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☆ Fact check: Biden makes false and misleading claims during Pennsylvania campaign swing
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden spent three days this week campaigning in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania. (The White House corrected the official transcript of Biden’s speech to make clear Biden should have said 2025 instead of 2024.) In other words, there will clearly still be some big and profitable corporations paying no federal income tax despite the existence of the new Biden tax. The center found that the top 0.1% of households paid an average effective federal tax rate of about 30.3% in 2020, including an average income tax rate of 24.3%. “The deficit is a trillion dollars lower, roughly, than when President Biden took office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ambrose Finnegan, Biden, Jill Biden, PolitiFact, they’ll, it’s, “, Tami Luhby, —, ’ They’ve, Fuxian Yi, Yi, “ It’s, Derek Scissors, Trump, ” Biden, Biden’s “, Matthew Gardner, ” Howard Gleckman, Gleckman, Emmanuel Saez, Gabriel Zucman “, ”, I’ve, Donald Trump, ” Marc Goldwein, Goldwein, he’s, Afghanistan Biden, Biden’s, Finnegan, Finnegan “, Donald Judd, spokespeople, Andrew Bates Organizations: Washington CNN, Defense, Medicare, China, University of Wisconsin, Madison, American Enterprise Institute, CNN, Taxation, Economic, US, Biden, White, Urban, Brookings Tax, Urban Institute, University of California, Tax, Center, Trump, Federal Budget, Washington Post, Defense Department, Defense POW Locations: Pennsylvania, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Scranton, Pittsburgh, America, Berkeley, “, New Guinea, ” New Guinea

☆ Americans Invested Billions in Chinese Companies. Now Their Money Is Stuck.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Lauren Hirsch | Michael J. De La Merced | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When investors talk about “zombie” companies, they’re usually referring to distressed start-ups that are hobbling along, unable to grow and unlikely to ever return the money they’ve raised. But as deal makers feverishly debated efforts this week by lawmakers to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app, they talked about a new version: China zombies. China zombies may have booming businesses, but they’re unlikely to provide investors with any immediate return because they’re stuck in geopolitical cross hairs. It’s not just the investors in ByteDance who, after handing it more than $8 billion, are stuck. What looked like a mammoth growth opportunity just a few years ago — inspiring investors to pour money into companies like Ant Financial, PingPong and Geekplus — has turned hostile.

Persons: they’re, — Organizations: Ant Locations: China, ByteDance

☆ BowFlex files for bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Peloton isn’t the only at-home exercise equipment company feeling the pain: BowFlex is too, announcing Tuesday that it has filed for bankruptcy. BowFlex blamed its bankruptcy on the “post-pandemic environment and persistent macroeconomic headwinds” and said it received interest from “multiple” companies but chose Johnson Health Tech because it will “maximize value for our stakeholders through this process.”A $25 million debtor-in-possession financing will allow BowFlex (BFX) to operate normally and keep its employees paid. Johnson Health Tech makes similar exercise equipment under the Matrix, Horizon Fitness and Vision Fitness brands. Washington-based BowFlex makes several products, including treadmills, ellipticals and its well-known home-gym contraption that lets people do more than 70 weight-based exercises. Peloton said last month that its turnaround plan isn’t going as planned and NordicTrack-owner iFit scrapped its plans to go public in 2022.

Persons: BowFlex, Johnson, iFit Organizations: New, New York CNN, Johnson Health Tech, Fitness, Nautilus Locations: New York, Taiwan, Washington

☆ The music labels are still suing the internet companies. That's a warning for the AI industry.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe AI boom has been accompanied by AI lawsuits filed by content owners like The New York Times against big AI companies like Open AI. That was when we had lawsuits like Metallica vs Napster , or MGM vs Grokster , or Arista vs. Lime Group . And when Congress proposed laws like PIPA and SOPA , and when music labels and Hollywood studios were trying to get broadband companies to help them stop illegal downloads . Turns out, things are not so settled, and the music labels are still arguing — successfully, apparently, — that broadband companies can be held liable for bad behavior enabled by their broadband.

Persons: —, Cox Organizations: Service, New York Times, Napster, Reuters, Business, Cox Communications, U.S, Circuit, Cox Enterprises, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Metallica, MGM, Arista, Lime, Hollywood Locations: Richmond , Virginia, Virginia

☆ Boeing Disaster Proves Americans Businesses Greedy Mentality Is Broken
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

They expose decades of American corporate philosophy gone awry. A good American company isn’t just a vehicle for financial returns; it is first and foremost an employer, a contributor to economic and/or technological innovation, and a source of US power. But it’s clear that what Boeing — and the entire American corporate body politic — needs is nothing short of a philosophical counterrevolution. Over these three decades of plenty for Boeing’s shareholders, the company’s staff was asked to penny-pinch. Boeing’s stock cratered, and France’s Airbus , a rival once colloquially known as “Scare Bus,” started to eat the American company’s lunch .

