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☆ Why have US Republicans opened an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

WHAT IS AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY? An impeachment inquiry is a formal step that can precede a House vote on whether to approve articles of impeachment and eventually a trial in the Senate. It did not hold a full impeachment inquiry before bringing impeachment charges in the final weeks of Trump's presidency following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Weiss has said prosecutors will seek to indict Hunter Biden on tax and gun charges by Sept. 29. The criminal prosecution could mean Hunter Biden may face a trial while his father is campaigning for reelection.

Persons: Joe Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Hunter, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Trump's, acquit Trump, David Weiss, Raskin, Ian Sams, Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, Jamie Raskin, Archer, McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Dick Durbin, HUNTER BIDEN, Weiss, Hunter Biden's, Makini Brice, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: World Trade, Joint Base Elmendorf, REUTERS, . House, Republicans, Democratic, Senate, Republican, Constitution, Capitol, Justice, Trump ., Committee, Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Richardson, Anchorage , Alaska, U.S, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine stopped Russian cruise missiles from taking out a cargo ship in the Black Sea as Putin tries to 'weaponize food,' UK says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian forces fired two Kalibr cruise missiles at a cargo ship in the Black Sea last month. Turkish-flagged bulker TQ Samsun, carrying grain under UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative, transits Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey July 18, 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine has tried to remedy the threat by establishing a protected shipping corridor to allow for safe transit through dangerous Black Sea waters. But news of the attempt to deliberately attack the Liberian-flagged cargo ship represents a deadly escalation. Emergency service personnel work at the site of a destroyed building after a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, Thursday, July 20, 2023.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Yoruk Isik, Vladimir Putin, James, Putin's Organizations: Service, Sea Fleet, Liberian, REUTERS, Russia, AP, Royal Air Force Locations: Moscow, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Ukrainian, Odesa, Samsun, Istanbul, Turkey, Palau

☆ Europe has dodged Putin’s gas bullet. But it’s still thirsty for cheap energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

For Europe, energy security has always been a trade-off: Cheap, imported energy comes with the risk of dependency on the countries from which it originates. Europe had an especially mild winter while governments and citizens made a concerted effort to use less gas. Despite these efforts, officials and analysts are fearful that however impressive these advancements have been, Europe’s energy is far from secure in the long term. And when it comes to energy security, dependency ultimately brings us back to that classic trade-off: economics versus risk. China is not the only threat when it comes to energy security in Europe.

Persons: guzzled, Vladimir Putin, –, Sean Gallup, Koen van Weel, ”, Milan Elkerbout, Kevin Frayer, Ursula von der Leyen, Von der, Adam Bell, it’s, Ursula von der, Yves Herman, Velina Tchakarova, ” Tchakarova Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, European Union, EU, Getty, Center for European Policy Studies, China . Workers, China Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Moscow, European, Lubmin, Germany, Port, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Qatar, Nigeria, China, Huainan, Anhui province, Brussels, Beijing, Belgium, Taiwan, cyberattacks . China, Saudi Arabia, Khazakstan, Libya

(AP) — An Arkansas attorney and blogger has filed a lawsuit against the Arkansas State Police that accuses the agency of illegally withholding public records he requested related to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' travel and security. The requests included communications regarding the security for Sanders and her husband, Bryan Sanders, and records regarding their costs. Campbell also requested communications and travel records for the State Police plane, which the governor uses for travel, and records related to Sanders’ trade mission to Europe earlier this year. They include an exemption for the governor's “working papers,” and another regarding records related to governor's mansion security.

