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Up to 3m UK people behind on bills have had mental health problems, study says 2023-07-18 - Up to 3 million people in the UK who are behind with at least one bill have experienced a mental health problem in the last two years, according to research. YouGov polling for the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity found that 12% of all people were behind on at least one payment such as energy, rent or credit cards, of whom half – 3 million – had a mental health problem. In all, people who have had mental health problems in the past two years are three times more likely to be behind on at least one significant bill, the report found, with 60% saying they felt unable to cope due to rising costs. Yet only 9% have received money or debt advice since the start of the cost of living crisis. The charity calculates that the government could save more than £140m a year and double recovery rates for people with depression and debt by joining up mental health and money support. It calls on the government and NHS England to provide practical financial advice alongside NHS talking therapies. This would double recovery rates for people struggling with debt and depression, help an extra 27,000 people recover from mental health problems each year and reduce waiting times for mental health services. The authors calculate that these changes would save £39m by reducing demand for health and social care services and generate £105m in wider economic benefits and boosts to workplace productivity, resulting in more people recovering from mental health problems. Martin Lewis, chair and founder of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: “The cost of living crisis shows no sign of abating, and even if it does, the fallout will last years. Financial problems and mental health issues are locked together, it’s about time treatments were linked too. “For many years, therapists, mental health nurses and social workers have told us they often spend substantial, valuable clinical time helping people with their finances. It makes more sense to leave debt help professionals to do that and take some pressure off the NHS, letting clinicians focus on helping people get better.” Rachel, 46, from Cardiff, has had depression most of her life. But when she tried to come off her medication, she went into a downward spiral of spending and gambling and ran up debts of about £15,000. “It’s mad, because the more debt you get in, the more the credit card companies will give you,” she said. “At one point I had about 10 different credit cards.” She says at no point did any health professional ask her how she was coping financially and she felt unable to raise it herself. Suzanne Hoddy, a 37-year-old nurse from Leicester, says no one considered whether she could handle her finances on discharge from a mental health setting in 2017. “Never at any point did someone ask: who’s actually managing her house, all the bills, is that going to be a potential issue when she gets home?” she said. “There was no thought of that.” Had they done so earlier, Hoddy might have avoided a court summons for failing to pay her council tax while an inpatient. Linking mental health and money services “might mean an extra five minutes that you’ve had to spend with that person, but for that person’s recovery, it’s made a massive difference,” she said. Dr Subodh Dave, dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said psychiatrists were “intensely aware” of the significant impact of the cost of living crisis on patients’ mental health. He said: “Debt may have disastrous consequences for individuals and their families. “Clinicians can play their part by enquiring about their patients’ financial situations and how this might be affecting their mental health. Collaboration is needed from a range of other bodies including financial advice services and social care organisations.” A government spokesperson said: “We’re investing £2.3bn of extra funding a year by March 2024 to expand and transform mental health services in England, to treat an additional 2 million patients. We’ve also helped nearly 2 million people out of absolute poverty since 2010, and provided a £94bn support packages – worth about £3,300 per household – to help those most in need.”

Shapps announces £157m in grants at launch of new UK nuclear body 2023-07-18 - The UK government is to offer grants of £157m as part of its launch of a new body to support the nuclear power industry. Great British Nuclear (GBN) will be tasked with helping deliver the government’s commitment to provide a quarter of the UK’s electricity from nuclear energy by 2050. The new body will help drive rapid expansion of nuclear power plants in the UK, boost energy security and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, said the energy security secretary, Grant Shapps. It is hoped that a competition to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) will drive billions of pounds of investment into the technology, which the government hopes will be cheaper and quicker to build than traditional large nuclear power plants. However, environmental campaigners and academics have argued that SMRs have no track record and that time and resources would be better spent on renewables such as more offshore wind. The launch at the Science Museum in London on Tuesday was delayed from last week after it clashed with the government’s public sector pay deal announcement. The government’s previous attempts to attract funding for conventional large reactors have so far only yielded the much delayed and over-budget Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset. Shapps is expected to announce the winners of the competition in the autumn, with a number of manufacturing firms such as Rolls-Royce and Hitachi interested in developing SMRs. The government said it was still committed to Hinkley Point C and also Sizewell C, a nuclear power plant in Suffolk that was announced last year and has been backed with £700m of public funds. In addition to the competition launch, Shapps announced that up to £157m of grant funding would be available. There will be up to £77m to accelerate the development of a nuclear business in the UK and support new designs, and a further £58m for the development and design of a new advanced modular reactor that operates at higher temperatures. Shapps said: “Britain has a rich history as a pioneer of nuclear power, having launched the era of civil nuclear power, and I’m proud to be turbocharging its revival and placing our country once again at the forefront of global innovation. By rapidly boosting our homegrown supply of nuclear and other clean, reliable, and abundant energy, we will drive down bills for British homes and make sure the UK is never held to energy ransom by tyrants like [Vladimir] Putin. “Today, as we open Great British Nuclear and the competition to develop cutting-edge small modular reactor technology, which could result in billions of pounds of public and private sector investment, we are seeing the first brushstrokes of our nuclear power renaissance to power up Britain and grow our economy for decades to come.” Dr Doug Parr, the chief scientist for Greenpeace UK, accused the government of “obsessing” over nuclear power and decried SMRs. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Business Today Free daily newsletter Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion “As the government tries to whip up investment for the latest generation of reactors, it is striking how many of the nuclear industry’s speculative claims are being repeated by ministers as fact,” he said. “The hype seems to have been enough to convince our government that nuclear’s last gasp is in fact a new dawn, but at their radioactive cores SMRs remain the same bad bet. “SMRs have no track record, but initial indications are that the familiar problems of cost overruns and delays will be repeated, and the accumulation of unmanageable waste will continue.” Parr added: “By continually obsessing about nuclear, the government is taking its eye off the net zero ball, which will have to be delivered through a predominantly renewable, modern electricity grid. No number of SMRs will fix the government’s lacklustre effort to address issues of delayed connections, smart local grids and home efficiency.” Steve Thomas, an emeritus professor of energy policy at the University of Greenwich, said: “Yet again, the British government has proved credulous to the claims of the nuclear industry that a new generation of technology will solve all the problems of its predecessors. “SMRs are a long way from being commercially ready and at best will be as uneconomic as existing technology and at worst won’t even be technically feasible. The answers to reaching net zero with electricity are already available – energy efficiency and renewables. This announcement will only divert time and resources from these.”

