DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Larnell Robinson sat at a desk in his cluttered office last September, between a bookshelf full of Bibles and a table stacked with the overdose antidote Narcan. Richard, 61, discovered in an apartment with multiple drugs in his system two and a half weeks later. And then 59-year-old Glenn, who had lived on Mr. Robinson’s floor for years. Known for his willingness to run errands for others, he often biked to the store to get Mr. Robinson cigarettes. But after not seeing Glenn for a day, Mr. Robinson stuck a flier in his door.

Persons: Larnell Robinson, —, Richard, David, Glenn, Robinson Organizations: West Baltimore

☆ Sofia Vergara says her accent will never allow her to play a scientist or astronaut
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewSofia Vergara, 51, says that her accent hinders her ability to play certain roles onscreen. "I did 11 years on 'Modern Family,' but it was almost playing myself in a way," Vergara said. "And when I decide to do something different, it's hard because this accent is beautiful, but it's like, I cannot be a scientist, I cannot be an astronaut." To tackle accent bias, three Stanford students even founded a real-time accent translation startup that can convert people's voices into different accents while speaking. A representative for Vergara did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: —, Sofia Vergara, Anna Sawai, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Jodie Foster, Brie Larson —, Vergara, Foster, Gloria, Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Griselda, Griselda Blanco —, I've, Jessica Spence Organizations: Service, Hollywood, Business, Netflix, The Society, Personality, Stanford, Spanish, El Locations: LA, Colombia

is the Mexico City bureau chief for The Times, leading coverage of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Organizations: The Times Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean

☆ Harvard fellow: CFPB's 'buy now, pay later' regulation isn't enough — nothing 'substantively changes'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Last month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau declared that buy now, pay later customers should have the same federal protections as users of credit cards. However, Marshall Lux, a fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School who studies BNPL, says the government's latest guidance is already a few steps behind. In fact, major buy now, pay later providers already provide such safeguards for users. "We've got an industry that's moving at light speed and a regulatory process that takes time," Lux said. More from Personal Finance:25% of consumers recently used a buy now, pay later loanCould buy now, pay later loans affect your credit score?

Persons: Marshall Lux, BNPL, —, PayPal —, We've, Lux, Penny Lee Organizations: Consumer Financial, Bureau, Rahmani Center for Business, Government, Harvard Kennedy School, PayPal, Finance, Financial Technology Association, Zip

☆ When Anti-Fur Protesters Are at the Front Door
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Jessica Testa | Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A new frontier has opened in fashion’s fur wars, as protesters targeted the homes of more than a dozen employees of Marc Jacobs in recent months, using signs, noisemakers and fake blood in an effort to force the designer to officially renounce the use of fur in his collections. Over the weekend, Mr. Jacobs accused the protesters of “bullying” in a statement on Instagram, but averred: His brand “does not work in, use or sell fur, nor will we in the future.” He also emphasized that he had not used fur in any of his own brand’s collections since 2018. “This organization has made it clear that they will not stop their violence toward Marc Jacobs unless they get the statement they want,” Mr. Jacobs wrote. “While I don’t condone the behavior of this organization, I will always do what I can to protect, honor and respect the lives and well-being of the people I work with.”The organization referenced by Mr. Jacobs is the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, or CAFT, a group that selects targets and disseminates information and resources to anti-fur activists on the ground.

Persons: Marc Jacobs, Jacobs, Mr, “ Organizations: Coalition, Trade

☆ Don't be so quick to take money advice from TikTok — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Before passing on a movie or dinner date, consider that turning down those invitations can "lead to frustration and emotional distress," he said. watch nowThere may be better ways to cut back, Hoffman advised, without sacrificing time with the people close to you. This seems like a good idea "with a relatively low ceiling," according to Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. In this case, if you had $5,000 in a high-yield savings account earning 5%, you would have made roughly $250 in interest in a year. 'Cash stuffing' also forfeits interestAnother envelope method, called "cash stuffing," advocates for dividing up your spending money into envelopes representing your monthly expenses, such as groceries and gas, to stay on budget and out of debt.

