U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will host Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Washington on Wednesday, a belated official visit by Turkey’s top diplomat that will focus on the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets and Ankara’s refusal to green light NATO membership for Sweden and Finland.

The two foreign ministers have met before on the sidelines of NATO summits and United Nations meetings but it took the Biden administration almost two years to extend an official invite to Cavusoglu, a delay that many analysts say reflects a strained relationship.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Syria policy, energy cooperation and regional security issues will also be on the agenda, U.S. and Turkish officials said.

The United States has praised Turkey for some of its actions during the Ukraine war, including mediating grain corridor talks, but also worries about Ankara’s deepening relationship with Moscow.

The countries are also at odds over Turkey’s desire to carry out a military operation into Syria and its intent to normalize ties with Damascus. For its part, Turkey demands Washington not support the Syrian Kurdish militia that it sees as terrorists.

Ties between the NATO allies have loosened since Turkey acquired Russian missile defense systems in 2019, which led to Ankara’s removal from the next generation F-35 fighter jet program.

Turkey now hopes to buy F-16 jets from the United States, a sale that some top members of Congress oppose despite support from the Biden administration.

The U.S. lawmakers objecting to the sale cite Turkey’s deteriorating human rights track record and Syria policy. But recently, Ankara’s refusal to ratify NATO membership of Sweden and Finland is emerging as a more central reason in their opposition.

“(Turkish President Tayyip) Erdogan’s … repeated attacks on our Syrian Kurdish allies, and continued cozying up to Russia — including delaying Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership — remain serious causes for concern,” Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said in a statement.

“As I’ve said before, for Turkey to receive the F-16s, we need assurances that these concerns will be addressed,” he said.

The two Nordic states applied for NATO membership last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but their bids need approval from all 30 NATO member states. Turkey and Hungary have yet to endorse the applications.

Turkey raised objections, accusing the countries of harboring groups it deems terrorists. It said Sweden in particular must first take a clearer stance against these groups, mainly Kurdish militants and a group it blames for a 2016 coup attempt.

Erdogan said on Monday the two countries had to deport or extradite up to 130 “terrorists” to Turkey before parliament would approve their requests to join NATO.

On Tuesday, Finland said it hoped the Turkish foreign minister’s trip to the United States this week would help clear the way for it and Sweden to join the alliance.

Last week, the U.S. State Department informally notified the committees overseeing arms sales in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives of its intention to proceed with the $20 billion sale of F-16s to Turkey.

The move triggered a slew of statements from members of Congress opposing the deal, with the most notable coming from Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, whose leaders review major foreign military sales.

At a press conference on Saturday, Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogan’s chief foreign policy advisor, said Washington’s demands relating to the supply of the fighter jets were “endless.”

He added he hoped the F-16 deal would not become “hostage” to the NATO memberships of Sweden and Finland.

While Congress can block foreign arms sales it has not previously mustered the two-thirds majorities in both chambers required to overcome a presidential veto.

Still, the Biden administration is unlikely to follow through with the sale unless Menendez reverses his opposition, a senior administration official said.

“If the U.S. is telling us that ‘You should ratify Sweden and Finland’s NATO accession to get F-16 jets from the U.S., this would lead us to a dead end,” deputy head of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and ruling AK Party member Berat Conkar told Reuters.

Jim “Jones” Lyons and Geoff “DoorDash” Diehl, two of the biggest losers ever in Massachusetts politics, are on the road this week, begging for another couple of years to keep wrecking the state GOP.

You’ve heard of Victory Tours? This is the Crazy Tour. Lyons and Diehl have almost singlehandedly destroyed the state Republican party, and now they want to finish the job once and for all.

They are out of their bleeping minds. And they’re posting their unhinged rants every night on YouTube.

Lyons, who is both a former Democrat and a crazed Ted Cruz fanatic, is seeking another term as chairman of the MA GOP on Jan. 31. Since he was first elected in 2019, this is Lyons’ record in elections:

In November, the GOP candidates for all statewide constitutional office were crushed. Lyons couldn’t even find a sacrificial lamb to run for treasurer.

