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☆ Apple backs down against ‘Fortnite"-maker Epic Games amid EU investigation threat
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Apple relenting means Epic will be able to bring “Fortnite” back to iPhones in Europe, Epic said in a blog post. “Apple has told us and committed to the European Commission that they will reinstate our developer account. Apple said it reached the decision “following conversations with Epic” in which Epic committed to following Apple’s new EU-focused policies. “Epic Sweden AB has been permitted to re-sign the developer agreement and accepted into the Apple Developer Program,” Apple said in a statement. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney wrote back to Apple promising to abide by its terms, but Apple rescinded the developer account anyway.

Persons: “, Fortnite, Fortnite ”, Apple, ” Apple, Thierry Breton, Tim Sweeney, ” Organizations: CNN, Apple, European Union, European Commission, Markets, Apple Developer, EU Locations: Europe, iPhones, pushback

Yet after back-to-back atmospheric rivers walloped California in less than a week, it wouldn’t take much for water, mud and boulders to sluice down fragile hillsides, experts warned. Some 400 trees had fallen in the Los Angeles area alone, the city said. At least 6 billion gallons (22.7 billion liters) of storm water in Los Angeles alone were captured for groundwater and local supplies, the mayor’s office said. Just two years ago, nearly all of California was plagued by a devastating drought that strained resources and forced water cutbacks. Associated Press journalists Christopher Weber, John Antczak and Damian Dovarganes in Los Angeles and Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, contributed.

Persons: Tyler Kranz, Dion Peronneau, Mud, ”, “, ” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, ” Bass, Lou Quismorio, “ I’ve, Sabrina Biddle, ___ Watson, Christopher Weber, John Antczak, Damian Dovarganes, Scott Sonner Organizations: ANGELES, Hollywood, Weather Service, ” Los Angeles Mayor, California Highway Patrol, National Weather Service, Associated Press Locations: Southern California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, LA, Baldwin, ” Los, Pasadena, San Diego, Northern California, Tijuana, Mexico, Yucaipa, Arizona, New Mexico, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Reno , Nevada

Friday's phone call came one day after Netanyahu said that he has told U.S. officials in plain terms that he will not support a Palestinian state as part of any post-war plan. But the regular cadence of calls between Biden and Netanyahu, who have had a hot-and-cold relationship for over three decades, has slowed considerably. And in late 2019, during a question and answer session with voters on the campaign trail, Biden called Netanyahu an “extreme right” leader. Netanyahu argues that a Palestinian state would become a launchpad for attacks on Israel. They hold out hope Israel could eventually come around to accepting a Palestinian state that comes with strong security guarantees for Israel.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, Biden's, ”, John Kirby, Eytan Gilboa, “, Donald Trump, Trump, hasn't, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Connecticut Sen, Chris Murphy, Michael Koplow, Ron Dermer, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Brett McGurk, Amos Hochstein, ” Blinken, Barack Obama, —, Israel, ” Netanyahu, Daniel Kurtzer, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, Julia Frankel, Ellen Knickmeyer, Seung Min Kim, Colleen Long Organizations: WASHINGTON, Israeli, U.S, Security, Democrat, Islamic, Israel’s, Ilan University, Israel, Netanyahu, Key Democratic, Biden, Economic, Middle, ” Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Palestinian Authority Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, United States, U.S, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Davos, East Jerusalem, ”, Jordan, Egypt, Jerusalem, Washington

☆ OSCE Limps Through Another Year as Russia Relents on Veto
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SKOPJE (Reuters) - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should continue to function for another year as frequent holdout Russia joined others on Friday in approving Malta as OSCE chair for 2024 and extending four senior officials in their positions. The OSCE is the successor to a body set up during the Cold War for the east and west to engage with each other. In recent years, however, and especially since it invaded Ukraine, Russia has used what is effectively a veto each country has to block many key decisions, often crippling the organization. Russia spent months preventing NATO member Estonia from becoming the next OSCE chair as originally planned. While relenting on vetoes that could have brought the OSCE even closer to collapse, Russia showed no sign of warming to its critics among the OSCE's 56 other member states, particularly the United States.

