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☆ Opinion | Abolish the U.N.’s Palestinian Refugee Agency
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

United Nations agencies and officials are no strangers to scandal and infamy. In the 1980s, Kurt Waldheim, a former U.N. secretary general, was unmasked as a former Nazi. He was the same secretary general who denounced Israel’s 1976 rescue of Jewish hostages in Entebbe as “a serious violation” of Uganda’s national sovereignty. Now comes the latest scandal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, better known as UNRWA. Last Friday, Israeli officials presented the U.S. government with an intelligence dossier detailing the involvement of 12 UNRWA employees, seven of them schoolteachers, in the massacre of Oct. 7.

Persons: Saddam Hussein, Kurt Waldheim, Ronen Bergman, Patrick Kingsley Organizations: Nations, Democratic, Iraq, Nazi, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, “ Intelligence, Street Locations: Haiti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Entebbe, Gaza

It’s fair to say that Nikki Haley has next-to-no chance of beating Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Or join forces with someone like Joe Manchin in a third party? Gail Collins: Third parties are for people who don’t care who wins the election as long as they’ve got their name on the ballot. Bret: A third-party run with her and Manchin might subtract more votes from Trump than from Biden. Gail: And I’d like her to stay in, if only to spare us nine straight months of nothing but Trump vs. Biden.

Persons: Bret Stephens, Gail, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Joe Manchin, Gail Collins, they’ve, Bret, Biden Organizations: Republican, Trump, Biden

☆ Opinion | The Meaning of Gaza’s Tunnels
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Israel provided Gaza with much of its electricity and other critical goods even after Hamas came to power in 2007. Now, as Israeli troops uncover more of Gaza’s vast underground city, the falsity of the accusation has become even more apparent. According to a report this month in The New York Times, Israeli defense officials now estimate that Hamas’s tunnels measure between 350 and 450 miles in a territory that’s just 25 miles long. (By comparison, the London Underground is only 249 miles long.) Some of Gaza’s tunnels are wide enough for cars; some are more than 150 feet deep; some serve as munitions depots; others are comfortably kitted out as command bunkers.

Persons: Gazans Organizations: Israel, New York Times Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Israel

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Nvidia, Coinbase, Tesla, Meta, Exxon, Microsoft & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Cantor Fitzgerald initiates Nvidia as buy Cantor said in its initiation of Nvidia that the stock is a top pick at the firm. Bank of America adds Apple to the US1 list Bank of America added the stock to its top picks list. TD Cowen upgrades Exxon to outperform from market perform TD says shares of Exxon are "compelling." Oppenheimer initiates Flywire as outperform Oppenheimer initiated the payments company with an outperform rating and said Flywire is a growth stock. Guggenheim reiterates Tesla as sell Guggenheim says it's sticking with its sell rating on Tesla heading into earnings on Wednesday.

Persons: Cantor Fitzgerald, Cantor, it's, TD Cowen, Wells, Jefferies, Enphase, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, JMP, SIRI, Oppenheimer, Flywire, JPM, Philip Morris, Morgan Stanley, Evercore, Guggenheim, Tesla, Roth, Boston Beer, Stephens Organizations: Nvidia, Citi, Meta, Bank of America, Apple, Apple Inc, Chevron, Exxon, ENPH, JPMorgan, NRG Energy, Liberty, Liberty Media, Brands, UBS, Duke Energy, AEP, Guggenheim, Boston Beer, Boston Locations: North Carolina, underperform, OW

Gail: If DeSantis weren’t such an awful candidate, this toppling of his campaign might be a little sad. Bret: The Trump endorsement was dishonorable but probably inevitable, politically speaking. If Trump wins the presidency, DeSantis will have to live with him as a governor; if Trump loses, he can try to court Trump’s voters in 2028. That’s assuming Trump isn’t on the ballot in 2028. Which means Trump will, for all practical purposes, be the nominee by the middle of this week.

