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Pressure from President-elect Donald Trump was a major factor in Hamas relenting on two key issues during cease-fire and hostage-release talks with Israel, a senior administration official told NBC News on Friday. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the concessions Hamas was prepared to make. Basem Naim, a member of Hamas' political wing, told NBC News that he was not aware that the group had recently made concessions during negotiations. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday that the Biden administration has had “very good consultation and coordination,” with the incoming Trump team. “And we’re going to keep working until we get it done.”The latest cease-fire proposal stems from U.S. proposals earlier this year, an Israeli official told NBC News.

Persons: Donald Trump, Amir Levy, Joe Biden, ”, we’ve, Biden, Basem Naim, Trump, OMAR AL, Bashar al, Assad, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Sullivan, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Blinken Organizations: Israel, NBC, Biden, Hamas, Trump, NBC News, Getty, Shin, Turkish Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, United States, Gaza City, OMAR, AFP, Iran, Cairo, U.S, Doha, Aqaba, Jordan, Israel

DAMASCUS, Syria — Cockroaches crawled out of the walls near a dirty, stained sink in the Syrian prison cell where an ex-prisoner told NBC News that American journalist Austin Tice was once held. Sahar al-Ahmad said he was in the cell across from Tice and last saw him alive in July 2022. Relatives rushed to jails, military installations and even black sites to search for detained loved ones as soon as the regime fell. Ted Turner / NBC NewsAhmad, an activist and citizen journalist, said that he was arrested for filming anti-regime demonstrations and that Tice appeared to be in “somewhat good” condition in 2022. A torn photo of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad lies on the floor after the prison was hastily evacuated.

Persons: Austin Tice, Sahar, Ahmad, Tice, “, ” Ahmad, Ted Turner, Relatives, Hayat Tahrir, Bashar al, Assad, Syria’s, blindfolds, Marc Tice, Lester Holt, ”, Assad’s, “ We’re, ” Debra Tice, Obeida Al Organizations: NBC News, Syrian, Intelligence, NBC, Intelligence Directorate, Ahmad, Austin Locations: DAMASCUS, Syria, Damascus, Turkish, Sousa, Istanbul, Houston, Dubai, Austin

Smith & Wesson voluntarily agreed, among other product safety changes, to make magazine disconnects available as an option on all its pistols. “I can’t really go around talking about how there needs to be more gun safety for 25-year-old men who know better,” she said. But in a second interview months later, Skipper said that after talking with NBC News she had come around to the idea that more guns should have magazine disconnects. And law enforcement agencies that previously required magazine disconnects in standard-issue weapons have largely moved to guns without them. Magazine disconnects are “becoming much less common for sure.”Consumers may have moved on, but the deadly accidents have persisted.

Persons: New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, ” Morial, Clinton, Smith, gunmakers, ” Wayne LaPierre, ”, Gregory Smith, Beretta, Jonathan Lowy, “, ” John Burnsworth III, J.R . Gustafson, Burnsworth, ” Burnsworth, —, Gustafson, ’, hasn’t, Keane, “ That’s, Sharon Skipper, Thomas Gage Skipper, Gage, Tyler Shepperd, he’d, Sharon Skipper Gage, Skipper, Shepperd, Glock, Natalie Behring, ” Glock, Preston Spicher, Lowy, Sig Sauer, ” Smith, ” Reno, he’s, that’s Organizations: New, New Orleans Mayor, Smith, Wesson, NRA, Getty, Beretta, Global, NBC News, Springfield Armory, U.S . Marine Corps, NBC, Delaware ., Industry, Ruger, California, Association, Republicans, U.S . House, Senate, ”, YouTube Locations: New Orleans, Dallas, Illinois, Mount Pleasant , Pennsylvania, Florida, Austrian, Rexburg , Idaho, Delaware, Knoxville , Tennessee, Las Vegas, California, Pennsylvania

☆ Duke lacrosse accusations: Crystal Mangum, who accused three players of rape, now says she lied about the encounter
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Karina Tsui | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Crystal Mangum, the former exotic dancer who accused three Duke men’s lacrosse players of rape in 2006, igniting a national firestorm, now says she lied about the encounter. “I made up a story that wasn’t true because I wanted validation from people and not from God,” Mangum said. Mangum’s admission comes nearly two decades after she said she was raped by former players David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann. According to the Duke student newspaper, Duke Athletics declined to comment. Duke University and the three players reached an undisclosed settlement shortly after the charges were dropped.

