14 hours ago
Halle Berry's daughter, Nahla Aubry, has defended her mother against child abuse allegations.
Last week, the Oscar-winning actress's ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, filed legal documents in which he alleged Berry had recently physically attacked their 12-year-old son Maceo.
A Los Angeles County judge granted the Unfaithful star a temporary restraining order, requiring Berry to stay 100 yards (91 metres) from him until the next hearing on 16 October.
The Catwoman actress denied all allegations made by Martinez, and in a declaration obtained by People on Wednesday, Nahla insisted Berry is a "loving and devoted parent".
"I never observed anything abusive about her parenting," the 18-year-old began. "I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way. I have never seen my mom place her hands around Maceo's neck, put him in a chokehold, restrict his breathing, or engage in any conduct remotely resembling the allegations that have been made against her."
Additionally, Nahla emphasised that Berry has "always made time for" her two children alongside her work commitments and "coordinates" their schedules so they can spend as much time together as possible.
#never #martinez
Last week, the Oscar-winning actress's ex-husband, Olivier Martinez, filed legal documents in which he alleged Berry had recently physically attacked their 12-year-old son Maceo.
A Los Angeles County judge granted the Unfaithful star a temporary restraining order, requiring Berry to stay 100 yards (91 metres) from him until the next hearing on 16 October.
The Catwoman actress denied all allegations made by Martinez, and in a declaration obtained by People on Wednesday, Nahla insisted Berry is a "loving and devoted parent".
"I never observed anything abusive about her parenting," the 18-year-old began. "I have never seen my mom hit, slap, choke, grab, or physically abuse Maceo in any way. I have never seen my mom place her hands around Maceo's neck, put him in a chokehold, restrict his breathing, or engage in any conduct remotely resembling the allegations that have been made against her."
Additionally, Nahla emphasised that Berry has "always made time for" her two children alongside her work commitments and "coordinates" their schedules so they can spend as much time together as possible.
#never #martinez
2 days ago
The Trump administration is struggling to get clear answers about the death of a Russian laboratory worker at an institute dedicated to studying the plague and has formally escalated its request for information from the country, amid days of stonewalling from Russian officials about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the episode.
The death of the technician at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia immediately raised alarms throughout the administration, prompting a race to compile intel and plot for a potential public health response, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
But Russia’s reluctance to share information about the incident has complicated those efforts, leaving officials uncertain what broader risks it could pose — and how exactly to defend the US against them.
The US escalated its request for information, issuing a formal diplomatic communication, called a démarche, a source familiar told CNN late Tuesday.
“We have officially requested additional information from the Russian government,” a State Department spokesperson said. “We are also in official communication with other countries around the world to share information.”
#information #russian #request #officials
The death of the technician at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia immediately raised alarms throughout the administration, prompting a race to compile intel and plot for a potential public health response, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
But Russia’s reluctance to share information about the incident has complicated those efforts, leaving officials uncertain what broader risks it could pose — and how exactly to defend the US against them.
The US escalated its request for information, issuing a formal diplomatic communication, called a démarche, a source familiar told CNN late Tuesday.
“We have officially requested additional information from the Russian government,” a State Department spokesperson said. “We are also in official communication with other countries around the world to share information.”
#information #russian #request #officials
2 days ago
McDonald's is facing a federal lawsuit that alleges its AI-enhanced pricing tool violates antitrust laws because it shares nonpublic data with franchisees who might be competing in the same market.
The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in Illinois, said McDonald's pricing tool uses artificial intelligence to collect data that competing franchises wouldn't normally share, like store-level sales. The Chicago-based burger giant has said it makes the tool available to U.S. franchisees to help them set prices at their individual restaurants.
The lawsuit also blames the pricing system for raising McDonald's U.S. prices.
"McDonald's has built and for years deployed its own information-sharing pricing platform, which draws on data from its millions of daily transactions to set menu prices across thousands of U.S. restaurants," the lawsuit states. "The result is algorithmic price-fixing aimed at customers who are already stretched thin."
McDonald's said Tuesday that the lawsuit is "filled with inaccuracies" and it would vigorously defend itself.
#restaurants
The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in Illinois, said McDonald's pricing tool uses artificial intelligence to collect data that competing franchises wouldn't normally share, like store-level sales. The Chicago-based burger giant has said it makes the tool available to U.S. franchisees to help them set prices at their individual restaurants.
The lawsuit also blames the pricing system for raising McDonald's U.S. prices.
"McDonald's has built and for years deployed its own information-sharing pricing platform, which draws on data from its millions of daily transactions to set menu prices across thousands of U.S. restaurants," the lawsuit states. "The result is algorithmic price-fixing aimed at customers who are already stretched thin."
McDonald's said Tuesday that the lawsuit is "filled with inaccuracies" and it would vigorously defend itself.
#restaurants
3 days ago
Every year, RealClear Media Fund presents the Samizdat Prize - the "Sami" for short - an award for individuals who have courageously resisted censorship and stood for the principles of the First Amendment.
Why do we do this? Because we get the future that we praise today.
We are pleased to announce one of 2027's honorees: Gad Saad, professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and author of the new best-selling book "Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind."
Gad, originally from Lebanon, is a long-time Canadian professor, having taught at Concordia University for over 30 years, author of myriad books and scientific papers on evolutionary psychology and human behavior, and host of "The Saad Truth" podcast, which focuses on such themes as intellectual diversity, modern day thought policing, and the current state of political correctness.
In his 2020 best-selling book "The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense," Professor Saad unabashedly defends the Western tradition of open debate and Socratic dialogue. He does this in an age of university-sponsored safe ***** es, trigger warnings, and censorship.
#university #evolutionary #author #book
Why do we do this? Because we get the future that we praise today.
We are pleased to announce one of 2027's honorees: Gad Saad, professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and author of the new best-selling book "Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind."
Gad, originally from Lebanon, is a long-time Canadian professor, having taught at Concordia University for over 30 years, author of myriad books and scientific papers on evolutionary psychology and human behavior, and host of "The Saad Truth" podcast, which focuses on such themes as intellectual diversity, modern day thought policing, and the current state of political correctness.
In his 2020 best-selling book "The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense," Professor Saad unabashedly defends the Western tradition of open debate and Socratic dialogue. He does this in an age of university-sponsored safe ***** es, trigger warnings, and censorship.
#university #evolutionary #author #book
3 days ago
Chris Rock has spoken about his approach to helping people financially, saying he isn't opposed to lending a hand when someone needs it. In one particular situation, however, the actor and comedian chose not to help, which has sparked a strong reaction online. While some people criticized Rock for his decision, others defended his reasoning.
TMAA / ZDS / WENN.com / MEGA
Chris Rock sat down with David Marchese for The New York Times series "The Interview," wherein he discussed his new movie "Misty Green." The conversation touched on cancel culture and forgiveness, and Rock shared a story to make a point.
"When you're Black, white people believe every accusation is a conviction," he said before sharing his story involving Roger Logan, the brother of one of his childhood best friends.
The comedian said Logan was wrongfully convicted of murder, and when his close friend approached him pleading to fund a lawyer to help free his brother, he refused. "I always had, like, a no-lawyer thing because a lawyer is like an open-ended thing," he explained.
