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Union and Marathon meet as deadline for US refineries' strike looms
The United Steelworkers union and Marathon Petroleum continue to negotiate on Saturday. This is just hours before a possible strike deadline at several U.S. refineries or?chemical plants. The union rejected an offer made by Marathon, who is the chief negotiator of 26 U.S. chemical and refinery companies, including Exxon Mobil and Valero Energy. According to sources who were familiar with the negotiations, the offer included a 13% wage increase over a 4-year contract. Jamal Kheiry, Marathon's spokesperson, said that "MPC is continuing to meet with USW representatives." "We're committed to negotiating in good faith, and working towards a mutually satisfying agreement," said Marathon spokesperson Jamal Kheiry. USW released a statement saying that "the union will continue to bargain with Marathon beyond contract expiration? for a national agreement covering all workers represented by the USW National Oil Bargaining Program". Marathon's proposal would have seen pay increases of 3% each in the first two year and 3.5% each in the last two. Sources said that the USW and the USW's 30,000 oil workers are negotiating over the cost of living, healthcare costs, and standards for artificial intelligence in the plants. USW also wants to see tougher safety regulations, but sources say that this is not likely to happen at Marathon. "Marathon, as a company, thinks that our industry is overpaid," stated one of the sources who asked to remain anonymous because they weren't authorized to speak in public. "They don't say much about economics. To be honest, our proposal is mainly about AI. They're not doing it in a positive way. The current four-year agreement expires on Sunday at 12:01 am, but this does not automatically mean that a strike would begin at that time. During past negotiations, the union granted rolling extensions of 24 hours to reach an agreement beyond expiration. Only in plants where a union has authorized a strike will workers walk off the job. The USW called out 5,200 USW workers at 11 refineries in the United States, which were part of the previous nationwide strike. The refineries continued to operate with temporary replacement employees. Negotiations between the USW & Marathon concern a national agreement pattern that will set wages for hourly union workers as well as healthcare costs, safety agreements, and other matters. After completing their probationary periods, inside refinery operators earn about $50 per hour. To create the contract, you combine the national agreement with site-specific agreements. The company and workers settled local issues at Marathon's biggest refinery on Friday, the 631,000-barrel-per-day Galveston Refinery. (Reporting and Additional Reporting by DishaMishra. Editing by Nathan Crooks, Nik Williams and Nathan Crooks)
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Union and Marathon meet as deadline for US refineries' strike looms
The United Steelworkers union and Marathon Petroleum continue to negotiate on Saturday just hours before a possible strike deadline at several U.S. chemical and refineries plants. The union rejected an offer made by Marathon, who is the chief negotiator of 26 U.S. chemical and refinery companies, including Exxon Mobil and Valero Energy. According to sources who were familiar with the negotiations, the offer included a 13% wage increase over a 4-year contract. Marathon spokesperson Jamal Kheiry said that "MPC is continuing to meet with USW representatives." "We are committed in working towards a mutually satisfying agreement and bargaining with good faith." USW spokesperson stated that the union had no immediate comment regarding negotiations. Marathon's proposed pay increase would have been 3% for each of first two years and 3.5% for each of final two. Sources said that the USW and the oil industry workers, who are represented by the USW in these talks, will be discussing the cost of living, healthcare costs, and the standards of use of artificial intelligence at the plants. USW also wants to see tougher safety regulations, but sources say that this is not likely to happen for Marathon. "Marathon, as a company, thinks that our industry is overpaid," stated one of the sources who asked to remain anonymous because they weren't authorized to speak in public. "They don't say much about economics. To be honest, our proposal is dominated by AI. They're not doing it well. The current four-year agreement expires on Sunday at 12:01 am, but this does not automatically mean that a strike would begin. In previous?negotiations the union granted rolling contract extensions of 24 hours to reach