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☆ Nick Hornby Reviews a Short History of the Beatles Before the Band
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Nick Hornby | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

THIS BOY: The Early Lives of John Lennon & Paul McCartney, by Ilene CooperIn the early 1980s I was an English teacher at a high school in Cambridge, England. “He introduced John Lennon to Paul McCartney.” I stared at him. Vaughan invented fame. Introducing Paul to John was like introducing ketchup to fries, or causing the Big Bang. By the time John and Paul were 10 and 8, respectively, only 7 percent of 17-year-olds were in school.

Persons: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ilene Cooper, Ivan Vaughan, ”, Vaughan, Paul, John, Paul McCartney ”, “, Cooper, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Peter Sellers, Starchy George Martin Locations: Cambridge, England, Woolton, Liverpool, American

☆ Chile's Codelco at risk of insolvency as debt grows, CESCO report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Julian Luk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Chile's Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, is at risk of insolvency due to rising costs and a growing debt pile stemming from projects that missed output targets, Chile’s Centre for Copper and Mining Studies (CESCO) said in a report seen by Reuters. At the heart of Chile's mining industry, Codelco needs to revive it's copper production from a 25-year low. "Codelco has explained...it will not redirect its focus from copper production or divert resources from other areas," Codelco said in an emailed response. Codelco's production in the first half of 2023 was 633,000 metric tons of copper, the lowest in 25 years. Over the past five years, its copper production has dropped 17% and is expected to keep falling until 2025.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, Codelco, Andre Sougarret, Sougarret, CESCO, Julian Luk, Fabian Cambero, Pratima Desai, Veronica Brown, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, for Copper, Mining Studies, Reuters, Codelco, Thomson Locations: Santiago, Chile

☆ Treasury sanctions Russian FSB operatives in 2020 poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department on Thursday issued new sanctions against Russian security operatives for the 2020 poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The sanctions come two weeks after a Russian court sentenced Navalny to an additional 19 years in prison on extremism charges. Panyaev is described by Treasury as an "FSB operative who reportedly tailed Navalny on multiple occasions prior to the attack." The sanctions complement the State Department's announcement of visa restrictions against the operatives for involvement in gross violations of human rights. FSB officers used the nerve agent Novichok, which was created by the Soviet Union, to poison Navalny, the Treasury memo said.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, WASHINGTON —, Navalny, Brian E, Nelson, Alexey Alexandrovich Alexandrov, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, Ivan Vladimirovich Osipov, Vladimir Alexandrovich Panyaev, Sergei Magnitsky Organizations: IK, WASHINGTON, Treasury Department, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, Russian Federal Security Service Criminalistics Institute, CNBC, Treasury's, Foreign Assets Control Locations: Russian, Moscow, Melekhovo, Vladimir, Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Navalny, Russia, Soviet Union, U.S

☆ A Gen Zer and millennial whose monthly car payments exceed their housing costs say it's 'stressful' but that they need a car
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A record-high share of Americans is taking on monthly car payments of $1,000 or more. Car payments exceed housing as the biggest expense for some Gen Zers and millennials. Last year, the median monthly rent payment in the US was roughly $1,000, according to the Federal Reserve. Sherbina said managing his high monthly car bill — in addition to his other living expenses — could be stressful. "Having this high of a car payment is both stressful and has some psychological impacts," he said.

Persons: Zers, Nikita Sherbina, Sherbina, Ivan Drury, Edmunds, Cyrus Partow, Partow, It's Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve, BMW Locations: Wall, Silicon, Edmunds, Texas, Wyoming, Seattle, Los Angeles

☆ Marqo, a startup using AI and machine learning to improve search, just raised $5.2 million with this 14-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Vector search startup Marqo has raised $5.2 million in seed funding from Blackbird Ventures. "There's a huge opportunity to improve search," Tom Hamer, Marqo's cofounder and CEO said. Marqo, a startup that helps e-commerce businesses and marketplaces improve their search functionality, has raised $5.2 million. Its vector search uses machine learning (ML) and AI to capture the meaning and context of data such as text and images, transforming it into a numeric representation that can then be queried by users through an API. While vector search models have been around for a while, improved AI technology has made the sector more accessible.

