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The heads of the State Department and Pentagon on Tuesday warned senators that should lawmakers approve funding for Israel but not Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin will win. 

Speaking during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged senators to keep intact the Biden administrations$106 billion supplemental request for Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific.

Though many lawmakers in both parties support a joint package, House Republicans skeptical of additional Ukraine aid have threatened to sink the plan.And Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is pushing an Israel-only package that would also cut billions in funding for the Internal Revenue Service.

Austin and Blinken warned that without continued U.S. funding for Ukraine, Russian forces would be sure to defeat Kyiv, with wider consequences for the globe.

Its hard to put an exact timeline on how long it would take, Austin said when asked how long until Russia wins should the U.S. fail to provide more aid to Kyiv. I can guarantee that without our support, Putin will be successful … If we pull the rug out from under [Ukraine] now, Putin will only get stronger.

Blinken, meanwhile, said it would do both terrible harm to our values, but also to our core interests to leave Ukraine out in the cold.

There is no doubt in my mind that if Putin is allowed to continue to act with impunity, that not only would he not stop at Ukraine and potentially go to a NATO country next …it would send a message to would-be aggressors everywhere in the world, that, If he can get away with it, so can we, and then we’re likely to have a world full of conflict, Blinken said.

We are much better sustaining our effort now, seeing this to success, than having to pay a much higher price later when we have to deal with a world full of aggression. 

The hearing comes as the Senate and House are headed for a clash over Ukraine aid, with House Republicans looking tovote on a separate $14.3 billion military aid package for Israel.

The amount matches Bidens request for the country, but it cuts outmore than $60 billionfor Ukraine under the presidents supplemental. TheWhite House has warned it has less than $5.5 billion left to pull weapons from U.S. stockpiles to send to Ukrainian troops.

The GOP’s proposal to slash dollars for the IRS is also a nonstarter in the Senate.

Johnson has said he expects his chambers Israel aid package to go to the floor Thursday. His opposition to pairing Israel and Ukraine aid puts the new Speaker at odds with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

At the Tuesday hearing, multiple lawmakers stressed the importance of passing aid for Israel and Ukraine in a single package, including Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Make no mistake, we need to address all of these priorities as part of one package because the reality is these issues are all connected and they are all urgent, Murray said in her opening remarks, noting that huge supermajorities in both chambers support continued Ukraine aid.  

Getting this funding across the finish line should not be controversial,” she said. 

Murray added that both China and Russia were watching closely how the U.S. would respond to the two conflicts.

Collins, meanwhile, stressed that there would be dire consequences that will jeopardize our national security should the two spending efforts not be passed together.

Sen.John Hoeven(R-N.D.) also pressed to support both countries, arguing thatif you look at history, you understand that tyrants, like Putin, dont stop. They have to be stopped.

In his testimony, Blinken sought to link the Ukraine-Russia war and the Hamas-Israel conflict in arguing for the full supplemental. Russia is reportedly seeking more military assistance from Iran, including drones, and in return giving Tehran advanced military technology.

If we start to peel off pieces of this package, [adversaries will ] see that; they’ll understand that we are playing whack-a-mole while they cooperate increasingly and pose an ever greater threat to our security as well as that of allies and partners, Blinken said.

He also made the case for Taiwan aid to be included in the package, arguing that what happens in Ukraine, what happens in the Middle East, also matters to the Indo-Pacific. 

Austin offered a starker assessment for failing to link the funding. 

If Putin is successful, he will not stop at Ukraine, Austin said. Theres no question in my mind that sooner or later, he will challenge NATO and well find ourselves in a shooting war. 

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Putin will win if Israel funding split from Ukraine, Blinken and Austin tell senators - The Hill

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is expected to address Senate Republicans on Wednesday for the first time since he took over the top spot in the House.

Two Senate GOP sources confirmed the planned meeting to The Hill. It will take place during the conference’s usual Wednesday luncheon. 

Most Senate Republicans were unfamiliar with Johnson when he took over as Speaker, and members are using the session as both a meet-and-greet and to discuss policy items. 

“I think it’s going to be a little of both,” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said.

“I would like to know more about him, what his positions are,” Ernst said, adding that the plan to fund the government past the Nov. 17 deadline will also likely come up. “With a number of issues that we have right now, how we’re going to overcome those.” 

Johnson last week held meetings with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

The meeting also comes at a critical time as lawmakers attempt to navigate the Biden administration’s supplemental request that ties funding for Israel, Ukraine, the border, Indo-Pacific and humanitarian aid into a single package. 

Johnson on Sunday announced plans for the House to vote on an $14 billion aid bill for Israel that the other funding but includes a pay-for by cutting funding for the IRS that was OK’d last year by the Inflation Reduction Act in an attempt to force a tough decision by the Senate. 

However, Senate Democrats have shown no sign that they will bring the bill up, calling the IRS cut a poison pill and a “non-starter.” Schumer and McConnell have been united that any package will include roughly $60 billion for Ukraine as many members view the items included in the administration’s request as intertwined. 

