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The first day of testimony in Hunter Biden’s trial on gun-related charges kicked off Tuesday with the surreal sound of the defendant’s own voice ringing through the courtroom, narrating his descent into drug addiction, when prosecutors played the audiobook of his memoir. It ended with bitter written words: expletive-laced, panicked texts to Hallie Biden, his brother’s widow and his onetime girlfriend, berating her for disposing of a handgun and warning, presciently, that it might set off a federal investigation. The government’s case against President Biden’s son — for all the drama, media swirl and complex political dynamics — is pretty straightforward legally: proving that Mr. Biden was abusing drugs when he filled out a federal firearms application claiming he was not an “unlawful user” of controlled substances. Prosecutors stressed that point in their 15-minute opening argument before a packed courtroom that included Jill Biden, the first lady. Lying on a federal gun application is illegal and “nobody is allowed to lie, not even Hunter Biden,” said Derek Hines, a top deputy to the special counsel, David C. Weiss.

Persons: Hunter Biden’s, Hallie Biden, Biden’s, —, Biden, Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, ”, Derek Hines, David C, Weiss Organizations: Prosecutors

☆ Hunter Biden’s Ex-Wife, a Key Witness, Is Expected to Testify in Gun Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Eileen Sullivan | Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the government deepens its argument against Hunter Biden, prosecutors are expected to start calling his former partners to the stand on Wednesday, inviting them to air sordid details of his life and the depths of his addiction to crack cocaine. On Tuesday, prosecutors presented texts that showed Hunter Biden’s desperate scramble to obtain crack cocaine in the spring and summer of 2018. A day later, in his cross-examination, Mr. Lowell was able to get an F.B.I. agent to admit that none of the material covered his activity in the fall. The two divorced in 2017 after nearly a quarter-century of marriage and have three daughters.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Biden’s, Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s, Lowell, Biden, David C, Weiss, Kathleen Buhle

☆ Musk saying Tesla doesn't have room for Nvidia chips is 'a weird excuse': shareholder Ross Gerber
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMusk saying Tesla doesn't have room for Nvidia chips is 'a weird excuse': shareholder Ross GerberHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

Persons: Tesla, Ross Gerber, Brian Sullivan, “ Organizations: CNBC

☆ Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers talks AI's energy needs
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers talks AI's energy needsHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

Persons: Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Brian Sullivan, “ Organizations: CNBC

☆ Entrepreneur Peter Diamandis discusses why longevity is next great money making opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEntrepreneur Peter Diamandis discusses why longevity is next great money making opportunityHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

Persons: Peter Diamandis, Brian Sullivan, “ Organizations: CNBC

☆ Biden to meet with Zelensky in Normandy and at next week’s G7, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while he is in Normandy, France, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. CNN previously reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not extended an invitation, according to a French presidential source. Sullivan added that Biden is also expected to meet with Zelensky during the G7 in Italy next week. “In the course of a little more than a week, the president will have two substantive engagements with President Zelensky,” Sullivan said. The two leaders last met in person when Zelensky was in Washington, DC, in December 2023 to make an in-person plea for military and economic aid.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jake Sullivan, “, Zelensky, ” Sullivan, Biden, Rishi Sunak, Justin Trudeau, Vladimir Putin, Sullivan, ”, Janet Yellen’s, Emmanuel Macron, CNN’s Jack Forrest, Joshua Berlinger, Simone McCarthy, Brad Lendon, Eric Cheung Organizations: CNN, White House, Ukraine, Air Force, British, Canadian, Zelensky, “, Russia, US, US Army Rangers, Biden, NATO Locations: Normandy, France, he’s, he’ll, Ukraine, Europe, Italy, Washington , DC, Kharkiv, “, United States, Germany, Biden’s, Pointe du Hoc

☆ Global powers are helping Ukraine by giving it money frozen from Russia. That spells bad news for companies still doing business there.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Western firms in Russia risk losing their assets if the US touches Russia's frozen reserves, a think tank expert wrote. Instead, Moscow could target foreign holdings that remain in Russia, making Western companies vulnerable to costly expropriation risk. That's on top of previous measures Russia introduced in retaliation to Western sanctions, such as the freezing of bank accounts owned by "unfriendly" non-residents. Taking the Kremlin at its word, $290 billion worth of Western assets are liable for seizure. "Earlier this month, Russia seized more than €700m ($757m) from three Western banks after a construction project fell apart as a result of Western sanctions.

