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☆ The top US consumer watchdog is worried you're going to fall for AI scams or overblown marketing hype
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Tech companies and investors think generative AI will be an economic revolution. Investors say generative AI could save workers loads of unnecessary labor. While AI products may hold less promise than companies say, the FTC is worried they will make it easier to deceive voters and consumers. "We're also concerned with the risk that deepfakes and other AI-based synthetic media, which are becoming easier to create and disseminate, will be used for fraud," FTC spokesperson Juliana Gruenwald told Insider. If the FTC's instincts are right, today's generative AI may pose less economic disruption than deception.

☆ The Dodge Challenger as we know it is about to die. Driving one reminded me how sad I'll be once it's gone.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Alanis King | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown. The 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown. The 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown. The 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown. The 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown.

Student loan borrowers gathered at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the evening before the court hears two cases on the White House student loan relief plan. Jemal Countess | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesOn the night before the Supreme Court was set to hear oral arguments over the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan, Amanda Smitley sat outside the court on an aluminum blanket holding an umbrella. Student loan borrower Amanda Smitley, 20, joined the student loan borrowers gathered at Supreme Court on Feb. 27, 2023, the night before the court hears two cases on student loan forgiveness. With a $175 monthly student loan bill, though, he won't be able to help them. Student loan borrowers gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 27, 2023, the night before the court hears two cases on student loan forgiveness.

The area, part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, is a hotbed for fighters of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organisation of Sunni Islamist groups. A TTP spokesman, Muhammad Khurasani, told Reuters its main target was Pakistan's military, but the police were standing in the way. "Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa pays a greater price for that" because of its exposure to the Islamist militants, he said. The TTP ended the ceasefire in November 2022, and regrouped militants restarted attacks in Pakistan soon after. Reporting by Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam and Jibran Ahmad in Bara, Pakistan; additional reporting by Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan; editing by David Crawshaw.

☆ Florida's climate exodus
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Matt Turner | Dave Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On the agenda today:But first: Economy reporter Madison Hoff explains why "quiet" is the workplace word for 2023. This week's dispatchWhisper it, but "quiet" might just be the workplace word for this year, Insider's Madison Hoff writes. And although it doesn't use the word "quiet," there are related workplace terms floating around like "Bare Minimum Monday" and "Try Less Tuesday." But Arias Agencies is now at the center of an explosive lawsuit that alleges a pattern of unchecked sexual assault and harassment. What to know about Florida's climate exodus.

☆ Soft, hard, or no landing at all: Here's what 5 Wall Street experts are saying about the fate of the US economy in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Here's what five Wall Street experts are saying about the fate of the economy this year. Here's what five Wall Street experts are saying about the fate of the economy this year. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan CEOJamie Dimon REUTERS/ Larry DowningA soft landing is possible, but markets are facing some "scary stuff" ahead, according to the JPMorgan boss. Kevin O'Leary, "Shark Tank" investorKevin O'Leary Mark Davis / Staff / Getty Images"Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary remained optimistic on the market in 2023, and made the case for a soft landing. "We may actually get what people keep saying is impossible … a soft landing.

BERLIN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Ukraine allies around the world lit up landmark monuments, held vigils and prepared new sanctions in a collective show of support on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion. Polish Premier Mateusz Morawiecki went to Kyiv and, together with Ukraine's prime minister, laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of those who died for Ukraine. The United States marked the anniversary by announcing new sanctions against Russia and its allies, new export controls and tariffs aimed at undermining Moscow's ability to wage war. EU institutions were also lit in Ukrainian colours, along with the Sydney Opera House. Kyiv says there can be no peace until Russia, which denies intentionally targeting civilians, withdraws.

☆ Tunisia opposition says it will hold new protest over arrests
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TUNIS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A Tunisian protest coalition said on Friday it would not stop working to unite the opposition against President Kais Saied despite the arrest of its top leaders, and added that it would hold a demonstration on March 5. Tunisian police have cracked down this month against prominent critics of Saied, including senior figures in the National Salvation Front, an umbrella organisation that brought together political parties and protest groups. The police and interior ministry have not made any comment on the wave of arrests this month that has targeted prominent politicians, protest leaders, media figures and others critical of Saied. Salsabil Chellali, the Tunisia director at international monitoring group Human Rights Watch, said Saied was going after his critics "with utter abandon". France on Friday expressed "concern at the recent wave of arrests in Tunisia and calls on the Tunisian authorities to ensure respect for individual freedoms and public freedoms, in particular freedom of expression," its Foreign Ministry said.

☆ Cyprus leaders meet as peace talks remain deadlocked
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Iakovos Hatzistavrou/Pool via REUTERSNICOSIA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Leaders of Cyprus's estranged Greek and Turkish communities met on Thursday as a deadlock persisted in peace talks on the ethnically divided island. The meeting was the first for newly elected Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, the new Greek Cypriot leader, and Ersin Tatar, the Turkish Cypriot leader. Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup, with Greek Cypriots living in its south and Turkish Cypriots in an unrecognised breakaway north. "The present state of affairs cannot be the solution to the Cyprus problem, not for Greek Cypriots, or Turkish Cypriots," Christodoulides said after the two-hour meeting with Tatar. "I didn't hear anything I didn't expect from Mr Tatar," Christodoulides said.

