Sunday, July 6

Types of News: Brief

News briefs are shorter stories about current events. It’s the who-what-when-and-where. “Just the facts, ma’am.” Please see our writers guidelines.

US And Japan Affirm Security Alliance Amid Heightened Tensions In Asia
5Oct By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Geopolitics, Types of News: Brief

US And Japan Affirm Security Alliance Amid Heightened Tensions In Asia

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed the U.S.-Japan security alliance on Oct. 4, 2023. October 5, 2023—Defense ministers from the United States and Japan strengthened their two countries' security alliance on Wednesday amid heightened tensions in Asia. Japan is expediting a planned purchase of Tomahawk cruise missiles, moving the date up one year. The United States, meanwhile, reaffirmed its promise to defend Japan's mainland and territories in what U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called an "ironclad commitment." U.S.-Japan Alliance "This is a time of historic momentum in the U.S.-Japan alliance," Austin said on Wednesday. "We support your government's bold decisions to invest in advanced capabilities including counterstrike...
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Biden Takes The Bullhorn, Walks The Picket Line
26Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

Biden Takes The Bullhorn, Walks The Picket Line

President Biden joins striking workers in Michigan September 26, 2023. September 26, 2023—The power of the U.S. presidency is the bully pulpit, and today President Joe Biden put it to use. As the national autoworkers' strike grew in numbers and gained more news media attention, politicians are taking close notice. The issue is not only that the expanding strike has consequences for workers, consumers, business and the larger U.S. economy, it is also a political one. It is not cynical to say that both parties want to win the loyalties of blue-collar workers, especially in a swing state like Michigan. It's simply a practical matter in U.S. politics. Biden Comments On Workers' Pay Today, Biden wooed striking workers in person. He arrived on the scene one day in advance of a vis...
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U.S. Government Sues Amazon.com In Massive Lawsuit
26Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Government Sues Amazon.com In Massive Lawsuit

FTC Says Firm Uses 'Illegal Monopoly' Practices To Inflate Prices, Cheapen Products And Stifle Innovation Amazon.com corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington. September 26, 2023—The U.S. government came out swinging hard today against one of the world's largest tech companies. In a lawsuit filed today, the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorney generals accuse Amazon.com ofusing illegal strategies to "inflate prices, degrade quality, and stifle innovation for consumers and businesses." Massive Lawsuit It's an extensive lawsuit in its scope of accusations of monopolistic power. "With its amassed power across both the online superstore market and online marketplace services market, Amazon extracts enormous monopoly rents from everyone within its reach," the FTC s...
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Oil Prices Jump As Saudi Arabia And Russia Make Output Deal
19Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Geopolitics, Types of News: Brief

Oil Prices Jump As Saudi Arabia And Russia Make Output Deal

Photo by Johannes Havn on Pexels.com The Decision Indirectly Impacts Inflation, Interest Rates, And Russia's Brutal Assault On Ukraine September 19, 2023—As oil prices prop up inflation and the Russian war economy, policy decisions impacting oil are significant. So it matters when two of the world's largest oil-producing countries make a deal to restrict output to push up prices. The two countries are Saudi Arabia and Russia. As oil prices continue to rise so does the scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's decision to side with Russia. The Price of Oil This story starts with a look at the cost. The price of oil rose in August and again in September to $92 a barrel WTI (U.S.) and $95 a barrel Brent (British). On average, oil output from OPEC countries also jumped month-on-month by 6 perc...
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Watchdog Warns About Global Economy Ahead Of G20
5Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Finance, Investing, Global Economics, Types of News: Brief

Watchdog Warns About Global Economy Ahead Of G20

Historically High Debt Beginning To Feel Credit Crunch From Higher Interest Rates September 5, 2023—As world leaders travel to New Delhi, India for the G20 Summit, the head of an international body monitoring global finance issued a stark warning about debt and stability. In short, interest rate hikes since March 2022 are beginning to impact markets, according to Klaas Knot, a Dutch economist and chair of the Financial Stability Board. 'Historically High Debt' Writing on behalf of the board, Knot warned that a combination of factors could "impair the capacity of borrowers to service the historically high stock of outstanding global debt." Those factors include high global debt, interest rate hikes, persistent inflation, tighter financial markets, and a slowing economy, acc...
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U.S.-China Talk Trade, Technology As Commerce Secretary Visits Officials
30Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Global Trade, Types of News: Brief

