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Showing posts from July, 2019

Democratic-Aligned Group Raises $4.8 Million

Many of the Democratic candidates have railed against big money in politics, but the biggest party-aligned super political action committee is relying on deep-pocketed donors to get ready to take on Donald Trump. Priorities USA raised $4.8 million in the first six months of 2019, and had $5.1 million cash on hand at the end of June. It spent just $182,333, according to its latest filing with the Federal Election Commission. Hedge fund manager S. Donald Sussman gave $2 million and philanthropist Marsha Laufer gave $1 million. Laborers International Union of North America and the political arm of the American Federation of Teachers each gave $500,000. Two entities supporting President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, America First Action, a super political action committee, and America First Policies, a political nonprofit, announced they had raised $17.8 million. Most Democratic presidential candidates have refused to take money from PACs or registered lobbyists. Senators Elizab
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Joe Biden Stakes Out Centrist Position on Immigration, Asylum Policy During Democratic Debate

Joe Biden staked out a centrist position on immigration, defending criminal penalties for illegal border crossings despite pressure from more liberal presidential candidates to treat those crossings as a civil matter. Julian Castro, the leader of the decriminalization faction, accused fellow Democrats like Biden of “taking the bait” on Republican talking points. “Mr. Vice President, it looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and one of us hasn’t,” Castro said, one of a number of attempts to portray the former vice president as out of touch with current times. Biden said Castro’s plan to decriminalize illegal border crossings “doesn’t make sense” and argued that it would make it difficult to say no to any immigrant who wanted to avoid the delays in legal immigration. And Biden suggested that Castro hadn’t made that argument when he was part of the Obama administration. “I don’t remember him talking about any of this when he was secretary” of Housing and Urban Develo
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IFCI pensioners seek restoration of ‘legitimate’ benefits

As many as 600 retired employees of IFCI have approached the government against what they call the state-run infrastructure lender’s “abrupt” and “arbitrary” tweaking of rules to curtail their “legitimate” pension benefits, and sought swift restoration of these entitlements. from The Financial ExpressThe Financial Express https://ift.tt/2MoGhdg
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Fact Checking the Democratic Debate: Night 2

Ten more Democrats jousted on a Detroit stage Wednesday in what was probably the last of the traffic-jammed, double-barreled presidential debates. A look at the veracity of their rhetoric as the contenders fought not only to stand out to primary voters but to stay in contention for the winnowed-down debates to come: MICHAEL BENNET, senator from Colorado, in a message directed at President Donald Trump: “Kids belong in classrooms not cages.” THE FACTS: The “cages” for young migrants at the border were built and used by President Barack Obama. The Trump administration has used them, too. He is referring to chain-link enclosures inside border facilities where migrants have been temporarily housed, separated by sex and age. More must-read stories from Fortune : —In a debate over differences, these are the topics not discussed on night one — Democrats spar over health care , race, and gun violence in high-energy night one — 4 things we learned from night one of the second Democr
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Penn National makes major sports betting push with new deals

NEW YORK -- Casino operator Penn National Gaming Inc on Wednesday announced a spate of partnerships with sports book operators, including with digital sports media company theScore Inc., giving the partners access to sports betting markets across the United States in exchange for fees, equity and a share of betting revenues. Read More from Financial Post https://ift.tt/2Mw1JNE
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CCD owner VG Siddhartha’s body found in Mangaluru’s Netravati river

The body of Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) owner VG Siddhartha has been found on the banks of Netravati River near Hoige Bazaar in Mangaluru, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday morning. Siddhartha was missing mysteriously since Monday night en route to the coastal Mangaluru. A letter was also found which claimed that he was under […] from The Financial ExpressThe Financial Express https://ift.tt/2YfXqNm
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Puerto Rico Governor Said to Name Pierluisi as Successor

Outgoing Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello will name Pedro Pierluisi, the commonwealth’s former representative in U.S. Congress, as his successor, according to an island lawmaker. Commonwealth House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Mendez told members that Rossello will nominate Pierluisi, Representative Jose “Quiquito” Melendez said in a telephone interview Tuesday night. The House is set to hold a special session at 1 p.m. Friday regarding the appointment of the island’s Secretary of State — next in the line of succession — according to a notice of the session. Rossello is running out of time before he steps down Friday to name a candidate for the vacant secretary of state job who can win approval of both protesters and the island’s congress. Even though Rossello has apparently made his choice, the deal is not done: Melendez said he’s not certain whether Pierluisi’s nomination will pass the House. Pierluisi’s name is not on the notice for the chamber’s special session. The bankrupt isl
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3 Things to Watch For From the Federal Reserve on Wednesday

