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President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration in January, though it's unclear if he plans to attend. “That is true, yes, and this is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just allies but our adversaries and our competitors, too," she said. Trump has long touted his close relationship with Xi, whom he hosted at Mar-a-Lago in 2017. Xi congratulated Trump after his election victory last month, but it is not clear whether the two men have spoken. Xi told President Joe Biden last month that he would work with the incoming Trump administration and that “China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Karoline Leavitt, Trump, Leavitt, Xi, didn't, Biden, Sen, Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, Trump’s Jan, TikTok, Joe Biden, ” Organizations: Fox News, Fox, Trump White House, China's, NBC, ByteDance, The, Department, Wednesday, Mar, Trump Locations: China's U.S, U.S, China, Beijing, United States, Lago

☆ ‘Attenzione, pickpocket!’: The woman who went viral fighting crime on the streets of Venice
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

“Attenzione — ladri, carteristas!” (She makes her announcements in Italian, English and Spanish to alert as many tourists as possible.) But it’s by seeing her at work in Venice that you really calibrate her impact. Spiraling petty crime@cittadininondistrattiFor all their fun, Poli’s videos — currently she has 461 up on Instagram — have spotlit a spiraling problem of petty crime in Italy. Thefts on trains across the country were up 21% — but thefts on trains in Venice were up by a whopping 38.8%. And that means that Venice, whose estimated 30 million annual visitors dwarf the under-50,000 local population, has become a honeypot for petty crime.

Persons: Monica Poli, “, Alessandro Lavardato, ”, Titian, Tintoretto —, —, Ron DeSantis, she’s, Monica ”, Poli, pickpockets, Il Gazzettino, there’s, Vincenzo Senatore, Andrea Merola, Poli —, they’ll, Il, Senatore “, ’ Poli, Julia Buckley, CNN Poli, pickpocketing, there’s Poli, ” Poli, She’s, Manuel Silvestri, sanguine, Poli isn’t, Franco Dei Rossi, Sempre, CNN It’s, Matteo Salvini, Antonio Incandela, Stefano Mazzola, Europol, TikTok, Monica Poli's, ‘ They’ll, it’s Organizations: Venice CNN —, Florida, Italian Interior Ministry, Giambrone, Bloomberg, Getty, Ministry, CNN, Cittadini, ” Poli isn’t, Piazza San Marco, Poli, Poli ., Lega —, Roma, European Union Agency for Law, Cooperation, YouTube, New York Times Locations: Venice, Poli, Instagram, Italy, Italian, London, alleyways, Gotham City, “, Piazza San, downcast, Europe, Barcelona, Paris

☆ Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders Want to Save You Money on Credit Cards
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Sky-high credit-card interest rates are not popular. "He said, you know what, credit-card interest rates, which in some cases right now are 20, 25%, should not be higher than 10%. The average credit-card interest rate for new card offers is 24.43%, according to LendingTree — up about 10 percentage points from a decade ago. "Obviously, the interest rates have to respond to changing market conditions, and we've definitely seen that happen. A rate cap isn't the only solution to America's ballooning credit-card-debt problem and just how expensive it is to carry debt.

Persons: everyone's, Donald Trump, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Trump, Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Matt Schulz, LendingTree, we've, Julie Margetta Morgan, Margetta Morgan, Schulz, Chi Chi Wu, Elon Musk, Wu, Banks, it's, Natasha, Janet Yellen, Aaron Klein, Barack Obama, Klein, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, they're, Warren, Carter Dougherty, Emily Stewart Organizations: White, Business, Politico, American Bankers Association, LendingTree, Consumer Financial, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Trump, Chi, National Consumer Law Center, Yale, Washington, Brookings Institution, Department, Treasury, Consumer, Financial Reform, Republicans Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Alexandria, Washington

☆ This is what 4 of Trump’s cabinet picks think of the agencies they would lead.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Linda Qiu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

This is what 4 of Trump’s cabinet picks think of the agencies they would lead. If confirmed, Ms. Gabbard would oversee more than a dozen spy agencies and have access to highly sensitive intelligence. by firing its top officials, closing its headquarters in Washington and going after Mr. Trump’s rivals. But that case is not particularly relevant to Mr. Trump’s, as a federal judge ruled that the audiotapes were personal records. The letter does not contain evidence that Ms. Bowser turned down Mr. Trump’s authorization of additional National Guard troops.

