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Fresh quakes damage West Texas area with long history of tremors caused by oil and gas industry None - The U.S. Geological Survey says a series of earthquakes have been hitting West Texas and it’s highly likely they are being caused by oil and gas activity Damaging earthquakes that rocked West Texas in recent days were likely caused by oil and gas activity in an area that has weathered tremors for decades, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A sequence that began in 2021 erupted with its largest quake on Friday, a magnitude 5.1 in the most active area in the country for quakes induced by oil and gas activities, experts say. The recent quakes damaged homes, infrastructure, utility lines, and other property, weakening foundations and cracking walls and ceilings, officials said. No injuries have been reported, the city of Snyder Office of Emergency Management said on Facebook. Officials declared a disaster in Scurry County. “Safety is our top priority for all of our residents, and so we wanted to make sure we had all the available resources at our hands if we needed them,” said Jay Callaway, emergency management coordinator for the city of Snyder and Scurry County, of the disaster declaration. He added that despite resident concerns, a disaster declaration doesn't mean they were anticipating a “big one.” He said they continued to have small tremors on Monday. There have been more than 50 earthquakes with a magnitude of 3 or larger — the smallest quakes generally felt by people are magnitude 2.5 to 3 — in the yearslong sequence, said Robert Skoumal, a research geophysicist with the USGS, in an email. A sequence is generally a swarm of earthquakes in a particular region motivated by the same activities, he said. While Friday's was the largest in the sequence, officials have also recorded a recent 4.5, a 4.9 on July 23 and a 4.7 last year. A water line broke in the city of Snyder due to a quake last week, said Callaway, but it has been fixed. “This particular portion of the Permian Basin has a long history of earthquakes induced by oil and gas operations, going back to at least the 1970s,” said Skoumal. The Permian Basin, which stretches from southeastern New Mexico and covers most of West Texas, is a large basin known for its rich deposits of petroleum, natural gas and potassium and is composed of more than 7,000 fields in West Texas. It is the most active area of induced earthquakes in the country and likely the world, according to the USGS. The are many ways people can cause, or induce, earthquakes, but the vast majority of induced earthquakes in the Central United States are caused by oil and gas operations, Skoumal said. Earthquakes were first introduced to the area via water flooding, a process in which water is injected into the ground to increase production from oil reservoirs. Four other tremors larger than a magnitude 5 have rattled western Texas in the past few years. The biggest was a 5.4. “All four of these earthquakes were induced by wastewater disposal,” said Skoumal. Further analysis is needed to confirm the specific cause of the region’s earthquakes, but because the area isn’t naturally seismic and has a long history of induced earthquakes, “these recent earthquakes are likely to also have been induced by oil and gas operations,” said Skoumal. Oklahoma experienced a dramatic spike in the number of earthquakes in the early 2010s that researchers linked to wastewater from oil and gas extraction that was being injected deep into the ground, activating ancient faults deep within the earth’s crust. The wastewater is left over from oil and natural gas production and includes saltwater, drilling fluids and other mineralized water. The large increase in Oklahoma quakes more than a decade ago led state regulators to place restrictions on the disposal of wastewater, particularly in areas around the epicenter of quakes. Since then, the number of quakes began to decline dramatically. ___ AP writer Sean Murphy contributed from Oklahoma City. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
American flags should be born in the USA now, too, Congress says None - Congress has passed a proposal to require the federal government to purchase only flags that have been completely manufactured in the U.S. The U.S. imports millions of American flags from overseas, mostly from China American flags should be born in the USA now, too, Congress says Soon, Old Glory will have to be born in the land of the free and not merely flying over it. Congress has passed a proposal to require the federal government to purchase only American flags that have been completely manufactured in the U.S. The U.S. imports millions of American flags from overseas, mostly from China, and the sponsors of the proposal said it's time for American flags to originate in the country they represent. Supporters of the proposal, led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, said the change is more than just symbolic — they believe it will support American jobs and manufacturers while preserving the nation's most recognized banner. “The American flag serves as a symbol of our identity, resolve, and values as one people. To honor its significance, the federal government should only use flags entirely manufactured in the United States,” Collins said. Supporters of the proposal said Monday that they expect the measure to be signed into law soon. It was sent to President Joe Biden on Thursday. Federal rules currently require the government to buy flags that contain half U.S.-made materials, supporters of the proposal said. The rule change, called the “All American Flag Act,” requires government-purchased flags to be produced entirely with American-made materials as well as manufactured in the U.S. The value of U.S. flag imports in 2015 was well over $4 million, according to federal data. The vast majority of those imports came from China, supporters of the rule change said. In 2017, the U.S. imported some 10 million American flags, and 99.5% of them came from China, supporters of the proposal said. Those figures include all American flags imported into the country and not just those purchased by the federal government. Collins and Brown have been pushing for American flags to be manufactured in the U.S. for several years. Previous efforts to change the rules to require U.S.-made flags found success in the U.S. Senate but stalled when they reached the House of Representatives.
