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☆ R.F.K. Jr. Draws Another $8 Million From His Running Mate, Nicole Shanahan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, the Silicon Valley investor Nicole Shanahan, said on Wednesday night that she had given another $8 million to their independent presidential campaign as it carries out the expensive endeavor of gaining ballot access across the country and tries to propel Mr. Kennedy onto debate stages. Ms. Shanahan, a lawyer who was formerly married to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin, gave the campaign $2 million shortly after Mr. Kennedy named her as his running mate in March. After a nod to the media, Ms. Shanahan said, “I think I know what they’re going to say — they’re going to say Bobby only picked me for my money,” a remark that drew laughter from the crowd. She followed performances by comedians including Russell Brand, Rob Schneider and Jim Breuer, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member. Many of the performers praised Mr. Kennedy, but they also used their time onstage to rail against Covid vaccinations, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the mainstream news media and President Biden.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy, Shanahan’s, Shanahan, Sergey Brin, “, Bobby, ”, Russell Brand, Rob Schneider, Jim Breuer, Mr, Anthony S, Biden Organizations: Mr, PAC, Google Locations: Nashville, Ryman

☆ IMF says Sri Lanka debt deal could help board clear first bailout review
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. The deal comes about a month after Sri Lanka's agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China covering about $4.2 billion of outstanding debt, while clearing the IMF review could trigger a second tranche of about $334 million in funds. "These understandings pave the way for the IMF Executive Board to consider completion of the first review of Sri Lanka's four-year Extended Fund Facility Arrangement," Peter Breuer, IMF's mission chief for Sri Lanka, said in a statement. "We look forward to the Executive Board taking up this review by mid-December and the continuation of our productive collaboration with Sri Lanka in the period ahead." Sri Lanka plunged into its worst financial crisis in seven decades last year after its foreign exchange reserves dwindled to record lows.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Lanka's, Peter Breuer, IMF's, Nandalal Weerasinghe, Uditha Jayasinghe, Sudipto Ganguly, Clarence Fernandez, Steohen Coates Organizations: Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Rights, International Monetary Fund, Sri, Export, Import Bank of, IMF, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Import Bank of China, Sri Lanka's, Sri Lanka

☆ Egypt’s pyramids host breathtaking new art exhibit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Francesca Perry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In one project, a new pyramid structure emerges in wicker; in another, glass sculptures appear to make the ancient pyramids float on water. Organized by Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, the founder and curator of Cairo-based arts firm Art D’Égypte, the event aims to celebrate ancient Egyptian culture through contemporary creativity. “I’ve always been fascinated by the Pyramids of Giza and the entire ancient Egyptian culture — the mysticism around it, the enigmas,” Zeta said. Courtesy CulturVator - Art D'E“Translucent Pyramid” by Saudi artist Rashed Al-Shashai, adds a new, 6m-tall pyramid to the plateau. Conceived as seemingly archaeological fragments of a labyrinth, each one is decorated with perforated motifs taken from historic diagrams of the ancient Egyptian labyrinth.

Persons: Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, D’Égypte, Artur Lescher, ”, Pilar Zeta, I’ve, ” Zeta, Carole A, Sabine Marcelis, ” Marcelis, Stephan Breuer French, Glass, Costas Varotsos, Rashed Al, Sam Shendi, Azza Al Qubaisi, D'E Rashid Al Khalifa, JR, – Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Bahraini, JR Locations: Giza, Egypt, Cairo, Brazil, Mexico, Argentinian, French, Saudi

☆ IMF seeks strong budget, narrower deficit from Sri Lanka
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is looking for a strong budget and narrower deficit from Sri Lanka as it seeks funding to bridge the gap between government revenue and expenditure, the IMF mission chief for the country said on Friday. But the country has struggled to increase public revenue, with the IMF projecting a 15% shortfall this year. An improved performance for next year is necessary for Sri Lanka to get past the first review of its programme with the global lender. Sri Lanka reached a staff level agreement with the IMF late on Thursday to release the second tranche of about $330 million but still needs approval from the IMF management and Executive Board. Sri Lanka typically uses borrowings from state banks, taxes and government securities to fund its budget.

