The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Amazon.com and Alphabet's Google misled advertisers that place ads on their websites, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The investigations are being conducted by the FTC's consumer protection unit, and focus on whether Amazon and Alphabet properly disclosed terms and pricing for ads.
Alphabet and Amazon did not immediately respond to Reuters requests' for comments.
The agency is seeking details about Amazon's advertising auctions and whether it disclosed "reserve pricing" for some search ads, according to the source. Reserve pricing refers to the minimum price advertisers must accept before they can buy an ad.
The FTC is also examining Google's practices, including its internal pricing process and whether it increased the cost of ads in ways that were not disclosed to advertisers, the source said.
The U.S. Treasury on Friday called on Group of Seven and European Union allies to impose "meaningful tariffs" on goods from China and India to halt their purchases of Russian oil and convened an emergency G7 finance meeting to discuss efforts to step up pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine.
"Chinese and Indian purchases of Russian oil are funding Putin’s war machine and prolonging the senseless killing of the Ukrainian people," a U.S. Treasury spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
"Earlier this week, we made it clear to our EU allies that if they are serious about ending the war in their own backyard, they need to join us and impose meaningful tariffs that will be rescinded the day the war ends," the spokesperson added.
President Donald Trump has imposed an extra 25% tariff on imports from India to pressure New Delhi to halt its purchases of discounted Russian crude oil, bringing total punitive duties on Indian goods to 50% and souring trade negotiations between the two democracies.
But Trump has refrained from imposing additional tariffs on Chinese imports over China's purchases of Russian oil, as his administration navigates a delicate trade truce with Beijing that has brought down retaliatory tariffs from over 100%.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is due to travel to Madrid on Friday for another round of talks with his Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, that will cover trade issues, Washington's demands for Chinese-owned TikTok to divest its U.S. operations, and anti-money laundering issues.
Trump earlier on Friday said that his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin was running out, but stopped short of threatening new sanctions on Russia during a Fox News interview.
Trump expressed frustration in the interview about Putin's failure to halt the war despite Trump's peacemaking efforts. Trump said sanctions on banks and oil were an option to increase along with tariffs to increase pressure on Russia, but added that European countries also needed to participate.
"We're going to have to come down very, very strong," Trump said.
The Treasury spokesperson said that G7 partners also needed to increase pressure on Russia.
"President Trump’s Peace and Prosperity Administration is ready, and our G7 partners need to step up with us," the spokesperson added.
For years, the most financially strapped Americans have been falling steadily behind on their car payments and other loans too. And yet the US economy has trucked along, seemingly oblivious.
After President Trump told Fox & Friendshosts thatCharlie Kirk's assassin is "in custody," he went on to comment about radical leftist organizations, stating,"We are going to look into Soros. It looks like a RICO case."
🚨BREAKING: President Trump says he will launch an investigation into George Soros over financing violent left-wing groups and protests:
“We're going to look into Soros because I think it's a RICO case against him and other people because this is more than like protests. This… pic.twitter.com/AMYsbfITi5
Recall that on Wednesday night, just hours after Kirk's assassination, President Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office, calling it a "dark moment for America." He vowed to crack down on radical left movements across the country that have fueled chaos and even death this year.
Then on Thursday night, Texan News reporter Cameron Abrams wrote on X that Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and two dozen others in Congress called for a select committee on "the money, influence, and power behind the radical left's assault on America and the rule of law."
"Enough is enough. We must follow the money to identify the perpetrators of the coordinated anti-American assaults being carried out against us and take all steps under the law necessary to stop them," the lawmakers stated.
Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, @chiproytx is calling for a select committee on “the money, influence, and power behind the radical left’s assault on America and the rule of law.”
"Enough is enough. We must follow the money to identify the perpetrators of the… pic.twitter.com/hK4TkW93l8
Just weeks ago, Trump stated on Truth Social that George Soros and his radical leftist son, Alex Soros, "should be charged with RICO because of their support of violent protests."
Trump Calls For RICO Charges Against Soros Over Violent Protest Support; Gates Foundation Abruptly Severs Ties With Rogue Arabella Advisors https://t.co/Kt72YbSCi9
Around that time, the "dark money" leftist NGO network operated by Arabella Advisors reportedly lost one of its top funding sources: Bill Gates.
More here.
BILL GATES PULLS FUNDING FROM ARABELLA ADVISORS@seamusbruner - "I don’t know if it's a coincidence that Donald Trump is calling for RICO investigations into the Soros' at the same time that Bill Gates is distancing himself from the Arabella network... This is putting cracks and… pic.twitter.com/p8MW0Hmehx
After the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, President Trump is interested in pursuing a RICO case against George Soros, America’s primary financier of far-left NGOs. What will likely be revealed is a complex web of dark money that observers have warned about for 20 years but never acted on.
At the center of this web are the various George Soros Open Society Foundation legal entities—four separate tax-exempt charities and one 501(c)(4) dark-money channel. Next are the Tides Foundation organizations, funded primarily by the Pritzker family, which include three separate tax-exempt charities and one 501(c)(4) dark-money channel. Following them are the Rockefeller Foundation nexus, NEO Philanthropy, the Ford Foundation, and a host of similar operations, including the Singham network. Collectively, these entities form America’s dark-money ecosystem. They fund permanent protests, bail demonstrators out of jail, finance legal efforts to sue local governments and police departments, influence immigration policy, promote drug decriminalization and criminal-justice reforms, and help elect district attorneys who decline to prosecute crime. On top of all of this, they also have entities like the Working Families Party that elect local politicians.