Persons: Crystal Mangum, Duke men’s, “, ” Mangum, Kat, ”, Katerena DePasquale, Mangum, David Evans, Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann, Chuck Burton, Reade, There’s, Mike Pressler, Roy Cooper Organizations: CNN, Duke, North Carolina Correctional Institution, Women, Duke Athletics, Duke University, Inquiry Locations: Durham

☆ I Traded My News Apps for Rumble, the Right-Wing YouTube. Here’s What I Saw.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Stuart A. Thompson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +20 min

athletes doing Mr. Trump’s dance moves were a sign, the hosts said, that Mr. Trump had recaptured popular culture from the clutches of Hollywood liberals. Blame for any hiccups in Mr. Trump’s strategy was assigned to Democrats or even Republicans who were not sufficiently obedient. Perhaps the biggest cheerleader for Mr. Trump was Mr. Bongino, the eponymous host of Rumble’s most-watched show, with 3.4 million followers. I don’t remember seeing Mr. Bongino criticize Mr. Trump — not once. When Mr. Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration later that week after significant pushback, Mr. Bongino never faulted Mr. Trump for the whole ordeal.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, influencers, ⏸︎, It's, Graham Allen, you’re, Crowder, Tucker, Rogan, Biden, ”, Joe ” ▶, Russell Brand, —, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia, Clayton Morris, Morris, Roseanne Barr, Jake Pentland, Barr’s, Diane Ellis Marseglia, Ms, Marseglia, “, Dan Bongino, MAGA podcasters, we’re, that’s, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump’s, Howard Lutnick, David Sacks, Christopher Pavlovski, Elon Musk, ” Mr, Pavlovski, Tim Murtaugh, Tommy Tuberville, MAGA, “ We’ve, Tuberville, Bongino, Bongino’s, Matt Gaetz, Mr, Trump —, Gaetz, ‘ You’re, Pentland, Stephen K, Bannon, Candace Owens, Candace Organizations: YouTube, Pew Research, Biden, Trump, MSNBC, Mar, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security’s, Progressives, Republicans, Fox News, Rumble, Democratic, Bucks, deride, Republican Party, White House, Congress, Mr, Craft Ventures, New York Times, Alabama Republican, Senate, Republican, Bongino Inc, CNN, ABC News, Justice Department Locations: Russia, Canadian, —, Washington, United States, Nashville , Los Angeles , Buffalo , New York City, Los Angeles, Ukraine, Portugal, Pennsylvania, Bucks County, Pa, Florida, Alabama, Chew

☆ The air purifier you bought during the pandemic may still help you breathe better now
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Risks from the Covid-19 pandemic and increasingly intense wildfire seasons have sparked interest in air purifiers as a tool to keep indoor air healthy. But experts say they can be just as important to help manage indoor air pollution when there isn’t an acute air crisis. Other interventions – particularly ventilating indoor air by introducing new outdoor air and directly removing the source of indoor air pollution – may have a bigger impact on health outcomes, and they’ve been the focus of recent federal action. What air purifiers can and can’t doAir purifiers can’t fully eliminate indoor air pollutants, but they can help with the process of cleaning indoor air and come with little to no risk, experts say. But indoor air quality is not regulated in the same way that outdoor air quality is in the United States, and it’s been the subject of far less research.

