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☆ China Could Threaten Critical Infrastructure in a Conflict, N.S.A. Chief Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China has been trying to find ways to gain access to critical infrastructure in the United States so that it can threaten those systems in the event of a conflict, the National Security Agency director said on Wednesday. and the U.S. military’s Cyber Command in February, said that Beijing had stepped up its cyberefforts and that the United States, in response, was working harder to disrupt that activity. Last year, U.S. officials uncovered an effort by China to gain access to critical infrastructure in Guam, home to U.S. military bases, and in the continental United States. Microsoft called the intrusions Volt Typhoon, after a Chinese network of hackers who often avoided using detectable malware and instead used stealthier techniques to enter wastewater systems and communication networks. “What you see in Volt Typhoon is an example of how China has approached establishing access to put things under threat,” General Haugh said at a security conference at Vanderbilt University.

Persons: Timothy D, Haugh, ” Organizations: National Security Agency, U.S, military’s, Command, Microsoft, Vanderbilt University Locations: China, United States, Beijing, Guam

☆ The US was getting too expensive. So this artist relocated to France for a slower-paced life
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Ditching the US and relocating close to the French Pyrenees wasn’t part of Taylor Barnes’ life plan. ‘Visually inspiring’US artist Taylor Barnes, from Los Angeles, relocated to the medieval village of Saissac close to the French Pyrenees in 2021. Taylor Barnes“I considered, among many things, where I would like to live out the last quarter of my life,” Barnes tells CNN. Cozy hideawayIn 2019, Barnes bought an abandoned crawfish restaurant and converted it into a residency for artists. Since moving to Saissac, Barnes says she has happily embraced a slower-paced lifestyle.

Persons: Taylor Barnes, Barnes, Taylor Barnes “, ” Barnes, “, ”, she’d, Cozy hideaway, Dennis Miranda Zamorano, Sonya, Berger Blanc, apéros, She’s, it’s, Carte, Barnes isn’t Organizations: CNN, Berger Blanc Suisse, Barnes Locations: Los Angeles, Saissac, Aude, France, Montagne, French, California, Spain, Saissac ., England, Ireland, Netherlands, America

☆ Participant, Maker of Films With Social Conscience, Calls It Quits
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For 20 years, Participant Media has been Hollywood’s pre-eminent maker of activist entertainment, backing socially conscious films like “An Inconvenient Truth,” a climate change cri de coeur, and “Wonder,” about a boy with birth defects. Its movies have won 21 Academy Awards. But the company never quite managed to do good while also making money, at least not consistently. Streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix have started to sell ads, and advertisers prefer all-audience, apolitical content. Eat-your-broccoli documentaries and dramas that explore underrepresented communities (both Participant sweet spots) are harder to sell than ever.

Persons: Matt Damon, Jeff Skoll Organizations: Media, “, eBay, Wall, Disney, Netflix

☆ Some in Israeli war cabinet will want to 'take advantage' of Iranian strike, says ECFR director
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSome in Israeli war cabinet will want to 'take advantage' of Iranian strike, says ECFR directorJulien Barnes-Dacey, Middle East and North Africa Programme director at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), discusses Iran's "unprecedented" attack on Israel, what it means for escalation in the region, and how the West is weighing the moment.

Persons: Julien Barnes Organizations: North Africa, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Middle East, Israel

Iran’s attack on Israel, an immense barrage that included hundreds of ballistic missiles and exploding drones, changed the unspoken rules in the archrivals’ long-running shadow war. In that conflict, major airstrikes from one country’s territory directly against the other had been avoided. Given that change in precedent, the calculus by which Israel decides its next move has also changed, said the Israeli officials who requested anonymity to discuss Iran. “We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the spokesman for Israel’s military said on Tuesday. Iran, he added, would not get off “scot-free with this aggression.”