Blood test for colon cancer screening is approved by US regulators None - U.S. health regulators have approved a blood test for colon cancer, offering a new way of screening for a leading cause of cancer deaths WASHINGTON -- U.S. health regulators on Monday approved a first-of-its-kind blood test for colon cancer, offering a new way of screening for a leading cause of cancer deaths. Test manufacturer Guardant said the Food and Drug Administration approved its Shield test for screening in adults 45 and older who have an average risk of colon cancer. The test isn't a replacement for colonoscopies, but provides a noninvasive approach to screening. Doctors can already order Shield for patients as a laboratory test with an out-of-pocket price of $895. But FDA approval is expected to increase coverage by private and government insurance. The test looks for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells and precancerous growths. In a study published in March, the test caught 83% of the cancers but very few of the precancerous growths found by colonoscopy, the gold standard for colon cancer screening. The test missed 17% of cancers, performance that is on par with stool-based tests. Besides spotting tumors, colonoscopies can prevent the disease by removing precancerous growths called polyps. But some people avoid the exam because of the hassle of getting time off work or the day-ahead preparation that involves drinking a strong laxative to empty the bowels. In the U.S., screening is recommended for healthy adults ages 45 to 75 at average risk for colon cancer. Physicians will be able to run the Shield test after taking a simple blood draw, Guardant said in a statement. The company plans to launch its product “in the near future.” The annual rate of U.S. colon cancer screening is nearly 60%, well short of the 80% of age-eligible adults goal set by the American Cancer Society and other groups. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Chinese glass maker says it wasn't target of raid at US plant featured in Oscar-winning film None - A Chinese automotive glass maker says the company is not the target of a federal investigation that temporarily shut down production last week at its Ohio factory Chinese glass maker says it wasn't target of raid at US plant featured in Oscar-winning film MORAINE, Ohio -- A Chinese automotive glass maker says it was not the target of a federal investigation that temporarily shut down production last week at its Ohio plant, the subject of the Oscar-winning Netflix film “American Factory”. The investigation was focused on money laundering, potential human smuggling, labor exploitation and financial crimes, Homeland Security agent Jared Murphey said Friday. Fuyao Glass America said it was told by authorities that a third-party employment company was at the center of the criminal investigation, according to a filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Agents with the Department of Homeland Security, FBI and Internal Revenue Service, along with local authorities, carried out federal search warrants Friday at the Fuyao plant in Moraine and nearly 30 other locations in the Dayton area. “The company intends to cooperate fully with the investigation,” Lei Shi, Fuyao Glass America community relations manager, said in a statement to the Dayton Daily News. Messages seeking comment were left with the company on Monday. Production was stopped temporarily Friday, but operations resumed near the end of the day, the statement said. Fuyao took over a shuttered General Motors factory a decade ago and eventually hired more than 2,000 workers to make glass for the automotive industry. The company, which received millions in tax breaks and incentives from the state and local governments, has said the Ohio plant was the world’s largest auto glass production facility. In 2019, a production company backed by Barack and Michelle Obama released “American Factory.” The film, which won a 2020 Oscar for best feature-length documentary, looked at issues including the rights of workers, globalization and automation. Workers voted overwhelmingly against unionizing in 2017 after some employees complained about unsafe workplace conditions, arbitrary policies and unfair treatment on the job. Earlier that year, Fuyao agreed to pay a $100,000 penalty after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for alleged violations involving machine safety, electrical hazards and a lack of personal protective gear.
Insider Q&A: LinkedIn is bullish on AI. Will that help job seekers? None - Like many other tech companies, LinkedIn is all in on artificial intelligence systems that can create text, images and other media in response to queries Like many other technology companies, LinkedIn is all in on generative AI, the artificial intelligence systems that can create text, images and other media in response to queries. The professional networking platform last month rolled out new AI features to help users search for jobs, tailor their resumes and create personalized cover letters from scratch. Consumer-facing brands have shown more interest in LinkedIn, according to a May report by Emarketer, The market research firm credited the increased attention to new advertising formats and changes in user behavior on the Microsoft-owned platform. The Associated Press recently spoke with LinkedIn Chief Product Officer Tomer Cohen about generative AI, the job market, brand marketing and TikTok creators. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. A: We’re seeing a very competitive job market and a lot more applications coming from people year-over-year. It differs slightly between industries. But you see the demand for talent right now with AI. We’re seeing an increase in people looking at AI-specific roles, and companies investing in it. At the same time, we’re seeing about 50% of people wanting to change roles this year. So the inclination to look for new roles is still there and still strong. A: We’re seeing it across multiple industries, everything from tech to finance and fashion. As a whole, AI presents a profound shift in how we work and bring things to market. But we’re also seeing a gap right now in AI proficiency. When we talk to leaders, 80% of them – across industries – say they know it’s really important for them to adopt AI in their companies. But most of them don’t know how to do it. They lack the confidence, and the skill set, to actually bring it to the fold. As a result, you’re seeing people across all seniority