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☆ DA Fani Willis defends prosecutor she hired for Trump's Georgia election case amid allegations of an 'improper' relationship
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fulton County DA Fani Willis was accused of having an "improper" relationship with a prosecutor. Willis appointed the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, to oversee the RICO case against Trump. The motion seeks to dismiss the indictment and disqualify Willis and Wade and their offices from further prosecuting the case. Willis said she hired three special prosecutors for the election case: a white man, a white woman, and a Black man. If Willis financially benefited from her relationship with Wade, that may be an ethics violation," he said.

Persons: Fani Willis, Willis, Nathan Wade, —, Sunday, Donald Trump, Martin Luther King Jr, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Merchant, Wade, Fulton, Scott McAfee, Steve Sadow, King, she's, I'm, Pete Skandalakis, McAfee, Stephen Gillers, Trump Organizations: Fulton, Trump, Service, Big Bethel AME Church, White, New York Univerity Law School, Atlanta Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Big Bethel, Atlanta, New York

☆ Scenes From a Harsh Winter Sweeping the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Plunging temperatures have put much of the country in a deep freeze this holiday weekend, combining with snow, freezing rain, ice or gusty winds in some places to endanger nearly 100 million people from Northern California to coastal Maine. Forecasters said hundreds of records gauging the cold could be broken this week, as frigid air gripped a huge swath of the nation, including southern cities like Dallas, Memphis and Little Rock, Ark. Other places braced for sleet or snow, with Buffalo, N.Y., expecting up to two feet of snow. While some people hunkered down indoors, stocking up on food and firewood, others braved the cold to attend events for the Iowa caucuses, cheer on their favorite teams at the Chiefs-Dolphins N.F.L. playoff game or go skiing, among other activities.

Organizations: Little, Chiefs, Dolphins Locations: Northern California, Maine, Dallas, Memphis, Buffalo, N.Y, Iowa

ATLANTA (AP) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Sunday defended the qualifications of a special prosecutor she hired for her case against Donald Trump and others over efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia after a defense lawyer accused Willis of professional impropriety. At the church, Willis did not address the allegations of an improper relationship. They are paid the same hourly rate and no one has questioned the qualifications of the two white lawyers, she said. Merchant's filing offered no proof of the alleged relationship or trips that she said that Willis and Wade had taken together. Pete Skandalakis, a former district attorney who is executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, said district attorneys do not have to seek permission before hiring a special prosecutor.

Persons: Fani Willis, Sunday, Donald Trump, Willis, Martin Luther King Jr, ”, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Nathan Wade, Wade, Scott McAfee, Steve Sadow, King, King “, “, she's, ” Willis, “ I'm, ” Merchant, Merchant, Pete Skandalakis, McAfee Organizations: ATLANTA, Big Bethel AME Church, Trump, White, ’ Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Big Bethel, Atlanta

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Logan Eschrich came to Buffalo to witness the snowstorm, and he stayed for the shoveling on Sunday. Once the professional storm chaser saw the Buffalo Bills invite fans to help dig out a snow-filled Highmark Stadium for their delayed playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, now scheduled for Monday, Eschrich couldn’t resist. Stadium crews were unable to keep up with the falling snow, using blowers to uncover the yard lines. Today, it’s a cherished memory for Wood, in part because the win helped the Bills snap a 17-season playoff drought. One thing is certain for Tasker who, like Wood, is part of the Bills' radio broadcast team.

Persons: — Logan Eschrich, Eschrich, it’s, ” Eschrich, ”, Kathy Hochul, Eric Wood, Wood, ” Wood’s, Adam Vinatieri, “, ” Wood, Steve Tasker, “ It's, ” Tasker, Tasker, “ I’m, Gabe Davis, LB Tyrel Dodson, Andy Isabella, LB, Klein, ___ Organizations: Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Associated Press, Live Storms Media, Bills, New York Gov, NFL, The Steelers, Buffalo Niagara International Airport, New York Jets, Indianapolis, Colts, Buffalo, Steelers, LB A.J Locations: BUFFALO, N.Y, Buffalo, Alabama, Orchard Park, Erie County, Orchard, Detroit, who's, Cincinnati, “, Miami, Houston

There was one answer, he said, that would always be acceptable in his class filled with second-year students at the U.S. Military Academy. President Joe Biden, in his first campaign address of the year, warned about Trump's rhetoric on the military and its leadership. With cadets and midshipmen drawn from across the United States, students at West Point and other service academies are aware of the national mood and the potential for political divisions to seep into the military. At West Point, the Constitution and the oaths are not only embedded throughout the curriculum, they also permeate the campus. Avoiding it would not be an option, said Reeves, whose family ties to West Point date to the 19th century.

