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☆ Elon Musk has been getting Trumpier. A direct line to Trump may be next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Clare Duffy | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Elon Musk has sought to accumulate political capital commensurate with his extravagant wealth. Musk has discussed advising Trump should he win the 2024 election, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. Musk called Trump directly via cellphone to explore a role that could potentially give Musk significant influence over US policies. Reporting that Musk and Trump’s relationship has improved comes after Musk’s politics have become more aligned with Trump’s. For Musk to have a direct, private line to a future President Trump “would seem to be a blatant conflict of interest,” said Darrell West, a senior fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution.

Persons: CNN — Elon Musk, Musk, Donald Trump, Trump, Brian Hughes, –, Andrew Harnik, ”, Darrell West, ” West, Herika Martinez, —, Donald Trump’s, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Robert Kennedy , Jr, Paul Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, White supremacists, Imran Ahmed, X, CCDH, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Republican, Wall Street, Trump, SpaceX, Tesla, Brookings Institution, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Traffic Safety Administration, Justice Department, Migrants, US Border Patrol, AFP, Getty, Twitter, US, Republican Florida, Politico Locations: Paris, El Paso , Texas, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, Mexico

☆ Opinion: Why we can’t let go of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s love story
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Opinion Holly Thomas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

After expressing anxiety over other actors’ reluctance to star in the movie, Lopez brings up her spouse. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez attend the 75th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater on March 23, 2003 in Hollywood, California. Now, with an album, film and documentary themed around their second act, Lopez has invited that scrutiny back again, despite her beloved’s obvious reluctance. “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” is swiftly becoming The Greatest Love Story Never Off Duty. Neither Lopez nor Affleck has addressed the current breakup rumors so far.

Persons: Holly Thomas, Katie Couric, Jennifer Lopez’s, Ben Affleck, Lopez, “, Benny Medina, I’m, Affleck, I’ve, ”, Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Winter, Jenny, that’d, Ben, You’ve, Elaine Goldsmith, Thomas, Derek Hough, that’s, Icarus, Simu Liu, “ We’re, ” Affleck, We’re Organizations: Katie Couric Media, CNN, Kodak Theater, Netflix Locations: London, Hollywood , California, Bennifer, Las Vegas, Vegas

☆ South Africa has failed its Black majority. Nelson Mandela’s political heirs may pay the price
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

When South Africans vote Wednesday, an unhappy combination of rampant corruption, soaring joblessness, crippling power cuts and feeble economic growth will likely be top of mind. Black South Africans, who make up 81% of the population, are at the sharp end of this dire situation. ‘Elite enrichment’Under apartheid — and colonial rule before that — Black South Africans were violently oppressed and denied many basic human rights. Millions of South Africans still live in such informal settlements. “The poster child of this is the electricity sector.”For much of last year, South Africans were without power for at least some portion of the day.

Persons: ”, Nelson Mandela’s, —, Cyril Ramaphosa, Leon Sadiki, BEE, Moeletsi Mbeki, Thabo Mbeki, White, “, Tshediso Matona, Anders Pettersson, Black, …, Kganki Matabane, Matthew Parks, Matona, Mbeki, Ricardo Hausmann, Jacob Zuma, Haroon Bhorat, Michele Spatari, ” Bhorat, hasn’t, ANC “, Zuma, Ramaphosa, Cas Coovadia, Hausmann Organizations: Johannesburg CNN, National Congress, ANC, World Bank, Oxford Economics, Harvard University, Democratic Alliance, Bloomberg, Getty, South African Institute of International Affairs, Wits University, CNN, ”, BBEE, Black Business Council, South African Trade Unions, Harvard’s, University of Cape, South Africa’s Free, International Monetary Fund, Fitch, IMF, JPMorgan, Shell, Unilever, Business, Business Unity, Harvard Growth Locations: London, Johannesburg, Sudan, Africa, Alexandra, South Africa, Leon, Isipingo, KwaZulu, Natal, South, ”, University of Cape Town, loadshedding, Namahadi, Frankfort, Business Unity South Africa

☆ Federal judge makes key rulings ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial on gun charges in June
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Marshall Cohen | Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Wilmington, Delaware CNN —The judge in Hunter Biden’s gun case issued a series of pretrial rulings Friday, handing wins to both sides and setting the contours of the upcoming trial. Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika sided with prosecutors on a key question about what they need to prove about Biden’s drug use when he bought a gun in 2018. Prosecutors said in court that they only want to introduce a small slice of the laptop material at trial. Lawyers said the trial could last up to two weeks, including jury selection, with the potential to go longer. She also limited what references prosecutors could make at trial to his lavish spending habits at the time of the gun purchase, narrowing such evidence to spending connected to drug use.

