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The answer is simple, according to more than a dozen Washington insiders, FTX employees, and crypto industry observers who spoke with Insider. I don't think anyone believed that he was going to fund candidates who were, quote unquote, committed to ending pandemics who were also hostile to the crypto industry." Alex Wong/Getty ImagesRebuffed by the SEC, Bankman-Fried turned his attention to Congress. "It's not that he was welcoming regulation," says the senior figure in the crypto industry who attended meetings with Bankman-Fried. But while Bankman-Fried was busy wooing Washington, FTX was about to become Exhibit A in the case for more effective oversight of the crypto industry.

How to watch 'Better Call Saul' season 6You can watch "Better Call Saul" season six by purchasing episodes through digital retailers like Amazon and Vudu. 'Better Call Saul' Season 6 (Digital Purchase) The long-awaited conclusion to the harrowing “Breaking Bad” spin-off is available to buy digitally. Do Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul appear in 'Better Call Saul' season 6? Netflix is also home to lots of other great content, including every season of "Breaking Bad" and the sequel film "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie." "Better Call Saul" is critically acclaimed and currently holds a "98% Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on all six seasons.

☆ Italy seeks new options for TIM with network bid seen on hold
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The statement also reiterated that Rome was keen to secure control of TIM's network. A government source said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had put CDP's bid on hold. Marking a break with the past, Meloni on Friday entrusted the government's broadband strategy to Butti, who has openly criticised CDP's plans for TIM. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti this month said Butti's plans required extensive discussions within the government, which had "several options" to secure control of TIM's network. TIM, which is expected to hold a board meeting on Wednesday to discuss governance issues, had no immediate comment.

Such a plan met heavy reservations within Giorgia Meloni's new right-wing administration, which decided to put CDP's bid on hold on Monday night, two government officials told Reuters. TIM, which has been under pressure for years due to a hyper-competitive domestic market, had no immediate comment. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti this month said Butti's plans required extensive discussions within the government, which had "several options" to secure control of TIM's network. Butti, who has openly criticised CDP's plans for TIM, has called on the Treasury-owned lender to take over TIM in full to then sell its service operations, including its Brazil-listed unit. TIM is expected to hold a board meeting on Wednesday to discuss the appointment of a director to replace Renault boss Luca de Meo.

But key officials in Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government have expressed strong reservations about CDP's plans for TIM, making a non-binding bid from the state lender for the network unlikely, three sources told Reuters. Top government officials are expected to meet later on Monday to discuss plans for TIM, among other issues. Marking a break with the past, Meloni on Friday entrusted the government's broadband strategy to Cabinet Undersecretary Alessio Butti, who has openly criticised CDP's plans for TIM. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti last week reiterated that the government wants to win control of TIM's network which is deemed of strategic interest, adding such a goal can be reached in "several ways". Giorgetti also warned that Butti's plans for TIM needs to be extensively discussed within the government.

Cabinet undersecretary Alessio Butti will now be in charge of the strategy, according to a decree on Friday seen by Reuters. Butti has been critical of the previous government's plan to cut TIM's 25 billion euro ($26 billion) debt pile by selling its landline grid. The sale is a key plank of CEO Pietro Labriola's strategy to break up and revamp the battered company. The multi-billion euro offer would be part of a broader project to merge TIM's network with smaller rival Open Fiber, which is controlled by CDP. Earlier this month Giorgetti warned that Butti's plans for TIM needs to be extensively discussed within the government.

[1/5] Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during a news conference to present her government's first budget in Rome, Italy, November 22, 2022. Meloni, a fiery conviction politician, has often spoken out against Italy's reliance on technocrats to solve its economic problems and lambasted alleged interference from "high international finance" and "Brussels bureaucrats". During the election campaign Meloni called in vain for her predecessor Mario Draghi to freeze the sale of a majority stake in ITA. PUSHBACKDeputy Economy and Finance Minister Maurizio Leo, an adviser to Meloni, had proposed splitting his ministry by hiving off the finance department responsible for tax matters. The head of the finance department, Fabrizia Lapecorella, has asked to move to another ministry, two sources said.

