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The Israeli military said Tuesday that an American woman who was killed during a protest in the occupied West Bank last week was "likely" hit "unintentionally" by Israeli fire. Eygi’s family said she was peacefully demonstrating when she was killed and that video showed the bullet appeared to come from an Israeli military shooter. They had separately called for an independent U.S.-ordered investigation and said an Israeli investigation would not be enough. A Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into the 2022 killing of another American in the West Bank, veteran Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, remains ongoing. Israel refused to cooperate with the FBI's investigation and to date no one in the Israeli military has been prosecuted.

Persons: Ezgi, Washington, Eygi’s, Vedant Patel, Patel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shireen Abu Akleh, Israel Organizations: West Bank, University of Washington, International Solidarity Movement, Islamic Jihad, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, State Department, U.S . State Department, Justice Department, Military Police, Investigation, Military, Corps, International Court of Justice, Federal Bureau of Locations: American, Seattle, Israel, U.S, Palestinian, Israeli, Jerusalem

“We still don’t know with full certainty what transpired and what happened, and that’s why we are working to get as much information as we can," State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said. They called for an independent U.S.-ordered investigation and said an Israeli investigation would not be enough. Patel said that Israel is conducting an investigation and that the State Department expects a formal process for releasing findings. The bodies of six hostages, including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were recovered in a tunnel under Rafah late last month. In Gaza, local officials have said more than 40,000 people have been killed since Israeli forces launched its offensive in response to the Hamas attacks.

Persons: “, Vedant Patel, ”, Patel, Israel, ” Patel, Philippe Lazzarini, ” Lazzarini, Hersh Goldberg Organizations: West Bank, State Department, Department, University of Washington, International Solidarity Movement, Israeli Defense Forces, Justice Department, Hamas, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UN Locations: Israel, American, U.S, Seattle, Gaza, East, Rafah

☆ RFK Jr. says he invested $24,000 in GameStop after brief meme stock revival
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles on March 18, 2024. "My administration will support the Ape retail rebellion and enact aggressive Wall Street reforms," Kennedy Jr. wrote in a social media post. The apes were motivated in part by a desire to buck bearish Wall Street analysts' grim assessments of the companies' long-term prospects. Kennedy Jr. is actively courting undecided voters with a fringe political brand that could appeal to some anti-establishment meme stock investors. Kennedy Jr. has made obscure statements about his investment record.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Kennedy, Trump's, Trump Organizations: Independent U.S, GameStop, AMC Locations: Santa Monica, Los Angeles, bitcoin

☆ Phillips 66's refining operations come under activist radar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REFINERIES:WOOD RIVER, Roxana, Illinois, refining capacity: 356,000 barrels per day (bpd)Largest Phillips 66 refinery by operating capacity. LOS ANGELES: Carson and Wilmington, California, capacity: 139,000 bpdTwo sites linked by pipeline, producing California Air Resources Board-grade gasoline and fuel-grade petroleum coke. *SAN FRANCISCO: Santa Maria, Wilmington, California and Rodeo, Rodeo, California, capacity: 120,200 bpdPhillips 66's San Francisco operations consisted of two sites: Santa Maria refinery in Wilmington, California and Rodeo refinery in Rodeo, California. INTERNATIONAL REFINERIES:HUMBER, North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, total throughput: 245,000 bpdProduces transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks, home heating oil and petroleum coke. MiRO, Karlsruhe, Germany, total throughput: 61,000 bpdProduces transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks, home heating oil, bitumen, and petroleum coke.

Persons: Bing Guan, refiner Phillips, Phillips, Santa, Santa Maria, Shariq Khan, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Phillips, Los, Los Angeles Refinery, REUTERS, Investment Management, Energy, Exports, California Air Resources, INTERNATIONAL, MiRO, . Energy, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Carson , California, U.S, Wood, Borger, Roxana , Illinois, Midcontinent, BORGER, Borger , Texas, West Texas, New Mexico , Colorado, SWEENY, Old Ocean , Texas, United States, America, LAKE CHARLES, Westlake , Louisiana, Europe, Linden , New Jersey, York, Bayway, East Coast . PONCA CITY, Ponca City , Oklahoma, ANGELES, Carson, Wilmington , California, California, California , Nevada, Arizona, FERNDALE, Ferndale , Washington, BILLINGS, Billings , Montana, Montana , Wyoming , Idaho , Utah, Colorado, Washington, Santa Maria, Rodeo , California, Francisco, HUMBER, North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, Karlsruhe, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, San Francisco, Bengaluru

___Their recommendations include securing land rights for women, promoting women's cooperatives and encouraging women to lead on developing climate policy. The link between phenomena like uterine prolapse and climate change is indirect but significant, said Seema Bhaskaran, who tracks gender issues for the nonprofit Transform Rural India Foundation. “It must prioritize awareness programs that emphasize the specific health challenges women face in the wake of climate change as a critical step towards increasing public knowledge. These efforts will also serve as a call to action for governments, institutions, and communities to prioritize women’s health and well-being as a central component of their climate initiatives,” she added. “Definitely there is a very clear recognition that climate has a health impact and health needs to be considered more seriously,” she said.

