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CNN —House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy took to Fox News primetime last week and dinged his counterpart across the Capitol: Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell. In the new Congress, McConnell will lead a 49-seat Senate minority while McCarthy will have 222 Republican seats in the House. That’s because McCarthy, like many other House Republicans, doesn’t want to deal with the threat of a government shutdown immediately upon entering their new majority. One Republican lawmaker pointed out that McConnell and McCarthy are dealing with different conferences and political dynamics, which explains their sometimes conflicting approaches. “Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy are gonna be just fine.”

☆ Meghan says she was 'fed to the wolves' in new Netflix trailer
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Toyin Owoseje | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has said she was “fed to the wolves,” and Prince Harry discusses “institutional gaslighting” in a new trailer for part two of their highly-anticipated Netflix docuseries, which airs on Thursday. Everyone in the world knew where we were,” Meghan says. Similar to the format of the first three episodes, the trailer provides an intimate glimpse into the couple’s lives, with personal footage and pictures interspersed with media coverage. Tyler Perry, the filmmaker who offered his California house to the couple after they left their lives in the UK, also makes an appearance in the trailer. Buckingham Palace said it would not be commenting on the docuseries when the first part released last Thursday.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Putin says Russia ready to negotiate, attacks continue
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 26 (Reuters) - Russian forces bombarded scores of towns in Ukraine on Christmas Day as Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to negotiations, a stance Washington has dismissed as posturing because of continued Russian attacks. * Pope Francis called for an end to the war in Ukraine and other conflicts in his Christmas message, saying the world was suffering from a "famine of peace". [1/9] A Ukrainian serviceman waves from a tank, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, during intense shelling on Christmas Day at the frontline in Bakhmut, Ukraine, December 25, 2022. * Blasts were heard at Russia's Engels air base, hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the Ukraine frontlines, Ukrainian and Russian media reported on Monday. The air base was hit on Dec. 5 in what Russia said was an Ukrainian drone attack.

☆ Despite GOP criticism of the prisoner swap that freed Brittney Griner, Fiona Hill said Trump was 'not particularly interested' in freeing Paul Whelan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Critics, including Trump, asked why Brittney Griner was freed while Paul Whelan remains jailed. Hill said Trump wasn't "particularly interested in Paul [Whelan]'s case" while in office. "If I made that deal the Dems would chant, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA!" "I also have to say here that President Trump wasn't especially interested in engaging in that swap for Paul Whelan," Hill said. However, she added, Whelan, Griner, and Reed were all caught up in what she called "political games" while doing things that "seemed completely ordinary."

☆ CBS-owned stations added to free, rapidly growing local news streaming service VUit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

He added: "It's a double-edged sword when making the transition to the [streaming] TV world." TV and streaming services are crawling all over each other for more content that retains viewers. Some companies like Sinclair have created their own free streaming services, and many affiliates use their websites and build their own apps to offer newscasts. VUit aims to work with CBS's local stations to boost their hyperlocal events on the platform and attract more eyeballs. A recent Iceman Challenge mountain bike race in Traverse City, Michigan, available only from local station WWTV on VUit's platform, garnered thousands of viewers.

It stood in stark contrast to the low-key welcome extended in July to U.S. President Joe Biden, with whom ties have been strained by Saudi energy policy and the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi that had overshadowed the awkward visit. In an op-ed published in Saudi media, Xi said he was on a "pioneering trip" to "open a new era of China's relations with the Arab world, the Arab countries of the Gulf, and Saudi Arabia". [1/6] Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 8, 2022. Chinese and Saudi firms also signed 34 deals for investment in green energy, information technology, cloud services, transport, construction and other sectors, state news agency SPA reported. While Saudi Arabia was an important U.S. ally, she noted, "in recent years, it has upheld its strategic autonomy, resisted the pressure of the United States".

