DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ How to handle being the subject of a Taylor Swift diss track, according to PR experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

For a celebrity, being referenced in a Taylor Swift song can cause a PR crisis. Advertisement"He's showing due deference to the power of Taylor Swift," Nierman said. The Kim Kardashian method: Let anonymous sources do the talkingTaylor Swift and Kim Kardashian at the 2015 VMAs. "I don't think Taylor Swift really needs to negotiate with anyone. Advertisement"Everything is done for a reason and any person would be a fool to bet against or to cross Taylor Swift," Nierman said.

Persons: Taylor, Joe Alwyn, Matty Healy, Kim Kardashian, —, Taylor Swift, Swift, Healy, TMZ, reveling, artfully, Robert Kamau, who's, Evan Nierman, Banyan, John, recoils, Erik Bernstein, Bernstein, hasn't, Nierman, Healy's, what's, Jackson Lee, Alwyn hasn't, Alwyn, Kevin Mazur, Aimee, aIMee, KIM, Kardashian, it's, John Mayer Organizations: BI, Service, Poets Department, Getty, Department, Swift, Rights Locations: New York City, London, Cincinnati , Ohio

☆ Prince Andrew is trying to stage a comeback amid Kate Middleton's absence, royal commentator says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Prince Andrew is making public appearances with the royal family after stepping down in 2019. AdvertisementAs Kate Middleton stepped out of the public eye for cancer treatment, Prince Andrew was seemingly making his way back in. Andrew, 64, has attended several high-profile events with the royal family in recent months. Princess Beatrice and Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are photographed with members of the royal family before the Thanksgiving Service for King Constantine.

Persons: Prince Andrew, Andrew —, —, Kate Middleton, King Constantine, King Charles, Camilla, Kristen Meinzer, Andrew, Duke, York, Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew wasn't, Princess Beatrice's, Princess Beatrice, Max Mumby, patronages, Sarah Ferguson, Princess Anne, Duchess, Edinburgh, Sir Tim Laurence, Prince William, King, Sarah, Beatrice, Anne, Mike Tindall, Charles, Kate, William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Andrew Matthews, Harry, Meinzer, Evan Nierman, Nierman, Marlene Koenig, Richard Fitzwilliams, That's, Koenig, Grant, Buckingham Organizations: Service, Business, Netflix, Sunday, Anadolu, Getty, Brand Finance Locations: Andrew, George's, Windsor Castle, Zara

☆ The royals' old creed of 'never complain, never explain' is a relic of a bygone era
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Cheryl Teh | Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The royal family's PR strategy is in need of an update, experts say. The stoicism of the royal family's unofficial motto, "never complain, never explain," was a hallmark of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle. But it's just a motto," Prince Harry told Anderson Cooper during a January 2023 episode of "60 Minutes." Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales in February 28, 2023.

Persons: —, Prince Harry, Meghan, Oprah, excoriating, Buckingham, Queen Elizabeth II's, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle, Chris Jackson, King Charles, Princess Diana, Kate, Sovereign Grant, Prince William —, Duke of, Anderson Cooper, Prince William , Prince of Wales, Catherine , Princess of Wales, Max Mumby, William's, William, Evan Nierman, Nierman, Elizabeth II, Benjamin Disraeli, Marie Claire, Kristen Meinzer, Stringer, Elizabeth, Meinzer, Queen Elizabeth, Charles, Diana's, Graham Smith, Danny Lawson, Smith Organizations: PR, Service, Getty, Sovereign, Daily, British, Hulton Locations: Windsor, Duchy, Lancaster, Duke of Cornwall, Cornwall, Kensington, Republic, Buckingham

☆ The final scenes of 'The Crown' uncannily predicted the current state of Britain's royal family
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One scene showed a conversation between the Queen and Prince Philip about the next generation of royals. The royal family suffered several setbacks after King Charles took the throne in September 2022. AdvertisementThe final moments of Netflix's "The Crown" seemingly predicted the state of the royal family in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth's death. The royal family is in chaosIn January 2023, Prince Harry's bombshell memoir, "Spare," was published, revealing previously unreleased details about his fallout with the royal family. The most recent Sovereign Grant report showed that the royal family cost British taxpayers £86.3 million, or about $110.5 million, during the 2022-23 financial year.