Persons: Gail Collins, Bret, Ron DeSantis, Bret Stephens, Nope, Gail, Donald Trump, ” wasn’t, Trump, DeSantis, there’s, South Carolina …, Nikki Haley Organizations: Republican, Trump Locations: South Carolina

☆ Opinion | In Davos, Israel’s Hostages Get a Hearing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, is largely an opportunity for the powerful to mingle with the even more powerful. But the most moving stories I heard this week came from some of the least powerful people here. “I open my eyes and feel my throat close,” Rachel Goldberg told me, describing her mornings over the previous 100-plus days. Hersh and nearly 30 others tried to hide at a small roadside bomb shelter. Terrorists attacked it with hand grenades, then an R.P.G., killing nearly everyone inside.

Persons: I’ve, —, ” Rachel Goldberg, “, Hersh Goldberg, Hersh Organizations: Economic, Nova Locations: Davos, Switzerland, paragliders

☆ Opinion | Understanding Donald Trump’s Appeal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Privileges long taken for granted, like good housing and the chance for decent employment and advancement, are fast fading away. The same old, same old posture of the Democratic Party does not. What happened in 2016 is happening again, as once more someone from the old guard comes face to face with someone embodying the desperate fury of millions of people. It is indeed, as Mr. Stephens so eloquently stated, time for those in the liberal establishment to pull their heads out of the sand. Thank you, Mr. Stephens, for sounding the alarm.

Persons: Bret Stephens’s Jan, Stephens Organizations: Trump, Democratic Party

☆ Novak Djokovic struggles past home favorite Alexei Popyrin to reach Australian Open third round
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —It wasn’t pretty, but Novak Djokovic booked his spot in the 2024 Australian Open third round on Wednesday, beating Australian home favorite Alexei Popyrin in four sets 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) 6-3 in a hard-fought affair. 1 seed was able to race away during the second half of the match to continue his run for a record-extending 11th Australian Open men’s title. He deserves a big round of applause.”During his opening two matches at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Djokovic hasn’t played at the imperious levels we’ve come to expect from him. He dropped a set in his opening round match against Dino Prižmić and he struggled for consistency against Popyrin. “She has a big game, big serve, big shots, very athletic.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Alexei Popyrin, Djokovic, “, Djokovic hasn’t, Dino Prižmić, Popyrin, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Ravi Ubha, haven’t, I’m, I’ll, Gauff, Coco Gauff, Caroline Dolehide, Leylah Fernandez, Issei Kato, ” Gauff, Sloane, Stephens, Maria, Sakkari, ” Organizations: CNN, Popyrin, Parks, Dolehide, Reuters Locations: Melbourne, AFP, Delray Beach

☆ Opinion | The Genocide Charge Against Israel Is a Moral Obscenity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In recent decades, as many as three million people perished in a famine in North Korea that was mainly government-induced. But North Korea, Syria and China have never been charged with genocide at the International Court of Justice. It’s obscene because it politicizes our understanding of genocide, fatally eroding the moral power of the term. The war between Israel and Hamas is terrible — as is every war. But if this is genocide, what word do we have for the killing fields in Cambodia, Stalin’s Holodomor in Ukraine, the Holocaust itself?

Persons: Assad, Israel Organizations: International Court of Justice Locations: North Korea, China, gulag, Syria, Israel, Cambodia, Ukraine

☆ Burger King's owner is buying the chain's largest franchisee for $1 billion. It plans to flip 600 restaurants and sell them to 'motivated' operators.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The move comes as Burger King has pushed for remodels of top outlets while closing others. Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of Burger King and Popeyes, announced plans Tuesday to buy more than 1,000 fast-food restaurants from its largest Burger King franchisee. RBI said it plans to invest $500 million in modernizing roughly 600 Burger King restaurants. AdvertisementRBI said the acquisition and flipping of the Burger King restaurants are an "exciting accelerator" to its overall "Reclaim the Flame" plan. Last year, Burger King operators closed dozens of restaurants in Florida, New York, Nebraska, Utah, and Minnesota .

Persons: Burger, —, Popeyes, Tom Curtis, Stephens, Joshua Long, Long, Burger King, Kobza Organizations: Restaurant Brands, Kings, Service, Burger King, Burger King US Locations: Burger, New York, Canada, King, Florida , New York , Nebraska , Utah, Minnesota

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Sloane Stephens picked up her first win at the Australian Open since 2019 when she beat wild-card entry Olivia Gadecki 6-3, 6-1 on Tuesday to reach the second round. The 30-year-old American, who won the U.S. Open in 2017, won five straight games from 2-0 down in the opening set and eased through the second to clinch victory in just under an hour. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSwiatek plays another American, 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin. Swiatek is looking to win her fifth Grand Slam title but first in Australia. Alcaraz, last year's Wimbledon winner, plays Richard Gasquet in the last match of the night session on Rod Laver Arena.

