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☆ Justice Department accuses Visa of debit network monopoly that affects price of ‘nearly everything’
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday sued Visa, the world’s biggest payments network, saying it propped up an illegal monopoly over debit payments by imposing “exclusionary” agreements on partners and smothering upstart firms. “Merchants and banks pass along those costs to consumers, either by raising prices or reducing quality or service,” Garland said. They are essentially toll collectors, shuffling payments between the merchants’ banks and cardholders. ″Visa wields its dominance, enormous scale, and centrality to the debit ecosystem to impose a web of exclusionary agreements on merchants and banks,” the DOJ said in its release. “These agreements penalize Visa’s customers who route transactions to a different debit network or alternative payment system.”This is a developing story.

Persons: monopolization, “, General Merrick Garland, ” Garland Organizations: U.S . Justice, Visa, DOJ, “, MasterCard, fintech, Plaid, Mastercard Locations: New York, U.S

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans may have an undiagnosed iron deficiency, a problem that can lead to fatigue, brain fog and difficulty concentrating, a new study suggests. An analysis of data from more than 8,000 adults in the U.S. revealed that 14% had low iron blood levels, a condition known as absolute iron deficiency, while 15% had the right iron levels but their bodies couldn’t use the essential mineral properly, known as functional iron deficiency, according to the report published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open. Doctors don’t typically screen adults for iron deficiency, which is why the condition has been overlooked in many people. There had been hints in other studies suggesting iron deficiency might be more widespread than doctors assume. The rates of iron deficiency between men and women are more similar after the age of menopause, experts said.

Persons: don’t, ”, Leo Buckley, “, Dr, Andrew Eisenberger, Eisenberger, ” Eisenberger, Brigham, Buckley, Johanna Contreras, Hossein Ardehali, Ardehali Organizations: Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Women’s, National Health, Renal Research Institute, Molecular Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Research Locations: U.S, Boston, Sinai, New York City

☆ Ryan Murphy defends Menendez brothers Netflix series after Erik Menendez blasts it as 'blatant lies'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” is defending the new Netflix series after it was harshly criticized by one of the brothers. Erik Menendez slammed the series, released Sept. 19 on Netflix, as "blatant lies" and called the portrayal of his brother Lyle "ruinous" in a statement from prison released by his wife. Brothers Joseph “Lyle” Menendez, now 56, and Erik Menendez, now 53, were convicted in their parents' murders in 1996 after two trials, and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Ryan Murphy on Monday responded to the backlash from Erik Menendez, telling E! In his Sept. 19 statement, Erik Menendez said: “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.

Persons: Ryan Murphy, Lyle, Erik Menendez, ”, Jose, Kitty Menendez, Brothers Joseph “ Lyle ” Menendez, hasn’t, Cooper Koch, ” Murphy, Jeffrey Dahmer, “, who’s, that’s, ” Erik Menendez, Lyle Menendez, Vince Bucci, Erik, he's, “ I’m, ‘, ’ ” Organizations: Netflix, Beverly Hills, Getty, Prosecutors Locations: Beverly, California, Los Angeles, AFP

Propagandists in China, Iran and Russia are using artificial intelligence to create content designed to deceive Americans ahead of the November presidential election, federal intelligence officials said Monday. In a conference call about foreign election interference efforts organized by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, officials said the U.S. intelligence community has concluded that AI has made it easier to create disinformation, but has not fundamentally changed the way those actors operate. “The IC considers AI a malign influence accelerant, not yet a revolutionary influence tool. In other words, information operations are the threat, and AI is an enabler,” said one ODNI official, referring to the U.S. intelligence community. Russia has a much more sophisticated understanding of American politics than Iran, the intelligence official said Monday.

Persons: ”, OpenAI, Trump’s, Trump, Donald Trump’s Organizations: National Intelligence, Western, National Security Agency, NSA, Microsoft, Clemson University, Trump, Democratic, Federal, Republican Locations: China, Iran, Russia, U.S, Ukraine

SHENZHEN, China — Chinese vendor Yin Xinwei sometimes makes close to $1,400 a day selling low-priced pill boxes, barbecue spits and other items to U.S. online consumers. Each year hundreds of millions of packages, mostly from Chinese platforms, are sent directly to American consumers eager to take advantage of rock-bottom prices on clothing, electronics and other products. That could mean painful times ahead for the Chinese sellers that supply the platforms — and higher prices for American consumers. Chinese state media has criticized the proposal as protectionist and say it will hurt American consumers. Yin used to sell to Chinese consumers but has given up his domestic business to focus entirely on the overseas market.

