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☆ Palestinians turn anger on own leadership after Israel's Jenin raid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The rockets were shot down and Israel's air force struck targets in Gaza belonging to the ruling Hamas, causing no casualties. [1/9]Palestinian girls sit outside a damaged house following an Israeli military operation, in Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank July 5, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Tuesday the Jenin operation was unlikely to be a "one-off" and said it would be "the beginning of regular incursions and continuous control of the territory". Israel has been fiercely critical of the Palestinian Authority and its 87-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas, accusing them of failing to rein in the militant groups. PA officials in turn say Israel has made it impossible to exert any control by keeping them deliberately weak and undermining their authority.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Nidal al, James Mackenzie, Conor Humprhries Organizations: Palestinian, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Islamic, Reuters, Hamas, Bank, REUTERS, Al, Quds Brigades, Thomson Locations: JENIN, West, Jenin, Israeli, Islamic Jihad, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, Quds, Oslo, Nablus

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried shot a MasterClass video about crypto trading months before FTX collapsed, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried shot a MasterClass video on crypto last year, per The New York Times. He recorded the video last summer, months before FTX collapsed, according to the report. FTX cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried is thought to have shot a video for MasterClass, which offers classes taught by celebrity experts, just months before his crypto exchange collapsed. The existence of Bankman-Fried's MasterClass had only been a social media rumor around the time FTX collapsed prior to The Times' report. MasterClass, Bankman-Fried and Kives did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: Sam Bankman, FTX, MasterClass, SBF's, Fried, Michael Kives, Kives, Crypto, Changpeng Zhao, Emilie Choi, Paul Krugman, Chris Dixon, Coinbase, Gordon Ramsay, Garry Kasparov, Margaret Atwood, Fried's MasterClass, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Bill Clinton, Elon Musk, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron DeSantis Organizations: New York Times, Morning, Hollywood, Bankman, MasterClass, Times, Alameda Research Locations: MasterClass, Alameda

☆ Here's the 14-page pitch deck a startup helping people build credit through rental payments used to raise $4.5 million from Clocktower VC and Plaid's cofounders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Boom is a startup that helps people build credit by reporting rent payments to credit bureaus. The startup raised $4.5 million in a seed round led by Starting Line. "I started helping them on their housing, find a new rental, build credit, get things removed from their credit report, access rental assistance, things like that," Whiting told Insider. That's when the lightbulb went off to start Boom, a startup that helps people build credit by reporting their rent payments to credit bureaus. Here's the 14-page pitch deck Boom used to raise its $4.5 million seed.

Persons: Rob Whiting, Whiting, Kirill Moizik, helms, Boom . Whiting, Moizik, Boom, Plaid's cofounders Zach Perret, William Hockey Organizations: Boston Consulting Group, Clocktower

☆ Joseph Fiennes says he rejected a Hollywood career due to bullying tactics by Harvey Weinstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Joseph Fiennes said he turned down a five-part Hollywood movie deal in his early career. He told The Observer that decision was due to bullying by Harvey Weinstein. Fiennes told the newspaper: "I'm not beholden to that. Joseph Fiennes said he turned down a big Hollywood deal early in his career due to bullying tactics by the now-disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. "It was a bullying tactic that didn't sit well," Fiennes told The Observer in an interview.

Persons: Joseph Fiennes, Harvey Weinstein, Fiennes, I'm, Observer Weinstein, Mirimax, Elizabeth, Weinstein, Ralph Fiennes, Luther Organizations: Observer, Waterford Locations: Love

☆ 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' opens to $120.5 million, second-highest debut of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Spider-Man returned to the big screen this weekend, webbing up an estimated $120.5 million at the domestic box office. Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the much anticipated sequel to the Academy Award-winning "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," had the second-biggest opening of 2023, just behind Universal's "Super Mario Bros. The film also marks the third-best opening weekend for any Spider-Man film, animated or live-action. The film has secured $186.2 million in domestic ticket sales and stands at $326.7 million globally. Additionally, Disney's "The Boogey Man" opened to $12 million in domestic ticket sales and Universal's "Fast X" added $9.24 million in ticket sales over the weekend, bringing its domestic haul to $128.4 million.

