Microsoft faces $29 billion IRS tax bill

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🌍 IMF recommends deficit reduction to curb inflation

IMF's Vitor Gaspar of the IMF alerts about the paramount necessity of enhancing fiscal policies amid global inflation concerns, pinpointing it's "increasingly difficult" to stabilize public finances. The U.S., facing an over 8% GDP deficit, is notably criticized in the IMF report, signaling nations towards a crucial decision: adapt policy aspirations or recalibrate taxation, echoing that “something must give” to steady financial scales.

📈 US Wholesale Inflation Up 2.2% in September - Largest Increase Since April

U.S. wholesale prices experienced a notable 2.2% rise, marking the fastest pace since April, amidst a backdrop of the Federal Reserve’s inflation-quelling rate hikes. Despite 1.5 years of escalated interest rates, inflation persists, with a sharp 2.7% ascent in core inflation. Rubeela Farooqi underscores that these metrics "likely do not change the outlook for Fed policy."

🕊️ Netanyahu forms emergency Israeli unity government and war cabinet

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced an emergency wartime government with the former defense minister and opposition senior leader Benny Gantz, forming a "war cabinet." In addressing Hamas's alleged crimes, Netanyahu declared, “Every Hamas member is a dead man.” Netanyahu's extreme rightwing coalition partners remain in this government, and chief opposition leader, Yair Lapid, is yet to respond to the invitation.

🌀 'Hurricane Lidia' Slams Mexico's Pacific Coast

Hurricane Lidia, a devastating Category 4 storm, hammered Mexico's Pacific coast, causing death and destruction, especially near Puerto Vallarta. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who deployed 6,000 armed forces members, emphasized, "You must take refuge in safe places – stay away from low areas, streams, rivers, and hillsides." The region grapples with severe threats of flooding, mudslides, and a dangerous storm surge.

🚀 NASA unveils spacecraft's first asteroid samples

NASA unveiled asteroid samples from Bennu, retrieved by the Osiris-Rex spacecraft, marking the largest collection ever returned to Earth. Though meticulous analysis has commenced, the main sample chamber remains unopened. Lead scientist Dante Lauretta noted, "It's been going slow and meticulous, but the science is already starting," highlighting the careful unfolding of this celestial study 60 million miles in the making.

💼 Microsoft faces $29 billion IRS tax bill

Microsoft, confronted with a $28.9B back tax claim from the IRS for 2004-2013, vows to "vigorously contest" it. VP Daniel Goff assures, “The issues raised by the IRS are relevant to the past,” citing changes in tax practices and anticipating up to $10B reductions due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Concurrently, Microsoft celebrates thwarting the FTC's attempt to block its $68.7B Activision Blizzard acquisition.

📢 EU demands Meta and X to reply within 24 hours on pro-Hamas content

European Commissioner Thierry Breton warns Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk about pro-Hamas content, implicating a violation of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which mandates tech giants to control illegal content or risk fines up to 6% of annual revenue. Urging robust system efficacy, Breton insists, “I urgently invite you to ensure that your systems are effective.”

🥊 USADA to part ways with UFC over McGregor testing controversy

UFC's anti-doping partnership with the USADA will conclude on Jan. 1, 2024, amidst controversy over Conor McGregor’s drug-testing pool re-entry and divergent stances on doping protocols. USADA CEO Travis Tygart underscored, "Fighters' long-term health and safety...[are] more important...than short-term profits at the expense of clean athletes," amidst skepticism that UFC might sidestep a six-month testing window for McGregor and alter established doping policies.

📢 Jada Pinkett Smith says she and Will have lived separately since 2016

Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith have been living separate lives since 2016, a detail unveiled in her memoir, "Worthy". Noting a spiritual "divorce" but no intention for legal action, Jada remarked, “I made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce. We will work through whatever." The pair, have married since 1997.

📉 ACT scores reveal lowest college readiness in 32 years

High school seniors exhibit a "historic" 32-year low in college readiness, with over 40% hitting no ACT benchmarks in 2023, marking the "sixth consecutive year of declines in average scores," notes ACT CEO Janet Godwin. Despite ascending GPAs and self-perceived readiness, Godwin underscores the urgent necessity for "sustained action and support at the policy level" to address these systemic educational challenges.

💰 Californian wins $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot

A California ticket won the $1.765 billion Powerball, the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history, after 35 winless drawings. The Multi-State Lottery Association noted Powerball "has become ubiquitous with life-changing jackpots," a trend propelled by factors like legal expansions, and game changes, notably, ticket price hikes and matrix updates, engendering increasingly colossal prizes over the past decade.

🐘 Republicans nominate Steve Scalise for House Speaker amid unity challenges

In a climate of internal strife, Republicans nominated Rep. Steve Scalise for House Speaker, after Rep. Kevin McCarthy's unprecedented ousting. Amidst continuing GOP divisions and House paralysis, Scalise, surviving a 2017 shooting and now battling cancer, emphasized the imperative to convey globally “that the House is open to doing the people’s business,” amidst skepticism about unifying support, especially from Rep. Jim Jordan’s faction, endorsed by Trump.

On 12th October 1492, sponsored by Spain's monarchs, Christopher Columbus sighted what he believed was East Asia from the Pinta. Landing on an island, likely San Salvador, he sought a new route to Asia's treasures. This historic voyage, aimed at discovering a Western path to the East, inadvertently led to the revelation of the New World.

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