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☆ Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric has been effective for him so far but poses real danger
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

In some ways, this is classic behavior from Trump and follows multiple previous social media threats to judges, political opponents and anyone who angers him. Trump’s attacks on the judiciary play into the foundation of his political career — that he’s a rebel outsider tearing down a political system his supporters believe disdains them. In itself, the tape is an affront to the legal system and the judiciary. If the principle were applied to its full extent, it could destroy the nonpartisan legal system. In his “State of the Union” interview Sunday, Lawler, an up-and-coming New York Republican, demonstrated how Trump’s rhetoric overshadows his party.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, president’s, Joe Biden, Trump’s, Judge Juan Merchan, Trump, “ I’ve, Donald Trump, ”, LaDoris Cordell, CNN’s Omar Jimenez, Biden, CNN’s Dana, Mike Lawler, Walton’s, Reggie Walton, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Walton, they’re, we’re, George Bush, George W, Bush, “, ” Walton, Cordell, ’ ”, Merchan, Tanya Chutkan, he’s, Fani Willis, Letitia James, John Roberts, Clinton, autocrats, Michael Tyler, —, ” Trump, Steven Cheung, Lawler, ” Lawler, CNN’s Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Trump, Superior Court, Republican Party, GOP, Union, Sunday, Republican, Capitol, Prosecutors, New York, Trump Organization, Capitol Police, New York Republican Locations: York, California, “ State, New York, America, Washington ,, Fulton County, Georgia

Other Republicans in the House and Senate often simply shrug when asked about Trump’s agenda, pointing to policies they like and others they might support. Trump himself has suggested having a “very tiny little desk” on the Capitol steps so he can sign documents on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2025. “On Day 1 of President Trump’s new administration, Americans will have a strong leader," said Karoline Leavitt, the campaign’s national press secretary. Republicans and Democrats resisted a White House effort to commandeer funds for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, leading to the longest government shutdown in history. Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who died in 2018, famously gave a thumbs-down to Trump's effort to repeal the health law known as the Affordable Care Act.

Persons: Donald Trump, “ We’re, ”, Republican Sen, JD Vance, Ohio, Trump, Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell of, Mike Johnson, Vance, wasn't, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, Trump . Greene, Johnson, it’s, Paul Dans, “, Trump’s, Karoline Leavitt, John McCain of, Biden, Sen, Mitt Romney, Jason Chaffetz, GOP Sen, Josh Hawley, ” Hawley, Ted Cruz, Cruz, Eisenhower, Marco Rubio, Rubio, they’re, Vanessa Cardenas, Jill Colvin Organizations: WASHINGTON, Capitol, Republicans, Trump, Republican, Democratic, Republican Party, GOP, Trump’s, Biden, Trump ., Senate, Trump White House, Heritage Foundation's, Democrats, Affordable, Republican National Committee, Justice Department, America’s, Press Locations: Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Washington, U.S, Mexico, John McCain of Arizona, Utah, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Texas, New York

☆ AI could lead to human extinction, says report commissioned by US State Department
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US State Department commissioned a risk assessment that found AI could lead to human extinction. The State Department commissioned AI startup Gladstone to conduct an AI risk assessment in October 2022, about a month before ChatGPT came out. AdvertisementSome of the risks could "lead to human extinction," the report said. He believes there's a 10% chance AI will lead to total human extinction within the next 30 years. "Oh it's absolutely real and I think there's a conversation to have in terms of practical human extinction," Kiulian said.

Persons: —, Gladstone, ChatGPT, Jeremie Harris, Edouard Harris, Robert Ghrist, Ghrist, Geoff Hinton, there's, Lina Khan, Elon Musk, Lorenzo Thione, Thione, Artur Kiulian, Kiulian, David Krueger, Krueger, Aaron Mok Organizations: US State Department, Service, US Department of State, The State Department, United States, Google, Publicly, Penn Engineering, PlayStation, Cambridge University Locations: United, Iran

☆ Trump appeals New York civil fraud loss as $454 million judgment grows with each day he doesn't pay up
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Michael R. Sisak | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewNEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has appealed his $454 million New York civil fraud judgment, challenging a judge's finding that Trump lied about his wealth as he grew the real estate empire that launched him to stardom and the presidency. Trump's lawyers wrote in court papers that they're asking the appeals court to decide whether Engoron "committed errors of law and/or fact" and whether he abused his discretion and/or his jurisdiction. Among other penalties, the judge put strict limitations on the ability of Trump's company, the Trump Organization, to do business. Engoron ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties, but with interest the total has grown to nearly $454 million. If Trump is unsuccessful at the Appellate Division, he can ask the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, to consider taking his case.

