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☆ A Russian soldier wrote a journal entry imagining being on vacation with his family in the summer of 2023 because Russia's occupation of Kharkiv was going so poorly
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Notebook entries found in Kharkiv reflect the bleak outlook of Russian forces on the war in Ukraine. One soldier was mentally imagining a vacation with his family in late 2023 as reality set in. The unnamed soldier's notebook entries were found in a notebook recovered at an abandoned Russian base in Kharkiv after Russian troops retreated from most of the region in September, Reuters reported. Another notebook entry by the unnamed soldier reflected a long-term outlook on the war and an imagination of a different future. "I went home on Aug 10, 2023, I'm already home with my family," the soldier wrote.

☆ Russian soldiers in Kharkiv region couldn’t immediately launch drones during Ukrainian counter-offensive because of a software installation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The drones are frequently used by Russia as they are low-cost, short-distance, rechargeable drones meant to launch small weapons. They're also used in part to offset the high costs of explosive, hi-tech surveillance drones like the Iranian kamikaze drones, according to the New York Times. According to Reuters, the next day, the forces received four Mavic-3 quadcopter drones, but they couldn't be used immediately as needed. The soldiers, while under missile fire, had to install new software for the drones, and then train 15 soldiers on how to use them. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that within days of the September counteroffensive, Ukraine regained over 1,158 square miles of territory from Russian forces.

An Illinois resident claimed a winning Mega Millions ticket worth $1.28 billion in August. Here's how some of the revealed winners splashed their cash on when they found out they were rich. And on Wednesday, the Powerball Jackpot shot up to $800 million after it was announced that no one had purchased the winning ticket. In fact, many lottery winners end up blowing it all. Here are the first things 14 different lottery winners splashed their cash on.

☆ Putin aide says Russia is not prioritizing the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A close aide to Vladimir Putin said that Brittney Griner's release is not Russia's "main issue." The aide also said that he didn't believe US President Joe Biden is prioritizing her release. Griner has been wrongfully detained in Russia on drug smuggling charges for the last eight months. Biden has spoken about Griner's release in public on multiple occasions and met with her family in September, after writing the basketball star a letter in July. "But, for example, if he came to me at the G20 and said, 'I want to talk about the release of Griner,' I would meet with him."

☆ The founder of #MeToo explains why her movement isn't about 'naming and shaming,' and how she's fighting to reclaim its narrative
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Richard Feloni | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This Saturday, on October 15, 2022, the movement is marking the fifth anniversary of the hashtag going viral. "What they're saying really is, 'I want to continue to behave the way I've been behaving,'" Burke told us in response. She doesn't want the movement to result in work environments that are tense for anyone. Burke said she wants to see more open dialogue in workplaces, and cited Accenture as a company that has done it well. Going forward, Burke wants "Me Too" to not be a divisive issue, but a common-sense one — where it stands for supporting survivors of violence and creating inclusive workplaces.

The hashtag went viral in 2017, but Tarana Burke first started the movement back in 2006. Tarana Burke: My name is Tarana Burke, and I'm the founder of the #MeToo movement. #MeToo is a movement that was founded in 2006 to support survivors of sexual violence, in particular black and brown girls, who were in the program that we were running. We were encountering numbers of girls who were disclosing sexual violence. And sometimes they didn't even know that it was sexual violence.

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine raises a harrowing question: How widespread would fallout from a nuclear bomb be?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Aria Bendix | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"Ukraine doesn't have nuclear weapons, so the risk of nuclear war in this scenario is if, somehow, the conflict escalated to pull in NATO countries or the US," she added. "That raises the risk of nuclear confrontation because some of the NATO countries have nuclear weapons." The US, for instance, has about 5,500 nuclear weapons, while Russia has about 6,000, according to the Federation of American Scientists. When a nuclear bomb strikes, it sets off a flash of light, a giant orange fireball, and building-toppling shockwaves. The fallout of a nuclear bomb also depends on how a country chooses to detonate it.

Secret Service email warned that the Proud Boys planned to 'literally kill people' on January 6A member of the Proud Boys wearing a t-shirt that reads "death to liberals" stands with other Proud Boys in Freedom Plaza during a protest on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Stephanie Keith/Getty ImagesThe Secret Service warned in December 2020 that the far-right group Proud Boys planned to "kill people" during the January 6, 2021 march to the US Capitol. That's according to internal emails released for the first time Thursday by the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot. "Their plan is to literally kill people," it continued. The email also noted that the Proud Boys had detailed their plans on a number of right-wing websites and forums.