☆ US House passes a bill to protect same-sex marriage for the second time, this time with less Republican support
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The House passed a bill to protect same-sex marriage for the second time after senators amended it. Less Republicans voted for it this time than in July, despite amendments made by GOP senators. 39 House Republicans voted for the bill, less than the 47 who voted for the original version of the bill in July. Dozens of House Republicans, representing a broad and diverse swath of the conference, supported the bill when it first passed the chamber in July. Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, was also among the dozens of House Republicans who voted for the bill in July.

☆ Salt Lake City’s efforts to fight pollution face a new challenge: Toxic dust
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The EPA in 2021 proposed re-listing the Salt Lake City area as in “attainment” for small particle pollution it had been failing to sufficiently control. But wildfires and dust storms off Great Salt Lake are erasing the progress that has been made. “I’ve received a number of emails from concerned citizens reconsidering living in Salt Lake City,” said Janice Brahney, an assistant professor at Utah State University’s watershed sciences department. Meanwhile, researchers found the highest levels of dust — and metals — in suburbs outside urban Salt Lake City. Researchers suspect suburban communities north of Salt Lake City could be receiving the majority of the dust that blows off the lake.

Three people close to FTX and Bankman-Fried told CNBC that the former CEO lobbied aggressively for a partnership with 11-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift. Bankman-Fried's commitment to getting the Swift deal done despite the deteriorating business environment fit a pattern of ignoring his lieutenants and going it alone, a half-dozen former company insiders and business partners said. The Financial Times reported earlier that FTX held talks with Swift about a potential sponsorship. Part of the Swift deal would have included the production by the singer of a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or digital items that can rise and fall in value. Beyond that, there was a lack of clarity over what Swift would be doing for the company, sources said.

☆ Fact Check-Video falsely reports the arrests and executions of multiple notable figures
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters Fact Check previously debunked similar narratives of “mass arrests” targeting political officials ( nKBN29R1ZA ). Some users seemed to believe the video’s claims that there have been mass arrests and executions. A Reuters review of Obama’s social media accounts show she maintains an active social media presence on Twitter ( twitter.com/MichelleObama ), and an official Instagram ( here ). An official and active social media account on Twitter for McConnell is also observable ( twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell ). Reuters found no credible reporting to support the claims made in this video of supposed executions or arrests.

Bankman-Fried could face a host of potential charges – civil and criminal – as well as private lawsuits from millions of FTX creditors, legal experts told CNBC. There are three different, possibly simultaneous legal threats that Bankman-Fried faces in the United States alone, Levin told CNBC. He told CNBC, "prosecutors would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Bankman-Fried or his associates committed criminal fraud." (Carter was not an FTX investor, and told CNBC that his fund passed on early FTX rounds.) "People should not jump to the conclusion that something is not happening just because it has not been publicly disclosed," Levin told CNBC.

☆ An assassination, a feud and the fight for power in Iraq's Kurdistan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Amina Ismail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

TENSE STANDOFFAfter Rasoul's death, the KDP-dominated Regional Security Council accused a PUK security agency of the killing. It detained six men it identified as operatives involved and issued arrest warrants for another four senior PUK security officials, according to security council statement a week after the attack. Long-simmering mistrust between the two sides had already deepened this year due to a wave of defections from PUK security agencies. The senior PUK official told Reuters there had been eight. "It could've easily turned ugly," the senior PUK official said.

☆ Indonesia c.bank says digital rupiah currency can be used in metaverse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia's central bank (BI) governor Perry Warjiyo said on Monday its planned digital rupiah currency can be used in the future to buy products in the metaverse. BI launched the design for its digital rupiah last week, following many central banks around the world that are developing so-called central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Perry, speaking at an event on the digital rupiah, added the currency will use a technology platform that will be compatible with other central banks' digital currencies. Perry said there will be an agreement among central banks on the exchange rate used for digital currencies and on its operational supervision, which includes cyber risk and capital flow. BI will roll out the digital rupiah in stages, starting from wholesale CBDC to development of the digital rupiah's business model for monetary operations and money market, and eventually a retail CBDC for everyday use.

