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Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Playbook PM: Trump and Paul spar over megabill
Presented by THE CATCH-UP It's crunch time for the Senate GOP this week as the conference rushes to advance President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending package through the reconciliation process. Staring down a July Fourth deadline, the president this morning ramped up his pressure campaign by jumping into a war of words with fiscal hawk Rand Paul. Paul is standing firm in his opposition to the GOP megabill because of its impact on the national debt, the Kentucky senator told CNBC this morning, adding that raising the debt ceiling is 'not conservative.' Shortly after the show, the president took to Truth Social to lambast Paul. What he said: 'Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming,' Trump wrote. He added later: 'Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can't stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!' Paul said he was 'open to voting' for the package and is willing to compromise 'as much as I can.' But he is 'not going to take responsibility for the debt,' he cautioned, predicting that the issue will be owned by the Republicans' if it goes through. 'I think that's a big mistake.' And he's not the only one. Paul claims that there are enough deficit hawks who can block the bill in the Senate. Shortly after Trump's posts, Paul shared a Fox News article on X, writing 'I want to see the tax cuts made permanent, but I also want to see the $5 trillion in new debt removed from the bill. At least 4 of us in the Senate feel this way.' He told CNBC that 'four people with courage can make the bill into anything that we want to.' Still, leaders are projecting cautious optimism. Senate Majority Leader John Thune insisted on Fox News Radio that the chamber was on the right track to push the package through — but added the party needs 'to have [Trump] fully engaged with senators as we go through the next few weeks.' Expect more tensions to bubble up tomorrow, with Senate Republicans set to hold a meeting to discuss their reconciliation strategy, per POLITICO's Jordain Carney. 'The meeting will give GOP senators a chance to quiz committee chairs on their forthcoming pieces of the megabill and talk through unresolved issues.' Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at birvine@ 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS: TikTok users rejoice … for now … again. Trump is set to sign yet another 90-day extension allowing the popular social platform to continue operations in the U.S., 'as the future of the Chinese short-video app get enmeshed in the trade US-Chinese trade talks and will likely be used as leverage by the Chinese in crafting a deal,' Fox Business' Charles Gasparino scoops. There is still the potential for the extension to be a short-lived maneuver if Trump 'sees a strategic advantage in crafting a deal by letting it go dark,' Gasparino notes. The current extension for TikTok's operations was set to expire June 19. Call it what you want: Meanwhile, Trump is 'obsessed' with scheduling a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, 'convinced he can personally hash out deep-seated divisions between the world's two largest economies,' POLITICO's Phelim Kine and colleagues report. But there's doubt that a call would move the needle and improve trade relations. 'Other outside observers remain skeptical Trump will actually be able to get Xi on the phone.' 2. BARAKA HITS BACK: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is suing the Trump administration for 'malicious prosecution' following his arrest — and subsequent dismissal — of trespassing charges earlier this month when touring an immigration detention facility, POLITICO's Madison Fernandez and colleagues report. Baraka's attorneys claim interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba 'directed and ratified' his arrest unlawfully and acted as a ''political operative,' defaming him in inflammatory statements on social media and in TV interviews.' Read the filing 3. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has set a Sept. 9 special election to fill the seat of the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, POLITICO's Gigi Ewing reports. 'Virginia's 11th district is deep blue and will almost assuredly elect another Democrat.' Virginia's contest will kick off a series of special elections to replace late Democratic members this fall: Arizonans will vote on a successor for Rep. Raúl Grijalva on Sept. 23, and Texans will pick a replacement for Rep. Sylvester Turner on Nov. 4. 4. RUSSIA-UKRAINE LATEST: Russia and Ukraine's second round of talks yesterday failed to make progress toward ending the grueling three-year war, in part, Ukrainian officials say, because of the Kremlin's 'no compromise' demands for Kyiv, NBC's Keir Simmons and Alexander Smith report. Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands read like 'less of a peace plan and more a demand for Ukraine to surrender, defang its military and become a vassal of Moscow.' Putin calls for Ukraine to downsize its army, agree to a 'neutral status' between Russia and the West, make Russian an official language, and ban the 'glorification or promotion of Nazism.' 