Newsletter May 16, 2024

Quick Six

Biden issues two-debate challenge; Trump 'ready to rumble'
Rivals Joe Biden and Donald Trump agreed Wednesday to hold presidential debates in June and September after the Democratic incumbent challenged his rival to "make my day" and the scandal-plagued Republican replied he was "ready to rumble." CNN will hold the first debate on June 27 in Atlanta. Trump and Biden both said they had agreed on a second debate on ABC on Sept. 10. The agreement ends uncertainty over whether the candidates would debate at all as both the Democrat and the Republican shun the traditional commission that has run debates since 1988.
TRUMP'S CHOICE OF VENUES CONTRASTS WITH BIDEN'S

DOJ says Boeing can be prosecuted for violating settlement
The Department of Justice said that Boeing can be prosecuted for violating a 2021 criminal settlement over the certification of the 737 MAX. The determination follows a near-catastrophic Alaska Airlines flight in January that made an emergency landing after an unlatched panel on the fuselage blew out. US officials gave Boeing until June 13 to respond with input the US "shall consider in determining whether to pursue prosecution of (Boeing)."
SEE BOEING'S OPTIONS FOR AVOIDING PROSECUTION

Biden admin plans to send Israel $1B amid diplomatic crisis
The Biden administration is planning to send additional arms and ammunition worth more than $1 billion to Israel, according to a report. The notification to top lawmakers, first was sent to the relevant committees in the House and Senate as part of a "tiered review" process. If approved, this will be the first arms shipment to Israel since the White House paused a transfer of 3,500 bombs last week due to concerns for civilian casualties in Rafah.
SOME SEE US-TO-ISRAEL AID AS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

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Markets

DJIA	39,908.00	0.88%
S&P 500	5,308.15	1.17%
Nasdaq Composite	16,742.39	1.40%
Japan: Nikkei 225	38,385.73	0.08%
UK: FTSE 100	8,445.80	0.21%
Crude Oil Futures	78.87	1.09%
Gold Futures	2,391.80	1.35%
Yen	154.84	-0.03%
Euro	1.09	-0.01%
* As of market close

Slovakian PM shot in assassination attempt

A suspect detained for shooting Slovakia Prime Minister Robert Fico is a 71-year-old writer from the center of the European nation, the interior minister said Wednesday, after media identified the man. The suspect was detained at the scene of the shooting in the town of Handlova. He was handcuffed on the ground just after Fico was shot several times. Fico was transported by a helicopter to hospital in Banska Bystrica, where officials said late Wednesday that Fico was fighting for his life.

WHAT IS KNOWN SO FAR ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION SUSPECT

Google's use of AI has publishers worried

Google's use of artificial intelligence to sum up answers to search queries has publishers wondering if traffic to their websites will wither. Google announced Tuesday it is introducing AI-generated answers to online queries in the US. The change will spread to other countries, arguably reducing the importance of links and web pages for more than a billion people. News outlets and others benefiting from users clicking on their links via Google's search results could see traffic dwindle.

SEE WHY PUBLISHERS FEAR AI COULD CRUSH THEIR GOALS

Blinken strikes a sour chord in Ukraine bar

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was trying to send a message of defiance and hope when he took to the stage of a Kyiv bar for a guitar performance of "Rockin' in the Free World". But some Ukrainians have reacted angrily, chastising Washington's top diplomat for an ill-judged jam session in the capital while their troops are fighting in trenches and struggling to hold back a Russian advance amid a shortage of weapons.

SEE BLINKEN'S EXPLANATION FOR HITTING THE WRONG NOTE

Extra point

What was the inspiration for Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World"?

Wednesday's answer: One day after Meta experienced the largest single-day stock market loss in history, Amazon gained 14% ($191 billion), the single largest one-day gain in U.S. stock market history.

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