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☆ China wants to limit teens to using their phones for just an hour a day to fight rising 'internet addiction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Those between the ages of eight and 16 would be limited to using them for just one hour a day. China could restrict teenagers to using their phones for just one hour a day, under draft rules proposed by the country's cyberspace regulator. The Cyberspace Administration of China announced potential guidelines on Wednesday that include limits seeking to prevent "the problem of minors' internet addiction." That would also prevent children from using their phones between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., except for education products and emergency services. The CAC's proposed rules are currently open for public consultation.

Persons: it's, Tencent Organizations: Cyberspace Administration, China Locations: China

☆ China wants to limit teens to no more than two hours a day on their phones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Children under eight would be able to use their phones for only 40 minutes a day, while those between eight and 16 would get an hour of screen time. “On the other hand, it’s easier for us parents to control our kids screen time,” she said. China has one of the world’s largest internet user bases, with roughly 1.07 billion people in the country of 1.4 billion having access to the web, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. The regulation could be useful to “help parents to supervise the children” and limit screen time. Impact on tech firmsThe new measures could present challenges for tech companies, which are typically held responsible for enforcing regulations.

Persons: ”, “, Kuaishou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Cyberspace Administration, ”, Mobile, CNN, China Internet Network Information, Apple, Huawei Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, China’s Zhejiang, China’s Zhuhai, Weibo, lockstep

[1/5] Pope Francis attends a welcome ceremony at Parque Eduardo VII during his apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, August 3, 2023. The crowd, which police said numbered about half a million, was the largest in Lisbon since celebrations in 2016 when Portugal's men won the European soccer championships. Thursday's early evening event was the first of several with the pope for World Youth Day, a gathering that takes place every three years in a different city. One of the young people who addressed the pope before he spoke asked him "to put things right in the Church for a better future". He told the crowd the Church had room for everyone, "including those who make mistakes, who fall or struggle", and led them in a chant of "Todos, todos, todos!"

Persons: Pope Francis, Parque Eduardo VII, Portugal mobbed Pope Francis, Francis, Edward VII, Mariana Moreira, God, Philip Pullella, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Parque, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon, REUTERS LISBON, Barcelos

A billboard denounces children sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese Catholic church during the XXXVII World Youth Day celebrations in Lisbon, Portugal, August 2, 2023. REUTERS/Catarina DemonyLISBON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A huge billboard raising awareness of sexual abuse by clergymen was put up overnight in Lisbon, just hours before Pope Francis was due to arrive in the Portuguese capital for the world's largest gathering of young Catholics. The World Youth Day event was devised by the late Pope John Paul II for Catholics in their teens or early 20s and is held every two or three years in a different city. Lisbon Patriarch Manuel Clemente said on Monday the Portuguese church's commitment to tackle clergy sexual abuse was "total". Two other billboards were put up in the nearby municipalities of Loures and Oeiras, where events related to World Youth Day will also take place.

Persons: Catarina Demony LISBON, Pope Francis, Pope John Paul II, Francis, Almirante Reis, Manuel Clemente, Catarina Demony, David Latona, Alison Williams Organizations: Portuguese Catholic, REUTERS, Catholic Church, Thomson Locations: Portuguese, Lisbon, Portugal, Loures

☆ China issues draft guidelines to tighten limits on use of apps by minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Aug 2 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator said on Wednesday it has drafted guidelines to strengthen limits around use of apps, smart terminals and app stores by minors. The regulator set a deadline for public feedback on the guidelines on Sept. 2. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Liz Lee; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Liz Lee, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING

☆ China looks to limit children to two hours a day on their phones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Youngsters check mobile phones during a dinner time at a cafeteria in Shanghai, China September 3, 2021. Users aged 16 to 18 would be allowed two hours a day, children aged eight to 16 would get one hour while children under eight would be allowed just eight minutes. But the CAC said service providers should allow parents to opt out of the time limits for their youngsters. Xia Hailong, a lawyer at the Shanghai Shenlun law firm, said the rules would be a headache for the internet companies. The proposed rules come after signals from Beijing that a years-long regulatory crackdown on its technology industry has ended.

Persons: Aly, Hong Kong, Xia Hailong, ByteDance's, Josh Ye, Liz Lee, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Cyberspace Administration of China, CAC, HK, Tencent Holdings, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Hong, Hong Kong, Beijing

Francis was speaking in Lisbon at the start of a five-day visit to the country in which he hopes to energize young Catholics during World Youth Day, the world's largest Catholic festival. The Vatican added the victims were accompanied by some representatives of institutions of the Portuguese Church responsible for the protection of minors. YOUNG CATHOLICS CONVERGE ON LISBONThe pope landed in Lisbon to a sea of young Catholics who have poured into the city from around the globe for the World Youth Day festival, held every two or three years in a different city. In Lisbon, young believers jumped and sang as they proudly waved their country's flag outside the Vatican embassy, where the pope is residing. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneWorld Youth Day "is a sign of faith and union in which all of us get together for a cause," said 20-year-old Carlos Hernandez.

