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Troubled Chinese airline group proposes paying 40% of debts
Read full article: Troubled Chinese airline group proposes paying 40% of debtsHNA Group, a Chinese airline operator that ran into financial trouble after a global acquisition spree, has proposed a plan to settle $61 billion in debts owed to thousands of creditors by paying 40% of the total.
China's HNA Group says creditors want it declared bankrupt
Read full article: China's HNA Group says creditors want it declared bankruptA man wearing a face mask to protect against the spread of the coronavirus walks past a ticket counter for Hainan Airlines, owned by Chinese firm HNA Group, at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, Friday, March 6, 2020. HNA Group, a debt-burdened Chinese airline operator that faced opposition in Washington to its attempt to buy a Wall Street hedge fund during a costly global acquisition spree, says its creditors have asked a court to declare the company bankrupt. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)BEIJING – HNA Group, a debt-burdened Chinese airline operator that faced opposition in Washington to its attempt to buy a Wall Street hedge fund during a costly global acquisition spree, says its creditors have asked a court to declare the company bankrupt. AdHNA Group was among many Chinese companies that went on a global shopping spree starting in 2014. HNA Group also bought stakes in Deutsche Bank AG and hotel operator Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.Regulators clamped down in 2016, tightening control on financing and approval of foreign acquisitions.
Pence won’t attend Trump’s presidential sendoff
Read full article: Pence won’t attend Trump’s presidential sendoffVice President Mike Pence listens during a briefing about the upcoming presidential inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, at FEMA headquarters, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)WASHINGTON – Vice President Mike Pence is among those who will not be attending President Donald Trump’s sendoff event at Joint Base Andrews. The caution comes weeks after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to try to stop Congress from confirming Biden’s victory. Trump and Pence’s relationship has been strained since Trump tried to pressure Pence to stop the election certification and Trump supporters roaming the Capitol chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!” after the president tweeted disapprovingly of him. Aides have been organizing an elaborate sendoff, but it is unclear how many invitees plan to attend.
Insurrection marks moment of reckoning for Republicans
Read full article: Insurrection marks moment of reckoning for RepublicansBut the violent siege on Capitol Hill offers a new, and perhaps final, moment of reckoning for the GOP. Deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, White House social secretary Rickie Niceta and deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews also resigned, according to officials. Before they left, a handful of Republican senators and more than 100 Republican House members were set to oppose the vote to certify Biden's victory. Anthony Scaramucci, who served briefly as Trump’s White House communications director in 2017, often has harsh words for Trump. But he offered his harshest on Wednesday for Trump’s Republican enablers.
C-SPAN senior executive suspended after admitting he lied about Twitter hack
Read full article: C-SPAN senior executive suspended after admitting he lied about Twitter hackThe news came on the day of what was supposed to be a career highlight for the 30-year C-SPAN veteran. C-SPAN said Scully confessed to lying about the hack on Wednesday. Steve Scully just admitted he was lying about his Twitter being hacked. The network said Scully has consistently demonstrated fairness and professionalism, and built a reservoir of good will. “After some distance from this episode, we believe in his ability to continue to contribute to C-SPAN,” the network said.
C-SPAN suspends Scully after he admits to lie about hack
Read full article: C-SPAN suspends Scully after he admits to lie about hackA week ago, after Trump had criticized him as a “never Trumper," Scully tweeted “@Scaramucci should I respond to Trump.” Scaramucci, a former Trump communications director and now a critic of the president, advised Scully to ignore him. C-SPAN said Scully confessed to lying about the hack on Wednesday. Steve Scully just admitted he was lying about his Twitter being hacked. The network said Scully has consistently demonstrated fairness and professionalism, and built a reservoir of good will. “After some distance from this episode, we believe in his ability to continue to contribute to C-SPAN,” the network said.
C-SPAN: Debate moderator didn't post questionable tweet
Read full article: C-SPAN: Debate moderator didn't post questionable tweetLOS ANGELES – C-SPAN said Friday that its political editor Steve Scully, set to moderate the now-scrapped second presidential debate, didn’t initiate a questionable Twitter exchange with Anthony Scaramucci and that Scully's account apparently was hacked. The tweet, which appeared Thursday on Scully’s Twitter account, read: ”@Scaramucci should I respond to trump,” according to a screenshot of the since-deleted tweet. Scaramucci, who became a Trump detractor after serving briefly as his communications director, reportedly replied in part to Scully's twitter account, “Ignore. “Steve Scully did not originate the tweet and believes his account has been hacked,” C-SPAN said in a statement Friday. The commission announced Friday afternoon that the second debate had been canceled, and it was focusing on an Oct. 22 debate scheduled to be held in Nashville, Tennessee.