Persons: —, — Donald Trump, Trump, Arthur Engoron's, Letitia James, Engoron, Eric, Donald Trump Jr, schemed, Engoron's, Trump's, Christopher Kise, untethered, Alina Habba, Habba, Arthur Engoron, Shannon Stapleton, James, Democrat Joe Biden, Stormy Daniels, E, Jean Carroll, defaming, Carroll Organizations: Service, Business, Trump Organization, Trump, ABC, . New, Reuters, Division, D.C, Democrat Locations: York, New York, Engoron's, Georgia, Washington, Florida, Manhattan

☆ From doubter to devotee: How New York’s Elise Stefanik emerged as a top Trump ally
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Stefanik has often explained it herself: She saw Trump’s popularity in her upstate New York district and got on board. That first impeachment proceeding made her a “Republican star,” as Trump himself said at the time. When there was a nationwide baby formula shortage in 2022, Stefanik blamed the “White House, House Dems, & usual pedo grifters” on social media. One upset donor told CNN in 2023 that he gave to Santos “because of Elise Stefanik’s endorsement.” Stefanik frequently denied any previous knowledge of his Santos’ history. “The American people stand with President Trump,” Stefanik wrote, “against the unethical, unconstitutional, and unprecedented weaponization of the judicial system.”CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this story.

Persons: –, Donald Trump –, Elise Stefanik, Trump’s, ”, Stefanik, Trump’s staunchest, Joe Biden’s, Claudine Gay, she’d, Paul Ryan, Trump, she’s, MAGA, “, ” Stefanik, Kevin McCarthy, Ohio Sen, J.D, Kari Lake, Kristi Noem, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Nikki Haley, Vance, Ben Carson, Jim Jordan of, Florida’s Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon, Vivek Ramaswamy, ’, he’s, Nancy Pelosi, ” “, George Santos, Santos “, Elise Stefanik’s, Santos, Letitia James, Alayna Treene Organizations: CNN, Donald Trump – New York, Republican, GOP, Yorker, Harvard University, Time Magazine, Trump, California Rep, Ohio, South Dakota Gov, Arkansas Gov, White House, Conservative Political, Conference, Former South Carolina Gov, Trump Republicans, New, House Dems, ” “, New York Republican, New York Times, Washington and New York, Congress, New York, Trump’s Locations: “, America, alma mater, New York, Vance , Arizona, South, Washington, Lake, Jim Jordan of Ohio, detractor, Lago, vouching, Washington and New, Florida

☆ Here's everything you need to know about Gemini 1.5, Google's newly updated AI model that hopes to challenge OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In Gemini 1.5, improvements to the new tech are leaps and bounds above what the original Gemini can do. Gemini 1.5 Pro's context window capacity, however, can handle up to 1 million tokens. Gemini 1.5 is also getting better at generating good responses from super-long queries, without a user needing to spend much additional time fine-tuning their queries. Google says that in rolling out Gemini 1.5, it underwent extensive ethics and safety testing to greenlight it for wider release. The tech company has conducted research on AI safety risks and has developed techniques to mitigate potential harm.