Persons: Sri Lanka Peter Breuer, Breuer, Uditha Jayasinghe, Sakshi Dayal, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Sri Lanka, Sri, Washington . Sri Lanka

☆ IMF says Sri Lanka debt talks ongoing, unaware of specific deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | Thomson Reuters | Jorgelina Do Rosario Is Emerging Markets Correspondent At Reuters Based In London | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A general view of the main business district as rain clouds gather above in Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 17, 2020. Peter Breuer told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Bank IMF annual meetings in Marrakech that talks between Sri Lanka and all its creditors were ongoing. "We will need to assess the entire package of agreements in its totality to assess consistency with IMF debt targets," Breuer said. Sri Lanka, mired in its worst economic crisis in 70 years, is in debt restructuring talks with a range of creditors, including China, its largest single creditor. Sri Lanka owed Exim $4.1 billion, or 11% of it foreign currency debt, at the end of 2022.

Persons: Dinuka, Peter Breuer, Breuer, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Jamie Fallon, Rosario, Libby George, Karin Strohecker, John Stonestreet, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, Sri, Reuters, World Bank IMF, Export, Import Bank of, Paris Club, Tellimer Research, Thomson Locations: Colombo, Sri Lanka, Rights MARRAKECH, China, Marrakech, Import Bank of China, Japan, India, France

☆ How 'Birkin Bandit' George Mickum Infiltrated NYC Society
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Kate Taylor | Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +52 min

"He would know people's weaknesses and what they wanted and somehow always have something to offer," a former close friend said. Another close friend said Mickum once gave her a $1,000 loan "within minutes" when she needed it because of a credit-card crisis. He never "let the truth get in the way of a good story," a former close friend said. Hermès bags, like the Birkin and the Kelly, have always been symbols of unattainable luxury. There wasn't even a dust bag; Mickum claimed his mom's assistant would drop it off later.

