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In Florida, Senate Bill 254, enacted in May, banned gender-affirming care for minors but also created less-noticed barriers for adult care. The state laws largely intervene to stop gender-affirming medical care around adolescence: treatments such as puberty blockers, hormones and later, in rare cases, surgery. Medical consensus favors gender-affirming care as essential and sometimes life-saving, after careful consideration by multiple providers. But he also said gender-affirming medical treatments were extreme. Colorado has not enacted restrictions on gender-affirming care.

Persons: Marci Bowers, Jesse Ehrenfeld, you've, Bill, Rylee Brock, Gary Click, Boston Children's, Thomas Satterwhite, Satterwhite, Joseph Knoll, Syvonne Carter, Daniel Trotta, Donna Bryson, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: World Professional Association for Transgender Health, American Medical Association, Endocrine Society, American Academy of Pediatrics, Ohio House, FBI, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Boston Children's Hospital, Multispecialty, Boston, Reuters, Fenway Institute, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Colorado Children's Hospital, Colorado, Spektrum, 26Health, Thomson Locations: Massachusetts, United States, Florida, Champaign , Illinois, Omaha, Nebraska, Ohio, Boston, Texas, Colorado, Colorado , Illinois, New York, California, San Francisco, Orlando, Melbourne, Plume

☆ Japan set to release Fukushima water amid criticism, seafood import bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Japan has maintained that the water release is safe. "Being told something is scientifically safe and feeling reassured are two different things... Proof that the water release is scientifically safe may not remove reputational damage," he said. The water will initially be released in smaller portions and with extra checks, with the first discharge totalling 7,800 cubic metres over about 17 days, Fukushima power plant operator Tepco (9501.T) said on Tuesday.

Persons: Wang Wenbin, Japan's, Yoon Suk, John Lee, Masanobu Sakamoto, Sakura Murakami, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Hong, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative, World Health, Tepco, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Tokyo, Fukushima

☆ Conservative activist sues major law firms for providing diversity fellowships
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington, DC CNN —The conservative activist behind the Supreme Court case that struck down affirmative action in college admissions this year is suing two international law firms for providing diversity fellowships. Corporate diversity programs have come under fire lately from conservative politicians and activists. The group has also sued Target for allegedly destroying shareholder value through its Pride-themed clothing, and it has sued Kellogg for diversity programs. Yet studies have shown that DEI programs and initiatives have demonstrated cultural and economic benefits. Affirmative action and diversity program advocates fear that conservative action against those programs could block career opportunities for people of color.

Persons: Perkins Coie, Morrison, Foerster, Perkins, ”, “, ” Morrison, White, Edward Blum, Blum, Trump, Stephen Miller, Kellogg, Ron DeSantis Organizations: DC CNN, American Alliance for Equal Rights, CNN, Apple, Google, Starbucks, Procter, Gamble, American Medical Association, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census, Harvard College, University of North, Legal, National Center for Public, Research, Conservative, America, Legal Foundation, Amazon, Florida Gov Locations: Washington, Dallas, Miami, University of North Carolina, Spokane , Washington, Texas, Florida

☆ Fact check: The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —Eight candidates for the Republican nomination for president took the stage for the first GOP debate Wednesday night in Milwaukee. (In June 2020, he announced a plan for schools to reopen for the next school year that began in August. In April 2020, the unemployment rate spiked to 14.7% — the highest level since monthly records began in 1948. It reached a 66-year low during certain months of 2019, at 3.4% in April and 3.6% in August, but by December 2020, unemployment for women was at 6.7%. That deal was negotiated by special counsel David Weiss, who was first appointed to the Justice Department by former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Daniel Dale Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, “ Donald Trump, Trump, Daniel Dale, Katie Lobosco Burgum, Doug Burgum, –, Goldman Sachs, Ella Nilsen Tim Scott, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Biden, ” Scott, Scott’s, don’t, Tara Subramaniam Scott, ’ Scott, Joe Biden, they’re, Kevin McCarthy, Merrick Garland, ”, Garland, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Haley, Haley, CNN’s Haley Britzky Pence, Mike Pence, “, Obama, CNN’s Haley Britzky Christie, Hunter Biden, Chris Christie, Biden’s son Hunter Biden, Christie, David Weiss, Donald Trump, CNN’s Marshall Cohen Scott, Burgum, Scott, Katie Lobosco Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, “, New, New York Tri, State, Trump, South, United Nations, Social Security, Dakota Gov, American Clean, Republicans, DOJ, Justice Department, National School, Department, Defense Department, of Foreign Relations, Former New Jersey Gov, US, IRS, Treasury Locations: Milwaukee, Florida, Broward, Palm, New York, Connecticut , New Jersey, Louisiana, South Carolina, China, United States, Covid, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland

☆ Explainer: The Fukushima water release plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Water containing tritium is routinely released from nuclear plants around the world, and regulatory authorities support dealing with the Fukushima water in this way. When ingested at levels above those in the released water it can raise cancer risks, a Scientific American article said in 2014. SAFETYJapan and scientific organisations say the released water is safe, but environmental activists argue that all the possible impacts have not been studied. The latest import restrictions were imposed in July after the IAEA approved Japan's plans to discharge the treated water.

Persons: Masanobu Sakamoto, Katya Golubkova Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Tanks, Electric Power Company, Tepco, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Greenpeace, World Health Organization, South, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Fukushima, China

For Japan, it is as much a political problem as it is an engineering or environmental one. Despite the determination by the international agency that it was safe to release the water, opponents at home and in neighboring countries have questioned both the government and the agency’s motives. When Japan’s cabinet approved the treated-water plan in 2021, it described the controlled ocean release as the best available disposal option. Although it has been a dozen years since the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl forced tens of thousands of people to flee the area around the ruined Fukushima plant, the cleanup is still in an early phase. The government says the water release is likely to take place over a period of 30 years.

Organizations: Communist Party, ”, Tokyo Locations: Japan, China, South Korea, Fukushima

☆ Hidden investors took over Corizon Health, a leading prison healthcare company. Then they deployed the Texas Two-Step.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Nicole Einbinder | Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +63 min

The nurse practitioner on duty that day was employed by Corizon Health, Inc., one of the nation's largest private prison healthcare providers. Under federal law, a bankruptcy judge may respond to evidence of self-dealing or perjury by appointing a trustee to take control of the bankrupt company, bankruptcy experts told Insider. Just six months before the Garcia family was scheduled to have their day in court, Corizon filed for bankruptcy. "The Corizon bankruptcy is presently in a court ordered mediation, and we are seeking a global resolution for all the parties involved." Goldberger's attorney, Joseph Haspel, responded to queries with a statement saying that "Mr. Goldberger is a passive investor" in Corizon, Tehum, YesCare, Perigrove, and Perigrove 1018.

