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REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoJan 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has blocked a California law that sought to penalize doctors who spread "misinformation or disinformation" about COVID-19 while he considers a pair lawsuits challenging it on free speech grounds. "At no point has the State of California been able to articulate the line between permissible and impermissible speech." Under AB 2098, doctors can be disciplined for spreading misinformation about COVID, defined as "false information that is contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care." They said that doctors who give harmful advice to patients are already subject to malpractice lawsuits and discipline under existing state law. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A former Fox News staffer said Roger Ailes told her she was his 'sex slave' and took videos of the abuse to use as 'blackmail,' but the network would dismiss claims with 'boys will be boys,' lawsuit s
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Luhn filed a lawsuit on Wednesday alleging Fox News enabled and covered up the abuse. In a statement to Insider, Fox called the allegations against the network "meritless." The lawsuit named Fox News, Twenty-First Century Fox, and William Shine, a former Fox News executive who also had a brief stint in the Trump White House. The sexual abuse that she suffered while working at Fox News was some of the worst imaginable. "New York's Adult Survivors Act recognizes the lifelong trauma that sexual abuse victims can suffer.

☆ UK's Hunt pledges to boost growth but won't budge on tax hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves his house in London, Britain, November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleLONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt will promise on Friday to tackle the country's weak productivity with post-Brexit finance reforms to boost growth, but he will also stick to the tax rises that have angered some lawmakers in his Conservative Party. Hunt, who steadied financial markets after the turmoil of former Prime Minister Liz Truss' "mini-budget" in September last year, is preparing to announce a plan for growth in a budget statement in March. The Telegraph newspaper said Hunt would reject calls from some Conservative lawmakers to bring forward tax cuts as a way to spur growth. Earlier on Thursday, Hunt told fellow ministers that he had to stick to the fiscal discipline he outlined in November in order to help reduce inflation which is running above 10%, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office.

☆ UK factories cut prices, helping BoE's inflation fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Output prices fell by 0.8% in December from November, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had expected producer output prices to rise by 0.3% on a monthly basis, and for input prices to fall by 0.6% month-on-month. Britain's main inflation measure - the consumer prices index - fell in November and December but at 10.5% it is more than five times the BoE's target. The ONS producer price inflation data for November and December was published later than unusual after the statistics office detected problems with the prices data it uses. In November, output prices fell by a monthly 0.1% and rose by an annual 16.2% while input prices in November fell by 0.2% and rose by 18.0% respectively, the ONS said.

☆ Drop in business activity flags UK recession risk - flash PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fall contrasted with a slight rise in business activity in the euro zone. "Weaker-than-expected PMI numbers in January underscore the risk of the UK slipping into recession," S&P Global's Chief Business Economist, Chris Williamson, said. However, a widely expected fall in output this year will weigh on the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) as it considers how much further to raise interest rates on Feb. 2. Tuesday's PMI data showed that prices charged by businesses rose at the slowest rate since August 2021, although the increase was still steep by historic standards. Businesses cut a small number of jobs, in contrast to the rapid hiring through much of 2021 and 2022.

☆ UK employers urge Sunak to act urgently on growth reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Confederation of British Industry Director-General Tony Danker praised Sunak for defusing the mini-budget crisis of former leader Liz Truss last year but said he was not matching the growth reforms of the United States and the European Union. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce pro-growth measures in a budget statement in March. But Danker feared the government might temper its reforms as an election, expected in 2024, approaches. Those reforms should include big changes to welfare and childcare to get people back into work, even if they put further strain on Britain's already stretched public finances. Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Stalin' said he disagreed with Putin's invasion of Ukraine. We 'spoke' to dead historical figures using a new AI chatbot that experts are sounding the alarm over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Bethany Dawson | Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Insider "spoke" to bots acting as Princess Diana, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Stalin, and Fred Trump. AI 'Fred Trump,' Donald Trump's father, isn't impressed with his son's politics. But AI Fred Trump "said" that he's "very proud" of his son, describing him as a "successful businessperson" and an "amazing father." An AI chatbot acting as Fred Trump, Donald Trump's father. AI Stalin called for the two countries to "find a peaceful solution."

☆ UK's National Grid asks for 3 coal generators to be warmed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies National Grid PLC FollowLONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Britain's National Grid (NG.L) said on Sunday it had asked for three coal-powered generators to be warmed up in case they are needed as the country faces a snap of cold weather. "This notification is not confirmation that these units will be used on Monday, but that they will be available to the ESO (Electricity System Operator), if required," National Grid said. Coal-powered generators were last put on stand-by in December when temperatures dropped and demand for energy rose, but they were not needed on that occasion. Reporting by William Schomberg Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK's National Grid to pay people to use less power amid cold snap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Phil NobleCompanies National Grid PLC FollowLONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Britain's National Grid (NG.L) said it would pay customers to use less power on Monday evening and that it had asked for three coal-powered generators to be warmed up in case they are needed as the country faces a snap of cold weather. The group said that it would activate a new scheme called the Demand Flexibility Service where customers get incentives if they agree to use less power during crunch periods. "This does not mean electricity supplies are at risk and people should not be worried," the National Grid said. The announcement about the coal-powered generators did not mean they would definitely be used, it said in a separate statement. Coal-powered generators were last put on stand-by in December when temperatures dropped and demand for energy rose, but they were not needed on that occasion.