#comedian
TMAA / ZDS / WENN.com / MEGA
Chris Rock sat down with David Marchese for The New York Times series "The Interview," wherein he discussed his new movie "Misty Green." The conversation touched on cancel culture and forgiveness, and Rock shared a story to make a point.
"When you're Black, white people believe every accusation is a conviction," he said before sharing his story involving Roger Logan, the brother of one of his childhood best friends.
The comedian said Logan was wrongfully convicted of murder, and when his close friend approached him pleading to fund a lawyer to help free his brother, he refused. "I always had, like, a no-lawyer thing because a lawyer is like an open-ended thing," he explained.
#comedian
3 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says in a new book that his deciding vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January 2025 is the "biggest regret of my career" and that he also "should've stopped" Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from becoming Health and Human Services secretary in the early days of President Donald Trump's second term.
In "How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents," to be published Tuesday, the North Carolina senator defends his decision at the time to not be "the lone voice in the wilderness" preventing Trump's nominees from confirmation. But Tillis makes clear he was always skeptical of allegations about Hegseth's turbulent management style, treatment of women and excessive drinking. Hegseth denied all the allegations.
"I know for a fact that there are others like me," Tillis writes, "Republicans who agreed to go along with the early demands of the Trump team no matter how ridiculous they were, believing that failing to do so would mean the end of their political career, and who now see that things have gone way too far."
He writes that he can count at least 30 of his GOP colleagues who have "expressed reservations (to put it mildly) about many of the president's actions in private. Then, when the reporters showed up with their cameras and microphones, they'd have nothing but nice things to say."
Tillis, who announced last year that he would not run for reelection in a "breaking point" with the president on his sweeping tax and spending cuts package, is publishing the book in his final months in office. He joins a long list of Republicans who have ratcheted up their public denunciations of Trump once they had less to lose politically.
#hegseth
In "How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents," to be published Tuesday, the North Carolina senator defends his decision at the time to not be "the lone voice in the wilderness" preventing Trump's nominees from confirmation. But Tillis makes clear he was always skeptical of allegations about Hegseth's turbulent management style, treatment of women and excessive drinking. Hegseth denied all the allegations.
"I know for a fact that there are others like me," Tillis writes, "Republicans who agreed to go along with the early demands of the Trump team no matter how ridiculous they were, believing that failing to do so would mean the end of their political career, and who now see that things have gone way too far."
He writes that he can count at least 30 of his GOP colleagues who have "expressed reservations (to put it mildly) about many of the president's actions in private. Then, when the reporters showed up with their cameras and microphones, they'd have nothing but nice things to say."
Tillis, who announced last year that he would not run for reelection in a "breaking point" with the president on his sweeping tax and spending cuts package, is publishing the book in his final months in office. He joins a long list of Republicans who have ratcheted up their public denunciations of Trump once they had less to lose politically.
#hegseth
3 days ago
Updated on: October 5, 2026 / 7:40 PM EDT / CBS News
Christa Pike, the death row inmate who last week survived Tennessee's attempt to execute her, remained hospitalized on a ventilator Monday, according to her attorney.
He said it was still unclear whether Pike would regain consciousness but urged the state to "take death off the table" by commuting her sentence, renewing an earlier request that the governor denied before her botched lethal injection.
"The least that could happen now is that we at least take death off the table and start looking for what the future could be for her," attorney Steve Ferrell, of the Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, told "CBS Mornings."
Ferrell added that he and the rest of Pike's legal team were "certainly willing to discuss that with the governor, with whoever could make that decision."
#pike #take #table #updated
Christa Pike, the death row inmate who last week survived Tennessee's attempt to execute her, remained hospitalized on a ventilator Monday, according to her attorney.
He said it was still unclear whether Pike would regain consciousness but urged the state to "take death off the table" by commuting her sentence, renewing an earlier request that the governor denied before her botched lethal injection.
"The least that could happen now is that we at least take death off the table and start looking for what the future could be for her," attorney Steve Ferrell, of the Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, told "CBS Mornings."
Ferrell added that he and the rest of Pike's legal team were "certainly willing to discuss that with the governor, with whoever could make that decision."
#pike #take #table #updated
3 days ago
Tom Brady has an outspoken defender in Liz Jones, and Gisele Bündchen probably won't enjoy reading her argument.
The Daily Mail columnist weighed in on the former couple's divorce with a blistering opinion piece. By the time she finished, Bündchen's expectations, the fashion industry, and even her new husband had caught up.
Jones' column follows the release of Lars Anderson's Brady: "An American Story and the Price of Greatness." Published Sept. 29, the biography explores the personal costs of Brady's devotion to football.
The book has already broughtrenewed attention to Brady and Bündchen's split, which became final in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage.
"The picture painted of the Brady marriage has always been, until this new biography, one of the man who refused to slow down to be present for his family, while Gisele gave it all up, Princess Grace-styley, to be a Trad Wife,"Jones wrote.
#brady #biography #daily
The Daily Mail columnist weighed in on the former couple's divorce with a blistering opinion piece. By the time she finished, Bündchen's expectations, the fashion industry, and even her new husband had caught up.
Jones' column follows the release of Lars Anderson's Brady: "An American Story and the Price of Greatness." Published Sept. 29, the biography explores the personal costs of Brady's devotion to football.
The book has already broughtrenewed attention to Brady and Bündchen's split, which became final in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage.
"The picture painted of the Brady marriage has always been, until this new biography, one of the man who refused to slow down to be present for his family, while Gisele gave it all up, Princess Grace-styley, to be a Trad Wife,"Jones wrote.
#brady #biography #daily
3 days ago
Megyn Kelly is calling out what she sees as a lack of due process when it comes to Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity brothers amid their Jane Doe gang rape investigation.
On Monday's episode of "The Megyn Kelly Show," the host suggested the public has already made up its mind regarding the seven men named after a former student filed a civil suit claiming she was drugged, ******* aulted and gang-raped by them in 2024.
"These young men have had their names plastered all over every major newscast in America for a week now," Kelly said. "The mob has decided they're guilty and ought to be put to death, which is literally what we are hearing in several circles online without a trial, without a due process chance to defend themselves. Not in a kangaroo court on a college campus, which is a joke, but in an actual court, either civil or now it's looking more and more likely criminal."
She added: "This is deeply immoral. There are two sides to every story. You don't know, and I don't know what happened inside of Cornell that night. We know that there's been a story told by Jane Doe. We know that from her own story, the DA – a Democrat – said there's no case here… And we know it took her two years to file a civil suit… Now her lawyers are all over the television, ripping on the DA."
Kelly is not the only news personality to question the due process of the case. "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin also spoke out wondering if the men's names should not be going up across a number of news networks.
#civil #jane
On Monday's episode of "The Megyn Kelly Show," the host suggested the public has already made up its mind regarding the seven men named after a former student filed a civil suit claiming she was drugged, ******* aulted and gang-raped by them in 2024.
"These young men have had their names plastered all over every major newscast in America for a week now," Kelly said. "The mob has decided they're guilty and ought to be put to death, which is literally what we are hearing in several circles online without a trial, without a due process chance to defend themselves. Not in a kangaroo court on a college campus, which is a joke, but in an actual court, either civil or now it's looking more and more likely criminal."