Persons: Queen, Prince Philip, King Charles, —, Queen Elizabeth's, Queen Elizabeth II, Imelda Staunton, Olivia Colman, Claire Foy, Prince Phillip, it's, Philip, We'll, chides Philip, Samir Hussein, Prince Harry's, William, Harry, Meghan Markle, Camilla, Meghan, Buckingham, Graham Smith, King Charles ', King Charles and Prince William, Chris Jackson, Smith, hadn't, Grant, Kate Middleton Duchess, Cambridge, Germany Chris Jackson, Kate Middleton, Charles, Kate, Wales, Evan Nierman, Instagram, Phil Chetwynd Organizations: Service, Netflix, Windsor Castle, Getty, Getty Images, REUTERS, Metropolitan Police, Sky, BI, British, PR, BBC, AFP Locations: British, George's, Windsor, Buckingham, Poland, Germany, Berlin, Kensington

☆ Elon Musk vs. Sam Altman: One is clearly winning the nastiest battle in tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, years after he left the startup. "Elon Musk is the best PR stuntsman I've ever seen," Kyle Arteaga, the CEO of the national tech PR company, The Bulleit Group, said. Earlier this month, Altman told veteran tech reporter Kara Swisher that Musk was his "absolute hero" growing up. AdvertisementDuring the interview, Swisher told Altman she thought Musk's lawsuit was "nonsense." Representatives for Musk, Altman, and OpenAI did not immediately respond to a requests for comment by Business Insider.

Persons: Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Musk, —, Elon, Altman, Muhammad Ali, Evan Nierman, Michael Kovac, OpenAI, Nierman, Sam Altman's, he's, xAI, Kyle Arteaga, Arteaga, it's, — Anthropic, He's, Tom Mueller, Alan Dunton, he'd, Musk's, you've, Dunton, JACK GUEZ, Ayelet Noff, Noff, Lex Fridman, Kara Swisher, Swisher, " Swisher Organizations: OpenAI, Service, Banyan, Yerba Buena Center, Arts, Microsoft, SpaceX, Musk, Communications, Elon, Getty, Business Locations: California, San Francisco, AFP, Altman's

☆ Kensington Palace's reputation is in tatters. This is what it should do to save it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewKensington Palace is floundering — but there are two key ways its reputation can be mended, according to royal commentators and PR experts. Kate Middleton has been absent from the public eye since January, when the palace said she underwent abdominal surgery. In a rare personal message posted to Kensington Palace's X account on Monday, Kate said: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing." Kensington Palace's reputation matters more than ever, especially as the monarchy's value has come into question after Queen Elizabeth II's death.

Persons: —, Kate Middleton, Kate, Prince William, Karwai Tang, Wales, Evan Nierman, Banyan, Queen Elizabeth II's, Sovereign Grant, William's, William, Queen Camilla, Jack Royston, Samir Hussein, Chris, Tenile Clarke, Clarke Organizations: Service, Business, Kensington Palace, Sovereign, Brand Finance, Commonwealth, ITV, Ship, Chambers Media Solutions Locations: Kensington, Republic, Wales

☆ New York’s Freedom Plaza development will feature skyscrapers joined by daring cantilevered ‘skybridge’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The "skybridge" connecting the two hotel towers is set to feature a 150,000-gallon rooftop infinity pool. Bjarke Ingels GroupThe development is one of several projects competing for three casino gaming licenses recently approved for downstate New York by the state’s gaming commission. Bjarke Ingels GroupSoloviev Group has also promised that an unspecified percentage of the gaming profits, starting with a minimum $5 million donation, will go to an independently run non-profit community fund. Freedom Plaza will also contain public green space and a new Museum of Freedom and Democracy. Bjarke Ingels GroupUnaffiliated with Long Island University’s Museum of Democracy, the new institution will contain pieces of the Berlin Wall and works from the Soloviev Group’s art collection.

