Sunday, March 9

Types of News: Brief

News briefs are shorter stories about current events. It’s the who-what-when-and-where. “Just the facts, ma’am.” Please see our writers guidelines.

NATO Steps Up Support For Ukraine Sovereignty
14Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Geopolitics, Types of News: Brief

NATO Steps Up Support For Ukraine Sovereignty

NATO defense ministers met Feb. 14, 2023 in Brussels. February 14, 2023—As the war in Ukraine intensifies even beyond the intense fighting that has taken place to do, the NATO alliance and its members are amping up their support for Ukraine. NATO defense ministers and staff met in Brussels today to plan to provide more military support for Ukraine, increase the production of defense equipment, and strengthen and replenish members' own stocks of goods. Support for Ukraine includes training pilots, heavy weaponry, the modern air defence systems, the ammunition, and tanks. Asked by a reporter ahead of the meeting about the NATO's involvement in supplying equipment to Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it is right to support Ukraine's fight to maintain its sover...
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Crypto Exchange ‘Bitzlato’ Processed $700M In Illicit Funds, DOJ Says
19Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Types of News: Brief

Crypto Exchange ‘Bitzlato’ Processed $700M In Illicit Funds, DOJ Says

U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern District of New York held a press conference on January 18, 2023 January 19, 2023—The U.S. Justice Department arrested and charged the operator of Bitzlato, a Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange that conducted a substantial amount of business with U.S.-based customers. Anatoly Legkodymov is a Russian national and senior executive of the exchange. On Wednesday, law enforcement officials in Miami, Florida arrested him and scheduled his arraignment for that afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The crackdown is a sign that federal investigators have stronger tools at their disposal in targeting money laundering and illicit crypto networks. A Crypto Exchange For Crooks, Traffickers, And Addicts The...
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Turkey Demands Finland And Sweden Extradite ‘Terrorists’
19Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Brief

Turkey Demands Finland And Sweden Extradite ‘Terrorists’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks out against asylum policies that harbor terror suspects. NATO Expansion Opposed By Turkey And Hungary January 19, 2023—NATO defense ministers met in Brussels yesterday, joined by their counterparts from Finland and Sweden, two countries eager to join the alliance. But to join NATO, Finland and Sweden need to win over all 30 NATO members, and that's not so easy. Since May of 2022, Turkey and Hungary have opposed their membership bids of Finland and Sweden. In Turkey's case, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long complained that the two countries provide refuge for Kurdish terrorists. This week, he reiterated his call for Sweden and Finland to extradite more than 100 asylum seekers to Turkey. "For this to pass the parliamen...
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U.S. Debt Fast Approaching Its Legal Limit
17Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Debt Fast Approaching Its Legal Limit

Treasury Secretary Warns That U.S. Government Likely To Hit Debt Limit On Thursday January 17, 2023—It's been a little over a year since Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told a Senate panel the U.S. debt of $28 trillion didn't matter. Now, 16 months and over two trillion dollars later, Yellen is warning that the government will hit its legal debt limit of $31.381 trillion on Thursday. She estimates Treasury can keep paying its bills until about June, but it won't be easy. In fact, Treasury is forced to take extraordinary accounting measures to keep the government running. The extraordinary has become ordinary in American federal bookkeeping. For Yellen, like many in Washington, the problem is still not the debt; it is the debt limit under U.S. law. It is that limit that the governm...
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Facing A Surge In COVID-19, China’s Epidemic Control Is Put To The Test
16Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, Types of News: Brief

Facing A Surge In COVID-19, China’s Epidemic Control Is Put To The Test

WHO Asks China To Cooperate On Understanding COVID-19 Origins January 16, 2023—After a three-year span of its zero-COVID policy ended last month, China's health system is once again being put to the test. On Saturday health officials held a press conference releasing information and putting a positive spin on China's management of the virus. But the World Health Organization is asking health officials in China for more detailed data. Furthermore, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wants China to coordinate more to help the agency understand the origins of the virus. China's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held a press conference on COVID-19 on Saturday, January 14, 2023. WHO Seeks Information, Transparency Since ending its strict zer...
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Which Countries Escape The Economic Gloom?
11Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Global Economics, Types of News: Brief

Which Countries Escape The Economic Gloom?

