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Powell: Fed's independence from politics is vital to its interest rate decisions WASHINGTON (AP) — Chair Jerome Powell said the Federal Reserve’s ability to set interest rates free of political interference is necessary for it to make decisions to serve “all Americans” rather than a political party or political outcome. Speaking at the New York Times’ DealBook summit, Powell addressed a question about President-elect Donald Trump’s numerous public criticisms of the Fed and of Powell himself. During the election campaign, Trump had insisted that as president, he should have a “say” in the Fed’s interest rate policies. Despite Trump’s comments, the Fed chair said he was confident of widespread support in Congress for maintaining the central bank’s independence. UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the US but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk Wednesday became a mystery that riveted the nation. Police say it was a targeted killing. Thompson was 50. He had worked at the company for 20 years and had run health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s insurance business since 2021. It provides health coverage for more than 49 million Americans and brought in $281 billion in revenue last year. Thompson's $10.2 million annual compensation made him one of the company’s highest-paid executives. Trump nominates cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins as SEC chair President-elect Donald Trump says he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Atkins is the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner. Trump calls Atkins a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. The SEC oversees U.S. securities markets and investments. If confirmed next year by the new Republican-led Senate, Atkins would replace Gary Gensler, who's been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Atkins was widely considered the most conservative SEC member during his tenure and known to have a strong free-market bent. Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there? It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history. Experts say it could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success — keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. Australia’s new law was approved by its Parliament last week. It's an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life — formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalization and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. The ban won’t go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That’s not clear, nor will it be easy. White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered the new details Wednesday about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that a number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow. Pete Hegseth's mother says The New York Times made 'threats' by asking her to comment on a story A basic tenet of journalism — calling someone for comment on a story — was seen as a threat by defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's mother. Penelope Hegseth appeared on Fox News Channel to talk about her son, whose nomination by President-elect Trump to lead the Pentagon is threatened by a series of stories about his past behavior. One came this past weekend, when The New York Times wrote about a private email Penelope Hegseth sent to her son about his treatment of women. She said on Fox News that she felt threatened when the Times called her about the email, which she had quickly regretted sending. The Times said they were engaging in routine journalism. District of Columbia says Amazon secretly stopped fast deliveries to 2 predominantly Black ZIP codes The District of Columbia is alleging in a lawsuit that Amazon secretly stopped providing its fastest delivery service to residents of two predominantly Black neighborhoods in the city. The district says the online retailer still charged residents of two ZIP codes millions of dollars for a service that provides speedy deliveries. The complaint filed on Wednesday in District of Columbia Superior Court revolves around Amazon’s Prime membership service. The lawsuit alleges Amazon in mid-2022 imposed what it called a delivery “exclusion” on the two low-income ZIP codes. An Amazon spokesperson says the company made the change based on concerns about driver safety. The spokesperson says claims that Amazon's business practices are discriminatory are “categorically false.” Biden says 'Africa is the future' as he pledges millions more on the last day of Angola visit LOBITO, Angola (AP) — President Joe Biden has pledged another $600 million for an ambitious multi-country rail project in Africa as one of the final foreign policy moves of his administration. He told African leaders Wednesday that the resource-rich continent of more than 1.4 billion people had been “left behind for much too long. But not anymore. Africa is the future.” Biden used the third and final day of his visit to Angola to showcase the Lobito Corridor railway. The U.S. and allies are investing heavily to refurbish train lines in Zambia, Congo and Angola in a region