Court rules against Uber in major win for California workers 2023-07-17 - July 17 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) must face a California lawsuit claiming it should have covered UberEats drivers' work-related expenses, the state's top court said on Monday, in what could be a major blow to companies in the largest U.S. state and a win for labor advocates. The California Supreme Court in a unanimous ruling said UberEats driver Erik Adolph did not give up his right under state law to sue on behalf of a large group of workers even though he signed an agreement to bring his own work-related legal claims in private arbitration. Adolph sued Uber in 2019, claiming the company misclassified UberEats drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, who must be reimbursed for work expenses under California law. A unique California law called the Private Attorney General Act, or PAGA, allows workers to sue for employment law violations on behalf of the state and keep one-quarter of any money they win. The rest goes to the state to fund an agency that enforces labor laws. The California Supreme Court said nothing in that law bars workers from pursuing claims on their own behalf in arbitration while separately litigating large-scale claims in court. The decision likely undermines the significance of a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Viking River Cruises that said companies could force individual PAGA claims into arbitration, and could mean that California employers will face more large-scale lawsuits. Theane Evangelis, a lawyer for Uber, said in a statement that Monday's ruling conflicts with the Viking River decision and violates a federal law that requires enforcing valid arbitration agreements. "We are considering our appellate options," she said. Michael Rubin, who represents Adolph, said the ruling could spur companies to reconsider forcing workers' claims into arbitration if large-scale PAGA lawsuits can still proceed in court. Rubin also represented the plaintiff in the Viking River case. More than half of private sector, nonunion U.S. workers are required to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of employment. The agreements typically bar them from filing or participating in traditional class action lawsuits. Critics of mandatory arbitration say it discourages workers from bringing individual claims that involve small sums of money, and that workers who do bring disputes in arbitration are more likely to lose. Business groups maintain that arbitration is quicker and more efficient than court, allowing workers to recoup more money. Trade groups hailed last year's Viking River ruling, saying it would prevent plaintiffs in California from using PAGA as a way around arbitration. Groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country's largest business lobby, filed briefs in Monday's case warning the California Supreme Court that a ruling against Uber could encourage workers to file meritless lawsuits and pressure companies to settle them. But the court said those concerns should be directed at state legislators, who have the power to change the law. Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York and Alison Frankel in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Josie Kao Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Influential Nashville music producer Jerry Bradley, who signed Alabama and Ronnie Milsap, has died 2023-07-17 - NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville music executive Jerry Bradley, who signed Alabama and Ronnie Milsap and helped brand the outlaws style of country music during a 40-year career, died Monday. He was 83. Bradley died peacefully in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, according to an obituary released by his family. Bradley began his career in the 1960s, working in his family’s music publishing business alongside his famous producer father, Owen Bradley. As an engineer, his clients included Loretta Lynn, Dinah Shore, Gordon Lightfoot and The Who, according to the obituary. Bradley struck out on his own in 1970, joining RCA Records under Chet Atkins before taking over as head of the label’s Nashville branch from 1973-1983. That is where he signed Alabama and Milsap. He helped market the outlaws of country music in a platinum-selling album called “Wanted: The Outlaws.” Under his leadership, the careers of Dolly Parton and Charley Pride flourished. After leaving RCA, Bradley ran the Opryland Music Group, whose song catalogs included the classics of Hank Williams, Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers. But Bradley wanted more and acquired new staff, song pluggers, and songwriters, including Kenny Chesney, according to the obituary. Bradley retired in 2003 after the company was acquired by Sony/ATV Music. Chesney said in a statement that Bradley “had a profound and unmeasurable impact on my life. But not just in my life. ... He helped change the lives of so many people that had a song in their heart. Jerry’s impact on our creative community will be felt for years.” Bradley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019.

Actors and writers on strike are united and determined in the face of a long summer standoff 2023-07-17 - LOS ANGELES (AP) — Solidarity and stamina were picket-line themes Monday as striking screenwriters and actors in New York and Los Angeles braced for a long, hot summer standoff with studios. Picketers emphasized unity between writers, who have been on the lines for more than two months, and performers, who are only on Day 2 of striking — as well as camaraderie between highly paid actors and those with spare screen credits who struggle to scrape by. Kevin Bacon, who was among the famous faces picketing among unknowns outside Viacom headquarters in New York, said his presence was about “seeing people out here and being aware that not all actors are super high paid actors, that they are working class people who are trying to make a living.” One such working actor, Whitney Morgan Cox, who has appeared on the CBS series “Criminal Minds,” said it was “powerful” to see writers and actors come together who don’t often work simultaneously in production. “I don’t think people necessarily realize the energy that writers and actors have,” Cox said outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, “and the stamina, and our ability to commit, that’s all our entire job is about is just committing to something and following through. So it’s been a really beautiful sense of community.” Leaders of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) voted unanimously on Thursday that when their contract expired they would start striking the following day, joining the Writers Guild of America, who walked out on May 2. “It’s been amazing to be out here now that we have the second wind of SAG members coming,” said Paul Scheer, who was already striking as a writer, and is now doing the same as an actor, outside Netflix headquarters in Hollywood. “I’m on strike two times, which means I have to walk double the steps, which is hard, but I’m willing to do it.” On Monday temperatures were in the high 80s in New York, and well above 90 degrees F (32 C) in parts of Los Angeles, where some afternoon pickets were called off because of the extreme heat. A union rally was planned for later in the day in Atlanta, where many productions have moved in recent years because of tax breaks and other lower costs. The issue also came up in Washington, when White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to a question during Monday’s briefing about whether the Biden administration supports the aims of striking entertainment workers. “The president believes all workers, including the writers, including the actors, they deserve fair pay. And they deserve fair benefits,” Jean-Pierre said. “We sincerely hope that both actors and writers strikes get resolved, and that the parties come together and have a mutually beneficial agreement as soon as possible.” While actors and writers also emphasized the need to reach a deal, few believed any such agreement would be coming soon, given the vast distance between the unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — which represents studios, streamers and production companies in negotiations that are currently neither happening nor planned. Key issues for both unions include residual payments, which have been nearly wiped out by the switch to the streaming system, and the unpaid use of their work and likeness by artificial intelligence avatars. The AMPTP said it has offered fair terms on those and other issues. “These things are things that I personally can negotiate for,” Bacon said. “But I’m here for the working class, middle class part of our union who needs these basic provisions in the basic contract.” ___ Associated Press Writers John Carucci in New York, Zeke Miller in Washington, Krysta Fauria in Los Angeles, and Leslie Ambriz in Burbank, California contributed.

