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☆ How CEOs are preparing for possible employee protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

You can always choose to move on, but remember you don’t have a right to work at most companies. We can’t keep re-litigating when we also have a business to runYou speak with CEOs every day. Most of the CEOs I’ve talked to said they haven’t seen their employees protest, but they’re bracing for it. But I will say that I don’t think it will become that widespread because of how swiftly and unapologetically Google addressed it. I don’t think it will become a thing.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Bell, Johnny C, Taylor Jr, that’s, we’re, We’re, we’ve, I’m, You’d, They’re, I’ve, Royce, Peter Valdes, “ We’re, ”, Martin Fritsches, “ That’s, Brian Fung, Sean Lyngaas, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman, Northrop Grumman, Alejandro Mayorkas Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Google, Tech, Society for Human Resource Management, Companies, Royce, BMW, OpenAI, Microsoft, Department of Homeland Security, Delta Air Lines, DHS, “, Amazon Web Services, IBM, Cisco, ’, Civil Locations: New York, Israel, Chichester , England

☆ US safety regulations will require better automatic braking
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New rules from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require improved automating braking systems on new cars sold in the United States by September, 2029. Even though automatic emergency braking, or AEB, is already common on new vehicles sold in the US, these new requirements will save hundreds of lives per year, NHTSA officials said in a statement. AEB is standard equipment on a large majority of new vehicles sold thanks to a voluntary agreement most automakers signed in 2016. If the driver fails to respond in time or with enough braking force, AEB systems apply the brakes automatically. Research by the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed today’s AEB systems reduced rear-end collisions by about 50%.

Persons: Sophie Shulman Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic, Institute for Highway Safety, Vehicles, NHTSA Locations: United States

☆ Supreme Court won't let former Trump aide Peter Navarro out of jail while he appeals sentence
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro holds a press conference before turning himself into a federal prison on March 19, 2024, in Miami, Florida. The Supreme Court on Monday denied a request by Peter Navarro, a former advisor to ex-President Donald Trump, to get out of jail while he appeals his four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Navarro claimed that the doctrine of executive privilege shielded him from responding to the subpoena. But much of the information sought by the committee was not covered by executive privilege, and Trump did not assert executive privilege in the first place, noted U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar in a March filing to the Supreme Court.

Persons: Donald Trump, Peter Navarro, Neil Gorsuch, Navarro, Trump's, Joe Biden, Trump, Elizabeth Prelogar Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Supreme Locations: Miami , Florida, Miami, U.S

☆ Bill Gates Is Still Pulling Strings at Microsoft, Overseeing AI Ideas
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

In fact, Business Insider has learned, Gates has been quietly orchestrating much of Microsoft's AI revolution from behind the scenes. The company, Nadella promised, would "continue to benefit from Bill's ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products and services forward." According to two executives, Gates' memo treated as gospel, sparking Microsoft's push to take the lead in the AI arms race. Now, it seemed, OpenAI might offer Microsoft a way to help forge the AI future that Gates had long envisioned. According to two executives, Gates' words were treated as gospel, helping spark Microsoft's push to take the lead in the AI arms race.

Persons: Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Gates, Siri, They're, Clippy, Copilot, That's, Sam Altman, — Gates, Satya, Nadella, Steve Ballmer, Peter Thiel bashed, Bill, Melinda, Jeffrey Epstein, Nadella's, Rather, OpenAI, Kevin Scott, Scott, Altman, you'll, OpenAI's, Bing —, Bing, Steve, Sam, Kayla Wood, Frank Shaw, Shaw, —, Charles Lamanna, Jaime Teevan, Jeff Teper, Charlie Bell —, He's, Forbes, Mustafa Suleyman, DeepMind, Bill G, Suleyman, aren't, hadn't, there's, Ashley Stewart Organizations: Microsoft, Agents, Business, Google, Wired, Street Journal, Rover, Steve Jobs, OpenAI, Amazon Web Services Locations: Tay, Gates, Clippy, Washington, Redmond , Washington, Seattle

☆ Peter Navarro’s get-out-of-jail request is again rejected by the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Supreme Court on Monday for a second time shot down a request from former Trump adviser Peter Navarro to avoid further prison time over his contempt of Congress conviction. In an emergency request last month, Navarro asked the Supreme Court to let him remain free while he challenged his conviction at the federal appeals court in Washington, DC. Supreme Court rules allow parties whose emergency applications are denied by a single justice to resubmit to another justice. The court denied the request on Monday without comment. Navarro’s underlying case is still pending before the appeals court.