Persons: Yin, ”, ” Yin, David Townsend, Dorsey, Trump, Biden, ” Townsend, Temu, “, Jacky Lu, Shein, Eunice Yoon, Jennifer Jett Organizations: CNBC, Whitney, PDD Holdings, White, U.S . Customs, U.S Locations: SHENZHEN, China, Shenzhen, United States, U.S, Singapore, Boston, Hong Kong, Europe, “

Three EPA whistleblowers told ProPublica on Thursday that their complaints were the subject of the reports (which redact employee names). After endorsing Trump, Kennedy wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the U.S. could “revisit pesticide and other chemical-use standards” if Trump wins. “The EPA was sort of paralyzed under the Trump administration,” she said. It’s not yet clear what Kennedy’s role might be in a potential Trump administration, or which decisions he’d help to make as part of the transition team. Even with Kennedy’s ties to Trump, Gartner said she would expect the EPA under a second Trump administration to act similarly to the first one.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump, Kennedy, Trump, ”, Maria, Sean O’Donnell, ProPublica, Remmington Belford, “, Kennedy —, Tucker Carlson, ” Karoline Leavitt, ” Kennedy, Sharon Lerner, Lerner, Michal Freedhoff, , Freedhoff, Biden, Karen McCormack, McCormack, Trump’s, —, Eve Gartner, Danielle Alvarez, It’s, Carlson, Steven Cheung, Gartner Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, NBC News, Trump, EPA, Chemical Control, Environmental Defense Fund, EPA’s, Trump ., RFK Jr, RFK, European Union, The, of Chemical Safety, Toxic, Federal, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control Locations: U.S, Milwaukee, ”

☆ Consumer confidence fell more than expected this month
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Jeff Cox | Jeff Cox Is A Finance Editor With Cnbc.Com Where He Covers All Aspects Of The Markets | Monitors Coverage Of The Financial Markets | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The board’s Consumer Confidence Index slid to 98.7, down from 105.6 in August, the biggest one-month decline since August 2021. By contrast, the index had a reading of 132.6 in February 2020, a month before the Covid pandemic hit. Each of the five components the organization samples fared worse on the month, with the biggest fall coming among those aged 35-54 and earning less than $50,000. “Consumers’ assessments of current business conditions turned negative while views of the current labor market situation softened further. Consumers were also more pessimistic about future labor market conditions and less positive about future business conditions and future income,” said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board.

Persons: Dow, ”, Dana Peterson, Stocks, ” Peterson Organizations: Conference Board, Treasury, Federal Reserve

☆ Trump's 10% credit card interest cap could hurt borrowers, experts say: 'Access to credit would dry up'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Annie Nova | Annie Nova Is A Reporter On The Personal Finance Team | Covering Education. Prior To Cnbc | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

A national interest rate cap requires CongressUnder current federal law, nationwide limits on credit card interest rates are scarce, consumer advocates say. Likewise, federal credit unions are typically restricted to an 18% interest rate on their credit cards. “A president cannot set a cap on credit card interest rates,” said Rust. A 10% interest rate cap could backfireFinancial experts on both sides of the debate expressed concerns that a 10% interest rate cap could backfire on consumers in various ways. “Otherwise, it is a game of whack-a-mole.”In 2022, credit card issuers charged $14 billion in late fees, he noted.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Kamala Harris, It’s, Trump’s, Ted Rossman, ” Rossman, Karoline Leavitt, ” Harris hasn’t, Biden, Adam Rust, Rust, “, ” Rust, Lauren Saunders, Nicholas Anthony, they’re, ” Anthony, Rossman, Saunders, “ Banks Organizations: Social Security, Republican, Democratic, Federal, Bankrate, CNBC, Consumer Financial, Consumer Federation of America, Bank Act, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Financial Protection, National Consumer Law, Cato Institute’s Center, Monetary, Bureau, U.S . Chamber of Commerce Locations: New York, South Dakota, Delaware, Utah, U.S, Bankrate

A hurricane watch and warnings of storm surges up to 15 feet high were issued Tuesday for almost all of Florida's western coastline as a potential tropical storm moves across the Caribbean Sea and towards the Gulf Coast. The hurricane watch extends from Indian Pass in north-west Florida near Panama City, down to Englewood, and includes Tampa Bay. Hurricane and tropical storm watches are now in effect for the entire western coast of the Sunshine State. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible, and is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated onslaught of tropical-storm-force winds and conditions. Outside of the U.S., a hurricane watch is also in effect for parts of eastern Mexico from Cabo Catoche to Tulum and Pinar del Río in Cuba.

