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Jen Psaki: Biden ‘is trying to keep hold’ of NATO alliances that ‘were shattered’ by Trump. 2023-07-13 - President Joe Biden held a press conference in Helsinki, Finland where international reporters asked him questions about the United States’ long-term commitment to NATO, given the opposition to the alliance from some 2024 presidential candidates. "Inside With Jen Psaki" host Jen Psaki joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss. “I think that the President is trying to keep hold of those alliances that he's worked very hard to rebuild in the last couple of years in the wake of the Trump administration, where they were shattered, to be honest,” she says.July 13, 2023
Ray Epps says he'll be charged for Jan. 6, further dampening Fox News conspiracy theory 2023-07-13 - The Ray Epps conspiracy theory — that he was an undercover FBI agent who ginned up the Jan. 6 Capitol attack — was fueled in part by the fact that he was at the Capitol that day but was never charged. However, according to Epps’ newly filed defamation lawsuit against Fox News, charges are coming. That would obviously be an unwelcome development for Epps, but also for the dubious theory pushed by ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson that prompted Epps’ suit. The plaintiff, a Donald Trump supporter from Arizona, claims in his filing that the Department of Justice told him in May that it planned to seek criminal charges against him, two and a half years after the Capitol attack. In what would be quite a twist if true, Epps claims he's facing charges because of Fox News and Carlson, whom the network fired in April, days after it reached a nearly $800 million settlement in Dominion Voting Systems' defamation lawsuit. “The relentless attacks by Fox and Mr. Carlson and the resulting political pressure likely resulted in the criminal charges,” according to Epps' defamation complaint filed in Delaware this week. At any rate, Epps insists Jan. 6 charges would debunk the conspiracy theory for good. “Although it is difficult to believe that the Department of Justice would have pursued this matter if Fox had not focused its lies on Epps, ultimately the criminal charges conclusively demonstrate the falsehood of the story that Mr. Carlson and Fox told about Epps,” according to the complaint signed by lawyer Brian Farnan, who also represented Dominion in its historic defamation case against Fox. No doubt, being charged by the government would certainly pour colder water on the notion Epps was covertly working for it. But even if impending charges debunk the conspiracy theory, they don’t prove defamation on their own. That’s because Epps still likely needs to show that at the time Fox broadcast the allegedly defamatory statements about him, it did so with knowledge that those statements were false or with reckless disregard for the truth. According to his complaint, that’ll be done with “circumstantial evidence currently available to Epps in the public domain and will be further buttressed by evidence adduced in discovery.” So the full strength of the case will be determined during the litigation. (Fox News did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment about Epps’ lawsuit. Carlson’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, declined to comment.) At the same time, Epps seems to say he can win based on what’s already obvious. Among other things, his complaint states: Fox advanced an inherently improbable story — so inherently improbable that only a reckless broadcaster would advance it — namely that FBI agents or other federal law enforcement authorities working under the administration of Donald Trump would employ Epps as a provocateur to advance a federal government agenda to engage in an insurrection and commit violence at the Capitol. Well, when you put it that way. In any event, Epps isn’t Fox's only legal concern. My colleague Steve Benen reminded us recently: Fox also agreed to a $12 million settlement with a former Fox producer named Abby Grossberg, which came against a backdrop of a separate lawsuit, filed by Smartmatic — another voting technology company — which is still pending. Like the Dominion case, Smartmatic is suing Fox for $2.7 billion stemming from the network’s coverage of the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath. So, like Trump himself — whom Epps voted for — Fox has a busy and evolving legal docket stemming from 2020 election lies. As for the Jan. 6 charges that Epps says he’ll face, they won’t win his defamation suit for him, but in the court of public opinion, they should further chip away at the already questionable conspiracy theory at the center of his suit.
Court orders New York to redraw congressional map 2023-07-13 - A New York state court has ordered the congressional map be redrawn in a redistricting case. NBC News' Garrett Haake and MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin discuss the impact the decision could have on Congress after Republicans flipped several seats in the state last election cycle.July 13, 2023
Iowa Republicans take a chance with six-week abortion ban 2023-07-13 - Iowa Republicans were optimistic that the state Supreme Court would reinstate a law that would’ve largely banned abortions in the Hawkeye State. Their expectations were wrong: Last month, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a district court ruling and allowed abortion rights to continue. As NBC News reported, GOP policymakers in the state wouldn’t let that stand. Iowa Republicans passed a bill late Tuesday to ban most abortions after six weeks — a restrictive measure that would quickly remake the reproductive rights legal landscape in a key early voting state. The measure passed, mostly along party lines, just after 11 p.m. local time, capping a marathon one-day special legislative session that Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds called for the sole purpose of enacting “pro-life” legislation. The practical implications of such a ban should be obvious: Many women don't even know they're pregnant six weeks after conception. Nevertheless, Reynolds said she’ll sign the bill into law tomorrow. The GOP governor’s intention is to have the statewide abortion ban go into effect immediately, once she puts her signature on the measure during an appearance at an evangelical political event. Whether she’s successful on this front remains to be seen: Reproductive rights proponents are already suing in the hopes of preventing Iowa’s new abortion ban from being implemented. As a separate NBC News report added, “The suit, filed in Iowa District Court for Polk County, seeks a temporary injunction. If it is granted, the law would be blocked while the legal challenge plays out in the court system.” Whenever the topic comes up, I find it’s worth re-emphasizing an important detail: This health care issue is about people, not politics. To be sure, it’s a multifaceted discussion, but what matters most are the real-world consequences for real-world people, many of whom are being forced to endure horrific hardships, imposed by their Republican representatives, in the wake of the demise of Roe v. Wade. But there's obviously a political dimension to this, too: We're talking about politicians, engaged in a political process, in pursuit of a political goal ahead of a political election. And with this in mind, I wonder if GOP officials in Iowa fully appreciate the prospects for a political backlash. Iowa is, to be sure, a red state. This is one of those obscure details that surprises some people, but in the 2020 presidential election, Iowa was even less competitive than Texas. Ahead of the 2024 cycle, as observers draw up lists of battleground states, few are including the Hawkeye State on their lists of competitive contests. But let’s not forget that Iowa, in the recent past, had more of a purple hue. Barack Obama won the state twice — and in 2008, he won Iowa by nearly double digits. Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin was a giant in state politics. As recently as the 2018 midterm election cycle, Iowans elected four U.S. House members, and three of them were Democrats. That changed quickly, obviously. Iowa currently has a Republican governor, Republican-led legislature, and a six-member congressional delegation filled exclusively with Republicans. How in the world would the GOP lose its grip on the state? Well, perhaps it might ram through an abortion ban that ignores the fact that 61% of Iowans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Rep. Ruben Gallego: Tuberville’s military stunt endangers national security 2023-07-13 - In the Marine Corps, chain of command is everything — for better or for worse. In Congress, I’ve never been shy about criticizing our military leaders. But at the end of the day, these officers are patriots, ready to do what they do best: maintain order and readiness, train hard, and be exemplary leaders. But right now, one man’s selfish political stunt is leaving the Corps without a leader for the first time in 164 years. And it’s not just the Marines being affected — Sen. Tommy Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, is single-handedly blocking hundreds of high-level military promotions across our armed forces, risking American military readiness and endangering our national security. Without quality leadership, our service members are left high and dry. For decades, the Senate has confirmed high-ranking military promotions, as is their duty. Mindful of the high stakes, they’ve done so quickly in a bipartisan manner through unanimous consent — until now, thanks to Tuberville’s stubborn protest that has ground the Senate’s nomination process to a halt. And worse yet, Tuberville’s stunt is purely political. He’s leaving the Marines leaderless not because he disagrees with who’s being promoted, but because he opposes a Pentagon policy that helps American servicewomen access abortions. Air Force Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown, the president’s nominee as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned this week that the military “will lose talent” if Tuberville’s blockade continues. Less experienced deputies may have to fill leadership roles temporarily, he told lawmakers, and talented junior officers may be more likely to leave. Without quality leadership, our service members are left high and dry. I would know. In Iraq, I learned that even the best get killed, and that quality leadership can be the key difference between coming home dead and coming home alive. Marines are the people you call when things are bad. We worked in the worst parts of Iraq during the worst parts of the war. As a result, I lost some of my best friends. This man’s closest run-in with our armed forces was losing the 2014 Military Bowl. And Tuberville’s political grandstanding does nothing but put even more lives at risk. While these delays and unprecedented vacancies diminish the strength of our officers' corps, the people Tuberville’s tantrum will ultimately hurt the most are the men and women who have sacrificed everything to serve. I’m talking about the 18- and 19-year-olds who enlisted for the same reasons I did all those years ago: to give back to their country and to make something of themselves. We weren’t the ones making decisions. We weren’t the ones ordering Marines. We were the grunts. We went where we were told when we were told. And we turned to our noncommissioned officers and our commissioned officers for their guidance and orders. They’re the ones hurting most from Tuberville’s flagrant abuse of procedural power. This man’s closest run-in with our armed forces was losing the 2014 Military Bowl. Now he not only wants to tell women in the military what they can and cannot do with their bodies, but he’s also willing to put them, their peers and our entire country in danger because of it. In my time in Washington, I’ve learned there are two types of politicians: those who serve this country and those who serve themselves. The hundreds of thousands of active-duty Marines currently left without leadership are 10 times the public servant Tuberville will ever be.
John Kasich says secretaries of state are ‘slow rolling’ ballot access for No Labels party 2023-07-13 - Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), is set to speak to “No Labels”, a third-party group who is pushing for a centrist candidate to run for president. Former Ohio Governor and former Republican presidential candidate John Kasich joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss. “What I'm told is happening now, by the way, is that secretaries of state are slow rolling the ability of No Labels to be able to get access to the ballot,” Kasich says. “That is what I would call voter suppression.”July 13, 2023
Over-the-counter birth control: How, when and where to get Opill 2023-07-13 - The Food and Drug Administration’s decision Thursday to approve the country’s first nonprescription oral contraceptive is expected to expand birth control access for millions of people. But the medication, called Opill, will not be available for sale immediately, and some details about the rollout have yet to be hammered out. Here is what we know so far: When will Opill be on store shelves? Opill, a progestin-only oral contraceptive, is expected to hit stores in “early 2024,” according to a spokesperson for the pill’s manufacturer, Perrigo Co. The manufacturer was not able to offer a more precise timeline for when distribution will begin. Will customers have to ask pharmacists for Opill? Not necessarily. Opill was approved by the FDA to be on store shelves like any other over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol. “If it’s called over-the-counter, that means you walk in and you could buy it,” said Dani Lynch, owner and pharmacist at Thrifty Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy in Oklahoma City. Where exactly the product will sit in a store will be at retailers’ discretion, Perrigo’s spokesperson said, as well as whether retailers choose to lock it behind anti-theft protection. CVS said it did not yet have details about its plans for Opill, and Walgreens did not immediately respond to an inquiry from NBC News. Lynch said she intends to keep Opill at the pharmacist’s counter even though a prescription won’t be required for it. “People, especially kids, will not ask for guidance,” she said. “My thought is that I will keep it behind the counter and then they have to ask, and then we will get to be able to visit with them about it.” How much will Opill cost? Perrigo has