Persons: Paul Hoffman, Hoffman, you'll, Matt Schulz, Bankrate.com Organizations: Getty, Federal Reserve, FDIC

is a national political correspondent, covering the 2024 campaign and the major developments, trends and forces shaping American politics. He can be reached at shane.goldmacher@nytimes.com.

Locations: shane.goldmacher@nytimes.com

☆ NASA Lucy mission: A space rock got a moon after sun-driven quake
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Astronomers were in for a surprise when NASA’s Lucy mission flew by an asteroid named Dinkinesh in November and spotted a contact binary — two smaller space rocks that touch each other — orbiting the asteroid like a moon. “Basically, the planets formed when zillions of smaller objects orbiting the Sun, like asteroids, ran into each other. The Lucy mission captured additional imagery revealing that the asteroid Dinkinesh’s moon is actually two space rocks that are touching one another. Too distant to be seen in detail with telescopes, the asteroids will get their close-up when Lucy reaches the Trojans in 2027. The mission borrows its name from the Lucy fossil, the remains of an ancient human ancestor discovered in Ethiopia in 1974.

Persons: NASA’s Lucy, Dinky ”, ”, Hal Levison, Lucy, Dinkinesh, Goddard, Johns Hopkins, Keith Noll, Jessica Sunshine, ” Levison, Sunshine, Selam, “ I’m, “, NASA Galileo, Ida, Lucy’s, NASA Lucy, ” Sunshine, Dinky Organizations: CNN —, Southwest Research, NASA, Goddard Space Flight, University of Maryland, College Locations: Boulder , Colorado, Greenbelt , Maryland, Dinkinesh, Ethiopia, Jupiter

☆ FCC ends affordable internet program due to lack of funds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The Affordable Connectivity Program, which helped low-income Americans get online, is no more. The program’s lapse threatens to throw nearly 60 million Americans into financial distress, CNN has reported. The program officially ends on June 1, said the Federal Communications Commission, which administered the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to approximately 1 in 5 households across the country and on tribal reservations. “The Affordable Connectivity Program filled an important gap that provider low-income programs, state and local affordability programs, and the Lifeline program cannot fully address,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement, referring to the name of another, similar FCC program that subsidizes wireless and home internet service. He also announced a series of voluntary commitments by a handful of internet providers to offer — or continue offering — their own proprietary low-income internet plans.

Persons: ”, Jessica Rosenworcel, Joe Biden, Mike Johnson didn’t, Biden, Kathryn de Wit, Wit, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Program, Republicans, Democratic, CNN, Federal Communications Commission, Lifeline, FCC, Republican, Comcast, Cox, Verizon, ACP, Congress, Pew

☆ When Kevin Tien's Washington, DC, restaurant abruptly closed, he took reopening it into his own hands
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Jessica Van Dop Dejesus | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

His restaurant Moon Rabbit abruptly closed in 2023 when its landlord decided not to unionize, something the hospitality staff was pushing for. Tien opened Moon Rabbit again in the Penn Quarter neighborhood a year later — this time, as the chef/owner of the restaurant. Advertisement"We used our savings and everything we had to open Moon Rabbit. Look for community resourcesTien contacted his friends in the tight-knit Washington, DC, restaurant industry to learn best practices in opening Moon Rabbit. For AAPI entrepreneurs looking to lay their financial groundwork for starting a business, Tien suggests leaning into your local community.

Persons: —, Kevin Tien, Tien, that's, Judy Beltrano, Susan Bae, Alan Vo, Lean Organizations: Service, Business, we're, Insurance, Washington, Mayor's, Asian Affairs, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington Locations: Washington, DC, Louisiana, Southern, Penn

☆ Y Combinator founder says Sam Altman wasn't fired
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewOpenAI CEO Sam Altman wasn't fired from his position as Y Combinator president in 2019, the startup accelerator's cofounder Paul Graham said on Thursday. "People have been claiming YC fired Sam Altman. Both outlets reported that Altman was asked to leave the organization for favoring his personal interests over Y Combinator's. AdvertisementRepresentatives for Altman and Y Combinator did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours. "We do not accept the claims made by Ms Toner and Ms McCauley regarding events at OpenAI," Taylor and Summers wrote.

