Former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber returning to Cleveland Guardians on 1-year deal, AP source says CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber is returning to the Cleveland Guardians after making just two starts and undergoing Tommy John surgery last season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday. Tom Withers, The Associated Press Dec 6, 2024 3:04 PM Dec 6, 2024 3:20 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - Cleveland Guardians' Shane Bieber pitches to a Baltimore Orioles batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber is returning to the Cleveland Guardians after making just two starts and undergoing Tommy John surgery last season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday. Bieber had been expected to leave the AL Central champions, but the right-hander will be back after agreeing to a one-year, $14 million contract that includes a $16 million player option for 2026, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner made just starts in 2024 before having the surgery on his elbow that bothered him the previous campaign. The 29-year-old Bieber felt discomfort in his start on opening day against the Athletics and again when he faced the Mariners his next outing. The two-time All-Star has spent all seven of his big league seasons with the Guardians. Cleveland had contemplated trading him before his elbow issues in 2023 limited him to 21 starts. During the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020, Bieber went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA over 12 starts and 77 1/3 innings with 122 strikeouts. He led the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. He was selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2016 amateur draft out of UC Santa Barbara and made his major league debut two years later on his 23rd birthday. Bieber has a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA over 136 outings spanning 134 starts and 843 innings. He has twice reached 200 innings, throwing a career-high 214 1/3 in 2019. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb Tom Withers, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Baseball MLB Remaining Free Agents List Dec 6, 2024 1:15 PM MLB Free Agent Signings List Dec 6, 2024 1:13 PM Former GM Bobby Evans and ex-agent Jeff Berry become special advisers with the San Francisco Giants Dec 6, 2024 1:10 PMInnocent man wrongly identified as Brian Thompson shooter now fearing for his life Follow all the latest news and updates in the manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killer By ISHITA SRIVASTAVA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 22:04 GMT, 6 December 2024 | Updated: 22:27 GMT, 6 December 2024 e-mail 9 View comments As the manhunt for United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson's cold-blooded killer widens , a political personality who was identified as matching the suspect's description is crying foul. In a post on X , a photo of Joey Mannarino was featured alongside a surveillance image of the suspect below the caption: 'Possible match for the United Healthcare CEO assassin identified! Do you recognize this person?!' The post had garnered more than 3 million views as of Friday afternoon. Mannarino, a vocal supporter of President-elect Donald Trump , quickly blasted the post for potentially putting him in danger. 'How is this allowed?' he wrote while sharing the original post. 'This can get me killed.' Supporters of Mannarino rushed to decry the original post, whose author defended it as 'pure satire.' 'He thinks just because his account is satire he can do whatever he wants. This is in poor taste and could potentially be dangerous for you,' one concerned user wrote. A X user who goes by @PawlowskiMario took to the social media page to share a smiling image of the masked assailant and a picture of Joey Mannarino Another added: 'It should not be allowed. That is disgusting! You don't even look like that guy.' 'This is insane and I would definitely think you have the grounds to sue,' another suggested. Others, however, took Mannarino to task. 'Maybe you should rethink what you post yourself,' one wrote. The account that posted the photos is described as 'Brutal sarcasm, satire, relentless insights.' The post remained pinned to the top of the account's profile as of Friday afternoon. Thompson, 50, was gunned down outside the New York Hilton Midtown Manhattan in the early hours of Wednesday by a masked assailant, who approached from behind and calmly shot him several times before fleeing the scene. The assassin still remains at large despite carrying out the 'brazen' attack in the middle of one of the busiest and most heavily surveilled cities in the world. The vocal President-elect Donald Trump supporter quickly hit back Supporters of Mannarino rushed to decry the original post, whose author defended it as 'pure satire.' Pictured: Mannarino with President-elect Donald Trump The search for killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has entered its third day, scattering inquiries across the country Although the picture that has emerged since is one of a meticulously pre-planned attack , the suspect did leave some clues which many hoped could lead to an arrest. As of Friday, all police appear to have recovered is a partial fingerprint, a burner phone and a fake ID despite a cash reward and frenzied media coverage that has seen the suspect's pictures blasted across the planet. As the investigation looks toward Thompson's inner circle in Minnesota , hundreds of tips are pouring in from across the country that police are duty-bound to follow up, the New York Times reports. There have already been several false starts in the investigation. Police initially said the