levels really working hard to learn AI skills, and they are coming to LinkedIn to do that. We’re seeing a 160% increase in professionals learning these skills – and showcasing it on their profile. A: It's clear for everybody that AI presents a very big, profound shift. So it’s really about focusing on what customer or member value it can produce. For example, the idea that AI can start really focusing on tedious tasks that you do throughout the day and help you focus on what matters the most is 100% real. We basically relaunched our recruiter tool and are powering our direct-messaging features right now with AI to help recruiters write their messages. And we’re seeing a 40% increase in messages accepted. If you’re a recruiter, this is a game changer for you in how you do your job. In November, we launched a job seeker experience, just helping users understand their fit to a specific role. We saw great retention for that, and now we are launching an enhancement that can help people look across many jobs, not just one. We’re going to help you actually build a resume for those specific jobs when you apply and a cover letter. So we see that it's helping people progress, and it’s amazing. And we see business results from it, both for our customers but also us as a company. A: B2B marketing works really well on LinkedIn. Because when you think, usually you’re trying to reach multiple decision-makers. It’s more complex in terms of how you reach out to those members. It requires multiple touch points. And the sale can take everything from weeks to months, and sometimes years. When it comes to B2C (business-to-customer) sales, there are marketing campaigns that mimic B2B. You can be very successful on LinkedIn with B2B campaigns - but also B2C campaigns - when what you’re trying to promote and what you’re trying to sell requires a lot of consideration. A: One of the growing trends we’re seeing on LinkedIn is people coming in to look for views and news that matter to their professional career. And that includes more aspects of your life. People think about the ability to be more authentic at work and share their authentic selves on LinkedIn. You can think about it like the ideal workplace, where you can be open. That’s been a growing theme for us – everything from knowledge sharing, looking for expertise and bringing one’s full professional self to LinkedIn. As a result, we’re seeing top voices on topics from AI technology to sustainability to well-being experts coming to the platform to share. You’re seeing brands come to the platform and spend more time thinking about how they can cultivate and curate their audiences. And professionals finding the experts they want to learn from and having conversations with them. We're doing things to lean into it, like investing in video. We’re seeing a 45% increase in video creation on LinkedIn. C: Top voices on TikTok, YouTube or Instagram’s Reels see the opportunity on LinkedIn naturally. They ultimately come in, see how it’s working for others, and they can see they can find their audience here. When you realize as a creator, you can find your audience on multiple platforms, it’s really a great opportunity for you to expand your reach, which is usually what creators are seeking.
‘Creepy, authoritarian, weirdness’: How JD Vance has been unable to shake the weird label None - Tim Miller, former RNC Spokesperson, Cornell Belcher, Democratic Strategist, and Donny Deutsch, Host of the “On Brand” Podcast join Michael Steele in for Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss the Veep-stakes among Democrats and the Republican counterpart JD Vance being unable to shake the narrative Democrats have highlighted about him and his policies. July 30, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and Megan Thee Stallion set to headline rally in battleground Georgia None - Cornell Belcher, Democratic Strategist, and Donny Deutsch, Host of the “On Brand” Podcast join Michael Steele in for Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss Vice President Harris campaign focusing on swing states like Georgia speaking to how much this election has changed in the last month, with Georgia seemingly out of play for Democrats before VP Harris became the Democratic nominee. July 30, 2024
Trump campaign doing damage control over JD Vance's 'childless cat ladies' comments None - Former aide to President George W. Bush in the White House and State Department Elise Jordan sat down with progressive Wisconsin voters to get their thoughts on JD Vance. Former Rep. Donna Edwards and host of The Bulwark podcast Tim Miller also join Chris Jansing to react.July 30, 2024
BREAKING: At least 1 killed, several injured after IDF targets Hezbollah in Beirut None - BREAKING: At least 1 killed, several injured after IDF targets Hezbollah in Beirut At least one person was killed and several injured after the IDF targeted Hezbollah in a strike in Beirut. MSNBC foreign affairs analyst former Amb. Dennis Ross joins Chris Jansing to discuss.July 30, 2024
Simone Biles stellar on floor to secure team gold in Paris None - Simone Biles delivered big time on the floor to bring home the Olympic gold medal for Team USA. Now with eight Olympic medals, Biles is the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast in history. Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics on NBC and streaming on Peacock, July 26 - Aug 11.July 30, 2024
Team USA captures first ever medal in women's rugby None - Team USA captures first ever medal in women's rugby Team USA wins bronze in women's rugby sevens, the first medal ever for the American women and first USA medal in rugby since 1924.July 30, 2024