Persons: Russia, Helga Schmid, Ukraine's, Sergei Lavrov, Antony Blinken, relenting, Lavrov, Blinken, OSCE Michael Carpenter, Fedja Grulovic, Felix Light, Francois Murphy Organizations: Reuters, Organization, Security, Cooperation, OSCE, NATO, Russian, Union Locations: SKOPJE, Europe, Malta, Ukraine, Russia, Estonia, Friday's, Macedonia, Skopje, Baltic, U.S, United States, Moscow

☆ Arizona Officials Charged With Conspiring to Delay Election Results
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Charles Homans | More About Charles Homans | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two Republican county supervisors in Arizona were indicted Wednesday on felony charges related to their attempts to delay the certification of 2022 election results. Last year, Ms. Judd and Mr. Crosby sought to order a hand count of the ballots that had been cast in Cochise, a heavily Republican rural county, citing conspiracy theories that had been raised by local right-wing activists. When a judge ruled against them, they voted to delay certification of the election before eventually relenting under pressure of a court order. The episode was closely watched by democracy advocates and election law experts, who saw in the supervisors’ machinations a worrying precedent. As Donald J. Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him became widely accepted in the Republican Party, local Republican officials in several closely contested states used suspicion of the election system on the right to justify delaying the certification of 2022 election results.

Persons: Kris Mayes, Peggy Judd, Tom Crosby, Judd, Crosby, Donald J Organizations: Republican, Republican Party Locations: Arizona, Cochise County, Cochise

☆ An aggressive bullish trade betting on the rapid comeback in small-cap stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jeff Kilburg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Small caps have been struggling versus their peers as a rising interest rate environment has absolutely punished these growth companies. My thesis of small caps finally getting up off the mat is based upon my recent and lonely call of U.S. Treasury yields relenting. In addition, I have repositioned my model portfolios' exposure to include small caps for the remaining six trading weeks of 2023. "Bid" meaning that I am not alone in this idea of small caps finding some legs between now and the end of the year. This risk reversal is being used as an aggressive bull trade.

Persons: Russell, IWM Organizations: Nasdaq, Treasury, Fed

Yet videos released by Hamas fighters themselves depict the brutal killing of unarmed civilians. Yaakov Peri, a former head of the Shin Bet, the Israeli security service, said Israel may have agreed to let humanitarian aid enter Gaza on Saturday morning in light of the hostages’ release Friday night. “But we cannot fall for this trap.”There are still many questions of why, of all the 200 or so hostages, the Raanans were released. Hamas might be trying to temper Israeli retaliation on Gaza by gaining some good will from the Biden administration. President Biden and his team have been closely advising Israel on how it is waging its war on Gaza, although it is not clear how much Israel actually listens to what the Americans say.

Persons: Gazans, —, Yaakov Peri, Shin, Mr, Peri, Robert D’Amico, ”, D’Amico, Biden Organizations: Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, California

☆ A bullish trade on tech stocks using options that could cost nothing, if it moves in right direction
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Jeff Kilburg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The highly anticipated speech moved the 10-year yield lower to nearly 4.90% as another rate hike in 2023 seemingly has become less likely. The option strategy that I will utilize is a credit spread but, better known as a risk reversal. If an investor is long a stock, they could create a short risk reversal to hedge their position by buying a put option and selling a call option. No cost...with a catch This risk reversal is being used as an aggressive bull trade. While there is a lot of time before this option strategy expires, there is an opportunity to manage this spread as it either moves for or against me.

Persons: Jerome Powell, dovishly, Powell, Powell's, Long Organizations: Nasdaq, Federal, Treasury Locations: U.S

☆ Ukrainian troops face new Russian assault on eastern town of Avdiivka
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russian forces subjected Avdiivka to fierce attacks last week, but the shelling had tapered off in the last few days. Kupiansk was recaptured by Ukrainian troops late last year in a lighting advance through the country's northeast, but Russian forces have stepped up attacks in a bid to retake it. Zaluzhniy said Ukrainian forces around Kupiansk were "maintaining their defence in the most difficult of conditions". Russia's accounts of the fighting said its forces had destroyed a command point near Avdiivka and repelled 11 Ukrainian attacks near Kupiansk. When Ukrainian troops retook parts of Kherson region last year, Russian forces abandoned its biggest city, also called Kherson.

Persons: Yevhen, General Valery Zaluzhnyi, Zaluzhniy, Oleksandr Shtupun, Avdiivka, Kupiansk, Shtupun, Olena Harmash, Ronald Popeski, Timothy Heritage Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Kupiansk, Russian, Donetsk, Azov, Verbove, Zaporizhzhia, Robotyne, U.S, Ukrainian, Dnipro, Kherson, Kyiv

☆ Good news, homebuyers: This fall could finally be a 'sweet spot' in the US real-estate market, Zillow says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US homebuyers might see a "sweet spot" in the market this fall, said a Zillow economist. Zillow estimates that about 10% of home listings saw a price cut in the week ending September 16 — the most since November. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementUS home prices have risen in the last year due to higher mortgage rates, but Zillow thinks it's a good time to buy — if you have the budget. US home sales have slowed as houses have gotten less affordable, thanks to rising prices which have been driven higher by an inventory shortage and high mortgage rates.