Persons: Hunter, Maryellen Noreika, Biden, David Weiss ’, Prosecutors, Derek Hines, Weiss, ”, Abbe Lowell, “, ” Lowell, Noreika Organizations: Delaware CNN, Federal, Prosecutors, Lawyers, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Navy Locations: Wilmington, Delaware, California, Arkansas

☆ UN’s top court orders Israel to ‘immediately’ halt its operation in Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Abbas Al Lawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The United Nations’ top court has ordered Israel to immediately halt its controversial military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, further increasing international pressure on Israel over its war against Hamas. Israel began a limited ground offensive in Rafah on May 7, defying calls from the international community, including the United States, not to proceed. More than a million Palestinians were taking shelter there before Israel started its operation, but the court noted that around 800,000 have since been displaced. Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, waits for judges to enter the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands on Friday. The development comes as Israel faces mounting international and domestic pressure to end the war in Gaza.

Persons: “, Nawaf Salam, ”, Israel, Vusimuzi, Peter Dejong, International Law Gilad Noam, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, Biden, Joe Biden, ” Israel, Israel’s, Israel ‘, ” Yossi Mekelberg, Eliav, Neve Gordon, Gali, Amit Aisman, Gordon Organizations: CNN, United Nations ’, Hamas, International Court of Justice, Israel, Court of Justice, International Law, Criminal Court, ICC, Israel Defense Forces, ICJ, Health Ministry, North Africa, Chatham House, Tel Aviv University, Queen Mary University of London, Times Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, “ Israel, United States, Egypt, South Africa, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa, Netherlands, The Hague, Washington, Palestinian, East, London, Gali Baharav

☆ Israel-Hamas War and Gaza News: Latest Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Family members first saw the footage a few weeks ago via the Israeli military, which formally handed them a copy on Tuesday night, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents families of hostages held captive in Gaza. But hopes for immediate progress appeared remote in the shadow of Israel’s ongoing military operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza, from which over 800,000 Palestinians have fled, according to the United Nations. Image A still image from a video released by the Israeli military showing Israeli soldiers, all young women, during their abduction amid the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7. Credit... Israeli forces operating in northern Gaza retrieved the bodies of four Israelis abducted on Oct. 7, heightening fears for the remaining captives. “The video is a damning testament to the nation’s failure to bring home the hostages, who have been forsaken for 229 days,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

Persons: “ I’m, ” Eli Albag, Liri, they’ve, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, “, Israel Katz, Nahal Oz, heightening, Naama Levy, Agam Berger, Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Yair Lapid, Dmitriy Khavin, Alexander Cardia, Riley Mellen Organizations: Israel’s, United Nations, Families, Reuters, The New York Times Locations: Gaza, “, Rafah, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Palestinian, Nahal, Palestine, Israel

☆ Senate Democrats Open Inquiry Into Trump’s $1 Billion Request of Oil Industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The investigation is the second congressional inquiry into the April 11 fund-raising dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s private club in Florida. On Wednesday Mr. Trump headlined a fund-raiser for MAGA Inc., a super PAC, that was hosted by three oil executives at a five-star hotel in Houston. One host was Kelcy Warren, a billionaire who owns a pipeline empire with an ambitious international expansion plan that depends on new export terminals. Another was Harold G. Hamm, one of the pioneers of the shale oil boom that turned the United States into the world’s largest crude exporter. The third, Vicki Hollub, leads Occidental Petroleum, a Houston-based oil company.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Kelcy Warren, Biden, Harold G, Vicki Hollub Organizations: Democrats, White, Mar, Mr, Wednesday, MAGA Inc, Occidental Petroleum Locations: Florida, Houston, Hamm, United States

☆ Businesses push Biden to grant work permits to longtime undocumented immigrants
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

She knows there’s a bigger pool of experienced workers out there, but she can’t hire them because they are undocumented immigrants. The coalition argues Biden can do more through executive action under current law, including by expanding work permits to spouses of US citizens. All of Indiana dairy farmer Steve Obert's employees are authorized to work, but he is among the business leaders advocating for more work permits for longtime undocumented residents. Courtesy Steve ObertAll of Obert’s 15 non-family employees are foreign born and have work permits. But he knows that undocumented workers contribute a lot to the industry, as well as to the communities where they live.

