Bankruptcy court FTX sues Binance for $1.76B in battle of crypto exchanges founded by convicts Lawsuit seeks "at least $1.76 billion that was fraudulently transferred" by SBF. Jon Brodkin Nov 11, 2024 2:14 pm | 63 Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao arrives at federal court in Seattle for sentencing on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Credit: Getty Images | Changpeng Zhao Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao arrives at federal court in Seattle for sentencing on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Credit: Getty Images | Changpeng Zhao Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe bankruptcy estate of collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX has sued the company's former rival Binance in an attempt to recover $1.76 billion or more. The lawsuit seeks "at least $1.76 billion that was fraudulently transferred to Binance and its executives at the FTX creditors' expense, as well as compensatory and punitive damages to be determined at trial."The complaint filed yesterday in US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware names Binance and co-founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao among the defendants. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sold 20 percent of his crypto exchange to Binance in November 2019, but Binance exited that investment in 2021, the lawsuit said."As Zhao would later remark, he decided to exit his position in FTX because of personal grievances he had against Bankman-Fried," the lawsuit said. "In July 2021, the parties negotiated a deal whereby FTX bought back Binance's and its executives' entire stakes in both FTX Trading and [parent company] WRS. Pursuant to that deal, FTX's Alameda Research division directly funded the share repurchase with a combination of FTT (FTX's exchange token), BNB (Binance's exchange token), and BUSD (Binance's dollar-pegged stablecoin). In the aggregate, those tokens had a fair market value of at least $1.76 billion."Because FTX and Alameda were balance-sheet insolvent by early 2021, the $1.76 billion transfer "was a constructive fraudulent transfer based on a straightforward application" of bankruptcy law, and an intentional fraudulent transfer "because the transfer was made in furtherance of Bankman-Fried's scheme," the lawsuit said.Alameda could not fund the transaction because of its insolvency, the lawsuit said. "Indeed, as Bankman-Fried's second-in-command, Caroline Ellison, would later testify, she contemporaneously told Bankman-Fried 'we don't really have the money for this, we'll have to borrow from FTX to do it,'" the lawsuit said.The complaint alleges that after the 2021 divestment, Zhao "set out to destroy" FTX, and accuses Binance and Zhao of fraud, injurious falsehood, intentional misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment.Binance is far from the only entity being sued by FTX. The firm filed 23 lawsuits in the bankruptcy court on Friday "as part of a broader effort to claw back money for creditors of the bankrupt company," Bloomberg reported. Defendants in other suits include Anthony Scaramucci and his hedge fund SkyBridge Capital, Crypto.com, and the Mark Zuckerberg-founded FWD.US.Lawsuit cites SBFs false statementsEllison, who was sentenced to two years in prison, testified that Alameda funded the repurchase with about $1 billion of FTX Trading capital received from depositors, the lawsuit said. It continued:Ellison further testified that Bankman-Fried dismissed her concerns about financial resources, telling her that, notwithstanding the need to use customer deposits, the repurchase was "really important, we have to get it done." Indeed, as discussed below, one of the reasons Bankman-Fried viewed the transaction as "really important" was precisely because of his desire to conceal his companies' insolvency and send a false signal of strength to the market. In connection with the share repurchase, Bankman-Fried was asked directly by a reporter whether Alameda funded the entire repurchase using its own assets, expressing surprise that Alameda could have done so given the purchase price and what was publicly known regarding Alameda's financial resources. In response, Bankman-Fried falsely stated: "The purchase was entirely from Alameda. Yeah, it had a good last year :P" (i.e., an emoji for a tongue sticking out).The transaction contributed to FTX's downfall, according to the lawsuit. It "left the platform in an even greater imbalance, which Bankman-Fried attempted to cover up in a pervasive fraud that infected virtually all aspects of FTX's business," FTX's complaint said. Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year prison sentence.Because FTX trading was insolvent in July 2021 when the Binance share repurchase was completed, "the FTX Trading shares acquired through the share repurchase were actually worthless based on a proper accounting of FTX Trading's assets and liabilities," the lawsuit said.Zhao allegedly set out to destroyFTX claims that once Zhao divested himself of the equity stake in FTX, "Zhao then set out to destroy his now-unaffiliated competitor" because FTX was "a clear threat to Binance's market dominance." Zhao resigned from Binance last year after agreeing to plead guilty to money laundering violations and was sentenced to four months in prison. He was released in September.FTX's lawsuit alleges that "Zhao's succeed-at-all-costs business ethos was not limited to facilitating money laundering. Beginning on November 6, 2022, Zhao sent a series of false, misleading, and fraudulent tweets that were maliciously calculated to destroy his rival FTX, with reckless disregard to the harm that FTX's customers and creditors would suffer. As set forth herein in more detail, Zhao's false tweets triggered a predictable avalanche of withdrawals at FTXthe proverbial run on the bank that Zhao knew would cause FTX to collapse."Zhao's tweet thread said Binance liquidated its remaining FTT "due to recent revelations." The lawsuit alleges that "contrary to Zhao's denial, Binance's highly publicized apparent liquidation of its FTT was indeed a 'move against a competitor' and was not, as Zhao indicated, 'due to recent revelations.'""As Ellison testified, 'if [Zhao] really wanted to sell