Persons: —, Zillow, it's, Jeff Tucker, It's, homebuyers, Tucker, Freddie Mac Organizations: Service Locations: —

PHOENIX (AP) — After a summer of extreme heat, Arizona’s most populous city is in the record books again. The National Weather Service said Sunday that the monsoon season this year in the arid Southwest dropped only 0.15 inches (.38 centimeters) of rainfall from June 15 to September 30. Phoenix’s average rainfall during a monsoon season is 2.43 inches (6.1 centimeters). Confirmed heat-associated deaths in Arizona’s most populous county continue to rise in the aftermath of the record summer heat. Scientists predict the numbers will only continue to climb as climate change makes heat waves more frequent, intense and enduring.

Persons: Phoenix Organizations: PHOENIX, National Weather Service Locations: Pacific, Gulf of California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, U.S, Arizona’s, Maricopa County, Maricopa, Phoenix, United States

☆ Biden Breaks Campaign Promise in Allowing New Offshore Drilling
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Scott Patterson | Collin Eaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/politics/biden-oks-limited-offshore-drilling-relenting-on-campaign-promise-1d12b5c6

Persons: Dow Jones, biden

☆ Biden OK’s Limited Offshore Drilling, Relenting on Campaign Promise
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Scott Patterson | Collin Eaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones, biden

Congress so far has failed to finish any of the 12 regular spending bills to fund federal agency programs in the fiscal year starting on Oct. 1. "Republicans need to vote for Republican bills" to avert a shutdown, McCaul said on ABC's "This Week" broadcast. They just kick the can down the road," Republican Representative Tony Gonzalez told CBS News' "Face the Nation." Even some of the Senate's most conservative Republicans on Sunday appealed to House counterparts to stop blocking a stop-gap bill. Reporting by Richard Cowan and Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Michael McCaul, Anna Voitenko, Kevin McCarthy, McCaul, Tony Gonzalez, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Tim Burchett, CNN's, Burchett, Pete Buttigieg, Marsha Blackburn, Blackburn, Richard Cowan, Sarah N, Lynch, Bill Berkrot Organizations: House Foreign Affairs Committee, Saint, REUTERS, Rights, Washington, Republican Party, U.S, Congress, Sunday, Republicans, Republican, House Intelligence, CBS, Internal Revenue Service, Democratic, Transportation, ABC, Fox Business, Biden, Thomson Locations: Saint Michael's, Ukraine, Kyiv, Washington, United States, Mexico

☆ Trump won't pledge to support the GOP's eventual nominee, a debate requirement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Republican nominee Donald Trump speaks during the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York on September 26, 2016. Former President Donald Trump said he would not sign the loyalty pledge that is a requirement for participating in the upcoming first Republican presidential primary debate. "I wouldn't sign the pledge. "So they want you to sign a pledge, but I can name three or four people that I wouldn't support for President. Asked on Wednesday night if he would join the debate, Trump said, "I'll let it be known next week."

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, Trump and Texas Sen, Ted Cruz Organizations: Hofstra University, Republican, Florida Gov, GOP, Trump and Texas Locations: Hempstead , New York, Milwaukee, Trump's, DeSanctimonious, Trump and

Violence flared on Monday after Kosovo authorities, backed by special police units, installed ethnic Albanian mayors in offices in northern municipalities. Speaking after the meeting with Vucic, Osmani accused the Serbian leader of "whining and complaining and ... not telling the truth". But she said Kosovo could hold new elections in the north with Serb participation if they were triggered legally. Earlier in the day, neither leader had expressed any desire to meet with the other, before relenting under international pressure. Vucic said Kosovo authorities should withdraw "alleged mayors" from the north and declared the Kosovo special police units were there illegally.

Persons: Vjosa, Aleksandar Vucic, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Vucic, Osmani, Macron, Scholz, Mimi, Vladislav Culiomza Macron, Albin Kurti, Jens Stoltenberg, Fatos Bytyci, Ivana Sekularac, Sabine Siebold, Tassilo Hummel, Daria Sito, Edmund Blair, Daniel Wallis Organizations: EU, Kosovo, NATO, Political, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: BULBOACA, Moldova, Kosovo, Serbia, France, Germany, United States, Serbian, Belgrade, Paris, Berlin, Bulboaca, Oslo

☆ Manchester City: Pep Guardiola's side lays claim to being Premier League's greatest ever team
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When all is said and done, it is looking increasingly likely that this iteration of Manchester City will go down as the greatest team in Premier League history. A 'Premier League Champions' banner is revealed outside Manchester City's stadium on Saturday. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesIndeed, defender Rúben Dias recently called Guardiola the “main piece” of this City team. Back in February, the Premier League accused Manchester City of more than 100 breaches of the league’s finance rules and referred the club to an independent commission. The Premier League told CNN it had no comment to make on the issue, while Rosen said he wasn’t taking press inquiries.

