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☆ Where Kamala Harris Lives, a Little Known History of Enslavement
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Robert Draper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Three years ago this month, Vice President Kamala Harris moved into her official residence in northwest Washington, a quiet 73-acre enclave where the U.S. Navy keeps an observatory as well as the nation’s master clock. Near the villa, the team had found something else: A brick foundation of a smokehouse used to cure meat. Ms. Harris did not have to be told who had used it. Well before moving to the new residence, the nation’s first Black vice president had been told by aides about the 34 individuals who once lived on the property against their will. A subsequent opinion essay for CQ Roll Call was the first mention of it in the news media.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, Peter, Mary, Ellen Jenkins, Chapman, Sarah, Henry, Joseph, Louisa, Daniel, Eliza Toyer, Towley, Judah, Andrew Yates, Kitty, William, Gilbert, Phillip Silas, Susan, Dennis, Ann Maria, William Carroll, Becky, Milly, Margaret, Mortimer Briscoe, Richard Williams, Mary Young, John Thomas, Mary Brown, John Chapman, William Cyrus Organizations: U.S . Navy Locations: Washington

☆ U.S. retail sales grows 7.6% in holiday season -Mastercard data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 26 (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales rose 7.6% between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, which encompasses a majority of the holiday season, as steep discounts lured deal-hungry consumers, a Mastercard report showed on Monday. However, sales of electronics dropped 5.3% over the broader roughly two-month period, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse report. Online sales jumped 10.6% in the period, slightly less than the 11% increase last year, the Mastercard report said. Meanwhile, during the cyber week, total retail sales had jumped about 11%, a separate Mastercard SpendingPulse report in late November showed. Mastercard SpendingPulse measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.

☆ Musk to step down as Twitter CEO once he finds 'someone foolish' enough as successor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Elon Musk's Twitter profile is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration taken April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoDec 20 (Reuters) - Billionaire Elon Musk said on Tuesday he will step down as chief executive of Twitter Inc once he finds a replacement, but will still run some key divisions of the social media platform. After that, I will just run the software & servers teams," Musk wrote on Twitter. He has not provided a time frame for when he will step down and no successor has been named. Musk has himself said he had too much on his plate, and that he would look for a Twitter CEO.

☆ Musk says he'll step down as Twitter CEO after finding a replacement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said on Tuesday he will step down as chief executive of Twitter after finding a replacement. "I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams," Musk wrote on Twitter. This is the first time Musk has mentioned stepping down as chief of the social media platform, after Twitter users voted decisively in a poll for him to step down, which the billionaire launched on Sunday evening. Musk has himself admitted he had too much on his plate, and said he would look for a Twitter CEO.

☆ Citi, Revlon lenders reach deal over $500 mln accidental payment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | Thomson Reuters Institute | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The Citigroup Inc (Citi) logo is seen at the SIBOS banking and financial conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 19, 2017. Citigroup, as Revlon's loan agent, had accidentally used its own money in August 2020 to prematurely pay off an $894 million loan owed by billionaire Ronald Perelman's now-bankrupt cosmetics company. "About three quarters of the mistaken payments have now been returned to Citibank," lawyers for both Citigroup and the lenders said in a letter to a federal judge. Citibank expects to file notices of dismissal in the coming weeks if payments are made as per the agreement, the document said. Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu and Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 strikes southern Iran; felt in UAE - EMSC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 30 (Reuters) - An Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck southern Iran on Wednesday and was felt in the United Arab Emirates, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. Iranian state TV reported that rescue teams were dispatched to the quake-hit area and added there were no casualties. The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) and about 88 km northwest of Ras Al Khaimah City in the UAE, EMSC added. Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi denies oil output hike discussion, says OPEC+ may cut if needed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Wall Street Journal earlier on Monday reported an output increase of 500,000 barrels per day was under discussion for the next meeting of OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, on Dec. 4. Oil prices, which had slid more than 5% to below $83 a barrel after the Wall Street Journal report , pared losses following the minister's comments. Last month, OPEC+ unexpectedly decided to reduce output targets sharply. It would be unusual for the group to increase production at a time of declining prices and growing concern about the economic outlook. Prince Abdulaziz was also quoted as saying OPEC+ was ready to reduce output further if needed.