She added: "This is deeply immoral. There are two sides to every story. You don't know, and I don't know what happened inside of Cornell that night. We know that there's been a story told by Jane Doe. We know that from her own story, the DA – a Democrat – said there's no case here… And we know it took her two years to file a civil suit… Now her lawyers are all over the television, ripping on the DA."
Kelly is not the only news personality to question the due process of the case. "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin also spoke out wondering if the men's names should not be going up across a number of news networks.
#civil #jane
4 days ago
Iran's top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States' war against the Islamic republic, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse.
A campaign of heavy bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, and Washington in recent weeks has dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure.
The main point of contention remains Iran's attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas where a UK maritime agency reported on Sunday another tanker struck by an unknown projectile.
"If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a gathering of foreign ambassadors.
"There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions," he continued, adding "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could end the conflict.
#sunday #Israel
A campaign of heavy bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, and Washington in recent weeks has dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure.
The main point of contention remains Iran's attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas where a UK maritime agency reported on Sunday another tanker struck by an unknown projectile.
"If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a gathering of foreign ambassadors.
"There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions," he continued, adding "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could end the conflict.
#sunday #Israel
5 days ago
The Trump administration is airing campaign-style television ads using money Congress approved for border security upgrades, efforts to combat drug trafficking and memorials for officers killed in the line of duty, according to federal spending records.
Democrats say the ads break multiple federal laws by using taxpayer money for political purposes that Congress never authorized. The White House defends the ads as public service announcements.
One of the spots closely resembles a 30-second video produced by the Trump campaign in 2024. The latest ad features President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth advocating for the Iran war. They feature disclosures saying they are “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
On Sept. 19, a few days before the ads began airing, the White House Office of Management and Budget added $20 million to a Department of Homeland Security budget line designated for “commemorative events,” according to publicly disclosed OMB data. Congress approved the spending for those events in Trump’s 2025 domestic spending package, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, and intended it for “Line-of-Duty death memorials, Department or agency anniversaries, and commendation ceremonies,” according to a House budget committee report.
The next day, Sept. 20, DHS awarded a $20 million contract for a “national media campaign” to the LMD Agency, a Maryland-based public relations and media firm that had previously worked for the department. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
#Trump
Democrats say the ads break multiple federal laws by using taxpayer money for political purposes that Congress never authorized. The White House defends the ads as public service announcements.
One of the spots closely resembles a 30-second video produced by the Trump campaign in 2024. The latest ad features President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth advocating for the Iran war. They feature disclosures saying they are “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
On Sept. 19, a few days before the ads began airing, the White House Office of Management and Budget added $20 million to a Department of Homeland Security budget line designated for “commemorative events,” according to publicly disclosed OMB data. Congress approved the spending for those events in Trump’s 2025 domestic spending package, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, and intended it for “Line-of-Duty death memorials, Department or agency anniversaries, and commendation ceremonies,” according to a House budget committee report.
The next day, Sept. 20, DHS awarded a $20 million contract for a “national media campaign” to the LMD Agency, a Maryland-based public relations and media firm that had previously worked for the department. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
#Trump
7 days ago
Trump defended such a move, saying Biden "gave pardons to everyone."
President Donald Trump said in an interview out Thursday that he would be open to pardoning members of his administration, pointing to former President Joe Biden’s blanket pardon to relatives and members of the administration out of concern they would be politically targeted after he left office.
"Yeah, sure, I'd do that," the president answered when asked by TIME magazine earlier this week if he was "considering pardoning members of your administration prior to the end of your term?"
The president further said that Biden "gave pardons to everyone."
Biden issued preemptive pardons to several close family members in the final minutes of his presidency in 2025, saying that his family "has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me" and that he had "no reason to believe these attacks will end" after he left office.
#members #pardons #Trump #saying
President Donald Trump said in an interview out Thursday that he would be open to pardoning members of his administration, pointing to former President Joe Biden’s blanket pardon to relatives and members of the administration out of concern they would be politically targeted after he left office.
"Yeah, sure, I'd do that," the president answered when asked by TIME magazine earlier this week if he was "considering pardoning members of your administration prior to the end of your term?"
The president further said that Biden "gave pardons to everyone."
Biden issued preemptive pardons to several close family members in the final minutes of his presidency in 2025, saying that his family "has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me" and that he had "no reason to believe these attacks will end" after he left office.
#members #pardons #Trump #saying
7 days ago
Anne Hathaway knew almost immediately that taking command of a crowded red carpet photo call was probably going to follow her onto the internet. One night later, she was already apologizing and laughing at herself for exactly that.
The actress went viral after directing photographers during a group photo at the September 29 New York premiere of Verity. With several cast members posing together and photographers calling for their attention from different parts of the press line, Hathaway began organizing where the group would look and when.
During her September 30 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Hathaway called watching the footage "the stuff of nightmares" and described what took over as "mom mode by way of chorus line." She said she had simply been trying to help as the photographers became frustrated and the atmosphere started to change.
Hathaway ultimately offered a playful apology instead of defending the performance. "I apologize everybody," she said, before joking that the version of herself who appeared on the carpet had arrived strictly for business.
Rather than allowing the cast to keep turning toward whichever photographer called loudest, Hathaway announced that they would begin on one side of the press line and work their way across.
#photographers #carpet #cast
The actress went viral after directing photographers during a group photo at the September 29 New York premiere of Verity. With several cast members posing together and photographers calling for their attention from different parts of the press line, Hathaway began organizing where the group would look and when.
During her September 30 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Hathaway called watching the footage "the stuff of nightmares" and described what took over as "mom mode by way of chorus line." She said she had simply been trying to help as the photographers became frustrated and the atmosphere started to change.
Hathaway ultimately offered a playful apology instead of defending the performance. "I apologize everybody," she said, before joking that the version of herself who appeared on the carpet had arrived strictly for business.
Rather than allowing the cast to keep turning toward whichever photographer called loudest, Hathaway announced that they would begin on one side of the press line and work their way across.
#photographers #carpet #cast
9 days ago
Former special counsel Jack Smith fielded insults from Republicans and questions about his prosecutorial decisions as he sat before lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has been a leading voice in scrutinizing Smith’s twin probes into President Trump, obtaining and releasing reams of documents about the investigations while criticizing his decision to subpoena some lawmakers’ call logs.
Smith defended his work, saying Trump faced criminal charges related to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case and the case tied to the president’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as a result of his own illegal conduct. He added that he would have brought charges against any president who committed such crimes.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), meanwhile, accused the GOP of “gaslighting” the American public about how damaging the Jan. 6 attack was to democracy.
But Smith largely served as a punching bag for the committee’s Republicans.
#president #lawmakers #documents #case
Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has been a leading voice in scrutinizing Smith’s twin probes into President Trump, obtaining and releasing reams of documents about the investigations while criticizing his decision to subpoena some lawmakers’ call logs.
Smith defended his work, saying Trump faced criminal charges related to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case and the case tied to the president’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as a result of his own illegal conduct. He added that he would have brought charges against any president who committed such crimes.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), meanwhile, accused the GOP of “gaslighting” the American public about how damaging the Jan. 6 attack was to democracy.
But Smith largely served as a punching bag for the committee’s Republicans.
