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Hunter Biden, appearing in court wearing a dark suit and sporting slicked back hair, appeared agitated and worried as the plea deal began to unravel. She said she has “concerns about the constitutionality” of the gun deal because it might violate separation of powers principles. Noreika also has the ultimate decision on what sentence Hunter Biden will receive if a plea deal is accepted or he is tried and convicted. “At least there is some scrutiny going on,” Texas Rep. Chip Roy told CNN in reaction to the Hunter Biden plea deal being refined. GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio credited IRS whistleblowers critical of the investigation for the collapse of a plea deal, although the issue did not come up during a hearing.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Hunter, Maryellen Noreika –, Donald Trump, Senate Democrats –, Noreika, Hunter Biden’s, Chris Clark, FARA, ” Noreika, isn’t, –, plop, couldn’t, Judge Maryellen Noreika, Bill Hennessy, Will DOJ’s, Justice Department’s, “, Chip Roy, Delaware’s Trump, David Weiss, Jim Jordan, Weiss, Jordan Organizations: CNN, US, Senate Democrats, Justice Department, Justice, ” Texas, GOP, Committee Locations: FARA, Wilmington , Delaware, Ohio

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Britain's markets watchdog said on Wednesday it was determined to tackle complex and often sensitive cases involving non-financial misconduct and would unveil guidance on diversity inclusion in the financial services industry in September. Nikhil Rathi, the CEO of the watchdog, told a committee of lawmakers on Wednesday that the agency would investigate non-financial misconduct cases on the basis that they were relevant to "fit and proper" standards of behaviour necessary for work in financial services. He also said that the FCA and Bank of England would be "clarifying guidance" on diversity inclusion in September, which could help spell out what constitutes "non‑financial misconduct". Rathi told lawmakers that, as a financial regulator, non-financial misconduct cases have to hinge on whether they affect consumer protection, market integrity and effective competition. But Rathi also encouraged people bringing serious allegations of non-financial misconduct to go to the police or speak to the FCA through its whistleblower hotline.

Persons: Crispin Odey, Odey, Nikhil Rathi, Rathi, Ashley Alder, Kirstin Ridley, Nell Mackenzie, Jane Merriman Organizations: Financial Conduct Authority, FCA, Bank of England, Asset Management, Financial Times, Reuters, London's Metropolitan Police, Thomson Locations: Odey

☆ CNBC Pro Talks: Fund manager reveals his top tech picks, says ‘big is beautiful’ right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | 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 EmailCNBC Pro Talks: Fund manager reveals his top tech picks, says ‘big is beautiful’ right nowCNBC’s Will Koulouris on Wednesday quizzed Richard Clode, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors, about how he invests across the Big Tech behemoths, with top holdings including Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia, Mastercard and more.

Persons: Koulouris, Richard Clode, Janus Henderson Organizations: Janus Henderson Investors, Big Tech, Nvidia, Mastercard

When asked to recount the events of June 4, 1989, the chatbot rebooted itself. On Taiwan, Ernie did not pull any punches:The People’s Liberation Army is ready for battle, will take all necessary measures and is determined to thwart external interference and “Taiwan independence” separatist attempts. According to historical records, Louis XV often uttered this phrase when he ruled France at the end of the 18th century. OpenAI released a plug-in this year that enabled its chatbot to surf the web through Microsoft’s Bing. researchers have used to gauge a chatbot’s human-level intuitions:“Here we have a book, nine eggs, a laptop, a bottle and a nail.

