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☆ Jeffrey Epstein got $300 mln tax breaks, paid US Virgin Islands police, JPMorgan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In a Tuesday night court filing, the largest U.S. bank also described how Epstein allegedly paid law enforcement entities such as the Virgin Islands Police Department. The U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned two neighboring islands, has accused JPMorgan of facilitating Epstein's crimes by providing banking services, and enabling him to pay victims. U.S. Virgin Islands police "never received a single complaint" about Epstein's sex trafficking and would have investigated complaints, a person familiar with the territory's law enforcement practices said. JPMorgan's latest disclosures followed Monday's release by the U.S. Virgin Islands of a 22-page document prepared by the bank in late 2019 after Epstein's death. JPMorgan has sued Staley, and wants him liable for damages it might owe in the accusers' and U.S. Virgin Islands' lawsuits.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Cecile de Jongh, Jeffrey Epstein's, Venetia Velazquez, de Jongh, EPSTEIN'S, Jongh, John, Jes Staley, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Leslie Adler, Gerry Doyle, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan, U.S . Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands Police Department, U.S ., U.S . Virgin, Virgin Islands, FIDE, Financial, Co, Southern Trust Co, territory's Department of Justice, USVI DOJ, Barclays, Thomson Locations: U.S, U.S . Virgin, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, Florida, New York

In each case, Coinbase filed briefs as an "amicus," or friend of the court. A ruling favoring another crypto defendant at the trial court level would not be binding on Coinbase's own case, but the company could potentially point to it in its defense, legal experts said. Coinbase argued the digital assets on its platform do not pass that test, in part because they lack contractual agreements. In its other amicus brief, Coinbase urged a federal judge in Manhattan to allow the fair notice defense in the SEC case against Ripple Labs, which was the industry's highest-profile battle with the regulator prior to the Coinbase case. Coinbase argued to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres that denying the Ripple defendants the fair notice defense "would jeopardize the validity of the defense in future cases."

Persons: Coinbase, Gibson Dunn, Crutcher, Akiva Shapiro, Gary Gensler, Paul Grewal, Coinbase's, Cahill Gordon, Reindel, Tana Lin, Ishan Wahi, Wahi, Lin, Gensler, Analisa Torres, Torres, XRP, Jody Godoy, Tom Hals, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, U.S, Supreme, SEC, Reuters, FAIR, U.S . Constitution, Ripple Labs, San, District, Thomson Locations: U.S, Coinbase, Manhattan, Solana, Cardano, Seattle, U.S ., San Francisco, New York, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Morning Bid: Hawkish Powell keeps markets on defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Alden Bentley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 22 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Alden Bentley, Breaking News Editor for Finance & Markets, Americas. The week's main attraction, Fed Chair Jerome Powell's testimony before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, came and went without rearranging the pieces on the table much. So, that left traders expecting rate hikes to resume at the Fed's July meeting, even as the futures market reflects doubts that the Fed will deliver more increases beyond that. U.S. Treasury yields held to pretty narrow ranges and, with Powell leaning hawkish but not deviating much from last week's FOMC message, the three major U.S. stock indexes fell, for the third straight session. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Alden Bentley, Jerome Powell's, Powell's embargoed, Powell, Raphael Bostic, Kazuo Ueda, Powell's, Jerome Powell, Deepa Babington Organizations: Finance & Markets, . House Financial Services Committee, Atlanta Federal Reserve, Yahoo Finance, Reuters, Bank of Japan, Wednesday's U.S, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Treasury, CPI, Thomson Locations: Alden, Americas, U.S, Wednesday's, Japan, Indonesia

[1/2] A U.S. flag flies outside a branch of the Silicon Valley Bank in Wellesley, Massachusetts, U.S., March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Brian SnyderWASHINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department antitrust division plans to expand the scope of its bank merger review process, the department's chief said on Tuesday, in a sign the agency may get tougher when scrutinizing such deals. The comments are likely to disappoint the industry, which had been hoping Democratic President Joe Biden's administration would be more open to allowing deals after a spate of bank failures since March. Specifically, Kanter said any merger review for antitrust purposes must go beyond traditional factors like the impact on local depositors and branches, and consider a broader set of issues. "We believe this policy change will not be as negative for bank mergers as it may first appear," he added.

