Facebook content moderators in Kenya call the work ‘torture’

( ) -q-20- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “wouldn’t have to.”

Nearly 200 former content moderators for Facebook are suing the company and a local contractor in a court case in Kenya that could have implications for the work worldwide.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: They are the first known moderators outside the U-S to lodge such a complaint. The former employees from several African countries allege poor working conditions including low pay and insufficient mental health support. They say they are haunted by the graphic videos and other content they watched so the rest of the world wouldn’t have to.

Top central bankers: higher rates needed to tackle inflation

( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “in Sintra, Portugal.”

Several of the world’s top central bankers got together, and their message was clear: interest rates are expected to go even higher to combat inflation.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The outlier is the Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda, who says inflation didn’t justify rate hikes yet.

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VERBATIM: U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey underlined their determination to bring inflation under control come what may. They pointed to strong labor markets that are helping push up prices. The message came during a panel at the ECB’s annual policy conference in Sintra, Portugal.

US economic growth last quarter is revised up to a 2% annual rate

( ) -q-18- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “to surprising resilience.”

The U.S. economy grew at a 2% annual pace from January through March as consumers spent at the fastest pace in nearly two year.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. still marked a deceleration from the 2.6% annual rate from October through December and the 3.2% growth from July through September. The economy has been slowed by the Federal Reserve’s aggressive drive to tame inflation through a series of interest rate hikes beginning early last year.

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VERBATIM: The Commerce Department’s report is a sharp upgrade from its previous estimate. The government had previously estimated that the economy expanded at a 1.3% annual rate last quarter. The department’s third and final report on January-to-March economic growth pointed to surprising resilience.

Drop in jobless benefits applications after 3 weeks of higher claims

( ) -q-24- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “to 257-thousand, 500.”

Applications for unemployment benefits fell significantly last week after it appeared claims had reached a modestly elevated level in recent weeks.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The Labor Department reports U.S. applications for jobless claims fell by 26,000 to 239,000 for the week ending June 24. Economists were expecting the elevated claims numbers to continue above 260,000, where they had settled the past three weeks. The four-week moving average of claims rose by 1,500 to 257,500.

Still hiring: Big Tech layoffs give other sectors an opening

( ) -q-25- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “the top talent.”

The recent mass layoffs at companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta came as a shock the thousands of workers who’d never experienced upheaval in the tech sector.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. No employer is making a more aggressive push than the country’s largest: the federal government, which aims to hire 22,000 tech workers in fiscal 2023.

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VERBATIM: Those workers are now being courted by long-established employers whose names aren’t typically synonymous with tech work. Hotel chains, retailers, investment firms, railroad companies and even the IRS have signaled on recruiting platforms that they are hiring software engineers, data scientists and cybersecurity specialists. It’s a chance for them to level the playing field against tech giants that have long had their pick of the top talent.

EV makers race for supplies of lithium for batteries

( ) -q-21- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “other raw materials.”

Threatened by possible shortages of lithium for electric car batteries, automakers are racing to lock in supplies of the once-obscure “white gold.”

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Others are investing in lithium refiners or recycling technology. A shortfall in supplies would be an obstacle for government and industry plans to ramp up sales to tens of millions of electric vehicles a year.

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VERBATIM: The race is occurring in a politically and environmentally fraught competition from China to Nevada to Chile. General Motors and the parent company of China’s BYD Auto Limited are going straight to the source and buying stakes in lithium miners. It’s a rare step in an industry that relies on outside vendors for copper and other raw materials.

EU leaders forge ahead with tougher borders plans

( ) -q-25- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “rules in Europe.”

European Union leaders will push ahead this week with plans to beef up the bloc’s borders and outsource their migrant challenges to countries people leave or cross to get to Europe.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The EU has teetered from political crisis to crisis since well over 1 million people entered Europe in 2015.

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VERBATIM: Austria, Hungary, Poland and others are blocking any meaningful attempt to equitably share out refugees arriving in Greece, Italy, Malta or Spain. That means the work must focus on preventing migrants from entering and deporting those who can’t stay more efficiently. But the EU summit on Thursday and Friday has the potential to open a can of political worms. Such is the sensitive nature of asylum rules in Europe.

Japan to reinstate South Korea as preferred trade nation

( ) -q-20- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “Korea and China.”

