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☆ FCC votes to outlaw scam robocalls that use AI-generated voices
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The unanimous FCC vote extends anti-robocall rules to cover unsolicited AI deepfake calls by recognizing those voices as “artificial” under a federal law governing telemarketing and robocalling. The FCC’s move gives state attorneys general more legal tools to pursue illegal robocallers that use AI-generated voices to fool Americans, the FCC said. “Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. In 2021, the FCC announced a $5 million proposed fine against right-wing operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman for allegedly using illegal robocalls to discourage voting in the 2020 election. As the FCC updates its interpretation of federal law, some US lawmakers have proposed revising the law directly to further deter illegal robocallers.

Persons: “, ”, Jessica Rosenworcel, “ We’re, Joe Biden, robocalls, Jacob Wohl, Jack Burkman, Andrew Schwartzman Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Protection, New, Authorities, YouMail, House Democrats, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, ” Locations: New Hampshire, Texas

The funds available for deals are growing as investors including pension funds, sovereign wealth and insurance firms look for meaty returns hard to find in today's equity markets, especially in the beaten-down real estate sector. Australian real estate specialist Qualitas (QAL.AX), whose backers include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, has nearly doubled funds under management to A$8 billion ($5.07 billion) since mid-2022, with roughly half the increase since this June. U.S.-based PGIM Real Estate expects to deploy a further $1 billion in the country over the next few years, said its head of Australian real estate Steve Bulloch. Lenders are expanding into residential and commercial construction as banks slow lending or exit, a March report from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said. JUICY RETURNSInvestors can expect returns from 9% to 11% with the added security of loans pledged against real assets like condos or warehouses, often with a 30% to 40% equity buffer, said Paul Notaras, executive director at Barings Real Estate Australia.

Persons: Stella Qiu, meaty, Steve Bulloch, JUICY, Paul Notaras, Notaras, Qualitas, Andrew Schwartz, Bonds, We've, Schwartz, Lewis Jackson, Rae Wee, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, International Monetary, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australia, prudential, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Parramatta, Sydney, SYDNEY, Australian, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Qualitas, Singapore

☆ How lip fillers and laser hair removal are plumping up private equity
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Sixth Street, Blackstone, and Ares have backed providers of treatments like laser hair removal. Laser hair removal, body contouring, filler injections — it's not just TikTok and Instagram where people are talking about their latest treatments. The space is another consumer-focused vertical, like dentistry and dermatology, that private equity firms, big and small, are aggressively pushing into. Christian Karavolas, who owns laser hair removal specialist Romeo & Juliette in New York City, said he's turned away offers by private equity investors. Laser hair removal, for instance, isn't considered a medical procedure in every state.

Persons: Ares, It's, Levine, Leonard Green, Blackstone, Levine Leichtman, Christian Karavolas, Juliette, he's, Karavolas, Alex Thiersch, Thiersch, Chanel, Dior, David Yurman, Louis Vuitton, isn't, Sevana Petrosian, Eva Longoria Bastón, SEV, Andrew Schwartz, Schwartz, Heravi Organizations: Sixth, Blackstone, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, Leonard Green & Partners, Boston Consulting, Industry, KKR, SkinSpirit, Walmart, ORIX Venture Finance, TPG, General Atlantic, Wax Center, Med Spa Association, Getty, Consumers Locations: Blackstone, Milan, LaserAway, California, New York City, H.I.G, Manhattan, Burbank , California

Melting snow that continues to fill reservoirs with water will allow the state to fill 100 percent of water requests for the first time in nearly two decades. Even with the spring snow melt, much of the snowpack is expected to last into July or, in some cases, even into August or September, which will help keep Sierra Nevada forests moist and the fire danger lower. For those that don’t want to leave winter behind, several ski resorts are staying open well into the summer. If only for one year, abundant, clear and cold waters will come down from the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s a breath of fresh air after seemingly endless bad news about water, climate, and natural disasters in the West, one to celebrate.

Organizations: California Department of Water Resources, Southwest Locations: Sierra Nevada, West

☆ NOAA Forecasters See a Respite for California
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsWeather forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday issued their latest outlook for the United States, and there’s at least one piece of hopeful news for a state that has already had a wild year, weather-wise: California. But according to NOAA’s latest forecasts, temperatures for May through July are highly likely to be in line with historical averages across California and Nevada. For May, much of California could even see cooler-than-normal conditions, the agency said. This could mean the snow’s melting would be more gradual than abrupt, more beneficial to water supplies than destructive to homes and farms. “The picture is relatively optimistic compared to what it could be,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, part of the University of California, Berkeley.

☆ BlackRock's mighty tech unit is a silver lining in an awful market. But competition and a recession could test its momentum.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In a tumultuous year for BlackRock, its powerful Aladdin business won record new mandates. "2022 was a good litmus test for the BlackRock model vis-a-vis Aladdin," said Cathy Seifert, a senior equity analyst at CFRA Research. Now Sudhir Nair, the longtime BlackRock executive who runs the Aladdin business globally, and his sprawling business face a test: Keeping that momentum. "To get new business, Aladdin may have to sharpen their pencils, despite the fact that I do think they still retain a best-in-class position," Seifert said. Influential rival money managers like Two Sigma, Pimco, State Street, and Amundi have been putting resources behind their own proprietary tech platforms.

☆ Storms in California have led to high snowpack and great skiing conditions — but the deluge still may not be enough to fill the state's empty reservoirs after years of drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

California has faced heavy precipitation in recent weeks, leading to a high snowpack. The snowpack provides a third of California's water needs, but it's too soon to assess the impact on the drought. The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, the mountain range that runs along the eastern part of the state, is often called California's "frozen reservoirs." Though the high snowpack this early in the season is promising, if the precipitation doesn't continue, it may not be enough to significantly address the drought. "It's great for the state of California to get out of this drought, and it's great for skiing."

☆ 'Your loved ones will already be in a state of trauma.' The ramifications of dying without a will
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Deborah Nason | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Burton | The Image Bank | Getty ImagesWhat happens if a loved one dies without a will? Millions of us are bound to find out, as two-thirds of American adults have no will, according to a recent Caring.com study. "But while the court distributes the property, it is ultimately up to the survivors to claim their rights to it," he said. For an intestate situation, the probate court appoints an executor for the estate who will follow a process according to the laws of the state where the deceased lived. "Generally speaking, this process, as a first step, involves identifying the kinship, aka bloodline, of the deceased," Ponnapalli said.

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