“A Pakistani court on Thursday rejected a plea for acquittal from former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been held in prison for more than a year in a graft case, a defense lawyer said. The court order was another blow to Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, who were accused of retaining and selling state gifts in violation of government rules when he was in power. The couple will be formally indicted in the case on Nov. 18 when the next court hearing is held. Khan and Bibi have denied the charges, saying they were not involved in any wrongdoing.” (11/14/24)
“Advance Auto Parts said Thursday it will close about 500 stores by mid-2025 and cut some jobs under a restructuring effort, as demand for vehicle parts takes a hit from fewer consumers opting to repair their cars. Shares of the auto parts retailer were up about 2% despite also reporting a surprise third-quarter adjusted loss of 4 cents per share. Analysts on average were expecting a profit of 49 cents, according to data compiled by LSEG. The automotive industry has had a difficult second half of the year, burdened by inflationary headwinds and stiff competition from Chinese automakers putting out affordable yet feature-packed vehicles. Auto suppliers such as Aptiv PLC and BorgWarner cut their annual sales forecasts last month on expectations of lower vehicle production as consumers cut back on purchases.” (11/14/24)
“U.S. farmers struggling with slumping incomes and depressed grain prices have been switching to cheaper generic pesticides and fungicides as they plan for spring planting next year, which market analysts said could hit the bottom lines of agrichemical companies like Bayer. Signs of these financial impacts are already emerging. Bayer shares fell sharply to a 20-year low on Tuesday, after the chemical company warned that weak global agricultural markets and a slumping U.S. farm economy are likely to pressure profits further. Agrichemical competitors Syngenta, Corteva and the agriculture unit of Germany’s BASF could also face challenges in the sector, analysts said.” (11/14/24)
“According to a report released Thursday, Wisconsin voters saw a record number of school referenda on their ballots in 2024 and approved a considerable number of the funding requests. The Wisconsin Policy Forum study found that school districts asked voters to sign off on a record 241 referenda, eclipsing the old record of 240 set in 1998. The referenda sought a total of $5.9 billion, a new record ask. The old records was $3.3 billion set in 2022. Voters approved 169 referenda, breaking the old record of 140 set in 2018. They authorized a record total of $4.4 billion in new funding for school districts, including $3.3 billion in debt. The old record, unadjusted for inflation, was $2.7 billion set in 2020. A total of 145 districts — more than a third of the state’s 421 public school districts — passed a referendum in 2024.” (11/14/24)
“Satirical news publication The Onion has bought Infowars, the media organisation headed by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, for an undisclosed price at a court-ordered auction. The Onion said that the bid was secured with the backing of families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, who won a $1.5bn (£1.18bn) defamation lawsuit against Jones for spreading false rumours about the massacre. A judge in Texas ordered the auction in September, and various groups – both Jones’s allies and detractors – had suggested they would bid for the company. Jones founded Infowars in 1999. He has vowed to continue broadcasting using a different platform.” (11/14/24)
“Bluesky may still be the underdog in the race for alternatives to X, but the once Twitter-affiliated service is gaining momentum. The app just passed the 15 million user mark after adding more than a million new users over the last week, the company said in an update. While Bluesky is still considerably smaller than Threads, which with 275 million users is its biggest rival, there are signs that Threads users have been increasingly curious about the upstart. … Its recent success also seems to be driven, at least in part, by frustration with Elon Musk and X following the US presidential election.” (11/13/24)
“President-elect Donald Trump told The Post on Thursday that he opposes Gov. Kathy Hochul’s revived plan for congestion pricing for vehicles that drive through certain parts of New York City, calling it ‘the most regressive tax known to womankind.’ The Democratic governor is proposing a $9 toll — after an earlier plan for $15 fees went down in flames amid a middle- and working-class outcry. ‘I have great respect for the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, and look forward to working with her to Make New York and America Great Again. But I strongly disagree with the decision on the congestion tax,’ said Trump, 78. ‘It has never worked, but especially so with a city, town, or village that is trying to come back from very rough times, which can certainly be said of New York City.'” (11/14/24)
“Germany has warned its state-operated gas import terminals to reject any Russian cargoes of liquefied natural gas, after it was notified of a planned shipment. In a letter seen by the Financial Times dated November 6, the German economy ministry ‘instructs’ Deutsche Energy Terminal ‘not to accept any deliveries of Russian LNG’ after the company informed Berlin that its import facility in Brunsbuttel was set to receive a Russian cargo on Sunday. The ministry said the order was issued to protect the country’s ‘overriding public interests,’ calling on the operator ‘to reject LNG deliveries from Russia until further notice.’ The potential shipment comes at a time when LNG is set to become a bargaining chip for the EU and Donald Trump’s presidency, with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen last week floating the idea of replacing Russian LNG with more imports from the US.” (11/14/24)
“After an initial sighting almost a quarter century ago, scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute have revealed a deep-sea discovery for the ages. On Monday, MBARI researchers announced the existence of an entirely new species of sea slug that lives in the deep waters off Monterey Bay known as the ‘midnight zone’. Introduced to the world formally as Bathydevius caudactylus, the translucent creature glides around in the darkest depths of the Earth, thousands of feet beneath the water’s surface. This seemingly alien form, nicknamed the ‘mystery mollusc’ by researchers, features ‘a large gelatinous hood and paddle-like tail, and lights up with brilliant bioluminescence.’ ‘When we spot something like that — we don’t know what it is and never seen anything like it before — it’s always exciting,’ MBARI senior scientist Bruce Robison told SFGATE from his Monterey lab Tuesday.” (11/14/24)
“Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) resigned from Congress just before the House Ethics Committee was set to hold a potentially pivotal meeting on its investigation into the Florida congressman, Axios has learned. Gaetz’s resignation, just hours after Trump announced his nomination for attorney general, puts a swift end to the panel’s wide-ranging probe. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Gaetz’s intention was to allow a swift process to fill his seat as Trump’s selection of several House members for administration roles has the GOP anxious about its slim majority.” [editor’s note: My take is that the whole point of the AG nomination — which will not get Senate confirmation — was to allow Gaetz to resign “because he’s getting promoted” rather than “under the shadow of scandal,” and that his real plan is to run for governor of Florida in 2026 – TLK] (11/13/24)
