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☆ China launches 'unprecedented' crackdown on its healthcare industry amid economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —China has launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign targeting its hospitals, pharmaceutical industry and insurance funds as it grapples with mounting economic challenges and long-standing public frustration about high costs in the behemoth healthcare sector. Some areas have set up hotlines for phoning in tips about corruption in the sector, according to state media. At least one state media report has described the campaign as “unprecedented in the depth, breadth and intensity” of targeting the healthcare sector. Despite wide health insurance coverage, absolute costs of healthcare can be a heavy burden for many in China. “Given the economic slowdown and the shrinking fiscal revenue, the debt-ridden local governments really don’t have the capabilities to invest more in the medical sector and corruption continues to be an issue,” said Huang.

Persons: That’s, Xi Jinping, Ren Jianming, Yanzhong Huang, ”, Huang, Jade Gao, Xi Chen, ” Chen, Winning Health Technology Group’s, Zhou Wei, Sun Ningling, ” “ Organizations: CNN, behemoth, Communist Party, China News Service, Center for Integrity Research, Education, China’s Beihang University, Publishing, Council, Foreign Relations, Getty Images, Yale School of Public Health, Getty, Health Commission, NHC, Central Commission, CSI, Reuters, Shanghai Serum, Winning Health Technology, Peking University People’s Hospital Locations: China, Yunnan, Shanghai, Beijing, Zhejiang, United States, New York, AFP, Guangzhou, Shenzhen

☆ At Edinburgh Fringe, Small Shows With Big Ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Houman Barekat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In a smart revival of Cyriel Buysse’s Flemish classic, “The Van Paemel Family” by the Antwerp troupe SKaGeN, the actor Valentijn Dhaenens sidesteps this difficulty by playing all the play’s roles. Mr. van Paemel is slavishly loyal to the landowner for whom they all work, and believes organized labor is a scourge. This eerie visual texture, neatly complemented by the doleful tones of an accordion, made for a memorably unique aesthetic. The standout Fringe show was Lara Foot’s stylish adaptation of “The Life and Times of Michael K.,” J.M. Coetzee’s Booker Prize-winning 1983 novel about the struggles of a poor man during a fictional civil war in South Africa.

Persons: Van, Valentijn Dhaenens, van Paemel, Lara Foot’s, Michael K, ”, Coetzee’s Booker Organizations: SKaGeN, Handspring, Company Locations: Antwerp, South Africa

☆ Oregon’s Hard-Drug Decriminalization Policy Is a Disaster - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Bret Stephens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

How soon is too soon to call a progressive and libertarian policy obsession a public policy fiasco? In the case of Oregon’s Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, better known as Measure 110, the moment can’t come soon enough. The Drug Policy Alliance, which spent millions to help pass the measure, called it “the biggest blow to the drug war to date” and celebrated its supposed success in a slick video. “Often, she says, someone is passed out in front of the lobby’s door, blocking her entrance. The other day, a man lurched in, lay down on a Forte couch, stripped off his shirt and shoes and refused to leave.”

Persons: “, Jennifer Myrle, Jan Hoffman, Jordan Gale, ” Organizations: Drug Policy Alliance, Forte Portland Locations: Oregon, Forte

☆ In Israel, High Stakes for High Court: Democracy’s Fate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Emily Bazelon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the Israeli Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it would review a new law designed to curb its power, it set up a complicated choice for itself. Over the last few decades, attempts to weaken the courts around the world have become recurring signals that a democracy is in trouble. It’s more like a flashing red light, and how the judiciary responds can begin to decide how much damage is done. “What helps determine whether courts come back from the brink?” said Rosalind Dixon, a law professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. “The mix of skills and strategic behavior of the court, and the degree of support it has from civil society and institutions and elites.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, Rosalind Dixon Organizations: Supreme, University of New Locations: Russia, Turkey, Venezuela, University of New South Wales, Australia

☆ The biggest risk to markets is if the U.S. avoids a recession, strategist warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Stock markets could suffer if the United States economy sidesteps a recession that many believe is just around the corner, according to Investec equities strategist Roger Lee. Lee said the market is bracing itself for a recession within the next year, a prediction he called the "most widely forecast recession in history." Paradoxically therefore, the greatest risk to U.S. markets is if the recession risk recedes. The implications of this could potentially lead to a downturn in both equities and bond markets, according to the strategist. "Paradoxically therefore, the greatest risk to U.S. markets is if the recession risk recedes," Lee added.

