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☆ 5 Marines aboard helicopter that went down outside San Diego are confirmed dead, military says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Five U.S. Marines aboard a helicopter that went down during stormy weather in the mountains outside of San Diego are confirmed dead, the military said Thursday. Authorities say the CH-53E Super Stallion vanished late Tuesday night while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after training at Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas. "It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that I share the loss of five outstanding Marines from 3d Marine Aircraft Wing and the "Flying Tigers," Maj. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte, commander of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a statement. The craft was discovered Wednesday morning near the mountain community of Pine Valley, an hour's drive from San Diego. Civilian authorities searching on ground and by air located the aircraft, which went down during stormy weather in the Southern California mountains, about 45-miles (72-kilometers) from San Diego.

Persons: Maj, Michael J, Borgschulte, Borgshulte, Stephanie Leguizamon, Mike Cornette Organizations: Stallion, U.S, Marines, Authorities, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Creech Air Force Base, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing, Flying Tigers, 3rd Marine Aircraft, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, CBS, Cal Fire, Civilian Locations: Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines, San Diego, Las Vegas, Pine Valley, Southern California

The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday halted plans to change how it asks people about disabilities after facing a growing backlash. Supporters of the proposed changes said the revisions would have provided more nuanced data and given officials better details about disabilities that can inform how services or resources are provided. In a test run, the percentage of respondents who were defined as having a disability went from 13.9% using the current questions to 8.1% under the proposed changes. The proposed changes to the disability questions were among several tweaks to the American Community Survey that the Census Bureau was planning to submit this year for approval to the Office of Management and Budget. As part of that process, the Census Bureau solicited public feedback and got more than 12,000 responses, with the majority expressing concerns about changes to the disability questions.

Persons: ”, Scott Landes, “, Robert Santos, ” Santos, Bonnielin Swenor, Mike Schneider Organizations: Census, Survey, Syracuse University, American, American Community Survey, Bureau, Management, Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center

The leading Democrat in the primary is George Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff supported by the campaign arm of House Democrats. A STRONGLY DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT THAT VOTES REPUBLICANThe Central Valley farm belt is a political conundrum. Gray, who is backed by the campaign arm of House Democrats, argues that his party can’t reclaim the House majority without winning his district. Rollins, who is backed by the campaign arm of House Democrats, says it's time for new leadership and has depicted Calvert as an extremist. “House Democrats are ready to find common ground and a bipartisan path forward.”

Persons: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, hasn’t, Joe Biden, —, Gavin Newsom, Donald Trump, Newsom, ” Newsom, Trump, Mike Garcia, Garcia, — Garcia, George Whitesides, He's, “, Katie Porter, Scott Baugh, Porter, Sen, David Min, Joanna Weiss, David Valadao, Democrat T.J, Cox, Rudy Salas, Valadao, Salas, Chris Mathys, Melissa Hurtado, Republican John Duarte, Democrat Adam Gray, Gray, Ken Calvert, Will Rollins, Calvert, Rollins, Michelle Steel, Kim Nguyen, Derek Tran, Steel, Mike Levin, Levin, ” Organizations: ANGELES, —, Republican, Democratic, GOP, White House, LA COUNTY, District, Navy, Trump, California’s, Los Angeles, NASA, Democrats, REAGAN, Orange, “ Reagan, U.S, Senate, Central, Republicans, Democrat, CENTRAL, ANGELES Rep, SOUTH, Republican Rep, Capitol, Steel, Democratic Party, Hamas, American, DEMOCRAT, DISTRICT, Biden, Marine, Base, Congress, “ Locations: California, Southern California, rematches, Washington, Democratic Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, Mexican, Central, Salas, Palm Springs, Korean, Capitol Hill, Orange County, Israel, Orange, San Diego, Coastal California, Pendleton

☆ Opinion: Nikki Haley’s ‘SNL’ cameo raises questions about Trump we should all be asking
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Stephanie Griffith | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Johnson’s Trump began delivering laughs by answering questions from random South Carolina voters, including one that asked “Trump” what made him think he could defeat President Joe Biden. Haley then raised the issue of Trump’s mental fitness, asking, “Are you doing OK, Donald? Then there is Haley’s demand that Trump debate her, a matter which in my view is not unrelated to the issue of Trump’s mental acuity. Trump’s refusal to debate during the GOP primaries so far has deprived the nation that opportunity. It’s a far lesser transgression, but Trump’s refusal to debate Haley should be viewed by all Americans through that prism.

