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☆ Jets vs Texans: Garrett Wilson makes potential catch of the year as New York defeats Houston to snap five-game skid
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson made a catch of the year candidate on Thursday night as New York beat the Houston Texans 21-13 to end their five-game losing streak. The play bore striking similarity to another all-time great catch at MetLife Stadium. “(Beckham) got two feet down, the ball was gonna land out of bounds, and it was Odell, man,” Wilson told reporters. It was amazing.”Wilson explained what was going on in his head while the ball was traveling through the air during the extraordinary catch. “Honestly, you’re not thinking about much, ‘How can I make a play?’” Wilson told Prime Video’s Kaylee Hartung after the game.

Persons: Garrett Wilson, Wilson, Kamari Lassiter, Jeff Ulbrich, Odell Beckham Jr, Beckham, Odell, ” Wilson, “ Odell, I’m, ” Ulbrich, you’re, ’ ” Wilson, Video’s Kaylee Hartung, Aaron, Rodgers, you’ve, ”, Sarah Stier, Wilson’s, Joe Mixon, Malachi Corley, Davante Adams, “ Organizations: CNN — Jets, New York, Houston Texans, Texans, Jets, MetLife, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys Locations: New, Houston, Rodgers

County election officials in Florida, meanwhile, are facing a potential new challenge after Hurricane Milton made landfall on its western coast late Wednesday. Other county election offices in the state similarly said this week that that they would perform fresh assessments of their election infrastructure following Milton. Chris O'Meara/AP David Jalving throws outdoor furniture into his father's pool in Fort Myers to prepare for Hurricane Milton. Marta Lavandier/AP A man in Progreso boards up an apartment building to protect it from Hurricane Milton on Monday. “We should have the most poll workers we’ve ever had here in Oconee County,” said Ryan Nowland, assistant director of Oconee County elections.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, “ I’ve, ”, Mary Beth Tipton, “ We’ve, ” Tipton, Yancey County, Hurricane Milton, “, ” Brian Corley, Milton, Robert Inman, Inman, Cliff Marr, Marr, ” Marr, Helene, Karen Brinson Bell, Bell, Corinne Duncan, Duncan, ” Duncan, Christopher Heath, Ron DeSantis, Corley, Bill Nye, CNN Kari Ewalt, Osceola, ” Ewalt, they’re, Conway Belangia, I’ve, Belangia, Connie Gore, Cecelia Smith, Crystal Vander, Miguel J, Rodriguez Carrillo, Robert Turick, Turick, Rebecca Blackwell, Cristobal Herrera, Julio Cortez, Giorgio Viera, Ricardo Arduengo, Liz Kelly, Matt, Andrew West, Chandan Khanna, Nadia Zomorodian, Austin, Joe Raedle, Sean Rayford, Marta Lavandier, Jefferee Woo, Bryan R, Smith, Chris Urso, Marco Bello, Brandon Marlow, Marie Cook, Bill Ingram, Reuters Stephen Lundgren, Doug Engle, Ron Rook, Paul Hennessy, Saul Martinez, Payton Wyse, Andrew Goncharsky, Christian Burke, Lee, Connor Ferran, Fort Myers, Nicolette Mariano, Kaila Jones, Damon Higgins, Ted Carlson, McKenzie, Evan Purcell, Purcell's, Anna Maria Island, Carlson, Yamil Lage, Matthew Dominick, NASA Aurelio Ortiz, Lorenzo Hernandez, Mike Carlson, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Reuters John Fedor, Chris O'Meara, David Jalving, Pete, Octavio Jones, Tristan Wheelock, Gerald, Martin Zetina, Gregg Newton, ” Belangia, we’ve, Ryan Nowland, “ We’re, everyone’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, Hurricane, “ Communications, Republican, Republican Gov, Voters, Osceola County’s, South, USA, AFP, Getty, AP, Daytona, Network, Reuters, Bradenton, Tropicana, Major League, Tampa Bay Rays, Celtic Ray Public, Tampa Bay Times, NOAA, Vanguard, School, Ocala, Orlando International Airport, Anadolu, Disney, Fort, Palm Beach Daily, Florida Army National Guard, Tampa General Hospital, NASA, International, Milton, Tampa International Airport, Bloomberg, AP Contractors, New Port Richey, AP Tropicana Locations: Carolina, Hurricane, North Carolina’s Yancey County, Yancey, Florida, Florida’s Pasco County, North Carolina, North Carolina’s, Haywood County, North Carolina’s Polk County, ”, Buncombe County, Asheville, Covid, Orange County, Milton, Pasco County, South Carolina, Greenville County, ” County, Martin County , Florida, Port St Lucie , Florida, Englewood , Florida, Manasota Key, Hurricane Milton, Venice , Florida, Riverview , Florida, Lakewood Park , Florida, Siesta Key, Punta Gorda , Florida, North Fort Myers , Florida, Siesta, Volusia, South Daytona , Florida, Bradenton Beach, St . Petersburg, Punta Gorda, Odessa , Florida, Venice, Matlacha , Florida, Palmetto Beach, Tampa, Bradenton , Florida, St . Petersburg , Florida, Clearwater, AFP, Sarasota , Florida, Segundo, Davis, Fort Myers , Florida, Wellington , Florida, Palm, Ocala , Florida, County, Wellington, Orlando, Gulfport , Florida, Lee County, Fort Myers, Sebastian , Florida, Palm Beach , Florida, Palm Beach, Havana, Cuba, Celestún, Mexico, Port Richey , Florida, Tampa Bay, Treasure Island , Florida, St, Pete Beach , Florida, Treasure, Fort Myers Beach, Progreso, New Port, Kissimmee , Florida, Pickens County, Oconee County, Oconee