Persons: —, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Matthew Campbell, Sanders, Bryan Sanders, Campbell, “ Rather, ” Sanders, “, Alexa Henning Organizations: Arkansas State Police, Gov, State Police, ASP, FOIA Locations: — An Arkansas, Europe, Arkansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is worried about the safety of chemical facilities across the country after its power to keep dangerous substances out of the hands of extremists lapsed a month ago. Homeland Security officials say this left gaping holes in the country's national security, and they are calling on Congress to act quickly when it returns this week. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, which falls under DHS, then determines whether the facility is considered high risk and therefore must develop a security plan. Congress gave the department the authority to begin the chemical security program in 2006, and it went into effect the following year. Homeland Security officials say the program's lapse has left them without a vital security tool.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, ”, Kelly Murray, Sen, Rand Paul, Paul, ” Paul, there's, Murray, she's, reauthorized, they're, Matt Fridley, “ They’re, Scott Jensen Organizations: WASHINGTON, Department of Homeland Security, Chemical, Homeland Security, Homeland, Chemical Security, Infrastructure Security Agency, DHS, Congress, Kentucky Republican, & Infrastructure Security Agency, American Chemistry Council Locations: Virginia, Kentucky

☆ Disney firefighters push back against DeSantis board appointees over decision to end free park passes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Disney firefighters are upset over the loss of free park passes, a perk they had long cherished. one firefighter told the DeSantis-crafted board last week. Ron DeSantis created the board to take the place of the existing district. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe board's stance has put the firefighters in a frustrating dilemma, as they once welcomed DeSantis' takeover of the tax district. In lieu of the passes, Garcia indicated that the Central Florida district was poised to give employees a roughly $1,400 pay bump.

Persons: what's, DeSantis, Ron DeSantis, Pete Simon, Aaron Clark, Ricky Clark, Martin Garcia, Garcia Organizations: Disney, Service, Walt Disney, Improvement, Central, Republican Gov, Associated Press, DeSantis Locations: Wall, Silicon, Orlando, Central Florida, Reedy

☆ Opinion | When Great Power Conflict and Climate Action Collide
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It also processes the bulk of the so-called critical minerals, like lithium, cobalt and graphite, that are essential to building out clean energy technologies. There is no clean energy revolution without China. What would happen if China decided to weaponize its clean energy resources in the same way Russia recently weaponized its oil and gas? Is it possible for the U.S. to end its energy dependency on China by investing in clean energy at home? Bordoff is the founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and a former senior director for energy and climate change for the National Security Council under Barack Obama.

Persons: “, Ezra Klein, Jason Bordoff, Meghan O’Sullivan, Barack Obama, O’Sullivan, George W, Bush Organizations: Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google, Center, Global Energy, Columbia University, National Security, Belfer Center for Science, International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School Locations: China, Russia

☆ Gaslighting: What it really is and how to address it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The concept of gaslighting originated from the 1944 film “Gaslight” and the 1938 play on which it was based. Signs you’re being gaslitThere are other common misconceptions about the nature of gaslighting, experts said. What pushes these behaviors into gaslighting territory has to do with what the person you’re dealing with says and their intentions behind it. The degree to which a person gaslights someone else can vary, but gaslighting is always emotional abuse, whether intentional or not, experts said. Talking to a therapist can help you get an objective perspective and see more clearly any signs of gaslighting behavior and psychological abuse, Kennedy said.

Persons: Jonah Hill, Sarah Brady, Webster, we’re, ‘, ”, Vanessa Kennedy, Monica Vermani, Gaslighting, ” Vermani, —, Vermani, Kennedy, “, she’s, ” Kennedy, — that’s, don’t, Duygu Balan, ” Balan, gaslighting, I’m, ’ ” Kennedy Organizations: CNN, Merriam Locations: Texas, Canada, San Francisco Bay

☆ Russia is playing risky games with its exploding drones, attacking Ukrainian ports only a couple hundred meters from NATO territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russian forces have been routinely attacking Ukraine's southern cities and ports in recent weeks. Western intelligence says Russia has "evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near" NATO. But these attacks have also crept toward NATO territory, something Western officials have warned of since the 17-month-long war began. It added that the Iranian-made drones have landed as close as 650 feet from the Romania border, "suggesting that Russia has evolved its risk appetite for conducting strikes near NATO territory." Meanwhile, the bombardment near Romania comes as some NATO countries worry that Russian allies are encroaching on NATO territory to the northwest of Ukraine.

