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Musk becomes first person ever to see wealth top $500bn– www.bbc.com

pgnewser October 3, 2025 0

Musk becomes first person ever to see wealth top $500bn– www.bbc.com
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Tesla boss Elon Musk has become the first person ever to achieve a net worth of more than $500bn (£370.9bn), as the value of the electric car company and his other businesses have risen this year.

The tech magnate’s net worth briefly reached $500.1bn on Wednesday afternoon New York time, before dipping slightly to just over $499bn later in the day, the Forbes’ billionaires index reported.

Alongside Tesla, valuations of his other ventures, including the artificial intelligence startup xAI and rocket company SpaceX, have also reportedly climbed in recent months.

Russia economy meltdown as bank profits ‘collapse’ amid market chaos | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser October 3, 2025 0

Russia economy meltdown as bank profits ‘collapse’ amid market chaos | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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Russia’s financial sector is grappling with significant challenges as bank profits plummeted in August, signalling potential economic instability. According to data highlighted by Kyrylo Shevchenko, a prominent Ukrainian banker, Russian banks’ collective profits fell to $2.4 billion (£1.79 billion) in August, down from $4.7 billion (£1.71 billion) in July, a staggering 49% decline.

Shevchenko noted that the corporate sector, particularly where floating-rate loans dominate, has been hardest hit by weaker margins. He tweeted: “The credit market is cooling, reserves are rising, and the era of easy wartime profits is fading. Despite surviving sanctions and high rates so far, the financial sector cannot remain immune to war and isolation forever.”

Greece general strike disrupts services across the country– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser October 1, 2025 0

Greece general strike disrupts services across the country– abcnews.go.com
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ATHENS, Greece — A nationwide general strike in Greece left ferries tied up in port and disrupted public transportation across the capital on Wednesday, as public and private sector workers protest changes to the country’s labor laws.

No taxis in Athens or trains will run for the duration of the 24-hour strike, while buses and the city’s subway, tram and trolley services were operating on a reduced schedule.

The strike was disrupting services across the country, including in schools, courts, public hospitals and municipalities. Two protest marches were planned in central Athens, with demonstrations also set for other cities.

Unions representing civil servants and private sector workers called the strike to protest labor law changes that will introduce more flexibility, including allowing overtime that could stretch shifts to 13 hours in a day. Under the new regulations, working hours that include overtime would be capped at 48 hours per week, with a maximum 150 overtime hours allowed per year.

Unions argue the new rules leave workers vulnerable to labor abuses by employers.

“We say no to the 13-hour (shift). Exhaustion is not development, human tolerance has limits,” the private sector umbrella union, the General Confederation of Workers of Greece, said in a statement. The union called for a 37½-hour working week and the return of collective bargaining agreements.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signs landmark AI safety law SB 53– fortune.com

pgnewser October 1, 2025 0

California Governor Gavin Newsom signs landmark AI safety law SB 53– fortune.com
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California has taken a significant step toward regulating artificial intelligence with Governor Gavin Newsom signing a new state law that will require major AI companies, many of which are headquartered in the state, to publicly disclose how they plan to mitigate the potentially catastrophic risks posed by advanced AI models.

The law also creates mechanisms for reporting critical safety incidents, extends whistleblower protections to AI company employees, and initiates the development of CalCompute, a government consortium tasked with creating a public computing cluster for safe, ethical, and sustainable AI research and innovation. By compelling companies, including OpenAI, Meta, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic, to follow these new rules at home, California may effectively set the standard for AI oversight.

Newsom framed the law as a balance between safeguarding the public and encouraging innovation. In a statement, he wrote: “California has proven that we can establish regulations to protect our communities while also ensuring that the growing AI industry continues to thrive. This legislation strikes that balance.”

The legislation, authored by State Sen. Scott Wiener, follows a failed attempt to pass a similar AI law last year. Wiener said that the new law, which was known by the shorthand SB 53 (for Senate Bill 53), focuses on transparency rather than liability, a departure from his prior SB 1047 bill, which Newsom vetoed last year.

