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| 87f3ab1714,"Television news may have never been this unsettled six months before a presidential election. ABC News is in the throes of change, after its president announced on Sunday night that she was leaving. The parent company of CBS is in the midst of a sale process, which could leave the news staff with a new owner. NBC is just weeks removed from an on-air revolt in which prominent anchors questioned leadership. CNN employees are still settling in with a new chief executive, who is promising a different direction. Much of the challenge for television news divisions is, at its core, how to navigate a fast-evolving business. Evening newscasts, prime-time cable shows and morning programs continue to draw large audiences, but their viewership is growing older and steadily declining. Instead, viewers are flocking to less lucrative streaming services, leaving the parent companies of the networks less sure-footed. The networks are trying to invest in that future — building out streaming hubs and hiring on-air talent and producers for their digital channels — all while keeping a close eye on traditional television, still a profitable business that helps fund those investments. And all of this is happening as news organizations face one of the trickiest journalistic assignments: an especially divisive presidential race.",87f3ab1714.jpg | |
| c1fc493e70,"Stephanie Lai is a reporter in the Washington bureau, and a part of the New York Times 2022 Fellowship class. She reports on Congress. Ms. Lai previously wrote about breaking news at the Wall Street Journal. Before that, she wrote about local news at The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She was raised in Southern California and recently graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science.",c1fc493e70.jpg | |
| 939cab79d5,"The city of Baltimore has sued the owner and operator of the Dali container ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge last month, saying it had “an incompetent crew” and set sail despite receiving warnings. According to a court document filed on Monday, city officials say the ship’s parent company, Grace Ocean Private Ltd, and its operator, Synergy Marine Group, were “potentially criminally negligent” after causing the bridge to collapse on 26 March. The accident killed six construction workers and disrupted shipping and traffic at the port of Baltimore. The city says the collapse was caused by the owner’s “carelessness, negligence, gross negligence, and recklessness, and as a result of the unseaworthiness” of the ship. Baltimore officials allege that, before leaving port, “alarms showing an inconsistent power supply on the Dali had sounded”. “The Dali left port anyway, despite its clearly unseaworthy condition,” the documents allege. The lawsuit also alleges that the ship had “an incompetent crew” onboard who “failed to comply with local navigation customs”, and lacked proper skill and training. It accused the owner of supplying the vessel with “unseaworthy equipment, systems, and appurtenances”. The lawsuit asks for damages to pay for the replacement of the bridge, to cover the costs tied to the interruption in transportation and cleanup, and for the two companies to be held liable for the increased maintenance and expenditures of police and other public service workers, among other costs. A federal court in Maryland is set to decide who was responsible and how much they should pay for the disaster caused by the 116,000-ton container ship. The companies petitioned the US district court in Maryland to limit their liabilities a few days after the crash, requesting to cap costs at about $43.6m, but the mayor, Brandon Scott, and the Baltimore city council argued against any limit at all. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to First Thing Free daily newsletter Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters Enter your email address Sign up Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Last week the FBI launched a criminal investigation into whether any of the 22 crew members knew of serious problems with the Dali before attempting to leave port. The National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting its own inquiry into the cause of the bridge collapse. The Key Bridge collapsed on 26 March after the Singapore-flagged Dali lost power and collided with it. Six workers originally from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador who were making repairs on the bridge at the time of the crash were lost in the water and presumed killed. Joe Biden called for the federal government to pay for the full cost of reconstructing the bridge and greenlit Maryland’s request of $60m to aid initial recovery efforts.",939cab79d5.jpg | |
| 92eca01f68,"As New York socialists looked to expand an electoral beachhead in 2022, they tried something ambitious. They steered supporters to a special campaign committee set up to advance not just a single candidate, but a whole socialist slate. The group, D.S.A. for the Many, allowed the fledgling socialist movement to act something like a major political party, pooling resources and coordinating directly with a dozen candidates. A record eight socialists ultimately won seats in the State Legislature. But two years later, that Election Day achievement is now threatening to destabilize the movement’s financial stability, after a state elections watchdog found that the group never filed the authorizations needed to raise and spend candidate funds. The watchdog, Michael L. Johnson of the State Board of Elections, laid out a case against D.S.A. for the Many in a previously unreported complaint last year. Now, he has asked a court in Albany to help enforce more than $300,000 in penalties, tipping the fight into public view.",92eca01f68.jpg | |