“It’s almost as if the real goal of this House GOP package is not to help Israel, but to get tax relief for the super-wealthy, while leaving out Ukraine aid, leaving out humanitarian aid for Gaza, leaving out funding for the Indo-Pacific,” Schumer said on the floor earlier on Tuesday.  

“Instead of advancing a serious proposal to defend Israel, defend Ukraine, and provide humanitarian aid, this House GOP proposal is clearly designed to divide Congress on a partisan basis, not unite it,” he continued. “I hope the new Speaker realizes that this is a grave mistake and quickly changes course.”

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Speaker Johnson set to meet with Senate GOP as Ukraine funding battle looms - The Hill

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have confirmed that they successfully attacked the strategic target of Russian air defence in the west of occupied Crimea at night.

Source: Directorate of Strategic Communications of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (StratCom) on Telegram

Quote: "The Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully hit a strategic target of the air defence system on the west coast of temporarily occupied Crimea on the night of 29-30 October."

Background:

The Russian occupying authorities in Crimea claimed that the Russian Black Sea Fleet repelled a drone attack overnight. There were explosions in the city of Sevastopol. The Russians blocked the Crimean Bridge for an hour in the morning.

Russian opposition media reported that 17 Russian Defence Ministry servicemen were wounded in an attack on an air defence missile regiment in occupied Crimea overnight. It was claimed that the attack was on a base near the village of Olenivka in western Crimea.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Navy urged people to wait for official announcements on this matter.

In August, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported that a Triumph system had been destroyed near the village of Olenivka.

lenivka

Screenshot: google maps

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Ukraine's Armed Forces confirm strike on Russian air defence in Crimea at night - Yahoo News

At a meeting focused on the antisemitic rally in Dagestan, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine and the "agents of Western special services" influenced the unrest in Makhachkala on 29 October.

Source: Russian state-owned news agency TASS

Quote: "The events in Makhachkala last night were tampered with, including through social media. Not least from the territory of Ukraine with the hands of agents of Western special services."

Details: In addition, Putin accused the United States of "trying to weaken Russia from within due to lack of achievement on the battlefield."

Background:

On Sunday, 29 October, anti-Semitic protesters broke into the airport in Makhachkala (Dagestan, Russia) and tried to board a jet that had arrived from Tel Aviv, looking specifically for Jewish people.

The Prime Minister's Office and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that Russian law enforcement agencies would ensure the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews.

After the video of the storming of the Makhachkala airport in search of Jews appeared online, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian antisemitism and hatred of other nations were systemic and deep-rooted.

NATO said that the riots at Makhachkala airport in Russias Dagestan were not beneficial to the Kremlin, even though they were the result of Russian propaganda inciting hatred.

Sergei Melikov, Head of Dagestan, condemned the unrest involving the search for Jews at the Makhachkala airport, adding that the incitement to it originated in Ukraine. Gulagu.net, a Russian anti-corruption, anti-torture human rights organisation and website, reported that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) will point to a "Ukrainian trail" in antisemitic pogroms in Dagestan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine pointed out that the antisemitic rally in Dagestan is the result of the methodical work of Russian state propaganda aimed at cultivating hatred of other peoples in their citizens.

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Putin blames pogroms in Dagestan on influence of Ukraine and "Western special services" - Yahoo News

Quantum computing stocks represent an industry that has been around for a while. The field leverages quantum mechanics at subatomic scales and is being applied to boost computing speeds.

Quantum computing has, in the past few years, begun to get more and more attention. The sector really heated up during the pandemic pre-quantitative tightening. It cooled as rates increased and riskier lending became more expensive.

As we approach peak interest rates and an end nears, investors will begin to look at quantum computing stocks again. AI is a big part of the logic behind doing so. It will supercharge development in the field and could lead to breakthroughs. Thus, its a good idea to invest early in anticipation of the reemergence of quantum computing stocks.

Source: Shutterstock

Investors would be wise to consider Defiance Quantum ETF (NYSEARCA:QTUM) for a balanced, low-risk introduction to quantum computing stocks. Its largest holding is the second firm discussed in this article, IonQ, at 2.27%.

QTUM shares offer lower operating costs, ease of trading, transparency, and tax efficiency when compared to individual stocks. Defiance Quantum ETF tracks the BlueStar Quantum Computing and Machine Learning Index. Given its AI/ML exposure, it should be no surprise then that QTUM shares have appreciated quickly this year. Theyve returned 14.97% year-to-date and more than 21% over the last year.

Youll pay 0.4% in net expense ratio to have your investment managed by a portfolio manager. 1% is the net expense ratio considered too high generally speaking, so QTUM shares are not expensive.

QTUM shares have ranged as high as $53 over the last 52 weeks and as AI has cooled theyve fallen back to $44 at present. That is a good entry point for inexpensive exposure to the confluence of AI and quantum computing.

Source: Amin Van / Shutterstock.com

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) is your best bet for maximum exposure to the growth of the quantum computing sector. The company does all quantum computing development and IPOd earlier this year through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

To be clear, IonQ is in many ways, the opposite of QTUM, immediately above. Start-ups, SPACs, and emerging technology all under one roof equates to higher risk overall.

