US pro athletes reject antitrust exemptions for college sports

Professional players unions for the five major US sports leagues — baseball, soccer, basketball, football and hockey — appealed on Monday for American lawmakers to reject antitrust exemptions or legal liability shields in new regulations for college athletes.While compensation for professional players seemingly knows no limit, college athletes in the US have only been allowed to begin profiting from their performance and reputation in recent years. Now, professional players are weighing in as Congress works to develop a national framework for student athlete profit-sharing, with pros saying they felt a duty to protect future union members while they played in college.”Granting an antitrust exemption to the NCAA and its members gives the green light for the organization and schools to collude and work against student athletes,” the unions’ statement said.”Historically, antitrust exemptions have been used to set prices, limit wages, and restrict access to opportunities provided by open markets, all while shielding abuse from legal recourse.”The joint statement was sent by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA).The US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce is considering the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act after a House settlement last month ensured National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes will receive revenue sharing from their schools for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) profits.In a statement last week Congressman Gus Bilirakis, a Florida Republican, said a national framework governing such profit-sharing was long overdue, and praised the SCORE Act saying it “delivers the stability, clarity and transparency” student athletes and colleges need. A 2021 Supreme Court decision held that the NCAA is subject to antitrust laws.In their joint statement, the players’ unions called for transparency and fair-dealing.”It is not hard to imagine a situation where NCAA and its members collude to restrict revenue sharing and deny student athletes fair compensation with the confidence of immunity against legal action. Indeed, they have been doing exactly that for decades.”The NCAA should not have a blank check to impose their will on the financial future of over 500,000 college athletes.”

US House set to vote on landmark crypto bills this week

US lawmakers are on the verge of passing landmark legislation that will give the much-maligned crypto world much-wanted legitimacy, riding on President Donald Trump’s recent embrace of the industry.The US House of Representatives is set to vote on three pieces of legislation this week, including one on the use of stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to safe assets like the dollar — that if passed would immediately go to Trump for his signature.The raft of legislation comes after years of suspicion against the crypto industry amid the belief in the Biden administration that the sector, born out of the success of bitcoin, should be kept on a tight leash and away from mainstream investors.But after crypto investors poured millions of dollars into his presidential campaign last year, Trump reversed his own doubts about the industry, even launching a Trump meme coin and other ventures as he prepared for his return to the White House.According to federal financial disclosure forms released last month, Trump pocketed more than $57 million from the crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, that he launched with his sons last year.Trump has, among other moves, appointed crypto advocate Paul Atkins to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).He has also established a federal “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” aimed at auditing the government’s bitcoin holdings, which were mainly accumulated by law enforcement from judicial seizures.And thanks to his backing, Trump could soon be signing the stablecoin bill — dubbed the GENIUS Act — that the US Senate passed last month and that sets rules such as requiring issuers to have reserves of assets equal in value to that of their outstanding cryptocurrency.- ‘Long time coming’ -Stablecoins are considered the safest and least volatile of digital currencies because their value is tied to traditional currency or secure assets such as gold.Another provision of the bill empowers banking regulators to oversee stablecoin issuers in the United States.The legislation could extend the US dollar’s influence in the world of cryptocurrency, with dollar-backed stablecoins seen as financial havens from local currencies prone to big fluctuations.The US House is also considering the CLARITY Act that would establish a clearer regulatory framework for digital assets — including cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based assets. If passed the bill would require passage in the Senate.The act would clarify and divide regulatory authority between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).Gerald Gallagher, General Counsel at Sei Labs, a digital asset firm, said the bills could be a game changer for the industry.”GENIUS and CLARITY provide security and certainty for investors that previously were not available, either intentionally or unintentionally,” he told AFP.”This has been a long time coming.”The Republican-led House is also considering a bill it calls the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act that aims to block the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) – a digital dollar issued by the US Federal Reserve.Republicans argue that a CBDC could enable the federal government to monitor, track, and potentially control the financial transactions of private citizens, undermining privacy and civil liberties.It also would require passage in the Senate before going to Trump for his signature.