Persons: Tom Hamer, Marqo's, Marqo, Hamer, Cohere's, Ivan Zhang, Aidan Gomez Organizations: Blackbird Ventures, Amazon, Fund Locations: London, Melbourne, Canadian

First Solar, a leading U.S. solar panel manufacturer, said on Tuesday that an audit had found that migrant workers in its operations in Malaysia were victims of forced labor. The independent audit, which was included in a corporate sustainability report, found that four subcontractors in Malaysia had charged the workers recruitment fees in their home countries and withheld their pay and passports. U.S. officials and human rights activists have become increasingly concerned about the use of forced labor in the manufacture of solar panels, most of which takes place in Asia. Global supply chains for solar panels have for years relied on China, in particular for polysilicon, a crucial component in most solar panels made around the world. But a recent ban on products from Xinjiang, a region where the U.S. government and United Nations accuse the Chinese government of committing human rights violations, including forced labor, has led to a shift away from China.

Organizations: United Nations Locations: U.S, Malaysia, Asia, Global, China, Xinjiang

☆ Tumbling rouble claws back ground as central bank to meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Putin's economic adviser Maxim Oreshkin earlier said the central bank could ensure that the pace of lending drops to sustainable levels with higher rates. "The central bank has all the tools to normalise the situation in the near future." Asked earlier whether it might make an emergency hike from the current 8.5%, the central bank declined to comment. "The central bank is not fully in control," independent Moscow-based economist Ian Melkumov told Reuters. "The central bank doesn't want to kill the economy and businesses in the same way it had to last year," he said.

Persons: Rouble, Vladimir Putin's, rouble, Putin, Maxim Oreshkin, Oreshkin, Denis Popov, Popov, Matt Vogel, REUTERS Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Vladimir Solovyev, Ivan, Timothy Ash, Ian Melkumov, Alexander Marrow, Marc Jones, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher, Christina Fincher Organizations: TASS, of Russia's, FIM, Moscow News Agency, Handout, REUTERS Central Bank Governor, Popular, Kremlin, Reuters, BlueBay Asset Management, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, London

In the hunt to determine what caused the fire that consumed Lahaina, the focus has increasingly turned to Hawaii’s biggest power utility — and whether the company did enough to prevent a wildfire in the high winds that swept over Maui last week. Lawyers for Lahaina residents suing the utility, Hawaiian Electric, contend that its power equipment was not strong enough to withstand strong winds, and that the company should have shut down power before the winds came. Wildfire experts who have studied the catastrophic fires in California over the past two decades also see shortcomings in Hawaiian Electric’s actions. Nearly a week after the wildfire tore through the island town of Lahaina, state and local officials have not determined a cause for the blaze that killed at least 99 people. That is why utilities in California and other states have at times shut down power in recent years before strong winds arrive.

Organizations: Wildfire Locations: Lahaina, Maui, California, United States

☆ Spurs start post-Kane era with a 2-2 draw at Brentford
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

New signing James Maddison, taking on departed captain Kane's number 10 shirt, pulled the strings in midfield and provided two assists as Spurs took the lead, fell behind and came back for a point with all the goals in a lively first half. Postecoglou, who arrived in July as the replacement for Antonio Conte and is the first Australian to manage in the Premier League, took Romero off immediately after the VAR decision despite the player's obvious reluctance to leave. Bryan Mbeumo equalised 15 minutes later from the penalty spot after Son Heung-Min, taking over from Kane as captain, fouled Mathias Jensen. The South Korean had an otherwise quiet afternoon and was substituted in the second half while striker Richarlison was even less visible. Brentford, who finished ninth last season and one place behind Tottenham, beat Spurs 3-1 in their previous encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium last May, with Kane scoring for the hosts.