☆ UK shoppers cut back on spending as inflation takes its toll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Inflation-pinched British shoppers unexpectedly cut their spending in December, official data showed on Friday, dashing hopes for a Christmas shopping boost for the country's flagging retail sector. Retail sales volumes fell by 1% in December from November, the Office for National Statistics said. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a 0.5% monthly rise in sales in the key Christmas month. "Retail sales dropped again in December with feedback suggesting consumers cut back on their Christmas shopping due to affordability concerns," Heather Bovill, the ONS's deputy director for surveys and economic indicators, said. In terms of value, spending was down by a month-on-month 1.2% from November.

Emergency room visits related to three of the most disruptive viruses — the flu, respiratory syncytial virus and Covid — are falling nationwide. "We were really curious to see what this year would look like" following several years of almost no flu, Thomas said. Flu hospitalizations for very young children in Tennessee have already reached peak levels seen in other bad flu seasons, at 12.6 per 100,000, the new study found. While most flu cases so far have been A strains of the virus, B strains tend to pop up by spring. "I do suspect that we will have more bumps in the road this respiratory viral season," Passaretti said.

☆ UK lenders expect further widening of mortgage spreads: BoE
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - British lenders surveyed in late November and early December predicted a further widening in mortgage lending spreads in the three months to the end of February, according to a Bank of England survey released on Thursday. The BoE's quarterly Credit Conditions Survey also showed lenders expected the availability of mortgages, consumer loans and corporate credit to decrease in the December-February period, and for loan defaults to rise. The BoE conducted the survey between Nov. 21 and Dec. 9. Reporting by David Milliken Editing by William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ BoE's Bailey sees more optimism about inflation falling
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said there was now more optimism about the prospects for inflation falling this year, and noted that the central bank had not pushed back against market expectations for interest rates to peak at 4.5%. Asked about the outlook for inflation by Wales's Western Mail newspaper, Bailey said: "There is more optimism now that we are sort of going to get through the next year with an easier path there." Bailey said the central bank did not target a peak for interest rates, but noted that markets were now expecting BoE rates to rise no higher than around 4.5%, lower than before. In November, the BoE forecast inflation would fall to 5.2% by late 2023, and the Western Mail said Bailey was sticking to that view. Bailey also said he continued to expect Britain would see a recession, albeit "a shallow one by historic standards".

☆ Venezuelans describe dangers and desperation amid U.S. asylum changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Albinson Linares | Noticias Telemundo | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

MEXICO CITY — Mariantonela Orellana spent nine days in the dangerous Darien Gap jungle in the Colombia-Panama border, and she described her nightmarish ordeal. Now back in Mexico, migrants wrestle with whether to try to stay in Mexico, keep trying to seek asylum in the U.S. or return to Venezuela. According to Department of Homeland Security data, the flow of Venezuelan migrants to the U.S. increased by almost four times compared to the year prior. Mexican authorities approved 61% of asylum applications from January to November, including at least 90% of approvals for Hondurans and Venezuelans. “I left Venezuela because the discrimination against the LGBT community is terrible; we are trampled on and attacked every day.

The closing arguments on Wednesday marked the end of the second major seditious conspiracy trial stemming from the attack. The Oath Keeper members are accused of conspiring to block Congress from certifying Biden's election victory. Seditious conspiracy is a rarely prosecuted Civil War-era statute that carries up to 20 years in prison if convicted. In November, a jury convicted Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and a Florida chapter leader of seditious conspiracy, but acquitted three other Oath Keeper defendants of the charge. All five Oath Keepers in that case, however, were convicted of obstructing Congress from certifying the electoral votes - a charge that can also carry up to 20 years.

☆ How implicit bias corrupts economic data: AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Lindsey Jacobson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow implicit bias corrupts economic data: AFL-CIO Chief Economist William SpriggsAn economic slow down may hit the black labor force first, although AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs said traditional economic indicators may not show it. Watch the video to find out why.

But mainstream economic data doesn't always reflect the struggle, according to William Spriggs, Howard University economics professor and chief economist for the AFL-CIO. Throughout the last year, employers claimed they were struggling to staff properly, citing a lack of workers. But as the workforce picked up, employers weren't actually hiring, Spriggs said. Specifically, he said, they weren't hiring Black workers. Watch the video to learn more about how implicit bias corrupts economic data and therefore our understanding of the current labor landscape.

