DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Why one economist says Elon Musk has turned Tesla into a meme stock
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The economist thinks the firm no longer keeps up with what CEO Elon Musk promises. Musk really wants Tesla to be a tech company, but it's an automaker, DeLong said. Advertisement"For all the current Tesla shareholders planning to offload their holdings in the next couple of years, everything hinges on the company succeeding as a meme stock, and Musk is diligently working toward that goal," DeLong argued. Last month, investor Roger McNamee warned that the stock would start trading like a car company if shareholders decided that Musk wasn't central to its narrative. In a similar vein, short-seller legend Jim Chanos called Tesla a "hopes and dreams" stock, trading more on Musk than fundamentals.

Persons: J, Bradford DeLong, Elon Musk, Musk, Tesla, DeLong, —, Elon, Roger McNamee, Jim Chanos Organizations: Project Syndicate, Service, UC Berkeley, Street

☆ Baltimore bridge insurer is reportedly set to write a $350 million check
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chubb, the Baltimore bridge insurer, is set to pay out $350 million, per The Wall Street Journal. The bridge's collapse in March killed six people and shut down the port of Baltimore. Chubb, the state of Maryland, and victims' families will likely sue the ship's owners, per the Journal. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThe insurer of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge is gearing up to issue a $350 million payout to the state of Maryland, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Persons: Chubb, Baltimore . Chubb, —, Francis Scott Key, Henry Daar, WTW, Daar, Dali, Chubb didn't Organizations: Street, Service, Barclays, Business Locations: Baltimore, Maryland, London

☆ 3 issues that could make or break the US economy over the next year, according to top economist Mohamed El-Erian
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mohamed El-Erian named three key risks that will determine where US growth is headed in 2024 through 2025. That includes changes to the Fed's inflation target and low-income consumer spending. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementIf Wall Street was wrong about recession odds in 2023 and 2024, forecasting for next year won't be any easier, Cambridge economist Mohamed El-Erian wrote in Project Syndicate. "Given high interest rates and some creditors' loss of enthusiasm, this cohort's willingness to consume will hinge on whether the labor market remains tight," El-Erian wrote.

Persons: Mohamed El, Erian, —, he's Organizations: Service, Project Syndicate, Federal Reserve, El Locations: Cambridge, El

☆ Opinion: Winds of fate confront Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. To Trump’s delight, the top court’s session dimmed the chances the federal case will go to trial before the election. (Trump has denied the affairs with Daniels and McDougal and has pleaded not guilty to the hush money charges. Here’s why we should tune in anyway 04:27 - Source: CNNAs SE Cupp noted, “Trump and Biden debated twice in 2020. Chris Pizzello/Invision/APCNN anchor Victor Blackwell is a fervent Beyoncé fan but her foray into country music didn’t initially grab him.

Persons: CNN —, Yabushige, Yoshii, ”, “, Toranaga, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Jack Smith, Steve Vladeck, Neil Gorsuch, ” Clay Jones, immunizing Trump, John Roberts, Roberts, ” Vladeck, Joey Jackson, David Pecker, Pecker’s “, Michael Cohen …, Norm Eisen, George T, Conway III, Jill Filipovic, Melania Trump, Melania, Daniels, McDougal, ” Bill Bramhall, Frida Ghitis, Jonathan Greenblatt, ” “, Rev, Serene Jones, Israel … ”, Julian Zelizer, …, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Daley, Richard Nixon, Fareed Zakaria, Ian Berlin, I’m, Bill Bramhall, Kara Alaimo, ” Alaimo, “ Trump, Biden, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Chip Bok, Clarissa Wei, Mike Johnson, Sen, John Fetterman of, Johnson, Scott Jennings, it’s, Mark Hannah, “ Biden, ” Biden, Hannah, Deborah Carr, Gerry Turner, Theresa, ’ —, ” Carr, ” Don’t, Terri Gerstein, Hasan Merali, Tess Taylor, Jeff Yang, Dean Obeidallah, Joey Weatherford, Beyoncé, Chris Pizzello, Victor Blackwell, didn’t, ’, Carter, she’s, CNN FlashDocs, Duke Ellington, Sammy Miller, Billy Strayhorn, Ellington, Strayhorn, Michael Ochs, “ Ellington, — Organizations: CNN, Republican, Art Deco New, “, Trump, New, American Media, National Enquirer, Agency, Columbia University , Yale, Defamation League, Hillel, Columbia, Force, Union Theological Seminary, New York City Police Department, Columbia University, Twitter, Facebook, Democratic, Convention, Chicago police, Yale, Real Housewives, Syndicate, Theresa Nist, Nashville’s, Max, Michael Ochs Archives Locations: New York, Washington, Florida, Georgia, Israel, Israeli, Columbia, Gaza, Chicago, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, America, Taipei, ”, Ukraine, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Fetterman, Crimea, Los Angeles, Sugar, Harlem