Persons: Hector Garcia, Garcia, wriggling, Adria Malcom, Corizon, Bryan Baker, —, Doña Ana, Corizon ., Garcia's, Daniel Jimenez, Gina Macias, Belen Lowery, Hector Garcia , Jr, it's, Johnson, Tehum, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, I've, Isaac Lefkowitz, James Hyman, YesCare, Lefkowitz, Ian Cross, Lynn LoPucki, Tracey Grissom, William Kelly, Kelly, Hector Garcia Jr, Hector Jr, Ricky, he'd, Hector Garcia's, Ana County , New Mexico Hector Jr, Matt Coyte, Coyte, Hyman, didn't, Sara Tirschwell, Kholood, Tirschwell, Jason S, Ana County, Nick Tomecek, Christopher Atkinson, Wendy McGee, McGee, Stephanie Kiger, Anita Skipper, Atkinson, He's, Simche Steinberger, England, Steinberger's, Steinberger, Michael Flacks, Sylvia Jarrus, Cross, he's, David Gefner, Abraham Goldberger, Gefner, Perigrove, Terrence A, they'd, Oved, Goldberger, CHS Dana Anna, Flacks, Moneyman, Joel Landau, Joseph Haspel, Haspel, Andrew Levander, Landau, James Hyman's, It's, Genesis, David Harrington, Bill de Blasio, there'd, Hindenburg, David Paterson, Mark Roe, availing, Dick Durbin, Gefner . Lefkowitz, Tirschwell —, Davidson Kempner, Tim Hunter, Tirschwell's, catastrophically, Tirschwell's playbook, Jeff Sholey, Sholey, Steven Storch, Daniel's Organizations: Detention, Insider, Corizon Health, Inc, Housing, University of Missouri Health Care, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, Senate Banking Committee, Court, Middle, University of Florida, Alabama, futon, Health Services, New, Arizona, BlueMountain Capital Management, Flacks, Revenue, Corizon, New York Times, Tehum Care Services, CHS, YesCare Holdings, Okaloosa, Wyoming Department of Corrections, University of West, YesCare, Public, Alabama Department of Corrections, . Alabama Department of Corrections, Tehum, US, University of Missouri, LinkedIn, Flacks Group, Consulate Health Care, Justice Department, YesCare Corp, United Staffing Solutions, Charlotte, CHS Okaloosa, United, Solutions, Pharmacorr, Trade Center, Securities and Exchange Commission, Hindenburg Research, Alabama Department, Corrections, Geneva Consulting, Genesis Healthcare, Trade, Geneva, New York Stock Exchange, Pinta Capital Partners, The, Pinta Capital, New York Gov, Staffing Solutions, DG Realty, Harvard Law School, ACLU, Public Justice, Lawyers, Seven Trade, World Trade, Gefner, Southern, Southern District of Texas, The Alabama Department of Corrections, Southern Poverty Law Center, Medicare, Services, Quest Turnaround Advisors, New York City, Republican, city's Campaign Finance, CFB, Campaign Finance, Finance Locations: Ana, Las Cruces , New Mexico, facility's, Doña, Jimenez's, Las Cruces, Houston, New, Rockland County, Texas, Middle District, Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia, New York, Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico, Ana County , New Mexico, Corizon, Florida, New York City, A, York, Nashville, Missouri, Brentwood , Tennessee, Delaware, Okaloosa, Florida's panhandle, Okaloosa County, Okaloosa County , Florida, University of West Florida, YesCare, Wyoming, Shawnee County , Kansas, Bernalillo County , New Mexico, Tehum, Perigrove, Suffern, Brooklyn, America, Manhattan, Suffern , New York, Geneva, nonpayment, United States, Rivington, Alabama, Southern District, Wexford, Maine, Corizon's Texas, Mexico, Tirschwell's, YesCare Corp

☆ Ecuador election: assassinations cast a grim shadow as country selects a new president
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Nearly 100,000 troops will be dispatched to ensure public safety and order across Ecuador on election day, Ecuador’s government says. Friends, family members and supporters of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio attend a tribute at Quito Exhibition Center. Henry Romero/ReutersEverything to play forAnything could happen in Sunday’s presidential vote, say analysts, who point to the killing of Villavicencio as potentially changing voters’ preferences. Journalist and presidential candidate Christian Zurita gestures next to his running mate, vice presidential candidate Andrea Gonzalez (R), in Quito on August 13, 2023. Ecuador presidential candidate Yaku Perez looks on as he arrives to participate in a presidential debate, in Quito, Ecuador August 13, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Fernando Villavicencio, Otto Sonnenholzner, Guillermo Lasso, Henry Romero, ”, Laura Lizarazo, “, Glaeldys González, …, Pedro Briones, Luisa González, Rafael Correa, Lizarazo, Rodrigo Buendia, Correa, González, Villavicencio, Christian Zurita, Andrea Gonzalez, Martin Bernetti, Moreno, Erika Paredes, Marcos Pin, ” Lizarazo, Yaku, Yaku Perez, Karen Toro, El, Nayib Bukele –, Bukele, Jan, Vicente Gaibor del Pino Organizations: CNN, Quito Exhibition Center, Reuters, ”, Crisis, Movimiento, Getty, CNN En, Construye’s, Alianza Actuemos Locations: Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, United States, Guayaquil, Esmeraldas province, Quito, AFP, Belgium, Samborondon

