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☆ American Firms Invested $1 Billion in Chinese Chips, Lawmakers Find
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Ana Swanson | Erin Griffith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A congressional investigation has determined that five American venture capital firms invested more than $1 billion in China’s semiconductor industry since 2001, fueling the growth of a sector that the United States government now regards as a national security threat. Funds supplied by the five firms — GGV Capital, GSR Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Walden International — went to more than 150 Chinese companies, according to the report, which was released Thursday by both Republicans and Democrats on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. The investments included roughly $180 million that went to Chinese firms that the committee said directly or indirectly support Beijing’s military. That includes companies that the U.S. government has said provide chips for China’s military research, equipment and weapons, such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, or SMIC, China’s largest chipmaker. The report by the House committee focuses on investments made before the Biden administration imposed sweeping restrictions aimed at cutting off China’s access to American financing and technology.

Persons: Walden International —, Biden Organizations: —, GSR Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Walden International, Republicans, Democrats, Chinese Communist Party, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation Locations: United States

☆ After Its $20 Billion Windfall Evaporated, a Start-Up Picks Up the Pieces
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Erin Griffith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Dec. 18, a $20 billion deal by Adobe, the software giant, to buy Figma, a San Francisco start-up darling, fell apart after more than a year of regulatory scrutiny. In a blog post that day, Dylan Field, Figma’s chief executive and co-founder, painted an optimistic picture of what would come next. Behind the scenes, the start-up, a design platform, is picking up the pieces. In recent weeks, Figma said it had reset its internal valuation to $10 billion — half of what Adobe planned to pay for it. Figma is also grappling with a tech industry that has been changed by a frenzy over artificial intelligence.

Persons: Dylan, “, ”, Figma, Michael Amodeo Organizations: Adobe Locations: San Francisco

The effect of police violence on Black Americans is tracked in two new studies, with one tying police-involved deaths to sleep disturbances and the other finding a racial gap in injuries involving police use of Tasers. The health effects of police violence on Black people “need to be documented as a critical first step to reduce these harms,” three editors of JAMA Internal Medicine wrote in an editorial published Monday with the studies. For the sleep study, researchers looked at responses from more than 2 million people from 2013 through 2019 in two large government surveys. They focused on people's reports of sleep in the months following police-involved killings of unarmed Black people. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, ”, Atheendar, Tasers, “, Kevin Griffith Organizations: Mapping, Justice Department, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: U.S

☆ Opinion: Nikki Haley’s ‘SNL’ cameo raises questions about Trump we should all be asking
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Stephanie Griffith | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Johnson’s Trump began delivering laughs by answering questions from random South Carolina voters, including one that asked “Trump” what made him think he could defeat President Joe Biden. Haley then raised the issue of Trump’s mental fitness, asking, “Are you doing OK, Donald? Then there is Haley’s demand that Trump debate her, a matter which in my view is not unrelated to the issue of Trump’s mental acuity. Trump’s refusal to debate during the GOP primaries so far has deprived the nation that opportunity. It’s a far lesser transgression, but Trump’s refusal to debate Haley should be viewed by all Americans through that prism.

Persons: Dean Obeidallah, Nikki Haley, “ Donald Trump ”, —, Gayle King, Punkie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenan Thompson, Trump, James Austin Johnson, Johnson’s Trump, “ Trump, Joe Biden, Johnson, “, Haley, ”, Johnson’s, it’s, “ Nikki Haley ”, Trump’s, Nancy Pelosi, Donald, ” Trump’s, SNL, Megyn Kelly —, Glenn, Biden, Barack Obama, Ron DeSantis, won’t, Stephen Colbert Organizations: CNN, GOP, Dean Obeidallah CNN, Trump, South, Palmetto, Johnson’s Trump, Capitol, Florida Gov, SNL Locations: South Carolina, Carolina, what’s

☆ More people need transplants than there are organ donors. Pigs might offer a solution
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

The need for more transplant organs is immense and growing. Researchers have transplanted genetically modified pig kidneys and hearts into people who were brain-dead to test whether they work in humans. Although Larry Faucette was too sick for a human heart transplant, University of Maryland doctors said he seemed physically strong enough for a genetically modified pig heart. It was more than a decade after the first heart transplant but long before such procedures became relatively routine. “We learned that the pig heart is an adequate substitute for a human heart.

