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ABC encourages viewers to back network amid FCC investigations

ABC encourages viewers to back network amid FCC investigations

JD Vance appears on The View. Photograph: Lou Rocco/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc./APView image in fullscreenJD Vance appears on The View. Photograph: Lou Rocco/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc./APABCABC encourages viewers to back network amid FCC investigationsNetwork launches ad on The View, which is target of one of two FCC investigations currently seeking public comment The television network ABC is seeking the public’s backing as it faces simultaneous investigations from the Brendan Carr-led Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The media regulator has two pending inquiries into ABC – one focuses on the daytime talkshow The View, and the other is a broader challenge into whether the network should be able to renew licenses for the eight local television stations it owns. The investigation into whether The View has violated a rule requiring equal time for political candidates is accepting public comments until 22 June, while the commission is accepting petitions to deny ABC’s licenses until 29 June. Ads encouraging the public to voice support for the network to the FCC will begin airing on Monday during commercial breaks on The View, the network said. Targeted advertisements focused on the license renewal will also be shown in the eight local markets that have ABC-owned stations, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The ads, which will air on The View until 6 July, will also be published online. The network decided to air the campaign as a way to ensure that the public is aware of the investigations, which are convoluted and have no clear time horizon. Some of ABC’s licenses were not scheduled to expire until 2031, and critics of Carr’s conduct suggest that it is “open season” on the network, which is regularly criticized by Donald Trump and has previously settled a lawsuit he filed against it for $16m. The 20-second advertising spot begins with a clip from the late Barbara Walters, talking about why she founded the show in 1997. “I had this idea for a show: different women, different points of view,” she says. Then, a narrator tells viewers: “The View has welcomed your favorite guests and covered the issues you care about for nearly 3o years. Now, the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show. Viewers, use your voice.” The ad targeting viewers of ABC’s local station in New York encourages the city’s residents to “use your voice” in supporting the license renewal. “No one supports your community like ABC7 - sharing your stories, bringing us together. Channel 7 has proudly served you for more than 75 years ... Now the FCC is questioning our commitment to the community.” In a statement, an FCC spokesperson dismissed ABC’s advertising campaign: “Disney wants the FCC to classify ‘The View’ as a ‘bona fide news program.’ And it has chosen to run a campaign of misinformation to make its case – misleading viewers about the law. That is a choice.”

Millions in UK could claim share of £3bn after Apple case given green light

Millions in UK could claim share of £3bn after Apple case given green light

Image source, Getty ImagesByLaura CressTechnology reporterPublished23 June 2026, 00:02 BSTA class action lawsuit which could entitle millions in the UK to a share of a £3bn claim against Apple is set to proceed to trial. Consumer group Which? has accused the tech giant of "trapping" users into its cloud service. It says 40 million iCloud customers could be entitled to roughly £77 each if successful. Consumers who used iCloud between November 2018 and June 2026 and were living in the UK on 8 June will be included in the claim unless they opt out. Apple has previously called the claims unfounded, saying no customer is required to use the iCloud service, with alternatives available, and that it "strongly disagrees" with the decision and plans to appeal. Apple users get a small amount of free storage, but once that runs out they are encouraged to pay for iCloud to back up photos, videos, messages, contacts and other content from their devices. Apple does not give rival storage services full access to its devices, saying this is for security reasons - although it also means iCloud has more features than non-Apple alternatives. Which? claims that since 2015 Apple has effectively locked users into its services and overcharged them as a result. The consumer group filed its claim against Apple at the Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of affected consumers in November 2024. Anabel Hoult, Which?'s chief executive, said the group wanted to make clear that no company "no matter how powerful, can get away with abusing its position". She added the green light from the Competition Appeal Tribunal meant Which? was "one step closer to getting consumers the redress we believe they are owed from Apple". "This should send a strong message to any other companies using anti-competitive tactics," she said. Consumers who used iCloud between 8 November 2018 and 8 June 2026 and were living in the UK on 8 June 2026 will be included in the claim unless they opt out.

