DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ FAA opens new probe into Boeing, this time involving 787 Dreamliner inspections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Gregory Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Investigators are probing whether Boeing employees failed to perform some quality inspections on its 787 jets, the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday. The investigation is to determine whether the inspections were conducted and “whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,” the FAA said. While the investigation takes place, Boeing employees will inspect the Dreamliners it has not yet delivered to airline customers and will develop a plan for the planes that are currently flying, the FAA said. In April, a Boeing engineer came forward publicly with different quality allegations about several Boeing models, including the Dreamliner. Sam Salehpour claimed shortcuts during the manufacturing process meant small gaps in the fuselage of 787s may not properly be filled.

Persons: Boeing “, ”, Scott Stocker, Stocker, Sam Salehpour Organizations: CNN —, Boeing, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, CNN

☆ There's a messy battle over AI going on in DC — and there's no end in sight
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Why does the US not have federal AI regulation? Biden signed the executive order on "Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence" near the end of 2023. Another challenge comes from AI experts and researchers choosing private sector jobs instead of ones in the government, a kind of "brain drain," Zhang said. "Less than 40% go to government looking to create all those AI regulations and governance structures." AdvertisementThe vast majority of AI experts end up working in the private sector rather than for universities or federal governments.

Persons: —, hasn't, Joe Biden, Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, I'm, Jason Green, Lowe, It's, Sen, Martin Heinrich, Sam Altman, Bill O'Leary, Rebecca Finlay, Finlay, we're, she's, Daniel Zhang, Zhang, Drew Angerer, That's, there's Organizations: Service, White, Business, Bills, Republican, Artificial Intelligence, Federal Government, Science & Technology, Congress, Microsoft, Google, Defense, Center, Senate, Washington, Getty, Stanford Institute for, AI, Stanford's, for, Biden Locations: Silicon Valley, Korean, Washington , DC, Congress, North America

☆ As States Resist Federal Gender Rules, Schools Are Caught in the Middle
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Amy Harmon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But several Republican-led states have responded with an equally clear message for their schools: Steer clear of such policies. The clashing state and federal directives have put school officials in a difficult spot, education officials said. School boards may face federal investigations, litigation from parents, threats of a state takeover or lost funding. “No matter which way a school district goes, they’re going to possibly draw a lawsuit from someone in disagreement, whether that’s a federal regulator or a private person who doesn’t agree with how the district handled it,” said Sonja Trainor, managing director for school law at the National School Boards Association. “A lot of schools are going to be in no man’s land.”

Persons: Biden, Steer, ”, Sonja Trainor Organizations: Republican, National School Boards

The auditing firm for Trump Media and the auditor's owner were charged Friday with "massive fraud" by the Securities and Exchange Commission for work that affected more than 1,500 SEC filings, the federal regulator announced. The auditor, BF Borgers CPA and its owner Benjamin Borgers have agreed to be permanently suspended from practicing as accountants before the SEC, and also agreed to pay a combined $14 million in civil penalties, without admitting or denying the allegations, the SEC said. The agency, calling BF Borgers a "sham audit mill," said the company and its owner engaged in "deliberate and systemic failures to comply with Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ... standards in its audits and reviews incorporated in more than 1,500 SEC filings from January 2021 through June 2023," according to a press release. BF Borgers during that same time acted as the auditor for Trump Media, which was then privately held and moving toward a planned merger with the publicly traded shell company Digital World Acquisition Corp.Trump Media and DWAC finalized that merger in late March 2024, leading to Trump Media becoming publicly traded under the DJT ticker. The SEC said the Lakewood, Colorado-based BF Borgers and its owner were charged with falsely telling clients that the auditor's work would comply with PCAOB standards, fabricating audit documents to make it seem that the work did comply with those standards, and "falsely stating in audit reports included in more than 500 public company SEC filings that the firm's audits complied with PCAOB standards," the release said.