☆ UK pay growth speeds up again as BoE frets about inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Economists polled by Reuters had expected total pay and the ex-bonuses measure to rise by 6.2% and 6.3% respectively. The Bank of England is worried that the acceleration in pay growth will make Britain's high inflation rate - currently running above 10% - harder to bring down. Financial markets were mostly pricing in a half percentage-point hike in Bank Rate to 4.0% on Feb. 2 but they pointed to a more than one-in-three chance of a smaller 25 basis-point increase. Sterling rose after Tuesday's data and was up by 0.1% on the day against the U.S. dollar and the euro. Private-sector total pay rose by an annual 7.1% in the three months to November compared with 3.3% in the public sector, the ONS said.

LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Britain's proposed changes to capital rules for insurers could lead to the government having to bail out policyholders, as happened 20 years ago after the near-collapse of life assurance company Equitable Life, the Bank of England said on Monday. "I will mention Equitable Life ... it can happen," Bailey added . Equitable Life, established in 1762, closed to new customers in 2000 and almost collapsed after making unsustainable guarantees to policyholders. The government, however, had made its decision on insurance reform and there was a need to move forward now, Woods said. The BoE wanted to be "very closely engaged" on the detail of those reforms, Woods said.

☆ Asking prices for UK homes rise after "mini-budget" shock, Rightmove says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Asking prices for British homes rose for the first time in two months as the housing market showed signs of calming after the turmoil triggered by former prime minister Liz Truss's "mini-budget", property website Rightmove (RMV.L) said on Monday. Asking prices for residential properties increased by 0.9%, or 3,301 pounds ($4,032.50) in the Dec. 4-Jan. 7 period from a month earlier, after a 2.1% fall over the previous month, Rightmove said. However, average asking prices were still 2% below their October 2022 peak. Two- and five-year fixed rates have fallen for a second month to 5.8% and 5.6% respectively, according to data from website Moneyfacts. In annual terms, property prices rose 6.3% in January, up from a rise of 5.6% the month before.

☆ Apple and Google are both at their biggest risk of disruption in over a decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Matt Weinberger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This year, Apple and Google will both face their first real tests in a very long time. Apple could finally open its walled garden, potentially disrupting the App Store juggernaut. Google has spent the last decade-plus guarding its advertising business; Apple has built as many moats around its all-important iPhone business as possible, happily collecting App Store fees and Apple Music subscriptions. Let's look at how this is finally the year that Apple and Google will face their most meaningful competition yet. If the App Store opens up and the iPhone doesn't become a toxic hellstew, perhaps Apple will reconsider its approach.

☆ Prince Harry's William resentment makes 'Spare' a royal tragedy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Vicky Ward | Vicky Ward Is The Author Of | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“I was twenty the first time I heard the story of what Pa allegedly said to Mummy the day of my birth,” Harry writes. So, too, despite all Harry’s resentment, seems to be his brother. William stays by Harry’s side the night before Harry’s wedding, only leaving to stay the night with Kate and his kids. But on this topic, Harry’ resentment gets the better of him. They’ll read “Spare” and see that, personalities aside, the chief culprit for Harry’s lifelong resentment is the unfortunate law of primogeniture.

☆ Hunter Biden and News Suppression
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Holman W. Jenkins Jr. is a member of the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Jenkins joined the Journal in May 1992 as a writer for the editorial page in New York. In February 1994, he moved to Hong Kong as editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal's editorial page. Mr. Jenkins won a 1997 Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business and financial coverage. Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Jenkins received a bachelor's degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

☆ Pessimism among UK consumers perks up as inflation peaks - poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - British consumers turned a little bit less pessimistic in December as inflation started to fall back from historic highs, a survey published on Thursday showed. Polling firm YouGov and consultancy Cebr said their overall consumer confidence index rose by 1 point from November although at 95.9 it remained stuck in negative territory. The survey showed consumers were worried about the loss of value of their homes but they were more confident about the outlook for their finances. Britain's inflation rate hit a 41-year high of 11.1% in October but eased off to 10.7% in November. A separate survey of consumer confidence conducted by polling firm GfK last month also showed a slight increase in optimism in December but figures published earlier this week showed consumer spending lagged inflation.

☆ Mpox has faded in the U.S. Who deserves the credit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Today, reports of new cases are down to a trickle in the U.S. Health officials are shutting down emergency mobilizations. “It’s really impressive how that peak has come down to very, very low levels.”So who deserves the credit? Mpox cases began emerging in Europe and the U.S. in May, mostly among men who have sex with men. In early August, U.S. health officials decided to stretch the limited supply by giving people just one-fifth the usual dose. “The monkeypox virus essentially loses steam after a couple of rounds in humans,” Morse said.

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