Persons: —, Sundar Pichai, Demis Hassabis, OpenAI's, Febrary, MoE Organizations: Service, Google, Gemini

In addition to the $355 million penalty — payback of what the judge deemed “ill-gotten gains” from his spurious financial statements — Trump is required to pay interest on that amount. James’ office calculates that, to date, Trump owes an additional $98.6 million in interest, bringing his total penalty to $453.5 million. Trump used $170 million of the $375 million to pay off a loan on the property. — $60 million, plus interest, from selling the rights to manage a New York City golf course in June 2023. Trump testified that regardless of what his financial statements said, banks did their own due diligence and would’ve qualified him for the loans anyway.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, ”, Arthur Engoron, Letitia James, who’s, Trump, who's, Friday's, what's, Engoron, James ’, Allen Weisselberg, Jeffrey McConney, — Trump, Eric, Donald Trump Jr, Donald Jr, untethered, ” Trump, Christopher Kise, would’ve, James, Engoron’s, Barbara Jones, Michael Cohen, Cohen, —, Forbes, Trump “, ” Engoron, Michael Cohen's Organizations: Republican, Trump, Trump Organization, longtime Trump Organization, TRUMP, New, Deutsche, Trump International Hotel, Waldorf, Bally's Corporation, Trump Organization finance, Division, Democrat Locations: New York, New, Manhattan, Lago, Florida, Miami, Chicago, Washington, New York City, Engoron’s, York, Trump

Veteran Wall Street executive Omeed Malik is planning to raise over $3 million and donate at least $100,000 in support of Donald Trump's campaign, the latest backer of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' failed bid to help the former president. Malik plans to raise at least $3 million for Trump's campaign for president, an advisor to him told CNBC. That's the same amount he raised for DeSantis' 2022 gubernatorial campaign. The advisor was granted anonymity to describe private efforts to help Trump.

Persons: Omeed Malik, Donald Trump's, Ron DeSantis, Malik, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Weil, Joe ] Biden, Trump, Tucker, He's, PublicSquare, DeSantis Organizations: Wall, Florida Gov, Farvahar Partners, Democrat, Republicans, of Foreign Relations, Bank of America, Manges LLP, Trump voters, Amazon, CNBC Locations: Florida, New York City

☆ Can Germany’s sputtering economy be revived in 2024?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Europe’s biggest economy shrank last year for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. And the outlook isn’t much brighter: the International Monetary Fund predicts that Germany will be the slowest-growing major economy in 2024, eking out an increase of just 0.5%. “Germany needs a fundamental economic transformation,” Marcel Fratzcher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin, told CNN. Carsten Koall/Getty ImagesHomegrown troublesAlongside an external environment that has become more hostile to Germany’s outward-facing economy, the country’s internal political climate has worsened. Businesses such as these, which can find new markets and applications for their know-how, may hold the key to reviving Germany’s moribund economy.

Persons: What’s, ” Marcel Fratzcher, ”, Carsten Brzeski, Jens Schlueter, Constanze Stelzenmuller, Christian Lindner, Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck, Carsten Koall, Michael Probst, Karl Haeusgen, ” Sebastian Shukla, Chris Stern Organizations: London CNN — Trains, Lufthansa, International Monetary Fund, European Union, European Commission, German Institute for Economic Research, CNN, ING, Brookings Institution, Volkswagen, Biden, Free Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party and, Green Party, Deutsche, LinkedIn, Investors, SAP, chipmaker Infineon, Intel, MAN Energy Solutions, Germany’s Machinery, Equipment Manufacturers Association Locations: Europe’s, Germany, Ukraine, Berlin, Europe, China, Zwickau, United States, Russia, “, Japan, masse, Frankfurt, ”, Hamburg, Jungheinrich, Augsburg, Munich, Esbjerg, Denmark

☆ Modi’s ‘divine India’ vision threatens to marginalize millions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“(Today) is the beginning of a new time cycle,” Modi said at the new temple honoring Hindu deity Lord Ram. “After centuries of waiting, our Ram has arrived.”Modi’s vision of a “divine India” is a far cry from the ideas of the modern country’s founding fathers. “India becomes a de facto Hindu nation, where the task of building national Hindu religious symbols falls to the state. And he reiterated his party’s desire to build the Ram Temple on the contested holy site. Hindu groups have for decades claimed the Mughals destroyed Hindu temples, building mosques and other monuments in their place.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, ” Modi, Lord Ram, “, Ram, ”, Gilles Verniers, officiates, ‘, Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani, Modi’s, ” Modi fasted, ” Narendra Modi, Prakash Singh, Pratishtha ”, –, Sunita Viswanath, “ Modi, tramples what’s, Ravi Agrawal, it’s, Babar, Douglas E, Curran, ” Agrawal, Ritesh Shukla, Aurangzeb, “ Aurangzeb, Policy’s Agrawal, Gilles Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Centre for Policy Research, Bloomberg, Getty, Indian, Human Rights, India’s, Ram Locations: Ayodhya, “, India, New Delhi, Babri, Delhi, India’s, Jammu, Kashmir, South Asia, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Varanasi