Persons: Trump, Peter Navarro, Navarro, John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s, Gorsuch, Roberts, ” Navarro Organizations: CNN Locations: Washington ,

☆ Opinion | Class of 2024, It’s Not in Your Head: The Job Market Is Tough.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Here is a brutal fact for the college class of 2024: There aren’t enough college-level jobs out there for all of you. Others will have to settle for jobs that don’t require a college education. And history shows that many of those who start out in a job that doesn’t require a college education are still toiling in that kind of job a decade later. One mystery is why college grads’ lifetime earnings are so much higher than those of people with just a high school degree or less, if indeed so many college grads don’t do college-graduate-level work. I invite college seniors to tell me about your job searches and how you feel about what you learned or wish you had learned in college by filling out the form below.

Persons: grads, I’ll Organizations: Burning Glass Institute, Strada Institute

☆ Rolls-Royce is growing its factory so it can build cars more slowly
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

So this factory expansion isn’t about making more cars, but making more expensive cars, which takes more time and requires more space for workshops and storage of exotic materials. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia's has glass flecks to create sparkling designs. Before that, Rolls-Royce cars were built alongside Bentleys — Rolls-Royce had acquired Bentley in 1931 — at a factory in Crewe, UK. The Phantom Syntopia likely would have cost more than $3 million according to sources, although Rolls-Royce would not confirm an exact price. The Phantom Syntopia has a special Weaving Water design in its Starlight Headliner.

Persons: Royce, “ We’re, ”, Martin Fritsches, “ That’s, Bentleys —, Bentley, Stephan Winkelmann, Javier Gonzalez Lastra, Fritsches, Cullinan Organizations: CNN, BMW, Royce, Bentley, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, Ferrari, ” Lamborghini, Tema Locations: Chichester , England, Crewe, cabinetry

☆ A longevity researcher is facing backlash for claiming to 'reverse aging.' Scientists say there's no consensus on what it means.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewHarvard researcher Dr. David Sinclair has found himself at the center of controversy within the longevity community. He's also earned his share of critics who say his research isn't always backed up by sufficient evidence. Animal Biosciences reissued a press release walking back the "reverse aging" claim. But scientists in the field say the issue is even more fundamental: There's no way to reverse aging, much less measure it. That means debates about the semantics of aging will only become more relevant to our daily lives.

Persons: —, David Sinclair, Sinclair, He's, Dr, Nir Barzilai, Matt Kaeberlein —, Matt Kaeberlein, Barzilai, it's, it'll, Andrea Maier, Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel Organizations: Service, Business, Street Journal, Animal Biosciences, Newsweek, The Academy for Health, Academy for Health, Academy, National Institute, Aging, MIT Technology, National University of Singapore, Longevity

☆ US and China are buying into Mexico’s manufacturing moment
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( John Towfighi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —As US supply chains decouple from China, Mexico’s manufacturing sector is emerging as a winner. Ramos said Mexico and China have been competing for the US manufacturing market for years, but amid a shifting US-China relationship, Mexico looks poised to pull ahead. Those exports were driven by manufacturing, which comprises 40% of Mexico’s economy, according to Morgan Stanley. Meanwhile, Chinese exports to the US were down 20% in 2023, compared to 2022. Analysts at Morgan Stanley see the value of Mexico’s exports to the United States growing from $455 billion to about $609 billion in the next five years.

Persons: That’s, nearshoring, Alberto Ramos, Goldman Sachs, Ramos, Morgan Stanley, Katherine Tai, CNN’s Julia Chatterley, Tai, United States Jose Luis Gonzalez, Xeneta, Peter Sand, Jose Enrique Sevilla, John Raines, Goldman’s Ramos, Biden, Raquel Buenrostro, —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Global’s, Raines, Christoffer Enemaerke, “, Tesla, Elon Musk, Julio Cesar Aguilar, BYD doesn’t, RBC’s Enemaerke, Michael Nam Organizations: CNN, Manufacturing, Commerce Department, US Trade, General Motors, Ford, Reuters, Shipping, Container Trade, Xeneta, Moody’s Analytics, P Global Market Intelligence, steelworkers, “, Global’s Sevilla, Macip, RBC, Getty, BYD, ” Sevilla, Monterrey Locations: China, Mexico, Canada, North America, US, Ciudad Juarez, United States, Pittsburgh, Mexican, Monterrey, ”, Nuevo Leon, Asia

