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☆ How the Federal Election Commission Went From Deadlock to Deregulation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Shane Goldmacher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For more than a decade, America’s campaign watchdog agency was a portrait of dysfunction. Divided equally between three Republicans and three Democrats, the Federal Election Commission deadlocked so often it became a political punchline as investigations languished, enforcement slowed and updated guidelines for the internet era stalled. Now, the commission has suddenly come unstuck. Reform groups are aghast at what they see as the swift unraveling of longstanding restraints. Those on both sides of the ideological divide agree on one thing: The changes amount to some of the most significant regulatory revisions since the campaign finance law, the McCain-Feingold Act, was put in place two decades ago.

Persons: Marc Elias Organizations: Democratic, McCain, Feingold

☆ Microsoft's 'acquihire' of Inflection AI's staff is being probed by US regulators, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The FTC is investigating Microsoft's deal with Inflection AI, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Department of Justice is also scrutinizing such 'acquihire' deals in the tech industry. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe US' top competition watchdog is investigating whether Microsoft's deal to hire a majority of Inflection AI's workers and pay the company $650 million to license its tech was struck as a way to dodge scrutiny.

Persons: — Organizations: FTC, Wall Street Journal, Justice, Service, Wall Street, Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Business

☆ How are Trump’s legal bills and the 2024 campaigns being funded? There’s a lot we don’t know
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

WOLF: How has the drain of his legal problems affected Trump’s campaign war chest? SCHOUTEN: We really don’t have the full picture of legal expenses from campaign finance reports. Senior advisers have told CNN that Trump is paying some of his legal expenses out of pocket, for instance. Bradley Crate, the treasurer of Trump’s campaign, oversees Red Curve. Neither Crate nor the Trump campaign have responded to CNN’s inquiries about the complaint.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fredreka Schouten, Trump, –, Todd Blanche, Stormy Daniels, WOLF, that’s, We’ve, Rhona Graff, Bradley Crate, Joe Biden’s, we’ve, Casey Tolan, David Wright, That’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, House, MAGA Inc, Save, Republican National Committee, America, Federal, Leadership, Trump Organization, New, Legal Center, Curve, Commission, Center, Biden, Republican Locations: New York, Manhattan, York

☆ U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Censures Iran and Demands Access for Inspectors
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency on Wednesday censured Iran over its refusal to grant inspectors access to its uranium enrichment program, passing a carefully worded resolution after the United States toned it down in a bid to avoid provoking a crisis at a time in which the Middle East is already roiling. The resolution was sponsored by France, Britain and Germany in response to advances in Iran’s nuclear program over the past year and the Iranian’s government's refusal to cooperate with the agency. Russia has close security ties to Iran and purchases Iranian drones for the war in Ukraine. China is a close economic ally helping Iran evade sanctions by purchasing its oil at a discounted rate. Nine years ago, when Iran agreed to sharp limits on its nuclear program in a deal reached with the Obama administration and European nations, both Russia and China joined the effort to contain Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.

Persons: Obama Organizations: United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, United, Wednesday Locations: Iran, United States, France, Britain, Germany, Tehran, United Nations, Russia, China, Ukraine, Vienna

☆ Meta's election tools have been blocked over privacy concerns ahead of European Parliament elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Spain's data watchdog suspended Meta's election products ahead of an EU vote. The agency expressed alarm that products collected excessive data from Facebook and Instagram users. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA Spanish data watchdog has put the brakes on two election products from Meta that were meant to roll out ahead of the upcoming European election. The Spanish Data Protection Agency suspended Meta's Election Day Information and Voter Information Unit products amid concerns that they collected unnecessary election data from Facebook and Instagram users, the agency announced on May 31.

Persons: — Organizations: Facebook, Meta, Service, Spanish Data Protection Agency, Business

☆ A major student-loan company has 'illegally' tried to collect payments from borrowers whose balances were already wiped out through bankruptcy, a federal watchdog alleges in a new lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA federal consumer watchdog just hit a major student-loan company with a new lawsuit. According to the press release, the CFPB accused PHEAA of illegally collecting payments from student-loan borrowers whose loans had already been discharged in bankruptcy and sending "false information" to credit reporting agencies. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, said that under the US bankruptcy code, some private student loans are not subject to the stringent standards that most student loans are when it comes to receiving relief through bankruptcy. Per the CFPB, American Education Services collected or tried to collect 7,934 private student loans after a bankruptcy proceeding between 2017 and 2021, and 177 of them were non-qualified education loans. AdvertisementThe CFPB has previously issued guidance over potential illegal collections of borrowers' payments after bankruptcy proceedings.