Tesla crash that killed a woman under US federal investigation

Tesla crash that killed a woman under US federal investigation

A fatal crash involving a Tesla that drove into a home is being investigated by the US auto safety regulator. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a formal inquiry on Monday into the accident that occurred on 19 June in Texas, in which a Tesla sped off the road into a house. A woman who was inside the property was severely injured and died as a result, according to a report of the incident from local police. Police said the driver was not intoxicated, and he told investigators that the vehicle was operating with an automated driving assistance system at the time of the crash. "NHTSA is launching a special crash investigation into this crash," an agency spokesperson said. A representative of Tesla, which is owned by trillionaire Elon Musk, did not respond to a request for comment on the crash or the investigation. The fatal crash occurred around 20:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Friday. The driver of a Tesla Model 3 "failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway, and struck the residence", the police report stated. In a statement given to local media the night of the crash, Sergeant Alex Turman of the Harris County Sheriff's Office said the vehicle "failed to turn right at an intersection and, at a high rate of speed, crashed directly into a house". The 76-year-old woman who was inside the home was struck in the crash and was taken to a hospital, but she died of her injuries, the officer added. In an interview with a local station of CBS, a BBC partner, the woman's daughter said she discovered her mother in the house after the crash. The woman lived with her daughter, son-in-law and their three children, all of whom were also at home at the time of the crash. The driver was also taken to hospital and was cooperating with the investigation into the crash, police said.

California drivers sue gas stations for allegedly using AI to inflate prices

California drivers sue gas stations for allegedly using AI to inflate prices

A gas station in Encinitas, California, in April. Photograph: Mike Blake/ReutersView image in fullscreenA gas station in Encinitas, California, in April. Photograph: Mike Blake/ReutersCaliforniaCalifornia drivers sue gas stations for allegedly using AI to inflate pricesFirms including BP and 7-Eleven accused of coordinating prices to ‘wring more money from pockets of consumers’ Gas ⁠station operators including BP, Circle K, Marathon, 7-Eleven, Walmart and Albertsons were sued on Monday by California drivers ⁠who accused them of using artificial intelligence to boost prices at the pump. According to a proposed class action, the defendants ⁠violated California’s main antitrust law, the Cartwright Act, by using an AI-based tool that uses data from competing gas ‌stations to “coordinate high prices ‌and wring more money from the pockets of consumers”. The lawsuit in the ‌Sacramento federal court said the scheme violated assembly bill 325, a California law that took effect on 1 January and was intended to crack down on algorithmic price fixing. Drivers said gas prices have risen as much as 30 cents a gallon in areas where high percentages of stations ‌use the AI tool, which comes from a company called Kalibrate. Each penny costs California drivers an extra $134m per year, boosting gasoline prices to “astronomical” levels sometimes reaching $7 a gallon, the complaint said. “While families struggle to afford the commute to work, defendants have conspired to put an end to competition, joining an AI-powered trust to ensure that no matter where a ⁠driver turns, the price for gasoline is artificially high,” the complaint said. The defendants operate more than 1,700 gas stations in California, according to the complaint. Kalibrate is also a defendant. The defendants either did ‌not immediately respond to requests for comment or declined to comment. Californians pay the nation’s highest gas prices, averaging $5.58 per gallon for regular, according to AAA. The national average is $3.93. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for drivers who paid too much for gasoline.

Job scams are growing and getting tougher to spot: ‘That’s the reality of this hell job market’

Job scams are growing and getting tougher to spot: ‘That’s the reality of this hell job market’

