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☆ Oldest Nearly Complete Hebrew Bible Sells for $38.1 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jennifer Schuessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The oldest near-complete Hebrew Bible sold at Sotheby’s for $38.1 million on Wednesday, one of the highest prices for a book or historical document ever sold at auction. The volume, known as the Codex Sassoon, includes all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, minus about eight leaves, including the first 10 chapters of Genesis. Researchers have dated it to the late ninth or early 10th century, making it the oldest near-complete Hebrew Bible known to exist. Speculation had percolated for months over who might have the desire — and deep pockets — to acquire the Bible, which carried an estimate of $30 million to $50 million. The Codex Sassoon will be donated to the museum (previously known as the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora) and be part of the core exhibition.

The price surpasses the $30.8 million paid in 1994 for Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester manuscript, Sotheby's said. The document offers a critical link bridging Jewish oral tradition to the modern Hebrew Bible. The auctioneer said the Codex Sassoon had been dated to either the late 9th or early 10th century on both scientific and paleographic grounds and contains almost the entirety of the Bible. The Hebrew Bible contains 24 separate books organized into three parts — the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Writings. Starting with the book of Genesis and ending with Chronicles, the Hebrew Bible is foundational to Judaism, as well as Christianity and Islam.

☆ Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he thinks AI will make the law profession better, not get rid of lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google CEO Sundar Pichai told The Verge he thinks AI will make the law profession better. Pichai said more people may become lawyers because law and legal systems aren't going away. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he thinks artificial intelligence will make the law profession better and that he's "willing to almost bet" there will be more lawyers a decade from now. However, Madgavkar said AI won't be able to fully automate legal jobs, because human judgment is still needed to meet client and employer demands. Pichai told The Verge he thinks "governments and legal systems will always have to grapple with the same set of problems," when new technology emerges.

☆ Atlassian taps OpenAI to make its collaboration software smarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Atlassian on Wednesday said it will draw on technology from startup OpenAI to add artificial intelligence features to a slew of the collaboration software company's programs. Atlassian has been building its own AI models for several years, but just started using OpenAI at the beginning of 2023. But Farquhar dismissed this concern, explaining that OpenAI won't be training its models on Atlassian's customer data, so Atlassian won't be necessarily making OpenAI better by giving it business. Atlassian employees have been able to use the new Atlassian Intelligence features internally, and they have become popular, especially for those leading teams, Anu Bharadwaj, president of Atlassian, said. Bharadwaj said Atlassian hasn't figured out how much to charge for Atlassian Intelligence.

☆ A Chinese company is reportedly planning to replace some human copywriters and graphic designers with AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A marketing company in China reportedly has plans to replace some of its human contractors with AI. A memo seen by Bloomberg says BlueFocus plans to replace external copywriters and graphic designers. Experts previously told Insider some jobs in media can be at risk of being replaced by AI models. A marketing and brand management company in China has plans to replace some of its copywriters and graphic designers with generative AI models like ChatGPT, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. Generative AI can potentially affect 300 million-full time jobs around the world, research from Goldman Sachs found.

And that has the impact of postponing some announcements," said Anu Aiyengar, global head of M&A at JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N). M&A volumes dropped 44% to $282.7 billion in the U.S. and 70% to $81.87 billion in Europe. Reuters Graphics"Having a well-functioning financing market is a critical ingredient for M&A. Global M&A volumes in Q1 2023LACK OF CONFIDENCEThe depressed market valuations also presented an opportunity for prominent activist investors to launch new proxy fights, with dealmakers anticipating a boost to M&A volumes from activist campaigns in the coming quarters. "Inflationary pressures aren't subsiding as fast as people expected; there's still a lot of geopolitical tensions, and in a lot of ways, the disruption in the financing market is intensifying," Langston said.

☆ Busting through the brick wall barricading M&A: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW ORLEANS, March 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Worldwide merger activity is down by about half this year to $470 bln, stymied by tough financing conditions, assertive trustbusters and more. In this Exchange podcast from New Orleans, JPMorgan’s head of M&A Anu Aiyengar debates downbeat dealmakers and the pockets of optimism. Listen to the podcastFollow @jgfarb on TwitterSubscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. Editing by Sharon Lam and Thomas ShumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

"There is a brick wall in front of M&A activity," said Anu Aiyengar, global head of M&A at JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N). "We are in for choppiness," said Scott Barshay, chair of the corporate department at law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. And it's a giant struggle because there's a lot of dry powder for the equity part of private equity deals. Dealmakers, however, said they expect the impact from the banking crisis on broader M&A activity to be contained, as most of the worst affected regional banks are not major advisers or lenders on deals. The technology sector remains the best hunting ground for corporate acquirers or private equity financiers, deal advisors said.

☆ China firm wins tender to redevelop Solomon Islands port
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"This will be upgrading the old international port in Honiara and two domestic wharves in the provinces," Qaqara said. The Solomon Islands and China have denied the security pact would allow a naval base, however. Delegations from China and the United States are visiting Honiara this week, competing for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands nation. "This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports," the government said in a statement. Writing in the Australian Foreign Affairs this month, Connolly noted that ADB infrastructure contracts in the Pacific islands had been dominated by Chinese state companies who offered the lowest bids.

