Thomas Barkin, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, has said he isn't opposed to the Fed raising interest rates again if inflation doesn't show signs of slowing. While some interpreted recent guidance from the Fed as preparing for a pause in a series of interest rate hikes, Barkin instead described the stance as "one of optionality...not one of a pause or a peak". He said he needed to learn about the impact of earlier rate hikes and be sure that inflation was trending lower before seriously considering another hike.
Rory McIlroy's former coach has said that it could take "a couple of months" to repair the Northern Irishman's "two-way miss", which Tiger Woods has also been offering tips to amend. McIlroy has a chance to end a seven-year drought without winning a major in the US PGA Championship. Long-term coach Michael Bannon has not been travelling due to the pandemic. Pete Cowen was charged with fixing McIlroy's issues two years ago and has been working full-time with him since March 2021.
Disney has filed a move for a judge to dismiss a lawsuit from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to oversee the running of Disney World. The lawsuit is the latest development in a legal dispute between Disney, DeSantis and the district over special powers that allow the entertainment company to determine what is built in Disney World. Disney has accused DeSantis of retaliating against the firm, with each party now pursuing lawsuits against the other. The legal battle centres on who should have control over the district.
ABC7 morning anchor Ken Rosato has been fired after calling his co-anchor Shirleen Allicot a vile insult on a hot mic. Rosato, who had been working for the network on its Eyewitness News This Morning flagship show since 2007, was let go after the network discovered his insult. It is unclear whether he will be replaced or the show will proceed with alternate presenters. In a statement to Page Six, a representative for Rosato denied rumours the presenter had used a racial slur.
The Detroit Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0, with Michael Lorenzen having a season-high seven strikeouts in six innings. The Pirates, meanwhile, have lost 12 of their 14 games while scoring just 22 runs. Spencer Torkelson doubled twice and scored and knocked in a run, while Riley Greene had three hits. The Tigers' Eduardo Rodriguez will carry a streak of 19 1/3 scoreless innings into Wednesday’s contest, having allowed just two runs in his last six starts. Rich Hill will pitch the second game of the series for the Pirates.
Panama, Guatemala grouped together in CONCACAF Nations League
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 00:02
Nations from the CONCACAF region learned which other countries they will face in the Nations League competition. Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Curaçao, Martinique and Nicaragua were drawn into Group A, while Jamaica, Honduras, Cuba, Haiti, Grenada and Suriname were drawn into Group B. The top two teams in each League A group will advance to November’s quarterfinals along with US, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. The Nations League offers berths for the Copa América, South America’s championship. The competition will be played in the US next year from 14 June to 14 July in 2024.
The Republican Party is clashing with US corporate America as conservatives rally around social issues. Companies have been caught up in the culture wars before, but legislative moves targeting firms represent a new frontier for Republicans who are traditionally allied with big business on matters such as lower taxes and light regulation. Dozens of US states are considering proposals aimed at stopping governments from doing business with financial firms that consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when making investments, moves that have cost BlackRock more than $4bn in customer funds. However, the financial impact of the conservative backlash has been limited so far.
Minnesota man River Smith has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a machine gun after telling an FBI informant that he was stockpiling an arsenal of automatic weapons to use against police. The 21-year-old, of the suburbs of Minneapolis, was denied bail in December when a magistrate judge learned of his admiration of mass shooters as well as his possession of loaded weapons and protective body armour, a search of his car having turned up both firearms and magazines with 100 rounds. Smith will be sentenced at a later date - the maximum sentence is 10 years.
The Republican-controlled Senate of North Carolina voted to override the Democratic governor's veto of a bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy with only this veto needing to be overridden to make the policy law. This move comes as lawmakers debate laws to limit or restrict access to abortion in many southern states. Abortion is either banned or severely restricted in many southern states, with nine states throughout the US banning abortions throughout the entire pregnancy. If the recent bills proposed in the Carolinas, Florida and Virginia become law, it is seen as "just devastating for abortion access in the South," said Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. The limitations would make the Carolinas two of the few states left that still have relatively easy access to abortions that did not undergo significant restrictions.
Beazley announced average premium-rate increases of around 10% for contract renewals in its Q1 update, boosting profits for the non-life insurer, despite ongoing debate over war exclusions for cyber crime. A $400m fundraising move in late 2022 strengthens the company's hand to allow it to take further advantage of the firm pricing environment. Gross premiums written rose by 12% year-on-year in the first quarter to $1.4bn, propping up expectations of a 15% increase in gross premiums written to $6.1bn ongoing. Beazley's reaching of the mid-teens growth rate aligns with management's guidance.