5. OFF TO THE MARKET: Amid a wide-ranging economic uncertainty, new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show demand for workers nationwide remains high. The latest openings and turnover report shows that the number of available jobs in the U.S. unexpectedly rose this month, totaling an estimated 7.39 million at the end of April — up from 7.2 million in March. What it all means: The surprisingly positive numbers 'support the Federal Reserve's assertion that the job market is in a good place. However, it's taking longer for those who are out of a job to find work, and economists expect the labor market to weaken more notably in coming months,' amid Trump's tariff threats, Bloomberg's Jarrell Dillard reports. The next major economic reading will come with Friday's May jobs report. 6. SCOTUS WATCH: Trump has long complained about the efficacy of the Supreme Court. But behind closed doors, the president has also been airing grievances about the justices he appointed, particularly Justice Amy Coney Barrett, CNN's Kristen Holmes and John Fritze reports. Trump's allies have convinced him Barrett is 'weak' and her 'rulings have not been in line with how she presented herself' during her 2020 confirmation. Some Trump allies say 'Barrett's rulings might have been shaped by menacing behavior and threats of violence directed at her family.' In response, 'Trump has asked advisers and allies if they think Barrett needs more security,' per CNN. And Trump 'insists he does not want to attack her publicly.' 7. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid delivery program in Gaza has gotten off to a tumultuous start, with humanitarian groups denouncing the project and allegations that the Israeli military has shot into crowds in line for aid. Now, WaPo's Karen DeYoung and Cate Brown report that the U.S. consulting group that helped design the effort has abandoned the program entirely — leaving its future uncertain. Today, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said that it was investigating a shooting near a GHF site that resulted in an estimated 27 casualties, in which Israeli troops fired on what they said were 'several suspects … deviating from the designated access routes,' per CNN. 'Tuesday's incident marks the third day in a row that people have been killed on their way to the GHF distribution point west of Rafah while attempting to secure food.' 8. SOUTH KOREA'S NEW LEADER: After years of political tumult, South Korea has elected center-left Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung as its next president. Conservative candidate Kim Moon-soo officially conceded defeat this afternoon and congratulated Lee for the win — with 48.3% of the vote and 80% of the votes counted, per Bloomberg. In his acceptance speech, Lee didn't address 'how he would handle relations with Washington, an especially pressing issue as tariff negotiations with the Trump administration are a priority for South Korea's export-reliant economy.' TALK OF THE TOWN Darren Beattie has stirred up concerns inside the State Department over his pro-Russian views and marriage to a Russian woman 'whose uncle has taken several roles in Russian politics and once received a personal 'thank you' message from Vladimir Putin,' per The Telegraph. THE ARTS IMPACT — Kennedy Center subscription sales have dropped by roughly $1.6 million or 36 percent from last year, with ticket packages taking a major hit across every programming genre following Trump's takeover of the storied institution, WaPo's Travis Andrews scoops. SOMETHING TO TACO ABOUT — The DNC is renting a taco truck deploying the 'Trump Always Chickens Out' slogan parked outside of the RNC HQ, per Axios. The truck features a 'graphic of Trump in a chicken suit' and is serving free tacos until 2 p.m. VP JD Vance was quick to respond on X: 'We have the lamest opposition in American history.' PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — 'Dupont Circle Park to remain open during Pride, council members say,' per WaPo: 'A plan to bar people from celebrating Pride in the park at Dupont Circle this weekend has been canceled following pushback from local elected officials, according to two D.C. council members. The change comes less than 24 hours after the closing was announced by the National Park Service Monday evening. The park is at the center of Washington's historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood, and an announcement by the Park Police that it would be closed during this weekend's WorldPride parade and parties was another blow to a celebration that has gotten off to a rocky start.' MEDIA MOVE — Nancy Vu is now a congressional reporter at National Journal. She previously was a health reporter at Bloomberg Government and is a Washington Examiner and POLITICO alum. TRANSITIONS — Bryan Moose is now a legislative assistant at the ACLU's National Political Advocacy Department. He previously was a deputy White House liaison at HUD under Bidden and is a Bobby Scott alum. … GuidePost Strategies has added Kate Beaulieu and Alex Large as principals, Pam Kinsey as senior adviser, Hailey Womer as director of research, Luke Midura and Tim Frei as