30jili

30jili In a recent social media exchange, tech billionaire Elon Musk voiced his concerns over the philanthropic activities of MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Scott’s massive charitable contributions have sparked debate, with Musk expressing his unease regarding her $16 billion (Rs 1,36,000 crore) in donations over the past five years. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Scott, known for her unconventional approach to philanthropy, has pledged significant sums through her Yield Giving initiative, which prioritizes " trust-based philanthropy ." This model allows her to provide no-strings-attached grants to non-profit organizations, enabling them to allocate funds where they see fit. While Scott's philanthropic efforts have been praised for their generosity, Musk’s response highlights his concerns about the nature of these donations and their long-term impact. Criticism Over Focus on Divisive Issues Musk’s concerns stem from a post shared on social media, which scrutinized Scott’s donations, particularly her focus on issues such as racial equity, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ justice. The post raised questions about whether her efforts are truly addressing urgent global problems or merely funding causes that promote divisive ideologies. The writer of the post, entrepreneur John LeFevre, claimed that Scott's giving primarily benefits the "NGO/non-profit complex" and creates jobs for individuals with expensive degrees. Musk, agreeing with the post, reshared it and expressed that he found Scott’s charitable approach "concerning." — elonmusk (@elonmusk) MacKenzie Scott’s massive charitable contributions have been a subject of intense scrutiny. Over the past five years, she has donated $16 billion, a sum that places her among the most prolific philanthropists in history. Despite this, her wealth remains considerable, with her net worth still standing at $36 billion, largely bolstered by the rising stock prices of Amazon. This discrepancy between her giving and her continued wealth has led critics to question the true impact of her donations. 2024: A Year of Repeat Donations In 2024, Scott’s charitable initiatives have included several repeat donations, which is unusual given her typical one-time grants. Notably, she made three donations to CAMFED, an organization focused on girls' education in Africa, and awarded an additional $65 million to Enterprise Community Partners, which had initially received $50 million in 2020. This shift in her donation strategy also saw Scott introduce an open-call application process for non-profits, a move that resulted in over 6,000 organizations applying for funding. Ultimately, Scott committed $640 million to more than 360 organizations, far surpassing her initial promise. The Impact of Unrestricted Grants on Non-Profits Scott’s approach to philanthropy has been groundbreaking in its emphasis on unrestricted funding, allowing organizations the freedom to use the grants as they see fit. This model has been praised by recipients, who describe the grants as transformative, not only for individual organizations but also for entire sectors like affordable housing. However, some critics, like Musk, argue that Scott's focus on certain causes might be misaligned with addressing the world’s most pressing issues. In response to the ongoing debate about her philanthropic approach, Scott has defended her actions, emphasizing that her goal is to create systemic change and provide support where it is most needed. Her commitment to charitable giving has undoubtedly made a significant impact, but it has also raised important questions about the direction of her efforts and the broader implications of her donations.

