“The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits decreased last week, suggesting the labor market remained stable early in February. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 213,000 for the week ended February 8, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 215,000 claims for the latest week. Claims have trended lower so far this year, consistent with historically low layoffs.”(02/13/25)
“The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ramped up grants for migrants from 2020 to 2024 — which included cash assistance to buy cars, homes and even build credit for startup businesses, according to a shocking watchdog report that found taxpayers were left on the hook for $22.6 billion. HHS’[s] Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) — which came under fire last year for having lost track of 32,000 migrant kids in the US — handed out the high sum to a host of nonprofits, effectively acting as a ‘giant magnet’ for those crossing the US border and claiming asylum, auditors from the money monitor OpenTheBooks revealed exclusively to The Post.” (02/13/25)
“Ghana’s former former finance minister has been declared a fugitive. On Wednesday the special prosecutor gave Ken Ofori-Atta an ultimatum: give himself up or be tracked down. He is in the spotlight, accused of having released tens of millions of dollars in public money for the building of a vanity project conceived of by the former president. The massive cathedral still has not been built.” (02/13/25)
“Elon Musk will withdraw his $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI’s nonprofit arm if the ChatGPT maker stops its conversion into a for-profit entity, according to a court filing. … On Monday, Musk, along with his artificial intelligence company xAI and a consortium of investors, launched a bid to acquire OpenAI’s nonprofit arm for $97.4 billion, accusing the firm and its CEO Sam Altman of abandoning its original mission to develop AI for good and of pursuing profits instead. Altman has rebuffed the offer, telling CNBC that the move is just an effort by Musk to ‘slow down a competitor.'” (02/13/25)
“The most common formulation of birth control pills has been linked to a doubling of relative risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study finds. Contraceptive vaginal rings and skin patches formulated in the same way also were linked to higher heart risks. Danish researchers stressed that the absolute risk to any one woman using these pills, patches or rings remains very low. However, they said the findings are something for doctors to think about as they prescribe contraceptives. The pill formulation in question is a combination of the hormones estrogen plus progestin, the team reported Wednesday in The BMJ. It’s the most-prescribed type of hormonal contraception.” (02/13/25)
“A suicide attacker has detonated explosives near a government building in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing one person and wounding three others, a Taliban government spokesman has said. The attacker attempted to enter the Afghan Ministry of Urban Development and Housing building in Kabul on Thursday but was shot by security forces, Interior Ministry Spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said on Thursday. … No group has taken responsibility for the attack.” (02/13/25)
“Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan said Thursday they would terminate merger talks, ending speculation over the fate of a $60-billion deal that was slated to create the world’s third-largest auto company by sales volumes. They said ‘various options’ were considered including a proposal by Honda to change the structure of the merger from a joint holding company to one with Honda as the parent and Nissan as a subsidiary through a share exchange. The two companies said they will ‘collaborate within the framework of a strategic partnership aimed at the era of intelligence and electrified vehicles.'” (02/13/25)
“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday sued agencies under President Donald Trump, saying they are illegally and unconstitutionally withholding billions in federal aid from the state that had already been approved by Congress. Shapiro, a Democrat, filed the lawsuit despite the fact that federal courts have repeatedly rejected the Trump administration’s sweeping pause on federal funding, and Shapiro’s lawyers suggest that the Trump administration is continuing to ignore court orders to restore access to the suspended money. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Philadelphia, calls actions by the federal agencies ‘flagrantly lawless’ and said the agencies have no legal authority to unilaterally refuse to spend congressionally appropriated money over a policy disagreement.” (02/13/25)
“Lawmakers in El Salvador took advantage of a newly streamlined constitutional reform process to eliminate public financing of political campaigns Wednesday, making good on a promise of President Nayib Bukele. The reform passed with 58 of the Congress’[s] 60 lawmakers voting in favor – carried largely by Bukele’s allies’ supermajority. The legislation now goes to Bukele for his signature. ‘Political parties can finance themselves like we financed ourselves in 2019,’ Bukele wrote on X. ‘Difficult? Yes, it was difficult. But wasn’t it better that way?’ Political parties had received money from the government based on the number of votes they obtain in elections, or had to return money that was advanced if their vote totals fall short of expectations.” (02/12/25)
“Divisions flared in Kyiv on Thursday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree sanctioning a former president and several wealthy businessmen. Chocolate baron and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, a political opponent and longtime nemesis of Zelenskyy, was sanctioned on suspicion of ‘high treason’ and assisting a terrorist organization — prompting criticism and allegations of a ‘politically motivated’ witch hunt. Zelenskyy first announced the intention to impose sanctions on the ex-president and politically connected businesspeople in a video published Wednesday evening.” (02/13/25)