Persons: Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero, Paul Childs, Ange Postecoglou, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Maddison, Postecoglou, Antonio Conte, Romero, Bryan Mbeumo, Son Heung, Kane, Mathias Jensen, Richarlison, Micky van de, Emerson Royal, Ivan Toney, Alan Baldwin, Clare Fallon Organizations: Soccer Football, Premier League, Brentford, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford Community, Spurs, League, LONDON, Bees, Wolfsburg, Tottenham, Bayern Munich, England, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Sunday, Maddison

Many opponents of renewable energy, she added, “are worried about the impacts to their very way of life.”Roadside opposition to renewable energy projects near Baldwin City, Kan. “We see offshore wind as a critical technology,” said Dan Burgess, the director of the Maine Governor’s Energy Office. Across the country, clean energy projects of all types are tied up in lengthy permitting processes. By then, India had not completed any offshore wind projects. Since 2000, the United States has barely built any major transmission lines that connect different regions of the country.

Persons: Scott Dickerson, ”, Biden, Alison Bates, “, Columbia University’s, Dan Burgess, Habib Dagher, Janet Mills, Gregory Wetstone, Mack, James Gillway, SunZia, ” Hunter Armistead, Broussard, There’s, Vaughan Woodruff, Tucker Carlson, Teslas, ” Ali Zaidi, Dagher, Rolf Olsen, who’s Organizations: University of Maine, Sears, Officials, Federal, International Energy Agency, Colby College, White, Columbia, Climate, The University of, Maine Governor’s Energy, Environmental, University of Maine’s, Composites Center, Gov, American Clean Power Association, American Council, Renewable Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, . Clean, Union United, China India European Union United States, China European Union United, China India United States European, China United States European Union, China United States European Union India, Energy, The New York Times, United, Pattern Energy, New York State Energy Research, Development Authority, Toyota Prius Locations: Penobscot Bay, Maine, , Maine, United States, Europe, China, Australia, India, Los Angeles, Ohio, Jersey Shore, Waterville , Maine, Baldwin City, Kan, Massachusetts, Ukraine, Gulf, Searsport , Maine, Searsport, Bangor, Mack, West, Union United States, U.S, China United States European Union India, Great, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Riesel , Texas, Energy, San Bernardino County, In Kansas, Atlantic City, N.J, New York, Manhattan, Sears

☆ Cybertruck fans are nitpicking Elon Musk's final design as Tesla gets ready to deliver the long-awaited truck
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Cybertruck likely still has enough juice to rock the EV truck segment. As the Cybertruck gets closer to launch, photos of the vehicle have circulated on Tesla enthusiast blogs and forums. The video made rounds on Tesla CEO Elon Musk's social media website X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this month. Tesla's take on the truckDespite comparisons and nitpicks, industry experts believe the Tesla Cybertruck still has the juice to disrupt the truck market as we know it. Do you have an order in for the Tesla Cybertruck?

Persons: Elon, Cybertruck, Ford's, Jim Farley, Tesla's, Karl Brauer, Ivan Drury, Edmunds, Tesla Organizations: Tesla, Ford, iSeeCars

CNN —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed all officials in charge of regional military recruitment centers amid a widespread corruption scandal. A scandal linked to the procurement of war-time supplies had already led to Zelensky firing a slew of senior Ukrainian officials at the start of the year, and prompted Ukraine’s deputy defense minister Viacheslav Shapovalov to resign after allegations of corruption surfaced in the media. “I have just held a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,” he said in a video clip. “One key issue is the results of the inspection of military registration and enlistment offices. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau said it was investigating “high-profile media reports” into allegations that Ukraine’s defense ministry was buying military provisions, including food for the troops, at inflated prices.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Viacheslav Shapovalov, Zelensky, “, ”, ” Zelensky, Oleksii Symonenko, Ivan Lukerya, Nehoda, Vitalii Organizations: CNN, National Security and Defense Council, “, Corruption

☆ Recent attacks on prominent figures in Latin America
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Here are some other attacks on high-profile politicians from Latin America in recent years. JAIR BOLSONARO, BRAZILDuring his first campaign trail in September 2018, far-right former Brazilian President Bolsonaro was stabbed. REUTERS/Karen ToroJOVENEL MOISE, HAITIHaitian President Moise was shot dead in July 2021 and his wife, Martine Moise, was seriously wounded when heavily armed assassins stormed the couple's home. FRANCIA MARQUEZ, COLOMBIAColombia's now Vice President Marquez had a narrow escape in May 2019 before she ran for office, when attackers launched a grenade and shot at her and other environmental activists. NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAVenezuelan President Maduro accused political foes of trying to kill him during an open-air speech in August 2018 by using explosive-laden drones in capital city Caracas.

Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, JAIR, Bolsonaro, Karen Toro JOVENEL MOISE, Moise, Martine Moise, IVAN DUQUE, FRANCIA, COLOMBIA Colombia's, Marquez, NICOLAS MADURO, Maduro, Steven Grattan Organizations: REUTERS, VENEZUELA Venezuelan, Thomson Locations: Ecuador, Quito, Latin America, ARGENTINA, JAIR BOLSONARO, BRAZIL, HAITI, COLOMBIA, Colombia, Venezuela, FRANCIA MARQUEZ, VENEZUELA, Caracas, Lincoln

☆ After watching Ukraine track down and kill Russian military commanders, the US and its allies are training to avoid the same fate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian attacks on Russian commanders have undermined Russian command-and-control capabilities. They have forced Russia's military and others around the world reconsider how they set up command posts. An Australian army HX77 truck moves command-post components into place during Talisman Sabre on July 21. An Australian army engineer digs a headquarters battle hide during Talisman Sabre on July 20. Ukrainian attacks on command posts across the country have led to stunning attrition among senior Russian military leaders," the authors added.

Persons: unmasking, Benjamin McLennan, Sabre, Cpl, Nicole Dorrett, Col, Ivan Pavlenko, Greg McKenzie, McLennan, we've, Doug Organizations: Service, Russian, BBC, Combat Training, US Army, Milford Beagle, US Army Combined Arms, Royal United Services Institute, CPs, 28th Infantry Division, US Army National Guard, Staff, 1st Combat Signals Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Australia, Ukraine, Australian, Nicole Dorrett Ukraine, Kherson, Russians, Gen, British, Pennsylvania

Kyiv last week replaced the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol with a trident – the Ukrainian coat of arms – on the shield of the Motherland Monument, which dominates the capital’s skyline. Its construction began in 1979, and it depicted a woman holding a sword and a shield emblazoned with the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol. Workers remove the Soviet-era emblem from the motherland monument in Kyiv on August 1, 2023. And they don’t know how.”Putin’s desire to undermine Ukrainian national identity and autonomy has remained a key motivation for the conflict. Kudrya, meanwhile, was a Soviet spy and a leader of a sabotage group in Kyiv during World War II.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Valentyn Ogirenko, Pilipey, ” “, ’, Maria Zakharova, Putin, Andrei Ivanov, Andriy Ivanov, Ivan Kudrya, John McCain, Andreyi, “, McCain, Kudrya, ” “ McCain, Ukraine …, Pobigay Organizations: CNN, Getty, Russian Foreign, Kremlin, UNESCO, ” Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Soviet, Ukrainian, Kyiv's, AFP, Kiev, Russian Kiev, Moscow, Latvian, Pavlenko, Russia

Vattenfall, a Swedish energy company, has for years been doing preliminary work for what would be one of the world’s largest offshore wind complexes, in the North Sea off eastern England. Last month, Vattenfall said it would halt the first of three phases of the wind farm complex, the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone, which is projected to provide power for about four million homes in Britain. The estimated price tag for the three phases has risen to 13 billion pounds, or about $16.6 billion, from £10 billion. “With the new market conditions, it simply doesn’t make sense to continue the project,” Helene Bistrom, head of business area wind at Vattenfall, said during a video presentation. The decision led Vattenfall, which is owned by the Swedish government, to write-down more than $500 million.

Persons: Vattenfall, ” Helene Bistrom Locations: Swedish, North, England, Norfolk, Britain, Vattenfall

