Good Afternoon. It's Friday, January 21st, and you’re listening to Ausum’s Afternoon News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

A COVID update from The Washington Post explains that another of the Biden administration's vaccine requirements has been blocked by a federal judge in Texas. According to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown, the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for government employees and contractors exceeded the president's authority. The Hill quoted Brown's explanation which reads as follows: "whether the President can, with the stroke of a pen and without the input of Congress, require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment,"

However, The New York Times reports that according to new CDC statistics released today, booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are 90 percent effective against hospitalization with the Omicron strain. Extra dosages were particularly effective against infection and death in people over the age of 50. Less than 40% of Americans who are fully vaccinated and eligible for a booster dose have obtained one. After the arrival of Omicron, the boosters-for-all campaign became even more intense with the CDC recommending everyone above the age of 12 get their booster.

The Guardian updates us on the latest with Ukraine and Russia, stating that the US has proposed a summit between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin as a last-ditch effort to defuse tensions in Europe as the standoff between Russia and Ukraine enters a critical and perhaps catastrophic phase. According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Washington and its allies are also prepared to react in writing to Russian demands on the future of Nato and European security next week.

Reuters investigated Changpeng Zhao, chief executive of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and found that the corporation was hiding information from authorities, maintaining lax consumer checks, and going against its own compliance department's recommendations. The investigation's findings explain that Binance has been able to offer items that many national regulators do not allow locally registered enterprises to sell due to its opaque organizational structure. Furthermore, on at least four occasions, Binance refused to provide detailed answers about its operations to financial authorities and business partners. Chief Compliance Officer Samuel Lim and former Global Money Laundering Reporting Officer Karen Leong raised concerns about inadequate "know-your-customer" checks aimed at preventing money laundering, which Zhao allegedly ignored. These are just some of the findings in Reuters Investigation.

According to CNN, before committing m himself, Brian Laundrie claimed in his journal that he was responsible for the death of his 22-year-old fiance, Gabby, according to the FBI.

The Wall Street Journal reports that The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 saw their worst weekly losses since the pandemic began, which has been a pattern since this is the third week in a row where we've seen stocks plummeting. Investors are concerned about the likelihood of increasing interest rates and their impact on valuations. Nasdaq fell 2.7% today and ended the week down 7.55%. The S&P 500 was down 5.7% for the week.

That’s all for today. Be sure to download the Ausum app to get the full Ausum experience. Catch you next time for the Ausum News Briefing every weekday, morning, and afternoon.

Good Morning, it’s Friday, January 21st. And You’re listening to Ausum’s Morning News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

Let’s start off by looking at updates on the Russia and Ukraine tensions. The Guardian tells us that the United States has accused Russia of conspiring to take over the Ukrainian government. The US is claiming that Russian intelligence is recruiting current and former Ukrainian government officials to take over the government in Kyiv and cooperate with a Russian occupying force.

Within US politics, The Washington Post informs us that Democrats are scrambling to reduce what once was a roughly $2 trillion package to overhaul the nation’s health care, education, climate, immigration and tax laws. This is because the Biden administration has acknowledged that for their main bill to survive it had to be broken into “chunks”.

Ivana Trump has been asked to cooperate with the Capitol attack committee. The Guardian reports that The House select committee has asked the daughter of the former president to appear for a voluntary deposition in order to answer questions about Donald Trump’s efforts to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. This is the first time a testimony from a member of the Trump family has been requested.

The Washington Post reports that the Biden administration is pushing colleges to use covid relief funds to meet students’ basic needs. The federal agency has made $198 million available for colleges that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. This aims to reduce the impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable college students.

Forbes tells us that Netflix shares dropped 20% following the release of its fourth-quarter earnings report. This exceeded analysts’ expectations on some counts but continued a trend of declining subscriber growth. The company had previously benefited from the increased number of people staying home during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Four Belarusian government officials have been charged in the United States for aircraft piracy after diverting a Ryanair flight in May last year. Reuters states that Belarus aimed to arrest a dissident Belarusian journalist who was on board.

The New York Times announced that in the height of of the war against the Islamic State in Syria, The United States bombed a dam despite a military report warning not to bomb the dam, because the damage could cause a flood that might kill tens of thousands of civilians.

Finally, a new study has shown that some children have been able to overcome their peanut allergy by consuming peanut protein powder in early childhood. Forbes reports that this could possibly offer hope to the 1 million U.S. children living with this potentially life threatening condition.