Persons: Bruce Munro, Le Corbusier, Wallace Harrison, Oscar Niemeyer, ”, Ray Pineault, “, Michael Hershman Organizations: CNN, New, United, Museum of Freedom and Democracy, British, Soloviev Group, BIG, UN, downstate, Soloviev, Mohegan, Museum of Freedom, Democracy, of Freedom and Democracy, Ingels Group, University’s Museum of Democracy Locations: New York City, Midtown Manhattan, Madison, Danish, North America, York City, York, New York, Long

☆ Stefan Irvine’s photos capture the Hong Kong villages reclaimed by nature
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —Thick roots tumble across a dilapidated house, the snake-like trunks of a banyan tree framing where the front door once stood. “These villages have existed in Hong Kong for hundreds of years, way before the colonial period,” explained Irvine. In the 1950s and ‘60s, as Hong Kong grew as an industrial hub, many people migrated to the rapidly expanding urban centers for better working opportunities. Stefan Irvine / Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong“There were calendars on the wall, school certificates in drawers — it’s quite poignant,” said Irvine. Stefan Irvine / Courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong KongHeritage valueWhile most of the villages Irvine photographed are abandoned, he was surprised to discover not all were.

Persons: Stefan Irvine, ” Irvine, “ It’s, ”, “, Irvine, Wong Chuk, Lai Chi Wo, they’ll, Tung Ping Chau, Yim Tin Tsai, Luk Keng, Lai, they’ve, Hong, Wo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, steely, Hong, HK, Irvine, Blue Lotus Locations: Hong Kong, Malaysian, India, Irvine, New Territories, Accounting, Hong Kong’s, London, Tai Peng, Lamma, Lai Chi, Queen's Hill, Fanling, Tung, Shenzhen, China, “, Mau, Lai, Hong

☆ The best things to experience in Saudi Arabia according to the people who know it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Selina Julien | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Closed to tourists until recently, Saudi Arabia is still an unknown quantity for many would-be travelers. Omran is also hopeful visitors will explore destinations across Saudi Arabia. Saudi Tourism Authority“You can’t talk about islands in Saudi Arabia without talking about a new tourist favorite, but a treasured local one, Al Nawras Island,” Saudi professional boxer Ziyad Almaayouf tells CNN. “What I love most about Al Nawras Island, isn’t the island itself, but the waters surrounding it,” he adds. The resort on the Red Sea coast is often promoted as “the Maldives of Saudi Arabia,” offering water sports and cultural experiences.

Persons: Lojain Omran, Omran, ”, Al Balad, Mai Eldib, Hajj, ” Eldib, Jeddah’s, “ It’s, ” Al, Ziyad Almaayouf, ” Ziyad, Ziyad, “, Mishaal Ashemimry, Mishaal, Tamtam, Reem Altamimi, Al Zal, Ba’a, Hatem Alakeel, Authenticite, “ Diriyah, Umluj, ” Tasneem Organizations: CNN, Netflix’s, Saudi Tourism Authority, MISHAAL Aerospace, Abaca, Saudi Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Netflix’s UAE, Al Balad, Al, Jeddah, Mai, ” Al Nawras, Nawras, Al Nawras, California, “, Unaizah, Riyadh, ”, Souk Al Zal Souk Al Zal, USA Riyadh, Al Zal, Riyadh’s Al Dirah, Los Angeles, Maldives

☆ Kate Middleton and King Charles' candid hospital announcements reveal how much the royal family has changed
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Maria Noyen | Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewKensington Palace and Buckingham Palace alerted the public Wednesday that Kate Middleton and King Charles III are dealing with separate health conditions. The announcements' swift timing and candid nature are a sharp departure from the monarchy's usual approach to sharing major health updates. Kate Middleton during the opening of Evelina London's new children's day surgery unit on December 5, 2023, in London. Related storiesSchiffer said the news would've inevitably resulted in another royal PR disaster if the palace had kept Kate or Charles' condition private. As an example, Schiffer referenced the palace's vague health announcements during Queen Elizabeth II's final years.

