San Francisco police have arrested a tech consultant in connection with the stabbing death of Cash App creator Bob Lee. Nima Momeni, 38, was taken into custody Thursday in Emeryville and booked on suspicion of murder.

Lee, 43, was found stabbed early April 4 along Main Street in Rincon Hill, a neighborhood near downtown and not far from Google’s office and Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Prominent tech leaders took to social media to mourn the death and blame San Francisco for what they called the city’s lax attitude toward crime.

San Francisco Police Arrest Suspect

The suspect in the killing of Cash App Creator Bob Lee was arrested Thursday morning and booked into the San Francisco County Jail on a murder charge, according to authorities. Nima Momeni, 38, the owner of a software company called Expand IT, will be arraigned Friday and is expected to be held without bail, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told reporters.

The stabbing of Lee sent shockwaves throughout the tech community and re-ignited debate about San Francisco’s safety. Tech CEOs like Elon Musk expressed disbelief that the city had a “horrific” crime rate, and questioned whether San Francisco’s streets are safe enough for professionals to be walking around at night. But prosecutors and police are pushing back against that sentiment and say Lee was killed by someone who knew him.

Suspect’s LinkedIn Profile

A 38-year-old tech consultant has been arrested in San Francisco on suspicion of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee, who was stabbed to death last week. The killing of Lee, a former Google engineer and chief technology officer at mobile payment firm Square, shocked the tech community.

He was a gregarious, fearless and doting father to his two children, friends said. He was raised in Missouri and had recently moved to Miami with his father, but was back in San Francisco for business when he was killed.

His LinkedIn profile describes him as a “dedicated technology partner” and owner of Expand IT, an information technology consulting company based in Emeryville, California. Secretary of State business records show he has been with Expand IT since 2010. Criminal records also show Momeni was charged with carrying a switchblade in 2011, a misdemeanor offense, and the case was dismissed after he took a plea.

Suspect’s Address

The suspect arrested in the killing of Cash App creator Bob Lee lives in Emeryville, a Bay Area suburb not far from downtown San Francisco. He lives in a condo unit with his family and shares an address with his sister, according to Mission Local.

The incident drew national attention and raised questions about public safety in San Francisco. It also prompted discussion about violence in the city and sparked conversations from prominent tech leaders like Elon Musk, who said violent crime is “horrific” and that San Francisco doesn’t take enough action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders.

But a new analysis from the San Francisco Chronicle found that violent crime in San Francisco is actually slightly lower than it was five years ago. During that time, SFPD reported a 14% drop in violent crimes and a 7% decrease in property crimes.

Suspect’s Family

The death of Bob Lee, a tech executive known for creating the mobile payment app Cash App, fueled fears about crime in San Francisco. Tech leaders were quick to put pressure on public officials to address the city’s dangerous streets.

A week after the killing, police in San Francisco asked for surveillance video from security cameras in the Rincon Hill neighborhood where Lee was stabbed. Investigators collected footage from several locations in the area and are now searching for a suspect.

On Thursday, prosecutors announced the arrest of a 38-year-old tech consultant named Nima Momeni. Authorities said he knew Lee, but declined to reveal any motive. Prosecutors plan to file a motion to detain Momeni without bail.

China has been brazenly violating well-settled norms and the rule of law. This includes a recent case of a Chinese scientist who stole trade secrets from an American company, then used the stolen information to help a Chinese partner steal a similar technology.

But now China is accusing a liberal columnist at a top Communist Party newspaper of espionage, in the most lurid example yet of the kind of covert interference that China has embraced as it goes global.

Dong Xiaobo

China’s media environment remains highly restrictive, with all television, radio, and print outlets under the control of the Communist Party. Journalists must follow official guidance to avoid reporting on sensitive topics, including antigovernment protests, activists’ deaths in custody, and high-level cases of corruption.

Over the past decade, top Chinese officials have dramatically expanded CCP efforts to influence global media coverage about the country. These include covert and overt tactics, as well as pressure from governments and civil society organizations.

Despite these restrictions, some reporters and other media professionals continue to report on the country’s internal political and social affairs. Their work helps shape the public’s understanding of the political and economic landscape and serves as a bridge to information about China’s domestic policy and governance.

But the CCP’s censorship of Chinese state-run media has become increasingly difficult to scale, especially for foreign journalists. The Chinese government has retaliated against foreign media for investigative or critical reporting, using visa denials and other measures.

