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☆ George Santos campaign paid staffer nearly $100k to pretend to be Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff and get money from donors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A fundraiser for George Santos allegedly posed as Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff, per CNBC. According to FEC filings, the fundraiser was paid almost $100k by Santos' campaign. According to CNBC, Santos' campaign paid Miele almost $50,000 for fundraising during the embattled lawmaker's failed 2020 run for Congress. Meyer, McCarthy's office, and Santos' campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. The non-partisan watchdog Campaign Legal Center (CLC) also filed a complaint with the FEC on Monday, alleging that Santos and his 2022 campaign violated campaign-finance laws by engaging in a "straw donor scheme."

☆ 'A cowardly and vile attack': Over 400 arrested after Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil's Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

World leaders condemned what they described as a "cowardly and vile" attack after thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro invaded the country's Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace. Brazil's security forces have regained control of the country's political institutions and Brasilia governor Ibaneis Rocha said more than 400 people had been arrested as of Sunday evening. Lula sealed a remarkable return to Brazil's presidency late last year, securing 50.9% of the runoff vote to defeat far-right incumbent Bolsonaro. Many of Bolsonaro's supporters refused to accept the result, however, and political analysts have long feared a U.S.-style attack on the country's prominent government buildings. Lula blamed Bolsonaro for "encouraging" the riots, saying there were several speeches by the former president to incite Sunday's attack.

☆ 'We were duped': How George Santos raised money from wealthy GOP donors while lying about his resume
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

His name was actually Sam Miele, and he worked for Santos raising money for his campaign, according to one GOP donor who contributed to Santos' campaign. In raising money for his campaign, Santos fed donors the same falsehoods he gave voters, campaign fundraisers and others say. "We were duped," said a Republican political strategist close to GOP donors and the leadership of the Republican Jewish Coalition. The RJC is considered the most prominent group of Jewish Republican donors, making gatherings such as the Hanukkah event key networking platforms for politicians. Vallone gave $17,900 in August between Santos' campaign, his leadership PAC and a joint fundraising committee, according to FEC records.

☆ Australian Elvis festival still 'fantastic' after 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Cordelia Hsu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Winner of Parkes Elvis Festival Miss Priscilla 2023, Nickyra Burley, sits on top a car during the festival parade in Parkes, Australia, January 7, 2023. "It's fantastic," said Bob Steele, who founded the festival with his wife Anne after a dinner party where the guests ended up singing Elvis songs long into the night. "Fancy getting to 30 years with a festival, we're just so pleased with it." In addition to Elvis tribute acts, the extravaganza, timed to coincide with the birthday of 'The King', includes Elvis art and photo exhibitions, rock and roll dance lessons, and Elvis trivia nights. While Parkes is now known as the Elvis capital of Australia, Steele said some locals were initially sceptical of the event.

☆ Western Australia in grip of 'devastating' flood emergency, Australia PM says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view of flooding in Fitzroy Crossing, Australia January 3, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Callum Lamond/via REUTERSSYDNEY, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday his government was ready to provide whatever support was needed to residents of Western Australia state as record-breaking floods isolated far-flung communities there. Albanese said his Labor government was "working constructively" with the Western Australia government on the crisis in the sparsely populated region that also includes the resort town of Broome. Western Australia emergency authorities said Australian Defence Force aircraft were being used to assist flood-hit communities, and Chinook helicopters were en-route to help relocated impacted residents. The nation's weather forecaster said severe weather was no longer occurring in the state but that "the situation will continue to be monitored and further warnings will be issued if necessary".

☆ Oil companies entering a potential recession with the strongest balance sheets they've had in years, says pro
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | 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 EmailOil companies entering a potential recession with the strongest balance sheets they've had in years, says proSam Margolin, Wolfe Research, and Dan Pickering, Pickering Energy Partners, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss their respective outlook for energy in the coming year.

☆ Europe starts 2023 with historic winter heatwave; snow shortage forces ski resorts to close
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Poland's capital of Warsaw recorded temperatures of 18.9 degrees Celsius on Jan. 1; more than 5 degrees Celsius above the previous record set 30 years ago. A winter heatwave smashed several national temperature records across Europe over the New Year's weekend, prompting meteorologists to sound the alarm, while some ski resorts were forced to close due to an absence of snow. January temperatures reached an all-time high in several European states, with national records set in at least seven countries. Polish capital Warsaw recorded temperatures of 18.9 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) on Jan. 1 — more than 5 degrees Celsius above the previous record set 30 years ago. Warm weather and low snowfall forced some low-altitude ski resorts in the northern Alps and French Pyrenees to close a few weeks after opening.

☆ 'Glass Onion' star Dave Bautista has a clear goal for his acting career: 'I never wanted to be the next Rock'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

I can force myself to do things that make me uncomfortable, because I know I'm not gonna get anywhere if I don't. "I'm afraid of things," Bautista said. And I just don't know if I want Drax to be my legacy—it's a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff." Whether leaving his most iconic character behind dings his marketability as a star or not, Bautista isn't concerned. "I don't care about the spotlight, I don't care about fame.