Entrepreneur who sought to merge celebrities, social media and crypto faces fraud charges None - NEW YORK -- A California entrepreneur who sought to merge the bitcoin culture with social media by letting people bet on the future reputation of celebrities and influencers has been arrested on a fraud charge. Nader Al-Naji, 32, was arrested in Los Angeles on Saturday on a wire fraud charge filed against him in New York, and civil claims were brought against him by federal regulatory authorities on Tuesday. He appeared in federal court on Monday in Los Angeles and was released on bail. Authorities said Al-Naji lied to investors who poured hundreds of millions of dollars into his BitClout venture. They say he promised the money would only be spent on the business but instead steered millions of dollars to himself, his family and some of his company’s workers. A lawyer for Al-Naji did not respond to an email seeking comment. The Securities and Exchange Commission said in a civil complaint filed in Manhattan federal court that Al-Naji began designing BitClout in 2019 as a social media platform with an interface that promised to be a “new type of social network that mixes speculation and social media.” The BitClout platform invited investors to monetize their social media profile and to invest in the profiles of others through “Creator Coins” whose value was “tied to the reputation of an individual” or their “standing in society,” the commission said. It said each platform user was able to generate a coin by creating a profile while BitClout preloaded profiles for the “top 15,000 influencers from Twitter” onto the platform and had coins “minted” or created for them. If any of the designated influencers joined the platform and claimed their profiles, they could receive a percentage of the coins associated with their profiles, the SEC said. In promotional materials, BitClout said its coins were “a new type of asset class that is tied to the reputation of an individual, rather than to a company or commodity,” the regulator said. “Thus, people who believe in someone's potential can buy their coin and succeed with them financially when that person realizes their potential,” BitClout said in its promotional materials, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. From late 2020 through March 2021, Al-Naji solicited investments to fund BitClout's development from venture capital funds and other prominent investors in the crypto-asset community, the commission said. It said he told prospective investors that BitClout was a decentralized project with “no company behind it … just coins and code” and adopted the pseudonym “Diamondhands” to hide his leadership and control of the operation. The Securities and Exchange Commission said he told one prospective investor: “My impression is that even being ‘fake’ decentralized generally confuses regulators and deters them from going after you.” In all, BitClout generated $257 million for its treasury wallet from investors without registering, as required, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency said. Meanwhile, it said, BitClout spent “significant sums of investor funds on expenses that were entirely unrelated to the development of the BitClout platform” even though it had promised investors that would not happen. The Securities and Exchange Commission said Al-Naji used investor funds to pay his own living expenses, including renting a six-bedroom Beverly Hills mansion, and he gave extravagant gifts of cash of at least $1 million each to his wife and his mother, along with funding personal investments in other crypto asset projects. It said Al-Naji also transferred investor funds to BitClout developers, programmers, and promoters, contrary to his public statements that he wouldn't use investor proceeds to compensate himself or members of BitClout’s development team.
Pennsylvania casinos ask court to force state to tax skill games found in stores equally to slots None - The owners of twelve Pennsylvania casinos are asking the state’s highest court to declare that a tax on slot machine revenue is unconstitutional because the state doesn’t impose it broadly on cash-paying electronic game terminals known as skill games t... Pennsylvania casinos ask court to force state to tax skill games found in stores equally to slots HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The owners of twelve Pennsylvania casinos have asked the state's highest court to declare that a tax on slot machine revenue is unconstitutional because the state doesn't impose it broadly on cash-paying electronic game terminals known as skill games that can be found in many bars and stores. The lawsuit, filed Monday, could endanger more than $1 billion in annual tax revenue that goes toward property tax rebates and economic development projects. The state's collection of the roughly 54% tax on casinos' revenue from slot machines, but not on revenue from skill game terminals, violates constitutional guarantees designed to ensure that taxation is fair, the casino owners contend. “There is no basis for requiring licensed entities to pay about half of their slot machine revenue to the Commonwealth while allowing unlicensed entities to pay no tax on such revenue,” they argue in the lawsuit. The lawsuit asks the court to force the state to apply the same tax rate to skill games or to bar it from collecting taxes on slot machines. The casinos' owners include dozens of principals, as well as major casino companies such as Caesars Entertainment Inc. and Penn Entertainment Inc. The state Department of Revenue declined comment on the lawsuit. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said it had just learned of lawsuit and was evaluating it. Pennsylvania brings in more tax revenue from casinos than any other state, according to American Gaming Association figures. The fate of the lawsuit, filed by the owners of 12 of the state's 17 licensed and operating casinos, is likely tied to the outcome of a separate lawsuit that the state Supreme Court is considering. That case — between the state attorney general's office and Pace-O-Matic Inc., a maker of skill games — could decide whether the skill games that have become commonplace in nonprofit clubs, convenience stores, bars and elsewhere are unlicensed gambling machines and, as a result, must be shut down. A lower court found that the Pace-O-Matic games are based on a player’s ability and not solely on chance, like slot machines and other traditional gambling games that are regulated by the state. For years, the state has maintained that the devices are unlicensed gambling machines that are operating illegally and subject to seizure by police. Machine makers, distributors and retailers contend that they are legal, if unregulated, games that are not subject to state gambling control laws. Lawmakers have long discussed regulating and taxing the devices, but any agreement has been elusive. It's unclear exactly how many skill game terminals there are in Pennsylvania, but the American Gaming Association estimates there are at least 67,000, which would be more than any other state. Casinos operate roughly 25,000 regulated slot machines on which gamblers wagered almost $32 billion last year and lost just over $2.4 billion. The state and casinos effectively split that amount. ___ Follow Marc Levy at www.twitter.com/timelywriter.