Restaurant worker charged with providing false identification documents to Brazilian employees 2023-07-17 - BOSTON (AP) — A Salvadoran man and former employee of the Taste of Brazil – Tudo Na Brasa restaurant in Woburn was sentenced Monday in federal court in Boston for providing false identification documents to Brazilian employees of the restaurant who lacked work authorization. Marcos Chacon Gil, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs to time served — about 10 months — and two years of supervised release. On May 23, 2023, Chacon Gil pleaded guilty to one count of transferring false identification documents. Chacon Gil worked at Taste of Brazil for three years beginning in 2014. Beginning in approximately 2018, Chacon Gil provided false identification documents to Brazilian employees of the restaurant who lacked work authorization in the United States, prosecutors said. On Feb. 20, 2020, Chacon Gil provided an employee with a fake green card and a fake Social Security card, investigators said. Three members of a single family, including the owners of the restaurant, have also been charged in what federal prosecutors said was a scheme to smuggle Brazilian immigrants into the U.S. to work at two Massachusetts restaurants where they were forced to work long hours and threatened with harm.

Union Pacific railroad to renew push for 1-person crews by testing conductors in trucks 2023-07-17 - OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific will renew its push for one-person train crews later this summer when the railroad tests out the idea of having a conductor in a truck respond to problems on trains in Nebraska and Colorado. The railroad will continue using two crew members on its trains during the test, but officials say this could bolster their case in future negotiations for cutting crew size if it is successful. UP’s Jason Pinder confirmed the pilot program Monday when he testified against a proposed Kansas rule that would require two-person crews. The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad has long been a leading proponent in the industry’s push to go down to one-person crews. This plan had to be shelved earlier this year after the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union that represents conductors opposed it. But that union later agreed to let Union Pacific test out ground-based conductors as long as it maintained current crew sizes and agreed to drop ongoing negotiations over reducing crew size. Even though UP abandoned its current proposal to eliminate conductors on trains, the railroad can reintroduce the idea in the next contract negotiations that begin in 2025. Union officials say there has been no change in SMART-TD’s longstanding opposition to the idea of eliminating the second person in the cab of a locomotive because of safety concerns. In fact, the union’s Ty Dragoo testified Monday that “We’re huge proponents” of the proposed Kansas rule. If that state’s regulators approve, Kansas would join at least nine other states that have passed laws requiring two-man crews. The others are California, Wisconsin, Arizona, West Virginia. Minnesota, Washington, Nevada, Colorado and Ohio. Railroad safety has been a key focus nationwide this year in the wake of a fiery February derailment in eastern Ohio that forced evacuations and created lingering health concerns and several other rail crashes. The railroads strongly oppose state laws on their operations and usually challenge them in court because they argue that the federal government should be the only one to regulate the industry to ensure there is a uniform set of rules nationwide. The Federal Railroad Administration is also currently considering a proposed rule that would require two-person crews, but it’s not clear when they will act on the rule. Members of Congress have also proposed requiring two-man crews as part of a package of rail reforms drafted after the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment. That bill garnered bipartisan support initially but hasn’t yet been debated on the floor of the Senate, and it faces uncertain prospects in the Republican-controlled House where most lawmakers are reluctant to approve new regulations. The pilot program will run in western Nebraska between North Platte and Morrill and in Colorado and Wyoming between Denver and Cheyenne starting in August and September. The railroad’s idea is to test out how quickly a conductor in a truck can respond to any problem compared to how quickly a conductor on the train will be able to walk back along the train to find an issue. UP still has to work out exactly how big of a territory a ground-based conductor might cover. Railroads have fought any crew size requirement because they say there isn’t enough data to show operating trains with one crew member would be riskier, and they argue that railroads have become safer in recent decades even as crews shrank from five to the current standard of two. The railroads have argued that modern technology — particularly the automatic braking system railroads were required to install in recent years — makes the conductor unnecessary on a train and executives believe that moving conductors off of trains would improve their quality of life by giving them more predictable schedules and keeping them from going on the road. While all the major freight railroads continue to use two-person crews, a number of short-line railroads have already been using one-person crews for years. Chuck Baker, the president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, testified at the Kansas hearing Monday that many of those smaller railroads have also found other benefits of having a conductor based in a truck such as having them adjust switches ahead of a train or go ahead to visit with customers before a train arrives. But all the rail unions have long opposed moving conductors out of locomotives, arguing they help monitor track conditions and radio communications while ensuring that engineers remain alert and respond to any emergencies or mechanical problems on the train. In the case of a derailment or collision, conductors are the first ones to respond before any additional help can arrive. The unions say the value of having a conductor onboard has been demonstrated time and time again including during a fiery 2013 derailment near Casselton, North Dakota, when the conductor was able to help separate undamaged tank cars filled with crude oil from the rest of the train so they could be pulled away from the fire. Critics of the idea of moving conductors out of the locomotive cabs have also raised practical questions about whether a conductor driving a truck would even be able to reach a train in remote locations where no roads are near the tracks. Plus, a conductor in a truck could be delayed in traffic. A major highway runs next to the tracks in Western Nebraska that UP plans to test, but it may be harder for a conductor in a truck to reach trains in the mountainous territory of Colorado.