Persons: Lisa Winton, Winton, Biden, ” Winton, ” Lisa Winton, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Trump, , ”, Karoline Leavitt, “, ” It’s, Steve Obert, Jessica Vaughan, Rebecca Shi, ‘, ’ ”, Shi, Vaughan, Tara Watson, Bush, Obama, Kerri Talbot, Trump’s, Steve, ” Obert Organizations: CNN, Winton Machine Company, American Business Immigration Coalition, Employers, Time, Trump, Pew Research Center, Labor, National Agricultural Workers Survey, Center, American, National Milk Producers Federation, Immigration Services, Center for Immigration Studies, Department of Homeland Security, Migration Policy Institute, Williams College, Immigration, Indiana Dairy Producers Locations: Suwanee , Georgia, Winton, Georgia, America, Indiana

☆ Biden jumps on Trump ‘unified Reich’ video that plays into a key theme of president’s reelection push
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Kyle Feldscher | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Boston CNN —President Joe Biden and his campaign are looking to capitalize on former President Donald Trump’s posting of a video showing images of a fake newspaper article that references a “unified Reich” if he’s reelected in 2024. The video has been removed from Trump’s Truth Social account, but the Biden campaign has quickly incorporated the former president’s use of verbiage associated with Nazi Germany into messaging. Biden made Trump’s comments the focus of two closed-door campaign fundraisers Tuesday night, a video on his social media platforms and a fundraising email. It’s the language of Hitler’s Germany,” Biden told donors in Boston during a campaign reception. “Is this on his official account?” Biden asks in the video.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s, he’s, Trump, Biden, “ That’s, ” Biden, Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump, “ What’s, ”, Karoline Leavitt, ” “ Organizations: Boston CNN, Trump, White House Locations: Charlottesville , Virginia, Nazi Germany, Germany, Boston, Nazi, America, New York

☆ South Africa elections: A guide and everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Sarah Dean | David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Johannesburg, South Africa CNN —South Africans go to the polls on May 29 for what will likely be the most pivotal general election since the end of apartheid. This is the seventh general election South Africa has held since the end of white minority rule 30 years ago. South Africa general election 101 • South Africa uses a “proportional representation” system. This year South Africa received its lowest score on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. Democratic Alliance (DA) party leader Johan Steenhuisen speaks to supporters during a party event on May 9, 2024, in Soweto, South Africa.

Persons: Nelson Mandela, Cyril Ramaphosa, Jacob Zuma, What’s, Ramaphosa –, –, “, Ramaphosa, ”, John Steenhuisen, Johan Steenhuisen, Anders Pettersson, Zuma, Julius Malema, Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Steenhuisen Organizations: South Africa CNN, National Congress, ANC, Independent Electoral, •, “, Democratic Alliance, White South, Party Charter, uMkhonto weSizwe Party, Economic, Fighters, EFF, MK, Finance, Constitutional, Social Research Foundation Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa, China, Cuba, Soweto

☆ Microsoft’s latest AI tool is alarming privacy experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Samantha Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Microsoft’s buzziest new AI feature is raising concerns that it could potentially be misused in the wrong hands. It’s different from a keyword search; the tool regularly saves screenshots of the user’s screen and stores them directly on the device. It then uses AI to process the data and make it searchable. Jen Golbeck – a professor of AI at the University of Maryland who focuses on privacy – said the recall feature could pose a potential “nightmare” if the device falls into the wrong hands. Still, Michela Menting, a senior research director at ABI Research, believes the feature is a “step backwards” for privacy.