(The Center Square) – Legislators in Washington, D.C., have taken a number of steps over the past few days to push for insurance and pharmaceutical reforms to be passed before the end of the year. On Wednesday, a bicameral group of Republican and Democrat lawmakers held a press conference discussing the need for pharmacy benefit manager reform to protect small pharmacies across the country and “save lives.” “Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or an independent, we all want the same thing. We want accessible, affordable, quality health care,” said Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga. “We’re not here today to just discuss one bill or to discuss just one patient’s story. We're here because there's broad, bipartisan pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, reform that is needed to save lives.” Pharmacy benefit managers are the middlemen responsible for managing the drug prices covered by health insurance plans. According to the Harvard Political Review , the problem with pharmacy benefit managers is that they “have vertically integrated with pharmacy chains and health insurers through massive conglomerates.” That then allows them to abuse their power to cut out small pharmacies and increase prices. Carter also signed a letter that was released last week calling on the Department of Justice to dig into the role pharmacy benefit managers played in the opioid epidemic. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Cliff Benz, R-Ore., all joined him in signing that letter. “The opioid crisis has devastated communities in North Carolina and across the country, and PBMs may have fueled it by prioritizing profits over people,” Ross said on social media . “That’s why I joined a letter calling on the DOJ to investigate their role and hold these bad actors accountable.” The letter looked at recent reports on the largest pharmacy benefit managers, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx which state that they “colluded and conspired to steer patients towards OxyContin in exchange for $400 million.” OxyContin is a trade name for the narcotic oxycodone hydrochloride, a painkiller available by prescription only. This and the general “lack of transparency” is just one of the many complaints that legislators aired on Wednesday. “My colleagues who are joining me today, Democrats and Republicans ... all recognize that PBMs are decreasing the accessibility, the affordability, and therefore the quality of health care in America,” Carter said. “We have an opportunity, right now, to advance bipartisan legislation that increases reporting requirements, which would heighten transparency and shine a light on the opaque practices of these PBMs.” Carter was also joined by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who is leading the effort to get legislation passed in the U.S. Senate. “This year, we're losing about one pharmacy a day in America,” Lankford said. “We want leadership to be able to take this up and to bring it up in the end-of-year package ... Stop holding up legislation that is bipartisan, bicameral, and solving a problem that Americans need solved.”

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — NCino, Inc. (NCNO) on Wednesday reported a loss of $5.3 million in its fiscal third quarter. The Wilmington, North Carolina-based company said it had a loss of 5 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for stock option expense and amortization costs, were 21 cents per share. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Veterans will launch a series of legal battles against the government next year, unless Keir Starmer agrees to help them get to the bottom of the Nuked Blood Scandal. Lawyers acting for survivors of Cold War nuclear bomb tests are preparing to formally issue a claim in the High Court. They say that the Ministry of Defence has failed to answer questions on the whereabouts of blood tests conducted on thousands of troops during the weapons trials, despite months of legal letters. And families who say that nuke veterans’ medical records are missing - either unlawfully destroyed or withheld - could make a criminal complaint to the police. * Watch Britain's Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story on iPlayer HERE Veteran John Folkes, who flew through four atomic clouds in 1956 and later found 14 months of medical records from the time are missing, said: “I have one wish for next year. I just want them to say sorry.” John, 88, of Broadstairs, Kent, was recently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress as a result of his experiences. He said: “If somebody high up were to put their hands up and say sorry, that would help. It would give us a sense something is being done about it, a starting point. It’s been decades of waiting for the truth, and it’s time we got it.” In Opposition, Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised veterans “your campaign is our campaign”, while Defence Secretary John Healey said there was “no good moral reason, no good military reason, for withholding the recognition and compensation... It is a pledge we are determined to deliver”. Since taking office, the new Labour government has begun a review of what records were taken and what might have happened to them , but have not engaged with a compensation claim expected to top £5bn. Lawyer Jason McCue, who is acting for the veterans, said: “If the government had exercised candour when the veterans first came forward, compensation would cost a fraction of what they now face. “Today’s government has been given the grace of a final chance to do the right thing with a deadline of the end of this year, and establish a cost-effective special tribunal as an alternative. In the absence of any response, we will have no choice but to begin proceedings.” Meanwhile Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has said he will go to the police to report crimes of misconduct in public office if the government does not act. He said: “This is crunch time, for the veterans and the government. The new year must bring justice for these families, by whatever means we can achieve it.” The pivotal moment comes after an astonishing year in the Mirror ’s long campaign for recognition of the nuclear veterans. In February a judge ruled the Ministry of Defence had unlawfully withheld medical records from a veteran’s daughter, and in May the Atomic Weapons Establishment was forced to declassify 4,000 pages of evidence about blood and urine testing of troops during the radiation experiments. Almost a million people have seen a BBC documentary on the scandal, while more than 5,000 nuclear test medals have been delivered to veterans and their next of kin.