A group gather in Palestine Square in the Iranian capital Tehran, staging a demonstration to support Iran's drone and missile attacks on Israel, on April 15, 2024.
Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images
Explosions occurred at a military base south of Baghdad in Iraq, according to reports.
The base is used by Harakat al Nujaba, an Iran-backed group, according to The New York Times.
It's unclear who is responsible for the explosion. The reports come a day after an Israeli strike against Iran.
Explosions occurred at a military base in Iraq early on Saturday, according to multiple reports.
The base, located south of Baghdad, is used by Harakat al Nujaba, an Iran-backed group, according to The New York Times.
An Iraqi security official told CNN at least three people were wounded in the blasts. A local hospital also told the Times three people were injured.
It is not clear who or what caused the explosions.
When reached by Business Insider, US Central Command noted a statement it shared on X, which said: "We are aware of reports claiming that the United States conducted airstrikes in Iraq today. Those reports are not true. The United States has not conducted air strikes in Iraq today."
The Department of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BI.
The reports come a day after Israel struck Iran, according to reports that cited unnamed senior US officials. Several explosions were heard near an Iranian military base. The New York Times reported two Israeli defense officials acknowledged the strike on Friday was carried out by Israel.
Those explosions came days after Iran attacked Israel last weekend, launching more than 300 missiles and drones, almost all of which were shot down by IDF and ally forces, like the US.
And they want to barbecue Trump over the way he seemingly couldn't stop defaming his own sex assault victim, writer E. Jean Carroll.
Possibly worse — given that Trump is on trial on charges of falsifying business documents — prosecutors also want to ask him about two trials where he and his executives were found to have falsified business documents. Those were the 2023 Trump Organization payroll-tax-fraud trial, and, again, the civil fraud trial.
"Yes," Trump told reporters as he left court Friday, when asked if he will testify.
It was at least the second time the GOP frontrunner promised to take the stand in his own defense at the trial, in which he is accused of falsifying business documents as part of a scheme to interfere with the 2016 election.
The timing was noteworthy.
Just moments earlier, Trump sat through what's called a Sandoval hearing, where his lawyers and prosecutors argued over what "prior bad acts" could be fair game on his cross-examination.
Trump was visibly angry — scowling at the defense table — as his acts were sorted over.
On his way out of the courtroom, he thumped a wooden railing with his hand.
"We object to each," defense lawyer Emil Bove had said of all the acts prosecutors want to bring into the case.
During the nearly two-hour Sandoval hearing, Bove complained of the DA's plans to the trial judge, state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan.
Bove said that the verdicts, judgments, and contempt-of-court orders that prosecutors want to question Trump about are mostly under appeal and "unduly prejudicial," meaning they'd unfairly prejudice the jury against the former president.
The defense lawyer fought especially hard against jurors hearing that a federal jury in Manhattan had found Trump liable for violating Carroll with his hands during an assault in the mid-1990s — an attack that the judge said effectively amounted to rape.
"What is the theory of this trial?" Bove asked angrily. "Are they making arguments about sexual misconduct?" he demanded. "This is a case about documents."
Trump's lying about sexual assault "is critical evidence that the jury should have in assessing his credibility if he testifies," countered Matthew Colangelo, a prosecutor for District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Merchan said he would render a Sandoval decision Monday, to be followed by opening statements.
Prosecutors will then call their first witness, a person whose name has not yet been made public. Their testimony will not be finished before the day breaks early for the first day of Passover, prosecutors said.
When defense lawyers asked for a second time for prosecutors to give advance notice of who would be the first witness, they were again turned down. Prosecutors are under no obligation to give early notice of their witnesses.
When defense lawyer Susan Necheles suggested that not knowing the name now might "delay the trial," the judge reacted sternly.
"Whether you get the name or not you are not going to delay the trial," the judge said.
"We don't want to, your honor," Necheles said.
"Well, you won't delay the trial," the judge snapped back.
Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. CEO David Zaslav earned $49.7 million in 2023.
Zaslav's compensation increased despite actors' and writers' strikes, topping his 2022 earnings.
Warner Bros. reported losses for the year despite Zaslav's increased compensation.
In a year when thousands of writers and actors were fighting for higher paychecks, one media mogul earned big.
The CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., David Zaslav, raked in a pay package worth $49.7 million in 2023, according to a regulatory filing released Friday.
Despite both the actors' and writers' strikes that lasted nearly 4 and 5 months respectively, Zaslav's pay for the year went up.
In 2023, his total compensation increased 26.5% from the year prior. It included $3 million in base pay, combined with more than $23 million in stock awards and a $22 million cash bonus, along with $1.6 in additional compensation, the filing shows.
But Zaslav's compensation in 2022 and 2023 is still modest compared to what he earned in 2021, when he was in charge of Discovery Inc. before its merger with WarnerMedia. That year, his pay package topped nearly $246.6 million.