Persons: they’ve, ”, Elizabeth Matsui, it’s, –, Vito Ilacqua, ” Matsui, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Air purifiers, US Centers for Disease Control, US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Health, Environment, Education, Research, The University of Texas, Austin’s Dell Medical, EPA’s Center, Scientific, EPA, CNN Health Locations: United States, China

☆ DOGE tracker: A running list of what Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy say they will change
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Alice Tecotzky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy aim to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget by June 4, 2026. There are more than 440 government agencies; Musk has said he wants to trim that down to no more than 99. In a post on X, Ramaswamy endorsed the idea, and did so again while speaking to Fox News in November. For the fiscal year 2024, it had a $90 billion budget, which is less than 11% of the defense budget of $842 billion. Target expired federal spending commitmentsOn X, Ramaswamy has floated a range of places that could see cuts.

Persons: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, They've, Donald Trump, Ramaswamy, SCOTUS, Raimondo, — Ramaswamy, Musk, Trump, Chip Somodevilla, haven't, Brandon Bell, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Trump's, ANGELA WEISS, DOGE, X Organizations: Department of Government, Security, Musk, Trump, Street, Environmental Protection Agency, Loper Bright Enterprises, Political, Department, Education, of Education, Fox News, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial, Financial, Bureau, Republicans, Internal Revenue, IRS, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Government, Office, Getty, Congressional, NASA, Partnership for Public Service, Washington Post, Pentagon, Management, Daylight Savings Locations: West Virginia, Washington, American, Afghanistan

☆ Trump transition wants to scrap crash reporting requirement opposed by Tesla: Reuters
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Trump transition team wants the incoming administration to drop a car-crash reporting requirement opposed by Elon Musk's Tesla , according to a document seen by Reuters, a move that could cripple the government's ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems. Tesla has been targeted in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigations, including three stemming from the data. The recommendation to kill the crash-reporting rule came from a transition team tasked with producing a 100-day strategy for automotive policy. The Trump transition team, Musk and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. A Reuters analysis of the NHTSA crash data shows Tesla accounted for 40 out of 45 fatal crashes reported to NHTSA through Oct. 15.

Persons: Elon Musk's Tesla, Trump, Tesla, Cruise Organizations: Trump, Reuters, Traffic Safety Administration, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, NHTSA, Cruise, General Motors, GM Locations: The Woodlands , Texas, Virginia, California

☆ Caitlin Clark should not have been singled out by Time magazine, says Washington Mystics owner Sheila Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Amanda Davies | Johannes Sasay-Wada | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Sheila Johnson, billionaire co-owner of WNBA franchise Washington Mystics, has criticized Time magazine for their awarding of “Athlete of the Year” to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. Johnson questioned why the publication “couldn’t have put the whole WNBA on that cover,” given the talent the league possesses. It’s not just Caitlin Clark, it’s (Angel) Reese (as well). This phenomenon has been coined “The Caitlin Clark effect.”A side effect of Clark’s success has been an increase in commercial deals, which Johnson says may create ill will among Clark’s counterparts. It all started with the whole Nike sponsorship that Caitlin got,” Johnson, America’s first Black woman billionaire, said.

Persons: Sheila Johnson, Caitlin Clark, CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies, Johnson, ”, It’s, it’s, Reese, Clark, Time, Caitlin, ” Johnson, America’s, ’, Angel Reese, Brian Spurlock, Cathy Engelbert, ’ Johnson, Larry Bird’s, “, that’s, ” Clark, I’ve, we’re Organizations: CNN, WNBA, Washington Mystics, Indiana Fever, Black Entertainment Television, BET, Washington, NHL’s Capitals, Wizards, WNBA’s Mystics, Indiana, Nike, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, NBA Locations: Gainbridge, Indianapolis

☆ NATO boss calls for much higher defense spending to counter Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Rutte said future spending would have to be much higher than the current alliance target of 2% of national wealth as measured by gross domestic product (GDP). “Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us,” Rutte said in a speech in Brussels. “During the Cold War, Europeans spent far more than 3% of their GDP on defense,” Rutte said. NATO members are grappling with renewed pressure from US President-elect Donald Trump, who has called for America’s allies to spend 3% of GDP on defense. So dare to innovate and take risks.”The NATO chief also warned of a “coordinated campaign to destabilize our societies” including cyberattacks and assassination attempts.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Rutte, ” Rutte, Donald Trump, ” Organizations: Belgium Reuters, NATO, “ Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, “, Dutch, Beijing