Persons: —, Kate Middleton, King Charles III, Kate, Charles, Eric Schiffer, Kelcey, it's, Ian Vogler, Kintner, King Charles ', Wales, Schiffer, would've, Queen Elizabeth II's, Buckingham, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip's, Victoria Jones, King Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Megan, Harry Organizations: Service, Palace, Business, PR, Windsor Castle Locations: London, Windsor

The letter came after a series of lawsuits Combs filed against Diageo, whose other brands include Johnnie Walker, Don Julio and Smirnoff. Diageo ended the Cîroc partnership over the summer, saying at the time that Combs had breached his contract. That period, the company said, "happens to correspond with the pendency of Combs Wines' original lawsuit against Diageo." Diageo didn't respond to requests for comment. Revolt didn't respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Cassie, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, Smirnoff, Roberta Kaplan, Casandra Ventura, Ventura, Harve Pierre, Pierre, Pierre didn't, @Diddy, Dawn Montgomery, Montgomery, Kelly, Kesha, they'd, Faith Evans, Sean John streetwear, Sean John, Sean John's, Evan Nierman, wasn't Organizations: Diageo, New York Times, Combs, Bad Boy Records, Boy Entertainment, NBC News, Bad, Variety, Combs Enterprises, Love Records, Motown Records, Nordstrom, Saks Locations: New York, London, Los Angeles

☆ When people move out, wildlife moves in: 10 abandoned places reclaimed by nature
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The temple and surrounding forested areas were abandoned three centuries later, when the king moved the capital of the empire away from Angkor. People started moving out in the 1990s and by 2002, the village was completely abandoned. People started moving out in the 1990s and by 2002, the village was completely abandoned. The Whanganui River holds 18 fish species including eels, freshwater crayfish and black flounders. Graham Harries/ShutterstockLocated off the Pembrokeshire coast in west Wales, stands a time capsule in the form of a long-abandoned island fort.

Persons: Prohm, King Jayavarman, Alexander Arndt, Angelina Jolie’s, “ Lara Croft, pileated gibbons, silvered, Johannes Eisele, Leo Francini, Marcio Martins, University of São Paulo, Martins, “, Al Madam, Giuseppe Cacace, Yasuyoshi Chiba, James Beasley, allan wright, Kilda, Graham Harries, Shutterstock, Nicholas Mueller, ”, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Wildlife Alliance, ., Steam, SS, Titanic, Cyclone, University of São, Google Arts & Culture, National Institute of Ecology, Al, Getty, United Arab, Japan Earthquake, University of Georgia, TED, UNESCO Locations: CNN —, Europe, Ta Prohm, Cambodia, Angkor Thom, Khmer, Angkor, Shengshan Island, China, AFP, Houtouwan, Shengshan, Zhoushan, Mangapurua, , New Zealand, Nowhere, Mangapurua Valley, New, Whanganui, North, Australia, Grande, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Marcio, Korea, South Korea, Al Madam Village, UAE, Al, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sharjah, Fukushima, Japan, St Kilda, Scotland, Scotland’s, Kilda, Atlantic, Soay, Boreray, Fort, Wales, Pembrokeshire

☆ How McDonald’s Middle East franchises got into a public feud over Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Many McDonald’s operators in the region quickly distanced themselves from the Israeli operator’s actions. “It’s less control.”As the public feud plays out in the Middle East, McDonald’s corporate hasn’t said much about the war. What’s going on with McDonald’s in the Middle EastOnline, McDonald’s operators have made clear that they are independent of each other. “McDonald’s Pakistan is a wholly Pakistani entity owned and managed by SIZA foods,” reads a statement posted by McDonald’s Pakistan on X, formerly Twitter. Nierman suspects that many McDonald’s customers might not be paying too much attention either way.

