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☆ Access to mifepristone is in legal limbo, but the abortion drug has wide support in recent polling. The issue could haunt the GOP in 2024.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dueling court rulings on the abortion pill mifepristone have further ignited passions on the issue. Ipsos polling reveals that Americans don't want to see an end to the legality of medication abortion. And the level of support for the continued legalization of medication abortion in the United States remains high. The Ipsos survey revealed that 65% of respondents wanted to see medication abortion remain available as an option, with 84% support among Democrats and 67% support among Independents. DeSantis, who has thrown his support behind a six-week abortion ban also embraced by the Republican-controlled Florida legislature, may have the most at stake, though.

☆ Stunning endorsement: DeSantis ally Rep. Byron Donalds backs Trump for president in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Byron Donalds, who has said he'd be interested in becoming governor of Florida, has endorsed Trump. Ron DeSantis, has endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2024. "President Trump is the leader in the clubhouse right now," he said. He added, however, that he thought DeSantis could beat Trump in a primary. "The current legal problems have rallied more Republican voters around Donald Trump," Donalds said.

☆ Trump rallies supporters in campaign-style speech after first-ever arraignment of an ex-president: 'The only crime that I've committed is to fiercely defend our nation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"The only crime that I've committed is to fiercely defend our nation," he added. "The only crime that I've committed is to fiercely defend our nation," Trump said, addressing each of the pending investigations against him, in addition to the charges brought in New York. The rambling, 27-minute speech, Trump called the charges against him "a persecution, not an investigation" and evidence the country "is going to hell," adding that the charges should be dropped immediately. The arraignment on Tuesday "solidified" a Trump win in 2024, MyPillow CEO and Trump ally Mike Lindell told Insider ahead of the Mar-a-Lago speech. He accused the Manhattan DA of having political motivations because Trump didn't "go away" after the 2020 election.

☆ China’s New Tech Weapon: Dragging Its Feet on Global Merger Approvals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Lingling Wei | Asa Fitch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. encouraged China to set up a robust antitrust regime. Now, Beijing is holding back its required green light for mergers that involve American companies as a technology war with Washington intensifies. Chinese regulators recently have slowed down their merger reviews of a number of proposed acquisitions by U.S. companies, including Intel Corp.’s $5.2 billion takeover of Israel-based Tower Semiconductor Ltd. and chip maker MaxLinear Inc.’s $3.8 billion purchase of Silicon Motion Technology of Taiwan, according to people close to the process.

☆ Republican presidential hopeful Hutchinson says Trump should exit race over Jan. 6 attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It's unacceptable, and former president Trump bears significant responsibilty," Hutchinson, 72, said. His comments came on the same day that Trump flew to New York City to face charges in the hush money probe. Trump, who is seeking to regain the presidency in 2024, is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday found that 48% percent of Republican voters wanted Trump to be their nominee, up from 44% last month. Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut; editing by Andy Sullivan and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Asa Hutchinson to run for president, urges Trump to drop out
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I have made a decision, and my decision is I'm going to run for president of the United States," Hutchinson said. Trump remains popular among many Republicans despite becoming the first former U.S. president to be indicted on criminal charges. "I think it's a sad day for America that we have a former president that's indicted," Hutchinson said. Asked whether Trump should step aside, Hutchinson said, "Well, he should, but at the same time, we know he's not." Hutchinson was a former head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and a Homeland Security official under President George W. Bush.

☆ Republican Hutchinson to run for US president in 2024, urges Trump to go
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced his 2024 U.S. presidential candidacy on Sunday with a proclamation that set him apart from other current or potential Republican candidates: former President Donald Trump should step aside from the race. "I have made a decision, and my decision is I'm going to run for president of the United States," Hutchinson said. "I think it's a sad day for America that we have a former president that's indicted," Hutchinson said. Asked whether Trump should step aside, Hutchinson said, "Well, he should, but at the same time, we know he's not." Former Vice President Mike Pence and current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are considered as possible candidates.

☆ Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson Announces Bid for White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Gwynn Guilford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he was driven to run after traveling the country for six months and hearing calls for good leadership. WASHINGTON—Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday he was running for president and called on former President Trump to withdraw from the race over his criminal indictment in New York. The 72-year-old former congressman and official in George W. Bush ’s administration said he was driven to run after traveling the country for six months and hearing calls for good leadership, common sense and optimism.

☆ Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces 2024 presidential bid, says Trump should drop out of race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Asa Hutchinson is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, he announced Sunday. Trump's indictment marked a "sad day for America," Hutchinson said, but it is also a "great distraction." Hutchinson served as governor of Arkansas since 2015, and he has been positioning himself as an alternative to Trump. Since Trump's indictment Thursday, Hutchinson has been firm about his calls for Trump to drop out of the primary. He was also a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.

