told CNN. A congressional aide told CNN that House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has also approved the transaction to proceed to formal congressional notification. “What you hear about the frustrations within the administration over the Israel policy, it is real,” one US diplomat told CNN on condition of anonymity.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Sen, James Risch, Michael McCaul, Ben Cardin, Greg Meeks, Biden administration’s, Joe Biden’s, “, ”, Israel won’t, Josh Paul, Matthew Miller, Israel what’s, Pat Ryder, ” Steven Katz, Katz Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Biden, Democratic, House Foreign Affairs, Foreign, State Department, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, House Foreign, Congressional Research Service, UN, The State Department, State Department’s Bureau, Political, Military Affairs, ”, Pentagon, Army, Defense, U.S, National Intelligence Locations: Israel, Gaza, State, Washington , DC, United States, “ Israel, Iran

☆ Trump’s Social Media Company Opens New Avenue for Conflicts of Interest
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Sharon Lafraniere | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When former President Donald J. Trump’s social media company went public this week, supporters and investors betting on Mr. Trump’s political success helped drive the value of a loss-making firm through the roof. Mr. Trump ended the first day of public trading $4.6 billion richer on paper. If Mr. Trump is elected president, it may not be the last time the company is used as a vehicle to benefit Mr. Trump’s pocketbook, experts said. Trump Media & Technology Group — the owner of Truth Social, the site Mr. Trump uses to rally his backers and blast his opponents — could present a new, fairly straightforward route for foreign leaders or special interests to try to influence him. Should he retain his control of the company while in office, the ethical questions that arose from Mr. Trump’s hotels and other properties in his first term as president would only multiply when applied to a publicly traded media company, they said.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s pocketbook, —, ”, Jack Goldsmith, George W, Bush Organizations: Trump Media & Technology, Truth, Harvard University

☆ Argentina accuses Venezuela of cutting power to its embassy in Caracas after hosting opposition leaders
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Mauricio Torres | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Argentina on Tuesday accused Venezuela of cutting the electricity supply to its embassy in Caracas after the diplomatic mission hosted a meeting with the country’s opposition leaders, the latest sign of souring relations between the two South American nations’ ideologically opposed governments. CNN has contacted the governments of Venezuela and Argentina for comment. Venezuela’s opposition has accused Maduro’s government of repressing its leaders and stifling any free and fair campaigning ahead of the country’s presidential elections on July 28. Colombia and Brazil issued statements Tuesday expressing concern over the opposition’s ability to fairly compete in the upcoming presidential contest. Maduro on Tuesday criticized foreign governments which he claimed, “seek to intervene in the internal affairs of Venezuela.”

Persons: Javier Milei, Nicolás Maduro, ”, Maduro’s, Maduro, Hugo Chavez, María Corina Machado, Machado, “ Organizations: CNN, Argentine, Venezuela’s, Español Locations: Argentina, Venezuela, Caracas, Argentine, Venezuelan, Buenos Aires, Nazi, United States, Colombia, Brazil

☆ Analysis: Trump’s DJT stock creates a unique new ethical nightmare
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In the meantime, he’s also trying to sell “God Bless the USA” Bibles via his social media platform Truth Social for $59.99. )”A history of bankruptcyAnother note of caution for investors in DJT should the history of the last company Trump took public. Trump’s casino company also went by the ticker DJT, but on the New York Stock Exchange between 1995 and 2004, when it went bankrupt and was delisted. None of that has stopped what some experts have referred to as a bubble forming around the Trump Media & Technology Group. Susquehanna International Group did not return a request for comment about the company’s stake in Trump Media & Technology Group.

