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☆ 'I have no money': Thousands of Americans see their savings vanish in Synapse fintech crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Morris, like thousands of other customers, was snared in the collapse of a behind-the-scenes fintech firm called Synapse and has been locked out of her account for six months as of November. Then she learned how much Evolve Bank & Trust, the lender where her funds were supposed to be held, was prepared to return to her. The crisis started in May when a dispute between Synapse and Evolve Bank over customer balances boiled over and the fintech middleman turned off access to a key system used to process transactions. Synapse helped fintech startups like Yotta and Juno, which are not banks, offer checking accounts and debit cards by hooking them up with small lenders like Evolve. But that would've required more coordination between Evolve and the other lenders that held customer funds than what ultimately happened.

Persons: Oscar Wong, Kayla Morris, Morris, Andreessen Horowitz, Jelena McWilliams, Zach Jacobs, there's, Yotta, Adam Moelis, they've, Jacobs, Andrew Meloan, Meloan, I've, ” Zach Jacobs, McWilliams, McWilliams didn't, Rayburn, Tom Williams, hadn't, Judge Martin Barash, Natasha Craft, they're, Andreatte Caliguire Organizations: Evolve Bank & Trust, Synapse, Evolve Bank, ., CNBC, FedEx, Evolve, Deposit Insurance Corp, U.S, FDIC, Trump, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Financial, Prudential Regulators, Megabanks, Depository, CQ, Inc, AMG, Lineage Bank, American Bank, Indiana FedEx Locations: Texas, Tampa , Florida, Yotta, Chicago, California, Mishawaka , Indiana

☆ Some community college kids in LA will now get a $1,000 monthly basic income
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementHundreds of Los Angeles Community College District students are getting $1,000 monthly for a year. It's part of a basic income program for LA students pursuing healthcare careers. Some community college students in Los Angeles are about to get an influx of no-strings-attached payments — just in time for the holidays. The Los Angeles Community College District is disbursing $3 million in monthly basic income payments to 250 students pursuing health careers. The city's Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot, or BIG:LEAP, gave over 3,200 households $1,000 in monthly no-strings-attached cash payments for a year.

Persons: Gerun Riley, Eli Organizations: Los Angeles Community College District, LA, Edythe, Los, Economic Locations: Angeles, Los Angeles

☆ The U.S. election is a make-or-break moment for aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Kevin Lamarque | ReutersTensions are likely running high in Kyiv ahead of Tuesday's presidential election in the U.S. — a vote that could make or break ongoing aid for Ukraine. Officials in Kyiv say the election is being watched closely, amid concerns that future aid could be cut. In the week before the presidential election, Western officials were reported as saying that a Harris administration would likely struggle to push significant aid for Ukraine through Congress. A win by Donald Trump could see him placing a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as 6 November. Then President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018, in Helsinki, Finland.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Kamala Harris, Kevin Lamarque, —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, It's, Trump, it's, Yuriy Sak, J.D, Vance, JD Vance, Carlos Osorio, Putin, Harris, Timothy Ash, Reuters Ash, Ash, Tim Willasey, Vladimir Putin, Chris McGrath Organizations: U.S, White, Reuters, NBC News, Republican, Democrats, NATO, Russia, Ukrainian, CNBC, Anadolu, Getty, Kiel Institute of, European Investment Bank, European Commission, Republicans, Kyiv, Reuters Trump, Berenberg Bank, Berenberg, Washington, Congress, Trump, Ukraine, BlueBay Asset Management, Democratic, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Washington , U.S, Kyiv, U.S, Ukraine, United States of America, United States, America, Russia, Toretsk, Donetsk, Donbas, Moscow, St, Cloud , Minnesota, Europe, Belgian, Helsinki, Finland

☆ A payments startup hoping to take on Stripe and Square just raised $75 million with this pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Finix is a startup that works with merchants so they can accept and manage payments. On Thursday, it raised a $75 million Series C that included Lightspeed Ventures and Acrew Capital. AdvertisementSome of the industry's biggest fintech investors just backed an up-and-coming payments startup challenging Stripe and Square. The San Francisco-based startup raised $75 million in a Series C funding round, the company announced Thursday. AdvertisementFinix processes billions of dollars every month for tens of thousands of merchants, Serna said.

