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The two women with very similar names offer a snapshot of the different surrogate pools for Trump and Harris. The courting of celebrity endorsements is a long-running tradition in presidential politics and one that Democrats generally win. Swift criticized the fake posting, saying it was part of the reason she is backing Harris’ campaign. Even as he downplayed Harris’ level of celebrity endorsements, Trump has tried to use people with celebrity status to appeal to specific voter blocs. Shortly after Swift backed Harris, Trump said she would “probably pay a price” for the endorsement, and five days later on Truth Social he made his bluntest and most direct attack on Swift.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Scarlett Johansson, Donald Trump, Scarlett Johnson, Harris, Johnson, Trump, Johansson, Lara Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ye, Elon Musk, Hulk Hogan, Lil Wayne, Trump —, Harris ’, Kamala, ” Trump, Winfrey, “ She’s, Jamie Lee Curtis, ”, Hillary Clinton's, Katy Perry, Clinton, Joe Biden, Taylor Swift, Swift, “, Taylor Swift ” Organizations: Liberty, Trump, Democratic, Republican National Committee, Democratic National Convention, West, White, Democrats, Republicans, Puerto, AA, Puerto Ricans, Harvard University, Swift Locations: Wisconsin, Michigan, Hollywood, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rican, Puerto

The U.S. Forest Service says it will not hire seasonal employees in the next fiscal year because of expected cuts to its budget, just as fire seasons grow longer, hotter and deadlier. “As an agency, we have a responsibility to plan for the most conservative funding picture, and these actions reflect that reality,” Forest Service spokesperson Scott Owen said in a statement. U.S. Forest Service firefighters Monday in San Bernardino National Forest in California. In March, the Forest Service asked for $8.9 billion for the coming fiscal year, an increase of $658.5 million over the previous fiscal year, according to the latest budget justification report. Forest Service Budget Director Mark Lichtenstein suggested in last week’s employee meeting that the federal government might have overcommitted funds.

Persons: We’re, ”, Andy Vanderheuel, Scott Owen, Gina Ferazzi, Randy Moore, ” Moore, Moore, Isaac Karuzas, we’re, Joe Biden, Mark Lichtenstein, ” Lichtenstein, Jacqueline Buchanan, we’ve Organizations: U.S . Forest Service, National Federation of Federal Employees, Forest Service, ”, . Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest, Los Angeles Times, Getty Images, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Pacific Northwest Locations: California, Montana, ’ Idaho, Pacific Northwest Region, Oregon, Washington

PHUKET, Thailand — Thailand’s landmark marriage equality bill has been endorsed by the monarchy, making it the first country in Southeast Asia and the third place in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage. It will take effect in 120 days, allowing LGBTQ couples to register their marriages starting Jan. 22. “Congratulations on everyone’s love,” Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said in a post on X that included the hashtag #LoveWins. Thailand, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia, is known for its tolerance and vibrant LGBTQ social scene, but it also retains conservative social values that made passing the law a yearslong struggle for activists. Taiwan was the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage in 2019, followed last year by the South Asian country of Nepal.

Persons: King Maha Vajiralongkorn, ”, Paetongtarn Shinawatra Organizations: Royal Gazette, ” Locations: PHUKET, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia, LoveWins, Taiwan, Nepal, Beijing

A school-privatization activist and frequent Fox News guest whose work has been praised by former President Donald Trump was placed on leave by his conservative nonprofit employer after reports that he had appeared in gay pornography videos surfaced. A person who resembles DeAngelis and performs under the name “Seth Rose” appears in at least three gay adult films on the pornography site GayHoopla dating to 2014. The existence of the videos was first reported last week by the blog Str8 Up Gay Porn, which shares gay porn and articles about sex. In more recent years, he has become a fierce advocate of “school choice,” which subsidizes private schools with public dollars. “It’s just so strange how the far left is so obsessed with inserting sexual topics into elementary schools,” DeAngelis said in the segment.

