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☆ FTC says Meta should be barred from monetizing data from younger users
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The FTC said Meta should be banned from monetizing data it collects from younger users. In a statement on Wednesday, Meta spokesman Andy Stone called the FTC proposal “a political stunt” and vowed to contest the effort. Meta had allowed personal information to leak to apps that users of the platform were no longer using, the FTC alleged. That data sharing, the FTC claimed, contrasted with Meta’s public statements about how it cuts off a third-party app’s access to Facebook users’ information if the users stop using the third-party app for 90 days. In a statement, Bedoya said he was skeptical whether there was enough of a connection between Meta’s alleged harms and the proposed remedies to legally sustain a complete ban on monetizing the data of young users.

CNN —Venezuela’s former opposition leader Juan Guaidó is visiting Washington this week, where he hopes to meet with the Biden administration, he told reporters on Tuesday during a surprise appearance at the Washington Conference on the Americas. Asked if he sought political asylum in the US, he said, “I am currently visiting. Guaidó landed in Miami the following day, after accusing Colombia of forcing him out of the country – a claim Colombian officials refuted. “We also hope to meet with the Biden administration – obviously it’s a critical moment for the region, especially Venezuela, a moment in which we are pressing to achieve a free election,” he said. The Biden administration loosened some sanctions against the Maduro government in 2022, and last November, it granted Chevron limited authorization to resume pumping oil from Venezuela.

☆ Barcelona stunned by Rayo Vallecano in surprise 2-1 defeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, April 26 (Reuters) - Barcelona wasted a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday thanks to goals in each half from Alvaro Garcia and Fran Garcia. With seven games to play, Barca are top of the league on 76 points, 11 ahead second-placed Real Madrid, who were also stunned 4-2 at lowly Girona on Tuesday. Rayo Vallecano are ninth on 43 points, four adrift of the European qualification spots. Rayo halted Barca's seven game unbeaten streak in the league with a gutsy performance in front of their fans at a sold-out Estadio de Vallecas. Camello missed another great chance in the 64th minute and Unai Lopez also wasted another opportunity to extend Rayo's lead a little later.

[1/5] Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva attend an international conference on the political crisis in Venezuela, at Palacio de San Carlos in Bogota, Colombia April 25, 2023. The meeting in Bogota, hosted by Colombian President Gustavo Petro with support from the United States, included Spain, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil and others. The meeting was meant to help Maduro and the opposition restart stalled talks in Mexico focused on free elections and the possible lifting of sanctions against the government. Attendees found common ground over the need for free elections and lifting of sanctions parallel to agreements between the two sides, he said. The Mexico talks, held briefly last year and in 2021, are supposed to provide a roadmap out of the long-running crisis.

☆ Guatemala not asking Taiwan for 'free money', does not owe debt like Honduras
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A Taiwan and Guatemala flag is seen at an investment event in Taipei, Taiwan April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, April 24 (Reuters) - Guatemala is not asking for "free money" from Taiwan and does not owe debt in the same way Honduras does, but is looking for long-term investment and trade, senior Guatemalan financial officials said on Monday. Guatemala is one of only 13 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan. Honduras abandoned Taipei for Beijing last month after asking for almost $2.5 billion in aid. "We heard it in the news, but we are focused on solutions that we need for our country," Rosales said of China's comments.

☆ Barcelona scrapes by Atlético Madrid 1-0 to remain in firm control of La Liga title race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Patrick Sung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —FC Barcelona scraped by Atlético Madrid 1-0 at the Camp Nou to extend its lead at the top of La Liga over eternal rival Real Madrid to 11 points. Ferrán Torres’ goal in the 44th minute made the difference, ensuring Atlético continued its 17-year winless drought – with 8 draws and 15 losses – at the Camp Nou. Antoine Griezmann was Atlético's main offensive threat, but he was thwarted by the crossbar and Marc-André ter Stegen twice. Just when Barça’s domination of possession in the first half seemed to be fruitless, the first goal materialized near the stroke of half-time. The win means Barcelona remains in firm control in the La Liga title race with eight matches remaining and an 11-point lead ahead of Real Madrid.