Persons: Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kash Patel, Donald J, Trump, Hegseth, “, Biden, ”, who've, Gabbard, “ Tucker Carlson, Victoria Nuland, Nuland, Carlson mischaracterized Ms, Nuland’s, Ms, mischaracterizing, General Merrick B, Garland, ’, ” Ms, Kash Patel F.B.I, Mr, Patel, Shawn Ryan’s, Shawn Ryan, ” Mr, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Trump’s, Nancy Pelosi, Steve Bannon’s, Stephen Bannon, Pelosi, Muriel Bowser, Bowser, Kennedy, Kennedy’s, PolitiFact Organizations: Fox News, Fox, Pentagon, Army, Democratic Party, Trump, Ukraine, Russia, YouTube, United Nations, State Department, Mr, Justice Department, Presidential, National Archives, Records Administration, House Republicans, Capitol, Capitol Police, D.C, National Guard, Kennedy Jr, Health, Democratic, Louisiana House, ”, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention Locations: Washington, Afghanistan, United States, China, ideologues, Hawaii, Ukraine, Trump’s Florida, Louisiana

CNN —Accompanying his selection as Time’s Person of the Year, President-elect Donald Trump sat down with the magazine for a wide-ranging interview that published on Thursday. “I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you’re going to reach an agreement is not to abandon,” Trump said. He said the war is a “tragedy” with a “staggering” number of people killed on both sides of the conflict. He said he would consider getting rid of some vaccines for children, falsely suggesting autism may be caused by vaccines. Several subsequent studies trying to reproduce the results have found no link between vaccines and autism.

Persons: Donald Trump, ‘, ’, Ukraine Trump, “, ”, ” Trump, “ We’re, Joe Biden, Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, ’ Trump, We’ll, we’ll, we’re, —, “ I’m, they’ve, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, We’re, Kennedy, he’s “, ” Kennedy, he’s, It’s, Andrew Wakefield, Wakefield, ” “ Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Biden, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Trump, National Guard, NBC, Press, Time, Justice Department, NBC News, Department of Health, Human Services, US Centers for Disease Control, Autism, West Bank, Education Department Trump, Department of Education, of Education, Civil Locations: Ukraine, Russia, East, Israel, Washington

xAI paid one worker double the industry standard wage for the role; one OpenAI worker made over three times as much. AdvertisementTo examine Musk's claims about salaries, Business Insider analyzed wage data from specialty visa applications for each company from 2024. At the top end, xAI paid one worker nearly double the prevailing wage for the role of principal machine learning engineer. Since launching xAI Musk "has been trying to leverage the judicial system for an edge," they added. In April, Musk said xAI brought over a Tesla engineer after OpenAI began "aggressively recruiting" workers from the electric-car maker.

Persons: Elon Musk, overpays, xAI, — Elon Musk's xAI, Sam Altman's OpenAI, Musk, Altman's, OpenAI, PitchBook, Altman, bashed OpenAI, OpenAI's, Elon Musk's, Musk's, Igor Babuschkin Organizations: Customs, Immigration Services, Department of Labor, Employers, xAI Locations: OpenAI, Elon, Musk's

☆ Wray’s departure will cement Trump’s control over the institutions of US justice
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —FBI Director Christopher Wray’s resignation announcement was the latest, and inevitable, step in the accumulation of massive and unusual power around President-elect Donald Trump. For Trump’s supporters, Wray’s exit will represent another moment of triumph following the president-elect’s political comeback amid criminal cases that once threatened not just his political career but his liberty. They insist that Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to replace Wray, will purge what they see as the politicization of the FBI. An internal Justice Department report found that there were serious errors made in Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court applications on Carter Page, a former Trump 2016 campaign adviser. In many presidencies, tensions erupt between the bureau and Justice Department and the White House, since the agencies are regarded as quasi-independent.

