Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Calls for the immediate scaling back and even discontinuation of fossil fuel use have grown strident again recently, on the heels of this month’s release of the final installment of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. It spawned urgent rhetoric like that from United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres , who said, “…it is possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees [Celsius] with rapid and deep emissions reductions across all sectors of the global economy.” His comments were accompanied by yet another round of demands for an immediate halt to funding of any further hydrocarbon investments . That comes in the wake of last year’s anti-fossil fuel mania, when the news was dominated for weeks by the actions of activists from groups like Just Stop Oil . They made headlines by trying to destroy precious works of art and gluing themselves to roadways, all in the name of fighting climate change through their demand … [Read more...] about Want Clean Energy? We’ll Need More Fossil Fuels
Coeli energy transition fund
Sam Bankman-Fried’s Legal Defense Is Being Funded With Alameda Money He Gifted His Father
While still CEO of now-collapsed FTX, Bankman-Fried transferred millions of dollars to his father. Some of those funds have since been used to pay for his mounting legal fees, according to two sources close to the company. By Sarah Emerson and Steven Ehrlich S am Bankman-Fried, founder of fallen cryptocurrency exchange FTX who claimed to have just $100,000 in his bank account last November, is preparing for trial in October backed by a roster of powerful attorneys. But it has remained unclear, until now, how the former billionaire would afford his pricey defense. Forbes has learned that Bankman-Fried has been paying legal fees from a multi-million dollar gift he gave his father with money borrowed from FTX’s sister company. In 2021, while CEO of FTX, Bankman-Fried made a large monetary gift to his father, Stanford Law professor Joseph Bankman, two sources with operational knowledge of both companies told Forbes . It was funded by a loan from the … [Read more...] about Sam Bankman-Fried’s Legal Defense Is Being Funded With Alameda Money He Gifted His Father
McCarthy Mocks Biden Amid Debt Ceiling Standoff—Offering To Bring ‘Soft Foods’ To Negotiating Table
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) launched a personal attack against President Joe Biden on Thursday, as negotiations between the White House and GOP lawmakers surrounding two high-stakes fiscal issues—the debt ceiling and the federal budget—are deadlocked. Key Facts McCarthy offered Thursday to meet with Biden “tonight” to discuss increasing the U.S.’ federal borrowing limit, offering to bring “soft foods” to a White House lunch if Biden would agree to a sit-down, in what appears to be a ham-fisted attempt to ridicule the president about his age. (At 80, Biden is the oldest president in history.) The offer is a non-starter, however, as the White House has repeatedly called on Congress to pass a debt ceiling increase with no strings attached and said it will not negotiate with Republicans on increasing the borrowing limit, which the federal government is expected to reach some time in late summer. … [Read more...] about McCarthy Mocks Biden Amid Debt Ceiling Standoff—Offering To Bring ‘Soft Foods’ To Negotiating Table
Virgin Orbit collapse: Mass layoffs at Richard Branson’s satellite launch company after failed mission
Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit is letting go of almost its entire work force with the satellite launch company finding it difficult to secure funding three months after a failed mission. The company, headquartered in Long Beach, California, will cut 675 jobs, about 85% of its workforce, according to a Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Earlier this month Virgin Orbit said that it was pausing all operations amid reports of possible job cuts. At the time the company confirmed that it was putting all work on hold, but didn’t say for how long. In January, a mission by Virgin Orbit to launch the first satellites into orbit from Europe failed after a rocket’s upper stage prematurely shut down. It was a setback in the United Kingdom which had hoped that the launch from Cornwall in southwest England would mark the beginning of more commercial opportunities for the U.K. space industry. The company said in February that an investigation … [Read more...] about Virgin Orbit collapse: Mass layoffs at Richard Branson’s satellite launch company after failed mission
Billionaire Ex-Trump Ally Ronald Lauder Met With Ron DeSantis As He Courts Wealthy Execs On Trump’s Turf, Report Says
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Billionaire GOP megadonor and onetime ally to former President Donald Trump Ronald Lauder, met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently as the likely 2024 GOP presidential candidate pitches himself as the adult in the room to wealthy donors amid increasingly incendiary rhetoric from Trump. Key Facts Lauder met with DeSantis, who is widely expected to announce a run for president in early summer, at his Long Island estate several months ago, Politico reported , citing two unnamed sources familiar with the meeting. The reported meeting comes after Lauder—heir to Estée Lauder who has known Trump for decades and helped fund his 2020 reelection bid—said through a spokesperson in November that he will not donate to Trump’s 2024 campaign, though he did not say whom he would support in 2024 and did not comment to Politico on the recent DeSantis meeting. DeSantis is reportedly targeting wealthy New … [Read more...] about Billionaire Ex-Trump Ally Ronald Lauder Met With Ron DeSantis As He Courts Wealthy Execs On Trump’s Turf, Report Says
Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads Not Guilty To New Bribery Charge—In An Untucked Dress Shirt (Photos)
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Sam Bankman-Fried entered a not guilty plea to new federal charges Thursday, according to reporters present at the Manhattan federal court, sticking true to his style and donning an on-brand, unusually casual getup. Key Facts Bankman-Fried, who pleaded not guilty to eight criminal counts in January related to fraud at his cryptocurrency exchange FTX and trading firm Alameda Research, entered the same plea for five additional charges Thursday, including a fresh bribery count for allegedly paying off a Chinese official $40 million in 2021. Photographs of the former billionaire Thursday show him wearing a blue suit and brown loafers, his typical courtroom outfit, but with his own casual touch, keeping his white dress shirt untucked and letting his polka dot tie flop in the wind while entering the courthouse. Bankman-Fried apparently made a slight wardrobe change while in the courtroom, exiting … [Read more...] about Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads Not Guilty To New Bribery Charge—In An Untucked Dress Shirt (Photos)
Gas Prices Hit Two-Month High, Though Experts Doubt They Will Rebound To $5—Here’s Where They’re Most Expensive
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline The national average price for a gallon of gas hit a two-month high Thursday, as gas demand continues to increase heading into the summer while inventories drop, though experts doubt prices will return to their $5 record high recorded last summer. Key Facts The national average for a gallon of gas shot up to $3.46 Thursday, an increase of 5 cents on the week, bringing it to its highest point since the end of January, according to data from GasBuddy . Gas prices have now rebounded more than 40 cents since reaching a low of $3.05 per gallon on December 26. Analysts attribute the rising prices to a combination of high demand and low supplies: Gas demand increased narrowly from 8.81 million barrels per day to 8.82 million barrels over the week ending March 24, while gas reserves dropped from 229.6 million barrels to 226.7 million barrels over the same time, according to Energy Information Agency … [Read more...] about Gas Prices Hit Two-Month High, Though Experts Doubt They Will Rebound To $5—Here’s Where They’re Most Expensive
SECURE 2.0’s New Rule On IRAs And Charity Can Really Pay Off
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A new rule under SECURE 2.0 creates a great opportunity for IRA owners 70 ½ or older with charitable inclinations to get a prospective valuable tax benefit and keep cash flow. The current law allows a charitable distribution from an IRA for individuals age 70 ½ or older (irrespective of the new Required Minimum Distribution of age 73) to make a distribution of up to $100,000 a year directly to a qualified charity. This is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD, and they are fantastic opportunities on their own. Now, SECURE 2.0 has introduced a provision that allows a ‘split-interest’ gift, which gives the IRA owner a tax break and provides continuing cash flow. Why a QCD is a great idea. QCDs have a lot of advantages over a conventional charitable deduction. 1. A QCD is eliminated from income, and not treated as an itemized deduction. Thus, a donor can use the standard deduction or other itemized … [Read more...] about SECURE 2.0’s New Rule On IRAs And Charity Can Really Pay Off
Checks & Imbalances: Trump Indicted
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Today we look at the first U.S. president to be indicted. Trump Indicted By Manhattan Grand Jury—Arraignment Expected Tuesday On Over 30 Charges, Reports Say “A Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to indict former President Donald Trump over an alleged hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, a source with knowledge of the proceedings told Forbes , with an arraignment reportedly expected Tuesday—marking the first time in American history a former president has been criminally charged,” report Nicholas Reimann and Sara Dorn. Trump’s team has indicated he will surrender to authorities in New York for his arraignment, where he will briefly be under arrest at the district attorney’s office—he will likely be fingerprinted, have his mugshot taken and enter a plea before being released from custody. The investigation into Trump—led by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office—centers on a $130,000 payment … [Read more...] about Checks & Imbalances: Trump Indicted
How Older Veterans Can Protect Themselves From Scam Artists
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin By Rachel Leland, Next Avenue As aging World War II veteran Johnnie Ray Toland started showing signs of Alzheimer's, his family began searching for an assisted living home to care for him. Staff members at one home introduced the family to Tammi Palasini. Palasini, who would later be sentenced to 20 years behind bars for various crimes, including fraud, convinced the Toland family to give her control of $340,000 of their funds. Aid and Assistance Scam In what is known as an "aid and assistance scam," Palasini falsely promised the Toland family that she would help diversify their father's assets to get beneath the threshold to qualify for VA benefits and earn a return on their investment. It wasn't until after Toland's death three years later that the family learned Palasini was a scam artist who had victimized them and their father. On the same day as Toland's funeral, a postal inspector contacted … [Read more...] about How Older Veterans Can Protect Themselves From Scam Artists