associates and Mya Steir as an administrative assistant. … … The American Humanist Association has added Amitai Heller as legal director. Rachel Deitch has also rejoined the organization and the Center for Freethought Equality as policy and political director. Heller previously was senior staff attorney at Compassion & Choices. Deitch previously was federal policy director for the National Coalition of STD Directors. … Dean Hingson is now a partner at Farragut Partners. He previously was a principal at Mehlman consulting and is a Dan Coats, Judd Gregg and Elizabeth Dole alum. … Rita Baranwal is now chief nuclear officer at Radiant Nuclear. She most recently was SVP of Westinghouse's AP300 small modular reactor program and is a DOE alum. WEEKEND WEDDING — Alexandra Dakich, an associate at Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP and a Pete Buttigieg 2020 campaign alum, and Nick Izzard, strategic finance senior manager at ZocDoc got married on Saturday at Newfields in Indianapolis. The couple met in college at Vanderbilt University. Pic Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Ithuba Lottery considers legal action after Sizekhaya Holdings awarded National Lottery licence
iol Ithuba Lottery is contemplating legal action following Sizekhaya Holdings' recent award of the Fourth National Lottery and Sports Pools Licence Image: File Ithuba Lottery says its legal team is considering taking legal action after Sizekhaya Holdings was on Wednesday awarded the Fourth National Lottery and Sports Pools Licence. Effectively, Sizekhaya takes over from Ithuba, who managed the lottery from 2015. "We are expectably deeply disappointed by the recent decision made by the Minister of Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and the National Lotteries Commission (NLC). We believe that this decision undermines the principles of localisation and inclusive economic growth set out in the Request for Proposal," Ithuba said in a statement. It said it has "invested significantly in developing the first African Central Lottery System, owned and developed for Africa by South Africans." Ithuba argued that it has, at its disposal, the necessary infrastructure, financial resources and distribution systems capable of delivering a seamless, secure, and uninterrupted National Lottery. "Our game portfolio is locally developed, our operational model prioritises economic inclusion, and our reach extends across urban and rural communities, ensuring accessibility for all South Africans from day one. "This decision disregards the progress made in building a truly home-grown lottery eco-system that empowers small businesses, drives local job creation, and channels maximum revenue to good causes," Ithuba said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ [ANNOUNCEMENT] : THE MINISTER OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND COMPETITION ANNOUNCES THE AWARD OF THE 4TH NATIONAL LOTTERY AND SPORTS POOL LICENSE. — Parks Tau (@TauParks) May 28, 2025 Sizekhaya Holdings' victory is tempered by the undercurrent of legal challenges, as the licensing process has already attracted scrutiny leading to a judgment by the High Court. The DTIC indicated that legal advice is being sought to appeal the ruling, underscoring the complexities entwined in this process. Minister Parks Tau also expressed his commitment to uphold all rights concerning the court's findings, while reiterating his promise to the bidders involved. IOL
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fourth Announces the Next Generation of Fourth iQ Including an AI-powered App for Helping Managers Make Great Operational Decisions
LONDON, May 15, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ahead of the MCA Hostech event in London, Fourth announces the next generation of Fourth iQ - their Artificial Intelligence for the Hospitality industry – with the mission to transform how restaurant managers make effective decisions in real-time. The major news is the announcement of the Fourth iQ App, providing restaurant managers with real-time recommended actions, powered by AI. The App supports critical functions spanning HR, scheduling and inventory management. With AI-driven alerts and actions delivered directly to their device, managers can react quicker to ensure their restaurant always runs efficiently, enabling them to spend more time on the floor rather than the back office. The App is currently offered to customers in a limited Beta, with general availability slated for Autumn 2025. "Restaurant managers have a lot on their plate - balancing guest experience with profitability, and managing their team. They have to make hundreds of operational decisions daily," said Clinton Anderson, CEO of Fourth/ HotSchedules. "The new Fourth iQ App serves up recommendations for managers for their next best action - speeding up decision making and giving back the time they need to focus on what matters." Numerous major restaurant operators are already benefitting from Fourth iQ – with brands including PizzaExpress, The Big Table Group, BKUK and Thai Leisure Group achieving significant results. For example, BKUK (master franchisee for the Burger King brand within the UK) utilise Fourth iQ Auto-Scheduling to reduce labour costs