Persons: —, PHEAA, Rohit Chopra Organizations: Service, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, American Education Services, Financial, Business, Court, Middle, Middle District of Locations: Middle District, Middle District of Pennsylvania

☆ Elon Musk has been getting Trumpier. A direct line to Trump may be next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Clare Duffy | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Elon Musk has sought to accumulate political capital commensurate with his extravagant wealth. Musk has discussed advising Trump should he win the 2024 election, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. Musk called Trump directly via cellphone to explore a role that could potentially give Musk significant influence over US policies. Reporting that Musk and Trump’s relationship has improved comes after Musk’s politics have become more aligned with Trump’s. For Musk to have a direct, private line to a future President Trump “would seem to be a blatant conflict of interest,” said Darrell West, a senior fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution.

Persons: CNN — Elon Musk, Musk, Donald Trump, Trump, Brian Hughes, –, Andrew Harnik, ”, Darrell West, ” West, Herika Martinez, —, Donald Trump’s, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Robert Kennedy , Jr, Paul Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, White supremacists, Imran Ahmed, X, CCDH, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Republican, Wall Street, Trump, SpaceX, Tesla, Brookings Institution, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Traffic Safety Administration, Justice Department, Migrants, US Border Patrol, AFP, Getty, Twitter, US, Republican Florida, Politico Locations: Paris, El Paso , Texas, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, Mexico

☆ The US Navy botched the design of its new $1 billion frigates: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"The Navy had good reason to be optimistic that the frigate program was positioned to deliver capabilities on the schedule it promised," the report said. Advertisement"To reduce technical risk, the Navy and its shipbuilder modified an existing design to incorporate Navy specifications and weapon systems," the report said. "However, the Navy's decision to begin construction before the design was complete is inconsistent with leading ship design practices and jeopardized this approach." In addition to scheduling delays and the halting of ship construction, the Navy has yet to demonstrate frigate propulsion and machinery control systems. However, the report suggests that scheduling delays coupled with changes made to the frigate testing process may allow the Navy to test these two unproven systems on land.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Navy, Business, US Navy, Office, Marinette Locations: Wisconsin

☆ An intensifying Republican-led legal campaign alleging big advertisers colluded to defund conservative media is rankling the ad industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Judiciary Committee's probe has sought documents related to discussions about advertising on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast. GARM and its members developed a "brand safety floor and suitability framework" for the industry to adopt. Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee issued wide-ranging subpoenas to both GARM and the WFA last year as part of the probe. The CEOs were also told to preserve all existing and future records related to their companies' work with GARM. Advertisement"GARM's members and board members are senior advertisers," a marketing executive close to GARM said.

Persons: —, Jim Jordan, GARM, Sherman, Jordan, Ørsted, Joe Rogan, Elon, Vivian Zink, Ørsted didn't, Rob Rakowitz, Unilever —, Breitbart, Joe Rogan's, Ben Shapiro, Michael Brochstein, Jim Jordan's, Lou Paskalis, Ad Fontes Media's Paskalis, Paskalis Organizations: Service, Global Alliance, Responsible Media, Business, Spotify, Syfy, NBCU, Getty, World Federation, YouTube, WFA, Diageo, GroupM, Procter, Gamble, Unilever, Steer Team, Fox News, Daily, Republican, Federalist, US Department of State, Ad Fontes Media Locations: Ohio, GARM, Jordan, Texas

☆ China chip industry gets $47.5 billion in new funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Worth $47.5 billion, the fund is being created as the US imposes sweeping restrictions on the export of American chips and chip technology in a bid to throttle Beijing’s ambitions. The latest investment vehicle is the third phase of the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund. The first phase of the fund was set up in 2014 with 138.7 billion yuan ($19.2 billion). In 2022, the country’s anti-graft watchdog launched a crackdown on the semiconductor industry, investigating some of China’s top figures in state-owned chip companies. Last year, China’s Huawei shocked industry experts by introducing a new smartphone powered by a 7-nanometer processor made by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).