Persons: Jen Golbeck –, –, ”, that’s, Satya Nadella, Geoff Blaber, ” Blaber, Golbeck, Blaber, Michela Organizations: CNN, University of Maryland, Data Protection, ICO, Microsoft, Wall Street, CCS Insight, ABI Research

Taipei CNN —Thousands of mostly young protesters surrounded Taiwan’s legislature late into the night on Tuesday, protesting a push by opposition parties to subject the island’s new leader and his administration to tighter scrutiny from a parliament controlled by lawmakers who favor closer ties to China. Meanwhile, the president would be required to deliver an annual address to the parliament on key policy issues. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, as the parliament resumed its meeting to discuss the bill, protesters gathered outside the Legislative Yuan – Taiwan’s unicameral parliament – from morning until midnight, braving downpours in the afternoon. Lai, 64, a former doctor and vice president, was inaugurated Monday alongside new Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who recently served as Taiwan’s top envoy to the United States. Both leaders and their party are openly loathed by Beijing for championing Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Persons: Lai Ching, TPP, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Yuan –, braving, Ricky Li, “ I’m, ”, Lai, Hsiao Bi, China’s Organizations: Taipei CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan’s, Kuomintang, KMT, Taiwan People’s Party, DPP, –, Communist Party Locations: Taipei, Taiwan’s, China, Beijing, Taiwan, AFP, United States

☆ Trump posts video referencing ‘unified Reich’ if reelected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Colin Mccullough | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump posted a video on Monday showing images of a fake newspaper article that references a “unified Reich” if he’s reelected in 2024. The video, posted to Trump’s Truth Social account, details “what happens after Donald Trump wins” with a narrator reading hypothetical headlines like “Economy Booms!” and “Border is closed,” styled as World War I-era newspaper clippings. The term “reich” is often associated Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, who designated Germany a “Third Reich” from 1933 to 1945. Donald Trump is not playing games; he is telling America exactly what he intends to do if he regains power: rule as a dictator over a ‘unified reich,’” said Singer. Trump has previously played into antisemitic tropes, drawing broad condemnation for lashing out at Jewish Americans he says don’t support him and Israel enough.

Persons: Donald Trump, he’s, “ What’s, ”, Adolf Hitler, Karoline Leavitt, Trump, ” Biden, James Singer, ’ ”, Singer, Hitler Organizations: CNN, Trump, Biden, Jewish Locations: America, Nazi Germany, Germany, Israel, Iowa

☆ Opinion: We Germans are making Trump ‘thunderstorm’ plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Opinion Anna Sauerbrey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

That’s scary.” If Trump is elected, Jörg is convinced, he would withdraw American troops from Europe and stop aid to Ukraine. Jim Bourg/AFP/Getty ImagesSix months ahead of the vote, this soccer field conversation reflects the German view of the US elections quite well. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty ImagesIt’s an optimistic view, based on the assumption that Trump will act rationally, as a deal-maker, if elected. What if Trump tries to take America out of NATO or creates a “dormant NATO,” a NATO existent only in name? Another Trump presidency would not only put Germany’s security at risk, but also manifest this view of the US for another four years.

Persons: Thomas Ernst Editor’s, Anna Sauerbrey, Read, ’, ”, Jörg, Miguel, Donald Trump, “, “ Trump, Trump, “ I’m, Piero, Joe Biden, Jim Bourg, Europe’s, Russia “, Olaf Scholz, Michael Kappeler, ” Scholz, mums, Annalena Baerbock, Greg Abbott, Biden, Kirill Kudryavtsev, George H, Bush’s, Barack Obama, Obama, Heinz M, Schahina Gambir, Gambir, Roe, Wade, Bob Parent Organizations: Zeit, Berlin CNN —, Köpenicker FC, CNN, Biden, Trump, Getty, NATO, Republican, European Union, European Central Bank, EU, ”, Dallas Mavericks, Mavericks, LA Clippers, NBA, Green, Bundestag Locations: Berlin, America, Taiwan, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, AFP, Gaza, Germany, Russia, United States, Trump, Texas, China, Poland, France, Frankfurt, Kabul, New York City, New York

☆ Trump removes video referencing ‘unified Reich,’ but his Nazi allusions are long-standing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Donald Trump dabbles in Nazi allusions too often for it to be a coincidence. But the term “Reich,” which means a kind of empire, is also synonymous with the later Third Reich of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Some of Trump’s rhetoric suggests an ignorance of history and his own self-obsession. Some of Trump’s rhetoric seems designed to get a rise from his opponents and the media. And as extreme as a second Trump term might be, the Nazi Germany comparison feels extreme.

