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The logo of Google is seen on a building at La Defense business and financial district in Courbevoie near Paris, France, September 1, 2020. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - Alphabet unit Google (GOOGL.O), Facebook , Twitter (TWTR.N) and other tech companies will have to take measures to counter deepfakes and fake accounts on their platforms or risk hefty fines under an updated EU code of practice, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.The European Commission will publish the updated code of practice on disinformation on Thursday as part of its crackdown against fake news, the people said.Introduced in 2018, the voluntary code will now become a co-regulation scheme, with responsibility shared between the regulators and the signatories to the code.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe updated code will spell out more examples of manipulative behaviour such as deepfakes and fake accounts which the signatories will have to tackle, the people said.Deepfakes are hyperrealistic forgeries created by computer techniques that have triggered alarm worldwide in particular when they are used in a political context.The code will also be linked to tough new EU rules known as the Digital Services Act agreed by the 27-country European Union earlier this year which has a section on combating disinformation.In effect, it means companies which fail to live up to their obligations under the code can face fines of as much as 6% of their global turnover, the people said."From Brexit to the Russian war on Ukraine, over the past years, well-known social networks have allowed disinformation and destabilisation strategies to spread without restraint – even making money out of it. Disinformation cannot remain a source of revenue," EU industry chief Thierry Breton, who is leading the EU's crackdown on disinformation, told Reuters in a statement."The best antidote is to cut off its funding in a clear-cut manner. Platforms should no longer receive a single euro from spreading disinformation. Demonetisation is a cornerstone of the code of practice against disinformation," he said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Jan Harvey and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

EXCLUSIVE Google, Facebook, Twitter will have to tackle deepfakes or risk EU fines - sources.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13(Reuters) - Top advisers to then-President Donald Trump told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were unfounded and would not reverse his election loss, but he refused to listen, according to testimony on Monday at a hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.Officials working on Trump's campaign and in his administration said they told Trump that they found no merit in a wide range of allegations that surfaced after his November election defeat, including reports of a "suspicious suitcase" containing fake ballots, a truck transporting ballots to Pennsylvania, computer chips swapped into voting machines and rampant fraudulent voting in Arizona."I thought, boy, if he really believes this stuff he has lost contact with, he's become detached from reality," said William Barr, who served as Trump's attorney general and was long known as loyal to the Republican president. In video testimony, Barr bluntly dismissed claims of fraud as "bullshit" and "crazy stuff."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"There was never an indication of interest in what the actual facts were," he said.The Democratic-led House of Representatives Select Committee investigating the assault on the U.S. Capitol by thousands of Trump supporters presented its findings at a second public hearing this month on its nearly year-long investigation into the riot.Monday's hearing sought to make the case that Trump ignored the advice of many of his own staffers when he claimed that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him and encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol."He and his closest advisors knew those claims were false, but they continued to peddle them anyway, right up until the moments before a mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol," Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren said.Trump has denied wrongdoing, and repeatedly insisted that he did not lose, dismissing the Select Committee investigation as a political witchhunt.Opinion polls show that many of Trump's supporters still believe his false claims about the election. Some are now running for offices in which they would oversee future elections. Trump has hinted at running for president again in 2024 but has not announced any decision.CAMPAIGN 'DID NOT MAKE ITS CASE'Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally to boost Ohio Republican candidates ahead of their May 3 primary election, at the county fairgrounds in Delaware, Ohio, U.S. April 23, 2022. REUTERS/Gaelen Morse/File PhotoBill Stepien, Trump's campaign manager, said he recommended on election night that Trump steer clear of any pronouncement of victory and instead say votes were still being counted. But Trump went on television to preemptively declare victory.Matthew Morgan, chief lawyer for Trump's campaign, said in video testimony that any claims of fraud would not change the outcome of the election.Byung J. "BJay" Pak, who resigned as U.S. attorney in Atlanta as Trump's camp questioned Georgia's election results, said he found no evidence of fraud in that state.Referring to the suspicious suitcase that supposedly contained fake or altered ballots, Pak said, sitting at the witness table: "The alleged black suitcase being pulled from under the table was an official lock box."Al Schmidt, the only Republican on Philadelphia's elections board who became a target of attacks after he defended the integrity of the 2020 vote, also appeared and dismissed allegations about his state."Not only was there not evidence of 8,000 dead voters voting in Pennsylvania -- there wasn't evidence of eight," he said.Georgia and Pennsylvania were among states that backed Trump in the 2016 election, but went for Biden in 2020. They have been a focus of the unfounded assertions of election fraud.Ben Ginsberg, a prominent Republican election lawyer, said he had looked into practices in 180 counties and found no instance of credible election fraud. "The Trump campaign did not make its case," he said.Monday's session followed a blockbuster hearing on Thursday night featuring testimony showing that close Trump allies - even Trump's daughter Ivanka - rejected his false claims of voting fraud. read more Nearly 20 million Americans watched the unusual hearing aired in the primetime peak television viewing hours.Four people died the day of the attack, one fatally shot by police and the others of natural causes. Some 140 police officers were injured, and one died the next day. Four officers later died by suicide.Nearly 850 people have been arrested for crimes related to the riot, including more than 250 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Patricia Zengerle, Richard Cowan and Doina Chiacu, additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump aides tell Jan. 6 committee he ignored their doubts about election fraud.

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine stands on stage with one of his grandchildren after making a late pitch to supporters during a campaign event at the Boat House at Confluence Park on November 2, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio.Kirk Irwin | Getty ImagesOhio Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that he has signed a bill into law that makes it much easier for teachers to legally carry guns in schools.The measure drastically reduces the amount of training teachers and other staff are required to undergo before they can possess a firearm on school grounds. Instead of 700 hours of training, teachers will be able to finish in less than 24 hours."Our goal is to continue to help our public and private schools get the tools they need to protect our children," DeWine said. "We have an obligation to do everything we can every single day to try and protect our kids."DeWine, a Republican, said in a statement on June 1 that the bill would allow "local school districts, if they so chose, to designate armed staff for school security and safety," adding that it was more practical than the state's previous standard."My office worked with the General Assembly to remove hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety and to ensure training requirements were specific to a school environment and contained significant scenario-based training," he said.The new law, which comes just weeks after the massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, calls for eight hours of prequalification training every year, as well as training on stopping an active shooter, de-escalation techniques and first aid care.The measure was opposed by teachers' unions, the state's Fraternal Order of Police and gun safety groups."The safety of Ohio's students and educators is our utmost priority, but we know putting more guns into school buildings in the hands of people who have woefully inadequate training — regardless of their intentions — is dangerous and irresponsible," Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, and Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said in a joint statement June 3.Former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee trying to unseat DeWine, said the new law makes "our communities less safe" and predicted "voters will remember his callousness in November and vote him out of office."The bill's sponsor, state GOP Rep. Thomas Hall, has said response challenges in Ohio's rural areas was one of the reasons he believed the law was necessary."I use the example of rural schools versus urban schools. Urban schools, they have school resource officers, they have a police force that can be there within 2 minutes, 3 minutes. Some of these schools are not as fortunate," he said.A 2020 Rand Corp. study found at least 28 states, including Texas, allow teachers or school staff to be armed in the classroom under varying conditions.

Ohio governor signs bill making it easier for teachers to have guns in schools.

A Starship prototype stands on the company's launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas on March 16, 2022.SpaceXThe Federal Aviation Administration on Monday concluded a long-awaited assessment of SpaceX's Starship rocket program in Texas, clearing Elon Musk's company to move forward with its plans — with some adjustments to protect the environment.The decision means SpaceX can next request a license from the regulator to conduct further Starship flight tests and begin operational launches from its private facility, provided it makes changes to the Starship program in Texas to limit environmental harm.SpaceX is developing its nearly 400-foot-tall, reusable Starship rocket with the goal of carrying cargo and groups of people beyond Earth. The rocket and its Super Heavy booster are powered by SpaceX's Raptor series of engines.The FAA began a review of the program in November 2020 after the company began to build up its infrastructure and operations on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, near the city of Brownsville, Texas.The agency delayed its final assessment five times over the past six months as it reviewed input on the program. Its ruling Monday of a Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact is a partial win for SpaceX, saving the company from a more lengthy review of its operations, known as an Environmental Impact Statement.As part of the FAA's review, a report this year from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service obtained by CNBC found a correlation between SpaceX activity in the area and recent declines in the local population of the piping plover, an endangered bird species. However, the FWS suggested minimal spending or conservation commitments from SpaceX.SpaceX has completed multiple high-altitude flight tests with Starship prototypes, but its has yet to reach space following development and regulatory delays. In February, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gave a presentation on Starship at the company's Starbase facility in Texas, outlining the path forward and obstacles for the rocket's testing.

FAA requires SpaceX to make environmental adjustments to move forward with its Starship program in Texas.

An employee walks at a gas field in Lyvenske, 420 km (261 miles) east of Kiev, December 23, 2008. REUTERS/Konstantin Chernichkin (UKRAINE)/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comKYIV, June 13 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian government has approved moves to suspend exports of Ukrainian gas, coal and fuel oil because of Russia's invasion.A government resolution published on Monday included coal, fuel oil and domestically produced gas in a list of commodities whose export is prohibited at a time of war. It said this was connected to "the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the imposition of martial law in Ukraine."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Max Hunder and Nataia Zinets, Editing by Timothy HeritageOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Kyiv suspends exports of Ukrainian gas, coal and fuel oil.

Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr is seen on video during his deposition for the public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 9, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstJonathan Ernst | ReutersFormer Attorney General William Barr picked apart claims of widespread fraud during his conversations with President Donald Trump after the 2020 election, but Trump refused to believe that the results were legitimate, Barr said in recorded testimony presented Monday.In comments to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Barr portrayed Trump's election fraud claims as farcical. Barr's testimony, shown at the panel's second public hearing detailing the findings of its probe, portrayed Trump as unwilling to believe his then-attorney general when he dismissed false claims about the election results."After the election, he didn't seem to be listening," Barr said in describing his interactions with Trump following the former president's loss to President Joe Biden.Barr publicly stated there was no widespread election fraud in an interview published in the Associated Press in December 2020. He resigned from his job that same month.Barr said during his committee testimony that Trump's false claims about the election contributed to his decision to leave the administration.House investigators showed Barr's testimony as they detailed the efforts by Trump and his allies to spread the unfounded fraud claims after the 2020 election. A mob of Trump supporters who believed the election was stolen stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, forcing lawmakers to flee as they confirmed Biden's Electoral College victory.Since leaving office, Trump has continued to falsely claim that the election was rigged and stolen from him. He has not ruled out running for president in 2024.Barr met with the president in the White House in late November 2020 after the election, the former attorney general said. Trump said at that meeting there has been "major fraud' and "as soon as the facts were out, the results of the election would be reversed." Then, Barr said, Trump claimed the Department of Justice doesn't think it has a role in investigating the fraud claims.Barr said he defended the DOJ's neutrality at the meeting, noting to Trump that the DOJ "doesn't take sides in elections" and that the "department isn't an extension of your legal team."Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner and the president's then-chief of staff Mark Meadows spoke with Barr after that gathering. The two suggested to Barr that they were convinced Trump was coming around to the idea that the election was lost, according to the former attorney general.Yet, days later, Trump went on Fox News and ripped the Department of Justice, suggesting more unproven cases of election fraud."I was somewhat demoralized, because I thought, boy, if he really believes this stuff, he has lost contact with — he's become detached from reality if he really believes this stuff," Barr explained in describing Trump's continued stance on the election.After Barr's comments to the AP, Trump met with his attorney general at the White House again and repeated his false claims of election fraud.It was there, according to Barr, that the attorney general told the president that the "claims of fraud were bulls---." Barr reiterated that they "wasted a whole month on the Dominion voting machines and they were idiotic claims."— CNBC's Kevin Breuninger contributed to this story

Former Attorney General Bill Barr says Trump would not listen when he told him election fraud claims were false.

The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comCompaniesWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW.N) will pay $187 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges accusing three investment adviser subsidiaries of failing to disclose less profitable fund allocations and misleading robo-adviser clients, the agency said on Monday.The SEC, the federal agency that regulates Wall Street, called Schwab's conduct egregious. The SEC has stepped up scrutiny of brokerages' use of robo-advisers and misleading disclosures to investors about returns."In entering the settlement, Schwab neither admits nor denies the allegations in the SEC's order. We believe resolving the matter in this way is in the best interests of our clients, company and stockholders as it allows us to remain focused on helping our clients invest for the future," a Schwab spokesperson said in a statement.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comFrom March 2015 through November 2018, Schwab touted that its robo-adviser would seek "optimal returns" to investors, whereas in reality the brokerage's own data showed that under most market conditions the cash in the portfolios would cause clients to make less money even while taking on the same amount of risk, the SEC found.The Texas-based company advertised the robo-adviser as having neither advisory nor hidden fees, but did not tell clients about this cash drag on their investment. In turn, Schwab made money from the cash allocations in the robo-adviser portfolios by sweeping the cash to its affiliate bank, loaning it out and then keeping the difference between the interest it earned on the loans and what it paid in interest to the robo-adviser clients, the SEC said."Schwab claimed that the amount of cash in its robo-adviser portfolios was decided by sophisticated economic algorithms meant to optimize its clients' returns when in reality it was decided by how much money the company wanted to make," SEC enforcement chief Gurbir Grewal said."Schwab's conduct was egregious and today's action sends a clear message to advisers that they need to be transparent with clients about hidden fees and how such fees affect clients' returns," Grewal added.The SEC has also issued a range of rule proposals meant to boost investor disclosures, including one on digital engagement practices.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Katanga Johnson in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Will Dunham and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.Katanga JohnsonThomson ReutersWashington-based reporter covering U.S. regulation at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, previously e3xperience in Ecuador, alumnus of Morehouse College and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Charles Schwab subsidiaries to pay $187 million to settle U.S. SEC charges.

Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Gaidai speaks in a video message, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Ukraine, May 8, 2022 in this screengrab taken from a handout video obtained by Reuters on May 8, 2022. Luhansk Regional Military-Civil Administration/Handout via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - All bridges to Ukraine's embattled eastern frontline city of Sievierodonetsk have been destroyed, rendering impossible the evacuation of civilians remaining there, the local governor said on Monday, adding that some "access" to the city remained.Governor Serhiy Gaidai wrote on the Telegram app that Russia had not taken full control of the city, and that "a part" of it remained under Ukrainian control, but that it was no longer possible to transport humanitarian cargoes there.Gaidai also told RFE/RL's Ukrainian service that although 70% of the city was now controlled by Russia, the situation for Ukrainian troops there was "difficult but under control."“They have the ability to send the wounded to hospitals, so there is still access,” he said.“It’s hard to deliver weapons or reserves. Difficult, but not impossible,” he added.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Max Hunder; Editing by Jon Boyle and Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

All bridges to Ukraine's Sievierodontesk destroyed but "access" remains- governor.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13(Reuters) - Top advisers to then-President Donald Trump told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were unfounded and would not reverse his election loss, but he refused to listen, according to testimony on Monday at a hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.Officials working on Trump's campaign and in his administration said they told Trump that they found no merit in a wide range of allegations that surfaced after his November election defeat, including reports of a "suspicious suitcase" containing fake ballots, a truck transporting ballots to Pennsylvania, computer chips swapped into voting machines and rampant fraudulent voting in Arizona."I thought, boy, if he really believes this stuff he has lost contact with, he's become detached from reality," said William Barr, who served as Trump's attorney general and was long known as loyal to the Republican president. In video testimony, Barr bluntly dismissed claims of fraud as "bullshit" and "crazy stuff."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"There was never an indication of interest in what the actual facts were," he said.The Democratic-led House of Representatives Select Committee investigating the assault on the U.S. Capitol by thousands of Trump supporters presented its findings at a second public hearing this month on its nearly year-long investigation into the riot.Monday's hearing sought to make the case that Trump ignored the advice of many of his own staffers when he claimed that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him and encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol."He and his closest advisors knew those claims were false, but they continued to peddle them anyway, right up until the moments before a mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol," Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren said.Trump has denied wrongdoing, and repeatedly insisted that he did not lose, dismissing the Select Committee investigation as a political witchhunt.Opinion polls show that many of Trump's supporters still believe his false claims about the election. Some are now running for offices in which they would oversee future elections. Trump has hinted at running for president again in 2024 but has not announced any decision.CAMPAIGN 'DID NOT MAKE ITS CASE'An advertisement soliciting donations for former U.S. President Donald Trump is seen as it was introduced as evidence and displayed on a screen above U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chairperson Bennie Thompson (D-MS) , Vice Chair U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) and U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) holding the second public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, at Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S. June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstBill Stepien, Trump's campaign manager, said he recommended on election night that Trump steer clear of any pronouncement of victory and instead say votes were still being counted. But Trump went on television to preemptively declare victory.Matthew Morgan, chief lawyer for Trump's campaign, said in video testimony that any claims of fraud would not change the outcome of the election.Byung J. "BJay" Pak, who resigned as U.S. attorney in Atlanta as Trump's camp questioned Georgia's election results, said he found no evidence of fraud in that state.Referring to the suspicious suitcase that supposedly contained fake or altered ballots, Pak said, sitting at the witness table: "The alleged black suitcase being pulled from under the table was an official lock box."Al Schmidt, the only Republican on Philadelphia's elections board who became a target of attacks after he defended the integrity of the 2020 vote, also appeared and dismissed allegations about his state."Not only was there not evidence of 8,000 dead voters voting in Pennsylvania -- there wasn't evidence of eight," he said.Georgia and Pennsylvania were among states that backed Trump in the 2016 election, but went for Biden in 2020. They have been a focus of the unfounded assertions of election fraud.Ben Ginsberg, a prominent Republican election lawyer, said he had looked into practices in 180 counties and found no instance of credible election fraud. "The Trump campaign did not make its case," he said.Monday's session followed a blockbuster hearing on Thursday night featuring testimony showing that close Trump allies - even Trump's daughter Ivanka - rejected his false claims of voting fraud. read more Nearly 20 million Americans watched the unusual hearing aired in the primetime peak television viewing hours.Four people died the day of the attack, one fatally shot by police and the others of natural causes. Some 140 police officers were injured, and one died the next day. Four officers later died by suicide.Nearly 850 people have been arrested for crimes related to the riot, including more than 250 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Patricia Zengerle, Richard Cowan and Doina Chiacu, additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump aides tell Jan. 6 committee he ignored their doubts about election fraud.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - The father of a Moroccan man sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on mercenary charges said his son should be treated as a prisoner of war as he is a Ukrainian national who handed himself in voluntarily.Morocco-born Brahim Saadoun and Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were found guilty of "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order" of the DPR, Russian media said last week.The three men were captured while fighting for Ukraine against Russia and Russian-backed forces. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comA still image, taken from footage of the Supreme Court of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, shows Britons Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun captured by Russian forces during a military conflict in Ukraine, in a courtroom cage at a location given as Donetsk, Ukraine, in a still image from a video released June 8, 2022. Supreme Court of Donetsk People's Republic/Handout via REUTERS The Moroccan fighter received Ukrainian nationality in 2020 after undergoing a year of military training as a requirement to access aerospace technology studies at a university in Kiev, his father Tahar Saadoun said in an email to Reuters.He handed himself in "voluntarily" and should be treated as a "prisoner of war", the father said.The sentence will be appealed, he said."We as a family suffer from the absence of contact with the lawyer to exchange legal information and this adds to our ordeal," he said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Moroccan sentenced to death in Donetsk has Ukrainian nationality, is not a mercenary, his father says.

World June 13, 2022 / 1:47 PM / AFP Living in fear of Russian troops returning Residents of villages once liberated by Ukraine live in fear of the return of Russian troops 02:33 Ukraine said Monday its forces had been pushed back from the center of the key industrial city of Severodonetsk, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described a fight for "literally every meter." The cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, which are separated by a river, have been targeted for weeks as the last areas still under Ukrainian control in the eastern Luhansk region.Regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said Monday Russian forces were "gathering more and more equipment" to "encircle" Severodonetsk.Moscow's troops had "pushed our units from the center and continue to destroy our city," he said. The local Azot chemical plant, where hundreds of civilians have reportedly taken refuge, was being "heavily shelled," Gaiday added.Severodonetsk has been "de facto" blocked off after Russian forces blew up the "last" bridge connecting it to Lysychansk on Sunday, Eduard Basurin, a representative for pro-Russian separatists, said Monday. Ukrainian forces in the area have two choices, he said, "to surrender or die." Ukrainian soldiers talk during heavy fighting against Russia at the front line in Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region of Ukraine, June 8, 2022. AP Photo/Oleksandr Ratushniak Moscow-backed forces were also carrying out an offensive on the key city of Slovyansk, from "west, north and east," Basurin said.The capture of Severodonetsk would open the road for Moscow to Slovyansk and another major city, Kramatorsk, in their push to conquer the whole of Donbas, a mainly Russian-speaking region partly held by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014.Ukrainian forces were fighting for "every town and village where the occupiers came," Zelenskyy said Monday in a message to mark the eighth anniversary of the liberation of Mariupol in the 2014 conflict. The port city in southern Ukraine was captured by Russian troops in May after a weekslong siege."We are once again fighting for it and all of Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.Presidential adviser Mikhaylo Podolyak said Monday that Kyiv needed more arms deliveries to stop the conflict."Being straightforward -- to end the war we need heavy weapons," he said on Twitter.He listed items he said the Ukrainian army required, including hundreds of howitzers, tanks and armored vehicles.Currently, Russia's massed artillery in the area of Severodonetsk gave it a tenfold advantage, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, Valeriy Zaluzhny, said Sunday.  "Every meter of Ukrainian land there is covered in blood -- but not only ours, but also the occupier's." In Lysychansk, Russian bombardments killed three civilians, including a 6-year-old boy, Lugansk governor Gaiday said Monday.While in the city of Donetsk, separatist authorities said three people were killed and four wounded in Ukrainian shelling on a market in the Budonivskyi district of the city.On Monday, Amnesty International accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, saying that attacks on the northeastern city of Kharkiv — many using banned cluster bombs — had killed hundreds of civilians."The repeated bombardments of residential neighborhoods in Kharkiv are indiscriminate attacks which killed and injured hundreds of civilians, and as such constitute war crimes," the rights group said in a report on Ukraine's second biggest city.Away from the battlefield, World Trade Organization members gathered in Geneva Sunday, with the threat posed to global food security by Russia's war top of the agenda.Tensions ran high during a closed-door session, where several delegates took the floor to condemn Russia's aggression, WTO spokesman Dan Pruzin told journalists.Just before Russia's deputy economic development minister Vladimir Ilichev spoke, around three dozen delegates "walked out," the spokesman said. On a farm near the city of Mykolaiv in the south, the harvest has been delayed by the need to undo the damage done by Russian troops that passed through the area in March."We planted really late because we needed to clear everything beforehand," including bombshells, Nadiia Ivanova, 42, told AFP.The farm's warehouses currently hold 2,000 tons of last season's grain but there are no takers.The railways have been partially destroyed by the Russian army, while any ship that sails faces the threat of being sunk.Russia's invasion of its neighbor has prompted Finland and Sweden to give up decades of military non-alignment and seek to join the NATO alliance.But Turkey is blocking their bids and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday the issue may not be resolved in time for an alliance summit later this month.The United States and Europe have sent weapons and cash to help Ukraine blunt Russia's advance, alongside punishing Moscow with unprecedented economic sanctions. Russian forces said Sunday they had struck a site in the town of Chortkiv in western Ukraine storing U.S.- and EU-supplied weapons.Russia's defense ministry said the strike destroyed a "large depot of anti-tank missile systems, portable air defense systems and shells provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and European countries."The strike — a rare attack by Russia in the relatively calm west of Ukraine — left 22 people injured, regional governor Volodymyr Trush said. In: Ukraine Russia Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Ukrainian forces can "surrender or die" in key industrial city, pro-Russian separatists say.

Bombardier employees work on interior completions and exterior touch-ups for delivery preparation of the Global aircraft at Bombardier's Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMONTREAL, June 13 (Reuters) - Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) shares fell as much as 17.4% on Monday as workers on a key business jet program walked off the job for a day and amid a broader selloff in global markets.The union representing 1,800 Bombardier workers said they would return to the job on Tuesday, when negotiations between the two sides resume.The workers are mostly on the company's strong-selling Challenger business jet family, which accounted for just over a third of the company's plane deliveries in 2021.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBombardier has said it would put a contingency plan in place to reduce the impact on operations from the strike.The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) said 76% percent of workers rejected Bombardier's five-year contract offer.The union is asking for higher wage increases in the last two years of the contract, arguing that Bombardier's offer of up to 2.5% falls below rising living costs.Canada's inflation rate hit 6.8% in April, a 31-year high.By late morning, Bombardier shares were down 8.1% at C$25.95, as the company's planned consolidation of Class A and B shares took effect on Monday. The benchmark Canada share index was down 3.1%.Global markets, including Wall Street's main indexes opened sharply lower on Monday, on growing fears that aggressive interest rate hikes could tip the economy into recession.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Bombardier shares hit amid Montreal workers' strike, market selloff.

U.S. June 13, 2022 / 2:03 PM / CBS/AP Civil War witness trees Civil War witness trees 05:13 The FBI either lied to a federal judge about having video of its secretive 2018 dig for Civil War-era gold in Pennsylvania, or illegally destroyed the video to prevent a father-son team of treasure hunters from gaining access to it, an attorney for the duo asserted in new legal filings that allege a government cover-up. According to local lore, the gold was lost or stolen during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The FBI has long insisted its agents recovered nothing of value when they went looking for the fabled gold cache. But Finders Keepers, a treasure-hunting company that led agents to the remote woodland site in Pennsylvania in hopes of getting a finder's fee, suspect the FBI found tons of gold and made off with it.After Finders Keepers began pressing the government for information about the dig, the FBI initially said it could produce 17 relevant video files. Then, without explanation, the FBI reduced that number to four. Last week, under court order, the agency finally revealed what it said were the contents of those four videos - and it turns out all had been provided to the FBI by Finders Keepers co-owner Dennis Parada himself, weeks before the dig, at a time when he was offering his evidence for buried treasure. In this Sept. 20, 2018 photo, Dennis Parada, right, and his son Kem Parada stand at the site of the FBI's dig for Civil War-era gold in Dents Run, Pennsylvania. The FBI says the excavation came up empty, but the Paradas believe investigators might have found the legendary gold cache. Michael Rubinkam / AP The FBI did not say it had any video of the actual excavation, which is what Finders Keepers is seeking. The treasure hunters say they have evidence the FBI indeed shot video of the dig - and they are seeking sanctions against the FBI for what their lawyer cast as a blatant, bad-faith effort to mislead. On March 13, 2018, Parada's hidden trail camera captured what appears to be an FBI agent in front of a video camera at the hillside dig site, with other agents in the background. The trail-cam image was included in a legal filing late Friday by lawyer Anne Weismann, who represents Finders Keepers in its Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the government.The photo "suggests either the FBI has falsely claimed to have no other responsive videotapes or the FBI illegally destroyed responsive videotapes in an effort to circumvent the FOIA's disclosure requirements," Weismann wrote. She asked a judge to order the Justice Department to pay a portion of Finders' Keepers legal fees to compensate for the legal wrangling over the videos, and hold the FBI accountable for "covering up the results of its excavation ... that highly advanced scientific technology indicated contained multiple tons of gold."A message was sent to the FBI seeking comment Monday.The government's initial court-ordered release of documents last month included a geophysical survey commissioned by the FBI that suggested an object with a mass of up to 9 tons and a density consistent with gold was buried at the site. The FBI used the consultant's work to obtain a warrant to seize any gold found at the site at Dent's Run, about 135 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, where legend says an 1863 shipment of Union gold was either lost or stolen on its way to the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.The agency has adamantly denied it found anything. The treasure hunters say the FBI has consistently stonewalled. "For the FBI to now say it has no videotapes of the dig strains credulity and takes this whole affair to the next level," Warren Getler, who has worked closely with Finders Keepers, said Monday. "We have incontrovertible photographic evidence of them videotaping the dig and interviewing their operational leader at the site. It raises a lot of serious questions."In addition to seeking legal fees, Weismann also asked the court to give Finders Keepers the ability to depose three FBI officials: Jacob Archer of the FBI's art crime team in Philadelphia, who oversaw the dig; the unidentified videographer shown in the trail-cam still; and Michael Seidel, the FBI section chief for records dissemination."We want to answer two questions. Did the FBI create videotapes during the excavation? The picture certainly seems to answer that question. And if so, what happened to those videotapes? It seems to me these are the people best situated to have that information," Weismann, a veteran FOIA lawyer who formerly worked at the Justice Department, said in an interview Monday.Weismann indicated in court documents that the Justice Department opposes both requests.WTAJ-TV reported members of the Elk County Historical Society say they believe the gold is just an old wives' tale. A member of the society said there is no historical evidence that gold is buried in the area.  In: Pennsylvania Civil War Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

FBI accused of "covering up" a secretive dig for Civil War-era gold in Pennsylvania.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLOS ANGELES, June 12 (Variety.com) - "Jurassic World Dominion" stomped to the top of box office charts, scoring a massive $143 million in its domestic box office debut.Despite blistering reviews, the sixth film in Universal's dinosaur saga is looming large over a sizzling weekend at the domestic box office. It's only the third time in the pandemic era that ticket sales have collectively eclipsed the $200 million mark, according to Comscore. That's also thanks to the enduring popularity of "Top Gun: Maverick," which is still flying high in second place.Even with the near-deafening roar of "Jurassic World," Tom Cruise's beloved blockbuster "Top Gun: Maverick" stayed strong, adding $50 million from 4,262 North American cinemas in its third weekend in theaters. That's a huge turnout for any film at this point in its theatrical run, but it's even more impressive to pull in those numbers at a time in which "Dominion" is also packing a major punch at the box office.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comCast members Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Scott Haze, BD Wong, Elva Trill, Daniella Pineda, director Colin Trevorrow and screenwriter Emily Carmichael pose for a picture while attending a premiere for the film "Jurassic World: Dominion" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 6, 2022. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniBy comparison, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" grossed $56 million in its third weekend, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" drummed up $32 million in its third weekend, and "The Batman" with Robert Pattinson collected $36 million in its third weekend. With $50 million between Friday and Sunday (a 44% decline from last weekend), "Top Gun: Maverick" has generated a staggering $393.3 million to date.For "Dominion," initial box office returns represent a slight decline in popularity, though the big-budget tentpole is still raking in huge amounts of money. To be fair, the latest installment in the prehistoric series has some Triceratops-sized footprints to live up to at the box office. "Jurassic World," which rebooted the popular "Jurassic Park" trilogy in 2015, opened to a gargantuan $208 million and ended its theatrical run with $653 million in North America and $1.6 billion globally. Its sequel, 2018's "Fallen Kingdom," debuted to a softer-but-still-spectacular $150 million and tapped out with $417 million domestically and $1.3 billion worldwide."This is an excellent opening," says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. "Reviews are weak, but that has never stopped these beasts."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Box Office: 'Jurassic World Dominion' Scores Sizzling $143 Million Debut, 'Top Gun: Maverick' Stays Strong With $50 Million.