his FTT, he wouldn't preannounce to the market that he was going to sell it. He would just sell it [] his real aim in that tweet, as I saw it, was not to sell his FTT, but to hurt FTX and Alameda,'" the lawsuit said.The lawsuit further claims that while FTX was "in freefall, Zhao sent additional false tweets calculated, in part, to prevent FTX from seeking and obtaining alternative financing to cauterize the run on the institution by customers deceived by the tweets. Collectively and individually, these false public statements destroyed value that would have otherwise been recoverable by FTX's stakeholders."Binance calls lawsuit meritlessOn November 8, 2022, Bankman-Fried and Zhao agreed to a deal in which "Binance would acquire FTX Trading and inject capital sufficient to address FTX's liquidity issues," the lawsuit said. But the next day, Binance published tweets saying it was backing out of the deal "as a result of corporate due diligence."When Zhao agreed to the deal on November 8, he had "already been made aware of the 'mishandled' customer funds during his conversation with Bankman-Fried," the lawsuit said. "This is contrary to Binance's representation in the November 9 Tweets that he learned that fact after entering into the Letter of Intent. In addition, Zhao was also aware that the Debtors were insolvent when he entered into the Letter of Intent."In the 24 hours between the November 8 agreement and the November 9 tweets, "no new material information was provided to Zhao and Binance in the diligence process that would have revealed new issues" causing Binance to exit the deal, according to the lawsuit.Binance said it will fight FTX's lawsuit. "The claims are meritless, and we will vigorously defend ourselves," a Binance spokesperson said in a statement provided to Ars.The defendants also included "Does 1-1,000," people who allegedly received fraudulent transfers in 2021 and "whose true names, identities and capacities are presently unknown to the Plaintiffs." FTX is seeking recovery of fraudulent transfers from all defendants. FTX also asked the court to award punitive damages and find that Binance and Zhao committed fraud, injurious falsehood, intentional misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment.Jon BrodkinSenior IT ReporterJon BrodkinSenior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 63 Comments Prev story

The northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) brings unexpected ecosystem benefitsAll Canada Photos/AlamyTwo years after Mount St Helens erupted in 1980, a team of researchers helicoptered in a gopher to the ash-covered landscape. Decades later, the activity of that single gopher burrowing for a single day may have helped the decimated ecosystem regrow by boosting the diversity of soil fungi.Theres something to be said about learning lessons from the gophers, says Mia Maltz at the University of Connecticut, who has used the eruption to understand how forests might recover from other stresses including wildfires and

Bubbles trapped in Antarctic ice were used to estimate past temperaturesaldiami/Andreas Alexander/AlamyHumans have already caused approximately 1.5C of warming since the start of the industrial revolution, according to new estimates based on temperature data gleaned from bubbles of air trapped in ice.Measurements of human-caused global warming generally use the period from 1850 to 1900 as the pre-industrial baseline, since this is when temperature records began. 2024 is almost certain to be the first year where average temperatures rose more than 1.5C above this baseline. This data for a single year is influenced by naturally occurring factors such as a strong El Nio event, which pushed up global temperatures. AdvertisementOnce this natural variability is removed, scientists think humanity alone has caused 1.31C of warming since the industrial revolution. But by 1850, the industrial revolution was already well under way, with fossil fuel-powered engines in use around the world.Andrew Jarvis at Lancaster University and Piers Forster at the University of Leeds, both in the UK, set out to establish a new pre-industrial baseline using data from Antarctic ice core samples. The duo analysed the composition of air bubbles trapped in ice cores to establish the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere during the period from AD 13 to 1700, before humans had any meaningful impact on atmospheric temperatures. They then used this CO2 data to establish global mean temperatures during the same period, assuming a linear relationship between CO2 and temperature increase.Using this new pre-1700 baseline, humanity had caused 1.49C of warming by 2023, meaning the 1.5C level has now in effect been reached, the team write in a paper reporting the findings. We have provided a new, scientifically defensible way of coming up with a pre-industrial baseline against which we are measuring the warming, Jarvis told reporters in a press briefing. Get a dose of climate optimism delivered straight to your inbox every month.Sign up to newsletterJarvis says the new method can also help reduce uncertainty around temperature estimates based on the current 1850-1900 baseline, which is used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Using ice core data to establish the 1850-1900 baseline, the team says humans have caused 1.31C of warming. That is in line with existing central estimates, but with a vastly reduced uncertainty range, the team points out.The problem with just looking at surface temperature observations is that the further back in time you go, they become more uncertain, says Forster. We can be far more certain than before that we are currently at about 1.3C.Jarvis and Forster hope their new method will be adopted by scientists and policy-makers as the main way of judging humanitys progress against global climate goals. I do think there is still scope for the policy community and the science community to rethink the pre-industrial baseline, said Jarvis. We know that there is warming baked into the 1850-1900 estimate, simply because that is not the beginning of the industrial revolution. We are offering a way out there, to a much more scientifically secure baseline to operate from.However, the new method may not be future-proof. The linear