#president #lawmakers #documents #case
9 days ago
Airport security employees checking boarding passes and IDs will no longer be allowed to sit down while working, the Transportation Security Administration confirmed Tuesday.
All chairs are being removed from the travel document checker podiums at the entrance to checkpoints nationwide, the union representing the screeners said. The American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 said it found out about the decision from its members and called it a “disregard for workers rights and safety.”
TSA defended the move, saying the document checkers are the first to interact with the traveling public and requiring them to stand will create a better experience for passengers.
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” the agency said in a statement. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”
The move comes nearly two months after TSA Administrator David ******* mins was confirmed to lead the agency.
#security #confirmed #document
All chairs are being removed from the travel document checker podiums at the entrance to checkpoints nationwide, the union representing the screeners said. The American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 said it found out about the decision from its members and called it a “disregard for workers rights and safety.”
TSA defended the move, saying the document checkers are the first to interact with the traveling public and requiring them to stand will create a better experience for passengers.
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” the agency said in a statement. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”
The move comes nearly two months after TSA Administrator David ******* mins was confirmed to lead the agency.
#security #confirmed #document
18 days ago
Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang is challenging the people warning that AI could end humanity, suggesting their alarming predictions may serve another purpose.
Speaking with CBS News, Huang rejected the 'AI apocalypse' debate and questioned the motives behind those spreading that fear, adding a sharper edge to an increasingly public industry split.
OpenAI and Anthropic leaders, alongside Elon Musk, have backed calls to slow advanced AI development over safety concerns and fears that the technology might be advancing quicker than companies can control it, as reported by Financial Times.
For Nvidia investors, that debate carries financial weight. Shares have returned 20% year-to-date and 23% over the six months, according to Seeking Alpha data.
A coordinated slowdown could complicate the spending boom supporting its chip business. Huang's response, however, reaches beyond defending continued investment.
#NVIDIA #anthropic
Speaking with CBS News, Huang rejected the 'AI apocalypse' debate and questioned the motives behind those spreading that fear, adding a sharper edge to an increasingly public industry split.
OpenAI and Anthropic leaders, alongside Elon Musk, have backed calls to slow advanced AI development over safety concerns and fears that the technology might be advancing quicker than companies can control it, as reported by Financial Times.
For Nvidia investors, that debate carries financial weight. Shares have returned 20% year-to-date and 23% over the six months, according to Seeking Alpha data.
A coordinated slowdown could complicate the spending boom supporting its chip business. Huang's response, however, reaches beyond defending continued investment.
#NVIDIA #anthropic
19 days ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Two major news networks were denied access to the White House on Saturday morning, with reporters from CNN and MS NOW both going live to report they'd been barred following a ban imposed by President Donald Trump.
The actions escalated Trump's long-running efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable, and is the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States. Trump said Friday he would ban both organizations and also Politico, because of their coverage — which he called "fake news."
CNN issued a statement saying it stood behind its reporters. "We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account," it said. The statement was shown on the air before senior White House reporter Betsy Klein began to report on her ban.
MS NOW also said in a statement that it stands behind its journalists.
"The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars," the network said in a statement Saturday. "MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy."
#reporters
The actions escalated Trump's long-running efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable, and is the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States. Trump said Friday he would ban both organizations and also Politico, because of their coverage — which he called "fake news."
CNN issued a statement saying it stood behind its reporters. "We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account," it said. The statement was shown on the air before senior White House reporter Betsy Klein began to report on her ban.
MS NOW also said in a statement that it stands behind its journalists.
"The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars," the network said in a statement Saturday. "MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy."
#reporters
19 days ago
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) is trying to recover after an 8.5% decline, with Bernstein defending the stock as "wired to win" and highlighting that data centers account for only 38% of its electrification order book. This supports the argument that the company's utility exposure extends beyond AI power demand alone. That diversification is a real consideration, but it does not directly address the concern raised by GLJ Research. The firm's Sell rating is not based on doubts about AI-driven power demand. Instead, GLJ Research argues that GE Vernova is still a fundamentally cyclical gas-turbine manufacturer, while its current valuation reflects an **** umption that the ongoing boom can remain permanent.
GE Vernova shares stabilized after an 8.5% decline triggered by GLJ Research's new Sell rating and broader concerns that a slowdown in AI spending could weigh on the company's order book. Bernstein **** yst Sunaina Ocalan directly challenged the view that GE Vernova's outlook depends mainly on AI infrastructure spending:
While data center orders were $5 billion in H1 2026, or about 38% of electrification orders, the remaining 62% was utility-driven. Utility spend should continue to grow, supported by grid reliability and resilience investments. A slowdown in data center demand may alleviate generation bottlenecks but would do little to address existing grid constraints.
Bernstein continues to rate the stock a Buy with a $1,298 price target, while nearly 80% of **** ysts covering GE Vernova also have a Buy rating. In a separate development, the company announced a wind turbine supply agreement with Eurus Energy Holdings in **** an.
GLJ Research's Gordon Johnson argued that GE Vernova's turbines being sold out does not justify the stock trading at roughly 38.9x forward EV/EBITDA at the time the report was released. Johnson described the company as "a cyclical gas turbine manufacturer priced as a secular compounder," highlighting the premium valuation placed on a fundamentally cyclical business. His model estimates 2027 EBITDA at $7.42 billion, which is 22% below Wall Street consensus. The lower forecast is partly based on the timing of turbine orders, as equipment scheduled for 2027 delivery was ordered in 2024, before the company introduced its more recent price increase.
#bernstein #turbine #Stock #data
GE Vernova shares stabilized after an 8.5% decline triggered by GLJ Research's new Sell rating and broader concerns that a slowdown in AI spending could weigh on the company's order book. Bernstein **** yst Sunaina Ocalan directly challenged the view that GE Vernova's outlook depends mainly on AI infrastructure spending:
While data center orders were $5 billion in H1 2026, or about 38% of electrification orders, the remaining 62% was utility-driven. Utility spend should continue to grow, supported by grid reliability and resilience investments. A slowdown in data center demand may alleviate generation bottlenecks but would do little to address existing grid constraints.
Bernstein continues to rate the stock a Buy with a $1,298 price target, while nearly 80% of **** ysts covering GE Vernova also have a Buy rating. In a separate development, the company announced a wind turbine supply agreement with Eurus Energy Holdings in **** an.
GLJ Research's Gordon Johnson argued that GE Vernova's turbines being sold out does not justify the stock trading at roughly 38.9x forward EV/EBITDA at the time the report was released. Johnson described the company as "a cyclical gas turbine manufacturer priced as a secular compounder," highlighting the premium valuation placed on a fundamentally cyclical business. His model estimates 2027 EBITDA at $7.42 billion, which is 22% below Wall Street consensus. The lower forecast is partly based on the timing of turbine orders, as equipment scheduled for 2027 delivery was ordered in 2024, before the company introduced its more recent price increase.
#bernstein #turbine #Stock #data
20 days ago
CAIRO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Iranians rallied Friday in a government-organized show of defiance after months of war, pledging their readiness to take up arms in the biggest such demonstration since the United States and Israel attacked in February.
Iran's government has sought to rally the people and stress national unity, even as the economy worsens under a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and new U.S. sanctions. On Friday, it claimed another attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway it has sought to control since the start of the war.