Persons: — Sloane Stephens, Olivia Gadecki, Really, ”, Stephens, “ I’ve, Carlos Alcaraz, Sofia Kenin, Richard Gasquet, Rod Laver Organizations: U.S, Alcaraz, Wimbledon, ___ Locations: MELBOURNE, Australia, Melbourne

I’m trying to remember the last time the Republican winner went on to win the nomination: Ted Cruz in 2016? Gail Collins: And remember, Trump won Iowa in 2020, when he was an incumbent president looking for a second term; that didn’t turn out all that well for him, either. Bret: Not that I’m rooting for him to win in Iowa. Bret: Her zinger in the debate with Ron DeSantis — “You’re so desperate, you’re just so desperate” — could be turned into a country music hit by Miranda Lambert. Or maybe Carly Simon: You’re so desperate, you probably think this race is about you.

Persons: Bret Stephens, Gail, who’ll, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump, Gail Collins, Trump, Bret, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis —, you’re, Miranda Lambert, Carly Simon, You’re Organizations: Republican, Iowa Locations: Iowa

While the real world can get kinda depressing, the debate world is always ready to just chatter away. I want to hear your predictions on the Republican set-to coming this week. Bret Stephens: The idea for the governors’ debate was first mooted when it looked like DeSantis could be the Republican presidential nominee. Now he seems slightly less relevant than the moderator, Sean Hannity, as well as slightly more obnoxious. But I still think DeSantis got the better of Newsom on the substance of their arguments.

Persons: Gail Collins, Bret, I’ve, Gavin Newsom, Ron DeSantis, Bret Stephens, Sean Hannity, DeSantis, Newsom Organizations: Republican

☆ Cigna, Humana shares fall after report health-care giants are in talks to merge
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shares of Cigna and Humana slid Wednesday after a report that the two health-care giants are in talks to merge. A Cigna spokesperson did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the report from The Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter. A Humana spokesperson declined to comment. A Cigna spokesperson at the time said the company does not comment on "rumors or speculation." Some analysts have suggested that a potential combination with Humana could be a reason for Cigna to offload its Medicare Advantage business.

Persons: Humana's, Cigna, Scott Fidel, Stephens, Fidel Organizations: Humana, Wall Street, STAT, CNBC PRO

☆ Opinion | How to Kill a Palestinian State
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

On Oct. 7, the axis of resistance became the face of the Palestinian movement. On Oct. 8, demonstrators around the world chose to embrace that axis. When Rashida Tlaib, the Michigan congresswoman, posted that “75 years later, the Nakba continues to this day” and declined to accept Israel as a Jewish state, she was embracing it. When Judith Butler, the Berkeley professor, told an interviewer that “the roots of the problem are in a state formation that depended on expulsions and land theft to establish its own ‘legitimacy’” and supported a binational state, she was embracing it. “A left that lauds intersectionality hasn’t noticed that Hamas’s axis of support consists of Iran, famous most recently for killing hundreds of protesters demanding women’s freedom.”

Persons: ”, Assad, Mohamed Khairullah, Rashida Tlaib, Judith Butler, ’ ”, ” Susie Linfield, “, hasn’t Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel, Los Locations: Syria, Prospect Park, N.J, Michigan, Berkeley, Los Angeles, ”, N.Y.U, Iran

☆ An island vacation with no mosquito bites – and no chemicals, either
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Regan Stephens | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Soneva Fushi, a resort on the private Kunfunadhoo Island in the Maldives, has spent years working to eradicate these pests. Soneva has partnered with the Germany-based company Biogents, which has developed mosquito traps that rely on environmentally friendly attractants. A Biogents-created mosquito trap at Soneva Fushi Courtesy Soneva FushiWhat’s more, these techniques are typically only useful for eliminating adult mosquitoes. An overwater bungalow at Soneva Fushi Sandro Bruecklmeier/Courtesy Soneva FushiThe pest-combatting program has been a success, according to Soneva. The resort chain has gifted mosquito traps to Parliament in Malé, the country’s capital, and trained staffers on how to use them.

