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☆ Analysis: Ukraine is keeping Russia guessing about its counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It is possible we only learn the counteroffensive has begun when its first tangible results are revealed. But it has more significantly revealed a seismic difference in how Russia and Ukraine’s war machines are functioning. This will be vital in the weeks ahead: Moscow appears to process bad news very poorly and publicly. In the weeks ahead, we will likely see more confusion about what Ukraine is up to. But weeks more of Russian confusion, overstretch, and public self-criticism will likely reduce the ultimate human cost on Kyiv.

☆ Çanakkale: Where ancient Troy sits beside the modern city
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Nick Hilden | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —An enormous wooden horse presides over the marina in Çanakkale, a small port city southwest of Istanbul. The clapboard animal is a mock-up of the Trojan Horse of mythological fame. Çanakkale (pronounced cha-na-call-ay) stands adjacent to the archaeological site that was once the ancient city of Troy, best known as the setting of the Trojan War in Homer’s “Iliad.”A giant wooden horse watches over Çanakkale. Today when you visit Truva – either via car or a short bus ride from Çanakkale – a second model of the Trojan Horse looms at the entrance. “We know that there were many wars that occurred at Troy,” Rose explains.

☆ Casey White Pleads Guilty in Alabama Jail Escape
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

An Alabama inmate whose escape from jail last spring set off a nationwide manhunt pleaded guilty on Thursday to the escape in exchange for the state dropping a felony murder charge in the death of the former corrections officer who helped him. The inmate, Casey White, 39, appeared for a routine status hearing on Thursday morning at the Lauderdale County courthouse in northern Alabama. In a surprise move to both the prosecution and his own defense team, Mr. White pleaded guilty to a first-degree escape charge. “You’re probably just as surprised by today’s turn of events as we are,” Robert Tuten, a lawyer for Mr. White, said after the hearing. Mr. White and the officer, Vicky White, who was no relation, were on the run for nearly two weeks after leaving the Lauderdale County Jail in Florence, Ala., for a courthouse appointment that was later revealed to be a ruse.

☆ Fed Chair Jerome Powell got tricked by 2 Russian prank callers posing as Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Fed Chair Powell held a call with Russian pranksters pretending to be Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. "No sensitive or confidential information was discussed," a Fed spokesperson told Insider. Footage circulating on Russian State Television showed Powell answering an interviewer's questions, with the central bank head seemingly thinking he was speaking to Ukraine's leader. In a statement sent to Insider, a Fed spokesperson confirmed that Powell participated in a call with someone "who misrepresented himself" as the Ukrainian president in January. The phone call, which appears to have been carried out by Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, covered a range of topics like Powell's inflation outlook and Russia's central bank, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

☆ Russian Pranksters Trick the Fed Chair, Based on Internet Videos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Pranksters posing as Ukraine’s president tricked Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, into a conversation in January about the U.S. and global economy, based on video clips covered on Russian state television and posted online. The footage shows Mr. Powell answering an interviewer’s questions on a video call, apparently thinking that he is talking to Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s leader. The ruse appears to have been carried out by Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, pranksters who are supporters of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. The clips — now circulating on the internet — were earlier reported on by Bloomberg News. They show Mr. Powell answering questions about central banking and inflation.

☆ Theranos' Elizabeth Holmes loses bid to stay out of prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has been rebuffed in her attempt to stay out of federal prison while she appeals her conviction for the fraud she committed while overseeing a blood-testing scam that exposed Silicon Valley's dark side. The judge's decision means Holmes, 39, will have to surrender to authorities April 27 to start the more than 11-year prison sentence that Davila imposed in November. Holmes could still file another appeal of the ruling Davila's latest ruling, a maneuver that her co-conspirator at Theranos – Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani – successfully used to delay his scheduled March 16 date to begin a nearly 13-year prison sentence. Davila has recommended that Holmes serve her sentence in a Byron, Texas, prison. Although they had separate trials, Holmes and Balwani were accused of essentially the same crimes centered on a ruse touting Theranos' blood-testing system as a breakthrough in health care.