Persons: ”, Donald John Trump, he’s, CNN’s Matt Egan, “, Kara Swisher, Laura Coates, Egan, Reddit, Trump, Daniel Dale, Jeff Yass, Jordan Libowitz, ” Libowitz, Kedric Payne, ” Payne, can’t, weren’t Organizations: CNN, Nasdaq, Trump, “ Trump Media, Trump Media, New York Stock Exchange, Trump Media & Technology, NYSE, GameStop, AMC, Susquehanna International Group, Yass ., Yass . Susquehanna International Group, Trump Media & Technology Group, Supreme, DC, Trump Organization, New York Times Locations: United States, New York, DJT, Trump’s, ByteDance, TikTok, Yass, Trump, Yass . Susquehanna, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, DC

☆ 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

☆ Article 23: Hong Kong passes second national security law aligning city more closely with mainland China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Coming into effect on Saturday, the law introduces 39 new national security crimes, adding to an already powerful national security law that was directly imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020 after huge and sometimes violent democracy protests the year before. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Lee described it as a “historical moment for Hong Kong.”Lawmakers attend a meeting for Basic Law Article 23 legislation at the Legislative Council on March 19, 2024 in Hong Kong, China. They argue their legislation is similar to other national security laws around the world. “This will surely increase the doubt, anxiety, and uncertainty of foreign businesses in Hong Kong.”In mainland China, national security laws have often ensnared both local and foreign businesses in opaque investigations. That is something Emily Lau, a former pro-democracy lawmaker, also worries about, that what made Hong Kong distinct is fast fading.

Persons: –, John Lee, Hong, Lee, Chen Yongnuo, ”, Hong Kong’s, Eric Lai, Lai, ” Lai, Hung Ho, fung, Capvision, Sarah Brooks, “, ” Brooks, ” Johannes Hack, Emily Lau, I’ve Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, ” Lawmakers, Legislative, China News Service, China’s Communist Party, CNN, Georgetown Center, Asian Law, Johns Hopkins University, Amnesty International, German Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong Locations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong’s, Beijing, China, Amnesty International China, ”, Hong

☆ 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, —

Look no further than the close and historically complicated relationship that American presidents and congressional leaders have negotiated with Israel leaders over the last 75 years. Obama declined to invite Netanyahu to the White House during the visit, with White House officials saying that holding such a visit so close to Israel's election would be inappropriate. The standard Obama set for a White House visit wasn't one Bill Clinton subscribed to years earlier. The bigger the ally's economy, the less likely American leaders are to meddle openly in its elections. “There are moments when American leaders want to and need to speak out and have their say.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Mitch McConnell, Schumer, ”, Mike Johnson, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Schumer's, Netanyahu —, “, —, Aaron David Miller, Donald Trump, John Boehner, Boehner, Barack Obama's, Obama, wasn't, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Shimon Peres, Peres, Edward Frantz, meddle, ” Frantz, November's, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Andrzej Duda, Johnson, Biden, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Trump, David Pressman, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, George H.W, Bush, ” Miller Organizations: WASHINGTON, — Republicans, Democratic, Republican, Israel, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, U.S, White, Israeli, University of Indianapolis, November's Biden, Trump, NATO, Polish, Biden, Republican House, Hungarian, White House Locations: Gaza, Israel, East, United States, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, U.S, Hungarian, ” Hungary, Budapest, Sinai, Suez

☆ Opinion: How my homeland Haiti came to be such a troubled place
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Opinion Garry Pierre-Pierre | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —The last few weeks have brought unthinkable upheaval in Haiti, a country that is no stranger to tragedy and suffering. Nothing can compare to the current upheaval in Haiti though, and I would expect new waves of Haitians to seek refuge on foreign shores. Haiti needs help combating corruption and loosening the stranglehold that the country’s oligarchic masters have on its economy. He remains sequestered in Haiti however, because he knows that leaving would mean his business would be looted and pillaged. Although formidable challenges lie ahead, the path to peace and stability in Haiti is possible with help from Washington.

Persons: Garry Pierre, Pierre, Gary Pierre, Ariel Henry, Henry, —, ‘ Papa Doc ’, François “ Papa Doc ” Duvalier, Jean, Claude “ Baby Doc ” Duvalier, Claude Duvalier, Bertrand Aristide, Duvalier, — Aristide, ”, Jimmy, Giles Clarke, Jimmy Cherizier, Guy Philippe, Aristide, Philippe, Cherizier, Henry’s, Uncle Sam, strongmen, America sneezes Organizations: Haitian Times, New York Times, World Trade Center, City University Graduate School, Journalism‘s Center for Community, Ethnic Media, CNN, Haitian, ., UN, Haiti, US, Haiti —, Caribbean, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Drug, Agency, America Locations: New York, Haitian, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, France, Canada, Washington, Kenya, Nairobi, Port, Haiti’s, Africa, Delmas, Prince, Jamaica, America, Maryland

