DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Inside Hollywood’s new effort to curb gun deaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hondo heads to the bedroom closet, removes his semi-automatic service weapon, and safely locks it away in his gun safe. “I’m big badass Hondo, and I get out there and take down bad guys,” actor Shemar Moore, who plays Hondo, told CNN. ‘A uniquely American epidemic’“We lose eight kids a day in this country — a uniquely American epidemic — to family fire,” Kris Brown, president of Brady United, told CNN. While gun policies can be politically polarizing, Dettmann said encouraging the safe storage of firearms shouldn’t be controversial at all. While the production team at “S.W.A.T.” has purposefully incorporated safe gun storage into their scripts, they haven’t stopped there.

Persons: Daniel “ Hondo ” Harrelson, “, Shemar Moore, Hondo, Brady, ” Kris Brown, Brady United, Andrew Dettmann, ” Dettmann, ”, Dettmann, ” Shemar Moore, Daniel, Harrelson, Bill Inoshita, Brad Bushman, ” Bushman, “ We’ve, Christian Heyne, Heyne, ” Heyne, ” Moore Organizations: CNN, CBS, Hollywood, Brady United, Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Television, Communication, The Ohio State University, “ Locations: Hollywood

☆ Searches for VPNs spike in Texas after Pornhub pulls out of the state
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The apparent spike in VPN searches in Texas shows that these types of age verification laws aren’t just unconstitutional, they’re also silly and ineffective,” Greer said. “Similar search spikes have been reported after other states passed age verification laws, which EFF opposes,” said Hudson Hongo, a spokesperson for the group. It also highlights the running debate in statehouses nationwide about how and whether governments can require websites to perform age verification. It requires adult websites to implement “reasonable age verification” methods to ensure that pornography is not being distributed to minors. The 5th Circuit court’s latest decision formally lifts the injunction against the Texas law.

Persons: Pornhub, “, VPNs, ”, Evan Greer, they’re, ” Greer, Hudson Hongo, ” Pornhub, David Alan Ezra, Ezra, Ken Paxton Organizations: CNN, Texas, Pornhub’s, Google, Texans, Frontier Foundation, EFF, Court, Western, Western District of, Circuit, “ Locations: Texas, China, Russia, Turkey, Montana , Utah, Virginia, statehouses, Western District, Western District of Texas

☆ 1,000 dollar stores are closing. These cities have revolted against them for years
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But critics of Family Dollar and other dollar store chains’ business practices like Hall-Harper say the closures highlight the risks of communities relying too heavily on dollar store chains. Hall-Harper has led Tulsa’s effort to restrict the growth of the three major dollar store chains — Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Dollar General — in the predominately Black area of North Tulsa. Dollar General said it regularly hears from communities and customers asking it to bring a Dollar General store to their hometown. Backlash to dollar storesDollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have spread rapidly since the Great Recession, opening more than 15,000 small stores. US regulators reached a settlement last year with Dollar Tree over hazardous conditions in Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores.

Persons: Vanessa Hall, Harper, “ I’ve, —, ”, Dollar, Critics, Blaine Griffin, Meijer, Stacy Mitchell, ” Mitchell Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Dollar, Tulsa, Institute of Local, Chicago City, University of Toronto, UCLA, United States, Local, Research, University of Georgia, Cleveland City, Walmart, Target, Agriculture Department, Institute for Local, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Kroger, Albertsons Locations: New York, Tulsa , Oklahoma, North Tulsa, Tulsa, Tulsa ; Cleveland ; New Orleans, Birmingham , Alabama, Fort Worth , Texas, Akron , Ohio, United, Cleveland, Chicago, Baltimore

☆ Investing in Space: Where NASA made cuts in its underwhelming budget request
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. A year ago, the space agency was seeking budgets of $27.2 billion and $27.7 billion for 2024 and 2025, respectively. Moreover, NASA's budget remains a tiny fraction (less than 0.4%!) But the branch isn't exactly enthused, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall giving the 2025 request an "acceptable" grade. Space Force's budget has already surpassed NASA's, and the Pentagon is seeking $29.4 billion for the branch in 2025.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, what's, Artemis, Frank Kendall, That's Organizations: House, NASA, Congress, Exploration Systems, Planetary Society, Air Force, Pentagon, Space Force, Security, NSSL