NYC's latest crackdown on illegal weed shops is finally shutting them down None - Thousands of illegal marijuana shops have flourished in New York under lax enforcement, but new rules are allowing officials to quickly padlock doors NEW YORK -- Thousands of marijuana shops boldly opened without a license in New York City after the state legalized recreational use of the drug, but after more than a year of lax enforcement, new state rules are finally allowing officials to padlock their doors. New York City's sheriff’s office says it has shuttered around 700 illegal stores since new state regulations passed in April. The unsanctioned shops had become ubiquitous across the Big Apple, when the city’s power to step in had been limited and the legal market was mired in red tape. Officials had estimated there were some 2,900 unlicensed vendors throughout New York City — compared to around 60 licensed dispensaries currently operating. But cannabis industry licensees say the sheriff is starting to bring order. Enforcement used to be “kind of a joke, and now it's not," said Sasha Nutgent, retail director of Manhattan’s Housing Works Cannabis Co., which rang up the state's first legal marijuana sale in December 2022. Around 100 shops have successfully defended themselves against the fines since April, sometimes by citing faulty paperwork or the sheriff’s lack of evidence, according to analyses of city administrative hearing data by The Associated Press and the City Council's investigative arm. But some of those businesses still closed anyway. When New York first legalized marijuana in 2021, the regulations initially didn’t give local law enforcement agencies much power to punish unlicensed sellers, assigning that to the nascent state Office of Cannabis Management. Officials stressed that they didn’t want to “recriminalize” the drug as they tried to make up for decades of prosecutions. Meanwhile, strict eligibility requirements on who could receive a license to open a dispensary, bureaucratic delaysand lawsuits slowed the launch of legal stores. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, declared the rollout a “disaster.” New York still has only 150 dispensaries statewide. By comparison, California has around 1,200, though the state has also struggled to shut down illegal shops. New York City and state officials have promised tough enforcement in the past. Last year, lawmakers expanded the state's powers for inspections, seizures and fines , which it then used to close some stores, while Manhattan's district attorney sent hundreds of sternly-worded letters to landlords. But most of the stores persisted, ignoring the threat of eviction or financial fines, and were able to continue operating as lengthy appeals played out. While Housing Works has reported $24 million in sales in its first year, Nutgent said some licensed stores have struggled because of the illicit competitors. They don’t pay the additional taxes that helped legalization become palatable to legislators, and often flout state restrictions on advertising and promotions. But since the new enforcement powers came in, business at licensed dispensary The Cannabis Place in Queens has increased by around 35% “because the customers in the area didn’t have anywhere else to go," said manager Tamer Eltabib. The powers, passed in the state budget, gave local authorities the ability to padlock stores while administrative hearings play out. Because the sheriff's office can inspect businesses without a court order, it's able to quickly raid retail stores and seize products. A lawsuit was filed in federal court arguing the practice denies stores due process, but has not won any favorable ruling that would stop it. The law firm representing some two dozen shuttered stores in the lawsuit declined to comment. The sheriff’s office says it has also issued violations amounting to more than $57 million since April, though it’s unclear how much of that sum has been collected. The sheriff’s office declined to comment, referring questions to City Hall, which said 15 teams of deputies and NYPD officers are being sent out daily. “If you are operating an illegal cannabis business, our administration is sending a clear message: You will be shut down,” the office of Democrat Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. City Council Member Gale Brewer, a Democrat who strove for two years to shutter an unlicensed weed shop across the street from her office on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, says the latest effort is finally helping to nip the problem in the, well, bud. “There’s no question about it,” she said.