"That '90s Show" is a spinoff and continuation of the hit sitcom "That '70s Show." "That '90s Show" will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix starting January 19. Where to watch 'That '90s Show'You can watch "That '90s Show" on Netflix starting January 19. Yes, Topher Grace and Laura Prepon will reprise their roles as Eric and Donna from "That '70s Show" in the new sequel series "That '90s Show." FoxIf you want to catch up on all eight seasons of "That '70s Show" before you watch "That '90s Show," you can find the original series on Peacock.

In TV, the top 10 list ranges from the indefinable second season of “The White Lotus” to laugh-out-loud comedies and smoldering fantasy shows. “Catch the Fair One” is available on Hulu and various video-on-demand platforms. “Paris, 13th District” is available on Amazon Prime Video and various video-on-demand platforms. “Peter Von Kant” is available on various video-on-demand platforms. “Tár” is available on various video-on-demand platforms.

☆ The world's in a 'polycrisis' — and these countries want to quash it by looking beyond GDP
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Mostly led by women, Finland, Iceland, Scotland, Wales and New Zealand are all members of the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership. "Which I think is why we're seeing such growing interest in the well-being economy approach, both here in Scotland and around the world." A post-growth society is one that resists the demand for constant economic growth. Mostly led by women, Finland, Iceland, Scotland, Wales and New Zealand are all members of the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership. 'GDP is not a way to measure richness'The push to look beyond economic growth comes at a time of growing calls to end fossil fuel production worldwide.

A blast of Arctic air will also plunge much of the country into bitter and, in some cases, dangerous cold, forecasters say. In some parts of this area, the wind chill could reach as low as minus 70 degrees, according to the Weather Service. Brief bursts of moderate to heavy snow lasting an hour or two are likely to occur immediately behind the Arctic front. Strong southerly winds, combined with the new moon-tide cycle, could also bring coastal flooding from northern New Jersey to northeast Massachusetts, the Weather Service said. Meteorologists warned local residents that this is not a normal lake effect event with a narrow band of heavy snow.

☆ NHL roundup: Blues' Jordan Kyrou nets first hat trick
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Jordan Binnington made 33 saves for the Blues, who have won the first three outings of a five-game road trip. It was the second consecutive game, and fifth on home ice this season, that the Canucks lost 5-1. Nic Dowd scored goals 11 seconds apart in the second period and had an assist on Orlov's game-winner. He remains at 800 career goals, one behind Red Wings legend Gordie Howe for second place on the all-time list. Jeff Skinner and Lawrence Pilut also scored goals for the Sabres, who won their fourth straight game and completed a sweep of a three-game Western road trip.

☆ Top 25 roundup: No. 5 Houston deals No. 2 Virginia first loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

2 Virginia its first loss, 69-61, Saturday in Charlottesville, Va.Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark added 13 points each, while Jamal Shead had 11 points and four assists. Furst finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Smith posted 10 points and 12 rebounds. Sam Mennenga led Davidson (7-4) with 14 points and Foster Loyer, Fletcher's brother, had 11 points. Kevin McCullar contributed 11 points, 11 rebounds and five steals, while KJ Adams and Jalen Wilson added 11 points apiece. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 13 points and a career-high nine blocked shots for Indiana (8-3), which lost its second straight game.

After a thrilling quarterfinal round and a more predictable semifinals, Argentina and France stand alone. These pictures show how they got here, with one tricky change: We’ve removed the ball. See if you can guess where it was.

☆ Australia's Wong to visit Pacific in bipartisan effort to boost ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The group comprises Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, senior government minister Pat Conroy, and their opposition counterparts, the politicians said in a joint statement on Sunday. Discussions would cover development objectives, the "existential threat" of climate change, and key regional security issues, the politicians said in their statement. The group, while in Vanuatu, would attend a ceremony for the handover of a new wharf and police boat "as part of Australia’s enduring cooperation on shared regional security interests". "I am pleased we are ... demonstrating Australia’s enduring commitment to strengthening our Pacific partnerships and addressing regional challenges,” Wong said. It is the first government-led bipartisan visit to Pacific island countries since 2019, they said.

☆ Australia's Telstra suffers privacy breach, 132,000 customers impacted
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Australia's largest telecoms firm Telstra Corp Ltd (TLS.AX) said on Sunday that 132,000 customers were impacted by an internal error that led to disclosure of customer details. The errant disclosure comes after the company in October suffered what it called a small data breach, attributing it to third-party intrusion that exposed some employee data back to 2017. A Telstra internal staff email put the number of affected current and former employees of that breach at 30,000, according to local media. "Protecting our customers’ privacy is absolutely paramount and this is an unacceptable breach of their trust," he added. "We are in the process of contacting every impacted customer to let them know what has occurred."