☆ Republicans defend Trump by attacking criminal-justice system
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Critics warn that the present partisan rhetoric could shake public trust in courts by undermining the institutional legitimacy of the criminal justice system. "Undercutting the system of government is a serious matter and a threat to our future," she said in an interview. Bragg, a Democrat, on Friday warned Republican Representatives Jim Jordan, James Comer and Bryan Steil, who are leading the probe, against attacking the criminal justice system. Historians including Princeton University professor Julian Zelizer said Republican statements about Bragg and the criminal justice system follow a long-established partisan line. Nicole Hemmer, director of the Rogers Center for the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University, warned that Republican attacks on the U.S. criminal justice system could ultimately have dire consequences for courts and juries.

☆ Former Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Asa Hutchinson said Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 GOP presidential primaries. "It is a distraction," the Arkansas political figure said of Trump's indictment by the Manhattan DA's office. Trump has previously said he would not leave the presidential race if he were to be indicted. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas on Friday said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. "When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside.

☆ China Opens Cybersecurity Probe of Micron Amid Competition With U.S. Over Technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Shen Lu | Asa Fitch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese authorities announced a cybersecurity investigation into U.S. computer-memory maker Micron Technology Inc., a move that is likely to put global firms operating in China further on edge at a time of escalating U.S.-China tension. The Cyberspace Administration of China said it would review Micron’s products sold in China, citing the need to safeguard the supply chain for critical information infrastructure.

☆ Trump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to his side after the indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes rallied to his side on Thursday evening. A grand jury has moved to indict Trump on charges likely related to an alleged hush money scheme. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition. "It is a dark day for America when a former President is indicted on criminal charges," Hutchinson said in a statement.

☆ Iraqi Oil-Pipeline Closure Supports Global Crude Prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Benoit Faucon | Joe Wallace | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An oil well northwest of Kirkuk, Iraq. Oil exports through a vital pipeline account for the bulk of the economy in Iraqi Kurdistan. The closure of a vital oil pipeline in northern Iraq is bolstering international prices and threatens supplies in European countries hunting for alternatives to Russian crude. Producers including Norway’s DNO ASA, London-listed Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. and Dallas-based HKN Energy Ltd. say they have either started to shut wells in semiautonomous Iraqi Kurdistan, or will soon do so if the blockage doesn’t free up. They lost access to the pipeline after the federal Iraqi government said last weekend it had won a long-running arbitration case against Turkey over control of Kurdish crude exports.

☆ Gordon Moore, Intel Co-Founder and Author of Moore’s Law, Dies at 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Asa Fitch | Don Clark | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gordon Moore , the electronics pioneer who co-founded Intel Corp. and whose groundbreaking theories defined the tempo of innovation in semiconductors, has died at the age of 94. A 1965 article by Mr. Moore published in the trade journal Electronics predicted the pace of miniaturization in computer chips and anticipated the development of home computers, smart wristwatches, automatic controls for cars and other inventions as electronic components etched on squares of silicon become smaller, faster and cheaper. Moore’s Law, as his prediction became known, proved a remarkably accurate observation about how quickly engineers would create advances in digital technology that have led to countless fixtures of modern life.

The U.S. moved this month to cut off a Chinese conglomerate’s access to Western technology, but the firm can still secure those goods through a technicality that some former senior officials say is a major loophole in the U.S. export-control regime. U.S. companies are barred from exporting to companies named on the Commerce Department’s so-called Entity List, unless they get approval. But listed companies can still buy U.S. goods through subsidiaries that aren’t on the Entity List, current and former government and industry officials say. Industry officials say some U.S. companies intend to keep selling high-tech goods to Chinese companies in that manner.

Politico reported that a grand jury was preparing to indict Trump, the front-runner for the Republican 2024 nomination. DeSantis has not declared a presidential run but is widely expected to do so and is by far Trump's most formidable Republican challenger. At a press conference DeSantis criticized Bragg but did not dismiss the case against Trump outright. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair, I just, I can't speak to that," he said. Other than Pence and DeSantis, most major declared and prospective Republican presidential candidates have remained silent on the issue.

☆ Equinor sees "a lot of interest" in long-term gas deals, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Nora Buli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Equinor ASA FollowBERGEN, Norway, March 17 (Reuters) - Equinor (EQNR.OL) has seen significant interest among gas buyers in Europe for entering into long-term supply contracts lasting between three and 10 years, the Norwegian company's CEO told Reuters on Friday. "Long-term contracts for us means three to 10 years and we see that there is a lot of interest for long-term contracts at the moment," Equinor CEO Anders Opedal told Reuters. The visit underlines the importance of the relationship between the European Union and non-EU Norway when it comes to energy, Opedal said. "It shows how important it is that we focus both on security of supply and the security on the installations," he said. Troll alone supplies 11% of all gas consumed in the EU, according to Equinor.