☆ AI will spark massive disruptions to labor markets and there's no social safety net that can contain the fallout, University of Chicago professor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The job market will see "massive" disruption as AI becomes more prominent, a professor warned. There's no safety net that can contain the fallout from AI's impact, Eric Posner argues. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementArtificial intelligence will upend the job market even in the best-case scenario — and there's no social safety net for workers who are at risk of being put permanently out of work, according to University of Chicago professor Eric Posner.

Persons: Eric Posner, —, Posner Organizations: Service, University of Chicago, Project Syndicate, Business

☆ Mexican drug gangs ‘increasingly targeting’ Australia as meth supplies overtake rivals, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Drug cartels from North America have overtaken rivals in Southeast Asia to become Australia’s top suppliers of methamphetamine, police said, warning that Mexican gangs are “increasingly targeting” the country. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian meth fell to less than 15% of seizures of the drug, a highly addictive and potent stimulant. A wastewater detection program led by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission projected meth to be Australia’s second most used drug. In 2022, authorities stopped 1.8 tons of liquid meth masquerading as coconut water in Hong Kong before it reached Australia. They were bound for New Zealand, Australia and the surrounding Pacific region, police said.

Persons: Jared Taggart, Taggart, ”, Sam Gor, Terry Goldsworthy, Criminologist John Fitzgerald, Masood Karimipour Organizations: CNN —, Australian Federal Police, Police, ”, Australian Institute of Health, Welfare, Australian Criminal Intelligence, AFP, Bond University, Australian Capital Territory, University of Melbourne, Drugs, New Zealand police, Southeast, Pacific, United Nations Office Locations: North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, AFP, Mexico, United States, Canada, ” Australia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Japan , New Zealand, Hong Kong, Asia, Pacific, Queensland, American, Europe, Ukraine, New Zealand

☆ China needs a new economic plan that focuses less on exporting and more on domestic growth, 'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China will stagnate if it relies on manufacturing and exports to grow, Nouriel Roubini wrote in Project Syndicate. That growth model is outdated and worked in a time when foreign markets were more open to Chinese products. AdvertisementChina can't grow out of its economic problems if it stays focused on manufacturing and exports, says famed "Dr. Doom" economist Nouriel Roubini. "The old Chinese growth model is broken," the perma-bear economist wrote for Project Syndicate, later adding: "China therefore needs a new growth model concentrated on domestic services — rather than goods — and private consumption." Related storiesWhen China's economy was smaller, this form of growth made sense, as its exports were still manageable for foreign markets, Roubini said.

Persons: Nouriel Roubini, Doom, —, Roubini, Xi Jinping, he's, Paul Krugman Organizations: Project Syndicate, Service Locations: China, Beijing

☆ In AI rivalry with the U.S., China is behind on a key asset: Its own OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Rebecca Fannin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In China, which is angling to produce its own chips or get more from Nvidia, no dominant gen AI contender to OpenAI has emerged yet among dozens of Chinese tech titans and startups. Last year, funding of gen AI upstarts accounted for nearly half of $42.5 billion invested globally in artificial intelligence companies, according to CB Insights. "China is at a big disadvantage in building the foundation models for Gen AI," said Rui Ma, an AI investor and co-founder of investment syndicate and podcast TechBuzz China. China does have the tech talent to make a difference in the AI rivalry in the years ahead. Additionally, among top-tier AI researchers working at U.S. institutions, 38% have China as their country of origin, compared with 37% from the U.S.New Chinese gen AI market entries can also reach mass adoption quickly.