The Case

In July 2017, China accused a liberal columnist at a top Communist Party newspaper of espousing “anti-socialist” views. The case was the latest example of China’s efforts to suppress criticism of President Xi Jinping.

Since Xi came to power, the number of Chinese journalists imprisoned for criticizing him has surged. Reporters for the New York Times, Bloomberg News, and Reuters have been subjected to harassment by Chinese authorities in recent years, and PEN America has documented cases of Chinese censorship of foreign journalists’ access to sources.

These efforts to stifle critical coverage of China have been largely successful, according to experts. They have boosted the CCP’s image in key regions, limited negative media coverage of its foreign engagement, established dominance over Chinese-language media, and imposed financial difficulties on disfavored outlets.

Beijing’s tactics can have substantial long-term costs, especially where they undermine the rule of law or democratic norms. However, there are growing initiatives by governments, technology companies, journalists, and civic activists to increase transparency, diversify funding sources, and protect media freedom.

Sources

A longtime editor and writer at a top Communist Party newspaper was accused of spying by China on Wednesday after he met with a Japanese diplomat, his family said. The accusations were published by Global News, citing anonymous security sources.

It is not uncommon for China to use its media outlets to promote official narratives and political positions in other countries. This is especially true of foreign publications that have significant economic ties with China.

As Chinese entities build up control over key nodes in the information flow, the risks of allowing this kind of interference to occur are growing. These activities could undermine international efforts to uphold media freedoms and encourage critical reporting.

The Chinese government has extensive control over law enforcement and the judicial system, using these to stifle calls for freedom, human rights, and rule of law. It uses these tools to arrest lawyers, human rights activists, journalists, religious leaders, ethnic and religious minorities, and other individuals who do not conform to CCP ideology.

Conclusions

As the world’s most populous country, China is a highly diverse and complex country. From the highest mountains to one of the lowest, China’s teeming landscape is home to an array of cultures and languages.

Among the many things it does best is protect its citizens from foreign threats. The Chinese government flexes its muscles on both the international and domestic stage.

The government also uses its considerable resources to promote the nation’s achievements. For instance, it recently sponsored a large-scale public art exhibit to commemorate the country’s millennium anniversary.

The government has also taken to policing its own media, using Twitter and TikTok to suspend and delete accounts that spread misleading information on a wide range of topics.

In recent years, news articles about COVID-19 have been increasingly censored by Chinese media. This censorship is often aimed at medical professionals but has also been applied to journalists and social media users.

Censorship in China is a complex process that is often rooted in the country’s legal system. But it is also a tool for political and economic protection.

The rewriting of the Covid-19 story

The Chinese government has long been accused of underreporting the number of Covid-19 cases. However, an unconfirmed report from the New York-based anti-communist Epoch Times claims that Chinese authorities may be undercounting infection rates by up to 520% in Shandong province.

China’s censorship is quietly rewriting the Covid-19 story, attempting to silence activists who question the outbreak’s draconian control strategy. These activists include doctors who advocate for a more rational approach to epidemic prevention.

In response to the rise of COVID-19-related misinformation, China’s censors have tightened their control over social media and other online platforms. They have cut off network access, censored content and arrested people for violating Party rules.

Censorship of social media

Censorship is a major issue in China, where many people are under pressure to censor their online content. Those who speak out against the government face legal repercussions and can even be imprisoned.

When it comes to social media, censorship is more prevalent than many people realize. In fact, a recent study found that more than 2,100 keywords related to a variety of topics were banned on WeChat between January and May 2020.

To keep their platforms free of information the Chinese government considers to be harmful, social media companies must abide by the country’s censorship laws. That can lead to censorship of politically sensitive content or, worse, to the shutdown of entire platforms and websites.

Censorship of the press

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is adept at influencing media content and narratives about its country abroad, through covert means like propaganda and censorship. They use proxies – including technology companies, advertisers, and foreign governments – to limit or prevent the spread of unfavorable news.

Censorship is a form of government control that includes both negative and positive restrictions on what information can be published. It primarily involves the publicity department of the CCP, which employs millions of “public sentiment analysts” to monitor online discussion and decide what topics can be discussed and how they should be portrayed.

As Chinese censors are trained to spot information that angers the state, it is easy for them to shut down websites and social media accounts. This is especially true in times of heightened political tension, such as the June 4 anniversary of Tiananmen Square or Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement protests.