CBS Mornings June 13, 2022 / 1:58 PM / CBS News Katy Tur has been around the news business since she was a child —  first as the daughter of a famous news reporting couple and now as an anchor on MSNBC. But the mother of two and wife of CBS News' Tony Dokoupil says she didn't always want to follow her parents' footsteps and had doubts about her own career during the pandemic."I was thinking that maybe this wasn't what I was supposed to do. Maybe it's only what I ended up doing because it's what my parents did and what felt familiar," she said in an interview Monday on "CBS Mornings."It was during that time that she wrote her new memoir, "Rough Draft." In the book, Tur writes about her unique childhood growing up with news reporter parents, her struggles with motherhood and her career. She also describes violence and abuse she says were triggered by her father's temper. While Tur was rethinking her life during the worst days of COVID, her mom sent her a hard drive with archival footage of the family, including videos of her parents working together from aboard a helicopter, which they did for many years. Her mom, Marika Gerrard, was a camerawoman and her dad, then known as Bob Tur, was the pilot. The two-person news team shot many historic events, such as the O.J. Simpson car chase and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. "My dad was always scooping the competition," Katy Tur said. "And he would dangle it in front of the competition and say, 'You're not gonna get this shot, I am.'"Going through the footage helped Katy Tur revisit her "difficult childhood" and confront "a lot of the stuff" she had been running from for some 15 or 16 years, she said. Among those painful memories was remembering that her dad didn't just fight with cops and competitors — the family was also a target, she said."So the fighting with the cops and the fighting with officials I always kind of looked up to. I thought, 'Well, this is how you act as a journalist. You push back. You push, push, push,'" she said. "The fighting with my mom I didn't like. But it felt like, 'This is just what marriage is.' It felt normal."The alleged fighting came out in "fists and thrown batteries or thrown keys or holes in the wall," Katy Tur said. "It was ugly." Her dad has since undergone gender affirmation surgery and changed her name to Zoey Tur. The two are not speaking to each other.In a statement to CBS News, Zoey Tur said that she was under "extraordinary pressure" when working in the news business and "could be very intimidating for sure." She added that, "if the kids felt I was intimidating, I apologize. I did the best I could."Katy Tur said her parents' hectic work schedule was one of the reasons she tried to stay away from journalism."What they did was so all-consuming, they were never home. They were always on the run," she said. "We would go to restaurants and we'd eat in 20 minutes or 10 minutes or five minutes because if the scanner would light up, then we would be on to another story."She said the fast-paced career also "destroyed" her parents' marriage."The business tore them apart. The relationship was a mess," she said. "My dad clearly took on all of that stress and didn't deal with it well. And I just thought I should do something stable."Katy Tur said she wishes she had a better relationship with her father. Katy Tur reveals husband Tony Dokoupil's home anchoring secret during pandemic 02:25 "I don't want to condemn my dad and say that my dad was nothing but bad because that's not true. I love my father. I love my father. That's what makes it harder," she said.  Dokoupil said many of the revelations in his wife's memoir were news to him."I didn't really know how to broach it with you," Tur told him. "Who wants to talk about all that ugliness? ... I don't love crying. And it's the sort of thing that makes me cry.""Rough Draft" comes out Tuesday, June 14. It is published by Simon and Schuster, which is part of CBS News' parent company Paramount Global.

MSNBC anchor Katy Tur opens about "difficult childhood" in her memoir "Rough Draft".

American Airlines Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet aircraft as seen on final approach landing at New York JFK international airport in NY, on February 13, 2020.Nicolas Economou | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesTwo American Airlines-owned regional carriers will hike pilot pay by 50% through the end of August 2024, the latest sign airlines are willing to pay up in hopes of ending a pilot shortage that has left some travelers with fewer flight options.The increases would make the pilots the highest paid of the U.S. regional airlines, ramping up pressure on other carriers to follow suit.Including separate, permanent pay hikes, the temporary raises will bring hourly wages for first officers in their first year of flying at Piedmont Airlines to $90 an hour, up from $51 an hour, the company said. For first-year captains, pay will be $146 an hour, up from $78 an hour. The airline could extend the temporary hikes if needed, its CEO said Monday.Airlines have been on pilot-hiring sprees since last year when travel demand began to bounce back from pandemic lows. But a persisting shortage of pilots is still hindering growth at a time of strong demand, prompting airlines to park jets that serve smaller cities. Part of the problem is that airlines encouraged pilots to take early retirement after demand cratered in 2020 and were left with too few when travel rebounded.That has intensified the competition for pilots."Attrition of the regional pilots, particularly the captains, has really spiked to the point where we're not able to put our fleet in the air," Piedmont CEO Eric Morgan told CNBC.The airline, based in Salisbury, Maryland, has been losing about 25 pilots a month to American's mainline operation and has fallen short of its goal to hire around 40 pilots each month. It flies 50-seat ERJ-145s for American, usually between smaller cities, but hasn't been able to fly 10 of its roughly 60 planes, Morgan said.Piedmont approached the union with the pay increases that were outside of normal contract negotiations, said Morgan and Capt. Ryan Miller, chairman of the Piedmont chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association.Envoy Air, based in Irving, Texas, said Saturday it reached a similar agreement with its pilots' union to shell out a 50% premium to pilots hourly rates through the end of August 2024.Kit Darby, a pilot-pay consultant and a retired United captain, said raising regional pilots' pay is a positive step but that the bar was low. He said airlines need to ask: "What is a living wage and what will it take to attract pilots to the career?"The pay increases come as some of the largest pilot unions — those representing more than 35,000 pilots at Southwest, Delta, JetBlue and American — are in contract talks with their carriers.American Airlines pilots picket outside the New York Stock Exchange on June 2, 2022.Leslie Josephs | CNBCAmerican's management recently offered its roughly 14,000 pilots a 4% raise at the date of signing and then a 3% raise in the next year. Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer called that "insulting.""Good on the pilots receiving these raises but when you have an airline that's pushing across a more than 50% pay increase, it's recognizing with dollars that they have a problem," Tajer said. APA pilots picketed at the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month for an improved contract and better schedules.American didn't immediately comment on the union spokesman's remarks.

American Airlines' regional pilots get big pay hikes as competition for pilots intensifies.

Police officers and rescue team members stand on a boat during the search operation for British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, who went missing while reporting in a remote and lawless part of the Amazon rainforest, near the border with Peru, in Atalaia do Norte, Amazonas state, Brazil, June 12, 2022.REUTERS/Bruno KellyRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comATALAIA DO NORTE, Brazil, June 13 (Reuters) - Brazilian police and indigenous search teams dismissed reports on Monday that they had found the bodies of a British reporter and a Brazilian indigenous expert missing in the Amazon jungle, dashing hopes of a quick resolution in the week-old case.On Sunday, police said search teams had found the belongings of freelance reporter Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, a former official at federal indigenous agency Funai, in a creek off the river where they were last seen on June 5. read more However, a federal police statement and a spokesman for local indigenous association UNIVAJA, which has organized search efforts since June 5, denied subsequent reports of two bodies turned up in the search.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"I've spoken with the team in the field and it's not true," said Eliesio Marubo, a lawyer for UNIVAJA. "The search goes on."More than 100 indigenous people, many in body paint and headdresses, marched on Monday in Atalaia do Norte, the nearest town to where Phillips and Pereira were last seen, to demand better treatment of native peoples and justice for the two men.They were on a reporting trip in the remote jungle area near the border with Peru and Colombia that is home to the world's largest number of uncontacted indigenous people. The wild and lawless region has lured cocaine-smuggling gangs, along with illegal loggers, miners and hunters.News of the pair's disappearance echoed globally, with human rights organizations, environmentalists and free press advocates urging Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to step up the search.Bolsonaro, who once faced tough questioning from Phillips at a news conference over weakening environmental law enforcement, said last week that the two men "were on an adventure that is not recommended" and speculated they could have been executed. read more The case was thrown into confusion early on Monday by reports of a diplomatic briefing for the family of Phillips.The Guardian reported that a Brazilian diplomat told Paul Sherwood, the journalist's brother-in-law, that authorities were working to identify two bodies tied to a tree near the river.No authorities or search teams in Brazil provided any corroboration of that development.A police statement on Sunday described belongings of the two men that had been recovered, including an ID card for Pereira. A firefighter on a search team told reporters of a backpack with clothes and a laptop tied to a tree trunk near the river.Brazilian police had also said late on Friday that they were analyzing "organic material" found in the river to see if it was human, but four people involved in the investigation told Reuters it seemed more likely to be of animal origin.The material was found near the port of Atalaia do Norte, more than 40 miles (65 km) downstream from where Phillips and Pereira were last seen on a slow-moving river, the sources said. The material's condition suggested it could have been scraps from a nearby butcher rather than remains carried downstream.The Brazilian embassy in London confirmed it has been in contact with the Phillips family, at their request, but would not comment on the details provided in the briefing. Relatives of Phillips could not be reached for comment.State police detectives involved in the investigation told Reuters they are focusing on poachers and illegal fisherman in the area, who clashed often with Pereira as he organized indigenous patrols of the local reservation. read more Police have arrested one fisherman, Amarildo da Costa, known as "Pelado," on a weapons charge and are keeping him in custody as they investigate the case.Costa's lawyers and family have said he fished legally on the river and denied he had any role in the men's disappearance.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Jake Spring Editing by Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

No bodies found in hunt for British journalist, Brazil police say.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comPARIS, June 13 (Reuters) - Russia's relentless shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with cluster munitions and scatterable land mines amounts to a war crime that indiscriminately killed hundreds of civilians, Amnesty International said on Monday.Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv was under near-constant bombardment from the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 until Ukrainian forces pushed the Russians away from the city in May. Ukraine has said 606 civilians were killed there and 600,000 evacuated.Amnesty said that it had found during a 14-day investigation in April and early May evidence that Russia had used cluster munitions and scatterable mines in Kharkiv.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"The repeated bombardments of residential neighbourhoods in Kharkiv are indiscriminate attacks which killed and injured hundreds of civilians, and as such constitute war crimes," Amnesty said in a report.A view of a shopping mall damaged by a Russian missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv, Ukraine June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Ivan AlvaradoRussia's defence ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Amnesty report. In the past, Russia has denied targeting civilians and accused Ukraine of faking evidence of war crimes.Neither Russia nor Ukraine are signatories to an international agreement that bans cluster munitions. But the use of such weapons is still a war crime if it is indiscriminate and kills or harms civilians, Amnesty International research consultant Jean-Baptiste Gallopin told Reuters.As an example, he cited a cluster munitions strike on a playground on Kharkiv's Mira Street, which he said killed nine people and wounded 35.Gallopin said Amnesty had also found that Ukrainian forces had violated international humanitarian law by positioning artillery near residential buildings, attracting Russian fire, though he said this "in no way justifies the relentless indiscriminate shelling of the city by Russian forces".Ukraine's defence ministry could not be reached for immediate comment.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Reuters Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Amnesty says Russia guilty of war crimes in Kharkiv shelling.

The logo of cryptocurrency platform BlockFi.Budrul Chukrut | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty ImagesCrypto lender BlockFi is cutting around 20% of its staff as the company reckons with a dramatic downturn in digital currencies and heightened concerns about a weakening economy.CEO Zac Prince said in a tweet Monday that BlockFi has been impacted by the "dramatic shift in macroeconomic conditions," which have had a "negative impact" on growth.Backed by venture capitalist Peter Thiel, BlockFi has grown dramatically in recent years, benefiting from low borrowing costs and the surge in crypto prices. Prior to the latest cuts, the company expanded from 150 employees at the end of 2020, to more than 850.BlockFi, which offers a popular savings product that lets clients accrue interest on their digital currency holdings, raised more than $957 million since launching in 2017, and was reportedly aiming for a valuation of close to $5 billion last year. However, industry publication The Block reported last week that the company was in the process raising a down round at a valuation of around $1 billion.Crypto companies across the board are looking for ways to cut costs, as investors rotate out of the riskiest assets, pulling down trading volumes. Bitcoin is down by almost half this year after plunging 15% on Monday, while ethereum has lost two-thirds of its value in 2022, plummeting 16% to start the week. The crypto market has fallen below $1 trillion, down from $3 trillion at its peak in Nov. 2021.Crypto.com recently announced a staff reduction of 260 people, as did Gemini, which said it would be laying off 10% of its workforce — a first for the U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange and custodian. Meanwhile, Coinbase has extended its hiring pause for the "foreseeable future" and plans to rescind some job offers.Celsius, another crypto lender, has just paused all withdrawals and transfers between accounts, given the "extreme market conditions." Celsius has more than $8 billion lent out to clients, making it one of the biggest players in the crypto lending space.BlockFi publicly distanced itself from Celsius in a tweet on Monday, announcing that it "has no exposure to Celsius" and had "never worked with them as a partner."Prince said BlockFi's main goal is "to achieve profitability" and that the company is "here for the long haul."In addition to the job cuts, the platform is also reducing marketing spending, eliminating non-critical vendors, reducing executive compensation, and slowing headcount growth, according to a blog post from co-founders Prince and Flori Marquez.Prince said customers would not be impacted by the cuts."Clients will not experience any material changes to the quality of service they have come to expect, their funds are safeguarded, and all platforms and products continue to operate normally," Prince tweeted. While that may provide some comfort to people who've entrusted the company with their money, BlockFi has been facing increased scrutiny from regulators.In February, the company agreed to pay a $50 million penalty fee to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as another $50 million in fines to 32 states to settle similar charges related to its popular interest-bearing crypto accounts.WATCH: Crypto market hasn't reached the bottom yet

BlockFi, the Peter Thiel-backed crypto lending start-up, cuts 20% of its staff as bitcoin plunges.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - Dozens of companies and business organizations are sending a letter to U.S. senators on Monday to urge them to support a bill aimed at reining in the biggest tech companies, such as Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google.Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and lawmakers from both parties said last week they had the Senate votes needed to pass legislation that would prevent the tech platforms, including Apple (AAPL.O) and Facebook , from favoring their own businesses on their platforms.The companies supporting the measure, which include Yelp, Sonos, DuckDuckGo and Spotify, called it a "moderate and sensible bill aimed squarely at well-documented abuses by the very largest online platforms."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOther signatories included the American Booksellers Association, the American Independent Business Alliance, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Kelkoo Group.The organizations urged the Senate to pass the bill, saying it would modernize antitrust laws so smaller companies have space to compete.The logos of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google in a combination photo/File PhotoKlobuchar said last week she believed she had the 60 Senate votes needed to end debate and move to a vote on final passage. There is a similar bill in the House.The Senate is expected to vote on the bill this summer, perhaps as early as late June, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The House is then expected to vote on the Senate version, sources said. read more Amazon.com, the Chamber of Commerce and others have taken aim at the measure. read more The tech giants have said the bill would imperil popular consumer products like Google Maps and Amazon Basics and make it harder for the companies to protect their users' security and privacy.Amazon has lambasted the bill saying in a blog post the bill "jeopardizes two of the things American consumers love most about Amazon: the vast selection and low prices made possible by opening our store to third-party selling partners, and the promise of fast, free shipping through Amazon Prime."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Diane Bartz Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Dozens of companies, small business groups back U.S. bill to rein in Big Tech.

A general view of the main entrance of Prologis logistics complex in Cajamar, Brazil February 2, 2018. REUTERS/Gabriela Mello/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - Prologis Inc (PLD.N), a warehouse-focused real estate income trust (REIT), said on Monday it would acquire peer Duke Realty Corp (DRE.N) for about $26 billion, including debt, in an all-stock deal, making it one of the largest transactions in the booming REIT sector.The deal follows two earlier rejected offers by San Francisco-based Prologis, whose customers include online retail giant Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and parcel delivery firm FedEx Corp (FDX.N). read more As part of the deal, Duke Realty shareholders will receive 0.475 of a Prologis share for each share held, with the transaction expected to close later this year subject to regulatory approvals.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comDuke Realty shares were up 2.1% at $50.83 in early afternoon, up 1.3% % after jumping 4.4% in premarket trading, while those of Prologis were down 6.7% at $109.37%.Deals involving REITs reached a record high of $140 billion in 2021, driven by a robust U.S. housing market, availability of cheap capital from low interest rates, and strong economic recovery from the pandemic. REIT deals totaled just $17 billion in 2020, according to real estate services provider JLL.More REIT deals have followed this year. Blackstone Inc (BX.N), the world's largest real estate investor, has already agreed to buy three REITs, while Medical office REITs Healthcare Realty Trust Inc (HR.N) and Healthcare Trust of America Inc (HTA.N) agreed to merge in February in a $17 billion transaction. read more Duke Realty, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, controls more than 150 million square feet (13.93 million square meters)of commercial real estate across 548 properties in major U.S. markets such as Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Southern California and Columbus.In May, Duke Realty rejected as "insufficient" a $23.7 billion all-stock offer from Prologis, which said at the time it had previously made a private offer. read more Prologis, which controls properties and development projects with about 1 billion square feet, said it planned to retain about 94% of Duke Realty assets and will exit only one market.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru and Chibuike Oguh in New York; Additional reporting by Nathan Gomes; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Warehouse giant Prologis agrees $26 bln merger with Duke Realty.

Piksel | Istock | Getty ImagesStates most hurt by Social Security staffing cutsSome states have been more affected by those budget cuts than others, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found.Social Security's staff was reduced by 15% between 2010 and 2021. Ten states lost more than 20% of their Social Security staff since 2010. They include Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.Four states — Alaska, Iowa, Virginia and West Virginia — lost more than 25%. The same goes for Puerto Rico.The agency's Disability Determination Service employees, who decide whether people qualify for either disability or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, shrank by 16% between 2010 and 2021. Eight states lost more than 30% of their DDS staff, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The states most affected are Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.High turnover, budget cuts hamper serviceRepairing gaps in the federal agency's services largely comes down to funding, according to Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities."The agency, because it's been so hamstrung by budget cuts, isn't able to really plan effectively," Romig said.One consequence of that is hiring freezes that have continued on and off throughout the past decade — including now, she said.High turnover at the agency has only exacerbated those issues."When you see how much staffing has been reduced, it makes sense it's taking a lot longer to pick up the phone, [and] it's taking a lot longer to process a disability," Romig said.The effects of the service delays are far reaching, she said, as even people who aren't beneficiaries rely on Social Security for routine services such as getting new or replacement Social Security cards and name changes when they get married."SSA has been underfunded for too long," Grace Kim, deputy commissioner for operations at the Social Security Administration, said during testimony at a May Congressional hearing on the issue."Without an adequate level of funding, we will not be able to continue our level of service or improve service to the level that really I would want to see us be able to deliver to the public," she said.By increasing the amount of funding designated to the agency, that could help it replace and train new staff and invest in technology to help reduce the amount of paperwork it deals with, according to Kim.

These 10 states have been hit hardest by Social Security staffing cuts, contributing to long waits for customer service.

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW YORK, June 13 (Reuters) - The stock market's brutal year neared a grim milestone as the S&P 500's slide on Monday threatened to leave it in a bear market for the first time since March 2020, fueled by worries over sky high inflation, a hawkish Federal Reserve and future economic growth.The benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) index fell below 3837.248 during Monday's session, a decline that on an intraday basis put it more than 20% below its Jan. 3 record closing high. If the index maintains such a decline through the market's close, the 20% drop would confirm a commonly used definition of a bear market.If history is any guide, a bear market would mean more pain could be in store for investors. The S&P 500 has fallen by an average of 32.7% in 13 bear markets since 1946, including a nearly 57% drop during the 2007-2009 bear market during the financial crisis, according to Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comIt has taken a little over a year on average for the index to reach its bottom during bear markets, and then roughly another two years to return to its prior high, according to CFRA. Of the 13 bear markets since 1946, the return to breakeven levels has varied, taking as little as three months to as long as 69 months.Reuters GraphicsThe S&P 500 surged some 114% from its March 2020 low as stocks benefited from emergency policies put in place to help stabilize the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.Those gains went into reverse at the start of 2022 as the Fed grew far more hawkish and signaled it would tighten monetary policy at a faster-than-expected clip to fight surging inflation. It has already raised rates by 75 basis points this year and expectations of more hikes ahead, including at this week's Fed meeting, have weighed on stocks and bonds.Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has vowed to raise rates as high as needed to kill inflation but also believes policymakers can guide the economy to a so-called soft landing. Adding to the volatility this year has been the war in Ukraine, which has caused a further spike in oil and other commodity prices.After the S&P 500 nearly confirmed a bear market last month, the market rallied back, amid some hopes the Fed could slow its rate-hike pace later this year.But Wall Street last week posted its biggest weekly decline since January, with the latest blow to stocks coming on Friday, when data showed U.S. consumer prices accelerated in May as gasoline prices hit a record high and the cost of food soared, leading to the largest annual increase in nearly 40-1/2 years. read more for 2022A few areas of the stock market have been spared. Energy shares have soared this year, along with oil prices, while defensive groups such as utilities have held up better than broader markets.Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsOn the flip side, shares of technology and other high-growth companies have been hit hard. Those stocks -- high fliers during much of the bull market over the past decade -- are particularly sensitive to higher yields, which dull the allure of companies whose cash flows are weighted more in the future and diminished when discounted at higher rates.Some of the biggest of these companies, such as Tesla (TSLA.O) and Facebook owner Meta Platforms (META.O), are also heavily weighted in the S&P 500 index.Reuters GraphicsInvestors have looked at various metrics to determine when markets will turn higher, including the Cboe Volatility Index (.VIX), also known as Wall Street’s fear gauge. While the index is elevated compared to its long-term median, it is still below levels reached in previous major sell-offs.historical dataRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Lewis Krauskopf; editing by Megan Davies and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Bear market beckons as U.S. stocks' 2022 descent deepens.

Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, speaks during an interview at an Economic Club of Washington event in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, April 14, 2022.Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWASHINGTON — National security adviser Jake Sullivan met with China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, on Monday to discuss a range of security challenges facing the countries' bilateral relationship, including Russia's war in Ukraine and North Korea's string of ballistic missile tests.A senior administration official described the talks, which were held in Luxembourg, as "candid, in-depth, substantive and productive."The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting lasted nearly five hours and follows a May phone call between Sullivan and Yang. The two last met in person in Rome on March 14 in what was later described as "intense" talks that spanned at least seven hours.The meeting comes as the U.S. presses the world's second-largest economy not to help Moscow blunt global sanctions over the Kremlin's aggression in Ukraine. In the weeks since Russia's invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbor, Washington and its allies have imposed rounds of coordinated sanctions vaulting Russia past Iran and North Korea as the world's most-sanctioned country.Last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken described China as the "most serious long-term challenge to the international order," even as the world grapples with Russia's war in Ukraine."China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do it," Blinken said in a May 26 speech at George Washington University."Beijing's vision would move us away from the universal values that have sustained so much of the world's progress over the past 75 years," Blinken said.This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

U.S. holds 'candid' and 'productive' talks with China in nearly 5-hour meeting.

MoneyWatch June 13, 2022 / 2:07 PM / MoneyWatch Stocks up slightly after week of big losses Stocks rebound Friday but not enough following a week of big losses 03:47 Stocks are in a bear market, inflation is at a 40-year high and economists are warning about a possible recession on the horizon. For millions of Americans saving for retirement, the economic turmoil has raised some big questions: Should they sell investments or stay the route? First, don't panic, experts say — that can lead to hasty financial decisions that you might regret later. As you survey the market, It's important to maintain focus squarely on your personal financial goals. The S&P 500 is down more than 21% since its most recent peak in January, which means it has entered a bear market — when stocks fall at least 20% from their previous peak. In fact, downturns of this scale are fairly common, with the last one occurring just two years ago when then pandemic shut down the U.S. economy. Yet younger investors who have never experienced such a decline and older investors who are closer to retirement might be tempted to bail or switch strategies.  "Riding out market downturns is a good rule of thumb," Amy Richardson, a certified financial planner with Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium, told CBS MoneyWatch. "It's nearly impossible to try and time the markets, so it's important to have a strategy and remain clear about your personal financial goals."Having a financial plan "can help you ignore the day-to-day market noise," she added.  Don't try to time the marketThere's a reason why you may have heard this many times: Investment professionals show that timing the market — or trying to guess when stocks are at their top or bottom — is nearly impossible. Research has shown that people who dump stocks during a market downturn are likely to miss the days when the market rises sharply, and that can make a dent in long-term returns. For instance, one study published by the investment organization CAIA found that a buy-and-hold investor would have an annual return of almost 10% from 1961 to 2015. But an investor who tried to time the market and missed the 25 best days during that period would have an annual return of less than 6%. To be sure, if an investor managed to avoid the worst 25 days during that period, their annualized return would have been more than 15%. But predicting both the worst and best days of the market is notoriously difficult, which is why investment pros recommend sticking with the "buy and hold" strategy. Should I move into cash?Only if you need the money immediately or want to lock in losses, experts say. Acknowledging that it might be tempting to move into cash as a defensive measure, Richardson points out that cash's purchasing power erodes during periods of high inflation.  The Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes are providing better returns to savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs), but they still trail far behind the rate of inflation. For instance, a one-year CD now offers a monthly yield of about 1.5%, up from about 0.7% in March, according to Ken Tumin of DepositAccounts.com. But in May, inflation jumped to 8.6%, which means that cash invested in a CD would see its buying power eroded by about 7%. That might still seem more appetizing than the steep investment losses incurred during a bear market, but you won't have the chance to make up those losses as you would in the market during periods when stocks rise. Limiting your exposure to cash during high inflation periods is a good idea, Richardson noted. "While it may not seem like it when the markets are falling, stocks have traditionally outpaced inflation over time," she said.Should I stop contributing to my 401(k)?Research has shown that consistent investing pays off over time. For instance, Charles Schwab looked at five different investing styles, ranging from trying to time the market to keeping everything in cash. The best performing strategy was the investor who managed to perfectly time the market — an impossibility for most investors, as noted above.After that, the most effective strategy was one where an investor socked away money at the start of the year, followed by an approach called "dollar-cost averaging," or investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, such as monthly or with each paycheck. In other words, how most people invest in their 401(k)s. The worst performer? The investor who stuck with cash, Schwab found."I am a big believer in the adage that time in the market is more important than timing the market, and that means that any time you can set aside money to invest is a good time," Richardson noted. "If you have the ability to put more toward your 401(k) or other retirement accounts, this is as good a time as any." Should I change my asset allocation? This could be a good time to talk with your financial adviser about your goals and to check whether your portfolio aligns with those objectives, experts say. That could result in an asset allocation shift if, for instance, you want to reduce your equity exposure to lower your risk or cut back on investments in certain sectors, like tech. "For most investors, the best approach to long-term success is broad diversification that aligns with their risk tolerance," Richardson said. "When you diversify your portfolio, you spread your money across different assets, understanding that all investments will go up and down at different times depending on different factors."People who are close to retirement or already retired may want to add Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, or TIPS, to their portfolio, she added. Investors can buy TIPS directly through the Treasury Department, or via their bank or broker. But an investor can only buy $10,000 worth of TIPS annually for each account, which limits the amount of inflation protection they can offer. "Commodities are also a good offset to inflation," Richardson added.How long does a bear market last?Since World War II, bear markets on average have taken 13 months to go from peak to trough and 27 months to return to breakeven. The S&P 500 index plunged an average of 33% during bear markets in that period. The biggest decline occurred in the 2007-2009 slump, when the S&P 500 fell 57%.Bear markets tend to have three stages, according to Bank of America technical research strategist Stephen Suttmeier, who cited Wall Street legend Bob Farrell's "10 Market Rules to Remember" for investors anxious about the market downturn. The first stage is a sharp decline, followed by a rebound, and then a "drawn-out fundamental downtrend," he noted.  "We are likely in the third stage, with risk to 3800 (20% correction) and even 3500 (27%) on the S&P 500," Suttmeier said in a research note.  El-Erian says inflation could hit 9% 08:59 That means the stock market may not have hit bottom, with the S&P 500 trading at about 3,760 on Monday. But even if markets continue fading, investors should focus on valuations, given that the price-to-earnings ratio on the S&P 500 is now below its 25-year average, advised David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Funds. "Whatever short-term cyclical journey the economy takes from here, it should, within a few years, resume a brighter path of moderate growth, low inflation and high profitability," Kelly said in a report.  In: Stock Market Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Plunging stocks, recession fears: Here's what to do — and not do — with your 401(k).

Traffic drives through the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland along the M1 motorway, as seen from Carrickcarnan, Ireland, May 19, 2022. REUTERS/Clodagh KilcoyneRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - Britain published legislation on Monday to tackle disruption to post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland, setting out measures it says are needed to protect peace in the British-ruled province but which are sure to antagonise the European Union.The government sees the legislation as part of a "dual track" approach to the problem, enabling ministers to pursue negotiations with the EU while having an insurance policy in the form of the new bill if those talks fails to come to fruition.Following are the reasons why Britain wants to unilaterally change the Northern Ireland protocol, agreed as part of its Brexit divorce deal with the EU, and what it has proposed.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWHAT IS THE NORTHERN IRELAND PROTOCOL?-- The protocol is an arrangement agreed as part of Britain's Brexit deal that keeps Northern Ireland aligned with the EU's single market for goods, avoiding a hard border with EU member Ireland that was a key part of a peace deal.-- It brought in checks on goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland, deterring traders from delivering certain products to the province.JUSTIFICATION FOR THE LEGISLATION-- Foreign minister Liz Truss said on May 17 the Belfast Good Friday Agreement peace deal was under strain, preventing the working of the Northern Ireland executive.-- This argument has formed the basis of the government's legal justification. It believes the conditions have been reached to justify the "doctrine of necessity", which allows an administrative authority to employ extraconstitutional measures to restore order or stability.-- Britain says the new legislation is legal under international law. It says it will not scrap the protocol deal but make limited changes.PROBLEMS-- EU customs procedures for moving goods within the UK have meant companies are facing significant costs and paperwork. Some businesses have stopped this trade altogether.-- Rules on taxation mean that citizens in Northern Ireland are unable to benefit fully from the same advantages as the rest of the UK, like the reduction in VAT on solar panels.-- SPSS (sanitary and phytosanitary) rules mean British producers face onerous requirements including veterinary certification to sell food stuffs in Northern Irish shops.-- The EU has made proposals to ease the burden for traders but Britain says they do not address the full concerns and would go backwards from the current situation.NEW LEGISLATION-- Britain wants to introduce green and red lanes backed by commercial data and a trusted trader scheme for goods, with the green lane for products staying in the UK, and red for those going to the EU or being moved by traders not in the trader scheme. Post and parcels would go through the green lane.-- To protect the EU's single market, it would implement robust penalties for those who seek to abuse the system.-- Robust data sharing and a purpose-built IT system with information available in real time and well within the time taken to cross the Irish Sea would be available.-- It would also remove regulatory barriers to goods made to UK standards being sold in Northern Ireland. Goods could be marked with either a CE or UKCA marking or both if they meet the relevant rules. Approval could be granted by UK or EU bodies.-- Britain wants to allow businesses to choose between meeting UK and EU standards in a new dual regulatory regime.-- London will be able to decide tax and spend policies across the whole of the UK. Britain proposes using the Subsidy Control Act 2022 to manage subsidies in the UK. Britain would provide freedom for ministers to adapt or disapply rules so that people in Northern Ireland could benefit from the same policies as those elsewhere in the UK.-- It would address issues related to governance by bringing the protocol in line with international norms and removing the dominance of the European Court of Justice. Britain proposes more balanced arrangements that look to manage issues through dialogue, and then through independent arbitration.HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?-- Britain says it needs to deal with the trade issues as a matter of urgency but there is no legislative timetable.-- It is likely to meet resistance in the upper house of parliament. One Conservative lawmaker said the rarely-used Parliament Acts could be utilised to force it through. This limits the delaying powers of the House of Lords to a year.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Elizabeth Piper, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Explainer: What is in Britain's proposed new post-Brexit law for N.Ireland.

