4 minutes
Em obra lançada pela Boitempo Editorial, Aaron Benanav refuta previsões catastróficas de que a automação do trabalho resultará em desemprego em massa. Aponta: a ameaça está na proliferação do subemprego. Concorra a exemplares The post Trabalho: O verdadeiro perigo na era da IA appeared first on Outras Palavras.
Em obra lançada pela Boitempo Editorial, Aaron Benanav refuta previsões catastróficas de que a automação do trabalho resultará em desemprego em massa. Aponta: a ameaça está na proliferação do subemprego. Concorra a exemplares The post Trabalho: O verdadeiro perigo na era da IA appeared first on Outras Palavras.
4 minutes
“Cities across the world are still preparing for the heat that we're experiencing today.”
“Cities across the world are still preparing for the heat that we're experiencing today.”
5 minutes
Justice Michaela Murphy said she may delay ruling on a dismissal request until the Maine Supreme Judicial Court decides whether signatures for a related referendum are valid.
Justice Michaela Murphy said she may delay ruling on a dismissal request until the Maine Supreme Judicial Court decides whether signatures for a related referendum are valid.
5 minutes
The county has ended its in-house detox program and will instead work with community providers going forward. The post Documenters report: Meridian Behavioral Health to take over Ramsey County detox center appeared first on MinnPost.
The county has ended its in-house detox program and will instead work with community providers going forward. The post Documenters report: Meridian Behavioral Health to take over Ramsey County detox center appeared first on MinnPost.
5 minutes
The Republican National Committee and two Colorado Republican elected officials are suing Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, alleging that a policy allowing some U.S. citizens overseas to register and vote in Colorado elections violates the state constitution. Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Sheri Davis and U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank of Colorado Springs joined the […]
The Republican National Committee and two Colorado Republican elected officials are suing Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, alleging that a policy allowing some U.S. citizens overseas to register and vote in Colorado elections violates the state constitution. Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Sheri Davis and U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank of Colorado Springs joined the […]
7 minutes
The founder and former executive director of a public charter school in eastern Iowa is now suing the school over what she says are unfounded allegations of theft. Sarah Swayze of Linn County has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, the Empowering Excellence Charter School in Cedar Rapids and its governing board, seeking an […]
The founder and former executive director of a public charter school in eastern Iowa is now suing the school over what she says are unfounded allegations of theft. Sarah Swayze of Linn County has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, the Empowering Excellence Charter School in Cedar Rapids and its governing board, seeking an […]
7 minutes
After winning their respective Democratic primaries this month, Matt Dunlap and Hannah Pingree spoke about their support of unions Friday at the Maine AFL-CIO committee on political education convention. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Pingree was not initially supported by Maine’s unions, although she was cross-endorsed by longtime workers’ rights champion and union pick Troy Jackson. Dunlap, […]
After winning their respective Democratic primaries this month, Matt Dunlap and Hannah Pingree spoke about their support of unions Friday at the Maine AFL-CIO committee on political education convention. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Pingree was not initially supported by Maine’s unions, although she was cross-endorsed by longtime workers’ rights champion and union pick Troy Jackson. Dunlap, […]
10 minutes
Guardar filtros de café usados passou a fazer parte da rotina dos vizinhos do artista plástico Sidney Robinson, 55. O material que antes seria descartado é ressignificado em obras de arte nas mãos do morador de Jundiapeba, periferia de Mogi das Cruzes, na Grande São Paulo. Ney, como é conhecido, recolhe semanalmente dezenas de coadores […] O post Do lixo às galerias internacionais: artista transforma filtros de café usados em obras de arte apareceu primeiro em Agência Mural.
10 minutes
Guardar filtros de café usados passou a fazer parte da rotina dos vizinhos do artista plástico Sidney Robinson, 55. O material que antes seria descartado é ressignificado em obras de arte nas mãos do morador de Jundiapeba, periferia de Mogi das Cruzes, na Grande São Paulo. Ney, como é conhecido, recolhe semanalmente dezenas de coadores […] O post Do lixo às galerias internacionais: artista transforma filtros de café usados em obras de arte apareceu primeiro em Agência Mural.