☆ NHL roundup: Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick sends Pens past Blues
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Oskar Sundqvist scored the only goal of the game for Detroit, which lost its third straight game. Toronto's Mitch Marner scored twice to set a club record with 19th straight games with a point. Bruins 5, Avalanche 1David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic each scored twice as the host Bruins cruised past the Avalanche. Tomas Hertl scored twice for the Sharks, who have lost five of six (1-4-1). Panthers 5, Kraken 1Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and Sam Bennett had three assists as Florida defeated host Seattle, ending the Kraken's franchise-record seven-game winning streak.

☆ Huawei CFO's U.S. bank fraud charges to be dismissed
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Dec 1 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Thursday asked a judge to dismiss bank fraud and other charges against Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies [RIC:RIC:HWT.UL] whose 2018 arrest strained relations between the U.S. and China. Meng had been accused of bank fraud and other crimes for misleading global bank HSBC Holdings Plc about the company's business in Iran to obtain banking services in violation of U.S. sanctions. The charges against Huawei include everything from bank fraud to sanctions busting to conspiracy to steal trade secrets from U.S. technology companies and obstructing justice. The United States also waged a global campaign against Huawei, warning that the Chinese government could use the company's equipment to spy. A lawyer for Meng declined comment and a spokesperson for Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China is set to announce an easing of its COVID quarantine rules in coming days and a reduction in mass testing, sources told Reuters, even as cases nationwide remain near record highs. Some cities lifted some district lockdowns this week, as Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees COVID efforts, said the ability of the virus to cause disease was weakening. The policy shift comes after anger over the world's toughest curbs fuelled protests unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012. All those cities have been reporting hundreds or even thousands of cases a day - high numbers by China's standards. Some places in Shanghai this week in fact tightened testing requirements to every 48 hours from 72.

☆ China reports 34,980 new COVID cases for Dec 1 vs 36,061 a day earlier
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That is compared with 36,061 new cases a day earlier – 4,150 symptomatic and 31,911 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. Excluding imported infections, China reported 34,772 new local cases, of which 4,233 were symptomatic and 30,539 were asymptomatic, down from 35,800 a day earlier. read moreChina's capital Beijing reported 942 symptomatic and 3,026 asymptomatic cases, compared with 1,023 symptomatic and 4,020 asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government data showed. Financial hub Shanghai reported 26 symptomatic cases and 209 asymptomatic cases, compared with 23 symptomatic cases and 174 asymptomatic cases a day before, the local health authority reported. Chongqing reported 189 new symptomatic locally transmitted COVID-19 infections and 6,347 asymptomatic cases, compared with 206 symptomatic and 6,433 asymptomatic cases the previous day, local government authorities said.

☆ Soccer World Cup fans see double standard in stadium politics ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The first World Cup in the Middle East has been anything but insulated from the troubles of the volatile region, set against a backdrop of anti-government protests in Iran and an upsurge in Israeli-Palestinian violence. On Thursday, security ushered through hundreds of fans draped in flags, hats and scarves showing support for Palestine ahead of the Morocco v Canada match. Qatar's World Cup organisers said that "security authorities stepped in to deescalate tension and restore calm." A FIFA Qatar World Cup stadium code of conduct prohibits banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia of a "political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature". "I felt welcomed by the Qatari people and by all present here ... people greet us with ‘Palestine Palestine'," said Palestinian fan Saeed Khalil.

John Ray, chief executive officer of FTX Cryptocurrency Derivatives Exchange, arrives at bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. It could be one way for the DOJ to gather evidence of alleged fraud. In a filing in Delaware federal bankruptcy court, Andrew Vara, a U.S. bankruptcy trustee, told the court that the allegations of corporate misconduct and complete failure merited an immediate and speedy examination of the events leading up to FTX's stunning collapse three weeks ago. It's not unusual to appoint a bankruptcy examiner. There was one to oversee the crypto bankruptcy process of Celsius Network, for example.