☆ Saudi Arabia eyes OPEC+ production increase - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other OPEC oil producers are discussing an output increase, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing unidentified delegates within the group. An increase of up to 500,000 barrels per day is now under discussion for OPEC+'s Dec. 4 meeting, the report said. Last month, OPEC+ unexpectedly decided to reduce output targets sharply and it would be unusual for the group to increase production at a time of declining prices and concern about the economic outlook. The WSJ said talk of a production increase has emerged after U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told a federal court judge that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should have sovereign immunity from a U.S. federal lawsuit related to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The energy minister for Saudi Arabia, the OPEC+ de-facto leader, was quoted as saying earlier this month the group will remain cautious.

☆ U.S. autonomous delivery vehicle startup Nuro cuts staff by 20%
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 18 (Reuters) - Autonomous delivery vehicle maker Nuro is laying off about 20% of its workforce after admitting that rapid hiring in the past year was a mistake, the company's co-founders wrote in an email to employees on Friday. "Laying off team members is always the last resort, but unfortunately it was needed after other options were exhausted," the email said. Nuro's founders, Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu, both worked on Google's self-driving car project, later spun out as Waymo, before launching Nuro. The layoffs will affect about 300 employees; impacted workers will be offered three months severance pay and other benefits, according to the email. Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bahamas regulator says it assumed control of digital assets of FTX
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 17 (Reuters) - The Securities Commission of The Bahamas said on Thursday it has ordered all digital assets of FTX Digital Markets Ltd (FDM) transferred to a digital wallet controlled by the Commission for safekeeping. "Urgent interim regulatory action was necessary to protect the interests of clients and creditors of FDM," the commission said in a statement. Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FTX's founder Bankman-Fried says he failed to see warning signs - NYT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of FTX is seen at the entrance of the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, U.S., November 12, 2022. REUTERS/Marco BelloNov 14 (Reuters) - FTX founder and former Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried said he expanded his business too fast and failed to notice signs of trouble at the exchange, whose downfall sent shock waves through the crypto industry, the New York Times reported late on Monday. Bankman-Fried, who is based in the Bahamas, declined to comment on his current location, citing safety concerns, the newspaper said. When asked whether FTX used customer funds to prop up the trading firm Alameda Research that he founded, Bankman-Fried told the New York Times that Alameda had accumulated a large "margin position" on FTX. Reuters reported last week that Bankman-Fried had secretly transferred $10 billion of customer funds from FTX to Alameda.

Nov 8 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court on Tuesday denied requests to temporarily block Albertsons Companies Inc's (ACI.N) $4 billion dividend payment to shareholders before closing of the proposed merger with Kroger Co , but the payout remained blocked due to another court order. The federal court in Washington D.C. denied issuing a restraining order in the case, which was filed by the attorneys general of California, Illinois and Washington D.C and sought to block the payout until antitrust reviews of the proposed merger were completed. The lawsuit filed by attorneys general of Washington D.C., California and Illinois argued the same. Kroger snapped up Albertsons in a $25 billion deal in last month's mega merger between the No. "People living in poverty will suffer most of all—not only because of skyrocketing prices as competition vanishes, but through probable store closures," the groups said, adding the "unusual" $4 billion dividend to shareholders should be investigated.

☆ UK to increase pensions and benefits in line with inflation -The Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to increase pensions and benefits in line with inflation in an effort to ensure the budget is seen as "fair and compassionate", the Times reported on Monday. The Times reported that assumptions sent to the official forecaster over the weekend included the two pledges, which would cost a combined 11 billion pounds ($12.66 billion) in 2023-24. ($1 = 0.8687 pounds)Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Twitter says 50% of staff laid off, moves to reassure on content moderation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Nathan FrandinoNov 4 (Reuters) - Twitter has laid off 50% of its employees, the company's head of safety and integrity said on Friday in a tweet, while saying that the social media platform's content moderation capabilities remained in place. The tweet by safety and integrity head Yoel Roth moved to reassure users and advertisers following the company's takeover by billionaire Elon Musk. Roth said 15% of Twitter's employees on the trust and safety team, which is responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation and harmful content, were laid off. Company-wide, the layoffs affected 50% of employees, he added, which was the first confirmation from Twitter about the size of the layoffs. "Again, to be crystal clear, Twitter’s strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged," Musk tweeted shortly after Roth's own tweet.

☆ Cheerios maker General Mills, Audi of America pause advertising on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Packages of Cheerios, a brand owned by General Mills, are seen in a store in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 12, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew KellyNov 3 (Reuters) - General Mills Inc (GIS.N) and Luxury automaker Audi of America said on Thursday they have paused advertising on Twitter, days after the social media platform was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk for $44 billion. "We will continue to monitor this new direction and evaluate our marketing spend," a General Mills spokesperson said. Audi of America, the Herndon, Virginia-based U.S. unit of Audi - a Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE) brand - said it would "continue to evaluate the situation." The two companies join top U.S. automaker General Motors Co (GM.N), which last week said it had temporarily halted paid advertising on Twitter.

