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☆ Celebrity Bag Designer Sentenced to Jail for Smuggling Exotic Skins
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Elizabeth Paton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez built a cult following among celebrities and the South American superrich thanks to her use of brilliantly dyed precious skins. Now Ms. Gonzalez, 71, is facing considerable time in bright orange coveralls. On Monday, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in a Miami federal court to charges of smuggling hundreds of handbags made from the skins of protected wildlife into the United States from her native Colombia. Prosecutors said that the handbags and purses, made from the hides of caiman alligators and pythons bred in captivity, were worth as much as $2 million. The designer’s lawyers said that the pieces were mostly samples and cost about $140 each, with only about 1 percent lacking the proper authorization to be brought into the United States.

Persons: Nancy Gonzalez, Bergdorf Goodman, Gonzalez, Nancy Tereza Gonzalez de Barberi Organizations: Saks, Gzuniga, New York, Prosecutors Locations: Miami, United States, Colombia, Cali , Colombia

☆ Why mango sticky rice is one of Thailand’s most beloved summer dishes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Karla Cripps | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Better known to the rest of the world as mango sticky rice, it’s a deceptively simple dish. And few have perfected that balance as well as 63-year-old Varee Jeensuwan, the undeniable queen of mango sticky rice in Bangkok. In 2022, she performed at the Coachella music festival in California and ended her show by digging into a bowl of mango sticky rice. K Panich has been dishing out mango sticky rice since 1932. According to R-Haan co-owner/chef Chumpol Jangprai, there’s evidence suggesting mango sticky rice has been around since Thailand’s late Ayutthaya period (1351-1767), with references to the dish found in the centuries to follow.

Persons: Mae Varee, “, Bangkok's Mae Varee, Lauren DeCicca, Rong, ”, Nam Dok Mai, Chiang Rai, Milli, Panich, Pongpat, – it’s, Bib, Khun Nan, Mai, it’s, It’s, Haan, Chumpol Jangprai, Rama V’s Organizations: CNN, Bangkok CNN, Coachella, Haan Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Bangkok’s, Thonglor, Mae, Bangkok's, province’s Bangkhla, Damnoen Saduak, Ratchaburi province, “, nieow, Thailand’s, Suratthani, China , Hong Kong, Singapore, Thai, California

☆ ‘The Truth vs. Alex Jones’ Review: The Power of Parents
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Ben Kenigsberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

If there is value in seeing these events recapped, it is in the power of seeing the parents confront Jones in court. (Over two trials, in Texas and Connecticut, they won more than $1 billion in damages.) “The Truth vs. Alex Jones” offers a lesson in just how vicious and pervasive conspiracy theories can become and a chilling portrait of how little they may trouble their purveyors. The Truth vs. Alex JonesNot rated. Watch on Max.

Persons: Jones, Alissa Parker, Emilie’s, “, Alex Jones ”, Alex Jones, Max Locations: Texas and Connecticut

☆ A market mystery: Why do capers come in such tiny jars?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This is a story about one of modern life’s least consequential but most acutely annoying experiences: getting a sufficient number of capers out of those dollhouse-size jars they’re sold in. Capers are expensive, so producers sell them in smaller jars to make each unit more affordable. Why such narrow jars? Skinny jars just look nicer, Mezzetta says. As one Redditor said: “I’ve never been in a situation where I don’t decide to just use the entire tiny jar for what I’m making.”

Persons: they’re, God, capers, It’s, purveyors, Goya, Russell Zwanka, ” Zwanka, “, Rebecca Wright, Jeff Mezzetta, they’re tippy, ”, Mezzetta, Zwanka, chef’s, ” Duane Stanford, Bull, Brian Noone, Redditor, “ I’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Western Michigan University, CNN, Beverage, Redditors Locations: New York, New York City, California, Labrador, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, Adelaide, South Australia, Malta

Indeed, studies show that drinking alcohol is less in vogue with younger millennials and Gen Z. Mounting concern around weight loss drugs GLP-1 drugs, which mimic the action of the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone and stimulate insulin secretion after a meal, lower blood sugar and send feeling of fullness to the brain. What's more, GLP-1 drugs are an overwhelmingly American topic, with most Europeans unaware of them or unwilling to pay high prices. In total, GLP-1 users are only a very small slice of total alcohol consumers, said Spiros Malandrakis, lead alcohol industry researcher at Euromonitor International. The most vulnerable purveyors are those that are trailing the shift in consumption, notably domestic, non-premium beer brands.

