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☆ Fact Check-False claims Moderna CEO was executed at Guantanamo Bay stem from widely-debunked website
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An article from a website regularly debunked by Reuters Fact Check for spreading fake news articles falsely claims that Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel was executed on Nov. 18, 2022 by the “U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.” There is no evidence to support this claim. Bancel has made public appearances and spoken publicly since Nov. 18 (here), (here). No reference to the incident exists on the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corp website (www.jag.navy.mil/news.htm) or Moderna’s website (here). Claims that Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel was executed on Nov. 18, 2022 by the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps originate from a website that publishes satire and fake news.

☆ Taiwan says it sees less Chinese interference ahead of elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's elections in Taiwan for mayors and councillors, Wu said China was always a factor when Taiwan voted, but this time around Beijing was meddling less. "I would describe it as that the Chinese interference in our election is not as prevailing as previous elections," he said. China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. While China's military activities have continued, they have been at a much reduced scale. Wu said the elections were important for China too as Taiwan was a model for democracy in the Chinese-speaking world.

☆ For retirement-system changes proposed in Congress via 'Secure 2.0,' December is do-or-die time
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

While no specific agenda has been released yet, supporters of the retirement-change proposals collectively called "Secure 2.0" are hopeful that it will be among the pieces of legislation that make it across the finish line. Increasing the extra amounts — so-called catch-up contributions — that individuals age 50 or older can put in their retirement accounts. watch nowThis year, the House passed its version of Secure 2.0, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act (H.R.2954), in late March with a bipartisan vote of 414-5. Secure 2.0 could be attached to a must-pass billAssuming that Secure 2.0 wouldn't get floor time for a vote on its own, supporters are hoping legislators will attach it to a must-pass bill this year. In September, Congress passed a stopgap measure to fund the government's 2023 fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, through Dec. 16.

He said the school’s student affairs office interviewed Jones’ roommate, who had not seen the suspect with a gun. It wasn’t clear if the school’s internal investigation of Jones possibly having a gun ended with that roommate’s interview. On Tuesday, university officials admitted they learned Jones had been convicted of a misdemeanor for a concealed weapons violation in 2021. Hingeley revealed in court Jones’ previous scrapes with the law. He attempted to purchase a Smith & Wesson M&P15-22, a .22-caliber rifle, but “failed the background check,” the owner said.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. the person said, adding that the calls would connect but Chinese officials wouldn't pick up. Based on a long-standing practice, faxes continue to be exchanged between two semi-official organisations that handle routine affairs: Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits. The council told Reuters that while Chinese officials do not reply directly, they have handled Taiwanese requests when needed or responded through public statements. China this year labeled Tsai's administration "evil" while Taiwan called China "incredibly absurd".

The university’s “threat assessment team” had learned about Jones in September after a third party, who was not a student, reported that he spoke about having a gun, UVA Police Chief Timothy Longo told reporters. He said the school’s student affairs office interviewed Jones’ roommate, who had not seen the suspect with a gun. Steve Helber / APIt wasn’t clear if the school’s internal investigation of Jones possibly having a gun ended with that roommate’s interview. Jones had also been involved in a campus hazing probe, but it did not appear to lead to any disciplinary action, Longo said. A UVA men's basketball home game set for Monday night against the University of Northern Iowa was postponed.

☆ Ammar Campa-Najjar faces off against John McCann in Chula Vista, California's mayoral election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ammar Campa-Najjar is running against John McCann in Chula Vista, California's mayoral race. The San Diego State University graduate ran two unsuccessful congressional campaigns, one against Rep. Darrell Issa in California's 50th Congressional District. He is endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party, Chula Vista Firefighters, and several high-profile elected officials, including Gov. McCann is currently serving his fourth term as deputy mayor on the Chula Vista City Council. He is endorsed by the Chula Vista Police Officers Association, the Republican Party of San Diego County, and the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

☆ Worker complaints alleging anti-union shutdowns rise as organizing surges
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

The company, G&D Integrated, had closed the factory, saying it had suddenly lost its decade-old contract with a Japanese company, workers said. Starbucks closed multiple stores this year following union activity. Trader Joe’s, for example, abruptly closed a wine shop in the center of New York City where workers had been organizing. Demonstrators protest outside a closed Starbucks in Seattle on July 16. More than 40 percent of the stores had union campaigns, according to data from Starbucks Workers United, the union that has been organizing the workers.