Persons: Ernie Bot, OpenAI, Paul Triolo, Jenny Xiao, Rui Ma, Triolo, Sora, Ma, Marco Polo, Baidu's, Ernie, Leong Organizations: Global, Trade, Hangzhou International, Nvidia, tech titans, titans Microsoft, Google, Amazon, U.S, Dentons Global Advisors, Leonis Capital, OpenAI, Paulson Institute, U.S ., Samsung, Apple, Baidu Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, Washington ,, Silicon, San Francisco, The U.S, U.S, OpenAI

☆ Kevin O'Leary wants to buy TikTok at up to 90% discount. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kevin O'Leary is putting together a syndicate for a potential purchase of TikTok, with a starting bid of $20 billion to $30 billion — an up to 90% cut in valuation from the company's last funding round. Any deal for the short video-sharing platform — valued at $220 billion in 2023, according to PitchBook data — will likely exclude the user preference-based algorithms that have helped make it so successful, the O'Leary Ventures Chairman said on CNBC's "Street Signs Asia." "It's the largest entertainment and business network in America as it stands today, so it's of great interest and great value," he said on Friday. But it is not likely that the Chinese government will sell the algorithms, "so what you're getting is the valuable domestic brand TikTok and 170 million users, with no data," O'Leary said. A potential buyer will have to "re-emulate" those algorithms with U.S. code and act as a "steward" to transform the platform from "TikTok China to TikTok U.S.A." Hence the valuation cut.

Persons: ByteDance, Kevin O'Leary, O'Leary Organizations: U.S . House, O'Leary, TikTok Locations: TikTok, Culver City , California, America, China

☆ Trump's proposed tariffs would be 'recessionary' and could spark a resurgence in inflation, Harvard economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's trade policies would be "recessionary" and could make inflation worse, according to Kenneth Rogoff. The Harvard economist pointed to Trump's proposed tariffs on imports, including a 60% tariff on Chinese goods. AdvertisementDonald Trump's proposed tariffs on imports would have "recessionary" effects on the US economy and could end up sending inflation higher again, according to top economist Kenneth Rogoff. Rogoff said that Trump's proposed policies and Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act make them both the "most protectionist" presidential candidates the US has seen in a while, Rogoff said to Bloomberg on Wednesday. That could hamper economic growth and stoke inflation, making Trump one of the biggest threats to the global economy, "Dr. Doom" economist Nouriel Roubini recently argued.

Persons: Kenneth Rogoff, —, Donald Trump's, Rogoff, Trump's, Joe Biden's, Doom, Nouriel Roubini, Biden, Donald Trump, overspending Organizations: Harvard, Bloomberg, Service, International Monetary, stoke, Trump, Bank of America, Project Syndicate Locations: China, stoke, Washington, Japan

☆ A Trump vs. Biden rematch is on, and it's a showdown most Americans didn't want
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewPresident Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump have clinched their parties' nominations for the 2024 presidential election — a rematch that long seemed both inevitable and largely disfavored by voters. AdvertisementA Reuters/Ipsos poll published in January indicates that a Biden-Trump rematch is one most American voters didn't want to see. In the nationwide poll of 1,250 US adults, 70% of respondents, including half of Democrats, said Biden shouldn't seek reelection. "Trump also has a loyal, energetic base, whereas Biden's re-election bid generates almost no enthusiasm, even among Democrats," Boskin wrote. "Still, many Americans strongly oppose a second Trump term and more than 20% of those who voted in the Republican primaries say they won't vote for Trump."

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump, Nikki Haley —, It's, Biden shouldn't, shouldn't, Roe, Wade, Michael J, Biden's, Boskin Organizations: Service, Business, Associated Press, Republican, Trump, USA, Biden, Republicans, Stanford University, Project Syndicate Locations: Georgia , Mississippi, Washington, Hawaii, Israel

☆ Why one economist says a US recession is still the most likely outcome
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

There's still a big risk of the US economy hitting a recession, Michael R. Strain wrote in Project Syndicate. Some key signals are pointing to a recession on the horizon, he wrote. "The economic outlook is unusually murky, with different sets of indicators telling different stories." "The economic outlook is unusually murky, with different sets of indicators telling different stories," Strain wrote for Project Syndicate on Monday. But those indicators also suggest that a hard landing — a recession — is more likely than a soft landing."

Persons: There's, Michael R, Strain, — Organizations: Project Syndicate, Service, American Enterprise, Business

☆ Explainer-How the West Might Use Russia's Frozen Reserves
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Here are some of the ideas that have been suggested:CONFISCATIONSome international policymakers and lawyers say the immobilised Russian reserves can simply be confiscated under a doctrine of international law known as "countermeasures". Some in the bloc are still wary, though, and the European Central Bank has warned that claiming the trapped Russian assets should only be done in tandem with G7 powers. The bondholders would not have a contractual claim on the Kremlin’s frozen reserves. Ukraine would have a plausible way to collect on any damages awarded up to the value of the reserves. If Moscow refused to pay the damages, the allies could then use Russia’s frozen assets to pay off the loan.