☆ Chile's Jara leads campaign for prostate testing eight years after "finger of god"
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ivan AlvaradoAug 5 (Reuters) - Chilean defender Gonzalo Jara, widely remembered for sticking his finger up Uruguay's Edinson Cavani's backside at the 2015 Copa America, has become the face of a campaign to promote prostate testing for cancer prevention in his country. Jara's gesture, dubbed "the finger of god", earned him a three-match suspension, which ruled him out from the rest of the tournament. "With that in mind, and to take care of an important member of this great football family, we take advantage of this Superclasico to make a call for prevention and self-care of prostate cancer." The 37-year-old Jara has won 115 international caps and is with Coquimbo in Chile's top flight after stints in England, Germany, Argentina and Mexico. Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sandro Ricci, Chile's Gonzalo Jara, Ivan Alvarado, Gonzalo Jara, Jara, Francisca Mora, Dr Bruno Nervi, Janina Nuno Rios, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: America, REUTERS, Copa, Argentina, TNT, Universidad de Chile, Colo Colo, Warner Bros, Chile Sin Cancer, Thomson Locations: Santiago , Chile, Chilean, Chile, Uruguay, Jara, Coquimbo, Chile's, England, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, Mexico City

☆ Gen Z workers are lazy, some bosses say. They don't do anything unless every second of their day is managed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some Gen Z employees aren't sure how to interact in-person after starting their careers from home. "Lazy" younger workers need a lot of hand-holding, managers told The Wall Street Journal. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Despite perceptions of their managers, nearly half of Gen Z workers say it's not laziness that causes an inability to self-start but rather stress and anxiety. Deloitte's 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that many young professionals feel exhausted or disengaged at work.

Persons: Laura Davis, they're, Gen Zers, Boomer, Ivan Schury, he's, Schury, Z Organizations: Wall Street, Service, John Ball Zoo, Survey Locations: Wall, Silicon, UK, Germany, France, Poland, Japan

☆ Climate change and El Niño have left parts of South America sweltering under a heat wave -- in the middle of winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Parts of South America are sweltering under abnormally hot temperatures – despite being in the depths of winter – as the combination of human-caused climate change and the arrival of El Niño feed into extreme winter heat. “This temperature is the highest recorded in this period in all of Chile,” a spokesperson for the Meteorological Directorate of Chile told CNN. Ivan Alvarado/ReutersIn Argentina, some places reached highs of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4), according to the country’s national meteorological service. This smashed the previous record for that day of 24.6 degrees Celsius (76.3 Fahrenheit) set in 1942. For comparison, New Orleans’ average high the first week of February is also 18 degrees Celsius, and the city has never been above 28.3 degrees Celsius in the first week of February.

Persons: Maximiliano Herrera, ” Herrara, ”, Maisa Rojas, Hace, Ayer, 🥵🌎, jcHZq7vL — Organizations: CNN, Northern Locations: South America, Chile, Argentina, America, Southern

☆ iPhone Photography Awards 2023: Winners unveiled
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Organizers announced the winners of the 2023 iPhone Photography Awards on Monday. Scott Galloway/iPhone Photography Awards"Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana,"Rome, Italy, by Leon Wang (United States) won 3rd place in Architecture. Sofia Ershova/iPhone Photography Awards"Duet," Zhejiang, China, by Zhang Xiaojun (China) won 3rd place in Children. Zhang Xiaojun/iPhone Photography Awards"Kapkungkap Tadau" Phuket, Thailand by Juan Castaneda (United States) won 2nd place in Series. Juan Castaneda/iPhone Photography Awards"Bi Mo," Zhaojue County, China, by Jian Wang (China) won 2nd place in People.

Persons: Ivan Silva, Heroe, Lionel Messi, Thea Mihu, Ba Jia Jiang, Surong Zhu, Scott Galloway, Leon Wang, Sofia Ershova, Zhang Xiaojun, Juan Castaneda, Jian Wang, Sasa Borozan, Beata Krowicka, Barry Mayes Organizations: CNN — Organizers, Italiana, Diesel Locations: Mexico, Sweden, Hanoi, Vietnam, Germany, Fujian, China, Ohio, USA, United States, Rome, Italy, Architecture, California, Zhejiang, Phuket, Thailand, Zhaojue County, People, Nature, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Grande, Argentina, Poland, Travel, Sierra Leone, United Kingdom