Persons: —, Sam Altman wasn't, Y, Paul Graham, Sam Altman, That's, Graham, OpenAI, Sam, Jessica, Jessica Livingston, Altman, he'd, 3YvBDH7oqV — Paul Graham, Graham's, Y Combinator, Combinator, OpenAI's, Helen Toner, who'd, Toner, Tasha McCauley, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, McCauley, Ms Toner, Ms McCauley, Taylor, Summers, Toner's, Mr Altman Organizations: Service, YC, Business, we'd, Wall Street, The Washington Post, BI, OpenAI Locations: OpenAI

☆ Department of Labor sues Hyundai over child labor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

In a new complaint, the department alleges Best Practice, a staffing agency, sent the child to work at SMART Alabama, which provided car parts to Hyundai. The complaint alleges all three companies were responsible for employing the child. “We are reviewing the new lawsuit and intend to vigorously defend the company,” Hyundai said in a statement provided to CNN. The complaint, filed in an Alabama federal court, seeks an order requiring the companies to release any profits related to the use of child labor as well as an order to stop any future use of child labor. Hyundai and its suppliers had been the subjects of a series of investigations by news service Reuters into the use of child labor in Alabama.

Persons: Jessica Looman, ” Hyundai, “, Hyundai Organizations: CNN, United States Department of Labor, Hyundai, SMART Alabama, Fair Labor, Reuters Locations: Alabama, United States, America

☆ Do this once a month and extend your life by 10 years. No gym required
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Jessica Dulong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“Art is one of our oldest creations (humans invented paint long before the wheel), one of the earliest means of communication (we drew long, long, long, long before we could write), and one of our most universal urges,” she wrote. But when you watch artists making art, it is a physical experience. Different art forms affect the brain and body in different ways. Just as when we are prescribed medications, (it’s true that) types, doses and durations of art work differently for different people. And just one art experience per month can extend your life by 10 years.

Persons: Susan Magsamen, ”, Ivy Ross, Bianca Bosker, “, Marco Brambilla’s, Leon Neal, Rothko, —, Cy, Benjamin Krantz, Bianca, Jessica DuLong Organizations: CNN, Research, Getty, Physicians, Viking CNN Locations: London, Houston, Brooklyn , New York

On Today’s Episode:Trump Jurors to Review Evidence as They Consider a Verdict in His Trial, by Jesse McKinleyAlito Refuses Calls for Recusal Over Display of Provocative Flags, by Adam LiptakBiden Asks What Trump Would Have Done if Capitol Rioters Were Black, by Nicholas Nehamas and Maya KingHong Kong Convicts Democracy Activists in Largest National Security Trial, by Tiffany MayThe 47 Pro-Democracy Figures in Hong Kong’s Largest National Security Trial, by K.K. Rebecca Lai, David Pierson and Tiffany MayNew Delhi Sweats Through Its Hottest Recorded Day, by Hari Kumar and Mujib Mashal

Persons: Trump, Jesse McKinley Alito, Adam Liptak Biden, Nicholas Nehamas, King, Tiffany May, K.K, Rebecca Lai, David Pierson, Tiffany, Hari Kumar, Mujib Mashal Organizations: Capitol, King Hong Kong Convicts Democracy, Hong Locations: Delhi

☆ Former WWE employee suing Vince McMahon agrees to pause her case pending a federal investigation, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Chloe Melas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas. Janel Grant, a former employee of World Wrestling Entertainment who in a January lawsuit accused founder Vince McMahon of sex trafficking and abuse, has agreed to temporarily pause her case pending a federal investigation. An attorney for McMahon maintained that the allegations against McMahon were false. WWE and its parent company, TKO , have said that they take Grant's allegations "very seriously." WWE had disclosed last summer that investigators served McMahon with a federal grand jury subpoena and executed a search warrant in July.