an agreement beyond expiration. Only in plants where the union has authorized a strike will workers walk off their jobs. The USW announced that it would be calling out 5,200 USW workers at 11 refineries in the United States, which employed USW members. The refineries continued to operate with temporary replacement employees. Negotiations between the USW, Marathon and other unions are aimed at a national agreement pattern that will set wages for hourly workers in the union, healthcare costs, safety agreements and more. After completing their probation period, inside refinery operators earn about $50 per hour. To create the contract, you combine the national agreement with site-specific agreements. The company and workers settled local issues at Marathon's biggest refinery on Friday, the 631,000 barrels per day Galveston Bay. (Reporting and editing by Nathan Crooks, Nia Williams, and Erwin Seba)
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Morocco deploys its army to assist thousands of flood victims
State TV reported that Morocco had deployed army units to assist with the?evacuation of thousands of people following?floods caused by torrential rainfall?and?rising river levels?that hit parts of Morocco's northwest. A national flood monitoring committee reported that weeks of heavy rain, coupled with the release of water from a dam near the city, had increased the?water level in the Loukous River, and inundated several?neighbourhoods. The city of Ksar Kbir is located about 190 km north of Rabat. Official media reported that more than 20,000 people were moved into shelters and camps as of?Saturday. As the waters receded, authorities set up temporary barriers and sandbags in areas prone to flooding. As a precaution, Ksar Kbir schools have been closed until the 7th of February. The Sebou River rose to a dangerous level in the province of Sidi Kacem. Authorities increased their vigilance. The abundance of rain ended a seven-year dry spell that prompted the country to invest heavily in desalination plants. According to official statistics, the average rate of dam filling has increased to 60%. Several major reservoirs have reached their full capacity. In the city of Safi south of Rabat, there were 37 deaths in a flash flood last month. (Editing by Timothy Heritage).
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Sky News reports that Thames Water is close to a 16 billion-pound deal with lenders.
Sky News reported that Britain's Thames Water was getting closer to a deal worth 16 billion pounds ($22 billion), which would prevent the ailing "utility" from being temporarily taken over by the public. The report stated that a group of creditors who hold 13 billion pounds out of Thames Water’s 20 billion pound total debt are aiming to reach an agreement in principle with the regulator Ofwat as well as the company before the middle of the next month. Thames Water stated in an email that it was working with stakeholders on a market-led recapitalisation. They added that they were hopeful to reach an agreement. The company has 16 million clients and has been the center of a scandal in Britain where it was fined over 100 million pounds because of sewage spills. The company's debt load has also brought it to the brink of collapse. Ofwat said it continues to engage with the London & Valley Water Investor group and is reviewing their proposals to assess if they would improve the company’s operations?and its finances. London & Valley Water, a group of 15 creditors, including Aberdeen Investments and Elliott Management as well as PIMCO, Silver Point Capital, have committed to keep their ownership stakes in the struggling utility through 2030, under a rescue plan. According to the report, under the proposal, lenders could receive a 30% haircut on their Class A debt, compared to the 25% announced in October. The report stated that more than 13 billion pounds in existing value will be written off once a final deal is presented to investors. These include Assured Guaranty, Invesco, Elliott Management, Silver Point Capital, and Farallon Capital Management. The report said that creditors would be given a minimum of 10% of the equity in the recapitalised firm. The report stated that an outline agreement could be reached "as soon as next week", with terms being submitted to Downing Street for review in the following weeks. Thames Water was able to secure court approval last year for a 3-billion-pound debt lifeline. This prevented a possible collapse and state rescue. As soon as the terms of a deal with the government were agreed, Britain's largest water provider began to take steps to secure court dates, and to proceed with a plan for recapitalisation led by senior lenders.