Persons: Soneva, “, ”, Arnfinn Oines, Oines, Fushi Sandro Bruecklmeier, Fushi, Sonu, Eva Shivdasani, Soneva Jani Organizations: CNN Locations: Maldives, Germany, GAT, Kunfunadhoo, Malé, Medhufaru, Noonu

Bret Stephens: Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, Gail. Peggy Noonan had a terrific column last week in The Wall Street Journal, making the case for why Taylor Swift should be Time’s Person of the Year. Gail Collins: Had a great Thanksgiving, Bret. And she’s currently giving a lift to everyone slogging through the football-watching season with their loved ones: Will Taylor be there to cheer Travis Kelce on at the Super Bowl? Bret: You’re assuming the Chiefs make the Super Bowl.

Persons: Bret Stephens, Hope, Gail, Peggy Noonan, Taylor Swift, Gail Collins, Bret, Can’t, Swift, she’s, Will Taylor, Travis Kelce, You’re, I’ll, … Gail Organizations: Street, Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, Miami, Eagles

Prosecutors are expected to take the controversial step of using Young Thug's rap lyrics as evidence against him. Here are some things to know as the trial gets underway:WHO IS YOUNG THUG? Elton John called working with Young Thug an “amazing moment” after recording the song “Always Love You” featuring Nicki Minaj and Gunna. Young Thug has been in jail since his arrest on May 9, 2022, having been denied bond several times since then. Young Thug's racketeering conspiracy charge and two gang charges each carry a penalty of five to 20 years in prison.

Persons: Young, who's, Jeffery Lamar Williams, “ Stoner, ” —, Childish Gambino’s, Young Thug, Savage, BlocBoy JB, Slim Jxmmi, Rae Sremmurd, Drake, Chris Brown, Travis Scott, Elton John, Nicki Minaj, Gunna, Camila Cabello, M.I.A, Gucci Mane’s, “ Jeffery ”, Calvin Klein, ”, ” Young Thug, Racketeer, “, Sergio Kitchens, Alford, ma'am, — Walter Murphy, Trontavious Stephens, Uzi, HE'S, — Organizations: ATLANTA, Prosecutors, WHO, Business, bae, Bloods, Infiniti, Metro Boomin Locations: Atlanta, Havana, Fulton County

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s new constitutional projections for abortion access and other reproductive rights are supposed to take effect Dec. 7, a month after voters resoundingly passed them. It was the seventh straight victory in statewide votes for supporters of abortion access nationally since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned constitutional protections. At least three other Ohio abortion laws also have been on hold in the courts. “The (Ohio) Constitution specifically says reigning in out-of-control courts is the legislators' job," the anti-abortion group Faith2Action argues in a recently released video. “That means that many Ohio laws would probably be invalidated ... and others might be at risk to varying degrees,” he wrote.

Persons: —, resoundingly, ”, Laura Hermer, We’re, Beth Liston, Allison Russo, Sharon Kennedy, Michael Barrett, Faith2Action, Roe, Wade, Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, Kavanaugh, Jason Stephens, Matt Huffman, Dave Yost, Yost, “, Hermer Organizations: Supreme, Republican, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Republicans, Ohio, Ohio House, ”, District, GOP, U.S, Constitution, Republican Ohio Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, U.S, Ohio, St, Paul , Minnesota, U.S ., Roe

☆ Opinion | The ‘Cease-Fire Now’ Imposture
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

They give the lie to the “Cease-Fire Now” mirage, or imposture, that has become a rallying cry at pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Why should it matter that it was Hamas that broke the cease-fire when Palestinian civilians are being killed in large numbers by Israeli bombs and bullets? As I write, there are reports that Hamas might release some hostages in exchange for a brief cease-fire. What about for Palestinians — women, children and noncombatant men for whom the calls for a cease-fire are supposedly intended? There are good intentions, if also ignorance and shortsightedness, among many of those demanding a cease-fire.