☆ Grindr has a reputation for its hookup culture, but the company says a quarter of its users are there to network. The CEO says he even hired people through the app.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One of the first associations with Grindr, an LGBTQ+ dating app, that comes to mind for Omar Alexis is hookups. Grindr told Insider about 25% of its users reported using the app to network, despite the reputation for instant hookups associated with the company since the early years of its founding. "According to data from a survey of Grindr users, approximately 25% of our users say that one of their key activities on Grindr is to network," a company spokesperson wrote in an email to Insider. But Alexis told Insider that he felt many people didn't know exactly what to use that filter for. Alexis told Insider that he was able to find a fitness mentor and a freelance opportunity when he was on the app.

Persons: Grindr, Omar Alexis, hookups, Alexis, George Arison, Arison, I've Organizations: Morning, Wall Street Journal Locations: LA

Used boxes of Mifepristone, the first pill in a medical abortion, line a trash can at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. Circuit Court of Appeals stopped short of ruling that the drug must be pulled off the market altogether, as a lower court had done. The three-judge 5th Circuit panel was reviewing an order in April by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas. They contend the FDA used an improper process when it approved mifepristone in 2000 and did not adequately consider the drug's safety when used by minors. The court also reversed the agency's 2016 decision to allow mifepristone to be used up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, up from seven.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Kacsmaryk, Erin Hawley, William Ho, mifepristone, telemedicine, Jennifer Walker Elrod, Wade, Brendan Pierson, Nate Raymond, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Alamo Women's, REUTERS, Circuit, U.S, Supreme, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, White, Alliance, Hippocratic Medicine, FDA, Alliance Defending, STATES, Guttmacher Institute, American College of Obstetricians, American Medical Association, Thomson Locations: Alamo, Carbondale , Illinois, U.S, New Orleans, Amarillo , Texas, New York, Boston

Boxes of Mifepristone, the first pill in a medical abortion, are seen at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. Circuit Court of Appeals means for doctors and patients:CAN PATIENTS STILL GET THE ABORTION PILL? WHAT IS MEDICATION ABORTION? Medication abortion is a two-drug regimen consisting of mifepristone followed by misoprostol used to terminate a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks. If the ruling is upheld, doctors could still prescribe the abortion pill, but with restrictions.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, mifepristone, misoprostol, Wade, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Danco, GenBioPro, Brendan Pierson, Noeleen Walder, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Alamo Women's, REUTERS, New, Circuit, U.S, Supreme, Danco Laboratories, FDA, Hippocratic Medicine, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, District, Thomson Locations: Carbondale , Illinois, U.S, New Orleans, United States, Texas, Amarillo , Texas

Circuit Court of Appeals stopped short of ruling that the drug must be pulled off the market altogether, as a lower court had done. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said that the Biden administration will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, supports abortion rights and last year ordered the federal health agency to expand access to mifepristone. [1/2]Used boxes of Mifepristone, the first pill in a medical abortion, line a trash can at Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, U.S., April 20, 2023. The U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Kacsmaryk, Erin Hawley, Susan B, Anthony Pro, Alexis McGill Johnson, Evan Masingill, Evelyn Hockstein, James Ho, mifepristone, telemedicine, Jennifer Walker Elrod, Wade, Brendan Pierson, Patrick Wingrove, Nate Raymond, Sharon Bernstein, Trevor Hunnicutt, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Circuit, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S, Supreme, Alliance, Hippocratic Medicine, FDA, Alliance Defending, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, U.S . Food, Alamo Women's, REUTERS, Guttmacher Institute, American College of Obstetricians, American Medical Association, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, New Orleans, Amarillo , Texas, Alamo, Carbondale , Illinois, New York, Boston, Sacramento , California, Washington