Under Lyons, the GOP has lost three of its five sheriffs and one of its two district attorneys. In the Legislature, the GOP has gone from 38 of 200 seats to 28. In special legislative elections since 2019, Lyons is 0-6. In Congressional elections, his record is a dismal 0-18.

In 2022, Lyons lost both referendum questions the party could have won – the graduated income tax and drivers’ licenses for illegals. Lyons also tried and failed to get enough signatures to get four other questions onto the ballot.

In other words, Jim Jones Lyons has a perfect track record. For Democrats, that is.

So now Lyons and his hapless sidekick Diehl are traveling around the state, seeking… I’m not sure what exactly, because the election for chairman is limited to the 74 or so current members of the GOP committee.

Most chairmen of both parties spend their time trying to win elections. Jim Jones Lyons can’t be bothered with elections. He’s more concerned about lawsuits – against his fellow Republicans.

So now, on Lyons’ Crazy Tour, his only real promise is that if he wins another term, he will file yet another lawsuit – against Republicans, of course.

He begs the local shut-ins who turn out for the Crazy Tour to sign up as plaintiffs for his next complaint. He dangles the prospect of big-money damages in front of his destitute disciples.

Forget all those lost elections. This time, Lyons assures his gullible marks, he will finally prevail against certain parties, both known and unknown to the grand jury.

“Those people took our money and wasted it!” he thundered in Carlisle, of all places, pointing into the sparse crowd of geriatric shut-ins. “We – you! – you! – you! – and everyone in this room are entitled to damages and I am going to fight like hell to get you what you deserve. That’s what I’m gonna do!”

He sounds like Reverend Ike in his prime — “Don’t wait for pie in the sky bye and bye when you die. Get yours now, with ice cream on top!”

As party chairman, Lyons has yet to win his first election for dogcatcher, or anything else. But by God, he’ll get reparations of all his toothless acolytes.

Last week on the Crazy Tour, Lyons was promising to grab $4 million in damages. Monday night, in Hanson, he upped the jackpot to $5 million.

“Can I count on you to join our lawsuit?” he yelled, like a dollar-a-holler radio preacher. “How many people will help with this lawsuit against these people?”

Despite his political proselytizing, Lyons goes R-rated when he tries to close the deal. It’s boob bait for the Bubbas.

“We can no longer say hey thanks for sticking it up our (expletive)!”

Occasionally, Lyons is asked why he’s only recently started talking about this MegaMillions payout for his loser fans, who might be getting a little antsy over the GOP’s four-year losing streak.

“Why didn’t I tell us sooner?” he said in response to a question. “Because I didn’t know. I didn’t get the documents. The documents are what proves what happened. I didn’t know! I wish I could have. How’s that?”

Like most snake-oil salesmen, Jim Lyons cautions that his Republican reparations Rapture may not occur immediately.

“I don’t want you to think this is gonna happen anytime soon,” he said in Hanson. “We’re 2 1/2 years away from any justice.”

But how far away are Republicans from winning an election, Jim? Any election?

Warming up the crowd every evening (the road show hits Haverhill tonight) is Geoff Diehl, four-time loser. If you’re unsure exactly how many times DoorDash has been beaten like a rented mule, don’t worry, he’ll tell you.

“Yeah, Geoff Diehl can’t win races,” he whined Monday night. “He can’t win for state Senate, he can’t win for US Senate, he can’t win for governor. Yeah, if everyone’s stabbing me in the back in my party it’s hard to win.”

Apparently DoorDash didn’t get the memo: Self-pity is not good box office.

Diehl goes off on odd tangents. Talking about ex-Rep. Shawn Dooley, he mentioned how the Norfolk Republican “had a picture with Maura Healey with his head on her head as if they’re lovers for God’s sake.”

Then he stared into the camera (for they are indeed videotaping themselves and then posting it on social media) and said:

“Shawn Dooley, if you’re watching, Shawn, thanks so much for all the support!”

DoorDash got even weirder Monday night in Hanson. He said he’d lost a $10,000 contribution because one of his foes (a Republican, naturally) falsely accused Diehl of sleeping with his daughter’s – well, you can watch it for yourself on YouTube.

My favorite sound cut from Monday night in Hanson comes at 2:06, when Jim Jones Lyons says:

“There is something drastically wrong with the Republican Party in Massachusetts.”