Persons: Pope, Francis, Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Carlos Hernandez, Australian Andrew De Santos, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Philip Pullella, Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Alison Williams, Conor Humphries, Grant McCool Organizations: Catholic, Wednesday, Catholic Church, Vatican, Bishops, Conference, Cultural, Belem, REUTERS, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Portugal, LISBON, Lisbon, Portuguese, Vatican, Australian, Brazil, Rome, Ukraine, Europe

[1/8] Pope Francis speaks as he meets with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps in the Cultural Centre of Belem during his apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, August 2, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneLISBON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis promised on Wednesday to continue to "stir things up" in the Catholic Church as he moves on with reforms and changes that could leave a lasting legacy. The 86-year-old pope is making his first trip since intestinal surgery in June and uses a wheelchair and cane. A huge billboard raising awareness of clerical sexual abuse was put up overnight in Lisbon hours before Francis' arrival. Francis will also visit Fatima, the town north of Lisbon where the Church believes that the Virgin Mary appeared to three poor shepherd children in 1917.

Persons: Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane LISBON, Francis, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Filipa Almeida, Almeida, Coracao Silenciado, Fatima, Virgin Mary, Philip Pullella, Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Alexandra Hudson, Alison Williams Organizations: Cultural, Belem, REUTERS, Catholic Church, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon, Rome, Brazil, Ukraine, Europe, Western

☆ Homer-happy Braves aim for series win over Angels
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Braves hit three more homers on Tuesday in a 5-1 win that evened the series. "It's kind of the key to our success is that everybody is contributing, and they have to a man, so it's been really good. The Braves' homers on Tuesday all came from the bottom third of the batting order. "The bottom third of our lineup has been really good, and they put a lot of pressure on the opposition. "I felt relatively sharp, throwing a lot of strikes, but they hammered my mistakes pretty good," Giolito said.

Persons: Michael Harris II, Travis d'Arnaud, Brian Snitker, it's, Eddie Rosario, Orlando Arcia, Harris, That's, Snitker, Yonny, Los Angeles, Lucas Giolito, Giolito, Chirinos, Angels . Los Angeles, Mickey Moniak, C.J . Cron, Mike Moustakas, Jordyn Adams, Adams Organizations: Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Braves, Angels, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, White Sox, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Angels ., C.J, Colorado Rockies, Triple, Thomson Locations: Atlanta, Los, Angels . Los

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: SolarEdge Technologies, Humana, Starbucks, Robinhood and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

SolarEdge Technologies — The solar stock tumbled about 19% after the company reported $991 million in revenue, missing analysts' estimates of $992 million, according to Refinitiv. CVS Health — The retail pharmacy stock gained 4% during midday trading Wednesday after the company posted strong earnings and revenue for the second quarter. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.29, topping the $1.10 expected from analysts polled by StreetAccount. Starbucks' adjusted earnings per share for the fiscal third quarter was $1, versus the 95 cents expected by analysts, per Refinitiv. Chinese tech stocks — Shares of Chinese technology stocks dropped after regulators in China proposed limits on smartphone use for minors.

Persons: SolarEdge, Norwegian's, Emerson Electric's, Pinterest, Generac, Freshworks, Genuity, Robinhood, CNBC's Hakyung Kim, Pia Singh, Alex Harring Organizations: SolarEdge Technologies, CVS Health, CVS, Wall Street, Cruise, Susquehanna, Emerson, StreetAccount, Revenue, Wall, FactSet's, Starbucks, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Scotts Miracle, Gro, Scotts, JD.com, Baidu, Tencent Locations: Refinitiv, China

The new campaign by the group working to pass the August measure, called Protect Women Ohio, includes a $4.5 million expenditure on two new 30-second television ads, as well as $1 million on statewide radio and digital ads. The ads continue a strategy by the group to tie the Aug. 8 measure, as well as a November ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, to parental rights restrictions. Protect Women Ohio’s ads and statements also argue that the presence of ACLU of Ohio in the pro-amendment coalition is evidence of a push beyond abortion rights. The group has also, so far, committed $25 million for ads to oppose the November ballot measure. If voters pass the threshold measure in August, then the proposed abortion rights amendment in November would need 60% support from voters to pass.