U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chairperson Bennie Thompson (D-MS) , Vice Chair U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) listen during the second public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, at Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S. June 13, 2022.Joshua Roberts | ReutersThe House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot put former President Donald Trump's false election-fraud claims front and center in the second public hearing detailing the probe's initial findings.The narrowly focused hearing, which wrapped after just over two hours, sought to establish that Trump knew he lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, but nevertheless worked to convince swaths of the public that the race had been stolen from him through widespread fraud.The panel showed extensive footage of Trump's former aides and officials, especially ex-Attorney General William Barr, testifying to the committee about their conversations with Trump and those close to him. Numerous witnesses said that they told Trump at the time of the election that his claims of fraud were false. The committee also heard in-person testimony from former Fox News political editor Chris Stirewalt, Republican election lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg and others.Here are some of the main takeaways from the second hearing:Barr ripped 'crazy' election fraud claims, questioned Trump's grip on realityFormer U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr is seen on video during his deposition for the public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 9, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstJonathan Ernst | ReutersBarr, who served as U.S. attorney general until late December 2020, emerged as a main character in making the committee's case that Trump had been repeatedly told there was no evidence for the claims of fraud that he was peddling.In his interviews with the committee's investigators, the former head of Trump's Department of Justice repeatedly slammed those election-fraud conspiracy theories as "bulls---" and "crazy," among other terms. He testified that he said as much to the then-president's face.In one clip, Barr recounted an Oval Office meeting a few weeks after the Nov. 3, 2020, election, in which he had to tell Trump that the DOJ "is not an extension of your legal team" and can't be used to "take sides in elections" by investigating fraud claims."We'll look at something if it's specific, credible, and could have affected the outcome of the election, and we're doing that and it's just not meritorious, they're not panning out," Barr recalled saying to Trump.The former head of the DOJ also said he told Trump "that the stuff that his people were shoveling out to the public was bulls---. I mean, that the claims of fraud were bulls---. And he was indignant about that.""I reiterated that they'd wasted a whole month on these claims on these Dominion voting machines, and they were idiotic claims," Barr said.Barr said he found those claims, that Dominion voting machines were rigged to flip votes to Biden, "disturbing" in that "I saw absolutely zero basis" for them. But "they were obviously influencing a lot of members of the public" even though they were "complete nonsense," Barr said. He added: "I told him that it was crazy stuff and they were wasting their time on that and it was doing a grave disservice to the country."Barr said Trump gave him a copy of a report filled with election fraud claims. Trump said the report showed that he would get a second term, but "to be frank, it looked very amateurish to me," Barr said."I was somewhat demoralized, because I thought, boy, if he really believes this stuff, he has lost contact with — he's become detached from reality if he really believes this stuff," Barr said.When Barr would tell Trump how "crazy" some of these claims were, "there was never an indication of interest in what the actual facts were," the former attorney general said, laughing.Rudy Giuliani 'definitely intoxicated' on Election Night, pushed for Trump to declare victory, campaign aide saidFormer Trump campaign Lawyer Rudy Giuliani, is displayed on a screen during a hearing by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol on June 13, 2022 in Washington, DC.Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty ImagesIn another clip of witness interviews, ex-Trump campaign aide Jason Miller said that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was "definitely intoxicated" on Election Night 2020 when he said at the White House that Trump should simply declare victory.Miller said that he noticed Giuliani was inebriated when he and other officials, including former campaign manager Bill Stepien and then-chief of staff Mark Meadows, gathered at the White House to listen to what Giuliani wanted to tell Trump to say."The mayor was definitely intoxicated, but I did not know his level of intoxication when he spoke with the president, for example," Miller said as part of an interview with the select committee, clips of which were played in the hearing."There were suggestions by, I believe it was Mayor Giuliani, to go and declare victory and say that we'd won it outright," Miller said. Giuliani was effectively saying, "'We won it, they're stealing it from us, where'd all the votes come from, we need to go say that we won,' and essentially anyone who didn't agree with that position was being weak," Miller told the investigators.Trump, in the early hours of Nov. 4, 2020, falsely claimed, "frankly, we did win this election."A spokesman for Giuliani, who also sent along a conspiracy theory and typo-ridden statement from the former Trump lawyer, denied Giuliani was drunk on Election Night.Star witness drops outCampaign manager Bill Stepien stands alongside US President Donald Trump as he speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One as he flies from Manchester, New Hampshire to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, August 28, 2020, following a campaign rally.Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty ImagesStepien was set to appear under subpoena during Monday's hearing. But his wife went into labor earlier that morning, keeping him from testifying and forcing the select committee to delay the proceedings by 45 minutes.Instead of hearing in-person testimony from Stepien, the committee played a smattering of video and audio clips from his interviews with investigators.In one video clip, Stepien told the committee that on Election Night, he took the view that it was "far too early" for Trump to claim he won the election, as Giuliani allegedly pushed him to do, since ballots were still being counted.Stepien said he recommended that Trump should say the race was too early to call, but that they are proud of the campaign and will have more to say later. Trump disagreed with that message, Stepien said. "He thought I was wrong, he told me so," he said.Trump officials pushed back on fraud claims again and againVideo featuring Eric Hershman, White House lawyer under former President Donald Trump, is played during a hearing by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on June 13, 2022 in Washington, DC.Chip Somodevilla | Getty ImagesThe panel showed clip after clip of ex-Trump officials testifying that they had not seen any evidence of fraud in the 2020 election that could have changed the outcome of the race.Former Trump campaign general counsel Matt Morgan, for example, recalled assessing "whether the [fraud], if aggregated and read most favorably to the campaign, would that be outcome determinative. And I think everyone's assessment in the room at least amongst the staff ... was that it was not sufficient to be outcome determinative."Former White House lawyer Eric Herschman, discussing the claims about rigged Dominion voting machines, said "I never saw any evidence whatsoever to sustain those allegations.""What they were proposing, I thought was nuts," Herschman said in a later clip, referring to fraud conspiracy claims being put forward by Giuliani and pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell.In another clip, former Trump campaign lawyer Alex Cannon said he talked to White House advisor Peter Navarro in mid-November about Dominion voting machines and other allegations of voter fraud. "I remember telling him that I didn't believe the Dominion allegations because I thought the hand recount in Georgia would resolve any issues with the technology problem," Cannon said, adding that federal cybersecurity director Christopher Krebs had recently said the election was secure."I believe Mr. Navarro accused me of being an agent of the deep state working with Chris Krebs against the president. And I never took another phone call from Mr. Navarro," Cannon said.Trump's "own campaign advisors, the Department of Justice, and his cybersecurity experts all told him the same thing," committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said in the hearing.Former deputy acting Attorney General Richard Donoghue told the committee that he tried to tell Trump "in very clear terms" that "the major allegations are not supported by the evidence developed.""We've looked at Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada. We're doing our job. Much of the info you're getting is false," Donoghue said. Donoghue told the panel that when he went into detail to debunk one fraud claim, Trump said, "OK fine, what about the others?" "There were so many of these allegations that when you gave him a very direct answer on one of them, he wouldn't fight us on it but he would move on to another allegation," Donoghue said.Trump's failed court claimsTo drive the point home, the committee displayed statistics showing how the dozens of lawsuits by Trump's legal team and his allies played out in court.Between Election Day 2020 and the date of the Capitol riot, 62 lawsuits were filed challenging results in nine key states and Washington, D.C., the committee said. Trump's side lost 61 of those cases. A graphic displayed by the committee noted that 22 of the judges who oversaw those cases were appointed by Republican presidents. Trump appointed 10 of those judges himself. What will happen nextThe committee is expected to hold five more public hearings in June. The panel's main message, as articulated in the first hearing last week, is that Trump was "at the center" of a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election outcome.The next hearings will "move on to President Trump's broader planning for January 6, including his plan to corrupt the Department of Justice, and his detailed planning with lawyer John Eastman to pressure the vice president, state legislatures, state officials and others to overturn the election," Cheney said at the end of Monday's presentation.

Here are the main takeaways from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot committee's second hearing.

Politics June 13, 2022 / 2:08 PM / CBS News Washington — Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra has tested positive for COVID-19, less than 30 days since he previously contracted the coronavirus, according to a news release from the department. Becerra tested positive on an antigen test Monday and is experiencing mild symptoms. He also tested positive for COVID-19 on May 18 while in Europe and experienced mild symptoms then, HHS said at the time. "This morning in Sacramento, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra tested positive for COVID-19 after taking an antigen test," an HHS spokesperson said in a statement Monday. "He is fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, and is experiencing mild symptoms. He will continue to perform his duties as HHS Secretary, working in isolation. The secretary and his office have consulted with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and are following all applicable CDC guidance." Becerra attended the Summit of the Americas event in Los Angeles last week, but the HHS spokesperson said Becerra "has not been considered a close contact of President Biden or Vice President Harris, as defined by the CDC."A spokesperson for HHS said the secretary takes COVID-19 tests regularly, and tested negative daily during participation at last week's summit. As HHS secretary, Becerra has been one of the Biden administration officials spearheading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alex Tin contributed reporting. In: United States Department of Health and Human Services Kathryn Watson Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra tests positive for COVID-19 for second time in a month.

The 2022 stock sell-off intensified on Monday with the S&P 500 tumbling to a fresh low for the year. The index is on track to close in bear market territory as recession fears grew ahead of a key Federal Reserve meeting later this week.The S&P 500 fell 4% to its lowest level since March 2021, bringing its losses from its January record to more than 21%. The benchmark is headed for its first close in bear market territory after trading there briefly on an intraday basis about three weeks ago. Some on Wall Street say it's not an official bear market until it closes there. Stocks' last bear market was in March 2020 at the onset of pandemic.The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 980 points, or about 3.14% and the Nasdaq Composite tumbled about 4.8%. Major averages hit their lows of the session in the final 30 minutes after a Wall Street Journal report suggested the Fed would consider raising rates by 0.75% on Wednesday, more than the half point increase currently expected.There were few places to hide. Treasury bonds dropped, pushing the 10-year yield to its largest move since March 2020. Bitcoin was slammed by 15%. At one point during the trading day, every single stock in the S&P 500 was lower. At last count, only a handful were in the green.The moves came as investors continued to digest a hotter-than-expected inflation report on Friday and braced for the Fed to raise rates later in the week."Anyone who wants to be bullish can't find anything to hang their hat on," said Jack Ablin, founding partner of Cresset Capital. "There's nothing out there right now with valuations under question, with interest rates rising, the direction of the economy uncertain."Recession fears growingShares of Boeing, Salesforce and American Express fell more than 9%, 6% and 4%, respectively, dragging down the Dow as recession fears picked up. Beaten-up tech shares also took a hit with Netflix, Tesla and Nvidia down more than 6% as the Nasdaq touched a fresh 52-week low and its lowest level since November 2020.Travel stocks also slipped on Monday as Carnival Corporation and Norwegian Cruise Line plummeted about 11% and 12%, respectively. Delta Air Lines dropped more than 7% while United tumbled about 10%.All major S&P 500 sectors dipped into the red, with energy and consumer discretionary down more than 4%. Information technology, materials and communication services also slipped more than 3%.The dramatic moves lower could indicate that many investors are profit-taking or repositioning their portfolios, and may signal that markets are in "a capitulation stage," said Jeff Kilburg, chief investment officer of Sanctuary Wealth.As equities sold off short-term rates jumped on Monday. The 10-year Treasury rose 20 basis points higher to 3.35%, as investors continued to bet the Fed may have to get more aggressive to squash inflation. Prices move inversely to yields and 1 basis point equals 0.01%. The 2-year Treasury yield was last up 23 basis points to 3.28%.Monday's moves came after the major averages last week posted their biggest weekly declines since late January as investors grew increasingly concerned rising inflation will tip the economy into a recession. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the U.S. consumer price index rose last month by 8.6% from a year ago, its fastest increase since December 1981. That gain topped economists' expectations.Gasoline prices also hit above $5 a gallon over the weekend, further fanning fears over rising inflation and falling consumer confidence.Crypto crushedMeanwhile, Bitcoin tumbled below $24,000 on Monday and hit its lowest level since 2020 as risk-averse investors continued to dump crypto as rates rise. The news sent shared of crypto-related companies including Coinbase and Microstrategy down 13% and 29%, respectively."The cryptocurrency bitcoin has been a great gauge of investors' risk threshold for equities," wrote JC O'Hara, chief market technician at MKM Partners. "Plenty of longs who bought in last year are still trapped, and thus we could easily see a pullback to 19,500. That would be a bearish read through for stocks."Investors are looking ahead to Wednesday when the Fed is expected to announce at least a half-point rate hike. The central bank has already raised rates twice this year, including a 50-basis-point increase in May in an effort to stave off the recent inflation surge.Some economists believe the Fed could even raise rates by 0.75% this week following Friday's CPI report.Time to play defenseIf history is any guide, this sell-off may have further to go. Data from Bespoke Investment Group shows that since World War II there have been 14 bear markets on a closing basis and on average, the S&P 500 has pulled back a median of 30%, with the downturn lasting a median of 359 days.Amid Monday's sell-off, investors should maintain a "defensive posture" in areas like consumer staples and health care, said Truist's Keith Lerner. These stocks may not post big gains but can outperform relative to other sectors, he said.Ablin is looking at gold as a continued safe haven even as prices fall on the day, along with companies that pay consistent dividends.Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analysis, and live business day programming from around the world.

S&P 500 tumbles 4% to new low for the year, on track to close in bear market territory.

Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones performs at Anfield Stadium as part of their "Stones Sixty Europe 2022 Tour", in Liverpool, Britain, June 9, 2022. REUTERS/Carl RecineRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAMSTERDAM, June 13 (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones postponed a concert on Monday in Amsterdam after lead singer Mick Jagger tested positive for COVID-19, the band said in a statement."The Rolling Stones are deeply sorry for tonight’s postponement, but the safety of the audience, fellow musicians and the touring crew has to take priority," they said.Jagger, 78, had experienced symptoms after arriving at Amsterdam's Johan Cruijff ArenA, the band said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRepresentatives for Mojo Concerts, which had organized the band's appearance in the Netherlands, came onstage to inform the audience at ArenA, a football stadium, an hour and a half before the concert was due to begin."He can't sing, he can't play," an unnamed announcer told fans. "There is no show tonight ... it is what it is."Amsterdam was to be the fourth stop in the "Stones Sixty" European tour, following an appearance in Liverpool on Thursday.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Mick Jagger positive for COVID-19, Amsterdam Rolling Stones concert postponed.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13(Reuters) - Top advisers to then-President Donald Trump told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were unfounded and would not reverse his 2020 election loss, but he refused to listen, according to testimony on Monday at a hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.Close aides and family members said they told Trump that they found no merit in a wide range of often outlandish allegations that surfaced after his election defeat, including reports of a "suspicious suitcase" containing fake ballots, a truck transporting ballots to Pennsylvania and computer chips swapped into voting machines."I thought, boy, if he really believes this stuff he has lost contact with, he's become detached from reality," said William Barr, who served as Trump's attorney general and was long known as loyal to the Republican president. In video testimony, Barr bluntly dismissed claims of fraud as "bullshit" and "crazy stuff."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"There was never an indication of interest in what the actual facts were," he said.The Democratic-led House of Representatives Select Committee investigating the assault on the U.S. Capitol by thousands of Trump supporters presented its findings at the second of an expected six this month on its nearly year-long investigation into the riot.Monday's hearing sought to make the case that Trump ignored the advice of many of his own staffers when he claimed that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him.Committee members argue that Trump's repeated fraud claims, known by Democrats as "The Big Lie," convinced his followers to attack the Capitol."He and his closest advisors knew those claims were false, but they continued to peddle them anyway, right up until the moments before a mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol,"Democrats said Trump raised some $250 million from supporters to advance fraud claims in court but instead steered much of the money elsewhere."The 'Big Lie' was also a big ripoff," Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren said.Trump has denied wrongdoing, and repeatedly insisted that he did not lose, dismissing the Select Committee investigation as a political witchhunt.An advertisement soliciting donations for former U.S. President Donald Trump is seen as it was introduced as evidence and displayed on a screen above U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chairperson Bennie Thompson (D-MS) , Vice Chair U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) and U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) holding the second public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, at Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S. June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstOpinion polls show that many of Trump's supporters still believe his false claims about the election. Some are now running for offices in which they would oversee future elections. Trump has hinted at running for president again in 2024 but has not announced any decision.CAMPAIGN 'DID NOT MAKE ITS CASE'Bill Stepien, Trump's campaign manager, said he recommended on election night that Trump steer clear of any pronouncement of victory and instead say votes were still being counted."He thought I was wrong. He told me so, and that they were going to go, that he was going to go in a different direction," Stepien said in videotaped testimony. Stepien was slated to testify in person, but cancelled at the last minute when his wife went into labor.Trump went on television to preemptively declare victory at the urging of Rudy Giuliani, a former New York City mayor. Campaign advisor Jason Miller testified that Giuliani was not sober at the time."The mayor was definitely intoxicated but I, um, did not know his level of intoxication when he spoke with the president, for example," Miller said in video testimony.Byung J. "BJay" Pak, who resigned as U.S. attorney in Atlanta as Trump's camp questioned Georgia's election results, said he found no evidence of fraud in that state.Referring to the suspicious suitcase that supposedly contained fake or altered ballots, Pak said, sitting at the witness table: "The alleged black suitcase being pulled from under the table was an official lock box."Monday's session followed a blockbuster hearing on Thursday night featuring testimony showing that close Trump allies - even Trump's daughter Ivanka - rejected his false claims of voting fraud. read more Nearly 20 million Americans watched the hearing aired in the primetime peak television viewing hours.Four people died the day of the attack, one fatally shot by police and the others of natural causes. Some 140 police officers were injured, and one died the next day. Four officers later died by suicide.Nearly 850 people have been arrested for crimes related to the riot, including more than 250 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Patricia Zengerle, Richard Cowan and Doina Chiacu, additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump aides tell Jan. 6 committee he ignored their doubts about election fraud.

Traders on the floor of the NYSE, June 13, 2022.Source: NYSEIt's official, according to the folks who decide which markets are bulls and which are bears, not to mention which stocks go into the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500.U.S. stocks on Monday entered a bear market because the S&P 500 closed more than 21% below its all-time record close reached as recently as last January, S&P Global Dow Jones Indices senior index analyst Howard Silverblatt wrote. Stocks had been flirting with a bear market for the past several weeks on an intraday basis, but had never actually closed below 3837, the level S&P Global needed to see in order to officially declare one. S&P Global says a 20% decline in the S&P 500 on a closing basis from its previous peak is all it takes to define a bear market. Which means that this bear market is already more than five months old, since the S&P 500 all-time high came on January 3.Prior bear markets for the S&P 500Start date End date Start price End price Months S&P 500 % change Prior Bull mkt % gain 9/7/19296/1/193231.924.4032.8-86.23/6/19374/29/194218.687.4761.8-603255/29/19466/14/194919.2513.5536.5-29.61588/2/195610/22/195749.6438.9814.7-21.526612/12/19616/27/196272.6452.326.5-28862/9/196610/7/196694.0673.207.9-22.28011/29/19685/26/1970108.3769.2917.8-36.1481/11/197310/3/1974120.2462.2820.7-48.27411/28/19808/12/1982140.52102.4220.4-27.11268/25/198712/4/1987336.77223.923.3-33.52297/16/199010/11/1990368.95295.462.9-19.9653/24/200010/9/20021527.46776.7630.5-49.141710/9/20073/9/20091565.15676.5317-56.81012/19/20203/23/20203386.152237.401.1-33.94011/3/20225/20/20224796.563837.244.5-20114AVERAGE18.6-38.1177.8Source: S&P Dow Jones IndicesSince the modern S&P 500 index began in the late 1920s, the average bear market has translated into a 38% price decline lasting an average of almost 19 months. But that's only the average. The longest bear market lasted 62 months, between 1937 and 1946, while the worst decline came as the Great Depression got underway and stocks plunged 86%.The causes of every bear market are different, of course. This one is defined by the Fed tightening interest rates in reply to galloping inflation that's running at the fastest clip in 40 years, and the first European land war since World War 2. The last bear market in early 2020 was caused by the onset of Covid-19, a global pandemic, and the economic contraction that followed. The Global Financial Crisis created the 2007-2009 bear market as the housing market imploded. The bursting of the Tech Bubble led directly to the 2000-2002 bear market.So, how does S&P Global define the end of a bear market? When the index reaches its low and later rises by 20%. Unfortunately for investors, that can only be known in hindsight.

The S&P 500 is now in an official bear market, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Jun 13, 2022; Brookline, Massachusetts, USA; Phil Mickelson addresses the media during a press conference before rounds of the U.S. Open golf tournament at The Country Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY SportsRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBROOKLINE, Mass., June 13 (Reuters) - Phil Mickelson said he hoped to "create new memories" with the PGA Tour after the U.S. golf circuit suspended him for joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series amid a continuing outcry ahead of this week's U.S. Open.The PGA Tour last week suspended Mickelson and other members who joined LIV Golf, with Commissioner Jay Monahan saying they had "decided to turn their backs" on the tour. read more Mickelson, who has finished runner-up six times at the U.S. Open and will get another shot at completing the career Grand Slam on his 30th attempt at the Country Club in Brookline, said he respected those who have "strong opinions." read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"(I'm) very appreciative of the many memories, opportunities, experiences, friendships, relationships PGA Tour has provided, and those are going to last -- those will last a lifetime, but I'm hopeful that I'll have a chance to create more," he said.Mickelson was a long-time fan favourite but faced a barrage of disapproval after remarks were made public earlier this year in which he criticised the Saudi government for its "horrible" human rights record but said he would use the prospect of LIV Golf to gain economic leverage over the PGA Tour. read more Mickelson apologised for his remarks and announced in February that he was taking time away from the game, opting out of the Masters and his title defence at the PGA Championship. read more Saudi Arabia's government denies accusations of human rights abuses."It's been a necessary time and an opportunity for me to step away a little bit and put a little bit of thought and reflection into going forward and how to best prioritise things," Mickelson told reporters on Monday.The American said he planned to compete in next month's Open Championship at St Andrews and would prefer to have the option to play "one or both" tours."I gave as much back to the PGA Tour and the game of golf as I could throughout my 30 years here and through my accomplishments on the course I've earned a lifetime membership," he said."I intend to keep that and then choose going forward which events to play and not."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Suspended Mickelson hopes to create 'new memories' with PGA Tour.

Chris Stirewalt, a former political editor of Fox News, speaks in front of U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Chairperson Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Vice Chair U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) and U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) during the second public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, at Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S. June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - Top advisers to then-President Donald Trump told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were unfounded and would not reverse his election loss, but he refused to listen, according to testimony on Monday at a hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. read more The committee is showcasing this testimony as part of a broader picture it aims to paint of a president trying to illegally hold onto power after losing the Nov. 3, 2020 election to Democratic President Joe Biden.Here are some key takeaways from Monday's hearing:Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comHE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTERWitnesses said Trump pushed his election fraud conspiracy theory long after aides shot down claim after claim. Instead, they said, Trump would acknowledge their findings and then just move onto the next unsubstantiated claim.Bill Stepien, Trump's former campaign manager, said he urged the president not to preemptively declare victory on Election Night, when votes were still coming in."He thought I was wrong. He told me so," Stepien said.Richard Donoghue, the former No. 2 Justice Department official, said there were so many spurious claims that it was difficult to discredit them all. He says he told Trump that "much of the info you're getting is false."'TEAM NORMAL'Stepien told the committee that he and other aides viewed themselves as "Team Normal" as they tried to steer Trump away from dubious fraud claims being peddled by Rudy Giuliani and other lawyers and discourage him from contesting his defeat."I didn't think what was happening was honest or professional," Stepien said in videotaped testimony.Campaign adviser Jason Miller testified that Giuliani was not sober on Election Night when he urged Trump to deliver a victory speech.Giuliani was "definitely intoxicated but I did not know his level of intoxication when he spoke with the president."The committee also showcased what witnesses said were a series of outlandish election fraud allegations that proved to be false.These included a "suspicious black suitcase" containing fake ballots that turned out to be a local election lock box in Georgia, a tractor-trailer truck that supposedly transported ballots from New York to Pennsylvania, computer chips being swapped into voting machines that automatically awarded Trump votes to Biden and rampant fraudulent voting among Native Americans. The Trump aides and advisors dismissed all of them as having no merit.FOLLOWING THE MONEYAmanda Wick, an investigator with the select committee, said a series of Trump fundraising appeals based on the allegation of voter fraud raised $250 million, with nearly $100 million in first week after the election.Legal experts have said these fundraising activities could have been fraudulent.Trump repeatedly has denied doing anything illegal in connection with Jan. 6 events.Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren, said, "It's clear that he intentionally misled his donors, asked them to donate to a fund that didn't exist and used the money raised for something other than what he said. Now it's for someone else to decide whether that's criminal or not," she told reporters following the Monday's hearing.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Richard Cowan and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Takeaways from second day of Trump Jan. 6 hearings.

Test tubes labelled "Monkeypox virus positive and negative" are seen in this illustration taken May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Dado RuvicRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON/MILAN, June 13 (Reuters) - Fragments of the monkeypox virus have been detected in semen in a handful of patients in Italy, raising questions over whether sexual transmission of the disease is a possibility, scientists said on Monday.The monkeypox virus is understood to spread through close contact with an infected person, who may shed the virus via its hallmark skin lesions or large respiratory droplets. Many of the monkeypox cases confirmed in the current outbreak are among sexual partners who have had such close contact.However sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, chlamydia, and syphilis are understood to be caused by pathogens that pass from one person to the next specifically in semen, vaginal secretions or other bodily fluids.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comResearchers at the Spallanzani Institute, a Rome-based hospital and infectious disease research facility first highlighted evidence of the monkeypox virus in semen in four patients in Italy in a report on June 2.They have since identified six out of seven patients at the facility with semen containing the virus' genetic material. In particular, a sample tested in the lab from a single patient suggested that the virus found in his semen was capable of infecting another person and replicating.This data, which is being submitted for publication, is not enough evidence to prove that the virus' biological traits have changed, such that its mode of transmission has evolved, Francesco Vaia, the institute's general director, told Reuters."However ... having an infectious virus in semen is a factor that tips the balance strongly in favour of the hypothesis that sexual transmission is one of the ways in which this virus is transmitted," he said.Vaia said the World Health Organization has been notified of the latest findings. The U.N. agency was not immediately available for comment.The data comes as more than 1,300 cases of the viral disease have been reported by about 30 countries, mostly in Europe, since early May. Most cases have been reported in men who have sex with men.The outbreak has triggered concern since the virus is rarely seen outside of Africa, where it is endemic, and the majority of cases are not related to travel to the continent.Scientists are scrambling to understand what is driving the current outbreak, its origins and whether anything about the virus has changed.In a separate report published online on June 6 and yet to be peer reviewed, German scientists also detected viral DNA in the semen of two patients in the country.The detection of viral DNA does not necessarily imply presence of infectious virus, said Carlos Maluquer de Motes, who runs a research group studying poxvirus biology at the University of Surrey.An analysis by UK researchers found that viral DNA from a range of different viruses, including the Zika virus, has been found in semen, but it is unclear whether the presence of genetic material increases the risk of sexual transmission.Overall, it is still not known for sure whether monkeypox is infectious through semen, added Enrico Bucci, a biologist from Temple University in Philadelphia."It is suspected and it is very likely that it is. But there is a lack of formal evidence that will be available with further experiments in the laboratory."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Natalie Grover in London and Emilio Parodi in Milan; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Monkeypox DNA found in semen in handful of cases -researchers say.

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW YORK, June 13 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 (.SPX) ended more than 20% below its Jan. 3 record closing high on Monday, confirming a bear market for the benchmark as investors sold stocks amid worries over whether the Federal Reserve will be able to tame inflation without triggering a recession.A close of more than 20% below the record high confirms the index is in a bear market, according to a commonly used definition. It is the first time the S&P 500 has confirmed a bear market since the 2020 Wall Street plunge brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Chuck Mikolajczak and Nick Zieminski and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Wall Street shakeout clinches bear market label after S&P 500 tumble.

Countries like the U.S. and U.K. are grappling with inflation that has risen to multi-year highs as the Ukraine war has caused energy prices to spike and food prices to rise.Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty ImagesTalk of a recession is heating up, with Wall Street veterans flagging the rising risks of a downturn — and offering advice on how to invest during this cycle.Investment bank Morgan Stanley said that while a recession isn't its base case, it is its bear case because the risk of one has "gone up materially.""Needless to say there are numerous shocks hitting the economy right now that could tip us over into a recession at some point in the next 12 months," said the investment bank in a May report. It cited factors such as an escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war that may push oil prices to $150, the extremely strong dollar, and crushing cost pressures on companies.Wall Street veteran Ed Yardeni, who had said in April there was a 30% chance of a recession, last week raised that figure to 40%, while Citi CEO Jane Fraser told CNBC she was convinced that Europe is headed for a recession.The war in Ukraine has caused energy prices to spike and food prices to rise. The U.S. and U.K. — and other countries around the world — are grappling with inflation that has risen to multi-year highs.Major stock indexes have posted steep declines since peaking late in 2021 and early this year, with the Nasdaq losing around 23% since the beginning of 2022. The S&P 500 has dropped about 13% in the same period.Here's how antsy investors can ride out persistent turbulence in the stock market, according to the experts.1.    Buy these three sectorsAs volatility is set to stick around, Morgan Stanley recommended defensive sectors in a May 16 report on its U.S. market outlook. Those include health care, utilities and real estate."With the exception of Energy, all of the top performing sectors have come from the defensive end of the spectrum," Morgan Stanley wrote. "We do not believe defensives will have a great run of absolute performance but they should offer some relative protection as our call for lower earnings and multiples would hit cyclicals harder."Defensive stocks provide stable dividends and earnings regardless of the state of the overall stock market, while cyclicals are stocks that can be affected by the cycle of the economy.This is what Morgan Stanley says about the three defensive sectors:Health care: The sector is trading at a discount to the overall market, unlike most other defensive sectors, according to Morgan Stanley. The bank prefers large-cap stocks in pharmaceuticals and biotech, adding that they are trading at an attractive price and offers relatively attractive dividend yields.Real estate: The sector gained 42% last year, and has outperformed the broader U.S. market by 16%, said Morgan Stanley. The bank likes this sector for its earnings stability and dividend income."The steady cash flows within REITS should provide defensive exposure against market downswings in the year ahead," Morgan Stanley said."Further, REITS offer built-in inflation protection through lease agreements, rent hikes and property appreciation that should allow the sector to weather the high inflationary environment relatively better than other sectors," it added.Utilities: Valuations are already elevated, but Morgan Stanley is optimistic on this sector more for its downside protection, as opposed to any further upside."With nearly all industries dealing with the effects of rising energy costs, the set pricing structure within Utilities should provide relative protection in this high cost environment," it said.2.       Be patientA recession "requires extra patience" in deploying cash for any investment opportunities, said Wells Fargo Investment Institute.Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist at the advisory firm, told CNBC that investors should "slow down" their pace of reinvestments because bear markets can last about a year, and sometimes cause drawdowns of around 30%."Long-term investors typically diversify for times like these," added Scott Wren, senior global market strategist, also at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "We recommend an incremental plan to deploy cash over the coming year (or longer) and continue to emphasize quality and defense in an effort to preserve capital."Short-term investors looking at a horizon of six to 18 months may benefit from holding additional cash and expect opportunities to enter the market in the coming months, said Wren.3.       Buy investment-grade bondsBuy quality bonds, and steer clear of junk — or high-yield — bonds, the strategists said."We hold a preference for quality over junk as markets dive deeper into late cycle," Morgan Stanley  strategists said. "We have seen sustained outperformance of quality versus junk since November 2021 when the shift to a more hawkish Fed occurred."In addition, the attractive income that bonds offer would offset the effects of widening spreads in a mild recession, according to American asset manager Nuveen. A yield spread is the difference in yields between government and corporate bonds of the same tenure. It recommends investment-grade corporate bonds.

Wall Street veterans offer 3 trading strategies for investors worried about a recession.

Binance app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Dado RuvicRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW YORK, June 13 (Reuters) - Binance U.S. and its CEO were sued on Monday by a U.S. investor who alleges the cryptocurrency exchange falsely marketed Terra USD as a safe asset ahead of the so-called stablecoin's collapse in value last month.Stablecoins are digital tokens pegged to the value of traditional assets, such as the U.S. dollar, and are popular as safe havens in times of turmoil in crypto markets. But Terra USD's value plunged last month, breaking its 1:1 dollar peg and contributing to a tumble in other crypto assets like Bitcoin. read more In the lawsuit against Binance and Chief Executive Brian Shroder, Utah resident Jeffrey Lockhart said Binance falsely advertised Terra USD as "safe" and backed by fiat currency, when in fact it was an unregistered security.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLockhart said Binance's failure to register with the U.S. government as a securities exchange limits disclosure about assets traded on the platform, harming investors."Binance and other exchanges were critical enablers of this devastating failure to comply with the securities laws," said Tibor Nagy of law firm Dontzin Nagy & Fleissig, which represents Lockhart. "Crypto exchanges made massive profits by flouting securities laws and causing real harm to real people."A Binance spokesperson said the exchange is registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) - a unit of the U.S. Treasury Department - and complies with all applicable regulations."These assertions are without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously," the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the exchange will delist Terra USD, a decision made before the lawsuit was filed.Lockhart is seeking to have himself and other investors who bought Terra on Binance registered as a class.In a separate lawsuit in 2020, investors accused Binance of selling unregistered tokens and failing to register as an exchange or broker-dealer.A federal judge in Manhattan dismissed that case in March, stating that the investors had waited until too long after their losses to sue and that U.S. securities law did not apply because Binance was not a domestic exchange. The investors are appealing. read more Lockhart's lawsuit, by contrast, targets Binance's U.S. unit and comes just weeks after Terra USD's collapse.His suit comes after a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators last week proposed legislation to have the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), not the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), play the primary role in regulating crypto.The CFTC is generally seen as friendlier toward cryptocurrencies, as the SEC has found crypto assets should be seen as securities. read more Cryptocurrencies continued their slide on Monday, with Bitcoin touching an 18-month low and No. 2 token ether tumbling as much as 18%. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Binance U.S. exchange sued by crypto investor over stablecoin collapse.