☆ 16,000 plastic chemicals exist, many of them hazardous and unregulated, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And with new plastic chemicals entering the market all the time, it’s been difficult for regulators and policy makers to determine the scope of the problem. Now, for the first time, researchers have pulled together scientific and regulatory data to develop a database of all known chemicals used in plastic production. It’s a staggering number: 16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of those considered to be “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment, according to the authors. Although grouping would capture about 1,000 of the most toxic chemicals in plastics, Wagner said, that still leaves about 2,600 chemicals that still need to be regulated. Missing hazard dataIn addition to the massive number of toxic chemicals, the report found that detailed hazard information is missing for more than 10,000 of the 16,000 chemicals.

Persons: it’s, It’s, “, ”, Martin Wagner, Wagner, Philip Landrigan, Landrigan, Matt Seaholm, ” Kimberly Wise White, ” Wagner, ” Landrigan, Tasha Stoiber, Stoiber, Jane Houlihan Organizations: CNN, Norwegian University of Science, Technology, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, Boston College, – Monaco, Plastics, Human, Plastics Industry Association, American Chemistry Council, International, United Nations Environment, Global Plastics, Environmental, Healthy Locations: Trondheim, United States

☆ New U.K. Extremism Policy Raises Concerns Over Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s government published a new definition of extremism on Thursday that it intends to use to cut ties or funding to groups deemed to have crossed the line, but which critics fear could curtail campaigners’ rights and curb free speech. Michael Gove, a senior cabinet minister, said in a statement that the move was intended to “protect democratic values” by being “clear and precise in identifying the dangers posed by extremism.”Some advocacy groups and legal experts greeted the announcement with concern, warning that it could affect the rights of those deemed by the government to meet the definition. The only way to challenge such a ruling is likely to be through the courts. The initiative has also stirred a wider debate about how, before a general election that must be held by early next year, British politicians choose to deal with domestic tensions that have risen since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Michael Gove Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Ghana: In deciding on anti-gay law, president is caught between a rock and a hard place
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Sam George, the driving force behind Ghana’s harsh anti-LGBTQ legislation, portrays himself as a guardian of gay Ghanaians. Making inequality legalWhatever its origins, the bill’s passage is terrible news for LGBTQ Ghanaians. “The sentiment and emotion we are expressing right now is sadness,” said Alex Kofi Donkor, the founder of LGBT+ Rights in Ghana, an advocacy group. On one side, you have politicians like George and a broadly conservative citizenry that will publicly goad the president to act. For Ghana’s president, navigating this intricate political landscape looks set to be a daunting – and unenviable – task.

Persons: Sam George, “, ”, It’s, ” George, George, Alex Kofi Donkor, Nana Akufo, it’s, Ghana’s Organizations: CNN, Rights, Ghana’s Ministry, Finance, Bank Financing, Monetary Fund, Bank, US State Department, Ministry of Finance Locations: Accra, Ghana, United States, Uganda, Ghanaian, “ Ghana, State

☆ Ambition Got Me My Dream Job. Then It Nearly Killed Me.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Tanmoy Goswami | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

It's still not easy for me to admit it, but that night I used my pain to feed my professional ambition. In a previous job, burnout nearly killed me, and I vowed to never let ambition swallow me again. There's a fine line between the motivation needed to build a successful career and the uncontrolled ambition that ends in burnout. As I unpacked this predicament in therapy, I began to wonder: How did ambition become such a force in our world? In the ancient world, ambition was seen as a curse.