☆ Putin built identical offices across Russia to conceal his location, a Russian intelligence officer who defected says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Putin has replicas of his offices across Russia, a former intelligence officer said. The officer, who defected from Russia, shed light on Putin's paranoia and obsession with safety. Karakulov told the Dossier Center that offices in Putin's residences in St. Petersburg, Sochi, and Novo-Ogaryovo had been designed to look identical. Karakulov said that Putin sometimes further obscured his location by sending his motorcade to the airport despite remaining at home. While in actual fact, he would stay in Sochi," Karakulov said.

☆ I Visited Miami After the Stock Market Crash, Crypto Bubble Pop
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

And if any city is the city where you can see just how remarkably things have shifted, it's also Miami. If the draw in the 1920s was imaginary land, Miami's bubble in the 2020s was driven by imaginary money — crypto. The newcomers — and the crypto kids, especially — believed they could master Miami as easily as they had mastered the markets. The new Miami money party started to run out of libations. "There were a lot of true believers in the Miami crypto scene.

☆ The Second Opinion That Enabled Keyontae Johnson to Reach the Elite Eight After ‘Sudden Cardiac Death’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Laine Higgins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kansas State’s Keyontae Johnson soared into the national spotlight on Thursday night when he slammed home an alley-oop pass from teammate Markquis Nowell, completing an audacious trick play that sealed a dramatic March Madness win over Michigan State. The play—which began with Nowell appearing to feign an argument with Kansas State coach Jerome Tang as a distracting ruse—completed a performance in which Johnson scored 22 points and played all 45 minutes of the overtime contest. That last stat might be the most remarkable of all given Johnson’s first, unwelcome turn in the spotlight more than two years ago.

☆ Miramax launched a film development team to resurrect its blockbuster-rich heyday. But a string of key departures has hobbled the vision and frustrated some Hollywood creatives.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Miramax built out a film development team early in the pandemic to bring in new projects and filmmakers. "He's the perfect leader to take the Miramax film team into this next chapter." Hammer's credits as a production executive include "Last Vegas" and "Inside Llewyn Davis." The first source said the film development team had worked to turn the company's reputation around by emphasizing relationships with respected filmmakers. But this person and an independent producer familiar with the Hollywood landscape, agreed that Miramax is no longer a top player in film development.

☆ Tiger Woods's NDA battle with Erica Herman is dragging his obsession with privacy into the spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jack Newsham | Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Tiger Woods's ex-girlfriend Erica Herman claims he evicted and abused her, but she has an NDA. Davis wasn't the first person asked to keep Tiger Woods's name out of his mouth, and according to a $30 million lawsuit filed earlier this month by Woods's ex-girlfriend Erica Herman, he wasn't the last. The battle over Herman's NDA is a window into Woods's longtime obsession with privacy. In October 2021, exhibits and transcripts were sealed in an unsuccessful case brought by the family of an employee at Tiger Woods's restaurant who died in a drunk driving incident. When Woods's image imploded in 2009, he used nondisclosure agreements to stanch the gush of details about his personal life into the media.

[1/8] Carlos Watson, CEO of Ozy Media, departs U.S. Federal Court in Brooklyn after being arrested and charged with fraud in New York City, New York, U.S., February 23, 2023. REUTERS/David Dee DelgadoFeb 23 (Reuters) - Ozy Media and its CEO Carlos Watson have been criminally charged for scheming to defraud investors of tens of millions dollars by misrepresenting the company’s debts, financial performance and audience size, Brooklyn federal prosecutors said Thursday. Watson and Ozy Media are charged with securities fraud and wire fraud. Rao, who was initially charged under a pseudonym, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to securities fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and identity theft. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission separately filed a civil case against Ozy, Watson and Rao on Thursday.