Persons: Lawrence Faucette, Ann, he’d, ” Ann, Larry Faucette, Ann Faucette Ann, Larry, didn’t, ”, Robert Montgomery, “, Shelby Lum, ” Montgomery, Xenotransplantation, Art Caplan, Caplan, Babe ”, ” Caplan, They’re, eGenesis, people’s, Dr, Mike Curtis, Sanjay Gupta, ” Curtis, hasn’t, Julie O’Hara, Jim Parsons, Jayme Locke, couldn’t, Locke, Parsons, NYU —, Montgomery —, O’Hara, ” Locke, David Bennett Sr, Mary, David Jr, Bartley Griffith, Bennett, they’ve, Muhammad M, Mohiuddin, Larry Faucette’s, David Bennett’s, ” Griffith, xenotransplantation Ann Faucette, Wilbur, White’s, Ann Faucette, NYU ethicist Caplan, they’re, NYU’s Montgomery, UAB’s Locke, Steve Wood, ’ Curtis, “ I’m, it’s, ” O’Hara, Bennett’s, Larry Faucette —, ” Bennett’s, Faucette, who’d, Griffith, would’ve, Kate, Lucy, Nadia Kounang Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, University of Maryland, FDA, National Institute of Allergy, NYU Langone Transplant Institute, NYU Langone's Transplant, NYU Grossman School, Medicine’s Department of Population Health, “ Disney, University of Alabama, Transplant Institute, Parsons Family, Birmingham, NYU, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Doctors, University of Maryland Medical Center, Uno, UAB, CNN Health, NFL Locations: Frederick , Maryland, United States, Montgomery, “, Midwest, Yucatan, Maryland

☆ Rich parents want to give to charity and leave more money to their kids. Here's how billionaire families do it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewWhen the rich give to charity, they find a way to get the most bang for their buck. If the trust assets are invested and achieve an annual rate of return of 9% a year, the CLT's remainder will be $2.1 million. Advertisement"It's a fantastic low interest rate play," said Renn. "The problem now is rates have really risen and it's to the point where some investments clearly can outperform a 4% or 5% interest rate, but others might struggle." In this interest rate environment, charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) have better odds.

Persons: —, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Walton, Lance Morgan, Ed Renn, I've, Renn, Dan Griffith, Griffith, CLTs, Onassis, CLATs, Alice, Jim Walton, Rick T, Jennifer Galvagna, Michael Prinzo, they're Organizations: Service, Tax, Business, Bloomberg, Huntington Private Bank, Walmart, Bank of America Private Bank Locations: Withersworldwide, CLTs, Fayetteville , Arkansas, Israel, Palestine

☆ How the superrich, like Walmart's Waltons, get richer by using trusts to give to charity and save on tax
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If the calculations predict that the trust's remainder interest is zero, the beneficiaries are exempt from estate tax even if the assets actually appreciate by a greater amount. If the trust assets are invested and achieve an annual rate of return of 9% a year, the CLT's remainder will be $2.1 million. Advertisement"It's a fantastic low interest rate play," said Renn. "The problem now is rates have really risen and it's to the point where some investments clearly can outperform a 4% or 5% interest rate, but others might struggle." In this interest rate environment, charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) have better odds.

Persons: —, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Walton, Lance Morgan, Ed Renn, I've, Renn, Dan Griffith, Griffith, CLTs, Onassis, Jennifer Galvagna, Michael Prinzo, they're Organizations: Service, Tax, Business, Bloomberg, Huntington Private Bank, Bank of America Private Bank Locations: Withersworldwide, CLTs, Israel, Palestine

☆ A New York Art Debut, a Los Angeles Love Song
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Siddhartha Mitter | More About Siddhartha Mitter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Video — four channels projected floor-to-ceiling — is just one part of this multi-sensory experience. Completing the immersive effect, shadows projected on the rear wall evoke Los Angeles street art and sights — an Olmec head; a raven on a power line. A bespoke scent — inspired by the earth and flora of Griffith Park — wafts through the gallery. “I find L.A. beautiful and horrific, and I love trying to see it that way,” Smith said. “You can have such profound rage at the city and then be gobstopped at a giant feral bush of bougainvillea.