Persons: Donald Trump, Corey DeAngelis, Betsy DeVos, Rebekah Bydlak, “, ” Bydlak, DeAngelis, Seth Rose ”, “ Seth Rose ”, Forbes, Carl Nassib, “ It’s, ” DeAngelis, ”, ’, ” Trump, “ Corey DeAngelis, JD Vance, Vance, Mike Johnson, — Organizations: Fox News, American Federation for Children, University of Arkansas, Los Angeles Unified School District, NFL, Parental, Republican, Trump, American Federation for, NBC Locations: Israel

Although he increased his price target to $150 from $130, the new price target is just around $2 higher from Tuesday's close price. — Fred Imbert 6:46 a.m.: Citi raises Roblox price target Citi is bullish on Roblox's long-term prospects in spite of some near-term rockiness. — Hakyung Kim 5:42 a.m.: Piper Sandler raises price target on Tesla Piper Sandler thinks Tesla may sell more vehicles than the firm previously expected. With this in mind, he raised his price target on Tesla shares to $310 from $300, signaling about 22% upside from Wednesday's close. TSLA YTD mountain TSLA year to date — Hakyung Kim 5:42 a.m.: Barclays upgrades Hewlett Packard Enterprise Rising demand for artificial intelligence servers will boost Hewlett Packard Enterprise shares, according to Barclays.

Persons: Piper Sandler, TD Cowen downgrades Expedia TD Cowen, Kevin Kopelman, Kopelman, EXPE, — Hakyung Kim, Morgan Stanley, Ford Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas, Jonas, Ford, Fred Imbert, Jason Bazinet, we're, Bazinet, Roblox, Alex Straton, Straton, JPMorgan, Rodolfo Angele, Angele, Tesla Piper Sandler, Tesla, Alexander Potter, Potter, Hakyung Kim, Tim Long, HPE, Long Organizations: CNBC, Barclays, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, U.S, Ford Motor, GM, Citi, Nike, JPMorgan, Petrobras, Tesla, Hewlett, Enterprise, Juniper Networks Locations: China, U.S, Tuesday's, XLK

☆ China needs more than rate cuts to boost economic growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's slowing economy needs more than interest rate cuts to boost growth, analysts said. He expects Beijing will likely ramp up fiscal stimulus due to weak growth, despite reluctance so far. "The market is forming a medium to long-term expectation on the U.S. growth rate, the inflation rate. As for Chinese government bonds, Ding said the firm has a "neutral" view and expects the Chinese yields to remain relatively low. He pointed out that monetary easing still requires fiscal stimulus "to achieve the effect of expanding credit and transmitting money to the real economy."

Persons: Larry Hu, That's, Edmund Goh, Yifei Ding, Ding, CF40, Pan Gongsheng, Haizhong Chang, Chang Organizations: China Resources, Getty, BEIJING, People's Bank of China, Macquarie, U.S, of Finance, PBOC, Ministry of Finance, Fitch Locations: China, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, abrdn, Beijing, U.S, Invesco

☆ Starmer is selling Britain on gloom, and patience is wearing thin
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Protesters demonstrate outside the Labour Party conference venue in Liverpool against the withdrawal of the winter fuel allowance, on September 23, 2024. “It has felt a bit blunt,” a Labour Member of Parliament admitted after Starmer’s speech Tuesday, summing up the sentiment across much of conference. Unfortunately, the realities of governing are beginning to bite the Labour Party – and it is likely he will need to show some returns far sooner. Starmer’s speech was was light on fresh content but a heckler was calmly removed and the key messages were confidently delivered. But a premiership can only survive on doom and gloom for so long, and patience is already wearing thin among much of the wider party.

Persons: Keir Starmer, –, Ian Forsyth, Starmer, Taylor, “, Rachael Maskell, Sir Keir Starmer, Peter Byrne, Maskell, ”, Boris Johnson’s, ” –, Patience, Opinium, Sunak, ” James Crouch ,, Reeves, Rachel Reeves, heckler Organizations: Liverpool, England CNN —, Labour, Protesters, Labour Party, Labour Party –, Conservative, Public, Arsenal soccer, Wembley, CNN, ”, London, Tory, National Health Service, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, United Nations General Assembly Locations: England, Liverpool, Starmer’s, Opinium, Britain, New York, July’s

But it’s something politicians have struggled with achieving on their own — particularly amid an election cycle in which many young voters find themselves jaded with politics as a whole. Overall, young voters are not very optimistic right now, according to NBC News’ Stay Tuned Gen Z poll of over 2,600 voters under 30 in September. Still, Piker’s success as a streamer has been admired by fellow political creators, especially those who are chasing similar progressive audiences. Hasan Piker answering questions and debriefing on daily politics for his Twitch stream on Aug. 14. In recent years, Piker said he’s noticed the online political landscape change.