Persons: Manju Devi, Devi, hadn’t, ___, Seema Bhaskaran, Bhaskaran, Savita Singh, Singh's, Singh, ”, Babita Kumari, Kumari, Poonam, COP28, Anjal Prakash, Shweta Narayan Organizations: DELHI, India Climate Journalism, Associated Press, Stanley Center for Peace, Security, Press Trust of India, India's, Transform Rural, Foundation, Climate Central, Population Foundation of India, Bharat Institute of Public, Indian School of Business, United Nations, Health, AP Locations: Delhi, Dubai, India, New Delhi, Syaraul, Uttar Pradesh, Nanu, U.S

☆ Staffing shortages, outdated facilities threaten US air safety -- report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The panel, named by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), released a 52-page report citing problems that included shortages of air traffic controllers, technology issues, outdated systems and dramatic funding needs. It cited aging FAA air traffic control facilities with leaking roofs, broken heating and air conditioning systems and old surveillance radar systems that must soon be replaced at a cost of billions of dollars. A government watchdog report said in June critical air traffic facilities face significant staffing challenges, posing risks to air traffic operations. The FAA said in March it was taking steps to improve air traffic control operations, which are short-staffed. "There is no question that we are seeing too many close calls," the head of the FAA's air traffic organization told employees.

Persons: LaGuardia, Brendan McDermid, Michael Huerta, David Shepardson, Louise Heavens, Nick Zieminski, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, National Transportation, New York, Southwest Airlines, Boeing, Cessna, Thomson Locations: New, New York City , New York, U.S, New York City, San Diego

Given the U.S. gives Israel $3.8 billion a year in military aid, Sanders said, "We have a right to say, 'Sorry, you need a new military strategy.'" Israeli officials say Hamas uses civilians and hospitals as cover and prevents civilians from leaving combat zones. Multiple U.S. officials say they have been able to influence its conduct in the war somewhat. At the time it was the most military aid the U.S. had given any country. U.S. lawmakers who back a ceasefire support Israel eradicating the Iranian-backed Hamas, but some say Israel's strategy will backfire.

Persons: Joe Biden, Leah Millis, Biden, Bernie Sanders, Israel, Sanders, CNN's, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ”, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Aaron David Miller, Raphael Cohen, ” Cohen, Pramila Jayapal, Obama, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Doina, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: Franciscan Action, Palestinian, REUTERS, United Nations, Independent U.S, Hamas, Union, Democratic, State Department, U.S, Republicans, Rand Corporation, Thomson Locations: Israel, Washington , U.S, Gaza, U.S, Washington, Baghdad, London, United States, Ukraine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, East, Iran

☆ The No. 1 thing people get wrong about high-yield savings accounts, says wealth management expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

High-yield savings accounts can help your money grow faster than traditional savings accounts, but many people mistakenly think that the returns these types of accounts can deliver are too good to be true. Like traditional savings accounts, high-yield savings accounts are backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which is an independent U.S. government agency. Online banks that offer high-yield savings accounts tend to have lower overhead costs than traditional banks, since they aren't paying for physical locations and other expenses. But high-yield savings accounts offer APYs as high as 5% or 6%. But before you move over your funds, be sure to do your research on the bank that's offering the high-yield savings account you're interested in.

Persons: Colby Dickson, Greg McBride, McBride, Jim Cramer, Ben McKenzie, Farnoosh Organizations: Northwestern Mutual, CNBC, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC Locations: U.S

It forecasts that Britain, with a 2030 fossil-fuel car sale ban, could be short 25,000 EV technicians by 2032. And Australia could be 9,000 EV technicians short by 2030, the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce predicts. CEO Lawrence Whittaker said Warrantywise must use expensive franchise dealers to fix EVs because they more often have qualified technicians than independent shops. Customers lacking EV repair options already come from far afield. The IMI estimates 20% of UK automotive technicians have received some EV training, but only 1% are qualified to do more than routine maintenance.