☆ ‘Putin and the Presidents’ Review: A Ruse by a Russian Tyrant
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

A primer on Vladimir Putin and a chronicle of diplomatic miscalculation, “Putin and the Presidents” sets out to establish a couple of dispiriting truths, one of which could be seen as a takedown of American optimism: Mr. Putin has always been exactly who he seemed to be. The leaders of the free world have been hoping he wasn’t. An episode of “Frontline” marked by the series’ customary directness, “Putin and the Presidents” maps out the various missteps committed by the White House as regards the former KGB agent who became Russia’s supreme leader in 1999 and whose tenure has been marked ever since by deception, accusations of outright murder and unprovoked warfare. While not intended as prophetic, Bill Clinton is seen in a rather slippery 2000 moment telling the press about his initial encounter with Mr. Putin, whom he declares “capable” of “preserving freedom, pluralism and the rule of law,” without actually implying he would.

☆ Seeing Russian flags at Australian Open 'hurts', says Ukraine's Kostyuk
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 20, 2023 Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk reacts during her third round match against Jessica Pegula of the U.S. REUTERS/Sandra SandersJan 27 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk said on Friday it "hurts a lot" to see Russian flags at the Australian Open despite the ban on them and was surprised by the lapse in security that allowed spectators to display the flags in and around Melbourne Park. Novak Djokovic's father Srdjan said earlier on Friday he would not attend his son's semi-final against Tommy Paul after a video emerged showing him posing at Melbourne Park with fans holding Russian flags. Russian and Belarusian flags are banned from Melbourne Park during the Australian Open after a complaint from the Ukraine ambassador to the country last week. "It hurts a lot because there were specific rules, they were printed out outside that this is not allowed to bring flags," Kostyuk told reporters after bowing out of the women's doubles competition with Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Djokovic will continue his bid for a record-extending 10th Australian Open title and 22nd Grand Slam crown to match Rafa Nadal when he takes on unseeded American Paul later on Friday.

☆ Woman, 29, arrested after enrolling at New Jersey high school posing as student, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A 29-year-old woman was arrested last week after she spent four days fraudulently enrolled in a New Jersey high school as a student, school district officials said. New Brunswick Public School District Superintendent Aubrey Johnson said Tuesday at a Board of Education meeting that Shin had attended New Brunswick High School for several days before she was caught. New Brunswick High School in New Jersey. During her days in school, Shin spent a lot of time with guidance counselors who were trying to find out more information about her, Johnson said. NBC News has asked the school district for comment.

☆ Man who sex trafficked and extorted daughter’s Sarah Lawrence schoolmates sentenced to 60 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | The Associated Press | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A New York man convicted on charges that he moved into his daughter’s dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College and abused students at the elite school in a nearly 10-year scheme was sentenced Friday to 60 years in prison. Manhattan federal court Judge Lewis J. Liman told Lawrence Ray, 63, that his crimes were "particularly heinous." Ray was convicted at trial last year of charges including racketeering, conspiracy, forced labor and sex trafficking. Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y. Stephanie Keith / Getty Images fileOne woman testified at the trial that Ray had convinced her that she had poisoned him and became a sex worker to try to pay reparations to him. The woman said she paid Ray $2.5 million over four years in installments that averaged $10,000 to $50,000 a week.

☆ I secretly spend winters in the Canary Islands and only go to the office a few months of the year. I'm happier, healthier, and more productive.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A remote worker based in Germany secretly works from the Canary Islands during the winter. I'm more productive at work because I'm living a happier and healthier lifestyleThe warmer climate and more active lifestyle has improved his physical and mental health, the remote worker said. I'm making the best use of my time and being productive and efficient while doing what I love. I'm a very motivated person — I have very specific work goals both within my company and externally. I love the freedom that remote work allows but value in-person collaborationNow that I'm moving into more leadership positions, team building is a larger part of my job.