Persons: Joe Amoroso quizzed, ”, ” Amoroso, It’s, Trump, Mark Milley, Joe Biden, Milley, Marybeth Ulrich, Darrell Miller, Democrat Biden, Miller, “, Bryan Agustin, Ulysses S, Grant, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Shane Reeves, Jan, Reeves, Biden, – Organizations: U.S . Military Academy, Hesitantly, Joint Chiefs of Staff, West, Trump, Air Force Academy, U.S . Capitol, Civil, Military Relations, Space Force, Buckley Space Force Base, Democrat, Republican Trump, Defense, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Union Army, 101st Airborne, Central High School, GOP, Associated Press, AP Locations: United States, Denver, Texas, West, Little Rock , Arkansas, Brig

☆ In the Dream Orchestra, many musicians never played an instrument before joining
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

I think they thought I was crazy.”Many of the Dream Orchestra’s members had never played an instrument before they joined. Ron Davis Álvarez, Dream Orchestra founder and artistic directorThe small ensemble rehearsed on Fridays and Saturdays. He'd never played an instrument before joining the Dream Orchestra. Mushtaq Khorsand asked to join the Dream Orchestra after seeing how joyful his friends were during a performance. So if I wasn’t part of Dream Orchestra and (hadn’t) met Ron, I don’t where I would be,” he says.

Persons: Ron Davis Álvarez, He’d, ” Álvarez, hadn’t, they’d, Álvarez, Venezuela’s, he’d, It’s, Gustavo Bandres, “, Mostafa, ” Kazemi, Kazemi, —, –, Mostafa Kazemi, He'd, ”, Ron, Mushtaq Khorsand, ” Khorsand, Khorsand, He's, Rey, He’s, he’s, Carlos Medrano y Ritmos Ciganos Carlos Garcia, isn’t, it’s, Johan Nilsson, Tymofii Slakva, Tim, Slakva, ” Slakva, Azra Avci, Andrea Spehar, Anna Svanberg, they’ve, ‘, hasn’t, Scheherazade, Richard Meyer Organizations: CNN, Volunteers, El, El Sistema, Sistema, Orchestra, Dream Orchestra, Dream, Gothenburg Symphony, Training, YouTube, University of Gothenburg, ” Locations: Stockholm, Venezuelan, Sweden, Syria, Afghanistan, El Sistema Sweden, Gothenburg, It’s, El, Caracas, Eritrea, Albania, Malmo, Swedish, Ukraine, France, Álvarez, United Kingdom, Lebanon

Taipei, Taiwan CNN —Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party pulled off a historic third consecutive presidential victory on Saturday as voters shrugged off warnings by China that their re-election would increase the risk of conflict. The counting of votes has concluded, with Lai – the candidate of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – receiving just over 40% of the total votes, according to Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC). Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party candidate Hou Yu-ih garnered 33.49% of the votes, with Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) candidate Ko Wen-je received 26.45%. A spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office insisted the election result “does not represent the mainstream view on the island.”“Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. “There’s multiple times that China could cause a fuss over a DPP victory, either now or later this year,” Nachman said.

Persons: Taiwan CNN — Taiwan’s, Lai Ching, ” Lai, “, Hsiao Bi, Lai –, Taiwan’s, –, Hou Yu, Ko Wen, je, Xi Jinping, Xi, Yasuyosh Chiba, Tsai Ing, Lai, Tsai, China’s, ” Xi, Hsiao, ”, Jaw Shaw, kong, Sam Yeh, Biden, Wang, Lev Nachman, ” Nachman, Nachman, hasn’t, they’ve Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, Commission, Kuomintang, KMT, ih, Taiwan People’s Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, Xinhua, China’s Communist Party, Party, Taiwan, Communist, DPP, Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan’s, Illinois State University, National Chengchi University, China’s Taiwan Affairs, Taiwan “, Analysts Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, China, United States, Beijing, ”, China’s Taiwan, AFP, “, New Taipei City, Washington, Taiwan Strait