11 minutes
At a recent candidate forum, five contenders jockeyed for position while promising to hold ICE accountable and offering the occasional nod to Moriarty’s successes. The post With Moriarty bowing out as Hennepin County Attorney, the race is on for who will replace her – and how appeared first on MinnPost.
At a recent candidate forum, five contenders jockeyed for position while promising to hold ICE accountable and offering the occasional nod to Moriarty’s successes. The post With Moriarty bowing out as Hennepin County Attorney, the race is on for who will replace her – and how appeared first on MinnPost.
13 minutes
Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox.After promising to eliminate wasteful Education Department contracts, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has so far publicly identified just one item in the agency’s $12 billion contract budget.It’s an $8.9 million data portal developed by the nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools that merges reams of student data, including attendance and test scores, into a tidy dashboard.The proposal is generating backlash from the City Council, even as local lawmakers have pushed to reign in contract spending. Many educators are also furious, and nearly every public school in the city uses the portal. Additionally, the data portal serves as a case management system for a program that pairs homeless students with “caring adults” — an initiative Mamdani wants to expand. “There are very few things that the teachers and I say that we have to have,” said Sarah Scrogin, principal at East Bronx Academy for the Future. “It doesn’t make sense to take it away.”City officials have not offered a detailed rationale for cutting the data portal, which allows staff to quickly identify trends in student test scores, flag students who are off track for graduation or frequently absent, and input qualitative notes so school teams can coordinate support.Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said at a City Council hearing this month that his agency proposed eliminating the New Visions data contract because similar information is available in other systems. But even Samuels acknowledged the tool is useful to schools and it would be “clunky” to pull data without it. “I could see why it was viewed as potentially duplicative, but in terms of actually how the system works, I understand the value of the portal,” Samuels said. An Education Department spokesperson said the city hopes to “extend core functions” of the tool next school year but did not say whether the contract would be extended. The city’s final budget is due July 1.The proposal has raised questions from local lawmakers about how city officials are vetting contracts for elimination as Mamdani seeks to reduce spending. City Council member Rita Joseph raised concerns about how the cut could affect the program for homeless students, called Every Child and Family is Known.“How does the city plan on expanding Every Child and Family is Known … while simultaneously cutting the platform it depends on to do the work?” Joseph asked during a recent hearing. A group of state lawmakers have urged the city not to cut funding for the portal. Scrogin, the Bronx principal, said the tool has helped guide decisions about how to support vulnerable students, noting that her school participates in Every Child and Family is Known.Three years ago, she began providing students in temporary housing with laundry cards and detergent after noticing that school staff were repeatedly citing lack of access to clean clothes as a barrier to school attendance. “I don’t have time to read handwritten logs about why students couldn’t come to school,” Scrogin said. The New Visions portal, which digitally aggregated the notes, made the pattern clear.She has also used the tool to identify students who need additional math tutoring based on their Regents scores and math credits.For their part, New Visions officials have pushed back against the argument that the portal is duplicative because schools already have access to the same data elsewhere.“The challenge that administrators, teachers, counselors face across the system is not that the data exists somewhere, but that the data exists in too many different places,” New Visions President Mark Dunetz told the City Council.He argued the department’s existing tools function as one-way reporting systems rather than collaborative planning tools. Without the portal, educators would have to manually download spreadsheets and compare data across multiple systems instead of accessing it in a single dashboard. Dunetz said no current Education Department tool connects data from the department, other city agencies such as the Department of Homeless Services, the City University of New York, and a range of community organizations.He added the contract is a good deal for the city because New Visions raises roughly $5 million annually in philanthropic funding for the portal on top of the city’s investment.“A private for-profit vendor would probably charge at minimum $25 million for this level of personalized software development,” he said. Alex Zimmerman is a senior reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org.