Persons: Xi Jinping’s, Lu Jun, ”, Xi’s, Biden, China’s, Mark Rutte, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Worth, China Construction Bank, China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, National Enterprise, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, IC, US, China’s Huawei, China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, Huawei, Dutch Locations: Hong Kong, China, ICBC, Beijing, Netherlands, Japan, United States, ASML

☆ X CEO Linda Yaccarino accuses Australia of 'overreach' after judge lifts ban on stabbing video
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, France — X CEO Linda Yaccarino on Friday hit out at Australia after a face off with online safety regulators. It comes after the Elon Musk-owned social media platform X last week won a reprieve in Australia as a court refused to extend a temporary order blocking videos of a Sydney church stabbing. In a talk onstage at the VivaTech conference in Paris, Yaccarino accused Australia of overreach over the dispute. "The good news is that the people prevailed," Yaccarino, the former global advertising chief at CNBC parent company NBCUniversal, said. "We're happy to be that beacon of light and that place for truth."

Persons: Linda Yaccarino, Elon, Yaccarino Organizations: Elon Musk, eSafety, CNBC Locations: PARIS, France, Australia, Sydney, Paris, overreach

☆ FDIC did not report allegations of senior officials' misconduct 'in a timely manner,' watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Josephine Rozzelle | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. failed to report allegations of senior officials' misconduct in a timely manner, according to a new memo from the agency's internal watchdog. The Office of Inspector General "learned of several allegations of misconduct regarding senior FDIC officials that were not reported to the OIG in a timely manner," said the letter, dated Thursday. "The OIG is now reviewing these allegations to determine how they should be incorporated into OIG work plans." A scathing independent report published in April found a widespread culture of harassment and discrimination at the FDIC, citing allegations from more than 500 FDIC employees. "The FDIC has failed to provide a workplace safe from sexual harassment, discrimination, and other interpersonal misconduct," the report concluded.

Persons: Martin Gruenberg, Jennifer Fain, Gruenberg, General, Fain, Gruenberg —, Joe Biden, —, Republican Travis Hill, Biden Organizations: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Financial, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC, FDIC's, Republican, GOP, Financial Services, White Locations: Washington , DC

☆ Is Pet Insurance Worth It? for Most People, the Answer Is No.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The North American Pet Health Insurance Association found that pet owners in the US paid $3.9 billion in premiums in 2023, a 22% increase from the year before. One thing is for sure: As the industry grows, pet insurance is becoming as confusing and messy as health insurance is for humans. Pet insurance isn't technically even health insurance; it falls in the property-and-casualty category. AdvertisementThe big problem with pet insurance is it's just an expensive productThere are three categories of pet insurance: accident only; accident and illness; and accident, illness, and wellness. Advertisement"It's important that pet owners understand the scope of what their pet insurance does and does not cover, so they're not caught off guard by unexpected payments," he said.

Persons: Gina Papini, Kato, Papini, That's, they've, Kevin Brasler, that's, Dan, Michael San Filippo, they're, Doug Kenney, Kenney, It's, Brasler, she's, Emily Stewart Organizations: American Pet Products Association, Pet Health Insurance Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, Rover, Consumers, Business Locations: reimbursing, Mexico

☆ India’s free press is not so free after a decade of Modi
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Analysis Aishwarya S. Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

And as Modi looks to win another five years in power in an ongoing nationwide election, critics fear further erosion of the protections afforded to India’s free press. “I think many times before I write stories,” Kappan told CNN. Since his bail, Kappan has struggled to find a permanent job to provide for his family. Kumar told CNN he resigned because Adani’s proximity to Modi and the BJP would leave him unable to continue asking tough questions of the government. “They gave no reasons nor any justifications for why they denied my permit,” she told CNN from Paris.