☆ Italy to press ahead with plans to sell ITA despite MSC snub
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Italy's government will press ahead with plans to sell a majority stake in airline ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Tuesday, after shipping group MSC dropped its interest. "We are open to anybody who wants to participate in the privatisation," Giorgetti told a news conference, adding ITA Airways's data room is "always open." Shipping group MSC, which had partnered with German airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) earlier this year to bid for ITA, said on Monday it was no longer interested in the transaction. On the other hand, a Lufthansa spokesman said last week that the German carrier was still interested in buying into ITA. The Treasury plans to privatise ITA through a direct sale while retaining a minority, non-controlling stake in the initial stage.

☆ Italy govt officials to discuss plans for Telecom Italia on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Government officials will discuss plans for Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI) later on Tuesday, Italy's economy minister said, responding to a question about the former phone monopoly's landline grid. Giorgetti was asked whether the new right-wing government backed Italian state lender CDP's plans to submit an offer for TIM's landline grid by the end of the month. CDP's multi-billion euro preliminary offer for TIM's landline grid is part of a plan to combine it with its broadband unit Open Fiber. The long awaited offer is expected to value TIM's landline grid and submarine cable unit Sparkle at between 15 and 18 billion euros including some 12 billion euros in debt, sources have previously said. Negotiations have been complicated by divergences on valuation, with TIM's top investor, French media conglomerate Vivendi (VIV.PA) demanding 31 billion euros to back a sale.

☆ Yellen to seek clarity from China on COVID, property -officials
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will seek clarity on China's plans to ease its COVID-19 restrictions and deal with problems in its property sector when she meets on Monday with China's central bank chief, Treasury officials said on Sunday. Yellen is prepared to discuss with Peoples Bank of China Governor Yi Gang the outlook for U.S. inflation and growth, but will likely leave monetary policy plans to the Federal Reserve, the officials said. The Treasury officials said they do not plan to offer advice to China on its COVID restrictions or its property sector woes, but to understand Chinese officials' approach so they can better interpret the impact of policy changes. Yellen also will also meet with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and new Italian Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti. Yellen also will urge her European counterparts to keep up strong fiscal support for Ukraine in a transparent and predictable way, the officials said.

☆ Italy econ minister says lots of departments involved in TIM plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ROME, Nov 11 (Reuters) - A potential takeover of Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) by state lender CDP is something that needs to be discussed by ministers from a number of departments, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Friday. Giorgetti was asked about the proposal on the sidelines of a news conference. The idea has been floated as a potential alternative to TIM's own plan to do a deal with CDP for its network grid to help create a national fibre champion. The minister had earlier told the news conference that he had confidence in Italy's economic forecasts, calling them "prudent" and in line with those due to be unveiled by the European Commission. Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Alvise ArmelliniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Shares in UniCredit hit by report of friction with ECB
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Shares in UniCredit (CRDI.MI) fell on Monday after a report of tensions between Italy's only bank that regulators deem of global systemic relevance and European Central Bank supervisors. Shares in UniCredit fell 3.3% by 0835 GMT against a flattish sector (.FTITLMS3010), with a Milan-based trader saying the report by the Financial Times had triggered profit taking on the stock. Citing people familiar with the matter, the FT said UniCredit had clashed with the ECB over the bank's capital distribution plans and its failure to leave Russia. A spokesperson for UniCredit referred to comments the bank had made to the FT saying the ECB had provided ongoing "challenge and guidance" during the strategic overhaul by Chief Executive Andrea Orcel and that the regulator's "public support" was indicative of its trust in the bank. Reporting by Giancarlo Navach and Valentina Za Editing by Keith WeirOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

She told reporters she would spend more than nine billion euros on an anti-inflation package in a decree next week. The government raised Italy's GDP growth forecast for this year to 3.7% from 3.3% on the back of stronger expected expansion in the third quarter, while leaving the 2023 forecast unchanged at 0.6%. RECORD INFLATIONThe Treasury's targets will form the framework for the 2023 budget that Meloni will present to parliament this month for approval by the end of the year. Public finances this year have gone better than forecast, with value added tax revenues and excise duties boosted by inflation and surging energy prices. Giorgetti said Italy's public debt, proportionally the highest in the euro zone after Greece's, will fall steadily from the 150.3% of GDP level registered in 2021 to 141.2% in 2025.