Persons: Donald Trump dabbles, Reich, Adolf Hitler’s, Trump, Joe Biden, Hitler, Mein, hasn’t, Donald Trump’s, Donald J, Trump Trump, John Kelly, CNN’s Jim Sciutto, Powers, ” Kelly, “, ’, ” Sciutto, Kelly, Steven Cheung, John Bolton, He’s, Biden, ”, Viktor Orbán, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Truth, White House, Nazi, Baby Boomers Locations: Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Gestapo, United States, Charlottesville , Virginia, Boston, Nazi Germany, Hungarian, Russian, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Eastern Europe, Nazi, Normandy

☆ Election Updates: Rubio, a Trump V.P. Contender, won’t commit to certifying 2024 election results.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Maggie Astor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Mr. Trump addressed the group as he is on trial in Manhattan on criminal charges that he falsified business records related to a hush-money payment to a porn star. Gun safety groups hung up T-shirts with the names of people killed by gun violence in Dallas County. At the N.R.A.’s meeting, Mr. Trump, whose campaign fund-raising has lagged in Texas, urged gun owners to head to the polls to help deliver him the election. She also criticized Mr. Trump for saying, “We have to get over it” after a shooting in Iowa this year that killed a sixth grader. Mr. Trump “is catering to the gun lobby and threatening to make the crisis worse if re-elected,” Ms. Harris said.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Biden, ”, Mr, “, Greg Abbott, John Cornyn, you’ve, Andrew Arulanandam, Abbott, Biden’s, ” “ Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ” Mr, N.R.A, ” Ana, Maria Ramos, Jill Brown, Louis, —, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Trump’s, Kamala Harris, ” Ms, Harris Organizations: National Rifle Association, Biden, “, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Texas Democrats, Dallas City Hall, City Hall Plaza, Associated Press, Allen, Outlets, Republican, Trump coalition, Las, Supreme Locations: Dallas, Manhattan, Houston, Uvalde , Texas, Texas, Dallas County, United States, Pennsylvania, Las Vegas, Parkland, Fla, Iowa

CNN spoke to 10 students and four faculty members at Morehouse College who had differing opinions on Biden speaking at their school. Jalen Silas Burch, a 19-year-old freshman, told CNN that he feels the president’s speech is a move to “pander” to Black male voters. Biden and Harris previously spoke at Morehouse College in 2022 as part of a major voting rights push with legislation stalled on Capitol Hill. Student volunteers assisting with the graduation ceremony at Morehouse College are also required this year to undergo a virtual de-escalation training with the Morehouse College Police Department before the graduation ceremony, according to an email obtained by CNN. “The number one conversation going on is that this graduation is not for President Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, “ There’s, ”, Colin Royal, Kamala Harris, Morehouse, Cedric Richmond, “, Jalen Silas Burch, Calvin Bell, ” Morehouse, ” Michael Henry, Noah Collier, David A, Thomas, Steve Benjamin, Benjamin, Eddie Glaude, Harris, Stephane Dunn, …, ” Dunn, CNN’s Kayla Tausche, Victor Blackwell Organizations: Atlanta CNN, Morehouse College, Morehouse, Hamas, Maroon Tiger, Biden, Democratic, CNN, Morehouse College Democrats, Morehouse College ”, Israel, “, The Atlanta University Center Student Intercommunal, Biden’s Cabinet, ” Morehouse, ”, White, Princeton, American Studies, Capitol, South Carolina State University, Howard University, Tennessee State, Secret, Student, Morehouse College Police Department Locations: Washington, Atlanta, Gaza, Georgia, Israel, Morehouse’s

☆ He had strict instructions from the groom: ‘Stay away from the bridesmaid.’ Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

CNN —Ariff Hassan arrived at the wedding under strict instructions: “Stay away from the bridesmaid.”It was August 2018. “Listen,” said Ariff’s friend. But Ariff’s friend’s warning was ringing round his head. Because Liliya was – of course, inevitably – the bridesmaid Ariff had been warned to stay away from. Ariff Hassan and Liliya DauletaliyevaLiliya and Ariff Kazakhstan wedding celebration incorporated a number of Kazakh traditions.