13 minutes
Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox.After promising to eliminate wasteful Education Department contracts, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has so far publicly identified just one item in the agency’s $12 billion contract budget.It’s an $8.9 million data portal developed by the nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools that merges reams of student data, including attendance and test scores, into a tidy dashboard.The proposal is generating backlash from the City Council, even as local lawmakers have pushed to reign in contract spending. Many educators are also furious, and nearly every public school in the city uses the portal. Additionally, the data portal serves as a case management system for a program that pairs homeless students with “caring adults” — an initiative Mamdani wants to expand. “There are very few things that the teachers and I say that we have to have,” said Sarah Scrogin, principal at East Bronx Academy for the Future. “It doesn’t make sense to take it away.”City officials have not offered a detailed rationale for cutting the data portal, which allows staff to quickly identify trends in student test scores, flag students who are off track for graduation or frequently absent, and input qualitative notes so school teams can coordinate support.Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said at a City Council hearing this month that his agency proposed eliminating the New Visions data contract because similar information is available in other systems. But even Samuels acknowledged the tool is useful to schools and it would be “clunky” to pull data without it. “I could see why it was viewed as potentially duplicative, but in terms of actually how the system works, I understand the value of the portal,” Samuels said. An Education Department spokesperson said the city hopes to “extend core functions” of the tool next school year but did not say whether the contract would be extended. The city’s final budget is due July 1.The proposal has raised questions from local lawmakers about how city officials are vetting contracts for elimination as Mamdani seeks to reduce spending. City Council member Rita Joseph raised concerns about how the cut could affect the program for homeless students, called Every Child and Family is Known.“How does the city plan on expanding Every Child and Family is Known … while simultaneously cutting the platform it depends on to do the work?” Joseph asked during a recent hearing. A group of state lawmakers have urged the city not to cut funding for the portal. Scrogin, the Bronx principal, said the tool has helped guide decisions about how to support vulnerable students, noting that her school participates in Every Child and Family is Known.Three years ago, she began providing students in temporary housing with laundry cards and detergent after noticing that school staff were repeatedly citing lack of access to clean clothes as a barrier to school attendance. “I don’t have time to read handwritten logs about why students couldn’t come to school,” Scrogin said. The New Visions portal, which digitally aggregated the notes, made the pattern clear.She has also used the tool to identify students who need additional math tutoring based on their Regents scores and math credits.For their part, New Visions officials have pushed back against the argument that the portal is duplicative because schools already have access to the same data elsewhere.“The challenge that administrators, teachers, counselors face across the system is not that the data exists somewhere, but that the data exists in too many different places,” New Visions President Mark Dunetz told the City Council.He argued the department’s existing tools function as one-way reporting systems rather than collaborative planning tools. Without the portal, educators would have to manually download spreadsheets and compare data across multiple systems instead of accessing it in a single dashboard. Dunetz said no current Education Department tool connects data from the department, other city agencies such as the Department of Homeless Services, the City University of New York, and a range of community organizations.He added the contract is a good deal for the city because New Visions raises roughly $5 million annually in philanthropic funding for the portal on top of the city’s investment.“A private for-profit vendor would probably charge at minimum $25 million for this level of personalized software development,” he said. Alex Zimmerman is a senior reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org.
14 minutes
Portés par une seconde période éclatante et des choix forts de Pape Thiaw, le Sénégal a signé, face à l'Irak (5-0) la plus large victoire de son histoire en Coupe du monde ce vendredi 26 juin, pour le troisième et dernier match du groupe I dominé par la France. Une victoire qui redonne de l’espoir aux Lions, qui devront patienter pour savoir s’ils feront partie des huit meilleurs troisièmes.
14 minutes
Portés par une seconde période éclatante et des choix forts de Pape Thiaw, le Sénégal a signé, face à l'Irak (5-0) la plus large victoire de son histoire en Coupe du monde ce vendredi 26 juin, pour le troisième et dernier match du groupe I dominé par la France. Une victoire qui redonne de l’espoir aux Lions, qui devront patienter pour savoir s’ils feront partie des huit meilleurs troisièmes.