Persons: Benjamin Borgers, BF Borgers, DWAC Organizations: Trump Media, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, BF, CPA, Company, Corp Locations: Lakewood , Colorado

☆ Auditor That Works for Trump Media Is Charged With Fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Matthew Goldstein | More About Matthew Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An accounting firm that audits the financial statements of hundreds of public companies including former President Donald J. Trump’s social media company can no longer do so, U.S. securities regulators said on Friday. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged the firm, BF Borgers, with fraud, saying that it had failed to comply with accounting rules. The regulator held BF Borgers and its owner, Benjamin F. Borger, responsible for “deliberate and systemic failures” to comply with accounting rules. Many companies that used BF Borgers must now find new auditors. Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of the Truth Social platform, has been a client of BF Borgers since 2022, according to regulatory filings.

Persons: Donald J, BF, Benjamin F, Borgers Organizations: Securities, Exchange Commission, Trump Media & Technology Group, Trump Media Locations: U.S, Borger

☆ Trump Media’s accounting firm charged with ‘massive fraud’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“Trump Media looks forward to working with new auditing partners in accordance with today’s SEC order,” Trump Media spokesperson Shannon Devine told CNN in a statement. According to filings, Borgers served as Trump Media’s independent registered accounting firm before the social media company went public in March. Later in March, the audit committee of Trump Media approved the hiring of Borgers as the public company’s accounting firm. The SEC review only focused on public companies, meaning BF Borgers’ work for Trump Media when it was private was not included. Trump Media is chaired and majority owned by former President Donald Trump, who is also the most popular user on Truth Social.

Persons: BF, Benjamin Borgers, “ Borgers, ” Gurbir Grewal, Trump Media , “, ”, Shannon Devine, Borgers, BF Borgers, Donald Trump Organizations: New, New York CNN, Trump Media & Technology, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Truth Social, Trump Media, BF Borgers, “ Trump Media, ” Trump Media, CNN, Trump, Borgers Locations: New York

☆ India's markets regulator puts seven Adani companies on notice for violations
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chairperson of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, Gautam Adani, speaking at the World Congress of Accountants in Mumbai on November 19, 2022. India's markets regulator has sent notices of regulatory violations to seven companies of the Adani conglomerate, including its flagship Adani Enterprises, the group said in stock exchange filings. The regulator began probing the Adani group, led by billionaire Gautam Adani, after Hindenburg Research in January 2023 alleged improper use of tax havens and stock manipulation by the group, accusations the group has denied. Adani Green Energy, Adani Power, Adani Total Gas, Adani Energy Solutions, Adani Wilmar, and Adani Ports have also received notices from SEBI in the first quarter, the companies said in separate filings to the exchanges this week. Typically such violations attract monetary penalties or management can be barred from capital markets for a certain period.

Persons: Gautam Adani, Wilmar Organizations: Adani, World, Accountants, Adani Enterprises, Hindenburg Research, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Energy, Adani Energy Solutions Locations: Mumbai, SEBI

☆ The US could give homeowners a $980 billion stimulus at no additional cost, 'Oracle of Wall Street' says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. That's if Freddie Mac secures approval from its regulator to operate in the market for secondary mortgages, also commonly known as home equity loans. If greenlighted, the scheme would be equivalent to a huge stimulus injection, but without a cent added to the national deficit, the "Oracle of Wall Street" explained. As Freddie Mac is a massive provider of mortgage market liquidity, the move could encourage more banks to extend this financing to customers. The proposal noted that options are limited for homeowners who want to tap their equity, meaning that few are benefiting from the housing market's appreciation.

Persons: —, Meredith Whitney, Whitney, Freddie Mac, Freddie Mac's, Freddie, Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Coinbase reports first-quarter revenue beat after bitcoin rally leads surge in profit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Coinbase reported better-than-expected revenue in its first-quarter earnings report on Thursday. Transaction revenue has historically been a primary driver of revenue, with subscription and services revenue bringing in $511 million for the quarter. The stock tends to benefit from big gains in bitcoin as large rallies in the cryptocurrency lead to increased trading volumes and demand for other services. During the first quarter, bitcoin hit a new all-time high above $73,000 in March, and ethereum, the second-biggest digital asset, underwent its first major upgrade in over a year. "Indeed, trading volumes on Coinbase's platform have come well down from early-March levels."