not released pricing information but plans to in the coming months, before Opill arrives in stores. “We are committed to ensuring that Opill is widely accessible and affordable,” Frédérique Welgryn, Perrigo’s global vice president for women’s health, said in a statement to NBC News. “We are also working on a consumer assistance program to help some women and people who would benefit from using Opill, but are struggling to make ends meet.” The company said more details about that program will also be announced in the coming months. Where will it be sold? Opill is expected to be sold at drug stores, convenience stores, grocery stores and online, the FDA said. Perrigo is still figuring out which particular retailers and online distributors it will sell through and will announce those in the coming months, the spokesperson said. What is Opill’s history? The FDA first approved Opill as a prescription birth control in 1973. Pfizer marketed it for more than 30 years under the name Ovrette before marketing was discontinued “solely for business reasons (i.e., not safety or efficacy reasons),” according to a briefing document on the FDA’s website. Known as a “mini-pill” because it contains a single hormone as opposed to a combination of progestin and estrogen, Opill has extensive safety and efficacy data: It has been found to be 93% effective at preventing pregnancy. HRA Pharma, a Perrigo company, acquired rights to the medication nearly a decade ago with the intent to bring it over-the-counter. “It’s been a long journey,” Welgryn told Fortune earlier this year. “And I’m not going to tell you that it’s nice and easy and rainbows and unicorns.” Various medical groups and reproductive rights advocates lauded Thursday’s FDA approval. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called it a “critically important advancement in the accessibility of reproductive health care,” and the American Medical Association urged federal regulators to approve more over-the-counter contraceptives. “It is important patients have options when choosing which type of birth control works best for them,” Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement. “We hope this is just the first of several to be approved, and we urge the FDA to consider applications from the full range of available oral contraceptives for over-the-counter access.” In the meantime, over half of U.S. states have laws that allow people to get hormonal contraceptives prescribed by pharmacists, rather than doctors.
In already-brutal heat, states scramble to prepare for record temperatures 2023-07-13 - At Penguin Air, Plumbing & Electrical in Phoenix, the brutal heat calls for all hands on deck. With the Southwest in the grips of a severe heat wave, and with temperatures in Phoenix expected to reach 118 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend, the locally owned company is preparing for the worst. “We know that when it’s 119 degrees out, that means it’s going to be 120 [degrees] plus in your home,” said Jay Kline, the general manager at Penguin Air, Plumbing & Electrical. “We’re making sure that we have as much coverage as we can to help if people’s air conditioners break in this crazy, extreme heat.” Phoenix is just one city bracing for blistering temperatures this week and heading into the weekend. Record high heat is expected to build across the region, with many spots across the Southwest projected to see temperatures well over 110 degrees F on Saturday and Sunday. Volunteer Bill Alkema, right, of Phoenix, hands out cold water at the emergency heat relief station in the Salvation Army Phoenix Citadel Corps on Thursday in Phoenix. Rebecca Noble / Getty Images Around 84 million people in the United States are under heat alerts Thursday, stretching from the West Coast across the Southern Plains and into South Florida. In places that are expected to be hardest-hit by extreme temperatures, local officials are racing to prepare residents for the onslaught of heat. Dr. Kai Singbartl, hospital medical director for the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, said he has not seen an uptick in hospital visits for heat-related illnesses, but warned that people should avoid exposure to extreme heat as much as possible and seek help if they experience symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as weakness, fatigue, dizziness or nausea. “Any kind of heat-related illness is a medical emergency,” Singbartl said. “This can become a life-threatening emergency very quickly. and they should seek help immediately, call 9-1-1 and ask for professional help.” Forecasts show that some parts of the Arizona are likely to reach record high temperatures between 115 degrees and 120 degrees F over the weekend. “Please do not underestimate the excessively hot temperatures coming up this weekend," officials at the Phoenix office of the National Weather Service tweeted Thursday. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said Phoenix is working on ways to mitigate extreme heat, but added that the federal government “needs to step up.” “I’ve introduced bills to add extreme heat to FEMA’s list of emergencies and increase shade in urban heat islands,” he tweeted Thursday. In Nevada’s Clark County, local officials are operating more than 35 cooling centers that offer people respite from the heat. Las Vegas, which is located in Clark County, is expected to hit 116 degrees F on Saturday, and 117 degrees F on Sunday, which could tie the city’s all-time hottest temperature record. At Death Valley National Park, which straddles California and Nevada, high temperatures over the weekend could reach as high as 129 degrees F, prompting the National Park Service to issue a dire warning for anyone planning to visit. “Drink plenty of water and carry extra,” the park service said in an emergency alert. “Avoid hiking, do not hike after 10 am. Travel prepared to survive. In the case of a heat related illness, get to a cool place and seek help immediately.” In Las Cruces, New Mexico, cooling facilities have been opened up at community centers, public libraries and other spots along busy bus routes, said David DuBois, the New Mexico State Climatologist and director of the New Mexico Climate Center. “Some people don’t have air conditioning, so we’re focused on just getting people out of the heat,” he said, adding that he's most concerned about the elderly, disadvantaged communities and individuals who have to work outdoors. Together with local health departments, DuBois said his top priorities now are to educate people in New Mexico about the heat risks over the coming days and where they can seek refuge from the scorching temperatures. “People here are used to hot summers in the upper 90s, but once you get to 105 or 108 — the other day it was 110 degrees in Carlsbad — that’s hard on everybody,” he said. At Penguin Air, Plumbing & Electrical in Phoenix, Kline said he is prioritizing the health and safety of the roughly two dozen air conditioning technicians who will out in the field responding to customer calls this weekend. “They’re working in that heat all day, so we’re making sure we provide ice for them, water for them and electrolyte packets,” he said. “We try to constantly remind them to drink fluids, because it’s hot and heat exhaustion or dehydration sneaks up on you.”