Probe clears Greek government agencies in spyware scandal but opposition calls it a cover-up None - Officials in Greece say an investigation has cleared the country's security agencies of involvement in an international spyware scandal that triggered U.S. sanctions earlier this year ATHENS, Greece -- A two-year investigation in Greece has cleared the country’s security agencies of involvement in an international spyware scandal that triggered sanctions by the United States earlier this year, a senior prosecutor said Tuesday. Supreme Court prosecutor Georgia Adilini said she found no evidence linking Greece’s National Intelligence Service, the police force or its anti-terrorism division to the use of Predator spyware, which opposition groups alleged was used against some government critics. The spyware targeted dozens of prominent individuals in Greece including Nikos Androulakis, the current leader of a Socialist party, the third largest in parliament. The investigation's findings drew an angry reaction from left-wing and center-left opposition parties in Greece which accused the ruling conservatives of engineering a cover-up. Speaking in parliament, Androulakis called the investigation a “sham” and demanded that lawmakers be shown full conclusions of the probe, detailed in a 300-page report that has not been made public. “It’s a shameful practice to sell this type of software to illiberal regimes, knowing that they are most likely to be used against human rights (activists), against political opponents, and endangering the lives of thousands of people in third world countries,” Androulakis said. In March, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions against two individuals and companies based in Greece, Ireland, Hungary and North Macedonia, all connected to software developers called the Intellexa consortium. The sanctions announcement said they were linked to the spyware that was being sold to authoritarian regimes around the world and being used to target U.S. citizens. The government said its opponents had baselessly conflated the use of spyware with legally authorized wiretaps carried out by Greece’s National Intelligence Service. “Your political narrative was not served by the facts. What should we do?,” Makis Voridis, a minister of state for the government, told parliament. “While you were hurling slander, lies, and falsehoods at us – with nothing based on facts or the law – we were waiting for justice. And today, that day arrived.” U.S. authorities say Predator spyware can infect electronic devices through so-called “zero-click attacks,” requiring no user interaction. Once infected, it enables secret data extraction, geolocation tracking, and access to applications and personal information. Amnesty International’s Security Lab in October last year published a report that said that Predator had been used to target but not necessarily infect devices connected to the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen, as well as Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. The alleged use of Predator spyware in Greece helped precipitate the resignation in 2022 of two top government officials, including the national intelligence director. Greek lawmakers in late 2022, passed legislation to ban the use, sale or distribution of the spyware, with violations carrying a penalty of a two-year minimum prison sentence.
To cut costs and keep vehicle prices down, Stellantis makes buyout offers to US white-collar workers None - Jeep and Ram maker Stellantis says it will offer buyout packages to many of its U.S. white-collar workers just five days after the company’s CEO said the auto industry is in the middle of a significant storm To cut costs and keep vehicle prices down, Stellantis makes buyout offers to US white-collar workers DETROIT -- Jeep and Ram maker Stellantis says it will offer buyout packages to many of its U.S. white-collar workers just five days after the company's CEO said the auto industry is in the middle of a significant storm. The company told salaried workers that eligible employees will get individual offers in mid-August. The offers will be limited to certain job functions that Stellantis not identify. It also wouldn't say by how much it wants to cut the salaried workforce. The company has about 11,000 salaried workers in the U.S. It wasn't clear whether similar offers would be made in other countries. In a statement Tuesday, Stellantis said it faces inflationary pressures at the same time as it tries to make affordable vehicles for its customers. “We remain focused on taking the necessary actions to reduce our costs to protect the long-term sustainability of the company,” the statement said. The company said in an email to employees that it will provide severance pay based on years of service, as well as cash lump sum payments to help cover health care costs. It also will provide job placement services, the email said. “We must continue to adapt by streamlining operations and finding efficiencies that will enhance our competitiveness to ensure our future sustainability and growth,” the email said. After a disappointing first-half earnings report on Thursday, CEO Carlos Tavares said the industry is going to be in turmoil. Net profits were down 48% compared with the same period last year. Tavares also told reporters last week that the global auto industry is caught between consumers looking for more affordable vehicles and demands for more capital spending to develop new electric and gas-powered vehicles. In North America, Tavares said Stellantis let inventory get too high, and plans to fix that in the first half didn’t work. Sticker prices, he said, are too lofty and often send customers fleeing from showrooms early in the shopping process even though discounts are available. In March the company said it would lay off 400 white-collar workers in the U.S. as it deals with the transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles. In November of 2023 the company formed in the 2021 merger between PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler made buyout and early retirement offers to 6,400 nonunion salaried workers. It has not said how many took the offers.
Lawsuit says Norfolk Southern's freight trains cause chronic delays for Amtrak None - The federal government alleges in a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern that the railroad has been causing chronic delays for Amtrak between New York and New Orleans by forcing the passenger trains to wait while its massive freight trains pass Norfolk Southern railroad has been causing chronic delays for Amtrak between New York and New Orleans by forcing the passenger trains to wait while its massive freight trains pass, the federal government said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The Justice Department took the unusual step of filing a lawsuit because it says Norfolk Southern is consistently violating the federal law that requires Amtrak's trains to get priority when they cross a freight railroad's tracks. Amtrak relies on tracks owned by one of the six major freight railroads across most of the country. “Americans should not experience travel delays because rail carriers break the law,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. Norfolk Southern spokesman Tom Crosson said the railroad is committed to complying with the law requiring passenger trains to get priority and helping expand passenger rail. “Over the past several months with Amtrak, we have focused on the on-time performance of the Crescent passenger train,” Crosson said. “We hope to resolve these concerns and continue to make progress together.” Only 24% of Amtrak's southbound trains running on Norfolk Southern's network reached their destinations on time last year, forcing most of the 266,000 passengers traveling the Crescent Route between New York and New Orleans to deal with delays, according to the lawsuit. In one instance, an Amtrak train just 10 miles outside New Orleans was delayed for nearly an hour because Norfolk Southern forced it to travel behind a slow-moving freight train. In another, the railroad's dispatchers made an Amtrak train wait for three freight trains to pass. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said this lawsuit will help ensure that passengers arrive at their destinations on time. “We appreciate that the U.S. Department of Justice is taking steps to enforce in federal court the long-standing federal law requiring that intercity passenger trains receive preference over freight traffic when we operate over shared rail lines,” Gardner said in a statement. Often, there is no way for an Amtrak train to pass one of Norfolk Southern's trains because the railroad is running longer and longer freight trains that won't fit on one of its sidings along the main line. All the major freight railroads now regularly run trains that stretch more than 2 miles long. “For half a century, federal law has required freight rail companies to give Amtrak passenger rail service preference on their tracks — yet compliance with this important law has been uneven at best,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. Norfolk Southern is one of the nation's biggest freight railroads based in Atlanta that operates trains all across the eastern United States.