“SB 53’s passage marks a notable win for California and the AI industry as a whole,” said Sunny Gandhi, VP of Political Affairs at Encode AI, a co-sponsor SB 53. “By establishing transparency and accountability measures for large-scale developers, SB 53 ensures that startups and innovators aren’t saddled with disproportionate burdens, while the most powerful models face appropriate oversight. This balanced approach sets the stage for a competitive, safe, and globally respected AI ecosystem.”

Mike Johnson Blasts Democrats’ Government Shutdown Hypocrisy– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser October 1, 2025 0

Mike Johnson Blasts Democrats’ Government Shutdown Hypocrisy– www.breitbart.com
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) put the Democrats on blast with their own words, showing their hypocrisy as they protested against previous government shutdowns while refusing to put a stop to the looming shutdown that will occur at midnight Tuesday if they do not compromise with Republicans.

Johnson has the following video playing on loop on a television outside his office in the U.S. Capitol, pointing out the blatant contradictions of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and more:

“It is not normal to shut down the government when we don’t get what we want,” Ocasio-Cortez said on the House floor in 2019.

Almost exactly one year ago, Schumer apparently cared about how the government shutdown that he is currently hell-bent on forcing would impact average Americans.

Speaker Johnson Pushes Back Against Media Narrative on Government Shutdown › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

pgnewser October 1, 2025 0

Speaker Johnson Pushes Back Against Media Narrative on Government Shutdown › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
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U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is pushing back against the legacy media narrative blaming the Trump administration for the current government shutdown, putting the responsibility on Democratic leaders in Congress.

Johnson told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) decision to refuse to pass a short-term stopgap measure to fund the U.S. government for the next 7 weeks is a “very reckless decision.”

The Speaker emphasized that the House had done its job by send a clean continuing resolution (CR) to the Senate so that appropriators in Congress from both parties could continue to do their work on reconciling 12 separate appropriations bills.

Russia on the brink as insider fears ‘economic collapse’ | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser October 1, 2025 0

Russia on the brink as insider fears ‘economic collapse’ | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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Russia is teetering on the edge of economic collapse as a result of systematic Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries, a Russian propagandist has warned. Meanwhile, the leader of the puppet regime installed by Vladimir Putin in Crimea has said fuel can no longer be sold in quantities of more than 30 litres per person as ordinary people feel the pinch.

In a video clip posted on X, Maksim Kalashnikov, a propagandist, admitted the attacks are no longer sporadic but a systematic campaign aimed at shattering Russia‘s economy. He said: “The war is now waged not for the complete destruction of the Russian Federation, of course, but its collapse,” highlighting a 17% disruption in refining capacity. The fuel crisis was deepening, with the voices of those advocating rationed consumption growing louder, Kalashnikov explained.

He added: “I can state that the situation is deteriorating,” underscoring the severity.

Kalashnikov added: “Ukraine‘s strategy, targeting critical infrastructure like the Druzhba pipeline and Blue Stream, exploits Russia‘s vulnerability, pushing the nation towards an unprecedented economic crisis.

JUST IN: Trump Administration Threatens MASS LAYOFFS If Government Shuts Down– wltreport.com

pgnewser September 25, 2025 0

JUST IN: Trump Administration Threatens MASS LAYOFFS If Government Shuts Down– wltreport.com
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This could be very big…

Ahead of a possible government shutdown on October 1st, the White House Office of Management and Budget has instructed federal agencies to prepare for mass layoffs.

Thousands of federal employees — specifically in agencies that lack funding and don’t align with President Trump’s goals — could permanently lose their jobs if the shutdown happens.

Here are the details:

Visualizing the Data Behind America's H-1B Visa Program

Trump’s H-1B visa fee sparks chaos and confusion among Chinese talents in the U.S.– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser September 23, 2025 0

Visualizing the Data Behind America's H-1B Visa Program

Trump’s H-1B visa fee sparks chaos and confusion among Chinese talents in the U.S.– www.cnbc.com
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Excerpt:

A Chinese student wearing a New York marathon t-shirt walks at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing on May 29, 2025.

Anger and confusion gripped Chinese professionals in the U.S. after White House leader Donald Trump slapped hefty fees on new work visas, deepening anxiety among those seeking to build careers stateside.