Persons: Nina Liashenko, Reni, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Wagner, John Kirby, We're Organizations: NATO, Service, Russian, Twitter, AS, REUTERS, White, National Security Locations: Romania, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine's, Moscow, Ukraine, Romanian, Izmail, China, Israel, russia, Russian, Odesa, Belarus, Minsk, Poland, Lithuania

☆ Bill Barr, on a mission to stop Trump, still might vote for him
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Bill Barr was the attorney general under Trump and says the former president should not be anywhere near the Oval Office. BARR: “No, I really don’t think that’s a valid argument, because, as the indictment says, they’re not attacking his First Amendment right. So, free speech doesn’t give you the right to engage in a fraudulent conspiracy.”Did Trump know he lost the election? And in terms of his personal ethics, I think there’s some red flags there that I think people should be paying attention to. I don’t think he’s morally superior, necessarily, to Trump.”Are you doing interviews like this to make sure Trump is not the nominee?

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Joe Biden’s, Biden, CNN’s Jennifer Agiesta, Ariel Edwards, Levy, don’t, Bill Barr, Barr, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Collins, BARR, “, they’re, Jack Smith, Trump’s, Steve, Bannon, Roger, Stone, ’ –, I’ve, it’s, Smith, You’ve, there’s, – Organizations: CNN, Trump, Republican, GOP, Republicans, Justice Department, Justice, “, America, Department, Republican Party Locations: Republican, Florida , Georgia, Virginia

☆ Opinion: Trump has dug himself into the deepest possible hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Opinion Michael Gerhardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Trump has now been indicted on nearly 80 felony counts and has dug himself into the deepest possible hole. Michael Gerhardt Deborah R. GerhardtThe ramifications of these charges for Trump and the country are enormous. But the third indictment goes further — for the first time — by charging Trump with criminal attempts to undermine American democracy. Each set of indictments tests the country’s commitment to the rule of law, which is the foundation of our democracy. In contrast, as each set of indictments shows, there is an abundance of actual evidence of Trump’s misconduct.

Persons: Michael Gerhardt, Burton Craige, Donald Trump’s, Jack Smith’s, Michael Gerhardt Deborah R, Gerhardt, Trump, Bill Barr, Barr, Jason Miller, ”, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Biden, “ you’ll, Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson, Will Hurd, Theodore Roosevelt, “, fuming Organizations: University of North Carolina School of Law, CNN, Capitol, Trump, Trump’s, Justice Department, Electoral, Republican Party, New, New Jersey Gov, Arkansas Gov, Republican, Twitter Locations: Manhattan, Trump, New Jersey, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Atlanta, Michigan, Arizona

☆ Who are the Trump co-conspirators in the 2020 election interference indictment?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN, however, can identify five of the six co-conspirators based on quotes in the indictment and other context. They include:Co-Conspirator 1 is former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Among other things, the indictment quotes from a voicemail that Co-Conspirator 1 left “for a United States Senator” on January 6, 2021. The quotes in the indictment match quotes from Giuliani’s call intended for GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, as reported by CNN and other outlets. The indictment quotes from the memo, and those quotes match a two-page memo that Eastman wrote, as reported and published by CNN.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, ”, GOP Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Ted Goodman, Giuliani, John Eastman, Mike Pence, Eastman, Charles Burnham, ” Burnham, Sidney Powell, Powell, Brian Kemp, Jeffrey Clark, Clark, rebutting Clark’s, Clark ., Kenneth Chesebro, Chesebro Organizations: CNN, United, GOP, Electoral, Eastman, Trump, Georgia ”, Georgia Gov, Justice, Justice Department, Department, Clark, Chesebro Locations: United States, Georgia, Pennsylvania

