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'One vote from the end of democracy': Weissmann sounds alarm on SCOTUS immunity case None - 'He will go to jail': Advisor to Michael Cohen on why Trump could serve jail time if convicted in NY 06:59

WATCH: Highlights from past WHCD hosts None - The annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner kicks off this Saturday night. Prime yourself for this year's host, "Saturday Night Live" cast member Colin Jost, by watching highlights from the hosts who came before him. April 26, 2024

Sen. Tim Kaine says he does ‘not think the National Guard is a solution’ to campus protests None - Sen. Tim Kaine says he does ‘not think the National Guard is a solution’ to campus protests During an interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) says using the National Guard to address the protests on college campuses is a “very, very bad idea.”April 28, 2024

College campus protests over war in Gaza show no sign of slowing, new crackdowns on demonstrators None - College campus protests over war in Gaza show no sign of slowing, new crackdowns on demonstrators New waves of arrests on pro-Palestinian demonstrators took place on campuses across the country as colleges crack down on unauthorized encampments. With graduation approaching, protest leaders are unsure of the repercussions they’ll face. NBC News’ George Solis reports.April 27, 2024

Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights None - The Biden administration is setting new rules on airline fees and refunds Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays. Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones. Airlines still will be allowed to offer another flight or a travel credit instead, but consumers can reject the offer. The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights. And it will apply to fees for things such as seat selection or an internet connection if the airline fails to provide the service. Complaints about refunds skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as airlines canceled flights and, even when they didn't, many people didn't feel safe sharing a plane cabin with other passengers. Airlines for America, a trade group for large U.S. carriers, noted that refund complaints to the Transportation Department have fallen sharply since mid-2020. A spokesperson for the group said airlines “offer a range of options — including fully refundable fares — to increase accessibility to air travel and to help customers make ticket selections that best fit their needs.” The group said the 11 largest U.S. airlines issued $43 billion in customer refunds from 2020 through 2023. The Transportation Department issued a separate rule requiring airlines and ticket agents to disclose upfront what they charge for checked and carry-on bags and canceling or changing a reservation. On airline websites, the fees must be shown the first time customers see a price and schedule. The rule will also oblige airlines to tell passengers they have a guaranteed seat they are not required to pay extra for, although it does not bar airlines from charging people to choose specific seats. Many airlines now charge extra for certain spots, including exit-row seats and those near the front of the cabin. The agency said the rule will save consumers more than $500 million a year. Airlines for America said its members “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers” from their first search. The new rules will take effect over the next two years. They are part of a broad administration attack on what President Joe Biden calls “junk fees.” Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that his department will let state officials in 15 states help enforce federal airline consumer protection laws.