☆ Los Angeles City Council member Nury Martinez resigns – but does not apologize – after explosive audio of racist comments leaked
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

LA City Council member Nury Martinez has resigned after she was caught making racist comments. Earlier this week, fellow city council members and US president Joe Biden called on her to resign. On Monday, Martinez resigned from her position as City Council president, but not the council itself, and taken a leave of absence as calls for her full resignation grew. Advocate groups from across Los Angeles spoke out at City Council meetings earlier this week, calling for all of the involved council members to resign. Earlier this week, Martinez offered a short apology for her words, according to KTLA.

☆ Ohio GOP candidate J.R. Majewski was demoted from military rank for drunk driving on a US airbase in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ohio GOP candidate J.R. Majewski's military record is again coming into question. According to The AP, Majewski was demoted because he drove under the influence in Japan. His campaign told the AP last week that he had been demoted for a brawl with a fellow servicemember. and I'm sure our parents and grandparents share these sentiments," Majewski told the AP on Wednesday. "The orders and military records that I have been able to obtain from my personal files shows that all of my deployments are listed as classified," Majewski told his supporters.

☆ Trump's legal team says that vendors don't want to work with them for special-master review because 'seasoned IT professionals' can't handle the government's 11,000 files and strict deadlines
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Following the Mar-a-Lago raid, Trump asked for (and was granted) a special master to review government docs. The filing was in response to the government's filing on Tuesday, where the Department of Justice said that the vendors simply refused to be engaged by Trump's team. Following the raid, Trump's team sued the DOJ asking for a third party, or special master, to review the documents. On Tuesday, the DOJ asked special master Raymond Dearie for an additional day to turn over nonclassified documents in the investigation. Dearie, so far, has pushed back on several of Trump's legal team's claims in the case.

☆ The DOJ is having such a hard time finding document digitization vendors willing to work with Trump that it requested more time for the special master review
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The special master will have to wait a little longer to get his hands on files lugged to Mar-a-Lago. None of the five vendors the DOJ suggested to scan docs wanted to work with Trump, per a new filing. The DOJ asked for one more day to choose someone to digitize 11,000 files for the special master. According to new court documents filed Tuesday, the DOJ is asking special master Raymond Dearie for an additional day to turn over non-classified documents in the investigation. In its latest filing, the DOJ also prodded Trump's team to submit an inventory list of the materials seized by the FBI.

☆ Roger Stone is heard saying 'let's get right to the violence' in unearthed footage from 2020 election handed over to January 6 committee
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

New footage obtained by CNN shows Roger Stone calling for violence before the 2020 election. In the footage, Stone is also heard saying "fuck voting" and "you see antifa, shoot to kill." "Fuck the voting, let's get right to the violence," Stone is heard saying. In a statement shared with CNN, Stone claimed that the videos were doctored. In December 2020, within the last month of the Trump presidency, the former president pardoned Stone, who had been convicted of multiple felonies in 2019.

☆ An advisor to the January 6 committee said he traced a call from a rioter's phone to the White House while the Capitol was under siege
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Jan. 6 rioter held a phone call with someone stationed in the White House on the day of the riot. An advisor with the Jan. 6 committee said that he traced a call from a rioter to the White House. He told CBS that he felt that the call couldn't have been accidental and wanted to dig deeper. Riggleman said in the interview that he wasn't able to confirm who in the White House was on the other line. White House call logs obtained by the Washington Post showed that there was a seven-hour gap in the records available for January 6.

☆ Ohio GOP House candidate J.R. Majewski backtracks and claims his military records don't show any evidence of combat or Afghanistan service because they're 'classified'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ohio GOP candidate J.R. Majewski has come up with a new defense about his combat records. At a Friday rally, Majewski said records related to a deployment to Afghanistan were "classified." All available military records showed that Majewski never served in Afghanistan, according to the AP. At a Friday rally, Majewski responded to an Associated Press report which showed that Majewski had lied about his service in Afghanistan, per military records obtained by the outlet. "The orders and military records that I have been able to obtain from my personal files shows that all of my deployments are listed as classified," Majewski told his supporters.

☆ One of Putin's closest allies sharply criticized Russia's decision to free right-wing Ukrainian Azov troops his forces battled during Mariupol siege
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Putin's military ally said he was blindsided by the Ukrainian-Russian prisoner swap. In the early months of the war, Chechen soldiers conscripted to help Russian soldiers clashed with Ukrainian Azov fighters in Mariupol as Russians briefly occupied the city. Kadyrov said Thursday he was "extremely unhappy," with the swap, calling the Azov fighters "terrorists." Along with 55 Russian fighters, Viktor Medvedchuk, an MP and one of Putin's staunchest Ukrainian allies, was sent to Russia, Reuters reported. The bilateral prisoner swap is a massive coup for Ukrainians, who have made considerable gains against Russian invaders in recent weeks.