Persons: Ernie, chatbot, Vladimir V, Putin, “, ChatGPT, crackdowns, ”, Louis XV, Jean, Jacques Rousseau, Marie Antoinette, Linda Yaccarino, Jack Dorsey, OpenAI, Microsoft’s Bing Organizations: People’s, Army, Baidu, Twitter Locations: United States, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russian, Russia, France, French

☆ Cuba: A Russian navy ship docks in Havana as tough times bring the old friends together
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Patrick Oppmann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Havana, Cuba CNN —As a series of welcoming cannon blasts rang out from a nearby colonial fort, the Russian navy’s training class ship Perekop sailed into Havana on Tuesday. “We are condemning, we are rejecting, the expansion of NATO towards Russia’s borders,” Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel told Russian-controlled network, RT, in a rare interview in May. He also blasted US economic sanctions on Russia, while heralding Russian “projects of cooperation and collaboration” under development in Cuba. But following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba lost its main trading partner and entered a deep economic depression. Despite the high cost of the war in Ukraine and economic sanctions, Russian officials say they are committed to Cuba.

Persons: Perekop, “, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Patrick Oppmann, Jorge R, –, Russia –, Yamil Lage, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Ric Herrero, ” Herrero, “ There’s, ” Benjamin Ziff, Chargé d’Affaires, Sergey Shoigu, Alvaro Lopez Miera, ” Shoigu Organizations: Cuba CNN, Prensa Latina, Cuban, Soviet, NATO, CNN, University of Texas, Austin Energy Institute, Russian, Getty, Trump, Cuba Study, US Naval, Russian Defense Locations: Havana, Cuba, Russian, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Cuban, Moscow, Russia’s, Russia, USSR, AFP, Trump, Spanish, Guantánamo, East, West, “ Cuba

☆ Americans spend an average of $91.75 on Amazon each month—these are the 10 highest-spending states
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

With Prime Day right around the corner, a new survey has shown just how much money Amazon is able to squeeze out of its customers. The average American spends $91.75 on the ecommerce site each month, according to data gathered by Upgraded Points, which quizzed 3,200 shoppers across 44 states about their Amazon consumption habits. While customers who aren't Amazon Prime members spend an average of $38 per month, members of the subscription shopping service spend an average of $110 per month, or $1,320 a year, the survey found. During Amazon's Prime Day shopping holiday, customers reported spending an average of $117 on discounted products. I know I'm very guilty of it," Bre Lewis, a research assistant at Upgraded Points, says of spending money on Amazon.

Persons: Bre Lewis, they've, Lewis Organizations: Amazon, Foods, CNBC

☆ 'Slippery' actor Kevin Spacey tried to groom me, man tells UK court
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Actor Kevin Spacey walks outside the Southwark Crown Court on the day of his trial over charges related to allegations of sex offences, in London, Britain, June 30, 2023. REUTERS/Toby MelvilleSummary Actor Kevin Spacey charged with 12 sex offencesOscar-winner denies all accusationsAlleged victim says he felt ashamedLONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - An alleged sex assault victim of Kevin Spacey said the "slippery" Hollywood actor had tried to "groom" him, and the repeated groping assaults had left him feeling physically sick, a London court heard on Monday. On Monday, the court was shown a recorded police interview with the first of the alleged victims. Describing himself a "man's man", the accuser recounted that he had threatened to knock the actor out if he did it again, to which Spacey had replied "that's such a turn on to me". The man replied he might have got the dates wrong as it had been so long ago.

Persons: Kevin Spacey, Toby Melville, Spacey, Patrick Gibbs, feely, Elton John, Oscar, Gibbs, Michael Holden, William Maclean Organizations: Southwark Crown, REUTERS, London Old Vic, Thomson Locations: Southwark, London, Britain

☆ Morning Bid: Nevermind the cricket, here's inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom WestbrookBritish inflation figures this morning could take traders' minds off England's cricket defeat, should they show the slowdown that economists are hoping for. But a bit the questions Australia's comeback at Edgbaston has asked about England's aggressive new cricketing style, an upside inflation surprise can upset the policy outlook. In Asia, China's slowdown and the lack of big-bang stimulus had markets on the slide. Later on Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell appears before the U.S. Congress where he will be quizzed about policymakers' projections for two more interest rate hikes this year. Key developments that could influence markets on Wednesday:British inflation dataFed Chair Jerome Powell speaksReporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tom Westbrook, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken's, Jerome Powell, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Reuters, Bank of England, Edgbaston, U.S, U.S . Congress, Thomson Locations: Asia, California, China

