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☆ Inside Ken Griffin's rise to one of Wall Street's most powerful people, and why politics could be next
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

JB and I are not on speaking terms these days," said Ken Griffin, the billionaire hedge-fund manager, referring to JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois. As Florida rolled back pandemic restrictions more quickly than Chicago, even more Citadel employees migrated south. Ken Griffin's hedge fund has had a run of eye-popping returns since 2020. Others worry that it gives Griffin's hedge fund an unfair advantage. Hundreds of Citadel employees, partners, and families gathered at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Florida.

Monterey Park Police officers at the scene of a mass shooting on Jan. 22, 2023 in Monterey Park where 10 people were killed at a dance hall. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)The gunman behind the deadly dance hall shooting in the Los Angeles suburb of Monterey Park may have been targeting his ex-wife on the Lunar New Year, the California city's mayor said Monday. A vigil will be held Tuesday in Monterey Park in memory of the dead. And about a dozen hours after the bloodshed in Monterey Park, police tracked Tran's white van to a car park 30 miles away in the suburb of Torrance where the suspect killed himself. "I tried to reach her, but I didn't get any response," Monterey Park resident Vivian King said of a friend she last heard from earlier in the weekend.

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group said on Saturday they will resume peace talks in Mexico next month, overcoming a recent impasse after the government recently declared and then called off a bilateral ceasefire. There was a first cycle of talks last year in Caracas to end the guerrillas' part in nearly six decades of war. The about-face on the ceasefire came after ELN said it had not agreed to it. "In said cycle, the issue of society's participation in peace building will be addressed. Colombia and the ELN said they would jointly examine progress in implementing agreements reached during the first cycle of talks and agreed to keep communication channels open even when not at the negotiating table.

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Spain's markets and competition regulator is reviewing whether gas distributor Madrilena Red de Gas (MRG) has complied with legislation designed to protect the financial strength of energy distributors, according to two sources familiar with the situation. The amendment grew out of worries about the excessive indebtedness of the gas transportation and distribution networks. The CNMC has not to date published a notice of regulatory action concerning MRG. The filings also show that MRG's ultimate parent Elisandra Spain IV - Elisandra Spain V's sole owner - paid dividends totalling more than 104 million euros to its shareholders. At the end of 2021, MRG carried 925.5 million euros of net adjusted financial debt on its balance sheet, 6.55 times its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), per its latest annual accounts.

☆ Smartphones, used cars and bacon: 10 things with the biggest price drops in 2022, despite inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The largest declines, on a percentage basis, were concentrated in categories like consumer electronics, beef, and cars and trucks, according to the consumer price index. watch nowUsed cars and trucks, rental vehiclesA used car dealership in New York on Jan. 19, 2022. Pablo Monsalve | View Press | Corbis News | Getty ImagesPrices for used cars and trucks were among the first to spike as inflation took hold in early 2021. The category inflated by 37.3% that year — the most of any item outside of energy commodities like gasoline and fuel oil, according to the consumer price index. "Rental car companies were buying — and now completely stopped buying — used vehicles," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.

☆ The zero-fare public transit movement is picking up momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In late 2019, Kansas City, Missouri, became the first major U.S. city to approve a fare-free public transit system. The public transit crisisKansas City's bus system, called RideKC. Alexandria and Richmond in Virginia have successfully integrated fare-free transit into their annual budgets. Source: Kansas City Area Transportation AuthorityIn Kansas City, zero-fare transit has become a hallmark of life. The zero-fare bus started in December 2019 as a pilot program.

☆ Four accused in Bulgarian probe of crypto lender Nexo -investigators
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SOFIA, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Investigators looking into crypto lender Nexo on Friday said that four citizens of Bulgaria had been accused of participating in an organised crime group for money laundering as well as tax and computer fraud. Nexo had said after Thursday's operations that the raided office was not customer facing but has only back office functions. Some 35 artworks, including from Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, had been seized from one of the accused, investigators said. According to Bulgarian prosecutors $94 billion has gone through the Nexo platform in the past five years. Crypto lenders act like banks for the crypto world, offering customers interest on cryptocurrencies they deposit with the platform.

☆ ECB's Kazaks pushes back on rate cut bets as core prices rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Francesco Canepa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Euro zone inflation tumbled to 9.2% last month, largely thanks to lower energy prices and a one-off subsidy in Germany, but underlying price pressures continued to rise. Kazaks said core inflation, which excludes food and energy, was the measure to watch. "It is possible for core inflation to continue trending up even as headline inflation is coming down, for instance, due to swings in energy prices," he said. "In my view, core inflation currently is a key gauge for inflation persistence and policy decisions." Finnish central bank chief Olli Rehn and Spain's Pablo Hernandez de Dos have also called on the ECB to raise rates "significantly" over its coming meetings.

