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☆ Analysis: Why Chris Christie's presidential bid remains a long shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Republican Chris Christie is hoping the second time’s the charm when it comes to White House runs. He’s not alone among the major Republican contenders polling south of 5% on average – seven others also fit the description. It’s not unheard of for candidates polling below 5% (or even at 1%) at this point in the cycle to win their party’s nomination. lies with the two candidates polling above 5%: former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Upon officially declaring his bid, he jumped into the double digits in the Republican horserace and saw his unfavorable ratings decline.

Persons: Chris Christie, Let’s, Christie, He’s, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Trump, Carter, Clinton, wasn’t, George McGovern, Maine Sen, Ed Muskie, McGovern, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Massachusetts Sen, Ted Kennedy, Democrat Gary Hart, Walter Mondale, Mondale, We’ve, I’m Organizations: CNN, White House, New, GOP, CBS, Florida Gov, The South, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Democrat, Trump, Republican Locations: New Jersey, The, The South Dakota, Maine, Iowa, New, Colorado

☆ Emily Morse Wants You to Think Seriously About an Open Relationship
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

Talk Emily Morse Wants You to Think Seriously About an Open RelationshipFor nearly 20 years, Emily Morse has been publicly talking with people about sex. The people in successful ethical nonmonogamous relationships have a very healthy relationship to their own sex life and their own intimacy, their own desires. Screen grab from YouTubeWhat about couples who stay together because their sex life is great but the rest of their relationship is bad? There’s so many of them, and every day I get hundreds of questions from people who you would think would know better. But if you have a better sex life, you have a better life.

Persons: Emily Morse, Emily ”, they’re, Morse, “, ”, Couples, Gwyneth Paltrow, anyone’s, David, Don’t, don’t, you’re, —, didn’t, I’ve, David Marchese, Emma Chamberlain, Walter Mosley Organizations: Macworld, YouTube, Cal Newport Locations: kinkiest, San Francisco, California, America

☆ In This Thriller, the Psycho Killers Have a Southern Drawl
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Stephen King | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

In “Blacktop Wasteland” and “Razorblade Tears” (and an earlier thriller, “My Darkest Prayer”), Cosby worked the outlaw side of the crime/suspense genre. In this new one he’s written a crackling good police procedural. Titus deals with two girlfriends, one new and one old (the old one is, unsurprisingly, a true-crime podcaster). As in most novels of this type, he’s positive he’s missed some vital clue, and sure enough, he has. This is news from a part of America that’s rarely written about, especially from a Black perspective.

Persons: Cosby, Titus, he’s, It’s, —, Alfred Hitchcock —, Elmore Leonard, “, shouters, Walter Mosley, it’s, you’ve, America that’s Organizations: Sheriff Crown, Los Angeles Public Library, Dollar Locations: America, County, ”

☆ What If Instead of Trying to Manage Your Time, You Set It Free?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk What If Instead of Trying to Manage Your Time, You Set It Free? I’m curious to know what you think we do actually owe our jobs, as far as time goes. There’s a distinction between signing up to do a job and signing up to have every second micromanaged. I remember there was a Reddit post of someone who was talking about trying to outsource everything in their life and making it superefficient. He recently interviewed Emma Chamberlain about leaving YouTube, Walter Mosley about a dumber America and Cal Newport about a new way to work.

☆ Napoli’s Serie A title win: From Maradona and financial bankruptcy to Scudetto
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Diego Maradona battles dribbles against Ruud Gullit of AC Milan in the Serie A in 1988. With Maradona’s arrival came a level of success Napoli had previously never seen, culminating in a 1987 title victory; the club’s first ever Scudetto. When Napoli won its first Serie A title in 1987, the Gentleman Ultra website notes: “In the city, mock funerals were held for Juventus. The dark yearsA year after the 1990 title success, the Napoli team began to unwind with players departing, leading to a drop in performances. Napoli fans celebrate the team's Serie A title victory on the streets of Naples.