Persons: Marc Jones, Lee Buchheit, Daleep Singh, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Marc Jones LONDON, Emergency Economic, U.S, European Central Bank Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kuwait, United States, EU, Russian, Brussels, Belgium, U.S, Britain, China, Hong Kong, Dubai, Moscow

☆ Opinion: Biden gave the speech of his life
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Opinion Cnn Contributors | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +29 min

CNN —CNN Opinion asked political and policy contributors to weigh in on President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. David Gergen: Biden just rewrote the presidential racePresident Joe Biden not only delivered perhaps the best speech of his life last night; he may have also changed the race itself. Roxanne Jones: Biden finally sounds like he’s ready to fightPresident Joe Biden finally has my attention. At the end of his speech, Biden reminded voters that he “grew up among working people” in Scranton. In his State of the Union speech, Biden had to answer the mail on all of these.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, David Gergen, Biden, Joe Biden, —, Carrie Sheffield, Carrie Sheffield Barry Morgenstein, Donald Trump’s, pandered, Sophia A, Nelson, Trump, Sen, Andrew, ”, Donald Trump, Harris, Daniel McCarthy, Trump President Joe Biden, Daniel McCarthy Biden, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, wasn’t, he’s, haven’t, Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, Bernie Sanders, Nikki Haley, Trump couldn’t, Reagan, Roxanne Jones, ” Biden, Smart, Jill Filipovic, Mike Johnson, David A, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” David A, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, SubStack’s, Paul Sracic, It’s, White, Paul Sracic Arne Hoel It’s, Hillary Clinton, Joe, ” Paul Sracic, Raul A, Reyes, ” Raul A, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, Laken Riley, Mark Zandi, Mark Zandi Moody's, Ana Marie Cox, Ana Marie Cox Faith Fonseca, Biden’s, Dobbs, Roe, Wade, Peter Bergen, George W, Bush, Vladimir Putin’s, –, beefed, Gazans Organizations: CNN, David Gergen CNN, Union, Harvard Kennedy School, Gallup, NATO, Democratic, Republicans, Trump, Independent Women’s, United States Senate, Biden, Congressional, Trump President, South Carolina Gov, GOP, Republican, Conservative, The Spectator, Syndicate, Big Pharma, Companies, American, Democrats, Twitter, NATO —, Israel, New York Times, CBS News, Democratic Party, United Auto Workers, Youngstown State University, Hudson Institute, Reyes CNN, Border Patrol, Georgia, ” Progressives, Pew Research Center, White, USA, Moody’s Analytics, Ana Marie Cox Faith, Jackson, Peter Bergen CNN, US Senate, New, Arizona State University Locations: Joe Biden’s State, America, United States, State, Gaza, Israel, New York, Ukraine, ”, American, China, Iran, Europe, Asia, Chicago, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Belvidere , Illinois, Scranton, Claymont , Delaware, Delaware, Ohio, Washington , DC, Georgia, Alabama, Austin, Iraq, New America

☆ Trump Reelection a Threat to Economy, Could Stoke Inflation, Debt: Roubini
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Trump reelection in November poses the biggest looming risk to the world economy, Nouriel Roubini warned. A second Trump presidency could end up making inflation and the national debt problem even worse, Roubini said. AdvertisementTrump being reelected might be the biggest looming threat to the global economy, according to "Dr. Doom" economist Nouriel Roubini. Advertisement"With private and public debts high and rising, that would introduce the specter of a financial crisis," Roubini warned. In 2022, he warned markets of a coming stagflationary-debt crisis, which could spark a painful recession and 30% plunge in stocks.

Persons: Nouriel Roubini, Trump, Roubini, —, Doom, Trump's, Powell Organizations: Trump, Service, Project Syndicate, Commerce, Bank of America, Bloomberg Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, China

☆ Opinion: Super Tuesday won’t help Haley. But she can help Trump.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Opinion Daniel Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

To start with, who are the Republican voters that Trump will have the most trouble getting to the polls in November? In South Carolina, it was 36% of voters in the Republican primary (and Trump won 18% of them). In New Hampshire, it was 46% (and Trump won 22% of them). Biden won four of 2020’s battleground states by 2% or less, and Trump won North Carolina, the closest battleground state in which he prevailed, by just a little over a point. Her effort isn’t harmless, however: It does force the Trump campaign to spend money that could otherwise be put toward taking on Biden.