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France tightens rules on infant milk after recalls
The French farm ministry announced on Saturday that it had lowered the safety level for cereulide in infant formula. This was done to 'enhance protections' after several large groups issued worldwide recalls due to contamination concerns. The ingredient Cereulide can cause nausea and vomiting. It was detected in ingredients supplied by a Chinese factory that supplies a number of formula manufacturers including Nestle Danone and Lactalis. This triggered?recalls' in dozens countries, raising concern among parents. The ministry released a statement saying that the new threshold will be 0.014 micrograms cereulide per kilogram of body mass, as opposed to 0.03 micrograms currently. The French?move is a result of a European Union Meeting on the 28th January and in line with updated guidelines from the European Food Safety Authority, which will be released Monday. It added that the lower threshold would likely lead to more withdrawals in France over the next few days. These recalls show how an ingredient that is compromised can cause a market panic despite strict regulation. On January 23, French investigators announced that they were investigating whether there was a connection between the deaths of two infants, and the recalls of formula products. Foodwatch, a consumer group, announced on Thursday that it filed a criminal complaint against eight companies for failing to notify the public about contaminated infant formula. (Reporting and editing by Christian Schmollinger; Sybille de la Hamaide)
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US Lower 48 crude production down 379,900 bpd on storms in January
According to Rystad consultancy, U.S. crude production is expected to drop by 379,000 barrels a day in the lower 48 for 'the month of January.' This is because operators are still restoring output after a storm last weekend knocked down up to 2,000,000 bpd. The Energy Information Administration announced this month that U.S. crude production from the lower 48 states would total 11,24 million bpd in January. This puts current 'outages' at about 3.4% of the output. According to Rystad, the Permian basin in Texas and New Mexico is expected to take a disproportionate share of outages for January, with a decline of 237,000 bpd. State regulators announced that all of North Dakota's oil production had been restored to normal on Friday. North Dakota's Industrial Commission, which collects monthly data, shows that the state produced 1.189 million barrels of oil per day in November. Oil prices fell on Friday, after surging 3% on Thursday to a five month high. This was due to growing concerns that the U.S. could attack Iran and disrupt global supply. Dennis Kissler is senior vice president for trading at BOK. He said that global supplies are plentiful, but the demand has been stronger than expected. The latest cold snap, however, has affected U.S. manufacturing. (Reporting from Georgina McCartney, Houston; Editing done by Lisa Shumaker and David Gregorio.)
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Official: More than 200 dead in collapse of coltan mine in East Congo
Lumumba Muyisa told reporters on Friday that more than 200 people died this week after a mine collapse in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The mine is in the Rubaya province. Rubaya is the source of around 15% of all coltan in the world. This is then processed into tantalum - a heat resistant metal highly sought after by manufacturers of gas turbines, mobile phones, and computers. Since 2024, the AFC/M23 rebel group has controlled the site where locals dig by hand for just a few dollars a day. As of Friday evening, the exact toll had not been determined. More than 200 people, including children, miners and market women, were affected by this landslide. Muyisa stated that some people were rescued in time but have suffered serious injuries. He added that around 20 people were receiving treatment in hospitals. We are now in the rainy period. The ground is very fragile. The ground gave way while the victims were inside the hole. A governor's adviser said that the confirmed death toll was at least 227. He was not authorised to speak with the media, so he spoke under condition of anonymity. The United Nations claims that AFC/M23 plunders Rubaya’s wealth to?fund their insurgency. This is backed by the neighboring government of?Rwanda. Kigali, however, denies this allegation. The heavily-armed, rebels, who have stated their aim to overthrow Kinshasa's government and ensure the safety for the Congolese Tutsi minority, captured more mineral-rich terrain in eastern Congo last year during a lightning-fast advance. Reporting by Congo Newsroom; Additional reporting and writing by Clement Bonnerot, Editing by Daniel Wallis
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Sources say that the US is pitching Venezuelan crude oil to India, as Russia's oil imports are slowing.