15 minutes
(The Center Square) — A federal judge has tossed out a Trump administration lawsuit challenging 'sanctuary' policies in several New Jersey cities that restrict local cooperation with immigration crackdowns. The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Evelyn Padin, issued Thursday, rejected claims by the Department of Justice that laws in Newark, Jersey City, Paterson and Hoboken prohibiting local police from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to apprehend suspected undocumented immigrants violate the U.S. Constitution and are preempted by federal law. In her decision, Padin said the federal government's complaint is flawed because it doesn't challenge a long-established statewide sanctuary policy, codified into law by Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill earlier this year. Because of that, she wrote in the 38-page ruling, those cities would still be bound by the state's 'sanctuary' law, even if the court granted the federal government's request. She noted that New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive has been upheld by numerous court rulings. "The Federal Government's case has a fundamental flaw — it treats the Challenged Policies as though they operate in isolation. They do not," Padin wrote in the 38-page ruling. Padin — a Biden appointee — dismissed the case without prejudice, allowing the Trump administration 45 days to file a new complaint. It wasn't immediately clear if the DOJ planned to file a new lawsuit. The DOJ's initial legal challenge, filed in U.S. District Court in May, argued that sanctuary laws in the state's four largest cities are "not only unlawful but dangerous" and called the federal court to rule the restrictions are unconstitutional. "Where inaction crosses into obstruction, local governments break federal law," the complaint reads. "That is what is happening across New Jersey right now. It is past time it ends." Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, a Democrat, called the ruling "a victory for our values and cements our place as America’s Golden Door," and vowed to continue enforcing the city's sanctuary policies. “Jersey City has always welcomed immigrants, our city was built by immigrants, and we will always protect our immigrant neighbors," he said in a statement. New Jersey is also facing a lawsuit from the DOJ challenging an executive order signed by Sherrill that bars ICE agents from using state-owned property as staging areas for operations, among other provisions. The DOJ said the directive violates federal laws and accuses her administration of "harboring criminal offenders" from law enforcement.
(The Center Square) — A federal judge has tossed out a Trump administration lawsuit challenging 'sanctuary' policies in several New Jersey cities that restrict local cooperation with immigration crackdowns. The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Evelyn Padin, issued Thursday, rejected claims by the Department of Justice that laws in Newark, Jersey City, Paterson and Hoboken prohibiting local police from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to apprehend suspected undocumented immigrants violate the U.S. Constitution and are preempted by federal law. In her decision, Padin said the federal government's complaint is flawed because it doesn't challenge a long-established statewide sanctuary policy, codified into law by Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill earlier this year. Because of that, she wrote in the 38-page ruling, those cities would still be bound by the state's 'sanctuary' law, even if the court granted the federal government's request. She noted that New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive has been upheld by numerous court rulings. "The Federal Government's case has a fundamental flaw — it treats the Challenged Policies as though they operate in isolation. They do not," Padin wrote in the 38-page ruling. Padin — a Biden appointee — dismissed the case without prejudice, allowing the Trump administration 45 days to file a new complaint. It wasn't immediately clear if the DOJ planned to file a new lawsuit. The DOJ's initial legal challenge, filed in U.S. District Court in May, argued that sanctuary laws in the state's four largest cities are "not only unlawful but dangerous" and called the federal court to rule the restrictions are unconstitutional. "Where inaction crosses into obstruction, local governments break federal law," the complaint reads. "That is what is happening across New Jersey right now. It is past time it ends." Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, a Democrat, called the ruling "a victory for our values and cements our place as America’s Golden Door," and vowed to continue enforcing the city's sanctuary policies. “Jersey City has always welcomed immigrants, our city was built by immigrants, and we will always protect our immigrant neighbors," he said in a statement. New Jersey is also facing a lawsuit from the DOJ challenging an executive order signed by Sherrill that bars ICE agents from using state-owned property as staging areas for operations, among other provisions. The DOJ said the directive violates federal laws and accuses her administration of "harboring criminal offenders" from law enforcement.
17 minutes
سوپای ئەمەریکا هێرشی "بەهێزی" بۆ سەر ئێران ئەنجام دا، لە وەڵامی هێرشە درۆنییەکانی دوێنێی ئێران بۆ سەر کەشتییەک لە گەرووی هورمز. فەرماندەی ناوەندی ئەمەریکا (سێنتکۆم) ئێوارەی هەینی بە کاتی واشنتن ڕایگەیاند، "هێزەکانمان هێرشی ئاسمانیان لە دژی ئێران ئەنجام دا، لە بەرواری 26ی شەش، وەک وەڵامێکی بەهێز بۆ هێرشەکەی دوێنێی سەر کەشتییەکی بازرگانی لە کاتی پەڕینەوەی لە تەنگەی هورمز." ئەم هەواڵە نوێ دەکرێتەوە.