☆ NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Believing in the Vikings and rookie check-in
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Josh Kendall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +24 min

In honor of Jayden Daniels’ historic start to his NFL career, the Power Rankings are checking in on rookies this week. Last week: 4Sunday: Beat Green Bay Packers 31-29The Vikings are having the NFL’s most surprising season without much help from their rookie class. Veteran wide receiver Rashee Rice is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury against the Chargers. Second-round wide receiver Ladd McConkey had a career-high 67 yards Sunday and leads the team with 173 receiving yards. Fourth-round tight end Erick All has been a surprise with 12 catches, but third-round wide receiver Jermaine Burton has been a disappointment.

Persons: Jayden Daniels, Daniels, Caleb Williams, they’ve, we’ve, J.J, McCarthy, Sam Darnold, Dallas Turner, Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, Worthy, Kingsley Suamataia, Roger Rosengarten, Derrick Henry, Henry, Keon Coleman, it’s, Coleman, James Cook, Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw, Arnold, Rakestraw, Jared Goff, Patrick Breen, Kamari Lassiter, Nico Collins, Byron Murphy, Geno Smith, Smith, Graham Barton, Bucky Irving, Irving, Mike Evans, Mason McCormick, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Justin Fields, Dominick Puni, Darren Yamashita, Puni, that’s, Ricky Pearsall, Jim Harbaugh, Joe Alt, Ladd McConkey, Javon Bullard, Bullard, Jordan Morgan, Edgerrin Cooper —, — Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Love, mettle, DeMarcus Lawrence, Kneeland, Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe, Michael Penix Jr, hasn’t, Kirk Cousins, Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus, Bralen Trice, JD Bertrand, he’s, Taliese Fuaga, Aid McKinstry, Khristian Boyd, Weeks, Laiatu Latu hasn’t, Adonai Mitchell, Joe Flacco, Anthony Richardson, Anthony Richardson's, gam, Ang, e nt, No, Wil l iams: He, lea, dou, Tre, Ben, Lo, Bea, Caro, tigh, carr, rs does, ron, Nix, Eli M ann i, Fran, abou, Dalt, Andy Dalt, ake, Will Levi, Gian, Smit, Garr, Thom, Pede, arn Organizations: NFL, Washington, Green Bay Packers, Vikings, New York Jets, Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Chargers, Veteran, New, New Orleans Saints, Beat Buffalo Bills, Bills, Ravens, 33rd, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo, Houston Texans, Beat Seattle Seahawks, Lions, Ennis, The, USA, Beat Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Beat Jacksonville Jaguars, Texans, Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Seahawks, New York Giants, Beat Philadelphia Eagles, Bucs, Tampa Bay’s, Atlanta Falcons, mojo, Indianapolis Colts, Steelers, South Dakota State, Colts, Dallas Cowboys, 49ers, New England Patriots, Central, Patriots, 33rd Team, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Beat New York Giants, Dallas, Pittsburgh Steelers, Beat New Orleans Saints, The Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Aid, Beat Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cal, Wil, pla, ims, unt, Sund, Jets, erc, ork Jets, acc, ard, lse Locations: Kansas, New Orleans, The Republic, Tampa, Central Missouri, Atlanta, Indianapolis