Persons: I'd, It's, I've, Cicero, Seneca, William Casey King, Virtue, shrewdly, King, don't, They're, wasn't, he'd, Coke, Ambition, —, I'm, Gabor Maté, Mark L, There's, unethically, India's Organizations: Oxford, New York Times, Guardian Locations: hustling, India, New Delhi

☆ Many Aid Deliveries for Gaza Are Rejected for ‘Dual-Use’ Items, Groups Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing aid deliveries into Gaza, accused Mr. Lazzarini of lying, saying that it was in constant contact with the United Nations and had not been notified of the denial. The agency said 1.5 percent of aid trucks trying to enter the territory had been turned away. Mr. Lazzarini is the latest official to say that the Israeli military’s inspections are keeping aid from getting to Gaza’s 2.2 million people. A member of the British Parliament said this month that Israel had turned away 1,350 water filters and 2,560 solar lights provided by the British government because they were considered a threat. Many items that have been turned away aren’t explicitly listed, she said.

Persons: Philippe Lazzarini, Mr, Lazzarini, David Cameron, Israel, Miriam Marmur, aren’t Organizations: UNRWA, United Nations Locations: Gaza

☆ Kristi Noem faces lawsuit and toothy questions over her viral endorsement of Texas dentists
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Noem is also facing a new lawsuit, filed by the consumer advocacy group Travelers United, accusing Noem of doing an “undisclosed advertisement” for Smile Texas. Rick Kline and Bret Davis, a pair of dentists at Smile Texas, have, according to federal records, donated to Republican candidates and, in Kline’s case, the Texas state GOP. Davis, in a post to the Smile Texas Instagram account, used some of the video of Noem and wrote, “This gracious leading lady @kristinoem just received an executive, feminine, beautiful smile here at Smile Texas.” Neither is on record donating to Noem. For all the fuzziness, at least one thing is clear: the South Dakota governor is delighted with the results. When the Smile Texas team showed Noem her new grill, the governor says, she began to cry.

Persons: Kristi Noem, Donald Trump’s, Noem, Drs, Rick Kline, Bret Davis, Davis, @kristinoem, ” Noem, Benjamin Yoho, Vivek Ramaswamy’s, “ you’ll, Dennis Daugaard, CNN’s Virginia Langmaid, Chris Boyette, Andi Babineau Organizations: CNN —, Smile, Travelers United, Smile Texas, Republican, GOP, Texas, South, CNN, Mount, Mount Rushmore State Locations: South Dakota, Houston, Texas, Smile, Dakota, Ohio, Mount Rushmore

☆ Uber and Lyft are threatening to leave Minneapolis over a ride-hailing proposal supporters say would guarantee drivers earn the city's minimum wage
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The conversation around ride-hailing driver pay has been heating up across the country over the past year. AdvertisementLoren Balazs, a full-time driver in Minneapolis, told BI he's worried the city council's proposal would hurt his ride-hailing business. The study estimated that a minimum pay rate of $1.21 per mile and $0.49 per minute would guarantee drivers earned the city's minimum wage. AdvertisementThe debate over minimum pay for ride-hailing drivers has been building in Minneapolis for over a year. Tim Walz vetoed a bill that would have established minimum pay standards for Uber and Lyft drivers.

Persons: —, Erin Hatton, Jacob Frey, Lyft, Lyft haven't, Uber, behemoths wouldn't, aren't, Axios, Alexandrea Ravenelle, Sergio Avedian, Guy, Austin, Avedian, Joe Pierce, he'd, Loren Balazs, Sheri Wegner, they'll, Mayor Frey, Tim Walz Organizations: Service, Business, University at Buffalo, Minneapolis City Council, Minneapolis, New, Seattle, Minnesota, University of North, Star Tribune, Minnesota Gov, Uber, Minneapolis City Locations: Minneapolis, Minneapolis ? Minnesota, New York City , Washington, California, Chicago and Massachusetts, Washington, Seattle, Minneapolis . Washington, Alexandrea, University of North Carolina, Minnesota, Twin Cities

☆ Airbnb bans use of all indoor security cameras to 'prioritize the privacy' of guests
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

It said Monday that the changes, which will come into force from April 30, simplify its policy around monitoring devices and "continue to prioritize the privacy" of Airbnb users. Cameras were previously allowed in areas such as hallways and living areas as long as they were disclosed by the property owner. Airbnb also required the cameras to be clearly visible and not located in sleeping areas or bathrooms. Airbnb announced it will ban the use of indoor security cameras in any property listed on its site, and bring in new restrictions on outdoor cameras and noise monitoring devices. "These changes follow extensive consultation with guests, hosts, privacy experts and advocacy groups," Airbnb said in the statement.

