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In North Carolina, party activists are seeking to punish Republican Senator Thom Tillis for his support for same-sex marriage rights. North Carolina State Representative Mark Brody, who supports censuring Sen. Tillis, says it is better to address differences directly. Law, who served as a senior member of Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns in Nevada, and the county party did not respond to requests for comment. Although Tillis retains support among the party establishment, Jim Womack, a county party chair, says the Senator’s critics are gaining strength. “The North Carolina Republican party will eventually be decentralized to the point where the grassroots will actually run the party,” Womack said.

☆ U.S. manufacturers see big boost from government subsidies and tax breaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Timothy Aeppel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

While the Biden administration push, described by economists as an industrial policy, has opened opportunities for some companies, significant hurdles remain. Eight out of 12 Republican representatives in Ohio’s congressional delegation voted in favor of federal subsidies for semiconductor production, including the funds that will go to Intel. The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act provides $52.7 billion in federal subsidies for semiconductor production and research. Scott Lincicome, director of general economics at the libertarian Cato Institute, said industrial policy tends to crumble into failed projects and cost overruns. "There's all sorts of more market-oriented reforms that could achieve the type of objectives our political class wants, without the unintended consequences of industrial policy," he said.

While the Biden administration push, described by economists as an industrial policy, has opened opportunities for some companies, significant hurdles remain. The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act provides $52.7 billion in federal subsidies for semiconductor production and research. Industrial policy still has critics. Scott Lincicome, director of general economics at the libertarian Cato Institute, said industrial policy tends to crumble into failed projects and cost overruns. "There's all sorts of more market-oriented reforms that could achieve the type of objectives our political class wants, without the unintended consequences of industrial policy," he said.

☆ Far-right Republican groups surge in swing state Michigan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/6] Candidate for district party chair for Michigan Republican Party Jon Smith speaks with guests during a fundraiser in Hillsdale, Michigan, U.S., February 8, 2023. "What's going on in Michigan is a microcosm of what is going on with the Republican Party nationally," said Michael Traugott, a professor at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan. The judge declined to intervene, leaving it up to Michigan Republican Party officials to set the rules on delegate selection. The top two candidates for state party chair have both promoted conspiracy theories in support of Trump's false claims about voter fraud. "There's some people that are thinking this is the end of the Republican Party," he said.

House Freedom Caucus members, who want to shrink the role of government, are demanding reductions in government spending. The Freedom Caucus members also raised significant sums from larger donors and traditional political fundraising committees. Unlike other congressional caucuses, the House Freedom Caucus doesn't disclose its membership, a practice that began in 2015. While McCarthy has pledged that the government won't default, the Republicans' narrow 222-212 majority has given outsized power to the Freedom Caucus. 'I AIN'T LISTENING'Freedom Caucus members are among the most conservative members of Congress, according to their voting records.

☆ DeSantis seeks wins on guns, abortion before facing Trump in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Griffin also noted the support DeSantis' proposals receive from lawmakers. If DeSantis does enter the race for the Republican nomination, he will join a field still dominated by Trump. "We have articulated a vision for a free and prosperous state," DeSantis said at his second inauguration last month. In a brief interview, Collins called DeSantis’ support “a blessing.” He resisted the suggestion that the legislature was a rubber stamp for the governor. DeSantis' hard-right stance on issues such as guns and abortion risks alienating the suburban voters he eventually would need to win the presidency in 2024.

☆ Before facing Trump in 2024, DeSantis seeks wins on guns, abortion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/2] The remains of the Ninel Hotel, a hotel taken over by Russian security officials that was hit by the Ukrainian military on October 5, are seen in downtown Kherson, Ukraine November 17, 2022. Ukraine's SBU and Russia's FSB did not respond to requests for comment on Dollar’s account or other partisan operations. Pavlo Zaporozhets served in the Ukrainian army from 2014-17 and joined Ukraine's GUR military intelligence during the occupation of Kherson, Ladin said. While some details about the FSB account were true, Ladin said, the FSB falsely accused Zaporozhets of deliberately targeting civilians as well as the night patrol. Despite the liberation of Kherson, Dollar said he and Kosatka would continue aiding the resistance until Ukrainian troops recover Crimea, where the couple owns an apartment.

☆ 'Trump fatigue' in New Hampshire complicates 2024 White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

"Donald Trump right now is a distraction for the Republican Party in trying to go forward. Yet the willingness of Republican party members to criticize Trump in conversations with Reuters is striking. She worked on his New Hampshire primary campaign, knocked on doors for him, urged anybody she met to vote for him. Despite signs of weariness with Trump, he will still be a formidable candidate in the New Hampshire primary, some party strategists said. His influence is still fairly significant," said Jim Merrill, a veteran New Hampshire Republican strategist.