Persons: it’s, could’ve, William Lazonick, “, It’s, won’t, William McGee, T.A, Wilson, Frank Shrontz, Max, Peter Robison, —, ”, Dave Calhoun, we’ve, Scott Kirby, hasn’t, “ We’re, Lazonick, wasn’t, Milton Friedman, Michael Jensen, Jensen, nary, Jack Welch, Welch, Wall, ” Lazonick, We’ve, Mary Barra, ” McGee Organizations: Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Investments, University of Massachusetts, ”, NASA, Airbus, Alaska Airlines Max, Wall, United Airlines, Federal Aviation Administration, CNBC, Washington, University of Chicago, Electric, Wall Street, GE, Dow Jones, Securities and Exchange Commission, Reality Labs, Deutsche Bank, Business, General Motors, United Auto Workers, Companies, GM, & $ Locations: Washington, America

☆ Opinion | A Tech Billionaire’s Case for Why Tech Billionaires Should Rule the World
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Elizabeth Spiers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It takes a certain kind of person to write grandiose manifestoes for public consumption, unafflicted by self-doubt or denuded of self-interest. In this vision, wealthy technologists are not just leaders of their business but keepers of the social order, unencumbered by what Mr. Andreessen labels “enemies”: social responsibility, trust and safety, tech ethics, to name a few. But the real problem with Mr. Andreessen’s manifesto may be not that it’s too outlandish, but that it’s too on-the-nose. In the case of ordinary individuals, however, debt is regarded as not just a financial failure but a moral one. (If you are successful and have paid your student loans off, taking them out in the first place was a good decision.

Persons: Marc Andreessen, Andreessen Horowitz, ” Organizations: Netscape

☆ Opinion: Musk, McCarthy and Romney are three kinds of leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. A vain and ambitious cigar-smoking bully who wore riding breeches, a polished helmet and boots and carried ivory-handled revolvers, he led troops on successful lightning strikes through German-held territory near the end of World War II. Musk has repeatedly been criticized for enabling and boosting antisemitic content on the platform.”“Isaacson tries to square these two Musks. During Trump’s first impeachment, Romney became the first senator in US history to vote to remove a president of his own party from office. He has been willing to do what he believes to be right — consequences be damned.”The differences between Romney and Trump were many.

Persons: CNN — “ Troy, Hadrian, …, ”, George S, Patton, “, Stephen D, Clay Jones, Elon Musks, Elon, Nicole Hemmer’s, Walter Isaacson, Musk “, Musk, ” “ Isaacson, Isaacson, ” Hemmer, Walt Handelsman, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, McCarthy, Joe Biden, “ Trump, impeaching Biden, Norman Eisen, Trump, ” Eisen, Biden, James Antle III, ’, Hunter, McCarthy “, John Avlon, Dennis Aftergut, Lindsey Graham wasn’t, Michelle Lujan Grisham, she’s, Hunter Biden, Robert J, Spitzer, It’s, ” Vladimir, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Frida Ghitis, Putin, vaingloriously, Peter the Great, Sébastien Roblin, Don’t, Romney Francis Chung, AP Sen, Mitt Romney, Romney, Sen, John McCain, Trump’s, Lanhee J, Chen, Lisa Benson, Kate Bahn, ’ I’m, —, Dana Peterson, Erik Lundh, ” Dana Summers, Kunis Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson, Jill Filipovic, “ Kutcher, Kunis, Kutcher, Masterson, Danilo Cavalcante, Arick, Scott Stantis, Jeff Yang, Jets Phil Hands, Julian Zelizer, Aaron Rodgers ’, ” Don’t, Nick Anderson, Tess Taylor, Tommy Tuberville, Mahnaz, Roxanne Jones, Coco Gauff, Amanda Tyler, Lara Setrakian, Paul Hockenos, Don Lincoln, Sophia Nelson, Tim Scott, Kenneth Branagh, Agatha Christie’s, Hercule Poirot, Noah Berlatsky, Poirot, Branagh, Sara Stewart, Winona Ryder Organizations: CNN, US, Marine Corps, Third Army, Vostochny, Twitter, Defamation League, Agency, Caucus, Republicans, Democrats, White, North, Putin, AP, Senate, Hollywood, Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Peugeot, United Auto Workers, UAW, “, Federal Reserve, Conference Board, Ninth, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, REUTERS, Reuters, Apple, European Union, Jets, Boston Red Sox, The Chicago Cubs, The New York Jets, New York Jets, MetLife, Tribune, Studios Locations: China, Washington, New Mexico, Detroit, Russia’s, South Africa, Hunter Biden’s, Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Russia, Ukraine, ”, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Aude, Pennsylvania, Brazil, Cupertino , California, Iran, New Texas, Venice