Persons: Airbnb Organizations: Airbnb, decibel Locations: United Kingdom

☆ Equal Pay Day highlights an up to $1.2 million salary shortfall for women of color
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Based on today's wage gap, a woman just starting out will lose $399,600 over a 40-year career, according to the National Women's Law Center. The pay gap worsens significantly for Black and Latina women. For Black women, the lifetime wage gap adds up to $884,800, and for Latina women, the losses total $1,218,000, the nonprofit advocacy group found. Why the gender pay gap persistsThere is no single explanation for why progress toward narrowing the pay gap has mostly stalled, according to a separate report by the Pew Research Center. What it takes to achieve progressNo "one thing" is going to close the wage gap, Tucker said.

Persons: Jasmine Tucker, Tucker, Ofronama Biu, Biu Organizations: Census, National Women's Law, National Women's, Center's, Black, Latina, Pew Research Center, Urban Institute, Employers

☆ The TikTok ban is headed to a vote in the House. Here's what to know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A bipartisan group of representatives introduced a bill on March 5 to effectively ban TikTok. The House is set to vote on the legislation on Wednesday, where it's expected to pass. The bill has faced criticism from advocacy groups, TikTok fans, and former President Donald Trump. AdvertisementThe House of Representatives is set to vote Wednesday on a bipartisan-supported bill that could decide the future of TikTok. If this bill or a similar one passes through Congress, President Joe Biden has already said he'll sign it into law.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Mike Gallagher, Raja, " Gallagher, we've, Zuckerschmuck, ByteDance, Jeff Yass, GOP Sen, Todd Young, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Facebook, Susquehanna International Group, Trump, New York Times, Republican, Democratic, GOP, Center for Democracy & Technology, American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation Locations: United States, TikTok, Yass, Congress

☆ Opinion: Hur hearing shows GOP will need more than age issue against Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Patrick T. Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —President Joe Biden tried to put voters’ concerns about his age to rest last week with a fiery State of the Union address. In many respects, the damage to Biden was already done by the release of Hur’s report last month. Biden has gamely sought to defuse the age issue, often joking about being aware of his own limitations and contrasting himself favorably with Trump. And the transcript provided more details that provided some added context behind the initial picture painted by Hur’s report. Biden’s age clearly remains his biggest political vulnerability and a key factor in the race.

Persons: Patrick T, Brown, Joe Biden, Robert Hur, Biden, Hur, Republicans didn’t, Hank Johnson, “, gamely, Donald Trump’s, Biden’s, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Trump Organizations: Public Policy Center, Economic Committee, CNN, GOP, Republicans, Georgia Democrat, Trump, Democrats, Democratic Locations: Washington , DC, Georgia, Mexico, Egypt, Afghanistan, America

☆ How Biden hopes to recapture voters scarred by inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Ron Brownstein | Analysis Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

A majority of Hispanics, and even a plurality of Black voters, said Biden’s policies would cause inflation to rise, the survey found. You can’t not make the contrast and comparison.”These negative retrospective assessments of the Biden and Trump economic records create huge headwinds for the president. “Voters—even past Biden voters who disapprove of his economic record—clearly reject what Trump and Republicans are offering,” Democratic pollster Margie Omero said in an email. After voters were exposed to Biden’s populist arguments, assessments of his economic record improved in the group’s polling, Clark said. But even after hearing that case, most voters in the group’s surveys still gave Biden negative marks for his economic performance, the study found.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden, Biden –, “, ”, Danielle Deiseroth, West Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, Shawn Fain, Evelyn Hockstein, Adam Green, Michael Tyler, Republican pollster Micah Roberts, It’s, Jim McLaughlin, ” McLaughlin, Roberts, ” Roberts, can’t, ” Tyler, Margie Omero, ’, Bobby Clark, Clark Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Teamsters, Democratic, ACA, West, United Auto Workers, Biden, CNBC, Social Security, Republican, White, NBC News, New York Times, Siena College, CBS, Union, “ Locations: Wisconsin, Michigan, Belleville , Michigan, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Democratic, State, Biden’s