Three sources with knowledge of the situation said that the United States has informed Delhi it may resume its purchases to replace Russian?oil imports. India promised to cut its Russian crude oil purchases following Washington's tariff hikes on this activity. India is also on track to reduce its Russian oil imports in the next few months by several hundred thousands barrels per day, according to sources who declined to identify themselves. In March 2025, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on countries that bought Venezuelan oil, including India. His administration also stepped up its campaign against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro who was captured by U.S. troops on January 3. Washington began to direct the Caracas Government a few years ago and plans to control Venezuela’s oil industry for an indefinite period of time. Washington is also trying to reduce Russian oil revenue?that funds the war in Ukraine. The sources didn't provide any details on whether Venezuelan oil will be sold by Vitol, Trafigura, or directly by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. The White House as well as the U.S. Treasury Department refused to comment. The Indian oil minister and foreign ministry have not responded to emails asking for comment. India has become a major purchaser of Russian oil since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia triggered Western sanctions which drove its price down. Last week, Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that India is diversifying their crude sources as Russian oil imports decline. Two sources claim that India is planning to reduce its Russian oil imports below 1 million barrels per a day in the near future. One of these two sources stated that they are expected to drop to about 1 million bpd by February, and to 800,000 bpd by March. The second source said that these imports will eventually decline to around 500,000-600,000. This would help the country to seal a deal with the United States. In August, U.S. tariffs against Indian goods reached a record high of 50%. Washington also added another 25% to the?tariff on purchases of Russian oil. Indian refiners were forced to import more oil from other countries due to the Western sanctions. Trade sources revealed that India's Russian imports in December fell to their lowest level for two years, bringing OPEC share of Indian imports up by a?11-month. Indian refiners are buying more oil in Middle Eastern, African, and South American countries. This is to compensate for the drop in Russian oil exports. Hindustan Petroleum Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals, a state-owned company, and private refiners HPCL and Mittal Energy Ltd. have stopped purchasing Russian oil. Reliance Industries will begin buying up to 150,000 barrels per day of Russian oil in February, according to a source within the company. Officials at the India Energy Week this week stated that Indian Oil Corp. and Bharat Petrol Corp. have also slowed their purchases of Russian crude oil. (Reporting and editing by Richard Valdmanis, Cynthia Osterman, and Nidhi verma)
The top cases in the US Supreme Court docket
During its current term, the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a number of important cases involving such issues as presidential powers and tariffs, gun rights, race, transgender sportspeople, campaign finance laws, voting rights, LGBT “conversion therapy”, religious rights, capital punishment, and more. The term began in October, and will run through June. Separately, the court has also acted in emergency cases involving challenges against President Donald Trump's policy.
TRUMP'S FIRE OF FED OFFICIAL The Justices expressed skepticism about Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, a move that could threaten the independence of the central bank. The justices said they would not grant Trump's request for a judge to overturn a decision that prevented him from firing Cook immediately while her legal challenge played out. Congress created the Fed by passing a law, the Federal Reserve Act, that contained provisions to protect the central bank against political interference. The law stipulated that governors could only be removed "for cause" and did not specify the procedure for removal. Trump claimed that Cook's firing was due to unproven allegations of mortgage fraud, which she has denied. Cook, who is still in her position for now, said that the allegations were a pretext used to fire Cook over differences on monetary policy, as Trump pressures the Fed to reduce interest rates. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
TRUMP TARIFFS During arguments on November 5, the justices raised questions about the legality and impact of Trump’s tariffs. This case has implications for the global economic system, which?marks an important test of Trump’s powers. The conservative and liberal justices questioned the lawyer for Trump's administration on whether or not a 1977 law intended to be used during national emergencies had given Trump the authority he claimed to impose the tariffs. They also questioned whether the president infringed upon the powers of Congress. Some conservative justices, however, also emphasized the inherent authority that presidents have when dealing with foreign nations. This suggests the court may be divided on the final outcome. Lower courts ruled Trump had overreached by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to impose tariffs. This was challenged by 12 U.S. States and various businesses. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
Birthright Citizenship The court will hear arguments about the legality of Trump’s directive on April 1, which restricts birthright citizenship. This is a controversial part of Trump’s efforts to curb immigration, and would change the way a 19th-century constitutional provision has been understood for many years. The lower court ruled against Trump's executive orders that instructed U.S. agencies to not recognize citizenship for children born in the U.S. when neither parent was an American citizen, or a legal permanent resident (also known as a "green-card" holder). The court found that Trump's directive violated both the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and federal law codifying the birthright citizenship rights.
