Democrat Paul Tonko is pushing to halt a ‘public health crisis’ from engulfing the country – starting with a nationwide ban on ads As Las Vegas prepares to host Super Bowl LVIII sports betting is preparing to celebrate its remarkable shift from the illegal fringes of American sports to the heart of its establishment. In Congress, one man is not cheering. Congressman Paul Tonko fears the industry has already gone too far. “There’s no limit to this,” he told the Guardian. “You can’t have this wild west environment.” So far Tonko is a rare voice of dissent in Washington, another arena where the new gambling establishment is gaining ground. Continue reading...

Fatih Birol says fossil fuel use will peak in 2030, and urges companies to lead switch to green energy Cop28 live – latest updates Oil and gas producers must convert their operations to renewable energy or face steep economic decline, the world’s chief energy adviser has said amid the forging of a new alliance of energy companies at the UN Cop28 climate summit. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said: “We have to find a way to reduce fossil fuel consumption, and as such there is an important role that the oil and gas industry can play. I very much hope that they can show in Dubai that they can be part of the solution when it comes to tackling climate change.” Continue reading...

X plans to cater to small and medium-sized businesses as big advertisers pull their dollars Major advertisers like Disney, IBM and Apple are still withholding ad dollars from Elon Musk’s X two weeks after its owner endorsed an antisemitic tweet and two days after he launched an expletive-laden tirade to describe his feelings about the pull back. Marketing agencies are pulling back from it as well. In response, X has said it plans to attract smaller and medium-sized businesses to prop up its income. “Small and medium businesses are a very significant engine that we have definitely underplayed for a long time,” a statement given by the company to the Financial Times on Friday reads. “It [was] always part of the plan – now we will go even further with it.” Continue reading...

UAW, representing 400,000 in the US and over 580,000 retired workers, makes announcement as military operations resume The United Auto Workers, one of the US’s largest labor unions, has come out in support of a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine as a temporary ceasefire ended on Friday with Israel resuming military operations in Gaza. The UAW is now the largest union to have called for a ceasefire. It represents 400,000 workers in the US and more than 580,000 retired workers. Continue reading...

Modest fall in mortgage costs and rising manufacturer confidence fuel hopes that UK is ‘turning the corner’ UK house prices rise for third straight month as mortgage rates fall The UK economy is showing signs of beginning to stabilise from the economic slowdown triggered by soaring inflation and ever-higher interest rates, amid hopes that a peak in borrowing costs has been reached. Figures on the housing market and manufacturing on Friday showed steadying levels of activity, amid a modest decline in mortgage costs for households and rising confidence among industrial firms. Continue reading...