☆ 'Bond King' Jeffrey Gundlach tells investors to prepare for recession - and warns against trying to prevent a downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jeffrey Gundlach warned of a looming recession and advised investors to take precautions. Gundlach — whose nickname is the "Bond King" — is a billionaire investor and the boss of DoubleLine Capital. (Gundlach warned that tighter lending standards, a weakening economy, and low credit quality could lead to a spike in loan defaults.) We're pretty far away from that, but if that happens it suggests you're in more of a hard-landing type of recession." So the more you try to reduce the severity of problems, you're going to end up ultimately having a very high severity problem."

[1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, Russia February 21, 2023. In a major speech almost a year after his invasion of Ukraine, Putin said Russia was not abandoning the New START treaty - the agreement signed in 2010 that limits the number of Russian and U.S. deployed strategic nuclear warheads. But nuclear experts noted the treaty contains no provision for either side to "suspend" its participation, as he said Moscow was doing - they only have the option to withdraw. According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has an estimated 5,977 nuclear warheads in total, while the United States has 5,428. "HUGE INSTABILITY"Putin justified the Russian move by saying it was "absurd" for the United States to demand the right to inspect Russian nuclear sites, as the treaty allows, while NATO was helping Ukraine to attack them.

☆ Factbox: Who are the Pakistan Taliban?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility. * Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was formed in 2007 as an umbrella organisation of various hardline Sunni Islamist groups operating individually in Pakistan. * There was an attempt by Pakistan to hold peace talks with the TTP, resulting in a months-long ceasefire and negotiations brokered by the Afghan Taliban. * Pakistan says the TTP leadership has safe havens in Afghanistan, but the Afghan Taliban administration denies this. * TTP attacks are mostly directed at Pakistan, unlike the other big militant threat in the region, Islamic State.

☆ Bruce Willis' 'condition has progressed' to frontotemporal dementia, his family says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Saba Hamedy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bruce Willis attends the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Actor Bruce Willis has frontotemporal dementia, his family said Thursday. In a heartfelt Instagram post, ex-wife Demi Moore and Rumer Willis, the couple's eldest daughter, shared that the actor's aphasia diagnosis, which the family had announced in March 2022, has progressed. In March, the Willis/Moore family had said Willis would be "stepping away" from his career following the aphasia diagnosis, which they said had impacted his cognitive abilities. Representatives for Moore and Willis did not immediately respond to further request for comment on Thursday.

☆ Rihanna may not have gotten paid for her Super Bowl halftime show performance, but her music streams saw a massive surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rihanna performed at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show on Sunday in her first live performance in over five years. Like past performers, she wasn't paid, but her music sales and streams have skyrocketed since Sunday. Songs on which Rihanna is the primary artist raked in over 62 million on-demand streams on Sunday and Monday compared to 25.8 million streams the two days prior, Billboard reported. Per Insider's Sarah Al-Arshani, Super Bowl halftime show headliners are paid little to nothing for their performance, although the NFL does cover the costs associated with putting the show on. Her brands, Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, and Savage X Fenty all featured special-edition "Game Day" products to consumers.

☆ Many Personal Care Products Contain Harmful Chemicals. Here’s What to Do About It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Knvul Sheikh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Some companies have started moving away from formaldehyde use, but other preservatives that prevent the growth of bacteria in water-based personal care products — like shampoos and liquid baby soaps — can still release formaldehyde gas over time. What the research says: According to the International Fragrance Association, there are more than 3,600 chemicals used in fragrance mixtures around the world. These include chemicals that environmental exposure researchers and toxicologists agree should be avoided, such as benzophenone, BHA, naphthalene and phthalates. What the research says: According to the W.H.O., there is “no safe level of exposure” to benzene in the air we breathe. Studies have also shown that benzene exposure causes several types of leukemias.

Persons: toxicologists, Isobutane Organizations: International Fragrance Association Locations: California

☆ These were the top Airbnb listings in the U.S. in 2022—including an off-the-grid dome in Terlingua, Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The homes span from a tiny escape in Nashville, Tennessee to an off-the-grid dome in Terlingua, Texas. In addition to being able to use the pool, guests can take advantage of the light breakfast that is offered. Julia E. Steele / AirbnbThis tiny home has been on Airbnb's list of top listings several times over the years. Domeland: Off-grid Adobe Dome near Big Bend - Terlingua, TexasThis adobe dome in Terlingua, Texas is close to Big Bend National Park. Trevor Reichman / AirbnbThis dome is an earthen structure powered by solar power and is close to Big Bend National Park in Texas.