Persons: Dean Obeidallah, Nikki Haley, “ Donald Trump ”, —, Gayle King, Punkie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenan Thompson, Trump, James Austin Johnson, Johnson’s Trump, “ Trump, Joe Biden, Johnson, “, Haley, ”, Johnson’s, it’s, “ Nikki Haley ”, Trump’s, Nancy Pelosi, Donald, ” Trump’s, SNL, Megyn Kelly —, Glenn, Biden, Barack Obama, Ron DeSantis, won’t, Stephen Colbert Organizations: CNN, GOP, Dean Obeidallah CNN, Trump, South, Palmetto, Johnson’s Trump, Capitol, Florida Gov, SNL Locations: South Carolina, Carolina, what’s

☆ Israeli soldiers struggle to square political views with the realities of war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Netanyahu’s government is the most right-wing in Israel’s history, rejecting the idea of a Palestinian state and supporting Jewish settlements inside the West Bank. His political views are sometimes difficult to square with the realities of being a soldier, fighting on behalf of a government he doesn’t support. We enter Ramallah, we neutralize the threat.”Some of Netanyahu’s coalition partners are going a step further, proposing to build Jewish settlements in Gaza. The issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank is already a major fault line within Israeli society and in the country’s diplomatic relationships. The idea of building settlements in Gaza has alarmed Israel’s allies, with the United States’ top diplomat rebuking the plans.

Persons: CNN — Amos Shani Atzmon, Israel, …, ”, Atzmon, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, he’s, “ I’m, Nir Oz, Kfar, Netanyahu, Amos Shani Atzmon, Ivana Kottasová, Emmanuel, Netanyuahu, ” Emmanuel, Israel’s, rebuking, –, Mendel, we’re, Churchill, Roosevelt, There’s, ” Mendel Organizations: CNN, Israel Defence Forces, Hamas, Health Ministry, UN, Court of Justice, West Bank, United, United Nations, Israel, IDF Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Be’eri, Kfar Azza, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Ramallah, United States, South Africa, An, Long, Europe

☆ Less than half of young American adults view the US military positively, new poll finds amid recruitment struggles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewThe results of a new poll show that over half of America's young adults, 53 percent, have a negative opinion of the US military, a potential problem as the armed forces grapple with recruitment challenges. The Pew Research Center reported Thursday that overall, 60 percent of Americans hold positive views of the US military, however, only 43 percent of adults in the US ages 18 to 29 expressed positive views. Adults ages 65 and over expressed the highest positive outlook of the US military at 71 percent and seven out of ten adults ages 50 and over say the military "is having a positive impact." The Pew data offering insight into the prevalence of negative views of the military among young American adults comes as the US military deals with an ongoing recruiting crisis. "Relying on old assumptions about, you know, broader civic participation and specifically about military service, that may be a generational challenge."

Persons: —, Pew, Katherine Kuzminski, Military.com Organizations: Service, Pew Research Center, Business, Army, Air Force, The Air Force, Navy, Military, Veterans, Center, New Locations: New American

☆ Supreme Court lets West Point continue considering race as part of admissions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —The Supreme Court said Friday that the United States Military Academy at West Point can continue considering race as a factor in its admissions process while a legal challenge to the practice plays out. Last week, SFFA asked the high court to step in on an emergency basis to block West Point from considering race in its admissions process as the litigation unfolds. “For now, the only question is what should happen as this case proceeds – who should bear the burden of the status quo,” attorneys for SFFA told the Supreme Court. “Every year this case languishes in discovery, trial, or appeals, West Point will label and sort thousands more applicants based on their skin color – including the class of 2028, which West Point will start choosing in earnest once the application deadline closes on January 31. Or should West Point bear the burden of temporarily complying with the Constitution’s command of racial equality?” they added in part.