Gold-winning Gabby Douglas hints at Olympic comeback 2023-07-13 - Pioneering gold medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas hinted Thursday that she's attempting an Olympics comeback with hopes of competing in next summer's Games. Douglas posted pictures of herself back in the gym, telling her 1.5 million Instagram followers that she's in a good mental health place, having "found peace." The Olympian said she wants "to find joy again for the sport that i absolutely love doing." Douglas would be 28 by summer 2024 when the Olympics unfold in Paris, adding, "i know i have a huge task ahead of me and i am beyond grateful and excited to get back out on the floor." She ended her message with a flexing bicep and a smiling face with sunglasses emojis and "let's do this #2024." The Virginia Beach native struck gold twice in London 2012: in the individual all-around and the team all-around. She helped the American score team all-around gold again in Rio 2016. She was the first Black woman to win an all-around title and was the toast of the 2012 competition. Douglas and swimmer Michael Phelps were named the female and male athletes of the year in 2012 by The Associated Press. Two weeks ago, Douglas' 2016 teammate and four-time gold medalist Simone Biles said she's ready to return to competition as well. Biles and organizers of the U.S. Classic announced that she will compete Aug. 4-5 at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It would be Biles' first competition since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when she brought worldwide attention to the mental health struggles of athletes. Biles, 26, was a breakout star of the 2016 Rio Olympics, striking gold in the team all-around, the individual all-around, the vault and the floor exercise and taking bronze on the balance beam. Though women's gymnastics was once thought of as a teenager's sport, the returns of Biles and Douglas come at a time when America’s top atheltes are competing well into their 20s. Biles and MyKayla Skinner were both 24 when they competed for TeamUSA in 2021. Chellsie Memmel, the 2005 world all-around champion and 2008 Olympic silver medalist, was in her early 30s when she made an unexpected comeback in 2021, the Associated Press reports. She is now the technical lead for the U.S. Gymnastics women’s elite program.
Special counsel opposes Trump effort to delay classified docs trial until after 2024 election 2023-07-13 - Special counsel Jack Smith is opposing former President Donald Trump’s request to delay the trial over his alleged mishandling of classified documents until after the 2024 election. In a court filing Thursday, the special counsel's legal team rejected the defendants’ argument that a fair trial couldn’t be convened ahead of the presidential election. Lawyers for Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta had said in a filing earlier this week that starting the trial in December — the timeline sought by the special counsel — would be “unreasonable, telling, and...result in a miscarriage of justice.” Assistant special counsel David Harbach disputed that characterization on Thursday, writing: “There is no basis in law or fact for proceeding in such an indeterminate and open-ended fashion, and the Defendants provide none." He instead urged U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointee, to set the trial date for December. Prosecutors from Smith’s office last month requested that Trump’s criminal trial be delayed until Dec. 11. Cannon had initially set a trial date for Aug. 14. Trump was indicted last month on seven criminal charges alleging that he mishandled more than 100 classified documents that were uncovered last year at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The former president faces 37 counts tied to allegations that he willfully retained national defense information, conspired to obstruct justice and made false statements. He has pleaded not guilty. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Most Tinder users are already in a relationship, new survey finds 2023-07-13 - Hopeful swipers looking to find their next partner on a dating app have grown increasingly disillusioned in recent years, and a new study reveals the potential root of their difficulties: many dating app users aren’t seeking romantic meetups at all. Half of nearly 1,400 Tinder users surveyed said they weren’t interested in actually finding dates, according to research published last month. Nearly two-thirds reported they were already in a relationship, with some being married while on the app. The researchers asked participants aged 18 to 74, recruited via online advertisements, a range of questions about their motivations for using Tinder, the number of matches and dates they’ve had, as well as psychological measures such as loneliness and self-esteem. They then studied participants’ self-reported level of satisfaction with the app, all submitted through an online questionnaire. Many choose to stay active on dating apps even if they aren’t looking for dates or hookups for the same reasons they use social media, the study found. These platforms have become a similar source of entertainment and social connection, while also providing users with the confidence boost that comes with collecting likes and matches. Study co-author Germano Vera Cruz, a data scientist and professor of psychology at the University of Picardie Jules Verne, said this dynamic results in a “game of deception.” Those who genuinely want real-life connections have a lower probability of finding success, he said, because fewer users are there with the same objective. “Some people feel deceived with the use of dating apps because each time you have a new platform, people think they might really find someone,” Vera Cruz said. “And then people go from platform to platform, but each time they are there, they are not satisfied.” But those who start swiping merely as a form of distraction aren’t getting what they want out of the experience, either. The researchers found that Tinder users who reported the least satisfaction from the app are the ones using it to cope with negative emotions and other issues, such as an avoidant attachment style or psychological qualities like impulsivity. Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, a clinical psychiatry professor at Stanford Medicine and a co-author of the study, said these findings line up with what he’s heard from patients who’ve told him they decided to discard the dating apps after years of trying them out. “There was the sense that they were spending too much time using them as entertainment or to distract themselves from other things,” Aboujaoude said. “It can be overwhelming, and in some cases, it can lead people to this notion that the grass is always greener on the other side, like there’s always better options out there.” A 2020 Pew Research survey reported that online dating left significantly more Americans feeling frustrated than hopeful. People have also unleashed their frustrations online, with social media showcasing no shortage of posts from users lamenting their dating app experiences. “It’s just like a cesspool of people not knowing what they want and just drama and weird intentions,” one person explained in a TikTok video about why she got off the apps. “It’s become almost like social media, that it’s so toxic but you’re kind of addicted to it because you do it for attention or whatever.” “Maybe things will be different on a different app. I don’t even know [if] it’s worth trying or just giving up for a while,” a Reddit user wrote in a recent post on the r/OnlineDating subreddit. “I’m so tired of this process that seems to be going nowhere & just makes me feel bad about myself.” But the study reports a silver lining: People who use dating apps for their intended purposes are still the group most likely to achieve satisfaction — even if getting there requires wading through all the matches whose goals don’t align. “We can’t deny the fact, though, that a big percentage of successful relationships now start online as well,” Aboujaoude said. “But you do need to approach dating sites with more circumspection and more selectivity, and to approach them for what they say they were designed for, which is to find romantic partners.”