Indeed. And you and DoorDash Diehl are Exhibits 1 and 2.

The Crazy Tour will continue through Monday, with a farewell performance in Milford. Be there or be square. Sign up as a plaintiff in Jim’s latest lawsuit.

By then, the promised payoff may be up to $10 million. Lyons et al. can’t win an election to save their lives, but living well is the best revenge.

Get yours now with ice cream on top!

Henry Kissinger unexpectedly changes his position on Ukraine and Russia’s war against it

In 2019, the U.S. government took a step that it had never taken before. It brought criminal charges against a foreign state-owned bank, Turkiye Halk Bankasi, or Halkbank, which is majority-owned by the country of Turkiye (until recently known as Turkey), for evading U.S. sanctions on Iran. Turkiye in turn argued that such a move was not only unprecedented but prohibited by the legal immunities it is entitled to under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, or FSIA. Yesterday, those arguments reached the U.S. Supreme Court where both sides seemed to agree on just one thing—that the court’s eventual decision could well have major consequences for the United States and its foreign relations.

To talk through oral arguments in Halkbank, Lawfare senior editor Scott R. Anderson sat down with two leading sovereign immunity experts: Professor Chimène Keitner of the University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, and Professor Ingrid Wuerth of Vanderbilt Law School. They discussed how each side reads the FSIA and other related statutes, whether any of the justices seemed particularly persuaded, and where the court—as well as the broader issue—seems likely to go from here.

The United States is diverting munitions stored in Israel to Ukraine for use in the war against Russia, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, saying the decision was made last year.

An Israeli official confirmed the report to Reuters, saying that then-Prime Minister Yair Lapid approved the transfer although the United States does not formally need such consent.

For decades, the Pentagon has stored munitions in Israel to serve as emergency resupplies for the country in wartime – or for handover to other U.S. allies.

According to the New York Times, the munitions Washington decided to move from Israel to Ukraine are around 300,000 155-millimetre artillery shells. Around half of that has been sent to Europe for redistribution to Ukraine, the newspaper said.

Asked about the report, an Israeli military spokesperson said only: “American equipment that was stored in Israel was transferred to the U.S. armed forces a few weeks ago upon their request.”

If such transfers have taken or will take place under the watch of conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who regained top office on Dec. 29, it could test the rapport he built with Russian President Vladimir Putin in previous terms.

Netanyahu has spoken about reviewing Israeli policy on the Ukraine-Russia war but has stopped short of pledging any direct supply of arms to Kyiv. Lapid, a centrist who served as premier for six months, was vocal in expressing solidarity with Ukraine.

The U.S. Embassy in Israel had no immediate comment on the New York Times report. Ukrainian Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk told Reuters by phone that he had “no idea” if the report was true. The Russian embassy declined comment.

While Israel has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has limited its assistance to Kyiv to humanitarian aid and protective gear.

The Israelis want to maintain a coordination hotline with Russia, set up in 2015, over their military strikes on suspected Iranian targets in Syria, where Moscow has a garrison. They are also mindful of the welfare of Russia’s big Jewish community.

Although the U.S. munitions stored in Israel are under its lock-and-key, “the Americans don’t need our permission to move them. These are American property,” David Ivry, a former director-general of Israel’s Defence Ministry, told Reuters.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow had yet to see any serious proposals for peace in Ukraine and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s suggestions were absurd.

Lavrov said Moscow stood ready to discuss the conflict with Western countries and to respond to any serious proposals, but that any talks needed to address Russia’s wider security concerns.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Lavrov called again for NATO to remove its “military infrastructure” from Ukraine and other countries close to Russia’s borders.

“There can be no talk of negotiations with Zelenskiy,” Lavrov said, describing the Ukrainian leader’s 10-point plan unveiled last November as consisting of “completely absurd initiatives”.

“As for the prospects for negotiations between Russia and the West on the Ukrainian issue, we will be ready to respond to any serious proposals. (But) we don’t see any serious proposals yet. We will be ready to consider them and decide,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov said statements by Western governments that they would not discuss anything about Ukraine without Kyiv’s involvement were “all nonsense”, because the West was actually taking the decisions.