☆ Costa Rica president gets tougher on security as crime soars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN JOSE, April 19 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's president on Wednesday presented a set of security measures in response to surging crime rates in the Central American country, which is currently on track this year to beat 2022's record murder rate. Costa Rica ended 2022 with a record 12.6 homicides per 100,000 residents, according to the judicial research agency OIJ. "We are going to mend the course we lost a long time ago," said Chaves, a week after criticizing those who condemned the security crisis. The country's main business chamber on Friday called for a state of "national emergency," fearing a hit to foreign investment and tourism. Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Isabel Woodford and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Meta opens up its Horizon Worlds VR app to teens for the first time, prompting outcries from US lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Meta is forging ahead with plans to let teenagers onto its virtual reality app, Horizon Worlds, despite objections from lawmakers and civil society groups that the technology could have possible unintended consequences for mental health. On Tuesday, the social media giant said children as young as 13 in Canada and the United States will gain access to Horizon Worlds for the first time in the coming weeks. Zuckerberg has pushed to spend billions developing VR hardware and software, even as Meta has scaled back significantly in other parts of its business. “Meta is despicably attempting to lure young teens to Horizon Worlds in an attempt to boost its failing platform,” said Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who last month, along with Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, urged Zuckerberg to reconsider letting teens use the app. Lawmakers have previously raised alarms about the impact of some of Meta’s other products, including Instagram, on younger users.

☆ US FTC leaders will target AI that violates civil rights or is deceptive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Graeme Jennings/Pool via REUTERSWASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - Leaders of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday the agency would pursue companies who misuse artificial intelligence to violate laws against discrimination or be deceptive. Bedoya said companies using algorithms or artificial intelligence were not allowed to violate civil rights laws or break rules against unfair and deceptive acts. "It's not okay to say that your algorithm is a black box" and you can't explain it, he said. Khan agreed the newest versions of AI could be used to turbocharge fraud and scams and any wrongdoing would "should put them on the hook for FTC action." Slaughter noted that the agency had throughout its 100 year history had to adapt to changing technologies and indicated that adapting to ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools were no different.

☆ FTC chair Lina Khan warns AI could ‘turbocharge’ fraud and scams
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT could lead to a “turbocharging” of consumer harms including fraud and scams, and the US government has substantial authority to crack down on AI-driven consumer harms under existing law, members of the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday. Addressing House lawmakers, FTC chair Lina Khan said the “turbocharging of fraud and scams that could be enabled by these tools are a serious concern.”In recent months, a new crop of AI tools have gained attention for their ability to generate convincing emails, stories and essays as well as images, audio and videos. While these tools have potential to change the way people work and create, some have also raised concerns about how they could be use to deceive by impersonating individuals. “Throughout the FTC’s history we have had to adapt our enforcement to changing technology,” said FTC Commissioners Rebecca Slaughter. “Our staff has been consistently saying our unfair and deceptive practices authority applies, our civil rights laws, fair credit, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, those apply,” said Bedoya.

☆ How Much Power Should the Courts Have?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Emily Bazelon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Many of the new constitutions gave the high courts clear authority to safeguard the rights of minorities and the democratic system. Some of the courts vigorously wielded this power to set aside majoritarian decisions that appeared to undermine democracy over the longer run. “If courts abdicate their responsibility to protect democracy, they’re not doing their job,” says Dixon, a law professor at the University of South Wales in Australia. In the 1980s, as Israel’s Jewish population became more religious and traditional, secular Israeli law professors drafted provisions for a constitution, consulting with their American peers and Aharon Barak, an Israeli Supreme Court justice. “Over the last 20 years, the Israeli Supreme Court, while issuing valuable rulings on the rights of women, L.G.B.T.Q.