Persons: —, Richie Serna, Finix, Serna, " Serna Organizations: Lightspeed Ventures, Acrew, Service, Acrew Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners Locations: San Francisco, Finix's, Serna

☆ Biden Administration Begins Paying Farmers Who Faced Discrimination
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration said on Wednesday that it had started disbursing $2 billion to thousands of farmers who have faced discrimination, after years of delays and legal battles thwarted the federal government’s efforts to compensate them. The payouts come nearly two years after the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 created a fund to help farmers of any ethnicity who experienced discrimination from the federal government when applying for loans or trying to repay their debts. The slow rollout of the program became a political problem for President Biden this year, with Black farmers accusing him of failing to live up to his promises to help them. “For too long, many farmers and ranchers experienced discrimination in farm loan programs and have not had the same access to federal resources and support,” Mr. Biden said in a statement on Wednesday. Today that promise has become a reality.”The Agriculture Department is making payments to 43,000 farmers across all 50 states, with Mississippi and Alabama having the most recipients.

Persons: Biden, ” Mr, “ Organizations: Agriculture Department Locations: Mississippi, Alabama

☆ Brazil’s floods smashed through barriers designed to keep them out, trapping water in for weeks — and exposing social woes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Vasco Cotovio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“It’s heartbreaking.”The picture is a little different in Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul. Maxar Technologies Satellite images of the cities of Porto Alegre and Canoas before and after the floods. Maxar Technologies Satellite images of the cities of Porto Alegre and Canoas before and after the floods. “Floods, not with this volume but with considerable volumes of water, have taken place in Porto Alegre in the last few years,” Cortês explains. One volunteer was Fabiano Saldanha, a 48-year-old businessman from Porto Alegre, who used his jet ski to rescue people trapped in their homes.

Persons: Karine Pitana, there’s, ”, she’s, “, Pitana Flores da Silva, Karine Pitana Flores da Silva, She’s, we’re, Pitana, —, Renan Mattos, That’s, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Jairo Jorge da Silva, “ We’ve, Pedro Cortês, University of São Paulo, Cortês, Nelson Almeida, ” Cortês, Rio Grande do Sul wasn’t, Fabiano Saldanha, ” Saldanha, Saldanha, Carlos Macedo, ‘, ’ ”, ” Pitana, CNN “, Lula, ” CNN’s Mary Gilbert Organizations: CNN, Bank, Rio Grande do Sul Public Safety, Police, Reuters, ”, Globo, Environmental, University of São, CNN Brasil, Authorities, AFP, Getty, Research, Porto Alegre, Civil Defense, IMF, World Bank Locations: Canoas, Brazil, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre’s, Suriname, Northern Porto Alegre, Chicago, Dallas, “

If you already have life insurance, consider adding funeral or burial insurance, also known as "final expense" insurance. Final expense insurance, also called burial or funeral expense insurance, covers end-of-life expenses like the funeral service, body preparation, cremation, the casket or urn, transportation, etc. Types of final expense policiesBesides term and permanent life insurance, final expense insurance comes in several forms. Final expense life insurance is for those who might be in poor health and can't qualify for traditional life insurance. Final expense life insurance FAQsWho should consider final expense life insurance?

Persons: you'll, It's Organizations: AARP, Consumers Alliance, Colonial Penn, Mutual, Life Insurance, Chevron Locations: Colonial, Omaha, Illinois

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s former Controller Betty Yee announced Wednesday she will run for governor in 2026, vying to succeed outgoing Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who is Black, and outgoing state Senate leader Toni Atkins, a lesbian lawmaker, have all announced their candidacies. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesYee served as the budget director for Democratic Gov. She was then elected as a member of the California State Board of Equalization and then as state controller. California controller is responsible for disbursing state funds, auditing government agencies and serving on more than 70 boards and commissions.