Ebike entrepreneur Valeria Labi: ‘If I see a problem and I think it can be solved, I follow that thread’ None - Valerie Labi, co-founder and chief executive of Wahu Mobility, enjoys a challenge. “If I see a problem and I think it can be solved, I follow that thread,” she says. The latest problem for Labi, whose company has produced Ghana’s first electric bicycle, is trying to persuade the country’s delivery riders to swap their ageing petrol motorcycles for herWahu ebikes. The idea for Wahu, which means “horse” in the Dagbani language of northern Ghana, came to her when she moved to the region’s capital, Tamale, in 2015, and heard neighbours complain about how expensive and unreliable transport was. Looking at ways to overcome this, Labi began buying secondhand push bikes during the pandemic in 2020 and turning them into ebikes by adding conversion kits bought from Amazon. Four years later, the company has now designed and developed its own licensed ebike and technology platform for delivery riders, opened an assembly plant in Ghana’s capital, Accra, and is about to close on an $8m investment round. Lots of businesses are going to need last-mile mobility – do we really want them to be 14-year-old petrol vehicles? There are now 300 delivery riders using Wahu ebikes in Accra, as the company looks to take advantage of Africa’s growing “last mile delivery” market – the final link in the supply chain to customers – a sector that is set to be worth $2.3bn by 2030. A further 2,000 users are expected to join within the next year. Labi has plans to eventually produce 50,000 Wahu ebikes a year and to introduce them across Africa, making huge carbon reductions in the process. “The average age of a vehicle in Ghana is 14 years,” she says. “We know there are going to be a lot of Amazon-type businesses needing last-mile mobility – do we really want them to be 14-year-old petrol vehicles?” The serene surroundings of the Landmark hotel in London’s Marylebone are a far cry from the hectic roads of central Accra. But Labi, who is in the UK as part of a trade mission to promote investment in Ghana’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) sector, talks enthusiastically about how the Wahu model works. Riders buy the bikes under a payment plan of between 18 and 24 months, working out at up to $25 a week. Once on board, they are automatically put on Wahu’s fleet platform, which has partnerships with companies such as Bolt, so they have a consistent pipeline of work. Wahu ebikes are also cheap to run, costing just $13.60 a month to power, compared with $250 for a petrol vehicle. Alongside the physical ebikes, Wahu has also developed a technology platform. This not only tracks the bikes – no Wahu has been stolen yet – but measures carbon savings from journeys, which can then be packaged and turned into carbon credits. Its app also gives riders a safety score, with Wahu able to remotely shut down a bike if a user is deemed to be riding too dangerously. Some may see this level of monitoring and control as an overreach by the company, but Labi says the data is essential to making the product affordable. “It comes back to risk – things in our [Ghanaian] market are expensive because there’s no data,” she says. “Giving digital footprints opens people up to more affordable rates. That is why we can offer cheaper insurance – that is why we can offer them payment plans.” Labi was born and brought up in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, by Ghanaian parents who came to the UK for work in the 1970s. However, despite having lived for most of the past 15 years in Ghana, she didn’t visit the country until she was 14. “You only really got sent to Ghana if you were badly behaved,” she jokes. There was little chance of this happening to Labi. Head girl at Queenswood school in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, she then studied economics at Southampton University, where she began an internship at accounting firm EY and was subsequently hired. She initially envisioned a career in finance for herself, until the global crash of 2008. During this period, she saw colleagues who had invested huge amounts in shares in failed banks lose everything. It proved a defining moment for her. Disillusioned, she visited Ghana for Christmas in 2008 and didn’t return to the UK for another six years. Labi, who describes herself as a serial impact entrepreneur, has since headed several social enterprises across Ghana, enterprises that tackled some of the country’s biggest challenges. This includes a period at Global Mamas, an organisation that provided financial training and business support for more than 300 female-led SMEs in the country. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Observed Free weekly newsletter Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers Enter your email address Sign up Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion She also founded Sama Sama, a Tamale-based sanitisation social enterprise providing low-income families the opportunity to buy toilets on an affordable payment plan. It operates across eight regions in Ghana and has served more than 100,000 people. Meanwhile, running Wahu Mobility, which she officially launched in 2022 alongside co-founder Toni Heigl, has not come without its own difficulties, which included being heavily pregnant during her initial talks with investors. Labi, who has three children, says that trying to raise funds while expecting was a challenge and made her question whether people would invest. However, she believes the Ghanaian culture is a lot more conducive to helping mothers succeed in business, with family and extended family often willing to look after children. “If you look at those leading Ghana’s banks, or those