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Governors gathered in the nation’s capital in recent days for the National Governors Association winter meeting. And while they were focused on their jobs at hand, questions about the 2024 presidential race were unavoidable. Asked on Saturday if she would like to see Biden run again, Michigan Gov. At a Democratic Governors Association press conference on Thursday, a group of 11 governors echoed support for Biden’s potential re-election campaign. Spencer Cox also joined “Meet” and weighed in on the presidential race, saying he would like to see his party nominate a governor.

☆ Mahomes magic put to the test as Chiefs face Eagles in Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PHOENIX, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Patrick Mahomes will look to pull one more rabbit out of his hat on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl 57. Mahomes overcame a high-ankle sprain in the divisional round to get the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl in four years, producing a heroic late-game sprint to help clinch the AFC Championship. Mahomes has helped his favorite target Travis Kelce become one of the greatest tight ends ever to play the game. Kelce is keen to banish memories of their last Super Bowl appearance two years ago, when Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccanneers humiliated them 31-9. "The last taste I had in my mouth of the Super Bowl, it wasn't too good," said Kelce, who will make history at State Farm Stadium with his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, as the first siblings to play each other in a Super Bowl.

Ron DeSantis lead an early — and still incomplete — Republican presidential field, according to a new national Monmouth University poll released Thursday. Asked whom they’d like to see as the GOP’s presidential nominee, 33% of Republican voters answered Trump and another 33% picked DeSantis. But the contest is closer among respondents who identify as strong Republicans (DeSantis 49%, Trump 46%) and among evangelical Republicans (DeSantis 51%, Trump 44%). The worst favorable/unfavorable ratings among Republican voters were for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (23%-53%) and embattled freshman Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., (12%-42%). The Monmouth University poll was conducted Jan. 26 to Feb. 2 of 566 registered Republican voters, and it has a margin of error of plus-minus 6.1 percentage points.

Seventy-five percent of Americans say strengthening the economy should be the top policy priority for President Joe Biden and Congress to address this year, according to a new Pew Research Center poll, higher than any other priority the survey tested. At the bottom of the list of 21 different policy priorities is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, with just 26% of respondents saying Biden and Congress should address it this year — a drop from 2021 and 2022, when it was near the top in the poll. The Pew survey comes ahead of Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, and it shows broad agreement that strengthening the economy should be priority, with 84% of Republicans and 68% of Democrat saying it should be. But there’s disagreement on dealing with immigration (70% of Republicans said it should be a priority, versus 37% of Democrats), on dealing with climate change (59% of Democrats vs. 13% of Republicans) and on addressing issues around race (49% of Democrats vs. 13% of Republicans). The online Pew poll was conducted Jan. 18-24 of 5,152 adults, and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 1.7 percentage points.

If you've ever been confused by miniature bottles branded as Fireball Cinnamon, the popular cinnamon-flavored drink found in gas stations and supermarkets, you're not alone — and now there's a lawsuit over the matter. Citing two news articles pointing out that the bottles, while displaying the Fireball label, do not actually contain whisky, lawyers representing Chicago plaintiff Anna Marquez are seeking unspecified damages against Fireball-maker the Sazerac Company. In the suit, Marquez and her attorneys say the mini bottles, which advertise "Fireball Cinnamon," falsely give consumers the impression that the drinks are merely smaller versions of regular Fireball whisky. "When viewed together with the Fireball distilled spirit brand name, the label misleads consumers into believing it is or contains distilled spirits," the suit states. A representative for Sazerac said the company does not comment on pending litigation and referred an inquiry to the company's Fireball Cinnamon FAQ page.

☆ Snapchat's role in fentanyl crisis probed during House roundtable: 'It's a Snap-specific problem'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The roundtable featured the mother of a child who died after taking a drug containing fentanyl allegedly purchased over Snapchat, apparently believing it was a prescription painkiller. "Big Tech has many problems," said Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer who works on cases seeking to hold tech platforms accountable for often offline harms. Bloomberg reported Wednesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice are also investigating Snap's role in fentanyl sales. That's because it does not incentivize safety features, she said, and also prevents tech platforms from reaching the discovery stage in many cases, which could otherwise reveal internal information. But legislation weakening encryption for law enforcement investigations would also likely be at odds with the committee's other goal of increasing digital privacy protections.

Former President Donald Trump will hold a campaign event in Columbia, South Carolina later this month, NBC News has confirmed. The event, first reported by Politico, will be the first of Trump's 2024 campaign for president since he first announced his candidacy in November. It's also Trump's first campaign stop this cycle outside of Florida. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former U.N. Regardless of whether Biden runs again, it's possible that Trump could have a tough time getting the Republican nomination for the third presidential cycle in a row.

The GOP-controlled House passes a rules package for 118th Congress with just one GOP defection, NBC’s Kyle Stewart reports. ... President Biden spends his final day in Mexico City at North American Leaders’ Summit. But first: The news that the Justice Department is reviewing Obama Era classified documents found at a think tank tied to President Biden is quite a political gift to Donald Trump. “When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?” Trump posted on his Truth Social account. 6: The number of shootings recently at or near the homes of New Mexico Democratic political leaders, including the incoming state House speaker.