☆ Weather delays Bills and Steelers game, N.Y. governor announces
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Madison Lambert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Buffalo Bills' NFL team's Highmark Stadium is covered in snow after a recent storm in Orchard Park, New York, on Nov. 21, 2022. The Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game has been postponed until Monday afternoon due to winter weather, New York Gov. In consultation with our emergency response teams, @BuffaloBills leadership, and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed to 4:30 pm Monday," she said in a post on X. The NFL and the Bills said in a statement that the postponement was in the "best interest of public safety." Western New York is expected to be hit with a winter storm beginning around 6 p.m. Saturday.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, I've, Roger Goodell, Hochul Organizations: Buffalo Bills, NFL, The Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Gov, Bills, Pittsburgh, Super Locations: Orchard Park , New York, Buffalo, York, Erie County

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders are preparing a stopgap bill to keep the federal government running into March and avoid a partial shutdown next week. The stopgap bill, expected to be released Sunday, would come as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has been under pressure from his hard-right flank in recent days to jettison a recent bipartisan spending deal with Senate Democrats. Johnson insisted Friday that he is sticking with the deal he struck with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., despite pressure from some conservatives to renegotiate. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“Our top-line agreement remains,” Johnson said Friday, referring to the budget accord reached Jan. 7. That accord sets $1.66 trillion in spending for the next fiscal year, with $886 billion of the tally going to defense.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Chuck Schumer, ” Johnson Organizations: WASHINGTON, Congressional, Democrats

☆ Opinion | The Necessary Risk of America’s Military Strikes in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Bilal Y. Saab | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By striking Houthi rebel targets in Yemen with Britain on Thursday, Washington sent a searing message to both the Houthis and its Iranian backers that the United States has ended its longstanding defense-only posture in the Red Sea and is determined to stop the group’s attacks against commercial ships in regional waters. It’s unclear whether that strategy will work, given the intransigence of the Houthis and the fact that they stand to benefit from a fight with the United States. Such a clash boosts their credentials with U.S. foes in the region and distracts from their atrocious governance of northwestern Yemen and the country’s capital. But because of the worsening threat the group poses to the freedom of commerce and navigation in the Red Sea — a major global shipping route and a core American interest in the region — the United States had to act. President Biden said he stands ready “to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.” If he commits to this new assertive approach, provides American forces in the region with the authority and resources they need and pairs any further use of force with diplomatic efforts to end the disastrous Israel-Hamas war, his chances of checking the Houthis will improve.

Persons: Washington, Biden Organizations: American Locations: Yemen, Britain, United States, Israel

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills’ wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that was scheduled for Sunday was moved to Monday amid a forecast for dangerous winter weather, New York Gov. Officials advised residents to stay off the roads starting at nightfall on Saturday, with a driving ban taking effect at 9 p.m. The game will now be played at Highmark Stadium at 4:30 p.m. Monday instead of 1 p.m. Sunday. Hochul said she started talking with the NFL on Thursday about the possibility of having to reschedule the game. In 2022, a lake effect storm led to Buffalo’s home game against Cleveland being moved to Detroit in November.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Mark Poloncarz, Hochul Organizations: Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, New York Gov, Bills, Highmark, NFL, Cleveland Locations: BUFFALO, N.Y, Erie County, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago

Shares of Tesla closed down more than 3% Friday as the stock faced pressure from supply chain delays due to a crisis in the Red Sea, and after offering more price cuts on its vehicles in China. The Iranian-backed Houthi militia group has been attacking cargo ships and merchant vessels in the Red Sea in response to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. The Baird analysts wrote that they are "wary" of further effects to Tesla's supply chain, and they are "closely monitoring" any effect on the company's shipping routes from China. "No delays have been cited, however, we speculate that disruptions in the Red Sea may lead to longer wait times as supply chains are rerouted," they wrote. Analysts were also focused on Tesla's continuing price cuts including new discounts in China.

Persons: Tesla, Baird, Morgan Stanley, Price, Hertz, Stephen Scherr, Scherr, unionize Organizations: Tesla, Hertz, Reuters, Baird, United Auto Workers, UAW, Toyota Locations: Red, China, U.S, Berlin, Grunheide, Germany, Jan, Gaza, Europe, Sweden, Scandinavia, Detroit

☆ Keith Lee cut his food tour of the Bay Area short, saying it's 'not a place for tourists right now'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Anneta Konstantinides | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Keith Lee cut his Bay Area food tour short, saying it wasn't "a place for tourists right now." AdvertisementKeith Lee was not impressed with Bay Area cuisine. Lee — who's become a TikTok sensation for the honest food reviews he shares with his 15.6 million followers — revealed on Thursday night that he was ending his food tour in Northern California early. AdvertisementLee revealed that the second reason he decided to cut the food tour short was due to multiple disappointing dining experiences. Lee said his third "and probably the most important" reason for cutting his Bay Area trip short was an allergic reaction that sent him to the hospital.