☆ Fugitive 'Fat Leonard' was captured at a Venezuela airport trying to flee to Russia after escaping house arrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Fugitive 'Fat Leonard,' who pleaded guilty to involvement in a US Navy bribery scandal, was caught in Venezuela. Interpol Venezuela said it captured Leonard Glenn Francis trying to flee the country for Russia. Leonard recently cut his GPS ankle bracelet and fled house arrest in San Diego, where he was awaiting sentencing. Francis, a former military contractor who is also known as "Fat Leonard," was captured at an airport while trying to flee the country, Interpol Venezuela said in a Wednesday statement shared to Instagram. —USMS San Diego (@USMSSanDiego) September 6, 2022The US Marshals Service confirmed Francis' capture in Venezuela to the Associated Press.

☆ Ukraine says it has completed a massive prisoner swap with Russia where key Putin ally Viktor Medvedchuk was sent to Russia and 215 Ukrainians returned home
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine and Russia have completed a monumental prisoner swap, Zelensky's office said. The swap means that 215 Ukrainians who were captured by Russia will go back to their country. As part of the deal, Viktor Medvedchuk, a key Putin ally in Ukraine, has been sent to Russia. Among the 215 Ukrainians released were 100 fighters from the controversial, hard right-wing Azov Battalion, which Russia has previously called "neo-nazis." The bilateral prisoner swap is a massive coup for Ukrainians, who have made considerable gains against Russian invaders in recent weeks.

☆ The first special master hearing began with chaos as callers left unmuted sang America the Beautiful and told each other to shut up over garbled white noise
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The first hearing in the DOJ's Trump probe involving the special master started on a chaotic note. All callers were left unmuted, and shouted over each other in the early minutes of the hearing. During the hearing, Dearie initially pushed back on some of the Trump team arguments. According to Politico reporter Kyle Cheney, participants who were left unmuted spoke simultaneously, causing havoc in the courtroom. During the hearing, Dearie seemed to agree with the government's assessment of which documents are classified, saying, "What business is it of the court?

☆ Some residents in a Russian border town are fearing an invasion because Ukraine's latest counteroffensive has been so successful, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Some residents told The New York Times they were concerned Ukrainian troops would invade Russia. In recent weeks, Ukraine has regained thousands of square miles of its territory from Russia. Another resident said "rumors" were swirling of Ukrainian troops crossing the border for the first time during the war. "There are so many rumors, people are afraid," Maksim, who sells military and outdoor gear at the market, told The Times. "We feel scared, and it is especially hard when you work with children," Ekaterina, a kindergarten teacher, told The Times.

☆ The rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the former Theranos CEO found guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy, whose sentencing has now been delayed
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Sarah Jackson | Áine Cain | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Later, technology flaws were exposed, resulting in a months-long trial where Holmes was found guilty on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. As she awaited trial, Holmes reportedly found the time to get engaged — and married — to a hotel heir named Billy Evans. In January, jurors found Holmes guilty on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Since her conviction, Holmes has become the subject of a Hulu limited series, "The Dropout," based on the ABC News podcast of the same name. The show stars Amanda Seyfried as Holmes as it chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of Theranos and Holmes herself.

☆ More than 300 people live year-round in Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth. Here's what it's like.
▼ + stars: | 2020-08-19 | by ( Susie Neilson | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It takes time to get used to the heatTaylor's first summer in Death Valley was "pretty hard," he said. The Death Valley community stays closeCow Creek, Timbisha Shoshone Village, and Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley's three main year-round communities, are remote: The nearest town is an hour's drive. Yes, Death Valley residents go running. Climate change is making life in Death Valley even tougherThe coronavirus pandemic has made it harder for the small group of Death Valley residents to gather, but they're staying in touch via technology like everyone else. In Death Valley, six of the 10 hottest months on record have occurred in the last 20 years.

☆ 12 of the oldest animals ever, ranked by age
▼ + stars: | 2019-04-23 | by ( Zoë Miller | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Many animals can live much longer than their average life expectancies. We've rounded up some of the world's oldest animals. Giant tortoises, for example, can live more than 100 years, while bowhead whales can reach 200 years of age. Plus, certain individual animals have blown past the life expectancy of their species, gaining notoriety for the feat. Here are 12 of the world's oldest animals, ranked by age.

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