☆ Former U.S. official's work for Chinese client stirs concern over disclosure loopholes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Advocating for foreign clients is legal and U.S. law includes a public disclosure exemption for lawyers. The Paul, Weiss law firm declined to comment on the letter, and Lynch did not respond to Reuters emails. The U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments say DJI supported biometric surveillance and tracking of Muslim Uyghur minorities in China. "It is appalling that former senior U.S. officials use their connections to serve the interests of U.S. adversaries," Risch said. Others argue that stricter FARA rules on disclosure could give authoritarian countries like Russia and China cover for their own stifling of free speech.

Persons: Loretta Lynch, Obama, Lynch, Paul, Weiss, DJI, FARA, Jim Risch, Risch, Jonathan Turley, Turley Organizations: U.S, senior Defense Department, SZ DJI Technology Co, U.S . Department of Justice, Reuters, Department of Defense, China's Communist Party, U.S . Treasury, Commerce, The Defense Department, Pentagon, Justice, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, American Civil Liberties Union, Justice Department, George Washington University Locations: FARA, U.S, China, WuXi, Russia

☆ Why are prices still so high? Corporate greed, some say.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

While supply chain problems and high demand may have helped spur inflation early in the pandemic, Rosolino believes there’s another key reason why prices have soared and remained high: Corporate greed. It’s corporate greed.”Nick Rosolino feels businesses won't lower their prices as long as consumers keep spending. “Too many corporations raise prices to pad their profits, charging more and more for less and less,” Biden said. Companies are typically slower to reduce their prices when costs decline than they are to raise prices when their expenses jump. Corporate profits have contributed to inflation, though experts differ on the extent.

Persons: Nick Rosolino, Rosolino, there’s, ”, “ It’s, Nick Rosolino Reluctantly, Joe Biden, “, ” Biden, Cookie Monster, Lael Brainard, Goldman Sachs, Neil Bradley, Heather Vargas, ” Vargas, ” Heather Vargas, Heather Vargas Vargas, –, Kellogg, Gary Pilnick’s, Companies haven’t, Aaron Hackman, McKinley Conner, Aaron Hackman “, Hackman Organizations: CNN, America, White, Economic Council, Federal Reserve, Companies, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, US Chamber of Commerce, of Labor Statistics, “ Locations: Maine, New Gloucester , Maine, Portland, Heights , California, Fort Lauderdale , Florida

☆ Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell Will Help Decide the 2024 Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Beyond the academic argument, whether the Fed cuts interest rates has a significant political bearing this year. Voters are unhappy about higher prices, and they feel weighed down by high interest rates, too. Interest rates may seem abstract, but they can have a real impact on how people view their financial situations. But lowering interest rates should make people feel better about economic conditions and could give Democrats and Biden a boost. He's well aware lower interest rates would boost the economy, lift people's moods, and, ultimately, help the party in charge.

Persons: Jay Powell, — Donald Trump —, Powell, Joe Biden, Patrick McHenry, McHenry, Skanda Amarnath, it's, Larry Summers, Biden, Amarnath, — Trump, Hillary Clinton's, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Paul Volcker, Volcker, shied, Trump, Elizabeth Pancotti, Sarah Binder, Binder, what's, They've, Diane Swonk, Emily Stewart Organizations: Federal, Trump, Republican, Financial Services, Fed, Roosevelt Institute, George Washington University, Reserve, KPMG US, Business Locations: North Carolina, It's, America, Roosevelt

☆ How Wealthy Investors Got Rich Looting America's Needy Hospitals
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Bethany Mclean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

That added to the massive debt burdens already placed on the hospitals by their for-profit owners, deepening their financial woes. In January, MPT reported that its biggest tenant, a nationwide chain of 32 hospitals called Steward, could no longer pay its rent. The core idea was simple: to buy hospital real estate, pocket the lease payments, and use the money to reward investors. The more hospital real estate that MPT buys, the more money it makes in rent payments from the hospitals. But that doesn't mean that MPT's leaders didn't get rich off its hospital deals.