Persons: Siddique Kappan, Narendra Modi’s, Modi, “, ” Kappan, Kappan, ”, Kaushik Raj, Narendra Modi, Gareth Copley, Shakuntala Banaji, RSF, Kunal Majumder, NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, Banaji, Kanchan Gupta, Ravish Kumar, Kumar, Gautam Adani, Vishal Bhatnagar, Dinesh Joshi, Gupta, Avani Dias, Vanessa Dougnac, Dias, Gaurav Bhatia, Dougnac Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, Getty, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, ICC Men's Cricket, India, Journalists, London School of Economics, “, Press, ”, Protect Journalists, Police, LSE, Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, Amnesty, New Delhi Television, NDTV, YouTube, Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s, Ministry of Home Affairs, India’s, Ministry, BBC Locations: New Delhi, India, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, AFP, Hathras, Paris, Ahmedabad, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Delhi, Jaipur, Modi, Asia, Dougnac

☆ Jamie Dimon is worried about how much the US is borrowing. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —Major business leaders and economists are worried about America’s growing debt problem. Last week, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon expressed fear that a crisis is looming and that unchecked deficit spending could explode. The big picture: Between the Trump-era tax cuts and Covid-era stimulus programs, the national debt has exploded in recent years. Trump Media (DJT) reported a loss of $327.6 million during the first three months of the year, compared with a loss of $210,300 a year earlier. The company generated just $770,500 of revenue, marking the second-straight quarter where its revenue totaled less than $1 million.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, ”, ” Dimon, “, Ray Dalio, Columbia Business School Glenn Hubbard, Joe Biden’s, Jason Thomas, Carlyle, ” Thomas, Hanna Ziady, Liz Truss, Treasuries, Hubbard, Thomas, it’s, Donald Trump, Matt Egan, Devin Nunes, Martin Gruenberg, Elisabeth Buchwald, ” Gruenberg, Sen, Sherrod Brown, Gruenberg, He’s, Cleary Gottlieb Steen, Gruenberg’s, Gruenberg Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN —, JPMorgan, Sky News, Financial, Columbia Business School, United, CNN, IMF, Congressional, Office, Peterson Foundation, Treasury, Trump Media, Trump Media & Technology Group, Truth Social, Company, Big Tech, ” Trump Media, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Senate Banking Committee, FDIC, Hamilton Locations: New York, Bridgewater, United States, —, United, United Kingdom

☆ Trump VP prospect Doug Burgum and GOP megadonor Harold Hamm are allies in business and politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Continental Resources donated $1 million to the super PAC in April, according to Federal Election Commission records. A spokeswoman for both Continental Resources and Hamm, its executive chairman, did not respond to a request for comment. All seven wells have been active since 2011, just two years after Burgum's family signed an agreement with Continental Resources. The Burgum Farm Partnership LLP, which oversees the family farm land in Williams County and Cass County, is worth between $500,001 and $1 million, according to the financial disclosure. Doug Burgum is a managing partner of the Burgum Farm Partnership, and he signed the businesses' latest annual report in March.

Persons: Donald Trump, Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy, Jabin, Harold Hamm, Burgum, Theodore Roosevelt, Sen, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Trump, Hamm, Bradley Burgum, Mike Nowatzki, Nowatzki, Burgum's, He's, Barbara, Edward Hirs, Brandon Bell, Jack Balagia, Ryan Kellog, Kellog, Ted Borrego, —, Virginia Canter, Canter, Chip Somodevilla, he's, Kathryn, Dan Eberhart, Eberhart, Leah Millis Organizations: North Dakota Gov, Margate, Washington Post, Continental Resources, Trump White House, CNBC, Trump, Republican, Trump that's, Inc, Commission, Continental, Federal, North Dakota's Minerals Department, Drilling, LLP, University of Houston, Getty, University of Texas, Exxon Mobil, University of Chicago, University of Houston Law Center, Trump White, North, Canter . North, Burgum Locations: Laconia, NH, Hamm, North Dakota, Williams County, Burgum, Fla, Florida, Dakota, North, Brooklyn, Cass County, Fort Stockton , Texas, Washington, Canter ., Canter . North Dakota, Laconia , New Hampshire, Continental Resources . North Dakota, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, U.S