Persons: McDonald’s, Artur Widak, ”, Andrew Gilman, hasn’t, Michael Seid, ’, Seid, Al Maousherji, ” Gilman, Evan Nierman, ” Nierman Organizations: New, New York CNN, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Hamas, CNN, Food Program, MSA, ‘, McDonald’s, Al, Al Maousherji Catering, Kuwait Red Crescent Society, Universities Locations: New York, Israel, McDonald’s Israel, Kuwait, Pakistan, Gaza, United States, “, McDonald’s Pakistan, McDonald’s Kuwait, Kuwaiti, Palestine, ”

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — For people around the world, the green leaves that sprouted from a scorched, 150-year-old banyan tree in the heart of devastated Lahaina symbolized hope following Maui’s deadly wildfire this summer. Before colonialism, commercial agriculture and tourism, thousands of breadfruit trees dotted Lahaina; the fire charred all but two of the dozen or so that remained. By contrast, researchers believe breadfruit and kukui nut — now the state tree of Hawaii — were among the many edible plants Polynesian voyagers brought around 1,000 years ago. Efforts to revive the banyan and other important surviving trees have included trucking in water, applying compost extract and testing soil. But replanting breadfruit in urban areas comes with challenges, said Steve Nimz, an arborist on Oahu who has been helping restore Lahaina’s trees.

Persons: landscapers, ”, Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, King Kamehameha, ulu, ” Kekona, Lahaina’s, replanting, Steve Nimz, “, Hokuao Pellegrino, ” Pellegrino, replant, Pellegrino, he's, reintegrating breadfruit, ___ Komenda Organizations: University of Hawaii, Development Locations: LAHAINA, Hawaii, Lahaina, ulu, Maui, Manoa, U.S, India, Lele, Hilo, Lincoln, Oahu, Waikapu, West Maui, “, Tacoma , Washington

There are businesses still functional ... That’s a public health issue,” Koger continued, adding that there are also significant “cultural concerns” associated with the debris removal. The debris removal not only is occurring on an island in the Pacific Ocean, but Maui has no landfills certified to take hazardous waste. Cultural monitors, who are Native Hawaiians from Maui, are also accompanying the EPA and eventually the Corps during the cleanup. The Corps said plans are being worked out to move debris to a temporary site then eventually to permanent disposal sites in Maui County. Even so, Maui County Council Vice-Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura often hears from many anxious residents looking to return and build a new home.

Persons: ”, Cory Koger, ” Koger, Steve Calanog, King Kamehameha, ” Calanog, Micah Kamohoali’i, Wayne Tanaka, Yuki Lei Sugimura, “, Michael Casey Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, West Coast ., National Park Service, Hawaii Department of Health, Corps, Information Center, Sierra Club of Hawaii, “, AP Locations: Maui, Kula, Lahaina, Paradise, California, Oregon , Colorado, New Mexico, they’re, That’s, Oregon, West Coast, Hawaii, Lahaina Hongwanji, United States, Maui County, Central Maui

☆ Maui's 150-year-old banyan tree showing green after being charred by the wildfires is just the beginning of a long recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Kara Nelson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A huge banyan tree charred by the wildfires in Maui is sprouting new green leaves, giving hope all was not completely lost in the flames. Maui's historical Banyan tree is growing new leaves after being charred in wildfires. “The tree is like your only compass in town.”A Kumu 'ulu tree charred by Maui's wildfires. Chris ImontiThe banyan tree isn’t the only tree local volunteers are working to save. One of them is the Kumu ‘ulu tree, which is connected to the legend of Ku, the Hawaiian god of farming and fishing, who transformed into a Kumu ulu tree to feed his family during a famine.

Persons: Chris Imonti, ” Imonti, Steve Nimz, Chris Imonti “, we’re, ”, “ We’re, Imonti, Ku, “ Organizations: CNN, . Volunteers Locations: Maui, Lahaina, ’, “, ”, ‘ ulu, Lahaina .

☆ Companies turn to crisis PR firms when money, reputation is at risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“A scandal breaking on a Tuesday is very different than one breaking on a Friday, because on Tuesday you’re going to have the rest of the week for stories to drop and snowball. You need to stick with the stance you’re taking, and it might mean you’re going to lose a subset of your audience. Dylan Mulvaney/InstagramThe most prominent case study experts pointed to was the Bud Light public relations fiasco in April, when America’s erstwhile No. “Oftentimes, now, the bigger risk is the social media spread.”“Prior to social media, people felt less empowered to share their opinions,” said Jennings. Often for crisis communication, you’re not trying to counter the reality, you’re trying to counter the perception.”However, as much as social media stokes the flames of PR crisis, the platforms can be effective mitigation tools.