Persons: SFFA, Biden, “, midstream, Elizabeth Prelogar, Prelogar, ”, Philip M, Halpern, it’s, ’, Court’s, John Roberts, Richard Bennett, CNN’s Jamiel Lynch Organizations: Washington CNN, United States Military Academy, Fair, Harvard, University of North, US Naval Academy, Supreme, “, Army, West, Naval Academy Locations: University of North Carolina, “, New York, West, Maryland

☆ I've been an expat for 20 years. Facebook has been at the center of both the best and worst parts of my life abroad.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Nicola Prentis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

At that point, I could see that the problem wasn't Facebook. Those Facebook groups gave me a real writing career that has allowed me to stay afloat through single motherhood as an expat. The advice I get from Facebook groups is often better and faster than I get from the accountant I have on retainer. Sometimes, my Facebook expat network and work collide, like the time I bought a secondhand kids' bike, and the seller's husband became my favorite content writing client ever. AdvertisementIf I moved again, I'd join a few Facebook local groups with the word "expat."

Persons: —, I'd, He'd, Nicola Prentis, I'm, cutie, Tobey, hadn't Organizations: Service, Business, Facebook, Cosmopolitan Locations: Istanbul, Turkish, Madrid, Spain, Girona, Barcelona, Brisbane, Australia

☆ Explainer-Embattled Ukraine Moves to Tighten Army Mobilisation Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

(Reuters) - Ukraine's government has submitted an amended draft bill that would tighten the rules on army mobilisation for debate in parliament. Ukraine began mobilising civilians after declaring martial law in February 2022 when Russia invaded. MOBILISATION AGEThe amended bill proposes lowering the age people can be mobilised for combat duty to 25 from 27. Receiving consular services for things like passports would require citizens to present their military registration documents. The Defence Ministry introduced this change to make military registration fair and equal for all.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Zelenskiy, Yuliia Dysa, Tom Balmforth Organizations: Reuters, Army, Convicts, Defence Ministry Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Russia

☆ An Air Force veteran with a back injury turned to gig driving to pay her bills. A few months later, she lost her apartment.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

She can't work a 9-to-5 due to a back condition she said she developed in the Air Force. She's behind on her rent, and the amount she makes from driving can't cover most expenses. She took up gig driving in August 2023, hoping it would help her pay bills. AdvertisementAcross the country, thousands of Americans with disabilities are looking to gig work to make ends meet. In 2015, she tried gig driving for a few months in Fort Collins, which she said was profitable but not as much as a full-time job.

Persons: Rene, she's, Uber, —, Terrence Hayes, it's, hasn't, She's, they're Organizations: Air Force, Service, Business, BI, Veterans Locations: Denver, Fort Collins

☆ After Two Years of Bloody Fighting, Ukraine Wrestles With Conscription
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Constant Méheut | Thomas Gibbons-Neff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Russian troops and tanks invaded Ukraine in February 2022, tens of thousands of Ukrainians rushed to serve in the army in a surge of patriotic fervor. But after nearly two years of bloody fighting, and with Ukraine once again in need of fresh troops to fend off a new Russian push, military leaders can no longer rely solely on enthusiasm. The bill was introduced in Parliament last month — only to be quickly withdrawn for revision. The bill has catalyzed discontent in Ukrainian society about the army recruitment process, which has been denounced as riddled with corruption and increasingly aggressive. Many lawmakers have said that some of its provisions, like barring draft dodgers from buying real estate, could violate human rights.

Organizations: dodgers Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian

☆ Many Ukrainian soldiers were killed in Mariupol, but survivors faced further hell in brutal Russian captivity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Ukrainian officials say tens of thousands of people were killed, but Mariupol's actual death toll remains unknown. Their goal was to break our will — to break our resilience," said Tetiana, the Ukrainian mother whose surname has been intentionally withheld. "We didn't really feel the beginning of the war," Oleksandr said, but that quickly changed. Many soldiers were killed at Azovstal, and those who survived also ended up in Russian captivity. Hi, I'm in Ukraine, mom ❤️Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Didur calls his dearest person after being released from almost 14 months of #Russian captivity.