Persons: Meshell Ndegeocello, Kelsey Lu —, Coleman, Ebony L, Haynes, Walker, ” Smith, ” Locations: Los Angeles, Griffith

☆ US House Committee says China delayed releasing COVID-19 information for weeks and lied about sharing it immediately
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China had a gene sequence of COVID-19 weeks before sharing it with the world, US lawmakers said. AdvertisementChina likely obtained COVID-19's first known gene sequence weeks before publicly releasing it, contrary to Beijing's claim that it immediately shared the information, the US House Energy & Commerce Committee said on Wednesday. Related storiesThe committee said this contradicted China's repeated claims that it released the gene sequence as soon as it obtained the information. The House committee said this example shows that China has been forthcoming with sharing vital medical information for fighting COVID-19. AdvertisementThe committee also raised concerns that the NIH had received a COVID-19 gene sequence but "apparently had no idea."

Persons: —, Lili Ren, Ren, China's, Biden, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Morgan Griffith, Brett Guthrie Organizations: Service, US, Energy, Commerce, National Institutes of Health, EcoHealth Alliance, of Health, Human Services, World Health Organization, CCP, NIH, HHS, Energy & Commerce Committee, Oversight, Rep Locations: China, Washington, Virginia, Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, Washington , DC

☆ UK postal scandal: How a software glitch and a centuries-old British company ruined peoples lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The government — which owns the Post Office — has described the scandal as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history. The software regularly showed that money — often many thousands of pounds — had gone missing from Post Office accounts. The Post Office has so far paid more than £138 million ($176 million) in compensation, a company spokesperson told CNN. “The Horizon system was a piece of machinery and software that wasn’t working correctly,” she said. “If the Post Office can do this to you, then God knows what any other brand is capable of,” she said.

Persons: —, Jo Hamilton, Hamilton, ”, Mr Bates, ’, Alan Bates, Rishi Sunak, ‘, Jonathan Wells, Wendy Buffrey’s Horizon, “, I’d, Buffrey, “ I’ve, Neil Hudgell, Martin Griffith, they’ve, Leon Neal, James Hartley, Siema Kamran, Kamran Ashraf, Ashraf, Kamran, ” Siema Kamran Organizations: London CNN, UK Post, Fujitsu, CNN, Post, ITV, Horizon, of Justice, Office, Cheltenham, Metropolitan Police, Getty, Post Office Locations: Britain, England, Hamilton, British, London, Buffrey, Bracknell , England, Freeths, Cheltenham

☆ A submerged landmass near Australia could once have been home to 500,000 people
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA vast, now-submerged landmass off of Australia's coast may once have been capable of supporting up to half a million people, a new study suggests. This revealed an archipelago that could have been used for people to migrate from Indonesia to Australia, they said. Various rock art and stone ax findings around the areas of the now-submerged continental shelf. Ultimately, rising sea levels likely pushed resident populations off of the landmass, the authors said.

Persons: —, Kashih Norman, Norman, didn't Organizations: Service, Business, Griffith University, First Nations Locations: Australia's, New Zealand, Brisbane, Guinea, Australia, Indonesia

☆ A Spanish man accused of teaching North Korea how to evade US sanctions using crypto says his passport was confiscated more than 7 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Spanish man accused of teaching North Korea to use crypto rejected the accusations. Alejandro Cao de Benós said his passport was confiscated 7 years ago, preventing foreign trips. AdvertisementA Spanish man pushed back against accusations that he was teaching North Koreans how to evade US sanctions using cryptocurrencies. In a strongly worded statement , Alejandro Cao de Benós said his passport was confiscated seven and a half years ago by Spanish authorities, making any foreign trips, and therefore his presence in North Korea, impossible. During the conference, Griffiths and co-conspirator Christopher Emms provided advice and instructions on how North Korea "could use blockchain and cryptocurrencies to evade US sanctions," the indictment read.