Persons: Hasan, Piker, Ilhan, —, you’re, ” Piker, ”, Cenk Uygar, Twitch, Austin MacNamara, “ He’s, he’s, ” Sean Wiggs, Hasan Piker, Brock Stoneham, I’ve, Wiggs, “ Hasan, Joe Biden, “, Andrew Tate, influencers, Donald Trump, YouTuber Logan Paul, Tana Mongeau, Kamala Harris, Harris, Tim Walz, he’s “, ” He’s, Alexandria Ocasio, Ro Khanna, I’m, Chappell Roan Organizations: YouTube, NBC, Pew, Turks, Republican, Democratic, Trump, Democratic Party, Democratic National Convention, DNC, Republican National Convention, Minnesota Gov Locations: Los Angeles, Gaza, Arizona, Chicago, Milwaukee, ”, Alexandria, Cortez

Political organizations supporting Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are touting both campaigns' messages of “freedom” as they woo Latinas, a key voting bloc. Against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Trump won just 28% of Hispanic women voters compared to Clinton’s 67%, according to Pew. Also, at least 13 states saw increases in Latina voter registrations when Biden left the race and endorsed Harris, according to TargetSmart CEO Tom Bonier. Republican Mercedes Schlapp, one of the “Latinas for Freedom” organizers, said the issue of abortion is one for states to decide. The group is defining freedom for Latinas as freedom from economic policies they say are "socialist."

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Latinas, Harris, they’ve, Hillary Clinton, Trump, Joe Biden’s, Pew, Stephanie Valencia, Equis, Biden, Tom Bonier, Mercedes Schlapp, Walz, It’s, ”, Ingrid Pino Duran, —, Nydia Velázquez, Kamala, Zoom, Wade, Duran, “, ” Harris, Schlapp Organizations: Pew Research Center, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Trump, GOP, Conservative, Pew, Equis Research, Democratic, News, Latinas, Freedom, NBC, Associated Press, PODER PAC, Rep, Republicans, Latino Entrepreneurship, Stanford, Conservative Political, Conference, Trump White House Locations: Latina, Texas, Florida, it’s

☆ Bear makes himself at home under couple's Sierra Madre house
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Nbc Los Angeles | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A Sierra Madre couple has few complaints about the reclusive tenant who moved in a few weeks ago. They’ve captured several photos on a motion-activated camera installed by California Fish and Wildlife agents that show what appears to be the face of an older large black bear. “We would wait for the bear to leave the crawlspace,” said Kevin Howells, of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. About half of the state’s bear population can be found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and areas to the north and west. Only an estimated 10 percent of the black bear population inhabits central western and southwestern California.

Persons: Bob Nesler, Susan Nesler, “, They’ve, ” Susan Nesler, ”, Kevin Howells Organizations: Angeles National, California Fish, Wildlife, California Department of Fish Locations: San Gabriel Valley, Angeles, California Department of Fish and, Southern California, Nevada, California

☆ Ex-NYC Covid czar fired after he admits attending banned 'private gatherings' during height of pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The pharmaceutical executive who was once New York City’s Covid czar was fired Monday, days after he admitted participating in “private gatherings” that were prohibited during the height of the pandemic, a federal filing shows. Varma was the company’s executive vice president and chief medical officer, the filing says. Varma acknowledged the prohibited gatherings after a conservative podcaster posted video last week of what appeared to be hidden camera recordings that showed Varma describing them. Varma's spokesman previously said that he was a part-time City Hall consultant at the time and that all participants were vaccinated. “I served in City Hall between April 2020 — May 2021,” Varma said in the statement.

Persons: New York City’s, Jay Varma, Varma, Bill de Blasio’s, Irving, podcaster, “, ”, ” Varma Organizations: SIGA Technologies, Securities and Exchange Commission, Brooklyn Nets, Covid Locations: New York, New York City, City Hall

☆ Deleted tweets, canceled events, erased endorsements: How Republicans are fleeing from Mark Robinson
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Andrew Kaczynski | Em Steck | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She also deleted a post calling Robinson “North Carolina’s next governor.” Buckhout appears to have deleted five tweets in total. Dave Boliek, the GOP candidate for state auditor in North Carolina, appears to have deleted a Facebook post featuring Robinson from August 2024. Dave Boliek, who is running for state auditor, deleted a post showing him and Mark Robinson together in August. Outside of North Carolina, national Republicans and conservative activist and advocacy groups have distanced themselves from Robinson. Bill Lee, the chair of the Republican Governors Association, also pulled his endorsement and canceled a RGA fundraiser in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Persons: Mark Robinson, Robinson, Laurie Buckhout, ” Buckhout, Dave Boliek, Sen, Lisa Stone Barnes, Bill Ward, Stacie McGinn, ”, Allen Chesser, McGinn, I’m, ” Hal Weatherman, “, Thom Tillis, CNN’s Manu Raju, we’ve, ” Tillis, Robinson doesn’t, Ted Budd, Virginia Foxx, hasn’t, Foxx, Brian Kemp, Bill Lee, Vance, Trump, –, Josh Stein Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Republican, NAZI, US, Congressional, House, GOP, Wayback, State, District, North Carolina Republicans, North Carolina, Punchbowl News, Gov, . Tennessee Gov, Republican Governors Association, Trump, Dakota, National Rifle Association, Facebook Locations: North Carolina, North Carolina’s, Carolina’s, Mecklenburg County, South Mecklenburg County, Washington, North, Georgia, Greensboro , North Carolina, Wisconsin, Johnston County , North Carolina