Persons: Katie Pell, Pell, wasn't, millennials, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Goldman Sachs, Jason English, Nadine Sarwat, Bernstein, Sarwat, Spiros Malandrakis, —, BUD YTD, who'd, Mickey Velado, Brian Sudano, Nell Healy, Healy, she's, Malandrakis, Ryan Brigden, Brigden, Sudano, Joseph Gabelli, Gabelli, Z, there's, it's, Garrett Nelson, They've, seltzer, Nelson, Molson Coors, Bud, he's Organizations: Gallup, Drugs, Nordisk's Ozempic, JPMorgan, CNBC, Euromonitor, Anheuser, Busch Inbev, Beverage Marketing, Constellation, Guinness, Corona, Heineken, Athletic Brewing Company, Heineken Holding, Carlsberg, Constellation Brands, Malandrakis, Beverage, Gabelli, Diageo, Molson Coors, Busch InBev, Molson, Anheuser Busch Locations: Brooklyn, U.S, GLP, imbibing, Angeles, Colorado, Washington, California, North Carolina, San Francisco Bay, Europe, British, Brazil, India

☆ For These TV Procedurals, the Formula Still Works
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Calum Marsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Waves slap gently against the shore along the southeast coast of Australia, the morning sun glittering on the horizon. This is the opening scene of a recent episode of “NCIS: Sydney,” the fifth series in the long-running crime procedural franchise, which premiered on CBS earlier this month. “There’s definitely a template that I’ve managed to extract from watching hundreds of hours of the show, a kind of typical ‘NCIS’ structure,” Morgan O’Neill, the creator and showrunner of “NCIS: Sydney,” said in a video interview. “That’s the overall architecture of the show, and it’s always going to be that.”“It still works,” O’Neill added. Through it all, one constant has been the popularity of procedural franchises like “NCIS” and “Law & Order,” which have thrived as purveyors of familiar predictability.

Persons: It’s, ”, “ There’s, ” Morgan O’Neill, “, it’s, ” O’Neill, ain’t Organizations: Sydney, CBS, “ Locations: Australia

☆ Who Can Take a Joke? Everyone.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Rich Juzwiak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

COMEDY BOOK: How Comedy Conquered Culture — and the Magic That Makes It Work, by Jesse David FoxOUTRAGEOUS: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars, by Kliph NesteroffDid you hear the one about cancel culture? But two new books share an exasperation with the common sentiment that there’s never been a worse time to express oneself than the present. Kliph Nesteroff’s fact-packed “Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars” finds American entertainers in a perpetual state of despair over the censorious climate of their day — whatever day it happens to be. To Jesse David Fox, the author of “Comedy Book,” the risk of backlash is part of the point. It’s what makes it more exciting than watching a bunch of men sprinting with helmets on.”

Persons: Jesse David Fox, Kliph Nesteroff, you’ve, Kliph, Steve Allen, ”, Jerry Seinfeld, he’d, “, ” Nesteroff Organizations: —, Showbiz, New Locations: New York

☆ Cannabis 'legalization is inevitable,' says policy analyst—what to know before you invest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Cannabis stocks aren't the only ones that were riding high in early 2021. Those changes have yet to come on a federal level, and dimming enthusiasm from investors, among other factors, has led to a major slide in pot stocks. The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF, which holds U.S.-based cannabis companies, currently trades for $6.80 a share, down from nearly $52 in February 2021. But for experts in the space, the question surrounding cannabis legalization (and a subsequent boom in the industry) isn't if, but when. "Legalization of cannabis is inevitable," says Jaret Seiberg, a policy analyst at TD Cowen.