☆ Opinion: Why gangs hold so much power in Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Opinion Garry Pierre-Pierre | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —The last few weeks have brought unthinkable upheaval in Haiti, a country that is no stranger to tragedy and suffering. Nothing can compare to the current upheaval in Haiti though, and I would expect new waves of Haitians to seek refuge on foreign shores. After securing its independence, Haiti was subjected to neocolonialism and neglect by the global superpower on its doorstep, the US. Haiti needs help combating corruption and loosening the stranglehold that the country’s oligarchic masters have on its economy. He remains sequestered in Haiti however, because he knows that leaving would mean his business would be looted and pillaged.

Persons: Garry Pierre, Pierre, Ariel Henry, Henry, —, ‘ Papa Doc ’, François “ Papa Doc ” Duvalier, Jean, Claude “ Baby Doc ” Duvalier, Claude Duvalier, Bertrand Aristide, Duvalier, — Aristide, ”, Jimmy, Giles Clarke, Jimmy Cherizier, Guy Philippe, Aristide, Philippe, Cherizier, Henry’s, Uncle Sam, strongmen, America sneezes Organizations: Haitian Times, New York Times, World Trade Center, City University Graduate School, Journalism‘s Center for Community, Ethnic Media, CNN, Haitian, ., UN, Haiti, US, Haiti —, Caribbean, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Drug, Agency, America Locations: New York, Haitian, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, France, Canada, Washington, Kenya, Nairobi, Port, Haiti’s, Africa, Delmas, Prince, Jamaica, America, Maryland

☆ Come on, everyone, let's buy TikTok!
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Henry Blodget | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

So, in the wake of the (notably bi-partisan) House bill, some Americans are already volunteering to buy TikTok — such as former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. These investors would include private equity funds, hedge funds, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, mutual funds, and, of course, banks. That's what Steven Mnuchin and everyone else who wants to buy TikTok are planning to do. That's why Mnuchin made his announcement on CNBC this morning — to let every investor on the planet who might give him money to buy TikTok know that he's raising money to buy TikTok. ("Wait — he's putting together a group to buy TikTok and he hasn't called us yet?

Persons: —, Let's, Steven Mnuchin, Mnuchin, Goldman Sachs, there's, Elon Musk, ByteDance, Steven Mnuchin's, hasn't Organizations: Service, Twitter, CNBC Locations: America, China, American, Banks

☆ How far does Gulf money go? An Abu Dhabi-backed newspaper buyout attempt is sparking panic in London
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Copies of The Daily Telegraph newspaper on a newsstand in a shop in London, UK, on March 12, 2024 (L), and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan speaking at COP28 on Dec. 1, 2023. More than 100 members of Parliament have signed a letter opposing the buyout of major British newspaper the Telegraph and news magazine, The Spectator, by UAE government-backed investment fund RedBird IMI. Long a favorite of Britain's Conservative Party, ownership of the 168-year old daily is not just about profit, but about power. The deal would ultimately see the Telegraph, which is valued at a reported £600 million, come under full Emirati ownership. Lawmakers have been scrambling to introduce a new law that would enable Parliament to veto buyouts of news outlets by foreign governments.

Persons: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Nahyan, Britain's, Long, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Barclay, Lucy Frazer Organizations: Daily Telegraph, UAE, COP28, United Arab Emirates, United Emirates, British, Telegraph, The, IMI, Britain's Conservative Party, Lloyds Bank, State for Culture, Media, Sport Locations: London, DUBAI, United Arab, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE

☆ Menendez Is Arraigned for the Third Time in 6 Months
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Tracey Tully | More About Tracey Tully | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For the third time in six months, Senator Robert Menendez stood before a judge in Manhattan on Monday to be arraigned on new criminal charges filed as part of an expansive federal bribery investigation. Mr. Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, has previously pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. On Monday, he pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice, a charge added last week in an updated indictment against the senator; his wife, Nadine Menendez; and two New Jersey businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes. The new charges come less than two months before the scheduled start of the trial, May 6. The obstruction of justice charge appears to be related to information provided by Jose Uribe, a former insurance broker charged in September in the bribery conspiracy.