LOUISIANA ELECTORAL DISTRICTS The conservative justices of the court signaled on October 15, their willingness to undermine another key section in the Voting Right Act, the 1965 landmark law enacted to prevent racial bias in voting. This was during arguments in a case involving Louisiana's electoral districts. The case centers on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits voting maps that dilute the power of minorities without proof of racism. The lower court ruled that the Louisiana electoral map, which divided the six U.S. House of Representatives district into two districts with a majority of Black people instead of one before, violated the Constitutional promise of equal protection. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION FIREING The conservative justices of the court have signaled that they will uphold Trump's legality in firing a Federal Trade Commission Member and also give a historical boost to president power, while also putting at risk a 90-year old legal precedent. On December 8, the court heard arguments in the Justice Department’s appeal of the lower court’s decision that the Republican President exceeded his authority by dismissing Democratic FTC member Rebecca Slaughter before the term she was due to finish. The conservative justices seemed sympathetic to the Trump Administration's argument that tenure protections granted by Congress to independent agency heads unlawfully infringed on presidential powers under the U.S. Constitution. Trump was allowed to remove Slaughter until the case concluded. The court is expected to make a decision by the end June.
Transgender sports participation The conservative justices seemed ready to uphold the state laws that ban transgender athletes to female teams, amid an escalating nationwide effort to restrict transgender rights. On January 13, the court heard arguments from Idaho and West Virginia in appeals of lower court decisions siding with transgender student who challenged the bans as being in violation of the U.S. Constitution, and a federal antidiscrimination act. 25 other states also have laws similar to Idaho's. The conservative justices expressed concerns over imposing a uniform law on the whole country, amid a sharp disagreement and uncertainty about whether medications such as puberty-blocking hormones or gender affirming hormones remove male physiological advantages in sport. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
LGBT 'CONVERSION THERAPEUTY'
On October 7, the conservatives of the court appeared to be ready to support a challenge to a Colorado statute that prohibits psychotherapists from performing "conversion therapy", which aims to change minors' sexual orientation or gender identity. Christian counselors challenged the Colorado law under First Amendment protections from government abridgment. Colorado claimed it was regulating professional conduct and not speech and had the legal authority forbidding a healthcare practice that it deemed unsafe and ineffective. A lower court upheld this law. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
HAWAII GUNS LAW The conservative Justices expressed skepticism about a Hawaii gun law which restricts the carry of handguns in public places, such as businesses. They appeared ready to expand the right to own guns again. On January 20, the court heard arguments in an appeal filed by opponents of the law, backed by the Trump administration. The challengers were appealing a ruling that Hawaii’s Democratic-backed measure likely conforms to the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right. Hawaii's law demands that a property owner "expressly authorize" the bringing of a handgun on to private property. Four other states in the United States have laws similar to Hawaii's. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
Drug Users and Guns The Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case on March 2, involving a dual American/Pakistani national in Texas, to defend the Trump Administration's bid for a federal gun law that prohibits users of illegal drugs. Hunter Biden, son of former president Joe Biden, was charged under this law in 2023. The Justice Department appealed a lower court ruling which found that the gun restrictions were in violation of the Second Amendment rights to "keep and carry arms" guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The Gun Control Act, which was passed in 1968, prohibited gun ownership by drug users.
CAMPAIGN-FINANCE On December 9, the court heard arguments in a Republican led bid to overturn federal spending limits by political parties coordinated with candidates. The case involved Vice President JDVance. The conservative justices seemed to be sympathetic towards the challenge. However, the three liberal members of the court appeared inclined to maintain the spending limits. The debate centers around whether federal limits on campaign spending coordinated with candidates' input violate First Amendment protections against government abridgment. Vance and Republican challengers have appealed the ruling of a lower court that ruled on restrictions on how much money can be spent on campaigns by parties with input from the candidates they support. This type of spending is called coordinated party expenses. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
MAIL-IN VOTES The court will hear arguments March 23 when Mississippi defends its state law that allows mail-in votes received after Election Day be counted. This case could lead to stricter voting laws in the United States. A lower court declared illegal the state law allowing mail-in votes sent by certain voters that were received up to 5 business days after an election to be counted.