Persons: Israel, Daniel Hagari, “ scot, ” Locations: Israel, Iran

☆ China's inaction on Iran has 'undermined' its influence in the Middle East, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's restrained silence on the Middle East conflict is tipping the scales of regional influence back in the U.S.' favor, according to one analyst. "[Beijing's] role has been less pronounced than many expected, and actually I think it's undermined the sense of growing Chinese influence and confidence in the region," Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the Middle East & North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said on CNBC's "Street Signs" Tuesday. Last week, world leaders entreated China to use its considerable influence as a key trade partner to sway Tehran away from a direct attack against Israel, after an Israeli strike killed several top Iranian commanders in Damascus. Roughly 99% of these projectiles were eliminated by Israel, with help from the U.S., the U.K., France and Jordan. Since then, the specter of Israeli retaliation and a broader conflict in the Middle East has loomed large, with Washington stressing its commitment to Israeli defense and world leaders urging calm.

Persons: Julien Barnes, Dacey, Israel — Organizations: European Council, Foreign Relations, Israel Locations: U.S, Africa, China, Tehran, Israel, Damascus, Iran, Strait, Hormuz, France, Jordan, Washington

☆ Why Better Times (and Big Raises) Haven’t Cured the Inflation Hangover
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Talmon Joseph Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tucked at a corner table inside a Barnes & Noble cafe in Logan Town Centre, a sprawling exurban shopping complex in Blair County, he tapped away at two laptops. His work PC was open with notes on his clients: local seniors in need of at-home health care and living assistance, whom he serves as a registered nurse. On his sleeker, personal laptop he eyed some coursework for the master’s degree in nursing he’s finishing so he can work as a supervisor soon. Shortly after becoming certified, he pushed through long days in a hospital during the height of the Covid pandemic at a salary of $40,000. Today, he has what he calls “the best nursing job pay-wise I’ve ever had,” at $85,000.

Persons: Darren Mattern, “ Organizations: Barnes, Logan Town Centre Locations: Pennsylvania, Noble, Logan Town, Blair County

☆ The Dystopian ‘Civil War’ Reaches No. 1 at the Box Office
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hollywood executives — not all, but most — have insisted for years that uncomfortable, thought-provoking, original movies can no longer attract big audiences at the box office. Alex Garland’s dystopian “Civil War,” set in a near-immediate future when the United States is at war with itself, sold an estimated $25.7 million in tickets at North American theaters, enough to make the film a strong No. 1, surpassing the monsters sequel “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” Ticket sales for “Civil War” exceeded the prerelease expectations of some box office analysts by roughly 30 percent. IMAX screenings provided nearly 50 percent of the “Civil War” gross. “Civil War,” starring Kirsten Dunst as a journalist on a military embed, became the latest example of ticket buyers breaking with Hollywood’s conventional wisdom about what types of films are likely to pop at the box office.

Persons: —, Alex Garland’s, ”, Kirsten Dunst, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer Organizations: North, “ Locations: United States

☆ D.N.C. Helped Pay Biden’s Legal Bills in Special Counsel Investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even as some of President Biden’s top campaign officials were attacking Donald J. Trump’s campaign for soliciting donations to pay his legal fees, the Biden-aligned Democratic National Committee was helping pay for lawyers in the special counsel investigation into Mr. Biden’s handling of classified documents. has directed at least $1.7 million to lawyers since July to cover the president’s representation in the documents inquiry, a figure that pales in comparison to Mr. Trump’s use of supporters’ donations to pay his hefty legal fees. The former president has spent more than $100 million on legal bills since leaving office, relying almost entirely on donations. Federal Election Commission records show that since the investigation began last year, the D.N.C. has paid $1.05 million to Bob Bauer, the president’s lawyer.

Persons: Biden’s, Donald J, Bob Bauer, Jennifer Miller, Biden, ”, —, Axios, Barack Obama Organizations: Biden, Democratic, Committee, Commission Locations: Boston

Even as president, Donald J. Trump flaunted his animosity for intelligence officials, portraying them as part of a politicized “deep state” out to get him. And since he left office, that distrust has grown into outright hostility, with potentially serious implications for national security should he be elected again. House Republicans agreed to move the legislation ahead on Friday only after revising it to ensure that Mr. Trump would get another crack at shaping it to his liking if he wins the presidency again. Indicted last year on charges of hoarding classified documents after leaving office and obstructing efforts to retrieve them, Mr. Trump has also translated his anger into legal arguments, telling a federal court that there is no reason to believe the “meritless claims” of agencies like the C.I.A. Intelligence agencies have shown a bias against Mr. Trump since the first impeachment against him, his lawyers have argued in the classified documents case, promising a fight if officials testify that his actions put the country at risk.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, ” Organizations: Wednesday, House Republicans, Intelligence

☆ Opinion: What we may never understand about O.J. Simpson
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Gene | Opinion Gene Seymour | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated via Getty Images Simpson competes during a track event at the University of Southern California in 1967. Focus On Sport via Getty Images Simpson gets ice applied to his bandaged right foot from his wife Marguerite in 1967. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Simpson poses with the Heisman Memorial Trophy after receiving the award in 1968. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Simpson is brought down by another football player during the Hula Bowl in 1969. ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Simpson acts in a scene from the 1978 film "Capricorn One."