☆ Even With Gaza Under Siege, Some Are Imagining Its Reconstruction
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Peter S. Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They were there to plan for the reconstruction and long-term economic development of Gaza. Gaza was under relentless bombardment by Israeli military forces in response to terrorist attacks launched by Hamas in October. Communities throughout the territory were being reduced to rubble, and tens of thousands of people had been killed. The group included senior officials from American and European economic development agencies, executives from Middle Eastern finance and construction companies, two partners from the international consulting firm McKinsey & Company, and a managing director of the World Economic Forum. Officially, they were attending only as individuals, not as representatives of their institutions.

Organizations: Middle, McKinsey & Company, Economic Locations: London, East, Europe, United States, Gaza

☆ Biden to Confer With Netanyahu on a Possible Cease-Fire and Hostage Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Peter Baker | More About Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden plans to speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Sunday to discuss the prospects of a possible cease-fire deal to obtain the release of some of the remaining hostages held since the Hamas-led terrorist attack of Oct. 7, according to two officials with direct knowledge of the plan. Mr. Biden’s call with the prime minister is set to come just hours after Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken left Washington for his latest trip to the Middle East. Mr. Blinken will start in Saudi Arabia, where he will see Egyptian and Qatari officials who have served as intermediaries with Hamas in the cease-fire and hostage talks, which have stalled in recent weeks. The call also comes three weeks after Mr. Biden told Mr. Netanyahu that he would rethink his support for Israel’s war unless the country did more to facilitate the delivery of food and other supplies to Gaza and limit civilian casualties. Since then, humanitarian aid to Gaza has increased substantially, and Biden advisers credit Israel with responding to the president’s demands, though U.S. officials acknowledge that the aid is still not as much as is needed.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony J, Blinken, Netanyahu Organizations: Israel, State Department, Saudi, Economic Locations: Washington, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Gaza, U.S

☆ F-16s headed to Ukraine this summer will face their most dangerous battlefield ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ukraine is slated to receive its much-anticipated fleet of F-16 fighter jets this summer. AdvertisementThe long-awaited delivery of F-16s to Ukraine is on the horizon, and these advanced American-made fighter jets can't come soon enough for its forces. The fighter jets are expected to arrive at some point this summer, reportedly as early as June. Romanian air force F-16 fighter planes fly above the Baza 86 military air base, outside Fetesti, Romania, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. US Air Force F-16's stand ready with bombs loaded to take off during the first daylight attack to liberate Kuwait in 1991.

Persons: —, Falcon, SAMs, Alexandru, Egypt —, John Baum, Russia —, Baum, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV Russia's, Tannehill, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mark Rutte, Peter Dejong Organizations: Service, Russia's, Rygge Air Force Base, OLE BERG, Getty, NATO, Kyiv, Israeli Air Force, AP, US Air Force, Operation, Allied Force, Yugoslavia, Air Force, Defense Technical Information, Reuters, Storm, Russia, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, US Navy, SA, Russian, AIM, INA Locations: Ukraine, Balkans, Kyiv, Romania, Norway, AFP, — Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Lebanon's, Israel, Yom, Romanian, Fetesti, Storm, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Afghanistan, Islamic, Kuwait, Russian, Zhukovsky, Moscow, Bekaa, East, Syria, Russia, Ukrainian, Eindhoven, Rzeszow, Jasionka, Poland, Crimean

One of the architects of that plan for a Trump second term said as much in a video last year for the Heritage Foundation. Reissuing Schedule F is part of a roadmap, known as Project 2025, drafted for a second Trump term by scores of conservative groups and published by the Heritage Foundation. The new rules would not fully block reclassifying workers in a second Trump term. Greene said she worries for federal workers who might face the same choice in a second Trump term. The project includes a personnel database for potential hires in a second Trump administration.