Self-censorship

Censorship sounds like something that takes place under the cover of night, executed by faceless authorities who strike without logic or warning. But that isn’t always the case.

Researchers at Citizen Lab, a research lab focused on digital technologies and human rights, have been tracking social media censorship in China for years. They have a particular interest in censorship around the COVID-19 outbreak.

The government has deployed a variety of methods to suppress information related to the outbreak, including keyword-based censorship and online attacks.

This strategy targets a variety of groups and individuals, ranging from journalists to bloggers to independent websites.

As a result, many people who are critical of the government are often unable to share their opinions publicly.

The censorship is usually done in the name of protecting public safety, but it can also serve to protect a government’s business interests. For example, it can help a government keep corruption scandals out of the news or to assign blame for grievances towards a specific group, such as migrants or ethnic minorities.

Chinese companies and organizations developing AI chatbots are now being told that their output must toe the Communist Party line. The rules have been issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

They require that the AI software brains behind chatbots must reflect “socialist core values,” avoid information that undermines state power or national unity, and register with regulators.

What the Rules Mean

As Chinese tech giants rush to launch homegrown AI chatbots, the government says they must toe the party line. Draft rules issued for public feedback this week will forbid generative AI tools from spitting out content that “contains subversion of state power, overthrow of socialist system, incitement to split the country, undermine national unity or promote terrorism and extremism”.

The rules also lay out a firm prohibition against violence, obscene or pornographic information and false information. It’s unclear what these would mean for bots trained on socialism, but they could be a significant limitation to Chinese chatbot development.

As the censorship apparatus tightens, it becomes more difficult to train chatbots on large amounts of data. Baidu’s ERNIE Bot is based on a narrow pool of sources that include Wikipedia and Reddit, limiting its ability to solve basic logic problems. Similarly, Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen appears to struggle with the basics of math. Its creator has told the Wall Street Journal he has been working around the clock to ensure the AI is able to do its job well.

ERNIE Bot

Baidu, China’s dominant search engine, is launching a new chatbot on Thursday called ERNIE Bot. It’s built on the company’s ERNIE and PLATO models, and can produce text, images, audio or video given a prompt.

The system’s generative capabilities have been enhanced through knowledge graphs that incorporate information from multiple sources such as online databases and ontologies. These allow the bot to learn from external data and improve over time based on feedback.

During a demonstration of the new bot, it was asked questions about a Chinese sci-fi novel and generated an image based on a prompt. It also was able to name an actor in a film adaptation and compare his height.

Ernie Bot performed better than OpenAI’s ChatGPT when it came to answering political questions, but it dodged some questions by saying that it “hasn’t learned how to answer this question yet.” That may have been because the bot was limited to a small set of preselected queries at its launch.

ChatYuan

The Chinese government is adamant that chatbots must toe the party line. That means they can’t engage in political discussions, and must censor the content of conversations that aren’t supportive of the Communist party.

The latest example of this is the case of ChatYuan, a social app that launched on the messaging platform WeChat earlier this month. It was suspended within days after it was shown to have a pro-Chinese Communist Party attitude.

In addition to the political risks, China has a fear that AI-powered chatbots might be used to spread disinformation about human rights issues in Xinjiang. That could lead to a national security risk, especially as other countries seek to emulate the CCP’s governance model.

That’s why Chinese businesses have been rushing to develop their own AI-powered alternatives. These include Baidu’s Ernie Bot, Yuanyu Intelligent’s ChatYuan, and a team of Shenzhen engineers called Gipi Talk. But they’re going to have to overcome the country’s censorship laws to do it.

The Future of AI in China

As governments around the world grapple with regulating AI, they can draw lessons from China’s experience. A vertical and iterative approach to regulation requires constant tending and updating, but by accumulating experience and creating reusable regulatory tools, that process can be faster and more sophisticated.

In terms of research and development, China’s competitive advantage is twofold: its abundance of data and its large pool of highly skilled computer scientists and engineers. These factors, combined with a relentlessly dedicated entrepreneurial culture and significant venture capital funding, are driving the rise of China as an AI superpower.

The Chinese government’s recent move to impose new rules on generative AI raises several questions about how well Chinese firms would be equipped to comply with the state’s vision for consumer use of the technology. Specifically, the state’s draft Measures require that generative AI products undergo security assessments before they are released. These would likely require a commitment of additional human capital or specialized software to deploy internal censorship mechanisms.