☆ India stock markets have been volatile. Analysts say these sectors are worth watching
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In particular, some are bullish about the construction sector and say an infrastructure push could benefit cement stocks. Investors can consider playing the country's infrastructure sector through domestic cement names, Garre said. Cement: UltraTech, AmbujaBernstein likes UltraTech Cement — a company Garre said has the capacity to keep up with the growing number of real estate projects coming up in India. Shares of UltraTech Cement was trading at about 7,123.05 on Wednesday, lower by 0.21%. Engineering: ABB India, Siemens India and moreEngineering companies that focus on infrastructure and construction are also good buys, IIFL Securities said.

☆ Pharrell Williams was just named the new creative director of Louis Vuitton's menswear division
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Louis Vuitton tapped musician and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams as its next "Men's Creative Director." On Tuesday, he added "Men's Creative Director" of Louis Vuitton to that list, according to an announcement on LVMH's site. When Louis Vuitton named Virgil Abloh its artistic director for menswear in 2018, he became the first black American to lead a European luxury fashion house. "I am glad to welcome Pharrell back home, after our collaborations in 2004 and 2008 for Louis Vuitton, as our new Men's Creative Director. Analysts say that at $20 billion, Louis Vuitton is the biggest luxury brand in the world, according to The Wall Street Journal.

☆ Medical-Device Makers Face Push to Protect Their Wares From Hacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( James Rundle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Mounting cyberattacks against hospitals and clinics and a regulatory push are increasing the pressure on medical-device manufacturers to improve the security of their products. Cyber protections have often been an afterthought for medical devices, which can be in operation for decades. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. While Mr. Suarez acknowledged that greater transparency about vulnerabilities is needed from makers of medical devices, he also wants to see customers stop using old, unsupported equipment. “It’s a complex challenge,” Mr. Suarez said.

☆ Russian soldier describes turning on his country to fight for Ukraine, driven by disgust at Putin's invasion: 'I've killed a lot of them'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian soldier fighting to defend Ukraine says he's killed many of his own countrymen in the war. The New York Times gained access to the little-known Free Russia Legion in Ukraine. The units have been kept under wraps due to the sensitivity of their role, the newspaper said. I do my job and I've killed a lot of them," he told the Times. They aren't Russian," he told the newspaper.

☆ Twitter suffered an outage during Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show — its 2nd in a week — despite Elon Musk's directive to maximize stability
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime performance coincided with nearly 1,000 reports of a Twitter outage. It came just four days after "a massive outage" saw users left unable to tweet. Nearly 1,000 users reported on Downdetector that they were having problems with Twitter, peaking as the Super Bowl halftime show started around 8:30 p.m. The apparent outage came just four days after Wednesday's "massive" one left users unable to tweet. The platform did not suffer any outages then, despite a larger viewership and Musk's similar emphasis on keeping Twitter running.

You can earn Marriott points from paid stays, co-branded credit cards, or flexible points transfers. How to earn Marriott pointsEarn points from Marriott Bonvoy hotel staysThere are plenty of different ways to earn Marriott points, but let's start with the simplest: earning points on hotel stays. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. 6X Marriott Bonvoy Points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy4X Marriott Bonvoy Points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets2X Marriott Bonvoy Points on all other eligible purchases1,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points with each qualifying stayComplimentary Gold Elite statusA Free Night Award (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) after making $15,000 in purchases per year.

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Banking and payments processing conglomerate Fidelity National Information Services Inc (FIS.N) took a $17.6 billion write-down on its merchant business as it unveiled plans on Monday to spin it off, undoing a $43 billion acquisition that went sour. FIS built its merchant business, which processes transactions for companies, on the back of its $43 billion purchase of WorldPay four years ago. "The pace of disruption in payments is rapidly accelerating, requiring increased investment in growth and a different capital allocation strategy for our merchant solutions business," FIS Chairman Jeffrey Goldstein said in a statement. Charles Drucker, the former CEO of Worldpay, will lead the merchants business after it is spun out, FIS said. Merchant solutions makes up about 30% of FIS' revenue, while its banking solutions arm constitutes about 46%, and capital market solutions the remainder.

☆ Trump just tried to pick another fight with Rihanna, saying the pop icon had the 'single worst' Super Bowl halftime show in history
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump flung another insult at Rihanna after her performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday. Trump wrote that Rihanna gave "the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history." This is the second time in a week that Trump has tried to pick a fight with Rihanna. "EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. Trump also criticized Rihanna's fashion choices at the Super Bowl, writing: "Also, so much for her 'Stylist!'"

☆ Chiefs or Eagles? Mahomes or Hurts? Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ or ‘Diamonds’? A Super Bowl Guide for the Last-Minute Fan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Jason Gay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PhoenixSuper Bowl Week is a reality distortion field. Here in the desert, I’m surrounded by merry pilgrims deeply invested in this game, who expect Bowl No. 57 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs to be a seismic American moment, who can tell me everything I need to know about Andy Reid’s offensive line performance in the 1980 Holiday Bowl, and would do nearly anything for an invite to a sweaty, oversubscribed NFL afterparty where they might see the back of Dick Butkus’s head.

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