Persons: Roger Lee, Lee, Investec's Lee, —, treasuries, it's, Jeff Cox Organizations: HSBC, CNBC, Dow Jones, Treasury Locations: United States, U.S, London, America

☆ Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ Dream Job
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Willa Paskin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Someone more cynical than Gerwig might have been less moved by Mattel’s corporate epiphany, 60 years into existence, that Barbie could sustain being a size 6, but cynicism is clearly not Gerwig’s way. The movie sidesteps whatever role Barbie might play in perpetuating a narrow, idealized femininity; instead it gives this particular Barbie a crash course in modern misogyny. After decades of fretting about girls’ wanting to be as perfect as Barbie, Gerwig serves up a Barbie struggling to be as resilient as us. This woman is played by the 91-year-old, Oscar-winning costume designer Ann Roth, a friend of Gerwig’s. If I don’t have that scene, I don’t know what it is or what I’ve done.”

Persons: Barbie, ”, “, Gerwig, Ruth Handler, Rhea Perlman, Ariana Greenblatt, Ann Roth, Gerwig’s, —, ‘, ” Gerwig Organizations: Mattel Locations: Barbieland, Los Angeles

☆ Biden Sidesteps Any Notion That He’s a ‘Flaming Woke Warrior’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Republicans have tried to pull him in, but appear to recognize the difficulty: When G.O.P. presidential candidates vow to end what they derisively call “woke” culture, they often aim their barbs not directly at Mr. Biden but at big corporations like Disney and BlackRock or the vast “administrative state” of the federal government. Republican strategists say most of their party’s message on abortion and transgender issues is aimed at primary voters, while Mr. Biden is seen as far more vulnerable in a general election on the economy, crime and immigration. Mr. Biden’s armor against cultural attacks might seem unlikely for a president who has strongly advocated for L.G.B.T.Q. In June, the White House said it had barred a transgender activist who went topless at its Pride event.

Persons: G.O.P, “, Biden, — Organizations: Mr, Disney, BlackRock, L.G.B.T.Q, Black Democratic

☆ US Supreme Court sidesteps 'acquitted conduct' cases for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( John Kruzel | Industry Insight | Corporate Attorneys Don T Want To Pay Law Firms For Chatgpt When They Could Use It Themselves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The justices turned away appeals in cases that would have given them an opportunity to prohibit the consideration of "acquitted conduct" in sentencing decisions in criminal cases. Sentencing Commission, a bipartisan panel responsible for crafting U.S. criminal sentencing policy, before addressing the issue. The commission in January proposed amending federal sentencing guidelines to prohibit judges from considering a defendant's acquitted conduct with only narrow exceptions. Numerous criminal defendants have asked the justices to revisit a 1997 Supreme Court ruling that said a jury's verdict of acquittal does not prevent a sentencing judge from considering conduct underlying an acquitted charge. Some current and former Supreme Court justices have questioned whether judges should be permitted to extend a defendant's prison sentence based on acquitted conduct.

Persons: Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, John Kruzel, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, U.S . Sentencing, U.S . Justice Department, Liberal, Constitution's, National Association of Criminal Defense, Thomson Locations: Boston

☆ Divided House Sidesteps Biden Impeachment Vote but Starts Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Annie Karni | Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Republican-led House on Thursday quashed a move to quickly impeach President Biden but voted along party lines to open an investigation into his removal, as reluctant G.O.P. leaders bowed to a member of their hard-right flank who demanded to move forward with charges that his immigration policies constitute high crimes and misdemeanors. By a vote of 219 to 208, the House referred two articles of impeachment against Mr. Biden — one for abuse of power and one for dereliction of duty — to the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees. Speaker Kevin McCarthy engineered the move, which allowed the impeachment articles to advance without officially endorsing them. He sought with the referral to defuse pressure from right-wing lawmakers to immediately begin the process of removing Mr. Biden from office, despite a lack of evidence of any wrongdoing.

Persons: Biden, G.O.P, Mr, Kevin McCarthy, Lauren Boebert, McCarthy Organizations: Republican, Homeland Security, Republicans Locations: Colorado, United States

☆ A Britney Spears Jukebox Musical Hopes for #SeeBritney Energy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The book writer for “Once Upon a One More Time,” the Britney Spears jukebox musical opening on Broadway Thursday night, often returns to a memory from five years ago, when Spears sat in a Manhattan theater a few rows in front of him and watched an early reading of the show. “I was just watching her and it was like, ‘Is she going to like this?’” the writer, Jon Hartmere, said recently, recalling his relief whenever he saw Spears clap along or smile as one of her songs came on. “It was pure delight.”A campy fairy-tale spoof that sidesteps the bio-musical formula to focus on a cast of disillusioned Disney princesses and storybook protagonists, “Once Upon a One More Time” is the latest in a long line of jukebox musicals that have plumbed the catalogs of acts including Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and the Temptations in pursuit of box office gold.