Fourteen of the top 30 advertisers on Twitter stopped all advertising on the platform after Musk took charge on October 27, according to the Pathmatics estimates. Pathmatics said the previously unreported figures on Twitter advertising are estimates. read moreThe Pathmatics estimates show continued upheaval in Twitter's main revenue stream heading into 2023, led by a pullback from top consumer brands. Among consumer brands, Heinz ketchup maker Kraft Heinz Co(KHC.O) and Stouffers meal manufacturer Nestle SA (NESN.S) stopped all advertising, according to the Pathmatics estimates. Financial technology provider SmartAsset and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) said Pathmatics estimates showing an increase in advertising were inaccurate.

Despite layoff announcements and signs of a slowdown elsewhere in the economy, the labor market for clean energy jobs remains tight. said Abigail Ross Hopper, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association trade group. The Biden Administration has repeatedly promised that new green energy jobs would be well-paying union jobs. Some solar companies have tried to recruit veterans, saying the skills learned in military life translate well to the industry. Utility scale solar developer SOLV Energy, SunPower and Nextracker last year teamed up with nonprofit Solar Energy International to fund a women-only training program for solar installers.

☆ Janet Yellen is staying put to oversee billions in climate spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is digging in to oversee billions of dollars in federal climate and infrastructure spending that she believes will transform the economy, close associates say, defying demands from Republicans to step down. Yellen told CNBC late last year that she was "in good company" in misjudging inflation, and that Biden's COVID spending plans were needed to boost the recovery. White House and Treasury officials say inflation was spurred by supply chain problems and exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but note that inflation is now easing and investments in manufacturing will reduce future supply chain log-jams. Treasury had no comment on the Republican concerns, but officials have previously said the department's policies are overdue and urgently needed. In addition to advancing Biden's domestic climate agenda, Treasury officials say another key priority for Yellen in 2023 will be advancing reforms of the World Bank and other multilateral lenders to free up more resources for countries to address climate change and other priorities.

☆ At CES 2023, Sony's 'Gran Turismo' flags new entertainment strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

It also represents a significant bridging of the divides between Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony PlayStation and Sony Music, according to a dozen current and former senior executives interviewed by Reuters. “I defined our identity as a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation on technology,” Sony chief executive Kenichiro Yoshida said. Sony’s “creative entertainment” company approach extends beyond content. A Sony-Honda electric vehicle, scheduled to reach consumers by 2026, is being framed as a rolling showcase of Sony’s entertainment, gaming and camera sensor prowess. This August will bring another test of Sony’s strategy when “Gran Turismo” hits theaters after languishing for 12 years.

Its elimination had led to increased concerns about the well-being of vulnerable users on Twitter. Eirliani Abdul Rahman, who had been on a recently dissolved Twitter content advisory group, said the disappearance of #ThereIsHelp was "extremely disconcerting and profoundly disturbing." AIDS United said a webpage that the Twitter feature linked to attracted about 70 views a day until Dec. 18. In one of its blog posts about the feature, Twitter had said it had responsibility to ensure users could "access and receive support on our service when they need it most." Musk has said he wants to combat child sexual abuse content on Twitter and has criticized the previous ownership's handling of the issue.

These psychiatric drugs are regulated by the federal government as controlled substances that have high potential for abuse and addiction but are not opioids. The impact on independent pharmacies' prescriptions of psychiatric drugs from the widening crackdown on opioids has not been previously reported. It is dedicated to mitigating the abuse of controlled substances without interfering in good-faith clinical decisions made by doctors, she said. "Pharmaceutical distributors must walk a legal and ethical tightrope between providing access to necessary medications and acting to prevent diversion of controlled substances," Esposito said in a written statement. The FDA, the HHS agency that administers the list of controlled substances, did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ In title bout, 'Chocolatito' fights for Nicaragua leader Daniel Ortega
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Drazen Jorgic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Two years later, the wealthy Coen family contracted Gonzalez to promote their Grupo Coen conglomerate in three world title fights in exchange for a house worth $150,000. Gonzalez's relationship with Grupo Coen also fractured. In 2019, he sued Grupo Coen after it refused to pay the boxer, claiming he didn't contest enough world title fights to fullfil his contract. This year, the courts awarded an extra $150,000 to Gonzalez against Grupo Coen, according to court documents seen by Reuters. Grupo Coen declined to comment.

☆ Some Retailers Are Learning to Love Bulked-Up Inventories
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Discount retailers Burlington Stores Inc. and TJX Cos. are among those happy to stock up as other merchants look to off-load goods. “Last year, our store inventories were just too lean going into the spring,” Mr. O’Sullivan said on a Nov. 22 call with analysts. The overall retail sector’s ratio of inventories to sales, a measure of how much companies have in stock compared with what they sell, remains tight by historical standards. The ratio for inventories to sales at those stores was 1.54 in September, up sharply from 1.39 in September 2019, according to Census Bureau figures. The company reported inventories rose 44% in the latest quarter compared with the same period a year earlier.