Persons: Christopher Wray’s, Donald Trump, Wray, Biden, Trump, Wray’s, Kash Patel, —, Wray –, Patel, MAGA, he’d, ”, James Comey —, — Wray, Hillary Clinton’s, ” —, ” Steve Moore, It’s, Seth Moulton, “, weaponization, Carter Page, ” Chuck Grassley, Pam Bondi, ” Tom Dupree, George W, Bush, CNN’s Jake Tapper, “ We’ve, ” Patel, Steve Bannon’s, Joe Biden, — we’re, he’ll, “ I’m, NBC’s “ Organizations: CNN, FBI, Congress, Trump –, Trump, White, Republican, Capitol, America, CNN News Central, Massachusetts Democratic, Department, Intelligence, GOP, Justice Department, Conservative Political, DOJ, Democracy, Republican Party Locations: Lago, Massachusetts, Russia, State

☆ BHP, Rio Tinto: Women take on mining giants in sexual harassment class action cases
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Lawyers for women who claim they’ve been sexually harassed while working for global mining giants BHP and Rio Tinto say they’ve been inundated with emails since filing two class action cases in an Australian court. Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images‘Repeated sexual approaches’One case was filed against BHP and the other against Rio Tinto. BHP and Rio Tinto condemn behaviorClaims about the sexual bullying and harassment of women at Australia’s mine sites are not new – and in recent years both BHP and Rio Tinto have vowed to stamp it out. “We deeply regret and apologise unreservedly to anyone who has ever experienced any form of harassment at BHP,” a spokesperson said. “For many years, we have been focused on identifying, calling out and dealing with instances of disrespectful behaviour, including sexual harassment, racism and bullying,” the BHP statement said.

Persons: they’ve, JGA Saddler, Joshua Aylward, ”, groped, Aylward, “, Rio Tinto, Saeed Khan, urinated, Angela Green, Jo Stone, Green, BHP, ” “, Elizabeth Broderick, unreservedly Organizations: Australia CNN —, BHP, Rio Tinto, Court, CNN, “ BHP, Federal, Getty, Sex, ” Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Rio, Sydney, Perth, Western Australia, AFP, Queensland, New South Wales, Australia’s

☆ NYC's strict Airbnb ban faces a new challenge
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A protestor against Local Law 18 during a July 2023 rally in NYC. Related storiesThe effects of NYC's Airbnb ban so farNYC's announcement that it would begin enforcing Local Law 18 in September of 2023 shuttered thousands of Airbnb listings. Over a year later, the impacts of NYC's Airbnb ban are unclear, especially as some former listings may be still rented out illegally through Craigslist and Facebook. Tenants' groups say that Local Law 18 needs more time to work. "It was a bill that was supposed to impact housing, and it simply hasn't," Theo Yedinsky, vice president of public policy at Airbnb, told BI this week.

Persons: Airbnbs, they're, Farah Louis, Gia Sharp, Sharp, Esteban Girón, Airbnb, Theo Yedinsky, There's, Sean Hennessey, Jonathan M, He's, Paul Organizations: Local, City, Autonomy, Rights, City Council, Business, NYC . New York Daily News, NY Daily, Getty Images, Craigslist, Facebook, Tenant, New York, Tisch Center of Hospitality, Paul Locations: New York, New York City, Interior, Brooklyn, City, NYC ., New, Queens, Midtown Manhattan

☆ Why hasn’t the US been trying to fix its health insurance problems?
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The cold-blooded assassination of a health care CEO has uncorked a torrent of public anger at the health insurance industry. Satisfaction with health care coverage has never been high in the more than two decades during which Gallup has tracked it. Here, the government only provides health care for the neediest, through Medicaid, and older Americans, who generally qualify for government-run health coverage in Medicare. Dropping satisfaction with a notable government-run systemStruggles with health insurance are not unique to the US. Yet, the US political conversation barely turned to health insurance during the recently concluded presidential campaign, and the health care system was not at the top of voters’ concerns in public opinion polling.