Persons: Britney Spears, Spears, Jon Hartmere, “, Frankie Valli, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner Organizations: “, Broadway, Disney Locations: Manhattan

But while the Fed in 2019 was asking "'is this as strong as the labor market can get?' Fed rate hikes could have "very significant, uneven short-term impacts" on the job market. So far headline payroll employment growth remains strong. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsWANTING IT BOTH WAYSFor now, though, the Fed might mark the pandemic labor rebound as essentially complete, despite the risks. The economy needs to create about 100,000 payroll jobs a month to keep pace with population growth.

Persons: Bryan Woolston, Michael Madowitz, Raphael Bostic, Trump, Howard Schneider, Dan Burns, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Kentucky, Center, REUTERS, . Federal Reserve, Washington Center for Equitable, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Atlanta Fed, BLS, American Progress, White House Council, Economic Advisers, Thomson Locations: Frankfort , Kentucky, U.S, Bryan Woolston WASHINGTON, COVID

☆ Goldman Sachs: Cash in on the $7 trillion AI explosion by making these 15 trades now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Artificial intelligence is rapidly gaining momentum this year as it gets more advanced. Here are 15 buy-rated stocks from Goldman Sachs that investors can get exposure to now. Once a niche technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has moved firmly into the mainstream in 2023 and become too big to ignore, according to Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs15 AI stocks to add exposure to nowInvestors who are interested in profiting from the AI wave should consider the 15 stocks that were highlighted in Phani's note that have a buy rating from Goldman Sachs and are either directly advancing AI or are indirectly enabling it. Below are the 15 stocks tied to AI that Goldman Sachs is bullish on right now.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Phani Organizations: Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, Companies, Investors

☆ Supreme Court Sidesteps Ruling on Scope of Internet Liability Shield
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The court instead decided, in a companion case, that a different law, one allowing suits for “knowingly providing substantial assistance” to terrorists, generally did not apply to tech platforms in the first place, meaning that there was no need to decide whether the liability shield applied. The court’s unanimous decision in the second case, Twitter v. Taamneh, No. 21-1496, effectively resolved both cases and allowed the justices to duck difficult questions about the scope of the 1996 law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. In a brief, unsigned opinion in the case concerning YouTube, Gonzalez v. Google, No. 21-1333, the court said it would not “address the application of Section 230 to a complaint that appears to state little, if any, plausible claim for relief.” The court instead returned the case to the appeals court “to consider plaintiffs’ complaint in light of our decision in Twitter.”

The decision propelled Israel into a national crisis with massive protests that forced Netanyahu to delay the move on Monday. "We haven't taken a hands-off approach," said a senior administration official. Dennis Ross, a veteran U.S. peace negotiator between Israelis and Arabs, said the Biden administration had expressed its misgivings about Israel’s judicial proposals but had done so privately where possible. Halie Soifer, chief executive officer of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said the way the Biden administration has handled this crisis thus far is in keeping with Biden's commitment to the U.S.-Israel partnership. But, keeping a distance from Netanyahu, Biden has yet to invite him to visit the White House since the Israeli began his sixth term as prime minister in December.

☆ Parthenon Marbles return possible without ownership accord, campaigners say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - The return of the British Museum's Parthenon Marbles to Greece is possible even if the two sides cannot come to an agreement over who owns the sculptures, a campaign group working to resolve the long-standing dispute said on Sunday. Greece has asked for others to imitate the Vatican Museums after they agreed this month to return three 2,500-year-old pieces of the Parthenon. London and Athens are in talks over the Parthenon Sculptures held by the British Museum. The Parthenon Project, which has been backed by British politicians from different parties, said the British Museum's Parthenon collection could be returned to Greece under a long-term cultural partnership agreement. That would mean the arrangement sidesteps the requirement for a change in the law to allow the British Museum to dispose of its artefacts.

The local unit of Canada's Xebra Brands (XBRA.CD) is the first company to obtain permits to cultivate, process, produce and market cannabis in Mexico, according to a statement from the firm. In its statement, Xebra Brands said it faces no restrictions where it can grow cannabis in Mexico, the size of cultivation facilities or processing volumes. "This represents an important moment for cannabis globally," Xebra Brands CEO Jay Garnett said in the statement. In an interview with Reuters in late 2021, the firm's former president said regulatory authorizations would position Mexico as the industry's most important North American player. Xebra Brands added it is actively looking for farm land and a site to build an extraction facility to produce CBD-rich hemp derivatives.

