“Craig Wright, the computer scientist ruled to have lied ‘extensively and repeatedly’ about being the inventor of Bitcoin, has been given a one-year prison sentence by a UK judge after being found in contempt of court. The sentence is suspended for two years, meaning that Wright will only face prison if he reoffends during that period. At a hearing Thursday in the UK High Court, Justice James Edward Mellor ruled that Wright — in bringing a $1.15 trillion lawsuit in October against Bitcoin developers and payments firm Square — had violated an earlier court order. The order required that Wright refrain from claiming publicly to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, and taking legal action on that basis, among other things.” (12/19/24)
“The Teamsters are launching strikes against seven Amazon warehouses Thursday, in the union’s biggest provocation yet against the nation’s second-largest private employer, threatening to delay some package delivery during the busy Christmas season. The strikes will take place at sites in New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, Skokie, Ill., and Southern California. Roughly 9,000 Amazon workers around the country have joined the Teamsters, according to the union, but Amazon has refused to recognize their union and bargain with them. The Teamsters are hoping to force Amazon to the bargaining table to hammer out a union contract with this round of strikes, which they are threatening to expand. ‘If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed,’ Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said. … Amazon has said the union illegally coerced its workers to join, a key reason it cites for not recognizing the union’s representation of the workers.” (12/19/24)
“Big Lots is preparing to close all remaining locations, following the closure of hundreds of stores and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company announced on Thursday. … In an email to employees, shared with Nexstar and reported by The Hill, president and CEO Bruce Thorn stated that the planned store closures could ‘be reversed if we successfully complete a sale.'” (12/19/24)
“Specialty pharmacies and online companies that have been selling off-brand copies of two blockbuster drugs for obesity and diabetes will need to phase out their versions next year under a federal decision issued Thursday. The Food and Drug Administration said that a nationwide shortage of Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro has been resolved, eliminating the need for copycat versions of the drugs that have become wildly popular with Americans trying to lose weight. The decision is a win for Lilly — which had been pressing the FDA to take the step for months — and is expected to impact how patients access the drugs, including how much they pay. Zepbound is FDA-approved to treat obesity and Mounjaro is approved for diabetes. They use the same active ingredient, tirzepatide. The FDA said Thursday that ‘Lilly’s supply is currently meeting or exceeding demand,’ after two years of shortages.” (12/19/24)
“Russia is poised for another aggressive rate hike on Friday as the central bank continues to find little success in tackling inflation that has recently accelerated well above its forecast. The Bank of Russia is set to raise borrowing costs for the fourth time in a row — and by 200 basis points just like in October, according to six out of 12 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Two foresee the benchmark climbing by 300 basis points to 24%, while Goldman Sachs International and HSBC Bank Plc suggest rate setters will put monetary tightening on hold at their Dec. 20 meeting. … Russia’s annual inflation accelerated again in November to 8.9% from 8.5% in the previous month, even after the central bank increased the key rate in October to a record-high 21%.” (12/20/24)
“Nine Palestinian Americans sued the United States government on Thursday, alleging that it had failed to rescue them or members of their families who were trapped in Gaza after the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7 2023, and Israel’s ensuing war against Hamas. The lawsuit accuses the State Department of discriminating against Americans of Palestinian origin by abandoning them in a war zone and not making the same effort that it would to promptly evacuate and protect Americans of different origins in similar situations.” (12/19/24)
“A Russian cosmonaut took a short ride at the end of a robotic arm to jettison spent equipment that he and a crewmate collected during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station today (Dec. 19). Expedition 72 flight engineer Alexey Ovchinin secured his feet at one end of the European Robotic Arm (ERA) toward the end of his and Ivan Vagner’s seven-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) today. Fellow Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexsandr Gorbunov controlled the 37-foot-long (11.3 meters) arm’s movement from inside the space station. At the desired point, Ovchinin tossed the bundle of no longer needed electrical connectors, covers and an experiment boom overboard such that it would no longer come in contact with the orbiting laboratory before burning up while reentering Earth’s atmosphere.” (12/19/24)
“The New York City mayor’s former chief adviser, her son and two real estate investors were indicted Thursday on bribery and conspiracy charges that came as the mayor himself fights a separate corruption case. Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who until recently was one of the most powerful people in city government, was brought into a Manhattan courtroom in handcuffs. She, her son Glenn D. Martin II — a DJ who once performed at City Hall — and real estate investors Raizada Vaid and Mayank Dwivedi pleaded not guilty. … Prosecutors said Lewis-Martin — who resigned Sunday — and her son raked in over $100,000 and got other help in exchange for her speeding approvals for construction projects. Lewis-Martin’s lawyer said outside court that she simply helped a constituent cut through the Big Apple’s thick red tape.” (12/19/24)
“A Georgia appeals court disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting US President-elect Donald Trump’s state election interference case. The court did not dismiss the indictment, which means another prosecutor will likely be appointed who may or may not decide to continue the prosecution — most political pundits agree that the latter scenario, where the case is dismissed, to be almost entirely certain. Willis could also move to appeal the ruling, which would further delay any trial.” (12/19/24)
“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted SpaceX the launch licence required for the Starship Flight 7 test. This decision, announced on December 17, allows the company to move forward with preparations for the world’s largest rocket at its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The approval comes after a series of rigorous engine tests on the Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster to confirm readiness for launch. Despite this progress, SpaceX has not disclosed a specific launch date for the test, though reports suggest a possible timeline in early or mid-January 2025. According to sources, the Flight 7 test will follow a similar trajectory to previous launches, involving the launch of the stacked Starship and Super Heavy rocket, an attempted booster catch at the launch tower, and a water landing of the spacecraft in the Indian Ocean near Australia.” (12/19/24)