Persons: Gene Seymour, Orenthal James Simpson, Gene Seymour Jeremy Freeman, we’ve, We’ll, Simpson, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, “ I’m, acclimate, Simpson’s, Nicole Brown Simpson, Ronald Goldman, O.J, Bundy, Vince Bucci, Malcolm W, Emmons, Walter Iooss Jr, Marguerite, Arnelle, Tony Tomsic, Jason, Michael Ochs, Lola Falana, Richard Burton, Everett, George Gojkovich, Bruce Bennett, Jim Ringo, LeVar Burton, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Joe Namath, Frank Gifford, Mickey Pfleger, Nicole, Adam, PhotoQuest, Vinnie Zuffante, Leslie Nielsen, George Kennedy, Al Cowlings, Ford Bronco, Simpson's, Ronald Lyle Goldman, Allen J, Simpon, Cowling, Ron Galella, Chris O'Meara, Robert Kardashian, Alvin Michelson, Kardashian, Barbara Alper, Johnnie Cochran , Jr, Myung J, Chun, Reuters Simpson, Wilfredo Lee, Colin Braley, Christy Prody, Frazer Harrison, Jason Bean, Brooke Keast, AP Simpson, Jeffrey T, Barnes, Brown, O.J . Simpson, Mark Fuhrman Organizations: The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment, The Washington, CNN, University of Southern, LA Coliseum, Fame, Getty, Sporting, USC, Bettmann, UCLA, Buffalo Bills, USA, Michael Ochs Archives, New York Jets, NFL, ABC, Disney, Warner Bros, San Francisco 49ers, AP, United, Paramount, Everett, Ford, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Police, New York Daily News, Los Angeles Daily, AP Simpson, Reuters, Lovelock Correctional, Nevada Department of Corrections, Goldman, Los Angeles Police Department Locations: University of Southern California, San Francisco, O.J, Los Angeles, Simpson, AFP, Hollywood, California, Cowlings, Simpson's Brentwood , California, Tampa , Florida, Los, Surrey, England, Miami, Dade County, Lovelock , Nevada, Las Vegas, Lovelock, Nevada

☆ France Bracing for Cyberattacks During Summer Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Summer Olympics and tensions over the war in Ukraine are likely to make Paris a tempting target for a variety of hacking attempts, including from adversarial countries, France’s top cybersecurity official said on Monday. French officials, including Mr. Strubel, are in Washington this week for consultations with cybersecurity officials. The Paris Olympics will run from July 26 to Aug. 11. The opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was marred by a cyberattack that caused internet disruptions. Security companies quickly blamed Russia, and the Fancy Bear hacking group tied to Moscow’s intelligence services, for that attack.

Persons: Vincent Strubel, France’s, ransomware, Strubel Locations: Ukraine, Washington, Pyeongchang, South Korea, Russia

☆ Middle East Crisis C.I.A. Director Is Heading to Cease-Fire Talks as Pressure Grows on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

During the call, Mr. Biden threatened to condition future support for Israel on how it addresses his concerns about civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Israeli statement did not give a timing for when the crossing would be reopened. Mr. Biden has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s approach to the war against Hamas in Gaza, saying that more must be done to protect civilians. Image Palestinians gathering to receive food in the town of Jabaliya in northern Gaza last month. Israel has rejected accusations that it is responsible for delays in the delivery of aid.

