Types of News: Brief Archives

Gold and Silver Hit Record Highs As Trump’s DOJ Squeezes the Fed

12Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief, United States

Gold and Silver Hit Record Highs As Trump’s DOJ Squeezes the Fed

U.S. Central Bank Independence Questioned January 12, 2026—The price of precious metals soared to new heights as the U.S. central bank's independence came under greater political pressure. Gold and silver reached record highs, at $4,600 a troy and $86 an ounce, respectively. It comes as global investors grow wary of the increased political pressure by President Donald Trump on the Federal Reserve. Investors fear the central bank is losing autonomy to curb long-term inflation in the United States. Intensifying geopolitical tensions are also weighing on the markets. Year on year, gold prices increased by 70 percent, up from $2,715 a troy. Silver, meanwhile, swelled by 183 percent, from $30 an ounce in January 2025 to $86 an ounce today. Investors are placing bets on whether or not t...

U.S. Phones, Telecom Companies Still Subject to Spying

4Dec

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief, United States

U.S. Phones, Telecom Companies Still Subject to Spying

Trump Scraps Proposed Sanctions on China’s Spy Agency December 4, 2025—A year after it became known that the Chinese government hacked into the U.S. telecommunications systems, gaining access to millions of phones, the systems remain vulnerable to spying, according to senators, a panel of experts, and officials at the Federal Communications Commission. “Our nation’s communications networks are facing rapidly evolving threats ranging from fraud and espionage to sabotage,” said Sen. Deb Fischer at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Tuesday. In late 2024, U.S. officials became aware of a Chinese government cyberespionage operation targeting global telecommunications systems. That became known as the “Salt Typhoon” attack, the worst telecommunications compromise in the nation’...

Musk Pushes Robotics After Winning Tesla $1 Trillion Pay Plan

7Nov

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Brief

Musk Pushes Robotics After Winning Tesla $1 Trillion Pay Plan

Why the GER is covering this story: This story cuts to the heart of corporate responsibility, the ability of shareholders to influence corporate decisions, the evolving role of AI in the workplace and human relations, and inequality. November 7, 2025—Tesla’s board and CEO Elon Musk have won their proposal to pay Musk $1 trillion via stock options over the next decade with over 75 percent support from shareholders. Shortly after the company announced the results, Musk took the stage and emphasized a focus on robots. He said robots “are the future” for everything from health care and criminology. He added, however, that “things get wild from an economic point of view.” “Every human on Earth is going to want to have their own personal R2-D2 or C-3PO,” Musk said. “So who wouldn’t...

Norway’s Wealth Fund Votes ‘No’ on Tesla’s Trillion Payout to Musk

4Nov

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Brief

Norway’s Wealth Fund Votes ‘No’ on Tesla’s Trillion Payout to Musk

November 4, 2025—Norway’s Norges Bank Investment Management voted against both Tesla’s board proposals on executive pay, including the plan to distribute $1 trillion to CEO Elon Musk over the next decade. This year’s proxy vote is a significant test of shareholder power. The $2 trillion fund is the world's largest sovereign wealth fund. It has a $11.7 billion stake in Tesla, which represents just over one percent of the company’s shares. “While we appreciate the significant value created under Mr. Musk’s visionary role, we are concerned about the total size of the award, dilution, and lack of mitigation of key person risk- consistent with our views on executive compensation. We will continue to seek constructive dialogue with Tesla on this and other topics,” the fund said in its reas...

Risk and Rewards of Bank Deregulation in Trump 2.0

3Nov

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Brief

Risk and Rewards of Bank Deregulation in Trump 2.0

Trump’s Changes Boost Big Banks and AI Carry Market Risks November 3, 2025—Deregulation of industry is a significant feature of Trump 2.0. In his second term, President Donald Trump is signing executive orders and presidential memoranda that require agencies to pause, review, or repeal rules affecting energy production, air quality, environmental protection, and banking. In the financial sector, the Trump administration is: Reducing the amount of cash banks need to hold (a.k.a. capital requirements). Cutting certain exam requirements for small, community banks effective Jan. 1, 2026. These relate to the National Flood Insurance Program, fair lending risk assessments, and other regulatory requirements. (See the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, https://occ.gov/news-issuances/...