About 32% of gen-Zers report have been a victim of a job scam. Photograph: Tomasz Tulik/AlamyView image in fullscreenAbout 32% of gen-Zers report have been a victim of a job scam. Photograph: Tomasz Tulik/AlamyConsumedJob huntingJob scams are growing and getting tougher to spot: ‘That’s the reality of this hell job market’Swindlers now use AI to send out floods of fraudulent messages to gain the personal information of job seekers Americans are seeing more employment scams than ever as job seekers, facing a tough job market, report a bombardment of messages from swindlers try to lure them into giving sensitive information. Experts say the technology behind these scams has only gotten better over time, allowing fraudsters to easily impersonate employers and send out huge floods of direct messages and emails to job seekers. Reports of employment scams doubled in 2025 from the year before, according to a recent study from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). And gen Z applicants looking to jumpstart their careers have in particular been hit hard: about 32% of gen-Zers report have been a victim of a job scam, compared with 15% of gen-Xers. “It’s one thing to say ‘don’t open attachments’ and ‘that email is dangerous’, but if I think this email might be my shot at getting a job, it’s a different risk,” said Josephine Wolff, a cybersecurity policy professor at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. “Unemployed job seekers are in a very vulnerable position and susceptible to this type of manipulation.” Last month, Sally got an intriguing interview request while job-hunting online from a Minneapolis cafe. “We are delighted to inform you that your certifications closely align with several current opportunities,” the email promised. “We respectfully ask that you set up an online interview as soon as possible.” Since graduating from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in late 2022, Sally had sent out so many applications for graphic design jobs that the 22-year-old couldn’t remember where they had applied. That was exactly why the email didn’t immediately raise alarms. The sender, “Ryan L Goodson”, said he was from a real biotech company that was based in Seattle. He used sophisticated language, had a company logo in his signature and a professional-looking email domain. “I didn’t want to look silly in the interview, so I tried searching for my original application,” Sally said. Soon, they realized they had never applied to a job at the company. The mystery led Sally to Reddit, where they found the same fraudulent email copied and pasted in multiple posts. “You think you’ll spot the warning signs. But you’re not the exception, you’re prey to it too,” Sally said. “That’s the reality of this hell job market.”

‘Every time you turn around, there’s a new price increase’: US small-business optimism plummets

‘Every time you turn around, there’s a new price increase’: US small-business optimism plummets

A restaurant window in Medford, Massachusetts, on 25 January 2023. Photograph: Brian Snyder/ReutersView image in fullscreenA restaurant window in Medford, Massachusetts, on 25 January 2023. Photograph: Brian Snyder/ReutersUS news‘Every time you turn around, there’s a new price increase’: US small-business optimism plummetsAt the same time, 29% of small-business owners also report having open positions they can’t fill Amid rising fuel prices and inflation across the US, confidence among small-business owners has declined in recent weeks as many continue to grapple with higher costs and economic uncertainty. View image in fullscreenRoger, in Sevierville, Tennessee. Photograph: The GuardianAccording to the National Federation of Independent Business, its Small Business Optimism Index fell by 0.6 points to 95.3 in May. At the same time, 29% of small-business owners reported having open positions they could not fill – the lowest level since the Covid-19 pandemic. In May, 13% of owners said labor quality was their biggest issue, while 14% identified labor costs as their primary challenge. Beyond workforce pressures, several small-business owners said that inflation and rising fuel costs are further squeezing already thin margins. For Barrett Willits, the 58-year-old owner of Barry’s Blind Factory in Huntsville, Alabama, the challenges are coming from multiple directions. His business, which has operated for 33 years and sells directly to consumers, has been hit by declining sales and rising supply-chain costs. “Sales are down, market share is down. Our suppliers have been bought out by a hedge fund that also owns Heinz. They shut down American-staffed manufacturing outlets and shifted production to Mexico. So now our shipments travel thousands of miles to us when they used to travel 100 miles. Every time you turn around, there is a new price increase, a new shipping rate, a new surcharge,” he said. View image in fullscreenGeoffrey, a plumber who employs two workers. Photograph: The GuardianFor Willits, the biggest concern is the impact rising costs are having on consumer demand. Higher fuel costs are also taking a toll on businesses that rely on travel. Tina Spears, a 73-year-old pet sitter in Anchorage, Alaska, says recent increases in gas prices due to the US and Israel’s war on Iran have affected her business. “I’m a cat sitter, and I drive to visit my clients. The gas prices exploded after this senseless war and my business has really been affected by the money I have to spend in order to get to the cats I visit. I raised my rates, which helps a little, but how high can I go when everything else is so expensive?” she said. The impact of rising costs extends beyond transportation. For Roger, a 62-year-old bed-and-breakfast owner in Sevierville, Tennessee, he has to work extra hard to maintain quality while keeping prices stable for guests. “While I continue to source local and high-quality ingredients for breakfasts, I have worked harder to minimize waste and to manage costs. I chose not to increase rates this year, and through implementation of yield management pricing, my average nightly rate has decreased slightly, but the increased occupancy has more than compensated,” he said.