That’s all for today. For the full Ausum experience, make sure to download the Ausum app. Catch us, every weekday, morning and afternoon.

Good Afternoon. It's Thursday, January 20th, and you’re listening to Ausum’s Afternoon News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

We'll start with a COVID update from CNN, stating that the CDC issued fresh guidelines this week urging Americans to stop wearing woven fabric masks, which provide the least protection. Instead, choose well-fitting disposable surgical masks and KN95s, which provide even more protection. This request was touched on yesterday in Biden's speech, he explained how the US government will be contracting manufacturers to begin production on these masks as soon as this month.

Biden's speech received a lot of speculation, specifically regarding his touchpoints on the 2022 midterms and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

With Russia and Ukraine, The Washington Post shares that the White House continues to clarify remarks made by President Biden suggesting that the US would permit Russia to strike Ukraine as long as it did not amount to a full-fledged invasion. The White House issued a statement attempting to clarify Biden's remarks on an invasion, stating that it would be greeted with a "quick, stern, and united response."

According to Fox News, Harris came on NBC's "Today" to confront harsh questions from host Savannah Guthrie. She stated "If Putin takes aggressive action, we are ready to charge hefty consequences, period," Harris said, echoing the President's warning. According to Vice President Biden, "it all depends" on Russia.

BBC reported that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has reacted angrily to statements made by Joe Biden, who implied that a "minor" attack would result in a weaker response from the US. However, Mr. Zelensky tweeted: "There are no insignificant invasions. There are no small casualties, and there is minimal pain from the loss of loved ones."

And, according to Reuters, The White House expressed that the United States and Western countries sought to display unity and a tough stance on Ukraine. Biden retracted his statement and publically stated that he has "been extremely clear with President (Vladimir) Putin, he has no misunderstanding." If any assembled Russian units cross the Ukrainian border, it is considered an invasion.

To make things more interesting, The Guardian explains, the US is accusing Russian intelligence of recruiting current and former Ukrainian government officials to take over the administration in Kyiv and work with a Russian occupying force. In retaliation, the US Treasury sanctioned two Ukrainian members of parliament and two former officials it said were participating in the alleged conspiracy to tarnish President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's current government. According to the reports, US intelligence believes Russia is planning a full-scale invasion rather than a "minor incursion," as President Joe Biden said yesterday.

The New York Times summarizes the issue by explaining that Biden misspoke and retracted his statement, today working to get on the same page as his European allies, and preparing for tomorrow's sit-down with the Russian Foreign minister.

In other news, The Hill reports that today, the Supreme Court rejected abortion providers' newest legal tactic in their challenge to Texas' 6-week abortion limit. Abortion providers had requested the Supreme Court to remand the issue to a federal district court, where the judge hearing their case had already blocked the Texas legislation. The court remanded the issue to the conservative United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which has permitted the ban to continue in effect while the case is being heard.

Business Insider sheds light on issues rising within Cisco since the company has made changes with its pay structure for salespeople in order to stay "in line with industry best practices." As a result, at least 12 workers in enterprise sales have left in the last year. The company has "pooled" its sales staff, which implies that instead of focusing on a specific product or location, each salesperson would collaborate with other salespeople to pursue opportunities. Employees said that their objectives increased even as Cisco's development stalled, making commissions more difficult to obtain. Cisco shares are down .82%.

Netflix shares are down too, explains the Wall Street Journal, since their growth misses its forecast. The video streaming service issued a pessimistic forecast for the current quarter, citing increased competition and an "ongoing Covid overhang." On top of that, the Wall Street Journal also stated that Home sales reached a 15-year high in 2021, existing-home sales increased 8.5 percent to 6.12 million last year, spurred by low loan rates and remote employment. Housing analysts predict that the market frenzy will end in 2022.

That’s all for today. Be sure to download the Ausum app to get the full Ausum experience. Catch you next time for the Ausum News Briefing every weekday, morning, and afternoon.

Good Morning, it’s Thursday, January 20th. And You’re listening to Ausum’s Morning News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

Firstly let’s look at updates with Russia and Ukraine tensions. Reuters reports that a day after warning that Russia could attack its neighbour at "very short notice", U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Berlin for a diplomatic push to defuse tensions with Moscow over Ukraine. Biden predicted that the Russian President will make a military move into Ukraine following the massing of troops near its borders, however, said a full-scale invasion would trigger a response that would be costly for Russia and its economy. The BBC adds that Biden said he would not want "full-blown war".