Persons: —, Mariupol, Vladimir Putin, Evgeniy, Oleksandr Didur, Russia's, Oleksandr, Oleksandr didn't, Shrapnel, Ramzan Kadyrov, Stringer, Alexander Ermochenko, cale, ong, ade, evastating, ake, ince Organizations: Service, Business, Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade, Associated Press, Anadolu Agency, Getty, United Nations, REUTERS, ust Locations: Russia, Mariupol, Ukrainian, Moscow, Ukraine, Azov, Crimean, Donbas, Russian, Kyiv, Azovstal, Ukraine's, Donetsk, Olenivka, oman, ife, rauma

☆ Teenage refugees who fled Ukraine for Israel immersed in second war
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Ashkelon, Israel CNN —It was supposed to be a safe haven – a new life for those seeking refuge from the turbulence of war. “I started crying when I began to understand that I’m not going back,” he told CNN at Kfar Silver. These four teenagers all moved from wartorn Ukraine to Kfar Silver near Ashkelon in Israel. Courtesy Monique ZahaviGofer told CNN that “thousands of rockets” flew over the village, while fires broke out everywhere around them. “When the war started here there was relative silence in Ukraine and my family felt more safe,” he said.

Persons: Little, ”, Artem Karpin, “, ” Karpin, Karpin, upended, Michael Reider, Maria, Sviatoslav Kulyk, Monique Zahavi, Reider, Amos Gofer, Kfar Silver, Gofer, Monique Zahavi Gofer, they’re, Amir Cohen, Kulyk, ‘, I’ll, Gofer –, aren’t, –, Israel Organizations: Israel CNN, Kfar, ORT, CNN, ”, “, Hamas, Reuters, Rockets Locations: Ashkelon, Israel, Ukraine, Gaza, Russia, Odesa, Kfar Silver, Kyiv, Poland, Lebanon, Netanya, ”, Europe, Greece, Germany, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Russian, Moldova, I’m

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine has sent wages soaring as workers grow scarce and private business competes with the military
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wages in Russia are soaring thanks to the nation's war with Ukraine. AdvertisementA severe shortage of workers in Russia means the private sector is beefing up compensation to attract talent — and competing directly with the military for manpower. That puts Russia's military in a tough position competing with the private sector. Salaries for military servicemen rose 10.5% last summer, far short of the heftiest private sector pay increases. In its war effort, Russia mostly relies on volunteers to fight its war in Ukraine.

Persons: —, That's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Engineers, Junior, UK Ministry of Defence, Defense Ministry, Moscow Times Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet

☆ U.S. targets Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad, its CEO and Hamas cryptocurrency financiers for sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. on Monday hit Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad and its CEO with sanctions, alleging assistance to Iran's military wing, and imposed a fifth round of sanctions on the militant group Hamas for abuse of cryptocurrency since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. In the new sanctions, the Treasury Department said Fly Baghdad and CEO Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani have provided assistance to Iran's military wing and its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. "The United States will continue to disrupt Iran's illicit activities aimed at undermining the stability of the region." The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans. Hamas has said it planned for a potentially long fight and was "ready to do whatever is necessary for the dignity and freedom of our people."

Persons: Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan, Brian E, Nelson, Fly, Asad Organizations: Ministry, Treasury Department, Foreign, Control, Hezbollah, Popular Mobilization Forces, State, U.S Locations: Baghdad, Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, United States, U.S, Fly Baghdad, cryptocurrency, Jihad, Australia

NEW YORK (AP) — Norman Jewison, the acclaimed and versatile Canadian-born director whose Hollywood films ranged from Doris Day comedies and “Moonstruck” to social dramas such as the Oscar-winning "In the Heat of the Night," has died at age 97. Throughout his long career, Jewison combined light entertainment with topical films that appealed to him on a deeply personal level. (Jewison lost out for best director to Mike Nichols of "The Graduate"). Among those who encouraged Jewison while making “In the Heat of the Night”: Robert F. Kennedy, whom the director met during a ski trip in Sun Valley, Idaho. Jewison shifted to feature films in 1963 with the comedy “40 Pounds of Trouble,” starring Tony Curtis and Suzanne Pleshette.

