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Analysts at Citigroup and JPMorgan both lowered their recommendations on AT&T shares in recent days. The shares hit a low of $13.68 in Monday's session, the lowest since March 1993. "We have not seen, nor have regulators identified, evidence that legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue,” a U.S. Telecoms spokesperson said in a statement. Shares of Verizon were also down on Monday, falling 5.5% to $32.14, a nearly 13-year low. Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; Editing by Lance Tupper and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Michael Rollins, Rollins, ”, Philip Cusick, Michael Hodel, Chibuike Oguh, Lance Tupper, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, T Inc, U.S, Verizon, Citigroup, JPMorgan, U.S ., Citi, U.S . Telecom, Morningstar, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York

☆ JPMorgan downgrades this telecom stock, says competition can hamper a rebound
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Analyst Philip Cusick downgraded the telecommunication stock to neutral from overweight and lowered his price target by $5 to $17. Still, his price target implies shares could rally 12.4% in the next year. AT & T is likely facing more pressure in its mobility business from Verizon, T-Mobile and cable providers as the postpaid phone business normalizes. The consumer wireless is also seeing increased competition from cable and fixed wireless access providers, Cusick said. When looking at other service providers, Cusick said he likes T-Mobile given its strong financials, improving subscriber and free cash flow numbers and share buyback opportunities.

Persons: Philip Cusick, Cusick, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: JPMorgan, Verizon, Mobile, Street, Comcast, CNBC

☆ Danny Masterson, ‘That ’70s Show’ actor, found guilty of rape
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Los Angeles jury has found actor Danny Masterson guilty on two of the three counts of rape in a retrial on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney. Actor Danny Masterson arrested on rape charges 00:52 - Source: CNNThe trial started on April 24 and the case went to the jury on May 17. “I am experiencing a complex array of emotions – relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness – knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behavior,” Jane Doe 2 said to CNN in a statement through their representative. Kutcher and Masterson also starred in Netflix’s “The Ranch” beginning in 2016, but Netflix and the producers wrote Masterson off the show amid the rape allegations. At the time, Masterson said he was “obviously very disappointed” by the decision, in a statement to CNN.

Persons: Danny Masterson, “, Gascón, Masterson, Shawn Holley, Philip Cohen, D.A, Ariel Anson, Reinhold Mueller, ” Jane Doe, Steven Hyde, costarred Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon, Topher Grace, Wilmer Valderrama, Kutcher, Netflix’s, Tony Ortega Organizations: CNN, Angeles, Los Angeles County, Fox, Netflix, Village, Los Angeles Police Department Locations: Los Angeles, Angeles County, ”

☆ 'That 70s Show' actor Danny Masterson convicted on two rape counts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 31 (Reuters) - "That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson was convicted on Wednesday of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home. Masterson, 47, got his break-out role in the 1998 to 2006 television comedy series "That '70s Show," in which he played a rebel adolescent. The actor had pleaded not guilty to the rape charges. According to City News Service, Cohen questioned the credibility of the alleged victims and said their stories had been tweaked over the years. The case drew attention in part because Masterson met the women through the Church of Scientology, and two of the accusers said the organization discouraged them from contacting law enforcement.

Persons: Danny Masterson, Masterson, Greg Risling, Philip Cohen, Cohen, Lisa Richwine, Stephen Coates Organizations: Hollywood, Los Angeles County, City News Service, of Scientology, Scientology, Thomson

☆ Why The F.D.A. Should Move Birth Control Over the Counter - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Eric Reinhart | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An advisory panel at the Food and Drug Administration this month unanimously recommended that a contraceptive pill, Opill, be made available over the counter. At a 1992 conference on birth control, an official on the F.D.A.’s fertility and maternal health drugs advisory committee, Philip Corfman, noted that the birth control pill is safer than aspirin, which is available over the counter. subsequently announced plans to convene a hearing to consider moving oral contraceptives over-the-counter. It was believed that this would greatly expand access to birth control by bypassing doctors, to whom millions of Americans then — as still now — had little access. Dr. Prescott reported that the program director of the National Women’s Health Network at the time, Cindy Pearson, said that a “birth control prescription is the poor woman’s ticket to health care.” Advocates for women’s health were concerned that if birth control were made available over the counter, then insurance might stop paying for it and impose new financial barriers to access.

☆ Who are zillennials?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Along the blurry edge at the cusp of the two generations, between Gen Y and Z, is where zillennials live. Zillennials straddle the generations of millennials, who are considered digital pioneers, and Gen Z, who are considered digital natives who never knew life before screens. While zillennials often feel they don’t fit in with either Gen Z or millennials, Dorsey said the middle zone they occupy has its own advantages. His firm’s research has shown Gen Z to be more connected to social causes than millennials, with zillennials similarly more interested than millennials when it comes to social issues. From a young age, zillennials have learned the effects of climate change, said Carr.

