Finance

Ted Kaufman, former chief of staff to the president-elect, will have a voice in choosing financial regulators

WASHINGTONA decade ago, Ted Kaufman sought to rein in big banks. Now he will have a significant role in picking the people who supervise them. In 2010, during a brief stint in the Senate, Mr. Kaufman led a push to limit the size of U.S. lendersa move that would have led to the breakup of the biggest banks had it been successful. Mr. Kaufman is leading President-elect Joe Bidens transition team, giving him a voice in choosing appointees to fill positions across the government, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Securities and Exchange Commission. A longtime friend of Mr. Biden, Mr. Kaufman is seen as a bridge between moderate Democrats and more liberal members of the party, who applaud his long history of seeking tough new rules on the financial-services industry....

Read More
Finance

Boris Johnson plans to promote his head of communications to a crucial role would be the "final nail for the PM" and "makes Rishi’s trajectory even quicker", Conservative MPs have said today.

Boris Johnson plans to promote his head of communications to a crucial role would be the "final nail for the PM" and "makes Rishis trajectory even quicker", Conservative MPs have said today. Plans are still under wraps, but if confirmed the promotion will see Lee Cain made chief of staff, joining senior advisers Dominic Cummings and Lord Udny-Lister, and Simon Case, who took over as Cabinet secretary in September, in the PM's closest circle of aides.  But the rumours have angered backbenchers - many of whom are convinced the former Vote Leave spokesman was behind the recent lockdown leak. One former minister said it was "pathetic", adding: "I can't get beyond him being a bloody chicken, and we all know it was him who 'leaked' lockdown."  Another added: "It's this Government all over - ...

Read More
Finance

WASHINGTON -- Congress began a lame-duck session Monday facing uncertain odds for a new COVID-19 relief bill, with the split decision in the election empowering both President-elect Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell while eroding the hardline negotiating posture of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The outlook for legislation was also clouded by President Donald Trump's refusal to concede his defeat in the election. He was the chief GOP force pushing for the legislation this fall at least when he thought it could assist his reelection but his posture now is at best uncertain. Having held their own in the election, Republicans controlling the Senate are poised to assert more influence. Republicans largely deferred to Trump's team during more than three months of long and frus...

Read More
Finance

They’re still counting the votes in a handful of the key battleground states in the presidential election – but a look at where the current vote totals stand points to a second straight White House race decided by razor thin margins.

They’re still counting the votes in a handful of the key battleground states in the presidential election – but a look at where the current vote totals stand points to a second straight White House race decided by razor thin margins. The Fox News Decision Desk projected on Saturday that Democratic presidenital nominee Joe Biden would win the state of Nevada and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, giving the former vice president the electoral votes he needed to defeat President Trump and become president-elect. But the president has yet to concede, as he hopes that a flurry of lawsuits he’s filed and a couple of recounts in key states will reverse Biden’s victory. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2020 ELECTION RESULTS FROM FOX NEWS Biden, as of Monday afternoon, had won a record breaking 75.67 m...

Read More
Finance

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos pressed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) on Sunday when she sug…

ABCs George StephanopoulosGeorge Robert StephanopoulosABC, CBS, NBC preempt regular programming for second night of election coverage Chris Wallace condemns Trump claims that he won the election MSNBC, ABC cut away to fact-check Trump remarksMORE pressed South Dakota Gov. Kristi NoemKristi Lynn NoemMan arrested with knife and wooden baton at Trump campaign eventThis election, Americans will once again show their support for marijuana legalizationTrump town hall moderator Guthrie's performance praised, slammed on TwitterMORE (R) on Sunday when she suggested that President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenMary Trump celebrates Biden-Harris victory: 'To America. Thanks, guys'Biden gives shoutout to Black Americans in victory speech: 'You always have my back, and I'll have yours'Biden vows to heal divi...