☆ Human rights court begins review of high-stakes El Salvador abortion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mayela LopezSAN JOSE/SAN SALVADOR, March 22 (Reuters) - The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Wednesday began hearing the historic case of a Salvadoran woman who was denied an abortion in 2013 despite doctors' calls to terminate her high-risk pregnancy. They recommended an abortion but would not perform the procedure given El Salvador's severe prohibition. Beatriz appealed to the Supreme Court and the IACHR, but the Salvadoran court rejected her request and in June 2013 she underwent a C-section. The court's public hearing, which is being held in San Jose, Costa Rica until Thursday, was marked by both anti-abortion protests and demonstrations of support for Beatriz. Reporting by Alvaro Murillo in San Jose and Nelson Renteria in San Salvador; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BARCELONA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols' (GRLS.MC) shares fell around 10% in afternoon trading after its 2023 outlook disappointed analysts, who were looking for a better recovery in margins. Grifols reported on Tuesday that net profit rose 10% to 208 million euros ($220.19 million). Total revenues rose 23% to 6 billion euros ($6.38 billion), with over half generated in the United States and Canada. JPMorgan said the progress on EBITDA margin recovery in 2023 may be a little slower than the market had hoped. Grifols announced earlier this month it would lay off 8.5% of its workforce seeking annual savings of around 400 million euros.

☆ Atletico striker Morata calls for life bans for racist chants
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The first time a person does that in a stadium he should be banned for life," Morata told ESPN on Wednesday before Real host Atletico at the weekend. LaLiga filed three legal complaints for racist insults during matches, including two aimed at Vinicius, it said on Wednesday. The league has now filed eight complaints for racist chanting or insults against Vinicius. Three complaints have been dismissed and another three are still being processed, including one when a mannequin wearing Vinicius' No. 20 shirt was hung from a bridge outside Real's training ground before last month's derby against Atletico.

Feb 14 (Reuters) - Christine Wilson, the sole Republican on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), said on Tuesday she will resign soon, blaming the move on the agency's top official, Lina Khan. "Much ink has been spilled about Lina Khan's attempts to remake federal antitrust law as chairman of the Federal Trade Commission," Wilson wrote in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. Wilson said in the piece that she would resign "soon" but gave no date. "I dissented on due-process grounds, which require those sitting in a judicial capacity to avoid even the appearance of unfairness," wrote Wilson. Wilson accused the Biden administration FTC of overstepping by being too aggressive in stopping mergers and banning most noncompete clauses.

☆ Republican FTC Commissioner Wilson announces resignation, saying Chair Khan has a 'disregard for the rule of law'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Christine Wilson, nominee to serve on the Federal Trade Commission, testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing in Hart Building on February 14, 2018. Christine Wilson, the sole remaining Republican on the Federal Trade Commission, announced Tuesday she plans to resign, citing what she said was Democratic Chair Lina Khan's "disregard for the rule of law and due process." Wilson announced her resignation, which she said will come "soon," in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Throughout Khan's tenure at the helm of the commission, Wilson has frequently bemoaned her approach in remarks at public meetings and in speeches. Former Commissioner Noah Joshua Phillips, a Republican, resigned in October, but without the kind of broad critique that Wilson wrote.

☆ Costa Rica says China apologizes for balloon 'incident' over its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAN JOSE, Feb 6 (Reuters) - China apologized to Costa Rica for a balloon that flew over its territory, the Central American country's government said on Monday, after a separate suspected Chinese spy balloon traveling over the United States sparked a major political and diplomatic spat. According to a brief statement from Costa Rica's foreign ministry, the Chinese government recognized that one of its balloons flew over Costa Rica, and China's embassy in San Jose "apologized for the incident," while insisting the balloon was focused on scientific research, mainly weather studies. Costa Rican officials were told by Chinese officials the balloon flight path deviated from its original plan and it had a limited ability to correct the error, according to the statement. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman told reporters at a news conference in Beijing on Monday that the balloon spotted in Latin America was used for civilian purposes. Planes were notified at the time, but no further action was taken, according to the civil aviation director.

☆ Colombian military spots balloon-like object in its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 5 (Reuters) - A day before a U.S. military jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, Colombia's military confirmed a sighting over its territory of an airborne object similar to a balloon. U.S. military officials on Friday said a Chinese balloon was spotted somewhere over Latin America but did not specify its location. The Colombian statement did not mention China or any other country as the balloon's origin. The statement added that the object exhibited "characteristics similar to those of a balloon," and that the air force monitored it until it left Colombian airspace. The saga of the Chinese balloon, downed off of the U.S. Atlantic coast on Saturday, captivated public attention for days, and was widely seen as worsening U.S.-China relations.