Persons: Israel, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jordan — “, Erez, Adrienne Watson, “, ”, Netanyahu, —, Ms, Watson, Mahmoud Issa, Kerem, Lloyd J, Austin III, Patrick Kingsley Organizations: Israel, National Security Council, United, Defense, Pentagon, International Court of Justice Locations: Gaza, Ashdod, Israel, United Nations, “, Jabaliya, Kerem Shalom, Rafah, The Hague

☆ C.I.A. Director Is Heading to Cairo for New Truce Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

During a 30-minute call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Biden went further than ever in pressing for change in the military operation. Credit... Fatima Shbair/Associated PressBy the middle of the night in Jerusalem, Israel made its first gestures to Mr. Biden. The reported agreement came as American officials held out the prospect of consequences if Mr. Netanyahu resisted. But Mr. Kirby would not outline specific metrics for judging Israel’s response or what Mr. Biden would do if not satisfied. Mr. Biden called himself “outraged and heartbroken” over the incident and made a point of calling Mr. Andrés to express his condolences.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, President Biden, Biden, Biden’s, “, Netanyahu, ”, Fatima Shbair, Mr, Antony J, Blinken, ” Mr, Chris Coons, Coons, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, Biden “, William J, Burns, Mohammed Saber, John F, Kirby, emboldening, John Hannah, José Andrés, Andrés, Zomi Frankcom, Damian Soból, Barack Obama, Bibi, ” Ben Rhodes, Obama, ” Jon Favreau, doesn’t, ‘, ’, aggravation, Jill Biden, Joe, ” Julian E, Barnes, Katie Rogers, David E, Sanger, Lara Jakes Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Credit, Associated, U.S . National Security Council, NATO, Democratic, CNN, Republican, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Iran, Central Kitchen, Shutterstock, Jewish Institute for National Security of America, Biden, Mr, Israel Defense Forces, White Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Jerusalem, Ashdod, Jordan, Brussels, Michigan, Washington, Delaware, Iran, Syria, United States, Cairo, “ Hamas, Haiti, Cyprus, U.S, “

☆ Last-minute Brexit bill risks higher food prices, UK business groups warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —British business groups are warning that newly announced post-Brexit charges on plant and animal imports could push up food prices not long after food inflation came down from double-digit rates. The port and the undersea tunnel beneath the English Channel handle the majority of UK food imports. Annual UK food price inflation topped 19% in March 2023, the highest rate in 45 years, and stood at more than 10% as recently as in October. Some are already “deciding that it is too expensive or too much hassle to serve the UK,” he told CNN. A government spokesperson said the new charges “were at the bottom end of the range” discussed with UK businesses during a consultation period last summer.

Persons: Tom Southall, William Bain ,, ”, James Barnes, “ Organizations: London CNN, European Union, Department for Environment, Food, Rural Affairs, Channel, Chain Federation, Chambers of Commerce, ”, CNN, EU . Trade, Horticultural Trades Association Locations: British, Port, Dover, Eurotunnel, Southall

Hogan's political ascendency resulted in large part from his criticism of tax increases that resonated with a tax-weary electorate in his upset victory in 2014. And Hogan, who was originally elected governor by railing against tax increases endorsed by the Maryland General Assembly, has already made the Maryland race unusually competitive in the heavily Democratic state. The Maryland Senate this month largely kept his budget plan intact, despite a drop in revenue estimates announced after the governor submitted his plan. The Senate has been mostly unreceptive to the House plan, with Ferguson ruling out the corporate tax component. He's also ruled out legalizing internet gambling this year, another part of the House plan.

Persons: Larry Hogan’s, Baltimore's, Francis Scott Key, Republican hasn’t, Hogan, Bill Ferguson, ” Hogan, Del, Ben Barnes, “ I’m, Larry Hogan, ” Barnes, “, ” Ferguson, David Trone, Angela Alsobrooks, Wes Moore, Ferguson, He's, Moore, haven't Organizations: Republican, Gov, U.S . Senate, Baltimore Democrat, Associated Press, Governor, Maryland General Assembly, Democratic, Washington Post, University of Maryland, Republicans, Maryland, Democratic U.S . Senate, U.S, Senate, Transportation Trust Fund, state's, ”, Maryland Democrats, GOP, Maryland Republican, U.S . Rep, Maryland Senate Locations: ANNAPOLIS, Md, Maryland, Baltimore, U.S, Senate, Prince George's

☆ Disney’s Annual Meeting Will Include a Thrill Ride
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

“Disruptive and destructive.” That is how Disney has referred to the activist investors who are pushing for seats on its board and influence over its strategy. In return, the activists have called Disney “stupid” and mocked its purported turnaround as “a fanciful tale.”Which side will prevail? One of the largest, priciest and nastiest proxy contests in history will come to a head on Wednesday, when Disney is scheduled to virtually host its annual shareholder meeting. A smaller activist investor, Blackwells Capital, is seeking three seats. Disney has put forward its own slate of 12 directors and has said its get-out-the-vote campaign would cost up to $40 million.