Persons: — Norman Jewison, Doris Day, Oscar, “, Jeff Sanderson, Jewison, Jim Crow, ”, Rod Steiger, Sidney Poitier, James Baldwin, ’ Bosley Crowther, Bonnie, Steiger, Mike Nichols, Robert F, Kennedy, nodded, ‘, ’, Cher, Steve McQueen, Thomas, Denzel, Washington, Rubin “, ” Carter, Malcolm X, Spike Lee, shouldn’t, Lee, ” Jewison, Margaret Ann Dixon, Dixie, Kevin, Michael, Jennifer Ann, Agnes, God ”, Lynne St, David, Judy Garland, Danny Kaye, Harry Belafonte, Tony Curtis, Suzanne Pleshette, James Garner, McQueen, Edward G, Robinson, Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Alan Arkin, Sylvester Stallone, Jimmy Hoffa, Al Pacino, Bruce Willis, Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton, ____, Bob Thomas Organizations: Canadian, New York, Hollywood, ‘, Denzel Washington, Washington, Governor General’s Performing Arts, Canadian Film Centre, Toronto Film, Victoria College, BBC, CBC, Universal, MGM, Cincinnati, Vietnam, AP Entertainment Locations: Canadian, Philadelphia, Clyde, Sun Valley , Idaho, Mississippi, Canada, Toronto, London, Hudson

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. on Monday hit Iraqi airline Fly Baghdad and its CEO with sanctions, alleging assistance to Iran's military wing — and in addition, imposed a fifth round of sanctions on the militant group Hamas for abuse of cryptocurrency since the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. In the new sanctions announced Monday, Treasury said Fly Baghdad and its CEO Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani have provided assistance to Iran's military wing and its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. In addition on Monday, the U.S. sanctioned a network of Hamas-affiliated financial exchanges in Gaza— including financial facilitators that transferred funds through cryptocurrency from Iran to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. “Hamas has sought to leverage a variety of financial transfer mechanisms, including the exploitation of cryptocurrency, to channel funds to support the group’s terrorist activities,” Nelson said. “Treasury, in close coordination with our allies and partners, will continue to leverage our authorities to target Hamas, its financiers, and its international financial infrastructure.”___Associated Press reporter Sewell is located in Beirut, Lebanon.

Persons: Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan, ”, Brian E, Nelson, Asad, ” Nelson, Sewell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Ministry, Treasury, Treasury's, Foreign, Control, Hezbollah, Popular Mobilization Forces, State, U.S, Hamas, “ Treasury, Associated Press Locations: Baghdad, Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, United States, U.S, cryptocurrency, Jihad, Australia, Beirut

☆ Investing in Space: Pentagon's satellite constellation awards near $10 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Now we're pushing $10 billion in awards, to build more than 400 satellites, with seven companies in the mix. York Space has been tapped to make more satellites than anyone but Northrop Grumman, to the tune of $1.3 billion. – The Wall Street Journal / Deere Hyperspectral satellite imagery company Pixxel opens Bengaluru facility, a 30,000-square-foot facility in India for satellite manufacturing. – KeyBancBoldly goingKurt Vogel named as NASA associate administrator for the agency's space technology directorate, effective immediately, previously having been the director of space architectures at the agency. – NASAfor the agency's space technology directorate, effective immediately, previously having been the director of space architectures at the agency.

