By Chris Isidore, CNN

(CNN) — Warren Buffett didn’t give anything to the Gates Foundation this year, instead directing nearly $6 billion in shares of Berkshire Hathaway to four foundations related to his own family.

Buffett, who was a founding trustee of the Gates Foundation, started “The Giving Pledge” with Gates and his then-wife Melinda French Gates to encourage billionaires to donate a considerable portion of their wealth. Buffett resigned from the Foundation’s board in 2021, but has continued to donate billions annually to the charity.

But Buffet held back his usual donation to the Gates Foundation this year as he waits to see the conclusion of a review by outside attorneys hired by the charity that is looking into ties between the foundation and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reported.

However, the 95-year old Buffett isn’t letting age or mortality slow down his philanthropy overall, saying in a statement that he has “every hope” that his three children will dispose of all his shares in Berkshire Hathaway by December 31, 2034.

Berkshire Hathaway is worth $1.1 trillion, and Buffet owns about 30% of the stock.

Much of Buffett’s giving in past years had been directed to the Gates Foundation. In 2022, the Gates Foundation said Buffet’s donations to that point had totaled $36 billion, and he continued to contribute billions of dollars worth of Berkshire stock every year up until this year.

But Gates’ relationship with Epstein has strained their friendship. Buffett told CNBC earlier this year that he is no longer speaking with Gates, although Buffett said he didn’t regret his past donations.

“I wish that certain things hadn’t happened,” Buffett, said in the March interview. But “it isn’t like they’re stealing money for themselves.”

Gates testified before a House committee last month that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Earlier he reportedly apologized to Foundation staff for his ties to Epstein, calling his relationship with Epstein “a huge mistake,” but has strongly denied any allegations of personal wrongdoing.

Buffett said in the March CNBC interview that he never met Epstein or had any contact with him. He also said he has not talked to Gates about the scandal.

“We’ve had great times together,” he said. “But I think until it gets cleared up, I just don’t think it makes sense to do a lot of talking.”

He said one reason is that he doesn’t want to be called to testify about Epstein’s ties to Gates.

“I don’t want to be under oath,” he said.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Buffett drops Gates Foundation from his annual donations appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

Por CNN

El ritmo de las subidas de precios se ralentizó drásticamente el mes pasado, gracias en parte a un fuerte descenso de los precios de la gasolina a medida que se aliviaban las tensiones en Medio Oriente. Los datos se conocieron antes de la primera comparecencia de Kevin Warsh en el Capitolio como presidente de la Reserva Federal, donde dará su testimonio semestral ante el Comité de Finanzas de la Cámara de Representantes.

La inflación anual se situó en junio en el 3,5 %, frente al 4,2 % de mayo, según los datos del Índice de Precios al Consumidor publicados el martes por la Oficina de Estadísticas Laborales.

Sin embargo, esta cifra está muy por encima de la que existía antes del estallido de la guerra con Irán en febrero, cuando los precios subían a un ritmo anual del 2, 4%. Los economistas encuestados por FactSet esperaban que el ritmo de inflación se ralentizara hasta el 3,8 % en junio.

Mensualmente, los precios cayeron un 0,4 %, tras haber aumentado un 0,5 % en mayo. Esto representa el mayor descenso mensual de precios desde abril de 2020.

La caída de los precios de la energía representó más del 100 % de la disminución mensual de los precios, ya que registró un descenso del 5,7 % en sus precios.

Dado que la energía es uno de los principales gastos que afrontan los consumidores, se le otorga mayor peso en el cálculo del índice general. Esto significa que incluso pequeñas variaciones en los precios de la energía pueden tener un gran impacto en la evolución del IPC.

Por esta razón, es probable que la reanudación de los ataques entre Estados Unidos e Irán vuelva a disparar los índices inflacionarios.

Estos números también tienen un impacto en los salarios de los estadounidenses, que prácticamente se vieron mermados por la inflación. Esto se debe a que la inflación crecía a un ritmo mayor que los salarios. Sin embargo, ahora los salarios crecen al mismo ritmo que la inflación, ya que el aumento del 3,5 % de los precios equivale a la tasa anual de crecimiento de los salarios promedio por hora, según el informe de empleo de junio.