Volkswagen revamps its approach in China in bid to overtake upstart EV makers None - Foreign automakers have been caught flat-footed in China by an electric vehicle boom that has shaken up the market over the last three years BEIJING -- As auto giant Volkswagen AG races to catch up with upstart Chinese competitors, it has drivers like 26-year-old Ren Yiling in mind. She is young and wants to play video games in her car. The digital features of her Zeekr 001, a European-designed electric car from China's Geely Holding Group, appeal to her. She uses her smartphone to help her parents adjust their seats and tells an animated voice assistant to open the window or play music. “I once sung karaoke in the car when travelling a long way with my family,” she said. "To me, the car is more like an entertainment place. I am a singer.” Foreign automakers have been caught flat-footed in China by an electric vehicle boom that has shaken up the market, the world's largest, over the last three years. Taking a page from Tesla, China's automakers and hundreds of start-ups have developed EVs loaded with tablet-like screens, AI-enabled information and entertainment options and autonomous driving capabilities. EV sales in China, encouraged by green energy subsidies and tax breaks, jumped from 900,000 units in 2020 to 5.1 million last year, accounting for 24% of new car sales, according to the China Passenger Car Association, an industry group. The boom caters to a new breed of car buyers who equate an EV with digital connectivity and are demanding smartphone features in their vehicles. That has left makers like Volkswagen, which sells about one-third of its cars in China, scrambling to develop new models for a very different market than back home, and expanding far beyond its roots in China as a maker of no-frills sedans used by taxi fleets. The Volkswagen Group, which also includes Audi and Porsche, plans to launch 40 new models in China over the next three years and to have a lineup of 30 EVs by 2030 in what Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume told investors Wednesday is the company’s “second home market.” Japanese maker Nissan has also stepped up, saying it would develop four new-energy models, which can include hybrids, for the Chinese market by 2026. Ralf Brandstätter, VW's CEO in China, said drivers use their cars differently in China, where the average age of an EV buyer is 35 years old, versus 55 in Europe. “It’s not only to go from A to B, they live in their car as additional living space. They spend time there with friends. They spend time there with families,” he told journalists ahead of the opening of the Beijing Auto Show on Thursday. “And they are ... highly tech-savvy. (They are) using their mobiles five hours per day and they want to have the same digital connectivity with their cars. So we will deliver these Chinese ‘wow’ effects that Chinese customers expect.” The battle is not only about digital gadgetry. Chinese EV makers have driven down battery and production costs and flooded the market with choices, depressing prices to levels that are likely unsustainable. China's largest EV maker, BYD, has dropped the price of its Seagull model below $10,000 at home, about half of what it sells for in Mexico and Brazil. “The Chinese market remains very difficult, especially when it comes to electric vehicles” Brandstätter said, noting that EV prices in China had fallen 30% in the past year even before a new round of price cuts started this month. Volkswagen's response has been to shift to developing cars in China from the ground up, rather than adapting European models to the local market. The company announced earlier this month that it would invest 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to expand research and development and production in the city of Hefei, where it has teamed up with Chinese EV maker XPENG Motors to develop two midsize VW models to launch in 2026. The company is developing a new EV platform, which includes the chassis and battery packs, just for China to try to bring down costs by 40%. That would enable VW to be profitable at current market prices, Brandstätter said, calling China an essential market for Volkswagen. “I think they are really putting their foot down and saying we need to do more, we need to speed up," said Beatrix Keim, the China director at CAR, an automotive research center in Germany. Volkswagen still has a ways to go. It sold only 41,000 EVs in China in the first three months of the year, though that was up 91% over the previous year and followed the rollout of new or updated models. “I think they really learned already their lesson – that they need to be faster,” Keim said. The company has come under fire for operating a plant in the China's western Xinjiang region, where Western governments have accused the Chinese government of human rights violations. Volkswagen has said an audit it commissioned found no evidence of forced labor at the facility, though Brandstätter said Wednesday that VW is in talks with its Chinese joint venture partner in Xinjiang and is investigating options for the plant's future. The company showed off its digital development efforts to journalists at an R & D facility in Beijing earlier this week. Drivers can pick avatars for an on-screen assistant that responds to voice requests for directions or to adjust the inside temperature. A 3-D avatar to be launched this year has changeable outfits and can rock with the music. Such features are also being added to VW's gasoline-powered vehicles, said Matthias Glodny, the vice president for products in China. “We think we have a plan," he said, “and now we have to deliver.” ___ Associated Press researcher Yu Bing contributed.

Nepal hosts an investment summit in hopes of attracting foreign money for hydropower projects None - KATHMANDU, Nepal -- Nepal hosted an investment summit Sunday in hopes of attracting much-needed foreign investment, especially in developing hydropower projects to produce more electricity that it can sell to neighboring countries. Several foreign investors were attending the two-day meetings in the capital, Kathmandu, where Nepali officials urged investment in developing hydropower projects and in other areas like tourism and industry. Nepal is home to eight of the tallest mountain peaks in the world and has several rivers flowing down from them, bringing huge hydropower potential. But only a few projects have been built in the poor south Asian nation. “Our hydropower potential holds the promise of abundant renewable and clean energy supply,” Nepal's prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, told the delegates. However, he said, "only 3,200 megawatts have been harnessed so far and only about 5,568 megawatt large-scale projects are under construction or in the pipeline.” “This explicitly shows the enormous opportunities to invest in the hydropower sector in Nepal,” Dahal said, adding that the existing and planned cross-border transmission line with India and China aids energy exchange within the region. He said Nepal has signed agreements or memoranda of understanding with China, India and Bangladesh for power trade or cooperation. Nepali officials are also hoping to attract more investment in the tourism sector in the Himalayan nation, where the industry is struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “This summit will provide a platform for networking opportunities among the policy makers, investors, experts and stakeholders to share ideas and views as well as encourage joint ventures in areas such as industry and infrastructure development,” said Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun. Nepal has said the main objective is to project the country as an emerging destination for private sector investment and to highlight recent reforms in enhancing the investment climate and ensuring regulatory frameworks and support for foreign as well as domestic investment.