Persons: Elisabeth Braw, —, Braw, That's, David O'Sullivan Organizations: Service, Atlantic, Center for, West, Reuters, Carlsberg, Danone, European, RBC Ukraine Locations: Russia, West, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Bitcoin miners sink millions into AI businesses, seeking billions in return
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Late Monday, Core Scientific announced a 12-year deal with cloud provider CoreWeave to provide infrastructure for use cases like machine learning. Core Scientific, which emerged from bankruptcy in January, has been mining a mix of digital assets since 2017. Butterfill said the the overlap is leading to a competition for rack space between bitcoin mining and AI activities. While AI operations require up to 20 times the capital expenditure of bitcoin mining, they're more profitable, according to a report from CoinShares. watch now"While we intend to remain one of the largest and most productive bitcoin miners, we expect to have a diversified business model and more predictable cash flows," Sullivan said.

Persons: Marble , North Carolina Carey McKelvey AUSTIN, CoreWeave, Adam Sullivan, Sullivan, OpenAI, James Butterfill, Butterfill, CoinShares, Asher Genoot, Genoot, bitcoin, Needham, They're, Core's Sullivan, there's, Sam Altman, Altman Organizations: Scientific, Core Scientific, Nvidia, CNBC, Iris Energy, CoreWeave, Miners, Electric Power Research Institute Locations: Marble , North Carolina, Marble , North Carolina Carey McKelvey AUSTIN , Texas, bitcoin, CoinShares, Canada, Sweden, capex, United States

☆ Fake Tom Cruise documentary is part of a Russian influence campaign aimed at Paris Olympics, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The IOC has placed restrictions on Russian athletes’ participation in the Paris Olympics because of Russia’s war on Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to rule out the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine has infuriated the Russian government. Hany Farid, a digital forensic expert and professor at UC Berkley, said the video had hallmarks of being manipulate using AI. But Lee Foster, another information operations expert, expressed skepticism that the imagery in the video was made using AI. Officials at the Paris Olympics are bracing for a similar threat next month.

Persons: denigrate, Tom Cruise’s, Gavin Wilde, irrelevance, ” Wilde, Emmanuel Macron’s, Matthew Miller, Miller, Hany Farid, Farid, ” Farid, Lee Foster, ” Foster, Russia’s, ”, John Hultquist, ” Hultquist Organizations: CNN —, Ukraine, CNN, International Olympic Committee, IOC, National Security Council, “, Netflix, New York Times, Microsoft, Telegram, Paris Olympics, CIA, Russian Embassy, US State Department, State Department, BBC, UC Berkley, US Justice Department, Paris, Olympics, Google, Olympic Locations: Ukraine, Paris, Russia, Russian, Washington , DC, ”, South Africa, deepfakes, South Korea, France

☆ Family Turns Out to Support Hunter Biden as Jury Is Selected in Gun Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Eileen Sullivan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jill Biden, wearing a purple blazer and scribbling on a white legal pad, sat in the first row of a drab fourth-floor courtroom on Monday, in a show of support for her son, Hunter, on the first day of his trial on federal firearms charges. The first lady, who followed hours of mundane interviews with dozens of prospective jurors before the panel was selected on Monday afternoon, rose to her feet when the judge called a short break about halfway through. She walked slowly over to her son, offered a long hug, then stroked his cheek. The opening hours of jury selection in Mr. Biden’s trial on charges that he lied about his drug use in applying to buy a handgun in 2018 were, as expected, a high-stakes political spectacle — with a throng of reporters crowding the courthouse while TV crews did live shots, nearly nonstop, after sunrise. But the presence of Mr. Biden’s family and friends, including his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, his half sister, Ashley Biden, and his close friend Kevin Morris, served as a reminder that the trial was also a profound personal crisis for a family that has had more than its share of travails — in the middle of the most unforgiving presidential campaign in recent memory.

Persons: Jill Biden, Hunter, Biden’s, Melissa Cohen Biden, Ashley Biden, Kevin Morris

☆ The Ukraine war is a huge opportunity for US intel to recruit Russian spies
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Analysis Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: The CNN Original Series “Secrets & Spies: A Nuclear Game” examines the tenuous global geopolitics during the Cold War through the lens of two notorious double agents: Oleg Gordievsky and Aldrich Ames. CNN —Russia’s brutal ongoing invasion of Ukraine has provided US intelligence services with a rare opening to recruit Kremlin insiders furious with the handling of the war. “Disaffection creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us,” said CIA Director Bill Burns last year during a speech in the United Kingdom. Russian Foreign Ministry building is seen behind a billboard showing Z, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, on October 13, 2022. As the documentary underscores, the espionage lessons of the Cold War could very well determine future global stability.