Persons: —, Betty Yee, Gavin Newsom, Yee, ” Yee, Newsom, Gov, Eleni Kounalakis, Tony Thurmond, Toni Atkins, Rob Bonta, Gray Davis Organizations: Democratic, California Democratic Party, Democratic Gov, California State, of Equalization Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, San Francisco, Sacramento, California

☆ ‘Havana syndrome’: Despite symptoms, NIH research finds no evidence of mysterious ailment in brain scans
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Some current and former CIA officers have raised concerns that a CIA task force in charge of investigating Havana syndrome soft-pedaled its investigation, CNN has previously reported. The control group was small and not perfectly matched to those with Havana syndrome. In the second study, researchers tested hearing, balance, eyesight and neuropsychological state, and they looked at blood biomarkers, in the two groups. Headache was a common concern among the participants with Havana syndrome. The study concluded that whatever caused Havana syndrome seems to create symptoms “without persistent or detectable physiologic changes.

Persons: David Relman, don’t, ” Relman, ’, AHIs, Relman, Trump, ”, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Dr, Leighton Chan Organizations: CNN, National Institutes of Health, Stanford, CIA, AHIs, CNN Health, NIH Locations: Havana, Cuban, Bogota, Colombia, Vienna, Austria

☆ EU to Help Western Balkans Reforms With 6 Billion Euro Package - Von Der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans to pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with 6 billion euros investment, the EU executive's president Ursula von der Leyen said in Skopje on Monday. North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina all need to seize the "window of opportunity" for the enlargement of the EU and work to align their standards to those in the bloc, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen said the EU's new growth plan for the region would include the opening of its common market to the Western Balkan countries in areas such as free movement of goods and services, transport and energy. "These reforms will come with investment," von der Leyen said during a news conference with North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski at the start of her Western Balkans tour. "We have proposed a 6 billion euro ($6.34 billion) package for Western Balkan partners," she said.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Dimitar Kovacevski, Daria Sito, Alison Williams, Ed Osmond Organizations: European Union, EU, ., North Macedonia's, Western Balkan, Brussels Locations: SARAJEVO, Balkans, Skopje, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, EU, North Macedonia

☆ EU to help Western Balkans reforms with 6 billion euro package - von der Leyen
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SARAJEVO, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The European Union plans to help the countries of the Western Balkans pursue reforms needed for integration with the wealthy bloc with an investment of 6 billion euros ($6.4 billion), the EU executive's president, Ursula von der Leyen, said in Skopje on Monday. North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina all need to seize the "window of opportunity" for the enlargement of the EU and work to align their standards to those in the bloc, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen said the EU's new growth plan for the region would include the opening of its common market to the Western Balkan countries in areas such as free movement of goods and services, transport and energy. It also urged the countries to open a common regional market, and pursue it with necessary reforms. "These reforms will come with investment," von der Leyen said during a press conference with North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski at the start of her Western Balkans tour.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, Dimitar Kovacevski, Daria Sito, Fatos Bytyci, Alison Williams, Ed Osmond, Mark Porter Organizations: European Union, EU, ., North Macedonia, Brussels, Thomson Locations: SARAJEVO, Balkans, Skopje, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, EU, North Macedonia, Pristina

☆ U.S. to Hold Off on Disbursing $6 Billion in Iran Oil Revenue Unfrozen in Prisoner Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Ian Talley | Andrew Duehren | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones Locations: iran

The Office of Management and Budget reminded senior agency officials Friday to update and review shutdown plans. Those plans can vary from shutdown to shutdown. The nearly 4 million Americans who are federal employees will feel the effect immediately. Essential workers will remain on the job, but others will be furloughed until the shutdown is over. For many of them, a shutdown would strain their finances, as it did during the record 35-day funding lapse in 2018-2019.

