DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Deal whiz Byron Trott suffers minor grill burns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Weber (WEBR.N) is a rare miscue for dealmaker Byron Trott, who typically serves up deals just right. It’s a reputational blemish for Trott just as he embarks on a major expansion. BDT, which focuses on family-owned businesses, did not sell down its roughly 60% stake at the time of the IPO, or subsequently. Outside investors may nevertheless recall Trott buying low – 43% below the IPO price, valuing Weber at $3.7 billion – the next time the firm brings a portfolio company to market, and wonder if they’ll get burned. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Henry Anderson: Carolina Panthers defensive end reveals he recently had stroke -- but wants to play on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Tony Gutierrez/AP Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs digs into a turkey leg after the Bills defeated Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Gary McCullough/AP Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Will Harris. Norm Hall/Getty Images Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdles Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid as he scrambles for a first down. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

☆ Von Miller: Buffalo Bills defensive star is out for the season with torn ACL
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +25 min

Tony Gutierrez/AP Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs digs into a turkey leg after the Bills defeated Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Norm Hall/Getty Images Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdles Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid as he scrambles for a first down. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson dives for a two-point conversion during the Vikings' 29-22 victory over the Chicago Bears. Gerald Herbert/AP Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is tripped up by Denver Broncos cornerback K'Waun Williams. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J.

☆ Australia fines Uber $14 mln for misleading on fares and cancellation fees
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Dec 7 (Reuters) - An Australian court fined Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) A$21 million ($14 million) on Wednesday for threatening cancellation fees it never charged and overstating fare estimates on some rides. The evidence supplied suggested less than 0.5% of Uber customers had gone ahead with a trip due to concern about cancellation fees. The UberTaxi algorithm overshot the fare estimate 89% of the time, but less than 1% of total Uber rides used that service, the judge said. The judge had made clear that the lower penalty "should not be understood as any reduction in the court's resolve to impose penalties appropriate to ... deterring contraventions of the Australian Consumer Law", Cass-Gottlieb added. ($1 = 1.4945 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Bradley Perrett, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia fines Uber $14m for misleading advertisements about fares and cancellation fees
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SYDNEY, Dec 7 (Reuters) - An Australian court fined Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) A$21 million ($14 million) on Wednesday for threatening cancellation fees it never charged and overstating fare estimates on some rides, lower than a regulator wanted but a setback for the company. The Australian arm of the U.S. ride-sharing app maker broke consumer law by misleading customers with warnings they would be charged for cancelling some rides from 2017 to 2021, and by using an inaccurate software algorithm to estimate fares for a taxi service it offered until August 2020, the federal court ruled. ($1 = 1.4945 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Justice Department Subpoenas State Officials on 2020 Election Communications With Trump
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Byron Tau | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—Local officials in three critical battleground states said they have received subpoenas from the Justice Department that appear to be part of an expanding investigation into efforts by former President Donald Trump and people representing him to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Four counties in Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin received federal grand jury subpoenas, officials there said. The counties—Maricopa in Arizona, Wayne in Michigan and Dane and Milwaukee in Wisconsin—are all in swing states targeted by Mr. Trump and his allies in the aftermath of his loss in the November 2020 election.

☆ Australian Securities Exchange to cut up to 200 jobs from blockchain project
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX.AX) will cut up to 200 contractors working on a project to replace its main trading platform with so-called blockchain technology after cancelling the overhaul, the company told Reuters. After announcing plans in 2016 to replace its decades-old platform with distributed ledger technology, which is also referred to as blockchain, the world's 13th-largest stock exchange pulled the project last month citing an independent report which found it was riddled with problems. The exchange had retained some contractors involved in the overhaul to work on a review of the project or other roles at the company, the spokesperson added. The ASX said last month that it would take a charge of up to A$255 million in its December 2022 half-year results. Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia says law making Facebook and Google pay for news has worked
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Dec 2 (Reuters) - An Australian law giving the government power to make internet giants Facebook owner Meta Platforms (META.O) and Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google negotiate content supply deals with media outlets has largely worked, a government report said. But the law, which took effect in March 2021 after talks with the big tech firms led to a brief shutdown of Facebook news feeds in the country, may need to be extended to other online platforms, the review said. The report mostly recommended that the government consider new methods of assessing the administration and effectiveness of the law, and did not suggest changing the law itself. "The review shows the Code has been successful balancing bargaining power between news media and digital platforms," said Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones. "Digital platforms must continue to negotiate in good faith with news businesses to ensure they are fairly remunerated for the news content they create."

With a shaky economy, some brands have reduced or cut sponsored content deals with creators. "That was definitely a bummer," Williams told Insider. "I think people are wanting to try things before they go all in with larger investments," Samuel told Insider. Taking on speaking engagementsThree creators told Insider that speaking engagements, in-person and virtual, have been a growing income stream for them. "You need to understand where you're spending money," Reed Duchscher, CEO of management company Night, previously told Insider.