Politics June 13, 2022 / 2:03 PM / CBS News Trump demotes campaign manager Trump demotes campaign manager Brad Parscale amid slipping poll numbers 10:17 Bill Stepien, President Trump's former campaign manager, played a key role in Monday's House Jan. 6 committee public hearing. The hearing focused on how the then-president declared victory on election night, despite being told that he didn't have the votes to win and how he continued to embrace false claims of election fraud. Stepein was set to testify in person at Monday's hearing, but canceled at the last minute after his wife went into labor. Given his absence, the House committee investigating the riot used recorded video testimony from Stepien, who described what it was like during and after Election Day trying to get the president to believe there was no evidence of a stolen election, as Mr. Trump repeatedly claimed.  On election night, Stepien said he recommended to the president that they wait for the votes to be counted before declaring victory because it was too early to call the race. He said Mr. Trump disagreed with him, saying he "was going to go in a different direction."  In this image from video released by the House Select Committee, an exhibit shows Bill Stepien, former Trump campaign manager, left, during a video interview to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol at the hearing Monday, June 13, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington.  House Select Committee via AP) In the early hours of Nov. 4, 2020, Trump gave a speech declaring victory.  "I always told the president the truth, and you know, I think he expected that from me and I told him it was going to be a process and you know, we'll have to wait and see how this turns out. Just like I did in 2016, I did in 2020," Stepien said, according to a recorded interview. After the election, Stepien said two camps emerged within the campaign — "Team Normal," of which he was part, and "Rudy's Team," referring to those who listened to Rudy Giuliani. "I didn't think what was happening was necessarily honest or professional at that point in time," he said of those fueling false claims the election was rigged. "That led to me stepping away."Stepien became Trump's campaign manager less than four months ahead of the election amid tumbling poll numbers in a presidential race shaped by a global pandemic and its economic fallout. Stepien, a traditional GOP political operative, lacked the limelight-craving swagger of the man he replaced, Brad Parscale, who at 6'8'', was regularly spotted posing for selfies at Trump campaign rallies, served as a warm-up act for Mr. Trump, and promoted his Facebook page using campaign funds.In Stepien, the president found a more behind-the-scenes, disciplined campaign operative, jokingly described as "allergic to press" — and not nearly as frequently photographed as Parscale. Trump allies viewed him as a known entity. Though Stepien rarely exerted too much power or control over the president's message, he began a review of campaign infrastructure and spending when promoted from campaign political director to deputy campaign manager in late May.Former deputy assistant to the president and White House political director, Stepien joined the Trump administration in January 2017, but he departed his post in December 2018 after the House suffered Republican midterm losses."With 109 days left, our goal is clear – to win each day we have left until Election Day," Stepien wrote in his first statement as campaign manager. "If we win more days than Joe Biden wins, President Trump will be re-elected."A product of New Jersey politics, Stepien first worked in politics as a volunteer for a state Senate campaign in 1997 while studying at Rutgers University, then climbed the Garden State ranks for a decade. The campaign operative flipped a Democratic district to Republican in 2003 while running Bill Baroni's State Assembly race, a job that led to positions at the Republican National Committee, and later, the 2008 presidential campaigns of both Rudy Giuliani and Senator John McCain.Stepien served as Chris Christie's campaign manager for his 2009 run for New Jersey governor and again for his reelection bid in 2013. Christie notoriously fired Stepien following a 2014 investigation of the "Bridgegate" scandal. Thousands of emails and text messages revealed plans by Christie's administration in 2013 to close traffic lanes in Fort Lee, New Jersey, leading to the George Washington Bridge – political retaliation against the mayor for not supporting the governor's reelection campaign. Christie said at the time that he was disturbed by Stepien's "callous indifference" in some of the emails, according to CBS New York. Stepien was never charged in the scandal, but his protege and Christie's former chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, was convicted of fraud and conspiracy, along with another Christie appointee, Bill Baroni. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Kelly and Baroni's convictions earlier this year.Former Republican operative David Wildstein testified in the 2016 trial that Stepien knew about the plan to close traffic lanes to create gridlock to punish the Democratic Fort Lee mayor. Another one of Christie's top political advisers, Mike DuHaime, testified that Stepien and Kelly knew about the plan ahead of a December 2013 news conference when Christie said no one in his administration had any knowledge of the scheme. Stepien's attorney maintained his client did not engage in any wrongdoing.  Stepien was Mr. Trump's fifth campaign manager, following Corey Lewandowski, Paul Manafort, Kellyanne Conway, and Parscale.Major Garrett, Arden Farhi and Fin Gomez contributed to this report. In: Republican Party Nicole Sganga CBS News reporter covering homeland security and justice. Twitter Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Who is Bill Stepien? Former Trump campaign manager's testimony plays central role in Jan. 6 hearing.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Crystal Palace v Manchester United - Selhurst Park, London, Britain - May 22, 2022 New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag outside the stadium before the match Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's first game at home will be a pre-season friendly against LaLiga side Rayo Vallecano at the end of July, the Premier League club announced on Monday.The match at Old Trafford on July 31 will conclude United's preparations for the new leauge season, which starts on Aug. 6.Ten Hag's side are due to visit Thailand and Australia as part of their pre-season tour before playing Atletico Madrid in Oslo and then Rayo, who finished 12th in LaLiga last term. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"Pre-season is all about preparation and this is a great opportunity for those squad members who may not have featured in some of our earlier Tour," United's football director John Murtough said in a statement."This will be the new manager's first match at Old Trafford, and I am sure the fans will provide him with a warm welcome."Ten Hag takes over at United following a dismal campaign under interim boss Ralf Rangnick, with the team finishing sixth in the league and missing out on Champions League qualification, having to settle for a place in the Europa League instead.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Dhruv Munjal in Bengaluru; editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Man Utd to play Rayo Vallecano in Ten Hag's first home game.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, speaks during a hearing on "Big Data, Big Questions: Implications for Competition and Consumers" in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 21, 2021.Ting Shen | Pool | ReutersDozens of companies and business organizations sent a letter to U.S. Congress members on Monday, urging them to support a bill that would rein in the biggest tech companies such as Amazon and Alphabet's Google.Last week, Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and lawmakers from both parties said they had the Senate votes needed to pass legislation that would prevent tech platforms, including Apple and Facebook, from favoring their own businesses.Companies supporting the measure, which include Yelp, Sonos, DuckDuckGo and Spotify, called it a "moderate and sensible bill aimed squarely at well-documented abuses by the very largest online platforms."Other signatories included the American Booksellers Association, the American Independent Business Alliance, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Kelkoo Group. Amazon.com, the Chamber of Commerce and others oppose the measure. Supporters urged lawmakers to pass the bill, saying it would modernize antitrust laws so smaller companies can compete.Last week, Klobuchar said she believed she had the 60 Senate votes needed to end debate and move to a vote on final passage. There is a similar bill in the House of Representatives."It's no surprise that Yelp and Spotify like the bill since it's designed to help them. But senators are telling us that they just aren't hearing their voters demanding changes to Amazon Basics and Google Maps," the pro-tech Chamber of Progress said in a statement.The tech giants have said the bill would imperil popular consumer products like Google Maps and Amazon Basics and make it harder for the companies to protect their users' security and privacy.Carl Szabo of NetChoice said the pressure being exerted to get a vote on the bill was a sign that it did not have enough support to pass. "This is a drowning bill's last gasp for air," he said.

U.S. bill to rein in Big Tech backed by dozens of small and big companies.

The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2022.Stefani Reynolds | AFP | Getty ImagesMarkets are beginning to anticipate an even faster pace of interest rate hikes, and Federal Reserve officials apparently are contemplating the possibility as well.Central bank policymakers are entertaining the idea of a 75 basis point increase to the Fed's benchmark funds rate that banks charge each other for overnight financing, according to a Wall Street Journal report Monday afternoon. The rate feeds through to many consumer products that are based on adjustable rates, such as mortgages and credit cards.In recent days, traders in the fed funds futures market have been cranking up their bets that the Fed will go beyond its traditional 25-basis-point hiking pattern.While 50 basis points remains the most likely case following the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting that concludes Wednesday, bond yields pointed to the possibility of a more aggressive Fed.The 10-year Treasury yield shot up to 3.37% Monday, a surge of 21 basis points, while the 2-year yield, which mostly closely tracks Fed intentions, accelerated to 3.34%, a jump of nearly 30 basis points. A basis point is one one-hundredth of a percentage point.The Fed uses interest rate increases as a way to tamp down demand, which has generated inflation levels running at more than 40-year highs. Markets expect the central bank to continue jacking up rates through at least the end of the year as it tries to pull inflation down nearer its 2% target.The Journal report did not cite any specific sources for its reporting but said that officials could reconsider their stance on rates in light of several recent reports showing that inflation is not only high historically but is continuing to push upward. The Fed is in its quiet period ahead of the two-day Open Market Committee meeting that opens Tuesday, so officials can't comment on policy.Friday's consumer price index report showed headline inflation in May running at an 8.6% pace. A separate survey from the New York Fed released Monday indicated that one-year inflation expectations are at 6.6%, tied for a record in a data series that goes back to 2012.The roots of inflation are multi-pronged: Clogged supply chains are pushing up prices, while energy prices are rising due to decreased production, a situation aggravated by the Russian attack on Ukraine. A supply-demand mismatch in the labor market also is fueling much higher wages, which in turn are leading to price increases.

Fed reportedly considering hiking interest rates by three-quarters of a point this week.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - At least three people including a child were killed and 18 injured on Monday in a Ukrainian artillery attack at a market in the Russian-backed separatist Ukrainian region of Donetsk, officials in the province said.The Donetsk News Agency showed pictures of burning stalls at the central Maisky market and several bodies on the ground. The news agency said 155-mm calibre NATO-standard artillery munitions hit parts of the region on Monday."We had a hit to the market - there were many people here," Yan Gagin, an adviser to the separatists' self-styled government, told RIA news agency from the market. Two bodies were laid out on the floor of the market behind him.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comHe said a woman and child were among the dead.Firefighters extinguish a fire at the central Maisky market following recent shelling in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in Donetsk, Ukraine June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer The local health authorities said 18 people had been injured, including two children.Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports.President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that the main immediate reason for what he casts as a "special military operation" was to protect the Russian-speakers of Donbas from persecution and attack by Ukraine.Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia is waging an unprovoked war against a sovereign state which is fighting for its existence. Kyiv says Russia's claim of persecution of Russian-speakers is a baseless pretext for the invasion.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Guy Faulconbridge Editing by Peter Graff and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Three killed, 18 injured in artillery attack on Donetsk market, separatists say.

U.S. June 13, 2022 / 3:44 PM / CBS/AP House passes sweeping gun control package House passes series of sweeping gun new control measures 05:02 Republican Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill into law Monday that will allow education employees in Ohio to carry guns on school premises after having received just one day's worth of training, at most. The law is an attempt to undo the effect of an Ohio Supreme Court ruling last year, which mandated that per the law at the time, school employees were required to undergo hundreds of hours of training before arming themselves in schools. It takes effect this fall.The law, as enacted, requires up to 24 hours of training before an employee can go armed, and up to eight hours of annual training. The training programs must be approved by the Ohio School Safety Center, and DeWine announced he's ordering the center to require the maximum 24 hours and the maximum eight hours.Schools can provide additional training if they wish, DeWine said. The governor explained earlier this month that school districts can decide to "designate armed staff for school security and safety," but they can still prohibit guns on campuses if they choose to do so. Before announcing the bill signing, the governor outlined several other school safety measures he and lawmakers have promoted, including $100 million for school security upgrades in schools and $5 million for upgrades at colleges. Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine speaks at a news conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 18, 2020. Andrew Welsh Huggins / AP The state is also adding 28 employees to the school safety center to work with districts on safety issues and to provide training under the new law. Ohio has also provided $1.2 billion in wellness funding for schools to address mental health and other issues, the governor said.  The new law "is giving schools an option, based on their particular circumstances, to make the best decision they can make with the best information they have," DeWine said. The governor said his preference remains that school districts hire armed school resource officers, but said the law is another tool for districts that want to protect children. He emphasized that it's optional, not a requirement.Mayors of Ohio's biggest cities, including Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, planned an afternoon news conference to highlight gun violence in their communities and outline their differences with the governor over gun issues. Nan Whaley, DeWine's Democratic opponent for governor, also planned a news conference, after denouncing his decision to sign the bill.The signing came the same day a new law went into effect making a concealed weapons permit optional for those legally allowed to carry a weapon. Democrats have said the law sends the wrong message coming so soon after the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Republicans say the measure could prevent such shootings. Lawmakers fast-tracked the legislation to counter the impact of a court ruling that said, under current law, armed school workers would need more than 700 hours of training, consistent with "basic peace officer training programs in Ohio."The measure is opposed by major law enforcement groups, gun control advocates, and the state's teachers unions. It's supported by a handful of police departments and school districts. In: Gun Control Guns Ohio Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Ohio governor signs bill allowing school employees to carry guns after one day of training.

Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of the General Motors Company (GM), speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, on May 2, 2022.Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty ImagesDETROIT – Shares of General Motors on Monday closed below the post-bankrupt automaker's $33 initial public offering price for the first time since October 2020.Amid a broad market sell-off that also pushed Ford Motor and Chrysler-parent Stellantis to new 52-week lows, GM's stock closed at $32.28 a share, down by 7.8%. Shares of GM have declined about 45% this year, as investors question whether the automaker's most profitable days are behind it.GM and other automakers have reported record profits during the coronavirus pandemic as resilient consumer demand outweighed new vehicle inventories due supply chain problems, including a shortage of semiconductor chips.The situation caused new car prices to skyrocket with minimal incentives from the companies, leading to record profits despite lower sales.GM's stock closing below the $33 a share IPO price from November 2010 occurred hours after the company's annual shareholder meeting.In response to a shareholder question about reinstating GM's dividend, CEO Mary Barra said the company's "clear priority" is to "accelerate our EV plans." GM is in the midst of investing $35 billion in EVs and autonomous vehicles by 2025, with plans to exclusively offer EVs by 2035.

GM's stock closes below IPO price for first time since October 2020.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a trilateral meeting with Canadian and Mexican counterparts at the ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 10, 2022. REUTERS/Lucy NicholsonRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The United States will maintain pressure on North Korea until Pyongyang changes course, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, while his South Korean counterpart urged China to persuade the North not to resume nuclear testing.Blinken told reporters following a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin the United States remained open to dialogue with North Korea but Pyongyang had ignored the calls and instead tested missiles and made preparations to resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017."Until the regime in Pyongyang changes course, we will continue to keep the pressure on," Blinken told reporters, referring to U.S.-led international sanctions on North Korea.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comPark said any provocations by North Korea, including a nuclear test, would be met with a united and firm response and urged China to use its influence.Park said North Korea was at a crossroads - it could go ahead with a nuclear test and isolate itself, or return to diplomacy and dialogue."I also think China should play a very positive role to persuade North Korea that maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula requires their new thinking," he said.Park said he and Blinken had agreed on early reactivation of an extended deterrence working group, a policy body dealing with the U.S. nuclear umbrella that protects South Korea.He said the body deals with deployment of strategic assets when necessary, but did not elaborate. Blinken said Washington was prepared to make short and longer-term adjustments to its military posture, as appropriate.Blinken said he expected the working group would be back up and running in weeks ahead and said Washington and Seoul were committed to discussing how to expand the scope and scale of their combined military exercises.Blinken said the United States had noted the appointment of North Korea's first female foreign minister last week, key nuclear negotiator Choe Son Hui, but added that the U.S. approach to a country was based its policies, not individuals. read more Blinken also said Washington would continue to impose sanctions on Chinese and Russian individuals and entities aiding North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.China's U.N. envoy told Reuters last week Beijing does not want to see another North Korean nuclear test, which is partly why it vetoed a U.S.-led bid to impose new U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang over renewed ballistic missiles launches.But Ambassador Zhang Jun warned against making presumptions on how Beijing might react to a seventh test, which Washington has warned could happen at "any time." read more In recent years China and Russia have been pushing for an easing of sanctions on North Korea on humanitarian grounds - and in the hope that it can be convinced to return to negotiations.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by David Brunnstrom, Daphne Psaledakis and Costas Pitas Editing by Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S. to keep up North Korea pressure; Seoul urges China to use influence.

Visitors to the BHP booth speak with representatives during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 4, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOTTAWA, June 13 (Reuters) - BHP Group (BHP.AX) is open to taking on a partner as it builds its first potash mine in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, but can also go it alone and is not currently involved in discussions with rival Nutrien Ltd (NTR.TO), a senior BHP executive said on Monday."We are more than happy and willing to work with partners. We don't need a partner though," Ragnar Udd, BHP president of Minerals Americas, said in an interview with Reuters. "So it has to be really about what's that partner actually going to be contributing to the mix."BHP last month said it was looking at accelerating the Jansen, Saskatchewan project by a year amid tight global potash supplies after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Prices of the crop nutrient have soared since Western sanctions were imposed against Russia over the invasion. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNutrien, the world's biggest potash producer and based in Saskatchewan, last week said it plans to boost capacity by 20% by 2025.Nutrien interim CEO Ken Seitz told Reuters that he has had no discussions with BHP since taking that job in January.Russia and Belarus, which also faces sanctions, are the world's second- and third-largest potash producers, while Canada is No. 1.Prior to the sanctions, some analysts said potash output looked well-supplied. But Udd said steady global demand growth for potash appeals to BHP, and planned expansions of eastern European mines now look to be in jeopardy.Jansen's first phase is estimated to cost up to $5.7 billion with annual capacity to produce 4.4 million tonnes, starting as soon as late 2026."Are we contributing to a glut? That remains to be seen," Udd said, adding that BHP eventually wants to be the market leader.Jansen's mine shafts are designed for capacity of 16 million tonnes annually, Udd said.Canada will invest up to C$100 million ($77.83 million) in Jansen's development as a low-emissions mine, Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said earlier on Monday."We know how critical potash is for our country when it comes to food security," Champagne said.BHP, in a partnership with Sandvik AB (SAND.ST), is planning to install new mining systems at the mine that are expected to reduce environmental impact by using 60% less equipment underground than traditional potash mines, Udd said.Reuters, citing a source, has reported that the investment will allow BHP to use electric vehicles and equipment. read more ($1 = 1.2844 Canadian dollars)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Chris Reese, Will Dunham and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BHP open to potash partner but plans to enter fertilizer business alone.

The logo for Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc unit Google (GOOGL.O), Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc(TWTR.N) and other tech companies will have to take measures to counter deepfakes and fake accounts on their platforms or risk hefty fines under an updated European Union code of practice, according to an EU document seen by Reuters.The European Commission is expected to publish the updated code of practice on disinformation on Thursday as part of its crackdown against fake news.Introduced in 2018, the voluntary code will now become a co-regulation scheme, with responsibility shared between the regulators and signatories to the code.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe updated code spells out examples of manipulative behaviour such as deepfakes and fake accounts which the signatories will have to tackle."Relevant signatories will adopt, reinforce and implement clear policies regarding impermissible manipulative behaviours and practices on their services, based on the latest evidence on the conducts and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) employed by malicious actors," the documentsaid.Deepfakes are hyperrealistic forgeries created by computer techniques that have triggered alarm worldwide in particular when they are used in a political context.The code will also be linked to tough new EU rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) agreed by the 27-country European Union earlier this year which has a section on combating disinformation.In effect, companies which fail to live up to their obligations under the code can face fines of as much as 6% of their global turnover based on DSA rules. They have six months to implement their measures once they have signed up to the code.Signatories will also have to take measures to tackle advertising containing disinformation and provide more transparency on political advertising."The DSA provides a legal backbone to the Code of Practice against disinformation – including heavy dissuasive sanctions," EU industry chief Thierry Breton, who is leading the EU's crackdown on disinformation, told Reuters in a statement.Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the former calls a special operation, underpinned some of the changes in the code."Once the Code is operational, we will be better prepared to address disinformation, also coming from Russia," she said in a statement.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Jan Harvey, Susan Fenton and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Exclusive: Google, Facebook, Twitter to tackle deepfakes or risk EU fines - document.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comPARIS, June 13 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron may find himself without a ruling majority during his second term and deprived of the ability to push through his economic reform agenda with a free hand after a new left-wing alliance did well in the first round of voting. read more The second round will be held on Sunday. Here are three possible outcomes.ABSOLUTE MAJORITYScared off by increasingly strident warnings against Jean-Luc Melenchon's radical left platform, voters elect more than 289 Macron-supported candidates to parliament.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comHe will have free rein to drive through his manifesto, which includes a contested pension reform. Even so, the president is unlikely to find it as easy to push legislation through parliament as during his first mandate.His former prime minister, Edouard Philippe, who is widely believed to harbour presidential ambitions, has created his own party, officially part of Macron's majority, and is likely to want a say on legislation, pushing for more conservative policies on pensions and public deficits, for instance.With a tight majority, even a small contingent of lawmakers could help make Philippe a kingmaker during Maron's second term.HUNG PARLIAMENTMacron's coalition fails to reach the 289 mark and does not command a majority of seats despite being the largest party in parliament.This is an unusual event under the Fifth Republic, and there is no institutional rule to follow to build a coalition, as is the case in countries like Belgium or the Netherlands.Macron may have to reach out to other parties, probably the centre-right Les Republicains (LR), to form a coalition, which would probably involve offering prominent cabinet roles to LR rivals and manifesto adjustments in return for parliament support.French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes a guest at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, June 10, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoHe could also try to poach lawmakers individually and offer sweeteners to encourage them to break ranks with their party.Failing that, Macron could be forced to negotiate a majority bill by bill, negotiating the support of the centre right for his economic reforms for example, while attempting to win over centre left support for some social reforms.That would slow down the pace of reforms and might lead to political deadlock in a country where consensus-building and coalition work is not engrained in the political culture.But the president would still have a few tricks up his sleeve. He could still, at any time, call for a new snap election, for instance. Or use article 49.3 of the constitution that threatens a new election if a bill is not approved.Polls show a hung parliament to be the most likely outcome.COHABITATIONMelenchon defies opinion polls and his NUPES alliance wins a majority in the National Assembly. Under the French constitution, Macron must name a prime minister who has the support of the lower house, and "cohabitation" follows.Macron is not compelled to pick the person put forward by the majority for premier.However, should he refuse to name Melenchon, a power struggle would almost certainly ensue with parliament, with the new majority likely to reject any other candidate put forward by Macron.Cohabitation would leave Macron with few levers of power in his hands and upend his reform agenda. The president would retain the lead on foreign policy, negotiate international treaties, but cede most day-to-day policy-making to the government.There have been few previous periods of cohabitation in post-war France. They typically led to institutional tension between the president and prime minister, but were surprisingly popular with the electorate.Polls show this to be the least likely of the three outcomes.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

What awaits Macron? Ruling majority, hung parliament, or cohabitation.

U.S. June 13, 2022 / 4:16 PM / CBS News The Federal Aviation Administration has finally finished an environmental assessment of SpaceX's plans to launch its Starship mega rocket from Boca Chica, Texas, finding no show stoppers that would prevent licensing for long-delayed orbital test flights, officials said Monday."The FAA determined that the Proposed Action would not result in significant environmental consequences and has issued a Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision," according to the FAA's executive summary of the Programmatic Environmental Assessment, or PEA."Should any future license or permit be issued to SpaceX to perform any aspect of the Proposed Action, the FAA will ensure that SpaceX implements (specified) mitigation measures as conditions for licensure." A SpaceX Starship is rolled to the launch complex near Boca Chica, Texas, for testing. SpaceX Before a launch license can be issued, SpaceX will have to carry out 75 measures to minimize environmental impacts and the FAA will have to carry out "public safety, national security and other analyses," the agency said in a statement. "The license application is still pending." But the FAA concluded a more involved Environmental Impact Statement will not be necessary. If all goes well, SpaceX may be able to press ahead with a long-delayed orbital test flight of its Starship-Super Heavy rocket in the next several months.Tweeted SpaceX: "One step closer to the first orbital flight test of Starship." One step closer to the first orbital flight test of Starship https://t.co/MEcQ6gST6Q pic.twitter.com/jxqEsM62gc— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 13, 2022 The successful conclusion of the programmatic assessment is a major victory for SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who views the Starship vehicle as the company's future and a key step toward human exploration of the solar system. But the decision was a blow to environmentalists and members of the public who argued Starship operations will damage the South Texas coastal environment and cause harm to wildlife and nearby communities. It's not yet known whether any legal challenges might be mounted."SpaceX has shown a blatant disregard for Boca Chica's natural habitats," the American Bird Conservancy said in a statement. "The area here is not just empty space for fuselage debris and waste."SpaceX has shaken up the domestic and international launch industry with its relatively low-cost, partially reusable rockets.The company's workhorse Falcon 9 is a two stage medium-lift rocket with a reusable first stage and nose cone fairing that has flown 157 times since its maiden flight in 2010, and 23 times this year alone. The rocket is used to launch civilian and government satellites and Cargo Dragon capsules carrying supplies and equipment to and from the International Space Station. The Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle, seen here during propellant loading tests, stands 400 feet tall and measures 30 feet wide. It is the largest, most powerful rocket ever built. SpaceX hopes to launch the huge booster on its first test flight to orbit later this year. SpaceX The Falcon 9 also is used to launch Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying U.S. and partner agency astronauts to and from the space station, ending NASA's post-shuttle reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft. To date, SpaceX has launched five NASA crews to the space station and two civilian crews, one to the station and one to low-Earth orbit. In addition to the "single stick" Falcon 9, SpaceX has launched three more powerful Falcon Heavy rockets, using three strapped-together Falcon 9s as a 27-engine first stage.But the Super Heavy and Starship rockets SpaceX is designing and wants to launch from Boca Chica and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida are in a class by themselves.The reusable first stage — the Super Heavy — will be powered by 33 Raptor engines burning liquid oxygen and methane fuel, generating a combined 16 million pounds of thrust, or twice the liftoff power of NASA's Space Launch System moon rocket. Musk tweeted a picture of the Super Heavy's engines over the weekend. 33 Raptor rocket engines, each producing 230 metric tons of force pic.twitter.com/flQLb62MgZ— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2022 The reusable upper stage — the Starship — will use six to nine Raptor engines and will be able to launch cargo, astronauts or both. SpaceX has a $2.9 billion contract to develop a version of the Starship to serve as a piloted lander, carrying the first NASA astronauts back to the lunar surface in the agency's Artemis moon program.Together, the Starship and Super Heavy rocket will stand 400 feet tall and measure 30 feet wide, a gargantuan rocket that will dwarf any space vehicle ever built.SpaceX has launched multiple test flights of Starship prototypes from Boca Chica using up to three Raptor engines at a time to reach altitudes of up to nearly nine miles. Several vehicles exploded in flight, during touchdown or just after landing, but SpaceX's most recent test flight in May 2021 was a complete success. An artist's impression of a SpaceX Starship on the surface of the moon. NASA SpaceX has "stacked" a Super Heavy and Starship on a launch pad at Boca Chica, but the super rocket has not yet been launched. For its initial orbital test flight, the company intends to "land" the Super Heavy in the Gulf of Mexico while the Starship climbs to space, circles the planet and splashes down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. With Monday's finding that an environmental impact statement is not required for Boca Chica, the FAA presumably will now be able to consider a launch license, assuming SpaceX meets the mitigation requirements.The FAA began its environmental review of SpaceX's plans for Boca Chica in November 2020, but the long-awaited report was delayed four times after agency officials said SpaceX made multiple changes to its original application. In addition, the FAA had to respond to some 18,000 comments from the public.Apparently worried about a possibly negative outcome, Musk said SpaceX would consider moving all its Starship-Super Heavy launch operations to the Kennedy Space Center where the company already leases pad 39A, a former Apollo and space shuttle launch complex.SpaceX is building a Super Heavy pad at launch complex 39A, where Musk has said the company will launch "operational" missions. But SpaceX wants to carry out test flights at Boca Chica, and the FAA review, after months of delay, has moved the company a major step in that direction. In: Elon Musk SpaceX William Harwood Bill Harwood has been covering the U.S. space program full-time since 1984, first as Cape Canaveral bureau chief for United Press International and now as a consultant for CBS News. He covered 129 space shuttle missions, every interplanetary flight since Voyager 2's flyby of Neptune and scores of commercial and military launches. Based at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Harwood is a devoted amateur astronomer and co-author of "Comm Check: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia." Twitter Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

SpaceX Starship clears FAA hurdle on road to first orbital test flight.

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa speaks during the Gulf Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 14, 2021. Bandar Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTYRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comCAIRO, June 13 (Reuters) - Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ordered a cabinet reshuffle on Monday that included appointing a new oil minister, state media reported.Mohammed bin Mubarak Bin Dainah, who was the country's envoy for climate affairs, was named minister of oil and environment, replacing Oil Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.The reshuffle included appointing Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa as deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure, Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani as industry and commerce minister and Fatima bin Jaafer al Sairafi as tourism minister.Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa said the reshuffle "will bring new ideas and a renewed drive to continue advancing the public sector," the state news agency (BNA) quoted him as saying on Monday.Bahrain, a small non-OPEC oil producer, is one of the region's most indebted countries, with its bonds rated "junk". Gulf allies helped it avert a credit crunch in 2018 with a $10 billion aid package. Ratings agencies Fitch and Moody's have said Bahrain would likely need more financing from Gulf neighbours.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Lilian Wagdy and Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Bahrain's king orders cabinet reshuffle, names new oil minister -state media.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - The father of a Moroccan man sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on mercenary charges said his son should be treated as a prisoner of war as he is a Ukrainian national who handed himself in voluntarily.Morocco-born Brahim Saadoun and Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were found guilty of "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order" of the DPR, Russian media said last week.The three men were captured while fighting for Ukraine against Russia and Russian-backed forces. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe Moroccan fighter received Ukrainian nationality in 2020 after undergoing a year of military training as a requirement to access aerospace technology studies at a university in Kiev, his father Tahar Saadoun said in an email to Reuters.He handed himself in "voluntarily" and should be treated as a "prisoner of war", the father said.A still image, taken from footage of the Supreme Court of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, shows Britons Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun captured by Russian forces during a military conflict in Ukraine, in a courtroom cage at a location given as Donetsk, Ukraine, in a still image from a video released June 8, 2022. Supreme Court of Donetsk People's Republic/Handout via REUTERS The sentence will be appealed, he said."We as a family suffer from the absence of contact with the lawyer to exchange legal information and this adds to our ordeal," he said.A Moroccan diplomatic source in Kyiv said Saadoun had been jailed by "an entity that is neither recognized by Morocco nor by the UN."Saadoun "was captured in the uniform of the Ukrainian army" which he willingly chose, the source said.In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Morocco's foreign ministry said it supported "the territorial integrity and national unity of all UN member states."Morocco has not openly condemned the Russian invasion and has not attended the two votes against Russia at the UN. But it said it rejected the use of force in inter-state disputes and called for dialogue.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Moroccan sentenced to death in Donetsk has Ukrainian nationality and isn't a mercenary, father says.

Entertainment June 13, 2022 / 3:56 PM / AP Philip Baker Hall, the prolific character actor of film and theater who starred in Paul Thomas Anderson's first movies and who memorably hunted down a long-overdue library book in "Seinfeld," has died. He was 90.Holly Wolfle Hall, the actor's wife of nearly 40 years, said Monday that Hall died on Sunday surrounded by loved ones in Glendale, California. She said Hall had been well until a few weeks earlier, and spent his final days in warm spirits, reflecting on his life."His voice at the end was still just as powerful," said Wolfle Hall. Her husband, she added, never retired from acting. In a career spanning half a century, Hall was a quintessential character actor, a ubiquitous hangdog face whose doleful appearance could shroud a booming intensity and humble gravitas. His range was wide, but Hall often played men in suits, trench coats and lab coats."Men who are highly stressed, older men, who are at the limit of their tolerance for suffering and stress and pain," Hall told the Washington Post in 2017. "I had an affinity for playing those roles." Actor Philip Baker Hall attends the premiere of Focus Features' 'Bad Words' at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome on March 5, 2014, in Hollywood, California. Imeh Akpanudosen / Getty Images Born in Toledo, Ohio, Hall initially devoted himself more to theater in Los Angeles, after moving out in 1975, than to TV and movies. While shooting bit parts in Hollywood (an episode of "Good Times" was one of his first gigs), Hall worked with the L.A. Actor Theatre. In 1983, he played Richard Nixon in the play "Secret Hour," a role he reprised in Robert Altman's film adaptation. Hall made an impression in small roles in other films, like 1988′s "Midnight Run." But outside of theater, Hall was mostly doing guest roles in television. That changed when he was shooting a PBS program in 1992. Hall then encountered a production assistant in his early 20s named Paul Thomas Anderson. The two would hang out, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee between scenes. Anderson, believing Hall hadn't gotten his due in film, asked him to look at a script he had written for a 20-minute short film titled "Cigarettes & Coffee.""I'm reading this script, and I truly had trouble believing that that kid wrote this script," Hall told the AV Club in 2012. "I mean, it was just so brilliant, resonating with nuance all over the place, like a playwright. Certainly, as a film, I'd never really seen anything like it. It was staggering."After the $20,000 short made it into the Sundance Film Festival, Anderson expanded it into his feature debut, 1997′s "Hard Eight," which catapulted Hall's career. In it, Hall played a wise and courteous itinerate gambler named Sydney who schools a young drifter (John C. Reilly) on the craft. In one indelible scene, Philip Seymour Hoffman's first with Anderson, a hot-shot gambler chides Hall as "old-timer."Anderson would cast Hall again as adult film theater magnate Floyd Gondolli who warns Burt Reynolds' pornography producer about the industry's future in "Boogie Nights." In Anderson's "Magnolia," Hall plays the host of a kids game show. "I have a particular fascination with character actors, with wanting to turn them into lead actors," Anderson told The Los Angeles Times in 1998. "I see Philip Baker Hall, he's just . . . an actor that I love. There's no one else with a face like that, or a voice like that."To many, Hall was instantly recognizable for one of the most powerfully funny guest appearances on "Seinfeld." In the 22nd episode of the sitcom in 1991, Hall played Lt. Joe Bookman, the library investigator who comes after Seinfeld for a years-overdue copy of "Tropic of Cancer." Hall played him like a hardboiled noir detective, telling Seinfeld: "Well, I got a flash for ya, Joy-boy: Party time is over."Hall was brought back for the "Seinfeld" finale and by Larry David on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." David once said no other actor ever made him laugh more than Hall. Actor Phillip Baker Hall and Larry David arrive to the premiere of HBO Films' "Clear History" at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome on July 31, 2013 in Hollywood, California. Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images Among Hall's many other credits were Michael Mann's "The Insider," as "60 Minutes" producer Don Hewitt, and Lars von Trier's "Dogville." Hall appeared in "The Truman Show," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Zodiac," "Argo" and "Rush Hour." Hall played the neighbor Walt Kleezak on "Modern Family." His last performance was in the 2020 series "Messiah."Hall, who was married to Dianne Lewis for three years in the early 1970s, is survived by his wife, four daughters, four grandchildren and his brother. Notable Deaths in 2022 54 photos In: Death Obituary Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Philip Baker Hall, character actor known for "Hard Eight" and "Seinfeld," dies at 90.

Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of General Motors Company speaks at the 2022 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 2, 2022. REUTERS/Mike BlakeRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comDETROIT, June 13 (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) Chief Executive Mary Barra said on Monday the automaker is "selling every truck we can build" and expanding North American truck-building capacity, even as U.S. gasoline prices hit record highs.Barra made her comments during the automaker's annual shareholder meeting.GM is pursuing a two-track strategy: Investing heavily in electric vehicles for North America, China and other markets, and funding those investments by trying to maximize profits from its North American combustion pickup truck and large SUV lineups.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBarra said GM is planning higher-priced versions of its Silverado large pickup and its large SUV models.GM and its Detroit rivals Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Stellantis NV (STLA.MI) rely heavily on sales of large pickup trucks and SUVs for global profits. High U.S. gasoline prices in the past have undermined consumer demand for relatively inefficient models.Nominal pump prices hit an average of above $5 a gallon for the first time ever last week, the federal government said Friday.GM is ramping up production of EVs. Barra said the Cadillac Lyriq electric sport utility is sold out through 2023.In response to shareholder questions, Barra said the "clear priority" for using cash generated by its operations is to "accelerate our EV plans." She did not rule out share buybacks or other approaches to returning cash to shareholders.GM still expects to increase production this year by 25-30%, despite continuing pressure on semiconductor supplies globally. Barra said GM is working to redesign vehicles to reduce the number of processors required by 95%.Barra serves as GM's board chair and CEO. GM shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to separate those roles.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting By Joe White; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

GM CEO says 'we are selling every truck we can build'.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Andrew will not attend some parts of a royal ceremony later on Monday after a "family decision" was taken, effectively keeping the queen's son out of the public eye after he was stripped of his royal titles earlier this year.A Buckingham Palace source said Andrew would not attend an annual procession and chapel service for the so-called Order of the Garter - a 700 year-old chivalric group whose members include Queen Elizabeth, senior royals and 24 knights or ladies chosen by the monarch in recognition of their public work.However the source said Andrew would attend a behind-closed-doors lunch and the investiture ceremony for new members, which this year include former British prime minister Tony Blair.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe queen is also expected to attend the investiture and lunch, but not the procession.Britain's Prince Andrew leaves St. Mary the Virgin church in Hillington, near royal Sandringham estate, in Norfolk, Britain January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Chris Radburn/File PhotoThe palace source described the arrangements around Andrew's attendance as a "family decision".Andrew, the queen's second son, was forced to quit royal duties over his friendship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. read more The prince settled a U.S. lawsuit in February in which he had been accused of sexually abusing a woman when she was a teenager. Andrew, 62, officially known as the Duke of York, has denied any wrongdoing. read more The Garter Day procession is one of the most colourful events in the royal calendar, involving members walking around the queen's Windsor Castle in plumed hats and velvet robes.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by William James; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

UK royals to keep Queen Elizabeth's son Andrew out of spotlight.

MoneyWatch June 13, 2022 / 4:57 PM / MoneyWatch Amazon Prime customers in Lockeford, California, will start receiving package deliveries by drone later this year, Amazon announced Monday. That would the community of 3,500 among the first U.S. locations to enjoy free drone delivery within 30 minutes — a promise that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos first made nearly a decade ago.The ecommerce company started contacting customers in Lockeford this week to ask them to opt in to drone delivery, said Amazon spokesperson Av Zammit. Once a customer enrolls, an Amazon employee will visit to make sure their yard has enough clear space to accept drone deliveries, Zammit added.Drone delivery will be free for Prime members, and only Prime members can use the service. There will be "thousands of items available" for drone delivery, Zammit said, while declining to offer more details. Amazon said it was working with the Federal Aviation Administration and local regulators to secure permits for the program, according to a blog post that also touted Lockeford as a site for flight experiments."Lockeford residents will play an important role in defining the future. Their feedback about Prime Air, with drones delivering packages in their backyards, will help us create a service that will safely scale to meet the needs of customers everywhere," the blog post stated, predicting that drone deliveries "could one day become just as common as seeing an Amazon delivery van pull up outside your house." Amazon received FAA approval for its commercial drone-delivery program in 2020. However, drones often have to deal with local and state regulations as well as federal rules, not to mention concerns from neighborhood and community groups in some areas. Walmart launches on-demand drone deliveries 02:39 Walmart, UPS readying their dronesAmazon is largely responsible for setting off the current race to commercialize drone package delivery, according to Zak Stambor, senior analyst of retail and ecommerce at Insider Intelligence. When Bezos laid out his vision for drones to 60 Minutes in 2013, "He spurred everyone else to move into that space," Stambor said.Other large retailers and technology companies are now developing their own drone programs. Walmart started testing drone delivery last year in Arkansas and plans to expand to sites across six states this year. Alphabet's drone delivery program, called Wing, launched this summer near Dallas-Fort Worth, delivering prescriptions, pet medication and ice cream. UPS is also developing a drone service. Amazon's own drone program has been beset with delays and staff churn, according to media reports. At least eight Amazon drones have crashed over the past year, and the Prime Air division is experiencing 71% staff turnover, Business Insider reported in March. A Bloomberg News investigation in April concluded that despite spending $2 billion to develop the program and hiring more than 1,000 workers, "Amazon is a long way from launching a drone delivery service." Amazon's most recent drone model, with six rotors, designed for stability. Amazon.com Rising energy costs and a tight labor market are heightening retailers' current interest in drones, said Stambor. "You can see why drone delivery would make sense, in a moment when there's a labor shortage, it's really hard to hire truck drivers. For example, gas prices are rising and show no end in sight," Stambor said. But drone delivery also faces "a host of challenges, in terms of, largely, safety and costs," making it unclear if drones can solve current logistical bottlenecks, he said.  Drone delivery is much more expensive than delivery by truck and also requires a trained operator, Stambor said. One internal Amazon estimate puts the cost of an airlifted package at $63, compared to about $5 when the same package is shipped by a third-party carrier like UPS or the U.S. Post Office.Insider Intelligence estimates that there will be 39,000 drone deliveries this year, and 69,000 next year. In: Amazon Amazon Prime Drone Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Amazon says it will launch drone deliveries this year in Lockeford, California.

Astronaut Tim Peake poses for pictures, as he arrives for the UK premiere of 'Lightyear' in London, Britain June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLOS ANGELES, June 13 (Reuters) - Fourteen Middle Eastern and Asian countries will not show Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) new Pixar movie "Lightyear" when it hits theaters this week, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.The United Arab Emirates said it banned the film because the movie includes a same-sex relationship and violated the country's media content standards. read more Homosexuality is considered criminal in many Middle Eastern countries.Representatives of other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Lebanon, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why they would not allow the film to be exhibited.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"Lightyear" is a prequel to Pixar's acclaimed "Toy Story" franchise. Chris Evans voices the lead character, Buzz Lightyear, a legendary space ranger.In the film, Buzz's close friend is a female space ranger who marries another woman. A scene showing milestones in the couple's relationship includes a brief kiss."Lightyear" producer Galyn Susman said she assumed the movie would not be shown in China either, though Disney has not yet received an official answer from authorities there. China has rejected other onscreen depictions of homosexuality in the past."We're not going to cut out anything, especially something as important as the loving and inspirational relationship that shows Buzz what he's missing by the choices that he's making, so that's not getting cut," Susman told Reuters at the movie's red-carpet premiere in London.Any objections to "Lightyear" over LGBTQ issues were "frustrating," Evans said."It's great that we are a part of something that's making steps forward in the social inclusion capacity, but it's frustrating that there are still places that aren't where they should be," Evans said."Lightyear" is set to debut in theaters in the United States and Canada on Friday.In May, Disney refused requests to cut same-sex references in Marvel movie "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness." Saudi Arabia and a handful of other Middle Eastern countries did not show the film.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski; Additional reporting by Kristian Brunse in London; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Exclusive: Pixar movie 'Lightyear,' with same-sex couple, will not play in 14 countries.

Crime June 13, 2022 / 10:06 AM / CBS News A 16-year veteran with the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office in Maryland was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a fugitive on Sunday, authorities said. Deputy First Class Glenn Hilliard was killed in Pittsville while trying to apprehend a suspect who is wanted multiple felony warrants in multiple jurisdictions, the sheriff's office said.Hilliard pursued the suspect on foot after he spotted him coming out of an apartment complex, the sheriff's office said. He was shot by the suspect, who was later captured after an extensive manhunt by dozens of law enforcement officers from throughout the region.The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office said Hilliard "was a son, a husband and a father to three beautiful children, a brother to those he worked with, and an exemplary public servant to the citizens of Wicomico County and to the State of Maryland."Sheriff Mike Lewis and members of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office regret to announce the Line of Duty death of one...Posted by Wicomico County Sheriff's Office on Monday, June 13, 2022 "As an organization, we are heartbroken over this senseless and tragic murder," the sheriff's office said in a statement posted on Facebook. "This loss exacts an enormous emotional toll on the Sheriff's Office family, but we will do what is necessary and proper to honor Glenn and support those who knew and loved him." Hilliard worked in several areas within the sheriff's office, and recently requested to be transferred back to patrol. He would have celebrated his 42nd birthday next Wednesday, June 22nd.According to tweets from the sheriff's office, the suspect was identified is Austin Davidson. He is awaiting arraignment.  In: maryland Caitlin O'Kane Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.

Maryland sheriff's deputy Glenn Hilliard shot and killed while attempting to capture fugitive.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday endorsed a bipartisan Senate gun-safety proposal as "meaningful progress" as he announced new gun-trafficking charges in an effort to crack down on the gun violence plaguing America."We do think that at least the framework that I read about this morning with respect to the bipartisan negotiations would be meaningful progress in that direction," Garland said at a news conference. read more Garland's comments came one day after a bipartisan group of senators announced a gun safety bill designed to win approval by Republicans and Democrats alike. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comUnited States Attorney General Merrick Garland is joined by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham and Jeff Boshek, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Dallas Field Division, during a press conference announcing a significant firearms trafficking enforcement action and ongoing efforts to protect communities from violent crime and gun violence at the Department of Justice in Washington, U.S., June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinPresident Joe Biden's administration is facing mounting pressure to take action in the wake of last month's mass-shootings at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and a supermarket in Buffalo, New York.Garland said a Justice Department strike force focused on firearms trafficking had charged a Texas man for illegal purchases and re-sales of 92 guns, 16 of which were later recovered in connection with homicides, assaults and drug trafficking."We are cracking down on the criminal gun-trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns," Garland said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S. attorney general calls Senate gun legislation 'meaningful progress'.

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, June 7, 2022.Brendan McDermid | ReutersU.S. stock futures rose on Monday night after the S&P 500 dropped back into bear market territory ahead of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting this week.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose by 55 points, or nearly 0.2%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.2% and about 0.5%, respectively.Those moves came after intense selling of stocks during the regular session on Wall Street. The S&P 500 slumped 3.9% to its lowest level since March 2021, and falling more than 21% from its January record.Meanwhile, the Dow tumbled more than 876 points, or 2.8%, which is roughly 17% off its record high. The Nasdaq Composite dropped nearly 4.7%, or more than 33% off its November record.Investors are bracing themselves for the possibility of a larger-than-expected interest rate hike this week after CNBC's Steve Liesman confirmed on Monday said the Federal Reserve will "likely" consider a 75-basis-point increase, which is greater than the 50-basis-point hike many traders had come to expect. The Wall Street Journal reported the story first.Some investors are also expecting a more hawkish tone from the central bank after last week's inflation reports showed prices running hotter-than-expected."I think they are going to do 75 basis points," Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research said during CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Monday."I think that Powell on Wednesday when he does his press conference will indicate that there'll be another one coming at the July meeting and maybe another one at the September meeting. I think it's time for him... to show that he really is concerned about inflation," he continued.Elsewhere, shares of Oracle jumped nearly 9% in extended trading after the software company reported an earnings beat boosted by a "major increase in demand" in its infrastructure cloud business.Wall Street is also expecting the latest reading on the May producer price index on Tuesday before the bell at 8:30 a.m.

Stock futures rise after the S&P 500 closes in an official bear market.

Traders on the floor of the NYSE, June 13, 2022.Source: NYSEIt's official, according to the folks who decide which markets are bulls and which are bears, not to mention which stocks go into the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500.U.S. stocks on Monday entered a bear market because the S&P 500 closed more than 21% below its all-time record close reached as recently as last January, S&P Global Dow Jones Indices senior index analyst Howard Silverblatt wrote. Stocks had been flirting with a bear market for the past several weeks on an intraday basis, but had never actually closed below 3837, the level S&P Global needed to see in order to officially declare one. S&P Global says a 20% decline in the S&P 500 on a closing basis from its previous peak is all it takes to define a bear market. Which means that this bear market is already more than five months old, since the S&P 500 all-time high came on January 3.Prior bear markets for the S&P 500Start dateEnd dateStart priceEnd priceMonthsS&P 500 % changePrior Bull mkt % gain9/7/19296/1/193231.924.4032.8-86.23/6/19374/29/194218.687.4761.8-603255/29/19466/14/194919.2513.5536.5-29.61588/2/195610/22/195749.6438.9814.7-21.526612/12/19616/27/196272.6452.326.5-28862/9/196610/7/196694.0673.207.9-22.28011/29/19685/26/1970108.3769.2917.8-36.1481/11/197310/3/1974120.2462.2820.7-48.27411/28/19808/12/1982140.52102.4220.4-27.11268/25/198712/4/1987336.77223.923.3-33.52297/16/199010/11/1990368.95295.462.9-19.9653/24/200010/9/20021527.46776.7630.5-49.141710/9/20073/9/20091565.15676.5317-56.81012/19/20203/23/20203386.152237.401.1-33.94011/3/20226/13/20224796.563749.635.3-21.8114AVERAGE18.6-38.2177.8Since the modern S&P 500 index began in the late 1920s, the average bear market has translated into a 38% price decline lasting an average of almost 19 months. But that's only the average. The longest bear market lasted 62 months, between 1937 and 1946, while the worst decline came as the Great Depression got underway and stocks plunged 86%.The causes of every bear market are different, of course. This one is defined by the Fed tightening interest rates in reply to galloping inflation that's running at the fastest clip in 40 years, and the first European land war since World War 2. The last bear market in early 2020 was caused by the onset of Covid-19, a global pandemic, and the economic contraction that followed. The Global Financial Crisis created the 2007-2009 bear market as the housing market imploded. The bursting of the Tech Bubble led directly to the 2000-2002 bear market.So, how does S&P Global define the end of a bear market? When the index reaches its low and later rises by 20%. Unfortunately for investors, that can only be known in hindsight.

The S&P 500 is now in an official bear market, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a rally with gun violence prevention organisations, gun violence survivors and hundreds of gun safety supporters demanding gun legislation, outside the United States Capitol in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday said he would put bipartisan gun legislation on the chamber floor for consideration as soon as the deal announced over the weekend was finalized."I will put this bill on the floor as soon as possible, once the text of the final agreement is finalized so the Senate can act quickly to make gun safety reform a reality," Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor. "We have a lot of work left to do before we actually pass a bill."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Makini Brice; writing by Susan Heavey; editing by Kanishka SinghOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S. Senate to take up gun bill as soon as possible, Schumer says.

Politics June 13, 2022 / 5:33 PM / CBS News Breakdown of the second public Jan. 6 hearing Breakdown of testimony from the second Jan. 6 committee hearing 06:45 In the second day of the House Jan. 6 select committee public hearings, Chairman Bennie Thompson said the committee would show that former President Donald Trump lost his reelection campaign, knew he lost and as a result of his loss, "decided to wage an attack on our democracy, an attack on the American people," which culminated in the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Here are some of the highlights from Monday's hearing: "Intoxicated" Giuliani told Trump he should just declare victory, though others discouraged it.On election night in 2020, Rudy Giuliani said he spoke to Trump several times. Giuliani, who Trump aide Jason Miller observed was "definitely intoxicated," advised Trump he should just declare victory, over the advice of campaign manager Bill Stepien, top aide Jason Miller and son-in-law Jared Kushner.  Stepien, in an excerpt of his interview with the committee, said he felt that it was "far too early" to say Trump had won. He thought ballots would continue to be counted for days. The committee also played video of Ivanka Trump, who did not recall having a "firm" view of what her father should do, but she said she knew the "race would not be called on election night." Jared Kushner said he told the president that Giuliani's proposal was "basically not the approach I would take."But Giuliani insisted that anyone who didn't say Trump had won was being "weak," according to Miller's recollection of the night, also excerpted from videotaped testimony. On Nov. 4, while votes were still being counted, Trump went to the White House briefing room and touted what he claimed would be a nearly insurmountable lead in states including Pennsylvania. "We're winning Pennsylvania by a tremendous amount of votes. We're up 600—think of this, think of this—we're up 690,000 votes in Pennsylvania, 690,000," Trump said. "These aren't even close, this is not like 'oh, it's close.' With 64% of the vote in, it's going to be almost impossible to catch, and we're coming into good Pennsylvania areas where they happen to like your president. So, we'll probably expand that." But by Saturday, Nov. 7, Joe Biden was projected to be the winner in Pennsylvania, pulling ahead of Trump by 34,000 votes. It was the state that pushed Mr. Biden's electoral vote total to 273 and ensured his victory over Trump in the presidential election.Former Fox News political editor says Trump used "red mirage" to justify false election claims.Former Fox News political editor Chris Stirewalt, who was fired after the network called Arizona early for Mr. Biden, explained the "red mirage." The phrase refers to the expectation that Republicans would appear to be winning in early in the count because they tend to vote in person on Election Day, and those votes are counted first, but mail-in, absentee and early-voting Democrats in many states would not see their votes counted until after polls close. This is the basis of the "red mirage," the sense that the Republican is winning.  "For us, who cares? But that's because no candidate had ever tried to avail themself of this quick in-the-election counting system," Stirewalt said. "We had gone to pains, and I'm proud of the pains we went to make sure that we were informing viewers that this was going to happen because the Trump campaign and the president had made it clear they were going to try to exploit this anomaly."Stirewalt said they knew this "quirk" would be "bigger" in 2020, because more people were voting early and using absentee and mail ballots due to the pandemic. The committee also played a clip of Barr saying he had understood for "weeks" that this was going to happen on election night, as well as a clip of Stepien saying he also had had discussions with Trump about the "red mirage." Lofgren played a clip of Trump in the early hours of Nov. 4, 2020, saying, "We want all voting to stop. We don't want them to find any ballots at 4 o'clock in the morning and add them to the list." Lofgren said this contradicted what his advisers were telling him. Stirewalt said that when Fox News called Arizona, it was controversial to "our competitors" but that he had no doubts about the call. He said after the election, the chances of Trump winning the election were "none." "Ahead of today, I thought about what are the largest margins that could ever be overturned by a recount and the normal kind of stuff we heard Mike Pence talking about, sounding like a normal Republican that night saying 'we'll keep every challenge,'" Stirewalt said. "When you're talking about a recount, you're talking about hundreds of votes. When we think about calling a race, one of the things we think about is, is it outside the margin of a recount. And when we think about that margin, we think about in modern history, you're talking about 1,000 votes, 1,500 votes at the way, way outside. Normally you're talking about hundreds of votes — maybe 300 votes — that are going to change. The idea that through any normal process in any of these states — remember he needed to do it thrice, right, he needed three of these states to change. In order to do that, you're at infinite … you're better off to play the Powerball than to have that come in." Top Trump officials told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were wrong.Trump's closest aides, political staff, government and campaign lawyers said they told him his claims the election had been stolen were wrong. Former Attorney General William Barr, whose was shown in the first hearing saying he told Trump his claims of widespread election fraud were "bullsh**," had more to say.  A report alleging voting machines from Dominion Voting Systems were changing votes from Trump to President Biden was "amateurish," according to Barr, while earlier claims of voter fraud were "bogus and silly and usually based on complete misinformation."Barr recalled being "demoralized" by Trump believing Dominion's machines were rigged, "because I thought, 'Boy if he really believes this stuff, he has you know, lost contact with — he's become detached from reality, if he really believes this stuff.'"He also called allegations that more votes were cast in Philadelphia than there were registered voters "absolute rubbish" and suggested Trump's loss had to do not with fraud, but with his strength as a candidate.Trump, in Barr's telling, "generally was the weak element on the Republican ticket. So, that does not suggest that the election was stolen by fraud."Alex Cannon, a former Trump campaign attorney, also recalled speaking with senior White House adviser Peter Navarro about voter fraud claims and Vice President Mike Pence. Navarro insulted Cannon when the lawyer said he didn't believe the Dominion allegations, calling him an "agent of the Deep State" working against Trump, Cannon recalled. It was the last call he said he ever took from Navarro.Derek Lyons, the White House staff secretary, also told the committee that allegations of fraud were discussed in a meeting more than a month after the election, during which White House counsel Pat Cipollone and White House lawyer Eric Herschmann told Trump none of his claims had been "substantiated to the point where they could be the basis for any litigation challenge to the election."  Herschmann also told the select committee during a taped interview he "never saw any evidence whatsoever to sustain" allegations Dominion voting machines were flipping votes cast for Trump.Al Schmidt, a Republican who served as a city commissioner in Philadelphia and was on the Board of Elections, also refuted claims raised by Giuliani that 8,000 dead people voted in Pennsylvania."Not only was there not evidence of 8,000 dead voters voting in Pennsylvania, there wasn't evidence of eight," he told the committee during the hearing. "We took seriously every case that was referred to us, no matter how fantastical, no matter how absurd, and took every one of those seriously, including these."$250 million raised by the Trump campaign's "Election Defense Fund" did not fund his campaign lawsuits. A former campaign staffer said, "I don't believe there is actually a fund called the 'Election Defense Fund.'"The final minutes of the hearing were spent following the money raised by the Trump campaign from small-dollar donors who were encouraged to "fight back" against the "left-wing mob" attempting to steal the presidential election.Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California, said the Trump campaign continued to mount court fights after Dec. 14, when electors met in all 50 states to cast their Electoral College votes for president and vice president, in order to "raise millions."In a video produced by the committee, senior investigative counsel Amanda Wick estimated that between Election Day on Nov. 3 and Jan. 6, the Trump campaign sent scores of fundraising emails — as many as 25 per day — that encouraged recipients to contribute to the so-called "Election Defense Fund."But one former Trump campaign staffer, Hanna Allred, told the committee in an interview she did not believe such a fund existed. "I don't believe there is actually a fund called the 'Election Defense Fund'," she said. Gary Coby, the campaign's former digital director, confirmed it was a marketing tactic. Solicitations about voter fraud brought in big bucks: $250 million, according to Wick, nearly $100 million of which was donated the first week after the election.According to the committee's presentation, the money did not go to funding election-related litigation, but instead to Trump's Save America PAC. The former president's political action committee then donated "millions" to entities and vendors with ties to Trump:$1 million to the Conservative Partnership Institute, where former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is senior partner$1 million to the America First Policy Institute, which lists among its leaders former Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon, former senior Trump adviser Larry Kudlow, and former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf$5 million to Event Strategies, Inc., which ran the Jan. 6 rally on the Ellipse$204,857 to the Trump Hotel CollectionAfter the hearing, Lofgren was asked whether the committee has evidence the Trump campaign committed a crime with the fundraising appeals. "It's clear that he intentionally misled his donors, asked them to donate to a fund that didn't exist and used the money raised for something other than what he said," she told reporters. "Now it's for someone else to decide whether that's criminal or not."Appearing on CNN after the hearing, Lofgren revealed Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr., was paid $60,000 from the "Election Defense Fund" to speak for two minutes and 30 seconds during the rally outside the White House on Jan. 6.  In: rudy giuliani Donald Trump Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Jan. 6 committee hearings: Four takeaways from second day of hearings.

A Coca-Cola logo is pictured during an event in Paris, France, March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - Jack and Coke fans will soon be able to sip the cocktail at home after Coca-Cola (KO.N) and Jack Daniels whiskey maker Brown-Forman (BFb.N) said they plan to offer it in a can.The 'official' mix represents the latest push by big soft drink makers into alcohol, as boundaries blur and more people turn to pre-mixed, ready-to-drink cocktails.Jack Daniels, which already sells a canned cola cocktail in many markets, and Coca-Cola said in a statement that they will begin by selling their new drink in Mexico in late 2022.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comPepsiCo Inc (PEP.O) started selling alcoholic versions of Mountain Dew earlier this year, while energy drinks maker Monster Beverage Corp (MNST.O) announced a deal to buy hard seltzer producer CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective in January.Ready-to-drink products are expected to make up 8% of the broader alcohol market by 2025, up from 4% in 2020, research from industry tracker IWSR estimates, with the ready-to-drink category expected to grow about 15% a year until 2025.Coca-Cola already has a tie-up up with Corona beer brewer Constellation Brands Inc (STZ.N) to sell Fresca-branded ready-to-drink cocktails.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola mix it up with official cocktail can.

European Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations Maros Sefcovic speaks during a news conference after a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, in Brussels, Belgium February 21, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna GeronRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - The European Union will not renegotiate the Northern Ireland protocol agreement, European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said on Monday, in response to Britain's decision to override some of the post-Brexit trade rules for the region."Renegotiating the protocol is unrealistic ... Any renegotiation would simply bring further legal uncertainty for people and businesses in Northern Ireland. For these reasons, the European Union will not renegotiate the protocol," Sefcovic said in a statement."Our aim will always be to secure the implementation of the Protocol. Our reaction to unilateral action by the UK will reflect that aim and will be proportionate."Tensions have been simmering for months after Britain accused the EU of taking a heavy-handed approach to the movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland - checks needed to keep an open border with EU-member Ireland. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Marine Strauss; Writing by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The EU will not renegotiate the Northern Ireland protocol -Sefcovic.

A car drives past El Palito refinery which belongs to PDVSA in Puerto Cabello, in the state of Carabobo, March 2, 2016. REUTERS/Marco Bello/Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comMARACAY, Venezuela, June 13 (Reuters) - An Iran-flagged tanker carrying about 1 million barrels of crude from the Middle Eastern country arrived in Venezuelan waters over the weekend, according to a shipping document seen by Reuters on Monday.The cargo is the third of Iranian crude supplied by Iran's Naftiran Intertrade Co (NICO) to Venezuela's state-run oil firm PDVSA following a supply contract providing the South American nation with lighter crude. Venezuela has been processing the Iranian oil in its refineries.The Suezmax tanker Sonia I, which departed from Iran's Kharg Island port in early May, touched waters close to Venezuela's Amuay refinery on Saturday, according to an official notice of its arrival and Refinitiv Eikon vessel data.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOther two Iran-flagged tankers, the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Dino I and Silvia I, had arrived last month at Venezuelan ports carrying the first cargoes of Iranian crude for Venezuela. They later loaded Venezuelan heavy oil and fuel for Iran in exchange, according to the tracking data and PDVSA's schedules. read more Defying U.S. sanctions on both nations, Iran has since 2020 sent fuel to Venezuela and helped in refinery repairs. read more The contract signed by state companies from the countries in May covers refurbishing and expanding PDVSA's 146,000-barrel-per-day El Palito refinery, and it also widened a swap deal agreed last year to exchange Iranian condensate for Venezuelan heavy crude.On Saturday, Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year cooperation plan in Tehran, with the Islamic Republic's leader saying the allies would continue to resist pressure from Washington. read more The plan covers cooperation in the fields of oil, refining, petrochemicals, defense, agriculture, tourism and culture. It also included the delivery of the second oil tanker built by Iran's SADRA shipyard for Venezuela. SADRA has been under U.S. sanctions for more than a decade over its links to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Mircely Guanipa; Writing by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Tanker carrying Iranian crude for PDVSA arrives in Venezuelan waters -document.

The logos of Google and YouTube are seen in Davos, Switzerland. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) has offered to let rival ad intermediaries place ads on YouTube to address a crucial part of an EU antitrust investigation that could pave the way for it to settle the case without a fine, people familiar with the matter said.The European Commission opened a probe last year to examine whether the world's largest provider of search and video was giving itself an unfair advantage in digital advertising by restricting rivals' and advertisers' access to user data. read more The EU competition watchdog singled out Google's requirement that advertisers use its Ad Manager to display ads on YouTube and potential restrictions on the way in which rivals serve ads on YouTube.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comIt is also looking into Google's requirement that advertisers use its services Display & Video 360 and Google Ads to buy YouTube ads. YouTube posted $6.9 billion in sales in the first quarter of this year.The Commission and Google, which has previously said publishers and advertisers often use multiple technologies and platforms to sell ads, declined to comment.Google has been discussing remedies with the Commission since last year in a bid to avert a fine that could reach 10% of its global turnover, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters last year. read more The company will however need to offer more than just the YouTube remedy to address other concerns in order to get a deal, the people said, adding that talks seemed to be on the right track.The British competition agency CMA is also investigating Google's ad practices. read more Last year, Google generated $147 billion in revenue from online ads, more than any other company in the world, with ads including search, YouTube and Gmail accounting for the bulk of its overall sales and profit.The company's display or network business, in which other media companies use Google technology to sell ads on their website and apps, accounted for about 16% of its revenue.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Jan Harvey and David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

EXCLUSIVE Google offers to let ad rivals place YouTube ads in EU antitrust probe - sources.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLOS ANGELES, June 12 (Reuters) - Global megahit "Squid Game" will return for a second season, Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) announced on Sunday, offering a few hints about what is to come in the dark Korean drama."Squid Game" became Netflix's most-watched series when it was released in September 2021. The show tells the story of cash-strapped contestants who play childhood games for a chance of life-changing sums of money. It inspired countless memes and Halloween costumes and kickstarted sales of green tracksuits.Writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk teased a few details about the show's second season in a letter released by Netflix.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLee Jung-jae, Jung Hoyeon, Hwang Dong-hyuk and Park Hae Soo attend a special event for the television series Squid Game in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File PhotoCharacters Gi-hun and The Front Man will return, he said, and "the man in the suit with ddakji might be back.""You'll also be introduced to Young-hee's boyfriend," he added.Young-hee is a motion-sensing animatronic doll featured in one of the games.Netflix did not say when the new season would be released.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Lisa Richwine Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Netflix announces another round of global hit 'Squid Game'.

