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☆ These states are restoring free school meals for all kids, regardless of income
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pandemic offered a 'trial run' for free meals"The pandemic was a trial run and it worked," Crystal FitzSimons, FRAC's director of school and out-of-school time programs, said of the universal free school meals. Inflationary pressures have since pushed up prices in many school districts, which have contended with higher costs for food and labor, said Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokeswoman for the School Nutrition Association. Since local school districts set their own prices, they can "vary widely" across the country, the School Nutrition Association said. Loss of free meals may lead to hardshipIn 2021, the National School Lunch Program provided 2.2 billion meals, about 99% of which were at a free or reduced price, according to USDA data. Kids from "food-insecure and marginally food-secure" households are more likely to eat school meals, according to the USDA.

Persons: Crystal FitzSimons, FitzSimons, Diane Pratt, Saied Toossi Organizations: Agriculture Department, School Nutrition, School Nutrition Association, USDA, Sdi

☆ Ukrainian troops are abandoning US tactics in their counteroffensive because they haven't worked
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Troops are abandoning US tactics because they've proved ineffective, The NYT reported. But the counteroffensive is making slow progress, with troops encountering heavily defended Russian positions, protected by minefields, helicopter gunships, and artillery fire. Analysts told the Times that Western allies of Ukraine had pushed for the Ukrainian military to adopt more aggressive offensive tactics. Western allies believe that a protracted conflict would further deplete Ukrainian ammunition supplies and play into Russian hands, the report said. Analysts believe Russia wants a protracted conflict that will enable it to wear down Ukrainian resistance and international support for Ukraine.

Persons: Michael Kofman Organizations: Russia, Troops, Service, The New York Times, Times, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon

☆ Barclays explores moving EU headquarters from Dublin to Paris
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Barclays headquarters building is seen in the Canary Wharf business district of east London February 6, 2013. REUTERS/Neil Hall/File PhotoLONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - British bank Barclays (BARC.L) is weighing up whether to move its continental Europe headquarters from Dublin to Paris, in a potential further boon for the French capital as it seeks to expand as a global financial centre after Brexit. Barclays said in an interim earnings filing for its Barclays Bank Ireland business - known internally as Barclays Europe -that it was exploring switching its European Union headquarters in order to "be closer to the balance of operations" of the division on the continent. Any potential move by Barclays would result in a "small number of roles" moving to Paris, the document said, adding initial engagement with regulators and other stakeholders was underway. It would also not impact the group's UK activities, it added, where the bank's global headquarters are in London.

Persons: Neil Hall, Iain Withers, Huw Jones, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Barclays, REUTERS, Brexit, Barclays Bank Ireland, European Union, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, British, Europe, Dublin, Paris, Barclays Europe

☆ Bad Real Estate Agents Are Costing Homebuyers Millions, Making Housing Market Worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

But lately, he's been having trouble squaring that passion with a growing problem: a glut of underqualified real-estate agents. "The general public deserves so much better than what the majority of real-estate agents provide." A threat to the industryThe vast majority of real-estate agents are independent contractors who rely on commissions. But despite the ease with which home shoppers can now browse homes online, buyers and sellers still see themselves as dependent on real-estate agents. And if those people don't have the ability to become a real-estate agent or a Realtor, then they lose their access to representation."

Persons: Bret Weinstein, he's, Weinstein, they're incentivized, It's, appraisers, they're, they'd, Lawrence Yun, Stephen Brobeck, Brobeck, Inman, that's, There's, Jessica Reinhardt, Reinhardt, bristled, who's, Reinhard, James Rodriguez Organizations: Realtors, Consumer Federation of America, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Consumers, CFA, Denver Metro Association of Realtors Locations: Denver, Texas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania

☆ Ukraine's offensive is bearing down on Russian forces, but Chinese artillery could still bail Moscow out
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Russian military relies on artillery to compensate for other battlefield shortcomings. But its heavy use of artillery in Ukraine could outstrip its ability to make new shells and cannons. The commander of Russia's 58th Army in Ukraine was recently relieved after complaining about the state of Russian artillery, including "the lack of counter-battery fire" and "lack of artillery reconnaissance stations." Chinese artillery troops during a live-fire test in Anhui Province in October 2021. Chinese support could mean the difference between victory and defeat for Russia, but salvation from Beijing may be a long time coming.