An announcement by the PGA Tour declared a partnership with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, as well as the DP World Tour, unifying the trio under a new, yet-to-be-named, commercial entity. An eight-time winner on the PGA Tour and the 2020 US Open champion, DeChambeau’s move was a huge coup for LIV Golf. Yet many of the game’s biggest stars stayed put, with several becoming outspoken critics of LIV Golf. The latter purportedly turned down a $700 - $800 million offer to join the breakaway series, according to LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman. “I do feel bad for the PGA Tour players because they were told one thing and something else happened.

Persons: Bryson DeChambeau, “, LIV, DeChambeau, DeChambeau’s, LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ” DeChambeau, it’s, Suhaimi Abdullah, Saudi Arabia’s, LIV Golf’s, Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Bin Salman, Quizzed, Collins, “ I’m, I’m, ” Bryson, Brett Eagleson, Maddie Meyer, ” Organizations: CNN, PGA Tour, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, PGA, “, LIV, Sentosa Golf Club, Saudi, Congress, United, America, Getty Locations: Saudi, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Washington, al Qaeda

[1/7] Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walks outside the Rolls Building of the High Court in London, Britain June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKayLONDON, June 7 (Reuters) - Prince Harry said phone-hacking was carried out on an industrial scale across the British press and he would feel a sense of injustice if the High Court in London ruled he had not been a victim. I believe phone-hacking was on an industrial scale across at least three of the papers at the time and that is beyond doubt. In response to Green's suggestion that Harry wanted to have been a victim, the prince replied: "Nobody wants to be phone hacked." As on Tuesday, Harry again appeared relaxed, speaking firmly but softly, as Green quizzed him in detail over 33 newspaper articles whose details Harry claims were obtained unlawfully.

Persons: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Hannah McKay LONDON, Harry, Andrew Green, Green, Rupert Murdoch's, HARRY, Princess Diana, Michael Holden, Bernadette Baum, Alex Richardson Organizations: Court, REUTERS, Mirror Group, Daily, Sunday People, Reach, Buckingham, MGN, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ ChatGPT Secret Training Data: the Top 50 Books AI Bots Are Reading
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

To figure out what GPT-4 has read, they quizzed it on its knowledge of various books, as if it were a high-school English student. One way to answer the question is to look for information that could have come from only one place. Genre — sci-fi, mystery, romance, horror — is, broadly speaking, more interesting, partially because these books have plots where things actually happen. Bamman's GPT-4 list is a Borgesian library of episodic connections, cliffhangers, third-act complications, and characters taking arms against seas of troubles (and whales). See what a bot makes of Gene Wolfe's "The Book of the New Sun," maybe, or Sheri Tepper's "Grass."

Walking away, President Joe Biden wrapped his arm around Zelensky’s shoulders. None of the G7 leaders are particularly popular at home, even as they produce results abroad. After all, it was Trump who had argued over dinner at the 2019 G7 summit in Biarritz, France, that Russia should be allowed back into the group. That level of chaos was nowhere to be found in Hiroshima this past week, when leaders appeared to generally like each other. Even before Biden left for the G7 summit, the stalemate over raising the federal borrowing limit prompted a scramble to rearrange the president’s engagements so he could return to Washington early.

☆ China's BYD beefs up autonomous driving credentials with new unit, hiring spree
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Current BYD recruiting advertisements for engineers specialising in autonomous driving that target top Chinese universities such as Zhejiang University, indicate that the hiring is ongoing. BYD set up an intelligent driving research division in Shanghai last year, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The automaker, which is 9.87% owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) and had some 660,000 employees as of April, declined to elaborate on its autonomous driving strategy. BYD has also this year teamed up with autonomous driving chip technology firms Nvidia (NVDA.O) and Horizon Robotics (RBOT.TO), saying it wanted to develop more intelligent vehicles. Both are high-volume models and further advances in BYD autonomous driving features would popularise the technology within China.