Persons: Oleg Gordievsky, Aldrich Ames, CNN —, ”, Bill Burns, “, David McCloskey, Alexander Nemenov, James Schlesinger, Douglas London, Edgar Hoover, Stefani Reynolds, Jim Sciutto, Tim Naftali, –, Sarah Moon, Alex Marquardt, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, CIA, Russian Foreign Ministry, Getty, FBI, BBC, Edgar Hoover FBI Locations: Ukraine, United Kingdom, Moscow, AFP, Virginia, Russia’s, Washington, Washington ,, Soviet Union, Europe

☆ Trump fans turn US flags upside down to protest former president’s conviction
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Hanging the United States flag upside down, a move that is supposed to signal distress and that has ensnared Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in controversy, is now being practiced by supporters of Donald Trump to protest the former president’s conviction in his hush money trial. Prominent Trump supporters such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and former national security adviser Michael Flynn posted pictures of upside-down flags on social media soon after a New York jury found Trump guilty Thursday. By Friday, pro-Trump social media accounts were awash with images of inverted flags hanging on porches and lawns across the country. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, posted an image appearing to show the flag hanging upside down above its Washington, DC, headquarters. “The city was very surprised to learn someone inverted the flags, which were set up in honor of our community’s veterans.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Michael Flynn, Trump, Flynn, ” Dylan Feik, Alito, Jason Aldean –, –, Instagram, “ Organizations: CNN, United, Trump, New, Heritage Foundation, KTLA, New York Times Locations: United States, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, New York, Washington, DC, California, Monrovia, Los Angeles County, Monrovia’s

☆ A 9/11 Charity Provides a Financial Safety Net to a Giuliani Firm
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( David A. Fahrenthold | Eileen Sullivan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Because of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, Rudolph W. Giuliani has been indicted in two states and hit with a $148 million defamation judgment that forced him to seek bankruptcy protection. Through all of that, he has kept a reliable financial ally: a charity founded to honor the memory of a firefighter killed on Sept. 11, 2001. The problem, according to his creditors’ lawyers, is that he has withheld that detail throughout his first five months of bankruptcy proceedings. The revelation of the revenue stream comes after months of deeply contentious arguments from creditors about the state of Mr. Giuliani’s personal finances, with complaints that much of it remains deliberately incomplete and opaque. Only recently did creditors learn, through social media, that Mr. Giuliani had a contract to earn money from a new branded coffee line.

Persons: Rudolph W, Giuliani, Mr, Stephen Siller Organizations: New, Giuliani Communications, Towers Foundation Locations: New York City

☆ After Trump’s guilty verdict, threats and attempts to dox Trump jurors proliferate online
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —On online forums that have previously been linked to mass shootings, people are threatening violence and attempting to publicly identify the 12 New York jurors who on Thursday decided to convict former President Donald Trump. The calls for retribution began immediately after the verdict was announced. “Hope these jurors face some street justice,” one anonymous user on a pro-Trump forum wrote. The judge in the Trump New York trial issued an order in March agreeing with prosecutors that most information about the jurors would be sealed. Last summer, purported names, photographs and home addresses of grand jurors in Fulton County, Georgia, circulated on the far-right internet after the grand jury voted to indict Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump, suggestively, “, ” Ben Decker, Daniel Jones, Trump Organizations: New, New York CNN, Trump, Trump New, CNN, Advance Democracy Locations: New York, Trump New York, Fulton County , Georgia, Lago, Florida

Read previewFormer President Donald Trump's historic conviction on Thursday may have been in part due to mistakes made by his defense team, including not having him take the stand, legal experts told Business Insider. Though the conclusion of the case was significant, three legal experts told BI the verdict wasn't a major shock. AdvertisementHe pointed to opening statements made by Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, that Rahmani thought suggested an accountant would testify and serve as a fall guy. AdvertisementNot long before resting their case, the defense told the judge they were still weighing having Trump testify. Some legal experts previous said testifying would not be a good idea for Trump, with concerns that he could end up committing perjury.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Alex Reinert, Eric Anderson, Sullivan Wright Gizer, McRae, Donald Trump, Daniels, Neama, Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen, Trump's, Rahmani, David Pecker, Anderson, Cohen, hadn't, It's, Merchan, Biden Organizations: Service, New, Business, Cardozo School of Law, McRae LLP, West, Trial, National Enquirer, Trump Locations: New York

☆ California orange farmer talks increasing cost of orange juice
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCalifornia orange farmer talks increasing cost of orange juiceHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

Persons: Brian Sullivan, “ Organizations: CNBC

☆ Foot Locker's new price target and why we're psyched about DuPont's breakup plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That would likely be enough to take on DuPont's water business if they wanted it. Foot Locker's new price target: Shares of Foot Locker are up Friday, a day after gaining 14% in response to a better-than-expected quarter against very low expectations. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. The Foot Locker logo is displayed in a store in San Francisco, California, on May 19, 2023.