☆ Patagonia gave 90 staff a choice — relocate across the US or leave the company. They've got 3 days to decide.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

CX employees must now live within 60 miles of one of seven "hubs" — Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Reno, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, or Pittsburgh. AdvertisementPatagonia verified the details of the announcement to BI, confirming that 90 of 255 CX staff in the US were affected. Both employees BI spoke to said they were accepting the severance and did not know anyone who was considering relocation. AdvertisementPatagonia spokesperson Corley Kenna told BI several employees had already indicated they would relocate. Advertisement"The reality is that our CX team has been running at 200% to 300% overstaffed for much of this year," Kenna told BI.

Persons: —, Amy Velligan, Bruce Old, George Frey, I've, Corley Kenna, Kenna, We've, Yvon Chouinard, Harris, Chouinard, Jean, Marc Giboux, Yvon Chouinard's, Yvon, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Workers, Walmart, Patagonia, BI, Reno, New York Times, Washington Post Locations: Patagonia, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Reno, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Pittsburgh, California, Ventura, Nevada

☆ Is America ready for a $400 pineapple? Luxury fruit is now a thing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The Rubyglow pineapple –— bred for its distinctive red exterior and its sweetness — costs $395.99 at Melissa’s Produce, a California-based seller of specialty fruit and veggies. It took Del Monte, a wholesaler which sells a variety of produce but specializes in pineapple, a decade and a half to develop the red-hued fruit. And yet, there’s interest in premium fruit — enough to convince Del Monte to bring the Rubyglow, which is grown in Costa Rica, stateside. Courtesy Fresh Del MonteThe Pinkglow was never supposed to be a grocery list staple, said Melissa Mackay, VP of marketing in North America at Del Monte. Melissa’s started with 50 pineapples, according to Robert Schueller, director of public relations at Melissa’s Produce.

Persons: Del, ”, Cindy van Rijswick, “ there’s, Cotton Candy, McIntosh, Jim Luby, Patrick T, Fallon, Luby, Lane Turner, Oishii, Hiroki Koga, Jerod Harris, Melissa Mackay, “, It’s, Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, pricey, Hailey, Strawberry, it’s, Melissa’s, Robert Schueller, ” Schueller, Bo Corley, ” Corley, Corley Organizations: New, New York CNN, “, University of Minnesota, Getty, Rabobank, Citrus, Boston Globe, Vox Media, Del, Mintel, Melissa’s Locations: New York, California, Del Monte, China, United States, America, Costa Rica, AFP, Minnesota, Beverly Hills , California, North America, Erewhon, Angeles, Las Vegas, Southern California

CNN —A federal judge on Friday sentenced David DePape to 30 years in prison, after he was convicted in the violent October 2022 attack on Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul. DePape was sentenced to 30 years for assault and 20 years for attempted kidnapping, which will run concurrently. DePape recalled that he was looking for Nancy Pelosi and that her husband had not been on his list of targets. She’s in Washington,” Pelosi recalled answering. He was violently struck in the head following a struggle with DePape, Pelosi said.