☆ German tourists blamed for toppling 150-year-old Italian statue
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A group of young German tourists posing for pictures to post on social media have been accused of toppling a valuable statue at a villa in northern Italy, the villa's manager said on Thursday. Golferini said he had lodged a complaint with the local police against all 17 German tourists who were in the group renting the villa. They have left Italy since the incident on Monday that was captured by the villa's surveillance cameras. There was anger in Italy in June when a tourist from England was pictured on social media scribbling the graffiti "Ivan + Hayley 23" on a wall at the Colosseum in Rome. ($1 = 0.9158 euros)Writing by Keith Weir; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Enrico Butti, Bruno Golferini, Villa Alceo, Golferini, Domina, Ivan, Hayley, Keith Weir, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Thomson Locations: Italy, Viggiu, England, Rome

LONDON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Tanqueray gin maker Diageo (DGE.L) narrowly beat full-year earnings estimates on Tuesday as sales of its more expensive liquor brands offset lower volumes. Diageo's most expensive brands accounted for 57% of its overall organic net sales growth, it said. Diageo said full-year sales were driven by a strong first half. Diageo said its organic net sales increase reflected gains of 7.3 percentage points from higher prices and a more premium mix while organic sales volumes fell 0.8%. Diageo's organic operating profit rose 7%, beating the 6.3% expected by analysts.

Persons: Bourbon, Don Julio, lockdowns, Johnnie Walker, Morgan's, Tineke Frikkee, Debra Crew, Ivan Menezes, Diageo, Richa Naidu, Louise Heavens, Jason Neely Organizations: Diageo, Waverton Investment Management, Thomson

☆ Solar Power’s China Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( David Gelles | More About David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Economies of scale and government subsidies, especially in China, have helped to drive down solar energy prices by 85 percent since 2010, supercharging a global boom in new hookups. This year, for the first time, investors are expected to put more money into solar than oil. But the solar energy supply chain is still dominated by China, an authoritarian regime engaged in a trade war with the U.S. And many of the industry’s key materials and components are made with forced labor from the Xinjiang region in western China. In recent years, other countries, led by the U.S., have finally gotten serious about trying to challenge China’s dominance. The report, produced by human rights and solar industry experts, found that the vast majority of solar panels still have significant exposure to the Xinjiang region, where the U.S. and the U.N. say the Chinese government is committing numerous human rights violations.

Persons: It’s, Ana Swanson, Ivan Penn Organizations: U.S Locations: China, Xinjiang, U.S

The region produces roughly a third of both the world’s polysilicon and its metallurgical-grade silicon, the material from which polysilicon is made. As a result, many firms have promised to scrutinize their supply chains, and several have set up factories in the United States or Southeast Asia to supply Western markets. The Solar Energy Industries Association, the industry’s biggest trade association, has been calling on companies to shift their supply chains and cut ties with Xinjiang. More than 340 companies have signed a pledge to keep their supply chains free of forced labor. Some Chinese companies, like LONGi Solar and JA Solar, have clear ties to suppliers operating in Xinjiang, the report said.

Persons: China —, Murphy Organizations: Solar Energy Industries Association Locations: Xinjiang, United States, Southeast Asia, China, Europe

☆ Insight: Promising new Alzheimer's drugs may benefit whites more than Blacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

The company told Reuters that 49% of Black volunteers did not meet the trial's amyloid threshold requirements compared to 22% for whites and 55% for Hispanics. "Is it because MCI (mild cognitive impairment) or early dementia type-symptoms in Blacks are caused by other reasons more so than Alzheimer's?" In 96 dementia trials from 2000-2017, diverse populations only made up around 11% of enrollment, according to a 2018 study. Among Black people who died of Alzheimer's, their dementia was more likely to result from multiple causes, such as vascular disease. "Is it that it's not Alzheimer's disease?

Persons: Barrington, Vickie Riley, Charlie, Harriet Shaffer, Barrington Riley, –, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Crystal Glover, Eisai, Ivan Cheung, Cheung, Shobha, Biogen, Mark Mintun, Alzheimer's, Dr Lisa Barnes, Barnes, Joshua Grill, we're, Reisa Sperling, Brigham, Julie Steenhuysen, Caroline Humer, Suzanne Goldenberg, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Emory University Brain Health, Americans, Reuters, Prospective Black, Rush, Disease Research, and Drug Administration, FDA, Black, MCI, National Institutes of Health, Rush Center, University of California, Women's Hospital, Thomson Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Chicago, Tokyo, Irvine, United States

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