Persons: Leonard Green, Sherman Cahal, Rob Simone, Hedgeye, MPT, Steward —, Justin Simon, Jasper Capital, they've, Ed Aldag, Eddie Lampert's, Eileen Appelbaum, Rosemary Batt, MTP, Marc Rowan, Richard Mortell, Leonard Green couldn't, they'd, Stephen Feinberg, Ralph de la Torre, Steward, Simone, Cerberus, Chandan Khanna, That's, de la, de la Torre, la Torre, Amaral, Aldag, Apollo, Eileen O'Grady, Moody's, didn't, Sen, Chuck Grassley Organizations: Northside Regional Medical Center, Ohio Valley Medical, East Ohio Regional Hospital, Luke's Medical, Glenwood Regional Medical Center, Medical Properties Trust, Jasper, Sears, Bain Capital, Affordable, Cornell University, Business, Third Coast Real Estate Capital, Cerberus, Health Care, Boston Globe, Bloomberg, Getty, Easton Hospital, Local, de la Torre, la, MediaNews, Boston Herald, Prospect, Private, Yale New Haven Health, Yale, Apollo, MPT, SEC, Republican, Senate Finance Locations: Youngstown , Ohio, Ohio, Wheeling , West Virginia, Martins Ferry , Ohio, St, Luke's, Phoenix, Massachusetts, West Virginia, California , Pennsylvania, Texas, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, America, Alabama, MPT, Greater Boston, Steward, Easton, Lehigh, Elizabeth's, Boston, Connecticut, it's

☆ One of the top donors to a pro-Biden dark-money group is a nonprofit run by a little-known AI investor
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Casey Tolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The second-largest donation in 2022 to the non-profit arm of Future Forward, the primary Super PAC supporting Biden, came from a group run by James McClave and Emily Berger. That’s more than any group other than the George Soros-linked Open Society Policy Center, which gave $15.2 million that year. That trend is set to continue this year: Future Forward has announced plans to run the largest ever political advertising campaign by a Super PAC in 2024. A spokesperson for Future Forward did not respond to a request for comment. The pro-Biden group Future Forward has said it plans to run the largest political advertising campaign by a Super PAC this year.

Persons: Joe Biden, James McClave, Emily Berger, Jane, McClave, Berger —, George Soros, Biden, they’re, “, ”, Anna Massoglia, Berger, Massoglia, ” Anna Massoglia, Janet Protasiewicz, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Claude, Sam Bankman, Fried, Jane Street, Julia Nikhinson, Anita Dunn, Harris, It’s, ” Biden, Biden’s, Vox Organizations: CNN, PAC, Biden, —, Policy Center, Soros, League of Conservation Voters, Fund, Hopewell Fund, Super PAC, McClave, Democratic Party, Wisconsin Supreme, Manhattan DA, Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Stock Exchange, University of California, Bloomberg, FF PAC, White House, New York Times, Super, Commission, Forward, Center for Voter, Democratic, BEMC Foundation Locations: Manhattan, McClave, Wisconsin, Anthropic, University of California Berkeley, Manassas , Virginia

☆ Google fires employee who protested Israel tech event, as internal dissent mounts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Ahead of an International Women's Day Summit in Silicon Valley on Thursday, Google's employee message board was hit with an influx of staffer comments about the company's military contracts with Israel. The event on Monday in New York featured an address from Barak Regev, managing director of Google Israel. A Google spokesperson said the employee was fired for "interfering with an official company-sponsored event" in an email to CNBC on Thursday. Unfortunately, before the event a series of off-topic and divisive questions and comments were posted to internal forums. WATCH: Google vs. Google