by 1% while absorbing a significant increase in the 2024 minimum wage. Similarly, Thai Leisure Group is utilising AI-driven scheduling to both increase sales by 15% and reduce labour costs by 1%. Drew Brodnax, Director of Finance at Brinker International shared, "Fourth iQ helps our restaurant leadership teams by allowing them to be more effective in their day to day and has the potential to increase profits and improve operations at each Chili's location." The latest release introduces the following new capablities: The Fourth iQ App: Now in limited Beta, this AI-powered App delivers actions and alerts straight to managers' devices, helping them react faster and spend more time on the floor. Sales and Labour Modelling – the ability to model the impact on labour costs of different sales forecasts and labour rules, comparing scenarios against each other. Forecast Manager – A centralized hub to connect and manage AI-powered labour and inventory forecasts. "I am incredibly proud of our latest release – not only does it showcase the incredible skill and determination of my wonderful colleagues to deliver cutting-edge AI tech at pace – it delivers exactly the capability our customers need to help their managers thrive," said Christian Berthelsen, Fourth CTO. "We are now entering a 'new dimension' where AI is powering restaurant operations – in fact, it's happening now and Fourth's customers are already reaping the benefits. " If you would like to learn more about what Fourth iQ can do for your business, the Fourth Team will be attending MCA Hostech in London on the 22nd May. Alternatively please reach out to us. hello@ +44 (0) 2075343700 About Fourth When every hour of every shift matters, Fourth helps restaurants, retailers, and hotels conquer the day with data-driven workforce and inventory technology. The Fourth AI Platform leverages more than 20 years of rich data and advanced analytics to deliver actionable insights and demand forecasting for optimising operations, maximising margins, and empowering employees. With a streamlined business powered by the Fourth AI Platform, industry operators can act with certainty and conquer with confidence whatever comes their way every day. Fourth serves more than 15,000 customers across 100,000 locations globally. For more information, please visit View source version on Contacts Media contact:Nipul Chokshi,
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Fourth Announces the Next Generation of Fourth iQ Including an AI-powered App for Helping Managers Make Great Operational Decisions
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ahead of the MCA Hostech event in London, Fourth announces the next generation of Fourth iQ - their Artificial Intelligence for the Hospitality industry – with the mission to transform how restaurant managers make effective decisions in real-time. The major news is the announcement of the Fourth iQ App, providing restaurant managers with real-time recommended actions, powered by AI. The App supports critical functions spanning HR, scheduling and inventory management. With AI-driven alerts and actions delivered directly to their device, managers can react quicker to ensure their restaurant always runs efficiently, enabling them to spend more time on the floor rather than the back office. The App is currently offered to customers in a limited Beta, with general availability slated for Autumn 2025. 'Restaurant managers have a lot on their plate - balancing guest experience with profitability, and managing their team. They have to make hundreds of operational decisions daily," said Clinton Anderson, CEO of Fourth/ HotSchedules. "The new Fourth iQ App serves up recommendations for managers for their next best action - speeding up decision making and giving back the time they need to focus on what matters." Numerous major restaurant operators are already benefitting from Fourth iQ – with brands including PizzaExpress, The Big Table Group, BKUK and Thai Leisure Group achieving significant results. For example, BKUK (master franchisee for the Burger King brand within the UK) utilise Fourth iQ Auto-Scheduling to reduce labour costs by 1% while absorbing a significant increase in the 2024 minimum wage. Similarly, Thai Leisure Group is utilising AI-driven scheduling to both increase sales by 15% and reduce labour costs by 1%. Drew Brodnax, Director of Finance at Brinker International shared, "Fourth iQ helps our restaurant leadership teams by allowing them to be more effective in their day to day and has the potential to increase profits and improve operations at each Chili's location." The latest release introduces the following new capablities: The Fourth iQ App: Now in limited Beta, this AI-powered App delivers actions and alerts straight to managers' devices, helping them react faster and spend more time on the floor. Sales and Labour Modelling – the ability to model the impact on labour costs of different sales forecasts and labour rules, comparing scenarios against each other. Forecast Manager – A centralized hub to connect and manage AI-powered labour and inventory forecasts. 