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☆ Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés dies at 79
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

“The culture in Cuba is in mourning for the death of Pablo Milanes,” Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz tweeted Monday night. Milanés and Rodríguez in particular became close, touring the world’s stages as cultural ambassadors for the Cuban Revolution, and bonding during boozy sessions. “If Silvio Rodríguez and I got together, the rum was always there,” Milanés told El Pais in 2003. Cuba’s aging leaders “are stuck in time,” Milanés told Spanish newspaper El Mundo. “These freedoms have been seen in small doses, and we hope that with time they will grow,” Milanés told The Associated Press.

It's impossible to name one single best credit card, given the wide range of benefits, rewards, and annual fees available. Best secured rewards card for building credit Intro Offer Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Best business credit card Intro Offer Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Read our review Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing rightBest secured rewards card for building credit Discover it® Secured Credit Card 5 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 5 out of 5 Stars Intro offer Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Show more Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR) 25.99% Variable Editor's Rating 5 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 5 out of 5 Stars Our editor's ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.

The best Bank of America credit card reviewsBank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards CardWhy the BofA Unlimited Cash Rewards card is worth it: The Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card is an excellent choice for straightforward flat-rate rewards on all purchases. You need good to excellent credit to qualify for the best Bank of America credit cards (most of the cards on this list) — meaning a FICO score of at least 670 (VantageScore of at least 700). Certain cards (such as the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card) require you to have excellent credit (FICO score of at least 800). You can request a credit line increase on eligible Bank of America credit cards when you sign into your Online Banking account, select your credit card, go to Account Summary, and click the "Request a credit line increase" link under Card Details. The best way to avoid paying interest on your Bank of America card (as with all credit cards) is by paying your credit on time and consistently.

☆ UPDATE Foreign holdings of Treasuries drop to lowest since May 2021 -data
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Offshore holdings dropped to $7.296 trillion, from $7.509 trillion in August. Foreign holdings in May last year were at $7.144 trillion. Japan's stash of Treasuries dropped to $1.120 trillion in September, from $1.199 trillion the previous month. Japan spent up to a record 2.8 trillion yen ($19.7 billion) intervening in the foreign exchange market in September to prop up the yen. In June, China's holdings slid to $967.8 billion, the lowest since May 2010 when it had $843.7 billion.

☆ Mortgage Rates Are High Because Nobody Is Buying Mortgages
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Ben Eisen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate topped 7% recently, further cooling a housing market that was red hot just a few months ago. Bank of America Corp. gobbled up hundreds of billions of dollars of mortgage bonds during the height of the pandemic. But with rates rising, its buying spree has ended. Banks have stepped back from buying mortgage bonds. So has the Federal Reserve, the largest investor in that market.

☆ Trump D.C. hotel receipts reveal $10,500-a-night rooms for foreign officials seeking to influence U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Anna_Byline.Jpg | Anna Schecter | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

For their part Qatari officials and connected companies spent at least $307,941 at the Trump hotel from late 2017 through mid-2018, according to the Oversight Committee’s findings. In the letter she requests presidential records from NARA that could be related to attempts by foreign governments and lobbyists working on their behalf to influence the Trump administration by spending money at the Trump Hotel. A spokesperson for the Malaysian Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the Oversight Committee, documents from Mazars show the Turkish Embassy sponsored two stays at the Trump hotel around the time of Erdoğan’s visit. The documentation obtained did not show how much the embassy spent at the hotel during either of these stays.

☆ Saudi defense officials rented suites at Trump's DC hotel that cost $10,500 right before MBS visited White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Officials from six countries spent over $750k at Trump's DC hotel in 2017 and 2018, documents show. The officials stayed at Trump's hotel amid rocky periods in relations between their countries and the US. Saudi officials spent nearly $86k in March 2018. The Saudi officials spent nearly $86,000 from March 7 to March 18, including renting several $10,500 suites. Prince Mohammed, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, was explicitly implicated in Khashoggi's killing by the US government.

☆ Trump D.C. hotel receipts reveal $10,500-a-night rooms for foreign officials seeking to influence U.S. policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Anna Schecter | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The Saudi revenues for the Trump hotel came during a period when Saudi Arabia and the UAE were lobbying the Trump administration to support them during their blockade against economic rival Qatar. In the letter she requests presidential records from NARA that could be related to attempts by foreign governments and lobbyists working on their behalf to influence the Trump administration by spending money at the Trump Hotel. The Malaysian expenditures at the Trump Hotel were the most extensive in a one-week period found by the Oversight Committee to date. A spokesperson for the Malaysian Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The documentation obtained did not show how much the embassy spent at the hotel during either of these stays.

☆ Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani will not face criminal charges in Ukraine foreign lobbying case, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will not face criminal charges in an investigation into whether he violated U.S. lobbying laws while doing business in Ukraine, federal prosecutors told a judge Monday. The grand jury was examining whether he violated the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, and his attempts to oust Marie Yovanovitch, the American ambassador there. Williams asked the judge in the same letter to terminate the appointment of former federal judge Barbara Jones as a special master, or watchdog, to review documents seized from Giuliani. Giuliani, along with Trump, still faces an ongoing criminal probe by a grand jury in Georgia, which is investigating interference in that state's presidential election in 2020. Giuliani's license to practice law in Washington, D.C., soon after was suspended automatically as a result of the New York suspension.