☆ Biden administration asks Supreme Court to hear cases on state social media laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington, DC CNN —The Biden administration urged the Supreme Court on Monday to take up multiple cases involving state laws that restrict social media companies’ moderation of their own platforms, arguing the laws violate the First Amendment rights of companies such as Meta and Twitter. Should the court agree to hear the cases involving laws passed by Texas and Florida, the outcome could reshape what Americans nationwide can see on digital social platforms. Monday’s filing comes after the Supreme Court in January had asked the US Solicitor General to weigh in on the matter, postponing a decision on whether the cases would be heard. They also require tech platforms to explain their individualized content moderation decisions to users. That divergence, known as a circuit split, is further reason for the Supreme Court to issue the final say, the Biden administration said, calling on the court to uphold the Eleventh Circuit’s view.

Persons: Biden Organizations: DC CNN, Meta, Twitter, US, Tech, Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Circuit Locations: Washington, Texas, Florida

☆ Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The study authors said it’s the first nationally representative study of the potential effects of particle pollution on dementia in the US, and the link to dementia was most robust in areas with pollution from agriculture and wildfires. Pesticides are neurotoxins to animals, she said, so those may be the particles in agriculture pollution that are affecting human brains, as well. As for wildfires, the smoke doesn’t just come from burning trees; things like homes and gas stations burn too, becoming the particle pollution that people breathe in. The new study cannot determine the exact mechanism connecting particle pollution and dementia, but scientists have some theories. A study in England found that adults living with the highest annual concentration of air pollution had 1.4 times the dementia risk as those living with the lowest annual concentration.

Persons: it’s, ”, Sara Dubowsky Adar, Boya Zhang, Adar, Caleb Finch, William F, It’s, Masashi Kitazawa, Kitazawa, ” Kitazawa, Finch, Zhang, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Zhang, “ Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Pesticides, ARCO, William, Kieschnick, University of Southern, World Health, Alzheimer’s Association, University of California, Alzheimer’s, CNN Health, World Health Organization Locations: United States, University of Southern California, Irvine, Canada, England, California

☆ Trump’s Alleged Co-Conspirators Challenge Legal Ethics - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Deborah Pearlstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But at the same time, the key role lawyers played in buttressing the former president’s plans speaks to a troubling crisis in the legal profession. The lawyers he conspired with — whose alleged conduct breached a host of rules of professional ethics, in addition to provisions of criminal law — did not emerge from whole cloth. for the first time demanded that students at any American law school wishing to retain its A.B.A. Members of both parties said they supported the goal: to make sure government lawyers consistently uphold the highest standards of professionalism in the public service. Dozens of other lawyers who represented Mr. Trump in election litigation now face misconduct allegations in state disciplinary proceedings nationwide.

Persons: —, Richard Nixon’s, lawyering, Gerald Ford’s, Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, Trump Organizations: American Bar Association, Washington , D.C Locations: Clarks, California, Washington ,

☆ Retailers are shaping a wave of laws to crack down on organized theft — here's how they do it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Since 2022, at least nine states – six so far this year – have passed laws to impose harsher penalties for organized retail crime offenses. The new and proposed laws aim to deter brazen retail crime and go after the so-called kingpins who lead organized theft groups. But critics say the measures may not actually reduce organized retail crime, and could disproportionately harm marginalized groups. Plus, dozens of states already have organized theft laws on the books and the crime is still increasing, according to trade associations. Retailers and lawmakers say the misdemeanor charges have emboldened theft groups and allowed organized retail crime to spread.