Estimates varied of the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as "Janfaday-e Iran," or the "ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran." They marched through downtown Tehran in combat uniform, carrying flags, as onlookers cheered.
For days, state media have encouraged Iranians to join the campaign, saying training with **** ault rifles would begin soon. The volunteers would be an additional layer of security to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia, which has played a key role in quashing anti-government protests.
Tehran's Guard chief, Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the state broadcaster that over 600,000 people had registered to participate, with over 1 million expected to take part in the training. On Friday morning, the broadcaster estimated over 300,000 people were on the streets.
#government #training #since
Iran's government has sought to rally the people and stress national unity, even as the economy worsens under a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and new U.S. sanctions. On Friday, it claimed another attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway it has sought to control since the start of the war.
Estimates varied of the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as "Janfaday-e Iran," or the "ones who sacrifice their lives for Iran." They marched through downtown Tehran in combat uniform, carrying flags, as onlookers cheered.
For days, state media have encouraged Iranians to join the campaign, saying training with **** ault rifles would begin soon. The volunteers would be an additional layer of security to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia, which has played a key role in quashing anti-government protests.
Tehran's Guard chief, Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, told the state broadcaster that over 600,000 people had registered to participate, with over 1 million expected to take part in the training. On Friday morning, the broadcaster estimated over 300,000 people were on the streets.
#government #training #since
21 days ago
Semiconductor rivalries rarely move stock prices the way headlines suggest they should. MediaTek unveiled a new flagship smartphone processor on Tuesday, Sept. 15, built to challenge Qualcomm directly in the premium handset market.
Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)'s stock rose anyway, closing up 4.25% at $187.80.
That is not a new pattern. MediaTek's market value first surpassed Qualcomm's earlier this year, according to Reuters. The new chip was meant to widen that lead, not just defend it.
The gap is real money. MediaTek's market capitalization stood near $223 billion on Sept. 15, PitchBook noted. Even after Qualcomm's 4.25% rally that same day, its market cap reached $200.6 billion, according to CompaniesMarketCap, leaving it about $22 billion behind MediaTek.
MediaTek said the Dimensity 9600 Pro is its first mobile processor built on TSMC's 2-nanometer process. Its neural processing unit delivers 51% faster prompt handling for on-device AI models than the prior generation. That lets phones run generative AI tasks without sending data to the cloud.
#market #qualcomm #built #according
Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)'s stock rose anyway, closing up 4.25% at $187.80.
That is not a new pattern. MediaTek's market value first surpassed Qualcomm's earlier this year, according to Reuters. The new chip was meant to widen that lead, not just defend it.
The gap is real money. MediaTek's market capitalization stood near $223 billion on Sept. 15, PitchBook noted. Even after Qualcomm's 4.25% rally that same day, its market cap reached $200.6 billion, according to CompaniesMarketCap, leaving it about $22 billion behind MediaTek.
MediaTek said the Dimensity 9600 Pro is its first mobile processor built on TSMC's 2-nanometer process. Its neural processing unit delivers 51% faster prompt handling for on-device AI models than the prior generation. That lets phones run generative AI tasks without sending data to the cloud.
#market #qualcomm #built #according
21 days ago
"I am the house now," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told traders last week, as he defended the administration's increasingly interventionist approach to the bond market. He added that he had "asymmetric information" about what policymakers would do next and dared investors: "bet against me if you want."
On Wednesday, Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh might effectively take the other side of the bet.
It's been a hot American summer. Oil is hot, hovering around $110 a barrel. Bond yields are hot, too: the 10-year Treasury yield has pushed above 5%, around its highest level since 2007. Credit markets are running hot as well: U.S.-dollar debt issuance to finance AI and data-center development reached $308 billion through July. And all that borrowing is competing with U.S. national debt, which crossed $40 trillion less than a month ago. Stocks, despite a rough few days, are still up roughly 11% this year. Inflation, meanwhile, remains above 3%.
Put all that heat together, and the Federal Reserve is staring down a question it hasn't seriously confronted in three years: Is the U.S. economy actually overheating? Markets are betting the Fed thinks the answer is at least "maybe." Traders have priced a quarter-point hike Wednesday with near certainty.
But whether Wednesday amounts to a one-time course correction or the beginning of a new tightening cycle depends on what, exactly, is making the American economy hot. The last time the Fed began raising rates, in March 2022, Jerome Powell's Fed ultimately raised its benchmark rate by 525 basis points over 16 months.
Mohamed El-Erian, Wharton professor of practice and chief economic adviser at Allianz, parsed the current fervor and anxiety into four questions on X Tuesday: whether oil-supply disruptions persist, with China potentially acting as a "swing consumer"; whether Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent intervenes again to influence long-end yields; whether this week's hike proves "one and done" or the beginning of a cycle; and how markets balance AI's enormous promise against its enormous risks.
#secretary #federal #american
On Wednesday, Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh might effectively take the other side of the bet.
It's been a hot American summer. Oil is hot, hovering around $110 a barrel. Bond yields are hot, too: the 10-year Treasury yield has pushed above 5%, around its highest level since 2007. Credit markets are running hot as well: U.S.-dollar debt issuance to finance AI and data-center development reached $308 billion through July. And all that borrowing is competing with U.S. national debt, which crossed $40 trillion less than a month ago. Stocks, despite a rough few days, are still up roughly 11% this year. Inflation, meanwhile, remains above 3%.
Put all that heat together, and the Federal Reserve is staring down a question it hasn't seriously confronted in three years: Is the U.S. economy actually overheating? Markets are betting the Fed thinks the answer is at least "maybe." Traders have priced a quarter-point hike Wednesday with near certainty.
But whether Wednesday amounts to a one-time course correction or the beginning of a new tightening cycle depends on what, exactly, is making the American economy hot. The last time the Fed began raising rates, in March 2022, Jerome Powell's Fed ultimately raised its benchmark rate by 525 basis points over 16 months.
Mohamed El-Erian, Wharton professor of practice and chief economic adviser at Allianz, parsed the current fervor and anxiety into four questions on X Tuesday: whether oil-supply disruptions persist, with China potentially acting as a "swing consumer"; whether Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent intervenes again to influence long-end yields; whether this week's hike proves "one and done" or the beginning of a cycle; and how markets balance AI's enormous promise against its enormous risks.
#secretary #federal #american
21 days ago
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) argued Wednesday that House GOP leaders sent the lower chamber home early because they found other Republicans in support of his push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“The fact that they didn’t vote on it tells me that they did a whip check, and they probably found that there were some other Republicans, besides me, that were going to vote for this, or at least didn’t want to be on the record supporting Hegseth,” he told host Kaitlan Collins on CNN’s “The Source.”
The outgoing Kentucky libertarian, a frequent critic of President Trump, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Tuesday.
Massie accused Hegseth of violating his “oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” citing his handling of the Iran war and operations to kill alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
The GOP lawmaker, who lost his primary in May to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein, also made his impeachment resolution privileged.
#hegseth #Trump #found #didn
“The fact that they didn’t vote on it tells me that they did a whip check, and they probably found that there were some other Republicans, besides me, that were going to vote for this, or at least didn’t want to be on the record supporting Hegseth,” he told host Kaitlan Collins on CNN’s “The Source.”
The outgoing Kentucky libertarian, a frequent critic of President Trump, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Tuesday.
