DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ It turns out Taylor Swift has better due diligence than half of Silicon Valley
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Taylor Swift in the "Bejeweled" music video. Taylor Swift has better due diligence than half of Silicon ValleyIt's SBF. Just when you thought the FTX debacle couldn't get any weirder, let's add Taylor Swift into the mix. What Taylor Swift album does Sam Bankman-Fried most identify with? Perhaps the most pressing question, however, as pointed out by senior finance editor Michelle Abrego, is this: How does Taylor Swift have better due diligence practices than half of Silicon Valley?

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. Russia got the jailed arms dealer back from the United States on Thursday after exchanging imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for him at Abu Dhabi airport. His notoriety was such that his life helped inspire a Hollywood film, 2005’s Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer loosely based on Bout. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ UBS says shares in this global airline are set to soar by 55%
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of London-listed airline easyJet are set to soar by 55% over the next year, according to UBS. The Swiss investment bank raised its price target to £6 ($7.34) a share after hiking its forecasts for passenger traffic and profitability at the pan-European airline. EasyJet's shares were trading at £3.87 on Tuesday afternoon, about 70% below its pre-pandemic levels. A recent decline in global oil prices and the dollar index works favorably for easyJet, analysts at UBS said. UBS forecasts the airline will reach 91% of its 2019 passenger volumes next year and return to pre-pandemic levels in 2026.

Chicago wheat futures are still elevated versus most years, though they are slipping significantly versus prices elsewhere and against competing grains, even as supplies remain tight. Most-active CBOT wheat settled at $7.29 per bushel Tuesday after hitting a 14-month low. By the first week in March, most-active CBOT wheat had surged more than 50% within 10 sessions. Through Tuesday, CBOT wheat's 10-session decline totaled 11%, almost a record for the time of year. CBOT wheat usually sits at a premium to CBOT corn, but it has lost significant ground to its yellow grain competitor.

☆ Senate MAGA mutineers work on new ways to punish Mitch McConnell
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some Senate Republicans recently tried and failed to strip Mitch McConnell of his leadership post. Ted Cruz is among the conservatives determined to "stand up and fight" against business as usual. He called any such compromise "indefensible," and urged others to also dig in their heels so House Republicans have a better negotiating position next year once their narrow majority takes effect. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is trying to fend off House conservatives determined to deny him his dream of becoming speaker, has also been pushing to quash any lame duck breakthroughs. "Any Republican that's out there trying to work with them is wrong," McCarthy recently said on Fox News.

☆ Senate MAGA mutineers incensed their red wave never came work on new ways to punish Mitch McConnell
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

☆ The rise and fall of Wirecard
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

July 2: The head of Germany's financial watchdog calls the accounting scandal at Wirecard "a massive criminal act". July 6: German prosecutors arrest the head of a Dubai-based subsidiary of Wirecard. 2021Jan. 29: Felix Hufeld, president of German financial watchdog BaFin, steps down. 2022Jan. 14: German prosecutors file first charges in Wirecard fraud, the Financial Times reports. Sept. 21: A Munich district court said it had admitted charges against former Wirecard executives, paving way for a trial.

[1/2] The headquarters of Wirecard AG in Aschheim near Munich, Germany, September 22, 2020. REUTERS/Michael DalderMUNICH/BERLIN, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Former Wirecard executives go on trial on Thursday, two years after the collapse of the payments company that produced Germany's biggest post-war fraud scandal and sent shockwaves through the country's political and financial establishment. Wirecard, which started out processing payments for pornography and online gambling, rose to be worth $28 billion and displaced Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) in Germany's DAX blue-chip index. But in June 2020, Wirecard was forced to admit that 1.9 billion euros were missing from its balance sheet. In the ructions that followed Wirecard's demise, the head of German financial regulator BaFin resigned and the head of Germany's accounting watchdog also stepped down.

☆ The 5 best leadership books I read this year — and what they taught me about running a company
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( David Siegel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For a roadmap for effective, kind leadership and smart decision-making, he shares 5 book recommendations. Publishing a leadership book gave me a newfound perspective on the genre. Here are the top five leadership books I read in 2022 and why I found each one particularly enriching. After reading The Promise of a Pencil, I learned how seemingly small acts can make a world of difference in communities. For anyone considering executive coaching or looking to find a coach, this book is a must-read.