At the same time, Warner Bros. as a company lost money for the year despite generating about $1 billion more profit than expected, thanks to costs saved from TV and film production being halted during the strikes, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, wants to deprive former President Donald Trump of Secret Service protection if Trump is sent to prison.
Getty
Rep. Bennie Thompson wants to deprive Donald Trump of Secret Service protection if he's sentenced to prison.
It's unclear what will happen to Trump if he's sentenced to state or federal prison.
As a former president, Trump is entitled to Secret Service protection for life.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the former chairman of the House January 6 committee, introduced legislation on Friday that would strip former President Donald Trump of Secret Service protection if he is sentenced to prison.
"Unfortunately, current law doesn't anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee — even a former President," Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, said in a statement released by his office. "It is regrettable that it has come to this, but this previously unthought-of scenario could become our reality."
As Business Insider previously reported, there would be major logistical hurdles to overcome if Trump were to be incarcerated. One of the biggest concerns would be what happens to Trump's Secret Service detail. By law, former presidents and their spouses are entitled to lifetime protection unless they decline to accept the security. The children of former presidents are also entitled to protection until they turn 16.
Trump's first criminal trial began in Manhattan earlier this week. New York prosecutors allege that the former president falsified business records related to hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. On paper, Trump could face over 600 years in prison based on the combined charges of the four cases pending against him. In reality, he would likely serve a lot less based on sentencing guidelines. The maximum sentence on each count Trump faces in New York is four years of prison.
Under Thompson's bill, any Secret Service protectee would have their security stripped if convicted of a state or federal offense that is punishable by at least a year in prison. The legislation does not mention Trump directly. As such, it could apply to any future president, vice president, and their families. The Secret Service also protects major presidential candidates.
It's unlikely Thompson's bill will pass through the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority. Still, it is notable that a Democrat as senior as Thompson is responding to Trump's legal struggles this way. President Joe Biden and his campaign have been largely quiet on the Manhattan trial.
B-2 Spirit stealth bombers assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing taxi on the runway at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., April 15, 2024.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hailey Farrell
B-2 Spirit stealth bombers executed a mass fly-off earlier this week during a major exercise.
Photos show the bombers taking off from Whiteman Air Force Base.
The Air Force's B-2 bombers bring tremendous firepower blended with low-observable characteristics.
More than half of the US Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers conducted a large-scale exercise earlier this week, staging a massive fly-off.
Photos show the aircraft — known for its flying wing design and ability to leverage its lower-observable, or stealth, characteristics to penetrate even sophisticated enemy defenses and unleash a devastating conventional or nuclear strike— taxiing on the runway before taking off.
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing taxis to the runway at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., April 15, 2024.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hailey Farrell
The B-2s were flying out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on Monday, finishing off the annual Spirit Vigilance exercise aimed at demonstrating the base's B-2 capabilities and readiness. This year's exercise featured the largest mass fly-off of B-2s ever, with 12 of the 20 active aircraft involved. The second largest was eight aircraft in 2022.
According to the Air Force, the B-2, a two-man strategic bomber manufactured by Northrop Grumman, "brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses." It's stealth capabilities give it the ability to do what other aircraft, like the B-52 and B-1 bombers, can't.
Video footage from the recent exercise published by Whiteman Air Force Base, the only operational B-2 base, showed the B-2 bombers being prepared for takeoff before hitting the runway and flying off.
The bomber first saw combat in the Kosovo War in 1999, striking Serbian targets with conventional munitions, and it has flown sorties over Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones.
Its stealth capabilities, payload capacity, and potential to execute long-range strike missions make it a formidable aircraft and deterrent for US rivals. For a long time, it was the only stealth bomber in the world, but the US is making progress on a new stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, which achieved its first flight in November last year.
As a penetrating strike stealth bomber, the B-21, the US military has said, is expected to "form the backbone of the future Air Force bomber force."
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing takes off at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., April 15, 2024.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew S. Domingos
For now though, the B-2 is the go-to stealth bomber, as the aircraft is able to threaten an adversary's "most valued, and heavily defended, targets. Its capability to penetrate air defenses and threaten effective retaliation provides a strong, effective deterrent and combat force well into the 21st century," the Air Force said.
Kanzuri is a traditional fermented chile paste that is exclusively produced in Myoko in Japan's Niigata Prefecture by the Tojo family. Before the family started selling the condiment in 1966, it was only made in small batches for household use. Today, a six-year-aged 2.5-ounce bottle sells for almost $20.
Footage from the real-world test of a dogfight between an AI-controlled fighter and a manned fighter.
Giancarlo Casem/DARPA/USAF
The US military won't say who won the dogfight between an AI-controlled F-16 and a human fighter pilot.