Persons: Jaret Seiberg, Cowen, Brady Cobb, Mike Johnson's ascendency, Johnson, Cobb, Joe Biden, Jason Wild Organizations: Democratic, Cannabis ETF, Department of Health, Human Services, Bloomberg, HHS, Drug Enforcement Agency, JW Asset Management Locations: Ohio, Massachusetts

☆ Jim Cramer says insurance companies will pay for 'revolutionary' weight-loss drugs for their members
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Monday emphasized his belief that GLP-1 drugs primarily used to treat diabetes and obesity and the companies that make them, like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk , will be very valuable. And for millions of people, it'll be cheaper for the insurance companies to shell out for the new weight-loss drugs than to let their morbidly obese members just get heart disease," he said. Cramer called these drugs "revolutionary," citing new data from Novo Nordisk suggesting its drug Wegovy cut the risk of serious cardiovascular complications in patients with obesity and heart disease by 20%. For example, type two diabetes can put patients at risk for other health issues, so insurance companies would want to pay for the drugs in order to prevent further complications, he said. Similarly, those with obesity and treatment-resistant high blood pressure are at higher risk for heart disease, making them primary candidates for the drugs.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Eli Lilly, Cramer Organizations: Novo Nordisk

Chris DongCapital One's third airport lounge is a 10,800 square-foot "glass fishbowl" in Denver International Airport (DEN). Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business Card† credit cardholders get unlimited complimentary access and can bring up to two guests for free. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Spark Miles for Business† cardholders get two complimentary passes per year. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business Card† cardholders enjoy unlimited complimentary access to all Capital One Lounges. The parents' room in Capital One's Denver airport lounge offers a quiet space for rest, diaper changes, and feedings.

Persons: Chris Dong, cardholders, Business † cardholders, —, chai, chia Organizations: Business, Venture, Denver International Airport, Chris Dong Capital, Denver International, Service, Dulles, Fort, International, Capital, One, Premier, Rockies, Colombe, Fenway, Cervecería, Yacht Club, Sunrise, Denver Travelers, Chase Locations: Denver, High City, Washington, Dallas, Fort Worth, DFW, One's, Concourse A, Colorado, Downtown Denver, Cervecería Colorado, Capital One's Denver

The Consequences of Elon Musk’s Ownership of XNow rebranded as X, the site has experienced a surge in racist, antisemitic and other hateful speech. Research conducted in part by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue concluded that anti-Semitic tweets in English more than doubled after Mr. Musk’s takeover. Keeping X at the center of public debate is exactly Mr. Musk’s goal, which he describes at times with a messianic zeal. Even worse, the article argued, Mr. Musk’s changes appear to be boosting the engagements of the most contentious users. A month into Mr. Musk’s ownership, the platform stopped enforcing its policy against Covid-19 misinformation.

Persons: Elon Musk, ”, “, Musk’s, —, Musk, Tim Chambers, ” Mr, Chambers, Tesla, lockdowns, Thierry Breton, Mr Organizations: Elon, Twitter, “ Twitter, Hamas, Dewey, Group, Defamation, Research, Institute for Strategic, Commission, Kremlin, Pentagon, Tufts, Rutgers, Montclair, 4chan, Harvard Kennedy School, Covid, Media, Mr, Commission's Digital Services, Services, Defamation League, European Union Locations: Musk’s, Russia, China, Israel, Ukraine, Iran, guardrails

☆ Big Tobacco turns to rooibos tea to counter upcoming ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Emma Rumney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Tobacco companies have yet to publish any research showing the health implications of rooibos or other zero-tobacco sticks, Simonavicius added. PMI (PM.N) CEO Jacek Olczak told shareholders that its zero-tobacco sticks could avoid the regulatory scrutiny that tobacco products face. BAT's zero-tobacco sticks are not subject to current EU tobacco rules, the company told Reuters. That means it can sell rooibos sticks in flavours like peppermint and tropical fruit even after a ban on flavoured heated tobacco products is implemented across the bloc later this month. Across the European Union, heated tobacco products must be taxed at a minimum of 20% of the retail price, though national governments can go higher.