IonQ is heavily invested in cloud computing. The firm is partnered with the 3 major cloud firms. The confluence of quantum computing, AI, and cloud promises to produce real growth moving forward that can make investors a lot of money.

IonQs most powerful computer, called Aria, is being leveraged toward Amazons AWS services and its leading cloud. That makes it a strong bet overall given AWS dominance.

IonQ isnt making much money right now and is going to continue to invest heavily and incur large expenses for the near future, but if it pays off, itll pay off big.

Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com

IBM (NYSE:IBM) stock has floundered over the last decade. Its a legacy technology firm that has lost its way and is trying to regain its former glory. IBMs strategy to do so includes a focus on AI, cloud, and a segment dedicated to quantum computing.

Those bets are paying off. The company has leveraged its Watson AI and focused on creating a suite of generative AI tools. Early booking data suggests that IBMs strategy is working and an annual run rate of $1 billion is expected after the firm bested expectations.

IBM has a dedicated quantum computing business unit, IBM Quantum. More than 200 firms and research organizations are using IBM Quantum to develop enterprise solutions in the field. IBM is aligned with the defense sector as it relates to quantum computing and AI. Other defense adjacent firms including Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) have soared this year as AI begins to take root in the national security realm.

Source: Shutterstock

FormFactor (NASDAQ:FORM) is a semiconductor firm that also makes cooling equipment used in quantum computing.

The stock benefits from trends that are just catching on and with chip demand likely to grow alongside AIs continued growth, FormFactor will grow. The company sells test equipment. Thus, its a picks-and-shovels play.

Outside of chip testing equipment, FormFactor also sells cryogenic systems. The so-called probe stations are chambers that are cooled to extremely low temperatures and used for testing chips for defects. Those same chambers have utility in quantum computing which also requires powerful chips.

FormFactor clearly benefits from secular trends. The long-term potential of the chip sector is high. Expectations of continued growth due to AI, machine learning, and quantum computing give FormFactor powerful catalysts overall.

Its cooling and testing equipment has every chance to be sold at higher volumes in the near future and its shares will ebb and flow with the chip sector.

Source: The Art of Pics / Shutterstock.com

Name a technology, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) probably has some interest and exposure thereto.

Microsoft has laboratories and world-class researchers in any number of fields doing varied research. Quantum computing is part of that.

Hardware, software, specialized cooling equipment, and more are being developed by the company. If Microsoft decides that quantum computing is the next big thing, expect it to move first as it did with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Its an industry shaper so the fact that it is developing quantum computers is a signal worth watching.

Investing in Microsoft is not a strong investment in quantum computing per se. Quantum computing revenues are a very minor part of its business. Choose MSFT shares for the dozen other strengths it possesses but keep in mind that quantum computing is a part of it.

Azure is a major cloud provider. AI is being integrated there as fast as possible. Quantum computing promises to accelerate AI and could realistically compound the rapid shifts were already experiencing. That makes MSFT a strong bet and it offers much less risk than upstart firms in the space.

Source: Kate Krav-Rude / Shutterstock.com

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) used to be the biggest chip stock. It isnt any longer following many missteps. That leaves Intel, like IBM, searching for its former glory.

The companys strategy to turn itself around rests on several pillars. The firms Arizona chip factories are a big part of that strategy.

Intel is positioning itself to take advantage of shoring up its efforts in the semiconductor industry. Construction of those factories is the major driver of its turnaround.

Intel is also developing a quantum computing chip called Tunnel Falls. The company is working with its partners to test that chip as part of its overall turnaround effort. As with the other large tech firms here, Intel isnt yet moving heavily into quantum computing. It remains a future technology that is part of a longer-term vision.

AI is the current focus along with reshoring. In time though, quantum computing chips like Tunnel Falls will play a bigger part in Intels turnaround story.

Source: josefkubes / Shutterstock.com

Honeywell (NASDAQ:HON) offers industrial software and is a stock thats commonly mentioned alongside megatrends like IoT and to a degree, AI.

The company recently reorganized into three business segments to take advantage of mega-trends. Itll now be automation, aviation, and energy transition that drive Honeywell overall.

The move is unlikely to change much of Honeywells dayto-day operations and it will continue to do much of the same things. Itll still be heavily focused on the IoT building automation opportunity. More and smarter chips will be required for that effort. In short, its the same industrial firm it was with a slightly revamped direction.

However, Honeywell is also a quantum computing firm which many people might not recognize. Honeywell built a quantum computing unit which was spun off, merged, and is now known as Quantinuum. Honeywell owns a 54% stake in that firm.

That means Honeywell is a lesser-known quantum computing firm with a vested interest in the continued development of the sector and a revenue-generating asset therein.

On the date of publication, Alex Sirois did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Alex Sirois is a freelance contributor to InvestorPlace whose personal stock investing style is focused on long-term, buy-and-hold, wealth-building stock picks. Having worked in several industries from e-commerce to translation to education and utilizing his MBA from George Washington University, he brings a diverse set of skills through which he filters his writing.

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7 Quantum Computing Stocks That AI Will Send Soaring - InvestorPlace