Persons: Helene, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Floridians, Beryl, Debby, Francine Organizations: Grand Cayman, National Hurricane Center, NHC, Sunshine State, Lower, Florida Gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Guard, Florida State Guard, Atmospheric Administration, Climate Central, Northern, Florida Climate Center Locations: Gulf Coast, Florida, Panama City, Englewood, Tampa, Grand, Mexico, Flamingo, Walton, Bay, Bonita Beach, Lower Florida Keys, U.S, Cabo Catoche, Tulum, Pinar del Río, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Tallahassee, Gulfport, Henrico County, Bend, Caribbean, Northern Caribbean, Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Florida’s Big Bend, South Carolina, Louisiana

Russia's military is advancing on the battlefield in Ukraine, but at home the Kremlin appears to have suffered a number of fiery setbacks that are captured in new satellite imagery: A failed test of a new missile, and a wave of Ukrainian strikes that set ablaze arms depots deep inside the country. “I think that we are closer to the peace than we think,” Ukrainian Zelenskyy said in an interview with ABC News that aired Monday. We just have to be very strong, very strong,” he said. The Ukrainian military said Saturday it had recorded fire and detonation at the Oktyabrsky depot. The images show damage to rail lines and missile canisters at the site.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “, Zelenskyy, ” Organizations: ABC News, Maxar Technologies Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Russia's Kursk, United States, U.S, Colorado, Oktyabrsky, Tver

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been moved to a section of the New York City jail where convicted cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried is being held, sources confirm to NBC News. The area of the detention center is reserved for detainees who require special protection, three sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Combs, 54, was arrested last week and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal jail that has a notorious reputation for violence and poor care. Bankman-Fried, known as SBF, was convicted in November and was sentenced in March to 25 years in federal prison. Combs has not been convicted and has pleaded not guilty, but a federal judge on Sept. 17 ordered that he be held in jail pending trial.

Persons: Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman, Combs, Prosecutors Organizations: New, NBC News, Metropolitan Detention, MDC, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Alameda Research Locations: New York City, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Alameda

☆ Jus sanguinis - or ‘blood right’ - might entitle you to EU citizenship
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Some countries are fairly straightforward about their requirements for citizenship through jus sanguinis. Hungary offers citizenship based on jus sanguinis with some caveats, too. “When both of my parents got their Hungarian citizenship around four years ago, it made it easier for me to get it,” said Koszorus, 41, who received his Hungarian citizenship this summer, less than a year after he started the paperwork and application process. And a private Facebook group called Dual US-Italian Citizenship has more than 70,000 members and is among many other resources available to people who think they might have a blood right path to Italian citizenship. Florida-based travel writer Terry Ward lives in Tampa and has the blood right to Italian citizenship through her paternal great-great-grandfather.

Persons: Lisa Wixon, jus solis, she’d, ”, Wixon, ’ ”, Sophie Jo Wasson, Fragomen, Czechia, Wasson, Frans Sellies, “, ” Wasson, Franco, Ferenc G, Koszorus, Koszorus That’s, Marco Permunian, Vittorio Emanuele II, Marco Bottigelli, Permunian, Janna Graber, ” Graber, Graber, Richard Orbidans, Orbidans, Drew Angerer, won’t, Terry Ward Organizations: CNN, New, European Union, “, Croatian, Getty, Irish, Department of Foreign Affairs, Nazi, First Armored Division, Citizenship Assistance, Vittorio, ICA, Facebook, Go, Latvian, Baltic, Visitors, Ellis, National Museum of Immigration Locations: New York City, United States, Rijeka, Croatia, Europe, Ireland, France, London, Italy, Spain, Austria, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Moher, Northern Ireland, Germany, Austrian, Spanish, American, Washington, DC, Hungarian, Nazi, West Germany, Milan, Italian, Baltic, Colorado, Riga, Latvia, Lithuanian, Lithuania, Ellis, European, Florida, Tampa