suspect was thought to have fled on a CitiBike towards Central Park. Many remarked upon how easy it would be to scrape the data from the paid-for bikes, which require a membership or payment cards to use. However this theory has since been jettisoned, with police stating they believe the getaway vehicle was another kind of e-bike that wasn't registered. A major hole in the investigation is the absence of the murder weapon. Detectives have speculated that the killer used a rare World War Two gun in the shooting based on video surveillance taken at the scene. Joey Mannarino with Vivek Ramaswamy They are now examining a firearm purchase in Connecticut which would match the suspected gun, the New York Post reported. Read More Who IS the mystery woman who fled after health CEO shooting? And all the other unanswered questions In New York, the search for the killer led cops to two hostels on the Upper West Side. Police visited KAMA Central Park and nearby Fredrick Douglas, but quickly ascertained that they had the wrong location. It has since been ascertained that the assassin stayed at the HI New York City Hostel, first checking in at the end of last month. Surveillance footage from the premises yielded the first clearer images of the suspect's face, however he was cautious enough not to fully remove his hood. Officials said he checked into the hostel using a fake New Jersey ID. Background checks quickly revealed that the images of the shooter did not correspond with the ID. Officials said he checked into the hostel using a fake New Jersey ID. Background checks quickly revealed that the images of the shooter did not correspond with the ID. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch is overseeing the investigation into the 'brazen' attack which has so far seen the killer elude capture Brian Thompson, 50, was shot to death as he was on his way to a conference at a New York Hilton on Wednesday morning The NYPD has released several sets of images of the gunman, including shots of him standing by a counter with his face mostly obscured by a balaclava Police are said to be probing the sale of a firearm in Connecticut amid speculation the weapon used was a rare World War Two gun Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items are currently with the city's medical examiner for testing. Investigators are also still working to crack into a burner phone found at the crime scene. The suspect has so far been careful to keep his transactions to cash-only, making it harder for cops to trace his movements. While calculated, there are moments which have marked him out as an amateur, rather than a professional hitman, according to experts. These include being caught on surveillance footage a nearby Starbucks in the moments before the shooting. The grainy images were released by the cops along with the promise of a $10,000 reward for anyone with information which could lead to his arrest. At the time of the killing, Thompson and his estranged wife Paulette had been living in separate homes that are less than a mile apart in suburban Maple Grove, Minnesota . His wife Paulette, a practicing physical therapist, disclosed that her husband had previously received threats. She referenced a 'lack of coverage.' Minnesota Donald Trump Brian Thompson Share or comment on this article: Innocent man wrongly identified as Brian Thompson shooter now fearing for his life e-mail Add comment
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2024-- FiscalNote Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NOTE) ("FiscalNote"), a leading AI-driven enterprise SaaS technology provider of policy and global intelligence, today announced that Conrad Yiu, a member of its Board of Directors and a member of its Corporate Governance Committee and M&A Committee, will retire from the Board effective December 31, 2024, in-line with the fiscal year end and shortly prior to the scheduled end of his three-year term in May 2025. Yiu is Co-founder and Partner of AS1 Growth Partners (“AS1”), a private multi-family investment office based in Sydney, Australia. AS1 invested in FiscalNote in 2020 when, prior to its public listing, FiscalNote was actively expanding its investor base in Australia. Yiu then joined the Board in October 2020, shortly following AS1’s investment. As FiscalNote’s strategic focus has changed since that time, Yiu has decided to retire early to focus on his Australia-based business interests, family and professional commitments. “I want to thank Tim and my fellow Board members for the opportunity to serve the Company over the past four years. I remain an active, long-term investor and supporter of FiscalNote’s mission and management,” said Yiu. “Given the changes since my firm first invested, now is simply the right time for me to concentrate on my other professional commitments based in and focused on Australia, as well as to make more time for personal and family commitments. While I am retiring from the Board early, I strongly believe the Company has the right strategy and the right leadership to take it to its next phase of growth, and I have great confidence in its ability to deliver results and value for both its customers and its shareholders.” “Throughout the past four years and at pivotal times for our Company, Conrad has been a deeply respected and admired partner on our Board, whose views and guidance were especially valuable during our transition to a publicly traded company,” said Tim Hwang, Chairman, CEO, and Co-founder, FiscalNote. “On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I’d like to thank Conrad for his service and contributions, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.” Following Yiu’s retirement, the composition of FiscalNote’s Board of Directors will be reduced to nine members – reflecting the streamlined structure of the Company following its divestitures of Board.org and Aicel Technologies in 2024. For more information about the Company’s Board of Directors and its members, please visit here . About FiscalNote FiscalNote (NYSE: NOTE) is a leader in policy and global intelligence. By uniquely combining data, technology, and insights, FiscalNote empowers customers to manage political and business risk. Since 2013, FiscalNote has pioneered technology that delivers critical insights and the tools to turn them into action. Home to CQ, Dragonfly, Oxford Analytica, VoterVoice, and many other industry-leading brands, FiscalNote serves thousands of customers worldwide with global offices in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. To learn more about FiscalNote and its family of brands, visit FiscalNote.com and follow @FiscalNote . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219201851/en/ CONTACT: Media Nicholas Graham FiscalNote press@fiscalnote.comInvestor Relations Bob Burrows FiscalNote IR@fiscalnote.com KEYWORD: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY PUBLIC POLICY/GOVERNMENT SOFTWARE WHITE HOUSE/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STATE/LOCAL PUBLIC POLICY DATA MANAGEMENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: FiscalNote Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/19/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/19/2024 04:06 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241219201851/enSAN DIEGO, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins LLP reminds investors that a shareholder filed a class action on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Wolfspeed, Inc. WOLF securities between August 16, 2023 and November 6, 2024. Wolfspeed is a global semiconductor company focused on silicon carbide materials and the fabrication of devices for power applications. For more information, submit a form , email attorney Aaron Dumas, Jr., or give us a call at (800) 350-6003. The Allegations: Robbins LLP is Investigating Allegations that Wolfspeed, Inc (WOLF) Misled Investors Regarding its Revenue Projections According to the complaint, defendants provided the public with revenue projections that depended on the Mohawk Valley fabrication facility ramping its production to meet and/or exceed demand for its 200mm wafer product. Defendants provided these overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of Wolfspeed's growth potential and, in particular, the operational status and profitability of the Mohawk Valley fabrication facility. First, to meet its publicly stated projections, the Company would have to cancel or otherwise indefinitely suspend planned future projects such as the facility in Saarland, Germany. Second, the Company would have to terminate a significant portion of its workforce (approximately 20%) and shutter the Durham fabrication facility. Plaintiff alleges that on November 6, 2024, Wolfspeed announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 and unveiled guidance for the second quarter well below expectations. While defendants had repeatedly claimed that 20% utilization of the Mohawk Valley fabrication facility would result in $100 million revenue out of the facility, defendants now guided to a range 30% to 50% below that mark. The Company attributed its results and lowered guidance to "demand ... ramp[ing] more slowly than we originally anticipated" as "EV customers revise their launch time lines as the market works though this transition period." On this news, Wolfspeed's stock price fell from $13.71 per share on November 6, 2024, to $8.33 per share on November 7, 2024, a decline of about 39.24%. What Now : You may be eligible to participate in the class action against Wolfspeed, Inc. Shareholders who want to serve as lead plaintiff for the class must submit their application to the court by January 17, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. You do not have to participate in the case to be eligible for a recovery. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. For more information, click here . All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses. About Robbins LLP : Some law firms issuing releases about this matter do not actually litigate securities class actions; Robbins LLP does. A recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation, the attorneys and staff of Robbins LLP have been dedicated to helping shareholders recover losses, improve corporate governance structures, and hold company executives accountable for their wrongdoing since 2002. Since our inception, we have obtained over $1 billion for shareholders. To be notified if a class action against Wolfspeed, Inc. settles or to receive free alerts when corporate executives engage in wrongdoing, sign up for Stock Watch today. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact: Aaron Dumas, Jr. Robbins LLP 5060 Shoreham Pl., Ste. 300 San Diego, CA 92122 adumas@robbinsllp.com (800) 350-6003 www.robbinsllp.com https://www.facebook.com/RobbinsLLP/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/robbins-llp/ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e2a3cda-6c15-4240-9c27-2fcf37e35629 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Emboldened 'manosphere' accelerates threats and demeaning language toward women after US electionRomanian presidential election results are SCRAPPED by top court after intelligence reports claim hard-right outsider who surged into lead was backed by Russia By RYAN PROSSER Published: 07:36 AEDT, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 07:50 AEDT, 7 December 2024 e-mail 22 View comments Romania 's top court has annulled the first round of the country's presidential election, which was won by far-right outsider Calin