☆ China says must resolve stability issues in Hong Kong and Macau
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Nov 2 (Reuters) - China should "resolutely deal with" and "rectify" whatever is needed to resolve any long-term stability issues in Hong Kong and Macau, a senior official said, according to a 20th Communist Party Congress party supplementary document reading published in October. "We should seize the major issues related to the long-term stability of Hong Kong and Macao, we should resolutely deal with whatever needs dealing, we should resolutely rectify what must be rectified and resolutely establish whichever rules are necessary," wrote Xia Baolong, director of China's Hong Kong and Macau affairs office, according to the document, which local media published excerpts of on Wednesday. Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

From exceeding your credit limit to fraud prevention, there are many reasons a credit card may be declined. Apply Now On Chase's website Apply Now On Chase's website Apply Now On Capital One's website6 of the most common reasons your credit card is declined1. You hit your credit limitIf you're at or near your credit limit, your card may be declined. Your credit card is expiredYour card will also be declined if it's past the expiration date. How to prevent your card from being declinedTo prevent your credit card from being declined, know your card's expiration date and notify your credit card company of international travel plans.

☆ China's leadership reshuffle puts greater weight on relations with the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's latest leadership appointments point to greater emphasis on relations with the U.S.Foreign Minister Wang Yi joined the new Politburo, the second-highest level of power, state media announced Sunday. The changes showed that Yang Jiechi, a long-time diplomat closely involved with U.S.-China relations, did not stay on in the Politburo. Yang has headed the party's central committee foreign affairs office and was widely expected to retire. Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the U.S., also made the list of new central committee members released Saturday. "I think there may be a chance to certainly ease the tensions, hopefully, given the challenges China faces in keeping the Chinese economy growing," Yang said.

☆ The US Army Corps of Engineers is dredging the Mississippi River and racing to keep the sea from contaminating drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Mississippi River is at record low levels, stranding barges and allowing sea water to move in with no end in sight. The US Army Corps of Engineers is emergency dredging to keep the channel open to supply barges. Barges, stranded by low water, sit at the Port of Rosedale along the Mississippi River on October 20, 2022 in Rosedale, Mississippi. USACE is racing to build a 1,500-foot-wide, 35-foot-tall underwater levee to prevent saltwater from creeping further up the river, where it could contaminate drinking water. An underwater sill is constructed near the mouth of the Mississippi River to block seawater pushing up river, on October 18, 2022.

☆ 'Political fix' needed for Wikileaks' Assange - lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A lawyer for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said an "urgent political fix" is needed in his case because legal appeals against his extradition to the United States could continue for another decade and his health is declining. In June, Britain's Home Secretary approved Assange's extradition to the United States. "This case is political and needs an urgent political fix," she added. The saga began at the end of 2010 when Sweden sought Assange's extradition from Britain over allegations of sex crimes. Britain's Home Affairs office has said the courts had concluded Assange's extradition would not be incompatible with his human rights, and that he would be treated appropriately.

☆ After years of headaches, the US Navy's first stealth destroyer is operating farther from home than it's ever been
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Navy destroyer USS Zumwalt is on a tour of the Pacific, making visits to Guam and Japan. USS Zumwalt in Yokosuka on September 26. USS Zumwalt the Pacific Ocean on April 10. Years in the makingSailors handle line aboard USS Zumwalt during a refueling-at-sea in the Philippine Sea on September 5. Sailors stand watch on the bridge of USS Zumwalt while the ship departs Yokosuka on October 8.

☆ University of Florida students protest against Ben Sasse’s anti-LGBTQ past
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Hundreds of University of Florida students held protests this week criticizing the anticipated appointment of Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., to lead the school. Sasse has said that as university president, he would do his best to represent the views of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students. But for some, his candidacy has called to mind the university’s anti-LGBTQ history and the extent to which many of them feel it continues to sideline their needs and experiences, four LGBTQ students told NBC News. The university’s LGBTQ+ Affairs office, for example, has a high staff turnover rate, he said. He said a “silver lining” of the protests was that many LGBTQ students made their concerns more widely known.

☆ Superyacht struggle: Is Hong Kong now safe harbor for sanctioned Russians?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Marie Brockling | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

A superyacht linked to a Russian oligarch has produced the latest ripple of tensions between the United States and China after it moored in Hong Kong’s harbor. Hong Kong said Tuesday it would not seize the superyacht, defying Washington and raising fears that the global financial hub could become a haven for individuals sanctioned over the war in Ukraine. “Secondary sanction is more a practical matter rather than a legal or moral matter as Hong Kong banks handling Russian transactions could be sanctioned,” Sun added. The Hong Kong Marine Department did not respond to a request for comment on the number of Russian yachts in its harbors. “We will have to see how much money eventually flocks to Hong Kong and how they are being handled in order to assess the impact on U.S.-China relations,” Sun said.

☆ Taiwan says China looking at Ukraine war to develop 'hybrid' strategies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TAIPEI, Oct 12 (Reuters) - China is looking at the experience of the war in Ukraine to develop "hybrid warfare" strategies against Taiwan including using drones and psychological pressure, a senior Taiwanese security official said on Wednesday. "This year, the communist military has borrowed from the experience of the Russia-Ukraine war to develop 'hybrid warfare' against Taiwan and strengthen its combat training and preparation against strong enemies," he told lawmakers. China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chen said China's military threats had coalesced support from the United States and its allies for Taiwan to ensure what happened to Ukraine would not be repeated across the Taiwan Strait. This will enhance Taiwan's ability to deal with China and deter "their plots to attack Taiwan", he said.