Persons: Robert Menendez, Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, Jose Uribe, Uribe Organizations: Benz Locations: Manhattan, New Jersey, Jersey

☆ Article 23: Hong Kong unveils its second national security law, aligning city more closely with mainland China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong’s government unveiled a new suite of powerful national security laws on Friday that critics and foreign governments warn could deepen the ongoing crackdown in the city and further undermine its reputation as an international business hub. They point to the application of national security laws in mainland China as well as in Hong Kong where a Beijing-imposed national security law has already transformed the once outspoken city since 2020, silencing almost all dissent and jailing dozens of political opponents. The new draft Hong Kong law – known locally as Article 23 – is aimed at “filling the loopholes” left by the Beijing-imposed version enacted in 2020, according to the Hong Kong government. But the atmosphere in Hong Kong this time around is very different. Many of the city’s leading pro-democracy figures are in jail either convicted or facing charges under the 2020 national security law.

Persons: ”, Hong Kong’s, –, John Lee –, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, China’s Communist Party, Chinese Communist Party, Authorities, Security, US Department of State Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Hong, United States

CNN —The Defense Department is analyzing a balloon discovered by fishermen off the coast of Alaska last week to determine whether it was a spy balloon, a spokesperson told CNN. Upon reviewing photographs taken by the fishermen, officials became concerned it could be another spy balloon, and FBI agents went to meet the boat when it returned to port. But the FBI determined that it was similar enough in appearance to a foreign government-owned surveillance balloon that it warranted further investigation. The existence of high-altitude surveillance balloons burst into US consciousness last year, when a Chinese spy balloon appeared to blow off course and transited across the continental US. The US assessed that the spy balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, as CNN reported at the time.

Persons: Sue Gough, “, ” Gough, Biden Organizations: CNN, The Defense Department, Joint Base Elmendorf, Defense Department, FBI Locations: Alaska, Richardson, China, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ Jack Teixeira pleads guilty to leaking sensitive national defense information
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of posting a trove of highly classified intelligence reports and other documents on social media pleaded guilty on Monday to willfully retaining and disseminating national defense information. Jack Teixeira, 22, pleaded guilty to all six counts he faced under the espionage act during a hearing Monday morning. Teixeira stood between his two defense lawyers as he pleaded guilty Monday morning. According to court documents, Teixeira ran an obscure chat room on the social media platform Discord called “Thug Shaker Central,” where members posted memes and talked about guns and religion. Teixeira first began posting messages that included classified information in the Discord chat, according to prosecutors, and eventually posted photos of documents marked as classified.

Persons: Jack Teixeira, Teixeira, ”, Judge Indira Talwani, “, ” Teixeira, Michael Bachrach Organizations: CNN, Massachusetts Air National, Department of Defense, Prosecutors, Shaker, ” Prosecutors, US Air Force Locations: Massachusetts, ”, Cape Cod, Russia, Ukraine, States, Boston

A former U.S. ambassador accused of working for decades as a secret agent for Cuba indicated on Thursday that he would plead guilty, a move that would bring to a swift end the legal case over one of the biggest national security breaches in years. Manuel Rocha, 73, said in federal court in Miami that he would file a change of plea, signaling that he is prepared to plead guilty. He was charged in December with acting as an agent of a foreign government and defrauding the United States. Mr. Rocha is expected to plead guilty to two counts of conspiring to act as a foreign agent. Prosecutors are expected to drop the other charges; the wire fraud charge carried a 20-year maximum sentence.

Persons: Manuel Rocha, Rocha, Rocha’s Organizations: Prosecutors, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Cuba, Miami, United States

☆ The NFL is gearing up to change team ownership rules in what could be a massive win for Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Tiara White | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Team owners will meet at the annual league meeting in March to discuss private equity. The investment ownership model is favored in the NBA, MLB and NHL— but not in the NFL. So, what will a rule change mean for institutional investors and their Wall Street brokers, as well as owners and sports fans? Experts also think NFL team owners' "wealth would increase drastically," said Rotthoff— due to the considerable profits they've already made from team valuations in the past decade. Wall Street investment banks could also benefit in their role as advisors to wealthy investors and sports teams, including helping to connect buyers with sellers.