Persons: Scott Olson, Doug McMillon, shoplifters aren't, Adrian Hemond, It's, they're, Chuck Grassley, Catherine Cortez Masto, CORCA, Cortez Masto, Cortez, Grassley, Sen, Anna Moneymaker, David Johnston, Jake Horowitz, Horowitz, criminologists, JC Hendrickson, Hendrickson, it's, cleaver, Manhattan, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Barry Williams Organizations: CNBC, National Retail Federation, Walmart, U.S . Senate, Grassroots, eBay, Target, Coordination Center, Nevada Democrats, Cheyenne High School, Pew Charitable Trust, Justice Action Network, Walgreens, Manhattan DA, New York Daily, Getty Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Iowa, North Las Vegas , Nevada, Florida, Manhattan , New York, New

☆ Getting a Taxi in Italy Is Too Hard. Fixing That Is Not Easy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | More About Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The situation is “a disgrace to Italy,” said Furio Truzzi, president of the consumer rights group Assoutenti, one of several associations that protested the shortage. In Rome, for example, there are now about 7,800 taxis, and if 20 percent more licenses were issued, there would be about 1,500 more. Parliament now has two months to convert the decree into law. But transportation experts said the decree falls far short of what they say is a needed overhaul of the industry, which holds outsized sway over local — and national — politics. Thanks to the taxi lobby, ride-sharing services are almost nonexistent in Italy, where Uber is the only platform in use, with many restrictions.

Persons: ”, Furio Truzzi, Uber Organizations: Catholic, Cortina d’Ampezzo Locations: Italy, Milan, Rome, Naples

☆ Retailers are blaming organized theft for lower profits — but it's hard to tell if it's really rising
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Lindsey Nicholson | Universal Images Group | Getty ImagesRetailers have zeroed in on organized retail theft as a top priority, as more and more companies blame crime for lower profits. Those mentions could flare up again as a flurry of retail companies will report financial results starting next week. Many of them described organized theft as an industrywide problem that's largely out of their control. While organized theft is a real concern, it is nearly impossible to verify the claims retailers make about it. Target has repeatedly said organized retail theft is fueling its inventory losses.

Persons: Lindsey Nicholson, Foot, Raphael Duguay, Duguay, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Bradlees Organizations: Universal, Getty, Retailers, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Yale University School of Management, Columbia Business School, Sears Canada, Lazarus Department, National Retail Federation, Walgreens, Ucg, . Census, FBI, CNBC, Target Locations: Queens , New York

☆ Exclusive: Kremlin aide who brings Ukrainian children to Russia associated online with neo-Nazism
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Anton Zverev | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Aug 9 (Reuters) - A Kremlin official involved in what international prosecutors call the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia was associated online as a teenager with white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements, Reuters has found. He deleted that link the day Reuters submitted its questions about his online activity to his employer. In a statement responding to Reuters questions, Petrov said: "Unequivocally, I never had, nor do I have, any links to neo-Nazi organisations. When Russia gave a presentation on April 5 this year to the United Nations Security Council to rebut allegations about its treatment of Ukrainian children, Petrov was among the speakers. In a video shared during that presentation, Petrov was shown alongside children at a Russian-organised camp for Ukrainian children.

Persons: Alexei Petrov, Petrov, Maria Lvova, Vladimir Putin, Belova, Adolf Hitler, Reuters couldn't, Hitler, David Lane, Anton Zverev, Christian Lowe, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Kremlin, Reuters, Skype, United Nations Security Council, Defamation League, Fare, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, London, Nazi, Russian

☆ High interest rates make these guaranteed-income products attractive. Here's what to know about fixed annuities
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Americans have flocked to annuities for guaranteed income over the past year, as interest rates rose and investors looked for safety amid the market turbulence and recession concerns. One of the popular products has been fixed-rate deferreds which — as the name implies — provide a fixed rate for a specific period of time. "So that opportunity to get a more competitive rate on a fixed annuity is not an indefinite window." Multiyear guaranteed annuities Traditional fixed annuities typically guarantee the rate for a portion of the contract, while a multiyear guaranteed annuity, or MYGA, has a rate of return that is guaranteed over the duration of the contract. When buying a fixed annuity, investors need to figure out the term that works best for them, said Limra's Hodgens.