Sudan is a vast African country with a complex mixture of peoples and cultures. It has a high rainfall savannah in the south and desert scrublands in the north.

The southern region has huge oil fields and the north wants to control them. This means that the conflict is not just about ethnic differences.

The Military

Since its independence in 1956, Sudan has seen a rise of armed ethnic conflict and regional protest movements that have resulted in a great deal of human suffering. The country is also home to the largest number of refugees and displaced people in Africa.

The military has dominated the Sudanese government since 1989. Its members are largely fundamentalist Muslims, seeking political hegemony over a unified Sudan.

In southern Sudan, the government-backed forces battle the SPLA, a predominantly Nuer rebel group. The two sides seek control of resources, including oil fields, the Nile River waters, fishing sites and grazing land.

As a result, the military is under increasing pressure. The president has been indicted for war crimes, a contentious election is imminent and huge supplies of weapons continue to flow into the country.

The Opposition

The escalating conflict in Sudan has been fuelled by a fight for control between groups cleaving along ethnic lines. The two main camps, led by President Omar al-Bashir and former rebel leader Riek Machar, are each riven by bitter rivalries.

In early 2019, Bashir was forced out in a military coup and a Transitional Military Council (TMC) took power to oversee a transition to civilian rule. A power-sharing deal with civilian, political and armed opposition groups was signed in August, and elections will take place in late 2023.

But the TMC’s dominance has been challenged by a wide coalition of civil society groups, including student bodies and trade unions. The Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), an umbrella group that represents many of the protesters, has struggled to negotiate with the TMC.

As the FFC and other civilian groups seek to forge a common vision of the future, they’re facing a tough choice: do they compromise with a military regime that has long been a powerful force in politics? Or do they challenge a fundamental governance model that serves only a privileged few?

The Security Forces

South Sudan’s armed forces are battling militias and mercenaries in the oil-rich Unity state, according to military spokesman Philip Aguer. He says the SPLA has repulsed attacks by foreign troops and captured three trucks.

The clashes are a reminder of the lingering bloodshed in Sudan, whose leaders have fought and repelled coups since the country gained independence in 1956. Despite popular protests against the ruling junta, it is unlikely that the pro-democracy movement will be able to derail the military’s control of the nation and halt the violence.

For now, the two sides are battling for control of territory and resources in a war that is fundamentally a fight for patronage. Local analysts say the conflict is fueled by a mix of ethnic rivalries, political infighting and power struggles. The violence has left millions of people in desperate need of food, shelter and medical care. It has also left a swathe of territory uninhabitable and driven the oil industry to the edge of collapse.

The International Community

In the age of globalization, the international community seems to be at the forefront whenever global peace and security are under threat. Whether it is the protection of human rights, the fight against global terrorism, crisis management of and response to environmental disasters or international negotiations with regimes such as Iran and North Korea, the ‘international community’ is increasingly heavily travelled in political and public discourse.

The ‘international community’ is, of course, a complex and fluid actor. It is a mixture of states, international organizations, non-state actors and other entities with the same common interests, such as business or religious communities.

As a result, the international community has often been at odds with the interests of those who are currently in control in Sudan. For example, the US is reportedly attempting to isolate Khartoum by offering support to South Sudan.

But there is a way forward for the international community to be able to play a more constructive role in helping resolve the conflicts in Sudan, without further jeopardising its own interests. It must find ways to engage with those Sudanese initiatives that are genuinely rooted in the people’s own vision for a more just and peaceful country.

Sudan has fallen into warfare for a ninth day, killing hundreds and forcing thousands of civilians to flee the country. It has dashed hopes of a peaceful transition to civilian rule, four years after the ouster of long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Fighting broke out April 15 between rival generals who have been vying to control the nation. Their war has shattered the fragile peace forged in 2021, when they were allied to stage a coup to overthrow Bashir.

What Happened?

It was a momentous day at the embassy. It was also a stressful one, if you were an American government employee or a spouse of such a person. In a single day, the United States evacuated more than 70 people, most of them to Djibouti, where they are being treated as foreign guests rather than nationals. A few stayed home with their families, despite the fact that the embassy was on lockdown and that a lot of the city’s hotels had shuttered for good.

The best part was that there were no small arms fires to be seen. The evacuation was a success, thanks in no small part to the efforts of American spies in Khartoum and their counterparts on the ground in Djibouti. Those who made the trip are looking forward to some R&R in their new digs, and the rest of us are just hoping that the country will be able to pull itself together as soon as possible.