Tesla founder Elon Musk visits China as competitors show off new electric vehicles None - Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk has met with a top government leader in the Chinese capital, just as the nation’s carmakers are showing off their latest electric vehicle models at the Beijing auto show BEIJING -- BEIJING (AP) — Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk met with a top government leader in the Chinese capital Sunday, just as the nation's carmakers are showing off their latest electric vehicle models at the Beijing auto show. Chinese Premier Li Qiang told Musk that he hopes the U.S. will work more with China on “win-win” cooperation, citing Tesla's operations in China as a successful example of economic cooperation, China's state broadcaster CCTV said on its main evening news program. For China, Musk is a welcome antidote to the tough talk from U.S. officials, which played out most recently during a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Li's remarks also reflect China's efforts to attract foreign investment to boost its flagging economy. It wasn't clear whether Musk would visit the auto show, which runs through this week. Chinese automakers and startups have launched a bevy of electric cars in recent years, some going head-to-head with Tesla and undercutting the American maker on price. An earlier CCTV online report said that Musk had come at the invitation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and met with its president, Ren Hongbin, to exchange views on further cooperation and other topics. Tesla has a major manufacturing base in Shanghai for both domestic sales in China and exports to Europe and other regions. It cut prices in China a week ago, dropping the Model 3 to 231,900 yuan ($32,700) and the Model Y to 249,900 yuan ($35,200), following similar reductions in the U.S. The European Union has launched an investigation into Chinese subsidies for the EV industry that could lead to tariffs on electric vehicles made in China, potentially including Tesla cars. The green energy subsidies have helped transform the Chinese auto market, with EVs reaching about a quarter of new car sales last year, eating into demand for gasoline-powered vehicles. Foreign automakers such as Volkswagen and Nissan are scrambling to develop new EV models to hold onto or claw back market share in China, the world's largest automobile market.

African farmers look to the past and the future to address climate change None - From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking both to the past and future to respond to climate change African farmers look to the past and the future to address climate change By FARAI MUTSAKA Associated Press , OMAR FARUK Associated Press , and DESMOND TIRO Associated Press HARARE, Zimbabwe -- From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change. Africa, with the world's youngest population, faces the worst effects of a warming planet while contributing the least to the problem. Farmers are scrambling to make sure the booming population is fed. With over 60% of the world’s uncultivated land, Africa should be able to feed itself, some experts say. And yet three in four people across the continent cannot afford a healthy diet, according to a report last year by the African Union and United Nations agencies. Reasons include conflict and lack of investment. In Zimbabwe, where the El Nino phenomenon has worsened a drought, small-scale farmer James Tshuma has lost hope of harvesting anything from his fields. It's a familiar story in much of the country, where the government has declared a $2 billion state of emergency and millions of people face hunger. But a patch of green vegetables is thriving in a small garden the 65-year-old Tshuma is keeping alive with homemade organic manure and fertilizer. Previously discarded items have again become priceless. “This is how our fathers and forefathers used to feed the earth and themselves before the introduction of chemicals and inorganic fertilizers,” Tshuma said. He applies livestock droppings, grass, plant residue, remains of small animals, tree leaves and bark, food scraps and other biodegradable items like paper. Even the bones of animals that are dying in increasing numbers due to the drought are burned before being crushed into ash for their calcium. Climate change is compounding much of sub-Saharan Africa’s longstanding problem of poor soil fertility, said Wonder Ngezimana, an associate professor of crop science at Zimbabwe’s Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. “The combination is forcing people to re-look at how things were done in the past like nutrient recycling, but also blending these with modern methods," said Ngezimana, whose institution is researching the combination of traditional practices with new technologies. Apart from being rich in nitrogen, organic fertilizers help increase the soil’s carbon and ability to retain moisture, Ngezimana said. “Even if a farmer puts synthetic fertilizer into the soil, they are likely to suffer the consequences of poor moisture as long as there is a drought,” he said. Other moves to traditional practices are under way. Drought-resistant millets, sorghum and legumes, staples until the early 20th century when they were overtaken by exotic white corn, have been taking up more land space in recent years. Leaves of drought-resistant plants that were once a regular dish before being cast off as weeds are returning to dinner tables. They even appear on elite supermarket shelves and are served at classy restaurants, as are millet and sorghum. This could create markets for the crops even beyond drought years, Ngezimana said. In conflict-prone Somalia in East Africa, greenhouses are changing the way some people live, with shoppers filling up carts with locally produced vegetables and traditionally nomadic pastoralists under pressure to settle down and grow crops. “They are organic, fresh and healthy,” shopper Sucdi Hassan said in the capital, Mogadishu. “Knowing that they come from our local farms makes us feel secure." Her new shopping experience is a sign of relative calm after three decades of conflict and the climate shocks of drought and flooding. Urban customers are now assured of year-round supplies, with more than 250 greenhouses dotted across Mogadishu and its outskirts producing fruit and vegetables. It is a huge leap. “In the past, even basic vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes were imported, causing logistical problems and added expenses,” said Somalia’s minister of youth and sports, Mohamed Barre. The greenhouses also create employment in a country where about 75% of the population is people under 30 years old, many of them jobless. About 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the capital, Mohamed Mahdi, an agriculture graduate, inspected produce in a greenhouse where he works. “Given the high unemployment rate, we are grateful for the chance to work in our chosen field of expertise,” the 25-year-old said. Meanwhile, some pastoralist herders are being forced to change their traditional ways after watching livestock die by the thousands. “Transitioning to greenhouse farming provides pastoralists with a more resilient and sustainable livelihood option,” said Mohamed Okash, director of the Institute of Climate and Environment at SIMAD University in Mogadishu. He called for larger investments in smart farming to combat food insecurity. In Kenya, a new climate-smart bean variety is bringing hope to farmers in a region that had recorded reduced rainfall in six consecutive rainy seasons. The variety, called “Nyota" or "star” in Swahili, is the result of a collaboration between scientists from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, the Alliance of Bioversity International and research organization International Center for Tropical Agriculture. The new bean variety is tailored for Kenya’s diverse climatic conditions. One focus is to make sure drought doesn’t kill them off before they have time to flourish. The bean variety flowers and matures so quickly that it is ready for harvesting by the time rains disappear, said David Karanja, a bean breeder and national coordinator for grains and legumes at KALRO. Hopes are that these varieties could bolster national bean production. The annual production of 600,000 metric tons falls short of meeting annual demand of 755,000 metric tons, Karanja said. Farmer Benson Gitonga said his yield and profits are increasing because of the new bean variety. He harvests between nine and 12 bags from an acre of land, up from the previous five to seven bags. One side benefit of the variety is a breath of fresh air. “Customers particularly appreciate its qualities, as it boasts low flatulence levels, making it an appealing choice,” Gitonga said. ___ Tiro reported from Nairobi, Kenya and Faruk reported from Mogadishu, Somalia. ___ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. ___ AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Dubai plans to move its busy international airport to a $35 billion new facility within 10 years None - Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, will move its operations to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches “within the next 10 years” in a project worth nearly $35 billion Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, will move its operations to the city-state's second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches “within the next 10 years” in a project worth nearly $35 billion, its ruler said Sunday. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's announcement marks the latest chapter in the rebound of its long-haul carrier Emirates after the coronavirus pandemic grounded international travel. Plans have been on the books for years to move the operations of the airport known as DXB to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central which had also been delayed by the repercussions of the sheikhdom's 2009 economic crisis. “We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children in turn,” Sheikh Mohammed said in an online statement. “Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub and its new global center.” The announcement included computer-rendered images of curving, white terminal reminiscent of the traditional Bedouin tents of the Arabian Peninsula. The airport will include five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, the announcement said. The airport now has just two runways, like Dubai International Airport. The financial health of the carrier Emirates has served as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide and the wider economic health of this city-state. Dubai and the airline rebounded quickly from the pandemic by pushing forward with tourism even as some countries more slowly came out of their pandemic crouch. The number of passengers flying through DXB surged last year beyond its total for 2019 with 86.9 million passengers. Its 2019 annual traffic was 86.3 million passengers. The airport had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 — its busiest-ever year before the pandemic, while 66 million passengers passed through in 2022. Earlier in February, Dubai announced its best-ever tourism numbers, saying it hosted 17.15 million international overnight visitors in 2023. Average hotel occupancy stood at around 77%. Its boom-and-bust real estate market remains on a hot streak, nearing all-time high valuations. But as those passenger numbers skyrocketed, it again put new pressure on the capacity of DXB, which remains constrained on all sides by residential neighborhoods and two major highways. Al Maktoum International Airport, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) away from DXB, opened in 2010 with one terminal. It served as a parking lot for Emirates' double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during the pandemic and slowly has come back to life with cargo and private flights in the time since. It also hosts the biennial Dubai Air Show and has a vast, empty desert in which to expand. The announcement by Sheikh Mohammed noted Dubai's plans to expand further south. Already, its nearby Expo 2020 site has been offering homes for buyers. “As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow,” Dubai's ruler said. “It will host the world’s leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors.” However, financial pressures have halted the move in the past. Dubai's 2009 financial crisis, brought on by the Great Recession, forced Abu Dhabi to provide the city-state with a $20 billion bailout. Meanwhile, the city-state is still trying to recover after the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the UAE, which disrupted flights and commerce for days.