Persons: Yasin Ozturk, CNBC's Michael Sheetz, – Northrop, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, you've, Momentus, John Plumb, –, Artemis, – SpacePolicyOnline, Tom Mueller's, Redwire, KeyBanc, Kurt Vogel, Chiara Pedersoli, Marco Fuchs, – OHB, – OHB Frank Di Pentino Organizations: SpaceX, . Space Force, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Space Force, Space Development Agency, – Northrop Grumman, Lockheed, York, Space, Lab, Sierra Space, CNBC, CNBC NASA, Boeing, NASA, NASA ESA, Science, Technology, Industry, ISS, – NASA SpaceX, Deere, Street, Deere Deere, KKR Locations: Cape, Florida, United States, U.S, Brazil, Bengaluru, India

WASHINGTON (AP) — Taiwan’s top diplomat in Washington has a message for both the island's Chinese adversaries and its American friends: Don’t worry that Taiwan’s new president-elect will worsen relations with Beijing and possibly draw the U.S. into a conflict. But Yui said Lai is willing to engage with Beijing, even as the island seeks to strengthen its unofficial ties with Washington for stability in the region. Shortly after Taiwan's election, Biden told reporters that his administration does not support Taiwan’s independence. Yui said it is incumbent upon both Beijing and Taipei to keep the Taiwan Strait peaceful. Before he came to Washington, Yui briefly served as Taiwan's representative to the European Union and Belgium.

Persons: — Taiwan’s, Lai Ching, Alexander Tah, Ray Yui, Lai, Yui, ”, Taiwan's, Tsai Ing, Tsai, he’s, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Biden, Scott Kennedy, “, Kennedy, we're, We're, Mike Johnson, Sen, Ben Cardin, ” Yui, Hsiao Bi, Hsiao Organizations: WASHINGTON, Associated Press, AP, Democratic Progressive Party, ”, Washington, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Republican, Republicans, Democrats, U.S . Congress, Democratic, Senate Foreign Relations, M University, European Union, Cultural Locations: Washington, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, U.S, Taiwan, United States, China, Nauru, “ Beijing, Taipei, Panama, Texas, Paraguay, Belgium

☆ Senators call on federal regulators to review Navy Federal mortgage disparities, citing CNN investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Casey Tolan | Rene Marsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ten Democratic U.S. senators asked the regulators to investigate Navy Federal Credit Union’s mortgage lending for compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws. The credit union, which has more than 13 million members, lends to military servicemembers, defense personnel, veterans, and their families. “Navy Federal’s members have made countless sacrifices in their service to our country,” the senators wrote in the letter. The credit union declined to provide CNN any additional data that would make it possible to analyze those factors. Navy Federal has not yet responded to the lawsuits in court.

Persons: Sen, Sherrod Brown, Ron Wyden, Mary McDuffie, Emanuel Cleaver, Steven Horsford, Hakeem Jeffries, ”, Maxine Waters, Ben Crump – Organizations: CNN, Department of Housing, Urban Development, Consumer Financial Protection, Democratic U.S, Navy, Credit, Banking, Finance, Congressional Black Caucus, Federal, “, Navy Federal, Financial Services Locations: Ohio, Oregon, “ Navy, Virginia

☆ Asia’s year in review: Who had it good — and who had it bad — in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( Curtis Chin | Jose B. Collazo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look at the year that was in Asia and the Pacific region. But who had it good and who had it bad in 2023? Bad year: China's property marketWith millions of Chinese citizens still waiting for homes they put down payments on — but might never be built — 2023 was a particularly bad year for China's property market. A newly built property is seen from the air in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, Dec 15, 2023. Chinese families and individuals who once saw homes as more than somewhere to live but also as investments have reason to fear 2023 won't be the last bad year they face.