Persons: Erikas Simonavicius, Simonavicius, Philip Morris, Jacek Olczak, Jefferies, Owen Bennett, Bennett, Phil Gorham, Gorham, Fabienne, Morningstar's Gorham, Shabab, Emma Rumney, Matt Scuffham, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Big Tobacco, British American Tobacco, Union, Tobacco, BAT, Reuters, King's College, King's College London . Tobacco, Philip Morris International, PMI, Rivals Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International, Morningstar, EU, Dunhill, Lucky, European Union, University College London . Tobacco, Thomson Locations: Cape, Germany, Greece, King's College London

☆ Elon Musk’s worst nightmare
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

It's hard to tell, for a simple reason: The data on the safety of robot cars sucks. Until robot cars have traveled for hundreds of millions of miles, there's no way to get a statistically significant, unequivocal conclusion. If the data on robot cars is equivocal or incomplete, then those rules should keep them off the road. In a sense, she's Elon Musk's worst nightmare. To her, the safety of self-driving cars is not an abstract question.

Persons: Missy Cummings, Elon Musk, Cummings, Elon, Musk, Tesla, stans, Musk's, —, that's, Terry Chea, Big, Waymo, Kyle Vogt, Cruise, Vogt, hillier, it's, Steven Shladover, Missy, She's, she's Elon, Don Quixote, Adam Rogers Organizations: Twitter, Duke University, National, Traffic, Musk's bros, NHTSA, George Mason University, Cruise, Navy, LinkedIn, Waymo, UC Berkeley's Institute of Transportation Studies, San, Boeing, Max Locations: San Francisco, Muskovites, Silicon, Silicon Valley, California

Private credit players like HPS Investment Partners and Blue Owl Capital (OWL.N) have a workaround, but it could prompt a painful hangover. Cashed-up private credit funds offered sums previously unseen outside of traditional bank financing on riskier deals. Private credit assets swelled 460% to over $1.4 trillion between 2010 and the end of 2022, Preqin says. Reuters GraphicsThe attraction of “mezz” and similar exotic lending isn’t just that it helps private credit source new deals. In 2021, that dynamic meant private loans briefly became cheaper than liquid, tradable loans – flying in the face of financial orthodoxy.

Persons: –, Zendesk, Preqin, LSEG, HPS, Goldman, Blackstone, Angelo Gordon, dealmaking, George Hay, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, HPS Investment Partners, Owl, Blackstone, Apollo, Treasury, Private, Management, Partners, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Sabre, Companies, Wolf, ADC Therapeutics, Equity, Thomson Locations: EBITDA

☆ How TikTok's obsession with pickle-jar sweatshirts has been 'absolutely life-changing' for one seller
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

One merchant, Jessica Slone, has sold over 43,000 sweatshirts through TikTok Shop. AdvertisementAdvertisementOne seller, Jessica Slone, founder of Bad Addiction Boutique, has sold over 43,000 pickle-jar sweatshirts at $44 a pop through TikTok Shop. The company released a Halloween version of the pickle-jar sweatshirt ahead of the holiday. "TikTok Shop is kind of this roller coaster, and right now it's on this amazing uphill journey," she said. Read more about how TikTok Shop virality is impacting sellers

Persons: TikTok, Jessica Slone, Slone, —, Anker, Slone isn't, It's, Wickles Pickles, Dill Organizations: TikTok, Service, Facebook, Shop, Slone Locations: McClure's, Mt . Olive

☆ The Cure’s Lol Tolhurst lovingly reflects on the goth subculture in his new book
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Goth is for everyone, Tolhurst writes, and it’s not a “phase” one has to outgrow. “My life in Goth served as a kind of communal reverse meditation,” Tolhurst writes. Part of what appealed to Tolhurst in goth, and why he continues to consider himself goth, is its “inclusive philosophy,” he said. As long as they could pay cover and were old enough to enter, they were welcomed, Tolhurst writes, whether they were dressed in a blazer or black leather. Tolhurst writes about the crushing death of Ian Curtis of Joy Division in "Goth: A History."