☆ Debt ceiling fight threatens to deepen divide between GOP and corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Shannon Pettypiece | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

WASHINGTON — Corporate America’s warnings of a financial catastrophe if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling are falling on deaf ears among key congressional Republicans who find themselves increasingly at odds with the party's longtime allies. Republicans, who for decades closely aligned with the business community, have largely downplayed the alarm bells sounded by business groups, corporate CEOs and Wall Street investors over the economic consequences of missing an early June deadline for action on Capitol Hill. Instead, many GOP lawmakers vow to seek spending cuts in exchange for passing legislation that would let the U.S. government keep paying its bills. “The business groups and the major economic agents in this country are still going to be very influential by once again reminding Congress about the severe consequences the U.S. will face if the debt ceiling is not raised,” said the political consultant with corporate clients involved in the debt ceiling debate. “I think a lot of Republicans in the House, in the Senate, will understand that.

US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Republican of Louisiana, speaks alongside House Republican Conference Chair Representative Elise Stefanik (L), Republican of New York, as they speak during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, January 10, 2023. House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise sidestepped thorny questions Tuesday on whether Congress would allow the U.S. to default on its debt after lawmakers adopted new rules making it more difficult to raise federal limits. It includes the total amount of federal debt outstanding, about $24.5 trillion, as well as the nearly $6.9 trillion the government has borrowed from itself. "America over time occasionally hits the debt ceiling because it's like a credit card limit," Scalise, R-La., said at a press conference in the Capitol building. The last major rift over the debt ceiling was in late 2011, driven by holdout from a newly-elected Republican congressional majority.

“Your story will be different than ours.” Those are the final words of Sarah Polley’s film “Women Talking” and they succinctly sum up the film’s challenges, as well as its hopes. “Women Talking” starts after the otherworldly pretense has already exploded. Instead, most of “Women Talking” is, like the title says, women talking. Instead, most of “Women Talking” is, like the title says, women talking. “Women Talking” insists, though, that it’s worth doing.

☆ Morning Bid: Powell clears the decks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. Intended or not, investors clearly read Wednesday's keynote speech by the Federal Reserve chair as a green light for a yearend relief rally in beaten down assets. On the face of it, Fed chief Jerome Powell merely confirmed what most had already assumed - that the Fed would downshift the size of its interest rate rises to half a point next month. The upshot is that markets have dragged their implied peak Fed rate next year back below 5% and continue to price up to half a point of cuts by the end of 2023. Core PCE inflation numbers are due later and another barrage of Fed speakers to hold Powell's take up to the light.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Thursday sidestepped calls from pediatric groups who have been urging the government to declare a public health emergency in response to the surge in respiratory illnesses in children. As of Wednesday, 78% of pediatric hospital beds were full nationwide, with seven states reporting capacity levels above 90%, according to an NBC News analysis of data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Biden has encouraged people to get the flu shot and the updated Covid booster. “We’re already seeing a rise in the flu and RSV and other respiratory illnesses, especially among young children,” Biden said last month at the White House. We’ve made these updated vaccines easy to get and available for free at tens of thousands of convenient locations.”The Covid public health emergency, which has been extended several times since the pandemic first hit, is set to expire in January.

☆ Kremlin sidesteps question on possible Kherson withdrawal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Summary This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine. MOSCOW, Oct 21 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday sidestepped a question about whether or not President Vladimir Putin had given an order for Russian forces to withdraw from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred the question to Russia's defence ministry. In a conference call with reporters, when asked directly whether Putin had ordered a withdrawal, Peskov said: "This question concerns the conduct of the special military operation, I recommend you address it to the defence ministry." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Reuters; editing by Guy FaulconbridgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Laura Kelly, a Democrat, is fighting a tough re-election battle— the issue is almost nowhere to be seen. “What Kelly is doing makes perfect sense," said Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University in Topeka. “I think the abortion vote is possibly very instructive nationally, and for other states, but not for Kansas,” Beatty said. Doing so also allows Kelly and her campaign to avoid wading into the violent history surrounding abortion rights activism in the state. Still, at a debate between the two candidates at the Kansas State Fair earlier this month, Schmidt accused Kelly of supporting abortion “up until the moment of birth,” which is not accurate.

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