| b44723da4b,"A view of Thailand's parliament during a special session to discuss the current political situation and the ongoing anti-government protests, in Bangkok, Thailand October 26, 2020. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights New Tab , opens new tab July 3 (Reuters) - Thailand is set to convene on Monday its first session of parliament following the May 14 general election, but it remains far from certain who will become prime minister and form a new government. WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS SESSION? King Maha Vajiralongkorn will open the new 500-member House of Representatives on Monday and it will start proceedings on Tuesday to elect a speaker. Once that is decided, a date will be set to convene a joint session of the lower house and 250-seat upper house, the Senate, to vote on a prime minister, expected around July 13. After a premier is chosen, a government can be formed, likely by early August. Advertisement · Scroll to continue WHAT DOES THE LOWER HOUSE LOOK LIKE? The opposition Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties won 151 and 141 seats respectively in a thumping of conservative rivals allied with the royalist military after nine years of government led by the same generals who took power in a 2014 coup. The progressive Move Forward and populist Pheu Thai aim to form a coalition government with six small parties and collectively have 312 of the 500 house seats. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Outside of the alliance is Bhumjaithai with 71 seats, the Democrat Party with 25, and the military-backed Palang Pracharat and United Thai Nation parties with 40 and 36 seats respectively. There has been no announcement yet that they will attempt to form a minority government. IS THE ALLIANCE'S MAJORITY A GUARANTEE FOR FORMING A GOVERNMENT? No. That majority is only in the lower house. The successful prime ministerial candidate needs a majority in a joint vote of the two houses. Ad Break Coming Up NEXT Stay Next About Connatix V490934 1/1 Skip Ad Continue watching after the ad Visit Advertiser website GO TO PAGE The parties have no representation in the Senate, which was appointed during military rule. The senators have so far voted largely in line with military and conservative interests, including backing coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha to remain prime minister after the 2019 election. HOW DOES THE PM VOTE WORK? A candidate needs 376 votes from the 750 members of both chambers to become prime minister. If no candidate achieves that, more candidates can be nominated and lawmakers will keep holding votes until one reaches that threshold. The eight-party alliance is backing Move Forward's 42-year-leader Pita Limjaroenrat, a Harvard graduate and former executive of ride and delivery app Grab (GRAB.O) New Tab , opens new tab WILL PITA GET THE VOTES NEEDED? Pita's alliance has 312 seats, so he needs 64 votes from among other parties or from senators. However, his party's anti-establishment agenda, which includes reforms to institutions like the military and to the law that criminalises royal insults, might be too much for many senators. If they vote as a bloc - like they did in 2019 - Pita might fall short. Many senators have said they will vote independently and Pita has said he has secured ""enough"" Senate support New Tab , opens new tab . But the outcome is far from certain. Pita might also struggle to win backing from parties outside of the alliance, some of which have disagreed strongly with Move Forward's position on the lese-majeste law. WHAT IF PITA FAILS? Move Forward may have miscalculated before the election in naming Pita as their only prime ministerial candidate. Though he could be nominated again, Pheu Thai, a political heavyweight, might seize the opportunity to nominate one of its own pre-declared candidates for premier, which could significantly alter the coalition dynamic. Those would include real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin, 60, or Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 36, whose father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck are both self-exiled former premiers whose governments were overthrown by the military. Though influential, the billionaire Shinawatra family remains divisive. Political newcomer Srettha could be a more palatable figure for Senators and rival parties to back. COULD THERE BE A NON-ALLIANCE PM? In case of deadlock, it is not out of the question. Royalist former army chief Prawit Wongsuwan New Tab , opens new tab , who was involved in the past two coups, has ironically been touting himself as a unifying figure able to bridge political divides. A notorious dealmaker, Prawit, 77, of the Palang Pracharat party has connections and influence in the establishment, Senate and among conservative parties. If he can strike an agreement with some alliance parties, he might be able to muster enough votes. Coming soon: Get the latest news and expert analysis about the state of the global economy with Reuters Econ World. Sign up here. Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab",b44723da4b.jpg | |