☆ For Thomas Hirschhorn, Handmade Art Keeps Us Human
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Travis Diehl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gladstone Gallery looks like a war zone, the aftermath of a Call of Duty gaming session gone bad, the virtual gunmen downing Red Bull and chain smoking over their keyboards, until a bomb came through the roof. Energy drink cans made of tinfoil and mounds of cigarettes fashioned from plastic foam litter the paper desktops. The cardboard monitors, many of them spiderwebbed with cuts, sport color printouts of screenshots from first-person shooters and photos of unnamed but real war-torn cities. The installation, “Fake It, Fake It — Till You Fake It,” features plenty of charming, even funny details, like a box of plastic foam pizza slices or a couple of “I Heart NY” mugs. Hirschhorn warns of the weaponization of artificial intelligence and social media, represented by virtual forms of war — news feeds and games alike.

Persons: Gladstone, Thomas Hirschhorn Organizations: Red Bull, Energy Locations: Swiss

☆ Opinion: Here’s who won’t be Trump’s VP
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Opinion Dean Obeidallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The Donald Trump vice presidential reality selection show is heating up, with pundits laying out lists of possible people Trump might choose. They range from South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott, to Ohio Sen. JD Vance, to even former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Trump won’t select a running mate who will help expand his voting base, as he did in 2016 when he named then-Indiana Gov. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/APWith those type of schemes, Trump needs a vice president who will not push back like Pence did. In fact, there’s plenty of time for the other contestants vying to be Trump’s VP pick to debase themselves with public displays of affection.

Persons: Dean Obeidallah, Donald Trump, Trump, South Carolina GOP Sen, Tim Scott, Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Tucker Carlson, Mike Pence, Pence, Joe Biden’s, Biden, didn’t, Trump’s, ”, —, Elise Stefanik, Pablo Martinez Monsivais, policeofficers, ” Stefanik, Liz Cheney, Scott, Nikki Haley —, “, Kari Lake, won’t Organizations: CNN, South Carolina GOP, Fox News, Dean Obeidallah CNN, Trump, Indiana Gov, Foreign Affairs, GOP, Capitol, Electoral, of Justice, “, House Republican, Team Trump New, New York GOP, Twitter Locations: South, Ohio, Team Trump New Hampshire, Manchester, NH, New York, New Hampshire, Arizona, United States

☆ Florida allies back down on $5 million in state funds for Trump's legal bills after DeSantis threatens to veto
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewOne of Florida's highest-profile billionaires will no longer get state funds to help pay his legal fees, as a newly proposed bill from his allies unraveled on Monday. In 2022, the state spent $13.015 million in matching funds given out to candidates, including Gov. The new bill would modify the existing restrictions on releasing state funds to eligible presidential candidates who live in Florida. AdvertisementPayments for candidates' legal fees through the fund would be replenished by voluntary taxpayer donations collected through driver's license registrations. He claimed late last year that he has racked up $100 million in legal fees, The Hill reported.