Consumers Likely to Pay Two-Thirds the Expense Cost of Tariffs, S&P Says

24Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Global Economics, Global Trade, Types of News: Brief

Consumers Likely to Pay Two-Thirds the Expense Cost of Tariffs, S&P Says

Companies Face $1.2 Trillion Cost Shock in 2025 October 24, 2025—Businesses are facing a $1.2 trillion tariff-related expense burden this year, and companies are likely to pass on two-thirds of some costs to consumers, according to S&P Global. S&P Global evaluated estimates from 15,000 sell-side analysts for its report, “Margin Math: A $1.2 trillion expense propagates through supply chains in 2025.” Overall, across the global equity market, which represents roughly 9,000 public companies worth $130 trillion, companies are expected to face a $1.2 trillion cost shock due to higher tariffs. At the company level, firms face an expense shock of $907 billion. Firms are likely to pass on part of the burden—an estimated $592 billion—to consumers. Meanwhile, companies are likely to...

ICJ: Israel Must Allow Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Through UN Agencies

22Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Middle East, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

ICJ: Israel Must Allow Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Through UN Agencies

Judgment Strikes Blow to Israeli Laws Against UNRWA October 22, 2025—The International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, ruled today that Israel is obligated as the occupying power to allow humanitarian aid to the people in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the court ordered Israel 1.) to respect the prohibition on the forcible transfer of a population and 2.) allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit detainees. Today’s decision comes at the request of the UN General Assembly, specifically after Israel’s legislature voted to block UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, from work. The ICJ is considering three separate cases relating to Israel-Palestine. Today’s 71-page Advisory Opinio...

Former Trump Security Adviser John Bolton Indicted on Charges of Mishandling Information

17Oct

By No Comments

Types of News: Brief, United States

Former Trump Security Adviser John Bolton Indicted on Charges of Mishandling Information

Indictment Alleges Transmitting and Retaining National Defense Information October 17, 2025—A Maryland court indicted John Bolton, the former White House national security adviser during the first term of President Donald Trump. Counts one through eight on the 26-page indictment relate to the “transmission of national defense information,” and counts nine through 18 accuse him of “retention” of the information. The Trump administration’s Department of Justice shared the indictment online. Asked about the indictment on Thursday, Trump said, “I think he’s a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy, but that’s the way it goes.” Bolton pleaded not guilty in court on Friday. Bolton has been publicly critical of Trump since leaving office in 2019. On Thursday, Bolton accused the Trump admi...

17Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Geopolitics, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Trump Negotiates US-Saudi Defense Deal

Middle East Moves Closer to Regional Military and Security Integration October 17, 2025—President Donald Trump is in talks with Saudi Arabia over a defense deal involving military and intelligence cooperation, the Financial Times reported today. The newspaper reported that a White House aide suggests the two leaders could sign something when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits Washington next month. Regional Integration The two countries have long discussed security deals, many of which are related to the Abraham Accords. Details of such discussions are often muted and known to even officials serving on the House and Senate Foreign Policy Committees. On September 29, Trump announced via executive order the United States will provide NATO-life security guarantees for ...

Netanyahu Ally Aims to Delay Corruption Trial Due to ‘War’

15Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Domestic Politics, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Netanyahu Ally Aims to Delay Corruption Trial Due to ‘War’

Proposal Creates Perverse Incentive to Restart Gaza War October 15, 2025—As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified today in court over longstanding corruption charges, a key political ally advanced plans to tie an exemption from that trial to wartime. It comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war signified a “historic dawn of a new Middle East.” Netanyahu Ally: No Trial During War Yariv Levin is not just the Justice Minister, he is also the deputy prime minister, minister of the Interior, and minister of Religious Services. He’s also a key Netanyahu ally who, in January 2023, led the judicial overhaul plan to restrict the authority of the Supreme Court. It was a highly controversial reform that cri...