The board of Lee Enterprises has unanimously voted to reject an unsolicited takeover proposal from Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund known for cutting journalists at local papers to maximize profits.Why it matters: Lee is one of the last remaining independent local newspaper chains. Alden's hostile takeover bid sparked panic about the death of local news.In the past decade, private investment firms have sought to buy out local news companies that they can consolidate for profits. Such efforts resulted in the loss of thousands of local news jobs.

https://www.axios.com/lee-enterprises-board-reject-alden-takeover-ee99d57c-1987-4427-8694-6f777c306618.html

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Prominent climate movement veterans have set up a major new foundation with a mission to steer big, near-term policy decisions in nations with large carbon emissions.Driving the news: Climate Imperative is emerging publicly today and with a planned budget of $180 million annually over five years. The California-based foundation began making grants in the spring of 2020."I think what sets us apart is identifying the biggest decisions for our climate in the biggest emitting countries in the next five years, and then providing the resources and expertise to make sure those decisions go the right way," senior director Mary Anne Hitt said in an interview.

https://www.axios.com/climate-change-policy-foundation-carbon-emissions-207e5915-8825-4e9c-b2d6-6c770c1a2787.html

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Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced Sunday he will seek re-election, after initially mulling over whether to retire at the end of his second term. Why it matters: Johnson, 66, had previously said he would only serve two terms. His decision to seek reelection comes as Republicans eye control of the Senate in 2023. Senate Minority Whip John Thune, who had also considered retiring, announced Saturday that he will run again.The Wisconsin Republican wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that his decision to seek a third term was not "made lightly," adding that much "as I'd like to ease into a quiet retirement, I don't feel I should.

https://www.axios.com/sen-ron-johnson-wisconsin-republican-1d94c154-539f-44c6-aab0-6fb8e9f819d6.html

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A lawsuit filed Sunday alleges that 16 major U.S. universities and colleges, including a number of Ivy League schools, have violated antitrust laws by working together to determine students' financial aid packages.Driving the news: According to the lawsuit, the schools "participated in a price-fixing cartel that is designed to reduce or eliminate financial aid...and that in fact has artificially inflated the net price of attendance for students receiving financial aid."Lawyers believe that more than 170,000 students who received financial aid packages from the schools over the past 18 years could be eligible to become plaintiffs in the case, which is seeking damages on students' behalf, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the lawsuit.

https://www.axios.com/top-colleges-lawsuit-financial-aid-illegally-collude-a30ab056-8fd4-47c2-aa25-ca9644c0dc62.html

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3 hours ago - NewsAtlanta Public Schools has paused plans to demolish the historic Lakewood Heights school. Photo courtesy of Atlanta Preservation CenterAtlanta Public Schools will hold off on a plan to demolish a historic school in the Lakewood Heights neighborhood.Why it matters: A proposal to tear down the old Lakewood Elementary School would remove a structure with a more than 100-year history in a district recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.What they're saying: Atlanta Board of Education chair Eshe Collins told Axios that the district will hold a facilities master plan retreat on Jan.

https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/01/12/atlanta-halts-plan-demolish-historic-school

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Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, one of the people taken hostage in a synagogue outside Fort Worth on Saturday, said in an interview with CBS Monday that he initially took in the man because he thought he needed shelter.The big picture: Cytron-Walker said he spoke to the hostage taker, identified by the FBI as 44-year-old British national Malik Faisal Akram, for several minutes and made him tea before Akram took the rabbi and three other people hostage during Shabbat services for around 11 hours in Colleyville, Texas.

https://www.axios.com/colleyville-synagogue-hostage-survivor-rabbi-845c4135-ea83-4d91-a6bb-4afb4c8715d3.html

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33 mins ago - NewsNote: Unionized workers are members of a labor union or similar employee association; Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Map: Baidi Wang/AxiosThe labor fight that recently hit Colorado grocery stores may soon extend to local coffee shops, classrooms and city hall.Driving the news: Echoing the concerns that led to union picket lines outside Denver-area King Soopers and City Market stores, other private and public sector employees are demanding better working conditions.Baristas at a Starbucks near Superior have petitioned federal authorities to join the Service Employee International Union and organizers say workers at more locations will soon join the effort.

