Author: FX

lyash01/iStock via Getty Images Sixteen states including Texas and Louisiana filed a lawsuit this week to challenge the Biden administration’s suspension of approving new licenses to export liquefied natural gas, arguing the federal government lacks proper authority to unilaterally deny the permits, even on a temporary basis. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Louisiana by the group of Republican-led states that claim the U.S. Department of Energy’s pause will harm the U.S. economy and undermine efforts to supply allies in Europe with steady supplies of LNG. “The ban will drive billions of dollars in investment away from Texas,…

5/5 © Reuters. Election?posters show Slovak presidential candidates Peter Pellegrini and Ivan Korcok ahead of the presidential election, in Trencin, Slovakia, March 22, 2024. The posters read: “Let’s give Slovakia peace, pride and dignity” (Peter Pellegrini) and “To ser 2/5 By Radovan Stoklasa and Jason Hovet BRATISLAVA (Reuters) -A pro-EU former Slovak foreign minister scored a surprise victory in the first round of a presidential election on Saturday, setting up a run-off vote with a key ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. Slovakia’s presidential election is a chance for Fico, whose views on Ukraine have angered critics for veering…

5/5 © Reuters. Police officers try to move a burning barricade during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and call for the release of hostages kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas 2/5 By Dan Williams and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) – The United States has made a “bridging proposal” for the number of jailed Palestinians that should be released by Israel in exchange for every hostage freed by Hamas in any new Gaza truce, an Israeli official briefed on the Qatar-hosted talks said on Saturday. An Israeli delegation…

gopixa The U.S. housing market appears to be undergoing a positive transformation as new listings are on the upswing and home-price growth is returning to the prepandemic norm. During a volatile three-year span, home prices surged as ultra-low mortgage rates ignited a buying frenzy, only to retreat when borrowing costs spiked due to the Federal Reserve’s mission to contain inflation. Now, although mortgage rates remain elevated, their reduced volatility compared with the peak of the pandemic has played a key role in steadying home-price growth. In February, home prices advanced 0.6% M/M, in line with the 0.6% average monthly gain…

Christopher Furlong Elon Musk shared an X post from the first patient to receive a brain-computer implant developed by his neurotechnology company, Neuralink, on Friday, calling it the “first ever post made just by thinking.” His comments came after Neuralink showed Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old accident victim who had become paralyzed from the shoulders down, playing a game of chess on his laptop after receiving the implant. The experimental device is designed to allow patients with neurological conditions to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts without involving wires or physical movement. “Twitter banned me because they…

Wolterk/iStock Editorial via Getty Images UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH) said that the company is ready to clear a backlog of more than $14B in medical claims as its software applications affected by the recent cyberattack on its Change Healthcare unit resume operations. The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based healthcare giant said that its medical claims preparation software, Assurance, went back online early this week, and its largest clearinghouse, Relay Exchange, will resume operations on the weekend of Mar. 23. “Once a critical mass of payer connectivity has been established, we will turn on claims processing for Assurance customers,” UNH said in a Friday update. “As…

Raphael Bostic is president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, he spoke late on Friday. During Asia time I noted here how late he was speaking and expressed a hope he wouldn’t be saying too much of importance …. well, he sure did!He is now expecting one 25bp cut in 2024, down from the two he was expecting, and he expects that single cut later in the year. He says he is “definitely less confident” than he was in December that inflation will continue to fall towards the Bank’s 2% targetBostic’s reasoning:economy has proved more…

© Reuters. A digital board with a date and a slogan, that reads “We mourn” displayed in memory of victims of the shooting incident, is seen opposite the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, March 23, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov By Guy Faulconbridge, Alexander Marrow and Mark Trevelyan MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Saturday it had arrested all four gunmen suspected of carrying out a shooting massacre in a concert hall near Moscow, and President Vladimir Putin pledged to track down and punish those behind the attack. Militant Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for…

© Reuters. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the 2025 budget on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File photo By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A $1.2 trillion government funding bill passed by Congress will allow the U.S. to lend up to $21 billion to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) trust to help the world’s poorest countries, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Saturday. Yellen said the funding would make the United States the largest supporter of the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), which provides zero-interest…

© Reuters. In a recent transaction, Keyvan Mohajer, the CEO of SoundHound AI , Inc. (NASDAQ:), has sold a portion of his holdings in the company. The transaction, which took place on March 22, 2024, involved the sale of 31,665 shares of Class A Common Stock at a weighted-average price of $6.0778 per share, totaling approximately $192,453. The sale was conducted under a prearranged trading plan known as a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which Mohajer had adopted in December of the previous year. These plans allow company insiders to sell shares over a predetermined period of time to avoid accusations of…