Persons: “, ”, Doreen Greenwald, Everett Kelley, Pell, disbursing Pell, It’s, treasurers Organizations: CNN, Management, National Treasury Employees Union, American Federation of Government Employees, Transportation Security Administration, Social Security, TSA, of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Business Administration, Futures, US Centers for Disease Control, Drug Administration, Safety, Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, ”, Smithsonian, National, National Archives, National Park Service, of Education, Federal Student Aid, Federal, Department of, Assistance, SNAP, US Department of Agriculture, Women, of Housing, Urban Development, Commission, Research, NOAA, Oceanic, Administration, National Science Foundation, Peace Corps, State Department, Defense Department Locations: United States, America, Washington, DC, shutdowns

"The move from fossil fuels to renewables is happening – but we are decades behind," Guterres said at the start of the one-day summit. "We must make up time lost to foot-dragging, arm-twisting and the naked greed of entrenched interests raking in billions from fossil fuels." Those not invited to speak were the world's two top polluters - the United States and China – though U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry was in the audience. "This climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis," he said, drawing applause from the heads of state and others in the room. "Climate change is a top priority for my administration," Thavisin told the gathering, his country having recently created a climate change ministry.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Mike Segar, Guterres, John Kerry, China's U.N, William Ruto, Ruto, Gavin Newsom, Srettha Thavisin, Thavisin, Sultan Ahmed al, Jaber, COP28, Mia Mottley, Ursula von der Leyen, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Howard Goller Organizations: United Nations, General Assembly, REUTERS, Companies Allianz, General, United Arab Emirates, Thailand's, FINANCE, Security Council, Allianz, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Fund, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, COP28, Dubai, Brazil, Canada, Pakistan, South Africa, Tuvalu, United States, China, California, UAE, Barbados, Ukraine

☆ 'Final nail in the coffin' for Russia's Wagner Group as leader Prigozhin presumed dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin left the Southern Military District headquarters on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Stringer | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesRussian mercenary force Wagner Group may have suffered a "final nail in the coffin" with the presumed death of leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash, analysts suggest. Yet the group also appeared to call for peace, with the Wagner Group Telegram channel on Thursday calling for its members and supporters not to "take any measures" within Russian territory. A member of private mercenary group Wagner pays tribute to Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin following their apparent deaths in a plane crash on Aug. 23, 2023. Members of the Wagner Group prepare to depart from the Southern Military District's headquarters and return to their base on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

Persons: Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Jason Bush, They've, Bush, it's, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Nikolayev, Putin, disbursing Wagner, who'd, reimagining Wagner, Doxsee, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, —, Prigozhin's Organizations: Wagner Group, Southern Military, Stringer, Anadolu Agency, Getty, NBC News, Grey Zone, Central African, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Armed Forces, Kremlin, Redut PMC, Mercenaries, Defense Ministry, Eurasia Group, CNBC, Afp, Russian Embassy, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Transnational, Center for Strategic & International Studies, Russian Aerospace Forces, PMC Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Moscow, Tver, Hell, Russia's, Ukraine, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Syria, Belarus, Africa, Russian, London

☆ BRICS nations to meet in South Africa seeking to blunt Western dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An attendant is stands next to South African, Indian, Russian, Brazilian and Chinese flags during a plenary session of BRICS Summit, in Xiamen, China September 4, 2017. South Africa will host Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BRICS summit from August 22 to 24. Russia needs friends to counter its diplomatic isolation over Ukraine, and so is keen to bring in new members, as is its most important African ally, South Africa. BRICS nations are keen to project themselves as alternative development partners to the West. Officials in Brazil, China and South Africa said climate change may come up but indicated it wouldn't be a priority.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, S.Africa, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Narendra Modi, Naledi Pandor, BRICS, Breton Woods, disbursing, Laurie Chen, Lisandra, David Stanway, Carien Du Plessis, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: BRICS, REUTERS, Tyrone, Global, Indian, New Development Bank, World Bank, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Xiamen, China, India, Brazil, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Ukraine, . South Africa, United States, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, AFRICA, BRICS, Russia, Africa, Beijing, Brasilia, Singapore, Johannesburg