The LDS Church's Mormon Temple in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, is seen January 27, 2012. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryUtah Supreme Court Justice Thomas Lee will retire after 12 years on benchAppellate law firm will have offices in Utah and Washington, D.C.(Reuters) - Utah Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Thomas Lee said Monday he will create a law firm and a separate linguistic consulting firm as he retires from the bench June 30.The law firm will focus on appellate work and have offices in Washington, D.C., and Utah. The consulting firm will offer services including corpus linguistics, a tool used to analyze large databases of texts to determine how words were used at the time they appeared in statutes, to assist in legal interpretation.Lee has been a proponent of corpus linguistics, which advocates say offers clarity, scope and transparency to courts.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLee said in January he would retire from the Utah Supreme Court, to which he was appointed in 2010.Lee and his brother, Republican U.S. Senator Mike Lee of Utah, were at one point on former President Donald Trump's shortlist for the U.S. Supreme Court.The new consulting firm will also include Jesse Egbert, a professor at Northern Arizona University who studies corpus linguistics, the statement said.John Nielsen, an assistant solicitor general in Utah, will join the law firm, which will be named Lee|Nielsen, according to the statement.Salt Lake City has become a hot legal market in the past year, with several large law firms opening up offices there.One of those firms, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, has lured two former Utah Supreme Court justices for its new office, Deno Himonas and Christine Durham.Read more:‘Revolutionary’ linguistics tool awaits star turn in Supreme Court arbitration caseLarge law firms still see allure of Utah's 'Silicon Slopes'Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.Sara MerkenThomson ReutersSara Merken reports on privacy and data security, as well as the business of law, including legal innovation and key players in the legal services industry. Reach her at [email protected]

Retiring Utah top court justice to open law, consulting firms.

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday said investors should be in stable, boring stocks to keep their portfolios strong as concerns over inflation roil the market."If you took your cue from me and bought common stocks of companies that make real things and do real things that return capital and trade at a reasonable valuation, you're relatively fine," the "Mad Money" host said."The problem is those stocks that go down less … they're really boring," he added.Cramer's comments come after a horrible day in the market, which was dragged down by recession fears ahead of this week's Federal Reserve meeting. The S&P 500 fell to its lowest level since March of last year and closed in bear market territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite also fell, worsening this year's sell-offs."Even though it goes against every instinct, when the market craters like this, you should be thinking not what to sell, but what to buy," Cramer said.He reminded investors that this is a market in which investors need to focus on not losing money. Unfortunately, the most investable stocks to fulfill this goal are the boring ones, Cramer said."I'm willing to make an exception for a couple of growth stocks that get beaten down to ridiculously cheap levels on a price-to-earnings basis … but there aren't that many of those," he cautioned, adding that the Dow has many recession stocks while the Nasdaq has very few.

Stick to ‘really boring’ stocks to ride out the cratering market, Jim Cramer says.

MoneyWatch Updated on: June 13, 2022 / 6:53 PM / CBS/AP The stock market's tumble this year has put the S&P 500 into a bear market — the term for when stocks decline at least 20% from their most recent high. The index lost 4% on Monday to close at 3,750, putting it 21% below its peak in January. Wall Street is grappling with the impact of rising interest rates, high inflation and energy costs, the war in Ukraine and a slowdown in China's economy, prompting investors to reconsider the prices they're willing to pay for stocks. Bear markets are fairly common, with the last one occurring just two years ago as the pandemic shuttered the U.S. economy. But this slump could mark the first downturn for younger investors who started trading on their phones during the pandemic, when stocks surged as the economy recovered its footing from the initial COVID-19 shutdown in 2020."The financial markets have struggled in their worst start to a year in decades," John Lynch, chief investment officer for Comerica Wealth Management, said in a June 13 research note.  "Surging inflation, the pivot in Fed policy, and historically pricey equity valuations were on the minds of investors as the year began, but the combination of COVID-19 lockdowns in China and Russia's invasion of Ukraine has escalated volatility further with investors becoming increasingly concerned about the possibility of global recession sometime within the next year," he said.During the past two years, stocks often seemed to go in only one direction: up. Now, the familiar rallying cry to "buy the dip" after every market wobble is giving way to fear that the dip is turning into a crater.While a fall can be "nerve-wracking ... ultimately this is part of the price we pay for strong returns over time," said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial Network, in a research note last month. Here's what to know about a bear market.  Why is it called a bear market?A bear market is a term used by Wall Street when an index like the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, or even an individual stock, has fallen 20% or more from a recent high for a sustained period of time.Why use a bear to represent a market slump? Bears hibernate, so bears represent a market that's retreating, said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. In contrast, Wall Street's nickname for a surging stock market is a bull market, because bulls charge, Stovall said.The S&P 500 index was down 1.9% in Friday afternoon trading, putting it 20.3% below its high set on January 3. But stocks recovered by the end of trading at 4 p.m., with the S&P 500 closing up 1 point for the day. Overall, the index is down about 19% from its most recent high in January. For many investors, the bear market will become official if the S&P 500, Wall Street's main barometer of health, finishes the day at least 20% down from its peak.The Nasdaq is already in a bear market, down 31% from its peak of 16,057.44 on November 19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is more than 16% below its most recent peak.The most recent bear market for the S&P 500 ran from February 19, 2020 through March 23, 2020. The index fell 34% in that one-month period, as investors reacted to lockdown orders that closed businesses and kept consumers at home. It's the shortest bear market ever.What are investors worried about?Market enemy No. 1 is interest rates, which are rising quickly as a result of the high inflation battering the economy. Low rates act like steroids for stocks and other investments, and Wall Street is now going through withdrawal. The Federal Reserve has made an aggressive pivot away from propping up financial markets and the economy with record-low rates and is focused on fighting inflation, which hit a new 40-year record in May. Last month, the Fed signaled additional rate increases of double the usual amount are likely in upcoming months, part of its plan to make borrowing more expensive and put the brakes on spending by consumers and businesses. But the risk is the Fed could cause a recession if it raises rates too high or too quickly.Russia's war in Ukraine has also put upward pressure on inflation by pushing up commodities prices. And worries about China's economy, the world's second largest, have added to the gloom.So we just need to avoid a recession?Economists say the odds of a recession are increasing due to high inflation, which could crimp consumer spending, and the Fed's rate hikes. Currently, the chances of a recession are about 30%, according to research from Moody's Analytics and a Wall Street Journal survey of economists.But even if a recession is avoided, the Fed's interest rate hikes will still put downward pressure on stocks.If customers are paying more to borrow money, they can't buy as much stuff, so less revenue flows to a company's bottom line. Stocks tend to track profits over time. Higher rates also make investors less willing to pay elevated prices for stocks, which are riskier than bonds, when bonds are suddenly paying more in interest thanks to the Fed. Critics said the overall stock market came into the year looking pricey based on history. Big technology stocks and other winners of the pandemic were seen as the most expensive, and those stocks have been the most punished as inflation rates have risen. But the pain is spreading widely, with shares of Target and other retailers slumping hard this week after reporting weaker-than-expected profits.Stocks have historically declined almost 35% on average when a bear market coincides with a recession, compared with a nearly 24% average drop when the economy avoids a recession, according to Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at LPL Financial."Going back more than 50 years shows that only once was there a bear market without a recession that lost more than 20% and that was during the Crash of 1987," Detrick said in a research note. During other near-bear markets that occurred without a recession, stocks bottomed out at a roughly 19% decline, he added.Should I sell everything to avoid more losses?Only if you need the money now or want to lock in the losses, according to experts. Otherwise, many advisers suggest riding through the ups and downs while remembering the swings are the price of admission for the stronger returns that stocks have provided over the long term.While dumping stocks would stop the bleeding, it would also prevent any potential gains. Many of the best days for Wall Street have occurred either during a bear market or just after the end of one. "Declines set the stage for future growth, which often happens faster than anyone expects," McMillan noted. For instance, in the middle of the 2007-2009 bear market, there were two separate days where the S&P 500 surged roughly 11%, as well as leaps of better than 9% during and shortly after the roughly monthlong 2020 bear market.Advisers suggest putting money into stocks only if it won't be needed for several years. The S&P 500 has come back from every one of its prior bear markets to eventually rise to another all-time high.The down decade for the stock market following the 2000 bursting of the dot-com bubble was a notoriously brutal stretch, but stocks have often been able to regain their highs within a few years.How long do bear markets last? On average, bear markets have taken 13 months to go from peak to trough and 27 months to get back to breakeven since World War II. The S&P 500 index has fallen an average of 33% during bear markets in that time. The biggest decline since 1945 occurred in the 2007-2009 bear market when the S&P 500 fell 57%.History shows that the faster an index enters into a bear market, the shallower they tend to be. Historically, stocks have taken 251 days (8.3 months) to fall into a bear market. When the S&P 500 has fallen 20% at a faster clip, the index has averaged a loss of 28%.The longest bear market lasted 61 months and ended in March 1942 and cut the index by 60%.How do we know a bear market is over?Generally, investors look for a 20% gain from a low point as well as sustained gains over at least a six-month period. It took less than three weeks for stocks to rise 20% from their low in March 2020. In: Stock Market

Wall Street is in a bear market. Here's what that means for your money.

A figure of a child holding an open book decorates a flagpole at the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington October 5, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLaw firmsRelated documents(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put an end to what had become an increasingly common tactic in foreign arbitration, ruling that parties in private proceedings taking place overseas cannot turn to U.S. courts to obtain discovery.The question before the justices in ZF Automotive US Inc v. Luxshare Ltd, as I’ve previously explained, was whether a 1964 law that allows U.S. courts to order discovery in “a proceeding in a foreign or international tribunal” extends to private commercial arbitration. A companion case, AlixPartners LLP v. The Fund for Protection of Investors’ Rights in Foreign States, posed the same question about the 1964 law’s application to U.S. discovery in ad hoc arbitrations authorized under bilateral investment treaties.As arbitration has proliferated across the world in the last 20 years or so, parties in foreign proceedings have come to rely on the U.S. law to bolster the evidentiary record with documents and testimony obtained from U.S. witnesses. Critics argue, among other things, that this use of the law subverts the efficiency of arbitration by permitting U.S.-style discovery.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJustice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for a unanimous court, said the statutory provision, commonly known as Section 1782, does not permit U.S. discovery in purely private commercial arbitration or even in investment treaty proceedings overseen by private arbitrators who are independent of government authority.“The statute,” wrote Barret, “reaches only governmental or intergovernmental adjudicative bodies, and neither of the arbitral panels involved in these cases fits that bill.”To reach that conclusion, the justices had to determine the meaning of the statutory phrase “foreign or international tribunal.” Broadly speaking, the parties that sought discovery from U.S. courts – Luxshare in a soon-to-be-filed arbitration against ZF for alleged fraud in a billion-dollar M&A deal and The Fund, a Russian corporation challenging Lithuania’s expropriation of some investments of a failed Lithuanian bank – argued that private arbitration proceedings are “tribunals,” and therefore encompassed by Section 1782.ZF and Alix, which opposed 1782 discovery demands by their arbitration opponents, argued (again, broadly speaking) that in order to discern the meaning of “foreign or international tribunal,” the justices should examine the entire phrase.The court adopted that approach, opting not to disconnect “tribunal” from the accompanying adjectives. “If we had nothing but this single word to go on, there would be a good case for including private arbitral panels,” Barrett wrote. But “'tribunal' does not stand alone — it belongs to the phrase ‘foreign or international tribunal,’” she continued. “And attached to these modifiers, ‘tribunal’ is best understood as an adjudicative body that exercises governmental authority.”The court then had to decide whether private arbitration between Luxshare and ZF or the ad hoc proceeding between The Fund and Lithuania was actually being conducted under government authority. The Luxshare arbitration, which will take place under the rules of the German Arbitration Institute, was an easy call for the justices, who said the expected case is purely private. Luxshare’s counsel at Alston & Bird had argued that the private case was under government authority because it’s governed by German law. The court rejected that contention as “implausible.”“Private entities do not become governmental because laws govern them and courts enforce their contracts,” Barrett said.The Supreme Court had to think harder about The Fund’s case. Its proceeding is overseen by private arbitrators who were appointed under the terms of a bilateral investment treaty between Russia and Lithuania. Lithuania itself is the defendant. But the justices concluded that the ad hoc arbitration panel is nevertheless not a governmental body. The panel, whose members were chosen by the parties, is not affiliated with either Russia or Lithuania and functions independently of both sovereigns, the Supreme Court said. For all intents and purposes, Barrett wrote, the ad hoc panel in The Fund’s case is no different from the private panel that will oversee the Luxshare arbitration.The Fund’s counsel, Alexander Yanos of Alston & Bird, declined to comment. Luxshare lawyer Andrew Davies of Allen & Overy, didn’t respond to my query.ZF’s lawyer, Roman Martinez of Latham, said via email that the Supreme Court’s decision will have “immediate impact on a broad range of current and future international arbitrations,” ensuring that parties in international commercial arbitrations “will not be able to improperly take advantage of discovery in U.S. courts.”Joseph Baio of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, who represented AlixPartners, told me that the Supreme Court averted what would have been a weird imbalance had the other side prevailed. By petitioning U.S. courts for discovery under Section 1782, parties in international cases were able to access not only more documents and testimony than they would have been entitled to under foreign arbitration rules but also more material than they could have obtained in arbitration taking place in the U.S., where Federal Arbitration Act constrains apply. That, Baio said, was surely not what the law intended. (The U.S. Justice Department made the same argument as an amicus at the Supreme Court, which Baio said was immensely helpful for his side.)AlixPartners is a good example of the vast reach of 1782 petitions, Baio said. More than a decade ago, while at another firm, AlixPartners CEO Simon Freakley served as the administrator of the failed Lithuanian bank at the center of The Fund’s case. Freakley is not a party to The Fund’s claims against Lithuania and would not have been exposed to discovery demands under U.S. arbitration rules. Yet if the Supreme Court hadn’t sided with AlixPartners in Monday’s decision, “the doors would have been open,” Baio said.One last point about the court’s ruling. I told you in March that proponents of a tool of statutory interpretation known as corpus linguistics — which involves searching vast text databases to determine how words or phrases were actually used at the time they appeared in statutes — had high hopes that the ZF case would be a breakthrough. At oral argument, a couple of justices even asked about ZF’s citation of a corpus linguistics study that concluded the phrase “foreign tribunal” was never used, before 1964, to refer to private commercial arbitration.The Supreme Court’s opinion on Monday made no reference to the study or to corpus linguistics at all. Study author James Phillips, a law professor at Chapman University, said the case was nevertheless a step forward for corpus linguistics because it was explicitly cited and discussed in briefing and oral argument.Read more:Chief Justice Roberts not sure ‘what to make of’ linguistics tool‘Revolutionary’ linguistics tool awaits star turn in Supreme Court arbitration caseLatham plays 3D chess in bid for SCOTUS to take up new discovery caseRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.Alison FrankelThomson ReutersAlison Frankel has covered high-stakes commercial litigation as a columnist for Reuters since 2011. A Dartmouth college graduate, she has worked as a journalist in New York covering the legal industry and the law for more than three decades. Before joining Reuters, she was a writer and editor at The American Lawyer. Frankel is the author of Double Eagle: The Epic Story of the World’s Most Valuable Coin.

Supreme Court slams door on U.S. discovery in private overseas arbitration.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - Dozens of companies and business organizations sent a letter to U.S. Congress members on Monday, urging them to support a bill that would rein in the biggest tech companies such as Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google.Last week, Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and lawmakers from both parties said they had the Senate votes needed to pass legislation that would prevent tech platforms, including Apple (AAPL.O) and Facebook , from favoring their own businesses.Companies supporting the measure, which include Yelp, Sonos, DuckDuckGo and Spotify, called it a "moderate and sensible bill aimed squarely at well-documented abuses by the very largest online platforms."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOther signatories included the American Booksellers Association, the American Independent Business Alliance, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Kelkoo Group. Amazon.com, the Chamber of Commerce and others oppose the measure. read more U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) speaks at an event opening a temporary memorial honoring 45,000 lives lost due to gun violence in 2020 on the National Mall near the Washington Monument in Washington, U.S., June 7, 2022. REUTERS/Leah MillisSupporters urged lawmakers to pass the bill, saying it would modernize antitrust laws so smaller companies can compete.Last week, Klobuchar said she believed she had the 60 Senate votes needed to end debate and move to a vote on final passage. There is a similar bill in the House of Representatives."It's no surprise that Yelp and Spotify like the bill since it's designed to help them. But senators are telling us that they just aren't hearing their voters demanding changes to Amazon Basics and Google Maps," the pro-tech Chamber of Progress said in a statement.The tech giants have said the bill would imperil popular consumer products like Google Maps and Amazon Basics and make it harder for the companies to protect their users' security and privacy.Carl Szabo of NetChoice said the pressure being exerted to get a vote on the bill was a sign that it did not have enough support to pass. "This is a drowning bill's last gasp for air," he said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Diane Bartz Editing by Chris Reese and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S. bill to rein in Big Tech backed by dozens of small and big companies.

Prices for gas, food and housing have skyrocketed in the last year. Less noticeable, to some, is the rising cost of health care. Medicare, the U.S. government's national health insurance program for Americans age 65 and over, imposed a 14.5% increase in premiums for Part B (outpatient care coverage) for 2022, a record high and nearly double the March reading of the annual U.S. rate for inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Rising health-care inflation can have major consequences for current and future retirees, as medical expenses are expected to take up an ever greater share of retirees' income. "When you have to prioritize your living expenses versus health care, that's a major problem," said Kathy Martin, a 50-year-old resident of New York state, when asked what worries her most about health-care costs.Kathy Martin prioritizes her health care by taking time to exercise.Martin works out a few times a week with seniors who are part of the Silver Sneakers fitness program at her local gym in Somers, New York. Her classmate Laura Rodriguez, 67, shares her concern. "What's going to happen when I get older, you know?" she said. "How am I going to be able to pay for the care that I need?"What two years of health-care inflation might costStudies illustrate how increasing medical expenses can add up. If health-care costs grow at 2% above consumer inflation for the next two years, a healthy 55-year-old couple could face $267,000 in additional medical costs when they retire at age 65, according to an analysis by HealthView Services. That same couple could expect to spend more than $1 million on health-care expenses in their lifetime, nearly the same amount as they could expect to collect in Social Security benefits. More from Your Money Your Future:"Whether you're affluent or you're the average person … when you look at your Social Security check, you're paying for health care," said HealthView Services CEO Ron Mastrogiovanni. It pays to planAfter paying the premiums, Medicare covers about two-thirds of the cost of health-care services, with out-of-pocket spending making up about 12%, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.  "Other than housing, food and transportation,  [health care is] probably the most expensive item we're going to face in retirement," Mastrogiovanni said. "Know what it is; be prepared."The most important thing is that you start saving and you start saving early.Paul Fronstindirector of health benefits research at EBRIIncrease savings through retirement planHealthView Services estimates that a 55-year-old couple would need to invest an additional $53,000 to cover the $267,000 in added costs from inflation. Increasing savings now can add to security later. Experts say consider adding more money to your 401(k) plan or a Roth individual retirement account, if you qualify. "The most important thing is that you start saving and you start saving early; the earlier you do, the better prepared you're going to be," said Paul Fronstin, director of health benefits research at EBRI. Consider health savings accountsHealth savings accounts are another tool to save for future health-care costs, but they require a high-deductible health-care plan and have annual contribution limits. For 2022, the HSA contribution limit is $3,650 for single-insured and $7,300 for families. For people over 55 years old, each of those limits increases by $1,000, via "catch-up" contributions.Don't count on employer coverageThere was a time when employers offered health benefits to retirees, but EBRI found only about 4% of companies have those benefits, down from about 45% before an accounting rule change in the late 1980s required firms to put the liability on their balance sheets."When they had to do that, it just didn't look good on the balance sheet, so they started cutting back on the benefit to the point where very few workers are going to be eligible for this kind of benefit in the future," Fronstin said.Staying healthy Meanwhile, Silver Sneakers fitness instructor Melanie Scala, who turns 59 next month, said "I definitely feel like I'm heading people in the right direction to cut down on their health costs."Yet, while physical fitness may help control some health-care costs, experts say planning ahead for medical expenses over a longer life should also be factored into the equation.

Inflation is impacting health-care costs in retirement. Here's how to fight it.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies fell sharply as investors dump risk assets. A crypto lending company called Celsius is pausing withdrawals for its customers, sparking fears of contagion into the broader market.Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesCrypto has had a brutal first half of 2022, but few days have been this bad for the industry that's built itself up around digital currencies.On Monday, trading platforms halted withdrawals, companies cut jobs, and panicked investors dumped their holdings, dragging the market cap of crypto below $1 trillion, down from $3 trillion at its peak in November.Bitcoin plunged to an 18-month low, falling below $23,000. The most valuable cryptocurrency tumbled by 15% in the past 24 hours, while ethereum, which is second to bitcoin, fell 17%.The sell-off comes as investors rotate out of the riskiest assets due to macroeconomic headwinds and rising interest rates. But it's worse than that. The action on Monday showed a fundamental mistrust of cryptocurrencies and the platforms that support them. What was already a deep downturn started to look like panic selling.Here are some of Monday's crypto lowlights:The Celsius contagion effectFor weeks, concern has been growing that Celsius, one of the more popular crypto staking and lending platforms, is in the midst of a liquidity crunch. Celsius offers users yield of up to 18.63% on their deposits. It's like a product a bank would offer, except with none of the regulatory safeguards.Celsius' cel token dropped from over $7 to about 33 cents in the last year — and it's down more than 50% in the past week. Celsius is the biggest holder of the token.Meanwhile, the company's $26 billion in client funds has more than halved since October.Celsius had previously admitted to losing funds, though it didn't specify how much, as a result of the $120 million hack of decentralized finance platform BadgerDAO. Early Monday, Celsius shocked the market, announcing that all withdrawals, swaps, and transfers between accounts have been paused due to "extreme market conditions." In a memo addressed to the Celsius Community, the platform also said the move was designed to "stabilize liquidity and operations.""We are taking this action today to put Celsius in a better position to honor, over time, its withdrawal obligations," the memo said.Celsius effectively locked up its $12 billion in crypto assets under management, raising concerns about the platform's solvency. The news rippled across the crypto industry, reminding some of what happened in May, when a failed U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin project lost $60 billion in value and dragged the wider crypto industry down with it.Shares of crypto trading platform Coinbase dropped 11% on Monday to their lowest since the company went public in April 2021.Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC ProBinance pauses bitcoin withdrawalsBinance also hit the pause button on Monday. The world's largest crypto exchange halted bitcoin withdrawals for over three hours "due to a stuck transaction causing a backlog."Although CEO Changpeng Zhao said the fix would only take a half hour, he later amended his estimate, saying it would take "a bit longer" than initially anticipated. By about 11:30 a.m., service had been restored."A batch of $BTC transactions got stuck due to low TX fees, resulting in a backlog of BTC network withdrawals," Binance wrote in a tweet.In a series of post-mortem tweets, the exchange noted that deposits were "unaffected" and explained that the problem stemmed from scheduled repair work.Zhao assured customers that all funds were "SAFU." That's a reference to the "Secure Asset Fund for Users," which was set up by Binance in 2018 to protect users' holdings.During the withdrawal outage, Zhao tweeted that it was still possible for holders to take out their bitcoin on other networks like CEP-20.Layoffs ahead of 'crypto winter'Peter Thiel-backed start-up BlockFi, has joined a growing list of crypto companies slashing costs by cutting jobs.On Monday, the company announced it would be reducing headcount by about 20%. Prior to the latest cuts, the company expanded from 150 employees at the end of 2020, to more than 850.CEO Zac Prince said in a tweet that BlockFi has been impacted by the "dramatic shift in macroeconomic conditions," which have had a "negative impact" on growth.It's becoming a familiar theme for companies in the space.Late last week, Crypto.com announced a staff reduction of 260 people, just seven months after the company gained naming rights to the arena that's home to the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in a $700 million deal. Earlier this month Gemini said it would be laying off 10% of its workforce and warned that the industry is in a "contraction phase" known as "crypto winter."Meanwhile, Coinbase has extended its hiring pause for the "foreseeable future" and plans to rescind some job offers.WATCH: UST's crash has some investors reevaluating their crypto investments

The crypto industry just had one of its worst days ever — Here's what happened.

Stocks may go into a deeper tailspin.Canaccord Genuity's Tony Dwyer predicts 1980s-era interest rate hikes will exacerbate the turmoil and make a recession seem increasingly more likely."Typically, I've been bullish over the years. But there's a money availability problem," the firm's chief market strategist told CNBC's "Fast Money" on Monday. "Ultimately, you have to have money to buy stuff, to do stuff and to invest in stuff. And, the avenues for money availability have largely closed down since the beginning of the year."In a note out this week, Dwyer warns the Federal Reserve is "under significant pressure" to cut inflation by clamping down on demand. He contends the economy is on the cusp of rate spikes reminiscent of Paul Volcker's tenure as Fed chair."Debt-to-GDP in the Volcker era was at a generational low," said Dwyer. "So, debt to GDP wasn't anywhere near the issue it is today. We're at generational high at 138% debt to-GDP. So, if you're going to take a levered economy and shut it down, that's not good."On Monday, the S&P 500 lost 4% and closed in bear market territory. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 5% and the Dow dropped 876 points, its first time ever closing own 600-plus points three days in a row.

1980s-era rate hikes designed to fight inflation will create more market turmoil, Canaccord's Tony Dwyer predicts.

The headquarters of Germany's Deutsche Bank are pictured in Frankfurt, Germany, September 21, 2020. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW YORK, June 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Monday said shareholders can sue Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE)for allegedly hiding shortfalls in its internal controls while doing business with risky, ultra-rich clients like the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Russian oligarchs.U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said shareholders may try to prove in their proposed class action that the German bank was aware its know-your-customer and anti-money laundering controls were ineffective, and that its share price fell as the truth became known.In a 30-page decision, Rakoff said the complaint described specific processes that Deutsche Bank knowingly undermined through an "unwritten but pervasive practice" of exempting rich, politically connected clients from normal internal scrutiny.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRakoff said shareholders may also pursue claims against Chief Executive Christian Sewing and his predecessor John Cryan. He dismissed claims against Deutsche Bank's chief financial officer and his predecessor.A Deutsche Bank spokesman declined to comment. The lawsuit covers investors in Deutsche Bank securities from March 14, 2017 to May 12, 2020.Since taking over in 2018, Sewing has boosted profits and tried to restore investor confidence that the bank had moved past its internal controls shortfalls.These included failures to better monitor its work for Epstein, which in 2020 led to a $150 million fine from a New York regulator, and dealings with Danske Bank's (DANSKE.CO) Estonia branch, which was embroiled in a massive money laundering scandal.The defendants said shareholders failed to show any intent to defraud, and that the bank's statements about its compliance processes were "aspirational" or "puffery."But Rakoff said the complaint adequately alleged that Sewing and Cryan "were personally aware of the deficiencies in the bank's KYC and AML practices" that made filings they signed false or misleading.Emma Gilmore, a lawyer for the shareholders, said companies have long tried to evade liability by claiming their statements about compliance were aspirational."Judge Rakoff's decision makes clear that not only is this argument extraordinarily cynical, it has no basis in law," Gilmore said in an email.The case is Karimi v Deutsche Bank AG et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 22-02854.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Deutsche Bank investors can sue in U.S. over Epstein, Russian oligarch ties.

Politics Updated on: June 13, 2022 / 7:25 PM / CBS News Barr rejects Trump's election claims Barr: Trump's election claims "detached from reality" 03:01 In the second day of the House Jan. 6 select committee public hearings, Chairman Bennie Thompson said the committee would show that former President Donald Trump lost his reelection campaign, knew he lost and as a result of his loss, "decided to wage an attack on our democracy, an attack on the American people," which culminated in the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Here are some of the highlights from Monday's hearing: "Intoxicated" Giuliani told Trump he should just declare victory, though others discouraged it.On election night in 2020, Rudy Giuliani said he spoke to Trump several times. Giuliani, whom Trump aide Jason Miller observed was "definitely intoxicated," advised Trump he should just declare victory, over the advice of campaign manager Bill Stepien, Miller and son-in-law Jared Kushner.  Stepien, in an excerpt of his interview with the committee, said he felt that it was "far too early" to say Trump had won. He thought ballots would continue to be counted for days. The committee also played video of Ivanka Trump, who did not recall having a "firm" view of what her father should do, but she said she knew the "race would not be called on election night." Jared Kushner said he told the president that Giuliani's proposal was "basically not the approach I would take."But Giuliani insisted that anyone who didn't say Trump had won was being "weak," according to Miller's recollection of the night, also excerpted from videotaped testimony. Giuliani's lawyer, Robert Costello, said in a statement to CBS News, "Mayor Giuliani denies that he was intoxicated on election night. He does not know why Jayson Miller would make such a false claim. The Mayor suggests that you speak to others who were with him as they will undoubtedly corroborate the Mayor's denial. We note that even though the Mayor spent more than 7 1/2 hours testifying before the Select Committee, he was not asked about this false claim.  The Committee had this false allegation before Mayor Giuliani testified." Breakdown of testimony from the second Jan. 6 committee hearing 06:45 On Nov. 4, while votes were still being counted, Trump went to the White House briefing room and touted what he claimed would be a nearly insurmountable lead in states including Pennsylvania. "We're winning Pennsylvania by a tremendous amount of votes. We're up 600—think of this, think of this—we're up 690,000 votes in Pennsylvania, 690,000," Trump said. "These aren't even close, this is not like 'oh, it's close.' With 64% of the vote in, it's going to be almost impossible to catch, and we're coming into good Pennsylvania areas where they happen to like your president. So, we'll probably expand that." But by Saturday, Nov. 7, Joe Biden was projected to be the winner in Pennsylvania, pulling ahead of Trump by 34,000 votes. It was the state that pushed Mr. Biden's electoral vote total to 273 and ensured his victory over Trump in the presidential election. Former Fox News political editor says Trump used "red mirage" to justify false election claims.Former Fox News political editor Chris Stirewalt, who was fired after the network called Arizona early for Mr. Biden, explained the "red mirage." The phrase refers to the expectation that Republicans would appear to be winning in early in the count because they tend to vote in person on Election Day, and those votes are counted first, but mail-in, absentee and early-voting Democrats in many states would not see their votes counted until after polls close. This is the basis of the "red mirage," the sense that the Republican is winning. "For us, who cares? But that's because no candidate had ever tried to avail themself of this quick in-the-election counting system," Stirewalt said. "We had gone to pains, and I'm proud of the pains we went to make sure that we were informing viewers that this was going to happen because the Trump campaign and the president had made it clear they were going to try to exploit this anomaly."Stirewalt said they knew this "quirk" would be "bigger" in 2020, because more people were voting early and using absentee and mail ballots due to the pandemic. The committee also played a clip of Barr saying he had understood for "weeks" that this was going to happen on election night, as well as a clip of Stepien saying he also had had discussions with Trump about the "red mirage." Lofgren played a clip of Trump in the early hours of Nov. 4, 2020, saying, "We want all voting to stop. We don't want them to find any ballots at 4 o'clock in the morning and add them to the list." Lofgren said this contradicted what his advisers were telling him. Stirewalt said that when Fox News called Arizona, it was controversial to "our competitors" but that he had no doubts about the call. He said after the election, the chances of Trump winning the election were "none." "Ahead of today, I thought about what are the largest margins that could ever be overturned by a recount and the normal kind of stuff we heard Mike Pence talking about, sounding like a normal Republican that night saying 'we'll keep every challenge,'" Stirewalt said. "When you're talking about a recount, you're talking about hundreds of votes. When we think about calling a race, one of the things we think about is, is it outside the margin of a recount. And when we think about that margin, we think about in modern history, you're talking about 1,000 votes, 1,500 votes at the way, way outside. Normally you're talking about hundreds of votes — maybe 300 votes — that are going to change. The idea that through any normal process in any of these states — remember he needed to do it thrice, right, he needed three of these states to change. In order to do that, you're at infinite … you're better off to play the Powerball than to have that come in."  Top Trump officials told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were wrong.Trump's closest aides, political staff, government and campaign lawyers said they told him his claims the election had been stolen were wrong. Former Attorney General William Barr, whose was shown in the first hearing saying he told Trump his claims of widespread election fraud were "bullsh**," had more to say. A report alleging voting machines from Dominion Voting Systems were changing votes from Trump to President Biden was "amateurish," according to Barr, while earlier claims of voter fraud were "bogus and silly and usually based on complete misinformation."Barr recalled being "demoralized" by Trump believing Dominion's machines were rigged, "because I thought, 'Boy if he really believes this stuff, he has you know, lost contact with — he's become detached from reality, if he really believes this stuff.'"He also called allegations that more votes were cast in Philadelphia than there were registered voters "absolute rubbish" and suggested Trump's loss had to do not with fraud, but with his strength as a candidate.Trump, in Barr's telling, "generally was the weak element on the Republican ticket. So, that does not suggest that the election was stolen by fraud."Alex Cannon, a former Trump campaign attorney, also recalled speaking with senior White House adviser Peter Navarro about voter fraud claims and Vice President Mike Pence. Navarro insulted Cannon when the lawyer said he didn't believe the Dominion allegations, calling him an "agent of the Deep State" working against Trump, Cannon recalled. It was the last call he said he ever took from Navarro. Derek Lyons, the White House staff secretary, also told the committee that allegations of fraud were discussed in a meeting more than a month after the election, during which White House counsel Pat Cipollone and White House lawyer Eric Herschmann told Trump none of his claims had been "substantiated to the point where they could be the basis for any litigation challenge to the election." Herschmann also told the select committee during a taped interview he "never saw any evidence whatsoever to sustain" allegations Dominion voting machines were flipping votes cast for Trump.Al Schmidt, a Republican who served as a city commissioner in Philadelphia and was on the Board of Elections, also refuted claims raised by Giuliani that 8,000 dead people voted in Pennsylvania."Not only was there not evidence of 8,000 dead voters voting in Pennsylvania, there wasn't evidence of eight," he told the committee during the hearing. "We took seriously every case that was referred to us, no matter how fantastical, no matter how absurd, and took every one of those seriously, including these."$250 million raised by the Trump campaign's "Election Defense Fund" did not fund his campaign lawsuits. A former campaign staffer said, "I don't believe there is actually a fund called the 'Election Defense Fund.'"The final minutes of the hearing were spent following the money raised by the Trump campaign from small-dollar donors who were encouraged to "fight back" against the "left-wing mob" attempting to steal the presidential election.Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California, said the Trump campaign continued to mount court fights after Dec. 14, when electors met in all 50 states to cast their Electoral College votes for president and vice president, in order to "raise millions."In a video produced by the committee, senior investigative counsel Amanda Wick estimated that between Election Day on Nov. 3 and Jan. 6, the Trump campaign sent scores of fundraising emails — as many as 25 per day — that encouraged recipients to contribute to the so-called "Election Defense Fund." But one former Trump campaign staffer, Hanna Allred, told the committee in an interview she did not believe such a fund existed. "I don't believe there is actually a fund called the 'Election Defense Fund'," she said. Gary Coby, the campaign's former digital director, confirmed it was a marketing tactic.Solicitations about voter fraud brought in big bucks: $250 million, according to Wick, nearly $100 million of which was donated the first week after the election.According to the committee's presentation, the money did not go to funding election-related litigation, but instead to Trump's Save America PAC. The former president's political action committee then donated "millions" to entities and vendors with ties to Trump:$1 million to the Conservative Partnership Institute, where former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is senior partner$1 million to the America First Policy Institute, which lists among its leaders former Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon, former senior Trump adviser Larry Kudlow, and former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf$5 million to Event Strategies, Inc., which ran the Jan. 6 rally on the Ellipse$204,857 to the Trump Hotel CollectionAfter the hearing, Lofgren was asked whether the committee has evidence the Trump campaign committed a crime with the fundraising appeals. "It's clear that he intentionally misled his donors, asked them to donate to a fund that didn't exist and used the money raised for something other than what he said," she told reporters. "Now it's for someone else to decide whether that's criminal or not."Appearing on CNN after the hearing, Lofgren revealed Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr., was paid $60,000 from the "Election Defense Fund" to speak for two minutes and 30 seconds during the rally outside the White House on Jan. 6.  In: rudy giuliani Donald Trump Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Jan. 6 committee hearings: Four takeaways from second day of hearings.