Across the city, writers gathered outside the Culver Studios, where Amazon has an office. has painted the dispute in stark terms, saying that the rise of streaming and the explosion of TV production have eroded working conditions.

☆ An AI researcher that Elon Musk hired was arrested in a domestic violence case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk's new AI researcher Igor Babuschkin was arrested in March in a domestic violence case. Musk reportedly hired Babuschkin as part of a push to develop a competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT. The case involved "a minor injury," but did not otherwise pose a threat to public safety, Philip told Insider. Babuschkin was arrested at 588 Webster Street, according to a police report log posted last month on the Palo Alto Police Department's website. Musk has also brought on resources including roughly 10,000 graphics processing units to execute his AI plans, Insider previously reported.

☆ America Has Too Much Parking. Really.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( David Harrison | Photographs Philip Cheung For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

For decades, American cities have had a parking problem: too much of it. Countless residential parking spots go unused, and many downtown garages sit half empty. Ride-sharing and the rise of remote work during the pandemic have aggravated the trend. The average American drove 4% fewer miles in 2022 than in 2019, according to government statistics.

☆ Biden used first veto to save a 401(k) investment rule. Here's what it does
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowFew 401(k) plans — about 5% — offer an ESG fund, according to PSCA survey data. The [Biden] rule doesn't force you to consider ESG. Under the Biden rule, employers must still consider ESG factors within the context of what is in investors' best interests. "The [Biden] rule doesn't force you to consider ESG," Chao said. The Biden administration issued the final text of its investment rule in November, shortly before Republicans assumed control of the House.

☆ The Math Behind the New Super Commute
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Gretchen Tarrant | Photographs Philip Cheung For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A new breed of commuter is going to great lengths—and doing a lot of number crunching—to pull off living and working in far-apart places. A super commuter used to mean someone who trekked at least 90 minutes to work each way, often five days a week. But with more companies embracing hybrid work, the new super commuter is one of the many people who now live hundreds of miles or multiple states away from where they work. They commute fewer days but even longer distances.

☆ SVB execs sold $84 million in stock over the past 2 years, stoking outrage over insider trading plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker sold nearly $30 million of stock over the past two years, raising new questions over insider stock sales. Becker sold $3.6 million worth of shares on Feb. 27, just days before the bank disclosed a large loss that triggered its stock slide and collapse. The sale capped two years of stock sales by Becker that totaled $29.5 million, according to data from Smart Insider. Altogether, SVB executives and directors cashed out of $84 million worth of stock over the past two years, according to Smart Insider. The sales have sparked criticism of SVB's management — as well as the broader phenomenon of insider stock sales before major declines.

☆ JPMorgan says Disney can surge 20% this year as streaming losses ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's time for investors to consider buying Disney after the media giant's latest quarterly results , according to JPMorgan. Analyst Philip Cusick resumed coverage of Disney with an overweight rating, and a December 2023 price target of $135 that implies shares could advance more than 20% through year-end. "For F2023 we now model year-over-year total company revenue and segment operating income growth of 9.9% and 7.8% vs. F2022. We model the return of a $1/share dividend in F2024," Cusick wrote. Disney shares have jumped 24% in 2023, after falling more than 43% in 2022 and roughly 14% in 2021.

☆ Insurers Say Cyberattack That Hit Merck Was Warlike Act, Not Covered
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

The Merck case has attracted attention, and not just for the amount at stake or because it touches on cyberattacks, a growing risk to businesses of all sizes. “The United States didn’t say ‘NotPetya is an act of war against the United States and we’re going to launch a military response,’” Mr. Mosier said. The insurers appealed after a lower court judge sided with Merck in 2021. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. PREVIEWMore broadly, APCIA argued that a win for Merck could jeopardize other similar exclusions that insurers rely on when drafting policies.

☆ Danny Masterson to face second trial on rape charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Prosecutors announced on Tuesday that they will pursue a second trial against Danny Masterson, after a jury deadlocked on three rape charges at the actor’s first trial in November. Masterson, 46, is accused of forcibly raping three women at his home in the Hollywood Hills from 2001 to 2003. Defense attorney Philip Cohen argued that it was unlikely that any jury would vote unanimously to convict. The women, who have all since left Scientology, said they feared being excommunicated from the church for going to the police. Cohen argued that Scientology was irrelevant to the case, and he sought to minimize any mention of it.

☆ 2022 was the worst-ever year for U.S. bonds. How to position your portfolio for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Interest rates started 2022 at rock-bottom — where they'd been for the better part of the time since the Great Recession. Bond prices move opposite interest rates — as interest rates rise, bond prices fall. Duration is a measure of a bond's sensitivity to interest rates and is impacted by maturity, among other factors. We can see why long-dated bonds suffered especially big losses in 2022, given interest rates jumped by about 4 percentage points. The traditional dynamics of a 60/40 portfolio — a portfolio barometer for investors, weighted 60% to stocks and 40% to bonds — will likely return, advisors said.