9th Circuit denies bid by environmentalists and tribes to block Nevada lithium mine 2023-07-17 - RENO, Nev. (AP) — The latest bid by conservationists and tribal leaders to block construction of a huge lithium mine already in the works along the Nevada-Oregon line was denied by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. A three-panel judge of the San Francisco-based appellate court rejected a half-dozen arguments the opponents had put forth in their appeal seeking to overturn federal land managers’ approval of the project. That included claims it violates multiple environmental laws and would destroy lands tribal members consider sacred because they say dozens of their ancestors were massacred there in 1865. Lithium Nevada Corp.'s mine at Thacker Pass near the Oregon line, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northeast of Reno, has pitted environmentalists and Native Americans against President Joe Biden’s plans to combat climate change. The mine would involve extraction of the silvery-white metal used in electric vehicle batteries. On Monday, the judges didn’t specifically address the claims that the project fails to comply with a new opinion the 9th Circuit issued last year that blocked a copper mine in Arizona based on a more stringent interpretation of the 1872 Mining Law regarding the use of neighboring lands to dispose of waste. Rather, they more generally differed to the expertise of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which approved the mine in 2021, and the decision by U.S. District Judge Miranda Du earlier this year to allow construction to go forward even though she concluded the mine was not in complete compliance with the new interpretation of the Civil War-era mining law. The bureau’s approval of the mine “was not arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with” the National Environmental Policy Act, the 11-page ruling said. The bureau approved the mine in 2021 on an accelerated basis under Donald Trump’s administration. The Biden administration has continued to embrace it in an effort to ramp up U.S. production of lithium needed for electric vehicles that are an integral part of his clean energy agenda. Lithium Nevada officials say the Thacker Pass mine’s reserves would support lithium for more than 1.5 million electric vehicles per year for 40 years. Conservationists say the open pit mine, deeper than the length of a football field, will pollute the groundwater and destroy precious habitat for sage grouse, pronghorn antelope and other species in violation of environmental laws. Their lawyers had argued that Du illegally exceeded her authority when she refused to revoke the mine’s operation plan in March despite her conclusion that federal land managers had violated the law in approving parts of it. “This is the first time in public land history that we have a major project violating a number of provisions but is allowed to go forward,” Roger Flynn, the director of the Colorado-based Western Mining Action Project, told the 9th Circuit panel during oral arguments in Pasadena on June 27. “In the meantime, thousands of acres of public land are essentially being clear-cut,” he said Tuesday about the high-desert sagebrush that serves as critical habitat for the imperiled bird species sage grouse. The 9th Circuit ruling Monday said Du applied the proper legal standard and found the bureau’s sole error in approving the project “weighed against” vacating the entire approval of the mine partly because “there was at least a serious possibility that the (agency would) be able to substantiate its decision on remand.” Lithium Nevada, a subsidiary of the Canadian-based Lithium Americas, spent more than $8.7 million on the environmental analysis and permitting process, even altering the original plans to move it outside of environmentally sensitive areas, said Laura Granier, a lawyer for the company. She said investments in mitigation, legal costs and initial construction already have exceeded $150 million. Government lawyers said much of the evidence the Western Shoshone and Paiute tribes presented about the sacred nature of the land came after a formal decision had been issued and that none of it clearly established the actual location of the massacre. The 9th Circuit ruled Monday that bureau acted “reasonably and in good faith” in its consultation with tribes potentially affected by the mine.

Several top editors at Penguin Random House accept buyout offers, layoffs also underway 2023-07-17 - NEW YORK (AP) — Some of publishing’s most celebrated and enduring editors are leaving Penguin Random House after accepting buyout packages. Meanwhile, an undetermined number of company-wide layoffs has begun, according to publishing officials. Longtime editors of such prominent writers as Anne Rice, Lorrie Moore and Nobel laureates Alice Munro and Elie Wiesel are among those stepping down by the end of the year. Penguin Random House declined Monday to comment on any individual staff members, but multiple publishing officials with knowledge of the buyouts confirmed that departing editors include Vicky Wilson, Jonathan Segal and Ann Close. The officials were not authorized to discuss the decisions and asked to not be identified. “All of us at Penguin Random House greatly respect the life-changing decisions of those U.S. colleagues who have chosen to take the recent company-wide Voluntary Separation Offer,” reads a Penguin Random House statement provided Monday to The Associated Press. “Their contributions to our publishing, our booksellers, and to our readers have made a meaningful difference in who we are as a company and community, and their dedication to mentoring and to sharing their expertise and experience with our next generation of talent will be one of their major legacies,” the statement said. “We thank them and wish them a joyful and fulfilling next chapter.” Multiple publishing sources told the AP that layoffs began Monday, with those let go including editor Daniel Halperin, who joined Knopf in 2021 after heading the HarperCollins imprint Ecco since the early 1970s. His authors at Knopf included Joyce Carol Oates, with whom he also worked at Ecco. Penguin Random House declined comment on the layoffs. The buyouts and layoffs come amid a broader reorganization at Penguin Random House, which earlier this year overhauled its Random House and Crown divisions. The departures at the country’s largest publishing house also follow numerous other high-profile changes. Global company CEO Markus Dohle and U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh both left within months of PRH’s failed attempt to purchase rival publisher Simon & Schuster, a deal struck down last fall by a federal judge. In June, Robert Gottlieb, a former Knopf editor-in-chief who worked on all of Robert Caro’s Lyndon Johnson books, died at age 92. Knopf has not yet announced a new editor for the fifth volume. HarperCollins and Hachette Book Group are among other publishers who have offered buyouts in recent months. Compared to the previous two years, the overall sales in 2023 have been down across the industry, though the numbers are still higher than the last pre-pandemic year, 2019. Wilson, Segal and Close have all worked for decades at the Penguin Random House imprint Alfred A. Knopf, one of the industry’s premier publishers. Others leaving include Knopf Managing Editor Kathy Hourigan, who joined the company in 1963; and Andy Hughes, the imprint’s senior vice president of production and design. Joan Didion’s editor at Knopf, Shelley Wanger, also took the buyout. Hourigan and Hughes have been closely involved in the publication of Caro’s series on Johnson, a project dating back to the 1970s. A spokesperson for Caro said no plan was yet in place for Hourigan and/or Hughes to continue on a freelance basis with Caro, who is currently writing the long-awaited fifth and likely final volume on Johnson.