She also outlined steps to boost the military including with mass production of precision missiles and warships. Xi is widely expected to win his third term at the one-every-five-years party congress. "When we say achievement, for Taiwan it's definitely not a good sign, it's not a good thing," Lin said. One senior Taiwanese security official said Xi's third term would bring "unpredictable tensions" across the strait. But China has refused to speak to his successor, Tsai, since she was first elected in 2016, believing her to be a separatist.

The doctor sent along the questions and answers and received a resounding “no” from the PR official: “We ask that you do not comment to the NY Times at this time.”“They’re censoring me,” the doctor told CNN. Even when they are permitted to speak about abortion as private citizens, these doctors say, their employers have made it clear that they would prefer the doctors not talk at all, and so they have hesitated to speak up. UT Southwestern isn’t the only medical center that has been hesitant to allow their doctors to speak with the media. About 10 hospitals and medical practices said no, Wade told CNN. And I thought we would use our position as a respected women’s health institution to continue to educate about the impact these laws have on women’s health,” she told CNN.

☆ Congress is still considering changes to the retirement system, including catch-up contributions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Tom Brenner | ReutersThere's still a decent chance that changes to the U.S. retirement system will be enacted before the end of the year. "There's still tremendous bipartisan interest in doing another retirement security bill," said Paul Richman, chief government and political affairs officer for the Insured Retirement Institute. Upping the catch-up contribution anteNosystem Images | E+ | Getty ImagesCurrently, retirement savers age 50 or older can make so-called catch-up contributions to their retirement savings. The House bill would expand the 401(k) catch-up to $10,000 for individuals who are age 62, 63 or 64. The Senate proposal differs by allowing people from age 60 through age 63 make the extra $10,000 catch-up contribution.

☆ China's top leaders are set for a reshuffle. Here are the names to watch
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

China's top leadership team around President Xi Jinping is set to change this month at a twice-a-decade congress. One of the most closely watched changes in the political reshuffle is the future of Premier Li Keqiang, who turned 67 this year. However, he could remain a standing committee member, JPMorgan analysts said, pointing to a precedent at the 15th party congress. Huang Kunming — Politburo member and head of China's propaganda department, who worked closely with Xi in the provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, the report said. Yang Jiechi, a 72-year-old Politburo member and director of the party's central committee foreign affairs office, is widely expected to retire.

A Taiwan Coast Guard ship travels past the coast of China, in the waters off Nangan island of Matsu archipelago in Taiwan August 16, 2022. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, Sept 23 (Reuters) - A Chinese blockade of Taiwan or the seizure of an offshore island would be considered an act of war and Taiwan would not surrender, a senior Taiwanese security official told Reuters using unusually strong and direct language. Chinese military action might not be as straightforward as a full frontal assault on Taiwan: it could include actions like a blockade to try to force Taiwan to accept China's rule, strategists say. To show its anger, China mounted military exercises around Taiwan that included firing missiles and steps to mount a blockade. "A blockade is an act of war; seizing an offshore island is an act of war," the official said, adding Taipei believed Beijing was unlikely to take either of those actions at the moment.

☆ China softens Taiwan rhetoric as U.S. and Canadian warships sail through strait
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The comments came a day after U.S. and Canadian warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait in their second joint transit in less than a year. Taiwan’s government says that as the island has never been ruled by the People’s Republic of China, its sovereignty claims are void. A U.S. Navy warship and a Canadian frigate made a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the militaries of both nations said. “This operation though the Taiwan Strait is, even more, a concrete demonstration of the resolute opposition of democratic allies to China’s expansion attempts,” it said. The narrow Taiwan Strait has been a frequent source of military tension since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the communists, who established the People’s Republic of China.

☆ China willing to make effort for peaceful 'reunification' with Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ann Wang/File PhotoBEIJING, Sept 21 (Reuters) - China is willing to make the utmost effort to strive for a peaceful "reunification" with Taiwan, a Chinese government spokesperson said on Wednesday, following weeks of military manoeuvres and war games by Beijing near the island. China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory. Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future. China has been carrying out drills near Taiwan since early last month, after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, including firing missiles into waters near the island. Taiwan's government says that as the island has never been ruled by the People's Republic of China, its sovereignty claims are void.

☆ The U.S. retirement system gets a ‘C+’ grade, experts say — even though it’s worth $39 trillion. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The U.S. has a voluntary retirement savings system. But most IRA funds aren't contributed directly — they were first saved in a workplace retirement plan and then rolled into an IRA. 1 issue," Will Hansen, chief government affairs officer at the American Retirement Association, a trade group, said of workplace retirement savings. "[However], the retirement system is actually a good system for those who have access," Hansen said. In such cases, it may not be fair to place primary blame on the structure of the U.S. retirement system, Hansen said.

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