سوپای ئەمەریکا هێرشی "بەهێزی" بۆ سەر ئێران ئەنجام دا، لە وەڵامی هێرشە درۆنییەکانی دوێنێی ئێران بۆ سەر کەشتییەک لە گەرووی هورمز. فەرماندەی ناوەندی ئەمەریکا (سێنتکۆم) ئێوارەی هەینی بە کاتی واشنتن ڕایگەیاند، "هێزەکانمان هێرشی ئاسمانیان لە دژی ئێران ئەنجام دا، لە بەرواری 26ی شەش، وەک وەڵامێکی بەهێز بۆ هێرشەکەی دوێنێی سەر کەشتییەکی بازرگانی لە کاتی پەڕینەوەی لە تەنگەی هورمز." ئەم هەواڵە نوێ دەکرێتەوە.
17 minutes
Close of three New World screwworm larvae. (Photo by Sohath Yuseff-Vanegas, USDA Agricultural Research Service)]]>
Close of three New World screwworm larvae. (Photo by Sohath Yuseff-Vanegas, USDA Agricultural Research Service)]]>
18 minutes
Падзеі 27 чэрвеня ў беларускай і сусьветнай гісторыі.
Падзеі 27 чэрвеня ў беларускай і сусьветнай гісторыі.
18 minutes
Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday vetoed two environmental-protection bills that had passed with broad bipartisan support from legislators. Dunleavy vetoed a bill to establish an invasive species council, Senate Bill 174, that was intended to be similar to coordinating organizations managing invasive species in other states, and a bill to ban restaurants’ use of polystyrene […]
Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday vetoed two environmental-protection bills that had passed with broad bipartisan support from legislators. Dunleavy vetoed a bill to establish an invasive species council, Senate Bill 174, that was intended to be similar to coordinating organizations managing invasive species in other states, and a bill to ban restaurants’ use of polystyrene […]
18 minutes
L'équipe de France affrontait la Norvège ce vendredi 26 juin à Foxborough près de Boston, dans le cadre de la troisième et dernière journée de la phase de poules. Les deux nations, déjà qualifiées pour les seizièmes, se disputaient la tête groupes du groupe I. Ousmane Dembélé s’est offert un triplé et la France s’est imposée 4-1.
L'équipe de France affrontait la Norvège ce vendredi 26 juin à Foxborough près de Boston, dans le cadre de la troisième et dernière journée de la phase de poules. Les deux nations, déjà qualifiées pour les seizièmes, se disputaient la tête groupes du groupe I. Ousmane Dembélé s’est offert un triplé et la France s’est imposée 4-1.
18 minutes
Матч Франции с Норвегией в пятницу, 26 июня, завершился со счетом 4:1. Усман Дембеле трижды поразил ворота соперников за полчаса — это самый быстрый хет-трик на ЧМ с 1954 года. Дезире Дуэ забил четвертый раз. Обе сборных выходят из группы.
Матч Франции с Норвегией в пятницу, 26 июня, завершился со счетом 4:1. Усман Дембеле трижды поразил ворота соперников за полчаса — это самый быстрый хет-трик на ЧМ с 1954 года. Дезире Дуэ забил четвертый раз. Обе сборных выходят из группы.