Persons: Vince McMahon, Janel Grant, Grant, Ann Callis, McMahon, Jessica Rosenberg, John Laurinaitis, Callis, Laurinaitis Organizations: WWE, WWE Network, World Wrestling Entertainment, NBC News, U.S, Attorney, Southern, of, The Southern, District of Connecticut, World Wrestling Locations: Las Vegas, of New York, U.S

☆ Once a Sheriff’s Deputy in Florida, Now a Source of Disinformation From Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Steven Lee Myers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A dozen years ago, John Mark Dougan, a former deputy sheriff in Palm Beach County, Fla., sent voters an email posing as a county commissioner, urging them to oppose the re-election of the county’s sheriff. He later masqueraded online as a Russian tech worker with a pseudonym, BadVolf, to leak confidential information in violation of state law, fooling officials in Florida who thought they were dealing with a foreigner. He also posed as a fictional New York City heiress he called Jessica, tricking an adviser to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office into divulging improper conduct by the department. “And boy, did he ever spill ALL of the beans,” Mr. Dougan said in a written response to questions for this article, in which he confirmed his role in these episodes.

Persons: John Mark Dougan, Jessica, Mr, Dougan Locations: Palm Beach County, Fla, Russian, Florida, New York City, Beach

☆ The Ingredient That Unites My Favorite Salads
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Eric Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I cleared those plates, tempted every time to sneak a rehydrating taste when there were leftovers. On my last day, the managers said I could order anything I wanted: I sat at a table, a diner for the first time, and ordered the salad. The salads of my youth, the ones I most remember, all have this effect — and they all have cheese. The contrast between cool, anchoring base note (fruit, vegetable or lettuce) and salty, creamy accent (cheese) is what makes a bite of these salads feel like more than just salad. The day I interviewed for my first food-writing job, even before getting the offer, I celebrated with a glass of rosé and a Caesar salad.

Persons: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Branch, Jessica Harp, Adam Baumgart, Gabrielle Hamilton’s, ” Organizations: Brooklyn Locations: St, Augustine, Fla, Parmigiano, New York City

☆ Opinion | You Can’t Perform a Good Marriage
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I saw the new Netflix documentary series “Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal,” anticipating just some prurient garbage to half-watch before drifting off to sleep. That’s because ashleymadison.com is a website for married people looking to find partners in infidelity — its tagline is “Life is short. The heart of the series comes from the couples who were affected. Though one couple that had an open marriage seemed unruffled by the invasion of privacy, two other families are featured that were devastated by the hack. One of those couples is Sam and Nia Rader, a Texas-based Christian vlogging couple who had gone viral a few times before the hack.

Persons: Ashley Madison, ”, Daniel Victor, Nia Rader, ” Sam Rader, “ vlogging, John Gibson, Christi Gibson Organizations: Netflix, YouTube, Disney Locations: Texas, Louisiana

☆ A private arts college is set to close, citing issues with the new FAFSA — others may follow, expert warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Delaware College of Art and Design is set to close, the institution announced on May 23, citing low enrollment numbers for the upcoming school year, due in part to issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Experts have continuously warned that ongoing problems with the new FAFSA form have resulted in fewer students applying for financial aid, which could contribute to already declining enrollment. That page was not accessible Wednesday, but can still be viewed through the Internet Archive. Enrollment at DCAD fell to 129 students, a loss of nearly 10%, between 2017 and 2022, according to federal data. "The Board of Trustees has worked diligently to find other funding solutions, but none allow us to overcome the longer-term problem of too few students," Dahlgren added.

Persons: Jean Dahlgren, Dahlgren Organizations: Delaware College of Art, Federal Student Aid, Experts, Federal, Finance, Education Department Locations: DCAD, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Harvey Weinstein retrial: New accusers have come forward, prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jean Casarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

NEW YORK CNN —A Manhattan prosecutor said Wednesday a new indictment against Harvey Weinstein is possible as additional accusers have come forward with claims against the powerful Hollywood producer whose downfall became a symbol of the #MeToo movement. That trial similarly used “prior bad acts” witnesses and has also been appealed. In addition, three other women testified at trial as “prior bad acts” witnesses. They argued the “prior bad acts” witnesses should not have been allowed to testify and the court should not have given prosecutors the ability to question Weinstein about instances of verbal abuse and bullying on cross-examination. In sexual assault cases, their testimony can turn a difficult “he said, she said” case into a more convincing “he said, they said” case.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein, Nicole Blumberg, Justice Curtis Farber, “, ”, Weinstein, Blumberg, ” Blumberg, –, ” Weinstein, Arthur Aidala, Miriam “ Mimi ” Haley, Haley, ” Aidala, Farber, CNN Weinstein, Love, Jessica Mann, Mann, Prosecutors, – Dawn Dunning, Tarale Wulff, Lauren Young –, uncharged Organizations: YORK CNN, Hollywood, Manhattan Supreme, ” Prosecutors, New, ”, CNN, Weinstein’s Locations: Manhattan, “, Los Angeles, Hollywood, York, New York

