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☆ Biden signs bill protecting same-sex and interracial marriage months after Supreme Court raised doubts about marriage and contraception decisions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law on Tuesday. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and requires states to recognize marriages performed in other states. The bill emerged after the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade threw precedents into doubt. The new law, designed to protect same-sex and interracial marriage, formally repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage at the federal level as being solely between a man and a woman. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a previously outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, notably never spoke out against the bill.

☆ Brand gifting to influencers has gotten 'excessive and gluttonous.' But reselling products is a big risk for creators.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But other influencers, when they find themselves flooded with gifted products, turn to reselling them online. One particular brand Campbell worked with in the past would even vet influencers by checking if they were reselling gifted products on third-party websites before partnering with them. Brands and audiences may lose trust in influencers who resellFor many brands, seeing an influencer reselling a gifted product is a definite red flag. Influencers who consider reselling gifted products should also be careful about their taxes, said Qianna Smith Bruneteau, founder of the American Influencer Council. Reselling is most common in niches like fashionThe practice of reselling gifted products on second-hand websites like Depop or Poshmark is most common in the fashion space, industry insiders say.

Smith takes over a staff that’s already nearly twice the size of Robert Mueller’s team of lawyers who worked on the Russia probe. Smith will also take on national security investigators already working the probe into the potential mishandling of federal records taken to Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. Those lawyers maintain the former president is unlikely to be indicted, according to two sources familiar. Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation on May 29, 2019 at the Justice Department in Washington, DC. Trump allies have consistently maintained that nothing Trump did related to the election and January 6 itself amounts to a crime.

☆ Former NYPD officer sentenced to 25 years to life in freezing death of 8-year-old son
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A former New York City police officer whose 8-year-old son died after he was forced to sleep in the family's freezing garage, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Thursday. Michael Valva, 45, was found guilty of second-degree murder and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child in November in connection with the January 2020 death of his son Thomas Valva. Valva sobbed in court Thursday and apologized for his actions, NBC New York reported. Thankfully, the story of this defendant ends here, but the pursuit of justice for Thomas and Anthony continues," Tierney said. Surveillance footage submitted at the trial showed Michael Valva screaming at Thomas and ordering him outside to hose him down with water.

In their appeal to the Supreme Court, the Republicans argued that North Carolina's top court usurped their authority by throwing out the map. In that context - a fight over counting ballots in Florida - Rehnquist said the U.S. Constitution limits the authority of state courts. "This court has never second-guessed state court interpretations of their own constitution," said Katyal. Thomas Wolf, an attorney at New York University School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice, said if the Supreme Court gives itself too much leeway to intervene in state court disputes, it risks appearing politically motivated and lawless. The Supreme Court's ruling is due by the end of June.

☆ From Ukraine to Yemen, UN seeks record $51.5 bln for 'shockingly high' aid needs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The appeal represents a 25% increase on 2022 and is more than five times the amount sought a decade ago. "Humanitarian needs are shockingly high, as this year's extreme events are spilling into 2023," said U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, citing the war in Ukraine and drought in the Horn of Africa. But donor funding is already under strain with the multiple crises, forcing aid workers to make tough decisions on priorities. Unlike in other parts of the U.N. where fees depend on countries' economic size, humanitarian funding is voluntary and relies overwhelmingly on Western donations.

It would not bar states from blocking same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allowed them to do so. A similar, but not identical, bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this year with support from 47 Republicans and all Democrats. The House would need to approve the Senate version before it is sent to President Joe Biden to sign into law. In June, the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion, undoing 50 years of precedent. In a concurring opinion, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the court should consider reversing other decisions protecting individual freedoms, including the 2015 ruling on gay marriage.

☆ Billionaire investor Ackman bets Hong Kong dollar peg can break
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said he’s betting the Hong Kong dollar will fall and that its peg to the U.S. dollar can break, the latest big money manager to take a public short bet as U.S. rate hikes turn the blowtorch on Hong Kong’s currency system. FILE PHOTO: A Hong Kong dollar note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration“We have a large notional short position against the Hong Kong dollar through the ownership of put options,” he said on Twitter. U.S. fund manager Kyle Bass has long bet against the Hong Kong dollar and told Nikkei in July he expects the peg to break. GRAPHIC: Hong Kong rates, liquidity ()($1 = 7.8132 Hong Kong dollars)

☆ Bill Ackman bets Hong Kong dollar peg can break
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FILE PHOTO: A Hong Kong dollar note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White/IllustrationSINGAPORE (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said he’s betting the Hong Kong dollar can fall and said it’s matter of time before its peg to the U.S. dollar breaks. “We have a large notional short position against the Hong Kong dollar through the ownership of put options,” he said on Twitter. “The peg no longer makes sense for Hong Kong.”The Hong Kong dollar is pegged in a tight band between 7.75 and 7.85 per dollar and was last at 7.8178 per dollar.