☆ 'God Forbid' review: Giancarlo Granda opens up about the Falwells in Hulu documentary
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Granda proceeded to have a long relationship with Becki Falwell, alleging that her husband was fully aware of the arrangement throughout, and endeavored to create real-estate opportunities for Granda in part to keep his wife happy. He admits that he was ambitious but basically over his head dealing with the older Falwells, while being bedazzled by their money and connections. Jerry Falwell resigned from Liberty in 2020, acknowledging Becki Falwell’s affair with Granda, while stating he was “not involved.” He also claimed that Granda had sought to blackmail the couple, a charge Granda has denied. “God Forbid” clearly provides Granda a friendly forum to tell his story, which includes how he came out on the other side of his 15 minutes of notoriety. “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal that Brought Down a Dynasty” premieres November 1 on Hulu.

Gross domestic product grew by 0.5% in the third quarter from the second and 2.6% year on year, national statistics bureau ISTAT said. Both preliminary readings were around half a percentage point higher than expected in Reuters survey of analysts, while the Treasury had said last month it expected a third quarter contraction. The government plans to raise next year's budget deficit to 4.5% of GDP, up from the 3.4% projected last month under current trends, a senior official said. Italian inflation hit 12.8% in October, the highest level since the country's EU-harmonised index was launched in 1996. Full year growth this year will come in at 3.7%, Federico forecast, above Rome's official 3.3% target.

☆ Florida's Hispanic voters back DeSantis over Crist, support Martha's Vineyard migrant flights
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Marc Caputo | Noah Pransky | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Florida’s Hispanic voters back Gov. “There are lots of Hispanic voters in this state who really like the governor’s style, this strongman who won’t back down. And Crist has no mojo,” said Coker, who conducted the bilingual survey of 625 likely Hispanic voters from Oct. 17-22. And other Hispanic voters from throughout Latin America also side with Crist over DeSantis by a narrower percentage, 53% to 43%. Both DeSantis and Crist receive strong support from voters registered with their respective parties, but DeSantis has slightly more intense intraparty support than Crist, and the governor is leading among independent Hispanic voters by a 22-point margin.

☆ Factbox: Key ministers in new Italian Meloni government
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

ROME, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government was sworn into office on Saturday. Here the profiles of some of the key figures:ECONOMY MINISTERGiancarlo Giorgetti, 55, is a veteran political wheeler-dealer viewed as a moderate and relatively pro-European member of his right-wing League party. He was not Prime Minister Meloni's first choice for the job. He held posts in centre-right governments led by Berlusconi and recently served as president of the influential parliamentary intelligence committee. Meloni insisted on him for the job, overcoming resistance from Berlusconi who wanted a Forza Italia member in the ministry.

☆ DeSantis' popularity among Latinos is boosting his chances of being the first Republican in 20 years to win Miami-Dade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Carmen.Jpg | Carmen Sesin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Ron DeSantis’ popularity among Latinos, saying they are boosting his chances of becoming the first Republican governor in 20 years to win traditionally blue Miami-Dade County and therefore propelling his chances of a successful presidential run in 2024. The last time a Republican governor won Miami-Dade County was Jeb Bush in 2002. “DeSantis overperforms here in a way that you don’t tend to see Republican candidates perform elsewhere with Hispanics,” he said. Faced with this, Florida Democrats have expressed frustration and anger over their limited resources and money from national donor groups. Hillary Clinton won Miami-Dade County by almost 30 points in 2016, but Biden won the county by only 7 points.

☆ (OFFICIAL) Key ministers in new Italian government
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Italy's newly appointed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks to the media following a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy October 21, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneROME, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Giorgia Meloni's Italian government will be sworn in on Saturday at 10 a.m. (0800 GMT). Here the profiles of some of the key figures:ECONOMY MINISTERGiancarlo Giorgetti, 55, is a veteran political wheeler-dealer viewed as a moderate and relatively pro-European member of his right-wing League party. He was not Prime Minister Meloni's first choice for the job. Meloni insisted on him for the job, overcoming resistance from Berlusconi who wanted a Forza Italia member in the justice ministry.