U.S.-China Talk Trade, Technology As Commerce Secretary Visits Officials

Investing In China Is Now 'Risky Business,' Raimondo Says Aug. 30, 2023—Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo completed a four-day visit to China this week as part of a diplomatic effort to smooth economic relations between the world's largest economies. The challenge for Raimondo and President Joe Biden is coordinating a new approach to China amid a shift in sentiment away from trade liberalization. Adding to the challenge for U.S. diplomats are China's state control of the economy, tense foreign relations, and a tougher environment for U.S. businesses practicing in China. Raimondo told reporters she raised concerns about theft of intellectual property, raids on businesses, a new counterespionage law, and extreme fines under that law. "Increasingly, I hear from businesses Chin...
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5 Takeaways From Fed Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole Speech
25Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

5 Takeaways From Fed Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole Speech

August 25, 2023—Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered a carefully worded speech this morning to the annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Kansas City Federal Reserve hosts the event. Moran, Wyoming, US, on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg Here are the key takeaways from the highly anticipated speech: 1. 3 Percent Is Not The New 2 Percent With the annual inflation rate in the United States down to 3.2 percent, some observers have wondered if that lower rate would suffice. Powell made clear it does not. The target is still 2 percent, and the central bank will not end a restrictive financial policy until the rate reaches that. "It is the Fed's job to bring inflation down to our 2 percent goal, and we will do so," Po...
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Despite High Interest Rates, U.S. Housing Sector Sees An Usual Rise
17Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Global Economics, Types of News: Brief

Despite High Interest Rates, U.S. Housing Sector Sees An Usual Rise

Housing Costs Squeeze Buyers August 17, 2023--Even as mortgage rates in the United States hover at a 22-year high, the housing sector continues to defy logic by rising in price. In fact, increasing costs of shelter in the United States were "by far the largest contributor" to the inflation rate, according to the latest CPI report. The cost of housing rose by an annualized rate of 7.7 percent last month. Meanwhile, the overall inflation rate stood at 3.2 percent. The unusual resilience to rate increases by the Federal Reserve has led Goldman Sachs to revise its prediction for the sector from a drop of 2.2 percent to a rise of 1.8 percent, several news outlets including Axios reported. An 'Aberration' of Trends The investment firm described the unusual occurrence as "unsustainab...
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China Sees Sharpest Decline In Trade Since Early Pandemic
8Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Global Trade, Globalization, Global Disintegration, Types of News: Brief

China Sees Sharpest Decline In Trade Since Early Pandemic

August 8, 2023—China's trade with the rest of the world fell by 14.5 percent year-on-year in July, according to government data. That was the sharpest drop in imports and exports since early 2020. The decline was more than the 12.5 percent fall predicted by a poll of economists conducted by Reuters. Exports from the world's second-largest economy have fallen for three straight months, as the consumer and business appetite for China's goods in Europe and the United States has fallen. The decline may reflect weaker demand for China-made products as well as other factors such as shifts in supply chain, high global inflation, and rising interest rates. The largest drops in foreign buying of goods occurred in the computer, steel, and clothing sectors, according to reporting by the Financ...
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Tax Prep Software Shared Data With Big Tech
2Aug By Patti MohrNo Comments
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Types of News: Brief

Tax Prep Software Shared Data With Big Tech

Meta Pixel Collects Massive Amounts Of Information August 2, 2023—Several tax-preparation companies used a computer code known as pixels to share millions of data about users with Meta and Google, according to a congressional investigation. The companies TaxAct, TaxSlayer, and H&R Block confirmed to Senate investigators that they used Meta Pixel on their websites and a similar code for Google Analytics. The Meta Pixel is a piece of code used to track website visitors and their actions offsite. According to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, it is used for advertising and ad-targeting purposes. But the congressional report reveals that pixels contain "massive amounts of user data." Data Shared The report indicates that taxpayers who used the company websites to file th...
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