Persons: George Mickum strode, Carlyle, Patty Hearst, He'd, Mickum, Birkin, swilling, Patty's, Gillian Hearst, Mr, George Mickum, Gillian Hearst's, George, Sally Painter, who'd, Peter Davis, Jackie O, Barbara Walters, Alessia Fendi, influencer Hannah Stella, Nick Hissom, Steve Wynn, Hearst, they'd, Prince Charles, Anna Delvey, Patty Hearst's, Rumor, he'd, wasn't, Met Breuer, Peter Poopat, George Santos, Trinity, Elisabeth Thieriot, Thieriot, Hermes, —, Painter, Paul Mickum, George Mickum III, Sally, Painter's, Poopat, PJ Pascual, Patrick McMullan, Ramona Singer, Lauren Lawrence, Lawrence, Van Cleef, Nicole Salmasi, Trudy, Mike Vitelli, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt, Eric, R, Couri Hay, They're, Astor, William Randolph Hearst, Orson Welles, Kane, Gillian's, Bill Clinton, Patty, Bernard Shaw, Gillian, Lydia —, Shaw, Maxim, Lydia, Kane we're, Christian Simonds, Pierre, Krista Corl, Dee Dee, Scott Buccheit, Naeem Delbridge, Pascual, who's, We're, buttering, Simonds, Matthew Kehoe, England, — Hearst, Delbridge, Hearst's, Mario Glen Coco, Hearsts, Astrid Stawiarz, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Justin Timberlake, Joe Lewis, Buccheit, Mary McCarthy, Lillian Hellman, Mickum's, Christie Grimm, Steve, Kameron Ramirez, Hissom, Ramirez, Nick, Hunt, Damien Hirst, Douglas Elliman, Harry Winston, David Fiszel, invitees, Fiszel, Darian, Winston, Martha Stewart's, Mendel minks, Vacheron Constantin, Tao, Melinda French Gates, Shawn Mendes, Bill, Hillary Clinton, Neiman Marcus, Damien Hirst's, Damien, weren't, Kelly, Alexis Clarbour, Clarbour, Paul Wharton, you've, Wharton, Sean Zanni, Michael Coste, Hannah Stella, Coste's, Stella, Scott Fitzgerald, Coste, Goodman, Courroies Birkin, didn't, Aman, Cartier, Mickum's bluster, skeptically, satchel, Clarbour's, He's, We've, Sider, Philippe, Buccheit texted Pascual, he's, Hay, Café Carlyle, Alexander Hankin, Burisma, Hunter Biden, Mickum hasn't, There's, They've, Amy X, Wang, King Charles, Tracey Amon, Amon, GEORGE MICKUM Organizations: Hearst, Blue, Potomac, Hamptons, East, Met, University of Delaware, Southampton Bathing Corporation, Fields School, Georgetown Law, DC, Town &, New York Daily News, The New York Times, Google, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Cosmopolitan, Symbionese Liberation Army, Hearst Corporation, Vogue, Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering, Stockbridge Golf, New, Tiger, Tottenham, Douglas, Martha Stewart's Hamptons, Mickum, Projects, Madison, Getty, Antibes, Nike, Rue du Faubourg Saint, Couture, US, UN, New Yorkers, Avenue Couture, Hermès, Republican, Justice Department, Blue Star, Town, New York Times Magazine Locations: Bemelmans, Clinton, York, Palm, New, London, Manhattan, Dalton, Bay, Windsor Castle, Haute, Washington , DC, New York, Baccarat, The, San Francisco, Wilton , Connecticut, Side, Wyntoon, California, Buccheit, woodsy Stockbridge , Massachusetts, Stockbridge, Bahamas, Albany, Nobu, Martha, Peking, Paris, Istanbul, St, Georgetown, China, Italy, Hermès, Amalfi Coast, du, Midtown, brunch, Rue, Central Park, Mickum, Turkey, La, Café, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ The future of travel: 10 concepts that will change the way we experience the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Concepts that feel plucked from sci-fi novels and films are quickly making their way into mainstream travel, shaping every step of the journey. Seamus PayneLike air travel, eco-conscious hotels are paving the way for more sustainable travel in the future. HyperloopTTUS entrepreneur Elon Musk has been talking about hyperloop technology – an ultra-high-speed transport system in a low-pressure vacuum tube – for years. Meanwhile, Toronto-based TransPod hopes to bring hyperloop technology to Canada with its eponymous tube-based transportation system powered by renewable energy. By 2025, the company plans to build a 620-mile-per-hour TransPod link between Calgary and Edmonton, connecting the two cities in 45 minutes.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Indira Gandhi, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Austin Farmer, we’ll, don’t, David ”, you’ll, Alexander the Great, ” Michael Breer, KAWS, collectables –, Breer, ” Breer, You’ve, ” Jetson, Peter Ternstrom, Apollo, Cruise, ”, what’s, Boom’s, –, Seamus Payne, room2, Marcel Breuer, Tesla, charades, Yusaku Maezawa, Elon Musk, hyperloop, Virgin Hyperloop, HyperloopTT, Hardt Hyperloop Organizations: CNN, Travel, Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Bloomberg, Getty, Dubai International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Indira, Indira Gandhi International, European Union, Emirates, Dubai International, American Airlines, United, Delta, Bluetooth, Alaska Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Specterras Productions, CNN Travel, VR, Aircraft, Federal Aviation Administration, Baidu, Hyundai, Las, CNN Travel ., Alphabet Inc, Beta, International Civil Aviation Organization, Alice, DHL, Air New, Concorde, Japan Airlines, Bauhaus, CEH Technologies, Origin, SpaceX, International Space, NASA, Galactic, Space Training Academy, Nastar Center, Boring Company, Virgin, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, China Morning Post, China Aerospace Science, Industry Corporation, European Hyperloop Center Locations: Singapore, Dubai, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Delhi, London Heathrow, Paris, Dutch, Europe, Florence, Palmyra, Machu Picchu, New York, Ehang, China, Boston, Las Vegas, Motional, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, North America, Austin, Beijing, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Mexico, Air New Zealand, Denver, New York City, Frankfurt, LA, Sydney, London, New Haven , Connecticut, Hungarian, Norway, Red, Saudi Arabia, Amsterdam, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Shanxi province, Netherlands, Toronto, Canada, Calgary, Edmonton

