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☆ Los Angeles Hotel Workers Go on Strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Jill Cowan | Kurtis Lee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Dockworkers disrupted operations for weeks at the colossal ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach until they reached a tentative deal in June. “I think people are understanding those issues in a much more palpable way.”The hotel workers’ strike comes just as the summer tourism season ramps up, and labor leaders say they are hoping to capitalize on that momentum. Last year, tourism in the city reached its highest levels since the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. But for many workers like Diana Rios-Sanchez, who works as a housekeeping supervisor at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, the pay has not helped to keep up with inflation. On Thursday, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, a large hotel in downtown Los Angeles, announced that it had staved off a walkout of its workers with a contract deal.

Persons: Hugo Soto, Martinez, ”, “, Diana Rios, Sanchez, Ms, Rios, Grossman, Petersen, Anna Betts Organizations: Workers, Los Angeles City Council, Los Angeles Tourism, InterContinental, Downtown, housekeepers, Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Hotel Association of Los Locations: Southern California, Los Angeles, Long, Hollywood, InterContinental Los, El Sereno, California, Beverly Hills, Hotel Association of Los Angeles

☆ Thousands of California hotel workers go on strike amid holiday weekend, demanding better pay and benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Thousands of hotel employees across LA and southern California went on strike Sunday. 96% of the union voted last month to authorize a strike amid disputes over pay and benefits. The union's website states that it represents over 32,000 workers across Southern California and Arizona, and at least 15,000 workers are affected by the current dispute. About 600 of the union's members are not striking as LA's largest hotel, the Westin Bonaventure, agreed to a tentative deal with its union workers last week. The strike is the latest labor dispute to reach this extreme in Los Angeles, which has seen multiple over the last few months, per the Times.

Persons: —, Kurt Petersen, We're, it's, Emely Lopez, Insider's Reed Alexander Organizations: Service, CNN, New York Times, Westin Bonaventure, Intercontinental, KTLA, . Teachers, Hollywood Locations: LA, California, Los Angeles, Orange, Southern California, Arizona

☆ Workers at major hotels in Southern California set to strike over holiday weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —A union representing 15,000 workers at 65 major hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties are set to go on strike early Saturday in a push for significantly improved wages. In 2023, hotel profits in Los Angeles and Orange County exceeded pre-pandemic levels according to Unite Here Local 11, the union representing the workers. But the union said hospitality workers continue to struggle to afford a place to live in the cities where they work. Hotel workers priced out of LA“Hotel workers who work in the booming Los Angeles’ tourism industry must be able to live in Los Angeles,” said union Co-President Kurt Petersen. “Workers are ready to strike until they get what they are asking for,” said union spokesperson Maria Hernandez.

Persons: JW, Beverly Hilton, Seasons Regent Beverly Wilshire, ”, Kurt Petersen, Maria Hernandez Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ritz, Carlton, JW Marriott LA, Anaheim Hilton, Seasons Regent, LA “, Westin Bonaventure, Coordinated, Management, City, “ Workers, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Los Angeles Locations: New York, Los Angeles, Orange, Fairmont Miramar, Anaheim, LA, Angeles, City and County, Orange County, Southern California

☆ Donald Trump Indicted in Classified Documents Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

How Instagram’s Algorithm Connects and Promotes Pedophile NetworkInstagram, through its system of fostering communities with sets of narrow interests, has helped guide users to illegal child sex content. Instagram's parent company Meta has acknowledged the problem and vows to improve internal controls. WSJ social-media reporter Jeff Horwitz joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what makes Instagram different from other platforms when it comes to promoting this material. Illustration: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

Persons: Meta, Jeff Horwitz, Zoe Thomas, Lionel Bonaventure Organizations: Getty Locations: AFP

☆ Ukraine Dam Burst: Zelensky Visits Kherson and Calls for Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Meta, Jeff Horwitz, Zoe Thomas, Lionel Bonaventure Organizations: Getty Locations: AFP

☆ Europe takes aim at ChatGPT with what might soon be the West’s first A.I. law. Here's what it means
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The law, known as the European AI Act, is the first law for AI systems in the West. The AI Act categorizes applications of AI into four levels of risk: unacceptable risk, high risk, limited risk and minimal or no risk. But AI technology has been around for years and is integrated into more applications and systems than you might think. "The European Commission's original proposal for the AI Act takes a risk-based approach, regulating specific AI systems that pose a clear risk," de Champris added. "MEPs have now introduced all kinds of amendments that change the very nature of the AI Act, which now assumes that very broad categories of AI are inherently dangerous."