Last Friday, the Trump administration said that it would ask companies to pay $100,000 for new H-1B visa applicants. A slew of tech firms and banks including Microsoft, JPMorgan and Amazon responded to the announcements by advising employees holding the H-1B visas to stay in the country.

The White House has now clarified that the new rule only applies to new H-1B applicants, not to current visa holders or to those seeking to renew their permits.

While the U.S. government may cash in on a windfall from the visa fee hike in the near term, the new policy will almost certainly deter Chinese students from pursuing a degree or career in the U.S., said Xinbo Wu, director of Fudan University’s Center for American Studies in Shanghai.

India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved visa holders, with China as a distant second at 11.7%, according to the U.S. homeland security data.

Return of the Cypress: Iran's Foreign Policy Ambitions in Central ...

Trump, Eye On Central Asia, Clinches $12B In Deals With Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan– www.rferl.org

pgnewser September 23, 2025 0

Return of the Cypress: Iran's Foreign Policy Ambitions in Central ...

Trump, Eye On Central Asia, Clinches $12B In Deals With Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan– www.rferl.org
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US President Donald Trump has clinched $12 billion in trade deals with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan amid a push to deepen economic ties with the strategic Central Asian region.

Uzbekistan agreed to buy 22 787 airplanes from Chicago-based Boeing for more than $8 billion, Trump said in a September 22 post on Truth Social.

“We will continue to work together on many more items!” Trump said in the post.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan signed an agreement to buy 300 US locomotives as well as other rail equipment from Pennsylvania-based Wabtec Corporation for $4.2 billion. The US Commerce Department described it as the largest rail deal in U.S. history.

“This landmark deal advances US manufacturing jobs and accelerates growth, opportunity, and connectivity in America and Central Asia,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said during a signing ceremony in New York with Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev.

Trump earlier in the day spoke by phone with Toqaev, who is in the United States to attend the UN General Assembly.

Trump is seeking to strengthen trade and investment ties with resource-rich Central Asia as he focuses on ending US dependence on China for critical minerals, including rare earths.

Democrats risk shutdown blame game with government funding hardball– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser September 23, 2025 0

Democrats risk shutdown blame game with government funding hardball– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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But it’s a risky calculation, given Senate Democrats are using filibuster leverage to block a largely “clean” stopgap spending measure unless enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire are extended. It’s an annual scenario where one party invokes leverage over must-pass legislation, but only this time, the usual party roles are reversed.

Democrats are betting that Americans will blame President Donald Trump and Republicans. Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, they still require bipartisanship to overcome the 60-vote Senate threshold to pass a short-term funding bill. Unless more funding is approved, the federal government will shut down on Oct. 1.

“They who run the Legislative Branch usually get blamed in the eyes of voters when something goes awry or there’s a shutdown of any kind,” said Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist and former aide to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who now chairs Senate Democrats’ campaign arm.

“What matters is if there is a shutdown and all of a sudden your benefit checks stop coming,” Reinish added.

But there’s also a recent precedent suggesting that the party that supports extraneous policy riders is typically seen as responsible for shutdowns and emerges on the losing political end without significant wins. Republicans were bruised from the longest shutdown in U.S. history, which occurred in Trump’s first term and lasted 35 days, after the president failed to get any additional money to construct more of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in 2018 when Republicans controlled Congress.

Major advance: Stanford researchers use AI to design viruses; warn of dangers if technology misused– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser September 23, 2025 0

Major advance: Stanford researchers use AI to design viruses; warn of dangers if technology misused– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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A research team in California has used artificial intelligence to design viral genomes, which were later built and tested in a laboratory. Some of these AI-created viruses successfully infected bacteria, demonstrating that generative AI models can produce functional genetic material.Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute in Palo Alto described the achievement as “the first generative design of complete genomes.” Jef Boeke, a biologist at NYU Langone Health, called it a major step toward AI-designed life forms, according to Newsweek citing MIT Technology Review.Boeke noted that the viruses displayed new genes, shortened genes and even different gene arrangements compared to natural versions.The team used their AI system, called Evo, a large language model similar to ChatGPT to design 302 complete genomes.