☆ Rare success for Alzheimer's research unlocks hope for future therapies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Eisai and Biogen are scheduled to present full data from their lecanemab study on Tuesday at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease conference in San Francisco. Lecanemab’s success rests on years of research into the causes of Alzheimer’s as well as advances in measuring amyloid deposits through brain scans and spinal fluids. At least 16 treatments are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected over the next three years, according to a Reuters review of the clinicaltrials.gov registry. The drugmaker has been largely absent from the Alzheimer's space after the high-profile failure of its drug verubecestat five years ago. But several antibody therapies from Lilly, Biogen and AbbVie(ABBV.N) that were designed to slow the rate of tau accumulations failed outright last year.

☆ Meet the Netflix exec who's leading its disruptive new ads business strategy — and could be CEO one day
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Peters is a longtime Netflix exec who's quietly led its expansion overseas and into gaming. And the executive tapped to lead the charge is chief operating officer Greg Peters, who's long been the company's go-to for new business ventures. Joining Netflix in 2008 as chief streaming and partnerships officer, Peters quickly stood out as a rising star. The ads tier could also help Netflix with its expansion overseas, where its results have been uneven so far, Mahaney said. Peters played a key role in getting Netflix's creative execs on board with the ads business, one Hollywood insider noted.

☆ Retailers’ Holiday Discounts Are Steeper This Year, CFOs Say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Some chief financial officers in the retail sector say markdowns are necessary to start the new year without the drag of excess stock on their shelves. Other CFOs say their companies view the promotional environment as an opportunity to attract more customers. Below is a roundup of retail CFOs’ remarks on this topic during recent earnings calls. All the surveys that we’ve seen would indicate that the value is going to be an important driver for the customer. Historically, we’ve managed a collection of four basic inventory levers: cancellations, [return-to-vendors], push outs and vendor allowances, or VAs.

[1/3] FILEPHOTO: Executive Chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger arrives at the world premiere for the film 'The King's Man' at Leicester Square in London, Britain December 6, 2021. In his 15 years as Disney chief executive, Iger postponed his retirement four times, sidelining would-be successors. read more Part of his mandate, according to Disney, is to work with the board to develop a successor to lead the company. Chapek was among a shortlist of internal candidates vying for Iger's job, according to a source familiar with discussions. Another seen as a top contender was Kevin Mayer, Disney's longtime head of strategic planning who had shepherded the successful launch of Disney+, according to sources.

One of the biggest makers of generic drugs, Israeli-based Teva said it aims eventually to secure a 10% global market share of biosimilars. A division of Novartis (NOVN.S), Sandoz is currently the second biggest player after Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) in the biosimilar market by gross sales globally, per IQVIA data, cited by Sandoz. Sandoz launched eight biosimilar drugs between 2017 and 2021, including a version of Bristol-Myers’ multiple myeloma drug Revlimid. The analysis projected the value of the global biosimilar market could more than triple to an estimated $74 billion by 2030. Sandoz and Teva are both working on biosimilars for Humira.

Although prominent election deniers in critical battleground states lost at the polls, their movement has had far-reaching impact. In reality, the livestream app suffered a glitch that caused the cameras to stop working, county officials said in a statement after investigating the blackout. IN ARIZONA, BOOSTING SECURITYIn Arizona's Maricopa County, election officials strengthened doors, added shatterproof film on windows and stationed a security guard in the ballot-counting room. In Georgia's Gwinnett County, which includes part of the greater Atlanta area, election officials held planning meetings with local law enforcement to beef up security, Elections Supervisor Zach Manifold told Reuters. The plan included keeping sheriff's officers on site for longer to ensure election staff felt safe, he said.

A recent multimillion-dollar transaction could show how Trump might get around that restriction. Many U.S. election law experts expect that MAGA Inc will spend money to support Trump's 2024 campaign, which he officially kicked off on Tuesday. "That's a gray area in the law that they might try to exploit," said Weiner, a former lawyer at the Federal Election Commission. If the FEC doesn't act on the Campaign Legal Center's request for a probe, the group could ask a judge to order the regulator to launch an investigation. A deadlock could lead to further court cases, potentially running out the clock before the 2024 election.

☆ Retailer TJX Names New CFO as Sales Decline
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | Colin Kellaher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Mr. Klinger, who joined TJX in 2000, currently serves as executive vice president and corporate controller. U.S. comparable-store sales, which exclude e-commerce sites, fell 2%, driven by a 16% drop in comparable sales for the U.S. homegoods business. For the 2023 fiscal year, TJX forecasts U.S. comparable-store sales to fall 1% to 2%. TJX in August projected a full year decline in U.S. same-store sales of 2% to 3%. This is because they’ve withheld key metrics such as the figures for comparable-store sales, since they weren’t meaningful as a result of store closures brought on by the pandemic, she said.

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