Persons: Donald Trump, it’s, —, Trump, Joe Biden, Donald Moynihan, Georgetown University's, ” Donald Moynihan, ” Moynihan, “ It’s, ”, Russell Vought, “, you’re, Doreen Greenwald, Moynihan, Kenneth Baer, Barack Obama, ” Kenneth Baer, Peter Orszag, Pete Souza, Robert Shea, Eva Shea, George W, Bush, Laura Bush, Tina Hager, ” Biden, Baer, George Frey, ” Trump, Max Stier, Verna Daniels, ” Daniels, Catherine Greene, ” Greene, Tom Bewick, NIFA, ” Bewick, we’ll, Greene, Biden, “ We’ve, He’s, Hillary Clinton, he’d, James Comey, Bill Barr, Barr, Jeffrey Clark, Clark, Mark Meadows, Stephen Miller, Peter Navarro, he’ll Organizations: CNN, United, Republican, Democratic, Trump, ”, Georgetown, Georgetown University's McCourt School, Public, Georgetown University, Heritage Foundation, Management, Budget, of Justice, FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, Vought, National Treasury Employees Union, OMB, White, Personnel Management, Land Management, Department of Agriculture, Kansas City, Partnership for Public Service, Government, Office, GAO, Economic Research Service, National Institute of Food, Agriculture, USDA, National Institute for Food, NIFA, Applied Economics Association, BLM, Getty, Department of Justice, Justice Department, Univision, Justice, Department, U.S . Justice, Center, Washington Post, National Security and Intelligence, of Homeland Security, of Education and Commerce, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission Locations: United States, Washington, Georgetown, , Colorado, DC, Kansas, Colorado, Virginia, America, Grand Junction, Washington ,, New York City, New York, Georgia

☆ Mo Salah: ‘That’s done,’ says Jurgen Klopp after apparent touchline argument with Mohamed Salah
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Just weeks ago, it seemed as if Jürgen Klopp was set to end his tenure as Liverpool manager with a flourish. The club was in contention to win the English Premier League, was favorite to win the Europa League and in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. Adding three trophies to the League Cup already won in February was not such a fanciful prospect. As he was about to enter the pitch as a second-half substitute, television coverage showed Salah and Klopp exchanging words on the sidelines. “Mo Salah is a player who has started the majority of games for Liverpool and he will be fuming to be on the bench.

Persons: CNN —, Jürgen Klopp, Crystal, Everton –, Klopp, Mohamed Salah, Salah, Darwin Núñez, that’s, ”, Peter Crouch, “ Mo Salah, ” I’m, ” Klopp, “, Arne Organizations: CNN, Liverpool, English Premier League, Europa League, FA, League, Reds, Crystal Palace, Everton, Manchester United, Atalanta, West Ham, Manchester City, Arsenal, Saturday’s, TNT Sports, ” Liverpool, Gunners, Old, Egypt, Africa, of Nations, Dutch, Feyenoord Locations: Old Trafford, Liverpool

☆ Opinion: I’m a Jewish student at Yale. Here’s what everyone is getting wrong about the protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Opinion Ian Berlin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Last week, I sat in Yale University’s Beinecke Plaza leading around 50 classmates in nigunim — wordless melodies from the Jewish Hasidic tradition — and other Jewish songs and prayers. As a fourth-year Yale student, I find this characterization to be deeply frustrating, as it could not be further from the truth. Indeed, Yale Jews for Ceasefire exists because of — not in spite of — our Jewish values. Our present moment is a precarious one for the Jewish people, fraught with disagreement about what our Jewish values mean to us. At Yale, organizers of all faiths continue to build a community that is dedicated to moving forward in collaboration with, not opposition to, Jewish students.

Persons: Ian Berlin, nigunim, Ian Berlin Ben Weiss That’s, ’, Joe Biden, —, Peter Salovey’s, Nachshon Organizations: Yale, CNN, Beinecke, Occupy Beinecke coalition, Columbia, Palestine, Jewish, Israel, Columbia University, UN, Central Locations: Beinecke, Israel, Gaza, New Haven, Beinecke Plaza, havdalah, Egypt

☆ Paramedic Avoids Prison in Death of Elijah McClain
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Audra D. S. Burch | Kelley Manley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Colorado paramedic convicted in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a young, unarmed Black man, was sentenced to four years of probation with 14 months of work release on Friday, the final chapter of an explosive case that thrust the Denver suburb of Aurora into the national spotlight and helped usher in sweeping public safety reforms. Jeremy Cooper, 49, a former paramedic with Aurora Fire Rescue, was found guilty in December of criminally negligent homicide. A second paramedic, Peter Cichuniec, 51, a former lieutenant with the department, was sentenced last month to five years in prison. Judge Mark Douglas Warner of the District Court in the 17th Judicial District said neither the jury nor the court saw evidence that Mr. Cooper purposely gave Mr. McClain an overdose though his actions deviated from the standard of care. “It’s almost unthinkable the way things rolled out,” he said, later adding, “It didn’t have to happen.”

