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☆ Sam Bankman-Fried loved playing 'League of Legends' in meetings. Now the game's maker wants out of its $96 million FTX sponsorship deal.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Riot Games wants out of a roughly $96 million agreement with bankrupt crypto firm FTX. Last week, the company cited "reputational harm" in a court filing, in which it outlined the terms of the deal. But now Riot wants to terminate the agreement amid FTX's collapse and its cofounder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's arrest earlier this month for numerous fraud-related charges. "Media outlets and Twitter commentators splashed images of Mr. Bankman-Fried playing 'League of Legends' — Riot Games' game — at the same time that FTX was crashing." Riot Games and FTX did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Read Mark Zuckerberg's deposition about Facebook user data, released years later thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mark Zuckerberg told the SEC in 2019 he'd heard news of Cambridge Analytica and the 2016 US election. He was "curious" to understand the group's use of Facebook then, per a newly released deposition. The deposition with the SEC was released thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request. A newly released deposition of Zuckerberg's questioning in 2019 by the US Securities and Exchange Commission is another piece of the puzzle. In a House hearing in 2018, Representative Anna Eshoo, a Democratic Representative from California, asked Zuckerberg pointedly about Cambridge Analytica.

☆ From nothing to millions — incoming Republican Rep. George Santos' congressional financial disclosures raise more questions about his truthfulness
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In his first run for Congress two years ago, Republican George Santos disclosed having almost no assets. A new New York Times report revealed several inaccuracies in Santos' reported resume. The Devolder Organization, in which Santos disclosed that he had "100% interest," was one of six stakeholders in a Florida-based firm, Red Strategies USA. Santos' past in questionA newly released report by the New York Times and other publications put other aspects of Santos' resume into question. The New York Times also indicated that Santos may have lied about losing colleagues in the Pulse nightclub shooting and his residence.

☆ Elon Musk's Crackdown at Twitter Offers Hope to Fellow Tech Founders
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But there's one group, almost unnoticed in the midst of the online firestorm, that has been cheering Musk on from the sidelines: other tech executives. To some founders, Musk is simply a monstrous version of the executive they wish they could be. Musk is getting rid of perks like free meals in the Twitter cafeteria — and other tech executives are taking note. Musk's slash-and-burn approach gives tech executives cover for making unpopular decisions. But now, as tech companies cut back to prepare for a recession, the "rough waters out there" have forced his staff to "reevaluate" their demands.

☆ Democrats criticize Elon Musk for suspending journalists covering Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Amanda Terkel | Amanda Is Senior Politics Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress had harsh words for Elon Musk on Thursday night after Twitter suddenly suspended a number of high-profile journalists who have been covering the company and Musk, its billionaire CEO. In November, shortly after he took over Twitter, Musk tweeted that he would not ban the account. Musk tweeted Thursday night. "Ro Khanna is great," Musk tweeted in response to one of some of the Twitter files. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., tweeted: "Twitter can suspend whoever it wants.

☆ Elon Musk and AOC got into another Twitter spat, with the congresswoman telling Musk to 'lay off the proto-fascism' and put down his phone
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In response, Musk tweeted: "You first lol." On Thursday evening, Musk suspended the accounts of at least half a dozen journalists and tweeted an explanation for the move. He claimed the suspended journalists had doxxed him, a violation of Twitter's updated privacy policy that was put in place on Wednesday. Musk also alleged on Thursday that the suspended journalists had posted his real-time location online, calling them "basically assassination coordinates." In response, Musk tweeted: "Stop hitting on me, I'm really shy."

The House voted Thursday in favor of the Puerto Rico Status Act, which seeks to resolve the U.S. territory's status and its relationship to the United States through a binding plebiscite. The Puerto Rico Status Act also lays out terms for a November 2023 binding plebiscite including all three nonterritorial status options. Lawmakers from both sides debated the merits of the Puerto Rico Status Act on the House floor Thursday. While Democrats insisted the legislation is a significant step toward Puerto Rico's decolonization, Republicans worried over the economic implications of changing Puerto Rico's status. Venator- Santiago, who has been tracking Puerto Rico legislation in Congress for years, said this is the first time since 2010 that the House votes in favor of legislation dealing with changes to Puerto Rico’s territorial status.

☆ All but 16 House Republicans vote against bill to allow Puerto Rico to decide its future
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The House passed a bill to allow Puerto Rico voters to choose independence, statehood, or free association. Republicans opposed the bill in part due to long-standing opposition to Puerto Rico's statehood. "At this point in time I'm not, you know, interested in going down that road," Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas told Insider. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia told Insider that she didn't think the bill was "the right way to go about something like that." "I'm just not interested in Puerto Rico being a state," she said, adding that she didn't believe people living in Puerto Rico should get to vote on that.