Persons: Brian Snyder WASHINGTON, Jonathan Kanter, Joe Biden's, Kanter, Biden, Isaac Boltansky, Cowen, Jaret Seiberg, Pete Schroeder, Deepa Babington, Michelle Price Organizations: Bank, REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Brookings Institution, Democratic, Justice Department, Silicon Valley Bank, DOJ, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wellesley , Massachusetts, Silicon

REUTERS/Brian SnyderWASHINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust division on Tuesday urged the government to update bank merger guidelines to reflect "current market realities," in a sign authorities are likely to cast a wider net in scrutinizing deals in the sector. “There are good reasons ... to question whether the 1995 guidance sufficiently reflects current market realities," he said in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a think tank. "What we're saying is market realities have shifted, and when we apply the law, we have an obligation to ensure we are addressing the world as it exists today." President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2021 directing the Justice Department to work with bank regulators to update merger guidelines and heighten scrutiny of deals. In his remarks, Kanter said he was focused on the antitrust implications of any bank mergers, and that broader factors were best left to the primary bank regulators to consider.

Persons: Brian Snyder WASHINGTON, Jonathan Kanter, Biden, Kanter's, Kanter, hasn't, Joe Biden, Pete Schroeder, Deepa Babington Organizations: Bank, REUTERS, U.S . Justice, Brookings Institution, Department, Justice Department, Silicon Valley Bank, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wellesley , Massachusetts, Silicon

June 21 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was cut to 3.55% and the five-year LPR was cut to 4.20%. The yuan has been trading through 7.00 per dollar every day since May 18, and is now approaching 7.20/dollar. On the Chinese corporate front, investors are digesting the news of changes at the top of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group (9988.HK). The main global event for markets on Wednesday is likely to be Fed Chair Powell's semi-annual testimony to the House Financial Affairs Committee.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, Jerome Powell, Kazuo Ueda, weren't, Daniel Zhang, Eddie Yongming Wu, Joseph Tsai, Deepa Babington Organizations: Federal, Bank of, The Bank of Japan, People's Bank of China, Investors, Alibaba, HK, House Financial, Committee, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Asia, Japan

☆ Spirit Aerosystems, workers reach tentative four-year labor pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Valerie Insinna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 16 (Reuters) - Spirit Aerosystems (SPR.N) has reached a tentative four-year contract agreement with the 6,000-member machinists union employed at its Wichita, Kansas plant, the union said Friday in a statement. "This fair and competitive contract recognizes the important contributions of our factory employees and ensures that Spirit can successfully meet increasing demand for aircraft from customers," Spirit Aerosystems said in an emailed statement. A slowdown could have impeded Boeing as it tries to recover from ongoing 737 and 787 production glitches. A stoppage could have also had a detrimental effect on already-fragile Spirit AeroSystems, which has been responsible for several recent production flaws affecting Boeing jets, including a 737 bracket installation problem. In May, Spirit said it expects cash burn of about $100 million to $150 million in 2023.

Persons: Aerosystems, ”, Spirit, Valerie Insinna, Kannaki, David Gaffen, Deepa Babington, Maju Samuel Organizations: Boeing, International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers, Thomson Locations: Wichita , Kansas, Wichita

WASHINGTON, June 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Banking Committee will consider a bill Wednesday that would allow regulators to claw back compensation for executives at failed banks. The bill, which also would require banks to include in their bylaws standards around responsible bank management, comes in response to the abrupt failures of Silicon Valley Bank and other banks in recent months, which set off broader turmoil in the banking sector. "Americans have watched executives take their money, run banks into the ground, and get away with it too many times before. It’s time for CEOs to face consequences for their actions, just like everyone else," said Brown in a statement. Reporting by Pete Schroeder, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sherrod Brown, Tim Scott, Brown, Pete Schroeder, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S . Senate, Republican, Valley Bank, Thomson

☆ Minneapolis police face federal oversight for excessive force, discrimination
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

June 16 (Reuters) - Police in Minneapolis routinely use excessive force and discriminate against Black and Native American people, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday after a two-year investigation prompted by the police killing of George Floyd. The city has agreed to what will likely be years of federal oversight as it works to reform the Minneapolis Police Department, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in announcing the findings. "We found that the Minneapolis Police Department routinely uses excessive force, often when no force is necessary, including unjust deadly force and unreasonable use of Tasers," Garland said at a press conference at the city's federal courthouse. Frey and other Minneapolis officials will negotiate an agreement with the Justice Department known as a consent decree in which a federal judge will oversee the city's progress in reforming the police department. The department has negotiated similar federal oversight agreements in other cities, including Ferguson in Missouri, Baltimore and Cleveland.