Japan has announced a decision to reinstate South Korea as a preferred nation with fast-track trade status from July 21.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Japan and South Korea’s trade dispute began in July 2019 when Japan removed South Korea from its “white list” of countries given fast-track approvals in trade. At that time, Tokyo-Seoul ties were deteriorating over compensation for Japanese wartime actions.

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VERBATIM: The decision virtually ends a four-year economic row that was strained during their bitter historic disputes. Japan and South Korea have been rapidly mending their ties as they deepen three-way security cooperation with Washington. The cooperation comes in response to growing regional threats from North Korea and China.

A stark warning from Christine LaGarde on inflation

( ) -q-20- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “starting to wane.”

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is warning that inflation is holding its grip on the economy.

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Out-cue: starting to wane]

TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. With unemployment low, workers are demanding higher wages to make up for lost purchasing power. That threatens to keep pushing up inflation in a wage-price spiral that the bank must prevent.

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VERBATIM: Lagarde says the bank intends to raise rates high enough to “break this persistence” and that they will stay high for as long as needed. Lagarde acknowledged that the inflation rate has fallen thanks to lower energy prices. Businesses initially passed on their rising costs by charging customers higher prices, a phase that’s starting to wane.

Meta launches more parental supervision tools for Instagram.

( ) -v-30- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “std.”

Instagram and Facebook’s parent company Meta is adding new parental supervision tools and privacy features to its platforms beginning today (TUESDAY). Correspondent Jeremy House has more on the story.

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VERBATIM: The changes come as social media companies face increased scrutiny over how they impact teens’ mental health. But many of the features being added require teens — and parents — to opt in, raising questions about how effective they are.  Instagram, for instance, will now send a notice to teens after they have blocked someone. The message will encourage them to let their parents “supervise” their account. The idea is to get kids to engage their parents at a moment when they might be more open to guidance..JH reporting.

Zambia reaches deal with China to restructure $6.3 billion in loans

The French government says that Zambia has reached a deal with China and several other government creditors to restructure $6.3 billion in loans

VERBATIM: The African nation defaulted in 2020 when it failed to make a $42.5 million bond payment. Its debt has made it hard for Zambia to develop economically and take on new projects. Experts have said such prolonged debt crises can send nations sliding deeper into poverty and joblessness by making it harder to get credit to build for the future.

Congressional report critical of popular Chinese retailers Temu and Shein

A Congressional report offers a blistering critique of popular Chinese retailers Temu and Shein

Lawmakers accuse Shein of failing to maintain “even the façade of a meaningful compliance program” to deter forced labor from its supply chains. In the report, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party said Temu’s business model allows it to avoid complying with U.S. law that restricts imports from China’s Xinjiang region. Among other things, the report said Temu admitted it “does not expressly prohibit” the sale of goods from China’s Xinjiang region.

Supreme Court rejects GOP-led challenge to Biden deportation policy

( ) -v-28- WASHINGTON (Correspondent Jeremy House) “std.”

The Supreme Court has upheld a Biden administration policy that prioritizes the deportation of immigrants who are deemed to pose the greatest risk to public safety or were picked up at the border. Correspondent Jeremy House has more on the story.

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VERBATIM: The justices voted 8-1 to allow the policy to take effect. The ruling recognizes that there’s not enough money or manpower to deport all 11 million or so people who are in the United States illegally. Louisiana and Texas had argued that federal immigration law requires authorities to detain and deport even those who pose little or no risk. But the court held that the states lacked the legal standing, or right to sue, in the first place. At the center of the case is a September 2021 directive from the Department of Homeland Security that paused deportations unless individuals had committed acts of terrorism, espionage or “egregious threats to public safety”…JH, Washington.

Canada will require Google and Meta to pay media outlets for news

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “had previously suggested.”

A Canadian bill that will require Google and Meta to pay media outlets for news content that they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms is set to become law.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: Canada’s Senate passed the bill amid a standoff between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government and Silicon Valley tech giants. Ottawa has said the law creates a level playing field between online advertising giants and the shrinking news industry. Meta confirmed that it plans to comply with the bill by ending news availability on Facebook and Instagram for its Canadian users, as it had previously suggested.

NASA opposes lithium mining at Nevada site used to calibrate satellites

( ) -q-29- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “satellites orbiting overhead.”

The latest challenge to lithium mining in Nevada in the push for cleaner energy comes from a place where no opposition has arisen before: space.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. A Nevada congressman has introduced legislation opposing the removal of the tract as a potential lithium mining site.