☆ Israel accuses an ‘unprecedented’ number of Israelis of spying for Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | Zeena Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The Israel Police arrested the suspects in October, a group of seven Israelis living in Haifa, northern Israel, representing one alleged cell. Like most of the other Israelis arrested on charges of spying for Iran, Nisanov had immigrated to Israel. While the GPS coordinates of the bases are known to Iran, Israeli authorities say the zoomed-in images Iran received from these Israelis provided additional targeting intelligence. Israel’s intelligence capabilities inside Iran are understood to be vast and Israeli intelligence has carried out multiple successful assassinations inside Iran. An exterior view of the building where Azis Nisanov, alleged ringleader of the Haifa cell, was living at the time of his arrest.

Persons: Israel CNN —, Maor Goren, ” Goren, –, ”, Leonid Gorbachovsky, ” Gorbachovsky, Nisanov, Gorbachovsky, Israel –, Maher Talhami, ” Talhami, “, Moti Maman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Shin, Maman, “ Eddy ”, Ismail Haniyeh, Eyal Beserglick, Goren, CNN Oded Ailam, ” Ailam, Israel’s Shin Bet, Shin Bet, Vyacheslav, Slava, Gushchin, Moshe, Riki Yazdi, Ailam, Israel ”, Vyacheslav “ Slava ” Gushchin, ” Moshe Yazdi Organizations: Israel CNN, Nevatim Airbase, Israel Police, Nevatim Air Base, Haifa Seven, Iron, CNN, ” CNN, Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mossad, Haifa Locations: Haifa, Israel, Nevatim, Iran, Belarus, Lebanon, Lod, Ashkelon, Turkey, Iranian, Turkish, Samandag

☆ Potential inclusion of MicroStrategy into the 'QQQ' could mark a tech top. How to hedge
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Jeff Kilburg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

And one event potentially involving bitcoin proxy MicroStrategy Friday could mark the top. I will use a zero-cost options strategy to potentially capture any cooling off over the next month in the red-hot Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) . QQQ YTD mountain Invesco QQQ Trust, YTD December has been a fascinating month so far as we have seen more equities inside of the benchmark index (S & P 500) decline versus rise, questioning breadth. One last reason that we may have seen a short-term top in the Nasdaq 100 is due to MicroStrategy . (*Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) announced a special cash dividend with an ex-date of 12/27; as a result, QQQ's option contracts have been adjusted to reflect this event.

Persons: MicroStrategy, MicroStrategy MSTR Organizations: Nasdaq, YTD, Broadcom, Tesla, CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL

CNN —President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly pledged to pardon US Capitol rioters on Day One, but one month before Inauguration Day it’s not clear who among the hundreds of convicted rioters, defendants awaiting trial and remaining fugitives would receive clemency. In a Time Magazine interview conducted last month and published Thursday, the president-elect said he would look at rioters’ cases individually. Some judges in Washington, DC, have also been publicly critical of Trump’s attempts to whitewash the riot’s causes and violence. One major question has been where a line might be drawn among the Capitol riot defendants who would be eligible for Trump’s clemency, and what would qualify as violent versus non-violent actions. One judge, Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, made pointed comments in a hearing for a Capitol riot defendant two weeks after this year’s election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, ”, “ I’m, “, CNN they’ve, –, Royce Lamberth, Reagan, Lamberth, Martin Luther King Jr, ” Trump, Joseph McBride, ” McBride, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, they’ve, “ I’ve, it’s, Court haven’t, Carl Nichols, that’s, ” Nichols, Jacob Joseph Lang, Nichols, There’s, Stewart Rhodes, Enrique Tarrio, Nayib Hassan, Tarrio hasn’t, Joseph Biggs, Rhodes, Stewart, ” Rhodes, James Lee Bright, Bright, ” Bright, “ He’s, ” CNN’s Marshall Cohen, Curt Devine, Casey Gannon Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump, Justice Department, Justice, NBC News, DC, Court, Boys Locations: Washington ,, wasn’t