Persons: Jim Cramer, it's, Bullish, Ed Breen, you'd, Breen, We've, Locker, Mary Dillon's, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Justin Sullivan Organizations: CNBC, Dell Technologies, Marvell Technology, DuPont, Nike, Jim Cramer's Charitable Locations: San Francisco , California

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia says it isn’t bluffing over threats to use nuclear weapons; ‘difficult night’ for Kharkiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The European Union's upcoming 14th sanctions package against Russia must do more to choke off energy exports and clamp down on circumvention by third parties, an advisor to the office of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNBC. Vladyslav Vlasiuk said it was also vital to tighten export controls on critical technologies used within Moscow's military equipment. However, he noted that EU states would need to work more cohesively for sanctions to stand a chance of crossing the line by the end of next month as planned. The EU's special envoy for the implementation of sanctions, David O'Sullivan, was in Kyiv Thursday to discuss the latest sanctions package amid ongoing pushback from member states such as Hungary. Shapoval noted, however, that gas supplies were much more difficult to direct without European infrastructure than, for example, oil.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Vlasiuk, David O'Sullivan, Nataliia, Shapoval, — Karen Gilchrist Organizations: CNBC, Kremlin, Russian Sanctions, EU Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Hungary, Belarus, China, India

☆ Investors likely profit taking when it comes to the AI trade, says Charles Schwab's Kevin Gordon
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInvestors likely profit taking when it comes to the AI trade, says Charles Schwab's Kevin GordonHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

Persons: Charles Schwab's Kevin Gordon, Brian Sullivan, “ Organizations: Investors, CNBC

☆ We're looking for a capital pivot from Caesars, says Jefferies' David Katz
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe're looking for a capital pivot from Caesars, says Jefferies' David KatzHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

Persons: Jefferies, David Katz, Brian Sullivan, “ Organizations: CNBC

☆ EU's 14th sanctions package must target circumvention, energy exports, Zelenskyy advisor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The European Union's upcoming 14th sanctions package against Russia must do more to choke off energy exports and clamp down on circumvention by third parties, an advisor to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNBC. He noted that EU states would need to work more cohesively for sanctions to stand a chance of crossing the line by the end of next month as planned. "The most critical aspect of the 14th sanctions package is its adoption by the end of June, but some member states currently pose a challenge to this," Vlasiuk said via email Thursday. The EU's special envoy for the implementation of sanctions, David O'Sullivan, was in Kyiv on Thursday to discuss the latest sanctions package amid ongoing pushback from member states such as Hungary. Among the proposed measures is a ban on Russian liquified natural gas, or LNG, exports and a crackdown on sanctions circumvention via countries including Kremlin ally Belarus.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Vlasiuk, David O'Sullivan, Nataliia, Shapoval, Dmitry Birichevsky Organizations: CNBC, Kremlin, Russian Sanctions, EU, KSE Institute, Russian Foreign Ministry, Ria Locations: Wilhelmshaven, Germany, Russia, Kyiv, Hungary, Belarus, China, India, Ria Novosti, Ports, France, Belgium, Spain, Asia

☆ Why the Negro League stats belong in the MLB record books
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Fortunately, we got to see other NLB players join an integrated MLB a short time into their careers. Bettmann Archive/Getty ImagesFormer NLB players who joined the integrated MLB got on base more frequently (.361) than the average (.324). Hulton Archive/Getty Images Robinson was a formidable athlete in college, lettering in four sports at UCLA. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Robinson poses in the dugout with Dodgers teammates as he makes his historic debut on April 15, 1947. Rogers Photo Archive/Getty Images Robinson leaps into the air to try to turn a double play in 1952.