☆ Whitney Museum Sells Breuer Building to Sotheby’s for About $100 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Robin Pogrebin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The deal — which Sotheby’s and the Whitney refused to confirm in response to queries from The Times in April — finally resolves the fate of the Breuer building, which has hung in the balance since the Whitney moved down to the meatpacking district in 2015. Would the Whitney ultimately take back the building and operate uptown as well as downtown? Would the Breuer building end up as some wealthy person’s private residence or a fancy retail store? What was the Whitney without Breuer? But Lauder ultimately became a convert to the new location and it was named for him: the Leonard A. Lauder Building.

Persons: Parke, —, Breuer, Whitney, Leonard A, Lauder, ” Lauder, “ Organizations: Whitney, Times, Hudson Yards Locations: Madison, meatpacking, Manhattan

☆ IMF official says Sri Lanka reforms critical, evaluating progress
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COLOMBO, May 15 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Sri Lanka will evaluate progress made on reforms so far and complete an exercise to improve governance in key areas of the economy, an IMF official said on Monday. An IMF team is in Colombo until May 23 as part of regular consultations ahead of the first review mission later this year. "It is now essential to continue the reform momentum," said Krishna Srinivasan, Director of Asia Pacific Department at IMF. Sri Lanka, with the help of a $2.9 billion bailout from the global lender, is trying to recover from its worst financial crisis since gaining independence in 1948 and turn around its battered economy. Peter Breuer, IMF Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, Asia and Pacific Department said the lender will be looking at whether the government's macro framework is still appropriate or whether it requires revisions.

☆ The 10 Best Things We Saw at Salone del Mobile
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ella Riley-Adams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dimore Studio’s Cinematic RoomsAt their new Dimore Centrale headquarters and gallery, which opened during last year’s fair, the Dimore Studio designers Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci presented a set of scenes that combined vintage furniture with their own pieces, each one with a distinct narrative and aesthetic. The first four spaces — including Ambulatorio a Chicago (Clinic in Chicago), meant to evoke a therapist’s office, and Pied-à-Terre con Vista Napoli (Pied-à-Terre With a View of Naples), adorned with handmade teal tiles — could be viewed only through holes in their walls. There were windows into the fifth and largest room, which was inspired by the works of the Modernist architects Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and included pieces by them: a wicker D52 armchair by Mies van der Rohe and a cane Breuer desk chair. The studio’s new carpet designs, created in collaboration with the French interior design company Pierre Frey, were on view throughout (in the therapist’s office, the leafy Iris Field pattern covered the walls as well as the floor) along with new lamps and fabrics, which in the final room were spread across antique beds sourced from a monastery.

☆ John Edwards and Donald Trump were both accused of paying money to women who said they had affairs with them. But the cases are quite different.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Like Donald Trump, John Edwards was accused of paying off a mistress during a campaign. Edwards was charged with campaign finance violations over the payments but wasn't convicted. For one, Trump has not been charged with violating federal campaign finance laws. It may well be true that the Edwards precedent is why the Justice Department didn't charge Trump with a campaign finance violation. Bragg does not need to prove that Trump broke federal campaign finance laws; he needs to prove that he falsified business records, which is a crime no matter the reason.