☆ Gaylord Perry, Baseball Hall of Famer, two-time Cy Young winner and master of the spitball, dies at 84
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

GAFFNEY, S.C. — Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time Cy Young Award winner Gaylord Perry, a master of the spitball who wrote a book about using pitch, died Thursday. Gaylord Perry of the Atlanta Braves signing autographs prior to a season game at Fulton County Stadium in August 1981 in Atlanta. Baseball Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry greets fans at the All-Star FanFest in Washington on July 14, 2018. Perry was ejected from a game just once for doctoring a baseball — when he was with Seattle in August 1982. After his career, Perry founded the baseball program at Limestone College in Gaffney and was its coach for the first three years.

☆ Gaylord Perry, Hall of Fame Baseball Pitcher, Dies at 84
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gaylord Perry rears back to deliver a pitch when he was with the Seattle Mariners in 1982. GAFFNEY, S. C.—Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time Cy Young Award winner Gaylord Perry, a master of the spitball who wrote a book about using the pitch, died Thursday. Mr. Perry died about 5 a.m. at his home in Gaffney, S.C. Thursday of natural causes, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said. He didn’t provide additional details.

☆ Chinese farmers let cabbages rot as COVID curbs disrupt sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The situation is exacerbated by a fragmented supply chain, where small farmers sell to middlemen who purchase for large wholesale markets in cities. Cui typically sends up to 20 large trucks of cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuce to markets daily in this season. Henan produced 76 million tonnes of vegetables last year, or about 10% of the nation's supply, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Tuesday it had launched an initiative to sell Henan vegetables at large wholesale markets, selling 4,677 tonnes last week. It also set up a hotline to connect farmers with sellers, and said it would find cold storage facilities to stock winter vegetables.

China's health authority said on Wednesday that it would aim to improve accessibility and launch targeted programmes in nursing homes and leisure facilities as part of a new vaccination drive among the over-60s. Public health experts say studies show that besides vaccination scepticism, the elderly have also been slow to take up the jab due to health, mobility and access. It would also deliver door-to-door vaccination services to those who are disabled or housebound and deploy specialist vaccination vehicles and temporary vaccination stations. Anger over China's zero-COVID policy, which has the world's toughest restrictions, has sparked protests across the country and prompted authorities to start easing some curbs. Especially for the elderly who haven't been vaccinated," said Shanghai resident Ye, who did not get vaccinated due to concerns over her health.

☆ Chinese vice premier urges improvements in COVID measures as pathogenicity weakens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called for further efforts to improve COVID-19 prevention and control measures, urging "optimisation" of testing, treatment and quarantine policies, as the virus weakens in pathogenicity, according to state media. Her remarks come as cities across China take a more targeted approach to tackle outbreaks, fine-tuning 20 new measures released by the government almost three weeks ago. The government recently announced that it would increase vaccine rates for its elderly and children, the most vulnerable of its population. The cities of Chongqing and Dongguan, also in Guangdong, announced that close contacts of infected patients can also home quarantine. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NO ARCHIVESBEIJING, Dec 1 (Reuters) - China is softening its tone on the severity of COVID-19 and easing some coronavirus restrictions even as its daily case toll hovers near records, after anger over the world's toughest curbs morphed into protests across the country. Health experts warn of widespread illness and death if COVID is let loose before vaccination is ramped up. read moreWhile the recent change in tone over COVID appears to respond to the public discontent with the strictness of the measures, authorities are in parallel seeking out those who were present at the demonstrations. China Dissent Monitor, run by U.S. government-funded Freedom House, estimated at least 27 demonstrations took place across China from Saturday to Monday. Australia's ASPI think tank estimated 43 protests in 22 cities.

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