FTX lost $415 million worth of crypto in hacks, the collapsed exchange’s new bosses said Tuesday.

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• FTX lost $415 million worth of crypto to hackers, its new bosses said Tuesday.
• The failed exchange has identified around $5.5 billion of liquid assets to be recovered.
• “It has taken a Herculean investigative effort from our team to uncover this preliminary information,” acting CEO John Ray said.

Hackers stole $415 million worth of crypto from FTX – accounting for just under a tenth of the assets that the collapsed exchange is trying to recover, its new bosses said Tuesday.

In a presentation seen by Insider, FTX lawyers and advisors said they had tracked down around $5.5 billion worth of liquid assets to be recovered, made up of $3.5 billion in crypto, $1.7 billion in cash, and $300 million in tradable assets like stocks and bonds.

“We are making important progress in our efforts to maximize recoveries, and it has taken a Herculean investigative effort from our team to uncover this preliminary information,” acting FTX CEO John Ray III said.

“We ask our stakeholders to understand that this information is still preliminary and subject to change,” he added. “We will provide additional information as soon as we are able to do so.”

Around $415 million of the assets for recovery had been lost in crypto hacks, FTX’s new bosses said.

Hackers stole $323 million from the Bahamas-based parent company FTX.com, $90 million from FTX, and $2 million from sister trading firm Alameda Research, according to the presentation.

The missing crypto could be linked to a hack that took place just hours after FTX filed for bankruptcy – when prosecutors said over $370 million in crypto had vanished from the exchange.

FTX collapsed in November after a sell-off in its native FTT token triggered a solvency crisis.

Former chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas and extradited to the US the following month to face eight criminal counts including fraud, money laundering, and violating campaign finance laws.

Lawyers are now working to track down assets that could be sold to help FTX to repay its debtors – including customers who lost funds when the exchange collapsed.

As well as the exchange’s crypto and cash holdings, they identified $253 million worth of real estate in the Bahamas as potential assets for recovery in Tuesday’s presentation.

Read more: Here’s how the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX empire stacks up against other corporate failures like Lehman Brothers and Enron

New details about the federal EV tax credits are set to come out in March.

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• Electric vehicles are expensive, but tax credits might be able to help.
• It’s important to know the ins and outs of the EVs that qualify for credits.
• Federal tax incentives are crucial for EV buyers, but state rebates matter, too.

It’s no secret that electric cars aren’t all that affordable, at least not yet. US buyers of new EVs spent an average of $61,448 in December, according to Kelley Blue Book — and it might be a while before that changes. 

But federal and state tax credits that give you money back for buying an EV could mean you’re in luck if you’re looking to plug in — if you know how to cash in. 

The Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, passed last August, introduced some new EV credits and extended existing ones, with some changes.   

Some of the IRA’s stipulations went into effect at the start of the year. Others will go into effect in March, when the Treasury and IRS issue additional guidance, according to Plug In America.

While the revised federal credits bring some advantages to car-buyers, the law’s efforts to boost US manufacturing also restrict which vehicles and automakers will be able to comply. That means not every EV is likely to make the cut, at least in the near-term.

But there’s also different state credits to consider.

Here’s what to know about claiming tax credits and rebates on electric car purchases.

New EVs that follow certain qualifications are eligible for a $7,500 credit for now — until the Treasury and IRS release further guidance.

Rivian

Federal EV tax credits

Some general housekeeping: To qualify for a federal tax credit, your EV must be made by a qualified manufacturer (more details if you keep reading), it can’t be a motorcycle or e-bike, and you can’t buy it just to get the credit, then resell the vehicle. 

Here’s a look at what’s currently in place.