☆ University of Chicago agrees to pay $13.5 million to students after being accused of participating in a 'price-fixing cartel' with other prestigious schools to limit financial aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

University of Chicago agreed to a $13.5 million settlement over claims it conspired with top colleges over financial aid. Five former students accused 16 top schools in 2022 of working together to limit financial aid packages. In January 2022, five former undergraduate students who attended Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt filed a lawsuit against 16 schools including UChicago, Brown, Yale, and Northwestern. The suit targeted a group called the 568 Presidents Group, which allowed schools to work together to determine common standards for disbursing financial aid. The plaintiffs said the schools favored wealthy applicants and "conspired" to reduce financial aid packages, and that they "overcharged over 170,000 financial-aid recipients by at least hundreds of millions of dollars."

Persons: Brown, UChicago, Johns Hopkins Organizations: Chicago, Service, University of Chicago, Duke, Vanderbilt, Yale, Group, Higher, Court, Northern, Northern District of Illinois, Cornell, MIT, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Dartmouth, Caltech Locations: Wall, Silicon, Northwestern, UChicago, Northern District, Columbia, Georgetown, Notre, Penn, Rice, Emory

☆ Pakistan: IMF approves $3 billion bailout for cash-starved country
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad Reuters —The International Monetary Fund’s board approved a $3 billion bailout program for Pakistan which will immediately disburse about $1.2 billion to help stabilize the South Asian ailing economy, the lender said on Wednesday. Pakistan and the fund reached a staff level agreement last month, securing a short-term pact, which got more than expected funding for the country of 230 million people. The country has faced an acute balance of payments crisis with only enough central bank reserves to cover barely a month of controlled imports. Longtime allies Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have deposited $3 billion in Pakistan’s central bank in the last two days. Sharif said China had rolled over $5 billion in loans in the last three months to save his country from default.

Persons: “, Shehbaz Sharif, ”, Sharif, Fitch Organizations: Islamabad Reuters, Monetary, IMF, “, Longtime, United, CCC Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, China

State and local officials have touted the settlements as providing desperately needed relief to communities hit hard by the crisis. But when the money will be paid out, and who will get it, remains far from clear, Reuters has found. Among the states where money is already reaching organizations on the ground are Massachusetts, Kentucky and Arizona. Most states share a significant portion of their total settlement funds with their city and county governments, which make their own independent decisions about how to spend. But in May, the board overseeing the state’s opioid settlement denied a joint application by Challenges and a county health department to fund harm reduction efforts, without explaining its decision.

Persons: Johnson, ”, Brandon Marshall, Julie Burns, Chris Bryan, Glenn Hegar, Lisa Ruzicka, “, Ruzicka, “ I’ve, drugmakers Johnson, Lauren Kestner, Tricia Christensen, –, we’re, ” Marc Burrows, Brendan Pierson, Disha, Alexia Garamfalvi, Claudia Parsons Organizations: Johnson, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Reuters, District of Columbia, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics Reuters, Brown University School of Public Health, Rhode, Texas, Hope Foundation, Walgreens, Alliance, state’s Department of Health, Human Services, Prevention Services, Community Education Group, Alabama Attorney, University of Mississippi Medical, Inc, Thomson, & $ Locations: Massachusetts, Texas, United States, Maryland, Illinois, . Arkansas, Kentucky, Arizona, Rhode, RIZE Massachusetts, RIZE, Kansas, North Carolina, Charlotte, Appalachia, Mississippi, Alabama, New York

TOKYO, May 17 (Reuters) - Rich nations should boost financial and technical support to poorer countries to help them tackle climate change and achieve similar decarbonisation goals, a senior Japanese environment ministry official said ahead of a G7 summit in Hiroshima. Developed countries promised in 2009 to transfer $100 billion annually between 2020 and 2025 to vulnerable states hit by increasingly severe climate-linked impacts and disasters - but that target was never met. G7 energy and climate ministers discussed how to meet that goal when they met in the Japanese city of Sapporo last month. "All countries should follow the good example of Japan so that we could achieve the $100 billion goal," he said, adding that he hoped that the level would be achieved as soon as possible and maintained through 2025. Developing countries say they need far more support than that from the rich nations, who are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions, otherwise they cannot afford to cut CO2 emissions.