☆ The newly launched Citi AT&T Points Plus Card can earn you up to $240 in statement credits each year — but there's a $12,000 catch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Joseph Hostetler | Credit Cards Reporter | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The new Citi AT&T Points Plus card is worth a look if you're an AT&T customer. Citi; InsiderCiti has announced a new credit card: The AT&T Points Plus℠ Card .. Let's take a quick look at the AT&T Points Plus℠ Card to see if it fits your situation. Here's how it works:Set your AT&T Points Plus℠ Card as your autopayment method on your AT&T wireless bill. Transfer Citi ThankYou points to airline and hotel partnersAgain, this card earns Citi ThankYou points.

☆ Election denier loses race in Michigan; Arizona and Nevada not yet called
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Republican candidate for Michigan Secretary of State Kristina Karamo campaigns in Clinton Township, Michigan, U.S. November 4, 2022. Democratic President Joe Biden narrowly won Michigan, Arizona and Nevada in 2020 and Trump and his allies have falsely claimed that the results were fraudulent. As of Wednesday, States Action United said 13 election deniers had won a statewide role in election administration in 9 states, while 24 election deniers had lost races in 17 states. The races in Michigan, Arizona and Nevada are particularly important because they are key battleground states. Ahead of Tuesday's elections, Biden accused Trump of inspiring Republican election denier candidates and warned voters: "Democracy is on the ballot for all of us."

☆ Election deniers on ballot aim to run U.S. presidential vote in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

According to States United Action, election deniers are running for secretary of state in 13 states, including in the key swing states of Arizona, Michigan and Nevada. In Arizona, Republican secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem said he would not have certified Biden's 2020 victory in the state. He supported an audit of Arizona's election results and backed a bill that would give the state's Republican-controlled legislature the power to overturn election results. Republican candidate and former state assemblyman Jim Marchant opposed certification of Biden's win in the state in 2020. Ahead of Tuesday's elections, Biden accused Trump of inspiring Republican election denier candidates and warned voters: "Democracy is on the ballot for all of us."

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☆ In Russia, some hope U.S. midterms will mean less Ukraine aid and more chaos
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But for now, few in Moscow expect the bipartisan U.S. political consensus on Ukraine to crack, whatever the result of Tuesday's midterm elections. Nor do they expect Washington's support for Kyiv to dip significantly anytime soon. "However, the Biden administration will find it more difficult to push financial aid programmes to Kyiv through Congress, and the position of U.S. critics of unlimited aid to Ukraine will markedly strengthen." "Even if it survives as a single state, the United States will change dramatically and its global position will weaken under any circumstances," Akopov opined. "Without a strong and united (United) States the West will not be able to maintain control over western Russian lands for long."

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Barrack was also acquitted of obstruction of justice and making false statements to FBI agents in 2019 about his interactions with Emirati officials and their representatives. Barrack raised money for Trump during the 2016 campaign and chaired Trump's 2017 inaugural committee. Also receiving a pardon was Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign chairman, who had been found guilty in 2018 of financial wrongdoing and sentenced to 7-1/2 years in prison. During his testimony, Barrack told jurors he never agreed to be a UAE agent or asked Trump for a pardon. Barrack's lawyers acknowledged that he sometimes sought feedback from Emirati officials, but that any impact on U.S. policy or public opinion was insignificant.

☆ Jury weighs whether Trump ally Barrack was a foreign agent and lied about it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Tom Barrack watches jury selection in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S. September 19, 2022. Tom Barrack, a private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump is charged with acting as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government as required. Barrack, 75, is also accused of obstruction of justice and making false statements to FBI agents in 2019 about his interactions with Emirati officials and their representatives. Barrack testified in his own defense during the trial, telling jurors he never agreed to be a UAE agent. Sam Nitze, a prosecutor, countered in a rebuttal that Emirati officials were "thrilled" at Barrack's comments about the country and its leaders during television interviews.

☆ Jury begins deliberating in Trump ally Barrack's 'foreign agent' trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He argues that even when his interests aligned with the UAE's, he was acting on his own accord and not subject to Abu Dhabi's direction. Barrack's lawyers did not dispute that he had been in touch with Emirati officials and occasionally sought their feedback, but they said any impact on U.S. policy or public opinion was insignificant. Sam Nitze, a prosecutor, countered in a rebuttal that Emirati officials were "thrilled" at Barrack's comments about the country and its leaders during television interviews. He said the law was designed to make sure the U.S. government knew when someone was acting as a "mouthpiece" for a foreign government. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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☆ Trump ally Barrack traded access for UAE money, prosecutors say as trial nears end
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, exits the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., October 3, 2022. Abu Dhabi then invested $374 million from its sovereign wealth funds with Barrack, prosecutors say. "Mr. Barrack traded his political access for a long-term relationship with top UAE officials ... who controlled vast oil wealth," Ryan Harris, an assistant U.S. attorney, told jurors on Tuesday. Barrack himself took the stand last week, testifying that he never agreed to act at Abu Dhabi's direction or control. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Leidos Discloses Subpoenas Amid Antitrust, Bribery Probes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

Leidos Holdings Inc., an information-technology and engineering services firm, received dual subpoenas in recent months in connection with criminal investigations into potential foreign bribery and antitrust violations. The Reston, Va.-based company was served with a grand jury subpoena in August related to an investigation by the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Leidos said Tuesday. The probe is the second ongoing criminal investigation disclosed by Leidos this year. The FCPA probe was first disclosed by the company in a securities filing earlier this year. At the time, Leidos said it was conducting an internal investigation into activities within its international operations that it discovered in late 2021.

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