Jurors in Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial will begin deliberations after hearing hours of closing arguments that portrayed the case in stark and irreconcilable terms. Credit... Adam Gray for The New York Times

Persons: Donald J, Adam Gray Organizations: The New York

☆ Benefits of secondhand clothing, goods according to Alicia Silverstone
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alicia Silverstone stars in the 1995 film "Clueless." "I've been fighting the good fight to encourage people to buy used and make it sound cool," she said. Online shopping's hefty toll on the environmentWith the explosion of online shopping during the pandemic, a surge in returns seemed like a small price for everyone to pay. The return rate in 2023 was about 15% of total U.S. retail sales, or $743 billion in returned goods, according to the National Retail Federation's most recent data. For online sales, the numbers are even higher, with a return rate closer to 18%, or $247 billion of merchandise purchased online returned.

Persons: Alicia Silverstone, Stringer, Cher Horowitz, Cher, Silverstone, I've, Shraysi Tandon Organizations: CNBC, eBay, National Retail

☆ A new Netflix docuseries unravels what it calls a ‘cult’ for TikTok dancers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Over two years ago, a 40-minute-long public plea made on Instagram Live rippled across social media. Melanie and Miranda had performed together as the Wilking Sisters, but the family said Derrick had disappeared from their lives. Until then, it’s unlikely that Derrick’s millions of followers would have noticed anything amiss, based on her social media accounts. Melanie Wilking and Miranda Derrick (formerly Wilking) built up a following together on social media platforms including YouTube and TikTok as the Wilking Sisters. They have maintained through social media posts that Miranda's issues with her family are a personal dispute.

Persons: Melanie Wilking, Miranda —, Miranda Derrick —, Melanie, Miranda, Derrick, James Derrick, Ellen DeGeneres, Miranda Derrick, James " BDash, Robert Shinn —, Kevin “ Konkrete ” Davis, BDash, Aubrey Fisher, Kylie Douglas, Davis, Fisher, Douglas, Instagram, Shinn, —, Isaiah Shinn, ”, Hannah, “, Derek Doneen, we’d, Priscylla Lee, Priscylla, Leigh, Melanie Lee, Jessica Acevedo, — Priscylla, Lee, ” BDash, it’s, Robert, Hannah Shinn, James, Matt Winkelmeyer, ” Shinn “, ” Doneen, you’re, God ”, Amy Carlson, Max, God, LHW, Jane Schoenbrun, Caleb Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Netflix, 7M Films, 7M, Internet, Shekinah Church, The Recording, Warner Bros ., Blair, The New York Times Locations: Los Angeles, TikTok, Shekinah, Korean

☆ Some Asian American and Pacific Islander women face a $1 million salary shortfall due to the pay gap
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women, they'll have to work until April 3 to make the same pay white men earned the year before. Together, AAPI women are typically paid just 93 cents for every dollar paid to white men, although the pay gap varies significantly for some AAPI communities. For example, Bhutanese women working full time earn just 49 cents for every dollar white men earn. The lifetime wage gap totals more than $1.4 million for Bhutanese women. There are other groups of AANHPI women working full time who make more than white men, including Chinese women, Indian women, Malaysian women and Taiwanese women; however, these women still make less than men in their respective communities, the report also found.

Persons: Sarah Javaid, AAPI —, Biden, Javaid, they've Organizations: Pacific, National Women's Law, Malaysian Locations: Hawaiian, U.S

is an investigative reporter, who digs into a broad range of topics from Pentagon spending to toxic chemicals.

Search resuls for: "Jéssica"

25 mentions found