rich in critical minerals to counter China's influence. The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It's even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It's become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her. US senators grill officials from 5 airlines over fees for seats and checked bags A U.S. Senate subcommittee is taking aim at airlines and their growing use of fees for things like early boarding and better seats. Members of the Senate Permanent on Investigations say airlines have raised billions of dollars by imposing fees that are getting hard to understand and even harder to avoid paying. The senators and the Biden administration call them “junk fees,” and they say the extra charges are making travel less affordable. Some senators expressed frustration during a hearing on Wednesday hearing when airline executives couldn't explain how they set various fees. Airlines say fees let consumers pay for things they want, like more legroom, and avoid paying for things they don't want.Pro Tips For Traveling Safer During The 2024 Holidays12 Gifts we love from Fairway Jockey GOLF If you’re finishing up your holiday shopping and still can’t seem to find the perfect gift for the golfer in your life, check out a few of our favorite gifts on Fairway Jockey . From sneaky good stocking stuffers to big presents that will blow them away, you can find exactly what you need on Fairway Jockey today. And the best part is when you spend over $500, you’ll receive a free Nikon CoolShot 20i GII rangefinder, of $250 value. So not only will you have found a great gift, but you’ll also have an additional present you can keep for yourself or to give to another golf junkie. Use our carefully curated gift guide below to get your golfer something they’ll love this holiday season. If you’re an avid golfer, you know that sturdy, reliable tees are hard to find and even harder to keep in your golf bag. But these trusty pegs from Western Birch are some of the best on the market. Stock up this holiday season to start your 2025 season on the right foot. This divot tool from Birdicorn is one of the best bang-for-your-buck gadgets on Fairway Jockey. With six functions wrapped into one sleek tool, this is the golf equivalent of a swiss army knife. Use it to fix pitch marks, draw a line on your ball, open bottles and more. Cut from premium Cabretta Leather, these super soft gloves are designed to deliver tour-grade performance and last longer than the average golf glove. And right now, when you buy two gloves, you get a third free. Upgrade your indoor putting practice with the Pelz Player Mat, created by David Pelz, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher. This premium indoor mat was designed based on drills and games that have helped tour players like Phil Mickelson win major championships. And right now you can snag one, or more, at 50 percent off. Don’t let the name fool you, there’s nothing mini about this GPS golf speaker from Bushnell. Clip it to your golf bag or stick it to the side of your cart to receive audible distance readings to the front, middle and back of the green, all without interrupting your on-course jam session. Still have those plastic driveway markers in the bag? Upgrade your alignment sticks with these genuine hickory rods from Hazy Sticks. With plenty of color ways to choose from you can match these premium alignment rods to your bag and even engrave them for an extra personal touch. Once you try this backpack from Jones Sports Co. you’ll never go back. Haul your work essentials with ease thanks to the innovative shoulder strap design and updated back support cushion that provide all-day comfort. And, with plenty of pockets, you’ll stay organized on the go. Golf balls are another on-course necessity that makes for a great gift. And with this holiday bundle on Fairway Jockey, you can get two dozen premium Callaway golf balls at a discount. Gift them as is or stick a few sleeves in everyone’s stockings for a gift that your golf-crazed family will love. If you’ve ever slipped on a pair of True Linkswear golf shoes you’ve experienced their elite combination of on-course comfort, stability and durability. And the Lux G model is no different. After a dozen years of innovation, True Linkswear has perfected the golf shoe with this lightweight and flexible design, which is now available at an even better price. I realize this is the second Jones Sports Co. item on this list, but at $168.00, this is probably the best deal of the bunch. The Rover Stand bag is one of the best golf bags money can buy. The lightweight design and dual-performance shoulder straps allow you to comfortably carry all 14 clubs for 18 or even 36 holes. And thanks to the thoughtfully designed pockets and bungees throughout, you can bring all of your on-course essentials and creature comforts with you. This mobile launch monitor from Rapsodo easily pairs with your iPad or iPhone for precise distance measurement on the course, range or even at home. You’ll also receive an immediate swing replay with shot tracing, so you can make real-time adjustments and track your progress with more detail and accuracy. This gift guide wouldn’t be complete without