☆ Mark Zuckerberg has entered his libertarian era
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Alice Tecotzky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

In private, Zuckerberg identifies with the libertarian ideology, sources told the New York Times. AdvertisementOut of the public eye, Mark Zuckerberg identifies with libertarianism — or at least that's according to the few sources privy to his private political thoughts. As Zuckerberg attempts to convince Republicans that he, and his company Meta, are nonpartisan, sources told the New York Times that he's sunk into a political cynicism. Much of the animosity toward Zuckerberg trickles down from the top of the party, beginning with former President Donald Trump himself. Zuckerberg suspended Trump's Facebook account after the events of January 6 and thus ignited the former president's anger.

Persons: Zuckerberg, Zuck, —, Mark Zuckerberg, Brian Baker, Donald Trump Organizations: New York Times, Service, Republicans, Meta, Facebook

☆ UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says tough times are needed to spark national renewal
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during an 'In Conversation' event with Debbie Weinstein, managing Director Goole UK&I during the Labour Party Conference at the ACC Liverpool. Liverpool, ENGLAND — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted on Tuesday that tough decisions taken now will spark a new era for Britain, as he sought to shake a fog of pessimism that has clouded his new premiership. "Change must mean nothing less than national renewal," he told a crowd of Labour Party delegates Tuesday. Wes Streeting, minister for health and social care, said that promised improvements to the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) would take time to implement. We need to rebuild the economy, rebuild public services and rebuild trust in politics," he said at the conference Monday.

Persons: Sir Keir Starmer, Debbie Weinstein, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Jeremy Corbyn, Rachel Reeves, Reeves, Wes Streeting, Tulip Siddiq Organizations: Goole, Labour Party Conference, ACC Liverpool, Labour Party, Conservative, Wealth Fund, Finance, National Health Service, Treasury, Labour, CNBC, Conservative Party Locations: Liverpool, ENGLAND, Britain, England

☆ Trump says women won’t be ‘thinking about abortion’ if he’s elected, casting himself as their ‘protector’
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Kate Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump cast himself as a “protector” of women at a Pennslyvania rally Monday evening and claimed that American women won’t be “thinking about abortion” if he’s elected. “I always thought women liked me. But the fake news keeps saying women don’t like me,” Trump said in Indiana, Pennsylvania. As president, I have to be your protector,” Trump said. Americans remain broadly opposed to the ruling, according to CNN polling, and its proven to be thorny campaign issue for Republicans in down-ballot races.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, won’t, “, ” Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, Harris, Roe, Bernie Moreno, Moreno, Sen, Sherrod Brown, Eric Bradner Organizations: CNN, GOP, US, WCMH Locations: Indiana , Pennsylvania, Ohio, Columbus , Ohio

☆ The left won the election, but France’s new government will be at the mercy of the far right
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Saskya Vandoorne | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

At risk of collapsing before the year is out, the new lineup will have to do a delicate dance with the far right in order to survive. By pandering to the right, Macron hopes his government can safeguard his legacy after the left pledged to repeal some of his key policies, such as controversial pension reforms. New faces include veteran conservative Bruno Retailleau at the interior ministry whose hardline stance on immigration appeals to the far right. The president – a former left-wing minister – is now beholden to the support of the far right. Yet in this summer’s snap election, they are the very group Macron tried to keep out of government through his party’s “cordon sanitaire” voting alliance with France’s left.