Se espera que Warsh reafirme ante los legisladores el compromiso del banco central de reducir la inflación, además de ofrecer una nueva perspectiva sobre su visión de la economía estadounidense.

Este martes, Warsh pronunció un discurso previo a su comparecencia en el que dijo que la Reserva Federal ha comenzado un nuevo capítulo en sus 113 años de historia, uno que traerá consigo cambios generalizados

“Hoy nos encontramos en un momento crucial de la historia”, declaró Warsh en una comparecencia preparada para la Comisión de Servicios Financieros de la Cámara de Representantes, como parte de su Informe semestral de Política Monetaria al Congreso. “Tenemos el deber de orientar a la institución hacia adelante, de revisar las prácticas actuales para asegurarnos de que estamos cumpliendo nuestros objetivos”.

Añadió que la Reserva Federal debe tener “humildad respecto a lo que sabemos y el coraje de reconsiderar nuestras opiniones anteriores”.

Warsh volvió a recalcar la importancia de controlar la inflación, tal como lo hizo durante la rueda de prensa del mes pasado, la primera que ofreció al frente del banco central.

No mencionó el papel de las conmociones geopolíticas en el aumento de las presiones inflacionarias, sino que afirmó que “las fluctuaciones mensuales de los precios son inevitables, especialmente en un mundo inestable”. Los precios mundiales del petróleo subieron bruscamente el martes tras el colapso del alto el fuego entre Estados Unidos e Irán.

El líder de la Reserva Federal describió el impacto de la inteligencia artificial (IA) en la inversión empresarial como “la característica más llamativa de la economía en este momento”.

“Desconocemos hasta qué punto la economía se beneficiará del desarrollo de la IA”, afirmó Warsh. “Sin embargo, parece

The post Grand Jury finds Ventura County lacks plan to eradicate invasive, fire-prone plant despite decade-old recommendation appeared first on edhat.

The post Fundraiser Launched to Support 7th Annual Santa Barbara School Supply Drive appeared first on edhat.

By Charlotte Reck, CNN

(CNN) — An airline pilot used a two-hour test flight to spell out a mischievous message in the sky, writing the words “I’m bored” as he flew over the United Kingdom.

While some might show their boredom by doodling on paper or playing on their phone, this pilot took his message to new heights – roughly 1,100 feet (335 meters).

Airline tracking website Flightradar24 captured the message, which was created during a flight on Saturday morning local time.

Tracking data shows that the Ravenair plane embarked on a two-hour journey from the English city of Liverpool on the northwest coast and flew over neighboring northern towns in the Wirral peninsula and Cheshire before crossing into north Wales.

For around 20 minutes, the pilot weaved his cheeky confession in clear loops above the Dee estuary, leaving an unmistakable signature in the sky.

The Piper Tomahawk had been taken on a test flight by a flying instructor in his 20s after a part was replaced on the plane, the airline said.

“I think the pilot was literally a bit bored as it was just a test flight,” operation manager Wayne Barrett told the BBC. “Mind you it was pretty skillful flying.”

Barrett said that the plane’s cylinder, a critical mechanism where fuel is burned to generate power, had been replaced and required a test run to ensure the aircraft was safe for future use.

The plane proved to be fit for action, Barrett said, but he joked that the pilot’s trick was impressive for someone claiming to have grown weary of his task.

“He was a bit bored, but he probably had to concentrate a lot in the end to spell out the words, so he was probably anything but,” Barrett said.

But the playful pilot will dodge a reprimanding, Barrett said. “The plane is now safely back in the hangar, and the pilot is on his day off.”

CNN has contacted Ravenair for comment.

This is not the first time a pilot has gone off-piste to send a message.

In 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic forced lockdowns and safety warnings to ripple around the globe, a pilot in Austria took to the skies to illustrate a vital message. “Stay Home,” the message read.

The reminder was also caught on Flightradar24 and occurred on a 24-minute flight just south of the country’s capital of Vienna.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Pilot scrawls ‘I’m bored’ into UK sky mid-flight appeared first on News Channel 3-12.