19 minutes
(The Center Square) – U.S. lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee appeared stunned after billionaire Leon Black, a close associate of the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, walked out on his closed-door hearing without answering crucial questions. The co-founder of private equity giant Apollo Global Management voluntarily appeared before lawmakers Friday to answer questions about his long-running relationship with Epstein. Yet once lawmakers began probing him on the details of nondisclosure agreements related to Epstein’s victims, as well as Black’s own extramarital affairs and the abuse accusations against him, Black refused to answer and left. Committee member Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., told reporters she found Black’s behavior “extremely telling.” “Leon Black was arrogant. He was smug. He refused to answer the questions, but at the same time was emphasizing how he was being transparent because this was voluntary,” Ansari said. “But when pressed on critical questions about his own sexual abuse and the allegations against him and nondisclosure agreements, he absolutely refused to answer these questions.” Given the financier’s noncompliance, committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, issued two subpoenas before the hearing concluded, requiring Black to disclose relevant NDAs to the committee and to appear before them again to testify under oath July 16. “We want to know, was Jeffrey Epstein involved in the NDAs, was he involved in writing? Was he involved in awarding funds to the women for the NDAs? What was the reason for the NDAs?” Comer said afterward. “He made a statement that it’s not uncommon for people to have NDAs — I don’t think it is common for people to have NDAs,” Comer added, wryly. “So this is very important for our investigation.” The committee is expected to release the full interview transcript within the coming days, but excerpts obtained by the Wall Street Journal, CNBC and others quote Black as denying he had any knowledge of Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes until the latter was indicted in 2019. “I was not involved with, and had no knowledge of, any of Epstein’s heinous conduct,” Black told lawmakers in his opening statement. “I have never been with an underage woman. I have never engaged in sex trafficking. I have never paid Epstein for access to women.” Black also claimed that the $170 million he made in payments to Epstein from 2012 to 2017 was for “highly valuable and legitimate tax and estate planning services for my family office” and did not go toward funding any of Epstein’s “heinous conduct”. Black resigned from his position as chief executive at Apollo Global Management in 2021 when his ties to Epstein came under public scrutiny, but denied any wrongdoing. Committee Democrats in particular expressed disbelief that Black knew nothing of Epstein’s crimes, a claim echoed by other former associates of Epstein who have appeared before the committee for questioning. “Mr. Black is a prominent businessman who was named thousands of times in the Department of Justice's Epstein files, and there are multiple allegations over the years that have been filed in civil suits against Mr. Black, as well as known survivors even to us on the committee who have come forward and alleged crimes against them, sexual crimes by Mr. Black,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., noted. “Today before Mr. Black left the interview, he admitted that he lived close to Epstein. He often dined at his house. He went over for breakfast, for happy hours, attended impromptu dinners with world leaders, with academics, with scientists, and that Mr. Epstein handled his personal financial affairs,” Stansbury told reporters. “It was also clear he served on his family foundation board, and it's also clear that Mr. Black knew of Epstein's past conviction and plea deal and also was unbothered by it.” While Black admitted that he knew of Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution, he believed it was an “isolated incident,” adding that Epstein told him a fake ID was involved. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Virginia, told reporters that Black “had to have known about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, given how close he was to Jeffrey Epstein.” “I don't buy that he didn't know what Jeffrey Epstein was up to with all these young girls. I don't buy that he didn't know that Jeffrey Epstein was committing crimes all these years, and I think that he may have engaged in them himself based on what survivors have told us,” Subramanyam said. “We have had many of these depositions and interviews, and this is the first time that someone actually walked out in the middle of it …This is also the first time I heard someone gush poetically about how smart and how great Jeffrey Epstein was,” the lawmaker added. Subramanyam and other Democrats commended Comer for issuing the subpoenas. Black’s appearance was the 16th interview the committee has conducted as part of its Epstein investigation. Major public figures such as former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, billionaire Les Wexner and billionaire Bill Gates have appeared for testimony. All have denied knowledge of the sex trafficking conducted by Epstein and his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in 2019.
