Articles by Alexandra Alper

Biden Bans US Sales of Kaspersky Software Over Russia Ties

The Biden administration on Thursday announced plans to bar the sale of antivirus software made by Russia’s Kaspersky Lab in the United States, with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo saying that Russia’s influence over the company poses a significant security risk. …

What Risks Do Advanced AI Models Pose in the Wrong Hands?

The Biden administration is poised to open up a new front in its effort to safeguard U.S. AI from China and Russia with preliminary plans to place guardrails around the most advanced AI models, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Government and …

Google to Pay About $400 Million to Settle Location-Tracking Lawsuit

Alphabet’s Google will pay $391.5 million to settle allegations by 40 states that the search and advertising giant illegally tracked users’ locations, the Michigan attorney general’s office said Monday. The investigation and settlement, which was led by Oregon and Nebraska, …

Senator Calls on U.S. to Delay IPO by China’s Ant Group

Senator Marco Rubio, who has successfully urged the Trump administration to pursue investigations of Chinese companies, called on Friday for the U.S. government to consider options to delay an initial public offering of China’s Ant Group, the fintech arm of …

Trump Signs Executive Orders to Lower Prescription Drug Prices

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed four executive orders aimed at lowering the prices Americans pay for prescription drugs, as he faces an uphill re-election battle and criticism over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has previously proposed …

White House Quashes ‘Overly Specific’ CDC Guide for Reopening of Economy

The White House shelved a step-by-step guide prepared by U.S. health officials to help states safely reopen mass transit, restaurants, daycare centers and other public places closed by the coronavirus pandemic, an administration official said on Thursday. The 17-page document …

Trump Says U.S. Has Plan to Contain Coronavirus

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States has a plan in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said: “We do have …

New York’s Fraud Suit Against JPMorgan May Aid Private Lawsuits

New York state’s lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase & Co. alleging fraud in mortgage-backed securities sold by Bear Stearns may be one of the broadest cases to come out of the financial crisis, but its impact is likely to be limited. …

Former FDIC Chair Bair Reveals Financial Bailout Details in Book

When Sheila Bair showed up for a meeting in then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson’s office in October 2008, the bank regulator had no idea she was about to be asked to guarantee the debts of the entire $13 trillion U.S. banking …

FDIC Director Says U.S. Should Reject Basel III Pact

The United States should reject Basel III bank capital standards if the international panel that drafted them does not make dramatic changes to the rules, a director at the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said on Friday. Speaking at the …