Persons: Mao, ANDREY KRONBERG, People's Liberation Army —, China's, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Dmitri Lovetsky, Xi, Beijing hasn't Organizations: Service, War, Artillery, Royal United Services Institute, Getty, Army, Russia, Publishing, People's Liberation Army, Foreign Ministry, Ukraine, Reuters, China's Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Iran, North Korea, China, British, Volgograd, AFP, Moscow, Anhui Province, St . Petersburg, Beijing, Western, Taiwan, Europe, cynically, Central Asia

☆ Ukraine is 3D printing bombs to keep up with its battlefield demands, says report, with some costing as little as $3.85
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine is using 3D-printed "candy bombs" against Russian forces, The Economist reported. The Economist reported that Ukraine has turned to "candy bombs" amid weapons and ammunition shortages, with the publication speaking to several different amateur groups involved in the task. Bigger 3D-printed bombs are also reportedly in use in Ukraine. Ukraine has reported shortages of key ammunition as it pushes back against Russia's full-scale invasion, which started in February 2022. But Ukraine's stocks of raw explosives remain high, The Economist reported, allowing for battlefield innovation like the 3D-printed candy bombs.

Persons: Janis Ozols Organizations: Russian, Service, Economist, Washington Post, Russia's Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Latvia, Europe, Ukraine's, Donetsk, Ukrainian

CNN —Severe flooding in Beijing was caused by the heaviest rainfall in 140 years, according to local meteorologists, and there’s little reprieve for the region as Typhoon Khanun lashes Japan with wind and rain. Meanwhile, Typhoon Khanun packed winds of 220 kilometers per hour (137 mph) – the equivalent of a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane – as it made its nearest pass to Japan’s southwestern Okinawa islands early Wednesday. In the past 24 hours, many locations in Okinawa have received 175 to 220 millimeters (6 to 8 inches) of rainfall, according to CNN Weather on Wednesday morning. People evacuate Tazhao village in Zhuozhou city, Hebei province of China on August 1, 2023. Zhai Yujia/China News Service/VCG/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, more than 300 people were stranded in a residential building in Hebei’s Zhuozhou city, state-run outlet The Paper said.

Persons: Khanun, Zhai Yujia, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, Beijing Meteorological Service, CNN Weather, Okinawa Electric Power Company, Beijing Daily, CCTV, Xinhua, People, China News Service Locations: Beijing, Japan, Okinawa, Khanun, East, Ryukyu Islands, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Hebei, Tazhao, Zhuozhou city, China, Hebei’s Zhuozhou, Zhuozhou, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia

☆ Attention Walmart Shoppers: You may soon be hit with a slew of ads while shopping
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart is expanding its in-store advertising, as first reported by CNBC. One analyst said that we may be at an "inflection point" for in-store advertising opportunities. While Walmart is expanding its third-party advertisements in stores, it has shown ads through digital screens, TVs, and self-checkout registers for years. Retailers, like Walmart, are beginning to look to their physical stores as ways to bring in more advertisement revenue. Though in-store advertising "remains a nascent market segment," shoppers should be "thought of as 'eyeballs' for brands to reach," the report said.

Persons: there's, Andrew Lipsman, Lipsman Organizations: Walmart, CNBC, Service, Target, Kroger, Intelligence, CNBC . Retailers, Insider Intelligence Walmart, Walmart Radio, Walgreens, Costco Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ A billionaire wants to use a cargo plane to fly an orca to freedom after 53 years in captivity. Here's how it could work.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A $20 million plan to release a killer whale named Tokitae from captivity is firming up. The orca has been kept in a small enclosure in the Miami Seaquarium since her capture 53 years ago. The billionaire-backed plan would see the killer whale loaded on a plane and flown across the US. The killer whale has been living in the world's smallest orca tank, which measures 80 feet by 35 feet. She's the second oldest orca living in captivity.