☆ U.S. Senate to hold initial vote on bill protecting same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday will hold an initial vote on legislation to protect the right to same-sex marriage, spurred by concerns that a conservative Supreme Court could reverse its earlier decision that made it legal nationwide. The bill, which is expected to pass the Senate, would serve as a legal backstop against any future Supreme Court action by requiring the federal government recognize any marriage that was legal in the state it was performed. However, it would not block states from banning same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allows them to do so. Supporters of same-sex marriage were spurred to act when Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the court should also reconsider the legality of same-sex marriage, in a concurring opinion to the court's overturning of federal protections for abortion in June. The bill will have to jump through several more procedural hoops in the Senate before going back to the House for final approval.

☆ Pro-DeSantis presidential super PAC will launch after all, given Trump-supported midterm losses: 'Ron vs. the Don. I'm here for it'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The big victory has one Super PAC pushing for him to run for president in 2024 against Trump. Ron DeSantis presidential run are back on after a weak showing for former President Donald Trump's favored candidates. He'd even paused plans for the super PAC this summer after the primaries, in which Trump's endorsed candidates did well. Now, Thomas told Insider, his plans for the Super PAC are back on "full throttle with seven-figure gifts" and the group is ready to "get this show on the road." Ron to the Rescue will be launching before Thanksgiving, Thomas told Insider, and would begin producing ads and "start making some noise for the governor."

☆ Hasbro Chief Financial Officer Deborah Thomas to Retire
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Kathryn Hardison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hasbro Inc. Chief Financial Officer Deborah Thomas plans to retire from the toy and entertainment company. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CFO Journal The Morning Ledger provides daily news and insights on corporate finance from the CFO Journal team. PREVIEWMs. Thomas will remain in her position until a successor is in place, the company said Wednesday. Hasbro said it would look at both internal and external candidates for the next finance chief. Ms. Thomas has been at Hasbro for 24 years, Chief Executive Chris Cocks said.

☆ Gen Z's not lazy — they're just refusing to put up with the toxic work culture that Boomers created
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Kim Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"And I personally think that all of us in Gen Z, when we experienced that with our parents, we were like, 'Fuck that. And now, Gen Z is turning to organizing as a way to stand up to corporate bosses. But she and her Gen Z peers are not ready to accept that mode of thinking. Put simply, young workers want something better than their parents had and aren't afraid to seek it out. Because if there is one quality that Gen Z has in spades, it is audacity — and no mass movement has ever succeeded without it.

☆ Trump lawyers thought appealing to Clarence Thomas was their best option to block Biden's 2020 victory, emails show
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Emails obtained by Politico show Trump campaign lawyers discussing their 2020 litigation strategy. The lawyers viewed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as the most likely to be on their side. Thomas is "our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion by Jan. 6," one lawyer wrote. In response to that December email, Politico reported, another Trump lawyer, John Eastman, wrote: "I think I agree with this." In January 2022, Justice Thomas was the only judge to side with former President Donald Trump in a case over whether he had to comply with a documents request from the January 6 committee.

☆ LVMH-backed L Catterton aims to raise 2 billion yuan in first yuan-denominated fund
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Thomas White/IllustrationBEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) -L Catterton, the private equity firm backed by luxury goods empire Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, said on Monday it aimed to raise 2 billion yuan ($275.44 million) for its first yuan-denominated fund, as it eyes early-stage investments in China. The new fund has raised “around 1 billion yuan” at first-close, a source familiar with the matter said. L Catterton declined to comment on a Reuters request. The first phase of the fund will be based in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, according to the statement. ($1 = 7.2611 Chinese yuan renminbi)

According to Harvard, around 40% of U.S. colleges and universities consider race in some fashion in admissions. The Supreme Court has been upheld such policies, most recently in a 2016 ruling involving a white woman who sued after the University of Texas rejected her. Ruling in favor of the plaintiffs could require the court to overturn its 2016 ruling and earlier decisions. 'DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION'The lawsuits accused UNC of discriminating against white and Asian American applicants and Harvard of discriminating against Asian American applicants. Circuit Court of Appeals found that Harvard's use of race was "meaningful" and not "impermissibly extensive" because it prevented diversity from plummeting.

The Philadelphia Phillies will face the Houston Astros in the 2022 World Series on Fox. The 2022 World Series begins October 28, with a potential game seven scheduled for November 5. You can stream the World Series on Fox through services like YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Fubo TV. 2022 World Series scheduleEvery game of the 2022 World Series will air on Fox, and the series will continue until one team wins four games and clinches the championship. Game Date & Time Channel Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros, Game 1 October 28, 8:03 p.m.