Persons: George Floyd, General Merrick Garland, Derek Chauvin, Garland, Jacob Frey, Frey, Chauvin, Floyd, Eric Miller, Marcia Howard, Howard, Mayor Frey, Department's, Joe Biden, Ferguson, Jonathan Allen, Deepa Babington, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Police, U.S . Justice, Minneapolis Police Department, U.S, Justice Department, Civil Rights Division, REUTERS, Minneapolis Police, Democrat, Justice Department's Civil, Thomson Locations: Minneapolis, Minneapolis , Minnesota, U.S, Black, Missouri, Baltimore, Cleveland, New York

☆ Minneapolis agrees to federal oversight of police after pattern of excessive force
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 16 (Reuters) - Police officers in Minneapolis routinely use excessive force and discriminate against Black and Native American people, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday after a two-year investigation sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. The city has agreed to negotiate an agreement with the Justice Department on reforming the police department, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said. "We found that the Minneapolis Police Department routinely uses excessive force, often when no force is necessary, including unjust deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers," Garland told a press conference at the city's federal courthouse. In Minneapolis, protesters damaged property, including a police precinct house that was set ablaze. Many people in Minneapolis complained that Chauvin's excessive use of force against Floyd was not an exceptional case, but rather that the city's police officers had long abused the rights of Black residents.

Persons: George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, Floyd, General Merrick Garland, Garland, Jacob Frey, Brian O'Hara, Jonathan Allen, Deepa Babington Organizations: Police, U.S . Justice, Justice Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Thomson Locations: Minneapolis, U.S, Black, New York

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employer group declined comment. Manufacturers, automakers and food producers which import or export goods also rely on the West Coast ports. "We urge the parties to quickly ratify the tentative agreement to bring certainty back to the West Coast ports," Shay said. Many of the ports' customers shifted a portion of their cargo to ocean trade gateways on the East Coast and Gulf Coast to avoid potential slowdowns from the Pacific Coast labor talks. After 72 hours, the ILWU and PMA hammered out a deal and credited Su with assisting in the efforts.

Persons: Labor Julie Su, Joe Biden, Suzanne Clark, Matthew Shay, Shay, Su, Lisa Baertlein, Barbara Lewis, Grant McCool, Deepa Babington Organizations: ANGELES, U.S ., Labor, Wall Street, Warehouse Union, Pacific Maritime Association, Biden, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Walmart, Manufacturers, National Retail Federation, Pacific, PMA, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S . West Coast, West Coast, U.S, COVID, West, East Coast, Gulf, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, Washington

NEW YORK, June 15 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) urged a federal judge to reject the U.S. Virgin Islands' demand that Chief Executive Jamie Dimon sit for a second deposition for its lawsuit about the bank's long relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. JPMorgan also said messages between Epstein and former bank executive Jes Staley, where Epstein name-dropped people like billionaires Bill Gates and Leon Black and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, did not justify more questioning of Dimon about alleged "Epstein referrals" of prospective customers. A spokesman for the U.S. Virgin Islands had no comment on the letter to U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan. The U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned two neighboring islands, is suing JPMorgan for allegedly enabling Epstein to set up a sex trafficking operation there. The case is U.S. Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, Jeffrey Epstein, Dimon, Epstein, Jes Staley, Bill Gates, Leon Black, Ehud Barak, Jed Rakoff, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, JPMorgan, U.S . Virgin, U.S . Virgin Islands, The U.S ., U.S ., Virgin, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, The U.S, The U.S . Virgin Islands, U.S . Virgin, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

☆ US consumer watchdog defends credit card 'junk fee' proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 13 (Reuters) - The top U.S. consumer watchdog on Tuesday defended a proposal to limit late fees charged on credit card balances, a move that has faced fierce opposition from the banking industry. In testimony before the Senate, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra rejected arguments by banks that capping late fees would force them recover the lost revenue by charging higher interest rates or cutting access to credit for some. "They are fully allowed to capture their costs," Chopra said under questioning from Senator Tim Scott, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, who recently announced his 2024 presidential bid. "One of the things that our issuers tell us is that they don't want to profit off of late fees. The CFPB in February rolled out a regulatory proposal that would cap late fees at $8, far lower than the current $30-$41, unless credit card issuers could justify charging more, part of the Biden administration's attack on what it calls consumer "junk fees."