Companies BlackRock Inc FollowOct 25 (Reuters) - BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) has raised $4.5 billion out of an overall $7.5 billion-target for a new fund to invest in infrastructure assets aimed at climate-focused projects, the world's largest asset manager said on Tuesday. BlackRock, which manages around $8 trillion in assets, said public and private pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies and family offices had invested in the new fund, which will be called Global Infrastructure Fund IV. The asset manager said the new fund will invest in five sectors –– energy, low carbon power, transport and logistics, regulated utilities, and digital infrastructure –– to capitalize on the growing trend towards decarbonization and digitalization. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterIts previous infrastructure fund raised $5.1 billion in 2020. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ann Maria shibu and Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Philip Morris (PM.N) increased its bid by more than 9% to 116 Swedish crowns per share and said that the offer was its "best and final price". Philip Morris made an all-cash offer of 106 crowns per share for Stockholm-based Swedish Match in May. By Swedish law, 90% of Swedish Match shareholders need to approve the offer before Nov.4. Pontus Dackmo, CEO of Protean Funds who has 500,000 shares in Swedish Match, said he was still not impressed by the sweetened offer from Philip Morris. The company had earlier said it was expecting EU antitrust approval for its Swedish Match bid in late October.

☆ Philip Morris sweetens buyout bid for Swedish Match to $15.8 bln
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Philip Morris raised its bid by more than 9% to 116 Swedish crowns per share, although it said that the offer was its "best and final price". Swedish Match did not immediately respond to Reuters's request for comment on the revised offer. Philip Morris has announced that they are not waiving the 90 percent acceptance condition. The deal will fail and Swedish Match will remain an independent company," Hempton said. The company had earlier said that it was expecting EU antitrust approval for its Swedish Match bid in late October.

☆ London hedge fund VR Capital blocks Naftogaz restructuring - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - London-based hedge fund VR Capital is resisting efforts by Ukraine's state-owned gas company Naftogaz to restructure its debt, the Financial times reported on Wednesday. VR Capital is one of the lead investors involved in a stand-off between Naftogaz and its bondholders, FT reported, citing sources. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amazon to boost Thailand cloud infrastructure with $5 bln investment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Amazon Web Services (AWS),the cloud computing division of Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), said on Monday it plans to invest $5 billion in Thailand over the next 15 years to strengthen its infrastructure in the country. The investment would include construction of data centers and purchase of goods and services from regional businesses, AWS said in a statement. It also plans to set up an infrastructure hub in Thailand's Bangkok to help customers in the region securely store data, and serve end users better. AWS last month opened its first cloud data center in UAE and announced plans to setup a local hub in Mexico to boost bandwidth for clients. The edge locations help to deliver data, videos and applications at higher speeds to end users.

☆ EU ministers recommended to take a tougher stance on China - FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 17 (Reuters) - The European Union ministers have been advised to take a tougher line on China and see the country as an all-out competitor with limited areas of potential engagement ahead of talks on revising Brussels' strategy towards Beijing, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The union should work closely with the United States, strengthen its cyber defence and diversify its supply chain away from China, according to a paper prepared for member states by the bloc's foreign service and seen by the FT."China has become an even stronger global competitor for the EU, the U.S. and other like-minded partners," the paper said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Two Aveva shareholders plan to oppose Schneider takeover offer
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe logo of Scheider Electrics is pictured at the company's headquarters in Rueil-Malmaison near Paris, France, April 22, 2020. REUTERS/Charles PlatiauSept 23 (Reuters) - Canada-based Mawer Investment Management and M&G Investments, shareholders in Aveva Plc (AVV.L), intend to reject Schneider Electric's (SCHN.PA) 9.5 billion pounds ($10.37 billion) takeover offer, calling the offer "opportunistic". Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEarlier in the day, the Financial Times reported Mawer's plan to reject the offer. The statement resonates with another investor in Aveva, M&G Investments. "M&G is materially underwhelmed with the opportunistic 31-pound offer from Schneider for the remainder of Aveva, and we're disappointed that the Aveva board has recommended the bid to shareholders," Rory Alexander, fund manager, M&G Investments, said.

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