Persons: David DePape, Nancy Pelosi’s, Paul, DePape, Jacqueline Scott Corley, ”, Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “, ‘, I’ll, ” DePape, Pelosi “, ” Paul Pelosi, Narendra Modi, Stefani Reynolds, Pelosi, “ She’s, ” Pelosi, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, Northern, Northern District of, India's, White, Getty Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, San Francisco federal, Washington ,, AFP, Washington

☆ Man convicted of attacking ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

David DePape, right, records the nude wedding of Gypsy Taub outside City Hall on Dec. 19, 2013, in San Francisco. DePape is accused of breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's California home and severely beating her husband with a hammer. The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison. He also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police showed up, saying his plan to end what he viewed as government corruption was unraveling. Defense attorneys argued DePape was motivated by his political beliefs, not because he wanted to interfere with Nancy Pelosi's official duties as a member of Congress, making the charges against him invalid.

Persons: David DePape, Gypsy Taub, DePape, Nancy Pelosi's, Nancy Pelosi, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Prosecutors, he's, bludgeoning Paul Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, Angela Chuang Organizations: San Locations: San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi's California, Berkeley, Calif

☆ ‘Numerous’ officers shot in ‘active situation’ in Charlotte, North Carolina, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Devon M. Sayers | Shawn Nottingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —“Numerous law enforcement officers” have been shot in an “active situation” in Charlotte, North Carolina, police say. “The scene is still active. The incident is at the 5000 block of Galway Drive, police said, and a SWAT team is on scene. “Multiple law enforcement officers have been struck by the gunfire and are being transported to the hospital.”“Mayor Vi Lyles is monitoring the situation,” City of Charlotte spokesperson Lawrence Corley told CNN. Police said “gunfire continues on the scene” in an earlier post on X.

Persons: “, Galway Dr, Vi Lyles, Lawrence Corley Organizations: CNN, Mecklenburg Police, SWAT, US, Task Force, Police Locations: Charlotte , North Carolina, Charlotte, Galway, ”, ” City

(AP) — Missouri senators on Wednesday voted against amending the state's strict law against abortions to allow exceptions in cases of rape and incest. The state banned almost all abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade. “What we’re saying is, ‘We don’t care,’” McCreery said of the state's current abortion ban. St. Louis resident Jamie Corley is leading a campaign to amend the state constitution to allow abortions for any reason up to 12 weeks into pregnancy. If Corley's amendment is enacted, abortions would also be allowed in cases of rape, incest and fatal fetal abnormalities until viability, which typically is around 24 weeks.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Sen, Tracy McCreery, ’ ” McCreery, “ We’re, ” McCreery, GOP Sen, Rick Brattin, let’s, ” Brattin, Republican Sen, Mike Moon, Louis, Jamie Corley Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, —, U.S, Supreme, Democratic, Republican, GOP Locations: Mo, — Missouri, Missouri

☆ Luxury homes are more expensive than ever as the wealthy buck high mortgage rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Luxury home prices have hit an all-time high, rising at twice the pace of non-luxury homes, Redfin wrote in a report on Wednesday. "Luxury prices are rising at twice the rate of non-luxury prices largely because so many affluent buyers are able to buy homes in cash, rendering today's elevated mortgage rates irrelevant," the release stated. "A lot of luxury buyers are coming in with cash, snapping up expensive homes," a Redfin Premier agent, Heather Mahmood-Corley, said. It's also that the supply of luxury homes is still low, driving up competition and pushing bid prices higher. The total number of luxury homes on the market also rose by 13%.

Persons: Redfin, Heather Mahmood, Corley, It's Organizations: Business Locations: Scottsdale, Tempe, West

(AP) — What’s expected to be an expensive and bitter fight over multiple Missouri abortion-rights ballot measures so far has not attracted much money. An abortion-rights campaign called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom had no money on hand as of Dec. 31, according to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday. A competing Republican-backed campaign raised roughly $61,000, most of which came from a $50,000 donation from Director Jamie Corley. It typically costs millions of dollars just to pay workers to collect enough voter signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the Missouri ballot. Meanwhile, an anti-abortion group called Missouri Stands with Women launched its own campaign Tuesday to block any abortion-rights measure from passing.