More than 1 in 4 staffers in these senators' offices are LGBTQ 2023-07-13 - More than 1 in 4 staffers identify as LGBTQ in the offices of at least eight U.S. senators, according to a diversity report released Thursday by Senate Democrats. The diversity snapshot was taken on June 30 to get a sense of the racial, ethnic and gender diversity in the offices of the 48 Democratic senators and the three independent senators that caucus with the Democrats. The senators with the highest percentage of queer staffers are Pennsylvania Democrats Bob Casey (30%) and John Fetterman (28%) ,and Patty Murray of Washington (29%). Following closely behind, at 26%, are Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-N.V.; Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.; Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn.; and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Wyo. After the report's release, Fetterman tweeted out a "White Lotus"-inspired meme in response. "These gays, they're trying to run my senate office," the meme reads, along with an image of actor Jennifer Coolidge, who starred in the namesake hit HBO series and whose character famously said, "These gays, they're trying to murder me!" The Senate's only two openly LGBTQ senators, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., have LGBTQ staffer percentages of 23% and 19%, respectively. The percentage of Americans who identify as LGBTQ rose to an all-time high of 7.2% last year, according to a Gallup Poll. However, only six of the 51 senators listed in the report had LGBTQ staffers that represented 7% or less of their staff. Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia, came in at the lowest: 0%. A representative for Manchin’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Senate Republicans have not released a comparable breakdown of their offices’ diversity.
Congress may make it harder to see the cost of airline tickets 2023-07-13 - WASHINGTON — Price transparency on airline tickets could be a thing of the past, as House Republicans push to roll back Obama-era rules that prohibit airlines from advertising anything but their all-in prices, including all required taxes and fees. But Democrats and consumer watchdogs are sounding alarms, saying the change would be a gift to airlines, who could hide the true cost of airfare behind links or fine print — and increase their profits by getting consumers to spend more. “This is a bad idea,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League. “Price transparency makes it easier for consumers to comparison shop. … We don’t want to have to do algebra and advanced trigonometry to figure out what it costs.” The Republican provision was tucked into a huge Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization package, one of the few bills considered a must-pass this Congress, by members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. It was amended, however, to leave some of the Obama-era rule intact — under the amendment, airlines would still be required to be open about any airline-imposed mandatory fees, but they would be allowed to strip out governmental taxes and fees from their advertised rates. A spokesperson for the transportation committee chair, Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., told NBC News that the provision would allow airlines the same freedom in advertising that other industries enjoy. On Thursday, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., wrote a letter to their House colleagues urging them to support Schakowsky's amendment to strip the pricing reform out of the FAA bill before it goes to a full House vote next week. But they face major headwinds in getting the GOP-controlled House to include it. “Consumers booking airline tickets deserve to know the full price of a ticket at the start of their transaction to avoid surprise fees and to easily comparison shop,” the three Democrats wrote. “The airline industry is using this must-pass legislation to unravel air travel price transparency laws that have been in place for the last decade.” Airlines have been required to display the full cost of a fare ever since then-President Barack Obama issued a mandate, through a Department of Transportation rule, in 2012. And it appears to be wildly popular with consumers. A poll conducted by YouGov this month found that 87% of U.S. adults said they support rules requiring airlines to display the total cost of a ticket up front in advertising. That includes 83% of independents, 88% of Democrats and 90% of Republican respondents. And when asked specifically about efforts to roll back price transparency, allowing airlines to advertise only their base ticket price, excluding taxes and mandatory fees, 67% of respondents opposed the idea. President Joe Biden has made price transparency and combating hidden “junk fees” a top priority and has encouraged federal agencies to write new rules to pull back the curtain on hidden fees and to use their enforcement arms to go after companies employing bait-and-switch practices. But the House appears poised to take the airline industry in the opposite direction. The House’s FAA bill, which also includes provisions on airport and airplane modernization, pilot training, drone regulation and FAA funding, was unanimously approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in a 63-0 vote after months of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. However, with other measures in the bill, the provision on pricing transparency largely flew under the radar. One member of the committee, Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., attempted to kill an earlier version of the legislative language, but withdrew his amendment after a compromise amendment was offered. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., ushered the alternative amendment through committee, prohibiting airlines from hiding their own fees, but allowing them to remove government taxes and fees from their prices. Studies have found consumers spend more when the total cost of a purchase isn’t disclosed upfront. “It’s a very simple explanation for why they’re doing it,” Breyault said. “It makes them money.” “As you go through this process, you’re hitting sort of these psychological trip wires that make us knuckle under, because we think there’s a cost to be stopping this and going back and starting over again,” Breyault added. A spokesperson for Airlines for America, an advocacy group representing major U.S. air carriers that has fought to kill the transparency law, told NBC News that “this provision would provide clarity on the actual cost of a ticket versus the numerous government taxes and fees that are added.” The group said the U.S. government collected approximately $20 billion in taxes on commercial aviation last year. “The American people deserve transparency, and the government should not be able to hide its mandated fees as the base cost of airfare,” a spokesperson for the group said in a statement. But the sellers of airline tickets, such as TripAdvisor, Expedia and Booking.com, are on the other side of the debate. “You can’t comparison shop on the checkout page,” said Laura Chadwick, president and CEO of the Travel Technology Association, which represents the online sellers. “It’s essential to put that information up front, the first place where consumers see the airfare.” Rep. Rick Larson of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, told The Associated Press that the bill was still a work in progress, but that the changes to price transparency were “something we can live with.” His office declined an interview request. The bill is scheduled for a House vote next week, when it’s expected to pass. It’s unclear if Ocasio-Cortez, Deluzio and Schakowsky will succeed in getting their amendment added to the package. After House passage, the overall bill will be reconciled with the Senate’s yet-to-be-finalized FAA bill. The two chambers will need to work through their differences, likely this fall. Two Senate Democratic staffers told NBC News that price transparency is on their radar, as well as other consumer protections that the House didn’t include in their FAA bill. That includes mandatory compensation for airline delays and requiring airlines to sit families together, for no additional charge. “Travel is expensive,” Chadwick, of the online sellers group, said. “We believe consumers should have the most information upfront so they can make effective decisions, comparison shop for the best value, and feel good about their purchases in the end."
Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities 2023-07-13 - The Associated Press By The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for August delivery rose $1.14 to $76.89 a barrel Thursday Benchmark U.S. crude oil for August delivery rose $1.14 to $76.89 a barrel Thursday. Brent crude for September delivery rose $1.25 to $81.36 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for August delivery rose 1 cent $2.68 a gallon. August heating oil rose 1 cent to $2.61 a gallon. August natural gas fell 8 cents to $2.55 per 1,000 cubic feet. Gold for August delivery rose $2.10 to $1,963.80 an ounce. Silver for September delivery rose 64 cents to $24.95 an ounce and September copper rose 9 cents to $3.94 a pound. The dollar fell to 138.02 Japanese yen from 138.33 yen. The euro rose to $1.1220 from $1.1137.
Delta executives say they're not seeing the drop in airfares that the government reports 2023-07-13 - The government says airfares are dropping, but Delta officials say they're not seeing the same thing Delta Air Lines executives say they’re not seeing the drop in average airfares that federal officials believe are contributing to lower inflation. The Labor Department's latest consumer price index this week showed average airfares falling 8% from May to June on a seasonally adjusted basis. “We’re not seeing the same, and it’s a different data point than what we have,” Delta President Glen Hauenstein said on the airline’s second-quarter earnings call. He dismissed the Labor Department’s methodology as a “ample of a sample.” Analysts agreed with Delta's assessment. JPMorgan's Jamie Baker said the government figure excludes corporate and most premium travel and is drawn heavily from discount-airline service. He blamed the CPI number for causing airline stocks to fall Wednesday, when the Labor Department report came out. Delta executives seemed far more willing to accept the Labor Department’s calculation that average fares last month were 19% lower than they were in June of last year. CEO Ed Bastian said it is important to remember that at this time last year, many people were just beginning to travel after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, but airlines weren’t yet fully staffed. As a result, demand was far stronger than supply. “People didn’t care where they were going or how much they spent. They just wanted to go someplace,” he said. “We were seeing fares up 30%, 40%, 50%" for some domestic flights. "That’s obviously not sustainable.” The Labor Department's monthly CPI report indicated that lower prices for airline tickets, gasoline and used cars in June helped produce the lowest inflation since early 2021 -- 3% compared with a year earlier.
Exxon Mobil buys Denbury, pipeline company with carbon capture expertise, for $5 billion 2023-07-13 - FILE- An Exxon service station sign is seen, April 25, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Exxon Mobil is buying pipeline operator Denbury, the beneficiary of changes in U.S. climate policy that intended to reduce the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. Exxon Mobil Corp. said Thursday, July 13, 2023, that the acquisition gives it the largest owned and operated carbon dioxide pipeline network in the U.S. at 1,300 miles. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) FILE- An Exxon service station sign is seen, April 25, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Exxon Mobil is buying pipeline operator Denbury, the beneficiary of changes in U.S. climate policy that intended to reduce the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. Exxon Mobil Corp. said Thursday, July 13, 2023, that the acquisition gives it the largest owned and operated carbon dioxide pipeline network in the U.S. at 1,300 miles. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) FILE- An Exxon service station sign is seen, April 25, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Exxon Mobil is buying pipeline operator Denbury, the beneficiary of changes in U.S. climate policy that intended to reduce the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. Exxon Mobil Corp. said Thursday, July 13, 2023, that the acquisition gives it the largest owned and operated carbon dioxide pipeline network in the U.S. at 1,300 miles. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) FILE- An Exxon service station sign is seen, April 25, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. Exxon Mobil is buying pipeline operator Denbury, the beneficiary of changes in U.S. climate policy that intended to reduce the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. Exxon Mobil Corp. said Thursday, July 13, 2023, that the acquisition gives it the largest owned and operated carbon dioxide pipeline network in the U.S. at 1,300 miles. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) Exxon Mobil is buying pipeline operator Denbury, the beneficiary of changes in U.S. climate policy that intended to reduce the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere Exxon Mobil is buying pipeline operator Denbury, the beneficiary of changes in U.S. climate policy that intended to reduce the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. The all-stock deal valued at $4.9 billion puts Denbury's capabilities related to carbon capture front and center. Carbon capture and storage involves removing carbon dioxide, either from the source of pollution or from the air at large, and storing it deep underground. In some instances, the carbon dioxide is transported across states through pipelines and stored at facilities and used for other things. The Inflation Reduction Act signed into law last year by President Joe Biden infuses nearly $375 billion over the decade in climate change-fighting strategies that could put the country on a path to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030, including carbon capture operations. Exxon Mobil Corp. said Thursday that the acquisiton gives it the largest owned and operated carbon dioxide pipeline network in the U.S. at 1,300 miles, including nearly 925 miles of CO2 pipelines in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi – located within one of the largest U.S. markets for CO2 emissions, as well as 10 strategically located onshore sequestration sites. "Acquiring Denbury reflects our determination to profitably grow our low carbon solutions business by serving a range of hard-to-decarbonize industries with a comprehensive carbon capture and sequestration offering,” Exxon CEO Darren Woods said in a prepared statement. Aside from Denbury’s carbon capture and storage assets, the acquisition includes Gulf Coast and Rocky Mountain oil and natural gas operations. The operations consist of proved reserves totaling over 200 million barrels of oil equivalent, with 47,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day of current production. The boards of both companies have signed off on the deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter. It still needs approval from Denbury shareholders. Both companies are based in Texas.