Relatives of victims killed in a terrorist attack in New York are set to speak at a sentencing hearing for the terrorist, Sayfullo Saipov. The Uzbekistani citizen carried out his attack on Halloween in 2017, killing five tourists, a Belgian woman and two Americans, as well as injuring 18 others. Following a recent hearing, Saipov was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The full sentence requested by prosecutors was for eight consecutive life sentences – one for each death – and an additional 260 years in prison.
Representative James Comer of Kentucky has been criticised by a first-term Democrat at a meeting of the House Oversight Committee for losing track of an informant connected to allegations of “criminal activities” by the Biden family. Comer had previously stated that he couldn't locate the informant, who had allegedly provided information about US President Joe Biden's actions whilst vice president. Criticism has been levelled at Comer for using his power as chair of the committee to investigate the family without sharing any further information or specifics of their purported activities.
Jacksonville voters elect Florida city’s first female mayor
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 04:10
Donna Deegan has been elected as Jacksonville’s first female mayor, beating the Republican Daniel Davis with 52% of the vote, according to unofficial results. Jacksonville is Florida’s most populous city, home to around 950,000 residents, and is currently transitioning from Republican to Democratic leadership. Deegan, who is a former television Anchor and an advocate for healthcare, plans to focus on healthcare access and working to improve the City's infrastructure among her top priorities. Approximately 33% of electorate turnout out for the election.
The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 132-126 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals thanks to a historic triple-double (34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists) from Denver center Nikola Jokic. The Lakers came back from a 21-point deficit but could not complete the rally, despite a 40-point, 10-rebound game from Anthony Davis. Michael Porter Jr scored 15 points and had 10 boards for the Nuggets and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 points for the Lakers. Game two is at Ball Arena in Denver on Thursday night.
A family fight broke out at Florida's Disney World on 14 June after a larger family refused to move as the smaller group posed for a photograph in front of the 100th-anniversary sign. The larger family punched several family members, with video footage showing a man falling to the ground and Disney employees calling for backup. One person received medical treatment. Two people from the larger family were told to leave the park without charges being pressed. In December 2019, Disneyland warned guests about behaviour after an increase in violent outbursts.
A group of readers have written to The Sydney Morning Herald to express their concern over Australia’s tax policies. They argue that the government's mistake is to have introduced tax cuts that benefit wealthier individuals rather than focusing on fixing the imbalances affecting low and middle-income employees. The piece, in particular, mentions the fact that Australia is a wealthy nation that is attached to the fair go concept, making it particularly important to address the issue of income inequality by ensuring that the rich don’t get richer while the poor fall further behind. Further opposition is expressed with regards to the proposed move of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta, in addition to the ban on a Mem Fox illustrated book in Florida.
Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama in the US, known as part of the Gulf South, are becoming models for education in the region, outpacing many other US states, according to the Associated Press. Alabama will join Mississippi in holding back students if they cannot pass a reading test in third grade but will also offer multiple, intensive tutoring and summer tutoring camps. The efforts are underpinned by a focus on early identification of children with a reading deficiency or dyslexia; phonics and early screening are emphasised in the new laws. The turnaround has gained national attention, showing progress is possible, even in areas with poor previous educational outcomes. Other states including Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky have adopted similar policies. However, some Gulf South states still have much work to do before every child can read; approximately 40% of Louisiana third graders could not read at grade level in 2020, for example.
Republican lawmakers in North Carolina have overruled a veto by Governor Roy Cooper to pass legislation banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy in the state. Members of the party claimed the limits were a middle ground as the state already bans nearly all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy without rape or incest caveats. The votes were part of a wider shift on the issue across the US, with lawmakers in South Carolina and Nebraska also considering new abortion limits. The North Carolina law will include rape or incest exceptions through 20 weeks of pregnancy and exceptions for "life-limiting" fetal anomalies during the first 24 weeks. The bans are possible as in 2020 the US Supreme Court struck down landmark 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade which had established a nationwide right to abortion.
Students of the New College of Florida are organising an alternative graduation ceremony in response to the “hostile takeover” of the institution by conservative trustees that were appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Called “[New] Commencement: On Our Terms”, the event is being organised by New College seniors, with an alumni-run group called the Novo Collegian Alliance. The event will feature attorney Maya Wiley as the keynote speaker. Wiley is the CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The students have organised the ceremony in opposition to the views of conservative trustees.
A video has been posted on social media showing a man pushing past passengers on a crowded American Airlines flight to Florida and causing disruption. The video was deleted from TikTok after it went viral on Reddit. In the video, the man is seen pushing his way past passengers as they wait to leave the plane. He is overheard saying that he makes up his own rules, to which another passenger responds: “Well, I break ‘em.” The man then proceeds to barge past people waiting to disembark. The Independent has contacted American Airlines for comment.