Persons: Coinbase, bitcoin, Raymond James analysts, Raymond James Organizations: SEC, Coinbase Locations: U.S, bitcoin, Crypto.com

☆ FTC accuses ex-Pioneer CEO of colluding with OPEC, blocks him from Exxon board seat
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The FTC filed a complaint alleging that Scott Sheffield attempted to collude with representatives of OPEC to reduce oil and gas output to increase prices at the pump and inflate Pioneer's profits. "The FTC has a responsibility to refer potentially criminal behavior and takes that obligation very seriously," spokesman Doug Farrar told CNBC. In response, Exxon agreed to keep Sheffield off its board, the oil major said in a statement Thursday. The FTC alleged that Sheffield repeatedly held private conversations with high-ranking OPEC representatives to assure them that Pioneer and its competitors in the Permian Basin were working to keep oil output artificially low. "Notwithstanding, Pioneer and Mr. Sheffield are not taking any steps to prevent the merger from closing," the company said in the statement.

Persons: Scott Sheffield, Doug Farrar, Exxon, Sheffield, Sheffield's, Lina Khan, — CNBC's Pippa Stevens, Mary Catherine Wellons, Lina Khan's Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Natural Resources, OPEC, Exxon Mobil, Pioneer, FTC, Justice Department, Wall Street, CNBC, Exxon, Sheffield

☆ Exxon Mobil reaches agreement with FTC, poised to close $60 billion Pioneer deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Trade Commission will wave through Exxon Mobil 's roughly $60 billion acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources after reaching an agreement with the energy giant, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC. The FTC will not block the deal now that the regulator and Exxon have reached a consent agreement, the source said. The agreement will bar Pioneer's former CEO Scott Sheffield from joining the Exxon board. Exxon first announced the deal for Pioneer in October, in an all-stock transaction valued at $59.5 billion. Shares of Exxon and Pioneer were both little changed in extended trading Wednesday.

Persons: Scott Sheffield, Darren Woods, — CNBC's Pippa Stevens, Mary Catherine Wellons Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Exxon Mobil, Natural Resources, CNBC, FTC, Exxon, Sheffield, Bloomberg News, Pioneer

☆ Musk's visit to China was a much-needed win for both sides — and a snub to India
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

And Musk notably skipped a recent visit to India, underscoring how important China is for Tesla. AdvertisementElon Musk's two-day trip to Beijing looks like a mutually-beneficial win for Tesla and for China — and a snub for India. AdvertisementMusk needs China — but China also needs Musk, as a sign that the country is open for business with high-profile US companies. Musk's visit was going to include an announcement about Tesla entering India, Reuters reported. AdvertisementMusk's India visit would have been a win for Modi, who is seeking to boost India's status as a manufacturing hub, especially as businesses leave China.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Elon Musk's, China —, Premier Li Qiang, That's, Tesla, Dan Ives, Ives, India Musk, Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, Musk, crackdowns, Bain —, Narendra Modi, Musk's, Modi Organizations: Tesla, Service, India, Premier, Baidu, Reuters, EV, FSD, Financial Times, China, Communist Party, Gucci, Apple Locations: China, Beijing, India, Shanghai

☆ Fresh customer-fraud allegations against Globe Life
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Susan Antilla | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewThe embattled insurer Globe Life and its subsidiary American Income Life face new allegations of fraud, kickbacks, and misclassifying its army of sales agents. Neither Globe, AIL, or any affiliated agencies have requested a correction on BI's series, which has been cited in all three short-seller reports. Spokespeople for Globe, AIL, and Arias did not respond to inquiries about the Viceroy report. Viceroy today published excerpts from a civil complaint alleging that Globe Life required recruits to purchase the course from Xcel for $149, $119 of which was kicked back to Globe Life, AIL, and agency executives, an allegation Globe has denied. "As you might expect, these sales tactics do not engender long-term retention of policies," the Viceroy report states.