a top-of-the-line piece of equipment like this brand-new driver from Titleist. Purchase the latest in golf equipment technology on Fairway Jockey today. And with their customizable features and hundreds of premium aftermarket shafts, you can fit your clubs to your exact specs — iving you more confidence in every swing. Latest In Gear Golf.com EditorSTOCKHOLM: Physics Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton and chemistry laureate Demis Hassabis on Saturday insisted on a need for strong regulation of artificial intelligence, which played a key role in their awards. “AI is a very important technology to regulate but I think it’s very important that we get the regulations right and I think that’s the hard thing at the moment is it’s such a fast moving technology,” Hassabis told a news conference in Stockholm. Hassabis, who jointly won with Americans David Baker and John Jumper for revealing the secrets of proteins through AI, said such evolutionary speed posed a giant challenge. But the underlying issue, he said, is “about what do we want to use these systems for, how do we want to deploy them and making sure that all of humanity benefits from what these systems can do.” British-Canadian Hinton, considered the “Godfather of AI,” conceded that “I wish I’d thought about safety earlier,” in allusion to his fears about the potential for AI to ramp up the arms race. Hinton, who made headlines when he quit Google last year and warned of the dangers machines could one day outsmart people, was awarded his Nobel along with American John Hopfield for work on artificial neural networks. “Governments are unwilling to regulate themselves when it comes to lethal autonomous weapons and there is an arms race going on between all the major arms suppliers like the United States, China, Russia, Britain and (Zionist entity).” Hassabis said he was recommending governments come up with “fast and nimble regulations.” He said he had been advising governments and civil society to build on regulations in domains such as healthcare and transport “and see how the technology develops and then quickly adapt to the way that’s going.” He told AFP he had had discussions with Elon Musk about the “existential threat” posed by inappropriate use of AI and indicated the tech billionaire was concerned at the potential for AI to wrest control from humans. He added that he was confident Musk would “communicate that to Trump and his administration” when Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. But he warned that he was not sure if all of Trump’s team would necessarily be sufficiently attuned to the risks entailed, adding that he believed Musk himself is not a “particularly moral” person.- AFP
US expected to send £1 billion in weapons to Ukraine before Trump takes officeNone
GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning this summer and left his wife and three children has been located in Eastern Europe and is communicating with law enforcement, but he has not committed to returning home, authorities said. Ryan Borgwardt began communicating with authorities Nov. 11, after they tracked him down, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Thursday. The sheriff showed a video that Borgwardt sent police that day from an undisclosed location. The sheriff said no charges have been filed and that he doesn't think they will be necessary while authorities “keep pulling at his heartstrings” to come home. Here are some things to know about Borgwardt and his disappearance: Borgwardt, who is in his mid-40s, lived with his wife and children in Watertown, a city of about 23,000 people northwest of Milwaukee that is known for its German heritage, parochial schools and two dams on the Rock River. The sheriff has said his department was told Aug. 12 that Borgwardt had not been heard from since the previous day, when he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home to Green Lake to go kayaking. Borgwardt’s wife said he texted her at 10:49 p.m. to say he was heading to shore. Deputies found Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near Green Lake. His kayak was discovered on the lake, overturned and with a life jacket attached to it, in an area where the water is about 200 feet (60 meters) deep. An angler later found Borgwardt’s fishing rod. The search for his body continued for more than 50 days, with divers scouring the lake on several occasions. Clues — including that he reported his passport lost or stolen and obtained a new one a few months before he disappeared — led investigators to speculate that he made it appear that he had drowned to go meet a woman he had been communicating with in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Podoll declined to comment when asked what he knew about the woman, but he said law enforcement contacted Borgwardt “through a female that spoke Russian.” His identity was confirmed through asking him questions that the sheriff said only Borgwardt would know and by a video he made and sent them Nov. 11. He has spoken with someone from the sheriff's department almost daily since. However Podoll said Thursday that Borgwardt's exact location in Eastern Europe was not known. Podoll said Chief Deputy