relationship between CO2 concentrations and global temperatures may falter as climate change advances, for example if we trigger so-called tipping points in Earth systemsthat cause a cascade of warming events.The new method also doesnt change the climate change effects being felt on the ground, says Forster. The impacts today we are experiencing of people being killed in Spain and by these hurricanes the impacts are exactly the same if you call that 1.3C above pre-industrial levels or if you call that 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The impacts are the impacts.Richard Betts at the Met Office, the UKs weather service, says the new method provides a clear and simple way to give up-to-date estimates of the current level of human-induced global warming. That is, in part, because it is able to produce a real time estimate for human-driven warming rather than relying on a rolling 10-year average like current estimates.He says the method will be useful to provide a more up-to-date picture of the current level of warming for policy-makers, but warned that changing the baseline used in assessments could be seen as moving the goalposts for climate action. Even without changing the baseline, its clear that current warming is much closer to 1.5C than expected from using an out-of-date, 10-year average, he says.Journal referenceNature Geoscience DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01580-5Topics:

Starbucks' ex-CEO, Howard Schultz, told Fortune he trusts successor Brian Niccol to revitalize the company.Niccol plans a back-to-basics strategy as the coffee chain faces low sales.Schultz, who served three stints as CEO, said there's no chance he'll reprise his role again. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Brian Niccol knew when he took over in September as the new CEO of Starbucks that the company was facing slumping sales, decreased traffic, and something of an identity crisis.But the recent rollout of his new back-to-basics strategy has earned the support of one man who knows something about steering the beloved coffeehouse brand to success: Howard Schultz.Schultz, the chairman emeritus and former CEO of Starbucks, told Fortune in an interview that he has total faith in Niccol taking the helm of the international coffee chain though he's always available to offer the new CEO advice or guidance.Niccol has big shoes to fill as he steps in for Schultz, who has been described as the "Ray Kroc of his generation" for his role in the coffee giant's rapid expansion. He first became Starbucks' CEO in 1986 before leaving in 2000. He returned to the role during the 2008 financial crisis, departing again in 2017. In 2022, he came out of retirement to serve as interim CEO of the company. During his on-again, off-again tenure, Schultz grew the chain from 11 stores to 35,000 locations worldwide.Niccol's first earnings call, held October 30 for the company's Q4 results, included numbers indicating that Starbucks continues struggling to get customers in the door with traffic declining across all distribution channelsDuring the Q4 call, Niccol laid out his plan to get Starbucks "back to our core identity and consistently deliver a great experience" so "our customers will come back." He said the company will bring back its condiment bar so customers can dress their own coffees, and return to the Sharpie era where baristas hand-wrote customer names on their iconic white and green cups.Though Schultz has twice before left and then returned as CEO of Starbucks, he told Fortune there's no chance he'll reprise his role again.Representatives for Starbucks and the Schultz Family Foundation, of which Howard Schultz is a cofounder, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Streaming video services are seeing more customers hitting "pause," The Wall Street Journal reports.This means people cancel their subscriptions, only to re-subscribe soon after.I admit to frequently quitting and rejoining Hulu and data shows I'm not alone. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. I have broken up with and gotten back together with Hulu so many times over the years that it would probably make the cast members of "Vanderpump Rules" say we were in a toxic relationship.Once a year or so, I look at all the various subscriptions I'm paying for and, in a fit of budget-consciousness, decide that I must cancel something. Hulu seems to keep ending up with the short stick but then a few months later, there's some show I'm dying to watch, and I keep crawling back.It appears I'm not alone: The Wall Street Journal reported Monday on the rise of the subscription pauser. The Journal examined subscription data from analytics firm Antenna to see the pattern of people quitting Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime Video, and others.Here's what it found:The monthly median percentage of premium streaming video subscribers who rejoined the same service they had canceled within the prior year was 34.2% in the first nine months of 2024, up from 29.8% in 2022.The habit of pausing and resuming service means that the industrywide rate of customer defections, which has risen over the past year, is less pronounced than it appears. The average rate of U.S. customer cancellations among premium streaming video services reached 5.2% in August, but after factoring in re-subscribers, the rate of defections was lower at 3.5%.Meanwhile, last month, the Federal Trade Commission finalized a "click to cancel" rule that is supposed to make it easier for customers to cancel online subscriptions. (The rule essentially says if you signed up online, you can't be required to cancel by phone or mail you have to be able to cancel online, too.)In my experience, streamers generally are already compliant with the FTC's rule. Because of that, I doubt it's going to have much effect on whether someone cancels. Instead, streamers might offer discounts, promotions, or bundling with other services to try to keep you for the long term and reduce what they call "churn."As for me, I'm back as a happy Hulu subscriber after I was lured by comedianBrian Jordan Alvarez's demented series of TikToks. In them, he's dancing shirtlessto an audio meme to promote his FX show, "English Teacher," which streams on Hulu. Consider me un-paused.

