James Comey continued to dominate headlines Friday as Congress received, and the media was subsequently leaked, redacted versions of now-infamous memos authored by the former FBI director, documenting his interactions with President Trump. Speculation also intensified around Michael Cohen, longtime personal attorney to President Trump, who is being investigated by federal prosecutors. Some in the president's inner circle fear the attorney may cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller's probe. The president's legal team also saw a new high-profile addition this week, former New York mayor and U.S. attorney Rudy Giuliani. In federal court, the Democratic National Committee filed suit against the Russian government, WikiLeaks, and the Trump campaign. The complaint claims millions in damages, injury from a "brazen attack" to influence the 2016 presidential election. On Capitol Hill, the White House has continued to push for the confirmation of CIA Director Mike Pompeo as secretary of … [Read more...] about Sunday: Cotton, Feinstein, Zarif, Bloomberg, Dickerson
Bloomberg
Pruitt has ‘walked away 100 percent’ from EPA job, says Michael Bloomberg
In an interview to air Sunday on "Face the Nation," former New York City Mayor and billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg excoriated Scott Pruitt's job performance as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. "His policies are not good for the world. To debunk science and walk away from it is just ridiculous. Even if you don't believe it. If there's a possibility that it's right you have to take prophylactic actions to prevent a disaster," Bloomberg told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan. Bloomberg is among those who have heavily criticized the EPA administrator's work rolling back Obama-era environmental regulations. Pruitt has also faced a storm of criticism for pricey travel and a condo rental tied to a fossil fuels lobbyist. "I don't know about all of the things that are alleged in terms of spending money on things that he really shouldn't do. If that's really true, he should not do that and we should stop that," Bloomberg said of Pruitt's controversies. With … [Read more...] about Pruitt has ‘walked away 100 percent’ from EPA job, says Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg: Facebook Shares Fall Following First Stock Downgrade Since January
Facebook’s shares fell on Wednesday after the company’s stock received its first downgrade since January, according to a report. “Research firm OTR Global cut its rating to mixed versus positive amid concern that year-over-year growth in advertisement spending moderated in the first quarter of 2018,” reported Bloomberg. “The last downgrade of the stock prior to OTR was made by Stifel Nicolaus & Co’s Scott Devitt in January, before the scandal involving Cambridge Analytica.”“The company’s first-quarter ad spending will likely rise 19 to 24 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, versus a gain of as much as 30 percent in the fourth quarter, OTR said. Facebook lost 10 percent last month amid concern over the way the company handled its users’ personal data,” they explained, adding that, “OTR is not beholden to traditional industry coverage. The research team uses information gathered through methods including … [Read more...] about Bloomberg: Facebook Shares Fall Following First Stock Downgrade Since January
Aramco is world’s most profitable oil company -Bloomberg
LONDON (Reuters) – Saudi Aramco is the world’s most profitable oil company, Bloomberg reported on Friday, but its huge earnings and cash flows may still fail to justify its desired $2 trillion valuation. Financial performance at Aramco has long been one of the best kept secrets in the oil industry but as the company prepares for a long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) this year or next it needs to tell investors what it earns and how it operates. Bloomberg news agency cited company accounts as saying Aramco had net income of $33.8 billion in the first six months of 2017 and cash flows of $52.1 billion. Aramco said: “This is inaccurate, Saudi Aramco does not comment on speculation regarding its financial performance and fiscal regime.” The accounts, prepared to the IFRS standard, showed the firm made $7.2 billion in net income in the first of half of 2016, when crude averaged $41 a barrel, Bloomberg said. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin … [Read more...] about Aramco is world’s most profitable oil company -Bloomberg
Bloomberg: George Soros Is Preparing to Trade Cryptocurrencies
The New York-based Soros Fund Management is preparing to trade cryptocurrencies, according to a report from Bloomberg. The news comes just months after George Soros, the founder of Soros Fund Management, condemned cryptocurrencies. “As long as you have dictatorships on the rise you will have a different ending, because the rulers in those countries will turn to Bitcoin to build a nest egg abroad,” Soros said in January.Now, Soros Fund Management is preparing to trade cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin has fallen more than 50 percent since Soros’ remarks in January. Bitcoin hit a record high of $19,000 in December. At the end of 2017, Soros became a large stakeholder in Overstock.com, which is known for its early acceptance of cryptocurrency. In 2014, Overstock.com became the first major retailer to accept Bitcoin as a payment option. In December, Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne announced that the company would develop a cryptocurrency exchange.Overstock.com announced in March … [Read more...] about Bloomberg: George Soros Is Preparing to Trade Cryptocurrencies