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☆ With U.S. midterms ahead, Musk's Twitter takeover raises fear of misinformation wave
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Republicans say many social media platforms are biased against them, and numerous conservative Twitter accounts - including Republican politicians - on Friday welcomed Musk's takeover. Democrats fear that Trump supporters will promote far-right views or false claims of election fraud on Twitter if permitted. Since his ban, Trump has launched his own social media app, Truth Social, and has said he will not return to Twitter even if Musk reinstates him. Conservatives have accused the site of censoring their view points for political reasons, an allegation Twitter has denied. Rapper Kanye West, whose Twitter account was suspended for posting anti-Semitic remarks, appeared to be active again on Friday.

☆ Factbox: What is known about the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 28 (Reuters) - A hammer-wielding man has attacked Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, during a break-in at the couple's San Francisco home. Here is what is known about the attack:* Officers from San Francisco Police officers arrived at the Pelosis' three-story townhouse at about 2:27 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, following a report of a break-in. They found Paul Pelosi, 82, struggling with a man who was attacking him with a hammer. Media reports say the attacker could be heard asking the whereabouts of Nancy Pelosi, one of the most senior figures in the Democratic Party. * Paul Pelosi was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and although the extent of his injuries remained unclear he was expected to make a full recovery, according to a statement by his wife's office.

However, the first two years of Biden's presidency proved one-party control of Congress and the White House does not mean the president gets what he wants. Any impeachment would then progress to a trial in the Senate, where a Democratic majority is likely to shut it down. The Senate Majority Leader, picked from the party that holds a majority of the Senate's 100 seats, decides what the chamber votes on, or never considers. Republicans likely would push hard for deep domestic spending cuts and making some tax cuts from the 2017 tax bill set to expire at the end of 2025 permanent. Whether a House Biden impeachment process proceeds to a Senate trial would rest on the shoulders of the Senate Majority Leader, likely to be Kentucky's Mitch McConnell.

Although Lula's 2003-2010 presidency effectively reduced destruction of the rainforest, he embraced traditional industrial development with little regard for emissions. In the United States, the progressive Green New Deal languished in Congress, while President Joe Biden adapted some of the ideas for his climate agenda. Marcio Astrini, the head of environmental lobby group Climate Observatory, said Lula's proposals were a promising blueprint, but added: "Whether it will happen in practice is another matter." By contrast, Bolsonaro's campaign has said little about his environmental proposals for a second term. [1/3] Macaws sit on a tree at the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil October 26, 2022.

REUTERS/Seth Herald/File PhotoOct 26 (Reuters) - Three men accused of aiding a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer were found guilty on Wednesday of taking part in a conspiracy that prosecutors ascribed to hostility over restrictions she imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group planned to break into Whitmer's vacation home, kidnap her and take her at gunpoint to stand "trial" on treason charges, prosecutors said. Seven of the accused, including Morrison, Musico and Bellar, have now been convicted by a jury or pleaded guilty to playing roles in the conspiracy. In the earlier trial, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were found guilty of plotting to abduct Whitmer from her vacation home. Morrison and Musico were accused of hosting tactical training sessions on their property in a remote part of Michigan.

REUTERS/Seth Herald/File PhotoOct 26 (Reuters) - A Michigan jury on Wednesday found three men guilty of aiding a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, a plot that prosecutors said grew out of hostility over restrictions she imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The verdict was a victory for state prosecutors who argued that the men on trial assisted two others who in August were found guilty in federal court of kidnapping conspiracy. In the earlier trial, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were found guilty of plotting to abduct Whitmer from her vacation home. Prosecutors said Morrison, Musico and Bellar were members of a militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen. Morrison and Musico were accused of hosting tactical training sessions on their property in a remote part of Michigan.

REUTERS/Seth Herald/File PhotoOct. 26 (Reuters) - A Michigan jury on Wednesday found three men guilty of aiding a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, a plot that prosecutors said grew out of hostility over restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The verdict was a victory for state prosecutors who argued that the men assisted two others who in August were found guilty of kidnapping conspiracy in federal court. In the earlier trial, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were found guilty of plotting to abduct the Democratic governor from her vacation home. Prosecutors said Morrison, Musico and Bellar were members of a militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen. Morrison and Musico were accused of hosting tactical training sessions on their property in a remote part of Michigan.

☆ Fetterman, Oz face off on crime, inflation in Pennsylvania Senate debate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HARRISBURG, Penn., Oct 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate candidates Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz traded attacks on issues from crime to inflation in the lone debate of a Pennsylvania race that will help decide whether Democrats retain control of the Senate. The debate hall included two closed-caption monitors posted above the moderators that relayed dialogue to Fetterman. Oz and Republicans have sought to tie Democrats' big-spending bills combating issues including COVID-19 and climate change to rising consumer prices. He called inflation a tax on working families, saying, "Dr. Oz can't possibly understand what that is like." Oz went on the offensive in recent weeks, flooding the airwaves with ads painting Fetterman as a far-left liberal who is indifferent to rising crime.