Persons: CNN — Ariff Hassan, “, Ariff, They’d, “ I’d, ‘ I’ve, ”, Ariff’s, –, Liliya Dauletaliyeva, Lili, Liliya, ” Ariff, Ariff Hassan, She’d, she’d, fiancé, who’d, ” Liliya, He’d, “ I’m, ’, ’ ”, he’d “, ’ ” Ariff, ’ ” Liliya, – she’d, he’d, ‘, that’s, they’re, hadn’t, Ariff shrugged, – Ariff, he’s, you’ve, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Kazakhstan –, Kuala Lumpur –, CNN Travel, Facebook, Liliya, Malaysian, University of Oxford, Oxford Locations: Singapore, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Kazakhstan’s, Almaty, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Liliya, Kazakh, Astana, Iceland, Cappadocia, Turkey, Bangkok, London, ’, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

☆ Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, US officials warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike traditional banks, nonbank mortgage companies like Rocket Mortgage are heavily exposed to swings in the mortgage market, depend on funding that can dry up during times of stress and don’t have stable deposits to rely on as a safety net. Despite the wonky term, nonbank mortgage companies have become vital players that make most home mortgages in the United States today. As of 2022, nonbank mortgage companies originated about two-thirds of US mortgages and owned the servicing rights on 54% of mortgage balances, according to FSOC. “Nonbank mortgage firms are thinly capitalized, which makes them vulnerable to failure if they lose financing or mortgage defaults spike,” said McCoy, a former mortgage regulator. “Starting in early 2007, we saw a tsunami of nonbank mortgage firms fail precisely for these reasons.”

Persons: Janet Yellen, FSOC, Cooper, ” FSOC, Ginnie Mae, Bob Broeksmit, Patricia McCoy, ”, McCoy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Rocket, Mortgage, Mortgage Bankers Association, ABA, Boston College Law School, “ Locations: New York, United States

☆ Worry About Women Voters Drove Trump’s Hush-Money Decisions, Cohen Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Michael Wilson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The striking amount of time and energy that went into covering up Donald J. Trump’s alleged affairs in the run-up to the 2016 election, and the panic among his aides over their impact on female voters, returned front and center in the testimony of Michael D. Cohen on Monday. Mr. Cohen and a team at The National Enquirer spoke seemingly constantly about how to keep these women quiet, even as new accounts surfaced that required awkward conversations with the candidate. Accounting departments were engaged, front companies were created, and misleading invoices were produced, according to witnesses for the prosecution. The “Access Hollywood” tape, a recording of Mr. Trump talking about groping women with impunity, landed like a bombshell in 2016. Mr. Trump urged Mr. Cohen, who was in London, to reach out to his contacts in the news media.

Persons: Donald J, Trump’s, Michael D, Cohen, Trump, Mr, Chris Cuomo Organizations: National Enquirer, Mr, CNN, Trump Locations: London

☆ Novak Djokovic suffers shock loss to Alejandro Tabilo at Italian Open
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —It took Alejandro Tabilo just 67 minutes to achieve what other tennis players have unsuccessfully tried to do on countless occasions – beat Novak Djokovic. 1 and top seed 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Italian Open on Sunday in what was the first meeting between the pair. “I was just trying to keep my nerves in, trying to keep swinging,” added Tabilo. It was another Djokovic double fault which gave Tabilo his fourth break of the match to secure an incredible victory. “I didn’t feel anything, but I also didn’t feel the same.

Persons: Alejandro Tabilo, –, Novak Djokovic, ”, Tabilo, Djokovic, Claudia Greco, “ Organizations: CNN, Chilean, Djokovic, Reuters, “ Locations: Rome

☆ ‘I will return to the US in an urn’: She moved to Portugal with her husband two years ago, and this American woman says she’s never coming back
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

‘Aha’ momentCynthia Wilson and her husband Craig Bjork relocated from the US to Marinha Grande, situated in the Leiria District of Portugal, just over two years ago. Community spiritThe couple celebrate Wilson's first birthday in Portugal with friends. “My Portuguese friends taught me that you have to first recognize their humanity,” says Wilson. There’s no place for that.”Wilson has warmly embraced the Portuguese way of life, particularly the focus on food, which has long been a big part of her life. Doing something odd.”Wilson and Bjork say that they’ve had “zero problems” since relocating to Portugal and couldn’t be happier.