☆ China firm wins Solomon Islands port project as Australia watches on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Solomon Islands and China have consistently denied that their security pact would allow a naval base. The Solomon Islands Infrastructure Development Ministry has said that there will be no expansion of the port for dual use," a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday evening. Delegations from China and the United States are visiting Honiara this week, competing for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands nation. "This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports," the Solomon Islands government said in a statement. "It is not about bases it is about access," Connolly, a former military officer, said, referring to the security pact between Honiara and Beijing.

☆ Y Combinator pulls back from late-stage startup investing to focus on its core accelerator program, and parts ways with 17 employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Y Combinator president Garry Tan announced the accelerator is moving away from late-stage investing. The startup accelerator will also eliminate 17 roles on the late-stage investing team. Known for its early-stage investing focus through its core accelerator program, YC also does late-stage investing. "But late stage investing turned out to be so different from early stage that we found it to be a distraction from our core mission. As part of the restructuring, 17 employees on the late-stage investing teams had their roles eliminated, Tan wrote in the post.

☆ Gary Vaynerchuk compares the rise of AI like ChatGPT to the way the internet revolutionized work: 'AI is coming for our jobs and that's ok'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Gary Vaynerchuk predicts that AI software like ChatGPT will eliminate many jobs. He's optimistic about workers' ability to rally and adapt to AI, or create new roles. That's been true to an extent about previous types of automation, but AI looks likely to impact a broader demographic of workers. Like Vaynerchuk points out, there's some reason to be optimistic long-term about the job shake ups technology can cause. But Vaynerchuk is more convinced that AI represents the status quo for automation.

☆ 7 ways to use ChatGPT at work to boost your productivity, make your job easier, and save a ton of time
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

With its impressive functions, the buzzy AI chatbot could give some workers a "productivity boost." Insider compiled a list of seven ways workers can use the AI tool to help do their jobs. But they can help workers across many industries – from tech to media – do their jobs better and more quickly. Workers should be careful when using AI tools, as the tech can be prone to misinformation, and it can remove the human touch from tasks like writing. Here's how you can use ChatGPT and AI to help make your work life easier.

☆ Test proves that CO2 sucked from the air can be trapped in concrete
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

To do that, two things are needed: first, capturing carbon dioxide with nature or technology, and second, locking it up for centuries. The rock is then heated to release the collected ambient carbon dioxide, and the cycle repeats. Canada's CarbonCure, the concrete technology company, mixes CO2 with concrete ingredients, turning it into a mineral that strengthens the concrete, cutting the need for cement — the part of concrete with the biggest carbon footprint. The U.S. government and industry broadly see $100-a-tonne carbon dioxide as a reasonable price for broad deployment. However, concrete's ubiquity is attractive, because there are few places to securely hold carbon dioxide at present.

☆ ChatGPT may be coming for our jobs. Here are the 10 roles that AI is most likely to replace.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Aaron Mok | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Experts say ChatGPT and related AI could threaten some jobs, particularly white-collar ones. Since its release in November of last year, the impressive AI chatbot has been used to write cover letters, create a children's book, and even help students cheat on their essays. But despite its flaws, the rise of ChatGPT has sparked debates over whether it will replace jobs. Insider talked to experts and conducted research to compile a list of jobs that are at highest-risk for replacement by AI. Here are the 10 jobs that AI may replace, based on our research.

☆ Hiring slowdowns, manager burnout and other trends that will shape U.S. workplaces in 2023, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Now, with a potential recession on the horizon, economists and researchers are convinced that 2023 will usher in even more significant changes to the workplace. CNBC Make It spoke with three experts about the biggest trends that will shape work this year. Hiring will slow in 2023 — but jobseekers will still hold the powerEven though several U.S. companies have slashed staff in recent months, workers will continue to have the upper hand in the labor market this year. Education, government, health care and retail are among the industries where hiring has maintained its momentum, and are poised for continued growth in 2023. "All of this is creating a manager shortage, which just exacerbates the challenges companies are facing attracting and retaining talent," she adds.