New electric vehicles — referred to in the IRA as “clean vehicles”:

• This credit was expanded and underwent some changes under the IRA. 
• New EVs are eligible for a $7,500 credit for now — until the Treasury and IRS release further guidance. That guidance could mean automakers have to have increasing percentages of home-grown battery materials in their EVs over the coming years in order to qualify. 
• The 200,000 vehicle cap per manufacturer has been eliminated, making Tesla, GM, and Toyota eligible once again.
• The vehicle must have a battery capacity of 7 kilowatt hours or more — all EVs currently available in the US have large enough batteries to qualify for the maximum credit, while all plug-in hybrids can qualify for at least the minimum credit — and the gross vehicle weight rating must be less than 14,000 pounds. (For context, the gargantuan Hummer EV weighs about 9,000 pounds.) The IRS has issued a list of manufacturers and models for new qualified clean vehicles, which you can find here.
• Final assembly of the vehicle must take place in the US.
• The taxpayer adjusted gross income limits include:
  • $300,000 for joint filers
  • $225,000 for head of household
  • $150,000 for single filers
• MSRP caps include:
  • $80,000 for vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks
  • $55,000 for all other vehicles
• If you can, you should try to take delivery of an EV before the new guidance in March kicks in, if you know it might no longer qualify with those new details. So long as you prove on your tax return you were in possession of the vehicle before the March guidance, vehicles that won’t qualify anymore after that, but do qualify for this short period of time, will count.
• It’s important to check the IRS site, because some variations of the same vehicle model have different costs, like the Tesla Model Y 7-seat vs 5-seat variations.
• You can also type in your VIN on the Department of Energy’s page here to see if your vehicle meets the requirements.

Experts expect that more rules around the federal tax credits, to come out in March, will specify that qualifying EVs must include a minimum percentage of minerals must be extracted or processed in the US (or by US trade partners).

Lilac Solutions, Inc.

What happens in March:

• Your credit amount will be determined by the critical minerals and battery components criteria. Both criteria will need to be met to get the full $7,500 tax credit. Otherwise, each will be split into two equal $3,750 credits, which buyers could be eligible for if their vehicle abides by one or the other.
• Critical minerals ($3,750):
  • A minimum percentage of minerals must be extracted or processed in the US — or via partners with which the US has a free trade agreement — or recycled in North America for the vehicle to qualify, according to Plug In America.
• Battery components ($3,750):
  • There will be a minimum percentage of battery components that must be made or assembled in North America for the vehicle to qualify.
• There may not be any or many EVs that qualify at that time, per Plug In America.

If you’re buying used:

• The used EV credit took effect for the first time on January 1 and is expected to be in effect until the credit expires. 
• The vehicle must be at least two years old, under $25,000, and sold by a licensed dealership, according to Plug In America.
• Taxpayer income caps:
  • $150,000 for joint return or surviving spouse
  • $112,500 for head of household
  • $75,000 for single filers, others
• Taxpayers are eligible for an up to $4,000 credit or 30% of the vehicle price (whichever is less).
• The purchaser cannot be the same person who bought it new, per Plug In America.
• There can only be one credit taken per vehicle. 
• Taxpayers can only use this credit once every three years.

Not every EV is likely to make the cut (or comply with the requirements specified by the federal tax credits), at least in the near-term.

George Rose/Getty Images

State credits

Different states have different incentives for EVs, in addition to the federal tax credits. Not every state has an electric car tax credit or rebate program, so it’s important to check individual state websites for information. Here’s a look at just a few examples.

Colorado: 

• Before January 1, 2026, a $2,000 tax credit for purchase and $1,500 for lease, of a light-duty EV or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, per calendar year.
• For a light-duty electric truck, $2,800 for purchase and $1,750 for lease, according to the Alternative Fuels Data Center.

Illinois:

• Rebates for residents for a new or used EV
  • For the purchase or lease beginning July 1, 2022: $4,000
  • For the purchase or lease beginning July 1, 2026: $2,000
  • For the purchase or lease beginning July 1, 2028: $1,500 

New York: 

• Rebates up to $2,000 for the purchase or lease of a new EV with the following eligibility:
  • Four-wheeled vehicle manufactured for use on public roads
  • Gross vehicle weight rating of no more than 8,500 pounds
  • Maximum speed of at least 55 miles per hour
  • Propelled in part by an electric motor that draws electricity from a source with at least four kWh capacity, and capable of being charged by an external electricity source 

Rhode Island:

• New vehicles no more than $60,000 and used vehicles no more than $40,000 purchased on or after July 7, 2022 qualify with the following rules:
  • New zero-emissions vehicle receives $2,500; used zero-emissions vehicle received $1,500
  • New plug-in hybrid EV receives $1,500; used plug-in hybrid EV receives $750