That resulted in a corn net long of 191,631 futures and options contracts, a three-week high. Managed money net position in CBOT corn futures and optionsFunds covered gross shorts in both corn and soybeans through Nov. 29, though the addition of new longs was the more prominent feature. Open interest in corn futures and options was down 14% on the year as of Nov. 29, and for soybeans it was down 9%. Corn futures lost 3.5% in the last three sessions, on Friday hitting the most-active contract’s lowest levels since August before settling at $6.46-1/4 per bushel. CBOT soy product futures were up in the week through Nov. 29, soyoil to a larger degree at 2%.

☆ GOP senators threaten to delay major military bill over Covid vaccine mandate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julie-Tsirkin-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julie Tsirkin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — Several Republicans are warning they will drag out Senate consideration of a massive military policy bill unless they get a vote on ending a Covid vaccination mandate for service members. The senators’ threat could delay final passage of the annual bill, which Congress has consistently passed, but it would not prevent the Senate from eventually voting on the legislation. It is insane.”The other GOP senators calling for a vaccination vote are Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and Mike Braun of Indiana. The Biden administration has had a mixed record on Covid vaccination mandates in court. The proposal put forth by the seven GOP senators is unlikely to get a vote without the support of Senate Republican leaders.

Sen. Mike Braun, an Indiana Republican, has formed a campaign to run for governor in 2024, according to paperwork filed Tuesday. The development, first reported by Politico, had been expected for months, with Braun hinting hard that he was interested in the race. The state's other GOP senator, Todd Young, was re-elected by a convincing margin this month. In a statement Wednesday morning, Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl greeted Braun's candidacy with derision. "As a so-called businessman, Mike Braun has done very little to improve Indiana as a U.S. senator and he surely won’t do it as governor," Schmuhl said.

☆ Sen. Mike Braun filing to run for governor of Indiana kicks off the GOP's first open Senate seat race of 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Warren Rojas | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republican Sen. Mike Braun has filed to run for governor of Indiana in 2024. "I'd say here in 10 days to a couple of weeks," Braun told congressional reporters of his current timetable. "I'm very confident Indiana will stay in Republican hands," Daines told Insider between votes at the US Capitol. And fortunately for the Hoosier State, we have a lot of talented people who might run for that seat," Young told Insider at the US Capitol. The Banks and Spartz campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment about prospective Senate runs in 2024.

Forecasts suggest La Nina may fade into a neutral phase midway through Argentina’s growing season, but it is too early to say with certainty. Current trade wind and ocean temperatures, including those in the Indian Ocean, could support further strengthening of La Nina in the coming weeks. But that should not necessarily heighten concerns since crop impacts are not perfectly correlated with La Nina strength. Rain during the 2008-09 growing season was less than two-thirds of normal, resulting in terrible crop yields, particularly for soybeans. Growing season rains were a third heavier than usual, and soybean yields were very good, but corn was excellent.

Although most-active CBOT corn futures were unchanged in the week ended Nov. 15, the contract had traded down more than 2% by Nov. 15 before rallying back late in the session. Money managers axed more than 78,000 gross CBOT corn longs in the two weeks through Nov. 15, the most for any two-week stretch since July 2016. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its monthly supply and demand and U.S. crop production reports during the week ended Nov. 15. Most-active CBOT wheat futures were also unchanged in the week ended Nov. 15 but had been down more than 3% at one point. Money managers were more active on the downswing, reducing their net long by about 11,000 to 92,965 CBOT soybean futures and options contracts.

China accounts for 60% of global soybean imports, and upon arrival, the beans are crushed into protein-rich hog feed to support the country’s strong appetite for pork. When soybean imports are strong, that often indicates healthy feed demand and a sufficiently large hog herd. China substantially upped pork imports in 2019 after disease spread through its hog herd starting in 2018, potentially killing up to 40% of the country’s pigs. China’s pork imports have risen a bit since the mid-year slump due to a notable increase in Brazilian shipments since the beginning of this year. Through October, China’s 2022 soybean imports of 73.2 million tonnes were down 7.5% on the year.