☆ A new Pentagon map shows how China is beefing up what a top US general calls its 'dangerous position' in the South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China and several of its neighbors have claimed parts of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The map also gives rough locations for seven Chinese outposts, including three airfields, and 63 other outposts in the Spratlys. China's outposts "are capable of supporting military operations" and "have supported non-combat aircraft," the Pentagon report says. Recent action by those forces around Taiwan, as well as ongoing Chinese activity in the South China Sea, have worried US commanders. The Spratly IslandsFilipino fishermen sail by a Chinese coast guard ship near Scarborough Shoal on February 5.

☆ Over the South China Sea, dispute simmers via radios and rhetoric
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Eloisa Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezABOARD PHILIPPINES COAST GUARD PLANE, South China Sea, March 10 (Reuters) - As a Philippine coast guard aircraft flew over the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, a message came in over the radio telling it to immediately leave "Chinese territory". "Calling China coast guard vessel. China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Beijing insists its coast guard is defending its territory. China's coast guard challenged the plane again as it flew over the shoal, located inside the Philippines 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

☆ Hydrogen company Nel raises $155 mln from share sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Nel ASA FollowCOPENHAGEN, March 7 (Reuters) - Norwegian hydrogen company Nel (NEL.OL) late on Monday said it had raised 1.61 billion Norwegian crowns ($154.70 million) through a private placement of 108 million new shares at 14.90 crowns per share, a 9% discount to the stock's closing in Oslo. Nel intends to use the net proceeds from the private placement to partially finance the expansion of its Heroeya plant or to begin construction of a new U.S. factory, the company said in a statement. "Normally the share price after an equity issue will reflect to a certain extent the pricing in the private placement," ABG Sundal Collier analyst Haakon Amundsen said. Nel on Tuesday said it was offering to sell an additional 10 million shares to owners who were not part of Monday's share sale. ($1 = 10.4005 Norwegian crowns)Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Terje SolsvikOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Equinor aims to restart Norway methanol plant in about four weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Equinor ASA FollowConocophillips FollowOSLO, March 7 (Reuters) - Equinor (EQNR.OL) aims to restart Europe's largest methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden in about four weeks, a spokesperson for the Norwegian company said on Tuesday. Equinor shut the plant on Norway's west coast in February to install a mercury removal unit. "We are planning for a safe (production) start-up... We expect this to take around four weeks from now," said a spokesperson. Tjeldbergodden has an annual methanol production capacity of around 900,000 tonnes, accounting for about a quarter of Europe's total, according to Equinor. Equinor has 82.01% stake in the plant and ConocoPhillips (COP.N) owns the remaining 17.99%.

☆ EVs Boost Chip Demand Despite Semiconductor Makers’ Woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Asa Fitch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tesla’s demand for automotive chips will increase as it moves toward the goal of producing 20 million vehicles a year by 2030. Chip sales that have declined across many customer segments are still enjoying one area of rising demand: cars. Growing sales of electric vehicles—which tend to use more semiconductors than their gas-powered counterparts—coupled with greater automation of all vehicles, have kept producers of chips for cars busy. The long-term outlook for the market appears robust, Tesla Inc. suggested this past week, as Chief Executive Elon Musk detailed plans for his car company to scale up to 20 million vehicles a year by 2030, from around 1.3 million in 2022.

☆ Former GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, says Trump's campaign message is bad for the party: 'We don't need to be led by arrogance and revenge'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Asa Hutchinson said Trump's campaign message of "revenge" is bad for the party. Asa Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign message is bad for Republicans. Hutchinson, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday that he thinks more voices countering Trump's message is the "best thing in the right direction." "We need to have alternatives again to Donald Trump. Donald Trump is a known quantity.

☆ Philippines says Chinese navy ship spotted near disputed island
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, March 4 (Reuters) - The Philippines said on Saturday it had spotted a Chinese navy ship and dozens of militia vessels around a contested Philippine-occupied island in the South China Sea, as territorial tensions mount in the area. The Philippine Coast Guard said 42 vessels believed to be crewed by Chinese maritime militia personnel were seen in the vicinity of Thitu island, while a Chinese navy vessel and coast guard ship were observed "slowly loitering" in the surrounding waters. "Their continuing unauthorised presence is clearly inconsistent with the right of innocent passage and a blatant violation of the Philippines' territorial integrity," the coast guard said in a statement. Marcos last month summoned the Chinese ambassador to complain about the intensity and frequency of China's actions in the South China Sea. The Philippines has filed 77 complaints against China's activities in the sea, including a claim that a Chinese coast guard ship on Feb. 6 directed a "military-grade laser" at one a Philippine coast guard ship on a supply mission.

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