Matt Vande Kolk has been the one communicating with Borgwardt and their conversations have all taken place via email. Vande Kolk told The Associated Press in an email Friday that authorities are trying to determine Borgwardt's exact location. But that might not be easy even with modern surveillance technology. Scott Shackelford, executive director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University, said authorities should be able to locate Borgwardt through his device's internet protocol address, a unique number assigned to every device connected to the internet. But he said it's very easy to mask an IP address and make it appear as if the device is in one country when it's really in another. Software exists that can route your IP address across the globe, Shackelford said. Police may not have the expertise, the manpower or any interest in digging through multiple layers of cyber deception, he said. Wearing an orange T-shirt, Borgwardt, unsmiling, looks directly at the camera, apparently filmed on a cellphone. Borgwardt says he is in his apartment and briefly pans the camera, but mostly shows a door and bare walls. “I’m safe and secure, no problem,” he says. Borgwardt has told authorities he overturned his kayak on the lake, dumped his phone in it and paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He told authorities he chose Green Lake because it is Wisconsin's deepest at 237 feet (over 72 meters). He then rode an electric bike stashed by a boat launch about 70 miles (110 kilometers) through the night to Madison, the sheriff said. From there, by Borgwardt's account, he traveled by bus to Detroit and then Canada, where he boarded a plane. Police are still verifying Borgwardt’s description of what happened, Podoll said. Borgwardt faked his death and fled because of “personal matters,” thinking it was the right thing to do, the sheriff said. Investigators found that he took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January for his family. “He was just going to try and make things better in his mind, and this was the way it was going to be,” Podoll said. Borgwardt has not yet decided to return home, and if he does it will be of his own free will, according to Podoll. Deputies are stressing to him the importance of returning home and cleaning up the mess he made. The sheriff suggested that Borgwardt could be charged with obstructing the investigation into his disappearance, but so far no counts have been filed. The search for Borgwardt, which lasted more than a month, is said to have cost at least $35,000. Borgwardt told authorities that he did not expect the search to last more than two weeks, Podoll said, and his biggest concern is how the community will react to him if he returns. This story was updated to correct the spelling of Scott Shackelford’s last name, which had been misspelled “Shackleford.” Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Strictly Come Dancing viewers have called out the show’s judges for “unfair” scoring as they feel one contestant is receiving “softer” treatment than others. As the semi-final takes place, with only one week until one contestant is awarded the Glitterball Trophy, the competition has been tougher than ever with celebrities scoring highly. Tasha Ghouri was awarded a perfect score for her second performance of the night, a Waltz to “(You Make Me Feel) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. JB Gill received the same for his Salsa to “Red Alert” by Basement Jaxx, which marks the first time a Salsa performance has received a perfect score in six years on the show. But as Ghouri, Gill, Sarah Hadland, and Chris McCausland received technical critiques for their first performances of the night, fans claimed the panel takes a different approach with Towie ’s Wicks and his partner Jowita Przystal. Head judge Shirley Ballas gave the TV personality gushing praise as she said Wicks embodied the show, while usually critical Horwood told the star “I love you”. However, despite their compliments, the pair still received the lowest marks of the episode. “Craig is never as picky with Pete, who can see what he’s doing, as he is with Chris,” said one person of his critique of the comedian’s performance. “Tasha, Sarah, JB are definitely technically the best dancers,” wrote another. “The judges/producers definitely want a Chris/Pete dance-off and they will ensure they get it.” Another added, “They want JB and Pete in the final clearly. Putting Tasha and Sarah in the dance-off”. “The way the judges judge Chris and Sarah compared to Pete is wild,” commented another on X/Twitter. “What has Pete got on BBC producers?!” It comes as Wicks has received mounting backlash for making it so far in the competition, despite being at the bottom of the leaderboard on multiple occasions. The Towie star said he has received death threats for people unhappy with his progress . Wicks reached out to fans on social media for their support ahead of the semi-final. In a post on his Instagram, Wicks and Przystal are seen looking forlorn along with the caption: “Today is semi-finals day. It’s been 12 weeks of hard work, ups and downs...can we do the unthinkable? We would love your support tonight.”