The Washington Post updated us on the undersea volcano which left Tonga disaster-struck. We are told that aid was only able to arrive after residents of the Pacific island nation swept volcanic ash off the main airport with “human power”.

After a series of North Korean missile tests, tensions are rising. Reuters announced that North Korea will bolster its defences against the United States and consider resuming "all temporarily-suspended activities".

Next, within the UK police have arrested two men in connection with the Texas synagogue hostage. The Guardian notes that police have said these two men are from Birmingham and Manchester. This news source also reports that Ghislaine Maxwell’s legal team yesterday filed documents requesting a new trial following revelations that a juror may not have disclosed childhood sexual abuse during jury selection. Maxwell was convicted on 29 December of five counts for facilitating the late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse of girls.

New research has found that over 1.2 million people died from antibiotic-resistant infections in 2019. Forbes notes that this exceeds the number of people dying from HIV/AIDS and malaria. Forbes also reported on the mysterious illness 'Havana Syndrome’. This illness afflicted several American diplomats and CIA personnel operating abroad, however, The Central Intelligence Agency has discovered that most cases are not caused by a hostile foreign power

That’s all for today. For the full Ausum experience, make sure to download the Ausum app. Catch us, every weekday, morning and afternoon.

Good Afternoon. It's Wednesday, January 19th, and you’re listening to Ausum’s Afternoon News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

We'll begin today with an update on President Biden's news conference commemorating his first year in office, in which he said that it has been "a year of challenges." CNN reports that Biden insists that he "didn't overpromise" what he planned to accomplish this year and that the White House has made tremendous progress. He accepts responsibility and recognizes that the US should have done more Covid-19 testing earlier in the pandemic, but he emphasizes that his government is "doing more now." From administering vaccines, boosters, masks, tests, pills, etc.

According to Axios, the Biden administration announced plans to distribute 400 million N95 respirator masks manufactured in the United States to the public, depleting more than half of the national stockpile. A reaction to new research according to health experts that believe N95 or KN95 masks are the best options for Americans to protect themselves against Omicron and new varients. The Biden administration is currently seeking vendors capable of producing 141 million N95 masks per month, with plans to begin scheduling as soon as this month.

But, The Washington Post adds that according to a CBS News/YouGov poll released this week, approximately 49 percent of Americans agreed that Biden was doing a good job handling the covid outbreak, down from 67 percent who approved of his reaction last March, when the virus was receding.

Another topic is inflation, Fox News claims that the Biden administration was not taking inflation seriously up until three months ago when Biden's chief of staff retweeted a tweet calling inflation a "high class" problem. On top of that, the Build Back Better spending deal will jack up prices even higher.

The Guardian adds that Biden professes confidence in approving "large portions" of the BBB agreement. He insists that he does not need to scale back his goals and that his program is widely supported by the American people. The Build Back Better Act will most likely have to be split into several laws for some of its components to be passed. Biden pointed out that Joe Manchin, who expressed his opposition to the funding measure last month, supports some of its core elements, such as universal access to free prekindergarten.

On top of that, President Biden, according to AP News, has called on the Federal Reserve to do more to fight inflation by reducing monetary stimulus to the US economy. Stating that, “given the strength of our economy, and the pace of recent price increases, it’s important to recalibrate the support that is now necessary."

Aside from the challenges of this year, The Washington Examiner expresses that there has been a major win for Biden that comes after his announcement sharing his 13th batch of federal judicial nominations. The eight nominations solidify his attempts to reform the federal court with historic diversity; seven of the eight new nominees are women, including the first Muslim woman nominee, Nusrat Jahan Choudhury. In total, 62 of Biden's 83 picks are women.

In markets, according to the Wall Street Journal, stocks gave up early gains and began to fall, extending a recent run of losses that has dragged key indexes down to begin the year. The Nasdaq Composite Index, which is heavily weighted toward technology, fell 1.15 percent and completed the day 10.5 percent below its all-time closing high from last November, meaning that it's entering correction territory since percentages dropped more than 10%. The S&P 500 declined 1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 1%, or 339 points, to 35029. Today's trading activity extended a turbulent period for major indexes, with many investors selling shares of technology companies and flooding into other sectors of the market in expectation of higher interest rates.

The Financial Times adds that Morgan Stanley said it plans to aim for a 20% return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) in 2021. This is an increase from the previous aim of at least 17%. The organization intends to diversify its operations outside investment banking and trading. Morgan Stanley also intends to raise the assets under control in its wealth management division to $10 trillion, up from $6.5 trillion currently.