Persons: Luigi Mangione, CNN’s Tami Luhby, Brian Thompson, it’s, Gallup, Barack Obama, Obamacare, Peter G, That’s, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Biden, Trump Organizations: CNN, Affordable, Gallup, Peterson Foundation, Commonwealth Fund, Medicaid, Medicare, National Health Service, Democrats, Representatives Locations: New York, United Kingdom

☆ No undercover FBI agents were at the January 6 US Capitol riot, watchdog reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That inaccuracy was unintentional, the inspector general found. Of those 23, three informants entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 11 entered the grounds. Republicans on Capitol Hill have repeatedly clashed with top officials at the Justice Department and FBI over the riot, most notably over suggestions that FBI informants helped instigate the attack. Other Republicans, like Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, have specifically asked the inspector general to include information about how paid informants were used during the riot. “This is not violence orchestrated by FBI sources or agents.”Those theories have public support too.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Joe Biden’s, Trump, ”, Clay Higgins, Higgins, Thomas Massie, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Capitol, Trump, FBI, US Capitol Police, GOP, Washington Field Office, Republicans, Kentucky, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Washington, Washington ,, Louisiana, “

☆ Hardline activist who raised the idea of jailing women for abortions gets top policy job in Trump administration
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Andrew Kaczynski | Em Steck | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

As CNN first reported in July, Martin has publicly advocated for a national abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest and has raised imposing criminal penalties on women and doctors involved in abortions. CNN first reported Martin’s comments about potentially jailing women for abortions when he was named deputy policy director for the Republican National Convention’s platform committee. Ultimately, at Trump’s request, the platform softened its language on abortion to remove support for a national ban. Abortions may be necessary to save the life of the mother suffering from pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia or an ectopic pregnancy. “Don’t tell me to stop talking about abortion,” Martin said in April 2024 on his radio show.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ed Martin, Martin, Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, Martin didn’t, ” Martin, Phyllis Schlafly, ’ ” Martin, “, ”, Russell Vought, Trump’s, Roe, Wade, Trump, Ed, lifers, Wade, I’m Organizations: CNN, Management, Budget, Missouri Republican Party, OMB, Republican National, Pew Research, American College of Obstetricians, Republicans, Wade Locations: Louisiana, Ohio

☆ Biden grants clemency for nearly 1,500 people, the biggest single-day act of clemency in modern history
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

White House officials are billing Thursday’s move as the biggest single-day act of clemency in modern history. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement released shortly after CNN reported early Thursday morning on the coming announcement. With less than six weeks left until the end of Biden’s term, the president is expected to provide further relief. “I will take more steps in the weeks ahead,” Biden said. The White House counsel’s office has also been in consultation with the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter, ” Biden, ”, Biden, Donald Trump, –, renege, Anita Dunn, we’ve, “, Ed Siskel Organizations: CNN, White, “, Democratic, Administration, Justice Department’s Office

☆ New York City renters are expected to soon save an average of $5,000 on apartments that used to have hefty move-in fees
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Eliza Relman | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The New York City Council passed the FARE Act, shifting broker fees from renters to landlords. AdvertisementThe New York City Council passed a law in November — the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act — shifting the burden of real estate broker fees from renters to landlords. "People with smaller budgets have to compete really fiercely for more affordable homes, but with broker fees," Lee said. Related storiesThe expected impact of the lawStreetEasy expects the FARE Act to enable many more renters to move and create more transparency when they sign a lease. The FARE Act passed the city council with the support of 42 of its 51 members, giving it a veto-proof majority.

