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From the 15th to the 19th century, 6 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported across the Atlantic by Portuguese vessels and sold into slavery, primarily to Brazil. But so far Portugal has rarely commented on its past and little is taught about its role in slavery in schools. Reparations and public policies to fight inequalities caused by Portugal's past were essential, Cardoso said. "We continue to suffer in Brazil the effects of a legacy of slavery," Almeida said in a statement. Europe's top human rights group previously said Portugal had do more to confront its colonial past and role in the transatlantic slave trade in order to help fight racism and discrimination today.

☆ NY Fed limits types of firms that can access its reverse repo facility
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Accessing the reverse repo facility “should be a natural extension of an existing business model, and the counterparty should not be organized for the purpose of accessing [reverse repo] operations,” the bank said. The New York Fed did not say in its statement what prompted it to clarify the terms of access for reverse repo counterparties. The last time the Fed issued a statement on the reverse repo tool was two years ago, when it clarified some of the conditions a firm must meet to use the reverse repo tool. The reverse repo facility, now at 4.8%, sets the low end of the range. Fed officials have long argued that as they raise rates and normalize monetary policy, they expect money to drain out of the reverse repo facility.

☆ Jeff Shell out as NBCUniversal CEO after probe into inappropriate relationship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] CEO of NBCUniversal Jeff Shell attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidApril 23 (Reuters) - NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell is leaving after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, following a complaint that prompted an investigation, parent company Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) said on Sunday. "I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret," Shell said in a statement. Shell, previously chairman of NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment, took over as CEO in 2020, replacing Steve Burke. NBCUniversal is one of the world's largest media companies, encompassing movie and TV studios, theme parks, NBC News and cable TV networks.

☆ Jordan says Israel detains lawmaker on suspicion of arms smuggling
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMMAN, April 23 (Reuters) - Israel has detained a Jordanian lawmaker on suspicion of smuggling arms and gold into the West Bank and Amman is working to secure his release, the kingdom's foreign ministry said on Sunday. A spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment on reports of the arrest. Prominent lawmaker Khalil Atiya, known for his vocal opposition to Israel and who has led campaigns to repeal the country's peace treaty with Israel, said the government would be held responsible if it failed to act quickly. "There should be no room left for the enemy to harm the dignity of Jordanians by detaining and jailing a member of the parliament," Atiya said. Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, additonal reporting by Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ California, other states seek recall of Hyundai, Kia vehicles over theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Doyinsola Oladipo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and Kia Corp (000270.KS) vehicles represent a large share of stolen cars in multiple U.S. cities, according to data from police and state officials. While most cars in recent years have been installed with industry standard anti-theft devices, the Korean automakers have no push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. Hyundai said its vehicles have engine immobilizers that prevent a vehicle from starting unless the correct key or fob is used, making it compliant with federal anti-theft requirements. "These specific models comply fully with all applicable federal standards, a recall is neither appropriate nor necessary under federal law," said Kia in a statement. U.S. theft claims were nearly twice as common for Hyundai and Kia vehicles compared with all other manufacturers among 2015-2019 model-year vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute said last year.

Trump won 76% of the white evangelical vote in 2020, down from 80% in 2016, according to Edison Research exit polls. In a March poll, Trump edged DeSantis among evangelicals in a two-way matchup 51% to 42%, a nine-point improvement for Trump from the month before. The gathering is traditionally an important stop for Republican presidential candidates, although this year DeSantis, who was invited, will not be going. Vander Plaats said evangelicals will consider whether Trump can prevail next year after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. “I don’t think President Trump is a principled man -- I think he was a great president,” Ascol said.

☆ World could face record temperatures in 2023 as El Nino returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Issei KatoBRUSSELS, April 20 (Reuters) - The world could breach a new average temperature record in 2023 or 2024, fuelled by climate change and the anticipated return of the El Nino weather phenomenon, climate scientists say. During El Nino, winds blowing west along the equator slow down, and warm water is pushed east, creating warmer surface ocean temperatures. "El Nino is normally associated with record breaking temperatures at the global level. Climate models suggest a return to El Nino conditions in the late boreal summer, and the possibility of a strong El Nino developing towards the end of the year, Buontempo said. The world's hottest year on record so far was 2016, coinciding with a strong El Nino - although climate change has fuelled extreme temperatures even in years without the phenomenon.

☆ The creepy secret behind online therapy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Tanmoy Goswami | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Crisis Text Line, now in its 10th year of operations, uses artificial intelligence to respond to people experiencing emotional abuse, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. 'The vast majority of mental-health apps are exceptionally creepy'BetterHelp, a poster child of online therapy founded in 2013, calls itself "the world's largest therapy platform" and says it has over 2 million users. One of the first popular mental-health apps, PTSD Coach, was launched by the US Department of Veteran Affairs in 2011. But for mental-health companies these practices can undermine the very foundations of mental-health care: dignity, trust, and psychological safety. As Crisis Text Line wrote on its website extolling its deal with Loris: "Why sell T-shirts when you can sell what your organization does best?"