President-elect Donald Trump has begun naming members of his White House team, offering an early signal as to what direction hell take on issues, including foreign policy and immigration. Thus far, Trump has announced a handful of policy staffers, nominating House GOP Conference chair Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to the United Nations, and former Rep. Lee Zeldin as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Hes also named former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Tom Homan as his choice for border czar and is set to announce longstanding policy adviser Stephen Miller as a deputy chief of staff. Stefanik has been a staunch supporter of Israel, and Zeldin has emphasized his desire to roll back environmental regulations. Homan and Miller, meanwhile, are known for their hard-line stances on immigration, including overseeing family separations during Trumps first administration.Many other nominations including for powerful Cabinet positions like Secretaries of State and Defense are still to come. Related:Trump described a range of priorities while on the campaign trail, including promises of mass deportations, expansive tariffs, and cuts to protections for LGBTQ people. It will be up to his secretaries and staff to execute these plans, with his picks thus far underscoring just how serious he is about pursuing many of these goals, particularly on immigration. During his first administration, many of Trumps Cabinet members oversaw significant changes to the executive branch including Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who were critical to curtailing worker protections and attempting massive cuts to education spending, respectively. Trump has indicated that he wants to go further and move faster this time around and that he wants to ensure hes surrounded by like-minded staff. Below is a rundown of the people Trump has named and the roles these appointees could play. MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 16: House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his partys presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesHouse Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY) has been tapped for UN AmbassadorWho she is: Once a moderate, Stefanik currently part of Republican House leadership has become a vocal Trump loyalist in recent years as her New York district shifted right. Stefanik first burst onto the national stage as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, grilling witnesses as part of Trumps first impeachment proceeding in the lower chamber in 2019. More recently, she went viral for her questioning of college presidents during a hearing on antisemitism and their handling of student protests over Gaza. As a top House Republican, Stefanik has amplified Trumps 2020 election denials and hewed so close to the president-elect that she was once on the shortlist for the vice presidency. Stefanik is also known for her efforts to recruit and support more Republican women for House seats. Shes taken a pretty standard conservative stance on foreign policy: Stefanik has been a prominent supporter of aid to Israel while balking at continuing support for Ukraine. She backed early tranches of Ukraine aid but joined other Republicans in arguing that more recent aid could be better applied domestically. Stefanik has previously questioned aid to the United Nations, including to its Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has been vital to providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough and smart America First fighter, Trump said in a statement about the role. What we know about the role: The Ambassador to the UN serves as a vital envoy for US interests; given the countrys financial support for the body and its role on the UN Security Council, the ambassador has major influence regarding how the organization utilizes its resources and who serves in its leadership. In the last year, UN officials have been increasingly critical of Israels attacks on Gaza as thousands have died, health care systems have been assaulted, and famine has struck. As Ambassador, Stefanik could criticize these positions and call for defunding UN relief programs. This role requires Senate confirmation. What message this sends: The pick suggests that the Trump administration could once again ramp up its disagreements with the United Nations, after attempting to curb funding for certain UN initiatives in Trumps first term. At that time, the administration also pulled out of the UN Human Rights Council, citing its criticisms of Israel. Stefaniks naming could also underscore the president-elects skepticism of additional aid to Ukraine. WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 22: Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testifies before the House Homeland Security Committees Border and Marine Security subcommittee on Capitol Hill on May 22, 2018 in Washington, DC. Republican House members are calling for reform to asylum processes. (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty ImagesFormer ICE Acting Director Tom Homan has been named border czar Who he is: Homan was acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration and oversaw the implementation of the family separation policy during his tenure from 2017 to 2018. Hes also long backed Trumps desire to deport unauthorized immigrants, previously noting that if invited to join the administration, he intended to run the biggest deportation operation this countrys ever seen.Homan worked for ICE during former President Barack Obamas administration as well, and has also served as a police officer and Border Patrol agent. Hes been in lockstep with Trump on implementing punitive immigration policies and called for ICE to deport a wide range of unauthorized immigrants, including those who dont have criminal histories. Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. There is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders. What we know about the role: The border czar is not an official role that requires Senate confirmation; the Secretary of Homeland Security is the actual cabinet official overseeing the border. However, Homan appears poised to have a major say over policy and will weigh in on proposals at both the northern and southern borders, according to Trump. What message this sends: Homans efforts in the first Trump administration and his commitment to sweeping deportations this term indicate that the president-elect is fully focused on his promise to remove a large number of unauthorized immigrants from the US. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 08: Lee Zeldin, Former New York Senator and gubernatorial candidate visits Mornings With Maria with host Maria Bartiromo at Fox Business Network Studios on February 08, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) Roy Rochlin/Getty ImagesFormer Rep. Lee Zeldin tapped for administrator of the Environmental Protection AgencyWho he is: Zeldin is a former Republican House lawmaker who also ran a failed campaign for the New York governors seat in 2022. Zeldin did not previously sit on committees focused on environmental policy in the House, and focused on crime and inflation during his gubernatorial run. That year, he came within a notably close margin of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as a Republican running in a traditionally blue state.Zeldin has said that some of his first priorities will be to roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to be able to struggle, and to work on US energy dominance. What we know about the role: The EPA is responsible for crafting policies that protect clean water and air, and also plays a major role in approving regulations to combat climate change. The position of administrator is a Senate-confirmed role. What message this sends: Trump promised to take a very different approach to the environment than the Biden administration, including by exiting international climate agreements and focusing on expanding fossil fuel production. Zeldins nomination suggests those promises will be a priority, as will rescinding Biden-era environmental protections that curbed carbon emissions for businesses. Stephen Miller, former White House senior advisor for policy, speaks during a campaign event with former US President Donald Trump, not pictured, at Atrium Health Amphitheater in Macon, Georgia, US, on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. A flurry of polls released Sunday show Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump remain poised for a photo finish in this weeks presidential election, with voters narrowly split both nationally and across the pivotal swing states that will decide the election. Photographer: Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesTrump policy aide Stephen Miller expected to be named deputy chief of staff and policy adviserWho he is: Miller is a staunch Trump loyalist and policy adviser who pushed many of the harshest immigration policies during the president-elects first term. He has advocated for a travel ban and family separations in the past, and hes a chief architect and booster for the idea of the mass deportations Trump has promised this term as well.They begin on Inauguration Day, as soon as he takes the oath of office, Miller has said of deportations. Trump has not yet formally announced the appointment, though Vice President-elect JD Vance has already posted his congratulations to Miller. What we know about the role: Another political appointment that doesnt require Senate confirmation, this position is set to focus heavily on providing policy guidance likely focused on immigration, given Millers expertise to the president-elect. What message this sends: Between this appointment and Homans, Trump has made clear that his promised mass deportations will be one of his top policy goals when he retakes office. West Palm Beach, FL - November 6 : Susie Wiles speaks with Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump after he was declared the winner during an election night watch party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida in the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 06, 2024. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump campaign adviser Susie Wiles has been named chief of staffWho she is: A longtime Florida campaign operative, Wiles helped run Trumps 2016 campaign in the state and was a senior national adviser to him in 2024. Shes heavily credited for the success Trump had during the Republican primary in 2024 and had previously aided Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during his gubernatorial run in 2018 prior to a falling out between the two. Wiles has also been a corporate lobbyist and worked with a spectrum of Republicans in the past, including former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Florida Sen. Rick Scott. Susie is tough, smart, innovative, universally admired and respected, Trump said in a statement. What we know about the role: The chief of staff is effectively a gatekeeper who helps shape the presidents priorities and offers policy counsel. The position is the most prominent political appointee in the White House and is not Senate confirmed. Notably, Trumps former chief of staff John Kelly has been a major critic of Trump, describing him as a fascist who favors a dictator approach.What message this sends: Wiles has been credited with professionalizing Trumps campaign operations and reining in some of the chaos that has marked his past operations. That said, his campaign was still rife with racist remarks that echoed authoritarians as well as frequent lies about former Vice President Kamala Harriss policies and identity. Kelly has said that he attempted to restrain the president during his first term, though it was still plagued by in-fighting and tumultuous policies on everything from climate to immigration. Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

President-elect Donald Trump is pushing for the next Senate majority leader to allow recess appointments, which would allow him to install some officials without Senate confirmation.Typically, the Senate must approve presidential nominations for high-level posts, including cabinet positions, ambassadorships, and inspector general jobs, in a process outlined in the US Constitution. This procedure is meant to be a check on presidential power a way of ensuring officials directly elected by citizens can guard against the appointment of unqualified or corrupt personnel.The Constitution, however, also allows for recess appointments, a provision that aims to prevent prolonged government vacancies by allowing the president to install officials without Senate approval while Congress is not in session. Using such recess appointments, Trump would be able to appoint whoever hed like without giving the Senate the opportunity to question or object to the pick. Critics of the practice note that it increases the risk of unqualified, corrupt, or ideological appointees filling government posts. It also significantly expands presidential power. Though recess appointments have been used in the past by presidents of both parties, in recent years, the Senate has avoided going to extended recesses, blocking presidents from making any appointments in senators absence.Reinstating recess appointments would essentially negate one of the Senates main roles in governance, which is to vet presidential nominations for high-level positions, Peverill Squire, a political science professor at the University of Missouri, told Vox. It would, if the Republicans in the Senate were willing to go along with it, represent sort of an abdication; they would be simply giving up the power thats afforded them.Trump injected his demand into the fierce race to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell as the leader of the Senate, which will be under GOP control next session thanks to the results of last weeks election. Trump largely stayed out of that contest while on the campaign trail, but he waded into it on Sunday, writing on X, Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!)The three candidates for the position Sens. John Thune (South Dakota), John Cornyn (Texas), and Rick Scott (Florida) quickly expressed support for Trumps demand. Scott, the underdog in the race who is also the closest Trump ally of the three, was the most explicit in his endorsement of the plan, writing 100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible, on X.Whats a recess appointment and how does it work?In ordinary circumstances, nominees to many government posts including cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, and federal judges must undergo a confirmation hearing, during which they are questioned by the Senate about their record, qualifications, and how they will perform their government duties. Confirmation in this process requires a simple majority voting to confirm. Recess appointments work differently, and they dont require a vote. The president simply appoints an official of their choice. The idea behind them was that there might arise times when the president needed to appoint someone to keep the government functioning, while Congress was out of session (in recess).At the time the Constitution was written, Congress