☆ JPMorgan names Anu Aiyengar sole head of global M&A
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Anirban Sen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Signage is seen at the JPMorgan Chase & Co. New York Head Quarters in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., June 30, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew KellyNEW YORK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) on Thursday named Anu Aiyengar as the sole head of its global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) franchise after co-head Dirk Albersmeier stepped down from the role, cementing her status as the only female executive leading global M&A on Wall Street. Albersmeier will take on a new "wholly client and transaction-focused role" within JPMorgan, according to the memo. "Going forward, Anu will be the sole head of our global M&A business and Dirk will focus exclusively on providing our clients with first-class M&A advice and continuing to mentor the next generation of M&A leaders," the memo said. Aiyengar, a JPMorgan veteran of more than two decades, has led the bank's M&A franchise since she was promoted to the role alongside Albersmeier in 2020.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond jumps 68% to lead last gasp rally in meme stocks; AMC gains 21%
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this article BBBYAMCGME Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA "Store Closing" banner on a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Farmingdale, New York, on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. Johnny Milano | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMeme stocks rallying one more time Stock Short interest % float Wed. Gain % off 52W high Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) 48.9% 68% -88% AMC (AMC) 21% 21% -77% GameStop (GME) 21% 7% -62%Source: FactSetThe rally in Bed Bath & Beyond was initially triggered by news that it would lay off more employees in an attempt to reduce costs and stay in business. The home goods retailer told employees that it is eliminating the chief transformation officer role, which is held by Anu Gupta, on the same day it reported disappointing fiscal third-quarter results. Bed Bath & Beyond is approaching a potential bankruptcy, as its sales decline and losses grow.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond to lay off more employees to trim costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY.O) will lay off more employees in an attempt to reduce costs, the company said on Tuesday, a week after announcing it was exploring options including bankruptcy. Last year, company executives had said the home goods retailer was cutting about 20% of its corporate and supply chain workforce. Earlier in the day, Bed Bath & Beyond reported a third-quarter loss of $393 million and said it has started cost reductions of about $80 million to $100 million across its corporate business, including overhead expenses and headcount. Shares of the company shot up about 20% as retail investors speculated it could be a potential acquisition target. CNBC, which first reported the latest layoff plans, also said Bed Bath & Beyond would be eliminating the chief transformation officer role currently held by Anu Gupta.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond lays off more employees as it fights to survive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A "Store Closing" banner on a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Farmingdale, New York, on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. Bed Bath & Beyond has begun its latest round of layoffs, as it fights to stay in business, according to a memo sent to employees Tuesday that was obtained by CNBC. Bed Bath & Beyond is approaching a potential bankruptcy, as its sales decline and losses grow. Bed Bath issued a "going concern" warning last week, saying it may run out of funds to cover expenses. Gove said in the memo Tuesday that Bed Bath will hold a town hall on Wednesday to discuss its future.

Cassaundra Brownell, a self-described “serial entrepreneur” from Maryland, was relieved when she found the Justis Connection, a company that links potential clients with Black attorneys. Her case illuminates a point Black lawyers and advocates have been making for some time: Black clients feel that they receive heightened support and more favorable results from Black lawyers than with non-Black legal aid. And unlike Black lawyer associations like the National Conference of Black Lawyers and The National Black Lawyers, which some have relied on to find Black legal representatives in their cities, the Justis Connection specifically works on making those client-attorney connections. “And the thing about a Black attorney is that he or she would be much more relatable to Black clients,” Davidson said. But it’s probably not going to be the same.”However, even with connections being made, a significant problem still exists: There are not enough Black attorneys to address the needs of Black clients.

☆ World’s ‘oldest meal’ discovered in 550-million-year-old fossil
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Toyin Owoseje | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An international team of scientists say they have new insight into how the very earliest animals survived after traces of what they described as the world’s oldest meal were found in a 550 million-year-old fossil. Some of the oldest life on Earth is referred to as the Ediacaran biota. This group is based on the earliest fossils ever discovered, providing evidence of complex, multicellular organisms. Nearly all fossils that came before the Ediacaran biota were single-celled and microscopic in size,” Brocks said, according to a press release. Dr. Bobrovskiy said the findings are helping scientists track the evolution of the earliest animals, and how they relate to their descendants today.

Here is a quick primer on what a steep, flat or inverted yield curve means, how it has predicted recession, and what it might be signaling now. The yield curve, which plots the return on all Treasury securities, typically slopes upward as the payout increases with the duration. read more read moreWHAT DOES AN INVERTED CURVE MEAN? Before this year, the last time the 2/10 part of the curve inverted was in 2019. When the yield curve steepens, banks can borrow at lower rates and lend at higher rates.

An inverted yield curve occurs when yields on shorter-dated Treasuries rise above those for longer-term ones. Here is a quick primer on what an inverted yield curve means, how it has predicted recession, and what it might be signaling now. The yield curve, which plots the return on all Treasury securities, typically slopes upward as the payout increases with the duration. "It's not unusual to get a yield curve inversion but it is unusual to get one of this magnitude. When the yield curve steepens, banks can borrow at lower rates and lend at higher rates.

☆ JPMorgan M&A co-head urges potential buyers to be proactive, sees more health deals
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Abigail Summerville | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Companies that are considering acquisitions should use a slowdown in deals to scope out potential targets, Anu Aiyengar, global co-head of mergers and acquisitions at JPMorgan Chase & Co , said Wednesday. Still, companies should build relationships with potential targets so they can be ready to strike when conditions improve, she said. She also expects a greater share of deals in healthcare after an abundance of technology transactions in recent years. The closing deadline is on Friday and JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) are Twitter's financial advisers. Reporting by Abigail Summerville in New York; editing by Lananh Nguyen and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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