Not since America’s financial system and economy appeared to be in grave danger — back in December 2008 — has the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate. Yet that is just what the Fed is set to do when it ends its latest policy meeting Wednesday at a time when the U.S. economy looks infinitely sturdier than it did in the depths of the Great Recession. The Fed under Chairman Jerome Powell has nevertheless signaled its belief that uncertainties and threats unleashed by President Donald Trump’s trade war and by a global slowdown justify a Fed rate cut now as a kind of insurance policy against another economic downturn. That message has raised a raft of questions about how much the Fed intends to reduce borrowing rates and whether it should really be cutting rates at all now. A news conference Powell will hold after the Fed issues a policy statement could help shed light on the likely path ahead for the central bank. Here are three things to watch for after the Fed meeting end
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Fact-Checking the Second Democratic Debate: Night 1

Ten Democratic presidential contenders vied for advantage Tuesday night in the second round of the party’s 2020 campaign debates. A look at some of their statements in Detroit and how they compare with the facts. BERNIE SANDERS, senator from Vermont: “49 percent of all new income is going to the top 1 percent.” THE FACTS: That is probably exaggerated. The figure comes from a  short paper by Emmanuel Saez,  an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, and leading researcher on inequality, and doesn’t include the value of fringe benefits, such as health insurance, or the effects of taxes and government benefit programs such as Social Security. But  Saez and another Berkeley economist, Gabriel Zucman  , have recently compiled a broader data set that does include those items and finds the top 1% has captured roughly 25% of the income growth since the recession ended. That’s certainly a lot lower but still a substantial share. Income inequality has sharply increased in the
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Apple’s Services Surprise Pleases Wall Street

Apple managed to surprise investors in a good way on Tuesday by reporting better-than-expected quarterly results and by giving an upbeat forecast for the current quarter. But the encouraging performance had nothing to do with the iPhone, Apple’s growth engine over the past decade that propelled the company from also-ran computer maker to one of the world’s most profitable corporations. Instead, it was strong growth in services like Apple Music, Apple Pay, and app sales that excited investors. CEO Tim Cook is increasingly turning to services as smartphone sales slow worldwide . Customers are now holding onto their phones for three to four years on average before upgrading, so Apple’s growth these days depends partly on selling more services. Later this year, the company plans to introduce a couple of important ones , for video gaming and video streaming. Additionally, Apple is trying to push beyond its reliance on iPhone, iPad and computer sales. Apple Watch and AirPod earbuds are
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Cafe Coffee Day founder missing: VG Siddhartha’s letter talks of pressures for PE partner, other lenders

India’s biggest coffee chain founder VG Siddhartha was reported missing since Monday night en route to Mangaluru city in Karnataka, with an alleged letter by him showing he was under “tremendous pressure” from lenders. from The Financial ExpressThe Financial Express https://ift.tt/2K3Vy1k
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Legislating Social Media Addiction: Brainstorm Health

There’s a presidential primary debate on tonight (and I imagine at least a few readers will be checking in on it, given an expected focus on health care). But let’s check in on a more low-key, and likely quixotic, policy quest aligned with the digital health space. A freshman U.S. Senator (Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican), has proposed legislation that would ban “addictive” features on social media platforms. The Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology Act (or, well, the SMART Act) would prevent some of the big tech names like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter from using algorithmic means to feed on their very human users’ propensity for spending hours upon hours on said platforms (behavior that hasn’t exactly been linked with great mental health outcomes). This might include the use of auto-play videos, or “infinite scrolling” (wherein your digital wormhole literally has no end), or programmable behavior encouraging users to constantly engage. Whether such a piece of legislati
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Facebook Is Working on Sci-Fi Tech That Would Let Users Type With Their Minds