Persons: Alejandro Cao de Benós, —, Cao, Benós, Virgil Griffiths, Cao de Benós, Griffiths, Pyongyang's, Christopher Emms, Griffith, Virgil Giffin, Virgil Griffith Organizations: Service, North, Spanish, Business, Interpol, Spain's National Police, Cryptocurrency, Trump -, Economic, Public Affairs, FBI, BI, Korean Friendship Association Locations: North Korea, Spain, Spanish, Totana, Murcia, Madrid, Korea, Día

☆ A Spanish man faces 20 years in prison for teaching North Korea how to evade US sanctions using cryptocurrencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Spanish man faces 20 years in prison for teaching North Korea cryptocurrency, according to police. Alejandro Cao de Benós is wanted by the FBI for helping North Korea evade US sanctions. He was arrested at a Madrid train station last week, Spanish police said. AdvertisementA Spanish man is facing 20 years in prison in the US for teaching North Koreans how to evade US sanctions using cryptocurrencies, according to Spain's National Police . And hackers with ties to North Korea stole $630 million in crypto last year, their biggest haul ever, Reuters reported in February, citing a confidential UN report.

Persons: Alejandro Cao de Benós, —, National Police didn't, Cao de Benós, Virgil Griffiths, Griffith, Cao de, Virgil Griffin Organizations: North Korea cryptocurrency, FBI, Service, North, Spain's National Police, Interpol, National Police, Korean Friendship Association, Trump -, Economic, Public Affairs, Street, Reuters, UN Locations: North Korea, Madrid, Barcelona, Spanish, blockchain, Pyongyang, United States, Korea, North

☆ 17 nepo babies who are parents to their own nepo babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Gabbi Shaw | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Dakota Johnson's mother is Melanie Griffith, who in turn is the daughter of Tippi Hedren. Dakota Johnson, Tippi Hedren, and Melanie Griffith. Stefanie Keenan/Getty ImagesKids today might know that Johnson, the daughter of Griffith and "Miami Vice" star Don Johnson (and former stepdaughter of Antonio Banderas) is a nepo baby. Additionally, Hedren and Griffith appeared in a film together, "Roar," which showcased Hedren's love for big cats. She and her husband and daughter lived with their pet lion Neil, which was famously documented in a photo shoot for Life Magazine in 1971.

Persons: Dakota, Melanie Griffith, Tippi, Dakota Johnson, Tippi Hedren, Stefanie Keenan, Johnson, Griffith, Don Johnson, Antonio Banderas, Alfred Hitchcock, Sean Connery, Marnie, Neil Organizations: Getty, Miami, Hedren, Magazine Locations: Tippi Hedren

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jim Leyland left his living room in Thornburg, Pennsylvania, and had gone upstairs to lie down, convinced the call to Cooperstown wasn't coming. Hall chairman Jane Forbes Clark was on the line and Leyland had been voted in, two weeks shy of his 79th birthday. Leyland coached in the Tigers minor league system, then started managing with Bristol of the Appalachian Rookie League in 1971. The Pirates sank from there following the departures of Bonds and ace pitcher Doug Drabek as free agents, and Leyland left after Pittsburgh’s fourth straight losing season in 1996. But the Marlins sold off veterans and tumbled to 54-108 in 1998, and Leyland left for the Rockies.

Persons: Jim Leyland, “, ”, Pat, Jane Forbes Clark, ” Leyland, Leyland, Joe McCarthy, Clark Griffith, Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Larry Walker, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, they're, Lou Piniella, Bill White, Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Joe West, Ed Montague, Hank Peters, Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, Chase Utley, David Wright, José Bautista, Matt Holliday, Holdovers, Todd Helton, Billy Wagner, Tony La Russa’s, Jim Who, I'm, Francisco Cabrera’s, Doug Drabek, ″ Leyland, Alan Trammell, Louis Organizations: Cooperstown, Leyland, Florida Marlins, Baseball Writers ’ Association of America, Jan, Tigers, Bristol, Appalachian Rookie League, Chicago White Sox, Pirates, Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, The Pirates, Marlins, White Sox, Red Sox, Angels . Florida, Rockies, St, Louis Cardinals, American League Locations: Tenn, Thornburg , Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh , Florida , Colorado, Detroit, Toledo , Ohio, Perrysburg, San Francisco, Cooperstown

☆ John Nichols, Author of ‘The Milagro Beanfield War,’ Dies at 83
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Sam Roberts | More About Sam Roberts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

