Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Puppet Regime is up for a Webby Award!   VOTE HERE
Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Trump meets with TikTok, Europe investigates it, Morales investigated for sexual abuse, Mexico charges Walmart for monopoly

​TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024.

TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024.

REUTERS/Nathan Howard
34: TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew met President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago amid a potential ban of the app if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance by January 19. TikTok has appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing the ban would cause "irreparable harm," and Trump indicted at a press conference he may overturn the ban because it would benefit Facebook, a platform that once banned him.He also claimed he “won youth by 34 points," despite the fact that the majority of 18 to 29-year-olds backed Trump's Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, in November — but Trump has never been one to miss an easy political win.

6: Speaking of TikTok, it is also in hot water in the EU, where it is under investigation for potentially breaching digital regulations during Romania's presidential election. After Romania's top court canceled the first-round voting results, authorities alleged a Russian-organized social media campaign boosted far-right candidate Calin Georgescu through paid influencer promotions. The investigation will examine TikTok's content recommendation systems and could result in mandatory platform changes or fines up to 6% of the company's global revenue.

15: Bolivian prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for former President Evo Morales in a sexual abuse investigation involving an alleged relationship with a 15-year-old girl in 2016. Morales, who denies the allegations, claims this is a political conspiracy to prevent him from running in next year's election. A conviction would not only result in criminal charges but also potentially ban him from political office, effectively ending his political career.

2.5%: Mexico's anti-monopoly regulators imposed 10-year special conditions on Walmart's Mexico subsidiary for allegedly pressuring suppliers and engaging in monopolistic practices. The Federal Competition Commission accused Walmart of using market power to force suppliers to offer exclusive discounts and prevent them from giving better prices to competitors. Walmart was fined $4.6 million and plans to appeal, claiming the case is unfair. The company's shares fell 2.5% following the announcement.

More For You

Hard Number: Canada’s Carney finally set for majority
Carney’s Liberal Party looks set to gain an outright majority for the first time since the prime minister took charge in March last year, as voters head to the polls today in three by-elections – special votes to fill these vacant seats in Parliament. Two of the ridings are in left-leaning areas of Toronto. If the Liberals win those, it will be [...]
​The amount of time European airports have before facing jet fuel shortages if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened.

The amount of time European airports have before facing jet fuel shortages if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened.

Natalie Johnson
The ACI Europe, a regional airport trade group, is warning EU leaders that airports could soon face “systemic” jet fuel shortages while Iran maintains its grip over the Strait of Hormuz. Airlines also say they have enough fuel to get them through several weeks, but aren’t able to guarantee deliveries in May. This comes as Asian countries like [...]
The revenue generated by Russia’s main oil tax in April amid the Iran war, per Reuters calculations. The amount is double last month’s revenue, and up by 10% from this time last year.

The revenue generated by Russia’s main oil tax in April amid the Iran war, per Reuters calculations. The amount is double last month’s revenue, and up by 10% from this time last year.

Natalie Johnson
The Iran war has pushed Brent crude prices to $100 per barrel, up from around $70 before the conflict began. One of the main beneficiaries was a country not fighting in the war: Russia. The Kremlin relies heavily on its oil and gas exports, which account for between 30% and 50% of the government’s budget. As such, the global surge in prices has [...]
The number of new banknotes Cuba issued this month to deal with rampant inflation. The 2,000 and 5,000 Cuban peso notes are roughly worth $4 and $10, respectively.

The number of new banknotes Cuba issued this month to deal with rampant inflation. The 2,000 and 5,000 Cuban peso notes are roughly worth $4 and $10, respectively.

Natalie Johnson
Cubans are no strangers to carrying large bundles of cash just to get through daily shopping, a habit born from years of relentless inflation. Things have only gotten worse lately, since a de facto US oil blockade sent prices even higher. To ease the burden of transactions, Havana is introducing two new banknotes, the largest of which is worth [...]