The Exodus

The Israelite Exodus from Egypt is one of the most cherished and celebrated stories in the Jewish faith. It tells of the oppression of Israel as enslaved people in Egypt, their flight from slavery and their journey to freedom and the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses.

The ten plagues, the Passover, the parting of the Red Sea and the giving of the Ten Commandments are just some of the key events in this historical account that have become a staple of religious devotion. But this book also tells of the foundational tenets of the Jewish ethic, which emphasizes that no human value has absolute importance and that all human claims are relative to God alone.

However, there is growing evidence that the Biblical Exodus story was a literary construct created during the 13th century BCE by a writer whose work was influenced by the literary style of Manetho. Romer argues that this author borrowed plotlines from Manetho to form the exodus narrative in his biblical books.

Evacuations in Djibouti

Sudan’s military has killed 330 people during fighting between rival factions that has pushed the country into what the United Nations calls an emergency humanitarian crisis. Many hospitals are shut and others have run out of supplies.

The violence has also fueled a growing panic among international aid workers and diplomats who fear their nationals may be trapped. American officials are weighing an evacuation of U.S. Embassy staff in Khartoum, according to two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The Pentagon plans to send additional military forces to Djibouti, where it operates a base, to prepare for an evacuation operation. The move is designed to offer the administration an option to launch an evacuation in case the situation worsens, a person familiar with the plan told POLITICO.

The Future

Raw emotions are roiling in battle-torn Sudan. Diplomatic exodus shatters centuries of peace in the capital, Khartoum, while warlord rivalry in the peripheries swells a hunger crisis and wreaks havoc on government.

Western allies must proceed with sensitivity. In particular, they need to avoid pushing civilian political forces to find a way forward on an externally imposed timeline, or to act in a manner that shatters their coalition.

The main civilian opposition is a broad coalition of veteran opposition elites, political parties, formal civil society groups and neighbourhood committees, all largely aligned in their goals to topple Omar al-Bashir’s government but lacking a cohesive vision for the future.

The military seized power in April 2019, after months of mass protests, to stem an uprising against Bashir’s rule. In August, after a series of agreements with armed opposition groups, military leaders signed a Constitutional Declaration that transferred most power to a civilian administration, established the Sovereign Council and pushed late 2023 for elections to put in place a fully civilian government.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be visiting the United Nations this month to chair a Security Council meeting. The event is a key part of Russia’s monthlong presidency of the Council.

But before he arrives, Lavrov has to make sure he gets the visas he needs. According to TASS, Moscow has yet to receive a single visa for Lavrov’s travel.

1. Brazil

After a week of meetings with traditional Latin American allies like Venezuela and Cuba, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to appear at the U.N. He will speak in front of the Security Council as Russia assumes the rotating chairmanship of the organization.

Lavrov’s tour, which began on Monday with Brazil’s leftist president, Lula da Silva, was a chance for the Kremlin to demonstrate its new interest in the region as it attempts to use the United States and NATO to weaken its support for Ukraine. The strategy is not new, but has become a priority in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During the tour, the Russian foreign ministry emphasized that Lavrov was seeking to strengthen political, cultural and economic ties with Latin America. But his speeches were a stark reminder of the Kremlin’s renewed focus on the region, which Russia sees as a contested space and where it can challenge the United States and Europe.

2. Venezuela

After a tour of Latin America that has seen Russia seek to bolster support for its war in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is set to appear at the U.N. on Wednesday.

While Venezuela’s oil industry is one of the world’s largest, its collapsed economy has left the country unable to diversify away from its energy resources. Analysts say it could take an investment package worth billions of dollars to revive the shattered economy.

Meanwhile, human rights defenders and opposition leaders were subjected to intimidation, arbitrary detention and torture as part of a government policy of repression. A UN fact-finding mission and the ICC Office of the Prosecutor found systemic impunity in the country’s repression.

Moreover, broad sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, which have made it harder for Venezuelans to get basic food, medicine and other essentials, are a major factor in fueling the country’s humanitarian crisis, according to UN Special Rapporteur on Venezuela Elizabeth Douhan. Her report warns of an “unavoidable risk to the health and lives of all those who are affected by the crisis.”

3. Nicaragua

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to travel to the United Nations after his five-day tour of Latin America. His trip reflects Moscow’s desire to use the region as a platform to provoke the United States and weaken support for Ukraine in the war launched by Russia.

