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May 09, 2014 | | FRENEMIES After three years fighting the Assad regime, which has been backed by Russia and Iran, Kamal Labwani, a prominent Syrian opposition activist, is calling for Syrians to embrace a new ally—Israel. During the civil war, he says, Israel has treated Syrian children in its hospitals and fed starving Syrians. Now, he argues, Israel should work with the rebels to defeat a common enemy in Hezbollah-backed Assad, and create a safe haven for the millions of Syrian refugees. KA-CHING Despite getting little return for spending $400 million to defeat Barack Obama in 2012, the Koch Brothers have reportedly committed at least $125 million for the 2014 midterm elections. If they hit that amount, the billionaire brothers, who operate through their political group Americans for Prosperity, would exceed the expenditures of each party's congressional campaign committees. STAINED The furor in reaction to Monica Lewinsky's recent Vanity Fair article seemed to plunge us reluctantly back into the controversies of '90s gossip. However, says Tina Brown, this cast of characters and the way the scandal unfolded set the tone for the subsequent decades. Those who represented the underbelly of that time period, notably Matt Drudge, are having the last laugh. Donna Rice, who was involved in a steamy scandal with another politician—Gary Hart, tells the Daily Beast how Lewinsky can get her life back on track, while Michael Daly reports on the day Lewinsky beat the Feds' shakedown. TWO-FINGER SALUTE Vladimr Putin celebrated the anniversary of Germany's defeat in World War II by flaunting Russia's latest act of aggression. He traveled to Crimea for the first time since annexing the region from Ukraine, and inspected Russia's warships off the coast. Earlier, he had attended a vast Soviet-style parade in Moscow's Red Square. "It's a day when we all especially keenly feel what it means to be faithful to the Motherland and how important it is to be able to defend its interests," he declared. "It's a holiday when the all-triumphant power of patriotism celebrates victory." Meanwhile, the EU is prepping new sanctions on Russian companies, which could be approved as early as May 12.
BIG BUCKS That's a lot of cash for some headphones. Sources say Apple is getting close to purchasing Beats Electronics, a headphone maker and music-streaming service, for a whopping $3.2 billion. It would be the largest purchase in Apple's history and a sign that the tech giant is seeking to introduce a music-subscription service. Beats was valued in September at more than $1 billion, and just last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple was "on the prowl" for more acquisitions. | | 
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