Persons: —, unraveled, Donald Trump, Florida State Sen, Ileana Garcia, Jimmy Patronis —, Trump, DeSantis, Ron DeSantis, kkc2yyqVK0, Garcia, @JimmyPatronis, Patronis, wieqYQ8Woq — Ileana Garcia, We've, — Donald Trump, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Fighters, state's Department of Financial Services, Florida State, Florida's, Bloomberg, Trump, Florida Republican, Fighters Fund, Free, Sunshine State, White, Gov, Department of Financial Services, Forbes Locations: Florida, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Free State of Florida, Citrus County

The idea of using Russia's frozen assets is gaining new traction lately as continued allied funding for Ukraine becomes more uncertain and the U.S. Congress is in a stalemate over providing more support. Bipartisan legislation circulating in Washington called the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act would use assets confiscated from the Russian Central Bank and other sovereign assets for Ukraine. Belgium, which is holding the rotating presidency of the European Union bloc for the next six months, is now leading the talks on whether to seize Russia's assets. Belgium is also the country where most frozen Russian assets under sanctions are being held. Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cautioned that if Ukraine's immediate needs aren't met, “no amount of seized Russian assets is unfortunately going to compensate for what may happen."

Persons: — It's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “ Putin, ”, ” Biden, Penny Pritzker, “, Nicholas Mulder, Vladimir Putin, Shalanda Young, ” Young, ” Sergey Aleksashenko, Treasuries —, Konstantin Malofeyev, Alexander De Croo, De Croo, Maria Snegovaya, aren't, Ellen Knickmeyer, Lisa Mascaro, Seung Min Kim, Zeke Miller, Aamer, Sam Petrequin, Jamey Keaton Organizations: WASHINGTON, Russian Central Bank, U.S ., U.S, ., ”, Ukraine, Russia, Cornell University, Washington, Russia's Central Bank, White, Management, Russian Central Banker, Russian, Justice Department, State Department, European Union, Belgian, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Associated Press Locations: United States, Ukraine, Davos, Switzerland, Ukrainian, Washington, “, America, Russia, Russian, U.S, China, Frankfurt, Belgium, Brussels

☆ Analysis: How Iowa became a chaotic curtain-raiser for a fateful political year
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Des Moines, Iowa CNN —The storied history of the Iowa caucuses has never seen anything like this. Haley: ‘The fellas are scared’Unlike DeSantis, Haley isn’t wagering her campaign on Iowa. Icicles hang from the roof as people arrive for a Haley campaign event at the Thunder Bay Grille on January 13, 2024, in Davenport, Iowa. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesYet Iowa has has raised existential questions for the DeSantis campaign. And time is short, because the Iowa campaign is ending just as it began — with the former president on top.

Persons: shivers, Donald Trump, they’re, ”, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Iowans, ” Trump, Trump, –, DeSantis, Haley, Chris Christie’s, she’d, Vivek Ramaswamy, Xi Jinping, Nigel Farage, “, ” –, patriotically, we’re, caucusgoers, Ramaswamy, —, Haley slugged, admonitions, Judge Arthur Engoron, Sharon Mancero, ” Mancero, Mancero, Joe Biden, he’s, Clinton, ‘, Haley isn’t, She’s, ” Haley, Will Hurd —, Trump —, That’s, Win McNamee, that’s, George W, Bush, “ We’re, Mark Harris, Haley’s, Lovisa, Swede, ” Tedestedt, Chip Roy, Louis, Stanley, Chip Somodevilla, Joel Rudman, “ I’ve, ” Rudman, It’s, ” DeSantis, Biden, it’s, ” CNN’s Kit Maher, Veronica Stracqualursi Organizations: Des Moines , Iowa CNN, House, Former South Carolina Gov, Trump, Trump –, New, New Jersey Gov, “ Trump, Iowa Republicans, Capitol, Iowa, Des Moines Register, NBC, Republican, GOP, Republicans, Des Moines, Senate, CNN, New York Stock Exchange, Social Security, Jimmy Centers, Iowa Republican, South Carolina, Former Texas GOP, “, White House, Ankeny, Haley, America, South Carolina Republican, Texas, Florida Panhandle, Centers Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, Iowa, week’s, Hampshire, Florida, New York, Washington, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Sioux City, New Jersey, British, Indianola, Clinton , Iowa, DeSantis, Des, Fox, Wall, Manhattan, New Hampshire, Cedar Falls, Ankeny, South, Davenport , Iowa, Granite, St, Hubbard , Iowa

