DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Disney aims for more profits at Disney+ with more ads, less content, higher fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Disney laid out the profit plan for Disney+ streaming service on its investor call after reporting its most recent quarterly results, and it’s likely not going to make its customers very happy. It entails cutting back on the content offered, selling more ads and charging higher subscription fees. The company’s ongoing efforts to trim losses and begin to make profits on its streaming business could disappoint some of the people who have enjoyed Disney+, however. “It’s critical we rationalize the volume of content we’re creating and what we’re spending to produce our content,” Iger said about the cuts to the streaming service. Iger said Disney is still learning the proper business model for streaming as it makes the transition.

☆ Disney's quarter reflects what we knew all along about Bob Iger's turnaround plan. Here's our earnings analysis and what's next
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Botton line We've been saying for weeks that fiscal Q2 was not the one to rush in and get in ahead of. Not represented in the table, the Q2 loss was also smaller by $400 million quarter over quarter. Furthermore, management acknowledged churn could be a potential issue for one more quarter before returning to domestic sub-growth in the fiscal fourth quarter. As for theme park sales, this profitable growth engine remains in great shape, jumping nearly 38% to $6.76 billion in fiscal Q2. Iger's Strategy Updates Alongside fiscal Q2 results, we got some more news on the strategic changes Iger has for the company, about six months into his return as CEO.

☆ Google's new AI-powered search is going to look very different
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google's new AI-driven search will look and feel different from the familiar list of search results. Google's classic search engine is getting an AI makeover. For over two decades, the search site has been defined by a plain search bar and a list of results. At its 2023 Google I/O event on Wednesday, the tech giant unveiled an AI-driven search engine with the overall goal of making "search smarter and searching simpler." On top of the more familiar list of search results, there will be an AI-generated summary response answering users' questions.

☆ Why missing one $2 expense could derail your whole national park trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

What this means: Travelers can't necessarily bank on showing up spontaneously to a national park and getting the experience they desire. Record park visitation spurred reservationsTourists crowd into the Midway Geyser Basin on July 14, 2021 at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. One — Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas — saw record visitors last year. Overall visits to national parks jumped by 5% in 2022 versus the year prior, to 312 million recreation visits. These national parks require vehicle reservationsTraffic heading into Yosemite Village on Oct. 6, 2019, in Yosemite National Park, California.

Amazon said the promotion is not a cost-cutting measure and that it applies to customers who have never used Amazon Pickup or have not used that service in the last 12 months. "We offer customers a variety of ways to get their packages, inclusive of delivery and pickup options. The $10 Amazon Pickup promotion isn't new," the company said in a statement. [1/2] One of Amazon's delivery trucks is pictured working on delivery from the Amazon facility in Poway, California, U.S., November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Sandy Huffaker/File Photo 1 2Increasing use of Amazon pickup locations would help the company bypass costly residential package dropoffs and is "a huge opportunity for Amazon to reduce the cost of delivery," Maciuba said.

The Global Port Tracker now expects U.S. container imports of 10.4 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) for the first half of the year, a reduction of nearly 4% from its prior forecast. If imports hit that new target, it would mark a 23% drop from the first half of 2022, according to the forecast released by the National Retail Federation and maritime trade consultancy Hackett Associates on Monday. Uncertainty spawned by high inflation, Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and recent bank failures are weighing on trade, Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said. "Our view is that imports will remain below recent levels until inflation rates and inventory surpluses are reduced," he said. Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] One of Amazon's delivery trucks is pictured working on delivery from the Amazon facility in Poway, California, U.S., November 16, 2022. Increasing use of Amazon pickup points would help the company bypass costly residential package dropoffs and is "a huge opportunity for Amazon to reduce the cost of delivery," Maciuba said. Amazon worked for years to train consumers to expect fast, no-fee deliveries and returns. As the company tightens its belt after a period of explosive growth, it has made numerous moves to reduce delivery-related costs across the company. Amazon late last year hiked the price of its annual Prime subscription that includes free shipping benefits by $20 to $139.

☆ In Debt Limit Talks, Biden and Republicans Start Far Apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jim Tankersley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden is set to welcome Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other top congressional leaders to the White House on Tuesday for a pivotal round of discussions about the nation’s taxes, spending and debt as a potentially catastrophic government default rapidly approaches. The talks come just weeks before the United States is expected to run out of cash to pay its bills unless the nation’s borrowing cap is lifted. Like previous moments of brinkmanship, the discussions have echoes of 2011 and 2013, when congressional Republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling unless a Democratic president agreed to curb federal spending and reduce budget deficits. The meeting is not expected to produce anything close to final agreement on a fiscal plan that could include raising the debt limit. Mr. Biden wants to expand federal spending and reduce future debt, largely by raising taxes on high earners and large companies.