☆ Costa Rica's economic growth seen slowing down this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAN JOSE, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's economic growth will likely slow this year, according to a central bank forecast released on Tuesday that also estimates faster growth in 2024. The central bank sees gross domestic product growing 2.7% this year and 3.5% in 2024. Income from tourism, a key sector, had increased from a year ago, as had exports, the central bank said. "The performance of economic activity had a positive impact on business and consumer confidence," it said. By 2024, the inflation rate should drop and economic activity was likely to pick up steam, the bank added.

☆ Warren tells FTC she is "particularly concerned" about Amgen and Indivior deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Warren said that both Amgen and Horizon Therapeutics "have engaged in brazen price increases," including on Amgen's Enbrel for arthritis and Horizon’s Krystexxa, a gout medication. She noted that the FTC had settled with Indivior and its former parent over its attempt to protect its monopoly of the opioid addiction treatment Suboxone. Indivior makes Sublocade -- a slow-release treatment for opioid addiction that is administered monthly. "The FTC should strongly consider Indivior's history of anti-competitive and deceptive practices when evaluating howIndivior might behave after this potential transaction is completed," wrote Warren. Warren noted that the FTC, which has long focused on healthcare mergers, said in 2021 that it would prioritize pharmaceutical acquisitions.

☆ Guatemalan ex-president Colom dies from cancer, says former minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Guatemala's former president Alvaro Colom died on Monday aged 71 from esophageal cancer, his former security minister Carlos Menocal told Reuters. The former president, who led the Central American country from 2008 to 2012, was very sick and released from the hospital a week and a half ago, Menocal told Reuters. Colom, a soft-spoken politician and textile businessman, beat former head of army intelligence Otto Perez Molina in 2007 to become Guatemala's first leftist president since the country's civil war ended in 1996. When he died, Colom was under preventative home arrest still awaiting a trial. Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Improving food distribution and insects as protein substitutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailImproving food distribution and insects as protein substitutesIn a CNBC panel on food security, IFAD President Alvaro Lario and Ÿnsect CFO Isabelle Toledano-Koutsouris share alternative means to secure global food security. Bain Global Practice Head, Sustainability & Responsibility, Jenny Davis-Peccoud and Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development Chair H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi also join the panel.

☆ IFAD's Lario: Medium term investment needed to support short term humanitarian aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIFAD's Lario: Medium term investment needed to support short term humanitarian aidAlvaro Lario, president at IFAD, discusses the organization's worldwide outlook for food and fertilizer security.

☆ Atletico Madrid held to 1-1 draw by Almeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid were held to 1-1 draw by Almeria in LaLiga on Sunday in another disappointing showing for Diego Simeone's team who ended the match with 10 men after Sergio Reguilon was sent off in the dying minutes. Atletico, who have won only one of their last six LaLiga games, are fourth in the standings on 28 points, level with Villarreal and Real Betis. Almeria were arguably the better side for most of the match and climbed to 13th, three points clear of the relegation zone. Atletico started well and Angel Correa gave them the lead in the 18th minute. Toure almost gave Almeria the lead early in the second half but his close-range shot was blocked by a defender near the goalline.

☆ What Is a Dynamic Warm-Up and What Exercises Should It Include?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Cindy Kuzma | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But in recent years, exercise science has coalesced around a better way to prepare your body for exertion: the dynamic warm-up. Research suggests dynamic warm-ups improve agility, speed and overall performance for a wide range of sports, including tennis, baseball and running. In a fast-moving, direction-changing sport like soccer, a tailored dynamic warm-up lowered the odds of getting hurt by about 30 percent in one 2017 research review. Dynamic warm-ups bridge the gap. Chances are, you’ve updated your workout gear since middle-school gym class — here’s how to modernize your warm-up, too.

Persons: —, Alvaro López Samanes, who’s, they’re, ”, Emily Hutchins Organizations: Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Research, Olympic Locations: Madrid, Chicago

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