☆ Colombia VP Francia Marquez says explosive found near her home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez, the first Black woman to hold that post in her country, said on Tuesday her security team had found an explosive near her family home. The vice president's Twitter post included images of what appeared to be an improvised explosive device and a police report about the incident. "The attached report shows that it was a new attempt of attacking my life. Regardless, we won't stop working every day, day after day, until we reach total peace," she added. Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Julio Marquez and Yalimar Chirinos, migrants from Venezuela, display signs near the border between the United States and Mexico, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, January 7, 2023. He has the same message for U.S. President Joe Biden, who visits the Texas city of El Paso, just across the border, on Sunday. "We hope he helps us, that he lets us pass, since we're suffering a lot here in Mexico," said Marquez, 32. "Send me wherever you want, I'll come back," said Jonathan Tovar, 29, speaking on Friday from behind the fence of Mexico's migration office in Ciudad Juarez. "I want the president of the United States to give me and my family a chance."

The new House GOP majority returns to elect a speaker after failing on three votes Tuesday. ... Nancy Pelosi reacts to GOP dysfunction: “As one who loves this institution, I think it’s a sad day.” ... And President Biden appears with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell to tout the bipartisan infrastructure law. Andy Beshear) all appear at an event in Kentucky promoting a bridge improvement from the bipartisan infrastructure law. 16: How many years Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has served as Senate GOP leader, making him the longest-serving Senate leader ever, per NBC News’ Frank Thorp. Eyes on 2024: DeSantis takes office amid GOP chaosAs the GOP descended into chaos on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Florida GOP Gov.

In Mississippi, Republican Gov. Andy Beshear flipped the governor’s mansion in 2019, leaving Republicans eyeing his seat as one to flip back into their column. Bel Edwards spent just under $13 million, while two outside super PACs, one Democratic and one Republican, spent a combined $18 million. In 2019, Beshear beat then-Gov. Mississippi governor’s raceIn Mississippi’s governor’s race, GOP Gov.

Democrats both in Washington D.C. and Arizona spent the weekend processing Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s decision to leave the party and register as an independent. The Biden White House’s statement called her a “key partner” that they expect to continue to work with. A growing field in Indiana: Four Republicans could be running to succeed Indiana GOP Gov. This comes as Indiana GOP Sen. Mike Braun and the state’s GOP Lt. Gov. Fort Wayne businessperson Eric Doden has already announced his campaign, and the state’s Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers is expected to jump into the race as well.

We’re going to win Georgia,” Biden said in response to questions regarding his outlook on the Georgia Senate runoff contest as he exited Air Force One Tuesday night. Share this -Link copiedWarnock defeats Walker in Georgia Senate runoff, NBC News projects Sen. Raphael Warnock has won his second statewide runoff election in the last two years, defeating Republican Herschel Walker in the increasingly purple state of Georgia to capture a six-year term in the Senate, NBC News projected. Share this -Link copiedThe Senate runoff election is still too close to call, but Warnock leads The Senate runoff election between Warnock and Walker is still too close to call, but Warnock leads, NBC News' Decision Desk said just before 10 p.m. Share this -Link copiedPolls close soon in critical Georgia Senate runoff Polls are closing at 7 p.m. ET in the Senate runoff election in Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is hoping to fend off a challenge from Republican Herschel Walker.

The turnout in the Senate runoff was nearly 75% to 80% of the entire turnout for the midterm election in November. Share this -Link copiedPolls close soon in critical Georgia Senate runoff Polls are closing at 7 p.m. ET in the Senate runoff election in Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is hoping to fend off a challenge from Republican Herschel Walker. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock has a massive ad-spending and fundraising advantage over Republican Herschel Walker in the runoff election. In the 2022 general election, Warnock grew his advantage in Henry County, winning it by just over 31 points.

Share this -Link copiedGroups work to mobilize Latino voters in Georgia Senate runoff From giving away bingo-like Mexican lotería cards to Taco Tuesdays and World Cup watch parties, Latino voting mobilization efforts ramped up in Georgia leading into the Senate runoff election. Share this -Link copiedPolls close soon in critical Georgia Senate runoff Polls are closing at 7 p.m. ET in the Senate runoff election in Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is hoping to fend off a challenge from Republican Herschel Walker. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock has a massive ad-spending and fundraising advantage over Republican Herschel Walker in the runoff election. In the 2022 general election, Warnock grew his advantage in Henry County, winning it by just over 31 points.

But first: The results from five counties will help tell us if Democrat Raphael Warnock is on track to win tonight’s Senate runoff in Georgia. Warnock got 56.9% of the vote in Cobb when he won the Jan. 2021 runoff, and he got just under that last November (56.8%). And in Gwinnett, Warnock got 60.6% of the vote in the 2021 runoff, compared with 58.9% last month against Walker. In rural Chattooga — one of NBC News’ “County to County” counties — Warnock got just 20.5% when he won the 2021 runoff, and he got less than that in the November general election (19.8%). Data Download: The number of the day is … $7.79 billionThat’s how much money was spent on political television, radio and digital ads this entire cycle (starting the day after the 2021 Georgia Senate runoff through today’s runoff), per AdImpact.