REUTERS/Sandy Huffaker Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryLaw firmsRelated documentsSupreme Court rejects cases by detainees seeking to argue for releaseImmigrants can be detained for years amid deportation proceedings(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled non-citizens can be detained indefinitely under federal immigration law without bond hearings and that federal judges lack the authority to order the government to release immigrants who have been detained without hearings on a class-wide basis.In an 8-1 ruling, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the Immigration and Nationality Act does not require immigration judges to hold bond hearings after six months to determine if a non-citizen should be released while their case proceeds or is a flight risk or danger to the community.Agreeing with the Biden administration, Sotomayor said there was "no plausible construction of the text" of the statute that would mandate the government provide for such bond hearings and that the law did not even hint at such a requirement.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe decision, which could affect thousands of immigrants subject to prolonged detention, overturned a ruling by the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of Antonio Arteaga-Martinez, a Mexican citizen who challenged his detention.Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer partly dissented, saying he believed the bond hearing requirement was reasonable under an earlier, 2001 Supreme Court decision.Pratik Shah, Antonio Arteaga-Martinez's lawyer at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, in a statement noted the Supreme Court explicitly left open "significant questions," including ones concerning constitutional due process, that the lower courts can now address.In a separate decision, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that federal district courts lack the authority to issue injunctions to force the government to release immigrants after 180 days without a bond hearing on a class-wide basis.Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, ruled the Immigration and Nationality Act deprived the district courts of jurisdiction to issue such injunctions and allowed only the Supreme Court to act.The decision reversed the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld decisions by judges in California and Washington barring the government from detaining immigrants without bond headings after 180 days.Sotomayor dissented, saying the decision risks depriving vulnerable non-citizens of opportunities to protect their rights by holding courts are "powerless" to issue class-wide injunctions and forcing them to "flood" courts with individual cases.Joined by her fellow two liberal justices, Sotomayor said Alito's opinion "reaches this conclusion in a purportedly textualist opinion that, in truth, elevates piecemeal dictionary definitions and policy concerns over plain meaning and context."The cases are Johnson v. Arteaga-Martinez and Garland v. Gonzalez, U.S. Supreme Court, Nos. 19-896 and 20-322.For Antonio Arteaga-Martinez: Pratik Shah of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & FeldFor Esteban Aleman Gonzalez: Matt Adams of Northwest Immigrant Rights ProjectFor the government: Austin Raynor and Curtis Gannon of the U.S. Office of the Solicitor GeneralRead more:SCOTUS takes up bid to end indefinite detention of immigrantsRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.Nate RaymondThomson ReutersNate Raymond reports on the federal judiciary and litigation. He can be reached at [email protected].

U.S. Supreme Court rejects bail hearings for detained immigrants.

SINGAPORE — Shares in Asia-Pacific are set to open lower on Tuesday after the S&P 500 fell overnight and closed in bear market territory.Futures pointed to a lower open for Japanese stocks. The Nikkei futures contract in Chicago was at 26,470 while its counterpart in Osaka was at 26,400. In comparison, the Nikkei 225's last close was at 26,987.44.Australian stocks were also set to open lower, with the SPI futures contract at 6,631, against the S&P/ASX 200's last close at 6,932.The S&P 500 fell nearly 4% overnight to 3,749.63, closing in bear market territory, or down more than 20% from its January peak.Other major indexes stateside also saw big declines. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 876.05 points, or 2.79%, to 30,516.74. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lagged, plunging 4.68% to around 10,809.23.Stock picks and investing trends from CNBC Pro:CurrenciesThe U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 105.078 — continuing a general upward trek after last week's climb from levels below 102.6.The Japanese yen traded at 134.24 per dollar, stronger as compared with levels above 135 seen against the greenback yesterday. The Australian dollar was at $0.6937 after yesterday's fall from above $0.70.

Asia-Pacific stocks set for lower start after S&P 500 closes in bear market territory.

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday said that investors have his permission to buy shares of software company Mitek Systems as a speculative play."Mitek's genuinely cheap on an earnings basis, which is why it's … one I'm willing to bless for speculation in what is otherwise an extremely hostile environment," the "Mad Money" host said."I think these guys have made a ton of smart decisions and the business is good," he said about the firm, which offers digital identity verification and mobile check deposit services.To illustrate his point about the financial technology industry, Cramer noted that other companies in the space such as Affirm and Block have been crushed by the market, well below their highs.He also mentioned that Mitek is involved in a lawsuit seeking a legal decision that its technology does not infringe on the United Services Automobile Association's mobile banking patents. The tiff regarding the latter's patents has been going on for several years, according to Reuters.Yet, Cramer said that the company has had strong performances in its recent quarters and has made acquisitions in the last couple of years that separate it from other fumbling pandemic winners. Shares of Mitek are down 52% year-to-date and hit a new 52-week low on Monday."Just leave room to buy more into weakness, because we have no idea when it will stop going down, just like we have no idea about the rest of the market, though," Cramer said. 'It's not worse or better."Sign up now for the CNBC Investing Club to follow Jim Cramer's every move in the market.DisclaimerQuestions for Cramer? Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBCWant to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up! Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - InstagramQuestions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? [email protected]

Cramer says investors can buy stock of this software company as a speculative pick.

Plastic letters arranged to read "Inflation" are placed on U.S. Dollar banknote in this illustration taken, June 12, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - U.S. corporate bonds were pummeled on Monday as expectations of an aggressive rate hiking cycle, following hotter-than-anticipated inflation data last week, intensified concerns over the economic outlook and companies' ability to repay their debt.The prices of major exchange-traded funds tracking both the investment grade and the high-yield U.S. bond market dropped, while the cost of insuring against potential defaults rose sharply, in a sign of risk aversion.The U.S. Federal Reserve will meet on Wednesday amid heavy selling of stocks and bonds following May data that showed U.S. consumer prices rose at their fastest pace since 1981, led by soaring gas and food prices.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comUnrelenting inflation could push the Fed to hike rates by more than the market had previously anticipated, with some investment banks forecasting a 75 basis points hike this week or even contemplating a possible 100 basis points hike. read more A selloff in short-dated Treasuries pushed yields on the two-year U.S. government bonds to their highest since late 2007, impacting credit markets."Yields are going up which will make it harder for smaller companies to refinance and thus, it will be harder for them to make debt payments", said Thomas Hayes, managing member of Great Hill Capital in New York.BlackRock's iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG.P) - an exchange-traded fund that tracks the U.S. junk-bond market – fell 2.1% to trade for $74 a share, its lowest since April 2020, when markets were roiled by the coronavirus crisis.The spread on the Markit high yield credit default swap index - which tracks the cost to insure high-yield corporate debt and is a proxy for the junk market - went up to over 570 basis points on Monday from 532 on Friday, hitting its highest level since May 2020.The spread on the equivalent investment grade index rose to 96.7 basis points on Monday from 91.1 on Friday. Spreads of both indices have widened since the start of the year.Standard Chartered said in a note on Monday that while it expected a half-point rise this week, it did not preclude larger increases of 75 basis points or even a full percentage point.Signs of an economic slowdown - including a survey last week showing U.S. consumer sentiment plunged to a record low in early June - were not enough to deter the central bank from its fight to tackle inflation, it said."Various parts of the credit markets are showing signs of stress ... suggesting the financial markets are quite concerned about the potential underpinnings of the economy here," said Ryan Detrick, senior market strategist at LPL Financial.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Mehnaz Yasmin and Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S. corporate debt hit hard as inflation shock intensifies economic fears.

Jun 13, 2022; Brookline, Massachusetts, USA; Phil Mickelson addresses the media during a press conference before rounds of the U.S. Open golf tournament at The Country Club. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY SportsRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBROOKLINE, Mass., June 13 (Reuters) - Phil Mickelson said he had the "deepest of sympathy" for those who had lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001 after a coalition of families whose relatives died in the attacks criticised his move to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.The PGA Tour last week suspended Mickelson and other members who joined LIV Golf, with Commissioner Jay Monahan saying they had "decided to turn their backs" on the tour. read more Last week, advocacy group 9/11 Families United sent an open letter to American Mickelson and others who joined LIV Golf, condemning their participation.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comFifteen of the 19 hijackers on Sept. 11 were from Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has long denied a role in the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people."I would say to everyone that has lost loved ones, lost friends on 9/11 that I have deep, deep empathy for them. I can't emphasise that enough," Mickelson told reporters on Monday ahead of this week's U.S. Open."I have the deepest of sympathy and empathy for them."Terry Strada, the national chair of 9/11 Families United, responded in a statement on Monday, saying Mickelson and his fellow LIV golfers "should be ashamed."They are helping the Saudi regime 'sportswash' their reputation in return for tens of millions of dollars," he said.'ONE OR BOTH'Mickelson was a long-time fan favourite but faced a barrage of disapproval after remarks were made public earlier this year in which he criticised the Saudi government for its "horrible" human rights record but said he would use the prospect of LIV Golf to gain economic leverage over the PGA Tour. read more Mickelson apologised for his remarks and announced in February that he was taking time away from the game, opting out of the Masters and his title defence at the PGA Championship. read more Saudi Arabia's government denies accusations of human rights abuses.Mickelson also suggested he was hopeful that he could compete on the PGA Tour again, despite his suspension."(I'm) very appreciative of the many memories, opportunities, experiences, friendships, relationships PGA Tour has provided, and those are going to last -- those will last a lifetime, but I'm hopeful that I'll have a chance to create more," he said.Mickelson, who has finished runner-up six times at the U.S. Open and will get another shot at completing the career Grand Slam on his 30th attempt at the Country Club in Brookline, said he respected those who have "strong opinions." read more The American said he planned to compete in next month's Open Championship at St Andrews and would prefer to have the option to play "one or both" tours."I gave as much back to the PGA Tour and the game of golf as I could throughout my 30 years here and through my accomplishments on the course I've earned a lifetime membership," he said."I intend to keep that and then choose going forward which events to play and not."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Mickelson offers sympathy as 9/11 families slam move to Saudi-backed tour.

An illustration picture shows a man starting his Twitter App on a mobile device in Hanau near Frankfurt, October 21, 2013. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBRUSSELS, June 13 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc unit Google (GOOGL.O), Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc(TWTR.N) and other tech companies will have to take measures to counter deepfakes and fake accounts on their platforms or risk hefty fines under an updated European Union code of practice, according to an EU document seen by Reuters.The European Commission is expected to publish the updated code of practice on disinformation on Thursday as part of its crackdown against fake news.Introduced in 2018, the voluntary code will now become a co-regulation scheme, with responsibility shared between the regulators and signatories to the code.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe updated code spells out examples of manipulative behaviour such as deepfakes and fake accounts which the signatories will have to tackle."Relevant signatories will adopt, reinforce and implement clear policies regarding impermissible manipulative behaviours and practices on their services, based on the latest evidence on the conducts and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) employed by malicious actors," the documentsaid.Deepfakes are hyperrealistic forgeries created by computer techniques that have triggered alarm worldwide in particular when they are used in a political context.The code will also be linked to tough new EU rules known as the Digital Services Act (DSA) agreed by the 27-country European Union earlier this year which has a section on combating disinformation.In effect, companies which fail to live up to their obligations under the code can face fines of as much as 6% of their global turnover based on DSA rules. They have six months to implement their measures once they have signed up to the code.Signatories will also have to take measures to tackle advertising containing disinformation and provide more transparency on political advertising."The DSA provides a legal backbone to the Code of Practice against disinformation – including heavy dissuasive sanctions," EU industry chief Thierry Breton, who is leading the EU's crackdown on disinformation, told Reuters in a statement.Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the former calls a special operation, underpinned some of the changes in the code."Once the Code is operational, we will be better prepared to address disinformation, also coming from Russia," she said in a statement.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Jan Harvey, Susan Fenton and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Exclusive: Google, Facebook, Twitter to tackle deepfakes or risk EU fines - document.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNEW YORK, June 13 (Reuters) - There is a 50% chance the U.S. economy will enter a recession though any downturn is unlikely to be severe, Morgan Stanley (MS.N) CEO James Gorman said on Monday, warning of a "bumpy" ride ahead for investors."It's possible, probably 50-50 odds now," Gorman told a conference hosted by the Wall Street bank, revising up his own forecast from last month when he told investors the likelihood of recession was less than 50%. read more "It's going to be bumpy. People's 401(K) plans are going to be down this year," he added, referring to U.S. retirement plans. "But we're unlikely at this stage to go into a deep or long recession."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) looked set to confirm a bear market on Monday after falling more than 20% from its Jan. 3 record closing high due to growing investor fears of a potential recession.Executives speaking at a Morgan Stanley financial industry conference said U.S. consumers and companies remain in good financial shape, which will help the economy bounce back from any contraction and insulate banks from the impact.Bank of America Corp's (BAC.N) Chief Financial Officer Alastair Borthwick earlier in the day said his bank's loan portfolio was not yet showing any signs of a looming recession."There's this question of what will happen in the future, and there's what are we seeing right now. And what we're seeing right now, credit is in great shape," Borthwick said, when asked about asset quality.James P. Gorman, chairman & CEO of Morgan Stanley, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 10, 2019. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein/File Photo/File PhotoBank of America, the second-largest U.S. bank by assets, reported customer spending is up 9% this June compared to last year, while credit card balances remain lower than before the pandemic. Those are two signs that consumers are healthy and not "over-extended," Borthwick said.The bank's corporate clients continue to borrow, and credit quality in the travel, restaurant and hotel sectors is improving, he added."Across the board right now we're seeing reasonably good loan growth," he said, adding growth was expected in the "high single digits."Borthwick's comments contrasted with those made by JPMorgan(JPM.N) Chief Executive Jamie Dimon earlier this month.Dimon said that inflation, the conflict in Ukraine and other challenges facing the economy were akin to a "hurricane" coming down the road. read more Both Borthwick and Gorman described the investment banking environment as challenged, as fewer companies have gone public in the volatile market.Borthwick warned Bank of America expects to report a $100-$150 million write down on its leveraged finance portfolio this quarter.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAdditional reporting by Carolina Mandl and Sinead Carew; editing by Jonathan Oatis, Michelle Price and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Morgan Stanley CEO sees 50% chance of U.S. recession.

Politics June 13, 2022 / 7:45 PM / CBS News The crew of the aircraft that left Afghanistan with human remains in its wheel well was cleared of any wrongdoing, the Air Force said Monday. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations found the crew acted appropriately faced with the challenge of hundreds of Afghans clamoring to board the flight. An Air Force spokesperson said the crew's organizational leadership found the crew had "exercised sound judgment in their decision to get airborne as quickly as possible when faced with an unprecedented and rapidly deteriorating security situation." Video on social media showed the flight's takeoff as hundreds of Afghans had accessed the runway and what appeared to be bodies falling off of the plane as it took off from Kabul.  The C-17 aircraft departed Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 16 and landed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The human remains were discovered upon landing in Qatar.  Bedlam at the airport in Kabul on Sunday, August 15, 2021 as Afghans sought to flee Taliban rule.  Sudhir Chaudhary Shortly after the incident, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations launched a review and impounded the plane to provide time to collect the remains and inspect the aircraft.  In a statement Monday, the Air Force said after the Office of Special Investigations processed and documented the aircraft, it released the scene to the host nation who declined further investigation.Air Mobility Command and U.S. Central Command conducted a review of the inquiry findings and concluded that the aircrew was in compliance with the rules of engagement for this incident. The social media video of the aircraft was in the first days of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan after Kabul had fallen to the Taliban and Afghanistan's president fled the country. In the days following, the U.S. and its allies would help to evacuate an estimated 124,000 people.  Eleanor Watson CBS News reporter covering the Pentagon. Twitter

Crew of aircraft found to have human remains in wheel well after leaving Afghanistan cleared of wrongdoing.

John Kapoor, the billionaire founder of Insys Therapeutics Inc, arrives at the federal courthouse for the first day of the trial accusing Insys executives of a wide-ranging scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe an addictive opioid medication, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., January 28, 2019. REUTERS/Brian SnyderRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLaw firmsJune 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected bids by Insys Therapeutics Inc founder John Kapoor and another former executive of the drugmaker to overturn their convictions for conspiring to bribe doctors to prescribe addictive opioids and defraud insurers into paying for them.The justices turned away appeals by Kapoor, the former Insys executive chairman, and Sunrise Lee, a former regional sales director, of their 2019 convictions by a jury in federal court in Boston on the charge of racketeering conspiracy.Kapoor, 78, is serving a prison sentence of 5-1/2 years and is the highest-level corporate executive convicted at trial of crimes related to the opioid epidemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in the past two decades.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"Real people suffered at the hands of these defendants, who put greed and lining their own pockets ahead of patient safety," U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, Boston's top federal prosecutor, said in a statement. "They remain convicted felons and justice has been served."Kapoor's lawyers declined to comment. Peter Horstmann, an attorney for Lee, said he was "very disappointed. She has already completed a one-year prison sentence.The jury found them guilty of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to bribe doctors nationwide by retaining them to act as speakers at sham events ostensibly meant to educate clinicians about the company's fentanyl spray, Subsys.Kapoor's lawyers in a petition filed in January with the Supreme Court argued that a non-physician like him cannot be convicted of agreeing with a doctor to illegally distribute drugs if the doctor believed he or she was acting in good faith.The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in August 2021 upheld his conviction, as well as the convictions of four other former company officials tried alongside him, including Lee.The racketeering conspiracy convictions were based on the jury's conclusion that Kapoor and others conspired to commit crimes, including illegally distributing a controlled substance.The Supreme Court in March heard arguments in two cases involving doctors convicted of unlawfully dispensing opioids about whether jurors should be required to consider if they had good faith reasons to believe their prescriptions were medically valid. read more Prosecutors said one of those two doctors, Xiulu Ruan of Alabama, accepted kickbacks from Insys and ran a "pill mill."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Will Dunham and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.Nate RaymondThomson ReutersNate Raymond reports on the federal judiciary and litigation. He can be reached at [email protected].

U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs opioid maker Insys founder's conviction appeal.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comATALAIA DO NORTE, Brazil, June 13 (Reuters) - Brazilian police and indigenous search teams dismissed reports on Monday that they had found the bodies of a British reporter and a Brazilian indigenous expert missing in the Amazon jungle, dashing hopes of a quick resolution in the week-old case.On Sunday, police said search teams had found the belongings of freelance reporter Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, a former official at federal indigenous agency Funai, in a creek off the river where they were last seen on June 5. read more However, a federal police statement and a spokesman for local indigenous association UNIVAJA, which has organized search efforts since June 5, denied subsequent reports of two bodies turned up in the search.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"I've spoken with the team in the field and it's not true," said Eliesio Marubo, a lawyer for UNIVAJA. "The search goes on."More than 100 indigenous people, many in body paint and headdresses, marched on Monday in Atalaia do Norte, the nearest town to where Phillips and Pereira were last seen, to demand better treatment of native peoples and justice for the two men.They were on a reporting trip in the remote jungle area near the border with Peru and Colombia that is home to the world's largest number of uncontacted indigenous people. The wild and lawless region has lured cocaine-smuggling gangs, along with illegal loggers, miners and hunters.News of the pair's disappearance echoed globally, with human rights organizations, environmentalists and free press advocates urging Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to step up the search.Bolsonaro, who once faced tough questioning from Phillips at a news conference over weakening environmental law enforcement, said last week that the two men "were on an adventure that is not recommended" and speculated they could have been executed. read more The case was thrown into confusion early on Monday by reports of a diplomatic briefing for the family of Phillips.People hold a banner during a vigil following the disappearance of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, who went missing while reporting in a remote and lawless part of the Amazon rainforest near the border with Peru, in front of the headquarters of Brazil's National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), in Brasilia, Brazil June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoThe Guardian reported that a Brazilian diplomat told Paul Sherwood, the journalist's brother-in-law, that authorities were working to identify two bodies tied to a tree near the river.No authorities or search teams in Brazil provided any corroboration of that development.A police statement on Sunday described belongings of the two men that had been recovered, including an ID card for Pereira. A firefighter on a search team told reporters of a backpack with clothes and a laptop tied to a tree trunk near the river.Brazilian police had also said late on Friday that they were analyzing "organic material" found in the river to see if it was human, but four people involved in the investigation told Reuters it seemed more likely to be of animal origin.The material was found near the port of Atalaia do Norte, more than 40 miles (65 km) downstream from where Phillips and Pereira were last seen on a slow-moving river, the sources said. The material's condition suggested it could have been scraps from a nearby butcher rather than remains carried downstream.The Brazilian embassy in London confirmed it has been in contact with the Phillips family, at their request, but would not comment on the details provided in the briefing. Relatives of Phillips could not be reached for comment.State police detectives involved in the investigation told Reuters they are focusing on poachers and illegal fisherman in the area, who clashed often with Pereira as he organized indigenous patrols of the local reservation. read more Police have arrested one fisherman, Amarildo da Costa, known as "Pelado," on a weapons charge and are keeping him in custody as they investigate the case.Costa's lawyers and family have said he fished legally on the river and denied he had any role in the men's disappearance.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Jake Spring Editing by Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

No bodies found in hunt for British journalist, Brazil police say.

CBS Evening News June 13, 2022 / 7:03 PM / CBS News Army secretary on combating military sex assault Army secretary on combating sexual assault in the military 03:35 Army Secretary Christine Wormuth acknowledged the military branch is still working to combat sexual assault and harassment within its ranks, but said she hopes her legacy is reducing such behaviors. "We've got a problem in our country. I know we've still got it in our Army," Wormuth told "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell in a recent interview. "Every leader at every level is focused on this, cares about it and takes the problem seriously." A new study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found "reports of sexual harassment and assault in the Army continue to rise." Soldiers reported about 1,000 sexual harassment incidents and 2,500 assaults in fiscal year 2020, according to the report, which noted that "many additional incidents" were not reported.  Wormuth told O'Donnell "we really want people to report when they've been sexually harassed. And we put a lot of emphasis on that." That's why she plans to sign a new "safe to report" policy next month, which would protect survivors from being disciplined for minor misconduct like underage drinking. Part of the solution is teaching young soldiers acceptable behavior, Wormuth said.  "A lot of it, I think, is training our soldiers, many of whom are just 18 or 19 years old, about what's acceptable and what's not acceptable," she said. "But when they come into our Army, we need to be very clear about what's OK and what's not OK." A year ago, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recommended that decisions to prosecute cases of sexual assault be taken out of the chain of command amid increasing pressure from Congress to overhaul how sexual misconduct crimes are handled in the military. In December, Congress passed significant military justice reform that did so, which could help ease victims' fears of retaliation and lead more to report it. "I think there has been that fear," Wormuth said. "And I still hear about that when I go and visit Army posts. We are, I believe, making real strides to show our soldiers that they can trust the chain of command to look out for them." O'Donnell noted that her reporting over the years on sexual assault and harassment in the military has shown that it's a national security issue — "we need more women in the U.S. military," she told Wormuth.  "We will be stronger as an Army if we have more female leaders," Wormuth said. "I have watched our military leaders go in front of Congress ten years ago and say, 'We're gonna fix this problem. We're gonna fix this problem.' So I know there's a credibility gap there. But we are working on it every single day." Wormuth, the first woman and mother to hold the role of secretary of the Army, is also focused on improving the quality of life for the Army's 400,000 service members who are parents. She said she wants "to make it easier to be a parent in the U.S. Army.""We did just put out a new policy that makes some changes in this area," she said. "So, for example, in the very sad case of a lost pregnancy, we now provide leave for both men and women when there's been a miscarriage. We've done simple things, frankly, by just allowing women who've given birth to have up to 12 months before they take their physical fitness test. Simple things that make complete sense and are really important in terms of retaining the great soldiers that we have."  In: Sexual Harassment United States Army Sexual Assault Caitlin Yilek Caitlin Yilek is a digital producer for CBS News. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hausofcait Twitter Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Army secretary on combating military sexual assault: "Every leader at every level is focused on this".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a joint news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, Russia February 18, 2022. Sputnik/Sergey Guneev/Kremlin via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - Russia's main goal of its military operation in Ukraine is to protect the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, the Kremlin said on Monday, after the leader of one of the separatist regions asked for additional forces from Moscow.Denis Pushilin, the leader of the Russian-backed separatist Donetsk region of Ukraine, had said earlier on Monday that there has been increased fighting and shelling in the region."All necessary forces, including the allied ones, including the forces of the Russian Federation, will be involved in order to counter the enemy," Pushilin said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russia's RIA state news agency as saying, "In general, the protection of the republics is the main goal of the special military operation."RIA agency reported earlier that several civilians, including a child, died in shelling on Monday.Reuters was not able to independently Russia's claims about increased shelling in the Donetsk region and there was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to the developments.Donetsk and Luhansk are two breakaway Russian-backed entities in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which Russia says it is fighting to remove entirely from Kyiv's control.Russia recognised the two regions as independent states on the eve of its invasion of Ukraine. Separatists seized control of large swathes of eastern Ukraine in 2014.Moscow calls its actions a "special military operation" to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Ukraine and its allies in the West say the fascist allegation is baseless and the war is an unprovoked act of aggression.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne, Australia; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Kremlin pledges support after Donbas separatist leader calls for more Russian forces.

Astronaut Tim Peake poses for pictures, as he arrives for the UK premiere of 'Lightyear' in London, Britain June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLOS ANGELES, June 13 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) has been unable to obtain permission to show its new Pixar movie "Lightyear" in 14 Middle Eastern and Asian countries, a source said on Monday, and the animated film appeared unlikely to open in China, the world's largest movie market.A "Lightyear" producer told Reuters that authorities in China had asked for cuts to the movie, which Disney declined to make, and she assumed the movie would not open there either. The animated film depicts a same-sex couple who share a brief kiss, which prompted the United Arab Emirates to ban the film.The United Arab Emirates said the couple's relationship violated the country's media content standards. read more Homosexuality is considered criminal in many Middle Eastern countries.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRepresentatives of other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Lebanon, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why they would not allow the film to be exhibited."Lightyear" is a prequel to Pixar's acclaimed "Toy Story" franchise. Chris Evans voices the lead character, Buzz Lightyear, a legendary space ranger.In the film, Buzz's close friend is a female space ranger who marries another woman. A scene showing milestones in the couple's relationship includes a brief kiss.Disney has not received an answer from Chinese authorities on whether they would allow the film in cinemas, "Lightyear" producer Galyn Susman said. But she said filmmakers would not make changes to the movie. China has rejected other on-screen depictions of homosexuality in the past."We're not going to cut out anything, especially something as important as the loving and inspirational relationship that shows Buzz what he's missing by the choices that he's making, so that's not getting cut," Susman told Reuters at the movie's red-carpet premiere in London.China is not a "make or break" market for Pixar, one theater industry source said. It contributed a mere 3% to the global box office for "Toy Story 4," which grossed more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales in 2019, according to Comscore.Any objections to "Lightyear" over LGBTQ issues were "frustrating," Evans said."It's great that we are a part of something that's making steps forward in the social inclusion capacity, but it's frustrating that there are still places that aren't where they should be," Evans said."Lightyear" is set to debut in theaters in the United States and Canada on Friday.In May, Disney refused requests to cut same-sex references in Marvel movie "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness." Saudi Arabia and a handful of other Middle Eastern countries did not show the film.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski; Additional reporting by Kristian Brunse in London; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

EXCLUSIVE Disney/Pixar's 'Lightyear,' with same-sex couple, will not play in 14 countries; China in question.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The United States will maintain pressure on North Korea until Pyongyang changes course, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, while his South Korean counterpart urged China to persuade the North not to resume nuclear testing.Blinken told reporters following a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin the United States remained open to dialogue with North Korea but Pyongyang had ignored the calls and instead tested missiles and made preparations to resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017."Until the regime in Pyongyang changes course, we will continue to keep the pressure on," Blinken told reporters, referring to U.S.-led international sanctions on North Korea.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comPark said any provocations by North Korea, including a nuclear test, would be met with a united and firm response and urged China to use its influence.Park said North Korea was at a crossroads - it could go ahead with a nuclear test and isolate itself, or return to diplomacy and dialogue."I also think China should play a very positive role to persuade North Korea that maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula requires their new thinking," he said.Park said he and Blinken had agreed on early reactivation of an extended deterrence working group, a policy body dealing with the U.S. nuclear umbrella that protects South Korea.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a trilateral meeting with Canadian and Mexican counterparts at the ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 10, 2022. REUTERS/Lucy NicholsonHe said the body deals with deployment of strategic assets when necessary, but did not elaborate. Blinken said Washington was prepared to make short and longer-term adjustments to its military posture, as appropriate.Blinken said he expected the working group would be back up and running in weeks ahead and said Washington and Seoul were committed to discussing how to expand the scope and scale of their combined military exercises.Blinken said the United States had noted the appointment of North Korea's first female foreign minister last week, key nuclear negotiator Choe Son Hui, but added that the U.S. approach to a country was based its policies, not individuals. read more Blinken also said Washington would continue to impose sanctions on Chinese and Russian individuals and entities aiding North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.China's U.N. envoy told Reuters last week Beijing does not want to see another North Korean nuclear test, which is partly why it vetoed a U.S.-led bid to impose new U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang over renewed ballistic missiles launches.But Ambassador Zhang Jun warned against making presumptions on how Beijing might react to a seventh test, which Washington has warned could happen at "any time." read more In recent years China and Russia have been pushing for an easing of sanctions on North Korea on humanitarian grounds - and in the hope that it can be convinced to return to negotiations.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by David Brunnstrom, Daphne Psaledakis and Costas Pitas Editing by Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S. to keep up North Korea pressure; Seoul urges China to use influence.