☆ Supreme Court Justice Alito sold Bud Light stock, then bought Coors during boycott
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito poses for an official portrait at the East Conference Room of the Supreme Court building on October 7, 2022 in Washington, DC. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sold shares of beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev as conservatives were ditching the Bud Light brewer over its partnership with a transgender social media influencer . The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Alito's transaction report or the timing of his stock activity. In May 2023, Modelo replaced Bud Light as the top-selling beer in the U.S. Data from around that time showed sales of Bud Light had dropped nearly 25% year over year. Roth noted that the beer companies in question have no pending business before the Supreme Court that he can think of.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Alito, Bud Light, Busch, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Mulvaney, —, Martha, Ann Alito, Gabe Roth, " Roth, Roth Organizations: East, Anheuser, Busch, Molson Coors, Supreme, Busch InBev, Bud, Modelo, InBev, Coors, Blacks, New York Times, Trump, U.S . Capitol, Times, CNBC, Bud Light Locations: Washington , DC, U.S

☆ Soaring debt and deficits causing worry about threats to the economy and markets
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The federal IOU is now at $34.5 trillion, or about $11 trillion higher than where it stood in March 2020. Concern over such eye-popping numbers had been largely confined to partisan rancor on Capitol Hill as well as from watchdogs like the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Uncharted territory for debt and deficitsIndeed, the CBO numbers are ominous, as they outline the likely path of debt and deficits. Surging budget deficits have been driving the debt, and the CBO only expects that to get worse. "The huge obvious problem is that the U.S. federal debt is now on a completely unsustainable long-term trajectory," analysts at Wolfe Research said in a recent note.

Persons: Greenlee Beal, Jerome Powell, Powell, Jamie Dimon, Ray Dalio, hasn't, Wolfe Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Wall, CBO, Union, JPMorgan Chase, Sky News, Bridgewater Associates, Financial Times, Treasury Department, Wolfe Research, U.S ., Federal Reserve Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Amsterdam, London, America, U.S

☆ From Taylor Swift tickets to gasoline — these days everyone feels like they’re being price-gouged. Are they?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at SoFi Stadium on August 09, 2023 in Inglewood, California. At the core of the increasingly common accusation of price gouging is the sense that the consumer is being exploited. Price gouging is in the eye of the bidderGavin Roberts, chair of Weber State University’s economics department and who studies the effect of anti-price gouging laws, said the laws themselves often don’t define what price gouging is. Corporations charging as much as they can, as painful as it may be for consumers, doesn’t mean they’re necessarily price gouging, said Roberts. Steven Suranovic, an economics professor at George Washington University who has also published research on price gouging, sees it differently.

Persons: Emily Miller lucked, Taylor, Miller, Swift, ” Miller, Taylor Swift, Kevin Winter, it’s, —, Joe Biden — can’t, we’re, Gavin Roberts, Biden, ”, Biden hasn’t, ” Biden, Roberts, Steven Suranovic, Martin Shkreli, Shkreli, Price, Trent Sprague, Lyft, Uber, Travis Kalanick, It’s, ” Suranovic, Rafi Mohammed, Stefani Reynolds, Teresa Murray Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Rights, Weber State, Corporations, George Washington University, Turing Pharmaceuticals, LinkedIn, O'Hare International, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, Consumer, Culture, Profit, Getty Locations: New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Inglewood , California, Chicago, New York City, Washington ,, AFP, US

☆ Microsoft's Mistral partnership avoids merger probe by British regulators
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority cleared Microsoft's AI partnership with Mistral of regulatory concerns after previously inviting views on whether the arrangement qualified as a merger. Now, the regulator says it's no longer looking into Microsoft's investment in Mistral. It has given no update on its inquiries into the Amazon-Inflection deal and into Microsoft's hiring of employees from Inflection. Microsoft previously denied its deals with OpenAI and Mistral and hiring of employees from Inflection constituted mergers. Amazon has also said that its partnership with Anthropic represents a limited corporate investment, not a merger.

