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☆ Twitter Says It Plans to Expand Political Ads Allowed on Platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Meghan Bobrowsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Twitter says it will aim to shift its ad policy to align with TV and other media outlets. Twitter Inc. said it plans to expand the political advertising it allows on the social-media platform after banning most political ads in 2019, in the latest policy change by new owner Elon Musk. The company also said Tuesday that it is relaxing its policy for cause-based ads in the U.S. Such ads call for people to take action, educate and raise awareness in connection with the following categories: civic engagement, economic growth, environmental stewardship and social-equity causes.

☆ Hiking has become a nationwide New Year's Day tradition
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Just 380 people participated in the initial First Day Hike in 1992 at the nearly 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation just south of Boston. On Sunday, tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in First Day Hikes at hundreds of parks in all 50 states. The late Patrick Flynn, the former supervisor at Blue Hills, came up with the original plan. In 2012, First Day Hikes went nationwide when the National Association of State Park Directors endorsed the idea. Elijah Bristow State Park near Eugene is even offering a first day horseback ride.

☆ Jeff Bezos' leadership style propelled him to become one of the richest men in the world. Here's what you can learn from it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Elle Hardy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Former CEO Jeff Bezos, who stepped down in late 2021, led with a slogan of step ferociously. After he predicted that ecommerce was about to take off, Bezos founded Amazon as an online book retailer in 1994. According to the man himself, the value that "surprises people" is Amazon's fourth leadership principle: "are right, a lot." "No PowerPoints are used inside of Amazon," Bezos has said. Bezos ran elements of Amazon like a startup, such as being notoriously frugal when it came to company expenses.

☆ A video of the British prime minister's conversation with a homeless man has gone viral as people label it 'cringeworthy' and 'excruciating'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A video of the British Prime Minister speaking to a homeless man at a soup kitchen has gone viral. Sunak responded that he is trying to, and went on to say, "Do you have a... Do you work in a business?" I'm actually a homeless person," the man responded, adding that he is interested in business and the financial industry. "I wouldn't mind, but I don't know, I'd like to get through Christmas first," the man responded. He formerly served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the government's chief finance minister.

☆ How technology helps a research-intensive medical school secure grants and attract top scientists
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Ibm With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Meeting researchers' demanding data storage requirementsEinstein partners with IBM to help meet the NIH standards and manage these huge data sets. "A leading-edge infrastructure helps us attract top research talent," said Shailesh Shenov, assistant dean for Einstein Information Technology. IBM Spectrum Scale software features an auto-tiering feature that moves less frequently used data to IBM Tape, which only powers up when it is accessed. Furthermore, the tiering contributes to our sustainability initiatives because tape storage only consumes power during reads or writes." Because it deals with highly regulated healthcare data, Einstein added IBM Data Guardium Protection to automate compliance auditing and reporting and monitor user activity.

☆ Morning Bid: A year in reverse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Traders work on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew KellyA look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. The EV firm's ailing stock popped up about 2% from two-year lows in pre-market trading on the news. Reuters GraphicsBroader world markets headed into the holiday-strewn year-end in only a slightly less gloomy mood on Wednesday. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Another was the requirement for companies to assess and disclose their impact and reliance on nature, despite the word "mandatory" being dropped from the final deal. While protecting nature comes at a cost, those companies that step up will attract more investors. "The big losers across the board will be 'business as usual'," said Eurasia Group senior analyst Franck Gbaguidi. A body representing some of the world's largest mining companies, including Glencore (GLEN.L) and Newcrest (NCM.AX), said disclosure would lead to a level playing field between sectors. The bill was ultimately calculated at $20 billion per year by 2025 and $30 billion per year by 2030.

