Author: Neal Orlando Glover

Moscow/Washington (13/6 – 29) We took a holiday from reality. Immanuel Niven, a mathematician and philosopher, has long been scrutinizing Russia’s economic landscape, and his recent assertions suggest a dire forecast. He contends that the “Putin system” is on the brink of collapse, a scenario he had mathematically foreseen as early as March. Niven points to the pronounced tax hikes announced in Russia, the most substantial in its modern history, as well as Putin’s recent rhetoric urging citizens to work as if they were at the front lines. These developments, Niven argues, are symptomatic of the escalating toxicity within Russia’s…

The head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency warned the country’s leading research universities on Thursday that foreign states are targeting their institutions and imperiling national security. “We know that our universities are being actively targeted by hostile actors and need to guard against the threat posed to frontier research in the most sensitive sectors,” said the deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, who also attended the briefing. The threat requires “further measures,” said the deputy PM, who announced that the government was launching a consultation with the sector so it could “do more to support our universities and put the right…

Most dismissed retired IDF general Yitzhak Brick’s warning earlier this year of a Hamas invasion. Now Netanyahu wants his advice on how to win. Yitzhak Brick might be the only Israeli military official to see what was coming. And he’s been warning of it for some time. He also does not see a ground invasion of Gaza as the only option. And Israel must prepare for a multi-front war given the situation in the north. Brick cautioned, among other things, of problems with the competence of ground forces and made it clear that the ground invasion does not have to be…

Dushanbe 25/2 (35.71) The social networking activity of “influencer” Ismoil Mahmadzoir is causing a stir within the country’s political and security corridors. His grandfather President Emomali Rahmon is planning his succession, which has triggered quiet maneuvering within elite factions, including Mahmadzoir’s relatives. Nobody is clear about how becomes the next president of Tajikistan. The daughters jockeying for the top job besides the grandson.Video of a bland speech by Tajikistan’s long-time President Emomali Rahmon was posted late last month on Instagram by Buzkashi_1111, a handle created by Ismoil Mahmadzoir, the 25-year-old son of Firuza Emomali, one of the president’s daughters, who…

Jeff Roe, a top strategist for the main super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign, announced his resignation from the group late Saturday — the latest in a string of departures from the organization. The pro-DeSantis group, Never Back Down, has been enveloped in turmoil in recent weeks. Two weeks ago, it fired three of its top officials, including the super PAC’s chief executive officer. The board chairman, former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, also left, as did the organization’s president, Chris Jankowski. Republican strategist Phil Cox, a longtime DeSantis ally and adviser, has stepped in to help steer the…

After the shooting of three college students in New England and a string of other incidents, Palestinian Americans say they are worried about their safety. When Samer Elbandak heard that three young Palestinian men were shot over American Thanksgiving weekend in Burlington, Vermont, he immediately feared for his 16-year-old daughter. His daughter, who lives in Florida, is vocal about the plight of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. On her Instagram page, the Palestinian flag is prominently displayed. Embracing her identity is something that Mr Elbandak, a Palestinian-American Christian who was born and raised in Bethlehem and who immigrated…

Liz Cheney, the former Republican representative from Wyoming, expressed deep concern in an interview about American democracy’s ability to survive another four-year presidential term for Donald Trump. In clips shared Friday from the interview that will air on “CBS News Sunday Morning,” Cheney told host John Dickerson that Americans can’t entirely rely on Congress and the judicial system to rein in Trump ― the clear front-runner at this point for the GOP presidential nomination despite facing 91 felony charges linked to his 2016 campaign, his 2020 reelection loss and his mishandling of classified documents. “He’s told us what he will do.…

Samuel Garcia, one of the two main opposition hopefuls competing in Mexico’s 2024 presidential election, has withdrawn from the contest to return to his post as governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, his party said on Saturday. “I have decided to not participate in the electoral race for President of the Republic,” the 35-year-old Garcia said in a statement from the Nuevo Leon government made public by his center-left Citizens’ Movement (MC) party. Six weeks ago, Garcia said he would stand down as governor to seek the candidacy of MC, which has remained apart from the main right-left…

ALBANY, N.Y. — New Yorkers who complete their sentences and stay out of trouble for a certain period of time will have their criminal records automatically sealed under a long awaited bill signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday. New York now joins a slew of other states including California, New Jersey, and Michigan, which have passed similar measures in recent years. The years-long endeavor to get the legislation over the finish line is seen as a major victory in criminal justice reform by various organizations including labor and advocacy groups. New York’s “clean slate” legislation, the latest criminal justice…

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled his first round of budget cuts on Thursday. He wasn’t kidding when he said they’d be painful. Five percent cuts across the board will effect every city agency. Sanitation programs and schools will feel the pinch, but the most dramatic effect will be on public safety and the NYPD. Adams, a former NYPD captain was elected in part on his promise to cut crime and make the streets safe again. It’s ironic that while every agency is taking a hit, his cuts will drop the number of cops patrolling the streets to the lowest…