Read More
Finance

President claims his Democratic rival ‘stole’ election

Team Trump staffers searching for evidence of voter fraud are reportedly being trolled by Joe Biden fans and supporters of the Republican anti-Trump group, the Lincoln Project. People have been calling the president's voter fraud hotline to goad staff manning the phones after Mr Biden secured the presidency on Saturday. Staff have been bombarded with prank calls and the operation is turning into a "nightmare",  according to ABC News. Pranksters may have been emboldened by two Lincoln Project advisers who put out a call on Twitter on Saturday as President-elect Biden prepared to deliver his victory speech in Delaware. Rick Wilson and George Conway sarcastically suggested it would be "wrong" for people to phone the hotline unless they had "significant" evidence of ballot irregularities. ...

Read More
Finance

I’ve worked at TechCrunch for a little over a year, but this was one of the hardest weeks on the job so far. Like many people, I’ve been distracted in recent days. As I write this, I have one eye on my keyboard and another on a TV that sporadically broadcasts…

I’ve worked at TechCrunch for a little over a year, but this was one of the hardest weeks on the job so far. Like many people, I’ve been distracted in recent days. As I write this, I have one eye on my keyboard and another on a TV that sporadically broadcasts election results from battleground states. Despite the background noise, I’m completely impressed with the TechCrunch staff; it takes a great deal of focus and energy to set aside the world’s top news story and concentrate on the work at hand. Monday feels like a distant memory, so here’s an overview of top Extra Crunch stories from the last five days. These articles are only available to members, but you can use discount code ECFriday to save 20% off a one or two-year subscription. Details here. B2B marketplaces will be the next b...

Read More
Finance

Canadians have been ripping their cuticles off while they wait for the United States to pick its next president.

Beyond despondent, one reader wrote in a haiku competition hosted by The Toronto Star. That so many support his bigotry and hate. Even political analysts, who study the nuanced dynamics of voting, said Mr. Trumps widespread support signaled a worrying cleavage in the American identity. Hes tapped into something real a sense of disillusion and hopelessness, said Lori Turnbull, the director of the School of Public Administration and an associate professor of political science at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Whether he gets to 270 or not, she said, the challenge will be: Is America able to restore the integrity of its institutions and its mythology and belief in an American dream? Canada shares the longest border in the world with the United States. Before, Canadians crossed it regula...

Read More
Finance

NHL Network is spending the offseason presenting the best current NHL players at each position. On Sunday, the network’s producers and analysts chose the top 20 wings in the League in a special program that airs at 6 p.m. ET on NHL Network. To add to that con…

NHL Network is spending the offseason presenting the best current NHL players at each position. On Sunday, the network's producers and analysts chose the top 20 wings in the League in a special program that airs at 6 p.m. ET on NHL Network. To add to that conversation, we asked eight NHL.com writers to pick the player they think will be the best wing in three seasons. Here are their choices:David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins Pastrnak was the right wing on the NHL First All-Star team after tying for the League lead with 48 goals last season. He's 24; in three years he'll be 27. Nikita Kucherov will be 30. Artemi Panarin will be 32. Patrick Kane will be 34. Brad Marchand will be 35. Alex Ovechkin will be 38. Could a younger player overtake Pastrnak? Sure. But I'm going with a relatively young pl...

Read More
Finance

Microsoft’s mainstream Surface PC mostly hits—if you avoid the cheapest version.

Enlarge/ The Surface Laptop Go is made for those who want a smaller and more affordable Surface PC. 33 with 30 posters participating What is the point of a Surface device? The latest model in Microsofts line of Windows PCs, the Surface Laptop Go, forces buyers to confront why they want a Surface machine in the first place. Much like the Surface Go series of two-in-one tablets, the Surface Laptop Go aims for the mainstream side of the market, with a starting price of $550. However, it does so with a more traditional clamshell design.For that amount, the Surface Laptop Go still provides most of Microsofts signatures: an attractive design, high build quality, a comfortable keyboard and trackpad, a display with a taller 3:2 aspect ratio, the proprietary Surface Connect port, and so on. But...

Read More