Persons: —, AIL, Fraser Perring, Nate Koppikar, Panda, Arias, Erica Robertson, Robertson, Amy Williamson, Renee Zinsky, Fuzzy Panda, Jamie Winters, Winters, Viceroy, AIL's, Antonio – Organizations: Service, Viceroy Research, Globe, Business, Research, Orso Partners, Insurance Department, Pennsylvania, Arias Organization, Social, Organization, AIL, BI, Department, Xcel, Liberty National Life, Ohio Department of Insurance Locations: Texas, London, Globe, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Arias's Wexford, California, Xcel, Ohio, Antonio

☆ Safety regulator probing whether Tesla’s recall of 2 million vehicles with Autopilot was adequate to fix safety threat
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Federal safety regulators said they are investigating whether Tesla’s massive recall in December of essentially all of its vehicles on US roads was sufficient to fix the safety threat posed by its “Autopilot” feature. The recall of 2 million Tesla vehicles was ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over a software update that is designed to limit the use of its Autopilot feature. The NHTSA said late Thursday that Tesla’s software update recall requires the owner to opt in and allows a driver to readily reverse it. The software update ordered in December was designed to give Tesla drivers more warnings when they are not paying attention to the road while using the Autopilot’s “Autosteer” function. After the recall, Tesla vehicles with Autosteer turned on were supposed to check on the driver’s attention level more routinely.

Persons: Tesla, Elon, Musk, Autosteer, ” Tesla Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal, National, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, CNN Locations: New York, ”

Federal authorities say a "critical safety gap" in Tesla 's Autopilot system contributed to at least 467 collisions, 13 resulting in fatalities and "many others" resulting in serious injuries. The findings come from a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analysis of 956 crashes in which Tesla Autopilot was thought to have been in use. Tesla's Autopilot design has "led to foreseeable misuse and avoidable crashes," the NHTSA report said. The agency also said it was opening a new probe into the effectiveness of a software update Tesla previously issued as part of a recall in December. "People are dying due to misplaced confidence in Tesla Autopilot capabilities.

Persons: Tesla, Lars Moravy, Edward J, Markey, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, Walter Huang, Elon Musk, Musk, Philip Koopman, Koopman Organizations: Tesla, Traffic, NHTSA, CNBC, NBC News, Apple, Carnegie Mellon University Locations: U.S, Mountain View , California, Snohomish County , Washington, Sens

☆ Auto Safety Regulator Investigating Tesla Recall of Autopilot
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The federal government’s main auto safety agency said on Friday that it was investigating Tesla’s recall of its Autopilot driver-assistance system because regulators were concerned that the company had not done enough to ensure that drivers remained attentive while using the technology. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents posted on its website that it was looking into Tesla’s recall in December of two million vehicles, which covered nearly all of the cars the company had manufactured in the United States since 2012. The safety agency said that it had concerns about crashes that took place after the recall and results from preliminary tests of recalled vehicles. The investigation adds to a list of headaches for Tesla, the dominant electric vehicle maker in the United States. Tesla announced in December that it would recall its autopilot software after an investigation by the auto safety agency found that the carmaker hadn’t put in place enough safeguards to make sure the system, which can accelerate, brake and control cars in other ways, was used safely by drivers who were supposed to be ready at any moment to retake control of their cars using Autopilot.