☆ Pastor Indicted With Trump in Georgia Asks Evangelical Supporters for Help
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Richard Fausset | More About Richard Fausset | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Stephen C. Lee is one of the lesser-known figures indicted with former President Donald J. Trump in Fulton County, Ga., on charges of unlawfully conspiring to keep Mr. Trump in power after the 2020 election. But on Thursday night at an evangelical church near Chicago, dozens of people held their arms aloft and prayed over Pastor Lee at a fund-raiser where he was portrayed as an American hero — and a victim of religious persecution. “We’re going to be talking about the weaponization of government against religion,” Gary S. Franchi, Jr., a host on a conservative online news channel, declared from the pulpit at Families of Faith Ministries in Channahon, Ill., at the start of the event. “We’re going to be supporting ‘America’s chaplain,’ and religious liberty, here tonight.”Pastor Lee, 71, is a former law enforcement officer who became a Lutheran minister and currently leads a small church in Orland Park, Ill. He says he has offered spiritual support to police officers and victims after some of the worst American tragedies of the last quarter-century, including the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado and the Sept. 11 attack in New York.

Persons: Stephen C, Lee, Donald J, Trump, Pastor Lee, —, “ We’re, Gary S, Franchi, Jr, ‘, ” Pastor Lee Organizations: Faith Ministries, Columbine High School Locations: Fulton County ,, Chicago, American, Channahon ,, Orland Park, Colorado, New York

☆ Chatty Trump, on the witness stand, is a tangent machine: 'Control him,' judge begs his lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Laura Italiano | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"Control your client," the judge told Trump's lawyer just a half-hour in. During heated exchanges that included the former president railing about the Democratic plot against him, the judge begged Trump's lawyers to control him. Within a half hour, the judge asked Trump's lead lawyer, Christopher Kise, for the first of three times to control him. Engoron asked. Engoron asked Trump's lawyer.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, —, Donald Trump's, Arthur Engoron, George Washington, Trump's, Christopher Kise, Alina Habba, Habba, Engoron, Kise, Wallace, Kevin C, Letitia James, James Organizations: Service, Democratic, New, Trump, New York, Deutsche Bank Locations: New York

☆ Australia-China: After seven years of strain, leader Albanese heads to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Stakes are high for the four-day visit, which begins on Saturday and will see Albanese meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang and make stops in Beijing and Shanghai. Albanese’s trip also carries symbolic overtones, marking 50 years since the first official visit by an Australian leader to Communist China after the two countries established ties. James Bugg/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesUS relations loomAlbanese is heading to Beijing less than two weeks after he met with US President Joe Biden in Washington. As he aims to repair ties with China, Albanese will need to walk a line between these interests and China’s suspicions about the aims of these blocs, analysts say. “Beijing came to learn that the weaponization of trade did not force a close US ally to back down,” said Collinson.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Scott Morrison’s, Jingdong Yuan, ”, Cheng Lei, Yang Hengjun, Yang, ” Albanese, Elena Collinson, teeters, ” Collinson, James Bugg, Joe Biden, “ Albanese, Yuan, Xi, Biden, Collinson, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Foreign Ministry, University of Sydney, Reuters, Huawei, Albanese’s Labor, Canberra, Albanese’s, University of Technology Sydney’s, China Relations Institute, Trans, Pacific, Bloomberg, Getty, Albanese, China, China - Asia Security, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Economic Cooperation, Australia Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Australia, Washington, Seoul, Communist China, Asia, Pacific, Darwin, Pacific Islands, South, University of Technology Sydney’s Australia, Europe, Yarra, Victoria, South China, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Sydney, Stockholm, San Fransisco

☆ Hunter Biden decries GOP lawmakers, media for 'weaponization of my addiction' amid probes, criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, arrives at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, on Thursday denounced congressional Republicans and right-wing media figures for using his well-known history of drug abuse to attack his father and launch "fruitless" investigations. "My struggles and my mistakes have been fodder for a vile and sustained disinformation campaign against him, and an all-out annihilation of my reputation through high-pitched but fruitless congressional investigations," the younger Biden wrote. The charges stem from him "possessing an unloaded gun for 11 days five years ago," Biden wrote, adding they "appear to be the first-ever of their kind brought in the history of Delaware." Biden pleaded not guilty last month to a three-count indictment in the case in a U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Lesley J, McNair, Biden, Hunter Organizations: Republicans, USA Today, Republican Locations: Washington ,, USA, Delaware, U.S, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Q&A: White House AI advisor says US is 'catching up' to the tech, as Biden's new executive order demands transparency for the world's biggest AI models
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