☆ New retirement account rules make it easier to tap savings early for emergencies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

But they said the rules also amount to another source of so-called "leakage" that run contrary to the overall goal of retirement savings: to build a nest egg for the future. Participants can also access 401(k) savings via loans or non-hardship withdrawals. Non-hardship distributions also hit an all-time high in October — almost 0.9% of participants took one that month, according to Vanguard. And the share of workers taking 401(k) loans rose to 0.9% in October from 0.8% at the beginning of 2022. Beyond the apparent acute financial need among households, hardship withdrawals carry negative repercussions like tax penalties.

☆ The UK is sending Ukraine a newer, longer-range missile that lets humans guide it all the way to the target
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Brimstone missiles are anti-armor weapons, and the original has already been sent to Ukraine. Brimstone 2 has an added feature: the ability for a human to guide the missile to its target. The Brimstone 2 is a longer-range version of the original Brimstone air-launched anti-tank missile already issued to Ukrainian forces. A Brimstone missile at British Royal Air Force base RAF Marham in December 2015. Brimstone missiles are visible at the lowest point under the fuselage.

☆ 401(k) 'hardship' withdrawals hit record high, Vanguard says — another sign households feel the pinch of inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Thomas Barwick | Stone | Getty ImagesThe share of retirement savers who withdrew money from a 401(k) plan to cover a financial hardship hit a record high in October, according to data from Vanguard Group. Nearly 0.5% of workers participating in a 401(k) plan took a new "hardship distribution" in October, according to Vanguard, which tracks 5 million savers. Americans are 'feeling the pinch from inflation'Nearly all 401(k) plans allow workers to take hardship withdrawals, but employers may vary in their rationale for allowing them. Participants can also access 401(k) savings via loans or nonhardship withdrawals. Beyond the apparent acute financial need among households, hardship withdrawals carry negative repercussions.

☆ Robinhood to pay a 1% 'match' on customer contributions to retail individual retirement accounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The retail brokerage will pay a 1% "match" on contributions its customers make to a Robinhood individual retirement account, the firm said Tuesday. The firm is billing it as the first-ever match paid to retail IRA customers (i.e., outside of a workplace retirement plan.) A 401(k) match is a common retirement benefit offered by employers that sponsor a workplace retirement plan. How the match worksA 401(k) match is generally structured as a share of employee contributions. There aren't any contribution or account minimums to get the Robinhood match, and trades don't carry commissions.

☆ The fear of loss can cost investors big-time. Here’s how
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Westend61The fear of loss is a powerful emotion for investors — and, if left unchecked, can cost them big bucks in the long term due to years of forfeiture of investment gains. watch nowFor investors, that evolutionary impulse plays out as "loss aversion bias." Investors have a bias toward avoiding financial loss. Prioritizing the avoidance of loss over earning a gain "is a major reason why so many investors underperform the market," Aguilar said. Meanwhile, 401(k) investors pulled money out of stock mutual funds during the same time period.

☆ JPMorgan breaks from rest of Wall Street, says don't chase Disney shares here
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Disney's stock may be getting ahead of itself after the return of legendary CEO Bob Iger, according to JPMorgan. Shares of the media giant rallied after the Sunday night announcement that Iger was replacing Bob Chapek , his former successor. Wall Street analysts largely cheered the move, with MoffettNathanson upgrading Disney to outperform from market perform . "We like Disney shares long-term, and advised to buy the recent selloff on the numbers flush, but are reluctant to recommend chasing shares here (currently up ~8%). JPMorgan still has an overweight rating and a price target of $135 per share for Disney.

LOS ANGELES — The jury weighing the rape charges against “That '70s Show” star Danny Masterson announced Friday it was deadlocked. Los Angeles County Superior Court Charlaine F. Olmedo told the panel to come back on Nov. 28 and try again. It was an unexpected twist in the closely-watched trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court. He has also denied assaulting a fourth woman, identified as Jane Doe #4, who told the court she too had been raped by Masterson. Dua Anjum and Diana Dasrath reported from Los Angeles and Corky Siemaszko from New York City.

LOS ANGELES — The fate of “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson is in the hands of a jury. Unlike his other accusers, Jane Doe #4 was never a member of the Church of Scientology, which Masterson still belongs to. But Jane Doe #4’s testimony mirrored in many ways the testimony of the three women Masterson is charged with raping. “That is going to be your power.”Mueller also took aim at Cohen’s suggestion that Masterson’s accusers colluded against him. “It became about Scientology,” Cohen said.

LOS ANGELES — “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson told the court Monday that he would not testify at his own rape trial. His announcement came after a fourth woman testified last week that he raped her twice, more than two decades ago after they had met on a movie set. Masterson is not charged with raping the woman, an actress identified in court as Jane Doe #4. Unlike the three women Masterson is charged with raping, Jane Doe #4 is not a former or current member of the Church of Scientology. Cohen made his third request for a mistrial after Jane Doe #4 finished testifying and was again rebuffed by the judge.

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