Persons: Rex Nielsen, Mark Syvret, Renault Zoe, Nick Carey, Roberto Petrilli, Lawrence Whittaker, Warrantywise, Mark Darvill, Darvill, Hillclimb's, Addison Lee, Andrew Wescott, Tesla, Daniel Brown, Germany's Lucas, David Etzwiler, Etzwiler, Collin Jennings, Jennings, Steve Nash, Nicholas Wyman, you'll, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Renault, REUTERS, EV, Motor Industry, of Labor Statistics, Victorian Automotive Chamber, Commerce, Auto, Reuters, UK, Tesla, IMI, Siemens Foundation, Traders ' Association of New, MTA NSW, U.S . Institute, Workplace, Thomson Locations: Ash Vale, Britain, DETROIT, MILAN, England, Milan, Melbourne, Malibu, Italy, Hertford, China, India, Europe, United States, Australia, High Wycombe, London, Traders ' Association of New South Wales, NSW

☆ Binance, CEO plan to seek dismissal of CFTC complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 24 (Reuters) - Binance and its CEO and founder Changpeng Zhao are planning to seek dismissal of a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) complaint accusing the crypto exchange of violating the Commodity Exchange Act and certain related federal regulations. Binance is due to submit its response to the CFTC complaint on July 27 and plans to seek dismissal, according to a court filing on Monday. The CFTC in March sued Binance, the world's biggest crypto exchange, and Zhao for operating what the regulator alleged was an "illegal" exchange and a "sham" compliance program. In its complaint, the CFTC said that from at least July 2019 to the present, Binance "offered and executed commodity derivatives transactions on behalf of U.S. persons" in violation of U.S. laws. The CFTC and Binance did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Binance, Zhao, Juby Babu, Varun Organizations: Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance, Justice, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Binance has not sold either bitcoin or Binance Coin, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Changpeng Zhao, CEO of Binance, speaks at the Delta Summit, Malta's official Blockchain and Digital Innovation event promoting cryptocurrency, in St Julian's, Malta October 4, 2018. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi/File Photo(Reuters) -Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has not sold either bitcoin or Binance Coin, its native token, the company’s CEO Changpeng Zhao tweeted on Tuesday. Last week, Binance was sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which listed 13 charges against the company, Zhao and the operator of its purportedly independent U.S. exchange. The lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase Global have increased fears the crypto market’s ordeal could be prolonged further after the sector was battered by a string of meltdowns including the bankruptcy of FTX, Binance’s biggest competitor, last year. Binance Coin has lost more than 20% in value since the SEC’s action.

Persons: Zhao, Darrin Zammit Lupi, Binance, Changpeng Zhao Organizations: Binance, Delta, REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Coinbase Locations: St Julian's, Malta, FTX

☆ Morning Bid: Markets level, Aussie hikes, crypto judders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It raised interest rates by a quarter-point on Tuesday to an 11-year high and warned further tightening may be required to ensure that inflation returns to target, boosting the Aussie dollar as markets had been leaning towards a pause. Eyes will now be trained on the Bank of Canada's latest policy decision on Wednesday, with many forecasting it will resume tightening interest rates after a four-month pause. The crypto world was far from calm, with Bitcoin trying to find its feet after a 5% recoil to three-month lows on Monday. The Securities and Exchange Commission complaint listed 13 charges against Binance, Zhao and the operator of its purportedly independent U.S. exchange. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Mike Dolan, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Nansen, Antony Blinken, Smucker Organizations: Apple, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank of Canada's, . U.S, Securities, Exchange, Binance, U.S, Saudi, Smucker Reuters Graphics, PMI Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Australia, ., Saudi Arabia

After receiving $145 million from Binance.US's operator by 2021, Sigma Chain spent $11 million on buying a yacht, the SEC complaint said, without elaborating. It is unclear from the SEC complaint how much money Zhao is alleged to have drawn from Merit Peak and Sigma Chain. The SEC also said Zhao used Merit Peak to direct more than $16 million to fund Binance's purportedly independent U.S. affiliate Binance.US. Binance used its BUSD holdings to meet customer withdrawals by selling them for dollars as needed, Reuters reported in May. The SEC complaint also identified Binance Labs, a venture capital arm of Binance, as part of the exchange's plan to increase demand for BNB.