'I am incredibly proud of our latest release – not only does it showcase the incredible skill and determination of my wonderful colleagues to deliver cutting-edge AI tech at pace – it delivers exactly the capability our customers need to help their managers thrive,' said Christian Berthelsen, Fourth CTO. 'We are now entering a 'new dimension' where AI is powering restaurant operations – in fact, it's happening now and Fourth's customers are already reaping the benefits. ' If you would like to learn more about what Fourth iQ can do for your business, the Fourth Team will be attending MCA Hostech in London on the 22 nd May. Alternatively please reach out to us. About Fourth When every hour of every shift matters, Fourth helps restaurants, retailers, and hotels conquer the day with data-driven workforce and inventory technology. The Fourth AI Platform leverages more than 20 years of rich data and advanced analytics to deliver actionable insights and demand forecasting for optimising operations, maximising margins, and empowering employees. With a streamlined business powered by the Fourth AI Platform, industry operators can act with certainty and conquer with confidence whatever comes their way every day. Fourth serves more than 15,000 customers across 100,000 locations globally. For more information, please visit
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Blue state ICE facility ramps up security with new barricades amid clashes with protesters
NEWARK, N.J. - Large yellow barricades were at the front of Delaney Hall on Tuesday morning following protests at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Monday and last week. An ICE officer told Fox News Digital that the barricades were placed following Monday's protests, as they went all the way up to the gate itself. In addition to the barricades, signs are up saying "private property, no trespassing, violators will be prosecuted." The facility is operated by the GEO Group, a private contractor, but law enforcement is also heavily present outside the building. Who Is The Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Arrested For Trespassing At An Ice Detention Center? Two people were arrested at the protest on Monday, as a demonstration of clergy members were in attendance and said they would have "volunteered" to be taken into custody. They linked arms outside the main gate of Delaney Hall as they chanted and sang songs. This protest came after Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democratic candidate for governor, was arrested for trespassing last week. Read On The Fox News App Baraka's arrest occurred during a protest at the facility attended by three members of Congress, who said they were in attendance to perform their congressionally-mandated oversight duties related to federal detention facilities. The three lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The lawmakers, including Rep. LaMonica McIver, said "ICE created chaos" that led to the incident, according to an X post. "We're not asking for anything that's incorrect. We ask them to obey our laws," Baraka said after the incident. "To obey the policies and rules here in the city and the state of New Jersey, not to run roughshod over the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Fourteenth Amendment and everybody on this soil who deserves due process." Newark Mayor Speaks After Being Released From Hsi Facility The arrest came as activists had been calling for access to the facility for days, which is a privately run facility that was revamped as an immigration detention facility this year. ICE also used the building in the heavily industrial area of the city from 2011 to 2017 for migrant detentions, according to the Washington Post. DHS said that many of the detainees currently at the facility are facing criminal charges or are already convicted of crimes. "Who do they want released from Delaney Hall? The child rapists, murderers, drug traffickers, MS-13 gang members or known terrorists?" Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin asked after Monday's demonstration. "This was a cheap political stunt by the Democrats and by these protesters," she said. "We're not having it. They put law enforcement officers at risk. They put our staff in the facility at risk and put the detainees at risk. You saw that they didn't even let an ambulance through. This is not something that this administration is going to put up with. And that's part of the reason that this mayor was arrested. You can't just storm a detention facility and assault law enforcement officers with impunity." Alina Habba Swears To Protect 'American Safety' From Those 'Violating Federal Law' Meanwhile, United States Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said she is further looking into what happened on Friday involving the officials. "My office is undertaking a thorough investigation in coordination with our Federal Agency partners of what transpired on Friday at Delaney Hall. As is true of every investigation this office handles, all available evidence will be thoroughly reviewed prior to making a determination on how to proceed. I do not take these matters lightly," Habba posted. Fox News' Alec Schemmel, Anders Hagstrom, Alexis McAdams and Greg Wehner contributed to this article source: Blue state ICE facility ramps up security with new barricades amid clashes with protesters