☆ Fed Governor Bowman explains dissent on rate vote, says she’s worried about inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Jeff Cox | Jeff Cox Is A Finance Editor With Cnbc.Com Where He Covers All Aspects Of The Markets | Monitors Coverage Of The Financial Markets | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said Tuesday she thought her colleagues should have taken a more measured approach to last week’s half percentage point interest rate cut as she worries that inflation could reignite. In explaining her rationale, Bowman said the half percentage point, or 50 basis point, reduction posed a number of risks to the Fed’s twin goals of achieving low inflation and full employment. Though Bowman favored a reduction, she preferred the Fed lower by a quarter percentage point, more in line with the traditional moves at the central bank. In recent statements, Fed officials have cited easing inflation and a softening labor market as justification for the cut. At last week’s meeting, individual policymakers indicated they expect another half percentage point in cuts this year and another full point in 2025.

Persons: Michelle Bowman, Bowman, ” Organizations: Federal Locations: Kentucky

After more than five decades at the forefront of United States foreign policy, President Joe Biden may have hoped to use his speech to over a hundred world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to burnish both his own legacy and the country’s leadership on the world stage. But an escalation in what was already a major crisis in the Middle East means the world will be listening for short-term solutions on top of capstone remarks on how his presidency will be regarded by history. Senior administration officials acknowledge that Biden, both in his remarks to the General Assembly and in engagements with world leaders, must confront that reality as Israel carries out extensive military strikes across Lebanon that so far have killed hundreds, including children, according to the Lebanese health ministry. But “peace efforts” – in the Middle East with concerns about a full-scale war breaking out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, on top of the conflict in Gaza, but also Ukraine – will take center stage, these officials say, highlighting the increasing instability that’s emerged in the last year. Read the full story.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, ” –, Ukraine – Organizations: United, United Nations General Assembly, General Locations: United States, New York, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine

☆ 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

☆ Israel steps up deadly Lebanon attacks and ExxonMobil sued over plastics recycling: Morning Rundown
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Elizabeth Robinson | Elizabeth Robinson Is A Newsletter Editor For Nbc News | Based In Los Angeles. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Israel’s military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate certain areas, spurring tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. The lawsuit alleges ExxonMobil misled consumers for decades, encouraging Americans to pursue a “throw-away lifestyle” and downplaying concerns about plastics’ ecological risks. Effort to change Nebraska’s electoral vote system blockedA Republican state senator’s opposition to a law changing how Nebraska allocates its electoral votes drew anger from former President Donald Trump. State Sen. Mike McDonnell wrote in a letter that he is opposed to changing Nebraska’s system — which awards electoral votes by congressional district — to a winner-take-all approach so close to Election Day. Under a winner-take-all model, Trump would be all but certain to win all of Nebraska’s electoral votes.

Persons: Fadel Itani, Israel, ”, Rob Bonta, “, Read, Donald Trump, Donald Trump . State Sen, Mike McDonnell, McDonnell, Trump, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Ryan Wesley Routh, Marcellus Williams, Felicia “ Lisha ” Gayle, Bill Anders, — Elizabeth Robinson, Elizabeth Robinson Organizations: ExxonMobil, Getty, International Organization for Migration, U.S . State Department, NBC News, Republican, Donald Trump . State, drugmaker Novo Nordisk, Service, Justice Department, Trump, National Hurricane Center, King, Gettysburg College, NASA, NBC, Walmart Locations: Lebanon . California, Lebanon, Israel, Beirut, AFP, California, Nebraska, Omaha, Florida, Trump’s, Lago, Butler , Pennsylvania, Missouri, Caribbean, Colorado, Boulder, Boulder ., Pennsylvania, Spain

