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President Joe Biden will announce six new judicial nominees in his final batch of selections in 2022, a White House official told NBC News, as it looks to two more years of reshaping the federal courts under an expanded Democratic Senate majority. The nominees are for federal district courts — one in Indiana, two in New Jersey and three in California. The White House said they’ll be among the first nominees sent to the Senate early in the new year, when another session begins. Democrats gained a seat in the 2022 election and may have an easier time processing judges in 2023 and 2024. The new round will bring Biden’s total announced judicial nominees to 150, the White House said.

Underlining the bleak return prospects at home, hedge funds with Greater China strategies have lost 12.9% for the year to end-November - on track for their worst year since 2011, according to Eurekahedge data. Rich Chinese are also fretting about Xi Jinping's "common prosperity" drive to reduce income inequality, asset managers said, adding that they are looking at overseas private equity and property investment opportunities in countries like the United States and Japan. Although investing outside of mainland China is not a new development, a significant chunk of that wealth has usually been invested in Chinese assets such as Chinese securities listed in the offshore markets. The Boston-based asset manager has been receiving many queries from Greater China family offices to learn about U.S. economic policies and investment rules, he said. The U.S. consulate told Reuters that it frequently explains investment and economic trends in the United States to a wide variety of audiences.

☆ Consumers are feeling slightly better about the direction of the economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Consumers are becoming more confident about the state of the economy, despite recession fears, soaring interest rates and continued high prices, according to the latest consumer survey from the University of Michigan. The survey’s consumer sentiment index measured 59.1 in December, up from the final reading of 56.8 in November. The November report had shown a 3.1 point decline in consumer sentiment from the previous month. Still, the reading continues to show a much gloomier outlook than a year ago, when the survey stood at 70.6. Gas prices typically have an outsized influence on consumers’ thinking about inflation since the prices are so readily apparent at every gas station.

☆ U.S. lawmakers press federal banking regulators on the industry’s exposure to crypto after Alameda stake in bank comes to light
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Top Senate Democrats pressed key banking regulators on possible ties between the industry and digital currency exchanges following the bankruptcy of major cryptocurrency firm, FTX. "Banks' relationships with crypto firms raise questions about the safety and soundness of our banking system and highlight potential loopholes that crypto firms may try to exploit to gain further access." Silvergate Capital Corp., Provident Bancorp Inc., Metropolitan Commercial Bank, Signature Bank, Customers Bancorp Inc. are among several noted banks experiencing heightened volatility after the FTX failure. "Banks' relationships with crypto firms raise questions about the safety and soundness of our banking system and highlight potential loopholes that crypto firms may try to exploit to gain further access to banks," the senators wrote. To better understand the banking industry's exposure to crypto, the senators asked for responses to a roster of questions, including all business relationships between FTX, Alameda and Moonstone, by Dec. 21.

☆ How to stay safe in an extreme solar flare, where the sun bombards Earth with radiation and magnetic havoc
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Stay safe during a solar storm by preparing to lose power, printing out maps, and staying off planes. What is a solar flare and how do they affect Earth? CMEs primarily affect the magnetosphere, jostling Earth's magnetic field lines in an event called a geomagnetic storm, also known as a solar storm. NASAGetting ready for the possibility of a major solar flare isn't that different from getting ready for any other disaster. If you follow the basics of disaster preparedness, you'll probably be ready for a solar flare.

☆ Unprecedented protests in China are making headlines around the world, except inside China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It is one of the top stories — if not the top story — for major news organizations around the world. But for the hundreds of millions in China relying on news coverage from state-run media, there has been almost no coverage of the unprecedented challenge to leader Xi Jinping. Other state-run media outlets are also doing their best to wholly ignore the mass demonstrations, which have broken out in at least 16 cities. Mentions of the protests were absent Monday on the websites belonging to the People’s Daily and China Daily, two other prominent state-controlled media organizations. The concerted effort by the state-run media to silence the protests and carry government messaging put on display the lengths Xi’s mouthpieces will go to crush dissent.

☆ Consumers continue to lack confidence in the US economy ahead of holiday shopping season
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Minneapolis CNN Business —Heading into the all-important holiday shopping season, American consumers still aren’t feeling very confident about the state of the US economy. Strong incomes have thus far helped consumers, particularly lower-wage workers, cope with high inflation,” Hsu said in a statement. About 83% of respondents to the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers said that it was a bad time to buy a home. The survey also showed that consumers’ inflation expectations for this year and five years out remained relatively unchanged at 4.9% and 3%, respectively. If consumers believe prices will remain high, that could factor into increased wage demands, which could cause businesses to raise prices.