Désenchanté par Poutine, Trump fait volte-face sur l’Ukraine

En menaçant la Russie lundi de sanctions douanières “très sévères” et en réarmant l’Ukraine, Donald Trump semble avoir opéré une énième volte-face, se disant désenchanté par Vladimir Poutine.Reste à savoir s’il s’agit d’un véritable changement de stratégie, alors que le président américain souffle le chaud et le froid sur la guerre en Ukraine.Le fait est que, malgré son impatience affichée, le président américain accorde un nouveau délai — de 50 jours — au président russe, qui, trois ans après l’avoir lancée, refuse toujours de mettre fin à l’invasion de l’Ukraine.Depuis son retour à la Maison Blanche en janvier, Donald Trump s’est rapproché de Vladimir Poutine, alors qu’il cherche à honorer sa promesse électorale de mettre fin à la guerre en Ukraine — un objectif qu’il s’était dit, pendant la campagne, capable d’atteindre en seulement 24 heures.Cela a fait craindre à Kiev d’être lâchée en rase campagne, en particulier après la virulente altercation avec le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky dans le Bureau ovale en février.A l’époque, M. Trump qualifiait ce dernier de “dictateur sans élections”, soulignant que l’Ukraine n’avait “aucune carte en main” face à la Russie.Mais le ton a changé ces dernières semaines, après une série de pourparlers infructueux, Donald Trump affichant clairement son mécontentement avec le président russe.Vladimir Poutine “parle bien” en journée et se met “à bombarder tout le monde le soir”, a-t-il relevé lundi.Les frappes aériennes russes en Ukraine se sont intensifiées récemment. Moscou bat chaque semaine des records en nombre d’engins tirés, fournis par une industrie de défense qui tourne à plein régime.- “Dur à cuire” -Donald Trump, qui ne cache pas son admiration pour le dirigeant russe avec qui il dit entretenir depuis “toujours de très bonnes relations”, l’avait qualifié récemment de “complètement fou”.Et dans une rare introspection, il a suggéré que la Première dame, Melania Trump, avait pu peser sur sa façon de penser.”Je rentre chez moi et je dis à la Première dame: +J’ai parlé à Vladimir aujourd’hui, nous avons eu une merveilleuse conversation+. Et elle me répond: +Oh vraiment? Une autre ville vient d’être frappée+.””Je ne veux pas dire que c’est un assassin, mais c’est un dur à cuire”, a-t-il encore dit à propos du président russe, refusant par ailleurs toute notion selon laquelle il serait mené en bateau par son homologue.Les deux dirigeants se sont parlé à six reprises depuis janvier mais, contrairement à ce qu’avait laissé entrevoir Donald Trump, aucune rencontre n’a encore été programmée entre les deux hommes.Le président américain avait “promis qu’il pourrait amener M. Poutine à la table des négociations, et il n’y est pas parvenu”, souligne Heather Conley, de l’American Enterprise Institute, un cercle de réflexion conservateur à Washington.Sa menace d’infliger des droits de douane “secondaires” de 100% aux alliés de Moscou, si aucun accord n’est trouvé d’ici 50 jours, “montre qu’il est frustré de ne pas y être parvenu, mais je ne la considère pas comme un grand changement de politique”, ajoute-t-elle.L’opposition démocrate a vite fait de saluer le revirement de M. Trump, se disant à l’instar de la sénatrice démocrate Jeanne Shaheen, “heureuse qu’il semble enfin se rendre à l’évidence quant à la responsabilité de Poutine dans ce massacre insensé et barbare d’innocents”.Mais “il est maintenant temps de joindre le geste à la parole et de mettre fin à cette guerre”, a-t-elle ajouté dans un communiqué.M. Trump n’a pas ouvertement apporté son soutien lundi à une proposition de loi qui fait l’objet d’un large accord au Congrès et qui préconise des droits de douane de 500% imposés aux pays, comme la Chine, l’Inde et le Brésil, qui appuient la machine de guerre russe en achetant du pétrole et du gaz russes bon marché.Mais pour Heather Conley, “le Kremlin a jeté toutes ses forces dans cette bataille” et “mise sur une lente érosion de la position de l’Ukraine et de l’Occident, voulant gagner ce conflit selon ses propres termes”.