Microsoft and Amazon face scrutiny from UK competition watchdog over recent AI deals None - British competition regulators say they’ll scrutinize recent artificial intelligence deals by Microsoft and Amazon over concerns that the moves could thwart competition in the AI industry LONDON -- British competition regulators said Wednesday they'll scrutinize recent artificial intelligence deals by Microsoft and Amazon over concerns that the moves could thwart competition in the AI industry. The Competition and Markets Authority said it's looking into Microsoft's partnership with France's Mistral AI and the company's hiring of key staff from another startup, Inflection AI. The watchdog also separately announced that it's investigating Amazon's $4 billion investment in San Francisco-based Anthropic. Big Tech companies have been pouring money into generative AI startups amid growing public and business interest in the technology, but the investments have also drawn attention from antitrust authorities. The U.K. watchdog said it was seeking comments from “interested third parties," before deciding whether to carry out an in-depth antitrust investigation. "We will assess, objectively and impartially, whether each of these three deals fall within U.K. merger rules and, if they do, whether they have any impact on competition in the U.K.," the watchdog’s executive director of mergers, Joel Bamford, said in a statement. Microsoft said it will provide the watchdog with the information it needs to carry out its inquiries. “We remain confident that common business practices such as the hiring of talent or making a fractional investment in an AI start-up promote competition and are not the same as a merger, the company said. Microsoft last month hired Mustafa Suleyman, who co-founded Google’s DeepMind AI research lab, to head up its consumer artificial intelligence business, along with the chief scientist and several top engineers and researchers from Inflection, his AI startup. Microsoft also teamed up earlier this year with Mistral, which has become France's AI darling after being founded only last year. That followed Microsoft's previous existing partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which is also facing scrutiny from the CMA. Mistral said it's “fully committed to cooperating with the CMA throughout this process to ensure that our long-term independence and access to the market are upheld.” Amazon, meanwhile, has spent billions for a minority stake in Anthropic. The two companies are collaborating to develop so-called foundation models, which underpin the generative AI systems that have captured global attention. “It's unprecedented for the CMA to review a collaboration of this type,” Amazon said in a statement. “Unlike partnerships between other AI startups and large technology companies, our collaboration with Anthropic includes a limited investment, doesn’t give Amazon a board director or observer role, and continues to have Anthropic running its models on multiple cloud providers.” The CMA said it's stepping up its scrutiny of the market for foundation models after it published a report that highlighted the risk that powerful companies could use partnerships with key AI players to strengthen their positions.