☆ Russia-installed official says drone shot down over Crimea's Sevastopol
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 7 (Reuters) - The Russian-installed governor of the Crimean city of Sevastopol said on Saturday that air defences had shot down a drone in what he suggested was the latest attempted Ukrainian attack on a port where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based. "Even the sacred holiday of Christmas was not a reason for these inhuman people to halt their attempts to attack our Hero City," Razvozhaev wrote. Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed a truce to coincide with Orthodox Christmas. Kyiv rejected his offer as a cynical ruse to buy time for Russia's forces to rest and bring in new equipment. Reporting by Reuters Editing by Andrew OsbornOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The defamation case brought by actor Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard came to an end on Wednesday after a seven-person jury unanimously ruled in favor of Depp. The jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in his defamation suit. Depp also claims she is not the victim of domestic violence but instead the perpetrator. 2022On April 11, the weekslong defamation trial kicks off, with Heard and Depp appearing in court in Fairfax County, Virginia. The jury unanimously finds that Heard defamed Depp, awarding him $5 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory damages.

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.

☆ Security is one of the top challenges companies face today. This expert hacker is helping them identify potential threats.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Ibm | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Stephanie Carruthers is the Chief People Hacker at IBM Security's X-Force Red team of 200 hackers worldwide. Today, she's finding new ways to identify threats at a time when the security landscape has become increasingly complex. Carruthers is the Chief People Hacker at IBM Security's X-Force Red team of 200 hackers worldwide. She and her team show companies their vulnerabilities so they can better protect themselves. Carruthers and her team then use that data to educate companies and users on what they shouldn't be posting — and why.

☆ My husband and I quit our jobs in Miami to secretly travel the world while working remotely. It's allowed us to pay off debt and improve our quality of life.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It's allowed him and his husband to save money and pursue a more exciting lifestyle, he said. My husband and I quit our in-person jobs to accept remote positions and secretly moved to South America about four months ago. We use an external VPN router through which my work computer connects. Paying for VPN software itself wouldn't be sufficient, as the work computer would easily allow the company to see that the software had been installed. Our reasoning for wasting that much money on flights to pick up a work computer?

☆ A former bodyguard for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt shares what his job was like and the biggest misconceptions about protecting celebrities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Mark "Billy" Billingham was a bodyguard for years for stars like Angelina Jolie and Russell Crowe. Billingham's biggest job, he said, was an 18-month position working full time for Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and their family. "I was literally working 18 hours a day, every day, and I stayed with them," he said. Decoys and detours are great ways to test new security detailsIn his role as the head of security, Billingham had to coordinate the entire security team, including what's often a huge army of drivers. The ruse for new chauffeurs began with telling them about the next day's route for Pitt and Jolie in advance.

☆ England beat Pakistan to win T20 World Cup at MCG as Ben Stokes stars yet again in a final
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( David Ruse | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ben Stokes of England celebrates victory following during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final match between Pakistan and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 13, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. Ben Stokes starred in a final once again as England became dual white-ball world champions after overcoming Pakistan by five wickets to win the T20 World Cup at the MCG. England rallied to overpower New Zealand, edge past Sri Lanka and decimate India before seeing off Pakistan to end their opponents' hopes of winning the T20 World Cup for a second time and of repeating their victory over England at the MCG in the 1992 50-over final. Babar's exit came at the start of the 12th over with Pakistan 84-2 and they went on lose six wickets for 47 runs. England will remain in Australia to play a three-match one-day international series against Australia, beginning on Thursday at Adelaide before fixtures at the SCG on Saturday and MCG on November 22.

San Francisco-based Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the security situation at the company. He echoed a pessimistic view among some Twitter users this week: The service might go down entirely under Musk's ownership. Verification serviceOn Friday, Twitter paused the rollout of its Twitter Blue verification service, intended to let users pay $8 a month for a verification badge. “The debacle with the Twitter verification is a really strong indicator as to what can go wrong,” Roger said. “When the verified Twitter users got hacked a few months ago, it was only a bitcoin scam, right?” Rogers said.

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