☆ In emergency meeting, DeSantis-appointed board votes to counter-sue Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The DeSantis-appointed board that oversees Disney's district has sued the company. The move comes after Disney filed a lawsuit in federal court in Tallahassee. The board lawsuit will be filed in Central Florida, where Disney World is. Under a decadeslong arrangement with the state, Disney doesn't have to run its plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments. Last week, DeSantis' newly appointed board said "nothing is off the table" as it took on a major overhaul of the area.

☆ 5 reasons fighting Disney is a political winner for DeSantis — and 6 reasons it could hurt his shot at the presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

It does a ton of business in China, which many GOP voters view as a threat to the US. DeSantis already ran on being anti-Disney — and wonTaryn Fenske, DeSantis' communications director, has described the Disney fight as being "the will of Florida voters." And they might not vote for DeSantis if they think the Disney fight is a killer in a general election. Families often work hard and save for years to take their children to Disney World. If DeSantis can't bring a resolution to the Disney fight, can he handle the job of president?

☆ The Fed's rate hike policy doesn't have many fans — but abandoning the inflation target would be a 'disaster' that brings the economy back to the 1970s, a Fed official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The president of the St. Louis Fed said it would be a disaster for the Fed to abandon its inflation target. The Fed has been hiking interest rates aggressively to get inflation down to 2%. The Fed then targeted inflation aggressively and adopted the 2% inflation target in the 1990s. Ethan Harris, a Bank of America economist, wrote in a December note there's little evidence that the 2% inflation target is the "optimal target," per Fortune. Higher interest rates make borrowing — like mortgages to credit cards more expensive.

But its tussle with the $620 million Toyo, Japan's third-largest marine construction firm in which it holds 27%, has been anything but whimsical. When asked for comment, Toyo Construction said it intended to set up a committee to consider the takeover proposal. It said it repeatedly requested more information to help it evaluate the offer but the Yamauchi office had not responded. The Yamauchi family office announced its all-cash offer to take Toyo private in May last year, a 30% premium to an earlier bid by Toyo's then largest shareholder. The board supported the lower offer, which later lapsed and the Yamauchi family office says it spent many months trying to engage with the board.

Regional rival Air New Zealand Ltd (AIR.NZ) also reported a swing to profit in the first half ended Dec. 31 on Thursday, along with a muted outlook. Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said cost of living pressures would hit discretionary spending "at some point" but so far the airline expected robust demand into mid-2024 at least. Qantas said it was facing delays of up to six months in new aircraft deliveries from Airbus SE (AIR.PA) alongside other airlines around the world. The Australian carrier said it would bolster its fleet by acquiring some older Airbus planes and exercising nine options for A220 purchases to help meet travel demand growth. "Outlook for RASK is to reduce, however off what we estimate were elevated levels," said Citi analysts in a client note.

☆ American small business pessimism on recession, inflation, isn't relenting
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

That's according to the CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey for the first quarter of 2023. The Q1 survey was conducted from Jan. 23-Jan. 30 among over 2,300 small business owners across the country. "Small business owners have a more difficult time gaining benefits of economies of scale," said Holly Wade, executive director of the NFIB Research Center, whose own recent surveying of small business owners finds persistent pessimism. The new CNBC|SurveyMonkey data finds 75% of small business owners saying they are still facing rising costs of supplies and just over half (51%) supply chain disruptions. Politics is a factor in Main Street outlook Politics plays a role in any small business survey, with a demographic that skews conservative.

This would take the rate the ECB pays on bank deposits to the highest level since November 2008, after a steady climb from a record low of -0.5% in July. Reuters GraphicsThe ECB said in December that rates would be increased "at a steady pace" until it is happy inflation is heading back down to its 2% target. BNP Paribas also thought the ECB might take out the reference to a "steady pace" of rate hikes or offset it so that a 50-basis-point increase would be "not predetermined (but) still a possible outcome". And an ECB survey showed banks were tightening access to credit by the most since the 2011 debt crisis - usually the harbinger of lower growth and slowing inflation. To some observers, this meant the ECB would be wise not to commit to any future policy move.

☆ Republican hardliners, George Santos shun White House welcome for new Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Embattled Republican freshman U.S. Representative George Santos skipped his invitation to a White House reception on Tuesday evening and appears to have been joined by several hardline newcomers in snubbing President Joe Biden. “Everyone is invited who is part of the new Congress,” said White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday. Many Republicans in the House have instead promised to block government spending and investigate Biden’s family and use of office. Biden’s fellow Democrats have narrow control of the Senate, while Republicans won a slim majority in the House during the 2022 midterm elections. McCarthy was elected as speaker only after agreeing to a demand by hardliners that any lawmaker be able call for his removal at any time.

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