(The Center Square) – U.S. lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee appeared stunned after billionaire Leon Black, a close associate of the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, walked out on his closed-door hearing without answering crucial questions. The co-founder of private equity giant Apollo Global Management voluntarily appeared before lawmakers Friday to answer questions about his long-running relationship with Epstein. Yet once lawmakers began probing him on the details of nondisclosure agreements related to Epstein’s victims, as well as Black’s own extramarital affairs and the abuse accusations against him, Black refused to answer and left. Committee member Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., told reporters she found Black’s behavior “extremely telling.” “Leon Black was arrogant. He was smug. He refused to answer the questions, but at the same time was emphasizing how he was being transparent because this was voluntary,” Ansari said. “But when pressed on critical questions about his own sexual abuse and the allegations against him and nondisclosure agreements, he absolutely refused to answer these questions.” Given the financier’s noncompliance, committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, issued two subpoenas before the hearing concluded, requiring Black to disclose relevant NDAs to the committee and to appear before them again to testify under oath July 16. “We want to know, was Jeffrey Epstein involved in the NDAs, was he involved in writing? Was he involved in awarding funds to the women for the NDAs? What was the reason for the NDAs?” Comer said afterward. “He made a statement that it’s not uncommon for people to have NDAs — I don’t think it is common for people to have NDAs,” Comer added, wryly. “So this is very important for our investigation.” The committee is expected to release the full interview transcript within the coming days, but excerpts obtained by the Wall Street Journal, CNBC and others quote Black as denying he had any knowledge of Epstein’s sex trafficking crimes until the latter was indicted in 2019. “I was not involved with, and had no knowledge of, any of Epstein’s heinous conduct,” Black told lawmakers in his opening statement. “I have never been with an underage woman. I have never engaged in sex trafficking. I have never paid Epstein for access to women.” Black also claimed that the $170 million he made in payments to Epstein from 2012 to 2017 was for “highly valuable and legitimate tax and estate planning services for my family office” and did not go toward funding any of Epstein’s “heinous conduct”. Black resigned from his position as chief executive at Apollo Global Management in 2021 when his ties to Epstein came under public scrutiny, but denied any wrongdoing. Committee Democrats in particular expressed disbelief that Black knew nothing of Epstein’s crimes, a claim echoed by other former associates of Epstein who have appeared before the committee for questioning. “Mr. Black is a prominent businessman who was named thousands of times in the Department of Justice's Epstein files, and there are multiple allegations over the years that have been filed in civil suits against Mr. Black, as well as known survivors even to us on the committee who have come forward and alleged crimes against them, sexual crimes by Mr. Black,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., noted. “Today before Mr. Black left the interview, he admitted that he lived close to Epstein. He often dined at his house. He went over for breakfast, for happy hours, attended impromptu dinners with world leaders, with academics, with scientists, and that Mr. Epstein handled his personal financial affairs,” Stansbury told reporters. “It was also clear he served on his family foundation board, and it's also clear that Mr. Black knew of Epstein's past conviction and plea deal and also was unbothered by it.” While Black admitted that he knew of Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution, he believed it was an “isolated incident,” adding that Epstein told him a fake ID was involved. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Virginia, told reporters that Black “had to have known about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, given how close he was to Jeffrey Epstein.” “I don't buy that he didn't know what Jeffrey Epstein was up to with all these young girls. I don't buy that he didn't know that Jeffrey Epstein was committing crimes all these years, and I think that he may have engaged in them himself based on what survivors have told us,” Subramanyam said. “We have had many of these depositions and interviews, and this is the first time that someone actually walked out in the middle of it …This is also the first time I heard someone gush poetically about how smart and how great Jeffrey Epstein was,” the lawmaker added. Subramanyam and other Democrats commended Comer for issuing the subpoenas. Black’s appearance was the 16th interview the committee has conducted as part of its Epstein investigation. Major public figures such as former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, billionaire Les Wexner and billionaire Bill Gates have appeared for testimony. All have denied knowledge of the sex trafficking conducted by Epstein and his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in 2019.