Persons: StreetEasy, it's, Kenny Lee, Lee, Eric Adams, Adams Organizations: New, New York City Council, York City Council, Apple, New York City, New York Department of State, Real, Board, erelman Locations: New York, York, New York City, StreetEasy

☆ Trump says he isn't worried about potential conflicts of interest at Musk's DOGE: 'Elon puts the country long before his company'
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump said Elon Musk won't try to use his new power to benefit his companies. Musk's work with DOGE will likely give him some power over agencies that regulate his companies. In a new interview with Time Magazine, President-elect Donald Trump brushed back concerns that Elon Musk's companies could create a conflict of interest for his work on DOGE. Advertisement"I think that Elon puts the country long before his company," Trump said in the interview. Legal experts and those familiar with the law have said Musk's "department" clearly falls under the 1972 law's parameters.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Elon, Trump, Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, tussled Organizations: Time Magazine, Elon, Department, Government, FAA, SpaceX, Securities Exchange Commission, Tesla Inc, SEC, Twitter, The, of Justice, Federal Advisory Committee, Business

☆ Hundreds of student-loan borrowers who applied for debt cancellation are being denied relief by a major lender, over 20 Democratic lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-12 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Elizabeth Warren led over 20 colleagues in requesting the CFPB and FTC investigate student-loan company Navient. A group of Democratic lawmakers said that a major student-loan company is denying some student-loan borrowers relief that they might qualify for. Instead, they can request a school misconduct application from Navient, and Navient would then decide whether to approve it. AdvertisementThe issue, the lawmakers wrote, is that Navient has denied relief for the majority of borrowers who applied. BI previously spoke to some borrowers who have attempted to navigate Navient's school misconduct application process.

Persons: Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Navient, it's, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Ron Wyden, Warren, Nick Eucker Organizations: Democratic, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, Navient, Business, BI Locations: Alexandria

☆ Roger Goodell says NFL’s relationship with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation is 'not changing'
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Rohan Nadkarni | Rohan Nadkarni Is A Sports Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday the league’s partnership with Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z, is “not changing” amid the civil lawsuit filed against Jay-Z accusing him of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. “We are aware of the civil allegations and Jay Z’s really strong response to that," Goodell said at a press conference following a league meeting in Irving, Texas. But from our standpoint our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl." The NFL and Roc Nation entered a partnership in 2019 for the company to serve as the league’s “live music entertainment strategist.” Roc Nation has since annually produced the halftime show at the Super Bowl, including Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming performance in New Orleans in February. “These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!

Persons: Roger Goodell, Jay, Shawn Carter, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, “, Jay Z’s, Goodell, Kendrick Lamar’s, ” Goodell, They’ve, ” Carter, ’, I’m, Combs, Carter, Beyoncé Organizations: Roc Nation, Jay, Super, MTV, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Netflix Locations: Irving , Texas, New Orleans, Brooklyn, New York

Albertsons on Wednesday formally terminated its proposed $25 billion merger with Kroger and filed a lawsuit against its supermarket competitor, saying Kroger violated its contract and didn’t follow through on commitments to help get the deal approved. It comes a day after a judge blocked the planned tie-up. About two years ago, Kroger announced plans to buy Albertsons and combine forces to fend off Walmart, Amazon and Costco. The deal would have put nearly 40 supermarket chains, including Kroger’s Fred Meyer and Albertsons’ Safeway under a single company. The companies are at odds about who should pay for the legal fees associated with the merger and who, if anyone, is responsible for paying a breakup fee.

Persons: Kroger, Tom Moriarty, Fred Meyer, Albertsons, ” Kroger Organizations: Albertsons, Kroger, “, ”, Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Safeway

He and his brother-in-law filed paperwork to start Med Ed Labs, registering it as a nonprofit corporation. For example, the IRS revoked Med Ed Labs’ nonprofit status after it failed to file financial disclosures for three years. Some of the federal contracts were later terminated, including at least one that was canceled after Med Ed Labs failed to deliver. The State Anatomical Board, which had little power to regulate private companies, took no formal action against Med Ed Labs. North, the Health Science Center spokesperson, didn’t answer detailed questions about the center’s relationship with Med Ed Labs.