Real terms average pay lower in most UK local authorities than in 2008, TUC finds None - Pay packets are smaller than they were in 2008 in most local authority areas in the UK, according to analysis by the Trades Union Congress, which described the findings as a “damning indictment” of the Conservatives’ economic record. The TUC, which includes 48 unions with more than five million members, said stagnating wages meant British workers were in the midst of the longest squeeze on wages since the Napoleonic era. Real terms average pay, which factors in inflation, is less than it was in 2008, the year the global financial crisis struck, in nearly two-thirds (63%) of UK local authorities, the TUC said. The union body estimates that the average UK worker would be £10,400 a year better off if real wages had grown at their pre-crisis trend – the equivalent of £200 a week. London has the highest share of what it called “wage black spots”, with real pay below 2008 levels in nearly all of the capital’s local authorities. The TUC blamed austerity imposed by the Conservatives, saying that wages had begun to grow after the 2008 global financial crash when David Cameron’s government took office in 2010. It said the nascent recovery slammed into reverse as the government reined in public spending, including real terms wage cuts in the public sector. In the decade before the crash, between 1997 and 2008, real weekly wages in the UK grew on average by 1.7% each year, the TUC said. Since the banking crisis that engulfed the world in 2008, average annual growth has been –0.2%. While the crisis affected the global economy, the TUC said that UK wages had recovered particularly slowly. It blamed successive Tory governments for “one of the worst records” for pay growth among nations in the OECD group of developed economies. “This is a damning indictment of the Conservatives’ economic record,” said the TUC’s general secretary, Paul Nowak. “This is the same government that’s given us the most dramatic fall in living standards on record. “It doesn’t have to be this way. We can create a new era of decent pay growth again where families’ living standards rise rather than falling backwards,” he added. The TUC analysed data from 340 local authorities for which it was available, finding that wages in nearly two-thirds (212) were below 2008 levels. Even in the north-east, the region of England least affected, pay undershot 2008 in half of local authorities. “The Tories’ failure to grow the economy – and their scorched-earth austerity policies – has decimated family budgets,” said Nowak. “Just imagine how much better off people would be if they had an extra £10,400 in their pay packets each year – and how much more prosperous the country would be.” A spokesperson for the Treasury said: “A global surge in inflation caused by Putin’s war in Ukraine has hit the value of wages right across the world. “Despite these challenging international factors, since 2010, this government has made huge strides in ending low pay, with jumps in the value of the National Living Wage meaning the number of people in jobs classified as ‘low paid’ has halved. Additionally as part of our determination to end low pay, this month we increased the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over, putting more money in the pockets of almost 3 million workers. “Through supporting the Bank of England and sticking to our plan, inflation is now down to 3.2% and real wages are growing. Additionally we’ve been able to cut National Insurance by a third – worth £900 a year to the average worker.”

'Great threat to our democracy': Pelosi blasts Trump in one-on-one interview None - 'Not a lot happens' without Trump knowing about it: Defense says he had nothing to do with payment 08:36

'Could lock him up': Merchan to hold Trump's second gag order hearing Thursday None - Testimony in former President Trump’s hush money trial resumes tomorrow with Gary Farro, Michael Cohen’s former banker at First Republic Bank, taking the stand. MSNBC’s Lisa Rubin and defense attorney Jeff Jacobovitz tell us what to expect and what could happen on Thursday, when the judge is expected to hold a hearing about whether Trump has violated the gag order.April 29, 2024

Bodycam shows Rochester district attorney refuse to comply during traffic stop None - Local politicians are calling for an investigation of Rochester District Attorney Sandra Doorley after she refused to pull over for a traffic stop. WHEC's Bret Vetter reports.April 29, 2024