☆ U.S. finishes Billie Jean King Cup qualifying unbeaten
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Each best-of-five series consists of two singles matches on the first day, then the reverse singles matches followed by a doubles match on the second day. The doubles match pitting Juvan and Zidansek against Irina Bara and Monica Niculescu was suspended at 3-3 in the first set. Jule Niemeier posted a three-set win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, and then Anna-Lena Friedsam lost only one game in defeating Laura Pigossi. Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina handed Poland's Magda Linette her second loss in two days to clinch the 3-1 series win in Astana, Kazakhstan. After Fernandez's three-set win over Ysaline Bonaventure, Belgium's Greet Minnen again knotted the match with a three-set win over Katherine Sebov.

☆ ChatGPT and A.I. might have a future as your portfolio manager, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

From a portfolio management perspective" — found that ChatGPT's ability to choose from a set of assets outperformed random selection on measures of risk-adjusted return and diversification. "Additionally, professional portfolio managers can improve their productivity by focusing on more important tasks while being assisted by ChatGPT in the selection of diverse assets for a given portfolio." Then, the researchers ran 10,000 simulations asking ChatGPT to select a various number of the available assets to create a portfolio. A backtest of the data showed that ChatGPT's selections created a more diversified portfolio with less correlated assets than random selection. And then, over the period of Jan. 1, 2022 to Jan. 31, 2023, the ChatGPT portfolios also outperformed the random selection portfolios on a risk-adjusted basis.

☆ WTA roundup: Katie Volynets escapes 5-0, third-set hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 - Down 5-0 and a match point in the third set, the United States' Katie Volynets rallied to upset third-seeded Anastasia Potapova of Russia 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 on Wednesday in the second round of the ATX Open in Austin, Texas. Volynets heated up while winning the last seven games, as she lost just one point total in the final three games. Abierto GNP SegurosThird-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia needed just 80 minutes to rout the United States' Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at Monterrey, Mexico. Fifth-seeded Lin Zhu of China registered a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3 win over Canada's Rebecca Marino, and Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure topped Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-3. In the last match of the night, Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova was scheduled to oppose the United States' Caroline Dolehide.

☆ WTA roundup: Coco Gauff reaches Dubai semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - WTA 1000 - Dubai Tennis Championships - Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 23, 2023 Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates winning her quarter final match against Madison Keys of the U.S. REUTERS/Satish KumarFebruary 24 - Fifth-seeded Coco Gauff won an all-American quarterfinal on Thursday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, beating Madison Keys 6-2, 7-5 in the United Arab Emirates. Gauff saved the only break point she faced in the 81-minute match, and she converted four of her five break opportunities. The result moves Gauff into a semifinal matchup with top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland, the reigning French Open champion. The other semifinal will feature third-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States and Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. In the last match of the night, fourth-seeded Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic downed Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure 6-0, 7-5.

☆ Noskova stuns Jabeur in Adelaide to set up Sabalenka showdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Tennis - Adelaide International - Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia - January 7, 2023 Czech Republic's Linda Noskova in action during her semi final match against Tunisia's Ons Jabeur REUTERS/Loren ElliottJan 7 (Reuters) - Qualifier Linda Noskova continued her giant-killing run at the Adelaide International 1 on Saturday, as the 18-year-old toppled ailing world number two Ons Jabeur 6-3 1-6 6-3 to set up a final against second seed Aryna Sabalenka. She returned rejuvenated to grab the second set dropping only one game, but found herself a break down at 1-3 in the decider and Noskova held her nerve to grab the victory. "I'm happy with the level I played today, especially with her different game," Sabalenka said of Begu. The American will meet 2016 Junior Roland Garros singles champion Rebeka Masarova of Spain, who downed fellow qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium 6-3 6-3. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Noskova stuns Azarenka in Adelaide as Jabeur, Sabalenka reach semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - Teenaged qualifier Linda Noskova saved a match point before completing a stunning 6-4 6-7(3) 7-6(6) victory over double Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Adelaide International 1. Noskova, who also upset third seed Daria Kasatkina earlier in the WTA 500 event, next meets favourite and world number two Ons Jabeur who battled past Marta Kostyuk 7-6(5) 7-5. Second seed Aryna Sabalenka staved off a late fightback from former French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova to win 6-3 7-5 in hot conditions. She fought until the end and I was really happy I was able to win," WTA Finals runner-up Sabalenka said after another battling display in her preparation for the Jan. 16-29 Australian Open. "I think because I'm staying really calm and I feel like I'm at home here that's why I play really well.