Persons: “, ”, Ben Kaplan, ’ ”, Lauren Jennings, Alison Brod, Jennings, Rather, Evan Nierman, Deborah Hileman, Kaplan, we’re, We’re, Nierman, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light, Bud, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Mulvaney, Bud Light’s, Brendan Whitworth, ” …, you’re, Johnson, ” “, stokes, that’s Organizations: CNN, Top Agency, Alison Brod Marketing, Communications, Institute for Crisis Management, InBev, Anheuser, Busch, Facebook, YouTube Locations: “

☆ 'Just a temporary blip’: Chinese travelers will be back, says Banyan Tree founder
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A dearth of Chinese travelers is nothing to "worry about," said Banyan Tree Holdings founder Ho Kwon Ping. "Most of us in the hospitality industry, a year or so ago, predicted that Chinese tourism would only start to rebound around maybe this year or even next year." For Banyan Tree Holdings — which operates more than 60 hotels in 17 countries — Ho said "Chinese tourism [is] coming back quite strongly." What's missing are the "mass group tours, which provide the numbers, but they don't come to our hotels anyway," he said. "So you have a lot more free individual travelers … and they're the ones who can pay the higher airfares and so on."

Persons: Ho Kwon Ping, CNBC's Chery Kang, — Ho Organizations: Tree Holdings, Milken, Holdings Locations: China

☆ Ho Kwon Ping on China's tourism rebound and property market trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHo Kwon Ping on China's tourism rebound and property market troubleHo Kwon Ping, Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings says the current weakness in China's tourism industry is just "a blip" and would definitely recover.

Persons: Ho Kwon, Ho Kwon Ping Organizations: Banyan Tree Holdings

☆ In the Wake of Wildfires, Maui Weddings Persevere
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Stephanie Cain | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tara Lee Murphy photographed a late-morning wedding ceremony at Pacific’o on the Beach, a popular restaurant in downtown Lahaina, on Maui, on August 8. Ms. Murphy, who owns Tara Lee Photography, described the wedding day as the windiest she has ever seen. Ms. Murphy grew up in Maui, playing under Lahaina’s banyan tree as her mother worked at the Lahaina Arts Society nearby. Ms. Russo, a life coach, lived on Front Street in Lahaina. Ms. Murphy had photographed the last wedding there before the fire.

Persons: Tara Lee Murphy, Murphy, Tara Lee, Jessica Russo, Ms, Russo, fiancé Organizations: Lahaina Arts Society Locations: Pacific’o, Lahaina, Maui, Los Angeles, San Diego, Wailea

☆ Many Maui restaurants were destroyed in the fires. For those that survived, their future remains uncertain
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

An aerial view of destruction on Front Street on August 11, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii. In Lahaina, a historic area and popular tourist destination that was hit particularly hard by the fires, restaurants are big business. Restaurants are an important part of the tourism sector, which is responsible for 75% of all private-sector jobs in Maui. Their restaurants survived, but their future is uncertain. In Kula, about an hour’s drive from Lahaina, fires damaged the Kula Sandalwoods Inn & Cafe, which has been in Monica Loui’s family for decades.

Persons: Qiana Di, Di Bari, ”, Di Bari’s, Pepe, …, Di, ” Di Bari, Justin Sullivan, Baris, Sheryl Matsuoka, They’re, Javier Barberi, Barberi, Robert Gauthier, Barberi couldn’t, Hana Hou, “, it’s, Monica Loui’s, you’re, ” Loui, she’s, Caleb Hopkins, We’re, Hopkins, he’s, “ We’re, Hou Hospitality, Josh Green’s, Hawaii Josh Green, Rick Bowmer, Barry Allison, Kihei, we’ve, —, Catherine Thorbecke Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hawaii Restaurant Association, Los Angeles Times, Hawaii Gov, FEMA, ” Locations: New York, Maui, Qiana Di Bari, Lahaina, Italian, Di Bari, Lahaina , Hawaii, United States, Kahului, “, Kula, Loui’s, GoFundMe, Hawaii