☆ Disney loses bid to dismiss or pause DeSantis board's state case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A judge on Friday denied Disney 's bid to dismiss or pause a state court lawsuit related to its bitter feud with Florida Gov. Soon after, DeSantis and his allies in the state's GOP-led Legislature moved to dissolve Disney World's special district. The board voted in April to void those deals, and Disney sued in federal court, accusing DeSantis of orchestrating a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power." The CFTOD board countersued days later in state court. In May, Disney asked the court to dismiss that case, arguing in part that it was moot after DeSantis signed additional legislation that voided the company's development contracts.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Disney's, Disney, Margaret Schreiber, Donald Trump's Organizations: Disney, Florida Gov, GOP, Improvement, Central Locations: Orlando, Disney's Orlando, Florida, Central Florida

☆ McCarthy again marches to Trump’s tune by invoking Biden impeachment inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Most importantly for Trump and the House Republicans doing his bidding, it could distract from the legal storm around the former president. After only one presidential impeachment in the first two centuries of US history, Biden’s would be the fourth impeachment in around 25 years if House Republicans follow through. The document contained no proof of the allegations or any evidence Biden took part in his son’s work for the firm. McCarthy had for months deflected calls for the impeachment of Biden from the most radical members of his conference. McCarthy insisted on Tuesday that he was only contemplating an impeachment inquiry – rather than a full-scale drive to an impeachment vote – in the House.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, –, Biden, Trump, McCarthy, Hunter Biden, GOP Sen, Chuck Grassley, “, Christopher Wray, General Merrick Garland, Alejandro Mayorkas, David Weiss, Weiss, we’ve, Don Bacon, it’s, James Comer, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, ”, Utah Sen, Mitt Romney, ” Texas Sen, John Cornyn, ” Cornyn, CNN’s Manu Raju, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, Trump’s, Biden’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, – Biden Organizations: CNN, The, Republican, Fox News, California Republican, GOP, Republicans, Trump, House Republicans, Justice Department, National Defense, Democratic, Homeland, Biden, of Justice, Hunter, White, ”, Kentucky Republican, House, South, ” Republicans, Ukrainian, Capitol Locations: Washington, California, Iowa, Ukrainian, Ukraine, ” Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, ” Texas, South Carolina

Mr. Biden paid the overdue tax bill in 2021. Mr. Weiss’s office has also charged Mr. Biden in connection with the purchase of a handgun in 2018, when Mr. Biden falsely said on a government form that he was not using drugs. But as part of the deal, the Justice Department, under what is known as a pretrial diversion agreement, said it would not prosecute Mr. Biden on the charge as long as Mr. Biden no longer owns a weapon and remains drug free for two years. As president, Mr. Trump, realizing that Mr. Biden was the candidate with the best chance to beat him in 2020, tried to weaponize Hunter Biden’s business dealings against his father. At the height of the 2020 election, Mr. Giuliani and other Trump confidants believed they had an October surprise that would catapult Mr. Trump to re-election when they obtained a cache of files from Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Biden’s, Biden, David C, Weiss, Harris, —, Justice Department meddled, General Merrick B, Garland, Maryellen Noreika, Donald J, Trump, Hunter, Trump’s, Christopher Clark, Mr, Beau, Clark, Obama, Rudolph W, Giuliani Organizations: U.S, Trump, Biden Justice Department, Court, Biden, Republicans, Justice Department, Republican, Obama Locations: Delaware, Wilmington —, Ukraine, Ukrainian