Georgescu. The move comes days after declassified intelligence alleged Russia ran a coordinated online campaign to promote Mr Georgescu. The Constitutional Court's unprecedented decision - which is final - came after President Klaus Iohannis declassified intelligence on Wednesday that alleged Russia ran a sprawling campaign comprising thousands of social media accounts to promote Mr Georgescu across platforms like TikTok and Telegram. Despite being a huge outsider who declared zero campaign spending, Mr Georgescu emerged as the frontrunner on November 24. He was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a run-off on Sunday. Mr Georgescu said the country's democracy was 'under attack' after the court ruled to annul the vote. Calling the decision a 'formalised coup d'etat', the former civil servant, 62, urged Romanians to 'remain faithful to our common ideal'. Mr Iohannis said he would remain in office until a new president is elected in a fresh poll, the date of which will be set once a new government is formed. Calin Georgescu's first round victory in the Romanian presidential elections has been annulled by the nation's Constitutional Court Protesters during a pro-Europe Romania Hopes rally in Bucharest on December 6 Some 951 voting stations had already opened abroad on Friday for the runoff for Romania's large diaspora but had to be halted. As well as the presidential race, Romania also held a parliamentary election which saw pro-Western parties win the most votes but also gains for far-right nationalists. In a televised statement on Friday, Mr Iohannis said he was 'deeply concerned' by the contents of the intelligence reports, which indicated one candidate's campaign was 'unlawfully supported from outside Romania' and was a matter of national security. 'The same candidate declared zero campaign expenditures, despite running a highly sophisticated campaign,' he said. 'Intelligence reports revealed that this candidate's campaign was supported by a foreign state with interests contrary to Romania's. These are serious issues.' Mr Georgescu led the first-round poll with 22.95 per cent of the vote, followed by Ms Lasconi. EU-leaning premier Marcel Ciolacu came third and was eliminated after picking up just 19.15 per cent of votes with 99 per cent counted. Earlier, the European Union said it sent TikTok an urgent request for more information about the Romanian intelligence files suggesting that Moscow coordinated influencers on its platform to promote Mr Georgescu. The 27-nation bloc's executive branch is using its sweeping digital rulebook to scrutinise the video sharing platform's role in the election, which ended with the far-right populist Mr Georgescu seemingly coming out of nowhere to take top spot in the first round of voting. It is unclear from the intelligence release whether Mr Georgescu was aware of the alleged campaign or assisted in it. Mr Georgescu was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi in a second round run-off on Sunday The country's current president, Klaus Iohannis, said he would remain in office until a new leader was selected in a fresh poll European Commission officials said they asked the video sharing platform to comment on the files and to provide information on actions that it is taking in response. It is the second time the commission has asked TikTok for information since the election's first round of voting on November 24, and comes a day after it ordered the Chinese-owned platform to retain all election-related files and evidence. Henna Virkkunen, the commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a post on X: 'We are concerned about mounting indications of coordinated foreign online influence operation targeting ongoing Romanian elections, especially on TikTok.' TikTok has 24 hours to respond to the EU request, officials told a press briefing in Brussels. Russia TikTok Share or comment on this article: Romanian presidential election results are SCRAPPED by top court after intelligence reports claim hard-right outsider who surged into lead was backed by Russia e-mail Add commentFLY WITH CONFIDENCE
NEW YORK (AP) — An early rebound for U.S. stocks petered out by the end of the day, leaving indexes close to flat. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% Thursday, coming off one of its worst days of the year after the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates in 2025 than earlier thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up by less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%. Treasury yields were mixed in the bond market following reports showing the U.S. economy may be stronger than expected, but manufacturing may be contracting again. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are stabilizing Thursday following one of their worst days of the year . The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in late trading, a day after tumbling 2.9% when the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than earlier thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 136 points, or 0.3%, with less than an hour remaining in trading, following Wednesday’s drop of more than 1,100 points. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Wednesday’s drop took some of the enthusiasm out of the market, which critics had already been warning was overly buoyant and would need everything to go correctly for it to justify its high prices. But indexes remain near their records , and the S&P 500 is still on track for one of its best years of the millennium . Traders are now expecting the Federal Reserve to deliver just one or maybe two cuts to interest rates next year, according to data from CME Group. Some are even betting on none. A month ago, the majority saw at least two cuts in 2025 as a safe bet. Wall Street loves lower interest rates because they give the economy a boost and goose prices for investments, but they can also provide fuel for inflation. Darden Restaurants, the company behind Olive Garden and other chains, helped lift the market after leaping 15.1%. It delivered profit for the latest quarter that edged past analysts’ expectations. The operator of LongHorn Steakhouses also gave a forecast for revenue for this fiscal year that topped analysts’. Accenture rose 6.7% after the professional services company likewise topped expectations for profit in the latest quarter. CEO Julie Sweet said it saw growth around the world, and the company raised its forecast for revenue this fiscal year. Amazon shares added 1.8%, even as workers at seven of its facilities went on strike Thursday in the middle of the online retail giant’s busiest time of the year. Amazon says it doesn’t expect an impact on its operations during what the workers’ union calls the largest strike against the company in U.S. history. They helped offset a tumble for Micron Technology, which fell 16.7% despite reporting stronger profit than expected. The computer memory company’s revenue fell short of Wall Street’s forecasts, and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it expects demand from consumers to remain weaker in the near term. It gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that fell well short of what analysts were thinking. Lamb Weston, which makes French fries and other potato products, dropped 22.6% after falling short of analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter. It also cut its financial targets for the fiscal year, saying demand for frozen potatoes is continuing to soften, particularly outside North America. The company replaced its chief executive. In the bond market, yields were mixed a day after shooting higher on expectations that the Fed would deliver fewer cuts to rates in 2025. Reports on the U.S. economy came in mixed. One showed the overall economy grew at a 3.1% annualized rate during the summer, faster than earlier thought. The economy has remained remarkably resilient even though the Fed held its main interest rate at a two-decade high for a while before beginning to cut them in September. A separate report showed fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, an indication that the job market also remains solid. But a third report said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region is unexpectedly contracting again despite economists’ expectations for growth. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.57% from 4.52% late Wednesday and from less than 4.20% earlier this month. But the two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for action by the Fed in the near term, eased back to 4.31% from 4.35%. The rise in longer-term yields has put pressure on the housing market by keeping mortgage rates higher. Homebuilder Lennar fell 4.8% after it reported weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Stuart Miller said that “the housing market that appeared to be improving as the Fed cut short-term interest rates, proved to be far more challenging as mortgage rates rose” through the quarter. “Even while demand remained strong, and the chronic supply shortage continued to drive the market, our results were driven by affordability limitations from higher interest rates,” he said. A report on Thursday may have offered some encouragement for the housing industry. It showed a pickup in sales of previously occupied homes. In stock markets abroad, London’s FTSE 100 fell 1.1% after the Bank of England paused its cuts to rates and kept its main interest rate unchanged on Thursday. The move comes as inflation there moved further above the central bank’s 2% target rate, while the British economy is flatlining at best. The Bank of Japan also kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.7%. Indexes likewise sank across much of the rest of Asia and Europe. ___ AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated Press
Poilievre lambastes Trudeau after violent Montreal protests
TORONTO (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump was joking when he suggested Canada become the 51st U.S. state during a dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a Canadian minister who attended their recent dinner said Tuesday. Fox News reported that Trump made the comment in response to Trudeau raising concerns that Trump's threatened tariffs on Canada would damage Canada's economy. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who attended the Friday dinner at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, said Trump's comments were in jest. “The president was telling jokes. The president was teasing us. It was, of course, on that issue, in no way a serious comment,” LeBlanc told reporters in Ottawa. LeBlanc described it as a three-hour social evening at the president’s residence in Florida on a long weekend of American Thanksgiving. “The conversation was going to be light-hearted,” he said. He called the relations warm and cordial and said the fact that “the president is able to joke like that for us” indicates good relations. On Tuesday, Trump appeared to continue with the joke, posting on his Truth Social platform an AI-generated image of himself standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him with the caption “Oh Canada!" Some Canadians had fun with it. “If I were President Trump, I’d think twice before invading Canada. The last time the U.S. tried something like that— back in the War of 1812 —it didn’t exactly end well. Canada even burned down the White House,” former Quebec Premier Jean Charest joked on X. Earlier last week, the Republican president-elect threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs. Trudeau