☆ Factbox: How big US banks are managing bad loan reserves
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A J.P. Morgan logo is seen outside the JPMorgan bank offices in Paris, France, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierApril 17 (Reuters) - U.S. banking heavyweights set aside billions of dollars in the first quarter to account for potential bad loans, as rising interest rates turn up the heat on borrowers who are just starting to see some relief from inflation. Below is an outline of how banks have managed their reserves since 2020:JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N)Bank of America Corp (BAC.N)Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N)Citigroup Inc (C.N)Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N)Morgan Stanley (MS.N)Source: Company statementsReporting by Manya Saini and Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; editing by Deepa Babington and Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Banking crisis scars struggling U.S. real estate stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

After slumping 28% last year, the S&P 500 real estate sector (.SPLRCR) has gained about 1% in 2023, lagging an 8% rise for the overall S&P 500 (.SPX). Real estate is the only one of the 11 S&P 500 sectors to underperform the benchmark index in both 2022 and so far in 2023. The real estate sector has slumped 2% since SVB's troubles came to light on March 8, compared to a 4% rise for the S&P 500. “There is nothing about the current banking situation ... that made life easier for real estate companies,” said Peter Tuz, president of Chase Investment Counsel. S&P 500 real estate company earnings are expected to fall 0.3% this year after rising almost 11% in 2022, according to Refinitiv IBES.

☆ Kansas City homeowner charged in shooting of Black teen to appear in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lee Merritt/via REUTERSApril 19 (Reuters) - An 84-year-old white man charged in the shooting and wounding of a Black teenager who mistakenly walked up to the man's house in Kansas City is expected to make his first court appearance on Wednesday. He was also charged with armed criminal action, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Lester is scheduled to appear in a Clay County courtroom for an arraignment hearing at 1:35 p.m. local time (1835 GMT), online court records showed. But Yarl told police in an interview at the hospital where he was treated that the man told him, "Don't come around here," local media reported, citing court documents. In both the New York and Texas incidents, the shooters have been charged with felonies.

☆ ADHD medication abuse in schools is a ‘wake-up call’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Schools with the highest rates of teens using prescribed ADHD medications were about 36% more likely to have students misusing prescription stimulants during the past year, the study found. Schools with more White students and those who had medium levels of student binge drinking were also more likely to see teen abuse of stimulants. “But these findings were not being driven solely by teens with ADHD misusing their medications,” McCabe said. Research has also shown people who misuse ADHD medications are highly likely to have multiple substance use disorders. “Parents can make sure the schools their kids attend have safe storage for medication and strict dispensing policies.

☆ Biden lags recent Democratic presidents in declaring re-election campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Biden trails recent Democratic incumbent presidents on the issue: Barack Obama announced he would run for a second term in 2012 on April 4, 2011, and Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election announcement was April 14, 1995. Jimmy Carter, however, waited until Dec. 4, 1979, to announce his 1980 re-election run. He would be 86 at the end of a prospective second term. But the trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done," Biden told reporters at the tail-end of an emotional trip to Ireland last week. This week, Biden plans remarks on childcare and environmental justice, along with a visit to a labor union training facility in Maryland to talk about the economy.

☆ Factbox: How big U.S. banks are managing bad loan reserves
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Elon Musk Creates New Artificial Intelligence Company X.AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Berber Jin | Deepa Seetharaman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Elon Musk previously has warned about the risks from AI technology and advocated for its regulation. Elon Musk has created a new artificial intelligence company called X.AI Corp. that is incorporated in Nevada, according to a state filing. Mr. Musk is the only listed director of the company, and Jared Birchall, the director of Mr. Musk’s family office, is its secretary, according to the filing made last month. X.AI has authorized the sale of 100 million shares for the privately held company.

That makes the business less than half the size of Bank of America Corp's (BAC.N) Merrill Wealth Management arm, the $18-billion behemoth Sieg ran until he left last month. Another challenge is that Citi has historically been undersized and a bit of a laggard in the space...especially in the wealth business where it’s all about existing relationships." In some ways, Citigroup is playing catchup after selling its old wealth business, Smith Barney, a decade ago to Morgan Stanley, which then leaned heavily into wealth management. That bet paid off - Morgan Stanley's wealth unit, led by Andy Saperstein, brought in record revenue last year. Two years ago, Citigroup unified its various wealth businesses into a single organization led by Jim O'Donnell that included its private bank and personal wealth division.