Persons: “, Sundar Pichai, Barak Regev, Regev, Boycotters, Dory, Gemini, Mai Ubeid, Ubeid, didn't Organizations: Google, CNBC, Israel, Defense Department, Amazon Web Services, Hamas, Palestinian enclave's Health Ministry, Tech, Google Israel, Starbucks, Workers United Locations: New York, Israel, Gaza, Silicon Valley, U.S, France

☆ Biden says he'll ban TikTok if Congress passes bill, but he's campaigning on it until then
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Nathan Howard | ReutersSince Biden's playful intro post, his campaign's TikTok account has notched over 222,000 followers and over 2.4 million likes. The Biden campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. On the app, users were greeted with a screenshot warning them that Congress was "planning a total ban of TikTok." TikTok goes to WashingtonU.S. political campaigns more broadly are trying to figure out how best to utilize TikTok. Last April, for instance, the White House said it was enlisting a squad of volunteer TikTok and Instagram influencers to help spread awareness of the Biden campaign.

Persons: Jaap Arriens, Joe Biden, TikTok, Maggie Macdonald, Biden, Kansas City Chiefs —, Macdonald, China's ByteDance, Troy Balderson, Shou Zi Chew, Nathan Howard, Donald Trump, Aaron Earls, Biden's, Karine Jean, Pierre, didn't, influencers, it's, Kennedy, Earls, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Anupam Chander, —, Vivek Ramaswamy, wouldn't, We've, we'll, Anish Mohanty, Mohanty, that's Organizations: Nurphoto, Kansas City Chiefs, University of Kentucky, Washington , D.C, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, CNBC, U.S . Capitol, Reuters, Republican, Democratic, Senate, White, Biden, Washington U.S, Facebook, Democratic National Committee, Climate Power, Georgetown University Law Center, Congress, Trump, TikTok, Republican Party Locations: Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Washington ,, U.S, Ohio, Washington , U.S, Washington, China, Gaza

Amylyx said Friday it would discuss its plans for Relyvrio with patients and the FDA, which “may include voluntarily withdrawing” the drug. The latest company study showed that the drug did not slow the disease compared with a dummy treatment. Amylyx’s medication is part of a string of drugs for deadly, degenerative diseases that have won FDA approval in recent years despite questionable proof that they work. That commitment seemed to reassure FDA's advisers who voted in favor of the drug's approval, despite the questionable data. In the months before the decision the FDA faced intense pressure from ALS patients, advocates and members of Congress.

Persons: Lou Gehrig’s, Amylyx, ”, “, Relyvrio Organizations: WASHINGTON, Drug Administration, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Relyvrio, FDA, Cambridge, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: U.S

☆ Sweeping EU rules for tech giants take effect today. Here’s what’s changing
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The new EU regulations force sweeping changes on some of the world’s most widely used tech products, including Apple’s app store, Google search and messaging platforms, including Meta’s WhatsApp. Its broad obligations affect six of the world’s largest tech companies: Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. While the law could increase demand for tech companies to extend EU-specific features to other markets, few platforms have shown signs they plan to do so. Tech pushes backBut some tech companies have pushed back on the DMA, warning that it could lead to unintended consequences. “The changes the DMA requires will inevitably cause a gap” between EU users’ security and the security Apple users enjoy outside the EU, it added.

Persons: Meta’s, Apple, Bing, Elon Musk’s, “ Fortnite, ”, Agustin Reyna, “, Apple’s, ” Apple, Reyna, ” BEUC, Tim Sweeney, Meta —, Daniel Friedlaender, CCIA, Friedlaender, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: Washington CNN, Apple, Google, Union citizens, Big Tech, Spotify, Netflix, Digital Markets, Meta, Microsoft, European Commission, EU, YouTube, Epic, Consumer, Tech, Games, CNN, Computer, Communications Industry Association Locations: United States, Europe

Search resuls for: "Advocacy"

25 mentions found