19 minutes
(The Center Square) – A lawsuit against a new Illinois law taxing prediction markets has been filed in federal court, presenting a challenge state lawmakers expected before they passed the measure. Kalshi, a company with a prediction-based platform that allows users to place wagers on the outcome of real-life events, seeks to block the state law from taking effect Wednesday. The company argued the federal government’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission is its sole regulator, which the CFTC also argued in a lawsuit against the state this year. Under the current administration, the CFTC has been working collaboratively with companies to craft regulations fitting the services they provide. “Kalshi will be subject to criminal penalties in Illinois unless it either ceases to offer Illinois residents sports event contracts that are perfectly lawful in the eyes of Kalshi’s exclusive federal regulator or pays Illinois millions of dollars and submits to the State’s regulatory regime,” Kalshi’s legal representation said in the filing. Users place bets on Kalshi by buying “event contracts,” which act as shares in potential event outcomes. A correct prediction is paid out based on the share of overall contracts a user purchases. State officials have been critical of platforms like Kalshi because they allow users to bet on sports, which the Illinois Gaming Board heavily regulates and taxes. The new measure – included in the state’s 2027 revenue package – imposes the same requirements on prediction markets as are placed on other sports betting platforms, such as Fanduel. Requirements include a 1.75% tax on the first 5 million wagers placed on a service each year – doubling to 3.5% on additional wagers – and for platforms to pay a $15 million licensing fee, which must be renewed every four years for $1 million. State Sen. Michael Hastings, who introduced a similar measure this year, said in a hearing this April nearly 90% of all sports betting is done on prediction markets, according to his findings. “This enormous activity occurred entirely outside of the regulatory framework, while our licensed operators must follow every rule,” Hastings told the committee. “In my mind, that's lost revenue to the state of Illinois.” Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office the state will fight for its law. “Prediction companies are seeking to use the courts to avoid complying with the same rules and consumer protections that apply to other wagering operators in Illinois. The state of Illinois will continue defending Illinois’ authority to regulate these activities and protect consumers," said a spokesperson for the governor in a statement. Pritzker also signed an executive order earlier this year barring state employees and officials from using betting markets, while also responding to claims of insider trading through prediction market bets in Washington. The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., serves as an advisor to Kalshi and also serves on the board of Polymarket, another popular prediction market. Reporting from the Financial Times on Friday revealed Trump Jr. was gifted a $300,000 stake in Kalshi in early 2025, which is expected to balloon as the company raises more capital.
(The Center Square) – A lawsuit against a new Illinois law taxing prediction markets has been filed in federal court, presenting a challenge state lawmakers expected before they passed the measure. Kalshi, a company with a prediction-based platform that allows users to place wagers on the outcome of real-life events, seeks to block the state law from taking effect Wednesday. The company argued the federal government’s Commodity Futures Trading Commission is its sole regulator, which the CFTC also argued in a lawsuit against the state this year. Under the current administration, the CFTC has been working collaboratively with companies to craft regulations fitting the services they provide. “Kalshi will be subject to criminal penalties in Illinois unless it either ceases to offer Illinois residents sports event contracts that are perfectly lawful in the eyes of Kalshi’s exclusive federal regulator or pays Illinois millions of dollars and submits to the State’s regulatory regime,” Kalshi’s legal representation said in the filing. Users place bets on Kalshi by buying “event contracts,” which act as shares in potential event outcomes. A correct prediction is paid out based on the share of overall contracts a user purchases. State officials have been critical of platforms like Kalshi because they allow users to bet on sports, which the Illinois Gaming Board heavily regulates and taxes. The new measure – included in the state’s 2027 revenue package – imposes the same requirements on prediction markets as are placed on other sports betting platforms, such as Fanduel. Requirements include a 1.75% tax on the first 5 million wagers placed on a service each year – doubling to 3.5% on additional wagers – and for platforms to pay a $15 million licensing fee, which must be renewed every four years for $1 million. State Sen. Michael Hastings, who introduced a similar measure this year, said in a hearing this April nearly 90% of all sports betting is done on prediction markets, according to his findings. “This enormous activity occurred entirely outside of the regulatory framework, while our licensed operators must follow every rule,” Hastings told the committee. “In my mind, that's lost revenue to the state of Illinois.” Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office the state will fight for its law. “Prediction companies are seeking to use the courts to avoid complying with the same rules and consumer protections that apply to other wagering operators in Illinois. The state of Illinois will continue defending Illinois’ authority to regulate these activities and protect consumers," said a spokesperson for the governor in a statement. Pritzker also signed an executive order earlier this year barring state employees and officials from using betting markets, while also responding to claims of insider trading through prediction market bets in Washington. The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., serves as an advisor to Kalshi and also serves on the board of Polymarket, another popular prediction market. Reporting from the Financial Times on Friday revealed Trump Jr. was gifted a $300,000 stake in Kalshi in early 2025, which is expected to balloon as the company raises more capital.