Persons: — What’s, Jamie Corley Organizations: COLUMBIA, American Civil Liberties Union, Republican, Ohioans United, Reproductive Rights, Protect, Women Locations: Mo, Missouri, Ohio, Protect Women Ohio

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The man accused of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home, bludgeoning her husband with a hammer and seeking to kidnap her goes on trial Thursday. Where’s Nancy?” DePape asked, standing over Paul Pelosi around 2 a.m. holding a hammer and zip ties, according to court records. Nancy Pelosi was in Washington and under the protection of her security detail, which does not extend to family members. Nancy Pelosi’s husband of 60 years later underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and injuries to his right arm and hands. After his arrest, DePape, 43, allegedly told a San Francisco detective that he wanted to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage.

Persons: Nancy Pelosi’s, bludgeoning, David DePape, Paul Pelosi, DePape, Gypsy Taub, Gene DePape, Taub, “ Where’s Nancy, Where’s Nancy, ” DePape, Nancy Pelosi, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Angela Chuang, Corley, it's, ”, Katherine Keneally, ” Keneally, Keneally, “, Gavin Newsom, Tom Hanks, Joe Biden's, Hunter ., Daniel Bernal, Elizabeth Yates, Catherine Goulet Organizations: FRANCISCO, Canadian, Bay Area, San Francisco Police, Institute, Strategic, San Francisco Locations: Francisco, United States, Berkeley, Bay, Washington, San Francisco, Bay Area, Richmond, California, San

☆ Opinion | Speaker Mike Johnson’s Rise: ‘The Republicans Have Elevated an Extremist’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “G.O.P. Elects Speaker, Ending Bitter Feud” (front page, Oct. 26):Our nation flails on the brink of disaster now that the Republicans have elevated an extremist to the honorable position of House speaker. A Times online newsletter article says all we need to know about Mike Johnson: “His elevation now places a socially conservative lawyer who opposes abortion rights and same-sex marriage, and who played a leading role in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, second in line to the presidency.”Citizens of this great nation should fear this election-denying, rights-resisting, bigotry-promoting zealot. This turn of events underscores the importance of getting out the vote. May the universe and all things holy protect our republic from doom.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Corinne Corley Isleton, Joe Biden, Donald Trump Organizations: Republicans, ”, people’s Locations: Calif

☆ Fight over Texas anti-abortion transport bans reaches biggest battlegrounds yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Julia Harte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A few hours north, the Amarillo City Council on Tuesday will weigh its own such law, which could lead to a future council or city-wide vote. He took that approach in Odessa's city elections in 2022 after the council initially blocked one of his "sanctuary city for the unborn" proposals. Not all backers of abortion restrictions support Dickson's transport bans, however. The debates over the transport bans are spurring new shows of support for abortion access. Abortion rights supporters, including four abortion funds in Texas, said they expected the transport bans to backfire on the anti-abortion movement by galvanizing political participation from abortion rights advocates in the lead-up to next year's presidential election.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Roe, Mark Lee Dickson, Dickson, Jason Corley, Corley, Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley, Kimberleigh Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Rachel O'Leary Carmona, Julia Harte, Colleen Jenkins, Leslie Adler Organizations: Alamo Women's Clinic, REUTERS, Supreme, Amarillo City, federal, Constitutionalist, Amarillo, Thomson Locations: Albuquerque , New Mexico, U.S, Texas, Wade, Lubbock County, Amarillo, Lubbock, New Mexico, Odessa's, Odessa

Qualcomm has denied any wrongdoing and had asked the judge to reject the consumers' claims. The consumers' case was in Corley's court following a 9th Circuit ruling in 2021 that struck down an order certifying a nationwide consumer class action. In January, Corley dismissed core antitrust elements of the plaintiffs' claims but let the case move forward. The consumers' lawyers told Corley that "Qualcomm turns a blind eye to the massive evidentiary record" backing the consumers' allegations of exclusive dealing. The case is In re: Qualcomm Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Joseph Cotchett, Kalpana Srinivasan, Susman Godfrey, Robert Van, Van, Gary Bornstein, Richard Taffet, Morgan, Lewis, Bockius Read, Mike Scarcella, Leigh Jones Organizations: Qualcomm, REUTERS, Tuesday, U.S, Apple, U.S . Federal, Circuit, Qualcomm Antitrust Litigation, Court, Northern District of, McCarthy, Thomson Locations: California, San Francisco, San Diego, Northern District, Northern District of California, Cotchett, Pitre, U.S