Facebook is working on augmented reality glasses that would help people type by monitoring their brain signals instead of requiring them to use a keyboard. And two years into the research, the company said on Tuesday that the sci-fi goal may be achievable. “We want to be able to give people a hands-free and flexible way to interact with AR glasses that they’ll be wearing all day long in away that’s private and discrete,” said Mark Chevillet, research director at Facebook Reality Labs, the company’s AR and virtual reality group.  The social media giant first announced its goal to build a wearable device that would detect intended speech from brain activity two years ago at F8, its developer conference. On Tuesday, the company said research it funded in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco proved that people’s brain activity could be decoded and transcribed into text in real-time.  It’s the first step in Facebook’s larger goal to create a system capable of
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China-US trade talks to restart after G20 tariff truce

Washington and Beijing have so far hit each other with punitive tariffs covering more than $360 billion in two-way trade, in a tense stand-off centred on demands for China to curb the alleged theft of American technology and provide a level-playing field to US companies. from The Financial ExpressThe Financial Express https://ift.tt/2GC1XyI
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Unnao accident: Yogi government recommends CBI probe into road tragedy, BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar booked for murder

Kuldeep Singh Sengar is four-time MLA from Bangermau in Unnao district. He is accused of raping the woman in 2017. He was arrested last year in April after the victim tried to immolate herself outside CM Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow. from The Financial ExpressThe Financial Express https://ift.tt/2ykIdLH
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America Movil: A Top Telecom Stock For International Growth And Dividends

When it comes to the telecommunications sector, most investors are probably familiar with the U.S.l-based giants like AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ). Indeed, these two companies dominate the U.S. telecom industry, and have a large investor following thanks to their high dividend yields. However, investors would do well to consider international telecommunications stocks as well, which could provide diversification benefits. For example, Mexico-based telecom giant America Movil (AMX) is one of the best telecommunications stocks thanks to its broad market diversification, strong competitive advantages, and attractive valuation. Business Overview America Movil is based in Mexico City and has grown into the largest wireless telecommunications provider in Latin America, with a 30% larger customer base than its closest rival. It possesses significant market share across three major markets – Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia – alongside a presence in over twenty other markets, which improve
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Goodyear plant conditions raise concerns about Mexican labor reforms -U.S. lawmakers

WASHINGTON -- A group of U.S. Democratic lawmakers on Monday criticized Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co for refusing to let them visit its Mexican plant, and said poor conditions there raised questions about Mexican labor reforms seen as key to ensuring passage of a new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. Read More from Financial Post https://ift.tt/2LMyJBF
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Hacker May Have Stole Info About Millions of Capital One Customers, U.S. Says

Capital One lost data from as many as tens of millions of credit card applications after a Seattle woman hacked into a cloud-computing company server, federal prosecutors in Seattle said. The woman, Paige A. Thompson, was arrested Monday and appeared in federal court in Seattle. The data theft occurred some time between March 12 and July 17, prosecutors said. The cloud-computing company, on whose servers Capital One rented space, wasn’t identified in court papers. “According to Capital One, the data includes data regarding large numbers of applications, likely tens of millions of applications,” according to a complaint filed in federal court in Seattle. “According to Capital One, that data includes approximately 120,000 Social Security numbers and approximately 77,000 bank account numbers.” Tatiana Stead and Sie Soheili, spokespersons for Capital One, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In court on Monday, Thompson broke down and laid her head down on the defense
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India-Cuba: Spy turned diplomat seeks deeper collaboration with India in pharma and biotech

The Cuban five were spies. They were Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González Llort and René González. And had infiltrated anti-communist militias of Cuban exiles in Florida. They were arrested for espionage by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1998. from The Financial ExpressThe Financial Express https://ift.tt/2JVKAei
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Deadly Apache attack Helicopters land at Hindon Air Force Station, more to come next week

The deal for these helicopters was inked in 2015, and these will be used as attack helicopters by the IAF. Four more of these helicopters are expected to arrive next week. The delivery of all the 22 machines will be completed by 2020 as per the contract inked. from The Financial ExpressThe Financial Express https://ift.tt/2ZfbSl3
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Top Pakistani JeM terrorist, associate killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian

Lahori was responsible for a car blast attack on security a forces' convoy on March 30 at Banihal and "a fatal car blast on Army vehicle at Arihal in Pulwahma on June 17 in which two soldiers were killed and nine others including two civilians were injured," a official said. from The Financial ExpressThe Financial Express https://ift.tt/2SI4hJk
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