Rhône: fin de cavale pour un détenu qui s’était évadé caché dans un sac à linge

Fin de cavale après une évasion rocambolesque: le détenu qui avait réussi à s’évader vendredi, caché dans le sac à linge de son codétenu libérable de la prison de Lyon-Corbas, a été interpellé lundi dans la métropole lyonnaise.L’homme âgé de 20 ans a été cueilli vers 06H00 alors qu’il sortait d’une cave à Sathonay-Camp, au nord de Lyon, par les policiers de l’Office central de lutte contre le crime organisé (OCLCO) et de la Division la criminalité organisée du Rhône (DCOS), selon le parquet de Lyon.”Personne n’a été blessé” lors de son arrestation. Son codétenu complice a été interpellé bien plus tard, à 22h à Marseille. Ce dernier, placé en garde à vue, sera ramené sur Lyon mardi “dans la journée”, a-t-on précisé.Le détenu repris a été placé en garde à vue pour “évasion en bande organisée et participation à une association de malfaiteurs”, selon le parquet. Le jeune homme, natif de Mayotte, était en détention provisoire à la maison d’arrêt de Lyon-Corbas, suspecté du “meurtre en bande organisée” d’un trafiquant de drogue et d'”infraction à la législation sur les armes”, dans le cadre d’une information judiciaire ouverte à la Juridiction interrégionale spécialisée (JIRS) de Paris.Il a pu s’évader vendredi matin selon un procédé “extrêmement rare, que nous n’avons jamais connu dans cette administration”, a commenté à BFMTV Sébastien Cauwel, directeur de l’administration pénitentiaire.”Ils étaient trois en cellule, l’un de ses cocellulaires était libérable vendredi matin et il a profité de la complicité de ce cocellulaire pour se cacher dans un gros sac de linge”, et sortir en même temps que ce complice, aux yeux et à la barbe des surveillants, a-t-il précisé.C’est seulement samedi matin que son absence en cellule a été constatée.- “Dysfonctionnements graves” -Il y a eu “manifestement toute une série de dysfonctionnements” “graves” et “inadmissibles”, a estimé M. Cauwel, précisant avoir lancé une enquête interne et l’ouverture d’une inspection de l’inspection générale de la justice demandée par le garde des Sceaux.L’enquête interne devra “faire toute la lumière sur les circonstances de cette évasion” et l’administration pénitentiaire “prendra toutes les mesures disciplinaires qui s’imposent”, avait indiqué samedi l’AP.A la suite de son évasion, le détenu, qui mesure 1,70m, avait fait l’objet d’une notice rouge d’Interpol émise dimanche. Selon la fiche, consultée par l’AFP, le jeune homme est poursuivi notamment dans le cadre de l’enquête sur le meurtre de Djalal Chaabi. Ce dernier était un trafiquant de drogue abattu de plusieurs balles le 15 janvier aux Ulis (Essonne) par deux tueurs à gages, selon le Parisien.La maison d’arrêt de Lyon-Corbas, qui dispose de 660 places, dont 60 pour les femmes, a été mise en service en 2009. Son taux d’occupation actuel “est d’environ 170% et donc ça rend les conditions de travail de nos agents plus compliquées”, selon M. Cauwel.

Rhône: fin de cavale pour un détenu qui s’était évadé caché dans un sac à linge

Fin de cavale après une évasion rocambolesque: le détenu qui avait réussi à s’évader vendredi, caché dans le sac à linge de son codétenu libérable de la prison de Lyon-Corbas, a été interpellé lundi dans la métropole lyonnaise.L’homme âgé de 20 ans a été cueilli vers 06H00 alors qu’il sortait d’une cave à Sathonay-Camp, au nord de Lyon, par les policiers de l’Office central de lutte contre le crime organisé (OCLCO) et de la Division la criminalité organisée du Rhône (DCOS), selon le parquet de Lyon.”Personne n’a été blessé” lors de son arrestation. Son codétenu complice a été interpellé bien plus tard, à 22h à Marseille. Ce dernier, placé en garde à vue, sera ramené sur Lyon mardi “dans la journée”, a-t-on précisé.Le détenu repris a été placé en garde à vue pour “évasion en bande organisée et participation à une association de malfaiteurs”, selon le parquet. Le jeune homme, natif de Mayotte, était en détention provisoire à la maison d’arrêt de Lyon-Corbas, suspecté du “meurtre en bande organisée” d’un trafiquant de drogue et d'”infraction à la législation sur les armes”, dans le cadre d’une information judiciaire ouverte à la Juridiction interrégionale spécialisée (JIRS) de Paris.Il a pu s’évader vendredi matin selon un procédé “extrêmement rare, que nous n’avons jamais connu dans cette administration”, a commenté à BFMTV Sébastien Cauwel, directeur de l’administration pénitentiaire.”Ils étaient trois en cellule, l’un de ses cocellulaires était libérable vendredi matin et il a profité de la complicité de ce cocellulaire pour se cacher dans un gros sac de linge”, et sortir en même temps que ce complice, aux yeux et à la barbe des surveillants, a-t-il précisé.C’est seulement samedi matin que son absence en cellule a été constatée.- “Dysfonctionnements graves” -Il y a eu “manifestement toute une série de dysfonctionnements” “graves” et “inadmissibles”, a estimé M. Cauwel, précisant avoir lancé une enquête interne et l’ouverture d’une inspection de l’inspection générale de la justice demandée par le garde des Sceaux.L’enquête interne devra “faire toute la lumière sur les circonstances de cette évasion” et l’administration pénitentiaire “prendra toutes les mesures disciplinaires qui s’imposent”, avait indiqué samedi l’AP.A la suite de son évasion, le détenu, qui mesure 1,70m, avait fait l’objet d’une notice rouge d’Interpol émise dimanche. Selon la fiche, consultée par l’AFP, le jeune homme est poursuivi notamment dans le cadre de l’enquête sur le meurtre de Djalal Chaabi. Ce dernier était un trafiquant de drogue abattu de plusieurs balles le 15 janvier aux Ulis (Essonne) par deux tueurs à gages, selon le Parisien.La maison d’arrêt de Lyon-Corbas, qui dispose de 660 places, dont 60 pour les femmes, a été mise en service en 2009. Son taux d’occupation actuel “est d’environ 170% et donc ça rend les conditions de travail de nos agents plus compliquées”, selon M. Cauwel.