Persons: CNN — They’d, Cynthia Wilson, Craig Bjork, Wilson, –, I’ve, ” Wilson, ”, Bjork, “, it’s, Wilson's, ’, Cynthia Wilson “ Retirement’s, that’s, I’m, hasn’t, ” “, ‘, they’ve, Dulce Silva, Sérgio Carvalho, grandly, Rainha Joia, Maria da Silva, Cynthia Wilson Wilson, “ There’s, couldn’t Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Facebook Locations: Portugal, Europe, Seattle, Estonia, Marinha, Leiria District, Lisbon, Kansas, Wichita , Kansas, Marinha Grande, Porto, Algarve, San Francisco, Manhattan, Florabela, America, “

Ms. Daniels could take the stand to testify against Mr. Trump as early as this week. Her presence would let Mr. Trump’s defense lawyers attack Ms. Daniels as an extortionist and question her credibility. Nor can she testify about the plan for Mr. Trump to hide his reimbursements to Mr. Cohen by characterizing them as legal fees. Mr. Trump’s lawyers contend that he did not know that the checks he signed for Mr. Cohen were not for legal fees, and that Mr. Cohen and Mr. Trump’s employees were responsible for any false records. “He has never thought that the little man, or especially women, and even more, women like me, matter,” Ms. Daniels said.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Alvin L, Bragg, Trump’s, Michael Bachner, Bachner, Dave Sanders, Stephanie Clifford, Barrett, “ I’m, Donald Trump, ” Ms, Norm, ”, Peacock, J., r. “ Organizations: Mr, The New York Times Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Baton Rouge, La, Texas, Florida, New York

☆ Israel’s Closures of 2 Gaza Border Crossings Prompt Alarm Over Humanitarian Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With its seizure of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, Israel has now closed two key crossings for aid into Gaza, drawing sharp warnings from international agencies and officials who said the moves could exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave. Since the start of the war, Israel had limited aid entering the Gaza Strip to the two tightly controlled border crossings: Kerem Shalom and Rafah, which both access the enclave’s south. But Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing after a Hamas attack on Sunday killed four soldiers in the area, then mounted an incursion on Tuesday that closed the Rafah crossing along the border with Egypt. Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. humanitarian office, said in a news briefing that Israel had “choked off” the two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza. Egypt’s foreign ministry condemned the Rafah operation “in the strongest terms,” saying on Tuesday afternoon that Israeli control over the crossing jeopardized humanitarian aid deliveries as well as the ability of Gazans to leave the strip for medical treatment.

Persons: Jens Laerke, Israel, “ Organizations: Sunday, United Nations Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, Kerem Shalom

☆ China’s Xi is visiting Europe for the first time in five years – his goodwill tour will be an uphill struggle
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Major breakthroughs with China’s toughest critics will be hard to come by unless Xi is ready to make surprise concessions. And the trip could instead serve to underscore divisions – not only between Europe and China – but those within Europe that could play to China’s favor, analysts say. Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron visit a garden in Guangdong during Macron's state visit to China last April. Putin has said he plans to visit China this month, according to Russian state media. Xi may also look to highlight Chinese investments in both Belgrade and Budapest in a message to the rest of Europe.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Andrea Bocelli, –, Xi, China –, ”, Noah Barkin, Hungary –, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, Chong Ja Ian, “, Chong, Jacques Witt, China’s, Macron, Russia …, Wang Yiwei, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Aleksandar Vučić, Viktor Orban – Organizations: CNN, European Union, Ukraine, German Marshall Fund of, EU, “, National University of Singapore, Getty, Beijing’s Renmin University, NATO, Reuters, EV Locations: China, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, “ China, Europe, Berlin, United States, Serbia, Hungary, Beijing, Paris, “ France, North America, Guangdong, Ukraine, Switzerland, Barkin, “, Belgrade, Budapest, Balkans, Balkan

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