Persons: Zhao, Binance, Benoit Tessier LONDON, Changpeng Zhao, John Reed Stark, Stark, Binance's, Angus Berwick, Tom Wilson, Lisa Barrington, Hadeel Al, Elisa Martinuzzi, Alexander Smith Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Binance, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Swiss, Sigma Chain, Reuters, Silicon, Internet, Futures Trading Commission, U.S . Justice, Reuters Graphics, Silvergate Bank, Merit, Sigma, Binance Labs, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, Binance, U.S, Virgin Islands, Dubai, London, Hadeel Al Sayegh

LONDON, June 5 (Reuters) - A senior Binance executive was the main operator for five bank accounts belonging to the giant cryptocurrency exchange’s purportedly independent U.S. affiliate, including an account that held American customers’ funds, bank records show. This allowed Chen and her deputies to move funds held in the bank accounts. The previously unreported bank records and messages show that Binance’s management over the U.S. business’s finances extended across its bank accounts at Silvergate and detail how this secret access was granted. Binance.US has denied that Binance ever operated its bank accounts. ‘PRIMARY ADMIN USER’The Binance.US trading platform was launched by its operating firm, BAM Trading, in mid-2019 under then Chief Executive Catherine Coley.

Persons: Guangying Chen, Changpeng Zhao, Chen, Binance, Zhao, Binance.US, Krishna Juvvadi, Christian Hertenstein, Brian Shroder, ” Hertenstein, “, Chen’s, Juvvadi, ”, Peak’s, Catherine Coley, Coley, Silvergate, James McDonald, Hertenstein, Susan Li, Li messaged, Li, Angus Berwick, Tom Wilson, Janet McBride, Michael Williams Organizations: Silvergate Bank, U.S, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Reuters, BAM, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, ” Reuters, SEC, “, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, American, US, Binance, Shanghai, Binance.US

LONDON, June 5 - A senior Binance executive was the main operator for five bank accounts belonging to the giant cryptocurrency exchange’s purportedly independent U.S. affiliate, including an account that held American customers’ funds, bank records show. This allowed Chen and her deputies to move funds held in the bank accounts. The previously unreported bank records and messages show that Binance’s management over the U.S. business’s finances extended across its bank accounts at Silvergate and detail how this secret access was granted. Binance.US has denied that Binance ever operated its bank accounts. ‘PRIMARY ADMIN USER’The Binance.US trading platform was launched by its operating firm, BAM Trading, in mid-2019 under chief executive Catherine Coley.

Persons: Guangying Chen, Changpeng Zhao, Chen, Binance, Binance.US, Krishna Juvvadi, Christian Hertenstein, Brian Shroder, ” Hertenstein, Zhao, “, Chen’s, Juvvadi, Reutersalso, Peak’s, Catherine Coley, Coley, Silvergate, James McDonald, Hertenstein, ”, Susan Li, Li messaged, Li, Angus Berwick, Tom Wilson, Janet McBride, Michael Williams Organizations: Silvergate Bank, U.S, Reuters, BAM, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, “, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington, American, US, Binance, Shanghai, Binance.US

☆ Massachusetts US attorney accused of multiple ethics violations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins improperly used her position at the Justice Department to try to influence the outcome of a local district attorney election by leaking negative and non-public information about a political rival, the department's internal watchdog said on Wednesday. That conclusion was among a litany of ethics violations uncovered by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz in a scathing 161-page investigative report released a day after Rollins announced she would resign her post by Friday. Rollins, the first Black woman to serve as the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts, was appointed by President Joe Biden. She is a prominent figure in the "progressive prosecutor" movement that supports policies designed to eliminate racial disparities in the justice system. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Rami AyyubOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ $7.25 federal minimum wage is a 'national disgrace,' says Sen. Bernie Sanders, backing push for $17/hour
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks on raising the federal minimum wage outside the U.S. Capitol on May 4, 2023. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images13 states have approved a $15 minimum wageToday, 13 states have approved a $15 minimum wage, Sanders said. Sen. Bernie Sanders Independent U.S. senator from VermontDemocrats had pursued raising the federal minimum wage in recent years, though those efforts stalled. When President Joe Biden took office, he promised to address the federal minimum wage in his first 100 days, Blalock recalled. 'A weak minimum wage is bad for the overall economy'Opponents to raising the minimum wage cite the higher costs those increases would put on businesses.

TOKYO, April 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices gained about 2% on Friday after U.S. data showed crude output was declining while fuel demand was growing. Brent crude futures rose $1.16, or 1.5%, to $79.53 a barrel by 12:24 p.m. EDT (1624 GMT), while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.99, or 2.7%, to $76.75. "But, today there were headlines showing there may be a solution to First Republic's problems and data pointing to a rise in oil demand and a decline in output," Flynn said. In the same report, the EIA said U.S. product supplied of crude and petroleum products - a proxy for oil demand - rose to nearly 20 million bpd and finished motor gasoline rose to 8.7 million bpd in February, the highest for both since November 2022. Oil companies like Exxon Mobil Corp(XOM.N), meanwhile, are riding a wave of strong demand and have held the line on cost-cutting implemented when fuel demand collapsed during COVID-19 lockdowns.