Persons: Andy North, Nassiri, —, who’d, I’ve, It’s, ” Nassiri, “ It’s, it’s, ”, King of Prussia, Claudia Yellott, ” Yellott, Yellott, UTHealth Houston, Kurt Clark, “, UTHealth, John Hubbard, Hubbard didn’t, ’, Sammy Rodriguez, Lynn, Rodriguez, David Saunders, ” Saunders ’, Elsie Saunders, I’m, Saunders Organizations: Health Science Center, NBC, Med Ed Labs, Allstate Insurance Co, Allstate, State Board of Health, NBC News, IRS, Ed Labs, Labs, Nordstrom, U.S . Army, Defense Health Agency, Army, Nassiri, University of North Texas Health, Science, FedEx, U.S . Postal Service, Texas —, Anatomical Board, Texas, Service, Health Science Locations: Iran, Las Vegas, Nevada, PetSmart, Sephora, Malden , Massachusetts, King, King of Prussia , Pennsylvania, Chicago, Bethesda , Maryland, Honolulu, San Antonio, Texas, Houston, Fort Worth, Portland , Oregon

☆ Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup explained: Why FIFA’s awarding of the competition is controversial
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Jacob Whitehead | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +31 min

In 10 years — give or take six months — the 2034 men’s World Cup will be played in Saudi Arabia. “Fundamental human-rights reforms are urgently required in Saudi Arabia, or the 2034 World Cup will be inevitably tarnished by exploitation, discrimination and repression.”Why will the Saudi bid stand unopposed? Instead, they will target the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup and the Club World Cup three years later. Sport has become one of Vision 2030’s pillars — and the 2034 World Cup will be its crowning glory. “We cannot say that Saudi Arabia is a ‘medium risk’ country, given that it has become a pure police state,” said Lina, ahead of Saudi Arabia being confirmed as host.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi’s, Norberto Duarte, ”, Steve Cockburn, “, James Johnson, Karim Jafaar, Yasser Al Misehal, —, ely, lavery, xploitation, anuary, ake, ina, ure, l ives, orth, e mbassy, ennis, amal, ommitments, ortugal,, ational, INGO, eason, cale, hough, ingle, ince, ulf, ravel Organizations: Australia, FIFA, Saudi, AFP, Getty, Amnesty, CONCACAF, Central America, Europe’s UEFA, Africa’s CAF, South America’s CONMEBOL, AFC, OFC, Pacific, New, Football Australia, —, Publicly, Saudi Arabian Football Federation, IFA, ust, audi, ashington Locations: Saudi Arabia, Gulf, Qatar, Europe, Caribbean, United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, South, Oceania, Zealand, Australia, Asian, New Zealand, AFP, Saudi, uman, oman, ely

Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department’s storied Civil Rights Division – conservative San Francisco attorney Harmeet Dhillon – is expected to use the powerful perch to reverse many of the Biden administration’s civil rights initiatives. “The Civil Rights Division’s historical mandate from the beginning was to help fight against othering, was to help fight against societal branding of certain Americans as other,” Levitt said. Created in the 1950s, the Civil Rights Division leads the Justice Department’s enforcement of federal laws intended to combat discrimination in areas such as housing, employment and education. Under Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s leadership, the division opened civil rights investigations into a dozen police departments. The Supreme Court heard arguments last week in the challenge, which was brought by Clarke’s Civil Rights Division in 2023.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, “, Harmeet Dhillon –, Dhillon, Trump, ”, she’s, Justin Levitt, Barack Obama, ” Levitt, Mark Trammell, “ There’s, Harmeet, It’s, Jeff Sessions, Kristen Clarke’s, Levitt, —, couldn’t, Tucker Carlson, David Warrington Organizations: CNN, Department’s, Civil, Division, Biden, Trump, White, othering, Republican National Committee, “, Center of American Liberty, ” Civil, Civil Rights Division, Justice Department, Republican, Democratic, Clarke’s Civil Rights Division, Google, Civil Rights, Republican National, Capitol, Fox News, Twitter, Project Veritas, Washington Post, National Association for Gun Rights Locations: Francisco, Covid, Indian, California

☆ Will the world's fastest supercomputer please stand up?
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

With the breakneck pace of the AI computing infrastructure buildout, it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of who has the biggest, fastest, or most powerful supercomputer — especially when multiple companies claim the title at once. Advertisement"We delivered the world's largest and fastest AI supercomputer, scaling up to 65,000 Nvidia H200 GPUs," Oracle CEO Safra Catz and Chairman, CTO, echoed by Founder Larry Ellison on the company's Monday earnings call. In late October, Nvidia proclaimed xAI's Colossus as the "World's Largest AI Supercomputer," after Elon Musk's firm reportedly built a computing cluster with 100,000 Nvidia graphics processing units in a matter of weeks. Until recently the world's most powerful supercomputer was named El Capitan. Power efficiency too, is a hugely important indicator for AI computing since energy is an enormous operational expense in AI.