☆ Microsoft projects two new areas of growth for gaming, leaked document says: Mobile and ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The document does not mention the $68.7 billion Activision deal, which had been announced months earlier. It shows gaming revenue doubling to $36 billion in the 2030 fiscal year, compared with a forecast of $18 billion for the 2022 fiscal year. Actual fiscal 2022 gaming revenue totaled $16.23 billion, according to an annual report. And it indicated that management saw revenue from mobile transactions reaching $2.6 billion, compared with none in fiscal 2022. The total of the two categories is $4 billion, or 11% of total gaming revenue.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Phil Spencer, Candy, Spencer, Amy Hood Organizations: Microsoft, Federal Trade Commission, Activision Blizzard, U.S, Northern, Northern District of, Activision, Twitter, Yahoo, Xbox, King Digital Entertainment, United Kingdom's, Markets Authority, Ubisoft Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ Just 1% of all US homes changed hands so far this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Just 1% of all US homes changed hands in the first half of this year, the lowest share in at least a decade, according to data from Redfin. Just 11 of every 1,000 two-and three-bedroom urban homes have changed hands in 2023. Only 6 of every 1,000 homes in San Jose have sold so far in 2023, similar to the low turnover rates in Oakland and San Diego. The turnover rate shrank most from the pre-pandemic years in the suburbs, with 16 of every 1,000 four-bedroom or more suburban houses changing hands so far this year, two-thirds as many as 2019. That’s not happening, because so many of those homeowners have low mortgage rates.”

Persons: ”, Taylor Marr, “, Marr, Heather Mahmood, Corley Organizations: DC CNN, Redfin, “, . Workers Locations: Washington, “, California, San Jose, Oakland, San Diego, Nashville, Austin, Newark , New Jersey, Phoenix

☆ Buffett cut Activision stake before judge approved Microsoft merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a regulatory filing on Monday, Berkshire said it owned about 14.7 million Activision shares, or 1.9%, worth $1.24 billion on June 30, down from 49.4 million shares, or 6.3%, on March 31. The filing did not discuss the prices of any sales, or whether Berkshire bought or sold Activision stock in July. One of Berkshire's portfolio managers invested in Activision in late 2021, with Buffett boosting the stake to nearly 10% in 2022. Berkshire's remaining Activision stake - 14,658,121 shares - is exactly the size it was before Buffett started buying, suggesting that he has exited the arbitrage bet. Activision shares rose 10% to $90.99 on July 11 after U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco rejected U.S. Federal Trade Commission arguments that the merger would hurt competition in cloud gaming, consoles and subscription services.

Persons: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Jonathan Stempel, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, Activision, Berkshire, Buffett, U.S, Federal, Commission, Markets Authority, BNSF, Apple, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Berkshire, San Francisco, Omaha , Nebraska, New York

☆ Call of Duty to remain on Playstation following Activision Blizzard Microsoft merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Microsoft (MSFT) has signed an agreement with Sony (SNE) to ensure “Call of Duty” remains available on PlayStation after Microsoft (MSFT) closes its $69 billion Activision Blizzard (ATVI) merger, the tech giant said Sunday. The agreement could resolve long-standing complaints by Sony that the merger — which aims to make Microsoft the third-largest video game publisher in the world — threatens competition. “We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard,” said Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s Xbox head, in a tweet. On Sunday, Microsoft did not disclose the duration of the agreement with Sony. Last week, Microsoft won two successive court victories when a federal district court and a US appeals court declined to temporarily block the merger from being consummated.