Persons: ”, Hunter, ” Hunter, Vivina Napier, you’ll, ” Napier Organizations: Protect, NBC News, Reproductive, Ohio Constitution Locations: Ohio, Women Ohio

☆ Migration through Panama's perilous Darien Gap hits all-time high
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Elida Moreno | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PANAMA CITY, July 31 (Reuters) - The number of people crossing the treacherous Darien Gap linking Panama and Colombia hit an all-time high in the first seven months of the year, figures released on Monday showed, with July seeing a sharp jump despite recent efforts to curb the trend. Official data showed 248,901 people walked through the jungle area between January and July, already surpassing the record of 248,284 recorded for the whole of 2022, with most aiming to reach the United States, according to data from Panama's Security Ministry. Entries to Panama from Colombia through the jungle region have continued to rise despite a two-month program launched in April by the United States, Panama and Colombia to tackle undocumented immigration. The flow of migrants has skyrocketed from previous years, despite the start of the rainy season, Panama's Security Minister Juan Pino said earlier this month. Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Juan Pino, Maria Saravia, Elida Moreno, Valentine Hilaire, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: PANAMA CITY, Panama's Security, Panama's, United Nations, Thomson Locations: PANAMA, Panama, Colombia, United States, Venezuela, Haiti, Ecuador

[1/5] Cookies with Pope Francis images are seen in a bakery ahead of his apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Pedro NunesLISBON, July 31 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world have descended on Portugal to welcome Pope Francis when he arrives on Wednesday to close a jamboree dubbed "the Catholic Woodstock". World Youth Day, an event devised by the late Pope John Paul to form young Catholics in their teens or early 20s, is held every two or three years in a different city. PROBABLE MEETING WITH ABUSE VICTIMSThe group is planning to put up big outdoor signs to raise awareness about clergy sexual abuse. Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Monday called it "the biggest international event" Portugal has ever hosted.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pedro Nunes LISBON, Pope John Paul, Francis, Lisbon's Martim Moniz, Manuel Clemente, Matteo Bruni, Antonio Costa, Madonna, Philip Pullella, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Woodstock, Vatican, Lisbon's Parque Tejo, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon, Lisbon's, Fatima, Rome

☆ Juul seeks authorization on a new vape it says can verify a user’s age. Here’s how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Nadia Bidarian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —E-cigarette company Juul Labs is seeking US authorization to sell a “next-generation” vape with age verification capabilities in the United States. If authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration, Juul Labs hasn’t yet decided on the name to market their new product in the US. Courtesy JuulAdvertising itself as an alternative nicotine product, Juul publicly advises that adults vape only as a replacement for combustible cigarettes. In total, Juul Labs has agreed to pay more than $1 billion in its various legal settlements. Even with limited flavors, the FDA banned Juul products in the US last year after reviewing Juul’s applications seeking marketing authorization for their devices.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Joe Murillo, it’s, Juul, Robin Koval, vaping, ” Koval, Kirk Phelps Organizations: CNN, FDA, US Food and Drug Administration, Juul Labs, Truth Initiative, Tobacco Survey, Labs, Canada, Tobacco, Virginia, Centers for Disease Control Locations: United States, Canada, Washington, DC, Virginia

☆ Paul Reubens, actor best known as Pee-wee Herman, dies at 70
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Austin Mullen | David K. Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Actor Paul Reubens arrives as a guest for Comedy Central television's South Park The Tenth Season party in Los Angeles September 21, 2006. Actor Paul Reubens, who came to fame in the 1980s as children's TV star Pee-wee Herman, has died years after a cancer diagnosis, his team said Monday. Reubens rocketed to fame for creating the sarcastic but good-natured man-child Pee-wee Herman, a character whose red bowtie and sneering catch phrases — "I know you are, but what am I?" That eventually led to Reubens' big break, the 1985 movie "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," helmed by first-time feature film director Tim Burton. The success of "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" led to Reubens landing a Saturday morning CBS show, "Pee-wee's Playhouse."

Persons: Paul Reubens, Herman, Paul, Reubens, I've, Tim Burton, Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Jimmy Kimmel Organizations: Comedy Central, Facebook, HBO, CBS, wee's Locations: Los Angeles, American, Sarasota Florida

☆ The Biden administration just announced plans to crack down on more than 4,400 new cases of child labor in the US since October
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Department of Labor is heightening enforcement of child labor laws through new partnerships and tactics. On Thursday, the Department of Labor announced it would take more measures to crack down on illegal child labor nationally, including heightening enforcement of child labor laws through new tactics and partnering with other agencies and foreign governments. "Like the President, we believe that any child working in a dangerous or hazardous environment is one child too many." This comes after the department's February 2023 announcement of the Interagency Task Force to Combat Child Labor Exploitation, created in response to a 69% increase in illegal child labor findings from 2018 to 2022. Sixteen more McDonald's franchise locations in Louisiana and Texas were found in violation of child labor laws last week, impacting 83 minors.

