Lawmaker's Murder Stuns Britain

Cigna-Anthem Mega Merger In The Spotlight Connecticut officials on Thursday voted to begin an ethics inquiry into Gov. Dan Malloy’s appointment of a former Cigna lobbyist to a role leading the state’s antitrust review of the company’s proposed merger with Anthem. The vote came after an IBT investigation, which documented ties between the company and the regulator, as well as campaign money from Cigna and Anthem to Malloy’s political groups. California has also urged the DoJ to block the merger. Sponsored by: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW, RIGHT NOW. #IBTPulse --------------------------------------------------------------- Brexit Campaigns Suspended After Lawmaker’s Killing Both sides in the U.K.’s EU referendum contest have announced they will suspend campaigning Friday, following the murder of MP Jo Cox on Thursday. Cox, who supported the “Remain” camp, was shot and stabbed to death by a man who eyewitnesses claim shouted “Britain First,” the name of a far-right, anti-immigration political party, during the attack. Cigna-Anthem Mega Merger In The Spotlight Connecticut officials on Thursday voted to begin an ethics inquiry into Gov. Dan Malloy’s appointment of a former Cigna lobbyist to a role leading the state’s antitrust review of the company’s proposed merger with Anthem. The vote came after an IBT investigation, which documented ties between the company and the regulator, as well as campaign money from Cigna and Anthem to Malloy’s political groups. California has also urged the DoJ to block the merger. Russia’s Olympic Fate To Be Decided International athletics’ governing body will vote Friday on whether to uphold a ban on Russian athletes, which could see the country’s track and field athletes excluded from the Brazil Olympics. The vote comes just days after a damning report from the world anti-doping body, which alleged that Russian security officials had intimidated doping testers. Reports suggest the body favors a compromise, and Russian athletes have threatened legal action if they are excluded from the games. The Dirty Business Of Assault Weapons Advertising As politicians demand action on gun control, a lot less attention is focused on the marketing tactics of American gun manufacturers, who can — unlike cigarette and alcohol companies — legally and freely market their products with little to no regulation. HERE'S WHAT YOU MISSED LAST NIGHT. It’s Time To Strike Assad, Diplomats Tell Obama Fifty-one U.S. diplomats have called for the Obama administration to carry out military strikes against forces loyal to Syrian leader Bashar Assad, according to an internal State Department memo obtained by the New York Times. The document is highly critical of U.S. policy, and urges Obama to use strikes to back up a renewed diplomatic push. Election About More Than Stopping Trump: Sanders In a speech Thursday night, the Vermont senator called on Democrats to develop a nationwide strategy to take back control of statehouses and governors’ mansions, saying that defeating Republican Donald Trump “cannot be the only goal.” Sanders notably refused during his speech to end his campaign, or to endorse Hillary Clinton, who has effectively tied up the Democratic nomination. Viacom CEO Kicked Off Board Media mogul Sumner Redstone has removed Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and four others from the company’s board of directors. The move is the latest skirmish in a battle for control of the media empire, amid concerns about the 93-year-old Redstone’s health and about the influence his daughter has over him. Dauman and the board are expected to contest the move. Gun Debate ‘Needs To Change,’ Obama Says The president called on Congress to pass measures to keep semiautomatic assault rifles out of the hands of would-be mass killers, as he visited the site of Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando. Lawmakers will vote this week on whether to ban people on terrorist watch lists from obtaining gun licenses and to close the so-called gun show loophole. AND THEN THERE'S THIS... Today’s Special: Calorie Confusion The FDA wants certain types of food vendors’ menus to tell customers how many calories each dish contains, and the industry has until May 2017 to comply. But what might sound like a straightforward directive has devolved into a confusing, controversial process. Does Soccer Have Its Own ‘Moneyball?’ Leicester City’s victory in this year’s English Premier League soccer championship has been called the biggest upset in the history of team sports anywhere. At the start of the season in 2015, bookmakers in the U.K. were offering 5,000–1 odds against the team taking victory in the competition. How did they do it? 7 Hanover Square, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004 © 2015 IBT Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please add pulse@ibt-mail.com to your contacts [Unsubscribe] | Privacy Policy