Persons: I've, let's, Jim Irsay, Pat McAfee, Toki, Euronews, Miami Seaquarium, Orcas, Tokitae Organizations: Miami, Service, Indianapolis Colts, Dolphin Company, The Times, Seattle Airport, Times, Miami Herald, Tribune, Getty Locations: Wall, Silicon, Seattle, London, Miami, San Juan, Tokitae, Penn Cove , Washington, Lummi, Pacific

☆ Ukrainians forced to become Russian citizens, US-backed research finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Gleb GaranichAMSTERDAM, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territory are being forced to assume Russian citizenship or face harsh retaliation, including possible deportation or detention, U.S.-backed research published on Wednesday said. A series of decrees signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin compel Ukrainians to get Russian passports, in violation of international humanitarian law, the report said. Ukrainians in occupied territory who do not seek Russian citizenship "are subjected to threats, intimidation, restrictions on humanitarian aid and basic necessities, and possible detention or deportation – all designed to force them to become Russian citizens," the report said. "What is concerning here is that it represents, basically, a violation of the Hague and Geneva Conventions," said Executive Director Nathaniel Raymond of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health. The report was released as part of the Conflict Observatory program, with the support of the U.S. State Department and conducted by research partner the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab.

Persons: Gleb Garanich AMSTERDAM, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Mishustin, Nathaniel Raymond, Raymond, Putin, Anthony Deutsch, Giles Elgood, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Moscow, REUTERS, Yale University, Russian, Hague, Yale School of Public Health, Kremlin, International Criminal Court, U.S . State Department, Yale School of Public, Research, Thomson Locations: Mayorsk, Ukraine, Moscow, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Russian, Ukraine's Donetsk, Geneva

☆ Amputations in Ukraine are as widespread as in the trenches of World War I due to Russia's heavy use of mines and artillery: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

These are levels not seen since World War 1, according to The Wall Street Journal. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Before the war, Ukraine had several thousand amputations annually. That figure has risen to around 50,000 since the start of the war, 17 months ago, the outlet said. During World War I (1914-1918) around 41,000 Britons required amputations, and around 67,000 Germans, the publication notes.

Persons: Hans Georg Näder Organizations: Wall Street, Service, St, Houp Foundation, Ottobock Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Big US asset managers cool on climate issues -think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Isla Binnie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Focusing on the world's four largest asset managers, InfluenceMap said Vanguard and Fidelity Investments supported 4.5% and 4.8% respectively of resolutions the think tank describes as "climate-relevant" in 2022. BlackRock (BLK.N) voted for 12% and State Street (STT.N) 15%, the researchers said. In response to the report, State Street said it would continue to engage with companies on material risks and opportunities. InfluenceMap program manager Daan Van Acker mentioned Vanguard's decision to leave a major industry initiative aimed at tackling climate change last year. "This example and others, like the asset managers' drop in climate resolution support, do raise serious questions around the managers' net-zero commitments in the context of the current political climate," he said.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, InfluenceMap, BLK.N, BlackRock, Daan Van Acker, Isla Binnie, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Vanguard, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Paris, Republican, Fidelity Investments, BlackRock, Fidelity, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S

☆ BlackRock, MSCI face probe for allegedly facilitating China investments - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The BlackRock logo is pictured outside their headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., May 25, 2021. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - Asset manager BlackRock (BLK.N) and index provider MSCI are being investigated by a congressional committee for allegedly facilitating China investments, Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing letters to the companies from the panel. BlackRock, MSCI and the Committee did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment outside normal business hours. Last month, China curbed exports of some metals widely used in the semiconductor industry, in a move it said was aimed at protecting national security. Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Niket, Krishna Chandra Eluri Organizations: REUTERS, BlackRock, Wall Street, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: BlackRock, Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, China, MSCI, Taiwan, Ukraine, Bengaluru

In his address, Xi said the military must broaden its combat capability and readiness, the official Xinhua news agency reported. "We need to push for new equipment and new forces to accelerate forming combat capabilities and integrate into the combat system," Xi told the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force's western theatre command during a visit last Wednesday, Xinhua reported on Sunday. Marking the anniversary on Tuesday, an editorial in the official PLA Daily newspaper said the military had "enhanced its ability to carry out diversified military tasks in a wider space". "When the Chinese military conducts an exercise, it is showing force - it is bestowing or sending a message to other countries," he said. At sea, China is readying its aircraft carriers to extend and assert its power beyond its home waters.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Florence, HONG KONG, Xi, Song Zhongping, Drew Thompson, National University of Singapore's Lee, Thompson, Tsai Ing, Kevin McCarthy, China's J, Shi Yunjia, Greg Torode, Albee Zhang Organizations: Communist Party of China, Military Museum of, REUTERS, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Xinhua, Peoples Liberation Army Air, PLA Daily, National University of Singapore's, National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, Reuters, People's, of Army, U.S, House, China Morning Post, Western, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG, Tuesday's, Russia, United States, U.S, Washington, Taiwan, Japan, Shandong, Fujian, South Korea, Guam