President Biden just signed an executive order regarding the development and use of AI technology. The broad executive order touches on more than a dozen possible uses of AI and generative AI that already are, or could in the future, directly impact people's lives. The size threshold is so high that currently most available models do not meet the criteria for further transparency called for in Biden's executive order. Although all of the major tech companies earlier this year agreed to adhere to standards of responsibility and training in their AI work. Do you think AI is in a hype cycle, and everybody's overreacting to what it's going to mean?

Persons: Biden, Ben Buchanan, —, Buchanan, Andrew Bosworth, We're, everybody's, Ben, Kali Hays Organizations: Service, White, Office of Science, Technology, Monday, Meta, Google, Microsoft, National Institute of Standards, Biden White House, Department of Commerce . Technology, Atomic Energy, Defense, EO Locations: United States, khays@insider.com

☆ These are the House Republicans running for speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Jack Forrest | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The high-stakes race for House speaker enters a new phase this week, with a slate of new candidates vying for the gavel following Rep. Jim Jordan’s exit from the race. The former National Republican Congressional Committee chairman was first elected to Congress in 2014 and became majority whip earlier this year. Bergman is a member of the House Armed Services Committee where he chairs the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee. Scott, who represents Georgia’s 8th Congressional District, serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Armed Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. Johnson sits on the House Judiciary Committee, Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government and on the House Armed Services Committee.

Persons: Jim Jordan’s, Kevin McCarthy, Tom Emmer Emmer, ” McCarthy, “ He’s, Tom, ”, ” Emmer, Donald Trump, Emmer, Kevin Hern The, Hern, McCarthy, Jack Bergman Bergman, –, Bergman, Austin Scott The, Austin Scott The Georgia Republican –, Scott, Byron Donalds The, ” Donalds, Francis Rooney, Donalds, Mike Johnson The, ” Johnson, Johnson, Pete Sessions, Colin Allred, Sessions, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Ukraine –, Dan Meuser, Elise Stefanik, Meuser, Tom Corbett, Gary Palmer Palmer, Palmer, Steve Scalise Organizations: CNN, Republicans, GOP, Minnesota Republican, Press, Caucus, National Republican, Minnesota, Financial Services, Rep, Kevin Hern The Oklahoma Republican, Republican, Committee, McDonalds, Small Business, US Marines, Michigan’s, House Armed, Austin Scott The Georgia Republican, Jordan, California Republican, University of Georgia, Congressional, Intelligence, House Armed Services Committee, Agriculture, Byron Donalds The Florida Republican, Freedom Caucus, GOP Rep, Florida’s, Florida State University, Mike Johnson The Louisiana Republican, House Republican, House GOP, Federal Government, Pete Sessions Sessions, Texas, ”, Sessions, Trump, Pennsylvania Republican, Gov, Alabama’s, Energy, Commerce Locations: Michigan, Austin Scott The Georgia, Ohio, California, Georgia, Florida, Mike Johnson The Louisiana, House, Dallas, Waco , Texas, Ukraine, Pennsylvania, Alabama

Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThe disdain for Congress is just one area where Americans say they are losing faith. Various polls say the negative feelings include a loss of confidence or interest in institutions such as organized religion, policing, the Supreme Court, even banking. “Trust in institutions has deteriorated substantially,” said Kay Schlozman, professor of political science at Boston College. Just 3% have a great deal of confidence in Congress, virtually unchanged from March. The polling reinforces that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say their confidence in the Supreme Court is low.