Persons: Elijah McClain, Jeremy Cooper, Peter Cichuniec, Mark Douglas Warner, Cooper, McClain, “, ” Organizations: Aurora Fire, Judicial Locations: Colorado, Denver, Aurora

☆ Every single Zendaya movie, ranked
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Savanna Swain-Wilson | Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

She also returned as MJ in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021). Tom Holland in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Courtesy of Sony PicturesAudience score: 98%In this follow-up to the 2019 Marvel Cinematic Universe film, the hero's identity is revealed. Again, like the previous installment, the film was lauded by both critics and audience members, with some even calling it the "best" "Spider-Man" movie of all time. Keep in mind this list doesn't include movies that she wasn't credited in, nor does it include films without a score.

Persons: Tom Holland, Peter Parker, Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch, wasn't, Read Organizations: Sony Locations: Holland

☆ Americans Went All-In on Self-Storage. That Demand Is Suddenly Cooling.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Martha C. White | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Peter Chu, a retired lawyer living in Portland, Ore., pays nearly $400 a month for his storage unit in Seattle, where he used to live. That rate has gone up by roughly $150 since 2022. Mr. Chu is caught in an industry that was booming a few years ago during the coronavirus pandemic but now finds it has built way too many rental units. As the industry cuts so-called street rates to entice new customers, its existing customers are paying substantially higher rates that are sometimes raised twice or more in a year. “It was really attractive in the moment, but as soon as you go through planning, building, by the time you deliver, you’re kind of in a different market,” he said.

Persons: Peter Chu, Chu, Tyson Huebner, ” Organizations: Mr Locations: Portland ,, Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta

☆ Opinion | The Mostly Persuasive Logic Behind the New Ban on Noncompetes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Trade Commission used two very different rationales to get to its near-total ban this week on noncompete agreements. The easy prong of the ban for the F.T.C. to justify is the one that applies to nurses, hairdressers, truck drivers — actually, every kind of worker except for senior executives. They typically have some power in the employment negotiation and know how to use it. Many won’t sign a noncompete agreement unless they get something in return, such as a sweetened pay package.

Persons: ” Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Federal, The Times, Street, Food

Has South Africa Truly Defeated Apartheid? U.S.A., 2020 – 63% U.K., 2019 – 62% 60% 49% 40% 20% 1994 2004 2014 2019 Sources: Collette Schulz-Herzenberg, "The South African non-voter: An analysis"; Konrad Adenaur Stiftung, 2020 (South Africa); Pew Research (United States and U.K.)On a continent where coups, autocrats and flawed elections have become common, South Africa is a widely admired exception. −4% −6% Sources: Harvard Growth Lab analysis of World Economic Outlook (South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa) and World Development Indicators (upper-middle-income countries). 50% unemployment rate 40% Black unemployment rate 30% The unemployment gap between Black and white South Africans remains wide. In 2022, about 6 percent of South Africans aged 18 to 29 were enrolled in higher education, according to Statistics South Africa.

Persons: Nelson Mandela, they’ve, Collette Schulz, Konrad Adenaur Stiftung, —, Walter Sisulu, Joao Silva, New York Times Jack Martins, ”, Mandela’s, Wandile Sihlobo, Johann Kirsten, Sihlobo, Kirsten, haven’t, Zinhle Nene, Peter Mokoena, “, Mokoena, Nokuthula Mabe, Mabe, Jacob Zuma, Chrispin Phiri, Cyril Ramaphosa, Israel, Sibusiso Zikode, Zikode, Mr Organizations: African National Congress, Pew Research, Human Sciences Research, World Bank, Black South, Charter, New York Times, University of Cape Town’s Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Economic Empowerment, South, Harvard, Economic, Government, Black, Mr, Stellenbosch University . White, Statistics, Security, JOHANNESBURG Jobs, JOHANNESBURG Sandton Downtown, West University, Education, Statistics South, General Household Survey, of, Stellenbosch University, Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services, Institute for Security Studies, International Court of Justice Locations: Africa, South Africa, Black, States, Soweto, Kliptown, Johannesburg, South, Saharan Africa, Carletonville, JOHANNESBURG, Downtown Soweto, JOHANNESBURG Sandton, JOHANNESBURG Sandton Downtown Soweto, North, Mahikeng, Botswana, Statistics South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, African, Germany, Russia, India, China, Ethiopia, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, New York Times South Africa, Gaza, Durban, South Africa’s