☆ US airline passengers are getting increasingly frustrated. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Air travel has bounced back after its pandemic-induced slump, but that doesn’t mean passengers are feeling good about it. North American travelers are frustrated with high ticket prices, staffing shortages and reduced routes, according to consumer research company J.D. Power’s 2023 North American Airline Satisfaction Study. Unsatisfied passengersDelta Air Lines ranked number one for premium economy passengers, number two for economy passengers and number two for first class and business class travelers. American Airlines

☆ Tee-k Tock: The ‘appalling’ slow play controversy riling golf’s biggest stars
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Koepka, whose frustrations with slow play lit the touchpaper of a fiery feud with rival Bryson DeChambeau in 2019, made no secret of his grievances. It does become frustrating when you are waiting so long.”1-on-1 with newly minted PGA Tour winner Matt Fitzpatrick 03:48 - Source: CNNFurther complaints came from beyond the confines of the PGA Tour. I was penalized on LPGA for slow play … and it forced me to speed up,” Alvarez said. “It’s not very pleasant to watch somebody stand over the ball for half an hour.”Nicklaus is not a fan of slow play. “We want to keep the focus where it should be: on world-class shot-making.”Solutions: Golf’s shot clock eraSo how do you solve a problem like slow play?

☆ What it was like to pilot the supersonic Concorde jet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

It’s said that during the aircraft’s 27 years of service, there were more qualified American astronauts than there were British Airways Concorde pilots. Supersonic flyingA photo of Concorde pilot Barbara Harmer, Concorde at the controls for a London to New York flight in 1993. Concorde: When supersonic travel was a reality 02:32 - Source: CNNThe small pool of Concorde pilots also meant everyone knew everyone. It would take him back to the day he stood at Heathrow, watching the first commercial Concorde flight take off. Future of supersonic flightAlmost two decades since Concorde’s final flight, the allure of supersonic flight hasn’t waned, with companies such as Boom Supersonic plotting plans for Concorde’s successor.

☆ The 7 theories for why Tucker Carlson got fired from Fox News
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Tucker Carlson was axed by Fox News Monday, days after it settled Dominion's defamation lawsuit. Here are seven theories for why Fox News decided to part ways with Carlson. Since then, media industry insiders have been buzzing with different theories for why Carlson was pushed out. The C-wordWithin the Dominion lawsuit, there emerged a pattern of vulgar language spewed by Carlson throughout his time at Fox News. Rupert Murdoch (right) and Lachlan Murdoch at the US Open in 2018.

☆ AI Technology Like ChatGPT Will Reshape Software Coding Jobs Forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Aki Ito | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Their conclusion: 19% of workers hold jobs in which at least half their tasks could be completed by AI. Researchers at Microsoft and its subsidiary GitHub recently divided software developers into two groups — one with access to an AI coding assistant, and another without. Amazon has built its own AI coding assistant, CodeWhisperer, and is encouraging its engineers to use it. Another argument from the optimists: Even as AI takes over the bulk of coding, human coders will find new ways to make themselves useful by focusing on what AI can't do. So maybe, long term, human coders will survive in some new, as-yet-to-be-determined role.

☆ The Janes 1960s underground abortion network
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

The group was officially created in 1969 as the “Abortion Counseling Service of Women’s Liberation.”But after running ads in an underground newspaper: “Pregnant? “It wasn’t just abortion,” Barron explained. “Vacuum aspiration was much easier to do, and I think it’s less difficult for the woman,” Scott said. We had to keep the service running.”Laura Kaplan volunteered for the Janes, later immortalizing the group in her book, "The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service." Each Jane was charged with 11 counts of abortion and conspiracy to commit abortion, with a possible sentence of up to 110 years in prison.