President Joe Biden will address the United Nations General Assembly for the final time as commander in chief Tuesday morning amid the spiraling conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing global concerns about China’s influence. They are also Biden’s first remarks before the General Assembly since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October and the conflict that has ensued in Gaza, killing thousands of civilians. He’ll speak to the leaders of other nations as hope for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas has dimmed. As Israel continues its battle with Hamas, its conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah has also escalated in recent days. Other key speakers expected at the General Assembly include Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Israel, John Kirby, Biden, ” Kirby, Kirby, António Guterres, Masoud, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mahmoud Abbas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sabrina Singh, ’, Antony Blinken, “, ” Biden, Trump Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, White, Hamas, National Security, U.N, United Nations, General Assembly, Palestinian, Defense Department, Foreign Ministry, Congressional Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, New York, Sudan, United States, U.S, Mexico, Ukrainian, Wilmington , Delaware, Australia, India, Japan, China, Afghanistan

☆ Cats have more freedom than women in Afghanistan, Meryl Streep says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A female cat has more freedom in Afghanistan than a woman does, Hollywood actor Meryl Streep said at the United Nations on Monday in a bid to get world leaders to focus on the plight of Afghan women and girls. “The way that ... this society has been upended is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world,” Streep told an event on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to encourage the inclusion of women in the future of Afghanistan. The U.N. has sought a unified global approach to dealing with the Taliban, who have cracked down on women’s rights. Most girls have been barred from high school and women from universities by the Taliban. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, because the public parks have been closed to women and girls,” Streep said.

Persons: Meryl Streep, ” Streep, ”, ” U.N, Antonio Guterres Organizations: United Nations, General Assembly, Taliban, “ Locations: Afghanistan, Kabul

☆ Muğla: A beautiful but overlooked corner of the Mediterranean
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Richard Quest | Joe Minihane | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Situated in the destination’s stunning southwest, it’s a region that, beyond a few hot spot destinations like Bodrum, is sometimes overlooked by international visitors. An artist’s viewThe best place to start is the sunny seaside town of Göcek, located between Fethiye and Dalyan. ‘The good life’Tourists flock to Dalyan's mud baths to rejuvenate their skin. And that’s where Dalyan’s mud baths come in. The endless views, the blues of the sea and the whites of the beaches help make it a magnificent experience.

Persons: it’s, Dilara Akay, ” Akay, “, ”, Kenan Olgun, Kate Clow, Alexander the Great, Clow, shirk, ‘, Murad Sezer, Sergey Alimov, King Miletus, Byblis, Caunus, Ali Riza Akkir, I’ve, Ertas Organizations: CNN, Bodrum’s, Akay, “, Tourists, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, Getty Locations: Muğla Province, it’s, Turkey, Göcek, Fethiye, Muğla, Aegean, Egypt, Hammam, Antalya, Lycia, “ Turkey, France, Spain, ‘ Turkey, Rivers, Kaunos

Tens of thousands of people fled southern Lebanon on Tuesday as Israel intensified an aerial assault that inflicted the country's deadliest day since war nearly two decades ago, while Hezbollah launched a new barrage of cross-border fire. Nearly 500 people were killed in Lebanon on Monday, according to local health officials, marking the deadliest Israeli bombardment of the country since Israel's 34-day war with Hezbollah in 2006. Mahmoud Zayyat / AFP - Getty ImagesThe Israeli military had issued warnings for residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate certain areas, spurring thousands of people to flee their homes. Scenes of families fleeing southern Lebanon and of fiery explosions filling the skyline fueled global fears of an all-out regional conflict. However, in a briefing Monday, an Israeli military official said a halt in fire from Hezbollah would not be enough to end Israel’s strikes on Lebanon.

Persons: Fadel Itani, Mahmoud Zayyat, Josep Borrell, ”, EFE, Israel Organizations: Hezbollah, Getty Images, Getty, European Union, Reuters, Vehicles, Ibrahim Amro, Israel Defense Forces, Northern Arrows Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Beirut, AFP, Sidon, Monday, European, Ghazieh, Damour, Lebanese, Ibrahim, Gaza

☆ Canadian detained by China says he experienced psychological torture
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

OTTAWA, Ontario — A Canadian man detained by China for more than 1,000 days said he was put into solitary confinement for months and interrogated for up to nine hours every day, treatment he said amounted to psychological torture. Kovrig and fellow Canadian Michael Spavor were taken into custody in December 2018 shortly after Canadian police detained Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, on a U.S. warrant. Kovrig noted that U.N. guidelines say prisoners should not be put into solitary confinement for more than 15 days in a row. Kovrig said there was no daylight in the solitary cell, where the fluorescent lights were kept on 24 hours a day. “It’s a combination of solitary confinement, total isolation and relentless interrogation for six to nine hours every day,” he said.