WASHINGTON — If it’s Monday ... It’s the last day of campaigning before tomorrow’s Georgia Senate runoff. ... NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard covers the closing messages by Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker. And just looking at the campaigns, which get the biggest bang per advertising buck, it’s Warnock at $25.2 million, versus Walker at $10.1 million. But now it’s $11.8 million — behind Warnock’s $25 million and the $20.3 million from Georgia Honor, a Democratic Super PAC. Runoff watch: Walker accuser speaks to NBC NewsDays after she first revealed an allegation of domestic abuse against Georgia Republican Senate hopeful Herschel Walker, a former girlfriend of his sat down with NBC News to detail those allegations.

☆ The unraveling of $3 billion crypto lender BlockFi amid FTX's 'death spiral', according to bankruptcy filings
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The crypto platform owes $30 million to the SEC, per bankruptcy filings. FTX, which once offered BlockFi a $400 million credit line, ultimately led to the firm's bankruptcy. BlockFi cited significant exposure to Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire, which filed for bankruptcy on November 11. Ironically, once FTX's "death spiral" began, BlockFi's liquidity crisis ensued and the company paused user account withdrawals on its platform. Due to the loan agreement and $355 million in digital assets held on FTX, BlockFi had substantial exposure.

[1/2] People take part in a protest against the electoral reform proposed by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and in support of the National Electoral Institute (INE) in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, November 13, 2022. Without opposition support, Lopez Obrador cannot pass his planned electoral overhaul, a constitutional reform which requires a two-thirds majority in Congress. Critics view that as a presidential power grab, something Lopez Obrador denies. If the bill founders, Lopez Obrador has mooted lesser changes that only require a simple majority. Lopez Obrador may have a last chance to reshape the INE when four of its 11 commissioners step down next April.

☆ Bitfront: The crypto winter claims another casualty after FTX's collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN Business —Bitfront, a crypto exchange backed by Japanese social media app Line, is shutting down after failing to overcome turmoil in the industry. The announcement by the US-based exchange comes at a time when the market for digital assets is grappling with financial contagion unleashed by the spectacular collapse of another crypto exchange, FTX. Its decision to shut down the exchange came on the same day crypto lender BlockFi filed for bankruptcy. BlockFi, founded in 2017 by Zac Prince and Flori Marquez, made loans to customers using crypto assets as collateral. Shortly after filing for Chapter 11, BlockFi filed a lawsuit against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s Emergent Fidelity Technologies, demanding he turn over collateral that BlockFi claims it is owed.

☆ Here’s how China’s COVID lockdown protests are sparking unrest across markets and rattling the global investing landscape.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Today we're going over what the ongoing protests in China mean for markets and investors. While the protests in China have been largely peaceful, some protesters have been met with violence from the authorities. Anti-government protests have erupted from Shanghai to Beijing as citizens rise up in opposition of China's zero-COVID policies. "Markets don't like bad news, and protests are bad news," Laffer told me on a phone call yesterday. China protests over lockdown measures could mean inflation gets stuck at 4%, according to Mohamed El-Erian.

New Jersey-based BlockFi, founded by fintech executive-turned-crypto entrepreneur Zac Prince, said in a bankruptcy filing that its substantial exposure to FTX created a liquidity crisis. BlockFi listed its assets and liabilities as being between $1 billion and $10 billion. Renzi said that BlockFi had sold a portion of its crypto assets earlier in November to fund its bankruptcy. In a court filing on Monday, BlockFi listed FTX as its second-largest creditor, with $275 million owed on a loan extended earlier this year. In its bankruptcy filing, BlockFi said it had hired Kirkland & Ellis and Haynes & Boone as bankruptcy counsel.

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New Jersey-based BlockFi, founded by Zac Prince, said in a bankruptcy filing that its substantial exposure to FTX created a liquidity crisis. In a court filing on Monday, BlockFi listed FTX as its second-largest creditor, with $275 million owed on a loan extended earlier this year. Crypto lenders, the de facto banks of the crypto world, boomed during the pandemic, attracting retail customers with double-digit rates in return for their cryptocurrency deposits. Crypto lenders are not required to hold capital or liquidity buffers like traditional lenders and some found themselves exposed when a shortage of collateral forced them - and their customers - to shoulder large losses. In its bankruptcy filing, BlockFi said it had hired Kirkland & Ellis and Haynes & Boone as bankruptcy counsel and Berkeley Research Group as a financial adviser.

☆ Stand up comedy booms in Venezuela, but politics are off stage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Johnny Carvajal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The public and comedians alike are worn out by issues like constant power or water cuts and growing income inequality, Rodriguez noted. Those new opportunities to get onstage, alongside an uptick in video-based social media such as Tik Tok, have been a boon for young comedians, locals say. Yet for all the gags about daily life, Venezuela's new generations of comedians tend to steer clear of political jokes. "(Venezualans' humor follows) the style of North American comedy ... which talks about everyday life, not political issues," said Laureano Marquez, 59, a renowned humorist and political analyst. "It's too damn good when you find a purpose in your day-to-day work, getting the laughs," she said.

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