This week, U.S. officials issued a global travel alert after they intercepted terrorist “chatter” that suggested possible al-Qaeda attacks throughout the month of August. Within the country, the media world was in for a shock when Amazon.com mogul Jeff Bezos purchased The Washington Post for $250 million, ending a decades-long legacy that saw The Post’s golden age with the Graham family.
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U.S. Embassies Closed Amidst Terror Threats
Last Sunday, the United States closed down 21 embassies and consulates across the Middle East and North Africa region in light of possible terrorist attacks.
The worldwide travel alert came after top U.S. security officials intercepted “chatter,” conversations among terrorists about plans, that hinted at possible al-Qaeda attacks in the area during the next coming weeks. The recent threat is the most serious since the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, with the American government cautioning citizens against traveling in the area and emphasizing that both U.S. government and private interests were under threat.
Yemen is of particular concern, as the country serves as a home base for one of al-Qaeda’s most powerful branches. The Yemeni al-Qaeda arm has planned and very nearly carried out numerous attacks against U.S. citizens these last few years, including a foiled Christmas Day effort to bomb a Detroit plane in 2009.
The widespread embassy closures also took place to prevent a situation that could mirror last year’s deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. A heavily armed pro-al-Qaeda group assaulted the consulate on Sept 12, 2012, killing the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three soldiers. The Obama administration faced a barrage of disparaging criticism following the attack, as it was revealed that officials had detected possible threats to the consulate and failed to act upon them.
After re-opening a handful of embassies and consulates following Sunday’s closures, U.S. officials then shut down a few more in Africa and kept others on a tight lockdown. A total of 19 embassies were scheduled to remain closed until Saturday, with 18 of them set to reopen today. The Yemen mission, however, will remain closed due to heightened security concerns in the area.
The U.S. State Department’s worldwide travel alert is set to remain until Aug 31. Until then, U.S. citizens are urged to remain vigilant on their travels.
The Washington Post Sold to Amazon.com Founder Jeff Bezos
In a deal that initially shocked most people, The Washington Post Co. chairman and chief executive Don Graham and Post publisher Katharine Weymouth sold The Washington Post and some of the Post Company’s smaller newspapers to Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.
Graham and Weymouth will receive $250 million in cash from Bezos, after which the Amazon CEO will officially own the flagship newspaper. The sale was conducted entirely by Bezos with no connection to Amazon.com.
For decades since the Great Depression, ownership of The Post was passed down to generation after generation in the Graham family, who established one of the most famous family legacies in the newspaper industry. Under their leadership, The Post broke landmark news stories such as the Watergate scandal, and led the way in establishing hard-hitting and dependable journalism.
But The Post saw some very hard times over the past few years as subscriptions and print advertisements dived, slashing the newspaper’s revenue by 44 percent. Even The Post Co.’s education division, Kaplan, was hit by falling sales despite its role in keeping the company’s revenues afloat.
The Washington Post deal with Bezos marked the second sale of a national newspaper to a private owner this week. Just two days prior to Bezos’ purchase, Boston Red Sox owner John Henry bought The Boston Globe from the New York Times for $70 million, though the paper was once worth $1.1 billion. With both The Globe and The Post wrenched from the hands of their original owners, the spotlight now shines on The New York Times as readers and industry experts wait to see what will happen to the Sulzberger family’s iconic hold on the newspaper.