[1/2] A trader works as a screen displays the trading information for BlackRock on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 14, 2022. Elsewhere, Florida said it plans to pull $2 billion in investments from BlackRock, which said the action put politics above investor interest. BlackRock, meanwhile, also faces pressure from campaigners and others to drive quicker change by using its voting power to force boards to act to reduce carbon emissions. Against that backdrop, BlackRock said in an annual update on its stewardship policies, which guide talks with boards ahead of shareholder meetings, that it had only made a "few changes". One was to mention in the policy for the first time its support for enhanced disclosures from companies exposed to risks and opportunities relating to nature.

☆ Analysis: Protecting 30% of the planet to save nature is not as simple as it sounds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

More than 110 countries have come out in support of the 30-by-30 goal, including Canada, the United States and France. But as is often the case with science-based policy, the details matter to whether a 30% global conservation goal can truly save the world's imperiled species and places. "They would like to be able to leave Montreal and say we're going to protect 30% of the planet. "If we do things the right way, we protect most biodiversity by being smart — by protecting the areas that matter." Were such countries to protect only 30% of their territories, that could actually result in a significant loss of nature.

U.S. scientists have achieved “ignition” — a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it took to create — a critical milestone for nuclear fusion and a step forward in the pursuit of a nearly limitless source of clean energy, Energy Department officials said Tuesday. The process imploded a tiny capsule inside the hohlraum that is filled with deuterium and tritium, creating a fusion reaction. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory"We have taken the first tentative steps toward a clean energy source," said Jill Hruby, the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration. The Inflation Reduction Act provided millions in new funding for fusion projects and the White House this year convened the first fusion summit and developed a 10-year plan to commercialize fusion technology. A technician reviews an optic inside the preamplifier support structure at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., in 2012.

☆ Georgia runoff loss for Herschel Walker shows Trump is nothing by an eyeroll
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( John Hart | John Hart Is The Co-Founder Of Solutions | The Former Communications Director For U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn. He Tweets At | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

If Republicans decide they are tired of losing elections they should be winning, Herschel Walker’s loss to Raphael Warnock in Georgia’s Senate runoff election should mark the definitive and unequivocal end of the Trump era. Republicans have grown complacent and comfortable on a bed of final straws with Trump, but Walker’s loss should wake them up from their slumber. Walker’s loss showed once again that Trump is the GOP’s Bridge to Nowhere, continuing the poor performance of Trump-anointed candidates in the midterms. If Trump wants to start a new party with his dinner companion, white supremacist Nick Fuentes, he’d be doing the Republican Party (and the republic) a favor. Republicans have grown complacent and comfortable on a bed of final straws with Trump, but Walker’s loss should wake them up from their slumber.

His centre-left Social Democrats, the Greens and liberal Free Democrats, have had to wrangle to reach compromises, sometimes delaying decisions. Some European allies say the focus on domestic challenges and internal politicking have distracted Berlin from regional cooperation and especially the key German-French motor that traditionally drives the European Union. Relief measures worth hundreds of billions of euros have helped Scholz's coalition stave off serious social unrest due to soaring energy prices in the wake of the Ukraine war, but recent polls suggest it has lost its majority. MIXED MESSAGESTo be sure, Germany's allies have welcomed the Zeitenwende after years of warning the country of complacency on security. The government may for example not reach the NATO spending goal until 2025, a spokesman said this week.

☆ Meet the small hedge fund that thinks it can oust Larry Fink from BlackRock
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The fund has a tiny stake in BlackRock and is calling for the firm to replace Larry Fink as CEO. On one side stands a small, relatively unknown activist hedge fund with a tiny stake in a giant company. 1, the young hedge fund run by a longtime activist investor, and ExxonMobil. Joining a wave of heavy scrutiny of BlackRock and Fink over ESG, Bluebell accused BlackRock of a hypocritical posture toward sustainable investing, according to the letter, which was viewed by Insider. Bloomberg News ran the headline: "Tiny Activist Bluebell Quickly Becomes CEOs' Worst Nightmare."