Global negotiations on a treaty to end plastic pollution at critical phase in Canada None - For the first time, negotiators from most of the world’s nations are discussing actual text for what is supposed to become a global treaty to end plastic pollution OTTAWA, Ontario -- For the first time, negotiators from most of the world's nations are discussing the text of what is supposed to become a global treaty to end plastic pollution. Delegates and observers at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution called it a welcome sign that talk has shifted from ideas to treaty language at this fourth of five scheduled plastics summits. Most contentious is the idea of limiting how much plastic is manufactured globally. Currently, that remains in the text over the strong objections of plastic-producing countries and companies and oil and gas exporters. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels and chemicals. The Ottawa session was scheduled to end late Monday or early Tuesday. On Monday night there could sharp discussion over whether this question of plastic production is a focus for working groups before the next and final meeting. Stewart Harris, an industry spokesperson with the International Council of Chemical Associations, said the members want a treaty that focuses on recycling plastic and reuse, sometimes referred to as “circularity.” “We want to see the treaty completed,” Harris said. “We want to work with the governments on implementing it. The private sector has a role to play.” Dozens of scientists from the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty came to the meeting to provide scientific evidence on plastic pollution to negotiators, in part, they said, to dispel misinformation. “I heard yesterday that there’s no data on microplastics, which is verifiably false: 21,000 publications on micro and nanoplastics have been published,” said Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden's University of Gothenburg who co-leads the coalition. “It’s like Whac-A-Mole.” She said scientists were being harassed and intimidated by lobbyists and she reported to the U.N. that a lobbyist yelled in her face at a meeting. Despite their differences, the countries represented share a common vision to move forward in the treaty process, Ecuador's chief negotiator, Walter Schuldt said. “Because at the end of the day, we’re talking about the survival of the future of life, not only of human life but all sorts of life on this planet,” he said in an interview. He said he was proud to participate, to contribute his “grain of sand” to global action to address an environmental crisis. Negotiators aim to conclude a treaty by the end of 2024. Topics assigned to expert working groups by tonight will advance into the final round of talks in the fall in South Korea. Without this preparation work between meetings, it would be daunting to complete the negotiations this year. Multiple countries said Sunday night they're committed to working in between meetings. The treaty talks began in Uruguay in December 2022 after Rwanda and Peru proposed the resolution that launched the process in March 2022. Progress was slow during Paris talks in May 2023 and in Nairobi in November as countries debated rules for the process. When thousands of negotiators and observers arrived in Ottawa, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the committee chair from Ecuador, reminded them of their purpose, asking them to be ambitious. “The world is counting on us to deliver a new treaty that will catalyze and guide the actions, and international cooperation needed to deliver a future free of plastic pollution,” he said. “Let us not fail them.” The delegates have been discussing not only the scope of the treaty, but chemicals of concern, problematic and avoidable plastics, product design, and financing and implementation. Delegates also streamlined the unwieldy collection of options that emerged from the last meeting. Many traveled to Ottawa from communities affected by plastic manufacturing and pollution. Louisiana and Texas residents who live near petrochemical plants and refineries handed out postcards aimed at the U.S. State Department saying, “Wish you were here." They traveled together as a group from the Break Free From Plastic movement, and asked negotiators to visit their states to experience the air and water pollution firsthand. “This is still the best option we have to see change in our communities. They’re so captured by corporations. I can't go to the parish government,” said Jo Banner, of the St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. “It feels this is the only chance and hope I have of helping my community repair from this, to heal.” Members of an Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus held a press conference Saturday to say microplastics are contaminating their food supply and the pollution threatens their communities and ways of life guaranteed to them in perpetuity. They felt their voices weren’t being heard. “We have bigger stakes. These are our ancestral lands that are being polluted with plastic,” Juressa Lee, of New Zealand, said after the event. “We’re rightsholders, not stakeholders. We should have more space to speak and make decisions than the people causing the problem.” Traditionally, there was no plastic, but now in the Bay of Plenty, their source of seafood, the sediment and shellfish are full of tiny plastic particles. They regard nature's “resources” as treasures, Lee added. “Indigenous ways can lead the way," Lee said. "What we're doing now clearly is not working.” Vi Waghiyi traveled from Alaska to represent Arctic Indigenous peoples. She's reminding decision-makers that this treaty must protect people from plastic pollution for generations to come. She said, “We come here to be the conscience, to ensure they make the right decision for all people.” ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Japan's currency falls to its weakest since 1990 against the dollar as the yen keeps yelping None - The value of Japan’s currency has tumbled so much that for a moment on Monday it took 160 yen to equal $1 NEW YORK -- Some of the world's wildest action in financial markets is roiling around the Japanese yen. The value of Japan's currency has tumbled so much that for a moment on Monday it took 160 yen to equal $1. A few years ago, it took closer to 100 yen to make a U.S. dollar. The yen has been so weak that it's back to where it was in 1990, shortly after Japan's famous “bubble economy” burst. After it briefly touched the 160 yen level in overnight hours for traders in New York, the value of a dollar quickly shifted back to 156 yen by midday Monday on the East Coast. Such sudden moves can happen in the foreign-exchange market, which can be notoriously volatile. Trading may also have been jumpy because of a holiday in Japan that kept its stock market closed. But the speed and degree of the yen's swings raised speculation about whether Japanese officials were making moves to prop up the value of their currency. The yen has long been under pressure as the Bank of Japan kept interest rates remarkably low to encourage more inflation in its economy. Only last month did it end its policy to keep its benchmark interest rate below zero. The Bank of Japan's latest decision on rates came on Friday, when it held interest rates steady. That helped spur this latest leg of weakness for the yen. The market may have been reacting to a lack of commitment by the Bank of Japan for more rate hikes in the near term, and the yen may remain under pressure into the third quarter of this year, strategists at Bank of America said in a BofA Global Research report. That's in part because of how solid the U.S. economy has remained. With inflation and the economy still higher than forecast, expectations are rising for the Federal Reserve to keep its main interest rate high for a while. That's kept U.S. Treasury yields high and put upward pressure on the U.S. dollar's value. A weak yen is good for U.S. tourists heading to Japan, meaning each $1 of theirs buys more yen. It can also be a boon for Japan's exporters because it boosts the value of their sales made in U.S. dollars when translated back into yen. But keeping the yen weak carries risks. A central one is that it could cause inflation in Japan ultimately to overshoot targets and hurt the world's third-largest economy. Japan imports almost all its energy, for example, and barrels of oil get traded in dollars, not yen.