☆ Russian stocks are back at pre-war levels as investors see them as safer bet than falling ruble
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Jason Ma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian stocks are back at pre-war levels as investors see them as safer bets amid the falling ruble. The Moex index closed at 3,093.64 on Tuesday, above where it was when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Fears of political chaos caused Russian demand for foreign currencies to jump to 70%-80% in some regions. But while the Moex stock index, which is denominated in rubles, has surpassed pre-war levels, it remains well below earlier highs. Meanwhile, a separate gauge of Russian stocks that's denominated in dollars is more than 10% below pre-invasion levels, Bloomberg said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner Group's Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, P Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, China

☆ Torture, sexual violence commonly used by Russian forces in Ukraine, say experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian authorities are reviewing more than 97,000 reports of war crimes and have filed charges against 220 suspects in domestic courts. The Kremlin has consistently denied allegations of war crimes in Ukraine by forces taking part in a "special military operation" it says was launched to "de-Nazify" its neighbour and protect Russia. In June, Ukrainian prosecutors brought their first case over the alleged deportation of dozens of orphans from Kherson, charging a Russian politician and two suspected Ukrainian collaborators with war crimes. "The true scale of Russia’s war crimes remains unknown," Anna Mykytenko, senior legal adviser at Global Rights Compliance, said of the latest findings on torture. The torture techniques most commonly used were suffocation, waterboarding, severe beatings and threats of rape, it found.

Persons: Anna Voitenko, Vladimir Putin, Team's, Anna Mykytenko, Wayne Jordash, Anthony Deutsch, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Mobile Justice Team, Global Rights, Criminal Court, ICC, The Mobile, European Union, Survivors, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kherson, The Hague, Russia, Britain, United States, Russian

The region produces roughly a third of both the world’s polysilicon and its metallurgical-grade silicon, the material from which polysilicon is made. As a result, many firms have promised to scrutinize their supply chains, and several have set up factories in the United States or Southeast Asia to supply Western markets. The Solar Energy Industries Association, the industry’s biggest trade association, has been calling on companies to shift their supply chains and cut ties with Xinjiang. More than 340 companies have signed a pledge to keep their supply chains free of forced labor. Some Chinese companies, like LONGi Solar and JA Solar, have clear ties to suppliers operating in Xinjiang, the report said.

Persons: China —, Murphy Organizations: Solar Energy Industries Association Locations: Xinjiang, United States, Southeast Asia, China, Europe

☆ Extreme heat cuts into US small business, worker hours in July, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Carlos BarriaAug 1 (Reuters) - Record-breaking heat waves across the U.S. forced small businesses to close early in July, according to a report released on Tuesday, and reduced paid working hours for employees as dangerous temperatures reshape consumer behavior. Hundreds of millions Americans dealt with extreme heat advisories in the past two weeks, as temperatures across the South and Southwest hit historic highs. These hazardous conditions have kept consumers inside and forced small businesses to close early - cutting into paid hours for employees - according to a report by the small business payroll company Homebase. Nationally, small business employees worked 0.9% fewer hours in the first two weeks of July compared with the last two weeks of June - a standard seasonal change that is typical of summer months - the report said. Small business employees in New Orleans and Memphis, for example, were on the clock 5.7% and 5.1% less, respectively, than they were in June as business owners shorten hours to adjust for fewer customers and try to protect employees from too much heat exposure.

Persons: Carlos Barria, slowdowns, John Waldmann, Danah Lee, Lee, I've, Travis Parsons, Parsons, It's, Safiyah Riddle, Dan Burns Organizations: REUTERS, Southwest, Homebase, Memphis, Boston, Taco Joint, Weather Service, International Union of, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S, New Orleans, Memphis, International Union of North America, Canada

☆ Job openings, layoffs declined in June in a positive sign for the labor market
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Job vacancies and layoffs edged lower in June, according to a Labor Department report Tuesday that points to a stable labor market. Employment openings totaled 9.58 million for the month, edging lower from the downwardly revised 9.62 million in May, the department said in its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Along with that, the JOLTS report said layoffs nudged down to 1.53 million, after totaling 1.55 million in May. "The pace of the current slowdown may be too gradual for many policymakers at the Federal Reserve, as job openings are only gradually declining. There are now about 1.6 job openings per every available worker, according to Labor Department data.