☆ Elon Musk reveals SEC sent him 'settlement demand' after Twitter buyout probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a "settlement demand" to Elon Musk, the tech billionaire disclosed in a social media post on Thursday. The post included a copy of a letter sent by Musk's attorney, Quinn Emanuel Partner Alex Spiro, to SEC Chair Gary Gensler. In another post on Thursday, Musk wrote that he, "Asked @Grok to draw a picture of @GaryGensler. That post contained an AI-generated image portraying the SEC chair as a snail-like creature wearing a suit. If the SEC cannot reach a settlement agreement with Musk, this person said, charges would not necessarily follow as a next step.

Persons: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Quinn Emanuel, Alex Spiro, Gary Gensler, Musk, Tesla, Gary, Spiro, Musk's, Trump, Gensler Organizations: Republicans, Hyatt, The Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Twitter, CNBC, Mr, Tesla, SpaceX, Republican, Oklahoma Firefighters Locations: Washington ,

☆ Singapore, Vietnam firms in talks for new undersea cables, Reuters reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vietnam alone plans to have 10 new submarine cables by 2030. They added that Keppel prefers a more ambitious cable plan involving a consortium of investors. Sovico, a conglomerate whose operations include aviation and banking, has recently announced plans on data centre development. Singapore is a major hub for data centres and undersea cables, but the small island-state has nearly saturated its data usage capacity. A spokesperson for Keppel declined to answer Reuters questions about the two cable plans, saying: "We do not comment on market speculation."

Persons: Keppel, Sovico, Pham Minh Chinh Organizations: Sovico, Vietnam's, Reuters Locations: Asia, Europe, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam's

☆ The battle between human and robot ride-hailing drivers hinges on airports
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Airport rides are among the most profitable trips for human drivers. If Waymo One's robotaxis continue expanding to airports, human ride-hailing drivers could see their incomes take a big hit. AdvertisementMany Uber and Lyft drivers have told BI their gigs are already less profitable than they were a few years ago — due, in part, to an increase in competition from both human and robot drivers. AdvertisementWaymo One, which is owned by Alphabet, is the only company operating autonomous vehicles at US airports, Waymo told BI. AdvertisementAirport trips are some drivers' 'bread and butter'Moore said that airport trips aren't as profitable for drivers as they used to be, but that they remain important.

Persons: Waymo, Uber, Lindsey Cameron, —, You've, Nicole Moore, she's, they're, It's, robotaxis, hasn't, Lyft, Moore, Jason D, Sergio Avedian, Guy, Avedian, isn't Organizations: Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Drivers, Waymo, Los Angeles World Airports, Airport Commission, San Francisco International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Austin, Bergstrom International Airport, BI, GM, Uber, Phoenix Locations: Phoenix, LA, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Miami, Waymo, Phoenix —, San Francisco , Los Angeles, aren't

☆ Trump is unlikely to get a new Air Force One during his presidency because of Boeing delays: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Boeing has delayed its Air Force One delivery to 2029. Boeing's delivery delays are hurting President-elect Donald Trump's dreams of flying on a new Air Force One jet. In 2015, the Air Force chose Boeing to build two new planes to replace its aging 747 presidential fleet. The current Air Force Ones are white and light blue, as has been tradition since the John F. Kennedy administration. Representatives for Boeing, the US Air Force, and Trump's transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump, John F, Kennedy, David Calhoun Organizations: Boeing, Air Force, Air Force One, US Air Force, Street, Trump Administration, Trump, Federal Aviation Administration

☆ Teens aren't that into X — but another social media platform is increasingly getting their attention
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Pew Research Center surveyed American teenagers about social media and technology. Seventeen percent said they used Elon Musk's social media app, X — a steep decline compared to a decade ago. Other popular social media sites also saw a decline in use among teens. Reddit also remained consistent, with 14% of teens saying they used the app, the same as 2022. There was only one social media site that grew in popularity with teens over the past two years: WhatsApp.