☆ South Africa’s most epic hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Here are nine of South Africa’s best multiday backpacking trails:Otter TrailThe coastal Otter Trail takes in some of South Africa's most beautiful coastline. South African TourismSouth Africa’s oldest (established in 1968) and most celebrated hiking route, the Otter Trail runs along the Eastern Cape coast between Storms River Mouth and Nature’s Valley in Garden Route National Park. South African TourismSummit the legendary Drakensberg escarpment on a vertiginous route that rises high above Thendele Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal province. Distance: About 25 kilometers (16 miles)Time: 2 daysInfo: hikingsouthafrica.co.za/kgaswane-summit-trail/Tsitsikamma TrailThe Garden Route National Park is an advenure sport paradise. Each traverse takes seven to 10 days during the South African spring (September-November).

☆ A year in Azerbaijan: From the Grand Prix to the ski slopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Words Cnn Staff | Photo Illustrations Woojin Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Anyone who has tuned in to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has seen a tantalizing glimpse of what the capital Baku has to offer. This year’s Grand Prix comes at the height of spring, often said to be Azerbaijan’s most beautiful season. Juan Vilata/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in spring Prev NextSummers in Azerbaijan are hot, so getting out of the city is a good idea. Alexander Melnikov/Alamy Stock Photo Explore Azerbaijan in fall Prev NextWrap up, because even at its coldest Azerbaijan still has plenty to offer. You’ll learn much more at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku.

☆ I had a 4-day workweek at Kickstarter. I saw huge improvements in my productivity and social life — and there was only one downside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Elle Hardy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former marketing manager Brooke McDaniel said the four-day schedule increased her productivity. She has since started a new job with a five-day schedule but says the schedule was one of her cons. The company transitioned to a four-day workweek while I was on the road. Remote work was the most important factor for a trip like mine, but knowing the four-day workweek was coming gave me additional motivation. All in all, it made me more aware of how I spend my timeThe work-life balance that a four-day workweek offered me was incredible.

☆ Lion spotted in Chad's Sena Oura National Park for first time in 20 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —After a two-decade absence, at least one lion has returned to Chad’s Sena Oura National Park. Lions haven’t been spotted in the park for almost 20 years, says the news release. Lions are considered extinct in Sena Oura, located near Chad’s border with Cameroon, by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. “This has produced better protection of the national parks and wildlife populations are now starting to recover,” it added. Their populations are especially “small and fragmented” in west and central Africa, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

☆ Opinion | Let’s Protect Children at Least as Well as We Protect Ducks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Dan Ashe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden could borrow from the nation’s success in protecting ducks. The executive branch has plenty of discretionary authority to regulate federal lands, including the ability to restrict firearms possession in many areas (a power it now uses to restrict guns in courthouses, post offices and many national parks and on other federal lands). It can and should prohibit shooting assault weapons or any firearms capable of shooting more than five or 10 rounds, without reloading, on federal land, or at any public shooting range that receives federal funding or is under federal license. The challenge for the president will be to overcome a gun culture that permeates federal land-managing agencies and their state counterparts. He can also ask the major hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, like the Boone and Crockett Club, Ducks Unlimited and the National Wildlife Federation, to urge state wildlife agencies to ban assault weapons for any hunting.

Deutsche Bank says Disney 's strong film slate makes it a good time for investors to revisit the stock. The bank reiterated its buy rating on Disney shares. Analyst Bryan Kraft raised his price target to $135 from $130 — implying shares could rally 34.6% — as the bank raises its short- and long-term earnings estimates for Disney. The analyst set his price target for the next 12 months, while many of his other growth projections in the note are based on Disney's fiscal year. DIS YTD mountain Disney stock Shares of Disney are up 16% in 2023 but down more than 20% in the past 12 months.

REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciLOS ANGELES, April 17 (Reuters) - United Parcel Service (UPS.N) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union will on Monday start U.S. private sector labor contract talks covering roughly 340,000 U.S. drivers, package handlers and loaders at the global delivery firm. The powerful Teamsters union wants an agreement that shares billions of dollars in UPS pandemic profits with workers, exerts leverage over other negotiations and helps to recruit new members - including Amazon warehouse workers. UPS, the world's biggest parcel delivery firm and No. "Failure is not an option," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien told a rally on an April 2 in Boston. These are the first labor talks for both O'Brien and UPS CEO Carol Tomé.

Meanwhile, BlackRock is part of another group investing $650 million to build chargers along freight routes. Because port real estate is at a premium, most early drayage charging projects will be "behind the fence" on trucking company property, experts said. Electric trucks cannot operate without chargers, but it does not make sense to build chargers if drivers are not using electric trucks. Prologis, the biggest U.S. warehouse owner, created its mobility business to install electric truck chargers and solar panels. "A marriage between real estate and energy infrastructure" will be needed to accelerate the transition to electric-powered trucking, Prologis Mobility's Holland said.

☆ Peering Into Volcanoes at Tanzania’s Crater Highlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Patrick Scott | Photographs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Cloud shadows darkened sections of the leafless rim and the tan crater floor. A silvery green lake spread out on the left, and a patch of emerald woodlands near a stream stretched out on the right. In the rainy seasons, the expansive floor is lush and teeming with animals, including massive herds of migrating wildebeests. And because nearly all of the inhabitants are herbivores, we saw no chasing and fleeing. Instead, the wildebeests milled about or rested in acacia shade, and the zebras did a lot of standing around, motionless, like they were trying to remember something they’d just forgotten.