requested the meeting in a bid to avoid the tariffs by convincing Trump that the northern border is nothing like the U.S. southern border with Mexico . Trudeau held a rare meeting with opposition leaders on Tuesday about U.S-Canada relations and later said that opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre shouldn’t amplify the erroneous narratives that Americans are saying about the border. “Less than one percent of migrants coming into the United States irregularly come from Canada and 0.2 percent of the fentanyl coming into the United States comes from Canada,” Trudeau said in Parliament. Canadian officials have said there are plans to put more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers at the border. At the dinner, Kristen Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., said America’s trade deficit with Canada was also raised. Hillman said the U.S. had a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year but noted a third of what Canada sells into the U.S. is energy exports and prices have been high. “Trade balances are something that he focuses on so it’s important to engage in that conversation but to put it into context,” Hillman told The Associated Press. “We are one-tenth the size of the United States so a balanced trade deal would mean per capita we are buying 10 times more from the U.S. than they are buying from us. If that’s his metric we will certainly engage on that.” Hillman said Canada sold $170 billion worth of energy products last year to the U.S. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing for national security. About 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. Trudeau's government successfully employed a “Team Canada” approach during Trump’s first term in office when the free trade deal between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico was renegotiated. But Trudeau’s minority government is in a much weaker position politically now and faces an election within a year. Poilievre, Canada's opposition leader, said the tariffs would harm Americans. “The president-elect was elected on a promise to make America richer. These tariffs would make America poorer,” Poilievre said after meeting with Trudeau. Poilievre said the U.S. would be wise to do more free trade with its best friend and closest ally. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly 3.6 billion Canadian dollars ($2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Trudeau returned home after the dinner at Mar-a-Lago club in Florida without assurances Trump would back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. The flows of migrants and seizures of drugs are vastly different. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Most of the fentanyl reaching the U.S. — where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually — is made by Mexican drug cartels using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 1.53 million encounters with irregular migrants at the southwest border with Mexico between October 2023 and September 2024. That compares to 23,721 encounters at the Canadian border during that time.
Equinix CFO Keith Taylor sells $1.46 million in stock
TikTok ban in US upheld by federal appeals courtEnergy Drink Firm Celsius Set to Energize Market Growth, Analyst Sees Significant Upside
NoneTyler Technologies executive chair sells shares worth $3.8 millionGlobe Telecom foresees 11 million new customers in next 5 yearsNone
Aadi Bioscience Transforms with In-Licensing of Novel ADC Portfolio, $100 Million Sale of FYARRO® and $100 Million PIPE FinancingWhen Matty Healy defended Charli XCX against Azealia Banks ' criticisms last month, he probably did not expect he'd be dealing with Banks' ire to this day. Moreover, he recently apologized for his mean comments towards the rapper. "What a bad day, I really let myself down," The 1975's frontman expressed on Reddit. "I have worked so hard to move past these impulsive self-destructive and honestly quite volatile outbursts I have. "I just feel dreadful about how I acted violent . Azealia and all obvious, flawed people all deep down have a heart and I hate that I have contributed to her mental fragility," Matt Healy wrote of Azealia Banks. "She’s a human. This cultural discourse has become so violent in general. I don’t wanna act like I regret who I am or who have been. But Tbh at this point I feel gross even having said anything negative ever about anything — if it’s contributed to this culture." Well, it seems like Banks didn't really appreciate this apology that much. She took to Twitter on Friday (December 6) to call out her issues with it and with the artist as a whole. Read More: Azealia Banks Claims She Allegedly Hooked Up With Drake "Once again, he is totally focused on letting himself down and apologizing to himself, instead of apologizing for letting me down and hurting me," Azealia Banks said of Matty Healy. "Whoever his PR agent is needs to be fired because this entire statement includes yet another count of defamation, another count of intentionally inflicted emotional distress, and three more admissions of guilt. Matt really isn't the clear provacatuer [sic] he thinks he is . But seriously, fire this pr agent. Because you've literally just handed this to me. "1. Calling me flawed - again I've never met this man nor do I know him in real life," Azealia Banks continued. "What flaws exactly,? 