They are among the discordant calls made by Spanish and EU bureaucrats as Spain's drive to hand out 77 billion euros ($84 billion) in grants from EU pandemic recovery funds becomes mired in complexity, according to interviews with business associations, government officials, companies and consultants. Spain is the EU pilot project for disbursing grants from the largest stimulus package in the bloc's history, an overall pot of 724 billion euros, including loans. A year into the disbursement process, about 23.5 billion euros had been awarded as of December last year, according to the latest figures published by the government last month. That's a sluggish pace, given the EU and Spain have set a deadline of the end of this year to award all 77 billion euros. Meanwhile, only about 9 billion euros have actually reached the businesses awarded funds, according to calculations by the Esade Centre for Economic Policy, a Madrid-based think-tank that tracks the pandemic recovery cash.

☆ Racial Disparities are worsening disaster recovery for people of color. With climate change, things could get worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Lauren Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Rolling Fork, Mississippi suffered massive damage from a powerful tornado on March 24. Racial disparities existed in Rolling Fork for decades. She started I-DIEM after spending over 14 years in disaster management. Shirley Stamps stands in the rubble of her home in the aftermath of the Rolling Fork tornado. And increasingly, non-profits are doing things differently to address racial disparities in disaster management.

☆ Swiss-based trust holds second meeting to discuss plans for Afghan funds -trustee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The frozen central bank reserves were transferred from Washington into the "Fund for the Afghan People" last year where U.S. officials say it will be shielded from the Taliban. Trustee Shah Mehrabi, a U.S. academic who also remains on the Afghan central bank's Supreme Council, said a meeting of the four trustees was held virtually on Feb. 16. "The issue of disbursements of funds and the options for that was discussed," Mehrabi told Reuters. "The idea clearly here is the necessary steps to disburse funds and potential options for achieving monetary stability." Mehrabi said he believed the funds should only be used for achieving monetary stability and reducing volatility in Afghanistan's exchange rate.

☆ Fantasy football leagues in limbo donate pots to support Damar Hamlin
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Some leagues have decided to forgo determining champions and instead donate their pots to Hamlin’s charity via GoFundMe. “[A] lot of fantasy football leagues are donating their prize pots to the fundraiser. “What an awesome way to handle a unique end to championships — unselfishly.”Hamlin’s two-year-old GoFundMe page topped $7.7 million in donations as of Friday morning. “The unfortunate events surrounding BUF-CIN Monday night have left many Fantasy Football leagues in a bind,” wrote Braun, himself a fantasy league commissioner, on the site. Released Wednesday, the calculator may help clear up some of the confusion fantasy leagues face as players struggle to determine winners without points from Monday night’s game.

☆ Hackers linked to Chinese government stole millions in Covid benefits, Secret Service says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Sarah Fitzpatrick | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kit-Ramgopal-Byline.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Hackers linked to the Chinese government stole at least $20 million in U.S. Covid relief benefits, including Small Business Administration loans and unemployment insurance funds in over a dozen states, according to the Secret Service. One senior Justice Department official called it “dangerous” and said it had serious national security implications. ‘The horse is out of the barn’As soon as state governments began disbursing Covid unemployment funds in 2020, cybercriminals began to siphon off a significant percentage. China’s targets include state governments, which can have inadequate cybersecurity defenses. “The state governments don’t allocate a lot of cyber protection money to their state I.T.

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