John Nichols, a New York City transplant to New Mexico whose exuberant novels, notably “The Milagro Beanfield War,” transformed him from an urban gringo into a local idol, died on Monday at his home in Taos. Imbued with a heady pedigree and a peripatetic upbringing, Mr. Nichols evolved instinctively from a cosmopolitan New Yorker and world traveler to a Western writer of the purple sage. He was best known for “The Milagro Beanfield War” (1974), a 445-page political allegory that tells the story of farmers in the fictional town of Milagro Valley who are denied the right to irrigate their farms because water is being diverted to a huge development. “The Milagro Beanfield War” became a crowd pleaser on college campuses, was venerated in his adopted state, and for a while was considered among the most widely read novels about Latinos. In 1988 it was adapted into a film, directed by Robert Redford and starring Rubén Blades, Christopher Walken and Melanie Griffith.

Persons: John Nichols, ”, Tania Harris, Nichols, Robert Redford, Rubén Blades, Christopher Walken, Melanie Griffith Organizations: Yorker Locations: New York City, New Mexico, Taos, Western, Milagro

☆ Dreaming of a fresh start? These towns and cities will pay you as much as $15,000 to move there.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Places across the US offer cash, homes, and other perks to lure remote workers and other relocators. Insider rounded up the states, cities, and towns that will reward you to move there in some way. Lillian Griffith, a 25-year-old data engineer, moved from Alpharetta, Georgia, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in August 2022 to take advantage of the Tulsa Remote program, which granted her $10,000 simply for relocating to the Oklahoma city. "The Tulsa Remote program is not some elitist program that only accepts people who work in high-paying positions," Griffith previously told Business Insider. While some cities are doling out cash for remote workers, hoping their presence will boost the local economy, others are looking to attract new talent.

Persons: —, Lillian Griffith, Griffith, Cincinnati —, relocators, Jordan Pandy Organizations: Service, Tulsa, nab Locations: Alpharetta , Georgia, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Tulsa, , Ohio, Cincinnati, Lincoln , Kansas, Wichita, jpandy@businessinsider.com

☆ Rich parents aren't ready to let go of their wealth, but they want to save big on taxes. One neat trick: Stash it in a trust for your spouse.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A properly designed SLAT contains a spendthrift clause, which prevents heirs from using trust assets or future distributions as collateral. After using the beneficiary spouse's $10 million exemption, the estate-tax bill is $9.01 million. The heirs pay income tax on income from the trust, but no estate tax is incurred when the trust passes to the next generation . There are a few caveatsThe trust maker's spouse loses their de-facto access to the assets if the beneficiary spouse dies first. Several courts have ruled against the argument that trust assets are marital property and should be divided.

Persons: aren't, Dan Griffith, they're, Griffith, Robert Strauss, Weinstock Manion, Strauss, Dayal Organizations: Trump, Huntington Bank, Business Locations: guardrails, Ohio

Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, two top executives at OpenAI who left the company after a dramatic board meeting on Friday, are talking again with board members about returning to the artificial intelligence start-up, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The discussions follow an outcry after Mr. Altman, 38, was ousted from his role as OpenAI’s chief executive. Since then, OpenAI’s investors and Mr. Altman’s supporters have pressured the board members of the start-up to bring Mr. Altman back, six people with knowledge of the situation said. There is no guarantee that Mr. Altman or Mr. Brockman will be reinstated at OpenAI, the people said. work is done — the company’s investors have no official say in what happens to the start-up or who leads it.

Persons: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Altman, Altman’s, Brockman Organizations: OpenAI, Microsoft Locations: OpenAI

Mr. Altman plans to launch the initiative with his longtime partner and co-founder Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s former president who stepped down in solidarity with Mr. Altman on Friday, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans for the new company are not yet public. Details on the potential company are scarce, because Mr. Altman and Mr. Brockman are still working through what it will be. Plans could change quickly, as the pair are keeping a wide range of options open, the sources said. OpenAI’s board of directors shocked the tech industry on Friday when it abruptly fired Mr. Altman from his position as chief executive. By Friday night, the two men were already working on their plans to pitch investors on their next venture.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s, Brockman Organizations: OpenAI

☆ Olympic champion Thompson-Herah splits with coach over pay - agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Thompson-Herah's agency, Andi Sports Management, said the split was a result of a "breakdown in negotiations on a compensation package" sought by Osbourne. "Collectively, we had no choice but to seek the services of another coach. The agency said the process of finding the Jamaican sprinter a new coach had begun. "With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France fast approaching, Mrs Thompson-Herah is fully focused on her preparations for the season and the defense of her Olympic titles," it said. Thompson-Herah, 31, became the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles when she retained her 100m and 200m titles in Tokyo in 2021.