☆ Nayib Bukele war on gangs: El Salvador has arrested 2% of its adult population. Other countries are taking note
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Eight months since El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced a war on gangs, an estimated 2% of the country’s adult population – or roughly 100,000 people – are now behind bars. In 2015, El Salvador surpassed Honduras as the most violent country in the world, with a murder rate of more than 100 per 100,000 inhabitants. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele speaks to around 14,000 soldiers in El Salvador. Alleged gang members at a maximum security prison in Izalco, El Salvador, on September 4, 2020. “It is not that they are interested in El Salvador (they never were), their fear is that we will succeed, because other governments will want to imitate it.

The list of Latino films inducted into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress grew a bit longer Wednesday. Every year the board selects 25 films to add to the registry based on its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions. “The National Film Registry, the Library of Congress has taken a critical step to preserve the work of Latino actors and industry creatives." There are now 24 Latino films on the National Film Registry, according to the Library of Congress. Here's the full list of Latino films at the National Film Registry:

☆ DeVante Parker: NFL says it is reviewing an apparent head injury incident during Monday's Patriots game
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Kevin Dotson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

CNN —The NFL and the NFL Players Association are looking into an incident in which an apparent head injury to New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker seemingly went unnoticed by medical staff and spotters, league spokesman Brian McCarthy tells CNN. Jeff Dean/AP Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams catches a pass against Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard on December 11. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson dives for a two-point conversion during the Vikings' 29-22 victory over the Chicago Bears. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

☆ ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Superfly’ added to National Film Registry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —This annual list of 25 influential films to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress has been revealed. “Films have become absolutely central to American culture by helping tell our national story for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement. The film was long thought to be lost but recently discovered in a museum in the Netherlands. ET to screen a selection of the films added to the registry this year.

☆ House Democrats reject a rules change that could've empowered junior members amid concerns about aging leadership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Six years is a pretty long time," Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia told Insider at the Capitol earlier this month. "I'm not for term limits," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told Insider during a briefing with reporters at the end of November. "I'm not taking a position on any single rules proposal that is before the House Democratic Caucus," he said. Another prominent young lawmaker — 33-year-old Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York — has also been vocal in her criticism of the system. "Whatever the mechanism is, we need to have more opportunities for people to bring their leadership to bear in different places," she told Insider.

☆ Cardinals vs Patriots: Arizona's woes continue as Kyler Murray hurt in 27-13 loss to New England
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

Jeff Dean/AP Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams catches a pass against Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard on December 11. Gary McCullough/AP Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Will Harris. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson dives for a two-point conversion during the Vikings' 29-22 victory over the Chicago Bears. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

☆ Meet 41-year old Judge Aileen Cannon, the Trump-nominated Floridian who will pick the special master to weed through the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Judge Aileen Cannon recently reversed a big win that she had handed Trump's defense team. Judge Aileen Cannon gave her confirmation testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee over Zoom on July 29, 2020. There, she prosecuted cases involving narcotics, fraud, firearms, and immigration cases, according to her Senate confirmation document. Cannon during her confirmation hearing thanked Rubio as well as fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida for their "continued support." "Judge Cannon is a great judge who I am very proud to have enthusiastically supported," Rubio told Insider through his office when asked about the connection.

☆ Ticketmaster is in hot water — again — and facing a fine after an 'unprecedented' number of people were sold fake tickets to a Bad Bunny concert
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ticketmaster apologized after an "unprecedented" number of people were sold fake Bad Bunny tickets. It follows Ticketmaster's Taylor Swift debacle last month. The ticketing platform released a statement on Saturday apologizing after an "unprecedented" number of people were sold fake tickets to a Bad Bunny concert in Mexico City. The Bad Bunny fiasco comes soon after Ticketmaster's Taylor Swift debacle. Live Nation has been facing a DOJ antitrust investigation since before the Taylor Swift fiasco, The New York Times reported last month.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried is set to testify before Congress on Tuesday. He could be grilled on his past statements — and expose himself to more legal risks.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sam Bankman-Fried plans to appear remotely before the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday. The House Financial Services committee has its own investigative mandate, outlined by its role in inquiring into financial failures, and in helping to craft legislation to prevent similar episodes in the future. Participating could expose Bankman-Fried to more legal risksTestimony provided to House lawmakers would usually be under oath, thought not necessarily so. The House Financial Services committee, chaired by Democratic Representative Maxine Waters of California, comprises progressive political stars like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. The House Financial Services committee hearing is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday.