☆ James Webb Space Telescope: No evidence linking namesake to firings of LGBTQ staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Despite numerous calls from astronomers to rename its powerful new telescope, NASA officials stood by the naming of the James Webb Space Telescope before its launch. With the telescope nearly a year into its stint in space, the agency has released its chief historian’s investigation into the namesake of the telescope. Earlier this summer, Dr. Jane Rigby, the operations project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, tweeted that “a transformative telescope should have a name that stands for discovery and inclusion.”Officials at NASA have refused to rename it, though, citing an investigation into Webb’s career. The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope ever built. NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterNo evidence links Webb to any action that followed those discussions, Odom said.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who could be swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Russia wants the jailed arms dealer back in Moscow and is discussing a prisoner swap with the United States that could see him exchanged for Americans imprisoned in Russia including basketball star Brittney Griner. Reed was ultimately freed in return for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot jailed in the United States on drug trafficking charges. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. In interviews, Bout has said he attended Moscow's Military Institute of Foreign Languages, which serves as a training ground for military intelligence officers. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ Sperm counts may be declining globally, review finds, adding to debate over male fertility
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Over the past 50 years, human sperm counts appear to have fallen by more than 50% around the globe, according to an updated review of medical literature. The review, and its conclusions, have sparked a debate among experts in male fertility. Overall, the researchers determined that sperm counts fell by sightly more than 1% per year between 1973 and 2018. Normal sperm counts are considered to be over 40 million per milliliter. In other research, Levine says, he and others have teased out some factors that are associated with lower sperm counts.

They won a narrow House majority, having won the 218 seats needed, with eight still uncalled. McConnell and Scott both addressed the gathering, which included newly elected Trump-backed Senate Republicans, including J.D. [1/5] U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell walks to his office at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2022. In the House, conservative Republicans continued to bash party leader Kevin McCarthy, a day after he overcame a challenger for the chamber's top job of House speaker. While Senate Republicans met in the morning to vote for party leaders, House Republicans met later in the day to consider chamber rules for the next Congress.

Despite Republican hopes for a "red wave" of support in the Nov. 8 elections, they failed to reverse Democrats' razor-thin Senate majority. They appear to be on course to win a narrow House majority, having won 217 of the 218 seats they would need, with 10 still uncalled. McConnell and Scott both addressed the gathering, which included newly elected Trump-backed Senate Republicans, including J.D. [1/5] U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell walks to his office at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2022. While Senate Republicans met in the morning to vote for party leaders, House Republicans were due later in the day to consider chamber rules for the next Congress, assuming they succeed in capturing the House.

[1/5] U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell walks to his office at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2022. Trump, who launched his own 2024 White House candidacy on Tuesday, falsely claims he lost because of fraud. "The Democrats outmaneuver us in every election," Braun said as Republicans met to choose their leaders for the next two years. In the House, conservative Republicans continued to bash party leader Kevin McCarthy, a day after he overcame a challenger for the chamber's top job of House speaker. While Senate Republicans met in the morning to vote for party leaders, House Republicans were due later in the day to consider chamber rules for the next Congress, assuming they succeed in capturing the House.

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was re-elected as Republican leader on Wednesday, defeating a challenge from Sen. Rick Scott of Florida that reflects growing angst within the party after it underperformed in the midterm elections. It is the most serious challenge McConnell has faced for his position after leading the Republican caucus for 15 years. “I welcome the contest.”McConnell is now on track to become the longest-serving Senate caucus leader in history. “That option is represented by Rick Scott currently.”Scott's challenge has rankled some in the Republican caucus, who attribute the 2022 defeats to his handling of the NRSC. “Rick Scott must really love to lose,” griped one Senate GOP aide.

Sen. Linsey Graham, a Trump ally, told reporters he voted "for change." "I welcome the contest," McConnell told reporters after Scott announced his bid. "I voted for change," he told reporters. Earlier this month during an interview with Fox News host Martha McCallum, Scott denied rumors spread by Trump that Scott "hates" McConnell. So we acquainted our members with the tools they have," McConnell told reporters at the US Capitol, adding, "I think that'll be used more often.

It showed 2022-23 Ukraine corn production at 25.8 million tonnes versus USDA’s official estimate of 31.5 million. However, official USDA estimates also use this general “policy in place” framework, so it is a decent bet that the approach was similar. That means its Ukraine estimates still include Crimea and all Russian-occupied areas, and no land area has been added to Russia. CHINA CORNThe market was tipped off in mid-2020 that something may be amiss with Chinese corn stocks as domestic prices began rallying well before U.S. ones. In other words, it appears USDA does not have hard, indisputable evidence of a strong decline in Chinese corn stocks.

Search resuls for: "" Braun"

25 mentions found