Author: Press Room

Casey DeSantis, the wife of Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, drew criticism on Saturday from the rival campaign of former President Donald J. Trump for seeking to recruit out-of-state supporters to participate in the nation’s first Republican nominating contest.The backlash came a day after Ms. DeSantis, during a Fox News appearance with her husband, urged supporters from elsewhere to “descend upon the state of Iowa to be a part of the caucus.”“You do not have to be a resident of Iowa to be able to participate in the caucus,” said Ms. DeSantis, who has been a key player in her…

The FDA approved the first gene therapies for sickle cell anemia.The two approved treatments, Casgevy and Lyfgenia, will cost $2.2 million and $3.1 million.Casgevy is the first therapy to use the CRISPR gene editing tool that won the Nobel Prize. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go. download the app The FDA approved the first gene therapy treatments for sickle cell disease on Friday, but it will cost patients millions of dollars.One of the approved therapies, developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and called Casgevy, is the first…

A growing body of Jewish students at the University of Pennsylvania have voiced their concerns about campus life in the wake of now-former university president Liz Magill’s controversial testimony earlier in the week. UPenn student Kevin Bina told FOX 29 that his fellow fraternity members “don’t even feel comfortable walking outside our house wearing their kippahs just because they don’t know if they’re going to be harassed.”  Liz Magill, President of University of Pennsylvania, testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on December 05, 2023 in Washington, D.C.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)Another student, Leah Weinberger,…

Florida police say they arrested an 11-year-old who called in a fake school shooting.Police say the boy told a friend he wanted to leave school early.The boy faces charges of false reporting of a mass shooting and misuse of a 911 among other charges, police said. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go. download the app Florida police arrested an 11-year-old who they say called in a fake school shooting on Tuesday because he wanted to leave school early.The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Shohei Ohtani, the star baseball player from Japan, has signed a ten-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $700mn, believed to be the largest individual sports deal in the world.The deal far outpaces other record contracts in baseball, football, and golf. It reflects increasingly lavish spending by deep-pocketed owners, in this case by the Guggenheim-led consortium in control of the Dodgers, as live sports remain a popular industry for investment and television ratings. Ohtani’s deal dwarfs earlier records in Major League Baseball…

The United States, diplomatically isolated after casting the sole vote against a United Nations resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, came under growing criticism on Saturday by a number of governments, human rights groups and aid organizations that warned of catastrophic consequences for civilians in the war-torn territory.Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, which Washington and others have floated as a potential governing body for postwar Gaza, said the veto on Friday was “a mark of shame that will follow the United States for many years.” He called the United States “aggressive and unethical.”Nicolas de Rivière, France’s…

Penn’s president has resigned after backlash over her congressional testimony on antisemitism.Elizabeth Magill faced calls to resign from donors and the board of Wharton, Penn’s business school.Magill has been president of Penn since mid-2022. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go. download the app Elizabeth Magill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, is stepping down following months of rising tensions on campus and among alumni. Her resignation is effective immediately, according to an email sent to the Penn community today.Scott Bok, the chair of Penn’s…

© Reuters. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill testifies before a House Education and The Workforce Committee hearing titled “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism” on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 5, 2023. REUTERS/ WASHINGTON (Reuters) – University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has “tendered her resignation” from her position, according to a message sent on Saturday by the chair of the institution’s board of trustees. Magill was among top university presidents under fire over dissatisfaction with their testimony at a congressional hearing about antisemitism on college campuses.

Andrii Dodonov U.S. employers’ desire to stay competitive for talent appears to be offsetting looming economic uncertainty as they plan to keep salary increases at a high level next year. The overall average salary raise for 2024 is expected to be 4.0%, according to the latest Salary Budget Planning Survey by Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ:WTW). Though decelerating from the 4.4% actual average increase in 2023, the projection remains well above the 3.1% increase in 2021 and years prior. Among the main drivers behind the salary increase budgets include inflationary pressures and concerns over a still-tight labor market, each cited by…

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton business school’s board sent a letter to the board of trustees on Friday, which comes after sending a letter to embattled university President Liz Magill on Thursday calling for her to resign, according to a report.The letter, obtained by Axios, argues that five trustees can call for a special meeting to vote for the removal of Magill, who has come under fire after her congressional testimony on antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war. Five people on Wharton’s board also serve as trustees.”The Board will, of course, vote based upon each member’s beliefs and only the Board…