☆ Activist investor calls for BlackRock CEO Fink to step down over ESG ‘hypocrisy’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Larry Fink, Chairman and C.E.O. of BlackRock arrives at the DealBook Summit in New York City, November 30, 2022. David Dee Delgado | ReutersLONDON — BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is facing calls to step down from activist investor Bluebell Capital over the company's alleged "hypocrisy" on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) messaging. However, in a letter to Fink dated Nov. 10, shareholder Bluebell expressed concern about the "reputational risk (including greenwashing risk) to which BlackRock under the leadership of Larry Fink have unreasonably exposed the company." The company remains a major shareholder in the likes of Glencore and "coal intensive miners" Exxaro, Peabody and Whitehaven, Bivaro's letter to Fink on Nov. 10 noted.

☆ Do Humans Owe Animals Equal Rights? Martha Nussbaum Thinks So.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk Do Humans Owe Animals Equal Rights? But does it then follow that we think of animals’ lives as being equal in value to humans’? That would lead to redoubling our efforts to make sure animals don’t perish in the future. Just think: Women are often raped, and that has been so all throughout human history. Now, as an incrementalist I want to be cautious here because I don’t think that predatory animals are doing anything wrong.

☆ Hate speech dramatically surges on Twitter following Elon Musk takeover, new research shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN Business —New Twitter owner Elon Musk declared last month that “hate speech impressions” had dramatically fallen on the platform since he took over. It was a remarkable claim, given that Musk has executed mass layoffs and chased away hundreds of employees, draining the company of much-needed resources to enforce content moderation policies, which the billionaire has also publicly criticized. On Friday, two watchdog groups published research that indicated Musk’s claim simply did not hold water, offering one of the clearest pictures to date of the surging tide of hate speech on the platform. The Center for Countering Digital Hate and Anti-Defamation League both said in reports that the volume of hate speech on Twitter has grown dramatically under Musk’s stewardship. Specifically, the Center for Countering Digital Hate said the daily use of the n-word under Musk is triple the 2022 average and the use of slurs against gay men and trans persons are up 58% and 62%, respectively.

WASHINGTON — The lobster featured on the menu of Thursday’s state dinner comes with caviar, squash ravioli — and a heaping side of controversy. Maine officials would typically be thrilled to have their state’s most famous export featured at such a high-profile White House event. Maine lobstermen have long prided themselves on sustainability and argue the concern about right whales is misplaced. “I am glad President Biden and his State Dinner guests had the opportunity to enjoy Maine lobster,” Democratic Maine Gov. “The administration should make their policy consistent with their culinary preferences.”The Office of the First Lady, which oversees the state dinner preparations, did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Salesforce employees say they're blindsided by Bret Taylor's departure as Marc Benioff swears he'll get him back: 'don't think you're gonna somehow get out of this alive because you're not'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Matthew Lynley | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Salesforce co-CEO and heir apparent Bret Taylor announced he is leaving the company. Benioff wasn't alone: many at the company were blindsided by the departure with no notice given, employees and others close to the company told Insider. At Salesforce, Taylor oversaw the $27.7 billion acquisition of Slack as COO and the launch of its real-time customer analytics tool, Genie, as co-CEO. "Just when Benioff thought he had his succession plan all figured out Taylor steps down," a recent former employee told Insider. Multiple people close to the company told Insider that Salesforce's "bench" was thin, though Benioff heavily complimented Taylor's team when asked about a potential replacement on the earnings call.

☆ U.S. plans to boost purchases of Native goods, revitalize tribal languages
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The Biden administration will announce new actions on Wednesday to give Native American tribes more say in managing federal lands, boost purchases of tribal energy and other goods and services, and revitalize Native languages, the White House said. U.S. President Joe Biden and other Cabinet officials will announce the measures at this year's two-day Tribal Nations Summit, with additional steps focused on providing better access to capital for tribal nations, the White House said. Biden's three signature piece of legislation - laws dealing with infrastructure, climate and COVID-19 relief - have provided nearly $46 billion in funding for tribal communities and Native American people, the White House said. The Small Business Administration will announce plans to boost access to financing opportunities, while the Energy Department plans to increase federal agencies’ use of tribal energy through purchasing authority established under a 2005 law unused for more than 17 years. The government will also release of a draft 10-year plan to revitalize Native American languages and underscores the urgency for immediate action, while formally recognizing the role that the U.S. government played in erasing Native languages.