Nicaragua, a Central American country bordering Mexico, is ruled by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). Its economy was once devastated by the Sandinista regime’s economic policies, but began free market reforms in 1991. It has since made major progress in reducing inflation and cutting foreign debt.

Despite the government’s human rights record, it is still popular among its people. The Sandinistas have held on to power by rebuffing U.S. and European pressure to end repression, torture, and violence against opponents.

The Biden administration has tried a number of strategies to pressure the Sandinistas. But they’ve failed to persuade President Ortega or his allies, including Defense Minister Alexander Bukele and Attorney General Rosario Murillo. The EU has also imposed targeted sanctions against 14 Nicaraguans, including the vice president and his daughter.

4. Cuba

After a five-day tour of Latin America, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will appear at the U.N., where he plans to speak about women and peace. His trip aims to strengthen political, cultural and economic ties between Moscow and Latin America.

As part of the tour, a traditional Mola tapestry from Panama will be displayed in the General Assembly Lobby. The tour will also focus on Security Council resolution 1325, which emphasizes the critical role that women play in conflict prevention and resolution.

The Russia-Ukraine war has created geopolitical tensions that the Kremlin is using to instigate rifts with Latin American countries, especially Brazil and Venezuela, which have shown support for Ukraine.

Russia’s diplomats have often made posturing trips to the region, seeking a platform to spin falsehoods about the United States and undermine the Western alliance. The Russian government’s recent visit to Brazil and President Lula’s comments about Ukraine drew attention from the United States, prompting a diplomatic rift that exemplifies the kind of divisions Russia seeks to instigate in the region.

Every year, Ukrainian families spend time in cemeteries on the first Sunday after Orthodox Easter. They tidy up graves and leave flowers and food for their dead loved ones.

This spring, even in villages that the war has destroyed, residents came back to clean and tend their graves. It was a ritual of remembrance and hope.

Provody is a Day of Remembrance

Provody, a Ukrainian spring ritual referred to as “Radunitsa” (Russian: Radunica), is a day of remembrance for deceased people. It follows Easter and puts the spirits of the dead at ease so they can continue to rest in peace.

During this time, families gather at graves and leave flowers and food for their departed loved ones. Often a bowl of water and a towel are placed at the gravesite.

These offerings are a way to show respect to the deceased and also help them wash away their tears. The Ukrainians believe the dead drink the water and use the towel to help them heal from their grief.

In many villages in eastern Ukraine, people are cleaning their graves to remember their ancestors who were killed in the war. Even in villages that were destroyed by the conflict, families still visit the graves to tend them.

It’s a Time to Remember

As we near Easter, a time of renewal and new life, it’s a time to remember. The 40 days of Lent are devoted to prayer and penitence in preparation for the Great Feast of Christ’s Resurrection, celebrated on Easter Sunday.

During this time, parishioners visit the “Plaschenytsia” on their knees to kiss all five wounds of Christ depicted on the Holy Shroud. They also take part in a devotional service at the graves of their loved ones.

Traditionally, Ukraine’s pysanky, or Easter eggs, were deeply rooted in folklore and were a powerful symbol of the rebirth of spring, as well as the resurrection of Jesus. Pysanky were also believed to protect homes from evil spirits, lightning and fires.

It’s a Time to Plan

A spring ritual hints at the renewal of lives, and that of a people’s identity. On Provody, a week after Easter, families visit the graves of their loved ones to bring food and flowers.

For Ukrainians, it is a day to remember and to plan. Despite the war’s devastating consequences, this is a time of hope.

The reclaimed city of Izium, recently liberated from Russian control, was once home to a large Jewish cemetery. But after the Russians departed, many of those buried there were never reburied.

In a forest outside the town, investigators found hundreds of graves in what Kyiv calls the largest mass grave of the war. Most were unmarked, but a few had wooden crosses.

One of the crosses said it contained the bodies of 17 Ukrainian soldiers. But Russian officials denied responsibility for the burials, saying that they were civilians.

It’s a Time to Reflect

Despite the ravages of war and Russian air raids, villages in eastern Ukraine continue to rebound, even in those that have been decimated by fighting. Survivors return to their ancestral homes and clean up the graves of loved ones.

Families milled about in the Staryi Saltiv cemetery, greeting one another and exchanging news. Or they sat at picnic tables laid with candy and Easter eggs, celebrating their village’s rebirth in an improbable place: the cemetery.