https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2022/01/24/colorado-labor-union-fight-starbucks-king-soopers

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More and more brands are giving their customers a heads up and the chance to opt out of marketing emails ahead of holidays like Valentine's Day.Why it matters: Advertisements and promotions around holidays — particularly ones that celebrate relationships — can cause anxiety and depression. And we're bombarded with them: Overall, we've gone from being exposed to around 500 ads a day in the 1970s to around 5,000 a day now. A growing number of retailers, florists, media companies and more are taking a thoughtful approach to marketing, trying not to inundate their customers with ads that'll hurt them.

https://www.axios.com/opt-out-emails-marketing-valentines-day-a7ba7956-7d80-479a-974c-3d15aaae9a82.html

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Sunday's Chiefs-Bills thriller peaked with a 90% share in the Kansas City market from 8:45-9pm CT, per SBJ's John Ourand.Why it matters: That means 90% of all TVs in the Kansas City market that were on during that time were watching the game.It would appear plenty were also tweeting: Tweets about the Divisional Round were up 58% this year, and this game was responsible for the three most tweeted-about moments.Stay tuned: Buffalo numbers come out Tuesday, and they could be even higher. The Bills had the highest local TV ratings this season, while the Chiefs were second.

https://www.axios.com/kansas-city-tv-market-share-chiefs-bills-a8eab388-2d09-402b-9682-3989ef3b59ff.html

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The coach passenger is king — perhaps for the first time ever — as airlines scramble for a larger share of the booming leisure travel market. What's happening: As the pandemic wanes, major carriers that traditionally make most of their money off premium business travel have shifted their attention to wooing vacationers.Meanwhile, discount carriers famous for selling cheap seats to popular destinations are beefing up to defend their turf.The winners: consumers itching to visit family and friends, or explore the country, after being stuck at home for two years.

https://www.axios.com/airlines-leisure-vacation-travelers-6d417653-55ee-41cc-92eb-fe35fe372fa1.html

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Lawmakers in Canada voted on Monday night to extend emergency powers Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked last week in response to protests against the country's COVID-19 health measures.The big picture: Ottawa police in Canada's capital over the weekend effectively ended a weeks-long blockade by protesters, some of whom harassed local residents. The parliamentary vote passed 185 to 151 hours after Trudeau told reporters there were "real concerns" about further threats in the coming days, per Reuters.

https://www.axios.com/canada-parliament-extends-trudeau-emergency-powers-60f6474d-8b4f-4831-8b0b-01aaceb2a859.html

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41 mins ago - NewsChicago's lagging lead line removal is set to get more infrastructure cash A worker in Gary, Ind., shows a lead service line he just removed from the ground. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios Local leaders flew to D.C. Monday to celebrate the new infrastructure bill, which is filled with lots of goodies for Chicago and Illinois. Among them: $1.7 billion for lead service line removal in Illinois — about a third of the original ask, but still hefty. Why it matters: With about 1 million toxic lead lines hooked up to Illinois homes (and 400k in Chicago alone), this could go a long way to removing brain-damaging lead from the water.

https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2021/11/17/chicago-lead-line-removal-infrastructure-bill-illinois

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Israel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are set to sign a deal on Monday, pushed along by U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, to build a massive solar farm in the Jordanian desert, five Israeli officials tell Axios.Why it matters: This is the biggest regional cooperation project ever undertaken between Israel and its neighbors. The plan calls for the UAE-funded solar farm to provide energy mainly to Israel, which will build a desalination plant on its Mediterranean coast to provide water to Jordan.

https://www.axios.com/israel-jordan-uae-huge-solar-farm-deal-45f39405-ef50-4a53-962b-882624a03f95.html

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Republicans' confidence in elections has plummeted since the 2020 election while Democrats' confidence actually rose, according to a new Axios-Ipsos poll. Why it matters: A year before the 2022 midterm elections, the survey offers new evidence of how significantly Donald Trump's false claims that the election was stolen from him have eroded trust in the system among his base.Republicans' confidence in elections has plummeted since the 2020 election while Democrats' confidence actually rose, according to a new Axios-Ipsos poll.

https://www.axios.com/axios-ipsos-poll-republicans-lose-trust-elections-52410b23-9513-453b-8a37-d140cae2d455.html