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VERBATIM: At NASA’s request, U.S. land managers have withdrawn about 36 square miles of federal land from potential mineral exploration and mining at a desert site 250 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The U.S. space agency says the unusually flat desert tract above the lithium deposit must be left undisturbed. It argues the unique topography is used to calibrate razor-sharp measurements for hundreds of satellites orbiting overhead.

3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement over ‘forever chemicals’

( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “and some cancers.”

Chemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds known as PFAS.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The deal was announced by the company based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an attorney representing hundreds of public water systems.

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VERBATIM: 3M is a leading maker of PFAS chemicals used widely in firefighting foams and many nonstick and grease-resistant consumer products. They’re described as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade naturally in the environment. PFAS compounds been linked to a variety of health problems, including liver and immune-system damage and some cancers.

AM SPORTSCAST 6-23

AM SPORTSCAST 6-23

Weekly US applications for unemployment aid remain relatively elevated

( ) -q-21- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “October of 2021.”

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits remained elevated last week.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out some of the week-to-week volatility,rose by 8,500 to 255,750. That’s the highest level since November of 2021.

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VERBATIM: The Labor Department reports applications for jobless claims were 264,000 for the week ending June 17, the same as the previous week. It’s a possible sign that the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are beginning to cool a still-strong labor market. The claims numbers for the past two weeks are the highest since October of 2021.

Bank of England rate hike is bigger than expected. That means pain for borrowers

( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “quarter-point hike.”

The Bank of England has raised borrowing costs for the 13th time in a row.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The bank says its nine-member Monetary Policy Committee decided to lift its main interest rate by half a percentage point to a fresh 15-year high of 5%. It’s the latest effort to combat stubbornly high inflation, which has failed to come down from its peak as quickly as expected. The decision was somewhat of a surprise, with most economists predicting a smaller quarter-point hike.

Yellen says it’s ‘critical’ to maintain U.S.-China ties after Biden’s ‘dictator’ remarks

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “do have disagreements.'”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says it’s “critical” the U.S. and China maintain a relationship so they can “work together” on global challenges.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Yellen is attending a two-day summit in Paris seeking a better global financial response to climate change and poverty.

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VERBATIM: Yellen’s comments come after President Biden’s remarks calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a “dictator” drew condemnation from Beijing. Yellen says “President Biden and I both believe it’s critical to maintain communication … to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations.” She added that the countries “need to work together where possible” but “we are also forthright in recognizing we do have disagreements.”

Apple engaged in ‘coercive’ interviews and other anti-union tactics at New York store, judge rules

( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “will honor them”

A U.S. labor board judge has ruled that Apple illegally subjected employees to “coercive” interviews and interfered with distribution of union leaflets at a New York City Apple Store.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The ruling was the first time that an administrative law judge at the National Labor Relations Board has ruled against Apple. The ruling requires Apple to “cease and desist” from activities that the judge found to violate established labor protections. Apple must also post notices at the World Trade Center location informing employees of their labor rights and pledging that the company will honor them.

Foreign companies shifting investment out of China

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “on reform promises.”

A business group says foreign companies are shifting investment and their Asian headquarters out of China.

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Out-cue: on reform promises]

TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Companies also are being squeezed by slowing Chinese economic growth, despite the country’s exit from its “zero-COVID” policies, and by rising costs.

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VERBATIM: The moves come as confidence plunges following the expansion of an anti-spying law and other challenges. The report by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China is one of many signs of growing pessimism despite the ruling Communist Party’s efforts to revive interest in the world’s No. 2 economy. Companies are uneasy about the anti-spying law, government protection of Chinese rivals and lack of action on reform promises.

Paris summit aims to focus on climate, shake up the financial system

Heads of state, finance leaders and activists are converging in Paris. They’re gathering at a summit to seek ways to overhaul the International Monetary Fund and World Bank and help them weather a warmer and stormier world. The banks have been criticized for not factoring climate change into lending decisions and being dominated by wealthy countries like the U.S. The neediest nations have been left out of calling the shots.

China’s security industry sees the US, not AI, as the bigger threat

( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “cutting edge technology.”

China’s security and surveillance industry is now focused on shoring up its vulnerabilities to the United States and other outside actors.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The industry is worried about risks posed by hackers, advances in artificial intelligence and pressure from rival governments. The renewed emphasis on self-reliance, combating fraud and hardening systems against hacking was on display at the recent Security China exhibition in Beijing. So were U.S. efforts to choke off China’s access to cutting-edge technology.