Persons: Meta's, Elon Musk, ByteDance's TikTok, Reddit, Meta, WhatsApp Organizations: Pew Research Center, Facebook, The Washington DC, Elon, Business, YouTube, Google, Inc, Meta, Pew, Facebook Inc

☆ I'm a personal stylist. Here are 5 secrets to achieving the quiet-luxury look — even if you're not rich.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Grace Van Cleave | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

As a personal stylist, I think the quiet-luxury look is easy to achieve. Look for high-quality pieces in classic silhouettes, which can be found on sale or secondhand. AdvertisementAs a personal stylist, I love trends like quiet luxury that encourage people to buy quality pieces that can be worn for years, or even decades. After all, quiet-luxury style is all about using high-quality, understated pieces to create effortless looks. Some fictional characters — like many in the final season of HBO's "Succession" — have also exemplified the quiet-luxury look by mixing quality neutrals and timeless silhouettes.

Persons: Gwyneth Paltrow Organizations: Vogue

☆ A European nation cut ties with Gazprom, saying it won't be 'blackmailed' by Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementOMV was one of the last large, long-term buyers of Russian gas. Austria cannot be… — Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) December 11, 2024Austria has a secure energy supply, he added. Related storiesUkraine has long signaled that it will not renew an agreement, which expires in January, to allow Russian gas to transit its pipelines. It said it would offset this award "against payments to be made by OMV to Gazprom Export under its Austrian gas supply contract." A Chatham House analysis from this year pointed out that some replacement imports are Russian gas being "laundered" via third states.

Persons: It's, OMV, Michael McFaul, —, Austria's, Karl Nehammer, Dmitrij, Ukraine —, Jack Sharples, Tom Edwards, Sharples, we've, There's Organizations: Gazprom, OMV, Gazprom didn't, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Cornwall Insight, Brookings Institute, Gazprom Export, Chatham Locations: Austrian, Austria, Russia, Russian, Europe, wean, Ivzestia, OMV, Ukraine, Soviet Russia, Germany, European, Gazprom, LNG

☆ Syria’s tortured prisoners: The dead, the missing and the reunited
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Salma Abdelaziz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Yet many more of the missing have yet to be found, and hopes are fading with each passing hour. In Europe, he rose to prominence after detailing the torture he endured in a regime prison in a 2017 documentary. “Justice for me and my friends that were killed.”And he kept fighting for the cause he loved most – a free Syria. They wanted to be a security state that killed people if they even breathed against the regime.”Al-Hamada’s story is emblematic of Syria’s suffering. After being held incommunicado for months and possibly tortured, Tal was accused of spying for America, an outlandish charge for a teenage blogger.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Mazen, Hamada, al, Deir Ezzor, ”, gaunt, “, Marco Rubio, Omar Alshogre, ” Alshogre, Abbasi, Rania al, Naila, ” Naila, Rania, Alabbasi, “ It’s, Hafez al, Rami Al Sayed, Tal, Ahd, Tal al, Mallouhi, ” Ahd Organizations: CNN, Syrian, Human Rights, Air Force Intelligence, White House, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Al, Washington DC, ”, Getty, Amnesty, US State Department, United Nations, Amnesty International, Supreme, Security, Social Media, AFP Locations: Deir Ezzor, Damascus, Al, Syria, Netherlands, Europe, United States, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, AFP, Homs, America

☆ The charts indicate it's time to buy the dip in Warren Buffett's Berkshire, says Carter Worth
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Carter Braxton Worth | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/B) , a highly defensive, low beta stock (0.66) has declined some 7% the past two weeks. The selloff is judged to be a buyable dip. Indeed, Berkshire has experienced five similar selloffs year to date... and has rebounded in short order each and every time. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR.