2. Contributed to her mental fragility - an obvious and condescending insult put in. To frame this story into one where the responsibilities for HIS actions are shared with me. Nice try. This is hinging on very stereotypical and racist rhetoric that categorizes a black woman as a naturally flawed, mentally unstable, erratic danger to herself - and any natural and response to disrespect - be deemed a symptom of some sort of inherent inability to discern. This is some trashy bell curve coded s**t and I have no clue why this man is in such a racist manner. Intent on utilizing played out social tropes to make a non case. He apologized to his fans before apologizing to me. This is demoralizing." Read More: Ice Spice Reveals What Matty Healy Said To Her After Making Crude Jokes On A PodcastBy Hannah Lang and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's crypto policy is taking shape with the announcement of a White House crypto czar and a new securities watchdog, but questions remain over who will drive policy and whether too many cooks could slow down changes. Trump on Thursday appeared to make good on his campaign pledge to be a "crypto president," announcing he would make former top PayPal executive and crypto evangelist David Sacks "White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." A day earlier, Trump said he would nominate pro-crypto Washington attorney Paul Atkins to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. While crypto executives cheered the news, saying the pair would end the Biden administration's crypto crackdown and promote innovation, some Washington analysts said the creation of a crypto czar, a new role, sowed ambiguity over who would drive crypto policy and flagged the potential for policy clashes. "One big question is whether the policy will be driven by Sacks himself. A czar appointed by Trump is going to want to see changes fairly quickly, but the SEC has processes and you can't just snap your fingers at the SEC and have new rules," Ian Katz, managing director of Capital Alpha Partners, said in an email to Reuters. "Personalities will be important," he added. A Silicon Valley venture capitalist and friend of Trump billionaire backer Elon Musk, Sacks was an early bitcoin investor. In a 2017 CNBC interview, he said cryptocurrencies were revolutionizing the internet, but he acknowledged there were also scammers in the sector. He does not appear to have any experience writing or leading policy, according to a Reuters review of his background. Atkins, meanwhile, is a former SEC official and respected veteran of Washington policy circles who has said he supports crypto innovation as way to boost financial services competition, and has helped crypto companies in their dealings with regulators via his consultancy Patomak Global Partners. "Atkins is kind of a known quantity," said Lene Powell, senior legal analyst at financial consultancy Wolters Kluwer. Sacks is from "a different sphere." Both have called for regulators to be more accommodating of crypto companies, but neither appear to have taken a position on whether and under what circumstances crypto tokens should be considered securities, commodities or utilities - a core issue that will ultimately decide how the industry is regulated. “I think we'll see more constructive regulation. Obviously, that includes some clarification around what is (a) security or not," said Chen Arad, co-founder of Solidus Labs, a crypto compliance company. Atkins and Sacks did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, surged past the $100,000 milestone for the first time after Trump announced Atkins as his pick to lead the SEC, buoyed by hopes that the new administration would usher in softer crypto policies. Under President Joe Biden, the SEC has sued dozens of crypto companies, alleging they broke securities laws, while bank regulators discouraged lenders from dabbling in crypto and Congress failed to pass legislation that would help promote mainstream crypto adoption. The crypto industry is pushing for an ambitious raft of policies that would promote adoption of digital assets, including the creation of a crypto regulatory framework which would address when tokens can be classified as securities or commodities. Trump said in a Thursday post on his Truth Social platform that Sacks would "guide" crypto policy and "work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has ... clarity," leaving it unclear whether Sacks would lead the incoming administration's crypto policy. It was also unclear whether Sacks will lead Trump's crypto advisory council, which is also expected to play a key role in shaping crypto policy. Reuters previously reported the crypto czar was expected to lead that body and coordinate policy among the various regulatory agencies. That coordination will be crucial, since a crypto legal framework would need extensive input from the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, whose new chair has yet to be announced, and may also require congressional approval, said lawyers. Regulations on less contentious non-crypto issues such as proprietary bank trading and capital have been snarled up for years by inter-agency squabbles, they noted. "It definitely would be a lot of cooks," Powell said. A Trump transition spokeswoman did not immediately respond to Reuters questions on how the crypto czar role will work. Some consumer protection advocates have expressed concern that the Trump administration's crypto agenda might create gaps that would leave investors at risk, a fear the industry has largely dismissed. "I don't think there will be under-regulation," said Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of asset manager SkyBridge, who briefly served in Trump's first administration. "I don't think it will create fraud, but I think it will help the United States maintain what it should be, which is our mantle of financial services leadership." (Reporting by Hannah Lang and Michelle Price; Additional reporting by Pritam Biswas, Lawrence Delevingne, Douglas Gillison, Chris Prentice, Carolina Mandl, Arsheeya Singh Bajwa and Jaiveer Shekhawat; editing by Jonathan Oatis)