Persons: Keith Lee, Lee, —, Lee — who's, I've, Lee didn't, Hayward, Mama T's, y'all Organizations: Area, Service, Bay, Business, Oakland, San, Greens Restaurant Locations: Northern California, San Francisco, Bay, Gotham, San Jose, Mateo, Oakland

☆ Ukraine and Russia say they want the war to end. But military and political experts say they're nowhere near peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Fighting remains intense in southern and eastern Ukraine, where Russian units are deeply entrenched, preventing Ukraine's forces from making significant advances. They note that neither Russia nor Ukraine seems to be at a point where a political resolution is palatable, however. 'Red lines' firmly drawnBoth Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly said they want the war to end — but on their terms. For its part, the Kremlin said in December that it saw no current basis for peace talks, and called Kyiv's peace plan an "absurd process" as it excluded Russia. One big stumbling block in any potential peace talks now is their respective positions on territorial integrity.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, It's, Sam Greene, Pierre Crom, Stephen Twitty, Vladimir Putin, Sam Cranny, Evans, Putin, there's, Zelenskyy, Mario Bikarski, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Bill Clark Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Economic, King's College London, CNBC, U.S, Army, U.S . European Command, Economic Forum, Royal United Services Institute, Kremlin, Kherson —, Anadolu Agency, CIS, Senators, Capitol, Cq, Inc Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Switzerland, Davos, Kyiv, Malta, China, Crimea, Avdiivka, Europe, Moscow, Russian, Estonia, Belarus, Turkey, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Ky

☆ A man was arrested in connection to a YouTube prank where he dumped buckets of feces and other fluids onto train riders
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Belgian prankster was arrested earlier this month for a YouTube stunt, prosecutors said. He's dumped buckets of various substances — including feces — onto metro riders. AdvertisementA man in Belgium was arrested earlier this month after filming himself dumping buckets of various substances — including feces — onto unsuspecting metro passengers as part of a multi-series YouTube prank. and is said to have mixed "diverse" substances, including paint, excrement, and food, into buckets and threw them at passengers to get as many "likes" as possible on social media. He has only posted 16 YouTube videos to date.

Persons: —, YaNike, — YaNike Organizations: Politico, YaNike, Service, Business, Brussels Times, YouTube Locations: Belgian, Belgium, Brussels

☆ Shimmer is using AI to bring ADHD coaching to adults. Here's an exclusive look at the pitch deck the startup used to land $2.2 million in fresh VC funding.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The startup, which provides digital ADHD coaching for adults, just raised a $2.2 million seed round led by Worklife Ventures and SeedtoB Capital. The startup offers access to live sessions with coaches and an AI program that helps users set goals and stick to them. offers ADHD diagnoses and various treatment options, including medication. The startup offers plans ranging from $140 to $345 per month, all of which include Shimmer's flagship 1:1 coaching sessions, which are all conducted by licensed professionals.

Persons: —, Y Combinator, Shimmer, Gaingels, Y, Megan Hall, Chris Wang, Shimmer's, Wang, Vikram Sreedhar —, she's, monetize Organizations: Service, Business, Worklife Ventures, SeedtoB, Koa Labs, Aglaé Ventures, Honeystone Ventures, CVS, Shimmer, American, of Psychiatry Locations: Alma

☆ Days from government shutdown, Speaker Johnson may need short-term spending bill he previously opposed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Senate Republicans repeatedly said this week that a short-term spending bill may be necessary to keep the government open, a harsh reality for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is balancing a looming shutdown deadline with the demands of hardline Republicans. The last temporary spending bill Congress passed, in November, established a laddered schedule of funding deadlines, the first on Jan. 19 and the other on Feb. 2. Meanwhile, eyes are on Johnson to follow through on the hardline Republican demands he was elected to champion. If not, he could meet the same fate as his predecessor, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was ousted in part for conceding to Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. While following through on the hardline demands would earn Johnson points with some House Republicans, it makes negotiating with Democrats harder, adding time to budget talks that he does not have.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Jan, Sen, John Cornyn, John Thune, Mitch McConnell, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Hugh Hewitt, dwindles, Chuck Schumer Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republicans, Republican, CRs, Street Locations: Texas, Ky