☆ Zuck refuses to let his metaverse dream die. Wall Street has finally had enough.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta shares slumped nearly 20% in after-hours trade to $104.30 on Wednesday. The drop in Meta's share price this year has shaved off 61% off Mark Zuckerberg's net worth. The share price slide is also chipping a chunk off CEO Mark Zuckerberg's rapidly shrinking fortune. Following Wednesday's earnings announcement, Meta shares slumped nearly 20% in after-hours trade to $104.30. However, the metaverse is likely "the most potent headwind" to Meta's share price, he added.

☆ 3 men convicted of supporting plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Three men accused of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday, a triumph for state prosecutors after months of mixed results in the main case in federal court. They held gun drills in rural Jackson County with a leader of the scheme, Adam Fox, who was disgusted with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other officials in 2020 and said he wanted to kidnap her. Prosecutors said COVID-19 restrictions ordered by Whitmer turned out to be fruit to recruit more people to the Watchmen. Defense attorneys argued that the three men had broken ties with Fox by late summer 2020 when the Whitmer plot came into focus.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Oct 26 (Reuters) - GSK Plc (GSK.L) came closer to securing its first drug approval since its consumer health spin-off in July as an expert panel of the U.S. health regulator backed an approval for its drug to treat anemia in some patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday voted 13-3 in favor of the oral drug for patients on dialysis, although GSK was expecting approval for a broader CKD population. The panel, hesitant about backing the drug for patients not on dialysis, voted 11-5 against it for that group, citing increased safety risks such as heart failure. read moreGSK's drug, daprodustat, is the first from the HIF-PH inhibitor class to win U.S. FDA panel's endorsement. The FDA, which usually follows the recommendations of its expert panel, is expected to make its final decision on the drug by Feb. 1.

☆ 3 men convicted of supporting plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer waits to speak at a canvass kickoff on Michigan Primary Election Day on August 2, 2022 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Three men accused of supporting a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor were convicted of all charges Wednesday, a triumph for state prosecutors after months of mixed results in the main case in federal court. They held gun drills in rural Jackson County with a leader of the scheme, Adam Fox, who was disgusted with Gov. Prosecutors said Covid-19 restrictions ordered by Whitmer turned out to be fruit to recruit more people to the Watchmen. Defense attorneys argued that the three men had broken ties with Fox by late summer 2020 when the Whitmer plot came into focus.

☆ Dollar gains with Treasury yields, sterling tumbles on hot inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Karen Brettell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

British Pound Sterling and U.S. Dollar notes are seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields resumed their march higher as investors maintained expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue to aggressively raise rates to bring down soaring inflation, boosting demand for the U.S. currency. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe U.S. central bank is expected to lift rates by another 75 basis points when it meets on November 1-2, with an additional 50 basis points or 75 basis points increase also likely in December. Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Wednesday that he was checking currency rates "meticulously" and with more frequency, local media reported. The BOJ remains an outlier among a global wave of central banks tightening monetary policy to combat soaring inflation, as it focuses on underpinning a fragile economy.

British Pound Sterling and U.S. Dollar notes are seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. The U.S. dollar held at a 32-year peak against the yen and rose from a two-week trough against a basket of major peers, underpinned by expectations of aggressive U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. “Sterling edged lower against its peers after yet another upside surprise in the latest UK inflation data... “Following the budget fiasco, there is also a great deal of uncertainty as to the pace of upcoming Bank of England interest rate hikes," he added. read moreElsewhere, the dollar pushed as high as 149.48 yen for the first time since August 1990 in early London trading.

☆ Dollar dips as UK budget U-turn improves market sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Karen Brettell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Pound Sterling and U.S. Dollar notes are seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBritish gilts rallied sharply after the news, helping to also send U.S. Treasury yields lower. Hunt replaced Kwasi Kwarteng, whose package of unfunded tax cuts on Sept. 23 unleashed a bond market sell-off. "For now, the market seems happy to give the new chancellor time and space to put the government's house back in order," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG. Traders are also on watch for any intervention from the Bank of Japan after the yen fell to a 32-year low.

Kakao shares plunged as much as 9.5% on Monday to their lowest since May 2020, wiping out 2 trillion won ($1.39 billion) in market capitalisation at one point, while shares in affiliates KakaoPay (377300.KS) and KakaoBank (323410.KS) lost more than 8% before paring losses. South Korea's technology ministry is probing whether the outage violated any laws while the communications regulator is reviewing the matter, including questions of user compensation, officials said on Sunday. An initial probe on Sunday found electrical issues around battery racks in third basement floor of the data centre, which is operated by SK C&C (034730.KS), may have caused the fire. REPUTATIONAL HITThe Kakao messaging application and the Kakao T taxi booking application are seen on a mobile phone in this illustration photo March 13, 2018. It said on Monday it would discuss compensation with data centre operator SK C&C for losses it and its key units have sustained.

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