Elon Musk’s xAI inks Pentagon deal for contentious Grok chatbot

Elon Musk’s xAI, which features a large language model that has spewed Hitler-supporting rhetoric and antisemitic tropes, said Monday it has signed a deal to provide its services to the US Department of Defense.Launched at the end of 2023, Grok has rarely been out of the headlines for its offensive gaffes, and will now offer its services as “Grok for Government.” In addition to the Pentagon contract, “every federal government department, agency, or office (can now) purchase xAI products” thanks to its inclusion on an official supplier list, xAI added.After an update on July 7, the chatbot praised Adolf Hitler in some responses, denounced on X “anti-white hate”, and described Jewish representation in Hollywood as “disproportionate.” xAI apologized on Saturday for extremist and offensive messages, and said it had corrected the instructions that led to the incidents. The new version of the chatbot, Grok 4, presented on Wednesday, consulted Musk’s positions on some questions it was asked before responding, an AFP correspondent saw. The contract between xAI and the Department of Defense comes even as Musk and President Donald Trump are locked in a bitter feud. The two men became close during Trump’s latest run for the presidency and, following the inauguration, the Republican billionaire entrusted Musk with managing the new agency known as DOGE to slash the government by firing tens of thousands of civil servants.  After ending his assignment in May, the South African-born entrepreneur publicly criticized Trump’s major budget bill for increasing government debt. The president and the businessman engaged in heated exchanges on social media and in public statements before Musk apologized for some of his more combative messages. The government and the defense sector are considered a potential growth driver for AI giants. Meta has partnered with the start-up Anduril to develop virtual reality headsets for soldiers and law enforcement, while in June OpenAI secured a contract to provide AI services to the US military.

Markets shrug off Trump tariff threat against EU

Major stock markets on Monday largely shrugged off US President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs threat to hit the EU and Mexico with 30 percent levies.Analysts said investors viewed the warning as yet another negotiating ploy against America’s trading partners rather than a genuine move — although lingering uncertainty weighed on oil prices.US shares initially dipped on Trump’s threat — which is due to take effect at the start of August — but then pushed higher, with the Nasdaq edging to a fresh record.”The market is betting that by August 1st these tariffs are not going to be implemented at these levels,” said Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital Securities. “And so the market continues to rally.”European indices finished largely down, but with no sign of panic selling. London’s FTSE climbed.Many Asian markets closed lower, but not Shanghai and Hong Kong.Markets believe the latest threat of 30-percent tariffs on the EU, the United States’ biggest trading partner, was “Trump-style brinkmanship — sound and fury meant to shake down concessions before the August 1 deadline,” explained Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management.”Financial markets are acting like the 30-percent rate is a mere tactic from Donald Trump, rather than a reality,” agreed Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.Yet some, including Kim Heuacker, an associate consultant at Camarco, noted “there remains the genuine risk that, to save face, he (Trump) may activate the high tariffs.”The European Union, stung by Trump’s unexpected raising of the stakes amid trade negotiations, is looking at targeting 72 billion euros’ ($84 billion) worth of US imports if talks with Washington fail, its trade chief, Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, said.With Trump’s threat being discounted, bandwidth was given to other news.Bitcoin struck a record high above $123,000, fueled by possible regulatory changes for crypto assets in the United States.Attention was also focused on Trump on Monday vowing “very severe tariffs” on Russia’s trade partners if Moscow did not resolve its war in Ukraine within 50 days.Oil traders initially saw those sanctions constricting supply, and they pushed crude prices higher — before selling off under the cloud of a possible broader trade war that would depress global demand.Besides tariffs, markets are looking ahead to earnings from JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and other banks that will offer updates on the state of US consumers and on the health of the companies’ trading and investment businesses.Markets are also awaiting US government reports on consumer pricing and retail sales for June, which will inform expectations on the likelihood and timing of Federal Reserve interest rate changes. Futures markets are betting on a Fed interest rate cut in September.- Key figures at around 2030 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 44,459.65 (close)New York – S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at at 6,268.56 (close)New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 20,640.33 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 8,998.06Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.3 percent at 7,808.17 Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.4 percent at 24,160.64Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 39,459.62 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.3 percent at 24,203.32 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,519.65 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1670 from $1.1689Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3428 from $1.3493Dollar/yen: UP at 147.77 yen from 147.43 yenEuro/pound: UP at 86.88 pence from 86.64 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.6 percent at $69.21 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 2.2 percent at $66.98 per barrel