☆ Fact Check-In wake of Maui fires, here’s why some trees survive damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Some posts on social media in the wake of the fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, however, suggested that the fact some trees had remained standing showed proof that the fires were somehow engineered or steered to intentionally burn homes and vehicles, leaving trees unscathed. Reuters photographs and satellite imagery of the Lahaina Banyan Court area produced by Maxar Technologies shows buildings, vehicles and trees damaged following the fires (shorturl.at/bpsTX), (here). Other trees were more heavily damaged, but remained standing, Reuters pictures show (here), (here). Regardless, the fact that some trees could remain standing or were less damaged than cars or buildings during a fire is not abnormal. Trees sometimes survive severe damage during fires due to factors including their water content and the ways a fire spreads.

Persons: Albert Simeoni, ”, Erica Fischer, Fischer, Christopher Baird, ” Baird, Katie Kamelamela, James Urban, Niamh Nic Daeid, Nic Daeid, Read Organizations: Reuters, Facebook, Maxar Technologies, Fire Protection Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Department of Wood Science, Engineering, Oregon State University, “, JB, University of Hawaii, West Texas, M University, Conservatory, Akaka Foundation, Tropical Forests, HOW, Fire Protection, Leverhulme Research, Forensic Science, University of Dundee Locations: Maui, Instagram, Lahaina Banyan, Oregon, Colorado, Manoa, Hawaii

☆ Explainer: Cambodia's new leader Hun Manet, strongman or reformer?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Martin Petty | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hun Manet, nominee for Cambodia's prime minister, gestures as he registers at the National Assembly on the day that parliament votes to confirm the country's next prime minister, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, August 22, 2023. The eldest of Hun Sen's five children, Hun Manet was born in 1977 in rural Cambodia. Hun Manet is married to Pich Chanmony, the daughter of a prominent Cambodian politician and has three children. In late 2021, Hun Sen declared Hun Manet his anointed successor and he was later endorsed by the CPP as "future prime minister". WHAT KIND OF LEADER WILL HUN MANET BE?

Persons: Hun Manet, Cindy Liu, Hun Sen, Will Hun Manet, Hun Sen's, Manet, Pich Chanmony, HUN MANET, Michael Perry Organizations: National Assembly, REUTERS, New York University, Britain's Bristol University, Cambodian People's Party, CPP, U.S ., ASEAN Business Council, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Cambodian, United States, Britain, China, U.S, New York

☆ America's wealthiest 10% are responsible for 40% of its climate-crisis-causing emissions. Tax them, researchers say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The richest 10% of Americans' income has generated 40% of US carbon emissions, a new study found. Tax shareholders rather than focusing on consumers, the study authors argue. How much carbon emissions are produced in the supply chain to create the earnings of each income group, pre-tax. Not only was the top 10% earners' income generating over 40% of emissions, but the income of the top 1% was responsible for 15%-17% of emissions, they found. In the US, multiple proposals for a carbon tax have been introduced in Congress.

Persons: Peter Unger, Patrick T, Fallon, Jared Starr, Starr, Carlo Allegri, That's Organizations: Investments, Service, Getty Images, Getty, University of Massachusetts Amherst, International Monetary Fund Locations: Manhattan

☆ Opinion | Maui and the Age of the Urban Firestorm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

It wasn’t even really a wildfire. In general, we’ve long believed the built environment offered formidable firebreaks, and worried over what might be lost when fires passed near homes as a form of tragic collateral damage. As of Tuesday, the official death toll in Maui was 99, but almost 1 percent of all residents remained unaccounted for, and many locals were suggesting the death toll could increase significantly in the days ahead. A climate lawsuit launched by the island against Big Oil in 2020 specifically cited additional wildfire risk. But still, when the fire broke out, almost no one seemed adequately prepared.

Persons: Daniel Swain, Tubbs, Marshall, Chuck, Swain Organizations: Costco, New York, Big Oil Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, Santa Rosa, Calif, Paradise, Boulder County, Colo, New, Maui

Search resuls for: "Banyan"

25 mentions found