Persons: Rachel Sederberg, Nick Bunker, Quits Organizations: Labor Department, Labor, Federal, Federal Reserve Locations: U.S

☆ Apollo leads deal for trucking firm Yellow's bankruptcy loan - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - Creditors led by Apollo Global Management Inc (APO.N) are nearing a deal to provide Yellow Corp (YELL.O) with fresh cash during a coming bankruptcy, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Yellow declined to comment, while Apollo did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Yellow, formerly called YRC Worldwide, is the third-biggest U.S. trucking company. Yellow has $1.3 billion in debt payments due in 2024, including a $567.4 million term loan due in June and a $729.4 million U.S. Treasury loan due in September. Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Yellow, Priyamvada, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Apollo Global Management Inc, Yellow Corp, Bloomberg News, U.S, YRC, Teamsters, USF, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, Bengaluru

☆ Meta is trying to catch up with ChatGPT with new AI chatbots that speak like famous figures including Abraham Lincoln, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meta could soon be launching AI chatbots that speak like famous people including Abraham Lincoln. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is hoping to retain users by introducing chatbots that rival ChatGPT. Meta is exploring plans to launch AI chatbots as soon as next month that imitate famous figures, including Abraham Lincoln, as it scrambles to retain users and see off the threat from ChatGPT, a new report says. However, Meta has lacked a more consumer-facing, engaging interface like ChatGPT or Snapchat's My AI chatbot. The FT report added that the chatbots will aim to offer users fresh search functions as well as recommendations.

Persons: Abraham Lincoln, Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI's, Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: Financial Times, Morning, Financial, Meta, Facebook

☆ Big US asset managers cool on climate issues, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Isla Binnie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ US reviews record number of foreign investment transactions in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 31 (Reuters) - A U.S. government committee on foreign investments reviewed a record number of proposed transactions in 2022, the Treasury Department said Monday. Chinese investors filed 36 so-called "covered notices" seeking green lights for deals in 2022, compared with 44 in 2021 and 17 in 2020. CFIUS said "transactions reviewed by CFIUS, including the technology being invested in, are increasingly complex and result in more national security agreements to resolve the risks identified." Most foreigners seeking to take even non-controlling stakes in U.S. companies must seek approval from CFIUS, a powerful Treasury-led committee that reviews transactions for national security concerns and can block them. CFIUS opened 162 investigations in 2022, compared with 130 in 2021.

Persons: CFIUS, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, David Shepardson, Gerry Doyles Organizations: U.S, Treasury Department, Foreign Investment, Treasury, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, China

☆ Teamsters blast bankruptcy-bound Yellow, cite $700 million Covid loan firm got from Trump White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bankruptcy-bound trucking firm Yellow received a whopping $700 million in Covid pandemic relief loans three years ago after Trump administration officials pushed for it despite objections from the Defense Department. Yellow has repaid just $230 out of the $729.2 million in principal it still owes the U.S. Treasury for those loans, according to a government watchdog's report in May. The Teamsters Union, which represents Yellow workers, blasted the freight carrier in a statement Sunday and highlighted the Covid loans. The report said, "The loan's approval involved the intervention of top Trump Administration officials —potentially including the president," Donald Trump. "Secretary Mnuchin's communications confirm President Trump's interest in the loan approval," the subcommittee noted in a statement about the report.

Persons: Trump, Sean M O'Brien, Yellow, Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Steven Mnuchin, Trump's Organizations: Defense Department, U.S . Treasury, Teamsters Union, Teamsters, CNBC, YRC, Trump Administration, Trump White House Locations: U.S

☆ Elon Musk refused Ukraine's request for Starlink that would help it attack Russian ships with exploding sea drones, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk denied Ukraine's request for Starlink access near Crimea last year, per The New York Times. Some Ukrainian officials and world leaders worry about relying on Musk's technology, the report said. According to the Times, Ukraine asked Musk for Starlink access near Crimea, but Musk refused, two people familiar with the discussions said. But Ukrainian officials are also concerned about relying too much on Starlink and have reached out to other satellite internet providers. And Ukrainian officials said in September that Musk had blocked Starlink internet access in Crimea, saying he was concerned about escalating the conflict.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Mykhailo Fedorov, Starlink, Fedorov, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Mark, Zaluzhnyi Organizations: New York Times, Times, Service, Privacy, The Times, EU, SpaceX, Ukraine's Armed Forces, US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine Locations: Crimea, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Russian

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