The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse?

( ) -q-30- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “in greater volume.”

A warning about the internet and AI.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The deceptive practice is illegal in the U.S. and becomes a bigger problem for consumers during the holiday shopping season, when many people rely on reviews to buy gifts. A tech company and watchdog group that uses software to detect fake reviews says AI-generated reviews have multiplied.

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VERBATIM: Researchers and watchdog groups are concerned about the emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow people to efficiently produce detailed and novel online reviews. They say this has merchants, service providers and consumers in uncharted territory. Phony reviews have long plagued many popular consumer websites, such as Amazon and Yelp. But, tech industry experts note that AI-infused text generation tools enable fraudsters to produce reviews faster and in greater volume.

Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “will go ahead.”

A powerful government panel has failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has sent its long-awaited report to President Joe Biden, a longtime opponent of the deal. Some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks. Both Mr. Biden and President-elect Donald Trump opposed the merger and vowed to block it. Nippon Steel says it is confident the deal will go ahead.

Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to state murder and other charges in United Healthcare CEO’s death

( ) -q-21- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “prison without parole.”

The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare has pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges in a state case that will run parallel to his federal prosecution.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The Manhattan district attorney formally charged Luigi Mangione last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. That case will run parallel to his federal case. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for his state charges is life in prison without parole.

Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots

( ) -q-27- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “to junk websites.”

Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites.

NTSB trying to determine why tractor-trailer stopped on train tracks before deadly West Texas crash

( ) -q-20- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “hit a building.”

Federal officials are investigating last week’s deadly West Texas collision between a Union Pacific train and a tractor-trailer hauling heavy equipment.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: They’re trying to determine why the tractor-trailer was stopped on the tracks. Two employees of Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific were killed in the crash at a railway crossing in Pecos. The National Transportation Safety Board says the crash derailed the train and caused the heavy equipment to fly into the air and hit a building.

Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them

( ) -q-25- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “work or lives.”

The economic and technological rivalry between the U.S. and China has come to the drone market, where Chinese-made flying devices are a dominant player in America.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Florida has banned Chinese drones in state-funded programs, but also appropriated $25 million to help offset replacement costs.

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VERBATIM: Lawmakers in Washington are seeking to ban new sales of Chinese-made drones. They argue the drones could be used to spy on Americans and that the low-cost models are hurting the U.S. drone industry. But U.S. users — spanning from police officers to farmers to mappers and filmmakers — have come to rely on Chinese-made drones, especially those by DJI Technology, for their work or lives.

Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month

( ) -q-29- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “their previous estimate.”

An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate.

Tesla recalling almost 700,000 vehicles due to tire pressure monitoring system issue

( ) -q-29- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “of a crash.”

Tesla is recalling almost 700,000 vehicles because of an issue with the warning light on the tire pressure monitoring system.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The automaker said that the recall includes certain 2024 Cybertruck, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles. The issue is that the tire pressure monitoring system warning light on the vehicles may not remain illuminated between drive cycles, failing to warn the driver of low tire pressure. Driving with improperly inflated tires can increase the risk of a crash.

More student loans canceled in Biden’s final round of forgiveness before leaving office

( ) -q-19- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “office in January.”

President Biden’s administration is announcing another $4.28 billion dollars in student loan relief for nearly 55,000 public service workers.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: Public Service Loan Forgiveness promises to erase loans after 10 years of work in government or nonprofit jobs. Those jobs include teachers, nurses, service members and law enforcement officials. It’s expected to be the final round of public service-related forgiveness before Mr. Biden leaves office in January.

UK inflation increase solidifies expectations interest rates will be kept on hold

( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “with market expectations.”

Inflation in the U.K. has risen to its highest level since March.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. This is the biggest increase since March and the second rise in two months and will likely cement market expectations that the Bank of England will keep its main interest rate unchanged at 4.75% after its policy meeting on Thursday.

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VERBATIM: It’s being driven by an increase in fuel prices last month. Britain’s Office for National Statistics says the consumer price inflation rose by 2.6% in the year to November. That’s up from 2.3% the previous month. The increase took inflation further away from the Bank of England’s target of 2%. It was in line with market expectations.

China’s CATL is planning a major expansion of battery swapping for electric vehicles

( ) — UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “built with partners.”

The world’s largest maker of batteries for electric vehicles says it will get into battery swapping in China in a big way starting next year.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. If C-A-T-L follows through, it could rival Nio, a 10-year-old Chinese electric car brand that has opened more than 2,700 stations and has plans for at least 5,000.

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VERBATIM: The idea behind battery swapping is to refuel quickly, similar to filling a conventional car with gas. Instead of waiting for the batteries to recharge, one swaps out the old ones with a block of fresh ones at a swap station. China-based C-A-T-L announced plans to open 1,000 swap stations in China next year, including Hong Kong and Macao, with a long-term goal of 10,000 stations built with partners.

Nissan, Honda confirm talks on closer collaboration but say there’s been no decision on a merger

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “price sank 2.3-percent.”

Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have confirmed that they are discussing closer collaboration, but denied reports they have decided on a merger.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Nissan has an alliance with Renault SA that is under review. It recently announced it was slashing 9,000 jobs and cutting its global production by 20%.

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VERBATIM: Nissan’s share price soared more than 22% after reports citing unnamed sources said it might merge with Honda to form the world’s third largest automaking group. Trading in Nissan’s shares was suspended in Tokyo but then resumed after the companies issued a statement that said they were “considering various possibilities for future collaboration, but no decisions have been made.” Honda’s share price sank 2.3%.