☆ Low-key 'fixer' Giorgetti named Italy's economy minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Gavin Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

read moreTim Jones, euro zone analyst for market consultancy firm Medley Advisors, said "long-time League fixer" Giorgetti was a better fit. I don't know if I'd be able to be economy minister." As industry minister, he helped block a number of Chinese takeover bids in strategic sectors of Italy's economy. "He backed Maroni when he got rid of Bossi, he backed Salvini when he got rid of Maroni and then he backed Draghi who undermined Salvini," said the source, asking not to be named. Tellingly, when Meloni proposed Giorgetti as economy minister, Salvini said he should be counted as an external figure, rather than part of the League's quota of ministers, a party source said.

☆ Italy's Meloni tells president she is ready to become prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni arrives for a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy October 21, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneSummary Meloni set to become Italy's first woman PMNew government could be sworn in at weekendBerlusconi irks allies with pro-Putin commentsROME, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Italy's Giorgia Meloni told President Sergio Mattarella on Friday that she was ready to become prime minister and could swiftly form a new government despite tumult within her right-wing coalition. Meloni, head of the nationalist Brothers of Italy party, met the president alongside her main allies -- Matteo Salvini, who leads the far-right League, and Silvio Berlusconi, founder of the conservative Forza Italia party. "We are ready to form a government as quickly as possible," Meloni told reporters after the unusually short meeting, which lasted barely 15 minutes. The conservative bloc won a commanding parliamentary majority at a Sept. 25 general election, with Meloni's party taking the most votes, putting her in pole position to become Italy's first female prime minister.

☆ The Yankees Survive to Play the Astros in the American League Championship Series
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Tim Brown | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Baseball’s new postseason format has been rough on some of the regular season’s winningest teams. But the game’s biggest brand, the New York Yankees, on Tuesday survived their American League Division Series by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-1 at Yankee Stadium. In only their fifth game in 13 days, an unusually airy schedule that reflected Major League Baseball’s expanded playoff format and two rainouts, the Yankees got an early three-run home run from Giancarlo Stanton, another home run from Aaron Judge and five innings from starting pitcher Nestor Cortes.

Leader of Brothers of Italy party Giorgia Meloni attends the fourth voting session to elect the new speaker, at the lower house of parliament, in Rome, Italy, October 14, 2022. Giorgetti, the industry minister in Mario Draghi's outgoing government, is considered to be one of the League's most moderate and pro-European figures. Coalition sources said energy-related matters are likely to remain in the hands of the ecological transition ministry. The frontrunner to succeed technocrat Roberto Cingolani in the job is Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, a coalition source said. Brothers of Italy's Adolfo Urso, previously head of the parliamentary committee on security, is the frontrunner for the position, one source said.

☆ Next Italy PM is bolstering her EU credentials
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Oct 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Italy’s would-be premier Giorgia Meloni is seeking to score points with investors. The hard-right Brothers of Italy party leader, expected to become prime minister later this month, is looking to appoint pro-European lawmaker Giancarlo Giorgetti, 55, as finance minister. A veteran member of the League, Meloni’s coalition partner, Giorgetti is a moderate, pro-market politician. But the central banker, a top candidate to become Bank of Italy governor next year, turned down Meloni’s approach, people close to him told Reuters Breakingviews. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

ROME, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Giancarlo Giorgetti, a former industry minister and the deputy leader of the right-wing League party, looked well placed to become Italy's next economy minister on Thursday after getting the backing of the conservative coalition chief. "I think Giancarlo Giorgetti would be an excellent economy minister," Giorgia Meloni, expected to be named prime minister this month, told reporters in parliament. "If the League wants me at the economy ministry I'll go there," Giorgetti told reporters shortly before Meloni's comments, in a shift from previous, more cautious remarks. Asked by Reuters early on Thursday whether he would be willing to become economy minister, he replied: "if you're asked to do something you reflect and ask yourself if you'd be able to do it. I don't know if I'd be able to be economy minister."

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