Mediators working to bridge gaps in faltering Gaza truce talks

Stuttering Gaza ceasefire talks entered a second week on Monday, with mediators seeking to close the gap between Israel and Hamas, as more than 20 people were killed across the Palestinian territory.The indirect negotiations in Qatar appear deadlocked after both sides blamed the other for blocking a deal for the release of hostages and a 60-day ceasefire after 21 months of fighting.An official with knowledge of the talks said they were “ongoing” in Doha on Monday, telling AFP: “Discussions are currently focused on the proposed maps for the deployment of Israeli forces within Gaza.””Mediators are actively exploring innovative mechanisms to bridge the remaining gaps and maintain momentum in the negotiations,” the source added on condition of anonymity.Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — who wants to see the Palestinian militant group destroyed — of being the main obstacle.”Netanyahu is skilled at sabotaging one round of negotiations after another, and is unwilling to reach any agreement,” the group wrote on Telegram.In Gaza, the civil defence agency said at least 22 people were killed Monday in the latest Israeli strikes in and around Gaza City and in Khan Yunis in the south.An Israeli military statement said troops had destroyed “buildings and terrorist infrastructure” used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza City’s Shujaiya and Zeitun areas.The Al-Quds Brigades — the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas — released footage on Monday that it said showed its fighters firing missiles at an Israeli army command and control centre near Shujaiya.The military later on Monday said three soldiers — aged 19, 20 and 21 — “fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip” and died in hospital on Monday. Another from the same battalion was severely injured.- Talks ‘ongoing’ -US President Donald Trump said he was still hopeful of securing a truce deal, telling reporters on Sunday night: “We are talking and hopefully we’re going to get that straightened out over the next week.”Hamas’s top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, and the leadership of Hamas and Islamic Jihad held a “consultative meeting” in Doha on Sunday evening to “coordinate visions and positions”, a Palestinian source with knowledge of the talks told AFP.”Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators continue their efforts that make Israel present a modified withdrawal map that would be acceptable,” they added.On Saturday, the same source said Hamas rejected Israeli proposals to keep troops in more than 40 percent of Gaza, as well as plans to move Palestinians into an enclave on the border with Egypt.A senior Israeli political official countered by accusing Hamas of inflexibility and trying to deliberately scupper the talks by “clinging to positions that prevent the mediators from advancing an agreement”.- Pressure – Netanyahu has said he would be ready to enter talks for a more lasting ceasefire once a deal for a temporary truce is agreed, but only when Hamas lays down its arms.He is under pressure to wrap up the war, with military casualties rising and with public frustration mounting at both the continued captivity of the hostages taken on October 7 and a perceived lack of progress in the conflict.Politically, Netanyahu’s fragile governing coalition is holding, for now, but he denies being beholden to a minority of far-right ministers in prolonging an increasingly unpopular conflict.He also faces a backlash over the feasibility, cost and ethics of a plan to build a so-called “humanitarian city” from scratch in southern Gaza to house Palestinians if and when a ceasefire takes hold.Israel’s security establishment is reported to be unhappy with the plan, which the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and Israel’s former prime minister Ehud Olmert have described as a “concentration camp”.”If they (Palestinians) will be deported there into the new ‘humanitarian city’, then you can say that this is part of an ethnic cleansing,” Olmert was quoted as saying by The Guardian newspaper late on Sunday.Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.A total of 251 hostages were taken that day, of whom 49 are still being held, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s military reprisals have killed 58,386 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.