Influencer arrested over TikTok video satirizing wealthy Emiratis in Dubai shows limits on freedoms 2023-07-13 - FILE - A man visits a car showroom in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, June 2, 2016. A popular online influencer has been arrested in Dubai over a satirical TikTok video in which he portrays a brash Emirati on a spending spree inside a luxury car showroom. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) FILE - A man visits a car showroom in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, June 2, 2016. A popular online influencer has been arrested in Dubai over a satirical TikTok video in which he portrays a brash Emirati on a spending spree inside a luxury car showroom. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) FILE - A man visits a car showroom in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, June 2, 2016. A popular online influencer has been arrested in Dubai over a satirical TikTok video in which he portrays a brash Emirati on a spending spree inside a luxury car showroom. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) FILE - A man visits a car showroom in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, June 2, 2016. A popular online influencer has been arrested in Dubai over a satirical TikTok video in which he portrays a brash Emirati on a spending spree inside a luxury car showroom. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File) A popular online influencer has been arrested in Dubai over a satirical TikTok video in which he portrays a brash Emirati on a spending spree inside a luxury car showroom DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- An online influencer has been arrested in Dubai over a satirical TikTok video in which he portrays a brash Emirati on a spending spree inside a luxury car showroom. The comedic sketch, in which he tosses stacks of bills at bewildered employees and offers to buy the most expensive car — a $600,000 Ferrari SF90 — poked fun at the lavish lifestyles on display in the city, known for its gleaming skyscrapers and over-the-top tourism attractions. Dubai is more socially lenient than much of the Middle East, with a relaxed dress code, bars and clubs serving alcohol — and even a local comedy scene. But vaguely worded laws forbid any speech, including journalism and satire, that is deemed critical of authorities or insulting to the United Arab Emirates, the federation of sheikhdoms that includes Dubai. The influencer, Hamdan Al Rind, who refers to himself as the “Car Expert” online, is a UAE resident of Asian nationality. He boasts over 2.5 million followers on the popular video-sharing site TikTok. His latest video attracted millions of views and was widely shared before being taken down following his arrest. In the video, he is wearing a kandura, the long white robe typically worn by Emirati men, sunglasses and a surgical mask. He speaks in English with a heavy Arabic accent, shouting clipped sentences at the dealership's employees while his assistants haul around a stretcher filled with stacks of cash. The Federal Prosecution for Combating Rumors and Cybercrimes says he is accused of “abusing the internet” by posting “propaganda that stirs up the public opinion and harms the public interest.” It said the video "promotes a wrong and offensive mental image of Emirati citizens and ridicules them," the state-run WAM news agency reported on Sunday. The WAM report described the video but did not identify the influencer or specify his nationality. It's unclear when exactly Al Rind was arrested or what penalties he could face. It's not known whether he has hired an attorney. Just last month, a UAE resident of Arab nationality was sentenced to five years in prison and a $136,000 fine for violating hate-speech laws by posting a video ranting against men and domestic workers. Prosecutors had ordered her arrest “in the context of the ‘buzz’ generated by the posting of the offending video,” WAM reported. A vaguely-worded cybercrime law enacted in January 2022 heavily restricts expression and assembly, criminalizing virtually any form of political opposition and anything that could harm the reputation of the UAE or its leaders. Fifteen human rights groups have called for the law to be repealed or amended. Ahmed Mansour, the owner of Luxury Super Car Rentals Dubai, where Al Rind filmed his video, said he thought the man was an Emirati citizen. “He came in, he wanted to shoot a video, I said ‘yes.’ If it didn’t happen in my showroom, it probably would have happened somewhere else,” he told The Associated Press. “Some people thought it was offensive, some people thought it was funny, everyone has their own opinion." “I thought he understood the law,” Mansour added. Al Rind, who operates his own car dealership in the UAE, has posted satirical videos before — including one that went viral in which he portrays a wealthy Emirati purchasing cars for each of his four wives — besides video tutorials on how to fix vehicles. The UAE is home to some of the world's wealthiest individuals, and Dubai boasts the world’s tallest skyscraper, a ski resort inside a shopping mall, and luxury neighborhoods built on man-made islands shaped like a palm tree and the world map. Dubai’s fleet of police cars includes a $2.5 million Bugatti Veyron and a $500,000 Lamborghini Aventador. Emirati citizens, who are far outnumbered by expatriates, enjoy lavish cradle-to-grave social benefits funded by the country's large petroleum reserves. Some Emiratis have posted videos in recent years showing themselves making impromptu purchases of high-end cars and watches, riding thoroughbreds through the desert, and driving convertibles with cheetahs and lions in passenger seats. But authorities are more sensitive to such portrayals by foreigners. Laws against hate speech and public incitement target anything seen as aggravating political, religious or ethnic differences in the intensely cosmopolitan country, which portrays itself as a beacon of tolerance and co-existence. On Sunday, the Interior Ministry announced an investigation into another video featuring two men in a high-end sportscar stranded on a desert road. The video shows a female Emirati police officer arriving at the scene and assisting them by sticking a gas pump into the ground and refilling their tank. “In our country, no problem with gas,” she says.