Persons: Emmanuel, Macron, Michel Barnier, Barnier, Bruno Retailleau, Dimitar Dilkoff, Jean, Luc Melenchon, Jordan Bardella, “, –, France’s Organizations: Paris CNN —, Front, National, Getty Locations: Paris, AFP

☆ Op-ed: The UK's budget problems date back to the 2008 financial crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Kevin Klowden | Chief Global Strategist At The Milken Institute | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Over the past few weeks, economic news from the U.K. has heavily focused on the state of British national finances and how they might impact both the British public and the prospects for economic growth. Regardless of how the U.K. fiscal situation stands now, it is clear that the current shortfalls are both years in the making and run the risk of having consequences that could last for years to come. The ultimate dilemma facing Labour now is that the country cannot produce enough revenue to close systemic shortfalls without sustained economic growth, but it also cannot create economic growth without real investment, both from the public and private sectors. In many ways, the current fiscal situation dates back to the financial crisis of 2008 and the fact that the country's economy was unable to snap back readily to close the budget shortfalls that occurred then. Borrowing in the financial year to August stood at £64.1 billion ($85 billion), with the country's debt hitting 100% of GDP.

Persons: Keir Starmer, John Healey, George Robertson, Rachel Reeves, Jeremy Hunt Organizations: British, Defence, Downing, Labour, Conservative Locations: London, England, British, United States, China, Japan

☆ Is Ozempic to blame for the slowdown in salty snack sales? Here’s the verdict
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sluggish salty snack sales have prompted questions about whether Ozempic and obesity treatments like Wegovy and Zepbound ae to blame. GLP-1 drugs have been cheered as an effective method to help patients with diabetes and obesity to manage their blood sugar levels, hunger and weight. Lieberman found that the temporary price reduction at Wal-Mart stores drove an increase in both the product's volume and sales, leading to the conclusion that snack sales were hurt by price pressures for consumers. "All said, the data suggests to us that the primary challenge facing the salty snack category is affordability and arguably not GLP-1s and evolving health & wellness trends as some people might opine," she wrote in the report. "The salty snack category raises prices faster than the rest of the grocery store, so we probably have more work to do to right-size the prices," he told CNBC in an interview.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Campbell, Lauren Lieberman, Pepsi's, Lieberman, Cowen, Robert Moskow, Moskow, It's, TD Cowen, Nordisk's Wegovy, Eli Lilly's Zepbound, Dara Mohsenian, Mohsenian, There's Organizations: Pepsi, UTZ Brands, Barclays, Mart, CNBC, Nielsen Locations: confections, Nordisk's

☆ Fact check: Walz makes false claims about Vance, Trump and Project 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Two of Walz’s false claims are related to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation think tank’s detailed right-wing blueprint for the next Republican administration. Project 2025 has been the subject of multiple false or misleading claims from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign this summer. Project 2025 does not propose to make people register with any federal agency when they get pregnant. Project 2025 is firmly anti-abortion; it proposes, among other things, to criminalize the mailing of abortion medication and devices. In fact, Vance made the comment before Project 2025 was even created.

Persons: Tim Walz, Sen, JD Vance, Ohio, Donald Trump ., Kamala Harris ’, Walz, Trump, “, ”, ” Walz, Roger Severino, ” –, Walz didn’t, –, Vance, Harris Organizations: Washington CNN, Minnesota Gov, Democratic, Republican, Heritage Foundation, Trump, for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Department of Health, Human Services, United States Agency, International Development’s, Gender, “, Women, USAID, ” CNN, Federal, Biden Locations: North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Raleigh , North Carolina

☆ Thailand’s king signs same-sex marriage into law
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Story Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

AP —Thailand’s landmark marriage equality bill was officially written into law Tuesday, allowing same-sex couples to legally wed. The law was published in the Royal Gazette after endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and will come into effect in 120 days. This means LGBTQ+ couples will be able to register their marriage in January next year, making Thailand the third place in Asia, after Taiwan and Nepal, to allow same-sex marriage. Thailand has a reputation for acceptance and inclusivity but struggled for decades to pass a marriage equality law. Bangkok Deputy Governor Sanon Wangsrangboon said last week that the city officials will be ready to register same-sex marriages as soon as the law gets enacted.

Persons: King Maha Vajiralongkorn, “, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Sanon Wangsrangboon Organizations: Royal Gazette, Senate, ”, Bangkok Pride, Facebook Locations: Thailand, Asia, Taiwan, Nepal, LoveWins, Bangkok

☆ Bloomberg's chief economist shares why there's a 70% chance the US economy is recession-bound — and warns a stock-market sell-off could sink consumer spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThere's a 70% chance the US economy is either in a recession or headed toward one in the months ahead, according to Bloomberg Economics Chief US Economist Anna Wong. The one that stands out most to Wong is the much-talked-about sustained rise in the unemployment rate. "Initially, in all the recessions, this is how the unemployment rate tends to rise," she said. Another key metric economists watch to judge whether the economy is in recession is consumer spending, which makes up around two-thirds of GDP in the US. LendingTreeWong believes wealthier Americans are spending due to the wealth effect, where high asset prices boost consumer confidence and fuel spending.