The money flows from donations to tax-exempt charities into non-tax-exempt 501(c)(4)s, and then trickles down to local groups. From there, funds reach the most radical organizations, which can’t even qualify for 501(c)(3) status and are instead “fiscally sponsored” by parent organizations. Because of this fiscal-sponsorship loophole, the books of these groups remain opaque. Everything from terror financing to protests-turned-riots connects in some way to these foundations.
The revolution against the West is, in effect, a network of tax-exempt charities operating as a powerful parallel government that no one ever voted for. It must be stopped before it’s too late.
President Trump's messaging suggests his administration may finally be ready to combat the radical left's dark-money, billionaire-funded NGO networks, accused of sowing chaos, hate, and division; fueling what some describe as "civil terrorism"; and orchestrating color revolutions that continue to this day. Growing concern remains that foreign money (think communist billionaire Neville Roy Singham) is feeding this anti-American woke machine. More evident than ever, the administration - if only for its own survival - must begin to counter the out-of-control NGO sphere. There's a reason Bill Gates severed ties with Arabella. The pressure begins.
HCW Biologics (NASDAQ: HCWB) has announced positive results from its non-human primate study for second-generation T-cell engagers (TCEs) targeting solid tumors. The company's lead drug candidate demonstrated strong safety profile and tolerance at doses significantly higher than efficacious levels.
The company's proprietary TRBC platform technology has developed TCEs targeting tissue factor and mesothelin, showing potent anti-pancreatic cancer activities in preclinical studies. Key advantages include reduced immunosuppression in tumor microenvironment, cost-effective manufacturing, and potential treatment for multiple solid tumors including pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma.
Notably, preclinical studies showed 100% survival rate in tumor-bearing mice treated with their TCE candidate. The company is now positioned to seek high-value corporate partnerships to advance development.
“Tech neck,” the “TikTok tilt,” “scrolliosis” or the “Silicon slump” — there are many ways to describe the pain, stiffness and discomfort that results from repeatedly bending your head forward to look at your phone.
Tech neck is when you hold your head in a downward, forward-flexed position while looking at your electronic device.nenetus – stock.adobe.com
“[Tech neck] causes immense strain on the muscular system in the neck and body,” Dr. Rahul Shah, a board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon with Premier Orthopaedic Associates in New Jersey, told The Post.
“The further forward your neck is tilted,” he added, “the more weight it bears on your neck to actually hold your head up.”
Shah said that the additional weight on your neck causes your shoulders and upper back muscles to overcompensate to stabilize and support your head.
As a short-term solution for tech neck, Shah recommends “adult tummy time,” atrendy movethat involves lying on your stomach to counteract the tilt of the neck by forcing an extension in the opposite direction.
He also suggests performing anisometric exercise after you have been looking at your phone for more than 20 minutes.
This illustration shows how your spine is affected when you use your phone in different ways.Olga – stock.adobe.com
Your neck should stay in a neutral position throughout the stretch, which is meant to ensure that key muscles get enough blood and that your head is well-aligned over your shoulders.
Press your palm against your forehead without moving your head. Start with a few seconds and build up to a minute.
“When pressure is applied to the forehead, the back of the neck muscles are activated,” Shah explained. “The opposite is true for applying pressure to the back of the neck, where the muscles in the front of the spine are activated.”
Repeat the process by applying pressure to the back of the neck and then each ear. Pressing against the right ear activates the left side of the neck muscles and vice versa.
If you feel muscular pain, Shah advises holding the stretch for a few additional seconds to improve resilience. Radiating pain should prompt a visit to the doctor.
“I would recommend doing these whenever one has discomfort in the shoulder when they’ve been looking down for any length of time, as this will improve the overall blood flow to the area of the neck without necessarily aggravating one area or another,” Shah said.
The move also gives your eyes a break. Eye experts encourage the“20-20-20” rule— every 20 minutes, you should look at an object that is at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
This helps to prevent digital eye strain, a common consequence of working on screens for long periods of time.
If the isometric exercise doesn’t appeal to you, Shah said that a simple outdoor walk boosts blood flow throughout the body.
“[A walk] will help you to improve your posture, increasing the natural position of the muscles and decreasing muscle fatigue,” he added. “Stretches and aerobic exercise will keep your muscles from feeling that fatigue.”
President Trump announced Friday that Memphis would be the next city to get a federal policing surge — and thesecond following Washington, DC.
“We’re going to Memphis. [It is] deeply troubled and the mayor is happy. The Democrat mayor, the mayor is happy. And the governor, Tennessee, the governor is happy,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.”
“Deeply troubled — we’re going to fix that, just like we did Washington. I would have preferred going to Chicago,” Trump said.
Trump also said “bring in the military too if we need.”SeanPavonePhoto – stock.adobe.com
Trump said the move was pitched to him by a railroad executive, serving on the board of FedEx.
“He said, ‘When I walk one block to my hotel, they won’t allow me to do it. They put me in an armored vehicle with bulletproof glass to take me one block.’ He said, ‘It’s so terrible.'”
Trump added: “So we’re going to Memphis. I’m just announcing that now, and we’ll straighten that out, National Guard and anybody else we need. And by the way, we’ll bring in the military too if we need it. But National Guard — but Memphis is, look, it’s a great music city, it’s, you know, home of Elvis and everything else.”