Video Ask Alexis: How to protect yourself from fraud 2023-07-13 - Ask Alexis: How to protect yourself from fraud ABC News business reporter Alexis Christoforous breaks down the best ways to leave your retirement money to someone else.
Founder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network arrested on fraud charges 2023-07-13 - The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network has been arrested on federal fraud charges alleging that he schemed to defraud customers by misleading them about key aspects of the business NEW YORK -- The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network was arrested Thursday on federal fraud charges alleging that he schemed to defraud customers by misleading them about key aspects of the business. Alexander Mashinsky, 57, of Manhattan, was charged with securities, commodities and wire fraud in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court. He was also charged with illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’s proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices. Jonathan Ohring, an attorney for Mashinsky, said in an email that his client “vehemently denies the allegations brought today.” “He looks forward to vigorously defending himself in court against these baseless charges,” Ohring added. According to the indictment, Mashinsky from 2018 to 2022 pitched Celsius to customers as a modern-day bank where they could safely deposit crypto assets and earn interest. But. it said, Mashinsky operated Celsius like a risky investment fund, taking in customer money under false and misleading pretenses and exposing customers to a high-risk business. The indictment alleged that Mashinsky promoted Celsius through media interviews, his account and Celsius's website, along with a weekly “Ask Mashinsky Anything” session broadcast posted to Celsius's website and a YouTube channel. Celsius employees from multiple departments who noticed false and misleading statements in the sessions warned Mashinsky, but they were ignored, the indictment said. Mashinsky's false portrayal of Celsius as a safe and secure institution caused its customer base to grow exponentially through a large number of retail investors, the indictment said. By the fall of 2021, Celsius had become one of the largest crypto platforms in the world, purportedly holding approximately $25 billion in assets, it said. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the arrest of Mashinsky was further proof that his office will seek to hold responsible those who try to cheat ordinary investors. "Whether it’s old-school fraud or some new-school crypto scheme, it doesn’t matter one bit. It’s all fraud to us. And we’ll be here to catch it,” he said. The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday also sued Mashinsky and Celsius, saying they misled investors through unregistered and often fraudulent offers and sales of crypto asset securities. In January, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Mashinsky in state court in Manhattan, saying he misled hundreds of thousands of investors. Celsius filed for bankruptcy last year.
Amazon said it had its biggest Prime day event ever this year 2023-07-13 - FILE - An Amazon Prime delivery vehicle is seen in downtown Pittsburgh on March 18, 2020. Amazon said Thursday, July 13, 2023 it had its biggest Prime day event ever this year. The e-commerce company did not reveal how much money it earned during the two-day sales event, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. But the company touted 375 million items that it says were purchased worldwide by Prime members, who pay $14.99 per month or $139 per year for different perks including faster shipping. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) FILE - An Amazon Prime delivery vehicle is seen in downtown Pittsburgh on March 18, 2020. Amazon said Thursday, July 13, 2023 it had its biggest Prime day event ever this year. The e-commerce company did not reveal how much money it earned during the two-day sales event, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. But the company touted 375 million items that it says were purchased worldwide by Prime members, who pay $14.99 per month or $139 per year for different perks including faster shipping. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) FILE - An Amazon Prime delivery vehicle is seen in downtown Pittsburgh on March 18, 2020. Amazon said Thursday, July 13, 2023 it had its biggest Prime day event ever this year. The e-commerce company did not reveal how much money it earned during the two-day sales event, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. But the company touted 375 million items that it says were purchased worldwide by Prime members, who pay $14.99 per month or $139 per year for different perks including faster shipping. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) FILE - An Amazon Prime delivery vehicle is seen in downtown Pittsburgh on March 18, 2020. Amazon said Thursday, July 13, 2023 it had its biggest Prime day event ever this year. The e-commerce company did not reveal how much money it earned during the two-day sales event, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. But the company touted 375 million items that it says were purchased worldwide by Prime members, who pay $14.99 per month or $139 per year for different perks including faster shipping. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) Amazon says it had its biggest Prime day event ever this year NEW YORK -- Amazon said Thursday it had its biggest Prime day event ever this year. The e-commerce company, as in past years, did not reveal how much money it earned during the two-day sales event, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday and offered a plethora of deals on electronics, home goods and other items. But Amazon touted 375 million items that it says were purchased worldwide by Prime members, who pay $14.99 per month or $139 per year, for different perks including faster shipping. It also said sales growth for independent sellers on Amazon outpaced the company's retail business during the discount event. “The first day of Prime Day was the largest sales day in Amazon’s history, and Prime members saved more this year than any other Prime Day event,” Doug Herrington, an Amazon executive who oversees the company’s online and mobile shopping, said in a prepared statement. Some outside groups also reported a bump in overall e-commerce sales during Amazon's event. Adobe Analytics data showed U.S. online sales reached $12.7 billon on the two shopping days, up 6.1% compared to a year ago.