☆ Ads for Match Group and Walmart ran alongside disturbing content on Meta’s platforms, court documents claim
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Wednesday’s filing alleges that Match Group cut its advertising spending on Meta’s platforms over its concerns. Wednesday’s complaint cites an alleged email exchange between Match and Meta late last year in which the dating company asked how Meta prevented its ads from running next to inappropriate content. Meta responded saying it had removed some of the flagged content, including the group, the complaint states. Former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Arturo Bejar also told a Senate subcommittee in November that Meta’s top executives, including Zuckerberg, ignored warnings for years about harm to teens on its platforms. Zuckerberg and Meta are refusing to be honest and transparent about what is taking place on Meta’s platforms,” Torrez said in a statement to CNN Wednesday.

Persons: General Raúl Torrez, Torrez, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, ” Meta, Andy Stone, “, we’ve, provocatively, Harley Davidson, ”, Zuckerberg, Arturo Bejar, Mr, Meta’s Stone Organizations: New, New York CNN, Group, Walmart, Meta, CNN, Wall, Facebook, Wednesday Locations: New York, New Mexico, Mexico, “, TikTok

☆ 5 Takeaways From the Appeals Court Hearing on Trump’s Immunity Claim
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Charlie Savage | Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Washington heard arguments on Tuesday in a momentous case over former President Donald J. Trump’s claim that he is immune from criminal charges for the efforts he took to overturn the 2020 election. A ruling by the court — and when it issues that decision — could be a major factor in determining when, or even whether, Mr. Trump will go to trial in the federal election case. Here are some takeaways:All three judges signaled skepticism with Trump’s position. The judges on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit appeared unlikely to dismiss the charges against Mr. Trump on grounds of presidential immunity, as he has asked them to do. The two Democratic appointees on the court, Judge J. Michelle Childs and Judge Florence Y. Pan, peppered John Sauer, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, with difficult questions.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Judge J, Michelle Childs, Florence Y, John Sauer, Karen L, Henderson, Biden Organizations: Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, Mr, Democratic, Republican Locations: Washington

☆ A woman's Gen Alpha sister informed her that 'pop off,' 'BFF,' 'bae,' and other Gen Z and millennial slang are no longer cool, and older viewers say it hurts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Last Wednesday, a Gen Alpha girl named Brooklyn made her older sister Liv Kaplan feel out of touch when she informed her that a slew of Gen Z and millennial slang, from "bae" to "pop off" to "slay," is no longer cool. Perhaps most surprisingly, to call someone a best friend, Brooklyn said Gen Alpha doesn't use "bff" as much as "bsf." (Though some commenters disputed this detail and accused Gen Alpha of "gentrifying" the word GYAT by turning it from a way to say "god damn" into an acronym.) @livkaplan Replying to @Noah Schnapp ASKING MY GEN ALPHA LITTLE SISTER WHAT SLANG IS IN PART 2 💋✨ @BROOKLYN ♬ original sound - Liv KaplanIn a follow-up video, Brooklyn provided more Gen Alpha-friendly phrases. She also said Gen Alpha uses words like "cap," a way to say you think someone is lying, and "ate," meaning metaphorically to devour a look or moment (e.g., "you ate that outfit").

Persons: —, Alpha, Liv Kaplan, Z, Brooklyn, Gen Alpha, @livkaplan, @Noah, n., ike Organizations: Service, Generation Alpha, Brooklyn, Business, Alpha, bsf, bae, GEN ALPHA Locations: yass, —

☆ White House stands by Defense Secretary Austin as bipartisan furor grows over secret ICU stay
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said there are no plans other "than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job." He remains focused on conducting his duties as Secretary of Defense in defense of our nation." The Pentagon's lawyers were examining whether any laws were broken when Austin failed to report his medical condition. Austin's secret hospitalization came during a week when the U.S. was weighing several notable national security matters, including military action in the Middle East. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Biden maintains "complete confidence" in Austin.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, Lloyd Austin, John Kirby, Austin, Elise Stefanik, Pat Ryder, Kirby, Staff Kelly Magsamen, Jake Sullivan, Kathleen Hicks, Jan, Joe Biden, Biden, Mike Rogers, Adam Smith, Sen, Jack Reed, Reed, Karine Jean, Pierre, Monday Organizations: Defense, Ukraine Defense Contact, Ramstein Air Base, White, National Security, Walter Reed National Military Medical, Congressional, Republican, Republicans, Pentagon, Staff, NSC, National, House, House Armed Services, Armed Services, Department, Department of Defense Locations: Ukraine, Ramstein, Miesenbach, Germany, Austin, U.S, Baghdad, Iran