Persons: Elaine Thompson, Herah, Shanikie Osbourne, Thompson, Osbourne, Mrs Thompson, Florence Griffith, Joyner, Robert Birsel Organizations: Andi Sports Management, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Tokyo

The bestselling spiritual author and one-time advisor to Oprah Winfrey didn’t make it to the 2020 primaries in a wide-open Democratic field. But Williamson worries that negative perceptions detract from her policy positions, which include financial reparations for Black Americans and creation of a Department of Peace. “The way to sell books is by going on a book tour, not a presidential campaign," she said. Williamson talks at times in religious and spiritual terms to describe America as a nation in need of confession and atonement. "To say, ‘We need a politics of love’ without explaining what that is,” he said.

Persons: Marianne Williamson, Oprah Winfrey, Joe Biden, Williamson, ” Williamson, it’s, ”, Oprah, “, Issac Bailey, “ I’m, Bernie Sanders ’, “ cringeworthy, Donald Trump, Galen Watts, Biden, Jose Serna, Serna, Marianne, Marie Griffith, Louis, ” Griffith, Jay Michaelson, Michaelson Organizations: Democratic, Black, Department of Peace, Davidson College, University of Waterloo, Williamson, Augustana University, Washington University, America, ”, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: America, New York City, Houston, North Carolina, California, Canada, Sioux Falls , South Dakota, St

☆ Can A.I. and Lasers Cure Our Smartphone Addiction?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Erin Griffith | More About Erin Griffith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Slowly, I circled my wrist to scroll, pressing an index finger and thumb together in a pinching motion to select an item. The gadget, called the Ai Pin, is a new take on wearable devices that aims to supplant, or at least help wean us off, our addiction to screens. It took a few seconds of waving my hand in front of my chest to find the laser menu. The circling wrist motion takes a second to nail as well. In 10 minutes of wearing the device at the company’s offices, I gradually learned how to hold the light and manipulate it.

Persons: ”

Sitting beneath a palm tree on a cliff above the ocean at Mr. Benioff’s Hawaiian home in 2018, they explained both devices. “This one,” Mr. Benioff said, pointing at the Ai Pin, as dolphins breached the surf below, “is huge.”“It’s going to be a massive company,” he added. They experimented in secret with hardware components and built a virtual assistant, like Siri or Alexa, working with customized language models based, in part, on OpenAI’s offerings. The device’s most sci-fi element — the laser that projects a text menu onto a hand — started inside a box the size of a matchbook. It took three years to miniaturize it to be smaller than the size of a golf tee.

Persons: Mr, Benioff, “, ”, Siri, Altman Organizations: Apple

☆ A milk carton shortage has the industry scrambling. Here’s what’s going on
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Julia Galliker learned out of the blue that there was a problem with milk carton supplies. For Galliker, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania-based Galliker Dairy Company, that’s a big problem. The little milk cartons go not only to schools, but to other institutions like nursing homes and correctional facilities. “Like other milk carton producers across the industry, Pactiv Evergreen continues to face significantly higher than projected demand,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “So there’s really not been any replacement for school milk cartons.”

Persons: Julia Galliker, there’s, Galliker, ”, she’s, “ There’s, “ It’s, ” Galliker, “, aren’t, —, Matt Herrick, it’s, ” Seth Teply Organizations: New, New York CNN, Galliker Dairy Company, Department, Agriculture, Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, CNN, Industry, International Dairy Foods Association, USDA, Springville, Griffith Institute Central School District, Tetra Pak, Tetra, “, American Dairy Association North Locations: New York, Pennsylvania, United States, Springville , New York, Everett , Washington, Tetra, Canada

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