☆ No need to avoid Xi at APEC, Taiwan envoy says after rare encounter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Taiwan told its representative there was no need to avoid Chinese President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Thailand, the envoy said on Monday, leading to a rare encounter at a time when China has been stepping up military pressure. "Certainly, the presidential office had said to me if there was an opportunity there was no need to avoid a meeting or a greeting. That was the only instruction," Morris Chang told reporters in Taipei on his return from Bangkok. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping has traditionally been one of the few forums where China and Taiwan talk, even if just in passing to exchange pleasantries. Taiwan participates at APEC as "Chinese Taipei", the name it also uses to participate in the Olympics and some other events.

☆ Billionaires like Elon Musk want to save civilization by having tons of genetically superior kids. Inside the movement to take 'control of human evolution.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Julia Black | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +40 min

"We are the Underground Railroad of 'Gattaca' babies and people who want to do genetic stuff with their kids," Malcolm told me. Ellison, meanwhile, who has two children in their 30s, has reportedly resumed having kids — with his 31-year-old girlfriend. "The person of this subculture really sees the pathway to immortality as being through having children," Simone said. The person of this subculture really sees the pathway to immortality as being through having children. Before she met Malcolm, Simone was convinced she wanted to live her life single and child-free.

☆ Senate Banking Committee Chair Brown scrutinizes banking fees as consumers struggle with inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs scrutinized predatory fees charged by banks and other financial institutions during a Tuesday oversight hearing of regulators. Committee Chairman Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said the biggest banks and credit unions are doing well despite historic inflation and economic uncertainty. He said the overdraft fees charged by some credit unions "can be detrimental to members and inconsistent with the system's mission." Agency examiners are requesting audits of credit union overdraft programs, including information about overdraft policies and procedures. "Our financial regulators have answered that call, and I will continue to work with them to make sure our banking and credit union system works for everyone," Brown said.

SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk had a demand. On Oct. 28, hours after completing his $44 billion buyout of Twitter the night before, Mr. Musk gathered several human-resource executives in a “war room” in the company’s offices in San Francisco. But Mr. Musk’s team said he was used to going to court and paying penalties, and was not worried about the risks. Two days later, Mr. Musk learned exactly how costly those potential fines and lawsuits could be, three people said. The order for immediate layoffs, the ensuing panic and the about-face reflect the chaos that has engulfed Twitter since Mr. Musk took over the company two weeks ago.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Musk’s Organizations: FRANCISCO, Twitter Locations: San Francisco

☆ Americans are feeling worse about the US economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Minneapolis CNN Business —Consumers were feeling slightly worse about the US economy in November, amid punishing rate hikes and decades-high inflation, according to a closely followed University of Michigan survey released Friday. The preliminary index reading from the monthly Surveys of Consumers showed sentiment fell to 54.7, from 59.9 in October. The survey showed that sentiment slumped both for current economic conditions as well as for those in the near future. The survey also showed that consumers’ inflation expectations for this year and five years out remained relatively unchanged. Final sentiment data for this month will be released Nov. 23.

☆ U.S. OCC to establish office dedicated to financial technology in early 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will launch a division on financial technology early next year, the banking regulator said Thursday. The new office will build on the agency's preexisting Office of Innovation, which was established in 2016, and will be led by a chief financial technology officer. “The establishment of this office will enable us to be more agile and to promote responsible innovation, consistent with our mission," said Michael Hsu, the acting comptroller of the currency, in a statement. Reporting by Hannah Lang in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Trashion' designer displays latest art at Sydney beach exhibition
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Cordelia Hsu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Australia-based environmental artist Marina DeBris aims to portray the power of one person in the planet's fight against marine pollution with her latest sculpture showcased at a Sydney beach exhibition. "Just a drop in the ocean, Said 7.8 billion people" is on display at Sculpture by the Sea, which opened on Friday. DeBris, who begins her day by picking up rubbish washed ashore on beaches, has been transforming the trash into sculptures and wearable art since 2009. Her art has been called "trashion", which she says has raised awareness about single-use plastics and pollution in the oceans. A study by the University of New South Wales last year found 84% of rubbish found on Australian beaches was plastic and about 40% of marine debris was caused by littering.