That’s all for today. Be sure to download the Ausum app to get the full Ausum experience. Catch you next time for the Ausum News Briefing every weekday, morning, and afternoon.

Good Morning, it’s Wednesday, January 19th. And You’re listening to Ausum’s Morning News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

Let’s kick off by looking at the aftermath of the January 6th Capitol Riot. Forbes tells us that yesterday lawmakers investigating the riot issued subpoenas to four Trump campaign allies and attorneys including Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. The committee stated that the four individuals “publicly promoted unsupported claims about the 2020 election and participated in attempts to disrupt or delay the certification of election results.”

Regarding the roll out of 5G, The Washington Post reports that wireless companies AT&T and Verizon said that they would limit the rollout of new high-speed 5G networks near airports. The Federal Aviation Administration notes that this step should avert possible flight disruptions and much of the potential for interference with airplane safety technology.

Moving on, let’s look at news on the Covid-19 pandemic. Newsweek updates us that a team of analysts have found that the US could see over one million Coronavirus hospitalizations before the Omicron variant subsides. This information comes whilst the Guardian informs us New York and other north-eastern US states are seeing a rapid decrease in positive cases. However, this newsource still noted that hospitals in these areas are continuing to struggle. Forbes reports that Pfizer claims that it’s antiviral pill is effective against the Omicron variant following successful laboratory studies. Forbes also told us that an error in the White House’s new website has left some unable to order much needed Covid-19 tests. The US Postal Service reassured us by saying that the scale of the problem is “very limited,” only affecting a small percentage of orders. The New York Times announced that a cleanup and evacuation operation has begun in Tonga after the island faced an epic volcanic eruption as well as the tsunami and ash clouds that followed. Efforts to deliver this aid have been complicated partly because there is fear that aid workers could bring Covid-19 onto the island which so far managed to ward it off.

The Guardian reports that Amazon is facing a lawsuit from the family of a delivery driver who died last month when a tornado collapsed the central Illinois Amazon facility where he worked. The lawsuit says that Amazon “carelessly required individuals ... to continue working up until the moments before the tornado struck,” and “improperly directed” McEwen and colleagues to shelter in a rest room.

That’s all for today. For the full Ausum experience, make sure to download the Ausum app. Catch us, every weekday, morning and afternoon.

Good Morning, it’s Tuesday, January 18th. And You’re listening to Ausum’s Morning News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

Images taken by the New Zealand Defense Force have exposed the damage on Tonga’s outer islands from Saturday’s massive undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami. Forbes reports that these images raise fears of unreported deaths and injuries whilst the presence of volcanic ash on an airport runway delayed international aid to the Pacific island nation.

Following the Texas Synagogue hostage event which occurred on Saturday, The New York Times states that one of the hostages, the rabbi, has been called heroic for his cool head and the decisive leadership that led to the dramatic escape. Now questions are being raised about how people can be more secure against random acts of violence that occur.

Texas’s restrictive anti-abortion law has been allowed to remain in place, for now. Axios tells us that a U.S. appeals court has transferred a challenge to Texas' law banning most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy to the state supreme court in a 2-1 vote on Monday evening.

In recent Coronavirus news, Forbes notes that a Israeli researcher has said that a 4th vaccine shot is likely not good enough to protect against Omicron. This is while a number of countries roll out the extra booster to at-risk groups.

Next let’s look at the Russia-Ukraine tensions. The Guardian informs us that the new German foreign minister has said that Russia would pay a ‘high price’ for the attack on Ukraine. This is ahead of a meeting with the Russian foreign minister.

The New York Times states that China announced on Monday that its birthrate plummeted for a fifth straight year in 2021. This demographic crisis could undermine its economy and even its political stability.

Scientists have called for a cap on production and release of chemical pollution. The Guardian noted that this is as a study concludes that chemical pollution has crossed a “planetary boundary”.

Finally, Axios reports that on the East Coast of the United States, storms have left thousands without power. Authorities in North Carolina have confirmed that two people died in a car crash and that they responded 600 vehicle accidents during the storm on Sunday,

That’s all for today. For the full Ausum experience, make sure to download the Ausum app. Catch us, every weekday, morning and afternoon.

Good Morning, it’s Monday, January 17th. And You’re listening to Ausum’s Morning News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

Firstly, on Saturday a 44-year-old man from Briton held a Texas Synagogue hostage for 11 hours. The New York Times reports that the event captured US attention and ended with gunfire which left him dead and four people he had held captive unharmed. What drew him to Texas is still unknown. Newsweek notes that in the wake of the attack, major cities throughout the US are taking steps to improve protection for their Jewish communities.