☆ Reactions to Apple supplier Foxconn's labour unrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Thousands of employees at Foxconn's (2317.TW) flagship iPhone plant in China have quit since last week, as the major Apple (AAPL.O) supplier battles the latest bout of labour unrest that began in late October due to strict zero-COVID policy. "We see that in these times of unrest, Apple needs to intensify its dialogue with Foxconn management, and if possible Chinese authorities, to communicate in strong terms what its policy expectations are around labour rights, and find solutions to stabilise the situation." As a first step, we have contacted Apple to understand how management views and addresses the on-going situation and what measures they are taking." JANNE WERNING, HEAD OF ESG CAPITAL MARKETS & STEWARDSHIP AT UNION INVESTMENT"This shows the importance of labour standards in the supply chain. We expect Apple, as one of the main buyers, to reassert its influence at Foxconn.

A decision by Whole Foods to pause purchases of Maine lobster has sparked outcry from the state's elected officials and the lobster industry. Whole Foods' decision, which was announced this month, was prompted by changes in sustainability ratings for Maine lobster fisheries by separate third-party seafood monitoring groups: the California-based Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch and the London-based Marine Stewardship Council. "There has never been a right whale death attributed to Maine lobster gear," they said. “Maine lobster has always been sustainable and that hasn’t changed with the recent announcement from MSC,” Steve Kingston, the owner of The Clam Shack in Kennebunk, Maine, said in a statement. The company said its stores would continue to sell Marine Stewardship Council-certified lobster caught elsewhere.

☆ White House keeping a 'close eye' on misinformation on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A member of the Secret Service walks along security fence installed around the White House days after supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday it was monitoring social media platform Twitter, now under the stewardship of new Chief Executive Elon Musk, for misinformation. "This is something that we're certainly keeping an eye on," said White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, when asked about Twitter becoming a vector for misinformation. "We're all keeping a close eye on this," Jean-Pierre told reporters at the White House. "Social media companies have a responsibility to prevent their platforms from being used by any user to incite violence, especially violence directed at individual communities."

☆ Maine Governor Janet Mills criticized Whole Foods after the grocery chain decided to stop selling the state's lobsters at its stores
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Whole Foods will no longer sell Maine lobster in its stores. The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, which represents the Gulf of Maine fishery, also called the decision "disappointing" in a statement to Maine Public. Right whales can reach up to 52 feet in length and live up to 70 years. The main causes of unusual death for right whales include entanglements with fishing gear and collisions with ships. Representatives for Whole Foods, the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, and the Marine Stewardship Council did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ The only thing Elon Musk understands about Twitter is how to kill it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Biologists, anthropologists, and information theorists do think that social networks, like Musk's bird app, show at least some signs of being flocks. "Elon's tweet is basically espousing the invisible hand of social behavior," Bak-Coleman says. In this construction, a social network might have become a collective superintelligence, had capitalists left it to its — our? Under Musk, Twitter has entered the dance-off phase. I'll be sad if the Twitter superintelligence starts singing a Kubrickian cover of "Daisy" and implodes into a pile of melting isolinear chips.

Two of his revenge picks to knock off House Republicans who voted to impeach him lost critical general election races in Michigan and Washington. To Mr. Trump, none of that had any bearing on his desire to return to power. “A perfect call.” Absconding with classified documents from the White House? “I think the question is who is the current leader of the Republican Party. In light of what unfolded at Mar-a-Lago, that felt more like the wishful thinking of a born optimist than the judgment of a seasoned student of Mr. Trump.

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