☆ Trump: Why a third indictment of the former president could be such a profound stain on his legacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Smith has not tipped his hand over what charges Trump could face. Former Trump lawyer Ty Cobb told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Tuesday that any potential indictment relating to election interference ought to be viewed as a particularly historic stain. How a new indictment could impact the GOP presidential raceThe possibility of another indictment against Trump also raises new political questions. “If you notice recently, President Trump went up in the polls and was actually surpassing President Biden for reelection. A third indictment would also further fuse Trump’s legal campaign and political one.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith’s, Smith, who’s, –, “, ” Trump, Joe Biden, ”, Trump’s, Ty Cobb, CNN’s Erin Burnett, ” Cobb, J, Michael Luttig, Jack Smith, ” Luttig, Jeffrey Sloman, Dana Nessel, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Ron DeSantis, we’ll, I’ll, ” DeSantis, Nikki Haley, ” Haley, Kevin McCarthy –, Biden, ” McCarthy, he’s, he’d, Hillary, Aileen Cannon, Cannon, David Harbach Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, GOP, Democratic, Congress, Trump, Law, Southern, Southern District of, Democrat, Wolverine State, Florida Gov, ” Former South Carolina Gov, Fox News, Republican, Capitol, Oval, Republican National Convention Locations: Manhattan, Lago, Florida, Iowa, United States, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, ”, Trump’s, Georgia, Trump

☆ Putin’s ruthless power play may not preclude a revival of Ukraine grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Guterres said that he’d sent Russia proposals to keep the grain deal alive but that he was “deeply disappointed” that his efforts went unheeded. The UN chief’s comments reinforced a view that, for now, Russia sees a point of leverage in refusing to renew the Black Sea grain deal. Erdogan won prestige and the gratitude of his fellow NATO leaders and developing nations for brokering the original grain deal. So it may risk damaging its own priorities by triggering widespread food shortages, especially since much of Ukraine’s grain is used in World Food Programs to alleviate famine in Africa. While the end of the grain deal would cause significant global hardship, its worst effects may be weeks away – so there could be time for diplomacy to work.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, Antony Blinken, it’s, ”, There’s, Dmitry Peskov, General António Guterres, Guterres, he’d, “, autocrats — Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, cannily, He’d, Michael Kimmage, ” Kimmage, Kimmage, “ That’s, ” John Kirby, Nicolay Gorbachov, Isa Soares Organizations: CNN, United Nations, NATO, Kremlin, UN, Putin, State Department, Catholic University of America, National Security Council, Ukrainian Grain Association, CNN International Locations: Ukraine, Africa, United States, Crimean, Russian, Turkey, Russia, West, Eurasia, Moscow, Turkish, Europe, Washington

☆ Russia ramps up its economic war with the West as it seizes local operations of 2 corporate giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia escalated its economic war with the West by seizing local operations of Carlsberg and Danone. They marked the second seizures of Western assets since the Kremlin unveiled a decree in April. To slow the exodus of Western firms out of Russia, the Kremlin previously mandated a steep discount for any firms trying to sell their local operations as well as an exit tax. But the recent seizures of Western assets signal a continued escalation in Russia's economic war with the West, which imposed punishing sanctions on Moscow in 2022 for its war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, 523 of the major firms in the study have permanently withdrawn from Russia, while 503 firms have temporarily suspended operations.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Germany's Uniper, Danone Organizations: Carlsberg, Danone, Kremlin, Service, Russian, Carlsberg Group, Danone Russia, Yale School of Management Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Danish, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ The weaponization of the dollar will reverse globalization and kill the WTO, it was warned. That's a real threat today as dedollarization gathers force.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US economic sanctions have spawned something of a global backlash, in the form of the dedollarization movement. This was anticipated as early as 2019, by an expert who warned the weaponization of the dollar could have serious consequences for the global economic system. Back in 2023, dedollarization is a thingFast forward to 2023, and some of the recent rumblings across the global currency and monetary landscape are strikingly in line with Sen's prognostications. All that could come at a huge cost to the global economy – and drive a "complete reversal of global economic integration," he wrote. The dollar's share of global reserves could slowly decline, but no alternatives exist that could completely displace the US currency, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last month.