Persons: Michael Kovrig, Michael Spavor, Meng Wanzhou, “, ” Kovrig, Spavor, Kovrig, ”, Meng, “ I’ll, ’ ” Organizations: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian, Huawei, U.S . Justice Department, Embassy, Ottawa Locations: OTTAWA, Ontario, China, Ottawa, rapeseed, Canada

☆ Harris leads Trump by almost 40 points among Asian American voters, a new poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The poll showed that 66% of Asian American voters plan on backing Harris, while 28% say they’ll be voting for Trump. It featured 1,105 Asian American registered voter respondents, and reported a margin of error of plus or minus 5.1 percentage points. Before Harris entered the race, 46% of Asian American voters said they would choose Biden. Meanwhile, 28% of Asian American voters have a favorable opinion of Donald Trump, slightly down from previous polling. Tim Walz was found to be favorable among 56% of Asian American voters, more than twice the percentage that found Republican Sen. JD Vance favorable.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, Joe Biden, Karthick Ramakrishnan, “ Harris, Biden, ” Ramakrishan, favorability, ” Ramakrishnan, “, ”, Ramakrishnan, Dobbs, Roe, Wade, Hillary Clinton’s, Tim Walz, Republican Sen, JD Vance, it’s Organizations: Trump, Asian American, Data, Pacific Islander American, Pew Research Center, National Opinion Research, Democratic Gov, American, Republican, NBC Asian Locations: America, U.S, NBC Asian America

☆ China central bank releases slate of support measures amid a deepening economic slump
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | Evelyn Cheng Is A Senior Correspondent With Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Lynn Song, chief economist for greater China ING, called the repo rate cut announcement “the most important” move made during the news conference. “If we see a large fiscal policy push as well, momentum could recover heading into the fourth quarter.”The headquarters of the People’s Bank of China in Beijing. During his first news conference as central bank governor in January, Pan said the PBOC would cut the reserve requirement ratio. Unlike the Fed’s focus on a main interest rate, the PBOC uses a variety of rates to manage monetary policy. Pan has indicated he would like the 7-day rate to become the main policy rate.

Persons: Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Lynn Song, ”, “, Jiang Qiming, ” Edmund Goh, Goldman Sachs, Li Yunze, Li, Nomura Organizations: People’s Bank of China Gov, China ING, “, U.S . Federal Reserve, People’s Bank of China, China News Service, Getty, Pan, National Financial Regulatory Administration Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, abrdn

The head of the committee, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has been vocal about his frustrations over how much Novo Nordisk charges Americans for both Ozempic (used to treat type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy (approved for weight loss). Mariam Zuhaib / AP“It is clear that Novo Nordisk is ripping off the American people,” Sanders told NBC News in June. In a statement Monday, Novo Nordisk defended its pricing structure. Novo Nordisk holds the patent on semaglutide, so other companies aren't able to make a generic version. That leaves Novo Nordisk — and ultimately Jørgensen — to answer questions about the price of its blockbuster drugs.

Persons: Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Jørgensen, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Mariam Zuhaib, ” Sanders, “, United States don’t, ” Organizations: Nordisk, Capitol, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions, NBC News, Novo Nordisk, Department of Health, Human Services, NBC, Novo Nordisk — Locations: Canada, Europe, United States, Germany, United Kingdom, U.S, Novo

Half of registered voters plan to vote early this fall, new figures from the September NBC News poll show, with Democrats continuing to run up the score among early voters and Republicans getting stronger backing from those who plan to vote in person on Election Day. It's a smaller lead among a slightly smaller share of the electorate than Harris has over those early voters. The massive political difference of early and Election Day voters is the latest evidence of a dramatic and enduring shift in the Trump years. And with that jump came a massive partisan difference — future President Joe Biden led among early voters by 26 points in the survey, while Trump led with Election Day voters by 29 points. But while the share of voters planning to vote early has dropped between the end of 2020 and now, the major partisan split remains.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Trump, Harris, Bill McInturff, Republican pollster, Jeff Horwitt, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden Organizations: NBC, Republicans, Republican, Hart Research Associates, Trump, Wall, Election

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