In the aftermath of the Bronx fire which left seventeen dead, The Washington Post states that over a thousand community members filled the blocks outside the Islamic Cultural Center to mourn the victims. The tragic event has drawn attention to how much more can be done to ensure safety measures are in place in affordable housing developments.

Within US politics, Forbes reports that a recent poll showed nearly half of Americans as “frustrated” with president Joe Biden’s performance. Furthermore, it showed the public as unsatisfied with his handling of the economy, high inflation rates and the Covid-19 pandemic. The Washington Post announced that, despite the US government’s choice to boycott the Beijing Olympics over human rights, many companies like CocaCola and AirBnB are still on board.

Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko has returned to the country to face a treason case. The Guardian tells us that the prosecutor states that Poroshenko was involved in financing Russian-backed separatists in 2014-15.

The University of Michigan president has been fired. The Washington Post notes that this was after an investigation into an alleged sexual affair between him and a female subordinate found evidence that he engaged in inappropriate interactions with the employee.

Finally, The Guardian updates us on Novak Djokovic’s attempt to enter Australia. The world men’s No 1 tennis player has been deported for breaching the country’s border rules on vaccination. The health minister also argued that Djokovic’s medical exemption “wasn’t valid”.

That’s all for today. For the full Ausum experience, make sure to download the Ausum app. Catch us, every weekday, morning and afternoon.

Good Morning, it’s Friday, January 14th. And You’re listening to Ausum’s Morning News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

Firstly, The Washington Examiner updates us that The Queen has stripped Prince Andrew of his military affiliations and royal patronage. This means that the Duke of York will no longer be able to refer to himself as "His Royal Highness". This comes a day after a New York judge refused to dismiss the sexual assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew.

North Korea has fired a third test missile. Forbes reports that the country claims the ongoing missile tests were part of North Korea’s efforts to modernize its defence capability and they do not target any specific country.

Following the guilty verdict on Elizabeth Holmes’ trial, The Guardian states that the former CEO of Theranos will be sentenced to 9 months. Holmes was found guilty by a California jury of four of 11 charges, including three counts of fraud and one count of conspiring to defraud private investors.

Within US Covid politics, The Washington Post reports that the supreme court has blocked Biden’s attempt to put in place workplace rules. The power to impose requirements on healthcare workers was allowed, however, it was found that Congress did not have the ability to impose sweeping requirements in workplaces across the nation.

Forbes updates us on Novak Djokovic’s visa to Australia. The country’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has cancelled Djokovic’s visa once again under the grounds of health and good order grounds and “in the public interest to do so.”

Finally, The Guardian tells us that an anti-abortion campaign has been accused of promoting the harassment of doctors. The Indiana group was endorsed by Amy Barrett before she became a supreme court justice. In one case, a doctor whose name was published by the group was warned by the FBI of a kidnapping threat against her daughter.

That’s all for today. For the full Ausum experience, make sure to download the Ausum app. Catch us, every weekday, morning and afternoon.

Good Morning, it’s Thursday, January 13th. And You’re listening to Ausum’s Morning News Briefing, where we round up the top latest articles that everyone is talking about.

Housing costs are rising within the United States. The New York Times tells us that rent costs rose 0.4 percent in December; this constrains aspiring home buyers and pushes up the demand for apartment and home leases. The Washington Post also noted that Democrats fear that President Biden will pay the price for rising inflation. It is unclear how long the high prices will last for.

Regarding the Coronavirus Pandemic, The New York Times has reported that former president Trump endorsed Covid boosters. Furthermore, Trump called out politicians who won’t reveal their status.

Following the Russia and Ukraine tensions, The Washington Post states that The Organization for Security and Co-operation are meeting to try and avert any security crisis as Russia masses troops on Ukraine’s border.

The Guardian updates us on Prince Andrew's trial. The Duke of York is facing the notion of giving evidence in a high-profile trial. This is after a New York judge refused to throw out a civil case over allegations he sexually assaulted a 17 years old.

This publication also reports on UK politics. Conservative MPs have started openly calling for Boris Johnson’s resignation after he admitted attending a garden party in lockdown.

Finally, Forbes announced that UniCC, the largest online marketplace for stolen credit and debit cards, announced it will close next week after allowing $358 million in transactions over nine years

That’s all for today. For the full Ausum experience, make sure to download the Ausum app. Catch us, every weekday, morning and afternoon.