Biden to meet labor organizers from Starbucks, Minor League Baseball 2023-07-17 - WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders will meet young labor organizers from Starbucks and Minor League Baseball among others at the White House on Monday as a growing number of worker strikes grip the country. After decades of declining union membership, organized labor is witnessing a resurgence in the U.S., as sky-high costs of living, housing shortages and technological disruptions have bred unusual levels of solidarity among workers in disparate industries, from dockworkers to Hollywood screenwriters. Employees seeking better working conditions and higher pay have recently organized unions at companies such as Starbucks (SBUX.O), Amazon.com (AMZN.O), and Apple (AAPL.O) even as businesses have become more aggressive in pushing back against union activity. Biden and Senator Sanders, who chairs a committee on labor issues, are expected to congratulate organizers for the work they have done and discuss the president's "belief that worker power is essential to growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Administration officials in Monday's meeting include Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, White House National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, and White House Director of Governmental Affairs Tom Perez, the official said. Biden, who is often referred to as the most pro-union president in the history of the United States by labor leaders, had a similar meeting with union activists from Amazon and Starbucks at the White House last year. Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Sonali Paul Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Microsoft in talks to extend deal contract with Activision -source 2023-07-17 - [1/2] Microsoft logo is seen on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard logo in this illustration taken January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo NEW YORK, July 17 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is in talks about an extension of its acquisition contract with video game maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O), which is set to expire on Tuesday, so the parties can overcome the remaining regulatory hurdles to their $69 billion deal, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday. The expiration of the contract would not automatically lead to the collapse of the deal, as it simply affords either company the right to walk away from the transaction. Nonetheless, Microsoft, which makes the Xbox gaming console, has been seeking the contract extension to ensure that Activision is not wooed by another potential acquirer or has a change of heart, the source said. The terms of the extension under negotiation and whether it would come with more financially advantageous terms for Activision could not immediately be learned. The companies will continue to negotiate the extension if they do not have an agreement by the end of Tuesday, according to the source, who requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. Microsoft and Activision did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An extension would give the companies more time to find a regulatory solution in Britain, the only major jurisdiction that stands in the way of them completing what would be the largest acquisition in the gaming sector. Microsoft and Activision are negotiating potential remedies with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which they hope will appease its antitrust concerns. The country's antitrust regulator has argued that Microsoft's commitment to offer access to Activision's multi-billion dollar "Call of Duty" franchise to rival cloud gaming platforms would not effectively protect competition in the market. The CMA has agreed to extend its probe to Aug. 29 to allow for more negotiations with the companies. Last week, Microsoft signed a pact to keep "Call of Duty" on Sony Group Corp's (6758.T) PlayStation console. Sony had been one of the deal's toughest critics, arguing that it could stifle consumer choice. On Friday, a U.S. appeals court rejected the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's request to pause Microsoft's acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision. The decision removed one of the last obstacles to the acquisition closing. Activision's shares closed at $93.2 on Monday, a small discount to the $95-per-share deal price, indicating that most investors now viewed the completion of the deal as likely. Reporting by Anirban Sen in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Stephen Coates Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Morning Bid: Global market outlook bright but China's clouds darken 2023-07-17 - July 18 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. Another day, another whoosh higher on Wall Street, but the double whammy of gloomy news from China on Monday is spoiling the party in Asia, and regional markets could struggle again on Tuesday. Data on Monday showed that the world's second largest economy grew at a frail pace in the second quarter while China's Evergrande Group (3333.HK), the world's most indebted property developer, said it lost an eye-watering $81 billion over 2021 and 2022. Chinese stocks fell almost 1% on Monday, their biggest loss in three weeks and dragging the broader MSCI Asia ex-Japan index into the red for the first time in six sessions. No such issues on Wall Street as a near 1% rally in the tech-centric Nasdaq lifted stocks while the U.S. earnings season goes up a gear this week. There was barely any change in the dollar or Treasury yields on Monday as investors brace for U.S. retail sales figures on Tuesday. The shadow over local markets cast by China's second quarter GDP data on Monday is unlikely to lift completely by Tuesday, and the pressure on policymakers in Beijing to deliver more stimulus to shore up activity will surely increase. Chinese GDP grew 0.8% in April-June from the previous quarter, beating the consensus forecast of 0.5%. But on a year-on-year basis, GDP expanded 6.3%, well below the 7.3% forecast. JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup trimmed China's growth forecast for 2023 to as low as 5%, with Morgan Stanley also trimming its 2024 GDP forecast by 40 basis point to 4.5%. On the corporate front, Evergrande's losses were compounded by a rise in total liabilities. There is no quick fix, especially when growth momentum is decelerating. Real estate, once the source of extraordinary growth and investment, is a drag on the overall economy. The Chinese mainland real estate index fell on Monday to its lowest level in nine years. It has lost 50% of its value in the last three years. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday said slower growth in China could spill over to other countries, but she does not expect the U.S. economy to enter recession. Here are key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Tuesday: - G20 finance officials meeting in India - Reserve Bank of Australia minutes of last policy meeting - U.S. retail sales (June) By Jamie McGeever; Editing by Josie Kao Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Buffett cut Activision stake before judge approved Microsoft merger 2023-07-17 - July 17 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) sold 70% of its investment in Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) in the second quarter, appearing to miss out on some gains when a federal judge said Microsoft (MSFT.O) can complete its $68.7 billion purchase of the video game maker. In a regulatory filing on Monday, Berkshire said it owned about 14.7 million Activision shares, or 1.9%, worth $1.24 billion on June 30, down from 49.4 million shares, or 6.3%, on March 31. The filing did not discuss the prices of any sales, or whether Berkshire bought or sold Activision stock in July. Berkshire did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Activision investment was a form of arbitrage, with Buffett viewing investors as too pessimistic that regulators would approve combining Microsoft's Xbox gaming console business with the publisher of the "Call of Duty" and "Candy Crush" franchises. One of Berkshire's portfolio managers invested in Activision in late 2021, with Buffett boosting the stake to nearly 10% in 2022. The billionaire told shareholders at Berkshire's annual meeting in April 2022 he did not know whether regulators would bless the merger, which valued Activision at $95 per share, but "one thing we do know is Microsoft has the money." Berkshire's remaining Activision stake - 14,658,121 shares - is exactly the size it was before Buffett started buying, suggesting that he has exited the arbitrage bet. Activision shares rose 10% to $90.99 on July 11 after U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco rejected U.S. Federal Trade Commission arguments that the merger would hurt competition in cloud gaming, consoles and subscription services. Britain's competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority, also opposed the merger, but agreed to a stay on Microsoft's appeal to allow more time to resolve their dispute. Berkshire is based in Omaha, Nebraska. It also owns dozens of businesses such as the BNSF railroad and Geico car insurer, as well as stocks such as Apple (AAPL.O) and Bank of America (BAC.N). Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York Editing by Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Angelo Mozilo, Countrywide Financial's former CEO, dies at 84 2023-07-17 - July 17 (Reuters) - Angelo Mozilo, who propelled Countrywide Financial Corp into the largest U.S. mortgage lender before its crash in the 2008 financial crisis, has died, his family foundation said. Mozilo, 84, died of natural causes, the foundation said in a statement on Sunday. He became the face of the mortgage meltdown when the subprime crisis surfaced in 2007. He was the son of a Bronx butcher who embodied a rags-to-riches success story. In 2006, when Mozilo was the chief of the mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, the firm originated $461 billion worth of loans -- close to $41 billion of which were subprime. Subprime loans were responsible for the global financial crisis. The firm was later bought by Bank of America(BAC.N) for $2.5 billion, less than 10% of what it was worth in early 2007. Mozilo was also charged by securities regulators of insider trading and securities fraud. Once named as one of the best chief executives in the United States, the disgraced CEO was subsequently named as the second worst U.S. chief executive of all time by Conde Nast Portfolio. Bloomberg earlier reported news of Mozilo's death. Mozilo had defended himself several times against accusations that he was a key architect of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. "Somehow, for some unknown reason, I got blamed for it," he earlier said. Reporting by Shubhendu Deshmukh in Bengaluru and Nupur Anand in New York, Editing by Franklin Paul and Deepa Babington Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

US sues 'consent farm' operator for 'massive' telemarketing deception 2023-07-17 - Companies Law Firms Amazon.com Inc Follow Walmart Inc Follow July 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Monday sued a New York-based company for allegedly operating a so-called "massive 'consent farm' enterprise" to trick nearly 1 million people a day into providing personal information and consent to receive telemarketing calls. Fluent LLC was accused of having since 2011 used deceptive ads and websites to promise free rewards, including from familiar brands such as Amazon and Walmart, that were impossible to obtain, and interviews for jobs that did not exist. The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission said Fluent's true purpose was to sell "leads" to telemarketers that later inundated consumers with robocalls, texts and emails about auto warranties, debt reduction, for-profit education, pain cream, solar energy and other products and services. According to a complaint filed in the West Palm Beach, Florida federal court, tens of millions of people were deceived, including many on the National Do-Not-Call Registry, with Fluent in 2018 and 2019 alone generating $93.4 million in revenue from selling more than 620 million leads. Fluent operates under such names as Flash Rewards, the National Consumer Center, The Reward Genius, Up Rewards, FindDreamJobs, JobsOnDemand and StartACareerToday, the complaint said. A lawyer for the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The complaint seeks civil penalties and an injunction against further violations of federal telemarketing laws. On Tuesday the FTC, in conjunction with 101 federal and state law enforcers, plans to announce "Operation Stop Scam Calls," a crackdown on telemarketers, lead generators and others responsible for billions of illegal telemarketing calls. The case is U.S. v. Fluent LLC et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, No. 23-81045. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Aurora Ellis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

White House responds to 'vile' RFK Jr. comments on Covid and race 2023-07-17 - US 2024 Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to press at the State House in Concord, New Hampshire, on June 1, 2023. WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday condemned Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for making "vile" and "false" claims that Covid-19 was bioengineered to spare Jews and Chinese people. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Kennedy's comments "put our fellow Americans in danger." "If you think about the racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories that come out of saying those types of things ... it's an attack on our fellow citizens, our fellow Americans," Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing. She spoke as Democrats and Republicans rushed to condemn Kennedy's conspiracy theories that were made at a campaign press dinner on July 11 and captured on video by a reporter for the New York Post. Kennedy is challenging President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. In the video, Kennedy answers a question about alleged Covid-19 "bioweapons" by suggesting that the virus is "ethnically targeted" to disproportionally affect some races more than others, and to spare "Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese." "We don't know whether it was deliberately targeted or not," Kennedy said. He then claims that the United States and China are "developing ethnic bioweapons .... so we can target people by race." Kennedy later contended that his comments were not antisemitic, and he did not retract them. "I accurately pointed out — during an off-the-record conversation — that the U.S. and other governments are developing ethnically targeted bioweapons," he wrote on Twitter shortly after the Post published the video. Speaking on Monday, Jean-Pierre was careful to avoid any mention of Kennedy's political campaign against the president, instead saying the nature of his remarks demanded a response. "Every aspect of these comments reflect some of the most abhorrent antisemitic conspiracy theories throughout history and contributes to today's dangerous rise of antisemitism," she said. "So this is something ... this president and this whole administration is going to stand against."