Persons: Warren, Berkshire Hathaway, Carter Braxton Worth Organizations: CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL Locations: Berkshire

☆ After a CEO was gunned down, will health insurers change their ways?
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Any shifts in the nation’s complex health care system, however, will not come easily, nor quickly, experts say. Policyholders rebelled because they felt they couldn’t access the care they needed, said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group. “If you think health care costs are rough now, imagine them without constraints,” said Rodney Whitlock, vice president at McDermott+, a health care consulting group, and a former health policy adviser on the Senate Finance Committee under Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Health insurers, however, do at times backtrack when faced with intense blowback. However, there is now more bipartisan appetite on Capitol Hill to enact reforms, said Wendell Potter, a former Cigna executive and vocal critic of the health care industry.

Persons: Brian Thompson, Andrew, it’s, ”, “, Brian, ” “, ” AHIP, Julie Utterback, ” Utterback, Bill Clinton, policyholders, HMOs, Policyholders, Larry Levitt, Helen Hunt, Harold Ramis, HMO, ” Hunt, ” Ramis, Levitt, Rodney Whitlock, Republican Sen, Chuck Grassley, Wendell Potter, Whitlock, Luigi Mangione, Potter Organizations: CNN, UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealth, Health, Morningstar, Employers, McDermott, Senate, Republican, Iowa, Congressional, Lawmakers, Capitol Locations: Congress

☆ Blinken makes unannounced trip to Iraq as international community grapples with Syrian regime collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Baghdad CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq Friday to meet with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as the international community grapples with the implications of the Syrian government’s collapse. The US is also closely watching the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, who have targeted US personnel and interests in the past. Blinken asked Sudani to crack down on Iranian supported militias in Iraq and prevent Iran from transiting weapons through Iraq to Shia militias in Syria, a US official said. Blinken noted that Syria is in a fragile state so it is important that nobody, especially Iran, does anything that would add to destabilization, the official said. Sudani said they do not want to be dragged into a conflict, the official said without providing further characterization of the Iraqi prime minister’s response.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Blinken, Sudani, Bashar al, ” Blinken, ”, Jake Sullivan, Iraq “, Daesh, “, Assad Organizations: Baghdad CNN, ”, State Department, ISIS Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Syria, “, Blinken, Iranian, Iran, Aqaba, Jordanian

☆ UCLA student sues California doctors, says she was 'fast-tracked' into transgender surgery
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Kaitlyn Schwanemann | Kaitlyn Schwanemann Is An Intern For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

A UCLA student is suing multiple California health care providers and hospitals for medical negligence, alleging she was wrongly diagnosed with gender dysphoria and then “fast-tracked onto the conveyor belt of irreversibly damaging” puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery, according to her lawsuit. “There is strong consensus among the most prominent medical organizations worldwide that evidence-based, gender-affirming care for transgender children and adolescents is medically necessary and appropriate. Surgical gender-affirming care is rarely performed on minors, and these procedures are illegal in dozens of states, though California is not among them. Research suggests that regretting treatment for gender dysphoria is “extremely rare,” according to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, or WPATH. Transition-related care for minors has been a divisive political issue, with Republicans in 26 states passing measures to ban or restrict gender-affirming care for minors in recent years, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank.

Persons: Kaya Clementine Breen, “, ” Kaya Clementine Breen, Kaya Clementine Breen Breen, ”, Breen, ” Breen, Johanna Olson, Kennedy, Scott Mosser, Susan P, Landon, Olson, . Olson, there’s, ” Mosser, doesn’t, Dr, Moira Szilagyi, “ detransitioners, detransitioned Organizations: UCLA, Court, Center, Transyouth Health, Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, NBC, of San, UCSF Health Community, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, Endocrine, NBC News, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, UCSF, American Psychiatric Association, Research, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, National Center for Transgender Equality, Movement Advancement, The New York Times Locations: Los Angeles, Children’s Hospital Los, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, of San Francisco, San Francisco, Mosser, California, U.S, New York

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