Persons: Curtis, Chin, Jose B, —, Vikram, Amit Dave, Narendra Modi, Taylor Swift, Kim Ji, Jennie, Kim Jennie, Roseanne Chae, Lisa, Lalisa, King Charles, Rose, Roseanne Park, Jisoo Kim, Jennie Kim, King Charles III, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Victoria Jones, Blackpink, Michelle Yeoh, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, San Francisco —, China Evergrande, Moody's, Asia's Organizations: Asian Development Bank, RiverPeak Group, ISRO —, Indian Space Research, Orbiter, ISRO, Buckingham, Sustainable, COP26, Getty, YG Entertainment, APEC, U.S, International Monetary Fund Locations: U.S, Asia, Turkey, Syria, Maui, Hawaii, Lahaina, Pacific, India, Gujarat Science City, Ahmedabad, Korea, British, LONDON, ENGLAND, Glasgow, London, England, South Korea, Malaysian, New Zealand, Thailand, China, San Francisco, United States, Taiwan, South China, Country, Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Many Western arms companies failed to ramp up production in 2022 despite a strong increase in demand for weapons and military equipment, a watchdog group said Monday, adding that labor shortages, soaring costs and supply chain disruptions had been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Many arms companies faced obstacles in adjusting to production for high-intensity warfare,” said Lucie Béraud-Sudreau, director of the independent institute's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program. SIPRI said the revenues of the 42 U.S. companies on the list — accounting for 51% of total arms sales — fell by 7.9% to $302 billion in 2022. Of those, 32 recorded a fall in year-on-year arms revenue, most of them citing ongoing supply chain issues and labor shortages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. ”However, despite the year-on-year drop, the total Top 100 arms revenue was still 14% higher in 2022 than in 2015 — the first year for which SIPRI included Chinese companies in its ranking.

Persons: ”, Lucie Béraud, SIPRI, Nan Tian, Lockheed Martin, ” SIPRI, Sudreau Organizations: STOCKHOLM, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Lockheed, Raytheon Technologies, ” Companies Locations: Ukraine, Stockholm, U.S, Asia, Israel, South Korea

MIAMI (AP) — The U.S. has expelled a former Chilean Army officer accused of torturing and killing folk singer Victor Jara during the country's bloody 1973 coup. Pedro Barrientos had emigrated to Florida in 1990, the same year the bloody dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet came to an end. This year, he was stripped of his U.S. citizenship after it was found he concealed information about his Chilean military service during his immigration proceedings. Jara, a popular singer and university professor, was a fervent supporter of socialist President Salvador Allende. Homeland Security Investigations said that Barrientos was removed Thursday on a flight from Miami and taken into custody by Chilean law enforcement officials upon his arrival in the South American country.

Persons: Victor Jara, Pedro Barrientos, Augusto Pinochet, Jara, Salvador Allende, Pinochet, Allende, Barrientos, Jara’s, Jara's, Joan Turner Jara Organizations: MIAMI, Chilean Army, Joan Turner Jara . Homeland Security Investigations Locations: Florida, Santiago, British, Joan Turner Jara ., Miami

☆ Taiwan president: China too 'overwhelmed' to consider invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - China's leadership is too "overwhelmed" with its internal problems to consider an invasion of Taiwan, President Tsai Ing-wen said in an interview with the New York Times. But Tsai, in a transcript of the interview her office published on Thursday, said China had too many issues at the moment. And my thought is that perhaps this is not a time for them to consider a major invasion of Taiwan," she said. Tsai and her government have repeatedly called for talks with China but been rebuffed, as Beijing views Tsai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as separatists. The DPP's Lai Ching-te, currently vice president, is the frontrunner to be Taiwan's next president according to opinion polls.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Ann Wang, Tsai, Lai Ching, Lai, Hsiao Bi, Chen Binhua, Chiu Tai, Chiu, Ben Blanchard, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, New York Times, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, Mainland Affairs Council, Thomson Locations: Taichung, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, Beijing, United States, Taipei, Lincoln

☆ Biden praised Kissinger in life, offers measured reaction on his death
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Heather Timmons | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks In the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2023. Fifteen years later, Biden's White House took a more distant approach, waiting about 24 hours to issue a statement after Kissinger died at age 100 on Wednesday. Biden said he first met Kissinger when he was a young Democratic senator from Delaware and he was secretary of state. Biden said after Kissinger retired from government "he continued to offer his views and ideas to the most important policy discussion across multiple generations." “It’s a huge loss,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday, noting Kissinger’s military service during World War Two and years of public service afterward.

Persons: Joe Biden, Eisenhower, Evelyn Hockstein, Henry Kissinger, Biden, Kissinger, Biden's, " Biden, Jill, Nancy, Elizabeth, David, “, John Kirby, Kirby, Heather Timmons, Steve Holland, Caitlin Webber, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Paris Peace, White, Biden, ” National Security, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Iraq, Delaware, China, U.S, Israel, Paris, North Vietnam, America

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