☆ JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon called the bank's acquisition of fintech Frank a 'huge mistake' after being grilled about it on an earnings call
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Carter Johnson | Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Mike Mayo Bloomberg TVIn response, Dimon said that JPMorgan has been "very disciplined" in its acquisition strategy, but added that the Frank acquisition was, "in one way or another, a huge mistake." Mayo has previously been critical of JPMorgan's spending plans, which also became a flashpoint for some JPMorgan investors in the run up to the bank's investor day last May. In 2020, Insider detailed how JPMorgan spun up a "rapid proof-of-concept" model to speed along startup investments within its corporate and investment banking division. That team was headed by Michael Elanjian, who now leads digital investment banking at JPMorgan, according to his LinkedIn. Or are you a shareholder with concerns about the bank's spending?

☆ Bank earnings are under way. Here are the biggest storylines everyone on Wall Street is focused on.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Starting today, the six big US banks (Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo) report their Q4 and year-end earnings. But instead of a boring preview on what to expect, I figured I'd have some fun by setting gambling lines on some of the biggest storylines heading into earnings. OK, let's get into the biggest storylines and their odds:David Solomon discusses the recent headcount reduction at Goldman Sachs. What'll be interesting is if he teases even more cuts coming down the line as the bank looks to cut costs. (-150)Background: The bank got ahead of this one by announcing its plans to step back from mortgages earlier this week.

☆ Volkswagen announces changes to Mexico, Canada supervisory boards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Volkswagen AG FollowFRANKFURT, Jan 12 (Reuters) - German car company Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE) announced on Thursday promotions in its North American operations, CFO and COO Arno Antlitz posted on LinkedIn. Volkswagen of America President and CEO Pablo Di Si will take on the role of chairman of the company's Mexican supervisory board, and Andrew Savvas, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Volkswagen of America, will become chairman of its Canadian supervisory board. Both appointments take effect immediately, in a region Antlitz describes as "a cornerstone of the group's strategy." Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr, editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Spain's Supreme Court drops sedition charges against Catalan separatist leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Spain's Supreme Court on Thursday dropped sedition charges against the leader of Catalonia's failed bid for independence, Carles Puigdemont, after a reform of the country's penal code abolished the crime. Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile in Belgium to avoid prosecution in Spain, still faces charges of disobedience and embezzlement, which carry jail terms of up to eight years. Spain's previous bids to have Puigdemont extradited during his stays in Germany, Belgium and Italy have failed. Puigdemont posted a video on Twitter in which he vowed to fight "to the end" against his extradition in European courts. Puigdemont has been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since late 2017 and served as a member of the European Parliament since 2019.

☆ JPMorgan sues the founder of the college financial-planning website it acquired, alleging she falsely inflated its user numbers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

JPMorgan alleged that college financial-planning website Frank lied about its growth and users. JPMorgan's suit accused Frank's founder Charlie Javice and its former chief growth officer Olivier Amar of being in on a scheme to juice its user numbers. The pair used that list to make the inflated user numbers seem credible. The bank claimed that the startup provided the false user numbers while it was conducting due diligence when looking into acquiring the company. As of Thursday morning, JPMorgan had closed down Frank's website, a representative for the bank confirmed to Insider.

☆ Real Madrid slump to 2-1 defeat at Villarreal as Moreno shines
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - LaLiga - Villarreal v Real Madrid - Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal, Spain - January 7, 2023 Villarreal's Gerard Moreno scores their second goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Pablo MoranoJan 7 (Reuters) - Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat at Villarreal on Saturday after a goal and assist from striker Gerard Moreno, giving leaders Barcelona a chance to move ahead in the title race. Real stay second, level on 38 points with Barca who visit fourth-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday, while Villarreal's third straight league win moves them up to fifth spot. Yeremy had the best chance of the first half after he was played through on goal by Moreno, but Thibaut Courtois was quickly off his line to block the shot. Madrid grew into the game following Villarreal's goal, with Benzema and Vinicius continuing to orchestrate the champions' attacking efforts. Moreno converted after Madrid's protests had calmed down, sending Courtois the wrong way to put his side back in the lead.

Bloomberg had earlier reported that FAB had been exploring an offer for Standard Chartered as part of a plan aimed at building an emerging markets bank, driving StanChart shares up as much as 20%. The Abu Dhabi lender said it had been in "the very early stages of evaluating a possible offer" for the emerging markets-focused bank. Furthermore, the mooted combination of FAB and StanChart would have been subjected to more onerous capital requirements that would burden the resulting lender, a banking source said. FAB was created via a merger between National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank in 2016. The lender sources around half its deposits from the Abu Dhabi government and reported total assets of 1.15 trillion AED ($313.1 billion) as of end-September 2022.