U.S. ASYLUM - PROCESSING - The court will hear arguments from the Trump administration on March 24, as it defends its authority to limit asylum processing at the ports of entry along U.S. - Mexico border. The Trump administration appealed the lower court's ruling that the "metering policy" was illegal. This allowed U.S. Immigration officials to stop asylum seekers and refuse to process their claims at the border. Former President Joe Biden rescinded the policy, but Trump’s administration indicated that it may consider resuming.
Human Rights Abuses Abroad The court heard an appeal from Cisco Systems, in which the company and Trump administration asked the justices to limit?the reach of a federal statute that was used to hold companies liable for abuses committed overseas. Cisco appealed the 2023 ruling which gave new life to a lawsuit filed in 2011 accusing the California-based firm of developing technology that enabled China's government surveillance and persecution of Falun Gong members. The Alien Tort Statute was the basis of the lawsuit. This 1789 law had lain dormant in U.S. courtrooms for almost two centuries, before attorneys began to use it in the 1980s in international human rights cases. Arguments in the case have not been scheduled.
CRISIS PREGNANCY COUNTER The court seems to be inclined to side with an operator of Christian faith based anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy center” in New Jersey, in a dispute arising from the state attorney's investigation as whether these facilities engages in deceptive practice. During the December 2 arguments, a large majority of the Justices appeared to be inclined to revive a lawsuit filed by First Choice Women's Resource Centers against Democratic Attorney General Matthew Platkin's subpoena 2023 seeking information about the organization's doctors and donors. First Choice's facilities are designed to discourage women from getting abortions. The decision is expected to be made by the end June.
RASTAFARIAN INMATE The conservative justices seemed inclined to reject the Rastafarian inmate's attempt to sue Louisiana state prison officials after they shaved his head in violation of religious beliefs. The case was brought before the court in November 10 under a federal statute protecting incarcerated persons from religious discrimination. Plaintiff Damon Landor's religion requires that he let his hair grow. He appealed the decision of a lower court to dismiss his lawsuit, because they found that the statute in question did not allow for him to sue officials individually for monetary damages. The ruling is expected to be made by the end of June.
DEATH ROW INMATE The court heard arguments in December in an attempt by Alabama officials in order to pursue the execution for an inmate who was convicted of a murder in 1997 after a lower judge found him intellectually disabled, and therefore ineligible to receive the death penalty. The Republican-led state has appealed a lower court ruling that Joseph Clifton Smith was intellectually disabled based upon his intelligence quotient (IQ), test scores, and expert testimony. In a 2002 Supreme Court decision, the court ruled that executing a person intellectually challenged violated the Eighth Amendment of U.S. Constitution prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end June.
WEEDKILLER CANCER LAWSUITS
The court will consider Bayer's request to limit lawsuits claiming the German biotechnology and pharmaceutical company's Roundup weedkiller is cancerous. This could save billions of dollars. Bayer appealed the ruling of a lower court in a case filed by a man claiming he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma following years of exposure Roundup. The lower court rejected Bayer’s argument that U.S. laws governing pesticides bar lawsuits based on claims made under state law. Arguments in the case have not been scheduled.
FCC FINES FOR WIRELESS CARRIER The Justices will hear the dispute over fines levied by the Federal Communications Commission against major U.S. carriers who shared customer location data with other companies without their consent. This is the latest case that has reached the Supreme Court challenging the authority of an American regulatory agency. The case concerns the FCC's efforts to impose tens-of-millions-of-dollars in fines on carriers like Verizon Communications and AT&T before they had their day in the court. Arguments in the case have not been scheduled.
COX COPYRIGHT DISSERT The court heard arguments in December in an attempt by Cox Communications, a provider of internet services, to avoid financial responsibility in a major copyright lawsuit brought by record labels who accused Cox of allowing its customers to piracy thousands of songs. Justices were skeptical about Cox's claim that mere knowledge of piracy by users could not be enough to hold it responsible for copyright violations. A lower court ordered that a new trial be held to determine the amount of money Cox owes Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group Universal Music Group, and other labels in relation to contributory copyright violations. Cox, which is the largest division of privately-owned Cox Enterprises said that the retrial may result in a verdict of up to $1.5 billion against it. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
(source: Reuters)