☆ How Do We Ensure an A.I. Future That Allows for Human Thriving?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

Some of us would like to slow this down because we are seeing more costs every day, but I don’t think that means that there are no benefits. We may someday have a technology that revolutionizes science and technology, but I don’t think GPT-5 is the ticket for that. Combine that human overattribution with the reality that these systems don’t know what they’re talking about and are error-prone, and you have a problem. I don’t think we should go after an individual who posts a silly story on Facebook that wasn’t true. I don’t think, however, that the technology we have right now is very good for that — systems that can’t even reliably do math problems.

☆ Opinion: Biden’s secret weapon to defuse the age issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Opinion Dean Obeidallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Recent polls tell us that many Americans have questions about the age of the 80-year-old Biden heading into the 2024 election. It’s in everybody’s mind and by everyone, I mean The New York Times.” Biden then added, “Headline: ‘Biden’s advanced age is a big issue. Biden’s reelection campaign (he announced his bid last week) is not the first time that age has been front and center in a presidential campaign. It became even more acute after the first presidential debate in October 1984. At the second presidential debate, however, Reagan was ready for the age question.

☆ Harry Belafonte, calypso star and civil rights champion, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Alex Johnson | Diana Dasrath | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Singer Harry Belafonte speaks during a press junket at The Bing Decision Maker Series with the Sing Your Song Cast and Filmmakers on January 22, 2011 in Park City, Utah. American singer Harry Belafonte performing in a recording studio, circa 1957. By the early 1960s, Belafonte had become a force in the civil rights movement. A crowd of over 10,000 civil rights marchers gathers in the Manhattan Garment Center as Harry Belafonte sings at spiritual at a civil rights rally. A capacity audience of civil rights advocates turned out to watch a glittering array of theater personalities perform.

☆ The Queen of Twitch Wonders What Turns Teenage Fans Into Trolls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk The Queen of Twitch Wonders What Turns Teenage Fans Into TrollsImane Anys has experienced a turbocharged version of the ostensibly good and indisputably awful that can come with being a star in the world of online content creators. Honestly, there are people in the streaming industry who don’t find misogyny deplorable, who don’t think it’s a big deal, who don’t think deepfaking should be punishable in any way. For me, it’s been invaluable to have fellow female streamers who know what I’ve gone through, who can validate my feelings. If I have a particular interest in pottery, let me showcase that instead of just focusing on gaming and streaming. Being able to connect with other people who are interested in the same things as you is so validating.

☆ A Psychedelics Pioneer Takes the Ultimate Trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk A Psychedelics Pioneer Takes the Ultimate TripAs the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Dr. Roland Griffiths has been a pioneer in investigating the ways in which psychedelics can help treat depression, addiction and, in patients with a life-threatening cancer diagnosis, psychological distress. He has also looked at how the use of psychedelics can produce transformative and long-lasting feelings of human interconnectedness and unity. “So I believe that in principle we shouldn’t need this Stage 4 cancer diagnosis to awaken. Is your perspective maybe one that a 40-year-old, say, with a terminal cancer diagnosis would be able to inhabit so profoundly? If I had a regret, it’s that I didn’t wake up as much as I have without a cancer diagnosis.

☆ Can the U.S. See the Truth About China?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk Can the U.S. See the Truth About China? To see China solely as trying to displace the United States is only going to stoke more fears. The Chinese people believe that a substantially weakened Russia might not be in the interest of China, because if there were the sense that the United States needed to seek out an opponent, China would be next. And then also, the United States thinks that China wants to displace it. The industrial espionage stems from a lack of appreciation from the start of intellectual property, and the United States, by pushing China to do more intellectual-property protection, is actually good for China.

☆ Your Data Is Diminishing Your Freedom
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

What inequalities are baked into these data systems? Oregon State UniversityBut it’s almost impossible to function in the world without participating in these data systems that we’re told are mandatory. Which is a concern with, How are these data systems proscribing my freedoms? This is the question of equality and the implications of these data systems’ being obligatory. You get these data systems that load people in, but it’s clear there wasn’t sufficient care taken for the unequal effects of this datafication.