Persons: Julius Sen, Donald Trump, Sen, prognostications, Emmanuel Macron, Elon Musk, –, optimists, Paul Krugman, Janet Yellen, Putin Organizations: London School of Economics, Service, UN, SWIFT, Allianz, WTO, FX Locations: Wall, Silicon, China, Brazil, Iran, Tehran, Russia, Ukraine, India, Europe

☆ How Trump turned the ‘law and order party’ into an enemy of the FBI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Trump has pleaded not guilty in the classified documents case and in another prosecution in New York related to a hush money payment to an adult film star. “President Trump endured an unprecedented raid at his home in Mar-a-Lago. (A special counsel is still investigating classified documents found in Biden’s possession, while the Justice Department closed a case on the possible mishandling of documents found at Pence’s Indiana home.) Ron DeSantis and other Republicans have promised a comprehensive gutting of the FBI, Justice Department and other government agencies in response to what they claim is a wholesale effort to stop Trump winning the 2024 election. Some independent investigations looking at the Trump era have found wrongdoing or mistakes in the FBI.

Persons: Donald Trump pulsated, Christopher Wray, –, Wray, Biden, that’s, Wray’s, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, ”, George W, Harriet Hageman, Liz Cheney, Cheney, Jerrold Nadler, Justice Department –, Trump, Hunter Biden, Wesley Hunt, Biden didn’t, Biden’s, ” Hunt, Mike Pence, “, ” Wray, Jim Jordan –, Trump –, ” Jordan, Ron DeSantis, Richard Nixon, Comey, Matt Gaetz, DeSantis, Chris Wray, There’ll, ” DeSantis, Trey Gowdy, J, Edgar Hoover –, John Durham, William Barr, ’, Barr, David Weiss –, “ Weiss, COWARD, Bill Barr, ” Trump, didn’t Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, Democrats, FBI, Judiciary, Bush’s, Department, Wyoming Rep, Rep, Justice Department, GOP, Biden, Texas Republican, Pence’s Indiana, The Biden, Florida Gov, Justice, White, NBC, Fox News, DOJ, Committee, Foreign Intelligence, Delaware US Locations: Wyoming, York, New York, Moscow, Florida, Mar, Pence’s, Delaware, Ohio, Rehoboth , Delaware, Trump, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Durham

But one of these panels is expected to be tasked later this summer with deciding whether to approve indictments in the Trump investigation. If there is a true bill, that creates a criminal case,” McBurney said, explaining the grand jury process. McBurney oversaw the special grand jury that previously collected evidence in the Trump investigation. To secure an indictment in the Trump investigation, 16 of the 23 voting grand jury members would need to be present. At the same time, Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to help him intervene in the Georgia election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Trump, White, Robert McBurney, “, …, ” McBurney, Willis, ”, McBurney, Joe Biden, Rudy Giuliani, Brian Kemp, Brad Raffensperger, Giuliani, The Trump Organizations: Atlanta CNN, Republican, Atlanta . Fulton, Trump, Fulton County Superior Court, CNN, Prosecutors, GOP, Georgia Republican, Gov, Republicans, Senate, Justice Department, Department Locations: Georgia, Atlanta ., Atlanta . Fulton County, Peach State, Fulton County, Atlanta, Fulton, “, New York, Miami

☆ AI Voice Generators Are Fueling a Terrifying New Phone Scam
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Eve Upton-Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

As soon as he heard his dad's voice, Eddie, a 19-year-old TikToker, knew something was up. But with AI, the voice on the other end of the phone can now sound eerily like the real deal. Plus, more people are making their real voice available to scammers: McAfee said 53% of adults shared their voice data online weekly. McAfee also found that over one-third of victims lost more than $1,000 in AI scams, with 7% losing more than $5,000. Then, the scammer can just type out whatever they want, and the AI voice will speak what is typed in real time.