☆ The Equity Talk: Volkswagen North America's CEO plans to roll out dozens of electric vehicle models and boost diversity at the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Volkswagen North America CEO Pablo Di Si wants the company to become the top EV seller in the US. Di Si also plans to raise the number of women in leadership roles at Volkswagen North America from around 16% to more than 20% by 2025. For Di Si, diversity and inclusion are personal. He immigrated to the US from Argentina when he was a teen, and he's also the first Hispanic chief of Volkswagen North America. The Volkswagen North America CEO told Insider he wants to increase the number of women in leadership positions as well as those working in factories.

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) announced a series of staff changes on Tuesday following the departure of the co-head of its European investment banking operation, according to internal memos seen by Reuters and confirmed by a company spokesperson. Monarchi is now sole IBCM head for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), whereas Geller has been named sole global head of M&A. Additionally, William Mansfield, head of EMEA Consumer & Retail M&A, has taken up Deasy's responsibilities as head of EMEA M&A. Deasy's exit, which was first reported by Financial News, is the latest in a string of departures as Credit Suisse embarks on a plan to cut thousands of jobs and shift its focus from investment banking towards more stable wealth management. Alongside the promotions, the Swiss lender also said it had hired Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA) banker Gen Oba as co-head of IBCM in France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ After years, private vehicles start crossing Colombia-Venezuela border again
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Juan Pablo BayonaURENA, Venezuela, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Private vehicles started crossing between Colombia and Venezuela for the first time in years on Sunday, marking the total opening of the shared border, in addition to cargo and people that have been transiting. The full opening of the common border follows years of tense relations between the two countries that have eased after Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a leftist, took office in August last year. German Umana, Colombia's commerce minister, told reporters at the crossing that the move would be positive for the economies and societies of both countries. "We will never allow it again," Umana said in reference to closure of the border. Late last year, Colombian and Venezuelan authorities authorized the opening of the crossing on the Atanasio Girardot bridge, known as Tienditas, the western Venezuelan border state Tachira state.

To capture this moment of adaptation, we contacted 200 New York Times readers who had sent us photographs of their pandemic lives at the end of 2020 and asked them to share a new photo reflecting what normal means two years later. Nearly the same share, 42 percent, said the pandemic had changed their lives in lasting and significant ways. Just 12 percent said the pandemic never changed much: “I didn’t give up anything,” one respondent said. What is one thing about your life that the pandemic has changed in a lasting way? Together, the photos collected below capture a kind of then-and-now of pandemic times, when many are still figuring out what comes next.

☆ The 'world's coolest dictator' rounded up 60,000 people in a crackdown on MS-13. A shrimp farming community is fighting back.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Danielle Mackey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

SISIGUAYO, EL SALVADOR — On the morning that Walber Rodriguez was arrested last May, he was just two minutes from his home in Sisiguayo, El Salvador. Outside El Salvador, Bukele is best known for adopting Bitcoin as a national currency. All around them in Sisiguayo and the surrounding Bajo Lempa valley, people were arrested with no satisfactory explanation. Residents of the Bajo Lempa who'd been touched by the arrests had begun meeting weekly at a nearby retreat center. A meeting of the Bajo Lempa families on June 17, 2022.

☆ The 'world's coolest dictator' rounded up 60,000 people in a supposed crackdown on MS-13. A shrimp farming community is fighting back.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Danielle Mackey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

☆ Analysis: Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale boom is running out of road
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Eliana Raszewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/4] Workers stand next to a drilling rig in Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina November 3, 2022. It holds the world's second-largest shale gas reserves and the fourth-largest shale oil deposits. Reuters Graphics'ABOUT TO COLLAPSE'On the ground in the key Vaca Muerta shale town of Anelo the signs of strain are clear. Local and regional demand is not enough," said Ricardo Markous, president of Tecpetrol, which operates the huge Fortin de Piedra field in Vaca Muerta. There are currently around eight active fracking crews in Vaca Muerta compared to nearly 280 in the United States, Rystad said.

☆ Wanted: Two lighthouse keepers for tiny island in San Francisco Bay. Must have 'high-quality culinary experience' and a captain's license.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two custodians for a historic lighthouse and hotel in San Francisco Bay are being recruited. The East Brother Light Station is looking for two people to become lighthouse keepers for two years on the tiny island just off Point San Pablo in Richmond. Former innkeepers Tiffany Danse (left) and Tyler Waterson (right). Run boat service to the mainland. Run boat service to the mainland again," the Chronicle wrote.

"[But] private equity funds still have significant amounts of dry powder, and by the second half of next year, they will be looking to put some of it to work," he said. Private equity firms normally buy companies with a combination of debt and equity. "Ticket sizes across the private credit industry are likely to come down depending on the deal. Banks often highlight debt funds' - or direct lenders - higher prices and more stringent documentation requirements as competitive disadvantages to the syndicated loan and junk bond markets. But some see private credit as part of the solution at a time when money is scarce.

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