☆ Par Pacific to take over Montana refinery on June 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HOUSTON, March 31 (Reuters) - Independent U.S. refiner Par Pacific Holdings (PARR.N) is expected take over a 63,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Billings, Montana refinery from Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) on June 1, said Exxon spokesperson Julie King on Friday. Par Pacific agreed in October to buy the Billings refinery from Exxon for $310 million plus the cost of hydrocarbon and other inventory to be valued at the sale's closing. A spokesperson for Par Pacific did not reply to a request for comment. With addition of the Billings refinery, Par Pacific will have four refineries with a combined throughput of 218,000 bpd. Exxon has said it wants to concentrate on refineries that are connected to adjoining chemical plants.

☆ Tony Hawk turned down a $500,000 payment for 'Pro Skater,' opting for royalties instead. He ended up making at least 8 times that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tony Hawk made an appearance on "The Diary of a CEO" podcast and discussed his best financial move. Ahead of the release of video game "Pro Skater," he was offered a $500,000 payment for his likeness. Activision's fiscal report from 2002 cites the video game series as "the single largest independent U.S. video game franchise for the fiscal year" and credits the game, in part, for the company's increased revenue. 2020's "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2" would go on to sell one million units faster than any other iteration of the series, per Activision. "Nowadays an entire generation of kids, have asked me if I'm named after a video game," Hawk said on "Diary of a CEO."

☆ Volkswagen's Scout unit wins $1.3 bln in incentives for South Carolina factory
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The project could also receive up to $180 million in job development tax credits based on hiring, said South Carolina Commerce Secretary Harry Lightsey. In May, VW said it would reintroduce the Scout off-road brand in the United States, offering new electric pickup and sport-utility vehicles. Scout said it hopes to eventually create 4,000 jobs and produce 200,000 Scout vehicles annually. Volkswagen has moved away from cars in the United States. Monday's event was the latest major auto announcement for South Carolina, home to BMW's (BMWG.DE) U.S. operations and its largest plant by volume.

☆ Silvergate slumps 28% after delaying annual report, warning about viability
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Silvergate Capital (SI.N) shares plummeted 28% late on Wednesday after the cryptocurrency-focused bank warned it was delaying its annual report and said it was evaluating its ability to operate as a going concern. Federal prosecutors in Washington are probing Silvergate and its dealings with FTX and Alameda Research. In January, three U.S. senators asked Silvergate for details about its risk management practices and its dealings with FTX. "The Company is currently analyzing certain regulatory and other inquiries and investigations that are pending with respect to the Company," Silvergate wrote in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday. Silvergate said it does not expect to file its report by an extension date of March 16.

LONDON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. partner of global cryptocurrency exchange Binance has confirmed that a trading firm managed by Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao operated as a market maker on its platform. It did not elaborate on when in 2021 the activity ceased, or comment on Zhao's role at the trading firm. Binance transferred over $400 million from the account at California-based Silvergate Bank to Merit Peak between January and March of 2021, Reuters reported on Thursday. Before that story's publication, Binance.US had told Reuters that "Merit Peak is neither trading nor providing any kind of services on the Binance.US platform," without giving further details. A spokesperson for the global Binance exchange, which did not respond to Reuters' questions for the story on Thursday, told crypto news outlet CoinDesk that the transfers were "a Binance.US issue."

☆ Morning Bid: When doves cry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The market has succumbed to the Fed and is now pricing U.S. interest rates to stay above 5% for the year. This has pushed benchmark 10-year Treasury yields to their highest since late December, with the dollar at six-week highs. Thursday's report showed goods and services prices increased, raising questions about the goods disinflation narrative, according to strategists from Saxo Markets. UK retail data and French inflation data are on deck and will help investors to gauge the state of inflation in the region. The data comes a day after France's CAC 40 touched a record high while London's FTSE 100 continued its recent run of record highs.

Prime Trust made $650 million in wire transfer deposits into the Binance.US account during the quarter, the bank records show. The Binance global exchange, Binance CEO Zhao and Prime Trust did not respond to detailed questions about the transfers. Among the dealers on Binance.US was Merit Peak, according to company messages, the trading firm managed by CEO Zhao. From January to March 2021, the account records show that Merit Peak received 89 transfers from the Binance.US SEN account totalling $404 million. These transfers often immediately followed a deposit into the Binance.US account by Prime Trust, the crypto custodian firm for Binance.US client funds.

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