Author: Press Room

CNN  —  The Environmental Protection Agency has blocked a controversial mining project set for development in Alaska over concerns about adverse effects on salmon fisheries in the area, according to a release from the agency. The announcement stops the Pebble Mine project, which would have become the largest copper, gold and molybdenum extraction site on the continent. The EPA invoked a seldom-used authority granted as part of the Clean Water Act to put a stop to the proposal. The Bristol Bay watershed is home to the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world, according to data on the EPA’s website.…

Adani Enterprises has called off its $2.4bn equity fundraising in the latest blow to Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who has seen shares in his industrial empire tumble after a short seller made allegations of fraud and stock manipulation. The decision to pull the share sale marks an abrupt turn from a day earlier, when people involved in the deal said it was fully backed by investors including Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company and London-listed Jupiter Asset Management. In a regulatory filing on Wednesday evening, Adani said that “given the unprecedented situation and the current market volatility”, it was “returning the . . .…

An Ohio grand jury indicted Philadelphia Eagles backup offensive lineman Joshua Sills on charges of rape and kidnapping, officials said Wednesday.The 25-year-old will face one count of rape in the first degree and another count of kidnapping in the first degree, stemming from a Dec. 5, 2019, incident in Guernsey County, court documents showed.He was ordered to appear in court Feb. 16, which would be four days after the Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.Sills played in just one game this season, getting into the Oct. 9 Eagles win against the Arizona Cardinals. He has not…

EXCLUSIVE: A new bill being pushed by Sen. Tom Cotton and Rep. Jim Banks would cap the salaries of any Pentagon employees working on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at $31,000.The GOP lawmakers say that the legislation would “prohibit” the Department of Defense from specifically employing DEI officials above the E-5 rank, which has a salary of $31,000 per year. The bill would additionally require current DEI employees making above the E-5 pay grade to be “reassigned” within 180 days of the law’s enactment.Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital that the bill “will make sure the Department of Defense’s…

CNN  —  The lawyer who will lead the court fights mounted by the newly GOP-controlled House of Representatives is a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas and “seasoned litigator” with years of experience at the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the appointment of Matthew Berry, who most recently worked at the firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, as House general counsel. Berry will play a key role as the House battles with the Biden administration over the scope of lawmakers’ investigations shape up. His predecessor, Doug Letter – who served as House General counsel…

State taxpayers would pick up one-third of the estimated $1 billion annual cost of New York City’s migrant crisis under the record $227 billion budget plan unveiled Wednesday by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The briefing book for Hochul’s fiscal 2024 executive budget said she “recognizes the effort of governments at all levels to provide services and assist with the resettlement process by providing more than $1 billion in extraordinary funding.” “The Budget creates a framework for the financial burden of such services to be evenly split between the levels of government: 1/3 New York City, 1/3 State, and 1/3 Federal,” according…

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen posted a heartfelt message for ex-husband Tom Brady on Wednesday following his announcement that he is retiring from the NFL “for good” after 23 seasons. “Wishing you only wonderful things in this new chapter of your life,” Bündchen wrote in a comment on Brady’s Instagram post, which included photos of her and their children.  Brady announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday – a year after previously making the decision to retire just to return several weeks later for his third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. TOM BRADY POSTS PHOTOS OF EX-WIFE GISELE BÜNDCHEN, FAMILY AND…

New York CNN  —  A record $3.8 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from various services last year, with much of those thefts driven by North Korean-linked hackers, according to a report Wednesday from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. The increase in crypto heists, from $3.3 billion in 2021, came as the overall market for cryptocurrencies suffered significant declines. The value of Bitcoin, for example, fell by more than 60% last year. North Korea was a key driver for the surge in thefts, according to the report. Hackers linked to the country stole an estimated $1.7 billion worth of crytopcurrency through…

A sign hangs above the entrance of a Foot Locker store on August 02, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois.Scott Olson | Getty ImagesCheck out the companies making headlines in midday trading Wednesday.Foot Locker — Shares gained 2.6% after Credit Suisse upgraded the stock to outperform from neutral. The retailer could see upside to expected profit in 2024 and 2025 as its strategic plan takes shape, according to the firm.Advanced Micro Devices — Shares of chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices jumped 7.9% after the company reported earnings that beat Wall Street’s expectations, according to Refinitiv. AMD also showed relative strength after competitor Intel’s…

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani on Wednesday abandoned a deal to raise $2.5 billion from investors after a week-long meltdown in the value of his logistics and energy business empire that started when an American short seller accused the conglomerate of fraud. The share sale — the largest offering by a company already listed on India’s stock market — had closed successfully just 24 hours earlier. His flagship company, Adani Enterprises, had found enough willing backers despite days of market turmoil following the publication of a scathing analysis by Hindenburg Research. But a brutal day of trading Wednesday wiped billions more…