Persons: Eddie Cumberbatch, Eddie, —, Eddie's, Eddie didn't, tricksters, scammers, McAfee, aren't, Richard Mendelstein, Stella, panicking, it's, Steve Grobman, Grobman, they've, Neil Gorsuch, Kamala Harris, Ally Armeson, cybercrime, Armeson, Eve Upton, Clark Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, People, FTC, McAfee, Google, Washington Post, Supreme, Cybercrime Support Locations: Chicago, Mexico City, Canadian

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing the greatest threat to his authority in two decades after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group and Putin’s former ally, launched an apparent insurrection. Prigozhin has been highly critical of Russia’s military leadership and their handling of the war in Ukraine, but he had always stopped short of criticizing Putin directly. Wagner group also claimed to have seized Russian facilities in a second city, Voronezh, some 600 kilometers (372 miles) to the north of Rostov-on-Don. Alexander Gusev, the governor of the Voronezh region, said the Russian military was engaging in “combat measures” in the area. Stunning escalationSaturday’s dramatic events come off the back of Prigozhin’s very public and months-long feud with Russia’s military leadership.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Putin, ” Putin, Igor Artamonov, Sergei Sobyanin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “, ”, Don “, ” “, ” Prigozhin, Rostov, Don, Alexander Gusev, Shoigu, –, Gen, Vladimir Alekseev, Sergei Naryshkin, Naryshkin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Vladimir Rogov, Rogov saif, ” Wagner, Stringer, Dmytro Kuleba, Serhii Cherevatyi Organizations: CNN, Prigozhin, Moscow, Terrorism, Security, Russian, RIA Novosti, Kremlin, Russian Southern Military Headquarters, Ministry of Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense, Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Historical Society, Telegram, Southern Military District, Reuters, Russian Foreign, European Union, US State Department, Britain’s Ministry of Defense, Russian National Guard, Ukrainian, Twitter, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Russia, St . Petersburg, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, Don, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, EU

☆ US officials saw signs Prigozhin was planning challenge to Russian military but surprised by rapid escalation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Alex Marquardt Jim Sciutto | Natasha Bertrand | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

US and Western intelligence officials saw signs that Prigozhin was making preparations for such a move, including by massing weapons and ammunition, one Western intelligence official and another person familiar with the intelligence said. Prigozhin had vowed Friday to retaliate against Russian military leadership over an alleged strike on a Wagner military camp and claimed control of military facilities in two Russian cities. A European intelligence official told CNN that the “temperature had obviously been building,” but few could have predicted what Prigozhin was planning. It is not clear to US or European officials how far in advance Prigozhin was planning the rebellion. One source familiar with Western intelligence said it appeared that it must have taken at least several days to organize.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Putin, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken’s, Blinken, Matthew Miller, “, Stringer Stringer, Kamala Harris, Adam Hodge, Lloyd Austin, Brig, Pat Ryder, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Intelligence, Ukraine, House, European Union, Foreign, Commonwealth, Development, ”, Southern Military District, REUTERS, Reuters Biden, National Security, US, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Japan, United States, Ukraine, Britain, Rostov, Don, Poland

☆ Disney's parks division is driving big profits, a bright spot as the streaming biz struggles and ESPN's future is unclear. Here's how that could factor into Bob Iger's CEO succession plans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger has reorganized the company into 3 core units: entertainment, ESPN, and parks. Parks' growing prominence comes as the company faces looming decisions over Iger's CEO. Travel bans "dramatically impacted" results for Disney Parks during the intense early years of the coronavirus pandemic, Heger noted, adding that parks are now generating more revenue and operating profit than they did in pre-COVID times. The parks' success is "helping to offset" losses from Disney's "DTC," or direct-to-consumer streaming business, Heger added. Josh D'Amaro, the current chairman for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, would be a likely figure appearing on any shortlist of CEO contenders.

Persons: Bob Iger, Parks, It's, Dave Heger, Edward Jones, Heger, AECOM, Iger, Josh D'Amaro, Christine McCarthy —, Iger's, Bob Chapek, Ron DeSantis, Chapek, Hollywood creatives, Tom Staggs, Iger —, —, Chapek's, it's, you've, Jeffery Merola, he'd, DeSantis, Reed Alexander Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Disney Parks, Walt Disney, Disneyland, Products, Florida Gov, Hollywood, Los Angeles Times, Sunshine State Locations: Tokyo, Shanghai, Orlando , Florida, Anaheim , California, execs, Chapek, Syracuse , New York, Orlando

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