Oregon's Sports Bra, a pub for women's sports fans, plans national expansion as interest booms None - An Oregon sports bar focusing on and showing only women's athletics has plans to expand across the country through a franchise model PORTLAND, Ore. -- On a recent weeknight at this bar in northeast Portland, fans downed pints and burgers as college women's lacrosse and beach volleyball matches played on big-screen TVs. Memorabilia autographed by female athletes covered the walls, with a painting of U.S. soccer legend Abby Wambach mounted above the chalkboard beer menu. The Sports Bra is a pub where women's sports are celebrated — and the only thing on TV. Packed and buzzing with activity, the bar has successfully tapped into a meteoric rise of interest in women's sports, embodied most recently by the frenzy over University of Iowa basketball phenomenon Caitlin Clark's records-smashing feats. Just two years after opening, the bar announced plans this week to go nationwide through a franchise model. “Things have happened at light speed compared to what my forecast was,” founder and CEO Jenny Nguyen told The Associated Press. “This tiny spot that I built for my friends and I to watch games and give female athletes their flowers means so much more. And not just to me, but to a lot of people.” Under the plan, bars and entrepreneurs elsewhere will be able to apply to use The Sports Bra brand for their franchises. Nguyen is open to working with people who already have a physical space, as well as those who may only have a business plan. What matters, she said, is that the potential future partners share The Sports Bra’s values. One aspiring partner is Jackie Reau, who hopes to open a franchise in Cincinnati, where she works as the CEO of a media and marketing agency. During an interview at The Sports Bra, where she happily watched her college women's lacrosse team on one of the TV sets, she said such establishments “celebrate women’s sports and the champions and the athletes behind the story.” “It’s exciting to see it grow and gain such popularity,” Reau said of the bar. “It’s just such a moment right now for women’s sports.” The expansion will be boosted by funding from a foundation created by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who is married to tennis legend Serena Williams. Nguyen said she already has received hundreds of inquiries. Interest in women's sports is at an all-time high, helped by Clark's exploits this year, when she shattered all-time NCAA scoring records for women and men. The championship game between Iowa and South Carolina on April 7 drew 18.9 million viewers on average, surpassing the audience for the men’s title match for the first time. A week later a record 2.45 million viewers on average tuned in to the WNBA draft to watch as Clark went to the Indiana Fever as the No. 1 pick. This week it was reported that she was set to sign a $28 million deal with Nike that would be the richest sponsorship contract for a women’s basketball player. The rise in interest is not just for women's basketball, but other sports as well. The 2023 Women’s World Cup reported record attendance with nearly 2 million fans. A University of Nebraska volleyball game played in a football stadium drew more than 92,000 people last August, a world record for largest attendance at a women’s sporting event. “It’s sort of in this pinnacle moment where eyeballs are plentiful,” said Lauren Anderson, director of the Warsaw Sports Business Center at the University of Oregon. “It’s just been an alignment of many things that has created this incredible moment for women’s sports that seems to be more than just a flash in the pan.” As the fan base and engagement grow, so too does the appetite for changing a sports bar culture that has traditionally catered to men's athletics. Other establishments like The Sports Bra have recently opened elsewhere: A Bar of Their Own began operating in Minneapolis earlier this year, and Seattle's Rough & Tumble launched in late 2022. Sports bars have not always been welcome spaces for women, Nguyen said. A fan since childhood, she would gather groups of friends to go because she didn't feel safe going by herself. She recalled encountering macho environments that made her uncomfortable, and bartenders who refused to change the channel to a women's game. “That was just what we settled with,” she said. “When I wanted to push back and kind of flip the status quo, that's when I really started to dig in on how The Sports Bra could matter and change the narrative on sports bars.” One memory in particular stands out for Nguyen from her time as proprietor: Serena Williams' last match, in 2022. A massive crowd showed up to watch, spilling over onto the the sidewalk. People outside cupped their eyes with their hands as they peered through the windows to see the screens. “When Serena would score a point, I swear to God, I thought the glass was going to shatter. My eyeballs were rattling inside my head,” Nguyen said. “And then when they were volleying, I feel like you could hear a burger flip in the kitchen.” Toward the end, she felt tears welling up. She passed two tissue boxes around for similarly weepy customers as everyone reveled in Williams' last minutes on the court. “I remember taking a deep breath and thinking, ‘I don’t know if there’s a single place on the face of the planet that is having this exact moment,’” Nguyen said. “It was amazing.” Fans can still find it challenging to watch women's sports games, because many are not broadcast on TV and require different streaming subscriptions, said Tarlan Chahardovali, an assistant professor in the University of South Carolina’s Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. Women's sports bars can be a reliable go-to for many events by having those subscriptions. But more broadly, Chahardovali said, much work remains to be done to ensure the media market doesn’t undervalue women’s sports. “Today’s numbers are hard to ignore, and I think it’s a very exciting time,” she said. “But it’s a moment that needs to be maintained and sustained, and it needs continuous investment.”