TORONTO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Immigrants' share of Canada's population has hit its highest point in the country's 150-year history and the biggest share among G7 countries, new data released by Statistics Canada showed on Wednesday. Twenty-three percent of Canadians were immigrants in 2021, according to the census, and Statistics Canada projects that between 29% and 34% of the population will be immigrants by 2041. India, the Philippines and China were the top three countries respectively for recent immigrants to Canada, according to the census. Newcomers have become the primary driver of Canada’s population growth and the country's economic engine in the context of an aging population. From 2016 to 2021, immigrants accounted for four-fifths of Canada's labour market growth, Statistics Canada said.

☆ Biden approval dips to 39% as Democrats brace for midterms -Reuters/Ipsos
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The two-day national poll found that 39% of Americans approve of Biden's job performance, a percentage point lower than a week earlier. Control of even one chamber of Congress would give Republicans the power to bring Biden's legislative agenda to a halt. Taking office in January 2021 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Biden's term has been marked by the economic scars of the global health crisis, including soaring inflation. In this week's Reuters/Ipsos poll, one third of respondents picked the economy as the country's biggest problem, a much larger share than the one in 10 who picked crime. The poll, conducted online in English throughout the United States, gathered responses from 1,005 adults, including 447 Democrats and 369 Republicans.

☆ Fetterman's health in focus as he squares off with Oz in U.S. Senate debate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The debate offers the Democrat's biggest opportunity yet to prove his detractors wrong in front of a statewide audience. A Fetterman campaign official told Reuters that the campaign has realistic expectations of the debate. The Oz campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Oz argues that Fetterman’s record of seeking lenIency for criminals as head of the state’s Board of Pardons shows he will make Pennsylvania less safe. "The Oz campaign has been strategically smart," said Chris Borick, a pollster at Pennsylvania's Muhlenberg College.

One person familiar with the thinking inside the White House said Democratic chances of keeping control of the Senate were seen as 50-50. The White House, while realistic, has stuck publicly to that message of hope. Former and current advisers say the White House is preparing for any obstruction or probes that could be coming. "The White House is clear-eyed for what Republican control could look like," said Eric Schultz, a Democratic strategist with close ties to the White House. White House officials and Democratic strategists Reuters spoke to acknowledge the overall shift from midterms optimism, but were not ready to give up.

Oct 25 (Reuters) - Michigan jurors on Tuesday began deliberations in the trial of three men accused of assisting in an elaborate plot two years ago to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in opposition to strict coronavirus restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Prosecutors said the plot was motivated by opposition to coronavirus restrictions imposed by the governor and grievances related to the 2020 presidential election. In August, a federal jury in Grand Rapids convicted Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. of conspiracy in the plot. Two other defendants were found not guilty in the first federal trial. read moreIn September, a federal judge reduced the sentence of Ty Garbin, who pleaded guilty to participating in the plot after his testimony helped convict Fox and Croft.

☆ Brazil's Lula widens lead slightly over Bolsonaro for Sunday vote -poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Leftist presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has increased his lead slightly over his far-right adversary President Jair Bolsonaro six days ahead of their runoff in Brazil's divisive election, a Monday poll said. Lula leads by 52.0% of the votes against 46.2% for Bolsonaro, according to the AtlasIntel poll, inching forward from 51.1% to Bolsonaro's 46.5% in the previous poll two weeks ago. The poll was completed before a shooting incident on Sunday involving Bolsonaro supporter and former Congressman Roberto Jefferson, which had the president's campaign worried about a negative impact on opinion polls, a senior aide said. "The poll is good news for Lula," said AtlasIntel chief executive Andrei Roman. Although the survey did not reflect the impact of Sunday's incident where the Bolsonaro supporter shot and wounded policemen as he resisted arrest, Roman said the president's recovery since the first-round vote on Oct. 2 has stalled.

LONDON/WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - A failure to secure meaningful progress on a debt relief for the world's poorest nations at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meeting in Washington has left policymakers, campaigners and investors frustrated. Two years ago the Group of 20 launched the Common Framework - a mechanism designed to provide a swift and comprehensive debt overhaul to nations buckling under debt burdens after COVID-19 shock that would reach beyond temporary debt payment moratoriums. The Common Framework is a good start, but you need some fixes." China's role as a lender to poorer nations and Beijing's foot-dragging on debt relief drew much ire at the Washington meeting. JPMorgan's Joyce Chang, whose bank held an investor seminar alongside the IMF World Bank gathering, said asset managers had more discussions on repayment challenges and restructurings for emerging markets than at any time since the 1990s.

☆ Australia flags increased penalties for data breaches following major cyberattacks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 23 (Reuters) - Australia will introduce laws to parliament to increase penalties for companies subject to major data breaches, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said, after high-profile cyberattacks hit millions of Australians in recent weeks. When Australians were asked to hand over personal data to companies, they had a right to expect it would be protected, the attorney-general said. "Significant privacy breaches in recent weeks have shown existing safeguards are inadequate. It's not enough for a penalty for a major data breach to be seen as the cost of doing business," Dreyfus said. "We need better laws to regulate how companies manage the huge amount of data they collect, and bigger penalties to incentivise better behaviour."

WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump was issued an order on Friday to testify under oath and provide documents to the House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. Such testimony could be made public and become part of a final report by the special panel. Committee members have not said how they will proceed if Trump disregards his subpoena. If the select committee's subpoena is ignored, the committee would vote to refer the issue to the full House. The House Jan. 6 select committee has been investigating the attack on the Capitol for more than a year.

WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump was ordered on Friday to testify under oath and provide documents to the House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. Such testimony could be made public and become part of a final report by the special panel. 1/3 Police clear the U.S. Capitol Building with tear gas as supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather outside, in Washington, U.S. January 6, 2021. read morePRIOR PRESIDENTIAL TESTIMONYThe committee made clear that congressional testimony by a former or sitting president was not unprecedented. The rioters were attempting to stop Congress' formal certification of Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterProsecutor J.P. Cooney said at Friday's hearing that Bannon chose to "thumb his nose at Congress." Bannon, 68, served as Trump's chief White House strategist during 2017 before a falling out between them that was later patched up. "Today was my judgment day by the judge," Bannon told reporters. In addition to Bannon, prosecutors have charged former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro with contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the same committee, with a Nov. 17 trial date set. "A more egregious contempt of Congress would have been to say 'Screw you Congress, take your subpoena and shove it!'"

☆ Colombia central bank will raise rate to 11%
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Nelson Bocanegra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Colombia's central bank board will raise the benchmark interest rate at its meeting next week, which is likely its penultimate increase in a cycle meant to counteract inflation, analysts said in a poll on Friday. Twelve of 14 analysts surveyed said the seven-member board will increase borrowing costs by 100 basis points to 11%, while one analyst predicted a 75 basis point raise and another projected a 50 basis points uptick. The bank has increased the rate by 825 basis points since the start of this cycle in September 2021. The bank will likely make its last increase, of 50 basis points, in December, those polled said. But Ocampo acknowledged it would be difficult not to raise costs in tandem with other central banks.

A Reuters tally of Conservative lawmakers who have made public declarations of support put Sunak on 70 backers, Johnson on 37 and Mordaunt on 20. 1/6 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a statement at Downing Street in London, Britain, July 7, 2022. Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said leaving the European Union had brought instability to Britain. Opposition parties, some newspapers and even a few Conservative lawmakers have called for a general election to be held. Some Conservative lawmakers have urged colleagues to coalesce around one candidate to avoid a bruising battle.

Under the plan, Vivendi's top investor Vincent Bollore would sell all Editis shares he would receive after the transaction, which would consist of a simultaneous distribution of the publishing unit's shares to Vivendi shareholders and its listing. Vivendi wants to sell Editis to secure the takeover of French media group Lagardere. Vivendi's sales totaled 2.58 billion euros ($2.54 billion) in the third quarter, against 2.48 billion euros in the same quarter last year. Vivendi added however that growth at Havas was offset by a slowdown in its pay-TV unit Canal+. Canal+ revenues in the quarter dropped 4.9% at constant currencies and like-for-like, to 1.42 billion euros.

Kevin Spacey is cross examined by Richard Steigman during Anthony Rapp's civil sex abuse case against Spacey in this courtroom sketch from the trial in New York, U.S., October 18, 2022 as U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan presides. REUTERS/Jane RosenbergOct 20 (Reuters) - Closing arguments began on Thursday in Kevin Spacey's civil sex abuse trial, as the Oscar-winning actor fights allegations that he made an unwanted advance on a 14-year-old in 1986. Rapp, at the start of his own Broadway career at the time, said he was able to "swerve my way out" but that the experience scarred him. During the trial, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan dismissed Rapp's claim for emotional distress but allowed the case to proceed on his battery claim. Spacey faces a criminal trial in London next year after pleading not guilty to five sex offense charges over alleged assaults between 2005 and 2013.

☆ Why a small midterm race in Arizona could have big consequences for U.S. democracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File PhotoOct 19 (Reuters) - The fight to become Arizona’s next attorney general in November’s midterm elections smashed fundraising records this week. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed the Republican attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh and appeared on stage with him. “I think that American democracy runs through the state of Arizona in 2022,” Mayes said in an interview with Reuters. AG EMPOWERED TO STEP INHamadeh downplayed the role an attorney general has in election certification in a statement to Reuters. “What look like these relatively inconsequential races will have enormous consequences in terms of the 2024 presidential election,” Douglas said.

Some of the electronics obtained through the scheme have been found in Russian weapons platforms seized in Ukraine, prosecutors said. They used a German company to ship the military technologies, as well as Venezuelan oil, to Russian purchasers, prosecutors said. The U.S.-origin technologies can be used in fighter aircraft, ballistic and hypersonic missile systems, smart munitions, and other military applications, Treasury said. After the initial round of U.S. sanctions on PDVSA, Russia's Rosneft emerged as a key intermediary for Venezuelan crude. After Washington sanctioned Rosneft subsidiaries over their dealings with PDVSA, dozens of firms with no track record of oil trading have been intermediating in sales of Venezuelan oil to Chinese buyers.

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