☆ BMW expects higher margin and deliveries in 2023 amid electric rollout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

German automaker BMW on Wednesday set out targets to slightly increase margins for its automotive segment and raise deliveries this year, as it pushes ahead with the rollout of its electric fleet. The company said it expects an EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) margin of between 8-10% for its automotive range in 2023, with deliveries set to rise slightly from 2022 and "selling prices remaining at a stable level." It forecasts the used car market will normalize this year "due to the increased availability of new cars." Like rivals, BMW has been contending with global semiconductor shortages and supply chain disruptions, challenging it to fulfil its book order. The company confirmed the full-year 2022 results reported last week, including an EBIT of 10.6 billion euros ($11.4 billion) for its automotive segment, which had an.

METALS AND MININGIn a significant widening of its Russia-related sanctions, Treasury announced a new determination by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that allows sanctions on any individual or entity operating in Russia's metals and mining sector. On Friday, it hit four mining and metals sector companies, including TPZ-Rondol, a unit of Russia's largest ammunition maker, for producing weapons for the Russian military, including the navy, the Treasury said. Among other entities hit on Friday were more than a dozen Russian banks. Another bank hit was MTS Bank, which is located in Moscow and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Brian Nelson, Treasury's top sanctions official raised concerns about UAE's decision to license the Russian bank during a visit to the country the week of Jan. 30.

☆ Elderly senators have mixed feelings about Nikki Haley's call for 'mandatory mental competency tests' for politicians over 75
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Nikki Haley is calling for "mandatory mental competency tests" for politicians over the age of 75. Over a sixth of the US Senate is age 75 or older. "We'll have term limits for Congress, and mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old." "I think she should test her own mental competency," said Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, who recently turned 75. Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho said he'd take a mental competency test Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSome aging lawmakers expressed general openness to taking the test.

Democrats voted this past weekend to say goodbye to Iowa as the first state on their presidential nominating calendar, a move likely to end the state's almost 50-year history leading off the Democratic race for president. Iowa has had a strong history of picking Democratic candidates that ultimately win the party's nomination — Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton all won Iowa caucuses the year their party tapped them as its presidential nominee. But that wasn't the case in 2020, when Democrat Pete Buttigieg ultimately won a caucus mired by technological mishaps that delayed the reporting of the results for days. It was that mishap, along with concerns from many Democrats about the lack of diversity among the electorate picking winners in each of the first two nominating states (Iowa and New Hampshire) that helped pave the way for this weekend's vote. For more on the Democrats' history with the Iowa caucus, and how it's mattered in key presidential races over the years, check out this deep dive from ahead of the 2020 caucus written by NBC News and MSNBC National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki.

☆ Walter Mosley Thinks America Is Getting Dumber
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk Walter Mosley Thinks America Is Getting DumberWalter Mosley is best known as one of contemporary literature’s pre-eminent crime novelists, but he’s actually four or five different writers rolled into one. You have to tell stories about real people experiencing it and not real people with a Ph.D. People who are not stupid but ignorant, who don’t know things about the world. There are people who don’t know how to spell, they don’t know how to think. You have these people coming out into the world, and they don’t know what to do. That’s going to happen.

The men’s defense lawyers asked a judge to rule the geofence warrant unconstitutional and throw out any evidence that came from it. Last March, a federal judge in Virginia ruled that a geofence warrant used to find a suspect in a bank robbery was unconstitutional. In September, a state court in San Francisco ruled against the use of a geofence warrant in a burglary investigation. Law enforcement agencies may then try workarounds, like teaming up with agencies in jurisdictions that lack restrictions. “This is a tool that law enforcement is hellbent on using, and I understand why,” Owsley said.

☆ Walter Cunningham, last surviving Apollo 7 astronaut, dies at 90
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Walter Cunningham, the last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA’s Apollo program, died Tuesday in Houston. It was NASA’s first crewed space mission since the deaths of the three Apollo 1 astronauts in a launch pad fire Jan. 27, 1967. “We never even knew that there were astronauts when I was growing up,” Cunningham told The Spokesman-Review. After retiring from NASA in 1971, Cunningham worked in engineering, business and investing, and became a public speaker and radio host. Although Cunningham never crewed another space mission after Apollo 7, he remained a proponent of space exploration.