Persons: Sony didn’t, ”, Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s, we’ve, Brad Smith, Satya Nadella, Jacqueline Scott Corley, “ Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, Sony, PlayStation, Activision, Activision Blizzard, ” Sony, Nintendo, Nvidia, “, Sony PlayStation, Federal Trade Commission

The San Francisco federal court had ruled in favor of Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the FTC had failed to show the deal would be illegal under antitrust law. "The FTC asks this Court to enjoin the merger at issue pending resolution of the FTC’s appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The FTC had said it was seeking a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the deal until an internal FTC judge could assess it. It is rare for a merger fight to go to an appeals court. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We're, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Kanishka Singh, Tim Ahmann, Josie Kao, Jamie Freed Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, San, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Appeals, Nintendo, Britain's, Markets Authority, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain, California

July 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected the Federal Trade Commission's request that it order Microsoft (MSFT.O) to temporarily hold off on closing its $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O). The appeals court decision removes one of the few remaining hurdles stopping Xbox maker Microsoft from expanding its gaming business by closing its deal to buy Activision. The FTC had also asked Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the U.S. District Court in northern California for a stay but she rejected that request late on Thursday. After July 18, either company will be free to walk away from the deal unless they negotiate an extension. But on Tuesday, Judge Corley ruled the deal was legal under antitrust law and declined the FTC request to slap a preliminary injunction on it to give the FTC time to take it before an internal FTC judge in August.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Judge Corley, Diane Bartz, Sandra Maler Organizations: Federal Trade, Microsoft, Activision, FTC, U.S, Markets Authority, Sony Group, Thomson Locations: California, Britain, United States

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) urged an appeals court in sometimes scathing language on Friday to reject the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) request to pause its $69 billion deal to buy Activision (ATVI.O). The agency asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals late on Thursday to require the companies to delay consummating the transaction while the court considered the FTC's broader appeal. Microsoft said on Friday the agency had been slow to file in federal court, and thus it was inappropriate to press for a delay so late in the game. "The district court’s consideration of the FTC's primary claim at trial shows that the court did not misapply the law," Microsoft said. Legal experts have said the agency faced an uphill fight in convincing the appeals court to overturn Corley's ruling.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley's, Biden, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Josie Kao Organizations: Microsoft, U.S . Federal Trade Commission's, Activision, FTC, Sony, PlayStation, Markets Authority, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain

☆ FTC faces uphill battle in Microsoft/Activision appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In its appeal, the FTC said Corley's order allowing Microsoft to move ahead with the deal incorrectly held the agency to a legal standard that was too high. Some legal experts said the FTC had made a compelling argument, but also said there was no certainty for success. Antitrust scholar Sean Sullivan, who teaches at University of Iowa's law school, said an appeals court can modify or throw out a lower court opinion based on "errors of law." The appeals court is expected to move quickly. The appeals court "may be less than sympathetic with the argument it needs to hurry up and do something when the blame for the emergency lies entirely with the FTC," Ross said.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Brad Smith, Kathleen Bradish, Bradish, Corley, Sean Sullivan, Sullivan, Douglas Ross, Ross, Mike Scarcella, Mark Potter Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission's, Activision, U.S, Tuesday, Biden, San, Circuit, Appeals, U.S ., FTC, Microsoft, American Antitrust Institute, Antitrust, University of, Wild, of Columbia Circuit, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S

Still, any outstanding regulatory hurdle makes it more likely that the agreement between Microsoft and Activision will expire on July 18 without the deal having been completed. The FTC's court filing about the appeal gave no details, which will go before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the West Coast. The FTC may request a stay from the appeals court stopping the deal from closing. When U.S. antitrust agencies lose merger challenges in court, appeals are rare. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We’re, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, Microsoft's, Ninth Circuit, FTC, Biden, Markets Authority, Japan's Nintendo, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: West Coast, San Francisco

The filing had no details on the appeal, which will go to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the West Coast. In her 53-page order, Corley said it was not enough for the FTC to argue that "a merger might lessen competition - the FTC must show the merger will probably substantially lessen competition." Legal scholars questioned that standard, saying that the U.S. antitrust law required the FTC to prove the proposed deal "may" harm competition, not that it "will." The deal is Microsoft's biggest ever, and the largest in the videogame industry's history. To address the agency's concerns, Microsoft agreed to license "Call of Duty" to rivals, including a 10-year contract with Nintendo, contingent on the merger closing.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Biden, Judge Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, Ninth Circuit, U.S, FTC, Nintendo, Thomson Locations: West Coast, San Francisco

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