☆ Peak Real Estate: This Tiny Wyoming Community Has Some of the Country’s Priciest Mountain Homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Jessica Flint | Photographs Ryan Dorgan For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In northwest Wyoming, in Teton County, is Jackson Hole, a valley located between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges. It is known for its access to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Jackson Hole is home to several communities, including Jackson, a town of 10,760 people, according to census data, and Teton Village, the gateway to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Roughly 7 miles west of Jackson and 8 miles south of Teton Village, this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it community of 1,567 people has some of the country’s priciest mountain-town residential real estate as ranked by median listing price, according to Realtor.com. ( News Corp , owner of The Wall Street Journal, also operates Realtor.com under license from the National Association of Realtors.)

The Teamsters said that only 10 of 40 supplements to the national contract have been resolved since those regional talks started in January. "We have clearly stated our intentions to UPS from the beginning that there would be no national negotiations until these regional contracts are completed," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said in the statement. Those contracts define provisions not included in the national agreement, including paid time off, overtime, work hours, seniority and discipline language. UPS said discussions around national negotiations and supplemental agreements often take place at the same time. "We are committed to reaching an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, UPS and our customers," UPS said.

☆ A group of passengers flying from Paris to New York skipped passport control and customs due to a 'disembarkation issue'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Passengers on an April 4 flight from Paris to New York left the airport with no immigration check. The incident involved a Norse Atlantic Airways flight that landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport. "We are investigating a disembarkation issue that took place on arrival at New York JFK on Tuesday evening concerning a Norse Atlantic Airways flight from Paris," the statement said. The low-cost carrier is fairly new to the transatlantic flight scene. Norse's New York to Paris route, which was inaugurated on March 26, has one-way flights starting at 269 Euros, or around $300.

☆ As National Parks Visits Surge, Booz Allen Benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Allison Pohle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Visitors driving into Montana’s Glacier National Park this summer must buy a vehicle pass on Recreation.gov. The pass is free, but visitors pay a $2 fee to book the reservation. Visitors might assume that, like entrance fees, the reservation charges help pay for improving trails around the park’s Running Eagle Falls or expanding the park’s volunteer program. But a chunk of the money ends up with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.

The move to integrate FedEx Ground, its outsourced package delivery arm, with the FedEx Express overnight air delivery business was announced almost a year after activist investor D.E. FedEx Express is already handling FedEx Ground's pickup and deliveries in Alaska and Hawaii - fueling concerns that Ground contractors in the lower 48 states could be let go. John Smith will become president and CEO of U.S. and Canada ground operations at FedEx Express and assume leadership of surface operations across the FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight businesses from April 16. FedEx Freight will continue to provide freight transportation services as a standalone company under the Federal Express Corp banner, the company added. Shares in FedEx, which also announced a 10% dividend boost on Wednesday, were up about 2% in mid-morning trade.

☆ The High Seas Treaty, Explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Haphazard Authority On Ocean Resources | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Global News Changing Tides The first international agreement to protect the world's oceans aims to create “international parks” in the high seas. The high seas represent 95% of the world’s total habitat by volume, but the nautical world remains largely unexplored. “A sentiment we often encountered was that there’s not much in terms of biodiversity out there in the high seas,” he said. MPAs that already exist mostly occupy exclusive economic zones and only make up about 3% of the high seas. A 2016 Pew study on mapping governance in the high seas showed 19 governing bodies with a high seas mandate.

The supply chain woes that sent costs soaring and spurred shortages of everything from toilet paper to passenger cars are easing for retail-focused industries, but remain stubbornly persistent in important growth sectors like autos, machinery, defense and non-residential construction, experts said. "One of the big issues as we're trying to ramp up the military industrial base is having enough electronic components," Miller said. Companies that make war weapons like shoulder-fired Javelin and Stinger missiles are awaiting U.S. funding before starting new production for Ukraine. "Any general shortage in semiconductors will affect defense," said Brad Martin, director of Rand Corp's National Security Supply Chain Institute. "As we've moved through the past year or so, we have seen gradual improvement in our supply chain, including semiconductors ... Short-term disruptions will continue to happen," GM spokesman Dan Flores told Reuters in an email.

MAYA BAY, Thailand, March 27 (Reuters) - On any given day in Thailand's Maya Bay, up to 40 blacktip reef sharks cruise in the cyan shallows while about 4,000 tourists visit its white-sand beach flanked by towering cliffs. Marine researcher Metavee Chuangcharoendee said that thanks to the pause in tourism the island was once again functioning as a nursery for young sharks. A number of factors affect the sharks around Phi Phi Leh Island, including seasonal movement patterns and human activity like fishing, Metavee said. For Phi Phi Island National Park, annual revenue was almost halved from 638.3 million baht ($18.7 million) in 2018 to 373.6 million baht in 2019 after authorities closed the beach. "If you can create a new image of Maya Bay as a nature reserve ...

Search resuls for: "National Parks"

25 mentions found