WASHINGTON — Patrick Leahy was swept into the Senate nearly a half-century ago in the wake of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation and pardon. Ron Frehm / APSen. Leahy take photos on the inaugural stand during Barack Obama's presidential inauguration at the Capitol on Jan. 21, 2013. Let’s stay here and vote where we can be seen.”Sen. Leahy, D-Vt., walks to the Senate Chamber on Jan. 6, 2021. Ira Schwarz / APSupreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor is sworn in by committee chairman Sen. Leahy, D-Vt., during her confirmation hearing in 2009 in Washington. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., in the Senate subway.

☆ Mastercard loses UK ruling on three million dead claimants in $12 bln case
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Mastercard (MA.N) lost an appeal in a London court on Tuesday against a ruling in a 10 billion pound-plus ($12 billion-plus) collective action that allows the claims of around three million people who have died since the lawsuit began to continue. The global payments processor is facing a lawsuit brought by consumer champion Walter Merricks on behalf of approximately 46 million adults in the United Kingdom, which became the first mass consumer action to be approved in the UK in 2021. The case was certified last year after a nearly five-year journey from the first-instance Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which initially refused to give the go-ahead, to the UK Supreme Court and back. Mastercard’s challenge to that decision was dismissed on Tuesday by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that the CAT was entitled to take into account that three million people who had valid claims in 2016 would be excluded. Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Five centuries on, Milan still echoes with the genius of queer icon Leonardo da Vinci
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Dan Allen | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Since his death more than 500 years ago, multihyphenate genius Leonardo da Vinci and his spectacular works have inspired respect and wonder in generation after generation the world over. “Likewise in painting, I can do everything possible as well as any other, whosoever he may be,” da Vinci offered, not incorrectly. Today, his engineering genius and the advancements it inspired are showcased at Milan’s Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, the largest science museum in Italy. The museum’s Leonardo da Vinci Galleries, reimagined for the 2019 celebrations, use more than 170 historical models, artworks, codexes and installations to bring the artist’s story to life. Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" in the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

☆ Faraday Future names ex-Romeo Power executive as interim finance chief
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 26 (Reuters) - Electric vehicle startup Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc (FFIE.O) on Wednesday named Yun Han as its interim finance chief and accounting head, replacing Becky Roof who resigned earlier this month. Han was previously chief accounting officer at battery technology firm Romeo Power Inc . Roof, who has served as interim finance chief since March, took over after CFO Walter McBride stepped down due to health reasons. Los Angeles-based Faraday Future has spent the last few months locked in a fight with its largest shareholders and has been battling high costs and supply-chain disruptions that have delayed the production of its FF 91 vehicle to the fourth quarter of 2022. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence illustration in 1962 Italian magazine aimed to “preview” life in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Contrary to posts on social media, there is no evidence that the image, published in a 1962 issue of Italian magazine La Domenica del Corriere, aimed to “preview what the world could look like in 2022”. Another recent example is viewable (here)Similar allegations connecting the illustration with the COVID-19 pandemic were addressed by multiple fact-checking organizations in 2020 (here here)La Domenica del Corriere was a weekly supplement to Italian newspaper Corriere Della Serra. The Corriere della Sera Foundation, according to their website, preserves an archive with “all the covers of the magazine”. Corriere della Sera Foundation did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. According to Poeta, the illustration was a back cover issued on Dec. 16, 1962 (here).

☆ Lin-Manuel Miranda's first songbook is out, from 'In the Heights' to 'Hamilton' and 'Encanto'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

So even for Grammy, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, his first songbook, containing 27 songs from “Hamilton,” “Encanto,” “In the Heights” and more, was a big deal. At the event, his nephew Alejandro performed “Dos Oruguitas” (from “Encanto”) on the piano, and was joined by his own teacher for “You’ll Be Back” (from “Hamilton”). You grew up with musical theater and piano lessons — how does it feel to have your own songbook? And it really was a teacher who brought me out of just writing songs about girls in the back of the classroom. That’s a really fun thing about the whole process: When you’re there early enough, your songs can really be a part of a give-and-take.

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