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will visit Israel next week, an Israeli official said on Friday, as talks on a cease-fire deal have stalled and tensions have risen between Israel and the United States over the treatment of civilians in the war. The Israeli official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said talks with Mr. Blinken would center on the remaining hostages held in Gaza and an impending Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Mr. Blinken last visited Israel in March, when he warned that its plans to invade Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, would pose severe risks to the population. Since then, the Biden administration has continued to raise concerns about the planned incursion, saying it should not be carried out without a credible plan to protect civilians. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has vowed to press ahead with the invasion, saying it is necessary to eliminate Hamas battalions in the city.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Blinken’s Organizations: Israeli, United Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Rafah

☆ Buick, GM’s low-key pseudo-luxury brand, is suddenly hot
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In the 21st Century, though, Buick, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, has been a quiet spot in GM’s North American brand strategy. Last year, Buick sales rose more than 60% in the US compared to 2022. The Buick Envista introduced last summer is, essentially, a modified version of the well-received Chevrolet Trax, GM’s cheapest crossover SUV. The 1938 Buick Y Job is generally considered the auto industry's first "concept car." Last year, Avenir models, which get some fancier interior materials, more features, and distinctive paint colors, made up almost a third of Buick sales, the highest levels yet, Aldred said.

Persons: Louis Chevrolet, “, it’s, ”, Ivan Drury, Jason Barlow, Envista, Bob Boniface ,, Duncan Aldred, Drury, It’s, Buick, that’s, Aldred Organizations: CNN, Buick, GM, Riviera, Chevrolet Trax, GMC, Chevy, Cox Automotive, Cadillac, General Motors, Liverpool Locations: GM’s, China, the, America, Europe

☆ Peter Schey, Tenacious Lawyer Who Defended Migrant Rights, Dies at 77
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Trip Gabriel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Peter Schey, a driven defender of the human rights of migrants crossing the Southern border, who won landmark legal cases requiring humane care for undocumented children and the right of migrants to attend school and receive health care in states that tried to bar those services, died in Los Angeles on April 2. His death, in a hospital, was caused by complications of lymphoma, said Melinda Bird, a former wife. He took on both Democratic and Republican administrations in Washington. He was a leader of the legal team that negotiated the seminal Flores Settlement Agreement, a 1997 government measure safeguarding detained, unaccompanied migrant children. He fought the Trump administration when it tried to tear up the deal 21 years later.

Persons: Peter Schey, Melinda Bird, Schey, shay, Trump Organizations: Democratic, Republican Locations: Los Angeles, South Africa, Washington

☆ Juggling Campaign and Foreign Policy, Biden Sends Complicated Messages
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden just signed a bill that could ban President Biden from using TikTok. But Mr. Biden plans to keep using TikTok until Mr. Biden’s new law forces Mr. Biden off it. But it is not the only time that Campaign Joe and Foreign Policy Joe have been at odds in recent months. Campaign Joe tells stories on the trail that Foreign Policy Joe’s staff then has to clean up — or try to ignore as best as possible. Foreign Policy Joe has to worry about diplomacy.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Joe Locations: Wilmington, Del, Washington, America

☆ The 15 bonus tracks from Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' could be their own near-perfect album
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

That's certainly true of her latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," which arrived last Friday to mixed reviews. New Taylor Swift music is bound to spark widespread debate, but the conversation swelled when she surprise-released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," a deluxe edition with 15 extra songs. Indeed, most of these deluxe tracks succeed as self-contained stories, recalling the mythic peaks of "Folklore" and "Evermore." Then again, more songs equals more streams, and "The Tortured Poets Department" is on target to become one of the most-played albums of the streaming era. AdvertisementFinal Grade: 9.3/10"The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" was released on April 19, 2024.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, I'm, Swift, I've, Swift's, aIMee, Cassandra, Peter, Wendy, shouldn't, It's, Beth Garrabrant Worth, Chloe, Sam, Sophia, Marcus, Robin Organizations: Service, Poets Department, Business, Department, Press Locations: Cardigan

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