Persons: Tesla, hadn’t Organizations: Traffic Safety Administration Locations: United States

☆ WADA Appoints Special Prosecutor in Chinese Doping Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Michael S. Schmidt | Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The World Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday appointed a special prosecutor to review how 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned drug were allowed to avoid public scrutiny and compete at the 2021 Olympics, where they won gold medals and set records. The decision to appoint the special prosecutor, Eric Cottier of Switzerland, came amid an outcry from top government officials, antidoping experts and authorities, and athletes over the way Chinese antidoping officials and the global regulator, known as WADA, handled the positives. “WADA’s integrity and reputation is under attack,” the WADA president, Witold Banka, said in a statement. “In the past few days, WADA has been unfairly accused of bias in favor of China by not appealing the Chinada case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We continue to reject the false accusations and we are pleased to be able to put these questions into the hands of an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor.”

Persons: Eric Cottier of, WADA, Witold Banka, “, ” Organizations: Doping Agency, New York Times, Sport Locations: Eric Cottier of Switzerland, China

☆ Elon Musk is keeping investors' dreams of a Tesla robotaxi alive
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

This is the Tesla Musk is selling to Wall Street, and he's telling anyone with doubts to stay away. "If somebody doesn't believe Tesla's going to solve autonomy, I think they should not be an investor in the company," Musk said on the earnings call. In a shareholder deck that Tesla published before the call, the company featured a "preview of ride-hailing in the Tesla app." At an AI Day in August 2021, Musk said Tesla would build a humanoid robot, now known as Optimus. "No matter what, even if I got kidnapped by aliens tomorrow, Tesla will solve autonomy, maybe a little slower but it would solve autonomy for vehicles at least," Musk said.

Persons: Tesla's, Elon Musk, Musk, Tesla, FSD, haven't, bodysuit, Optimus, SeongJoon Cho, you've, He's, Alex Potter, Piper Sandler, there's Organizations: Revenue, Auto, NBC News, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Optimus, Tesla Inc, Seoul Mobility, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Getty, Tesla, Microsoft, SpaceX Locations: California, Nevada, China, Goyang, South Korea, Tesla

☆ Elon Musk Clashes With Australian Court Over Violent Videos on X
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Kate Conger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An Australian court on Wednesday extended an injunction ordering the social media platform X to remove videos depicting the recent stabbing of a bishop, setting the country’s judicial system up for a clash with the company’s owner, Elon Musk, who has decried the court’s order as censorship. Videos of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a church service on April 15 quickly started circulating on X, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, a regulator overseeing online safety, ordered X and other social media platforms to remove posts showing the video the next day. Other platforms complied, and X blocked the content for Australian viewers. That order was extended on Wednesday until a May 10 hearing, and X faces potential daily fines of roughly $509,000 for noncompliance.

Persons: Elon Musk, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Australia’s, Musk, ’, ” Locations: Australia, USA

☆ Google is once again dictating the future of the online ad industry and all its rivals can do is brace for impact
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When Google sneezes, the entire online advertising industry catches a cold. Google's announcement Tuesday that it would again delay its planned timeline for killing off third-party tracking cookies had long been anticipated by the digital advertising industry. Google has a 28% share of the online ad market, according to market research firm Emarketer (a sister company to BI). Regulators could step in to resolve the cookie chaosSome industry experts are hoping regulators will step in to untangle the mess. Amid the four years of confusion, chaos, and harumphing, there has been one consistent theme: When it comes to the future of online advertising, Google calls the shots.

Persons: Ciaran O'Kane, WireCorp, hasn't, Sundar Pichai, Stephen Lam, Mathieu Roche, James Rosewell, Google's, haven't, Pierre Devoize, Devoize Organizations: Google, Business, Gmail, Antitrust, US Department of Justice, European Commission, UK's, Markets Authority, CMA, Industry, IAB Tech, EU Google, Chrome, Movement Locations: FirstPartyCapital

☆ Google's controversial move to kill the web cookie just got delayed until 2025
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google delayed the removal of third-party cookies from Chrome again. AdvertisementGoogle is delaying its removal of third-party cookies on Chrome — again. Third-party cookies are small data files stored on a user's device. Related storiesIn January, Google experimented with phasing out cookies for 1% of Chrome users, which is about 30 million people. "We welcome Google's announcement clarifying the timing of third-party cookie deprecation," a CMA spokesperson told BI.