Persons: —, They’re, ”, Christopher Lauff, Joe Biden, “ We’re, Lauff, Kay Schlozman, Schlozman, Democratic Sen, Robert Menendez, Kevin McCarthy, Democrat Joe Biden —, Donald Trump, Rick Cartelli, Cartelli, Biden, “, Robert F, Kennedy, Kathleen Kersey, Brian Kemp, there’s, Ronald Reagan's, ” David Bateman, Barack Obama’s, Bateman, Trump, Chris Wray, ” Bateman Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S ., “, Boston College, Democratic, Robert Menendez of New, Republicans, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Democrat, Justice Department, AP, Kennedy Human Rights, Republican, Trust, Pentagon, Cornell University, Gallup, FBI, Trump Locations: U.S, Fargo , North Dakota, Ukraine, —, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, That’s, Rocky Hill , Connecticut, Brunswick , Georgia

To win, he'll need support from nearly every House Republicans, having few votes to spare in a chamber they only narrowly control. “One person says disruption," Jordan told The Associated Press in 2017. That helped him land a coaching job at Ohio State University before his election to the Ohio legislature in the mid 1990s. I never saw, never, heard of, never was told about any kind of abuse,” Jordan told Fox News in 2018, suggesting that the allegations against him were politically motivated. Jordan repeatedly cast doubt on the outcome of the contest while organizing the House Republican response.

Persons: Jim Jordan, John Boehner, he'd, Boehner, Jordan, Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Jordan speakership, Liz Cheney, ” Cheney, ” Jordan, “, Bob Taft, —, Richard Strauss, Strauss, ” Adam DiSabato, DiSabato, “ Jim Jordan, “ He’s, Polly, I’m, ’ ”, Matt Huffman, Joe Biden, Biden, corruptly, Trump, Scott Perry, Bryan Cutler, Mike Pence, Cassidy Hutchinson, Mark Meadows, ” Trump, Hutchinson Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Republican Party, Republican, Republicans, Capitol, Ohio State University, Associated Press, University of Wisconsin, GOP, Republican Gov, Caucus, Ohio State, Fox News, Congress, Trump, White, Committee, House Intelligence, ” Locations: “, Dayton, Ohio, Columbus, Congress, Washington, Russia, House, Pennsylvania

☆ Jeff Landry wins Louisiana governorship, flipping the state for Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Alexandra Marquez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry testifies during the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government hearing on March 30, 2023. Democrats' two-term hold on the governorship of Louisiana will come to an end next year after Republican state Attorney General Jeff Landry won the seat Saturday by capturing a majority in an all-party primary. ET, running far ahead on a ballot that featured 16 candidates, including Democrats, independents and Republicans. The victory precedes two more red state governor's elections this fall, including one in which Republicans hope to flip a seat. He was also endorsed by Edwards, the state Democratic Party and Democratic Rep.

Persons: Jeff Landry, Landry, Andy Beshear, Tate Reeves, Shawn Wilson, Donald Trump, Wilson, Stephen Waguespack, John Bel Edwards, Trump, Sen, Bill Cassidy, Steve Scalise, Clay Higgins, Mike Johnson, Edwards, Troy Carter, Joe Biden Organizations: Federal Government, Republican, Associated Press, Democratic, Republican Gov, Democratic Gov, GOP, Democratic Party, Democratic Rep, Republican Governors Association Locations: Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi

☆ Global central banks are hoarding gold like never before as they seek to reduce 'overconcentration' of dollar reserves
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Anil Varma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Global central banks have been buying record amounts of gold as they seek to diversify reserves away from the dollar. "We expect central banks to continue their role as net purchasers of gold," according to the head of gold strategy at State Street. AdvertisementAdvertisementGlobal central banks have been snapping up record amounts of gold since the start of 2022 - a trend that should continue as countries look to move away from an "overconcentration" of reserves in the dollar, according to State Street Global Advisors. In addition to reserve diversification, the trend is also driven by central banks' desire to strengthen balance sheets and increase liquidity without adding credit risk, according to the firm. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Therefore, as we look ahead, we expect central banks to continue their role as net purchasers of gold," he added.

Persons: —, Maxwell Gold, Vladimir Putin Organizations: State, Service, Street Global Advisors, Society, Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications, Force Locations: China, Russia, Iran, India, Indonesia

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