It's the first real-world test of its kind, and officials said the program is progressing even faster than they'd hoped.
Back in 2020, AI smoked a seasoned Air Force F-16 pilot 5-0 in simulated dogfights.
The US military won't say who won a landmark real-world dogfight between an artificial intelligence-controlled F-16 and a manned jet, citing national security concerns.
Officials would only say the groundbreaking battle went well. "Things are progressing as well or faster than we had hoped," Lt. Col. Ryan Hefron, ACE program manager for DARPA, told reporters on Friday. "But unfortunately, we can't provide more detail."
The tests occurred last September at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where the two jets flew at speeds of up to 1,2000 miles per hour and practiced a range of dogfighting scenarios. Footage released by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency showed the jets maneuvering through the skies around one another in a step up from previous testing.
The AI-controlled fighter jet, called the X-62A Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft, is a modified version of an F-16.
Col. James Valpiani, commandant of the US Air Force Test Pilot School, said the AI agents in the aircraft were able to be upgraded or switched out between missions, potentially complicating air warfare for the enemy.
"We were able to generate changes to software overnight," he explained, adding that "we were able to upload the software changes to the aircraft while it was holding short, ready to take off and even airborne." He said that "we're able to transition between multiple versions of the same AI agent airborne, between combat sets."
The X-62A has taken at least 21 test flights since it was built in December 2022.
Despite the historic nature of this moment, with DARPA calling it a "transformational moment in aerospace history," the US military isn't sharing an answer to the big question: who won. Officials were mum on details but emphasized how important the exercise was for future progress.
F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 62nd Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., fly over southern Florida during a flight from Luke to Key West, Fla., Oct. 16, 2004.
Stocktrek Images/Getty Images
Although it remains unclear if the man or machine prevailed in this moment, AI's track record in this area has been stellar. Back in August 2020, AI won a simulated dogfight against a human operator 5-0. It was a sweep, and the human pilot never even scored a hit.
At the time, former US Navy and US Air Force pilots told Business Insider they weren't surprised by the outcome given that the fight may not have necessarily been realistic.
One argued that the AI algorithm appeared to have had access to information that it wouldn't have in the real world and was operating in a combat environment it was trained for. In many ways, it was like a video game, not actual air-to-air combat with real aircraft racing into the merge. They said they AI would've probably "crashed and burned" in a real fight.
That was years ago though, and the AI has evolved tremendously.Hefron told reporters that they trained this AI model for the real-world fight by conducting "over millions and in some cases, billions" of runs, rewarding specific successful outcomes and reinforcing positive behaviors.
Both Hefron and Valpiani also said that trusting the AI was a key priority for the program, emphasizing a "responsible application of autonomy" and situations where the AI must follow explicit instructions and guidelines.
Hefron said that the simulation and real-world have their unique differences, leading to problems when AI has been trained for specific situations that may not happen.
"That's something we've been able to collect data for, we've been able to kind of dissect and understand, and then come up with many new approaches to tackle that problem," he said.
In 2019, DARPA said that "no AI currently exists" that "can outduel a human strapped into a fighter jet in a high-speed, high-G dogfight," but warfare is evolving, especially when it comes to manned-unmanned teaming and autonomous systems.
That may or may not still be true — the military won't say — but the progress in this space is notable.
DARPA said it "seeks to automate air-to-air combat, enabling reaction times at machine speeds and freeing pilots to concentrate on the larger air battle."
The US debt is skyrocketing to unprecedented levels not seen since World War II. Our investing correspondent explains how we got there and how this looming financial crisis could impact you.
"Knowledge spillovers" are IRL meetings that can expand your network or help you learn new things.
They're more common in industry hubs.
It's one reason the big-city exodus post-pandemic could hamper future career prospects.
"Knowledge spillovers" are just one reason why a big-city exodus in the wake of the pandemic could impair future career prospects for people.
Economists define knowledge spillovers as serendipitous meetings — on the bus or in a bar, for example — that can expand your professional network or help you learn new things.
That's why innovation, as measured by patents, is higher in large markets, and why businesses in big cities tend to have higher productivity.
It's one reason big cities have been "underappreciated" during the pandemic, says economist Enrico Moretti.
A 2022 study on knowledge spillovers in Silicon Valley cited the work of developer AnnaLee Saxenian, stating that "frequent face-to-face interactions, and the knowledge flows that resulted, were a large part of what made Silicon Valley the dominant technology hub it is today."
The study used smartphone data to measure meetings, and concluded that "face-to-face interactions — instrumented by the meetings of workers in adjacent establishments in unconnected industries — substantially increase knowledge flows."
You can read more about the professional benefits to living in a big city right here.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been threatening to call a vote on ousting Speaker Mike Johnson if he approves more Ukraine aid.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)
For months, Israel and Ukraine aid have stalled in the House. That's about to change.