Senate report alleges Amazon rejected warehouse safety recommendations due to productivity concerns

(   ) -v-36- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “std.”

A U.S. Senate committee says at least two internal Amazon studies have found a relationship between worker speed and injuries in the online retailer’s warehouses. Correspondent Jeremy House reports.

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VERBATIM: A 160-page report issued by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions alleges Amazon rejected many of the studies’ safety recommendations out of concern the proposed changes might reduce productivity. The report was the final product of a probe into Amazon’s warehouse safety practices that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders initiated last year. Amazon responded by saying the report is “wrong on the facts and features selective, outdated information that lacks context and isn’t grounded in reality.”..JH, Washington.

Federal Reserve is likely to slow its rate cuts with inflation pressures still elevated

( ) -q-27- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “Fed’s two-percent target.”

Americans hoping for lower borrowing costs for homes, credit cards and cars may be disappointed after this week’s Federal Reserve meeting.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The Fed’s policymakers are likely to signal fewer interest rate cuts next year than were previously expected. The officials are set to reduce their benchmark rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, by a quarter-point to about 4.3% when their meeting ends Wednesday. The problem is that while inflation has dropped far below its peak of 9.1% in mid-2022, it remains stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target.

Russia’s war on Ukraine is the subject of another round of E-U sanctions

( ) -v-37- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “std.”

The European Union has imposed fresh sanctions on dozens of officials linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Correspondent Jeremy House reports.

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VERBATIM: Two top North Korean defense officials, a military unit blamed for an attack on a Kyiv children’s hospital and the heads of companies in the energy sector have been targeted. Measures have also been imposed on 52 ships that are part of the vast shadow fleet that Moscow is exploiting to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or carrying stolen Ukrainian grain. The E-U’s foreign policy chief says the “package of sanctions is part of our response to weaken Russia’s war machine and those who are enabling this war, also including Chinese companies.”..JH reporting.

As schools cut back on bus service, parents are turning to rideshare apps

( ) -q-29- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “conducted in 2017.”

Reliance on school buses has been waning for years as districts struggle to find drivers and more students attend schools far outside their neighborhoods.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: As responsibility for transportation shifts to families, the question of how to replace the traditional yellow bus has become an urgent problem and a spark for innovation. Several startup companies have begun working with school systems to provide rideshare services. A 2023 Federal Highway Administration survey says only about 28% of U.S. students take a school bus. That is down from about 36% in the previous survey conducted in 2017.

2024 was big for bitcoin. States could see a crypto policy blitz in 2025 in spite of the risks

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “lose their cash.”

The new year will usher in the bitcoin-friendly administration of President-elect Donald Trump and an expanding lobbying effort in statehouses.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: Together, they could push states to become more crypto-friendly and provide more public pension funds as well as treasuries to buy cryptocurrency. Proponents of the uniquely volatile commodity argue that it’s a valuable hedge against inflation, similar to gold. Critics say a crypto investment is highly speculative with so much unknown about projecting its future returns and warn that investors should be prepared to lose their cash.

Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen’s friend, but tariffs raise prices

(   ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “protein more expensive.”

The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes to seafood, one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: Some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they expect Mr. Trump will allow fishing in protected areas and will crack down on offshore wind expansion. Economic analysts fear Mr. Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive.

China prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom

( ) -q-20- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “of economic growth.”

Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing’s monetary policy.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: Analysts said the broad-brush plans from China’s annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China’s deficit. Party officials added they would be doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth.

Trump offers support for dockworkers union, speaks out against port automation

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “and shipping companies.”

President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things.

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VERBATIM: Mr. Trump posted on social media that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until January 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies.

US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated

( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “since February 2023.”

Wholesale costs in the United States picked up sharply last month.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Higher food prices helped fuel the November wholesale inflation reading, which was higher than economists had expected.

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VERBATIM: The producer price index rose 0.4% in November. That was up from 0.3% the month before. November’s figure signals that price pressures are still evident in the economy even though inflation has tumbled from the peak levels it hit more than two years ago. Measured from 12 months earlier, wholesale prices climbed 3% in November, the sharpest year-over-year rise since February 2023.

Manchin, Sinema prevent Democrats from locking in majority on labor board through 2026

( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “nominate a replacement.”

Senate Democrats failed in their bid to confirm a Democratic member of the National Labor Relations Board.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The NLRB has the power to investigate potential unfair labor practices, meaning its leadership is highly scrutinized by business interests and labor groups.

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VERBATIM: The Senate voted down the nominee in a razor-thin vote that hinged on the pivotal rejections of independent Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. If the nomination had been successful, the board would have had a Democratic majority until 2026. President-elect Donald Trump will now have a chance to nominate a replacement.

Ontario premier says US energy exports will be cut off if Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on Canada

( ) -q-29- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “imports as well.”

The premier of Canada’s most populous province says he will cut off energy to the United States if President-elect Donald Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: Mr. Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs. Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his province would put a list together and other provinces would likely do so as well, to the extent of cutting off energy to the U.S. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well.

New Jersey targets plastic packaging that fills landfills and pollutes

( ) -q-30- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “that as unworkable.”

New Jersey is seeking to drastically reduce the amount of plastics and other packaging material that’s tossed out once a package is opened.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, and Minnesota have already passed similar legislation.

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VERBATIM: Lots of packaging that keeps items safe during shipping routinely ends up in landfills or as environmental pollution. Among that packaging is bubble wrap, air-filled plastic pockets and even foam peanuts that easily spill all over the floor once a package is opened. A bill being taken up by the New Jersey legislature would require all such materials used in the state to be compostable or recyclable by 2034. Business groups oppose that as unworkable.