Persons: he’s, Lol Tolhurst, Tolhurst, Jacknife Lee, ”, it’s, Goth, ” Tolhurst, Dave Hogan, — Tolhurst, don’t “, ” Goth, Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey, Nick Cave’s, Joe Strummer, Ian Curtis, Curtis ’, Rob Verhorst, “, Siouxsie Sioux, Gus Stewart, Redferns, Nico, Julianne Reagan, Gitane, Death, Smith, nodded, —, ‘, Fryderyk Gabowicz, Eilish ”, Sioux, Tracy Fahey, they’re, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Hulton, Getty, The, Bauhaus, Party, Siouxsie, Joy, dynamos, Roll Hall of Fame Locations: Soho , London, England, Brixton, London, Sioux, Siouxsie

☆ The Latest Cool Amenity? A Name Brand. How About Porsche?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Debra Kamin | More About Debra Kamin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chart a 10-mile path down the Miami coast, and the options for luxury shopping are endless. But from Fendi to Missoni to Porsche to Bentley, the branded products many shoppers are buying aren’t items you can take home. Branded real estate is surging: The market for name-brand luxury condominium units is projected to grow 12 percent each year between now and 2026, according to a report from the global real estate consultants, Knight Frank. Like blue jean makers and handbag designers, developers have long understood the power of a label, and today in nearly every major city, homeowners can shop residences from well-known hospitality brands like Four Seasons, Aman and Ritz-Carlton. Now more surprising brands are getting in on the trend, with purveyors of both luxury cars and couture looking to condos for their next frontier.

Persons: Knight Frank, jean, Aman, Armani Casa Organizations: Porsche, Bentley, Ritz, Carlton, Armani, Bentley Residences Locations: Miami, Fendi, Missoni, Dade County, British

Capital One has revealed its newest airport lounge, an 8,500-square-foot outpost at Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD). Read Insider's guide to the best credit cards with free airport lounge access. The Capital One Lounge at Dulles (IAD) is the issuer's highly anticipated second location, expanding the issuer's reach to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. It's the first credit card-affiliated lounge at Dulles, and the space will likely prove popular for travelers departing from the airport. Premium perks including airport lounge access and statement creditsCheck mark icon A check mark.

Persons: Eero Saarinen, Dulles, H, Will Patton, Chris Dong, it's, Chase Sapphire, Amex, Chase Organizations: Dulles International, Travelers, Capital, Service, Fort Worth International, Dulles, Washington D.C, Capital One, One, Premier, Rhino Brewing Co, Michelin, Acorn, Dulles Airport, Venture, Business, LaGuardia, Reagan Washington National Airport Locations: Washington, Wall, Silicon, Dallas, DFW, Dulles, Virginia, Central Virginia, Denver, Las

It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 and won a Grammy Award for record of the year in 1978. But Meisner was uncomfortable with fame. “We did two or three encores, and Glenn wanted another one,” Meisner said, referring to his bandmate, the singer-songwriter who died in 2016. “I told them I couldn’t do it, and we got into a spat,” Meisner told the magazine. “That was the end.”Meisner left the band in September 1977 but was inducted with the Eagles into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Persons: Meisner, “, ”, Rolling Stone, Glenn, ” Meisner, Parke Puterbaugh Organizations: Eagles, Roll Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame Locations: California, Knoxville

☆ Camping 101: Things to know before you set out on the road
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The downside of car camping is the fact that these campgrounds are often packed to the rafters with other campers. While RV camping may seem like a recent phenomenon, it’s actually been around for more than 100 years. Among the websites that list RV campgrounds and post very useful user ratings are RVshare/Hipcamp, RV Life and Good Sam. Other than maybe car camping, it requires the least expense and equipment. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management has set aside areas for free camping in national forests, national grasslands and BLM-managed lands.

Persons: Millennials, It’s, Pierce, Arrow, Marchi, that’s, Sam, Hemingway, glamping, Joe Yogerst, ” Organizations: CNN, Kampgrounds, Financial, Great Britain Tourism Survey, Goods, Marchi Mobile, Trail, Hollywood, Autocamp, California redwoods, Getty, U.S . Forest Service, Land Management Locations: U.S, Canada, American, Great Britain, Cavan, Germany, Patagonia, Himalayas, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe, Cape Cod, Desert, Glamping, Northumberland, England, Elena, Rio, Big Bend, McCarty, Kenai, Parks