Massie accused Hegseth of violating his “oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” citing his handling of the Iran war and operations to kill alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
The GOP lawmaker, who lost his primary in May to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein, also made his impeachment resolution privileged.
#hegseth #Trump #found #didn
22 days ago
Two former Robinhood engineers allegedly used confidential information about upcoming cryptocurrency listings to make profitable trades on decentralized exchange Hyperliquid, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
Hefu Chai, 36, and Huaisong "Jerry" Xiang, 30, each face one count of commodities fraud and one count of wire fraud.
"Today's charges make clear that corporate insiders cannot evade the securities and commodities laws by trading based on misappropriated information in derivatives like perpetual futures, tokenized securities, or other similar financial instruments," U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said in a statement.
Perpetual futures, or "perps," let traders speculate on an **** et's price—often with leverage—without owning it. Unlike conventional futures, the derivatives do not expire. Hyperliquid is one of the largest decentralized platforms for trading perps and has faced increased regulatory scrutiny.
According to the DOJ, the engineers allegedly used nonpublic information about upcoming Robinhood Crypto token listings to buy related perpetual futures before the announcements, earning profits "for their own benefit" between 2025 and 2026. Each defendant earned more than $50,000 from the alleged scheme, the Justice Department said.
#futures #engineers
Hefu Chai, 36, and Huaisong "Jerry" Xiang, 30, each face one count of commodities fraud and one count of wire fraud.
"Today's charges make clear that corporate insiders cannot evade the securities and commodities laws by trading based on misappropriated information in derivatives like perpetual futures, tokenized securities, or other similar financial instruments," U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said in a statement.
Perpetual futures, or "perps," let traders speculate on an **** et's price—often with leverage—without owning it. Unlike conventional futures, the derivatives do not expire. Hyperliquid is one of the largest decentralized platforms for trading perps and has faced increased regulatory scrutiny.
According to the DOJ, the engineers allegedly used nonpublic information about upcoming Robinhood Crypto token listings to buy related perpetual futures before the announcements, earning profits "for their own benefit" between 2025 and 2026. Each defendant earned more than $50,000 from the alleged scheme, the Justice Department said.
#futures #engineers
22 days ago
Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s decision to rebrand its day-to-day identity as "Novo" and launch a cultural reset is primarily a strategic response to the company's loss of momentum in the obesity-drug market, rather than a financial restructuring in itself. Reuters reports that the company is trying to regain competitiveness as pressure from Eli Lilly intensifies. The move comes as Novo prepares to unveil new strategic ambitions at its September 21 Capital Markets Day, making the cultural reset potentially important if it leads to faster decision-making, stronger commercial execution and a more aggressive R&D approach.
The underlying business still has substantial scale to protect. Novo generated DKK 309.1 billion of 2025 sales and DKK 127.7 billion of operating profit, while obesity-care sales rose 31% at constant exchange rates to DKK 82.3 billion. However, the company also spent around DKK 8 billion on its transformation in 2025, and its diabetes value-market share fell 3.6 percentage points to 30.1%. The reset therefore comes at a critical point: Novo remains the global obesity-market leader, with a 59.6% branded-volume share in 2025, but Lilly is rapidly narrowing the competitive gap.
A successful cultural reset could improve Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s execution at a time when the company needs to convert its scientific and commercial ******* ets into faster growth. Reuters reported that CEO Mike Doustdar is already seeking to accelerate R&D and streamline decision-making following investor concerns about the pipeline and competition from Lilly. If the reorganization reduces internal bureaucracy and improves the speed of clinical, regulatory and commercial decisions, it could help Novo extract more value from its existing obesity portfolio while advancing next-generation treatments before the semaglutide patent cliff expected early next decade.
The company also has ******* ets that give a cultural and operational reset something concrete to build around. Wegovy was available in 52 countries by the end of 2025, while the company's higher-dose Wegovy achieved 20.7% weight loss in Phase 3 studies and its oral Wegovy achieved 16.6% weight loss. More recently, Wegovy received approval in China for MASH, expanding its potential beyond weight management and cardiovascular benefits into another large metabolic-disease market. If Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) can combine these products with better execution, the reset could support higher patient volumes and extend the commercial life of its GLP-1 franchise, helping defend revenue and cash flow despite pricing pressure.
#nordisk #lilly
The underlying business still has substantial scale to protect. Novo generated DKK 309.1 billion of 2025 sales and DKK 127.7 billion of operating profit, while obesity-care sales rose 31% at constant exchange rates to DKK 82.3 billion. However, the company also spent around DKK 8 billion on its transformation in 2025, and its diabetes value-market share fell 3.6 percentage points to 30.1%. The reset therefore comes at a critical point: Novo remains the global obesity-market leader, with a 59.6% branded-volume share in 2025, but Lilly is rapidly narrowing the competitive gap.
A successful cultural reset could improve Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s execution at a time when the company needs to convert its scientific and commercial ******* ets into faster growth. Reuters reported that CEO Mike Doustdar is already seeking to accelerate R&D and streamline decision-making following investor concerns about the pipeline and competition from Lilly. If the reorganization reduces internal bureaucracy and improves the speed of clinical, regulatory and commercial decisions, it could help Novo extract more value from its existing obesity portfolio while advancing next-generation treatments before the semaglutide patent cliff expected early next decade.
The company also has ******* ets that give a cultural and operational reset something concrete to build around. Wegovy was available in 52 countries by the end of 2025, while the company's higher-dose Wegovy achieved 20.7% weight loss in Phase 3 studies and its oral Wegovy achieved 16.6% weight loss. More recently, Wegovy received approval in China for MASH, expanding its potential beyond weight management and cardiovascular benefits into another large metabolic-disease market. If Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) can combine these products with better execution, the reset could support higher patient volumes and extend the commercial life of its GLP-1 franchise, helping defend revenue and cash flow despite pricing pressure.
#nordisk #lilly
22 days ago
Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) is reportedly exploring the sale of several mass-market personal care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring and Speed Stick, in a portfolio reshaping effort that could generate more than $1 billion. The company is working with Goldman Sachs on the potential divestiture. Personal care accounted for roughly 17% of Colgate-Palmolive's 2025 net sales, or about $3.5 billion, while oral care remains the company's largest business.
The move comes as Colgate faces pressure in its North American business. Although the company recently reported a 4.9% increase in net sales, organic sales in North America declined 3%, highlighting competitive pressure in a mature market. The strategy is also consistent with a broader consumer-goods shift toward simplifying portfolios and concentrating capital on higher-growth categories. Unilever, Nestlé, and other major consumer companies have similarly been selling slower-growing or non-core businesses.
The biggest positive is that Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) could become a more focused and potentially higher-quality business. Selling brands that no longer fit its highest-priority growth areas would allow management to concentrate capital, marketing spending, and management attention on oral care, pet nutrition, and other businesses where Colgate has stronger competitive advantages. The company's decision would therefore be less about abandoning personal care altogether and more about improving the quality of the remaining portfolio.