Persons: Hillary Clinton, “, ”, Hamas’s, ’, Israel Organizations: Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Iran

Don’t suppose the imminent end of the political career of the dreadful Representative George Santos rises to the level of holiday cheer. Bret Stephens: It’s a depressing world, Gail, so we need to find cheer wherever we can, and the House Ethics Committee report on Santos does make for delightful reading. and was noted as ‘Botox’ in expense spreadsheets ….” Santos would have been around 32 years old at the time. Gail: You’re right. Gail: I can see how Biden felt a little cornered when a reporter asked him if he still believed Xi was a dictator.

Persons: Gail Collins, Bret, George Santos, Bret Stephens, Gail, Santos, ” Santos, You’re, Joe Biden, Xi, “, ”, Antony Blinken, Biden Locations: Communist

☆ There's a new CD king after bank with prior highest yield just slashed it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

There's a new top dog when it comes to yields on 1-year certificates of deposit, according to an analysis by Stephens. Bread Financial now has the highest annual percentage yield for 1-year CDs among banks in Stephens' coverage at 5.6%. However, the online bank didn't reach the top by raising its APY. Instead, it was because LendingClub slashed its 1-year CD yield by 10 basis points to 5.55%, analyst Vincent Caintic said. "Online banks had already been cutting 1yr CD rates and this may likely continue as near-term rate expectations fall," Caintic said.

Persons: Stephens, LendingClub, Vincent Caintic, Caintic, What's, Austan Goolsbee, Jerome Powell, Michael Bloom, Jeff Cox Organizations: Bread, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, The Fed, Investors, Chicago Fed Locations: Stephens

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The statewide battles over abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a constitutional right to abortion have exposed another fault line: the commitment to democracy. "We spoke.”Gross told Jackson she wasn't ignoring voters but rather was reflecting opponents' concerns that Ohio voters were led astray. Anti-abortion lawmakers and advocates already have pushed back in a handful of states where voters sided generally with abortion rights. Republican state legislative leaders initially pledged that the fight to restrict abortion rights wasn't over after voters had spoken. Florida’s Republican attorney general is attempting to keep a proposed abortion rights amendment off the 2024 ballot.

Persons: We.Are.Not.Done, Jennifer Gross, Gross, Dobbs, Roe, Wade, Douglas Keith, Brennan, “, ” Keith, Emily Jackson, Jackson, ” Gross, ”, Rick Santorum, Brandon Prichard, Ohio, Sophia Jordán Wallace, Myrna Perez, Andrew Whitehead, God, ” Whitehead, Mike DeWine, Dave Yost, Jason Stephens, Matt Huffman, Stephens, Huffman, State Jay Ashcroft, Kara Gross Organizations: Supreme, Justice’s, AP VoteCast, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Republican, Rep, University of Washington, Ohio University, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, Kentucky Republicans, “, Ohio, State, AP Locations: COLUMBUS , Ohio, U.S, ” Ohio, Ohio, Montana and Utah, Alaska and Kansas, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Montana, ”, In Missouri, Michigan, Florida

☆ Auction services firm Copart tops Q1 estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Online vehicle auction services provider Copart (CPRT.O) beat market expectations for first-quarter revenue and profit on Thursday, helped by higher revenue from its services business. The Texas-based company provides virtual bidding services to customers across Americas, Europe, the UK and the Middle East. "Copart continues to grow its service business nicely, supported by underlying insurance industry growth and revenue growth," Stephens analyst Daniel Imbro said. The company posted quarterly revenue of $1.02 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $990.7 million, according to LSEG data. It reported profit of 34 cents per share, versus analysts' expectations of 33 cents per share.

Persons: Copart, Stephens, Daniel Imbro, Abhinav Parmar, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Revenue, Thomson Locations: The Texas, Americas, Europe, Bengaluru

☆ Opinion | The Hate That Doesn’t Know Its Own Name
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

College campuses did not feel hostile to Jewish students. Synagogues (at least in the United States) did not have police officers stationed outside their doors. The Anti-Defamation League recorded 751 antisemitic incidents in the United States in 2013. Last week, “Jewish students specifically were warned not to enter M.I.T.’s front entrance due to a risk to their physical safety,” according to a public letter from Jewish students there. A century ago, before the creation of the state of Israel, questions about Zionism were “more of a political or intellectual debate.

Persons: Deborah Lipstadt, David Irving, David, ” Organizations: Defamation League, Irving Locations: Israel, United States, Montreal, U.S, Palestine

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