Persons: Rohit Chopra, Chopra, Tim Scott, Biden, Scott, Douglas Gillison, Deepa Babington Organizations: Senate, Consumer Financial, Republican, Senate Banking Committee, Thomson

☆ Neo-Nazi groups multiply in a more conservative Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Steven Grattan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Items seized from a neo-Nazi group who call themselves Crew 38 are displayed in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina state, Brazil April 24, 2023. "Santa Catarina is a land of WHITE PEOPLE, FOR WHITE PEOPLE," the anonymous sender wrote, signing off with the Nazi salute "SIEG HEIL." Researchers at Sao Paulo state's Unicamp university have tracked a more than 10-fold rise in the number of neo-Nazi cells in Brazil since 2015. SOUTHERN HATEThe problem of neo-Nazism is particularly acute in Santa Catarina, a state where many have German and Italian ancestry. The state has the largest proportion of white residents in Brazil, with 84% declaring as white in the last census.

Persons: Cristiano Estrela, Andrea Muller, Jair Bolsonaro's, Adolf Hitler, Bolsonaro, Flavio Dino, CONIB, Guilherme Franco de Andrade, Bolsonaro's, Arthur Lopes, Lopes, Luis Eduardo de Quadros, de Almeida, Steven Grattan, Gabriel Stargardter, Deepa Babington Organizations: Nazi, REUTERS, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Federal Police, Nazism, Santa, Brazil's, Sao Paulo state's Unicamp, Federal University of Mato, Blacks, Haitian, Thomson Locations: Florianopolis, Santa Catarina state, Brazil, Itajai, Santa Catarina, Haiti, Nazi, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Sul, U.S, United States, Europe

According to Amazon, Temu, an e-commerce marketplace that launched in September, does not meet its "strict qualification standards" for Amazon's fair pricing policy. That means some low-priced general merchandise on Temu, owned by PDD Holdings, could beat out prices offered by Amazon's marketplace sellers. But Amazon is wary of engaging in a price war with a marketplace that it says is not reputable. Much of the merchandise sold on Temu is from vendors and suppliers based in China. The pending U.S. lawsuits are among the first legal battles between Amazon sellers and Temu, according to court filings.

Persons: Temu, Mandell Menkes, Feixiang Wang, Arriana McLymore, Vanessa O'Connell, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, PDD Holdings, Amazon, MaiBo Technology Company, Reuters, Northern District of, Shenzhen Kangmingcheng Technology, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Northern District, Northern District of Illinois, Shenzhen

☆ ASIA Inflation appetizer served before central bank main course
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Wall Street's major averages continued to push higher, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq ending up well over 1%. The monthly U.S. consumer price index report is expected to show the country's inflation rate slowing from 4.9% annually to 4.1%. CPI has been a fixation for markets after it soared to 40-year highs last year, prompting aggressive monetary tightening. On Monday, data showed India's annual retail inflation cooled to a more than two-year low of 4.25% in May as cost pressures on food eased, moving closer to the Reserve Bank of India's target of 4%. The Fed is part of a generous helping of central bank meetings this week, with the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan also on tap.

Persons: Lewis Krauskopf, Deepa Babington Organizations: Japan's Nikkei, CPI, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reserve Bank, European Central Bank and Bank of, Brent, U.S, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Lewis, U.S, Australia, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan, Japan

Brent crude futures fell $2.95, or 3.9%, to settle at $71.84 a barrel, their lowest since Dec. 2021. Goldman Sachs cut its oil price forecasts early on Sunday, citing higher-than-expected supplies later this year and through 2024. The bank's December crude price forecast now stands at $86 a barrel for Brent, down from $95, and at $81 a barrel for WTI, down from $89. "The Fed meeting and inflation pressures remain key issues for the market this week," said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Asset Management. Also weighing on investors' minds, oil demand recovery has been muted in China, the top importer of crude oil and refined products.