Global Growth Forecasts For 2023 January 11, 2023—The global economy is "perilously close to falling into a recession," the World Bank warned yesterday, with a forecast that projects 1.7 growth for the world. That projection is down significantly from the bank's forecast last June. Persistently high inflation, rising interest rates, and weakening confidence are bringing growth estimates down in an atmosphere of gloom. "The global economy is on a razor's edge. Even a small shock can trigger an outright recession," said Ayhan Kose, director of the World Bank’s Prospects Group. "The slowdown is a very sharp one, and it is broad-based." Economic Growth Continues While that is gloomy news, it might not be as bad as it sounds. For instance, a lot of economies are likely to continue...
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After Two Years In Office, Biden Acts On Border Crisis
5Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Migration, Immigration, Borders, Types of News: Brief

After Two Years In Office, Biden Acts On Border Crisis

President Biden announced he is taking a number of administrative steps today on the border crisis. Jan. 5, 2023 Biden Announces New App For Asylum Seekers, Cracks Down On Smugglers January 5, 2023—With the number of migrants continuing to swell at the U.S. border and the U.S. Supreme Court saying illegal immigration itself is a crisis, President Joe Biden is taking notice and acting—as some would say, “finally.” The White House announced today it is taking a series of new steps to curb illegal immigration to the United States while opening lawful means to seek refuge in the country. Biden and his administration face immense pressure to address the border crisis. Since he took office in January 2021, the number of migrants crossing into the United States illegally hit record nu...
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House Committee Investigating January 6 Ends Work
3Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Democracy, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

House Committee Investigating January 6 Ends Work

The House Jan. 6 Committee released its final report on Dec. 19, 2022. Investigation Shows The Fragility of U.S. Democracy January 3, 2023—As a new Congress begins to take shape in Washington, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol completed its work. At its core, the committee upheld its purpose of defending democracy in the United States. A key tenet of democracy is free and fair elections. In the 2020 presidential elections, the country nearly lost in fulfilling that promise to the people. Former President Donald Trump used every means possible—including a violent attack on the legislature—to hold onto power. As the truth came to light, the evidence showed the fragility of the republic itself and the key tenets of democracy i...
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IMF Sees Recession For Global Economy In 2023
2Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Global Economics, Types of News: Brief

IMF Sees Recession For Global Economy In 2023

January 2, 2023—International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the majority of the world should brace itself for an economic slowdown in 2023. In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Georgieva predicted that half the European Union would see recession this year while China's economy is likely to continue to slow down. She said the United States might avoid a negative growth if its labor market remains strong, but that is a "mixed blessing" because it means the Federal Reserve would likely continue raising interest rates. Georgieva, the head of the agency tasked with helping countries avoid economic crisis, said 2023 is likely to be "a tough year, tougher than the year we leave behind." That outlook differs from trends at the end of 2022 when a majority of G2...
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Venezuela’s Opposition May End Failed Interim Government
29Dec By Patti MohrNo Comments
Types of News: Brief

Venezuela’s Opposition May End Failed Interim Government

Juan Guaidó Awaits Decision By Opposition Leaders On January 3 December 29, 2022—It isn't just Venezuela's opposition that awaits trial in a vote now scheduled for Tuesday, it's Washington's strategy of imposing an interim government and ad hoc president for a country lacking fair elections. On December 21 a coalition of Venezuelan opposition leaders voted to end the interim government and Juan Guaidó as its head. Three of the four opposition parties supported the non-binding vote. They were scheduled to make that vote final today but have postponed that decision until Tuesday. "From a political point of view, it has ceased to be useful for the democratization of Venezuela and is of no interest to the citizens," the parties announced in a joint statement, according to a news ...
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