Persons: Universal's, Mario, Paul Dergarabedian, Shawn Robbins, Robbins Organizations: Academy, Mario Bros, BoxOffice.com, Disney, Guardians, Galaxy, Comcast, CNBC Locations: EntTelligence, NBCUniversal

☆ 'The Little Mermaid's' box office will say a lot about Disney's live-action remake strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

That opening is on par with the $91 million "Aladdin" secured in 2019 on its way to more than $1 billion at the global box office. Audience buzz has become an increasingly important factor in box office success in the wake of the pandemic. Those that skip out on seeing a film during its opening weekend can be enticed to cinemas by positive chatter, helping to bolster the film's overall box office. The studio, which is known for its animated content, saw two of its recent releases — "Lightyear" and "Strange World" — flounder at the box office. Although there were two live-action films based on "101 Dalmatians" in 1996 and 2000, Disney didn't start producing these remakes in earnest until 2010's "Alice in Wonderland."

Persons: Alice, Maleficent, Lilo, Shawn Robbins, it's Organizations: Disney, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, BoxOffice.com Locations: Wonderland

☆ ChatGPT Secret Training Data: the Top 50 Books AI Bots Are Reading
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

To figure out what GPT-4 has read, they quizzed it on its knowledge of various books, as if it were a high-school English student. One way to answer the question is to look for information that could have come from only one place. Genre — sci-fi, mystery, romance, horror — is, broadly speaking, more interesting, partially because these books have plots where things actually happen. Bamman's GPT-4 list is a Borgesian library of episodic connections, cliffhangers, third-act complications, and characters taking arms against seas of troubles (and whales). See what a bot makes of Gene Wolfe's "The Book of the New Sun," maybe, or Sheri Tepper's "Grass."

That was the promise of a digital library of movies and TV shows. "Warner Bros. That's why NBCUniversal had to pay itself $500 million to stream Universal TV's "The Office" on Peacock and Warner Bros. Rafael Henrique | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesBy removing the content specifically made for streaming rather than licensed shows and movies, Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

☆ Five months in with no deal in sight, Israel's judicial protests endure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Rami Amichay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For five months now, tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the street every week to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial overhaul that would give politicians greater sway over selecting judges. Critics see a threat to independence of the courts by the prime minister, who is on trial on graft charges he denies. Eisenkot, in an interview with Israel's Channel 12, called for the proposed legislation to be frozen for a year. Before the sun set on Saturday, ending the Jewish Sabbath, crowds once again gathered in Tel Aviv and other cities across Israel. Mira Marcus-Kalish, a university researcher, said she no longer keeps track of how many protests she attended.

LOS ANGELES, May 8 (Reuters) - Writing for a new season of "The Handmaid's Tale" and a coming "Game of Thrones" prequel was halted as a nearly week-long strike by thousands of film and television writers rippled across Hollywood on Monday. Writing of the dystopian drama stopped when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called a strike last week, Chang told Reuters on Monday. Martin said in a blog post that the writers' room for prequel series "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight" was "closed for the duration of the strike." Warner Bros has not announced a release date for "The Hedge Knight." The second season of "House of the Dragon," another "Game of Thrones" prequel, began filming in April, Martin said, and will continue in London and Wales.

☆ A new bipartisan bill would make sure government and nonprofit workers can get student-loan forgiveness — even if they leave public service after 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bill would eliminate the requirement to be employed in public service at the time of debt relief. It would ensure that borrowers that complete the required 120 qualifying payments will get loan forgiveness. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program was created in 2007 to give government and nonprofit workers student-loan forgiveness after ten years, or 120 qualifying payments. "Since its creation, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has had persistent issues that have made it difficult for public service employees to access student debt relief in exchange for their dedicated service to our nation," Menendez said in a statement. "Our public servants, like police officers and teachers, rightfully have access to student loan forgiveness after ten years of public service," Houlahan said in a statement.