India will account for 20% of Apple's user growth over the next five years, Morgan Stanley estimates 2023-07-17 - Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., right, reacts to a customer carrying a Macintosh SE during the opening of the new Apple BKC store in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Cook officially opened Apple Inc.'s first company-owned store in India, betting the iPhone maker's retail outlets will help accelerate sales growth. Photographer: Indranil Aditya/Bloomberg via Getty Images India will likely be a major driver of Apple's five-year revenue and installed base growth, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note Monday, citing Apple's investment in manufacturing in India and the country's "economic boom." The note also reflected a new India-driven price target increase, from $190 to $220, with a bull-case valuation increased to $270. Morgan Stanley also reiterated Apple as their Top Pick. Morgan Stanley analysts forecast that over the next five years, the country could account for 15% of Apple's revenue growth — in contrast to 2% in the past five years and $6 billion today — and 20% of the company's installed base growth. The revenue growth, which Morgan Stanley forecasts at $40 billion over the next 10 years, would be the "equivalent to Apple ramping an entirely new product category." The analysts cite a number of factors in their assessment, including India's improved electrification and Apple's clear efforts to build a manufacturing and retail presence in the country. A survey commissioned by Morgan Stanley suggested Indian consumers have an increased desire and ability to purchase iPhones. Analysts did add a caveat, warning that if India fails to meet its economic and demographic growth marks, "we wouldn't expect Apple to be as significant of a beneficiary in India." But Morgan Stanley's fundamental thesis is bullish. "All-in, this means that India will be just as important to Apple's growth algorithm over the next 5+ years as China was in the last 5 years, something we believe the market underappreciates today," the analysts said.

Jim Cramer explains Ford's electric vehicle price cuts 2023-07-17 - CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday analyzed Ford Motor 's move to slash prices for its electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck. Cramer said he thinks the price cuts are due at least in part to the novelty of EVs wearing off for many Americans. Ford announced on Monday it would cut prices for all versions of the Lightning, with the cheapest version sporting a sticker price of $50,000, roughly $10,000 less than its previous estimate. The automaker said its efforts to boost production and lower the costs of battery minerals have paid off, according to a CNBC report. "Who knows whether this will lead to a cost-cutting spiral?" Cramer said. "But one thing we do know after today is the bloom may be off the electric vehicle rose, as we always knew would have to happen eventually when there's mass adoption. It just happened a little earlier than I expected." Cramer said he thinks EVs are "losing their excitement factor," with some potential buyers feeling nostalgic for their old-fashioned gas-powered cars while others are realizing they can buy EVs from a host of manufacturers like General Motors , Rivian and Tesla . Cramer said the good news for investors with money in Ford is that despite these cuts, the vehicles' prices are still higher than they were when Ford first announced the new models in 2021, with the cheapest truck at $40,000, and production costs are lower. The bad news, however, is that it remains to be seen whether the company can meet its estimates, which Wall Street had dubbed "aggressive," according to Cramer. Ford's stock dipped on Monday, down nearly 6%. It doesn't help, Cramer said, that these cuts come just a few days after Tesla unveiled its first Cybertruck, the optics of which he called "suboptimal." "Ultimately, unless your costs come down — and that's what's happening with Ford — there will be no profit anyway," Cramer said. "But if an auto company doesn't make electric vehicles, that auto company will eventually be doomed, we all know that."

This 3-year sea cruise around the world seems back on track — after controversy and a price hike 2023-07-17 - MV Lara Cruise Ship Courtesy: Miray Cruises A unique offer to cruise around the world for three years — which appeared at risk of running aground earlier this year — now is boasting of a bigger ship. But the prices are also higher. And some passengers who have already booked berths on the 130,000-mile cruise set to sail in November — as well as would-be passengers — told CNBC they are concerned about another new wrinkle in the sales pitch: the requirement that they board the ship MV Lara at a port outside the United States. That requirement would let Life at Sea Cruises, and its parent company Miray Cruises, avoid paying for a performance bond required by the Federal Maritime Commission for cruise ships embarking passengers at U.S. ports. Such bonds reimburse U.S.-boarding passengers if cruise operators fail to complete the booked trips. In March, Life at Sea originally offered what it called the "world's first — and only — three-year cruise" aboard the prior ship, MV Gemini. Prices started at $29,999 per year for individuals sharing an inside cabin for the cruise, ramping up to nearly $109,999 per year for a larger suite, with Gemini expected to visit 375 ports in 135 countries and seven continents after setting sail Nov. 1. Gemini had room for up to 1,074 passengers. Two months later, customers who had signed up for the voyage were startled to learn that Mikael Petterson, the then-managing director at Life at Sea, and the rest of his team had left the Miray subsidiary amid a dispute over whether the Gemini was qualified to handle the trip, and the status of an FMC bond. Petterson notified Facebook followers of the trip in May that he believed the Gemini "is completely unseaworthy and will never complete a world cruise." "I decided to refund everyone their credit card deposits 3 weeks ago," Petterson wrote in a public post on Facebook. Petterson's comments dismayed many people who had signed up for the trip, including one man who had begun the process of selling his home to pay for it. Barbara, a Florida resident who had put down a deposit for the cruise, backed out of the trip in May, following the example of a number of other passengers. She requested that her last name not be used in this article due to privacy concerns. "Rather risky for me," said Barbara, when asked why she pulled out. She said she rebooked on a competing three-year cruise with Victoria Cruises, aboard the Majestic. At the time, Miray Cruises disputed Petterson's characterization of Gemini, and also vowed that the trip would proceed as planned, although it was not clear whether that would involve Gemini or another ship. View of a cabin onboard the MV Lara cruise ship. Courtesy: Miray Cruises Miray Cruises also sued Petterson in Florida state court with claims that include defamation and interfering with business relationships. Petterson, who is fighting those civil claims, declined to comment to CNBC. "The unseaworthy comment never had any validity to it," Miray CEO Kendra Holmes told CNBC. "The MV Gemini has always been considered seaworthy as evidenced by the [Passenger Ship Safety Certificate] certification, which is issued after inspections by the class society," she said. "Just last week, the Gemini was inspected as scheduled and the PSSC certification was