Vindman first joined Twitter while working in the Trump administration because it was often the way his then-boss, the president, made policy. His wife, liberal activist and podcaster Rachel Vindman, has almost 400,000 followers, making them a progressive Twitter power couple. In a clubby city obsessed with status and information, Twitter delivers both, all from the comfort of one’s mobile phone. No one wants to leave Twitter until everyone else does, but there’s no obvious place to go next. Some think Musk will kill Twitter regardless of whether there’s a mass exodus of its users.

☆ Republicans struggle in the Southwest as Latino voters stick with Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Natasha Korecki | Natasha Korecki Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

It belies a conventional narrative that Democrats were universally ceding Latino voters to the Republican Party, a story line repeated throughout the run-up to the Nov. 8 midterms. Instead, indicators show the GOP in danger of losing Latino voters in this region, a prospect that could mean being boxed out of the Southwest for the long term. In New Mexico, the state with the most residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino in the country, Latino Democrats won nearly every statewide race. Even with some Latino voters staying home, NBC News exit polling showed that Cortez Masto won more than 60% of that vote. Still, there’s plenty of danger signs for Democrats when it comes to Latino voters, particularly among men.

☆ AOC wasn't the first lawmaker to attend the Met Gala. But how she got the ticket — and that dress — may have made her a target for an ethics complaint, expert says.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

One ethics expert told Insider a potential ethics violation would depend on who paid for her ticket. In June, the OCE, a non-partisan body, referred the complaint to the House Ethics Committee. For instance, if Facebook purchased a Met Gala table and gifted one of its seats to a lawmaker, that could constitute an ethics violation. Wintour has served as an official co-chair or honorary chair of the Met Gala nearly every year since 1995. Rep. Carolyn Maloney also attended the Met Gala on several occasions — and became the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation this year.

☆ U.S. lawmakers urge Biden to guarantee rail workers' sick leave
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - More than 70 lawmakers including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday urged President Joe Biden to take executive action to guarantee rail workers paid sick days. On Dec. 2, Biden signed legislation to block a national U.S. railroad strike that could have devastated the American economy after some unions voted against the deal over a lack of paid sick leave. The White House did not immediately comment on the lawmakers' letter, signed by 72 Democratic lawmakers and Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. Railroad workers have no paid short-term sick days after unions representing 115,000 workers asked for 15 days and railroads settled on one personal day. "Guaranteeing that workers are not operating trains or inspecting rail signals while sick or tired would fundamentally improve the safety of our national rail operations," the letter said.

☆ Maxwell Frost: Gen Z congressman-elect says he was denied DC apartment over bad credit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Sonnet Swire | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The congressman-elect set to become the first member of Generation Z to serve in Congress said Thursday his rental application for an apartment in Washington, DC, was denied because of his “really bad” credit. “Just applied to an apartment in DC where I told the guy that my credit was really bad. This ain’t meant for people who don’t already have money,” Maxwell Frost said in a tweet. Frost is not the only incoming member of Congress to have struggled to find housing in DC. Frost pointed out that once his congressional salary kicks in, he’ll be fine, adding that “we have to do better” for others.

☆ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mocks Kyrsten Sinema's announcement to leave the Democratic Party and register as an independent: 'She lays out no goals for Arizonans'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ocasio-Cortez joins a number of Democrats who criticized Sinema on Friday over her bombshell decision to leave the party and register as an independent. The Arizona Democratic Party blasted the first-term senator, saying in a statement that her "party registration means nothing if she continues not to listen to her constituents." Sinema's announcement comes after Democrats expanded their Senate majority in the midterm elections, allowing the party to move more quickly on legislation and nominations. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the White House responded to Sinema's decision on Friday by declaring the Senate's new 51-49 power balance remains unchanged. "I believe she's a good and effective Senator and am looking forward to a productive session in the new Democratic majority Senate," Schumer said in a statement.

☆ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Cited in House Ethics Complaint
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has previously been accused by conservative groups of violating congressional ethics rules. WASHINGTON—The House Ethics Committee disclosed it is investigating a complaint regarding Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), but it provided no details about the case. In a brief public statement, the panel said that the matter is still open and has been extended into the new year, when the new Congress begins, and it will announce a course of action then. The committee added that the extension to the proceedings doesn’t indicate it believes any ethics violation has occurred.

☆ Henry Anderson: Carolina Panthers defensive end reveals he recently had stroke -- but wants to play on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Tony Gutierrez/AP Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs digs into a turkey leg after the Bills defeated Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Gary McCullough/AP Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Will Harris. Norm Hall/Getty Images Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdles Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid as he scrambles for a first down. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

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