heading telecoms companies, many are women who have children,” she adds. Wahu is about to complete on the $8m it has targeted for its first round of funding, with the money to be channelled into delivering more of the bikes at its assembly plant, which opened in February. After a series of prototypes, the company has landed on a bike with front and back suspension so it can withstand Ghana’s potholes, as well as a thumb throttle to ensure quick acceleration at its busy junctions – something Labi says is essential in the country. It also includes two batteries with a combined range of 87 miles (140km) that can be recharged at home and do not require expensive charging infrastructure. Labi believes that this vehicle design, made with African conditions in mind, could set it apart from the cheaper ebikes being imported into the continent, and prove popular with delivery riders in other African countries. Wahu has already begun trialling ebikes in Lomé, the capital of neighbouring Togo, and is also targeting Zambia, Senegal, Morocco and Nigeria. It similarly has sights on becoming the first company to develop Ghana’s first four-wheel electric vehicle, with the business set to unveil its first four-wheeler for Africa in the coming months. But whether two-wheelers or four-wheelers, it is clear that Labi thinks the model works, and the benefits for Africa’s environment and economy could be huge too. Problem-solver Labi wants to be front and centre of the solution. “Our strategy is to become the sustainable fleet of Africa,” she says. CV Age 38 Family Husband and three children, aged 9, 4 and 2 Education University of Southampton BSc in Economics, Masters in Sustainability Leadership at Cambridge University Pay Seeing my riders make money and go green Last holiday Zambia, Angels Pool and Victoria Falls Best advice she’s been given “Grow and Be Yourself” Biggest career mistake Balancing bikes and babies ….the journey of building a start up through pandemics and pregnancies is not for the faint hearted. Phrase she overuses Can I get a Wahu?! How she relaxes: Laughing and chilling with family
OneBlood issues urgent call to blood donors after cyber attack None - A blood donation service that partners with more than 300 hospitals in the southeast has suffered a ransomware attack that significantly reduced its capacity, according to a news release. OneBlood, a nonprofit blood center, said it is working with cybersecurity specialists, along with federal, state and local law enforcement, to respond to a "ransomware event" impacting its software system. "OneBlood takes the security of our network extremely seriously. Our team reacted quickly to assess our systems and began an investigation to confirm the full nature and scope of the event," said Susan Forbes, OneBlood senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations. "Our comprehensive response efforts are ongoing and we are working diligently to restore full functionality to our systems as expeditiously as possible." EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DONATING BLOOD DURING RED CROSS MONTH The nonprofit said its centers remain operational and continue to collect, test and distribute blood to hospitals, but at a significantly reduced capacity. "We have implemented manual processes and procedures to remain operational. Manual processes take significantly longer to perform and impacts inventory availability," said Forbes. "In an effort to further manage the blood supply, we have asked the more than 250 hospitals we serve to activate their critical blood shortage protocols and to remain in that status for the time being." YOUNG GIRL SURVIVES CANCER THANKS TO LITTLE SISTER'S LIFESAVING DONATION: ‘A PERFECT MATCH’ The ransomware attack has created an urgent need for blood donations at OneBlood's operational centers, the nonprofit shared in a call to action. The group said all blood types are needed, but specifically requested O positive, O negative and platelet donations. Blood centers across the country are also donating blood and platelets to OneBlood, and the AABB Disaster Task Force is coordinating national resources to assist with additional blood products being sent to OneBlood, according to the news release. BLOOD CANCER AWARENESS: COMMON TYPES, SIGNS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS "The blood supply cannot be taken for granted. The situation we are dealing with is ongoing. If you are eligible to donate, we urge you to please make an appointment to donate as soon as possible," said Forbes. OneBlood provides safe, available and affordable blood to 355 hospitals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, according to its website. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The nonprofit operates more than 90 donor centers and its fleet of 250 Big Red Bus bloodmobiles are a familiar sight at blood drives throughout the southeastern United States. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER Founded in 2012 when three independent Florida blood centers merged, OneBlood has grown to become the second-largest blood center in the United States. The nonprofit distributes more than 1 million blood products to hospitals annually.
‘Offensive, Ignorant, and Graceless’: Nicolle Wallace on Donald Trump’s embarrassing NABJ Interview None - Rev. Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network, Claire McCaskill, former Senator from Missouri and Yamiche Alcindor NBC News Correspondent, who was at the conference join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to the disastrous interview by Donald Trump at the National Association of Black Journalist Conference which has been widely panned, with the ex-President questioning Vice President Kamala Harris race. July 31, 2024