Persons: Brent, Goldman Sachs, Goldman capitulating, Matt Smith, Robert Yawger, Rob Haworth, Haworth, Yawger, WTI, Shariq Khan, Noah Browning, Florence Tan, Mohi Narayan, Emelia Sithole, Jason Neely, Paul Simao, Sharon Singleton, Deepa Babington, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S, Federal Reserve, Brent, West Texas, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank Asset Management, of Petroleum, International Energy Agency, Saudi, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, U.S, China

[1/2] Evan Corcoran, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, departs after testifying before a federal grand jury investigating Trump's handling of classified documents, at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., March 24, 2023. The shift from lawyer to potential witness in the case is a sharp turn for Corcoran. Trump asked, according to an account by "Trump Attorney 1" detailed in the indictment. The indictment does not identify Corcoran by name, but a source familiar with the situation told Reuters that he is the lawyer listed as "Trump Attorney 1" in the document. Corcoran helped Trump respond to a May 2022 subpoena for all remaining classified documents in his possession.

Persons: Evan Corcoran, Donald Trump, Jonathan Ernst June, Department's, Corcoran, Republican congressman's, Trump, Jack Smith, CORCORAN, UNFLAPPABLE, Douglas Gansler, Steve Bannon, Bannon, Lago, Walt Nauta, Nauta, Andrew Goudsward, David Bario, Howard Goller, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, U.S ., Republican, stymie, White, Department, Trump Attorney, Reuters, Trump, Trump . Communications, Democratic, Washington , D.C, Trump White House, U.S . Capitol, FBI, National Archives, Records Administration, Justice Department, Mar, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Corcoran, Lago, Florida, U.S, Democratic Maryland, Washington ,

☆ Bidens offer 'joy' at White House Pride event as LGBTQ attacks mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] A child wears sunglasses depicting the colors of the bisexual pride flag during a Pride Celebration hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, U.S., June 10, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Rose LaydenWASHINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday hosted the largest Pride celebration in White House history on Saturday, calling for new measures to protect the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ people amid a spate of what he called "terrifying" attacks and legislation. Biden, a Democrat, urged Congress to pass the "Equality Act" which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity for protection alongside race, religion, sex and national origin, and ban assault weapons. "Today, we say loud and clear - that you belong, that you are beautiful, that you are loved," she said. Reporting by Andrea Shalal; additional reporting by Jeff Mason, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Anna Rose Layden WASHINGTON, Biden, picnicked, Pete Buttigieg, Rachel Levine, Jill Biden, Ron DeSantis, Andrea Shalal, Jeff Mason, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S, White, REUTERS, Saturday, Transportation, Health, Human, Senate, Q, Republican, Biden, Gallup, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Colorado Springs, Orlando , Florida, Florida, statehouses

An uptick in economic activity from China and with it fuel demand could quickly change sentiment in the market, he said. "I could paint the picture this could turn around quite quickly," Parfitt said. NATURAL GASThe natural gas market has tightened since the Ukraine war started because Russia shut in some production when it lost European buyers due to sanctions and damage to pipelines. Chevron sees Europe as a strong market for short- to medium-term gas demand as Europe seeks to substitute Russian supply, he said. Chevron is a big natural gas producer, and pumps more than half its output from the United States and Australia.

Persons: You've, Colin Parfitt, midstream, Parfitt, " Parfitt, I'm, Stephanie Kelly, Simon Webb, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, Chevron, Reuters, Brent, Thomson Locations: China, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Asia, United States, Australia

Any optimism could be punctured, however, by inflation data from China. April's CPI report showed inflation virtually evaporated, highlighting Beijing's challenge to stimulate enough economic activity and growth to kill the threat of deflation. The weak jobless claims figures torpedoed the dollar more broadly, sank Treasury yields, and cooled Fed rate hike expectations. Remarkably, the main measure of U.S. stock market volatility is at a pre-pandemic low, and implied global FX volatility is its lowest in over a year too. Here are three key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Friday:- China CPI inflation (May)- China PPI inflation (May)- South Korea current account (April)By Jamie McGeever; editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, Deepa Babington Organizations: Nasdaq, Treasury, Wall, China PPI, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Asia, China, Japan, South Korea