Persons: —, Josh Harris, Mark Patricof, Carrie Potter, Mellody Hobson, Condoleezza Rice, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Kurt Rotthoff, Dwayne Wade, Venus Williams, Eric Thomas, Gil Fried, Rotthoff, Rob Gronkowski, Spencer Platt, Goldman Sachs, Thomson, Taylor Swift, Jamie Squire, Potter, Fried Organizations: NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, Service, Silicon, Forbes, The, Patricof, Rice, Denver Broncos, Seton Hall, Wall, Kansas City Chiefs, West, Sport Finance, Sports, Group, Wall Street, Chiefs, Dolphins, Getty Locations: The Washington, Crestview, United States, Orlando , Florida, West Florida

☆ Former US diplomat accused of spying for Cuba indicates he plans to plead guilty, court docket shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Manuel Rocha, the former US ambassador to Bolivia accused of acting as a secret foreign agent of Cuba, said in court Thursday that he plans to plead guilty to charges, according to his court docket. During a hearing in Miami Thursday, Rocha and prosecutors “announce[d] the Defendant will be changing his plea,” according to the court docket. The court record does not give any information about what charges Rocha plans to plead guilty to. Rocha served as the US ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 and as the deputy principal officer of the US Interests Section in Cuba in the 1990s. His role as the political officer at the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic gave him “special responsibility” for Cuba, prosecutors alleged.

Persons: CNN — Manuel Rocha, Rocha, “, Fidel Castro Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, US Embassy, Embassy, Cuban Locations: Bolivia, Cuba, American, Miami, Dominican Republic, Italy, Mexico, Argentina

☆ White House looks to curb foreign powers’ ability to buy Americans’ sensitive personal data with executive order
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —President Joe Biden will issue an executive order on Wednesday aimed at curbing foreign governments’ ability to buy Americans’ sensitive personal information such as heath and geolocation data, according to senior US officials. The department will also issue regulations that require better protection of sensitive government information, including geolocation data on US military members, according to US officials. “Countries of concern, such as China and Russia, are buying Americans’ sensitive personal data from data brokers,” a separate senior administration official told reporters. In addition to health and location data, the executive order is expected to cover other sensitive information like genomic and financial data. Administration officials told reporters the new executive order would be applied narrowly so as not to hurt business transactions that do not pose a national security risk.

Persons: Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Department, Justice Department, Social, Defense, Health, Human Services, Veteran Affairs Locations: China, Russia

☆ House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a defining dilemma on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —House Speaker Mike Johnson has the fate of a democracy and a people in his hands. It’s not the United States, which will survive – even if the coming general election results in another existential test for the constitutional system. Johnson, a backbencher who was the last-ditch choice to lead the mutinous House GOP majority last year, could relieve Ukraine’s agony and help ensure its survival as an independent nation in the coming days. Nothing can be guaranteed in a fractious Congress, with a House GOP majority that has rendered the United States close to ungovernable and is threatening America’s global leadership role. And history is watching whether Speaker Johnson will put that bill on the floor.

Persons: Mike Johnson, It’s, Johnson, Vladimir Putin, –, Donald Trump, speakership, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Volodymyr Zelensky, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer —, ”, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Putin, ” Trump, Trump, Biden, ” Rep, Byron Donalds of, ” Zelensky, “, ” Johnson, David Cameron, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Radoslaw Sikorski, ” Sikorski, CNN’s “ Fareed Zakaria, Seth Moulton of, Xi, ” Moulton, Frederick Kagan Organizations: CNN —, GOP, Pentagon, Democratic Senate, White, Trump, Republican, Democratic, Ukraine, ” Biden, Biden, Washington, Democrats, House Republicans, ”, CNN, British, ” Democratic, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, CNN News Central, NATO, American Enterprise Institute Locations: United States, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Louisiana, Western, Moscow, ungovernable, “ State, America, America’s, Byron Donalds of Florida, Zelensky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, British, Asia, Taiwan, Japan, China, Ukrainian