A sale could also unlock meaningful shareholder value. If the divestitures generate more than $1 billion, Colgate would have additional capital that could be used for debt reduction, share repurchases, acquisitions, or investment behind its strongest brands. In a mature consumer-staples company, disciplined capital allocation can have an outsized impact on earnings growth and shareholder returns. There is also evidence that portfolio simplification is becoming increasingly attractive across the consumer-goods industry. The Wall Street Journal has highlighted how companies such as Unilever and Nestlé are shedding businesses that add complexity without providing sufficient growth. The underlying argument is that the benefits of owning a very broad portfolio have diminished as consumer preferences become more fragmented and smaller brands become better at responding to trends.
Most importantly, the divestiture could improve Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)'s strategic focus at a time when North American competition is challenging. Rather than allocating resources to defend slower-growing personal-care brands, management could direct investment toward categories and geographies with better long-term growth prospects. That could ultimately support margins and organic growth even if the immediate revenue base becomes smaller.
#personal #NYSE #Portfolio
The move comes as Colgate faces pressure in its North American business. Although the company recently reported a 4.9% increase in net sales, organic sales in North America declined 3%, highlighting competitive pressure in a mature market. The strategy is also consistent with a broader consumer-goods shift toward simplifying portfolios and concentrating capital on higher-growth categories. Unilever, Nestlé, and other major consumer companies have similarly been selling slower-growing or non-core businesses.
The biggest positive is that Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) could become a more focused and potentially higher-quality business. Selling brands that no longer fit its highest-priority growth areas would allow management to concentrate capital, marketing spending, and management attention on oral care, pet nutrition, and other businesses where Colgate has stronger competitive advantages. The company's decision would therefore be less about abandoning personal care altogether and more about improving the quality of the remaining portfolio.
A sale could also unlock meaningful shareholder value. If the divestitures generate more than $1 billion, Colgate would have additional capital that could be used for debt reduction, share repurchases, acquisitions, or investment behind its strongest brands. In a mature consumer-staples company, disciplined capital allocation can have an outsized impact on earnings growth and shareholder returns. There is also evidence that portfolio simplification is becoming increasingly attractive across the consumer-goods industry. The Wall Street Journal has highlighted how companies such as Unilever and Nestlé are shedding businesses that add complexity without providing sufficient growth. The underlying argument is that the benefits of owning a very broad portfolio have diminished as consumer preferences become more fragmented and smaller brands become better at responding to trends.
Most importantly, the divestiture could improve Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)'s strategic focus at a time when North American competition is challenging. Rather than allocating resources to defend slower-growing personal-care brands, management could direct investment toward categories and geographies with better long-term growth prospects. That could ultimately support margins and organic growth even if the immediate revenue base becomes smaller.
#personal #NYSE #Portfolio
22 days ago
Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s decision to rebrand its day-to-day identity as "Novo" and launch a cultural reset is primarily a strategic response to the company's loss of momentum in the obesity-drug market, rather than a financial restructuring in itself. Reuters reports that the company is trying to regain competitiveness as pressure from Eli Lilly intensifies. The move comes as Novo prepares to unveil new strategic ambitions at its September 21 Capital Markets Day, making the cultural reset potentially important if it leads to faster decision-making, stronger commercial execution and a more aggressive R&D approach.
The underlying business still has substantial scale to protect. Novo generated DKK 309.1 billion of 2025 sales and DKK 127.7 billion of operating profit, while obesity-care sales rose 31% at constant exchange rates to DKK 82.3 billion. However, the company also spent around DKK 8 billion on its transformation in 2025, and its diabetes value-market share fell 3.6 percentage points to 30.1%. The reset therefore comes at a critical point: Novo remains the global obesity-market leader, with a 59.6% branded-volume share in 2025, but Lilly is rapidly narrowing the competitive gap.
A successful cultural reset could improve Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s execution at a time when the company needs to convert its scientific and commercial ***** ets into faster growth. Reuters reported that CEO Mike Doustdar is already seeking to accelerate R&D and streamline decision-making following investor concerns about the pipeline and competition from Lilly. If the reorganization reduces internal bureaucracy and improves the speed of clinical, regulatory and commercial decisions, it could help Novo extract more value from its existing obesity portfolio while advancing next-generation treatments before the semaglutide patent cliff expected early next decade.
The company also has ***** ets that give a cultural and operational reset something concrete to build around. Wegovy was available in 52 countries by the end of 2025, while the company's higher-dose Wegovy achieved 20.7% weight loss in Phase 3 studies and its oral Wegovy achieved 16.6% weight loss. More recently, Wegovy received approval in China for MASH, expanding its potential beyond weight management and cardiovascular benefits into another large metabolic-disease market. If Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) can combine these products with better execution, the reset could support higher patient volumes and extend the commercial life of its GLP-1 franchise, helping defend revenue and cash flow despite pricing pressure.
#cultural #company #lilly
The underlying business still has substantial scale to protect. Novo generated DKK 309.1 billion of 2025 sales and DKK 127.7 billion of operating profit, while obesity-care sales rose 31% at constant exchange rates to DKK 82.3 billion. However, the company also spent around DKK 8 billion on its transformation in 2025, and its diabetes value-market share fell 3.6 percentage points to 30.1%. The reset therefore comes at a critical point: Novo remains the global obesity-market leader, with a 59.6% branded-volume share in 2025, but Lilly is rapidly narrowing the competitive gap.
A successful cultural reset could improve Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)'s execution at a time when the company needs to convert its scientific and commercial ***** ets into faster growth. Reuters reported that CEO Mike Doustdar is already seeking to accelerate R&D and streamline decision-making following investor concerns about the pipeline and competition from Lilly. If the reorganization reduces internal bureaucracy and improves the speed of clinical, regulatory and commercial decisions, it could help Novo extract more value from its existing obesity portfolio while advancing next-generation treatments before the semaglutide patent cliff expected early next decade.
The company also has ***** ets that give a cultural and operational reset something concrete to build around. Wegovy was available in 52 countries by the end of 2025, while the company's higher-dose Wegovy achieved 20.7% weight loss in Phase 3 studies and its oral Wegovy achieved 16.6% weight loss. More recently, Wegovy received approval in China for MASH, expanding its potential beyond weight management and cardiovascular benefits into another large metabolic-disease market. If Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) can combine these products with better execution, the reset could support higher patient volumes and extend the commercial life of its GLP-1 franchise, helping defend revenue and cash flow despite pricing pressure.
#cultural #company #lilly
22 days ago
Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) is reportedly exploring the sale of several mass-market personal care brands, including Softsoap, Irish Spring and Speed Stick, in a portfolio reshaping effort that could generate more than $1 billion. The company is working with Goldman Sachs on the potential divestiture. Personal care accounted for roughly 17% of Colgate-Palmolive's 2025 net sales, or about $3.5 billion, while oral care remains the company's largest business.
The move comes as Colgate faces pressure in its North American business. Although the company recently reported a 4.9% increase in net sales, organic sales in North America declined 3%, highlighting competitive pressure in a mature market. The strategy is also consistent with a broader consumer-goods shift toward simplifying portfolios and concentrating capital on higher-growth categories. Unilever, Nestlé, and other major consumer companies have similarly been selling slower-growing or non-core businesses.
The biggest positive is that Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) could become a more focused and potentially higher-quality business. Selling brands that no longer fit its highest-priority growth areas would allow management to concentrate capital, marketing spending, and management attention on oral care, pet nutrition, and other businesses where Colgate has stronger competitive advantages. The company's decision would therefore be less about abandoning personal care altogether and more about improving the quality of the remaining portfolio.