Alan Greenspan, architect of the modern American economy, dies aged 100

Alan Greenspan, architect of the modern American economy, dies aged 100

Former US Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan has died aged 100, his wife has said. NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell said in a statement reported by her employer that her husband had died from complications of Parkinson's Disease. Mitchell's statement said Greenspan was "a giant of a man who helped shape the US economy for decades under presidents of both parties, but was always honest in acknowledging his mistakes". For nearly 20 years, Alan Greenspan was charged with safeguarding the US economy and keeping the dollar sound. As chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987-2006, a post described as the second most important after the presidency, he presided over the longest sustained period of US economic growth in a generation. Described as the "God in the machine" of American finance, Greenspan declined all requests for interviews during his time at the Fed. The media and the money markets hung on his few public statements, and a sign in his office said simply, "the buck starts here". But critics argue that an over-reliance on easy credit fuelled the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and caused the sub-prime mortgage crisis of 2008. The Fed said Greenspan's policies and economic thinking "left a lasting mark on this institution, on the broader field of economics, and on the country". In a statement on Monday, the central bank said: "He brought rigorous analytical discipline to monetary policymaking and helped establish the credibility that remains one of the Federal Reserve's most important assets." The Fed said his legacy lives on at the institution through the economist he mentored and inspired as chairman. Alan Greenspan was born in New York City on 6 March 1926. His mother, who worked in a furniture store, brought him up single-handed.

Asia-Pacific

The Straits Times6/20/2026

Markets rally with US-Iran deal; SpaceX ends first week 14% up

Markets were abuzz following the listing of Elon Musk’s SpaceX on June 12 on the Nadaq. SINGAPORE – Markets cheered the first notable steps towards a peace deal in the war between the United States and Iran, as both sides signed an agreement on June 18 that could herald the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The Straits Times Index (STI) hit a 52-week high on June 18 to close at 5,212.84, having rallied strongly from 4,988 a week earlier. However, it moderated slightly to close at 5,192.7 on June 19, after rising over 3 per cent during the week. The US and Iran announced on June 14 that a framework for a peace deal had been put in place, including the reopening of the Hormuz, a major shipping channel for global oil and gas flows. The effective closure of the Hormuz over the past few months has caused an energy crisis with skyrocketing oil prices past US$100 a barrel, and resulted in global inflationary pressures. On June 18, the US released the 14-point agreement that President Donald Trump signed with Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, that would also allow ships to pass through the strait toll-free for 60 days. Oil prices responded by falling below US$80 per barrel of Brent crude for the first time in three months. Syfe head of investment and advisory Ritesh Ganeriwal said: “The US-Iran peace deal sent oil back to early March levels and triggered a jump in equities, with Asia rallying led by oil-dependent Korea, Japan and India.” Japan’s Nikkei index was up nearly 8 per cent over the week to hit a high of 71,250 on June 19, while South Korea’s Kospi index jumped by 5 per cent. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was the outlier, falling 3 per cent over the week. Phillip Securities research manager Glenn Thum said oil prices will still be closely watched, as a sustained pullback would ease pressure on inflation expectations and give investors more confidence around the path of interest rates. “In Singapore, that would be more helpful for companies exposed to fuel and financing costs, although the market will still need to see whether the de-escalation holds,” he said.

Markets rally with US-Iran deal; SpaceX ends first week 14% up