☆ Moody's cuts Israel's outlook from 'positive' to 'stable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Jason Gewirtz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's another setback for Israel's economy since massive protests broke out across the country last month, due to proposed changes in the judicial system that are widely unpopular among citizens. For now, Moody's left the overall A1 rating in place for Israel, allowing it to stay in the upper end of the investment-grade category. But as a rating slips, a country faces the danger of having to pay higher rates to potential borrowers. What's more, outside investment from the U.S. and Europe is crucial to the health of Israel's economy. In a note issued late Friday afternoon, Moody's wrote: "The change of outlook to stable from positive reflects a deterioration of Israel's governance, as illustrated by the recent events around the government's proposal for overhauling the country's judiciary."

☆ A mom took out over $77,000 in student loans to send her son with autism to college. He got his debt wiped out — but she's still paying hers off with no end in sight.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Marsha Wipperman, 59, took on parent PLUS student loans so her son with autism could attend college. "I'm going pay it. So I just signed away on my parents loans because that's what a parent does." Marsha Wipperman took on $77,000 in PLUS loans for her son. 'I've done 100% what I needed to do at that time'Parent PLUS loans gave Wipperman's son the opportunity to attend college, and she wouldn't have done it any other way.

☆ Meet a teacher who paid his student loans for 6 more years than he needed to qualify for debt cancellation. Now he can't get his money back.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He contacted his servicer, MOHELA, in August to get refunded on those payments, but hasn't had any luck. Currence, 41, took on about $13,000 in student loans for his Bachelor's degree in 2005, and he had nearly paid it all off by the time he took on another $15,000 in loans in 2018 for his Master's degree. Given his career in public service, Currence wanted to take advantage of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after ten years of qualifying payments. Currence jumped at the opportunity to consolidate his loans into federal direct loans under student-loan company MOHELA to qualify for debt relief. They told him he could then consolidate his loans to get his remaining balance wiped out under PSLF, he said.

☆ 453,000 student-loan borrowers in public service have gotten their debt wiped out over the past year — and more are still to come, Biden's Education Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

453,000 student-loan borrowers have gotten debt relief through the PSLF waiver, the Education Department said. Biden's Education Department announced in October 2021 temporary reforms for PSLF, a program that allows government and nonprofit workers to receive loan forgiveness after ten years of qualifying payments. While many borrowers are still waiting for their applications to be processed, the Education Department also announced permanent reforms to PSLF in October following the waiver's expiration. "Higher education should lift you up, not weigh you down," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona wrote on Twitter in January. "Thanks to changes we've made to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, everyday Americans can reach dreams they put off for far too long.

☆ Israeli turmoil alarms business leaders: There's 'fear over what happens next'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jason Gewirtz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The uncertainty in Israel's political situation extends deep into the business sector. This month, ratings service Fitch warned that the courts controversy "could weaken Israel's credit profile." Weingarten's big fear is an irreparable divide in Israel, a country where a great degree of unity was once seen as a given. Such a drop would make the prime minister push his right-wing coalition partners into a deal that's more aligned with the country's citizens at large. Women dressed as handmaidens from "The Handmaid's Tale" attend a demonstration after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the defense minister and his nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Jerusalem on March 27, 2023.

Tarpon Isle, a private island in Palm Beach, Florida, is on sale for $218 million. Tarpon Isle, a private island in Palm Beach, Florida, is on sale for $218 million. A waterfront bathroom inside the main home on Tarpon Isle, a private island in Palm Beach, Florida, on sale for $218 million. A dock servicing Tarpon Isle, a private island in Palm Beach, Florida, on sale for $218 million. A living space inside the main home on Tarpon Isle, a private island in Palm Beach, Florida, on sale for $218 million.

☆ Biden's Education Department just pushed back the deadline for student-loan borrowers to see debt relief through a one-time reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department announced a one-time account adjustment for borrowers in PSLF and income-driven repayment plans. It comes as Federal Student Aid did not receive any additional funding to implement reforms to a series of debt relief programs. PSLF promises debt relief for government and nonprofit workers after ten years of qualifying payments, and IDR plans give borrowers affordable monthly payments based on their income with the promise of debt relief after at least 20 years. According to new guidance on Federal Student Aid's website, though, the deadline for borrowers to receive relief through the account adjustment got pushed back. All borrowers can do right now is wait for updates from the department regarding the implementation of reforms — and of course, the Supreme Court's decision on broad debt relief.