☆ Battle for the Red Sea expands with U.S. strikes, EU stepping up its efforts against Houthis
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Defense officials tell CNBC as of February 21, there have been at least 59 attacks on commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea. But the EU said the Red Sea moves reflect the need for a stronger European presence in protecting ships from Houthi attacks. Trade leaders have urged more countries to join the military effort in the Red Sea. A war of misinformation in the Red Sea crisis also continues. On February 2 in Brussels, Borrell informed Yemeni Prime Minister Bin Mubarak about the plans to launch a new EU maritime operation in the Red Sea and about its mandate.

Persons: Mason, Torm Thor, Good Hope, Peter Stano, Josep Borrell, Mark Montgomery, Sen, John McCain, Steven Lamar, Hussein, Azzi, Stano, Houthis, Borrell, Bin Mubarak, Rashad Al, Carl Bentzel, Bentzel, Tesla Organizations: European Commission, United States Central Command, Command, U.S, CNBC, European Union's Naval Force, EU, French Navy, Prosperity, Prosperity Guardian, EU Commission, Navy, Foundation, Defense of Democracies, Senate Armed, NATO, U.S . Central Command, UK, Prosperity Guardian . Trade, American Apparel and Footwear Association, Central Command, Yemeni, Presidential, Council, UN, Federal Maritime, Foreign Shipping, State Department, FMC, Walmart Locations: Aden, Iranian, Yemen, Red, Libyan Coast, Good, Somalia, European, EU, U.S, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Houthi, Europe, Suez, Belize, Brussels, Yemeni, United States, Egypt, Germany, Israel

☆ Cyberattack leaves patients facing the choice to pay – or wait for their prescriptions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It is only the latest in long list of hacking incidents that have roiled the health care sector in the last few years. Mara FurlichPrescription insurance processing at big university health systems in Indiana and California have also been disrupted, according to internal email correspondence at the health systems reviewed by CNN. In a regulatory filing Thursday, Change Healthcare’s parent firm said “suspected nation-state associated” hackers had breached some of their computer systems. The Change Healthcare spokesperson declined to comment when asked on what information the company based its assessment that foreign government-linked hackers could be responsible. The FBI and CISA did not respond for requests for comment on whether they agreed with Change Healthcare’s assessment on who was responsible for the hack.

Persons: Mara Furlich, Furlich, ” Furlich, Camp Pendleton, Luke Bonczyk, Abi, ”, “, CISA, Max Henderson Organizations: CNN, FDA, Healthcare, Naval Hospital, American Hospital Association, FBI, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Health, Human Services, HHS, Optum, “ Locations: United States, Detroit, Camp Pendleton, Southern California, Indiana, California

☆ China’s Hacker Network: What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Leaked documents posted online last week show how the Chinese government is working with private hackers to obtain sensitive information from foreign governments and companies. The hackers worked for a security firm called I-Soon, part of a network of spies for hire working closely with Beijing. The leak showed how China’s top surveillance agency, the Ministry of Public Security, has increasingly recruited contractors to attack government targets and private companies as part of a cyberespionage campaign in Asia. Its hackers were able to get private information including:records from a Vietnamese airline, with the identities of travelers. I-Soon is one of hundreds of private companies that support China’s hacking efforts through the sale of espionage services and stolen data.

Organizations: Ministry of Public Security, Facebook Locations: Beijing, Asia, Washington, United States, Vietnam

The files also revealed a campaign to monitor closely the activities of ethnic minorities in China and online gambling companies. The files included records of apparent correspondence between employees as well as lists of targets and materials that showed off cyberattack tools. The documents came from I-Soon, a Shanghai company with offices in Chengdu. Three cybersecurity experts interviewed by The Times said the documents appeared to be authentic. Taken together, the leaked files offered a look inside the secretive world of China’s state-backed hackers for hire.

Organizations: The Times, Ministry of State Security, United Locations: Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, China, Shanghai, Chengdu

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