Speaker Johnson is planning separate votes on the aid in order to ease GOP opposition.
He's also including a bill that gives TikTok's Chinese owners one year to sell off the app.
For months, the House has been sitting on a bill that would provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and humanitarian funding for Gaza.
That's about to change on Saturday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson — working with House Democrats — is holding separate votes on aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, along with a bill that would force TikTok's Chinese owners to sell the app within the year.
It's a modified version of a $95.3 billion aid package that passed the Senate by a strong bipartisan margin in February. In an effort to deal with increasingly complicated politics on both Ukraine and Israel aid, he's holding separate votes on each component, then bundling it up and sending it to the Senate.
All of this is happening as Johnson contends with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's threat to call a vote on his ouster if he allows more Ukraine aid to pass.
Here's what's in the four bills
The contents of the four bills largely mirror the contents of the Senate-passed bill, just broken into parts. Each will receive an individual vote.
Israel aid: $26.38 billion total, including $14.1 billion in military aid to Israel, $2.4 billion for US military operations in the Middle East, and $9.2 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza. Funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) remains prohibited following a report that some employees participated in the October 7 Hamas attack, a move likely to anger progressives.
Ukraine aid: $60.84 billion total, $23.2 billion of which will go toward replenishing US weapons stockpiles. It also allows the aid to Ukraine to be structured as a loan.
Taiwan aid and Indo-Pacific military funding: $8.12 billion total, including $3.3 billion for US submarine infrastructure, $2 billion in military aid for Taiwan, and $1.9 billion to replenish US weapons already given to Taiwan and other countries.
TikTok bill and other provisions: A package that includes a recently passed bill to force the sale of the popular app TikTok, a bill to confiscate Russian assets, and more. In contrast to a version of the TikTok bill that passed the House last month, this one would extend the amount of time for the sale to roughly a year, easing some senators' concerns.
Many Republicans oppose Ukraine aid, while Democrats are increasingly skeptical of Israel aid
Johnson's plan is aimed at addressing two separate pockets of opposition to the foreign aid package.
After October 7, the Biden administration and Senate leaders insisted on tying Israel and Ukraine aid together, with the idea being that including Israel aid would incentivize Republicans to swallow more Ukraine aid.
Republicans, hoping to avoid that, have made numerous attempts at passing Israel aid on its own, but they've either failed or been stalled in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Democrats unanimously support Ukraine aid, and there are plenty of Republicans — including Johnson, a former Ukraine skeptic — who feel the same, meaning a majority of the House would vote to approve it.
But as the war in Gaza has unfolded, and the Democratic base has increasingly turned against the war as civilian casualties mount, Democrats have grown to be either outright opposed to the Israel aid or supportive of conditions.
Johnson's plan is designed to allow progressive Democrats to vote against Israel aid, while hard-right Republicans can vote against the Ukraine aid — all while allowing the whole package to move forward.
Nancy Pelosi pulled off a version of this back in 2007
There's some precedent for what Johnson's trying to do here.
After retaking the House in 2007, Democrats faced pressure to continue funding the War in Iraq — but most House Democrats were opposed to that.
To solve the issue, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tied the funding to an increase to the federal minimum wage, while keeping the votes separate.
Thus, Democrats got a win — increasing the minimum wage by $2.10 — while Iraq war funding passed the House and made it to then-President George W. Bush's desk.
The hard-right is still furious, and Johnson could face a vote to oust him
Many hard-right Republicans remain opposed to this plan, and on Tuesday, Greene won a new ally: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who is co-sponsoring the Georgia congresswoman's "motion to vacate" and is now calling on Johnson to resign.
I just told Mike Johnson in conference that I’m cosponsoring the Motion to Vacate that was introduced by @RepMTG.
He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker.
Of course, both Greene and Massie are outliers among House Republicans — they were the only two lawmakers to vote against every single Russia-related bill following the start of the Ukraine war in 2022 — but Johnson has little room for error given Republicans' dwindling vote margin.
But all of this depends on what happens on Saturday, and if the aid is actually passed.
"In the absence of an organized, logical demonstration of leadership, I'm not making any promises," said Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who previously indicated a willingness to save Johnson in exchange for more Ukraine aid.
It's all likely to pass both chambers and be signed into law
While Democrats and some Republicans have generally expressed some skepticism about the plan, they're willing to do whatever it takes to get the foreign aid package approved.
Ultimately, there are majorities in the House and Senate for each component of this bill — it's just that the coalitions behind them are different.
The Senate is likely to take up votes on the combined package sometime next week, and President Joe Biden has said he will sign it into law.
That means Ukraine is going to get the help it needs to continue fighting, Israel will get the military aid that some progressives have called for Biden to halt, and TikTok will have roughly a year to be sold off — or it will be banned in the United States.