Persons: it's, Safra Catz, Larry Ellison, Colossus, Elon Musk's, there's, El, Dylan Patel, Patel, xAI, Colette Cress, It's, Ellison Organizations: Oracle, supercomputing, intel, Nvidia, Greater, Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, AMD, Meta, Microsoft Locations: Greater Memphis, El Capitan, California

☆ US scrambles to quell ISIS resurgence in Syria after fall of Assad
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The SDF’s top commander in Syria, General Mazloum Abdi, told CNN on Wednesday that the SDF has had to begin relocating ISIS detainees because the prisons have been threatened. The fighting has also forced the SDF to halt its anti-ISIS operations, Abdi told Sky News on Wednesday. “At the moment, joint operations against ISIS are halted, this is not a decision, but a military reality,” he said. ISIS is now stronger in the Syrian desert.”Abdi said that previously, ISIS was hiding, but their activities have now “increased” in areas under SDF control. Austin told reporters in Japan on Wednesday that the US will continue to work with the SDF going forward.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, can’t, General Mazloum Abdi, ” Abdi, Abdi, ”, Ian Moss, Jenner, ” Moss, Defense Lloyd Austin, Staff CQ Brown, Antony Blinken, Austin, ” Austin, CNN’s Jennifer Hansler Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Peoples ’, “, Sky News, State Department, SDF, ” Senior, Defense, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Turkish, Syrian National Army, US Air Force, US Air Forces Central, US, Coalition Locations: Syria, Turkey, Turkish, Manbij, ”, reconstituting, Japan

☆ Mike Lindell says 'cash-strapped' MyPillow took $1.6 million loan from payday lender at 409% interest
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

MyPillow and Mike Lindell claim in a lawsuit that they were deceived by a corporate payday lender. The lawsuit says "cash-strapped" MyPillow borrowed $1.6 million at a "usurious" interest rate. MyPillow owner Mike Lindell said his company was duped into borrowing $1.6 million at a 409% annual interest rate, the latest sign of financial distress for the far-right pillow salesman. Cobalt, Streamline, and two men named as defendants "took advantage" of MyPillow, "a cash-strapped business that needed funds quickly," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit claims that the September agreement to borrow nearly $1.6 million was stacked against MyPillow and risked ruining the company.

Persons: Mike Lindell, Lindell, he's, Law.com, It's, MyPillow, Donald Trump, didn't Organizations: Solutions, Advance, Lifetime, Shine Capital, Lindell, NBC News, Cobalt Locations: MyPillow, New York

☆ Health care stocks fall as lawmakers, patients push for changes to their business models
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

PBMs have faced years-long scrutiny from Congress and the Federal Trade Commission over allegations they inflate drug costs for patients to boost their profits. The declining stocks include UnitedHealth Group , Cigna and CVS Health , which operate three of the nation's largest private health insurers and drug supply chain middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. Shares of major health-care companies fell as much as 5% on Wednesday as investors feared pressure from lawmakers and patients could force changes to their business models. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., would force the companies that own health insurers or PBMs to divest their pharmacy businesses within three years, the Journal reported. The largest PBMs – UnitedHealth Group's Optum Rx, CVS Health's Caremark and Cigna's Express Scripts – are all owned by or connected to health insurers.

Persons: Brian Thompson, Elizabeth Warren, Josh Hawley, Warren, PBMs, —, Bertha Coombs Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street, Federal Trade Commission, UnitedHealth, CVS Health, Senate, Sens, CVS, Cigna's, FTC Locations: U.S

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