This June marks the 50th anniversary of the war on drugs, an ongoing campaign that has to a large extent reshaped American politics, society and the economy."[The goals of the war on drugs] were to literally eradicate all of the social, economic and health ills associated with drugs and drug abuse," said Christopher Coyne, professor of economics at George Mason University. "It doesn't get much more ambitious than that."Since 1971, America has spent over a trillion dollars enforcing its drug policy, according to research from the University of Pennsylvania. Yet many observers, both liberal and conservative, say the war on drugs has not paid off.The campaign, launched by President Richard Nixon, has spanned multiple administrations and led to the creation of a dedicated federal agency, the Drug Enforcement Administration.Law enforcement was given an unprecedented level of authority with measures like mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants, recently reevaluated after the death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police in a botched drug raid."The drug war is a failed policy and the things that they said would happen — people would stop using drugs, communities would get back together, we'd be safe, they'd get drugs off the street — those things didn't happen," said Kassandra Frederique, executive director at the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit that works to end the war on drugs.Despite a steep decline in illicit drug usage in the earlier years, drug use in the U.S. is climbing again and more quickly than ever. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the number of illicit drug users rose to 13% of Americans 12 years or older in 2019, nearly reaching its peak from 40 years ago. If the goal of the war on drugs was to decrease drug usage and prevent drug-related deaths, it hasn't made much progress."We are still in the midst of the most devastating drug epidemic in U.S. history," according to Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow at the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at Brookings Institution. In 2020, overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 90,000, compared with 70,630 in 2019, according to research from the Commonwealth Fund.Yet, the federal government is spending more money than ever to enforce drug policies. In 1981, the federal budget for drug abuse prevention and control was just over a billion dollars. By 2020, that number had grown to $34.6 billion. When adjusted for inflation, CNBC found that it translates to a 1,090% increase in just 39 years.According to the White House, the national drug control budget is estimated to hit a historic level of $41 billion by 2022. The largest increases in funding are requested to support drug treatment and drug prevention."In the overall scheme of how much the U.S. government spends, it's not a huge amount," said Coyne. "The bigger issue is that there's a burden from an economic perspective because when you make something illegal, it has a series of consequences that affect all areas of life."Take mass incarceration for example. Mass incarceration leaves a heavy burden on both the federal and state government's budgets. The Prison Policy Initiative, a think tank and criminal justice advocacy group, found that 1 in 5 currently incarcerated people in the U.S. are locked up for a drug offense. The same research estimates that it costs an average of about $37,500 annually to house an inmate in federal correctional facilities and that mass incarceration costs the U.S. at least $182 billion every year."States found their budgets enormously strapped by having to put funds toward correctional facilities that grew into enormous complexes," explained Felbab-Brown. "One unfortunate way that states dealt with it was privatizing correction, something that's a specific feature to the United States. That has been a very problematic and fraught policy, partially driven by the tendency to arrest nonviolent drug offenders."There is also a massive racial disparity that comes with drug incarcerations. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, nearly 80% of the people in federal prison and almost 60% of people in state prison for drug offenses are Black or Latino. In 2019, despite making up just 13.4% of the U.S. population, the FBI reported that more than a quarter of the drug-related arrests were of Black American adults.Nkechi Taifa, a justice system reform strategist, advocate and scholar, and founder and CEO of The Taifa Group, called the war on drugs the "New Jim Crow." "It disproportionately targets and impacts people of color," she explained.Meanwhile, America's attitude toward drugs is changing. This spring, New York became the 15th state, along with the District of Columbia to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Oregon, in February, became the first state to decriminalize the possession of any small amounts of drugs.Even many conservatives are reevaluating their support for the war on drugs. "What we need to come to grips with is addiction is a disease and no life is disposable," remarked Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey and former chair of the Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission, during a New Hampshire townhall meeting in November 2015. "It can happen to anyone and so we need to start treating people in this country, not jailing them."Others, like Paul Larkin, a senior legal research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative policy think tank, remain more cautious when it comes to changes in our drug policy. "Just as we don't abandon our efforts to prevent violent crime because murders, rapes, and robberies are still committed, we should not abandon our efforts to protect our neighbors and their children from the harms illicit drug use causes," he commented. "We should pursue our goal with every tool we have, such as education, interdiction, law enforcement and treatment."While the U.S. might be on the path to potentially reversing some of the harshest impacts of the war on drugs, America's battle against illicit substances is likely here to stay."I see more of the same," said Coyne. "I don't think the war on drugs is going anywhere anytime soon as a political program and as a political talking point."

America has spent over a trillion dollars fighting the war on drugs. 50 years later, drug use in the U.S. is climbing again.

A general view of the U.S. Capitol dome ahead of the opening public hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 9, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed on Monday legislation to improve oversight of ocean shipping, which supporters say will help curb inflation and ease export backlogs.The bill passed 369-42 and will head to the White House for President Joe Biden's signature. Biden said in a statement he looked forward to signing it into law.The bill would boost the investigatory authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the U.S. agency that oversees ocean shipping, and increase transparency of industry practices.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comIt would allow FMC to launch probes of ocean common carriers' business practices and to apply enforcement measures, require ocean common carriers to report to the FMC "total import/export tonnage" each calendar quarter and would bar ocean carriers from unreasonably declining opportunities for U.S. exports under new rules to be determined by the FMC."Exorbitant shipping fees are driving up costs for small business and consumers while leaving urgently-needed products to wait on the dock," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.The Ocean Shipping Reform Act passed unanimously in the Senate in March. Similar legislation had passed the House 364-60 in December but lawmakers needed to resolve differences in the bills before it went to Biden to sign."Inflation is the greatest frustration America has right now, and backlogs at our ports are one of the biggest drivers of price hikes that we will address through this bill," Schumer said on the Senate floor earlier on Monday.Congress has few tools to combat inflation, which hit 8.6% in the 12 months through May, according to the U.S. consumer price index. Beyond the shipping bill, Democrats are also pushing measures to lower prescription drug prices to try to address the issue. read more Imports in the nation's major retail container ports are expected to reach near-record volume in June as retailers seek to meet consumer demand and protect themselves from disruptions in West Coast ports, the National Retail Federation said in a statement last week.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Makini Brice; editing by Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

U.S. House passes ocean shipping bill to allay export backlogs.

The primary setting up one of the priciest Senate races this fall takes place Tuesday in Nevada. South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott isn't facing much competition in his primary, but he's already raised close to $40 million.Two South Carolina GOP House members face Trump-backed challenges.Four states are holding primary elections on Tuesday: Nevada, South Carolina, Maine and North Dakota. From GOP primaries in battleground states to another test for a House Republican incumbent who voted for impeachment, here's a preview of the races to watch.  South Texas also has a special election for a congressional seat – but only to fill the seat until January 2023. Nevada SenateNevada's Senate and gubernatorial GOP primaries on Tuesday will showcase Trump-endorsed candidates, political newcomers, and former statewide office holders looking to challenge Democratic incumbents in November's general election. The Senate race in November is shaping up to be one of the costliest campaigns in the country and could determine the balance in an evenly divided Senate.  Incumbent  Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, isn't facing a competitive challenger on Tuesday, but she has raised nearly $20 million in the last year and goes into primary day with more than $9 million cash on hand. Republican Adam Laxalt, who succeeded Cortez Masto as the state's attorney general from 2015 to 2019, has been leading in the polls among GOP challengers vying to be the Republican nominee for Senate. Laxalt ran a failed gubernatorial campaign in 2018, but he has the backing of former President Donald Trump. Laxalt has raised nearly $6 million and has more than $2 million cash on hand. He also has the support of national GOP figures like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. In the final days before the primary, Laxalt campaigned with Donald Trump Jr., Trump ally Richard Grenell and former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker.  Ben Smith (left) and Adam Laxalt are running for the Republican nomination for Senate in Nevada.  David Calvert/Getty Images, David Becker/Getty Images Laxalt served as Trump's Nevada campaign co-chair in 2020. After the 2020 election, he falsely claimed thousands of illegal ballots had been cast in the state. He provided no proof, and a subsequent investigation from the secretary of state's office found no evidence of widespread voter fraud. But Laxalt has continued to campaign on the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. His popularity with Trump supporters has also helped him maintain a lead in the polls. A recent poll from the Nevada Independent showed Laxalt leading political newcomer Sam Brown by 14 points. However, Brown, a retired Army captain, has been closing the gap after trailing Laxalt by nearly 40 points in March and 23 points in early May. Sources familiar with Brown's campaign say the race is closer than it may appear. "Our own internal tracking shows it to be a dead heat," a senior adviser to Brown's campaign said. "I think we're looking at another situation where the polls aren't necessarily reflective of the sentiment on the ground." The senior adviser suggested the campaign's heavy advertising spending is now paying off and could help close the gap on primary day.  Brown has spent the majority of the $4 million he has raised during his campaign on advertising to raise his name ID. Most of the money has come from over 40,000 individual donors, but he only has a little over $350,000 cash on hand. While Brown has closed the gap in the polls, defeating Laxalt on Tuesday night would be considered a huge upset. Nevada governorWhile the Nevada GOP Senate primary is essentially a two-man race, the gubernatorial primary features a historically crowded field of more than a dozen candidates vying to take out incumbent Democrat Gov. Steve Sisolak. Only the top five polling candidates qualified for the May 25 primary debate, where the frontrunner, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo declared that "for all practical purposes, this primary is over."Lombardo leads former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, boxer and lawyer Joey Gilbert, and North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee in the polls. Lee is a former Democrat turned Republican. Lombardo has Trump's endorsement and on primary day, he'll have the most cash on hand. Lombardo is also longtime friends with Gov. Steve Sisolak. He donated to Sisolak's campaign in 2018 and sat on the transition committee. Lombardo's candidacy gives some longtime Republican operatives in Nevada hope that the GOP can take back the governor's seat after Sisolak became the first Democrat to win in more than 20 years. Lombardo's high name ID, experience winning a statewide campaign, and ties to Clark County could help him take down Sisolak.  From left, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, Joey Gilbert, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, former U.S. senator Dean Heller and Guy Nohra stand before a Republican primary debate for Nevada governor Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in Las Vegas. John Locher / AP "If a Republican wins Clark County, it would be a blowout," a Republican operative in Nevada said. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, accounts for nearly 70% of the state's population. Additionally, Democrats have run up the margins in Clark County so high in recent elections that Republicans have almost no shot at winning the state's biggest county. "If you can lose it by less than 10 points, you're probably going to win statewide and that's kind of the goal," the GOP operative explained.  Recent polls show Lombardo has a commanding lead with 35% support over Gilbert's 15%. More than 100,000 Nevadans have already voted, taking advantage of the early voting period that ran between May 28 and June 10.  According to data from the Nevada secretary of state's office, more than 71,000 chose to vote by mail in the first week of early voting while 40,000 voted in person. Not surprisingly, Republican voters chose to vote in person at a higher rate than Democrats. According to the state's data, during the first week of early voting, 57% of Republicans voted in person, compared to 34% of Democrats. Nevada secretary of state Nevada Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, who has been criticized by Trump supporters for not overturning the 2020 election results, is term-limited. She was censured by the Nevada GOP in April 2021 for, as she put it, refusing to "put my thumb on the scale of democracy."There is a crowded Republican primary to be the party's nominee in November, including some candidates who have spread false claims or raised questions about the 2020 election. There has been no credible evidence of widespread fraud that could have changed Nevada's results. "While the NVGOP raises policy concerns about the integrity of mail-in voting, automatic voter registration, and same-day voter registration, these concerns do not amount to evidentiary support for the contention that the 2020 general election was plagued by widespread voter fraud," Cegavske said in a letter to the Nevada GOP in April 2021, in response to allegations of fraud.Former state lawmaker Jim Marchant, one of the Republicans running in the primary, told The Wall Street Journal last year that he didn't know whether President Biden won the state in 2020 and "would not have certified" the election. Marchant also told The Guardian that he would be open to sending an alternate slate of electors to Congress in 2024. He also falsely claimed that the 2020 election was "stolen" from him and Trump. Marchant lost to Rep. Steven Horsford and unsuccessfully challenged the results.  Marchant and former Clark County District Court Judge Richard Scotti, another candidate in the race, have said they would push to decertify Dominion voting machines, which are used by nearly all of Nevada's counties. The machines were at the center of some election conspiracies and the company has filed lawsuits against some high-profile figures who spread those claims. Kris Dahir, a Sparks city councilman, has distinguished himself from some of his opponents by not embracing the claims of widespread fraud during the 2020 election. Like other candidates, he supports voter ID laws and wants to add restrictions about who can return absentee ballots for someone. "I've looked through it all, I don't see the mass fraud they speak of," Dahir told the Nevada Independent. "I do see all the questions and things that should not have been put in place because it causes confusion. But I have not seen mass voter fraud." Dahir also told the Nevada Globe that "Biden is the rightfully elected President."Jesse Haw, a former state senator, told the Nevada Independent that the 2020 election "had a lot of shenanigans and potential fraud" when asked if he thought the election was legitimate. Gerard Ramalho, a former television news anchor, told the news outlet that "our trust was stolen" by a "single-party-rule Legislature" during the 2020 election. Republican Socorro Keenan in a debate compared American voting systems to "third-world country voting…where they know how to cheat." She also told the Las Vegas Sun that she doesn't think that the 2020 election in Nevada was free and fair. The winner is expected to face Democratic candidate Cisco Aguilar, an attorney.  Maine governor  Democratic Governor Janet Mills is up for reelection and is running unopposed in her primary. She is cruising toward a matchup against former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who served from 2011-2019 and is also running unopposed. North Dakota SenateRepublican Sen. John Hoeven is running with Trump's endorsement. In April, Hoeven won the North Dakota GOP's endorsement for a third term, defeating state Rep. Rick Becker, who was running to Hoeven's right. Becker said he wouldn't run for the seat without the party's endorsement. Hoeven does have one candidate in the primary, oil worker Riley Kuntz. Hoeven is expected to easily win that race and be reelected in November. South Carolina SenateRepublican Sen. Tim Scott isn't facing a competitive primary and likely won't have a difficult time in the general election, but he's raising money like an endangered incumbent.Scott has raised $39.5 million from individual contributions this cycle, more than any other Republican up for reelection in 2022 and second only to Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock's $46.3 million in individual contributions, based on the most recent FEC data. Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly has raised similar amounts of money, but has not had to report his fundraising as recently as Scott or Warnock.  Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 30, 2021. Andrew Harnik / AP It remains to be seen what Scott will do with any money he has leftover from his 2022 race, but he was in Iowa for a fundraiser last week, one of several trips he has made to Iowa and other early primary states. The Democrats competing to challenge Scott are author Catherine Fleming Bruce, veteran Angela Geter and state Rep. Krystle Matthews.  South Carolina governor Former Democratic Congressman Joe Cunningham and State Sen. Mia McLeod are the top two Democratic candidates for South Carolina governor. Cunningham flipped South Carolina's 1st District from red to blue in 2018, but lost to Republican Nancy Mace in 2020.  Cunningham has dialed into his bipartisan credentials during his campaign, pointing to his win in 2018 as proof he can have a fighting chance in a state that Trump won by 12 points. If elected, McLeod would be the first Black woman governor in South Carolina history. Whichever candidate prevails will likely face Republican Gov. Henry McMaster. McMaster was endorsed by Trump in March 2021 and is expected to defeat primary challenger Harrison Musselwhite, whose campaign site notes that his friends call him "Trucker Bob."House races Republican incumbents Tom Rice and Nancy Mace are both facing Trump-backed challengers on Tuesday. For Rice, the effort to dethrone him has been in place since he voted in January of 2021 to impeach Trump due to the attacks on the U.S. Capitol. After endorsing another candidate in right-wing personality Graham Allen, Trump switched gears and backed State Representative Russell Fry. Allen dropped out of the race and also backed Fry, whose state house district overlaps with the 7th Congressional District.Fry has made Rice's impeachment vote a core part of his campaign. His first TV ad of the campaign compared Rice as a villain for voting to impeach Trump. "Let's kick another villain out of D.C. and vote for President Trump's choice," the ad says. He has also made some of the more staple arguments against an incumbent: that Rice hasn't been responsive to the district and that Rice looked to personally increase his wealth during his time in Congress and the pandemic. Rice has vehemently defended his impeachment vote as the right choice, while also pointing out he did vote with Trump more than 90% of the time during his term. He holds a seat on the influential Ways & Means committee, and was a key player in crafting Trump's signature tax cuts in the House.He is one of the six House Republicans who voted for Trump's impeachment and is still running for re-election. "I don't know if the President's speech last Wednesday morning amounted to incitement of a riot, but any reasonable person could see the potential for violence," Rice wrote in his statement after his impeachment vote. Rice has been backed by former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, who came to the district to campaign for him in May and told CBS13 Rice would be a "very influential" member for the district if Republicans take back the House, given his role on Ways & Means, the tax-writing committee. Trump held a rally in Rice's district in March and said Rice was "an atrocious RINO" (Republican in name only) and pointed out that the state Republican party had censured him.Five other Republicans are running in this primary which could hold both Rice and Fry under the 50% mark to avoid a runoff. Internal polls for Rice and Fry both show neither candidate reaches a majority of the vote.Mace, a freshman Republican that flipped her seat from Democratic control in 2020, is facing off against former State Representative Katie Arrington, who was the 2018 GOP nominee for this district that lost to Cunningham.Mace had voted to certify Mr. Biden's win in the 2020 election and to hold Trump-ally Steven Bannon in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with the January 6 select committee. She was also initially outspoken against Trump about the January 6 attacks in the immediate aftermath. "Nancy fights Republicans all the time and is not at all nice about it.  Frankly, she is despised by almost everyone, and who needs that in Congress, or in the Republican Party?" Trump said in a statement on Sunday.She has the backing of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a potential 2024 presidential candidate that appeared in an ad for her. Mace has outraised Arrington nearly 4-to-1 throughout the campaign, bringing in more than $4 million dollars according to the latest campaign finance report. Arrington's relationship with Trump stems from his 2018 endorsement of her and her work at the Department of Defense during the pandemic. She has gone after Mace for not voting to object to the electoral college results as well as for being too moderate, particularly on issues like legalizing marijuana. Mace and her campaign have highlighted how Arrington lost the historically Republican seat in 2018 against Cunningham. They are also tying her vote as a state representative to raise the gas tax in 2017 to Mr. Biden and the rise in gas prices. During a tele-rally for Arrington, Trump told supporters to give him "two presents" for his birthday on Tuesday, June 14. "Give me a really nice birthday present please. Two birthday presidents," he said. A special election in Texas' 34th District to fill Democrat Filemon Vela's seat could give House Republicans a symbolic win ahead of this November. Two Republicans and two Democrats are running in the nonpartisan primary, which would go into a runoff if no candidate clears 50%.  Vela resigned in March, so Tuesday's race will be to fill the remainder of his term. The candidates for the general election in November are already set: Republican Mayra Flores and Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez.Flores, the wife of a border patrol agent, has been backed by many national Republicans and has benefitted from outside money flowing into this south Texas district. Over $1 million has been spent by Flores and allies on TV. The House Majority PAC, backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began running ads against Flores last week. Dan Sanchez, a lawyer, is the leading Democrat in the race.The district will lean more Democratic in November's elections, when the newly redistricted version of the state map is used. But Flores is hoping the boost to her campaign and the ongoing effort by Republicans to court Latino voters in south Texas, is enough to give Democrats an electoral scare ahead of November. Another House primary to watch is in Nevada, where Democratic incumbent Congresswoman Dina Titus is facing a challenger to the left of her in progressive Amy Vilela. She was backed by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont last week. Also in Nevada, national Republican groups have gotten involved to support Congressman Mark Amodei in his primary. Amodei is being challenged by Danny Tarkanian, a Douglas County Commissioner that has had unsuccessful runs for Congress in the past decade. Adam Brewster CBS News political reporter. Twitter

Nevada's Senate primary is setting up what could be one of the priciest general matchups this fall.

Protestors demonstrate outside the Home Office against the British Governments plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, in London, Britain, June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Henry NichollsRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryFirst Britain-Rwanda flight of migrants due on TuesdayJudge allows flight to proceed, but numbers on it dwindleUK says deportation policy will stop Channel crossingsLONDON, June 14 (Reuters) - London's High Court is set to hear further cases brought by asylum seekers appealing against their removal to Rwanda on Tuesday, ahead of the first scheduled flight to the country under Britain's controversial new policy.As part of an initial 120-million-pound ($148 million) deal with Kigali, Britain will send some migrants who arrived illegally by crossing the Channel in small boats from Europe.Britain's Conservative government says the deportation strategy will undermine people-smuggling networks and stem the flow of migrants risking their lives in Channel crossings, but the United Nations' refugee chief has described the plan as "catastrophic".Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe court on Monday threw out last ditch bids by human rights groups and campaigners to stop the first flight under the policy, due to take off on Tuesday, meaning it can proceed.But amid legal challenges, only a few people are now scheduled to leave on that first plane.Initially, some 37 individuals were scheduled to be removed on the first flight, which charities said included people fleeing Afghanistan and Syria as well as Iran and Iraq.But the charity Care4Calais said that number had fallen to just six, with at least three High Court appeals for individuals scheduled for Tuesday.Human rights groups say the policy is inhumane and will put migrants at risk. The UNHCR has said Rwanda, whose own human rights record is under scrutiny, does not have the capacity to process the claims, and there is a risk some migrants could be returned to countries from which they had fled.Prime Minister Boris Johnson, however, has said it is important to break the business model of criminal gangs who run the boats.A full hearing to determine the legality of the policy as a whole is due in July.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Andrew MacAskill, Michael Holden and Alistair Smout; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Asylum seekers to appeal against deportation from Britain ahead of first Rwanda flight.

Qualcomm logo is during Munich Auto Show, IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Germany, September 8, 2021. REUTERS/Wolfgang RattayRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryLaw firmsRelated documentsConsumer electronics plaintiffs file amended complaint alleging violations of California law9th Circuit last year vacated national class certification order(Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc was hit with an amended class action in California federal court on Friday from consumers alleging the chipmaker's business conduct forced them to pay artificially inflated prices for mobile phones, tablets and other cellular devices.The civil complaint filed in San Jose on behalf of tens of millions of California consumers marked a second effort in the case to hold Qualcomm liable for alleged market abuses. A U.S. appeals court in September blocked the plaintiffs from pursuing federal antitrust claims and wiped out a nationwide class that was estimated to include up to 250 million members.The refiled complaint focuses on claims that Qualcomm violated California's state antitrust law, known as the Cartwright Act, and the state's unfair competition law.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comClass lawyers at Susman Godfrey and Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy said in the complaint that the two state laws "provide more liberal standards for liability" than what's available under the Sherman Act federal antitrust law.Plaintiffs' lawyers Kalpana Srinivasan of Susman Godfrey and Joseph Cotchett of Cotchett Pitre on Monday did not return messages seeking comment.A lawyer for Qualcomm, Robert Van Nest of Keker, Van Nest & Peters, declined to comment. A spokesperson for Qualcomm called the plaintiffs' claims "repackaged" from the earlier litigation and predicted they would "fail."The San Diego-based company has contested liability and is expected to ask U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley to dismiss the consumers' allegations.The case was assigned to Corley in April after the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a class certification order from then-U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh. She has since been elevated to the 9th Circuit as a Biden administration appointee.The appeals court panel found "common issues of law did not predominate in the class as certified."The 9th Circuit told the trial court to assess whether and how the appeals court's ruling in August 2020 in a related antitrust case, Federal Trade Commission v. Qualcomm, affects class certification in the consumer case.In the FTC lawsuit, the appeals court said Qualcomm's chip-licensing practices did not violate federal antitrust law.The plaintiffs' lawyers contend their consumer clients are not bound by the factual findings in the FTC case.Qualcomm's lawyers have a different view, telling Corley in April that the consumer plaintiffs' claims "mirror" the FTC's allegations and that the 9th Circuit's "ruling rejecting those theories as a matter of law is binding precedent."The case is In re: Qualcomm Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:17-md-02773.For plaintiffs: Kalpana Srinivasan of Susman Godfrey; and Joseph Cotchett of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthyFor Qualcomm: Robert Van Nest of Keker, Van Nest & Peters; Gary Bornstein of Cravath, Swaine & Moore; and Richard Taffet of Morgan, Lewis & BockiusRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Qualcomm faces renewed consumer antitrust lawsuit in U.S. court.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, June 13(Reuters) - Top advisers to then-President Donald Trump told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were unfounded and would not reverse his 2020 election loss, but he refused to listen, according to testimony on Monday at a hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.Close aides and family members said they told Trump that they found no merit in a wide range of often outlandish allegations that surfaced after his election defeat, including reports of a "suspicious suitcase" containing fake ballots, a truck transporting ballots to Pennsylvania and computer chips swapped into voting machines."I thought, boy, if he really believes this stuff he has lost contact with, he's become detached from reality," said William Barr, who served as Trump's attorney general and was long known as loyal to the Republican president. In video testimony, Barr bluntly dismissed claims of fraud as "bullshit" and "crazy stuff."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"There was never an indication of interest in what the actual facts were," he said.The Democratic-led House of Representatives Select Committee investigating the assault on the U.S. Capitol by thousands of Trump supporters presented its findings at the second of an expected six this month on its nearly year-long investigation into the riot.Monday's hearing sought to make the case that Trump ignored the advice of many of his own staffers when he claimed that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from him.Committee members argue that Trump's repeated fraud claims, known by Democrats as "The Big Lie," convinced his followers to attack the Capitol."He and his closest advisers knew those claims were false, but they continued to peddle them anyway, right up until the moments before a mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol," said Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren.Democrats said Trump raised some $250 million from supporters to advance fraud claims in court but instead steered much of the money elsewhere."The 'Big Lie' was also a big ripoff," Lofgren said.Trump has denied wrongdoing, and repeatedly insisted that he did not lose, dismissing the Select Committee investigation as a political witchhunt.U.S. Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards and British filmmaker Nick Quested, are sworn during the hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 9, 2022. Jabin Botsford/Pool via REUTERSOpinion polls show that many of Trump's supporters still believe his false claims about the election. Some are now running for offices in which they would oversee future elections. Trump has hinted at running for president again in 2024 but has not announced any decision.CAMPAIGN 'DID NOT MAKE ITS CASE'Bill Stepien, Trump's campaign manager, said he recommended on election night that Trump steer clear of any pronouncement of victory and instead say votes were still being counted."He thought I was wrong. He told me so, and that they were going to go, that he was going to go in a different direction," Stepien said in videotaped testimony. Stepien was slated to testify in person, but cancelled at the last minute when his wife went into labor.Trump went on television to preemptively declare victory at the urging of Rudy Giuliani, a former New York City mayor. Campaign advisor Jason Miller testified that Giuliani was not sober at the time."The mayor was definitely intoxicated but I, um, did not know his level of intoxication when he spoke with the president, for example," Miller said in video testimony.Byung J. "BJay" Pak, who resigned as U.S. attorney in Atlanta as Trump's camp questioned Georgia's election results, said he found no evidence of fraud in that state.Referring to the suspicious suitcase that supposedly contained fake or altered ballots, Pak said, sitting at the witness table: "The alleged black suitcase being pulled from under the table was an official lock box."Monday's session followed a blockbuster hearing on Thursday night featuring testimony showing that close Trump allies - even Trump's daughter Ivanka - rejected his false claims of voting fraud. read more Nearly 20 million Americans watched the hearing aired in the primetime peak television viewing hours.Four people died the day of the attack, one fatally shot by police and the others of natural causes. Some 140 police officers were injured, and one died the next day. Four officers later died by suicide.Nearly 850 people have been arrested for crimes related to the riot, including more than 250 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.(This story refiles to add attribution in paragraph 8.)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Patricia Zengerle, Richard Cowan and Doina Chiacu, additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump aides tell Jan. 6 committee he ignored their doubts about election fraud.

Latam Airlines airplanes are seen at Guarulhos International Airport in Guarulhos, near Sao Paulo, Brazil. REUTERS/Amanda PerobelliRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJune 13 (Reuters) - LATAM Airlines Group SA (LTM.SN), the largest air transport group in Latin America, on Monday asked a bankruptcy judge to approve $2.75 billion in new loans to fund the company's exit from Chapter 11.U.S. Bankruptcy Judge James Garrity in Manhattan will review the request during a court hearing on June 23.LATAM, which has operating units in Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Peru, says it has commitments for $2.75 billion in loans from JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC, Barclays Bank Plc, BNP Paribas, BNP Paribas Securities Corp and Natixis, with an additional $1.17 billion agreement to refinance and extend its existing bankruptcy loan.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"This commitment secures us the full amount of financing required to complete our restructuring plan and, very importantly, with a degree of flexibility that allows us to optimize existing market conditions," LATAM Airlines Chief Executive Roberto Alvo said in a press release on Saturday.In addition to the judge approving the exit loans, LATAM is awaiting Garrity's decision on whether to approve its overall restructuring plan.LATAM needs to secure its exit loans before emerging from bankruptcy and continuing to raise funds through a post-bankruptcy $800 million equity offering, according to court documents.Born in 2012 from the merger of Chile's LAN with Brazilian rival TAM, LATAM was one of three major Latin American airlines to seek Chapter 11 protection in New York two years ago amid the economic fallout of the pandemic. The other two, Mexico’s Grupo Aeromexico (AEROMEX.MX) and Colombia’s Avianca SA (AVT_p.CN), have both emerged from bankruptcy in the past six months. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Dietrich Knauth; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LATAM Airlines seeks bankruptcy court approval for $2.75 billion in exit loans.

World Updated on: June 13, 2022 / 10:59 AM / AFP Human remains have been found in the search for British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, who disappeared in the Amazon after receiving threats, Brazil's president said Monday."The evidence leads us to believe something bad was done to them, because human innards were found floating in the river, which are now undergoing DNA testing," President Jair Bolsonaro said.Phillips's niece Dominique Davies told AFP via text message that "two bodies have been found" in the search, and that relatives were awaiting confirmation from federal police as to whether they are the missing pair -- although police in Brazil denied the report. Police officers and rescue team members stand on a boat during the search operation for British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, who went missing while reporting in a remote and lawless part of the Amazon rainforest, near the border with Peru, in Atalaia do Norte, Amazonas state, Brazil, June 12, 2022. BRUNO KELLY / REUTERS The families of 57-year-old Phillips, a veteran correspondent, and Pereira, a respected 41-year-old indigenous specialist, have been enduring an anguished wait for news on their fate since they disappeared a week ago Sunday. The two went missing while on a reporting trip to Brazil's Javari Valley, a remote jungle region rife with illegal fishing, logging, mining and drug trafficking.Bolsonaro, whose government has faced accusations of failing to act urgently enough in the case, said hope was fading. "Because of the time that's passed -- eight days now, approaching the ninth -- it's going to be very difficult to find them alive," the far-right president told CBN Recife radio."I pray to God for that to happen, but the information and evidence we're getting suggest the opposite."Federal police said Sunday they had found personal items belonging to the two men, including Pereira's health card, pants and boots, as well as Phillips's backpack and clothing. Federal police officers arrive at a pier with items found during a search for Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and freelance British journalist Dom Phillips in Atalaia do Norte, Brazil on June 12, 2022. Divers from Brazil's firefighters corps found a backpack and laptop Sunday in the remote Amazon area where Pereira and Phillips went missing a week ago, firefighters said. Edmar Barros / AP Britain's Guardian newspaper, where Phillips was a regular contributor, said the two bodies were found tied to a tree, according to information given to Phillips's family by an aide to Brazil's ambassador in London. "We all remain upset and distressed at this time," Phillips's niece told AFP.Phillips's Brazilian wife, Alessandra Sampaio, said she had also been told by authorities that two bodies had been found, and that investigators were working to identify them, according to journalist Andre Trigueiro of TV Globo, Brazil's biggest broadcaster.Sampaio's mother-in-law said Sunday the family had lost hope of finding the pair alive."They are no longer with us. Mother Nature has snatched them away with a grateful embrace," she posted online."Their souls have joined those of so many others who gave their lives in defence of the rainforest and Indigenous peoples."Police have arrested a suspect in the case, 41-year-old Amarildo Costa de Oliveira, nicknamed "Pelado," whom locals said they saw threaten Phillips and Pereira, then pursue their boat with his own just before they disappeared.Earlier, police reported finding traces of blood in the suspect's boat. In: Brazil Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue

Human remains found in search for U.K. reporter Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira missing in the Amazon, Brazil's president says.