Persons: Daniel McCarthy, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, there’s, Joe Biden, Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson —, Phillips, Williamson, Biden, Haley, Trump, John Kasich, Sen, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders of, Clinton, it’s, battlegrounds, Haley’s Organizations: Conservative, The Spectator, Syndicate, CNN, Republican, United Nations, GOP, Trump, Democratic, Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Democratic Party, Ohio Gov, North, Twitter, Facebook, Biden Locations: Washington , DC, Michigan, Ted Cruz of Texas, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, North Carolina

☆ Jim Cramer: Why a successful Reddit IPO would be bad news for this bull market
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

There's nothing like a moribund IPO market to create a pleasant backdrop for a bull run. Hot on the heels of the Reddit deal is the expiration of the IPO lockup period for Arm Holdings on March 12. I thought it might occur after the successful Arm deal, but like so many nascent attempts to revive the IPO market there was nothing worth following up with until the Reddit deal. This brings me back to the IPO market. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: We've, It's, Reddit, Sam Altman, Conde Nast, Rene Haas, Steve Huffman, Reddit's, —, isn't, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Uber, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Mateusz Slodkowski Organizations: Advance Magazine Publishers, Arm Holdings, Company, Nvidia, Employees, GameStop, Supply, Amazon, Walmart, Securities and Exchange Commission, Investors, Fidelity, ICE, Costco, Rite Aid, Tech, Microsoft, Meta, Federal Trade Commission, White House, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Getty Locations: British, TheStreet.com, Reddit, POLAND

☆ I've lent people more than $63 million to buy homes and start businesses: 'If you see a problem, fix the problem'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Today, I'm the owner of a barber shop and the founder of the Washington Barber College. Courtesy of Story SyndicateI took $500 from the check and put it down on a rental space for a barber shop. I later purchased another barber shop, and with the profits from that business, bought an additional shop that was going out of business. AdvertisementThe People Trust Community Loan Fund. We would also pick up homeless individuals and bring them to the barber shop to provide haircuts.

Persons: Arlo Washington, —, Oscar, Barber, it's, Syndicate I'm, we've, We've, Mr, We're, Little, I've, It's Organizations: Service, Washington, Washington Barber College, Syndicate, People Trust Loan Fund, People Trust, Federal Credit Union, University of Arkansas, Little, Trust Community Loan Fund, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, The Treasury Department, Trust Loan, People Trust Loan, Depository Institution Locations: Little Rock , Arkansas, Local, Washington, Arkansas, Little, Central Arkansas, Little Rock, Rock, Wrightsville , Arkansas

☆ Jennifer Lopez says her stylist pleaded with her not to wear the iconic green Versace dress to the 2000 Grammy Awards
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Velour tracksuits and low-rise jeans are in trend, and Jennifer Lopez just caused a stir while walking the red carpet at the Grammy Awards in a flowy, green jungle-print Versace gown. In a new interview with Vogue, Lopez revealed that her then-stylist, Andrea Lieberman, pleaded with her not to wear the dress to the awards. Jennifer Lopez at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000. Jennifer Lopez at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards. This first became apparent after the 2000 Grammy Awards, where Jennifer Lopez wore a green dress that, well, caught the world's attention," Schmidt wrote.

Persons: Velour, Jennifer Lopez, Lopez, Andrea Lieberman, Steve Granitz, Versace, Marilyn Monroe's, Marilyn, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Carly Steel, Amber Valletta, Donatella Versace, Geri Halliwell, Lopez wasn't, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt Organizations: Vogue, Business, Milan, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Spice, NRJ, Project Syndicate, Google Locations: New York City, Cannes, France

☆ Japanese Crime Boss Trafficked Nuclear Material From Myanmar, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Ed Shanahan | More About Ed Shanahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A man identified by federal prosecutors as a leader of Japan’s Yakuza organized crime syndicate was charged on Wednesday with trafficking uranium and plutonium from Myanmar with the expectation that Iran would use the material to make nuclear weapons. The man, Takeshi Ebisawa, is accused of conspiring with a network of associates to sell the weapons-grade material and illegal narcotics and to buy surface-to-air missiles on behalf of an ethnic insurgent group in Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma. “It is impossible to overstate the seriousness of the conduct alleged in today’s indictment,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said in announcing the charges. Mr. Ebisawa, 60, is being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn after being charged, along with three co-defendants, with international drug and weapons trafficking crimes in 2022. A lawyer representing him in connection with that indictment did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Persons: Japan’s, Takeshi Ebisawa, ” Damian Williams, Ebisawa Locations: Myanmar, Iran, Burma, U.S, Manhattan, Brooklyn