☆ Trump, other 2024 hopefuls seek NRA's blessing amid spate of shootings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Alexandra Ulmer | Thomson Reuters | U.S. National Affairs Correspondent Who Spent Four Years In Venezuela Covering President Maduro'S Administration | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A number of hopefuls, including Trump's closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are deliberating if and when to jump into the 2024 race to challenge the former president for the nomination. Trump, whom the NRA enthusiastically backed in 2016 before he was even officially declared the Republican presidential candidate, will address gun aficionados in person on Friday. DeSantis, and other White House hopefuls, Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott, will do so by video message. Trump's campaign website says he will "always defend your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms," but does not provide detailed policy proposals. For some fervent NRA members, however, neither Trump nor DeSantis are committed enough to the cause.

Higher costs and a shortage of available new parts are also delaying aircraft repairs, which risk pushing up air fares. Some makers of brand-name parts like General Electric Co (GE.N) stand to benefit because they also sell used parts, known as used serviceable material. Honeywell Aerospace Trading (HON.O), the U.S. conglomerate's used parts business, is among companies enjoying higher demand since 2021. Ultimately, the alternatives to new parts may bring relief but a congested supply chain must be fixed, said Benjamin Hockenberg, president of JSSI Parts & Leasing. "Certain models, certain situations, (used parts) will fill the void, but I think we also need to see a repaired supply chain," said Hockenberg.

☆ Qatar and Bahrain say they will resume diplomatic ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, April 12 (Reuters) - Qatar and Bahrain will resume their diplomatic ties, both Bahrain news agency (BNA) and the Qatari foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The move comes over two years after an Arab boycott of Qatar was lifted. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt in January 2021 ended a 3-1/2-year embargo of Qatar but all but Bahrain restored travel and trade links in 2021. Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia has led efforts to rebuild ties with Qatar and, along with Egypt, re-established diplomatic relations. Bahrain, a Sunni Muslim-ruled monarchy with a restive Shi'ite population, has deep unease over Qatar's relations with Iran.

☆ US union opposes driverless trucks waiver for Waymo, Aurora
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aurora and Waymo instead want to use warning beacons mounted on the truck cab to avoid needing human drivers. Waymo and Aurora say that without an exemption driverless trucks would need a human on board, which would "undermine the efficiency potential of autonomous CMVs." Waymo responded that the "exemption we put forward would permit compliant autonomous trucking operations while maintaining a high standard of safety." In the joint filing, Aurora said it maintains 28 Class 8 self-driving trucks that run on public roads, primarily in Texas, while Waymo listed 48 Class 8 trucks. Legislation to speed the deployment of self-driving vehicles and ease hurdles has been stalled for more than five years in Congress.

The U.S. CPI inflation report for March will go a long way to determining what the Fed decides at its May 2-3 policy meeting. Markets expect headline inflation to continue slowing, but are still shifting towards pricing in another quarter point rate hike. Finance ministers and central bank officials from around the world are in Washington for this week's International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings. The IMF on Tuesday trimmed its global growth outlook for this year and next as higher interest rates bite, and warned that the risk of "perilous" financial turmoil could slash output to near recessionary levels. Here are three key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Wednesday:- IMF/World Bank spring meetings in Washington- India CPI inflation (March)- U.S. CPI inflation (March)By Jamie McGeever; Editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Union opposes driverless trucks exemption for Waymo, Aurora
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aurora and Waymo instead want to use warning beacons mounted on the truck cab to avoid the need for human drivers. It urged the safety board to ensure "rigorous oversight and standards" before widespread deployment of such new technologies. Waymo and Aurora say that without an exemption driverless trucks would need to have a human on board, which would "undermine the efficiency potential of autonomous CMVs." Legislation to speed the deployment of self-driving vehicles and ease hurdles has been stalled for more than five years in Congress. A bill to advance self-driving cars approved by the U.S. House in 2017 applied to vehicles under 10,000 pounds -- but not large commercial trucks.

☆ Italy adopts state of emergency over migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The state of emergency will be backed by initial funding of 5 million euros ($5.45 million), the ministry for sea and civil protection said, and will last for six months. "Let it be clear, we are not solving the problem, the solution can only depend on responsible intervention by the European Union," said Nello Musumeci, the civil protection minister. The measure will allow Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government to more quickly repatriate those not allowed to stay in Italy, boosting identification and expulsion orders, a government source said. The government, in office since October, has pledged to curb mass immigration but some 31,300 migrants have arrived in Italy so far in 2023, interior ministry data shows, up from around 7,900 in the same period last year. ($1 = 0.9176 euros)Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fed's Williams doubts monetary policy spiked banking sector stress
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The banking sector stress drove the Fed to provide substantial amounts of liquidity to the financial system, even as officials have stressed repeatedly that by and large the banking system is safe and sound and abounding with liquidity. Williams said he viewed the trouble at the two banks as unique in nature and unlikely to reflect broader trends in the financial system. That said, Fed officials have said that banking sector stress will likely weigh on the economy, as financial firms pull back on lending. Williams said that he also sees a gradual rise over time in unemployment from the current low 3.5% to between 4% and 4.5%. Williams said he is not concerned by market expectations of rate cuts even though the Fed currently has penciled in an additional rate rise this year.

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