Congressional leaders announced a $1.59 trillion deal on top-line spending Sunday as the government races to avoid a potential shutdown. The deal establishes an overall spending budget of $1.59 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year, allocating $886 billion to military spending and $704 billion for non-defense spending, said Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said in a Sunday note. The deal comes as the House and Senate inch closer to a key Jan.19 deadline, when funding runs out for many federal agencies. "It will also allow us to keep the investments for hardworking American families secured by the legislative achievements of President Biden and Congressional Democrats." Some of the concessions made include a $10-billion cut to IRS mandatory funding under the Inflation Reduction Act and $6.1 billion of the "COVID-era slush funds."

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Biden, year's Schumer, Pelosi Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Congressional, Republican, Committee, America Locations: Washington , DC, Louisiana

☆ Tesla now has a clear China EV competitor. What’s next for BYD?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-07 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Bernstein didn't even initiate coverage of BYD until September, with an outperform rating and price target of 359 Hong Kong dollars. BYD trades in Hong Kong, and on the Shenzhen exchange in mainland China. "I'm a long observer and investor in Tesla," Ogan said. "What I think will tip BYD like the volumes tipped Tesla is when people start realizing BYD is an energy company," Ogan said. Nomura's China autos and auto parts analyst Joel Ying likes BYD with an even higher price target of 382 Hong Kong dollars.

Persons: BYD, Bernstein didn't, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Taylor Ogan, Ogan, Tesla, Xiao Feng, CLSA, Joel Ying, Ying, Xiaomi's SU7, That's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Hong, Snow Bull, Nasdaq, Elon Musk's, HK, Hesai Tech Locations: Hong Kong, Norway, Brazil, China, Shenzhen, Asia, Europe, North America, U.S, Inovance, Ningbo Tuopu

☆ Tesla recalls more than 1.6 million cars in China over problems with Autopilot, locks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Aerial view of Tesla vehicles waiting to be loaded on board a roll-on-roll-off cargo vessel at Nangang port on September 6, 2023 in Shanghai, China. Tesla is recalling more than 1.6 million cars in China to fix problems with Autopilot features and locks, state regulators announced Friday. Both issues can be repaired through a free over-the-air software update, so drivers do not have to take their vehicles anywhere, regulators said. Additionally, more than 7,500 Model S and Model X cars were recalled over concerns that, during a crash, the noncollision side door will unlock. The safety regulators recalled around 2 million Tesla cars after determining that some of the company's Autopilot features were confusing and too easy to misuse.

Persons: Tesla, Tesla's Organizations: Administration, Market, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, CNBC PRO Locations: Shanghai, China, China's, U.S

Neri Oxman , a former MIT professor and celebrity within the world of academia, stole sentences and whole paragraphs from Wikipedia, other scholars, and technical documents in her academic writing, Business Insider has found. AdvertisementNeri Oxman directly copied from Wikipedia in her Ph.D. dissertationOn page 81 of her dissertation, "Material-based Design Computation," Oxman published two sentences without attribution that had previously appeared on Wikipedia. Business InsiderThe Wikipedia article for "Weaving" featured virtually identical sentences in April 2010 , when Oxman's dissertation was submitted. Business InsiderOxman's cribbing from the "Weaving" article was one of 15 examples that BI found Oxman plagiarizing from a Wikipedia article in her dissertation. The bulk of the plagiarism BI found was in her dissertation, which runs more than 300 pages.

Persons: Neri Oxman, Oxman, Bill Ackman, Ackman, Claudine Gay, Gay, Claudine Gay's, It's, Rick Norwood, silkworms, Wolfram MathWorld, M.Y . Zhou, Bruno Zevi, Sally Kornbluth Organizations: MIT, Pershing, Capital Management, Washington Free Beacon, Business, Creative, East Tennessee State University, MIT Media, Rhino, BI, Da Capo Press, MIT Corporation, Eastern Tennessee State University Locations: Gaza

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