☆ Exclusive: In Rakuten Bank's downsized IPO, investors pushed for details on troubled parent, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Miho Uranaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rakuten Bank declined to comment beyond what it has already disclosed. Rakuten Group directed Reuters to Rakuten Bank. Rakuten Bank also disclosed a 63.2 billion yen investment in securitised assets related to the struggling mobile business. It later priced the IPO at the top of the scaled-back range, valuing the bank at 238 billion yen. Demand from overseas investors was so strong at the lowered price that bankers ultimately increased the portion of IPO available to overseas investors, filings showed.

March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Thursday accused TikTok of serving harmful content and inflicting "emotional distress" on young users, grilling the Chinese-owned app's CEO on the company's outsized influence on teens. Like other social media platforms, TikTok has long faced scrutiny over its policing of content on the app. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein 1 2Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, said content on TikTok "exacerbated feelings of emotional stress" in children. Pew Research Center said 67% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 use TikTok, and 16% of all teens say they use the app almost constantly. Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas and Rami Ayyub in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter and Lincoln Feast.

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinMarch 23 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Thursday accused TikTok of serving harmful content and inflicting "emotional distress" on young users, grilling the Chinese-owned app's CEO on the company's outsized influence on teens. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican from Washington, kicked off the hearing with TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew saying that within minutes of creating an account on TikTok, the content algorithm promotes self-harm and eating disorder content, and encourages "dangerous" challenges that can put kids' lives at risk. Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democrat from New Jersey, said content on TikTok "exacerbated feelings of emotional stress" in children. Lawmakers quizzed Chew about whether Americans' user data could be accessed by the Chinese government as well as how it prevented harmful content from reaching young users. Chew later said during the hearing that content such as dangerous challenges were prohibited from TikTok.

☆ Oil steadies after dipping on China outlook; investors await Fed clues
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies China's growth outlook down from last year's targetFed chair speaks to Congress this weekU.S. February jobs report also in focusHOUSTON, March 6 (Reuters) - Oil prices were steady on Monday as top oil executives debated supply tightness at an oil conference in Houston. Oil market and logistics are tight and vulnerable to any unexpected supply disruption, as Russian oil is still getting to the market, but at different costs, oil major Chevron Corp (CVX.N) Chief Executive Mike Wirth said at the CERAWeek energy conference. Trading company Gunvor's CEO Torbjorn Tornqvist said crude prices may rise in the second half of the year as Chinese demand returns to the market, adding that the oil market has stabilised. China's closely watched growth outlook, announced on Sunday, was lower than last year's 5.5% target for gross domestic product (GDP) growth. At the same time, oil prices are likely to be affected by increases to interest rates across the world as global central banks tighten policy over fears of rising inflation.

☆ Oil dips on China outlook while investors await Fed clues
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Noah Browning | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures were trading down 60 cents, or 0.7%, at $85.23 a barrel by 1520 GMT. "Crude remains in a tug-of-war between optimism over Chinese reopening and nervousness over a hawkish Fed hurting the U.S. economy," said Vandana Hari, founder of oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights. China's closely watched growth outlook, announced on Sunday, was lower than last year's 5.5% target for gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Policy sources had told Reuters the target could be set as high as 6% for 2023. At the same time, oil prices are likely to be affected by increases to interest rates across the world as global central banks tighten policy over fears of rising inflation.

☆ Asia stocks rally, bonds tense for U.S. rate tests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Japan's Nikkei (.N225) climbed 1.0% to a three-month top, while South Korean stocks (.KS11) added 0.6% helped by a softer reading on inflation. S&P 500 futures dipped 0.1% and Nasdaq futures 0.2%, after rallying on Friday as bond yields eased back a little. Futures imply a 72% chance the Fed will go by 25 basis points at its meeting on March 22. The BOJ jolted markets in December when it unexpectedly widened the allowed trading band for 10-year bond yields to between -50 and +50 basis points. Friday's pullback in bond yields helped gold recover some ground and it was trading at $1,855 an ounce .

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