☆ Quebec allows sick patients to request assisted death in advance
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, June 8 (Reuters) - Quebec is expanding its program of assisted medical death and will become the first Canadian province to allow sick people to put in an advance request for help in dying before they become incapacitated. The move could set up a clash with the federal government, which drew up the law on medical assistance in dying. People deemed admissible can request an assisted death up to 24 months in advance. The federal government, already under criticism over how broad the law is, has moved to exclude people suffering solely from mental illness from pursuing assisted death for an additional year. Canada's assisted dying framework is under fire from disability advocates who say it has become easier to access assisted death than it is to access resources or supports that would make life more bearable.

Persons: Sonia Belanger, David Lametti, Diana Ebadi, Georges L'Esperance, Canada's, David Ljunggren, Chris Reese, Deepa Babington Organizations: OTTAWA, Ottawa, Quebec, Quebec Association for, Thomson Locations: Quebec, Canadian

☆ OpenAI CEO visits South Korea as country seeks to encourage AI development
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, June 9 (Reuters) - Open AI Chief Executive Sam Altman is set to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and about 100 local startups on Friday, as the country seeks to encourage domestic competitiveness in artificial intelligence. After crisscrossing Europe last month meeting lawmakers and national leaders to discuss the prospects and threats of AI, Altman has travelled to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India and South Korea - all this week. The European Union is moving ahead with its draft AI Act, which is expected to become law later this year, while the United States is leaning toward adapting existing laws for AI rather than creating whole new legislation. South Korea has new AI regulation awaiting full parliament approval, which is seen as less restrictive than the EU's version. South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT announced in April plans focused on fostering local AI development, such as measures to provide datasets for training hyperscale AI, while continuing discussions in AI ethics and regulations.

Persons: Sam Altman, Yoon Suk, Altman, Naver, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Joyce Lee, Heekyong Yang, Deepa Babington Organizations: South Korean, crisscrossing, LG, Financial Times, Microsoft Corp, European, South Korea's Ministry of Science, ICT, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, crisscrossing Europe, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India, South Korea, Korea, United States, China, Kakao, Spain, Mexico, South

☆ Wildfire smoke from Canada disrupts New York, Philadelphia flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 7 (Reuters) - Some flights into the New York City area and Philadelphia on Wednesday were delayed and others briefly halted because of reduced visibility from wildfire smoke from Canada. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was slowing traffic but lifted a groundstop on flights from the upper Midwest and East Coast bound for New York LaGuardia International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. The FAA said it had also begun slowing traffic from the East Coast and Midwest bound for Philadelphia International Airport due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke. Hundreds of forest fires in Canada have led to a blanket of smoky air, triggering health alarms in U.S. cities. Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese, Lisa Shumaker and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Shepardson, Chris Reese, Lisa Shumaker, Deepa Babington Organizations: New, Federal Aviation Administration, New York LaGuardia International Airport, FAA, Philadelphia International, LaGuardia, Newark, Thomson Locations: New York City, Philadelphia, Canada, Midwest, East Coast, Newark, Delta, United States, Washington

REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA, June 7 (Reuters) - Hundreds of uncontrolled forest fires blazed across Canada on Wednesday, threatening critical infrastructure, forcing evacuations and sending a blanket of smoky air wafting over U.S. cities. Quebec Premier Francois Legault earlier said the province was able to fight 40 fires at the same time. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden by phone on Wednesday to thank him for "critical support" in tackling the blazes. These fires are affecting everyday routines, lives and livelihoods, and our air quality," Trudeau said in a statement on Twitter. We will be facing more and more extreme weather events that will cost us a lot more," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the briefing.

Persons: Blair Gable OTTAWA, Bill Blair, Blair, Quebec Premier Francois Legault, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Trudeau, Legault, Ismail Shakil, David Ljunggren, Nia Williams, Deepa Babington, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Quebec Premier, Canadian, U.S, Twitter, Residents, Thomson Locations: Centennial, Township, Greater Madawaska , Ontario, Canada, Quebec, U.S, New Brunswick, France, United States, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Chibougamau, Ontario, Canada's, Ottawa, Toronto, British Columbia

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