Scientists have raised concerns about hospitality staff coming into contact with second-hand smoke at work after the Government rowed back on plans to make it illegal to smoke in pub beer gardens. Concerns have also been raised about the “renormalisation” of smoking. Dr Rachel O’Donnell, senior research fellow at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said restrictions on smoking in outdoor places can “reinforce” a message that smoking “isn’t a socially acceptable thing to do” and could also help smokers to kick the habit. In November, it emerged that the UK Government is to scrap plans to ban smoking in the gardens of pubs and restaurants in England. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the hospitality industry has “taken a real battering in recent years” and it is not “the right time” to ban smoking outside pubs. But smoking and vaping could be banned in other public places in England – such as in playgrounds or outside of schools – under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. According to the World Health Organisation, there is no safe level of second-hand smoke exposure. In a briefing for journalists, Dr O’Donnell said decision-making “should be on the basis of all the evidence that’s available”. She added: “Any debate about legislation on smoking in outdoor settings shouldn’t only focus on air quality and second-hand smoke exposure levels, because the impacts of restrictions in outdoor settings are also evident on our social norms.” Smoke-free outdoor environments “reinforce smoke-free as the acceptable norm”, she said. “This, I think, is a critically important point at a time where in the media, over the last year, we’ve seen various reports and questions as to whether we might be on the cusp of renormalisation of smoking for various reasons, and so smoke-free public environments still have a critically important role to play. “If you reduce opportunities to smoke, it can also help individuals who smoke themselves to reduce the amount they smoke or to make a quit attempt.” Dr O’Donnell said visibility of tobacco products and smoking is a “form of marketing for tobacco companies” as she pointed to studies highlighting the increasing number of tobacco depictions on screen. She went on: “The more often young adults observe smoking around them, the more likely they are to believe that smoking is socially acceptable, which feeds back into this idea of renormalisation of smoking. “So, restrictions on smoking in outdoor public places have other positive knock-on effects, potentially for young people as well, just sending out that clear message that this isn’t a socially acceptable thing to do and see, and this could help to discourage smoking initiation among young people at quite a critical time.” On being exposed to second-hand smoke at work, she added: “I think sometimes when we think about exposure to second-hand smoke in outdoor settings, in pubs, in restaurants, we think about that sort of occasional customer exposure, the nuisance element of it when people are out enjoying a meal with friends, but we also need to be reminded that this is a repeated occupational exposure for those who are working in hospitality and serving drinks and food. “Now, as we’ve already seen, concentrations of second-hand smoke in these settings are generally low, and they’re likely to present a low risk to health for most healthy people. “But ... there’s no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and so any individual with pre-existing heart, lung or respiratory conditions may be particularly vulnerable even to low levels of exposure. “We know that second-hand smoke is its known carcinogen, and on that basis those exposed in the hospitality sector have a right to be protected. “On that basis, there’s a need to protect them, as there is anybody in any workplace setting from second-hand smoke exposure in all areas of workplaces and spaces.” Sean Semple, professor of exposure science at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said: “I think that if I were a policy-maker, which I am not, then I would be looking at those occupational exposures as well. “I have asthma, if I was being occupationally exposed to SHS (second-hand smoke), and knowing that I was one of a very small number of workers now being legally exposed to SHS in the workplace, then I might not be very happy about that.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “As part of our 10 Year Health Plan we are shifting focus from sickness to prevention, including tackling the harms of smoking and passive smoking. “The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill is the biggest public health intervention in a generation and will put us on track towards a smoke-free UK.”HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) — Brian Moore Jr. scored 33 points as Norfolk State beat High Point 77-74 on Sunday. Moore added five rebounds and six assists for the Spartans (9-6). Christian Ings scored 12 points, shooting 5 of 6 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line. Jalen Myers had seven points and shot 1 of 3 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. The Panthers (12-3) were led in scoring by Chase Johnston, who finished with 24 points. Kimani Hamilton added 18 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two blocks for High Point. Kezza Giffa also put up 12 points. Up next for Norfolk State is a matchup Tuesday with Tennessee on the road. High Point hosts Radford on Thursday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the Hawk air defence system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defence officials acknowledged that the US Defence Department may not be able to send all of the remaining 5.6 billion dollars (£4.5 billion) in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Mr Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many US and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he will not provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about 4.35 billion dollars (£3.46 billion). Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky decide it is time to negotiate. One senior defence official said that while the US will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until January 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about 1.2 billion dollars (£0.9 billion) remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the US will have provided more than 64 billion dollars (£50.8 billion) in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.
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