Persons: —, Anna Wong, Wong, Louis Fed, Louis Fed Wong, LendingTree Wong Organizations: Service, Bloomberg Economics, Business, Fed Locations: St

Two reports released Monday provide a mixed but compelling outlook on the wave of book removals and challenges as the annual Banned Books Week begins for schools, stores and libraries nationwide. The ALA attributed the decline in book challenges in the first eight months of 2024, in part, to the work of anti-censorship activists and “success in courts” against laws that restrict book access. “But, you know, the First Amendment protects the rights of minors as well.”While the ALA’s report shows signs of book challenges abating, objections to certain titles still persist. Like the ALA, PEN said a large portion of the books targeted have racial or LGBTQ themes. It is supported by the ALA, PEN, the Authors Guild, the National Book Foundation and more than a dozen other organizations.

Persons: “, ” Deborah Caldwell, Stone, ” Caldwell, Toni Morrison’s “, Maia Kobabe’s, George M, shouldn’t, abating, Judy Blume, Margaret Atwood, ”, Kasey Meehan Organizations: American Library Association, PEN, Intellectual, Labor, ALA, “, NBC, New College of Florida, Utah State Board of Education, Read, Book Foundation Locations: PEN America, Florida and Iowa, United States, Nassau County , Florida, Utah, Florida

☆ Britain's finance minister calls for spending discipline but no return to austerity
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves speaks on the second day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, north-west England, on September 23, 2024. Liverpool, ENGLAND — U.K. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves vowed on Monday that Britain will not return to austerity, but said she would make hard choices as she lays out budget proposals next month. "It will be a budget with real ambition ... a budget to deliver the change we promised. A budget to rebuild Britain," she told a crowd of Labour party delegates Monday. Reeves has suggested that taxes are likely to rise at her upcoming Oct. 30 Autumn budget after discovering a £22 billion ($29 billion) "black hole" in the public finances.

Persons: Rachel Reeves, heckles, Keir Starmer, Reeves, Jeremy Hunt Organizations: Labour Party, Finance, Labour, Conservative Party, Conservatives Locations: Liverpool, England, ENGLAND, Britain

The payment was listed as a “speaking engagement.”Trump’s latest disclosure form said Melania Trump was paid by the Log Cabin Republicans for the April fundraiser. The source told CNN that Ric Grenell, former ambassador to Germany and a Trump ally, was the one who made the request on behalf of Melania Trump. One person close to Melania Trump said she has decided “my best and highest use is where I am,” adding that “she’s a priceless, timeless asset” for Donald Trump. A spokesperson for Melania Trump declined to comment in response to CNN’s questions. Melania Trump is not the only Trump family member to get paid while in the political spotlight.

Persons: Washington CNN — Melania Trump, she’s, Donald Trump’s, ”, Melania Trump, Charles Moran, Ric Grenell, Trump, Grenell, Virginia Canter, Canter, “, it’s, Donald Trump, John Paulson, “ She’s, ’ ”, Stephanie Grisham, ” Grisham, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump’s, Donald Trump Jr, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe, Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hunter Biden, CNN’s Fredreka Schouten Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Melania, Trump, Republican National Convention, Trump White House, House, White, Secret, Capitol, ”, Politico Locations: Germany, Florida, California, Palm Beach , Florida, Palm Beach, Butler , Pennsylvania, Manhattan

☆ UK Finance Minister Reeves vows no austerity despite tough budget
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Britain's Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has pledged to make the "necessary", "urgent" and "incredibly tough" choices to restore the country's economic stability. Finance minister Rachel Reeves will promise Britain on Monday there will be no return to "austerity" or widespread spending cuts despite previous warnings of a tough budget aimed at fixing the foundations of the economy. "There will be no return to austerity. Conservative austerity was a destructive choice for our public services - and for investment and growth too," Reeves will say, according to extracts from her speech. "We must deal with the Tory (Conservative) legacy and that means tough decisions.

Persons: Rachel Reeves, Reeves Organizations: Britain's, Labour, Labour Party, Tory Locations: English, Liverpool

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