☆ Australia imposes sanctions on Iran, Russia over human rights violations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File PhotoSYDNEY, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Australia's foreign minister on Saturday said the government would place targeted sanctions on Russia and Iran in response to what it said were "egregious" human rights violations. Seven Russians involved in what the foreign minister said was the attempted assassination of former opposition leader Alexei Navalny would also have human rights sanctions imposed on them, she said. In addition to human rights sanctions, Wong said Australia was placing further targeted financial sanctions on three Iranians and one Iranian business for supplying drones to Russia for use against Ukraine. "The supply of drones to Russia is evidence of the role Iran plays in destabilising global security. Australia's previous Liberal-National coalition government first imposed Magnitsky-style sanctions - measures that impose financial penalties and travel bans against individuals - in March against 14 Russian individuals.

☆ Europe’s energy grids face first major winter stress test as Arctic blast takes hold
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — Temperatures in Northern Europe are expected to fall sharply over the coming days as cold air blows in from the Arctic, posing the first major winter test of the region's energy grids. The projected cold snap is thought to represent a significant stress test for Europe's fragile energy market systems. The latest data from industry group Gas Infrastructure Europe shows the EU's gas storage is estimated to be roughly 90% full. Energy analysts told CNBC that while Europe's gas storage levels were in a relatively strong position for winter, southern Germany may be "particularly vulnerable" to freezing temperatures partly due to nuclear outages in France. The U.K. could face problems early next year too if energy exports from the EU fall.

After a thrilling World Cup round of 16, eight more teams have been eliminated from the tournament. We collected photos of the action, but made one important change — we eliminated the ball. See if you can guess where it was.

☆ OPEC+ agrees to stick to its existing policy of reducing oil production ahead of Russia sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, OPEC+ agreed in early October to reduce production by 2 million barrels per day from November. OPEC and non-OPEC producers, a group of 23 oil-producing nations known as OPEC+, decided to stick to its existing policy of reducing oil production by 2 million barrels per day, or about 2% of world demand, from November until the end of 2023. Energy analysts had expected OPEC+ to consider fresh price-supporting production cuts ahead of a possible double blow to Russia's oil revenues. The Kremlin has previously warned that any attempt to impose a price cap on Russian oil will cause more harm than good. Led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, OPEC+ agreed in early October to reduce production by 2 million barrels per day from November.

☆ Australia's PM says he's not in group of Australian MPs to visit Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends the APEC Leader's Dialogue with APEC Business Advisory Council during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, in Bangkok, Thailand. The group, which includes Australia's governing Labor Party and opposition Liberal-National coalition MPs, will fly to Taiwan on Sunday and is the first delegation of its type to visit there since 2019, The Australian newspaper reported on Saturday. Albanese on Saturday described the trip as a "backbench" visit to Taiwan, not a government-led one. "There remains a bipartisan position when it comes to China and when it comes to support for the status quo on Taiwan," Albanese told reporters in the town of Renmark, in South Australia state. The group will reportedly meet with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, with the visit having support from Taiwan's foreign ministry.

☆ Kremlin says Putin open to talks; Zelenskyy aide says up to 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An elderly woman looks at damaged caused by overnight Russian shelling of a residential building on Dec. 1, 2022 in Kherson, Ukraine. Between 10,000 and 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the war with Russia so far, according to a reported estimate from Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak. Meanwhile, Ukraine's regional heads said in an update that Russian forces launched a missile attack on an infrastructure facility in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reportedly said Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to talks over a possible settlement deal. That comes shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden said he would be prepared to meet Putin if he was looking for a way to end the war.

☆ OPEC+ to consider deeper oil output cuts ahead of Russia sanctions and proposed price cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The highly anticipated meeting comes ahead of potentially disruptive sanctions on Russian oil, weakening crude demand in China and mounting fears of a recession. Concern that an outright ban on Russian crude imports could send oil prices soaring, however, prompted the G-7 to consider a price cap on the amount it will pay for Russian oil. "The other factor OPEC will need to consider is indeed the price cap," Galimberti said. The Kremlin has previously warned that any attempt to impose a price cap on Russian oil will cause more harm than good. The energy alliance recently hinted it could impose deeper output cuts to spur a recovery in crude prices.

☆ European markets set to open lower as investors await U.S. payrolls data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European markets were poised to open lower on Friday as investors closely monitored news from China over its zero-Covid policy and looked ahead to U.S. non-farm payrolls data. Britain's FTSE 100 index, France's CAC and Germany's DAX were all forecast to open slightly lower, according to data from IG. Stocks in Japan led losses, with the Nikkei 225 last seen 1.6% lower and the Topix falling 1.6%. Stateside, S&P 500 futures were slightly lower as market participants looked ahead to the November jobs report. Economic data including the Labor Department's report on non-farm payrolls, the unemployment rate and hourly wages are due at 8:30 a.m.

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