Persons: we've, Bryan Hodgens, Doug Ornstein, David Blanchett, TIAA's Ornstein, Ornstein, Limra's, " Blanchett Organizations: TIAA Wealth Management, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, guaranty, DC Solutions, Insurance, TIAA Institute, Social Security Locations: Connecticut

☆ A Trucking Giant Is Bankrupt, and Finger-Pointing Begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Peter Eavis | More About Peter Eavis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ArcBest, he said, took in $529 per shipment in the first quarter, versus $339 at Yellow. Mr. Jindel said Yellow was a laggard “largely because of mismanagement.”Yellow did not respond on Monday to a request to speak about its management record. One company hoping to pick up business from Yellow is Saia, a less-than-truckload company near Atlanta. The company’s stock has more than doubled this year, and is up 25 percent just since the end of June. The trucking industry plays a critical role in the U.S. economy, transporting nearly three-fourths of all freight tonnage in the United States, according to the American Trucking Associations, a trade group.

Persons: Satish Jindel, Jindel, “, ” Frederick Holzgrefe Organizations: Yellow’s, SJ Consulting, American Trucking Associations Locations: Atlanta, U.S, United States

☆ Red Cross ends blood-donation restrictions that singled out gay and bisexual men
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The American Red Cross is now allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood without restrictions that specifically single out a person's sexual orientation or gender, the nonprofit group said Monday. The Red Cross is implementing new Food and Drug Administration screening guidelines that apply to all potential donors and are based on an individual risk assessment. The Red Cross provides about 40% of the nation's blood supply. Under the new FDA guidelines, men in monogamous sexual relationships with other men are eligible to donate as long as they meet other screening criteria. The Red Cross said in a statement that the organization understands the waiting period based on a history of anal sex appears to unfairly target gay and bisexual men.

Organizations: Hoboken Rec, Food and Drug Administration, FDA Locations: Hoboken, Hoboken , New Jersey

☆ Airlines take aim at Italy's plans to bring down sky-high prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Airbus A380 of German air carrier Lufthansa is seen at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File PhotoROME, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A group of airlines operating in Italy on Monday criticised government plans to curb ticket prices at the height of the summer season, saying they could breach European Union free market rules. Ticket prices to Italy's two main islands have soared in recent weeks. Companies including Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), EasyJet (EZJ.L), American Airlines (AAL.O) and Delta (DAL.N) are members of the IBAR, the association's website shows. Measures in a decree law take effect immediately, but parliament has to ratify them within two months, otherwise they lapse.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Giorgia Meloni's, Angelo Amante, Alvise Organizations: Airbus, Lufthansa, REUTERS, Monday, Union, Italian, of Airlines Representatives, Companies, American Airlines, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, EU

CNN —The actress Leah Remini has filed a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, claiming she has suffered years of harassment, intimidation and defamation as part of an organized campaign of retaliation for her criticism of the church since leaving it a decade ago. After leaving the church in 2013, though, the actress became a fierce and high-profile critic: She published a memoir in 2015, “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology,” and went on to host three seasons of the docuseries, “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,” on A&E. “Leah Remini has become what she once vowed she would never be: ‘This bitter ex-Scientologist,’” the church said in a 2016 statement in response to the series. People walk past the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles in 2012. The church allegedly paid social media companies to promote the posts targeting Remini, the lawsuit says, adding Scientology’s “old-school, mob-style tactics” extend beyond social media.

Persons: Leah Remini, David Miscavige, –, ” Remini, “, Kevin James, Queens, ”, “ Leah Remini, Remini’s, Lawrence Wright, Remini, ’, Mario Anzuoni, Remini “, Ms Organizations: CNN, of Scientology, Superior Court, Scientology, CBS, Hollywood, HBO, Warner Bros . Discovery, Religious Technology, Remini Locations: Los Angeles, New York

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