Brent crude futures lost 5 cents to trade at $92.33 a barrel by 00:02 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 7 cents to trade at $84.58 a barrel. Brent was on track for a weekly gain of 0.7%, while WTI was expected to fall 1.3%. read moreMeanwhile, Beijing is considering cutting the quarantine period for visitors to seven days from 10 days, Bloomberg news reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Stephanie KellyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Chinese scientists say they're working on an anti-ship missile that can fly as high as an airliner and dive as deep as a submarine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese scientists say they're working on a ultra-fast weapon that is both missile and torpedo. It will fly at supersonic speeds and use supercavitation to reach high underwater speeds, they say. But the Chinese weapon appears to be a missile that turns into a rocket-propelled torpedo once it hits the water. In the 1950s, the US Air Force and Navy examined boron-based jet fuel — "zip fuel" — for aircraft such as the proposed B-70 supersonic bomber. A visitor tours a torpedo room in a submarine that served the Chinese Navy in 1960s at a Navy museum in Qingdao in September 2012.

"Look, bank-fintech partnerships, they're here to stay. OVERWEIGHT CRYPTOOn cryptocurrency, Hsu said he was actually worried policymakers in Congress and regulators are overextending themselves to the detriment of other areas. "It's interesting, it has thorny issues... but relative to other technology and banking issues, I think we're now kind of overweight crypto." "Crypto is just occupying a lot of brain space for an awful lot of people, both on [Capitol] Hill and the regulatory community," he said. "The persistence of the occupation of brain space, it’s starting to worry me now that we’re not spending that time and attention on some other things."

☆ It's time to get rid of managers. All of them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-12 | by ( Molly Lipson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

What would happen if a company completely got rid of middle managers? In 2012, the publishing company Medium restructured its organization and moved away from centralized management power. The model gets rid of managers and spreads their responsibilities across different roles, giving average workers more of a voice. The reality is that psychological safety isn't intrinsically available to everyone, and holacracy doesn't have anything in it to ensure that safety." It's true that holacracy doesn't eliminate the power structures determined by characteristics such as race, gender, age, and sexuality.

☆ Taiwan se confruntă cu cea mai gravă secetă din ultimii 56 de ani. Rugăciuni în masă și 2 zile pe săptămână fără apă pentru locuitori
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-09 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Spre deosebire de perioada lui de glorie, lacul Sun Moon a devenit acum faimos dintr-un motiv nefericit. La începutul lunii, descoperirea unui telefon mobil pe fundul lacului, care încă mai funcționa, a adus lacul în atenția publică. Insula se bazează pe taifunurile de sezon pentru a umple rezervoarele, însă în 2020 niciunul nu a mai ajuns pe uscat. "Asta înseamnă un risc mai crescut de secetă și dezastre naturale, precum inundații sau alunecări de teren", spune Hsu. Mulți oameni de pe insulă sunt afectați de restricții, iar anumite zone au închis furnizarea de apă potabilă două zile pe săptămână.

Persons: Doctorul Huang Organizations: Moon Locations: Taiwan, secetele, Australia

☆ Taiwan se confruntă cu cea mai gravă secetă din ultimii 56 de ani
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-09 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +5 min

Sursa foto: ProfimediaTaiwan se confruntă cu cea mai gravă secetă din ultimii 56 de aniStatul insular Taiwan se confruntă cu cea mai gravă secetă din ultimii 56 de ani, iar lacul Sun Moon, una dintre principalele atracții turistice de pe insulă, a fost puternic afectat, scrie The Guardian. Insula se bazează pe taifunurile de sezon pentru a umple rezervoarele, însă în 2020 niciunul nu a mai ajuns pe uscat. În capitala Taipei, consumul a fost de 338 de litri pe zi. Compania aduce apă cu cisternele în anumite unități, dar și-a sporit și procesele de reducere a consumului și conservare a apei. "Taiwan nu este o țară fără apă", spune Thomas Liou.

Persons: Doctorul Huang, Thomas Liou, TSMC Organizations: Moon, Guardian, Ministerul Economiei, Wei Locations: Taiwan, secetele, Australia, Taipei, Taichung

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