Persons: Nelson Peltz, — Organizations: Disney, Trian Partners, Blackwells

☆ U.S. Intelligence Warning to Moscow Named Specific Target of Attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. warning to Russia ahead of a terrorist attack near Moscow was highly specific: Crocus City Hall was a potential target of the Islamic State, according to U.S. officials. The warning had the right venue but imprecise timing, suggesting that the attack could come within days. Indeed, the public warning by the United States Embassy on March 7 warned of potential terrorist attacks in the next two days. Gunmen stormed the hall on March 22, killing 144 people, the deadliest attack in Russia in nearly 20 years. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, and Russia charged four men from Tajikistan, accusing them of carrying out the massacre.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Islamic, United States Embassy, Gunmen, Islamic State Locations: Russia, Moscow, Crocus, Islamic State, Tajikistan, Ukraine

Tottenham moved to fourth place, level on points with Aston Villa, which hosted Wolves later. Palmer's brace at Stamford Bridge could help Chelsea only draw 2-2 with 10-man Burnley. Chelsea was wasteful in the first half and had a goal ruled out after 20 minutes. The Blues took the lead from the spot when Palmer scored with a Panenka kick, chipping the ball down the middle. In a spectacular game that was goalless at the break, Sheffield United and Fulham drew 3-3 after the host blew a 3-1 lead.

Persons: Son Heung, Tahith Chong, Issa Kabore, Timo Werner, Kabore, PALMER’S PANENKA, Cole Palmer, Palmer, Mykhailo Mudryk, Vincent Kompany fuming, Kompany, Lorenz Assignon, Josh Cullen volleyed, Raheem Sterling’s backheel, Dara O’Shea, Djordje Petrovic, James ’, Harvey Barnes, Lukasz Fabianski, “, ” Barnes, “ It’s, I’ve, Alexander Isak, Mohammed Kudus, Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen, Crystal Organizations: Tottenham, Luton, English Premier League, Aston Villa, Spurs, South, Wolves, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Brighton, LETHARGIC SPURS Tottenham, PALMER’S PANENKA Chelsea, Premier League, Stamford, Chelsea, Burnley, Blues, Newcastle, West, Sheffield United, Fulham, Nottingham Forest Locations: South Korea, West Ham, St, London, Newcastle

☆ For Disney, Small Shareholders Loom Large in Boardroom Fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Brooks Barnes | Lauren Hirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gavin Doyle used allowance money in 2009, when he was 11, to buy a few shares of Disney stock. He now owns a little over 400 shares — barely enough to be a speck of dust in the Disney investor galaxy. “I guess every vote matters,” said Mr. Doyle, 26, who runs MickeyVisit, a blog unaffiliated with Disney that focuses on theme park vacation planning. Powerful institutional investors like mutual funds and index funds typically run the show. But Disney finds itself in an atypical situation as it scrambles to thwart Nelson Peltz, an activist investor who is seeking two board seats, including one for himself.

Persons: Gavin Doyle, ”, Doyle, Nelson Peltz Organizations: Disney

DETROIT (AP) — Dalton Knecht had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, and Tennessee moved within a victory of its first trip to the Final Four, beating Creighton 82-75 in a Midwest Region semifinal on Friday night. When Tennessee lost last year in the regional semifinals for the second straight season, Knecht was at Northern Colorado and Zeigler was out with a torn knee ligament. The Bluejays advanced to the second weekend of the tournament with a rout of Akron and a double-overtime win over Oregon. Tennessee: Barnes had his team prepared and made sound adjustments, but he needs another win to quiet his critics. UP NEXTThe Vols will play in front of a pro-Boilermakers crowd when Purdue tries to make its first Final Four since 1980.