Persons: Biden, Labor Julie Su Organizations: of Labor, Service, Department of Labor, Labor, Department of Health, Human Services, Refugee Resettlement, The Department of Labor, Housing, Urban Development, Transportation, US Small Business Administration, Commission, The Labor, State, Department of Education, Interagency, Force, Combat, The Locations: Wall, Silicon, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Minnesota, Kentucky , Indiana , Maryland, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri , Ohio, South Dakota

☆ An AI image generator making NSFW content is pumping out 500,000 pics a day, CEO says — but AI porn is a murky business
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Will Gendron | Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Unstable Diffusion is an AI image generator with minimal content restrictions. That's what Chaudhry did when starting Unstable Diffusion in August 2022, the same month Stable Diffusion was released to the public. The community launched a Kickstarter campaign in December to raise money to build its image generator, but was removed from the platform 12 days later. At the time, experts told Insider that being featured in non-consensual deepfake porn can be traumatic and considered abuse. TechCrunch was able to use the generator to create images that produced look-alikes of Donald Trump and Chris Hemsworth, for example.

Persons: Arman Chaudhry, Chaudhry, TechCrunch, Donald Trump, Chris Hemsworth, Dan Hendrycks, Gavin Newsom Organizations: TechCrunch, Center, AI Safety, Google Locations: Atrioc, California

☆ A teacher said she was fired from a Texas school after 20 years and 'treated like a criminal' for attending a drag show
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Texas teacher said the Christian school where she worked fired her after she went to a drag show. Maris told ABC 13 that the school treated her and the other teacher "like criminals." "They're entertainers," Maris told the outlet. Drag shows and trans people have been targeted through legislation across the country in states like Tennessee, which banned gender-affirming care for minors and put strict limits on drag shows that a federal judge later found "unconstitutionally vague." Critics say that the law is intended to target drag shows and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Persons: Kristi Maris, Maris, Hamburger, Hamburger Mary's, Kristi, Nanci, Houston, Greg Abbott Organizations: Service, Mary's, First Baptist Academy, ABC, Facebook, Baptist Christian Academy, Gov, The Texas Tribune Locations: Texas, Wall, Silicon, Houston, Baytown , Texas, Tennessee

UTMAs/UGMAs accounts are taxable custodial accounts set up by parents or guardians for the benefit of a minor. Unlike 529 plan accounts, which are specifically for college savings and higher-education expenses, UTMA/UGMA accounts offer more flexibility. UTMA UGMA Custodial account ✓ ✓ Flexible spending ✓ ✓ Kiddie tax ✓ ✓ Available in all US states x ✓ Allows real assets ✓ xYou can open a UGMA in all US statesUGMAs are available in all 50 US states, but you can't open a UTMA in South Carolina or Vermont. You can put real assets into a UTMAThe main difference between UGMA and UTMA accounts is that UGMA's are limited. UGMA accounts do allow the following properties:CashStocksBondsMutual fundsOther financial productsOnly UTMA accounts allow real assets like real estate and cars.

Persons: Dexter Wyckoff, UTMA, Wyckoff, doesn't, it's, you'll Organizations: Service, Northwestern Mutual Locations: Wall, Silicon, South Carolina, Vermont

☆ Labor Department Decries Surge in Exploited Migrant Children
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Hannah Dreier | More About Hannah Dreier | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Labor Department on Thursday decried a national surge in child labor, saying that the agency’s inspectors had found thousands of violations and were investigating a slaughterhouse where a 16-year-old boy from Guatemala was killed this month. The update followed a hearing on Wednesday in which lawmakers from both parties accused the Health and Human Services secretary, Xavier Becerra, of failing to protect migrant children from exploitation. “There are some terrible things that are wrong,” Representative Anna G. Eshoo, a Democrat from California, told him. secretary, the buck stops with you.”Some 300,000 minors have come to this country alone since 2021, fueling a dramatic increase in migrant child labor. In an online report, the Labor Department announced an 87 percent increase in fines on employers in recent months.