A sale could also unlock meaningful shareholder value. If the divestitures generate more than $1 billion, Colgate would have additional capital that could be used for debt reduction, share repurchases, acquisitions, or investment behind its strongest brands. In a mature consumer-staples company, disciplined capital allocation can have an outsized impact on earnings growth and shareholder returns. There is also evidence that portfolio simplification is becoming increasingly attractive across the consumer-goods industry. The Wall Street Journal has highlighted how companies such as Unilever and Nestlé are shedding businesses that add complexity without providing sufficient growth. The underlying argument is that the benefits of owning a very broad portfolio have diminished as consumer preferences become more fragmented and smaller brands become better at responding to trends.
Most importantly, the divestiture could improve Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)'s strategic focus at a time when North American competition is challenging. Rather than allocating resources to defend slower-growing personal-care brands, management could direct investment toward categories and geographies with better long-term growth prospects. That could ultimately support margins and organic growth even if the immediate revenue base becomes smaller.
#colgate #company #care
The move comes as Colgate faces pressure in its North American business. Although the company recently reported a 4.9% increase in net sales, organic sales in North America declined 3%, highlighting competitive pressure in a mature market. The strategy is also consistent with a broader consumer-goods shift toward simplifying portfolios and concentrating capital on higher-growth categories. Unilever, Nestlé, and other major consumer companies have similarly been selling slower-growing or non-core businesses.
The biggest positive is that Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) could become a more focused and potentially higher-quality business. Selling brands that no longer fit its highest-priority growth areas would allow management to concentrate capital, marketing spending, and management attention on oral care, pet nutrition, and other businesses where Colgate has stronger competitive advantages. The company's decision would therefore be less about abandoning personal care altogether and more about improving the quality of the remaining portfolio.
A sale could also unlock meaningful shareholder value. If the divestitures generate more than $1 billion, Colgate would have additional capital that could be used for debt reduction, share repurchases, acquisitions, or investment behind its strongest brands. In a mature consumer-staples company, disciplined capital allocation can have an outsized impact on earnings growth and shareholder returns. There is also evidence that portfolio simplification is becoming increasingly attractive across the consumer-goods industry. The Wall Street Journal has highlighted how companies such as Unilever and Nestlé are shedding businesses that add complexity without providing sufficient growth. The underlying argument is that the benefits of owning a very broad portfolio have diminished as consumer preferences become more fragmented and smaller brands become better at responding to trends.
Most importantly, the divestiture could improve Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)'s strategic focus at a time when North American competition is challenging. Rather than allocating resources to defend slower-growing personal-care brands, management could direct investment toward categories and geographies with better long-term growth prospects. That could ultimately support margins and organic growth even if the immediate revenue base becomes smaller.
#colgate #company #care
22 days ago
By Tom Hals
WILMINGTON, Delaware, Sept 15 (Reuters) - As U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to crack down on what he says is widespread illegal voting by noncitizens, several people charged with that crime are trying a novel strategy to get their cases dropped.
Five people being prosecuted in separate federal cases in Miami and Madison, Wisconsin, have argued for the first time in court that the 1996 law used to charge them is unconstitutional, according to a Reuters review of court filings.
A ruling for the defendants, which could come before the November 3 midterm elections, would raise questions about the federal government's authority to prosecute noncitizen voting cases. The Trump administration has pushed to deport noncitizen voters, raising the stakes for defendants who previously faced as little as a $150 fine if convicted.
The defendants were accused of violating the federal "Voting by Aliens" statute enacted three decades ago. The law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and violators can be fined up to $100,000 or imprisoned for up to a year.
#cases #people
WILMINGTON, Delaware, Sept 15 (Reuters) - As U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to crack down on what he says is widespread illegal voting by noncitizens, several people charged with that crime are trying a novel strategy to get their cases dropped.
Five people being prosecuted in separate federal cases in Miami and Madison, Wisconsin, have argued for the first time in court that the 1996 law used to charge them is unconstitutional, according to a Reuters review of court filings.
A ruling for the defendants, which could come before the November 3 midterm elections, would raise questions about the federal government's authority to prosecute noncitizen voting cases. The Trump administration has pushed to deport noncitizen voters, raising the stakes for defendants who previously faced as little as a $150 fine if convicted.
The defendants were accused of violating the federal "Voting by Aliens" statute enacted three decades ago. The law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and violators can be fined up to $100,000 or imprisoned for up to a year.
#cases #people
22 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in ******* e, a remarkable revelation after previous warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponizing a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday that the U.S. has fielded "on-orbit ******* e control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action."
Meink did not detail what the weapons were, how they work or if they were targeting other objects in ******* e or on Earth. The U.S. had warned two years ago that Russia was developing a new ******* e-based, anti-satellite weapon, though the White House said the danger wasn't imminent at the time.
But reports of the anti-satellite weapon reflected longstanding worries about ******* e threats from Russia and China, given that much U.S. infrastructure is dependent on satellite communications. The U.S. has also previously demonstrated its own abilities to shoot down satellites from Earth.
In his remarks to the Air and ******* e Forces ******* ociation's Air, ******* e & Cyber Conference, Meink also said the Air Force was adding more autonomous systems to its capabilities and predicted the service would look "radically different" by 2032. For example, he foresaw one-way attack drones replacing artillery as the "primary killer."
#space #earth
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday that the U.S. has fielded "on-orbit ******* e control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action."
Meink did not detail what the weapons were, how they work or if they were targeting other objects in ******* e or on Earth. The U.S. had warned two years ago that Russia was developing a new ******* e-based, anti-satellite weapon, though the White House said the danger wasn't imminent at the time.
But reports of the anti-satellite weapon reflected longstanding worries about ******* e threats from Russia and China, given that much U.S. infrastructure is dependent on satellite communications. The U.S. has also previously demonstrated its own abilities to shoot down satellites from Earth.
In his remarks to the Air and ******* e Forces ******* ociation's Air, ******* e & Cyber Conference, Meink also said the Air Force was adding more autonomous systems to its capabilities and predicted the service would look "radically different" by 2032. For example, he foresaw one-way attack drones replacing artillery as the "primary killer."
#space #earth
22 days ago
The Justice Department has charged dozens of people for suspected fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday.
Speaking with reporters in the White House Rose Garden, Blanche said that between mid-June and September, federal prosecutors from across the country helped facilitate the arrests of 160 criminal defendants, including around 80 who were newly charged over suspected COVID fraud in Missouri and neighboring states.
The suspected crimes involved more than $245 million in losses, Blanche said.
White House Launches Interactive Map Tracking Billions In Suspected Fraud
Attorney General Todd Blanche has announced charges against dozens of people connected to suspected COVID-19 relief fraud.
#white #House
Speaking with reporters in the White House Rose Garden, Blanche said that between mid-June and September, federal prosecutors from across the country helped facilitate the arrests of 160 criminal defendants, including around 80 who were newly charged over suspected COVID fraud in Missouri and neighboring states.
The suspected crimes involved more than $245 million in losses, Blanche said.
White House Launches Interactive Map Tracking Billions In Suspected Fraud
Attorney General Todd Blanche has announced charges against dozens of people connected to suspected COVID-19 relief fraud.
#white #House