Tesla, Domino's Pizza rise; AMC Entertainment, SoFi Technologies fall, Monday, 4/29/2024 None - Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes on Monday: Tesla, Domino’s Pizza rise; AMC Entertainment, SoFi Technologies fall The Associated Press By The Associated Press NEW YORK -- Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes on Monday: Tesla Inc., up $25.76 to $194.05. The electric vehicle maker reportedly gained approval for its self-driving technology in China. AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., down 38 cents to $3.03. The movie theater chain expects a lingering impact from last year's Hollywood strikes. Paramount Global, up 34 cents to $12.25. The owner of Paramount Pictures and CBS is reportedly considering removing its CEO. Domino's Pizza Inc., up $28.06 to $527.13. The pizza chain beat analysts' first-quarter earnings and revenue forecasts. UMB Financial Corp., down $5.42 to $77.75. The bank is buying Heartland Financial USA for about $2 billion in an all-stock deal. Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc., up $10.63 to $25.28. Japan’s ONO Pharmaceuticals is buying the biopharmaceutical company for about $2.4 billion. Fulton Financial Corp., up $1.18 to $16.80. The financial holding company bought Republic First Bank from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. SoFi Technologies Inc. (SOFI), down 83 cents to $7.05. The online financial services company gave investors a weak revenue forecast for the current quarter

This Week: Consumer confidence, Fed policy statement, April jobs report None - The Conference Board releases its monthly index of U.S. consumer confidence Tuesday A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week EYE ON CONSUMERS The Conference Board releases its latest monthly index of U.S. consumer confidence Tuesday. The March reading ticked down to 104.7 from 105.8 the previous month, suggesting consumer confidence is holding steady even as Americans wrestle with higher prices and feel less optimistic about the future. Economists expect the April reading slipped again. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, so economists pay close attention to consumer behavior. Consumer confidence, by month: Nov. 101.0 Dec. 108 Jan. 110.9 Feb. 104.8 March 104.7 April (est.) 104.0 Source: FactSet THE FED SPEAKS The Federal Reserve delivers its latest interest rate policy update Wednesday following a two-day meeting of its policymakers. At its meeting last month, Fed officials signaled that they still expected to cut their key interest rate three times this year, despite signs that inflation remained elevated. More recently, however, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has cautioned that persistently elevated inflation will likely delay any Fed interest rate cuts until later this year, opening the door to a period of higher-for-longer rates. ALL ABOUT JOBS The Labor Department issues its monthly tally of hiring by nonfarm employers Friday. Economists predict that nonfarm U.S. employers added 205,000 jobs in April. That would be the fewest jobs added since November and a sharp decline from March, when the economy added 303,000 jobs and the unemployment rate dipped from 3.9% to 3.8%. Nonfarm payrolls, monthly change, seasonally adjusted: Nov. 182,000 Dec. 290,000 Jan. 256,000 Feb. 270,000 March 303,000 April (est.) 205,000 Source: FactSet