Persons: “, Major League Baseball’s, Neil Paine, –, Todd Peterson, White, Satchel Paige, Dizzy Dean, Mark Rucker, of Famer Dizzy Dean, ”, Dean, Paige, Willie Mays, Mays, Henry “ Hank ” Aaron, Aaron didn’t, Wes Westrum's, It’s, Don Newcombe, Jackie Robinson, Robinson, Rachel Isum, Johnny, Jorgensen, Harold, Pee Wee, Reese, Eddie Stanky, Rickey, Rogers, Richard Nixon, Paul Schutzer, Edd Roush, Bob Feller, Bill McKechnie, Cliff Welch, Ed Sullivan, Rachel, — Jackie Jr, David, Sharon —, Robert Riger, Jackie Robinson's, Larry Doby –, Hall, Hall of Famer –, Josh Gibson, Gibson’s, Gibson, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Ruth, We’ll, Larry Doby, Stanley Weston, Doby, Cobb, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Walter Johnson, they’ll Organizations: CNN, Negro League Baseball, Major League, MLB, Negro League, Wrigley Field, White MLB, of Famer, White, Birmingham Black Barons, Indianapolis, National Leagues, New York Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Polo, Bettmann, Getty, National League, Brooklyn Dodgers, Hulton, UCLA, US Army, Kansas City Monarchs, Negro Leagues, Sporting, Montreal Royals, Dodgers, New York Yankees, GOP, Republican, Hall of Fame, CBS, Freedom, American League, Hall of Famer, Baseball, Cleveland Indians, NL, AL Locations: Chicago, , New York, Cairo , Georgia, Pasadena , California, Los Angeles, New York, Stamford , Connecticut, Williamston , North Carolina, Bettmann, Anaheim , California

☆ Elon Musk has been getting Trumpier. A direct line to Trump may be next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Clare Duffy | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Elon Musk has sought to accumulate political capital commensurate with his extravagant wealth. Musk has discussed advising Trump should he win the 2024 election, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. Musk called Trump directly via cellphone to explore a role that could potentially give Musk significant influence over US policies. Reporting that Musk and Trump’s relationship has improved comes after Musk’s politics have become more aligned with Trump’s. For Musk to have a direct, private line to a future President Trump “would seem to be a blatant conflict of interest,” said Darrell West, a senior fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution.

Persons: CNN — Elon Musk, Musk, Donald Trump, Trump, Brian Hughes, –, Andrew Harnik, ”, Darrell West, ” West, Herika Martinez, —, Donald Trump’s, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Robert Kennedy , Jr, Paul Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, White supremacists, Imran Ahmed, X, CCDH, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Republican, Wall Street, Trump, SpaceX, Tesla, Brookings Institution, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Traffic Safety Administration, Justice Department, Migrants, US Border Patrol, AFP, Getty, Twitter, US, Republican Florida, Politico Locations: Paris, El Paso , Texas, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, Mexico

☆ How Joe Biden’s red line on Israel went from a ‘parlor game’ to a murky milestone
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Many Democrats, along with foreign leaders who the US counts as allies, say Israel’s actions clearly cross a red line – if not Biden’s, then their own and those of international law. Would that be a red line?” MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart asked during an interview. His answer, with its incomplete sentences, did not state what might constitute a violation of the red line or what his response would be. “I went over the red line issue, which I know is the obsession of this group, last week. Whether Biden drew a red line or not, his counterpart in Israel found reason to dismiss the president’s comments.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Biden’s, Jake Sullivan, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Sara Jacobs, Antony Blinken, “ I’m, ” Sullivan, Israel, Netanyahu, –, Jonathan Capehart, I’m, ”, … ” Biden, didn’t, I’ve, it’s, we’ve, ” Netanyahu, CNN’s Erin Burnett, “ We’re, Blinken, Kamala Harris, John Kirby, Kirby, CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: Philadelphia CNN, CNN, Democrats, Foreign, White, Biden, Press, Gaza Health Ministry, White House Locations: Rafah, Israel, United States, California, American, Gaza, “, I’m, That’s

☆ Pending home sales in April slump to the lowest level since the start of the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, pending home sales fell 1.5 percent in October to their lowest level in 20 years. These so-called pending sales are a forward-looking indicator of closed sales one-to-two months later. Pending sales were 7.4% lower than in April of last year. Because the count is based on signed contracts, it shows how buyers are reacting to mortgage rates in real time. With home prices still climbing and supply very low, leading to increased competition, that jump in rates had a huge effect on sales.

Persons: Justin Sullivan, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Hannah Jones Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Mortgage News, NAR, West, Realtor.com Locations: CALIFORNIA, San Anselmo , California, Midwest, Redfin

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