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Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) told "Axios on HBO" she's "fearful" of what will happen to President Biden's big social spending bill in the Senate because "corporate Democrats" — including Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) — are serving special interests.Driving the news: "I know that they've been influenced and guided by folks that don't have the best interests of the American people in mind," the Squad member said.Tlaib spoke Friday morning, shortly after the House passed the sweeping $1.

https://www.axios.com/rashida-tlaib-corporate-dems-biden-hbo-02b9b2e8-27eb-467a-90de-bcca4948d71a.html

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Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad during the shooting of "Jingle All the Way" in Minneapolis. Photo: Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune via Getty Images'Jingle All the Way,' the Christmas movie filmed in the Twin Cities, hit theaters 25 years ago today.Background: It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a workaholic Edina dad who is trying to make good with his son by buying him a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. Arnold battles another dad, played by Sinbad, to find one of the last remaining toys before Christmas.

https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2021/11/22/movie-jingle-all-the-way-twin-cities-spots

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2 hours ago - News"Expansion" has been a Des Moines Riverwalk attraction for nearly a decade. Photo: Jason Clayworth/AxiosVandalism during last year's civil unrest caused more than $100,000 of damage to a glass mural at the Des Moines Riverwalk, the director of the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation told Axios.Driving the news: "Expansion" was removed last week from its spot along Court Avenue and the Des Moines River to be shipped to Germany for repair.Context: Some of the panels on the mural by artist Jun Kaneko were smashed with baseball-sized rocks last year, M.

https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2021/12/22/des-moines-riverwalk-glass-mural-vandalized

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A Santa Clara, California court granted Apple a restraining order against a Virginia woman who allegedly harassed and stalked the company's CEO, Tim Cook, for more than a year, the Mercury News reports.Driving the news: The company accused the woman of "erratic, threatening, and bizarre behavior" in its application for the court order, adding that she "may be armed" and "intends to return to" Cook's residence, per the Mercury News. Apple made the request last Thursday, and it was ultimately approved by a Judge the following day.

https://www.axios.com/apple-restraining-order-tim-cook-stalker-93d72fe7-02df-4813-88be-6f0e4bd926ab.html

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A Nevada man has been arrested for allegedly making "multiple" threatening phone calls to a state election worker the day after the U.S. Capitol riot, federal prosecutors said Thursday.Driving the news: Gjergi Juncaj, 50, of Las Vegas, appeared in federal court Thursday after being arrested by the FBI a day earlier and charged with four federal counts of making threatening telephone calls, per a Justice Department statement.Among the threatening and offensive comments Juncaj allegedly made to the worker in the Nevada Secretary of State's Office in Jan.

https://www.axios.com/nevada-man-charge-threatening-elections-worker-e0e65d37-5242-4b6b-b331-ed4ea657b302.html

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3 hours ago - PoliticsRichard Painter speaks during a 2018 event. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty ImagesRichard Painter is keeping his options open when it comes to Minnesota's November elections. What's new: The one-time counsel to former President George W. Bush confirmed to Axios Monday that he's exploring a run for attorney general, while still considering an independent bid for governor. The University of Minnesota law professor hasn't yet decided whether he'd seek a major party nomination or run as an independent if he went up against DFL incumbent Keith Ellison.

https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2022/02/15/richard-painter-independent-attorney-general-andrew-yang

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A new study found that the West is experiencing an increasing occurrence of hot, dry nights that are contributing to more intense wildfires.Why it matters: The trends identified in the study, published in the journal Nature, mean that wildfires are able to grow larger and destroy more structures than they used to. It also means less rest for firefighters. Zoom in: The researchers found there are now about 11 more flammable nights every year in the West compared with 1979, a 45% increase in four decades.

https://www.axios.com/west-flammable-nights-climate-change-effects-a6d85bd2-c5af-4014-a0ee-0d54a3acf2d5.html

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Biden is president. The themes have changed. But America's short attention spans continue.

https://www.axios.com/2021-relentless-news-cycles-chart-google-data-e68e749b-0421-4dda-bb4d-f71e117f5586.html