☆ Millions of student-loan borrowers will experience 'devastating' delays in debt relief if a GOP proposal to cut spending goes through, Biden's Education Secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Rosa DeLauro asked all federal agency heads how GOP spending cut proposals would impact them. Miguel Cardona outlining the "devastating" impact the cuts would have on student-loan borrowers. He said the cuts would delay student-debt relief and make it even harder to get customer service help. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, in his response, elaborated on the "devastating effects" the GOP proposal would have on students and parents who rely on financial aid — especially student-loan borrowers. But the agency already has a lot on its plate with minimal resources, given Congress approved a budget last year that did not increase Federal Student Aid's funding.

☆ A student-loan borrower was promised a $5,000 refund on payments after Biden's broad debt relief. Months later, she's still waiting — and no one is picking up the phone to help.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Roxanne Dougherty, 31, is waiting for a $5,000 refund on her student-loan payments. The Education Department directed Insider to guidance on refunds posted on Federal Student Aid's website. "No one is taking the time to help me or to listen to me when it comes to MOHELA," Dougherty said. "It just seems like there's something in it for them to not help," Dougherty said. Are you still waiting for a refund on your student-loan payments?

☆ Israel's 'Handmaids' become a defining image of the mass protests against Netanyahu's judicial reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Women dressed as "Handmaids" are at the forefront of mass protests against the Netanyahu government. Netanyahu's plans to lessen the power of the Israeli supreme court. The protests in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities oppose Prime Minister Netanyahu's plans to lessen the power of the Israeli Supreme Court in favor of elected officials. Israeli protesters wearing costumes from ''The Handmaid's Tale'' particiapte in a rally against Israeli Goverment's judicial overhaul bills at Haogen Junctions on March 16, 2023. Gili Yaari/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesPeople around the world are also voicing concerns about Netanyahu's plans.

☆ The 8-year-old daughter of a Vladimir Putin ally is listed as the owner of a multimillion-dollar apartment in one of London's most exclusive areas
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vladimir Gruzdev is a Vladimir Putin ally whose net worth was estimated to be $900 million in 2021. His 8-year-old daughter owns a London apartment that could be worth $5 million to $10 million today. Vladimir Gruzdev made his name as a grocery-store tycoon before starting a career in politics, which won him special recognition by Putin in 2010. The apartment was purchased for £2.3 million in 2000 through a company based in the Cayman Islands, where the tax rate is 0%. One property-valuation website suggests it could be worth over $10 million, but its actual value on the open market is unclear.

Companies Rite Aid Corp FollowWASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Monday sued Rite Aid Corp (RAD.N), accusing the pharmacy chain of missing red flags as it illegally filled hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids. Rite Aid pharmacists were accused of filling prescriptions for controlled substances despite clear signs it was wrong. The Justice Department also said Rite Aid intentionally deleted some pharmacists' internal warnings about suspicious prescribers, such as "cash only pill mill??? Rite Aid is one of the country's largest pharmacy chains, with more than 2,330 stores in 17 U.S. states. The case is U.S. ex rel White et al v Rite Aid Corp et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, No.

☆ Goldman Sachs' investor day led to more questions than answers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

David Solomon at Goldman Sachs' 2023 investor day. All eyes were on Goldman Sachs yesterday as the bank held its second-ever investor day. The biggest news of the day was Solomon, along with other key executives, acknowledging the bank was exploring "strategic alternatives" for its consumer business. Hinting at "strategic alternatives" was something people would want to hear more about. And click here to read more about Goldman exploring "strategic alternatives" for its consumer biz.

☆ Plaid views identity verification as key to its 2023 growth plans. Here's how the fintech is using it to become a one-stop shop for customers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Plaid views identity verification as key to linking together different parts of its business. The company is using ID verification to streamline the onboarding process for fintechs. Plaid wants to create a seamless onboarding experience for fintech users with its new product Plaid Identity Verification (IDV). Plaid IDV launched in July 2022 and has 200 customers. In the fourth quarter of 2022, one in three new deals included Plaid IDV.

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