Persons: Xavier Becerra, Anna G, “ Organizations: Labor Department, Human Services Locations: Guatemala, California

☆ Billionaire investor Leon Black is accused of raping teen in Jeffrey Epstein’s NY townhouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —A woman is suing the billionaire investor Leon Black, accusing him of raping her at Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse when she was 16 years old. The lawsuit describes in gruesome detail the woman’s account of a sexual assault that left her bleeding and sobbing. A spokesman for Black, Whit Clay, echoed Estrich’s denial, saying the law firm “has an agenda” and that its credibility has been impugned by the dismissal of the previous suit. An internal Apollo investigation that documented his $158 million payment to Epstein found no wrongdoing. The latest suit is the third to publicly accuse Black of rape.

Persons: New York CNN —, Leon Black, Jeffrey, Jane Doe, ”, Black, Susan Estrich, ” Estrich, Whit Clay, “, Jeanne M, Christensen, ” Black, Epstein, Cheri Pierson, ” Epstein, Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Sen, Ron Wyden, ” Black’s, Doe, — CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald, Ramishah Maruf Organizations: New, New York CNN, Apollo Global Management, New York Times, Street, CNN, Finance Locations: New York, Manhattan, New York City

July 27 (Reuters) - A lawsuit filed on Thursday by former Michigan State University athletes victimized by Larry Nassar alleges that its trustees voted in secret to withhold thousands of documents related to the disgraced team doctor in violation of state law. The lawsuit asked the Ingham County Circuit Court to require the board to vote publicly on whether to release the documents or keep them confidential. MSU, Nassar's former employer, previously agreed to a near $500 million settlement with the hundreds of women who were sexually abused by Nassar. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, with whom Nassar also worked as a team doctor, reached a $380 million settlement. Earlier this month, Nassar was stabbed multiple times by another inmate in prison and was in stable condition.

Persons: Larry Nassar, Azzam, Elder, Nassar, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, unflinchingly, Kanishka Singh, Frank McGruty, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Michigan State University, MSU, U.S, Olympic, Paralympic, Thomson Locations: Ingham, Washington

☆ Publishers, booksellers sue Texas over public school book ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 26 (Reuters) - A coalition of booksellers, authors and publishers has sued Texas seeking to block a new state law that bans "sexually explicit" books from public schools. Vendors that do not participate will be barred from selling any books to Texas schools. Any books rated explicit cannot be sold to public schools and must be recalled from libraries. Republican Governor Greg Abbott has said the Texas law protects children, declaring that it "gets that trash out of our schools" when he signed it in June. In May, the writers' group PEN America and others sued a Florida school district for banning books dealing with LGBTQ and race issues.

Persons: Greg Abbott, Joseph Ax, Colleen Jenkins, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Republican, Texas Education Agency, PEN America, American Library Association, Thomson Locations: Texas, Austin, Florida, Arkansas

☆ Billionaire Leon Black made a $158 million payment to Jeffrey Epstein. Senators want to know why
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The Senate Finance Committee is looking into whether billionaire investor Leon Black’s $158 million payment to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was part of a greater strategy to avoid paying over $1 billion in federal gift and estate taxes. “The payments were inexplicably large; well in excess of what Black paid any other financial advisors and far higher than the median compensation of Fortune 500 CEOs at the time,” Wyden said in a statement released Tuesday. “At every stage of the committee’s investigation, Black has refused to answer questions or provide any documents that could demonstrate how Epstein’s compensation for tax and estate planning services was determined or justified,” Wyden said in the statement. Black has cooperated extensively with the Committee, providing detailed information about the matters under review,” Whit Clay, a spokesman for Black, said in a statement to CNN. An internal Apollo investigation that documented his $158 million payment to Epstein following the New York Times’ reporting, however, found no wrongdoing.

Persons: Leon Black’s, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Ron Wyden, Wyden, Dechert, ” Wyden, “, Black, Mr, Whit Clay, ” Epstein, Dechert didn’t, Joanna Rose, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Finance, Apollo Global Management, Oregon Democrat, Dechert LLP, Apollo, Fortune, CNN, New York Times Locations: New York

☆ Macron’s Lesson After Riots? France Needs Order ‘at Every Level’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | More About Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But his plan for normalcy was overshadowed by violent rioting this month after the fatal police shooting of a teenager. “The lesson I’ve drawn is, first, order, order, order,” Mr. Macron told the TF1 and France 2 television channels from New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific — the first of several stops on a trip to Oceania this week. The officer who fired the fatal shot has been charged with voluntary homicide and detained. Thousands of cars were burned and hundreds of buildings were damaged, including schools, police stations and town halls. The unrest lasted less than a week but was rooted in deeply seated anger and mistrust toward the police in France’s poorer, minority-dominated urban enclaves.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Mr, Macron, Macron’s, Nahel Merzouk Organizations: TF1, Pacific Locations: France, New Caledonia, Oceania, French, North, Paris

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