[1/5] A general view of a main market is seen, after The International Monetary Fund's executive board approved a $3 billion, in Colombo, Sri Lanka March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Dinuka LiyanawatteCOLOMBO, March 21 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka will receive the first tranche of about $330 million from the International Monetary Fund in the next two days, and, going forward, disbursements would be tied to reviews that take place every six months, an IMF official said on Tuesday. Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, Asia and Pacific Department at IMF, said debt sustainability was one of the key criteria for the IMF to approve a bailout for any economy. International dollar bonds issued by the country soared following the IMF package approval. The biggest bilateral creditors, including China, India and Japan, have guaranteed support to Sri Lanka in its efforts to put the economy back on track.

☆ Former presidential candidate John Edwards was accused of funneling nearly $1 million in donor contributions to support his pregnant mistress and criminally charged with a campaign finance violation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

John Edwards was charged with campaign finance violations in 2011 related to his 2008 presidential run. Edwards was acquitted of one campaign finance violation charge — the others were dropped. The last time a presidential candidate was criminally charged for alleged campaign finance violations, John Edwards faced up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines. Edwards was John Kerry's vice presidential running mate in 2004 in the pair's losing race against George W. Bush and Dick Cheney prior to launching his own presidential campaign in 2008. "It's not illegal to be a pig," said Brett Kappel, a Washington campaign finance expert told The Washington Post at the time the charges were brought.

☆ Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson arrested and charged with fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Carlos Watson, the founder and chief executive of the embattled Ozy Media, was arrested and charged with fraud this week, according to federal court records. Watson was accused in a federal indictment of having “engaged in a scheme to defraud OZY’s investors, potential investors, potential acquirers, lenders and potential lenders.”The charges said that Watson committed the fraud “through material misrepresentations and omissions” about Ozy Media, including the company’s finances, investors, business partners, contracts, and potential acquisitions. A spokesperson for Ozy Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning. The charges come after The New York Times published an exposé in 2021 pulling back the curtain on some of the alleged deceptive practices Ozy Media engaged in. Semafor reported earlier this month that Ozy Media was attempting a comeback.

[1/8] Carlos Watson, CEO of Ozy Media, departs U.S. Federal Court in Brooklyn after being arrested and charged with fraud in New York City, New York, U.S., February 23, 2023. REUTERS/David Dee DelgadoFeb 23 (Reuters) - Ozy Media and its CEO Carlos Watson have been criminally charged for scheming to defraud investors of tens of millions dollars by misrepresenting the company’s debts, financial performance and audience size, Brooklyn federal prosecutors said Thursday. Watson and Ozy Media are charged with securities fraud and wire fraud. Rao, who was initially charged under a pseudonym, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to securities fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and identity theft. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission separately filed a civil case against Ozy, Watson and Rao on Thursday.

☆ Embattled media company Ozy's CEO Carlos Watson was arrested and faces fraud charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson was arrested on Thursday. Watson is facing conspiracy charges in New York federal court. A New York Times report in 2021 said Ozy's other cofounder masqueraded as a YouTube executive on a call. Watson was arrested and is facing criminal charges in New York federal court, The Wall Street Journal first reported. Watson announced the company shut down in 2021, but has since said it was opening for business, with new hires.

☆ Meet 'SNL's' newest cast members
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Sandra Gonzalez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

(CNN) "Saturday Night Live" has added four new faces. Joining the cast as featured players in Season 48 are: Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker. Hernandez is a Cuban/Dominican stand up comedian, writer, and actor who has opened for comedians like Jim Breuer and Gilbert Gottfried, according to his official website. Kearney, who uses they/them pronouns, recently had a part in Amazon Prime Video's "A League of Their Own" TV series, according to IMDB. Longfellow, who hails from Phoenix, was recently featured in the "Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival," as a notable up-and-comer.

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