A traditional day of remembrance, Provody was a chance for families to tidy up graves and leave food and flowers for their dead relatives. Signs of the war scarred the cemetery, artillery knocking over gravestones and leaving deep craters in some plots.

Among them was Liubov Oleksiivna, 73, who was born and lived her whole life in the village of Staryi Saltiv until she had to flee last year. She plans to return if she can repair her home. She says she is stitched to this land.

As Joe Biden ponders whether to run for a second term, he must deal with a host of issues. His party’s establishment is deeply worried that another Biden campaign will hand the White House to the right wing, a result that could have devastating consequences for working people.

But as he heads toward a decision, Democrats are learning to cast aside reservations about their candidate and embrace him. They’re doing so by focusing on his legislative achievements and casting the GOP intra-party feuding as an distraction that reflects poorly on him.

1. The Party’s Stakes Are High

With the midterms behind them and the presidential race still months away, many Democrats are still grappling with their own political reservations. After a year in which the party seemed on the verge of falling apart, senior White House aides were buoyed by a notable shift at the end of last year.

While the midterms didn’t yield a red wave, many Democratic leaders saw them as a vindication of Biden’s legislative achievements and a call for the White House to continue pushing forward. And in a wide array of competitive Senate races, Democratic candidates ran up the score on economic issues, staking the party’s future on a populist turn.

Among them was Pennsylvania Progressive Caucus member Matt Cartwright, who beat a Republican in a district Biden lost by three points. He is known for embracing a populist economic approach that includes promoting jobs from China, capping drug prices, and protecting Social Security.

2. The Left Is Reluctant

After last fall’s midterms, the party was largely focused on its gains and averting a red wave. And so any energy to challenge Biden was tempered, especially after the former vice president averted the kind of losses many had expected.

A new poll shows that Biden’s approval ratings have slipped. But he still commands high marks on some policy achievements, including a coronavirus outbreak, a bipartisan infrastructure law and tax and spending measures to address climate change.

Despite those successes, some voters worry about Biden’s age and job performance. He’s a slow-moving politician who may not be able to effectively manage a crisis. He’s also been criticized for not getting enough done, particularly in working with congressional Republicans.

3. The Right Is Embracing Biden

Over the decades, Americans have chosen presidents who felt their pain and channeled their anger, who shattered historical barriers or seemed like enjoyable beer-drinking companions.

But President Joe Biden’s potential second term bid, which he would conclude at age 86, is prompting exceptionally complicated feelings among one highly engaged constituency: his generational peers.

Progressives fear that if Biden pivots to the political center on issues like crime and immigration, it could fracture the young, diverse coalition of voters who delivered him victory in 2020 and helped him maintain control of the Senate in 2022.

Specifically, they worry that a White House that embraces a “no culture war” approach will miss out on opportunities to build progressive support. This includes a solid pro-choice majority that is growing worried about Republican anti-abortion extremism in the courts, the state legislatures and Congress should the party win big in 2024.

4. Biden’s Path to the White House Is Smooth

Biden has a high approval rating in most countries and enjoys strong support for his policies. In fact, a median of 74% have confidence in Biden to do the right thing on world affairs.

The president’s domestic agenda is also broadly supported, especially in Europe and Latin America. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that seven-in-ten people in these countries trust that he will protect their interests when it comes to international policy.

A new Biden administration will need to build on the progress of the last four years and restore America’s reputational capital, rebuild alliances, and reinstate the United States as a constructive guarantor of the multilateral system. Simultaneously, the new president should reaffirm America’s commitment to democracy and racial justice.

A bipartisan approach to U.S.-China relations, however, will be difficult for a new Biden administration to pursue as long as it remains unclear whether China will continue to challenge the United States’ strategic interests in the region. Nevertheless, a favorable hemispheric agenda on political corruption, human rights, and the environment will be essential to help ensure prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.

5. Biden’s Path to a Second Term

Since World War II, only six presidents have won second terms. Those include George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Donald Trump.

Biden has the potential to be one of those. Advisers to the president say he is building up a case for a bid that combines an impressive legislative track record a surprisingly good economy that has transitioned from the high-inflation, low-growth era of his first year in office to a period of steady durability.

But even as he has built up this narrative, a new poll shows that just 22% of Americans overall would like to see Biden run for a second term. Despite that, a majority of Democrats would support him if he ran again.