Persons: — Dalton Knecht, Creighton, Zakai Zeigler, Knecht, Zeigler, Rick Barnes, Baylor Scheierman, Steven Ashworth, Ryan Kalkbrenner, . Tennessee, Greg McDermott, Scheierman, Tobe Awaka, Saint Peter’s, Larry Johnson, pesky, didn’t, Barnes Organizations: DETROIT, Volunteers, Tennessee, Northern Colorado, Vols, Michigan State, Purdue, Gonzaga, Midwest, Baylor, America, Oregon, Northeastern Junior College, San, Boilermakers, ___ Locations: Tennessee, ., . Tennessee, Texas, Akron, Northern, San Diego State

☆ A 500-Year Old Chapel, 438 Solar Panels and an Architectural Squabble
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Clambering across the sloped roof of King’s College Chapel with the agility of an undergraduate, Toby Lucas, 56, pointed to where his craftsmen had welded solar panels to an expanse of newly installed lead. It was the scariest part of the project, he said, because an errant spark could have ignited the 500-year-old timbers underneath, which hold up the roof of this English Gothic masterpiece. “It’s an iconic landmark in Cambridge, and it’s part and parcel of where I live,” said Mr. Lucas, whose firm, Barnes Construction, did the restoration. “You don’t want to be the person who is responsible for burning part of it down.”The chapel came through the project unscorched and now stands at the heart of Cambridge University, no longer just a glorious relic of the late-medieval period but also a cutting-edge symbol of the green-energy future. Its 438 photovoltaic panels, along with solar panels on the roofs of two nearby buildings, will supply a shade over five percent of the college’s electricity.

Persons: Toby Lucas, ”, Lucas Organizations: Barnes, Cambridge University Locations: Cambridge

The Walt Disney Company and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida have reached a settlement over control of a special tax district that includes the Disney World theme park in Orlando, the company said on Wednesday. “We are pleased to put an end to all litigation pending in state court in Florida,” Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World, said in a statement. Disney and Mr. DeSantis have been fighting for two years over Disney World, the 25,000-acre theme park and resort complex south of Orlando and one of the state’s largest employers. In response to Disney’s criticism of a Florida education law that opponents called “Don’t Say Gay,” Mr. DeSantis took over the tax district, appointing a new board and ending the company’s long-held ability to self-govern Disney World as if it were a county.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, “, ” Jeff Vahle, DeSantis, ” Mr Organizations: Walt Disney Company, Gov, Disney, Walt Disney Locations: Florida, Orlando

☆ Russia Amps Up Online Campaign Against Ukraine Before U.S. Elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia has intensified its online efforts to derail military funding for Ukraine in the United States and Europe, largely by using harder-to-trace technologies to amplify arguments for isolationism ahead of the U.S. elections, according to disinformation experts and intelligence assessments. In recent days, intelligence agencies have warned that Russia has found better ways to hide its influence operations, and the Treasury Department issued sanctions last week against two Russian companies that it said supported the Kremlin’s campaign. The stepped-up operations, run by aides to President Vladimir V. Putin and Russian military intelligence agencies, come at a critical moment in the debate in the United States over support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. While opposition to additional aid may have started without Russian influence, the Kremlin now sees an opportunity. Russian operatives are laying the groundwork for what could be a stronger push to support candidates who oppose aiding Ukraine, or who call for pulling the United States back from NATO and other alliances, U.S. officials and independent researchers say.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Ukraine, Treasury Department, Russia, Kremlin, NATO Locations: Russia, United States, Europe, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Fire extinguished on Carnival Freedom cruise ship near Bahamas after possible lightning strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( David Williams | Ashley Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Heath Barnes opened his book on the upper decks of the Bahamas-bound Carnival Freedom cruise ship in between bouts of rain. Cruise ship officials reported the fire broke out on the port side of the ship’s exhaust funnel around 3:15 p.m. local time, according to a news release from Carnival Cruise Line. Witnesses reported the ship may have been struck by lightning, but that has not been confirmed and the cause is still being investigated, according to the cruise line. The ship visited Freeport on Sunday, Carnival said, adding there were no operational issues with the ship’s systems. This was his 18th Carnival Cruise trip.

Persons: CNN — Heath Barnes, ”, Barnes, Carnival, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Cruise, Carnival Cruise, Port Canaveral, US Coast Guard Locations: Bahamas, Woodsboro , Maryland, Freeport, Sunday, Port

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