Persons: —, It's, hinging, Stephen Almond, Almond Organizations: Google, CMA, ICO, Service, Apple, Mozilla, Chrome, Markets Authority, Consumers Locations: aaltchek@insider.com

☆ Philippines orders removal of Binance from Google and Apple app stores
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered Google and Apple to remove cryptocurrency exchange Binance from their app stores. In a press release out on Tuesday, the regulator said it had sent letters to Google and Apple requesting the removal of applications controlled by Binance from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, respectively. The agency accused Binance of offering unregistered securities to Filipinos and operating as an unregistered broker, adding that this violates the country's securities laws. Binance, Google, and Apple were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Aquino said that blocking Binance from the Google and Apple app stores would help "prevent the further proliferation of its illegal activities in the country, and to protect the investing public from its detrimental effects on our economy."

Persons: Zhao Changpeng, Binance, Emilio Aquino, Aquino Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Google, Apple, Binance, CNBC Locations: Porte, Paris, France, Philippines, Philippine

☆ Investors are fearful. They shouldn’t be
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The economy has been extraordinarily resilient for the past few years — consistently proving the naysayers wrong, he says. For all of the market gloom last week, stocks are still near all-time highs, and this earnings season has been strong. Investors have been worrying about the Federal Reserve keeping rates higher for longer. I speak with many institutional investors, and I don’t see them folding in fear. Residual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal,” the NHTSA wrote in the recall document.

Persons: ”, Philipp Carlsson, there’s, Carlsson, Szlezak, they’re, I’m, it’s, I’ve, we’re, TikTok, Brian Fung, Joe Biden, Tesla, Chris Isidore, Peter Valdes Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Boston Consulting, ByteDance, NHTSA Locations: New York, Europe, Ukraine, Israel, Washington

The revelation that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned drug seven months before the Tokyo Olympics but were secretly cleared and allowed to continue competing has exposed a bitter and at times deeply personal rift inside the sport, and brought new criticism of the global authority that oversees drug-testing. An American Olympian who took home a silver medal from Tokyo said she felt her team had been “cheated” in a race won by China. A British gold medalist called for a lifetime ban for the swimmers involved. The sports minister in Germany, where a documentary on the case was broadcast Sunday, demanded an investigation. And a simmering feud between officials at the World Anti-Doping Agency, the global regulator known as WADA, and their U.S. counterparts burst into the open in a flurry of caustic statements and legal threats.

Persons: “, ”, WADA Organizations: New York Times, Tokyo Games, China, Doping Agency Locations: Tokyo, China, American, British, Germany

☆ Top Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive for Banned Drug, Then Won Olympic Gold
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Michael S. Schmidt | Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Twenty-three top Chinese swimmers tested positive for the same powerful banned substance seven months before the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 but were allowed to escape public scrutiny and continue to compete after top Chinese officials secretly cleared them of doping and the global authority charged with policing drugs in sports chose not to intervene. Several of the athletes who tested positive — including nearly half of the swimming team that China sent to the Tokyo Games — went on to win medals, including three golds. Many still compete for China and several, including the two-time gold medalist Zhang Yufei, are expected to contend for medals again at this year’s Summer Games in Paris. China acknowledged the positive tests in a report by its antidoping regulator, saying the swimmers had ingested the banned substance unwittingly and in tiny amounts, and that no action against them was warranted. But an examination by The New York Times found that the previously unreported episode sharply divided the antidoping world, where China’s record has long been a flashpoint.

Persons: Tokyo Games —, Zhang Yufei Organizations: Tokyo Olympic Games, Tokyo Games, New York Times, Aquatics, Doping Agency Locations: China, Paris

Search resuls for: "Regulator"

25 mentions found