Who makes up Presidential Debate Commission and why do they call all the shots?
Read full article: Who makes up Presidential Debate Commission and why do they call all the shots?“I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate,” Trump told Fox Business on Thursday morning. The debate commission has sought to avoid any appearance of choosing any political side, which means they are used to getting criticism from both parties. The commission has unfettered powers to make a decision like deciding that Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis was sufficient reason to make the next debate virtual. And even though the debate commission calls the debate, the candidates have every right to choose not to participate. The third and final presidential debate is still scheduled for Oct. 22 in Nashville.
It's 'now or never' for ex-Trump aides weighing speaking out
Read full article: It's 'now or never' for ex-Trump aides weighing speaking out“People need to understand how dangerous a moment we are in.”There are plenty of others weighing the same decision. But Mattis and Coats, like former White House chief of staff John Kelly and former national security adviser H.R. The White House punched back with an aggressive attack campaign aimed at discrediting her through a barrage of statements, interviews and denunciations from the lectern in the White House briefing room. “The White House knows if they show this is a very costly thing to do they will scare people from going forward," he said. He added that while more people are still considering coming forward, the White House tactics have worked to some extent — dissuading one senior official who had been on the cusp of speaking out.
Ex-Pence adviser says Trump bungled virus; she's for Biden
Read full article: Ex-Pence adviser says Trump bungled virus; she's for BidenIn a video released Thursday by the group Republican Voters Against Trump, Troye says working for Trump was “terrifying” and says he was more concerned about his reelection chances than about protecting the nation from the virus. Troye alleges that, during one task force meeting she attended, the president said: “'Maybe this COVID thing is a good thing. She was on the task force as some kind of a lower-level person. '”The vice president's office released a copy of Troye's departure email, dated July 23 and addressed “Dear Task Force Members.” Pence chairs the task force. The White House adamantly denied the exchange Troye described, with White House spokesperson Judd Deere saying “her assertions have no basis in reality and are flat out inaccurate."
Gold in secret vault is traced to Hugo Chvez's former nurse
Read full article: Gold in secret vault is traced to Hugo Chvez's former nurseSo Daz allegedly turned to one of the oldest ways of moving vast sums of money anonymously: buying gold. She radically denies having had any gold ingots or any bank account in Liechtenstein, Oliver said. Wire transfers from Panamanian shell companies were routed through CBH to Greenhill and Amblia's accounts at the state-owned Liechtensteinische Landesbank in 2012, according to the Liechtenstein court. However, U.S. prosecutors in their exchanges with Swiss authorities in 2018 suggest the bank had itself been defrauded by Beaumont. The gold bars allegedly belonging to Daz represent just a small fraction of the total amount looted from Venezuela.
Trump rally highlights vulnerabilities heading into election
Read full article: Trump rally highlights vulnerabilities heading into electionThe lower-than-expected turnout at the comeback rally, in particular, left Trump fuming. The vast majority of the attendees, including Trump, did not wear face masks as recommended by the Trump administration's health experts. Before Oklahoma, the campaign had planned to finalize and announce its next rally this week. At least one swing state governor, meanwhile, says Trump would not be welcome to host a rally in her state amid the pandemic. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said she would think very seriously about" trying to block Trump from hosting a rally there if he wanted to.
Trump rally highlights vulnerabilities heading into election
Read full article: Trump rally highlights vulnerabilities heading into electionThe lower-than-expected turnout at the comeback rally, in particular, left Trump fuming. The vast majority of the attendees, including Trump, did not wear face masks as recommended by the Trump administration's health experts. Before Oklahoma, the campaign had planned to finalize and announce its next rally this week. At least one swing state governor, meanwhile, says Trump would not be welcome to host a rally in her state amid the pandemic. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said she would think very seriously about" trying to block Trump from hosting a rally there if he wanted to.