☆ Millions of Americans’ personal data exposed in global hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Millions of people in Louisiana and Oregon have had their data compromised in the sprawling cyberattack that has also hit the US federal government, state agencies said late Thursday. The breach has affected 3.5 million Oregonians with driver’s licenses or state ID cards, and anyone with that documentation in Louisiana, authorities said. The hackers exploited a flaw in a popular file-transfer software known as MOVEit made by Massachusetts-based Progress Software. Hundreds of organizations across the globe have likely had their data exposed after the hackers used the flaw to break into networks in recent weeks. US officials described the cyberattack as an opportunistic, financially motivated hack that has not caused disruptions to agency services.

Persons: Casey Tingle, Aon, John Bel Edwards, ” Munish Walther, Puri, It’s, ”, Jeff Greene, “, Greene Organizations: CNN, Department of Energy, BBC, British Airways, University of Georgia, Social, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, Louisiana Gov, US, Progress Software, FBI, Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Council, Aspen Locations: Louisiana, Oregon, Russian, Massachusetts, Clop, Ukraine

☆ Premarket stocks: The bear market could make a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Investors who believe the bear market is over are “ignorant,” Lisa Shalett, chief investment officer of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, told CNN. She believes a bigger drop is on its way as the Fed’s rapid interest rate hikes reduce economic growth down the road. Investors, she said, haven’t yet priced that hit to the economy into stock prices. They do, however, see increased interest rates as a long-term positive. How do you grow when you already have such a large percentage of the market share?

With subpoena power, it will be tasked with investigating law enforcement agencies as part of a mandate to probe the “weaponization of the federal government." Language to establish the panel is tucked inside a House rules package expected to pass on Monday. Once a backbencher who had frosty relations with GOP leaders, Jordan has risen through the ranks in a reflection of the conference’s rightward shift. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said he will serve on the new weaponization committee. Members of the committee will be formally named after the House passes the resolution.

☆ EU accepts Amazon commitments in antitrust agreement affecting data and sellers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The agreement includes several multi-year concessions offered by Amazon, including a commitment not to use third-party sellers’ data to benefit Amazon’s own marketplace listings, a practice that policymakers around the world have claimed is anticompetitive. As part of the deal, Amazon said it will treat all sellers on its platform equally when determining which seller to give top placement on Amazon product listings, and also agreed to several commitments linked to sellers’ terms under Amazon Prime. Those commitments will last for seven years, while the restrictions on Amazon’s use of seller data will last for five years. “Today’s decision sets new rules for how Amazon operates its business in Europe,” said EU Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager in a release. They cover the use of data, the selection of sellers in the Buy Box and the conditions of access to the Amazon Prime Program.

☆ Freight railroad service is terrible, even without the threat of a strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But that doesn’t mean freight railroads are providing good service to their customers. Many of the problems tangling up the supply chain, driving up prices and slowing the economy can be traced to the steady decline in freight rail service in recent years. Some experts who represent rail customers who have complained about service in the past say service has gotten better since earlier this year. “The national freight rail network is broken, and the need for long-term rail reform is clear. Union Pacific (UNP), Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKA) Burlington Northern Santa Fe all reported record earnings in 2021.

But that doesn’t mean that the freight railroads are providing good service to their customers. Many of the problems tangling up the supply chain, driving up prices and slowing the economy can be traced to the steady decline in freight rail service in recent years. “Railroads understand that service is not at the level customers expect or deserve. “”I’m told by a lot of our members that this has been the worst rail service year in their careers. For rail customers there is basically no alternative for the products they ship.

☆ U.S. consumer watchdog plans to regulate ‘buy-now, pay-later’ companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) plans to start regulating “buy-now, pay-later” (BNPL) companies like Klarna and Affirm Holdings due to worries their fast-growing financing products are harming consumers, the agency said on Thursday. The watchdog, which does not currently oversee BNPL companies or products, will issue guidance or a rule to align sector standards with those of credit card companies, it said. The agency also pointed to customer data collection as a consumer risk, and said it would start identifying data surveillance practices BNPL companies should avoid. BNPL companies are likely to fight that assertion, however. Share prices of public “buy-now, pay-later” companies have been under pressure this year, with Affirm down more than 75% and Zip down 79%.

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