Persons: OpenAI Organizations: Markets, Mistral, CMA, Enterprise, CNBC, Microsoft, U.S, Anthropic Locations: French, U.S, Mistral

☆ Jamie Dimon and Ray Dalio sound the alarm on soaring US government debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —The chorus of voices warning about the dangers of record US government debt is growing louder. In the past 24 hours, JPMorgan (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon and Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s biggest hedge fund, have weighed in with concerns about America’s debt pile. Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, during a Bloomberg Television interview in New York in April 2024. Dimon acknowledged that debt-fueled government spending, including pandemic stimulus, had been one of the reasons behind robust growth in the world’s biggest economy. Debt servicing costs have also soared, on the back of higher official interest rates, leaving less money for public services.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, Ray Dalio, Dimon, you’ll, Dalio, I’m, ”, Victor J, we’ve, ” Dimon, Liz Truss Organizations: London CNN, JPMorgan, Sky News, Treasury, Financial Times, International Monetary Fund, Congressional, Office, Bridgewater Associates, Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg, Getty, Treasury Department, IMF, US, Federal Locations: Russia, New York, America, Covid, United, United Kingdom

☆ Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Consumer Watchdog’s Funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court rejected a challenge on Thursday to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded, one that could have hobbled the bureau and advanced a central goal of the conservative legal movement: limiting the power of independent agencies. The vote was 7 to 2, with Justice Clarence Thomas writing the majority opinion. “Under the appropriations clause,” he wrote, “an appropriation is simply a law that authorizes expenditures from a specified source of public money for designated purposes. The statute that provides the bureau’s funding meets these requirements. We therefore conclude that the bureau’s funding mechanism does not violate the appropriations clause.”

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Thomas, ” Organizations: Consumer Financial, Treasury

☆ Supreme Court saves consumer protection agency after a challenge from conservatives and the payday lending industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( John Fritze | Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Congress created the bureau in 2010 to protect consumers from financial scams. The payday lending groups sued over a 2017 bureau rule that prohibited attempts to withdraw payments from accounts after two consecutive tries failed due to insufficient funds. Because of that, the conservative appeals court tossed the payday lending rule. The Biden administration appealed to the Supreme Court in 2022. CNN Supreme Court analyst Steve Vladeck said the ruling is another instance of the high court not endorsing controversial opinions from the 5th Circuit.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Biden, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren, ” Thomas, Steve Vladeck, “, would’ve, ”, Vladeck, Samuel Alito, ” Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Stuart, Trump Organizations: CNN, Massachusetts Democratic, Federal Reserve, Circuit, University of Texas School of Law Locations: New Orleans

☆ Opinion: A Russian weapon could wipe out US space edge
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Clayton Swope | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Here, the NanoRacks-Remove Debris satellite is deployed from the International Space Station in 2018. Before revelations about Russia’s development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon, there had been indications of global recognition that the use of certain space weapons was bad for everyone. The proposed defense budget for 2025 does not reflect the scale and urgency of the need to counter space threats and protect space systems. Learning how to operate satellites in a space environment clogged with debris or increased radiation caused by a space weapon is also important. We need a two-pronged effort to prepare for the worst: Double down on efforts to protect and maintain access to space in a hostile space environment and consider how to operate without space.

Persons: Clayton Swope, Mike Turner, Estonia’s, —, Vassily Nebenzia, Frank Herbert’s Organizations: Aerospace Security, International Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CIA, CNN, Clayton, Clayton Swope Center, Strategic, United, US, Intelligence, Ohio Republican, International Space Station, NASA, GPS, Finnair, United Nations, UN, Twitter Locations: Washington , DC, Russian, United States, Russia, Ohio, Vietnam, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Tartu, China, Moscow

☆ U.S. Suspends Funding for Group at Center of Covid Origins Fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Benjamin Mueller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration, under acute pressure from House lawmakers, moved on Wednesday to ban funding for a prominent virus-hunting nonprofit group whose work with Chinese scientists had put it at the heart of theories that Covid leaked from a lab. Republicans went further, demanding that Peter Daszak, the president of the nonprofit, EcoHealth Alliance, be criminally investigated. For EcoHealth, which relied on federal funding to study the threat of wild animal viruses, the loss of funding is another twist in a saga that has long dominated discussions of how the pandemic began. In April 2020, under orders from the Trump administration, the National Institutes of Health terminated a grant to EcoHealth amid President Donald J. Trump’s feud with China over the origin of the coronavirus. had failed to give a proper cause for ending the grant, which supplied an average of roughly $625,000 per year.

Persons: Peter Daszak, Trump, Donald J, Trump’s Organizations: Biden, Department of Health, Human Services, Republicans, EcoHealth Alliance, National Institutes of Health Locations: Wuhan, China

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