☆ Takeshi Ebisawa: Alleged yakuza leader charged with attempting to sell nuclear materials from Myanmar
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An alleged leader of a Japanese organized crime syndicate has been charged with attempting to sell weapons-grade nuclear materials from the leader of an ethnic insurgent group in Myanmar, according to a new indictment from the US Justice Department. Takeshi Ebisawa, an alleged leader in the yakuza who was arrested in 2022 on charges over drug and weapons trafficking conspiracies, faces several new charges for allegedly attempting to sell nuclear materials to someone he believed was an Iranian general, in exchange for a significant weapons cache. The agent asked Ebisawa if the material was usable for nuclear weapons, saying that Iran needed “it for nuclear weapons.”“I think so and I hope so,” Ebisawa said, according to the indictment. In a recorded video call, brokers for the leader of the insurgent group claimed the leader had thousands of kilograms of nuclear material and “could produce as much as five tons of nuclear materials in” the territory the leader controlled. During the call, the DEA undercover agent asked about exchanging uranium for weapons from Iran, which the brokers and the leader agreed with.

Persons: CNN —, Takeshi Ebisawa, Ebisawa, ”, ” Ebisawa Organizations: CNN, US Justice Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Court, Southern, of New Locations: Myanmar, Iranian, Iran, Burma, Ebisawa

☆ Women in China Aren't Having Kids. 3 of Them Told Us Why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewWhen it comes to settling down and having children, 26-year-old Bihan Chen views the choice in simple terms: It's a bad investment. Falling birth rates saw China's population shrank in 2022 for the first time since the early 1960s. "When it comes to having children, I don't have a shred of desire, only fear. AdvertisementOthers cited the loss of personal freedom as a key obstacle to having children. Having children remains a deeply personal decision that can't be evaluated by finances alone.

Persons: —, Chen, Emily Huang, Huang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Zhu Zheng, haven't, Dudley L, Poston Jr, Rich, we've, Lanjie Wang, Wang, Collin Meisel, might've, Yi Organizations: Service, Business, Women's Congress, Getty, Texas, M University, Weibo, University of Denver's, Center for International Futures, Publishing, University of Wisconsin, Project Syndicate Locations: China, Beijing, Weibo, Xinhua, Japan, Korea, America, Madison

☆ There's little reason to be optimistic about a soft landing this year as the 'runway is in an earthquake zone,' Harvard economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Growing hope for an economic soft landing is misplaced, economist Ken Rogoff wrote this week. The Harvard economist sees the runway for the economy in an "earthquake zone" in 2024. AdvertisementThere's little reason to be optimistic about a soft-landing, as the economy is set to land in an "earthquake zone" in 2024, according to top economist Ken Rogoff. Advertisement"Despite the widespread belief that the global economy is headed for a soft landing, recent trends offer little cause for optimism. The US also faces trouble as the national debt continues to surge and interest rates look poised to stay higher-for-longer.

Persons: Ken Rogoff, —, Doom, Rogoff Organizations: Harvard, Service, Syndicate, International Monetary Fund, Fed, Federal Reserve, New York Fed, Cleveland Fed Locations: China, Europe, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Why China's economy is doing better than people think
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAlthough China looks dead-set on another year of economic distress, its prospects are brighter than they seem, a former advisor to the People's Bank of China wrote. For this reason, it helps that China's economy faces two-pronged deflation, with both consumer and producer price indices in the red, Yongding wrote. That means Beijing can inject considerable fiscal stimulus without concerns about inflation. According to Yongding, China's infrastructure is still behind in critical sectors, such as healthcare, education, and transportation.

Persons: —, Yu Yongding, Yongding Organizations: Service, People's Bank of China, Business, Project Syndicate, Monetary Locations: China, Beijing

☆ Goldman Sachs' Jonny Fine: Seeing some extraordinary environments play out from a spread perspective
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | 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 EmailGoldman Sachs' Jonny Fine: Seeing some extraordinary environments play out from a spread perspectiveJonny Fine, Goldman Sachs head of investment grade syndicate in the Americas, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the kind of activity Fine has seen lately, the drivers of the investment grade environment, and why spreads are so narrow right now.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Jonny Fine Locations: Americas

Search resuls for: "Syndicate"

25 mentions found