☆ Tennis roundup: Novak Djokovic advances in Adelaide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

January 5 - Top seed Novak Djokovic fended off an upset bid from World No. 64 Quentin Halys to win 7-6 (3) 7-6 (5) on Thursday at the Adelaide International 1 in Adelaide, Australia. 6 seed, Jannik Sinner of Italy, who posted a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over home-country favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis. Sinner will meet American Sebastian Korda, who ousted Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4. ASB ClassicTop seed Coco Gauff ousted fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals in Auckland, New Zealand.

☆ Australia, Britain reach Billie Jean King Cup semis, Canada thump Italy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Storm Sanders dispatched Alison van Uytvanck 6-2 6-2 and Ajla Tomljanovic rallied from a set and a break down before Elise Mertens retired injured trailing 4-6 6-4 3-0 to earn Australia their second Group B win. Britain also booked a semi-final spot from Group C after Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls sealed a surprise 3-0 win over Spain and they face Australia on Saturday. Heather Watson defeated Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-0 6-2 and Harriet Dart earned a surprise victory over Paula Badosa 6-3 6-4. Canada crushed Italy 3-0 after Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Fernandez claimed impressive singles victories to get their campaign off to a perfect start. Katerina Siniakova and Marketa Vondrousova outclassed Polish duo Katarzyna Kawa and Magda Linette 6-2 6-3.

☆ Bencic leads Switzerland past Italy, Slovakia beat Belgium
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Belinda Bencic led Switzerland to victory over Italy in their opening Billie Jean King Cup tie on Wednesday while Slovakia bounced back from a tough loss to Australia to defeat Belgium and get their campaign back on track. Earlier, Viktoria Kuzmova and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova won their singles ties to help secure a 2-1 victory over Belgium in their final Group B tie. Schmiedlova sealed the tie for Slovakia in a tenacious 5-7 6-2 6-3 win over Maryna Zanevska before the doubles pairing of Elise Mertens and Kirsten Flipkens got Belgium on the board with a crushing 6-0 6-3 win over Kuzmova and Mihalikova. The United States will take on Poland in Group D while Spain face Kazakhstan in Group C later on Wednesday. Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A top cannabis and psychedelics investor predicts an 'existential crisis' ahead for startups and shares 2 key pieces of advice for founders
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-10 | by ( Jeremy Berke | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It's an era of belt-tightening for cannabis startups, investors say. Some cannabis-tech startups had a growth-at-all-costs mindset, and that's beginning to hurt them. Bonaventure invests in early-stage cannabis and psychedelics startups focused on biotech and life sciences, rather than cannabis brands or cannabis tech. Bonaventure Equity"We're already seeing a rapid tightening of capital," O'Brien said, which he said was driving down valuations. Some cannabis-tech startups are feeling the painThat dynamic may already be at play for once high-flying cannabis tech startups like Eaze and Dutchie.

☆ A VC who's raising $30 million lays out why he's betting on cannabis life-science companies to avoid the sector's 'irrational exuberance'
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-03 | by ( Jeremy Berke | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bonaventure Equity is raising $30 million to bet on life-science startups in the cannabis industry. A 'life sciences' approach to cannabisO'Brien says he broadly defines "life sciences" to encompass three different buckets: ag-tech, biotech, and healthcare. Investors poured $2.7 billion into cannabis startups in 2021, up from $1.5 billion in 2020, according to the data provider PitchBook. Bonaventure isn't the only venture firm focused on the life sciences aspect of cannabis. Óskare Capital, a new fund, is raising $170 million to invest in medical and pharmaceutical cannabis in Europe, as Insider has reported.

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