met mainly nine out of 24 months, and there were long stretches where Congress wasnt in session, Squire told Vox. As such, the Constitution states the president has the Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. Congressional recesses arent as long as they once were. Now, recesses happen in between each congressional session and around holidays. Recess appointments still work the same way, however. And as the text notes, any appointment made during a recess isnt permanent: Presidential appointments made during a recess last to the end of that second session, meaning for a period of no more than two years. A president can renominate their pick after that, or reappoint them during another recess. How have they been used in the past?With the exception of Trump and President Joe Biden, recent presidents have made use of recess appointments; according to the Congressional Research Service, former President Barack Obama made 32 recess appointments, Bill Clinton made 139 recess appointments, and George W. Bush made 171 recess appointments.Though recess appointments were meant to be used in emergencies or in times when Congress met less often, over the past few decades, theyve become seen as a way for presidents to get around congressional opposition. The process faced major scrutiny during the Obama administration, and was curtailed after a 2014 Supreme Court ruling that Obama had overstepped his power in utilizing recess nominations. (Thats why neither Trump nor Biden made any recess appointments.)In an effort to block recess appointments, the chamber often employs what are known as pro forma sessions. These short meetings, in which no real business is conducted, mean the Senate is never in recess for more than 10 days preventing the president from making any appointments without the bodys consent. A pro forma session can be as simple as one senator gavelling in, and then calling the session over.If recess appointments are reinstated, there is little Democrats could do to stop the process, Squire said. But they could slow down legislative processes, which wouldnt necessarily prevent [recess appointments] from happening, but there would be a penalty a cost attached to it. Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

The PlayStation 5 Pro was announced in September, and immediately people reacted with disbelief to the price: 699/$699, without a disc drive. Adjusted for inflation, it is the second-most expensive games console ever released beaten only by the PlayStation 3, whose price was quickly slashed when it turned out nobody was willing to work a second job to afford one. Its an addition to, rather than a replacement for, the original PS5 model. All games released so far work on the Pro, and all future PS5 games will work on both models.For your money, you get an upgraded GPU (graphics processing unit), which is overall 45% more powerful that the original PS5s; AI upscaling, which makes images more detailed; and advanced ray tracing, which makes the lighting better. In plain English, its supposed to make all PS5 games prettier and faster.My partner and I bought one last week, with an added disc drive to complement the 2TB of storage (an extra 100, though they are now in short supply). For context: I mostly play games on my Steam Deck or my Nintendo Switch, and can only just tell the difference between 30FPS and 60FPS. I appreciate a gorgeous game God of War and Ratchet and Clank have blown me away on PS5 but graphical performance is not hugely important to me. My partner, meanwhile, is a lifelong early adopter and PC gamer who is very invested in his tech. Here is our verdict.The idea behind this console upgrade is removing all compromises. The original PS5s graphical options let you pick between fidelity and performance how good everything looks v how fast everything moves. Choose fidelity and the lighting and detail of each scene will be better, but the frame rate will be lower. Choose performance and the frame rate will be higher, making things feel silky-smooth during play, but some of the fancier lighting effects and detail are turned off. With the PS5 Pro, the compromises have been removed: now you can have the higher detail at a higher frame rate.As to whether you can actually see this difference will depend a lot on your TV. If you dont have a 4K TV, for instance, there is absolutely no point in this console. Most high-end TVs now have a lot of built-in effects and features that smooth out frame rates and otherwise improve the look and performance of what youre playing, so the difference might not look as huge as youre expecting. Personally, as someone who is not invested at all in high-end tech, I can see and feel a small but noticeable difference when I compare the same game on PS5 and Pro on our 4K TV. My partner, whose eye is better trained for these things, feels that the contrast is more obvious.This lack of compromise is what tech-minded gamers hoped for from this generation of consoles in the first place, so it is nice to finally have it. Indeed, I reckon the ideal customer for the PS5 Pro is someone whos been holding off on buying a PS5 because it didnt feel like enough of an upgrade from the PS4. Most people are unlikely to play a PS5 exclusive such as Spider-Man 2 or Horizon Forbidden West again simply because its a little better-looking on an upgraded console. But if youve never played these games in the first place then youll now be able to enjoy them at their very best.Sonys pleasing hardware design is still going strong with the PlayStation 5 Pro Photograph: Sony Interactive EntertainmentSpeaking of enjoying games at their best: this console has a feature called PS5 Pro Game Boost, which enhances all the 8,500+ backwards-compatible PlayStation 4 games as well. Some of the PS4s best games have been specifically remastered for PS5 already, including The Last of Us parts I and II and Horizon Zero Dawn, but plenty havent, and they benefit hugely from this upgrade. The difference here would be noticeable to anyone.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: 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 promotionTypically, Sony has released these upgraded consoles just after the midpoint of a PlayStations lifespan, so we can assume well get three to four years worth of use out of the PS5 Pro before the PlayStation 6 comes along. As for whether its worth the money? If you already have a really nice TV, you like to have the latest tech, and you havent already played every PS5 game worth playing, you will, like my partner, be very happy with it. Its a nice-to-have, rather than an essential. You can be reassured that if, like me, you balk at paying this much for any games console, you are not missing out on much.