☆ Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes Found Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy in Jan. 6 Case
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Jan Wolfe | Byron Tau | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—A jury on Tuesday found two members of the Oath Keepers militia group guilty of seditious conspiracy by plotting to forcefully disrupt the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election, and convicted three others on lesser charges in the closely watched trial stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. After a seven-week trial in Washington and three days of deliberations, the jury said Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and one of his co-defendants, Kelly Meggs, plotted to use force to block Congress from formally certifying President Biden‘s election victory.

But it is spreading across finance, energy, retail and aviation, threatening to push up labour costs in industries facing supply-chain bottlenecks and worker shortages. The turmoil is especially pronounced because union power was curtailed in Australia under laws in place since the 1990s. In the year to June, the average Australian wage rose 2.6%, compared with inflation of 6.1%, according to official data. Despite seven interest-rate hikes since May, inflation is set to climb further before subsiding in 2023, the government says. But in the current climate in Australia, workers are in no mood to back down.

SYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - When Melbourne barista Melinda Elliott had to cut back on casual work shifts this year, she asked her buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) provider, Afterpay, to lower her credit limit. "There was no email to say, 'your credit limit's gone up again'; it was out of nowhere," said Elliott by phone. The absence of interest charges has exempted them from consumer credit regulation, and the sector's business has grown strongly during an online shopping frenzy spurred by COVID-19 stimulus payments and ultra-low interest rates. If they come under regular consumer credit regulation, they will also lose their main competitive advantages. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which oversees the Credit Act, told Reuters it was "supportive of the BNPL sector being subject to regulation".

☆ Marion Barter: The search for a missing mother surfaces claims of her lover's 'life of deceit'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

We’ve exposed a way bigger fish than what I ever expected to find,” Leydon told CNN. He revealed that he’d had a four-month affair with the schoolteacher from February to June, 1997 – the same month she left Australia. Two years after Barter left Australia for Europe, Janet Oldenburg took a similar trip with Blum, who she knew as Ric West. She filed a police report and the inquest heard Blum told police he sent all the jewelry back. In court, Blum denied her claims and accused her of lying.

☆ City employee killed during snow removal in Buffalo, N.Y.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A city employee in Buffalo, New York, was fatally struck while assisting in removing record snowfall on Wednesday, officials announced. City workers had been working around the clock this week after the Buffalo area was hit with a storm that dumped over 6 feet of snow in some areas, before the tragedy occurred. Brown said the vehicle involved in the accident was a third-party contractor that the city retained to help with the snow removal. Brown noted that 180 pieces of heavy equipment were active Wednesday hauling snow out of South Buffalo and city workers were working long shifts, many working on little sleep to clear out roads. He announced a 48-hour suspension on snow removal operations starting Wednesday evening.

☆ FIFA investigates Ecuador fans' homophobic chants
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Andrew Cawthorne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DOHA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - FIFA said it has opened disciplinary proceedings against Ecuador over homophobic chanting by their fans in their World Cup opener. They were fined and received a points deduction for the next World Cup qualifiers but have been allowed to compete in Qatar. At Ecuador's opening game against Qatar, to kick off the World Cup on Sunday, some among their massed ranks of yellow-clad fans sang a homophobic chant against Chileans. Much to the amusement of many watching around the world, Ecuador fans also chanted "We want beer!" LGBT rights have taken prominence during this World Cup, drawing some protests, as homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.

☆ NFL Thanksgiving Day previews: Bills, Cowboys, Vikings in action
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Hannah Brewitt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Gary McCullough/AP Green Bay Packers wide receiver Samori Toure is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Will Harris. Norm Hall/Getty Images Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdles Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid as he scrambles for a first down. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas makes a reception against Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. To see if history repeats itself with a Cowboys win, or if the Giants can pull off the upset, tune in on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Bill Belichick’s team could be on the cusp of a hot streak and are hitting the Vikings game at just the right time.

A federal appeals court will hear arguments Tuesday as it looks to resolve a simmering procedural dispute in the Justice Department’s escalating investigation of former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Days after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to take over the investigation, Justice Department attorneys are expected to urge the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to end a document-vetting arrangement, instated by a lower court, that prosecutors have argued has slowed the investigation into the material the FBI seized from the Florida resort in August.

☆ How influencers are trying to recession-proof their businesses, from locking down long-term deals to testing out fan-paid revenue models
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Tanya Chen | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Traditionally, brand deals have been the biggest income driver for Tosone. Unless any last-minute deals arise, Tosone said platform incentives (like Instagram's bonus program) will overtake brand deals. And for creators, Ashley said diversifying their businesses is the "best insurance plan." Relying on affiliate marketing, however, can still be a risk. Establishing a fan-paid model with memberships, subscriptions, or coursesTosone launched a Patreon membership and she's coaching other influencers on social-media strategy.