☆ Why Egusi Is More Than Just a Great Soup
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Yewande Komolafe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Elsewhere in southwest Houston, Ms. Lakshmi tastes suya, bole, fufu, asun and jollof, tries her hand at pounding yam and practices the art of scooping soup with swallows. She moves from the kitchen at Margaret Chibuzo’s Safari restaurant to the dining room, where she shares egusi soup with the gospel singer Stacy Egbo. I encountered not just the Nigerian, but the Liberian, Ghanaian and broader West African communities in Newark and Charlotte, Atlanta and Albuquerque. By ensuring access to ingredients, they’d helped steward our shared culture a world away. Versions of egusi soup dotted menus in every city we stopped, and I relished each one.

Persons: jollof, Margaret Chibuzo’s, Stacy Egbo, they’d Organizations: Liberian Locations: Houston, bole, fufu, United States, Newark, Charlotte, Atlanta, Albuquerque

☆ Right-wing media figures are waging an anti-LGBTQ war on businesses over Pride Month
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In recent weeks, right-wing media has smeared and incited boycotts against Bud Light and Target, two jumbo American brands that have been thrust into the center of the toxic culture wars. Both companies have been relentlessly attacked over their show of public support for the LGBTQ community. But it is precisely what some of the loudest and most influential right-wing media figures are promoting to their large followings, with new self-generated outrage cycles generated daily. In fact, with Pride Month about to get underway, and more brands showing their support for the LGBTQ community, expect more fronts to open up. As the right-wing media personalities leading this campaign have said: Bud Light and Target were just the beginning.

Persons: Bud Light, “, ”, Matt Walsh, ” Walsh, Bud, ” “ Organizations: CNN, Fox News, GOP, Daily, Pride, Rights Locations: Florida

☆ Meta says ChatGPT-related malware is on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Katie Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 3 (Reuters) - Facebook owner Meta (META.O) said on Wednesday it had uncovered malware purveyors leveraging public interest in ChatGPT to lure users into downloading malicious apps and browser extensions, likening the phenomenon to cryptocurrency scams. Since March, the social media giant has found around 10 malware families and more than 1,000 malicious links that were promoted as tools featuring the popular artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, it said in a report. In some cases, the malware delivered working ChatGPT functionality alongside abusive files, the company said. Speaking at a press briefing on the report, Meta Chief Information Security Officer Guy Rosen said that for bad actors, "ChatGPT is the new crypto." Rosen and other Meta executives said the company was preparing its defenses for a variety of potential abuses linked to generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, which can quickly create human-like writing, music and art.

☆ Google Promised to Defund Climate Lies, but the Ads Keep Coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Nico Grant | Steven Lee Myers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In October 2021, Google promised to stop placing ads alongside content that denied the existence and causes of climate change, so that purveyors of the false claims could no longer make money on its platforms, including YouTube. And yet if you recently clicked on a YouTube video titled “who is Leonardo DiCaprio,” you might have found a ramble of claims that climate change is a hoax and the world is cooling after a Paramount+ ad for the film “80 for Brady,” starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and Rita Moreno. Before another video that purported to detail “how climate activists distort the evidence,” some users saw an ad for Alaska Airlines. These are not aberrations, according to a coalition of environmental organizations and the Center for Countering Digital Hate. In a report released on Tuesday, researchers from the organizations accused YouTube of continuing to profit from videos that portrayed the changing climate as a hoax or exaggeration.

☆ A $6 trillion AI boom is just starting. Here are 5 ways for investors to capitalize on the tech revolution, according to Morgan Stanley.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AI is at an "inflection point" that could allow investors and companies tap into a $6 trillion opportunity, Morgan Stanley said. "We see AI accelerating digital transformation and tech diffusion across the economy," analyst Brian Nowak said in a note. AI-driven search tools could power stronger recommendation engines for social media and e-commerce, create better content-production tools and improve shared-economy marketplaces for transportation and other services, the bank said in the note. "We see AI accelerating digital transformation and tech diffusion across the economy," Morgan Stanley Research's internet analyst Brian Nowak said in a research note. Travel"Though 76% of travel is already being booked online, digital travel platforms are well-positioned to capitalize further on their large and unique data sets.

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