Silent Hill 2 much better than expected (Konami)The Tuesday letters page gives up on the Nintendo Switch 2 being announced this year, as another reader worries about kids access to GTA 5.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukRemaking the moodIve just finished the Silent Hill 2 remake and Ive got to say it has completely exceeded my expectations. Even knowing that it was good, thanks to the positive reviews, I expected it to be a straight recreation of the original game, but with a few modern touches. But its much more than that, a completely new game that mirrors the original but is never exactly the same with some parts removed and others added.Full credit to Bloober Team, I think theyve done a great job and Im genuinely wondering whether it might be the best remake Ive ever played. The other contenders, I would say, are Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Resident Evil 2 and 4. All of which are similar in that they play pretty loose with the original game very loose in Final Fantasy 7s case but still manage to capture the mood and atmosphere of the original perfectly.This is a million miles away from the pointless remakes Sony has been churning out lately, for things like The Last Of Us and Until Dawn, which just seem to be literal cash grabs, that add nothing to the original and arent needed anyway.I think its silly to say remakes are good or bad. They can be either or just mid. But I think the best ones are great and I cant get enough of them. I wish they were remaking Soul Reaver instead of just remastering it.LemptonLike what you likeThank you for printing my (positive) take on Starfield. I wasnt even surprised to see the umpteenth negative review in the Readers Feature a week later but an Underboxer did comment my continued belief that the gaming community love to hate Starfield.I have to admit Ive spent more time dwelling on my discrepancy of experience than I should, I dont dispute any of the complaints that have been repeatedly levelled at Starfield, I can only say they havent impacted my enjoyment of the game in the way it has for others.And shouldnt that be OK? We dont all like the same things, if Starfield isnt for you there are numerous other space titles you could play instead.While numbers for Starfield are down on other Bethesda titles, it has a (smallish) dedicated following and is starting to see some really cool mods. I can only promise to never write in on this subject again and quietly hope we see a few more expansions.DarKerR (gamertag)GC: Of course its OK. Look at us, were convinced Etrian Odyssey 4 is one of the best games ever made, and were never going to stop going on about that. The only thing we disagree with you about is the idea that theres numerous alternatives; there are far too few space exploration titles for our liking.Different tiersSurprising Dragon Age: The Veilguard isnt selling all that well.The GC review made it sound like it was on a par with Elden Ring and Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. A top tier title. I wonder why it isnt performing as well as EA would have hoped?I was tempted to give it a go and refund if I didnt like it, but two hours to get an idea of how a complex role-playing game plays isnt a lot of time.P.EllaGC: We said it was very good but Elden Ring and Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom are two of the best games of the generation, if not of all time, so its not on that level. And Dragon Age is selling well, just not spectacularly.Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukTo stalk or not to stalkIve never played any of the previous S.T.A.L K.E R. games and Im not a big first person shooter or survival game fan either, to be honest. But I recently read Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers, on which the games and the film Stalker are loosely based, and loved it.Following that I watched a few preview videos of the new game, and I have to say my interest is piqued. I do like an open-ended role-playing game and this looks like it might hit the spot. A positive review from your good selves may probably be the decider. In any case, read Roadside Picnic if youre a fan of dystopia sci-fi. Its excellent.SomasonicGC: It is indeed, and if youre a fan of that and Stalker we cant see you not enjoying the games to at least some degree. The older ones can usually be had quite cheaply or theres the recent compilation S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends Of The Zone Trilogy on all formats.The final trollAt this point Nintendo is literally trolling us, right? There is no way a Donkey Kong expansion for the Japanese theme park justifies a whole Nintendo Direct. Its literally only Japan; internationally speaking, whos going to go visit that in the middle of November?!But I think this guarantees no Nintendo Switch 2 reveal this year. Theyre not going to do it in the middle of Black Friday, which basically lasts the rest of the month, and theyre not going to do it in late December. I suppose theres a small chance they tease it at The Game Awards but what kind of chance? I wouldnt have said any more than 10% or so.No, all those rumours were wrong and while I appreciate they may have been right at the time the end result is nada this year. Except for probably another Nintendo Direct about a Zelda concert tour or an interactive tea machine or some other nonsense thats just an excuse to troll us one last time.TacleHome classicOne of the greatest Home Alone games ever produced, to me, has to be Home Alone on the Mega Drive. This game was not only a shoot em-up platformer but also brilliantly combined the ability to explore houses as well as a neighbour, as well as being able to build weapons and collect items to build them while also preventing two thieves from robbing each house. Adding to this ,you also had the ability to set traps in each house, adding to the fun.For anyone who has played this gem of a game they will tell you that if there is one Mega Drive game you have to own this is one of them. Even Home Alone fans who have never played this game will love it and wonder why they missed this classic.A remaster of this game, I feel, is well deserved and should be converted into 3D 4K HDR10, as well as additional weapons and traps, combined with voice acting from the original characters (Macauly Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern).This would make a remaster of this amazing game stand out and give it an upgrade it truly deserves, along with a revamped sound rack of remixes of the original Mega Drive soundtrack.Here is a walkthrough of the game for anyone who has never played it. Im sure you will agree this deserves a decent remaster.gaz be rotten (gamertag)GC: You cant convert a 2D game into 3D, it would have to be completely remade.One good reasonIve been thinking about the PS5 Pro and even though I bought the PlayStation 4 and then the PS4 Pro I have no reason to think about buying the PS5 Pro.The only reason I can thinking of them bring it out is because next year GTA 6 is out. They put a PS5 Pro and a free copy of GTA 6 and it could shift them. I still wouldnt buy one but could twist some players arms into buying one and if the Pro does have the power to play GTA perfectly it could sell a hell of a lot more.DavidGC: Its already selling more than Sony expected.Easy accessI found myself agreeing with a lot of what last weekends Readers Feature said about GTA 5. Like the author, I would never call for a ban, it wouldnt really have any effect anyway not to mention its not like its the only game kids shouldnt play.The responses saying its down to parents I feel are a bit ignorant to whats realistically possible. I assume were all just accepting that anyone in secondary school is going to play games rated 18, because how would anyone ever stop that?By that point theyve got friends to get games through, bank cards to buy it themselves, and phones which need parental controls removed for school lessons at school. Im not even sure why we have 15 or 18 certificates anymore, when the only place left that can enforce it is the cinema. Microsoft and Sony certainly dont have any way to do it.Its junior school ages were talking about. As the article pointed out, you may be able to control what happens in your own home but at some point theyre going to interact with other children. You cant control other parents and every school has a spectrum of families ranging from fully engaged and understanding what their kids are watching or playing to the ones the NSPCC adverts are about.I dont think banning