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The Weekender is proudly presented by The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway, now offering limited seating for the general public. Enjoy a world-class menu, great cocktails and Speedway views. Call 704-455-3216 for reservations. FRIDAY, March 10 54. AM Showers. 70% chance of rain. Glow Yoga at Resident Culture South End: Enjoy a drop-sound yoga flow as you glow in the dark from water-based glow body paint (non-toxic), glow sticks, temporary tattoos and glow rings. $25. 7-10pm. Details Come From Away at Belk Theater: Watch Broadway's award-winning musical about the true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland.

https://charlotte.axios.com/322959/weekender-32-things-to-do-in-charlotte-this-weekend-including-a-festival-and-parade

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It's official: Reddit wants to go public, and has filed its IPO prospectus with the SEC. Why it matters: The company was bought by publishing giant Condé Nast for $10 million in 2006. After well over $1 billion in subsequent new investment, it's hoping for a $15 billion valuation when it goes public, per Reuters.The big picture: Nearly all of Reddit's social networking competitors are already public. While a $15 billion valuation for Reddit would be more than 1,000 times more than the last time the company was sold, it would still be the smallest social networking company.

https://www.axios.com/reddit-files-to-go-public-9c46fac4-c957-4a55-80b9-c78d46aba0e9.html

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Europe is leading the way as Congress and U.S. regulators slowly figure out how America could regulate the digital economy.Why it matters: Europe's tech regulation influence on the U.S. marks a notable shift in the setting of global standards as international lawmakers continue to scrutinize Big Tech.Driving the news: EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager visited the U.S. last week, receiving a warm welcome and meeting with U.S. administration officials and members of Congress. She met with kindred spirits at the top of the Biden administration — Justice Department antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter and Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan — and the three announced a new "joint technology competition policy dialogue.

https://www.axios.com/us-europe-tech-policy-margrethe-vestager-bf52369d-8083-4cc8-ac93-e6632e7159c1.html

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Ten Oath Keepers, including the group's founder and leader, pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy Tuesday in connection with their actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, CNN reports.Driving the news: Stewart Rhodes, a founder and leader of the far-right militia, entered the plea Tuesday during a virtual hearing before D.C. District Judge Amit Mehta.Prosecutors said during the hearing that there are "ongoing discussions" with defense lawyers about whether the seditious conspiracy charges would lead to potential plea deals, per CNN.

https://www.axios.com/oath-keepers-pleads-not-guilty-sedition-75764634-2ed0-493c-9bdb-cb193137a9d8.html

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3 hours ago - NewsIllustration: Allie Carl, Maura Losch/AxiosArkansas is fine with drivers expressing themselves, but hundreds of foul-mouthed Arkansans were denied personalized license plates in 2021.By the numbers: The state received 4,988 applications for personalized license plates in 2021. Of those, 4,371 were approved and 617 were denied, Scott Hardin, spokesperson for the Department of Finance and Administration, told Axios.We don't know exactly which ones people applied for, but we don't recommend applying for OMFG or NUDIST, for example.

https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2022/01/26/vanity-license-plate-rejects-arkansas

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Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) disclosed 417 stock purchases and sales since January 2020 — more than any other current senator, according to an Axios analysis of data from the Senate Stock Watcher.Why it matters: Rare bipartisan support is building around efforts to ban lawmakers from owning and trading individual stocks — as well as their spouses or immediate family members, in some cases.By the numbers: Two out of three trades disclosed by the top 10 senators involved assets marked as owned by only the senator's spouse or children.

https://www.axios.com/top-senate-stock-trade-chart-28ad5a56-7124-42d2-941d-c31177f88516.html

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Riot Games has agreed to settle a 2018 gender discrimination lawsuit for $100 million, the "League of Legends" giant and Californian agencies announced Monday evening.By the numbers: Under the agreement, $80 million would be set aside for hundreds of current and former California employees who identify as women in the class-action lawsuit, according to statements by both parties. An additional $20 million would go toward plaintiffs' legal fees.Driving the news: Riot was accused of "systemic sex discrimination and harassment" and discrimination against women in hiring, assignments, and promotions," according to a statement from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), one of the parties involved in the suit.

https://www.axios.com/riot-games-agrees-to-pay-100m-in-gender-discrimination-lawsuit-041af8ad-80eb-4e37-8569-2c2c482ae647.html

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