renewed." Despite that, Miray Cruises is not using the Gemini, recently telling customers that the company will instead put them on the Lara, which has space for 1,250 passengers. Miray said it is offering 85% of the ship's available berths "so that our residents feel comfortable and can enjoy all the public spaces without feeling overcrowded," Holmes said. "Shortly after announcing in March to unprecedented positive reception, we knew we would have to acquire a larger ship to accommodate the high demand for our voyage," she said. Holmes said that passengers who originally booked trips when the Gemini was the ship planned for use "have been converted to MV Lara at the price they locked in their cabin at originally." But, she added, "As with any voyage, prices increase at a steady rate and so the sooner residents book the voyage with us, the lower the price will be." How much more Shirene Thomas, a North Carolina resident who has booked passed on a three-year Life at Sea cruise, operated by Miray Cruise Source: Shirene Thomas As of now, Miray was offering a berth to individuals who would share an inside cabin for $38,513, a more than 28% hike in the price for that option aboard Gemini. Outside cabins and balcony cabins likewise have increased in price. One woman who booked a berth aboard Gemini months ago at the initial price offered, Shirene Thomas, told CNBC that she is in the process of making her final payments for the cruise now that Lara will be the ship. Thomas, of Wilmington, North Carolina, has dipped into her retirement money to pay for the trip, and has sold and donated most of her belongings. While she almost pulled out of the trip after controversy over the initial plan to use the Gemini for the cruise, Thomas is now committed to the voyage. Thomas, who is in her 50s, is retired from a career in social services, and has been an avid traveler all her life. After college, she tried a cruise as her first official vacation from work and has been a cruise junkie ever since. Although she has lived in or visited close to 70 countries, many more remain on her bucket list, and the 135 countries included in this venture will hit all of them, and then some. "I understand turbulence with staff turnover left some understandably on edge, but I feel the Life at Seas team has been honest, transparent and exceedingly communicative with everyone about the situation," Thomas said. "They've held countless webinars to answer questions and quell people's fears and been very approachable." Although she's nervous about what to expect on the voyage, she said "those fears are overshadowed by the excitement of being a pioneer aboard this first-ever world-residence-at-sea adventure." Thomas said she was particularly "looking forward to the volunteerism and humanitarian opportunities that are one of the missions of Life at Seas." But, given the absence of a U.S. performance bond, she also is using her credit card to make payments for the cruise, hoping it will provide her with some recourse to recoup her money if the cruise is aborted. "I know nothing is 100% safe," Thomas said. But, she added, "Everything points to the real deal." "I trust they would give us our money back if it doesn't go," Thomas said. From Miami to Istanbul

Georgia Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to block grand jury report from use in election probe 2023-07-17 - Former US President and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump gestures about weight lifting as he speaks at a Republican volunteer recruitment event at Fervent, a Calvary Chapel, in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 8, 2023. The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday unanimously dismissed a longshot bid by former President Donald Trump to quash the special grand jury report that recommended criminal charges in the Fulton County district attorney's probe of Georgia's 2020 election. The state Supreme Court also rejected Trump's request that it bar Fulton DA Fani Willis from continuing to oversee the criminal investigation. The ruling came weeks before Willis is expected to seek indictments in the probe of efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory over him in the Peach State. So far, no one has been criminally charged in the investigation. And the identities of more than a dozen people who the special grand jury recommended be prosecuted remain secret. The state's high court said Trump's attorneys failed to show that the case presents "one of those extremely rare circumstances" that requires bypassing lower courts. Trump's legal team has a pending similar request in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta to bar the special grand jury's work and report from being used in any future civil or criminal proceeding. In a petition four days ago, Trump's attorneys acknowledged that it would be highly unusual for the state Supreme Court to take the case, since that body normally reviews appeals from lower courts. But they argued that the court should take up the matter directly, in part because of Trump's status as a former president and a 2024 presidential candidate. And, as they did in their petition in Fulton County court, the lawyers argued that the evidence compiled by the special grand jury in the election probe was "unlawfully obtained." In its dismissal Monday of Trump's petition, the Supreme Court said it has "made clear that a petitioner cannot invoke this Court's original jurisdiction as a way to circumvent the ordinary channels for obtaining the relief he seeks without making some showing that he is being prevented fair access to those ordinary channels." And Trump "makes no showing that he has been prevented fair access to the ordinary channels," the justices wrote. Trump's lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Supreme Court's ruling. The special grand jury heard evidence and testimony from dozens of witnesses last year, but it did not have the power to return indictments. Last week, two regular Superior Court grand juries were empaneled, soon to be tasked with deciding whether to criminally charge Trump and his allies. Willis' criminal investigation began in 2021, shortly after the public revelation that Trump had called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and pressured him to "find" enough votes to reverse Biden's win in the state. Raffensperger rebuffed that request, which was part of an effort by Trump and his allies to either reverse his loss in the Electoral College to Biden, or to raise enough doubt about the results in several key swing states like Georgia to throw the decision about who would be president to the House of Representatives. Trump is currently the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Since launching his campaign, he has already been indicted in two other criminal cases. In New York state court in Manhattan, he has pleaded not guilty in Manhattan to charges of falsifying business records in connection with a 2016 hush money payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels. And he also has pleaded not guilty in Florida federal court to charges related to his retention of classified records after he left the White House. The special counsel in the classified records case, Jack Smith, separately is investigating Trump for possible crimes in his attempt to reverse his loss in the 2020 election, and for his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by a mob of his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. A joint session of Congress met that day to certify Biden's win in the Electoral College.