the games would ever help. Its certainly not going to stop them watching it on YouTube or Twitch on their phone. And who can honestly say when they were young, the solution to your parents saying No wasnt to just do it anyway and not tell them. Easy access to this stuff is part of their life, just like social media and the best thing you can do is engage with them on it.TimGC: Very sensibly said.Inbox also-ransI wonder if the marketing bods at Nintendo have considered calling the Switch successor the Switch Up? Seems to me that, while it incorporates the Switch name it also works as an instruction to existing owners.Meestah BullIm kind of torn whenever I see Nintendo sue someone for piracy. On the one hand I hate that sort of corporate bullying but on the other hand I cant help but laugh when these cocky streamers get a face full of ninja lawyer, despite thinking the law somehow doesnt count with them.JiffoEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.MORE : Games Inbox: Will the PS5 Pro delay the release of PlayStation 6?MORE : Games Inbox: What will be Rockstars next game after GTA 6?MORE : Games Inbox: Is the PS5 Pro worth getting?Sign up to all the exclusive gaming content, latest releases before they're seen on the site.Privacy Policy This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Tetris Forever the actual greatest of all time (Digital Eclipse)The video game that helped end the Cold War (kind of) is honoured with an interactive museum featuring 18 different versions, including the 1985 original.Although its not quite as obvious a choice nowadays, given how long ago the games heyday was, its hard to take serious any list of the top 10 video games of all time that does not include Tetris. The timeless design of Tetris makes it an essentially perfect gaming experience, but its importance extends beyond just its qualities as a piece of interactive entertainment.With its 40th anniversary due to start next year, it can be difficult for younger gamers to appreciate its impact and relevance (or perhaps not). But apart from anything it was the game that sold the Game Boy, and without the Game Boys handheld dominance Nintendo may have ended up on a very different trajectory than it is today.But even that is just a single part of one of the most interesting behind the scenes stories in all gaming. One that involves Cold War era intrigue and Robert Maxwell trying, and failing, to convince Mikhail Gorbachev, and his other Kremlin contacts, to gift him the rights to the game. All of which was portrayed in the surprisingly entertaining, if highly sensationalised, Tetris movie on Apple TV+.The movie downplays Nintendos role in things but was inspired by David Sheffs 1993 book Game Over, which we always recommend to those interested in the early days of the games industry. If you dont want to read that though (or are only interested in the Tetris bit) then you now have another alternative to the movie, in the form of this interactive museum.Its by remaster experts Digital Eclipse and follows the same format as their excellent Atari 50 compilation, as well as other more focused titles like The Making Of Karateka and Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story.So, while you can play all 18 included versions of Tetris from a simple menu, the best way to experience things is by working through the timeline to explore the life and times of the franchise, from its inception to the modern day, through the medium of videos, photos, short text explanations, and playable games.Tetris Forever Hatris is a fun alternative (Digital Eclipse)30 years ago, this wouldve been referred to as multimedia, a concept that never really took off with the limited technology of the time but here the history of Tetris is told via whatever media is most appropriate to get the point across, from retro TV ads to Japanese posters and talking head interviews.The magic of Tetris backstory is that its all a lot more interesting than you wouldve thought, even if most people know the basics, of it being the invention of Soviet programmer Alexey Pajitnov, who simply wanted to bring a little fun and happiness to the world. In the early days Tetris always revelled in its Soviet origins and, in its own small way, was a celebration of the thawing of the Cold War.Youll notice that we havent yet attempted to explain what Tetris is or how its played, but with over 200 million copies sold (and thats probably a gross underestimation when you add in mobile versions, let alone unofficial clones) we feel that would be an insult to the games legacy.There is a problem with Tetris Forever though, as despite what you might imagine this does not include all the different versions of the game or anything close to it. Therere no cross-licensed versions at all, so while you do get the very first version of the game, created on the Soviet computer format Electronika 60, theres nothing here at all by Nintendo, EA, or any of the many other companies that have brought Tetris to over 65 different formats in the last 39 years.There are some interestingly weird sequels and spin-offs, but many of those had nothing to do with Pajitnov, even though he did work on a number of them back in the day. Pseudo-sequel BomBliss, and all its variants, are all but forgotten today, while Tetris Battle Gaiden was never released outside of Japan. Theyre interesting novelties but there are obvious gaps in the collection, with no Welltris or Faces which Pajitnov did actually work on and instead only a couple of versions of Hatris.The most serious problem is that this means Tetris Forever does not include the two best versions of the game: the original Game Boy edition and the more recent Tetris Effect by Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Nintendo would never allow someone else to licence their games to appear on other formats, so this is no surprise, but it does leave a gaping hole in the collection.Developer Digital Eclipse has tried to work round this though, via Tetris Time Warp: an entirely new game made specifically for this occasion. It plays as a perfectly bog standard, modern version of the game, until you clear a line with a special glowing tetromino and it transforms into one of the many Tetris variants from throughout the years, including a legally distinct version of the original Game Boy game.Time Warp is as good a compromise as you could hope for, given all the legal issues, but while Tetris Forever is a very interesting interactive museum, for sheer entertainment value youd probably be better off watching the movie (or better still reading the book) and buying a copy of Tetris Effect instead.In Short: Another immaculately researched and presented interactive museum by Digital Eclipse, but one that is missing too many important versions of the game to function in quite the way its intended.Pros: Fascinating museum features, with rare promotional items, brand new video interviews, and some games that have never been released in the West before. Perfect emulation of even the original Electronika 60 version.Cons: Its not anyones fault but the lawyers, but this is missing all the best versions of the game, and many of its spin-offs.Score: 7/10Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: 29.24Publisher: Digital EclipseDeveloper: Digital EclipseRelease Date: 12th November 2024Age Rating: 3Tetris Forever this is what the original 1985 version looked like (Digital Eclipse)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.MORE : Dragon Age: The Veilguard sold even less than Star Wars Outlaws in UKMORE : Where are the PS5 and Switch made? 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