☆ Qatar and Ecuador stick with trusted lineups
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AL KHOR, Qatar, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Hosts Qatar's top scorer Almoez Ali and fellow striker Akram Afif lead the line against Ecuador in Sunday's World Cup opener as coach Felix Sanchez stuck with stalwarts from a settled squad that has had longer than most to bond and prepare. Experienced midfielder Hasan Al-Haydos, who can also play on the wing, took the captaincy for the World Cup debutants and 2019 Asian Cup winners at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt stadium. Ecuador coach Gustavo Alfaro also named a predictable lineup, with Moises Caicedo anchoring the midfield and top scorer Enner Valencia leading the attack as captain. Ecuador: Hernan Galindez; Felix Torres; Piero Hincapie; Pervis Estupinan; Romario Ibarra; Michael Estrada; Enner Valencia; Angelo Preciado; Gonzalo Plata; Jhegson Mendez; Moises Caicedo. Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ National Guard activated amid deadly western New York snow storm that has dropped more than 6 feet of snow in region
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Mirna-Alsharif-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Mirna Alsharif | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Kathy Hochul announced the activation of the National Guard Saturday to help with clean up in the historic snow storm that battered parts of western New York. About 70 National Guard members were deployed to the badly-impacted southtowns, or the southern portion of Erie County, home to Buffalo, Hochul told NBC News affiliate WGRZ. Hamburg, where the roof of a house collapsed due to the weight of the heavy, wet snow, received over six feet of snow, while southwest Blasdell had over five feet of snow. Buffalo has had about 30 inches of snowfall, according to the National Weather Service. Joshua Bessex / APTwo Erie County men died after suffering “cardiac events" due to shoveling or snow blowing on Friday.

☆ Snowstorm batters western New York, restricting travel ahead of busy Thanksgiving holiday
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

New York Governor Kathy Hochul called in the National Guard, deploying about 70 members to help with snow removal in the hardest-hit parts of Erie County. According to the National Weather Service, conditions could persist through Monday morning. [1/5] Stranded cars are seen on the street during a snowstorm as extreme winter weather hits Buffalo, New York, U.S., November 19, 2022. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a tweet that two residents died of apparent heart attacks while shoveling snow. The U.S. National Weather Service forecasts lake-effect snow will dump up to 14 inches in the counties of Chautaqua and Cattaraugus Saturday night through Sunday.

☆ Ohio Man Who Blamed Trump for Storming of Capitol Gets 3 Years in Prison
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Vimal Patel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An Ohio man who said that Donald J. Trump was responsible for his decision to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and steal a bottle of bourbon and a coat rack was sentenced on Friday to three years in prison, the authorities said. In sentencing the man, Dustin Byron Thompson, 38, Judge Reggie Walton of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia told Mr. Thompson, who apologized and said that he was ashamed of his actions, that he could not understand how someone with a college degree could “go down the rabbit hole” and believe so strongly in a lie, according to The Associated Press. Judge Walton had previously said that he found Mr. Thompson’s explanation that Mr. Trump was responsible for Mr. Thompson’s behavior “disingenuous.”Mr. Thompson was convicted by a jury in April of a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding and five misdemeanors, including theft of government property. Mr. Thompson, an unemployed exterminator from Columbus, based his defense on the argument that he had been following orders from Mr. Trump last year when he broke into the building with a pro-Trump mob and stole the items after the former president’s speech at a rally that day.

WASHINGTON — House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday easily defeated conservative Rep. Andy Biggs to win the GOP nomination for speaker of the House. The Arizona Republican and former leader of the far-right, Trump-aligned House Freedom Caucus did not announce that he would challenge McCarthy until Monday night. "Minority Leader McCarthy does not have the votes needed to become the next Speaker of the House and his speakership should not be a foregone conclusion," Biggs said in a statement. Former President Donald Trump, who is expected to announce a 2024 presidential bid later Tuesday, has endorsed his longtime ally, McCarthy, for speaker. So has Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Freedom Caucus member who is enormously popular among grassroots conservatives.

"I’m looking for the right buyer," owner Brian Jones, 47, told NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland. He debuted the home as a tourist attraction in 2006 while adding property to the campus as it became available. "A Christmas Story Christmas" has an adult Ralphie (reprised by Peter Billingsley) trying hard to bring the giving spirit of the holidays to a new generation. At least one neighbor said the "Christmas Story" campus has contributed to the community. "It’s got its drawbacks, with the backup of crowds and the fact that it's all one-way streets around here," neighbor Byron Roberts told WKYC.

☆ Trump Lays Out Executive-Privilege Claims on Mar-a-Lago Documents
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Byron Tau | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—Lawyers representing former President Donald Trump and the Justice Department presented dueling views over whether he can shield certain records from his time in office from federal investigators conducting a criminal investigation into the potential mishandling of classified national-security records. In legal briefs made public on Monday, Mr. Trump’s legal team argued that the doctrine of executive privilege protects Mr. Trump from having to disclose certain materials to federal investigators who are probing how records marked as classified came to be transferred to Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s Florida home, after he left office.

Search resuls for: "byron"

25 mentions found